espresso my graditude

Hey y'all!
Happy Friday!!

So, I'm swinging back in today to share a 'just for fun' card turned to playing along with Sugar Pea Design's Sugar Sketch Challenge! :) Hopefully, I have things right?!...This is my first time playing along and I believe you can choose the sugar sketch you want (or all of them) from their February sketches...either way, I had some fun making this! ;)

I chose SPDSS41.

Okay, so here's my card. 

An 'espresso milkshake' anyone?!...

I believe you can still see the sketch?!...I just tweaked a couple things. Instead of having a 'square' background piece, I went with a rectangle. And rather than a 'banner', I went with using 'espresso'. 

I used some of Sugar Pea Designs new coffee theme stamps and dies. I've had them for a little bit but didn't get the chance to use them, until today. ;) They are so fun!  I chose to color my cup with some markers and then added some whipped cream. (which I was gonna say whip cream. Though after research, meaning I googled it, seems like 'you whip cream until its whipped cream'. lol So, whipped it is. lol ;)) Afterwards, I did some fussy cutting with the coffee beans and then 'sprinkled' them on top. ;) Sweet and simple, yeah?!...

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Enjoy your day and weekend! :)

Hugs

Welcome little one

Hey y'all!
Hope all is well?!...

Just a short and sweet post, today.
I'm up on A Jillian Vance Design blog! Here's a little peek at my card.

I'd love it, if you'd swing on over to A Jillian Vance Design blog and leave some love there! Thanks so much! :)

Enjoy your day!
Hugs

So very grateful

Hey y'all! Happy Thursday, almost Friday!! :)
Hope all is well?!...

I'm swinging on in today to share a 'just for fun' card! While between DT work and everything else going on, I was able to use a few new goodies, along with a few older goodies. ;)

Now, for the love me of me, I still can't figure out what I'm doing with WPlus9's Watercolored Anemones stamp set! lol And I'm really okay with it! I'll just keep creating with it, hoping that one day I'll get the hang of it. ;)
I recently ordered all the Lawn Fawn inks (along with the Shammy...which is beyond amazing! I'm telling you, it's a must need!) and let's just say...I LOVE their inks, if you haven't tried them yet, you should! :) *again, this is all in my opinion.*

Thank so much for stopping by!
Enjoy your day!
Hugs

Waffle Flower Release Week!

Hey y'all!
Hope all is well?!! :)

If you haven't heard about it or seen it...It's Waffle Flower Crafts Release Week!! Yay! Thank you sooo much Nina and Tessa for having me! :)

Today, I have a sweet little gift to share. I used the new Petal Holder Die...just look and see.

Sooo I LOVE this die!! I think there are so many different things you can do with it, that the possibilities are truly endless! This die is just amazing! Love.it.

*Hey y'all! I just want to be sure that y'all understand, that whatever I say and share are my personal opinions. I'm not paid in any way, shape or form to say anything or share anything. I just do it for the passion and love of crafting. :)*

Being that Spring is coming up soon, I thought I would use some 'springy' papers. After looking through some papers, I went with a nice floral design and a pastel purple. And after assembling my holder (or in this case, a little bag) together, I added a couple tags with a little safety pin. Simple and sweet, yeah?!...

Be sure to swing on over to Waffle Flower Crafts and see all the creations!! I'm telling you, you'll love it! ;) And don't forget to swing by on Feb. 24th for the full release day!! (you can click HERE on the 24th to be taken to Waffle Flower Crafts full release day.) Hope to see you there!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Enjoy your day! :)
Hugs

Happy birthday to you

Hey y'all!
Hope all is well?!...

Today I'm up on A Jillian Vance Design blog! Here's a little peek at what I'm sharing.

I'd love for you to swing on over to A Jillian Vance Design blog and leave some love there! :) Thanks so much for stopping by! And below I have a little story if you'd like to read it. ;)

Again, I've been somewhat MIA. And let me tell you why, in case you haven't heard already. ;) You see, I had this brilliant idea of rearranging/organizing/getting a actual craft desk/buying bins/etc.etc.etc. Well, little did I realize until afterwards of starting what I got myself into!! lol Seriously, out of all times, why'd I chose right now?!...There was Valentines day (which is also our 2 yr home anniversary), our youngest sons' birthday (which was yesterday...he turned 7!) and all the DT work that I have! Yeah, think my timing was off this time around. lol

However, it has all paid off!! I absolutely LOVE my new and improved little corner space that I have! I actually have a desk!! lol And it houses pretty much every single thing I have! (its not so little of a desk lol) And I put together my desk all by myself! :) I could have waited for my husband to help me but I wanted it built as soon as I got it and it feels quite good to have done it myself. ;) It may have taken me almost 3 hours but it was done right! lol (honestly, the instructions could have been way better. all that small print and arrows pointing to what? lol...I think that's where over half my time went to!)

Anyhow, I will be sure to snap some photos here soon and share! :) Though, leave it to me, I didn't even take any 'before' photos!! lol (that really is, so me!) So, I'll give a good description of what my 'before' was and then share the new and improved work area...I sure hope your imagination can run wild?! lol ;)

I'll be back soon!
Thanks so much for bearing with me on things! :)
Hugs

Kids' Valentine cards

Hey y'all! Hope all is well?!...

Today, I'm up on A Jillian Vance Design blog! Here's a little sneak peek of what I'm sharing.

I'd love it, if you'd swing on over to A Jillian Vance Design blog and leave some love there! ;) Thanks so much for stopping by!

Enjoy your day!
Hugs

P.S.
I promise you I'll be back to my normal blog commenting and schedule soon! ;) Things have been a little hectic right now. I'm in the middle of actually having a new and organized work area! It's only taken me 10 yrs to finally get what I want! lol (...I'm not even kidding you) I have things all over the place and it is one big mess that honestly is driving me CRAZY!! lol I'll still be in a little corner but to have a organized corner...whoa. lol ;) So please bear with me...Thanks so much! :)

February Waffle Flower Challenge

Hey y'all! Hope all is well?!...

If you haven't seen yet, the Waffle Flower Challenge has a new February challenge for you!! Today, I'm sharing my card with y'all!

*Note: This is somewhat of a longer post than usual, you can always skip to the bottom, if you'd like. ;) 
Check it out!

How this card came to me?!?...lol Well, I started by just keeping focus on the technique. Then after several attempts at trying things, I was officially stumped on what to even do! I mean, I know what the technique is and what it involves doing, but things just weren't working for me. at all.

So then I started to look more at the sketch and colors...the sketch was really out of the ballpark for me. (so scratch that.) lol Okay, the colors...I do like those colors and thought, let me work off of using those somehow.

After looking through what stamps I have, I once again grabbed for the Lotus stamp set. (really love this set.) ;) I started by stamping them on some coloring paper and then colored them in with some markers. And when done, used the matching dies with them and set them all aside, for the time being. Because...I was stumped again! lol

Some more thinking and watching time pass on by, finally I was ready to tackle this card. Okay, so I grabbed some white cardstock for my base and started my process. The tricky part. (for me at least) One at a time I used a flower die, placing it where I wanted it on my white cardstock and ran it through my machine. So I could get my whole inlaid die cuts. I then had to place each colored piece in the empty spot where I used the die and run it through my machine again, so it would cut the access off and fit together with my other flowers. (hopefully this is all making sense?!...I'm trying my best.) ;) Once done doing all this, I assembled everything onto my actual card. After, I did some more die cutting for my sentiment. Which I did three times using black cardstock and one time using gold glitter cardstock. Then glued them all together, leaving the gold glitter on top and adhering it to my card.

Whew! Seriously, this card took me quite some time to finish!...I mean in the range of hours! lol I can only hope it paid off?! ;) And I'm no expert on this technique, there may be an easier way of doing this, I don't know?...But this wouldn't be the first time (nor the last time, I'm sure) that I would do things the hard way! lol

Be sure to swing on over to the Waffle Flower Challenge and see all the fabulous DT creations!! And while you're there, I hope you'll join us?!! :)

Thanks so much for sticking with me on this somewhat long(er) post!
Enjoy your day!

Waffle Flower Crafts supplies used:

Lotus stamp set
Lotus die set
With Love word die

Happy Valentines day.

Hey y'all! Happy Friday! :)
Hope all is well?!...

Today, I'm up on A Jillian Vance Design blog! Here's a peek at my card.

I'd love it, if you'd swing on over to A Jillian Vance Design blog and leave some love there! :)
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Enjoy your day!
Hugs

Little Tangles- Watercolor

Hey y'all! Hope all is well?!...

Today, we have a fun new challenge at Little Tangles!! This month is all about watercolor...and who doesn't love watercolor?! ;)

So here's my card.

Oh, la, la! lol

Well, perhaps I'm starting to get this whole watercolor technique down?!...This took me try after try to figure out the whole watercolor part. If you know me, you know I only do so much watercoloring in a few different ways. So challenging, this was. However, after some research on simple watercoloring techniques. I ended up doing the whole 'splatter' technique, with just wetting my paper and then take my paintbrush with watercolor on it and running my finger over the bristles. Which in return, I ended up getting my background. ;) After, I did some heat embossing for my Eiffel Tower and then added my sentiment. Once done, I added it to my card base and top it off with some twine. Simple, yeah?!...

Be sure to swing on over to the Little Tangles Challenge and see all the DT creations!! And while you're there, I hope you'll join us?!! :)

Thanks for stopping by!
Enjoy your day!

Neat & Tangled supplies used:

Paris stamp set

so good to see you

Hey y'all!
Happy Monday! Hope y'all had a great weekend and your week is off to a good start!?! :)

I'm swinging on in today, to share a tag (yes, tag. lol). No challenges or anything, just wanted to use some new goodies I got. ;)

Check it out.

After I made this, I thought it would look good paired with a nice little gift. Though, I didn't have a gift to pair it with. lol So alone it stands...for now. ;) I'd love to hear what you think?!...

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Enjoy your day!
Hugs