Yee Haw!

I have the pleasure of making all the birthday cards for my office. Let me tell you, July is gonna keep me buys! Not just at work, but there are a TON of birthdays in my family during the month of July too (must have been some cold winters lol!) So the one I am sharing today is for my sister princess friend (Hee hee, little office joke.. we are two of the least girlie girls here). She is all about horses & rodeo & country.

So what more perfect image to use than Cowgirl Dottie from Bugaboo Stamps?! She is one of my FAVORITES! So sassy & stylish!. I colored her in w/ my Bic markers & colored pencils. Used some of my hoarded western DP (I think it's Flair Designs) and added a chunk of ribbon & some star blingies (recollections from Michael's). The sentiment is spelled out using stickers (forgot I had them) Inside I added a computer generated sentiment that reads "Kick up Yer Heels & Enjoy Yer Day!" too fun!

I am entering on the following:
CPS, Sketch (love their sketches!)
Catch the Bug, Red, white & blue + a ribbon
Make it Monday, Always anything goes + linky party
Card making Mamas, red, white & blue
My Grafico Anything goes

A Little More Organized

I love it when a challenge helps me get my act together! LOL! This week at The Crafty Cardmakers the challenge is altered food containers. So I decided to scrub up a couple soup cans & a small tomato sauce can & see what I could come up with.

It doesn't show up very well in the photos (that happens when you take them at 11 o'clock at night) but both the green & the pink dp have polka dots. The ribbon is some I picked up at Walmart & the flowers are magnets that I made using a stamp set (thanks4oneyear) from The {Stamps} of Life- it was a special perk set for being a 1 year member of the monthly club. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Stephanie's stamps, great quality, great prices & it is so fun to get new ones in the mail every month.



Close up of the magnets & bigger cups. I used CTMH ink in Cotton Candy, Pear & Archival Black. The pearl & bling are Recollections from Michael's. The smaller flowers are adhered w/ pop dots

So much fun & boy are they ever cute on top of my crafting desk!
I am also entering these on the following challenges:
Make it Monday Where it is always Anything Goes (with a fun linky party- check it out!)
Hooked on Crafts (New challenge!) Anything goes
Just Some Lines Spotty/Dotty
Charisma Cardz Pink & green
My Grafico Anything goes
Divas By Design Anything but a card

My last Father's Day Card

Finally! I got them all done, & it isn't even Sunday morning! LOL! So for the first time in years, all the dad's in my life will get their well wishes on Father's day! I always have the best of intentions, but things always seem to fall off track. Now I just have to get them in the mail tomorrow :)

This is one of the first Digi stamps I downloaded, he is such a cutie don'tcha think?!  I found him thru Free Digi Stamps at the Operation Write Home site. I believe he is by Hambo Stamps & is called Wee Henry. He is so perfect for my dad right down to his flannel shirt. So I colored him in with my pencils, using the Gamsol method & then inked in the clouds w/ some chalk ink. I distressed the mat a little behind him & added a length of fibers behind the pre-made tag (the fibers remind me of a fishing fly) Both the fiber & the tag came from the deep dark recesses of my supply drawer- who knows where they came from or how long they've been waiting to see the light of day. All the DP is from my scrap pile.

I am entering him on the following challenges:

The Sweet Stop, Sketch #112
Crazy4Challenges, Masculine
Totally Stampalicious, Anything Goes
Fab N Funky, Magnificent men
Going Grey with Scrap Creations, Anything Goes
Make it Monday, Anything Goes (I just found them last week, very fun challenge! I love the linky party!)
Simon Says Stamp and Show, Distressed/Torn Edges
Sentimental Sundays, Father's Day/Masculine

Have you had your HUG today?!

close up view to show the sparkle of her wings

I found this image a while back on the Free Digital Stamps website. Its by Beccy.. She has some great tutorials & other freebies on her site. I JUST LOVE this little Flower Fairie! She just screams happiness doesn't she?!

So here is a full view of my card. The sentiment was a freebie I found on Create with TLC, it goes perfect with this lil gal doesn't it?! I used this week's sketch from CPS as my starting point. The DP is Basic Grey (flowers: sultry/dressy; pink: two scoops, berry sundae) the circle directly behind her is white cardstock that I sponged w/ CTMH ink in cotton candy, baby pink & pear. She is colored w/ my Bic markers & colored pencils, then added glitter to her wings & she was attached w/ foam tape. Ribbon is from Walmart I think & the bling is Recollections from Michaels. Card stock is Bazzil.

I am also entering on the following challenges:
By the Cute & Girly, In the garden
Stamp Something, digi days
Crafty Sentiments, add some sparkle
Divas by Design, florals
Papertake Weekly, Anything goes
Digital Tuesday, In the garden/outdoors
Make it Monday anything goes

YAY! It's one day closer to the weekend, school is out today & I have a little over a week before the summer school struggle starts & I think I am gonna go find a friend & steal a hug! :)

Bring on the SUNSHINE!!!!

The weather pattern for the Pacific Northwest has been extra cool & wet this year. Finally, FINALLY the sun is shining thru. Saturday was GORGEOUS, Sunday & Monday were cloudy w/ showers, but the sun is back again today. Woo Hoo! It sure does help ease the stress of trying to get the 16yr old "angel" (HA!) finished up with school this week.

I just love this image from The Stamping Boutique. It's called "Summer Laundry Line". The sentiment is from a sight I found while hopping around one day Create with TLC. There are some super fun freebies there as well as a link to her online store with more sentiments & some fun images. I colored the image w/ my Bic markers, used CTMH ink & a blender pen to add in the water in the background, then used chalk inks to fill in the sky & the sand. Finally I added Glossy accent to the water & the lenses of the sunglasses. The DP is from DCWV Glitter Stack. I used the sketch from The Sweetest Thing/Sweet Sunday Sketch #120 as my starting point. I altered it just a bit, just to get everything to look right in my eye.

I am also entering on the following challenges:

Sentimental Sunday's Inspired by a song:

I choose one of my all time fave's "Soak up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow

Crafty Ho's, Summer

Creative Cowgirls, Summer Fun

Stamp Something, Digi Days

Bee-Crafty, Summer is Here

Pile It On, Summer Heaven

Fairy Fun Fridays, Summer Fun

Corrosive Challenges, Summer Colors

Catch the Bug, Anything Goes

Now the count down is on for lunch time to roll around & for me to get a chance to go enjoy the beautiful afternoon calling to me from outside my window. (that's the WORST part about having a desk w/ a window right beside it...)

TGIF!!!!

I don't think I have EVER been so happy for a Friday to roll around. It has been an especially trying week with my wonderful, easy going 16yr old son (can you hear the SARCASM dripping in my voice?!) He actually has been a stubborn, bull headed, slug who is very close to not graduating on time next year. Can anyone say summer school?! Oh yeah, he's going there! So needless to say between all the arguments with him & the calls to the teachers & looking up study guides online, I've not had any time to craft, which just adds to the bad mood. And the cold dreary rainy (and snowy-yes we had snow on Saturday! The big, wet fluffy flakes you would want to see in December) week we had here in the Pacific Northwest didn't help any. So I sent the angel to bed early last night & had a little "ME" time at the craft desk. Good thing too because I still have a few Father's Day cards to pump out so I really needed to git r done lol!


Back ground DP is Flair Designs, image is Lounging Miles (colored w/ pencils) from Kraftin Kimmies, the sentiment is a sticker from who knows where-I think it was a freebie from a mailed solicitation. I used chalk ink & worked in a few clouds for the sky & also on the kraft "sand".  I fussy cut the bottom edges of the image w/ a craft knife so that I could slip the torn cardstock sand piece underneath. The sea shell button were some I've had forever in my drawer

 I must have been dreaming of getting away! Wish I were hangin w/ Miles, soaking up the rays, no stress, a fruity drink in my hand & good tunes on the radio.

The over all design was inspired by this week's sketch #220 at CPS.
I am also entering on the following challenges:
Going Grey with Scrap Creations, Color challenge, Blue, yellow & green
Fab N Funky, What Eva! Also a call for DT & GDT- I am going to apply for Gdt
Simon Says Stamp, Father's Day/Masculine
Card Makin Mamas, use your Scraps- all the card stock mats & the kraft sand were from my scrap pile
Meljen's, Coastal Fun
Crazy 4 Challenges, Vacation Spot/ Activity
My Grafico, where the challenge is always Anything Goes
So here is to a sunny, nice weekend! I must work tomorrow, but only for 4 hours & then have a graduation BBQ to go to for my nephew. Will be very nice to enjoy some warmth for a change!