My Miss V

First of all sorry that I have not been on my blog much lately. I have been trying so hard to get some things done before my brother comes home this afternoon, but so far have not accomplished a whole lot due to rainy weather. I have however been working between rain drops on our back yard. It is coming along but very slowly. Will give you some updated pictures in a week or so. My brother will be home until Friday so I will not be spending much time on my blog until he leaves. I only get to see him once a year and I always look forward to his visit.

Now on to my Miss V. She was flower girl in a wedding yesterday and she was so beautiful. I only have this picture of her that was sent to me by my DIL. She will never know how much I appreciate this photo. It is a true treasure even if it isn't a good one.

Going Dotty With Charisma Cardz

It's Thursday which means it is time for another challenge from Charisma Cards!!!

Wow! What fun I had last week hosting the challenge. Your creations were beyond fabulous! You "done me proud" for my first ever hosting of a challenge.

Now on to this week. It is Lyndsey's turn to host the challenge and she has chosen "GOING DOTTY". I can't wait to see all your wonderful creations so be sure to stop by our blog to get all the ins and outs of the challenge and then start creating. Don't forget to visit the DT blogs.

Recipe:

Mica Color Vintage Pigment Watercolor Paint -USAQuest

Shimmerz - Pixie Dust

Image - Heart & Soul Rubber Stamp Company

Clear lavender dots - Mark Richardsusa

Alcohol inks - Ranger

Paper - Funky Fairies Dots are Destressing

Ribbon - Stash

EK Success border punch

Our DIY Weekend

I thought you might like to see why I have not been crafting lately and to see what hubby and I have been working on. This was started on Friday. Now the mess is for us to finish! LOL Be warned there are several pictures. Hubby and I are not DIY people, but after paying the contractor to dig and install the french drain we have decided that we can finish it, even if it takes us all summer.

This is the view of our 10 foot back yard before beginning work on the french drain. We truly only have 10 feet of lawn from our back patio to the neighbor's back yard. This is my view from my patio and my family room. Absolutely NO privacy!


Just to give you some idea, our property line ends at the end of the shadow. Not much to mow in the back of the house, but the side yard and the front makes up for it.

Beginning the dig. We have over 100 feet of drain to install.






We had this fence installed to give us a little privacy

side view of fence.

We planted arborvitae in back of the fence and in a couple years they will give us the privacy we desire. We won't let them get over 6 feet tall and will probably not let them get more than 3 ft wide. Now we have to let the soil over the drain line settle, then rake it down and sow it in grass again. Also plant the flowers in front of the fence. We also poured a concrete apron on the side of the patio where we will set our grill for grilling now. I had never poured concrete before and let me tell you, no one told me not to put your hands in it. It literally ate the skin off my hands. LOL, and I am so sunburned I look like a lobster. When it is all finished I will try to take another picture.

Blog Candy

Create 4 Fun is celebrating their 5,000th hit by giving away some Copic Caio makers. Stop by the say congrats and sign up to win while at it. Ends May 24.

Flowers, Lace Pearls Charisma Cards Challenge 20

Wow! The response from Joanne's "A Star is Born" this past week was fantastic. I visited a lot of new blogs this week and many of our regulars and all your entries are so much appreciated. All I can say is your creations were fantastic.

This week I am hosting the challenge for Charisma Cardz and it is the FIRST time I have ever done so. I am a little nervous, but hope that you like the challenge I have chosen. FLOWERS, LACE AND PEARLS. There is nothing in particular you need to do. Create anything you like but most importantly HAVE FUN with it.

We are being sponsered this week by MFT Stamps with a fabulous stamp set.

I can't wait to see what you make. Do me proud this week for it being my first time hosting and get your thinking caps on! Be sure to visit our challenge blog for all the details. Charisma Cardz

Now for my creation:

I love lace, flowers and pearls. In my book it just doesn't get much better than that.

The image and sentiment I have used are from Heart and Soul Rubber Stamp Company. Their link is in my side bar. Be sure to stop by all the DT blogs. Their creations are spectacular! Their links are in my side bar.

Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey Bittersweet

Inked Edges - Brilliance Graphite Black

Pearls - Mark Richardsusa

Lace - Stash

Just Magnolia Challenge 5

I am nearly the last one again this week to enter my card into the Just Magnolia Challenge . There just isn't enough hours in the day lately to get everything done that I want to do.
Recipe:
Paper - SEI Mimosa
Sentiment - Heart and Soul Rubber Stamp Company
Image - Magnolia
Flowers & Leaves - Punches by Punch Bunch
Colored with Copics
Silver centers - Mark Richardsusa

Hidden Message Card

Leanne set a challenge for the DT members this past week at Charisma Cardz that really and truly stumped me. She sent each of us a card and we were to use it to make a card. Well when my card came it had 9 holes in the front of it. What in the world was I supposed to do with a card with 9 holes. Maybe I should have used it to play golf. LOL . I was sitting at my desk and had some unused Stampin Up rub ons laying there so I started laying them on my card to see if I liked what it looked like. I didn't, so when I went to pick them up.....They stuck to my card! So this was the result of my stuck Stampin Up rub ons. Sometimes a card truly does have a way of making its self. After I completed the card. I hid a message under 8 of the 9 holes. It was fun, but a true challenge. I also decorated the envelope to match.

New Challenge Blog

I received an email today about a new challenge blog. The Next Level Challenge. You might want to stop over and see what it is all about. They are having some great blog candy up for grabs too.

Magnolia Stitching

I have had this card finished since Saturday, but have not had time to upload it. I am not real thrilled with it as it looks like it is missing something. I just didn't know what else to put on it. My mojo is not working well! Also I am not a fan of stitching and would never drag the sewing machine out just to stitch a card, but since I was making my granddaughter a little slip dress I thought I would give it a try and this is what I came up with. Since I have stitched on it, it fits the Just Magnolia In Stitches challenge this week. Nothing like waiting till the last day.


Recipe:
All paper is scraps from another project
Image- Magnolia colored with prisma color pencils and gamsol to blend
Shimmerz Bling pixie dust
sizzix die cut swirls
flowers prima
Stitching - sewing machine

A Star Is Born

Wow! It is hard to believe that another week has passed already. I don't know where the time has gone. I have so much enjoyed visiting all your blogs and seeing your lovely creations. I am so glad you joined in our challenge this past week, but now I can't wait to see what you come up with this week. I know your creations are going to be fantastic.

This week Charisma Cardz is featuring Joanne of our Design Team. She has chosen the theme "A Star is Born." Now this was a real toughie for me. Made me put my thinking cap on x2. Since I couldn't decide what I wanted to do, I did 2 different projects.

Sally-ann is our guest designer and sponser again this week. Be sure to stop by Charisma Cardzand get all the details an also visit all the DT blogs. They are all listed in my sidebar.

Details for this cute little ablum can be found at Where I cased it from. http://www.firefliesandflutterbyes.com/fireflies_and_flutterbyes/2009/05/5x5-foldout-scrapbook-tutorial.html

Recipe For Card:

Cuttlebug star die

embossing powder - Ancient Gold - Enchanged Gold by Ranger

Twinkling H20's

Stamps- Studio G

Recipe For Album:

paper: Basic Gray Baby Boy

Cuttlebug Star die

Ribbon my stash

glitter - western blue - Stampendous

Glossy accents

Quiet this week

Just wanted to let you know that I am here, just quiet this week. Hubby and I have been working in our yard, which is much needed as last summer I was ill most of the season and we didn't get a chance to work. It doesn't take it long to get away from you when you let it go. Anyway I am finding out that I am not as young as I used to be. LOL - YOU DIDN"T HEAR ME SAY THAT! After digging in the dirt and laying new edging stones my hands are so sore it is all I can do to type. UGH! and we only got half of it done. I don't know if hubby plans to finish the other half today or not. We have so much to do it is almost overwhelming. Anyway will be back to crafting as soon as I have a few spare minutes. Like a rainy day! I will try to visit your blogs as soon as I can.

Charisma Cardz Vee's Sketch Week 18

This week at Charisma Cardz/ Our very own Vee has created a fabulous sketch. This is one you won't want to miss. I had a lot of fun creating a card with this one and it is one that I will use time and again. I enjoy so much visiting your blogs and checking out your creations. Can't wait to see what you all create this week.

For my card I used some special papers I got from Archivers for spending $50.00. It is great paper with black and teals. The image is from wrapping paper that I cut with my spellbinders and matted it with a spellbinder scallop.

Recipe:

Papers: Archivers and DCWV- All dressed up

Flowers - Prima

Swirls - Sizzix

Jelly Tots - Blackjack

Image - Gift wrap paper

Ribbon - My stash

6 cards = 7 Challenges

I was on a roll this past weekend and couldn't seem to stop. So here are the fruits of my labor.

This card I created for Just Magnolia Challenge 3 . It is a wonderful sketch by the lovely Bev and I am afraid I have not done it justice, but I had fun and that is the main thing. Image was colored using Prisma color pencils and gamsol to blend. This is also my first time using flower soft. The jury is still out on that.

Recipe:

Paper - We R Memory Keepers - Madame Royale

Flower Soft

Flower - Bazzill

Sizzix Swirls

Border Punch - Fiskars

Buttons, Ribbon, Brads all from my stash

Image - Magnolia

Prisma color pencils and gamsol to blend


This one is for Friday Sketchers and The Secret Crafter - Flowers. I so loved using these papers. This image was colored with my copics and I had to put a little bling in there so I glittered her shoes and added gems to the flowers in the background paper.

Recipe:

Paper - We R Memory Keepers - Tiffanys

Image - Magnolia

Sentiment - Heart and Soul (link in my sidebar)

Flower - Prima

Clear Dots Pink - Mark Richardsusa

Gems and ribbon from my stash

Copic Markers

This is for One Stop Craft Challenge - Nikki's Sketch. I made a long card, in fact a very long card. LOL. I colored this image with Magnolia water colors, Vintage tones.

Recipe:

Paper K-ology - Hannah

Image - Magnolia

Sentiment - Heart and Soul (link in my sidebar)

Jelly tots

Flowers - Prima

Brads - my stash

Ink - Color Box black and rousillon

Magenta water colors - Vintage

Penny Black Shapes x3 I have never used this image and it was so much fun to color. Used my copics. For my shapes I have circles (buttons) squares, behind the image and rectangle the image is mounted on.

Recipe:

Paper - Funky Fairy

Image - Penny Black

Buttons & Ribbon - my stash

Basic Grey Black & Grey Plus one. I used my old standby of pink. Just can't seem to make a card without pink! LOL. The flowers are 3 layers. The bottom is black, by Prima, the middle is pink, Michaels Bridal Table Confetti, and the top layer is grey organza, Prima

Recipe:

Paper - Basic Grey - Urban Prairie & Daja Views Wedding Paper

Flowers - Prima and Michael's Bridal Table Confetti

Sentiment - Heart and Soul (link in my sidebar)

Black Pearls - Mark Richardsusa

Sketch Saturday # 49 I made this card using all the paper from my scrap box, so have no idea whos paper is whos. Colored with Copics and Shimmerz

Recipe:

Flowers - Prima

Centers, brads and ribbon, my stash

Spellbinders - Round scallop

Sentiment - KJBible Psalms 149:1a

Font - computer generated Elegance

Image - Magnolia

Shimmerz - Blueberry

A Couple of Challenge Cards

I managed to get a couple of challenge cards finished today so thought I would try to get them posted before my Miss V gets here for the day! I think we are going to play "princess" today. LOL. A couple years ago hubby and I got her a pop up 5ft x 5ft castle tent, which she just dearly loves. She dresses up in a frilly dress and plays princess all day long. She's a hoot. Sorry I do digress from time to time, especially when it comes to my Miss V.
I haven't used a Sarah Kay in awhile so thought I would color up one of those for a change. I used the sketch from Stamp With Sarah Kay and then realized it fit the challenge for A Spoonfull Of Sugar.
Recipe:
Paper: Basic Gray - Urban Prairie
Copic Markers
Flowers: Prima, brights
My Stash - brads, ribbon, flower centers
Inked edges with Ranger Distress Ink Antique Linen


Next up WOJ . Now this might be stretching it a bit. The challenge this week was stars and stripes. Her top and jeans have stripes and the background paper is stripes. Really it is. I have added a star charm. Like I said I might be streching it a bit.

Recipe
Copic Markers
Image: WOJ
Martha Stewart Border Punch
Background paper - Basic Grey
My Stash - Ribbon, Charm
Computer generated sentiment, Old English font