Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Joy To The World!!

Hello friends & Happy Hump Day & Thanksgiving Eve to you all!  For those that celebrate Thanksgiving--are you traveling or having dinner at your house?  I'm thankful that my brother is having Thanksgiving this year, because I am woefully behind, hee hee.  I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving I have to admit (gasp--sorry but I'm not, lol)--it's more of a holiday to get thru to get to my favorite holiday--Christmas!  I do enjoy the food & being with my family, but if the holiday went away I wouldn't be sad about it!  And I am NOT a Black Friday shopper either (are u disappointed hee hee)--ugh--I hate massive crowds of people, totally gives me an anxiety attack--so going out spending hours waiting in lines & looking for parking is just not my cup of tea!  Instead, hubby & I are going to Washington, DC to see the Broadway show "Jersey Boys" on Friday---THAT I'm definitely looking forward to.  My parents are keeping the kids and we'll have a nice dinner & see a great show--I'm super excited!  Then we'll return home on Saturday to "hunt" down our 2 live trees that we put up along with 8 fake trees!  We get our trees from the same wonderful Xmas Tree farm every year & it's always fun--my favorite thing to do in the cold (umm..the only thing I enjoy doing in the cold, lol)!!  So I'll have lots of pictures for you next week!  I've got 3 trees up already, so 7 more to go along with the outside decorations---slowly getting there but enjoying each moment of it!!  So wherever you are & whatever you're doing for the holiday--I hope it's a safe, happy & joyful occasion for you & your family!!  (I will have posts up on Friday & Saturday for you that I've pre-posted if you're bored & want to stop by!)



NewsBitz:

-My Blog Candy Winner from the Magnolia-licious "Accessories Make the Card" Blog Hop is....Jessica G of "Jess' Obsession"!!  Congrats Jess!  Email me for details on how to claim your goodies :o)!!!!

-I will be having a Crafter's Holiday Open House on December 5th at my home from noon until 5 pm!! If you are in the area & would like to come I'd love to have you---just a fun way to meet other crafters nearby, chat & have some holiday sweets! I will be having a Mitten/Hat Giving Tree, so if you'd like to bring a hat and/or mittens for a child under age 12 that would be fab! I will be donating all of them to the local Shelter for Domestic Violence Sufferer's Children! If you think you'd like to come just email me and let me know, and I can send you my addy!! It's sure to be a fun time--so just drop by for an hour or three!!

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Joy To The World


My first card today uses quite a few Magnolia stamps from Magnolia-licious that I've been wanting to use together for awhile now to make a Christmas card!  I paired up this "Tilda with Bell" with this "Clock w/ Separate Hands" and the "Side Wall" to create a wintry scene (Diana is out of the Tilda with Bell, but she might be getting some in, but this scene would be cute with this "Tilda w/ Hood" as well).  I used some fun papers from My Minds Eye (from last year's collection)--I love the orangey reds & blues in these papers and the sentiment is from PTI's "Winter Swirls" set.  The snowy crystal hills & accents were done with MS Snow Glitter and the thicker snow on the windows, along the building & clock was done with DecoArt Snow Writer.  Both the bell, clock face & window got a nice coat of diamond glaze for a glassy effect!



All of the images were colored with Copics (Tilda--R08,R05,R02,BG75,BG72,BG11,BG10/Bricks--E19,E18,E17,E13).  Her boots & hat got some stardust Stickles and her fur trimmings got some of my fave Sparkle Fluff!  Lots of texture on this card and I also added some flatback snowflake buttons to the scene topping each with a pearl (Kaiser Bliss).


Just a side-view to show you all the dimension on this card!  Pop-Dots & Scor-Tape are a girls best friend I tell ya!!  Hope you liked this card today---this one is headed off to someone special for Christmas!!

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Lil' Christmas Mouse Packages


As soon as I saw this lil' mouse (Mouse with Sign) from I Brake For Stamps I knew I had to have him--visions of ideas were swimming thru my head, LOL!  Since the sign he's holding is blank, he's perfect for so many ideas (baby showers, birthday favors, napkin rings, etc), but today I've made him a Christmas Mouse!  I stamped some sentiments from PTI's "Holiday Treats" set on his sign and created these lil' cards using ALL SCRAPS from my scrap bin (yes, yes I really did--I think the striped glittered dp is from Imaginisce).  He's colored with Copics, but let's all stop & say "Awww, how cute is he?" all together, LOL!  I created a couple of quick & cute holiday packages that are perfect for quick gifts for your kid's bus driver, the postal carrier, teachers or kids--anyone would love a bag of fresh (or store bought, hee hee) cookies or candies!!



I used Tin Tie Frosted bags for both of my projects, this is the smaller size & they're from PTI--I love them and they come in packs of 10, perfect for packing up holiday gifts!  I filled this one up with candies (chocolate is ALWAYS a great gift) and created a small 3x3 card, matching gift envelope & bag topper using all the same supplies from my Scrap Bin!!


This is the larger sized Tin Tie Frosted Bag from PTI--perfect sized for fresh baked goodies like cookies or muffins!  The bag toppers are super easy to create--for this kind I just layered my cs & dp and attached with Scor-Tape to the front of the bag (the ribbon was wrapped around & tied with the card attached & then a bow made w/ my Bow Easy attached to it).  So there are a couple of cute AND quick ideas for holiday packaging this season!  (If you need, have to have, must get this cutie pie mouse stamp remember to use the Coupon Code "SAVE10SUZANNE" to get 10% off your ENTIRE order!!!)

Hope you & yours have a fabulous holiday & don't forget to stop back by on Friday & Saturday for some new projects!! 



Tuesday, November 24, 2009

All Buttoned Up!!

Hi Everyone & Happy Tuesday to ya!  I'm back--sorry I needed an extra day off!  Sunday was my hubby's birthday & we spent the day as a family bowling, making a special dinner & watching a movie---so no time to get anything crafty done!  But it was a good day & he had a nice day me thinks---I fixed a gourmet dinner of Maple Glazed Ham, Cheesy Scalloped potatoes, Roasted Mushrooms w/ Brie and Spinach Salad w/ Warm Bacon Dressing (the spinach salad recipe & mushroom recipe courtesy of Pioneer Woman, Ree, my favorite new obsession, LOL--and they were both yummy)!  Glad to hear that I've got some of you all hooked on Pioneer Woman as well, LOL--I loved some of your emails & messages--she's a bit addicting, huh?  The kids even got in on the kitchen action this weekend with Riley making jalapeno poppers for appetizers and Alexa made Hot Fudge Lava cake--so it was a family affair (well hubby was on the couch watching the Redskins lose again--argghhhhhh, maybe next year they'll be actually win again, hee hee)!

NewsBitz:

-7 Kids College Fund has some awesome NEW products in store now that you might want to check out!! NEW Sakura Jelly Roll pens (awesome for embellishing images & writing--I love 'em), NEW Shimmerz colors (love the antique lace) and NEW Sizzix Texturz Plates (fun alternative to CB folders--lots of cool patterns)!

-I will be posting a NEW Copic Tutorial Video very soon (as soon as it's sunny again here in VA, hee hee) showing how I color "GOLD" like I did on this car image HERE!

-I will be having a Crafter's Holiday Open House on December 5th at my home from noon until 5 pm!! If you are in the area & would like to come I'd love to have you---just a fun way to meet other crafters nearby, chat & have some holiday sweets! I will be having a Mitten/Hat Giving Tree, so if you'd like to bring a hat and/or mittens for a child under age 12 that would be fab! I will be donating all of them to the local Shelter for Domestic Violence Sufferer's Children! If you think you'd like to come just email me and let me know, and I can send you my addy!! It's sure to be a fun time--so just drop by for an hour or three!!

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Try It Out Tuesday #45--All Buttoned Up!!


Okay, so today is another "Try It Out Tuesday #45" and this week I challenged the DT to use buttons on their projects.  You know I love buttons--am a bit button obsessed, hee hee and these fabulous NEW GLITTER BUTTONs that Susana has in her store are YUMMO-licious!  What could be better than glitter & buttons combined together--fabulous I say!!  For this tri-fold card I used one of my most used & beloved Lockhart stamps called "Hydrangea & Berries"--I made this stamp mulitple colors but I love the soft aquas & creams that I used this time!  The dp is by Stampin Up (brown's) and PTI (aqua's).  And oh those fabulous Glitter Buttons in yummy chocolate brown--love them!  The corner's were made by cutting triangles out & then punching the edge with my new MS border punch--love to make fun corners!!




Close-up of the image shows the Ivory Flower Soft on the hydrangeas and stickles on the berry leaves and jar front--gotta have some bling!!  Now make sure and hop over to the store blog "Follow Your Heart" to see the rest of the DT's fabulous projects using buttons today!!

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A Scottie Holiday!


My second card uses a super cute image from I Brake For Stamps called "Bold Scottie"--I adore Scottie Dog images since they remind me so much of my beloved mini schnauzer Trinket who I lost 2 years ago!  I decided to dress this scottie up for the holidays using the Mojo Monday Sketch #114 for my layout.  And I pulled out some more of my fab holiday Graphic 45 papers--loved the tartan plaid, perfect for my scottie, lol!  The image was embossed with black embossing powder & then I gave him a matching lil' bowtie; the sentiment is from PTI's "Vintage Ornaments" set.  A double bow made with my Bow Easy and another fabulous Glitter Button (in black this time) finishes it all off!  So here's wishing you a Very Merry Scottie Holiday, hee hee!  (Remember if you decide to order yourself some goodies from I Brake For Stamps--make sure and use the coupon code "SAVE10SUZANNE" to get 10% off your entire order!!)

Hope you all have a fabulous day & I'll see you back here tomorrow with a Magnolia Holiday Project!!




Saturday, November 21, 2009

Writing Letters!

Hello everyone and Happy Weekend!!  Sorry I didn't post yesterday but I needed the day off---lot's going on here in the Dean house, my family and stuff & I was spent physically & emotionally!  I also spent like 7 hours yesterday wasting away the evening reading all about Pioneer Woman who I saw on Nichole Heady's Blog, lol!  She's a pretty funny & cool lady I must say--she takes stunning photographs, makes yummo-licious food, and cracks me up.  If you wander on over to her site HERE make sure & read her "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" story about how she married a cowboy & went from city livin' to country livin'--I started & finished it all in one night, hee hee!  So now I'm making hubby take me to PA to her book signing on December 13th--right now he's resisting but I can usually make him see things my way, bwahahahhahaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!  So go check her out & let me know what ya think??!



NewsBitz:

-Susana's Custom Art & Card Design has selected Spellbinders Nestabilities on SALE on her site now HERE!!

-My Blog Candy Winner will be announced on Monday morning!!

-Another two Etsy Spotlights for ya today and the first one is "Ruby Rose"--I bought some necklaces from her and they are just GORGEOUS lemee tell you!  Vintage, dainty & beautiful and won't break your wallet either!  And when I went back to link I bought myself another bracelet & necklace, LOL--I love that you won't see this jewelry on your neighbor or friend's neck because most of it is one of a kind--you will be unique!  I got this bracelet & matching necklace in black/silver, ummm my favorite colors next to red, hee hee! :o)

Second Spotlight is on "XO Handworks" -- if you're a regular reader you know how much I adore my Cherry Coke--it's my favorite drink of choice and on any given day you will find a can or two littered on my craft table, LOL (and I drink regular Coke too, no diet for me, icky)!  I have tried giving it up many times, but I cannot--I have failed miserably & have resigned myself to the fact that I can't!  So when I found this cool Etsy site that uses recycled soda bottle tops to make cool & quirky jewelry, well I just had to buy myself some, hee hee!  I love elegant pieces but I love fun jewelry as well--so I bought myself some Coke Bead earrings--they're awesome!  They'll match my Cherry Coke jammies I got in Vegas really good, LMBO!!  Have fun browsing!
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Lockhart Notecard Set


I have to tell you I had so much fun creating this notecard gift set that I will be making more for gifts this holiday season for sure (I'll share the Xmas one I did later next week)!!  We (and I do not excuse myself from this) have really gotten away from writing notes and letters to each other!  It's always so much easier to write an email nowadays, but I kinda miss getting letters from friends.  When I was younger I had a pen-pal in Italy (the country I most want to visit) and we wrote all the time and it was really fun!  My mom has had a pen pal for like 40 years--wow--and they still write, which is so cool I think!

So for this set I used the fabulous Lockhart Stamp Co. "Writing Letters" stamp--perfect for notecards.  I kept the colors simple & elegant--taupe/kraft, cream and buttercream yellow.  The patterned papers are from Stampin Up's "Bella Bleu" paper set--these papers are fabulously gorgeous, I just love them!  So these are just basic 4.25x5.5 postcards with some dp and cs--the border was made with one of my favorite Fiskars border punches.  The gift box is called "Desktop Organizer" and it's a Timeless Template from PTI--lots of good uses for this one and really easy to put together too!


I stamped the image on both cream cs and my yellow cs--I colored a bit on the cream cs with my copics, cut it out & layered on top of the yellow image with dimensionals.  Since I kept the color scheme simple this was fast & easy to do.  I made 6 of these postcards with three different sentiments from PTI's "Vintage Picnic" & "Vintage Picnic Sentiments" stamped in SU River-rock ink!


So six postcards & six envelopes fit in here perfectly--you could even create an acetate cover if you wanted to and afterwards when the notecards have been used, you can reuse the pretty box still!


I just love this set--the soft colors, the elegant feel, right up my alley, hee hee!  If you love it too it's up for sale in my Etsy Shop (link on my sidebar).


Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I'll see ya back here tomorrow!



Thursday, November 19, 2009

Can I Get a Quack, Quack, Sick Attack!!?

Happy Thrill-rific Thursday to ya!!  We've only got one more day people--then the relaxing (or semi-relaxing, hee hee) can begin!  Are any of you going to see the new Twilight movie?  My daughter and her friends are going to the 11 pm showing tomorrow night & then having a sleepover NOT at my house this time, LOL!  They're super excited to see it---I know, I know you all have been telling me I need to read the books and I guess eventually I will.  I just have never had a real interest in vampires or werewolves--it just never appealed much to me, but I will try & read the first book sometime next month maybe and let you all know what I think.  I wish that I was the author & had her millions in my bank account right now---she based those books on her dream and had never written anything before!

Go Figure--I'm not that lucky or talented with writing I guess, LOL but I do have movie type of dreams!  I call them my epic dreams, strange, mini-series kind of dreams--I should write them down but sometimes they creep me out, LOL!  Plus, I like to read but I don't know that I could ever have enough focus to sit down & write a book--that's a ton of work for sure.  With my level of procrastination it would take me 10 years to write an actual chapter books, LMBO!  Oh well, there's always papercrafting for me :o)



NewsBitz:

-Today is the Mo's Digital Pencil Dream Team Blog Hop and the new release of Pink Cat Studio Digi Stamps, so make sure & make it to the end of this post to see all the new gooides!  Today is also Mo's Challenge Team's challenge post that you can see & find out all about right HERE!

-My post yesterday got delayed by blogger for some reason, so if you missed it yesterday it is now up below this post!!  It's based on my favorite holiday Ballet, the Nutcracker Ballet :o)

-If you haven't entered for my BLOG CANDY for the Magnolia-licious Blog Hop yet, you have until tomorrow at midnight to do so HERE!

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Mo's Digital Pencil Blog Hop!!


So today is Mo's Digital Pencil's "Project of the Month" BLOG HOP presented by the Dream Team and this month's hostess is Mel and she chose "Precipitation Inspiration"--meaning we had to use a Mo image with water (snow, ice, ocean, etc) or incorporate it into our card!  I have had this cutie "Duck Day" for a bit and this was the perfect opportunity to use her--isn't she just a cutie with her duck pals!?  I'm such a sucker for a cute raincoat & wellie boots, hee hee!  The dp is by Cloud 9 Designs and the sentiment is from PTI's "Scattered Showers" (perfect)!  I threaded my buttons with embroidery floss & then attached them with Scor-Tape (I told ya I don't sew, lol)--and that cute lil' teardrop/raindrop on the sentiment can be bought in packs HERE.



The image was colored with Copics and then I added diamond glaze to the umbrella, her boots & all the water puddles & drops--after it dried I smeared on a coat of Stickles for extra sparkle.  I used my Clear Spica pen on her coat as well, but it doesn't show up well in pictures unfortunately!


This side-view shows the paper-tole effect I did by printing out 2 images, coloring the umbrella & mama duck twice and then popping them up with dimensionals.  I love the added dimension it adds to the front of the card!  Just a fun, cheery & happy card for someone special!!  The start of the hop begins at Mel's blog, and if you came here from Elaine's blog then your next HOP is to Michelle(Shell)'s Blog HERE!  Have fun on your hop!


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Pink Cat Studio Digi Release!!





I just adore all the images that Melissa of Pink Cat Studio designs--they're all just too cute & so much fun to color!  Today she releases 2 fun digi images called "Sick Lily" & "Sick Billy"--perfect for all those sickie ickie germs going around right now (that I wish would go away for everyone)!  I ran out of time, but I was going to do a second set with Billy so I'll have that up for ya next week!  I love, love this image of Lily in her bunny slippers and comfy blankie over her and I LOVE making these "Sickie Kits" as well.  You've seen me make them before but I had to make one to go along with this Get Well Card (.  The fun, mod-like papers are by Sassafrass and the cs is all PTI.  This layout is this week's Mojo Monday Sketch #113--such a fun layout me thinks!!  And if I haven't mentioned before, Melissa creates sentiments for all the digi images and guess what--they're FREE and available HERE! How cool is that?



Both images were colored with Copics and then I added diamond glaze to her TV remote and thermometer and some stickles to her pillow & hairbands.  The sentiment is from PTI's "Around & About Sentiments"--I adore circle sentiments :o) 



This is what is inside of the "Sickie Kit"--a new pack of tissues, a fun-flavored chapstick & a throat lozenger!  I've also made these as "Boo-Boo Kits" too with a travel box of band-aids, a piece of candy & fun chapstick!  They're quick & easy to make and so nice to give!  (TO MAKE: cut a piece of cardstock 3.5x10" and then score at 4.5" & 5.5") Now make sure & stop by the Pink Cat Studio Digi Store to see the new images & to see all the fabulous DT projects as well!  They're sure to be sweet, cute & fabulous!!

Hope you enjoyed your visit today & hope to see you back here tomorrow!!




Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Tell Me a Story!!

Hi & a Happy Wednesday to ya!!  Halfway thru the week we are thank goodness!  My big chore this weekend?  I have to go to Target & Lowes to buy Christmas lights before they're all gone (red, amber, white & blue) cuz' when you have 10 trees you always need more lights, hee hee!  And yes you all know that by December 1st you will NOT be able to buy any Christmas decorations at all, anywhere.  And why is this?  Well when you put out Christmas decorations out in the stores in July, by the time the holiday gets here there are none left for those of us who actually OPERATE on a normal schedule, LOL!  Just like when I want to buy some shorts in say JULY when it's really HOT there aren't any in the stores cuz' the people who shop in January for HOT weather clothes have already bought them all, you see where I'm going with this!! LMBO!  So I'm hoping to not only buy my Xmas lights on Saturday, but my Valentines Day Candy & my summer sundresses all in one shopping trip, bwahhhahahahhaha--one stop shopping for the ENTIRE year!  And in March I will start buying my 4th of July decorations and winter coats!!  Just saying....LOL--anyone else feel this way too!  Remember, you can vent here on ScrapBitz, heehee!



NewsBitz:

-And on another note, I just want to thank everyone that leaves me such sweet & supportive comments here on my blog--they really lift my spirits & put a smile on my face and I'm so thankful for each one of you that take the time to do that!  I appreciate it more than you can know!!

-Two (2) Fun events coming at ya tomorrow!  A Fun Blog Hop for Mo's Digital Pencil Dream Team and a new Digi Release from Pink Cat Studio!  So make sure to stop by!


-I will continue to keep this up everyday, but I am having a Holiday Crafter's Open House on Saturday, December 5th from noon til' 5 pm (come for an hour or three, but drop by if you can) I will have my 10 (yes 10 this year) Xmas trees up, house decorated, mulled cider brewing & lots of sweets to eat along with lots of fun chatting & meeting other crafters from this area!  Just email me if you'd like to come so I can send ya directions & have a head count! (I live in Leesburg, VA right off of Rte. 7 in the Lansdowne on the Potomac neighborhood) Make it a trip for ya too--the Leesburg Outlets are 5 mins away, Dulles Towne Center Mall 10 mins away, Tyson's Corner Mall 25 mins away!! (and a big Joann's & Michaels too)

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"A Nutcracker Ballet"

So I've been seeing alot of these fabulous shadow box cards around blog land and I just loved them, so I had to try one out!  I had printed out this fabulous digi stamp from Mo's Digital Pencil called "Clara & the Nutcracker" and was staring at it when the thought came to me to re-create the famous Nutcracker scene!  I LOVE the Nutcracker story and love the ballet version as my daughter danced many times in it and we've seen multiple versions by many ballets--I just adore it!  We also do a HUGE Nutcracker Village with all of our Nutcrackers (the kids & I get a new one each December) so they hold a special place in my heart always!  So to do this I had to pull out many different stamps; the tree and sentiment is from PTI's "Tree Trimming Trio" (although I see that Mo has a new one up in her store that would've been perfect too, darn).  The window and presents are Magnolia stamps (taken from a Tilda with Presents stamp & the Tilda cottage).  The dp is by Graphic 45!



I took many different angled pics so you could see the inside of this card (which folds flat for mailing)--you can find instructions for these shadow box cards HERE (I altered the size of mine to make it bigger).  I added gold stickles to the swirls on the tree, some red rhinestones and a jewel for the star at the top!  The main cut-out was done with my Nestabilities Labels 1 along with the red frame!


The window was taken from the Magnolia "Tilda's House" stamp and then I put diamond glaze on the glass panes.  I topped the window with a greenery swag (and sides of banner sentiment) with some branch punch-outs from my MS punch and some more red rhinestones for berries.


Of course everything is colored with Copics and then I added some stardust stickles to her nightgown for more sparkle.  I just love this image of Clara & the Nutcracker--I hope Mo (u reading this Mo?hee hee) does more images from the Nutcracker like the SugarPlum Fairy (oooh, I can imagine the scene now) and the bad Rat King!!  A whole series of shadow box cards I would do then---just for fun! Love it & hope you love it too!

See ya back here tomorrow for more fun!!



Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Work It Girlie, Work It!!

Happy Terrifico Tuesday to ya!!  What do you all have planned for the day?  Not much here, running some errands, making a roast for dinner & getting my daughter to gymnastics and hopefully have some time at the end of the day to start my new book!  Am I EXCITING or what!!?  LOL!

When I was young I was all for excitement, loved to have something to do or somewhere to go and dated enough bad boys to write a book--and now that I'm older I realized that I've gotten BORING, hee hee!  But you know what, I'm okay with that :o)  I don't mind alone time, I like the quiet and I like quiet activities like hanging out with my family, watching movies & reading!  Hubby is just as boring as I am and you know what--I LOVE it!  BORING is good, he doesn't surpirse me with horrible behavior, I always know how he will react & I never doubt that he loves me, he's steadfast & reliable and a great husband and dad.  Sure we have exciting fun times but we always have them together & that's what I appreciate most after all most 15 years together--we can be in each other's company while both reading or just watching tv and I don't doubt for a second his love for me or mine for him :o)  So eat that "excitement"--the new trend is BORING and it's GOOD!  LOL!

NewsBitz:

-If you didn't enter for my BLOG CANDY yesterday, you have until this Friday, Nov.20th to do so right HERE!

-Have you gotten your NEW Holiday Cuttlebug Embossing Folders yet?  I have and they're fab and you can too right HERE!

-Mo's Digital Pencil Dream Team will be having a fabulous BLOG HOP on Thursday for you all--the theme is "Precipitation"!!

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Try It Out Tuesday #44--We've Got the Blues!!


Since today is Tuesday, that means it's another "Try It Out Tuesday Challenge #44" for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design and this week I've challenged the DT to create projects that incorporate BLUE!  I just had to use this fabulously, fun new stamp by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD "Marianne" (she's named after Susana's trainer, hee hee)--oh how I wish I looked this good when I worked out hee hee!  I'm usually in ratty gym clothes, no makeup & sweatin' up a storm, LOL!  But I decided to create a workout/weight loss journal, a gym bag tag and a matching charm bookmark!  The dp is by Deja Views, ribbon is American Crafts and the shimmery cs is by Bazzill and the images colored with Copics.



I covered & altered one of the MANY journal notebooks I always keep around--this one is cool since it has a pocket on the inside & back covers to stick recipes or notes to yourself.  The fun sentiment is from Stamping Bella--appropriate dontcha' think?  A fun set for yourself or for a friend to get them motivated!! (umm... maybe I should gift it to myself since my work-out motivation is lagging, lol)


I used my Shrinky Dink paper to create a work-out girl charm along with some other beads to create a charm for the end of the bookmark.  After shrinking her I painted her with shimmery Inspirations Paints--love those!  Now make sure and hop over to the store blog "Follow Your Heart" to see the rest of the Blue Projects by the DT--they may be all BLUE but they're sure to make you SMILE!!

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A White Christmas!


From blue to white we go!!  I have had this card flitting in my head for a couple of weeks now & glad to finally get a chance to produce it, hee hee!  I think all white cards are so very elegant especially so for the holidays but VERY HARD to photograph, hee hee!  But you get the idea!  The cardstock is both matte & shimmery from PTI which looks fab embossed with the new holiday CB embossing folders.  And I had to pull out one of my most favorite Lockhart stamps "Snow Tree w/ Birds"--I embossed it with Ranger Holographic Embossing Powder which really shimmers and then did the same around the edges of the oval.


I had to add more sparkle by adding in some stardust Stickles to the tree and a rhinestone to the star on the top!  I circled the oval with rows of white pearls and used my Bow Easy to create the double bow (love this sheer polky-dotted ribbon, need to get more)



The glass ornaments I got at AC Moore for a $1 a piece--WOW!  They make quick & easy ornaments but are so very elegant looking on your tree!  I stamped the Christmas tree and snowflakes with Staz-On White ink and then added some stickles to make it sparkle!  This makes a fabulous gift set for you or for someone special--hope you like it as much as me :o)

See ya back here tomorrow with some more fun projects!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Accessorize This!!

Hello & Here's to Another Fabulous Week in November!!  And another busy week too, hee hee---but rarely is there a week that isn't busy for any of us, right?!  I worked the entire day yesterday to catch up on my to-do list and got 99% of my stuff done so that's a load off of my shoulders.  I missed going out on a 70 degree day yesterday, but I did have my windows open & enjoyed it that way!  It's not often we get 70 degree weather in mid-November, especially after all the rain & cold we got from Ida--it was fabulous to see the sun again!



NewsBitz:

-Pink Cat Studio is releasing some mini-stamp kits that are "Winter Lily Themed" today--they are fun & super cute!  Go HERE to see them all!

-Another Etsy Store Spotlight--Today it's New Hampshire Woods Creations!  Not only does she make fabulous birch bark products, dried flower arrangements & other goodies for your home but the Simmering Potpourri is OUT of THIS WORLD GOOD! It smells super yummy and I had to order some of her lil' birch bark basket ornaments filled with rose hips too!

-Read to the end of this post to see how to win some YUMMY BLOG CANDY from me :o)

-I will continue to keep this up everyday, but I am having a Holiday Crafter's Open House on Saturday, December 5th from noon til' 5 pm (come for an hour or three, but drop by if you can) I will have my 10 (yes 10 this year) Xmas trees up, house decorated, mulled cider brewing & lots of sweets to eat along with lots of fun chatting & meeting other crafters from this area!  Just email me if you'd like to come so I can send ya directions & have a head count! (I live in Leesburg, VA right off of Rte. 7 in the Lansdowne on the Potomac neighborhood) Make it a trip for ya too--the Leesburg Outlets are 5 mins away, Dulles Towne Center Mall 10 mins away, Tyson's Corner Mall 25 mins away!! (and a big Joann's & Michaels too)

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"Accessories Make the Card" Blog Hop



So today the Magnolia-licious DT has a fun & fabulous BLOG HOP for you today called "Accessories Make the Card"!  This means that we ONLY used Magnolia Accessory stamps on our projects--NO Tildas, Edwins, Lg. Animals or Snowmen on our cards!  It's a great opportunity to use your accessory stamps as the main image & see how creative you can get with them.  Make sure and finish the hop at the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog HERE to see how you can participate in the fun as well!

I chose to make 2 cards today, because after I made the first one & had such a good time--I decided to make a second, LOL!  I pulled out this fabulous "Watering Can" image to make a feminine card that can be used for a birthday, hello, thinking of you or thankyou!! (I couldn't find this on the Magnolia-licious site although it came from Diana, but I'm sure Diana can get it in if you ask nicely!)  I love this color combo together--so fresh & sunny!  The dp is by Stampin Up and the flowers are Prima--I added some pearls and some fabulous scroll punch-outs!  The border was done with a MS border punch and of course I added some stickles for sparkle (Copic colors used are E43,E42,E41,E40 and Y38,Y32 and G99,G94,G20)



After making a feminine card I decided to go ahead and forge thru making a masculine birthday card, which I hadn't done in AGES!  But I thought this image "Row of Trees" made a fabulous image for a guy card--simple & elegant.  I pulled out more SU dp in pinstripes and distressed it with my Tonic Distress Tool and then inked all the edges.  I kept the card simple since it's for a guy but used lots of texture like the CB embossing "argyle" folder and ragged twill ribbon!  Diamond glaze on the copic colored trees make them pop--sentiment is by PTI's "Everyday Classics"!  Perfect for any man in your life I think--whaddya think? This fun birthday card also qualifies for the "Just Us Girls" Challenge this week--dry embossing & a birthday theme-yay!!

Now if you came to my blog from Jacque then your next stop on the hop is the fabulous Kerry!!  And make sure to visit the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog as well when you're all finished up!

And if you leave a comment on this post, I'll be picking a random commenter that WILL WIN SOME Delish BLOG CANDY (a lil' this & that of my favorite things like charms, buttons, ribbons, paper & a stamp or two)!!  You have until Friday, Nov.20th to do so!! FUN, FUN all around!!


Sunday, November 15, 2009

Golden Oldies!!

Hello everyone!! Hope you're weekend has been swell! I'm crafting all day today to catch up on projects and things--so not much going on here. Hopefully the sun will be out today, cuz a week of dreariness is seriously starting to affect my mood, LOL!  So here's hoping the sun is shining wherever you might be today :o)

NewsBitz:

-Magnolia-licious has a BRAND NEW Store and it's AWESOME I tell ya!  You will love it too--you can check it out HERE!

-Have you checked out the NEW "In 2 Stamps" at 7 Kids College Fund yet?  They're fabulously illustrated & great for your Christmas projects!  See them all HERE!

-For those of you who subscribe to my blog & the posts are coming to you jumbled or messed up--I apologize!  It seems that when I updated blogger it did something to the feeds that I cannot figure out!  So if it comes thru your email jumbled you can come directly to my blog to view the post.  Or you can sign up thru "Feed My InBox" HERE and see if that RSS feeder works better for you--very easy to do--just type in my URL link (www.scrapbitz.blogspot.com) and your email & you're done!!  Thanx!

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Copic Creations Challenge--Gold!!


Today is the 15th of the month--wow the middle of November already--so that means it's another Copic Creations Challenge!  This time the challenge is to color part of your image gold!  This week our sponsor is I Brake For Stamps and the entire DT used a stamp from Della's fabulous selection of stamps. (Remember if you'd like to order some stamps, use the coupon code "SAVE10SUZANNE" to get 10% off your entire order)  I used another one of those fabulous Humorous Seniors (oh how they crack me up, hee hee)--this one is called "Thelma & Louise" (an older, funnier version obviously)! I used YR24,Y15,Y11 & Y00 to color the car gold--they're really driving a golden oldie, hee hee!  The dp is from WeRMemoryKeepers and the flowers are Primas stacked with buttons tied with Scrapper's Floss.  I created the sentiment myself on the computer--thought it was appropriate!


I added diamond glaze to the bumper & front chrome for shine, stardust stickles to the headlights & front hood ornament.  I also went over parts of the car with a clear Spica pen for extra sparkles!  They're rockin' the oldies I tell ya and their license plate says "HOT4U"--LMBO!

Now head on over to the Copic Creations Challenge Blog to see all the fabulous DT projects & join in on the challenge too---I Brake For Stamps is giving away 2 sheets of rubber stamps to one lucky participant--wow right!!



Saturday, November 14, 2009

My Best Friend!!

Hello friends & Artists!! How is everyone's weekend going?  I swear I might need to build an ark with all the rain that Ida has brought here to the East Coast--ugh!  I hate rain, I hate dreariness & on top of that it's friggin' COLD--ackkkkkk!  But tonight we're off to a friend's Wine & Cheese Cocktail party so I'm looking forward to some socializing with friends!  And I am sooo sleeping in tomorrow--we had 5 girls for a slumber party last night & they were up till 3 AM--omgoodness, I'm tuckered out & a nap might be in order for me today!  5 almost 14 year old girls shrieking thru the house---sigh---my poor aching ears, LOL!  And then tomorrow I have more work to get done, hee hee, but will hopefully be well rested!


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Mo's Digital Pencil




Today I'm sharing a fabulous new digi image from Mo's Digital Pencil called "You're The Best"--isn't she a cutie (she also has this one in a Boy version and an African American boy & girl).  I had to have her cuz' my daughter has a bunny that she's had since she was a baby & she still sleeps with it (she will die knowing I told you that, hee hee)--but it just reminds me of her when she was much smaller :o)  I paired her up with this cheery dp from SU--I just love these colors together! The image was colored with Copics then I added glitter to her hairbands & buttons--diamond glaze on her shoes!  The perfect sentiment is by Kim Hughes "Pet-tootie Sentiments"!  The flowers were made with my MS Hydrangea punches---love them!  Hope you love this cutie as much as me!!



Next up are some elegant CAS holiday cards I made using a Lockhart Stamp Co "Quilt Block #4".  I wanted to use this stamp to make an elegant card, no cutesy or country feel this time!  So I embossed the image with Stewart Superior Filigree gold EB powder (it is the BEST for fine line embossing I tell ya) right on the Memory Box dp (Spice Berry).  I kept the colors simple, cream and red with gold accents.  The sentiment is from PTI's "Holiday Wishes" set onto cream cs and then backed with gold mirrored cs.  Easy to assemble & create--a few of these will be going out to my friends & family this holiday season!



Hope you've enjoyed my projects today & maybe take a little inspiration away with you today!  I'll be back tomorrow with my Copic Creations Challenge card and another Lockhart project for ya!  Have a fab Saturday!


Friday, November 13, 2009

Boho Chic!!

Good Friday to Ya!! Let's all do the Weekend Happy Dance now--dance a lil' jig till you fall down, LOL! Actually I have a TON of work/projects to get done and Etsy orders to get out, so I won't dance around too much, hee hee--lots to catch up on this weekend! I have another private Copic Class today and then tomorrow night we have a wine/cheese party to go to and then just WORK for both me & hubby. Hubby is organizing Riley's new playroom (hangout room) so they have alot of sorting & stuff to get done. We got the Expedit cabinets in black from Ikea (the large wall units) to go in his room and James' finished assembling them last night--now just get everything put away & the tv hooked up. And the final room transitions will be done (my old craft room became hubby's study, hubby's study down in the basement became Riley's room, Riley's old playroom became my craft room)--whew, I'm tuckered out from all the moving, LOL! But Riley loves his new room & he has a table/desk that he can use just for putting together his model airplanes on with his dad--so they have a space for it now, not on my kitchen table anymore thankfully--yay!  So all good in the Dean household for now--next week the holiday chaos that is tree decorating begins :o)  I will start decorating next Friday so I don't feel rushed & hope to be done with everything by Thanksgiving and then Thanksgiving weekend we'll hunt our 2 LIVE trees down & get them up!  I do 99% of the decorating myself cuz' yes, I'm anal & a control freak just a teeny bit, lmbo--the family all puts the family room tree up & decorates it but then they leave me be to my manic tree obsession.  I will of course share pictures with you for those who can't come to my Open House--I'll send you some mulled cider cyberly 'kay?!

NewsBitz:


-I will continue to keep this up everyday, but I am having a Holiday Crafter's Open House on Saturday, December 5th from noon til' 5 pm (come for an hour or three, but drop by if you can) I will have my 10 (yes 10 this year) Xmas trees up, house decorated, mulled cider brewing & lots of sweets to eat along with lots of fun chatting & meeting other crafters from this area!  Just email me if you'd like to come so I can send ya directions & have a head count! (I live in Leesburg, VA right off of Rte. 7 in the Lansdowne on the Potomac neighborhood) Make it a trip for ya too--the Leesburg Outlets are 5 mins away, Dulles Towne Center Mall 10 mins away, Tyson's Corner Mall 25 mins away!! (and a big Joann's & Michaels too)

-Another spotlight on a fabulous Etsy store is Black Mountain Candles--oh if you love to buy candles as gifts and for yourself you need to get some of these!!  I bought the Jingleberry scent jar & it is scrumptious smelling--it left a lingering smell in my house long after I had blown the flame out!  They are soy based with a non-lead wick and all natural--love, love them!  And great prices as well--so just another fabulous handcrafted item from Etsy to check out!


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Boho Chic Rocker Style!!


Today just one project for ya--I ran out of time yesterday since I HAD to go out for a Girl's Night Out with my friends!  Oh my, I haven't laughed that hard in a long, long time---still gigglin (and yes S, S & R you know what I'm talkin' about, hee hee)!  So I will be posting tomorrow & Sunday with a few projects for ya as well!

Today I chose to use a NEW Elisabeth Bell for SCACD stamp called "Boho Chic"--I just love her & my daughter ADORES her!  She gave this card her TEEN stamp of approval, lol--and she's a hard lil' chickadee to crack but she said she'd give this to her friends!  I think she's beautiful & fun and perfect for multiple occasions!  I paired her up with this fun butterfly dp from Basic Grey's "Ambrosia" and punched some multi-layered butterflies to accent the sides, they also got a black rhinestone body!  The pearl swirls on the side are from Prima's Say It With Pearls line (a personal fave of mine)!  The fun lil sentiment (picked out personally by my daughter who insisted I give her proper credit, lol) is by Hannah Stamps.  I'm entering this card into the Cute Card Thursday Challenge as well---it's all about the Glitter :o)


She's colored with copics and then I used stardust stickles on her fringy shirt--the fringe got traced with my black Spica pen for some more sparkle!  I think she's just a cutie---but shhhhh....don't tell my daughter I used the word "CUTE"--she'll roll her eyes & say "No, Mom-she's just cool"--LMBO!  Hope you love her too! You can see all the new stamps in the Elisabeth Bell for SCACD right HERE!


See ya back here tomorrow with some Lockhart notecards and a Mo's Digital Pencil project :o)


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Hop & Stamp!!

Hello stamping artists and friends!!  How are you all doing today?  I'm so excited cuz' I uploaded to the new blogger & it's soooo much better than the older version--more features, easier to use & more colors :o)  I'm a happy girl (it's the small things in life that thrill me, hee hee)!  But, there's always a but, hee hee---I had to pay for more storage cuz' it seems I reached my limit here on my picasa/google account!  Not to bad though---$5 for 20 GB which should last me a bit--I just need to be better about saving my pictures in a smaller size so they don't eat up as much space!  Everything on the computer is a learning curve for me ya know---I'm taking an Adobe Photoshop class in January to learn more & then in the spring I'll be taking a Flash Animation class to learn how to create my own blinkies & stuff!  Can't wait!

NewsBitz:

-Today Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge DT has a new challenge up--this week it's a fun sketch for you to try out!!  Visit the Challenge Blog HERE to read all about it!!
 
-I will continue to keep this up everyday, but I am having a Holiday Crafter's Open House on Saturday, December 5th from noon til' 5 pm (come for an hour or three, but drop by if you can) I will have my 10 (yes 10 this year) Xmas trees up, house decorated, mulled cider brewing & lots of sweets to eat along with lots of fun chatting & meeting other crafters from this area!  Just email me if you'd like to come so I can send ya directions & have a head count! (I live in Leesburg, VA right off of Rte. 7 in the Lansdowne on the Potomac neighborhood) Make it a trip for ya too--the Leesburg Outlets are 5 mins away, Dulles Towne Center Mall 10 mins away, Tyson's Corner Mall 25 mins away!! (and a big Joann's & Michaels too)

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NEW Elisabeth Bell for SCACD Release!!






So today is release day for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design--the brand new Elisabeth Bell stamps in the Sampler Edition #2 are up for sale today HERE!  These are all fabulous--I love the variety & that they're a little bit older images--great for tweens on up to 100 :o) !!!  The DT is having BLOG-HOP to show off all of the images for ya too!!  I know I will be using these images a ton!  I've used the fabulous "Latte" today for my projects--she's so chic & oh-la-la!  I used some of my new SU "Bella Bleu" papers--love the french feel of these gorgeous papers!  She got colored with copics and then I re-traced the iron on the chair & table's scrollwork with my black Spica Pen for sparkle!  Her latte got a topping of white Liquid Pearls, a pearl on her purse and some stickles to make her shoes & headband bling-a-licious!

The ribbon is a wired ribbon from Michaels (love that stuff) and then I added Prima "Say It In Pearls" centers to the center of each bow.  The sentiment is from an old H&M Stamp set I had on hand, the scrolls are punched out and then I added some pearls to them to dress 'em up!  Oh-la-la me thinks--I wrapped up a can of Godiva Truffle Hot Cocoa (cuz' I don't drink coffee--and I have frenz who actually add this to their coffee) in the matching papers & bow to finish the gift set!  Easy peasy--I'd love to get a gift like this!  So if you came here from Dianne's Blog then you need to hop on over to Carolyn's Blog HERE to see the rest of these fabulous stamps in action!

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Pink Cat Studio Digi Release!!

 
Today is also a NEW Digi Stamp RELEASE from Pink Cat Studio as well--some more yummy & cute images for your collection!  For this card I used the new & cute "Friendly Snowman" along with yesterday's SCS Sketch #254!  I think this image along w/ the Santa below are too cute--a lil' primitive style & oh so fun!  I colored him up with copics, added diamond glaze to his nose & buttons and then made a frosty frame around him with my MS Snow Glitter.  The sentiment is from the PTI set "Winter Swirls", I added some stamped snowflakes from the same set and some snow glitter & bumped the center up with dimensionals.  On the ends of the sentiment & in the corners are baubles (I bought a huge bag of clear & aqua ones in the floral dept of Michaels).  Wintry fun for sure!
 
Second card uses the digi stamp "Santa" & you know all about my Santa fetish, hee hee---so I just LOVE him!!  I paired him up with some more fabulous dp by Graphic 45--love this stuff!  I used a MS border punch to create the wavy border and then enhanced it with gold stickles.  This Santa has alot of detail, white sparkle fluff on all the fur trim, gold stickles on the tree and buttons, and diamond glaze on the candy cane & his boots!  The holly leaves & brads are by Prima!  Now hop on over to the Pink Cat Studio Digi Store HERE to buy your cuties and see what the DT has created too!!  (and btw, Pink Cat has raised over $1000 for the Henry Memorial--read about that HERE)!






Glad you stopped in and hope you'll be back tomorrow--I'll have some more fun projects up for ya!



Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Peppermint Twist!!

Hello friends & Happy Wednesday to ya! Oh my it's dreary & rainy here in VA today--guess that's the payback for the beautiful warm fall weather we've had the past few days (even had my windows open)! My wrist is still swollen & sore but I'm managing okay--the world does not stop, hee hee! And this is a busy, busy week for me--there are 2 new stamp releases this week, a blog hop, I'm teaching 2 private Copic Classes and then this weekend hubby & I are going to a wine & cheese cocktail party! Whew---Sunday is blissfully free though :o) Possibly another trip to the new, huge Wegmans Grocery Store--if you have one near you, you know what I mean when I say it's the HUGEST GROCERY STORE in the country--fabulous! Seafood bar, fresh bread, gourmet cheeses, wine selection, prepared foods, cafe and the prices are SUPER--love it! It's like a field trip to get groceries---even the kids love it, LOL (and that says alot for me cuz' I HATE grocery shopping)! Oh don't get me started on their yummy breads, pies and fresh sushi---YUMMO Good!! Now, dang it I'm hungry--LOL--gotta go get a snack!

NewsBitz:

-I will continue to keep this up everyday, but I am having a Holiday Crafter's Open House on Saturday, December 5th from noon til' 5 pm (come for an hour or three, but drop by if you can) I will have my 10 (yes 10 this year) Xmas trees up, house decorated, mulled cider brewing & lots of sweets to eat along with lots of fun chatting & meeting other crafters from this area! (I live in Leesburg, VA right off of Rte. 7 in the Lansdowne on the Potomac neighborhood) Make it a trip for ya too--the Leesburg Outlets are 5 mins away, Dulles Towne Center Mall 10 mins away, Tyson's Corner Mall 25 mins away!! (and a big Joann's & Michaels too)

-Tomorrow Susana's Custom Art & Card Design celebrates a NEW RELEASE from Elisabeth Bell and the DT will have a fun BLOG HOP to show off the new stamps! If you haven't entered for the BLOG CANDY HERE, you have until 10:30 PM EST tonite to do so!

-Another fabulous Etsy Site for ya today is Jennifer Magnesi Designs! She makes the cutest flower rings and jewelry! I ordered a couple rings for myself and some for my daughter to give to her friends this holiday season (very affordable at $6-7 each, and customizable colors)! The flower ring & earrings are so IN this season & this is a great way to get in on the trend w/o breaking the bank! Go HERE to check her designs out!!

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Peppermint Twist Gift Set

So I spent yesterday making this fun Peppermint Twist Gift Set using some fabulous Magnolia stamps from Magnolia-licious!! I found the box/basket in the back at my Target $1 Spot and it led to the colors, dp and feel of the entire set! The fun dp is by KI Memories paired with some Coredinations cs (mint green) and PTI cs. This set includes the basket full of Peppermint Bath/Body Products and tag, a gift card holder, and a Envelope Pocket Card!!

First up is a fun Envelope Pocket Card! I got this idea from my pal Maria Bell's blog here--and knew I had to try it out. I used "Tilda with Candy Cane" for my main image & colored her w/ Copics. I layered cs & dp, the border & corners were made with a MS border punch. I used my nestabilities "Mega Labels 8" to back my image, the sentiment is from PTI's "Holiday Treats" set tied to a button & bow with Scrappers Floss! I haven't made a long card in awhile so this was a fun way to change it up a bit! She of course has some bling on her sparkly tights, wings & candy cane too!

This is the envelope that the card pulls out of--I used a long envelope and covered it with the same elements I used above. I used a circle punch to make a small cutout in the envelope so the card can easily be pulled up--and the top of the envelope pulls off easily. A fun way to present a card to someone & super easy to do!

Next up is a gift card holder (instructions for this HERE)--I have made TONS of these and they are so easy to whip up & make such a pretty presentation for a gift card! I used "Lazy Summer Tilda"--she's perfect for any season or occasion I think & I propped her up in oval layers made with my nesties. I added some snowflake punch-outs and then added mint pearls to the snowflakes & dp for some extra bling (along w/ stickles on her wings)!

This is what the inside looks like--the gift card goes right in the center panel. And you decorate the inside however you like--I used some more PTI polka-dotted dp for my outer panels and then the sentiment is from PTI's "Stocking Prints" set and some more fun snowflakes! It ties closed with a ribbon bow!

And here is the gift box--isn't it cute! I added a tag I made with my PTI stamps, a button, and some Scrapper's Floss & ribbon! Inside it holds Peppermint scented lotion, body spray, hand sanitizer, lipgloss and bubble bath! Perfect gift for someone sweet in your life (this set is for sale in my Etsy shop HERE)!! Hope these projects added some sweetness to your day!

I'll see ya back here with a fun Blog Hop & new Pink Cat Studio Digi Releases too!


Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Santa's Coming to Town!!

Happy Tuesday to you all! Well the wrist still hurts & is swollen but I'm doing ok---I have a high tolerance to pain so this is okay, won't stop me from doing what I want, hee hee! Got some projects done so that was good--just took me a little longer than usual :o) Hubby & I had a fabulous mini Anniversary vacation and it was nice to just be alone with no chores or kids around, lol! We had some awesome dinners, went to Great Falls National Park & hiked a bit in the beautiful fall weather we've had (in the 70's which I LOVE)! Below I have just a couple of pics for ya--I always forget to take pics when it's just us, lol!

NewsBitz:

-I will continue to keep this up everyday, but I am having a Holiday Crafter's Open House on Saturday, December 5th from noon til' 5 pm (come for an hour or three, but drop by if you can) I will have my 10 (yes 10 this year) Xmas trees up, house decorated, mulled cider brewing & lots of sweets to eat along with lots of fun chatting & meeting other crafters from this area! (I live in Leesburg, VA right off of Rte. 7 in the Lansdowne on the Potomac neighborhood)

-Susana's Custom Art & Card Design is having some delicious BLOG CANDY to celebrate a new upcoming release of Elisabeth Bell stamps on Nov. 12th!! They are beyond fabulous & you will WANT them all, hee hee! So stop by the store blog HERE to enter for the yummy blog candy!

-A new NewsBitz I'm starting is to spotlight some awesome Etsy stores (besides my own, hee hee) for the holidays that I've ordered from & think have fabulous products. There are so many great handcrafted items on Etsy--so I thought I'd spotlight some for ya!!
First up today is Bare Bumm Bath soaps--super cute bath cakes, smell totally awesome & make great gifts for yourself & friends. They are all vegan, paraben & chemical free--my daughter and I tried them out already & they're fabulous, love them! Check them all out HERE (and they look cute too & come in cute lil' glassine bags w/ twine & tag)!

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Try It Out Tuesday #43--Make A Scene!!

So today is Try It Out Tuesday #43 for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design and I challenged the DT to use a stamp from the store and create a scene for it! I decided to use this cute Victoria Case for SCACD stamp "Santa & Friends"--isn't he the cutest!!? I chose to use a background stamp I've had from The Stampin' Place "Wintry Lamp Scene" to create my scene (this scene works fab with Magnolia stamps too)! The dp is by Imaginisce paired w/ PTI cs--sentiment is from PTI's "Tree Trimming Trio" set, triple ribbon bow was made with my Bow Easy & is SU ribbon, Bella Baubles accent the card.

Here's a close-up cuz' there's alot of details goin' on with this card, hee hee! I added MS Snow Glitter (my fave) to the entire snowy background and white Sparkly Fluff to all fur trim on Santa & squirrel. Diamond glaze on the house windows and lamp lights, stardust stickles on presents and other accents. Spica pens on Santa's belt, boot-laces and ribbons (gold & silver). I just lovee this card--Santa in his village, I mean how can you go wrong?!! Now make sure & stop by the store blog "Follow Your Heart" to see the rest of the DT's Scene Cards!!

Second card uses a cutie-patootie new stamp by Lockhart Stamp Co. "Mitten Kitten Star"--kitties & Christmas, a great combo me thinks (and there are 3 of these cuties to choose from HERE)!! The layout is this week's Mojo Monday Sketch #113 which is a fun one for sure! I used some new PTI holiday papers paired with PTI's Ocean Tides cs. Image was colored w/ Copics, both backgrounds was embossed with CB embossing folder and I added some fun flat snowflake buttons & glitter dots to the top. I also added a mini red button to the center of kitty's bow and stickles to the stars! Just a fun, cute holiday card!

Some Anniversary Pics:


Hope you enjoyed my projects for today! I'll be back tomorrow with some fun Magnolia Christmas gift ideas!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Silly Me!!

Good & Happy Monday to you all! This will be short and sweet cuz' silly ole' me has hurt herself, hee hee. We got home yesterday evening from picking the kids & dogs up from my parents and I decided that the doggies needed grooming & baths, LOL! (cuz' I'm anal & when I think something should be done, then it needs to get done RIGHT AWAY, hee hee) Anywho, after grooming them both & giving Baylee (my smaller cairn) a bath, I finished up bathing Casey & slipped lifting her outta the tub. Well I fell on my left hand in quite an awkward position & have probably sprained my left wrist (thankfully I am right handed)--but I'm hoping aspirin & ice help quite a bit (but the dogs look cute & clean, LMBO)!!

That being said, my blog posts this week will not be super word-y since it's hard to type and I will use most of my left wrist strength to get my crafting done (no a sprained wrist will NOT STOP ME, lol)!! So I won't be commenting on everyone's lovely projects this week like I like to do---so don't think I'm ignoring you--I will visit to see what loveliness you've created though! So I promise to be back tomorrow with a couple of fun projects for you, 'kay!! But please read my newsbitz below for a lil' bit of fun info!!


NewsBitz:


-Starting today, Susana's Custom Art & Card Design is having some delicious BLOG CANDY to celebrate a new upcoming release of Elisabeth Bell stamps on Nov. 12th!! They are beyond fabulous & you will WANT them all, hee hee! So stop by the store blog HERE to enter for the yummy blog candy!

-I will continue to keep this up everyday, but I am having a Holiday Crafter's Open House on Saturday, December 5th from noon til' 5 pm (come for an hour or three, but drop by if you can) I will have my 10 (yes 10 this year) Xmas trees up, house decorated, mulled cider brewing & lots of sweets to eat along with lots of fun chatting & meeting other crafters from this area! (I live in Leesburg, VA right off of Rte. 7 in the Lansdowne on the Potomac neighborhood)

So just email me if you'd like to come & I can email you directions, I'd love to have ya & meet ya! I'm also having a children's mitten & hat tree, so if you'd like to bring either or both to donate that would be fabulous--they will be donated to a local Women's Domestic Violence Shelter for their children.


Friday, November 6, 2009

Some More Fun!!

Happy Friday & Helloooooooo Weekend!! I'm still on my mini vacay, but needed to post a couple of things for ya today! Have a fabulous weekend & I'll see ya back here on Monday!

NewsBitz:

-Susana's Custom Art & Card Design Store is back in business today, after being closed this week for vacation time! She has lots of NEW yummy goodies in store too--Smooch Spritz, Glittered Buttons, Prima Say In Pearl and Jewel Flower Centers & more!! New Elisabeth Bell release coming to the store soon as well, so stay tuned!

-Diana of Magnolia-licious is offering a subscription to the new Magnolia Inks magazine for a year--this is a limited offer so take advantage now--see HERE for details!

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Try It Out Tuesday #40

No you're eyes are not deceiving you--we are doing our Try It Out Tuesday on Friday this week since Susana's store was closed earlier this week, hee hee! And I've challenged the DT with a sketch (you can see it HERE on the store blog) which is always fun! I used the cute Victoria Case for SCACD image called "Winter"--love her doggy friend! The dp is by Imaginisce and image is colored with copics, sparkly fluff on her fur trim, some stickles & MS Glitter Snow. The snowflakes are SEI chippies and sentiment is from PTI! I think she's just a cutie!

Make sure & stop by the store blog "Follow Your Heart" to see the sketch & the DT's lovely projects & join in the fun as well!

Second project is for the November Magnolia-licious DT Sketch--this month's sketch was created by the lovely Kerry Donovan-Casey! I decided to use some of the new yummy Basic Grey "Nook & Pantry" papers with this super cute Magnolia image "Oops Tilda" from the Yummy For Your Tummy Collection (available HERE at Magnolia-licious). She's colored w/ copics and then I stickled her dress and socks for sparkle--she is just the cutest lil' girl, reminds me of the Campbell Soup kids. Make sure & stop by the Magnolia-licious Highlites blog to see the sketch & join in the fun to win a FREE STAMP of your choice!!

Have a fab weekend & see ya on Monday!