Carolyn's Handmade Treasures

News to share....

2011-12-13T18:01:00.000-05:00

Well, as you all know, the past several months, my life has been consumed with moving to a different state. It has been quite the challenge and test of strength not to mention many other things. I know that I have lost some followers due to my lack of posting, and I completely understand that if there is nothing to see, why stick around? I do hope to get back to crafting once we are settled in our new home. Thanks to all of my friends that are sticking with me. Your friendship means a great deal.
Well, here it is.....our new house. They finally accepted our offer today, and within about 5 weeks, we should be moving out there. I don't envy any of you that are going through any kind of move right now. You have my prayers. It was a long road and pretty much a fight every step of the way. I am very thankful that this part is over...not that the actual move will be any easier, especially in the middle of the winter, but it'll get done. I hope not to have to move again for some time though.
I hope that you are all enjoying this festive season and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This year sure did fly by.

Hugs and Blessings to all,

Changes and A Thanksgiving Wish

2011-11-21T22:36:00.000-05:00

Life is all about changes. Sometimes they are good changes and sometimes bad, but either way, change is inevitable. As you can see from my photos, our house is now finally on the market, and we are searching for a new house in a new city that we will call home. It is all so bittersweet as so many things in life are. I am leaving the town that I have called home my whole life. The house that we are selling is where our last baby was born and the house that we have lived in the longest since we have been married. Our children for the most part grew up here, and I will miss it very much. Many memories and milestones were shared in this house. But as we all know...life must go on. I hope that our new city and home will be a happy one for all of us. It will be a very hectic year for holidays this year though. I love the holidays, so this will be sort of sad for me. I am going to try to make the best of it though. I will really miss sharing the holidays with my family when we move. It is not easy for us to travel with our children for many reasons, so I don't guess we will do it much once we are settled. Well, I don't want to keep rambling about my reluctance, so I will switch gears here and wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. May you all have many blessing to come. I am very thankful to have you as my friends here on blogger and love hearing from you all. Enjoy your turkey dinners and all the other wonderful goodies that go with it.

This little guy and a couple of his friends are on our fence post every single day devouring the walnuts from our black walnut tree. Our cats spend hours just watching every move they make. lol

Christmas Altered Tin

2011-11-11T14:48:00.005-05:00

Trying as I might to find something to post for all my blogging friends. I found this image that required very little coloring which is essential for me right now, so I put together this quick and easy altered tin to fill with some yummy Christmas candies for a little someone special in my life. I think since this was so easy to do, that I might just do some more of them with a few different images if time permits. It is snowing here today, so I guess I am feeling the Christmas spirit a little bit. My head is spinning so much these days, that it seems normal for me to skip right over Thanksgiving and dive right into Christmas.
Hoping that you can all take time to enjoy every special moment that this season brings. It seems so much anymore that in the blink of an eye time passes us by. Can't wait to slow down here and savor the moments once again.
Take care my friends, and have a beautiful weekend.......Happy Veteran's Day to all out there that have fought for peace and freedom in our world! We appreciate you.

Trying out a few challenges:
Crazy Amigo Challenge
Stampavie
Party Time Tuesday
Sweet Stamps
Tip Top Tuesday
There She Goes
Card Cupid Blog
Dream Valley Challenges
Floweret

A Quick and Easy Bookmark, and a Quick Post...M5D

2011-10-20T08:33:00.001-04:00

Hi All,
Well, it is going to be a quickie post today. I am now officially in panic mode with our move. They have moved up our report date to November 7th which is a month sooner than we had expected, so our heads are spinning now trying to get all the last minute things done that need done. I still have to say that we are never going to be ready in time....However, ready or not....
Anyway, in light of that news, I will share with you today my super quick and easy bookmark that I created with one of the new M5D releases. Wishing I had time to be more creative and detailed, but patience is my goal knowing that I will again have time to craft sometime soon. As quick as this was to make though...it is a great idea for a quick little insert to perhaps that book that someone on your Christmas list is asking for. Hope you enjoy, and with any luck at all, I will be more relaxed after the holidays and can start posting some more fun projects instead of all these quickies.

Thanks for dropping in. I'll be in touch soon.

Hugs,

Pumpkin Kitty Halloween Card

2011-10-09T14:09:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,
I know how long it's been since I've even said "hello". I am sorry, but I honestly do not know how some of you crafters out there keep up in the midst of a move, but I really did not remember how much work and time was involved in preparing for a big move like this. I do think about you all and think about crafting alot too. I put this card together quick for my daughter. She really loved this stamp set we happened by while out looking for something for her at the craft store. I broke down and got it and made a card for her. She is such a cat lover, and this one looks alot like our little Blackie Boo Bear. I am struggling to find a way to craft a little bit here and there, but time is really working against me. I know it won't be long, and I will be able to do this alot more, but I am longing for it quite a bit.

I hope you all are doing well, and thanks for popping in for a visit with me. Take care all until we talk again.

Blessings,

Feels Like Fall...M5D Throwback

2011-09-12T22:41:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know that none of you expected to hear from me so soon already. To be honest, I didn't expect to post so soon either, but Sue had asked us if we were interested in using this image as a throwback, and I really couldn't resist. I didn't get a chance to use this image last Fall, and what an adorable image to pass up again. Sometimes in getting so overwhelmed with image releases and commitments, I really miss out on using some awesome images. This time, I really struggled to make some time to fit this in, and I had almost no supplies on hand. When I packed, I left a few punches, some scraps of paper and little bits and pieces that didn't fit anywhere else. I actually swiped the ribbon that I had used to decorate something else with last year. I wasn't thrilled to not have my copics on hand either, but in the end, I am really glad that I took the time to create this little something. If you "Fall" for this image like I did, you will find her at Sue's store..McMahon Five Designs. She offers such a variety of possibilities for creating at this beautiful time of year.

Glad I had a chance to pop in for a little "hello" this week, and I look forward to our next visit together. Please be patient with me for my next post though. I'm not sure that I will be able to do another one as quickly as this one. We are getting closer and closer to our move every day. So much work left to do, and so little time.

Hugs,

My Christmas in July turned out to be Christmas in September easel card

2011-09-04T13:59:00.005-04:00

I was sitting here thinking to myself about how long it's been since I have posted on here. I have to apologize to you my friends for my absence. Our move is proving to be quite the job, and much of the work I am doing sort of on my own. My husband just had cervical spine surgery and is not able to lift or really even move too well yet. He had some nerve damage, so his entire right arm is very weak and not very useful for even picking up so much as a drink at this point. He is in a tremendous amount of pain right now, and I guess he will be for awhile, so I am going to have to step it up and try to do as much as I can to get us ready for this move. Thanks for hanging in there with me and waiting so patiently as I find a way to do a post for you. I really wanted to do this one card for Christmas in July, but time really got away from me, so I guess I am making it a Christmas in September card. I hope you like it anyway. It is just a little closer to Christmas now is all. I have much of my crafting supplies packed and in storage now, so I have very little if anything left to really create with. I may find my way to doing something little, but maybe in the meantime until our move is complete, I will try to post some more personal messages and pictures. Once we get settled in, I hope to be back to posting regularly and have lots to share with you. I so hope and wish for my own craft room in our new home. I don't have one now, so that would be sort of a dream come true for me. Thanks to all of you that offered to share what you know about Indiana. I am looking forward to this new chapter in our lives and hope for only wonderful things to come our way. We are all very excited to make a new beginning.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend, and enjoy these last moments of summer. They will be so greatly missed in a few months.

Linking to:

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long
Aly's Sunday Challenge
Charisma Cardz
Crafty Catz
Whoopsi Daisy Challenge

Hugs,

Water Nixie Card and some M5D Releases

2011-08-04T10:57:00.001-04:00

Hi my dear friends....
We just returned from a very fun and VERY HOT vacation at Busch Gardens and Water World, and it is now time for me to share a card with you. What better time to share my Water Nixie card than after returning from a Water vacation? This is one of the new digi releases from the M5D this week. There are some wonderful ones to choose from. Pick your favorites and hop on over to the M5D shop and get some for yourself to create with. I am looking forward to the next few months and hope with our move that I will still be able to find a little bit of time for creating. I love creating for the upcoming holidays in the next several months, so I don't want to miss out on anything. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my card. I look forward to hearing from you. It's been quite some time since I have been posting cards. I wish I could already be settled in our new place with my new craft room and ready to go, but I hope you will stick with me until then.

Annie Oakley - Little Sharpshooter JPG and PNG

Fall Color Collage DP JPG

Cupcake Cuties 2 JPG and PNG

Shipwrecked JPG

Vasser Rhine Windmill JPG

Water Nixie JPG

For more details on the projects above, visit the Design Team blogs!

Have a wonderful and blessed day all. Take care :)

Challenges linked to:
Sew Many Challenges
Happileigh Scrapping
Craft Your Passion
Papertake Weekly
Come and Get It
Allsorts
Ribbon Carousel
Digi Doodles
Anything Goes
Sparkles Forum
Catch the Bug
Crafting for all Seasons

ATTENTION...All My INDIANA Blogging Friends...

2011-07-23T18:35:00.000-04:00

WE'RE MOVING!!

We are so excited to have just found out that we will be moving to Indiana in the next couple of months near the Indianapolis area. If any of you out there could give some input or info on what it's like, what to expect, what to avoid, what to look for as far as housing, schools, medical, people...etc. We would like to look for housing in the surrounding Indianapolis area, but not Indianapolis itself. I am hoping that some of my friends on here might be able to share some of their knowledge with me who either live in that area now or maybe have lived there in the past or know someone else who does. We could not be more excited about this move. It is such a blessing and the positive thing that we have been praying for for our family. Life is truly being good to us right now, and we are very grateful. Sometimes you have to weather the storm to get the reward of a rainbow. We thank God for looking out for us and taking care of our family.

Thank you in advance to anyone that can share some advice with us, and even if some of you could share moving tips. It's been years since we've moved. I will take advice/tips or anything on moving, buying a new house, acclimating my kids to a new area...anything you want to share.

I will be taking you all with me on this move with my blogging updates, so get ready for the adventure.

Hugs and Blessings to you all,

Happy Birthday To My Baby :)

2011-07-21T00:16:00.005-04:00

Seems like only a breath ago that I was waking up at 4 a.m. anxiously and excitedly preparing to go to the hospital to have my labor induced with my last baby. In reality, that will have been 10 years ago on July 27th. What a whirlwind those years have been...filled with joy, laughter, much exploration and learning as well as some tears and sad times as we all go through as our children grow. This little boy has been one of the greatest blessings in my life, and I feel so fortunate to be his Mom. I look forward to many more fun years with this little boy before he has grown into a young man. You just never know what is around the next corner with him. It's always exciting, and he keeps me young, makes life interesting and teaches me something new pretty much every day. Little did I know before my kids came along how much they would enrich my life and fulfill it in ways that I could never even imagine. So looking back at these last 10 years, it makes me take a step back and appreciate life, time and taking advantage of every moment that we are given, because once they are gone, you can't get them back, and if you make the most of them, you will have many wonderful memories to look back on as each of these precious years passes.

So, in the hustle and bustle of our everyday life, I really pondered what kind of card I could make for this sweet boy for his birthday this year. Then it dawned on me that of all the people that I know that have seen my cards, this child has been my biggest motivator and highest praiser. He doesn't care what is on it or if it is just so. He cares that it is made by his Mom for him and with lots of love, and that makes it perfect in his eyes. So, while I keep wondering if I made this card boyish enough with my constant desire to always add gems and flowers somewhere on my cards or add some sort of frill...and I know I did more than I probably should have on here, I can bet that this concern will never even cross his mind. He will tell me how much he likes the little mice and the frog on the inside, and he won't even notice the things that I am concerned about. Now, tell me if I am not the luckiest Mom in the world. He is going to make some lucky lady a wonderful husband one day.

Image is House Mouse and can be found at the McMahon Five Design's Store. There are just tons of images over there to choose from. Hop over for a look. I used some of their wood paper and gem flourishes on here too.

So, is anyone sitting there saying .... look at that lacy looking border punch she used and those gem flourishes? lol.... Let's just keep that between us, ok ;)
Thanks for dropping in today and sharing in my boys special birthday card. Have a wonderful day.

Dream Catcher Mania

2011-06-28T23:42:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends,
First, I want to take a moment to thank those of you that have stuck it out with me as followers. I realize that I have not been so active lately with my many family commitments right now, so I am very grateful for your support during my downtime. While I try to catch up on things over the summer, I would like to share with you my daughter's latest obesssion.... Making Dream Catchers.

For the past month, my daughter has created several of these beauties. She is very meticulous and her own worst critic, so I was only able to capture a picture of one of them for now to share with you. They are all very beautiful, but my favorite (of course) is the pink one that she made. It is gorgeous, and if I am ever able to sneak a picture of it, I will be sure to share it with you. She is always trying new creative things, so I never know what is around the next corner with her imagination. For now, I will take in the beauty of her latest treasures until the next wave of inspiration envelopes her. I hope you enjoy some of what she has created as well and maybe try one of these yourself or encourage your kids to. She seems to really have alot of fun making them.

Thanks for visiting with me, and I hope you are all having a wonderful and fun summer. I also want to wish you all a Happy and safe 4th of July.

Blessings,

Hello again. It's Been Awhile.

2011-06-18T17:52:00.000-04:00

Well, things have not slowed down here at all, and I don't guess they will now that summer is here. I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far. I have missed you my friends as well as sitting down having a visit with everyone..not to mention hearing from you on my blog too.
I have a short post to share with you today, because my time is limited for now with family. I will post much more as summer comes to a close, but will surely pop in with a few posts to to catch up along the way. Today, I have a card that I made for the Hotspot challenge. It is a lazer cut challenge, and I have come to find that I am not so good with the cut out images. lol.... I did not realize that I was going to have to construct the hair for this body as well as draw a face on her. As you can see, this is not a strong suit of mine. I did give it a shot though, and maybe I will get better at this with some practice. Have any of you played along with the challenge this month? It's always fun to see what you are capable of. If you would like to join along in the fun, pop on over to The Hotspot and enter your project into the challenge. We would love to see what you come up with.

I thank you very much for visiting with me and taking some time to catch up after my absence. I hope to be talking and visiting with you all soon. Take care, stay cool, and have a fun summer :)

Sailors Homecoming :)

2011-05-20T08:34:00.000-04:00

Hi friends, Popping in with a quick hello and a few pics of my son's homecoming. My hubby had the opportunity to join in the Tiger cruise and bring the ship in with our son. That is where the parents are permitted to go out to the ship while it is still at sea and share the homecoming with the sailors as they pull into dock. They both really enjoyed this very much. My hubby is a former sailor, so it brought back alot of memories for him....AND also reminded him that he is not as young as he used to be ;) We are all just loving having our oldest home with us for a visit. He is happy to be here too, so we are treasuring every moment. He has a birthday coming up in a few weeks, so it is nice to have him back here to celebrate, since just about every holiday or special occasion for the past 4 years has been spent with him away.
These pics are views from his ship before they pulled in. I love the way the sailors line around the ship. What an amazing sight to see. Takes my breath away.

Isn't this a gorgeous picture of the sunset at sea? This was taken on my husband's cell phone the night before the ship pulled in. He said that was one of the things he missed the most about being at sea was the beautiful sunsets. I can only imagine.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I will be back to crafting again after my son's leave is over to share more posts of my work for you. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed these pictures.

Hugs and blessings to you all,

Some Artwork From My Daughter...

2011-05-09T22:58:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone... I am taking a tiny break from crafting, because my son is coming home for a visit after a 9 month deployment away. I really have to clean and get ready for his visit too ;) Don't worry though, once his visit is over, I will be back to crafting and posting again. I may post something fun in the meantime too just to keep in touch.
For now, I am sharing an art project of my daughters from school. She has NEVER used chalks before, and for that matter has not really done a whole lot of experimenting with art other than just sketching here and there and playing around, so I was very pleasantly surprised at how well her project turned out. Unfortunately, it got quite smudged up being transported home on the school bus, but it is still nice nonetheless. She has always seemed to have an eye for art. I think if she really pursued it, she would do very well.

A silly old hammer in the middle of the fruit... I'm sure the teacher must have had a reason for that???

I hope you enjoyed sharing in some of my daughter's debut artwork ;) Thanks for visiting with me, and if you would like to share, I'll bet she would be thrilled to read your comments.

I'll be back to share again soon. Many blessings to you my friends. Have a wonderful evening.

Hugs,
Carolyn

Royal Wedding Cake For The Hotspot...

2011-05-01T14:02:00.004-04:00

Hi All,
Did you all get the chance to watch the Royal Wedding? I did, and what fun it was to see. I just love the opportunity to see a fairytale come to life. I hope that they have a long and wonderfully happy marriage together. I know that when it comes to British Royalty, it's about as elegant and extravagant as it gets for occasions like this, but I couldn't resist making my own version of a beautiful wedding cake (card) in honor of the special day. It is perfect timing for the Hotspot Challenge this month too. Hop on over to the Hotspot Blog and have a look at all of the beautiful wedding cakes to use as inspiration to create with this month. We hope that you will join along with us and really look forward to seeing all the different styles and interpretations of the inspiration provided for you. (The Hotspot challenge is delayed in being posted...if you go for a visit and don't see it, please give it another try tomorrow...thanks!) Please enjoy my sample that I created for you...

Thanks for visiting with me today, and have a Royally good day my friends :)
Hugs,

Challenges:
Spoonfull of Sugar
AiFactory
Charisma Cardz
Crafty Catz
Creative Belli
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenges
ECP Challenge
Paper Cutz
Passionately Artistic
Stampin' for the Weekend~ sentiment is stamped
Totally Gorjuss: 1~sentiment, 2 kinds of gems, 3 ribbons
Stampin' Sisters in Christ
My Mum's Craft Shop
Partytime Tuesdays
Chamber Maids
Moving Along With The Times
Crafts 4 Eternity
Inspire Me Fridays

Happy Easter! Candles For My Mantle

2011-04-24T01:44:00.000-04:00

Easter Blessings to all of you.
I hope that you will enjoy the miracle of the holiday today, and those of you with children, have fun watching them getting their Easter baskets in the morning and all dressed in their Sunday Easter best. What a glorious day it is, and I am very thankful for today and every day that we are blessed with.

I wanted to share the other candle wraps that I made to grace my mantle this Easter. I didn't have them all finished in time for my last post, so here they are all ready to go.

Well, there you have it. Easy peasy candle wraps. If you want to try these and prefer to store them flat for more space, try using velcroe for the closure. That way, you can wrap them onto the candle and unwrap them for flat storage. I am so happy to have come up with this idea to save me so much space for always storing different candles for each of the holidays. If you give this a try, please let me know. I would so love to see what someone else comes up with to make.

Thanks for popping in on this very special day today, and again, I want to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Easter.

Hugs,
Carolyn

Easter Candle Cover and a Summer Beach Card M5D

2011-04-21T11:33:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter week everyone,

I will make this short, because there are lots of great new M5D releases this week, so this post is already long enough. I hope you enjoy my creations, and please feel free to leave me a comment. I really love reading them and hearing from my cyber friends

This is a candle cover that I made. I like displaying candles for each holiday, but don't like having hundreds of candles taking up space, so I decided to make this candle cover that can be removed and re-used again next Easter. Now, I can make another candle cover for the next holiday and use the SAME candle as I did for Easter. I am seriously trying to downsize things in my house.

If you look closely at the sand, you might notice that I used sea salt to add a beachy texture.

Below are the M5D releases for this week

My Fishy Friend

Hummingbird

The Poetry of Birds *FREEBIE*
This is a Birdie Freebie to go along with ALL of Shawne's Bird Images.

Wheelbarrow Blossoms

Easter's Gift

Mommies Hat

Stained Glass Cross

Awareness Flowers

Please help us spread the word! Grab our blinkie code.

Don't forget to play along in our Monthly Challenge! You could win $25 in images!!!

The theme is Trash Art. Recycle anything and everything!

For more ideas and inspiration, feel free to visit the rest of the Design Team blogs!

Thanks for spending some time with me today, and I want to wish all of you a very Happy Easter.

Hugs and Blessings,

Challenges:
ABC challenge
Creative Card Crew
Flutterby Wednesday
For Fun Challenge
Freshly Brewed
My Mum's Craft Shop
Penny's Paper Craft
Sisterhood of crafters
YNS
Whoopsi Daisy
Ladybug Crafts
Going Grey
Digital Tuesday
Drunken Stampers
Digi Design House
Digi Doodle Shop
TTT Challenge
Paper Play
C.R.A.F.T.
Lili of the Valley
4 Crafty Chicks

A Spring Stroll...The Latest M5D Releases

2011-04-14T14:19:00.001-04:00

Hi Friends,
Sorry that it's been a little while since I have posted. It has just been a whirlwind of goings on here.
I am back today with a post from the newest of the M5D releases. I am in a spring mood, so I really wanted to express that in my card this week. I recently saw a card done in these colors, and it really captured my attention. With that inspiration, I wanted to create a similar card. I did need to create a card with some colors out of my comfort zone anyway. I am always leaning towards the pinks and pastels, so this was a refreshing change for me. I hope you enjoy it too and have a look at the great new M5D releases this week. I am running a little low on supplies and haven't been out craft shopping or shopping online in ages, so I am thinking the time is drawing near to make a purchase. In the meantime, I was in need of a flower that I did not have, so if you will notice..in my desperation, I scrunched up some tissue paper and created a flower out of that. I seriously did not think that was going to work for me, but to my surprise, it didn't turn out half bad. What a relief! It took all of about 5 seconds to do too!!! My favorite kind of thing to make....quick and easy ;) Give it a try in a pinch if you are in the same situation as I was.

My tissue paper flower...

Below are this weeks releases:

Patriotic Stripes and Daisies

Tiny Stripes and Daisies

Turquoise Stripes and Daisies

Breezy Blue Stripes and Daisies

My Pet Bunny

Easter Angel

Carrots For The Bunnies

2 FREE Easter Digital Sentiments

Christ is Risen

Christ is Risen Long

Thanks for your visit today. I love having you all stop by to view and say hello. Have a wonderful day :)

Challenges:
Stamping Vacation
Papertake Weekly
My Time To Craft
Fresh Brewed
The Paper Variety
Pear Tree Designs
The Shabby Tea Room
Wags 'n Whiskers
Anything Goes
Card Cupids
By the Cute and Girly
Incy Wincy
Cute Card Thursday

Cute Bunny Hard At Work...Happy Easter Card and M5D Releases

2011-03-31T08:53:00.009-04:00

Are you ready for Easter yet? Thank goodness it is a little later this year, because our weather still wants to hang on to winter and snow. I can't believe it is the last day of March and we are still walking out into a snowy day. Well, I hope it won't be too much longer before our warm weather is here to stay.
I chose this cute bunny for my sample today. This is one of many new releases from McMahon Five Designs today. If you are in search of some really cute digis for spring, you will love this week's release.

Now, onto the new releases for the week:

Easter Bunny Digital Paper

Easter Hat Trick

Sailing With Love

For more ideas and inspiration, visit the Design Team blogs!

Thank you for stopping in for a visit, and have a wonderful day!

Hugs,

It looks like I was in such a hurry to post this morning that I missed some of the challenge details on a couple of the challenges. I will delete the ones that I am finding by comments that I do not qualify for. I am very sorry for the inconvenience. I will be more careful next time.

Challenges:
Gingerloft
Creative Cowgirls
Creative craft world
Fresh Brewed
Die Cut Dreams
House of Gilli
Whimsie Doodles
Amber's Crafts
Paper Pretties
Tellen's Place
Let's Ink it up
Paper Playtime
Make it Monday Linky Party
Stampin' Sisters in Christ

Tastefully Simple (altered) Easter Basket M5D

2011-03-24T07:11:00.010-04:00

Well, I am not even going to talk about the weather, because maybe if I ignore it, it will just go away and let spring come back. So, let's just get to the M5D releases today. I really love Easter and all the soft, pastel and delicate, springy colors that go with it. Memories of fancy dresses, bonnets and white shoes for church, baskets, bunnies, eggs and candy for after church. I have had this Tastefully Simple drink bucket laying around for months just waiting for me to make something out of it, and I have to tell you that my hubby really enjoyed teasing me about creating something for Easter out of a drink bucket. The way I see it is if I could recycle something and help save the earth by re-using, then God would be happy about that, right? Besides, once it was finished, there is no way that you could tell that it used to be a drink bucket. I guess you could give this to a child to collect eggs in or fill with candy and goodies for Easter morning or even use it as a gift basket, but I am displaying mine on my mantle filled with some pretty springy flowers and decorations. I hope you like it. Have any of you done something like this for Easter or another occasion?

Below are some of the other new M5D releases for this week.

Far Away

Egg Hunt

Kitten

Vintage Biker

You can check out what the other DT girls came up with by visiting their blogs.

Thanks for visiting me. Have a wonderful and blessed day my friends :)

Hugs,

Challenges:
I Did It
Wags n Whiskers
Stampin' with the Dragon
Stamp with fun
Aly's Sunday Challenge
2 Sisters
Card Makin' Mamas
Spoonful of Sugar
Crafts and Me
Fairy tale challenge
Gingerloft
Our Creative Corner
Passionately Artistic
Secret Crafter
Scrapbook Sisters
Southern Girls
PIO

Images of Spring

2011-03-20T11:52:00.000-04:00

I was looking at these beautiful pictures of some of our flowers from last year, and they made me smile and appreciate the arrival of Spring. I am really looking forward to the warm weather staying for awhile and can't wait for the earth to be renewed with all of God's beauty once again.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day OR Happy Easter..M5D Release day

2011-03-17T08:26:00.001-04:00

First of all, I want to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I love this day and didn't want to pass up the chance to say.. Top of the mornin' to ya....AND the rest of the day to meself..tee hee...
Well, I do not have a St. Patrick's Day card to share with you, because ... ready or not, I have an Easter card to share. It will be here before you know it, so I wanted to get a card in before it passes us by. I had a tough time with this card. I have had a huge lack of mojo lately, and not alot of time to let my creative juices flow, so I am struggling with getting some projects done. Hope you like it nonetheless. There are plenty of great images being released this week over at the McMahon Five Designs. There is a nice selection of digital paper for Easter and spring too. You won't want to miss it.

Dusty

The Wedding Collection

Hatching Eggs

Pattern Play - Multi Color Canvas

Pattern Play - Bright

Dollhouse

Beauty

Awareness Easter Basket

For more ideas and inspiration, you might like to visit the Design Team blogs!

Thanks for coming in for a look today. Bless your heart. I always look forward to it and love hearing all you have to say. Have a great day!
Hugs,

Challenges:
Anything Goes
Creative Stamp Friends
Lexi's Creations
Totally Gorjuss
Tuesday Throwdown
Digi Stamps 4 Joy
Hand Stamped Sentiments
Creative Craft Challenges
Wild Orchid Challenges
Scrap Creations
Stampin' Sisters in Christ
Stamp With Sarah Kay

For all those affected in any way by the horrific earthquake in Japan or tsunamis here and in Hawaii

2011-03-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

May God watch over you and grant you strength to endure whatever comes your way.

Prayers and hugs to all of you.

Dainty Butterfly Card M5D Releases

2011-03-10T08:08:00.002-05:00

Hi Friends,
Can you believe it is Thursday again already? The weeks are just flying by. Today is release day at McMahon Five Designs, and there are some wonderful releases to show. Vintage and beautiful are the images this week. The image on my card is a freebie courtesy of Sue if you play along with the CDAC challenge that she is hosting and providing the sketch for.

Below are the new releases and the sketch for the CDAC challenge.

The Little Clown

Vintage Watch

Young Love

We are happy to be hosting the CDAC Sketch Challenge starting today. Below is the sketch and be sure to show us your creations!

For more ideas and inspiration, drop by and visit the rest of the Design Team blogs!

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today. Have a wonderful day and a wonderful weekend.

Challenges:

Alys
Incy Wincy

Craft your passion
Card Cupids

Stamp Something

Ladybug crafts

For Fun
Card Creations and More by C

My Time To Craft
Ellephantastic
Simon Says Stamp
The Pink Elephant
Flutter By Wednesday

A Touch of Spring Card...and the M5D releases

2011-03-03T07:14:00.003-05:00

Hi all... I hope your week is going well. I am going to make this a post of little words and let you enjoy the pictures instead. These are the new M5D releases for the week. I hope you enjoy mine. There are many great images to choose from.

The inside of my card is from last week's release. You can still get this at M5D though.

The Sister of the Ravens

St. Patrick's Kisses

Argyle Shamrocks

St. Patrick's Stripes

Clovers & Kisses

Nature's Wings

Corset

They Lived and Laughed

Check out what the rest of the team came up with. There is always a ton of inspiration to be found.
Amy

Thank you for spending a few moments with me today. I enjoy your visits and look forward to the next one.

Hugs,

Challenges:
Scrapbook Sisters
Passionately Artistic
Papertake Weekly
Paper Playtime
I Did It
Papercutz
Paper Garden
Incy Wincy
If the shoe fits
Crafty Purple Frog
TTT Challenge

Old Fashioned Mother and Child Card for The Hotspot..

2011-03-01T08:26:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all having a good week! I have to admit, I wasn't quite ready for this post today, but nevertheless, I am going to try to pull it off anyway. I would like to share a card today that I did for the Hotspot challenge at Studio 313. There is a great challenge this month that you should really go check out. If you love the red carpet, the Oscars and all the glitz and glamour that goes with it, you will love this month's challenge. The challenge is to choose one of the selected Halle Barry dresses for your inspiration and dig into your creative mind to come up with a project to match. Sound like fun? I thought so. Here is what I came up with. I hope you like it and that you will play along.

Don't forget to stop by the Hotspot to see more inspiration from the rest of the DT girls.

Thanks for visiting me today, and please feel free to drop a line and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you. :)

Have a wonderful day.

Challenges:
Wild Orchid
Do you stack up
I did it
Thrilling Thursday
Fresh Brewed
Southern Girls
Tip Top Tuesday: I used ALL my favs on this one.
Paper Romance
Scrapbook Sisters
AiFactory
Stampin' for the weekend

A Bad Black Kitty Cat...

2011-02-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

He looks cute enough, doesn't he? hahaha

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't let that innocent little face fool you! This little boy has chewed through a couple hundred dollars worth of electrical wires already, knocked down several potted plants and just tears through the house through the middle of the night looking for something/anything to terrorize.

Do you ever feel like you are being tested pretty much on a daily basis? I do. It seems that each week that passes presents another challenge in our lives. This little kitten is just a mild addition to those challenges. I am hoping that there is something to be learned and strength to be gained as each of these challenges are faced. I, however, feel almost like how much stronger should a person need to be, right? Is there a light to be found somewhere in the dark to reach the end of the tunnel...is there a peace to be had before our time on this earth is gone? Am I expecting too much out of life? I guess it's possible that next week, I could post on here about a great time that I may be having....(or at least I would like to hope that). I think I want to take this opportunity of feeling down to make certain that I acknowledge all the things that I do appreciate in life....like the fact that I woke up healthy today as did my family, I have a roof over my head, food to feed my family, a safe country in which to live, even if it is not at it's best economically right now...good friends whether they be here in person or cyber friends..they all are treasures to me. I am grateful for all of these blessings and many more, so I do realize that there are always good and bad things in life. With so many tragic things going on in this world, I feel pretty guilty thinking that anything for me should have to be easy, so I guess I am sharing this with you to try to put things into perspective for myself. Trying to put words down as therapy to put it out of my head and move past the cloudiness and let the sunshine in. So, if I rambled and bored you to tears...I apologize ;) I probably could have written this on paper for myself only, but this way, I can always go back and read this post again if I need to to remember to look at the positive.

I hope that you all remember your blessings each day, and if you are having a tough time right now...I'm right there with you. We can get through it together. Thanks for dropping by.. On a little brighter note, I will have a card to share with you for next week's M5D releases. Hope you'll stop by and have a look then.

Enjoy your day,

Tropical Paradise Floral Card and M5D Releases...

2011-02-17T07:09:00.012-05:00

Welcome to my site.. I am really feeling like Spring, so I wanted to show you a warm and inviting card filled with beautiful flowers.. one that takes you to a tropical place full of sunshine, relaxing beaches and maybe even a tropical drink in your hand. I can almost smell the flowers, can't you? I am ready to trade in this winter for warm weather right this second! Oh how I miss "my" Hawaii :)
There are some great new releases at McMahon Five Designs this week, so be sure to visit and check out all the samples over there. Lots of wonderful inspiration to be found. This is my sample, but there are so many ways to use these digis. It is always fun to see it used so differently by everyone who uses it.

FREE DIGI FOR YOU!

Help us spread the word!
Grab this months Blinkie or Badge!

For more ideas and inspiration, visit the Design Team blogs!

I hope you enjoyed your visit with me today, and please stop back again soon. Have a great day.

Hugs,

Challenges:

Passionately Artistic

Little Claire's

Stampin' with the Dragon

Simply Create

Phindy's Place

Aly's Sunday Challenge

M5D Releases for the week...

2011-02-10T08:31:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I do not have a project of my own to share with you today. We have run dry on ink for our printer, so we have to replenish before I can continue to create. On a brighter note, I will have a new project to share for the release next week, and in the meantime, please enjoy the latest from McMahon Five Designs. If you have a passion for sewing, don't miss out on this week's release. It is just for you. Pop on over and have a look at some of the samples that the girls have prepared for you.

This is a FREEBIE for ONE WEEK ONLY!

For YOU to use in our Natural Elements Challenge!

So what do you think? Pretty nice digis this week, don't you agree? Well, I'm off to try to get warm in this frigid weather and tidy up a bit too. Don't forget to pop in next Thursday for my next project. Until then, take good care my friends.

Hugs,

I got a blog award from someone????

2011-02-07T09:15:00.000-05:00

Good Monday morning everyone..
I got this blog award a while back, and I had been so busy with the holidays and everything else that I had completely forgotten about it. I am so embarrassed, but I cannot remember who gave this award for me, and I wanted to thank them. If you were the giver of this award, please let me know, and I want to thank you for thinking of me. I am hoping that I can be more organized this year and keep up on things, but so far I am not winning this battle. Please forgive me.
Thank you to all of my viewers for your support of my blog and my work. I appreciate all of you very much!

Hugs,

A Dashing Fellow With A Valentine Rose For His Sweetheart...M5D Releases..

2011-02-03T08:30:00.003-05:00

Good Thursday morning to you all.
I hope that all of you that have been affected by this ice/snow storm are beginning to recover from it. You sure do have to be in shape to handle a storm like this. That ice is so heavy to get off the sidewalks and everywhere else..not to mention being agile enough not to bust your butt on it ; ) I am thinking my poor kids (as much as they are loving these snow days) are going to be going to school well into the summer this year. I also want to send out prayers to my Australian friends affected by the terrible cyclone they endured there and hoping that you all are well.
Surprisingly enough amidst all of this winter chaos, I did manage to get a little card done for this week's release. I am not so sure how well that penguin fits into those soft, lacy and pastel colors and designs, but he sure is charming, isn't he? This image is a Fairy Doodler image, and if you notice, the heart charm on the ribbon is one of the Studio 313 digi charms. Gotta try them out if you love to use charms on your cards.
Enjoy all of the new M5D releases today, and thank you for stopping by for a visit.

Percy Penguin

Sugar Anne

Sitting Pretty

Sweet Love

For more ideas and inspriation, stop by and visit the rest of the Design Team blogs!

Amy
Carolyn that's me :)

Raven

Shelly

Have a great day and once again, stay warm and safe.

Hugs,

Challenges:
Totally Gorjuss
Stamptacular Sunday
Stamps R Us
Speedy the Cat
Sparkles Forum
Ann's Creative Nook
Lexi's
Creative Inspirations
Cheerful Stamp Pad
Flourishes
Mami Doodles
Wild Orchid
Creative Inspirations
Bunny Zoes
Tuesday Taggers
City Crafter
KB challenges
Bee Crafty
Simply Create
Some Odd Girl
Crafty Catz
Crazy4challenges
Digi Doodle Shop
Pixie Dust Studios

2011-02-02T17:55:00.000-05:00

I am a day late getting this post up. I guess better late than never, but I do promise to be more careful about these things. I think that whole ice storm and snow day threw me off.
Check out the link, and read all the fun news below....

We have exciting news to share with you! Studio 313 and McMahon Five Designs have joined forces and have a monthly challenge called "The Hotspot Challenge". The First of every month will be a new Hot Challenge based on the Latest Hottest Trends!

For February our theme is Natural Elements. Go ahead and find natural elements to add to your card this month! Pull out some of the items you haven't used in a while or haven't even tried yet! We all have hemp cord, raffia, wooden buttons, cotton ribbon and how about really changing it up and using Real Wood Paper? There are hundreds of ideas for it's use in the Idea Gallery! Below is an Inspirational Photo to get your creative minds going!

Now, it wouldn't be a challenge if there wasn't a prize, right? RIGHT! Using our Natural Elements Theme we created a Prize Package filled with Natural Elements!

Prize package includes:

1 sheet of Birds Eye Maple Real Wood Paper

1 sheet of Cherry Real Wood Paper

1 sheet of Maple Real Wood Paper

1 sheet of Walnut Real Wood Paper

1 package Kaisercraft Wood Flourishes Vines

1 assorted package of Real Wood Paper Leaf Die Cuts

15 yards of Hemp Cord

1 foot of 100% Cotton Twill Tape

1 bundle of Raffia

1 Wicker Basket Full of Fibers – White and Multi

1 Wood Trinket Box for Altering

1 7” strand of Freshwater Pearls

2 Vintaj Natural Brass Filigree Butterflies

1 package of 10 Natural Pressed Flowers

4 Mulberry Paper Roses

Thanks for being patient with me while I catch up with myself. Don't forget to drop by tomorrow for the newest M5D releases, and have a great evening.

Hugs,

Young Love Valentine Card... M5D New Releases

2011-01-27T08:16:00.001-05:00

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching as it seems all the days and holidays are anymore. As much as I hate to see the time going by so quickly, I am greatly anticipating the arrival of Spring. I am ready for these cold winter days filled with more snow than anyone should have to have at one time in one place to be replaced with an abundance of sunshine and warm days that we can enjoy spending our time outdoors once again.

In the meantime, I would like to share my latest card with an image from one of the new M5D releases this week. This image is one from Fairydoodler, but there are many new releases that you may enjoy if you would like to have a look over at the store.

Onto the new releases for this week :)

Harlequin Quilt in Blue Satin

Floral Banner

As an added BONUS this week,
Shawne is offering a Charm Digi Set
FOR FREE
and asking you to play along in her
Charm Theme on her Challenge Blog!

Hurry! Challenge ends Monday!
$25.00 in Images Up For Grabs!!!

Take a look at what the rest of the Design Team came up with for these awesome images!

Raven
Ruby
Shelly
Sue

Well, I guess it is now time for me to get back to the real world and go shovel some snow off of our sidewalks. I hope you enjoyed your visit today, and stop back again soon.
Have a great day all :)
Hugs,

Challenges:

Paper Cutz
One Stitch At A Time
Woodware USA
Penny's
Simply Create
Aud's Sentiments
Bunny Zoes
Craft Your Days Away
Stamp With Sarah Kay
Lexi's Creations
Res Q
My Time To Craft
Fab N Funky
Secret Crafter
Paper Minutes
Tip Top Tuesday
Crafty Cardmakers
Fairytale challenge

M5D Sunset Meadows Valentine Card

2011-01-20T08:15:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone, Sorry you had to wait so long for the reveal for this card, but the M5D new releases are now out today. Go have a look. There are some really awesome ones this week. I have had so many crafting delays over the past month or two, and my latest was a lack of black printer ink. With our bad weather here, I was not able to go out and buy some when I needed it and still had to get my card done in time, soooo what does a creative mind do in a bind???? Get creative and improvise :) I decided to make this a vintage card and changed the colors to antique them and voila....no black ink needed. Have any of you had to do something similar when caught in a situation like this?
I posted a couple of pictures that show without the new M5D Valentine digi buttons, and then I decided that I wanted to add some to the card, so there are a couple that are shown with it too. I really did go button size with these buttons, so that they would fit well on the ribbon. These are so versatile and can be used with just about anything. I hope that Sue will keep making these for every occasion.
I know that some of these pictures may look like this is an easel card, but it isn't. It is a gatefold turned sideways. Just wanted to try something different to see what it would look like. Do you like the look? Have any of you tried this before?

Here they are.....the new releases :)

Exclusive Line of Acrylic Stamps
By D'Amour Allure

Wishes of Love

Even though our focus is Breast Cancer Awareness,
our images can be used for many other cancers and diseases.

After you have completed your self breast exam this month,
this beautiful digital stamp is yours FREE!

Live, Laugh, Love Life

Help us spread the word!Grab this months Blinkie or Badge!

For more inspiration and some beautiful samples of these new images, please visit the Design Team blogs!

Raven
Ruby
Shelly
Sue

Thank you for visiting me today. I hope you enjoyed my card and that you have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs,

Challenges:

Craft Your Days Away
AI Factory
Stamp Something
2 Sisters
Fairytale Challenge
Wild Orchid
Phindy's Place
Tuesday Throwdown
Fresh Brewed
Wags N Whiskers
Secret Crafter
Creatalicious
Speedy The Cats Friends
Paper Playtime
Wee Memories

Another Snow Day and A Little Sneaky Peek ;)

2011-01-13T10:24:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone...Is it looking white outside where you are? We are on our 2nd snow day of the week for the schools here. I don't love snow, but I seriously can't complain if I am comparing to the winter we had last year. The kids sure aren't complaining. If it weren't for the frigid temps, I know they would want to be outside all day in this stuff.

Unfortunately with the weather and some other commitments this week, I did not have time to get a project done for the new M5D releases that came out this week, but please go have a look at some of the awesome new images. There are some wonderful samples from the DT.

I do, however, have something prepared for the next upcoming release and thought I would share a little sneaky peek with you. Lacy, frilly and all feminine. Would you expect anything less from me? Be sure to stop back next Thursday to see the whole thing.

Stay warm and safe in this weather my friends.

Hugs,

Birthday Blog Hop...Happy Birthday Ruby!! :)

2011-01-08T08:00:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone,
We all wanted to get together today to celebrate and wish Ruby...our new Guest Designer this month for the McMahon Five Designs a very Happy Birthday. We all have a special little wish for Ruby today, and if you hop to each of our blogs, you will see all the fun and sweet wishes for our new friend.

Hop begins with:

Sue
Raven
Lorie
Christine
Shelly
Michelle
Kristine
Bonnie
Amy
Carolyn

And last but not least...the Birthday Girl Herself :)

Ruby

Have a fabulous day Ruby, and may you have many, many more to come.

Hugs,

Cupcake Bookmark...M5D New releases

2011-01-06T06:46:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I haven't posted since before the New year, so I wanted to be sure that I wished you all a wonderful and creative new year. There are some great new releases from the McMahon Five Designs Store today. Sooo cute. I wanted to make a bookmark with a couple of them, but do you all notice something wrong with this picture? LOL, guess I wasn't thinking that this was going to be quite bulky to fit between the pages of a book. Oh well, my daughter likes it, so hers it is. ;)
The cupcake image and the sweet friend sentiment are two of the new digis that I used, and the dp with the cherries is also part of the collection. If you look closely, you will also notice that I used some of Sue's wood paper on the front of this bookmark too. I love that stuff :) All of these products can be found at The McMahon Five Designs store.

Below are the new releases and logo links to our friends that provide their products through McMahon Five Designs.

Alice

The Sweet Thang

The Sweet Thang Vintage Designer Papers

On The Slopes

Be sure to check out the samples by the rest of the Design Team!

Raven
Ruby
Shelly
Sue

Have a great day everyone, and thank you for coming in for a look today.

Challenges:
Auds Sentiments
Fairy Knoll
Craft Your Passion
Victorine Stamps
Papertake Weekly
Ladybug Crafts Ink
Craft Your Days Away
OSAAT
Creative Inspirations
Studio 313 Hotspot

Hugs,

My Top 10 Cards of 2010

2010-12-28T19:10:00.000-05:00

I had such a wonderful Christmas this year and hope that you did too. I guess it is now time to look ahead to the New Year, and I found this really cool blog hop HERE. They are asking that you showcase your Top 10 favorite cards of 2010. I thought it sounded like fun, so I thought I would play along. I am not completely sure that I chose my absolute favs as the top 10, because I sort of rushed through them, and I actually added 11 because I am only showing the inside of one of the cards, so I didn't want to cheat anyone ;)
Well....Here they are....

Some of the cards I chose are firsts for me, and I really enjoyed experimenting with different techniques this year. I have had fun entering lots of challenges, reading comments from many of my encouraging friends and making new ones along the way. I am so grateful for all of you that took the time to visit my blog, leaving me all the sweet comments that you have left me and all of the new followers that have chosen to follow along with me. It has been a great and fun year with all of you, and I wish you all the Happiest New Year with many blessings to fill your lives.

Hugs,

For Unto Us A Child Is Born..

2010-12-25T00:45:00.000-05:00

A savior..Jesus Christ
Wishing you all the joys and blessings of this Christmas season and a very happy, safe and healthy New Year.
Thank you for your wonderful and supportive friendship this year. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Hugs,

A Friendly Winter Hello From a Cuddly Pal

2010-12-24T01:11:00.000-05:00

Oh my...I am exhausted. I have been working all day and night finishing up for the holiday festivities. Now, I have a headache that I can't get rid of, so I can't get to sleep. I figured since I am up anyway, I would share this easel card with you. I love the cute Cuddly Buddly image, and I am not sure why I made this card red, white and blue, but I think I like it nonetheless. I took pictures from a few different angles just so you could see the dimensions. I hope you enjoy.
I have just one more Christmas card to share with you hopefully later today and then will be focusing on my family for the rest of the holiday season. I wish you all a wonderful and blessed holiday.

Hugs,

Celebrate The Season

2010-12-23T08:36:00.000-05:00

Good morning. I wanted to share with you today this cute card that went to my sweet little boy, my joy, my little love. He is so excited for Christmas and really keeps the magic of the season alive for me. I can't wait to see his face on Christmas morning :) This little sweetheart of mine requested this image for his card this year. I originally had something else in mind for him, and he quickly changed my mind for me, so here it is...his forest friends at Christmas time. He is quite happy with it and ALWAYS saves every single card I ever give him. He has been my encouragement, inspiraton and highest praiser of my cards from the very beginning. What would I do without these wonderful blessings that God has seen fit to grace my life with? The only complaint I have is that they grow up and leave us far too soon. I wish we could keep them little longer and bottle those hugs and kisses to pull out again one day when they aren't with us every day anymore.
Well, it is time for me to get my Christmas work started. I have to start cooking and getting ready for my holiday guests. I hope you enjoy my post today and will stop back again. I have just a couple more Christmas posts before I take a little holiday break. Have a great day :)

Hugs,

Holy Nativity..A Christmas Miracle

2010-12-22T18:23:00.001-05:00

We're getting down to the wire now. Now's the time for me to start thinking about food preparation. Yikes, that is not my strength. If I am lucky and pray some, I may have the same wonderful success that I did for Thanksgiving, but I always hold my breath on this part. I guess if all else fails, I can serve cookies and candy ;)
This nativty card goes to another friend of ours. He requested gold, so gold it was. I like the way the embossing looks on the gold paper. A very special card with a very special meaning. It reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas. What a blessed season this is.
Thank you for dropping in for a look this evening. I hope you are getting some time to relax in the hustle and bustle of these last few busy days. Take care my friends.

Hugs,

Joyous Noel

2010-12-21T17:54:00.001-05:00

Four more days! The minutes are rushing by. I guess this is about the time I start to get a little sad, because all of the hype of getting ready for the day and the joy of the season is about to whoosh away in the blink of an eye. I wish that we could freeze time and enjoy this day for much longer. I plan to enjoy every single second of it though and look forward to spending this time with my children and my family.
This card went to my brother and his family. I chose the cute House Mouse skater image and really dressed it up for the season. Just a few more cards to share, and we should be done. I hope that you will all treasure every second of this beautiful and magical season too. Thanks for visiting me, and I will be back again tomorrow for another post.

Hugs,

Pretty CAS Christmas Poinsettia

2010-12-20T07:07:00.001-05:00

Well, one more shopping trip left for me today, and I am ready for Christmas. Wish me luck :-/
Today's card is made with white paper only. I inked the edges for just a touch of contrast and went over the dry embossing with some ink. It is a CAS card, but did not need alot of extras to enhance the beauty of this flower that is beautiful all by itself.
I hope that you all are pretty much ready for the big week ahead of us. Enjoy the fun and excitement of these next days, and stay warm if you are in areas like we are where it has been brutally cold for weeks now.
Thanks for dropping in this morning, and come back again tomorrow for the next post. If you like, please scroll down to see some of my other Christmas card posts, as I am posting more frequently this week, and most of you are probably not used to seeing this much from me in one week. Have a great day :)

Hugs,

Cardinals..The Most Beautiful Birds of Christmas...

2010-12-19T11:58:00.001-05:00

Today, I am sharing a card that I made for a very dear friend of ours. I used one of my favorite holiday images and matched it up with the traditional Christmas colors and some gorgeous red velvet ribbon and pearl flourishes that I got from McMahon Five Designs. I just love using those.

Thanks for visiting me today, and don't forget to stop by often this week. I will be posting the rest of my Christmas cards before the weekend. Have a great Sunday everyone.

Hugs,

Jingle All The Way

2010-12-18T13:01:00.001-05:00

We are counting down the days now here at our house. The kids are getting so excited. A quick post today to share the card that I gave to my sister and her husband this year. A Purple Christmas. Just trying to be different.
Have a nice day all, and thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,

Eskimo Wishes And Eskimo Kisses Christmas Card

2010-12-14T10:14:00.015-05:00

Maybe it's just me, but doesn't it seem like Christmas is trying to get here too fast? I can't seem to keep up with the pace. I still have some preparing to do, and I still have plenty of cards to share with you, so I may be posting some quick posts in the next week or so just to get them all in before the big day arrives. Stop by often to see what I have to share.
This card is a little different for a Christmas card. I wanted to incorporate some corkboard wood paper into the theme that I got from McMahon Five Designs. That is some of the coolest paper that I have worked with yet. I love the feel of it. I colored with my copic markers and sparkled it up with some star dust stickles.

I took a little bit of time to enter this into the following challenges just because :)DP2 Challenge, Incy Wincy Designs, Totally Gorjuss, AiFactory, Alphabet Challenge, Bunny Zoe, Cupcake Craft, Lexi's, Pear Tree, Pixie Dust Studio, S2G, Simon Says Stamp, Stampin with the Dragon, Stamps R Us, The Pink Elephant.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to stop back soon to see my marathon of posts in the next week. Have a warm and cozy day INSIDE! Sheesh, it's cold here.

Hugs,

Under The Mistletoe

2010-12-07T10:02:00.005-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....or at least it is here anyway. We are getting slammed with our first big snow of the season, and two school snow days under our belts already. As soon as that calendar hit December, mother nature decided to turn the cooler on and run the snow machine. I don't complain too much in December, because I do like to have snow for Christmas, but I am the first to admit that once Christmas is over, I am done with snow, and I dread the rest of winter. After last winter's massive amounts of snow, I am hoping that we get a little bit of a break this year.
In light of the season, I would like to share a card with you that I made for hubby. I won this Kenny K image a little while back, and thought it was the perfect image to make hubby's card with this year. So cute. I gave it to him already, and yes, he does love it. I am happy to say that I did get all the handmade cards for Christmas made that I wanted to this year and all to be sent out this week. What a lot of work it was as many of you know that I started this task in July. It is so satisfying to see them all done though and lots of happy recipients.

Shiny boots ;)

Thank you for dropping in today and for your comments. I appreciate you and your time to drop a line. Stay warm my friends, and have a wonderful day.

Hugs,

Challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday -use ribbon
Bugaboo - Anything Goes
Sugar Sweet Paper Treats - Anything Goes
The Artistic Stamper - Christmas
The Paper Players - Christmas
Paper Issues - Holiday Hookup
The Secret Crafter - Christmas
Papercutz - Christmas with 2 patterned papers
Paper Romance - winter
Stampavie and More - snow / snowflakes
Stamps R Us - Holiday card
Dutch Dare - Christmas card/tag/ornament
Challenge up your life - Christmas
Paper Playtime - snowflakes
AiFactory - winter
Something Completely Different - Snow..I have lots of snowflakes
Midnight Madness - sketch 82
2 Sisters - Sparkly Christmas
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Christmas card
Cards for men - Christmas
Christmas Cards All Year 'Round - Santa
City Crafter - Let it snow
Craft your Passion - anything goes
ECP - Christmas
SHC4 - sparkle and bling
Pear Tree - winter wonderland
The Crazy Challenge - All I want for Christmas is you
The Cuttlebug spot - Christmas
Tuesday Taggers - Deck the Halls

My Christmas Mantel This Year

2010-12-03T07:04:00.006-05:00

TGIF Friends, I hope this finds you all doing well, staying warm and getting ready for the fast approaching holidays. I have many Christmas cards still to share with you, so I had not planned on posting any of my Christmas decor this year, but just by chance this morning, I happened across the Blue Cricket Design Christmas Mantel Link up on my blog roll, and I thought why not. I will post a picture for you all to see. I was longing for some new decorations this year, as my tastes seem to have changed over the years, and I would love to have my home reflect that, however, this just didn't happen to be the year to make that happen. I am still using the aged classics for the most part on my mantel. Maybe I will find some sales after Christmas to add to next year's mantel. I noticed in my pictures that my garland needed straightened out ;) oops...I have since fixed it, and it looks very uniform now. It's always good to have a second eye checking out the decorations.

I hope you enjoy and are having fun decorating your home for the holidiays.
Thanks for visiting me, and have a wonderful day : )

Linking to:
Blue Cricket Design
The Lettered Cottage
Creative Juice Thursday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
The Shabby Chic Cottage

Hugs,

Tilda's Christmas Present

2010-11-26T12:43:00.010-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving, and those of you that braved the Black Friday sales...bless your heart. We had a wonderful day yesterday with lots of delicious food....ALL made exclusively by me : ) I was so relieved when it was all made, all turned out wonderfully and all cleaned up. Today will be spent relaxing for a little bit and then pulling out the Christmas decorations. I was not interested in Black Friday this year and am happy to miss it.

I wanted to share a Tilda Christmas card with you that I think may go to my little niece this year. What a sweet image this one is. Lots and lots of detail and sparkle and shine on this one. I hope you enjoy. Have a wonderful holiday weekend full of happy blessings for you.

Linking to:
Midnight Madness
A Spoon Full of Sugar
Artful Inkables
Creative Belli
Crafty Creations
FBD
Daring Cardmakers
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Hodge Podge Shop
Fab n Funky
ABC Christmas
Lexis Creations
Little Paper Shop
Creative Inspirations
Scrappy Frogs
Stamp and Create
Alota Rubberstamps
OSAAT
Charisma Cardz
CCEE Challenge
MSL
Whoopsie Daisy
Crafty Catz
Top Tip Tuesday
Pile it on
Young and Crafty
Be Different act Normal
Paper Issues

Hugs,

Happy Thanksgiving and some more M5D releases

2010-11-25T06:00:00.011-05:00

Just a quick post for me today as I want to spend the day with my family, and I have a TON of cooking to do. I am so thankful and grateful for so many blessings this year, and I am thankful for all of my blogger friends for their support and friendship this year. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you have many blessings to be thankful for too.

I hope you will enjoy the new McMahon Five Releases below. I made a gift tag with the cancer awareness wreath. I love making little gift tags for the holidays, and it really makes the packages pretty too. Before we know it, the big day will be here, and I haven't even finished buying my gifts yet. If you would like to grab this image up for the holidays, you can get this FREEBIE AT McMahon Five Designs right now. How's that for a little gift on Thanksgiving Day : )

New this week...

Adele's Gift

New this week...

Jolly Elf

New this week...

Graces Glow

New Breast Cancer Awareness Free Digital Stamp

Be sure to check out the samples by the rest of the Design Team!

Have a wonderful and blessed day everyone, and I will be back to visit you all very soon.

Just a few challenges for this one:
A Spoon Full of Sugar
Papertake Weekly: My tag is a die
Digi Doodle Shop
Hodge Podge Shop
Little Paper Shop: My tag is a die
The Shabby Tea Room

Hugs,

Sugar Plum Fairy and a Sweet Mouse

2010-11-18T06:30:00.032-05:00

I have some new M5D releases to share with you today....just in time for the holidays. I chose to make my sugar plum fairy card a bit more on the neutral side. It does give the perspective that you can use this image for something beyond Christmas. I like to mix it up a little sometimes ;)

My second image is a really cute mouse by Shawne Arnold, and I decided to make this a combined ornament/gift tag. I am participating in Operation Christmas Child, and I am attaching this to my package that will be shipped to a needy child somewhere in the world for Christmas this year. I think from a very early age that I enjoyed giving gifts a little bit more than receiving them. It's such a warm and happy feeling to know that you may bring a moment of happiness to someone by such a small gesture. If you would like to join in this brilliant program to help a child smile this holiday season, there is still a little bit of time left. The last day to drop your package off is November 22nd. You can find out if there is a local drop-off site in your area by clicking HERE. I had so much fun shopping for this.

New this week from Solocosmo...

Sugar Plum Fairy

New this week from Studio 313...

Merry Christmouse

New this week from McMahon Vintage Digitals...

Vintage Bicycle

Turkey Trot

Tom Turkey

Tail Feathers

Be sure to check out the samples by the rest of the Design Team!

Linking to some challenges:
Simon Says Challenge: Both projects qualify for sparkle.
ABC Christmas: Mouse ornament qualifies for this challenge
AiFactory: Both projects qualify for die cut challenge
Bunny Zoe's: Mouse ornament qualifies
Crafts and Me: Both projects qualify for glitter
Crafty Creations: Sugar Plum Fairy card qualifies
Crazy 4 Challenges: Mouse ornament qualifies
Creative Inspirations: Mouse ornament qualifies
Fresh Brewed: Both projects qualify
Fun With Shapes and More: Mouse Ornament qualifies
I Did It Creations: Mouse Ornament qualifies
Lexi's Creations: Mouse Ornament qualifies
Paper Sundaes: both projects qualify
Pollycraft Monday Challenge: Mouse ornament qualifies
Saturday Secret crafter Challenge: Both projects qualify.
Stamp Something: both projects qualify
Stampin' Royalty: Both projects qualify
Stamps R Us: both projects qualify
Totally Gorjuss: Mouse ornament qualifies
Karber: Mouse ornament qualifies
The Crafty Pad: Mouse ornament qualifies
Crafty Purple Frog: Both projects qualify
Digi Stamps 4 Joy: Mouse ornament qualifies
Fairy tale Challenge: both projects qualify
The Treehouse: Both projects qualify
Meljens: Both projects qualify
Stampin' B's: Mouse ornament qualifies
Digi Doodles: Both projects qualify
Ellephantastic Challenge: I chose to use the sugar plum fairy card for this one.

Thanks for visiting me today, and please feel free to share your comments with me. I appreciate them very much.
Stay warm, and have a wonderful weekend :)

Sweet Christmas Clara...M5D New Releases

2010-11-11T14:36:00.014-05:00

Well, the day we have been waiting for is finally here.....the new McMahon Five Design releases are out. The image that I chose to use for my sample is one of my favorite images of the bunch. They are all amazing and sweet images, but I fell in love with sweet Clara as soon as I saw her. Isn't she beautiful? I couldn't resist using this beautiful shade of blue and lots of delicate flowers and pretty ribbon to really show off the beauty of this gorgeous image. There are lots of images to choose from, and I am sure that there is something to please anyone on your card list or even to make an altered item with. Don't you just love that with these digital images that you can pretty much make what you want and any size you want? The possibilites are endless.

Clara

Madam Margaret

Molly Snowday

Penquin

Check out the samples by the rest of the Design Team!

I hope you will feel inspired to try out one of these images for yourself, and I would love to drop by and visit you if you create something with one. Leave me a comment with a link to your project, and I will drop in for a look.

Linking to:
Bee Crafty
Crafts and Me
Crazy 4 Challenges
Cute Card Thursday
I Did It Creations...I chose Easter pastels and white with Christmas
If the Shoe Fits
Little Red Wagon I used 3 sets of 3 flowers
Totally Stampalicious
ABC challenge
The Creative Cottage
YNS
Ellephantastic Challenge

Have a great day : )

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-11-05T16:23:00.009-04:00

Just wanted to share a card with you that I made for my Dad's 87th birthday this year. I am only about a month late posting it to my blog. Sort of a simple card, but never want to overdo the masculine cards. I almost always go to my staple for male cards....wood paper. You all know where you can find this at right? Yep, McMahon Five Designs store. It's a life saver for those of us that can't seem to muster up a way to make a card look manly on our own. I am typically a very girly, feminine card maker, so this is pretty important to me when I am in need of a card for a man or even a boy. I never used to make cards for my Dad or for any of my family. Just thought they wouldn't like them I guess. Come to find out, they love them, and now it's all they ever want : )

Thanks for dropping in for a quick peek. I will be back next week to share something else I have been working on. Don't forget to stop by for a look. It will be with some great new-release images. I'm excited to share with you. I think you will love them too.

Have a great weekend : )

Linking to:

November Guest Designer at Crafting Life's Pieces Challenge Blog..A Christmas Card : )

2010-11-01T07:22:00.026-04:00

What a wonderful Fall morning.

I am so excited, honored and humbled to announce that I have been asked by Chelsea of Crafting Life's Pieces to be the November Guest Designer for her Challenge Blog.. CLP Challenges. I have admired Chelsea's work for quite some time now. She is very talented, and she also has a very talented DT. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside them this month. I hope that I measure up to the mega talent over there. I also hope that you might be inspired to join along in the fun and have a chance to win some great prizes too. Chelsea always has an awesome sketch to work with :)

This is what I came up with for her November sketch. I have been working on Christmas cards for a long time now and found this to be the perfect opportunity to add to my growing and almost completed collection before it comes time to ship them out. There are lots of fun, elegant and festive details on this card, and any of you that know me from my past creations know that you are most likely to find girly, lacy and feminine cards on my site. It's my favorite style, and it makes me happy.

Lovely sheer ribbon graced with white pearls.

I look forward to seeing all of the wonderful entries this month, and I wish you all a lovely day.

I am linking up to:

The Crazy Challenge: Pearls and swirls...I have lots of pearls, and a swirly ribbon
Lexi's Creations
Pollycraft Monday
Spoon Full of Sugar
Creative Card Crew
ABC Challenge
Stamping Vacation: T for tree, green paper, corner punch... my pick 3
Wild Orchid Challenge
Incy Wincy Designs
Craft your passion
Christmas Cards All Year 'Round
Creative Inspirations Challenge
Totally PaperCraft Challenge
Simon Says Challenge
OSAAT
Fussy and Fancy Friday
Stampavie and More
Scrappy Saturday Challenges
Papertake Weekly
Stamping Vacation
4 Crafty Chicks
Inktegrity
Cowgirl's Sunday

Hugs,

Think Pink..In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month..

2010-10-25T11:03:00.016-04:00

Good Monday Morning my friends,
I hope that you all took the opportunity to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month by scheduling your exam and that you do regular self-examinations. There is nothing more important than our health not only for our own sake, but for the sake of our loved ones as well. I thought that I would make a pretty little magnet for my refrigerator to remind me of how important that this is, and I can't get anything out of my refrigerator without seeing this cute little bear. This was very quick, easy and fun to make. I used an old ribbon spool as my base, so that it would make for a sturdy magnet to remove from the fridge and maybe put somewhere else. If you would like to make something like this for yourself, a friend or loved one, you are in luck. This sweet little Ribbon Bear is a FREEBIE that you can pick up for yourself at the McMahon Five Designs Store.
Thanks for dropping in for a visit, and stay healthy my friends : )

This is how mine looks on my refrigerator

Our DT Sister, Bonnie has been feeling down since learning the news that her friend, Elise was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Many of us have followed Jacque's journey this year with Breast Cancer. We are all affected by this disease in one form or another and we can all do one thing to protect ourselves. SELF EXAMS! It's quick and simple and can save your life.

The M5D girls rallied together this past week to not only cheer up our sweet Bonnie's spirits but to help bring Awarness to such an important issue that affects us all.

To put our efforts in action, we came up with the this

FREE Breast Cancer Bear Digital Stamp

BUT

there is one stipulation before you download him.

You have to promise to perform a self exam!

It's on God's Honor System and we know you will

do this for Yourself ...and... your Family!

As an added BONUS, we also came up with a set of 7 Breast Cancer Awareness Images to buy!

100% of PROFITS will go to

Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Breast Cancer Bear Set

We'd love it if you would help us Spread The Word by displaying one of our blinkies or badges on your blog

And for the blinkies that won't play nice with each other, we have this non-blinkie badge. :)

Linking to Challenges:
SSC
Stampin' Royalty
Craft your Passion
MelJens
2Sisters
I Did It Creations
Little Red Wagon
Southern Girls
Stamp Something
Stampin with the Dragon
Sweet Stampin'
The ABC Challenge
Totally Gorjuss
Wild Orchid
Mark's Finest Papers

Let it Snow... Circle Easel Card

2010-10-19T12:29:00.008-04:00

Happy Tuesday friends,

I want to share with you a circle easel card that I have been wanting to make for quite some time and am finally getting around to it. I decided to add an extension to the card as a place to add a personal note. I got the idea from Norma and her tutorial here. I didn't do mine exactly like hers, but she did give me the idea, so I wanted to give her credit. Thank you Norma!

My image is a Gurlee Girl image from Chelsea's store, and my flowers and most of the embellishments can be found at the McMahon Five Design's store.

This was alot of fun to make, and I think I will make some more for the upcoming holidays.

Linking to challenges:

Midnight Madness

A Crafty Little Place

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog

Scrap Creations

Totally Gorjuss

ABC Challenge

Stampin with the Dragon

If the Shoe Fits, Scrap it

Christmas Stampin All Year Long

Charisma Cardz

Anything Goes

Wild Orchid Challenge

I hope you enjoyed my post today, and I want to thank you for your visit. Please feel free to leave me a comment. I always love hearing your thoughts about my work. Have a wonderful day!

The Autumn Table...

2010-10-13T12:27:00.005-04:00

A little bit of me to share with you........

Doesn't it give you a good feeling inside to walk into your dining room and see a beautiful table that just entices one to envision the beauty, warmth and magic of autumn? I recently went to Michael's and found these beautiful, scented candles on sale, and I couldn't pass them up. My dining room table was just longing for these to grace it's center for the season. There's nothing like candles or a warm blanket by the fireplace to get me through the cold months. Isn't there something special or cozy that you do to give you that warm fuzzy in the cold months? A nice cup of hot tea, cocoa or cider with a cinnamon stick...or maybe just a pair of warm, fuzzy slippers with your favorite robe to snuggle up with. I would love to hear what some of your favorite things to do in the cool weather that bring a smile and keep you happy.

Thank you for spending a few moments with me today : )
Have a wonderful week, and enjoy this colorful season in all it's glory.

Linking to:
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Twig: Fall Fun Link-up
Blue Cricket Design: Show and Tell
Perfectly Imperfect: Style Feature Saturday

Hugs,

Halloween Altered Tin..Nestie Card Set

2010-10-11T09:55:00.020-04:00

Happy Monday Friends,
Are you ready for Halloween yet? Well, ready or not....it will be here in a couple of weeks. It seems as we get older that these years go by so much faster than they used to, doesn't it?
Well, today I would like to share with you a set that I made for Halloween. I have never altered a bandaid tin before, so I thought Halloween would be a nice time to give it a try. Nice to put a few treats and goodies in for the teacher or maybe just someone else special who might enjoy a little keepsake that they can display on their desk or shelf for the season.
For my card, I wanted to try some paper piecing. I do alot of stamps and digis, but not much with paper piecing, so I decided to put my nesties to use and make some nestie pumpkins and a crow for a matching set with the tin for Halloween.

I hope you enjoyed my Halloween set today. What do you think? Do you like the nestie images, or do you prefer stamps and digis? I think I love them all the same myself. It is fun to switch things up sometimes. Have a great week everyone!

Challenges entered:
AiFactory: Embossing...my pumpkin is embossed
Aly's Sunday Challenge: Halloween
By the Cute and Girly: Spooky
Charisma Cardz: Autumn colors
Cupcake Craft Challenges: Scary creatures
ecpchallenges: Halloween
Ellephantastic Challenges: anything goes
Fussy and Fancy: Halloween
Meljens: Halloweeny
One Stop Craft Challenge: Alter it
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges: Circles...I used lots of circles
Simon Says: Halloween
SSDS Challenge: Halloween/Fall
Stampin' B's Design Team: Fall
The Shabby Tea Room: Pumpkin Patch
Night Shift Stamping: Autumn
Timbroscrapmania: Autumn

*Carolyn's Handmade Treasures*

News to share....

Changes and A Thanksgiving Wish

Christmas Altered Tin

A Quick and Easy Bookmark, and a Quick Post...M5D

Pumpkin Kitty Halloween Card

Feels Like Fall...M5D Throwback

My Christmas in July turned out to be Christmas in September easel card

Water Nixie Card and some M5D Releases

ATTENTION...All My INDIANA Blogging Friends...

Happy Birthday To My Baby :)

Dream Catcher Mania

Hello again. It's Been Awhile.

Sailors Homecoming :)

Some Artwork From My Daughter...

Royal Wedding Cake For The Hotspot...

Happy Easter! Candles For My Mantle

Easter Candle Cover and a Summer Beach Card M5D

A Spring Stroll...The Latest M5D Releases

Cute Bunny Hard At Work...Happy Easter Card and M5D Releases

Tastefully Simple (altered) Easter Basket M5D

Images of Spring

Happy St. Patrick's Day OR Happy Easter..M5D Release day

For all those affected in any way by the horrific earthquake in Japan or tsunamis here and in Hawaii

Dainty Butterfly Card M5D Releases

A Touch of Spring Card...and the M5D releases

Old Fashioned Mother and Child Card for The Hotspot..

A Bad Black Kitty Cat...

Tropical Paradise Floral Card and M5D Releases...

M5D Releases for the week...

I got a blog award from someone????

A Dashing Fellow With A Valentine Rose For His Sweetheart...M5D Releases..

Young Love Valentine Card... M5D New Releases

M5D Sunset Meadows Valentine Card

Another Snow Day and A Little Sneaky Peek ;)

Birthday Blog Hop...Happy Birthday Ruby!! :)

Cupcake Bookmark...M5D New releases

My Top 10 Cards of 2010

For Unto Us A Child Is Born..

A Friendly Winter Hello From a Cuddly Pal

Celebrate The Season

Holy Nativity..A Christmas Miracle

Joyous Noel

Pretty CAS Christmas Poinsettia

Cardinals..The Most Beautiful Birds of Christmas...

Jingle All The Way

Eskimo Wishes And Eskimo Kisses Christmas Card

Under The Mistletoe

My Christmas Mantel This Year

Tilda's Christmas Present

Happy Thanksgiving and some more M5D releases

Sugar Plum Fairy and a Sweet Mouse

Sweet Christmas Clara...M5D New Releases

Happy Birthday Dad!

November Guest Designer at Crafting Life's Pieces Challenge Blog..A Christmas Card : )

Think Pink..In Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month..

Let it Snow... Circle Easel Card

The Autumn Table...

Halloween Altered Tin..Nestie Card Set

Carolyn's Handmade Treasures