Aud Sentiments - "Ho, Ho, Ho"

Happy Thursday!

Have you been working on your Christmas cards?  Thanks to all the challenges, I have some done this year!   Well, Aud Sentiments wants to help too!  Over the next two weeks we would like to see you use the sentiment, "Ho, Ho, Ho!"

When I saw this new digi accessory set @ Doodle Pantry....I knew it would be perfect!!

I used Doodle Pantry's Shaggy Cat digi and added a Santa hat, Ho- sentiment, a tall gift & a square gift!  Used the Gimp editing program that I downloaded for free.  easy peasy!

DP-Santa Accessories

I hope you have an opportunity to play along with our challenge over the next two weeks!
Aud Sentiments Challenge blog - use sentiment 'Ho,Ho,Ho'

Our lovely sponsor this round is Taylored Expressions, they are offering a beautiful stamp set to the winner!

Thank you for stopping by, I'm so thankful for each of you!  Enjoy your day!
Blessings!



challenges...
Crafty Creations - christmas
Freshly Brewed - winter or christmas
Inktegrity - anything goes
Scrappy Frogs - christmas.

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Go Girl!

This is my take on the CPS #89 sketch...I wanted to make a card for a friend of mine and remembered my neglected "Go Girl" image by Catslife Press. It will be perfect for her. I've had the K&Co dp for ages and think it is fabulous with the vintage, yet sassy image.

This week I celebrate my 1 year Blog*iversary! I can't believe how time has flown by. I'll be posting blog candy later in the week so please stay tuned!
Hope you had a magnificent weekend!
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stamps: catslife press paper: stampin' up chocolate chip, k&co ink: versafine vintage sepia accessories: vintage buttons, janome

You have read this article catslife press / challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/11/go-girl.html. Thanks!

Butler Bloom and Campaign for Creativity!

This is my take on the SCS WCMTLCO8-Nested Flower Challenge...just a couple days late...{hi suzy!}. The Butler Bloom is ginormous! The largest circle started off as a 4 inch square. My card use to be a 9.25 x 4 inch base...I used ribbon to act as a stem & leaves for the bloom but I didn't like it, so I cut the card in half. That's what I love about being creative...no rules!

Amy Butler paper is fabulous to work with...the colors are magnificent!

Did you read about
Donna Downey's Campaign for Creativity?

Go check it out...Donna ROCKS!

You have read this article Amy Butler / challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/10/butler-bloom-and-campaign-for.html. Thanks!

Back to School notebook!

This was a fun project for Back-to-School!

Spoonful of Sugar challenge #15 was Anything but a Card. Arty Girlz challenged us to alter something. Papertake Weekly challenge #10 gave us this awesome sketch. And Allison challenged us to create something for Back-to-School (AFSS33)!

So here's my 4 challenge project! Enjoy your day! Blessings!

You have read this article challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/09/back-to-school-notebook.html. Thanks!

Back to School

Well it is back to school time...so when I picked up this 5 sheet pack of paper for a $ at Big Lots, I knew it wouldn't be long before there would be a challenge using the theme...Stamp Something challenge blog! These funky letters are from Junkitz! The sketch is from Beate's weekend sketch challenge! Enjoy the weekend!

You have read this article challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/back-to-school.html. Thanks!

Bloom!

A flower for you!

Enjoy this bloom, sadly our flowers and plants are drying up...we need rain! Though today's temps are only to be in the high 70's. No air condition today!!

The sketch for this card came from Julee's Mojo Monday sketch #50. Papertake weekly challenge wanted us to use stitching. Do you know how hard it is to stitch around a circle, whew!!!! That's why I chose to do faux stitching. hehe So, yes, it's meant to be a little willy nilly, looks more real!!!
The little brown panel is scored if you have good eyes you can almost see it! I was also inspired by Verve's pink & brown challenge. Love those colors together. Have a great day!

You have read this article challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/bloom.html. Thanks!

Sweet Little Bundle of Joy!

Sweet little bundle of joy!!! Well, I needed some baby cards. This is for a little girl that will be loved on by loving parents and three older lovely sisters! With all that "girl power" in the house, I just couldn't bring myself to make this card pink!!!

The scalloped sentiment is clear embossed and shiny and the wide sheer ribbon has a shimmer also. If you look closely you can see the white gel pen dots along the pale yellow scallop edge...or not! The sketch is from Meet the Verve Diva MTVD07 and the wide ribbon is for Allison's Suggestive Sunday challenge. Thanks for looking!!

You have read this article baby / challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/sweet-little-bundle-of-joy.html. Thanks!

CASEing a very talented lady!

Ok, I'm back to reality again! And this is reality in my neck of the woods...the beautiful mountains and meadows of Pennsylvania!!!

The featured stamper this week over at SCS was kokirose. I had some of her wonderful creations in my favorites already, though I still took the time to look through her gallery...sooo talented! For the FS challenge, we are to CASE an inspiration piece from their gallery and change at least 2 things. Well, I'm glad it was only two, because I really liked this one! Here's Patricia's card ! I kept the layout, colors and the image. I used the weathered background which I borrowed from my lovely stamping buddy! (thanks BB {waving})

The sentiment is from so many sayings (SU!). If you're a hunter the sentiment is self explanatory and if it goes to a non-hunter it's a birthday card! Do I know any non-hunters, I'll have to think on that one........blessings for a glorious day!!

You have read this article Birthday / challenge / masculine / SU with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/caseing-very-talented-lady.html. Thanks!

A Bright Cheery Get Well!

Ok, now this is a bright cheery card, wouldn't you agree? How could you not feel better after pulling this baby out of the envie?

Well, the Cute Card Thursday challenge was for bright colors and the Dutch Dare theme was Get Well....and this is what happened! I promise I'll make some low key, elegant cards soon. But after I picked out my colors and my Bella I started looking through the embellishments and found flowers and ribbon and bling. The whole purpose of a get well card is to bring joy & cheer, so whether the recipient thinks..."wow, that's cheery!" OR "wow, what was Maria thinking?", at least they'll forget about their troubles for a while!!! Blessings, Maria

You have read this article challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/bright-cheery-get-well.html. Thanks!

Delicious!

And another birthday card!

Hey look, I captured the glitter!!!

I love bling! Checkout the bling challenge at Stamping Links to love. And aren't the autum colors pretty? (my fav season!!) But I'm not forgetting it's still summer so those are falling flowers not leaves! hehe

Lisa Somerville featured these beautiful fall colors, checkout her blog. I was inspired by Taylor's sketch today, I wanted to use DP but couldn't find any in coordinating colors, so I made my own! That's the flower from the SU! Super Squirrel set! The cherry is a button colored with ruby red (SU!) and clear embossed. Doesn't it look real!!! I still have more birthday cards to make, busy, busy, busy! If you made a birthday card today pop on over to Stamp Something, they have a weekly challenge blog! Have a delicious day!!

You have read this article challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/delicious.html. Thanks!

Tres Fabulous!

I've been fussing with this design over the last couple of days...looking at it...stepping away...coming back to it...it is all part of my creative process. I found this color combo on the SU color wheel....Rose Red & Regal Rose. The gorgeous velvet ric rak is via a Ribbon Share ala Jody Morrow aka SCS texasjodylynn. I've really been having fun making 4.25 inch square cards...great size AND no extra postage :)

I've accepted a chandelier challenge from Susan aka SCS One4Joy. I'm looking forward to the weekend...sleeping in and being creative...and challenging myself to design a unique chandelier card!

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stamps: stampin' up fabulous flowers & tres chic paper: stampin' up rose red & regal rose ink: stampin' up rose red & regal rose accessories: velvet ric rak, corner rounder & bling

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Be Happy!

A Happy Card!

What do you think of this layout, the sketch is from a Spoonful of Sugar blog challenge. Doesn't it look fun?

Look I used the shadowing around her feet, my images no longer float in thin air!!! The solid teal panel behind the image is dry embossed with big & little circles and there's paper piercing on the upper & lower right sides (where it looks plain!)

This post is pre-scheduled...a wonderful Blogger benefit...since we are probably still enjoying Hersheypark! I just rec'd some new stamps in the mail and can't wait to try them out. The boys will be working at a friends house Friday, so we'll have a shorten school day which leaves me time to ink up those stamps!!! Oh, and I rec'd an award and I'm almost at 5000 hits so look out for blog candy...more about that tomorrow! Blessings!

You have read this article challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/be-happy.html. Thanks!

A shiny thank you!

A shiny thank you!

This was a quickie for today! After taking almost the whole day off yesterday from homeschooling so I could drool over the new catty, I had to be quick today!The DP is from DCWV all dressed up. The baroque flower and sentiment are clear embossed with a little glitter thrown in for fun. I ripped the dp and had to add the olive scallop circle. I love the sparklies! Checkout the SCS color challenge for today CC179: elegant eggplant, old olive and taken with teal!

Life has been so busy lately but that's to be expected when routines kick into gear. The Lord has been teaching us so much and I feel like there isn't time for everyday life. Our prayer time has greatly increased as we are learning to walk in His perfect will. As many of you know, my DH has ventured out of the 8 to 5 workforce to become self employed. Though we feel it's so much more than just a way to make a living. It has blessed us in so many ways, call it a ministry if you will. We are able to lay hands on each piece of furniture or cabinet he makes. The our "client" list has become part of our prayer list! How cool is that! Oh, and wonderful news in the family! My MIL's cancer is shrinking, BIL's cancer can't be found anymore and SIL is healing from surgery (is that spelled right?) And another family member with some very serious problems is doing 95% better. There's more, but we'll just keep praying. Thank you Jesus, that you care about every big and little thing in our lives! You are worthy to be praised!!!! Abundant blessings to you!

You have read this article challenge / SU / Thank you cards with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/shiny-thank-you.html. Thanks!

Happy Holidays! stain-glass style!

What a way to start the week! I needed a boost of creativity so I checked out SCS new technique challenge TLC181. It was the stained glass effect. We were to use acetate and coloring with ink & crystal effects. Cool, huh?

I decided to make a Christmas card with wild wasabi and cranberry re-inkers. I used blk stazon to stamp the snowpeople on the acetate. The semi-circle of people are aligned using the Stamp-a-ma-jig. The coloring is done on the opposite side of the acetate (or the inside; back of the image). The picture doesn't show it very clearly. The MS punched snowflake is actually attached to the white cs inside (where my message will go). Happy Holidays is stamped with white craft ink and a sheer ribbon is added. I used my CM cutting system to cut the circle in two layers of w. wasabi so I would have a backing for the inside of the card to hide where the acetate is attached. Hope all this makes sense.....just ask if you have questions, because if you're wondering someone else is probably wondering too!

Whoohoo, the new SU! catty came out today! We might have to take a day of school off so I can drool over all the new sets!!! {squishy hugs} to you all!

Blessings!

You have read this article challenge / Christmas / SU with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/happy-holidays-stain-glass-style.html. Thanks!

Be~jeweled Cottage

Doesn't this look like a lovely place to live? This sweet little cottage is stamped in a.artichoke and bejeweled with little gems. I think I went a little overboard with the rhinestones, but I like bling!!
This bling is from a .99 cent package of "cellphone bling", ya know those gems in shapes that you peel and stick to your cell for decoration. These gems were a butterfly! I just snipped them apart and attached them to the card. easy peasy!
The lt. lavendar layer is cutterbugged on either side, I wanted to try something different. I'm anxious to see the dies coming out from SU! We should be able to use them with our Cuttlebugs. How exciting is that?! This card was inspired by the SCS WT178 Ways to Use It Challenge~using jewels,gems, bling! I love shiny, sparkly things, I must be part squirrel!
Hoping you have a shiny, sparkly day!!

PS. I mentioned a few posts back that I was taking a class this school year along with homeschooling the kids. (I'm even taking a class this year...so I'll be homeschooling too!) Well, didn't I have feedback on that! I am homeschooling myself with college algebra. Seems I need some brushing up on the subject and instead of leaving my "pumpkin" everyday and paying for a class at the local college for this basic course, I am hitting the "book" myself with some help from the web and getting up to par! Then I will decide what I want to be when I grow up! Stay tuned.....

You have read this article challenge with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/bejeweled-cottage.html. Thanks!

Pink is the new brown!

I just noticed I never posted this one...

The SCS IC138 inspiration challenge was to 'be inspired by a website design'. Check out this site and you'll see my inspiration.

The card base is a textured brown, the DP is Martha Stewart and the butterflies are a MS punch. The brown panel is actually a piece of passion pink cs. I inked the baroque motif with versamark and stamped & clear embossed it, then brayered over it with close to cocoa until the brown appeared somewhat solid. Peace is from wonderful words 2 (SU!) The sheer ribbon has a shimmer to it, though hard to see here. I don't have a ticket corner punch so I just use a handheld circle punch and nip the corners!

I seem to be playing catch up lately! Our homeschool has started so I must get into routine again! Time can get away from us so fast, can't it? Who hasn't said, "I need more hours in the day."? But the Lord constantly reminds me (He always knows my thoughts!) that if He's truly first place in my life, all other things will come together in perfect harmony! Isn't He awesome? Oh, and He also reminds me~He's God and I am not! That takes a whole lot of responsibility off my shoulders! Thank you, Father! It's so easy to praise you LORD!!!!! Praying you enjoy a peaceful day!

PS. I'll have a new card later today!

You have read this article challenge / SU with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/pink-is-new-brown.html. Thanks!

Pucker Up Baby!

Here's a sweet*tart* of a card!

The SCS color challenge this week was an easy one. Since we are saying farewell to the In-Colors this month. (new in-colors will come with the new SU! catty in just a few days) Our challenge was to use any of the current colors plus a neutral for our combo. Wild wasabi has become my favorite green! And I won't have to say farewell to it for awhile because I stocked up on it! (Checkout ebay...a lot of the SU! demos are selling the in-color papers and inks!) So onto this simple card. The limes are stamps from the Tart & Tangy set, I clear embossed them for a juicy shine. They sit on a circle layer of w.w. which is distressed and popped. The CG sentiment is punched with word window and attached to the white ribbon. da dahhh! I know lemons would have been better with this saying, but there weren't any yellows retiring!!!

I remember when I was young and we would visit a great aunt, when we walked in to her house, she would grab your face and give us big wet kisses right on the lips. (We're Italian, if that explains anything) As a child, I remember always wiping my mouth afterwards. Isn't that a funny memory! Oh well, I hope you get the chance to say "Pucker Up" to someone today! It's all good!

Blessings!

Checkout Faith's blog this week for a chance to win some blog candy! It's located on my right sidebar under Favorite Blogs: Stampin' with Markie's Mom!

You have read this article challenge / SU with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/08/pucker-up-baby.html. Thanks!

Button, button, button, who's got a button?

The Meet the Verve Diva challenge #3 was to use three buttons! Count 'em three!

This card is on white cs, I found this gingham scrap and decided it went well with the sunshiney flowers. There's a w.wasabi layer and the white top layer is smudged with wasabi chalk; pastels. The sunflowers are from SU's serene sunflower. Each one was cut out and the middle one popped. And there are those buttons. A fun way to showcase some flowers, huh? Challenges are so much fun...it forces that creativity to come out! Like a tube of toothpaste! We all know it's in there! Have you created some beauty today? It doesn't have to be crafty beauty...I think my kitchen sink is beautiful when it's void of dirty dishes and is all shined up! (Now I feel like FlyLady!) Or maybe your clothes hanging out on a beautiful sunny day! So, go forth and create beauty and be a blessing!

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Verve Stamps says.........
August 1 is our one year Anni-VERVE-sary!
To celebrate, we've planned a fun filled celebration leading up to our August release. Join us in the Verve Forum beginning August 1 for:
Challenges & Contests, including 12 Days of SketchesDaily previews of a very special Verve Diva Commemorative setPrizes, prizes, & more prizes (can you say FREE stamps?)Our first ever Verve release party for our biggest release yet
Be there or be square! You won't want to miss this one!

You have read this article challenge / SU with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/07/button-button-button-who-got-button.html. Thanks!

Bookworm Hanna

This is from Hanna Stamps ~Bookworm clear stamps set. The Hanna Stamps Challenge (HSC27) was to use stitching. Tami, the challenge hostess made a really cute card that was stitched with the edge torn and turned up! What a neat idea, so I gave it a try! I used w. wasabi cs and K&co DP. Bookworm Hanna is relaxing in a watercolored outfit and chair with brown pastel smudging around the edge! There is a sweet little boho flower in the corner for fun! We could use any type of stitching~real or faux. Well, guess which I chose? Faux, of course! But believe me it would be that uneven with a machine too...it's the look I was going for!!!

This could be me, in my green leather chair with a book! Ok, so my ankles aren't really that thin, but I'm talkin' about the "image"! One of my favorite things to do is curl up in a comfy chair and read...when I'm not stamping!

I hope your day is filled with all your favorite things! Be Blessed!

PS. I noticed my counter is approaching 5000! It will soon be time for blog candy...so if you're not subscibed to my blog yet, now would be a great time so you won't miss out on yummy candy!!! I appreciate each and every one of you!

You have read this article challenge / Hanna Stamps with the title challenge. You can bookmark this page URL https://playing-home.blogspot.com/2008/07/bookworm-hanna.html. Thanks!

Sprinkles is resting peacefully...get well soon!

How's this for a cheery get well card?!! Isn't this fun paper and colors? I made this for The Cat's Pajamas color challenge! TCPTUES17 Check out this cool cat who's not feeling so hot! Sprinkles is resting peacefully amongst all that wild DCWV dp! The pink paper on the bottom half actually has orange marbled color through it and is from K&co. I used prismacolor pencils for coloring. The sentiment is cheery chat (SU!) and is shadowed with a white gel pen...so are the dots! (as if things weren't busy enough!) There's also a little orange boho punched flower with a pink brad attached too, can you find it? It didn't show up in the picture, but Sprinkles in wearing her diamond collar, we must always look presentable even with a fever of 103!!! I love these colors together, that's what led me to this challenge.......my first TCP one! Oh, and TCP is having a sizzlin' summer sale this weekend-25% off everything in stock! Check it out, click on the link above. Blessings!!!

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