Fundraiser!!!

A Fundraiser - Please help!


Kim Sherrod, former DT Coordinator for Tuesday Throwdown is hosting a fundraiser for her friend. This is a fundraiser to help Kim's friend with expenses so she can see her son. He has a heart problem and it's costly for the trip and it's financially difficult for her to travel. Help us to make it possible for her to spend some time with him. Unfortunately, his condition is very bad and she needs to spend some time with him as soon as possible.

Please visit Kim's Page for these beautiful stamps. They are available in digital or clear stamps.

Stamps can be purchased here:
Paper: PTI white cardstock, dp is Soft Swirls-green from The Paper Studio
Ink: VersaMagic chalk ink-Pixie Dust
Accessories: QuicKutz embossing folder (Swirls), Spellbinders large, oval nestabilitie,Say it with Studs brad, Celebrate It! ribbon, Recollections Adhesive pearls for swirl, Martha Stewart Double Loop punch

Cherish your Blessings

This week at the Stampin' B's Design Team challenge #121, Faith is our hostess and the challenge is to use ribbon on our card. I am using a soft, white ribbon and added a pretty button.
Do I ever love these poppies from Mark's Finest Papers! The set is called Poppies, Poppies, Poppies and it stamps so pretty. I added some sponging around my image with Memento New Sprout ink and it really makes the image pop, don't you think?
I've added a vine, some brads, and used a punch around the page called double loop by Martha Stewart.
All details in my recipe below.
Hope you'll join us this week. If so, go to the link above and use the inlinkz tool to add your card.

Challenges I'm entering:
The Crazy Challenge #77-Ribbons
Simon Says Stamp and Show-Anything Goes
Lollipop Crafts-Special Summer Challenge

Recipe:
Stamps: Mark's Finest Papers-Poppies, Poppies, Poppies
Paper: PTI white cardstock, SU Old Olive, unknown dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, London Fog, and  New Sprout
Accessories: Celebrate It! ribbon, Button from Jo-Ann Stores, Mark Richards gold metal brads, Martha Stewart double loop punch around the page, Sizzix vine die cut, Copics, Spellbinders Shapeabilities Fancy Tags, Spellbinders Blossom die cut

Christmas is Coming!

Flourishes is having their Christmas in July sale this week and Maki Jones is hostess this week at   the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday blog challenge #128 and is asking us  to get out our Christmas stamps and create! I am using Flourishes stamps, All That Glitters for the pretty images and Birthday Pennants for the sentiment. I used VersaMark to stamp the ornaments on the green panel.

I must make this a quick post as I am off to choir practice soon. This is W.C. Handy Festival week in my city and the city is full of music day and night. It is all kinds of music, from jazz to praise and worship, and many other kinds. I am practicing for a concert I will be singing in on Thursday night.

Craft Your Passion #68-Christmas in July
Paper Creations Ink #5-Christmas in July
Pollycraft Monday Challenge-#103-Christmas in July

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes-All That Glitters, Flourishes Birthday Pennants
Paper: PTI white cardstock, Reminisce Evergreen Lane dp, Stampin'Up! Old Olive, Black cardstock from Hobby Lobby
Ink: Memento-Tuxedo Black, London Fog, and Bamboo Leaves
Accessories: Offray ribbon-turquoise, VersaMark, Stampin'Up! ticket corner punch, Martha Stewart holly edge punch, Stampin'Up! Dazzling Diamonds, Queen & Co. Out to Sea rhinestones, Cuttlebug 5x 7 Ornament Collection embossing folder, Sakura Jelly Roll pen for adding a little sparkle to the gold center in ornament

Blog Candy Winner!!

I can't believe my one year blogoverary has come. The past year passed so quickly. I've met a lot of new friends and had a great time. Thanks for all your comments and I now have a winner to announce for my blogoversary candy. It is .............................................YASMIN!
Here is the comment she left:

 Happy Blogoversary , Benzi ! Lovely candy and thanks for the chance to win.

I like blogging because it's how i met such talented people and made some real great friends too. It's like spending time with friends and sharing your a part of you with them. I also get to learn a lot from the different bloggers ...my greatest source of inspiration and ideas.


Congrats to Yasmin... please get in touch with me so I can get the prize in the mail to you.

Matching Set for Tuesday Throwdown #59

This weeks's challenge at Tuesday Throwdown #59 is to do a  matching set. I'm using Lovely Florals that MyGrafico supplied the team with. They pre-colored and such a gorgeous group of images. Instead of using several different images from this set, I really liked this one and stayed with it to make my card and tags.
I'm using the Sizzix Originals Die Large Scallop Tag Combo #2 and ran a sheer ribbon through the top.
I added a few stickles for flower centers along with a few pearls and on the card a pretty white ribbon and button. The punch is a Martha Stewart Wild Flowers deep edge.

 I have a better picture here of  the card and the tags alone:

Recipe:
Digital images-pre-colored digital images from MyGrafico (Lovely Florals)
Paper: unknown dp
Accessories: Martha Stewart deep edge punch (Wild Flowers), star dust Stickles, pearls, blue sheer ribbon, button from Jo-Ann Stores, white ribbon is Celebrate It!

Birds at the Feeder

I just love case-ing the cards of fellow stampers and on Splitcoaststampers today, a new Queen for the Day was crowned. It is Julia aka artystamper and here is the wonderful card I cased. I didn't use a silhouette image but kept her sketch mostly.

I am entering my card into the challenge at Charisma Cardz Challenges #29-Sunshine colors

Well, I'm off today to buy shrubs and hope the rain doesn't come again today so we can get them out tomorrow. It seems the heat of the day brings on late afternoon storms quite often. But, that does mean I don't have to water as much and that's great.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Recipe:
Stamps: Inkadinkado (no name) #60-00499 (picked up at Michael's), Stampin'Up! Vintage Labels-sentiment
Paper: PTI white cardstock, Marrakech-calming moon, ColorMates light terra cotta
Ink: Memento Dandelion, Cantaloupe, and Bahama Blue
Accessories: corner rounder, Spellbinders deckle nestabilitie, Stampin'Up! 1 1/4" circle punch and scallop circle punch

From the Beach

This week the Stampin' B's Design Team  hostess is Vicky Gould and she asked that do a color challenge of brown, black, and ivory. I found that a bit hard with my image. I wanted to add some sea blues to this beach card. I will just have to make another later and do that.

The image is Sand, Surf, Relax from Mark's Finest Papers and I'm using a Martha Stewart Beach Shells punch and a crab and fir punch. Added a little netting on the side which I cut from a Finch seed bag and dyed, stickles, and Flower Soft for sand.

We hope you'll join us this week. If so, link to our inlinkz tool at the link above.

Entering the Scrapalicious USA challenge-Anything Summer

Recipe:
Stamps- Mark's Finest Papers-Sand, Surf, Relax.
Paper: PTI Black, dp is double-sided Mulberry-Chocolate/Tan from The Paper Co.
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Spellbinders deckle nestabilitie, Copics, Stickles in Frosted Lace, Martha Stewart crab, fir, and Beach Shells punches, Flower Soft - Sand (color)

My Stressful Creation!!! And, Some Flowers (Torenia)

Have you ever just had the most horrible time trying to make a simple card???? That was my day. Nothing went right...had to do my flowers over two or three times. Nothing fit, colors wrong, punch didn't cut well as you can see, and it didn't come out right on the ends (my fault). I left off the panel behind my punched area and had to do that again. I had no time to do the card again sooooooo here it is and I am FRAZZLED.
Plus, I took a chunk out of my finger trying to put my patio umbrella up and it is hard to type. O.K., on to my card. Whew!

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday-challenge #127 has an inspiration challenge this week.

I was certainly inspired by the beautiful violet/purples and the basketweave. I tried to imitate the basketweave with my herringbone folder and even sponged some Memento London Fog ink on to try to get the color of the chairs.
Maybe I shouldn't have mixed the leaves background with the hydrangeas but too late now.
Hope my colors are good.

I used the sketch from the QFTD69 on SCS as I didn't get to do a card for the Queen, imastampin, yet. This is her gorgeous card.

Because I am working with these colors, I thought I would share a few photos of my Torenia that I have blooming in a 7 ft. box my hubby made for me after going to Gulf Shores, AL one year. There were the most beautiful flowers at several shops in these boxes. I'll just show the flowers...not the box.

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes Swan Lake (water hydrangeas), Flourishes Humming Along (sentiment)
Paper: PTI white cardstock, Stampin'Up! Old Olive, violet cardstock from Hobby Lobby
Ink: Memento London Fog and Tuxedo Black, Memento Bamboo Leaves
Accessories: Button from Jo-Ann Stores, Tulle from Jo-Ann Stores, Stampin'Up! Dazzling Diamonds, Martha Stewart French Scroll border punch

Blogoversary Candy on the Scene!!!!!

As promised, I have my blogoversary candy posted. I can't believe I have been blogging for one year as of 7/25/11. I was a bit nervous about it but decided one day while on vacation I would get started and I'm still going strong and having a lot of fun.

If you would like to win, here is what you do as I am a bit curious as to what you like best about blogging. If you don't blog, just tell me what you like about visiting blogs. Just leave a comment (only one, please) and let me know. AND, follow the rules below. I would love to read your answers. There are so many things I like.....meeting new people from all over the world, learning new techniques and getting soooo many, wonderful ideas. Of course, I love the blog challenges and winning awards and prizes.  Who doesn't?  I could go on and on but I want to hear your thoughts.

Here is my list of goodies:
1-Tim Holtz Tissue Tape (symphony)
1-Tim Holtz Ruler Ribbon/36 inches
1-Spellbinders Nestabilitie-Long Classic Scalloped Rectangle
1-Stampabilities wooden stamp-Distressed Leaf
1-Stampabilities (clear stamps) Tree and Leaves
1-EK Success edger punch-scalloped scallop
1-Martha Stewart oak leaf punch
1-Martha Stewart 'happy birthday' deep edge punch
1-14 pc dimensional sticker (robots, etc.)

I have so much fun searching for these items to give away. I look for the items on sale so it doesn't cost an arm and leg.

Rules:

• One comment per person telling me what you like about blogging.If you don't blog, tell me why you like to visit blogs.  Your comment must be on my blog by 7/25/11 no later than 7:00 pm. CST
• You do not have to become a follower (sure would love it, though).
• Be sure to come back on 7/26/11 when I'll draw a name from the comments and post the winner! Either email me (from my profile) or leave a comment on my blog  that you're the winner and an address if you don't blog so I can get in touch with you for your mailing address.
• This is not a rule but I would love if you put my candy on your side bar. 

Good luck to all!!!

Tuesday Throwdown-Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps

This week, challenge #58 at Tuesday Throwdown is being sponsored by Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps and I'm using their beautiful hydrangea image. The challenge is to use something metallic. I punched my butterflies using metallic paper. The hydrangea was so easy to color and so much fun. I added some adhesive pearls and gemstones for the leaves and swirls. Of course, I'm using my favorite Cuttlebug embossing folder, 'Textile'.  For my image to fit the nestabilitie I used, I did an out-of-the-box technique on one of the leaves.
Add a pretty ribbon, sentiment, and corners and that's it.

Entering the Icopic Weekly Challenge #39 to use pastels.
Also, I want to enter Paper Playtime challenge #50-Summer
Kaboodle Doodles #76-Embossing

Recipe:
Stamps: Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps - hydrangea
Paper: PTI white cardstock, ColorMates Medium desert dune, DCWV The Metallic Stack-Gun Metal, Stampin'Up! Old Olive
Ink: VersaMagic aloe vera
Accessories: Copics, Spellbinders Labels 14, EK Success corner punch, ZVA Creative adhesive pearls, Batik Leaf-Lime Offray ribbon 1 1/2",Cuttlebug textile embossing folder