Indian Summer!!

Yay & Happy TGIFriday stampin' friends!! It's the weekend--wahoo & I have absolutely no plans other than to finish my Dan Brown book (compelling & hard to put down) & catch up on projects! Hubby is taking the kids to the Frederick, MD fair tomorrow but I'm not going---I'm so "faired" out, we've gone to at least 2 fairs every year since the kids were born & I'm just not in the mood this year plus I need to catch up on projects & Etsy orders. On the 27th we're going to a Hot Air Balloon Rally near Warrenton, VA & I'm looking forward to that--that will be my fair experience this year, hee hee! I'm hoping the weather this weekend is MUCH better than it has been the past couple of days--dreary & rainy, YUCK!

Seems like I'm not the only one getting less than 5 hours of sleep a night, LOL! I got one comment from "Angelwood" saying she wants to poke her peacefully sleeping hubby & that cracked me up cuz' that's how I feel. I asked him the other night how he can just lay down, clear his mind & fall asleep in 1 minute flat! It disgusts me I tell ya', LMBO--I will purposefully poke him or ask him questions just to keep him awake sometimes (yes I'm a meanie sometimes, hee hee)--I don't know how men do it. I have NEVER laid down & been able to clear my head that fast--it normally takes me an hour to fall asleep cuz' my mind is racin' I tell ya, and sometimes that's when I have my best ideas :o) Oh well, maybe one day sleep will come easier--we'll see!


NewsBitz:

-Susana's Custom Art & Card Design has the NEW BASIC GREY papers (Indian Summer, Eskimo Kisses & Eerie collections), buttons & brads IN STOCK NOW HERE--so run & get yours!

-7 Kids College Fund has the cutie-palicious Whiff of Joy Christmas stamps up for Pre-Order right HERE--those mice will steal your heart I tell ya!! (shipping mid-October)

-Note: If a word is in italics in my blog than it is most likely a link that you can click on :o)

-Hmm...somethin's up at Pink Cat Studio starting next Tuesday!! Keep a look out!!

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Today I have a fun fall card that gives me warm & fuzzy fall feeling's, hee hee! I LOVE the colors & patterns in the new Basic Grey "Indian Summer" papers--such pretty combo's & perfect for fall! The fabulous image is by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD "Rian" available HERE & she's colored with Copics to match the dp! I adorned the card with Prima Hydrangeas (in Sweet Pea & Woodlands), Prima Velvet Leaves, ribbon & Bella Baubles (in Lemonade & Merlot).

Up close & personal with "Rian"--I added some stickles to the flowers/hearts on her clothes & flowers on the ground. I used the NEW "Inspiration Paints" (fabulously fun to use) in Copper on the ground, Sage on the leaves & Light Purple on the background surrounding her! They leave a great shimmer & are nice & easy to blend (I use my Fantastix's or my fingers)! Hope you love her as much as I do!!?

Have a fabulous weekend & I'll see ya back here on Monday!
hugz,

Suzanne

Two Scoops Please!!

Happy September 17th my friends!! I want to run a poll and ask everyone "how much sleep to do you usually get a night" and "at what age do you start sleeping again?", LOL! I swear I could go on vacation and sleep for the ENTIRE week & not feel guilty about it either! No LIE! I'm such a poor sleeper anyhow (chronic insomniac) and then having a child with asthma/breathing issues does not help. I sleep with one ear to the door most nights making sure he's sleeping, hearing every cough & wheeze--I feel like I have an infant again (oh lordy no, two kids is enuff for me, hee hee)! I average 4-5 hours a night if I'm lucky & it's just not enuff' anymore--my ole' body is feeling it for sure and I'm not able to get as much done which is a BIG PROBLEM! My engine needs some gas I tell ya, lol! And I've started my new Dan Brown book which kept me up beyond a reasonable bedtime as well :o) Who can resist the draw of a fabulous book--not me!! Anywho, here's to wishing me and you a good nite's sleep tonight!

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Today I have a fabulously fun project to share with you that I just ADORE (YILM)! I love the colors, layout & image, so fun! This is a new stamp sold by CC Designs in a set or singly called "Kiki LaRue's" that you can buy HERE and I think they are just too cute! (Christine keeps making them cuter & cuter I tell ya)! The card layout is from yesterday's SCS sketch #246 and the papers are by Memory Box's Sugar Collection(I don't think it's available for sale anymore, bummer). I love the patterns & colors in these papers! The cute ice-cream is bubbles--aren't they fab? I picked a few up at Michaels or AC Moore awhile back knowing that a stamp would come along that would be perfect to use with them! I made a band around the middle w/ paper and then added some fun May Arts ribbon (double sided) and a fun tag made w/ my nesties! This would be such a great gift for a young girl's birthday or party favors!!

The SCS layout is so fun & perfect for so many cards--I will be using it again for sure! I added some diamond stickles to her headband, cherry & bowtie; diamond glaze to her shoes, eyes & chocolate ice cream scoop. The ribbon is from PTI and the bow was made w/ my fabulous Bow Easy--flowers are small Primas with Bella Bauble centers! The heart charm is from my stash but find similar ones right HERE. If you love this it's for sale on my Etsy shop which is sadly mostly empty so I gotta get around to fillin' it back up, hee hee! (I have the supplies to make one more, so if you REALLY want one & it's already sold, just email me--1st come)


hugz,
Suzanne

Simple Pleasures!!

Hello friends & Happy Half-Way thru the week, hee hee! Oh my, am I tired and wishin' it was Friday already. Riley had his dr's appt yesterday & we had to be outta the house by 6:15 am for the long drive in rush-hour traffic. At least we got some semi-diagnosis & a treatment plan for him, so we're crossing our fingers that this works. I dropped him off at school at 11 am and when he got home at 3:30 he had a blazing fever of 102 degrees---oh my! So he is officially sick w/ something, probably the flu virus that I had last week--hope hubby & daughter don't get it too! Just a busy, restless few days & I'm trying to play catch up! And wow & thanks to all you lovely ladies who literally wiped my Etsy store clean, LOL--I think I have like 3 things left in there so I gotta get busy filling it back up, hee hee! So lots of work to get done, and I have my new Dan Brown book sitting on my nightstand just beggin' me to read it, but I have to get my stuff done first so I can read it w/o any guilt (so no tellin' me anything about it if you're reading it, 'kay)! And a disclaimer for you today--this is a totally enabling post full of goodies, hee hee!

NewsBitz:

-Check out these fun & fabulous NEW Robin's Nest Tear Drops HERE available at SCACD--they're super cute & easy to use!!

-And if you haven't checked out these new Gillian Robert's Holiday stamps HERE--they are so stinkin' cute that I just want them all, LOL!

-Paper Trey Ink had their NEW Monthly release yesterday and there are lots of fab Holiday sets & great sentiments that are fab for all the upcoming holidays! Of course I got my order in straight away (Love that 1-click "gotta have it all" button, hee hee--although my checking account does not)!

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Today I'm sharing a vintage-like Magnolia card I made for my Magnolia-licious Mingle partner! This lil' cutie is "Jam Tilda" and she's available at Magnolia-licious as part of the NEW "Yummy for Your Tummy" Collection HERE! There are soooo many cute images in this collection that it's hard to pick just one I tell ya! This yummy dp is from Cosmo Cricket's new Mini Decks "Earth Love" (they're smaller 6x6 pads which are fab)--love the fall like muted colors in this dp that I've paired up with PTI cs! The sentiment is from Verve Stamps & I used my Nestabilities Circles & Mega-Curved Rectangles--love me my nesties! I cuttlebug embossed the background and the flowers are from my friend Nikki's shop HERE (she has a brilliant selection of flowers & charms & quick shipping too)!

Here's a close-up of this lil' cutie--I used R02,R01,R00,R000 & YR23,YR21,YR20 on her dress & socks and of course some diamond stickles on her hairbands & ruffles! A girl's gotta have some glittah'!!

I'll see you lovely ladies back here tomorrow!

hugz,
Suzanne

Fairies, Candies, Oh My!

Hiya & Happy Tuesday to ya all! Well we're slowly into the week from heck for me, LOL! Just lots goin' on & lots to get done as usual. Today I have to get my son to his pulmonologist appointment (fight traffic in rush hour, and race back to try & get him back to school before noon) and then drive Alexa to gymnastics and somewhere in between find time to complete projects & make dinner, hee hee! And I'm still stunned & depressed over the death of Patrick Swayze--I knew he was sick, but it always comes as a bad shock ya know?! I have always adored "Dirty Dancing", "Ghost" & "The Outsiders" that he was in and have watched them more times than I can admit to ya, hee hee! And I always admired the drama free & loyal romance he had with his wife for so many years--gotta love that! Anywhoo, movin' on..........

NewsBitz:

Winner of my 300,000 Blog Hits Blog Candy is....
Donna of Indiana Inking!!
Congrats Girlie! Email me w/ your addy so I can get your goodies to ya!
Thanks to everyone for entering--it was fun!

**I have openings in my Copic Classes on Sept.26th & October 11th!! Email me for details!! I'd love to have ya (class runs from 1-4:30 pm/$65)

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Copic Creations Challenge!!

Today is the 15th of the month so that means it's Copic Creations Challenge time!! This time we were challenged to use BOTH Copics & Prisma Pencils together on these beautiful fairy images from Stamps Happen! Stamps Happen is our sponsor for this challenge & they graciously donated a fairy stamp to each of the DT to use today along w/ a fabulous prize you can see at the Copic Creations Challenge Blog HERE.

The fairy I used is called "Chicory Fairy" and you can see/buy their stamps HERE! This was very fun to color but oh so detailed to do. And I hadn't used my Prismas in over a year, but it was fun to pull them out again. The sentiment is from a Verve Stamps set I have and the ribbon is Offray!
I used my Prisma's on the sky background (lt.cerulan blue, true blue, parma violet), leaves (dark green) and flowers/dress (pink) along with my copics. To do this you color with your copics first and then add your Prisma coloring/shading & then blend w/ your gamsol (odorless mineral spirites). The gamsol DOES NOT hurt your copic coloring in any way--very cool technique. Then I added diamond stickles to her wings and gold Smooch to the inside stems of the flowers. I think she's just beautiful IMO, hee hee--I really love her!

Now make sure and stop by the Copic Creations Challenge Blog to see the rest of the DT's fabulous creations & find out how you can enter the challenge as well!

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Try It Out Tuesday for SCACD!

And since today is Tuesday that means it's also "Try It Out Tuesday" Challenge for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design store. This week I challenged the DT with a fun project from the Scor-Pal site called a "Triangular Card" and you can find the instructions right HERE. This is a pretty small card (4x4) so they're quick & easy to make & so much fun to give.

For my card today I used one of the fabulous NEW Lockhart Stamp Co. images called "Candy Wreath"--you can see/buy all the new Lockharts right HERE. I colored mine with copics and then added diamond glaze to the candies & diamond stickles to the wrappers for lots of sparkle! I cut it out w/ my circle nestabilities so it would look like a fun wreath on the front of my card along w/ a fab bow!

This is what the card looks like when it's opened! I created my front image on a belly-band so you can just slip it off easily but you can also create this card with different closures to your liking! A Holly-Jolly Christmas card for ya today!

Now make sure and stop by the "Follow Your Heart" blog to see what the rest of the DT came up with for ya today!

That's all for me today--see ya back here tomorrow!
hugz,
Suzanne

Peek-a-Pilgrim!!

Hello & Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Our's was busy, busy finishing up errands & chores around the house. Alexa had a sleepover Friday night and I'm sure she's goin' to come home from school grumpy today since I let her stay up until 11 last night to watch the VMA's (Video Music Awards)! Which of course will make me grumpy too, lol! I did finish up a book, made 2 batches of soup to freeze and got some projects done so that's good. Anywho, I'm keeping this short today as I have lots more errands to run & then have to get my son over to the X-ray place so he can get another chest x-ray! He has his 2nd visit w/ the pediatric pulmonologist tomorrow and I hope all is well (crossing fingers)! I haven't had a chance to pick a winner for the 300,000 Hits Blog Candy yet (sorry, sorry) but I PROMISE I will have the winner up tomorrow for you. And let's just say a big "WOW" for all the fabulous replies & lovely comments I've gotten on that--almost 400 of ya stopped in for a chance, the most I've evah' had for a contest--wowza!! Thanks to you all & I loved reading everyone's favorite book selections--so fun!

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Today I just have one project card for ya to share but isn't he just a lil' pilgrim cutie? This is "Harvest Shy Bear" and he's available at I Brake For Stamps right HERE! (if you decide to order use my coupon code "SAVE10SUZANNE " to get 10% off your order 'kay) I just love these lil bears & sometimes I use my flock to make their fur furry but this time I did not. This is such a fun Thanksgiving/Fall card to send out--I really love the cheerful feel of this!! I colored the image with Copics and then made a frame around the image using that wonderful NEW "Autumn" Flower Soft--so pretty! The paper's are a mish-mash of scraps I had laying around, so not sure of the company names! I added some velvety lovely Prima leaves and a crocheted flower (from my friend Wynneth who so kindly made me bunches of these) and a few Robin's Nest dew drops.

Here's a close-up of this cutie & you can see I used diamond glaze on his nose and the apples. I used my gold Spica pen to add soft glitter accents to the wheat, hat buckle & leaves. Isn't that flower soft awesome--I just love it, looks like scattered leaves for sure!

Alrighty, I hope you have a great one & see ya back here tomorrow!
hugz,
Suzanne

O' Christmas Tree!!

Happy TGIFriday everyone! How are you all doin'? I'm slowly recovering from this nasty bug that has taken ahold of my body--wish the fever would go away! I'm thinking this weekend will be very sloooowww for me, hee hee! Today is of course the anniversary of 9/11 here in the US and I wanted to take a brief moment to remember those that died, those that gave their lives to save others and to those who serve & protect us near & far! And most of all for us to never forget. In the grand scheme of things we are all united, we all seek peace and we will not condone this kind of violence in the world and as always I wish for peace in every country and within everyone's hearts!

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NewsBitz:

-If you haven't entered for my 300,000 Hits Blog Candy, you have until Sept.14th to do so right HERE!

-7 Kids College Fund has all the NEW CC Designs Autumn/Fall SugarPlum stamps in stock NOW! Run & get your cuties right HERE (scroll down on page) before they're all gone!

-Thanks to everyone for their lovely comments, well wishes & great book suggestions--there are a few that have been named that I haven't read so I will be checking the library for those soon!

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So yesterday I managed to get a few projects done & these ornaments have been on my to-do list for a bit (the never-ending idea/to-do list I keep, hee hee)! I LOVE Christmas--it truly is the most wonderful time of the year for me! If you were reading my blog last year you know how I love it so and how I put up 8 Christmas trees (will be 9 this year) every year in my home--2 real & the rest are fake! No I'm not crazy hee hee--just love to decorate trees! So I'm always looking for more ornaments & I love to make some to add to my collection! I've had a bunch of these fabulous chipboard ornaments by Cosmo Cricket(find them HERE) just staring at me since last year beggin' to be used, hee hee!

So I pulled out my Magnolia stamps & picked a couple to use on the ornaments--I love the sitting ones for these, so cute! This particular stamp is "Tilda in Winter Stockings" which you can find HERE at Magnolia-licious--she is one of my most favorite stamps! I covered my ornament w/ Basic Grey's "Figgy Pudding" dp, attached w/ modge podge (holds the best to chipboard) and then trimmed & sanded the edges. Colored Tilda w/ Copics and added some diamond stickles to her dress!

To finish it up I punched some snowflakes (snowflake punches here)out of the dp & added icicle stickles thickly to them before attaching. The middle snowflakes are flat buttons I had in my stash & then I added crystal rhinestones around the edges of the ornament! So pretty--I just love it!

Second ornament uses one of the fabulous elf Magnolia images "Sitting Alva"--isn't she a cutie & you can use her all year round, not just Christmas which I love! I colored her with Copics as well to match the Basic Grey "Wassail" dp that I used on the ornament.

I used my gold Spica Pen to outline the leaves of her skirt and then added stickles to the skirt & hat! I attached her w/ dimensionals and added some fun red rhinestones to the border of the dp. Holiday fabulous--2 down & lots more to go, hee hee! Hope this inspires you to use your Magnolia's in a different way as well. These would be fabulous on your tree and on a gift as a tag as well!

I'll see ya back here tomorrow w/ a fun new project! Have a fabulous Friday!


hugz,
Suzanne

A Sick Day & Book Review!

Hi friends & happy Thursday to ya! I am super sick w/ something nasty that has given me a fever & the yuckies, so no projects for ya today. I thought I'd just share some of my favorite books with you which is hard to do because I've been reading for soooo long (one of my favorite things to do) that it's hard to remember them all & there have been so many good ones! I read pretty much anything, I like most genres of books but I don't read horror books any longer although I used to--gives me too many nightmares!! I've never gotten into the Harry Potter series although I did read the first 2 w/ my daughter and I've not "bitten" into the Twilight series either--the premises of both do not really appeal to me. I prefer reading about people in the here and now I guess, but I love a great mystery, tragedy and perseverance of spirit, twists & turns & a story that stays with me always! Doesn't always have to have a happy ending but I have read some books that depressed me for days which is never fun but the experience of reading them is always worth it! And I always, always read the book before the movie--the movie can never compare to the words & emotions written in a story!

At the moment I have 4 library books, 14 new books I bought & a pile of magazines sitting by my bed in my "floor library" as my hubby likes to call it, LOL! I read every night before I go to bed and if it's really good I have been known to read until 3 am--reading NEVER puts me to sleep but most always keeps me up, LOL! I read everything from People magazine, health mags, newspapers, fiction & non-fiction---I love to learn about anything & everything!!

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BLOG CANDY!! IF you haven't already entered in my 300,000 Blog Hits Ginormous Blog Candy then you need to go HERE by Sept.14th!

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My favorite books as a kid/teen:
-Nancy Drew series (all of them)
-Anne of Green Gables series
-Little House on the Prairie Series
-The Wind in the Willows
-Any of the Narnia books
-The Bridge to Terabithia (1st book I ever read that made me cry)
-Where the Red Fern Grows
-Grimm's FairyTales
-The Secret Garden (1 of the only books I ever re-read)
-Heidi
-Flowers in the Attic series by VC Andrews (creepy but good)
-Judy Blume books of course (from Ramona to the teen ones)
-Little Women
-Charlotte's Web
-The Diary of Anne Frank
-Great Gatsby,Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, Scarlet Letter, The Odyssey, The Atlas Shrugged, A Farewell to Arms, Invisible Man, any Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird in High School

Non-Fiction Books I Love:
-Bobby & Jackie (eye opening)
-Eat, Pray, Love (inspiring)
-The Water is Wide (Conrack) by Pat Conroy
-Biography of Martha Washington (love strong women)
-Charlotte's Story
-Biography of Jackie Kennedy
-The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
-Leap of Faith by Queen Noor
-Angela's Ashes
-90 Minutes in Heaven

My Favorite Fiction (this list could go on & on & on, hee hee):
-The Red Tent
-The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue (my fave book ever)
-The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
-Emma by Jane Austen
-The Lost Hours and The Color of Light by Karen White
-The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
-The Kite Runner (eye opening)
-The Secret Life of Bees (book is sooo much better than the movie)
-The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (oh love this one so)
-Demons & Angels by Dan Brown (loved the twists)
-Lovely Bones (haunting)
-Raymond Khoury's The Last Templar
-On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah
-The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
-James Rollins books (love a great adventure)
-Pelican Brief by John Grisham
-Memoirs of a Geisha
-The Time Traveler's Wife
-Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosney (awesome in every way)
-Certain Girls (made me cry) by Jennifer Weiner (love her books)
-Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
-The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards
-Women's Murder Club series and Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
-The Shining and Carrie by Stephen King (scared the pants off of me)
-when I want an easy-breezy read I will pick up a Nora Roberts book (my fave triology of hers was the "Key Series") & she was a neighbor of mine when we lived in Boonsboro, MD!!
-Kathy Reich's books (love the TV show as well, but books were better of course)
-For a good laugh any of David Sedaris's books!!
-some of David Balducci's but my fave of his is "The Winner" & "The Camel Club"
-not a huge fan of Danielle Steele simply because they're all too predictable but "A Good Woman" was excellent and so unlike her usual writings--I love good historical fiction!
-Sullivan's Island by Dorthea Benton Frank
-Patricia Cornwall's books (all of them)

What am I reading right now:
-Shem's Creek by Dorthea Benton Frank
-The Memory of Water by Karen White
-The Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate
-Dune Road by Jane Green
-The Girl w/ the Dragon Tattoo
-Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels

I'm waiting impatiently for (LOL) Dan Brown's new book due Sept.15th and Karen White's sequel to "The House on Tradd Street" due on Nov.3rd!!

Well that's enough sharing from me, hee hee! And yes, I keep a journal that I've had since a teen of my favorite books that I read so I never lose track of them & trust me it's 100's of pages long but I won't share them all, lol! Books are my comfort food I guess I would say, something about losing yourself in a story is just one of the best things in the world!!

hugz,
Suzanne

Fall Elegance & Blog Candy TOO!!

Happy Wednesday everyone! How ya doin'? Are you a busy, busy bee like me, hee hee?! Lots to get done this week & not enough time to do it all! I'm still frantically trying to hunt down a couple more things that the kids need for school supplies--I hate that the middle school doesn't give out their lists early when all the stores are well stocked, makes it so much harder for everyone! I've got a very long post for ya today so I'll keep my "monologue" shorter for ya, lol! There's alot on this post including my kid's first day of school pics, 300,000 Hits Blog Candy & my project of the day--so make sure & scroll all the way down to see it all!

This is Alexa yesterday all ready for the first day of 8th grade! She's always hated to wear dresses & skirts but I guess she's starting to change her mind cuz' she insisted she needed this jean skirt, hee hee! Can't believe she'll be 14 soon--where does time fly off to?
Here's my "little man" (don't let him know I told you my nickname for him or else he'll kill me, hee hee)! Gettin' to be a big man I think (boo hoo) and in 6th grade now! This is his half grin cuz' he hates me taking his picture but I do it anyway cuz' that's what mom's do, hee hee! He was pretty nervous & didn't want to eat much breakfast and came home & said that middle school was "ok" but he had issues with his locker! Crossing my fingers that tomorrow goes smoother for him!

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300,000+ Hits Blog Candy

Alrighty friends! Today is the day for the blog candy for my lil' ole blog hitting over 300,000 hits in just a year and a half--WOW! Thanks to all of you lovely, supportive & wonderful readers for stopping by & visiting with me everyday--I appreciate you all so much & have made so many wonderful friends in the stampin' community! So to thank you I'm giving away just (1) one VERY LARGE BLOG CANDY!!

What can you win:
-3 Magnolia stamps (donated by Diana Crick of Magnolia-licious)
-1 Sugar Nellie stamp (Goin' for a Spin/Sweet Art Ebony)
-1 Paper Trey Ink "Anniversary Set" (not for sale, given as gift to customers for purchasing during the year so this is a limited edition set)
-1 Spiral Whisper Christmas Dog stamp
-1 Whiff of Joy Oakley Angel stamp
-1 Snowman stamp from The Stampin' Place
-1 Basic Grey clear Xmas tree stamp
-2 Studio G stamps
-1 Gina K "Whimsical Autumn" stamp set
-1 pack of DoveCraft Winter Wonderland papers
-1 pad of Basic Grey's NEW "Indian Summer" paper (donated by Susana of SCACD)
-1 NEW Bow Easy (donated by Susana as well)
-Embellies include a pack of Christmas buttons, bag of mixed Prima flowers & 5 spools of ribbon
-1 Sharpie Poster Paint marker (my favorite highlighter)
-1 small Memento black inkpad
-1 Fern Branch paper punch (brand new)
-1 medium scrapbook
-25 chipboard coasters

How Can You Win?
-Answer this question "What book is your favorite that you've ever read & why?" on this post only in the comment section! (please leave an email addy w/ your comment)
-Tell your friends on your blog, Twitter or Facebook (not required but nice, hee hee)
-Entry deadline is Monday, September 14th at midnight (EST)--winner will be announced next Wednesday! Good Luck!!

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Today's project is one I made as a thank-you gift for a neighbor/friends of ours that had us over for a lobster feast dinner this past weekend--YUM! I love all seafood & crabs & lobster are my top favorites and they were so sweet to ask us over! So to thank them I made them some homemade muffins (raspberry & chocolate chip--yes I made extras for us too, hee hee), a card and a bread basket towel that I stamped & colored!

I haven't done stamping/coloring w/ Copics on fabric in awhile, but I do love it--it's so much fun! I have a tutorial on my sidebar on how to do this if you're interested--I stamp on my fabric with memento ink when I'm coloring the image w/ Copics! Copics are permanent & fabric friendly--I always heat set it with an iron when I'm done so that it is washable! The main image is my all-time favorite Lockhart stamp "Harvest Candle"--I use this stamp alot in the fall season! The swirls and leaves are from the Paper Trey Ink set "Fall Elegance" and I stamped them in Palette Inks which are washable inks as well. I thought this would be lovely in a bread basket for the fall season--I'm going to make a couple more (one for myself & some to sell if you're interested). The swirls & leaves go around the entire towel (which is a flour sak towel) and on the opposite corner is the same fabulous Lockhart image colored again.

I of course had to make a matching card with the same Lockhart "Harvest Candle" stamp! It's colored w/ the same Copics and then I added diamond glaze to the hurricane candle & grapes and stickles on the leaves. The elegant shape is from my Nestabilities Labels 4 and I shaded the edges with my favorite Inkssentials Blending Tool (oh how I love it)! The cs, dp and ribbon are from PTI--the bow was tied w/ my Bow Easy and then I added some Bella Baubles to the bottom. The leaf charm is actually a brad and I cut off the back shanks & then punched thru the metal with my hole punch so I could make it a charm!! A perfect fall gift set! Whaddya think?

Whew, that was a long post and I'm tuckered out from just typing it, LOL! Hope you have a fabulous day!

hugz,
Suzanne

Candy Cane Girl!!

Happy Monday & First Day of School (for some of us, hee hee)!! So my kids are both off to middle school today, my daughter is excited & my son, well not so much, LOL! Hopefully the day goes smoothly and they both come home happy! I'm just excited that the house will be VERY quiet tomorrow & both the kids won't be home until 3:45 which is fabulous and will allow me to get more work done! I've got to take Riley to the music store today to rent his drum stuff for percussion class--wondering how much that's gonna cost me, hee hee! Hopefully he enjoys it! I'll share pictures of them with you all tomorrow!
Did you all have a fabulous holiday weekend? Ours was great & relaxing! We did some shopping, ate some MD steamed blue crabs (YUM) and hubby went on a 36 mile bike ride with our neighbor (minus me, lol)! Crazy guy he is--he's never rode more than 15 miles but off he went & he says he's not sore, but I think he's fibbin'!! LOL I just hung out & finished 2 fabulous books and laid around which was great! But yesterday I made raspberry muffins, chocolate chip muffins for breakfasts--I made choc. chip cookies & rice crispie treats for their lunch boxes and a double batch of chili & 2 chicken pot pies to freeze for dinners. I was on a cooking roll yesterday, hee hee! I'm trying to make a bunch of freezer friendly dinners that I can just pull out--makes it easy along w/ crock pot meals ya know!

NewsBitz:

-My BIG BLOG CANDY for going over 300,000 blog hits will start tomorrow so you don't wanna miss this!

-Book Suggestions from Suzanne!! If you haven't read any of Karen White's books, I really suggest that you do! So far I've read these 3 by her "House on Tradd Street", "The Lost Hours" and "Learning to Breathe"--all fabulous and I read 2 of them in one day! Gripping, beautifully written & hard to put down!

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So today is "Try It Out Tuesday" for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design and I've challenged the DT with a fun sketch (see the store blog HERE for sketch)! I decided to use this cutie pie Victoria Case for SCACD stamp "Milla"--I decided she'd be perfect for not only birthday celebrations but for the holidays as well! I paired her with some fabulous Christmas paper by Imaginisce and Flair Designs. When I saw the stripes on her pretty dress the first thing I thought of was candy canes & luckily I had some in my stash along with the candycane buttons--so fun! The sentiment is from PTI and those are fun glitter dots at the top.


I colored her with Copics and then added diamond stickles to the candy cane stripes on her dress, diamond glaze to her eyes & patent-leather shoes and some gold Inspirations paint to her present! This is a fabulous NEW product that Susana's store is carrying! It comes in tons of fab colors & is much thicker & luminescent than the Shimmerz but works very similarly. You just paint it on--but the best part is, is that you don't have to shake it up & it will not dry up like the Shimmerz--the color & shimmer go all the way thru. I really love it--make sure and go HERE to check them out!

Now make sure and visit the store blog "Follow Your Heart" to see all the DT's fabulous creations & join in on the sketch fun as well!


hugz,
Suzanne

Rough & Tumble!!

Happy Friday & Happy Labor Day Weekend (my US friends)!! Yay it's the weekend and a much needed one at that here in the crazy Dean household. Alexa has her 8th grade orientation this morning which she is super excited about for whatever reason--more to see her friends I think, hee hee! Riley did okay yesterday, he had a sick tummy because he was pretty nervous but was impressed with his teachers (for the moment, lol) and has friends in all of his classes. He's most worried about getting his locker open & finding his classrooms--which I think we've all experienced in our lifetimes. I still have dreams pretty often about not remembering my locker combination, not doing homework or wearing my pjs to school, hee hee (now I only wear my pjs in the house & my yard, lmbo!!)! Why do those things stay with us? Crazy I tell ya (or maybe it's just me that's crazy--you wouldn't wanna hear about the wacko movie-like dreams I have)--just ask my hubby cuz' I can scare the daylights out of him when I have one of my nightmares & he's a VERY HEAVY sleeper, so if I can wake him up & scare him that's sayin' something (giggle)! I always said if someone could plug a video camera up to my head at night I would win Oscars for the movies in my head :o) Just another one of "Suzanne's" oddities!! LOL
Alrighty, I gotta get my daughter ready to leave for the weekend--she's off with a friend & her family on a weekend boating trip. Still not sure what we're doing--I'd be happy just bummin' around the house but who knows!!


NewsBitz:

-Winner of the BOW EASY is Lynn of Millers-Ink Creative Endeavors!! Congrats Lynn! Email me your address so I can get it in the mail to ya ASAP!!

-If you didn't win it you can still buy your own right HERE!! And my how-to video is on my sidebar as well!

-Just wanted to let you all know that after a year & a half of blogging I finally realized how to comment back on the comments you leave me (NO LIE)! I'm so dumb sometimes I crack my ownself up, hee hee---so you will get random emails from me if you leave me a comment on my blog on occasion ok!! Can't believe I never figured it out before but oh well---learn something everyday!! LOL

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So today I have a fun boy project for ya--we all struggle with making cute boy cards I know! This cutie pie stamp is "Matthew" from the Victoria Case for SCACD series available HERE at Susana's store! I think he's such a cutie-pie and so reminds me of my son at a younger age always with dinosaurs or something in his hands. Nowadays it's army men and they're all over my family room set up in real battles based on WWII and "mom" is not supposed to move them (hmmpphhh...more like step & trip on them, LOL)! I colored him with Copics and added some diamond glaze to his eyes and blocks! The fun dino dp is by My Mind's Eye (Abbey Road-Stomp) and then I wrapped the dp with some fibers I had in my stash & added a few buttons (always hard to accessorize boys cards w/o making them girlie ya know). The sentiment is from a Lizzie Anne set I have!

This is the first time I've ever made an easel card--but I saw one on SCS awhile back & saved the template knowing I would use it eventually! They're really easy & fun to make--and how much fun are these to receive? The template calls for an actual size of 4x4" but I changed it to 5x5" to make it larger (so dimensions would be 5x10 for the long folded pc and 5x5 for the actual card/image pc)! They have it so you put a brad in the middle of your card so it stands up & doesn't slide down but I used my sentiment for that instead--less invasive if you ask me. So this card folds down flat to 5x5"--love it! You can find the template right HERE!

Here's a closeup of this lil' cutie--dontcha' just love him!! I just wanna squish him, hee hee!

Alrighty, I'm outta here for the weekend! I hope you have a safe, happy & fun weekend ahead of you as well & I'll see ya back here Tuesday! (my house will be quiet again & kids snug in school, hee hee)

hugz,
Suzanne

Vintage Baby!

Hi friends! Crazy busy week it's been I tell ya--I'm tuckered out already, lol! Today is 6th grade orientation for my son & he's pretty nervous, poor thing. I hope everything goes smoothly for him so we can have a good start of the school year. My daughter's 8th grade orientation is Friday & she's more concerned w/ what she's wearing & how she's going to do her hair than anything else, LOL! I never worry too much about her, she's pretty much a mini-replica of me (which is why we butt heads all the time, hee hee) and let's things roll off of her & has a "devil-may care spirit". Riley on the other hand is much more thin-skinned & sensitive and gets his feelings hurt very easily, so I always worry about him :o( But that's a mom's job right, worrying all the time? Does it ever get easier? Thank goodness I only have 2 kids cuz' that's all I can handle I tell ya--not like the "Duggar Family" who unbelievably is expecting their 19th kid! Wow--no way jose is that for me, but whatever works for them I guess! They say God only gives us as much as we can handle, so he knew 2 kids was it for me, LOL! Anywho, movin' on for the day........

NewsBitz:

-I have a few openings in my September 26th Copics class still if anyone is interested--please email me & let me know! My next class will be October 11th!

-Getting super close to 300,000 hits on my blog (who woulda thunk it)--that means some super duper BLOG CANDY coming!! Stay tuned!!

-One lucky commenter today on this post only will win a brand new "BOW EASY" courtesy of Susana's Custom Art & Card Design! It's fab I tell ya--I just love it! I'll pick a winner by midnite tonight (EST)!!

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So today I have a special project for ya!! I was asked by the very sweet Della who is owner of "I Brake For Stamps" to be on her Design Team starting this month--I was happy to accept! She has an amazing array of stamps in her store so you should stop by & check them all out--if you decide you want to buy some goodies use this special coupon code "SAVE10SUZANNE" to save 10% off of your order!! This coupon is good the entire time I'm on the DT so make sure & use it, 'kay!

I decided to use this fabulous collage stamp today called "Welcome Baby Collage"--i just love the elegant & vintage feel it has for a baby card! I stamped it with Versamark Dazzle & then embossed it in black--I haven't embossed anything in forevah I tell ya!! I decided to go with a lavender & black scheme, yes black, hee hee for a more elegant looking baby card. The lavender cs & dp are from PTI as is the matching ribbon (lavender moon)--such a soft color. I used my Bow Easy again to make that double bow & attached a lil' heart charm from my stash and some pearls to finish it off. I just love the way it turned out!

Alrighty I'm outta here for the day--I'll have one more post for ya tomorrow & then I'll be on a vacay from bloggin' until next Tuesday for the holiday!


hugz,
Suzanne

ABC's & 123's

Hi Friends & Happy Wednesday! I've got to scoot today, kids have dr appts & other things to do today which means I'm super busy!! I hate days that are busy ya know--I just hate runnin' around all the time--arghhh! Looking forward to a 4 day weekend holiday though--need some relaxation before school starts on Tuesday & chaos reigns supreme in the Dean household, LOL! Luckily my kids get themselves ready & bookbacks packed so I don't have to deal with that anymore--I'm too bleary eyed in the morning to do very much sometimes, hee hee! I'm definitely not a morning gal, never have been & never will be---I'm a die-hard nite owl!! Growing up everyone in my family were mornin' peeps & I wasn't so it was hard, but I've raised my kids to be nite-owls like me & hubby, hee hee! We're the strange neighbors that are cleaning out the garage or planting bulbs at 10 pm or watching tv until 1 am!! That's just the way we are & we love it!!

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September Magnolia-licious DT Sketch Project

Since it's the beginning of the month that means another Magnolia-licious DT Sketch for ya. This time it was Diana's turn and she picked a fun Scor-Pal Accordian Mini File (by the very talented Valerie Stangler to do instead of a traditional sketch! I decided to make mine School themed since school is in session for most of us (yay) ! You can find all these fabulous Magnolia stamps at Magnolia-licious! To see the rest of the DT's fabulous projects and how to win a most magnificent prize go to the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog HERE!

I thought it would be fun to make this accordian file for a young child who's just starting school to hold their ABC or Word cards in. My kids had many index cards with vocabulary & spelling words on them when they were in elementary school & I thought this Accordian Mini File would make quite a special holder for them! Of course it could hold many other things too--the uses are endless! You can find the directions to this Mini File right HERE! All of my dp is from the DCWV "Elementary School" pack and this is "Tilda w/ Slate"--isn't she a cutie! I had to give her patent leather red shiny shoes (done w/ diamond glaze). I made my mini file close a little differently than the directions--mine closes with a BG magnet that I covered with a large button.

This is the inside view--how fun is that, made with simple envelopes! I used my SU tab punch to make the colored tabs. And yes my projects are posed in front of my Bobbsey Twin books--my mom used to read these exact ones to me when I was little & I adore them. I actually bought the entire collection off of Ebay quite a few years ago & have some of them out & about. I have a thing for old books--I love 'em!!

I decided to make a fun bookmark to go along with the mini file to encourage a young one that learning to read is the best--how fun to give a child their own special bookmark. This is a magnetic tag from Petaloo (came in a pack w/ matching envies) that I just decorated with some more Magnolia images Tilda Resting on Elbows & Books (I couldn't find the exact ones I use but these are similar). I added 2 layered buttons to the cut-out for fun & some bright ribbons as well.

This is the inside of the bookmark/tag--it's magnetic so it stays closed which is perfect to hold a special page in a new book. I just layered some cardstock & left the inside blank so a special note could be written or a list of books the child has read. This gift set would be perfect with a gift card to a bookstore or a new book--what a way to encourage a child to read, the best gift in the world I tell ya is literacy!! If you know someone who would love this gift, it's for sale in my Etsy shop HERE!

Now make sure and stop by the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog to see the rest of the DT's fabulous projects & how to enter for the grand prize!!


See ya tomorrow!
hugz,
Suzanne

A Two-fer Tuesday!!

Hiya Friends & Happy Tuesday & Happy September! WOW--the weather has been just awesomely beautiful here in VA!! Low 70's which means the AC is off & all my windows have been open since Sunday--love that fresh air! Wonder if it means fall is coming early here on the East Coast or not? Better not mean a bad winter or Suzanne is flyin' south, hee hee! All the fresh air gave me lots of energy and yesterday I managed to do all my laundry (& put it all away), groomed & bathed both dogs, made 2 dinners to freeze & eat and vacuumed along w/ doing 4 projects--whew, I was pooped!! LOL! Today the kids are getting haircuts and then my usual trip to the Post Office & Bank, not alota fun but oh well! Anywho, I've got a couple of fun projects to share with you today so I'll keep my chitter chat short :o)

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Copic Creations Challenge

Today is the First of the Month which means it's time for a challenge at the Copic Creations Challenge Blog-this time the challenge is to use your favorite Copic Combo! The sponsor this week is "Mo's Digital Pencil" & lemme tell ya she has just the most magnificent images!! I've used the beautiful "Kimono Girl" which I just love--I paired her up with this dp from Stampin' Up! I loved the colors & patterns and thought they were kinda Asian themed. For her kimono I used Copic Colors BG72,BG75,BG78,BG11,BG10 & B34,B37,B30 which are my fave blue combos! The flowers are Prima Caboodles, the ribbon is Offray & I added a few navy pearls as well.

And a girl has to have some sparkle, so her bows, flower & butterflies have diamond stickles on them. The teapot & bowl have diamond glaze for shine! Just lovely! Now make sure and hop over to the Copic Creations Challenge Blog to see the DT's lovely creations today & find out how to win your own Mo's Digital image!!

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Try It Out Tuesday Challenge for SCACD

Second project for ya today is for this week's Try It Out Tuesday for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design. This week I challenged the DT to make a card without using any patterned/designer paper--GASP & use a charm as well!! LOL--actually it wasn't that hard, hee hee! I used a fabulous image from the Victoria Case for SCACD line "Jami"--isn't she a cutie w/ her pup!? I colored her with Copics & then added diamond stickles to her shirt for sparkle and diamond glaze to their eyes. The tan cs got stamped with a pawprint stamp from CTMH and then I embossed the pink cs with a CB folder. I used my Bow Easy to make a triple bow outta of my SU ribbon and added a pawprint button (instead of a charm) to the center. The sentiment is from a great set by Hanna Stamps here!

Now make sure and stop by Susana's store blog "Follow Your Heart" to see the rest of the DT's fab projects!!


See ya tomorrow--
hugz,
Suzanne