It's time for FUN!!! It's time for VALENTINE BLOG CANDY!!!! (I think this is even better than chocolate!!)

Blog candy is now closed! Thanks for playing!


It's been a LONG time since I've given away blog candy, and I just feel the need. *smile* I think you're gonna like this one, so hold onto your bootstraps!! I have fallen so much in love with these Tilda stamps, that I feel the need to get someone else as hooked on them as I am. So here's what I'm going to do.....

On February 14th, Valentines Day, I'm going to show my blogging friends a little love by giving some lucky winner TWO Tilda stamps. Here is what someone is going to win!

Ice Princess/Balet Tilda

Fence with summer background. Perfect for the sitting Tildas!!

Now, here's what you have to do.

1. Leave a post here and on Feb 14th, I will use Random.org to choose the number of the lucky winner.
2. Post a link to the blog candy on your blog. If you don't have a blog, that's ok, you can still win.

3. Blog candy is open to anyone, no matter where they live. So please be sure and enter.

4. One post per person please. We'll try and make it as fair as possible.

5. Watch my blog for the winner! I will post the name and you have until 11:59 PM on Feb 17th to claim your prize. If you don't send me your information by then, I will pull another winner.

So....Best of luck to all my blogging friends! Thank you so much for coming by to visit me today, and I hope to see you back again real soon!! HUGS!!

Ritz Camera - 20% all Scrapbooking Including Spellbinders Wizard!!

Ritz Camera is not a retailer I would normally think of as a scrapbook supplier, but lately they have been great. Dh (I mean Santa) purchased my Making Memories Embellishment Center from Ritz back at Christmas, due to the lowest price + free shipping.

Right now they are having a 20% off all scrapbooking products and this includes the Spellbinders Wizard, all NESTABILITIES, shapebilities, etc. If you are a nestabilities user, it will be worth your time to look at Ritz Camera... And did I mention the free shipping???

http://www.ritzcamera.com/scrapbooking.htm?bct=t13079503

Happy Birthday JJ!! Mater card using the Cricut Cars Cartridge

My oldest grandson JJ turns a big five years old today (Friday)! He loves the movie Cars, so how could I not make a card like this for him! This is a total lift from my friend Nancy who is one of the most amazing crafters EVER! I told her as soon as I saw her card that I was going to have to lift it!

I cut Mater with my Cricut Expression and Cars cartridge that I bought at Hallmark Scrapbook! You should go check them out! They are having an AMAZING cartridge sale right now! Most cartridges are selling from 29.99 to 39.99 except for the newest ones. I used Doodlecharms for the trees, and New Arrival for the banner.

Pattern paper is Basic Grey and cardstock is Bazzill. I used lots of Cat's Eye chalk ink around the edges of the cuts. And the last and most prevalant thing that I used for this card was a tremendous amount of my love.

Thanks for stopping by to see me today, and I sure hope to see you back again soon for more crafting fun! Hugs!!

BRRRR!!!!!!

Just wanted to post a quick pic of my adorable Grandson JJ! He turns a big five years old on Friday. My, how time flies. They just moved to KY this year and was smack dab in the middle of that nasty storm that swept the country. But JJ sure didn't seem to mind!! LOL! He was having a blast! Sorry I don't have a card to share with you tonight, but I think he's cuter anyway! See this big grin plastered on my face? Thanks for stopping by to say hi today! Hope you're having a great week and hope to see you back again soon! HUGS!!

Heart shaped Valentine card

YAY! We made it through Monday! I have had soooo much fun making Valentine cards!! This heart shaped card is from a set of shaped cards from The Cutting Cafe' that you can either cut with your cutting machine (I used my Pazzle) or you can just print it off and cut it out manually. Either way, these cards are FUN!!

I cut out the base image, but I wanted it to stand up, so I just made a strip of cardstock and glued the front and back of the card to the front and back of the cardstock. Works like a charm! I also wanted a scalloped edge, so I just made that using my Pazzle. Yep....I know....I just used this Tilda not that long ago. But seriously now....can you blame me??? LOL! She's so cute that I couldn't resist!! I colored her up with my Copic markers.

Most of this card is just Bazzill cardstock. That little strip on the front base is a piece of Basic Grey scrap paper I had. the little hearts on the white....well.....those are the leftover little hearts that come from the punched out portion of the MSBP. Nothing like using scraps, huh? LOL! That circle stamp is from another set of Valentine stamps from The Cutting Cafe'!

I used some Prima flowers with a Basic Grey brad, and that pretty pink ribbon is from I {heart} Papers. That's about it! Thanks again for stopping by to see me today, and I sure hope to see you here again soon!!

Art Design Part 10

Art Design Part 9

Some overdue thank you's!!

I've been issued some awards, and it's about time I said THANK YOU to the fabulously talented ladies that have awarded them to me! There is nothing better than having friends come visit me and take a peek at the work I've been doing. That, in itself, is a HUGE reward to me every day! So on to do what I came here to do! *smile*

The first award is the Marie Antoinette award.

I received this award from Jeannie. Jeannie, you are the true meaning of a sweetheart! What a loving, giving person with a beautiful soul. I am blessed to know you. Thank you for this award!

I also received this award from Norine. Norine is a new talented blogging friend who I'm looking forward to getting to know better! Thank you very much for this award, Norine!

I also received this award the sweet and talented Tammy! Tammy I truly love your work and you are such a sweetie! Thank you so much! I'm so humbled that you gave it to me!

And I also received this award from Justine! Justine is also an extremely talented new blogging friend of which I'm looking forward to getting to know better! Thank you Justine! I am honored to receive this award from you!


I also received this wonderful award. To be told that my blog has heart is a true treasure to me, and I have to thank my friend craftNmommy (Lisa). Thank you so much Lisa! I'm so honored that you thought of me for this!

Please do yourself a favor and visit the blogs of these talented ladies! They are all extremely talented artists!!!

Again, I thank all of my blogging friends that come by to visit me all the time. Whether you take the time to say hi, or just stop by and peek at my work. I love the fact that you visit, and you are the reason I keep posting. So please, accept these awards from me as gratitude to you. I sure hope you've had a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you back again very soon!!! Big hugs!!

A Rose by any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet

The challenge for the week over at the Bitten by the Bug blog is to use the ROSE from Indie Art in a design of our choosing. Being me, I went with yet another Valentine's card.

This card was cut with a modified version of Jen's doily edge cricut cut file (I made adjustments and turned her edge work into a card), pretty pink papers, pink ribbons and rick-rack, and of course a tag from the Cutting Cafe's printable stamps (have you checked out the cutting cafe yet? Click the link in the name and go see for yourself how wonderful printed stamps can be.... GO!).

I topped off the design with a BasicGray valentine rub-on. I love the long narrow shape of this card, and I hope my mom will too. Shhhh! Don't tell her.

And finally a note to William - thank you for providing me a title for this week's project. Your body of work could provide me with a life time of titles. Go Shakespeare!!!

Milk Chocolate Layer Cake

My son's (10!) birthday was yesterday. He LOVES milk chocolate, so when we saw this recipe for Milk-Chocolate-Frosted Layer Cake in Food & Wine magazine, we knew this had to be his birthday cake this year!
I would normally be nervous making a cake for the first time for a birthday, but Food & Wine has yet to steer me wrong!

OK...I was not thrilled with the way the cake pulled away from the pan, but it ended up just fine. If I make this again, I might just go with round pans.

Chocolate curls...not my strong suit!

Our white counter tops make the cake look like it's floating! :)

The birthday boy and the cake!

The frosting was really rich and creamy. I'd say that was everyone's favorite part. We liked the cake, too, but it was not chocolaty at all. It had a "spongy" texture...more like a muffin, but it was good! Birthday boy was happy; Mom was happy! :)