Seasons Greetings Double Challenge

Happy Wednesday!
It feels like forever since I've blogged- well its been a good 2 weeks so, yea, forever!! Getting back to the 'kids at school, me at work' routine has taken up most of my energy. I have been wanting to stamp and create, and by the time lunches are made, papers are signed, backpacks and clothes are ready for the morning- (let's not even mention chores and cooking!) I've been making the mistake of sitting on the couch to "relax", and then I can't get up!! Well, today is my 1st REAL day off. When I say "REAL", I mean I'm home, the kids are in school and my dear hubby is at work. Don't get me wrong, my family is my life, however, some yummy quiet and breathing space is GOLDEN! So, I've been catching up on my fave blogs, and some challenges that I have missed dearly!
Today I combined the sketch and color challenges at SCS and came up with 'Seasons Greetings'. The colors reminded me of Christmas, and I finally got to use my Snow Swirled set from Stampin' Up! Ahhhh.... that's more like relaxing!!
I hope you are all happy and well, and thank you so much for stopping by-- Keep smiling!! :):)

Recipe:
Stamps: Snow Swirled- SU
Paper: white, black, going gray, riding hood red, green galore
Ink: black, riding hood red, white craft, white classic
Extras: white diamond EP, ribbon, gems, scallop punch, dimensionals, white gel pen

IC139 You're Sweet

Hello Everyone, and happy Saturday!
Today's inspiration challenge at SCS is Pink 'Lemonade Bags', I used this one: I love the colors and design on this bag.
I started with a bashful blue card stock base. Then I cut a white panel and scalloped the bottom with my corner punch. I added bashful blue dps, a strip of white cs and ribbon and adhered that to the base. I stamped the 'so many scallops' flower in Chocolate Chip ink and punched it out with my scallop punch, then I stamped my 'Boho Backgrounds' medallion once in choc.chip an once in bashful blue inks, punched out center flowers, layered them and attached them with a pearl brad. I stamped flourishes and sentiments, then attached the flower with dimensionals.
This is also the sketch for Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday Challenge.

Well, summer school is over, and I'm off until Aug. 28th. It's nice to get a break from the grind. It's been a rough couple of weeks, a roller coaster ride actually. My daughter, Ashley, found out that she was pregnant, but when we went for the ultrasound to pin-point how many weeks she was (10 1/2), the baby had no heartbeat. I saw MY baby's heart break, and mine broke too:( She's okay physically, but she's going through the grieving process, which is exactly what she's supposed to be doing.
My BFFs and I are kidnapping her tomorrow- she needs some time with the girls. I was really angry when I first saw her pain, but trying to see the good in this I realize how grateful I am that I saw how happy she was, and I shared that with her. I'm grateful for being a gramma for a brief moment, and now we have another Angel up there on our side.
Well, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful week end, and keep smiling a lot! :):)

Obsession!!

Happy Wednesday!

Every morning the alarm wakes me up at 6 a.m. I hit the snooze button 2 times, then I get up, pour my coffee, and check out the daily challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. I link up, thank the host and check some Splitcoast replies on my e-mail. I see the amazing creations that have been made by so many talented people and I leave as many comments that I can before I have to hit the shower and get off to work. I then proceed to drift off, I don't know how many times durring the day, to what I can do with the challenge when I get home to my beloved stamping nook. Oh boy-- this is OBSESSION! But when I get home I have other responsibilities to tend to before I can sit down an play. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my family. I'm truly a very blessed person, I have so much to be grateful for- healthy children, a loving husband, family and dear friends--- the list goes on and on....

HOWEVER---- I am OBSESSED with Splitcoast challenges! They keep my mojo going, and save me from creator's block. Stamping and Scrapping give me just the outlet I need to stay sane in my sometimes very crazy, hectic, busy, messy-- but always blessed life!

And the challenge for today is.................... The Sketch Challenge!!! My FAVORITE :D

For # 183 I used the colors from yesterday's color challenge. I started with a purely pomegranate card base and pierced the corner. Panel #2 is white CS. Panel # 3 is BasicGrey DP matted with certainly celery. Panel # 4 is certainly celery sponged with chalks. I pierced the corner and stamped the sentiment. I added two Bloomin' roses embossed in white on wild wasabi CS. I water colored the flower with purely pomegranate ink, added Stickles for a little sparkle, then added
red knotted ribbon. Stamped 'Happy Birthday' sentiment, punched it out with a circle punch added some Stickles (of course), and adhered it to the card with a dimensional. I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and keep smiling a lot:):):):)

Back to my challenges!

Hi everyone!
Well, I survived my 1st craft fair!! Didn't sell very much, but that's okay, it was fun! My good friend Pam and I went in together and split a table. Pam has done a lot of fairs in the past, this was her 1st one in a long time. Thank God she knew what she was doing!! Cuz' I sure didn't have a clue! Thanks Pam!!:):) Now this was a very last minute thing and we had been cramming to get things together all week long! WE DID IT!! Now I know how prepared I really need to be the next time. Anyway-- great experience, and a nice day away from home with my stampin' buddy!
I was however going through major SCS challenge withdrawals!! I am addicted to these things! I love them because they really get my creative juices flowing, and get me out of my boring comfort zone! Thanks to all the awesome people at Splitcoaststampers who are so dedicated to setting up all the fun challenges every week!! They ROCK!!!!
My son's HS graduation was beautiful! When did the years start going by sooooo fast?! Ryan graduated with high honors!! Oh I'm so totally proud of him!! And you know what? That's 2 down, and 2 to go!! WOW!!
Okay, I finally got my challenge fix this morning! It's a combo of two challenges, try a new technique, which was water coloring with reinkers, and the featured stamper--Lost in The 60's-- Diane, who has an incredible gallery!! I chose one of my faves of Diane's, -- such a beauty. Click on her card for a larger image.

I don't have any reinkers, so I used the Stampin' up! water coloring technique, squeezing the stamp pad and using the ink on the cover with a water pen. I never use this rose stamp, but it worked real well with what I had in mind. I stamped and colored the image 3 times and cut and layered a lot, and of course added Stickles for sparkles. I love my S.U. Always stamp set and thought the bird would fit in nicely there at the bottom!

Well, it's time to make sure all children are settled in for the night, (so I can get back to my obsession!) Thanks so much for stopping by, have a wonderful evening, and don't forget to smile A LOT!!:):):):)

Why I haven't been to blogland recently.

Hi everyone!

It has been so crazy... Ready--- "How crazy is it?!" It's been so crazy, that I can't even think straight! Between the end of the school year excitement and preparation, (not only do I work in the school system, I have one DS graduating from HS!) my oldest DD being engaged, and trying to prepare for my very 1st craft show--- I'm frozen!!! It's the 1st day of summer vacation, I'm showered, everything is done around the house that I wanted to get done for now, my DH is at work, the kids are playing outside, I'm finally sitting at my desk and.......NOTHING! I feel like Chevy Chase in Funny Farm (if you're not familiar with this hilarious movie, here's a brief overview), he and his DW move from the city to their dream home in the country so he can finally write the greatest American novel. After a few funny setbacks in the beginning, he finally sits down at his typewriter, he types one word, and that's it, writers block! Well, I have 'creators block'! Did I mention that it's Wednesday and the craft show is Saturday? All the ideas in my head are spinning out of control and I feel lost in there. I guess it's time to chill out and get my thoughts together.

Anyway, I just wanted to drop a few lines and let you know what's happenin'.

Oh yea-- I almost forgot! A couple of weeks ago we had a bizzar storm that left us with a beautiful double rainbow that I wanted to share with you!

Anyone involved in the terrible storms out west--You are in my deepest thoughts and prayers.

Well, time to clear my head. Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to smile a lot today:):):):)

CC170 and SC180 Saffron Flower

Today I am home from work. I get panic attacks periodically and today is a doozy. I really needed to chill. So I am trying to relax doing one of my fav things--- stamping (and deep breathing).

Here is my card for this weeks CC170 and SC180 over at http://splitcoaststampers.com/. The color challenge is 'real red, regal rose and so saffron'--beautiful colors together!! The only color I didn't have was real red so I used purely pomegranate instead. I combined this with the sketch challenge and came up with this.

I sponged all panels, except pomegranate, with a combination of real read and regal rose chalks. I stamped the image on saffron in white and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I then sponged the embossed image with a combo of rose red and pretty in pink inks. I stamped and repeated the embossing and sponging procedure again, cutting out the flower in the center and adhering it to the center of my first image with dimensionals. I stamped and embossed 'LOVE' 3 times, cut them to size, sponged them a little and adhered them to bottom panel also with dimensionals. I corner punched all panels, added them to the base and added a wee bit of ribbon under the flower, and a pearl brad to the center. I like it!

I hope you have an awesome day, and don't forget to smile a lot today!!:):):):) Come visit again soon! Denise