Class in Austin, TX

There's going to be a Christmas theme class at Crestview United Methodist Church on Dec 9th from 10am to Noon.  There will be multiple activities including some paper making fun (see the projects below), some great ornaments, and some cookie decorating.  Parents and kids alike are welcome!!

The materials cost is $5;  Please email me to sign up.  I'd love to have you join in the fun.  If I get more info or photos of the other projects, I will be sure to add them to this posting!  My email is htondre@aol.com.

The top two items are cute little treat givers, the little chick has some candies inside and the heart shaped opening shows some baby size Snickers.  The bottom is a quick and cute large size Christmas card that adults and kids can make together!  All ages are welcome.

Cheers, Holley

Always and Forever

Here's a gorgeous image from Sherri Baldy that I am using for the current challenge over on the SSS CHallenge blog. The current challenge is to use embossing, wet or dry.  As you can see I am using an embossed background for this lovely image.  Isn't she too cute.

Check out the challenge blog and tell me which of the stamps you like the best from the posting, there's a short choice, that's the choice the winner's get to pick from when they participate in this week's challenge.  Which of those are your favorite?

I am so excited to have Sherri Baldy celebrating with me this month!  She's been a long time friend and a wonderful supporter since I had brain surgery.  Her Bestie stamp, the Fluffy stamps are just awesome!

CLICK HERE if you need to sign up on Feb 1 where prizes get drawn from Daily.  The winner list has now been started!!  Check for it HERE!!  If you haven't left comments on the last several days, please do so, the prizes on those days haven't been selected!!

Season's Greetings PRIZES ANNOUNCED

Here's a CAS Season's Greetings card that is quick and easy but very elegant looking. It was a breeze to put together but people just love the look of it.  I am using stunning papers from Paper Temptress to create this beauty along with some die cuts.

I cut the base of the card using Red Pepper Skinny Columns.  It comes as part of a wonderful textured package.  I was able to get the columns to show even better by adding white ink to the edges and parts of the card front.  I used Heavenly white to cut out the snow globe and the Season's Greetings die cut.  Then I added some bright blue cardstock behind the cut out portion of the snow globe.

OK, so on to some wonderful Prizes, it's the last day of Epilepsy Awareness month, sorry that I don't have a cute PURPLE card today, but I do so appreciate all the people who shared purple cards just because of me, that was super touching.

Prize winners from 11/01
From USA, you win the Tim Holtz Snowman set with Dies!!
Virginia M
International winner
Linda Simpson (send  Email-- pick 2 stamps from Francis Mary)
KT Kitty (Send Email-- pick 2 stamps from Francis Mary)

Prize winners from the other purple days, prizes will be small goodies like a great stamp, or wonderful die cutter, not as huge as the goodies that are coming in February during the celebration!  So, don't forget, I am getting ready to celebrate already and the longer I go on without seizures, the more I have to celebrate!  For now, Here's some fun prizes for:

Prize winners from Monday 11/07
Jennifer (send email, pick 2 stamps from Francis Mary)
BethW (send addy)

Prize winners from Thurs Nov 10th
sammi (send addy)
shartl (send addy)
Karin (send addy)


Nov 17th, the purple day I snuck in there and very few people noticed!!
Glennis (send addy)

Nov 18th
KarenLadd (send addy)
Jean Marmo send addy

send info--htondre@aol.com

If you won a prize from Frances Mary, her stamps are just TOO cute, check them out HERE

Upcoming card class

There will be a card class taught at Crestview United Methodist Church on Monday, Nov 14th. It's just $5 to offset the cost of the supplies, if you are interested in joining in, just drop me an email htondre@aol.com.  We'll be making three fun cards:

We'd love to have you join in.  The first class is at 10 am, the 2nd class will be at 6:30 pm (with childcare for free, you just need to pay the $5 for the class).

I can't wait to see you all there.

Happy Anniversary

Here's a very elegant card that you can create with two basic colors for a special occasion, a 50th anniversary.  I am using Neenah Solar White Classic Crest and Basis Black.  Both are wonderful papers that you can get at Paper Temptress.  They are simple and very useful papers that you can turn into a magnificent card.

The background is embossed with a folder from Crafter's Companion and all the die cuts are layered using a set from Spellbinders Nestabilities.  The "50th" letters come from a Sizzix layered alphabet set.  I then added a whole set of small Doodlebug flowers in black and off white.

I think it turned out very elegant for such a wonderful occasion.  The customer was so happy with it and I hope the happy couple loves it.

Life is like a cup of tea

Here's a sweet older image from Crafter's companion.  I thought this sentiment was just perfect. Given that I am in Turkey right now, I hope to be having the perfect cup of tea!  I hope all is going well and everyone is safe no matter where they are!

Have a blessed day everyone.  Have a cup of tea for me...

Angel with a star

Here's a sweet little angel from Sweet Pea stamps artist Molly Harrison called Angel Holding a Star.  This artist has some adorable little girls and angels as well as some much more intricate ladies and fairy images.  Here I am using some of the new die cuts from Crafter's companion as well as some jumbo sized ric rac in the center of the card.

Here's a close up of this image, currently available as a digi-stamp in the store.

Be sure and check out Molly Harrison's other beautiful images, she has stamps available both in digi as well as rubber stamp form.  Drop by our Facebook page called Sweet Pea stamps Friends and Fans and share your gorgeous creations with us. We also have fun contests, giveaways, and coupons as well as just a bit of chatty fun there!

There's just three weeks left before Sweet Pea stamps closes, so please drop by the store and pick up the goodies you want, check out their Facebook Group to find out what the best current coupon might be and huge thanks for all the support over the years for this wonderful company. I know I will be missing Lynette as she has been a wonderful friend and supporter.

Cheers, Holley

Scuba Owl

This is the most adorable owl ever!!  I had to laugh when I saw him all dressed up in a scuba outfit. How darling is that?  This image is from 2 Cute Ink!  This store has the cutest little animal images every.  I added a sweet sentiment, "Owl Always be with you." and then did some burnishing by using an embossing folder that is 6x6" on the paper that is waves and added on a little bit of sanding and some chalk.

Inside by Shaker box I added some clear and blue glitter, little tiny buttons of shells, star fish and sand dollars, some adorable glitter that sparkles.  Here's a close up of the image so you can see it clearer.

 

Hope you will drop by the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge, this week the challenge is Burnishing and you only need to have burnishing somewhere on your card and a sentiment.  An image is great, but not required.  We can't wait to see what you make!

 

Cheers, Holley

Give me Chocolate!

Here's just the cutest Sherri Baldy image! I love this little fairy who has a shake the size of herself!  Can you imagine that?  Sounds great huh?  If only I could get a shake that big.  Of course, I know my eye's would be a bit bigger than my stomach as they say.  I am using a fun spellbinders die cut and an embossing folder from crafter's companion on the background.  This adorable image is Img624.

Check out the current challenge at the SSS Challenge blog, the contest is Anything Goes!  So share with us your newest Bestie card. We can't wait to see it.  You could win an awesome prize from artist Sherri Baldy.

Have a chocolate kind of day!

Cheers, Holley

Fairy Cat & Balloons

Here's one of the newest additions to the Sweet Pea Family, artist Molly Harrison. She makes gorgeous images.  This super cute one is called Fairy Cat & Balloons. I just love how sweet and innocent this little girl and her cat look as they float up into the sky.

Here's a close up of this lovely image

Be sure and check out the other Molly Harrison images, in addition to this cute little girl, she also has some really stunning maidens.  Just gorgeous in detail and so very beautiful, I think my current favorite is October Flame.  WOW, check out the amazing coloring on that image.

Rapunzel

Here's a real beauty from Ike's Art.  She's called Rapunzel. I love her long hair.  The contest over on the Ike's Art blog is to create a card and tie it with a song.  The song for this card is the lead song from the Disney Movie about Rapunzel, "Tangled" which was "When will my life begin"

Drop by and check out all the amazing stamps at Ike's Art and join in their fun challenges.  I hope everyone has a weekend filled with beauty!

Cheers, Holley

Project materials:  Cardstock (Bazzill, Neenah); Image (Ike's Art); Embossing (Crafter's Companion); Die cut (Spellbinders nestabilities); Lace (Michaels); Ink (Colorbox Chalk); Bling (studio G); Adhesives (Pop dots, glue all, glue dots, ribbon glue); Sentiment (Cosmo Crickett);

Sweet

Here's a sweet kitty kat image from Crafter's Companion.  Just a little love for this Holy Week before Easter time.  I couldn't find any bunny images.  I have a group of Easter cards later this week.  Some super cute images from Sweet Pea stamps to share.

Hope you are all having a great week and have some fun plans for the holiday. My church is having a petting zoo for all the kids in the neighborhood to come out to. Most of the kids from the city here would never have the chance to see farm animals so this is a wonderful experience for most of them.

Cheers, Holley

The World is full of possibility

This week at Sweet Pea stamps we are featuring artist Linda Biggs. This fun image is called Sweet Pea.  I thought it so fun to see a fairy standing in a bowl of sugar near a teabag, what more sentiment could go with that than "The world is full of possibility."  I had to add this artistic butterflies on the same idea.  More importantly, as the month comes to an end, in thinking of all that has gone on in my life, I truly know that the world is indeed FULL of possibility and even when YOU have given up, there is someone right around the corner who has the answer for you.

There's wonderful candy from Sweet Pea stamps, both digi and rubber stamps, so please leave a comment today. If you haven't left comments on the previous posting, including Feb 1st, please do so!  Final winners will get announced March 1st.  Then the packages will be announced each day as they start hitting the mail boxes.  As for the digi stamp winners, I will be contacting them to let them know or to find out which stamps they would like and then putting them in contact with the proper company contacts!

Hugs all, Holley

Toadstool Fairy

Here's a stunning Sweet Pea image from artist Ching Chou Kuik called Toadstool Fairy. This gorgeous image is available as a rubber stamp. I just loved the grace and beauty. I made a simple and elegant card with this image coloring it with Copic markers and using matching papers from Bazzill.

 

Here's a close up of the actual image, isn't she stunning?

 

Be sure and check out all of Ching Chou Kuik's stamps at Sweet Pea. There's many gorgeous rubber stamps and a whole bunch of lovely digital stamps as well (NOTE: this particular stamp is only available as a rubber stamp); 

 

Also, I am excited to announce that we will have prizes given by Sweet Pea stamps during my Feb Celebration!! Both rubber stamps and digital stamps! WOO HOO!!

 

Cheers, Holley

 

Have you seen all the blog candy photos?  CLICK HERE

 

 

Happy Christmas

Here's a cute Crafter's Companion stamp that I made a sweet little Christmas card from.  What an adorable kitty.  I am now starting to see lots of poinsettas at the local stores.  Are these flowers that people keep year round?  I mean, what happens to them after the season?  Unfortunately the only ones that I see with any regularity are usually the ones in the church sanctuary and they usually meet an early demise due to the temperature control in there.  I am not sure why. I don't know if it's over or under watering or what, but every year, they don't seem to last very long.

At any rate, hope you are having a great December!  Stay warm and get ready for the holidays.

Hugs, Holley

Whimsical Times

Here's a brand new image at the Squigglefly store that I am using for the current challenge on their blog.  This week's contest is to use embossing or die cutting. I have a background embossing using a folder from Crafter's Companion called Holly and I used some spellbinders die cuts to trim out the image called Love is Having Open Arms from artist Cheryl Alger.

Drop by the Squigglefly Challenge Blog and join in the fun!  See what Rhonda's Rascals made and then share your card using some embossing/die cutting!  Use a fun Squigglefly image and you could win a prize!!

Cheers, Holley

Project Materials:  Carstock (Joanns, Crafter's Companion, ); Image (Squigglefly); Ink (Colorbox Chalk); Die Cuts (Spellbinders Nestabilities); Embossing (Crafter's Companion); Sentiment (Colorbok); Buttons (Jesse Jane, JoAnns); Adhesives (Pop dots, Glue dots, Glue all); Color (Copic markers);

Dilly Beans

Here's a fun image from Dilly Beans using gorgeous papers from Paper Temptress. I love this fun image and colored her up to match the papers that I chose.  I think she would be fun image to use both around Halloween time and well if you are me, other times as well!!

The fun papers I am using here for this card is a background in Basis Black which has been embossed and then lightly inked with white ink.  The beautiful textured grey is ruche called Grey Crepe. The strip on the left I embossed, don't you love how well this paper embosses and yet you can still see the crepe qualities of the paper?  The image was printed out on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White.  This paper runs through my printer so easily and can then be colored with copic markers.

Project Materials:  Cardstock (Paper Temptress); Image (Dilly Beans); Embossing (Crafter's Companion); Buttons (); Ink (Colorbox Chalk); Die Cuts (Spellbinders Nestabilities); Adhesives (pop dots, glue all, glue dots); Color (Copic markers);

Lizzy Love

Here's an gorgeous image from Lizzy Love! You know I have been adoring these images lately.  They are just too cute.  I think this image is totally year round, but seeing as how we are near Halloween time it's great for that too.  Can you just imagine this little girl bringing a little skull décor to someone just like she would a valentine?  How cute would that be?  Those over the knee socks? oh, too adorable!!  All the papers on this card come from Paper Temptress.

The base of the card  as well as the image is on Neenah Solar White. The card is 5.5 square, so you fold your 8.5x11 sheet in half and then trim three inches off the side to create a square card.  That gives you enough cardstock to diecut and print the image or stamp images.  The orange paper is  Orange Basis. It's been embossed with a Crafting Companion embossing folder.  I then use some beautiful scraps of Hambly Studio paper from a sheet called Mini Graphs,  I trimmed it to fit inside the embossed squares and placed it randomly to give some sense of depth in the card.

Hope you love this cute card as a Halloween card or like me, as an anything fun card for the year.  Have a great week.

Cheers, Holley

Be Kind

Here's a sweet and simple card for today, It's a Crafter's Companion stamp. I added a simple Cosmo Crickett saying "Be kind to those smaller than you."  I think these stamps and cards like this would be just perfect for Father's Day which is coming up. 

Project materials:  Cardstock (Bazzill, Neenah); Ink(Colorbox Chalk); Diecuts (Spellbinders); Borderpunch (Martha Stewart); Stamps (Crafter's Companion); Sentiment (Cosmo Crickett); Adhesives (Pop dots, Glue all); Color (Copic Markers);

Prickly Pear

Here's an adorable SWALK image from Crafter's Companion. I just love this adorable Prickly Pear set. Isn't he cute?  If you love the SWALK images, I have heard that Crafter's Companion is discontinueing them so they are on a huge discount in the store and will no longer be carried, so you best get any of them that you like.  I have been a huge SWALK fan, so I already have most of that set.

Wishing you all a great Saturday! Off the neighborhood's little fun.  It's the Brentwood  Violet Crown festival, which is held every year in a park just a few blocks from my home.

Cheers, Holley