...therefore, I am

Sassy Cheryl's Challenge #117 A Sketch!

Jackie is our hostess this week at Sassy Cheryl's, and she has provided us with this really great sketch!  

Here's my interpretation:

 

SASSY SALLY MEETS BELLA

Love, love, LOVE this cute little Sally with her new pal, Bella.  I colored this image with Copics and used a bit of white gel pen.  I cut this little duo out and popped them on this rustic "wood" circle cut with a Nestability.  I made the flowers, too!  Using a sketch made this card go together fast and easy - thanks, Jackie!

Be sure to check out the Sassy Cheryl's challenge blog!  Join us this week for the challenge and you could win!

Other challenges I plan to enter:

Crafty Boots - 2W, SIO - (1st week) Anything Goes (+ see blog for details for extra entries) (ends 10th June)  

House of Gilli - SIO - (2nd week) Die Cuts/Punches (ends 3th June)

Make it Monday - always Anything Goes

Great Impressions - M, 3E, SIO - (May) Anything goes (ends 1st June)

Update

Every now and then, I have to change it up---today was the day.  I added some new widgets-had to re-learn how to do that with Typepad and after a few trys, success :)  The overall look of the sidebar bothered me.  I revisited HELP, looked at designs and saw that some of the designs allowed for a wider sidebar.  Whoo hoo!  AND, I liked a number of the new designs, so there you have it!  Now, everything fits oh, so nicely on the sidebar.  My most recent win prompted this-Top 3 from Made Especially for You on my most recent Sassy Cheryl creation :)

I've just finished yet another large scrapbook, this one for a dear neighbor who is moving from our little community.  She is one popular lady with so many friend, so many involvements.  She will be greatly missed.  I thought I never would start, as, at first, pictures trickled in slowly.  Then I feared I'd never finish, as I received an avalanche of photos.  Not all of the pictures were scrap-worthy though they meant something to those who contributed so I did make a packet for the inside cover that holds all the spare photos.  I haven't a single photo of this project to share with you.  I consider this album deeply personal and private.  She can share it with whomever she'd like, but that isn't my place.  My BIGGEST reward for doing this album which took weeks and $$$- her reaction.  Yup, it was and continues to be priceless.  To know that I have created something she will always treasure and that is a wonderful feeling!

I've also been working on a quilt---the first real quilt.  I AM learning.  Accuracy is oh, so important-DUH!  An incorrect measurement repeated 14 times (I'm consistent, if nothing else!) allowed the quilt to fit together, but...  So, do I ditch it?!   I think not.  It's for a toddler bed, and I'm guessing the little one will not notice.  I spent $$$ on the fabric which is oh, so cute, as well as many hours cutting and piecing this quilt (yet to be finished).  I figure it's a good life lesson for my grandbaby-everyone makes mistakes, even Grammas-who knew?!

Then there is my card making, which has taken a bit of a back seat with all the other stuff I've got going on.  Today, I must get a jump on some DT work as baby B is due to arrive TOMORROW!  Having birthed 5 babies myself, I know due dates and actual birth dates have very little to do with one another!  I had 4 early (3 wks, 6 wks, and 3 MONTHS!) and 1 late (2 wks).  I'm grateful this one didn't come early, but hope for my daughter's sake, she isn't two weeks late!  She has suddenly entered the miserable phase (this kind of tells me it'll be any day now!)

Well, dear readers, I am hoping you've had a happy, healthy and SAFE Memorial Day weekend.  I hope, too, you did pause and give thanks to those who have and continue to serve.  My husband and I watched the PBS Memorial Day Concert last night.  I didn't just shed a tear, I sobbed.  It's so easy to lose sight of what these young men and women do/have done for us and the sacrafices made-heros, everyone!

Phindy's Place: #107, Recipe

SUMMER'S HERE

RECIPE: 1 image, 2 DPs, 3 embellishments

This week at Phindy's Place, just follow the recipe.  Now the thing about a recipe, it is slightly open to creative interpretation; for example, 3 embellishments for those of you who love to embellish could mean 3 different kind of embellishments! 

I have used one image, this darling little girl, a new this season Phindy Place image available HERE.  I used two DESIGNER papers (and some plain cardstock).  I used three flowers as my embellishments---and I made them with two relatively new dies.  The trick to these dies (I had to research it on the web) is to use a lighter weight paper.  The sentiment is a rubber stamp from Michael's-they have terrific sentiment stamps "for cheap"!  Naturally, I pulled out my Copics.  I rearranged my space a couple of weeks ago so I'd have easy access to my paper crafting sewing machine-you're likely to see more stitching on my cards, again :)  I also used my Tim Holtz stapler, too!

Please join us for this week's challenge.  Again, it is required that you use a Phindy's image.  However, if you do, you may enter your creation twice---ups your chance to win!!!

Other challenges I plan to enter with this card:

Aud Sentiments Challenge - 2W - (ends Jun-05) Any sentiment

Little Miss Muffet Challenges - 2W, 1E, SIO - (ends May-30) Anything goes

Sassy Studio Designs - SIO - Hats off to you (include a hat)

Sassy Cheryl's Challenge #116 Favorite Color Combo

 WHOOPS!

This week at Sassy Cheryl's: your fave color combo.  Now, as a mother of five and a teacher, I do not have nor do I play favorites!  Pink and green is a fun color combo, and I recently acquired this Basic Grey DP.  So, for this challenge, I'll go with PINK and GREEN!  Besides, I've got PINK on the brain.  My youngest darling daughter and her dear husband are expecting their first baby, my FIRST grandbaby (I'm told, it's a girl!) any day now!!!  Fair warning, dear readers, I WILL be one of THOSE grandmothers!

After coloring (Copics!) and cutting out this darling little gal, I used lots of layers, did some stitching, and added 3 brads.  I just had to add polka dots.  While I traditionally color shoes RED, I went with green---I saw these very shoes for sale at Zulily and wanted one in every color for my future granddaughter.  However,  I restrain myself---after all, she hasn't even arrived yet!

Here's some good news for you-this cutie, WHOOPS, is in the bargain bin---just $2.00, less than that cup of Dunkin's you got today!  I adore the new characters, but have to say this little gal will always be among my faves!  She has that "Oh, no!" look.  Isn't it amazing how well Sassy Cheryl can express emotions with a few simple, carefully placed lines!

Join us this week.  You don't have to use one of sassy Cheryl's images, but your entry will be counted twice if you do.  You might win a Sassy Cheryl's gift certificate.  How great is that!  Cheryl is always creating new images.  She has a bargain bin, too.  Do check that out as she will discontinue those images.  You don't want to miss out!

Other challenges I plan to enter:

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - M, 1E - (May) Anything Goes (ends 10th June)

Creative Mondays - 2W - (2nd week) Stitching (ends 27th May)

Karens Doodles - 1E, SIO - (1st week) Stitch It Up (ends 3rd June)

Made Especially For You - cards - Use 3 brads 

Make it Monday - always Anything Goes

Great Impressions - M, 3E, SIO - (May) Anything goes (ends 1st June)

One Stitch At A Time - SIO - Anything Goes

Robyn`s Fetish - Anything Goes

Phindy's Place: #106, Summer is Coming

 SUMMER BARE

YES, Summer IS Coming and this week at Phindy's Place, that's the challenge!  I loved this little Coopertone style toddler that Phindy drew last year so pulled her out and colored her in Copics!  My card is pretty simple-just two DP's, one cut out with Nestablities.  I did some real and faux stitching, used a little twine and one of those nearly free Michael's stamps!

Other challenges:

Truly Scrumptious - 2W -  anything goes (2nd wk)

Whimsy Inspiration - 3E, SIO - #39 anything goes

Crafters Companion - M, cards only, SIO, P1 -  Here comes Summer

Sassy Cheryl's Challenge #115 Anything but a Square

SWEET LITTLE AVERY 

Sassy Cheryl's challenge this week:  Anything but a square-phew, truly a challenge for me as I am all about the square these days.  In fact, I think I've become kind of lazy with my card making so this challenge, well, it was really good for me!   

I used all several of my Memory Box dies-you know I HAD to have them, and I did use them when I first got them, but I got LAZY---as my little guy used to say, "It's too much trouble."  I pulled out this pretty frame/tree and cut it out twice, a brown and a green.  I have three (yup, three!) MB fences-love this picket fence.  I used the grass by Memory box.  I colored Avery with Copics, cut her our and popped her on.  I had this DP scrap from a Project Life book I'm currently working on.  The flower is a Basic Grey.  The pink circle, my base,  is from Paper Source as is the adhesive lace.  The picture above shows the card head on, as it looks when pulling it out of the envelope...and then...

Popped up, easel style!

Saturday found me in my craftroom tearing it up once again.  Not too long ago, I rearranged, did some organizing, some purging, some simplifying...all good, right?!  What I found after about a month of working in my revamped space was that I simply didn't have enough area to spread out!  The cramped, cluttered work space was a disaster, soooo...I rearranged and took a drop leaf table from another location in my house.  Ahhh...like unzipping your pants after a big meal!  I can breathe, again!  I NEED to spread out when I create!  Oh, AND, I have space for a visiting crafter, too!

I dream of tossing my eclectic crafting furnishing and redoing with the Martha Stewart craftroom line-love it, BUT, that is NOT in the cards so eclectic it is :)  I may show you a picture on "Show Me Thursday."

Join us this week for the Sassy Cheryl's challenge!  Remember, too, Show Me Thursday at Sassy Cheryls!

I also plan to enter the Make it Monday challenge - always Anything Goes

 

Phindy's Place: #105, Christmas in May!

 TASTY FLAKES

The Phindy's Place challenge for this week-Christmas in May!  I, for one, am NOT ready to start thinking about winter or Christmas-we're still waiting for spring!  However, Christmas will roll around long before I'm ready.  So many of you create a Christmas card a week-some even a day!  Good for you! This won't be much of a challenge for you, but for me---it was a challenge!  I had to dig into my storage stash (my BFF has helped me to develop boxes for occasions: Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine's...) so I could easily locate all my Christmas papers and the few embellishments I have in house.

I colored with my Copics-really, do I need to keep writing that?!  My DP is Yuletide by Memory Box.  The snowflakes-no clue!

Do join us this week for the Phindy's Place challenge and do check out Phindy's Place-the newest images are so stinkin' cute!

Sassy Cheryl's Challenge #114 Stitching-Faux or Real

 

Our hostess this week for the Sassy Cheryl's challenge is the amazing Judy.  Judy recently got a Janome mini sewing machine so naturally, she challenges us to stitch!  I pulled out my machine for this one-in all of my room rearranging, my paper crafting sewing machine (as opposed to me super duper sewing machine) has not found a home yet so it hasn't be used lately!  

My BFF sent me this precious DP-we were quite the Raggedy Ann fans when we were small so this DP delighted us both.  Then Cheryl decided cutie patootie Sally needed her very own well, loved Raggedy Ann-a marriage made in Heaven, right?!

Do join us this week for the Sassy Cheryl's challenge and by all means, check out the shop!  Cheryl has been running sales and is always changing things up! 

Phindy's Place: #104, Vintage

The challenge at Phindy's Place this week-Vintage.  Our own Cec is a Vintage pro!  I love Vintage, too!  There are a number of Phindy images that really lend themselves to Vintage, but you don't have to use a Phindy image to participate though we sure do love to see your Phindy-licious creations!!!

Babies on the brain, here!  So, I pulled out this mighty sweet image and colored her with Copics as softly as I know how.  I tend to color pretty loud and bold and simply don't seem to know how to tone it down!  It's funny, really, as I am anything but loud and bold in personality!  I did look in Phindy's Store so I could give you a direct link to this sweet little baby-darned if I could spot it!

My DP is "Baby Steps" by Simple Stories.  I used a Martha Stewart punch on the pink paper and inked it.  The lace is adhesive from Paper Source.

Sassy Cheryl's Show Me Thursday

It's Show Me Thursday so...  

I am visiting with my BFF, preparing for a baby shower.  One of my daughters is having a baby soon, my first grandbaby, and I'm over the moon excited!  The baby shower is this weekend.  Honestly, I didn't do much in terms of creative preparation for this-it kind of snuck up on me.  I've been so involved in a variety of projects.

Last night, we hit i-Party to get decorations.  The girls (I have 3 daughters-everyone has an opinion!) wanted to go with a Cinco DeMayo theme (we are Scandinavian), but I just couldn't bring myself to buy Chili Pepper lights and Margarita decorations for a baby shower.  Sorry, girls; Gramma is paying the bill, Gramma's going traditional!

My BFF suggested we make a diaper cake-hmmm...I'd never heard of one before. We got back to her house and looked them up on line-lots of photos, several tutorials.  Today, we went to BJs and got a huge box of size 2 Pampers, then off to Michael's.  I'd seen one tutorial where a girl used a paper towel tube and glued it to the cake round.  Another girl suggested a wine bottle as the center, a surprise for Mommy and Daddy!  I thought that was a cute idea.  Michael's sells cardboard wine tubes for less than $3.00-perfect!  I started to develop the how-to in my head-a bit different then the videos I saw.  This came together pretty fast, and we were both pretty excited with the results!  The "handle" for the wine tube was the perfect anchor for the giraffe.  Oh, and the baby IS a girl-that's why all the pink!

The decorations are bought, the car is packed solid.  Tomorrow is the next leg of my girls' week journey.  I leave here, go to meet another super, dear friend, then off to see my girls and finish up preparations for the shower.

So, Mz. Sassy Cheryl, this is what I worked on today!  What have you been up to?!