Christmas Mail

Have you gotten your cards addressed and in the mail yet? There was a time that I had all mine ready before Thanksgiving and simply waited until the first week in December to drop them all in the post. HA! That time of being organized seems to have been misplaced somewhere along the line!

Anyway, it is time for another Tuesday Morning Sketch, and here it is:

You are going to want to find time in your busy schedule to use this simply elegant sketch and join in the challenge as our very own Kris has put together a wonderful prize package for the lucky winner. It contains a paper pad, stamps, ribbon -- well, you just need to hop over to the TMS Blog and have a look yourself. 

Now, I must run as I really need to get my cards finished up or I will have to change them to New Year's cards (smile).

50 Years

I hope everyone who celebrated had a nice Thanksgiving last week, and those of you who either have already celebrated or don't celebrate at all, I hope your week was a good one. As you notice, I don't have a card for Tuesday Morning Sketches again this week. This is a busy time of year for many people (and I am one of them), so while I am going to try my best, my participation this month may be a bit sketchy.

This is a beautiful sketch this week, so I want to make sure you do not miss seeing it. Here it is:

 

Please stop by the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look at the beautiful cards the other DT members (who are more organized than I) made for you this week.

Are you wondering about the title of this blog as well as the photo shown? This week, December 3, 2015, the Hubs and I will have been married for 50 years. That's a long time! I met him my junior year in high school. He had already graduated (from the same school) and was doing a tour of duty in the US Navy. We actually met at a New Year's Eve party. He was with another girl, and I was with another boy. We didn't start dating until the spring.

I finished high school. He finished his tour of duty with the Navy, and we both entered college. He received a degree with an emphasis in business, and I received a teaching degree. Fast forward 50 years. We raised three children who have given us four grands. We've both "retired" only to go back to work in part time positions with the Rome-Floyd County Parks and Recreation Authority.  We've had ups and downs, laughter and frowns, but we have survived. Thursday we will celebrate another milestone together and then move the bar forward -- maybe we can make it to the 75th anniversary -- no harm in trying, eh?

 

TMS 328 and Thanksgiving

Hello dear followers. It is another Tuesday and time for another wonderful sketch. Before I share the sketch with you, I'd like to thank all of you who have continue to follow my blog over the years. It seems as if the crafting community has changed a bit over the years as many of us have other commitments and responsibilities. I know that my own time is now more limited than it was just a few years ago. So, I do want all of you to know how much I appreciate those of you who continue to visit me through my blog.

Now, on to business (smile). This week our sponsor is Sami Stamps, and our sketch was designed by our own Debbie Foster. Her is the sketch:

I do like the simplicity yet versatility of this sketch. I have used  the image Little Acorn Hoot.

I have used this little image before, but it is such a sweet one that I've chosen to use it again with this week's challenge. I colored the little bird using Copic markers, and then I paper pieced the acorn (this is exactly how I did the image last time, but you will note I used different paper combinations both in my paper piecing and in my card). The acorn would have just as easily been colored with my markers, but I liked the additional color and texture that paper gave. 

Since this week (Thursday) is the American Thanksgiving holiday, I have used that theme for my sentiment. The fall colors and the sentiment are perfect for this time of year.

Wishing all of you a wonderful week (and for my US friends, a very happy Thanksgiving), and if you have a few free minutes this week, stop by and visit the Tuesday Morning Blog to see the beautiful card the other DT members have created this week.

Tuesday Morning Sketches and Sherri Baldy

Good morning friends.  I am back. Thank you so much for stopping by. Here is another fun sketch challenge from Tuesday Morning Sketches.  This week's sketch is brought to you by Nina.  I love the basic elements that can be used for color blocking.  So many options!

Our sponsor this week is Sherri Baldy Designs.  Her big eyed beauties are so sweet and charming and you will absolutely love what the team did with the images.

But first, here is the sketch:

 I am still having problems with my printer ink smearing. I have learned that I am not the only one who experiences this problem with HP ink, so I may be in the market for a new printer, as I don't have the time to deal with the frustration of having to recolor images due to black smudges! Anyhoo, because of several unsuccessful attempts to color, I finally ended up printing off one of the pre-colored images on one of my Sherry Baldy CDs. If you haven't seen the CDs, you should definitely check them out. They are absolutely wonderful and, in my case, a nice life saver (smile).

I was actually able to use up some of my scraps with this week's sketch. It was really nice not to have to cut into new pieces of paper. I mounted the three pieces on a white card base, then placed my image on top. I also cut the sentiment off of another Sherry Baldy image and added it to the bottom of mine. I then added two rhinestone holly leaves and berries just for a tiny bit of bling.

Do stop by the TMS Blog and have a look at what the other team members did with this wonderful sketch.  

I know I've not been around much lately. I have had to take a leave of absence from a couple of y design teams, and I was gone for the month of October from TMS (but hopefully am back now). This is a busy time of year for everyone, both personally and professionally, so I just needed to simplify my life a little. Know you all understand, and I hope you missed me just a little bit (smile).

See you next week (if not before)!

Fashionista Besties

 

My Besties have introduced another new series called Fashionista Besties. They can be found in the My Besties Shop HERE.  I have colored and used two of these images (and as lovely as they are, they aren't even the prettiest one). I know that you will have fun with these new fashionista images -- especially for those more "adult" looking cards. I love the big eyed cuties, but sometimes one wants a little bit more of a "grown up" and these fashionista images are just perfect for those times. Sherri Baldy tries to make sure there is something for everyone in her designs.

If you haven't stopped by the My Besties shop lately, you really need to take the time to go have a look. There are not only new images there, but also beautiful new products -- flowers, charms, lace, ribbon and more. Stop by and have a look!

 

Little Fairies

Sherri Ann Baldy introduced several new lines of My Besties over the past two days. She started by showing us her new line of big eyed fairies -- oh so pretty -- along with some fairy houses and an adorable fairy frog! I've used two of the new fairies on my cards which I'm sharing with you today.  Both images can be found at the My Besties Shop under the category "Fairies."
 

Hello

Happy Tuesday morning. We have another wonderful sketch for you this week, and a wonderful sponsor as well.Our very own Debbie Foster is the sponsor, and she is providing a nice Doodle Pantry gift certificate for the lucky winner. How nice is that? First, let's take a look at the sketch:

Melissa has created a versatile sketch which (like a good dress) can go from the office to the cocktail hour -- in other words, you can keep your card fairly simple (as I have done) or fancy it up (as some of the other teamies have done) and still maintain the wonderful concept of the design.

You will definitely want to visit the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog to see the different samples provided for you this week. Once you've feasted on the eye candy, we hope that it will be inspiration for you to create your own card and share it with us this week.

See you later. Have a great week!
 

Little Acorn Bird

Happy Tuesday again. Isn't it nice how Tuesday comes around each week (smile)? Of course, that means that Tuesday Morning Sketches comes around each week, too, and this week we have a nice, classic sketch for you to use. It was created by teammate, Debbie Foster. Here is the sketch:

Our sponsor this week is the wonderful Sami Stamps. You can find her sweet digital images on her Etsy shop here and of course, don't skip her blog!

I used Little Acorn Bird for my card. I have combined paper piecing (the acorn) and copic coloring (the bird) on this adorable image. All of the patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye. The sketch is self-explanatory. It is a wonderful sketch and holds so many different looks depending on the papers and the image used. I went with a 5.5" square card base, but, as in the sketch picture, it also works well as a rectangular shape. Have fun with it and then show us what you decide to do. We love to see your artwork in the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenges!

Pumpkin Marci

This week our Tuesday Morning Sketch challenge is brought to you by Patti Rowe, an independent CTMH demonstrator. Patti has sponsored us before, and for those of you who like CTMH (Close to my Heart) products, you will want to join our challenge for an opportunity to win some.

The sketch is a wondeful sketch that can be dressed up or dressed down. A clean, basic shape with all kinds of possibilities. Here is the blank sketch for you:

Since Patti did not provide us with images this time around, I have chosen to use Pumpkin Marci by La La Land stamps. This is an older stamp, but remains one of my favorites. I've colored the image with Copic markers on Cryogen card. I then fussy cut the image to better fit the sketch.

My patterned papers are from a "kit" of Halloween paper that I picked up several years ago as are the chipboard sticker and black bat. Because they are much older, I no longer have the packaging to tell you the manufacturers.

If you aren't familiar with the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and challenge, you need to drop by the web site. The weekly sketches are wonderful starting points to anyone's creative process. The sketches are designed so that they have a wide range of appeal and possibility. So, even if you decide not to join in the challenge, you are sure to see a wonderful array of inspiration.

My Besties SVG Saturday

SVG File found at: http://www.mybestiesshop.com/store/p1973/Snowflake_border_1_SVG_file.html

 

SVG File found at:  http://www.mybestiesshop.com/store/p1966/Bestie_Christmas_tree_SVG_file_.html

It is once again My Besties SVG Saturday. For those of you who aren't familiar with SVG files, they are designs which can be cut with an electronic cutting machine such as a Silhouette or a Cricut if one has the cutting program. They can be downloaded into the machine's program and then can be cut at whatever size you wish in whatever papers you wish. The My Besties SVG design team create wonderful card and project examples weekly using the SVG files which can be purchased from the web store.

This week I've used two of the files, the snowflake border and the Christmas tree. I've used the tree before, so you may remember it, but it is a perfect little embellishment for Christmas cards or Christmas scrapbook layouts.

This week, I've also used another of Sherri Baldy's products -- one of her crafting CDs called "White Christmas." This product comes jam packed loaded with black and white line images, pre-colored images, labels, paper, tags, toppers, boxes and more. It is a great time saver if you don't have time to color your own images or a fun collection of popular images if you want to color them yourself. You can find the CD at:  http://www.mybestiesshop.com/store/c8/My_Besties_CDS.html

Hope you enjoy seeing this week's SVG samples. Have a good day. I'll see you again on Tuesday!

Tuesday Morning Sketches and My Besties

Good Morning friends!  Thank you for visiting me again.  Tuesday Morning Sketches has a new sketch for you.  This one was created by Debbie.
Our sponsor this week is Sherri Baldy Designs - her big eyed characters are very popular and oh so cute!  

Here's the sketch.... 

I colored my image with Copic markers, and I've used very old papers from Close to my Heart. You may not be able to tell from the photo, but the second patterned paper has little shoes on it. I thought they went perfectly with that cute little image in her Mom's high heel shoes (smile).

Join us this week at Tuesday Morning Sketches. We'd love to see what you do with the new sketch. 

Cutting Up with My Besties

Every Saturday, the Sherri Ann Baldy SVG design team show creations they've made using some of the SVG files available in the My Besties Shop. Some of the images will be brand new, and some will be images that have been in the shop for a bit as a reminder of what is available. 

The first card I am going to share highlights some of our fall/Halloween cuts.

 I am using on of the big eye images and two of our SVG files. I have used the bat and moon SVG and the pumpkin border SVG. What I like about our pumpkin border is that the pumpkins are not jack-o-lanterns, so those of you who don't "do" Halloween can still use them for fall/Thanksgiving/harvest cards.

This card uses an "older" SVG (not that any of them are really old since SVG files are a relatively new product line). I have actually used this file before, but I wanted a bit of a "woodland" look for this card. Unfortunately, I should have moved the border down further so that more of my mushrooms could be seen. (I had already adhered the border and couldn't remove it without tearing up my card before discovering the placement issue.)

Tuesday Morning and Digital Delights

Good morning my wonderful followers! Today is Tuesday, so another Tuesday Morning Sketch to share with you. This one was designed by our own Jessie Fogan. Our sponsor this week is the delightful Digital Delights by Loopy Lou. If you aren't familiar with Digital Delights whimsical characters, you definitely are missing out and need to take a visit to their site. The image provided for me this week is Candy Wreath Natasha.

Here is the sketch for this week:   

I colored my adorable little Gingerbread girl with my Copic markers. I added sparkle to her dress (you can see it a bit better if you click on the picture above) with Jelly Roll glitter gold. The papers all come from American Crafts' 6 x 6" pad called "Jolly." Instead of stitching, I used gold baubles. I placed three on the stripe fishtail, two on the red fishtail and one in each the upper and lower corner of the right side.

I have to share a funny with all of you. If you visit the Tuesday Morning blog and see my teammate, Debbie's, card, you will notice small dots/baubles on her fishtails and along the top and side of her image paper. The team does not know what each other is making until they all get posted to a special place where our Blog Mom can get them to post on the blog. Well, had I been able to find my supply of small gold dots, Debbie's card and mine would have been almost identical! I've evidently used all my little gold dots, so had to go with alternate gold baubles (shew!). It was rather humorous when it was discovered that we'd come awfully close to duplicating each other (smile)! On that note, I think I should close and give you an opportunity to go over to the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and see what the DT have done this week.

Take care and happy crafting!


Challenges I'm entering...
Christmas Card Challenge #38 - Anything goes
Craft Your Passion #276 - Anything goes 
Through the Craft Room Door Aug 25-31 - anything goes
 
 

Tuesday Morning with DRS Designs

Happy Tuesday. This week's sketch was created by our own Jessi Fogan. It is a nice, classic design. Our sponsor this week is DRS Designs. It is always a pleasure to have DRS Designs as our sponsor. They offer mounted and unmounted red rubber stamps that are high quality and deeply etched, always giving you a clear image. You can also get the all the images in digital format if you prefer.

Here is the sketch:

I have kept my interpretation of Jessi's sketch clean and simple. The image is so pretty that I wanted it to stand out on its own. After coloring the image with Copic markers, I cut it and then rounded the four corners. I have used red card as my base and simple, green gingham print for the two background pieces. I added a tiny bit of bling with the holly leaves and berries that I placed on the two corners.

I have used two of DRS's images. I have used Candy Canes and Merry Christmas sentiment.

Have a go this week at the challenge. We'd like to see how you interpret Jessi's sketch. For more inspiration, hop on over to the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look at what the DT have done.

Dear Santa Release

This weekend the Sherri Baldy Facebook design team helped introduce some new images for Sherri Baldy's My Besties. The darling images were adorable and fun to work with and can be purchased in both colored versions (if you are short on time) and black and white (for you to color yourself). Sherri also introduced some new clear stamps, some new Letter Page kits, dies and more. You will want to make sure you check them all out.

I am going to share three cards that I did using new images. I had loads of fun coloring up these little cuties. Hope you like them, too.

The first one, Cookies for Santa, is done in a non-traditional color palette of pink, blue and green. The Image is colored with Copic markers (isn't she lovely?). I used papers from the My Mind's Eye "Merry" 6" x 6" pad, a white card base, and blue card for matting. I've used roses and cherry blossoms from Wild Orchid Crafts, and white leaves cut with a die from La La Land Crafts. The sentiment is computer generated and cut with a tab punch.

This image, "Hanging Garland" is also colored with Copic markers. I've used the traditional colors of red and green for this one. Click on the photo of the card to enlarge it, and you will better be able to see the decorative border under the red dotty center strip. This is one of the new Sherri Baldy SVG files for use with electronic cutters (such as Silhouette or Cricut). The papers are from a 6" x 6" pad  by Pebbles called "Welcome Christmas." I've added red dotty ribbon and a silver stocking die as well as two white blossoms. The sentiment is stamped with green ink.

This last card uses "Dear Santa" (there is also a Dear Santa image using our darling little boy, so you have a choice). I have combined traditional and non-traditional colors for this card. Again (and I didn't write down which pad I used - I apologize and will try to be more careful about that), I have used papers from one of my 6" x 6" pads. I colored the face, hair, paper and those darling kitty slipper with Copic markers, but I Paper pieced the headband and nighty (papers from the same pad). I cut a snowflake using a die I had received free with a magazine, and topped it with a blue flower I purchased from Michael's. The Swirl is cut with a Joy Craft die. I have used a white card base and cransberry red card for matting. The sentiment is computer generated, and I inked around the edges to make it stand out more.

Please look us up on Facebook at "My Besties Designs" to see more samples from the other DT members and go to the online store "My Besties Shop.com" to see the wonderful line of products.

A Bugaboo Birthday

This week at Tuesday Morning Sketches, our sketch is a bit off-key and unusual with some different elements. (I wish, after I was finished, that I'd thought about embossing the solid pink portion. I have some really pretty embossing folders that would have added another interesting dimension to my card. Oh well, make note for next time!).

Here is the sketch as provided by Melissa:

Our sponsor this week is a familiar "face." Jodie, of Bugaboo Stamps, has graciously agreed to once again sponsor the Tuesday Morning Sketches Challenge. Jodie also provided some of her whimsical and fun images for the DT to color up and use. Thank you Jodie!

My image is Chibi Cupcake which I colored in a variety of colors found in my background DP. I used a solid piece of card weight for the triangle and matted it with red. I also cut the fish tail from red card weight and matted it with the pink. Because my background is quite busy, the swirl element on the bottom was not used. However, I did add pink gems to three of the corners for a little more interest. The sentiment is from a set I got when I purchased a British magazine. I stamped it on white with Holiday Red ink (from Close to My Heart), and I then cut it with a Spellbinder die, placing the words inside the top of the die so that when it cut, I got a bit of a "tab" look. I tucked the words to one side of the triangle and the fish tail on the other to balance it. I used a Spellbinder oval die to cut my image.

Stop by the Tuesday Morning Blog and have a look at what the other DT have made. As always, lots of talent and lots of inspiration. Then let us see how you use our sketch! 

More SVGs from Sherri Baldy and My Besties

Hello friends. It is Saturday, so that means showing you some more of the SVG files by My Besties. I have two cards to share with you today. First 

 

 It is a bit hard for you to see this SVG file because I turned it into a flower. That is why I have placed three of the cuts in front of my card. This is called a 7 layer scalloped circle and can be found at http://www.mybestiesshop.com/.../7_layer_scallop_SVG_file...

I cut several of the smaller sizes (in fact, I did have to reduce the last two slightly) from yellow card (the lighter weight card sold at Michael's Crafts). I inked the edges with Apricot chalk ink by Colorbox, and then I clipped a little in between the scallops and conditioned them with my flower making tools. I took the ball tool to the petals and to the center of the circle so that the petals would turn upward. I then combined several to make the flower and added Flower Soft flocking to the center. The leaves are NOT by My Bestie (although we have an SVG for leaves, I don't have it so had to use a die by another manufacturer).

My second share is

 The SVG file on this card is called Border 1 and can be found at http://www.mybestiesshop.com/.../Border_set_1_SVG_files.html. I cut the border twice and put one above and one below the blue piece that I cut from a piece of blue patterned paper. This file has three versions of the border (the one you see above, one similar except with no holes and a third which has holes in the longer pieces). 

You will want to visit our Facebook page and see all of the lovely cards and projects that the DT have made using some of the My Besties SVG files. We are all very excited about this new feature in the My Besties store that allows us to combine some of our favorite images with our wonderful electronic cutting machines. You can find us on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mybestiesdesigns/

Have a good weekend. Come see me again.

New Release - New Challenge

Good morning everyone. Today, at Sami Stamps, we have a new release and a new challenge. Here is a thumb of the new release:

Sami and her family just spent some time at the beach, so she was inspired to draw these new images for you. You really MUST see the beautiful cards the DT have made with these images. You will be totally blown away. You will want to visit the Sami Stamps blog and have a look.

Remember, Sami provides free or deeply discounted images in her store, so there is no reason for you not to join in the challenge. You will have all month to get your card/cards done (yes, you can enter twice for double the chance to win). 

A Little Bit of Tuesday

Happy Tuesday morning. It is time for another sketch to inspire you. This week's sponsor is Sweet Pea Stamps. You will have a chance to win four images from our sponsor. Sadly, the DT did not get an image this go round, so while you will see some creative use of the sketch, you will only see a couple of images from our sponsor.

My card is combination of whimsey and color. The card base is white with a blue mat and a multi-colored pasley designed DP for the background. The circle (which looks darker in the photo than in real life) is an orange that matches the background color perfectly. The circle is matted with a scalloped circle of green (which can also be found in the background). The fish-tail banner picks up the lighter green in both the background print and the shoes and apron of the image.

I have used an older Saturated Canary image which I colored with Copic markers in the colors found in the DP. Since the image was rectangular rather than square, I cropped it as closely as I could to the image and did not use a mat to keep the size more compact. I did add three brads (again in the colors found in the DP) just to the right of the image.

I think, after you see all of the inspiration the DT have provided, you will find this sketch to be quite fun and versatile. Why don't you give it a try and then enter your creation in this week's challenge at the Tuesday Morning Sketch blog.  We always enjoy seeing what others do with our sketches.

SVG Saturday

It is time to showcase the Sherri Baldy SVG files once again. In addition to the three I will be showing you, there are dozens of new SVG files that are just fabulous and not only go with the My Bestie images, but work beautifully with other stamps as well. You can see the new SVG designs on our FB page or in the new Sherri Baldy store.

For this card, I colored the image "Raining Hearts" and then cut the new SVG heart frame.

For this one, I have used the Ashley Isabella image and the new deco art frame (called decorative frame in the store).

Last but not least is this adorable Christmas image and the SVG Christmas Tree to go along with it.

If you haven't visited one of the Sherri Baldy stores, you are really missing a treat. Not only will you find her adorable images, and the new SVG files, but much more. Sherri has her own line of papers, flowers, color mists and more. Here is a list of all the sites shere you can purchase Sherri's items:
 
www.MyBestiesshop.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SherriBaldy?ref=hdr_shop_menu
www.My-Besties.com
www.Scrapbookstampsociety.com

I'll be back again on Tuesday. Until then, have a good weekend and go do some crafting! 

Besties on Tuesday Morning Sketches

Good morning! It is a lovely, but HOT, Tuesday here in Georgia. The sun is out in full, truly southern, force (smile). This week our sponsor is My Besties by Sherri Baldy. and our new sketch is by our own Kris B. Here is our lovely sketch:

For my card this week, I am using part of the Big Eyed Tea image. I've colored it with Copic markers and cut it into the oval shape seen in the sketch. I've then used one of the Spellbinders fancy frames (Floral Ovals) cut from lavender card to place behind my image. 

My card base is white with dp which has been matted with the same lavender that is behind the image. I've used three fish-tail banners (cut using #1005, Classic Ribbons die by Poppystamps) to bring in the colors found in my background dp, and I've matted each with the lavender card. I finished my card off with flowers by Wild Orchid Crafts, two leaves cut from green using die by LeCrea' Designs, and a tall green leaf sprig cut from green using a leaf die by La La Land Crafts (found in exclusive April club kit).

For an opportunity to win some lovely My Besties digital stamps, use the Tuesday Morning sketch above and enter your creation at the blog. While you are there, take a few minutes to look at the lovely cards the DT have made to inspire you using the My Besties images. 

SVG Saturday (on Sunday)

For this one, I've used one of the new Bestie SVGs called Butterfly Border.

For this one, I've used the SVG File called Boots. 

I am have loads of fun using the new SVG files that Sherri Baldy has in her shop. The SVG files coordinate with many of the images we've all come to use and love, but they are versatile enough to stand alone or to be used with stamps/images you may already have. The files are easy to cut and to assemble. 

To make your shopping even easier, Sherri has introduced a brand new store format with her images and SVGs in their own sections. She is also holding a big sale to make room for new items, so if you've been wanting to stock up on digies, stamps, SVGs or more, now is the time to do it. 

See you soon. Until then, happy crafting!

Tuesday Morning Sketches #310

 

Happy Tuesday. This week's sketch is brought to you by teammate Debbie. It's a classic sketch that can be dressed up or kept simple. However, whichever way you might decide to go, it will give you a great card and a great look.

This week's sponsor is SLS Lines. This is a fun little digi shop on Etsy which offers digital images (stamps) and papers, so if you like the ability to print your own papers, you will find some lovely ones there.

Here is our sketch:

 

My sponsor provided image is called Lady with Roses in Hair. I've colored it with Copic markers. The papers I've used are some of the last in a pad I received with a stamp magazine printed in the UK. I am going to be sad when this pad is completely gone because the papers have been quite lovely, and I've enjoyed using them. The paper on top is pink roses, and the bottom is the lovely striped paper. I've used a piece of ribbon to separate the two.

The card base is white stock, and I've matted the digital image with a soft green. The flower is by Recollection, and the leaf swirls are cut with a Joy Craft die.

All right, friends, it is your turn to play along with this week's challenge. You can find it at the Tuesday Morning Sketches Blog. SLS Lines also has a challenge blog here. You may also want to enter their challenge and double your chances of winning some of their designs.