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