Liebster Blog Award

Hi, my Blogging Buddy from the UK, Sarah The Stressed Stamper gave me this very kind award.  She is one of the blogs I check everyday because she makes really great cards and I love getting to know her.  She always has the most interesting posts to read.  Although I have never met her in person, I feel like we have been friends for such a long time.  Maybe one day we will get to meet in person.  Please do yourself a favor and check out her blog.  I promise it will be one you will want to read daily.  Just click here and send yourself across the pond to see what life in the UK is all about.

This award however is slightly different from the usual awards you see.  This award is to showcase some of the not-so-well-known blogs.  We have some talented crafters out there and this is one way for you to find new and interesting blogs.  All I have to do is nominate three to five blogs I read and want others to get to know .

If I tag you  and you want to participate,  create a post where you post the 'LOVE BLOG' image. You should also blog the persons link that gave you the award and inform her/him that you accept the award. You can then choose 3 - 5 favorite blogs which you also link in your post, then each blogger will inform you that they have been tagged


Special Note from the Originator:

Dear bloggers:

The aim of this action is that we bring unknown, good blogs to light, so I would ask you not to blog fellow bloggers that already have 3,000 followers.

I follow so many blogs , but I chose 3 that I think deserve more followers than they have, because in my opinion they make stunning - yes stunning card...Please pop over and show them some love - honestly I promise you will NOT be disappointed.

In no particular order:

Betty at justsometablescraps.blogspot.com
Shirley at tangentsfromtazmania.com
Mochamama at lifesrailroadtracks.blogspot.com

Sassy Cheryl's Show Me Thursday

Here it is Show Me Thursday #10.  Actually it is Saturday for me and today was my "Finish Day".  I had a couple of uncompleted projects on my desk and I worked on them today.  The first picture shows my Birthday Calendar.  It is a project Katie Jo taught at our Inky Digits meeting.  It is made out of envelopes that are decorated, holes punched in the side and then decorated.  I have the base completed now I want to go back and embellish it.  It is real handy because you can slide things inside the envelopes to keep as mementos.  I haven't embellished it, so I will be having fun finishing it.

The next three pictures are a calendar/notepad that fit inside a metal tin.  This was a gift from Melanie Wysong a friend from our Stampin Up group.  She ordered all of us one and then told us to decorate them.  When my husband saw the tin, he asked me to let him have it.  He liked the idea of everything in one place.  He seems to think I hide all of his stuff so he figured this would be his very own organizer and no one in the house is allowed to touch it. 

I glued some magnets on the back of the calendar and note pad so they won't fall out of the tin when he opens it.  I wanted to decorate it in a Green Bay Packer theme, but when I saw this Americana paper, I had to use it.  My husband does not like ribbons, so I had to try to keep it "manly" what do you think?

I am  still in my "Get Caught Up and Organized Mode", so I feel very proud of myself today.  Who knows maybe I will even tackle taxes tomorrow.  Nah, don't want to shock the system too much.   

Help For Katie

Isn't she a sweetie?  This is Mo Mannings digi that she donated to help raise money for our fellow crafter Katie.  Katie's world was rocked right before Christmas when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Stomach Cancer.  The wonderful crafting community, I am so very proud to be a member of, came together to raise money for her.  Click  Katie's story or click  the picture on my blog's right sidebar.  Katie is keeping a diary and it is funny, warm and poignant.  There's still time to donate and you get some awesome digi's from the very best designers in our industry.  Click here and it will take you to Jak's blog where you can make your donation and even enter a contest for prizes.  Check it out.  I promise, you won't leave empty handed and your heart will be full.

Love to all of you crafters!

Sassy Love

Is it snow, school holiday, a special Valentine or chocolate?  Something has Sassy very happy and you will just have to guess, but one thing's for sure whatever it is she is loving it!

This is Sassy Cheryl's logo digi and I loved the summer version.  I was so happy when Cheryl made her a winter outfit.  I kept using her summer digi and coloring long sleeve shirts on her.  If you want this sweetie for yourself, just click here and it will pop you to the store where you can make her your very own.

I colored her with my copics sprinkled a little MS snow glitter on the card.  I cut the digi out with my scalloped rectangle Nestie. I punched the border with my MS border punch, kept the little heart punch outs and added them as accents to the background.  The white hearts that are a bit larger were punched from an old punch I had.  Sorry can't tell you who made it because the lable is worn off.  I accented the white hearts with red pearl dots for a bit of bling and color.  The red heart is something I found at Michaels but it was on a larger clothespin.  I couldn't get it to clip on to the card because of it's weight.  I found this mini clothespin in my stash so I popped the heart off of the big pin and hot-glued it to the mini.

I was real happy with the end result, and I welcome your thoughts on the card too.  I have to say this border punch has become one of my most if not my most favorite border punch.  It is just so pretty.  I have seen it on many cards and it just stood out in my mind on every single one.

I am entering it in Sassy Cheryl's "What's Love Got To Do With It" challenge.  If you would like the chance to win a SC digi, join us in the fun.  Just use one of Sassy Cheryl's digis in a card featuring love, enter it here, link it back to your blog by next Tuesday and you could win a free shopping trip to the SC store.

Pay It Forward

Pay it forward!


Hello everyone. I have just copied this from Jeni's blog. I thought it was a fantastic idea and wanted to join in right away. I made it in time to be in her first five comments and I can't wait to see what she sends me. So...It's time for a bit of fun. It's my turn now to Pay It Forward.

I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who comment on this post. However, there is a catch, you must repost this, offering something handmade to 5 other people. The rules state that it MUST be something handmade or homemade by YOUand must be sent to 5 other people during 2011.

If you would like to join in the fun, then be the first to post a comment and something handmade or homemade will be coming your way this year.
Thanks for giving me the chance to Pay It Forward Jeni!

Love Hurts



Love doesn't always turn out like we dream, does it?  Looks like this strong Yankee Girl  feels quite the same about this charming Southern Gentleman.  He gives her this big fluffy heart and what does she do?  Pop it over his head.  Made him pop a button too!  Maybe he should have filled it with chocolates or diamonds, or maybe she caught him behind the woodshed with another.....  Definitely more to this story.....

I colored this with my Copics and matted it on Stampin Up paper.  The DP is So Sophie and it has a pointed pattern in it.  I cut around the points and added a piece to each side.  put some Old Olive SU paper in between the points for accent.  I used my MS border punch and MS heart punch, tied a bow at the top to give the illusion that the heart is hanging from it.  I liked the effect of the loopy ribbon with the lacy looking hearts.  The sentiment was typed on my PC and then I cut each letter into a little square. 

I am entering this card in two of Sassy Cheryls challenges this week.  It is the digi for the Color Me Challenge and it also qualifies for the buttons and bows challenge too!  If you would like to own this digi pop on over to Sassy Cheryl's and pick it up.  It is only $2.00 today and tomorrow!

Sunny Card for a Sunny Friend

I have the dearest of friends named Denise.  She is always sharing, helping other people and cheerful.  (I did get to see her upset once, but she was still cheerful, ha ha)  Everyone should have a Denise in their lives.  Well being the most considerate and loving dear friend that I am, I forgot her Birthday!  Yep, I sure did.  Kicked myself in the arse I did, but here's the card I made for her.

I thought of her immediately when I found this digi at Bugaboo. Denise is like a sunny little bird hopping around making other's lives better.  So I made it into this card.  Papers are from my stash so I can't tell you who designed them.  The Happy Bird-Day stamp is Stampin UP and I colored it with my copics.  The flag was wrapped around a popsicle stick.  I broke the popsicle stick in half, cut a slit in the birds wing with my Exacto Knife and slid the stick in it.  I cut the ballon with a Sissix die, popped it up and tied some bakers twine around the base.  I slid it with the popsicle stick to make it look like the bird was holding them both.  You probably can't see this, but I smudged a little Pearlescent chalk on the presents to give them a subtle bit of sparkle. 

The inside sentiment came from Bugaboo too and it said Have a Sweet Birday.  You can get the stamps here.  Mine were a Freebie (the best kind) offer, but go check it out.  They offer freebies regularly and they design some mighty cute stamps.

Happy to say when I gave Denise her card, she laughed at me.  She thought I was silly for being upset.  Are you surprised by her response after the description I just gave you of her?  Denise has a website and gives home parties teaching others how to make cards.  Go check her out at Messn With Paper.

Sassy Cheryl's Show MeThursday #9

Look at my new workspace!

I kow it is a dishwasher not a box of copics,but tonight I am in love with my beautiful new dishwasher.  You see I have a very sad story to tell.  My diswasher (which was only 2.5 years old) was recalled.  I received this letter that said, unplug immediately, do not use which of course scared the you know what out of me.  I started the process of replacing it and ordering the new one which had to be ordered and it was delivered today.  The sad part is I received that letter in December before all my Christmas baking and company dinners with lots and lots of dirty dishes.  Yep this little girl has been without a dishwasher since before Christmas.  Now isn't that the sadest story you ever heard?  .)  Hugs, cyber friends.



http://sassycheryls.blogspot.com/2011/01/show-me-9.html

Sassy Cheryl's Show Me Thursday #8

Lookee lookee, what kind of goodies do I have today?  Mmmmm chocolate and heart punches and Harry Potter.  Can you guess what they have to do with each other?  Nothing.  I am just working on some Valentine goodies and I had to show you my latest purchase from Aww Shucks Scrapbook store. 

I found this mini album last week and bought it immediately.  My daughter and her family went to Universal in Florida this week and I picked it up for them.  The book was a sample of some of their products,but when I showed them my best "got-to-have-it" look.  They sold it to me. I can't wait to see it filled with their pictures of their trip.  My little Jonathan, aka Finny, is the best Harry Potter and has promised to bring me home a "Time Turner" which I so very much need.

And see what the chocolate bars are for:



We are having a "Souper Bowl" fund raiser at work.  We are raising money for the Community Kitchen and the Waccamaw Youth Center.  We are going to sell these candy bars for Valentines Day  What do you think we should charge for them?  They were quick and fun to make.  I just cut cardstock to fit around the bar, scored it in 4 places and used a strip of adhesive on the back.  The DP is cut the same size, then border punched, scored and glued.   I cut a tag, punched a hole and stamped it, colored it and attached with some crochet thread.  All the ladies at work will be making these, so I'll take a picture of the finished group and post it when we are done.  All of us are different in our decorating styles, so it should be an interesting picture.

If you are hungry this Friday, January 21st, come over to the bank.  We are all cooking homemade soups to sell for lunch.  I promise it will be worth the trip, I work with some fabulous cooks.  I am making chili, mmmm!

Happy Brrrday

Sassy Cheryl's Challenge 45 is called "Let It Snow"  So that gove me a chance to use my favorite little snowman one more time this year!..   I just love Cheryl Alger's Bashful Buddy stamp.  Don't you think he has the sweetest face?

My friend Jeni has been coloring with her Prisma pencils on Kraft paper and I wanted to give it a try.  It was really kinda fun to do.  I had originally planned to make this card out of two colors - kraft and white.  I was going to color Buddy all white with Kraft accents, but I had so much fun practicing with my Prismas that I got carried away and colored Buddy too.  I used Gamasol (odorless mineral spirits) to blend the colors.  I added a drop of Stickles on the snowflakes and some Paper Glaze to the puddle of water Buddy is standing in. I ran one layer of white through the Cuddlebug using my Dotted Swiss embossing folder.  The sentiment is computer generated out of my creative genius brain.  lol  Other than that it is just plain layers to accent my Buddy! 

Go get your colored pencils out and try coloring on Kraft.  It is very relaxing and a lot of fun!  If you would like to have your own sweet Bashful Buddy, click here and it will pop you to Sassy Cheryl's.  If you would like to join in on the challenge, click here to see the Sassy Girls creations and to enter your own.  Who knows maybe you will be lucky and win your own Bashful Buddy!

TTFN

Help For Katie

No card or picture yet for this posting. I just wanted to make everyone aware of what one of our wonderful crafter friends is doing for a fellow crafter. Jak Heath has put together a fund raiser for Katie, a crafter diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer right before Christmas. Artists from the crafting world have donated a package of awesome goodies to raise money for Katie. I have posted a link to Jak's Blog on my all to raise awareness for Katie. Please click on it for all the details. The donations is 15 British Pounds. When I made mine the conversion was $24.43. Wether you are able to donate or not, please keep Katie in your prayers.
If you would like to read Katie's story in her own words and see some of the beautiful creations she has made, click here and it will pop you over to her blog.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. More creations using my new stamps from Help For Katie to follow!

Sassy Cheryl's Show Me Thursday

I am definitely on a roll today!  Here are three of the cards I have been working on this week and another digi I am working on for yet another birthday card I have to do.  I sure have a lot of friends born in January.  I think I will reassign each of their birthdays for another day during then year so I can spread my birthday cards out all year long.   My husband asked me tonight if I just make up holidays so I have an excuse to make cards.  Hmmmmm, hadn't thought of it before, but that's could be fun!

If you would like to take a peek at what some other crafters are working on, click here.  It will take you to the blog where their pictures are linked!  Come on and take a peek, it may give you some good ideas.

My Shy Valentine



Whew!  I almost didn't make this post in time for the challenge!  It has been a busy week, but I got off work at 2:00 today because of the ice and that gave me some extra time to do this card!     This shy little girl is from Sassy Cheryl's and can be purchased for only $2.00 this week.  Isn't she the sweetest thing you have ever seen!  Look how she rocks on her shoes and you can just feel her swaying.  I tell you Cheryl is just the most amazing artist.  I just love her sketches.

The challenge is to use blue in your card this week and I have had so much fun using one of my favorite colors.  I am also going to enter it in Sassy Cheryl's Color Me Challenge this week too!

Hope you like it.  All my paper is from my stash.  I colored the image with my Copics, Paper Glazed all of the hearts for some dimension and glitz.  The heart punches were from Creative Memories, border punch was Stampin Up and the scalloped rectangles were Nestabilities.

Birthday Blues

I made this card for a dear friend at work.  She definitely has a fabulous sense of humor and her genuine, deep, throaty laugh makes everyone in the office smile.  She thinks my cards are "too sweet" for her sense of humor.  She once gave me a card that had a grumpy old lady on the card and it said "I used to think I had patience, now I know I just don't give a ----! Well I searched some of my favorite blogs for a digi I felt Barbara would appreciate and I found Stella's Birthday over at Bugaboo's.  I think this will be something Barbara will truly get a kick out of.  The inside sentiment says, "What's one more friggin candle?" 

I am entering it in Bugaboo's "Anything Goes Challenge".  If you would like to see some more of Jodi's artwork over at Bugaboo's, click here.  If you would like to shop at her digi store or pick up one of her Freebie Friday images, click right here.  She definitely has some attitude going on over there!