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 ~♥♥♥~

PCI Guest Designer card

After entering a challenge recently at Paper Creations Ink they chose me to be a Guest Designer. How cool is that! They gave this darling image by Sassy Studio Designs called "Santa's Helper" from their "Sassy Holiday Collection". (Thanks a bunch Sassy Studio Designs!) Doesn't she look pretty sitting on top of that huge prezzie. Wonder what's in it. Do you think she should shake it? LOL Uh...better not just in case it's breakable. LOL This is challenge #13 at PCI with a "Christmas Theme". Can you believe we're only about a month away from Christmas. Yikes! Where has this year gone?

The DP I used is from K&Co's new Christmas paper pad called "Elizabeth Brownd's Visions of Christmas". I loved the pretty blue paper with snowflakes & musical notes. The "Santa's Helper" digital image was colored with my Copics E0000, E000, E00, E31, E41, E50, E51, E53 / R11, R20 / BG0000, BG10, BG11. Then cut out with my oval & scalloped oval Nesties. The bling button, gold doily, gold ribbon & glitter snowflake are all from my stash. I distressed the edges of the DP with Ranger's Distress Ink 'Frayed Burlap'.

This was my first time adding sequins to a card. I purchased a bunch of cupped sequins from Cartwright. They have such a huge selection at such a good price so I got a big variety. These gold sequins came from an assortment pack with a mix of different Metallic colors. They are 6mm Metallic slightly cupped sequins. The 'cupped' center makes a great nesting place for the bead. What pretty little flowers they make. I'll definitely be using this technique again. The opaque ones are really pretty too.

Just in case anyone wants to know how I attached the sequins to my card:

I used some thin 34 gauge gold wire (I think it's called beading wire.......it's old & the label fell off.....lol) to "sew" the gold beads & sequins onto the top of the card. I cut a piece of wire about 4" long. Then strung the bead onto the wire & moved it to the middle of the wire. While holding the bead super straight & making sure it was centered between the bead holes so the holes wouldn't show......I twisted the wire close to the bead. Then I pierced a hole in the DP & threaded the wire through to the back, secured the ends with tape & cut off any excess wire. Easy peasy!

I'm entering the following challenges:
DYSU Challenge: #46 blue
One Stop Craft Challenge: #158 blue
Paper Pretties: Christmas card using non-traditional Christmas colors
Pollycraft Monday Challenge: #120 Christmas fun
The Craft Garden: Christmas without red or green
Wags' n Whiskers: Christmas themed
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenges: #47 Christmas must use digi
Hooked on Craft Challenges: #12 use punch or die cut
Paper Sundaes: #96 Beautiful bow
Pile It On: #47 Anything with a "P" (prezzie aka present)
2 Sisters Challenge Blog: #66 Let It Sparkle
Just Some Lines: Tic Tac Toe (glitter, digi, die cut)
Outlawz challenge: Pam111911 Christmas or winter celebration
Cardmadfairy's Digi Days: #21 texture & must use digi
Crafts 4 Eternity: R#46 Embellishment recipe (snowflake, bling, doily)
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge: #109 Snowflakes
Frosted Designs: Fabulous Friday Challenge ~ Die Cuts!
Creatalicious Challenges: #28 Christmas & sparkle
The Paper Shelter: #40 Snowflakes

Thanks so much for visiting me & please pop on over to PCI to enter their Challenge. They would love to have you join them. This card will be traveling to Mass. to my dear friend Mary.

Huggies & Sweet Blessings ~♥♥♥~

GDT card for Sundays with Crissy

I'm so very honored & privileged to be given an opportunity to be a Guest Designer on Sundays with Crissy. Crissy Armstrong creates such beautiful images one of which is this little sweetie called "Say a Prayer". The theme for October at Sundays with Crissy is Thanks or Thanksgiving so I thought what better way to say thanks than to offer up a sweet prayer......."Thank you for being you". This could be to a dear friend or as a special thank you prayer to the Lord for all He has done.

She is colored with my Copic markers (E000, E00, R20, E41, E50, W00, W0) & I've used 3 Bearly Mine Designs papers. The vintage buttons are tied with embroidery floss DMC #963 & the sweet little flowers are from my stash. Pink baby pom pom trim graces the top of the little buttons.


I've used lovely 'rose petal' seam binding from Wild Orchid Crafts to tie the bow & added little die cut corners for added dimension. The little frame charm is resting on top of a piece of antique lace holding a little Crafty Secrets birdie image inside. Can you see the little birdie? LOL It's super tiny. I think there's nothing sweeter than adding little birdies to a project. I've also added a tiny little floss bow.


Challenges I'm entering:
Bearly Mine Challenges: #20 use 3 backing papers
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Sparkle & Bling
Ribbon Carousel Challenge Blog: #23 Anything Goes
The Beary Scrap: #35 Free for (F)all
Paper Sundaes: #89 Lots of Layers
Fussy & Fancy Friday: Try something New (first time using a framed pic & distressing a doily)
Stampin' for the Weekend: #17 What a Cutie!!! (use a cute image)


Thanks so much for visiting with me today & I hope to be creating more soon. On a side note: I injured my knee about a month ago & it's taking forever & a day to heal so I haven't been able to jump around in my craft room which is really my dining room LOL (yeah.....like I can really "jump"....LOL). So I hope to be crafting more since Christmas is drawing near. OMGosh.........did I just say that? LOL (I'll go sit in the corner now.....LOL) So until next time.......be blessed!

Huggies & Sweet Blessings ~♥♥♥~