Digital Tuesday Challenge -- All About the Animals!

I'm such a sucker for animals! When this week's challenge over at Digital Tuesday was to showcase an animal on our cards, I had such a hard time because there are such a ton of cute animal digi's out there. I finally decided to color up this lovely valentines turtle from Karen's Doodles. He's soooo cute and I hadn't had a chance to use him yet.

He's colored with Copics and cut out using nesties. I added some Ruby Red and River Rock cardstock and this cute DP by Debbie Mumm that I picked up when we had a break in the snow. The flower is prima, ribbon and brads are from my stash. I decided this was the perfect project to try an easel card with since the sentiment just didn't fit anywhere. The sentiment is Verve. I hope you enjoy seeing my project as much as I did creating it!

The sketch is from a new challenge site (at least, it's new to me) called Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. I loved their layout!

I hope you'll hop on over to the Digital Tuesday Challenge site and check out all the other wonderful inspiration cards. The DT outdid themselves. We've also got Digital Stamp Oasis, maker of some of the cutest ever digital animals, as a sponsor. Check out the challenge rules and you could win 3 digi from DSO!

Happy tuesday, and for those of you in the Midatlantic, good luck with the 2nd wave of the snowstorm!

Love Letter Blog Hop Sponsored by Michelle Perkett

Happy Hop Day! I'm so excited that I got to play with this wonderful image from Michelle. It was a freebie for people participating in the hop but it's also available in her Etsy shop if you just NEED to have it!

If you're coming here from Melissa's blog, you're in the right place. If not, you can start at the beginning of the hop HERE.

We're supposed to make a card with lots of red, pink, gold and bling! And then to write a love letter that goes with it. Well, my first card is for my dear husband and I'm a little embarrassed to share a love letter to him.... this is, after all, a pg-rated blog! So, I made a second version of the card with a little less black, a little less bling and a little more blue and it's for my two kids Anna and Matthew.

And, here's my little love poem to them....

I love you with your spotless faces,

all dressed up when we're going places.

You're polished bright and at your best

You get the goal or pass the test.

I love you with your messy hands and grimy toes

With tear streaked cheeks or muffled woes.

I love you when you're sad or angry

Too hot, too cold, or just plain hungry.

I love the excitement that lights your eyes

When new ideas to the surface rise.

I love the laughter that bubbles through

When a silly jokes gets to you.

I love you when you're fast asleep

So soft and loose and dreaming deep.

I love you when you're hyper, wild and loud

Even when you're actions don't make me proud.

I love you

Through the morning, noon and night

I love you

With a love so bright.

I know all of you with little kids can relate! I hope you enjoyed the poem and cards today.

The next stop on the amazing blog hop is Lee.

Have a great trip!

Digital Tuesday Challenge - A Different Kind of Fold

Good morning! Just wanted to quickly share my DT card for this week's challenge. The hostess is... ME! I want to see all your fun cards with different folds. You know the type I mean -- tri-panel, shutter fold, easel card and all the rest. These are soooo fun to look at!

My card uses a Bee Crafty image and is a Joy Fold. Love the wrapped up look this gives and the extra decorating space. Papers are from My Mind's Eye Be Loved and SU Barely Banana and Sage. I found the tutorial here.

Hope I can inspire you to try your hand at something different. Just use your favorite digital image and dream it up. Post to the challenge blog and you could win a Bee Crafty prize.

Is It Spring Yet?

We ended up with another few inches of snow yesterday and let me tell you, I am sooooo over it. It looks lovely but with the mess on the roads, shoveling and cleaning up boots and mittens and hats -- ugh. Wish I could just sit inside by the fireplace and read!

Since that isn't happening, I thought I'd think about spring today and share a spring-ish card. I used an adorable image from The Stamping Boutique called Farmer Audrey. She's colored with Copics and paired with Buckaroo Blue cardstock and My Mind's Eye Bloom and Grow DP. The sentiment is from Stamping Up. How cute is she?

I'm entering this card for Stef's sketch challenge #4 and well as A Spoonful of Sugar and Fab N Funky. Both of these are sponsored by The Stamping Boutique and have some GREAT prizes available.

Michelle Perkett Studio Challenge and Digi Day

I told you I've started to create again and here are some of my first cards from "after." It's amazing how a break of a few weeks can leave you picking up a marker and wondering which way is which! But, I'm really pleased with how these few turned out! Happy viewing!

This first card is for a sketch challenge on Michelle Perkett Studio's challenge blog. Papers are Basic Grey Wisteria, Old Olive and Pale Plum.

These next two card are also for Michelle Perkett challenges. These are over on SNR for Digi Day, which ran yesterday through tonight. The first is a challenge to use the lovely Dream dragonfly, a freebie available right now! I paired with Sahara Sand, Basic Gray and Basic Grey's Wisteria. Isn't the dragonfly paper a perfect fit? How lucky was that?

Challenge 2 was another sketch challenge. I used this lovely image called Pearl. She's got a few pearls on her but also a whole lot of bling. I started adding and found I just couldn't stop! I don't photograph sparkle so well, but trust me, this thing has DIMENSION! Her gown and hair are bejeweled with pearls, rhinestones, and stickles. Colors here are Taken with Teal, Cool Caribbean and Basic Grey DP. The embellishments are actually old ones that I snapped up from the Target Dollar section ages ago -- they were meant as cell phone stickers.

Thanks for looking everyone and have a great evening.

It's Been a While...

Hi everyone, I disappeared from blog world for a while there. It's been a sad few weeks. Right after the holidays, we found out that my father was ill. He had mild Alzheimer's for a few years and it began to deteriorate rapidly into dementia this winter. His heart also weakened considerably and he was hospitalized for a while. I had the chance to go visit with him in Virginia Beach and shared a few lucid moments in the days I was there.

It appeared the immediate danger was over and he transfered to home hospice care with his wife (my step-mother). Unfortunately, a few days later his heart gave out and he died peacefully in his sleep. His time had come and he joined my mother and brother in heaven.

I'd love to share one of my favorite photos of him. This is my dad when he visited shortly after my DD was born. Handsome guy, huh?

I'm starting to recover from the shock but have been having a hard time focusing. It took a long time for me to get any mojo flowing at all. I think I'm finally back and had some wonderful creative time yesterday and today. It's true that creating is a great therapy.

I'll be back a little later with a few cards but for now, remember to tell those you love how much you care.

A Digital Tuesday Sketch

Just a quick post today to show you a card I made for this week's Digital Tuesday sketch challenge. Our hostess, Suzie, came up with a wonderful sketch that was just so much fun to work with. Check out the sketch here and play along to win a generous prize from The Cutting Cafe. Remember, you must use the sketch and a digital image.

My digital stamp this week is from a relatively new player in the digital image market names Phindy's Place. Isn't this little mouse the cutest? Image is printed on Neenah classic crest, colored with Copics. Sentiment is from Verve. Papers are SU Close to Cocoa, Riding Hood Red, Wild Wasabi and Basic Grey Nook and Pantry. I've been looking for an excuse to use the Basic Grey and thought it was a perfect match for the lovely strawberries in the image.

I'm also entering this card in Phindy's Challenge to try something new for the new year. For me, the new technique is the strawberry I created using a heart punch and some freehand leaves. What do you think? Does it look strawberry-ish?

Thanks so much for looking and I hope you have a wonderful digital tuesday!