Lets End the Year with a Crafty Hanglar

I am so lucky to have some fabulous friends that have shared some of their Hanglar images with me, sending stamped images so I can play with this wonderful images. I think one of the things I like about them so much is all the detail, and all the different things they do. Like this one. A Knitting Hanglar, how cute is she?





I colored her with my Copics, high lighted with white gel pen. I tried something new and created a mat with the dark red copic. I don't like it. But I wasn't about to waste a Hanglar. I guess we have to try new things to find exciting things we like, but this wasn't one of them that will be done again.






Now I was really excited how well the papers matched her. This was one of the times I colored her then later picked the papers. But they seem to match perfect! These are all from a Daisy D's Premium 6x6 paper stack. Really love these papers, may have to get another set as they go quick when they are only 6x6 papers. I used three patterns, and just cut different boxes. I used the Martha Stewart Double Dot Border punch for the "lace" edge. The flowers are white flowers that I used my air compressor and the same dark red marker to color. The flourishes were my first cuts with my new Making Memories Slice, I saved them and they seemed perfect for this card. Sentiment is from Hero Arts, punched out with my Fiskar's Square Squeeze Punch. I doodled everything with the gel pen. Just a fun warm card.





So what are your plans to ring in the 2009? Me.... quiet at home, movies, snacks, and lots of ink and stamps. I also will be on guard for people doing fireworks. We are very dry here, dangerously dry. Fireworks have been outlawed this year, and that is great. They should have been last year, they didn't do it and there were record numbers of fires. One was very scary and very close to our property. I have now become the cranky lady that will call and report any snap or crack I hear tonight. As it isn't just my property that I worry about, but I have 30 "children" out there that would be in danger as well. I think all of the people in the area are smart and won't press the issue, but you never know. I just pray people are not insane and do something dumb.


Well I guess this is it for 2008.. I thank you all so much for making this year extra special to me. I can't believe how many wonderful friends I have met this year because of blogging. Very special friends that I hope to keep in my life for many years... now if I could just figure out how to get us all together for one great stamping party, that would be really wonderful!

HUGS and I'll be back in next year....

Life is like a...

OH MY... I love this chocolate box! It is one of many new stamps released at Alota Rubber Stamps this month. Is this gorgeous or what! And it has so many purposes, as you see it is a larger stamp ( my card is 6x6 ). This means it is perfect to sit so many of our character stamps on, or standing next to. But for my first card I wanted it to be the showcase, the center of attention. I love hearts, and I adore Valentines day so you will see a whole lot of them in the next month and a half. It is not only the holiday of Love, but it is my wedding anniversary and Hubby's Birthday so we have lots to celebrate on that day. And besides pretty roses, and the day has lots of chocolate so what could be better!

Now to the card. The image is from Alota Rubber Stamps and can be found HERE. I colored lots and lots of layers with my Copic Markers, then highlighted with a white gel pen. My base for the card is Bazzill Red Card stock, with a piece of Cosmo Cricket pattern paper, the mat behind the image is from BoBunny and has the cutest brown polka dots, I don't know if you can see that in the photo. I punched the bottom of it with a Martha Stewart Border Punch, I ran a piece of silk ribbon across, trying to match the ribbon across the box... just wish my bow looked that good! I used a heart charm and at hat pin around the bow.

The flowers at the top - the bottom two brown and red are Bazzill large flowers, and the glitter flower is Heidi Grace and the love words flower is Prima. Topped with a jewelry spacer and a mini brad. Love stacking flowers! The sentiment is computer generated, matted and used corner embellishment brads. The heart is from my stash and I think it is Heidi Swapp.. I think. I gel pen stitched the edges of everything. I then decorated the inside to match finishing the sentiment...

I think this one will have to be saved for Hubby...

Well today is MIL shopping day, and actually it is MIL, SIL and Niece shopping day. With my Niece out of school and my SIL off work for the week they are going to join us for our "errands" and then we are going to lunch for some Chinese Food....mmmmmm Love Chinese Food, but Hubby doesn't really care for it - so I don't get it very often. Well I hope you have a wonderful day planned too, and have some time to get inky.. Oh and have some Chinese Food LOL YUM!

HUGS and -

Lelo Designs Bath Time!

Hello!! So are you getting back to normal? Or as normal as normal usually is? It felt so good to sit at my desk and craft yesterday. It has been days since I did anything! I was really getting grouchy about it. I was so excited to because I have a bunch of different new stamps!! Stampavie sent me my DT kit and I got it the day before Christmas was so hard to not use them right away.... so last night I pulled out one of the new LeLo Designs Stamps, this is a new collection to Stampavie and a fabulous addition! If you haven't gotten a chance to see all the new images check them out sooo cute!

I love them all, but this is probably my favorite! "Bath Time" Whoo can resist a Hippo in a bath tub with a rubber duck and bubbles? I have colored with my Copic Markers high lighted with white gel pen, then added stickles for the bubbles. Really fun to color.



For the card I used a American Crafts white 5x7 base, then all of the pattern papers and solid colors are all from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie paper pad. Love the fun colors. I created the scallop border to the right of the double matted image with my Martha Stewart Double dot border punch, the scalloped circle to the left is from my new Making Memories Slice... seemed to be perfect to match the border punch. I also used a scrap of ribbon and topped with double stack of Prima flowers two Martha Stewart Frond leaf punches, and a jewelry spacer with mini brad. I doodled the edges of the scallops and the image for some fun. It also felt really great to use bright fun colors! Don't get me wrong I love Christmas and all the red's and green's, but I was really missing my bright colors.




I think I am now back in the swing, and should be back here posting on a regular schedule. Thanks so much for allowing me to take a few days for the holidays I hope you too had a great rest and are ready to get really inky in 2009! I just got a large box of baby wipes so I am ready to get messy! Have a great Monday!

HUGS and-

Christmas Day Donkey Photos

Wow... what a week, I hope your holiday was as wonderful as ours was here. Santa (family) was really way over generous with us, and we received lots of wonderful presents. One of which was my mother got us a Wii.... yes we are both so sore from playing and laughing it really is sort of sad, how sore! But I tell you I don't remember the last holiday that we all had so much fun and laughed so hard. Got some really great crafting things... including gift cards and $$ to spend.

I now am looking forward to getting back to normal... whatever normal is, and a routine. I have felt almost disoriented the past week not posting - I am working on a few DT projects and a couple of cards for next week, but today is Donkey day... so no cards today.

I didn't take as many photos as I usually do of the kids with the donkeys. But I did get a few of really great ones!!! What do you think?

The first two are Talisyn and Kaylynn (my nieces) with baby Josie.. now common how precious are these two? oops three?

The girls love feeding the donkeys, we went thru 6 pounds of baby carrots in a matter of minutes, moving from pen to pen to make sure everyone got their share.

Oops I think Kaylynn and my Mom dropped Rosie's Carrot....

Tagen couldn't get around to feed the donkeys, (with his cast) he usually doesn't get too close anyway, they still make him a tad nervous, but he loves watch them. I love this photo of him on his Dad's shoulders.

Wish I had gotten more photos, but most importantly the kids had fun.. and the donkeys got lots of Carrots!

HUGS and

Merry Christmas from ALL of Us -

I wanted to take a moment to wish each of you a Very Merry Christmas from each of Us here - I hope you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends and get all the crafty things you asked Santa for!

HUGS and-

A Big Thank You from my Nephew Tagen -

I wanted to take a chance to shout a huge Thank You from my Nephew Tagen!!

For those that don't know - my nephew had surgery a little over a month ago, and has been wearing full leg cast on both legs. As a 6 year old, this is a tough thing to deal with. But Tagen has been taking it all in stride. He does with everything, he is one great little trooper. This was to repair a few different things for him mainly the tendons in his legs and his arches in his feet. My sister could tell you all the medical talk, but for me that is all I can understand but I know it is much more detailed. Anyway he has been in full leg cast for over a month and just had them taken off and now has cast to his knees. He will wear those for 4-6 weeks, then braces, then they will evaluate from there.

I put out a request asking for cards from all over the world to give him something fun to look forward to, the plan is after the holidays to take them all in to school with a map and share them with all of the kids in his classes. It has been wonderful!! I have even had fun with it, as each day he received a card I would get a phone call from him with him telling me what the card looked like and where it was from. I got some pretty cute answers on a few. One he said it came all the way from across the big blue part of the map!! Wow! He is just too cute for words.

So from Tagen, my Sister and her husband, Tagen's Sisters who also have enjoyed helping find where the cards were from on the map. And especially from me - Thank you so much! The photo is an odd photo I know - this is one my sister sent me a couple of weeks after getting the cast. He was so proud he finally could lift the cast on his own and he yelled for her to come quick, she dropped everything and ran in a panic to find him on the sofa just like this screaming "Look Mom no Hands!" LOL He is a pretty funny kid. I love the socks on the tips of the cast, his toes kept getting cold....

The second photo is one we are very happy about as well. He takes horseback riding lessons as part of his therapy, it was thought he would have to give it up for a long time, and he loves it so much this was really sad. But no! He couldn't ride by himself, but he still got to ride!

Here is the list of Cards they have received so far -

Heidi Steinnebel – Pinckney MI

Heather Gigey Bend, Lanes, England

T. Traxler – Whitewater, WI

Holly Young – N Little Rock, AR

Kelly Scheiske – Cluny, Alberta Canada

Anita Autore – Turlock, CA

Diane Zechman – Towanda, PA

Heather Fullerton – Hillsborough, NB Canada

Debby Yutes – UK

Lori King – Cary NC

Jay Jay – Hamburg Germany

Amy Howell – La Vernia, TX

Donalda Cox – Brownstown, IN

Suzanne Lumber – Bristol UK

Saundra Vale – San Antonio, TX

Sarah Anderson – Oshkosh WI

Kirsten Sheridan – England

Shary – England

Cynde Shaw-Rogers – Sonora, CA

Ruby – Midlands UK England

Lynn Anderson – UK England

HUGE HUGS and-

A little crafting time before Christmas!

I was one busy elf yesterday! I worked on Christmas gifts all day almost all done with them! I had an hour or so to "play" and just have some fun. I used one of the new Sarah Kay images Picnic Time, I love how cute the little doll is in the high chair. I had a high chair sort of like this as a kid, it was so little and cute.

I colored her with my Copics, then used all Basic Grey Wassail papers on a black card stock base. The swirls are really fun! I got one gift from my MIL early - she got me a Making Memories Slice!!!! This thing is really cool, I think I am really going to love it. I only have a few cartridges now, I hope they come out with more words next year - While cleaning part of my stash this last week I found a package of Making Memories metal tags (and a bunch of other things I forgot I had LOL!). They seemed perfect for this card. I then added three buttons, then stitched doodled the edges. It felt so fun to just make a card - a simple fun card.

Ok... gotta run now we are going out for a couple of last minute gifts. You done? I haven't wrapped one thing yet, then I have to bake a million cookies and clean - I hope to get on at least once more before Christmas - if not have a wonderful blessed day!

HUGS and-

Almost Christmas Donkey Day

Well it is almost here... ready or not! At least the Donkeys are ready.. they love Christmas - not that they really know it is different from any other day. But they do enjoy Christmas, my family comes out - my Sister's three kids... yep lots of carrots for them. And that is what matters in life you know, lots of yummy carrots make it a great day for them.

Well I got up early this morning and went out and snapped a few photos. Wasn't really totally light yet so the flash kept coming on - I don't like the photos of them with the flash - washes them out.

First Today is Josephine "Josie" and her Momma Jolene "JoJo". She doesn't look like she has grown much - but she really has! Man she is just a tiny little donkey! And a real sweetie. This morning she ran up to Dad and wanted Donkey Hugs. She loves Donkey Hugs..... pushes as hard as she can. And then got a photo of her tail... wish I could have video taped this. It was going so fast I thought she was going to take off!

Then we have three of our little ladies. These three are all bred to Raffie (the dude in the background) Well I say that... but poor Ellie Mae in the middle has had trouble getting pregnant. She is over 6 years old and never gotten pregnant. But we are really hoping this is her year. She is so beautiful, well they are all beautiful. You can see in this photo that Lacey and Vickey both are getting their tummy's... Spring babies here!

My last photo today... My lovely Gloria... my black little girl. Yep black. She is so sun faded she is a red head for the winter. We call her our little orangutan... LOL... her face is just so cute! All the donkeys have really gotten woolly... we are suppose to be really cold here this coming week. Well cold for here anyway. They have all gotten really thick fur, but I think Gloria wins for thickest coat.

Hope you enjoyed Donkey Day - I hope to do a few post this coming week. I have a few presents I want to show and I actually made a card for fun!!! Needed some pure stamping fun. Last night I was going to look for a piece of paper, 2 hours later I had sorted and cleaned up all my papers. Didn't get any crafting done, but my paper stash looks a whole lot better!

Hope you have a wonderful week, and next weeks Donkey Day photos will probably be from Christmas Day with the kids visiting!

HUGS and-

Believe! with Alota Rubberstamps!

I got a package of the new stamps from Helene yesterday! They have been MIA for over a week now and I was really worried they were lost - but they arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to ink them up! So I inked more than one up for this card.

So Here are the stamps I used:

The Wall/Window (I couldn't wait to get this one, I love it!)

The Park/Pond (I didn't use the pond portion... )

Believe Sentiment

Michelle's Sweet Little Donkeys (OH my I giggle every time I see the name... wonder where she got it?? Thanks Helene!)

Merry Christmas Set (I used a few of the toys from the set to put in the Donkey Wagon)

I colored everything with my Copic Markers, and white gel pen. Then cut out the Donkey and wagon, the toys and the wall. I pop dotted the wall/window on the park scene, then pop dotted the donkey and wagon on this. Lots of layers, and I love the shadows. I cut a slit in the wagon and added the toys into the wagon... more like a Christmas Wagon now! I matted the sentiment "Believe" with a scrap piece of card stock, and then matted the "images" with the same. I then matted the with green piece as well then used brown card stock for the card base.

I doodled with the white gel pen around the edges, then I had some "snow" fun! I used white puffy paint and added snow to the park scene! Love that look, then I used Diamond glaze and gave the windows a shine. (I don't think you can see this darn it!)

I Love how it came out and it was a whole lot of fun making it. I needed some coloring therapy and de-stressing. Thank you all for your well wishes for my doggie, the news at the Vet wasn't good, and now we wait to see just how bad, it looks as if she does have Cancer. Although you really would not know it by seeing her, she is still running and barking a playing and chasing the cat all over the house. So I am praying that we caught it in time and she will live as long as possible in good health. Christmas is the time of miracles right? Thank you again.

Also I may miss a day or two here and there from now to the holidays - With all the challenges on break and me so far behind in my Christmas gifts... time needs to be spent on them. I will maybe post a few of those that don't peak at my blog ;0)

Hope you have a great Wednesday and have some inky time yourself!

HUGS and-

My House Mouse Guest DT Sketch Card

I have enjoyed so much my two week Guest DT of House Mouse Challenge. As I have said in the past House Mouse was my first love in stamps, and now with all the friend that are out there House Mouse is still one of my favorites. I purchase this image a while back and just never have inked it in. I think coloring in the Panda was a bit scary. I love Pandas and didn't want to mess him up.




I colored with my Copics, then high lighted the presents with my Spica Glitter Pens and white gel pen. Wish you could see how much they sparkle! The sentiment is from Studio G, one of those Dollar sets from Michael's.





I followed the sketch by using scraps! Well all but the American Crafts Card base. The matted the piece of Bazzill Swiss Dots and the pattern paper with yellow card stock and then distressed the edges a bit and sewed together with yellow thread. I inked the edge of the image with green ink to give a bit of distressed look. And I love the flowers! Prima in two shades of yellow, I added white gel pen to high light, used a jewelry spacer and a green mini brad for the center. I started to make this a Christmas Card... would have worked as well in reds and greens - but I wanted to use some color and needed a birthday card. I think I am going to have to ink this one up again. I really enjoyed coloring it.





Again I want to thank Emma and all of the DT at the House Mouse Challenge. I loved joining you! These ladies have amazing talent, they wow me each week... I hope you will take a look and see yourself, then join in!




Better run - Bonnie has a Vet appointment this morning, and Hubby is off to help take her. Hope you all have a wonderful Monday -
HUGS and-

Magnolia Vs. Stampavie Challenge Sketch -

One last Magnolia Vs. Stampavie in 2008! Wow I still can't believe it is almost over....

This weeks challenge is a fun sketch. Love how different this one is, I sat and stared at it for a long time before I saw the squares as windows -

and this is what I came up with. I giggle every time I see it. I picked my three favorite Tilda's... or at least three favorite that were facing forward and same sizes.. LOL...

I colored them with my Copics, and highlighted with white gel pen, then cut them out with my Fiskar's fingertip craft knife. And the mounted them on three squares. I used scrap Bazzill Swiss dots for the top portion. The pattern paper for the bottom is from Scenic Route. Red ribbon for the band across the middle. The sentiment just seemed to fit the three girls.. "Friendship Warms the Heart" and is from Hero Arts, I think. I inked the edges of all of the yellow squares, matted the sentiment with the same green. then stuck everything down. For my flowers I used EK Success Retro flowers punched from red scrap and the same yellow scrap. Inked the edges with brown, and high lighted with white gel pen, centered them with copper jewelry spacers and mini brads. The leaves are Martha Stewart Frond Punches. Stitched the edges and done. I really do giggle when I look at this one, don't know why... but I like it.

OH and you really will want to give the challenge a try... The prize this week is COPIC MARKERS!!! yes you read right Copic Ciao Set of 12 with FREE Wallet !! And this challenge runs until January 2nd to enter... WOW Copics!

Well I am off. Busy Busy Busy Sunday - I so hope I get all my Christmas Cards done and ready to mail in the morning, then I have a few gifts I want to tackle. Have a great Sunday yourself and hope you have time to get inky too!

HUGS and-

I can hear you saying "Ohhhh how cute"!!!

Yes I bet you can't not say it!!!!!!!

This is Josephina.. and she is one week old today. Our little, tiny surprise baby from last Saturday, she is sooo adorable. And you know if you didn't say it you were thinking it... OOhhhh how

cute!!!! And please do not be like Hubby and say she looks like Ringo Starr or any of the Beatles, she is a cute little girl, who I think is going to need barrettes in her future. :0)

My second Donkey photo is another really Ohhh how cute photograph. We were out in one of the pens, the one that has Darlene and her Thanksgiving Baby "Pavo"... we she was done with us, and walked away. It was so funny, she gave a snort to Pavo as if to say. Son come now.. and he dropped his head and followed, but you could see that he was not ready to go.

Next is Ted E. Bear... one of our three Standard Donkeys. He LOVES bubbles. Yes each day Dad washes their bucket and refills it, and Ted love to be right there to drink from the top of the bucket and play in the bubbles. He is my funny bear, love him so much.

Ok.. now only if I had sound for you to hear the last photo today! Seriously it was really really loud!!! This is Raphael "Raffie", my smiling donkey, and he was trying to get our attention as we came out of one pen of donkeys to make sure we were coming to see him in his pen... "Yes, Raffie we are coming..." How can you say no to a face like that?

Well that is Donkey Day Saturday... hope you enjoyed my fun photos this week. As we are getting close to Christmas, and so many of the challenges are going on break until after the first, I to may take a few days here and there, to try and get a bit caught up and ready for Christmas. You think I should start my Christmas Presents I was planning to make? Yep.. better get a grove on!

I will be back tomorrow for the last Magnolia Vs. Stampavie Challenge of the year..... Have a great Saturday!

HUGS and-

Cute Hanglars -

Why is it Hanglars make me so happy to use? Is it because they are so rare (not being able to purchase them myself here in the US) Is it that they are special gifts from friends? Probably both -






This cute couple is colored with my Ranger Distressing inks, then highlighted with white gel pen.






I love the colors I pulled them from the K&Company Pattern papers, very vintage feeling. I used a chocolate brown Bazzill card stock for the base and to mat my couple, doodling around both. Ran a couple pieces of polka dot ribbon across, and then what do you think about that flower? I don't even remember who it is from, I got it literally YEARS ago in swap, very old fashioned and home made looking, even though it wasn't. I used a small button for the center.




For some added texture I used one of my Fiskar's Border Punches and punched a piece of cream colored cards stock, then inked the edge. This makes it qualify for this weeks Cute Card Thursday Challenge - to use a punch! My sentiment is from Hero Arts, I think LOL, stamped in brown then cut and matted to match. Then one last thing... Do you love those brads I used to put down the image? Oh I wish you could feel them!!! They are flocked.. fuzzy.. like velour. They are from Doodlebug, I so love them.



I hope my Hanglars made you smile, I enjoyed them - Today is MIL shopping day. We will see how long I make it. My back was doing so much better, but today it is tight again. I am hoping as the weather warms up so will my back. Better get moving, slowly and get going - Have a great Friday!


HUGS and -

A PCP Alota Sketch Challenge

At Paper Craft Planet's Alota Rubber Stamp Group we are having a sketch challenge - Shary one of the Alota DT, created the sketch for our first challenge. Love stair stepped bands.

For my card I got to use a bunch of new things! Ok, first I was excited to use some new card stock I got at my LSS... I love the Bazzill Swiss dots! Oh my I saw them online, and couldn't hardly wait for Susan at the Scrapbook Haus to get them in! Cute huh? I got a bunch of colors so you will see this a lot in the future.

Then I was able to use some of the brand new stamps from Alota Rubber Stamps. First I used the "Winter Home" as my background, then from the "Merry Christmas Set" I used this adorable little guy... love how he is dragging the tree...

I colored them all with my Copics, then doodled the edges with my Multi-liner and high lighted with white gel pen. I used puffy paint to create the snow on the roof, ground and tree, and my Glazed Dimensions for the water, it really shines in person, and looks wet. The sentiment is also brand new from Alota and is two stamps for one called "Be Good, Snow Much" Cute huh?

My bands are from scraps, so I don't know the maker, sorry - I found three really large brown brads for my dots at the top right corner, I high lighted them with the gel pen, never done that before didn't know if it would stay, but it dried and looks neat. I then stitched all the edges.

It is a great sketch I do hope you will find a few moments in all of the hustle and bustle to join in - there are a couple of really great Valentine stamps up for the prize!

Well Hubby is off today - So don't have a clue what we will be doing. Hope you have a great Thursday planned - Oh and thank you all for the well wishes for my back - it is better today... each day a little bit right? Still moving slow, but moving is an improvement!

HUGS and-