You are a blessing to me -- For Operation Write Home

My card today is one to send to Operation Write Home, that I learned about on Sparkle's blog.  Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps is running a challenge to help gather cards for OWH and the theme is fall. 

So I found this beautiful foiled paper and made this real simple card.  I didn't take a picture of it but I even did the inside of my card.  I put down a piece of cream paper and then a strip of the foiled leaves at the bottom. 

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  The Paper Studio
Stamps:  PTI Signature Greetings
Other:  MS border punch

So Devin's been sick the past few days and guess who's sick now?  Yep, yours truly.  I'm hoping that it doesn't get any worse because I already feel terrible but I know from past experience that this is probably just the beginning.  Why oh why do we have to get sick?  Isn't life hard enough when we're healthy?  Alrighty, I'll get off of that.  I hope you have a great Wednesday.  Thanks for your visit.

Using stamps for Practical Scrappers

Woo Hoo for another Monday behind us.  This week's challenge at Practical Scrappers is to use those stamps of yours.  We all have them so this should be an easy one.

I had this random stamped paper that I made awhile back using a great background set from CTMH and used that for my real simple card. 

***Supplies***
Stamps:  CTMH
Other:  Fiskars border punch

Thanks for your visit.  Take good care!

Sparkles, Glitter and Gems for Lollipop Crafts

Good morning.  It's time for another great challenge at Lollipop Crafts, which is to sparkles, glitter and gems.  Our sponsor this week is is Soft Pencil.  I used the darling Little Witch. 

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  Martha Stewart
Stamps:  CTMH Say it in Style, Soft Pencil Little Witch
Other:  Nesties, MS border punch
So in non-crafty news, bra shopping was successful.  Reynna is just tickled pink with her new wardrobe additions.  She was a bit mortified that I shared the big news on the blog here, however. 

We took the kids to see Legend of the Guardians on Saturday.  It was a really good movie and I give it two thumbs up.  We hardly ever see movies at the theater and the last movie that we watched as a family at a theater was Wall-E more than 2 years ago.  Anyway, if you get a chance to go, I recommend it.

Well, that's all I have for today.  I hope you have a great Monday.

Making Tags for Sparkle Creations Christmas Card Challenges

Good morning.  It's time for another fabulous challenge at Sparkle Creations Christmas Card Challenges.  The optional challenge this week is "tags".  I chose to make actual tags to attach some gift bags.  You might choose to add a tag or two to a card.  The choice is yours. 

I had a lot of fun with this challenge and love the tags I made.  I made a few in each style to have on hand. 

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  Unknown source
Stamps:  PTI
Other:  Nesties, CTMH buttons, PTI felt, buttons, and ricrac border, Marvy snowflake punch

Make sure and check out what the other designers have for you at the challenge blog.  There are both cards and gift tags over there, all of which are phenomenal.  Have a great day!

Unscripted Sketches #74

Good morning to you!  Are you ready for another fabulous sketch from Unscripted Sketches?  I really liked this one.  I seem to say that a lot about their sketches, huh?  I kept my card pretty simple.  I just {heart} Cupcake Ruby and think that she's my favorite image from Sparkle's line.

***Supplies***
Stamps:  Sparkle Creations Cupcake Ruby, PTI
Other:  Cuttlebug, CTMH brads

Today, I'll be taking Reynna shopping for training bras.  YIKES!  Is this really happening?  When did my 10 year old daughter get to the point where she could benefit from a bra?  When I mentioned the idea to her, I wish you could have seen the gleam in her eyes.  She lit up and was SO excited.  Apparently, some of her friends are already wearing bras.  YIKES again!

Anyway, there you have it.  My daughter is growing up right before my eyes.  I hope you have a great Saturday.

Happy Happy Happy Birthday

I've got a real simple card today for you that I made awhile back.  It was fun to make although I'm not that happy about how my happy's came out.  LOL  The inks dried kind of funny.  Anyway, shades of pink and black together work for me.

***Supplies***
Stamps:  PTI

Other:  MS border punch, Gems from my stash

Are you having a good week?  I'm super busy at work, nothing new there.  Reynna is on an overnight trip to Rocky Mountain National Park.  She is so excited about the trip and the 5.1 mile hike.  Is that really my daughter excited about a hike?

Well, I hope you have a great Wednesday.  Thanks for your visit.

Ribbon for Practical Scrappers

It's time for another challenge at Practical Scrappers, which is to pull out those ribbons.  I added a strip of adhesive and then just bunched my ribbon up along it. 

***Supplies***
Stamps:  PTI Signature Greetings, The Greeting Farm
Other:  Nesties, PTI ribbon

I hope you have a great Tuesday.  Yeah for it not being Monday anymore.  :)

Let's Cook it for The Crazy Challenge

Good morning.  Let's Cook It is the challenge at The Crazy Challenge this week and we are sponsored by the fabulous Digi Doodles.  I chose to use this darling apron image and went for a monochromatic look.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  PTI
Stamps:  Digi Doodle, CTMH
Other:  PTI buttons

As always, thanks so much for dropping me a line and stopping by.  Have a wonderful Monday.

Sparkle Creations Christmas Card Challenges #42

Good morning.  The challenge at Sparkle Creations Christmas Card Challenges this week is to use distressing on your card.  I used my CTMH distressor tool and love the way the distressed edges look.  I wish you could see this paper in person.  It's so sparkly and glittery.  I just {heart} the paper packs from My Minds Eye where all the papers have texture and bling to them.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  My Minds Eye
Stamps:  PTI Signature Christmas
Other:  Marvy snowflake punhc, stickles, PTI button

As always, thanks for stopping by my spot in the world.  Have a restful Sunday.

Unscripted Sketches #73

Hi.  I'm so glad to be back from Las Vegas.  It was a good time and I did learn a lot at my training but I missed my family and don't like waiting around airports.

It's time for another great sketch at Unscripted Sketches this week.  It's a super fun sketch and I hope you'll get a chance to play along with us this week.

I chose to make a Christmas card with this super cute image that Sparkle sent me.

***Supplies***
Patterned paper:  CTMH
Stamps: Stampin' Bella, CTMH Say it in Style
Other:  PTI die and button

Our Saturday will consist of watching Christopher play soccer and then watching college football.  Go Cougars!  I suppose I also need to fit in a bit of laundry too.  :)  I hope you all have a great day!

Penny's Challenges -- Baby

Happy hump day to you.  I'm in Las Vegas and will be training the next 3 days.  I'm hoping to eat lots of yummy food while I'm here.  :)

It's time for another challenge at Penny's Challenges.  The challenge for the next two weeks is anything baby.  Our sponsor is Sew Many Cards and I used this super cute Halen in Basket image.

***Supplies***
Stamps:  PTI Mixed Greetings, Sew Many Cards Halen in Basket
Other:  Nesties, Cuttlebug, pearls

Make sure to check out the challenge blog to see what the other designers have for you.  There's some super cute cards over there.  And then have a wonderful day.

Buttons for Practical Scrappers

This is my second post for today.

If you're looking for my post for Peggy's surprise birthday blog hop, scroll down one post.

There's a new challenge at Practical Scrappers this week and it's to use buttons.  My card was totally inspired by this card from Arielle.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  ??? I totally forgot
Stamps:  PTI
Other:  PTI buttons, Nesties

Have a great Tuesday.  FYI, I'm unsure if I will have internet access at night so I might not be around for a few days to comment on your blogs. 

A special birthday blog hop for Peggy

Good morning.  I'm happy to be participating in a special blog hop for Peggy, mother to Barbara.  Peggy just started her own crafty blog and has already got some great cards posted.

I used this fun paper from Martha Stewart and while it's hard to tell, the cupcake tops are all blinged up and don't you just love the fun little dress this sweet girl is wearing?  Super sparkly paper from the same paper pack.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  Martha Stewart
Stamps:  Pure Innocence, PTI Mixed Messages
Other:  Nesties, CTMH ribbon, PTI button

You'll want to hop over to the birthday girl herself, Peggy, to finish the hop.

Happy birthday Peggy!

Lollipop Crafts -- All about family

Good morning to you.  I'm a bit bummed as both my football teams lost this weekend, BYU on the college front and the Denver Broncos on the pro side.  Ok, they both still have a chance to have an only one loss season.  That could happen, right?

It's time for this week's challenge at Lollipop Crafts and the challenge this week is all about family.  I decided to use this fun image from The Pink Cat Studio to make a card for my daughter to let her know how much I love her.  Family is why we're here on this earth.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  Martha Stewart
Stamps:  Pink Cat Studio, PTI Signature Greetings
Other:  Nesties, MS border punch, PTI buttons

I'm leaving for a training in Las Vegas tomorrow and am going to put this in Reynna's lunch box to let her know I love her. I've got a card I already made to put in Christopher's lunch box.  I've never really done anything like that and I'm excited to do so.  Hopefully their cards will bring a smile to their faces and they'll know how much I love them.

Thanks for your visit and I hope you have a great Monday.

Sparkle Creations Challenge #9 -- Use buttons and bling

This is my second post today.  Scroll down to see my Christmas card.

I got to play with this week's challenge at Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps which is to use buttons and bling. I used Scooter Chloe and had so much fun.  My bling comes from the stickles I added to her scarf.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey
Stamps:  Sparkle Creations
Other:  PTI buttons, stickles

Click here to see what my daughter Reynna created for this week's challenge.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Sparkle Creations Christmas Card Challenge #41

Good morning to you.  Besides Sunday, do you know what else today is?  The Broncos first game of the regular season.  I love football and am hoping that the Broncos can make a better showing this year.

It's also time for another challenge at Sparkle Creations Christmas Card Challenges.  The optional challenge this week on top of making  a Christmas/holiday card is to use Christmas trees.  I had this fun sparkly paper in my stash and decided it would be perfect for the challenge.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  Paper Studio
Stamps:  PTI
Other:  CTMH twill ribbon, PTI die and buttons

Did you know that Christmas is just 3 1/2 months away?  Crazy, huh?  Are you prepared with your Christmas cards?  Come play with us and you can be.  :)  Have a good one.

Unscripted Sketches #72

Woo Hoo for Saturday.  Did it seem like a long week to you all even though with the Labor Day holdiay, it was actually shorter?  It sure did for me.

It's time for another sketch at Unscripted Sketches.  It sure was a fun one.  My card is real simple and is completely made up of this fun paper pack from DCWV.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  DCWV
Other:  Dew drops

Did you see the announcement over at Unscripted Sketches about the new designers?  Super exciting and I'm happy to welcome those ladies to our wonderful team.

I've got a busy day today.  I'm volunteering again with United Way's Day of Caring event with Reynna.  Last year is when we helped work on a Habitat house.  This year, we will be adding signage to a local park along a learing trail.

After that, I'll be teaching a scrapbooking/organizing photos class for a church function.  Devin will be attending the BYU/Air Force football game in Colorado Springs with my dad and brother.  I would have liked to go but had these other commitments.  {Insert sad face here for having too many things going on the same day}.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  And please do have yourself a fabulous weekend.  I'll see you back here tomorrow with my Christmas card.

Soccer pictures last Saturday

Because of our plumbing issues this week, which I think are finally resolved now, as of late last night, I don't have anything crafty to share.  Thanks for your concerns and well wishes. Let's just say that it will be a long time before I eat spaghetti again, as that is what we found lots of in the pipe.  Double blech. 

I did want to share some pictures I took at Christopher's first soccer game of the season.  Go Galaxy!

Christopher looking semi-confused

Reynna and Aspen, Britain's sister, also good friends, watching their brothers play

Christopher and Britain, his good friend and teammate

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Lots of action

Christopher in front of the goal where he scored

Thanks for letting me share these with you. I hope you have a great Thursday.

White core cardstock for Practical Scrappers

So our weekend was going well until Monday morning at about 8:45.  I was downstairs in the basement stamping, happy as a clam, when I notice water gushing from the pipes above me.  I hear the water running upstairs and yell up to turn it off.  Long story short, we have a severe clog in our pipes that a cheap router from Home Depot was not able to fix and we also discovered in the process that the pipe right underneath the kitchen sink in the basement, right above where I keep some of my cardstock, has a leak in it. 

So, there's a pile of dirty dishes in my sink because I can't use the kitchen sink.  Devin's going to try some more work on the pipes tomorrow and try to get at the clog and replace some of the pipe in the basement.  Needless to say, we didn't have our BBQ and I got no housework done, unless you count a load of towels that were filthy wet from the plumbing issues.  Sorry about the vent, I just had to get that off my chest.  Blech.  What a way to spend my holiday.

Now onto why you are probably here.  My card today is for this week's challenge at Practical Scrappers which is to use white core cardstock.  Most of my cardstock is from CTMH which is known for its white core.  There are so many fun things that you can do with this type of cardstock. 

I chose to sand my cardstock and I think the look works well with the theme of my card.  My main stamp is a digi image, Five Pumpkin Friends, from our sponsor this month, Robyn's Fetish.

***Supplies***
Stamps:  Five Pumpkin Friends from Robyn's Fetish, CTMH Say it in Style
Other:  MS border punch, sandpaper, CTMH brads

That's all I have for you today.  Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful Tuesday.

Monsters for Lollipop Crafts

This is my second post for today so scroll down to see my card for The Crazy Challenge below.

This week's challenge at Lollipop Crafts is all about monsters.  I decided to use this fun little guy from The Pink Cat Studio.  After coloring him, I cut him out and popped him up.  I am loving these colors together with the blue, green, orange and brown.

***Supplies***
Patterned paper:  My Minds Eye
Stamps:  Pink Cat Studio, PTI
Other:  MS border punch

You'll want to check out what the other designers have for you.  There's so much talent on this team. Bye!

Bundle of Joy for The Crazy Challenge

This week's challenge at The Crazy Challenge is Bundle of Joy.  I chose to use this fun digi image from The Pink Cat Studio.  Melissa's images are always so darling and fun to color.  Reynna's piano teacher had a baby girl a couple of weeks ago so I'll be giving this to her.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  My Minds Eye
Stamps:  Pink Cat Studio
Other:  CTMH ribbon, Nesties

Do my US friends have any plans for Labor Day?  I'm hoping to have a BBQ and get some extra housework done.  We'll see how the extra housework part goes.  LOL

Sparkle Creations Inspiration Challenge

Wow, 3 posts in one day.  Scroll down to see what else I've posted for today.  I didn't get a chance to play in last week's challenge over at Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps but definitely wanted to this week.  Here's the inspiration photo for the challenge.

I derived my inspiration from the lanterns and the greens and browns in the photo.  I decided to paper piece Rin and am really happy with the results.  I also tried the out of the box technique with my nesties.  Here is the tutorial that I used.  How fun.  I also used this week's sketch from Sketch Saturday.  My card also fits this week's challenge at A Crafty Little Place which is anything goes and the challenge at Basic Grey Challenges which is to paper piece.

***Supplies***
Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey Cappella
Stamps:  Sparkle Creations Lantern Rin, PTI Tea for Two Additions
Other:  Nesties, MS border punch, PTI and CTMH buttons

How is your weekend going?  I'm happy to report that ours is going splendidly. We had a wonderful time watching Christopher's soccer team yesterday win 6-0.  And my boy scored a goal.  I don't think he scored any last season so it was thrilling to see him improve so much and be able to get one past the goalie.  He also lost a tooth yesterday afternoon.  He hadn't lost any since March and that one was only because he got hit with a bat.  I can't remember if I blogged about that or not?  Anyway, that one definitely wasn't ready to come out because there's still a big gaping hole on the bottom of his mouth and now with his lost tooth yesterday, he's got another hole on the bottom half of his smile.

We had friends and my dad over last night to watch the BYU-Washington football game. I'm happy to report that our Cougars were victorious, 23-17.  It was a great game and I really enjoyed having our company over.  We made lots of appetizers and snacks and had ourselves a great time.  We also have another set of friends coming over tonight for dinner.  Lots of entertaining this weekend.