Thank you

This year at TaeKwonDo camp

my 13-yo son was invited to be a Junior Counslor,

he even got a letter from The Masters.

Today we picked him up from camp

(everything from doing dishes by hand to serving food to

drying tears to holding boards for breaking not to mention

teaching patterns and sparring)

What an AMAZING experience for him!

He talked non-stop for about half the trip home

(takes just over 90 minutes)

then suddenly there was silence

he'd fallen asleep

I used Freshly Made Sketches #142 with

the Photo Inspiration from JustUsGirls #247

Printed Paper/Grey Cardstock - American Crafts I Do

Washi Tape

Lagoon Cardstock & Ink from CloseToMyHeart

Stamp Set - CloseToMyHeart A Huge Thanks

Viva Pearl Pen in Black

and a floral punch from Creation Memories

Hey Foxy

Just Us Girls Challenge #235 is this great sketch... And I have some wonderful new papers from Authentique, eventhough it may not be new to the market... it's new to my stash!

Printed Papers - Authentique Strong in 8x8

Stamp Set - CloseToMyHeart Wild About Love

Inks - CloseToMyHeart Brown Bag & Outdoor Denim

Solid Cardstock - CloseToMyHeart Outdoor Denim

Heart Chippies - UmWow Studio Heart Confetti

You are So Special

Hot Air Balloons!  I think they are so cool floating thru the air... every year by my in-laws house they launch a bunch of them for the 4th of July, like I said... so cool!  So when I saw that Just Us Girls#233 photo inspiration is a hot air balloon, I just had to play along!



Printed Paeprs - My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Breeze

Cardstock - CloseToMyHeart Chocolate & Sweet Leaf

Hot Air Balloon Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Absolutely Priceless

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Lagoon

best friends EVER!

a few years ago I met this group of ladies on an online scrapbook site called Crop Chocolate.  We arranged
for a meet-up in Colorado, and since I didn't personally know any of them, I dragged along my very good friend Wendy with me.  The following year, we met up in Utah with a couple of the original group not going but we met others who fit right in our little group.  Last year (aka 2013) we met in Kansas, just the 10 of us.

Inkspirational#47 & Just Us Girls#222

Flash forward to Christmas & we decided to buy each other 10 of our favorite things, mail those items to our group's Mrs. Santa and she sweetly waited until all packages had been received and sent everything our to each person.  What amazing items we got!  Today I received my box o goodies, Wendy & I (via Skype) opened our goodies together!  What an amazing time we had, laughing and goofing around.... I even almost ate some soap that looked like chocolate.  I must learn to READ packages before attempting  to eat it!

Of course, I HAD to break-in the crafty supplies ASAP.... these are what I made with just some of those goodies!

Printed Papers - Primma Engravers 6x6 paper pad (GIFT)

Vellum - misc stash... aka really old

Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Music of My Heart

Floral Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Feel the Joy

Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot

Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot, sprayed with Tim Holtz Adirondack Color Wash in Espresso, splashed with Tim Holtz Reinker in Scattered Straw & edge distressed using Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Pumice Stone

Brads - The Paper Studio

Butterfly Chippies - UmWowStudio Butterfly Confetti (GIFT... ok this one was from me to everyone cuz this IS my very favorite crafty item)

Masculine Miss You

Once a month, Our Daily Bread sponsors a challenge on Operation Write Home and depending on the number of entries, they will pay the postage on a box (or more!)... it's really great of ODB to be so generous!  ODB's challenge is "It's All About Him - Masculine Themed cards" which I combined with Just Us Girls #218 Sketch

Printed Papers - misc "outdoors" stash

Cardstock - DieCutWithAView

Truck Stamp - Stamper's Best Rusty Truck

Flourish Stamp - Stamper's Best Small Fauna Flourish

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa plus Tim Holtz in Gathered Twigs, Forest Moss, Stormy Sky, Fired Brick, and Antique Linen

Semtiment - Unity Stamp Co. Miss You So Much

Ink - Tim Holtz Walnut Stain

Distressing Ink - Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs & Walnut Stain

Bling - iCandi

Negative Die Cut

Just Us Girls Challenges #179 is to use a Negative Die Cut.... at first I didn't think I was going to do it but then I remembered this new stamp I got yesterday from Our Daily Bread and thought how perfect it would be!



Printed Paper - Echo Park This & That Absolutely Charming 12x12

Stamp - Our Daily Bread Fishing Boy

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Chocolate

Froggie Punch - Creative Memories

Natural Twine

Die - CloseToMyHeart Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge

on the water I added CloseToMyHeart Liquid Glass to make it shiny

thank you

I tripped across the current color combo challenge from Pals Paper Arts #154 and really wanted to use it, not because it's a color combo that I regularly go to but it's so eye catching. The color combo is Raspberry Ripple, Calypso Coral, and Crumb Cake... unfortunately I'm completely out of Crumb Cake so I found a close substitute!

Sketch is from Just Us Girls Challenge #178, which I changed up just a little by removing the horizontal band & adding the bling strips

Dot Paper - Canvas Corp Tan & Ivory Mini Dot Reverse

Cardstock - Stampin Up Raspberry Ripple & Calypso Cora

Flower Dies - Spellbinders Donna-Salazar Rose Creations & Carnation Creations

Brads - CloseToMyHeart & Basic Grey

Bling - My Mind's Eye Dear Santa

Stamp - Hippo Heart

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Cranberry & Sunset

Cream Cardstock - CloseToMyHeart Colonial White

Oval Cutter - Creative Memories

Cherry = Fruit

why yes, yes it is..... of course if it's on a cupcake then all the better ;-)

Sketch is from Just Us Girls Challenge Sketch #174

which I combined with Operation Write Home's  via Our Daily Bread Design challenge of  Fruit... the more entries they get, the more boxes ODB will pay for the shipping on so get those entries done!

Background, teal accent & red layer cardstocks - American Crafts (from Tuesday Morning, so great price on these) Adobe &

Stamps - Unity Stamp Co Counts as Fruit

Colored with Copic Markers & CTMH Liquid Glass on cherry

thank you

JUGS had that great little sketch with punch outs that look really cool, and I almost went the punch out route but I love this stamp so much.... it was calling my name!  JUGS Sketch #170




Cardstock - misc from my stash, it's a very light lilic color with white flecks in it

Stamp - CloseToMyHeart with Versamark & White Zing Embossing Powder

my attempt at showing the details

Ice Stickles in Crystal "sealed" with Liquid Glass from CloseToMyHeart

Sentiment Ink - CloseToMyHeart Amethyst

Deepest Sympathy

So I've been re-organizing my 6x6 papers, taking them out of their pads, trimming off any toppers, and putting them each in quart sized ziplocks.  As I go thru them, I've been using them each (that's why you've seen so many posts lately) and challenging myself to use all this beautiful paper I've been collecting.

This sketch is courtesy of JustUsGirls Challenges but I did need to change it a bit, the rectangle use to be a circle and they may have wanted a sentiment on the front but it wan't necessary IMO

Printed Paper - My Mind's Eye MeadowLark

Wide Ribbon - My Mind's Eye Stella & Rose

Black Ribbon - My Mind's Eye Lush

Distressing Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot

Black Bling - Making Memories Paper Reverie Noir

Inside:

Stamp Set - CloseToMyHeart Card Chatter-Sympathy

Ink - CTMH Black

zippy flower!

CardPositioningSystems provided a funky little sketch this week

JustUsGirls wants everyone to make zipper flowers, I went the pain Jane route since I'd never made one before... I think they are wonderful! expect to see more from me

Printed Paper - Basic Grey Out of Print (brand new from Crop Chocolate!)

Zipper from fabric store

Paper Clip - misc

Green Ribbon - Making Memories celery

Arrow - CKC convention 3 years ago :-) yep I'm a horder

Grey Flowers & Dangle - Making Memories Paper Reverie Baubles

Pink Goop - Sribbles fabric paint

bling - Misc.

Birds Stamp - Unity the Time is Now          Stamp Ink - CTMH Black

Distressing Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot



Inside:

Stamp - Unity the Time is Now

Ink - CTMH Blush

How Many Candles?

yet another missed dealine.... oh well, I tried!


I went ahead & finished the card using the Sketch from Just Us Girls

Printed Paper - My Mind's Eye Fine & Dandy Boy

Cake Stamp - CloseToMyHeart It's Your Day

All Ink - CloseToMyHeart

Stickles - Crystal

Bad Handwritting - all mine! lol

Hello Beautiful

oh how I love this digi from Fairydoodler!  It reminds me of my friend Vanessa, she's such a smily flowery girly country girl

her skin is colors with colored pencil & the rest is Copic markers

Sketch is from Sketch Saturday
Hiding in my Craft Room's challenges is Freestyle
and a Wildcard but using felt from Just Us Girls Challenges

All papers - My Mind's Eye Lush Fuchsia

Felt Flowers - Stampin'Up

Distressing Ink - TH Peeled Paint

Pink Ink - Creative Memories Pen

Brads - American Crafts Medium Jewel Brads

Butterfly

 This is my Third Post for the day!  *GASP*

I really like how this card came together! and although I'm not trying out for the JustUsGirls design team, I did use their sketch for this card. If you want to try out for their DT, go give it a shot!

I made this card for Get Hippity with Ippity and their challenge was Buttons, Bows, or Bling... well Bling I can do that!

Cardstock base - CTMH Pear

Printed Paper - DieCutWithAView All Dressed Up Stack

Butterfly Stamp - Ippity Thankful For You

Flourish Stamp - Unity Growing in Unity

Stickles - Eucalyptus

Butterfly background - Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink in Sail Boat Blue & Citrus

Ribbon - Hobby Lobby

Flower - Prima

Center of Flower - Dew Drop

Dragonflies - ??

Turning Leaves

Fall is inching closer & closer and the leaves turn one by one, well in our case here in our woods a few hundred by few hundred would be more accurate!

I combined the Color Combo From JustUsGirls with the
sketch from Stampendous September Sketch Challenge

not the most spectacular card I've ever made...

Cardstock & Ink- CTMH

Ribbon - Doodlebug Design Inc.

Jugs 100th Challenge!

Whoop Whoop, yeah for them over at Just Us Girls!

I took a little poll from my fellow Crop Chocolate Confectioners which paper pack to use tonight and Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses won this time.

I also paired it up with a rhinestone from Kaiser Scrapbook & ribbon from Fancy Pants Happy Holidays.