Scrapbooking Muffin

A few more scrapbook pages to share with you today. These all feature my puppy, Muffin! I used some awesome doggie stamps, Pat the Dog and Pat the Good Dog, from Our Craft Lounge! Tons of fun accessory pieces that are perfect for scrapbooking. Speaking of perfect, I used my Copic Markers & Spica glitter pens to coordinate with the My Mind's Eye DPs from the Just Dreamy 2 collection. The stamps, markers and DPs all made this project fun & easy!

Muffin's growing up so fast, she's already 10 months old and over 30 pounds of lovable bulldog! That border of dogbones and hearts is one of my favorite stamps...perfect for creating a fun little doggie theme. And those fire hydrants...aren't they adorable? These first 2 pages are 8x8".
This is one of the first photos taken of Muffin when we brought her home last summer. I love the carefree expression on her face. She really is a "good dog" and this was a very "happy day for her, and for us too! And there's that dogbone/heart border again...love it! It almost looks like it's part of the DP doesn't it? This last page is 6x6".


If you're interested, I still have 2 retired SU sets up for bid over at ebay! But they'll be gone by noon tomorrow. One set alreay sold, but The Merci & Spring Solitude sets are still available. You can find all the details right HERE. The "Merci" set was my favorite SAB set from last year. You can scroll through several pages of projects I made with that set right HERE! I have the minimum bid set at just $7.50, which is a really good deal for a brand new, unmounted set.

Thanks for stopping by...more scrapbook pages and few other projects coming up in the next few day :) !

It's Ian

Hey you! I have a couple of new Ian cards to share with you today from The Greeting Farm (formerly known as Pink Poison/Splendid Little Stamps). You can see all the newest Ian stamps right HERE! Marie is rolling out a whole new crop of stamps! It's so hard for me to see all of these and not be at home with all my stamping supplies. I do have a few supplies and just received a few new sets from Marie, so I'm hoping, hoping, hoping, to do a little simple stamping this week. You can check out all those super fun new stamps right HERE! I made Sheriff Ian card last month and I've been saving it to show you.

My daughter Megan made this next one with the Quarterback Ian stamp!That girl is a creative genius!!! Ian's helmet is shiny, thanks to a generous coating of Crystal Effects. And how about that grass? I love every single shimmery, shiny detail she put into this card!

For those of you who have family in the military, you've got to check out the last couple posts over at the Greeting Farm Blog. Marie has designed a brand new Ian set to honor and celebrate our brave soldiers and you can check it out right HERE! I can't wait to get home next month and try this set out. It's going to be perfect for making cards for the troops!! Marie has a special offer for families of soldiers, so pop on over to the blog and check it out!

And here's a new picture of Chloe! She's almost 4 weeks old & a whopping 6 pounds 1 ounce! I'm not sure how it's possible, but she just keeps getting cuter by the minute. She's doing really well & her next surgery has been scheduled for January 22nd. I have to admit, I miss being home, but this is really a once in a lifetime experience and I wouldn't trade a minute of being here to help care for her. She is truly a little miracle!
Oh, and incase you're interested, I have 3 retired SU stamp sets up for bid at ebay. You can check 'em out right HERE. Great deals on some great sets :) !

Have a great evening! Thank you so much for stopping by :)

Divine Design January

Happy Friday :) ! It's time to kick off a new year of the Divine Design Bible Verse Challenge for 2009! My bookmark features a scripture that I find great comfort in. It's reminds me that in an ever changing world, Jesus is never changing, always the same! My family & I have experienced many challenges and changes in 2008, but Jesus has been our rock, our peace and our ever present source of strength. No matter what life throws at you, Jesus is still the answer!

I apologize for the not-so-great photo (I miss my photoshop!!)...I'm away from home for another month or so, but I didn't want any of that to stop me from getting started on the challenge. So, I used my limited supplies, very limited time & marginal lighting and you know what...that's okay! I want to encourage you to do the same...use what you've got, make a project & join us for this year-long challenge!!!

I'm so grateful to Lori Craig for getting this challenge started one year ago and I'm honored to be co-hosting this year along with my friend, Angel Wilde! The rules are really simple. Just make a project each month in 2009 that features scripture. Some of the girls are doing scrapbooks, cards, journals, calendars...whatever works for you. I'll be making a bookmark for my project each month. As Lori pointed out last year, the important thing is to create a project that helps you meditate on and memorize God's Word. For all the details, you can check out the Divine Design thread at SCS right HERE! And when you upload to SCS, be sure to use the keywords BVC09, so we can easily find everyone's projects for 2009 in one gallery!

I'd like to introduce you to the Divine Design Scripture Chick team for 2009. We'll be posting our projects on the 9th of each month. These girls are so much for than just super talented stampers, they are beautiful Christian women and their love for God's Word shines through their projects. Here are the chicks along with links to their blogs & SCS galleries ~

Lori Craig: Make a Difference, SCS Gallery~ Stamp_momma

Taylor VanBruggen: Taylored Expressions , SCS Gallery~ TayloredExpressions

*taylor will be posting her divine design project this month on the 10th

Angel Wilde: Angelosity, SCS Gallery~ angelwilde

Jami Bova: Stamp Happy , SCS Gallery~ SgtStamper

Nancy Morgan: Paper Smiles, SCS Gallery~ ncmorgan

If you have any questions, just email me (youcanstamp@hotmail.com)! Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend.

Supplies used for the bookmark (size 3x6") ~ Stamps: *Love You Much (SU) Paper: Pirouette Pink, Riding Hood Red, White, *Candy Lane DP Ink: Computer generated Scripture, Ranger Distessed Black Soot Accessories: *Heart to Heart Punch, Scallop circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Pretty in Pink brad, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon

*the Love You Much Bundle that I used to make my bookmark is currently available at SU for 20% off ... you can find all the details right HERE :)

Scrapbooking Megan

Happy New Year! I have several scrapbook pages to share with you over the next couple of weeks. Starting with two featuring my daughter Megan! This first one was made using the new Love You Much Bundle from SU! I love this set & the coordinating heart punch. The bundle also comes with some beautiful DP, but I was going for a bold orange & black theme (Oregon State University...Go Beavs!), so I saved the Valentine DP for a future project. I used some Pumpkin Pie DSP Prints along with Basic Black, White & Tangerine Tango cardstock. My Scrapbook pages are 8x8. For me, that's the perfect size for a scrapbook page. I sometimes get a little intimidated with trying to fill a 12x12 page.

Here's a scrapbook page using the Get Physical set from Hanna Stamps (tennis shoe) ~ Then I used my Copic Markers to color the shoes and draw in the sand. This is a fun, fresh combo of Real Red, Bashful Blue & White!

Baby Chloe got to come home from the hosptial on New Year's Eve :) and is finishing her recovery at home...she's doing really well & getting ready to head back to the hospital in a couple weeks for her next surgery. Thank you SO MUCH for your sweet comments and prayers. Here's Mommy Katie & Chloe getting ready to leave the hospital and head for home...the perfect way to celebrate the new year!! I'm staying with Katie & Ryan, helping them care for Chloe. I won't be home until after Chloe is fully recovered from her next surgery, sometime in February. So I am here and most of my stamping supplies are at home. I appreciate your patience while I'm away from home and not able to post as often as I normally would.

Many of you are familiar with the Divine Design Bible Verse Challenge. We're starting a new year of Divine Design 09 later this week. We'll be posting on the 9th of each month, for 2009, and I hope you'll consider playing along. It's a great way to combine scripture & stamping. It's easy too!! You can find details right HERE and if you have any questions, you can email me anytime

(youcanstamp@hotmail.com)! Angel Wilde & I are co-hosting this challenge for 09 and I'm looking forward to sharing my projects with you & being inspired by YOUR scripture based projects too :) !! More on DD later this week.

Thanks for stopping by :) !

Merry Christmas To You & Yours

Merry Christmas! I almost forgot that I'd uploaded these cards to share with you on Christmas. I made this first card earlier this month with the Shimmerz I won as blog candy (thanks Stacey!). I used the To You & Yours stamp set (SU) and painted on some Sky Blue Shimmerz. It's really easy to use and the results are so pretty (you can double click on the photo to see the shimmery details). The simple, elegant sentiment is from the All Holidays set (SU). Here's another card made with the To You & Yours set ~We are so grateful to our family & friends for their faithful prayers & encouragement as we've spent the past 8 days in the NICU and Pediatric ICU. God has answered those prayers and Chloe is getting stronger everyday!! Here she is, 8 days old, celebrating her first Christmas! She's showing off her beautiful hat, made with love by our special friend, Nancy Littrell :)Experiences like these make you remember what's really important...and it's not the stuff under the tree, that's for sure. It's the love of family & friends and the gift of salvation that baby Jesus brought to this world. We've enjoyed a wonderful Christmas day & I hope you have too. Santa visited the PICU today bringing joy & toys to all the kids...even the youngest little patient...baby Chloe :) !

Peace, Love & Joy to you & yours

from Chloe, Katie & Santa

And the Winner is...

Chloe's smiling 'cause we get to pick a winner for some blog candy today! I'm happpy to report that Chloe had her heart surgery yesterday and it went very well. She's recovering in the pediatric intensive care unit and receiving excellent care. Mommy & me spent the night in the room with her and she had a rough night, but much better this morning. I had my Katie pick a number for the random drawing and that winner is....(drum roll please) ~

okienurse , who said...
Awesome baby girl! Everything will go well with the surgery tomorrow and she will be much stronger for it. I really love all the stamps available but my favorite is the treemendous set.Merry Christmas!

Congratulations Okienurse, you're gonna love your new OCL stamp set! Please email (youcanstamp@hotmail.com) me with your snail mail address & I'll make sure that you get your So In Love set asap! I have to agree, Tree-mendous is one of my favorites too! And another favorite that got mentioned a lot was the new Love Bug set! Here's a card I made with that set ~

and a closeup of that adorable little bug!

And here's my favorite little love bug...Chloe, hanging out with some of her new friends!

I have MORE BLOG CANDY coming up real soon :) and a few projects to share with you including scrapbook pages! And, of course, updates and photos of Chloe. Thank you so much for the sweet comments and prayers...we appreciate it more than words can express :)

And remember...today's the last day to take advantage of FREE shipping with SU on all orders over $70 and the first day to order the brand new sneak peek Love You Much bundle at 20% off. All those details can be found right HERE!

Welcome Chloe!

I have something VERY very special to share with you...pictures of Chloe Kate Thurman, my very first grandchild! She arrived via c-section, at OHSU, on December 17th, 18 1/2" inches long, 6 pounds 2 ounces. She's soooo beautiful!!! Mommy, Chloe & Daddy are all doing well.

As we anticipated, Chloe has two problems that will require surgical correction. Her first surgery will be to repair Coarctation of the Aorta and that will take place on Monday. When she is recovered from her heart surgery, she will have surgery to repair her Opmphalocele. Other than that, she is perfect and gorgeous :) ! Here's another look at her with her eyes open (the photos are a little marginal but they're completely unedited...I'm just excited to have the laptop here at the hospital and have the ability to take photos and email them to friends & family!)

It's snowing and beautiful in Portland! Sounds like we're going to be here for a month or longer, so we're getting settled into our routines and I've located all the good coffee shops here at the hospital :) ! If you haven't signed up for the Valentine Blog Candy yet, there's still time. I planned on selecting a winner on Monday, but it could be later, since Monday is surgery day. You can get yourself signed up by clicking HERE!

Here's a great photo of mom & dad having one of their first visits with Chloe in the nicu earlier this week. Thanks for stopping by. I have several projects uploaded and waiting to show you over the next few weeks, along with more updates and photos of Chloe :) !!!

hugs...from "grandma" nancy :)

Baby It's Cold Outside!

I thought I'd be away from the computer for several days...but due to the weather, I find myself having a little time this morning. Baby it's COLD in Oregon ;) ... woke up to 10 degrees in Corvallis today. We're heading to Portland in a couple hours. Waiting for it to "warm up"... upper 20s is the best we can hope for today, but we're also waiting for better road conditions. In the meanwhile, I wanted to show you the very last Christmas card that I made before leaving home. It's a warm, wintery scene accented with the hearts from the upcoming Love You Much stamp set & coordinating punch (available December 23rd). This card and the candle were for a very special lady named Anita :) ! Like so many of my friends, her life is a beautiful expression of love and warmth, so this card and candle were the perfect Christmas gifts for her! You wouldn't believe how yummy this candle smells! My friend Tonya hand pours these soy candles (click HERE to visit Tonya's blog). The Little Felt Flurries & the Button (from the Button Bouquet collection) were quick & easy decorations for the lid :) !! The Holiday Treasures DP and Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon provided just the right amount of decoration for the tin.

Okay, I guess it's time to shower and head for Portland. It's warmed up to a whopping 12 degrees outside! Don't forget to sign up for my Valentine Blog Candy...click HERE for all the details. One lucky duck will win that brand new So In Love set from OCL :) !!!!!

Also wanted to remind you of several $$$ saving specials going on at SU. I know it's a busy time of year to be keeping track of all this, so I'll recap for you ~

10% off ALL retiring stamp sets

20% off sets from the Sampler Catalog (when you spend $20)

FREE Shipping on all orders over $70

Love You Much Bundle sneak peek 20% off beginning Dec 23rd!

Keep in mind, December 23rd is the last day to take advantage of the Free Shipping offer...so if you were to place an order on the 23rd, you could take advantage of ALL 4 specials on that day !! I know all you smart, savvy shoppers will appreciate that tip ;) ! You can always find details on the current specials right HERE and place your online order too!! When you designate a demonstrator (hopefully me) you always get the lowest possible price!

Thanks for stopping by...have a warm, cozy, happy week!

Supplies for the card (size 4 1/4 square) ~ Stamps: To You & Yours, Love You Much (hearts) Paper: Riding Hood Red (regular & textured), Chocolate chip, Ski Slopes DP, Neenah White Ink: Ranger Distressed Black Soot Tools/Accessories: Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Love You Much triple heart punch, Kaiser self adhesive pearls, Copic Markers, Crystal Effects, Chunky Glitter, Oval/Scalloped Nesties with CB

Valentine Blog Candy !

I know, I know...it's December & you're still working on your Christmas cards ... but Valentine's Day really is just around the corner, and I'd love to spread a little Christmas joy by giving away one of the newly released sets by Our Craft Lounge! I'm going to be away from the computer for a few days, so I thought this would be a great time to do a little blog candy! I'm giving away the brand spankin new OCL set I used to make today's cards..."So In Love", and you can find it right HERE! I heat embossed Brilliance Graphite Ink with Clear Embossing Powder...I LOVE how the embossed black pops agaist that Just Dreamy 2 DP (My Minds Eye). There are 3 new sets being released today...you've got to check out the card Cami made with the new Love Bug set... it's right HERE! Isn't that adorable? Here's my second card...using pretty much the same supplies as the first, similar layout, but no DP on this one ~

More embossing on this card plus I used a Copic Marker to color in the tiny red hearts and a clear Spica glitter pen to add a little sparkle to the open hearts on the borders :) ! Have you seen the specially packaged assortments that OCL is offering? You can check 'em out right HERE! Copics make great Christmas gifts...my family totally surprised me last year with my very first set of Copics for Christmas! It's hard to take me by surprise, but they did it. I've thanked them about a million times...I LOVE my Copics!

This year, I'm expecting a gift that's even more special. I'm about to become a grandma for the very first time :) !! Baby Chloe is scheduled to arrive this Wednesday (the 17th) & will need surgery & some special care, so we're traveling to a hopsital where a team of specialists are ready to give her all the help she needs. We'd appreciate your prayers and I will update you when I can. In the meanwhile...how about some blog candy?

To get your name in the drawing for the Blog Candy just leave a comment and tell me which of the OCL sets under the category of Love & Such is your favorite...you can find 'em right HERE. I'll leave the blog candy open for 1 week and random.org will pick a winner on December 22nd. One entry per person please. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your week :)

I used similar supplies for both cards...so I'm going to combine the supply lists. The only real difference is the first card has DP and the second card has Copic markers and no DP...

Supplies ~ Stamps: So in Love Paper: Real Red, Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, Just Dreamy 2 DP Ink: Brilliance Graphite (with clear embossing powder & heat gun) Tools/Accessories: Ticket corner punch, Scallop edge punch, Small & Large Oval punches, Black Brads, Black American Crafts ribbon, R46 Copic marker, Clear Spica glitter pen, Sakura clear glaze pen,

Easy Gift Card Holders

It's getting to be that time of year when quick easy gift ideas are appreciated...so I'm doing a little re-run of a project I created last year. It's a classic, simple, super easy little Gift Card Holder and it's one of those projects I use all year long. I thought you might enjoy it too!! You can find my tutorial right HERE! I start with the gift card when deciding which colors and stamps to use. I think it's fun to make it all match :) ! This first one is a gingerbread theme. Here's the inside ~ Here's a gift card I made with the Holiday Lineup stamp set~Instead of adding Eyelets, I just wrapped the Silver Stretch Cord around the finished/closed gift card, tied a knot and secured it under the image piece. Here's a peek at the inside ~As I was reading through my tutorial, I thought of one step that might need to be clarified. When you're finishing your gift card (step #8), you'll close the gift card all the way up, then wrap the cord (or ribbon) around the gift card. The eyeletes (or image piece) just anchor it into place. Also, you'll want to pull the stretch cord just a little bit tight, so there's enough tension to hold the gift card closed, but leave enough slack, so it can be opened too. That part is really easy....just a little tricky to explain.

If you prefer to use ribbon, you can do that too! Your gift card holder becomes a little package that gets untied to reveal the gift :) !! Here's a special treat that would be fun to give AND fun to receive!! I used the Sweet Treats set from Our Craft Lounge :) ~ And here's how it looks when partially opened ~ And all the way open, to reveal a special treat...a yummy Starbucks giftcard! Speaking of yummy, OCL is now carrying some specially packaged assortments of Copic Markers. You can check it out right HERE!And my last gift card idea ... create YOUR OWN customized gift card ~I made a Stampin Up gift certificate, but you could make custom gift cards for any occasion. A "Dinner & Movie" certificate for the hubby. "One free carwash", "Dog wash" or "Babysitting" certificate. A "Mommy & Me Afternoon" certificate for the kids. Lots of possibilities. To make your gift card, just cut a piece of cardstock 2 1/4 x 3 1/2 & use your 3/16" corner rounder to punch all 4 corners. I printed mine on the computer. Here's what the outside of that gift card holder looks like (I used the Holiday Lineup set, again!)~

Whew...this is oneLONG post, but I hope it was helpful. Thanks for stopping by, let me know if you have any questions and HAVE an AWESOME weekend!!

Supplies for the Gingerbread gift card ~ Stamps: Deer Friend (hostess level-2) & Best Yet (hostess level-1) Paper: Old Olive, Real Red, Whisper White, Ski Slopes, DP Ink: Chocolate Chip Tools/Accessories: 3/16" corner rounder, Slit Punch, 1 1/4, 1 3/8 & Scallop Circle punches, Silver Stretch Cord, Silver Eyelets, Cropadile, Red rick-rack, Sakura clear glaze pen, Spica red glitter pen

Supplies for the Reindeer card ~ Stamps: Holiday Lineup Paper: Garden Green, Real Red, Neenah White, Ski Slopes DP Ink: Ranger Distressed Soot Tools/Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Slit punch, Silver Stretch Cord, Copic Markers, Spica Clear & Red glitter pens, Sakura clear glaze pen, Red rick-rack

Supplies for the Sweet Treat card ~ Stamps: Sweet Treats (Our Craft Lounge) Paper: Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Neenah White, Sweet Always DP Ink: Ranger Distressed Soot Tools/Accessories: Slit Punch, 3/16" corner rounder punch, 1/4 & 1/2" circle punches, Nesties circle & oval/scallops with CB, Copic Markers, Spica Pink & Clear glitter pen, Crystal Effects, Dazling Diamonds glitter, Sakura clear glaze pen, Pink Taffeta ribbon

Supplies for the Snowman card ~ Stamps: Holiday Line-up, Merry & Bright Paper: Baja Breeze, Real Red, Neenah White, Ski Slopes DP Ink: Ranger Distressed Soot Tools/Accessories: Slit Punch, 1 1/4, 1 3/8 & Scallop Circle Punches, Silver Stretch Cord, Silver Eyelets, Cropadile, Copic Markers, Spica glitter pens, Sakura clear glaze pen

Congrats!

I'm a pretty big Anya Fan...for those of you who may not be familiar with Anya, she's a line of stamps that Marie (aka Pink Poison...soon to be The Greeting Farm) has created. You can find 'em right HERE. This is a very special month for Anya because she met the man of her dreams, Ian, and they got married :) ! Their wedding set is called Cake Topper ... perfect for Weddings & Anniversary cards. In fact, this card is for my daughter and son-in-law's upcoming anniversary!! You'll be seeing more of Ian...soon! I also played the Our Creative Corner's Sketch Challenge and I really like how the sketch worked with these images. Great stamps, great sketch...a perfect pair :)!

Anya's dress was outlined with a C1 Copic marker, covered in Crystal Effects and Sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds glitter! She's gorgeous!! Ian got a little bling of his own thanks to my Black Spica glitter pen and Clear Sakura glaze pen. He looks handsome in his tux..doesn't he? You can double click on the photo if you're interested in seeing any of the details up close. Just don't look too closely at my coloring of their faces...my E00 was running out of ink and it shows. I was just too excited about coloring and glittering, I didn't want to stop and re-ink. My bad, lol :)

This week has been such a treat for me. I've enjoyed some unexpected, extra stamping time. I'm taking advantage of some free time while I can...in a few days I'll be packing up and heading out of town (for Baby Chloe's arrival!). I do have a few more projects uploaded to show you while I'm gone. And...a fun and easy gift card holder coming right up! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have an awesome day :)

Supplies for the card (Size 5 1/2" square) ~ Stamps: Cake Topper Paper: Pretty in Pink, Going Gray, Basic Black, Neenah White Ink: Ranger Distressed Soot Tools/Accessories: Word Window Punch, Copic Markers, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Sakura clear glaze pens, Spica black, pink & clear glitter pens, crystals, Paper Tray silver ribbon

Retiring Sleigh Bells

I finished up a few more quick cards last night and got them in the mail today. I used Crystal Effects and Chunky Sprinkles on the image and the snowflake, so the card pretty much looks like it just had a little sprinkling of snow :) !

Hey, have you seen the Stampin' Up's retiring stamp list? Lots of great sets on that list including this one, Sleigh Bells Ring (the "Merry Christmas" sentiment is from the Holidays & Wishes and it's not retiring). And the really special part ... SU is offering 10% off all retiring stamps ... plus FREE shipping on all orders over $70 (December 9-23rd)! That's a pretty good deal. To check out those retiring stamps just click HERE. After January 18th, the retiring stamps are gone for good and you'll pay WAY too much if you try to get 'em on ebay :) ! I don't mention this very often, but if you're interested in ordering SU supplies, you can do so anytime, (24/7) on-line (click HERE) and when you designate a demonstrator (hopefully me) you always get the discount price. Okay, now I sound like a commercial so that's enough about that :) ... if you have any questions, just email me (youcanstamp@hotmail.com).

It's late, so I'm gonna keep this short :) ... thanks for stopping by! To hear the classic song, Baby It's Cold Outside, click HERE. Love that version :) !!!

Supplies for the card (size 4 1/4 x 5 1/2) ~ Stamps: Sleigh Bells Ring, Holidays & Wishes Paper: Baja Breeze, Basic Black, Ski Slopes DP, Paper Trey 110# white Ink: Ranger Distressed Soot Tools/Accessories: Crystal Effects & Chunky Sprinkles (on the image and the snowflake too!), Felt Flurries, Silver Brad, Copic Markers, Oval/Scalloped Nesties with CB,

Let it Snow!

I've been working on finishing up a few more Christmas cards before I leave AND I hope, hope, hope to have a easy gift card holder to share with you in the next few days too! Today's card is from the Big On Christmas set! Great image for a quick card. I colored the "Snow" in with a Copic BG72 (good match for Baja Breeze) the hat with E25, nose YR07 & the cheeks with R81. I colored over everything with a Clear Spica glitter pen then added glossy highlights with a Sakura clear glaze pen. I used the Ski Slopes DP for a lot of my cards this year and as my color inspiration too. If you need a little color inspiration try mixing and matching these: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Real Red & Old Olive!

Here's the inside, nothing fancy, but it works :) ... I used the sentiment from the retired "It's Snowtime" set ~

How about a classic Christmas carol to brighten up your day? Click HERE to enjoy Let it Snow by Dean Martin : ) ! Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!!

Supplies for the card (finished size 5 1/2 x 4 1/4) ~ Stamps: Big in Christmas, It's Snowtime (retired) Paper: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Neenah Classic Crest White, Ski Slopes DP Ink: Distressed Soot & Chocolate Chip Tools/Accessories: Copic Markers, Spica & Sakura glitter & glaze pens, CB with Snowflake EF, Photo Corner Punch, Silver stretch cord

December Divine Design

It's December 8th... time to post our Divine Design monthly projects :) ! Hard to believe but this is our 12th and final project for 2008. Seems like just yesterday that I got an email from Lori Craig (Make a Difference) asking if I'd like to join her & a few other girls in doing monthly scripture based projects...and now we're posting our final projects for the year. It's been a rewarding challenge and one I plan on continuing in 2009!

It's my my honor & priveldge to be a part of the Divine Design team this year! The girls on the team are truly amazing and have inspired me all year long, not only with their creativity & talent, but even more with their love for the Lord! Scripture plus stamping really is a match made in heaven :) ! Here are the links to their blogs so you can check out their December projects: Lori Craig ~ Make A Difference, Angel Wilde ~ Angelosity, Jami Sibley ~ More isMore , Taylor Van Bruggen ~ Taylored Expressions

This month I made a bookmark to tuck into my bible & take with me. I'm packing up & preparing to spend several weeks with my daughter and son-in-law as their baby is born and undergoes a series of surgeries. Baby Chloe will be born in Portland on December 17th ... I'm gonna be a grandma :) ! As I was praying and asking God for a scripture to focus on, I went back to one of my favorites (Phillipians 4:6-7), and found a new version (NLT) that I really liked! (Biblegateway.com is a great online resource). My bookmark is 3 x 6". I stamped the sweet little flowers from the OCL set, Tree-mendous onto some brand new (soon to be released) SU Valentine DP and colored them in with Copics & Spica markers. They look so pretty irl, but the sparkle & shine didn't show up in the photo...you can double click on the photo to see more detail, but the sparkle just didn't show up...you'll have to trust me on that one :) !

And...Here's a fun little project my daughter Megan made ~

Meg was diagnosed with a pituitary autoimmune disease earlier this year, so a scripture that speaks about weakness and exhaustion...she can relate to that. As she returns to college and starts classes next month, she chose this to be the scripture she'd focus on. Yep, we've had our share of challenge this year, but I bet a lot of you are dealing with struggles of your own. The reality is, struggles and challenge are a part of life. Whew, I'm just glad this scripture reminds us that those who trust in God WILL find new strength...we could use a little of that! Megan started out thinking she might frame this, but decided to laminate it instead. She has a wall of inspiration cards and quotes at her apartment...it will probably find a home there :) ! Finished size is 5 3/4 x 7 3/4" and she used the "For Peeps Sake Chick" stamp and the row of heart flowers are from the SU set, Happy Heart Day. She LOVES her Kaiser self-adhesive rhinestones...uses them on almost every project she makes :) ! And I LOVE what how used those rhinestones to make swirls...such a clever girl!!

I hope you'll play along with Divine Design this month and maybe even think about making a commitment to make monthly projects in 2009! If you upload your project to SCS, be sure to use the keywords BVC08. Thanks for stopping by :) and have a great day!

Sleigh Bells Ring

Happy Friday! Quick post to show you one little card today. It's from a set in the holiday mini, called Sleigh Bells Ring. Beautiful image (you can double click on the photo if you'd like to see more detail) and with just a few touches of color with Copic markers, some sparkle & shine with Crystal Effects and Chunky Sprinkles and it was ready to be die cut with Circle Nestabilities and mounted on the card! The Riding Hood Red Taffeta ribbon is so pretty...and just the right finishing touch :) ! I used some left over DP that was given to me as an elf gift last year. Hey, that reminds me, wanna hear a fun song? Click HERE to hear the Mercy Me remix of Sleigh Bells Ring! Isn't that great? I love music so normally when I'm creating a card I have a song running around in my head! It rarely snows here on the Oregon Coast, so songs and cards like these just help me to pretend what it would be like to live in a winter wonderland.

Guess what? My friend Cami is giving away some COPIC BLOG CANDY! No kidding!! Hop on over to check it out and get yourself signed up right HERE!!!

Thanks for stopping by... hope your Friday is Fun & Festive!

Additional supplies used for the card (size 4 1/4 square...my favorite): Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, Neenah White Ink: Ranger Distressed Soot Copic tip: B72 is a good match for Baja Breeze & R37 looks great with Riding Hood Red! I also used E31, E34, E25, W3, B00, G72, N1 & N3

Holiday Lineup Elves

At our monthly stamp meeting this week I had the opportunity to stamp off a few images from set I don't have (thanks girls!) and MUCH to my surprise...this one ended up being one of my favorites! How did I miss this in the catalog? What a fun, fun set! It's called Holiday Lineup and you can find it right HERE. If you like to color as much as I do...you will LOVE this set :) ! I have a couple other projects to show you with the other 2 images that come with this set, but for today, it's the Elves :) . I colored them with Copics, added a few touches of sparkle with Spica Red & Clear Glitter pens, Touches of shine with Sakura Clear glaze pen and the finishing touch....a line of Crystal Effects covered in Chunky Sprinkles! The Very Merry sentiment (and the snowflakes on the inside of the card) is from the Short & Sweet set. I'm down to just scraps of my Ski Slopes Designer Paper...I love those colors (Old Olive, Real Red, Chocolate Chip & Baja Breeze).

Here's a peek at the inside (that sentiment is from a retired SU set) ~

What did we ever do without that Scallop Edge Punch? I use that punch constantly...it's one of my favorite tools!

I've been tagged and honored with a few awards these past 2 weeks....and I DO appreciate it! I sure plan on getting to those very soon. I'd love to pass them along and share the blogs of the great girls who passed those awards along to me! Soon....hopefully :) ! Thanks for stopping by...have a GREAT day!

Supplies for today's card (size 4 1/4" square): Stamps: Holiday Lineup, Short & Sweet, It's Snowtime (retired SU) Paper: Old Olive, Real Red, Neenah white, Ski Slopes DP Ink: Ranger Distressed Soot Tools/Accessories: Copic Sketch Markers, Spica glitter pens, Sakura clear glaze pen, Amuse ribbons, Kaiser self adhesive red pearls, Scallop Edge punch, Crystal Effects, Chunky Sprinkles

Quick & Simple Color Challenge Cards

I looked at my to-do list this morning and then I popped over to SCS to see what the color challenge was and I was delighted to see that Emily had picked some great colors that would help me with 3 manly Christmas cards I needed to make for the hubby to give to his work associates! The challenge was to use Sahara Sand, Basic Black & Very Vanilla (CC195). I made 3 very similar cards, I'll show you 2 of those today. My 2nd challenge was that my stamping time was very limited today, so I had to keep the cards simple...and that's just what I did. I used my Lovely As A Tree set...it's such a classic!I used Graphite Brilliance ink with clear Embossing Powder for all the images and sentiments on today's cards. Embossing only takes a second and the results add a lot to an otherwise simple card. I love how that Graphite Brilliance ink just pops...it's SO black...I love it!The final touches for first 2 cards was just a touch of Crystal Effects with Chunky Sprinkles (glitter) ! You can double click on the first photo to get a closer look at the snowy details :) .

And here's another little card made with a stamp set (deer friends...SU hostess level-2 set) that was out on my workbench. This one isn't for the guys...but it is kind of sweet, don't you think? It went together super quick. Gotta love those circle and scallop punches...they really help with making quick cards and tags!!

Thanks for stopping by! If time allows, I hope to share a fun tutorial with you later this week...for a SUPER simple little gift card holder!

Supplies for all 3 cards (I used such similar supplies...I'm going to combine): The first 2 cards are 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" the last card is 4 1/4" square ~ Stamps: Pine Tree (Lovely as a Tree-SU), Merry Christmas (Hero Arts), Warm Wishes (Hugs & Wishes-SU), O Holy night (Deer friends, SU Hostess level-2) Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand Ink: Graphite Brilliance with clear Emobossing Powder Tools/Accessories: Heat Gun, Embossing buddy, Crystal Effects, Chunky Sprinkles, Black & Gold Brads, 1/4" black gg ribbon, Paper piercing tool/mat pack, 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Scallop circle punch, Gold Stickles, Black/white stitched Amuse ribbon, snowflake cb embossing folder

Lil' Pea-Nut Birthday Wishes

Another quick post (it's that busy time of year!) to show you a card with the Lil, Pea-nut set from OCL! So many fun pieces with this set...the flowers, the grass, the birthday hat & gift...just a few of the fun ways to accessorize sweet little Ellie! I don't know about you...but we have a lot of family & friends who have December birthdays, so it's time to make some birthday cards! We're celebrating an extra special birthday today ...it's my Mom's 72nd birthday :)! Here's a close up of Ellie ~ Do you like her orange toe-nail polish? It looks great on her but I could never pull it off ;) . I colored the image with my Copic Markers, added some shimmer with my Spica Clear glitter pen (parts of the grass look white in the photo, but it doesn't irl...it was just a lighting thing with the camera) and added some shine with my Sakura clear glaze pen! That DP is more of the Just Dreamy 2 (My Mind's eye). I'm a pretty big fan of the SU DPs, but I have to admit, this paper is running a very close second! The Markers, Pens, self adhesive rhinestones & DP can all be found over at Eclectic Paperie!

Thanks for stopping by! I better get back to work on my to-do list :) ... it seems to be growing rather than getting shorter, lol! Enjoy your Monday!!

Supplies for the birthday card (size 4 1/4 square): Stamps: Lil' Pea-nut Paper: Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip, Neenah Classic Crest White, Just Dreamy 2 DP Ink: Distressed Soot Tools/Accessories: Self-Adhesive Kaiser rhinestones, Circle/Scalloped Nesties with CB, Dimensionals, Sakura clear glaze pen, Spica clear glitter pen, orange striped Amuse ribbon