Yellow x 2

Something got into me today, and I just had to make 2 cards, both with yellows. Yellow is one of my favorite colors, so this was way too much fun.  I did manage to get some other things done, as well... But the best part of the day was cardmaking.  The first card is going into the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge.
This is the picture perfect inspiration,

and this is my take:

I used all Bazzill cardstock, Paper Smooches Stamps Spring Groves (bird), and Sentiment Sampler. SU inks, and Mark Richards red nailheads bling.  Super easy.

The next (Yellow) card I made is for the Dynamic Duos #26

You just can't go wrong with a baby card, and using yellow is pretty safe.  This is what I came up with:

I used We R Memory Keepers (gingham), and scraps of polka dots, SU So Saffron ink, star and sentiment stamps, Paper Smooches Eco Friendly dotted line stamps, Memory Box Marshmallow Clouds die, and Memento London Fog ink.

CFC76

Don't you just love the clean and simple designs over at CAS-ual Fridays???!!  It's "Kraft" week over there, and this is what I came up with:

Bazzill craft and white paper, Paper Smooches Eco Friendly stamps, Copic markers, computer generated sentiment and ribbon scrap. Kinda cute!

CAS(E)d today

Another quick post. Too much going on this weekend, but wanted to play at CAS(E) This Sketch. Have to run to the grocery store before the migraine makes me practically blind.  Love the sketch, btw...

Bazzill white and purpley-blue cardstock.  SEI Serendipity Elemnent vellum stickers, computer generated font.  The stickers are oolllddd. But I love using up old stuff; it's a great excuse to go out and get brand new goodies!! ; )  Happy Dances....

RS#34

Quick post today, have to get to work pretty soon.  Will be putting this into Retro Sketches #34. What a fun place to play!  Granddaughter Samantha's birthday is coming up, and thought I'd make a girly card for a girly girl.

Bazzill white and yellow cardstock. Echo Park yellow and white striped scraps, pink scraps, patterned scraps for ice cream,  Taylored Expressions Sprinkled with Love stamps, Doodle Bug bubble gum twine, Sticko flowers and metal edge stickers, Thickers 3 sticker, random ribbon, and pop dots. I think she'll get a kick out of this! Happy dances all.

Exciting News x 2!!!

Two pieces of really exciting news!!!!!!

First, without boasting, just sharing, I won Week 15 over at CASology! What an honor. I really wasn't expecting it, especially after seeing so many other beautiful cards posted --Judy, Arielle, Shelly, Sue, Vicky, Deanna, Jenny, Stephanie, Meadie... well, the list goes on! I loved the cards that were posted for this challenge; they are truly inspiring. So thank you ladies for your creations. Your most excellent works push me to better my own, and for that, I offer a sincere thanks.  And a big thank you to CASology. What a great place to play!!!! Love, love, love CASology! Kudos to the DT for all their hard work, and fabulous cards. Thanks, honestly.


Second, this week over at CAS-ual Fridays, there's BIG news about a Little Sister! Wow! New and very cool stamps; head on over to check out the sneak peeks. Release day is this coming Friday, and you can be sure that I'll be making a purchase or two! Very,very cool.
I also have a quick card to share, which I will pop into CAS-ual Fridays 75. This week's challenge is "over the edge"--something hanging off the edge of your card. Well, this is mine:

Bazzill white cardstock, Paper Smooches Happy Birthday from Sentiment Sampler, SU black ink, unknown candle stamps, and the rest of the paper and ribbon are scraps! Yippee! Polka dots make me want to do the happy dance!

Apologies

To all those folks who have left such nice comments on my blog about my creations, I have to offer apologies. For some reason, my replies have probably not gotten through, but I promise, I have been 'replying" to all of your kind words.  They apparently did not make it to you all.  I am so sorry.  I do believe, however, that I have corrected the problem.  Again, I apologize.  Thanks for stopping and I hope you keep coming back.

CAS(E)#2 & RIC#22

Another day, another challenge or two.... It's good to know that there are others out there who just can't resist making cards as often as humanly possible!  I am so often inspired by the challenge participants and design teams -- your work makes me want to create better and more beautiful cards.  This is the an apt definition of a perfectly symbiotic relationship, as I hope to inspire others out there too.

Last summer, two of my little grandchildren were playing with grandma's camera.  And yes, I let them play with it, because, as all of you know, grandchildren can do no wrong!  Naturally, it somehow got broken...must have been a poltergeist, as my little ones wouldn't have done that ; ) !!  So the only camera I have is the one on my iphone.  It's served me pretty well, and as I had tons of other things coming up, including two HUGE parties, there was no way I could go out and buy a new one.  Yesterday's and today's weather may have changed that...Overcast skies, and this is only the beginning of fall, makes me think it's time to go out and get a new nikon.  And a light box. Well, Christmas is coming!  After about 20 shots in several places, this is the best I could manage.  It's a little rosy, but it will have to do.  Well, enough complaining and onto the challenges.

I thought I'd pop this intoCAS(E) This Sketch! #2  and  Runway Inspired Challenge #22. These are both great challenges, and I hope you all play along!  Here's my card:

It's all Bazzill cardstock. I die cut the petals with my Cricut. The strip of stripe is from S.E.I. Holiday Cheer, Candy Cane. Paper Smooches Celebrate sentiment from Sentiment Sampler. CTMH Bamboo ink. The asterisk is from an ancient set, and there were no markings on it. Happy Dances everyone!

CASology 15

Gosh! I thought that summer had flown by, and now here it is, past mid-October! So many things going on, and I've had to push other things/activities ahead of my card making. : (  Today before work, however, I was determined to get a card into CASology.  The cue card is "night"...and it really got me thinking... I don't do gradients well at all, so I can't make a pretty nightscape.  Hmmmm....and I didn't want to do a Halloween card....so, what's left??? Gotham City.  Sort of.  My take on a night/batman theme.  Turned out to be very simple to make, and I think it captures the theme rather well.

I used Bazzill black cardstock, and scraps (yay!!) of gray and yellow. I die-cut the cityscape, and fussy cut the "spotlights", stamped happy birthday using PTI's Birthday Basics, and punched it out with a 1-1/4" circle punch.  That's it. Soooo clean and simple!  Happy dances everyone. 

CAS14

Just a quick post today, have to get ready for work.  Really love to play along over at CASology, and whipped up a quick card today.  Kept it simple and monochromatic.  So before I go on and on, here it is:

The card base and sentiment are from Stampin' Up, the leaves are by Elizabeth Craft Designs, Ranger gold embossing powder with Tim Holtz embossing ink.  I framed the entire card with a plain line 1/4" from each edge.  That's it.  Happy Dances everyone. ; )

TAWS 12

Got new stamps this week (yipee!), and am trying them out this morning.  The Alley Way Stamps has a fun challenge with gorgeous colors, so I thought I'd play along with my new stamps sets.  So many variations of pinks and greens...This is what I came up with:

For this I used:  Bazzill white cardstock, random scraps of pink and patterned papers, random bits of ribbon (you know, the dregs of a roll that end up in a ribbon box...), The Alley Way Stamps Awesome Blossom and adoraBowl, Stampin' Up inks, and Karen Foster's Scrappin' Spools Tawney twine. Happy Dances all!

CASology - Zoo

It's an overcast day, and even with pretty good interior lighting, my photo won't come out well.  Tried outdoors even, and still my darling little GREEN alligator comes out looking almost black! Dang.  Had to use the flash and it looks a bit washed out... But the card is cute (if I do say so myself).  This one and several more are going to go into a raffle basket, along with some that my friends - Jen, Sandy, and Kati are making which will benefit a Christian counselling organization that helps young women who are pregnant (Jen's idea).  Love this idea.  First it will go into CASology - Zoo.

Bazzill white cardstock, a random chipboard zebra stripe, and Petaloo Felt Buddies alligator. The computer font is Comic Sans in a speech bubble fussy cut. Both the bubble and the alligator are pop-dotted.

Dynamic Duos #22

Went to my absolutely wonderful neurologist this morning for a recheck.  I have chronic migraines; 15-18 per month, and nothing was working.  Between Dr. Purath, and my N.P. Martha, we have tried everything from natural kinds of remedies, to anti-seizure meds and nothing worked. I was really getting depressed over these last years -- my life was planned around when the next migraine was coming. Sometimes eight days in a row, sometimes a trip to the E.R. to get morphine and compazine to stop the vomiting, missing work and special events, side effects from the everyday prophylactic meds... AACK!  Not fun, as any one with migraines can surely attest.  Then a few years ago, the FDA approved Botox injections for migraines.  It took my insurance company eighteen months to approve it for me, but this spring, I went in for my first set of injections and then again in August. Not much change after the first set, and boy did that get me down!  However, following the second set, there has been a HUGE difference! (Big Happy Dance here) For those of you out there suffering from migraines talk to your neurologist and get some botox.  The only side effect I'm suffering from is not knowing how to live without panicking about food, weather, light, noise, exercise, and scents triggering a migraine.  I get my life back. After thirty years I might be getting close to normal.  I can live with 6-10 migraines a month; piece of cake.  Thanks for letting me go on about this, but boy, this is life changing for me. (Everybody happy dance now!)

So rather than writhing in pain, I made a card.  I love red and white, and wanted to play along with Dynamic Duos #22 this week.  I didn't want to use green or black as the second color in this challenge, so I went with my favorite neutral color, gray.  This didn't start out quite like this, but I really like the way it turned out. Sure hope you do too.  I don't think your eyes will go too crazy with the diagonal stripes.

I started with Bazzill red, white and gray cardstock.  S.E.I. Holiday Cheer Candy Cane patterned paper.  Stampin' Up stamps. Tim Holtz embossing ink, Stampabilities white ink, Stampendous embossing powder for the snowflake and sentiment, and a random snowflake sticker. Fast, easy, pretty. Happy Dances everyone!