Happy New Year!

 

      Well it is New Year's Eve, and 2013 is almost behind us!  Can you believe it?  I have been laying low on my blog recently, and hoping to reclaim my mojo in 2014. 

     I just wanted to pop in and send out wishes to all of my blogging friends for a very happy, healthy, and safe celebration!  Cheers to all of you and your families!  We will be celebrating with our dearest friends, starting this afternoon, so I wanted to be sure to get this posted.

     On a more serious note.... people..... people..... you have 364 other days to donate for your tax receipt!  Make it a New Years resolution to do it early, next year!  I am still not thawed out from yesterday. 

A Quick FwF Post.

     Christmas is approaching very quickly, and I am finally getting in gear with decorating, wrapping, treats.  I just wanted to do a quick post for my favorite Friends with Flair link.  Unity has some great stamps on sale, also, so check out both!

 

     Here are some treats I put together for work,  They are rather simple, but the folks I work with are not crafty, and will just want to get to the gourmet chocolates inside. 

     I ran glassine bags through the Cuttlebug, with my Swiss Dot folder.  I die cut Spellbinder Label Fourteen on a navy textured dot paper, I got at Michaels 18 times.  I stamped out the Sentiment from the Oct, 2013 KOM, and punched out snowflakes with an MS punch.  Stamping is done with Midnight Muse form SU!  Must not forget the clear and blue gems that I added for sparkle!

    
That is it for me.  Hope your holiday is coming together, and all is well in your little part of the world.  Thanks for paying a visit!

Where have I been?

     Well, I guess you could say that life swallowed me up!  I would like to do a Friends with Flair post for today, and say sorry for being absent. 

     Here are some cards I have made with the October KOM for 2013.  Love all the holiday stamps, and the different looks that you can achieve.

 

 

Card one uses papers from the My Minds Eye Holly Jolly Collection.  Love this paper!  I also used an embellishment from American Craft, which I toned down with a little Distress ink.  Coloring is done with Copics.



 



 

 Card two uses the snowman from the Oct 2009 Stampin Store Kit, plus a sentiment from KOM Oct.  The papers and diecuts are all from BoBunny!  Add a few gems, and done!

 

 Card three was created with a white base and the sweet Chickadee and sentiment from the Oct KOM was stamped and sponged with Pistachio, Memento ink.  The papers are from MME Signature Christmas.  I used Spellbinders and Martha Stewart dies and punches. 

 

Okay, next is card four.  More stamps from the Oct KOM 2013, more papers from MME Holly Jolly, and a few embellishments.  I borrowed that cute smaller snowflake punch from my DD, and used my

Memory Box corner die for the very first time.

 

I am trying to make cards with low profiles, that are more postal friendly.  Please be sure to visit all of the wonderful Unity stampers, who have posted their gorgeous work. 





Negative Background and More

     How ever did it get to be Friday, again!  Hope all is well in your little part of the world.  Today is Friends with Flair day, over on the Unity Blog.  I just hate missing that post.  Here are a couple of cards that I made, using the November KOM from Unity.  There are some new benefits to being a KOM member, so go check out the deals.

 

     My first card was created with scraps of card stock and the negative bits form some Memory Box die cut outs.  I used finger daubers, with assorted inks from SU!, VersaMagic, and Memento.  I stamped one of the new sentiments from the kit, with Memento tuxedo black, and added a felt embellishment from American crafts.

I would also like to enter this card over at Pixies Snippets Playground, since I used lots of extras to create it.

 

     The second card, also uses papers from the scrap bin, plus two of the gorgeous flower stamps from the KOM.  I used the same sentiment, but this time it was cut out with a SB die.  I fussy cut the flowers, after coloring with Copic markers.  I added Stickles and gems for embellishments, along with a diecut border from K&Co.

Friends with Flair - Playing with Gold

     Happy almost the weekend!  This week I was trying to gather up what Holiday stamps I had in my Unity bins.  I found a really out Stampin Store Kit from October of 2009!  Although I think this set is no longer available, I hope you enjoy.  There were sure some pretty stamps in it.  Here is my offering for this Friday's Friends with Flair, over on the Unity Blog.

 

     I found a 1/2 sheet of pearlized cream card stock in my stash, to use as my base.  My next layer is BoBunny designer paper from their Woodland Winter Collection.  I distressed the edges with Old Paper Distress Ink.  There is this great flourish and sweet sentiment included in the kit, and I decided to jump on the gold band wagon.  I pulled out my Ranger Gold embossing powder and got busy.  I found a scrap of soft sand PL card stock, and gold embossed this elegant tree from the set. After cutting it into a triangle,  I topped it off with a star embellishment from Sandy Lion.

     Hubby and I want to thank all of our friends for his birthday wishes.  If you did not see the post of my kitchen pictures, click here!  Have a great weekend, and thanks for the visit.

A Little Clean and Simple

 

     Here is a CAS card that I created using the Unity November KOM.  Not too much to say, except that I just love this floral heart that is included!  I thought it would make a great Wedding or Valentine card.  I finally make a CAS card that I like, and I can't find a challenge to use it in....LOL, it figures.

     I used a random piece of grey card stock from my stash.  The heart was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black, and pearls accents were added with a Viva Décor pearl pen.  I punched a heart (no maker) from black scraps, and embossed it with my Square Lattice EF from SU!.  The heart was popped with foam. 

     Have a fantastic day!  Today is my DH birthday, so hopefully we can celebrate with a nice dinner, tonight.  Happy, happy birthday, sweetie!

November KOM, and My Kitchen Remodel

    
     Let me start out this post by saying that I am watching the first snow flakes of the season.  Brrrr!  I have been trying to take my time, and enjoy the Unity Kits of the Month, when they arrive.  Here is a card I made last evening, using some of the new stamps.

     I stamped my image and sentiment on some purple designer paper from my scrap bin, using Versafine onyx black ink.  That is my ink of choice, when I want a deep, solid image.  My friend Carol taught me that trick. I mounted both on white card, and rounded the corners with the 1/2" rounder.  I found a piece of K&Co. film strip trim and decided it would make a fun background. Then, I had a big opening, so I took a flower stamp from the KOM and made a little panel to insert.  It is stamped in Distress ink, and highlighted with Copic.  I needed something to connect everything so I die cut some leaves and flowers with 2 new Memory Box dies. The rest of the embellishment are Stickles, Prima minis, and purple pearls.

     I would like to enter this card over at Pixies Snippets Playground #98.

     Here are a few pictures of the new kitchen.  Please trust me when I say this was a long time coming. 

 

     I got a good photo of the stove side of the kitchen, but not the fridge side.  That side has sink, dishwasher and pantry.

 

     Since we could not take down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, we added a serving bar to help keep hot foods off the antique table.  The shelf will be fun to decorate over the holidays!

 

 

      Here is the other side of the dining room, and they are the french doors out to the deck.  Love the ceramic floors.  Much easier to keep clean with the doggie.  So sorry I have not found my new curtains yet.

 

      Thanks for taking the tour and for checking out my latest card.  I would love to hear what you think!





Friends with Flair

     Here is a card that I created for this weeks Friends with Flair post.  I looked at my desktop, and decided to use snippets and bits that were lying in front of me.

 

     I started with a half sheet of white card, added a layer of textured olive, and then moved on to an embossed piece of chocolate kiss, that was embossed with a Cuttlebug EF, and swiped with Colorbox, Frost White ink.  I grabbed scraps and inked up my pinecone stamp, from the Unity KOM Oct, 2013.  The inks are VersaMagic Night Sky, Memento Rich Cocoa, and an olive brown marker from Marvy.  The sentiment is from the same kit and done with the olive and navy inks.  To embellish, I found some snowflake brads, twine that was sent by Unity as part of a prize.  The navy twill is my favorite snippet.  That came tied around a bundle of dish towels for my new kitchen.  I just knew it would come in handy!

     I would also like to enter this over at Snippets Playground #197, since I used lots of leftover bits.
Have a great weekend, and I will see you again soon!

Oh, What Fun!

     I had such a warm welcome over at Snippets Playground last week, that I just had to go back and play once again.  This week will be Snippets Playground #97.  As my dear stamping friend Carol L. can attest, I am never at a loss for bits of this and that. On with my card.......

 

     I grabbed some scraps of white card, and went to town.  First I found this sweet digital image that I had printed ages ago.  It is called Kitty in Window from L'univers de Shatam.  I added a sentiment from Create with TLC.  The bottom line of the sentiment was created into a banner, as it would not all fit in any of the dies I own, as one complete composition.  Oh, and that pretty oval die is from Spellbinders.  As we move on to coloring, it was done with Copic markers, and sponging is with SU! Costal Cabana.  I added a little glossy accents to the flower centers, and strawberry.  The designer paper came out of my stash of snips.

 

     Speaking of snippets...... is it wrong to save all of these bits?  I was ever so glad when banners and such got popular!  I pull from this everyday, but it never goes down.

     Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  I am so pleased to be able to sit and create a bit . 

Shades of Purple, with Flair!

     Happy Friday morning, friends!  I hope that everyone was able to restrain from eating all of the Halloween candy in the house, which then helps you to avoid a candy coma.  It has gotten warm and windy, here in PA.  I am sure it is just a tease before the grips of cold weather grab hold.  Friday also means it is time to link up some of this weeks Unity creations.  Please check out the Friends with Flair link to discover some great inspiration!  On with my cards......

      First up is a card that I created which has lots of white space.  My purples are scraps from my bin, and I paper pieced the lampshade.  I created my little rosette with a SU! punch, which is a 7/8" scalloped circle.  My sponging is done with Distress Inks, and touches of color are with Copic.  The name of the Itty Bitty stamp set I used, is Life Brighter.

     Card two is done with the October KOM, from Unity.  I used the 3 shades of purple Distress ink for sponging and stamping.  They are Shaded Lilac, Seedless Preserves, and Dusty Concord.  After stamping, I ran the panel through my CB using the Petals A Plenty embossing folder from SU!.  An eyelet was set at the top of each ornament and silver cording bows were tied.  I added Stickles, and Viva Décor pearl to my ornaments, as well as a sweet little love tag.

     That is it for me.  Hope the weekend brings lots of Fall fun to you and yours.  Thanks for paying a visit.

A Bird of a Different Color.......

     Happy Monday!  Hubby is feeling a bit better, and I wanted to thank all my blogging friends for the well wishes.  I am trying to get back in a blogging routine here, so I just had to push myself to post.

 

     Today's card is made with a digital sentiment and image, with papers and embellishments from my messy desk.

The sentiment is from TLC Creations.
The sweet bird is from A Day for Daisies
Unsure of the sparkly background paper
The flowered strip is from K&Co.
I used Prima flowers, Champagne Stickles
My sentiment is cut with a Fancy Tags 3 die from SB, and I altered the openwork end.
I created a crown with the negative from the tag, and added some glitz. I also cut the birds little butterfly antennae to fit the crown.

     I would like to enter this at Pixies Snippets Playground.  I have a friend who plays here all the time, so I jumped on the band wagon.

     Hope you have a wonderful day!

A Trio of Cards for FwF!

      Hi everyone.  What a wild and wooly couple of weeks.  The counter tops were installed in my kitchen this morning, and I am thrilled.  I see an end in sight, for that project.  My new thing keeping me from posting daily is my DH.  He landed in the hospital on me this past weekend, and we are battling new meds and lots of Dr.'s.  It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks, when they are use to being healthy and pill free.  I am sure some of you can relate.

     Here a few holiday cards I put together, using my Oct. 2013 KOM from Unity.  There are some really amazing stamps in that kit!  Please visit the Friends with Flair for some awesome inspiration, this week!  All of the people that post, do such amazing work!

 

This card has a bit of doodling, some twiggy papers from my scraps, and some MS punches.

 

 

Here I used more scraps, but I tried out some of the new Memory Box dies, that have been waiting forever for love.  Don't you just love that great big Unity sentiment?  There is a strip of embossed card stock, which was done with an SU! EF.

 

 

 

Last but not least, I used another strip of the embossing, made some sparkly candy canes, and added a Jolee's felt poinsettia.

 

     Hope everyone has an amazing fall weekend.  I hope to start putting all of my kitchen things away and do lots of cleaning.  It is quite chilly here in PA, and I am looking forward to doing some cooking and baking.  Thanks for visiting!



Friday Flair Post!

     Here is the post I planned on posting last Friday, and my computer went kaput!  Today I have 3 cards that I created with the August and September KOM.  I just love my Friends with Flair Fridays.  Unity also has some fantastic new releases and a great sale.  Go check it out!  There are awesome stamps for Cancer Awareness, also.  Okay, on with my cards.

 

     Card one uses papers from We Are Memory Keepers, plus scraps.  Images were stamped in Memento ink and colored with Copic markers.  I added twine, gingham ribbon, and a button as my embellishments.

 

     Card two is a Feel Better card, that uses my hexagon ef from Stampin Up! My beautiful collage image was stamped with Memento ink, on American Crafts, Hip Hip Hooray paper.  My dragonfly was stamped on vellum, the wings were coated in Diamond Stickles, cut out and applied when dry.
The embellishments are leaf brads, twine, gingham ribbon, and a Dew Drop.

 

     Card three is one of those cards that you work on forever.  I drug out a Dee Gruenig ink pad called a Blending Blox in shades of orange, and started to play. I was surprised these were still inky!  Everything is made with scraps, an assortment of stamps from both kits, and some gem stones.

     That's it for me.   Have a great weekend!

Computer Problems!

Hi, Blog friends......

     This PC has about had it, I guess.  It is not allowing me to do anything with pictures, and is giving hubby and I fits.  Even had my techie son give it a look see and he is stumped, this time.  Sooooooo, until I can get things off here and loaded to something different, there will be no blogging on this end. 

     I will be around to comment as much as I can.  (at least it lets me do that so far)

     Happy stamping and card making!  I promise lots of pictures when I am straightened out.

Hugs,
Mary Anne

Friends with Flair

     Happy Friday, my friends!  I has been one wild and wooly week in the Kelemen household!  My computer decided to go kaput for the umpteenth time, but hubby brought it back to life once more.  They laid all of the ceramic tile for the new kitchen/dining areas in the house.  That kept us trapped in the rear part of the house sleeping wherever.  Our poor dog is so confused, and never knows where she will find her food and water dishes next.  Today is delivery day for all of our cabinets, and I get to see how all the colors will come together!

 

     Okay, lets get on with my card offering for this week.  I fell in love with this adorable Itty Bitty from Unity, called Feel The Joy.  I could have stamped all day with these beauties!  There is not much to tell, except that I used scraps of this and that.  Some of the papers are from Flavia, and Wild Asparagus.  The one with the blue base is embossed with a Darcie's Basketweave folder.  I also used the little dragonflies from the 9/13 KOM from Unity.  For embellishments I used Dew Drops, gems, paper lace, and organza ribbon.

     Please stop over to the Unity blog, and check out all of the wonderful inspiration that is offered up this week, for Friends with Flair.   I also want to thank the Unity team for choosing one of my tags for the tag challenge this past week!  That was so much fun.  Thanks for stopping by!

Tag You Are It, Day 5

     Well here we are at the end of a week long journey in tag land.  Since today is also Friday, and our favorite Unity, Friends with Flair day, I will be adding my last tag of the challenge there also.

 

     Here is what I used:

The designer paper is from Making Memories. 
My stamped image and sentiment are from the Unity KOM from July 2012
I cut the image with a Spellbinder Die called Labels Seventeen
Image was inked with Memento markers, and sponged with Pear Pizzazz from SU!
For embellishments I used ribbon from Michaels, American Craft twine, flower by Prima, and a button.

     Be sure to check out the Show and Tell group for Unity, over on FB!  The talent is amazing!

     Happy Friday, and have a wonderful weekend.  So glad you dropped by, and if you would like to see the rest of the tags I entered this week, check out this link.

Tag You Are It, Day 4

     Good Morning, and welcome to Day 4 of the Unity, Show and Tell challenge over on FB. Sure hope that you are still enjoying tags, tags, and more tags!

 

     For todays creation, I used a large manila shipping tag.  My idea for this one is perhaps on a plant poke, in a bouquet of flowers.  The back of the tag is blank, and has plenty of room for a special message.

     Here is my material list:
I stamped my background flowers with Versamark, and then used clear embossing powder. 
The sponging is done with Iced Spruce Distress Ink.
My tall vines were double stamped with Peacock Feathers Distress Ink, and Smoky Slate from SU!
The sentiment is also stamped with the Peacock Feathers and punched with the Artisan Label punch from SU!
I added a couple of MS butterfly punches and pearls from Queen & Co..
Next, came some eyelash fiber and satin ribbon for the hanger.  Trust me, the eyelash has the peacock color in it, but just did not photograph correctly.
All stamps are from the July 2011 KOM called "Better Together".

     That is it for me today.  Have a blessed day!

Unity Tag Challenge, Day 3

     Today's tag is created with that down home, country feeling.  I live rather close to Lancaster County, PA, and the home of many Amish businesses.  My thought was to possibly use this on a beautiful jug of honey, as a gift, from one of their stores.

 

     Here is what I used for today's challenge tag:

The Designer papers are from Making Memories, and the white is generic.
The embossing folder is a Darcie's Basket weave folder.
I added row of cotton crochet lace.
The jug and sentiment are from the September KOM from Unity
The bumble bees were taken from a past KOM (July 2011)
Coloring was done with Copic marker, and  added gems, pearl button,
 and Stickles as embellishments.

     Please go over to the Show and Tell Group on FB.  Ask to join and you will be approved quickly.  There have been some amazing entries in this "Tag You Are It" challenge.   Thanks for paying me a visit. 

Unity Tag Challenge, Day 2

     I had such a great time creating yesterday's tag, that I decided to keep playing.  Over at the Unity Show and Tell site on FB, Angela has created the Tag You Are It Challenge.  If you would like to join in the fun, you can request entry to the group.

 

     Today I used the Sept. 2013 KOM, once again.  This month, there are these adorable, round Christmas stamps, that I used for today's tags.  My ink is Riding Hood Red from SU!, with touches of Copic and white gel pen.  I also used the edge of the large background stamp in the kit, with Pear Pizzazz ink.  My tags are Avery 2 3/4 x 1 3/8 shipping tags.  I love this size for little treats for human or pooch.  My embellishments are red polka dot ribbon and green gems.

    
     I will be making more of these to use on small bags of chocolates for my co-workers, this Christmas.  Thanks so much for paying me a visit.  Hope you are enjoying beautiful fall days, as we are here in PA.

Unity Tag Challenge

     Angela posted a challenge, Tag You Are It,  to create a tag a day, and we are to post it over on the Unity Show and Tell site on FB.  That sounded like lots of fun, so I got busy.  You must ask to join.  Show some Unity love.

 

Here is what I used:

I started with a free tag that I received with a Unity order
I stamped the tree, and grass border from the new Sept 2013 KOM with Versafine ink and then clear embossed. 
A 1" circle was punched and lightly attached
My distress inks were brought to the table in Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge, and Peeled Paint.  I spritzed with water to blend a bit better.
The circle was removed, and my sentiment was added (from the same kit)
There is a strip of black card and the top of the tag was stamped with the leaf background stamp form the Aug 2013 KOM (Love This!)
I embellished with some Memory Box sitting bird die cuts, assorted ribbon and twine, and an antique black glass button.

Thanks for taking a look!
 

Fall Weekend and FwF.

     Well, we made it to another Friday!  Hope everyone is doing great.  Today, I have two cards to share with you, for our Friends with Flair get together.  I always look forward to Fridays. My new KOM has arrived, but I need to complete some projects I have mapped out for that.  Today I will share and end to a beachy summer, and a card to celebrate fall.

 

     Card one uses a sentiment from the July 2013 KOM, and a chance for me to try out some Memory Box dies,  The octopus and the school of fish, that I just had to have.  I also used a new Darcie's embossing folder that creates waves.  The octopus is embossed with a Swiss Dots folder, and the sentiment is cut out with the SU! Artisan Label punch.  As for my inks, I found a stack of Marvy Blending Bolx hiding in my closet, and decided to drag them out and play.

 

     Card two uses one of my new Unity Snowpeep .  May I present Herm, and he is a Itty Bitty called Leaf Me Alone.  I colored him up with Copic markers, and added a little Stickles sparkle.  I used 2 EKSuccess punches, some ribbon, and papers from Gina K. I used some little baubles from Robin's Nest.

     That is it for me, this week.  Have a fantastic weekend, and I do appreciate all of your comments.

Friends with Flair & SSS!

     Today is a perfect fall day!  The breeze is blowing, and the heat has flown the coop.  I have quite a few September birthdays, so I got busy, and pulled out an older Unity KOM to do some creating.  This kit is Dec. 2011, and is called "filled with love".  Here is my Friends with Flair offering for this week.

 

     The jar, chevron background, and the sentiment are all from the kit.  I used a Darcie's hearts embossing folder, I recently acquired, and Basic Grey designer papers.  The jar is filled with a tiny heart stamp that never leaves my desktop.  Two hearts make the sweetest little butterflies, also.  The blue paper ribbon is from K&Co., and the bakers twine is from Pizzaz A Plenty.  As for the inks, they are SU! melon mambo, smoky slate, pear pizzazz, and coastal cabana, with touches of Copic.

     I would also like to enter this card over at Simon Says Stamp, for their Wednesday Challenge which is emboss it, this week!

     Thanks for all of the well wishes on the kitchen demolition.  Demo is 95% complete, and we are eating well so far.  On day one, our black lab decided to follow our son, who was removing floor boards, and went right through the screen on the French doors.  Guess she had her own kind of demo in mind!

     Thanks for stopping around!

Hard to Believe it's Friday

     How did it happen?  Friday already?  Are the weeks zooming for you, also?  There have been some great sales over at the Unity store.  I picked up a few new things.  Just a few, now.  I love the new snow peeps.  You must go check things out!

 

     Today, my Friends with Flair card uses the witch on a broom and the leaf background stamps, from the August KOM from Unity.  Some might say that this is a great self portrait of yours truly.  I used my favorite Versafine ink to get that deep black image. My card stocks are onyx black, soft sand, and sweet corn. The die cuts are from Memory Box, and they are the puffy clouds.  I tied a button and bakers twine bow around the frame I created from a negative.  Sentiment is SU.

     I hinted at a home project in my last Unity post.  This weekend is demo for my kitchen.  I will not have a stove until mid October.  We have set up the toaster, micro, and coffee maker in a different part of the house.  Just can't imaging not doing real cooking for so long!  Wish me  luck!

Flutter By Wednesday #251

 

     Flutter By Wednesday's Challenge is a new one to me.  I was playing today, with a new Darcie's embossing folder.  I just loved the flow of the wildflowers and weeds.  My butterflies are punched with an MS punch, out of some soft plaid scraps.  Not sure where this sentiment came from but it was hiding in a pile I had stamped.  I found my large set of chalks, and a stiff brush , then went to town coloring softly.  A few gem were added for a bit of glitz. 

     Guess that will be it for me today.  If you are a football fan, enjoy the first game of the season!

Animal Antics at SSS

     Well, we made it past Hump Day and moved right into Thrilling Thursday!  I decided to stay home today and get a few things finished.  The new challenge over at Simon Says Stamp is Animal Antics!  I just love me some animals!

 

     I used this cute dog pair from Penny Black as well as the sentiment.  After I fussy cut them, and added a bit of sparkle to their lovey heart, I mounted them on a background done with a hounds tooth EF rubbed with white ink.  Since the words needed a place to rest, I used a border stamp from Unity done up in coordinating colors.

     I hope to get more stamping done today, and may return.  The weather is just gorgeous, and I may get side tracked, lol.  Thanks for stopping around. 

Happy Holiday Weekend!

     Hard to believe it is the last official weekend of summer.  I am kind of glad to see this one go, but as I will reveal in the following weeks, I am not sure if the home renovation project that is looming in my very near future, will be easy.  More to follow.......

 

     Here are a couple of Unity stamped cards that I have created throughout this past week. I just hate to miss my Friends with Flair post.  The first uses the great leaf background stamp, the oak leaf frame, and sentiment from the August 2013 KOM.
I used scrap papers from my bin, a fun felt swirl, leaves from an SU! Sizzlet, and a puffy pumpkin from my stash.  I know, I know.... a little random.  Okay, so this is when I added autumn colored gems. 

 

     My second card uses assorted stamps from a Unity grab bag I won, way back when.  There was not a bad stamp in the lot, and I love to dump it out and just put something together.  I always try and keep a few sympathy cards on hand, so this is added to my stash.

     Have a wonderful, safe holiday, and thanks for the visit!

A Group of Frosty Snowmen

 

     Happy Monday morning!  I wanted to share a group of cards I put together recently.  If anyone knows the creator of this adorable snowman digi, I sure would love to give credit.  I have had it in my stash for ages.  I also found some of this great plaid paper in my scraps, and thought it looked like back woods.  I used a  navy card from my stash to create the cut out background, and was quite pleased when I realized it could be sanded to show the embossed snowflakes.  The embossing is from a new Darcies EF, I recently purchased. Coloring is with Copics and my sentiment is from Flonz.  There are little Stickles for sparkle, and a gem for texture.

     Hope you like my little frosty friend, and thanks for paying me a visit, today!

    

It's that time again!

     Here we are, and it is Friday once more.  Behold the many inspiring projects that are listed for your inspiration, over on the Unity Blog.  Friends with Flair is such a great way to get the juices flowing.  Be sure to visit all the links, and leave some love for a chance to win a prize.

 

     My first card is using this beautiful butterfly image included in the August KOM.  It was stamped with Memento Toffee Crunch, colored with Copic markers, sponged, and cut out with a SB Labels Two die.  I added some MS butterflies, gems, May Arts mesh ribbon.  The polka dot dp is from Bo Bunny.

     Card two is done with the chalkboard technique.  This leaf and large sentiment are also from the August KOM, from Unity.  They were each stamped with Versamark on black, embossed with white powder, and then sponged with Colorbox White Frost ink.  It is fun how everything turns navy, huh?  I hit some of the embossed words lightly, with colored pencil.  The embossed border was created with a Darcie's doily frame EF.  The plaid paper is a scrap, and I sure find myself using more plaid in the fall.  Buttons and twine are the finishing touches.

    
     Okay, Julie requested a new picture of baby Brian for this week.  Here ya go.  He lost all of his top hair, a few weeks after he was born.  It is growing back in, and sticks straight up like a fuzzy little bird!  We had such a wonderful visit, but it was way too short. He is showing off on his new tummy time pillow.

A Quick Post for Friends with Flair.....

     Sorry to hit and run, but this week was totally insane in the membrane!  The best I could get done is a tag made with the August KOM.  Be sure to stop over at the Unity Blog, to see all of the great creations.  It was so much fun to play with these great fall themed stamps this week.  We even had a couple nights that went down into the 40's.  Complain?  Nope, not me!

     My tag was done on a soft green card stock, and the stamps are  combo of VersaMark Chalk ink, and Memento.  The edges were sponged with Distress Ink, in Tea Dye color.  I added some accents with white gel pen, around the heart and the tiny butterflies.  The top was finished with hemp, So Saffron ribbon from SU!, and a pearl topped brad.

    
     I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend, and I hope to get around for comments, to the other entries by Sunday.  My new GS is coming home for his first visit to PA, so it will be a busy one around here.

OWH Sketch #185

 

     Here is a card that I made for this weeks OWH sketch challenge #185 on the Stars and Stamps blog. I had this sweet little PB hedgie image in my stash, and knew he had to get used.  I also got to try out a new chevron EF from Darcies, and some Recollections washi tape.  Do you think the little Prima flowers gave it the right pop?   I used the Gina K. Designs, Sandy Beach card stock as my base.

 

     Hope all is well.  Got to spend some time with dear friends, last night.  Even got an unexpected pasta meal !  Thank goodness for little blessings.  Sometimes we just get so caught up in our weekly ruts, that an unexpected pleasure really gives us a boost.

Fall Theme Mid-Week Throwdown

     Over on the Stars and Stamps blog, the mid-week throw down is Fall theme.  Hard to believe it is less than a month until schools start!  After a summer of very strange weather, I am beginning to think that our garden plants are just not going to produce correctly.  We have only gotten 5 tomatoes out of 6 plants, so far.  However, the plants are like 8ft. tall!  Again this week, they are predicting night temps in the low 50's.  The poor things are confused.  So, I figured it was time to do fall cards.

 

     This past spring, I bought a grab bag of stamps from Inky Antics, at a local show.  This scarecrow was in that bag!  I thought he was super adorable, and I am so glad I get to finally use him.  The corn stamp is from a Gina K. Design set by Theresa Momber, as is the sentiment. I used SU! inks and torn post its to sponge my background.  My clouds are dies from Memory Box, and the image was colored with Copic markers.

     Hope you have a fun weekend planned.  We have lots of chores to get done! 

We have Flair, this Week!

     I am so happy to see that the Friends with Flair link is up this week!  It seemed for most of the summer, it was the only challenge I was able to get done.  Unity has been running some crazy sales the past couple of weeks, so I hope you have picked up a few of your favorite stamps.

 

     No one was more surprised than I, when I opened my mailbox to find the August KOM waiting for me.  Eek!  I just love autumn and Halloween, so this kit is greatly appreciated.

     My card just sort of happened.  I used the sentiment, hat and web stamps from the kit.  My spider and glitter swirls are from Jolees.  There is this MS spider punch that I had found on clearance, which created the platform for everything.  Oh, I forgot to mention scraps of paper, and a touch of washi tape.  Poof, I present Halloween!

 

     It is also Shark Week and I had to giggle when I opened my mail and found this picture of my GS, with the caption, "Shark Week is Exhausting".  Have a Great weekend!