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

Ah, June! (A wedding CAS)

It's that time of the year again! I'm at an odd age. My friends have been married (and some married and unmarried) for quite some time, but our kids aren't at that age just yet. Still, here in the South, where, until the recession really hit, there was a teacher shortage, so we still get to enjoy some of the younger girls' excitement with weddings and new babies. Got to keep some cards in the stash for those!

So, a CAS for such an event:

Yikes. I'm having such trouble with the camera. I can have decent lighting, or I can have focus, but I can't have both.  Right now, it would seem I can't have either. BTW, the ribbon is white, not pink.

It goes with the challenges at:

Charisma Cardz Challenge - White + one other color

CAS-ual Fridays - "Getting Edgy" - Use a border punch

Speedy the Cat's Challenge - at Mark's Finest Papers - Make it Sparkle

4 Crafty Chicks - CAS

The recipe:

Stamps - Studio G (from the dollar bin at Michaels)

Embossing folder - Quickkutz (I think.) Dots are CB.

Edge punch - Martha Stewart

Die cut - Spellbinders Nestie

Ribbon - Really Reasonable Ribbon

Flowers, again from the Michael's bin

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and please come again soon! Enjoy your Saturday! (Maybe yours has a wedding in it! *Sigh*)

Elizabeth

Yeah. I Used to Look Like That. (I'm Lying.)

When I saw the challenge at Crafty Creations - Just Imagine - I immediately thought of this stamp. If you don't know how they work together, you haven't met Middle Age yet. It and I are old friends. I was behind a cute, young woman in the checkout line at Wally World not too long ago. She had an advertisement for the Beach written across her bum. I can remember when I'd have wanted someone to read my backside. Now I'd need a billboard permit, LOL!

Anyway, here's the project:

This is for the challenges at:

Crafty Creations Challenge - Just Imagine

Aud Sentiments - Summertime

Paper Sundaes - Make an easel card

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Fun in the Sun

Bellarific Friday - Use this sketch:

The deets:

Stamps - Stamping Bella, Verve (small sentiment), {Ippity} by Unity (large sentiment)

DP - Cosmo Cricket   CS - Michaels

Embossing plate - Cuttlebug (inked with Tea Dye Distress Ink)

Flower and fuzzy brad - Making Memories

Shells - the Beach

Ric Rac - Really Reasonable Ribbon

Chalk (for the stamp background) - Studio G

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you're enjoying your Summertime!

Elizabeth



A Quickie with Those Bright Summer Colors

Ahhhh! The cums. are locked up, the books packed away, some work brought home, but, at last, SUMMER BREAK! Something about it just makes everything greener and happier!

I must not be the only one feeling this way, because  a number of the challenge sites are using those wonderful hot, hot, hot colors of summer! Here's my offering:

This fun little Ketto fairy (from Stamping Bella) is for the challenges at:
Charisma Cardz Challenge - Pink and green
Flutter By Wednesdays - Pink, orange, and green
The Play Date Cafe - Pink, orange, and blue
{Cupcake Inspirations} - Lots of bright colors
deconstructingjen.com - This sketch:

The details:
Sentiment: Verve Stamps
Embossing folder: Cuttlebug
Spellbinders dies
CS and ribbon from Michaels.

Thank you so much for stoppng by! Please come back soon. Enjoy your warm summer weekend!
Elizabeth

Well, she tried.

I'm not good at shabby chic. There. I said it. There's always something that doesn't quite work. Still, I often tell my fourth-graders that you don't learn anything by not doing it.  So I'm trying. Again. And failing. Again. Eesh.

This latest attempt is for the challenges at:
Really Reasonable Ribbon - pink and brown
One Stop Craft Challenge - Add texture (That's corrugated cardboard.)
Paper Sundaes - Vintage or Shabby Chic
City Crafter Challenge Blog - Use recycled cardboard and paint
Card Patterns - Use this sketch:

 Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Border is from Waltzingmouse, the verse is a Plain Jane from Verve. The backgrounder is an old one from CHF.
Inks: Adirondack Watermelon mixed with a copper Dabber to stamp the background. Border and sentiment are stamped in Momento.
The big flower is Prima; the little ones and the center brads are from the stash.
 Brown and pink ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. Lace is from my mom's stash.

Please don't judge too harshly. :P
Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend. I still have one more week of school, but hope that those of you that are out have a wonderful first week off!

Elizabeth