Splendiferous Boy...

Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language. -Henry JamesWow, it has been a Week since I was here last? Sorry folks! I'll try to stay away from Facebook a little more and get some crafting done!

I sat down and colored this image Saturday to make a card for this week's Cupcake Inspiration Challenge and then I got side tracked...probably by Farmville or Frontierville! :-S

I used the Red, White and Blue colors of the cuppies and added some stars but didn't go straight 4th of July on this one. The image is a new stamp I just got in the mail from Lili of the Valley called Lazy Afternoon...I am Loving the adorable images!! I colored the little boy with Copics, of course...the rest is pretty self explanatory!
I left the inside blank, because I don't know where this little guy is headed quite yet...

Supplies:
Stamps: Lazy Afternoon (Lili of the Valley,) Splendiferous Day (a muse)
Paper: Kraft, White, Red, Navy
Ink: Copic Markers, Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Misc: Stars & Polka Dots Cuttlebug Folders, Star Punch, Taffeta Ribbon, Vintage Buttons, Scrapper's Floss

Challenges:
Cupcake Inspiration #65:
Curtain Call:
Crafty Ann: Embossing
Allsorts: Embossing
ABC Toys & Crafts: Red, White & Blue
Stamptacular Challenges: Stars and Stripes (CB Folders and Shirt)
One Stitch at a Time: Stars and Stripes (CB Folders and Shirt)
Paper Cutz: Circles, Stars or Squares (CB Folders)
Ooo La La Challenges: Simply Summer
Hand Full of Stamps: Joys of Summer
Kah-Wink-E-Dink Challenge: Summer Free For All
Tellen's Place: Summer
Delightful Sketches: All about Summer
Little Red Wagon: 4th of July (& Canada Day)
Prairie Fairy Designs: Summer Vacation

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Happy Father's Day...

Today has been a very nice day, hanging out in the back yard with my Dad and my brother...plus the boys and wives, made delicious burgers with all the fixin's and then roasted marshmallows on the leftover coals.

My Dad is a very special man, he Chose to be my Dad and has never looked back. He has been there for me through so much! He gives selflessly of himself and yet teaches me every day what it is to be self sufficient. I am so glad my Dad is my Dad!

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers, Dads, Step-Dads, Uncles and men who take the time to BE for a child, it is the most important gift a man can give!

I used this week's Cupcake Inspiration as a jumping off point for this card, Love Turquoise and Brown together and one of the flowers kind of looked like a star to me so I went from there...

The saying on the inside was printed from my computer, I added a touch to the usual quote...

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Everything, Swirl Stars (Verve)
Paper: Figgy Pudding (Basic Grey,) Vintage Cream (PTI)
Ink: Printer, Rich Cocoa (Memento)
Misc: MSCrafts ZigZag Edger, Twill Ribbon, Button, Scrapper's Floss

Challenges:
Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #64:
Fall to Layout #95:
Basic Grey: Turquoise, Brown & Cream
Stampin' Royalty: Masculine
Cowgirl's Sunday: Anything Goes
Magical Crafts: Father's Day
Creative Inspirations: One for the Boys
Incy Wincy: One for the Guys
Raise the Bar: Special Guy
Crafts & Me: Friends and Family
One Stop Craft Challenge: One for the Boys
Cupcake Crafts: One for the Boys

Reading Fairy...

If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. -Oscar Wilde

Happy Friday everyone!! Wow am I glad this week is over! I hope to get some yard work done this weekend while the weather is sunny and mild. I will probably end up doing what this little fairy is doing instead though, I am finishing up Book 2 of the Outlander Series and have the new Stephanie Meyer Novella to read before Eclipse comes out on the 30th!!

I really glittered this card up...I Love stickles!!! :) I used my new Polka Dot Cuttlebug folder for the first layer and added some stickles to the dots, then I glittered the fairy's wings and the roses and the butterfly. The layout is this week's Blogger's Challenge sketch flipped on it's side. I used the colors for KWerner's Color Challenge, I meant to add more brown, but in the end only her hair ended up with the brown from the challenge...

For the inside I left it blank to leave room for a note to a friend, just added some more punched butterflies...

Supplies:
Stamps: Digital image and printed sentiment (Porcelain Font)
Paper: Mellow Moss, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, White
Ink: Copic Markers, Printer
Misc: Stickles, Butterfly Punches, Paper Roses, Pearls, Ribbon

Challenges:
Blogger's Challenge:
KWerner Color Challenge:
Aud Sentiments: Hello Friend
Sundays with Chrissy: Relish to Embellish
My Time to Craft: Xtra Special
Dare U 2 Digi: Blooms & Butterflies
Stamp Something: Summer Somethings (Reading outside on the lawn...totally summer!!!)
Charisma Cardz: All about Bling (Glitter works right?)
Pals Paper Arts: Summer Theme
Cooking it Up with Kate: Green, Embossing & Ribbon
Gingersnap Creations: Fairies
Quirky Crafts: Summer Theme

Vintage-ish Sweet Peas...

Here are sweet-peas, on tip-toe for a flight, With wings of gentle flush o'er delicate white, And taper fingers catching at all things, To bind them all about with tiny rings. -John Keats

This week's Cupcake Inspiration was a Vintage Flower Cupcake by Cotton Candy Bakeshop, I took the colors of the cupcake and toned them down for my card. I thought the flower frosting looked like a Sweet Pea so I grabbed my Favorite Flourishes stamp set Sweet Peas and got to work...with the Brocade Blue, Pretty in Pink and Mellow Moss card stock my card turned less vintage and more...well 80's bathroom?

Overall...despite the temptation to put out seashell prints and hang a shower curtain I do like the way the card turned out...I went pretty simple for the inside...just threw in the saying from the stamp set and added some 2nd Gen stamped Sweet Peas...

Supplies:
Stamps: Sweet Peas (Flourishes)
Paper: Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink, Brocade Blue (SU)
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento)
Misc: Stardust Stickles, MSCrafts ribbon, Pearls, Hat Pin Embellishment

Challenges:
Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #63:
Taylored Expressions Sketch #117:
Paper Sundaes Sketch:
Sundays with Chrissy: Relish to Embellish
Meljen Designs: Sparkle, Glitter, Bling
My Time to Craft: Xtra Special (This stamp set makes Everything Xtra Special!)

Inspired Flower...

Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it. -Madeleine L'Engle

What a lazy Sunday! I am recovering from a long sunny day yesterday, nursing a bit of a sunburn and just not into Doing anything productive. I've organized files in my computer, watched a few old episodes of Supernatural and made a sheet of Challenges to play along with. Then I decided to actually stamp. I should have made something for the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge, but that will have to wait. I have been wanting to play with a flower idea I got from a friend's purse, so I pulled out some circle punches and got to work.

The layout is from this week's Fall-To Layout...
This is the flower that started it all...
Here is a closer look at the flower, I used 5 circles glued together, I had to snip the middle out of the flower to set the pearl, then I used faux stitching to mimic the original...
Supplies:
Stamps: Just Wanted to Say (ippity)
Paper: So Saffron (SU,) Dark Chocolate, Melon Mambo (PTI)
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento)
Misc: Zva Pearl Swirl, Pearl Dots, White Gel Pen, Scallop Border Punch, Pop Up Foam Adhesive

Challenges:
Fall To Layout:
Cleary iStamp: Birthdays
Embellish Magazine:
KL Stampin & Scrappin: Girly Birthday
Spoonful of Sugar: Floral Delight
Aly's Sunday Challenge: Sewing

Waltzing Cupcake...

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; personally, I am happy thorns have roses. -Unknown

I made this card for a dear friend's Birthday, I combined this week's Cupcake Inspiration Challenge with the first Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge...

Supplies:
Stamps: Roses in Bloom (Waltzing Mouse,) Sentiments (Stampavie)
Paper: White CS (PTI)
Ink: Copic Markers, Rich Cocoa (Memento)
Misc: PTI Vintage Button, Stardust Stickles, Pop Dots, Swiss Dots CB Folder, Nestibilities

Challenges:
Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #62:
Waltzing Mouse #1:
Crafty HOs: Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays: New or Neglected (The Roses in Bloom is my Newest stamp)
Meljen Designs: Dry Embossing
Charisma Cardz: Flowers
Paper Play: Flowers & Sparkle
Frosted Design: Buttons

Stories of Connor: End of School Awards

I have more pics from this year to post, but I'm sitting at my work computer...so for now I'm posting what I have on my online photo albums.

Connor had an Amazing First Grade year...his teacher, Mrs Wiefels was amazing. He is going to Pierce Park Elementary in a special Classical Education Program...if your child is advanced in English, writing skills and logic (GATE qualified or close to) I HIGHLY recommend Classical Education! (Find info here)

Connor was chosen for a "Character Breakfast" for Friendship this year, performed in 2 musical programs, 3 Reader's Theatres and learned some amazing things. His handwriting, spelling, math, etc have all improved and he has a real thirst for knowledge that warms my heart.

He was chosen to recieve a Reading Award on the last day of school...i was unable to attend due to my work schedule, but Grandma and Uncie Zach were there to share his day!

Stories of Connor: Thank You Teacher...

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. ~Henry Brooks Adams
Today is Connor's End of Year Party at school, they are having Ice Cream Sundaes! Friday is 1/2 day and awards ceremony (where Connor has been chosen to get an award, not sure yet what it is!)
I loved the Apple I made his Kinder teacher so much I decided to CASE myself and make another one for his 1st Grade Teacher! (Next year I'll have to find new paper, I'm out of this adorable Imaginisce stuff!) The Apple shape is from Say It With Letters and I need to buy 11 more of these now so I will have them for Every teacher, ever year! I LOVE them, seriously perfect shape for a teacher gift!!!

I made a card to send along as well...it doesn't match, because I ran out of the paper I used on the apple, but I decided this was a good use for my new Sassafras Lass Apple Jack paper and the ippity Book stamp I just got from Michelle...

Connor did the inside for me...
Supplies:
Stamps: Books a' Flutter (ippity,) Alpha Background (Memory Box,) special teacher (a muse)
Paper: Apple Jack (Sassafras Lass,) Pumkpin Pie, Dark Chocolate CS
Ink: Rick Cocoa Memento, Copic
Misc: Ribbon, Button, Scrapper's Floss
Challenges:
Pink Elephant: Bright Colors
Polka Doodles: Sew & Sew (The Green layer on the apple)
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge: Fruit or Veggie
Oh, Alice!: Swirls
Charisma Cardz: Going Round (Polka Dots and Buttons)
Sundays with Chrissy: Layers
Secret Crafter: Buttons & Blooms
Easy Craft Projects: Buttons

A Dragon Wish...

Meddle not in the affairs of the dragon; for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup. -Anon

My son wanted to make a card with me, so we sat down and looked through stamps. He was very disappointed that I didn't have any dragon stamps, so I went online to find an image he liked. We both really liked THIS image so we went with that.

I used Copics to color the image and followed this week's Taylored Expressions Sketch. The paper is Pink Paislee 365 Degrees and KaiserCrafts Peachy Keen (available at Sharon's Stamp Simply Store.) For the inside I used scraps of the papers, Verve's Happy Everything sentiment and a swirl from a random clear set I have from ages ago...can't remember what set it is now...

Supplies:
Stamps: Text Boxed (PTI,) Digital Image, Swirls, Happy Everything (Verve)
Paper: 365 Degrees (Pink Paislee,) Peachy Keen (KaiserCrafts,) Soft Sky, Marigold Morning, White CS
Ink: Marigold Morning (SU,) Rich Cocoa (Memento,) Copic Markers, Printer
Misc: Metal Frame, Brads, Pop Dots, Distressing Tool

Challenges:

Taylored Expressions Sketch:
Lucy's Cards: Digital
Pink Elephant: Orange (it's light...but it's Orange!)
Delightful Sketches: Texture (Crumpled Paper)
Creative Inspirations: Distressed
Little Red Wagon: Birthday
Charisma Cardz: Circles (Frame & Brads)
Sundays With Chrissy: Layers
Paper Play: Up in the Air...things that fly
S2G Challenges: Cards for Men

Here are the cards Connor made: