CASology Merriment

It's Tuesday and time for the last CASology cue word of 2015!  How about a little merriment?  This is a TWO-WEEK challenge, so you have some extra time with the holidays to link up your merry creation/s!

I know it's the time of year when everything is merry and bright, but for some reason, my mind drifted off to a synonym of the cue word:  happy!  From there, I ended up with a simple birthday card design!

I combined a Paper Trey die cut and sentiment on a simple white panel.  I popped up the assembled main panel using foam dots for dimension.  I used silver glitter paper for the die cut to add a little sparkle & interest to the simple design.

Be sure and go say a quick hello to the design team members & this week's guest designer!  They work so hard each week to create inspiration!

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Hannelie Bester

Hazel Hodgkins
 Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Judy Marino

Kymona Tracey

Melissa Chipperfield - You are here.
 Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer:  Asa

Are you ready for the winding down of 2015?  Another year has flown by and a fresh start is just around the corner.  I love to reflect and adjust my sails as one year closes and another begins!  I've chosen my One Little Word for 2016, but won't reveal it until the new year has begun.

I'm going to finish out the year with photos here on the blog.  Plans are being made for a new year of blogging, but first, precious family time is to be enjoyed!

Photo Credit:  Photos by J-Me

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Birthday Butterflies

Stamps:  STAMPlorations

One more birthday card this week!  I guess birthdays must be on my mind!  I wanted to showcase the wonderful stamps from STAMPlorations, our sponsor over at CASology!

 

I stamped the patterned background using an image from the Mini Mixed Media set.  I stamped two of the butterflies (Trendy Butterflies set) directly onto the background image and then a third onto a piece of white cardstock before fussy cutting it.  It was then popped up with a foam dot and a clear gemstone was added to one of its wings.  So simple!

I'm also linking this up with the Anything Goes Challenge over at STAMPlorations.

Have a fantastic Friday!

Birthday Blog Candy!

Stamps (Paper Trey, Precious Remembrance Shop - sentiment)

Today is my birthday!  I've now reached the age where one doesn't get all that excited about such things, but I figured I'd put forth a little effort and make your  week a little more exciting by offering up a little blog candy!  I've been cleaning out my craft room, after all!

Forty things from my stash (+ a $10 Starbucks gift card and a bag of Lindt chocolates for good measure).

Birthday Blog Candy Rules:

1.  To enter, link your blog here using the link tool below.  I'd love to come say hello!
2.  The link tool will close Sunday, August 23, at midnight (CDT) and I will then select a random entry using random.org.
3.  At this time, I will only be able to ship to addresses in the U.S.A.  I wish I could ship worldwide, but international shipping costs have become quite spendy!

Good luck!

An InLinkz Link-up

I'm linking this card up with the current CASology challenge!

 Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Prickley Pear Masculine Birthday

Monday has arrived again and it's time for more Prickley Pear inspiration!  This week, I wanted to make a simple, one layer birthday design.  Using one of the new classic car images in the store, I created a masculine card.

Stamps:  Prickley Pear (Ambulance, Circles Set Sentiments Clear Set - sentiment)

I used Soft Suede ink from SU as I love how it looks on kraft cardstock!  This card is so simple, but perfect for those men in your life who prefer to-the-point greetings without a lot of extra fluff!

If you haven't already, you'll want to go check out the new release in the store!  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for spring and the new release is full of spring themed images!

I hope you had a good weekend!  Mine was filled with a visit from family which meant lots of cousin fun for the kids!  There really is nothing like cousins when you're a child!  The giggling, the games, the noise...good times!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Bird Fun

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  Mine was decent.  DH arrived home safely from his business trip and we all settled in together for the weekend.  After eating our fill of chocolate from Valentine's Day, it's time to head into a new week!

Prickley Pear has just released brand new spring stamps and I used a fun one for today's card!

Aren't these birds cute?!  I just love the expression on the face of the bird at the bottom of the pile!  I stamped the Stacked Robins image and then colored with Copic markers.  The sentiment was stamped alongside the main image.

Have a marvelous Monday!

Prickley Pear Dandelion Birthday Wishes

Happy Monday! It's time for more Prickley Pear inspiration and this time, I'm sharing a simple birthday card!

Using the beautiful Flourished Oval Die, I die cut a frame in the center of the main panel.  I then die cut a flourished oval out of black cardstock and stamped the main image (Dandelions) in white for a bit of a chalkboard look.  Love the look of negative die cuts! The sentiment was stamped last and is from the Spring Flourished Oval clear set.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  We've had my mom visiting us since last Thursday.  She's heading home today and we're all going to miss her!  There's nothing like a grandmother's love!

Now it's on into the new week!  Plenty to do and I have lots of "hope to do's" in my planner for the week, so I need to keep focused!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Getting Older with CASology

 

It's time for a new cue word challenge over at CASology!  This week we're exploring the word OLD.  I immediately thought of birthdays.  We're all getting older by the day!  Of course, once we hit 29, we stop counting the years.

Stamps:  Mama Elephant

I used a stitched panel die for the main panel and added a bold sentiment and a trio of popped up balloons.  There is a touch of sparkle on the little piece of reflection on each of the balloons, but it was tricky to capture it with the camera.  You'll just have to take my word for it this time, I'm afraid!

Be sure and stop by the blogs of the rest of the design team and this week's guest designer!  They've come up with some fabulous inspiration!

 

Ardyth Percy-Robb
Gillian Ross 
Jen Wills 
Joyce Mehrberg
Judy Marino
Kimberly Wiener

May Park

Meghan McMillan
Melissa Chipperfield (you are here)
Tracey McNeely

Guest Designer:  Maureen

Then, don't forget to link up your own OLD creation on the challenge blog by Monday at NOON (CST) for your chance to win a free digital stamp set from our sponsor, Melon Door Lighthouse!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

A Happy Muse

 

Another quick post today!  I couldn't resist playing along with this week's Muse Challenge again this week!  Marion Vagg's card is a beauty!  Just look at it...

I envisioned bolder, rainbow colors for my card and this is what I finally ended up with:

I added some clear sparkle to the HAPPY with my Wink of Stella brush marker to make it stand out just a little bit more against the bold colors.  Secretly, I'm pretty sure I was supposed to layer a couple more die cut HAPPY's under the one I attached to the card, but I still like it this way!  I framed the main panel with black and then popped up the layered panels with foam dots.  Three red gemstones were added as embellishments.

It's cold, windy and grey here this week, so I'm keeping busy indoors!  We had a big ole pot of chili earlier in the week and that tasted so good!  It's one of our favorite winter meals.  I do believe I've upgraded to a 2-cup-per-day status on the coffee consumption chart.  Chocolate consumption usually follows suit, so I need to be making longer appointments with the treadmill!

Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday!

Clean & Simple Uniko Studio Challenge

Here I am posting Friday afternoon. It's been one of those weeks when life throws you a box of curve balls and you feel like you just want to crash on the couch, only, you can't.  Everyone needs you...five minutes ago!

Clean & Simple with color inspiration

I whipped up a clean and simple card late one evening while the house was calm and quiet.  I needed to do something crafty.  Remembering Uniko Studio's Challenge #14:  Clean & Simple, I played along with their All Occasions Sentiments #2 set.  These sets are some of my favorite sentiment sets with big, bold, beautiful fonts that work so well on CAS cards!

I used some shimmery watercolors as a background for the sentiment and then used a combination of sequins and gemstones as embellishments.  So simple, but that's how I like my cards!

I hope you've had a good week!  I'm off now to check on DS2.  He had a fever for almost three days and is now enduring hives.  The joys of viruses, I tell you!  Add to that a DH who has to put in long hours at work this week, a DS3 who decided to kiss the side of his nose with the edge of his bike handle bars (you know, the metal part) and a clingy DD and you get the idea...I'm ready for the weekend!  Life can only get better!

Enjoy yours!

Owl Birthday Bash

I wanted to be sure and share a little collage of DD's first birthday bash!  We had a local bakery make the cake and it turned out so cute!  The little owl was a cupcake that lifted off the top of the cake to serve as DD's smash cake!  She absolutely loved it!!!

Today, she had her one year doctor check up and continues to grow like a little weed!  She's still hovering in the 25th percentile on the growth charts!

Enjoy the rest of your Thursday!

Blunt Birthday Greetings

Friday.  Pinch me because I'm finding it hard to believe the weekend is already here again!  I'm finally feeling somewhat caught up from last week's travels!

I've had a card quietly waiting to be shared and today is its day to make an appearance.  It's Unity Friends with Flair day on the Unity blog and I used Unity stamps for this one layer birthday card!

Stamps:  Unity (One Day at a Time, Consider Yourself Vintage - sentiment)

I realize this card will have to be given to someone with the right sense of humor, but I couldn't resist using the sentiment!  The clock is stamped in SU's Soft Suede ink & it really gives it a vintage feel!

I'm beginning to gear up for one last summer vacation and DD's 1st birthday!  How is it possible that she's turning one in less than two weeks?  Big sigh!  Life really does pass like a dream and sometimes I feel like I'm blinking too much!

Have a fabulous Friday!

It's Kate's Birthday Blog Hop!

Today is a very special day because it's Kate's birthday!  Kate happens to own and operate one of my favorite online stores, i {heart} papers. To celebrate her, the design team and guest designers are having a little blog hop to share our birthday cards and wishes!

I created a clean and simple birthday card using some fun speech bubble dies from Avery Elle and stamped fun words in them from the coordinating stamp set to match today's occasion!

I started out by stamping the celebrate sentiment (Paper Smooches) in bright pink and then used a portion of a sentiment from the same set to add the "you".

 

The speech bubbles were popped up with foam dots for dimension and hot pink gemstones were added as simple embellishments.

I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Kate!

Be sure to hop along to each designer and leave these talented gals some love!

Lindsay 

Lisa, guest designer

Lori 

Melissa, guest designer - you're here!

Sarah 

Sheri 

Tracy 

Vera 

And please stop by Kate's blog to wish her a happy birthday!

 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Happy Birthday, Darnell!

Today is the birthday of someone famous in the crafty parts of blogland for her wit, humor and genuine kindness. Who could be so well rounded, you ask?! It's the one and only Darnell Knauss!  Seriously, if you haven't visited her blog before, you must put it on your summer bucket list.  Period.  Ardyth over at MASKerade is having a birthday linky party for this special occasion, so you'll have to play along if you didn't already know the big secret!

Given her wonderful sense of humor, I thought Darnell might appreciate a little humor on her birthday card...

The inside says, "Happy 29th birthday.  Again!"  I'd never guess Darnell is anything more than 29!  She's got plenty of mischief in her eyes and a wit that doesn't quit!  If I'm half as lively when I'm 29 (again), I'll be tickled pink!  Thank you, Darnell, for giving us something to laugh about on a regular basis!  Laughter is, after all, the best medicine!

Have a very Happy Birthday...and many, many more!

A White on White Birthday

I'm discovering I'm quite behind on mailing out birthday greetings to family and friends.  While crafting away with the boys, I made a simple birthday card for one of our nephews.

The banner and numbers were die cut and then the entire main panel was popped up with foam dots. The sentiment was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and three silver sequins were added as embellishments.

All supplies from  i {heart} papers:

Stitched Banner Die (Lawn Fawn)

Modern Numerals Die (WPlus9)

Cool clear set (Technique Tuesday)

Tuxedo Black Ink (Memento)

Silver Sequins

InLinkz.com

As I promised, you get to see DS2 and his Titanic drawing...

He created his canvas by taping four pieces of white cardstock together.  He's already started on another drawing.  This kid is happiest when he's drawing or writing!

It's day three of summer vacation and I've already heard those words we parents all love so much..."I'm bored."  A few weeks ago, DS1 was complaining about having too much homework.  Now he's complaining about not having anything to do!  Isn't that so very human?!  The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence and the anticipation of something often times brings more happiness than its acquisition.  A few chores should change his outlook.  Hehehe.

Have a great Thursday!