Beccy's Place - January Challenge

Brrrr... it's that time of year! Ugh! lol I like to make winter cards and send these out to friends up north to warm their hearts during this cold season. :)

I received Snow One Like You Snowman Set from Beccy Muir back in October for a new release. She chose me as a Guest Designer for the month of November on Beccy's Place! This was for a new release she had in October and you can see the post here. I participated in two new releases in November as well. One for Bauble Set and a second one for Gingerbread Set and you can see these here and here, respectively. I'm still pinching myself over that! I hope I did good for her. Have you ever been to her blog? If you haven't, you definitely should! She's got lots of freebies and oodles of techniques and card folds! I love her place! :)

This is an image I colored back then but I just now put it together for a friend who lives up north. I'm submitting this to the January Challenge at Beccy's Place. Here is my card:

I used a Darice 4.25 x 5.75 snowflake embossing folder for the background. I dabbed the snowman with some Zip two-way glue and sprinkled Stampendous Crystal Snow glitter to make the snowman glisten the way we all know snow glistens! ;) I colored the image with Copic markers. The rhinestones and fiber ribbon are from my long-hoarded stash. Don't you think the ribbon matches the little bird perfectly? I thought it did and wanted to pull that color out a bit. It's such a pretty color. I hope the card brings a smile to my friend's face and heart when she receives it. :)

I am a follower of this blog and I have my badge here.

Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Challenge #216 - Flowers with a Mo Image

Perfection! It's not just the name of the image! It's a great way to say thank you too! :) The inside sentiment reads "Thanks SO much for your PERFECTLY timed thoughtfulness!". This image is from Mo's Digital Pencil and I would like to submit it into the current Challenge #216 - Flowers over at Mo's Challenge Blog or Bronte and Bella's Challenge Blog. I've not figured out the official name of the blog! The URL has Mo's Challenge Blog but I've seen it listed at Paper Playful as Bronte and Bella's Challenge Blog so go figure! Either way, I'm playing along with their challenge and here is my card! :)

The silk tangerine ribbon is from Raisin Boat. I colored the image with Copic markers. The paper, card stock, flowers and rhinestones are from my long-hoarded stash. The sentiment is by ME! :) 

I am a follower of this blog and I list my badges in alphabetical order here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Release at DigiStamps4Joy

Guess what day it is? Well, it's not hump day! ;) lol It's Sunday Release at DigiStamps4Joy! The image is Parisienne Bistro. Nice! 

Here is my card:

I used a Crafty Secrets clear stamp set called French Mail Stamp Set to stamp the Bonjour in the corner along with the corner flourish. I colored the image with Copic markers. I added a black grosgrain ribbon and embellished it with some square pink rhinestones. I made the flowers from a Michael's Recollection daisy punch and added some large pink rhinestones for centers.

I'd like to enter this card into these challenges:

Challenge #9 - Anything Goes at 4 Krafty Girls Challenge Blog

Anything Goes at In the Pink Challenge Blog

Anything Goes at My Heart Pieces Digital Stamp Challenges

I am a follower of all these blogs and I list the badges in alphabetical order here. 

Thanks for stopping by!

From the Heart Stamp of the Month - January

This card is for the monthly challenge at From the Heart Stamps Community. Faith Skrdla will gift you a digital image for each month you participate in the challenge. Isn't that way generous of her?!? It is a progressive challenge that started in September 2012 and at the time, the first image was free. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered this in January 2013. In order to receive the freebie, you must make a purchase and request the freebie of the month, and as long as you continue participating in the challenge, you'll receive a free digi each month. 

But wait! For January 2014, she's giving out this free image I've used! It's available as a freebie on the challenge blog. If you continue to play along with the challenge each month, she'll keep sending a monthly freebie! How great is that? By the way, these are adorable images too! Be sure to jump on over to the challenge blog and check out the details. Don't trust me to have this info correct. I'm taking heavy meds! :-\ 

For the month of January, the freebie image is Caught Your Heart and here is my card:

I've paper-pieced the background of the image to make it look like wallpaper. The image brought a friend from up north to mind. Well, not her, but her mother. I went to with my friend to her mother's home and she had this beautiful rose wall paper and kitty cats all over the place. When we were leaving, the mail arrived and she had a box kinda like this one on her front door and that's how she got her mail! Isn't that awesome? I thought it was and it reminded me of her house and I had to go with the wallpaper background. :)

I've colored the image with Copic markers. The three plastic hearts are from a Michael's Recollections embellishment package. I made the flower with a Michael's Recollections daisy punch as well. I punched several flowers, misted them with water to dampen the card stock, scrunched the petals inward and glued them together by alternating them on top of one another. I then finished this by adding a rhinestone to the center. The sentiment is from Love You Sayings by Raindrop Echo Designs at Whimsy Stamps. The paper is from K&Company Ancestry.com Designer Paper.

I am a follower of this blog and I list my badges in alphabetical order here.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

SSD Progressive Monthly Challenge #7 - Show Your Folds

Here is my card for Progressive Monthly Challenge #7 at Sassy Studio Designs. The challenge has been moved over to FB so I'm not sure the link will show for you. It's a "Show Your Folds" challenge. Well, coloring folds is proving to be a very difficult skill for me to accomplish for sure but the challenge also allowed for folds on the card so I went with that. Here is my card:

Here is a closer look at it open:

Here is a closer look at it closed with the ribbon tied:

I don't mind telling you, I love how it came out! I think it looks so elegant! Aren't I just so full of myself? I couldn't help it. I didn't plan to add so many flowers but I used acetate on the background and the matted image started to pop off! I didn't know it would do that. I should have researched the technique a bit before deciding to use it. By the way, her gown is gray. I had someone on FB tell me it was such a great shade of purple! Ha! All the supplies are from my stash and I colored the image with Copic markers. I outlined her gown with Stickles in Stardust and dabbed her gray eyes with Glossy Accents. I also dabbed the flowers with Stickles for some added shimmer. I used a tutorial from Whiff of Joy for the card fold and you can find the tutorial here.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

ADFD Challenge #86 - Anything Goes

I wish I'd read the challenge closer. A Day for Daisies announced a new release of Clouds for Christmas and Wild Christmas Nymphs, which by the way are too, too cute... alongside Challenge #86 so I thought it was Christmas themed! Ugh! It isn't! It's a wonderful Anything Goes! Anyway, I'm prepared for next year! :) 

Here is my card:

I've colored the image in Copic markers. All supplies are from my long hoarded stash. You know, I printed out a bunch of sentiments thinking I'd remember which one came from where. Obviously I lied to myself! So, now, I cannot remember where the sentiment is from! :-\ So sorry! :( But the snowman's outstretched arms like that made me think and I couldn't stop thinking about it so I had to go with that sentiment. :)

I am a follower of this blog and I list my badges in alphabetical order here.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

DigiStamps4Joy Challenge #83 - Glitter and Sparkle

DigiStamps4Joy has launched Challenge #83 - Glitter and Sparkle! What fun! I love sparkly embellishments. Here is my card:

For the life of me, I've photographed this up and down and every which way and I cannot get the shimmer and sparkle to come through but all those small squares are rhinestones and I've outlined the banner with Stickles in Stardust for more shimmer. This is Celebrate Celia. As it is the case most often these days, all the supplies used are from my long hoarded stash. :-\ It's just a never ending mess! lol 

I'd like to enter my card into these challenges:

Challenge #37 - Anything Goes at Challenges 4 Everybody

Challenge #66 - Anything Goes at Glitter 'n Sparkle Challenge Blog

Challenge #9 - Always Anything Goes at Scribble and Scrap

I am a follower of these blogs and I list my badges in alphabetical order here.

Don't forget to join us for the current challenge at DigiStamps4Joy! We'd love to see you sparkle and glitter! :) lol

Thanks for stopping by!

Meljen's Challenge #191 - Anything Goes

Yay! Anything Goes! I just love these challenges! Almost as much as MelJen's adorable images! This is for MelJen's Designs Challenge #191 - Anything Goes. 

Here is my card:

This is Daisy Pitcher. I think it's such a happy, cheerful image. Perfect for a "Hello, I'm thinking of you!" card. So that's what I made with it. ALL supplies are from my long hoarded stash. I colored the image with Copic markers. The sentiment is a freebie from Create with TLC. Hope the card brings a smile to your face! It's the same reaction I hope it receives when I send it to someone special! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Fitztown Challenge #17 - Anything Goes

Welcome back friends and fellow bloggers! Today launches a new era for Fitztown Challenge Blog. I hope you'll pop on over there and check out all the changes. 

For now, here is my card for Challenge #17 - Anything Goes:

I've used a FAE image from the Fae Collection at Fitztown. I've colored it with Copic markers and outlined the wings and gown with Stickles Glitter Glue in Stardust. I dotted the center of the flower with Stickles Liquid Pearls in Buttercup. I added a lace border with a Michael's Recollections border punch. The sentiment is from a retired stamp set at The Angel Company (TAC). TAC is closed but you can find many of these images at Red Rubber Designs. I used to LOVE TAC so when I found this out, I was thrilled! 

I made the flower with a Michael's Recollections daisy punch. I cut five daisies, spritzed them with water to soften the paper and then pinched the petals upward and inward while the paper was damp. Then I alternately layered them on top of one another and added a rhinestone to the center. I think it came out looking like a daisy! :)

All other embellishments and papers used are from my long-hoarded stash of craft supplies. 

I'd like to submit this card to these challenges:

Challenge #10 - Anything Goes at Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge Blog

Challenge #78 - Anything Goes at Card Makin' Mamas

Challenge #5 - Anything Goes at Crafty Hands Challenge Blog

Challenge #18 - Anything Goes at Creative Fingers Challenge Blog

Challenge #69 - Anything Goes at Digitally Sweet Challenges

I am a follower of these blogs and I list my badges in alphabetical order here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Release at DigiStamps4Joy

Welcome friends and bloggers! :) It's Sunday Release at DigiStamps4Joy once again. Here I have Martini - Who Me? Isn't she too cute?!?

I've colored the image with Copic markers and I'm continuing to use my stash of long-hoarded supplies. I colored her hair in the ombre look that is so popular right now. For two reasons, it IS so popular right now AND... I'm running out of Copic inks! :'( I'll be unable to purchase refills for quite awhile so I don't know what I am gonna do when I'm completely out! Well, I can always go back to coloring with chalks and pencils. I use to do that before and that was fun for me too! :) It's not going to be the end of the world! :-| lol I'm having a time finding where the sentiment came from so I cannot even begin to tell you! So sorry about that! :( I made the flower from a daisy punch from Michael's and tissue paper. I punched several layers of daisies and then fluffed the petals around a rhinestone. I used an EK Success Butterfly Layering Punch and dazzled it with a rhinestone and Stickles Glitter Glue in Stardust. I twisted wire to add to the butterfly for its antennas because I'm all about the little details. ;) lol

I'd like to submit this card to these challenges:

January Anything Goes Challenge at Catch the Bug Challenge Blog

Challenge #110 - Something New (I've used a new release!) at A Gem of a Challenge

Challenge #84 - Anything Goes at Color Me Creative Challenge Blog

I am a follower of these blogs and I list my badges in alphabetical order here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Challenge #215 - Anything Goes

Who loves Mo Manning images? Me! lol Actually, I have many, many favorites but in reviewing my process of wanting to post a project every day this year, I had to make some tough choices. 

First, no more weekly challenges. Too stressful! Unless it's one for a company I love... or I blog for already... and I do for a couple! ;) Second, well come to think of it there is no second. Unless you count the challenges that are for every two weeks. Those I may still do but again, only if it's for companies I love! :) I love a whole bunch too so that may turn out to be a problem anyway but we shall wait and see.

So here's my first official project for 2014. This is for Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge #215 - Anything Goes with a Mo image. I've got that covered! :)

Here's my card:

I used this image, Full Heart, on my sisters' cards last year for Sisters Week. I want to show these to you but... and to be perfectly honest, I'm quite horrified about this...I did not blog them!! But if you read my 365 Posts, you'll believe I was quite capable of that! :-\ They were WICKED AWESOME too! ;) lol Anyway... I absolutely love, love, love the sentiment and little girl! Absolutely adorable! I colored the image with Copic markers. The silk tangerine ribbon is from Raisin Boat. I love these ribbons! Love. Them! The rest of the supplies are from my long hoarded stash. 2014 is the year I am ridding myself of this stash! Ha! You laugh but I. Mean. It! I'll tell you how later! :) 

I am a follower of this blog and I list my badges in alphabetical order here.

OK, OK, I'll tell you now. ;) lol I do this every year with my clothes. It hasn't worked out as well as I'd like it to but that's a different story for another day. :-\ I have this insane idea though... it will work for the long hoarded stash because I desperately want to buy new stuff and I won't... I can't... until I've made a sizable dent into the current stash. I don't want to buy new clothes... I just want to fit into them again... see... totally different story! ;) lol So, what I do with the clothes, I turn the hangers around in my closet and as I wear, wash and hang these again, I turn them the correct way. At three month intervals, whatever did not get worn, hence turned around, goes into a second storage closet. Because... someday... *sigh* So, the concept with the stash is that I've put lots of stuff I don't use... and I cannot make myself get rid of... into these plastic storage units I have been trying to throw away for the past year but what if... :-\ ... anyway... you know what I'm talking about. The Rubber Maid storage drawers I see shown in every single craftroom online. Yeah, I have those too. So, the things I've had since 2006 are all in there. If I don't use these by March... I'm donating them... REALLY! I! AM! Why are you laughing? ;) lol

So these are my ambitious plans for 2014! Post something every single day on THIS blog... and use or gift my long-hoarded stash. I. Mean. It! :)

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Just Some Lines December Challenge

I wrote a post about all the cards I've made in 2013 earlier today and I added the disclaimer that there may be cards scattered about my home that were missed in the count. This was one of them. I thought it was in the batch I counted but I cleaned off my desk just now and found this one along with five more Christmas cards! 8-O This one was for a challenge and I thought I'd already blogged it too! Cut off is in a couple of hours so I hope I can get this written and posted in time!

This is for Just Some Lines Christmas or Winter Challenge. Here is my card:

Isn't she cute the way she's peeking out of the stocking? I love it! Ribbon and printed and glimmer card stock are from my stash. The bling was a Christmas gift from a friend. The sentiment is from Create with TLC. I've colored the image with Copic markers. I used a Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Circle SM to mat the sentiment.

I am a follower of this blog and I have my badge here.

Boy howdy! That didn't take me long at all! I got it done in about half an hour so I've got loads of time to spare! Phew! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

365 Posts

OK, so last year, my plan failed miserably... again! I read these other bloggers who post a project every single day and think to myself, "HOW do they do it? Discipline? Creativity? Time? Money? WHAT do they have that I don't have?" Then, I remembered, yup! I don't have any of those... haha... but the time... and maybe just a wee bit of the creativity. ;) lol

I've had a really hard 2013. Yes, I was declared in remission on September 19, 2012 but what good did that do me in 2013!?! The chemo drug I was taking in 2012 messed with my heart and so I had to get off that chemo and start a new one. The three weeks I went without any chemo were the best three weeks of 2013! Made me realize, the fatigue, headaches and muscles aches were NOT just because I had CML! I felt badly because of the SIDE EFFECTS! So, I started a new chemo drug in June. This one had even more troublesome side effects. My oncologist has been telling me since then, it will get better. My body has to get used to the medication. Ha! I've spent the last year of 2013 having a fantastic pity party and done everything I could to keep from inviting everyone I know! 

So... I had a few things interfere with my planned 365 posts of 2013. But, I've often written, my momma didn't raise no quitter! So here I am on January 3rd with the third post I've written in 2014! I'm off to an excellent start! ;) lol

It's not that I didn't make a heap of cards in 2013. Because, trust me on this one, I did! I was curious to know exactly how many. So I counted. I took inventory of the cards I have on hand. These alone number at 221... and that's if they are all in the same place. Sometimes, I forget to add them to the stash after I photograph them and I didn't really have a look around. Then I went and looked back on the cards I gifted and sold and these number at 102. If I include items I altered, there were seven items. Then I participated in a swap online. I host an ABC swap with some "imaginary" friends in a private group in Facebook. I've sent out on average about six cards in each swap. Sometimes more, sometimes less. We took a summer break, but we did swap for nine months. So I think maybe in total about 36 cards, give or take a couple but I really think I'm being conservative here. Then I had pen pals I swapped cards with... three pen pals at an average of about a card a month... so we're talking another 36 cards, conservatively. Now... some of these I did blog about... but not Every. Single. One. I didn't include the 10+ cards sitting on my desk waiting to be completed. These have been put together with maybe missing some embellishments or sentiments. But I did not include these in the count. As I look back over my crafty year, if I had blogged about each and every one of these cards or projects... I could have easily met my goal. Ssooo... it turns out... maybe it was the DISCIPLINE I lacked! *blush* Again... not to rehash my health issues... maybe I should have pushed myself harder to follow through. But then again, here I am pushing myself to finish writing this post. :-\ It's a lot easier to write that than to actually follow through on it. 

Oh, by the way, I did write 258 posts... I didn't include the ones I've written on the Fitztown Challenge Blog (FCB)... and there were a few I'd written for another challenge blog but I didn't count those... but if I had included the ones from FCB, that would have been about another 75. Nonetheless, I was short 107. I. Could. Have. Made. It!

So I'm gonna try this again... HA! :) I'm a glutton for punishment! I just love it! ;) lol 

My goal was just to post something each and every day. So it's just a matter of pushing myself a little harder this year... I think I can do it! This is the year I am overcoming all the side effects from the chemo I'm on currently. I. Will. Do. It! I! WILL! 

So with all that written, storage has become a HUGE issue for me. Here's how I'm storing my cards... but if I plan to repeat the process this year... something MUST be done! :-\ This won't work much longer!

Any ideas? :)

Thanks for stopping by! 

Art by Miran

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