A New Challenge: Time Out Challenge!

Hello friends...I'm popping in to share some very fun news!  There's a new challenge blog starting:  The Time Out Challenge.  Who doesn't like to take some time out to craft?  I know I love the excuse to craft!  This fabulous challenge was created by Sandie and Nonni.  The challenge will run bi-weekly and will have a different theme each challenge.  

I'm here to share one of the first themes:  Home Sweet Home - to be inspired by a home decoration picture.  Isn't this valentine mantel below gorgeous?  So many things to draw inspiration from.

For my card, I was inspired by the heart garland as well as all the sine and shimmer on the O in the Love on the mantel.  I die cut these Verve hearts and the loaded them up with Glossy Accents.  I was actually patient enough to let them dry this time.  I added the Verve sentiment to finish up my clean and simple card.

Want to learn more about the Time Out Challenges?  Pop on over to the Time Out blog and become a follower.  The new challenge will go live in March, but there will be lots of inspiration coming there soon!

CAS-ual Fridays: Cupid's Arrow and Heart Board Fri-Die

Hello there...today is our final release day at CAS-ual Fridays.  We have one more stamp set and a set of fabulous in-laid dies. The stamp set is Cupid's Arrow with all kinds of fun arrows with sentiments on each of the arrows. If you love hearts, the Heart Board Fri-Die is a must have.  

For my first card, I die cut the hearts in a variety of reds/pinks and in-laid them after die cutting a heart in the white panel of the card.  I then die cut one of the arrows and stamp a sentiment that is perfect for me to give to Pat for Valentine's Day. He is my one and only.

For my second card, I used the left over hears from the first card. I had fun overlapping the hearts to create another fun valentine's day card.  

 

 I hope you've enjoyed this release...it's fabulous!  Be sure to pop on over to the CAS-ual Fridays blog to check out the design team's creations.

CAS-ual Fridays: Sands of Time

Hello friends...it's day two of release week at CAS-ual Fridays.  We're sharing a really fun set called Sands of Time.  If you are a sentiment stamp lover like me, you'll love the wonderful sentiments combined with the fun images.  I let the sentiments do the talking on my card and created so subway art.  Finished it off with a touch of ribbon.  

Be sure to pop on over to the CAS-ual Fridays blog for a chance to win some fun goodies along with the gorgeous creations from the rest of the design team.

CAS-ual Fridays: Love Letters

Happy February 1st my friends!  Didn't it feel like we were celebrating New Year's just yesterday?   And...another weekend is here for all of to relax so it's time for a new challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays.  Our awesome sponsor with a $25 gift certificate for one lucky winner is Ellen Hutson.  They have an absolutely fabulous website will all kinds of crafty goodness!

Our challenge for you this week is:  Love Letters.  Use die cuts, stickers or alphabet stamps on your card.  I had fun playing along with Karen's new Happy as a Lark set and made a fun little cut out on the tree using my Cricut.  So...come play along and pull out your dies, stamps or alphabet stickers to play along with us!

 

I Love You Forever & Always

Before I get to my card today, I have to say thank you for all of the fabulous feedback on my Q&A Craft Fair post.  All of you gave such awesome feedback.   Katie and I have been reading the comments and are taking notes on what to do/not to do!  I think one of my keys is going to be to try not to buy a lot of new things to make items for the sale.  I have tons of supplies so I'm going to consciously try to use those and probably not make anything that requires the purchase of food/candy.  I'll be sure to share our creations as we make them.

Now onto my card.  I always love a CAS Sketch so the sketch over at Less Is More was perfect for me to play along with this week.  I had a great time mixing and matching PaperSmooches stamps for the sentiment.  This card will be a perfection valentine for one of my five boys :)!!  

Happy Valentine's Day!

I said earlier today that I wasn't going to be able to make all the sketches...but I found some time tonight.  I had to leave work early today...both Pat and I have a case of the stomach flu.  After a four hour nap, I had a touch of energy.  Wrote out some thank you notes for Christmas gifts and then created a CAS version of the sketch below for the Week 3 Viva La Verve Sketch.   I'm also using the new No Matter What set from Verve...love it1  Hope you like it too.  Now I'm off to relax some more...I haven't tried eating yet, but am hoping that tomorrow I am able to do so and that the flu doesn't hit the boys!

 

Valentine's Day Box!

Hi there...Valentine's Day is fast approaching and Collin was more than ready to make his Valentine's Day box for school.  You can see he used the treat box I made for last week's Just Us Girls Challenge.  He taped it to the front for "extra treats".  He had so much fun making his box.  Punching out hearts and writing little love messages, "Love" "Kiss!" on them and then added a few streamers.  This little box has made it's way to school and he is very anxious for the 14th to come!
I also have a card to share with you for this week's ColourQ Challenge.  I took the traditional Valentine colors and used them for a birthday card.  We're having a girl's night out to celebrate my dear friend, Katie's 40th birthday!  It is sure to be a great girls night out!  Tomorrow night we'll be celebrating my niece's birthday...and we have First Communion class with Collin!  Busy weekend...what are you up to?

Just Us Girls 3D/Template Challenge

With Valentine's just around the corner, what better time to create a sweet little treat box for your valentine?This week's Just Us Girls challenge is brought to us by Andrea and she has challenged us to make a 3D template or project with a Valentine theme.  Mine was created using a My Time Made Easy template and lots of yummy My Mind's Eye Six by Six papers. I love how the different patterned papers coordinate so well.  And for those of you who have been around here for a bit, you know that Cherry Cobbler and Chocolate Chip are two of my all time favorite colors!  Now to decide what treats to put in here!

Hope you get a chance to play along this week.  Please stop by and check out the gorgeous creations from the other design team members!

Andrea

Dana

Elise

Kathryn

Kylie (this month's guest designer)

Lisa

Maria

Pam

Vicki

Just Us Girls Color Challenge

It's Just Us Girls time!  Vicki has a color combo perfect for making a sweet valentine!  I was lucky enough to win stamps from WPlus9's release last month.  Just in time to make a card for this week's challenge.  I had fun masking to make the row of envelopes.  If you look closely, you can see I embossed the white panel with PTI's linen impression plate.  This will be a perfect valentine for one of my boys!  

Hope you get a chance to play along this week.  Please stop by and check out the gorgeous creations from the other design team members!

Andrea

Dana

Elise

Kathryn

Kylie (this month's guest designer)

Lisa

Maria

Pam

Vicki

Inspired by Els

Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments from yesterday's post.  I'm still smiling!  I mentioned then that today's post would be dedicated to Els.   She was so kind to send me this gorgeous Christmas card (this second one on the post) and not only did she sent the card she sent some goodies with the card. The doily, tag, bell and hearts are all compliments of Els.  And...in a tribute to her, I added a little spray mist to the cards. I adore her style.  It is always so fresh, clean and unique.  Thanks Els.  Can't wait to use the rest of the goodies you sent me! 

The layout is very similar to layouts Els does and is also inspired by this week's CASE Study Challenge.  Hope you like it!  Happy Tuesday.

You Are My Reason Why...

I'm sure that this week's CAS-ual Friday's Challenge was inspired by Karen Baker!  She is so talented as using mists in very cool ways!  This card is fairly traditional but credit certainly goes to Karen for getting me started using mists!  I used a Technique Tuesday stamp and the die cut hearts are from Verve.  I added a couple gems to finish it off.  This will most certainly be going to my hubby in a couple of months...

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  Hope everyone's sweethearts are close by!  I have been writing out valentines for the four boys and one man in my life!  All the boys valentines are also filled out for school; however, only one will be making it to school for their party today.  Jonathon and Marcel are the latest to get the flu bug...three down and hopefully Ryan, Pat and I don't get it!

Here is my last valentine that I made yesterday for my oldest, Ryan.  I tried to keep it simple as I didn't think he'd like too much bling!  I used the Stampin' 411 sketch for this and turned it on it's side. 

Ingredients:  Cardstock:  PaperTrey Ink Kraft; Stampin' Up Whisper White and Real Red;  Patterned Paper:  Making Memories; Ink:  Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip and Real Red; Twine:  PaperTrey Ink; Stamps:  WPlus 9 and Stampin' Up Holiday Wishes

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Valentine's Day!  I'm celebrating my 25th Valentine's with Pat...we've been married for almost 19 years and dated for 6 years before we were married...so this marks our 25th Valentine...amazing and wonderful! 

Soccer....

Lots of time at the sports fields these days.  Collin is playing soccer (or football for my UK blogging buddies!) this fall.  It's a big step up from 3 on 3 on a half field to playing on the whole field.  Needless to say...we have to smile...lots of packs of little boys...and some parents (yes...us...) yelling for Collin to "Get the ball!  Be aggressive!"  He tends to be a little spacey on the field...but it is all good!  He's happy...and most concerned about what the snack will be at the end of the game!

Now a little Valentine's inspiration coming to you several months early!  This is one of the cards I submitted for publication that didn't get picked up!  Have to say I love this card...and am happy two other cards got picked up!