YOU take the cake!

Greetings friends - how's everyone doing? It's been a chilly, wet, drizzly day here today. :( Unfortunately, we were out in it most of the day.

I made this card a few weeks ago for Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge (#43); slow in getting it posted, but you know, better late than never!!

The image was a free digital image from My Favorite Things - how fun is that? Free, you can print it time and time again! AND it comes in 3 colors; just love the variety!

Thanks for popping in; it's always good to see you. I hope you have a splendid Halloween - stay safe!!!



Hugs, ~M.


WHAT'S IT TAKE?
Stamps: My Favorite Things Digi-Download, You Take the Cake
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI's Dark Chocolate, SU! Barely Banana, DP by Gasic Grey
Accessories: Spica AtYou glitter pens; paper piecing, Copics

Holiday Open House & Super Mom

Let's go with the super mom topic first! Our oldest was diagnosed with pneumonia & a sinus infection yesterday...possibly strep throat too, but for a Saturday they weren't able to do all the testing. Anyway, we started breathing treatments Saturday and those helped a great deal - but man, when she coughs; I find myself holding my breath!!!

We also started an antibiotic - much like a horse people, even I would have to break that think into halves to take it - WOW!!!

Hubby leaves again Wednesday for another trip - he just returned last Wednesday from an 8-day trip. We always have so much going on; never quite sure how I manage it all. LOL I would make a horrid single parent! :D

I baked more muffins this morning, that seems to be my oldest's choice of foods while she is ill. Easy enough; I can handle that!

This coming Thursday, we have 5 doctor's appointments with one of those lasting 3 hours. Gonna be a wild and crazy day, no doubt!

I'm also preparing for our Holiday Open House - deets below; not sure I'll have much ready to go, but this chica can only do so much! I hope you're having a great weekend and a wonderful week. Thanks for poppping in!! Hugs, ~M.

On Sunday November 1^st, we will be having a Holiday Open House at the Benton Banquet Hall (Old Antique Mall, 14399 SW 20th, Benton, KS) from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. The event staff will be on hand to answer any questions and book potential gatherings for the banquet hall as well as local Holiday Vendors will also be on display featuring handmade gifts.

Vendors & items for sale include Whimsical Creations Greeting Cards & Gifts, Hair Bows, Jewelry, Baby Blankets, Clothing, Hats, and Scentsy Wickless Candles. In addition to the gift vendors, brides-to-be will be able to view photography options from Brandi Smith and floral ideas from Folk Tales Floral and Gifts. Holiday Home Decorators will also be on hand to help you take the hassle out of your holiday season.

Hope you can join us!

Upcoming Holiday Open House

Hope you can join us for lots of fun!!!

Click on the image to see a larger size!

MOJO109 Manga Style

Look at my new girl - a manga girl! This image is also from Funky Kits - looks like this particular image is sold out right now; but they have several other images for you to choose from, lots of new ones too!

I used the Mojo Monday sketch for the layout (MOJO109) and chose the card stock colors based upon the My Mind's Eye Pretty Please paper. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE MME's paper? Yeah...thought so!

I colored the girls in with Copics matching the striped paper on the bottom of the card. I love looking at the images online and seeing more ways to color them; they offer such great examples.

This first card uses a tag from the same MME paper collection; I stamped "friend" on the tag and "It's Your Day" on the inside of the card. The ribbon is tied with a button & twine, such a fun little accent.

This next card uses buttons across the button with an additional pink button tied with twine & mounted on dimensionals to the middle button. Did you notice I left the other buttons 'nah-ked'; I know, some of you just freak at nah-ked buttons; I'm sorry.

I really loved coloring these images; the cards were such fun to make! The 2nd card says "just sittin' here thinking of you".

Thanks for stopping by, I really do appreciate when you visit! Thank you! Hugs, ~M.



WHAT'S IT TAKE?
Stamps: Sugar Nellie Manga Girls
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI's Hibiscus Burst, SU! Retired Cool Caribbean, MME's Pretty Please
Accessories: ribbon, buttons, twine, dimensionals, Copics, nestability dies

TESC86 & JUGS2

Bingo - two challenges in one; don't you *heart* when that happens? I gotta work smart - LOL!

What do you think of this precious little girl? She's called Fragile Beauty by Sugar Nellie; I think she's so very cute!

I used Taylor's sketch (TESC86) and also incorporated the JUGS challenge (Just Us Girls) which was to paper piece your image & you could also use the color pink. Hmmmm...did I cover the pink part? :D

Both her shirt & pants are paper pieced using BG's Bittersweet DP. The flowers are part of her shirt so I just stamped the image onto the same pink paper that was used in the background of the card. Aren't her pants fab? You know you want some just like that...in fact, you may have had some similar when you were a little girl digging around in the flowers! Ah....precious!

I kept the card very simple; just the image, paper piecing, some wonderful ric rac ribbon & dew drops - simple. The main panel (pink & white) are popped up onto dimensionals before they were added to the base Kraft card.

Thanks for popping in; I love when you visit! I hear the weather here is supposed to get very cold and yucky tomorrow; I really hope they're wrong - I'm just not ready for winter! Hope you have a great week! Hugs, ~M.



WHAT'S IT TAKE?
Stamps: Sugar Nellie Fragile Beauty
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI's Kraft & White, DP by Basic Grey (Bittersweet)
Accessories: ribbon, dew drops, EK Success punch, dimensionals, Spica Glitter Pen (Clear)

Trick or Sweet!

Hello friends...you know what is quickly approaching, right? Do you have your costume ready? Are you going to an adult Halloween party or taking the kids trick or treating?

A co-worker wanted a couple of Halloween cards for her daughter's, so these are what I made using Taylored Expressions "Trick or Sweet" stamp set. The DP is left over from last year.

Thanks for popping in; I'm so glad you visited! Hugs, ~M.

Shady Daisy

Greetings friends; how are you? I've been performing as "supermom" the past week and will continue until Wednesday of this upcoming week. We have some type of practice or game every single day of the week - except Friday! CRAZY!!!!

I made these two cards a couple of weeks ago but haven't had time to upload them to the blog-o here for you to see. What do you think of the beautiful background flower? I LOVE it!! It's called Shady Daisy by Cornish Heritage Farms (and don't tell, but I bet I've had it a YEAR and never used it). **GASP** I know, that's a crime isn't it? You are only seeing a portion of the background flower, but I just love it. The flower is stamped in Hibiscus Burst ink onto the same color paper. Yummy!!

The flower is layered onto PTI's Dark Chocolate which is then layered onto PTI's Kraft. The layout for the card is from a pretty new blog - Crazy 4 Challenges. They have some incredible layouts and you all know how much I love sketch challenges!! Both of these card are gratitude related..that was another challenge, but I didn't make a note of the specific challenge.

The sentiment is from Verve Visual's "Beautiful You" stamp set and says "Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. ~Henry Ward Beecher". Such a beautiful sentiment.

I distressed the floral & chocolate background; love that distressed look!

Thanks for popping in; it's always so great when you visit! Hope you're having a great weekend!! Hugs, ~M.



WHAT'S IT TAKE?
Stamps: Verve Visual Beautiful You, Cornish Heritage Farms Shady Daisy Backgrounder
Ink: PTI Hibiscus Burst
Paper: PTI's Hibiscus Burst, Dark Chocolate & Kraft, DP from BG's Porcelain
Accessories: Nestability Dies, PTI ribbon, prima flowers, brads, distressing tool

BUMP

This is what you call big hair!! :D

I had a free hair styling session today; turned out pretty cute I think. We'll see what "I" can do with it!

Yep; took this picture while driving down the road with my cell phone. LOL I'm so crazy sometimes!

JUGS

Kristin and several of her friends (Just Us Girls-JUGS) have started a new sketch blog - check it out HERE. Isn't that blog design fabulous? So sassy - I just love it!

Their first challenge kicked of Breast Cancer Awareness (JUGS - pun intended) month and I had to participate. I love the sketch as well as my new stamp set from Flourishes - Fight Like a Girl!

First up is the dress from Fight Like a Girl - aren't those ribbons within the dress adorable? They are very glittery IRL, just tough to see in the photo. I colored the dress with Copics and then used a clear Spica glitter pen on the ribbons. I also added a pink jewel to the top of the dress.

On this one, I embossed a line above & below the ribbon; on the next card I pierce punched the paper above & below the ribbon.

The next card uses the Because of You stamp set from Verve Visual - another one of my favorite stamp sets. I used VersaMagic ink on the image - Pixie Dust, Spanish Olive & Tea Leaves, then touched the very tips with Hibiscus Burst from PTI.

I also sponged around the edges with Pixie Dust while the image was still in the Nestability Die. On both cards, the DP is from My Mind's Eye (truly scrumptious paper) - this one is Ooh La La.

Thanks for popping in; I hope you've enjoyed these new creations! Have a GREAT week; hugs, ~M.



WHAT'S IT TAKE?
Stamps: Verve Visual Because of You, Flourishes Fight Like a Girl
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamagic Pixie Pink, Spanish Olive, Tea Leaves, PTI Hibiscus Burst
Paper: PTI's Hibiscus Burst, Cream & Raspberry Fizz, DP from MME's Ooh La La
Accessories: Nestability Dies, My Favorite Things ribbon, pierce punch, dry embossing, sponging

Gift Bag - Handmade!

Greetings friends; how's everyone doing?

Our son had a b-day party to attend this weekend so I made a gift bag (instructions by Kerin Sylvester) & a little floral card using the Nested Blossoms nestability dies; I had SUCH FUN making these! I just think the gift set turned out so cute - at least I thought it was cute for a 9 yr. old!!

:D

Let's hope the b-day girl thought so too! The patterned paper is by SU!; I used PTI's Hibiscus Burst for the floral note card; you can see I cut just above the 'crease' of the card so it would be a folded flower.

The gift bag was filled with scented lotion, shower gel & a decorative notebook; I tied the bath sponge to the handle of the gift bag as it was too 'puffy' to fit nicely inside the gift bag.

Thanks for popping in; I so appreciate you taking the time to visit! Have a great week! Hugs, ~M.



WHAT'S IT TAKE?
Stamps: Papertreyink Wishing You
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI's Hibiscus Burst, DP by SU!
Accessories: Nestability Dies (Nested Blossoms), ribbon, eyelets

Wishing you...a Happy Birthday

Good morning peeps - how are you? I'm doing good; it's been a very busy week, but a good one. We're off soon for a football game, then to watch our oldest dance at a nearby festival with her cheerleading squad. Should be fun!! Nice chilly weather here in Kansas, but I don't mind!

A friend requested a b-day card so I used Taylor's sketch challenge #84 - what a great layout; you know I'll be using this one again!

Nothing fancy, just straightforward stamping, a bit of embossing and a couple nestability dies - pretty simple, but I do love the color combo!

The paper is from My Mind's Eye (so scrumptious); the circle on the front is one of the die cuts from the paper pack.

Love the flowers in MME's paper, such great vibrant colors. Thanks for popping in to check out my creation; I love sharing this crazy craft with you!!

Hugs, ~M.




WHAT'S IT TAKE?
Stamps: Papertreyink Wishing You & Floral Frenzy
Ink: SU! Craft Black & Memnto Tuxedo Black
Paper: PTI's Hibiscus Burst & White, SU! Rose Red, DP by MME
Accessories: clear embossing powder, Nestability Dies, Border Punch