Happy Boo to You!!

Well, here it is ... Halloween ... my FAVE holiday!! I spent the ENTIRE day yesterday (well, MOST of it!) putting together and participating in the local elementary school's Halloween Carnival. My friend Holly and I have been doing these crazy carnivals forEVER (since my 21-year-old was in second grade or something like that!). It's a lot of work, but a TON of fun!! We are kinda like a well-oiled machine ... we just know what has to be done and we do it! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!

Once again, I can't stop myself from playing with My Digital Studio (MDS)!! This a picture of me and my daughter from Halloween many-a-moon ago. Since I told my kids that I WAS the Wicked Witch of the West YEARS ago (and my oldest actually BELIEVED me after I pointed out that we had the SAME initials - W.W.), this photo is proof ... I made myself the Wicked Witch of the West costume and have been wearing it every year since. Fun for me during 2002 when my daughter actually let me make her a matching one!!


And don'tcha just LOVE this picture?? It is one of my FAVES!!! I used to have soooo much fun dressing my little girl up. I LOVED this little denim jacket ... and those red gingham shoes!!! Can't stand it!! Now she is 15 and pretty much thinks my taste went out of style with everything else from the 1980's!!!




And last, but not least ... here is a card I made for LSC244 yesterday over on SCS. Our challenge was to make a card reflective of the weather we were having. Cold, gray, cloudy and dreary. That is what's going on. Looks like it will be a spooky day after all!



Stamps: Bitty Boos Too
Paper: Basic Gray, Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black, Going Gray, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Cricut Paper Dolls cartridge, 1" and 3/4" circle punch, Martha Stewart spider web corner punch, sponge, black grosgrain ribbon

Witch-y Hats

Eeeeeeekkkk!! Can't believe we are only a few days from Halloween and I have done only a handful of Halloween-y-ish cards!! After all, I LOVES Halloween!! What is UP with THAT?? (Glad I had SC252 over on SCS to inspire me today!)

I even resorted to using some ooooolllllddddd designer series paper on this one. I can't believe (yet again!) that I haven't even bought a single piece of Halloween-y-ish patterned paper! NOT ONE!! What is WRONG with ME??? This is paper I have from a few years ago ... WHAT??? Actually USE some stuff I HAVE instead of BUYING something NEW??? This really IS spooky!!

Boo to ya!!

Stamps: Eat, Drink & Be Scary, Arachnophobia wheel, Sanded bg
Paper: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Lovely Lilac, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Creepy Crawly dsp
Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Martha Stewart spiderweb border punch, paper distressing tool, small star punch, small ice clear rhinestone brads

Quicker Than I Thought . . .

I was able to make this card for LSC243 - Girlie Girls! - in much less time than I usually do. In fact, I think it only took me about 15-20 minutes. WHY IS THAT??? Why is it that it sometimes takes more than an hour to make one stinkin' card, and other times they just seem to come together? Not quite sure ...

The challenge was to make a "girly" card ... no problem-o, right? Aren't most of our cards "girly?" Ribbon, flowers, swirls, bling ... I find it more of a challenge to make a manly-man card, actually. Guess that will by my challenge for another day.

Funny side note ... we went to a family event over the weekend (a missionary farewell for our cousin's son) where I was planning on taking a card and putting a little money in it for him. We got there and I discovered that I had forgotten one! YIKES! My husband, being the truly good guy that he is, offered to run home and get one. He asked, "Where should I get a card?" "In my craft room downstairs," was my reply. "Okay," says he, "Where exactly should I get one?" HUH??? My ENTIRE ROOM is covered with cards ... on the counters, on the corkboard, on the magnet boards ... I mean those things are EVERYWHERE!! I thought he was kidding at first! Kinda cracks me up!! "Just pick anything," I told him. He came back with a pretty good choice, too (it had fall colors and a "warm wishes" sentiment ... so glad he didn't pick one that said "Happy Birthday" or "Get Well Soon!")!

Stamps: For All You Do
Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry
Ink: Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry polka dot ribbon, large and small tag punches, photo corner punch, antique brads, dimensionals

Memories in Black and White

I know, I know ... y'all are probably gettin' kinda tired of me singing "Praises to MDS" ... I have found it to be an insomniacs BEST FRIEND!! I can craft in the middle of the night without making noise, turning on lights or leaving a mess that will invariably have to be cleaned up by ME in the morning!!

I really LOVE black and white photography. This is one of my favorite photos EVER of my daughter ... it was taken in July (she has since had her hair cut to just above her shoulders ... very cute! But, I digress ...). I just love the wistful look on her face! (Thanks to Stacy at Three Winks Studio for taking this!)

Layout #2 is of Son #2 ... I took this photo of him last fall. I was really proud of the way it turned out. He LOVES hats. He ALWAYS has. We nicknamed him "Hat Man" when he was really little. He was one of the few babies I have EVER seen that would let you put a hat on his head and then KEEP it there!! When he was about 5 his favorite hat was a 'coon-skin-a'la-Davy Crocket hat. He is really in to "old man" hats at the moment. This is one of his favorites. He actually looks GOOD in a hat!! I, on the other hand, just think that a hat and a ponytail = a shower, so that is the most useful thing about hats, as far as I am concerned (even if I don't look as good in one as my son does!)

Layout # 3 is of Son #1 ... this is a picture that a friend took of him when they were watching the sunset at some castle ruins in Germany. Isn't this just the COOLEST picture?? (I had to spend some time Photoshopping it to get the foreground to a place where you could actually see him, instead of just the outline of his head!). My dad referred to this picture as the one where "Devan is commanding the sun to rise!" Hehehehe! That will always be a happy memory for me whenever I look at this picture.

Have a glorious-ly autumn-a-licious weekend! We will be doing the annual Weixler Apple Pressing Day (we usually press over 300 gallons of apple juice). It is a TON of work, but a TON of fun!!

ANOTHER Banner & Some Fall Inspiration

I hope you don't remind me "repeating" myself ... (I do it with my kids ALL the time! "Bring me your laundry," "Do you have your lunch?," "Is your homework finished?" I feel like a broken record!! (For those of you who are too young to understand the reference to "records" ... well ... that just makes me feel OLD!!)

I had soo much fun creating my HOME banner a couple of weeks ago, that I decided to do one with a more "FALL" theme. After all, as I have stated here at least a ZILLION times, fall IS my favorite time of year!!








Here is a close up of the "F" so you can see the details more clearly ...

Stamps: Autumn Days
Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Ruby Red, Old Olive
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Cricut Storybook and Mini Monograms cartridges, Cuttlebug Mesh Texture embossing folder, linen thread, maple leaf punch, buttons, Alpine chocolate chip felt ribbon, brown polka dot organza ribbon




And here is a little something I created with the new "Fruitful" stamp set by ISC. Fall fruit ... delicious!!

Stamps: Fruitful by ISC
Paper: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Harvest dsp by Me & My Big Ideas
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Espresso Adirondak, various Copic markers
Accessories: EK Success Zig Zag border punch, brown/white polka dot organza ribbon, dimensionals

It's Freaky Time Again!

Another month has rolled around and it's time to peruse what the "Freaks" have been up to!! Our theme this month was to do some fabulicious Christmas cards . . . I kinda went overboard and did a couple of non-card Christmas-y things as well . . . hope ya don't mind!!


First things first - to make one of "those" kind of Christmas cards . . . you know the ones I mean? The ones that you are only EVER gonna make ONE of??? Well, this is what I came up with. I knew when I first saw this lattice die that I could layer two of them, turning the top one a little, and make a snowflake! Just KNEW it would work!! But, since I am NOT the only amazingly-cool person on the planet, many others figured that out as well. So this is what I came up to try and be a little different . . . kind of a "kaleidoscope" snowflake, if you will. I just kept layerin' and layerin' and layerin' . . . kinda ran a little crazy! And see that little snowflake under the sentiment? I don't even OWN that stamp!! Seriously!! That snowflake was given to me by the ever-incomparable JanTink when she was here during SU Convention. She had a few leftover snowflakes from some swaps she was makin' and gave me this one (which promptly urged me to order the dang snowflake punch ... still don't have that snowflake stamp ... YET!). That little snowflake has been livin' on my corkboard since August ... glad it now has a happy home!

Stamps: Short & Sweet, Simple Snowflake
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Ruby Red, Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue
Accessories: Lattice Bigz Die, Large Oval Punch, Small Oval Punch, Petals a Plenty embossing folder, silver cord, dimensionals (the little white circles are actually from one of the Snowflakes Sizzlet dies ... I started out with it before I chose to use Jan's snowflake)

I knew after my over-the-top card that I was gonna have to make something much more reasonable, so that is how this came about. STILL lovin' my Movers & Shapers die!! And it's hard to see from the photo, but there is a little 1/2" circle of vanilla cardstock in the middle of the large snowflake (with the snowflake image stamped on it, of course). Sometimes little extra layers like that get lost in photography ...

Stamps: Serene Snowflakes, Woodgrain background, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Baroque Burgundy, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Naturals Ivory
Ink: Baroque Burgundy, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Movers & Shapers Bigz die, Movers & Shapers Holiday Windows, white embossing powder, white taffeta ribbon, word window punch, clear ice rhinestone brad, paper distressing tool

Okay, here is where I started to deviate from the "card" thing ... "LOOK MA!! NO STAMPS!!" I made this little ornament with the Pop-Up Ball die. I realize that it looks kinda goofy havin' a Christmas ornament hanging out amongst the fall leaves, but it DOES kinda get you in the mood, doesn't it?? (I frayed the grosgrain ribbon and added a couple of strands of silver cord to make the "tassel" hanging out of the bottom of the ornament ...)

Stamps: NONE
Paper: Bride Designer Series Paper, Brushed Silver
Ink: NONE
Accessories: Pop-Up Ball die, Petals a Plenty embossing folder, white grosgrain ribbon, silver cord, clear ice rhinestone brads

And last, but certainly not LEAST ... I just HAD to throw in a Christmas-y MDS layout. I can almost hear the Christmas carols now ... "Chestnuts roasting on an open fiiiiirrree ..."

Now hop on over to Robin Spinner's blog and see what fabulicious things SHE has created for you!!

More Fun With MDS!!

Okay ... I cannot BELIEVE the amount of words I have eaten over the last two weeks!! (Good thing they don't have calories, kwim??) I am having more fun than should be allowed with this new My Digital Studio software! Yesterday SU released a bunch of new downloads for the program ... and of course I bought every single stinkin' one!!! (I've already made a couple of layouts with them, but I am saving them for Halloween!!)

I know I showed y'all this picture when I took it last July at my niece's wedding. I absolutely LOVE this photo. It is a real treasure to me. Soooooo, I decided to play with MDS a bit more and make this layout for it. I even went out today and bought a little 8x8 album to put all the pages I have been creating in after I print them out. One of the most funnest (yeah-yeah-yeah ... grammar issues!) things I like about MDS is that it gives me permission to do one picture on a page ... something I can very rarely justify when I am doing "tactile" scrapbooking. AND there is NO mess to clean up when I am done! That's pretty dang sweet, too!

Catching Up - Challenge Cards

I did these cards for challenges over on SCS a little over a week ago. It's funny how time flies and seems to just sneak away from us, isn't it??

This first cards was one of those quickie 15-minute cards (which, I have to admit, aren't something I am able to pull off very often ... I am more an an at-least-one-hour-to-create cards! I saw the color challenge (CC239) and felt kinda skeptical (as I OFTEN do!). It was to use White, Mellow Moss and some sort of taupe-y color (kraft, etc. - I used Sahara Sand). This card just sort of tumbled out as I pulled out my newly-acquired-but-yet-to-be-used Movers and Shapers die. This is yet ANOTHER one of those things that I just did NOT need to have. I was NOT going to buy it! I did NOT have any interest in it ... we've all heard it before!!

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes
Paper: Sahara Sand, Mellow Moss, Whisper White
Ink: Sahara Sand, Basic Black
Accessories: Movers & Shapers Bigz die with curvy label, curvy label punch, small oval punch, Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, white taffeta ribbon

And last Friday it was my turn to hostess the LSC (LSC241). The challenge I threw out there was to go back to basics ... stamps, paper and ink ... and NO embellishments!! AAAACCCCKKKK! What???!!??? No ribbon???? No brads or buttons??? I found this very challenging myself!! I DID, however, allow the use of embossing folders and/or diecuts (which included punches). Whew!! Don't know if I could've pulled it off WITHOUT those!!

Stamps: Pumpkin Patch
Paper: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Basic Black, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Large oval punch, modern label punch, Martha Stewart spiderweb border punch, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder, paper distressing tool, dimensionals

And, just as a point of clarification (since I have been asked a time or two) . . . I AM still staying with Stampin' Up. This is a decision that was not reached lightly, as I put much thought and consideration into it. As I had already made my commitment to Innovative Stamp Creations BEFORE SU made their announcement about design teams, I am being given the opportunity to fulfill that commitment (something I NEVER doubted that SU would allow me to do!)! So, for the time being, I will be switching hats on a regular basis!!

ISC Christmas Extravaganza Blog Hop #3

Well, here I am again with yet another card for the Christmas Extravaganza for ISC. I had a lot of fun creating this card ... I am MUI-loving the text-y background image. It looks soooo eclectic and cool!

I guess I am just going to have to give in to the fact that Christmas is SOOOO much closer than I care to admit!! What is up with THAT??? I have NO idea where the time went this year! I could SWEAR that we JUST had Christmas!! (Or maybe it's just that I hate to admit that I still have stuff that hasn't been put away yet from LAST year ... okay, just kidding!!)

I think all of the Christmas sets that ISC has come out with are so beautiful and versatile ... you will have a GREAT time playing with them!! (And ya KNOW you WANT 'em!!)

Stamps: Eclectic Christmas by ISC
Ink: Night of Navy
Paper: Shimmery Navy, Shimmery White, Silver
Accessories: Spellbinders Large Deckled Rectangle and Deckled Mega Rectangles - Small Nestabilities, Snowflakes Cuttlebug embossing folder, navy and white organza ribbon, MS snowflake punch, Jewels rhinestone sticker for Doodlebug

ONE MORE TIME FOR GOOD MEASURE! - Win 3 FREE of the Newest Christmas Stamp Sheets (Joyful Christmas, Eclectic Christmas, Festive Christmas)! All you have to do is, leave a message about what Christmas means to you & yours on the last stop on the blog hope...the ISC blog. This opportunity will end Wednesday, October 14.

ISC is also offering 10% off your order! The Christmas Stamp Line is jammed packed and for a limited time only the retail price has been reduced!



Click this link to go back to the beginning of the blog hop on ISC's blog:



And here's a complete blogroll in case you want to go to a specific blog:

ISC Blog
Kathy
Sabrina
Julie
Joanne
Connie
Wendy (ME!!)

ISC Christmas Extravaganza Blog Hop #2

Here I am again with another peek at one of the new sets being released by ISC . . . this one is called "Festive Season."

Okay ... I am still in need of a seasonal adjustment!! I am STILL having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit 'cause my house is all decked out for Halloween at the moment! But I DO have to admit that these lovely new pieces of rubbah are starting to get me into a shopping kinda mood (HIDE THE CREDIT CARD!)!!

I spritzed these beautiful ornaments with some Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist, 'cept it didn't really show up in the photo (isn't that ALWAYS the way??). It looks fabulously sparkly in real life, though!

Stamps: Festive Season by ISC
Ink: Ballet Blue, Real Red, Garden Green, Whisper White, Basic Black
Paper: Garden Green, Whisper White, Real Red, Ballet Blue
Accessories: D'Vine Swirl Cuttlebug embossing folder, double corner punch, arched lattice border punch by Martha Stewart, white embossing powder, silver cord, Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist, white taffeta ribbon, dimensionals

And to recap the FUN - Win 3 FREE of the Newest Christmas Stamp Sheets (Joyful Christmas, Eclectic Christmas, Festive Christmas)! All you have to do is, leave a message about what Christmas means to you & yours on the last stop on the blog hope...the ISC blog. This opportunity will end Wednesday, October 14.

ISC is also offering 10% off your order! The Christmas Stamp Line is jammed packed and for a limited time only the retail price has been reduced!



Click this link to go back to the beginning of the blog hop on ISC's blog:



And here's a complete blogroll in case you want to go to a specific blog:

ISC Blog
Kathy
Sabrina
Julie
Joanne
Connie
Wendy (ME!!)

Don't forget to come back TOMORROW for DAY THREE . . .

Innovative Stamp Creations HOORAY!!

It's official and I can finally share it with you ... I am now a Design Team Architect for Innovative Stamp Creations AND today marks day ONE of the October release Christmas Card Extravaganza Blog Hop!! (Y'all should have arrived here via Connie McCotter's blog!)

There was a challenge issued to the Design Team (known as Creative Architects! LOVE it!) to pick an image from the new set called "Joyful Christmas" and use it as the focal point of our creations. This is what I came up with. Aren't these images just GAW-GEOUS???? I'm still just geeking out that I am already making CHRISTMAS cards!! YIKES!

Stamps: Joyful Christmas by ISC
Ink: Handsome Hunter, Bravo Burgundy, Various Copic Markers
Paper: Very Vanilla, Ruby Red, Bravo Burgundy, Handsome Hunter
Accessories: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folders, large oval and modern label punches, 1/4" vanilla satin ribbon, gold cord, dimensionals

Win 3 FREE of the Newest Christmas Stamp Sheets (Joyful Christmas, Eclectic Christmas, Festive Christmas)! All you have to do is, leave a message about what Christmas means to you & yours on the last stop on the blog hope...the ISC blog. This opportunity will end Wednesday, October 14.

ISC is also offering 10% off your order! The Christmas Stamp Line is jammed packed and for a limited time only the retail price has been reduced!




Click this link to go back to the beginning of the blog hop on ISC's blog:



And here's a complete blogroll in case you want to go to a specific blog:

ISC Blog
Kathy
Sabrina
Julie
Joanne
Connie
Wendy (ME!!)