What's on My Kitchen Counter

At Pattie's Creations the challenge is Christmas Cards and if you are like me, you need a few more of them. I made this one with one of my favorite Pattie's images called Magnolia Branch . I colored the flowers and leaves using the Tim Holtz Wrinkle Free Distress Method (my favorite way to color flowers and leaves) and some handmade Marshmallow Glimmer Mist. I popped a layer of flowers up to give it some texture. I am not sure most people think of Magnolia's at Christmas but their leaves are very popular in traditional Southern holiday decorating. Come join in the fun - you don't have to use a Pattie's Creations Image (but we would love it if you did). Hugz!

It's Thursday and time for MFPSpeedyTV's Inspiration Challenge . This week Shirley has picked out some Interesting Tattoos to inspire us: I used images from two sets from Mark's Finest Papers: Koi Fish (the flowers) and Pandas (the Panda and the sentiment). My youngest daughter's sorority has a panda as its symbol so this will be going off in the mail to her. The prize this week is a stamp I have had on my wish list a long time! If you enter the contest you could win the stamp, and we would love to see how these fun Tattoo pictures inspire you. Hugz! PS: Mark's is having a 30% off sale until December 2nd.

This week's Squigglefly challenge is BANNERS . You can use a banner on your card or an image that has a banner. I was in an orange mood so I made an orange card and used a new image by Judith Hart called I Smell Carrots . Come play with us this week and remember to use a Squigglefly image to win (there are free ones in the store ). Hugz!

On Saturday, my daughter Crystal and I were shopping and found these great letters on sale at Hobby Lobby for 98 cents each. She had seen this idea on Pinterest so we tried it out. I love how fun this makes my china cabinet look. There was also a card on my Kitchen Counter today (along with a broccoli and rice casserole in the crockpot). I cased THIS wonderful card in the Featured Stamper Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers (Julie Dinn is the Featured Stamper). Crystal and I also made lots of fabric rosettes yesterday and I thought one would look great on a card. I am so in a Christmas Spirit! Hope you had a great weekend. Hugz!

Shirley has come up with some more super fun inspirational pics in this week's MFPSpeedyTV Inspiration Challenge #38: I was inspired by the last picture and here is my card: I used Mark's Finest Paper's Huge Blooms set layering both flowers in the set twice each. I just bought this set and I love it! It comes with two beautiful flowers and 9 sentiments you can use with them. I bought the button card at a thrift shop on bargain day (that was fun), the paper is from my stash and Mark's Finest Papers, the micro-beads are from Recollections, and I purchased the lace at Hobby Lobby. Come join in the fun at MFPSpeedyTV where there are lots of challenges every week. Hugz!

I hardly ever use birdhouses on cards and now I have done two in a row! Squigglefly has some awesome birdhouse images. This one is a new one by Marla Shega called Cardinal Birdhouse . I couldn't wait to color it up especially after I saw how gorgeous my friend Sue colored up hers (see Sue's card HERE ). At Squigglefly the challenge is ribbon or lace so I am playing along even though it is our team's off week. You should play too. Hugz!

Last night we went on a special river boat cruise in Montgomery along the Alabama River. The cruise was featuring a play called "Frankly, Scarlet You are Dead." Two of our friends starred in the play and another was helping behind the scenes, and 11 of our family and friends sat together - it was so fun! We don't go out much so I especially enjoyed it. At Splitcoast Stampers mr33634 (Marion) is the Featured Stamper and I cased THIS card. My image is from Cheryl Alger (Sassy Cheryl) and is called Backyard Vacation . I made the image work for Winter by adding some snow and snowflakes (my snowflakes are from a Sizzix Tim Holtz Die and a small ornament available at Hobby Lobby). I am entering this card in the Sassy Cheryl challenge for this week which is Fav Holiday colors . Hugz!

The Pattie's Creations PCDC#80 Challenge is Giving Thanks or Thank-You . We can all use more Thank-you cards and this is a big Giving Thanks month in the U.S. I chose to use Pattie's Mums in Basket image as I knew it would be easy to color up with Fall and Thanksgiving colors. I made a thank-you card to send a friend, but I am definitely very thankful this year. I have a zillion (seriously) things to be thankful for, but today the situation I am most thankful for is that my Mom is still around. Earlier this year, we found out her Breast Cancer had returned and it had already spread to all her bones in her upper body (stage 4). It came back 5 years after her mastectomy, and after rounds of radiation, pills, and frequent monitoring. It shocked us all and we really didn't know if she would still be here for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Needless to say, it has been a rough year. Happily, the chemo has kept the cancer at bay and she has been happy and enjoying life all year.

We can be inspired by anything! I would never have guessed that fingernails could have inspired me to make a card, but that Shirley found the most inspiring fingernails for the newest MFPSpeedyTV Inspiration Challenge (#37 - Fingernail Art): Since I am an Auburn Fan (and an Alabama Fan too but there were no Elephants in these pictures Benzi), I chose the tiger nails! I used the Natures Brushstrokes and Lots of Words sets from Marks Finest Papers. My bg(s) on the image panel and butterfly were colored using chalk. I glittered up the butterfly using Sparkle n Sprinkle glitter and SU! Dazzling Diamonds. Papers are SU! and SEI. Come join in the fun - there is a great prize and you have to admit these fingernails are pretty inspiring! Hugz!

This week's Squigglefly Challenge is Polka Dots - how fun is that! I used a new image to Squigglefly called A Perfect Angel by Cheryl Grant Alger. I cropped part of the image so I could really focus on her sweet face and wings. I colored her with Tim Holtz Distress Markers, Copics, some Stickles, and a white gel pen. The sentiment is computer generated. I am also entering this card in the Sassy Cheryl Anything goes challenge (as long as you use a Sassy Cheryl image). Hugz!!

My sister Sharon and our cousin Carol came over today and we made Christmas cards. My daughter Allie came by too, and we all zipped over to my Mom's house (she lives next door) for some fresh baked Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip cookies. What a great day! This one is made with a new Squigglefly image called Bare Tree by Pamela Lehto. Such a cute image! I am entering this in the Christmas Card Challenge #49 - Dimension. I did this one for the MIX41 Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. The challenge is to use no paper other than as a card base. I used some foil tap which I embossed and cut out using the Tim Holtz Tattered Flower die. The center of the flower is a Jolee's sticker given to me by a sweet friend for my birthday. I added a bit of Stickles to the greenery from a Dollar Tree pick. This card is made with an image new to Squigglefly by Dawn Collins called Patchwork Bird . I love this bird and I have several more ideas for Christmas cards made with it. Hugz!

Wellies is such a fun word to me - not sure why, but it makes me smile when I say it. I don't own any Wellies, but I have a pair picked out if I ever decide to get some. At MFPSpeedyTV, the Inspiration challenge this week is "Get Creative with those Wellies" and there are some pretty inspiring Wellies: So fun! I took a bit of inspiration from all of them: I used stamps from the following MFP sets: Works of Art Columns and Toparies Glad Glads Ivy and Blossoms You've Got Style My paper is from The Paper Studio and SU!, the inks are Tim Holtz (using the Wrinkle Free Distress technique), the glitter is from Sparkle n Sprinkle, and the ribbon was a sweet birthday present. In case you want to see the Wellies I have picked out here they are: Hope you are inspired by the fun Wellies in the challenge and join us in the MFPSpeedyTV Inspiration Challenge. Hugz!

This week, Holley's team at Squigglefly is doing a Square Challenge . I love squares so I had to join in - I have several squares on this card! I love this new image/sentiment from Judith Hart . Come join in the challenge! Hugz!

This weekend my oldest daughter Crystal hung out with me as her husband was getting a diving certification and it was my birthday weekend. We went shopping, ate too much, and made cards together. She is so fun to make cards with - she gives me lots of good advice and helps a lot! Here are some of the cards we made: We made this for the Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS - we cased THIS lovely card by stampwithKristine. The image is by Cheryl Alger (Sassy Cheryl) and is called Jump, Snowman Jump. You can get the image from Squigglefly or Sassy Cheryl's Store. The paper is from Authenique and the gold balls where purchased at Dollar Tree. This image is called Just Be Yourself by Cheryl Alger (Sassy Cheryl) and is available at Squigglefly and Sassy Cheryl's store . I am entering this in the Sassy Cheryl's Challenge this week which is Give Thanks. There is also a little time left in the Squigglefly Thankful for you challenge if you are interested in that one - HERE

Hello Friends! Today is my birthday, and it also happens to be Birthday time at Pattie's Creations too. Be sure and join us in this challenge as I know we all need more birthday cards! For my card, I used the fabulous Butterfly 1 image from Pattie. I colored it with Copic Markers, Spica Pens, and a White Gel Pen. My flowers are from Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts and my paper is from SU! and the Paper Studio. Hope you get a chance to join us - remember Pattie awards a prize to the two winners in each challenge (one for the winner using a PC image and one for those who don't use a PC image so you could do both and have two chances to win - see my next comment). Big news - for one week Pattie is offering one of my favorite images free so you will want to go grab this and use it the challenge or one coming up soon. THIS image looks awesome popped up with some of the leaves separated and you can probably think of a hundred other ways to use it! Hugz to all!