Texas Tuesday - Time for a Round-up!!

Howdy y'all!! I've been absent for a bit, but I had to scoot back on over here and share our May round-up of Texas Tuesday creations with you. Three fine cowgirls shared their art with us this month, and we couldn't be more thrilled!

First up is this beauty from Cardsister - she's a true Deadbeat Designs fan!


Next is Tina with a wonderful mini album she created to show off the wildflower photos she's taken. Be sure to visit her blog to see the entire album!


And finally Cassie with this fantastic Texas-y Father's Day card!


Thank you ladies for joining us this month, yay! Love your creations so much, and so honored that you played along. And a reminder to everyone, there's a group of us who post Texas-inspired creations on our blogs every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month - which means we'll be back next Tuesday! I will have a linkie widget on my blog next week - if you play along with us, link up your card there and I'll include it in the round-up at the end of June! Yeehaw!

The Texas Tuesday gang is Betty, Geeta, Linda, Mark, Shannan and of course yours truly.

So until next time - happy stamping!!


PS... Next month I'll probably change up the way I do the round-up, showing just a snippet of each card instead. Just wanted to let you know so you aren't shocked/disappointed if you play. This is making the huge assumption that anyone WILL play... LOL!!

Some roses for you...

Here's some beauties from a trip to the rose garden. Enjoy!

Just when you were getting used to me...

Well here I go again, being a sporadic blogger - just when I was getting back into a rhythm! I apologize that From Courtney's Closet was a no-show yesterday. And, I'm going to be even more sporadic for the next couple weeks while I attend to some family business. Nothing bad at all, but I won't be blogging much - just scheduling a couple cards that I already created. So bare with me once again, but then once I'm back, I'll be back with a vengeance and tearing up the old blog scene. Or something. :-)

But in the mean time, I *do* have another Beer Friday card for you. Just what you need to get you ready for the weekend, yes? :-)


This image is a Hambo digi - you can find another cute image with ties HERE, perfect for creating Father's Day cards. I asked Timbo if he'd be willing to draw a special one for me with beer mugs on it, to make cards for the store. Of course he said yes because he's super nice and awesome like that. I heard a rumor they might offer it for sale, so if you love it be sure to visit Monica and let her know. The card is rather straightforward - I just printed the tie out three times, colored them, cut them out & popped them up a bit on dimensional tape.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! And until we meet again, HERE'S a little something in honor of me taking yet another break from blogging - WE WERE ON A BREAK!!! :-)

• Stamps: Digi image by Tim Hunter/Hambo, message from Flourishes
• Paper: Bazzill cardstock, patterned paper ?
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
• Accessories: Cuttlebug folder, machine stitching, brad

Thank you, teacher

It's Teacher Appreciation Week at Carter & Courtney's preschool. Carter made the cards for his teachers himself (and darn, why didn't I take any photos of them??) but I made the ones for Courtney's teachers. I had some cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute stamped images of this little Pure Innocence girl (thanks Mary Dawn!) that was just perfect for teacher cards!

I played along with the latest 2S4Y sketch (which is pretty much like last week's Courtney's Closet card, have you played yet?) - I love all those scallops!


The colors are the latest Color Throwdown:


I stamped the dots on the yellow cardstock in white ink, and colored the main image with Copics. I just love these Pure Innocence images, they are the cutest things ever! I should have saved this card for next week's "MFT Monday", but since I actually played those challenges I just couldn't wait to post it, LOL!

Hey by the way, I did another happy dance today - my Serenity Now card was featured on the MFT blog today as one of their Favorite Finds. Woohoo!

Thanks for stopping by today!

• Stamps: Pure Innocence - Apple for You from My Favorite Things, CG139 Cling Dots from Hero Arts, message from Stampendous
• Paper: Hero Arts Kraft notecard, Stampin Up cardstock
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
• Accessories: PTI scallop edge die, corner chomper, grosgrain ribbon, button, hemp twine

Texas Tuesday - reminder!

Howdy Cowgirls and Cowboys! No, today's not officially a Texas Tuesday - those are on the first & third Tuesday of each month. But I thought I'd drop by anyway to share a photo of another Texas wildflower I love, Indian paintbrush, and remind you of a couple things... There's now a little group of us all sharing our Texas-themed projects. You can see the posts I've done so far HERE. I'll be back with another one next Tuesday, but in the mean time if you'd like to play along, I put a little linkie widget thingie on the bottom of the last post (HERE), where you can link up your Texas-y creation! On the fourth Tuesday of each month I'll share a little round-up of your Texas-themed goodness - assuming there is any out there. :-) And of course, if you're ready to put on your spurs and jump in to play along with us regularly, you're more than welcome to join our happy little band of cowpokes.

Bye y'all!

PS... Can you tell I'm originally from Michigan? Nothing like a yankee trying to talk like a Texan, eh? :-)

It's just another MFT Monday...

You were supposed to read that title to the tune of The Bangles singing "Manic Monday" - did you? If not please start over. :-)

So today I'm back with another creation made with My Favorite Things stamps, yay! This is one of my all-time favorite MFT sets - Serenity Now.


Don't you feel a little less stressed out when you look at that image? Well ok maybe you don't relax when looking at MY card, because I went a little crazy with the colors. I was doing ok with the kraft, blue & green, but then I couldn't help it, I had to throw in some purple. What do you think, does it work? Ok please don't answer that unless you think it DOES work. LOL! For the sketch, I played along with the latest Mojo Monday:


When I was figuring out a sketch to use for this card, I stopped by the 2 Sketches For You blog and had a happy surprise - last week's MFT Monday card was chosen as one of their Fab 5!! SQUEAL! That made me do a little happy dance - I think of 2S4Y as a challenge for all the fancy stampers, I don't feel talented enough to play it. So wowsa was I surprised that they picked little ol' me. hee hee ETA: Late breaking news!! My second card from last Monday was a TESC111 TOP CROP!! Woohoo!!! Someone pinch me please, I really cannot believe both cards were featured like that. Happy Dance!!

And one last thing before I go, I have to share what I can't help but think of every time I use this stamp set. SERENITY NOW!!

Thanks for stopping by!

• Stamps: Serenity Now from My Favorite Things
• Paper: Hero Arts kraft notecard, Pink Paislee DP, Bazzill textured cardstock
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
• Accessories: Misc ribbon from my stash, bling flourishes from Walmart, brad, machine stitching

Happy Mother's Day

My Mother's Day isn't perfect. Hubby is in Asia. Kids are not listening to my repeated requests to help pick up the house. Reading on Facebook about all my mom friends being pampered by sweetness. Was getting frustrated - but then I sat down and looked through some photos.


This is what it's all about. And now I'm enjoying my Happy To Be A Mother's Day.

:-)

Cinema Saturday - Much Ado About Nothing

It's time for my favorite blog challenge!! This week I'm thrilled to be a guest over on the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge blog!! I won the coveted Audrey award for my tribute to Oklahoma, yeehaw! Thanks Brooke and Sankari, you ladies made my day with that!! So here's this week's challenge:


And here is my card:


Doesn't my card immediately make you think of the Shakespearean comedy Much Ado About Nothing?! No?? Well let me explain... one of my favorite scenes in the movie is when they are tricking Benedick into thinking Beatrice loves him. During this scene, Claudio whispers "Bait the hook well, this fish will bite!". Voila! My card inspiration! I used this cute little fish from the Hero Arts Oceans of Joy set. And yes ladies and gentlemen, that IS a real fish hook - purchased at Walmart specifically for this card! This has to be the most dangerous card I've ever made! hee hee As for the rule to include parchment, this probably isn't quite what Brooke and Sankari had in mind, but I took some parchment paper from my kitchen and cut out the white wave under the fish! The sketch for today's card comes from the Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #112:


And if you're curious, here's the scene from the movie that inspired this card:

Thanks for stopping by today, and BIG THANKS again to Sankari and Brooke!!

• Stamps: CL372 Oceans of Joy from Hero Arts
• Paper: Hero Arts Kraft notecard, Bazzill cardstock
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers, Sakura Glaze pen (black), white gel pen
• Accessories: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder, Fiskars wave punch, Spellbinders dies, Star Dust Stickles, antique brass brads, fish hook

Beer Friday!

Happy Friday! It's getting close to happy hour here, so I figured I'd better get my Beer Friday card posted asap!


I think I mentioned last Friday - I've made a stash of beer cards for my friend Dean to sell at his store - he sells beer steins, pub glasses, pewter - so he wanted some beer-themed cards. I took the stack over to him this morning, and this was his favorite of the bunch. I stink at making good guy cards - I have a cute sickness, I need to make everything cute! - so now I'm focusing on this card, studying it, trying to figure out how to make more like this one! HA! The beers on this card are actually just stickers. I sanded them up a little to give them more character. The "prost" greeting is from a fun set of German phrases from FireCracker Designs by Pamela.

I want to make a bunch more beer and/or adult beverage cards, as well as some with vintage pin-up girls. If you've seen any good images around with any of this, please leave a comment and let me know, I'm looking for leads! (and I do already know about Bombshell Stamps!!)

Yes, my sweet little blog has a wild side, what can I say. I hope you're not shocked. HA!!
Have a great weekend!

• Stamps: German Phrases from FireCracker Designs by Pamela
• Paper: Bazzill cardstock
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, brown ink for sponging
• Accessories: EK Success Stickopotamus stickers, pewter brads

From Courtney's Closet #61 - an inspiration challenge

Hello and welcome to another edition of From Courtney's Closet, where I make a card inspired by one of my daughter's outfits and challenge you to do the same. First of all, I have to say a great big THANK YOU to Betty, Lin, Diane, Chris & Sue, who played along last week and made me oh so very happy with their pretty purple cards! You ladies are the best!!

Today's card is inspired by a Tinkerbell dress-up outfit that Courtney got for her birthday:


And here's Courtney back in February, right after the outfit arrived in the mail from her Aunt Lori in Michigan. As soon as she opened it she exclaimed "I wuv it!!". Too cute.


For my card, I went a tad more bold with the blue color in the outfit. I used the little fairy and tree from the Hero Arts Adorable Baby Girl set, and the cloud and sentiment from Magical Castle. The clouds and fairy have some Star Dust Stickles on them (my favorite of all the Stickles, and very hard to find around here!). I was inspired by Lucy to make the three rows of scallop border.

Feel like making a fairy card this week? Or a green and blue card? Or anything else you may be inspired by this picture to make?? You know I'd LOVE to have you join me!! If you do play, let me know by linking it up down below. And thanks for stopping by today!


Love this card? Find it in my Etsy shop!

• Stamps: CL265 Adorable Baby Girl & CL392 Magical Castle from Hero Arts
• Paper: Bazzill cardstock
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers
• Accessories: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder, Star Dust Stickles, heart punch, Hero Arts Crystal Gemstones

Celebrate... simple cards!

Today I'm sharing one last card with the polka dot fabric flowers I made a while back. I promise this is the last one, I have now used up my stash. :-) (You can see the other two HERE and HERE.)


I made this card a couple weekends ago when I did a 2-day cardmaking retreat at Archiver's. I rifled through their HUGE bin of dies we could use and found this little flourish - I didn't write down what it was called, but I believe it was from Quickutz. The sentiment is from a woodblock set from Hero Arts called Inspiring Messages. Just a quick and easy card!

Thanks for stopping by today!

• Stamps: LL240 Inspiring Messages from Hero Arts
• Paper: Olive, Kraft
• Ink: Brown
• Accessories: Homemade fabric flower, Quickutz die, SU scallop border punch, ribbon

Texas Tuesday!

Hey Y'all! It's time for a little Texas Tuesday creatin'! Yee-haw! :-) Today I'm sooooo excited to be joined by a bunch of other cowgirls, some of my favorite Texas stampers - make sure and hop on over to check out what Shannan, Linda, Geeta & Betty created! Woohoo! (ETA: Mark from Deadbeat Designs played too!! YAY!! I officially have to stop calling us a group of cowgirls, it seems.)

For today's Texas-inspired project, I decided to repurpose a Laughing Cow cheese box!


The idea is that eventually this will hold a little circle-shaped mini-scrapbook of our bluebonnet photos from this spring, but for now it is only holding a set of cut out photos. When I get the scrapbook finished I'll have to show you that too. :-)


The bluebonnet stamp is from Joyce Meyer/Texana Designs. I used Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paint to cover the box. I was inspired by the latest CardPatterns sketch (which happens to be sponsored by Hero Arts this week!):


Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget, if you're feeling like releasing your inner cowgirl yourself, just leave a link on this post (I may add a linkie thing tomorrow, I'm too sleepy at the moment) and I'll do a little Texas round-up at the end of the month!

• Stamps: Bluebonnet by Joyce Meyer for Texana Designs, S5317 Starburst Lace from Hero Arts, message from Deadbeat Designs
• Paper: white
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers, Brushed Sage Distress Ink
• Accessories: ribbon, pearls, Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist, cheese box

MFT Monday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice weekend. As promised I'm back with another MFT creation today - actually, make that two! I played with one of my favorite MFT sets - I {Heart} Books!


Peace, love & literature - I love that!! I dusted off my Prisma pencils for these cards - gave my Copics a well-earned break. This first card was inspired by the latest 2S4Y challenge:


I love this little bookworm boy - reminds me of an older Carter (with glasses). If it's Carter, this big orange book is no doubt about animals!


This one is Taylor's latest sketch:


I went a little wild & whacky with the color scheme, not to mention a bit crazy with the brads! HA! They were fun cards to play with.

Thanks for stopping by!

• Stamps: I {Heart} Books from My Favorite Things
• Paper: Bazzill cardstock, DP from Michael's
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, blending stumps & OMS, Prima flower, machine stitching, SU paperclip, ribbon, brads, PTI scallop border die, Sakura Glaze pen

National Scrapbooking Day!

Yesterday was National Scrapbooking Day! Which was perfect timing, because I had recently been contemplating trying to get back into scrapbooking, so this just reinforced that desire. I was a scrapbooker before I was a cardmaker, it's how I entered into the world of papercrafting. I have a whole shelf of scrapbooks about the vacations we've been on PK (pre-kids!). But since having kids, I've done nada. The kids LOVE looking at my travel books, so I know I really need to get to work on their books, they will enjoy them so much! So... here's my initial attempt at returning to the world of scrapbooking!


I used the Hero Arts Clouds stamp, cut out with the Tim Holtz Styled Labels die. I made a little banner for the title, since banners seem to be all the rage these days. Nothing fancy - I'm not much of a scrapper, really - but I had a lot of fun making this page, and I know Carter will love it, and that's what really matters! Yay!!

I probably won't share many scrapbook pages here, but I thought I'd share this one since it's NSD and all. By the way, did you know that Hero Arts has a little NSD contest going on? Check it out HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,

• Stamps: S5215 Clouds from Hero Arts
• Paper: Kraft, Red, White
• Ink: Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, Copic multiliner
• Accessories: Making Memories Cheeky Shimmer Stickers, circle punch, staples, machine stitching, older letter stickers I have no idea where I got them, journaling from PC (Bradley Hand font)