House Mouse Challenge No. 7 ~ Use a Tag on your card

Cheese & Crackers?

Happy Mousie Moday from the Dairy State!     [Note:  I pre-schedule my HM cards to coordinate with the main site which is done in Wales time.  I'm really not posting these at 4:00 in the morning!  I'm not that crazy! ]

Our challenge this week was to use a tag on a card.   This image is another older Stampa Rosa from my sister as well as the matching sentiment.   It’s colored with Copics; the wax cheese seal (not sure if that’s what it’s called) and the birthday candle are heat embossed with clear EP to give them a more waxy look.  The candle flame is colored with glitter pens: 

Gouda Birthday

I just happened to have brads that matched the flower centers on the DP….wow, I didn’t even have to go to the store! 

Please check out the other Design Team cards, which, as always, are superb!  http://housemouse-challenge.blogspot.com/    AND, this week we have blog candy ~ so submit a card and receive a chance to win!!       Thanks for stopping by ~ have a good week!

Seeing Pink Elephants …

Pink Elephant

Just a final weekend card from Penny Black  I tried my Koh-i-noor pencils again from Asela Hopkins.  Believe it or not, several of my Copics are getting low on ink!  ugh.  Wouldn’t it be nice if some things just lasted forever???   hmmm.   I hightlighted the spots with fruit punch Stickles, to match the dew drops on the side.  The sentiment is computer generated.

birdie closeup

Thanks for looking and be sure to stop back tomorrow for the 7th HOUSE MOUSE MONDAY CHALLENGE! 

A little early…but cute!

Homemade bricks!

Once again, I couldn’t resist this “changito” stamp!  I think it will be great for Christmas thank you cards.   I had lots of fun coloring this one.  I stamped it twice and followed Marianne from Copics directions to do the bricks on one image.  Here’s a link to specifics:  http://ilikemarkers.blogspot.com/2008/06/simple-bricks.html   Fun!   I used Copics E08, E43 & E71, and the colorless blender.   Colored the rest of the elements from the image on the second stamping, and cut each piece out…Whew.   tiny, tiny, tiny!  

brick closeup

Since this is my first Christmas doing the cardmaking “stuff”, I don’t have much of a selection of Christmas papers……hmmmmmmmmm, time to go shopping!    Thank you for all your comments, they mean the world to me.   Have a relaxing Sunday!

It was a dark and stormy night….

Haunted House

 

Okay, isn’t this “THE” house in everyone’s imagination and neighborhood that was certainly “haunted”?  

 
Well… I had to do SOMETHING while watching the TWO-HOUR premiere of Greys….Seriously!    

(Life in prime-time is good once again…I kinda like Christina with the new guy!) 

really Haunted House

I’ve been told (by a very reliable source) to try to sound more positive about my cardz….finally, I REALLY like a card and it photographs awfullly!    [Big sigh]     Used my brand new set of PTI Boards & Beams for this.    Happy Friday!

World Alzheimer’s Day

Earlier on my blog I mentioned that Carolyn King, aka Cammie, designed a set of stamps called Whimsical Autumn in honor of her Grandmother who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.  Cammie is giving 100% of her proceeds from this set to the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of her Grandmother.

And, in celebration of World Alzheimer’s Day, she is reaching out to some amazing people who deserve to be thanked ~ the Caregivers.  She states:

“Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient is HARD work and an often thankless job. There are so many people who help and so—I am asking you to make a card for a caretaker of a person affected with Alzheimer’s. Yes, you can send it to someone you know. If you do not know anyone to send a card to you can send it to the address below (this is the home my grandmother lived in for the last few years of her life. The nurses, aids and support staff there were tremendous. It is such a difficult job and I would love to see them showered with cards!)”

To the Staff at the Artman Home

250 N. Bethlehem Pike
Ambler, PA 19002

 

 

I can so relate to what she says. My Father died from congestive heart failure, which is also a terrible disease.  My Mom took great care of my Dad during his illness…for a long, long time.  I saw first-hand the life of someone caring for a person who is ill.  It takes an amazingly strong person to do this task. 

This is the card I made to send to the staff at the Artman Home.  I’ve been working on this all week.  It seems when I am trying to make a card for something special, I’m just never satisfied with it.   I do hope they like it and that it may bring some recognition to a caregiver.   In addition, Cammie has collected some UNBELIEVABLE blog candy for one lucky person in commemoration of this event.  Please visit her blog for all the details:  http://myblogbycammie.blogspot.com/2008/09/heart-to-heart-blog-candy.html

Please be sure to check it out and make a card…it could brighten someone’s day! 

 

Thank you

House Mouse Challenge No. 6 ~ STITCHING!!!

Poor Mom

Yes, it’s Happy House Mouse Monday, once again!  

I just love this stamp … the poor mother’s face says it all!   And, if you count, there are EIGHT kids; Can you even imagine?  Whew!  

As I’ve mentioned MANY, MANY times, I don’t sew!!   hmmm….but, that’s why it’s called a Challenge, right?  Please note:  ALL of the stitching on this card is done BY HAND (by my hand, in fact, which now includes many needle holes!)      

Stitching

I hope you can go to the HM Challenge blog and check out all the cards.  I am always blown away by the awesome creations of my very talented design teammates.   And, why not have a try at “stitching”… believe me, if I can do it, ANYONE can!   http://housemouse-challenge.blogspot.com/ 

Here’s a closeup of the EIGHT kids and poor Mom’s face ~ makes me laugh every time:  

EIGHT kids!!

The yarn balls are actually needlepoint floss and the knitting/crochet needles/hooks are NAILs! 

I can’t forget to give credit (once again) to my sister Nancy for graciously (no complaints at all) stamping all of her old Stampa Rosa HM images for me, including this one.  I’m forever in her debt ….  uh oh.  

Thinking of You

Cat in the Moon

Happy Saturday!!   yay.    This cat in the moon has always been one of my favorite images by Penny Black.  I used my Shimmerz paints on the circle background ~ pretty cool stuff.  The colors used are lilac, sugar plum and true blue.  Also used a clear sparkly Shimmerz in angel wings on the moon and sentiment. 

Here’s a closeup view of the Shimmerz.      Enjoy your Saturday!  

Sparkly

Mmmmm….almost time for pumpkin pie! :)

Pumpkin Pie and you

I bought these stamps awhile ago and had planned to do this card closer to Thanksgiving;  But, I couldn’t wait!     I LOVE pumpkin pie…the whole time I was working on it, my mouth was watering.  It’s amazing how something visual can really bring a taste to your mouth!  (wish the feeling could make you feel full too!)    Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday….lots of food and no gifts needed!      

The layout for this card is from a challenge at Splitcoast…I usually don’t particpate, but sometimes it’s good to try their “sketch challenge” and try a new way of putting a card together.  I guess I needed a change!   What do you think?        I think I’m hungry!  

Mmmmm...

Anna

Silly Anna

I may have mentioned the fact the my grand kids are the cutest………….

This is Anna, also living in Florida and also missed very much!    Here’s my Magnolia card verison of Anna ~

Magnolia Anna

Anna2

     Yup, cutest kids in the world!   

close up

Counting my Blessings …

Smiling Caleb

If you’ve been following my blog, you may have heard me mention that I have the cutest grand kids in the world….once or twice! 

Four of my SIX grand kids live in Florida and I miss them all ALOT!!       Here’s a picture of the second youngest, Caleb.    He is such a cutie and can truly light up a room with his smile.

For quite some time now, I have been admiring the many cards made with Magnolia stamps.  Unfortunately, the stamps are produced in Europe and hard to come by in the States.  I finally broke down and ordered a few from Sassy Crafts, a craft store owned by Emma, the VERY talented woman who created the House Mouse Challenge.   

Wellllllllllll, my stamps arrived yesterday!        One of the reasons the stamps appealed to me so much is that they totally remind me of several of my grand kids.   Here’s my version of “Caleb” :

Magnolia Stamp

It’s too bad I can’t somehow add his gorgeous smile…but for the most part, it’s him!  

I have a couple more stamps and will be trying to finish off a card or two using them this week…so, please stay tuned!  

Here are a couple more pictures of one of the cutest kids in the

world!    

 

Which twin has the broken arm???

Jordynn & Hailee

Can you tell?   Moral of the story … NEVER climb on wet monkey bars!  

My twin granddaughters ~ Jordynn and Hailee.   Hailee on the right, fell off the monkey bars on Saturday and broke two bones in her arm…ugh.   Thankfully, no surgery was needed and they say she’s young enough that it won’t affect her when she is older AND, pink is her favorite color!

Sew, what’s new? ~ House Mouse Challenge No. 5

What's new?

This weeks’s challenge was Paper Piecing.   The pin cushion was cut from red flocked paper and the thimbles were cut from silver embossed metallic.  Yes, the stick pins are REAL, as are the buttons! 

I think I’m having way toooo much fun with the house mouse stamps!  

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Recipe:   Stampa Rosa image and sentiment, stamped with Momento Tuxedo black; Red flocked DP and Silver metallic emossed paper; Background DP is by Cosmo Cricket, Twist & Shout; Mice colored with Copics; Stick pins, dimenstionals, ribbon, buttons, floss, white signo pen.

Be sure to check ALL the HM Challenge cards at:   http://housemouse-challenge.blogspot.com/      Thanks for stopping by!  

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House Mouse Challenge No. 4 – On a Budget!!

With the economy in mind and the looming credit crunch we are all watching the £’s/$’s so we would like you to make a card (or whatever you choose to make) for less than £1/$2.

Your stamps and colouring pens/pencils are excluded from the price/budget but please remember to work out the cost for everything else:
card blank
any papers and card used
flowers/blooms
DST, glue etc (obviously this won’t be much so a small estimate is fine).

We don’t expect you all to work out an exact amount but try to be as honest as you can with your estimate.

       

Well, being the “Penny Pincher” that I am…my card cost about $0.35!! Yup.

The corrugated background paper is the padding from a picture frame I purchased, and the lovely coordinating card blank and paper the sentiment is stamped on is the back cardboard from a pad of paper! Cheap, huh? lol

The rest of it was about 35 cents…dew drops .02 each, cs .30 – only used half, ribbon and twine were about .07 and the glue, probably .05!

I didn’t even realize there was a mouse upside down in the pile of leaves until I started coloring!   These HM images just crack me up.  I laugh every time I see the look on the face of the little grey guy in the middle…sheer terror!   Talk about peer pressure  

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Recipe:   HM stamp by Stampabilities, called Don’t Leaf Without Me, stamped with Momento tuxedo black, colored with Copics, paper pieced sky DP into background; Sentiment is from Northwoods, stamped in Blueberry Blast by Scrappy Cat, heat embossed with clear EP; ribbon, twine and dew drops

Jessica Fick

One of the nicest people I have ever met, is Jessica Fick.  She is a Senior Designer at Gina K’s and taught me the fine art of using Copics.  Jessica has been such an encouragement and mentor to me in my cardmaking endeavor!  She designs some really awesome cards, and LOTS of them….she’s a stamping machine!  :)   

Jessica F

 
This card is a TOTALLY “cased” card from Jessica.  I saw it at the Gina K store and loved it!  I had already purchased this Cuttlebug folder, but was having trouble coordinating it with a card, until I saw this one….what an awesome idea and soooo easy!  About the only thing I changed is the color and the type of flowers.  

Here’s a link to Jessica’s blog, be prepared to “get lost” in her many great cards:   http://iembellish.blogspot.com/

I like your Style! :)

Okay, one MORE stamp from Creative Pals (Whipper Snapper)! I just love these stamps!

Once again, I had way too much fun making this card…stamped the hat on photo stack “straw” paper; The flamingo was stamped on ivory cs, colored with Copics, cut out and attached to the rectangle cs, cut with the newer Long Rectangle Nestabilities die. I just love the DP, its from K&Company, Classic K McKenna Striped Foral Damask Embossed paper…very cool IRL.

The sentiment is computer generated.

I’ll be back with the recipe in a bit. Thanks for stopping by!