You're My Little Chickadees...ADdicted to STamps and More #151~Anything Goes, The Pink Elephant #305~Anything Goes, Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Anything Goes

Hello,

Welcome to Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #151~Anything Goes, which means quite literally ANYTHING goes.  Cards, projects, tags, canvases...you name it, we want it! 

Please be sure to visit my incredibly creative DT's cards, especially since we have some new designers joining us!  Yayyyyy...You'll love their Anything Goes inspiration! Then, design something for the gallery and come to play.  This week's winner will be the lucky recipient of  a $10 gift certificate from marvelous Shery over at

I'm happy dancing about my cards today because the darling images were blog-comment gifts I was ever so fortunate to win from my wonderfully sweet and incredibly talented friend, who is also now my new ATSM team-mate:  Bobby, from Bits & Pieces!  My prize package, from Bobby's Happy 4 Years Blog-iversary, is exponentially awesome:  The Big, the Bold and Comfort Cutaways (W&W...whose products we know I'm just a 'little bit' smitten by), the Congratulations stamp set from PTI (my first PTI stamps EVER!), and the adorable Technique Tuesday Chickadees!  I know...I'm so incredibly lucky...and blessed!

Making their debut today are...the chickadees! Two cards - one each for my niece and nephew - to 'celebrate' their Happy *Months* Old cards that I try to send out...well, monthly.  Ms. T is 64 months old (just over 5); Mr. C is 40 months old (just over 3). I kept the cards similar, because heaven knows that what one has, the other wants so...consider the similarities a peace-keeping mission. Actually, the 'true story'...those chickadees are so darn cute, I just wanted to make more than one card *grin*  My first attempts (for a grand total of about five tries...happy recycle bin), I tried water-colouring them...yeah..no. Mess.  Then - part two of my true story - I noticed the circles logo on the W&W cutaways Bobby sent...PING!  I have a home-made circle stencil, found that baby and away I went...
Simple, but I think they're rather cutie-patootie.

My first card is for Ms. T...the green bird is Uncle A, pink is Ms. T and blue is yours truly...

My second card is for Mr. C...Uncle A has transformed to orange, I'm sporting purple and Mr. C is our little blue bird.

The duo..

Hope our 'little chickadees' will like their cards...they're in envelopes, ready for mailing

I'm also sharing over at: 

The Pink Elephant Challenge #305~Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Anything Goes

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!

Hugs,

Multifaceted Smile and Hugs...FUSION~Bright Butterfly, Winnie and Walter~Join in to Win

Hello,

Tuesday morning...off to work for a few hours, BUT  holidays are coming closer! Excited!  Hopefully our plans for road trips, bike races, more road trips and more bike races will play out (and not play *us* out!).

A super quick post because the gallery over at FUSION~Bright Butterfly will be closing soon.

Here's my first card, playing with the colours of this inspiration photo as my background...

And my second...same thing...

Nothing particularly fancy-dancy about either one, except more affirmation that, yes siree...I'm loving that Multifaceted Cover die *grin*! Heading off to Winnie & Walter Join in to Win.

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!

Hugs, 

Papa's a Star and Birthday Wishes...Tag You're It! Challenge #24, Winnie and Walter Rerun~Parentville Extras, The Pink Elephant #305~Anything Goes

Hello,

Today, June 30th,  marks six months since my dad passed away.  Six months...and not a day goes by that I don't miss him...that my entire family doesn't miss him.  I haven't yet steeled myself to create an album of all the beautiful cards and messages I received from so many wonderful people in this community, but I will...when I'm ready.  Apparently, though, a whisper of  'readiness' to create "something" happened over the weekend, in that I made a card for him...or rather, it sort of 'made itself.'

Planets, stars, the vast universe: those caught my dad's interest. I remember him showing us, as we were growing up, where various constellations and planets could be found in the night sky. I even have snippets of memory of late night ventures in the car, driving away from city lights into the countryside to see significant star and planet events. I know he shared bits and pieces of 'starry' delights with my niece and nephew...and so, it was only fitting that, when he left us, we told them that "Papa is a star."  They accept this as true...and I love that they do.

My card didn't start with a 'plan', as such. I knew I wanted to play with Winnie and Walter Rerun~Parentville Extras., because I had a brand new set awaiting attention.

When the challenge launched, though, my ideas were slow in sparking. In time, Anja's
 gorgeous tag/card combination at Tag You're It! Challenge #24 appeared.  Her use of kraft, the water-coloured tag edge, the single focal image, the white die cut...ideas began to gel...

Yesterday, I noticed a couple of embossed stars from True remaining from my Spotlight On projects, so I set about colouring them. I paired them with the sweet tag from Essentials: Katharine Cutaways, placed them on a panel of kraft cardstock, embossed with my new Multifaceted Cover die  ...and this is what happened...

Yes, Papa's a Star...sighhhh.  I'll never be able to give this to him, but I'm hoping that, looking down from the heavens, he's wearing a smile. When I make my album, I'll include this, just because...

Anyway *deep breath*, I decided to make another card, this time with my birthday embossing folder (a gift from my sweet and phenomenally talented friend, Kim), a CB butterfly, some dots from STAMPlorations and, of course, a W&W die cut...

Both cards are heading to yet another one of my favourite challenges (that I haven't had a chance to play in recently! That's going to change immediately *grin*) The Pink Elephant Challenge #305~Anything Goes

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Welcome to the ATSM July-December 2015 DT...Winnie &Walter...Gayatri Inspired Card and Join in to Win, Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Anything Goes, AAA Cards #44~Paste and/or Stencils, Tuesday Throwdown #250~Stenciling

Hello!

Today, a very special post to WELCOME the new DT members over at Addicted to Stamps and More! I'm going to miss those who are leaving: Lee-Anne, Sarah, Sue, Tenia & Karen.  Your gifts of creativity and warm support have touched me deeply; you've given me tremendous encouragement to 'carry on' in this sport of ours! On the plus side: I know where to find you in blog land and I'll definitely be visiting! Wishing you the best of luck on wherever your crafting journeys lead!

To the new members: what an honour to be playing alongside you as a member of this team! I look forward to the inspiration you'll be sharing with all of us!

I have, for you today, a welcome card that was inspired by the beautiful cards over at Winnie & Walter, designed by the marvelously creative Gayatri:

Now, the 'purpose' of her cards was to showcase some fabulous stenciling techniques, as you can see in her diagonal and horizontal stenciled lines. Stunning, yes?

Well, I don't have any W&W stripe stencils or small floral stamp images BUT was that going to stop me from being sparked by her inspiration?  No sirreee! So...I adapted..

Obviously, I didn't play with her stamping in the stencil and adding black lines technique to the full (alright..I didn't at all!) but I did use a stencil (made with my brand-spanking new Multifaceted Cover Die), the yellow/pink combination (yummy) and  black 'outlining'.  Gayatri's cards have a 'light, airy' feel to them, which I also tried to mirror. Even though I strayed somewhat a lot, I'm pleased with the result. I hope you, my new team-mates, will like this  'virtual' welcome card!  THANK YOU to Gayatri for the inspiration and yep...adding some W&W stencils/masks to my shopping list. That technique is too fabulous not to try 'for real'!

My card is heading to the following galleries:

Tuesday Throwdown #250~Stencilling

AAA Cards #42~Paste/Stencil

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Anything Goes

Winnie and Walter - lined to Gayatri's post as well as to Join in to Win

Thank you so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day.\!
Hugs,

Anchor Birthday...CAS(E) this Sketch #128, The Challenge #40~Nautical, CASology #152~Nautical, Uniko Challenge #22~Anything Goes, Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Anything Goes

Hello,

Talk about 'last minute' posting! I'm currently operating on one remaining 'nerve' in getting school things finished. Six more days...just six. more. days!  Thank heavens for some snippets of crafting time, otherwise I'd be full-fledged looney-tunes!

I made my card Monday evening, and just as I was about to add my birthday sentiment (love that font...Your Next Stamp shop), my husband wandered by...complimented the anchor/chain and ocean-ish background...but expressed his puzzlement as to how "they' connected to a birthday theme.  I gave him a very pronounced eye-ball roll (in a loving fashion, of course), then waved him off on a bike ride. HUMPH!! On the other hand, he may have a point (grrr...). Guess that means I ought to add 'nautically themed sentiments' to my shopping list, because I think my anchor is rather a delightful (as is my husband, but there are days...*grin*).  I'm sure my mom's volunteer group will find a senior who has 'boats' or oceans in his  past who will enjoy receiving this.

Anyway, ships ahoy, batten down the hatches, set sail and, well, whatever other sailor talk comes to mind for 'getting the oars a rowing'. .Here's my card...

NOTE: delighted to be selected for an Honourable Mention at CAS(E) this Sketch! THANK YOU!

NOTE:  delighted and honoured that Kim selected my card as her *Top Pick* over at Always Playing with Paper.  THANK YOU!

My sketch was inspired by CAS(E) this Sketch #128

and the 'theme' by The Challenge #40~Nautical

and CASology #152~Nautical

Also off to Uniko Challenge~Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Anything Goes

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Spotlight on...Winnie & Walter Part Deux~Dashing and Dapper, Less Is More #229~Stenciling, Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Favourite Technique or Product, The Friday Mashup #224~Stencil This

Hello,

The only thing more exciting than having a Spotlight On feature at Winnie & Walter is the opportunity for a second! Once again, I'm honoured and thrilled to be showcasing W&W products in Part Deux of the Dashing and Dapper theme.  Before I do, however, a warm from-the-bottom-of-my-heart thank you to everyone who left such sweet, encouraging comments on my previous spotlight. Talk about feeling ever-so loved!  Okay...let's get the players on the stage....

The geometric and multi-faceted shapes, paired with soft grey, a whisper of a second colour and bold black die cut sentiments of my previous Spotlight post have  switched gears to include an assortment of backgrounds and images that are colour-linked in what I consider to be a dashing, dapper combination: red, gold and black.  I hope you enjoy the trio on stage today...

First on the runway, and sporting plenty of sparkle and shine is this celebratory number. The gold embossed *sparkle*, "on  your day" and  'fireworks' come from Sparkle, while *shine*, making a lovely shimmery appearance, comes from The Big, the Bold and Fun set.  My panel is, once again, cut from my 'use nearly always' set that I'm completely smitten with: Essentials: Katharine Cutaways, The largest rectangle is featured here...

Second on stage  is a more soft-spoken design, using the same colour pairings, but with a gentle touch.  I lightly stenciled the  Scenery: Triangled Creative Screenings background with SU Real Red ink ( also used in the previous card...talk about  a juicy colour!), then added a gold foil rose and leaves from In Bloom: Maggie's Roses Cutaways.  This is the debut of these cutaways and oh my!  They cut like butter and the possibilities...endless! To the front, you'll see the The Big, the Bold and Friends Cutaways, cut from one black and white card stock, and stacked for dimension. Essentials: Katharine Cutaways large rectangle panel rounds out Dashing and Dapper card two.

Of course, a 'dashing' set of cards wouldn't be complete without a play in the snow, so...my final card is a nod to just that: dashing though the snow.  I stamped Mini Scenery: Into the Woods with black Versafine ink, added a some tiny gold stars, and a stacked cutaway from The Big, the Bold and the Seasons Cutaways.  "Birthday', from the The Big, the Bold and the Happy and another run through with the Essentials: Katharine Cutaways and voila...

I hope that my cards have piqued your interest in checking out the amazing, ever-so-versatile, filled -with-infinite possibilities products over at Winnie & Walter;  If you already are the lucky owners of W&W stamps, dies and stencils, then I hope my card inspired some ideas.  I still have a few (okay, plenty!) of products yet to use, and rest assured: you'll be seeing many more W&W cards on my blog in the very near future.

To all who visit and leave comments: thank you so much! Your encouragement touches me deeply. 

To Shay and Julie: a mega-sized THANK YOU for this dream of a lifetime opportunity! It's been such an honour and privilege to be part of your Spotlight On project!

I'm also sharing my cards in the gallery at:

Less is More Challenge #229~Stencilling

The Friday Mashup #224~Stencil This

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Favourite Technique/Product = Winnie and Walter products (LOVE everything W&W....seriously love) and die cutting

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Happy "Wild Thing" Birthday...Inkspirational Challenge #85~Wild

Hello,

How quickly the past two weeks have flown!  Today, my Inkspirational DT and I invite you to play in Inkspirational Challenge #85

What images does "WILD" conjure for you...wild flowers, wild animals, 'going' wild - and with summer break a week and a bit away, I am ready to go wild!   So many launching points with this word...

Joining us for this challenge is our incredibly talented Guest Designer, Jenny. Her card has some *wonderful wild* going on, as do those of my team-mates:

Marina

Sandie

Shauna

Yvonne

Nonni

 Pia,

Kim

Please check out their cards and leave them some love; they'll be thrilled.

Living in a small town in the Rockies, I'm surrounded by 'wild'...bears, cougars, elks, gophers (by the fields-ful!)...not to mention the tourists who fill our streets, stores and cafes on the weekends! Wildlife, wild life...we see it everywhere. But it's the 'not seen' wild life - the 'stuff of legend - that I'm pretty sure finds a home somewhere in 'them thar hills' that piqued my card inspiration:  SASQUATCH! Yes....the mighty, but rarely seen Sasquatch...aka *Bigfoot* ...aka *big hairy humanoid*..aka *yeti*...aka one of my images from The Alley Way Stamps, that I haven't inked up and coloured in a mighty long time!  Wild prompt = wild response. Yes, my card is just plain silly!).  

I present to you: a Prima coloured "wild thang', with a bouquet of rainbow DI balloons, all Wink of Stella-ed up (he is a somewhat of a classy dude).

Kid card...giving it to my sister-in law for her birthday card going-to-parties collection. I'm sure a three-four year old will find it funny...and I hope you do, too...maybe just a little bit of a smirk...*grin*

Anyway, go wildly wild with your Wild-inspired card; see you in the gallery!

By the way, we're at a bike race this weekend, at Kicking Horse Pass, a couple hours west of where we live. The bike race is one thing, but check out the accommodations the organizer arranged for us here.  Isn't that place wild? I'm so excited!

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Spotlight On...at Winnie and Walter...Dapper and Dashing, Just Us Girls #297~Stacked Die Cuts, Virginia's View Challenge #15~Ombre/Monochromatic, Make My Monday~Embossing

Hello!
I'm sooo excited (and yes, very nervous) because I have the absolute honour of being featured over at Winnie and Walter! *Squeal*  I've shared an 'abbreviated' version here, and I'd love if you headed over to W&W for the full post.

Over the past few months, I've become completely enamoured with Winnie and Walter *everything* - blog posts, challenges and, of course, their amazing products. Little wonder that I have welcomed a variety (large variety) of their stamps, cutaways and stencils into my collection.  Words cannot fully express how  honoured and delighted I am that Shay and Julie selected and invited me to be a designer for their  *Spotlight On* project. THANK YOU for this dream-come-true opportunity!

 "Dashing and Dapper' is the theme I'm playing along with and, of course, 'masculine touch' came first to mind. I did a bit of research, discovering some 'sparks' here (colour combinations, in particular - not to mention some charming 'eye-candy') and away I went...

First on the Dapper and Dashing runway is a Versafine-stamped and clear-embossed Mini Scenery Multifaceted image, sporting a smoky grey and light blue ensemble (Cool Grey and Sky Blue Chamelon pens).  The rectangle shape comes from Essentials: Katharine Cutaways, fashionably split to  draw your eye to the fabulous silver-foil, stacked-for-dimension Celebrate sentiment (The Big, the Bold and Party Cutaways). Accessories include black card-stock framing and a trio of tiny silver stars.  Silver/grey, black, a whisper of colour: I hope this speaks 'dapper and dashing' to you.

Up next is a second geometric-themed card, sporting Cool Grey paired with Aqua Marine.  The angled background design showcases several impressions of the border stamp, embossed, from True, with the finished panel cut from the larger rectangle from Essentials: Katharine Cutaways.  A bold In A Word Hello Cutaway (stacked), joined with "friend" from True, and embossed onto the smaller flag banner from the Katharine Cutaways, rounds out this Dapper and Dashing Card #2.

Third on stage:  this Dapper and Dashing number is decked out with embossed border and star images from True, in Cool Grey and soft Purple Grape, and a bold In A Word: Cheers Cutaway. 

Here's my trio of Dashing and Dapper...

Again, such an honour to have shared with you today!  I hope that my cards brought a smile to your face and maybe a bit of inspiration, too!  Winnie and Walter rocks!

I'm sharing my cards in the galleries at:

Just Us Girls #297~Stacked Die Cuts

Virginia's View Challenge #15~Ombre/Monochromatic

Make My Monday~Embossing (all my backgrounds were embossed before colouring as was 'friends' on the small tag)

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,

Happiness is you...Tag You're It! Challenge #23

Hello,

A quick before-I-head-to-bed post to share a tag I made for Tag You're It! Challenge #23, where we've been invited to draw inspiration from the darling mini artworks created by the extraordinarily talented, CAS-ilicious queen: Tracey McNeely:

Aren't you smitten with her single image & sweet sentiment tags?  Simple, yet, as is Tracey's style, stunning.  I've tried to follow suit with my tag, colouring up one of my adorable ballerina images from our darling friend, Bev, and pairing her with a lovely-font sentiment from Your Next Stamp Shop.

Simple...and cute (I hope...).  I'm still striving for simple and stunning...

By the way, "Happiness is YOU" is my message to all of you  who visit my blog and leave such warm, uplifiting comments.  You truly are precious and if I knew how to "do" ballet, I'd pirouette in joy (oh my...that would be so not pretty...but if I 'could" I would).

Anyway, my cozy bed calls...

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments add sparkle to my day!
Hugs,