Christmas Bell Blog Hop for The Digi Bell's!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog for my first blog hop as a new member of The Digi Bells!  I'm beyond excited to be part of this inspiring and talented team of artists.  Now on to the business at hand!   It's that time of the month for a new digi release from the fabulously talented Elisabeth Bell and this one is a beauty!  I love everything about Christmas.  There's nothing like the vibrant, rich colors, the wonderful smells that come from all the baking, the fun of wrapping presents after spending time picking out the perfect thing for that perfect someone.  And as much as I don't like cold weather, there's something about that brisk, pure white stuff that falls from the sky that gives a beautiful glimmer and shine to the earth.  And you know how much I love me some glimmer!

Over at the Digi Bells Design Team Blog, we're hosting our monthly blog hop while showing off the beautiful creation that Elisabeth has in store for you!  If you came to my blog from our fearless leader, Lynda, then you're on the right track.  If not, make sure that you start at the very beginning.  I don't want you to miss a single thing!  Here's the order:

Mary Lou -http://marylouscorner.blogspot.com/

Sebrina -http://sissi4477.blogspot.com/

Carla -http://carlasstampingspot.blogspot.com/

Lynda -http://www.lyndasscrappyplace.blogspot.com/

Susan - http://stampingtink.blogspot.com/

Alethea -http://lilodesigns.blogspot.com/
Pam -http://pamiscraftycreations.blogspot.co.uk/
Linda -http://pysselbus.blogspot.com/

Julie - http://julieprice3.wordpress.com/

Wendy -http://wickdyscreations.blogspot.com/

Olivia - http://ormcraftynights.blogspot.com/

Rose - http://inrosiesbook.blogspot.com/

Digi Bell Blog - http://digibellsdt.blogspot.com/ 

Now, here's my Christmas Bell:

Isn't she stunning?  She's colored with copics and has some stickles and Diamond Glaze all over her and he gorgeous cape.  I added some Flower Soft in snowy white and some Martha Stewart glitter to her boots.  The flowers are from Bitty Blossoms from Spellbinders and the leaves and branches are from Martha Stewart.  The ribbon and gems are from my stash.

Here's a close up of her.

Isn't she just gorgeous?  I love her sweet face!

Here's the inside.

Now off you go to Alethea's blog for her gorgeous project for you.  Make sure to leave a comment so you can be in the running for winning this sweet beauty!  Now, hop on!

A Big Announcement for me and New Friends

First off, Happy Halloween to everyone!  I know I should have a witch or haunted house or something up, but I've got a little cutie pie and some great news to share if that helps.

Here's a glimpse of her:

Everyone who knows me or knows my stamping knows that there's two genres I totally love - the sass and the sweet. I'm so excited to now be able to share that I have been blessed to be asked to join the design team family of Elphine House and am so excited to be designing with Miss Elisabeth Bell's gorgeous, stunning images again!  As if that's not sweet enough, I get to design with two of my favorite past designing sisters again!  Lynda and Vicki, just can't wait to see where this journey takes us.  I am so excited to work with the other outstandingly talented artists on the design team and can't wait to begin presenting with them for all of you.  And to Helen and Lew, thanks so much for having faith in me and my crafting ability.  It means the world to me.  Stamping is just so sweet, fun, and exciting for me right now because I get to work with sweetness at Elphine House and with the sass over at Sassy Studio Designs!  Two great teams and two fabulous, exciting, fun stamping families!  It just doesn't get any better!  This is one dream I don't want to ever wake up from!

My mother asked me to do a card for the office at the hearing center where she got her hearing aids.  Mom has a huge picture window in the living room with bird feeders outside that attracts every bird that is around. She loves to sit and watch them come, eat, and then fly off.  After getting her aids, she now can hear them chirp with happiness as they fill up on her premium bird feed!  When I saw this cutie pie New Friends from Elisabeth Bell for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design, I knew she's be perfect for this card!

Isn't she just the most precious thing?  She's colored with copics and I added just a little bit of stickles to her barrette and patch (it was really hard not to throw them everywhere!).  The paper is from Basic Grey and I used my nestabilities for the circle and ovals.  The pearls are from Studio 112 and the lace is from my stash.  Here's the layout I used:

This sketch is from Sweet Sketch Wednesday and I just love it!  I'm entering her in their challenge and I think I may have to use it again!

Here's just a glimpse of the inside:

Now from the other side:

Judy, here's the inside just for you!

Mom wrote a sweet personal note on the inside and it was very heartfelt and gracious.

I hope everyone has a safe time out tonight if they get to go trick or treating.  My sweet Lainie Loo is going as a Lady bug, Allie is a bunny rabbit, and Emma, she's the Princess Ariel!  I miss seeing them on Halloween and hope they get lots and lots of candy!  Stay safe and beware of the witches and ghouls!

Evil Sorceress by Sassy Studio Designs Fabulous Friday Freebie

It's going to be a great Friday over at our Paper Craft Planet Sassy Studio Designs Paper Craft Planet Group!  I can't wait to share this weeks Fabulous Friday Freebie with you!  Think mean.  Think evil.  Think on gorgeous woman who can pull you into her world and you are powerless to stop her. Lindsay has created a beautiful woman that we should all be very afraid of!  Meet the Evil Sorceress!

Isn't she just glorious?    Here's a closer view.

I am entering her in the Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge and here's the sketch they had:

She's colored with Spectrum Noir markers and I used some Stickles on her globe, headdress, sleeves, and the bottom of her dress.  My Spellbinder die cut is edged with Distressed inks the Floral Florishes are from my new Spellbinders set that I just love!  The papers are from a great K&Company Halloween pack from Brenda Walton.  The ribbon and gems are from my stash.

You know how I like to tease you with a peek on the insides!

Here's a closer look at her gorgeous face.

I love this spider creeping down the paper on the inside!

I've had the best time this week watching some old Disney fairy tales and Harry Potter movies!  I've got to watch some Walking Dead for a couple of cards I've got in the works.  Now make sure that you go over to our Paper Craft Planet group and pick up this deliciously gorgeous Evil Sorceress and show us how you see her!

Also, make sure to invite your friends to join our group over there because Lindsay has a terribly fabulous treat for us once we hit 800 members!  We're so close and I don't know about you, but I'm always up for a free image, especially a very sexy image just for us!  I promise you won't be disappointed!

Have a great weekend!

OK, so I finally get to share some news with everyone that I've been keeping quiet for a little while.  Did you ever really, really want something for a really long time but didn't ever try for it?  That's what happened with me.  I've always had a love for those stamps and images that have had some type of attitude and a sense of fun and sass about them.  I found them in a few companies but never had the guts to really concentrate on presenting them the way they deserved.  I've always loved Sassy Studio Designs and when Lindsay had a Design Team call, I put my heart and soul into my submission and here I am!  I'M A SASSY GAL!  Yep, I can now official say I'm a Design Team member of Sassy Studio Designs!  

They presented us with a very sexy, sassy image called Christmas Present and here's my take on her:

Isn't she just gorgeous?  I colored her with copics and used distressed inks around the edges.  The flowers and pearls are from Reflections and the papers are from Authentique and I used stickles on her bow and other parts, and I used my oval Spellbinders.

Here's this beauty close up.

I think she even looks good from the side!

This picture shows the dimensions with the flowers and the bows.

And my dear friend Judy has the nerve to go on vacation and while she's gone, I'm still thinking about her by showing off the inside and wishing her a safe and happy trip!

Little Best Friends - Nani, Make Me a Card!

The phone rings last night and my daughter, Tiffany, says, "Here, talk to your granddaughter."  My four year old granddaughter, Allie, gets on the phone.  "Nani, Nani, please make me another book and send it to my box tonight!"  In her world, that translates to "Nani, Nani, please make me a card and send it to me in the mail so I can get it out of my mail box!"  Oh, and it had to be blue.  I had my evening all planned out by putting together a Saturated Canary, Magnolia, and Sassy Studio Designs cards but guess what got put aside?  Yep, when the grandbabies call, Nani comes running!

Of course, for me, I go to my Elisabeth Bell designs and printed off Little Best Friends, one of her sweet, adorable, and enchanting images.  Here is Allie's book:

This cute image reminds me of me and Allie going to the pool and beach while we were in Florida.  She would call and ask me to go swimsuit.  So stinkin cute!  I colored these sweeties with copics and added some stickles to their suits and hair because hair and swimsuits glisten in the sunlight!  I put some Diamond Glaze on their pails and added pearls all over the card.  I love me some pearls because the come from the sea!  I thought the Heidi Grace Paper was soft and subtle for the background and embossed it with my dotted swiss cuttlebug folder.  The flowers remind me of the sea roses that grow along the beaches in Maine.  So perfectly beautiful they are.

Here is a close up of these sweeties holding hands.

I added some paper and pearls to the inside and am really pleased with how this one came out.

Life is so much better when you hold hands and have fun.  Best friends, hot mess granddaughters, and the ocean always make life so much sweeter.  I love my life and hope you love yours.  Have a great day!

Beach Resort Sassy - My Favorite Place!

Family is so important to me and having been living away from everyone for so long, when they show up in town, I want to be there! Over the last couple of weeks, I've had the greatest time spending time with four of my cousins that I haven't seen in forever!  Larry and Brenda stopped by from Kentucky on their way to their camp in Canada, Robert and his family were here from Long Island, NY, Sean, Alice, and their two sweet boys from Seattle, WA, and my sweet Jerry was on leave from the navy and is on his way back to Hawaii.  It was so much fun travelling down memory lane with them and talking over our times growing up.  Man, were holidays hard on our parents when we all were together!  I have been away from home for over 30 years so for me, any time spent with family is precious and priceless.

But I'm back and have a fun, Sassy Studio Designs image to share with you. I am loving me some Sassy Studio Designs!  This is Beach Resort Sassy and I absolutely love her" in your face" attitude!  If there is one place I can be and never get tired, it's the beach, baby!  Love the water, the salt air, sand, heat, the sounds, fragrances, you name it and all things beachy are me.  Somewhere in a former life, I totally believe I was a mermaid!  Here she is:

She's worked up in some of my favorite colors - aqua and peach!  When I saw this paper pack from Basic Grey, I had to have it!  Love the clouds, banners and colors in these papers.  She's colored with copics and has some Diamond Glaze on her pouty lips and glasses and yep, some Stickles on that sassy suit!  I used a Spellbinders die around her and edged the oval with distressed inks.  I used a sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday.  It was great fun!

Here she is close up:

I am also going to enter her in the following challenges:

The Crazy Challenge
Tuesday Throwdown


She was such fun to color up and now I'm back to my crafting table.  Love my family and I love me some crafting!  Have a great day!

Katniss Girl of Fire Sizzles

I love to read.  I can't imagine not having a love for reading and experiencing all the wonderful adventures that are laid in front of you between the cover of a book.  One of my aunts always encouraged me to read and told me that if I had a book, there wasn't anywhere I couldn't go or nothing that I couldn't do while sitting in a chair or laying in bed with a book.  I've lived and traveled on the prairie with the Ingalls family, watched my father practice law in a powerful trial in To Kill A Mockingbird (my absolutely all time favorite book ever, right beside my beloved Potters!)

My girls can get me to read just about anything.  We started this reading game about the time Harry Potter came out.  I challenged them to read one Harry Potter book and they enticed me into reading the Twilight series.  I still have a series to read for Nichole, but she kept at me to read the Hunger Games series.  I finally gave in while I was spending time with her before our beloved Lainie Loo was born.  Once I started, I was so hooked!  So to pay tribute to my daughter for having great taste in books and having become a reader who truly enjoys the entire reading process and loves to support her local library, I give you Katniss Girl of Fire Sassy from Sassy Studio Designs.   Nichole, honey, this one is for you.

  

I just love their images!  Katniss Girl of Fire Sassy was colored with Koh-I-Noor colored pencils with odorless mineral spirits.  I had such a great time using them.  I followed the monthly sketch from the Sassy Studio Design blog and had so much fun working with someone else's design.  I used me some stickles on her gown where I think flames would be, gave her lips a bit of shine with some Diamond Glaze, added some Studio One glass beads, my Martha Stewart border punch and the paper is from Basic Grey.  Here is a close up of her gorgeous face:

I think she's just beautiful.  And a glimpse of the inside:

I hope all of you will go pick up a great read.  Leave me a comment and let me know what you're reading now.  I'm always up for a new book and author!  Have a great day.

Susan

Sweet Tilda for my Sweet Allie

It took a little while for me to get back to my Magnolias, but I always have a few images with me!  My Allie is turning 4 on July 9th and she asked Nani if she was going to make a book for her birthday.  That's her way of asking if I am going to make her a birthday card!  Well, of course Nani is!  She loves to wear dresses and they need to twirl.  The twirliest Tilda that I had was Sweet Tilda and I made her up for my Sweet Allie.   I think she has the sweetest nature about her and she's one of my favorite Magnolia stamps.     

I am making Allie some summer dresses and she asked that one be blue.  I thought her birthday card would be cute done in blue so here she is.  I colored her with distressed inks and forgot how much I enjoy working with them.  The papers and embellishments are from a Heidi Grace line called Daydream and I love the glitters.  Allie loves anything that sparkles so I had to put some stickles on her dress and socks!  the lace is a Martha Stewart punch and I think it adds just a girlie girl look to the card.  Here's a side view of the inside:

I'm adding a copy of the close up of her sweet face:

I do love her so!  I am still working on my coloring, but some of it's coming back.  All in all I'm pretty pleased with her and I know Allie will love her and that's all that matters.

I love and cherish all of my grandbabies and thank God everyday that he's blessed me with these sweet babies.  Just wish they didn't grow up so fast!  Hope you enjoyed this little cutie pie.  Have a great day!