Out of my comfort zone...

Yes. This card SERIOUSLY stretched my crazy brain. I am really all about making A2 size cards...so this 6"x6" card was challenging. PLUS, I've been leaning towards CAS style lately...used to be out of my comfort zone so I continued to try and practice and now it's become my comfort zone. Not that I'm complaining or anything... ;D

Well, anyway...this card turned out so much more beautiful than I thought it would! :) And it is all thanks to a sweet friend. She gave me some AMAZING American Crafts pearly paper--and I used it to make this! :)

Here's the card~

And details~

It's soooo pretty. I'm thinking of framing it to remind myself that I really can do things that are outside of my comfort zone! ;) I'm so very grateful that God has given me the talent of paper crafting!!! :)

Oh, and speaking of out of my comfort zone, I don't like to beg, BUT...

IF I get 100 followers
by Jan. 1, 2012
I will be giving
away BLOG CANDY!!!

PLEASE follow me?! :) I want a reason to spend some money and share some goodies! :) Happy stamping!!!

Linking this creation up to the following challenges~

Sketch Saturday (THANK you for this sketch!)

Christmas Stamping All Year (photo inspiration)

Truly Scrumptious (Pearls or Vintage Christmas)

CAS-ual Snowflake

Hello!!!

Before we begin...
JUST A REMINDER

IF I get 100 followers
by Jan. 1, 2012
I will be giving
away BLOG CANDY!!!

Okay, now that that's out of the way....onto the task at hand! This card that I am about to show you...it is not as good as I thought it would be in my head. Don't get me wrong, I DO like this, but not as much as I thought I would...oh, well. Can't win them all!

NOW, off of my pity pot, I am submitting this card to CAS-ual Friday's CFC29: Sketch.

Here's the fabby sketch~

It's it perfectly CAS style?! Well, I'm afraid I've butchered it. I think it's my patterned paper choice...please forgive me!!! I think I may try again, but we'll see...

My card~

Details~

Don't tell me if you hate it...or do. I REALLY do not like the way this turned out. Hopefully your inspired to one up me on this one! You've got until Friday to link up, so go check it out!!! Happy stamping!

White Winter Wonderland

Hello once again! :) OH MY WORD I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS POST!!! I have a couple cards to share with you...I had a ton of fun making them!!! I have a lot of white cardstock and so I was contemplating what I would do with it...and I decided to try my hand at a white on white card.

It became a white on white plus image panel on white...does that make sense? Oh, well! I'm a bit out of it lately! Oh my gosh, I really think you'll love them!!! :)

So, anyway, these are CAS style--it's slowly but surely becoming my favorite style right now!!! :) I used my favorite Apple Blossoms set from Stampin' Up! and a brand new sentiment stamp set from Inkadinkado--Season's Greetings. Then I added a few small rhinestones for some bling. :D Because Christmas should SPARKLE!!!

Here's the first card~

Details~

Second card~

Details~

Aren't they pretty?! I used Old Olive and Poppy Parade inks from Stampin' Up! for a little more vibrancy! I was overly pleased with how they turned out! I am thinking about making more to send out!!! :) Merry stamping!

Entering these into the following challenges:

Just Us Girls~Red, white, green color challenge

The Crafty Pad~Festive Cheer

Fashionable Stamping Challenge~I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Simon Says GIVE THANKS!!!

Well hello again! Fancy meeting YOU here! ;D I'm so thankful to see you here--I'm in a Thanksgiving mood!

Before we begin...
JUST A REMINDER

IF I get 100 followers
by Jan. 1, 2012
I will be giving
away BLOG CANDY!!!

Just sayin'....

This week over at Simon Says Stamp, they've challenged us to create something that displays thankfulness. I didn't want to do a fall colored card--I wanted to create something that was my favorite color--PURPLE!!!

Here's what I came up with~

And some details~

What do you think? I rather like the way it turned out! And I'm sure that I know the perfect person to give it to!!! :)

I hope you take the opportunity to thank someone who's done something nice for you today--it'll brighten their day and make you feel good, too!!! It's a win-win! :) Happy thankstamping! ;D

Third Week! Make My Monday!!!

Round three!!! This week's challenge at Make My Monday is a really fun one! The challenge is to make a Christmas card or project using these guidelines: Christmas foliage, flowers, or snowflakes. It's hard to choose just one! Okay...I made more than one. Sorry! I get a little carried away sometimes!!!

Here's my first card~Poinsettias~

I stamped and embossed the swirls and the sentiment before adding the little accent flower above the sentiment. I stamped and embossed the poinsettias, cut them out, added bling centers, and added them to the card. Easy peasy!

Detailed look at flowers~

Detailed look at sentiment~

Okay. I may have gotten more than a little carried away...I may have gotten a lot carried away! I had soooo many ideas floating around in my head for this challenge!!! So, I hope you indulge my tenacity and don't condemn it!!!

Here's a 2nd card~I call it "Star Trees"...tell you why in a bit~

Okay, so the title, yeah? Here's how I made them. I stamped a large star image in green and then cut the tips to use as the trees. My husband said it was brilliant. I was just being lazy!!! ;D The snow scene was created by cutting a piece of scratch paper, using it to mask off the bottom of the card, sponging blue to my eyes satisfaction, and then adding some glitter for "snow". :)

Close up of some of those "star trees"~

Card 3~Holly Bells~

This is my CAS style card for the week--I've been really trying to improve the CAS style cards and so I had to make another one this week. :)

Close up of details~

Card 4~Embossed Evergreen~

This card came to me in my dreams...I HAD to make it! The accent flowers were easy to make with my three flower punch. :) I embossed the tree in gold--sorry that the photos don't do it justice. :(

Close up of details~

LAST Card (promise!)~Glistening Holiday~

That snowflake is a rub-on that I have had for over a year. It NEEDED to be used. It cried out to me as I was making the 4th card!!! I had to save it.

Close up of that snowflake rub-on~

Thank you or indulging my OCD/over achieving fiendish card making issues. I appreciate it! Thank you for all your support--you truly help make my life incredibly happy!!! I hope you play along with us this week--your cards inspire me! :) Seasonal Stamping Greetings! :)

Love of a Lifetime...

Hello, friends! I do hope you'll indulge me--you see, today is my wedding anniversary!!! 7 years ago today, I was sealed for time AND all eternity to my best friend--Matthew. :)

Here we are on our wedding day (insert sounds of adoration)~

Anyway, I thought that I would blog a little about my DH and all the challenges and fun times we've had...with pics thrown in...crafty pics. ;D

Okay, where to start? My DH is the BEST husband that anyone could ask for!!! Have any of you ever read the book about the different love languages people have? Well, my husband had the best one--service. From the beginning of our marriage, he has been willing to do ANYTHING for me! I don't get flowers and/or chocolates but once or twice a year, but I will always have laundry done and a clean house because my DH is always willing to do it if I don't feel up to it. This weekend I have been under the weather, and he has gone out of his way to bring me more water to drink or a healthy snack to keep my energy up. AMAZING!!!

Now, the lack of flowers and chocolates frustrated me a bit at the beginning of our marriage, but now I'm grateful that he doesn't get me flowers--because I don't have to do laundry or dishes or vacuum, etc. all the time!!!

But about flowers...here are the ones he gave me for our anniversary this year~

I arranged them in my pumpkin baskets (thrift store finds). This is how thoughtful he is--HE MATCHED THE FLOWERS TO MY DECOR!

And speaking of decor and thrift stores, he is sooooo patient with my OCD about decorating. And very understanding about ALL of my thrift store/garage sale finds. ;D

Like the ones up on my shelf in the living room~

Did I mention that when we're at Goodwill, garage sales, etc. he goes out of HIS way to look and see if there may be something crafty I could use?! YES!!! He really does this!!!

He also is a great supporter of my paper crafting. He encourages me to branch out. Like when Make My Monday (one of my absolute fave challenge blogs of ALL time) had an entire month of Steampunk challenges (NOT my comfort zone). He totally got into it with me, encouraged me and TOLD ME to go buy supplies I'd need!

Here's one of the cards he inspired (it made Top 3!!!)~

AND...he like to cook and bake. Yes, ladies, do not faint from sheer amazement--he DOES! He is more than willing to cook dinner for me anytime I don't feel like it!!! And he makes really fabby desserts, too!

Look at the blueberry cobbler he made for our anniversary dessert~

Yep. He is amazing! :) I am the luckiest girl in the entire world to have such a fabulous husband! BTW--how about the recipe for the blueberry cobbler? It's really easy--but soooooooooo incredibly good!!!

Easy Blueberry Cobbler

Ingredients~
1 can blueberry pie filling
1/2 pkg. white or yellow cake mix
Butter

Instructions~
Preheat oven to 350*F. Lightly grease a 9"x9" pan. Put pie filling in bottom of pan. Sprinkle cake mix over the top. Place pats of butter on top of cake mix (will melt and create a "crust" on top). Bake for 50-55 min. or until top is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

YUM!

Anyway, I think you get the point by now...I have the world's greatest husband! Happy anniversary, darling! I'm so excited to spend forever with you! Love you!!!

PS~ He's HILARIOUS, too...just in case you thought he wasn't and that was his one down-fall (he has none...). :D

I {Heart} Ribbon...

Yes I do!!! I {Heart} Ribbon, how about you?!
*\O/* (<--- cheerleader...)

Yes. I love ribbon...so I when I found Nina's FABULOUS challenge (and spectacular blog), I knew it was fate!!!

I've also been dreaming of warmer weather...I really just want it to stay about 65*-70*F year round with very low humidity. Hey, a girl can dream, right?! :D

Anyway, this card tonight is a realization of my dream...on paper. ;D And, I used grosgrain ribbon as per this time's challenge. :)

I call it Gentle Breezes~

Details~

I wanted to keep it monochromatic, but I felt it was a little flat and so used a sponge to add some "sky". I used my favorite, over used and very much appreciated clear glitter gel pen for all the shimmery detail. I also used two ribbons--I usually do this with thinner grosgrain so that it can be a more prominent detail of the card or project. :) Hope you like it--I think it turned out rather well! :) Won't you come and join the I {Heart} Ribbon challenge?! It's so much fun!!!

Thanks for stopping by to take a peek--I appreciate you! BTW-- if you like blog candy, check out my post HERE to find out how to maybe get some later on from me!!! :)