Is it Halloween already??

No!!! But I haven't made a Halloween card in about 3 years! They've always been my favorite so I'm starting early :)

This was supposed to be a simple card. I was going to take some scraps (yay for using scraps!), use them as the background & slap on an image. Voila. Only, nothing is ever simple in my card making world. It ended up taking about 2 hours. What is WRONG with me? 

Ok, I know it doesn't look like it took a long time. But it did! I had about 53 scraps of paper to choose from so it took some deep thinking. 

Love this little cutie from Pink Cat Studios. I tried to make her face "witchy-like" {green & brown}, but she just looks like she needs a bath. 

As much as I like "bling" & "stuff", I never really use rhinestones. But, I pulled them out for this card. That's right, got a little crazy with this one. 

So when is your Trick or Treat time? Ha, just kidding. My kids haven't even started back to school yet. It's weird to think some kids have been in school for a couple of weeks already. Mine start next week Friday ... but they also go until the second week of June. 

Hope you have a great weekend! 

Itty Bitty card

Happy Wednesday! Halfway through the week already, time sure does fly!! I can't believe our vacation is in less than 3 months!

So did you think I made a teeny tiny card? lol -nope. I made a regular size card using Pink Cat Studio's Itty Bitty Betty -

Isn't she way too cute?? She's Betty Bug -- I just LOVE the Itty Bitties, I think I have *almost* all of them. I will tell you a secret -- just between us -- it took 4 tries to get this colored right! I won't go into the details but I think I finally got it right. The image is stamped on Cryogen Shimmery White & colored with Prismas & Goo Gone. Lots of Stickles for some glittery goodness. Papers are Basic Grey Nook & Pantry --  using up those older packs -- sentiment is Amuse -- I used the sketch from this week Sketch Saturday -- & VOILA -- a cheerful, springy card :)

I don't think you can see the shimmer of the paper but I think you can see the Stickles -- looks kinda like I spilled the whole jar, doesn't it? LOL I do love my bling :)

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Sketch Saturday -- sketch

Make It Monday -- anything goes

Paper Sundaes -- anything goes

**GAH** I just realized as I was posting this on SCS that I forgot to do my usual shading around the background of the image. I tell you, I'm really slipping. The other day it was the flower on the baby dragon's head, & today it's the background. **shaking head**

We had a GREAT time at Jelly Belly on Friday. I left work early & we spent about 2 hours there -- & $26! We were going to stop at the outlet mall near there afterwards -- but -- well that's a funny story that I will tell you when I post the pictures in the next day or two. Here's a preview of what we spied in the Jelly Belly store --

YUMMO! We were wondering if the toothpaste flavor was so popular that they couldn't keep up with the demand? I'll tell you more about the *interesting* flavors we were able to sample !

Betty is ready for Halloween!

TGI-almost-F!!! It's been a loooong week & I am ready for the weeeeekend!



I got this cute little Betty last year but never inked her up. She comes in a set of 2, with a sentiment. I got mine from 7 Kids College Fund -- HERE is the link. I used the other image on THIS CARD -- wow, has it really been almost a year since I made that? Time sure does speed on by!

Anyhoo -- I colored Betty with my pencils & Goo Gone -- the papers are Basic Grey Eerie (look, 7 Kids still has this paper!) -- the fence is a Sizzix die -- lots of Nesties & punches -- the sentiment is a dollar stamp from Michael's from a few years ago --




This was actually my second attempt -- the first one went into the circular file after I completely messed up the clouds. I hate when that happens! I'm pretty skillful at covering up my errors (only to point them out in my blog posts) but there was no saving this one! So I colored up Betty again, & very gingerly added some clouds).


Speaking of clouds --- here's the reason my pictures totally stink! Can't blame the camera this time -- but I can blame the lack of natural light --





Crazy crazy weather here in SE Wisconsin today. Wind advisory --- sunny, then cloudy, then sunny, then DARK clouds, raining, no, wait -- it's hailing --- oops wait it's sunny again --



One more thing before I go -- you may have heard of a little team called the Milwaukee Brewers ---




Sorry Dawn.

Betty Bug

Yay!! I finished a challenge card BEFORE the deadline. WAY before -- that almost never happens!



I jut received a small order from 7 Kids College Fund, & included in that order was this cute little Betty Bug from Pink Cat Studios. I colored the image with Copic markers --yes, the WHOLE THING! Nary a pencil anywhere on this image! I did bling her up with some Stickles though -- the papers are Basic Grey Urban Prairie -- & the layout is the sketch from Papertake Weekly.




Can you see her sparkle??

Besides the sketch challenge, I am also entering this into:

A Spoon Full of Sugar (Flower Power)

All Sorts Challenge (Things with Wings)

Truly Scrumptious (Summer Sparkle)

Bunny Zoe's Crafts (Lace)



Of course it's that time of year when I just have to add a photo or two of my flowers!



This is just one of the many different colored Columbine plants that are growing -- and growing and growing. If you want a plant that reseeds every year, aren't a lot of work & come in an array of colors, this is the flower for you!




These are the flowers from a bush we call Bridal Veil in these parts -- not even sure what the horticulturally correct name is --- but it's pretty & it also takes care of itself!





My grandma used to own a ceramics shop -- she made me 6 of these adorable guys when we bought our first home. Nothing like napping on the deck, under a pot of flowers while listening to the birds chirp. I want to be a ceramic gnome in my next life :)


That is all for today --if you made it through this whole post thank you!!

Tomorrow I am off to the 6th grade field trip. It should have been to Chicago -- that is the annual trip our district takes -- except this year, of course. We are going to the local YMCA -- sigh ...... well I am just happy that my 12 year old actually still WANTS me to go on his field trips with him!

Betty Witch

Happy Monday! Now there's an oxymoron! LOL! Mondays are just not good now that I work. But I had a terrific weekend ....the weather was beautiful & the boys & I went to the local park Saturday night for the JackOLantern Jaunt. We'd never been but I'm glad we went this year! Tons of people & businesses carve pumpkins & they line them up in the park & light them up when it gets dark. They decorated the pavilion, had music & goodies to eat & drink. We were there for 3 hours! That will definitely be a yearly event for us from now on!




On to the card.....I have been very careful about my spending, but I just had to get this adorable witch from 7 Kids College Fund. She's Betty Witch from Pink Cat Studios, & the set (called "Witch") comes with another Betty stamp & a sentiment. Only $6.99! What a deal! I love the little Itties & hope to get them all!!

I stamped the image onto shimmery white paper which of course you can't tell because I'm a crappy photographer! Trust me, it's sparkly pretty :) I used Copic markers & Prismas to color her, & cut her out with my Nesties Labels 9. The papers are Recollections from last year....the sentiment came from my computer ....some Primas....some stitching....a charm....& a black bow which is way too big but it's glue dotted on so it's staying!!





I did decorate the inside & made an envelo-box.....& it is currently listed on Ebay. In case ya need a cute little witchy Halloween card :)

Well I am off. I need to change my bedtime routine. Or my drugs. One or the other. I am soooo tired (literally) of getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night. I have such anxiety that I wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning & my mind just starts going. I miss the days when I could easily sleep 8-9 hours & not wake up once!! Getting old sucks!!

Thanks for visiting & have a great week!

3rd day of Christmas

And the celebration continues at 7 Kids College Fund! Today's special is 15% off all Pink Cat Studio stamps & unmounted stamp supplies!! Here is what you need to enter when you order....

Third Day of Christmas:
Code: XMASDAY3
Good TODAY ONLY (DECEMBER 15)

And I just happen to have a card made with one of the images from the Itty Bitty Christmas set! This is my very first Pink Cat Studio set & I only wish I had ordered it sooner!!!




As I was rummaging through my papers, I came across my Cryogen shimmer white paper that I haven't used in ages!! I stamped the image onto this lovely, shimmery paper & colored it with my Prismas & gamsol....added glitter here & there....& cut it out with my circle Nesties. Papers are SU's Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke & Basic Grey Wassail (which is on clearance at 7 Kids right now!!). Used some various punches....snowflake, branch, loop....& my snowflake Nesties....& the finishing touch was the 3 red half pearls at the bottom.






Now I'll have to get *all* the Itty Bitty sets, lol!!


Well I'm off to finish a ton of stuff before bed. I'm loving working again....regular hours....no 5:30 am phone calls....but wow I'm falling behind on everything!! Don't even TALK to me about Christmas shopping!! I'm usually done by now. But because I've been such a Scrooge I put it off....& off .....& off.....I've never been a last minute shopper but you may just find me at Target on Christmas Eve this year!!!!

Have a great week!!

Pink Cat preorder!!!

I just wanted to share with everyone that 7 Kids College Fund has the Pink Cat Studio ITTY BITTY CHRISTMAS set available for preorder!!!! I'm so excited because I've been eyeing this set for the last few days, ever since I saw some amazing stuff done by the Pink Cat dt!!!! I have zero Pink Cat stamps, but I think now is the time to break down & get some!!!!! Click HERE to preorder this adorably fun holiday set!!!!