Roses October Challenge

Patti Rose wanted to see Fall cards this last Sunday in October. This digi image plus sentiment is from Doodle Pantry. The patterned paper of fall colored leaves is from Martha Stewart, a 12x12 double sided paper pad called Classic Woodland. Cardstock base is Stampin' Up Old Olive and mat for the image is Really Rust. The brown ribbon is a polytwill from SU, so soft and yummy -- had to use some of it on the inside as well; nothing really fancy -- just a strip of that smooth wonderful ribbon on top of a bit of the patterned paper!

I will be in Puerto Vallerta on the last Sunday of this month so I am going to attempt to progam Blogger to make my post appear then. If it pops up earlier, or doesn't pop up at all, it will totally be operator error!!

Hope you check out all of the Roses' cards -- they usually have links on their posts but hey, I've got to pack -- don't have time for all that! Love you Roses, and all my other blogging friends!

Betty

Greetings From Puerto Vallarta!

Hello friends! We arrived safely in Puerto Vallerta yesterday. The bus was a very nice one and it was super nice not having to navigate or take my turn at the wheel! We just had to sit there and watch the movies in Spanish! It was a 5 1/2 hour trip and we were tired out when we arrived. The resort where we are staying is very nice; it is smack on the beach and the sound of the waves are so peaceful! There is a man-made lagoon in front of the resort; it's so pretty and is a wonderful place for snorkeling.

I am taking some pictures but I forgot to bring the cable that allows me to download them to the computer. So, it looks like the pictures will have to wait until we return home! I'm going to miss participating in my favorite challenges this week but I guess it's a small price to pay for a vacation in such a beautiful place.

Hope you all have a terrific weekend!
Betty

Merry Christmas Fan Fold Wreath

Happy Wednesday everyone! I got to looking for my blog post with this card and realized that I never posted it! So, here goes! First of all, it's ivory not white (seems like I'm always saying that!). The sentiment is from Flourishes and is embossed with Seafoam White embossing powder. The background uses a Cuttlebug embossing folder with snowflakes and I made the little fanfold circle with a snowflake center (that reminds me -- I made this card for a stampTV challenge and posted it there). Added a sheer ivory ribbon and I think it looks like a Christmas wreath. I'm going to demonstrate this technique at our next church stamping day; hope they'll have fun making them too! (if you've never done one, it's easy as can be -- you can find a tutorial at Splitcoaststampers)

I'm packing today for a trip to Puerto Vallarta -- hoping they will have wi-fi where we're staying so I can post some pictures during our stay. We have friends here who go to PV quite often but this will be my first trip -- we'll be taking the bus there so we can enjoy the scenery along the way rather than worrying about taking a wrong turn! It will be a five hour bus trip but I think it will be worth it!

Later,
Betty

Have You Hugged Your Pumpkin Today?

This sweet little image is from Di's Digis; who couldn't help but fall in love with this face!

There are probably more, but I found two sites that have challenges to use a pumpkin so I'll enter my card here.....

Crafty Contagion #2 with the Stamping Together Divas

2 Sisters Challenge Blog

I started with the image and colored it with Koh-I-Noor pencils blended with baby oil. Next, I cut it out with Spellbinders Nestabilities and matted it. Took the original die and traced around the edge to get the size for the orange mat and cut  the brown mat with the next sized up die.

Big thanks go out to my friend Patti Rose who included ribbon with the beautiful birthday card she sent to me. I found a piece of patterned paper in a Martha Stewart 12x12 paper pack that had that teal color from the ribbon for my background paper.

I'm going to enter once more in the Lily Pad Cards challenge; this will be the last, I promise! I really didn't intend to but I must have that sketch in my head; it just worked its way out!

Later,

Betty

Happy Birthday ala Nature

I have another card today for the sketch at Lily Pad Card Challenges. You are allowed to enter more than once and it is such a great sketch that I decided to use it again. Didn't even flip it this time!

My colors come from the challenge at AnnaBelle Stamps to Say It In ..... Pink, Green and Kraft.  The stamps are also from AnnaBelle's set All Things Grow.

I pulled out a tool that hasn't seen the light of day in a long time -- my crimper. Sounds like someone on "So You Think You Can Dance" -- oh wait, that's a crumper! Any how, the Kraft paper in the background has been crimped.

Now, on to my report about my trip to Miguel's in Guadalajara. It was two stories of arts and crafts supplies, but very little for card making. All I saw was a small selection of patterned paper and several assorted hand punches for small items like stars, small animals, etc. But, there were ribbons along several sides of the store, both downstairs and up -- they won't be running out any time soon! And what really appealed to me (although I have plenty in my stash and no need to buy now) was a full long aisle of glitter! Boy, was I in glitter heaven -- every color you could think of, from tiny packs to huge bags!  There were foam crafts, artificial flowers, flower picks, storage containers (some of the cutest tiny containers!), jewelry making items, all manner of beads from high end to plastic.  The majority of the upper floor had Christmas items. There were many other things that I can't remember but you get the picture! And speaking of pictures........

Along the right wall is a section of ribbon on the upper level.
There's even more than this downstairs, plus the special bins throughout the store with Christmas ribbons!

Here's the glitter aisle, friends!
The left hand side is the bagged glitter. Right hand side are things that already have glitter on them!

I guess you can tell that I had a good time on my outing; didn't buy anything but had a great lunch, lots of fun laughing with friends and looking at pretty stuff! And we all made it back to Chapala in one piece!! Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that at one point Johnny Cash was singing "Ghost Riders in the Sky" over the intercom system at Miguel's!

Gotta go for now, adios.....
Betty

Christmas Music

My card today is made with Flourishes stamps, from the sets Doves and Holly, Drummer Boy and Christmas Music. I embossed the french horn and sentiment with gold embossing powder and used Distressing Inks to make the sheet of music look older; lighter on the background, darker around the edges. Each layer starting with the music is popped up with dimensionals. Had to do a little fussy cutting for the french horn and ivy.

Lily Pad Cards Sketch Challenge provided the layout. Nina Brackett is sponsoring this week.

Their sketch is on the right. But I flipped it -- can you see it now????? I also changed the placement of the sentiment (I didn't want it to be upside down, now did I?)

The challenge at Sugar Creek Hollow is to use Colours of Fall. This challenge is being sponsored by Paper Cupcakes. Now I struggle with vintage, so I'm hoping that this card will fit their challenge -- I did use a piece of "vintage" sheet music!

The final challenge I will be entering is at Wee Memories which is being sponsored by AnnaBelle Stamps. They are having a "Free For All" challenge so you can make any kind of project that you wish.

Changing subjects, I will be going to Guadalajara this afternoon with a group of my stamping buds from church. We are going to Miguel's. This is a craft store and while I hear that it is not quite like Michael's in the States, I look forward to seeing what's there! Will let you know details later.

Hope you all have a great weekend; say a little prayer for us that traffic in Guad will not be awful!

Betty

Layers (of Color) and a Warbler

Layers of Color is sponsoring the challenge at Play Date Cafe this week. My stamp is The Warbler by Layers of Color; the sentiment is also a Layers of Color stamp, from The Love Chapter set. Play Date Cafe set the colors of their challenge as Mauve, Egg Yolk, and Artichoke.

The warbler stamp qualifies my card to be entered into the challenges at the Pixie Dust Paperie October Challenge, which is to use a bird(s), and Stamps R Us which is "Nature's Gifts". 

Top Tip Tuesday is calling for layers and I have put a few of those on this card as well!

The ribbon looks like it's white but actually is So Saffron Grosgrain from Stampin' Up and I've put artichoke green rhinestones on the ribbon.

Speaking of Nature's Gifts, we had one of our new hibiscus to bloom today for the first time and it was spectacular -- do you want to see????? Well, here's a picture whether you want to or not! lol!

I feel so blessed to be experiencing the beauty of these flowers outside my window -- at our home in Texas we enjoyed the wildlife but because of the wildlife we weren't able to have beautiful flowers like these! I planted some irises once but the deer dug up the bulbs!!!

Hope you enjoyed my card and the flower and will come back to see me again soon!

Betty

Christmas Cards

Hello All! Just wanted to share a Christmas card that I made recently for ABC Christmas Challenges. They are up the the letter U and it stands for "Unused Stash". We are to use something that we have never used before and show a picture of the "unused stash" -- I'll start there. Here is a picture of a set of unused Christmas stamps -- I love that snowglobe so thought it would be perfect for my project. Of course, the mittens, snowman and skate are adorable too! I got this set last year after all my Christmas cards were completed so they never saw any ink! It's about time to put them to work!

And now, here's the card that I made with the snowglobe stamp. Also used the Merry Christmas greeting and one of the snowflakes. I love the red and white color combo and that gorgeous  striped ribbon comes from Gina K. Designs.

 I do have a few more Christmas cards to share but those will wait till another day -- hope all of my friends are having a wonderful day, wherever they may be! (beautiful sunshine here in Chapala!)

Betty

From Me to You

Hi everyone! I have a cute little card today and it's from me to you!

Paper and Such has a color challenge this week that inspired my color choices. (My card base and background with swiss dots is Stampin' Up Sahara Sand, even though it looks white). Here is a the picture from Paper and Such with the range of colors:

The technique that I've used on my card comes from Papertrey Ink Make It Monday -- Layered Mats & Frames. Please check out the link. Dawn McVey shows us how to use different die cuts to make frames and mats for our cards in this video; she is such a sweet gal and anyone who goes to her blog is made to feel like a friend!  I have used three different dies and the cutest stamp set from Papertrey Ink called Everyday Button Bits. Don't you just love the little bird I made with a button from my stash along with the Papertrey Ink stamps. I can just hear him chirp, chirp, chirping!

So long for now,
Betty

Nightingale Birthday

We have sunshine today! We've had several days of rain due to Hurricane Jova which hit the west coast of Mexico near the Puerto Vallarta area. There are mountains between the coast and Chapala so we are pretty well protected from hurricanes (PTL!) but we did get lots of rain (which was needed, by the way, because our normal rainfall for the year was about 8 inches low).

The colors on my card didn't photograph well -- what looks to be blue is actually a sage green. The papers that I have used come from an older Stampin' Up Designers Paper pack titled Autumn Vine. Card stock is also from SU, More Mustard and Really Rust.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Dutch Dare Card Challenges #134 - Sketch
AnnaBelle Stamps - Say It With Embellished Corners
MelJens Designs #80 - Use a Ribbon
Stampin' B's - Use a Bird
Papertake Weekly - Use 3 Shapes (rectangles, ovals, circles)
Fussy and Fancy Friday - Fall or Halloween
Delightful Challenges - Fall Colours

Stamps: See D's Nightingale & Gina K. Designs Fanciful Tags

Dies: ProvoCraft Corner Die and Spellbinders Large Classic Ovals

Embellishments: Metal Stickers Nailheads, Ribbon, and Buttons

Didn't get out a whole lot this week due to the rain but I was able to follow along with the Flourishes new releases and play in their challenges. I'll do a post tomorrow and show you what I created; keeping my fingers crossed to win a new stamp set!!

Betty

Fun with Pumpkins

The challenge at Fun For Challenges this week is to use a pumpkin on your card (not a jack-o-lantern). I've been wondering what I could do because I don't have a single pumpkin in my arsenal of stamps! Then the Calvary rode in to my rescue -- Kathy at The Graphics Fairy posted a wonderful image this morning -- a vintage botanical print of a pumpkin and vine.

I would also like to enter this card in the Designer's Choice Challenge at Repeat Impressions, presented by Joy Hadden. It is to make a Halloween or Fall card.

My card came together quickly because all I had to do was mat the image and the sentiment. It will be a birthday card for someone in our church next month -- I thought the image would be appropriate for a November birthday!

Betty

Fall Challenges

Well, I started off making this card for Jennie Harper's Mix It Up Monday challenge over at stamp TV for Fall Foliage. I also found some other challenge sites that  had Fall/Autumn Colors as their theme. 
Fussy & Fancy -- Fall or Halloween
Stampin For the Weekend -- Colors of Autumn
Paper Play Challenge -- Autumnal Colours
Stamps R Us -- Autumn/Fall

My papers and stamps are from Stampin' Up. I tried a new technique that I saw on Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday #36 video -- Faux Watercoloring. I stamped my leaves and then used my Stampin' Up water brush to blend the color into the white areas of the leaves. The leaves on my card were stamped on plain white cardstock and it's a little hard to see the watercolor effect;  although, if you look closely you may be able to see that the color is darker right at the edges of the leaves. I did try some different leaves on watercolor paper and the effect is much more obvious.

Thinking of all of you, my blogging friends,
Betty

Christmas Ornament

I am excited about my post today! This is a Christmas ornament I made for the Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday challenge. We are to make a Christmas ornament or a card that features a Christmas ornament. The lucky winner will receive their entire October release!

I was up in the wee hours this morning and saw the Flourishes' post along with one from Top Tip Tuesday with a tutorial for a zig zag flower. I had first seen this type of embellishment at Splitcoast Stampers (theirs was called a Fan Fold Flower) and I was so grateful to TTT for bringing it to mind, because I knew it would make a great base for my Christmas ornament!

I used Flourishes' stamp set, All That Glitters, to make my ornament. Embossed the ornament with Winter Wonderland Opaque powder so it has a glittery look to it. This is such a beautiful set -- has lovely vintage looking Christmas ornaments.

All That Glitters by Flourishes

Now, you know how ornaments sometimes tend to turn when they are on the tree -- well, I decided to decorate the back of my ornament as well so that if it gets turned, it will still be pretty. So, here's a picture of the back

It's not quite as pretty because it's missing the decorative paper on the fanfold base, but if it gets turned around at least it won't be completely plain!

Did you notice that I hung my ornament on a poinsettia to take the photo? We (actually, our gardener)  just recently planted three poinsettias and I'm wondering if they will turn red this year -- if so, I'll post another picture!

Wonderful day wishes to all!
Betty

Almost No Stamps!

Seems like I've been in a CASE-ing mood lately. Does that mean that I can't come up with my own ideas???? Actually, I prefer to think that I am highly inspired by the creations of other talented people! My card today was inspired by Tilly at This, That and Everything In Between. You've got to go check out her inchie cards, done with Cuttlebug embossing folders -- adorable!

The color combo that I've used is from
Annabelle Stamps. My green didn't photograph well -- it's closer to the ink color of the sentiment.

I will also be entering my card in the following challenges:

Fab N Funky Challenge #93 to use die cuts or punches.

Speedy the Cat's Friends #76 to NOT use any designer paper.

Stamping Together Divas to use twine.

The chocolate background was embossed with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots, the inchies+ embossed with Cuttlebug's DVine Swirl, Tiny Bubbles and a little, tiny folder that I don't have the name of. I used Stampin' Up square punches and a Spellbinders Nestability Long Classic Rectangle die. I didn't have any of that gorgeous baker's twine that the Stamping Together Divas have, but I used some hemp cord. Sentiment is from Annabelle Stamps, Sentimental Bluebells.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Connie, my friend, if you see this hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Betty

Sugar Creek Hollow and Plumrose Lane

Well, everyone, today it's Patti Painter's turn! Although I'm not actually casing her card, she did encourage me to step out of my box and try a vintage Halloween card over at Sugar Creek Hollow. Her friend Sharon at Plumrose Lane is sponsoring the challenge this week and has a freebie for us to craft with. It includes two printable cards and envelopes; also a collage sheet of images. The link is at Sugar Creek Hollow.

I have made this card for my grandkids in Texas. The bats are for Ashton and the flower is for Brianna. Inside, I also have spiders for Ashton and a butterfly for Brianna. All digital images are from Plumrose Lane which I printed out and fussy cut. On both the front and inside I added a portion of a doily that I inked up with Momento Tuxedo Black ink. All of the images are popped up with dimensionals. The bats are flying, the flower petals are swaying in the breeze and the little kitty just wants to know what the heck is going on -- why is he sitting on a pumpkin with a crow, wearing a goofy hat!! The sentiment stamp is from Autumn Leaves, Forever. I have to send my hugs and kisses in the mail since I'm not there to do it in person!

Thanks, Patti, for making me do something a little different -- I'm sure the kids are going to love it!

Betty

Another Case

Hello friends! Here's a Christmas card that I'd like to share with you! (just disregard the fact that it's totally like Spring outside today and I've been enjoying our hot tub -- think Christmas!)

I've talked to the doctor and I have another "case" of "CASE Patti-itis" -- only, this time it's Patti Nelson! Here is Patti's gorgeous card and this is the link to her blog post.

I used the color combo of red and kraft for my card which is the challenge that Suzanne Dean has set before us at StampTV for the Free For All Friday Challenge.

Back in the challenge world again is ABC Challenges; this week is A is for Anything Goes.

The challenge at Truly Scrumptious Challenges is Distressing (the snowflake and mat on the inside of my card is distressed).

And I would also like to enter this at Dutch Dare Card Challenges #133 for a Special Fold Card. And since I need to show my "special fold", here it is:

Thanks for stopping by; I enjoyed your visit!
Betty

A Fall Card For Y'all

The layout for my card today comes from a card that I have CASEd by Patti J. at Cherish Each Precious Day.

Case Patti J.

Cupcake Inspirations #130

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #132

I have used inspiration photos from the following challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations #130

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #132

And here's my card:

I will also be entering this card in the following challenges:

Mix It Up Monday challenge at stampTV to make a card and a matching decorative envelope.

Challenge at Speedy the Cat's Friends to use polka dots on a card.

Challenge at Friends of SpeedyTV to make a masculine card.

I made my leaves by using a video that has been posted at SpeedyTV by MariLynn DeGroot that shows a tutorial for Burned Paper Bag Leaves. Thanks to MariLynn, I can also enter the followoing challenges:

For Fun Challenges to use leaves on your project.
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge to use a new technique.

Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up, Autumn Vine 12x12
Cardstock SU More Mustard and Really Rust
Sentiment is from AnnaBelle Stamps, Sentimental Bluebells

I'm not sure where the image of the pears came from. I found it, already matted in a shoebox full of things that I had punched out, cut out and never used. I've got to wittle down all the stuff in that box!

One more picture this morning, if you're up to it -- Sunrise Over Lake Chapala (taken this morning).

Betty

P.S. I have no idea why my post looks so different from the "compose" feature on Blogger. Everything is in strange locations! (the ghosts and goblins may be up and around getting ready for Halloween!)

Christmas Spirit Challenge at Flourishes

First off, I have some more good news to share -- I was one of the winners of a Paperwhites stamp set from Flourishes for their September Christmas Spirit challenge! That set of lovliness should be traveling its way to me this very minute!!

The Flourishes Christmas Spirit challenge for October is make your card (or something on your card) shiny like a piece of candy.

I've got lots of shiny goodnes on this card. The darker blue behind my image is from a DCWV Shimmer Matstack, the tree branch and sentiment are emobssed in white, and the ribbon (especially the edges) are shiny too! A little bit about the ornament -- the stamp is from the Flourishes set, All That Glitters. I embossed it in white on the shiny blue paper in and then took a metallic silver marker  to give the embossing and the paper more of a silver tint. Next, I embossed the whole thing in Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel so it has a very shiny, candy-like surface. I cut a little slit in the branch to thread the shiny metallic gold thread through to hang the ornament.

Hope you enjoyed all the "shiny-ness" and can join me by posting your shiny card in Flourishes' thread on Splitcoast Stampers.

Betty

Digi Image Birthday

I have a birthday card today -- after all, Mark's Finest Papers is having a second birthday! And the challenge from Speedy the Cat's Friends this week is to use polka dots. They did specify that it was okay to use a Swiss Dots embossing folder for your polka dots and that's just what I did -- my favorite folder ever!

The sketch that I used comes from Eat Sleep Stamp (repeat as needed)! Isn't that a great name???Another terrific sketch this week;

My patterned paper is from Basic Grey, Origins. Paper with swiss dots is from K and Company. Other card stock is from Stampin' Up. The digital image is by Lilyboo.

Had a wonderful morning at church and then a group of us went out for lunch at a restaurant called Tango -- my sister will know the restaurant I'm talking about and she'll be wishing she could have gone too! Oh, some others of you may remember too -- I posted a photo on my blog once about a painting that was done on the bathroom door that depicts two goofy looking guys looking over a fence at you (me) sitting there!!

Now, I think it's siesta time!!
Betty

AnnaBelle Bling Sketch Challenge

Here's the sketch this month from AnnaBelle Stamps. A $15 gift voucher is the prize for this challenge and there are great stamps and other goodies at AnnaBelle Stamps. Get your card entered for your chance to win!

You've seen the sketch; now, here's my card.

 The stamps sets from AnnaBelle that I've used are All Things Grow and Sentimental Bluebells. Spellbinders circle and scalloped circle dies were used to cut out and mat the images and sentiment,  with a little sponging added to the sentiment. Background was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and a smaller ribbon was placed on top of the wider one. Shiny dimensional stickers offer the finishing touch.

Did you enjoy World Cardmaking Day? I spent the morning with our church cardmaking group -- it's sure good to have friends to share this wonderful hobby with!!

Betty