Bringing Birthdays Back! PPA294

Between the balloons and the confetti there is a whole lot of celebration going on here!  Shannon West from Stampin' Up! started a grass roots movement to bring birthdays back by sending more birthday cards......instead of just virtual birthday wishes. She actually sat down and carved out this design herself - amazing! Stampin' Up! is now mass producing her sentiment and cardmakers everywhere have embraced her challenge!  I am working harder to get those birthday cards off my desk and into the mail!  And maybe I am making a difference because just today an official USPS notice appeared in our mailbox that said our local post office needs more mail carriers..........

My very crafty friend Dawn Tidd designed a great sketch for us this week at Pals Paper Arts!

Gotta Have Cake! FMS230

Never has there been a truer sentiment!  When I was young my aunt would make a chocolate mayonnaise cake for family birthday celebrations.  Do people even make such a thing anymore??  Sounds awful but honest it was delicious!

Jen Brum, my crafty friend from Canada, designed a sweet sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches - I hope you play along!

Stamp Set: Party Wishes

Paper:  It's My Party DSP

Over the Moon.......PP288, PPA293

This is off to a friend of mine who just became a grandmother for the first time - I know she is over the moon about it!   I brushed Blushing Bride, So Saffron and Mint Macaron inks onto some specialty paper from SU! that is already embossed with stars.  A quick swipe with a paper towel and the stars appear!  The moon is from Pictogram Punches (also SU!) and the sentiment is from Lawn Fawn's Scripty Sayings.

And now we are off for a family gathering on this beautiful Easter Sunday!  Happy Easter!

LeAnne has a great sketch for us this week at the Paper Players!

I used the sweet spring colors from Pals Paper Arts this week.

A Cup of Thanks....FMS229

This card has a retro vibe to it I think.  Back in the 50's my mother and aunts would sit around our black and white metal kitchen set drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes and catching up on family news.  Facebook and text messages seem to have replaced the kitchen set as the sites to catch up on the news.........but there are definitely times when I miss that kitchen set.........

My artistic friend Cindy Hall has a great sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  I love how our Design Team has used this sketch in oh so many ways - lots of inspiration!

                                                          


Stamp Sets: Tea Time by Avery Elle, My Cup of Tea by Lawn Fawn
Everyday Chic DSP from SU


                                                         

Coffee......Meow! CTS164

                                     

It's time for the Spring Coffee Lovers' Bloghop!  Always an amazing event with so many fun and inspiring cards!  Looks like this kitty needs a wake up mug....or two...to get going in the morning.  I know the feeling! So brew up a cup....or two....of whatever gets you going and check out that wonderful gallery!


       I used the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch for my design.

                                              


          CASology has a fun Doodle Challenge this week!

                                                 

Stamp Sets:  Newton Loves Coffee by Newton's Nook; SU Tin of Cards

Celebrate Spring - PP287

Ahhhhh Spring!  Sunshine.....Raindrops.......Rainbows......and Home Improvements......

Oh that Jaydee is a girl after my own heart!  She has a clean and simple challenge for us this week at The Paper Players - Celebrate Spring!  She also has another reason to celebrate today....it's her birthday!  Happy Birthday Jaydee......enjoy your day.....hope there's cake!



                                        


I am also linking to the Rainbow Challenge at Curtain Call this week.

                                             

Stamp Set:  Rain or Shine by Sunny Studio
Wonky Stitches Dies

March Happenings......PPA292

It will be Easter before we know it this year!  Looks like this chick is ready!  

But it looks like this chick will be celebrating something else today.....Top o' the Mornin' to ya!

Beth has a fun sketch for us at Pals Paper Arts!

Stamp Sets: Honeycomb Happiness, Easter Lamb

Dog Tales.....FMS228

Being a dog lover and the grandmother to two part dachsund pups I couldn't resist this set from Newton's Nook called Delightful Doxies.  The balloon is from SU's Celebrate today and the sentiment from Honeycomb Happiness.  But there is a backstory to this card.......here is the first design I made for this sketch.....

I went to bed shortly after finishing the card but didn't sleep well.  Every time I woke up I thought about that pup hanging on to that balloon......if he ever let go he would surely die! Who knew card making could be so stressful?!?!?  So I got up early and totally reworked the front panel!  I am much happier knowing that pup is just bouncing around in the grass!

Here's our Corduroy - his mother was half dachsund and so was his father - not sure where his size or that glorious tail came from though......

The very talented Kim Singdahlsen has a great sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Hope you play along!  Just don't leave anyone hanging in mid-air without a parachute!

Later Gator! PP286, CTS163

That little alligator from Zoo Babies looks like he is headed onward and upward out of the swamp to bigger and better things in life!  And his tail fits perfectly with the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch. This week's design made me smile the minute I saw it! The sketches there are always unique and fun to tackle! 

My amazing friend Nance Leedy has a super color combo for us this week at the Paper Players!

Here's the fun and funky sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch  that I used for my design.

Stamp Sets: Zoo Babies, See Ya Later

Sweet Thank You! FMS227

When you can't send a fresh fruit basket to say thank you can always send a freshly made card with fruit on it!  I often send thank you notes to staff members at the assisted living facility where my mother resides.  They are always upbeat and oh so compassionate.  And heaven only knows how many times a day they have to repeat themselves.  We took my mother out to dinner last week and as she sipped her Manhattan she said,

"You know I have been thinking.....back in the day I hardly knew my own name because I was so busy all the time.....and now I hardly know my own name because I forget everything!  Cheers!"

So glad her sense of humor is still intact!

It is always fun to host at Freshly Made Sketches.  I hope you get time to play with my sketch this week!  Can't wait to see what you create!

Stamp Sets: Apple of My Eye, So You, Helping Me Grow, A Nice Cuppa

Stamp Review Crew: Number of Years

The Stamp Review Crew is featuring Number of Years this week.  Such a great set for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations......anything that you may need a number for! Most of Emma's friends in her nursery school class will be turning four this year so I thought I would make a few of these to keep on hand for birthday parties!  And since March Madness continues with her in my craft room I will let her stamp a few balloons on the inside when she signs her name!

You are on track if you just enjoyed Rochelle's wonderful work - go back if you missed it!  Otherwise head onward to visit my fellow New York stamper Heidi Baks. I am honored to be between these two amazingly creative ladies!

Rain or Shine......PP285, CTS162

A stormy weather scene was perfect to practice some watercoloring with my Zig markers. The only one under the weather around here now is our little black poodle. No one got any sleep Friday night as Abby Girl suffered with an abscess on the side of her face that grew overnight and burst in the morning. I called the vet but being Saturday the office was closed. I left a message and he called back within 10 minutes and said bring her right to my house.  He had to sedate Abby, shave her face, clean her up and start antibiotics - so much for his day off!  She is on four medications and will need extra care and TLC for a while but things are looking up. We are so fortunate to have such a caring doctor to look after all our pups.......small town life......can't beat it!

Sandy's theme for us this week at the Paper Players is Rain or Shine!

I also followed the terrific sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

Stamp Set:  Spring Showers from Newton's Nook

DSP:  Sweet Li'l Thing from SU!

Make A Wish......PPA290

The set Party Wishes and some coordinating punches made this birthday card come together quickly.  And that's a good thing because I had little time to work at my desk. Miss Emma Lin invaded my craft room and was very busy making cards for the whole family. She colored, stamped, glued, picked die cuts to put in the "roller" and stretched out twine for me to cut with the big "squizzors!" As she left she said "I'll be back tomorrow Amma and we will make cards for all the puppies!  We can tie them to their leashes!"  Good thing I didn't put those squizzors away......

Our resident California Girl Patti MacLeith has a sweet sketch for us this week at Pals Paper Arts!

Mad About Plaid! FMS226, #GDP025

When I saw Rita's great sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches I knew right away I wanted to make a plaid panel. And how did I know that?  Because I just received the wonderful All Striped Up set from Simon Says Stamp.  An amazing amount of stamping goes into making a plaid but it was a lot of fun!  After all that hard work I definitely wanted the plaid panel to take center stage.  I kept the colors.....and accessories simple.....unlike someone else I know who never makes an appearance without being fully accessorized!

Hope you play along with us at Freshly Made Sketches!

The colors at Global Design Project this week were perfect for creating a plaid!

                                              

Stamp Sets:  SSS All Striped Up, SU Sunburst Sayings