Ugly Christmas Sweater...Priceless!

I find it rather comical that 2 days away from the Spring Equinox and I'm out shoveling 30" of snow.  Not all at once, mind you. Old Man Winter was kind enough to give our backs a break for 2 days before he brought the rest.  Rumor says there's more down the pike and I'm not sure where we're gonna put it, but that's okay. We've enjoyed playing our Christmas music outside while we tunnel out and  take breaks for our occasional choreographed piece, "The Dance of the Shovels."  It really is a must see! 

I guess that's why I was so inspired to make up this card for a few challenges.  I couldn't find just the right sentiment so I typed one up on my PC. 

Hope you're all doing well out there!

Hugs n' Happy Shoveling Stamping,

Lisa xx

Wonderful challenges I would love to enter:

Case Study - #130 

I drew inspiration from the vibrant colors and their textures as well as the writing paper and the phone book page.

ABC Christmas Challenge - D is for Designer Paper (I used all my new Christmas present papers from Echo Park and My Mind's Eye for this card)

Retro Sketches - Pick your Favorite Sketch ( I used #27) out of all 51 sketches..WOW!

How It All Began...

'Twas late the night o' Christmas Eve whilst other boys were goofing, but not the three you see before, for they had destiny.  Bundled in their downy coats the trio set out to singing.

Some would laud, some would clap, some would ask for autographs, so nary once did they give up, to be the best around.  Lads they were, barely a hair grew from their cheeks, but wow the crowds, they did indeed with their tenor, baritone and occasional squeak of puberty.

Far and wide in their little town, they were crowned of sorts, a celebrity.  They'd pack the streets, the tents, the pubs, even once ol' Ms. Murphy's bakery. 

Legends they are and always will be...from those they left behind. So if you're ever in Carlingford, sit a spell and take a pint and smile as you hear the tale of  three best friends that sang from their hearts, affectionately known as We Three Kings.

Each time I see one of Dr. Digi's House of Stamps images, I can't immediately put them on anything. I have to color them up and study them for days. There is such a story to each of these characters and when I saw this stamp, I knew there needed to be more to the story.

The 3 young men grew up and went off to college to pursue their singing careers. They met a few other men along the way and well.....maybe you've heard of them? 

Here they are now, all grown up and shaving and they've changed their name just a little.

Enjoy....

Thank you so much for the visit and I hope you've enjoyed this little story...

This will be my last post with Dr. Digi's House of Stamps, but as you can see I always have the BEST time with the Dr.'s images. Don't miss out on the fun, run on over and tell him hi and check out the hilariously wonderful selection of digital stamps!

Hugs n' Happy Stamping,

Lisa xx

You're My Cuppycake...

There's still one more week to enter in our challenge at Top Tip Tuesday of Tag You're It and here is my halfway reminder inspiration using the adorable cut files from one of our sponsors Shape EZ.  I've combined Pedestal Tag 1 with Cherry Cake to make this birthday card.  

Prizes will awarded from Shape EZ and Sweet Stamps Store.

Hope you're all doing well and thank you so much for your visit!

Hugs n' Happy Stamping,

Lisa xx

Dream Big...

A couple years back, I had the incredible opportunity of flying a B-2 Stealth Bomber. Wellllllll....sort of.  My husband and I were invited to a one on one class in the simulation training area.  We were able to sit where the pilots actually train and fly in what felt like the real deal! Amazing the graphics and how realistic it felt as you were flying from one side of the world in the dark and watching the sun come up as you entered another part of the world.  It even went so far as to "ping" when you were low on fuel and you had to maneuver in the air with a refueling plane.  Let's just say it was like watching me try to fit a square into a circle...it wasn't happening.  Thus my dreams of being a famous female pilot were thwarted as I'm fairly certain these are not intended to be used like Kamikaze planes. 

This wonderful memory came back to me when I saw this image from Mo's Digital Pencil called Dream G. She's all colored up in copics as she looks to the skies and her inspirational quote is matted on dog tags. 

I've made this fitting for two challenges as well and I'd love to enter them at:

DP2 -  173; Don't Be Square and Catered Crop - Star Bright (She's wearing her patriotic pants)

Thanks so much for your visit!

Hugs n' Happy Stamping,

Lisa xx

Little Red Wagon...

Oh my goodness, what fun it was to make this!

When Regina from The Cutting Cafe showed us her latest release of this Little Red Wagon, my heart skipped a beat, my brain went into overdrive and my hands were itching to get crafting. Here is my little table centerpiece for a baby shower.  Would even look adorable on top of a cake, don't you think? 

This Little Red Wagon file is so versatile and comes with tons of fun ideas. The boxes with lids are part of the file as well and instead of stacking them together, I decided to make the little wagon pulling yet another box.

I have combined the following 3 sets together from The Cutting Cafe for this piece:

The Little Red Wagon

(File contains 1 wagon, 3 boxes and 22 sentiments and decorative elements)

Everyday Stand Up Phrases

(File contains 12 stand up words)

Umbrella Shaped Card and Invite Set

(File contains umbrella template and cutting file, umbrella topper and invites for baby & bridal shower)

I had to force myself to stop adding on to this cutie and I guarantee you'll have a blast if you try it out too!

Thank you so much for your visit and all your special comments. I can't thank you enough. :)

Hugs n' Happy Cutting,

Lisa xx

The Cutting Cafe

Let The Insanity Begin...

Recently I acquired a new set of spectacles and I had no idea how truly blind I really was.  Colors are brighter, textures are deeper, and the dust bunnies are waaaay more prevalent than I thought. Also, my craft nook was too, too dark! Even with the glasses on, I couldn't see very well so I decided I needed to revamp my crafty space.  Thought I would share with you all the adventures I've had over the past few days. The fun part about this project was that I made my own chalk paint! 

Here's the recipe.

1/4 cup Plaster of Paris 

A dribble of water until the P of P mixes smooth

1 cup of Krylon Satin paint (I've used White and Khaki) 

Apply a light first coat and let dry

Apply a second coat to complete the painting and  let dry

I opted not to use a thick wax and went with Mini Wax Polyurethane Fast Drying Satin and let mostly dry

Using a piece of 180 fine sandpaper, I distressed the edges to the furniture while the wax was still damp

With a rubber glove and white rag, I wiped the wax down in a circular motion to work it in and wipe down the remnants of where I'd used the sandpaper.

All in all, I did 8 pieces of furniture

Oh and guess what...I can see at my worktable now!!

A cute little drawer from my mother-in-law

Here I've used Khaki mixed with white paint

An old dresser that was given to me by some friends that were moving

Again I've used the White and Khaki paint combo

Third drawer down is not done with sandpaper....that's the artistic endeavor of my shoulder....ugh.

Thrift Store find little green and wood shelf, paid $1.50

Went nuts here and combo painted full on Khaki and solid white.  

Sorry about the fuzzy pictures, the snow was impeding any good shots.

Top shelf was built for me by my father-in-law...LOVE this! The bottom shelf was on the side of the road waiting for the trash man.  It's good to have friends with trucks. 

 I forgot to take pictures of my desk, but if you look at the brown desk below, next to my little 3 drawer cabinet, that's the color my desk was.

Painted it all in Chalk White and distressed it

And here's my refinished little crafty nook where I sit and take in ALL of your wonderful projects I see in bloggy land.  Only now I can REALLY see. Huge difference what a dark and white desk make.   At least for me anyway.

There's only been one set back from doing this. I can't move a muscle in my body and I'm BFF's with Bayer Back and Body Ache now. Ah well, a couple more days of relaxing and I'll be able to enjoy this new little area.  

Thanks for letting me share this with you..

Hugs n' Happy Refurbishing,

Lisa xx

Three Wishes...

I Dream of Genie here to grant three wishes to a lucky birthday recipient and the task is a piece of cake! So take a deep breath, blow out those candles and then run right on over to Dr. Digi's House of Stamps where you can grant another wish of owning the coolest digital stamps!

Thanks so much for your visit..

hugs n' happy stamping,

Lisa xx

I'm Nuts About You...

Alright, I'm just going to get this out of the way first thing...

A group of chess enthusiasts had checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. Soon the manager came out and asked them to disperse. "But why?," one asked."Because," he said, "I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer."

Bwhahahahahaha! 

Oh, I love that nut joke. Okay, moving right along to the card. It's a NUT!  Thank you Tammy for sponsoring our challenge TAG, You're It! at Top Tip Tuesday this time around.  Tammy is the mastermind of Shape EZ cards and this precious chunk o' protein is called Nutty Card.  The cut file comes with the folded card base, base toppers and leaves.  The cute little cuddly squirrels are a print and cut file from the Silhouette Studio called Timmy Tiptoes under umbrella from Beatrix Potter.  If you like this, you're gonna love the other creations from my teamies and our tips on this, that n' the other too!  So head on over to the Tag, You're It challenge and be in the running for a prize from Shape EZ and Sweet Stamps.

Thanks so much for your visit.

Hugs n' Happy Stamping,

Lisa xx

Happy Retirement Table Centerpiece..

Retirement can be a joyous occasion and as soon as I saw this incredibly relaxing image, Feet Up and a Cuppa, from Dr. Digi's House of Stamps, I knew I had to place him in the perfect relaxing environment...his cozy cottage in his cozy chair.  So, here's the little house that Lisa built.

You'll notice there is no furniture inside the house, except for the relaxing gent, but I decided instead of furniture to make this a fun little retirement fund centerpiece for someones retirement party!

Here's what it looks like now...

So how fun is that? Not only do the Dr.'s images bring out the most hilarious and creative ideas for a card, but they are SUPER fun to create little environments for. Very versatile creations and you'll love coloring them up. So head on over to Dr. Digi's House of Stamps and start having fun now!!

Thanks so much for your visit and I hope you've enjoyed this project.

Hugs n' Happy Building...

Lisa xx

Mustache Bubblegum Valentine...

Two more days and those of us that celebrate Valentine's Day will be submerging our noses into the fragrant petals of beautiful flowers and gorging (or is that only me?) on specialty chocolates while we exchange tokens of love with our special squeeze.  Here is a card that I made for The Cutting Cafe that I couldn't wait to create.  This week we are showcasing a variety of  Valentine cutting files and printable stamps from Regina's store.  My card combines two extremely versatile sets from her store called Gumball Machine Shaped Card  and Mustache Shaped Card Set .

I opted to use my Cameo to cut out every portion of this card even though these designs are easily cut by hand as well, and decided to alter the included spinning knob with a mustache instead. It's mounted with a black brad so the 'stache actually spins like a handle would. 

If you're looking for some last minute Valentine ideas, be sure to stop into The Cutting Cafe to find loads of inspiration!

Hugs n' Happy Crafting,

Lisa x

Imagine...

Welcome back!

I have today a beautiful image from a new artist at Squigglefly and her name is Gayle Seach. When I received this digital stamp I fell in love with it. The history that lays in this Bush Shack speaks volumes. Really makes you sit back and imagine what life would have been like living here. I couldn't wait to color it up and it needed to fit the challenge happening at Squigglefly this week of Pink and Black Combo! Might be a bit hard to see, but I've added pink hues to the sunrise just above the trim of the roof.  Loved placing this plaque of imagine below it because that's exactly what it made me do.

I find myself often staring into the fields and woods when we're on a long drive and when I see old dilapidated buildings, they speak more of a history and era of time I'll never truly understand and it makes me wonder what life would have been like back in the day.

Here is a photo of an old abandoned home in Kansas.  Can you imagine living in these deep woods with no electricity, no running water and just you and nature coinciding side by side and totally dependent upon yourself for survival. We are all so blessed today, but what a life it had to of been.

Here is another photo.

 More than 150 years after the last wagon train traversed the Santa Fe Trail, these swales (deep ruts) can still be seen in Douglas County, east of Baldwin City.

It's truly unbelievable to stand out here in the middle of nothing and see the actual wagon wheel ruts. To bend down and touch them and imagine carrying all your belongings, your family  and venturing forth for a new life in the middle of nowhere and no civilization for miles....truly inspiring and makes you realize the strength of the human spirit to endure all the hazards and miles they traveled.

So thanks to Gayle for bringing back those wonderful memories and for preserving history in her beautiful artwork.  

Sadly, this will be my final post for Squigglefly as I am stepping down, but I've truly enjoyed the journey with you all and thank you so much for the amazing opportunity to DT alongside all these fabulous crafters and artists. You all will be missed!

Hugs n' Happy Stamping,

Lisa xx

Remember Pink and Black Combo 

at

Party Like It's Mardi Gras Centerpiece...

Happy Saturday to you!

It's time again for another challenge at Our Creative Corner and I am so happy to be hosting this week as well.  Sadly, it will be my last DT post with this wonderful team. I have so much respect for them and their immense creativity and I've had the amazing opportunity of learning from each of them personally.   But I never like to part on sad terms, so we're gonna have a party!!

This week I have chosen an inspirational photo and the theme is....

Party Like It's Mardi Gras!

Create any project using the inspirational photo below. 

 Please explain what about this image inspired your creation.

I think this image looks like it could be a showstopper. The grandness of the details and the exotic gold leafing with the vibrant purples and greens inspired me to make a centerpiece and pull from it the greens and purples.  But first I needed something tall enough to take center stage.

So, I found this old candlestick holder.

With a sponge and Gesso, I lightly dabbed the entire surface to conceal the true identity and color; rather like a mask for Mardi Gras.

Next was sponging on lilac acrylic paint in a hit or miss random pattern, followed up by the same technique in metallic green paint. While the paint was still damp, I sprinkled on bits of gold embossing powder and then heated lightly.  

Once the painting was finished, I took a nail file to the edges and sanded down for just a little added character.

Next was to decide on the over-the-top focal point.  While perusing through some images, I found this gorgeous woman attired for the festive event. This is actually a photograph of someones real tattoo. She's been double printed so when the centerpiece is turned, it looks just the same on the back. Isn't the ink work amazing? But she needed a head dress of feathers and all I had was white. 

So, in a metal pie pan went 2 white feathers with a drop or two of Adirondack Meadow Ink and a spritz of water and colored them up. The second two feathers were colored with a combination of the lilac acrylic paint and water.

An edging around the rim of her hat and the eyes on the mask with SU! Champagne Glass was then added.

The final touch of the Fleur De Lis was attached  along with some white and gold mesh filler and my centerpiece was complete.

Initially I had pearls and gems and flowers and gold ribbon and I was really going to paint the town red, or purple, green and gold, in this case, but when I went to add them one at a time, it felt like the piece was rejecting them. It's bold, it's noticeable, it's vibrant in parts and yet it's refined with the the conservative base it all started on.

Well, that's it for me, let me know what you think and I'd really love it if you shot over for a visit to Our Creative Corner to see what stunning creations my teammates have made for 

Party Like It's Mardi Gras!! 

Hugs n' Happy Crafting,

Lisa xx

Flirtin' With Furniture...

Oh snap! I did it again. As serious as I may try to be, there's just something so fun about these terrific images at Dr. Digi's House of Stamps, you can't contain the comical outbursts.   Here is a very clean and simple card using the wonderful Armchair image from the Bits n' Bobs section at the Dr.'s Store and a little flirty love note written on my PC.

I think it makes a for a fun masculine card for Valentine's Day. What say ye?

Thanks so much for your visit and ya'll have a great one!

Hugs n' Happy Stamping...

Lisa x

Let Me Call You Sweetheart...

Happy Top Tip Tuesday again everyone as we welcome in another fabulous challenge hosted by our very own uber creative Annette. Our theme this time around is...

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

(Romance or include a heart for Valentine's Day)

Thank you goes out to Stamp Fairy for providing me with the cutest and cuddliest little couple,  Molly and Sam Love 1.  I decided that a sweetheart needed sweets so I've decorated this candy dispenser cutting file as their stand with lots of heart and pretty flowers.

Here's the dispenser divided for easy candy filling

Now to the good stuff....EATING the candy!! 

Are you feeling the love yet? Well, perfect! Then head on over to Top Tip Tuesday for our  

Let Me Call You Sweetheart challenge and be in the running for prizes from our sponsors Stamp Fairy and Stamp and Create.com.

Have a wonderful week and thank you so much for your visit!

Hugs n' Happy Creating,

Lisa x