Life is good!

Here's the cutest new image from artist Sandra Caldwell today.  This image is called Panda PJ 1436 and it will be added to her Etsy store, Babycakes DND today.  Check out this cute stamp and so many other brand new stamps today!

Here's a close up of this adorable image that I colored using copic markers:

We are having a contest on the Your Scrapbook Place Challenge blog and our current sponsor is Sandra Caldwell, so come and play with us and you will get an extra entry if you use one of her great images.  We also have a fun Facebook group called Sandra Caldwell Stamp fans!

Cheers, Holley

Just like Snow, I'm falling for you....

Well if ever there was a day for snow in Texas, it's today, I can't believe it as there's so few days in a year (like usually none here in Austin, but maybe once or twice every couple years really) but they are calling for the tiniest chance today.  So I had to use this adorable image from Bugaboo that I made up for my Hubby.  Bugaboo is sponsoring the contest this week over on Outlawz, the Monday greetings challenge, so please drop by and join in the fun!

Wishing all of you a Happy Winter, but please, take this cold weather away from me!

A Bestie Christmas

There's a brand new contest over on the SSS Challenge blog this week, the theme is Christmas!  So please come on by and share all your wonderful Christmas creations with those amazing Sherri Baldy stamps.  here's a cutie, Img 479 that's just perfect for all those dog lovers out there.

Check out Sherri's store MyBestiesShop for all her great images and fun goodies.  Lately there has been a big chatter about all her fun coloring books for Christmas.

Help....I'm stuck

Here's a cute image from Artist Sandra Caldwell called 1233 Stuck in an Ornament.  She looks too cute!  There's a wonderful sale going on over at her Etsy store, Babycakes DND.  Check out all her Christmas images and so much more of her fun stuff.  This cutie is one that will get added later today.

You can also check out more cards made with her images in our facebook group, Sandra Caldwell Stamp Fans.  We have lots of contests and fun games where you can win goodies from Sandra!

Cheers, Holley

Handmade Mini calendars

Here's some more of the fun calendars that I made last year for "my family" at church

Salon Deirdrey

Here's another fun card that I created for the Furry&Funny challenge over at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge this week.  This awesome stamp is from Dr Digis and is called Salon Deirdery.  Too funny.  Check out the other hilarious animal theme stamps from this site.

There's still plenty of time to join in the challenge this week at Outlawz.  Drop by and join in the fun and as always, for the Monday theme challenges, be sure and include a sentiment on the front of your card. We'd love to have you play.

Your Scrapbook Place Challenge

Hello everyone, I am happy to say that Your Scrapbook Place Challenge blog has a new challenge started up this month!  Usually we only do one challenge per month but this month we are excited to have two challenges.  Our first challenge ended yesterday (and the winner was announced already).  So drop by and check that out.  Our new challenge starts today.  The sponsor is MoonFlower Digistamps.  I am using this awesome image called Gina Cupcake.

Drop by the YSBP challenge blog and check out the other design team cards and then share your card with us.  The theme is anything goes and you get an extra entry for using a stamp from MoonFlower Digistamps.

I made this card for my mother as it is her Birthday Today.

Gypsy Flower

Here's a stunning image today called Gypsy Flower from Moon Flower Digistamps.  Isn't she just stunning.  This company is sponsoring this week's challenge at Outlawz Monday Greetings.  The theme this week is to use green on your card or in your image.  Please come over to Outlawz and join in our awesome challenges each day for the chance to win some prizes!

I have already heard from some prize winners! WOO HOO!! Also-as you get your prizes let me just say, these are a gift from me to you.  If you can't use what I send, it seriously doesn't hurt my feelings if you give it to someone else, if you trade it, or if you sell it and get something else.  Really. It's a gift.  I have seen some people who give blog candy and get all upset depending on what happens.  Not me, NO strings attached.  It's truly a gift for you to do as you wish.  (Note, you can't do that with digi stamps!!  That's why you get to pick your own images from the store) 

That being said, I would totally LOVE to see if you make any crafts with anything I sent.  I will even share your cards online if you want to send them, share a link to your blog when you post one, or take a photo and share it with me.  It's so much fun to see what people make.  I love it.

Did you see the giveaway Sunday?  be sure and check it out!! CLICK HERE I am announcing the winner tomorrow

For the Digi stamp winners:
I am still waiting on 2 people who got Sandra Caldwell images and Craftin' Desert Diva images to reply to send in the order and 1 person who got  Miss Rach and SLS Lines to send in the order.  Everyone should have rec'd their SherriBaldy images, Conie Fong Images, SheepSki Designs Images and Miss Daisy images, Ike's Art, and Limited Runs (or at least had contact with the store owners).

IF you WON a digi stamp and haven't gotten an email from me, PLEASE contact me, I may have made a typo with your email name, everyone should have been contacted by now.  You may not have your stamps yet, but you should have at least gotten a message from me. htondre

Life is Good

Here's an adorable image from Miss Rach digi stamps.  I adore this cute cat from her Etsy site.  She has so many sweet animal stamps.  This image is called Cat and Ladybug.  I featured a previous card from Miss Rach earlier this month and she in turn created a new digi stamp and put it on her blog, if you haven't gotten it, please check out her blog and get the lovely tortoise freebie that she created HERE.

I love cats, that's the pet that I had with my hubby for 15 years before she passed.  I also adore pandas, cute owls, and teddy bears;  I get a lot of pug things because my sister has three of them and just loves cards with pugs on them.

What are your favorite animal images?

UNCLAIMED PRIZE WINNERS, please have them email me htondre@aol.comCLICK HERE, there's lots of winners I haven't heard from: 
Laurian, 
Angelique(Send email), 
Reta Bibby, 
Shabneez (send email),  
Sylv (Send email),  
Kraftyscot (Donna),
Borqna(send email), 
Jade Morrison(send email), 
Kraftyscot (Donna), 
Eugene(sen email), 
Audrey Huffman,
Sheila,
Sue (tanglemouse cards -send email);
Gilly
Margreet (send email)
Karen (for the love of crochet & cards)
Sherry

bissecat (send email)

Falling for you

Here's a beautiful image called 1920s Flapper Girl from artist SLS Schiebe.  She had a wonderful store SLS Lines on Etsy.  This awesome image is one theme that you will find, gorgeous women.  She also has some fun and humorous stamps as well as some gorgeous floral type images.

I am using some awesome Turkish lace that I got on a trip to Istanbul many years ago.  There's a contest going on over at the SLS Lines Challenge blog that started on the 20th. Drop by over there and share a card with us.

Question of the day:  How many cards do you make a month?  how many other art projects do you make a month?

UNCLAIMED PRIZE WINNERS, please have them email me htondre@aol.comCLICK HERE, there's lots of winners I haven't heard from: 
Laurian, 
Angelique(Send email), 
Reta Bibby, 
Shabneez (send email),  
Sylv (Send email),  
Gywneth (send email), 
Kraftyscot (Donna),
Vickie Kertz,  
Borqna(send email), 
Jade Morrison(send email), 
Kraftyscot (Donna), 
Eugene(sen email), 
Audrey Huffman,
Sheila,
Sue (tanglemouse cards -send email);
Gilly
Carrie Sheridan
Margreet (send email)
Karen (for the love of crochet & cards)
Sherry

bissecat (send email)

Also--you may want to peek at the winner list as many people have won twice already

Happy Birthday to all the Feb people!!

How many of you have Feb birthdays?  let me know here!  Here's a little card for you. This cutie is from Angies Cards and Digis and she is called Little Lila holding flower.  She's just too cute.  There's a challenge starting tomorrow over on Outlawz, it's the Monday Greetings challenge and the contest is to create a Hello or birthday card.

So who are my Feb birthday people?  if not Feb, when? I am a Dec baby.

Have you seen the winner list?  It's being updated daily now, CHECK HERE!  Also, if you didn't comment on Feb 1st, be sure and go back to that day to comment, prizes are still be drawn from Feb 1st and grand prizes will get drawn from there.

Happy Valentines Day.

Happy Valentines Babe!  Love you so very much.  You are my happiness and you always will be. I hope we get to have a nice quiet time at home like always because just being with you makes me happy.  Here's the card I made for my hubby for valentines!

Question of the day  What adhesives do you use?
For paper?  for lace/ribbon?  for wood embellishments like the "bliss" word above?

I often use plain old white glue (not the school glue, the craft glue);  for lace there is some made by Hobby Lobby for ribbon, but I wonder what others use.  Wood is very tricky to me. what does everyone else us?

Have you seen the winner list?  It's being updated daily now, CHECK HERE!
Also, if you didn't comment on Feb 1st, be sure and go back to that day to comment, prizes are still be drawn from Feb 1st and grand prizes will get drawn from there.

p.s. if you were early to rise yesterday when you posted to my blog contest, the artist was so inspired by the comments, esp one of them, she drew up a new image and Miss Rach just posted a freebie on her Blog,!  Go over and get the adorable turtle she is sharing and be sure to thank her for the freebie!!

It's time to celebrate!

I thought this amazing Gorjuss Girl was just perfect for starting off this year's contest.  I am so very thankful after the brain surgeries to be here at year 6 and still be healthy and seizure free.  I feel like there is so much to celebrate and I have so much goodies to share with everyone!  My blog candy is available to USA and abroad. I do send overseas and/or give digi prizes to my friends overseas.

I posted a longer message yesterday detailing mailing, prize announcements and such (click here to read that if you missed it).

This posting is the MAIN drawing listing, be sure to leave a comment here as today's comment list will have prize winners selected from it all month long!!  Then add comments on each day's post as the month goes on, typically I will announce winners from each day after about 6 days have passed. I will start up a PRIZE list and will link it to the sidebar so you can follow it and watch for your name.  It will get updated daily and list the grand prizes (like large stamp sets and die cut sets) at the end of the month.

Thanks so much to my old friends and my new friends for celebrating with me. If you are new, I had two brain surgeries back in 2010 that were phenomenal. They truly changed my life and ended my seizures, my headache pain, and so much more. You can read my story here.

Let's celebrate what we have to be thankful for! (That'd be crafting :)


Cheers, Holley

It's almost time.... (Celebration info)

Tomorrow starts the celebration, are you all as ready as me?!? Here's a fun card today using an awesome image from artist Rick St Dennis. She is called Batty Bettina. There's a new challenge starting tomorrow morning at Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge blog and it's called "Love is in the Air".  The challenge is to include something with wings on it, be it in your image or your embellishments.  I can't wait to see what you all make and share for that challenge.

Now on to the Blog Candy Celebration starting up tomorrow, are you ready? Here's a little info:


If you are outside the USA, I do have to limit what I can send, I can send flat items like stamps or die cuts. I can send you digi gift certificates to stores.  If you don't have a die cut machine or printer, please let me know.

Those in the USA I can send packages to, nowadays the post office charges the same for 2oz or 8oz, so that's good for you!  Most prize packs are things like a stamp set plus 6 pack of embellishments or multiple stamp sets. 

NOW, most days I seem to ask some general question-- about all those questions I ask everyday, I may seem to be babbling, but I am actually asking them for a reason, it's a little get to know you so I can see what people like (and don't like) as well as know what they have (or don't, for example, you don't stamp or you don't have a die cut machine);  I do pay attention to what people say and try to pick their prize packs  accordingly!  so, it's very much to your advantage to answer the questions.  I don't always have that one thing you may really want, but you never know.  You might just LOVE shoe stamps and I happen to have a whole bunch of them.

I expect that several people will win more than once and that many people who already won will win grand prize items, so I always wait until the end of Feb to mail things out. I think if you have played in past years you know that I am pretty speedy at getting out the number of packages that I have to.  I am usually done in 2 weeks and I mail out 50-100 packages.  Each day in March I will be listing the names of whose packages have gone into the mail that day.

Thanks so much for joining in my celebration with me. I am so very thankful to be here and so very thankful to still be seizure free and still have my health. Thanks to all the crafters out there, old and new who have been so very helpful both during my procedure and since.

Cheers, Holley

Did you see all the candy photos, start here, and you click links to see even more!!

Card Making Class in Austin, TX

I am having a card making class if you are in the Austin TX area!  Here's the three cards we will put together.  It will be held at Crestview United Methodist Church on Feb 9th. Class times are 10am or 7pm.  There is child care option for the 7pm class. Cost is $5 to cover materials.

Please come join in and leave with three beautiful cards.

contact me, htondre@aol.com if you would like to come and join in!

BLOG CANDY Celebration is starting in just TWO days now...have you seen all the photos?  there's going to be stamps, die cutters, embossing folders, ribbons, embellishments, everything you can think of! CLICK HERE

Howdy

Here's a stunning image from Crafty Sentiments Designs called Just Relax.  Isn't she adorable?  I just love this sweet little girl.  I made this card for the challenge this week on Outlawz Monday Greetings.  Their theme is Anything Goes, and for the Monday group, you need to include a greeting on the front of you card.  As I did here, a die cut sentiment is fine.

Drop by the Outlawz challenges to see a new challenge everyday of the week. There's two prizes on the Monday challenge this week, one from Crafty Sentiments and one from an additional sponsor, Decosse Dynamite.

Cheers, Holley

Just a week until BLOG CANDY CELEBRATION, are you ready?  What kind of blog candy are you looking for the most?  what is your favorite topic?

Taking down the tree

Here's a darling image from artist Sandra Caldwell of Babycakes Doodles and Designs on Etsy. This fun image is called Spring Tree.  It's a special stamp that was a free give away for those who played in Sandra Caldwell's first progressive challenge on her Facebook page (in addition to the freebie you got when we reached round 3)!!  Woo Hoo.  I am using all beautiful papers from paper Temptress for this card.  I thought this tree was just perfect for that image of taking down your tree and getting ready for the new year fun!

The base of the card is a lovely dark red cardstock called Cherry.  The shimmery green is a Mica/Metallic called Emerald.  The blue paper which I cut out a snowflake border as well as snowflake die cuts is a crepe (ruche) called Sky Blue.  The image was printed out on Neenah Solar white classic crest.  This paper works perfectly for digi stamps that you are printing with your computer and coloring with copic markers.

Have a great New Year's Eve!

You bring me so much Joy

Here's a stunning image from Sweet Pea artist The East Wind.  This image comes from the artists Aurora line and she's called Fuschia.  I adore this artist's stunning stamps.  This one is no exception.  I wanted to create a monotone theme card using all oranges for summertime, but be sure to checkout the artist's original coloring so you can see how very different the stamp can look when colored in a different color

I am using a love tag from MME and some daisy die cuts from Die Versions, as well as some netting and some different forms of bling.  Here's a close up of the stamp herself:

Check out all of the other East Wind images at the Sweet Pea stamps store and then join in with us over on our Facebook Page, Sweet Pea Stamps Friends and Fans where we have regular contests with prizes, card sharing, chatting and fun!

This card won---

There's also a wonderful place to share your East Wind creations, her Challenge blog, her current challenge is Summer Lovin' which is why I did this card in mostly oranges with such summer love sentiments! (click here).

Cheers, Holley

All occasion card

Here's some beautiful papers from Paper Temptress today.  It's a quick and cute card that can be made quick and when finished it looks very elegant and store bought. These fun vase die cuts come from Die-Versions.  The embossing done on the second layer is a 6x6" folder from Crafter's companion.  I left the sentiment off the card for now as I am not sure what I will use it for, but a sweet and simple sentiment in the bottom right corner will be just the perfect touch to finish off this card and make it perfect for almost any occasion.

The base of the card is often referred to as lunch bag or kraft paper.  Here's the different kinds you can get at Paper Temptress. I am using the Craft 100 on this card, but I also love the brown bag one.  The white cardstock I used here is Neenah Solar white classic crest.  I cut it to fit the card width and then used a tear to create the edges .  The beautiful shimmery red cardstock is Vermillion Sparkle.  The gorgeous die cuts are done with Mica/Metallic cardstock called Gold.

Hope this inspires you to create some quick and cute cards that you can set aside so you will have some cards for those occasions when you realize you need a card RIGHT NOW....this sweet card would be a great thank you, happy birthday, thinking of you, get well soon, or other theme that you can grab and write a quick note for that friend and pop in the mail.

Cheers, Holley