Give Thanks

Thank you Laurel for reminding me that I can upload to Photobucket and add pictures through HTML. You're a lifesaver!

Hey everyone! It's Tuesday and time for another fun challenge at Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps!!!

Not only that, but today is Day 2 of previews of the SIX new stamps being released on Saturday! Sem (Simone Clay), Sparkle and Stephanie are showcasing Caroling Josh using the same sketch as the rest of us are using for this week's challenge. You'll definitely want to pop over to the Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps blog to see all of this week's cards, and make a special visit to Sem's, Sparkle's and Stephanie's blogs to show Caroling Josh some love!

My card features Fall Charlotte, one of my favorite images... probably because I'm a fall/winter girl. (*grin*) I'm not sure if you can tell, but I actually cut an aperture into the front panel and mounted the image behind, then cut a frame to place around the image. The DP is from the Autumn Spice collection by Stampin Up, the greeting is by SRM, the acorn is by Jolee's Boutique (this one's for you, Carol, Shelley and Alicia!), and the metal bar is something I had hanging around from eons ago by Making Memories.

Speaking of "something I had hanging around from eons ago," something exciting this way comes! My new blog look is part of it. But I shan't tell you what just yet. I'll be dropping clues and blog candy here and there over the next few weeks, so stay tuned! Bwaaahaaahaaa!!!

In the meantime, please do join us for this week's challenge. You might just win a SCRS stamp for playing!!!

I give thanks every day for each of you. Without you, this blog would be no fun!

Waltzingmouse Stamps October New Release Previews Day 1

Yay, it's time for our October release at Waltzingmouse Stamps!!! As you might expect (*wink*), Claire has done it again, bringing us FIVE new stamp sets that will inspire and delight you! Each is a must-have, as you will see as the week unfolds. We will be previewing the new stamp sets through Thursday, when the stamps will be available for purchase.

We're also thrilled to announce that we've added two very talented ladies to our design team, Joan Bardee and Sandie Dunne! These ladies are going to knock your socks off, no doubt about it!

My card for today will be late (shame on me!), so please stop back by later. In the meantime, you'll want to nip on over to Claire's blog to see what she's created for us, and then visit all of the Design Team ladies for more inspiration and temptation! lol

Anya Schrier
Bonnie Sharp
Belinda Chang Langner
Joan Bardee
Julia Aston
Mona Pendleton
Jennifer Holmes
Lynn Mercurio
Sandie Dunne
Laurie Schmidlin

Enjoy! I'll see you back here later!

Note: this is my third post for today. Please scroll down for a Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps new release preview and for The Pink Elephant challenge. Thanks!

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps New Release Previews - Christmas Ruby!

Hey everyone! It's that wonderful time of the month again... time for more wonderfully whimsical and adorable images from Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps!!! Aki has created SIX new images just in time for Christmas!!! We will be showing you one each day through the release on Saturday, so hold onto your seats!!!

Today we are featuring Christmas Ruby. I love love love her decorating her Christmas tree! I've paired her with DP and a chipboard piece from the Jovial collection by Basic Grey. The sketch is this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #87, turned on its side.

Be sure to stop by and visit Kim Yu (our newest Design Team member - yay!!!) and Laurel Seabrook, who are previewing Christmas Ruby with me today. You will LOVE what you see!

Note, this is my second post for today. Please scroll down for The Pink Elephant. Thanks!

Princess Chloe

 Woo hoo, it's time for another FUN challenge at The Pink Elephant!!!

CHILDHOOD

(PLAYFUL FUN, DRESS-UP, ANYTHING WITH A CHILD)

Our sponsor this week is Claudia & Company, who produces the Puddle Jumpers designed by the wonderful LORi Boyd. This month, they released two new ADORABLE images... Princess Chloe and Cowboy McCoy. Lucky us, the Design Team girls (Ella's Girls) got to play with them!!!

My card features Princess Chloe. I have to say that these images just get cuter and cuter!!! Chloe is so much fun to color, and perfect for this week's theme challenge.

I paired Princess Chloe with some of my favorite DP and chipboard accents from the Pixilicious collection by Cosmo Cricket. The greeting is by SRM.

You won't want to miss seeing what the rest of Ella's Girls created with Princess Chloe and Cowboy McCoy, so head on over to The Pink Elephant blog and take a look!

Have a wonderful start to the week, my friends!!!

As for me and my house...

...we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

A blessed Sunday to you my friends! This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Our hostess this week at Stampin' Sisters in Christ is the wonderful Rebekka Reed. Rebekka is such a blessing to all of us at SSIC, and I don't mean maybe. She has one of the most powerful testimonies I've ever heard, yet never beats her own drum. She keeps it simple and real. That's what I love most about her.

Rebekka chose the scripture Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Her challenge is for us to make a card/project using anything pertaining to nature, such as birds, trees, flowers, mountains...the sky's the limit.

Our sponsor this week is the beautiful Nina Brackett, who I consider a friend. In fact, I had the pleasure of meeting Nina in person in August. Nina designs for Gina K, Spellbinders and Squigglefly. She has kindly donated one of her gorgeous stamp sets as our prize this week. You'll have to jump over to the SSIC blog to check it out!

I used one of Nina's Squigglefly images for my card... she has several wonderful Bible verses to choose from. This one seemed to go so well with the DP and die cuts from the Weathervane collection by October Afternoon I used for my card.

I've often debated the creation versus evolution concept with my older boys. Unfortunately, I didn't raise them in church like I should have, and so they are non-believers. Only my youngest, Avery, is a Christian. But I pray for my older boys all the time and truly believe that one day they will accept Christ as their savior.

Anyway, the boys love to point out all the scientific evidence that God could not possibly exist. But I keep reminding them that scientists can only trace the beginning of the universe to the Big Bang, but they cannot explain the Big Bang itself. That's because it was God who created the heavens and the earth.

Of course, my faith is strengthened by all of the other evidence of God I see every day. I can see His hand in everything I do and in every aspect of my life. What a sense of peace it gives me! I wish that same peace for you.

Have a blessed day!

Just A Blog Hop

Welcome to Just A Blog Hop. We were invited to put aside all of our stamping oriented obligations and deadlines and create something just for fun. The hop guidelines were simple: choose a challenge to play and choose either a new uninked stamp or an old favorite. Create a card and mail it to someone. What could be better to celebrate World Card Making Day?

The fun begins on Jami Sibley's blog, the brilliant organizer of this special hop. So please start there so you won't miss any of the fun! Jami will also have the complete links of all participants on the hop in case there's a break along the way.

I've always loved The Greeting Farm images, and I own TONS of them, but never seem to have time to ink them up. I intend to play in at least one of their challenges every week, but then the week gets away from me. Today I finally did it! I made this card for the Saturday Sketch at Club Anya & Friends! So fun! I haven't figured out who I'm mailing this to yet, but I have a couple of ideas in mind. I think I'm going to become more of a "card sender" instead of just a card maker. (*grin*)

Your next stop is Charmaine Ikach's blog. Enjoy!!! I know I will!

Harriet

Happy World Card Making Day!!! Do you have any plans to celebrate? I have a few things up my sleeve. (*wink*)

First up is Sketch Saturday! It's Paula's turn to host, and she has come up with this awesome sketch for us to play with! Our sponsor this week is Pollycraft!

My card features a free digital image called Harriet drawn by the wonderful Claire Brennan of Waltzingmouse Stamps. Harriet is FREE in celebration of World Card Making Day. You can even enter a card featuring Harriet to win a stamp set of choice! Nip on over to the Waltzingmouse Stamps blog for all the details and to grab your copy of Harriet.

I do believe this is my first Christmas card this year, or close to it. I'm so confused with seasons right now, it isn't even funny! We crafters (like retailers) are always working ahead to the next season. Halloween is just about done and we'll be seeing a bit more of harvest/autumn/thanksgiving before the Christmas season takes over. And, of course, here in Southern California it's officially autumn, but we're getting higher than average temperatures and now thunderstorms and rain. Go figure!

Still, I couldn't resist coloring up this beauty and pairing her with DP from the Jovial collection by Basic Grey. I created the greeting on my computer. The roses are by Prima.

I hope you'll join us for Sketch Saturday this week! It's perfect inspiration for some of those World Card Making Day projects you're bound to be working on. Have fun!

Pursue Happiness

Happy Friday! Hooray! I have such a fun day planned, spending most of it with dear friends, doing what I love most... going out to lunch, shopping and paper crafting! How lucky am I?

Tomorrow is World Card Making Day, and there are lots of fun activities planned all over cyber-space and at homes, in stores and at other venues, some of which will last throughout the week. Here's something to get you started... a new sketch from Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge!

Okay, maybe it was an obvious choice (subliminal message?), but as soon as I saw this sketch, I reached for Discover Your Wings. The images in this set are so lovely, and I adore all the greetings. And, of course, I couldn't help but pull out my September Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients kit. The Restoration collection by Crate Paper is one of my FAVES, and I LOVE the brads Taylor included in this kit.

Okay, so I moved my butterfly a little, but a girl can take a little artistic license, right? (*wink*)

Don't forget... next Friday is the Taylored Expressions monthly release, with previews starting in a few days. I've heard through the grapevine that it's going to be a doozy (but when it is not?)! lol

In the meantime, please visit the rest of the Sketch Crew to see what loveliness they've turned up using this sketch.

Alice Wertz: Alice's Little Wonderland
Jami Sibley: More is More
Lori Craig: Make a Difference
Melissa Sauls: In Stamping Mode 

Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper
Rachel  Sztonyk: Gingerbread Gallery
Rosie Hughes: Love My Craft Room
Sherrie Siemens: Card Creme 

and of course Taylor herself: Taylored Expressions

Have a HAPPY day!