New releases at Stampotique!!

That's right, it's another new release at Stampotique.

They've gone monthly with their releases so you don't have 

to wait so long between new release dates.

They're nice like that over at Stampotique.

I have used 'Cranium', and the large cupcake here.

Both are from this month's release.

 The Circled Circle I've used for the background is an oldie, but a goodie. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Be sure to check all of the new releases at Stampotique today!!

Wicked Wednesday? Already?!

One of my resolutions for 2013 is to be more organized.

Not doing very well so far.

But today is the new challenge at Wicked Wednesday ATC challenges,

Add a charm.

We are sponsored by "Just Some Lines" this week.

I used  their cute Birthday Penguin image for my ATC.

He colored up like a ...charm!

In addition to the Stickled present charm, I added more Stickle dots to represents confetti, and then I added some yarn fibers to the hat for more texture and interest.

Please join us this week at WW ATC and create something 

fabulous with a charm on it. 

I'd like to enter this in the current challenge going on over at 
Just Some Lines - Something new challenge.
The penguin image is my something new. 


Have a wonderfully creepy day!  

Hannah Lynn at Crafts and Me

A new favorite stamp/image company of mine is

Crafts and Me.

They have some awesome artists with incredible images.

This is my first Hannah Lynn image from C and M,

called, "Mystical Pond".

I am not going to say how long it took me to color

this gorgeousness, but it was one of my longer

coloring stints. Lots of details and I even referred back

to the original art on Hannah's website to make sure

I was coloring leaves and not flowers.

I have a few more of Hannah's images just

begging to be colored so keep an eye out for

more to come. I am a big fan now, and am

anxious to keep coloring while I have the mojo

flowing. 

I finally got to use one of those cool, sparkly, dangle, things from

Wild Orchid Flowers that I just had to have. I like it!

I am entering this card in the "Birthday" challenge at

the Crafts and Me challenge blog, and

for the "Anything Goes" challenge at Birthday Sundaes.

  

SBC #4 Valentine Birthday Color challenge

This week at Simply Betty Challenges

we are making Valentine Birthday cards with

a color challenge of black, turquoise, and pink.

This color combo totally reminds me of "Valley Girl" or 

"Pretty in Pink". Very 1980's. LOVE it!

I seem to be having a problem with my black hair coloring.

Maybe my pens are running out? They seem to gum up a bit

when I am trying to blend, and then the blender pen removes the

color in blotches, not smoothly. I'm just gonna blame it on the pens.

So I mounted the main image of Valentine Betty onto

scalloped circles and then used some destash of those

square brads. I also used some pink webbed ribbon and

rubbed glitter into the exposed adhesive. Fancy.

Join us this week at SBC.



Some people's kids....

I'd like to start off this post by saying how much I love my son.

He is 11 going on 25, and every bit the spoiled, only child
his mother was/is. 

He can't help how he was raised and who his genetic make-up
comes from, but he has a good heart and the comedic wit that makes me proud.

That being said,

Betty, from Simply Betty Stamps has a daughter named, Rio.

Rio is going to be turning 13 in a few weeks and is far from what you
might think a 13 year old is like these days.
This young lady has requested of her mother to take any monies used for
any birthday gifts/plans/celebrations for her,and to donate them
to the children of St. Jude's Children's Hospital. 

Doesn't that just tug at your heart? What an awesome kid!!

So, Betty has a special, limited edition Rio Birthday image , that her
daughter has no idea about. Betty is offering this digi image for $3
and will sell it only untilFebruary 8th, Rio's birthday.
All the proceeds from the sale of the image will go to St. Jude's on Rio's behalf. 

This is where you come in. Betty would like it if everyone who

purchases this image would be so sweet and kind to Rio and

make her a card with this image and send it to her 

by her birthday on the 8th of February. 

 Betty plans to pack all of the cards and tons of candy into their mailbox,
and then after her b.day dinner they'll walk to the cluster boxes
and let Rio open the mailbox to find an explosion of b.day greetings and cheer.
This kid will die!

She is very appreciative of the little things, so this is gonna blow her mind!
Send all cards and Birthday wishes to:
Rio
C/O Betty Roberts
PO BOX 132314
Big Bear Lake, CA  92315

Please purchase this image and help make a child's selfless wish come true.
Ahhh, it just warms your cockles, don't it?

HDH071 Bizarre Birthday

I've been nursing an extremely melodramatic eleven year old with a common cold,

and haven't had much time to create this weekend, so I just kinda tossed this card together

in between naps and vapor rub applications .

This week's Macabre Monday challenge is,

"Bizarre Birthday".  

I guess it depends on what you consider bizarre.

Then again, a zombie celebrating a birthday does seem a bit bizarre.

As soon as I achieve zombie status, I am throwing away my calendar and tossing

out my watch!

I found this image online somewhere a long time ago and fell in love and immediately

envisioned a really cool birthday card. Taa-daahh!

It was cool coloring a black and white image with my Copics to give it a subtle colored effect.

I left off any glittery bits and baubles and used some old stash items instead, like the brightly colored eyelets and the spiral clips. I am actually trying to stick to a goal this year of using my older stash items and tools.

Now I need to find that Stamp-a-ma-jig thingy, and my paper crimper.  

Hippie Birthday!!

Today is my MIL's birthday.

She is a true hippie at heart. She washes her feet and doesn't

reek of Patchouli, but she is quite a free spirit.

She is quite a prolific crafter, and she is also the person who introduced me to the world of polymer clay.

Basically, as far as MILs go, she ROCKS!

I had this perfect digital image from Sassy Studio Designs,

and I paired her up with some hippie-type paper (from the $ store, I think).

Then I attempted the new hair coloring technique that I saw recently.

Not real happy with it, but practice makes pefect right?

What's a hippie without fleurs?!

Voila! 

I layered 5 paper Primas, and then as if that weren't enough, I added a flower brad.

Then, I glued a peace sign button onto the brad and Stickled it!

My MIL is one of my biggest fans as far as my cards go, and she keeps all of the cards I have made for her and my FIL in a basket by her front door to show people.

She keeps her favorites displayed on the table in her foyer.

I think I'll be seeing this one in the foyer next time I'm at her house.

It takes a long time to grow old friends

When I was 16 years old I placed an ad for pen pals in "Metal Forces",

a heavy metal magazine (we're talkin' 1986) from Europe.

Well, that summer I got a TON of mail from all over the world from metal heads, punks, skinheads, straight edges, etc.

You name it, I got a letter from that country and a kid in a black concert tee.

Over the years I have stopped writing to all of these people, but there is this one kid that just wont go away. 

His name is Corey, and we have been corresponding for almost 25 years!

We have never met, but we are still close after all is time.

 

This week Corey is celebrating his 7 years of sobriety.

Over the years Corey has not treated his body as a temple, and abused it considerably with sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll.

He always said he was going to die before he was 30 and I think he really meant to make that prediction come true.

 

Now, he has 7 years of sobriety, a beautiful wife, 4 gorgeous kids, a career that he finds truly fulfilling, and a 39th birthday on the horizon next week.

He is truly an inspiration to me and all of the people who have had

the honor of knowing him.

I love you Corey!

Your Dad would be so proud of you and the man you are today.

In case you haven't noticed the trend, this card was made entirely of Hambo Stamps.

Well, and a little help from my MS iron gate punch and some yummy velvet ribbon.

Birthdays, birthdays everywhere...

August is a busy month for my family aside from school starting and summer coming to a close. There are multiple anniversaries and birthdays this month. My son turned 10 on the twelfth, my husband and I celebrated our thirteenth wedding anniversary on the tenth, and my sister(in-law) turned thirty nine today - before me! I sent her this cute little card to help her cope with the pain of being so close to 40. Nothing says, "Cheer up!" like a Whipper Snapper critter!

I colored this little cutie with my Copics and gave the flames some sparkle with Stickles. Nothing too involved, but it turned out pretty cute.