The Vehicle

You can't see inside too well in this picture, but yes, that is my Joe.  Hooking up all the gadgets and the car blue tooth, getting all the IPad and Geek stuff set up in his new car.  Our Jeep Liberty was a very good vehicle for a lot of years and it decided we needed to trade it in this weekend.  Joe had over 112,000 miles on the Jeep, lol.  And it was time to either put some money into it or trade it in.  With the washing machine experience just mere days behind us, I was not looking forward to this expense.  But we found a good car and a good deal.  And they did give us a decent trade in for the Jeep.  So in the end, it was a rewarding experience. 

We went out friday night looking at different small SUV's.  We test drove two and after having to listen to the Salesmen, I sent Joe out Saturday to test drive some more.   The plan was to narrow it down to a few and then I would go test drive them as well.   So yesterday when he came home, we talked about all the features and gadgets and what we wanted and didn't want.  What we found was that most of the smaller SUV's have a back up camera because the rear window is so small.  We had to talk about what would happen if this camera went out.  Neither of us have time or patience for repairs.   It may be the best thing since sliced bread, but I am not used to relying on a camera to back up and it just did not seem like a good thing for us.  We don't like leather seats.  It gets so hot here in the summer and beginning of fall.  But seat warmers did seem like a good idea, lol.  What a luxury!  We also like moon roofs.  Just for the extra sunlight in the winter, but it seems to help a lot.  And hands free blue tooth built into the car appealed to Joe a great deal.  As did a few other gadgets.  So the Subaru Forester appealed to our needs the most. 

I do not suffer fools very well.  I do not like to haggle back and forth.  I have family members that sell cars and I know all about the haggle process.  I also do not like to feel like I paid too much for something that maybe someone else got a better deal on.  So Joe handed over the reins and we actually worked well back and forth on getting a great deal.  Our salesman was really great too, he caught on very quickly and didn't even go there. lol. 

So now I am trying to find some mojo to make some cards.  I am behind on my favorite challenges! Oh No! lol.  

So that was my expensive week, how was yours?

Holly

From Redneck washing to Modern Day washing

This is what Redneck modern day washing looks like, lol.   A couple months ago, my dear beloved and overworked washer sprang a leak.  What to do?  The schedule was full of work, work, work, and no time to stop now, so had to haul it outside and plug it in and use it anyway, leak and all.  lol.   Well that leak, like all other leaks that do not get repaired, grew bigger and bigger until the poor beloved washer would no longer fill.   So Joe and I headed to Sears and OMGosh how washers have evolved and changed!  I am old school, I believe in those clean clothes and 50-60 gallons of water wash, lol.   The new models are more echo friendly and believe in saving water.  Which is great, but I need clean!  So we talked back and forth and came home and checked consumer reports and talked some more.  We finally agreed on one. 

Behold, the Samsung PowerFoam Washing machine.  I barely know how to use it! lol.  But it's inside and now we can remove the eye sore from the backyard, lol.  We have put this to the test this weekend.  We were backed up on laundry and in dire need to get a washer, let me tell you!  It sings a little song when it's done.  The timer is not completely accurate on this, sometimes IT decides it needs longer and it does take a lot longer per load than my ol' dinosaur Kenmore.  But it does clean clothes and blankets, pillows, sheets, etc VERY well.  Once we get over the shock of the cost, we may invest in a matching dryer, but that will be a ways away. 

The downside is that this will seriously cut into my scrapbooking budget.  But I do have a few things, lol, I need to ink up and play with right now anyway. lol. 

So this is part of my week last week.  And I'll post more about the rest. 

Holly

Creating from The Heart

Have you heard about Creating From the Heart's blog candy?  Awesome!!!!!

Now I really am working on a project, you would not beleave what a week I've had, lol.

Holly

My Comfort Cottage Blog candy

Did you hear about My Comfort Cottage Blog Candy?  Celebrating her 5 years of Cancer Free!!!!  Yeah.

Nurse for You

It's true, we are the best listeners.  I made this VERY quickly tonight for the Cards Patterns Sketch 162.  Sparkle Creations is the sponser this week and I wanted to make sure I got this one in.  I kept it plain and simple and got in made in under an hour.....a record for me, lol.  So now it's just a little past bedtime.....lol. 

Thanks for looking, but not too close, lol. 

Holly

Dandy Lion

Hi All,

Up past my bedtime making this card, lol.  What's new?  This is for the Kraftin Kimmie Challenge 125 and I thought I would enter this as well in the Crazy 4 Challenges.  Don't know if you can enter twice, but I decided to make these colors pop with black as well, so I decided to enter it. 

Real quick....don't you love the Dandy Lion stamp by Kraftin Kimmie?  She is so adorable and I have so many different ideas to use her for.  I got out the air brush for the sky and used BG10 this time.  I'm loving that air brush and it makes such a dramatic difference in the images.  I really should have put some more thought behind those poney tails being out of the box, aughhhhh, hard to cut out all those little hair pieces, but it doesn't look too bad, so I guess the end result is okay.  I used Teresa Collins Spring Fling 6X6 paper.  I'm not sure why I picked this one up, it's really not me, but I am glad I did.  I'm trying to reach out of my own comfort zone and box. 

Thanks for Looking and your comments.

Holly

Dress Up Diva MFTWSC68, CTD188, C4C133

I love this Dress up Diva image by My Favorite Things.  She is so adorable.  I am partial to little girl images playing dress up though.  My daughter had a "dress and dazzle"  dress up box when she was little and she spent hours rummaging through all clothes and then accessorized and called it "Drezz n Drazzle".  Okay, she is 27 now, but hey, I can go down memory lane anytime I want to with these cute images, lol. 

I used this weeks sketch from MFT's.  I used the colors from the color throw down this week.  Artichoke, Celery, Melon, and Pink.  Thankfully this Basic Grey "kissing booth" paper had all the colors and I was able to pick out copic colors around the paper.  The hat and shoes are RV29, RV25, RV04.  The purse is RV04, RV02, RV00.  The boa is G99, G94, G85.  I paper pierced the dress and added some S.U. pearls (LOVE THESE PEARLS), that I colored G99.  I used the new mini doily circles by MFT and the mini rose die from MFT's. 

I am also entering in Crazy for Challenges, add black to make it pop.  I wasn't sure if it would work and I was pleasantly surprised at how much it added to this paper and the overall effect.  Love it. 

Thanks for looking and commenting
Have a fabulous Day.

Holly

Stampin Sisterhood is having a blog hop

Stampin Sisterhood is having a blog hop on Masculine images, and they are so cute! check them out here.

I'm the featured stamper!

I just checked the Color Thrown Down Blog and I am the featured stamper!  Whooo Hoooo!!!!!

These little victories are so exciting to me and make me want to press on in my creative adventures. 

I'm going to be putting a new blinkie up shortly that is a direct link to the Color Throw Down Blog.  It's

So much fun to take a sketch and use the color thrown down challenge colors and see what happens!

Lol.  I hope you can join in the fun as well.

Thanks for looking.

Holly

April Showers bring May Flowers

I have been working on this card for the last few days.   Life has been busy, busy, busy and I have been working.  I wanted to get this uploaded and linked tonight.  It's bedtime, but I can lose a few winks, lol.

This is the My Favorite Things sketch challenge for this week, (MFTWSC67).
This is also the colors chosen for The Color Throwdown this week (CTD187)
This is also for the Simon Says Challenge, Spring Flowers.

I used:  Kioshi paper by Basic Grey, Lavendar Lace (retired) and Chocolate Chip by S.U.
Brads from my stash.  An S.U. border punch, My Airbrush machine for the clouds and ground.  MFT's stamp ALM a rainbow will come, and Umbrella stamp and die set (rain drops).

Thanks for looking and Thanks so much for commenting. 

Holly

I was in the TOP FIVE!

I was in the Top Five at The Paper Variety.   This makes me so happy!!!!

Honorable Mention

My card was an honorable mention on the color throw down challenge!  I LOVE that!!!

Mr and Mrs

I love this stamp that I won from Sparkle Creations blog hop.  Aren't they the cutest couple?!  Not my best coloring, but sometimes you win some, some times, not so much, lol.   I decided to glitter up her dress with fairy dust glitter.  I used my Martha Stewart flower punches because they matched her hair piece and because I have been neglecting them so much!  The paper is Love by FancyPantsDesign. 

This is for the Cards Patterns Sketch 160 And Simon Says Spring Flowers Challenge.  As well as the Sparkles Blog Challenge.
Thanks for looking and your comments are so appreciated. 

Holly

Just Like Dad

Oh what a wonderful Staycation this has been for both Jeep and I.  I have been able to work on cards, do VERY little housework, lol, and participate in a lot of challenges.  I have enjoyed being able to share on my blog.   Mostly I have enjoyed the time with my son.  Just hanging out in the living room.  An endless stream of cartoons, toys, snacks....life is good!

I was happy to be able to squeeze in one more card before I am back to work tomorrow.  This is There She Goes, When I grow up.   Love the images in this set.  TSG's is sponsoring SFYTT for April on I heart sketches.  I am also entering into Linda's Catered Crop, use brads.  I love this sketch, I may have to use it again. 

Thanks for so many wonderful comments this week, I have been so excited to see so many visitors on my blog. 

Have a great week!

Holly

Happy Easter

I want to wish all my friends and fellow bloggers a Happy Easter.  Hope your day is filled with love, family and plenty of chocolate!  A few scrappy items would be nice too, lol.

Holly

Growing Love

I love these little Lily of the Valley images!  Isn't that the cutest couple?  (by this, I'm referring to the image, lol.)  I love the little clothes and the scenes these stamps come in.   I had to surf the web a little to find some pictures with vintage colors and try to incorporate those into my copic colors for this image.  Some of these colors, like the olives, I have never used before.  So this was fun and challenging at the same time.  I am entering this in a few challenges I found.

1. Lili's Little Fairies Challenge - Ribbons and Bows.  This seam binding ribbon turned out to be the exact color I needed.  It was a gift from my Splitcoast Friend Linda, AKA Morningsun47.  I'm also going to enter into the Lili's guest designer contest.  Crossing my fingers.

2. Glitz April Blog Challenge - Spring is in the air.  This image is definitely Spring, it's called Growing Love and I've added a few Spring time roses.   The paper I used is Glitz - pretty in pink. 

3. Bloggers Challenge Friday - To Die For - using your dies.  I used my MFT's roses die-namics and also my new Spellbinders - bitty blossoms (center/main flower). I also used MFT's doily die. 

4. Fashionista Challenge - Anything goes for girls.  Well, girls love vintage paper, being in love, and pretty flowers, beautiful ribbon, so I think this qualifies.

5. MFTWSC4 - I used the sketch from My Favorite Things.  I am still catching up on last years sketches I missed out on. 

Guess What This Is?

This is 20+ inches of my hair hanging to dry out, so I can send it off to locks of love. Can you believe it? I knew it was getting long but I had no idea it would be 20 inches. lol. Feels good to be rid of it and for those who just drew in a giant gasp, relax, it grows so fast! It took me 3 years and 4 months to grow 20 inches of hair.

I wasn't even sure if the guy who cut my hair the last time would still be at the salon down the road, but he was. I was so happy. It's not very often I go in for a hair cut, lol. I don't even trim it, I just grow it, lol. So it feels so different and so light and airy now. I have a modified long bob now and I'll enjoy it while it lasts....lol...it grows so fast!

This will be my third donation to locks of love. I waited a little longer this time than usual because I wanted just a "few more inches" to go, than the last time. I hope this can bring something positive to an otherwise horrifying situation. It's what I can do, so that is my part.

Now who else has a pony tail drying from their ceiling fan? lol. Yep, I'm different, lol.

I'll be back later to upload a card I made last night and earlier today.

Sitting here thinking of you

Is she not the cutest thing?  I love this stamp, no mouth though.  Is that so she can't talk back? lol.  I had this one inked up and was trying various things and then I thought I really just need to color her up and finally make a card with her.  Unfortunately I did not notice until the final inspection that I should have had her sitting a wee bit higher on the stump, but after hours of masking, airbrushing, coloring and paper piercing, I'm thinking it just doesn't matter, lol.  I am entering this one in a few challenges:

All that scraps Wednesday Challenge - the sketch
In fact, this is a CC design I believe and it is available at All that scraps.  On their blog, there are many tutorials and designers who have tutorials, somewhere along the line there is a tutorial for masking so you can see how you stamp the girl, then stamp the stump.  I knew this from prior experience, but it's a great visual on their post.  And then when you airbrush, you just leave those masks in place until you are done. 

Simon Says Challenge - use your favorite tool.  Hmmmm, that would be my copic airbrush at this time, lol.  I did airbrush the sky and the ground. 

Little Darlings Challenge 20 - "Outside".  To make people or things outdoors.  I looked around to see if I had a Little Darlings stamps and I don't!  Wow, had to remedy that one right away, lol. 

Now if you are following along with my blog, you already know I took that fabulous airbrushing class at my local scrappy store and had (can you tell I found my bold button, lol) to have one!  And very recently I found the wonderful blog of Delphine's Place. She does this fabulous grass thing and I had to do it again.  In fact, I think I pretty much like that as much as my airbrush, lol. 

I get so tickled with all the comments that are coming, thank you so much!  I love blogging and stamping and sharing and finding and telling.  I was just talking with my friend Trishia last night and I was telling her about all these great challenges and blogs I found.  I could not ever begin to link up all the blogs and people who I have learned from along the way.  That would be mission impossible!   But I can link up the latest and greatest finds that I want to try out and then move on from there.  I learned how to color with copics from on-line video tutorials.  I've watched way too many of them to remember who and where, but I so appreciate them sharing and taking the time to upload video's.  Most of those video's I've watched on line are from fellow artists who are not copic certified and have come up with their own color combinations and techniques.  I always learn something with each and every one.  Without them, I would not know how to color with alcohol markers at all.  And that goes all the way down to basic stamping.  So Thank You to my fellow bloggers who have shared so many wonderful ideas and techniques!

Holly

One Cup is Never Enough! MFTWSC66 and CTD186

Okay, I am having way too much fun blog hopping around and checking out all the challenges and stamping.  I have NOT cleaned house.  I have NOT done laundry.  I have NOT moved from this spot for hours on end. lol.   It has been a great Staycation.  I was up at 3:00 this morning from a dream and then I could not get back to sleep, so I got up and started in on this weeks sketch challenge over at MFT's.  While I was thinking about what I would use, I came across this weeks color throw down challenge, (CTD186).  Something I have seen quite a bit but not participated in too much, if ever.  OH what a challenge with this sketch combined, lol!  That is one busy card, but hopefully I pulled it off okay.  I tried to add ribbon but it was over the top too much, so I just left it as it was.

I am a coffee drinker and one cup is NEVER enough, lol.

Supplies:
Stamps: Always time for tea and dies by MFT's
Paper: S.U. kraft and red (retired), vanilla, and MME stella and rose mabel papers 6X6 pad.
Ink: Early Espresso S.U.  (no copics, can you believe it?!)
Spellbinder circles, brads, MFT mini monarch border

Thanks for looking!
Holly

We're suppose to put WHAT in the soup? The Paper Variety Challenge, MFTWSC13

I LOVE these new stamps I got from Paper and Such. They crack me up. Maybe because I lived on a farm for a while when I was a child, not sure, but they tickle my funny bone.

The Paper Variety Challenge is to make a card with a matching envelope. I had not really thought about decorating an envelope to match, but it only took a couple minutes longer and was by far the easiest thing about this, lol.

I also set a personal challenge to make up all the MFT's sketches that I missed last year, as well as try to keep up with this years sketches. First of all, they gave a prize in amount of stamp dollars for every sketch challenge we did last year and I totally ripped myself off! I said like 11 or 12, when in fact I did 19! The problem is that I did not upload them all on my blog and also, I did not label them all on Splitcoast Stampers with the sketch challenge number. So note to self, label all the sketch challenge in the title. lol. For some reason, I cannot keep track of these, the two jobs, the kids, the husband and the house, all at the same time. I am 40-thing! lol.

Okay, on to my chickens. I airbrushed the sky and the ground....and yes, I am having way too much fun with this and wonder often now, "what else can I airbrush?" And I colored the rest with my copics. I used MME on the bright side 6X6 paper pack and some photo dies I recently purchased at MFT's. And I used S.U. twine. And I'll tell you, it makes me so mad when they use a partial piece and then start with another piece. Does this every happen to you? All the sudden the piece ends? And then there is a new beginning piece. In my mind, when I buy 25 yards, I want 25 continuous yards. Not 10 yards + 15 yards. lol. Okay, glad I got that off my chest. It's just one of those things that ticked me off today.

Have you ever wondered who used twine on a card first? I was thinking about that as I was rummaging through my various twines. Who was the first person and when did the twine craze kick in? There are even companies that just sell twine. I don't know, but it was a fabulous idea and I love it. lol.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Feel Better

I made this for the My Favorite Things weekly sketch challenge. This is an a la mode, The rainbow will come. She is so cute and I love the Die-namic umbrella and stamp collection from the same release. So cute together. I used Jillibean Soup Southern chicken Dumpling Soup designer paper with Echo Park Dots and Stripes. I colored with copics and paper pierced the umbrella's. Again, I colored the S.U. pearls with my Copic marker.

But now more importantly, I airbrushed the sky again! I cannot get enough of this new toy, lol. It's like so easy with BIG results. I love sponging too but I really like the even color with airbrushing. I need to get into some more airbrushing classes soon, lol.

Jeep and I are off this week enjoying our Easter Vacation. Last Christmas break was the first time he was able to stay home and it has really been such a blessing for him to be able to kick back at home and not be institutionalized every time there is a school break. He is even starting to ask if I am planning on taking any time off during the summer, lol. Poor guy. This is our Staycation and we so love staying home, playing with our toys, eating when we want, watching too much T.V. (and too much computer time for me). But isn't that really what a vacation is all about? I know, I'm such a child. lol.

A Pampered Bunny is a Hoppy Bunny

I made this for the My Favorite Things Guest Designer Contest, as well as for the Card Patterns Sketch 159 challenge.

The MFT's Guest Design Challenge was a theme, "Do the Bunny Hop". It was to be interpreted anyway we wanted. Well, A Pampered Bunny is a Hoppy Bunny, so I decided the Easter Bunny would start there. Nice and relaxed prior to all those basket shipments, lol.

Loved working with this sketch, it is so great to find sketches for a baseline pattern to go by. This sketch left plenty of room for my image and I loved adding flowers on the side.

Paper: S.U. River Rock and Pink Pirouette, off brand cream colored. MME Be Happy.

Dies: Flower, oval, floral (flourish) and border are all Die-namics from MFT's.
Pearls: I colored these pearls with a Copic Marker, they are S.U. brand and color up very easily.
Ink: Memento Black and Copics.
Ribbon: is Seam Binding that I colored with TH distress old photo.