All Things Grow with Annabelle Stamps

I have another card made with my new stamp set from Annabelle Stamps. Made this one just to be making it -- no special challenge (I'm a little tired of "heart" challenges!) I bought a kitchen sponge and cut it up to replace my "real sponges" but I think a trip to the storage facility is in order. The kitchen sponge is better than nothing but doesn't come close to the real thing! We've been needing to reaarange in there since more of my MIL's things were added so tomorrow is going to be the day. Hopefully, "my day will be a special one" and I can find what I'm looking for -- may even bring home some of my designer paper if I can find it. May your day be a special one, too!!

Betty

Hula Lessons, Anyone?

Hi everyone! It's the last Sunday of the month and time for the Roses' January Challenge. I challenged the Roses to make a card using an old picture of themselves; peferably a childhood photo or a young adult one if a childhood one is not available.
The sweet thing above is me modeling the crepe paper hula skirt and tissue flower that I made for a fourth grade art project. See, I was crafty even way back then!! I scanned the black and white photo, printed it, and added chalks for the bit of color. I have birds singing in the background as well as flowers.

While I was looking through boxes of old photos I found a notepad that I made for my dad when I was in the first grade. It was well used and even has some of my dad's old notes in it. I wonder if he took a lot of teasing when he pulled out his pink note pad!! Thought you might want to take a look at it since it has my first grade school photo on the front and I wrote my dad's name "Curtis" on the front too.

Be sure to check out Connie, Kerrie, Kym, Mary Anne, Olga, Patti and Sue, the other roses in our bouquet!!

Betty

All Things Grow

I was so excited to see my envelope in the mailbox from Annabelle Stamps. It had come all the way from Australia and I was right there to welcome it to its new home!
The set I had ordered is All Things Grow and you can see it here on the right. Aren't those grasses and butterflies gorgeous???? Nature at its best!

I was eager to use this lovely set and Annabelle Stamps had just posted the February Sketch -- how convenient! I only used two of the stamps in this set for my card so I've got lots more to try out -- look out for more to come!

Betty

Promise of Spring

I have a card today that hopefully will help my snowbound friends know that spring will indeed come! I will be entering it in two challenges -- the sketch challenge at The House That Stamps Built and at Fab N Funky to use a digi image.

I changed up the sketch slightly because my digi image ended up being more rectangular than square and I liked this placement better. Colored my digi with colored pencils and baby oil. Paper is from a Colorbok pad and I added some light green and pink pearls.

Edited to add: Digi is from Just Inklined.

Hope you enjoyed a touch of spring!

Betty

Colleen's Hop

I made this card for my stamping/blogging friend Colleen. The stamp is named "Valerie's Gift", in memory of Colleen's daughter. I used colored pencils which were blended with baby oil. I put glitter on her hat, collar and cuffs and used a sakura clear glitter pen on the gift bow, tissue paper, and around the oval that was cut with a nestability. Background paper and punch outs on the inside of the card are from a Colorbok paper pack. The butterflies were cut and embossed with a Cuttlebug die and folders. A shimmery ribbon, flowers, and pearls were the finishing touches on the front of the card.

It was such a pleasure for me to be able to join in this blog hop to honor our friend and to let her know how much we care about her. I never imagined that you could make such good friends over the internet but I have been so blessed by my internet friendships -- Colleen is just one among many!!
Listed below is the order of the hop. If you arrived in the middle, please start at Mary Anne's because these ladies are fantastic card makers. They inspire me each and every day with their creations!
Mary Anne http://lakesidestamping.blogspot.com/
Patti J. http://cherisheachpreciousday.blogspot.com/
Shirley http://www.glitteredpaws.blogspot.com/
Linda Payne http://paynehollercards.blogspot.com/
Dee Marie http://aninkyimagination.blogspot.com/
Betty Benton http://bbstamps.blogspot.com/ YOU ARE HERE!
Patti Sue Nelson http://stampersize.blogspot.com/
Theresa Pollock http://theresastudio.blogspot.com/
Cheri Weston http://stampnboomer.blogspot.com/
Geri U. http://geriscards.blogspot.com/
Rebekka Reed http://diamondintherough24.blogspot.com/
Selma S. http://selmasstampingcorner.blogspot.com/
Patti Painter http://papercreationsbypatti.blogspot.com/
Olga http://craftieodamae.blogspot.com/

Thank You ABC Christmas Challenge!

I received a package via Royal Mail yesterday and Christmas goodies were awaiting me inside!! I won secret candy on Jayne's blog during the hop at the end of the year for ABC Christmas Challenge and I am definitely a lucky gal! Take a look at what I received -- stamps, papers, punch outs and ribbon; such beautiful patterns, red foil accents, and terrific stamps -- a snow globe, mittens, a skate, and reindeer to name a few! It will be such a pleasure working with these materials as I make my cards for Christmas, 2011! Thank you Jayne, Helen, Samantha and everyone at ABC Christmas Challenge!

A Christmas CASE of Joy

Over at thehousethatstampsbuilt.com the challenge is to CASE this card by Joy Hadden that is shown at the right.
I cased Joy's layout and also followed ABC's Christmas Challenge to use black and white, with only the image having color. I attempted to make "brads" but was not thrilled with the outcome so I just punched a little black circle and added pearls in the middle! Other tools used were a Cuttlebug embossing folder, two punches from Stampin' Up (scallop border and tiny circle) and nestabilities from Spellbinders. My focal image is a stamp I picked up from the $1 bin at Michael's a couple of years ago. Okay, I just read all the instructions about the ABC challenge and we were supposed to use the freebie Dustin Pike image, so if you enter their challenge, be sure to read all the rules!! I may not be able to win a prize, but I do have another Christmas card done and that's a prize in itself!!
Yall come back now, 'ya hear!
Betty

A Grandson Chuckle

No card to share today but had to tell you something Ashton told me today. They were playing at the park and I was talking to him on my daughter's cell phone. All of a sudden he said, "BeeBee, I've got to put you in my pocket so I can go down the slide!". And that's just what he did!
Hope you all have a terrific week!
Betty

Howdy!

I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated making this card. The challenge at PaperPlayChallenges was to use black as your card base. I have a lot of black and white dp in storage that I would have used but alas, I had to go with the plain black. Decided to use a new Cuttlebug folder from the Winter Wonderland set and filled in the squares with a Sakura clear gel glitter pen. The image is from MelJens -- he was all dressed up to play cowboy but it was wet outside so Mom made him put on his golashes; but the spurs fit so he was okay with that!! MelJens is the sponsor of the challege at PaperPlayChallenges so check it out and maybe you can win some of these sweet images too! I'm also going to enter this card in the PaperCutzChallenge which is any theme, any color!

Betty

Birthday Wishes

Another card today with a cute MelJens Designs image that I think will be a terrific card for Operation Write Home. I simply cannot get enough of MelJens images -- they are soooo cute! The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Button Bits. I will be entering this card in the following challenges:
Truly Scrumptious 49-- to use the colors brown, pink and green
Stamp Something Challenge -- use cute somethings
Fab 'N Funky Challenge -- animal magic

See ya later,
Betty

Hearts for Speedy's Friends

I have two cards with hearts on them which is the challenge over at Speedy's Friends blog. My first card may not be traditional valentine colors, but orange is my grandson Ashton's favorite color so this will be his valentine. I jotted down the author of this digi when I printed it out but can I find it now????? Of course not! Thought I could find it again at Free Digital Stamps but must be overlooking it somehow -- sorry I can't give credit.


This card was made with the sketch challenge at StampTV. I used three different Gina K. Designs sets -- Wild at Heart, Spring Mix, and Fanciful Tags. Red rhinestones are in the middle of the hearts and the white background is embossed with Cuttlebug's Candy Cane Stripes. I will enter this in the "pink and red" challenge at MelJens Designs. I stamped the flower in white on Real Red cardstock but it looks much more pink than it does white.

Thanks for stopping by,
Betty

Deck the Halls

I have one more Christmas card made, my friends!! The sketch is from Christmas Card Challenges, Week #7 (see sketch below) and the color combo is from Just Us Girls 67 to use aqua, coral, and green. The pine tree branch is from Flourishes, All That Glitters and the digital stamp is from MelJens Designs -- one of the images I won recently! The background was done with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, one of the Winter Wonderland set.
It's colder today and we've got a drizzling rain; someone's supposed to come look at the house this afternoon; hope the weather doesn't deter them!

Betty

Love, Love, Love

This valentine was made for two challenges: Annabelle Stamps say it in Red and White; and Speedy's Friends -- to use hearts on your card.

The patterned paper was made with Annabelle Stamps Backgrounds by Design2 and the heart images come from GTC's Crafty Corner. I also used some sheer red ribbon that I found at Big Lots.

Wanted to say Congrats! to a friend of mine, Mary Anne, who was a winner recently at Speedy the Cat's Friends Blog Hop! Way to go, Mary Anne!! Won't you have fun getting a sneak peek at one of the coming new releases!

Betty

We're In Mississippi

We had a safe trip to Mississippi today; no rain, not much traffic, but I found out that it's a much longer trip when you have a 7 yr old and a 4 yr old along for the ride! Ashton and Brianna have been having lots of fun exploring new things here at my sister's.

Ashton's favorite has been the fireplace. He loves backing up to it and getting his back side all toasty and warm. A rocking chair in front of it works pretty well too!

Brianna has made a new friend here. His name is Biskit and he likes anyone who has a lap! The only trouble is, Brianna's lap doesn't stay still for too long at one time!


Later,
Betty

Butterfly

The card I am sharing with you today was made for the sketch challenge at stampTV. The image and sentiment are from Gina K. Designs, Take Flight; the designer paper is from Lara's Digi World; and the flowers were a gift from my friend, Melisa. I used two Cuttlebug embossing folders, Swiss Dots and Scroll Works, which you can see just the tiniest bit of along the top and side borders. This was one of my first stamp sets from Gina K. and it's still one of my favorites!
I'll be going to Mississippi tomorrow with my daughter and grandkids so I won't be posting cards for the next few days. I'll try to take a picture or two to share with you though so don't forget to come by!!
Betty

With Sympathy

I made this card for the Repeat Impressions Sketch J1211. I created the background with Annabelle Stamps Backgrounds By Design2, using Stampin' Up Soft Sky ink and Tim Holtz Pumice Stone Distressed ink. The image and sentiment are from Annabelle Stamps, Thoughtful Stems. Cutting was done with Nestabilities and a punched butterfly and colored pearls were the final elements. Hope you enjoyed stopping by!



Betty

Sew Much

I made this card last night to send to Operation Write Home. The background was created with a stamp from the set Backgrounds By Design 2, by Annabelle Stamps. The image is from Clear Dollar Stamps and is available from the "Help for Katie" fund. The sentiment is computer generated. Please check out the link about "Help for Katie" if you have not already done so. A fellow crafter needs our help if you are able to give it!





Betty

Let's Skate!

I have colored a Sassy Cheryl's image and made this card for her "Snow" Challenge #45; also for Papertake's Weekly Challenge with the theme "Cold and Frosty Morning". It's funny, because most people say "wish you could see the shimmer/sparkle on my card in real life". Well, this photo shows much more shimmer/sparkle than my card does in real life! I picked up the sparkly stick on buttons at Target this morning; they are by EK Success. The snowflakes finishes up a set I bought after Christmas 2009 on sale. I do have a few more rub on snowflakes left though. I know there are a lot of you out there in blog land who have an abundance of snowflakes -- particularly when you go outside! Y'all be careful when you're out driving among those flakes and try to stay warm!

Betty

Edited to Add: Thank you, Leanne, for inviting me to enter my card into the Top Tip Tuesday Challenge. Sounds like a great place to learn new things!!

Thanks to my friend Colleen I've found another weekly Christmas challenge site at Sparkle Creations and they want us to make a card with a snowman!

Flowers of Love

Here's the card I made today for Operation Write Home, using their Sketch 51. My photo doesn't capture the true colors but it's as close as I could get! Perhaps the fact that it's been a grey January day has something to do with it!


The sentiment is from Stampin' Up, image is by Just Inklined, and the digi papers are by Szunyo. I've been bemoaning the fact that all of the dp I had before moving to Mexico is in storage and it just occured to me that I have a wealth of digital papers saved to my computer! Had a lot of fun looking through them last night!


Hope you've all been safe and warm today,

Betty

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

No, I'm not talking about my DGD having to do everything that she sees my DGS doing! I saw this beautiful card over on my friend Janice's blog and had to do one like it. She told me that she had gotten the sketch from Repeat Impressions Skech #D2910. I'm pleased with my card but that cardinal on hers is just stunning!

Will also be entering this card in some other challenges:
Speedy's Friends -- to use embossing (I heat embossed the borders in black)
Stampin' B's -- to use something old and something new
the new is the border stamp that I blogged about yesterday; also dp from DD at Christmas
the old is Stampin' Up Certainly Celery cardstock (is it still an active color????)

Now, on to the last challenge which requires some explanation. Annabelle Stamps is having a recipe challenge to use 1 border stamp, 2 flowers, and 3 gems. Okay, I guess I just don't know how to follow a recipe. I ended up with 1 border stamp, but I used it twice; my stemed flower has five blooms, and I used six pink pearls. I could say that I got confused and thought that it was supposed to be:
1. border stamp
2. flowers
3. gems BUT,
that would be a big old fat lie and I couldn't live with myself. So, I will just take myself over to the time out corner and sit out this challenge -- but I did want to show my card to you, Andrea, Sue, and all you other sweet gals! And to show you how much I appreciate winning the border stamps!

Betty

New Stamps in the House!

I did not make a card today but I did have a thrill when I checked the mailbox. Found an envelope that had come all the way from Australia with a set of border stamps that I won from Annabelle Stamps.

On the back of the package it says "Ink the image and stamp a few times on scrap paper to help prepare your stamp. When happy with the impression begin stamping." Well, I have to tell you, I was happy the the impression from my first stamp with each of these beauties. I had no need whatsoever to "prepare" them -- they are perfect from the word go!

Here's a link to Annabelle's Stamps Challenge Blog but there's a tab there that will take you to their store. Be sure to check out what they have to offer. You might even want to enter the current recipe challenge: 1) border stamp 2) flowers 3)sparkles/gems. I'm thinking that my border stamps arrived at just the right time!

See ya later,

Betty

No Smear Paper

Olga told me to pass along the info as to where I got the paper that doesn't smear when using colored pencils and baby oil to spread the color. Here's the link:

https://shop.xpedxstores.com/Portal.aspx?CN=F8082509A2DE

You might want to check to see if there is a store nearby you that sells this paper and you could avoid the shipping charge. Just call first, to make sure they are still in business. You can find this info at the main page of xpedxstores. There should be a tab about store locations.

Let me know if you need more info. I found it by googling XPEDX Paper.

Betty

All Bundled Up

Good news to share! Did you see the badge to the left? I won a Thursday challenge at MelJen's and this precious little snowboy is one of the images I chose. Isn't he a darling?

The next piece of good news comes via a helpful blogging friend (my newest best friend) Cec! When I entered a challenge at Phindy's Place, I mentioned having trouble with my ink smearing when I printed digi images. She told me about a brand of paper that gets rid of that problem -- XPEDX P&G Cover - Cut, 80 lb., 28.77M, Bright White, Smooth, 81/2 x 11 (250 sheets per pack), Part #527558. Thought I had found a place fairly close that sold this paper but when I got there, they were not there! So, Plan B -- I ordered online. Received my paper today, printed out this image and when I colored with pencils and baby oil I did not experience one single, solitary smear! How happy am I?????? Thanks a bunch, Cec!

Made this card for the following challenges:

MelJen's -- cold and snowy -- Well, rats, my first piece of not so good news -- paper came a day too late to enter this challenge! But click on the link to go to the current challenge! (Move It, Move It!)

ABC Christmas -- A is for Anything Christmas

I also won a surprise candy from the ABC Christmas blog hop at the end of the year -- I'm feeling quite lucky!! Guess I'll just have to wait to find out what it is but it doesn't take too much of a stamping surprise to make me happy!

Betty

Joyful Congrats

Our granddaughter will be getting her license to drive in February and I've made this card in anticipation of celebrating with her. My blogging friend Mary Anne has said that she wants to make more cards with someone in mind rather than just to enter in a challenge and I think she's got a good idea there! I will be entering my granddaughter's card in the following challenges:

Speedy's Friends -- to use something new; the cuttlebug folder Tiny Bubbles and the ribbon are new and were given to me by a wonderful friend.
Sassy Cheryl's -- to use the color blue (the image is from Sassy Cheryl's -- isn't it joyful?!)

Thanks for stopping by,
Betty

Midnight Flourishes

I don't often make "frillly" cards but here's my attempt at one. I took the photo of the rose and all the lacy, flowery embellishments were given to me by a friend. I will be entering this card in two challenges:
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge 99 to use flowers of any kind.

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge 85 fancy, plain or in between (guess I'd be in between!)

Here are the two sketches:

Mo's Digital Challenge 63

The theme for Mo's Digital Challenge #63 is "Bless the Beast and the Children" so I have included one child and an animal on my card. I used colored pencils to color this sweet image by Mo. I had less trouble than usual with smearing as I colored this image but Cec from Phindy's Place has put me on to a type of paper that does much better when using HP ink. I have some on order and if it works for me, I'll be sure to let you all know!

Betty

Flourishes Christmas Spirit Challenge

At the Flourishes Christmas Spirit Challenge we are to recycle something we received at Christmas. My recycled element is the little metal "Joy" that is featured on the front of my card. We are also to use Flourishes stamps. Since the outside of my card has no stamping at all, I decided to stamp on the inside. Stamps are from Flourishes, Christmas Music. I have also used Nestabilities to frame the sentiment from the same set and to have a place to sign our names. Check out this monthly Flourishes challenge and if you enter you will have a chance to win one of their Christmas stamp sets -- my favorite of their Christmas sets is All That Glitters!

Betty

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my blogging/stamping friends!! It was one year ago today that I created my first post on this blog. A number of my friends had been telling me what fun it was; I didn't think it was something I wanted to do but I finally gave in and I have to admit that I was wrong. It has been as much fun as they told me it would be!!

I have two cards today based on the sketch from AnnaBelle Stamps. Please go to their site to see the sketch; I tried to bring it over here but couldn't figure out how to do it (even after a year, blogger still defeats me from time to time!). I altered the placement of the sentiment on both of my cards so I'm not sure that they will qualify for the challenge and I wouldn't want to lead you astray!

The first card is ivory and green -- I texturized the ivory cardstock by using the Cuttlebug emobssing folder Checker Board. The focal image is from Annabelle Stamps, Thoughtful Stems. The little butterfly is from Gina K. Designs, Spring Mix. And finally, the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink, Everyday Button Bits.

The second card uses the Cuttlebug embossing folder Stripes; the butterfly is from Layers of Color and the sentiment from Papertrey Ink, Everyday Button Bits. And that pretty satin ribbon came from Big Lots.

Hoping you enjoyed the cards and that today is the first day of a glorious, healthy and happy new year!

Betty