Candy Cane Perch

Real quick before I get into my card.....my good friend Dawn pointed out yesterday that I shouldn't be complaining *too* much about the rain and cold here in PA because at least it's not SNOW like she's having up there in Canada. Know what, she's right.....so today I'm putting on my big girl panties and thanking my lucky stars that it's NOT snow. Thanks for straightening me out, girl. {smile}

I wanted to make something with this sweet Candy Cane Perch image...another adorable Penny Black...and you KNOW I love Penny Black. It's stamped on Neenah White, colored with Prisma pencils, blended with Gamsol, and I added some Frosted Lace and Candy Cane Stickles to highlight the berries, mittens, candy cane, hat and snow. The main panel is up on foam tape. The sentiment is from the Jolly Follies clear set, also available at Stamper's Dream.

SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: Penny Black Candy Cane Perch, Penny Black Jolly Follies
Paper: Prism Birchtone Light, Neenah White, MME Merry Days of Christmas DP, PTI Dark Chocolate
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Prisma Pencils, Gamsol, Candy Cane Stickles, Frosted Lace Stickles, Circle Punch, Oval Nestabilities, Foam Tape, PTI Dark Chocolate Ribbon, Bow Easy
Technique: Gamsol Magic

Have a GREAT day!

A break from the cold...

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here in PA it's SOOO COLD...and rainy... and gloomy......so I decided to take a break from the Christmas, Halloween and *cold season* cards, and make something with this pretty Sarah Kay Spring is Back stamp. The colors are for today's' JUGS3 Challenge and the fun layout is Card Patterns Sketch 37 that I saw one Renee's blog. I took my inspiration from Renee and changed the large oval to a different shape.

The aqua panel is up on foam tape and so is the sentiment tag. I added some Frosted Lace Stickles to the flowers and the little girl's blouse.

SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: Sarah Kay Spring is Back, Penny Black Critter Party (sentiment)
Paper: PTI Aqua Mist, PTI Vintage Cream, Cosmo Cricket Earth Love
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Labels One Nestabilities, Spellbinders Tag, Silver Brad, Silver Cord, PTI Vintage Cream Ribbon, Foam Tape, Prisma Pencils, Gamsol, Frosted Lace Stickles
Technique: Gamsol Magic

Stay warm today!

New Flourishes at Stamper's Dream

All the brand new Flourishes sets are NOW available at Stamper's Dream.






I'm sorry I don't have a sample for you tonight (sometimes things just don't go as planned)....BUT....Michelle, Laurie, Tosh, and Amy do, so be sure to stop by their blogs to see the fabulous projects they have to show you.

Have a great night!

If the broom fits...

...FLY IT! {giggle} Love that sentiment!



I found these striped Halloween cans in the Target dollar bins....TWO for a BUCK, gotta love that!

Each can is filled with a plastic bag of M&M's...green candy in the green can and purple candy in the purple can (uh huh...matchy-matchy!). I made a couple quick toppers for each bag with the star, broom, and sentiment stamps from the Witch to Wear set, put the bags in the cans, added a couple bows....and that's it. Quick and easy Halloween treats!

The colored M&M's can be found at Michael's. They have all sorts of colors and in individual bags.

SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: OCL Witch to Wear
Paper: Prism Intense Amethyst, Prism Classic Yellow Green, PTI White
Ink: Glorious Green, Lavender Lace, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Ribbon, purple and green M&M's, mini Halloween cans from Target

Thanks for visiting! Don't forget to hop over to the OCL Blog to see other fun projects made with this Spotlight Set of the Week.

Christmas Bird

Here's a card I made for Fall-to Layout 61 using my Wings of Joy set from Taylored Expressions. The SEI Christmas Mint DP, Twill Ribbon (from the Christmas Key Ingredients), and Prism Suede Brown CS are also available in Taylor's store. The brown circle behind the bird is up on foam tape, and I added some Sparkly Fluff to the white parts of the bird's hat.

SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: TE Wings of Joy
Paper: SEI Christmas Mint DP, Prism Suede Brown Medium, White
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Cocoa
Accessories: Prisma Pencils, Gamsol, Martha Stewart Snowflake Border Punch, Circle Nestabilities, Sugar Sparkly Fluff, Quickie Glue Pen, Twill Ribbon from TE Christmas Key Ingredients, Bow Easy

I've been a painting MANIAC lately.....my husband says I have a bad case of CSS (Can't Sit Still...LOL!). Between Sunday and yesterday, I got my foyer primed and painted with two coats of a dark burgundy color. Then I decided to paint one accent wall in my dining room the same color. I did the final coat on the dining room late last night....apparently when I was too tired because now that it's dry, it's streaky...ugh. Looks like I'll be adding one more coat today.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Spotlighting Witch to Wear

This week on the OCL Blog, we're spotlighting this set called Witch to Wear. It comes in clear and cling rubber, and includes lots of different witchy Halloween elements as well as really fun sentiments!

My card is a 5" square card. I colored an extra witch coat, cut it out, and popped it up on foam tape. I also added some lavender Stickles to highlight the hat, broom, and coat. Oh, and the large black mat behind the main image is also up on foam tape. The purple adhesive rhinestones are from Michael's. Here's a close-up so you can see the sparkle and dimension:



SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: OCL Witch to Wear
Paper: PTI Select White, PTI True Black, Prism Amethyst, Basic Grey Eerie DP
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Prisma Pencils, Gamsol, Lavender Stickles, Purple Adhesive Rhinestones, Foam Tape, Black Satin Ribbon, Purple Satin Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!

Overdressed Duck

Hey all! I have two cards to show you today, both using my Penny Black Overdressed Duck stamp that I got from Stamper's Dream.



This first one is for the Just Us Girls Sketch #1. The Blush Red Scallop Oval and the Blush Red mat behind the DP are both up on foam tape. I added some Candy Cane Stickles to the berries.

Here's a close-up and the inside where I used my JustRite Merry Little Christmas set. {you can click on these to make them bigger}

The layout on the next one is for Card Patterns Sketch 35.



The brown mat panel behind the main image is up on foam tape. I added some Sparkly Fluff and Stickles to the duck. The main image panel and DP were both sponged with Cocoa ink. Fess-up time....I'm not happy AT ALL with how this card came out....BUT, I did spend time on it, so I thought I'd post it anyway.

Here's a close-up:



SUPPLY LIST for Red and White card:
Stamps: Penny Black Overdressed Duck, JustRite Merry Little Christmas Borders & Centers
Paper: My Mind's Eye Merry Days of Christmas, PTI White, Prism Blush Red Dark
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Red Velvet Ribbon, Foam Tape, Oval and Scallop Oval Nestabilities, Candy Cane Stickles, Prisma Pencils, Gamsol

SUPPLY LIST for Kraft card:
Stamps: Penny Black Overdressed Duck
Paper: My Mind's Eye Merry Days of Christmas, Kraft, Dark Chocolate
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: May Arts Red/Ivory Striped Ribbon, Button, Brown Thread, Circle Punch, Foam Tape, Sparkly Fluff, Candy Cane Stickles, Crystal Stickles, Prisma Pencils, Gamsol

Thanks for stopping by today!

Winter Laundry Line

This winter laundry line is one of my favorite stamps from the TE Wings of Joy set. I'm just lovin' the little mittens and stockings. Too cute! They're colored with Prisma pencils, blended with gamsol, and then I added some sugar Sparkly Fluff to parts of the hats and mittens. The largest DP panel on the card base is up on foam tape.

SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: Taylored Expressions Wings of Joy
Paper: White, Prism Nautical Blue Dark, Memory Box Dew Frost DP
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Prisma Pencils, Gamsol, Foam Tape, Ribbon from StarLit Studio, Blue Brads, Sugar Sparkly Fluff

That's it for today...short and sweet. Have a good one!

Boots Made for Hauntin'

Hehe, I love that sentiment. Aren't OCL sets just a hoot?!! They crack me up! The set I used is called Witch to Wear. I made this card last week for SCS Sketch Challenge 248 and Color Throwdown 62...just now getting a chance to post it to my blogaroo.

The panels with the boots, the olive mats behind the boots, and the sentiment tag are all up on foam tape. I also added some Eucalyptus Stickles to highlight the boots....after all, EVERYONE should have blingy boots, right? {giggle}

Here's the inside of the card:



SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: OCL Witch to Wear
Paper: Razzleberry, Olive, Watercolor Paper, Basic Grey Eerie DP
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Really Rust
Accessories: Foam Tape, Adhesive Bling from Mike's, Eucalyptus Stickles, String, Ribbon, Spellbinders Tag, Spellbinders Square Nestabilities

I'll be back next week with some more projects using this set....because next week this set is the Spotlight Set of the Week on the OCL Blog!

So on Sunday, I got the side door painted and the front porch all prepped with primer. Then yesterday I finished painting the actual paint color on the porch and grabbed up some sample colors at Lowe's so I can figure out what color to put in the foyer...oh so MANY choices...this could take forever to decide, lol!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope your day is GREAT!

How Sweet You Are

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again....I just LOVE Sarah Kay images!

This one is called How Sweet You Are. It's stamped on Prism Smooth White and colored with Prisma pencils....LOVE how easily the prisma colors blend on this CS! An extra hat was colored, cut out and popped up on foam tape. The polka dot Spellbinders frame is also up on foam tape. I added some mini flower rhinestones to the bow on her hat (they're glued down with a small dot of Diamond Glaze). Here's a close-up:



SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: Sarah Kay How Sweet You Are
Paper: PTI White, Prism Smooth White, old Creative Memories DP
Ink: Black
Accessories: Prisma Pencils, Gamsol, Mini Flower Rhinestones, Diamond Glaze, Foam Tape, Lemon Tart Button, Natural String, Lemon Tart Satin Ribbon, Bow Easy

So yesterday I worked, then I painted the front door and all the trim around it. Wow, what a difference that made. It looks like a new door now! Of course, while working on the door, I noticed a bunch of other stuff around the house that needs attention...like some door knobs that need to be replaced, I'd like to repaint the accent wall in the foyer a different color (I need a change in there!), some indoor trim is marked up and needs work...you get the picture...one project leads to ten more, right?

So anyway, today I'm going to paint the side door, maybe work on the front porch to clean that up, and then we'll all hang out and watch the race.

Have a GREAT day!

TE October Release!

Okay gang, all the new Taylored Expressions stamps, key ingredients, and Christmas Bundle are now available in the TE store. Today we're showing you the new Holiday Wonder set.

The Island Mist Light Prism CS, Choice Buttercream CS, Jolly by Golly DP, and lace ribbon are all from the Christmas Key Ingredients. The button is from the Christmas Bundle. The large Island Mist panel with the punched snowflakes is up on foam tape. I added a little bit of Fruit Punch and Diamond Stickles to the snowman.

The layout is Card Patterns Sketch 34. *Edited to add*...as luck would have it, my card today fits into the challenge over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog, which was to add sewing or faux sewing. Hee! Gotta love when that happens!



Here's the inside of the card. The snowflakes are also from the new Holiday Wonder set. They're stamped in Sage Shadow.



SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: TE Holiday Wonder
Paper: Prism Island Mist Light, Choice Buttercream, Jolly by Golly DP
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Sage Shadow
Copics: W1, W3, BG11, YR21, R11, R22
Accessories: Lace Ribbon, Ivory Satin Ribbon, Button, String, Oval Punch, Foam Tape, Martha Stewart Snowflake Border Punch, Paper Piercing Tool & Mat Pack, Diamond Stickles, Fruit Punch Stickles
Technique: Faux Stitching

Check out what the rest of the Baker's Dozen have to show you today: Charmaine, Dawn, Donna, Jackie, Jodi, Karen G, Karen M, Laura, Laurie, Sankari, Sharon, and Taylor


*****Extra SALES and FUN STUFF going on at TE today*****

1. All orders placed on Saturday, October 3rd will receive a FREE CARD KIT to make this card. You just provide the ribbon and stamp image!

2. Two 2008 Christmas stamp sets (Season's Sweetings and Home Sweet Home) are available for 25% OFF October 3rd - October 5th. Here's a card I made using the Home Sweet Home set back when I was a dirty girl:



More samples using these 2008 Christmas sets can be found in the Taylored Expressions Gallery, here and here.

3. Check out the What's the Deal category in the store for more..well...DEALS!

4. There's a FREE DOWNLOAD available today for World Card Making Day on Taylor's blog.

5. There's a FUN Challenge on the SASI Blog today. Make a card featuring TE stamps and you'll be entered to WIN any one TE Stamp Set of your choice! More details can be found over on the SASI blog.

TE Sneak Peek Day 2

Good morning! Here's another TE sneak peek, this time using the new Wings of Joy set.



My card is a 5" square card. The Christmas Key Ingredients include the Blush Red Prism CS, Choice Buttercream CS, Red Sparkly Fluff, Jolly by Golly DP, green glimmer ribbon, and chipboard snowflakes. I glittered up the chipboard snowflake with red glitter, and added sparkly fluff to the hat, holly berries, and bow on the main image.



Here's the inside of the card:



Here are links to the Baker's Dozen so you can see more sneak peeks: Charmaine, Dawn, Donna, Jackie, Jami, Jodi, Karen G, Karen M, Laura, Laurie, Sankari, Sharon, and Taylor

SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: TE Wings of Joy
Paper: Prism Blush Red Dark, Jolly by Golly DP, Choice Buttercream
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Prisma Pencils, Gamsol, Rockstar Red Sparkly Fluff, Foam Tape, Green Glimmer Ribbon, Chipboard Snowflake, Red Glitter, Diamond Glaze (to glue down the glitter), Quickie Glue Pen (to glue down Sparkly Fluff), Green Gem
Card Size: 5" Square
Technique: Gamsol Magic

Here are the details on the Christmas Bundle:



Tomorrow is release day!

TE Sneak Peek Day 1

Okie dokie, it's sneak peek time for some new Taylored Expressions stamps!! Three new sets will be released this Saturday, October 3rd, and today we're showing you the newest set from the Lasting Impressions Collection, Christmas Blessings.



I added some faux stitching (Charmaine-style!) with my Black Spica Glitter Pen, and that large stitched panel is up on foam tape. The Classic Yellow Green Prism CS and SEI Christmas Mint DP (that'll be released this Saturday) are also from Taylored Expressions. I started out using Weekend Sketch 99 for the layout, but moved the circle to the left so the bird would be facing the inside of the card.

Here's the inside with more faux stitching and the Christmas Mint DP:



SUPPLY LIST ~
Stamps: TE Christmas Blessings
Paper: White, Prism Classic Yellow Green, SEI Christmas Mint DP
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Black Spica Glitter Pen
Accessories: Circle Nestabilities, May Arts Striped Ribbon, Kaiser Craft Pearls, Gold Cord, Foam Tape, Paper Piercing Tool & Mat Pack, Spellbinders Double Ended Tag

For more sneak peeks with this gorgeous new Christmas Blessings set, check out these blogs: Charmaine, Donna, Jackie, Jami, Jodi, Karen G, Karen M, Laurie, Sankari, Sharon, and Taylor

I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek. See ya then!

I did it!!

Hey all! Remember I started that 12-week fitness program in July?? Well, on Tuesday I had my final microfit test (weigh-in, measurements, fitness test on the treadmill, etc.) with Elaine, my trainer. I haven't talked about it much here on my blog....because, well, it's a crafting blog and I didn't want to bore you with a lot of fitness babble.....BUT....I've now completed the program and with RESULTS!!

I made it to my GOAL weight...Yay!....my measurements are DOWN all around...Yay!...and I got an EXCELLENT reading on both the treadmill fit test and the strength test! Oh my word, I'm 40 and in "excellent shape"...according to the microfit test, that is....too cool! I have a whole new outlook on working out....I learned how to eat right to compliment my workouts, I'm running, I'm lifting weights and taking Body Pump classes...and I'm enjoying getting fit...that's the real kicker. Anyway, just wanted to share that I finished the program. {smile}

I'll be back at 11:00 EST today with a sneak peek of some new Taylored Expressions stamps! Hope to see you then!