Out of the 'Net!

I have been out of town for the last couple of days, and the internet here is more than sketchy. If I sit in the exact right place at the exact right angle and don't breathe or don't move, I can kinda get a connection . . . sometimes . . . if I'm patient . . .

So, I've been trying to put this card up for ya for quite some time! With any luck it'll actually get posted today (which is Saturday, October 18). Sigh . . .

This is officially card #60 in my "Follow the Butteflies" challenge. I can hardly believe that I have made it this far and haven't done the same butterfly twice! My goal is to make it all the way to the end (104!) and not do any repeats. Thanks to the help of friends, I'm gettin' there!

The Ways to Use it Challenge - WT188 - was to incorporate plaid into your card. I was digging and searching all over the place for some plaid paper. Stripes, checkerboard, houndstooth, argyle, polka dots, flowers . . . you name it, I have it . . . 'cept I couldn't find any plaid! I then remembered the old Rubbermaid-type container that I started collecting paper in. Back in the days when scrapbooking was brand new to me (we are talkin' at least 10-11 years, here!). I went and started digging, and hit the mother lode!! Lots of plaid in there, so here is what I came up with. I combined it with this week's sketch challenge - SC198. It's kinda funky, but I think I likey!!

Stamps: Best Yet, Flannel Plaid bg, Butterfly Kisses (Papertrey)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue, Close to Cocoa, Kraft, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip (Classic & Craft)
Accessories: CM circle cutter, Cuttlebug Just My Type embossing border, pop-up glue dots

Butterfly #59

I was able to combine TLC190 yesterday with a couple of other things that are amongst my faves . . . butterflies and fall!! I did one of these fun and funky folds a couple of weeks ago for the first time, and I loved it!! It was fun to see it as part of a challenge on SCS.

You need to cut the base piece of cardstock to 10.5" x 5". Then, score it at 1.25, 2.5, 4.25, 6 and 8.25. Fold it "accordion style" and you are ready to go!!

So I am now officially pushing 60 in my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge!! Wahootie!!! Getting closer all the time!!

Stamps: Autumn Harvest, Butterfly Beauty (Unity) and Word Collection (Stamp Oasis)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Really Rust, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard
Accessories: Oval Nestabilities, Maple Leaf die/embossing folder by ProvoCraft, 5/8" chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, Leafy Branches embossing folder

What Happened to FALL??!!??

Can you believe we woke up yesterday morning and there was SNOW on the ground??? SNOW???!!!???? In the not-quite-middle of October???? I'm not ready to GO there yet!!! Sheesh!!!

I was talking to my friend, Jessica, the other night (hey-ya friend!). That's Jessica as in "There She Goes" stamp girl Jessica. We were discussing things that present a challenge to us when stamping. I confessed that "simple" is a challenge for me, as I always think I can just add "one more thing" . . . so she challenged me to make a simple card, so I came up with this. (Kinda funny, as the last card I posted on here was also simple, and also done at the request of a friend!!)

Love the fun stamps included in "Spooktacular Silhouettes." I don't think I've ever actually SENT a Halloween card, but I DO love MAKING them!!!

Stamps: Spooktacular Silhouettes by There She Goes
Paper: Basic Black, Basic Gray, Going Gray, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: Spider Web embossing folder, silver cord, wide oval punch

Quick 'N Easy

I had a friend of mine ask me if I could help her with a quick and easy invitation for her family Christmas party. (This is the part where you read in that it needs to be "quick and easy" 'cause I'M going to end up doing it, not her!!!). I love this little Christmas village Cuttlebug folder! It looks great! I'm seriously considering doing something with it for my own Christmas card. Not quite sure where I am going with it, but stay tuned . . .

I am also loving, loving, LOVING this little branch punch. Thinking about that one for my Christmas card, too!! In the meantime, this is a simple card you could easily mass produce. Fun!!

Stamps: All Year Cheer I
Paper: Night of Navy, Shimmery White, Always Artichoke
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: 1 3/8" and 1 1/4" circle punches, MS Craft Branch punch, silver cord, Cuttlebug Winter House ef

Birthday Wishes

This is a card I did a little over a week ago for my mother in law. She turned 78 . . . I hope I look half as good as she does at her age. She looks GREAT!!! My daughter and I are still at an impasse on this Eastern Blooms set. She has issue with the lines in the flowers . . . I think they look pretty cool. She has been liking the cards I have been making with it, she just keeps bringing up those darn lines!! Good thing I don't let her opinion sway me!!!

Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Amazing to Zany
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Shimmery Gold, Riding Hook Red
Ink: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Gold Encore
Accessories: Cuttlebug Floral Screen embossing folder, scallop border punch, curvy label punch, large oval punch, black/white polka dot organza (May Arts), dimensionals

And the WINNERS are . . .

Using random.org I generated a couple of numbers to pick the winners for the There She Goes surprise stamp sets!! The TWO winners are:

#4 - Julie
#77 - Marga Martinez

Happy Day and Congratulations to you both!! E-mail me at ronandwendy85@smartfella.com with all your important info (addresses) and we'll send you your fun stamps!!

Be sure to visit the There She Goes store. Jessica has done a PERMANENT price adjustment, so now ALL her stamp sets are even more affordable than before! Here's a direct link so you can take a peek:

There She Goes

Thanks to all of you for posting comments and playing along with our little giveaway! Hope you will come back and visit soon!! (Comments are ALWAYS welcome and appreciated!!)

TTFN!!

Inspiration and LAST DAY for Winners!

I have to admit that this card was a bit of an experiment (for WT186 - to use a favorite quote or sentiment in your creation - love this quote from Stamp Oasis!). My friend Connie (cmc2stamp) and I were talking about which kinds of cards get a lot of views vs. which ones don't. She had mentioned that just about ANY card she has done lately with Pocket Silhouettes gets a lot of views. I realized that that was true for me, as well. So I decided to try and see if it really WAS true. Not bad . . . this card is approaching 700 views since I posted it yesterday! I guess there does seem to be some sort of love affair with Pocket Silhouettes! I will have to refrain from using it every day, then, I guess (wink-wink-wink!!)!

Today is your LAST CHANCE to sign up to win a lovely stamp set from There She Goes!! Be sure to post a comment to the post I made two days ago (the one with the flower pot card) for your chance to win one of two sets that I will be giving away. Visit the other blogs connected to that post for more chances to win!! Aaaaahhhhhh! Free!! My favorite!

Oh! And speaking of winning . . . remember that funky fold seashell card I posted last week? I entered it in a monthly contest on Kitchen Sink Stamps . . . it won for "Fresh and Fun" design!!! How cool is that??? Now I get to pick a little bit of "free" for myself from Kitchen Sink!! Hooray!!

I'll post the TSG stamp set winner first thing tomorrow, so come back and see if one of the winners is YOU!!

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Word Collection by Stamp Oasis
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Family Treasures Daisy punch, 1/4" circle punch, paper piercing tool/mat, brown gingham ribbon, paper distressing tool, Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes ef

Fall Leaves . . .

I think I have mentioned many, many times before that fall is my absolute favorite time of year. The beautiful colors, the crispness of the air, apple season, soup, Halloween . . . there are just so many things I love about it. I go through so much chocolate chip paper this time of year!!

I made this card for the color challenge on SCS earlier this week . . . CC186. I am really beginning to like Baja Breeze. Wasn't so jazzed about it initially, but I think the fact that it is fitting in so nicely with fall colors is really helping me out!! And these big ol' leaves just make me want to run through a BIG pile of leaves, kicking them up as I go (I NEVER get tired of doing that!!)! Sigh . . . soon it will be time to rake!!

DON'T FORGET . . . MY THERE SHE GOES STAMP GIVEAWAY IS STILL GOING ON!! If you want a chance to win, comment on the post dated YESTERDAY - October 1 (the one with the flower pot card) - for your chance to win! You can comment on this post too, if you like, but if you wanna win the stamps, it won't count!!!

Have a great day!!

Stamps: Season of Friendship, Sanded
Paper: Baja Breeze, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Ink: Baja Breeze, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Accessories: Cuttlebug Maple Leaf, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain, paper distressor, dimensionals

Wanna Be a WINNER???

As promised, I have some FREE There She Goes stamp sets to give away (they are AWESOME . . . but a surprise!! You'll find out what you won once you get it in the mail!!)! This is a full 4x6 set! (Basically what this means is that all the stamps fit on a 4x6 sheet of acetate).

How do you win, you ask?? It's SOOO easy!! Just post a comment to THIS POST any time between today (October 1) and Friday (October 3). That's it!! I will use a random number generator to pick the winners. That's right!! I said WINNERS!! TWO of you will be chosen to receive this set! COOL BEANS!!! Please, though, play fair and only enter ONE comment! Thanks!!

You may also have other chances to win on the blogs of my fellow There She Goes Design Team members! Wahootie!!! Here are links to their blogs:

Angela's Blog - An Ink and a Smile
Bev's Blog - Bevithia
Faith's Blog - Stampin' with Markie's Mom
Holly's Blog - Toy's Haven
Maki's Blog = MakInk Studio
Stephanie Blog - Steph's Stampin' Stuff

So this card not only is being used to announce TSG's fun giveaway, but it also fits in SC196. I love sketch challenges (think I've mentioned that about 1,000 times before!). Great fun!!

GOOD LUCK!!

Stamps: Friendship Flowers by There She Goes
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Cameo Coral, Watercolor
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Cameo Coral, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Old Olive
Accessories: 1/2" and 1/4" circle punches, single stitched artichoke ribbon, paper piercing tool/mat, dimensionals, Cuttlebug Floral Screen ef, Me & My Big Ideas rhinestone icon, Doodlebug rhinestone stickers

Freaky Card & Blog Candy's a-Comin'!!

This is the card I made for my most recent Control Freaks swap. We had to choose any new set out of the Fall/Winter Catalog. It was hard choosing, as there were SO many fun new things! I think this train is DA BOMB!! First thing I thought of was the "Polar Express" and I knew a Christmas card was in the works. I took this photo of the prototype card I made for the swap. Then, I changed my mind and used shimmery white cardstock instead of plain ol' Whisper White. It turned out pretty good with that, but it is not what you see in this picture. I forgot to take a new picture before I sent them out!

I wanted to make sure that you all will be coming back between Wednesday and Friday. I have a couple of "There She Goes" stamp sets that I am going to give away as blog candy!! Yahoo!!! If you come back and comment on my blog candy post (NOT this one, but the one you will see on Wednesday), you will be eligible to win one of the new sets. I will probably use the random number generator, as that seems to work the best. Hope to see you soon!

TTFN!

Stamps: Happiness is a Journey, Short & Sweet
Paper: Bordering Blue, Shimmery White (or Whisper White), Night of Navy
Ink: Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, Silver Encore
Accessories: Snow Blossom punch, Word Window punch, silver cord