Creative Belli Challenge #88

The Creative Belli Challenge this time is to make
a card or project using COLOR SPRAY (glimmer mist, walnut ink, make your own, etc.).


Our sponsor for this challenge is The Stamping Boutique. They kindly sent us some digi images to use, and here is the one I chose called "Spring Cleaning".


The colors suggest spring cleaning to me..... dirty water, yucky walls. Hmmmmm.... I don't think I've done Spring Cleaning since ..... 1978??? And NEVER will again!! No point to it. It only has to be done the next time, right???


Please feel free to join us. Be sure to connect your project to Mr. Linky on our blog here at http://www.creativebelliblogspot.com/ for a chance at some fun stuff, check out the DT's pictures, and upload to SCS with CBC in your keyword. Don't forget to take a look at http://www.thestampingboutique.com/ as soon as you can!!

Bunny Chick

I'm making this my absolute last Easter themed card. If it wasn't for Teapot Tuesday, I wouldn't have done this one. Then again, I would have, because I like to send my Mom a bunch of cards for whatever holiday.

She loves to get mail (don't we all!), and she decorates her mantel and organ with them, so whoever comes in the house can't possibly miss 'em!

She is actually one of my favorite peeps, along with DH, kids and grands, not to mention the actual marchmallow ones. Diet be darned when those cute guys are around.

Have a great day, enjoy the sun if you see it......we are still having rain, flooded basements (not us, thankfully), closed roads, and rivers at their highest ever!!

Inside, Outside

With thanks to Amy S. for this fab layout!!

I never do anything with the inside of my cards except use them for a sentiment. For some strange reason, when the outside is done, I'm thinking about the next project. Lately, I've been eliminating sentiments on the outside, telling myself I'll use it for "whatever". Possibly that's not so. I seem to be in a hurry these days, and I have no reason to be. I'm retired. What could be that pressing?

I need to get out of my rut. Holly may just have nudged me to alter my behavior by her challenge today. I hope so. I love the results, and will try to slow down and do more of this sort of thing. Input, please!! Hugs to you all!!

Moonflower Inspiration

The website chosen for the Inspiration Challenge today is called http://www.thymes.com/, and has the most beautiful packaging for their products. The one I chose is pictured here, along with my card. I had no intention of doing this today...... I have lots to do, and company coming for dinner and cards.

I used gold embossing and liquid pearls to add a little punch to the image, which is a bit smaller that the one on the box, and I think it looks great!! I hope you like it too. I left off a sentiment, and will just use it for whatever comes along. Have a wonderful weekend!!

I Love/Hate Cats!!

I love little furry creatures. I probably will never have another cat, but I really have fun with those that belong to my friends and family.

The challenge today at SCS is to make a card other than A2, inspired by your favorite musical. My favorite is My Fair Lady. I also love Bye, Bye Birdie, which I saw with Dick Van Dyke on Broadway. I couldn't come up with anything I really liked for the first, and have done a number of birds lately, so those were out.
I have this crazy friend, Cheryl, who has three cats at the moment (she's had more, believe me!), and she's having a birthday shortly. This card is for her.

Now to the Hate part of the story. When Cats was first playing in Boston, we bought outrageously expensive tickets with two other couples. We went to a pricey restaurant for dinner, then to the theater. At the intermission, we talked it over, and all went home. We hated it. The costuming was fabulous, but nonetheless, we hated it. Now I'm sure some of you loved it, but it just wasn't our thing. That's my story about Cats, and I'm stickin' to it!!

And it's snowing! Is eight o'clock in the morning too early to start drinking?????!

Birthday Card for Sarah

My DIL Sarah is having a birthday shortly, and I have been thinking about a card with a purple lily. She loves both the flower and color. What a pleasant surprise today to discover the WT and the StampinB's challenges incorporated both!!

This card is a bit over the top, but I think she will like it. I used all kinds of punches, cb, pendant, ribbon, beads, photo turns, brads, painting, sponges, dimensionals, the WORKS!!

Hope you like this, and that you will also take a look at my other post below for the THT042!!

THT042 Sketch Challenge

The TreeHouse Thursday Challenge this week is to use the sketch provided here by owner, Ashley Bowen. When you upload be sure to add THT042 to your keyword.

My card for the Challenge uses a stamp from the new digi set called Out Of This World. The Alien is painted in celery, yellow, blue and RED.

You can see all the rest of the DT's entries this week by going to www.treehousestampsblogspot.com, and you can add yours there as well. Mr. Linky would LOVE to see you!!

You can also see the rest of this set, and a whole bunch of new ones at www.treehousestamps.com.

We'd love to have you visit, and shop too!!

Sketch Challenge

Thank goodness our blogs still work!! SCS, in transfering to another server, is just plain WONKY!! It will take some time to work out the 'bugs', so in the meantime, here is the card I made for the SC273 today.

I paper pieced the cute little bird from http://www.treehousestamps.com/ after I printed it out (and the saying as well) and punched a bunch of other stuff to add to it. I think it's really cute. Nice card for Spring. Today the sun is shining, and I have hopes Winter is over!! Have great day, and thanks for looking and your comments!!

Color Challenge

I thought these colors were tough until I started using them! Durango, pink, and caramel would not have been my first choice, but there is a certain beauty to them. I went to my old reliable Stipple Rose, the stamp image I use when I have no idea what I'm doing. I guess I use it a lot! LOL!!

The Martha Stewart satin ribbon is just the right shade to go with the paint, and the darker brads really looked nice, I think.

The SCS website is down until late this afternoon, so instead of commenting and looking, I'll be visiting more of your blogs. Have a fun day!!!

Memories of NY

Two challenges today, the TLC.....Childhood Memories ... and CAS ..... NY,NY.

For the TLC :When I was 6, we moved from MA to OH. Every time my Dad had a vacation, we got up and left the house at 5 AM and he drove 26 hours back to MA, so my Mom could visit her family. The drive was awful. There was no Ohio TPK! We went through every little tiny town!! It seemed to go on forever. I took no notice of the scenery until we came to NY. That skyline said we'd be at my grandparents' soon. I remember the excitement, and still get that same heart-turning-over thrill when I see NY.

For the CAS: When my grandson Tommy was almost three, his family went to Boston to pick up a friend who was going to spend Easter with them. As they approached downtown, little Tommy said, "Is this New York? Are we in New York City?" We never have an inkling as to what little ones know, do we? Now, whenever we go to Boston, we always repeat his words in a little boy voice!! It has become one of our family stories.

Thanks for joining me on a trip down Memory Lane this morning. Have a great day!!

Don't Panic!

Today's Featured Stamper is Mutnik, or Nutmeg, or Cathy! Her cards are fun, her sense of humor wonderful, and her originality is fabulous!


To see the card I cased from her gallery, you'll have to take a peek at mine, which you can find on my sidebar.


I think she will get a kick out of my crazy chicken, and I know YOU will enjoy seeing some RED for a change. Enjoy your Sunday!!

Roses and Tulips today!!

My card for the Inspiration Challenge today is on the right, and you can see I chose a Chocolate Rose to copy. It sure is a good thing there is no chocolate in the house, because I would be scarfing it all up after seeing the website of pretty food!!

The Rose I made is covered with Crystal Effects, and is shiny and glossy, just like you-know-what. Instead of the glass of milk, I used a white ribbon. I really love how it came out!

My second card is for a brand new challenge started by the one and only Anne Ryan, who named a QUEEN FOR THE DAY, and today that person is MarilynPreston, otherwise known as Peggy! Her gallery is wonderful, her comments are the sweetest, and she is just an all-around favorite. How fitting for her to be selected. Her favorite color is BLUE, so there will be lots of it in the gallery in her honor!

That's it for me. Have a great day.

Easter Basket #2

I had such fun making the first Easter basket (see below) that I decided to make another. This one is a long and narrow pattern, and very easy. I used another image from Spring Blessings by TreehouseStamps, and a punch. I love the lacy handle, and the big layered flower on it. Inside the flower is a plum colored butterfly with little gold beads on the body. Of course, it has some wonderful candy ... what is Easter without candy? (Or ANY day, for that matter!!) Thanks for looking.

Mom's Easter Basket

The challenge today was to make a basket, using the colors Perfect plum, celery and banana. I made a basket with dp celery and cream, and added some plum and green print in the scalloped circle behind the chickie.

The chick is a digi stamp from a set called Spring Blessings made by TreehouseStamps. It's painted in banana, summer sun, and orange, with a little pretty in pink for cheeks. I added some white gel pen dots for highlights. The brads are cute little yellow buttons, and there's a big celery brad holding the yellow and plum Prima flowers. It's filled with one of Mom's favorite candies!!

THT041 Thank You

This week the TreeHouseThursday challenge features Yaneri, a fabulous member of our Design Team! Be sure when you check out the cards and projects made by our members that you tell Yaneri how wonderful her work really is!!

Our challenge is to make a thank you of some kind. I used the digital image that I think is just so sweet! The Momma is paper pieced, the rest is watercolored. I love aorange and gray together, and got out my crimper, which I heard moaning in a drawer from disuse.

I think the punching and primas really spark it up. I hope you think so too. Please join us at www.treehousestamps.blogspot.com with your thank you card via Mr. Linky. there are lots of new releases and a FREE digi contest too!!!

DDIC#24

Here is the picture for the Divine Diva Inspiration Challenge this week.





The textures in this headboard and the pillows on the bed are wonderful. I also love the combination of colors ... Spring blue,shades of orange, & green.






Here is my card, inspired by that picture. I went with texture too. The image is Eastern Blooms, in cameo and caramel, with some white, and DP from Sandy Lion.


I used the same inks, and added brads, hemp, and dimensionals. Please check out the rest of the DT on the DDIC blog which is on my sidebar, and join us by putting DDIC in your keyword. See you again in two weeks!

Belli Challenge #87 - Sketch and CLIP!

For the Belli Challenge this week, we have a sketch ... our first!! Obviously, my card is on the right. For the image, I used www.treehousestamps.com chick and sentiment from the set called Spring Blessings. The paper is HOTP and Paper Pizazz, as well as yellow, white and lilac. I colored the image with Summer Sun, Pretty in Pink, outlined in black, and added a gel pen. The requirement today is to use a CLIP of any kind. I used a diamond-shaped paper clip to attach my bit of ribbon to the sentiment.

Please come and play along with us. Enter your card/project on the Belli Blog, and check out the DT members things too. You can get there from my sidebar. Have fun!!

Lovely Lilies

I really had no intention of posting this morning. Mom is on her way here, as I type, and I need to get a few things done before she arrives. I saw the color challenge, and got waylaid!!

I love this combination of colors, and just happened to have some Cottage Wall dp which has all of them. Everything goes together so well, and I really like the results. I decided to omit a sentiment.... whatever I need it for will go on the inside.

Have a great day. Mom and I will be busy!

Tastes Like Chicken For the Queen!!

Cathy (Mutnik? Nutmeg?) is a wonderful artist. Her cards are always colorful, and mostly humorous. Anne Ryan decided to make her Queen For The Day, and as such, qualifies for casing!!

I chose a card of hers to case called "...here, chick, chick", for a couple of reasons. 1. It was RED. 2. I could keep the theme of chickens (sort of) 3. I got this cock-eyed (pun intended) idea as I was looking at it, and knew it would work.

Here is her card:

Cathy, enjoy your day as Queen! Thanks for sharing your talents and funny sense of humor. I hope you like what I have done to honor you!!

No cats were injured in the creation process.

BIG Winners!! TLC and CAS

On Saturday, DH and I went to our Granddaughter Sam's basketball playoff game. The first half was rather disheartening.......they were down 8 to ZERO. Apparently their basket had no hole in it. The ball just would not go in.

In the second half, they tied it up at 18, and it got very exciting when they went ahead. The last minute of play was a real nailbiter.......but they won 22-21. We were so happy for the girls!! They jumped and yelled.....just what you'd expect.

The challenges today allowed me to make this card for her, and it's in the mailbox waiting to be picked up. I wanted her to have it while the feeling was still fresh!

Spring Blessings

The IC today is from a site called Warm Biscuit, which has wonderful fabrics, and lots of stuff for kids. I chose a fabric called yellow partridges for the wonderful yellows, oranges, and spring green.

This image is a digi stamp from TreehouseStamps in a set called Spring Blessings. I think it makes a wonderful Easter card. I hope you can see the tiny punched butterfly on the knot of the ribbon. It really is TINY!

We are off today in just a few minutes to join DS and family for breakfast. Our DGD Sam is playing in a basketball tournament, and we wouldn't want to miss it!! At 12, she's already 5'7" and wears a size 10 shoe. Height runs in our family, and luckily she's glad to be tall. Later in the day, our friends Tom and Cheryl will be here for dinner and cards, as usual.

See you tomorrow! Have a great day.

A Fairy Tale

Here's the funny story Jake, my DGS told me......

So princesses kept coming to the castle to marry the prince, but his mother was afraid they weren't real. So she put a pea under the mattresses, and in the morning asked them how they slept. When they said fine, she sent them away. One day, a beautiful princess came to the door, and the prince fell in love with her. He didn't want his mother to send her off, so when his mother went to bed, he crept into the bedroom of the princess, and put a bowling ball under the mattresses. In the morning, the Queen asked the princess how she had slept. The girl said it felt like she spent the night sleeping on a bowling ball. So the prince and princess were married. And that's the story of the princess and the bowling ball.

I howled!! That struck me so funny!! Enjoy! My card today represents Rose RED, otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty. Her hair was black as a raven's wing, her skin as lustrous as pearls, and her lips were like RED roses. I want any fairy tale that involves a long nap, waking up young and beautiful, kissed by a prince, and something RED (chocolate covered cherries would do nicely!)>

RED bird for Spring (DDC)

*I think the flu is finally gone. I am feeling MUCH better today. Thanks for all your well wishes!!*

Today I had to make a RED card. I'm sure you're not surprised!! For the WT, we were to use something new. I broke down (with a coupon of course) and got the new HUGE Marvy scallop punch.

This week's hostess for the Doubledog Dare Challenge is Anne (Itsapassion), who DARED us to use tags, but also to follow a sketch from a place we never went before. I chose the OCCSC5 sketch.

Please join us in the Dare, and don't forget to put DDC in your keyword. Have a great day. I'm eating real food again! YAY!

THT040 CAS Turtle peek!

It's Thursday ~ time for the Treehouse Thursday Challenge! This week the theme is Clean and Simple cards.

I used this cute little turtle digi image. It's a sneak peek of what will be available on March 17th, when the latest releases from www.treehousestamps.com will be shown. There are wonderful images in this set called Sea Friends. The April contest is beginning, and there's a FREE digi image of trees to use. Check it out!!

Please also check out the DT's cards and projects on my sidebar, and join us again next Thursday. When you upload, don't forget HT040 in your keyword.

Chicks Rule

I'm back, but only very briefly. I have had some flu bug since last Thursday night. I still feel pretty awful, but the good news is I've lost 11 pounds. When I got up I was good enough to check SCS for the first time, saw the SC, and decided I had a painted image I could use.

It took me twice as long to put this together than it normally would have, and now I have to go lie down again. I'm still really shaky. I had dry toast and popsicles yesterday and they stayed down (and in!), but I don't think I'll push my luck today with more. No comments from me today, but as soon as I feel better, I'll see what you've been doing.

Divine Diva Inspiration Challenge #23

This is the image we were to work with this week for the DDIC. It came from a flyer Lori (our fearless leader) received in the mail. She thought the colors were just so gorgeous that this was what she chose.

I loved the poppies, the black and white, the polka dots, and the silver jewelry on the table, so those were the things I incorporated into my card for the challenge.

The Image of the poppies is a stamp by Stampendous, and the bg is SU's French Script. The dp is SU Ginger Blossom cut with the Fleur-de-lis spellbinder's template, and there's obviously black and white. The flowers are painted with cameo coral, real RED, black and celery. The other things I used were ribbon, silver domes, and dimensionals.

Please feel free to join us, and be sure to add DDIC to your keyword. On my sidebar is the list of DT members. Go and see what they have done too!!

See you in two weeks with another DDIC!!

THT039 Sketch Challenge

It's time for the Treehouse Thursday challenge! This week, we have a fun sketch for you to try. I used the sketch to make an easter card with digi designs from Treehousestamps. You can see all the new designs at www.treehousestamps.com. If you want to join us, please add THT039 to your keyword. Check out the cards made by the design team here: www.treehouseblogspot.com

and add your card with Mr. Linky. See you again next week!

Belli Challenge #86

The Creative Belli Challenge #86 is to use eyelets. Our sponsor for this week is Sunshine Stamps, who gave us a choice of digital images to use with our eyelet theme.

I thought this rabbit with the carrot on his shirt was really cute with the carrot dp I still had from my Easter cards last year!

Check out Sunshine stamps, and the Belli blog and the Design Team at www.bellichallenge.blogspot.com, and post your card there with Mr. Linky. If you post at SCS, please add CBC86.

Tuesday Challenges

On the right, the bird card is for the CC ... I thought the colors were really tough today - curry, basic gray, and artichoke. I used a variety of punches. No images here!!

For the combined MMTPT83 and the DARE, I made the RED card.

Charlene (LilLuvsStampin) is the hostess this week, and she dared us to make a card with two parts. (1) It must have TIME on it, and (2) It must reflect a quote from www.quotegarden.com. It need not have the quote on it, but it must be referred to. Please join us, and don't forget to add DDC to your keyword.

For the Teapot Tuesday challenge, please go to my gallery for all the details. Enjoy your day!

CAS and TLC for a Monday

I am really tired this morning. Rain, snow, wind.....doesn't help me wake up!! Luckily the two challenges today were easy!! I needed to use some RED, don't you think?? We were to make our own FAUX nesties with punches. I used the key tag and round tab punches from SU. For the CAS, I used dbl sided paper. I love to do that ... no matching involved. I always like to have an extra birthday card on hand. That's it. No chatter. Have a good day.