Make a Wish/Ethan Weiman Fundraiser

My fellow Flutter Byer, Heather, is having a giveaway in honor of Pink Cat Studio’s release of the “Weiman Wranglers” digi stamp in honor of Ethan Weiman a 4 year old who just lost his 2 year battle with cancer.  They are a horse loving family and Pink Cat Studios designed this digi stamp in honor of Ethan.  All proceeds will go to the Make a Wish Foundation.

You can go directly to Pink Cat Studios to purchase the digi stamp or, better yet, head to Heather’s blog and participate in her giveaway.

Modified to include the following:  Vicki and Lauren are also having giveaways for this worthy cause.  I’ll be making my card tomorrow!

Blessings,

Christine

Tilda’s Summer

Doesn’t she just make you wonder what she’s thinking about.  Well, I’ll tell you.  She’s dreaming of the long days of summer, the picnics, the carnival, going swimming in the pond and eating chocolate ice cream cones.  I wish I were a little kid again so I could do all those things.  Wait, I can!!!

I’m  really liking my water color paints lately.  About a month ago, I was lucky enough to win the candy from Sandra at Paper Funtastics.  As part of the prize, she also sent me some of her handmade cards.  I was in awe of her cards and in particular, her water coloring technique.  She has been generous enough to share some things with me and I think it has really improved my painting.  It takes a little longer but it’s well worth the results.  Click on the photo so you can see it a little bigger and let me know what you think.

Of course, I colored her with watercolors and I put Shimmerz on her wings.  The paper is from the DCWV Sweets stack and the embellies are from a summer collection pack from Oriental Trading Company.  I’ve ordered a few things from them because some things are quite a lot cheaper and they seem to be of good quality.  I especially use their brads, eyelets and flowers. I kind of partial to that company too because they are located in a town I used to live in, Omaha, Nebraska.  They also have great kids craft and party items.

I used the sketch from My Time to Craft and the Just Magnolia challenge is summer.

That’s all for me tonight.  I have an image that I painted when my crafty muse was away so I can make that into a card but I’m thinking the next card you’ll see is my niece’s bridal shower invitation.  I found some cute DP and a great digi image that should be simple to color.  I plan to design it tomorrow and then start coloring images.  I’m thinking by the time I get finished with this wedding, I’m going to be tired of blue, yellow and green.

Added 6/23.  I didn’t realize I could play along with the Roses on Paper challenge.  I didn’t think I had the correct stamps.  Well, I do so this card is also going into their challenge and also their call for guest DT.

Blessings,

Christine

Floral Gate

The challenge at Modern Sugar Boulevard is a sketch.This was a tough sketch; a card made to fit in a legal envelope.  Then I remembered, when working with digi stamps, you can print them in any size. 

At the last MSB release, I bought several of the stamps.  They had such beautiful garden images.  I printed the gate at a regular size and then the two windows on the sides are printed at about 1 inch. 

I colored the images with water colors.  The DP is K & Co.  I used the Martha Stewart punch for the scalloped border and added little pearls to each scallop.  I also put pearls on the top corners but you can’t see them well in the photo.

That’s about it.  I’ll be back tomorrow with the first of my niece’s wedding shower invitations but then I’ll have to make 20 of those and other things around the house.  Did I say that I hate housework?!?!

Blessings,

Christine

Bee Married

I have some good news to share with you.  Marrigan from Bee Crafty has asked me to be on her Design Team!  Have I told you lately that I that I LOVE digi stamps.  I’m not sure how I found Bee Crafty but I found her blog with her original release and challenge. 

 

She hosts a challenge and release every two weeks.  This weeks challenge is marriage and she released a set of wedding themed digi stamps.  Aren’t these two the sweetest couple.

 

 

Of course, with my niece getting married in August, I made the cards in her colors, blue, green, and yellow.  I’m going to be really tired of these colors soon!  I colored the images with Prismas and gamsol and the DP is K & Co. 

 

I first printed the tree a little too big for the front so I decided to decorate the inside too.

 

 

Go on over to Bee Crafty and have a look at her challenge.  She is also giving away a free digi image with this challenge. 

I’m really looking forward to working with Marrigan and the other Design Team members.  I really enjoy Marrigan’s drawing and am anticipating some fun creations.

This card also complies with the challenge at Pink Elephant which is wedding.

Blessings,

Christine

Strawberry Cutie Pie

Do you like strawberry pie? Then you’ll love this strawberry cutie pie!!! I love these images from the Summer Whiff of Joy release. I colored her using water color pencils and put together the card with paper from the DCWV Sweets stack. I seem to be using a lot of this paper. I should probably buy another pack before they discontinue it. I added a ribbon, tied it in a six point bow and added a cute square button! I made it all sound easy because I colored her several days ago so this was an easy card.

I used the sketch from Card Positioning Systems who is joining in with the 2 Red Bananas challenge.

The Color Create challenge is three colors out of this picture and the card must have fruit on it. I’ve got that covered!

I’ll be doing some stuff in the garden tomorrow and designing the invitations for my niece's bridal shower. I have a couple of projects I want to finish so hopefully I’ll have a lot to share tomorrow.

See ya’ then!

Blessings,

Christine

Distressed Willow

I don’t like this card very much.  I wondered if I should post this but decided too anyway.  I got a little carried away with the distressing.  I first put the ink around the image and I liked that a lot.  So I started inking up the edges of the other paper and got a little carried away. You can’t even hardly see the DP.  Oh well.  I was so happy with how my painting turned out and then the card stinks.  I think I’ll carefully pull it apart and start over using the same DP.  It is very pretty but you can’t see it here!!!

I’ve been working a lot on my water coloring technique and I really like how this one came out.  It has more highlights and lowlights than I usually have.  The DP (that you can hardly see) is from the DCWV Old World stack.  I used the sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches.

Blessings,

Christine

Garden Window

Isn’t this a lovely image. This is from the release at Modern Sugar Boulevard. They have several garden scenes in this release and they are all beautiful. I bought most of them!!! They will all work well for water coloring. The paper is all K&Co. I used a Martha Stewart border punch and added little pearls on the scallops and corners. The ribbon is recycled from something I purchased, I just can’t remember what.

I used the sketch from Stamp Something and the challenges at Scrappy Frogs and ABC is summer time (gardening is one of my favorite summer time activities). The challenge at Our Creative Corner is to use a border punch and Crafty Creations is garden. The challenge at SPCC is celery, rose and cocoa.

That’s it for now!

Blessings,

Christine

Cody’s First Birthday

Okay, I know I made a birthday card for my great-nephew Cody but I got this idea in my head and had to make it instead.  I can use the other card for someone else's bday.

Well, I didn’t really get the idea in my head until I saw these digi stamps at Bee Crafty.  Aren’t they cute!!!  I have some ideas going around in my head on how to make number and letter flash cards with these digi stamps.  I think I’ll include them as part of his birthday present.

Of course as I said, the images are from Bee Crafty.  I colored them with Prismas and gamsol.  The DP is from the DCWV Kids stack.  The star embellishment is a button from my stash and the star ribbon is also from my stash.  I got the colored buttons at Wal-Mart being the thrifty shopper that I am.

I started this card for the Bee Crafty challenge which is to use numbers or letters.  I think I’ve got that covered.  I used the sketch from Friday Sketchers  and the Everybody Art challenge is Happy Birthday.  The StampARTic challenge is animals.

I think it’s a cutie patootie card but I don’t think Cody will really know the difference being only one.

Blessings,

Christine

The Worst Thursday Thunks Ever

Their words not mine!

 

Click to participate in Thursday Thunks.  You should – it’s fun!

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by
Kimber, the number 3000 and the color grape ape.

 

 

1. Are your ears dirty? no

2. Would you rather be stung by a scorpion or bit by a snake? (Don't say either...no one wants to be in pain, that's the point. Pick one.)  I think I would rather be stung by a scorpion – well, it depends on what kind of snake!

3. Do loud noises make you snappish? (i.e. A loud restaurant, screaming child next to you, booming stereo from a neighbor's house?)  Definitely.  The other day my sis and I were at a restaurant when a big family came and sat next to us with screaming children.  We hurried and finished eating so we could just leave.

 

4. PETA- thoughts on this org.? Good question for today with the Pres. killing a fly.  They are all mad at him for smacking a fly.  My opinion, flies should be smacked, especially if they are indoors.  PETA goes way too far!

 

 

5. Would you rather be the discoverer of the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot? (Imagination!)  Nessie – I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland and I could stay in the old castle on the hill.  Go here for live views of Loch Ness.  Okay – I don’t have a life.  I’ve spent the last 20 minutes looking at Nessie websites.

6. When in a public toilet and it's not flushed: do you flush & use or move on to a clean one?  I move, hopefully there will be a clean one.

7. Neighbors are having a noisy, party bonfire, what do you do?  I would probably be irritated but do nothing.  I’d probably just turn the TV up.

 

8. Do you play Monopoly? If so which version of the game?  I have played but not for a long time.  I tried the computer one but didn’t like it.

 

9. Are you a remote hog?  I guess I am because I don’t have anyone to take it from me.

 

10. Do you like the smell of paint?  I don’t dislike it so I guess that means I like it.

 

 

11. My questions obviously suck this week. {I've had a bad week.}
So do you think Kimber should have...
~smoked pot before doing these questions?
~drank liquid courage?
~begged Berleen to do them (she's better at them anyhow)?
~just piss off! I could have done better!

Your great, Kimber!!!!

Okay, so I was bored and went looking for picts everywhere.  At least it’s entertaining.

Blessings,

Christine

Flutterby Wednesday

It’s Wednesday and you all know what that means, don’t you?  Can you say “Flutterby Wednesday.”

Isn’t this little fairy adorable.  I got her for free from the  Victoria Case website.  She is offering this one and one other so you can participate in the challenge.  She has many other cute digi stamps.  I have I told you lately that I love digi!!!!

I colored her with prismas and gamsol  and used a gel pen to add a few highlights.  I added a little orange to her wings and also added some Shimmerz.  The DP is the DCWV Pocketful of Posies stack.  The pink pearl hearts and ribbon are from my stash.

I used the sketch the Victoria Case Challenge blog (what a coincidence-hehe).   The challenge at Daring Cardmakers is warm colors, Stamping for the Weekend is going digital (that’s not too hard for me), and One Stop Craft is glitter.  I didn’t plan all those challenges, I promise.  I only did the sketch, the the others were coincidental.

If you want to play along with Flutter By Wednesday, this weeks challenge is open.  All you have to do is include a butterfly or fairy on your card.  You also need to include a butterfly or fairy on your creation.  This way you can do two challenges at once.  Go over to each of the DT member’s blogs (links on my sidebar) and to Dani’s blog and the some beautiful examples for inspiration; make your creation and go back to Dani’s blog to put a link to your card in Mr. Linky.

Blessings,

Christine

Paying it Forward

Let me tell you about my wonderful friend Sara. She has a beautiful blog. Not only is the artwork she creates beautiful, but her writings are amazing. She touches me deeply and spiritually with almost every post. She hosts a “Quilting Bee of Folks” every Monday on her blog with beautiful quilts, yummy treats and her wonderful words of wisdom. This weeks Quilting Bee touched me beyond compare. I’m hoping to take a vacation in her neck of the woods one day so we can actually meet.

As much as I love telling you about such a great friend, their is another reason for this post. She participated in a kind of pay it forward (or maybe backwards, I don’t know) giveaway. So knowing that I would get a beautiful piece of art from her as a reward (the one pictured here), I knew I had to participate. So I’m now paying it forward!

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me, especially for you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make but I hope you will.

2- What I create will be just for you. I’ll be lurking around your blog to see what you might like (and it won’t be a card-hehe)

3- Since I’ll be working on my nieces wedding so much, I'll be extending the deadline a little. I’ll get the prizes to the lucky ones by the end of August.

4- You have no clue what it's going to be. It’s a surprise to both of us at this point.

The catch? You must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.

So the first five people who post, and are willing to pass it along, will get a handmade gifty in the mail from me. When you get it, make sure you post a pic on your blog.

Hurry now, you don’t want to miss out!!! Maybe I’ll even want to participate in your giveaway!

Blessings,

Christine

New Challenge in Town

I had a wonderful and funny comment on my previous post from Nunt which led me to a new challenge blog, Sweetie's Sketches and they are offering some candy.

 

They host a challenge each month.  Actually two, one layout and one card.  I’m going to try to get in on it this month.  It looks like a lot of fun!

Blessings,

Christine

Distressed Lady Bug -- Chirper Challenge

I’ve been so busy getting the pre-wedding stuff done that I forgot to get my Chirper Challenge card up. So, now here we go!

The challenge this time was a very difficult one for me. It is to use no patterned paper with black as the background with bright colors and stitching or doodling in black or white using this sketch.

I definitely wouldn’t be doing a scrapbook page. The dark colors were way to much of a challenge there. I actually dreamt about what I was going to do it was on my mind so much. I thought I would do a lady bug cad with the Black Magic paper from Core’dinations.

I used the ladybug cut from the Walk in my Garden cartridge. (After I finished the card, I realized there was a cuter lady bug on the Doodlebugs cartridge that I wish I would have used.) The letters are the standard cut from Lyrical Letters.

The great thing about Black Magic paper is that it is colored on one side and has a coating of black on the other side of the paper. I demonstrated three ways of using it on this card. First of all, I drew around the lady bug with a white pencil, removed her and then sanded around the white pencil marks. This takes a little more than I thought it would. I used a nail block but I think I needed one with a little more grit.

The second and third techniques are on the flower. I crinkled the paper and then sanded the crinkles. Then I tore out the individual circles and stuck them together with a brad. When you tear the paper it leaves a pink border around the black.

I also distressed just about everything. I sanded the sides of the cardstock. I used black chalk on all the pink paper except the letters and put a little ink on the brad. I doodle stitched around the lady bug and her dots and I put some dots on the letters.

I gave the lady bug wiggly eyes and I mounted the whole thing onto dark grey cardstock.

The Black Magic card stock was hard to find. I had heard about it before but I hadn’t seen it in any of my LLSs. I had some errands to run including a stop at Joanns so I drove around one day hitting some stores with no luck of finding it. I did get the number of a store in a town about an hour away that probably had it. At my last stop, Joanns where I knew they didn’t have it, I was looking through the DP as I always do and, guess what? They have it now. I bought two sheets and only used 1/2 sheet to make this card. Now I have more to play with.

Sorry once again that I didn’t get this posted. I could have done it last night but it just slipped my mind.

If you have a Cricut and what to play along, go to the Chirper Challenge blog to read about the challenge and look at all the lovely layouts and cards the other Chriper’s made.

Blessings,

Christine

Wedding Invitation Assembly Party

I started out on Friday making 600+ flowers, lining them up individually and spraying them with glimmer mist. Then I packed up everything we needed in my trusty crop case.

Then on Saturday morning I got up bright and early (well for me anyway) at 9:00 am and headed over to my sister’s house to start things up. However, it was a false start because I had forgotten the heat gun and no one else was there yet. So I returned home and went back again.

I got there and put everybody to work. This is my niece, Alicia, and her fiancé, Chris, putting the flowers together. No, they’re not smoking cigars; they’re chomping on carrot sticks.

Shortly after we got started, my sister had lunch ready. Roasted chicken, potato salad and baked beans. Yummy!

After we ate, we got started up again into an assembly line. I was cutting the invitations, my sister was cutting the inserts, my niece continued to assemble the flowers, my mother was stamping and Chris was embossing, After about 4 invitations, the heat gun broke. Yes, the same one I had forgotten. Chris and Alicia left to get a new heat gun and brought it back. They had some other things they needed to do so they were out for the rest of the afternoon.

The rest of us continued with our tasks! We thought it would take about 5 hours to complete. Alicia and Chris got back at about the same time as we thought we would have been done and we weren’t hardly done at all.

We moved Chris to stamping and embossing (the most time consuming task). Alicia started gluing the belly band around the card.

My sister was folding the belly bands.

My mother was tying the ribbon around the middle and I was attaching the insert and folding.

We finished about 11:00 pm, taking about twice as long as I thought it would. But we had a good time chatting and laughing.

All in all, we had a great time and now I have a brand new heat gun!

I didn’t get a picture of the finished product but I’ll get a shot later. I need to order a photo collage to put with the invitations. I want to get back to my cards, ut before I can get anything new made, I’m going to have to clean my craft room because everything was thrown around while I packed to get ready for the party!

Blessings,

Christine

Pink Saturday

I’ve been working on my nieces  wedding invitations this week and didn’t have time to take pictures for Pink Saturday so I went with my old standby – things from EBay.  Today I selected vintage pink cookie jars.  I love these old cookie jars and wish I had the money and the space to collect a few!

First off, I have a cute cookie jar with a basket weave design printed in gold.  The mouth of the jar is big enough that you wouldn't get your hand stuck if you tried to grab a handful of cookies (hehe).

 

 

 

And now a pink basket with a kitty cat sitting guard over the cookies.  Does she scare you enough to keep you away from the cookies?

 

Now we have Peter Rabbit!  Of course, he is dressed in blue because he’s a boy but he has cute little pink ears!

 

 

 

Then little piggies.  I think pigs are appropriate for a cookie jar, huh?

 

 

And one big fat pig eating one of the cookieS.  Oh wait, he has his own box so there will still be cookies left for you!!!

 

 

I have a canister set much like this cook jar.  I’m tempted to put a bid on it.

 

 

 

And last but certainly not least, this delicious looking pink ice cream soda cookie jar must hold some yummy cookies!!!  Those who read my blog regularly know that I’ve been kind of stuck in an ice cream mode lately, especially pink cherry ice cream!!!

Thanks for coming by to see my pink today and please stop by anytime.  I love having guests over especially those of you would love PINK!!!

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. Big thanks to Beverly for coordinating all the pinkaliciousness!

Happy Pink Saturday,

Christine

Whiff of Joy Release

  Whiff of Joy is having a new release this weekend of Women’s Delight stamps.  I might get this one to use for my nieces shower invitations.

Each one is beautiful in it’s own way.  Their are some of brides and groom, a lovely wedding cake, Willow pregnant and Willow holding a baby.  They are all beautiful.  You can see them all on Katharina’s blog.  She also has a pre-release giveaway.

Blessings,

Christine

P.S. Lacey is also giving Wiff of Joy candy!

No Cards from Me Today

I didn’t get any cards completed today.  I am in the process of cutting out 600 flowers.  I actually only have 55 to go but I’m tired of babysitting my Cricut and my back is sore from sitting at my craft table.

These are for my nieces wedding invitations.  There are three flowers per invitation and two flowers per each flower (if that makes any since at all) to be layered with a pearl in the middle.   I sat at my craft table today coloring stamped images and pushing “repeat last” and “cut” on my Cricut a whole bunch of times.  Tomorrow I will be laying them all out in one layer and spraying them with yellow Moon Glitz.  I hope that I will also have time to layer them together with a pearl in the center tomorrow.  Then that will be all done when we have the Wedding Invitation Assembly Party Saturday.  The envelopes should be delivered by UPS tomorrow.  I sure hope so.  The paper is already here.  That’s the most important anyway,  It will be so great to get these all done and out in the mail.  First task down!

My second task is to make the invitations for the wedding shower.  I think I’ll have a lot of fun with this one.  I’m either going to buy the Wedding cartridge for the Cricut and design something there or I’m going to get a digi stamp with some wedding images.  I’m not sure what would be quicker, to color images or to cut and paste Cricut cuts.  I’ll probably only be doing about 20 shower invites so I’m not sure it matters much.  I’m going to look around for some digi stamps and see if I can find some details about the wedding cartridge and come up with some designs.  That’s probably a good idea before I go purchasing something, huh?

If anyone lives in Southern Idaho and would like to come and help at the Wedding Invitation Assembly Party (I’m calling it that so it sounds real official), please, feel free to come and help.  I’m sure my sister would feed you.  Maybe she’d even go to Iceberg and get some milkshakes!!!  Yummmmy!  (Hint: if one of you shows up then she’ll have to go get them since I said so here.  Then we will all get one!)

That’s it for now!  Hopefully, between cutting and spraying and drying, I’ll get a chance to put a card together to show you.  I did get one card done tonight but it was for a DT thingy.

Blessings,

Christine

Pillsbury Doughboy Give Away

Maria is giving away a Pillsbury dough boy and a Cook-Off recipe book. How cool is that? It ends at midnight tonight so you better hurry and check it out. She also has lots (and I mean lots) of other giveaways.

Blessings,

Thursday Thunks

 

Click to participate in Thursday Thunks.

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Berleen, the number 1 (because I am) and the color nude.

 

 

1. What is your least favorite candy bar?  Peppermint Patty – ech!

2. If I were to call you, what would you say? I wouldn’t answer the phone because I wouldn’t recognize the phone number.  Sorry.  I’d call you back though if you left a message though.

3. What is your favorite type of leaf? Oak, because it’s so beautiful in the fall.

4. When was the last time you....
- had sex?  too long
- swam in a lake?  I have no idea;  I’ve swam in rivers but I think it was about 1987 at Bear Lake.
- went barefoot outside? today
- ate peas? probably the day before I moved from my parents house when I was 17.  My Mom always made us eat at least one bite and I dislike peas even more than peppermint candy!  I don’t like carrots either so it’s good that they serve them together.  I even pick the peas out of fried rice at the Chinese restaurant.  Come to think of it, I bit into a pea the last time I had Chinese food (ooooohhh – ech!)

5. Since Father's Day is right around the corner, tell us about the person that you are celebrating.  I will be celebrating my father (who was an honest, hardworking and wonderful man) and my Grandpa ( who was the epitome of a Grandpa).

6. Were you dropped on your head as a child?  I don’t think so but it WOULD explain some things.

7. How often do you clean your toilet?  Do they need to be cleaned?  (hehe)

8. Have you ever been sunburned? Tell us about it.  Big time; many times!  All I can say is that I don’t do THAT anymore.

9. On average, how many hours a sleep do you get a night? I probably get 7.  I’m definitely and insomniac so some nights I sleep 10 sometimes 5.

10 How many hours did you get last night? 6; I was still awake at 6:00 am when the sun came up.

11. Take a picture of something. Post it. My foot for proof of the next answer.  Yes, I’m wearing Eyore pjs.

12. Are the bottom of your feet dirty?  No.

 

13. Do you know the names of every member of the family who lives next door to you? Yes, Karen on one side and Dan on the other side.

Thursday Thunks is fun; come join us!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Flutter Bairy Wednesday

This post was revised to add Flutter By Wednesday information. Oops!

This is my card for Flutterby Wednesday. This little girl is a digi stamp called Butter Fairy from Soft Pencil. I was bored at the computer yesterday and went on a search for digital stamp images and I found her. She has a wonderful paisley type pattern on her wings. I can think of so many ways to color her, can’t you? I started out with a mod kind of sixties thing for the first time. You’ll be seeing her again.

If you want to play along, this weeks challenge is to use a sketch from another challenge. You also need to include a butterfly or fairy on your creation. This way you can do two challenges at once. Go over to each of the DT member’s blogs (links on my sidebar) and to Dani’s blog and see the some beautiful examples for inspiration; make your creation and go back to Dani’s blog to put a link to your card in Mr. Linky.

I was having a horrible time finding my crafty muse yesterday. She was out of town!!! I colored her and then started trying to make a card. I couldn’t come up with anything. I picked out some paper before I colored her and started cutting it up then didn’t like it. Picked out another one, didn’t like it. Picked out another one and just couldn’t make it work.

This evening I went back in the craft room and put it all together in a few minutes. I guess my muse came back!!!

I colored my Butter Fairy with prisma colors and used gamsol on the little girl only, not the wings. The paper is DCWV Glitter stack. I put the sentiment (S.E.I. stamp) on with temp adhesive because it needs something but I don’t know what sentiment I’ll want when I send her. Yes my cards are almost always girls and yes, I do name them. The names are usually the same as my post header.

I used the sketch from Our Creative Corner and the challenge at Spoon Full of Sugar is butterflies.

Back with another one in a bit.

Blessings

Christine