I Love to Read!

I really do! I read a LOT. I usually have an upstairs book and a downstairs book. It seems if I'm not creating, I'm reading. I love bookmarks. A friend asked for a simple gift for a new teacher and I remembered Regina, from The Cutting Cafe, sent a fabulous school file, All About School. It has 38 great images! I especially like the bingo cards...so cute! I printed the READ bingo card onto kraft paper. The I love to read circle along with the apple image made a pretty focus.
I added several vintage buttons.
The red one at the top is one of my favorites and I love how the big one on the ribbon tail looks hanging out of the book.

I think I need to make myself one of these!

I'd like to take a moment to thank City Crafter for choosing my Halloween star card as one of the spotlight cards for last week's challenge. City Crafter is a fun challenge blog. I've really enjoyed participating. THANK YOU!

Let it Snow!

Hi, everyone! Is it a great weekend for you? I've been crazy busy trying to get things ready for my show/party scheduled for September 19th. That date is coming up fast! The challenge at The Shabby Tea Room this week is metal. One of the things on the list is metallic embossing powder which I used on the snowflakes on the background. The other metal on this card is the two bells.
I think this snowman is the cutest! I cut him using the Cricut cartridge Snow Friends. Then I ran him through my Cuttlebug in the dotted swiss embossing folder. The postcard (from Collage Press) is also embossed using the snowflake folder. The snowflakes are a Martha Stewart punch.
Let it snow! Can you tell I'm ready for cooler weather?

I See Stars!

That's the challenge at City Crafter Challenge Blog this week. I'd had this darling little girl out for a few days along with that yummy orange stripe ribbon (May Arts), but hadn't quite decided what to do with her. When I saw the challenge, I knew immediately I was going to put her on a star shaped card. The stamps are from Papertrey Ink and the twine is Martha Stewart. The black polka dotted paper is from My Minds Eye. I have to say I absolutely love the ribbon! It's got a great feel and lays so nicely. I cut the stars with my Cricut (Plantin Schoolbook Cartridge) and sewed them together on the left side point. The finishing touch is the button tucked in to one of the folds of the ribbon.
I am soooo ready for fall! We've had just a touch this week - with way cooler temperatures. Just lovely!

Thank you City Crafter for naming my entry for Isn't She Lovely one of the spotlight cards for last week's challenge!

Shabby Chic Christmas

I know, Christmas already! But, I have to get started early and have lots of special orders to fill. I saw the challenge at The Shabby Tea Room. The inspiration photo is shabby chic with roses and a muted pink robe. I love this Dutch postcard. She is just darling in her muted pink.
The greeting at the bottom translated actually says, "Happy New Year." The pretty scroll is an older stamp by Rhonna Farrer. I added the French stamp at the top on the vintage ledger paper.
Just topped her off with some of my crinkle ribbon, a glittered star, a little tag with an ornament stamp (Inkadinkado) and a wonderful vintage button.

Also, I'm sending out a BIG THANK YOU to Kirsty for naming me in her top ten blogs. Wow, I'm so excited! Hope everybody has had a great weekend!

Isn't She Lovely

That's the challenge at City Crafter. The project must include a girl or lady of some kind. I thought of this little girl because she is so cute and I love the expression on her face as she opens the door and sees the pretty Christmas tree (and perhaps packages underneath?).
The background papers are My Minds Eye. None of them are marketed as a Christmas collection, but I really like how they look behind her. The little girl, along with the door, are on popdots, which add great depth to this card. Added a little bit of sparkle to show off the light from the hall. Thanks for stopping by!

Fall Banner

I found these chipboard leaves at Michaels awhile back. I knew immediately I wanted to make a banner with them. I thought about putting old ledger paper on them...but decided to do something a little different instead. Regina, from The Cutting Cafe, sent new files awhile ago: Jot It Down - it's got great journaling spots and cards and Journaling for the Holidays. I enlarged the images I wanted ( I also used the library card) and then traced my leaf on top of them.

I really like how it turned out. I stamped a background in yellow and orange (stamps from Papertrey Ink).
Added calendar circles from The Cutting Cafe's 2011 calendar set,
a few autumn sayings from Inkadinkado,
and some vintage image pumpkin seed packets and that large butterfly. The letters were cut out using my cricut (Plantin Schoolbook) and glittered with Martha Stewart's Fire Opal.
The pretty ribbon on the ends is from Michaels and the pumpkins are last year's find from Hobby Lobby. It's amazing all the files I incorporated from The Cutting Cafe. Digital stamps are so very versatile! They are hard to beat!

Cute, with Ladybug

Hope you've had a great weekend! I had a request for a cute card with a ladybug. I think this fits the bill! The papers are from My Little Shoebox. I've had the paper for quite sometime. I had almost forgotten about it. I buy paper when I see it, but time is an issue, so...paper often sits around until I can get to it.
The frame is from Tattered Angels (sprayed with Mint Choc Chip Chalkboard Glimmer Mist, then glittered) and the ladybug is Martha Stewart. Thanks for dropping by!

Cutting Cafe Winner

I used Random.Org, but could not get it to post properly. The winning number was 5. The fifth person to request being added to the drawing is: Lori1brat .

Please send me your email and I'll send the sets off to you. Congratulations!

Love that Silhouette!

Hi, everyone! There is still a few more hours to comment on this post to win two free sets from The Cutting Cafe. You can check out that site for more giveaways (just scroll down the main page). I love, LOVE, this silhouette stamp. It's from a retired Stampin' Up set called Vintage Postcard. I also really like the frame around her - it's from American Crafts.
The papers on this card are GCD Studios. The feel of the paper is awesome - like old wallpaper. I stamped pink dots using a background stamp from Papertrey Ink. Added a vintage button, a paper rose, and some of my crinkle ribbon. I hope you've had a great week. I'm ready for the weekend...how about you?

Guest Designer at City Crafter

Wow! How exciting...I'm the guest designer over at City Crafter this week! The challenge: I left my HEART in San Francisco is a fun one! The project has to have hearts of course. I designed a card with a scalloped frame and a heart that's slightly crooked attached to it. The hearts were created with Spellbinders dies. The image is a vintage image I found at a local antique store.
The papers are October Afternoon and Making Memories. The inside stamps are Verve.
The sponsor of this week's prize is: thechipchopshop.etsy.com The prize is $20 to spend at the store. They have some lovely things, like the hand-dyed doilies. A big thank you to Kirsty for inviting me to Guest Design this week, which is a big honor!

Mojo Monday Sketch

I love the sketch at Mojo Monday blog! I couldn't wait to get started. Then I was so busy and went out of town that I just now got to it. I hope I make it in time to link my card. The darling vintage image is from The Vintage Warehouse and the papers are My Minds Eye.
The frame is from Tattered Angels. Thanks for stopping by and have a great Monday!

Cutting Cafe Giveaway

Hi, everyone! This is great - The Cutting Cafe is having a Giveaway! Just leave a comment on this post before August 14th telling me that you would like to win and by random selection you could win TWO Cutting Cafe sets:

Apron Card

From My Kitchen

Check out my project using both of those files. I bought this CHEAP recipe box at Michaels. It was not pretty, but I could see some potential. A friend of mine has been asking for several of my recipes, so I decided to give them to her in style!
I checked out The Cutting Cafe and found just the right sets. Then, I couldn't believe it, but the City Crafter Challenge this week was food! Are we on the same wavelength? I covered the recipe box with cute Bo Bunny papers. Added that great rooster stamp from Basic Grey and die cut a circle stamp from the Cutting Cafe. That cute little boy is a stamp from Crafty Secrets. Then...the fork! I really wanted to use a fork as the handle, but I couldn't figure out how to shape it. We visited my in-laws this weekend and I took my project with me, whined around a very little about the fork, and guess what? A simple project was completed by my husband and father-in-law...a wonderful bent fork with curled prongs for the top of my recipe box! (Worked like a charm!)
The inside divider cards have those wonderful circle stamps from The Cutting Cafe and cute Crafty Secrets stamps.
I decided the apron card was a perfect addition. I wanted it to match, but wanted it simple.
Just added some of my crinkle ribbon and a button and I felt happy! Don't forget toleave a comment to win two sets from The Cutting Cafe - winner will be announced August 14th.

Thank you City Crafter!

A BIG thank you to all the ladies at City Crafter Challenge Blog. I'm so excited that they chose my birthday caledar book (in the previous post) as the winning project for last week's challenge! I loved that challenge... the book was so fun to create. This card is part of the special order for puppy cards.
I think he's so cute pulling those darling puppies in a wagon. The papers are My Mind's Eye and October Afternoon. Hope you have a great day!