Happiness is......

Hello everyone!!!  I hope everything is getting back to normal for you after all the holidays.  Have you made your New Year's resolution yet?  Mine will be to eat healthy and get a treadmill.....my goal is to live to be 100 (or more)!! You will all have to stay healthy so you can watch my progress....we have a long ways to go...LOL!!! While we're waiting...how about a little stamping!!

Aren't these flowers pretty...they are from The Cat's Meow Happiness is.... set. They were colored with Copics and the paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Hello Sunshine collection.

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Hello everyone!!! It's my turn to host the TLC challenge on Splitcoast and it's a fun and easy challenge this week!!! We are going to make a winter, New Years, celebration card, or even a winter birthday card and make it wet!!

You can make snow, snowflakes, rain, water, steam, drinks, bubbles, lakes, oceans, tears, dew drops on flowers...oh my....lots of things are wet!!!

Now, the wet look can be achieved with Glossy Accents, glitter, acetate, clear nail polish, mist sprays, Stickles, ...the exact technique is up to you!!

I used Our Craft Lounge's Cheers stamp set and my *wet* was made with Glossy accents and glitter. This is a real simple, one layer, CAS design.....the images were colored with copics and doodling was added for a little interest.

This is also for the Addicted to Stamps Challenge to make a New Years card, The Come and Get It challenge to make a Happy New Years card, and The Alphabet Challenge to make something for an Xtra Special Occasion.

Thanks for stopping by...have a great Monday!!!

Celebrate!!

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!!! Can you believe it's 2012 already....I just got used to writing 2011...LOL!!! We went to my parent's home last night ....their friends arrived from Iowa for the party so we had double the reason to celebrate!!  I made this card for Mom and Dad...just a fun little card to celebrate the New Year. This is also for the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge....I used stamps from Paper Smooches Sugar Rush set and colored the candles with copics. I found my inspiration from the colors of the inspiration photo...check it out here.

This is also for a few other challenges:
1. Do You Stack Up? - rainbow of colors
2. Sweet Stamps Challenge - celebrate
3. Crafty Boots Challenge - celebrations
4. The Shabby Tea Room - color challenge

Thanks for stopping by...have a great New Years Day!!!!

Stripes Everywhere!!

Good morning everyone...can you believe it's New Year's Eve??!!??  I just got used to writing 2011 and tomorrow it will be 2012...time is going way too fast!!  We aren't doing anything tonight but watch a movie and try to stay awake till 12:00....not too exciting but very safe...LOL!! 

I made this card for the Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger.....I have had this sweet little Pure Innocence stamp called Lilly of the Valley for ever and this is the first time to ink it up. Stampin Up! striped paper was used and a Martha Stewart punch for the butterfly. The sentiment is from the Pure Innocence set called Butterfly Kisses and the Baker's Twine is the finishing touch.

Thanks for stopping by today....Happy New Year!!!!

Bar's Retirement Blog Hop

Hello everyone and welcome to Bar's Retirement Blog Hop!!! Whoohoo!!! Barbara Anders, who is stamping royalty, I tell ya, is retiring and  Tammy Hershberger brought us all together for this wonderful party!! Congrats, Bar!!! How exciting to finally retire and do exactly what you want to do....sleep late, garden, shop, stamp....what ever your little heart desires!!!

My card features the fun type-writer stamp from My Favorite Thing's called Just My Type set .....the sentiment was computer generated and the pretty papers in the background are from My Minds Eye Lime Twist. The button, twine, sewing, and ribbon finish it off.

Here are the other stampers who came to the party....be sure to visit their blogs and see what they made for Bar! Now, I better get this in an envie and sent it on it's way.

Broni Holcombe
Lynn Put
Wanda Cullen
Lori Tecler
Joan Ervin..... that's me
Jody Morrow
Cindy Haffner
Tammy Hershberger
Christine Okken

Thanks for stopping by...have fun on the hop and enjoy your last day of work, Bar!!!!

Scrapbooking Like Crazy!!

Good morning everyone!! OMG...I have been stamping and scraping like crazy!! I finished two more pages and made two cards yesterday....whoohoo!!! I also lost a pound in one day....maybe I better quit this diet while I'm ahead....LOL!!! I gotta tell ya...I get really cranky when I don't have chocolate!! I'm almost ready to go check out all the stockings to see if any candy got overlooked....ai yi yi!!!  Anyway.....let me tell you about the pages I made. The first one features the Stamp Oasis Sailboats from Rubbernecker #SKU 9 SO GM,  and Rubbernecker's Coral #164-05, Ocean Bottom #163-02, Small Queen Angel Fish #163-05, and Small Starfish #164-06 all found here. The pictures of my sister and her children were taken in 1991....won't she be surprised to see this page finished!!! The Dew Drops, rieck rack, and letter stickers are the finishing touches.

Here is another picture of my granddaughter Mackenzie and her brother and my grandson Cody. This was taken in 2007...it just seems like yesterday when they were that little!!!  Rubbernecker's Snowflake Trio stamps #53-06 were used for the background and the popped up snowflakes. The  Santa #209-07 was colored with Copics, glitter was added to the beard, and Flower Soft was added to the hat fur.

The frame pieces were cut out free hand and the buttons, felt snowflakes, and Baker's Twine finish it off.

Thanks for stopping by....I will have a card to share tomorrow!!

Spring Fun

Good morning everyone!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas....we had a houseful on Christmas Eve and six for dinner on Christmas Day. I sent most of the left overs home with the kids and I got rid of all the candy and cookies....it's diet time at the Ervins!!!!! I hope to loose 10 lbs in the next couple of weeks so wish me luck!!

I had a great day today...I did a little scrapbooking. The pictures are piling up so I better get to work!! These pics were taken in 2002....I guess I have a ways to go...LOL!!!!

The flower border at the bottom was made with Rubbernecker's Wild Garden Border #515-01...the stamp was colored with Old Olive, Summer Sun, More Mustard, and Rose Red markers. The flowers along the left side are from RN's Wild Flowers set #465...they were colored with Copics and Candy Dots and half pearls were added to the flower centers. The RN sentiment #564_13 says "Here's to a great day on the lake" and the banner at the top was computer generated. The papers and stickers are from Echo Park's Springtime and the flowers and buttons finish it off.

Thanks for stopping by....I will have another page for you tomorrow!!

Christmas Cookie Fun

Good morning everyone...can you believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve?? I only have one gift left to buy today and then we need to make some Chex party mix. Tomorrow we will make some cheese soup, chili, and sloppy joes for our Christmas Eve celebration....yummmm!!! I finished filling 20 Christmas stockings so they are ready to go....whoohoo!!! I am a little worried about the weather, though....freezing rains are predicted a little north of us for tomorrow...yikes!! Hope it stays north!!!!

Anyway....I actually made a non-Christmas card!! It felt kinda strange but I managed...LOL!! The bird is one of my favorite Inkadinkado stamps....it was colored with copics to match the colors in the paper...sorry, I don't know the name. I have had the paper scrap for a while....sewing and distressing was done around the edges and the Memory Box diecut was added under the bird image. Maya Road Resin Blossoms finish it off.

I just had to add a picture of my grands making Christmas cookies.....you should have seen the kitchen when they were done!! It took two hours to clean up!! We took a plate of cookies to Grandma and Grandpa Great's house last night and sang some Christmas carols for them. It really made it seem like Christmas except it was in the 60's and no snow...LOL!!

When Cole was finished with that cookie, he had sugar sprinkles a quarter inch think on top...we are saving that one for him!!!
Thanks for stopping by today...I won't be back till after Christmas so I hope you all have a wonderful  and very blessed holiday!!!

 

The Last Christmas Card...I think!!

Good morning everyone....OK...here's the deal.....I have just one more Christmas card to show you and it's my favorite!! This is for my husband from his girls, Midnight and Sundance. They are actually a redish black but this is close...LOL!!! This is an Impression Obeseeion stamp...the hats were watercolored with Cherry Cobbler and white Flower Soft was added to the *fur*.
I have already boxed up all my Christmas stamps and put them away so that is that!!! I know I have some New Years stamps somewhere but it may take a day to find them....oh, my, I need to organize my stamp room!!

I have 4 Grands here this week so things are just a little crazy ....we are playing games, making cards, wrapping presents and tomorrow we will do some baking...life is good!!!

I hope you are enjoying your Christmas week, too...thanks for stopping by!!!

Technique Lover's Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers

Good morning everyone...hope you are well on this beautiful Monday morning!! My three Grands are still sleeping so I'm up early to get a few things done. We are going to have a breakfast of biscuits and gravy,  fried ham, and sliced oranges so I hope they get up soon!!!

It's my turn to host the TLC challenge on Splitcoast and this week's challenge is to make a snow globe....I made mine using the Stamp Oasis Snowy Night stamp from Rubbernecker Stamps. It was stamped with Not Quite Navy onto white cardstock and glitter was added to the trees. The base is a half circle cut from Chocolate Chip and a white circle frame was covered with stickles. The sentiment is from Rubbernecker's Snowflakes and Stardust set and the red pearls and Baker's Twine finish it off. 

If you are lucky enough to have a snow globe stamp, by all means use it!!

You can even make a snow globe shaped card!
You can also make a snow globe out of a clear ornament, make a shaker card with a plastic globe, or make a real snow globe...what ever strikes your fancy!!

The main thing is to have fun!!

This is also for the Christmas Card Challenge to use non-traditional colors, The Dream Valley Challenge to make a Christmas project,  and the Allsorts Challenge to use blues and browns.
Thanks for dropping by...have a great day and I hope to see you in the TLC challenge!!!

Another New Toy

Good morning everyone!! OMG...I have been so busy this week....besides working, babysitting my 2 and 4 year old grandsons, wrapping presents, and sending out Christmas cards, I haven't been doing much...LOL!! Throw in a couple of Christmas programs and my Mom's doctors appointment and my week is complete!! Three of our grandkiddos will spend next week with us so I had to wrap all the presents that were taking up space in one of the guest bedrooms. Hopefully, we will do some Christmas baking and finish up my shopping next week along with some late night movie dates and a marathon Monoply game!! Anyway....I did spend some time in the craft room yesterday. I still have a few more Christmas cards to send out and I just had to play with another new toy (Merry Christmas to me...Whoohoo!!) I used the Deer Trio die from Memory Box ( I bought it at Ellen Hutson's store) and my new favorite Christmas dp from Little Yellow Bicycle. The snow in the background is a torn piece of white cardstock and the punched snowflakes, twine, and sentiment from Our Craft Lounge finish it off.
Recipe:
Stamps: Jolly Ornaments set from Our Craft Lounge
Paper: White, Chocolate Chip, Little Yellow Bicycle dp
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Twine, Martha Stewart Snowflake Punches, Deer Trio die from Memory Box

I made this for a few challenges:
1. Fairy Fun Fridays - Holly Jolly Christmas - no red or green
2. Raise the Bar - Christmas
3. Stampin for the Weekend - Christmas
4. Card Makin Mamas - Christmas

Thanks for stopping by on this chilly Saturday morning...have a great weekend!!!!!

Color Throwdown #172

Good morning everyone....are you ready for some AWESOME Color Throwdown Colors??? The fabulous Kerri is our hostess this week and she has selected some awesome colors...so bright and pretty and perfect for a winter scene!!!! I hope you have a little time to play...I would love to see what you create!!

My card features an adorable Poppy Stamps image...it was colored with Copics and Stickles was added to the *snow* and the fur on the caps and boots. The background paper is from Echo Parks Holly Jolly Christmas and the punched snowflakes and pearls finish it off. I used the Mojo Monday's #219 sketch and did a little sewing for the Creative Craft Challenge.

This is also for a few other challenges:

1. Deep Ocean Challenge - let it snow

2. The Pink Elephant - snowflakes and sparkle

3. Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - sparkle and shine

4. Gingerloft Challenge - Winter or Christmas

Remember, you don't have to use the exact colors to play along...use what ever you have that is similar to the challenge colors. Be sure to add CTD172 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some wonderful inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits
Danielle Kennedy - Wild Dragonfly Designs
Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Kristin Eberline - Mindless Creativity
Keva Brown - How Now Brown Kow
Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene
Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations
Kerri Michaud - Cards by Kerri
Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!
Our Fabulous November/December Guest Designer - Lydia Fiedler - Understandblue

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!!!

Holiday Fun

Hello everyone!! Since I have to work this week, my stamp time is limited so I thought I would share a card I made last Saturday for Splitcoast's Inspiration challenge. Stef chose an awesome store called Ten Thousand Villages...what a great place to find some inspiration!!

I chose the Perched Birds card as my inspiration...the sweet little Poppy Stamps bird was paper pieced with papers from Little Yellow Bicycle's Winter Twig collection and Stickles was added to the hat fur. The branch stamp is from Impress and the diecut snowflakes, button, and twine finish it off. This is also for Rebecca's VSN challenge to use snowflakes.
Recipe:
Stamps: Impress Stamps branch, Poppy Stamps Bird
Paper: White, Little Yellow Bicycle dp
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Button, Twine, Snowflake Dies, Rick Rack die, Stickles

This is also for a few other challenges:
1. Crafty Boots Challenge - Christmas
2. Creative Stamp Friends - Christmas
3. Heart Song Inspirations - snowflakes and/or doilies
4. Hooked on Craft - Christmas

Thanks for stopping by....I will have time tomorrow night to visit everyone's blogs....can't wait to see what you have been up to!!!

Stampin Sisterhood Sunday's #3

Good morning everyone and welcome to the Rubbernecker Sisterhood Sunday's Challenge. Each Sunday one of the challenge teams will host a challenge and this week we have an inspiration challenge ....aren't the Christmas lights beautiful!!!!! Mr. Rubbernecker is also giving away a prize so check out all the deets and challenge rules on the Rubbernecker Stamps Blog!

My card features the Word Ornament stamp #SKU:209-05...it was stamped on patterned paper, cutout, and popped up with foam dots. The center was punched our of Basic Grey dp and the red pearl was added to the center. The hanger was drawn on and the gold cording was adhered with a glue dot.  The Pine Sprig #SKU:24-0102 was stamped with Old Olive and the Merry Christmas sentiment #SKU:255-04 was stamped with Vivid aqua. Different colored pearls were added as the finishing touches.

I also made this card for the Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger called Deck the Halls and:

1. The Two Sisters Challenge - Christmas

2. Just Add Ink - color inspiration

3. Rainbow Lady's Challenge - trees and baubles

I so hope you will join us for the Sisterhood Sunday challenge (remember we will have a challenge each Sunday!!) and linking it over at the Rubbernecker blog....while you are there check out what the other Stampin Sisters have created...you will fine lots of fabulous inspiration, I tell ya!!!! Have a wonderful Sunday!!

From CAS to Fussy

Good morning everyone....have you been busy with Christmas stuff?? I am beginning to feel a little frazzled....we still don't have the outside lights up and I haven't started my Christmas cards...yikes!!! I was ahead of the game a week ago and now I'm trailing behind.....it's amazing how things can change in just a few days!!! I made a couple more Christmas cards today....hopefully I am finished making and can begin sending!!! My first card is a CAS design...the white cardstock was embossed but I don't know the name of the folder...sorry! The Rubbernecker Pine Branch #394-08 was stamped with Old Olive and the pine cones were colored with copics. Pretty simple but perfect for mailing!

This one is a little fussier...aren't those little peas just the cutest!!! The stamp is called Joyful Peas by Penny Black...it was colored with Copics, matted with Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive, and popped up with foam dots. The background paper is from The Girls Paperie, and the sewing, seam binding, button, twine, and sparkly snowflake finish it off.

Both cards are for a few challenges:

1. Crafty Ribbons Challenge - use traditional Christmas colors 

2. Paper Crafting Journey - Christmas

3. Sarah Hurley Challenge Blog - Christmas

4. ABC Christmas blog - Anything Christmas

5. Creative Card Crew - Tis the Season

Thanks for visiting...I hope you have a fabulous Friday!!!!!

Color Throwdown Challenge #171

Good morning everyone....are you ready for some AWESOME Color Throwdown Colors??? The Wonderful Wanda is our hostess this week and she has selected some awesome colors...perfect for another a Christmas card (I alsmost have enough to send out...Whoohoo!!)!!!! I hope you have a little time to play...I would love to see what you create!!

The adorable Inkadinkado Moose  oops...I ment Reindeer.... was stamped with Soft Suede and colored with Copics. The Sentiment from MFT's was stamped with Bravo Burgundy and the punched snowflakes were glammed up with some red foil stickers. The *snow* was run through the Cuttlebug with the Dotted Swiss folder....Stickles was added to the torn piece and the gold *reins* and tree diecut finish it off.
Recipe:
Stamps: Inkadinkado, My Favorite Things
Paper: White, Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Soft Suede
Accessories: Gold Cording, Snowflake Punch from Martha Stewart, Trees die from Poppy Stamps, Red Foil Stickers, Dotted Swiss Embossing Folder, Copics

This is also for a few other challenges:
1. Cards and More Challenge Blog - snowflakes
2. Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge - snowflakes
3. Creative Card Crew - tis the season
4. Tip Top Tuesday - let it snow
5. Make it Monday...seasonal and add glitter

Remember, you don't have to use the exact colors to play along...use what ever you have that is similar to the challenge colors. Be sure to add CTD171 to the keywords when you upload your card to an online gallery so we can find your work!!

Do you want to see some AWESOME inspiration?? Here are the links to the Color Throwdown Designers..... check out what they created this week!

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits
Danielle Kennedy - Wild Dragonfly Designs
Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Kristin Eberline - Mindless Creativity
Keva Brown - How Now Brown Kow
Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene
Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations
Kerri Michaud - Cards by Kerri
Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion - that's me!
Our Fabulous November/December Guest Designer - Lydia Fiedler - Understandblue

Thanks for stopping by...have a great day!!!

Button Art

Good morning everyone....hope you had a great weekend!!! We actually had rain all weekend...We almost forgot what it looked like!!! Hopefully, it will rain all week, too, as long as the temps stay above freezing!! I finished decorating my Christmas tree and set out all the Santas...now I'm ready for Christmas cards. I may have time to bake some cookies later in the week...don't ya just love this time of year!!!! Anyway.....

it's my turn to host the TLC Challenge on Splitcoast and my challenge is Button Art.....make something Christmasy or Wintery using buttons!!  Some suggestions include:

1. Cover Santa's beard with buttons

2. Create a Christmas Tree with buttons
3. Make a wreath with buttons
4. Cover snow with buttons
5. Fill the inside of a poinsettia with buttons
6. How about a button snowman, buttons bells, button ornament, or buttons snowflakes
7. What ever your little heart desires!!

Remember, we are celebrating the Holiday season so be sure to make something festive!!!

The Rubbernecker Victorian Stocking #209-01 was colored with Copics, matted with Cameo Coral, and covered with glitter. Buttons were added to the bottom part and red pearls were added to the holly. The button, gold cording, lace, and ribbon finish it off.

This is also for a few other challenges:
1. Addicted to stamps Challenge - Christmas
2. Come and Get It Challenge - Christmas
3. Kenny K's Krafty Girlz Challenge - Texture
4. Craft Your Days Away - Bows or Buttons
5. Stamp, Scrap, and Doodle Saturdays Challenge - make a Holiday card

Thanks for stopping by....have a great Monday!!!



Pease and Joy

Good morning everyone!! Hope you are all well and happy on this wonderful Saturday morning!! I am going to a church breakfast in a couple of hours....don't know if I can hold off eating till then. I might have to nibble a little cause my stomach is growling already!! It's not used to being abused in the morning...LOL!! Hopefully, I can get my Christmas tree decorated this afternoon and then start wrapping gifts....I can't believe I am ahead of the game this year...Whoohoo!!! Last year I was still buying gifts and wrapping on Christmas Eve....yikes! Anyway... I made this card a couple of days ago...the adorable little Penny Black bird image was colored with copics and mounted on two different mediallion diecuts. The paper is from October Afternoon and Stampin Up!. The sentiment is from Flourishes Christmas Classics set and the Spellbinders diecut snowflake and button with twine finish it off. ...pretty simple but fun to make!!

I made this Christmas card for a few challenges:

1. Bling it On - Christmas

2. Forever Friends Challenge - It's all Christmas

3. Fairy Tale Challenge Blog - Christmas

4. Pattie's Creations Design Challenge - Christmas

5. Raise the Bar - Christmas

Thanks for visiting...have a great Saturday!! 

Rustic Charm

Hello everyone!! Boy, has this been a crazy week..I had to work three days so not much got done around here!! My DH put the Chtistmas Tree together and brought all the boxes in from the storage shed but the tree is still naked and we are tripping over the boxes...where is that Fairy Godmother when I need her??? Tomorrow I have a Christmas lunchen,  Dad has a doctors appointment in the afternoon, and then I have to take my DGD shopping in the evening....ai yi yi....I thought I was retired...LOL!!! OK, enough whining.....let's move on to something more fun!!! Don't ya just love the rustic charm of the Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger!!  

I took my inspiration from the colors and used Basic Grey's Granola dp in the background to mimic the texture of the basket and wood. My card features the beautiful girl stamp from LaBlanche Stamps....it was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa and lightly watercolored with Cherry Cobbler. The edges were sponged with Close to Cocoa, distressed, and sewn....the seam binding and Maya Road Resin Blossom are the finishing touches.

This is also for the Queen for a Day challenge on Splitcoast to honor Wendy....she has such a beautiful gallery with lots of inspiration!! I chose to case her Little One's Old Fashioned Christmas card...I kept the same colors and little girl theme but changed the stamps, layout, and details.  

This is also for a few other challenges:

1. Do You Stack Up Challenge - use ribbon

2. Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - tie one on

3. Tuesday Morning Sketches - sketch

4. Stamps + Fun = Creativity - distressing

5. Victorine Stamps Challenge - ribbon

Thanks for stopping by...have a great Friday!!!