SSW2-Rewind Sketch

Welcome back.

It's Wednesday and that means it's time for another challenge over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2.   Since it's the last week of the month, we are rewinding time to November 2013 , using one of Arlana Patten's wonderful sketches.

We also have Heather from Lacy Sunshine as our sponsor.  This week I'm using her image: Sammi Boo Caroling on my card.  She's cute (and I'm really digging those boots, I would TOTALLY wear them!)

Our winning card will get THREE free digi images from the Lacy Sunshine shop.

SSW2-76 mid-challenge

It's nearly Christmas!!

Are YOU ready?

Every morning my kiddos tell me how many days it is until they get to open all the presents under the tree (in case you are living under a rock, I will tell you that there are only 2 days left according to my youngest) This excitement is what I love about Christmas.  We may even get a white Christmas this year too!

This week, over Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2, we want you to have a bit more time for yourself.  We're keeping our sketch running until December 29th so you can have Christmas fun AND still possibly win the £10 voucher to Sally-Ann's DigiStamp Boutique

Merry Christmas to you all!!

FTH132: I got this!!

The tree is decorated, the cards are sent and the packages are all under the tree.  I think I *may* be ready for Christmas.

And since I had a free moment, I decided to join in the sketch challenge over on the From the Heart blog.  It was CAS and easy and honestly kinda fun to use something other than a Christmas image!

Sending this little cutie out to my favorite niece in Idaho (OK, you got me ... I only have ONE niece in ID) but she is a treasure.

From the Heart: Bearly Hanging on Here

I just finished making a card for the youngest kiddo to give to his teacher today.  "No pink or purple and NOTHING cutesy" were his instructions.  I managed to do it (but only JUST) If I have time, I'll post a picture of THAT card.  But immediately after making the teacher card, I felt compelled to make the youngest's Christmas card.  Just to be obnoxious, I made sure to include pink AND cutesy on his card.  Sorry buddy.  This is my style.  Deal with it!

Here's  my card for the From The Heart challenge this month.  It was a cute bear with a huge stack of presents.  I decided to blow up the image and focus on the best part ... the friendship.

I'm using the sketch from Taylored Expressions.  It's so open that lots of different interpretations are possible.  I just did the sketch ... no bingo.

Gerda Steiner December Freebie

It is finally warming up.

Thank God.  It's 40 outside and I walked to the mailbox without a coat because it felt so gloriously warm.  I'm all for snow and Winter but when the high is 9 like yesterday ... it gets a bit, well, chilly!

I'm trying to finish up all my December cards so I can celebrate without worry.  This little cutie is the freebie from Gerda Steiner this month.

My sketch is from the Bugaboo blog: Stella Says Sketch.  It worked PERFECTLY.

Stampin On A Tuesday 249 - or Thursday (whatever works)

A good friend's birthday is coming up soon and I have GOT to get this in the mail if it has a chance in heck of getting there on time.

I'm using the sketch over on the Try Stampin on a Tuesday blog.  It was so cute.  I flipped it upside-down and worked perfectly for this image from Doodle Pantry.  This is the beaver from Laurie's Loving Critter's set.  Lots of cute animals, so exactly MY style!

Happy Birthday Imke!

FTH 131: Squirrel!!

Have you ever sat down to do one task only to be distracted by something pretty or shiny (in my family we call this a "squirrel" moment -- from the Disney movie Up!)  This morning I sat down to make a thank you card only to be distracted by this cute image that I had printed earlier.   This little guy is a Birdbrain called The Christmas Spirit.

So, long story short, I went with the impulse and made yet another Christmas card.  Oh well, I'll use it next year.

I'm using the From The Heart sketch.

SSW2-76 DigiStamp Boutique

Welcome back to another Wednesday challenge over on the Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 blog.  This week we have another sketch and the return of Sally-Ann from DigiStamp Boutique.

I'm using Snowy Surprise from the Cute Penguin set. This set is seriously cute.  It comes with four darling images AND two equally cute coordinating phrases.  Sally-Ann is offering our winner a £10 voucher to her store.

I hope to see you join in the fun this week.

Bugaboo Chaos 7

It's the last day of the Christmas Chaos over on the Catch The Bug.  I did it!!  Seven days of creativity (well if you count my DT cards, 9 cards in all were made this week)  Yay!!

Today the creativity gurus on the Bugaboo blog want us to play bingo

I went with the bottom row: pink and teal, a snowman and more than 3 layers

I'm also playing in the "Snowman" theme that Dragonfly Journeys has going.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

Bugaboo Chaos #6

Today (sigh)

The Catch The Bug Challenge wants us to

"SHOW US YOUR WRAP

Whip up some sort of holiday gift wrap - could be a gift tag, bag or treat tin...

Show us your wrap!"

Oh ... is that all?

So not my "thang" (I make cards, people!!) but I rose to the challenge.  I've been pinning scrubs and lotions on Pinterest thinking that someday I might make some.

Today was the day.  The recipe that I started with was three ingredients: Coconut Oil, Sugar and whatever smelly oil you wanted.  But as I made the scrub (and tried it out) I found that it really needed some more emollients to leave the skin softer.  I settled on Almond Oil

So here is the final recipe:

1 c . Sugar
4 oz. Coconut oil
2 oz. Almond oil

and a whole buncha peppermint oil (I added some food coloring to make it pretty but it's optional)

I used some Bugaboo images to decorate the top (and then trimmed a few branches off my fake Christmas tree ... shhhhh) to finish it off.  They actually turned out kinda cute.

Bugaboo Chaos #5

This is my second post of the day.  Scroll down to see my card for the Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 challenge.

Here's my card for the Catch the Bug Challenge Christmas Chaos.  Their challenge was to pick a "recipe" and then to make the card funny.

The only "recipe" that appealed to me was for the fruitcake: use only scraps.

My secret shame is that I have a completely stuffed Christmas paper drawer (and yet, I continue to buy MORE paper) So I took the time to comb through the drawer and eliminate my tidbits.  I have some seriously cute paper at the bottom of the drawer!!

The plan is to make more cards from this pile and throw the remaining paper away at the end of the season.  Let's see if I can actually FORCE myself to do that!!  Good news ... I can actually close the drawer now!

SSW2-Fresh Brewed Designs

Happy Wednesday!!

It's time for another fun challenge over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2.  This week we have a fun new sketch and Heather from Fresh Brewed Designs as our sponsor.  She's offering up three digi-images from her shop to the winner of our challenge.

I'm using her Christmas Candles for my card this week. I paired the image with a phrase from Memory Box.

Here's a bit more about Heather:

Hello, I am Heather Dennis, the owner and artist at Fresh Brewed Designs. Fresh Brewed Designs is a small online company that has been offering a wide variety of digital and rubber stamps since November 2010. Designing to meet the needs of paper crafting addicts everywhere, and with over 30 categories to choose from and new additions each month, our range of products is expanding all of the time. 

Come join us this week!

Bugaboo Chaos #4

Day Four.

Yep, Day Four of the Christmas Chaos week of challenges over at Catch the Bug blog. Today's card must be made with the recipe: A 1 word sentiment, 2 different embellishments (I used twine and sequins)  and 3 layers of paper.

I "may" have used more than 3 layers of paper but I'm taking the recipe to mean 3 or MORE layers of paper.

I'm using the sketch over on Tuesday Morning Sketches.  It's a great one for using up all those pesky scraps of paper that hoarders like me can't throw away.

Doodle Pantry: Sketch Saturday

If there is one single reason for my lack of weight loss in the month of December, it can probably be directly linked to the frosted sugar cookies that currently live in my house.  They are my kryptonite!  I'm trying to pack them in the kids lunches to get rid of them lickity-split.

I wanted to share a card I made using one of Laurie's beautiful images.  It's a sweet mouse eating what I SHOULD be eating ... fruit rather than cookies!  It's called  Cherry Nice Mice and can be found in the Doodle Pantry shop.

I'm using the sketch over on the Sketch Saturday blog.

Bugaboo Chaos #3

It's day three of the Bugaboo Christmas Chaos.

I'm starting to doubt that I will make it.  I am so tired ... can she keep up the creativity for another four days?  Dunno.

It's super late but I wanted to get my card posted today before the craziness of tomorrow.

Today's challenge: color.  Since I love these colors, the card came together fairly easily.

I'm using the sketch over on the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. I thought that this sketch would totally work.

Bugaboo Chaos 2

It's the second day of the Bugaboo Christmas Chaos and our network is down.  (Printer down!  Printer down!!)

Sooo no Bugaboo image to use but this From the Heart snowman is awfully cute.

Today there is a sketch.

Bugaboo Chaos #1

Snow!

I love snow except when I have to drive in it or wear high heels.  ((sigh))  I will be doing both in just a few hours.  Cross your fingers that I don't face plant.  Or die.  Or get my cool up-do icky.  Wow, that sounded ridiculously brainless.  Sorry.

Another of my favorite things about this time of year is the Bugaboo Christmas Chaos.  There are always such good prizes (as well as an opportunity to finish up my cards)  Today's theme, on the first day, is use a Santa image.

I'm using the sketch from Stella Says Sketch too.

TMS 329: Peek-a-Boo Bunny

I had to giggle a bit when I read Patti's description of her stamp collection.  She called herself a "crazy cat lady" because most of her stamps were of cats or flowers.  It got me thinking about MY collection.  I realized that really ... I just have too many in general!

This little cutie is what she sent. It's an image by Penny Black called "Pansy Bunny."  And since this is her first Christmas without her mom, Patti also encouraged us to use the color turquoise.  It was her mom's favorite color.  I kinda used A LOT of turquoise but I wanted to do it justice since this card is going right back to Patti!

I'm using the sketch over on the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog.  It was super cute and REALLY worked with the image.

SSW2-Dillly Beans

It's Wednesday (insert a heavy sigh here).  Does the week after a break always seem waaaaay longer than any other week?  I'm drinking twice the normal amount of coffee this week and I'm still wondering if I will make it until Friday ... yikes.

It's time for another sketch challenge over on the Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 blog.  This week we have Megan Suarez from Dilly Beans Stamps as our sponsor.

She has a wonderful mix of images that are just fun to color.  This week I was given "Penny and Fox Framed" to use.  I couldn't help but think of my youngest niece when I colored up this image.  She is in love with all things foxy.  I bought her a pair of silly fox socks while she was in town.  Miss that silly girl.

I hope you get a chance to join in the fun over on the SSW2 blog.  Remember, you must comment so you can WIN the three free images from Megan's shop.

Nutty Girl: Ants in My Pantry

24 days until Christmas and I've decided to make some of my gifts.  Seriously?!!  ((Sigh))  I never seem to learn!!

In addition to being "Joanna Is A Complete Nut" day, it's also the first of the month.  That means it's time for the monthly Ants in my Pantry Digital Challenge over on the Doodle PantryBlog.  As always, it's an anything goes challenge.  Remember, you must use a digital image to participate.

I'm using Laurie's Birthday Fall Critters set.  What a fantastic set; there are 10 images and 16 phrases!  Lots to use and they are all super cute!

I'm also participating in the Sketch Saturday post this week.  It was an easy sketch and totally usable.

The Hamster is to blame ...

Nearly Thanksgiving and guess who completely forgot to pre-schedule her blog post ... yep me.  Sorry guys.  I dropped the ball.

Over on the Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 blog, we have a blast from the past sketch and the return of Deedee's Digis as our sponsor.  You are going to want to take a look over on her site because she has a major sale going on, 75% off everything in the shop!!!  It's Black Friday sales ... on a Wednesday!

So in between bites of turkey and pumpkin pie, we'd love for you to join us.  Hope your holiday is fantastic!