What's on My Kitchen Counter

Happy Halloween! I love Halloween because the following day is my birthday! Selfish but true!!! It is time for MFPSpeedyTV's Inspiration Challenge #35 and here are the absolutely wonderful Masquerade Masks Shirley picked for inspiration: Aren't they fun? The white and gold mask inspired me - love all the gold. Here is my card: I used the MFP stamp set Oh Beans for the bg and the coffee cup; I embossed them both and popped them up. I used a gold pen or the edges. Easy and fun! Come join us at MFPSpeedyTV - the prize is super fun again and you will want to check out the great cards made by the other Inspiration Challenge members: Shirley , Kathy , and Chris . Hugz!

This week's Squigglefly challenge theme is Thankful For You . I am so thankful for my friends - my animal friends and my people friends. My image is by Lynne Stansbery and is called I Love You Old Pal . The prize is really great so grab your favorite Squigglefly image or one of the freebies in the store (by the way there is a really cool new freebie in the store)and join us in showing others how thankful we are for them. Hugz!

I stayed home all day yesterday (in my PJs with no make up even!) and made several cards - it was a great day! This is a case of catdidit on Splitcoast Stampers (FS351) - I cased THIS card. Cathy's gallery was so fun to peruse! I used MFP's Koi Fish set; I cut out the pieces and drug them through SU! and Tim Holtz inks to get the cool shading. This card is for Sassy Cheryl's Halloween Challenge (you have two days to enter if you are interested). The image is available at Sassy Cheryl's store and Squigglefly and is called Sassy Sally's Prize Winning Pumpkin . I used a Tim Holtz Skull Die and some little skull punches to finish this one off. There are a few hours left if you want to enter the Squigglefly Leave Me Be challenge (use leaves or an image that shows leaving. My image is available at Squigglefly and is called Wreath Nest by Marla Shega. This was the last one I made. I made it with I Miss You by Lynne Stansbery. I have loved this image for aw

It's time for MFPSpeedyTV's Inspiration Challenge - Halloween Costumes and here are the fun Inspirational pics: And here is my card: I used MFP's Firefighter Stamp Set and the Holiday Stamp Set . My bg is a fire saftety poster I shrunk down, and I used two SB dies, some gems from my stash, and some of the fun rusty stars you can get in the mini-tree holiday section at Hobby Lobby (better hurry if you want some because they go fast every year). I love how this came out! Come join us on MFPs Speedy TV - you can enter up to 5 cards in the challenge and the prize is super fun! Hugz!

Today my cousin Carol and I made some Christmas and Halloween projects with items from the Dollar Tree and my backyard: I don't normally decorate for Halloween but I thought my Bunco friends might enjoy some fun little things to get into a more festive mood. I made the Christmas Centerpiece with items from Dollar Tree and I think I am going to make several of these to hold candy and gift cards. Hope you are having a good weekend! Hugz!

I had some free time this morning so I played in the Splitcoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge - IC411. The inspiration site iDesignMe which is an Italian site. I am not sure what they do, but they have lots and lots of cool pictures. I did two cards based on pictures from the site. Here are the pictures I selected: and here are my inspired creations: In the first tag I used a part of an old cardboard box cut with a Sizzix tag die, painted it, added some glitter, and then cut some trees with the leftover cardboard using the Memorybox tall birch die. On the second tag, I rolled some old hymnal pages into paper cones, cut some cardboard and glittered it up, then I used the new Star Man image from Carmen Gamble at Squigglefly. Carmen is a new artist at Squigglefly. I also made up a super quick Christmas card using Elizabeta Kushner's Wildflower Bouquet and Charlene Mitchell's Merry Christmas Set . It didn't take much time and all I used was some glitter. Quic

It's Orange and Black time at the Pattie's Creations Challenge Blog . I used the Tree Owl Moon Silhouette image and I colored in it MS Word. My papers are from Creative Imaginations' Hallows Eve collection, my fence is from Creative Memories, and my spider and cat are SEI. This image was actually a freebie on the blog the first Friday of October - be sure and check out the next one in November. Grab some black and orange and join us in the challenge. Hugz!

You have got to check out these MFPSpeedyTV Inspiration Pictures that Shirley selected: After looking at these pictures, I wanted to make 100 cards! Alas, I don't have time for 100 cards and this is what I came up with: I used MFP's Fall Apples stamp set. I made my bg using the small word collage in the stamp set and my apples, leaves and sentiment are all from the set as well. I colored everything by sponging it or using Tim Holtz's Wrinkle Free Distress Technique (the one where you take your ink pad and swipe it across a waterproof or plastic surface and spritz it with water and then drag your items through it). I used SU! papers and inks (pumpkin pie, creamy caramel, always artichoke, real red, and elegantly eggplant) and Tim Holtz Tea Distress Ink. The gold beads are Recollections and the gems are from my stash - part of a bigger flourish I used most of previously. Hope you will join us! Hugz!

This week's Squigglefly Challenge is to make a Halloween Themed Card. I haven't sent my DD a card in a few weeks so this little card is going off to her to cheer her up a bit (as soon as I get a Subway gift card to tuck into it). My image is called Witch Moon and the artist is Brian Lock - I think she is precious. My sentiment is computer generated and says "I love you to the Moon and Baaaak." My kids loved the book Guess How Much I love You, and this statement always makes them smile. Come join in the challenge - we would love to see your Halloween Themed Cards. If you want a chance to win the prize, make sure you use a Squigglefly image (there are some cute free ones in the store). Hugz to all!

A few weeks ago, I decided I was going to redo the lampshades in my den. I looked on Pinterest and found all kinds of great ideas. Here is one of my favorite ideas: You can find it on Charity Wedding website. I finished it last weekend and just got around to posting the pictures. Here is my lampshade before: Here it is after: It look a while to cut out all the fabric circles but I love how it came out! I cut like 500 circles out of the muslin/burlap look fabric, twisted them a bit and glued them on the lampshade with craft glue. Took about 4 hours total with my oldest daughter's help for about 1/2 that time. I am linking this up to the diyshowoff website - it is sooo cool! Today I did the Queen for the Day and the Featured Stampers challenges on Split Coast Stampers. Here are my cards: The first card is for the Queen for the Day (QFTD185) and HERE is Pat's card I cased. I also did this card for the MIX37 challenge on SCS which is to make gridirons on a die

It's time for the latest MFPSpeedyTV Inspiration Challenge and this week's challenge is Let's Play Football (#32). This is so appropriate during Football Season. I live in Alabama where there are only two seasons each year: Football Season and Hunting Season (LOL). Shirley picked some awesome Inspiration Photos: Aren't these great? Here is my card based on that adorable baby picture! I used MFPS' Tailgate Party Stamp Set . I hope you will join us in this fun challenge! Hugz!

This week at Squigglefly, the challenge is Orange Bliss . What a great color for fall cards and a super opportunity for me to show off this Cheryl Grant Alger's Sassy Sally's Prize Winning Pumpkin image that is now in the store. I promise this pumpkin looks much better in real life - the glitter didn't film well this early in the morning - LOL! My sentiment is from our own Charlene Mitchell . Grab some orange and join Holley's group this week like I did. I wanted to share a few other things I have been working on this week. It is National Customer Service Week and I signed up to do Chocolate day this Thursday. My group is doing a Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory table with lopsided chocolate cake, a chocolate fountain, and lots of candy and chocolate. Here are a few of the table decorations I have made so far (Carol, you created a monster!): Hugz to you!!!

This week my doctor limited me to one caffeine drink a day so when today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS was Barnes & Nobles, I was lead to the drinks of course! Here is the picture that inspired my card: and here is my card: This is a peak at the new Diana Garrison Christmas Angel image available in the Squigglefly store today. I love this image because it reminds me of the Mexican/Indian art I grew up with in New Mexico. Happy Saturday! Hugz!

The new challenge at Pattie's Creations is Ribbons . Wow - that an endless amount of possibilities! I just got this sweet Quilted Heart Image and had to play with it. I used some papers I had laying around, but I am thinking this would be sweet in Thanksgiving and Christmas colors and possibly even Halloween. I think I may try them all this weekend! Let's see what wonderful ideas you have using ribbon! Hugz!

Today I start my newest adventure playing with Shirley and Kathy in MFP's Speedy TV's Inspiration Challenges. Today starts the newest challenge (#31) - Popcorn. Shirley found some really fun popcorn pictures for inspiration: The monster popcorn balls got me! I based my card on the fun colors on the balls: The image I used is from the MFP Be A Showoff set . Not only does the set have some really fun peacocks and a feather, it has a bunch of great sentiments. We would love for you to join us in the Inspiration Challenge at MFP's Speedy TV. One lucky winner will receive this great stamp: Hugz! Card Recipe: Image: MFP's Be A Showoff Sentiment: MFP's Be a Showoff Papers: SU! and the Paper Studio Cardstock and K&Co DP Inks: Memento Black, SU! Gable Green and Elegantly Eggplant, and Snapdragon Radiant Rain Shimmery Mist Accessories: Zva Crystals, Sparkle N' Sprinkle Glitter, Spellbinders Dies, Pieces off a Walmart Christmas Pick