Love These Colors!

I'm going CAS with this card even though something makes me want to do more with it!!  The layout is from

Card Positioning Systems 5th Anniversary Day 8. I have flipped the sketch but I think you can still see it in my card. Here's the sketch:

There is another 5th Anniversary to celebrate -- Papertrey Ink! This is Day 2 of their festivities and there are free downloadable, printable images to be had for the taking (and thanking, of course!) I've used a beautifully colored  image by Melissa Bickford for this card as well as Papertrey Ink white card stock for my card base. The printed papers are from a Stampin' Up Designer Paper Kit and the mat is SU Rose Red. Melissa's image provided the inspiration for my paper choices.

I would also like to enter my card at Flourishes - Bring Back Beautiful - The Beauty of Love challenge.

Hope you enjoyed my card -- the colors make me happy!

Betty

Star of Wonder, Star of Night

I won this beautiful stamp set, The First Noel, from Flourishes toward the end of last year but because I live in Mexico, I was unable to get my hands on it until after Christmas. Since I'm getting an early start on Christmas cards for 2012, I had the chance to get it inky today!

There are two special challenges where I will be entering this card. The first is at Flourishes, and this gives me(and you too, if you enter) a chance to win their entire February release -- how fantastic is that? The challenge is to use black and white and a pop of one other color. The deadline to enter this challenge is Feb. 10, 5 pm EST -- plenty of time for you all to join the fun!

My next challenge is Merry Monday Sketch #6. This is a site that I have found recently and have really been enjoying Lesley's terrific sketches. Follow the link and check it out if you haven't had a chance to do that yet.

I was having trouble with my computer earlier, it even had me growling out loud! Picasa wasn't letting me crop my photos normally; finally got it to work but when I went to save my file, I wasn't able to rename it. So, going with the old file name I was able to load the photo to Blogger but then was not able to type in a title. Actually, was not able to type anything at all. I just happened to think to pull out my wireless keybord and this is working (for now). Guess my laptop keyboard isn't communicating properly. Man, I really don't want to have to take my laptop to the shop, but it may be my only option if things don't get better. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Betty

A Flower for a Birthday

 My card is for  Card Positioning Systems 5th Anniversary Day 5. I made it with an Always Artichoke base from Stampin' Up and a paper pack from K&Co. called Lemon Drop. I cut out the flower from one of the pages in the pack and added a beaded element that was a gift from a friend (thanks Connie - I miss you on Blogger!) Sentiment is from SU and the ribbon is Offray.

I would like to enter my card at The Paper Players where the challenge is to use a flower on your project.

Looks like it will be another beautiful day here. If you're not tired of them, here's another sunrise picture -- actually taken by me this time (woke up early this morning for some reason!)

That's Lake Chapala in the background and you can also see the mountains on the other side of the lake (in the center of the photo). I don't think I'll ever get over the beauty of the sunrises and sunsets -- they are all so different but beautiful, each and every one!

Betty

My Stamping Group

We made valentines at our stamping group this morning. We always get together on the first Saturday of the month at our church. It was a lot of fun and I think everyone enjoyed the card that I had prepared for them to make. We had two ladies who were new to cardmaking and I think they are both converts! Here are two pictures of all the ladies showing off their cards!

Hope you all have a wonderful evening and a great day tomorrow!

Betty

Another Day, Another CPS Sketch!

The sun is rising on another beautiful day at Lake Chapala, Mexico (photo courtsey of husband Larry, who is always up earlier than I am in the mornings!) The birds are stopping by for a drink at the sugar water feeders and I can hear lots of chirping! If I were outside I'd be able to hear the "whoosh-ing" of hummingbird wings, too!

I have also completed another sketch for the 5th Anniversary of Card Positioning Systems (Day 4).

This looks like a card but it's actually a front cover for another one of the little notebooks that I made a couple of posts ago! I just haven't been back to Sorianna to purchase more of the notebooks yet. I used a patterned paper pack from the Paper Studio, Poteeka Souffle w/glitter. The stamp of the bird is one I got from the $1 bin at Michaels and the word "joy" is part of a sentiment stamp from Papertrey Ink's Everyday Button Bits. They are stamped with Stampin' Up's Taken With Teal ink and the sponging is with the same innk. I combined two ribbons and some pretty brads to finish it off.

Hoping you all have a wonderful day,

Betty

Vases and Gourds

This card was made for a challenge at The Ribbon Carousel to use paper piecing and, of course, some ribbon, lace, twine or most anything that comes on a spool. All of my vases are paper pieced with paper from a pack by Pressed Petals, Baby Boy. The flowers are stamped onto the ivory card stock. Vases and flowers are from a set by Papertrey Ink, Gracious Vases. The shelf is a stamp from a Gina K. Designs set, Nana's Needlework. The ribbon is from Michaels and was a absolutely perfect match for the patterned papers -- almost like they came together as a kit.

We visited with our friends yesterday afternoon who gifted us with that beautifully carved gourd. We saw so many lovely, fascinating pieces that he has carved, both from wood and gourds. I'm going to post a link where you can see all the pictures I took yesterday afternoon but I'll give you a sneak peek so that you'll know it will be worth your time to look at all the pictures!

The gourds still in their natural state.

This is Herschel, in his workshop, with the gourd he's working on now.

Some completed projects

A wood carving

Here's the link to a Picasa Web Album (crossing my fingers that it works!)

 https://picasaweb.google.com/117097305471329563789/HerschelSArt?authkey=Gv1sRgCI-d3LiRp-WIGw#

edited: looks like you'll have to copy and paste the link

"Talk" to you later,

Betty

Surprising Birthday

Here is a birthday card made with the sketch from Day 3 of Card Positioning Systems 5th Anniversary. We do have a few families in our church with younger families even though most of us are of the retired sort! I've made this card for one of the younger ladies.

Paper is from a Stampin' Up designer paper pack, the focal sentiment is stamped on Gina K. Designs Ocean Mist card stock in SU Taken With Teal ink and sponged with SU Tempting Turquoise ink. The sentiment is from the  GKD set Eclectic Summer Sayings. Spellbinders scalloped rectangle dies were used for cutting.

I would also like to enter this card into the Sassy Cheryl's 100th challenge to use a punch and and somsething shimmery. The butterfly was punched in the Ocean Mist card stock for the bottom layer and a piece of patterned paper for the top layer. Then I used Perfect Pearls to give my butterfly that pretty shimmer. Congrats to the Sassy Cheryl gang on their 100th challenge!

We had a few couples over to our house last Saturday night for a potluck supper and a few rounds of Catch Phrase, one of our favorite games. One of the couples brought us a beautiful gift -- a carved gourd. Not only is it beauitful, they filled it with Jolly Rancher candies!! Herschel is quite an accomplished wood carver but since wood is hard to find here, he has started carving gourds. We're invited to their home this afternoon so I'll probably have more pictures of his wood carvings to show you -- I've heard that they are absolutely fantastic!

Adios,
Betty