Triple Hope

Whew!  Been trying so hard to finish up these challenges.  After these three, I have ONE more to go and I will have made them all!   I feel like that's a pretty awesome accomplishment and I'll be proud of myself if I make it.   This card is for Donna's challenge:  My challenge is called Cork, Canvas or Clay. The rules are easy - just make a card or project using Cork, Canvas or Clay (or anything similar like burlap).   I struggled this this one for a bit, but I used some leftovers on my desk and came up with this.  Hopefully someone will like it.  It was hard to come up with colors that worked with burlap.  :)

Stamps:  Watercolor Trio (retired), Best Yet (retired)

Ink:  Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake

Paper:  Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, First Edition DSP

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Scallop Circles #2 die (retired), Woodgrain embossing folder, 3-inch circle die, burlap

This is a cute little tea holder that I made for Patty's challenge:  

• Make a treat holder of some kind, include a packaged treat to brighten someone's day
• Use Pink, Black, White, & Silver
• Glam it up

Stamps:  Like it a Latte (retired)
Ink:  Melon Mambo, Basic Black
Paper:  Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Neutrals DSP stack, Silver Glimmer paper
Tools/Accessories:  Simply Scored, Small Heart punch, Basic Rhinestones, Black Gingham ribbon (retired)

Finally, this is for Lydia's challenge:  For this challenge use any outdoorsy inspiration.  I am not a big outdoors person, but I love fall.   I created some lovely leaves using my favorite colors from this season.  

Stamps:  Gently Falling, Something to Celebrate (retired), Woodgrain
Ink:  More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso
Paper: Early Espresso, More Mustard, Naturals White, Early Espresso Coredinations, Autumn Spice DSP (retired)
Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Woodgrain embossing folder, sanding block, color spritzer

She's not convinced that this toy is fun.  :)  As a side note, if anyone knows where the switch is to turn babies back to daylight savings time, I would love to know.  We were up a wee bit early today.   I think that change along with her four month shots tomorrow might make for a long week.   I have two events this week and haven't started prepping yet, so I am going to be one stressed out momma!  

CAS Flower

I'm the worst photographer lately!   I don't know what I've been doing differently, but I feel like my card pictures never turn out very good.  Maybe the camera just likes Laila?  :)    Anyway...  I made this card for another HYCCT challenge while Laila was napping today.   It is for Leslie's challenge:  My challenge for you today is to make a Clean & Simple card, with a sentiment or word as your focal point. That's it - no other requirements.  I hope my big bow doesn't steal the show from my sentiment?   I got a bit carried away I think.  Now that my buddy LeAnne taught us how to make crinkly bows, I want to make them all the time! I have 4 more cards to finish by the 7th and I will have completed all the Hope You Can Cling To challenges.  I hope I make it!  

Stamps:  Blooming with Kindness (just got the single of the flower; so excited)
Ink:  Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy
Paper: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla
Tools/Accessories:  Baja Breeze Seam Binding

Looks like we are going to have to start working on doing away with the swaddle...  Yikes!    I had better stock up on coffee before we do as I don't think we'll be getting any sleep for a while.  

Thanks to everyone who has sent me sweet emails about Laila.  I wasn't sure if the pictures were annoying or not, but she seems more popular than my cards now.  :)   

Ruff Day?

Just a quick post, but I wanted to share the Hope You Can Cling To card that I managed to put together yesterday during Laila's nap.    It is for Tammie's challenge:  make a project to support someone that may be having a "ruff" day. Your project must have a dog on it. Although it is not a requirement to include pink, it would be great if you could work it in!   

Stamps:  Friends Fur-ever

Ink:  Staz On black, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Pink Pirouette, Basic Gray

Paper:  Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Chevron embossing folder, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, blender pen, Not Quite Navy 3/8 taffeta ribbon

This is a picture from our trip out to feed the ducks earlier in the week.  We checked to see if Laila was enjoying looking at them and well, she obviously wasn't.  LOL

Have a great weekend!

Mashed Up Window

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge:

1. Make a project "using the Sketch".
2. Or Make a project with "Rosettes".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project with the "Sketch featuring Rosettes".

Time for another challenge at The Friday Mashup!  I didn't get to play along last week, but I got back in the groove this week!  :)  I combined the challenge with a Hope You Can Cling To one as well.  I used Kittie's challenge:  My challenge for you is to create a card with a Window of Hope. You may use window die cuts, window stamps, pictures of windows, hand cut a window using your craft knife, sketching a window, painting a window. The sky is the limit.

It's a bit of a different card for me, but I think it would be a nice birthday card for a dude.   I hope it does look enough like a window to fulfill the challenge.  :)

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Garden Green, Early Espresso, Bashful Blue

Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, More Mustard, Very Vanilla

Tools/Accessories:  Sponges, Regals Buttons, linen thread

My little giraffe wasn't impressed with Halloween.   I think the costume was too hot and there was no reward of candy.   Maybe next year little one.  

Simply Kissed

I made a very quick card for Hope You Can Cling To today.   This one was for Libby's challenge and here's her description:  When your family is faced with this disease, you just want to shower them in hugs and kisses . So how about we do some stampy kissing? I'd like you to make a card using the KISSING TECHNIQUE.

I used my pink ribbon stamp and kissed it with the flourish from an old Sale-a-bration set, Bliss.  I thought it added a cool pattern to it that worked well with the ribbons paper.  I kept the rest simple, just adding some ribbon and a glimmer brad.   The sketch for this was a previous one from Retro Sketches. 

Laila got all dressed up to go to Hobby Lobby with me today to find some burlap for another HYCCT card.  We haven't started working on it yet, but stay tuned.  She's up from her nap, so I gotta run.  :)

Going Postal with FMS

I'm getting so behind on my Hope You Can Cling To challenges, but thankfully one of them worked perfectly with Cindy's awesome sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week.    When you go by the challenge blog, you'll see how versatile this sketch can be!  Mary's HYCCT challenge description is sad, but also a touching way to honor her friend.  Here's what she wrote:  This has been a very rough year for many of my friends. Since January 5 of of my friends have been diagnosed, 4 are currently doing good but my one very dear friend died. She was 46. I met her because she was the post mistress of a small post office that I always went to mail my swaps. We struck up a friendship and she joined my stamping team. She was one of those wonderful people who never met a stranger and is missed beyond belief.  So...in honor of her and all the lives she touched..."let's lick this thing". Make a card inspired by postage or the mail!

I didn't own anything to make postage (where are those darn scissors when you need them?), so I opened up My Digital Studio and found the postage punch.   I added a bit of text for the 44 and printed it out.  I am starting to enjoy making there hybrid cards.   I do have to say that this was the first time I think I'd used Raspberry Ripple and now I'm a fan.  It looks amazing with Crumb Cake...or I think so anyway!   

It actually got a bit chilly down here in Texas towards the end of last week so we had to bundle up a little!  I wish I knew how to share a video from Facebook on here.  She found her voice this week and has been super chatty.  It's adorable!

Chicken Soup

Silly card, right?   Dealing with cancer is no laughing matter but as we all know, laughter IS the best medicine (at least sometimes).  The other old standard, chicken soup for under the weather folks, is also represented in the form of chickens.  :)  This card was made for another of the Hope You Can Cling To challenges.  This one came from Sabrina and here's her challenge:  My challenge to you is to use a chicken (hens and roosters are acceptable too ) on your card, and elements that spell the word S-O-U-P.

For my S-O-U-P, I used Scallops, Orange, Unique pink barn, and Pink.  I know that's stretching it a bit, but this one was tough!   The images are from My Digital Studio's Barnyard Buddies brush set.   

Don't forget the big sale today!    Stamps are 15% off today only, MDS kits are on 50% off until the 5th, and there will be a special kit project unveiled later on for sale today as well!   I'll be putting in a stamp order at noon my time today, so email me quickly if you need anything.  

 My little pumpkin in her candy corn onesie that her Aunt Crista made for her.  I have a bit of an obsession with candy corn, so I was so excited when she brought it by the other day. 

Standing on One Leg?

I can't really call this one clean, but it is simple. :)  I was working on Denise's HYCCT challenge this morning and I now have a stack of great cards to finish up that didn't work out.  lol  She gave us a tough one that's for sure.  Here's the description: So my challenge to you is be like a flamingo and stand on ONE leg ! That means, use only ONE of each supply...one stamp, one button, one sheet of DP, one sheet of colored cardstock, one rhinestone...You can use any combination of things but only one of each type of product (the card base, a sentiment stamp, and your ink do NOT count). 

Yikes, right?!   I kept having too many of things so I finally decided to go really simple and came up with this one.  I'm not sure you can see "the world" that's stamped very lightly behind the sentiment, but it's there.  :)   I actually like how simple but NOT boring it turned out.  

Stamps:  Word Play, The Open Sea
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse
Paper:  Crumb Cake
Tools/Accessories:  Simply Scored, sponges, Midnight Muse stitched ribbon, color spritzer

My little 4 month old!  Goodness.   She's going to be out of stickers before I know it.  It is amazing to watch her grow and learn new things.  I can't believe how she changes from one day to the next.   She is such a blessing and I love her so much!