My Candy Update

We will probably hit 90 on Friday but I will be offline until Sunday. Please still feel free to post on my giveaway (by clicking on the Martha Stewart book at the top of my blog) until I'm back online. I will then close the giveaway and determine the winners.

How am I going to pick a winner, you ask? I will pick several favorite bookmarks and will draw from those to determine the bookmark winner. I have to pick several because I have so many favorites. I will pick bookmarks not names so some of you may get more than one entry into the first selection. After which, I will determine the remaining two winners. I will assign numbers and use a random generator to pick all of the winners.

I will be sending the winners and email since nobody knows when it was going to end. Good luck everyone!

Blessings,

Thursday Thunks

Thursday Thunks is brought to you by Berleen & Kimber via phone & Skype conference, the color mango and the number 70566.

1. What color is your front door? wood, it's ugly and I'm going to paint in dark blue

2. We discussed our folks in previous TT so now tell me about your siblings. If you are an only child, tell me whether or not you wanted siblings, older, younger etc. I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters. We have a great family!!!

3. What color/type butterfly is your favorite? I don't know the type, but it's blue.

4. Will you be celebrating Cinco De Mayo? no. On second thought, maybe I'll go to a Mexican restaurant for dinner.

5. Oprah- love her, hate her, or don't care? I like her sometimes. Sometimes she bores me!

6. Are you worried about the spread of swine flu? Yes. I take immunosuppressents so if it comes around, I'll get it!

7. Hard or soft pillows? Soft and fluffy.

8. How many trees are in your neighbor's yard? one

9. What was the color of the last car you saw? The last car I saw was mine -- red.

10. When does your driver's license expire? 9-23-201, now everybody knows when my birthday is.

11. Look at the clock on your computer and type the numbers backwards. 32:6

12. When you put your pants on, what leg do you put in first? right

13. How would you respond to this letter if you were an advice columnist.
I am an ugly woman. I was an ugly baby and child even! It is a fact. I am 36 now and I have never had a boyfriend, and I am still a virgin. Due to me not having men in my life, I have poured everything I have in to education and my career. At 36 I am the youngest (and first female CEO) at a big, successful, tech company. I have over 200 personal patents and millions of pounds in investments.I have everything: huge house, holiday villa in Spain, 3 cars, power boat, a race horse, etc. but as much I try to talk myself into everything being “great” I cannot help but to miss that special someone to share it all with. Most of my friends are married with kids and I feel like I am gradually drifting away from them also. Where can I find someone to marry an ugly woman? She needs to find a way to find the joys of life without a man in it. She could have the feeling of someone to love unconditional and to be loved unconditionally by adopting a child. Or, get plastic surgery! (just kidding)

Blessings,

Charming Fairy

The challenge at Stamptacular Sunday is "Charmed I'm Sure." This means you can make any card you want but you must include a charm. Here's a closeup of the charm.

It says "Made with Love" on it. I normally use these charms for cards I make for family and friends. I'm also trying come up with something to put on the back of my cards now that I'm making cards for family members to give out. Maybe I could sell a card or two! It will have to include a butterfly and I think something like "Change of Heart Creations" but that's not very creative.

But I digress -- The image is "Lovely Fairy" from Auntie Amy's stamps. This is one of my favorites. I used watercolor pencils to color her. I glittered her wings, the little starbursts, and the flowers on her dress. She just has to have glitter. I didn't used to like bling but it has started growing on me! All the paper is Basic Grey Porcelain. The spacers and charm I got in the jewelery department at Joann's. Everything else is from my stash.

Blessings,

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

American Beauty

The say once you make an inchy, you get hooked on these little works of art. Luckily for me, their were two challenges whose sketch would work perfect for an inchy.

This is my first time participating with the Just Christmas and Birthday Cards challenge. They have a sketch each week and you have to make either a Christmas card or a Birthday card.


And I decorated the inside this time!

It rained today so I didn't get my rose planted. I have fiddle practice tomorrow but hopefully it will be nice in the afternoon so I can get it planted before it dies. I'll be busy all weekend so I won't be able to do it then. I probably won't get to any crafting until Sunday or Monday again because I have a lot to do before the weekend.

That's about it!

Blessings,

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Joyful Spring

I made this card for the Whiff of Joy challenge which is a sketch. It also fits the Crafty Frog challenge which is spring flowers.

I used water color paints for the image. I'm not shaking today so it was a good day to bring out the paints! The DP is DCWV Nana's Nursery stack.

That's about it. I guess I'm not very talkative today, huh?

Blessings,

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Raining Flowers

I made this card for the Stamp Something challenge which is flowers and showers and the Cuttlebug Challenge Fab Friday sketch.

The image is a Squigglefly digi stamp and I used watercolor paints (not pencils) again. I used the same colors and same paper as the card I did last night. The sentiment is a rub on from the same set. I put Glossy Accents on the puddle and raindrops. I embossed the green paper with my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder.

I cut out the flower with the Cricut Walk in My Garden cartridge using the same papers as the card. I'll probably make a similar flower to put on my card from last night! I didn't like the flower I put on that one. That's about it!!!

Blessings,

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Inchy Butterfly

I have been watching the Inchy by Inch challenge blog for quite sometime because it intrigues me to see those tiny bits of art. I was at Joann's the other day and they had sets of 23 inch stamps by Inkadinkado. I actually bought two different ones. I was pleased when I checked there blog this morning and the challenge was gems. This way I could do almost anything as long as I included some bling! Since I love butterflies so much, I chose three different butterfly images. I painted the butterflies with real watercolors, not the pencils.

When I saw the Card Patterns sketch on Saturday, I was hoping that I would be able to enter the Inchy by Inch because there sketch was perfect to use with inchies. Also I realized that my card fit the Papertake Weekly challenge which is to use dots and stripes.

My favorite challenge is Flutterby Wednesday because I love butterflies so much. Now they are allowing fairies also and I've had a passion for fairies lately also. Their challenge is open this week so it was just a matter of choosing what card I wanted to include in the challenge.

I don't think the flower worked out as well as I had hoped so I think I might replace it. I will probably construct some with die cuts using other paper from this line. The DP and the sentiment are from a packet I got free for spending way too much money at Archivers. I threw away the packaging and I don't remember the manufacturer. I'll post it again when I redo the flower. Probably sometime next week.

I will be busy for the rest of this week. I might get a little crafting in, but not much. This was my day to play and I had a migraine. It's gone now, thank goodness!

Blessings,

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Too Long Mail Box

The Digi Shack sells digi stamps and more and they have started a new challenge blog. This is their second challenge and it is to use the colors Going Gray, Summer Sun, and Certainly Celery and, of course, to use one of their digi stamps. I used the sketch from Chrizma Cardz.

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Blessings,

Hope

When I saw the sketch at Inspirational Card Sketches, this is what came to mind. I had received an order of flowers and other embellies the day before and I knew I wanted to do this sketch with my new flower with torn and embossed paper. And it turned out just how I wanted. The next day the Daring Cardmakers posted their challenge which was large embellies. I think this flower fits the bill.

I used Cuttlebug dies for the background and the background and circle. I used Fiskars embossing plates in my Cuttlebug for the torn strips. The sentiment is a cut from the Cricut Calligraphy cartridge.

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Blessings,

Sparklly Birthday Cake

Let's all say Happy Birthday to Bee. Why, you ask? Because she's the one giving a gift!!! You can download this digi stamp from her blog. Then use it to make a birthday card and enter her contest. The card she likes best will win one of her digi images! You wanna know how I know? Because I won her last challenge with this card ! (hehe)

I used the Stamps and Smiles sketch to make the card. After I finished, I checked my list of challenges and it also fits If the Shoe Fits, Scrap It (pink and brown), Our Creative Corner (favorite color combo -pink and brown of course), and 2 Red Bananas (wearing stripes). How's that for combining?

I used DCWV Sweet papers and water colored the cake slice. Doesn't it look delicious. It's like the cupcakes I made for Easter, chocolate with cherry icing. Yummmmy! I also glitter all the pink frosting to match the glitter on the dp. I haven't put the sentiment on it yet because I want to get some pink embossing powder. I that would be cute.

I hope you like your cake, Bee!

My Mother has been wanting me to come by a dig up a rose for her that she wanted to give to me. It was a very large bush and I was dreading the job. She called earlier this week and said my nieces boyfriend, Chris, dug it up for us. What a great guy!!! Thanks Chris! It was a huge job but now it's all trimmed down and it won't be too hard to plant. Now I'll have to dig a hole and plant it. That's my job for tomorrow!

If you read my Pink Saturday post, I had pictures of my Mother's flowers. I commented that she has chives in with her tulips. She has a reason for that. They keep the aphids off of the roses. I already have aphids on my roses so I'm definitely giving that a try!

I'll probably be back in a bit. I'm going to go outside and play with Chloe, my doggie, for a while and then get crafty again!

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Blessings,

My Candy

It doesn't look like I will get enough entries before the deadline, so I'm going to extend it a little.

What I will do is check the number of entries every day at noon and as soon as the # of comments is over 90, I will choose a winner! Or, if it doesn't get to that before Sunday, May 3, I will pick the winners.

So everyone, if you haven't made three bookmarks, go, now, make bookmarks! Remember, you can have three chances of winning!!!

Hopefully, we will find a winner before Friday because I will be unavailable next weekend. If I don't have 90 comments before I go to bed on Thursday, all entries through Sunday when I get back will be counted. Ya know what I mean?

By the way, I picked up a couple of things to add to the candy today. You never know what will happen by the time it's all said and done!

Blessings,


P.S. As I was proofreading, my doggie put her chin on my keyboard and published the post. (hehe)

My Candy Update

As promised, I went shopping today to get the things for my 2nd and 3rd giveaway.

The first prize is the Martha Stewart Crafting Encyclopedia.

Prize 2 includes:

Fluer stamp from Auntie Amy's (I accidentally order two). The picture above is off Auntie Amy's website. I will print a copy to include in your package.

Water Color Pencils to use to paint the Cafe Fluer stamp (it begs for watercolors).

Five packages of stickers.

Set of 10 white embossed cards.

Silver Sharpie pen

Package of brads and several flowers from my stash.

Prize 3 includes:
Cosmo Cricket "Jack's World" Craft Pack (includes 12 dbl side design papers, adhesive die cuts and journaling cards)
Small birthday scrapbook kit
3 sheets of stickers
Booklet of white alphabet rub ons
Friends tag
Set of 10 white glitter cards
Package of brads and several flowers from my stash.

I'm also adding a surprise to each package. I'm going to wait until I draw the winners and look at their blog to decide what to add. For the 1st prize, I will be ordering the book to be sent directly from Border's website so I will send an extra package with their surprise.

It doesn't look like I will have 100 entries by Saturday so it will stay open until I reach 100 entries or until May 2nd, whichever is sooner.

You can go see my original candy post here or by clicking on the Martha Stewart book at the top of my blog.

Blessings,
Christine

Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday!!! I have only participated in 5 Pink Saturday's but my Mom now looks for things pink for me to put on my blog!

She called and told me that her friend had given her some beautiful pink azaleas and I should come over and take pictures soon before the blossoms died off.

Aren't they beautiful!!! Now a closeup.

I took the plant outside to photo it. Then I looked around her yard and found some more pink.

Aren't these pink tulips beautiful.

One has petals that are partially open . . .

and another is very beautiful inside. If you look closely, whe has chives planted in with her tulips. Don't ask me!!!

She also has a nectarine tree.

I didn't know nectarine blossoms were pink. Actually, last year she bought a nectarine tree and an apricot tree. When they started producing, they were both nectarine trees. Oh well. She loves nectarines and they are both so small now that she's not going to get much fruit from them for some years anyway.

As I was out running my errands today, I really wished I would have brought my camera. Their was so much pink in nature and I wanted to share all of it with you!!!

It's still a little early for pink in my yard. I will have something for you next week. It's not quite in bloom yet. I will have several others throughout the summer. I {heart} my garden!!!

Beverly at How Sweet the Sound hosts Pink Saturday every week. This is a very fun event. Each of us post a picture of something pink on our blog on Saturday and try to visit as many of the other blogs as possible. I'm not sure how many participate but it is in the hundreds. Big thanks to Beverly for coordinating all of it!

Blessings,

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

My Candy Update

A quick count shows that I have 46 entries so we all need to get our blogging buddies over here to enter. Do what you need to do to get everyone over so we can hold the draw on time. Remember, anyone, anywhere can enter. Click on the Martha Stewart book at the top of my blog to go directly to my candy!!!

I will leave the candy open at least till noon Sunday and choose the winners at random as soon as possible. If we have had 100 entries that is.

I'm off to the store to pick out the items that I will be putting in your packages. I'll post them later today!

If you haven't entered, what are you waiting for? GO!!! MAKE A BOOKMARK! NOW!!!

Blessings,

Happy Cupcake

I colored and cut out this cupcake a couple of weeks ago for a challenge that was to use fruit on your card. When I went to make the card, I couldn't find my cupcake so I didn't get to make the challenge (boo-hoo). Tonight, when I was think about what card to make, I looked at the floor and it was peeking at me from under my work table. There's still a cherry for the top down there somewhere!

I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday. The Cuttlebug Spot was to make a card that includes a cake or cupcake. The Card-A-Licious challenge was to make a birthday card using green, blue and circles. I guess I don't like using green much because there is only a little green on this one; but it's there. The Creative Belli challenge is to use dry embossing on your card. My card meets all of those things!!!

That's all for tonight.

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Blessings,

Lion Prince

When I saw the challenge at Cinema Saturday was to use an animal from the movie Lion King, I knew that I would use this stamp. Isn't he such a prince? There are two other challenges to use animals in your card, 2 Red Bananas and 3 Clovers (it's all about the numbers). Truly Scrumptious sketch challenge was to follow their sketch and make a card for child. I love these sketches that have a lot of layering.

I told you I was going to tell about my meeting on Tuesday night. I've talked on my blog before about playing music with the Idaho Old Time Fiddlers. We play once a month at the Veteran's Home here in Boise. Tuesday, they had a banquet for all of their volunteers. The theme for the night was the USO. They had a guy in army camouflage pants and a t-shirt holding a toy golf club that was playing Bob Hope as the MC. The also had Marilyn Monroe, Momma Cass, ole Blue Eyes himself-Frank Sinatra, Phylis Diller and Elvis. The only one that remotely looked like the person they were playing, was Elvis. But they all did a great job, some singing and some lip syncing. They also had a few veterans from WWII that told stories about when they were overseas. The whole program served to remind us what all of the veterans, whichever war they have served in, have sacrificed to keep us to safe and free!!! They even had a red, white and blue desert -- red velvet cake with cream cheese icing and blueberries on top. It was a very fun night!!!

Oh, and I also won a door prize. Actually, they called out the name Christine and Allen Nay. My sisters name is Alice. I think they must have gotten a little mixed up. However, we did take some teasing from the people in our group. My sister and I have been single for most of our lives so we get that kind of stuff a lot. When we went to our 25th high school reunion, people kept asking if we lived together. I guess they think we are old maids that have to keep each other company like the "aunts" on the Waltons!!! Yes, we graduated high school together, as well as my brother, but that's another story for another time. I'll catch you up on that sometime because I don't want to bore you all at once!!!

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Blessings,

Chocolate Bookmark

In my previous post, I told you about the bookmark tutorial on Aud's blog. I got one made!













The weather in Idaho has been in the 80s for the last few days and today it's a high of 55. Doesn't this Whiff of Joy image make you want to put on a warm sweater, make a cup of hot chocolate and read a book?













I painted "chocolate girl" with water colors. I distressed all of the edges with chalk ink (except the second triangle on the back because the gremlins came and took my stamp pad-hehe). I also used chalk ink to distress the oval behind her. The flourishes were cut with the Cricut Caligraphy cartridge. I didn't distress those edges because they are so delicate that I was afraid they would tear. All of the DP is Basic Grey Blush.

I really had fun with this one and I really like the idea of the corner bookmark. Lucky me, it fits three challenges.

I started out with the Crafty Creations challenge which is to make a bookmark. Lucky me! Not only did I find a tutorial I wanted to make, but that's the theme of my giveaway!!!

Crafts 4 Eternity has a sketch plus a challenge of using pink, brown, and green. I had this paper in mind when I was painting the image. When I realized it was the same colors as Crafts 4 Eternity's challenge, I followed their sketch. I'm sure glad it was a simple sketch because I only had a 3-1/2 in square on which to fit it. The little tiny dots on the background paper are green (you can believe me). There's much more green on the paper I used for the back.

The Cute Card Thursday challenge is to either tear, sand, distress or sew the edges of your card. As I said before, I distressed all of the edges with a chalk ink pad.

By the way, the book is one I got at a thrift store on my trip to Shoshone Falls a couple of weeks ago. It is called "Watching Europe Grow" published in 1930. The title page states that it's "profusely illustrated" which is why I bought it. There are wonderful images of old Europe on almost half of the pages. I have been wanting to try my hand at altered art for some time and I think the pages in this book would make wonderful backgrounds for collages.

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Blessings,

Corner Book Mark Tutorial

Have you made your bookmark for my challenge yet? If your interested, go check out Aud's blog. She has a great tutorial on making a corner bookmark. I have seen these on people's blogs before, but couldn't figure out how the made them.

If I get a chance, I'll make on later today and post it. Thanks Danni for posting this link!

Blessings,

Thursday Thunks

It's Thursday, so you know what that means? Yes, Thursday Thunks. Here are the questions.

1. If you could skywrite anything you wanted, what would it be? Thank you Ahsley

2. Did you get drunk at your prom? No, but I should have. My date stood me up and I still had to go because I was the prom chairman.

3. What is your favorite spice to use cooking? To pick a fav, I guess it would have to be oregano.

4. What color is your roof? silver

5. In a land far, far away I _____________ was a fairy princess and taught all of the other fairy princess that they don't need a prince to sweep them away!!!

6. In the Miss USA pageant, Miss California was asked; "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?" and her answer was; "Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Um, we live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and in, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman," Carrie said to a mix of boos and applause. "No offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be between a man and a woman." Do you think that cost her the crown? Yes

7. Do you watch Miss USA/Miss America pageants? Sometimes

8. Have you ever driven/ridden on a tractor? I've ridden them many times (my Grandpa was a farmer) but have never driven one. My Grandpa tried to teach me to drive his pickup and I almost ran over him (I was about 12 and could barely see of the steering wheel - that's my story and I'm sticking to it.) so he never let me drive another one of his vehicles!!!

9. For the parents - what cartoon/children show did your child watch obsessively? (Hey, if you aren't a parent, maybe a niece or nephew...) I'm not a parent but my niece loved The Wiggles. I had to look that up on Google because I thought it was the Giggles but that didn't sound right!

10. If I set a level on your living room floor - would it show that it was level? No, it leans to the west.

11. What was the last restaurant you ate at? Iceberg, they have yummy shakes!


12. What's the picture on your wall calendar for this month? No picture, I have a white board calendar.

13. Are you superstitious? Kind of. I don't go out of my way to do things but I also won't walk under a ladder or but I don't try not to step on the cracks on the sidewalk. (Is that a double negative.) I once owned a black cat!

14. If I get into your car and turn on the radio - what type of radio station will I hear? oldies -- sometimes country.

15. Would you rather wake up with a snake in your bed or a lizard? Whichever is smaller. Yuck, now I'm going to have nightmares tonight.

16. Do you think schools have changed at all since the Columbine tragedy 10 years ago? In what ways? I think the most important change is that they take kids threats seriously now. I'm not involved in the schools (not a parent) so I don't know details but I do here on the news sometimes when a school has had a threat. In our town, they have brought the Rachael's Challenge to schools and parents every year lately. Rachael is one of the girls that was killed at Columbine and her family has a speaking circuit where they talk about the things she stood for such as being kind to others and never to deny your faith. Rachael is the girl that the killers asked if she still believed in God and then shot her because she did.

That whole things ends I kind of a sour note. Sorry.

If you would like to join in on Thursday Thanks, click on the link at the top of this post!

If you haven't entered for my giveaway, you still have time. Click on the Martha Stewart book above and it will take you to the candy with a challenge post!!!

Blessings,

Happy Butterflies

I love how this card turned out. I just think it's so cute how she is looking up at the butterflies as they are flying away! There is a nice verse about butterflies on the inside.

I combined some challenges with this card. I used the sketch from Friday Sketchers and Stamp Something's challenge is to use yellow, green and blue. The Pink Elephant has two challenges this week. Either a card for Mom or recycle something. Actually, this card fits in both challenges because I used some old crochet thread my Mom gave me instead of ribbon. However I won't be submitting it for both because you can enter two cards. I will be giving this card to my Mom for Mother's Day. She loves butterflies almost as much as I do. She just got a new computer and is attempting to get on the internet. I hope she doesn't get that all done until after Mother's Day because she might just see this card!

The image is a Bee Crafty digi stamp. She has a challenge every other week. You use one of her downloads and she picks her favorite card and the winner gets a free download. I love her images because they have a lot of open space for coloring or paper piecing.

The butterflies are cut out with a Cuttlebug die. The little green flowers are on the same die as the butterflies so I just used them for the center of the flowers. Of course, I water colored the image.

Don't forget about my candy with a challenge. Click on the picture of the Martha Stewart book at the top of my blog and it will take you to the correct post. You have until Saturday to enter so hurry!!!

Blessings,