Bet You Thought I Fell Off The Planet

I'm so sorry for such a long absence, mostly sorry for not letting you know that I was signing off for a while. I had to take a break from things. I got overwhelmed and depression took over big time. I lost interest in everything I love to do, walls went up with everyone I love and I pretty much isolated myself. It's amazing how alone you can feel while surrounded by people who love you. I'm slowly getting back to the things I love- sunsets, reading with my kids, snuggling with my Honey, laughing with my friends and creating to name a few. I won't be blogging everyday, but I do want to check in a couple times a week and hopefully get back into some of my favorite challenges on Splitcoast.
I do have some exciting news-- I'm going to be a grandma!! My daughter Ashley is having a baby girl in April!! After the holidays I'll be working on shower invitations and decorations, I'm really looking forward to it!
Thanks so much for stopping by.

Hugs,
Denise :)

Bring Dawn Home

Hi everyone
I just wanted to let you all know about a card drive going on right now over at SCS.
My dear friend Pam has asked for help from Cindy, aka 'Mothermark', a caring and kind gal with such a giving heart, to spread the word about a very sad situation involving Pam's son and daughter's aunt Dawn who has just finished serving two years in Iraq. Before coming home she visited a friend in Africa. Days before Dawn was to come home to Bristol CT, she was in a terrible accident that has left her paralyzed from the neck down. She is in a hospital in Nairobi, and cannot be moved for at least two months. The cost of the hospital is insane amounts of money. She needs to come home!! Here is a link to the story, and what you can do to help. The SCS community is full of caring, and incredible people, I'm sure Dawn will be flooded with beautiful, uplifting cards to help keep her spirits up and help her to continue to fight to get strong enough to be able to come home.
Thanks for stopping by,
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

One of a Kind

Hi guys~
Just couldn't sleep with the sad news about Farrah and Michael Jackson. I saw Farrah's Story a few weeks ago and I was blown away with her determination to live and her never give up attitude, and saddened at the pain she was going through. She fought courageously, with everything she had in her, and now she's at peace. Everyday that I turned on the TV or computer I was expecting to hear that she lost the battle, sadly, she did today. Michael Jackson on the other hand is a complete and utter shock. I know he got pretty strange throughout the years, but I grew up with his music, God, what a talent- and The Jackson Five~ it brings back good memories for me, of simpler times- as does Charlies Angels- time goes by fast, we have to live and savor the moments- some moments might not seem so important at the time, but looking back, I know they were, and I cherish every memory. So this card is for Farrah and MJ~ we are, each of us, all truly one of kind.
Thanks so much for stopping by, I always love when you do.
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Baja Love for Mojo 92

Happy Thursday everyone!
Just a quick post to share my take on this week's Mojo Sketch, then it's time to cook dinner because there are hungry people here (big sigh). I like the Baja Breeze and So Saffron color combo, and I threw in a little Baja dsp too. I colored directly onto my stamp with markers, stamped my image on whisper white cs and matted it with a Saffron panel. For the 'Love You' image I stamped it twice onto whisper white cs and colored both images with markers. I cut just the flower out of one and adhered it to the other with dimensionals. I added Stickles to the flower centers, and the 'Love You' flower.
Okay, apparently these people are starving to death, so I will add my 'recipe' a little later. Let me know what you think, I love when you stop by!
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

SC234 Because I Care

Hi~ I hope your Wednesday is a happy one so far! I'm slowly getting back into life a day at a time, and it feels good to get some challenges done. Today's card is for the SCS Sketch challenge.. I haven't used my 'One Of A Kind' set in a while and it popped into my mind when I saw the sketch today. It's always fun to layer up this flower with pretty papers and punches! Let me know what you think~
Thanks for stopping by, and keep smiling a lot! :)
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Stamps: One Of A Kind, Best Yet
Paper: whisper white, old olive, raspberry tart dsp
Ink: black Archival, old olive, regal rose
Extras: paper piercer, oval and 3 flower punch, cuttlebug, half pearl stickers, dimensionals

Sketch For You To Try

I really love Jen's sketch this week- it feels so good to do a challenge! I pulled out my 'Dreams Du Jour' stamp set since I haven't used it in a while. I think it's cute for this sketch- what do you think?
Well that was quick, I'm off to dreamland now~ Thanks for stopping by, and sweet dreams to you tonight!




Stamps: Dreams du Jour (SU)
Paper: Whisper White, old olive, pretty in pink, raspberry tart dsp
Ink: black Archival, pink pirouette, regal rose, kiwi kiss
Extras: ribbon, half pearl stickers, Stickles, cuttlebug, paper piercer, square scallop punch, dimensionals

Happy New Home

First I just want to give a big thank you for all of your uplifting comments, thoughts and prayers. You have ALL put a smile on my face and in my heart. I am forever grateful because not only do I have an amazing network of friends in my life, I have wonderful, dear friends that I haven't even 'met' right here at my fingertips! BIG HUGS all around!

Okay, today I just wanted to share a gift I made for a co-worker who recently purchased a new home. I found these frames at the dollar store and I removed the glass. I stamped 'HOME' in choc. chip ink on So Saffron CS, cut out each letter and adhered them to a So Saffron panel with dimensionals. I also added some Stickles for a little sparkle, then I just layered my panels. The Always heart was heat embossed with Versa Mark ink and white embossing powder and added with dimensionals. I added some ribbon with a yellow button on top of a larger brown button (adhered with glue dots), and I made a card to go with it using my favorite 'Bloomin' Rose.



Let me know what you think, I love when you visit! Have a wonderful Monday and don't forget to smile a lot! :)
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Frame~
Stamps: Lovely Letters Alphabet, Always (SU)
Paper: So Saffron, Choc. Chip, Pink Pirouette
Ink: Choc. Chip, Versa Mark
Extras: Stickles, ribbon, buttons, cuttlebug, lacy scallop punch, rhinestone stickers, white embossing powder

Card~
Stamps: Bloomin' Beautiful, Beautiful Borders (SU)
Paper: Choc. Chip, So Saffron, Whisper White, Bella Rose dsp
Ink: black Archival, pink pirouette, regal rose
Extras: ribbon, butterfly punch (MS), markers, Stickles, button, word punch, oval cutter, dimensionals, half pearl stickers

Happy Father's Day

Hi! Just a short post for today, wishing all the wonderful dads out there a very happy Father's Day~ Enjoy your day!
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers (SU)
Paper: Choc. Chip, Bella Rose dsp, Baja Breeze dsp, white, baja breeze
Ink: Black Archival
Extras: butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), markers,button, ribbon, half pearl stickers, hemp

It's been a while

Hi guys~
I know it's been a very long while since my last post, and I apologize for not checking in. I've just felt so overwhelmed with everything, and fallen into a very deep depression. I hate to admit that because so many people go through much more than depression, it sounds so trite. For me it's a very dark and lonely place, even surrounded by people who love me, but I'm working hard to get through it. Thank God for the people in my life and stamping~ they are truly life lines.
Today is the last day of school and I made two of Olivia's teachers a special thank you gift. It's Lauren's Versatility Box, one of my faves and so fun to make. Here is the video tutorial if you want to take a peek. Inside both boxes is a mini sunflower planter, I found them at Target for $1 each.
Here is a view of the top of the boxes:




Here they are opened, I added a little pocket to the inside cover to store the planter's instructions:



And here is the top of the mini planter, I punched a 2" circle, secured ribbon vertically around planter and punched circle. Then I layered a 1 3/8" punched circle over secured ribbon, and added Stampin' Up!'s butterfly die to the top with a glue dot.



I hope you try this fun box, thanks Lauren for the wonderful inspiration!
Thanks for stopping by, and keep smiling a lot :)
Hugs and Smiles!
Denise

Paper: Choc. Chip, baja breeze, dsp- all SU
Stamps: Best Yet- SU
Ink: Black Archival
Extras: white gel pen, punches, butterfly die cuts (SU), ribbon, mini planters

Hi!

Hi everyone!
I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted! Our cruise was AWESOME! I'll post a few pics at the end of this post. It was really hard to come back to 'reality' ~ I actually went through some 'post vacation blues' for a while, and I lost my creative mojo. I'd sit at my desk, look at my stuff, and NOTHING! But I check out all of your awesome creations EVERYDAY, and you remind me why I love this craft so much! You guys really and truly amaze and inspire me!!
Well, it's now Spring Break, I've had some time to myself and guess what? I got some mojo back!! I sat down the other night and made 3 cards! It also helps that my dear friend and stamping buddy, Pam, lives 3 houses down, and talk about inspiring-- she really needs to get her blog up and running so she can share her amazing talents with you guys too-- Ya got that MDF?!!!!



Anyway, I was looking through an old Stampin' Up! catty, and fell in love with this color combo- Sahara Sand and bashful blue. (it reminds me of the beach!) So I pulled out my Bloomin' Rose and came up with these.
I used the Swiss Dots folder with my Cuttle Bug, all three cards have faux stitching, and of course there's tons of Stickles involved, because I LOVE sparkles!
Okay, now maybe I'll check out some of my favorite challenges to keep the juices flowing! :)
As promised, here a few pics from our trip-- hope you enjoy!
(Ours is the BIG ship!)
Thanks for much for stopping by, and keep smiling!!
Hugs ad Smiles,
Denise

I'll be Thinking of You

Hi all, and happy Saturday!
Just a short post today. I will be leaving early tomorrow morning for our Cruise vacation, so I will not be posting for about 2 weeks~ but don't forget about me!!
I don't know how I will survive without my obsession, I think I'll stamp some images to bring along to color and cut out~ I CAN'T go cold turkey!!
I'll be thinking of you all in the warm Caribbean sun :), and look forward to checking out all of your wonderful creations when I get home!!
Have a great couple of weeks, and KEEP SMILING A LOT!! :)
Hugs and smiles~
Denise

Life is Good!

Happy Monday!
Well, I got my snow day!! Right now the kids are fighting and I wish they were in school!! I can't believe I actually got two cards done.
The first is Saturday's Cupcake Challenge at Taylored Expressions. I used my Sarah Kay's Picnic of Daisies stamp and water colored her onto water color paper using my ink pads and a water brush (and a couple of markers). I got a little 'button happy' here!




My next card is from this week's sketch at Our Creative Corner.
My dear friend and stamping buddy, Pam got the Top Note die, so I made a bunch of them in different colors of card stock. I stamped the tree from Thoughts and Prayers onto a Sahara Sand Top Note using markers. The sentiment is from Make it Count, it's stamped on Sahara Sand cs in choc. chip ink, then punched out with an oval punch. The smaller part of the sentiment is stamped in Certainly Celery ink on very vanilla cs, then punched out with a small circle punch and popped up with dimensionals. The rest is pretty self explanatory.
Before I go I wanted to mention that Deena is celebrating her birthday today and she's having a party, check out what else she's been celebrating- she might even have some goodies to give away- go check it out!!
That's it for now, thanks so much for stopping by, and don't forget to smile a lot today! :

Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Daisies for You
Stamps: Picnics of Daisies (Sarah Kay), One of a Kind (SU)
Paper: Not Quite Navy, So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Green Tea dp, water color paper
Ink: black archival, baja breeze, brilliant blue, barely banana, close to cocoa, choc. chip, certainly celery
Extras: markers, water brush, blender pen, buttons, lacy scallop punch (MS), cuttlebug embossing folder

Life is Good
Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers, Make it Count (SU)
Paper: choc. chip, very vanilla, so saffron, green tea dp, Sahara sand
Ink: choc. chip, certainly celery
Extras: oval punch, butterfly punch (MS), button, half pearl stickers, lacy scallop punch, top note die, markers

A Rose For You

Happy Sunday!!
We are awaiting what could be the biggest snow storm of the season here in Connecticut~ that means..... SNOW DAY TOMORROW!! Working in the school system I feel like a kid again when snow is coming, I LOVE SNOW DAYS!! In for the day, playing games with the fam, stamping, reading~ anything we want! It's not a 'Have to' day. On top of that, we are leaving next Sunday for a two week vacation. We're driving down to Florida, then shoving off on a ten day cruise to the Caribbean! I can't wait!!
Anyway, today's Featured Stamper at SCS is Kelly H. WOWZA! What a beautiful gallery! Browsing through some gorgeous creations, I finally chose this card to case. I loved the colors and layout a lot, but you have to change at least two things to case someone, so I changed the stamp set, dp and moved the elements a little. I also added buttons and a sentiment.

Stamps: Bloomin' Beautiful, One of a Kind (both SU)
Paper: very vanilla, basic grey, K&Co dp
Ink: black archival, soft sky, bashful blue, mellow moss
Extras: Oval cutter (Fiskars), ribbon, buttons, lacey scallop punch (MS), dimensionals, Stickles

Thanks so much for stopping by, and keep smiling a lot! :)
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Hope Happens Baby!

Happy Friday all!
It's been a busy week trying to get back into the swing of things after vacation week. I wish I had more time to keep up with all of the fantastic challenges I love to participate in, but I sneak a few in when I can. I have a notebook sitting on my desk, and everyday I check out the different challenges for the day and either write or sketch them down~ so they're always here if I ever want to catch up!
I was able to get in this week's color challenge at SCS. At first the colors scared me, I don't usually go very bright (chicken!), but I really like the results! This is also the Mojo Monday Sketch for this week~ I LOVE Julee's sketches, definitely one of my favorite challenges!
I do have one more card to post today, it's for a friend at work who will be having a baby boy in about 6 weeks. This is one of my favorite House Mouse images ever! I colored the shoes using my Soft Sky ink pad and a water brush. The color is so soft and delicate, perfect! I cut out one of the shoes, and the little guy on top, and popped them up with dimensionals~ I'm a cutter and a popper! I added some Stickles to the laces and sentiment, but it's hard to tell in the pic.
Anyway, that's all for now. Thanks so much for stopping by, have an awesome day, and don't forget to smile a lot! :)
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Hope Happens
Stamps~ gemstone birds (Inkadinkado), hope happens (SU)
Paper~ white, pumpkin pie, kiwi kiss, summer sun
Ink~ black Archival, choc. chip, pumpkin pie, kiwi kiss
Extras~ lacey scallop punch (MS), primas, rhinestones, Stickles, brad, cuttlebug folders, dimensionals

Baby
Stamps~ house mouse, lovely labels (SU)
Paper~ choc. chip, white, green tea dsp
Ink~ black Archival, soft sky, close to cocoa, choc. chip, baja breeze
Extras~ ribbon, Stickles, circle and scallop punches, dimensionals

For You

Hi!
I got caught up in this new show on Wednesday nights~ 'Lie to Me'~ it's awesome, definitely a new fave of mine!! But now I'm tired, it's snowing again, and I just want to get under the covers and read. I do want to share a quick post tonight though. This card was made with this week's SCS color challenge, and Mercy's Tuesday Sketch. I don't use this set a lot at all, in fact, I think this is the second time I've ever used it. I love it, I just never know what to do with it! So I went over to SCS and cruised the galleries for some inspiration. I didn't case anyone, I just grabbed a few ideas here and there (you guys all amaze me!) and I came up with this. I like it, what do you think? And if anyone has caught 'Lie to Me', let me know what you think about that too~ I think it's way cool and very interesting~ good TV, which think is kind of rare these days, but that's just me!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Stamps: One of a Kind
Paper: more mustard, rose red, kiwi kiss, white, Bella Rose dp
Ink: black Archival, rose red, kiwi kiss, versa mark
Extras: paper piercer, ribbon, half pearl stickers, dimensionals, oval and 3 flower punches

Winter Smile

Happy Monday!
I don't usually say that, but I'm on vacation for a week, so HAPPY MONDAY! And, yes I DID enjoy a relaxing TWO cups of coffee this morning! The kids have been playing outside with the neighbors most of the day and I have to say, I really haven't done much of anything! I've checked out my favorite blogs and galleries,and made a card for Beate's weekend sketch~ oh yea- this is a vacation!!
I'm quickly going to share it with you because I really should get SOMETHING done around here!
I love this image from Whiff of Joy, and it's pretty cold up here, so here is 'Winter Smile'. I stamped her in black Archival ink onto water color paper, and colored her with ink pads, a water brush and a blender pen. I added some Fruit Punch Stickles which I wish you could see better. The sentiment is a Heidi Grace rub-on on white cs, punched out with a 1 3/8" circle punch. I inked around the edge and outlined it with more Stickles. I added the MS snowflake punch with a dimensional, Stickled some more, and added a button in the center.
Well, that's it for now, thanks so much for stopping by~ and don't forget to smile a lot today!! :)

Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Stamps: Whiff of Joy
Paper: pretty in pink, choc. chip, white, pink pirouette and water color paper
Ink: black Archival, close to cocoa, choc. chip, pink pirouette, pretty in pink, rose red
Extras: Fiskars circle cutter, circle and snowflake punches, cuttlebug folder, Stickles, button, white gel pen, dimensionas

Happy Sunday!
I'm happy because it's school vacation and I don't have to get up and go to work in the morning~ Yaaaaay!! I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing cup of coffee in the morning and not carrying it around from room to room and rushing out the door!
I got a chance to do the Featured Stamper challenge over at SCS today. The artist of the day was Julie Lacey, and what a wonderful gallery to browse through, lots of lovely eye candy!! I chose this card of Julie's to case~ I changed the colors, image, and I added a sentiment where Julie's had buttons/brads.
The lighting in here is pretty crummy tonight, the photo looks a little dull~ sorry about that.

Stamps: Lovely Labels (SU), Best Friends (Inkadinkado)
Paper: white, pink pirouette, choc. chip, Bella Rose dp
Ink: black Archival, choc. chip, pretty in pink, rose red, certainly celery, soft sky
Extras: blender pen, Stickles, scallop, circle and lacy scallop punches, ribbon, button, rhinestones, paper piercer

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine weekend, thanks so much for stopping by!
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise

Two in One~ Vine Heart

Hi, and happy Tuesday everyone!
My card today is a combination of two challenges. Jen's Sketch For You To Try, and today's color challenge at SCS. The colors are:
Pink Pirouette or Pretty in Pink
Perfect Plum
and
Kiwi Kiss or Old Olive.
My Vine Heart image is, I'm pretty sure, a PSX stamp which I stamped on white card stock in Chocolate Chip ink. I colored the image using markers, ink pads and a water pen, and also added some Stickles for a little sparkle. I trimmed it very close to the edge and adhered it to my card with dimensionals. I have always wanted to trim out the center with a craft knife, but I always chicken out!
I added the buttons with glue dots, and stamped the sentiment on Pink Pirouette card stock in black Archival ink, then punched it out with a 1 3/8" circle punch and attached it to my card using dimensionals.
This will be my mom's birthday card, her birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks.
Well, I guess that's it for now~ time to make dinner! Thanks so much for stopping by, and don't forget to smile a lot today!! :)
Hugs and Smiles~ Denise

Stamps: PSX, Best Yet (SU)
Paper: kiwi kiss, perfect plum, pink pirouette, white, Bella Rose dp (SU)
Ink: black Archival, choc. chip, pretty in pink, mellow moss
Extras: markers, water pen, Stickles, buttons, ribbon, paper piercer, circle punch, dimensionals

Three cards to Share

I have three cards to share with you today. The first one is from this week's sketch challenge at SCS.

I love Stampin Up!'s Bella Rose dp, especially with black card stock!

Stamps: Sincere Salutations (SU), Inkadinkado
Paper: black, red, white, Bella Rose dp
Ink: black Archival, Versa Mark
Extras: Red glitter ep, oval punch, ribbon, paper piercer, rhinestones, dimensionals



The next card is a combintion of Taylor's sketch and Our Creative Corner's challenge, which is to make a card/project around your favorite embellishment. I'm lovin' my Cuttlebug, so I used the Swiss Dots, and Swirls embossing folders on my card.

Stamps: Think Happy Thoughts (SU), Impression Obsession (cupcakes)
Paper: regal red, pink pirouette, white, choc. chip, real red, dp (SU)
Ink: black Archival, choc. chip
Extras: markers, Stickles, CB embossing folders, ribbon, white gel pen, scallop,
circle, and lacy scallop punches, oval cutter, dimensionals



My last card is my dear hubby's Valentine. I used Mercy's Tuesday's sketch, and The Color Throwdown's challenge for this week.

Stamps: Always
Paper: very vanilla, choc. chip, pink pirouette, riding hood red
Ink: choc. chip, pink pirouette, riding hood red
Extras: half pearls, ribbon, Stickles, cb embossing folder, circle punch,
dimenionals

Thanks for stopping by tonight, I always love when you do!
Hugs and Smiles~
Denise