Hot Cocoa Anyone?

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Did you have a good weekend?  Mine was a busy one.  The ravioli making was actually very fun.  I'd never made pasta before!  I have a 'pasta' machine for my clay, but I don't think it's the same lol!  Anyway, the Butternut Squash Ravioli turned out YUMMY : D

Now my hubby is sick : (  But the good news is that I don't have to cook lol!  As I write this, it's evening in California.  Just about time for me to fill up my Tinkerbell mug with Starbuck's Hot Cocoa.  Yes, it's true... I've become a hot cocoa snob!  When did that happen?  I used to enjoy Nestle's... *singing* N-E-S-T-L-E-S, Nestle's makes the very best... chocolate!  If you are young in years, you will not get my song, but those of us who are a bit older will remember : D

I decided that it was time for me to haul out my Cricut and cut out a tag for today's project.  I've used A Cuppa by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD.  Isn't she darling?  And look... she already has her Starbuck's Hot Cocoa!!!

 I've used my usual... copic markers to color this cutie-pie.  She's accented with Stardust Stickles (my fave Stickles!).  I made the pearls with my Graphite Viva Decor Paper Pen.  I love blue and black together : )

Here's another view to show you how scrumptious the Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz is that I sprayed over the entire piece!  I may have overdone it just a tad hee hee...

Here's the Recipe for this oh-so-cute-tag!

Stamp:  A Cuppa by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD

Ink Pad:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Copic Markers

Spellbinders:  Classic Large Oval/Lacey Ovals

Graphite Viva Decor Paper Pen

Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz

Stardust Stickles

Flower and Jewelry:  Hobby Lobby

Stash:  Ribbon, Lace, Cardstock

Important News!

Have you been waiting for my Cricut Blog Candy???  I've decided that the post will go up for that at the same time the Sneak Peeks begin for SCACD - that's tomorrow!!!  So... you'll have a chance to enter to win some Cricut fun here, then I'll direct you to TWO fabulous designer's blogs who will have not only their Sneak Peek, but BLOG CANDY to give away - woot woot!!!  More to come also on Thursday!!! : D

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to visit me.  I love you more than you know ♥

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

Grace and Peace to You!

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!

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!!!

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!!!

*** 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!!!

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!

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!!!

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!!!

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!!!

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~