Welcome to my Garden

Hello Everyone
Are you ready for Christmas?? No?!? Me either. But I will get there!!

I am shocked at how fast the time has gone 

since my last project for Lil Patch of Crafty Friends. 

A couple of weeks really flies by, doesn't it??!! 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

has 2 sponsors for this challenge

The first sponsor is Emerald Faeries

 Their prize is 2 images

The 2nd sponsor is 

AMB illustrations

Their prize is 2 packs from the store.

There is a funny story that I have to share about this card.

The project was to use the digital image from Emerald Faeries 

AND a digital paper from AMB illustrations. 

Well, as soon as I saw the image I knew exactly what I wanted to have my project look like.

So I made the card and photographed it and was getting my post here done extra early.As I was looking at the pic's it dawned on me that I did not use any digital papers from AMB illustrations. 

So back to the drawing board. LOL

 I made a totally different design, making sure to use a digital paper from AMB illustrations.

Here is my project with my cute faerie and one of the beautiful papers from AMB illustrations

I just love that faerie sitting on that snail. And my vision had him close to a mushroom. 

OK let me share the 1st card I made and this is the one in which didn't a digital paper. 

This one is a dome card and again that cute faerie is in a mushroom forest, 

right where I had envisioned it,

Well, today you get 2 cards for the price of one. LOL.

Hope you like both of these designs. 

SUPPLIES I USED ON MY PROJECT

Stamps:  Digital - Emerald Faeries - Boo & Snookie                  Rubber Stamps - Art Gone Wild Catherine Scanlon -                      Fungus Amongus 3 (on the 1st card above),                   Fungus Amongus 5 (on the 2nd card above) Paper/Card Stock: (1st card above)Brown CS White CS, Digi paper design - AMG illustrations - Christmas Evergreen Papers (2nd Card above) Shimmer CS - Bronze, Blue, White CS Ink: India Ink - Black, Distress Oxide - Fossilized Amber Dies Used:  (Card 2) Spellbinders Circle, Square  Accessories: Spectrum Noir, Outline Sticker Borders.

• Crafting-With-Friends  - No.57 - Anything Goes (#25)
• Colour Crazy Challenge -  No.50 - Anything Goes (#11)
• Emerald City Crafts Challenge Blog -  No. 6 - Anything Goes (#38)
• Jo's Scrap Shack - No. 219 - Anything Goes (#22)
• Polkadoodles – No.50 - Anything Goes (#15)
• Simply Papercraft - No. 53 - Anything Goes (#100)

Thanks for stopping in today. I will be back soon.

Two Snowmen

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to my blog. 

Today is the start of Crafty Creations Challenge #356

The theme is - Anything Goes

Sponsor - Bugaboo

Image used - Two Snowmen

The snowman image I chose to use is so adorable!!!

I thought he'd look great on a tag. 

So I colored it and cut it out using an oval.

I mounted it on a tag cut from shimmer paper and added some punched snowflakes.

I also added glitter (which didn't show up in this pic)

To add the to/from info, I added a stamped circle to the back of the tag. 

The stamp I've used, I've had forever, and this worked out great on the back of the tag. 

Here's the back of the tag. 

It gives me the capability of adding to/from info 

since I think shimmer paper might be hard to write on.

This stamp is so old and it's from Catslife Press.

but it's still available and its #654F

Please visit the Crafty Creations Challenges site and check out the projects

 the other designers have made.

Also, this challenge will continue until December 19, 

so you have some time to enter your project in the challenge. 

You could be our next winner

I am submitting my tag in the following challenges:

• A Snowflakes Promise  #46- Anything Goes (#150)
• Cardz 4 Guyz  #184 - Snowman (#3)
• Crafty Sentiment Designs  - Anything Goes (#12)
• Creates and Makes  - #17 - Anything Goes (#41)
• Digi Choosday Challenge - #49 - Anything Goes (#9)
• Retarte  #111 - Anything Goes  (#10)
• Always Fun Challenges -  #34 Snowmen (#11)
• AuroraWings Challenge -  #62 ANYTHING BUT A CARD (#5)
• Crafting from the Heart -  ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES (#57)
• Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges -  ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES (#22)
• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -  ICY INSPIRATION (#48)

I hope you’ve enjoyed my project. And I hope you will link a project in our challenge. Don’t forget our theme is always Anything Goes. Thanks so much for stopping by today and check out the inspiration from the other designers by visiting the Crafty Creations Challenge blog.

Have a wonderful week and I will be back soon

Checking the List

Hello again

Thanks for stopping in today. 

Since today is the first Tuesday of the month it's my turn to post over at Craft-Dee BowZ

Their December Challenge is going on all month, so, you have plenty of time to submit a project. 

I'd love to see what you've made. Submitting will make you eligible to be a winner, so go ahead,  submit a project. The theme is always Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow.

I will be looking for your project. 

Speaking of projects, let me share mine

This is a 6X6 card and I thought the image was so cute I just had to show you.

This adorable fairy is checking the leaf list for Santa. 

Checking the list of the good boys and girls. 

Checking the List is the name of the image. 

This image is from Cute As A Button

who is the sponsor for  Craft-Dee BowZ's

December Challenge

Don't forget the Craft-Dee BowZ tool is the easiest to use and will change you from bow making challenged to a bow making pro. It did me and I use the tool on each and every bow I make.

I am submitting my card to the following challenges:

• A Snowflakes Promise #46- Anything Goes (#144)
• Crafty Sentiment Designs  - Anything Goes (#8)
• Creates and Makes  #17 - Anything Goes (#35)
• Digi Choosday Challenge  - #49 - Anything Goes (#5)
• Retar- #111 - Anything Goes  (week 2) (#9)
• The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge -  #20 - Anything Christmas Goes (#94)
• Crafting from the Heart - #186 - ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES (#49)
• Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges -#1749 - ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES (#16)

Well, I thought you'd like to check out what I've been up to lately and I am so glad you stopped by. 

BTW, stop in tomorrow 'cause I have another cute idea for you.

Hope to see you tomorrow

Christmas Cat

Hello and welcome to December 

and to the Craft-Dee BowZ challenge for December

December, WOW !! We are beginning the last month of this year. 

Amazing isn't it. This year has just flown by.

Well lets look at my last inspiration card 

for the 2017 Craft-Dee BowZ Challenge

Santa has left this adorable kitty his favorite gift ....

a fish.... and Santa made sure to attach a festive bow to dress up the gift.

Since I love cats (I got my first one when I was 3 years of age, and have had a cat in my life ever since) I  happen to have one that is my constant companion. His name is "Buddy" and he is like a dog, he is literally always by my side. He is my Buddy.
He is the most loving cat I have ever had. LOL

So I just had to use this image 'cause he reminds me of Buddy.

SUPPLIES I USED ON MY PROJECT

Stamps:  Digital image - Cute As A Button - Christmas Cat                 Ornaments - Clear Stamp - Hero Arts  - Magic of Christmas Paper/Card Stock: Blue CS, White CS Ink: Memento Danube Blue Dies Used: Dee's Distinctively - Pine Sprigs Accessories: Ribbon, Craft-Dee BowZ  tool, Glitter, Quickie Glue Pen, Outline Sticker - Sentiment, Alcohol Markers - Spectrum Markers - various colors.

Here is a closer view of my bow.

This is a double loop bow on top of a ribbon stack
Need a Craft-Dee BowZ tool??

Order yours today - over at the Craft-Dee BowZ site

The Craft-Dee BowZ challenge has started and I'd love to see your submission.

The Theme is always - Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow

The sponsor - Cute As A Button

The Prize - 2 Digital Images

I hope you’ve enjoyed my project. Hope you will link a project in the Craft-Dee BowZ monthly challenge. Don’t forget the theme every month is always Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow.  Also, on each Tuesday of the month, a different designer will post another project

 over on the Craft-Dee BowZ blog to inspire you! 
Please visit each Tuesday for additional inspiration.

I am submitting my card in the following challenges:

• 4 Crafty Chicks #379 Anything Goes (#18)
• As You Like It Challenge  Favourite Animal (and Why) (#2)
• Moving along with the Times #59 Christmas Animals  (#53)
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' -  Anything Goes for Christmas (#171)
• Craftaholics R Us - #47 - Anything Goes (#19)
• Crafting By Designs -  December Anything Goes (#36)
• Crafty Gals Corner -  #151 - Anything Goes (#39)
• Inspiration Destination -  Always Anything Goes (W1 of 2) (#22)
• Scrapy Land Challenges - #78 -  Always  Anything Goes with a Die Brand SL sells  (#54)
• Simon Says Stamp -  Anything Goes (#190)
• The Merry Christmas Challenge -  #45 - Anything Christmas (#41)
• Wonderful Wednesdays - - Always Anything Goes (#2)

Thanks for stopping by today and I will be back soon.

A Hat and Some Snowflakes

Hi Everyone
Generally I do not post personal stuff here on my blog. However, even though this is of a personal nature, it is also on the crafty side of the house as well. LOL

Monday I attended a fund raising event that that is held annually for a hospital in my area. The proceeds aid breast cancer. The event always has various vendors selling jewelry, hair accessories, scarves, gloves, home decor for Christmas, make-up and so many other things. Besides vendors selling great items, there is a silent auction, a luncheon with yummy food, a fashion show and an award is given to the person with  the most unique hat.

Unique hat ........ music to my ears. LOL

Well since I have made this type of hat before, I decided to make another with a winter theme. I made a fascinator.  Not familiar with a fascinator?? You know, those cool little hats we see the English ladies wearing - those are fascinators.  Well I won the prize for the most unique hat. I won a GC and an oh so warm throw that my cat seems to have taken ownership of already. LOL

Here is a pic with the hat on me at the event.

Here is a closer view of the hat. This was hard to photograph. 

Definitely harder than photographing a card. (LOL)

I used tulle, wire, snowflake foam stickers, fun foam snowflakes (cut from my AccuCut die) used at the base of the hat. I also used a blue glittered drink koozie, (yep a drink koozie, you know one of those drink  can holders), white glitter paper, 

snowflakes used for home decor and a plastic headband.  

A little hot glue and a snip here, a twist of wire there and vwela - a fascinator. 

This took me about 1 hour to make and I love the way it turned out. Hope you do too.

ps. here are links to 2 other hat projects I've done

Derby Hat My first go at making these type of hats

The Snowflake Hat - I assisted a friend Denise on this one.

I am submitting this in the following challenges:

• A Snowflakes Promise  #46- Anything Goes (#66)
• Creates and Makes - #16 - Anything Goes (#148)
• Lemon Shortbread   #55 - Always Anything Goes (Week 1) (#7)
• Retarte  #110 - Anything Goes   (#13)
• The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge -  #19 - Anything Christmas Goes (#92)
• Artistic Inspirations -  #190 ANYTHING GOES +  OPTIONAL THEME unspecified  (#141)
• Crafting from the Heart -  ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES (#50)
• Crafty Cardmakers -  #200 ANYTHING BUT A CARD  (#33)
• Make My Monday - #59 SNOW FUN (Week 2) DT CALL (#57)
• Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges -  ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES (#31)
• World Wide Open Design Team Challenge Always Anything Goes (#40)

Well it seems we crafty ones can come up with a lot of things other that cards. 

Thanks for stopping by and I will see you soon.

Barbara

Have a "Beary" Christmas

Welcome Back!!!

The latest challenge over at Lil Patch of Crafty Friends has just started. Hope you can join in the fun. We'd love to see your creation.

Theme - Anything Goes

Digital image I am using - Merry Berry Bear

Prize - 2 packs from the store

Sponsor - AMBillustrations

I thought this bear was so adorable and decided to show him off 

standing in the woods feeding the birds

I cut a panel and stamped a few pine trees to give the background that woodsy feel.Next I stamped the image on a separate piece of CS, colored it using colored pencils and gamsol to blend the colors. Next I fussy cut it out leaving some CS at the bottom attached to the bear for a snow effect.  I added glitter to the bottom of the image and also colored the sky with Distress Ink Oxides to kind of look like a sunrise and then added some glitter in the sky to look like snowflakes. Then I popped the bear up on the panel and added a sweet sentiment. 

I am submitting my card in the following challenges:

• Crafty Friends Challenge - Add a Sentiment  (#16)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Anything Christmas Goes - optional theme: Use Some Blue (#22)
• Di's Digis Designs 2W, 3E,SIO Things with Wings, Tails and or Feathers  (#4)
• Imagine That! Creative Playground  November - Anything Crafty Goes (#23)
• Scrappers Delights  -November - Anything Goes (#37)
• Colour Crazy Challenge   - No.46 - Anything Goes (#24)
• Crafting-With-Friends -  No.55 - Anything Goes  (#33)
• Crafty Catz -  No. 393 - Anything Goes (#53)
• Creative Fingers -   No. 141 - Anything Goes  (#28)
• Emerald City Crafts Challenge Blog -  No. 5 - Anything Goes (#64)
• Jo's Scrap Shack- No. 215 - Anything Goes (#27)
• Polkadoodles -  No.46 - Anything Goes(#15)
• Simply Papercraft - M, Last Fri - No. 52 - Anything Goes(#164)

I hope you’ve enjoyed my project. I'd love to see you link a project in the Lil Patch of Crafty Friends challenge. Don’t forget the theme is always Anything Goes. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today and we’ll see you soon!

Merry Christmas

Welcome back everyone,

I made this card about a month ago and it has sat on my table,

patiently waiting for me to share this with you. LOL

Last month I received a stamp set from MayMay Made it and it is the cutest set and I loved the wreath stamp in this set. I love all the stamps in this set but that wreath really caught my eye. (Its that twiggy looking stamp in the lower left of the set.) This set is called Happy Fall Y'all

Well, I want to share the simple card I made using that stamp.

What a cool card this turned out to be. I love the simplicity of this card.

Let me show you a closer view of that wreath

This stamp is a half of a wreath and is designed to stamp the image 2 times, once on the top half and then stamp again for the bottom half, connecting to the top half when you stamp it the 2nd time. This will make a wreath or circle if you will. There are branches that shoot out which gives you the ability to fill in the wreath with leaves to make a summer wreath or a fall wreath, depending on the color of ink you use on the leaves.

Well, I wanted to make my winter wreath to look like a grapevine wreath with berries.So to achieve my look, I stamped the wreath half in the north or top position. Next, stamped it in the south or the bottom position. I used green ink for both stampings. Next, I reinked the stamp in brown and placed the stamp on the left side of the wreath stamping over the green and reinked again one more time in brown and stamped it one last time on the right side of the wreath. This made a fuller wreath. Next, I stamped those red berries using red ink. Those berries are included in this stamp set. In fact, there are a lot of stamps in this set. Check it out.

I think this card is simple yet elegant. I also stamped those berries on the red CS but they are pretty faint so they don't show up in the picture.

The Merry Christmas is cut using an Elizabeth Crafts die. I cut it out using glitter paper.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my project today.

I'm submitting my card in the following challenges:

• Crafty Friends Challenge  -Christmas (#143)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes - optional theme: Reindeer (#19)
• Crafting-With-Friends -  No.54 - Anything Goes  (#127)
• Creative Fingers -   No. 140 - Anything Goes  (#125)
• Emerald City Crafts Challenge Blog -  No. 5 - Anything Goes (#37)
• Jo's Scrap Shack- No. 214 - Anything Goes (#28)
• Polkadoodles -  No.45 - Anything Goes (#16)

I will be back soon.

Fall is in the Air

Hello everyone

It's time for a new challenge over at Crafty Creations.Challenge #354 has started and .....

The theme - (always) Anything Goes

The sponsor - Bugaboo

Prize - 4 images of your choice

Since we are really in the fall season, 

I decided to use a cute image and design the background in a fall theme

Let me share my card with you

Image  - Bugaboo - Fall Fence

Tree - Darice Embossing Folder Leafy Tree Trunk

Coloring - Digi Image - Various Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers

Coloring - Embossed Panel - Distress Oxides.

I hope you have enjoyed my card.  I hope that you will link a project to the Crafty Creations Challenge. The theme is always Anything Goes. We would love to see your creation. You could be the next winner. This challenge will end Nov. 20 at 11:59 p.m. EST

I am submitting my card in the following challenges:

• Creates and Makes  #16 - Anything Goes (#67)
• Digi Choosday Challenge - #45 - Anything Goes (#15)
• Lemon Shortbread - #54 - Always Anything Goes (Week 1)(#10)
• Unicorn Challenge  November - Anything Goes (#12)
• Crafting from the Heart - ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES (#60)
• Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges - ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES (#37)

Thanks for stopping by and I will be back soon

Heaven and Nature Sing

Hello Everyone,

Do you know it's just 6 weeks til Christmas?  Whew, where has this year gone????? card 

It's the 1st Tuesday of November and that means it's time for me share a Craft-Dee BowZ project

I'm in the Christmas mode so I want to share a card that is in the Christmas spirit.

Beccy's Place is the sponsor for the November challenge at Craft-Dee BowZ

The prize is 1 digital set

The challenge runs until Nov.29 so you have plenty of time to create something and enter it.

Since we are really in the Christmas season already, I decided to make a Christmas card and I decided to use a bird image. I love birds and this one really caught my eye.

This cutie is in the Baby Robin set

1 bird and 4 sentiments come in this set

and the bird can be used the year round.

I used colored pencils to color this bird. Gamsol was used to blend/shade. In my humble opinion, colored pencils used with gamsol offer a great way to blend/shade and to go from one color to another seamlessly. I feel I have more control with pencils and gamsol.

 I decided to use just a 2 loop bow on this card. 

Here's a closer look

 If you struggle with making a bow, let me suggest the Craft-Dee BowZ bow making tool.  It can make a bow anywhere from 1" to 4" in size. The tool is handy, portable and it's a tool that is so easy to use. Besides the instructions that accompany the tool itself, there are online videos that make it easy to follow along.

To order your very own, 

visit the Craft-Dee BowZ blog and the ordering spot is on the left sidebar.

These make great Christmas gifts, too.

I am submitting my card in the following challenges:

• A Snowflakes Promise  #45- Anything Goes (#205)
• Cardz 4 Guyz   #182 - Oh, Christmas Tree(#205)
• Creates and Makes  #16 - Anything Goes (#66)
• Digi Choosday Challenge - #45 - Anything Goes (#13)
• Lemon Shortbread  #54 - Always Anything Goes (Week 1) (#8)
• Retarte  - #109 - Anything Goes  (week 2) (#11)
• The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge -  #18 - Anything Christmas Goes  (#95)
• Unicorn Challenge  November - Anything Goes (#11)

Thanks for stopping in today

I'll be back soon

Candy Canes

Hello Everyone

November 1, WOW!!! do you believe it! 

Next month we will be in the midst of preparing for Christmas.

The November Challenge has started over at Craft-Dee BowZ.  

So you have all month to submit a project 

Theme - Anything Goes and include a Handmade Bow

Sponsor - Beccy's Place

Prize - 1 Stamp Set

With the holidays getting closer, I thought I'd make a tag and a small pillow box gift box
for my inspiration piece.

The pillow box was cut from an Accu-Cut die. I've had the die for years and comes in handy for a medium size gift box. I used white cardstock for the box and added a 2" strip of red CS and then stacked a 1" strip of designer paper on top. Next, I added a gold multi-loop bow to finish the box off.

Here is a closer look at the pillow box.

The tag - now that came together in a funny way.  A while ago I had cut out 3 different sizes of poinsettias on a red piece of cardstock for a different project and I saved the cutout piece. So, for this larger tag, I was looking around for something to use as a background. I spied that piece that I had already cut out and it was a great fit. I trimmed it up and added glitter in the cutout spaces. Finally, I added the candy cane image over the red background panel and used some of that gold sheer ribbon to use as the string on the tag.

Here is a closer view of the tag.

 If you struggle with making a bow, let me suggest the Craft-Dee BowZ bow making tool.  It's easy to use and can make a bow anywhere from 1" to 4" in size. The tool is handy, portable and it's a tool that is easy to use. Besides the instructions that accompany the tool itself, there are online videos that make it easy to follow along.

To order one, click here

I hope you’ve enjoyed my project. 
I'd love to see you link a project in the Craft-Dee BowZ monthly challenge. 
Don’t forget the theme every month is always 
Anything Goes include a Handmade Bow.  
Also, on each Tuesday of the month, 
a different designer will post over on the Craft-Dee BowZ blog to inspire you! 

I have the 1st Tuesday of the month, so stop back next Tuesday (November 7)
 to see what I have made.

I am submitting my project in the following challenges:

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes for Christmas (#162)
• Crafting By Designs -  November Anything Goes (#39)
• Creative Moments - Always anything Goes (#28)
• Inspiration Destination - Always Anything Goes (#37)
• Paper Shelter Challenge - Use a Digi (#18)
• Simon Says Stamp - Christmas Gift Tag (#15)
• Sunny Day Crafting - W, #59 - "R" is for Ribbon (#4)
• The Merry Christmas Challenge -  #41 - Anything Christmas (#20)
• Wonderful Wednesdays - W, SIO - Always Anything Goes (#16)
• Beccy's Challenges -  Month of Holiday Cards Challenge (#15)

Thanks so much for stopping by today and 

I’ll be back next Tuesday with another Craft-Dee BowZ project 

Hope to see you then.