Are your tulips up?

My tulips are just poking through the ground.  They always seem to be later than the hyacinths and daffodils, both are blooming already.  And I'm so happy to see some buds on the lilac bush I started about 3 years ago from a tiny twig.  The magnolia trees' flowers, unfortunately, are all brown from our overnight freezing temps the last few days.  I actually had to wear long underwear to my grandson's baseball game on Wednesday evening.  That's just not right!  

  Perhaps this cute springy card will warm someone up, until the temperatures take over.

 

Gerde Steiner supplied this perky chick digi image for use in her current challenge.   For the butterfly hello I used a stamp I recently received with one of my magazines.  And the dotted DP was a freebie from another magazine.  I used markers to do the coloring and add the faux stitching.  

I am entering this card in the following:
Gerde Steiner 6th Freebie Digital Stamp Design Challenge
Craft for the Craic April Challenge - Easter/Spring
Cards in Envy Challenge - A2 Easter
Crafty Catz Challenge #227 - B is for....  butterfly and broken egg
Creative Corner Challenge - What's in a Name?  My name is Debi and I've used Dotted Designer paper, a Digi image, Dotted Embossing Folder, and a Darn cute chick.
Polkadoodles Challenge Week 16 - Springtime
Scrapping 4 Fun Challenge 15 - Use a stamp/digi image
As You Like It Challenge - Stitching, Real or Faux?  I prefer using faux stitching since it's so much easier for a quick card than getting my sewing machine out of the closet.

Speaking of quick cards....  I wanted to show you a cute Easter card from one of my friends.
She said it was a kit from Kim's card kits.  

 

Deedee's Digi of the Month

Yesterday I posted a graduation card.  

Also needed at the end of the school year are teacher appreciation cards. 

I thought this month's digi set from Deedee was perfect for just that:

I wouldn't miss entering 

Deedee's April Digi of  the Month Challenge

or these other fun challenges:
4 Crafty Girlz Challenge #16 - Anything Goes
Creative  Knockouts Challenge #33 - Furry or Feathery Friends
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #91 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Animal Antics
Word Art Wednesday Challenge #128 - Anything Goes
 

My grandsons were here today for our annual egg dyeing.  My DIL forewarned me that Matt wanted to make Minion eggs (those goofy yellow guys with blue overalls and goggles from Despicable Me).  I always try to oblige.  He was happy with the result:

 And my granddaughter stopped by with Layla, 2 months old yesterday. 

Her mother didn't bring her in the laundry basket.  I was between loads and it just came in handy. 

Check out that dimple!  She's already learned to multi-task.  She can giggle and toot at the same time!

Muse Challenge #63 + CTMH Card Workshop 4/15/14

Graduations are coming soon and I'm getting a head start.  There are preschool graduations, kindergarten graduations, elementary school graduations, middle school graduations, high school graduations, college graduations.... 

all steps between endings and new beginnings.  

Wonderful reasons to celebrate and eat lots of cake! 

(Sentiment and frame are CTMH stamps.  Sticker is by Hallmark.)

This week's Muse Challenge #63 was the inspiration for the quick and easy Graduation Card above, suitable for almost any age.
Here is the Muse card:   
 









I am also entering this in these other fun challenges:
Crafts Galore Encore Challenge - Creating with Color  (My favorite color is bright blue.)
Feeling Crafty Challenge #27 - Anything for a Child
Sweet Stamps Combo Challenge - Anything Goes + Embossing
Cards und More Challenge # 104- No Flowers

Before you leave, here are the cards I made yesterday at Joyce's CTMH card workshop. 

Cute Boots!

The flowers are getting a good drink today.  It's been pouring since early this morning.  A perfect day for boots and to spend the afternoon at Joyce's for her weekly CTMH card workshop with the friends that truly make my life blossom.  Hopefully the sun will return tomorrow so I can take some photos of the cards we made.  And Mickey brought us instructions to make the cutest card holder.  I can't wait to make one and show you.

I wanted to get this card posted today so my name would go in the hat for the special early bird drawing at Imagine That.  This is the freebie April digi for the Imagine That April's Progressive Challenge #19.    I printed the flower part of the digi twice so I could do some fussy cutting and pop some of the petals for dimension.  Thanks, Kris, for this wonderful set of digital images. 

Here are just a couple additional challenges that I am entering with this card:
The Cupboard Trilogy Challenge #21 - Friends/Friendship
The Tiny Fairy Tales April Challenge - The Daisy
Digi Sketch Challenge for April 14th - Floral Challenge
Stamp and Create April Challenge - Spring Flowers

Have you been wondering why....

 I've been practicing my Shabby Chic style?   Wonder no more!

The Really Reasonable Ribbon Vintage/Shabby Chic Challenge at Tuesday Throwdown begins today, April 15th.

That means it's time to throw down whatever you're doing and make something Vintage/Shabby Chic to enter this challenge.

Our great sponsor this week is

Really Reasonable Ribbon

 

Not only do they have wonderful ribbons, twines, tapes, etc. but they also have a monthly blog hop that is really fantastic.   

 Below is my DT card for the challenge.

I've used 2 Really Reasonable Ribbons for the bow.  

Rowena fish is a free digi from Digital Delights.  The tag, jar and lid stamps are from Sparkle and Sprinkle.  The jar was stamped with Momento ink on clear acetate.  There's a bit of sand and loose glitter at the bottom of the jar.  I used bling for bubbles, jute around the lid, a little burlap and a small piece of netting from the front of a potato bag* (which you can't really see in the photo) under the tag. The striped DP is fabric paper.  The flower was handmade using some old white sassy strands from CTMH and following this tutorial. I dirtied it up a bit with the dauber after I distressed the edges of the papers, tag and jar lid cover.

So that's my attempt at shabby/chic for today.

I'm going to enter it in these challenges:

Sparkle n Sprinkle April Challenge - Anything Goes 

613 Avenue Create Challenge #67 - Anything Goes/Twist-recycle something* 

Glitter and Sparkle Challenge #80 - Not Square

One Stitch at a Time Challenge #208 - Use a Digi

The Squirrel and the Fox Challenge #67- All Creatures Great and Small

 

 

 

Good Morning!

It's a warm breezy day here.  If I was the least bit ambitious, I'd be washing curtains and bedspreads and pinning them out on the line.  But .... that's not happening!!!  I have made 2 Mojo Monday cards this morning.  But....  I'm just showing you one.... for now.



There hasn't been much Easter paper for kids in the stores this year, so I've used some more of the freebie paper from my Quick Cards magazine. This adorable baby bunny digi image is from 2 Cute Ink.  (They've just hit 5000 fans and are offering viewers a cute celebratory penguin digi freebie until 4/26.  I'm sure I'll be making another card for their Celebration Challenge going on right now!)

   The card is for my adorable new Great Granddaughter, Layla.  Her other Bisabuela (great grandmother) bought her Easter dress and I've made her a sweater to go with it.  

Hopefully I'll have a photo to show you next week with Layla wearing both.  (I'm still working on something for her mother which is so much bigger and is taking much, much longer.)

So here is the Mojo Monday Sketch for Challenge # 341

 

which I followed for the card.

I'll also enter it in these current challenges:

Dream Valley Challenge #79 - Easter

Great Impressions April Challenge - Pink, Polks Dots, and Glitter

One Stitch at a Time Challenge #208 - Use a Digi

That Craft Place Challenge - Anything Goes/Easter

Well, my DH is patiently waiting to go for our daily walk.  TTFN

Scribble and Scrap

Today I am honored to have a GDT spot for

 Scribble and Scrap's Challenge #16. 

I chose this photo from one of Scribble and Scrap's  vintage photo sheets to be the focus of my card.  

 

My first thought when I saw this photo was to make a get well card.  Then I got to packaging some cards for Operation Write Home, and thinking about all the deployed US servicemen and women, and I decided to make it into a Father's Day card. I think this would make a wonderful card for a daughter to send her father, especially if he was serving his country away from home. 

I distressed all the pieces of this card, tearing and curling some of the edges.  I frayed a bit of the burlap (CTMH) and used the strings for the bow and to tie the tiny envelope charm onto the popped sentiment.  The canvas ribbon across the front is by Darice.

Thinking of my own Dad, who will have passed 4 years ago in August, I computer generated both the outside and inside sentiments.  I'll set this card aside to give to my cousin, Nancy, for her Dad.  She is kind enough to sell some of the things I make in her Milkhouse Shop at the Old Home Farm where we played together as children.  Fifty years ago it smelled like cows.  Today it smells of the wonderful soaps her brother makes there.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Sister Act Card Challenge #52 - Anything Goes
The Stamping Boutique Challenge #12 - Distress It
It's All About the Vintage Challenge #66 - Shabby Chic
Fairies Challenge #22 - Shabby Chic or Vintage
Word Art Wednesday Challenge #127 - Anything Goes
Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge #24 - Anything Goes