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

Cool tag, and an Award

Happy Sunday!
My dear blogger friend Deena has tagged me, and it's a pretty cool 'photo tag'. I was to go to my photo file, pick the sixth photo, post it and tell you a little bit about it~ see~ pretty cool huh?!


This is a picture of my daughter Olivia (on the left) and her bff Jade in our yard this past October. They were enjoying the unusually warm fall day, laughing and playing in the leaves. Going through my photos I realized that it's been a VERY long time since I've done any scrapbooking. I want to put some time aside and get some pages done! Now I would tag Lauri!




Deena has also shared this beautiful award with me that has come from this site: http://www.gratefulness.org/. How great is this?!! You know, I never thought in a million years that I would be out here blogging with you guys, but I am so glad I am because I have 'met' some of the nicest, kind hearted souls here. I really want to thank you for visiting my blog, and the warm uplifting comments you take time to leave~ I can't tell you how much it means to me. And thank you for sharing your AMAZING talent, ideas and snippets of your precious lives with me~ it really is an honor to be out here in blogland with you all!
So, THANK YOU Deena, and right back at you my friend!! I would like to pass this award on to some people who may not know it, but are special to me. They have touched me in some way, whether it was a kind word or prayer, awesome inspiration or a big cyber hug~:
Lauri, Amy, Denise, Pam (even though your not in blogland), Laura, Judy, Mellette, LeAnne, Rhonda and Cindy.
I thank you all for sharing you with me.
Hugs and Smiles~ Denise

Hugs and Kisses

Happy Tuesday!
Remember me?? About a month ago I started having computer problems (don't ya hate that?) but FINALLY, things are back to normal. I've so missed blogging and my favorite challenges~ it feels a little overwhelming trying to get back in the groove, but it feels sooooo good too!! I can't wait to find out how my blogging friends are doing and what you're all creating!!
My card here is a valentine for my daughter. I used Monday's mojo sketch for this one. I absolutely LOVE Whiff of Joy stamps, and this little angel is just perfect for a valentine don't ya think?
Before I go I wanted to share a few pics of my yard with you~







Oh so pretty and OH SO COLD!!!! And now it's time to curl up into my nice, warm bed!
Thanks so much for stopping by, and don't forget to smile a lot!
Hugs and Smiles~ Denise

Happy New Year Friends!

Happy 2009 Friends! Here's to health, happiness and endless creativity~ may 2009 totally Rock!!
Our New Years eve was nice and quiet. We usually have some friends over, but we had a bit of a snow storm here in CT, and I think it's like 8 degrees! So we just chilled (literally!), watched some of our favorite 'Raymond' episodes, ate popcorn and watched the ball drop. Very nice!2
Today is just as cold, if not COLDER, so I think I'll hibernate while Steve takes the kids to the movies. For now I wanted to share a quick greeting and a double challenge card with you and then get some laundry done!
This card is from this week's SCS Color and Sketch challenges. The colors are Bravo Burgundy, Handsome Hunter and So Saffron. I found some birds I had stamped from the old 'Touch of Nature' set. I colored two of them with ink pads and a water pen, cut out one bird and adhered it over the other one with dimensionals. I also stamped the sentiment from 'Dreams du Jour' twice on white cs and colored it the same as the bird. I trimmed one of the images and matted it with Bravo Burgundy, then I cut the flower out of the second image and added it to he first with dimensionals. I stamped the butterfly on white cs with burgundy ink, trimmed it and added it to my card with dimensionals, and I added some Stickles to all of the images for a little spring time sparkle. I like it!! What do you think?
Well, off to the laundry room! Thanks so much for stopping by~ have a blessed and
happy New Years day, and don't forget to smile A LOT!! :)
Hugs and Smiles~ Denise

Stamps: touch of nature, dreams du jour (SU)
Paper: white, so saffron, handsome hunter, bravo burgundy, persian summer dp
Ink: black archival, bravo burgundy, so saffron, always artichoke, pumpkin pie,
close to cocoa
Extras: Stickles, ribbon, half pearl stickers, dimensionals