Little things for little ones...

Hello out there!!
I always get a kick out of
making things for little ones.
I find it amusing because of the battle
I go through with my own lil' turkey
just to keep him amused for a minute or two
while I try and weasle in a crafty moment.
This was no exception.


Yes, all of you out there with tots know
that you'd better just wait until
they've gone to bed to get crafty.
What happens when there's a house full of night owls?
It's nearly midnight before I can get
my grubby little mits on my supplies...
All that aside, I have at long last
completed this project and am ready to share it.


This was really fun to put together,
and I will revisit this template in the future,
now that I know the cuts and folds,
the project will be a breeze.
Lovely breeze, huh?
I have used my wonderful Tina Wenke stamp
that Simon Says Stamp
Lucky Duck-a-fied me with,
coloured with watercolour pencils,
Stickles and Crystal Glaze on the water,
Stickles in the flower centers,
Pearls are Martha Stewart and Liquid Pearls,
DP is Basic Grey, the border was cut
using Fiskars shears, and the ribbon
and grommet are from my stash.
Oh, and let's not forget the wonderful
Inkadinkado Brenda Walton clear set sentiment!!



And here are the challenges that I've played along with:

Cute Card ThursdayNew Beginnings
***I've missed the cutoff. Crud.***
Stampin' for the WeekendAnything Baby!!
Create4Fun Milk Carton Template
Stamp SomethingAnimal Somethings

And this one is a little different.
Simon Says Stamp Blog
has allowed us the opportunity to share with them
projects that we have made using items from their store,
and on September 18th,
they will draw a winner who will win a
$25 shopping spree (shipping included)
and have their work showcased on their blog.
I wanted to take the time to show them
that I LOVE the stamp they gave me
and selected products that can be purchased
in their store to make the project,
some of the items used were purchased there!!
Can't say ALL, truth is, I lose track of
what came from where, but SSS do carry
all of these product lines,
except for the Stephanne Stash,
they don't carry that at the moment, lol.
And just an aside here, OMG, love those charms!!
The above link will take you to it,
you ought to check it out!!
I love the idea of showing your work,
so thanks for the perfect outlet to do it!!

Thanks for your visit.
I am so grateful for my friends and visitors
to my projects, it means a lot to me
that you'd take the time to stop by,
and I truly TRULY appreciate your support!!
Take Care,
Stephanne

Edited: I forgot to tell you what I want to do with this!! What can I say, it was late, lol!! I will be giving this to my cousin when she has her son this October/November (who knows, baby's have their own way of doing things!!) and I will be putting little baby booties and a gift card inside!!

Simple pleasures are lifes greatest treasures...

Hello out there!!
Hope you Monday is a glorious one.
I've tried to take some photos of my latest creation,
but it is gloomy and overcast
and I can't get a good picture to save my life,
so these puppies are going to have to work!!
Somewhere in the middle of these 2 pictures
lays the true colours of this project.
I may try again tomorrow and swap out the pictures...


I have used the sketch over at Basic Grey Challenges,
they are relaunching the challenge blog,
so thought I would have a go at their lovvely sketch.
On the Stampavie DT Blog, they've asked us
to create a summer (fun) card.
At Stamp Something the challenge is to create
'Something from Summer Vacation,'
At ABC Challenge the challenge this week is:
A is for Anything Goes,
with the option of adding animals,
and The Pink Elephant is
also hosting a Summer themed challenge.
Well, okay, I can do that!!

Now, why does this strike me as summery and how is it that this envokes summer vacation memories? Well, this summer my little family took a trip to Colorado, and really, I am just going to streamline this for you, we traveled up to the top of Pikes Peak, as well as the Rocky Mountain National Monument, as high as they allow you to travel by vehicle anyway, and amounst those wonderful travels, there were critters galore!!! Marmots, chipmunks, squirrels, deer, elk, we even saw a moose and a fox!! Well, my hubby let me have a peaceful moment alone on top of a rock that we'd hiked to, and this is what I must have looked like,at least it's how I felt; happy, serene, surrounded by great beauty and life, oh, what a wonderful feeling it was. Inside my card it says, "Are lifes greatest treasures."It is my first summer not going home to California, it is strange and hard to cope with that, but I am a big girl now and need to move on with my life, so, no California. The state is haunted for me anyway. Besides, Colorado is right next door!!! This summer vacation was a personal accomplishment on many levels. Sitting peacefully amounst the wildlife and flowers was just one small part of the experience.


Cruddy pictures aside, I am happy with the outcome of this card.
I kinda want to keep it for myself!!
I've used Basic Grey Urban Prairie and Wisteria DP,
Basic Grey Sultry fiber,
lots of sanding and ripping,
I've coloured with watercolour pencils
and added Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
in creme de rouge,
there's Gold Flame Smooch inside the flowers,
Stickles in Waterfall and Diamond,
used my Sakura gel pen for some white dots,
hemp rope, the flowers (daisies) are Prima,
the ladybug is a button from Michaels,
the name of the manufacturer escapes me.
And of course, I've used this gorgeous sketch,
which I gave a little fliparoo to:


Thanks for visiting today,
your thoughts and time are much appreciated!!!
Stephanne

MMSC14 helps make a charmingly winterized giftbag

Hello to you!!
I have had an extra day off this week,
so guess what that means??
Well, not easy crafting,
if that's what you thought I'd say,
but I managed to weasel some time in,
toddler tantrums and all.
Maybe that's why all my projects take a good
4 hours or more to complete,
"Put it down!! Don't touch that!!
Get back here with my tape!!"


I have used Lauren's template
that Stampavie let us use during their last challenge,
the stamp is from Stampavie-Cuddling,
coloured with watercolour pencils,
snowflakes are Inkadinkado and stamped
with Ranger Distress Weathered Wood ink,
papers are My Minds Eye,
used my trusty Fiskars colonial edgers,
the rest is stuff from my stash.


I've had another run in with the
right elements falling into place.
This adorable bag, this lovely stamp,
the perfect package for some delicious cocoa!!
Will be making these for the Holiday season.
I am going to buy the delectable Land O Lakes cocoa
in bulk instead of single packets though ;)
Save some money, I likes to save money
(so I can then buy more stamps with it, lol!!)

Combining challenges can be habit-forming...
Here's where I will be entering my creation:

CaardvarksWinter Wonderland
DutchDare Card ChallengeChristmas In August
Simon Says ChallengeAnything but a card
Creative Inspirations Gift!!(Bag, boxes, etc.)
Stamp Something Charmed Somethings
Lily of the Valley Challenge So Charming
Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge A sketch by Sue



There are so many AMAZING samples
from each of these DT's,
I hope that you can take a look!!
I am wondering how I can get a hold of some
Lily of the Valley stamps here in the states,
I think I will be emailing them to
ask about international shipping,
as they have certainly tempted my pallette!!

*****************


And for those of you who are still with me,
I have a little sneaky peaky for you!!


Come see me tomorrow,
as I have something fun to share with you all!!

Take Care and enjoy the rest of your week!!
I appreciate your time and love to read your feedback,
so please feel welcome to leave me your thoughts.

Stephanne

Flower Flurry Furry Focal Point

Hello to you!!!
I have a lovely project to share with you today.
I was looking for some new challenges
and new ideas and I came across Create4Fun
who are letting us use this adorable heart bag template
Hope you'll take a look at this challenge,
it was absolutely FUN!!!


In keeping with the new-to-me challenges,
I will also be playing with
PaperPlay Challenges
whose theme this week is
Creatures Great and Small.
Well, I do love me some critters,
and this stamp, although kitty is small,
is showcasing kitty.
In so many of Sarah Kay's wonderful images,
kitty is in the scene, walking, watching, playing,
and when Stampavie released this image
where kitty is front and center,
it spoke to me.
I love kitties, they are trusty companions,
and always seem to show up when you are down,
LOVE this image, and I think,
although kitty is small,
it is the focal point of this image.


I am hoping that I can get this typed up fast enough
to make the cut-off over at
A Spoon Full of Sugar
where the challenge this week is
Floral Fantasy.
I enjoy trying to place an image
into the movement of the paper,
I think the floral flurry will qualify for the challenge...


A bit about the card,
Prima Flowers, which are Glimmer misted,
Sarah Kay Stampavie image
coloured with watercolour pencils,
paper is K & Company and fibers are Basic Grey,
and my beloved Inkadinkado Brenda Walton
clear sentiments have been used here also.

Thanks for looking,
enjoy your day!!
Stephanne

Cutie patootie treat bag

Hello everyone,
Hope you are settling into your Monday.
I finished this bag last night,
but had to wait til daylight
to take some pictures.


I've made it to play along with the
Stampavie Challenge #9
a bag by Lauren.
The template can be found on
Lauren's blog.
I love it, so easy but effective!!
I don't have any fancy artillery,
let alone, essentials,
I used a ruler and a knitting needle to score
the paper and it worked out just fine,
so don't be discouraged from checking this
fortnights challenge out because you
don't have all the designer duds.
I don't even have a hole punch,
so those GIGANTIC handle holes you see,
well, they are a Stephanne original, lol.
I think this template is going to be
a mainstay for me, as it is really
a cute little something, and I LOVE
cute little somethings ;)


Now, I knew I wanted to play along,
but was having a hard time coming to a decision
on image and theme, alas, this week over at
Stamp Something Challenge Blog
the challenge is paper piecing,
and this little Rachelle Anne Miller image
screams out, "Piece Me!!!!"
So thank you, Stamp Something,
for helping me make some decisions.


















Two angles so hopefully you can see the piecing.
Their patches (nose, tummies, feet, etc.)
have been pieced with Basic Grey Blush papers,
the same paper as the bag,
and the image has been layered,
the heads toled and popped with foam mounts,
arms tucked and adhered as the outermost layer.
They are sitting on a flower from the same paper,
used my watercolours,
added some doodling, put some Stickles here and there,
some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
and Sakura gel pen doodles too,
and that's pretty much it.
I didn't feel like the paper should be covered,
(that's why I've had it for 2 years
just sitting there,
I admire it every now and then...)
so I added the image into the movement of the design.

Thanks for stopping by,
hope you'll leave me your thoughts.
Enjoy the rest of your week!!
Stephanne

Edited: swapped out duplicate pic. What is wrong with me??

To share with Stampavie...

Hello.
I feel a little nervous doing this,
but I am going to throw my name into the talent pool
for the Stampavie Design Call.
It's a fantastic opportunity for
one lucky lady to join a wonderous Design Team
and get to create with a spectacular lign of stamps,
so I figured, hey, won't hurt to try.
Don't really know what they are looking for,
as far as looks or creative ability,
but I can certainly meet their criteria
as far as productivity goes
and it would be my pleasure to do it.
So, without further ado:


And here is a closer shot of the
flowers and beading.
I've used K & Co. papers and pearls,
Prima flowers, Making Memories ribbon,
and I've coloured with distress inks.
I've also used the wonderful Heather's sketch
so that I could join in over at Truly Scrumptious
I've added some beading around the flowers also.


And here is the sketch:


I have another card I've made to submit
along for the ride:


I've used distress inks to colour and
My Minds Eye papers,
ribbons and charm are from stash
and the sentiment is computer generated.


And here is the sketch that I've used
so that I could play along with the
Simon Says Challenge this week.



And here are a few pics of recent projects,
just to have them handy for looking at:







Yikes, that's long!!
It doesn't hurt to try, right?
I have seen some of the entries that are being submitted
and they are gorgeous,
so good luck to everyone and happy crafting.

Thanks for looking,
Stephanie m

Lily the Fairy meets Sketch Saturday

Hello to you!!
Hope the day finds you well.
I have a card finished that I would
like to share with Blogland.
It is for the bi-monthly Stampavie Challenge,
the theme is "In The Garden."
Well, this little cutie could certainly be
spotted in the garden, I think,
and much to many gardeners' dismay,
so could the mushrooms...


This is a Rachelle Anne Miller design
called Lily-Magic Fairy.
She is absolutely FUN to colour.


I am falling deeper and deeper
in love with Stampavie,
every image I've had the pleasure of colouring
has been a total treat for me,
and when I look at the image after
it's been brought to life with colour,
I get a satisfied smirk on my face.
And the images seem to outdo themselves
in cuteness with each release!!
You've seen the new Sarah Kay's,
but have you gone by the Stampavie DT Blog
and caught a glimpse of their new line of designers?
Tina Wenke and Heltz Cuppleditch,
Ohhhh man.... Too cute!!
And of course, their DT is whipping up
some of the most AMAZING cards with these cuties.
Yes, yes, lovely.
Back to my card though...


I have coloured with distress inks,
toled her and the little 'shroomie
and popped them with foam dots,
applied Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist to Lily's wings,
a little Stickles here and there,
BG Wisteria papers,
flowers are Prima and Bazzil,
and pearls are Kaiser,
the rest is from my stash.
The sketch is from this weeks challenge
over at Sketch Saturday
I gave it a little turn though.


The DT has made some of the cutest things
to guide us this week,
and you might be interested in the
SuperDelicious prize that Emma Lockley is sponsering.
Looks yummy, cupcakes!!! Mmmmmmm......

Well, if you stuck it out
through this lengthy post,
then I applaud you.
May as well stick around
to comment at this point,
don't you think?
Enjoy the upcoming week.
Take Care, Stephanne

Friday Sketchers #60

Hello all,
Finally a card!!
This week has been something,
my son has been representing the
2 year old reputation to the fullest,
one of my stepdaughters has been sick,
the unnerving heat has returned,
and my, wait, wait, wait...
No, I will not whine on my blog!!
I have completed a card today:


This is a Rachelle Anne Miller image
from Stampavie called My Little Friends
featuring the adorable Lily.
Love these stamps,
they give a lot of room for colouring,
and of course,
they remind me of being a youngster,
I used to draw and doodle
kids and animals, flowers and stars,
butterflies and bees,
so Rachelle Anne Miller is right up my alley.


I have coloured with distress inks,
used sakura gel pen for the white,
stickles inside the swirls,
designer paper is BoBunny,
charm is Jolee's,
and the sketch is courtesy of Heidi
over at Friday Sketchers


I haven't played with Friday Sketchers before,
but that Desigh Team is awe-inspiring
and looks like lots of fun.
I was looking through some of their older sketches
last night and had to click on that lovely
"Follow" button.
Additionally, they are offering up a
wonderful prize this week:
3 stamps of your choice from Motivet
Surely you have caught a glimpse of
Dexter and Doraline,
and have likely fallen in love with them.
I know I have, I feel like a stalker,
I'm on their blog every morning checking out the
delicious creations from their DT.
Go see, you will love it.

Back to my creation,
I gave this sketch a turn on it's side
and went to work.
I am really pleased with the way the card turned out.
I have uploaded one more pic
because it shows the crystals in the charm.
The colour is off, but it shows the fun stuff,
so onto the WWW it shall come.


I am hoping I will get to play
a bit more this coming week.
With a new bundle of challenges out,
I am not without inspiration.
Gonna start colouring a PB now
while the boy is napping.

Thanks for stopping by,
please feel welcome to leave me a comment.
Then I can come visit you too ;)
Stephanie

Stephanne tries Stampavie Challenge #7

Hello out there,
I am pleased to tell you that I have
finally given non-woodmounted stamps a go
and what a discovery that has been.
I very recently purchased a couple Stampavie images,
and to say that I am impressed is an understatement.
I know you avid stampers are wondering
if I live on the moon or something,
just discovering and embracing this company,
but what can I say,
thrilled to be on board.

So I have been toying around with one of the stamps,
Rachel Anne Miller's Teddy's Travels
and this is what I've come up with:


I've played along with the Stampavie Challenge
which was a recipe:
3 flowers,
2 buttons,
1 ribbon,
and embossing.
And I gotta tell ya, I am not loving my embossing.
Not to snivel, but it's just not bringing anything to my card.
I started to tear it up, was gonna replace it,
stick something over the top,
add a zillion pearls to make it pretty,
but I decided that there must be some reason
I went for that pattern at the time,
didn't want to ruin all the other components
of the project and will just have to hope it grows on me.
I wanted to stick to the recipe,
no vanilla extract or cinnamon, just the recipe.


Squabbling aside, I had a lot of fun colouring Lily,
and can see that growing as a crafter with these images
will be a lot of fun.
It is my first go at Lily, so I should stop
beating myself up, total cuteness will come in time.
Just sharing the journey.

Thanks for looking,
Stephanie