Life is Better at the Beach!

We took a week off from the Paper Players Challenge because of convention but we're back in full swing this week.  I designed my card using My Digital Studio and the hot summer in mind! 

I really like this color combo of pink and green.  I was one of those "preppies" years ago that liked to wear Izod, weejuns, madras and pink and green while I was shagging on the beach to beach music.   I found out today that one of the theme nights on our cruise is going to be "going for a drive, back to the beach, back in time... going Back to the Bowery with 70's Theme Night!"  My days of going to the Bowery (club at Myrtle Beach) is more like the 60's though!  I was getting married and pregnant in the 70's!!  (married in '73, pregnant in '75 and '78) ummmmm .....

OK - back to the card - I used the kit, Anchors Away for this one.  Check out what the other gals have done with the sketch this week.  There are some really great cards HERE. 

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

Hope your day is a good one - stay safe!  I also hope that your fireworks viewing is better than ours was.  The YMCA in Mooresville puts on a fireworks display every year.  This year they chose to do it on July 3.  Not sure why but .... they didn't ask me.  The weather has been pretty bad here all week - raining every day and Wednesday was no different.  It rained off and on all day.  We were going to enjoy watching the fireworks from my mom's church.  They were also planning on having an ice cream social.  But with the rain, they canceled the social.  The rain let up a little bit about 8 so we drove to Mooresville at 9 to watch the fireworks with Mom and Angela.  They were supposed to start at 9:30 but .... they started them early!  So we got to see about 10 minutes of the fireworks!  Oh well, better luck next year!

A template from MDS - easy peasy!!

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG,
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ,

AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS,
ONE NATION UNDER  GOD,
INDIVISIBLE, WITH  LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!


For all of our other military personnel, where ever they may be.
Please  support all of the troops defending our Country.

And God Bless our Military who are protecting our Country for our Freedom.
Thanks to them, and their sacrifices, we can celebrate the 4th of July.

We must never forget who gets the credit for the freedoms we have, and to them we should be eternally grateful.

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform;
so young, so tall, so proud.
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
he'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil;
how many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
NO, FREEDOM ISN'T FREE !

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
when everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant 'Amen.'
When a flag had draped a coffin
of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
of the mothers and the wives,
of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

Hello Summer!

First off - Stampin' Up has put new items in the Clearance Bin so go check it out for some deals.  Order online using the hostess code Y4BBPUMB.

I have my card for the Paper Crew Challenge this week.  Just forgot to post it last night!!
 



I used this new kit that I downloaded yesterday to make the card.  It is called Summer Possibilities Kit and was released June 11.  I love the red, white and blue and all the elements in the kit.

Yesterday was also a digital release day and I purchased a few of the new ones too.  Also, there is a FREE download from yesterday so make sure you check it out.  Here is the new download - Get Going July Wallpaper -



I think I am going to play around with this one and make a new blog title - or maybe with the summer one.  Check back and be surprised!

I also like this pocket card download - Be Brave.

Well, I am still fighting about my cell phone!  Verizon and I are getting to be good pals!  I received my "new" phone on Monday and turns out, it was not NEW but a pre-owned phone.  I was really mad!  I called the number provided and he suggested I go to the store.  So, off I went.  I spoke with the manager who was really helpful.  She showed me a few things that she thought I was doing that could be making the phone lock up.  She also told me that the phone I received in the mail was not a refurbished phone but just extra inventory or one someone perhaps returned.  So, I returned the new phone and decided to give my old one another chance knowing the new tricks she showed me.  Would you believe, yesterday it locked up again!  So today, back to the store to talk with Casandra, the manager.  Again, she looked through the phone and made a few adjustments and we decided to give it one more try.  I left the store, stopped at the bank and stopped to get lunch.  Guess what?  The phone had locked up again and I had not even used it!!  So, after lunch, back to Verizon (I have lost count how many trips I have made to that store!)  She was as puzzled as I was but decided that it was time to send for another new phone.  I should have it tomorrow and then I get to reload everything once again!  Keep your fingers crossed that this one works!

Paper Craft Crew #47 - MDS Style

Today is our weekly Paper Craft Crew Challenge.  I forgot about it last week!  I was so intent last week on finishing my digital scrapbook from our trip to Ireland and England that I forgot a lot of stuff!  (Yes, I know - our trip was 2 years ago, but .....!!)  I'll be sharing a few pages from it with you later this week.  I worked up to the wire with it and got it sent off about 5 pm Saturday.  Sonny had been waiting patiently to go out on the boat and right as it was downloading, he said, "I'll just go and cover the boat up since it is getting so late."  But, I told him to wait just a few more minutes.  We were out the door at 5:30 and missed the heat of the day and had a nice catfish dinner and then rode around a little bit before we threw the anchor and relaxed and read our books for a couple of hours.

OK - off topic - back to my challenge card.  I really love the sketch this week and want to use it to create a few paper cards.

 

I used Pool Party for the base of the card and then just matched the colors in the DSP for the other colors.   The DSP comes from the kit Follow Your Bliss which has a lot of really cool papers in it as well as some great elements and chevrons.

 

The saying is actually from Happy Things Pocket Cards.  You don't have to make a pocket card with the kit.  I just cropped the saying and pasted it on my black circle. 

Here is the link for the other cards made using this sketch -  http://www.papercraftcrew.com/2013/06/19/pcccs-47-card-sketch/

Check them out!!

I haven't deserted you!

I haven't run away ... just been super busy lately.  But I am here now and have a few things to share today.  First I want to show off the great My Digital Studio project Ashley made for her Dad for Fathers Day.  I took it to Staples for her and had it printed on a piece of foam board (8 1/2" x 17") for under $10.  We had seen something similar that was on sale at an on line site and she knew she could make it using MDS.  She was so right!!  It really looks great hanging in his room.  Now my mind is going round and round trying to think of other things I can do and have similar things made up for different occasions .... birthdays, new baby, wedding, etc.  So many ideas!

Today I took a great tour with my Newcomer group.  Sixteen of us toured northern Iredell County and viewed quilt blocks painted on barns.  It was a lot of fun and we saw some beautiful country side.  Here are a few of my favorites.  We didn't even scratch the surface.  We were given a brochure with about 50 quilts / barns on it and we probaby went by about 20 of them.  We were told that a new brochure is being printed now and it has 90 quilts on it!  I want to go back in my own car so I can stop and get out and take more pictures.  Some of these I had to take the pictures through the glass in the bus and a few of them we actually got to stop and get out to get our pictures.

This was an actual fabric quilt hung on the side of this neat looking antique shop that unfortunately was not open.  I want to go back when it is!!

Polka Dots Challenge Card

Time for my Paper Craft Crew Challenge card #45.  I used the Playful Polka Dots Kit for this creation.  I thought it was appropriate for early June - fun and summery!  There are lots of fun elements in this kit.

 

  

Posting from Florida!

We are in Florida - Fernandina Beach - enjoying the sun and sand.  We arrived yesterday afternoon after a stop Tuesday night in Sumter, SC in time to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game.  (That was a challenge - to find a sports bar that carried the hockey game in Sumter!)  Last night Sonny and I wandered arround the shops and bars downtown.  We ended up at the Thirsty Pelican and joined a trivia game.  We didn't do too well but it was fun anyway ... and the food was excellent!  Today I spent most of the day on the beach soaking up the sunshine.  It was a perfect day - overcast all day so I didn't just burn up.  Sonny was a sport and sat with me for a couple of hours.  Tonight we met some friends who live in Jacksonville at the Green Turtle for a couple of drinks and then on to an Italian restaurant for another wonderful dinner.   When we got back to the hotel a little after 8 pm, I wanted to watch American Idol since tonight was the finale.  I forgot that I could not get the sound on the tv to work last night - but only on Fox which is the station that carries Idol.  I went to the office tonight to tell them about it.  Turns out our tv is the only one it seems that the sound does not work on Fox!  The TV in the office and in the empty room next door both work.  After about a half hour of fooling around with the tv with no luck, I finally convinced the gal to just let me sit in the empty room next door to watch the show.  She first told me I would have to pay a cleaning fee if I did that!  But she finally called the owner who ok-d it so I was able to watch the finale.  I liked both of the gals who were in the finale and wasn't surprised at the outcome.  (I'm not saying who since I don't think Ashley has seen it yet since she is in Vegas this week!)

This week's Paper Craft Crew Challenge sketch was a great one.  I made my card Tuesday night while we were in Sumter but didn't have time to post it.  That's the great thing about MDS.  I can make a card while I'm traveling by just using my computer!!

I used the kit Big Top Birthday for most of the card.

Make sure you check out the other cards from the design team HERE.

My Mother's Day Card

I received a beautiful Mother's Day card from my sweet daughter.  What a lot of work went into this card .... especially knowing that she does not own a square punch!  She cut all these squares out with her cutter.  Wow!  She told me that this would have been an easy card to make using MDS.  So I thought I'd give it a try!

I made my "inchie" card into a birthday card.  So, what do you think?  Ashley's is better because it has a lot more elements but an MDS card is very "doable"!!

Sonny and I are headed to Florida tomorrow to celebrate our anniversary a little late.  It's been a long time since we took a little vacation - just the two of us.  He is not a big fan of the beach and I think I could live at the beach.  But, he is being a good sport.  We are staying on Amelia Island at Fernandino Beach which I think is a pretty quiet little beach.  I've got a few good books packed, my sunscreen and my bathing suit .... ready to relax!

MDS Sale

I participated in a webinar today by Stampin' Up about My Digital Studio.  I had almost forgotten about their big MDS sale going on now but it is a good one.  From now until June 15, MDS select digital content and printing is on SALE!!  Go HERE to see all the sale items.

Here are a few for you to check out -

Make a swatchbook for Mother for Mother's Day with this kit:

How about this one for some great layouts -

or this one for graduation - All you’ll need for a graduation party: invites, food flags, mini rolled diplomas and it is complete with 12" x 12" page classmates can sign for a lasting keepsake.
 Make sure you select me as your demonstrator to get the best price!

Here are a couple of cards I made tonight with MDS using  a couple of retiring stamps - French Foilage and Greeting Card Kids.  If you want to order these stamps, you'd better hurry.  They will be gone by the end of the month!

Remember - if you comment on the cards, you will be entered to win my BLOG CANDY which is the cards I have made using the retired stamps.

Sketch Challenge #40

I used MDS to create my Sketch Challenge this week (what else is new???)  I love this DSP - it is from the Wonderful Whimsey's Kit.  I think I used paper from that kit on last week's project - that's how great it is!  It's hard to tell but there is also a Honeycomb Overlay over the card and DSP - maybe if you click on the card, you can see more detail but the overlay made the "squiggly" lines over the triangle shapes on the DSP.  There are all kind of techniques you can use with MDS.  You just need to get in there and play around with it.

Background - Color = Crushed Curry

Embellishments -
Designer Rosettes\Designer Rosettes - pointed very vanilla
Designer Kits\This And That Epic Day - embellishments\This And That Epic Day - friends flag
Designer Kits\Hello There - embellishments\Hello There - flag
2011-2013 In Color Ruffled Ribbon\Ruffled Ribbon - pool party
2011-2013 In Color Ruffled Ribbon\Ruffled Ribbon - pool party knot
Sara's Sequins\Sara's Sequins - teal

Stamps -
_Designer Kits\Family History\Family History - overlay honeycomb
Apothecary Art\Apothecary Art - for you

Punches -
Extras\Flag Punch,
Basics\1.25 Circle Punch,
Labels Stamp; Tags\Labels Collection 1

Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies 1

 I have to brag and share the project Ashley sent me last night that she has made for one of the residents at the hospital.  She designed it with MDS and took it to an office supply store to have it printed 12 x 12 and is going to frame it and give it as a gift.  The theme for the nursery is Dr. Seuss and Ashley was able to find a free Dr. Seuss Font even!  What a great gift for just a little bit of cash!  And she has only had MDS since Christmas!

Paper Craft Crew Sketch

With all the excitement today over the Retiring Lists AND as a demonstrator, being able to view the catalog on-line (still looking!), I forgot to post my card for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge.

I used a few things thaat I recently bought for MDS.  I have been taking a class from Heather Summers and Kimberley Van Diepen and they recommended a few things.  Well, they were right - I love them.  I used Wonderful Whimsies DSP, Sara's Sequins and Paper Doilies.  The flower in the circle is actually a piece of the Wonderful Whimsies DSP! 

Supply List:
Background:  Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies - 7

Embellishments:
Paper Doilies\Paper Doilies - whisper white (re-colored)
Paper Doilies\Paper Doilies - whisper white (re-colored)
Crochet Trim Ribbon\Chantilly (re-colored)
Sara's Sequins\Sara's Sequins – teal (3)
Crochet Trim Ribbon\Chantilly - bow (re-colored)

Stamps:
Designer Kits\Family History\Family History - overlay texture, Color = CRUSHED CURRY
Well Scripted\Well Scripted - mother

Punches:
Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies - 11
Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies - 7
Labels & Tags\Decorative Label Punch, Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies -12
Basics\1.25 Circle Punch, Filled with: Designer Series Paper\_Designer Kits\Wonderful Whimsies - 12

Attic Boutique Challenge Card

Well, I made it home safe and sound and now Sonny has gone on a trip!  We've definitely been on the go this past month.  He's gone on a guys trip to the coastal area of South Carolina to shoot clay pigeons or something like that!  Our friends, Margaret and Graham beat me here by about an hour last night from Texas.  Graham went on the shooting trip with Sonny and Margaret and I are just hanging out, visiting and crafting.  I had Stamp Club today and have the second one on Thursday.

I'm just sick at heart about the Boston bombings.  Why does this continue - the hatred and violence.  Why can't we all just get along and be peaceful.  My heart goes out to the many families that were affected by this tragedy.  I heard about the bombings when our plane landed in Atlanta and found a tv in the airport to watch a bit of the news before I had to board my next flight.  Hopefully, the responsible parties will be caught and soon.

This is my card for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge this week. 

Here is the sketch that I followed this week.  My recipe is below the sketch.

Background

     Designer Series Paper -  designer series paper\Attic Boutique - 3

Embellishments

    _Designer Kits\Attic Boutique  - ribbon

    _Designer Kits\Attic Boutique - umbrella frame

    _Designer Kits\Attic Boutique - rain check

    _Designer Kits\Attic Boutique - doily

     Basic Pearls and Rhinestones - pearl large

     

Stamps

    _Designer Kits\Fan Fair\Fan Fair - lace doily, Color = WHISPER WHITE 

Punches

    Basics\1.25 Circle Punch

Make sure you check out the rest of the cards made by the Paper Craft Crew HERE. 

Why don't you play along with us this week?  Here are a few things to consider:

• You may flip or rotate the card sketch, change or replace the shapes, but please make sure the general layout is recognizable.  
• Share a direct link to your creation, not just your blog, using the InLinkz feature.  If InLinkz is down, please add a link with your comment. 
• If you don't have a blog, don't worry! You can still use inLinkz by linking to your photo posted on Facebook or a similar social media site.  
• The Paper Craft Crew Design Team are Stampin' Up! Demonstrators and as such, we would like to see a minimum of 2 Stampin' Up! products or stamped images used on your card but don't let that stop you from participating.  
• Only those individuals that have at least 2 Stampin' Up! products or stamped images are eligible for any blog candy that may be offered along with being a "featured participant."  
• When uploading to online galleries, please use keyword PCCCS038.  
• POSTING END TIME: If you'd like to be considered as one of our Featured Artisans, please be sure to link your project by Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST  

Girls Gone Wild Trip

I did a MDS challenge for Heather and Kim's Simply My Digital Challenge on Facebook.  Each week they post a new challenge.  This is my first time to participate.  The challenge was to use a pie graph in our layout and to follow this sketch:




I had fun creating the pie graph with MDS.  First I used a Circle Punch and enlarged it.  Next I used a Square Punch and just stretched it down to make a long line.  I dissected the circle with the "line."  Then I took a Triangle Punch and stretched it so it fit in each slice of pie.  I filled the punch with my photos.  When I finished filling all the triangles, I deleted the original circle and lines.

I used pictures that I took last week of Ashley, Mom, Angela, Marianne and I having fun in San Antonio. Note the title - Girls Gone Wild!!   Hope you like it!

MDS Downloads and Paper Craft Crew Card

This is the FREE April desktop download available from Tuesday's downloads!

I also love a couple of the other downloads on Tuesday and will be making something with them on the plane to Texas!  Check out - APRIL SHOWERS KIT and THIS and THAT EPIC KIT!!

Here is my card for the Paper Craft Challenge this week:

This card was made using the Hello There Kit download from February 19.  It is a really great spring-y kit.

Make sure you check out the other cards made by my fellow Paper Craft Crew HERE.  There are a log of really cute Easter cards!

Big Changes / PPCC #34

Welcome to another Paper Craft Crew Card Sketch.  We were supposed to do a spring or Easter card this week.  I think my little bunnies meet that criteria!

I love the little bunnies from the Storybook Kit!

If you visited the Stampin' Up digital website (http://www.mydigitalstudio.net/home) today, you saw a BIG change!  I was surprised when I went there.   Here is the news from SU:

MDS.net Redesigned!

Here's a review of what's new:

• A new Homepage
• The old homepage can now be found under the Inspiration tab
• A new Learning page replaces the old Training sections (SU is still working on updating the content there, but you can expect to see all of Holly's new training videos there shortly.)
• A new footer so that you can navigate the site easier, with links to the old Resources and Q/A pages

There are still more changes to be made but go visit and see how different it looks!  Happy designing!

What You Can Create With MDS2

When we went to Ashley's for Christmas, she asked to use my computer and My Digital Studio so she could create a couple of gifts for two of her friends.  I was thrilled because I had bought her MDS2 for her birthday (Dec 22) and wasn't sure if it was actually something she wanted or would use.  Well, I'm happy to say I was wrong and she is enjoying MDS2.  These are the two gifts she made for her friends. They are quotes from songs (I think!)  Ashley designed them and then took them to an office supply store and had them printed on white card stock.  After framing them, they were ready to go.  They really turned out great!

Wouldn't this look cute in a baby's room?

I designed a date frame for Jeff and Darcie.  Instead of framing it (and risk it getting broken in the mail), I just sent them a gift certificate so they could purchase a frame in the color they wanted.  I love it!  It lists all the dates of importance to them and their family.  It was so easy to create with MDS2.  Now I need to do one for myself.  Don't you think this would make a great anniversary gift for someone special?

 Here is another page I created.  This is Stampin' Up's Statement of the Heart.  I found something similar to this on Pinterest and went from there with it.  There are so many great ideas on that site!  You could spend hours "surfing."  I get a lot of my inspiration from there.

Our weather is supposed to be wicked on Friday.  So much so that we have decided to cancel the MDS2 class I was doing in Kernersville and reschedule later in February.  The schools in my county are dismissing at 10:00 .... why they are even bothering, I don't know!!  The bad weather is supposed to hit around 4:00 - freezing rain and ice.  The temps are not supposed to be above freezing all day with the lows hoving in the teens.  But, on Saturday, a high of 40 so who knows!  Guess I will be bundling up and doing some stamping for fun for a change.  I am expecting a SU box of goodies Friday afternoon so that should do the trick!   I just hope the weather holds out until AFTER I play Hand & Foot tomorrow!!

Paper Craft Crew 12

My MDS card for the Paper Craft Crew this week uses paper and embellishments from Pick Your Poison.  Although it is no longer available in the catalog, that is one of the great things about My Digital Studio - you can still get it digitally.

I used a lot of overlays with this card as well as the "splat" technique!

Check out what the other team members did with the sketch here.

I had Stamp Club today and Sammie sure tried to be a member of the group.  Every time someone got up from her chair, Sammie jumped in her seat.  Then she sat in the extra seat right between Joanne and Marianne and kept batting at them.  A while later, she climbed up onto a small bar that I have in the den and peeked around the corner at the girls!  She was really funny.  It's amazing how playful she has gotten in the past few weeks.

I was excited to learn that Heather is going to offer another MDS class.  I took her on-line class last month and really enjoyed it.  She and another SU demonstrator are going to offer a Christmas class starting Nov. 1.  The class will consist of 20 gift giving projects, 10 scrapbook pages, a minimum of 30 videos, sketch challenges and SO MUCH MORE!!! If you are new to My Digtial Studio, this class is still designed with you in mind!  All of this for only $20!  If you are interested in learning more about it or to sign up, click HERE.  Heather is so talented.

Perfectly Preserved plus lots of SU News

The new "not so mini" Holiday Catalog is up and ready to order from it as of yesterday.  It's a great one and I am going to go broke ordering from it!!  Click HERE to see it online. 

And our MDS special -

•MDS 2 Free Trial: – Full access to the software at NO COST for 30 days. (Item #130910)
•MDS 2 Full Software: $39.95 US (Item #130644) Compatible with Mac and Windows
•MDS 2+ Full Software plus over $500 of digital content: $79.95 US (Item #130646)
•MDS 2 Upgrade: Full Software for those who already own the original MDS software. $19.95 (Item #130650
•August Special Offer: 31% OFF Select Digital Content!

AND during August, Stampin' Up has treats but no tricks for you! If you join Stampin' Up! during August you will get a FREE Howl-o-ween Printer's Tray project kit - a $60 value!

I am excited to have my Stylin' Snowfolk card HERE featured on Kelly's Blog Finds of the Day today.  Blog Finds of the Day is a service Kelly provides members of the Late Night Stampers Yahoo Groups. It is a daily list that is emailed out to the Yahoo Group Subscribers.  Its sole purpose is to keep all those amazing links in one easy to navigate place. She makes it easy for us to find some great ideas.  Check it out!

Below is a card I made using the Perfectly Preserved stamp set from the Holiday Catalog.  I can see a lot of possibilities with this card PLUS there are dies (Framelits) that match for cutting out the images.  If you buy the bundle of the stamp set and the dies, you save $$$ (and we all want to do that!)  On this card, I stamped the jar onto vellum and cut it out (using the die).  The flower stems are stamped directly onto the white rectangle.  The flowers and leaves are stamped onto scrap white and punched out (with the die).  I cut about 1 1/2" off the side of the Peach Parfait paper (retired).  The Sale-a-bration DSP and the Pear Pizazz scallop strip (all retired) are adhered to the inside of the card.  I also used some of the Pear and Peach ribbon from Saleabration.  I just love this Everyday Enchantment DSP even though it is retired.  I ordered a pack of it before it retired and now wish I had ordered more!!