Be You

...what else is there to be? That's one of the themes I harp on in my classroom. If you don't decide who you are, someone else will do it for you and tell you who you are. The years from, I think, about 4th-10th grades are tough that way.

This morning, I'm posting a thank-you card for my sister. She's kind of tough to 'card' for - she's a girl, but not big on girlie. Kind of have to pull a combo, if you know what I mean.

It's for the challenges:
MFT's Wednesday Stamp Club - a sketch challenge, check it out at Splitcoast!
CASE Study Challenge - Use this (way fab) card as inspiration


The recipe:
Echo Park DP, just be and big ol' u are from Verve. The edges for the left-hand strip and the scroll are MFT die-namics. Heart die is an ancient Cuttlebug. Rhinestones and button from the stash.

Thanks so much for coming by today! Have a wonderful new year!
Hugs,
Elizabeth

Sunny Days

Have been nice! We're having a stretch of blue skies here, and decided to take advantage by doing a quickie overnight trip to Atlanta's Georgia Aquarium. As my almost-teen would say, "This place is boss!" It really is amazing. If ever you're anywhere within driving distance, it's soooo worth the trip. This is said DS, mesmerized by the gigundous tank that includes, among other fish, mantas and 2 whale sharks:

He's always loved aquariums. When I watched him yesterday, I could see the three-year old version come out. The one where the wonder of the ocean kind of takes over. Here's what had him so rapt:

I was wondering if the ray was having problems with his rudder, but he would take breaks. :)

But I digress,
Getting those Christmas thank-yous done and in the mail by the time I go back to teach Monday will be a challenge!
Here's the first:

It's also for the challenges at:
4 Crafty Chicks Crazy Egg Challenge - Use something new. Used the new Verve set and dies I got from my mom for Christmas to make her card.
Frosted Designs - Something New.
Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - Anything Goes
Mojo Monday - use this sketch:

If you scroll down one entry, I got a square one done, too!

The recipe:
Images are Verve's Sunny Days; its coordinating die set cut the greenery. Paper is Echo Park -  Victoria's Garden. Lace and ribbon are Really Reasonable Ribbon, scallop and regular circles were cut with a Nestie.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy something amazing, as we did in ATL. Please leave a comment, and come again soon!

Hugs,
Elizabeth

Up, Up, and Away!

I'm having fun with the goodies left under my tree. Yeah, I'm a dork, but I embrace that, so, technically, my dorkiness is really kind of punk. So nerdy, it's actually hip. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Dad's birthday is on Monday, so I really did need to whip something up. Masculine cards are not my forte. As in, "What, no ribbons and flowers? Now what?" Drives me nuts.

Here's what I managed:

It's also for the challenges at:
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes
City Crafter Challenge - Make the Cut - I fussy-cut and paper-pieced the hot air balloons.
Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge - Anything Goes
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes
Mojo Monday - Use this sketch:


I like these sketches! I might get a round one done, too.

The recipe:
Images: Verve (Sunny Days and Words of Wisdom) They're having an awesome sale! Makes my shoestrings a bit longer! :)
Taylored Expressions - Sky's the Limit. They've got a sale, too, but this set has a bunch of images and 3 dies for $13.95 - a steal, really. The clouds are cut with dies from this set. There's a die for making bigger balloons than the ones I used here.
Paper - DP is Echo Park, cardstock is Bazzill.
Odds and Ends - Used a Cuttlebug folder to emboss the polka-dots. Button and twine from the stash. Black ink is Momento, red is Fired Brick Distress Ink.

Thanks for stopping by today! I genuinely appreciate comments and learn from them. Please come again soon.

Happy New Year!
Elizabeth

Hang Ten!

My nephew will be 10 this spring! I get that, because he's 3 years younger than my almost-13 year old, but it's hard to believe that both of them are getting so old. *sigh*

Anyway, I'm loading up the stash for the rest of the school year. Here's my favorite (only) nephew's birthday card:

It's also for the challenges at:
Embellish Magazine - Color/Mixed Patterns - Blue, Green, Yellow, Brown. I've mixed polka-dots, houndstooth, and a floral.
The Deconstructed Sketch - Here's the sketch:

Charisma Cardz Challenge - Anything Goes

The recipe: DP is from Creative Imaginations. Sanded CS is Core'dinations, Images are Verve. Stamped in Walnut Stain  and Faded Jeans Distress Inks. Wavy die is from MFT. Canvas from the stash.

Oh, later today, we're going to begin a lending account at Kiva.org. It's an international group that lends microloans to people trying to get businesses and farms going in developing nations. Way cool. It only takes $25 to participate. You lend, get paid back (whether or not there's interest involved depends...) and then loan it to someone else. A crummy 25 bucks can lead to economic independence for lots of people! Yay, recycling!

Yes, I live on the shoestring, but at least I've got shoes.

Have a wonderful holiday!
Hugs,
Elizabeth

It's also a great educational opportunity for the kids in your house - geography, economics, culture, etc.

Mom's Seventeenth Birthday

... is this year! OK, I know that sounds weird, since I'm 43, but 2012 is a leap year, and that means that my mom gets an actual birthday! Woo-hoo!
    I'm using my Christmas break to work on my second-semester stash. While I still can't come up with anything for Dad's birthday - next week - this one's under control.

It's also for the challenges at:
Paper Sundaes - Celebrate (Heck, yeah, a birthday every four years?! We're gonna celebrate!)
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Celebration (see above.) :)
Frosted Designs - Use ribbon (I pleated and stitched down some grossgrain.)
Totally Papercrafts - Time to Party
Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge - Use this sketch:


The recipe:
All papers are Echo Park, stamps are from Verve.Scalloped circle die is from MFT. There are sparkly dots of diamond Stickles in between the scallops, but they didn't photograph.

By the way, Mom's not the only Leap Year baby I know. My teammate has a second grader who will have her second birthday in February. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a peaceful and happy Holiday!
Hugs,
Elizabeth

A *pink* Christmas!

... Had to! My nieces love all things pink! (Or 'pank', bless their little Southern hearts!) Couldn't disappoint. Actually, I had wanted to do something all pink and bling-y, but it just wouldn't work. Ever have a card that just didn't want to be a certain way? Weird.

Here's this morning's offering:

It's also for the challenges at:
Allsorts Challenge Blog - Going Round in Circles
Craft Your Passion Challenges - 'Tis the Season
Crafty Creations Challenge - Christmas
Fab 'n' Funky - Anything Goes
Mojo Monday - Use one of these sketches:


I hope you're having a wonderful start to your holiday season! Thanks so much for stopping by. I so appreciate comments! Come back, now! (That's Southern for 'Please come again soon' One day, I'll put together a dictionary.)
Have a fabulous day,
Elizabeth

Trees, Deconstructed

Sort of. I'm still working on Christmas cards, and found a really useful sketch over at Deconstructingjen.com.
Looks like this:


Ended up with:

I

I finally got to use the cute Verve Plain Jane tree stamp. The sketch really worked well for creating a scene (not that kind of creating a scene, as in what a bunch of folks did on Friday) .

It also works for a few challenges. Yay!

Aud Sentiments - Use a winter sentiment

Craft Your Days Away Challenge - Buttons and  Bows

Papertake Weekly - Anything Christmas

Totally Papercrafts - Christmas

and, of course,

Deconstructing Jen - The sketch above.

Slowly, but surely, I'm getting enough done to see light at the end of the tunnel. I hope you enjoy the beginning of the holiday season! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I appreciate your comments; I learn so much!

Hugs,

Elizabeth

Let the Countdown Begin!

Yeesh. I've got some serious cardmaking to do. This summer, when I was off, yes, I could have been making Christmas cards, (Heck, I even look at CSAYL every week!) but, just let me say, when it 98 degrees outside and we're swimming through the air in the infamous Carolinas' humidity, Christmas just seems sooooooooo far away!

... and then it became November. Who does the scheduling around here?!

So, here's the day's second card:

It's also for the challenges at:
One Stop Craft Challenge - Use ribbon or lace
Pile It On - Christmas
Tip Top Tuesday - Anything Goes Christmas
CCEE Stampers - Use three shapes (I've got 2 die cuts and rectangles.)
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Never Seen Ink. (These came yesterday!)
and it's my week 2 entry for Vive la Verve. Here's the sketch:

It's adapted a bit; my big bows always turn out icky.

Deets:
Both images are from Verve and are ON SALE this month! :)
Patterned papers are from a stack (DCWV?) in the stash. Cardstock is Coredinations. Lace is from the stash, too. Flowers and the border on the sentiment are stamped in Fired Brick Distress Ink and touched up with Tea Dye. The center of the flower is done in yellow Spica. There's machine stitching here and there.

Have a wonderful and peaceful (yeah, right!) Sunday. I'm so glad that you took the time to stop by and genuinely appreciate your comments.

Hugs,
Elizabeth

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

... Thanksgiving! Ha! Take that, Wal-Mart!

But, seriously, it's mid-November, I'd better get it in gear and get some Christmas cards rolling. Yes, I could have done them this summer, especially if I'd kept up with the challenges at CSAYL, but when the dew point is 74 and that Southern summer sunshine is bearing down, I just don't feel it. So now I'm behind.

Mojo Monday has a great sketch this week to get me motivated, and that extra day off hasn't hurt, either. :)
Here's my offering:

It's also for the challenges at:
Papertake Weekly - Christmas
Totally Gorjuss - Christmas Traditions
Mark's Finest Papers - Speedy the Cat Challenge - You favorite technique (Embossing and sanding the emboss.)
Frosted Designs - Use embossing
Mojo Monday - Use this sketch:


The deets:
Coredinations cardstock, embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and sanded. PP is from a stack, DCWV, I think. Images are from this month's sale at Verve (On sale! My favorite words besides 'approved' and 'done'!), as is the die cut label. All images are stamped with Fired Brick Distress Ink and touched up with Tea Dye. Ribbon's from the stash.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I learn so much from comments and appreciate them. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Elizabeth

Isn't every day bosses' day?

Is it beautiful where you are? It is (and I'm totally dating myself here) "absolutely mahvelous" here in the Carolinas this weekend! Fall colors are just getting started, the days are still warm, but the nights have just the right amount of nip. Think I'll mull some cider this evening.

So, I'm sharing two cards today. There's a 'holiday' I'd quite forgotten about.

Apparently, Bosses' Day is coming up soon, and each of our grade teams have to get a card each for our principal and our AP. What's the best way to stick it to Hallmark for inventing inane holidays so that they can sell cards? Make them yourself!

Not that I mind making cards for Ann and Stephanie. I don't. They're pretty awesome. I've been teaching 19 years now, and as far as administrators go, I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. These two make my good list. :)

Here's the first:

It also goes with the challenges (Hey, if I'm going to pull out my stamping stuff...) at:
Charisma Cardz Challenge - Use real or faux stitching. (Yep. It's faux. Don't think that's going to fool anyone.)
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - "You Choose"  (It's a open challenge!)
Flutter by Wednesdays - Use scraps
Mojo Monday - Use this sketch:

The butterfly is from my oft-used and much-loved Unity set of 'flies. It's stamped in Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The sentiment is a freebie digi from Paper Makeup Stamps. Papers and lace are chunks and scraps from the stash. I thought the ledger paper worked for the 'counted' theme. I should have inked the edges of the scallop just a bit. Derp.

Here's the other:

Our AP's a bit of a fashionista. Even dragging a screaming kindergartener up the hall, she looks fab. This Tiddly Inks digi made me think of her.

Also for the challenges at:
Raise the Bar - Pink and
Craft your Passion Challenges - A card for any occasion. I think this would work for any amazing person in your world.

Papers are Basic Grey. Ribbon comes from  Really Reasonable Ribbon. I made the flowers using the Cuttlebug kit for making daisies. The image was colored with  Copics.

Thanks for stopping by today. Please leave a comment - I learn a lot from them! Come again next time, but until then, I hope you're enjoying the weather!

Hugs,
Elizabeth

Dash to Fill the Stash...

... and I'm just not feelin' it. Short on mojo today, but I'm down to 9 days off before I'm back to school, and I need to make sure that stash is loaded and ready, too. Why no mojo? Well, my husband and 7th grader are both night-owls by nature. I am strictly solar powered. The last instruction given the child before I crashed around 9:30 was, "You have a clarinet lesson tomorrow. Make sure you practice." Ever faithful, he remembered, but he remembered at midnight. Still has some work to do, too.

Part of me can't wait for school.

So, here's what I could pull together today:

Also for the challenges at

Catered Crop - Follow the Recipe - Photo Inspirations. I used the color scheme -the yellow DP is actually the flip side the the peas paper she used, the gingham ribbon and buttons. Here's the photo:

Fab-n-Funky Challenges - Friendship

The recipe: Image by Waltzingmouse Stamps, paper is Cosmo Cricket, ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today. Here's to all the mamas of the members of the band!

Elizabeth

Carpe Cupcake

Really, that's the name of this set. I love a good (bad) pun! I'm also in love with my new Die-namic scallop die, so I'm playing with it a little. Here's one I'm planning to use for my friend and fellow teacher's birthday, which is perpetually on the first day of school. (The statewide start date here is August 25 every year, unless it hits on a weekend.) Would that not stink? I'm glad mine's at the end of May. I get summer vacay for my present!

I'm also entering it into the challenges at:

Card Patterns - Use this sketch:



Raise the Bar - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Your Next Stamp Challenges - Use a die or a punch
Scrap-Creations Challenge - Use buttons, bows, or both
Our Creative Corner - Don't use flowers

Here's a detail shot. I didn't want to completely cover up my scallops, so I separated the image from its frame.

The recipe:
Images are from Verve (Last month's Stamp of the Month. I do love their sales!)
Used Nesties to cut the image circle and frame, MFT die-namic for the scallops.
DP is from Heidi Grace
Lace from Really Reasonable ribbon, buttons from Oriental Trading.
I hope the start to your week is a good one. Thank you so much for stopping by! Please leave a comment and come again soon!
Elizabeth

Birthday Wishes

Summer's winding down. May not feel like it, but the calendar says so. I'm trying to finish up my stash before I get back to work. (Eeek! 10 days!)

So, here's what I'm adding today:

It's also for the challenges at:
Flutter by Wednesday - Use this sketch:

Just Magnolia - Anything Goes
Frosted Designs - Color it in. (I used Copics.)
Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes

Recipe: (It's short!) - Magnolia image, Basic Grey DP, Prima flowers with brads and gems from the stash.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I love and learn from your comments.
Come again soon!
Elizabeth

Thank You. No, Really.

Dear DT Person,

     Thank you very much for stopping by my blog today! I know you've got deadlines, a whole slew of cards to look at, and, probably, the whole-mommy thing, but you came by anyway. I appreciate it. I value your comments and learn from what you tell me.
     For the record, I do notice which challenge sites' DT members make it by and which don't. If I enter challenges through particular sites two or three times and notice that DT doesn't stop by, or we get those "Oh, sorry, we got busy" blog posts, I stop entering at that site. (Hey, I'm a working mom. I get busy, too, but I found time for you.) OK, that's not going to crush anybody, but fewer players will make you less attractive to sponsors, etc.
    So, dear DT member, you rock.

So, rant being done, (and I almost never do that) here's today's offering:

For the stash and the challenges at:

Stamp Insanity - Pick your favorite old challenge - I like SISC68 - Summer Colors!

Allsorts Challenge - Free and Easy

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

The Pink Elephant - Use this sketch:

The recipe:
Image - Verve Stamps
DP - October Afternoon
Cut with - Nesties
Ribbon and lace - Really Reasonable Ribbon
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Buttons -Oriental Trading

Seriously, thank you for taking the time to visit today! Please come again soon!
Elizabeth

I Know It's Kind of Odd...

... but it's a good kind of card to have in your stash. I'm talking about sympathy cards for the loss of a faithful pet. A friend had to have a long-loved dog put down last year, and I didn't really have anything to fit the bill. A couple of weeks ago, Mo Manning, from Mo's Digital Pencil was offering this digi set,uber-cheap, to raise money to help local animals. Couldn't pass it up.

The melancholy look on the child's face made me think it would serve this purpose well.

The sentiment reads, "The dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself. - Josh Billings"

This also is for the challenges at:

Charisma Cardz Challenge - Four Legged Friends

Stampin' for the Weekend - Paws for Thought

Paper Sundaes - Clouds and Skies

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Friends are Heaven-sent. Tell me your dog isn't your best friend. (Oh dear, this is a bit like Friends Are Sent to Heaven. :P )

The Paper Players - Use this sketch:

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you and your four-legged friends are doing well despite the heat. I feel so sorry for our yard bunnies that I've finally decided that they can just have the garden. It's fried anyway.

Come again soon!

Elizabeth

Happy Birthday, Girly Girl!

My niece turns six this weekend. (She shares a birthday with Harry Potter. How cool is that?) My fave first grader is, quite possibly, the girliest girl in the universe. That doesn't mean she's a weenie, though. Carlie will give a kid holy what-for without mussing her coif or her manicure. That's why I picked this cute little girl from Tiddly Inks for her birthday card. She's got attitude.

It also serves for the challenges at:

Aud Sentiments - Use a sentiment to make someone smile. She'll like this one.

Tip Top Tuesday - Make it Girlie

Totally PaperCrafts - Bling it Up. Drat. Just realized I forgot to put the pink jewel on the sentiment. I'll have to fix that before I send it. I love the blingy ribbon, though.

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Free and Easy

The Play Date Cafe - Use this color palate:



Deconstructingjen.com - use this sketch:

All of this girl's sketches are way fab! Totally worth a look!

The recipe:

Images (the border, girl, and sentiment) -  Tiddly Inks

CS - Bazzill

I made the flowers myself using a Cuttlebug kit. While quilling them is a bit of a pain in the tookus, it's a huge money-saver for me. I can make as many as I want, in whatever color I want, and adjust the size within reason. Definitely a worthwhile investment.

Ribbon - Really Reasonable Ribbon

Doily - Wilton at AC Moore

Thanks for stopping by today! Hugs to all the mamas of the girly girls! You need them! (And Heaven help we mamas of the boys they will one day OWN!)
Elizabeth

Cool Thoughts: Christmas in July!

Whew! It's hot! The 105 we had in DFW everyday last week while visiting my parents was still more pleasant than the 98 and humid that's in the Carlolinas. At least the wind blows in Texas. When we got off the plane, the first thing my dad said to me was, "Welcome to Hell!" He was only half-kidding. Never thought I'd see the day that they'd be begging for a hurricane.

Anyway, what better way to chill out than to do a little Christmas crafting?

This one's for the challenges at:

Craft Your Passion Challenges and

Crafty Creations who are both celebrating Christmas in July!

CCEE Stampers is celebtating summer and winter because they have a multinational DT, which is pretty darn cool. The wonders of the internet never cease!

Thanks for stopping by today. Wherever you are, I hope it's pleasant! Until next time, all hail the AC! (Unless you live Down Under, I guess...)

Elizabeth

Merci!

Can you have enough thank you cards? I always run out. Which is good, in a way. It means I have way awesome friends, family, and colleagues. Can't complain about that! :)

Anyway, here's one for the school-year stash:

This photo, the Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger , got me started:

What did I steal, I mean, lift? The brown/blue color palette, the doily, and the French.

It's also for the challenges at:

Cute Card Thursday - use lace

Craft Your Passion Challenges - Anything Goes

deconstructingjen.com - Use this sketch:

Recipe: Image is from Shirley's 2 Girls. Doily is from AC Moore and inked a bit with Distress Tea Dye. The bottom DP is a Cosmo Cricket, the top, I'm not sure. Bazzill CS. Lace is from my mom's stash. (See, I told you my fam rocks!) Sentiment frame was made with a Nestie. Merci font is LD Dainty.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Please leave a comment and come again soon!
Elizabeth

Kraft-y Christmas

If you own a teenage boy, you probably know what tomorrow is... July 7.... Bungie Day! AJs been going on about something odd... if you 'own' a Bungie employee while playing Halo in multiplayer tomorrow, you get sent free steak.Yeah. I think I'll wait to light the grill.

Thankfully, I've got normal holidays for which to prepare. What's odd here, is that it's July. I'm actually glad a lot of the challenge sites are doing Christmas in July. I got caught less-than-prepared last winter, and it added a lot of stress. This time around, I'm going to be ready!

Can't say I'm wild about this one. It's serviceable, though, and for the challenges at:



CAS-ual Fridays - create a masculine, CAS card using Kraft
Chrsitmas Stampin' All Year Long - Use Kraft as your base color

The recipe:
Images: Trees are {Ippity} by Unity, sentiment is an old CHF by Kim Hughes.
Embossing - a Cuttlebug folder. After embossing I inked the paper using a distress ink handle and sponge and Color Box white ink.
Ribbon - from Really Reasonable Ribbon

Happy Bungie Day and Happy early Christmas! However you celebrate, I hope it's epic! (Another of my son's favorite words...)
Thanks so much for stopping by,
Elizabeth

Blue Christmas

Don't you love that Elvis song? It's sooo different from the other carols playing on the all-Christmas music channels that you always notice it.

So when the challenge at Less Is More became 'Shades of Blue' at the same time a bunch of the Christmas in July challenges were posted, I thought I'd try a non-traditional card.

For the challenges at:

Less Is More - CAS with Shades of Blue

The Paper Players - Christmas in July

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Anything goes

The recipe:

Images: CHF Scene It! winter

Cuttlebug embossing folder

Shimmery silver ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Please leave a comment, and come again soon!

Elizabeth

Stamp It! Challenge- Moxie Fab World

Happy Fourth, y'all! I'm in the house crafting because God has delivered quite the fireworks show. I don't know if the regular kind are still on or not. I've spent most of the day tending the smoker - ribs and shoulder - and the smell's still in my hair. Which is funny, since my 12-year old, AJ, keeps sidling up to me saying, "Mom, you smell great!" Eau de BBQ. Should've thought to try it when I was younger. I'd have had to beat the boys off with a stick! Which makes me think of the Myron Mixon joke, "How do we know that Adam was not from the South? Because no good Southern boy would ever give up a rib!" Too true. Too true.

Anyway, I'm finally brave enough to try one of the Moxie Fab challenges! That's some pretty heavy company, so I'll be pleased simply to not embarrass myself. :) The challenge was set to celebrate the drop of Stamp It! and all of its oh-so-fab inspiration. It asked us to create a card that emphasizes the stamping.

I used a sketch from MelJen's Challenge blog. The rest of the recipe:

Images: Tiddly Inks (The girls) and Verve (The sentiment)
Papers - Basic Grey
Gems -from the stash
Colored with Copics, stamped with Memento. I inked around the sentiment with Distress Ink, Tattered Rose.

Want to play along? Click here - Stamp It! Moxie Fab World Challenge

I so appreciate your stopping by today! Please leave a comment and come again soon!
Enjoy your day!
Elizabeth

Dude!

It's time to add some masculine cards to my stash. I really try to have a big ol' stash by summer's end, when I have to go back to work. If I don't, too many people who should get cards, won't. I have such a wonderful bunch of friends and fellow teachers that I ran out early this year. I'll have to work harder this summer.

Anyway, Verve has guy stamps on sale this month, so I snagged this set.

It's also for the challenges at:

ColourQ - White, Grey, Red, Burgundy, Blue (I promise, the word 'Awesome' is the darker red. My photography skills are weak.

Stampin' Bs Design Team - Have a friendship statement on your card.

{Cupcake Inspirations} - Patriotic cupcakes!

Paper Issues - Red, White, and Blue

Craft Your Passion Challenges - Use red

My Time Made Easy, LLC - Use this sketch:

You know what I just realized? I should have turned those background strips into longboards! I'll have to play with that thought tomorrow.

Thank you for dropping by today! Please come again soon!
Elizabeth

!

I love this little Tiddly Inks image. It says a lot and can be used for a lot of different types of cards. Here, it's a thank-you, and one can never have enough of those! It would be awesome for a birthday, encouragement, etc. Crafting on the Shoestring means getting the most out of your budget, and this does it for me! :)

Today's quickie:

It goes with the challenges at:

Totally Gorjuss - Ribbons and lace (The lace is obvious, but there's a bit of ric-rac ribbon peeking between the two PP.)

Crazy 4 Challenges - Use this sketch:

 

Recipe:

Images - Tiddly Inks (main) Imaginesce - Sentiment
Papers - October Afternoon
Ribbons - Ric rac from Really Reasonable Ribbon, lace from my mom's stash

Thank you so much for dropping by today!
Elizabeth

Hello!

Ah, it's time for the afternoon thunderstorm. We've been in a bit of a rut here, lately. Daytime highs in the mid-90s, afternoon crash-and-bang. Our power was out for a couple of hours the other day after a short-but-intense storm, and I can't believe I'm still married. As soon as the hubby realized that the TV would not be back on for a little while, he was useless. Freaked out. Done. I had a batch of dinner rolls on their last rise, and ended up baking them on the grill, which worked just fine. Still,  he insisted that we go out to get a fast-food dinner, (because, despite the fact that we did have water, hot water, even, he was sure I wouldn't be able to "clean up" after I finished grilling the food) but, of course, they had been without power, too. I realize that there are way too many real problems in the world to have been praying for power so he'd chill his butt out, but I did anyway, and they were answered before bedtime.
Heaven help us (truly!) if there should ever be a real emergency.

Anyway, he's off doing a church-thing, and I'm using the down time for a little crafting.

This one's for the challenges at:

Craft Your Passion Challenges - Paper Piecing

CCEE Stampers - Use pink (In honor of National Pink Day!)

Paper Sundaes - Recipe (I used gems and pieced the dress.)

Deconstructingjen.com - Use this sketch:

I loooove the Pure Innocence stamps, but they are a bit expensive for the shoestring budget. No problem! The artist has an Etsy, digistampcharacters, and she's made her drawings into digis! I paid $3 for this one, $7 less than at my favorite scrapbooking store!

The rest of the recipe:

Paper - American Crafts (background), Little Yellow Bicycle (her dress)

Die cuts - Nesties

Colored with Copics (a big of a challenge with digis...)

CS - Bazzill

Hello stamp and gems are from the stash.

Embossing folder - Cuttlebug

Chalks from the dollar bin at AC Moore

Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon (yes, it is!)

Thank you so much for stopping by today. Hope our power stays on, or I may have to come live with one of y'all! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Elizabeth