Celebrating Fiskars with some Blog Candy

Ok, today is one of my Certified Fiskars Demonstrator Training. And to celebrate my love of all things Fiskars I am have a little "fun" Blog Candy contest. But first I want to show you a card I made.


I will be honest, I didn't make this last night - nope I MADE myself clean my desk off. As I sweep a look that direction it doesn't look much better at this point but it is I promise. I am re-organizing things. Picking things up and dusting just a little. Man I love those prima flowers but those bottles sure get dusty! Today's card is one of my favorite Magnolia stamps of all time! She reminds me so much of my niece Kaylynn. I just wish that Teddy Bear had been a stuffed puppy dog, then it would have been perfect! I have used this stamp many times and I always do it in shades of red. You see red is her favorite color and everything is always red for Kaylynn. I colored her with my copic markers and used stickles to bling her wings. I also used my new Fiskars admission ticket corner squeeze punch, just tooooo much fun! You also can see I pulled out those cute Aud Designs Circle sentiments!





Now to some candy!!! Today is one of my Certified Fiskars Trainings and to celebrate the fact that I have 22 signed up I want to spread some Fiskars lovin! I have pulled together some of my favorite things from Fiskars. One of my favorite new tools the Squeeze Punch! And I love my Corner Rounder, so I went out and bought one for one of you. I also found some fun Fiskar acrylic stamps, some Heidi Grace Chipboard flourishes and alphabet letters, Cloud Nine paper clip embellishments and bravely from my own stash I am going to share some cloud nine rain dots. This is really big of me, cuz I hoard these!!! I love them.

Ok so what do you have to do to win this loot? Well my hubby needs some new material. He needs new jokes, as I grow tired of all of the same ones over and over and over. All you need to do is leave a "clean" joke in the comments of this post. And on Wednesday, March 12th 9pm central time, he will read them all. Then he will pick what he think is the funniest and I will be sending you all my favorites!


Card Info:

Stamps: Magnolia; Aud Designs
Paper: Bazzill;
Ink: Versafine Onzyx Black
Accessories: Copic Markers: ; Velvet Ribbon; Ranger Stickles; Pop Dots

I've been Tagged!

Well how exciting it that! I have been tagged by a fellow crafting blogger! Keri over at A Country Life tagged my blog this morning. She has a wonderful site, I love the creativity, but I also love all of the beautiful country photographs! And you can get lost by linking from her site to Buzz and Bloom, where she is on the design team. (No really I was there forever!) For those that don't know what tagging is, basically it is highlighting a certain number of blogs, while answering the same number of questions. Different tags ask different questions. I have loved reading tags by some of my favorite super star bloggers, and now just over a week into my blog I have been tagged! So I will try and do a good job.

Here are the rules: (They are simple):
1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their site..

Ok, now to my non-important things about me:

1- I adore antiques and love collecting lots of different things. Mostly 1800's yellowware, 1940's kitchen tins, and cut glass. There are many many more collections, and all collect dust as I am always spending time with my paper crafts or on the computer looking at others!

2- I am a General Hospital junkie. I know "A Soap!". I use to watch with my grandmother (who I miss dearly) it was her favorite soap, and she got me hooked as a kid, I watched on and off for years, then after I went to work I just stopped. Didn't see it for probably 10 years or more. Then we moved to the country and somehow I stumbled across it one afternoon. Now I have just become obsessed. If I miss it a 2pm, I catch it on soap net.

3- My husband I collect bug photos. Yep BUGS.. he loves different bugs. I think it has something to do with the plant nursery we own, he loves seeing new kinds of bugs. I don't particularly like the bugs. But love photographing them. The more detail I can get the better! I have taken some really cool photos of bee's, odd beetles and spiders. Even some pretty cool photos of Black Widows and ohhh you should see the one of the scorpion with the hundreds of new born babies on her back! (hope you still like me... remember I like photographs.... NOT THE BUGS!)

4- I don't like dresses and pantyhose. I am a jeans kind of girl. Even when I "worked" out in the real world I hated dresses. I wore them, just cuz I had to for the job I had. But the last day I worked... was the last time I wore a dress. I am the most happy in my favorite jeans, my Crocs, and a donkey decorated t-shirt. Why - I don't know why, I guess one could be I just don't feel I look right, mental picture here watch out. I am on the shorter side and what some would call "large". I just say fat. It is ok for me to say that.. as it is what I am and I am A-OK with it. Dresses just don't look right, I think I look square in a dress. Wide as Tall. We won't even go to the pantyhose at this point the "friction" while walking is all you need to know. The other reason is it just really doesn't fit my life. I am a county girl, we have lived out here over 5 years now and I wish it had been sooner. It doesn't worry me when a donkey wipes his dirty face and body against my jeans... they are jeans they wash well and I love them.

5- I am a mess. I don't like to clean, do what I have to just to get by. My husband and I as stated above collect a lot, but we are also pack rats. We keep more "junk" than we should. That in a small house makes it hard to have things shiny clean. I don't mind laundry, I don't really even mind dishes. But dusting and vacuuming are just the worst. So if you ever visit... please don't write in the dust.

6- My favorite movie is Tremors.. 1, 2, 3, 4 and the TV series. Now is that as bad as being a "Trekkie" I don't think so, is it? I have seen them hundreds of times. My favorite is the first. Would you like me to quote it for you.... no really I can quote the whole move for you. It has to be Kevin Bacon. My husbands is 2. But we love them all. I ordered the TV series on DVD off of ebay. We love it too. 13 episodes of fun and laughter. But as we sat down to enjoy them we watched 1-6 and went to put the 2nd DVD in and it wasn't what it was suppose to be. Seller was gone... so I am now looking for a new set.

Ok now if I haven't scared you off.. I will tag my 6 blogs for you to visit!

1- Laura at Wish you Were Here I came across her blog after seeing a card she made for My Favorite Things. She is really talented. I have book marked her site and love how different all of her cards are, and all the details she puts on each one!

2- Suzy at Papermonkey I don't think I can even tell you how I found her blog. I have been reading it EVERY morning for months now. I just love it! She is just so inspiring! Her work is fun and vibrant and she gives some great tutorials. She thinks of things I would have never thought of and then I run and try them! I love the cotton ball used for the sheep!!!!!

3- Michelle at Twisted Chick Creations She does some beautiful work! I just love the layers and layers on her cards. I have been reading her blog awhile now and her cards are pure beauty. They are so elegant, and just fit perfect. I have a hard time with that and wish I could have mine come out 1/2 as pretty as she does. Love her!

4- Anna at Sassy and Sweet She is one I make sure to check on every day! Her cards just make me smile. I love the stamps she chooses, I love the colors she uses and just think she is fabulous! I really thing she would be fun to hang with!

5- Claudia at Pretty Pressings I found Claudia thru the Magnolia Stamps Blog. Her work is amazing. She does fabulous coloring and I love her work with "my favorite" little angel stamps!!! Her blog title also is one reason I check in often... the artwork is always great and I love to see what she changes it to each season! Really if you love Magnolias... you must RUN to her blog!!

6- Godelieve at Stamping Mathilda This woman is a true artist! I have been stalking her blog for a long long time. Her work amazes me, she uses products like I wish I could. And I love that she always shares how to use them. Not that mine would ever turn out as beautiful as hers! Take a trip over to Belium and make sure to see the masterpieces she creates!

Well that is only 6 of the Blogs I check on regularly... I hope you like them as much as I do. They are all different, but all GREAT!

Wishing Spring -

I am so ready for SPRING! Ok I know all of you from up north tell me that I have no right to complain. After all I am in Texas and I have no idea what winter is. But I live in Texas for a reason, I don't like cold. I am ready for warm green weather. My donkeys NEED some green grass to eat, we need some showers or it will be a dry year again. We own a plant nursery, that is what my husband does to pay the bills, support my addiction of stamps and feeding hay to our babies. We need spring. Spring is our time of the year. Plus I am really tired of these sinus headaches that I get with these cold fronts that keep coming. And that is what happened last night. I had a horrible headache so that meant no stamping. Yep it was that bad. So today I am pulling a card out of my stash. One I made that reminds me of spring. Warm, colorful and with flowers! Hope you enjoy my "little" bit of Spring. And it uses one of my favorite stamp companies again - Magnolia Stamps.

Card Info:

Stamps: Magnolia; Stamps by Judith; Studio G $1
Paper: Bazzill; My Minds Eye : Kaleidoscope Confetti Surprise Little Beauty Plaid
Ink: Versafine Onzyx Black
Accessories: Copic Markers; Prima Flowers; Brads; Queen & Co. Felt Fusion; Fiskar's Scalloped Scissors

Anyone up for Jump Rope?

I just love my Magnolia's Stamps! When I got this little "angel" I just fell in love with the jump rope and flowers, but always felt it needed to be 3-D. Well last night I inked her up and did just that!

I colored all the images with my copic markers. The house and girl are from Magnolia, the tree is Rubbernecker, Stamps by Judith for the grass, and the wording is Aud Designs. I use the circles set a lot! They punch out with my medium Fiskars squeeze punch perfect! (scallops are with my nestibilities). I used a piece of copper wire for the jump rope and attached prima flowers with brads. I put pop dots behind her and to hold down the "rope". The birds are done by hand with a glaze pen. And the of course I had to use some stickles on the angel wings.

I am pretty happy with how this one turned out. I would like to do a whole school yard! I worry about how big the card would have to be though :)

Well gotta run today - It is what I call "MIL" day. My Mother-in-Law and I run all our errands and do what shopping we can. I think today we are heading to the outlet malls. Lots of walking, but hopefully lots of deals as well!

Card Info:

Stamps: Magnolia, Aud Designs, Rubbernecker, Aud Designs
Paper: Bazzill
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: Copic Markers; Copper wire; Prima Flowers; Glaze Pens; Fiskars Squeeze Punch; Nestibilities; Pop Dots; Stickles

Wide Loads...

I thought y'all might enjoy seeing two of my soon to be mommas. This is Cheyenne and Macey they are both due soon. Macey sooner, on the left, I think she is within weeks! They get so wide at the end. And to answer before you ask, they are pregnant between 11-12 1/2 months. Yep a year! (Insert loud groan here) It takes a while to get these cute little ones, but they are so worth the wait. The extra ears in the background is Black Jack the "daddy" to be. Oh and this photo is a little over a week old... they are even wider this morning!

I am just having so much fun with these stamps! These character stamps from Rubbernecker Stamps are a scream! This card is perfect for so many people... wonder who will get this one.

I colored this party animal in with my copic markers and layered her on Studio K's dots, I also used my cuttlebug and the Happy birthday Embossing folder lightly inked. The saying "Happy Birthday You Party Animal You" is pop dotted off the card. I then added buttons, I think I was going for a confetti effect. The color combination is odd - took it from the patterned paper. Don't know if it works or not but I am sure those green pants are polyester!

My second card today is for the My Favorite Things

Stamps weekly challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. I just love the My Favorite Things brand of stamps. Craig thinks they are hysterical because there there is never a head or face.

I wanted to go more country on this one, I made the lace border with my Fiskars Border Punch, and used Daisy D's Blue Gingham for the "ribbon" and to paper piece her shirt. I used my Copic Markers to color her and the chickens, my prisma pencils to lightly give a blue sky in the back ground and glaze pens to "feed" the chickens.

I probably need to explain the hot pink rubber boots. My MIL (mother-in-law) moved to our country property, we told her she needed boots to be out at the barn, she wasn't happy as they are ugly. For Christmas my Mom got her a hot pink pair and she just loves them. I think she would wear them "out" if we would let her.

Well off to start my day, got an email from a friend last night reminding me of her birthday on Sunday... need a special card for that! he he he

Card Info:

Party Animal

Stamps: Rubbernecker
Paper: Bazzill; Studio K
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: Copic Markers; Cuttlebug; Buttons

Just Chicken In

Stamps: My Favorite Things, Punny Farm
Paper: Bazzill; Daisy D's
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: Copic Markers; Fiskars Border/Embossing Punch; Prisma Pencils; Prima Flowers; Brads

Creative Overload...

Well last night I pulled out all the wonderful new stamps I had received in the mail and spread them out in front of me. I was on creative overload. After I calmed down I chose a couple of the images to work with. Both are from Rubbernecker Stamps.

The first was just too much fun to work with! It is a set of two stamps, the back ground stamp is a large stamp of what I guess is an alley with a full moon. I stamped it twice, colored in the first one in full, then colored in the trash can and parts of the tree on the second. I cut out the pieces and pop dotted them on too the first image. I then stamped and colored it the "meowing" cats then cut them out and pop dotted them onto the image as well. It looked ok to me but just see to need more... so I color washed the entire image with my yellow Twinkling H2O's to give the card the light of the moon. But I was missing the stars. I live out in the country and I LOVE to see the stars at night. So I found some small bling to add for the stars. Matted everything on to black and washed the edge of it with H2O's, layered onto the Daisy D's pattern paper then the blue cardstock added the stamp "You are the Cat's Meow!" and Ta Da! I think this one turned out pretty cute. It looks better in person you can really see the shine on it.

The second image I worked with was this fun little frog. Who can resist a frog with flowers? I colored in the image with my copic markers added some stickles on the flowers for a little bling. Then I just had to pull out my Cuttlebug and use the new embossing folder Swiss Dots, don't know why but I went with lots of dots on this card, the pattern paper is My Minds Eye confetti love the fun colors of that paper. I then cut out the stamp words "Have a Hoppy Birthday" with my Spellbinders Nestabilities circle and then scalloped circle, added some ribbon to the embossed cardstock and then put it all together. This one turned out BRIGHT! But hey it is fun and very "spring-y".

Well today is a inside day for me, a wet and very windy cold front came in, so I am going to catch up on some laundry, a little house cleaning and lots of reading of my some of my favorite blogs - Have a great Monday!

Card Info:

Cat's Meow:

Stamps: Rubbernecker
Paper: Bazzill; Daisy D's
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: Copic Markers; Pop Dots; Twinkling H2O's

Hoppy Birthday:

Stamps: Rubbernecker
Paper: Bazzill; My Minds Eye : Confetti
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: Copic Markers; Stickles; Cuttlebug; Spellbinders Nestabilities; Ribbon

Sleepy Sunday

Well I had a ton of fun at the Crop this weekend! Didn't get a lot of sleep but had lots of fun and got SEVEN layouts done!!! Yep 7! These were two I did about my "babies" I have an album for my donkeys and love doing fun pages for them as well as family members.




Male Bonding is from a sketch at Fiskars Crafts. I don't use many sketches, I am more of a wing it type of scrapbooker. But I love the fiskateer site and from there I have gotten familar with the fiskars crafts site. The monthly challenge sketches have just been hard to resist lately! And this month I just fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. Of course I always stray and go with my style as well - Anyway this is what I came up with when I did the sketch. I think this is going to be one of my favorites. Then again I love the subject matter. This is Craig (my DH) with two of our boys, Miguel and Rico Suave. As you can tell in the photo Miguel is a hugger. He loves to lean and "hug" you when you get down on his level.





The second LO I am posting is one that I had to do, cuz I just love this photo of my three standard donkey. We with love call them "The 3 Stooges", mainly cuz their are only three of the standards, they roam the entire property. I think they really believe that they own it and we are here for the purpose of making sure they have fresh hay and water twice a day and just to fix what ever they have broke by rubbing and scratching on. Cocoa is the dark one, she is the leader.... now please note that "she" is the only female of the three and that is probably why she is always the one in the lead and control. Valentine McKee, named for Kevin Bacon's movie character from one of my favorite movies Tremors, he is Cocoa's son and he is ALWAYS right next to her. At the age of 3 he is and probably will always be a Momma's boy. And then there is Ted E. Bear, our greeter and deffinately the friendliest and most well known on our place. You don't visit us with out getting to know Ted! He loves to meet knew people and will be your friend for life if you bring him peppermints. This Layout started out so much different, and then turned and ended up not at all like I had imagined it, but sometimes those end up high on my list.



Well I hope you enjoyed two of my Layouts from my crop, and doing double duty meeting 5 more of my donkeys!



I have lots of new stamps to play with this week, so I am hoping to have some new cards to share this coming week. Not only the Rubbernecker Stamps that arrived, but My Favorite Things stamps came too! Wonder if hubby will notice if we eat sandwiches all week and he doesn't have clean clothes?