So much to do ...

 ... so little time!

Do you ever have this happen?  I'm sure you do!  Life can be so crazy sometimes and that's the way it's been around here lately.  Of course, that's of my own doing!  LOL

I have a craft show coming up on Nov. 3rd so I really need to get busy and be sure I have enough cards, tissue box covers, gift cards holders, etc. for people to see/buy.  And, have all my thoughts together on how I want to do my set up ... each year it seems I want to do something a little NEW & FRESH ... this year I decided to have new business cards made along with a banner that I can put on the front of my table.  Here's a peek ...

Keep in mind this is just a temporary set up in my basement crafting cave ... just to see what I need to do to "SPRUCE" it up a bit!  How about a purple (plum) colored table skirting and white cloth table top!  I think that will help to draw their eye to my table.  I'll be sure to get a photo when I do my actual set up at the show so you can all see what the final look turned out to be.

With that being said ... you would think that would be enough to keep one person busy ... but NO ... I decided I wanted to fly to Kansas to meet & visit a few days with Shelly (Shelly's Images) ... which I will do tomorrow through Thursday!  I'm so excited to have this opportunity and I'm sure the time will fly once I get there ... fun times always do!!

So while I had a little time this morning, I decided to refresh my memory on making the tissue box covers and came up with this design ... I think I've also decided to give a FREE matching card with each purchase.  

What do you think of that idea??  

(card is made by using up the various scraps from the box)

 The design paper I used on this creation is from the Colorbok 'Rosewood' 12x12 pack.  

Butterflies are Cheery Lynn Designs DL112. 

Flourish is also Cheery Lynn Designs B117S.

Rose is Recollections purchased at Michael's (50% off sale).

Kaiser Pearls and Spellbinder scallop & classic ovals were also used.

I would like to enter this creation into the following challenges:
Amusing Challenge - Anything Goes
Anything But A Card Challenge - Shiny, Sparkly, Blingie
 Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations Paint Challenge - Anything Goes
Joanna Sheen Challenge - Down in the Garden (roses & butterflies)
 One Stitch At A Time - Butterflies or Buttons
The Craft Pad - Floral
Hiding In My Craftroom - Freestyle: anything goes

That's all I have to share with you today!  I guess I'd better get busy figuring out what I need to pack and get my ducks in a row for my flight tomorrow!  Don't be surprised if I share a few fun photos with you while I'm in Kansas!  Needless to say, my laptop is going with me so I can keep up with everyone and share my fun times along the way also! 

 

Joan's Gardens Challenge

Happy Thursday everyone!  

That means it time for another fun challenge over at Joan's Gardens!

Today Joan has asked us to:

Use a piece of design paper for background

Use a dimensional flower
Use a flourish
Use a sentiment

Okay Joan ... as you requested!  Here's what I came up with:

Recipe:

Papers:  Graphic45 Christmas Emporium Collection, red & ivory cardstock

Image:  Same Graphic45 paper pack

Stamp:  Hero Arts 

Ink:  Versafine Black

Accessories:  Gold Stickles, Memory Box #98418 'Frostyville Wreath' die, McGill #64511 Star Lily punch, McGill black mat, PunchBunch Flower Making Kit, Pop Dots

Items in BOLD BLUE were purchased through Joan's Gardens.

I must admit, this card came together so fast because I had all the pieces ... it was just a matter of positioning and design!  I had made the two poinsettias a month or so ago and had them sitting on my shelf just waiting for the right project to come along.  The red sentiment square was a left over piece from something I had die cut a few weeks back ... I simply added the Hero Arts sentiment and gold Stickles.  (It's times like this that I remember why I keep all those extra pieces.)  The vintage images in the back of the Graphic45 paper pack are fabulous and worked perfectly (imagine that) with the design paper.  While at Joan's workshop a few months ago, I saw this holiday wreath by Memory Box and just had to have it.  I simply die cut PART of it using the scraps from my card base and glued them in here & there.  It's such a detailed die that I thought it would work perfectly for the FLOURISH requirement of this challenge.

Here are a few other qualifying challenges I'd like to enter:

ABC Christmas Challenge - S is for Santa Claus

Just Keep On Creating - Christmas is just around the corner!

The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes

Stamp n Doodle - Anything Goes

Stampin' Royalty - Diecuts

Perfect Sentiments Challenge - Vintage Christmas (vintage image)

Bearly Mine Challenge - Add a Sentiment

Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!  

Your kindness & comments are very much appreciated!

Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge

WOW!  I can't believe it's time once again for another challenge at 

The Sisterhood of Crafters!

Our theme today is:

BIRTHDAYS

(cards or gift giving projects)

With my annual craft show coming up the 1st weekend in November, I was happy to create not ONE but THREE birthday cards for our challenge.  Birthday cards, of course, are always the first cards to sell so I'd rather have extra than not enough.  With that being said, I created cards for a Man , Woman and Child.

First ... for the guys!  

 

 Recipe:

Stamps:  JustRite 'Anchors Away'

Paper:  Medium Blue cs, DCWV dps, Chocolate cs, White cs

Ink:  Versafine black, Tim Holtz 'Frayed Burplap' distress ink

Accessories:  brown jute, TH sponge applicator, brown Prismacolor marker, blue chalk, makeup applicator

JustRite Stamps has made this guy card a breeze to make!  If you haven't seen this stamp set you really should check it out ... it's fabulous for those masculine cards that can be so difficult to make and has some awesome sentiments included too!

(All items in my recipes highlighted in BOLD BLUE  

were purchased at Joan's Gardens)

Other qualifying challenges:

Creative Craft Challenge - Anything Goes

Try It On Tuesday - Lots of Layers

Kreative Stamp Friends - New Stamps (first time inking up this JustRite set)

Hooked on Craft Challenge - Cards for Men

 

For the ladies:

Recipe:

Stamps:  Endless Creations sentiment

Papers:  White cs, Graphic45 dp

Ink:  Versafine black, Momento 'cantaloupe'

Accessories:  Cheery Lynn Designs 'Build a Flower 2' die set, PunchBunch flower making kit, McGill black mat, Kaiser pearls (originally cream color - used a yellow Sharpie to get the color I needed), Marianne LR0235 die set, crystal Stickles

 I followed Selma Stevenson's directions on making this flower.  You can find this tutorial on her blog, HERE and be sure to check out the rest of Selma's blog for more helpful flower making tutorials.  Her flowers are AMAZINGLY lifelike!  I'm still practicing but happy with my progress!!

Other qualifying challenges:

Bearly Mine - Add a Sentiment

Party Time Tuesday - Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes

Card Mania #4 - Handmade Flower

And ... for the kiddos:

Recipe:

Stamps:  Inkadinkado sentiment, Inkadinkado 'Beautiful Fairies' clear stamp set

Papers: Purple cs, Raspberry cs, White cs

Ink:  Versafine black

Accessories:  Prismacolor markers, Cheery Lynn Designs B165 Lace Corners Deco E, Pop Dots, Fiskars swivel craft knife

I must admit this was the quickest & easiest card to create and I love how it came together.  I have had this Inkadinkado stamp set for well over a year and never inked it up!  This is perfect for those sweet little girls in our lives!  I'll be inking this set up more often now!

Other qualifying challenges:

Clear It Out Challenge - Child Image and use old stash (the image itself is old)

Cupcake Craft Challenge - Fairytales (Tinkerbell from Peter Pan)

Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Things with Wings

Well, that's it for me today!  Hope you've enjoyed today's creations and PLEASE come join  in our birthday fun at The Sisterhood of Crafters.  You will have until Oct. 7th to get your entry in for a chance to win a prize from our sponsor Dustin Pike!   Hope to see you there!

A "Crafty" Birthday

Hello everyone and welcome to another MONDAY!!

Does it seem like there's just not enough hours in your day??  It sure does to me!  I had planned on doing this post a week ago and just never got around to it ... so today, I will share with you the 'Craft Case' I made for the little girl next door's birthday a few weeks ago.  

Olivia turned 10 and when I ask her what she'd like for her birthday, she thought for a minute then said "Either crafting stuff or stuff for my new puppy" (yes, they got a new puppy - Golden Doodle - named Levi).  I'm not a dog lover but I must admit he is cute!!

 Well, needless to say, I wasn't buying her 'puppy stuff' for her birthday so CRAFTING STUFF it is!  Here's what I came up with and it was a big hit!

I bought the 12x12 handle case at JoAnn's and decorated it by using the Cricut to cut out her name and added a few K&Co 3d butterflies.  Of course it is jammed full of all kinds of goodies to craft with.  It was the first present Olivia opened and she was thrilled!

A few days before the party Olivia's grandma expressed to me that Olivia was curious if I was going to make her a 'special' card like I had for her past birthdays.  Her grandma told her she was sure I would since I had every year for the past 9 years!

Truth be told, I had made a card with Olivia's birthday in mind a few months back for a challenge and put it in a 'safe place' ... well, guess what?   It is STILL in that 'safe place' because I can't find it!  SO the day of the party I was scrambling to make Olivia's 'special' card and here's what I made.

I just love doing these Tri-Shutter cards and knew she would be fascinated with it too!  I had to chuckle when she instructed her sister to "pass it around for everyone to see".  What fun!

So a very Happy Birthday to young Miss Olivia!

Now to come up with a really good idea for her & her sister's Christmas gifts!  LOL!

OH ... OH ... OH ... Remember I told you I had some exciting news to tell you!  Well I still can't tell you ALL THE DETAILS but I can give you a clue ... I'm being FEATURED!  Stay tuned ... more details to come!  

BUT ... I do have other exciting news to share ...

I'm jumping on a plane next Monday (Oct. 1st) headed to Topeka, Kansas to link up & meet in person, Shelly Parker (Shelly's Images) and spend 3 days with her!  I am so excited and can't wait to give her a big hug.  We've joked about doing this and I told her I was going to tell Mark I wanted to go to Kansas to meet Shelly.  She said  "He'll say WHAT?"  (which he did) then he said "so book a flight and go".  Well, you don't have to tell me twice!!!  LOL   What a great husband I have!!!

With that being said I'd better get busy and make sure I have all my ducks in a row!!

FALL is upon us ...

... and that means if you grow a garden (or even a few plants like I do), it's time to get some canning done for the winter months.  

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Mark & I have been busy doing a little canning and I thought I'd share it with you.  I grew up on a small farm and we ALWAYS had a large garden and spend many, many days canning various vegetables to have for the upcoming winter months.  Although I live in the suburbs now, I do plant 3-4 tomato plants (hidden in the landscaping - gardens are not allowed) each year because there's nothing better than a home grown tomato!  Once the season comes to an end, I use the last of the green tomatoes to make one of my childhood favorites:  

PICALILLI!

A lot of people think 'Picalilli' is pickles ... but it's not!  

It's green tomatoes & yellow onions sliced, 

put it a salt brine overnight, rinsed and cooked for a short time in 

sugar, vinegar, pickling spices and a few other spices.  

Then they are packed into sterilized jars, sealed & hot packed for 15 minutes.  

(I will share the entire recipe with you if you are interested.)

A couple of years ago I discovered a hot dog relish that I really LOVED but had a difficult time finding it when we moved from one location to another so hubby said "Why don't we make our own"!  I thought "are you kidding" but he was serious ...we made it and it is awesome!  

Ingredients:  Sweet Onions, Red Peppers, Sugar, Vinegar, Spices


One of Mark's favorites is corn relish ... which he enjoys as a side dish.  He searched the internet a couple years ago ... found a recipe that sounded good ...we made it, he liked it so we made TWO batches this year.  He actually did all the preparation.  I just did the jar filling/processing part of it.

Ingredients:  Corn (fresh or frozen), Red Pepper, Red Onion, Green Onion,
Garlic, Hot Yellow Pepper, Cilantro, Vinegar, Spices

So there ya go ... this is how I have spent my weekend!
It's a bit of work, but hubby & I enjoy doing this together and it's SO GOOD in the winter when you can't get the fresh produce of the summer months.

I still have a peck of 'little' green tomatoes that I'm trying to figure out what to do with.  I remember as a kid that my mom put them up in jars (whole little tomatoes or quartered) with dill & some other spices/herbs but she can't remember how she did them.  I tried a recipe a few years ago that I thought sounded like them but of course with processing them they were 'soft/mushy' when opened and I remember they were firm ... like just picked!  Guess I'll have to do more research ... IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, please let me know.  I want to be able to preserve them in jars but not sure I can do what I have in my mind!!

Have a wonderful remainder of your weekend!

EDIT:  If you are interested in the recipes for these goodies, please click on the Recipes & Home Canning tab below my blog header.  

A Christmas Creation ...

for this week's challenge at Joan's Gardens!

Happy weekend everyone!  

This week's challenge at Joan's Gardens is to do a Christmas card keeping these points in mind:

 

· Use a Tree

· Use Blue and White Colors

· Use a corner embellishment

· Use a snowman

What a great way to get those holiday cards started!  I never seem to have enough!  I end up selling a lot of what I have made for challenges, etc. (mind you I'm not complaining) but then when it comes time to send cards to my family & friends I run out ... and you know there is NO WAY I'm sending a store bought card ... I'd be run out of Dodge!!  LOL!

Recipe:

Image is a stamped off image from a friend from a couple years ago (sorry can't remember who the company is ... if you know let me know so I can give proper credit!)  It was colored with Prismacolor markers and matted on medium blue cardstock.  The sentiment stamp is from the SU "A Cardinal Christmas" stamp set.

Paper:  The Paper Studio 'Vintage Blue Snowflakes'

Accessories:  Spellbinder 'Stacked Trees' die, Cheery Lynn Designs B165 Lace Corner Deco E die, Gold Pilot Marker, Stickles (crystal, red, green), pop dots

Other qualifying challenges:

Just Keep on Creating - Christmas is Just around the Corner

Unique Crafters Challenge - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything Goes

Pattie's Creations - Anything Goes (must use digi/stamped image)

Simply Create Too - Anything Goes

Well ... that's it for me today!  Hubby & I have been busy doing some "Home Canning" the past couple of day ... hope to share that with you tomorrow.  Plus we spent the afternoon yesterday at the hospital with my daughter who went in for a scheduled surgery but it ended up being MORE than expected.  She's doing much better now and actually came home this afternoon ... but it going to be a LONG recovery!  Please say a little prayer ... thanks!

Shelly's Images Challenge

Morning all you lovely people!  

Hope your day is off to a fabulous start!

Over at Shelly's Images, we have 4 new DT members and a fun, new challenge to play.

Today's theme is:

SHOW US YOUR SHAPE

and that simply means a card or project which is a shape other than square or rectangular.

Wait until you pop over and see some of the AMAZING creations the design team has come up with ... SO INSPIRING!!!   And, today the design team is featuring Shelly's Image called "FULL MOON FLIGHT".

I don't really feel very creative with shaped cards but I did think outside the box a little on this one!

I have made my creation into a BOOK shaped card starting out with the Heartfelt Creations (HCPC1411) large Bible Frame Precut Set which I stamped with Momento Black ink and cut out with scissors.  I have colored the outside frame with a gold Pilot marker and used a gold Prisma pencil for the 'pages'.  The 'Title Page' was computer generated and my image was colored with Prismacolor markers. 

Here are a few other challenges my creation fits into:

Creative Craft Challenge - Anything Goes

Digital Tuesday - Things with Wings

Papelitos Challenge - Anything Goes

Paperminutes - Autumn

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Autumn

Sweet Stamps #83 - Shades of Autumn

MORE EXCITING NEWS from Shelly's Images!

Shelly is now offering COLORED images at her store!  She is hand coloring some of her images and making them available for you to purchase and create with.  Be sure to go to the STORE ... scroll down in the CATEGORIES to the FULL COLORED DIGI STAMPS selection to see the beautifully colored images now available.  Shelly will be coloring & adding more to the store as time permits.  What a fabulous time saver and her Copic coloring is fabulous.  Be sure to check it out!

As always ... THANKS SO MUCH for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog!  I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me!  OH AND BEFORE I FORGET ... I'm working on something behind the scenes that is SO EXCITING and I can't wait to share it with you!!  I couldn't be prouder!

SOON ... very, very SOON ... I promise!

Time sure flies . . .

WOW where is the time going?

It's been a very busy week for me so far and I can't believe it's nearly a week since my last posting ... SO out of character for me!!!  Speaking of time slipping away ... I was fortunate enough to link up with 5 of my 'high school' friends (graduated 1968) on Monday evening for dinner and a lot of reminiscing!   What fun!!

L-R: Judy (Smith) Stucky, Judy (Kirk) Petrich, Eileen (Zentiska)

 

L-R:  Darlene (Stepek) Pavlick, Loretta (Raines) Summers, Dorothy (Kuhn) Daley

WOW!  How wonderful to see these ladies again!  

We could have TALKED ALL NIGHT!!

It's funny ... we used to get together and talk about school events, football games and "boys" ... now we we spent our time discussing Ex-husbands, grandchildren, various joint replacements and retirement!  MY, MY how times have changed!  LOL!  

I do feel blessed to be able to call these ladies MY FRIENDS and I cherish each one of them!  Hopefully we can link up again soon ... it was amazing to hear how many of our classmates had already departed this world and now I know what my mother meant when she said "time goes faster as you get older" ... she sure is right on that one!  

Do you have a long lost friend that has popped into your mind lately?

Well don't hesitate ...

pick up the phone or drop them an email telling them you were thinking of them today!

Trust me ... you will MAKE THEIR DAY!!

Please be sure to stop back tomorrow when I will have a new, fun Shelly's Images challenge/creation to share with you.  We have four new DT members and they have created some AMAZING projects to share with you.  Hope to see you then ... have a fabulous day!

Joan's Gardens Challenge

Hello my friends and thanks for stopping by my blog today!  

The card I have to share with you today is of a card style that I have been wanting to try and hadn't taken the time to do so because it's a bit out of my comfort zone.  Well this week's challenge at Joan's Gardens MADE me step outside my comfort zone and 'give it a whirl' and I'm so happy with the outcome.  I hope you like it too!

The challenge at Joan's Gardens this week is 'simply' to create a STAIR STEP CARD.

Now mind you I had NO CLUE where to begin so thankfully Selma has once again given me guidance.  If you'd like to play along and need help with measurements, pop on over to Selma's blog and then share it at Joan's Gardens.

Here's a list of items I used to make this creation:

Paper:  White cs, Black cs, FabScraps 'High Tea' design paper

Images:  TJ Designs 'Vintage Trading Card Collage Pack' (www.tweetyjill.com)

Accessories:  Sticker Sentiment from my scrapbooking stash, Spellbinder classic & scallop oval dies, White Orchid flowers, Cheery Lynn Designs B165 Lace Corner Deco E die, Marianne LR0156 Leaf Die, Tim Holtz distress ink, scrap of lace from Goodwill.

Other qualifying challenges:

Crafts and Me Challenge - In the Pink

Inky Impressions - Pink and Brown

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - Pink and Brown

Whimsy Stamps - Anything Goes

My Time to Craft - More than one fold

Party Time Tuesday - More than one fold

Wild Orchid - Layer It Up

Thanks again for stopping by today and I hope you are having a FABULOUSLY FUN day!

The Sisterhood of Crafter's Challenge

Hello my friend ... hope you're having a fabulous day!

It's time once again for a new challenge at The Sisterhood of Crafters and 

today we are 

CREATING A CARD OR PROJECT  

WITHOUT USING ANY STAMPS ... RUBBER OR DIGI!

Now that was a challenge for me ... but then I thought about all those awesome Chipboard Christmas images I have had FOREVER!! and decided to turn them into cards.  YES... I said cards ... of course I couldn't just stop at ONE!  This was so much fun and so easy ... take a peek!

Recipe:

Ivory cardstock

SU 'Deck The Halls' design paper

K&Co. Chipboard image

Michael's gold organza ribbon

 Recipe:

 Christmas Red cardstock

BoBunny 'Father Christmas' design paper

K&Co. Chipboard images

American Craft glitter brad

Petaloo silk poinsetta flowers

Recipe:

Ivory cardstock

My Mind's Eye 'Lost & Found' Christmas design paper

Scrap of music score design paper

Image:  Create-a-Collage Christmas Rub On

Gold Stickles

Martha Stewart snowflake punch

These were really QUICK & EASY cards to make.  Why not give it a try then pop on over to The Sisterhood and enter our challenge.  Sorry ... no sponsor this week but sure is a lot of fun and will help you get this year's Christmas cards off to a great start!

Hope to see you there!

Here's a few more qualifying challenges:
Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Early Christmas
Just Keep On Crafting - Christmas is Around the Corner
Bearly Mine - Anything Goes
LEJ Designs - Winter Wishes
Papelitos Challenge - Anything Goes
Use It Tuesday - Anything Goes (must use hoarded stuff)[chipboard images]

As always ... thanks so much for taking the time to stop by my blog!

Inspired by others . . .

Hello my friends!  

I trust you are having a wonderful day ... well at least I hope you are!!

While doing my DT commenting over at Shelly's Images, I came across a post by a crafter named Regan and her blog name is Charmed Stamping.  I saw THIS particular post and just fell in love with the wonderful gift of thank you cards she had created so just had to stop what I was doing and make a few (similar) for myself.  Please be sure to pop on over to Regan's blog and check out her bridal card & gift set ... I think they are awesome.  And when you do, please let her know you heard about it here ... thanks!

Here's the set I made ...

 It's really quite a simple card to make but I just love how they look!

Now, as you will see, Regan did some coloring and a fancier edging on hers ... but the basis is the same and I'll be making more for my upcoming craft show.  Of course the inside has a white panel for a note to be written but I just LOVED the black & white basic design.  

What do you think?

 

Okay ... guess I'd better finish my commenting duties!  I just had to quickly create & share this with you.  Isn't it awesome how we are inspired by each others creativity!  I love blogging!!  LOL!!  (That's probably why nothing else gets done around here ... ooops did I say that out loud!)

Qualifying Challenges:
Joanna Sheen Challenge - Going Spotty
That Craft Place - Black & White
One Stop Craft Challenge - No Floral Embellishments
Emergency Crafters Challenge - White + one other color
Simon Says Challenge - Put a Stamp on it (no digis)
Stamp n Doodle - Embossing (wet or dry)
Pattie's Creations - Embossing (must use an image)

Crafty Secrets Linky Party

OH MY GOSH ...

I'm LATE!  I'm LATE!

LOL!  I know ... I sound like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, but it's the LAST DAY to enter the Linky Party going on over at Crafty Secrets!  

Where did the time go????????

My first creation utilizes some of their new Halloween Digitals and I just LOVE what they are doing with their new digital line!  Be sure to pop over and check it out!  They are moving to a DIGITAL LINE so all the clear stamps & several other products are REDUCED considerably!!!  You don't want to miss out on this sale!  Their products are always fabulous ... you'll love them!

 Isn't this cool!!!

The background paper as well as all the images are from their Halloween Digitals.  The only additions are the Petaloo flowers and Jambo lace roll tape as my embellishments.  For the 'matting' on the small printed tags, I have simply used a round tip black marker and gone out around each one to give the illusion of another layer (less bulky that way).

Other Qualifying Challenges:

Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes

Pile It On - Patterned Paper

The Squirrel and the Fox - Anything Goes

 For my second creation, I have created a Christmas Z-Fold card utilizing the Crafty Secrets "Christmas  Images & Journal Notes" booklet.  I just LOVE these booklets for quick cards!  The images as well as the journaling notes are fabulous ... either used together on a creation (as I have done here) or independently!

For an easy tutorial on making your own Z-Fold card, scroll down or go to my Tutorial Tab under the header of my blog.  There you will find additional samples and links to other tutorials too.

Other items used on this card:

Papers:  Scraps of DCWV design paper, blue cs, white cs

Accessories:  Fiskars postage stamp scissors, MS icicle border punch

Other Qualifying Challenges:

 Robyn'sFetish #124 - More than one fold

The Crafty Pad Challenge - Scraptastic (using up scraps)

 Hiding in my craft room - Super Scraps Saturday (using up scraps)
Jingle Belles Rock - Going Postal

Well I'd better get these posted to the party before I run out of time!  

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today ... I hope you have found inspiration in today's creations.