It's A Monster Mash! - My Time Made Easy Pretty Pattern Sketch #29

He did the mash
He did the monster mash
The monster mash
It was a graveyard smash
He did the mash
It caught on in a flash
He did the mash
He did the monster mash

Anyone remember that song?  I know it was from the 1950's or so, definitely not my era, but I do remember it being played every Halloween while I was growing up as a kid.

Welcome to another My Time Made Easy Pretty Pattern Sketch Challenge.  This week's sketch features a square card and is perfect for those Halloween images we all have lying around.

For my card this week, I chose to use a variety of the new My Time Made Easy digital Halloween images released earlier this month.  I took five of the images (Well Wrapped Up, Boo, Frankin Fun, The Count, Witch Way) and combined them in Adobe Photoshop to make a scene before printing out Purr-Fect Pumpkin to add to the scene later.

Once all of my images were combined and printed out, I pulled out my Prismacolor pencils for coloring along with a Prismacolor blender marker to help with the shading.  After I was finished with the coloring, Stampin Up! going grey and wild wasabi inks were lightly stippled and sponged around the images to fill in my graveyard scene.  When I was ready to layer everything, I carefully cut out my cute little witch image for popping up later and layered the graveyard; making sure to use up some Making Memories bat brads from a couple of years ago.  Once that was done, I pulled out my trusty word processer and created the saying using Microsoft Word, printed it out, and layered just like the main image with the witch popped up next to it.  Pulling out my Martha Stewart gooey drip punch I bought on clearance at Michael's last year, I punched out both a black and pumpkin pie strip so I could layer them over one another for an added effect. 

Finally, I pulled out a Fiskars cat punch that had been collecting dust and punched some scrap black cardstock adding eyes using Tim Holtz distress ice stickles.  Some primas from a special Halloween collection with a bat brad center made the perfect final touch.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day and don't forget that World Cardmaking Day is coming up on Saturday, October 1st.

Stamps:  MTME Digital Boo, Frankin Fun, Purr-Fect Pumpkin, The Count, Witch Way, Well Wrapped Up

Card Stock: White, Stampin Up! Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Black, Green Galore, Scrap Designer Paper

Ink: Stampin Up! Going Grey, Wild Wasabi

Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, Prismacolor Blender Marker, Pop Dots, Ice Stickles, Stipple Brush, Sponge, Primas, Brads, Martha Stewart Punch, Fiskars Cat Punch, MS Word, Computer, Adobe Photoshop, Printer

Daffodil Greetings

Hello and happy hump day!!  I'm finally getting a chance to stamp and post after getting sidelined with another recurrence of those blasted migraines again.  I slowly did this card over a period of 4 days as my eyes, head, and the pain meds would allow.

I love this Daffodils & Anise set from Mark's Finest Papers.  There just seems to be so many different types of cards I can make with the set.  With that in mind, I chose it for this last week's Speedy The Cat things with wings challenge. 

After stamping my images twice in memento tuxedo black ink on white card stock and coloring them with prismacolor markers, I set one of the daffodil images aside to cut out later with both of the butterfly images.  Taking the floral screen Cuttlebug embossing folder, I ran the card itself through my Big Shot before stippling Stampin Up! pacific pointe and bashful blue inks around the daffodil image and layering.  Once my image was layered, I took a black marker and created a faux stitched line around the image, added some black Making Memories baby brads and added it to the card.

After adding some black stitched ribbon to the side with a Mark's Finest Papers hat pin before popping up my cut out daffodil image.  Once both of my butterfly images were cut out, they were added to the card.  I then pinched the wings up of one butterfly to give some extra dimension before adding some ice stickles for added sparkle.

Thanks for stopping by today.  If you haven't participated in one of the Speedy The Cat challenges, you really should.  They're a lot of fun and there's a random prize awarded each week to a participant.


Stamps: MFP Daffodils & Anise
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin Up! Pacific Pointe, Bashful Blue
Card Stock: White, Stampin Up! Pacific Pointe, Summer Sun
Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Stipple Brushes, Ribbon, MFP Hat Pin, Making Memories Baby Brads, Ice Stickles, Pop Dots, Cuttlebug Floral Screen Embossing Folder, Big Shot

Big Hugs - TE Sketch Challenge 147

Hello everybody and Happy Friday!!!  I am thrilled and honored to be one of the guest stampers for this week's Taylored Expressions sketch challenge.  I really like this sketch and I think I'm going to be using it often in the future.

For my card, I chose the KISS method - Keep It Simple Stamper especially since I'm still battling those blasted migraines.  I pulled out my favorite TE petite stamp set Wreath of Love and stamped it twice on white card stock in memento tuxedo black before coloring it with prismacolor markers.  Once those were colored, I made a last minute decision to add the birds nest, so I stamped that twice and colored it as well.  Once my coloring was done, I die cut both of the wreaths using TE's Seasonal Wreath Die so I could pop up one later.  Since I didn't have a background paper to match my images, I decided to make my own by stamping both the wreath and nest in turquoise and green inks before creating a strip alternating the saying with hearts.  For my final touch, I added some silk rosebuds from my stash I had forgotten about until Wednesday night.

The whole card came out a lot better than I thought it would since I was stamping, and assembling, at 2am because I couldn't sleep.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Make sure to stop by all of the TE Sketch Crew and leave them some love.

• Cassie Trask
• Jami Sibley
• Lisa Hjulberg
• Lori Craig
• Margie Cortina
• Monika Davis
• Rachel Sztonyk
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Tracy Clemente
• Guest Stamper: Michelle, Bonnie (that's me!) 

For details on how you can participate in this week's challenge and have a chance to win a TE gift certificate, hop on over to Taylor's blog to check out all of the details.  Also don't forget to upload your creation to Splitcoaststampers and then link it to the TE forum.

Have a great weekend and happy stamping!!


Stamps: TE Wreath Of Love
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin Up! Tempting Turquoise, Glorious Green, PTI Pure Poppy
Card Stock: White, Stampin Up! Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Glorious Green
Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Pop Dots, TE Seasonal Wreath Die, Stipple Brush, Silk Roses, Glue Dots, Staple, 1" Hole Punch

Making The Grade - My Time Made Easy Pretty Pattern Sketch #28

Hello and welcome to another My Time Made Easy Pretty Pattern Sketch Challenge.  This weeks sketch features one of my favorite designs - making long cards.  I don't make these often enough and, come on, everyone has those #10 size envelopes at home.  These sized cards are perfect for slipping into those.

Since, my kiddos are back in school (yippee!), I decided to go with a back to school theme and printed off some of the Back To School digital images and the Sensational Stems acrylic images combining them with the grade book form of the Academic Hodge Podge digital paper and Love Notes digital paper. 

Once I had my digital images printed off and colored, I cut one set of the school kids out for popping up later and then lightly stippled summer sun & bashful blue inks around the kids.  After adding some brads, my cut out school kids, bling, ribbon and primas, my card was finally finished.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope to see you this week participating in the My Time Made Easy Pretty Pattern Sketch Challenge.

Stamps: MTME Sensational Stems, Back To School Digital Stamps

Card Stock: White, SU Basic Gray, MTME Academic Hodge Podge Digital Paper, MTME Love Notes Digital Paper

Ink: SU Basic Gray, Summer Sun, Bashful Blue

Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Pop Dots, Marvy Scallop Oval Punch, Primas, Glue Dots, Bling, Sponges, Stipple Brush, Making Memories Baby Brads

Welcome Little Angel

Hello and welcome!!!  It's that time of the month again - Taylored Expressions Blast From The Past Blog Hop.  This month's theme is birthday or birth day since our friend and owner Taylor welcomed Madelyn Grace VanBruggen into the world last Tuesday, September 13th.  If you haven't had a chance to welcome Madelyn, or post your congrats, stop by Taylor's blog today.

For my project, I pulled out one of my favorite TE sets, Beary Special and got to work.  I just love all of the stuffed animals in this set because they can be used for all sorts of occasions: birthday (any age), baby congrats, get well, thinking of you, sympathy, etc.  It's definitely a set I'm thankful Taylor came out with and I'll never be parting with it.

After stamping several images onto white card stock in memento tuxedo black ink, I pulled out my prismacolor markers and started coloring allowing the background designer paper to dictate the colors I chose to work with.  Once my images were colored, I cut them out, except one for the card so I could pop up the backpack/diaper bag later.  Pulling out several of my dies, I started cutting out bows and some ric rac borders before sponging regal rose ink on them.  As I was laying images out on the frame, I decided I wanted my saying there instead of on the outside of the card, so I pulled out Cozy Cottages and inked only the Welcome portion of one of the sayings using a memento teardrop inkpad.  After adding the rest of my saying from the Beary Special set, I pulled out three of my Marvy oval punches and punched out the saying as well as two corresponding layers before sponging regal rose ink on those as well.

Once that was added, I decided to add my version of those little umbrella favor "thingys" you get at wedding and baby showers, but I didn't have an umbrella die.  Problem solved.  I pulled out my Garden Party Blooms 2 die and used the leaf/stem to become my "umbrella" and then added a bow using my TE Basic Bow die to the top.  Here's a close up of the frame.

For my card, I simply followed the same idea as the frame, however, just adding the backpack/diaper bag and popping that up using Michael's pop dots with some mini pink baby button brads I've had in my stash for years.  I also pulled out a "It's A Girl" sticker saying from my stash for the front before adding a small Basic Bow die cut underneath it.  For the final touch, I sponged regal rose ink around the edges of the entire card.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Make sure to stop by all of the participating hoppers and leave some love.  You'll find the list below.  Have a great day.

Stamps: TE Beary Special, Cozy Cottages

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin Up! Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink

Card Stock: White, Stampin Up! Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink, Mauve Mist, MTME Welcome Baby Girl Button Digital Designer Paper

Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, TE Dies, Sponge, Stipple Brush, MFT Die-Namic, Marvy Oval Punches, Sticker, Making Memories Baby Button Brads, Frame, Computer, Big Shot, Printer, Michael's Pop Dots

Whoo's Birthday - My Time Made Easy Pretty Pattern Sketch Challenge #27

Hello and happy Thursday!!  The week is almost over!!  This week's My Time Made Easy Pretty Pattern Sketch Challenge is a square card with a slight twist - add a triangle or two to the card.  Now being the rebel I am at times, I added two triangles and slightly separated them. 

Once I had downloaded my Critters With A Heart digital images, and broke the set apart, adding the birthday saying below the owl.  I chose to use some "funky" colors for my owl since I was pairing my image up with the newly released Color Infusion digital paper.  I absolutely love this new digital paper!!!  The colors are so funky, cool and totally different.  I'm having fun using it on different projects.

After sponging Stampin Up! rich razzelberry around the edges of my main image, I layered it onto a wild wasabi scrap, then my Color Infusion digital paper, then a Stampin Up! soft suede scrap before popping it up using Michael's pop dots.  For my background on the card, I pulled out my Sensational Stems acrylic stamps and stamped images in Stampin Up! kiwi kiss, wild wasabi, rich razzelberry and soft suede.  For the final touches, I pulled out my daisy MFT die-namic and die cut some scrap Color Infusion digital paper and added some leaves using a Martha Stewart punch.  Once that was added, I decided my main image still was lacking something - brads.  Since I didn't have any in soft suede, I made my own by punching some out using a small hand held punch and glued them on with a Martha Stewart 2-way glue stick.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: MTME Critters With A Heart Digital, Sensational Stems

Ink: Stampin Up! Soft Suede, Wild Wasabi, Kiwi Kiss, Rich Razzelberry

Card Stock: White, MTME Color Infusion Digital Designer Paper, Stampin Up! Rich Razzelberry, Wild Wasabi Scrap, Soft Suede, Kiwi Kiss

Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Sponge, Computer, Printer, Martha Stewart Leaf Punch, MFT Daisy Days Die-Namic, Glue Dots, Pop Dots, Small Hand Held Punch, 2-Way Glue Stick

Punches, Lady Serene & Speedy The Cat Challenge #72

Hello again and welcome.  Today I'm sharing a card I made for this week's Speedy The Cat challenge - using a punch.  For my card this week, I wanted a soothing feel to it since this weekend is so emotional for everyone.

I pulled out my retired Lady Serene set and stamped the main image twice: once on Mark's Finest Papers Corn Husk card stock and then again on some scrap designer paper.  Once I had select areas of the main image colored with prismacolor markers, I cut out the stamped designer paper pieces and glued them down to "color" the dress and fan.  Once the flowers and butterfly were also colored, then layered, I added some Making Memories flower brads and adhered the panel over some die cut scallop layers.    For my final touches, I punched some leaves and butterflies using my Martha Stewart punches and glued them down before adding some primas with bling centers and a popped up butterfly with a bling body.

If you haven't participated in one of the Speedy The Cat challenges before, you really should.  Each week a winner is drawn from all of the entries for a free stamp set and who doesn't love free stuff!! 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.


Stamps: MFP Lady Serene
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin Up! Bliss Blue
Card Stock: MFP Corn Husk, Stampin Up! Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue, GinaK Designs Digital Jersey Shore Designer Paper, White
Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Martha Stewart Punches, Bling, Primas, Glue Dots, Mini Pop Dots, Making Memories Flower Brads, Stipple Brush, MFT Jumbo Scallop Die-namic, Computer, Printer

Owls and Butterflies - My Time Made Easy Pretty Pattern Sketch Challenge #26

Hello and welcome to another My Time Made Easy Pretty Pattern Sketch challenge.  This week's sketch comes on the heels of another fantastic My Time Made Easy release.  When I saw all of the new digital papers and the new digital stamps being release, I knew I just had to use some of the brand new goodies for my sketch.

For my sketch, I chose to use the new Color Infusion digital paper combined with the new Wonderful Woodland Creatures digital stamp set.  After downloading my stamps, and breaking apart the set, I printed off the owl because he's so cute and I was inspired by Lauren's most recent post here.  Once, I had my digital paper printed off, I allowed that to chose the colors my owl would end up being.  Definitely wasn't planning on going with the traditional owl colors with this one. 

After my owl was colored, I stippled Stampin Up! wild wasabi around the edges before layering and adding some Making Memories mini brads.  For the final touches, I added some googlie eyes to the owl and some Martha Stewart punched butterflies to the bottom right corner of the card.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.


Stamps:  MTME Wonderful Woodland Creatures
Ink: Stampin Up! Wild Wasabi
Card Stock: White, Stampin Up! Wild Wasabi, Rich Razzelberry, Black, MTME Color Infusion Digital Designer Paper
Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Stipple Brush, Googlie Eyes, Making Memories Mini Brads, Martha Stewart Butterfly Trio Punch, Stampendous Class-A-Peel Stickers

Flowers, Hummingbirds and Teapots - MMTPT162

Hello everyone.  Happy Tuesday!!!  This week's Mothermark Teapot Tuesday challenge is to make something that is beautiful to us.  We are sending our cards to Eula for her 109th birthday.  That's right - 109 years young!!  If I even make half that age, I'll be doing good.

I love flowers, especially daffodils, and birds, especially hummingbirds.  I think it's just so funny to watch these little bodies dart in and out of everywhere between flowers and the hanging bird feeders I remember my grandma having while growing up.  Grandma Cynda and I would just sit at the kitchen table for hours watching the hummingbirds that came to her feeders whenever I could visit Southern California while growing up. 

So when Mark's Finest Papers released the Daffodil and Anise stamp set, I just had to get it.  Not just because of the hummingbird that was included, but also for the daffodil stamp in the set as well.  You see, daffodils are used by the American Cancer Society during their Daffodil Days fundraiser every spring to support cancer research.  This research is really important to me since I've lost three members of my family to cancer.  Also, both my daughter and myself are high risk for breast cancer since both my mother and her mother died from breast cancer.

Taking my stamp set out, I stamped my images twice onto white card stock with memento tuxedo black ink and then colored with prismacolor markers, shading as necessary.  Once I was done with my coloring, I cut out part of one daffodil, both hummingbirds, and part of one anise for popping up later and began layering.  Once the layering was done, and my additional images were popped up, I turned my attention to the inside of the card.

Normally I don't decorate the inside, however, lately it seems I've been doing so and for a 109th birthday, the inside definitely needed to be decorated.  I took the leftover digital designer paper from My Time Made Easy's new Trendy Forest and adhered it to the bottom of the card.  Once that was done, I took the extra cut out images and adhered the anise over the designer paper.  Taking the butterfly, I placed that in the upper right hand corner before stamping the birthday saying from Mark's Finest Papers new Birthday Mini set in memento tuxedo black.

Remember, next spring when the cancer society has their Daffodil Days fundraiser, consider buying some.  Your donation to cancer research will help more people have an extra birthday, and more families avoid losing someone to cancer.  Maybe together, we can get rid of this ugly disease.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: MFP Daffodils and Anise, Birthday Mini

Card Stock: White, Stampin Up! Wild Wasabi, Summer Sun, Black, MTME Trendy Forest DP

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Brads, Pop Dots, Computer, Printer

Stamping With Speedy The Cat

Happy Sunday everyone.  Last night and really early this morning, I got a little coloring done with some pre-stamped images while my migraine meds were working. 

I started by pulling out an image panel I had made using Mark's Finest Papers retired set Our Side Of The Pond and colored it with prismacolor markers.  Once that was done, I tore a post it note and lightly stippled some retired Stampin Up! soft sky dye ink over the torn edges to create some clouds before stippling bashful blue ink around the edges of the entire panel and then layering.  For the card itself, I pulled out the cattails from the same set, and stamped them in retired Stampin Up! bliss blue dye ink before over stamping my saying in memento tuxedo black ink. 

For the final touches, I added ribbon with a gold clip attached, brads, primas, black pearl stickers, and bling flowers to go with Speedy The Cat's Bring On The Bling challenge.  Once my card was finished, I just had to tinker with it some more by adding Ranger crystal effects to the frogs eyes and pad tips to make the pads look like the frog just came out of the water.

My second card was made for the Featured Stamper challenge over on Splitcoaststampers.  This week's featured stamper is CHRISSY DICKINSON (chrissyd723)!  Let me tell you she has a wonderful gallery to look at with lots of different styles to learn from as well.  I chose this card of hers to CASE and then changed not only the stamp set used (Ferns and Chickadee), but the colors and used a full quarter sheet of background paper instead of squares.  I also pulled out some of my Colorbook word stickers instead of stamping my saying on the front of the card.

Once my images were stamped onto white card stock in memento tuxedo black ink, I pulled out my prismacolor markers to color before stamping the ferns in PTI landscape pallet ink and stippling Stampin Up! bashful blue around the edges of the image panel.   After adding my word sticker, I pulled out my black pearl stickers and added them instead of brads and then also some chocolate ribbon to match the designer paper as the final touch.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.


Stamps: MFP Ferns & Chickadee, Our Side Of The Pond
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin Up! Bashful Blue, Bliss Blue, Soft Sky, PTI Landscape Pallet
Card Stock: White, Stampin Up! Bliss Blue, Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, Black, MME Bohemian DP
Accessories: Prismacolor Markers, Stipple Brush, Post It's, Pearl Stickers, Word Stickers, Ribbon, Gold Clip, Bling, Primas, Glue Dots, Pop Dots