A Red,White, & Blue Cutie

Hello everyone & Welcome to the Weekend--YAY!  I just love weekends, don't you?  I get to sleep in a bit, no real schedule and catch up on all those things that didn't get done during the week, well maybe that part isn't so much fun, LOL!  We have a flower bed to finish up and I have like 10 projects to work on as well so I can get ready for all those looming deadlines!  Alexa is sleeping over a friend's house tonight and then they're going zip-lining at the Massanutten Ski Resort tomorrow--I'm sure she'll come home grouchy & exhausted, LOL!  Riley is off to a friends house as well, so SADLY it'll be just James and me and date night--don't you feel sorry for us, hee hee--NOT!  YAY!  We'll probably both be so tired that we will only make it to dinner like we usually do :) but we'll have fun!

NewsBitz:

-I have two Copic QuickBitz Videos and they are embedded below my project at the end of this post--they're both on hair coloring with different colors and each are under 7 mins.  I tried to get them both in one video, but that darn 10 minute limit just kills me each time,  LOL!  Hope you like them---they will also be on my other page which can be accessed at the top of my blog under the Tutorials/Templates tab!

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4th of July Cutie

Today's card uses a cute & NEW Victoria Case stamp for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design called "A Puppy is Love"--and it has doggies in it so you know I LOVE it (aren't they cute?)!  The sketch I used is from this week's SCS Sketch #283 and I used the colors of this week's TIOT Challenge which were red, white & blue (see challenge details here--you can win a prize)!

I used some new paper from " for the background of this card and then embossed the red cardstock for extra texture.  The double bow was made with my Bow Easy and I hung a tag I made using a sentiment from PTI's set "Handwritten Notes".  Along the top & bottom I used Bella Baubles (in oyster) in the center of each plaid-X for some bling!

This cutie is colored with copics (blues: B39,B37,B34,B32/reds:R27,R22,R20/hair: E25,E31,E50)!  I used some Viva Decor Glitter Liner (in holographic) on the white parts of her shirt and then diamond glaze on all the eyes and the baseball.  I think she's such a cutie!  Hope you like her and enjoy the videos below!

**These videos are on YouTube so you can click them to make them larger!**

Copic QuikBitz Video #2--Coloring Hair Part 1

Copic QuikBitz Video #3--Coloring Hair Part 2

See ya back here on Monday--have a fabulous weekend!!

Happy 4th of July!!

Happy 4th of July everyone!! I'm sure you're all out at parties and picnics today & having lotsa fun. I, on the other hand am not:( I slipped and fell in the kitchen last night and put my back out and I'm in PAIN!! So we're not going to picnics today, but we're taking the kids out to dinner at Fuddruckers (our favorite place) for burgers and shakes and then seeing "Wall-E" at the movies. My hubby and son our out golfing right now and my daughter is chatting w/ friends on our other computer (her favorite pasttime these days)! Hopefully, tomorrow I will feel better as we have our Club's picnic and fireworks to go to (hope the weather is nice). We wanted to go to the pool today, but it's pretty overcast and is supposed to storm so that's out too. Oh well, I get some extra time in the craft room (nothing, not even pain, can keep me away--lol)!!

I made just a simple (at least for me) card for today to share. I always see other stamper's "simple" cards and they are so elegant, but I always have to have at least a couple of layers, some sparkle and such. I just can't do it :( The stamp I used on this card is from Ellen Hutson and it's a Lockhart Stamp--so appropriate for today. I used my Cuttlebug swiss dots (I love it so much) embossing folder on the white bg and layered w/ SU cs. The image is colored with my Copics and just a few stickles in the flowers--the blueberry pie and watermelon are coated with Diamond Glaze for shine and dimension. The sentiment is from PTI's "mixed messages" and the circle stamp around it is from their "borders & corners monogram edition"--I love how you can mix and match their stamps together. And because they're clear it's so easy to line them up. I punched it out with my SU circle punch and popped it on dimensionals along with the other image. The ribbon is also from SU. So there you have it, and it was put together in 30 mins. which is a record for me-lol!

By the way, my most loving, supportive and wonderful husband (gush, gush) bought me 15 more Copic markers yesterday as a present for getting on the Design Team for Magnolia-licious. Is he the best or what? He knew I was wanting some more and told me to go ahead and order them--lovey him so much :)!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I only need about 30 more to complete my collection and I'll have them all--yipppeee!! They are the best and I highly recommend them for sure. If you have them and aren't sure how to use them, Marianne from Copic has the best blog about using them and tips & such--check it out when you get a chance. I get all my Copics from Dick Blick's online store (great price & selection) and I use the sketch markers just so ya know, in case you need enabling-ha ha!

Ok, back to stamping--I hope you all have a fun & safe holiday this weekend! I'll see ya around!Suzanne

Friends & Recovery

Hello Friends! If you've visited my blog this week, you know that I have been MIA after having a lumpectomy on Tuesday. Thank goodness, pathology came back clear & it was just a large benign cyst that had gotten infected. I feel like I dodged a humongo bullet this week & am very thankful--it was a very stressful time for us and I'm glad its over. I have to say I have the most wonderful friends and family who support and love us when the going gets tough. I had lots of prayers and well wishes, meals brought over every night and the most beautiful flowers (smellin' so good) given to me. My "lunch bunch" gal friends brought us dinners and gave me the lovely flowers and a "mucho grande" delivery of Cherry Coke to keep my spirits up--they're just the bestest friends to have around I tell ya'!! Although I haven't been able to eat much, I have been delightin' in drinkin' my coke :) Today is the first day I've been back in my craft room & I've missed it alot. I made a few cards today and will make bunches more this week--yippee! I have lots of thankyou cards to get out! I'll give more details about our long week tomorrow, for now I just want to post my 2 cards for ya & get that counter up to 2,000 so I can give away my blog candy!!!

The first card is my entry for the Bellaholics Home Page Contest for the month of July (of course the theme was red, white & blue) using Stamping Bella stamps. I used balloonabella and masked off the balloons when I stamped and then drew my own USofA flag for her. Her dress is paper pieced with SU dp (all papers are SU) and the fireworks and stars are rub-ons. There's lots of bling (stickles) on this card of course--to light it up. I like how it turned out, nice & patriotic!

The second card is one I decided I needed to make for my dad after receiving a bunch of new stamps in the mail this week from Inkadinkado (they're new sketch stamps are beautiful)--mine came from Addicted to Stamping.com (link is on sidebar). My dad has a passion for sailing, and has sailed his own sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay for as long as I can remember,so this stamp I bought for him. The map dp is from K&Company and the rest from SU. I even googled nautical knots to find out how to tie boat knots with the twine (these knots are reef knots) so its more authentic! I'm pleased with how it turned out & I think he'll really appreciate it.

Well, its great to be back & I will post again tomorrow with more stuff!! See ya--

Suzanne

Stamping Bella USA--stamping bella balloonabella stamp, stickles, Gina K "woo hoo" sentiment, SU dp, nestabilities, Copics, rubons

Sailing card--Inkadinkado stamp, Copics, K&Company dp, SU cs, twine, father's day sentiment from PTI pond life set