Friendship is a sheltering tree

This is my first card for the year 2013. Can you believe that it's already the 13th?  (I know....I'm a little slow.....lol) This is also my last Design Team card for the Clear It Out challenge blog.  It's been a wonderful 6 months on the team & I've made some wonderful friends.  Thank you, Laura, and the team for being so awesome & welcoming to me.  I wish you all the very best for 2013.

The challenge theme for this challenge is CIRCLES.  Can you find my circles?  (if not.....I think you may need some eye glasses....LOL).  The stash item is ANYTHING GOES.  Our sponsor is Digi Darla Designs & I've used "Birds in tree" to showcase my card.  You can find it HERE. It comes as a standard black line drawing so I played with my Print Shop Elements 6 program.  Can you see the cute little colored birdies?  Well this was my first time "painting" my picture in PSE6......it happened as a 'happy accident' as I was playing around with my image.   (I really need to spend some time learning all the cool things I can do with that program.)

Anywho......the sentiment I used was perfect for this card.  It comes from Paulette at Create with TLC.  She has oodles & oodles of amazing sentiments.  Perfect for any card.  And guess what?  It was FREE.  How sweet is Paulette for giving away so many wonderful sentiments & graphics.  Thank you, Paulette!  I've cut out & layered my sentiment with my Nesties "Long Classic Scalloped Rectangles small" (boy that's a mouthful! lol) What would I do without my diecuts.

My stash item for this card is another glittery page from my DCWV matstack called "All Dressed Up".  I felt it went really well with the black & white trees as the background.

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:
Inky Chicks:  #1 Anything Goes
Creative Creations Challenges:  #1 Anything Goes
My Grafico:  #143 Anything Goes
Pause Dream Enjoy Challenges:  #1 Use Ribbon
Inky Impressions Challenges:  #92 Add a Sentiment
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog:  #109 Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Challenge:  Black & White plus splash of color
Totally Paper Crafts:  #149 Ribbon
613 Avenue Create:  #2 Anything Goes

Thank you so much for joining me today.  I always look forward to reading your sweet comments. 

Huggies & Sweet New Year's Blessings ~♥♥♥~

To light the way

It's challenge time at Clear It Out challenges.  Okay.......I must admit........I had a real struggle with this one.  Our theme for this challenge is "ugly sweater time". We want you to use your ugly, unused papers. Well.......I don't "do" ugly very well. It just goes against my nature.  I like pretty things........duh. LOL  But...........since I HAD to come up with something.............this is what I did.  I went through my Christmas paper pads to find one that reminded me of an ugly Christmas sweater so I came up with this reindeer.  Now reindeer aren't ugly by any means but I seem to remember seeing one on an ugly Christmas sweater.  LOL  That may be a real streeeeetch but that's my story & I'm stickin' to it.  LOL  If you look real close you'll see that my reindeer has flocking.  He must have gotten caught in a snow storm.  :)

Our sponsor for this challenge is Digi Darla Designs .  The winner of our challenge will receive 5 digis of their choice.  How sweet is that!!!  This pretty image is called Cardinal on Lamp Post and it's already colored for you.  Isn't that cool!  (Sure saved me some time.)  I knew I wanted to use my Cryogen cardstock for this snowy image because of the pretty sparkles in the paper. Can you see it? (You can click on the pic to see it closer.) I got a bit carried away with the glitter & mica flakes for the snow. It really doesn't look "dirty" in person. LOL  I had a hard time getting a good picture of it plus I was fighting a migraine but you came to see some pretties not to hear about the perils of Pauline.....right?  LOL  Anywho.......you get the idea.

***And let's hear a big WOOT WOOT!!!  I'm also so very honored to be chosen as the Guest Designer on the Fussy and Fancy Challenge Blog.  So this card serves a dual purpose.  The Fussy and Fancy challenge is "Feeling Blue".  They want to see your blue creations.  So pop on over to see the lovely DT creations & enter their challenge.  Thank you, Fussy and Fancy & Sazzle!!!!!

To all of you celebrating Thanksgiving this coming Thursday.....Have a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving with those you love & hold close to your heart!


I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:
LEJ Designs Challenge Blog:  #29 Season's Greetings
Christmas Challenges:  #50 Sketch w/twist ~ use faux or real stitching
Tammy's Scrapin Corner:  #36 Anything Goes any artist (Digi Darla)
Totally Stampalicious:  Bling
4 Crafty Chicks:  Winter Wonderland
Lady Anne's Stamp Challenge:  Anything Goes
My Mum's Craft Shop Challenges:  #84 Winter Wonderland
Crafts and Me:  #110 Untraditional Christmas colours
The Pink Elephant:  #174 Dies
Divas by Design:  #61 Anything Goes
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog:  #102 Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments Designs:  Christmas
Paper Crafting Journey:  Anything Goes
Craft Us Crazy:  #30 Favorite Theme (Christmas)
QKR Stampede Challenge:  #14 Winter Wonderland
Crafty Catz Challenge Blog:  #159 Let's have Sparkle
Craftyhazelnuts's Christmas Challenge:  #99 Use something more than 6 months old (the mica flakes & snowflakes)
Joanna Sheen Challenge:  Cold and Frosty
Dream Valley Challenges:  #45 Anything Goes
Catch the Bug Challenge Blog:  November Bingo ("B" for "bird" ~ Jewel (snowflakes) ~ Die Cut)
Sketchy Colors:  #140 (White, Green & Turqouise blue)
The Crafty Pad:  #197 It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas
One Stitch at a Time:  #140 Use a Digi
Glitter n Sparkle Challenge Blog:  #7 Lots of Layers
Gingerloft Challenge:  #52 A touch of Gold (lantern's light)
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge:  #190 Recipe (ribbon/twine, gems, dies)
My Grafico Challenges:  #140 Anything Goes
The Squirrel & the Fox:  #31 Anything Goes
Anything Goes Challenge Blog:  #80 Stitching (faux or real)
The Crafty Bloggers Network:  #5 Christmas Anything Goes
Bunny Zoe's Crafts:  Monthly Challenge ~ Winter

Supplies used:

• Tools: 'Bow Easy' (for bow tying)
•  Dies: Nesties 'Labels One'
• Digital Stamp:  Digi Darla Designs 'Cardinal on Lamp Post'
• Inks:  Distress Ink 'Tumbled Glass'
• Martha Stewart 'Cottage Christmas Stocking' sticker, Recollections 'Merry Christmas' sticker
• Melissa Frances "mica flakes"  
• Misc. Stash:  lace doily, baker's twine, ribbon, bells, glitter, snowflake bling

~♥~As always...........I thank you for your sweet comments & I truly thank you for visiting me once again. It means so very much to me when you take the time to leave a bit of love.~♥~

Huggies & Sweet Blessings ~♥♥♥~

Sweet Birdies with Heart

Hi Everyone!  As promised I'm sharing my card for the Clear It Out challenge.  You still have time to join us.  Our theme is SYMPATHY and our Stash item is DARK PAPERS.  We're all about helping you use up your stash.  I've had this paper pad forever & I still love it.  It's by DCWV called the "All Dressed Up" matstack.  It's full of glittery papers that met this challenge requirements perfectly.  The sweet image is by Darla's Digis called "Heart Wreath with Birds".  You can find it HERE.  The winner of our challenge will receive their choice of 5 digis from Darla's Digis.  How sweet is that! 

Thanks so much for joining me today.  I hope to see you at the Clear It Out challenge blog.  

**On a side note:  You'll find my card details below.  I "borrowed" this idea from one of my sweet sweet bloggie buddies Tracy at "I Wanna Build a Memory". She makes the most amazing cards & has become such a dear friend.  Thanks for the inspiration, sweetie!  She's on a zillion Design Teams & always has tons cool ideas so pop on by & check out her talent.  You won't be sorry!  :o)

I followed this sweet sketch from Sketch Saturday.   I'll definitely be using this one again.

Challenges I would like to enter:
My Mum's Craft Shop Challenges:  #73 Anything Goes
Crafts and Me Challenges:  #100 Add a Flower
Inky Impressions Challenges:  Anything Goes
Joyful Stamper ~ Inspire Me Fridays:  Anything Goes
Whimsy Stamps Challenge Blog:  #50 Lots of Layers
Paper Crafting Journey:  Anything Goes
Come and Get it Challenges:  Tic Tac Toe (diecuts, buttons & ribbon)
Dream Valley Challenges:  #40 Something Old (DP) / Something New (digi)
Pile It On:  #37 Patterned Paper
All Sorts Challenge Blog:  #171 Layers
Shelly's Images TTT challenge:  Anything Goes
Southern Girls Challenge:  #52 It's all about the Flora


Supplies used:

• Copic markers: Branch: E31, E35, ~ Outline: E41 ~ Leaves: G40, G82, G94 ~ Bird: R00, R11, R20, B91, B95, YR20 ~ Bird Outline: W00 ~ Flowers: R00, R11, R20, YR20
• DP: DCWV Glittered the "All Dressed Up" matstack, black cardstock
• Dies: Spellbinders Mega Nestie "Curved Rectangles"
• Digital Stamp:  Darla's Digis "Heart Wreath with Birds"
• Flowers:  Prima flower, Beaded Stem by Modern Romance, "Dress It Up" black flower buttons
• Misc. Stash:  Black seam binding, Recollections black glitter borders 

Huggies & Sweet Blessings ~♥♥♥~