The New Year is Coming....Ready or Not!

Wow, 2011.....can you believe it?  This past year has just flown by.  So much going on in my life.....but I'm not going to whine!  I truly believe when one door closes another opens.  Well this past year, I have learned to live by this.  I have tried to suck it up and not make too much noise about the whole thing, but I've had some ups and downs as I'm sure, we all have.  I am looking forward to the new year with eyes wide open!

This blog has been an outlet for a lot of my frustrations as well as my joy!  Thanks to all of you have made this journey a little more tolerable!  I have met so many wonderful ladies and truly been blessed by all the beauty I see on your blogs!  Thanks for being there for me!

This card is a Card of Thanks to all of you who have made a difference in my life this past year!  I hope you enjoy it.  I will not be giving this one away.  She will sit atop my crafting closet as a reminder to me of how many wonderful ladies are out there in blog land and how much kindness there still is in our world.


Did you know that Joan over at Joan's Gardens is now selling Magnolia stamps?  She even had a sale on them before Christmas and I was able to purchase a couple.  You need to go check her out!  She carries so many goodies to use in crafting, it just makes my heart palpitate!  I was able to purchase a couple and this is my favorite!  Just a little plug for you Joan!

That's it for me today......Hope you have just a little time to create today!

I got an Award.....

Imagine my surprise when I received this award from my blogging buddy Sylvia!  Hey everybody.....I'm Stylish!!! 

The rules for receiving this award are:
Thank and link back to the person who sent this to you. Thanks Sylvia
Share 8 things about yourself
Pass this award on to 8 bloggers
Contact those bloggers and tell them you sent them this award.

So 8 things about me.

1.  I'm a Scorpio...Headstrong, true blue and focused.
2.  I love, love, love making cards!
3.  I live to try  new techniques and search blogs for new and different ideas.
4.  I refer to myself as "This old Broad".
5.  I'm unemployed...but don't feel sorry for me.  It is working out just fine!
6.  I play well with others.
7.  I am owned by two little Yorkies (Maggie and Abbey-Gail)
8.  I am married to a wonderful man who lets me do whatever I want and even mutters "That's Nice"
     now and then.

Now the eight people I want to give this award to:
  Patty
  Linda
  Marsha
  Colleen
  Olga
  Jackie
  Kelly
  Tanya

Thanks again, Sylvia!

This has been my third post for the day, so now I will be quiet for awhile!

My Top Ten Cards for 2010.....



Here are my favorite 10 cards for 2010:  I hope you enjoy. It has been so much fun looking back at some of the cards I did along the way.  This is just a little time to look backward as we began to think about the coming year.  May your New Year be a Blessed One. 



New Year's Resolution....

A few years back I decided to stop making New Year's Resolutions...they were always things like, quit smoking, lose weight, exercise daily.  Well I still smoke (sadly), I'm still FAT and I use the treadmill to hang clothes on....really!  I decided resolutions were not for me.  Well this year I'm willing to make only one New Year's Resolution...To Sleep All Night!  Since I have been awake since 2 AM I figure this is a good one!  You can't tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor....(you need less sleep, but you are too tired to do anything with those extra hours!)  Crafting has become my way of being productive during those wee hours of the morning.  Here is what I have been doing since 2 AM!

Since I never keep resolutions, and my age dictates that I only sleep a couple of hours per night.....I think my crafting addiction is safe! 

As I sit here visiting with you, I am on my 4th. cup of coffee and beginning to feel like I could thread a sewing machine while it is running.  I think I need to slow down on the caffeine!  This is going to be a long, long, long, long day! 

Supply List:
Gina K Design Card Stock
Watercolor Paper
Ranger Distress Inks
Spellbinders Dies
Magnolia Stamp
Marianne Creatables #LR0133
Cuttlebug Vintage Corners

I Love Making Flowers......

Do you love these large flowers as much as I do?  I think they are so different!  I used my Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die and used the two large flowers for the larger flowers here.  The centers are made by curling the next to largest flowers petals and when you glue them together you push the centers down into a foam mat ...this gives them dimension and pulls those little curls together.  I sponged the ends with Distress Inks, sprayed with Glimmer Mist, and used a background stamp to add the print.  Then scrunched everything to shape the petals.  The blue flowers are made using homemade Mulberry  paper that I have in my stash.  Even after they are finished they stay soft and pliable.  The only thing left for these babies is to add some glitter to the edges if you want.  They are ready to adorne a card or scrapbook page or the top of a box. I need to work on some leaves to peak out from under the flowers and that will be what I am working on today if I have time. 

My day is already planned out for me today.  The laundry fairy didn't visit us this Christmas and my cup runneth over!!  It is cold here again this morning...we are supposed to warm up over the next couple of days and be more our regular weather here in the South!  Have a great week and remember to take time to Breathe!!

White Christmas and also Day After.....

Christmas Day we had a dusting of snow, just enough to say it was a White Christmas.  This morning we awoke to 3-4 inches and it has snowed on and off all day long.  Just a great day to stay inside and sip warm tea.  This is so unusual for our area....we are all totally enjoying the beauty! 

I will be back tomorrow with some more flowers I have been making.

All is Well.....

We have had the third and final round of Christmas here in the Brooks household...everything is quiet, all the presents have been opened and carted away.  It is snowing again and I have a very peaceful feeling as I watch the snow falling.  We have only had a dusting of accumulation but it has been a beautiful day here in East Tennessee.  We kept a fire going in the fireplace all day and watched the snow flying outside.  What a comforting feeling. 

We hope each and everyone had a wonderful Holiday and were able to celebrate the birth of our Lord in your own way!  Everything has been different here this year.  We were not able to spend so much money, but I feel we have been blessed in so many ways!  We were able to spend some time with our kids and Grand Kids and share a meal with them.  As it turned out, this has been the best Christmas that I remember for a long time.  Just being able to spend quality time with those you love can be such a grand thing! 

Now, as we turn our attention to the new year, I hope you all have a productive and prosperous year!  May you achieve the things you want and be with the people you love.  This is my wish for you.  I feel like I have been blessed in so many ways since I started my blog.  There are so many big hearted people out there and so very much talent.  I have made new friends and learned so many new things this past year.  I feel I have become a better person because of all of you!  You have given me so much encouragement and given me the courage to spread my wings! 

Hugs and a Big Wave to all of you!

Here Is What I Have Been Doing.......

What I do when I'm having a problem with MoJo, or if I don't have time to get into anything too time consuming is to make flowers.  I just love doing these...There are several videos on You Tube for making paper flowers.  There are all kinds of different flowers and I love to watch these ladies create these beautiful flowers and then I try to do it too.  A flower can be a thing of beauty and each and everyone is different and that is why I love doing them.  Each one is different and I never get bored with doing them.  I use the Tim Holtz Alterations Die....Tattered Florals to cut out my petals and from there it is a free for all on my desk!

I color these with Ranger Distress Inks and then spray with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and then I scrunch them up into a little ball and twist the petals this way and that to curl the edges.  I also use tweezers to twist the petals in different directions and to curl the edges. The sky is the limit.....the only thing that you must be careful with is to wait until the petals are close to being dry so they will hold the curls and while they are still pretty wet, they will tear.  These are so pretty on boxes, cards, scrapbooking layouts, gift bags.....there are so many places I love to see a little beauty. 

So this is what I have been doing with my free time these last couple of days.  I will be doing more for sure, since I don't have too many free minutes with the Holidays breathing down my neck.  I'm ready except for a little more cleaning tomorrow and a little cooking tomorrow evening.  That's it for me....remember to spend a little time each day just for you...you deserve it!

It's Quiet Here.....

I know I have been quiet for awhile now.  Just coasting, waiting on Christmas.  I did make an attempt to clean my craft space, but I still can't let anyone in for fear we would never see them again!  I do have everything ready for the big day....just a little bit of baking left to do and some prep work for the meals.  Nothing major there, however, I have a lot of cleaning on the agenda for this week.  Somehow these two people can make a monster mess these days!  And since I don't work outside the home anymore....guess who gets the grunge details.

I have been making some flowers for a dear friend who lives in Idaho, "big wave"  How you doing girl?  Hope you made it to son's house for the Holidays!  But that is all I have been doing.  I seem to spend too much time on each one, making them twist and fold....trying to make them look as real as I can....so this keeps these old hands busy for a good long while.  I love making flowers....so the time just slips away.  I haven't made a card in over a week and I have to admit that I am going into DT's .  I plan to get started again right after Christmas. 

I just wanted to pop in and let you know that I have not succumbed and I will be back with pictures of the flowers I'm making!   Soon....I promise!  Now I'm off for more coffee and to get started on the day!
Have a wonderful week and remember to spend a little time just for you!

Winding Down.....

As we get closer to the Christmas Season, I find I'm running out of steam.  I have finished all my cards and home made gifts and all the shopping is finished, and everything is wrapped and ready to go.  These coming days I will be making home made goodies to share with neighbors and friends and of course my husband and I will enjoy them too. 

I will be quiet for a little while now; I hope you understand.  I just need a few days to find MoJo and get her back in line.  I am going to clean my craft room and see if I can get the juices flowing again.  I also plan to color, color, color.  I also am in a flower making mood so that will be happening also.  Of course I will visit all the blogs that I normally do for inspiration and ideas.  That is something I do early each morning to be quiet so my husband can rest a little longer.

From my house to yours, May you have a blessed Christmas!  Try and take time to reflect on the reason for this season.  And my wish for each of you is a little quiet time to enjoy the simple pleasures of the season!  I wish you peace, health and happiness!

See you soon!  Merry Christmas!

Christmas is coming!!

Since I have finished my Christmas Cards, I decided to make a few tags for packages...  This little fella I found in my box....I had already colored and cut out so all I had to do was punch a hole to add a small ribbon and I couldn't even handle that!  I just noticed that the hole I punched is off center, but I doubt that once I attach to a package, anyone will notice!

I have Grandsons and not all are interested in what Ninny is doing in her craft room, but I think this little guy is so cute and will make the package a little more special.   He is a h'Angler image and I colored him in Distress Inks.  I used chalk to add the shadows around him and cut out with a Spellbinders die and inked the edges with more distress ink.  I'm still struggling with cheeks!  I just can't seem to make them look like I want them to.  I read somewhere to use chalk to do the cheeks and I will be trying this in the very near future! 

We are really cold here this morning....12 degrees with wind chills in the single digits!  I'm hoping to get out and finish Christmas Shopping this morning.  I better bundle up and hustle from the car to the store!  Only a few more things to buy so it won't take long!

Hope you have a good day!

Hugs
Glenda

Snow in East Tennessee...Yeah!!

It looks like we got 2-4 inches....sort of  hard to tell...It's a dry snow and blowing around in some places it's almost 5-6 inches and you can see the grass in others.  Brett and Gracie were up early and just prancing in the snow.  Ready to have their water unfrozen and breakfast.  They have now gone back into the pen into their enclosed room. 

Well if you have snow where you are, stay warm and be safe!

TGIF!!!!

Good morning and Happy Friday!  Life is good!  I am almost finished with Christmas shopping and getting ready to hunker down for the Holidays!  This morning I want to share my very last Christmas card . 

This guy is a Sassy Cheryl's image and I think he is too cute!  I colored him with Ranger Distress Ink on watercolor paper and mounted that onto a green card stock base.  I didn't add any bling or ribbon or pearls or glitter or anything.  I think he sort of speaks for himself!

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend.  If you are shopping.....breathe!!

JOAN'S GARDENS CHALLENGE #25 WINNERS!!!!!!!

Now I know you have all been waiting for these winners to be announced....Well here are the winners:

My blog had one of the hidden prizes and I am happy to announce that #38 - Donna won the package with Webster Products!

Darlene had a winner on her blog.....#16 - Holly won the Cuttlebug Products!

Geri also had a winner on her blog ... #46 - Vicky won the Anna Griffin Products!

and

THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER IS.....DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....#58.....


LINDA W.!!!!!   CONGRATULATIONS LINDA!

All winners need to contact Joan at:  jfricker@fourway.net .  She will need your address so she can send you your winnings!  You have four days in which to contact Joan.

Congratulations to everyone and thank you for helping make this milestone a wonderful one for Joan's Gardens.  I want to thank all of you who visited the Design Team's Blogs and left comments.  You were all so very kind.  I have to admit, I loved all that attention.  All the cards submitted to Joan's Gardens for the Grand Price were so very pretty.  I looked at all of them; there is a lot of talent out there!  Well done ladies!

Now don't forget to join in Joan's challenges each week.  She already has #26 posted for this week so you need to go check her out!

2nd Posting....

Hello again... This is my second posting today!  Now don't faint or anything!  I just have this one more entry in Joan's Garden's 25 Challenge Celebration.  Here is my card!

Now I must apologize for the shadows on the picture.  My camera does a better job if I take photos early in the morning.  It has something to do with my light.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I used Heartfelt Creations Dies and Stamps as per the challenge.  HCD 703 Daisy Patch Diecuts and the stamp I used was HCPC 3320 Vintage Word Background Precut set.  The corner medallion and leaves are from HCD 704 Perfect Petals Die Cut.  I distressed and glimmer misted the flowers and leaves and scrunched and twisted to give them a little more life like look and then added them to the base background. I used Ranger Distress Ink to distress the edges of everything!  I love that look...it sort of makes everything pop.
I was just trying to get one more entry into the Challenge before the deadline.  Whew,  I made it!  Cut off is tomorrow morning!  Have a wonderful evening.  Now I am off to finish my chores for the day!

Next to last Christmas Card.....I think!

Good morning everyone!  Hope you are warm and toasty wherever you are!  Several of my blogging buddies are experiencing SNOW where they are.  For us, here in the Tennessee Valley, we did get a little skiff of snow yesterday.  About 1"...and a cold wind along with it!  We are at 15 degrees this morning, which is terribly cold here in the South!  We just might have a White Christmas!  We can only hope.

This morning I want to share another Christmas Card.  I'm thinking this will be my next to last Holiday Card.  It is nearing the time when I have to mail them, so I best get a wiggle on!

I have been seeing these door cards everywhere and I just love the idea.  So I just did some measuring and came up with my own dimensions for the card and then just eye balled the panels and cut them.  Each panel is distressed with Tea Dye Distress Ink.  I used a half pearl colored with my gold Copic Marker for the door knob.  I was drifting on You-Tube and found a video for Ribbon Weaving and that is how I made my wreath on the door.  A few pearls glued to the wreath and it is done and done!  Pretty simple, but I think it has a WOW effect!  I hope you like this and that it gives you an idea of one for yourself!  You could even use an embossing folder to emboss the panels if you wanted. 

I hope you enjoy this and try to make one for yourself.  My finished card is 4 1/4 X 7.  You might want to cut yours down to fit into a legal envelope.  This one isn't going in the mail so I can just tuck it down into a gift bag and go!

Have a wonderful day, and remember to take a little time for yourself!  Just a few minutes out of the day to create, meditate, pray.....it doesn't matter what you do....just spend a little time for you!

Winter White......

Good morning everyone!  This morning I want to share a card I made for the Flourishes Winter White Challenge.  I don't know if you are familiar with this company or not, but they have some amazing stamps.  I have several of their sets, but I want them all!  I'm greedy like that!  Here is the link to their blog and you can access their store by clicking on "Shop" at the top of the page!  flourishes.org/blog/

Their Winter White Challenge called for an all white card with just a pop of color.  My color is gold embossing.  I used a Spellbinders Die (Grand 12" Poinsettia Border) and heat embossed the centers of the
flower.  Next I used the sentiment from Flourishes Sleigh Ride Stamp Set and heat embossed it.  Everything is done on Watercolor paper.  The layers used for the sentiment is also a Spellbinders Die (Labels Sixteen) turned on its side.

I just love white on white cards....I think they are so classy looking and I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out.  This will go into my box for the Holidays.

I hope you are safe and warm where you are.  We are in the 20's this morning here in the Tennessee Valley, the wind is whipping.  It just makes you want to snuggle down!  Wherever you are and whatever you are doing today, I hope it is a pleasant one!  Remember to spend a little time just for you!

Supplies:
Flourishes Stamps
Watercolor Paper from my Stash
Ranger Gold Embossing Powder
Spellbinders Dies

Circles......

I want to share my card with you this morning.  I was asked to be on a quest design team for Joan's Gardens;  Thank you, Joan!  That post is directly under this one.  While I had these Heartfelt Creations stamps out, I wanted to play with them a little more.    This is what I came up with! 

I made these flowers by cutting out designer paper from my stash with HCD 703 Daisy Patch DieCuts
then I sprayed them with Glimmer Mist (Pearl) and while the paper was still damp I twisted the edges of the flowers.  You glue together several layers and sizes and this is what you come up with!  I added a pearl to the center and it almost gives this a Christmas feel, with the reds and whites.    The verse is embossed with Silver embossing powder.

I don't have very many of these stamps, but I'm going to save my pennies and try to come up with more.  They are excellent quality and I loved playing with them.  You can purchase any of these at Joan's Gardens by clicking on the link above.  She carries a good supply of these stamps and dies!


Supplies:

HCD 703 Daisy Patch Die Cuts
HCPC 3309 Faith Heb. 11:1 PreCut Set

That is it for me today.  I'm off to get a second cup of coffee and sit for awhile and enjoy our Christmas tree.
Have a great weekend.  If you have snow where you are, try and stay warm and don't overdo with shoveling!

EXCITING NEWS!

Christmas is coming early and it could be you!

OK ladies....are you ready for this?   This is going to be a long post this morning but bear with me and it will be well worth the time you spend with me!  Just get yourself another cup of coffee and let's spend some quality time! 

I have been sitting on some exciting news the last couple of weeks and today I can tell you all about it!  To celebrate Joan's Gardens 25th. Weekly Challenge, Joan and Heartfelt Creations are giving away a Grand Price Package of  14 Heartfelt Creations Stamps and 3 Heartfelt Matching Dies worth over $284!!!  Now tell me....aren't you just as excited as me?  Joan and Selma asked me to be a Guest Designer for a Blog Hop that she is also sponsoring for this milestone.  I am very honored to participate and be a part of her celebration. 

GRAND PRIZE

There are only two requirements for this week's challenge:

• Create a card/project using only Heartfelt Creations stamps (HFC stamps and matching dies are acceptable)  Do not use any other brand stamps.  You may use any card stock, design paper and embellishments you want.
• You must be subscribed to Joan's Gardens blog so you receive all updates about challenges and sales.  This is an easy one, isn't it.

Once you have your card or project, post it to your blog.  Be sure and do a direct link to your your challenge card or project and not to your blog address.  If you have an SCS gallery that you will be posting to, you will need to use a special code to tag your card so it is entered into the challenge.  (This week's code is :
JC1202)  Joan will have a Blue Inlinkz icon at the bottom of her challenge post. joanscreations.blogspot.com
 

THREE ADDITIONAL PRIZES!

Now you also have a chance to win three additional prizes!  (Joan is really "Strutin her Stuff")  As I said before Joan and Selma have chosen 10 Guest Designers to participate in a Blog Hop featuring Heartfelt Creations stamps.  Each of us will be featuring a card or project we made using only Heartfelt Creations stamps and dies.  You will not want to miss all the inspiration in the beautiful cards created by everyone!  Believe me there is a lot of talent on this team!

To win one of the three remaining Prize Packages, you must visit each of the twelve blogs listed below and leave a message on each one!  There will be three "Mystery" blogs, each with one of the three additional prizes!  So try to visit each blog and leave a comment.

 GUEST DESIGNER TEAM:

Olga

Geri

Glenda - Me!

Darlene

Patty G

Theresa

Patti N

Carla

Linda

Pam

Selma

Joan

Are you still with me? Is your coffee still warm?   Here is my card!  I just loved being able to play with these stamps and dies!  The flower dies and stamps are some of my favorites as I just love working with flowers!

 Supplies:

HCPC 3320  Vintage Word Background Precut Set

HCPC 3309 Faith Heb.11:1 Precut Set

HCPC 3318 Daisy Patch Flowers Precut Set  (Matches HCD 703 Daisy Patch Die Cuts)

HCD 703 Daisy Patch Die Cut

HCD 704 Perfect Petals Die Cut (For the leaves)

Now don't forget to leave me a comment and then visit the other team members by just clicking on their names and leave them a comment.  You can never tell who will be hiding those three additional prize packages!  Good luck to you all!  Get those fingers flying and create some beauty!

Just a little reminder......

Tomorrow is Thursday and Joan's Gardens will celebrate her 25th. weekly challenge with a prize package from Heartfelt Creations.  This baby will be worth $286 and I don't know about you, but I would love to win this one!  You can visit Joan's Blog and check out her details on this challenge!  I have been participating in Joan's Challenges from the very beginning and I have really had a great time with each challenge.  She always has a nice gift to go to the winner, but this one is awesome.  I'm just saying, you might want to participate this week as this is an awesome package.

Joan has many items to purchase on her blog and she is a very quick shipper and everything always arrives in tip top condition.  She is definitely a class act! 

See you tomorrow at Joans!

Happy Hump Day!

Good morning everyone!  Get your cup of coffee or cocoa or tea and lets visit a little while this morning!
I want to show you one more box and then I promise I will not bore you with anymore!  I have had so much fun playing with these and wanted to share them, but tomorrow it will be time to move on!  I promise!
Tomorrow I have some exciting news to share with you, so remember to come back and visit again! I am just bustin at the seams to share my secret, but I promised to wait until tomorrow and a promise is a promise!  Do I have your curiosity up yet?  Good!  I look forward to your visit tomorrow!

I found the instructions for this box on Splitcoast Stampers Resource Page.  The dimensions given there are for "Kleenex" but I'm sure the dimensions could be adjusted for other tissues.  It isn't difficult and it just slides over the box and you can change for whatever season you want!   This one is a gift for a friend who doesn't use the computer, so I know she will not be seeing this!  I hope you enjoy!

Supplies:
Gina K Designs Card Stock
Cuttlebug Folders
Martha Stewart Edge Punch
Spellbinders Dies
Scor-Tape
Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue
Glitter, Glitter, Glitter......

It is raining here this morning.....still.....we are in the low 30's for temps and the wind is whipping!  Conditions are just perfect for some ice or snow flurries!  Yes, I said the S word!   A good day for sitting by the fire!  Stay warm and cozy wherever you are!  Remember to take time and Breathe! (Spend a little time just for you)