Hedgehugs and Kisses

I know puns are cheesy, but they make me feel grate! (Ba-dum TSS!) My husband got a second date with a "punny" pick up line, and he asked for that second date because I laughed!  Classic Chris humor...One Saturday morning  we had an argument. He went outside to burn off steam doing yard work. The kids were being crazy, and I was hot, sweaty and angrily cleaning house. All of a sudden, he ran inside, slid across the dining room floor, grabbed me and said,"Oh my God are you OK?!" I gave him the WTH look and he chuckled and said," I thought you might have hurt yourself when you fell from heaven!" I started laughing hysterically, housework was forgotten and we had a hot date!

We don't usually go crazy for Valentine's Day, but I do like to make my Valentine a card!



Those hedgehogs made the CUTEST card for the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge starting today! My card features Gerda Steiner's hedgehog smooches digital image and Club Scrap® cardstock.



This week's theme challenge is sponsored by Gerda Steiner Designs (GSD) and she is graciously providing a $15 gift certificate to a randomly chosen winner. She also hosts a monthly challenge on her blog with a chance to win 3 GSD Digital Stamps of your choice or alternatively a $15 coupon to the store! Win! Win!

Check out what the rest of the design team created here, then go make a card and enter the challenges!

Do more of what makes you happy!



Challenges/Galleries entered:

GSD Monthly Challenge Hedgehog Smooches

GSD Flickr Group

Read More »

Color Me Happy!

I joined a photography challenge on January 1 called The Great 365 Project hosted on Diane Downs' photography website/blog and started posting my photos on Instagram . The January 18 daily prompt was "multiple" and I had just received my essential oils and bamboo diffuser from UPS! Don't you love this essential oil storage box ? I was really surprised to discover that my 30ml bottles fit in all of the slots. Lots of room for more oils!



I started pinning essential oil diffuser recipes on Pinterest and decided to make a little recipe book to keep with my supplies. I found this quick and easy, GLUE FREE, book tutorial on Club Scrap's blog. At 3x6 inches, it is the perfect size for what I wanted!



Isn't that card stock gorgeous?! It is from Club Scrap® 's January Color Me Happy kit. I used the sunshine stamp from the art nouveau unmounted stamp collection, and the sophisticated script alphabet from Concord and 9th and a small wooden alphabet stamp set from my stash to create the label on the belly band. The metallic dot is included in the embellishment pack with the (CMH) kit.



There are plenty of pages inside, 14 if you include the front and back inside covers, to house my collection of recipes! I created a .png file using the recommended fonts in the Club Scrap January 2017 Scrap Rap for my recipes so that they would be easy to print and trim out.



The spine cover makes it look so "finished"!





I'm linking up to the January 2017 Color Me Happy Club Scrap Blog Hop for a chance to win a Club Scrap gift certificate!

Do more of what makes you happy!

Read More »

Toucan Play at THAT Game!

This was Eudie and Bert.



Eudie was my Grandma, Aunt Bert was her older sister. Aunt Bert only had one  child, who she affectionately called "Son". Grandma, on the other hand, had 9 children and 27 grandchildren. Boy,  Aunt Bert liked all the action at my Grandma's when she'd come visit! Only problem was that they would argue constantly AND talk at the same time! I think Aunt Bert secretly enjoyed the attention and making Grandma mad! I'm sure everybody in our family has a funny Aunt Bert story, she was a character. This is one of mine.

I liked taking road trips with my Grandma in her "little Honda" with the hatchback. This particular  trip, I had to ride in the backseat because Aunt Bert was riding shotgun. I was about 11-12 and we were driving home from New Orleans. Grandma stopped at a little diner and we got some chicken dinner boxes to go. We got back on the road and Grandma asked Aunt Bert to hand her a French fry. It must have been a little hot because Grandma started coughing. And coughing...Aunt Bert kept asking what was wrong like Grandma couldn't hear. I got nervous because she was swerving all over the road and I (and my chicken dinner) was rolling all over the backseat! Finally, Aunt Bert grabbed Grandma's  face, turned her head toward her and said, " Open your mouth and let me see!" Grandma screamed and slammed on the brakes (middle of the highway!) and yelled at Aunt Bert,"Are you OUT of your MIND?" Aunt Bert just shrugged and turned back to her chicken dinner that was tucked in her lap and said,"Well, I was just trying to help!" Grandma just stared at her and all you could hear was the click of my seatbelt as I quietly tried to put it on. Aunt Bert daintily picked at her chicken and said," See what you did? You scared everybody!" Grandma said nothing, jerked the card back onto the road and white knuckled the steering wheel the rest of the ride home. I was a little "ascared" of her because I'd never seen her that mad. Meanwhile, Aunt Bert chatted away like nothing happened. I was still holding a piece of chicken when we pulled into our driveway an hour later!

These chunky toucans made me think of Eudie and Bert!

[caption id="attachment_4815" align="alignnone" width="3294"] JFF Rubber Stamps Chunky Toucans and Man in the Moon stamps. Club Scrap® Color Me Happy card stock, Comics digital kit speech bubble, and By the Seashore beach grass stamp. Diamond stickles for sparkle, white Signo Uniball gel pen for highlighting the necklace and polka dots on the bikini. Perfect Pearls mixed with water to watercolor the images. Vintage Photo Distress Ink to frame the edges of the card stock.[/caption]

Those bikinis are hilarious!



The Man in the Moon stamp image fit perfectly in the Club Scrap Color Me Happy cutapart!



Check out the JFF January Card Challenge - Anything Goes!! and join in the fun with a card of your own. The winner will receive a gift certificate to shop in the JFFRS online store! AND no, you do not have to use a JFF stamp to enter!

Do more of what makes you happy!



 

Read More »

Say Cheese!

This CA-RAY-ZEE had a birthday yesterday!



I liked the birthday card I sent her so much, I just had to make another one like it for the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge starting today!



The sponsor for this week's color challenge is Lawn Fawn and they are generously providing a prize of a stamp set and 6x6 pad to our randomly chosen winner. My card showcases the Lawn Fawn Clear Acrylic Stamp Set Say Cheese  paired with Club Scrap® card stock.

[caption id="attachment_4703" align="aligncenter" width="4875"] Click here for a great tutorial for the starburst background pattern. Images were stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with Ranger Superfine Gold embossing powder, and colored with Faber-Castell gelatos.  Images were then fussy cut and adhered to the card front with foam tape. I added some Stickles diamond glitter glue for bling and some Glossy Accents to the camera lens for shine.[/caption]

Check out what the rest of the design team created here, then go make a card and enter the challenge!

Do more of what makes you happy!



Gallery Entry:

Fawny Flickr Friday 

 

 

Read More »

Beau Beau is 6!

The Birthday Girl!



I sent out a group text to our family this morning and asked them to describe Beau in one word...



Then, I sent her these questions to answer on her birthday...

1. What is your name? Beau Beau

2. How old are you?  6

3. What grade are you in? Kindergarten

4. What is your favorite thing to do? Have my birthday party!

5. What is your favorite song? Let it Go

6. What is your favorite thing to eat? Cake

7. If Duke (her yellow lab) could talk, what would he say? I love you, Beau Beau

8. What is the worst smell in the world? A skunk. Actually, the worst smell in the world is Duke's farts!

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Dentist

10. What makes you laugh? When Duke does dancing dog! (Dancing dog is when he is on his hind legs and Joey or Beau holds his front legs.)

11. What is your favorite color? Pink and red

LOOK! Her first birthday... her little personality was shining bright even then, AND pink and red were her colors!





To quote my Aunt Barbara..."She's a character!"

[caption id="attachment_4670" align="aligncenter" width="555"] Lawn Fawn Let's Polka After Dark 6x6 Paper Pad, Lawn Fawn Clear Acrylic Stamp Set Say Cheese. [/caption]

Happy Birthday Beau Beau! Eat lots of cake!

Love,

Aunt Wendy-woo

Read More »

♫ It's Carnival Time!♫♪

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIq4FH01FiU]

Louisiana carnival season has begun! January 6 is called Epiphany or Twelfth Night (since it's twelve days after Christmas) or Kings Day (hence the King Cake tie-in?). It marks the moment in the Bible that the three kings arrived in Bethlehem to behold the baby Jesus. Traditionally, Epiphany is considered the last day of the Christmas holidays. You can now say "Happy Mardi Gras!", wear purple, green and gold, buy and eat king cake and take down your Christmas decorations! I plan on doing it tomorrow...ugh!

In the meantime, I made a festive card to celebrate! I used the JFFRS Stamptangle Celestial Montage stamp image. This image kind of reminds me of some of my Mardi Gras decorations...



The image was stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with Ranger Ink Silver
Super Fine embossing powder. The image was painted with a mixture of Perfect Pearls True Gold and True Red pigment powder and water. The background paper is Club Scrap®  cardstock and embellished with metallic dot stickers from the CS Color Me Happy embellishment pack .



I'm off to get motivated to take down Christmas and put out the Mardi Gras bling. Hmmmm, I might need a little king cake and coffee first!

There's still time to join the JFFRS "Anything Goes" January Challenge for a chance to win a gift certificate to the JFFRS online store! Details here! AND there's a 40% off sale through January 15...

Do more of what makes you happy!



Challenges entered:

PDE Linky Party #154 "Anything Goes" 

Crazy For Challenges #357

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog Something New 

 

Read More »

🎶What Are You Doing New Years Eve?🎶

https://youtu.be/aSq1cez_flQ

Twenty-seven years ago Chris and I had our first real date on New Years Eve. Somebody we knew had a party at the old Hotel Bentley in downtown Alexandria. Quite a few glasses of  champagne and a New Years Eve kiss and the rest is history! It's been a long time since we celebrated New Years Eve outside our cozy little house. We've done the crazy partying...I'm just fine with some home cooking, a nice glass of wine or some egg nog, and a little guitar and ukulele around the fire pit. I may even dress for the occasion, but barefoot if it's warm and comfy slippers if it's cold. You never know what this crazy Louisiana weather will do!

I don't have to decorate much for New Years Eve since I usually leave my tree up until after New Year's Day. It's festive and I can really enjoy it after the hubbub of Christmas! I did make a little conversation piece this year...



This little magical folding box was inspired by a Club Scrap®  project from 2010, The Magician's Box. I adapted it to create a mini version using the ATC sized Imagine Crafts SHEET metal, Staz On ink, and Club Scrap's After Five unmounted stamp collection.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NvG_2UytoY]

Click here to view a downloadable PDF flipbook tutorial of The ATC Magician's Box

I should set up a camera to film the curious who open it and try to tie it back together! To be continued...



Challenges entered:

Club Scrap's 12/2016 Project Use it!

Mixed Media Place December 2016 Challenge

Read More »

Oh Christmas Tree!

I'm a little late getting my tree up this year, but it's finally decorated! I have a huge collection of ornaments, but I always seem to put up the handmade ornaments my babies (now grown men!) have made over the years first. By the time they are all up, I don't have room for any more. Some of the paper ornaments are missing a little glitter, but all in all they are just as pretty as the day they gave them to me.



Twenty-six years later and my Hallmark Keepsake ornament still works! My little sister (who was 11 at the time) gave it to us our for our first Christmas. It's one of the first ones I put on the tree.

 

[wpvideo ooKnmDvA]

 

Trying to get this crew together to decorate the tree is almost impossible. Luckily I am a machine when I'm tired and make up my mind to "get 'r done".  They appreciate the end result though!


I even put up my Dickens Christmas Village with a week to spare!



My favorite thing to do at Christmas? Admire my Christmas memory tree filled with the most precious ornaments made by sweet little hands once upon a time.

[caption id="attachment_4451" align="alignnone" width="480"] Club Scrap card stock and stamp images. Images and card stock edges inked with Versamark and embossed with Ranger Ink Gold embossing powder, then colored with Faber Castell Big Brush markers. Gems from my stash. [/caption]

 



Do more of what makes you happy!



Challenges entered:

Cards in Envy Celebrate the Season Challenge

Love to Scrap Challenge Blog #92 Anything Goes

PINspirational Challenge #181 



Club Scrap 12/16 NBUS Challenge

Read More »

Christmas Wishes

Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may. I wish I might, make this wish I wish tonight. 

(Close your eyes tight and make your wish)...Mom taught this to us and I taught it to my boys. One day they'll teach it to their babies.  A lot of wishes were made on those first bright stars. Some came true and some didn't. I still catch myself reciting that little poem to myself on a clear night.

My Grandma Judy always gave us a little present at Christmas. I was 5th of 27 grandchildren. She might give homemade cookies, a pair of socks (for the boys) or panties (for the girls), a bottle of nail polish, colors and a coloring book...but her classic gift to the little ones was a Little Golden book. I was fascinated with the realistic drawings in this 1972 version of The Christmas Story.



Mom would read this to us on Christmas Eve in her school teacher voice. I loved the page with the Three Wise Men following the Star of Bethlehem. We had a star for our tree once that looked just like the drawing! Dad would always hold the youngest up to put the star on the tree after it was decorated. That was an important job!

My card woke up all of these Christmas memories. I love when that happens!

[caption id="attachment_4293" align="alignnone" width="533"] JFFRS Stamptangle Star Large and Small, JFFRS Christmas Background stamp images. Star images stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with Ranger Ink Superfine gold embossing powder, background stamped with Versamark and embossed with Ranger Ink Clear Superfine embossing powder. Emboss resist background with Faded Jeans and Salty Ocean Distress inks. Spritzed the background with homemade Perfect Distress in Pearl in a mini mister for shimmer. Edges distressed with a Tonic Studios paper distresser. Ribbon and gems from my stash. [/caption]

My Christmas wish...Peace, Love and Happiness. What more could you ask for?



Challenges entered:

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog Let it Snow

A Vintage Journey December Challenge Winter Magic

Fab 'n Funky Challenges #329 Christmas

Fusion Challenge It's Christmas!

Read More »

Feed Him Walnuts and He Will Crack Open a Tale

The Christmas season has begun! It's cold and rainy, a perfect day to decorate for the holidays! I'll put on my favorite Christmas movies and light my Christmas Cookie Yankee Candle (it's almost gone, sniff, sniff!) and scurry around like an elf spreading Christmas magic! I have to psych myself up for this, though I enjoy it so much when I'm finished. I LOVE a little Christmas tree with my coffee in the mornings!

I really wanted to start the season off by going to see the Nutcracker ballet. Things didn't work out, so my reverie while crafting will have to do. Look how cute!



JFFRS Stamptangle Nutcracker image stamped in Black Soot Distress Ink and embossed with Ranger Ink Superfine Clear Embossing Powder. Image colored with Sharpie markers and a little sparkle was added with Diamond and Yellow Stickles. Eyes and teeth were colored with a Signo White Gel Pen. Card stock from the Club Scrap Literature collection. Tassel made from embroidery thread.

I found a great tutorial for tassels on youtube and made mine out of embroidery thread.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rjYOmBJhZc]

I wanted some sheet music in the background of my photo, so I googled Nutcracker sheet music and found the Nutcracker Suite! I printed on copy paper and spritzed it with water to dampen it. I rubbed Vintage Photo Distress ink on my craft mat and spritzed with water to make lots of ink puddles. I laid the damp paper on top and patted it to spread the ink. While it was still wet, I gently tore some of the edges and then "creatively" crumpled the paper. I dried it with and heat tool and it looks like aged sheet music!

I may have to make a few more of these to give as little Christmas gifts or to add as tags on presents. So perfect for Christmas reading with a cup of cocoa!



"The nutcracker sits under the holiday tree, a guardian of childhood stories. Feed him walnuts and he will crack open a tale..." Vera Nazarian

Come join the Christmas/Winter Challenge at JFFRS for a chance to win a JFFRS gift certificate! Details here!



 

 

 

Read More »