My Comfort Cottage

Grace and Peace to You!

2012-01-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back sweet friends! I pray that you've been healthy and filled with JOY :D I am on the Prayer Team at church and there have been soooooo many people in need of special prayer from cancer and other serious illnesses to anxiety and depression... Jesus says that in this world, we will have trouble... but we are to take heart because He has OVERCOME the world with all it's sickness and disease. Our sin has been nailed to the cross where we now have PEACE with God - IF we have made the personal decision to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. I pray that you have : D

Today's card uses Peace by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD from the Odds and Ends Collection. I've been waiting to use her for someone special and today hubby and I are invited to a special lady's home for dinner. She's going to show me how to make Butternut Squash Ravioli! She is the BEST cook ever... but she's gone through so many surgeries for cancer, so I thought Peace was perfect for such a time as this!

She's colored with copics and accented with Stardust Stickles. Just take a look at those pearls... The large half pearls in the center of the flowers are self stick, but the small pearls in groups of three are Viva Decor Opal Paper Pen. If you've visited me before, you already know how much I ADORE my Paper Pens lol! I simply can't live without 'em : D

What do you think of the red lace? Everything else was in blues, so I wanted a touch of red... I have this awesome lace stamp by Kaisercraft so I can create any color lace I need, isn't that great? I've stamped it twice here and used a 1/16" hole punch along the edges. You can find the Lace stamp *Here.*

I finally have my sewing machine out and plugged in, but I wanted to use my Sew Easy Tool so I could hand sew while I watched TV. The horizontal strip uses the Zig Zag Attachment. I was actually surprised to find that it wasn't a problem going through two layers of paper (the cs is Bazzil, which is pretty thick!). You can find the Sew Easy Tool and all the attachments *Here.* I just ordered an attachment that will allow me to sew "♥love ♥ love" well, similar to that... How fun!!! The love attachment is *Here.*

Are you a MEMORY BOX DIE fan? I've used the Elegant Scrollwork die here. Susana has lots of different designs in the store. The only trouble is that peeps keep buying them and when I want one, they are out of stock lol! These dies are hot sellers, so if you want something, you'd better be quick!

Recipe

Stamps: Peace by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD; Lace by Kaisercraft

Ink Pad: Memento Tuxedo Black

Copic Markers

Spellbinders: Large Classic Oval and Large Classic Scalloped Oval

Memory Box Die: Elegant Scrollwork

DP: Memory Box - Brioche

Sewing: Sew Easy Tool w/straight and zig zag attachments

Pearls: Viva Decor Opal Paper Pen

Crystal: Swarovski

Stardust Stickles

Stash: Large self-stick pearls, flowers, ribbon

OK... I'm not sure if I was supposed to have a card featuring masking, but I sure do want to point you to Danni's FABULOUS masking tutorial *HERE.* You will find tons of valuable information! Thanks Danni, you did a great job!!! : )

It's been so nice spending a little time visiting some of you... I just wish that I could visit more of you, more often!!! Well... I hope that my guilty conscience is good news for you, cuz I not only have one Cricut Cartridge, but TWO to give away!!! They are both as NEW (opened, but never used). My next post will have photos and a place for you to enter if you wish : D

Have a great weekend!!! I hope to have one more post before the weekend is over, so check back soon...

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

New Spring Fairies are Here!

2012-01-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

This is the day the LORD has made... let us rejoice and be glad in it : D

Welcome friends! Happy Sunday to all of you. Anybody out there a 49er Fan????? Yahoooo! What an incredible game yesterday!!! I am overjoyed at how well they have been playing this year.

I wasn't always a football fan. Nope. Anytime there was a game on, you'd find me shopping lol! While recovering from cancer (almost 5 years ago - yay!) I developed my new interest. To be honest, it's what my family watched, so I watched. I decided that I needed to pay attention (or distracted!) and ask questions so I could learn what was going on : D

Not interested in football? How 'bout some pretty paper, stamps and ribbon? I can hear some of you saying, "Now your talking!" You know that Susana always brings in the BEST 'stuff.' She's been busy behind the scenes preparing some awesome surprises : D

I'm showing an 'oldie' fairy stamp from the Fall Flora Fairies by Carmen Medlin for SCACD, but SCACD Designers are showcasing some fun NEW Spring Flora Fairies today! You can find the lineup on the Store Blog *Here.* Wanna cut to the chase cuz you KNOW you want them before seeing them? LOL! You can find all the Spring Flora Fairies *Here*

This is Friendship Rose by Carmen Medlin for SCACD. Oops... I forgot to stamp the ROSE which comes with her : ( It's FABULOUS though - and my fav!!!

All of the Flora Fairies have an accessory stamp. Isn't that cool? If you missed the Fall Flora Fairies, you'll want to see those too : D

Challenges Entered:
Let's Ink It Up - #19 Anything Goes

*Recipe*

Friendship Rose Stamp

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad

Copic Markers

DP: Kaisercraft Sweet Nothings

Memory Box Die: Fence

Spellbinders: Classic Oval;

Classic Scalloped Oval

Viva Decor Opal Paper Pen

Stardust Stickles

Diamond Glaze

Candy Coming Soon!!!

CRICUT CARTRIDGE: Elegant Edges; embossing folders and more ~ WOW!!!

Have a wonderful day! I'll see ya back here tomorrow with a fun Tag and a great Sassy image!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

SCACD Reopens Today/Gift Set!!!

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

My oh my... has it really been a month since my last post? It does feel like a lifetime ago! First thing on my agenda is to wish you...

***Happy New Year!!!***

I hope that you've enjoyed lots of relaxation time and tons of fun with your family and friends! Me? Well... I spent the last three weeks laying low and reading a bunch - trying to get over a nasty virus. It was a doosie! I sure hope that you've been able to steer clear of it.

One good thing about 'having to lie around and do nothing' is that I became acquainted with my Kindle, which I received a few months ago for my birthday. I didn't realize what I've been missing! I LOVE it :D I love that it's easy on the eyes; that it's light and easy to hold; that 'turning' pages is a breeze... If you love reading, you just might want to put a Kindle on your Wish List! Right now, I'm reading Halfway to Forever by Karen Kingsbury (Book 3 in the Forever Faithful trilogy). Have you read any good books lately? What authors do you enjoy?

To celebrate Susana's REOPENING the store today, I've created a quick and simple gift set. I'm not sure where I got the box template, but it is a print, cut and assemble project! I've embellished it with Diamond Stickles and Opal Viva Decor Paper Pen. Now to decide what to put inside for a special someone :D

For the 'matching' card, I decided to use one of the fabulous stamps by Carmen Medlin for SCACD. Her Caged Heart is from the Reflections Fantasy Collection.

The image is stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and colored with copics. Her dress was given a few coats of Crystal Glamour Dust Paint. Can you see the sparkle???

Although I've used another die for the bird cage, Susana has an awesome Memory Box die *Here* If you look closely, you'll see that I've embossed the die cut using Leaves embossing folder by Crafts-Too. I adore this embossing folder!!! Did ya notice the pearls on the bird cage and scattered around the card? I made 'em with my Opal Paper Pen :D Speaking of paper pens, the Graphite Paper Pen came in handy for the bird's eye... I don't know what I'd do without my paper pens!!!

And now... Just thought you might like to know that...

Awesome New Products

are Now Available!!!

New Paper - Kaisercraft, Crate Paper, Fancy Pants and more!
Cool New Adhesives
Memory Box Dies
Craft Concept Embossing Folders
Cuttlebug Embossing Folders

I hope that you've enjoyed your visit with me today! I know that I've missed YOU!!! Here's to a wonderful 2012 filled with love and friendships ♥ See you soon!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

It's a Double Header!!!

2011-12-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

*** Scroll down for Di's DigiDesigns Challenge ***

Due to the Stocking Stuffer Odds and Ends Hop yesterday... I'm posting TWO cards today! The first is for Fairy Fun Fridays (first because it should have been posted yesterday...)

The challenge this week is 'Beat the Winter Blues' - a photo inspiration

Pretty huh???

Here's my take on the challenge...

This ADORABLE image is from Prairie Fairy Designs. You can find it *Here*
I can't believe what I've been missing!!! I finally picked up Photo Shop Elements on sale at Costco and I've been using it to print not only my digi images, but also some awesome digi paper! The quality is MUCH better using PSE than what I was using... You may not be able to tell from the polka dot paper, but the swirly paper underneath is perfect in color and design (no streaks or imperfections - yay!!!) So... after all that, this digi paper is from Pink Petticoat : )

Copics used on Snow Friends: B06 B05 B04 B02 B01 B00 B000; R29 R27 R24 R22; YR09 YR07 YR04 YR02; E19 E18 E15; C9. All sparkly areas I painted with two to three coats of Glamour Dust Paint. Have you tried Glamour Dust Paint yet? I LOVE that it doesn't smear digi's - at all!!! I kept forgetting and would use Stickles - with drastic results : (

The snowflake between the white roses was die cut using my Spellbinders die then popped a button on top! The white rose trim is drenched in Glamour Dust Paint lol! It probably doesn't show up, but is very sparkly : ) As I was painting it on, it just looked white, so I kept adding more... Now that it's dry... yahooooo! hee hee... I stuck a half pearl in the center of each one for added interest. Yes, stuck actually is a technical term! You can find some great pearls *Here*

So... come on and join the fun at Fairy Fun Fridays!!!

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My second card is for Di's DigiDesign Challenge. This week we'd like to see your ALL WHITE cards (except for the image). These are always a real challenge for me. I went with quick and easy this time : )

I chose to use Penguins Present. Don't ya want to pick him up and give him a squeeze? He's so cute - well, actually, I suppose it could be a girl, but really... how do you know??? Cute is cute!

Corner embellishments were punched out with Paper Shapers and embossed with Swiss Dots EF. I topped them off with pearls using my Opal Paper Pen.

He or she lol is colored with copics: C9 C7 C5 C4 C0; YR09 YR07 YR04 YR02; B06 B05 B04 B02 B01 B00 B000; R29 R27 R24 R22 R21; G28 G24 G21 G20. The fur on the hat is lined with Glitter Liner and Stardust Stickles for the snow (making sure it didn't contact the ink!).

Let's see what you come up with for Di's DigiDesign Challenge this week!!!

That's it from me! Thanks for joining me in my Double Header : ) Have a wonderful weekend... and stay warm ♥

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

New Stamps Today!!!

2011-12-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my! The wind has been horrendous the last couple of days! It is bone chilling - brrrrr.... Thank goodness for my little 'puppy' (he's actually 4) who loves to cuddle up on my lap while I craft or work on my computer. He's the best heater!!!

I'm also working on another older computer after I deleted personal and unnecessary files... oops, I must have deleted something the computer needs to work properly cuz now it's not!!! If it's not one thing, it's another! Sigh...

On the bright side :D :D :D ... Today is the fabulous Stocking Stuffer Release - Odds and Ends Sampler by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD hop hop hop! We have lots of inspiration and ADORABLE new stamps to show you today. The wait is finally over - yay!!! Each and every one of these cutie-pies are available TODAY - yippppeeeee!!!

You know the 'drill'... If you've been hopping with us, you should have come from Donalda's blog. If you'd like to start at the beginning, hop on over to see Danni. So here's my contribution from the Ends Set, Designing Dreams by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD!

Do you love her as much as I do? She's just so sweet with her adorable outfit and precious little kitten. I wonder if her furry companion cuddles up in her lap to keep her warm???

I've colored Designing Dreams with the following copics: Pants - E29 E27 E25 E13 E11 E00 E000; Pinks - R85 R83 R81 R000; Skin - E11 E00 E000 R20; Hair - E49 E59 E25 E53; Kitten - W3 W1 E00. Stardust Stickles on her pocket, patches and pant cuffs.

All pearls are Viva Decor Opal Paper Pen. Another ribbon snatched up at JoAnn's, as well as the beads. Since I had the WO flowers out from my last card, I used them again here, but you can find flowers on SALE *Here* and *Here.* FYI - Also on SALE are 6x6 paper pads *Here*

The metal corners were brads, but I cut those off and used glue instead. Did you notice the 'brooch' in the upper left corner? It's a little wonky... I cut it out from a Scrap Girls kit and put a coat of Viva Decor Transparent Gloss Gel on top so it would have an acrylic like coating.

Challenges Entered:
Anything Goes - #55 Decorative or Altered Corners
Bearly Mine - All My Favorite Things (roses, pink, cuteness galore!!)
Creative Craft - Free for All
Party Time Tuesdays - #44Anything Goes
Divas by Design - #16 Anything Goes
Freshly Brewed - #75 Fabric
Simon Says - Anything Goes
Do You Stack Up - #48 Ribbon
Pile It On - #48 Sugar and Spice

Your next stop is Dianne - yay!!! She's sure to knock your socks off with her talent :D

Thank you for stopping by!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Last Day for Candy and Sneak Peek!

2011-12-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

There's been LOTS going on at my house lately... First, I just wanna give a HUGE shout out to my hubby who vacuumed and cleaned the entire (tile) floors in our home. We have tile in every room except the three bedrooms. That is a VERY big deal!!! Thanks Sweet-Pie ♥

Now I have a story to share with you. If you've been following me for awhile, you may remember that at one point I shared that I lost 15 pounds. Well... that 15 pounds turned into only 11 pounds for quite awhile. I finally decided that if I was gonna get serious, I was going to have to stop eating all the sugary sweets I love! I am happy to tell you that it's been 17 days without eating cookies, candy, pie, cake, etc... I DO, however, allow myself a cup of hot chocolate. Even through Thanksgiving and left overs, I did not eat one bite of pie or ice cream!

So...YIPPPEEE! I'm back at losing 15 pounds : ) You know that nothing seems to come easy or free of cost... Well, today two young girls ring the doorbell with a 'gift' in hand. I totally forgot that I had ordered something yummy weeks ago. Can you believe that now I have to NOT eat the oh-so-mouth-watering Turtle Cheesecake that is sitting in my fridge? I've decided that since I've gone 17 days 'treat free', I can continue. Hey, if I can lose a few pounds during Thanksgiving, I surely can conquer the cheesecake until hubby and son polish it off!!!

The colors of my card today remind me of mint chip ice cream hee hee! I think I'm getting delirious from lack of sugar!!! The image I've used is from the NEW Odds & Ends release by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD entitled Happy Days : ) This cutie, as well as 7 other super sweet stamps will be available tomorrow - yay!!!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
Simon Says - Anything Goes
The Sisterhood - Polka Dots
The Pink Elephant - #127 Color Challenge
Pile It On - #48 Sugar and Spice

Isn't she a doll? She really can be used for any occasion! Dress up the card for Christmas and voila'! Need a birthday card or invitation for a Girl's Night Out? Look no further... lol! She's so pretty. Just wait until you see the rest of the New Release : ) There are some total 'must-haves'!!!

I've used the following copics for coloring: BG18 BG15 BG13 BG11 BG10; E49 E59 E25 E53; E11 E00 E000; C9 C7 C0. She needed some sparkles, of course, so I applied Stardust Stickles to her top, skirt and the cuff of her socks. For shiny eyes, belt and shoes I used Viva Decor Transparent Gloss Gel. I'm really enjoying using this instead of Diamond Glaze. It has a thicker consistency and seems to be a little bit easier to get into smaller areas!

I'm not sure if it will show up for you, but I wanted to point out the color of the flower buttons. They were originally a brownish color and I wanted something lighter. What to do... what to do... Well - I don't have an Ephiphany Crafts Button Studio Tool (flower) 15% off - yet - so I turned to my beloved Precious Metals Paint. I gave them a coat of Mother of Pearl. I sooooo love how these paints give such good coverage!

Papers are from Nitwit; the rose ribbon I believe I picked up at JoAnn's; flowers are Wild Orchid and buttons came from my growing collection! Are you a button hoarder too?

Don't forget to check out Danni's awesome creation today as she's showcasing another adorable NEW STAMP!!!

Also, hop on over to the store blog to see the entire sneak peek line up AND details on how to WIN some fabulous CANDY!!!

Thank you so much for visiting... I hope to see you again soon!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Candy Time with NEW STAMPS!!!

2011-11-30T16:57:00.001-08:00

It's been a little while since I've posted! Boy, do I have some fun cards coming up to show you : ) You won't have to wait very long... TOMORROW I'll be showcasing a fabulous NEW RELEASE sneak peek! Until then, I've snatched up Susana's post from Follow Your Heart. Just feast your eyes on this:

It's time again for some SCACD Fun!!!

Stocking Stuffer Release Coming Soon!!!

Elisabeth Bell for SCACD

Odds & Ends Sampler

Release Day Friday, December 2, 2011!!!

Mark Your Calendars!!!

Blog Candy Info Below!!!

Hello SCACD Friends!!!

Here it is almost December already and time for lots of Holiday Cheer!!! What better way to spread some cheer than with a SCACD Release!!!

The final SCACD stamp release for the year ends with an Elisabeth Bell for SCACD stocking stuffer’s release!!! These are what I call classic Elisabeth Bell style and are stamps that I have had for awhile that didn’t quite fit into the Peekers releases. But don’t be fooled these aren’t holiday stamps. So I am calling the Collection the Odds and Ends Sampler. For you Peeker fans more are coming next year!!! The 1^st Collection is the Odds Sampler and contains 4 stamps. The other Collection is the Ends Sampler and has 4 stamps. Both Sets are just the sweetest!!! You will be able to buy either Set of 4 or Both sets together and get a sweet discount!!!

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Sneak Peek Info!!!

Starting today we will be sharing sneak peeks of these fabulous stamps on this post only, so be sure to visit every day!!!

There will be 2 stamps not shown during the sneaks so be sure to come hop along with us on Friday, December 2 so you don't miss any of these cute stamps!!!

Here are the sneak peeks for Wednesday~

We have Colleen sharing a sneak peek of the new stamp, "A Cuppa" from the Odds Set~

We also have Anki sharing a sneak peek of the new stamp, "Fancy" from the Ends Set~

Here we have Donalda sharing a sneak peek of the new stamp, "Peace" from The Ends Set~

We also have Alex sharing a sneak of the new stamp, "Designing Dreams" from The Ends Set~

Now go check out Follow Your Heart for further details on entering to win CANDY!

See you soon, my friends ♥

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Candy Winner & Fabulous New Stamps Have Arrived!!!

2011-11-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

Yahoooooo!!! The day has finally arrived when I get to share my project with you using Lotus Blossom. She's one of four in the new release Reflections Fantasy by Carmen Medlin for SCACD. But remember, there are even MORE in Reflections Yesteryear AND there are bonus stamps AND 'Just Because' stamps too! Wow... how will you ever decide? If you're like me, you'll just have to have them all!

Have you been having a blast on the Hop today? I'm sure that you've been WOWed as you've seen lots and lots of beautiful, inspirational pieces along the way :D Now, if you've come from Elaine's blog, you're right on track! If you'd like to start at the beginning, head on over to see Danni. If you get lost, you can find the entire blog hop order at the Store Blog.

We are so very excited to showcase some amazing NEW images today. Carmen Medlin for SCACD stamps are gorgeous just by themselves! When you add your own style of coloring and embellishments, they become even more beautiful!!!

I decided that Lotus Blossom needed a Red, Black and White color scheme. I found this purse at my local craft store which is black and white, so I altered it to fit this gorgeous image!

All embellishments from my stash!

...and of course a close up so you can see the beautiful detail :D

Here's the copics I used: R39 R37 R35 R32; C9 C7 C5 C3 C2; E49 E59 E25 E53; E11 E00 E000 R20. The mega sparkly gold is Gold Glitz Glamour Dust Paint - I believe I used three coats. I've also highlighted some areas with my white gel pen.

Oh... just so you know, the 'mole' that you see on her face doesn't come on the stamp - I just decided to give her one!!!

Challenges Entered:
Allsorts - Black and White Plus One
Hooked on Craft - #12 Something Punched
Stamps & Fun - 1 dp, glitter, lace
Stamps R Us - Bling it On!
Shopping Our Stash - Never Been Inked
ABC - D is for Dazzle
Flutterby - Open
Crafty Ribbons - Anything but a Card
Charisma - Lace & Pearls

*** My Holiday Celebration Candy Winner ***

It's you, Loz ♥

Yay!!! Please send me your address :D

I'm so sorry for the rest of you that entered... but don't worry, cuz there's another chance coming soon!!!

Now head on over to see the AWESOME creations of my very talented DT sister, Melanie!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I love you to pieces!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Last Day for Blog Candy!!!

2011-11-17T15:01:00.001-08:00

Hi Sweeties! I just wanted to send a quick reminder to let you know that TODAY is the last day for SCACD Blog Candy... Winners will be announced tonight :D Then get ready for another amazing New Release tomorrow by Carmen Medlin for SCACD... It's gonna be a blast!!!

Here's another tasty morsel you may want to know...

All Embossing Folders are 20% OFF thru November 18th (Offer good while quantities last).

Lots and lots of love and big hugs to each and every one of you!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Blog Candy & Butterflies!!!

2011-11-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

Today is Day Two of our Sneak Peeks for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design - yay... but what happened to Day One? Ooooops! I am hanging my head in embarrassment : ( If you missed it, you can see the FABULOUS work my SCACD sisters, Danni, Donalda and Alex created on their blogs or at Follow Your Heart *Here.* While you're at the Store Blog, you'll also find details about entering some of the yummiest CANDY around!!!

Today, we have three SCACD designers showcasing some fabulous new stamps! Here's my sneak peek... It's my current fave stamp!!! Butterfly Dreams by Carmen Medlin for SCACD.

She's a total stunner, don't you think? I love her pretty face, her flowing hair, her beautiful butterfly dress, and the fact that she's surrounded by the beauty of nature...including butterflies, of course!

I've used copics to color her: BG09 BG07 BG05 BG02 BG01 BG000; E35 E34 YR21 YR20; E11 E00 E000 R20; R35 R30; G28 G24 G21 G20. For shine in her eyes, I normally use Diamond Glaze, but this time I used Transparent Gloss Gel. I think it works better for eyes because it's thicker and easier to use in very small areas!

I must have some bling you know... so I gave the golden areas of the butterflies and her dress a couple coats of Gold Glitz Glamour Dust Paint. It dries quickly and is easy to spot paint even in detailed areas. Oh how I LOVE Glamour Dust Paint!!!

Papers are BoBunny Welcome Home Collection (15% off right now!). There are lots of gorgeous gorgeous papers in this collection! Did I say gorgeous? hee hee... The beautiful lace is from my sweet friend, Tammy ♥♥♥, MS butterfly punch with gold pearls added to the body (you can find Gold Rhinestones *Here*) and for the final touch, Gold Pearl Pen pearls in the corners.

CLP Sketch Challenge!!!
Oh... the sketch! I almost forgot!!! This is CLP Sketch Challenge #42 by the oh-so-talented Chelsea. I love love love her sketches!!! I hope that you are able to play along. You have until the end of November to join in the fun!

***Holiday Celebration Candy Winner Update***

I know that you are wondering who won my Holiday Celebration Candy... I am sorry for the delay - please check back on Friday. I promise that I will have gone through all the comments (because Mr. Froggy was absent the first day!) and include those first, then number those who entered through inlinkz. Oh... I'm so excited, I can't wait to see who wins!!!

Earlier I mentioned THREE designers... you've already seen mine - head on over to see what Melanie and Crystal have dreamed up for you. You definitely want to see both of them!!!

Don't forget to enter to WIN the SCACD Blog Candy... and return here on Friday to see if you've won my Holiday Celebration Candy!!!

Whew! Thanks for staying with me for all this :D I love you to pieces!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

SCACD Now Open!!!

2011-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Happy Sunday friends!!! I can't believe that it's almost the 15th already! In just 2 days, my Holiday Celebration Candy will end... and then the WINNER will be announced. Oh, I am so excited!!! I love to give away crafting goodies :D

Speaking of crafting goodies, did you know that Susana's Custom Art & Card Design is NOW open for your shopping pleasure? After a short maintenance break, Susana is back working hard to bring the best, up-to-date products AND the best customer service!!! If you haven't experienced the SCACD shopping experience, I'm tellin' ya, you're missing out... You can find the shop *HERE*

On a personal note... I just want to tell you a little bit about Susana. This is a complete surprise to her... SURPRISE!!! One of the first things I noticed about Susana is that she has the biggest, most generous heart! She truly loves people - I can feel it, I see it in action and she spreads it wherever she goes :D Because she puts her heart out there, sometimes it can be broken...but because she loves the LORD, her faith and spirit are restored - time and time again! I simply can't say enough about love - that's who she is! She cares deeply, she loves deeply... and I love her back :D

Thank you, Susana, for ALL you've done for me personally as well as for your DT sistahs!!! You're simply the BEST!!! We (SCACD DT) have an amazingly close and loving relationship because of you... MWAH!!! I am totally honored and very very happy to be a part of your design team :D xoxo

...and now... since I've been working very hard behind the scenes to bring you something very cool, I don't have a card today. Instead, I've decided to show you a tiny sneak peak of what I'm working on.

Now, stay tuned... coming up this week is some FUN news including some blog CANDY (besides my current CANDY!). I know that you're gonna want to participate, it's just SOOOOOO yummy!!!

See you soon, my friends. I love you :D

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Cookies for Santa

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

As I'm writing this (early for once) it's my youngest son's birthday. He is 24 years old today!!! I can hardly believe it. I'm not even that old yet lol. Well, my body begs to differ. You know the 'old' folks who sit around talking about their health problems and surgeries? I've been one of those 'old' folks : ) Growing old is not optional, but growing up IS :D I'm sticking to the latter!!! I'm having waaaaay too much fun to grow up now hee hee.

Just this evening, I must have burned 100 calories laughing. Laughing really is such good medicine :D

10 Things I Have Learned
by Lori Aragon

I no longer need to take myself so seriously
It's OK to make a 'fool' of myself (as long as it's not against the law!)
One glass of White Zinfandel in the evening is just right : D
There's more than one way to do something/it doesn't have to be MY way!
I simply can not do it all or control anyone except myself
Building relationships are more important than having things
Having one close friend is better than having many superficial ones
If I don't have a relationship with Christ ♥ I am separated from God
If I seek God first, everything else will fall into place
The JOY of the LORD is my strength!!! :D :D :D

Just a few random thoughts lol! I hope that my list gave you 'food for thought!'

...and now for today's challenge. Hop on over to Fairy Fun Friday's 'No Black Lines' Challenge. What??? This was a new one for me and quite a challenge! After I decided on the image, Sweets for Santa, the real work began. Here's the final product:

Since I couldn't print the digi in black, I decided that I would use white. I also wanted to do a 'paper piecing' project, so I turned to one of my new fave digi paper stores, Pink Petticoat. This is Doodle Dots - I LOVE how their paper prints out! Are you wondering about the doily? It's a die cut from Cheery Lynn Designs, English Tea Party die.

I am in LOVE with this sweet image ♥ To get this look, I placed the transparent digi image over the red digi polka dot paper. The lines were in black, so I recolored white. After printing and cutting out, I gave the teacup more dimension by using W5 W3 for shading. The cookies, of course, were colored with copics: E59 E57 E55 E53 E51 E50. Oh, almost forgot the candy cane! R29 R27 R24 with Diamond Stickles : )

The sentiment is from Designs on Cloud Nine which I cut out with my Cricut. I've used Diamond Stickles and White Liquid Applique for details. 'Santa' was puffed up with my heat gun, but the center of the heart on the teacup was left 'as is' - same product, different results :D

You know that I had to sneak in some beautiful pearls in the corners with my Opal Paper Pen!!! Voila! No Black Lines challenge complete... won't you join us?

Bunny Zoe's - Lace it Up (lace doily)

Craft Your Passion - Bingo (punch, sentiment, bling)

Die Cut Dreams - So Charming

Incy Wincy - Dots and Stripes

Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes

One Crazy Stamper - Food/Drink
Creative Inspirations - Lashings of Sparkle
Divas by Design - Use Metal (bell)
The Paper Shelter - Christmas Fun

Have you entered my candy yet? You can find it *HERE*

Have an awesome weekend, Sweeties ♥

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

A Little Bit of Sass

2011-11-03T02:59:00.000-07:00

Hello sweet friends! Just a quick post from me today... I'd like you to see what I've created using Sass & Swagger by Victoria Case for SCACD. She was a TON of fun to color :D

DP is Webster's Pages Triple Pack Collection which is 20% off right now!!! I love the variety in this set! The cool embellishment in the lower corner was die cut using an adhesive backed metal foil tape sheet. Just cut, peel and stick! How cool is that?

Sass & Swagger was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and colored with copics used: C9 C7 C5 C3 C2 C0; B97 B95 B93 B91 B00; R27 R24 R22; E11 E00 R20. She's cut out and popped up with dimensional foam tape.

Except for that one ugly black spot lol... take a look at the deep black color of the Graphite Paper Pen 'pearls.' I love the versatility of the Paper Pens cuz you can make them ANY size you want!

The BEAUTIFUL silver flower jewelry is from my sweet friend Kelly. Thank you so much sweetie! I really really LOVE them : D I adhered a white pearl in the center and it's good to go!

Challenges Entered:

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes (bling)

Creative Inspirations - Lashings of Sparkle

Divas by Design - Use Metal

Stampavie and More - Anything Goes

One Stop Craft - No Sentiments

Sweet Stampin - Anything Goes

Don't forget my candy is still open... Ends November 15! *HERE*

Thanks so much for visiting me today. Stop by and say 'Hi' again soon!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

A Retro Gift Card!

2011-11-01T00:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my little corner of blogland! I hope you enjoy your stay and will come back from time to time. I try and visit as many of my friends as time allows, but if it's been awhile since I've come to see you, please leave me a comment so I can easily find you : ) I'd love to see what you've been up to!

Did you have a fun Halloween? We had a fair number of kids (and dogs!) dressed up to see us. Well... maybe they didn't actually come to see us, maybe they were more interested in the candy lol!

I don't know about you, but I ended up eating waaaaaaaay too much of the left overs *gulp* You know that one simply can not take responsibility of consuming too many calories/sugar after the first....let's say 25 mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups LOL! Nope. Not my fault... hee hee

However, there IS good news! I was able to finish not one, not two, but 3 - 3 - 3 cards. Chocolate has that effect on me. Want me to clean the house? Give me chocolate. Want me to do yard work? Give me chocolate. Want me to cook? I say, 'Let's eat out!' lol! But... if it's a day to relax in my jammies, there's nothing better than eating a meal that someone else has cooked in front of the TV :D

This is one of the BONUS stamps you receive FREE when you purchase the awesome Classic Retro Crew Collection. There are 4 fabulous stamps in this new collection by Victoria Case for SCACD. But that's not all...with the purchase of this set, you'll also receive a FREE sentiment, 'Home Sweet Home.' It's a great value!!!

The TV is stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and colored with copics: C9 C7 C5 C3 C2 C0; B95 B93 B91 B00 B000 B0000. The sentiment (stamped with Onyx Black Versafine Ink) is from a clear set by Stampabilities. I find that the Versafine Ink works excellent with my clear stamps! After cutting out the sentiment, I distressed it with Black Soot Distress Ink.

Here you can see the Diamond Glaze which gives a slick, glass-like appearance. Also, with this angle, you can see just how sparkly the Ice Crystal Glamour Dust Ultrafine Glitter Paint is!!! I believe I used 2 coats - the more coats you apply, the sparkly-er your image will be : )

Since this is a 3 x 3 card, I decided to emboss the whole thing. I've used Pinstripe by Couture Creations. I can't wait to try pinstripe as 'wainscot' on the bottom, dp as 'wallpaper' on the top, with a 'chair rail' in between!

I'm going to give this li'l card to my hubby, so I left out any type of frills or lace. He enjoys Native American designs, so I found my rick rack punch which is the closest I have lol! The black dots (NOT pearls hee hee) were created with my Graphite Viva Decor Paper Pen. I have to say it... I LOVE my Paper Pens!!!

Look in the next couple of days for my other two projects using Paper/Pearl Pens. I'm tellin ya... they're addicting :D

CANDY ALERT

In case you missed it, I have Holiday Celebration Candy

up for grabs until November 15. You can find it *HERE*

I'm so grateful for your friendship and encouragement ♥ I truly do not know what I'd do without you!!!

With heartfelt love and prayers of blessings to you...

May God bless you, keep you, and comfort your soul~

New Stamps are Here!!!

2011-10-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's finally Friday and we're chugging along like the little train that could! I think I can... I think I can... However, there is one thing that I would change: I KNOW I can... I KNOW I can!!! Why? Because Jesus says that ALL things are possible for those who believe - and that we can do ALL things through Him as He gives us strength whoooo hoooooo!!!

Now for those of you who are fans of Victoria Case for SCACD, you are in for a real treat!!! Even if you've never heard of her or seen her fabulous artistry, you'll enjoy today's ride for sure!

So... if you've stumbled upon my blog and would like to start at the beginning of the hop, you'll want to head over to Elaine's Blog where you will be 'wow-ed!' If you've already been traveling along with us, you should have come here from Melanie's blog where you've feasted your eyes on some of the best coloring around!!!

I'm so excited that I finally get to show you what I've been working on! This first image is called Wishes Do Come True by Victoria Case for SCACD. I instantly thought of her being in a bottle, so I searched high and low for both paper and a glass container. This is what I came up with...

Here's a little gift idea : ) The peanut M&M's are yummy cuz I tasted 'em while I picked out just the green and blue ones LOL!

Wishes Do Come True is stamped with Memento Ink, colored with copics: Hair - E35 E34 YR21 YR20; Skin - E11 E21 E00 R20; Blues - B26 B23 B21 B000; Greens - G99 G94 G82 G40.

To make the jar look like glass, I recycled a piece of clear acetate from the packaging that a set of stamps came in. If the jar was smaller, I would have used Diamond Glaze!

I LOVE the look of beads, so I made some jar 'charms.' I also LOVE pearls and all things sparkly, so I've added some to the bow, the knob on the lid and as a corner embellishment on the card : ) Check out similar products HERE.

Yes... I actually did the inside - I know... mark your calendars on this momentous occasion hee hee. Since the image is called Wishes Do Come True, I thought having a gift card holder would be appropriate!

Challenges Entered: Party Time Tuesdays, By the Cute and Girly, Top Tip Tuesday, Die Cut Dreams, Sir Stampalot, Bearly-Mine, Inky Impressions, Simon Says, The Paper Shelter, Crafty Ribbons - Bingo (Handmade embellishments, ribbon, gems) Paper Playtime

...For my second project, I wanted to do 'quick and easy' with a little bit of a punch!
Here's my version of Happy Town by Victoria Case for SCACD.

Although I haven't baked them yet... the inside of this box will hold 4 yummy cupcakes!!! Can you taste the moist, delicious, melt in your mouth (chocolate, white or yellow) cake with (chocolate or vanilla) frosting piled high??? YUM!

The easy peasy card to match! Again, I stamped with Black Memento Ink and colored with copics: B95 B93 B91 B00 B000; R29 R27 R24 R22 R21; G28 G24 G21 G40; E18 E17 E15 E13 E11 E00; YR24 Y17 Y15 Y13 Y11. For some glorious shimmer, I've painted on a few coats of Ice Crystal Glamour Dust Ultrafine Glitter Paint! The sentiment is computer generated.

(Challenges entered will be announced shortly)
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes
By the Cute and Girly - Anything Goes
Bling it On - No patterned paper (card only)
Bunny Zoe's - Lace It Up
Sir Stampalot - Food Glorious Food
Bearly-Mine - Anything But a Card
Creative Craft - Fancy Edges
Tuesday Throwdown - Primary Colors
Inky Impressions - Anything Goes
Simon Says - Anything Goes
Less is More - Polka Dots
One Stop Craft - No Designer Paper

Thank you so very much for taking the time to visit and for any comments you may leave. There's more FUN to come... your next stop is Colleen. You will LOVE what she's come up with!
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Classic Retro's and Street View's can be found * HERE * and for our International friends, you can find them at Quixotic Paperie * HERE *
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Have you entered to win my HOLIDAY CELEBRATION CANDY? Ends November 15!
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May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Last Day for Candy & Sneak Peek Day Three

2011-10-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the LAST DAY to enter SCACD Blog Candy!

...and the final Sneak Peek Designer is

* Kim *

She has a super fun sneak peek of the new Victoria Case for SCACD Street View ~ Happy Town : D. Don't miss it!!!

See ya tomorrow with my NEW RELEASE projects. They are FUN!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Sneak Peek, New Products & Candy!!!

2011-10-26T01:14:00.000-07:00

Only two more days until the big reveal : ) Are you getting excited? I have not one but two projects to show you soooooon! I've been having a ton of fun working behind the scenes getting ready for the New Release. Remember to mark your calendars for Friday, October 28!!!

Today's Sneak Peek and oh-so-talented Spotlight Designer is... Melanie. You don't want to miss her amazing work!

* * *Don't forget to enter to WIN some yummy SCACD candy * * *

*HERE* and *HERE*

New Product Alert!!!

Dawn's Stamps - Adorable stamps & some are holiday so scoop em up!!!
Memory Box & PoppyStamps Dies - These are Fab!!!
New Paper Pads 6" x 6" - including NEW Authentique (36 sheets), Bo Bunny, The Paper Loft and Teresa Collins
Make It Crafty's - Holiday Elfs and Holiday Chipboard
Goosebumps Shimmering Texture Spray

Have a wonderful day!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Sneak Peak & Candy Alert!!!

2011-10-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today starts a week of fun at SCACD!! We have a NEW RELEASE by the talented Victoria Case for SCACD coming on Friday, October 28th so mark your calendars!!

Starting today there will be a sneak peek on the store blog, Follow Your Heart, each day along with blog candy!! So be sure to check it out!!!

There are 2 fabulous new collections from Victoria Case for SCACD being released~ Street Views-which has 4 stamps and a 1 free image and sentiment only when you buy the set and Classic Retro Crew-which also has 4 stamps and 1 free image and sentiment only when you buy the set! Both are amazing and I know you’ll love them!

We are sharing sneak peeks of the Street View’s but you know you’ll want to hop along with us on Friday to see the one Street View not shown during sneak peeks and also to see the Classic Retro Crew!

Today Danni is showing the super fun Fairy Hollow Street View! Be sure to check out her fabulous creation!!!

See ya tomorrow with more Sneak Peek designer news : )

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

A Halloween Cutie!

2011-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Second Post - *Scroll down for Fairy Fun Fridays*

Whew!!! With this post, I've finally caught up on my late cards... Now to finish up the two projects I'm working on so they aren't late!

My son was sick yesterday :( It was the icky puking kind of sick... even my dog threw up! I'm just trying to keep my distance from it all. On the bright side, I only had to toss a couple of frozen dinners in the microwave for hubby and me - cooking complete lol! Awww... I do pray that my son is well soon ♥ I love you Matt!!!

Do you enjoy Halloween? As a kid, I used to dress up and walk blocks and blocks scoring all kinds of candy. We'd bring grocery bags home FULL of candy! Times sure have changed... It's hard to trust people anymore which is very very sad :( BUT today's card is a cutie for sure!

Below is Mummy Bear by Di's Digi Downloads. I've created this card for the Halloween Challenge at Di's DigiDesigns Challenges. You'll find lots of great inspiration from the DT... and take a look who's sponsoring us this week!

Joanna Sheen is offering a $10 voucher to her shop as prize:)

Wow!!! Thanks Joanna!

...and now... Mummy Bear and Garden Fence : )

I've cut out both of these fabulous images which are adhered to Doodles Dots dp by Pink Petticoat (LOVE their digi paper which comes in a ton of colors!!!).

Here's the li'l cutie pie all ready for Halloween : ) He's popped up with foam dimensionals.

Challenges Entered:
Hooked on Craft - Something spooky
ABC - B is for Boo
Divas by Design - Something Spooky
Stampavie & More - Halloween
2 Sisters Challenge - Pumpkin Patch
Allsorts - Halloween
Sweet Stampin' - Trick or Treat

That's it... Short and sweet! So get your creative minds working and join in the fun at Di's DigiDesigns Challenge... see ya there!

If you missed my CANDY post, you can find it *HERE*

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

You're Sweet!

2011-10-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hey... just me again with another late card! I can't seem to get caught up! I'm workin' workin' workin' on it though...

My card today is for Fairy Fun Fridays. The challenge this week is to use wet (heat) embossing. How fun!!! Can you guess where the embossing is???

This is the adorable Gilly's Bike digi by the very talented Roberta at Prairie Fairy Designs : ). She's colored with copics and enhanced with Glamour Dust Ultrafine Glitter Paint (bling that doesn't run with digis!).

I love using Diamond Glaze for lenses on glasses :) Unlike real glasses, the shine looks great! The image is die cut with oval and scalloped oval nesties. The sweet rhinestones can be found HERE.

Peeking from behind the nesties is a die cut using Spellbinders Shapeabilities Fancy Tags Two. I cut it in half so it would fit on either side of the oval and ran my ribbon through! I've also given it two coats of bling with Ice Crystal Glamour Dust Ultrafine Glitter paint. Click on the photo to enlarge if you can't see the sparkle!

And now the wet (heat) embossing... The obvious one is the sentiment. I stamped 'You're Sweet!' with black pigment ink and covered the area with clear embossing powder. After tapping off the excess powder, I used my heat tool to emboss.

Handmade DP!!!

The second, less obvious place I've used wet (heat) embossing is the background paper (white bicycles!) To achieve this look, I stamped the image randomly over my white card stock using VersaMark Dazzle Frost Shimmer Watermark Ink Pad, covering half the paper at a time with clear embossing powder and tapping off the excess and finally, heating the images to emboss!

At this point, the paper and bicycles are still white... so to make the bicycles stand out, I chose to use Spun Sugar and Victorian Velvet Distress Ink which I sponged over the entire sheet of paper. To make sure that no ink remained on the bicycles, I took a paper towel and gently wiped over the surface. Handmade dp... Done!

I hope that I've encouraged you to get out your embossing powder and heat it up with us at Fairy Fun Fridays : )

Have you entered my Holiday Celebration Candy??? You won't want to miss out on the chance to win some super products from SCACD!!!

Enter *HERE*

Later today I'll have an adorable Halloween card to show you! Hope to see you then!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Party Time with Spesch!

2011-10-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Well... I did it again! I'm LATE posting my card for CLP Sketch Challenge - I'm sorry Chelsea :( Let's call this a second Midway Reminder for October's Sketch Challenge #41! Here's Chelsea's fabulous sketch:

...and here's my interpretation using Princess with Balloons by Spesch Designer Stamps!

She's colored with copics and enhanced with my fave digi bling product... Glamour Dust Ultrafine Glitter Paint in Ice Crystal.

A little better view of some balloon bling!

For those of you who have left a comment on my Holiday Celebration Candy (before Mr. Froggy appeared) not to worry... I will count your comments first, then proceed to the Froggy entries!

Holiday Celebration Candy can be found *HERE*

That's it from me today... I'm working on a couple of projects that you're sure to love, so check back soon : D Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Candy Time and a Treat Box!

2011-10-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

***CANDY IS NOW CLOSED***

Howdy! This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! (FYI: CANDY might be hiding in my post today...)

After church today, hubby and I are going to the movies with friends to see Money Ball. Have you seen it? What did you think? The last movie we saw with our friends was The King's Speech which hubby chose. We all thought it was great! Hubby chose this time too, so we have high expectations lol! What movies have you seen lately that you really liked?

When I go to the movies I have to eat popcorn... I like to drink a Coke Icee and once in a while I'll also have candy! Do you find yourself ordering routine 'comfort foods' when you go to the movies?

Warning: Today's project includes the CANDY!!! If you are like me with a sweet tooth, you may want to arm yourself at this point... On the other hand, if it's not CHOCOLATE, I can usually pass it up lol.

I decided that I needed to color up this sweet image by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD, Pumpkin Patch Peeker. Can you hear her saying, 'Peek-a-Boo!'?

As usual, I've colored her with copics: YR16 YR14 YR12; G28 G24 G21 G40; E35 E34 YR21 YR20; E11 E00 R20; E55 E53 E51 E50. The pumpkin was just screamin' for some Glamour Dust Paint - Ice Crystal, of course! I think I used 3 coats...

I wanted to do something different with this image, so while I was browsing patterns, I found this cute li'l pumpkin box which fit perfectly!

The inside of the box will hold a very generous handful (and I have big hands!) of Tootsie Roll candies.

The image was die cut and embossed with my oval and scalloped oval nesties. The GORGEOUS swirls (which I will use A LOT!) were made with Elegant Scrollwork die by Memory Box. A few rhinestones carefully placed enhances the elegant swirls and finishes off my yummy project!

Pumpkin Treat Box by The Cutting Cafe.

Challenges Entered:
TBA

***Holiday Celebration Candy is Here!!!***

I am spilling over with thankfulness to you, my sweet friends! I find great JOY in giving... so if you are interested in putting these fabulous products to good use -- please enter below. Included in this giveaway which I purchased from Susana's Custom Art & Card Design are: *Nestabilities Picot Edge Circle, Echo Park Season's Greetings 6x6 Paper Pad and Holiday Dazzlers by Petaloo!
*Susana is sold out of these!

There are NO RULES for entering, but please be kind enough to follow me because you want to and visit every now and then - not just to win candy...

Holiday Celebration Candy ends November 15 and a winner will be announced shortly after. Enjoy!!!

Have a wonderful day ♥

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Let's Go Shopping!

2011-10-08T02:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday to you! I hope that you have a relaxing weekend that's filled with lots of fun and crafting time :D Tonight I'm attending a wedding. The dress I wore to the last wedding I went to was the same dress I wore to another wedding two years earlier. I'll give you one guess to tell me which dress I'm wearing tonight lol! But here's the question... will it actually fit??? It was pretty tight last time... I'm hoping I'm hoping I'm hoping... I'll let you know how it goes : )

Yesterday I went shopping with my sweet friend, Vickie. If you need a good friend who makes you laugh, who is always there for you, and is completely trustworthy... you'll want a friend like Vickie. God has blessed me with her friendship and love in ways that I could only dream of... truly a God-send friend :D I hope that you have at least one person in your life that you can share your heart with!

I dedicate my card today to you, Vick... I thank you and love you with all my heart!!! Let's laugh away the pounds again real soon!

This is an adorable digi by Di's Digi Downloads called Shopping Bear. She's for the Girly Creations Challenge at Digi Designs Challenge Blog.

I've used copics to color her: V17 V15 V12 V01; B97 B95 B93 B91; E49 E59 E35 E34 E33 E31 E30 R20. I was pleased to see that the pearls I made using Viva Decor Paper Pen in Lilac was a pretty good match for this card.

She needed some bling, so I gave her dress and some of the shopping bags two coats of Ice Crystal Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Glamour Dust Paint! It paints on easy and the glitter doesn't get everywhere!!! AND you can use it on digi's (unlike Stickles which makes the ink bleed and ruins the image cuz it all ends up looking black!).

A single Wild Orchid flower, encased by a decorative rhinestone corner piece gives a bit of an elegant blingy feel : ) The double charms in the lower corner and white tulle were given to me by a sweet crafty friend... Thank you, Tammy - mwah!!! This card is being reserved for YOU!

I used a punch around the page set by M.S. with dp by My Mind's Eye, A Beautiful Life. So what do you think?

The challenge begins today at Digi Designs Challenge Blog - yahoooo! Get in your Girly Creations so we can see your amazing work : )

Thank you to our sponsor this week which is Crafty Boots who is giving a $10 voucher to the winner!!! Yay!!!

Challenges Entered:
Pile It On - #40 Do it for Fun!
Simon Says - Sparkle and Bling
Penny's Paper-Crafty - Anything Goes
Paper Crafting Journey - Punch/Die Cuts
Totally PaperCrafts - Animals
Allsorts - Bear With Us

Update on Candy - Coming Soon!

Here's a sneak peek of one of the goodies someone will win!!!

No... it's not this actual piece. The winner will receive something BRAND NEW!

Until our next visit...

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Winner and A Spa Day with Fairy Fun Fridays!

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's Friday... and it's time to announce another WINNER!!! This time, I'm giving away a beautiful Sylvia Zet for SCACD stamp: Precious Present. If you've been wanting her and you didn't win this time, you can find her *HERE*

Congratulations to Teresa!!!

Please email your address and I will send your new stamp to you : D

Because I always wish that I could send something to everyone, I'm already planning my next CANDY!!! I've listened to your ideas and have come up with something you'll want : ) Check back in a few days to see if there might be another surprise waiting for you!!!

Until then, I have what I call a 'Calgon Take Me Away' card!!! I sure could use a good soaking... how bout you? Let's let the stress of the day just melt away...

...in the bubbles!!! How luxurious! I want to be her right now lol!

If you'd like to have your very own Bath 'n' Bubbles Gilly digi, you can find her *HERE* She's from Prairie Fairy Designs in the Sugar n Spice Collection. Which reminds me...please join in the FUN starting TODAY with our Sugar n Spice Challenge at Fairy Fun Fridays!

Products used:
Copics - Hair: E25 E35 E34 YR21; Skin: E11 E00 R20; Pinks: RV34 RV11 RV10 RV00; Shading on tub: C0.
DP - My Mind's Eye, Happy Go Lucky (on SALE!)
Viva Decor - Transparent Gloss Gel
DecoArt - Ultrafine Glamour Dust Paint, Ice Crystal
Spellbinders - Classic Circle; Picot Edge Circle
Memory Box - Elegant Scrollwork die
Crafts-Too - Scrollworks embossing folder

I hope that you'll find time to join in the fun at Fairy Fun Fridays : ) Have a fabulous weekend my friends!!! I'll see ya soon!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Candy Winner and Holiday Peekers!

2011-09-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hip Hip Hooray! It's Friday!!! Can you tell that I'm not as cranky as I was when I wrote my last post? Things haven't changed much, except for my ATTITUDE... Sometimes I just need a kick in the butt to get me straightened out again! LOL

Not only is it Friday, but I also get to announce the NEW RELEASE by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD! The darling Holiday Peekers are now available!!! There are four of these cuties as well as three mini stamps created by our very own, oh-so-talented, Carolyn!!! Thanks bunches, Sweetie. You did an awesome job! : )

You can find all the links to the Designers showcasing the NEW Holiday Peekers on the Store Blog. Be sure to check it out! For UK/Europe friends, Quixotic Paperie also carries these fabulous exclusive stamps!

Now... may I introduce you to Reason for the Season by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD...

Can you hear the angels singing?

Silent night, Holy night. All is calm, all is bright... Such beautiful music : )

Copics used: R27 R24 R22 R20; G28 G24 G21 G40; Hair - E49 E59 E25 E53; Skin - E11 E00 R20; E57 E55 E53 E51 E50; YR24 Y15 Y13; BG13 BG11 BG10.

The ornaments, sheep, Baby Jesus' blankie and the centers of the snowflakes on her top all received a nice glob of Stardust Stickles.

I chose this DP because it has snowflakes!

It's from the 6x6 Holly Jolly Christmas paper pad by Echo Park *Here*

I've included two homemade buttons - the large white button threaded with Gold floss and the small gold button on the center of the snowflake. The small button used to be Blue/Green Crystal Gel, but I painted it gold and then gave it a thick coat of Gold Glitz Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint. I won't go through the steps on how I made them, but you can see the tutorial on making molds and embellishments using Crystal Gel / Modeling Creme *HERE* I LOVE making my own embellishments : )

I also got to use my NEW Spellbinders dies : )

The Classic Large Circle is layered over the Picot Edge Circle

I've used only 1 of the 5 dies you get with the Create a Flake Three Shapeabilities set which I edged in NEW 'Diamond Range' Gold Ultra Fine Flower Soft. The beautiful white flower also received a Gold Ultra Fine Flower Soft bath lol. I thought it helped to tie it all in...

Challenges Entered:
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes!
Outlawz - Copic/Anything Goes!
Paper Sundaes - Anything Goes!
Stamps + Fun - #66 Anything Goes!
Ooh La La - #89 Punches/Dies

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**********************************************

SURPRISE CANDY

***WINNER WINNER WINNER WINNER WINNER***

Thank you everyone for your candy ideas...they were yummy : ) Just in case you noticed that there were 42 comments for the Surprise Candy, but I've only included 41 - there was a duplicate comment which I skipped over as I counted to the winning number which is:

That's YOU, Linda! Yay!!!

You can find my email on my sidebar : )

Please get in touch with me by Sunday, October 2

Now please don't be too upset if you didn't win this time...there certainly will be many more chances! If you missed my A Present for You! post, you'll WANT to check that out *HERE* - there might be something yummy hidden there too : ) I am expecting a shipment from Susana today and I know that the *something* is in there!!!

As always, thank you so much for coming to say 'Hi!' I hope to get a chance to have some time to visit you this weekend and see what you've been up to!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

A Present for You!

2011-09-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back friends! Before I whine a bit, I want to let you in on a secret... There is candy hiding in today's post : ) Well, today is Wednesday, but it sure feels like a Monday!!! Can I cry on your shoulder for just a little while?!? I'm not even sure why LOL. Some days are just like that, you know? I've been working very hard on A LOT of things... One of which is eating healthier and exercising more. A very good thing which I am happy about is that so far I've lost 15 pounds - yay me!!! Blood work done in a couple of months will reveal how things are looking on the inside. If you are over the age of 40, you know the aches and pains life brings...everything seems more difficult when your body hurts and you get tired faster ... Oh thank God for crafting! What would we do without it?

I have a confession to make. Painting is done and floors were installed in my new craft room last week, BUT I haven't done anything to finish the detail work so I can begin to fill it up! What in the world is wrong with me? I've been moaning and groaning about having my craft supplies all over the house, and now that there is a perfectly good room (almost) ready, I am dragging my feet. Want to know a secret? I'm not sure what to do with it!!! The desk I'm currently using is HUGE. I mean BIG and HEAVY HUGE!!! There is no way that I can get it into my craft room. What do I use for desk space? On a very limited budget, I need to come up with something... Any ideas? I'd LOVE to know... What do you use? I'd also like to put my computer in there. The room is about 12'x12' which is a pretty good size. Help!?!?!

*End of whining..* : )

OK...my title today is a tiny bit misleading, but it really does lead into a present for someone! First, in 2 more days, I will reveal the WINNER of my Surprise Candy : ) If you missed it, you can find all the information *Here.* I've enjoyed reading all of your comments about what you like to give/receive as Blog Candy. You've given me some great ideas... and just maybe YOUR idea will be offered as candy! Btw, I agree with each and every one of you hee hee.

So... for today, I am offering this lovely lady, Precious Present by Sylvia Zet for SCACD as a present! If you'd like to have a chance at giving this beauty a home, just leave me a comment on THIS post by next Wednesday, October 5. I'll announce the winner shortly after...

Sorry, I'm not at home (where I have the list) to let you know which copics I've used to color her... and boy is she FUN to color!!! DP is Webster Pages *Here.* The metal embellishment in the corner was made by yours truly. It's the last one I had, so I have to make more! I began by making a mold of 4 stacked metal corners (because they are so thin). I filled the mold with Crystal Gel (which happened to be Blue/Green) and let dry overnight. After removing from the mold and trimming, I applied a generous coat of Silver Precious Metal Paint (LOVE this paint!!!). Voila'! It is very lightweight and easy to adhere to your card or project. The best part about having molds is that I can make as many as I need and use any color to match my card. Tutorial using Molds and Crystal Gel/Modeling Creme *Here.*

Isn't she a doll?

I've glittered her wings with Ice Crystal Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint.

So easy to use... just paint on! No glue or messy glitter to get everywhere : )

Of course, I needed to sneak in some pearls using my Rose Paper Pen (THIS is my absolute fave paper pen of all time!!!) Susana carries lots of different colors *Here.*

I've been asked to show my paper pens, but again, I'm not at home, so until I can get some up close and personal photos of what the paper pens look like and the different pearls they make, take a look at this Tutorial on Making Your Own Scrolls *Here.* The paper pens are the same size (BIG!).

I hope that the good outweighed my little whining session today lol. It's not fun to continually hear someone complaining is it? I do try to allow Jesus to shine through in whatever I'm doing, but...since I'm human...EEK!!! Not perfect, just saved : ) Praise be to God!!!

Thank you so much for joining in the fun today. Don't forget to leave a comment if you'd like to be in the draw for Precious Present! You can find the rest of this Oh-So-Adorable Release by Sylvia Zet for SCACD *Here.*

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

LOADS of Ribbon Winner Announced!!!

2011-09-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Happy Monday to you! Yes, another week has flown by... I can feel the gray hairs growing as I 'speak!' Speaking of hair... I *think* I'm going to get my hair cut (again). I'm used to having it cut short - OUT of my eyes and 'away from my sweaty neck short' lol. Now to find just the right photo to show my hairstylist : )

This weekend, my hubby had TWO days off! Yep, we didn't know what to do with ourselves on this rare occasion hee hee... He sure needed the break! But soon enough, he'll have so much time on his hands he'll be looking for work. Do you need some work done around your house? I'll be happy to send him over lol!

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Winner Winner Winner Winner Winner

...and now... for the LAST time, I'll announce a NEW WINNER. I hope that my LOADS of Ribbon Candy wasn't a bad idea : ( It's been hard to give away!

Here ya go...

That's YOU, Margreet! I KNOW that this time, my candy will be given away and sent to a wonderful home : ) Enjoy Sweetie!!! Please send me your mailing address ♥

Surprise Candy!

What is your FAVORITE type of Blog Candy - either to give away or WIN!!!

***Please leave a comment on this post ONLY. I will choose a winner on Friday, September 30. What is the surprise? Well... it's a SURPRISE of course lol!

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Believe it or not, I have a card!

Have you seen the ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE new images by Sylvia Zet for SCACD? I mean, really REALLY adorable!!! Below is one of my faves... She's called Hope. She's wearing Pink in honor of Breast Cancer Survivors and in remembrance of those who have ended their battle... Please accept my heartfelt prayers of hope and healing if you are one of the courageous women currently fighting or have fought this horrible disease. Or maybe your life has been touched by another who has gone through the pain and suffering... You have also gone through pain and suffering, so my heart also goes out to YOU! There IS hope... I promise!!!

Many of you know that I fought and WON the battle 4 1/2 years ago! Only by the Grace of God, I tell ya ♥ Jesus truly HEALS!!! I am forever grateful to Him. It was a long and ugly road, but I am here to tell you that there IS light at the end of the tunnel. The darkness will NOT overtake you! Call out to Jesus... you'll find that He is faithful and will always take care of you : )

'Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every Name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.' Philippians 2:9-11

This little beauty, Hope, is colored with copics: E18 E17 E15 E13 E11; E49 E59 E25 E53; RV25 RV23 RV21 RV10 RV00; G28 G21 G40; E50 E00 E25 E53. The awesome Gold on the hope chest is Gold Glitz Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint. The more coats you apply, the sparkly-er it gets! LOVE my Glamour Dust Paints!!! Susana has a TON of fab colors to choose from... just in case : )

I have defo fallen in LOVE with Hope! Can one truly fall in love with an image? I think so, but we are so fickle lol. Another one comes our way and we are in LOVE with that one! More Glamour Dust on her wings... this time it's Ice Crystal. Did ya notice the pink and creme pearls peeking through? Another absolute fave product I can not do without... I use it all the time - Susana, I hope that you will always carry these amazingly fun Viva Decor Paper Pens!!! I know that some of you prefer the Pearl Pens, but for some reason, my Paper Pens seem to make the best pearls for me...

Pretty simple as far as design goes... I wanted the dp (which is Webster Pages from a Triple Pack Collection) to shine through. I've used my oval and scalloped oval nesties for layering the image paired with a sweet doily. I don't think I'll ever get tired of doilies - don't you just love em? I'm also on a Scroll Roll ha ha. You know by now that it's a Memory Box Die called Elegant Scrollwork. The beautiful flower resting on the scroll is a Prima flower, but I don't see it in the shop anymore :(

Well...I know that this has been a long post! I hope that you've been a little bit entertained and a lot inspired : ) Thank you so much for your friendship - it really does mean so much to have you here! I love you, sweet friends ♥

See you soon with another beauty by Sylvia Zet for SCACD (and a shorter post!)

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Make Your Own Flowers!

2011-09-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday! Yay!!! Whatcha doing this weekend? My plans are to get a few areas organized in my house. This is gonna be a long term project, so I'm not gonna go crazy trying to get it all done! If I've learned only ONE thing in my life, it's that I can't do it all. No 'superwoman' - never was...never will be lol! I am enjoying learning how to have balance in every area. Note that I said learning... yep, it seems that everything is a process! So I plan to do a little bit of cleaning/organizing, a little bit of crafting (duh!), a little bit of blogging, a little bit of shopping and cooking and a little bit of relaxing! Then comes Sunday :D That's another story for another time.

Have you seen Di's Digi Designs Challenge Blog? The first challenge was on September 10 with the theme 'Anything Goes.' New challenges are posted every two weeks, so TODAY we have a new theme, 'Make Your Own Flowers!' Here's what I came up with...

This is the ADORABLE digi Sweet Scent. I fell in LOVE with her when I saw her! Here's the copics I've used: R85 R83 R81; YG63 YG03 YG01; G28 G24 G21 G20; C9 C7 C5 C3 C0; YR24 Y15 Y13 Y11.

The image is die cut using the second largest circle in the Classic Large Circles nesties set which is layered on black cs using the largest size die in the Tear Drop Circle set. I love the lacy look it gives!

I just wanted to show you a different angle so you could see the bling better which was achieved by painting on a couple of coats of Ice Crystal Glamour Dust Ultra Fine Glitter Paint. I am really loving this product because I changed printers - and you know what sometimes happens... the ink started bleeding (oh noooo!). I had to be super careful as I colored. From past experience, I know that stickles REALLY makes the ink run. Your beautifully colored image turns into black MUD! But.... yay...there is NO - NONE - bleeding with the Glamour Dust Paint and it gives a TON of sparkle (just not the dimension).

Here's my 'make your own flower' flower! I don't think it turned out that bad, BUT there are definite things I would do differently. First, I wish that I would have used different paper and maybe used the Ice Crystal Glamour Dust Glitter Paint instead of the Silver Bling. Well, it was a good learning experience. I wasn't sure that I would be able to do this, so... yay me lol!

Did ya notice that awesome scroll I tucked in behind the flower? I'll say it again... I LOVE LOVE LOVE this scroll! It's a Memory Box Die called Elegant Scrollwork. Susana just might have one or two left, but it's hard to keep this beauty in stock! Also the yummy pink (and black) pearls I made using my Viva Decor Paper Pens - Graphite *Here* - Rose *Here*

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope that you will join us for this two week challenge in Making Your Own Flowers at Di's Digi Designs Challenge.

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Pink and Distressed Challenge!

2011-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yikes!!! I was about to hit the sack when I realized that IT’S FRIDAY! I almost forgot to post my Fairy Fun Fridays challenge card. I’m also using Windows Live Writer, so I’m hoping that everything will work on my blog… That’s not really a good combination – sleepy and using a new contraption lol! Well, I’ll keep it simple…

It’s a

PINK AND DISTRESSED

Challenge at

Fairy Fun Fridays!!!

The prize this week is:

Random=Any 3 single images

Top spot=Any 3 single images

Top 3=One single image each

Here’s the little cutie! She’s Chef Gillian by Prairie Fairy Designs.

You can find her *Here*

Of course I had to give her some Diamond Glazed shiny glasses lol! As I’ve stated in previous posts, when I FORGET and use Stickles, the printer ink runs, so I had to give her another belt! Pretty clever, huh?

These oh-so-fun papers are from Nitwit. The flowers are Wild Orchid, edged with Stickles. To edge all the fun images, I’ve used my Viva Décor Glitter Liner.

Sorry for not giving the links… I’ll edit later tonight when I announce ANOTHER new winner of my LOADS of Ribbon Blog Candy (unless I hear from the current winner this afternoon…). So, check back here to see if it’s YOU!!! I may just have to keep all this yummy goodness myself!

Thanks for coming over to play ♥

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~