Gimme A Kiss

What a fun digital set this is by Doodle Pantry.  I've used it before and I just love it for Valentine cards or for cards to send to OWH.

Here is a pic of more images, sentiments, and paper in the set:

Usually I use the pre-colored images but now that I have some Copics, I am having a lot of fun coloring.  I still have a long ways to go but I'm getting the hang of it.
I am trying to use up left over pieces - images, sentiments, papers so I used a piece of digital paper by Doodle Pantry from a different set but I love how the colors are just right.
Are you enjoying the new release schedule at Doodle Pantry.  There will be another release in a few days, Feb. 3.  Make sure you check it out because those new items will be 25% off that day.

Challenges:
Through the Craft Room Door - anything
Simon Wednesday - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Sister Act - anything
Wags and Whiskers - hearts

Home Is Where The Heart Is

My son and DIL moved into a new home recently, one that he helped build.  I am proud and happy for them.  This seemed the perfect little house to use to send them,  conveying those sentiments.

The house is made from a die by Elizabeth Craft Designs.  So many little, fun pieces.  Then I added some grass cut out with a Your Next Stamp die to look like shrubbery.  The sentiment is a stamp by Unity. The cloud paper is Doodle Pantry digital paper.
The challenge at Die Cut Diva's is anything goes.  Elizabeth Craft Designs is our sponsor.  There are just a few more days to enter the challenge. We would love to see your projects.

Party Time Tuesday - anything goes
Paper Creators - anything
Simon Wednesday - have a heart

Made in Minutes

Clean and Simple, Quick and Easy.  That is my favorite way to make cards.  This week at the Kraft Journal, our challenge is to make a CAS card that you can make in a few minutes.   I timed myself while I made this one.  Starting the time after I assembled all the supplies, it took me less than 10 minutes. Yes!

The base is Light Kraft Cardstock from the Kraft Outlet.
The top piece is just a piece of designer paper and light blue cardstock from my stash.  I wrapped some Pink Baker's Twine around it and tied on a cardstock button that I cut out with a die. This twine is just one of the 10 colors at the Kraft Outlet store.
Each time I use the "thanks" die, I cut out two different colors.  I like to back the word to give it highlight or a shadow.
Easy.  What do think?   Ready to try making a CAS card for the Kraft Journal challenge.  It starts today and ends Sunday, February 1.  We would love to see your creations.

What's Hot Wednesday - Kraft Tags

Valentines Day is less than a month away.  I have a good start on them but have quite a few yet to make.

It is only recently that I started using tags on cards but with all the wonderful kind of tags at the Kraft Outlet, my love of them is growing.  Besides the Grunge Stained Tags that I have used recently, I took a try with the Small Kraft Shipping Tags.  What fun.

Keeping it simple, I edged one by using a border punch.  I also cut a heart out of the middle of the tag with a Cuttlebug die.  By removing the outer layer of the heart, I was able to let the red cardstock backing show through.

For this tag, I went with a musical theme, putting a piece of Music Washi Tape on the edge of the tag and then gluing on a note (another Cuttlebug die) in the center of the tag.
The top of both tags are tied with Natural Hemp Cord and Baker's Twine.

The third tag is the first of the three to be used on a card.  The lips are a fussy cut digital image by Doodle Pantry. After using a decorative scissors on the bottom of the tag, I glued on a piece of red cardstock on the back.  See the heart in the right hand corner?  It is the left over piece from the first tag.
The Kraft layer between the patterned paper and the card base is Light Kraft Cardstock.
Are you ready to play with some Small Kraft Tags?  You can find them and many more fun tags at the Kraft Outlet.
There are a few more days to play the challenge at the Kraft Journal.  The challenge this week is Anything Winter.  Hope to see your entry there.

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Paper Creators - anything
NBUS - anything new (new Kraft tags)
Simon Wednesday - have a heart

Valentines for Little Boys

SO CUTE.  That is what describes this new Doodle Pantry digital set, Little Boy Valentine.

I can hardly wait to use all the images and I will because I have 6 grandsons.   Here is the first card I made:

I even braved it and colored it myself with some of my Copics, although I printed out a pre-colored one too to use later.
I made these overalls 5 1/4 inches tall, cut them out then backed them with white cardstock.  I used the overalls as a template.   So the inside looks like this:

Liquid glaze is added to the hearts on the outside and real buttons fit perfectly.  I really love how this valentine turned out.
Hurry over to Doodle Pantry.  Today's new releases are 25% off today, but today only.  And don't forget to enter a card in the Ants in my Pantry challenge where the theme is milk (and add a button or brad).

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - It's a guy thing
Crafty Creations - blues
Party Time Tuesday - anything
PaperTakes - 3 shapes (card, square, heart)

Hip Hipporay

It is Tuesday which means another Doodle Pantry Release.

My husband came into my craft room while I was making this and another card from this set and said, "Kids are going to love those cards."  I think he is right.  How cute are these images to use for cards for children. (I'm going to send mine to OWH)

If you are reading this today, Tuesday, Jan 13, HURRY over to the Doodle Pantry Store because all the new sets released today are 25% OFF today, but today only.
Also, remember to enter a card this month in the AIMPDC (Ants in my pantry digital challenge). 

Challenges:
Pink Gem - something new
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - something new
Pennys Paper Crafting - anything
Crafter's Cafe - something new

Take Your Pick

We have a fun challenge this week at the Kraft Journal - Take Your Pick.  Pick three of the following (and make sure you use Kraft or something from the Kraft Outlet):

patterned paper

glitter

white

snowman

ribbon

punch 

die cut

embossing

My picks:  (1) patterned paper, (2) die cuts, (3) glitter.  And just in case using Stickles is cheating for the glitter category,  I also used white.
I love these bears, sentiments, and papers by Tracy Sjolander.  The snowflakes in the paper are blue and Kraft (IRL) even though they look a little yellow in the photo; perfect for the Light Kraft Cardstock base and sentiment cut out.  With the way Trudy faded the edges of the image, it is fun to super-impose the bears image onto the patterned paper before printing - it just blends so nicely.
I never use glitter but I do use Stickles which I added to the flame and the snowflakes.  It is hard to see but I dotted some on the snowflakes on the BG paper too.  I think Stickles counts as glitter;  it rubs off like glitter so I never use it for OWH cards.
The little white snowflakes at the ends of the sentiment, cut out with a Spellbinder die,  are eyelets.  It isn't often I use eyelets but these are so cute and I really like how the blue shows through the center.
Are you ready to pick three from the Kraft Journal list?  We would love to see what you come up with.  The challenge begins today and ends Sunday, Jan. 18.

Challenges:
Papertakes - anything
Through the Craft Room Door - anything
Di's Designs - snow/flakes
Stamp and Create - winter wonderland
Paper Creators - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Great Impressions - snow friends
Scrappyland - anything plus die cut
Sweet Stamps - winter blues

Goals For a New Year

Most new years come along and I don't pay much attention to them.   I never follow any new year's resolutions so I don't make any to begin with.  But this year is different.  I have several goals and by George, I'm going to keep them!
My first one is to get more organized in my housework.  We are talking deep cleaning because I'm pretty good about day to day stuff.  Part of this plan is to throw away and give away a ton of stuff.

The second resolution also has to do with being more organized but this is in the way of the design teams I am on.  To get rid of  papers and calendars on my desk, I made a calendar/note journal.

This Fall my husband encouraged me to buy a binder. (He is such a generous guy.)  I covered some chipboard with heavy designer paper.  Cut out the piece that says "notes; it was a piece of old designer paper I had.  I acquired some new stamps in the summer and have never used them so I used the Pure Innocence  set stamping the sentiments onto the "note" piece.  After stamping the girl and cutting it out with a Spellbinders die, I colored her with my new Copics.  YES!  My hubby bought some for me for Christmas even though I told him I was not going to get into that  because it was expensive.  He not only bought me a dozen, he told me to buy some more colors of my choice. (How fortunate I am to have him.)  Well, I couldn't even wait to buy more for shading - I just colored this image with what he gave me.  So yes, her skin is too orange but like I said, I couldn't wait.
After layering the oval with another Spellbinder scallop oval, I glued it to the lower portion of the "notes" piece.
Now for the inside.  I filled it with calendars and note pages to help keep me on schedule for my DT duties.  Most of the pages are from Busy Moms Helper.
After using it for a few weeks now, I know I should have put in a few more pages for notes; I will next year.

 I loaned my camera to my daughter for a few days and didn't realize I didn't have a picture of the back to show you until I started this post.  Oh, well, it is just more of the postcard designer paper.

So there you have it.  Is it helping me be more organized?  It is and even if it weren't, it was sure fun to make! LOL

Challenges:
Simon Monday - old and new
Papertakes - anything
Crafty Sentiments - new beginnings
Scrappyland - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - something new
Crafters Cafe - something new
Pink Gem - somthing new
Open Minded - New Year's resolutions
Dies R Us - something new
V's Sweet Ideas - something new 

Brrrr, It's Cold

Two of my children were born in December so I usually make them winter related birthday cards.  I love this sentiment by Doodle Pantry.

What a fun easel card this was to make.  Elizabeth Designs has a die that cuts out the easel and leaves the little heart tab.  The penguin is also made with Elizabeth Designs dies.  He is just so cute.
The challenge at Die Cut Divas this month is "Anything Goes" with Elizabeth Designs as our sponsor.  She has AMAZING dies.
We would love to see your cards.  The challenge is a month long challenge so you have until the 31st but don't wait because you can enter more than once, just remember to use your die cutting machine.

Challenges:       
Simon Monday - old (sentiment) and new (easel die cut)
Papertakes - anything
Di's Digi Design - snow, snowflakes
Stamp and Create - winter wonderland 
Great Impressions - snow friends
Word Art Wednesday - anything 

Ants In My Pantry

There are some new things going on at Doodle Pantry.  In stead of one monthly release on the first of each month, there will now be four releases, one each Tuesday.  All new products are reduce 25% on the day of release! You can see the new products here.
The other thing new is a new name for the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge.  It is now Ants In My Pantry Digital Challenge (AIMPDC).   Laurie loves drawing ants and wow do those ants do amazing things!
The challenge begins today, Jan 6 at noon eastern. You have 2 1/2 weeks to play.  You can enter one  card with any digital image but you need to follow the theme for the month.  This first time around the theme is MILK.
Here is a card I made for a dairyman recently.

I love the pre-colored images.  I just added a bit more shadow in the bottle.
The card base is Brown Kraft cardstock from the Kraft Outlet.  I cut the layering oval and the button out of the same cardstock with a Spellbinder oval and MFT button die.
Here is a pic of the set:

I would suggest heading over to the Doodle Pantry Challenge Blog and checking out the new challenge, more inspiration, and more details about the changes. 

Challenges:
Simon Monday - old (Spellbinders) and new (digital set)
Sweet Stamps - something new
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Crafter's Cafe - something new
Crafty Catz - anything
Pink Gem - something new
Meljen Design - anything 

Family Thank You

When our children were young, we encouraged them (okay, insisted !) to write notes of thanks to grandparents for Christmas presents they received.  And now I write thank you notes to my children for gifts I receive from them.  But more than that, I thank each of them for coming to the family Christmas gathering.  One of our sons drove 4 hours with a 8 year old, 18 month old, and an 8 month pregnant wife.  They definitely need a thank you card. 
I was so fortunate to have 5 of our children plus their spouses and children.  This card reflects what I am feeling.

I started with Light Kraft Cardstock from the Kraft Outlet.  The top layer is Buff Ivory Text paper, also from the Kraft Outlet,  upon which I stamped the house and the sentiments.   I really like the linen texture of this paper.  Because it does have some texture, I was able to add a little color with colored pencils onto the image.
The family twill ribbon is from my stash and the green pearls are a new package by Want2Scrap.
The house and "so blessed" are Unity stamps.  "Thank you" is Verve.
 The DT at the Kraft Journal would love to see your Thank You cards this week.  The challenge starts to today and ends Sunday, Jan. 11.

Wishing You A Perfect Day

What is your idea of a perfect day?  Mine is relaxing in a beautiful garden spot.  Well, that won't happen for awhile, now will it? 

I made this card as a birthday card (for later in the year).  Don't you love this pop up bench?  It is one of the wonderful die cuts by Elizabeth Crafts, our generous sponsor this month for the Die Cut Diva's Challenge.

Here is the front of the card:

I stamped the hydrangea image, by Our Daily Bread Designs, then sponged on several colors of ink.  The butterfly, also ODBD,  is stamped with blue ink onto blue cardstock with touches of blue Stickles added.
The sentiment "perfect day" is Stampin Up and "wishing you" is GKD.
So this being January 1, we have a long wait for a day for the bench in the park but it was fun to make this card and play with this fabulous die cut by Elizabeth Crafts.
Come play the challenge at Die Cut Divas.  Maybe you could win a gift certificate.

Challenges:
Through the Craft Room Door - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - anything
Stamping Boutique - Spring Inspired
Meljen Designs - anything 
Dies R Us - anything with something new (bench)