What's on My Kitchen Counter

Today is the terribly exciting Dude Time Doodles New Release Blog Hop. There are some great new images available, and the Design Team is showcasing the images with their wonderful creations. My Patriotic card was made with Minute Man Marty. He symbolizes how much of a contribution the average Joe (or Marty in this case - LOL) has made in every group's (countries, peoples, individuals, etc.) quest for rights. I could see him used on a card with comments like "Give me a drum roll please...," "American Band" (with some words from the song), "Dance to your own beat." Fun!!! Hopefully, you came here from Ruth's wonderful blog and now you should finish off back at Dude Time Doodles just click here . If you didn't come from Ruth's blog, be sure to jump on the hop and visit everyone as you won't want to miss the fun. Leave comments at each stop on the hop as one of us is giving away a prize but we aren't telling which one it is.... ...

This week's Fresh Brewed Designs Challenge is to make a card with Red, Yellow and Teal (FBC #101). I used a great image I won by commenting on Fresh Brewed DT member Sheryl's blog . Papers, twine, and button from SU!, and I computer generated the sentiment. Today was a day when I needed a little more coffee - hope you were luckier!!!! Hugz!

So what constitutes Eerie Elegance? The Haunted Design House Challenge (HDH138) this week is to make something that falls into the category of Eerie Elegance. So strange how creatiions seem to create themselves sometimes... Of course, I reread The Murders at the Rue Morgue before I started this card so I was thinking of night scenes, mystery, intelligent quirky men, and dangerous animals (Poe was such a genious). The image is from the net, and I just used a little part of it in order to focus on the clocktower. The frame is from a Sizzix die, my papers are from SU! and Hobby Lobby, and the flower arangement is made with a Die-Namics Rolled Rose die plus some pieces of blackery (as opposed to greenery - LOL) punched with a MS Branch Punch (my very fav punch in the world). I think I am going to add something inside like "...but we can pretend it does with a little botox and a good hairdresser." Hugz!!!!

It's Inspiration Week at Dude Time Doodles and this is the inspiration photo. The challenge is to make something related to a Wedding or Anniversary using this photo to inspire you. When I first learned about Dude Time Doodles, two images really grabbed my attention. One was a great fishing lure ( click here ) and the other was a wonderful ice bucket filled with bottles and cans( click here ). I have so many avid fishermen in my family that I could have used either image in this challenge. In the end, I went with the ice bucket! I printed out the image twice and used one as my base panel which I cut out and backed in black using Spellbinders fancy oval dies. I then fussy cut the bucket and celebratory items and colored them with Copics. I then covered the whole bucket with Tim Holtz Rock Candy Distress Stickles so it would like it had a layer of ice. I liked that look so I put some Diamond and Crystal Stickles on the ice to make it look more realistic. My papers are f...

The new challenge at Can You Digi It? blog is Where is the Color? The inspirational photos are black and white with a hint of color, and they are very inspiring. I chose the LilyPink Designs Emma and Edward at Sea image which is available in the store. I printed the image once on Grey paper from Mark's Finest Papers and then again on Whisper White from SU!. I fussy cut the sails and the people so that I could lightly sponge them and add texture to the sails (I rolled the stylus on the back of the paper in little circles). I did add a touch of color with Red Stickles on the heart at the top of the sail. Since there was only a little sparkle on the heart, I added some Crystal Stickles to Emma's Shirt and some Rock Candy Distress Stickles to the fish (you can get the Rock Candy Stickles in the CYDI? store here ). I made the fluffy clouds and sea foam with a snow writer. My sentiment was a freebie off the Tiddly Inks Blog and the little fishie is part of a Fresh Brewed D...

I love to case my friends! Last night, I was looking at this wonderful card by Marisa on her blog, Rosemary Reflections (you need to check out her blog as it is full of the cleanest, crispest, most colorful things). I love Marisa's CAS style, and the way she loves to play with colors. I didn't quite capture her crispness - I should have used white instead of speckled white and I should have embossed my sentiment. Next time Marisa!!!! At least I finally got up the guts to try since CAS is not easy for me! I loved the sketch and color challenges Marisa used: ColorQ and Freshly Made Sketches so I may try to play in them when I am not specifically casing someone. My sentiment is from Verve (Marisa loves Verve), my cs is all SU!, and the dp is from my stash (I think it might be My Minds Eye). The flower is from Doodlebug Designs (I layered it, scrunched it, and glittered it up) - I won it a year or so back on the Midnight Madness Challenge. Hugz to all (and special hugz to ...

WARNING - This post is just a bunch of pictures posted by an outrageously proud Mom! It may be a bit like watching Aunt Jane and Uncle Bill's vacation pictures from the last 10 years!!! We discovered the best photographer! Lauri Ann Photography hasn't been in business long, but this girl has talent! Of course, her subject was very special, and I admit I am biased on this suject!!! Here are a few of my favorites (the long dress is a dress Allie ordered an on on-line sale that they wouldn't take it back).