Stampavie Challenge - with bows!

Hello and Happy Monday! Today is the Stampavie Challenge over at the DT blog! Today's challenge is to use bows on your card and our DT Kittie has provided a few wonderful bow tying tutorials for you! HERE

I just love Kittie's bows! And she has shared her secrets.. and they are so much easier than I thought!

My image - OH MY I AM LOVING THESE NEW PENNY JOHNSON  BEARS!! Wonderful fun images from Stampavie - This is Bear and Bird... cute huh? Colored with my Copics and then doodled stitching with my Uniball white gel pen.

For my card I started with a white card stock base, and then went with the Dreamy collection from My Minds Eye - Really fun colors and I love all the patterns. I used one of the more solid red patterns to mat the image, and used the Martha Stewart corner border punches called "Rings" Love these sets of punches, I have become addicted to them! My sentiment is from Hero Arts - and punched out with a Stampin Up punch.

My bow is a wide white satin ribbon - I need to practice with my bows, but I don't think it is too bad.. LOL

I finished off my card with lots more doodle stitching. I hope you like it! And I really hope you will visit the Stampavie DT and see the other cards - and join us in playing with bows! Another wonderful "secret" prize this week. You really do want to win one of these... trust me! wink wink....


Well today is suppose to be some really nasty cold wet weather today - I am thinking a great day to stay in and work in my new room! Need to find a good movie and catch up on some work.  Have a great day!

Hugs and -

My FINISHED Craft Room :0)

I am so excited! I showed a few photos a week or so ago.. but now I can show off the FINISHED Craft Room!  I love it! It is off of my bedroom - we use to have four windows on one side of our bedroom - we took them out  - three became openings into the room and one became a doorway that you step down into my room.

This is the view coming into the room -

While looking to the left - you see one of my favorite pieces - Hubby painted this cabinet a few years back as a anniversary gift. It use to be our computer cabinet. Now it is storage and a place for Hubby to work on his fly tying. I love it and how well it went into the room. You also see the "pet" corner... Gato the Cat's Window bed... cat scratcher, and Libbie's bed :0) Everyone has a place in this craft room!

I wanted to point on one of my new things I just love!! I found these tiered baskets recently at an antique store. It is really an old one - has a few little issues.. but nothing I can't make work. It is now holds all... scratch that... some of my flowers - and best yet.. I only paid $10.00 for it! Love it!

If you turn to the left you see the stamp wall I showed last time... the new 6 drawer cabinet Hubby got me and you can better see my storage closet - much needed. On the door of the closet I have my some of my punches - this is a new system for me.. not sure if I am liking this or not but we will see - to the right of the door is the paper cabinet I showed last time.

And this is my desk!! I am so happy! This is a desk my father made years ago - he was a graphic designer, and he made this drafting table to work on and the small rolling cabinet next to it. He used it forever - Funny thing is that as a kid I remember this desk being HUGE.. and now it just doesn't seem that big.. LOL But Hubby has cleaned up for me, and added a glass top to it, and it is perfect and makes me really happy to be using it! I just wish my Dad knew how much I loved it and that I am using it...

the top of my desk is full... :0)   I like to have my most used items close! Sewing machine, Copics, punches, the list goes on and on... But I still have lots of creative space - this is something I have never had before - my little desk before was not very big and I had a lot on it - so I had a 8 x 8 working space... good things my cards usually are 6x6...LOL  Now I can work on anything!

Above my desk is shelves Hubby put up for me.. one for some of my 3-d projects I have made recently - and the top one one of my favorite shorebirds his father carved. (Hubby and his Dad were both bird carvers for years.. their stuff really is amazing.  If only Hubby didn't have so many house - barn - fence - donkey - goat - dog projects he might do more of it! LOL)

I forgot to take a photo of our computer desk.. it sits just to the right of my craft desk on the other side of the doorway. Not missing to much, it is just a desk with a computer on it -

I found it not easy to photo the room... I may try and do some better ones as I get things more organized on the shelves and such, but at least now you can see how wonderful it turned out. I am so proud of it and really hate to mess it up... I use to never clean up after myself well.. now as soon as I use something it goes right back into place - hope I keep that up! Thanks for all the patience and waiting for me to get my act together while finishing it -

Have a wonderful Sunday... me I am in my craft room :0)

HUGS and-

Thanksgiving Donkey Day

Hello - today's Donkey Day I thought I would show some of the photographs I took on Thanksgiving of the family feeding the donkeys... and goats :0)

 Here my Sister is with her  kids - trying to convince Tagen that the donkeys
wouldn't eat him - they just want the carrots. He wasn't too sure when
he saw how far they can stretch their lips!  :0)

After time he was a little better, but he still let the girls do most of the feeding - I love Bella here... common quit talking about feeding the carrot and GIVE IT TO ME!

Then the three big donkeys realized that we had carrots ... so they had to come and get their share, which is usually more than their share. Ted E. Bear is so gentle with the kids -

He loves to pose as much as Kaylynn does!

I thought this one was cute, Hubby's brother and my Sisters daughters off to themselves feeding the youth pen.

And I had to show this!! Sorry the quality isn't very good... Hubby took it with his phone, Frankie (the new goat) just loves to get up on top of the house to see as far as he can! He cracks me up! 

Thanks for visiting on Donkey/Goat day - pop back tomorrow as I am going to show off my FINISHED craft room!!!!

HUGS and-

Happy Day after Thankgiving!

Hello - and I am alive! Yesterday was a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday - Hubby's family and mine all here... lots of eating, then feeding the donkeys.. and goats, then more eating of the pies! Wonderful family day - But now.. the house is all clean - dishes are done. All I have to do today is a little bookwork and then the entire day I plan on working at my desk coloring!! Oh yea and doing Laundry... LOL.... But I can do both of those at once.

Sorry no card today - but please do visit JUST MAGNOLIAS as the challenge is today and I just missed it - I also missed yesterday's challenge at MO'S DIGITAL CHALLENGE due to thanksgiving, so pop over there to see the wonderful things there.

OH and also... and FYI!!!   Alota Rubber Stamps is having a Thanksgiving Sale!!!
To help celebrate Thanksgiving all Alota customer a 20% off everything using the coupon code ALOTATHANKS . Visit the site HERE but hurry the sale last only until November 28th!

Now off to get me a little breakfast, and finally after all these months play at my desk in my new craft room!!!! Donkey Day tomorrow... and then Sunday I plan on showing photos of my new rooms! So please be visit me both days this weekend! Then Monday I will be back for some craftiness!

HUGS and-

A Pretty Color Combo at A Spoon full of Sugar!

Yes this week the challenge is a color combo at A Spoon Full of Sugar! And you are gonna love it! The main color is brown - then you decide whether you want pink or blue as the other color! How fun is that. Well no question here.. I was going with pink :0)

First I started with my image though. A BRAND NEW Stampavie Penny Johnson image! This is Bear Flowers! I just love him! Was waiting out at the mailbox for him! I colored with my copics and then all of the flowers have just a bit of Spica Glitter pens on them! They have just a bit of bling to them :0)

For my card I used a dark chocolate brown Bazzill card stock as the base, then a piece of glitter stripes in pink and white from DCWV. I inked the edges just a bit with Memento Sands ink. Then the image is matted with the chocolate brown card stock and then a piece of DCWV pink card stock punched with a Martha Stewart scallop dot border and corner punch. The ribbon is one of my new favorites - Martha again - pink and brown. While sorting through my stash I found these wonderful flourish blings from Prima - I don't even remember buying them..LOL But love them!

The sentiment is Hero Arts punched with a Fiskars Squeeze circle punch, matted with the Fiskars Scalloped circle.  Came together fast - and I really like it! The new image and the colors!

Now hop on over HERE  and see all the wonderful DT cards and join in on the fun!

I hope to be back before Thanksgiving... but if not I do hope you all have a wonderful holiday in the US - me I am basting... cleaning and baking! But watch out Friday!! Many will be at Black Friday sales... me I'll be at my desk coloring in my new craft room in a clean house with left overs in the fridge for dinner... no worries for the day!!  Some long over do craft time! Well that is the plan anyway.. LOL!

HUGS and -

This can't wait until Saturday :0)

HI! I don't have a card to show today - man getting ready for Thanksgiving is really stressing me out this week! Maybe it is the fact that most of my bedroom and some of my craft stuff is in my Living room and Dining room still! LOL   We worked all weekend, it is looking so wonderful!!! Today is a major clean up day things must be put into place! And actually I worked a lot yesterday at unboxing and really got a lot done. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel - and we might have this all done and ready to show off to our family on Thanksgiving - now somewhere in there I do still need to clean the rest of the house, and cook a Turkey dinner with all the trimmings for 13 people.. but oh well somehow that will all come together. I hope!

So you see why I don't have a card today - but last night we put a deposit on something and I am so excited I just have to share!!! Now we may need our heads examined. Re-doing the house, new goats we hadn't planned on and now.....   We have put down a deposit on Libbie's boyfriend!!!!! He is so adorable! Just over 2 weeks old so we are about a month away from bringing him home - but we already are so excited!

MEET... Autie!!!

The breeder was kind enough to send me a photo of this adorable little guy... and I think I am already in love with him!  Cute or what?   We saw him last week when we picked up the goats.. but his eyes were not opened and he was super super tiny! I can't believe how much he has grown in one week!

Now if you are asking where his name came from... well Hubby is a huge history buff  and when we first got Libbie we knew we wanted a boy one day as well. We thought it would be fun to name them as a couple - we went through lots of historical couples through the ages... and then we came to "Libbie and Autie"  Who is that you ask?  LOL most people look at me with a blank stare and don't know who they are. They are the endearing family nicknames for Elizabeth and George Armstong Custer - she called him Autie and he called her Libbie - - - Long story for our odd names huh? But we like them... :0)

Have a wonderful Monday - back tomorrow with a real card! LOL
HUGS and-

Meet the Goats!

First I thought I might show you what Hubby built this week... yes my Craft Room went on hold again.. sigh - but we had lots of rain predicted so we had to have some shelter for the goats right off. Actually he built two... this is the larger, and then he built a smaller one as well. Cute huh? Still needs to be painted, but heck so does my house! I told him all this needs is Satelite TV and a hot tub!  My backyard is really looking like a little village now! Good think Libbie is so little and we don't let her out by herself anyway... her area of the yard is much smaller now as we have fenced off this goat area until next year when we can build a large goat pen. They don't need a lot of room.. they are small goats. 17-19 inches but still I would like them to have a larger area. Oh these are Dwarf Nigerian Goats in case you missed that last week.

This is "Indian Paintbrush"  Just as the Donkeys, these are registered animals, and have registered names. And a lot of times it is a formal name - We are just calling her Paintbrush - She had claim to the house right off. And is really funny, she stays in it all day - only comes out to drink and eat. I was told she loved to be "indoors" but Wow... she really does love her houses. She goes in and turns around and stands just in the doorway. Really pretty funny - Oh and she has been shown and is a Reserve Champion! She really is stunning.

This is "Lillie Hammer", or just Lillie for us, she really is a beautiful color, and her black stripes are really stiking. She is one of the curious ones. Right in front all the time. But very skittish - heck they all are, but she is almost ready to be loved all over, you can tell she wants it.

And this is "Anna Bell"  - yes we have a Donkey named Anna Bella...  Hubby is calling her Annie - he says she needs a more fun name, less formal as she is the youngest, actually Lillie is her Momma - Annie is the most jumpy and other than putting her new collar on her as we put her into the pen, we haven't had our hands on her.  But she is beautiful! And she will calm down the more we mess with her.

And Now our BUCK... and be ready as he is really HYSTERICAL!  I don't know why but just looking at him cracks me up!

Now this is "Egg Nog" I know really silly name huh? He was born near Christmas. We don't like it, but it is his registered name and we can't change it. The previous owner didn't like it either and she just called him Stinky... ok I have come to find out that is a very correct descriptive term for him - fits really well. But Hubby said no way was he calling him that it wasn't right. So we called out name over and over. I then said it had to have something to do with those gorgeous blue eyes! And there it was.. Frankie! As in Frank Sinatra... LOL  And he loves to "sing" too... He talks all the time while you are outside. And do you love those horns? One goes forward and one back... too funny.

You can really see how gorgeous Paintbrush and Frankie's colors are here. And yes.. that is one of my "collectible" graniteware bowls they are eating out of. We forgot to get them bowls at the feed store - and so we had to make do until we get some new ones. They don't seem to be impressed with it unless it is full of their pellets -

You can really tell the Annie is Lillies little girl here - Annie has more black on her and a white spot on her side, but seh really does favor her Mom.

Well that is the four of them, and soon to be more! As all three of the girls should be pregnant - may have babies as early as the end of January... but February and March for sure. Unlike the 11-13 month wait with the donkeys, the goats are only 5 months. And they can have 3-4 of them at a time quite regularly. Both Lillie and Paintbrush had triplets last time I think.

Hope you have a wonderful Saturday - I don't know if I will be back tomorrow or not with photos of the craft room, depends on if we get it finished tonight or not.. sorry... I keep dragging it out - but life just keeps throwing us curve balls  :0)  You know life!

HUGS and-

Masking on Just Magnolias

Hi! Friday and Just Magnolias - this week the challenge is masking! I love to do this, it really does make all your stamps come together! But to be honest, I don't always take the time.  But this week I really enjoyed going through my stamps and seeing what I wanted to put together.

Edwin and Tilda skating was one of my first larger Magnolias and I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them. And for a background I knew that this vintage pine tree stamp from Stampabilites would be a fun outdoors scene for them.

So Edwin and Tilda are masked with the pine tree background - I colored with my Copics - then went a bit nuts with Shimmerz, Smooch - The trees have LOTS of Shimmerz as does the ground for the ice, and then Smooch is used for their trim on their winter outfits.

The card came together so fast! I decided that a scrap from my card on Tuesday was perfect for this card as well. Martha Stewart blue card stock for the base and the mats - inked the edges of everything. Then used a white gel pen and "stitched" the edges. The corners are Glimmer Chips - that I used Shimmerz on as well - they really have a pretty glimmer, then I went back with the white gel pen and filled in the art of the corners to make them pop even more. Then I added 6 Doodlebug Sugared brads in pink, blue and white.

I so enjoyed doing this card - I think I am going to have to force myself to do more masking. It really didn't take that much more time and really does show well - Now RUN over to Just Magnolias and see the other DT's wonderful cards masked so perfectly!

See you tomorrow - I can't wait to introduce the goats to you! Have a wonderful Friday!
HUGS and-

A Recipe for a Card at Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge

This week at Mo's Digital Pencil there is a recipe for a great card! The ingredients?  3 Pattern Papers - 2 Ribbons - and one decorative edge!

Well I just had to try out the Fairy! She is so funny and just too perfect for a card for a girl friend to make her smile! You can find the Fairy HERE at the Digital Pencil Store and really soon you will see her in stores! Stampavie is releasing 10 of Mo's images - they will be available the end of the month, and yes the Fairy is one of the 10! See the other HERE. I colored her with my Copics and then used Stickles to bling her a bit! A gold Spica Glitter pen is used for the wand.

Now for the card - I started with a cream colored card stock - then found three pattern papers that seemed to have the same color and feel for the Fairy - These are DCWV and Making Memories and all have a sparkle and glitz to them. So the 3 pattern papers are checked off - I found 2 ribbons that were perfect, the rick rack and then a sheer ribbon. I figured this fairy was perfect for a fun rick rack... and a pretty sheer for beauty! Then for the decorative edge - I used the new Martha Stewart Large big punch! How cool is this? One run through the punch and it comes out a punched on both sides! Too cool!

And the for the sentiment - LOVE this new set from Rachelle Anne Miller and Stampavie!! Sentiments One in the collection - really wonderful set!

Now join us at Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge and see the DT's work with the same recipe!

Have a wonderful Thursday  -
HUGS and-

A Spoon Full of Baby's First Christmas

Hello and whew... the past two days have been unreal busy! We spent the day Sunday getting the goats, and then yesterday getting their pen set up and shelter for them. But I think other than getting them somethings to climb on, they are all set up and I think they are happy. But wow.. they really made my week fall behind. LOL But I tell you they are funny and I really could waste a ton of time watching them. But I have so much to do... I have to let them be today. Well most of the day, gotta go in and spend some time so they will bond with me you know. :0)

Today is Tuesday and that is Spoon Full of Sugar day! YEA! And this week we were asked to do a card for Baby's First Christmas. Now this is a tradition in some places of the world. But new for me.

 I started with the Stampavie Gillian Roberts image Bear and Robin  I just love this image, and it seemed really perfect for a baby's Christmas card! I colored with my copics and then used Stickles lace for the snow and Stickles diamond for the fuzz on the hat.

For the card I started with a light blue card stock and then found a double sided Basic Grey paper that I just loved the colors - I didn't want to cover too many of those snow flakes up, so I went with just a small band of the back side of the paper with a really cute Making memories ribbon that reads "Santa * Joyful * Merry" over and over. For the corners of the snowflake paper I punched with Martha Stewart Lace punch. I am loving that punch!

Now it is a simple card, and I wanted to have just a touch more, so I used the Stickles Diamond and "blinged" each of the snowflakes! Really does add a lot to the card.

Now for some REALLY cute baby Christmas cards, please visit A Spoon Full of Sugar and see all the other DT cards!! Then play with us!! This week our sponsor is Nikki of Bunny Zoe's Crafts. One lucky player this week will win the new The Greeting Farm stamp - Flapper Anya.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
HUGE HUGS and -

The First sneak peeks of my new Craft Room!

Now my room isn't totally finished, but I just can't stand it anymore I have to show you some of the areas that are done!

This is one of my shelves, and my stamp wall. Hubby made this for me a couple of years ago - It took me forever to remove all the stamps so he could move it, then 1/2 a day to get them all back on the shelves! Those stamps are two deep... I know serious stamp addiction. You know the scary part. I have a lot more unmounted/and acrylic stamps than wood mounted :0)  I still have a lot of ribbon to put onto the rings and hang - but I love how it looks to have it out hanging. I find I use it more with it out showing. The four boxes on the shelves with the drawers is full of my smaller ribbons wound into little boxes. Maybe once I have everything in place and cleaned up I will show off a few things like that. I am working now to get things out of "ugly" boxes and get pretty ones for the shelves. The three on the top came from Tuesday Morning. Cool store that I don't need to visit often.. LOL I spend too much there!

This is a new piece for me. Hubby got it for me, it is an Indian Drawer cabinet - I LOVE IT! 6 drawers, I have all my inks in one, embossing powders/flocking/glitter in another, chalks and makers and so on... I love it so much, as did Hubby, that I have another one on order for the other side of the room... it will hold my flowers and lots of other embellishments - The basket on the cabinet is all of my 6x6 and 8x8 paper pads. And the metal signs - I just got those recently and have had to them for my new room! My valance curtains I got the week Hubby started my craft room - way back when! I fell in love with them and didn't want to chance not getting them when I was "ready" for them. They had long full curtains but the were way too long and I wanted to have lots of light in my room so I went with blinds and the valances.

This is an old piece, I got it at an antique shop years ago, a library case. It has glass doors that close - but I just leave them open to have quicker access to my paper! I love to use antiques in collectible in my room. On another shelf in the room I use tin bread boxes, and old kitchen glass canisters for storage. See something to look forward to in my next photos!

Sorry for the boxes on each side of it.. looks kind of messy... they are waiting for the other side of the room to be painted. Then I can put all of that up on my shelves.  I just got the wire basket that is on top, clearance at Target - It holds all of my 8x11 paper. All the rest is 12x12 here. I still have more card stock to unpack... not sure where it is going to go yet.. LOL the shelf filled up quicker than I thought. I am thinking I need to go through all of the pattern paper and cull out a bunch - I have had some it since I started scrap booking... we won't go into how long ago that was!

And yes, there are lots of donkeys around the room. :0)  I can't tell you how many stuffed, ceramic, paper mache, wood donkeys I have - I collect them all - so I am moving some of them into my craft room - I just love having them around me, they make me smile!

So more photos next Sunday, I can't wait to show off my desk, my Dad made it and used it for years....

HUGS and-

Saying Goodbye to Freddie -

Well I was a big girl... Freddie went to live with his new owners yesterday. Yep we sold our Fernando.

Now I will admit, I was the "business owner" all day, it was good we are selling him, shame at this time they only wanted one donkey (they may want another later) but they have horses and a mule so Fred will have friends. We need to sell these "animals" and this is great we sold one.  But as the time got here for them to arrive and load him up... that knot appeared in my stomach. One of my babies was getting ready to leave... forever. I started to get upset, tearfully.

 Then they drove up - we already had Freddie haltered so we lead him out of the pen. The gentleman and his two children got out. Freddie is a birthday gift for his 6 year old son. But you could see the 11 old girl was just as excited.   Fred walked right up to the three of them, and let them love all over him. Even the Man was very excited about getting him, and rubbed and loved all over him. My knot in my stomach went away... this is one of those times were it was right and felt good to sell one of my babies. This family is going to love Freddie and these kids are going to spoil him rotten. So it was a good thing and we were happy that Freddie was going to a family that already loves him.

Anyway - I thought that I would show you a few photos of Freddie over the past year...

This is "Day One" ... now here is the really funny and wonderful part of this "sell". Freddie is a birthday gift for the son, who turned 6 years old this past Wednesday, Nov. 11th.... Freddie was born last year... on Nov. 11th!!!! They share the same birthday!! How cool is that?

He is such a cutie.. my little funny man....

I am gonna miss him, but I know this funny man is going to bring years of joy to those two kids! So I am ok... didn't even have any tears when they pulled away.  We are taking bets between us to see how long it is before this family wants a second donkey.... I think that little girl is going to want a mini for her very own instead of "sharing" Freddie with her brother. :0)

No Libbie photo today... sorry - I'll try and get something for next week... oh and next week I just may have something new and fun to show you on "Donkey Day" ... no babies yet LOL... No Hubby and I did something nuts last night - I called on a "boyfriend" for Libbie, we think we are ready to purchase a little guy now. Well this breeder has one week old puppies, so we are on the list to possibly get one of them. But while talking to her she mentioned that she also had Dwarf Nigerian Goats she needed to sell. I mentioned it to Hubby... and somewhere from there to now... we purchased them over the phone!!! We really need our heads examined! We don't need these goats! But have you seen them? Oh my they are really adorable, especially the babies. I have always wanted some of these, Hubby has just recently been talking about getting some, a lady in the area has some mini goats and he has really enjoyed watching the babies recently. And I won't even go into how much his Mother has been wanting goats. So we now have to make the 4 hour one way trip to pick them up - there are 4 of them, a Buck and 3 does... who are all pregnant and so I guess we will have those babies soon too! AAAHHH!!! It will be fun and exciting, but just what we needed more mouths to feed! LOL!!  Next week I should have lots to show off!

Speaking of showing off... pop back tomorrow I am going to show off a little bit of my new craft room.  1/2 of the room is ready to show, and I thought over the next few Sunday's I would show off what we have gotten done...  I am so excited!! It really has turned out pretty, so pretty in fact... that now Hubby is working on our bedroom! LOL the craft room opens off our bedroom, and it really made our bedroom look drab and ugly, so he just had to re-do it too so it would all go better together! BONUS!

HUGS and-