A shout out for my friends ~

Hey all!  I wanted to give a shout out for a couple good friends of mine.  The first is for my friend Annie.  She is creating her own line of printable templates in 3 formats.  You can read more about it on her blog here.

The coolest thing about these templates, aside from the fact that my friend made them, is that she is selling them for the low cost of $3.50.  Not only that, but if you choose to buy the .svg or .gsd files, you also receive the .pdf file.  This is not something that the other purchaseable template companies do!  So scurry on over and get yourself her first template, Favor Box, now.  Oh, and if you hurry, you can get in on a little blog candy - drop a comment with a new name for Favor Box for a chance to win a copy!

Second, my friend Tonya of Stamp Happens is having a huge sale!!  Up to 50% off on some items!  She carries everything from Ciao Copics to Stickles to super cool stamps and even Nestabilities!  So hurry on over to the Stamp Happens store and get yourself some of those goodies that Santa didn't leave in your stocking!

K, I'm off!  I hope to be back with a little Favor Box of my own!  Have a fantastic Wednesday!!  :o) lyss

Holiday cards 2009 ~

Hey all!  I hope you had a very Merry Christmas, if Christmas is your thing!  If you celebrate something else, then I hope that was wonderful as well.  We just finished off our Christmas festivities this morning.  We only have my stepdaughter every other weekend, so we never have Christmas on the actual day.  Hopefully, as the little monster gets older and understands about Santa and such more, she'll come to spend more time with us.  Anyhow, we had a fun time and now she's off buying clothes and spending her gift cards with her father while I'm here at home with the little one napping. 
I thought I'd jump in today and show the rest of my holiday cards.  I wanted something elegant and easy to mass produce for most of the family/friends that are on my list.  It turned out that because of the little knot, I had to spend an extra twenty cents on postage.  Oh well!  At least I was smart and checked it out at the post office first!! 
Each of my holiday cards were stamped with the same sentiment inside.  It's from this cute little stamp company I saw at the Stamp/Scrap Expo, Bugawumps.  It says,

"Peppermint sticks that twist and turn,

Yuletide logs that brightly burn.

Soft downy jackets

And warm woolen mittens,

May your holidays be filled with

Family, friends and traditions!"

The sentiment is clear embossed on both styles.  You can't tell in the photo but most of the lines of the deer head are highlighted with a Sakura Clearstar pen.  I used the pen to draw the ornament hangers too.  It's very pretty IRL. 

This next one was for my closer family members that I was able to see on Christmas.  It was inspired by a challenge on the CARDS blog to use felt.  I've never cut felt on my 'bug; it worked okay.  If I were to give any advice, I would say to try to cut your felt to a small enough size so you can turn the piece and run it through the 'bug a couple of times.  All I had to do was use some snips, but it would've been nice to not have to do that part. 

 This last one was colored long ago for the first Embellish magazine color challenge.  I never ended up making it into a card, so I used this as a special card for my grandfather.  He loves my little guy so incredibly much.  Zane is my grandfather's first great-grandchild, so he's extra special!

Like I said above, each card had the above sentiment stamped inside and our family picture.

  I find that is still a little too mass produced for me, so everyone got a quick little handwritten hello.  That's all I've got for you today!  Before I leave you, check out my sidebar for some blog candy that I've happened upon.  I hope to be bitten by the crafting bug sometime this week!  :o) lyss

SUPPLIES ~

CARDS 1 & 2

STAMPS: Basic Grey Winterland; PTI Signature Christmas

INK: Ranger Distress Ink Broken China, Fired Brick & Peeled Paint; VersaMark; SU Chocolate Chip

PAPER: PTI Rustic Cream, Scarlet Jewel & Soft Stone; SU Riding Hood Red; DP Basic Grey Dasher

OTHER: Sakura Clearstar gel pen; Filigree Clear embossing powder; dimensionals; PTI Scarlet Jewel & Vintage Cream twill

CARD3

STAMPS: PTI Holiday Button Bits & Signature Christmas

INK: Ranger Distress Ink Pine Needles; PTI Pure Poppy

PAPER: PTI Rustic White

OTHER: PTI Rustic twine, Pure Poppy buttons & satin ribbon; dimensionals; felt

CARD 4

STAMPS: PTI Polka Dot Basics II; Whiff of Joy Charlie with Snowball

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; VersaMark; PTI Fresh Snow

PAPER: PTI Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Pure Poppy, Spring Rain & SS White

OTHER: Martha Stewart Snowflake punches; dimensionals & glue dots; PTI Pure Poppy buttons; Cuttlebug Snowflake embossing folder; Stardust Stickles

Inspired by Challenges ~

I try to be organized.  I've even organized my reader with folders of challenges I like to follow, bloggers that love to give away candy, bloggers that knock my socks off with their coloring skills, etc.  Being organized does little for the mojo though.  I don't think I'm depressed - I just don't have the drive to get things done because I don't have somewhere else I need to be.  I can always do it tomorrow.  Does that make sense?  Anyhow, this card was inspired by numerous challenges: Color Throwdown #72 {Riding hood red, wild wasabi, soft sky, pretty in pink}, Whiff of Joy {sparkle}, Copic Creations #17 {Snow/Snowpeople}, Crazy 4 Challenges #15 {Snowmen/Snowflakes} & Moxie Fab {All Creatures Great & Small}.  Ha!  Obviously, I would've had to have drawn in a background with snowy hills or something to follow with the Copics challenge, but whatever!  Once I realized I wasn't going to make the deadline, the vision shifted.  LOL

This little cutie is from Whiff of Joy.  He is just darling, don't you think?  I love the expression on his face.  I drew a line in to ground him, colored it like *ice* and added a couple lines with a white gel pen for accent.  The holly berries have Stickles for an extra bit of shine.  I don't love the way the card came out, but since I wasn't following a sketch challenge {ha!}, I didn't really have much inspiration in that department!  The inside has a sweet little sentiment stamp from Bugawumps that I'll tell you more about later.

I should have a couple more glimpses into holiday cards this week, as well as a sweet 16 card I've made for my niece using last week's Mojo Monday sketch.  {Hee, hee!  Late again!}  Now, if I don't make it back, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!  I'm finding this holiday so much more fun now that I have a little kiddo that is super excited.  I want to find ways to make it more special and memorable for him. 

Thank you all so much for your support and sweet comments!  Have an incredible day!  ~lyss

SUPPLIES ~

STAMPS:  Whiff of Joy Henry Mouse Ice Skating

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black

PAPER: PTI SS White; SU Pretty in Pink, Riding Hood Red, Soft Sky & Wild Wasabi; DP Basic Grey Dasher 

OTHER: Xyron sticker machine; Doodlebug glitter; some other fabulous super fine and sparkley glitter; Cuttlebug embossing folder; Xmas Red Stickles

Mojo 116 - Teenish Thank You ~

Well, I thought I would make it back yesterday with this, but, man, I could not get it to work the way I wanted!!  I had two images colored with the cards *made* in my head - why does that never translate to paper the same???  Anyhow, this Mojo Monday sketch is fantastic!  I love it and have so many ideas for it!

 Head on over here to see what others have done with this sketch!

I'm pretty happy with how my card finally turned out.  I used a digi image that I won from The Greeting Farm blog.  Did you know that every Monday they show a digi image from the blog?  The more you comment throughout the week, the better your chances of winning the digi.  I think they give 7 away every week!  Make sure to bookmark that!

I colored little Ebony with Copics.  The fun part is her hair - black and pink tips!  She's a teenager in my eyes, so she needs to have some fun.  She doesn't want to be too polite and say 'Thank you very much', so she just says, 'Thanks a bunch'.  I really wanted to use my skull and cross bones die cut with this image.  I think it turned out okay.  Not much else to say with this one!  Hope you are all having a great day!  I'm off to finish editing the family photo and then on to addressing those envelopes!  :o) alyssa

SUPPLIES ~

STAMPS: The Greeting Farm Ebony digi (limited edition); Verve Stamps Grateful Elegance; PTI Polka Dot Basics II

INK: HP printer ink; PTI Raspberry Fizz; Versafine Onyx Black (yummy ink!!)

PAPER: PTI Raspberry Fizz, SS White & True Black

OTHER: EK Success Fleur de Lis border punch; Cuttlebug Skull Cross Bones Die; Gunmetal & Cotton Candy Stickles; PTI Raspberry Fizz saddle stitch ribbon; Copics; Spellbinders lg & sm classic circle nestabilities

Just Because ~

Woo Hoo!!  I made it!  I finally finished a card - jeesh! This little ditty has been colored up for a while now, but I couldn't find just the right sketch to use it with.  I really wanted to combine some challenges, but in the end, I just went with one.  The Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps challenge - #9 Gift Card Holder. 

Isn't she cute?!?  I adore this little image.  I didn't have inspiration for the colors; I just wanted to do pink polka dots and then decided that green would go good with the pink.  The ribbon is white satin died with a Copic {R81}.  For the gift card holder portion, I just added a strip to the inside of the card:

Thanks for stopping by!  If all goes well, I should have a Mojo Monday card tomorrow and maybe a peek at my holiday cards on Sunday or Monday.  Turns out I need more than I thought, so I'd better get crackin'!  I'll leave you with a detail shot and the Copics I used.  Have a super Friday evening!  :o) alyssa

SUPPLIES ~

STAMPS: Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Charlotte; MFT sentiment

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black

PAPER: PTI SS White; SU Gable Green & Green Galore

OTHER: Copics; PTI white satin ribbon, vintage white button; white embroidery floss; faux dew drops (tinted with Copic); dimensionals; Glossy Accents (as glue)

Blog Candy winner ~

Whoops!  Seems I forgot that today is Wednesday and not Tuesday, when I was supposed to pick the blog candy winner.  Without further ado, random.org chose #3...Julie E, my friend and fellow Sketch Girl!  Drop me an email with your snail mail, Julie, and I'll get your set in the mail!  Maybe in time to get a couple of those 80 Xmas cards you need to make!! ;o)
I'll hopefully be back later with a challenge card I've been working on.  Funny how the mojo seems to be slipping away for a lot of us right now!  :o) alyssa

Happy Birthday Dad! ~

I didn't get to blog this yesterday b/c, as usual, I spent too much time putzing around in the morning and then had too much to do before dinner!  That's my parents in Germany this past September.  Happy Birthday to my daddy, the perpetual 39er!  He has never celebrated past his 39th birthday {for the last 21 years!!}  Dad has always been a lover of nature, but as with any male, he also loves cars, trucks and bikes.  I knew I wanted to use my Bombshell stamps for a little card for him, so I pulled out Speed Shop.  I fell in love with this card by Anya a while ago.  Since I always leave the important things {that intimidate me} to the last minute, I had to CASE her card.  I chose to go with the Mojo Monday sketch #115 mainly because it was super simple!  I had to make this card while the pie was baking, I was getting ready for dinner and the punk was still sleeping! 

I went with the same color of car because I love red cars!  I'm not a big fan of blue or even green cars - it's gotta be red or black for me.  This card is just a little 4.25" square - the perfect size to showcase that fabulous image.  I switched the sentiment to the opposite side of the sketch b/c it just leads to the inside of the card better IMHO.  The inside has another strip of the background paper that says, "to a real Hot Rod Classic".    So there you go, Dad!  Hope there are many more of your fun birthdays to come!!

Switching gears...I have to show you all something that I am super excited about.  Obviously, I love to color.  lol  I like to print or stamp out a whole page of stuff and color whenever I get the time.  Sometimes it's hard to carry all my markers around - especially when the punk wants to go to the park or something.  I found this little Caboodles case at Target that fits all my Copics in their cases!!   The Copics cases are the Sketch 36 size.  This little cube holds 3 side by side.  Yay!  Now my Copics can easily go anywhere with me!!  Just had to share that b/c I'm so happy with it!  Yeah, I'm pretty easy to please ;o)  That's all I got!  Hope you are all having a fun, productive weekend! :o) alyssa

Bombshell Hump Day Hop #13 *Naughty or Nice* ~

Hey all!  Sorry, I'm getting this up a bit later than I had first thought...it's that whole not adhering to a schedule thingy! lol The Bombshell ladies are at it again with a new pin up girl - Ms December.  Her challenge to us this month is:
"Ready to be "Awfully Good"? Santa is looking over his list to see who is naughty and who is nice. So lets send him our best project expressing which list we should be on.
Your Challenge is to create a project showing which side of the list you belong on. The Naughty List or the Nice. Make those Bombshell stamps shine and give Ole St Nick a reason to smile."
 
Since I've already done Naughty, I thought I'd stretch myself and try to be Nice! 

I made the little pirate wench from A Pirate's Life into one of Santa's elves!  I just drew some lines along her legs to look like stockings.

Here's a close up

This card actually used a lot of masking because it is 4 stamps - the wench elf, the bear, the hat and the pile of presents.  All the accessories are from a *must have*Bombshell set, Holiday Accessory.  Even if you don't have Bombshell stamps, you need this set!  After coloring, I realized I probably only needed to mask the bear!  Oh well!  I got to try out the Eclipse masking tape that I bought forever ago, so that's good!  The sentiment is computer generated and reads 'A little elf told me...You made the Nice list!  Merry Christmas'

Before adding all the front pieces to the card, I measured a gift card and cut some slits.  They're completely covered on the front of the card.  Some swirly flourishes stamped along the edges of everything and some distressing finished these cards off!  Now bop along to the rest of these Bombshells and show them some love! Oh, and if you're interested, I have a StampInsanity set for blog candy in the post below this!  Have fun!!  ~alyssa

Erika *Ms. December*
Angela
Katie
Alyssa {you're already here!}
Terra
Sarah
Kathi
Kas
Gabby

SUPPLIES ~
STAMPS: Bombshell Stamps A Pirates Life & Holiday Accessory; Basic Grey Winterland
INK: HP printer ink; Memento Tuxedo Black; Ranger Distress Antique Linen; PTI Vintage Touch duo
PAPER: PTI Ripe Avocado, Rustic White, Scarlet Jewel & Vintage Cream; Basic Grey Wassail 
OTHER: Copics; Sakura Clearstar gel pen; White fun flock; Spellbinders large & small petite oval nestabilities; exacto knife

A Giving Elf {and some blog candy} ~

Good morning!  I meant to get this posted yesterday but haven't been able to get myself on much of a schedule. lol  I've been sleeping in (until the monster starts screaming) and just doing things at my own pace.  Hubby has an extra day off during the winter months, so we've been spending a lot of time together as a family.  Today I think we are going to drop the punk off with my parents, go to lunch and hang Xmas lights.  Cross your fingers for me...I'm very afraid of heights, so I'm hoping I get to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground!!  On to my project:

 I found these blank gift bags at one of the big chain stores for 2/$1.  How cute to stamp your own giftbags!  It's even easier than a printable template, although those are pretty easy too!  Anyhow, I took Snowflake Serenade and stamped snowflakes in Enchanted Evening, Fresh Snow and a silver ink all over the front and back of the bag.  I decided to not worry about the sides. 

This little bag needed a cute little tag. Beth, owner StampInsanity Stamps, chose to split some of her holiday releases into digital images that are available for a limited time.  If you prefer rubber, they are available in red rubber as full sets too!  I couldn't resist the digi Naughty or Nice Henry image.  He's such a cutie with his little present and peppermint stick!  He is colored up with Copics and cut out with a little white border so that he would stand out better on the dark blue background.  The tag is stamped with white and silver snowflakes and a silver sentiment. 

  The back is stamped with TO and FROM from the PTI Fresh Alphabet set.  I used a white gel pen to write the names.  It's tied to the giftbag with some silver wired ribbon.  Easy peasy!  I stuffed some super cute white fuzzy boot slippers in this bag.  Voila!  I am already finished wrapping my first Xmas present!! 

I have a little giveaway today too!  I have a red rubber set of Morgan's Star to give away today.  If you are interested all you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: what is your favorite easy dinner to make for your family?  I love to spend as much time in my craft cave as I possibly can, so I like easy dinners! lol  Here's a little look at the stamp set you're playing for:

 I'll leave this candy open until I choose to wake up next Tuesday, December 8. 

Thanks for stopping by today!  Make sure to stop by tomorrow - the Bombshell Hotties are at it again with another hop introducing Ms. December!  Hope you have a fantastic day!  :o) alyssa

SUPPLIES ~

STAMPS: StampInsanity Stamps Naughty or Nice Henry digi; PTI Fresh Alphabet, Holiday Wishes & Snowflake Serenade

INK: HP printer ink; PTI Enchanted Evening & Fresh Snow; random silver ink

PAPER: PTI Enchanted Evening & SS White

OTHER: Copics; white gel pen; crop-a-dile

Oliver becomes Olive ~

Olive would be the feminine name of Oliver, right?  Well, that's my story anyway!  I won this little Oliver stamp on the last Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog hop for their last release along with a few of the other accessory stamps from the Moonlight Whispers line.  The challenge on the KKS Challenge blog is 'Merry Christmas/Happy Winter' - what a perfect time to use my new stamp!

I had some leftover textured paper from a Bombshell Stamps challenge that I used to paper piece her hat.  I think I pulled out every other embellishment I could for this card!  There is fun flock on her hat trim and pom, black rhinestones (to cover up a mistake!), liquid pearls on the marshmallows in her hot cocoa, some glittery snowy ground and snowflakes.  That gorgeous hot pink color is some fabulous Melon Mambo that a fantastic friend sent me for my birthday along with the matching dot ribbon {thank you!}  I finally decided to get myself a Xyron sticker machine with a coupon from Hobby Lobby.  I was pushed over the edge by this post - I love glittering things and this little machine is economical and makes it so much easier!!  The background paper is one piece of Aqua Mist.  The top half was embossed with the Snowdots embossing folder and swiped with Fresh Snow ink.  The bottom half was stamped with the rolling ground image from Holiday Button Bits with the new Aqua Mist ink.  The sentiment is also from that set and masked to fit in a 1" circle punch.  Since I've listed all my supplies in this post, I will just leave you with a picture of the Copics I used. 

Before you leave, you should know that Tonya has everything in the Stamp Happens store at 15% off throughout the rest of the weekend!  She even carries the Ciao Copics that are less that $3 with this sale!! 

Be sure to bop on over and get yourself some great deals!  Don't forget that shipping is free within the US with any purchase over $50!  Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!  :o) alyssa

Holy Cow Candy ~

I don't know about you, but I love the whimsical images of Elisabeth Bell.  She designs/illustrates such darling images for companies like Whiff of Joy, Ladybug & Friends, Bells & Whistles and Susana's Custom Art and Card Design.  Well, this post is to let you know about her fabulous candy.  It's the entire winter releases of her images from all four companies plus a few other goodies!  It's open worldwide through the end of the month.  What are you waiting for??  Click your little mousies here and get in on the goods!!

Hope you are having a good day!  I hope to be back later with a little StampInsanity stamps post.  We'll see.  Now that I don't have a job, I'm just playing and spending some time with family.  :o) alyssa

Wildflower Kids - No Girls Allowed ~

Hello!  I'm back, along with my fellow Stamp Sistahs, with the release of the new Wildflower Kids sets.  Jen, the absolutely fabulous and wonderful artist of Wildflower Kids, has come out with two fantastic sets: No Girls Allowed and Pretty In Pink.  As usual, these sets are available exclusively from the Stamp Happens shop.   On to my little skater dude...

I had to use this little skater guy.  Not only do I know that I will use him tons because of my little monster, but I grew up with a brother {and his buddies} that was a total skater kid - this little image kind of strikes close to home.

I used some Basic Grey paper as my jumping point.  I then decided that I would take the easy route - I paper pieced his shirt.  I wiped off the little crossed out circled image in the center of his shirt because I was going to add something else and decided against it. Just think of the possibilities - skulls, little sayings, sports stuff - his shirt could add so much more to him.  I stamped the sentiment and punched it out with the word window punch and hand trimmed a border...hence the sloppiness!  But then, it is a boy card after all, right???  The little sentiment is kind of like a little skateboard I just noticed - ha!  Love it when it works out that way!!  I used the sketch challenge from Crazy 4 Challenges to tie it all up!  Hope you liked my little peek!  Please bop on by the other ladies blogs for some more eye candy:

Jen  ~  Tonya  ~  Julie  ~  Beth  ~  Donna  ~  Leigh Ann {Anna Banana}  ~  Sara  ~  Steph

Now hop on over to the Stamp Happens store and get your sets now!  Thanks for stopping by!! :o) ~alyssa

SUPPLIES~

STAMPS:  WFK No Girls Allowed

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black

PAPER: Basic Grey Archaic; PTI Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Ripe Avocado & Very Vanilla

OTHER: Copics {pic above}; PTI VV twill, Rustic Cream twine & Terracotta Tile button; SU Word Window punch

Polka Dot Futures ~

I love combining challenges - I know I say it every time!  But really, I feel so much more accomplished!  Here is my take on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps challenge {Lotsa Circles} and the SFYTT sketch:

I fell in love with the Moonlight Whispers line of stamps as soon as they were released!  I've had this stamped out but have been too intimidated to color it.  I finally bit the bullet with this challenge b/c I have the perfect sentiment for it.  It is from a cute little company called Bugawumps that I have seen at the Scrapbook expo in Loveland for the past couple of years.  Here it is on the inside of my card:

It reads, Wishing you a checkered past and a Polka Dot future.  I guess I think it's perfect because it correlates with the polka dots on her dress. 

STAMPS: KKS Charlotte; Bugawumps sentiment; SU! Riveting (retired); PTI Polka Dot Basics 1

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; PTI Pure Poppy; SU! Chocolate Chip

PAPER: PTI Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Pure Poppy & SS White

OTHER: Copics {pictured above}; Cuttlebug Argyle embossing folder; PTI Vintage button Pure Poppy; white gel pen; brown embroidery floss; EK Success Swiss Cheese border punch

Read on only if you are bored!

Thanks to Ms Anna Banana (we'll see if she likes that name since she doesn't like the other one I have her!) for giving me a blog award! It comes with a quiz that you are supposed to answer with one word answers - don't know how well I'll do with that!  Here goes...

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your hair? long, straight, fine, not its natural color
3. Your mother? compassionate
4. Your father? smart
5. Your fave food? depends on my mood - I love fresh salads in the summer from my garden, spicy mexican, spaghetti, pot roast, fresh bread...
6. Your dream last night? I threw dinner away before my husband was able to eat and was scrambling to find something to feed him!
7. Your fave drink? Chai tea made with soy milk
8. Your dream/goal? To find a job that I enjoy and am challenged by.
9. What room are you in? work office
10. Your hobby? Papercrafts, reading, used to be cooking but I've gotten lazy and a bit too chubby.  {I second Annie's answer!!}
11. Your fear? Autism - scares the sh*t out of me! 
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy and thinner - I really want to get in shape, but I really don't like exercise!! LOL  Wonder how else I can get in shape...
13. Where you were last night? Home
14. Something that you aren’t? religious
15. Muffins? very rarely - holy cow those little bundles can pack on some calories!!
16. Wish List Item? I think I want a Cricut - especially after seeing Lauren Meader's post this morning
17. Where did you grow up? Durango, CO
18. Last thing you did? Found out from my boss that I will be taking a pay cut or at least that's how I'm interpreting what she said...blech!
19. What are you wearing? Black slacks and pink sweater
20. Your TV? silly big plasma b/c my husband always wants the biggest and the best
21. Your Pets? Rikki the Rottie, Houdini the Snake & Doug the Husband
22. Friends? Happy with those I have though they live too far away!! 
23. Your Life? Crazy - I don't know how people do it with more than 1 kid and still have hobbies!
24. Your Mood? aggravated b/c of # 18
25. Missing Someone?  nope
26. Vehicle? Mazda 3 - small but economical.
27. Something you are not wearing? Underwear.
28. Your fave store? Target followed by Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn (I just don't buy from either of those - I'm too cheap!!  lol)
29. Your fave color? depends on my mood - mainly it's red and pink, I think!
30. Last time you laughed? This morning at my little goofball yelling 'Bye Daddy' over and over and waving frantically as Doug drove off to work
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday, work is very frustrating right about now
32. Your best friend? Husband. He listens even when he's sick of hearing me gripe about the same stuff.
33. One place that I go to over and over? Work - it's a necessary evil.
34. One person who emails regularly? Anna Banana
35. Fave place to eat? I love Panera Bread and Q-Doba
36. Facebook? Yes but really just to surf around and feed my addiction to computer games.  It's a super sad addiction to Bejeweled - I spend countless hours playing a dumb game and then get mad at myself.  If only I could get in shape by playing games!  Oh, that would be amazing!! 
 
I am passing this award on to a few super ladies because I want to see their answers to the quiz. I'm an absolute nerd and love these things, so I really hope they play along!

Jacquie  ~  Donna  ~  Chris  ~  Randee

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Thank you also for all the wonderful comments you leave - it's so nice to get encouragement for something I love so much!  :o) alyssa

Wild Challenge ~

The Greeting Farm has been hosting a Guest Designer contest for the past two weeks with the illustrator, Marina Neira's animal images.  The first contest was to create a card with the theme of 'wildlife' and whatever that meant to you!  I used this card since I'd just created it the week before...so I don't even know if I'm eligible for this contest!!  LOL  This weeks challenge was to create a card with this sketch. 

The super funny thing about this image to me is that I saw it as a fox!  Once I went back and started looking at how everyone else colors these images, I realized she is a skunk!  lol  Silly me!  Pretty straight forward here - colored with Copics, edges of main image sponged with Antique Linen ink and a fine tip glue pen on all of the snowy areas to add some super duper sparkly and fine glitter. 

SUPPLIES~

STAMPS: The Greeting Farm Ivy Xmas Tree; PTI Mixed Messages

INK: Ranger Distress Antique Linen; PTI Scarlet Jewel

PAPER: PTI Kraft, Scarlet Jewel & SS White; Basic Grey Wassail

OTHER: Copics {pic above}; chocolate grosgrain ribbon; super sparkly super fine glitter {???}

Since you all seemed to love the snowy picture I took for you the other day, I stopped and took a pic of a beautiful tree on my way in to work just for you!  Have a fantastical day!  :o) alyssa

Sketch Girls #9 Perfect Poinsettias ~

Well, sort of a misleading title...I did not get my card done!  This is what I woke up to this morning

Not a super picture...but I didn't really want to step outside!!  I had to spend the day running errands yesterday, so I didn't get to play in my stamp cave.  Excuse me while I wipe away a tear...

I hope to be back later with the card that I have planned out in my head.  You know how those things go though!  We'll see if what is in my head will translate well to paper!  In the meantime, please bop on over to the Sketch Girl blog to see this gorgeous sketch.  After that, go give the Sketch Girls (that were prepared) some love!

Annie  ~  Bonnie  ~  Chris  ~  Eve  ~  Harriet  ~  Jennie  ~  Jess  ~  Julie  ~  Katie  ~  Randee  ~  Sara  ~  Tiffany

I hope will be back later with a card!  Positive thinking...

EDITED TO ADD MY CARD:
WooHoo!  I made it back.  I've been wanting to try something new; something that has been on my never ending/always growing list of things to try: watercolored flowers with embossing.  I quickly read over the instructions from here and proceeded to try to do things my own way.  Heh...that didn't work out so well; however, it turns out that my mistake led to something that I like even better.  Here, take a gander ~

I embossed both the large and small poinsettias from Verve's Holly Jolly (the set I chose from my Mojo Monday win in Ocotber) in gold embossing powder on watercolor paper.  I liberally spritzed my paper and proceeded to add Bravo Burgandy reinker...but I spritzed so much, the color ran outside of the embossing.  I ended up having to fussy cut all of the poinsettias out b/c I wasn't going to trouble with embossing again LOL  One of my pet peeves is white edges on stuff that is cut out (unless it's intentional), so I used a Copic marker around the edges of each of the flowers.  The toughest part of this was lining up the stamps at the edge of the new paper - good thing they're clear acrylic!  Please stop by the rest of the Sketch Girls {above} if you haven't already!  I'm off to go play in the snow with the little monster!  :o) alyssa

SUPPLIES ~
STAMPS: Verve Stamps Holly Jolly; PTI Fancy Flourishes & Holiday Button Bits
INK: VersaMark; some gold ink I got in some cheapo stamps ages and ages ago
PAPER: Watercolor paper; PTI Scarlet Jewel
OTHER: Gold cording; Copic Y28 marker; gold embossing powder (cheapo brand from WalMart)

Crazy 4 Copic Challenge Lillith ~

This is going to be a short post - it's late for this old lady and I have to work tomorrow.  LOL 

I love to combine challenges whenever possible - makes me feel like I've accomplished more!  This little easel card combines two challenges - Copic Creations {Red Hair} & Crazy 4 Challenges {Easel card}.  Have you ever made one of these?  I must admit, I was a tid bit intimidated but found that these cards are super duper simple!  There are links on the C4C blog to instructions.  I think these are super cute cards because we all spend so much time coloring a card front or even assembling a card front - what better way to showcase one's work easel-y (ha! sorry, told you it is late for me!).  This fantastic, sassy little image is from the new Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps line Moonlight Whispers; her name is Lillith.  That sass-tastic look on her face just screams red head to me!  Her dress was inspired by the dp.  I chose to stamp her on a coordinating piece of dp, but it still just didn't feel right, so I colored right over the dp.  That gave it just the right amount of depth.  By the way, the layers are actually straight and nice, it's just the angle of the picture...and I'm too lazy to take a new pic!!  K...I'm off to bed!  Hope you check out these two fun challenge blogs if you haven't already!!  Night! ~alyssa

SUPPLIES~
STAMPS: KKS Lillith; MFT Essential Sentiments 
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
PAPER: SU River Rock; PTI Enchanted Evening, Dark Chocolate & SS White; Memory Box Inspire dp
OTHER: Brown embroidery floss; SU Night of Navy sheer ribbon; PTI Vintage button Enchanted Evening; Sakura black glaze pen {frog eyes}; Copics: B34, 39, 97, E00, 02, 09, 33, 37, 51, G07, 21, 24, 28, R20, W3, W5 and Colorless Blender

Bombshell Ladies are at it again ~

Hey ladies!  The Bombshells are hopping all over the place with a new challenge.  Here's challenge #10: Single Ladies.
Nope, not Beyonce style...I mean layers. You've got it, this week's challenge is to make a card using only the card base; one single layer. Use stencils, airbrush, drawings and the like; add anything else that tickles your fancy, except more paper. Why should layers have all the fun?
I loved this challenge!  I had a super fun idea...but made the husband (art student) try it out first.  Unfortunately, it didn't work out quite how I wanted...time to switch gears.  LOL  I have been wanting to try colored pencils - mainly white - on kraft cardstock.  What a perfect time to try out my new Bombshell stamps!

I embossed a rectangle in the center of my card, stamped, colored and glitterfied with various Stickles and glitter/glue pen.  I then stamped a sentiment and computer generated the inner sentiment...

Hope you like it!  I had a ton of fun and this card only took about 6 minutes to make - ok, well, it would have had I been a bit more organized and not chasing a 2 year old around at the same time!! ;o)    Now here's the scoop, with the Bombshell Hump Day Hop.  Throughout the month, visit each of the participants blogs and comment.  The more you comment, the more chances you have to win a special prize.  Here is the prize for November:

Without further ado, here are the bombshell hotties for you to hop along to:
Angela  ~  Kathi  ~  Ms. November - Mary G.  ~  Gabby  ~  Miss Magoo  ~  Kas
Thanks for bopping by!  Hope you are enjoying the hop :o) Alyssa
SUPPLIES~
STAMPS: Bombshell Stamps Calavera Fiesta; PTI Mother
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; HP printer ink
PAPER: PTI Kraft & SS White
OTHER: Stickles Xmas Red, Magenta & Orange Peel; Doodlebug lime green glitter; glue pen; spellbinders classic rectangle nestabilities; Lyra color pencils

StampInsanity Winter Release

Three new rubber stamp sets from StampInsanity Stamps are available today exclusively through Stamp Happens. The sets are Morgan's Star, Henry's Snowman and Naughty & Nice.

I have a little something from Henry's Snowman.  As usual, my image is colored with Copic markers - I was surprised at how many I used for this image!!  Beth has an incredible release for us...something a little fun, inspiring and even a bit naughty!!  So fun...you'll have to jump on over to Stamp Happens to know exactly what I'm talking about.  Anywho, on to my card...

Here is Henry with his snowman.  Isn't he adorable??? I know...you're not supposed to say that about a tween!  Whatever! Funny thing is, I grew up at around 7500', so I know what snow accumulation is all about! lol  I don't remember ever building a snowman!  It was more about snow forts and ice ball fights for my brother and I!  Looking back on it now, I think I'd be scared to death as my mom!!  Even without the snowman, these are the memories that come to mind when I play with these images.  Thinking of all the fun times that I had with my brother - even though he'd rather play with his friends - made me really appreciate my childhood.  That's why this card is going to this little guy.  If you have an extra Xmas card in your stash, maybe you could send one his way!  By the way, the sentiment actually says 'Snow Days' but Snow Day is all that fit in my SU Word Window punch...LOL.

Anywho, bop on over to the Stamp Happens store to get yourselves some of these fun new stamps!  If  you get a chance, you should visit my Stamp Sistahs for some more amazing inspiration!!

Tonya  ~  Beth  ~  Julie  ~  Jen  ~  Donna ~  Gayle  ~  Leigh Ann  ~  Sarabeth  ~  Steph

Mmmk (got that from my stepdaughter via text message...lol), I'll be back later with a supplies list.  Hope you have fun hopping around!!  :o) Alyssa