Giving Thanks

It is officially Thursday here in Japan, so let me be the first to wish my American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I had been wanting to ink up these mice for a while. Feeling they were more suited for a Fall card with the Pomegranates and all, I thought today would be a great day to make something with them.

The DSP is from SU and I think matches the image nicely! I have had my picture corner punch for a while and it had yet to be used, so I decided to add those to the corner.

The best part of this card is the stitching! I pulled out my Janome Sew-Mini (LOVE IT!) and stitched the paper. This little machine is 110% awesome! I cannot believe how well it works for the $35 I paid for it! (Please, no critiques on the wavy stitch lines! A seamstress I am NOT! Let's just say that part of it gives my card character! LOL) I also use it to sew my kid's patches on their Scout uniforms. Thankfully sewing in a straight line is not required for those! :)

Stamps: House Mouse Wreath Love

Ink: Adirondack Espresso, Cat's Eye Dune for edge distressing, Copics to color

Paper: Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Autumn Vine DSP

Accessories: Copper Brads

Based on the SplitcoastStampers sketch SC120

Thanks for looking! Wishing you a day full of friends, family, and wonderfully yummy food!

Thank You!

Sankari and Traci both gave me this sweet blog award. I am honored, but moreover, I am so blessed to have both of you talented ladies in my blogger group. :)

I also owe a big Thank You to all of you that took the time to critique my Minty Coffee card! I have finally come up with something I can live with! Sleep at last! LOL I will post that card later this week.

It is Thanksgiving Eve here, which means my oven is on and the house smells of Pumpkin Bread. Yummy! I still have to make a Chocolate Creme pie for DH, so off I go!

Laura's "What's Your Sign, Baby" Challenge

One of my Pen Pal's from SCS posted a challenge, a very creative one at that! Apparently, she was watching Project Runway and was inspired! So, without further adieu, here were our guidelines:

You need to make a card according to the colors(C) and/or metal (M) from your astrological sign. (Now, there are several different interpretations - go by the list here...)

• Sagittarius 11/22-12/21 purple, red (C) tin (M)


• Capricorn 12/22-1/19 brown, earthy colors (C) tin (M)


• Aquarius 1/20-2/18 electric blue, psychodelic (C) aluminum (M)


• Pisces 2/19-3/20 turquoise blue, sea green (C) platinum (M)


• Aries 3/21-4/19 red, black, white (C) iron (M)


• Taurus 4/20-5/20 pastels, blue (C) copper (M)


• Gemini 5/21-6/20 silver, orange (C) quicksilver (M)


• Cancer 6/21-7/22 pearl, lavender, silver (C) silver (M)


• Leo 7/23-8/22 golden yellow, orange (C) gold (M)


• Virgo 8/23-9/22 indigo, green, grey (C) nickel (M)


• Libra 9/23-10/22 blue, pink (C) copper (M)


• Scorpio 10/23-11/21 dark red (C) iron, steel (M)

Deets: Make a card using only the colors and/or color of the metal from your sign. You may also use a neutral color (white/ivory/kraft).

This is what I came up with:

This was a tough challenge for me, because I had a difficult time with the copper!

For my layout, I turned another card I did recently upside down and decided to keep it simple. I am always drawn to simple lines and one layer cards, but never think I can pull them off. (BTW, the paperclip on the right side is not part of the card; just needed it to hold the card together!)

Apparently by making this card, it made some sort of call to the heavens for snow, because we subsequently were blessed with 3.6 inches on one day, then 3 inches on the next. I am NOT ready for winter! NOT! NOT! NOT!

At least today it is raining, which will kill off the rest of the snow...:) No more snowman cards for a while...

Stamps: Holiday Woodcuts, Best Yet

Paper: River Rock, Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Copper, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark, River Rock, Copics to color, Copper Gel Pen

Accessories: Dew Drops

Please Critique

I just received my Bellas that I purchased during the free shipping weekend!! I fell in love with this one, called Minty Coffee. Isn't it an adorable image?? I just love Stamping Bella!!

I really, really wanted to use this mint green paper on the card. It actually is really old CM and has swirls on the paper...which I thought matched the steam! And I thought I wanted to keep somewhat true to Christmas colors. So...I picked my cardstock, colored the image and tried to put it together. It is just not doing it for me.

Is the embossing too much? I cuttlebugged the swirl paper...and used the holly on the red. Maybe instead of ribbon it needed brads?? Is my color scheme off? Maybe the Creamy Caramel needs a versamark somethin' somethin' on it?

In case you are noticing a trend with my layouts, I did not intentionally use SC183 again! I actually started with a whole other layout but it just did not work!

OK, so I need honest criticism. This is not like a "do I look fat" question! I really want to know...what do you think??

Stamps: Minty Coffee (Stamping Bella)

Ink: Vick Bantock Lamp Black by Ranger, Copics to color

Paper: Creamy Caramel, Whisper White, Purely Pomegranate, CM DSP, Georgia Pacific White

Accessories: Stickles, CB Embossing Folders (Holly, D'Vine Swirls)

CASE of Myself

Just in case you don't know what CASE stands for, it means to "Copy and Selectively Edit". Papercrafters use this term when they copy someone else's creation. I just wanted to clarify that because as I read my post title I thought it sounded as if I thought a lot of myself...like I am egotistical or something! So...NO! I am not! :) But I did really like my Pretty Princess card!

Now that we have that out of the way...I needed yet another birthday card for a little girl. This one is for a soon-to-be 4 year old. The wrapping paper covering her gift has Fairies on it, so I thought this set would be perfect!

I used the same layout (SC183), but made a couple of tweaks. This is a fast card to make and I love how it comes together with the Cuttlebug embossing folders.

Stamps: Fairy Nice (SU)
Ink: Vick Bantock Lamp Black by Ranger, Copics to color the image
Paper: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Lavender Lace, GP White, Going Gray
Accessories: CB Embossing Folders (Swiss Dots, D'vine Swirls), CTMH Grosgrain Ribbon, Stickles

Thanks for stopping by!

SBG1 Challenge #2

Ah, another challenge card! I am really having fun with these!

So, this one can be found on Heather's blog. Our basic instructions were to create a card using Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, ribbon, brads, and anything BUT a floral image! Thankfully, my oldest daughter had a birthday party to attend today, so I made this card for the birthday girl who was turning 7.

Stamps: Pretty Princess (SU)

Ink: Vick Bantock Lamp Black by Ranger, Copics to color the image

Paper: Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, GP White, Going Gray

Embellishments: CTMH White Grosgrain Ribbon, SU Rhinestone Brads, Swiss Dots and Distressed Striped Cuttlebug folders

I took my inspiration from SCS Sketch Challenge 183.

Hope you are having a great weekend! I hope to get some additional cards made this weekend, or perhaps some scrapbook pages!!

Paper Addict

Samantha blogged about her addiction to paper. I know...she admitted it...on a public forum even! Then she challenged others to come out in the open and admit it. I had to quickly shut down my computer for fear I would get struck by lightning when I thought words:

Surely I am not a paper addict!

Then my eyes shifted slightly to the left...

and then by my feet...


and then to the filing cabinet... ...and to areas that will remain unphotographed, as the reality just plain horrifying at this point!

OK, so I love paper! It is so pretty and has so many possibilities!! Unfortunately for this military spouse, it also weighs A LOT, so I really should not collect as I do! (We pretty much max our allowable weight every time we move!)

When we came to Japan, I fit all of my scrapbooking paper and supplies in the Crop in Style XXL. I am really not sure what happened. My theory is that paper reproduces like rabbits. Are you buying it? :)

What really happened (and I can justify any purchase!) is that because we don't have scrapbooking stores here, I started to hoard. There you go. I admitted it. **sigh** It was all my doing. But paper is SO PRETTY!

So, Samantha challenged us to a No Buying Paper Challenge. Eekkk! I know I need to do it, so here are my conditions:

1) I will not buy any designer paper for my remaining time in Japan

2) The exception to the aforementioned rule is if SU has a sale on paper, then all bets are off! Additionally, I am in a "club" and I may need to buy paper to meet my monthly minimums. I will buy all the embellishments on my list prior to buying any new paper, though.

3) SU cardstock is not a part of this challenge. I use this as the base for my projects so it does not really "count"! But I will only buy it one color pack at a time as to not hoard one particular color (like chocolate chip!)

Are you up for the challenge? If so, go to Samantha's blog to sign up! Come on, it will be FUN!

Something's Flake-y

I was asked to create some invitations for a winter social we are having with our Japanese Friendship group. When I asked the hostess if she had a theme in mind, she said she wanted a "snowflake fusion".

I have the cuttlebug embossing folder and knew that would be an easy background that would not take away from the image. I also wanted to use the new In Colors. I toyed with the design a lot and wished I had purchased that red stripe ribbon in the SU catalog! Darn it anyway! I had to make do with the red behind the white ribbon (which was Laura's idea...so thanks!).

I used white craft ink to sponge the snowflakes in the background. I think you can see it if you look really closely! It is very subtle, but just enough to give it some dimension.

The snowman/woman panel is up on pop-dots for dimension, as is the snowflake circle.

Stamps: The World Over (SU)

Ink: Craft White, Vick Bantock Lamp Black by Ranger

Paper: PTI White, Baja Breeze, Red Riding Hood Red, GP White

Accessories: Snowflake Cuttlebug Folder, CTMH White Grosgrain Bulk Ribbon, Copics, Stickles, Making Memories Snowflake Brads

Thanks for looking! I know "real" snow is around the corner and I am not ready!!

Blog Candy

Remember my friend Jane who sent me the second box of See's and the awesome Blog candy? Well, she does these Monday's Fun Day give-aways...you MUST check them out! This week you can get a highly sought-after Memento ink pad in Tuxedo Black!

I know!!!

Here is the link...it goes all week until Sunday but go now while you are thinking about it. :)

Quotes from an 8 Year Old

School has now been out for the past 6 days. Oh yes, I can "feel" it. The fighting actually started on day one...I knew it would be a long week. And let's not even get into why the kids have so many days off; it is almost comical.

At any rate, my son and 6 year old daughter were playing a game. I think it was Guess Who...when my daughter started to cry.

My son pops out with this statement:

"Just because you are losing doesn't mean you can cry."

Oh yes, yes it does, son. "We" can cry whenever "we" want. So there!

And I was just reminded that he is technically 8 and a half...not just 8! Thanks for the clarification. Now I need a kleenex...it is not possible that my oldest is that old. **sniff**

Thanks theneon!

Oh, you are too kind to me! Thanks theneon so much for the award!! :) You really did make my day!

In order to be award worthy, I better get myself creating!! I actually have been up to stuff...a friend asked me to color 40 Bella images for her. You know me...can't just color it regularly! I have to use my Copics to give her "that" shading, thus it takes me like 7 minutes to get one image done. **sigh** Sometimes being Type A is annoying!! :)

Again, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

Now, for the fine print...
1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees

My nominees are:
~Connie
~Bonnie
~Rachel
~Becki
~Louise

SBG1 Challenge #1

SBG1 is not a new gene I discovered in my free time, rather it stands for "Splitcoast Bloggers Group 1"! Samantha challenged us to make something black and blue, without bruising someone in the process (she and I share the same humor and I love that!)

I needed a thank you card for my son' s football coach and coincidentally enough, his team colors were blue and white! Additionally, you do get black and blue while playing football, so it was all meant to be!

I wanted to keep it simple. I needed a card I could get done quickly and it was for a guy who I am sure does not appreciate the texture of ribbon or other fancy embellishments! I did emboss the helmet to give it some dimension. I used a really old sketch from SCS, SC12 for my layout.

Stamps: Sporting Goods

Ink: Versamark, Versafine Black

Paper: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Bordering Blue, Whisper White

Embellishments: SU Eyelets, Black Embossing Powder

Head on over to Samantha's blog to see links to more cards made for this challenge!! They are linked up for you. Thanks for looking!

Now I have the Last Laugh!

A few weeks ago, I won some Blog Candy from Jane!

I had the pleasure of "meeting" Jane on SCS; ironically enough, she lives where I grew up! Additionally, she is a SUPER talented stamper, so go check out her blog! Her projects are absolutely amazing!!! And she has an adorable family as well. :)

So, my "candy" arrived today! Much to my surprise, there was crafty candy...as well as REAL candy!! No kidding, Jane sent me See's Candy! An entire box of Scotchmallows!

I know...it is my second chance!

Luckily, DH was not home when I opened my box! I promptly opened the candy box, got rid of the identifying black and white houndstooth paper (I actually took the trash right out to the curb!), tried one (because again, it was long trip over...had to make sure they were still good!), and HID the box.

Oh, this time I hid it well! I do learn from my mistakes, friends!

I just hope I don't get caught with chocolate on my mouth...

THANK YOU JANE!!!!!!

Now who has the last laugh? Muhahaha!