A Little Graduate

HELLO and Happy Friday!!!! Today is a special day at school. With it being Memorial Day our music teacher works all year with the kids to put on a special program honoring veterans. Each class during the year adopts a veteran and then the veteran comes in  and shares his stories about what branch he or she was in and what it was like to serve. The kids love having them come and are full of questions. Then tomorrow there are at least 110 veterans coming to the special program and they will be honored with songs, letters and special presentations from the school kids. This is the 3rd year at our school and it gets better every year. It is a wonderful tribute to them and a way to thank them for all they sacrificed for us. It brings tears to the eyes of everyone there.

I am a guest DT at Raise The Bar Challenge Blog this week, I am very honored to have been chosen. Their challenge this week is "Congratulations" in honored of all the graduates. I decided to do a card for a little girl I know that is so excited about graduating from kindergarten. They are having a graduation ceremony next Friday so this card will be perfect for her.(They are wearing blue caps and gowns). On a side note my stars on this card look a bit odd in this picture. They are very shiny silver with holographic stars on them, the camera doesn't show it too well. I hope you stop by Raise The Bar and play along with this fantastic challenge. The DT are super talented and can't wait to inspire you with their creations.

Here are some other wonderful challenges that fit my card

2 Sisters Challenge #92-Stars
Bearly Mine Challenge #36-Anything Goes
Stamp n' Doodle Challenge-Sparkle and Bling
Celebrate the Occasion Challenge #63-Graduation
Creative Card Crew Challenge #11-Dimension
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge-Dress for Success
Moving Along with the Times Challenge-Celebrate with NO Birthday
My Craft Spot Monday Challenge #56-Congratulations
Paper Crafting Journey Challenge #10-Anything Goes for Kids
Sassy Cheryl's Challenge #116- What's your color? Blue and silver with a splash of white!
Send A Smile 4 Kids Challenge-Anything Goes for Kids
Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #140-Build up your card
The Crazy Challenge #120-3D
The Paper Shelter Challenge #65-Bling It On

These are all wonderful challenges so be sure to stop by and play along with them.

Thank you for stopping by today to see what I created. I really appreciate all the wonderful comments that you leave for me to read.

Happy Creating,
Mary

Spring Cleaning

Hello, I hope you are having as beautiful weather where you live as we are here in New England! The last few days have been sunny and warm then it cools off at night for good sleeping. Tomorrow through the holiday weekend is suppose to be just as great.

I made this card for this week's Going Grey with Scrap-Creations challenge BINGO

This is one of my top choices for a challenge. I used the diagonal row, Ribbon, Die cuts/Punch and Pearls (my pearls are the Dew Drops). I hope you like this challenge as much as I do and come play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other ladies created to inspire you.

Here are some other challenges that fit my card

Allsorts Challenge #155-Buttons and Bows

Bearly Mine Challenge #36-Anything Goes

By The Cute and Girly May Challenge-Spring is in the air

CMC Copic Challenge #43-Anything Goes

Die Cuttin' Divas Challenge #66-Buttons, Banners and/or Birthdays

Digi Doodle Shop's Best Challenge #109-Let's Go Spotty

Fresh Brewed May Prize Challenge FBC94-Tic Tac Toe, Die cuts, Buttons, Ribbon

Hanna and Friends Challenge #146-Favorite Song, An oldie but favorite because my kids (when they were little) liked to sing it when it was bath time

Hotshot Craft Challenge #8-Die Cuts

Just Keep on Creating Challenge #2-Anything Goes

Lollipop Crafts Challenge #81-Make a Splash

Love To Create Challenge #16-Song Inspired, My song is "Splish Splash"

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #80-Anything Goes

Southern Girls Challenge #45-Dying to Die cut

Stamps & Fun =Creativity Challenge #100-Anything Goes

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge #77-Dig out the old, my buttons, Dew Drops and the paw charm all over 2 years old

Totally Gorjuss Challenge #132-Charmed

Truly Madly Crafty May Challenge-Five, I have 5 Dew Drops on my card

These are all wonderful challenges so be sure to stop by and play along with them.

Thank you for stopping by today to see what I created. I really appreciate all the wonderful comments that you leave for me to read. It really makes my day.

Happy Creating,

Mary

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Taking After MOM?

This post is all about my daughter, Nicole. I like to think I am crafty but she is creative. She loves to write poetry and has never quite known what to do with it once she wrote it. I thought maybe doing a scrapbook with it but it never seemed right to her. Then she tried a regular journal and the pages are stamped and decorated with small jewels or pearls not enough room for an artistic feel to go along with the poems. She wanted a blank canvas so smash books didn't quite fit and then one day I saw Simple Stories at our LSS. It is like a small 3 ring binder filled with all kinds of different pages. It seems to be a perfect fit for Nicole's journaling (poetry). I thought I would post 2 of the pages and the front of the journal on my blog for her since she doesn't have one of her own. She is definitely having fun with my stash of goodies and tools, and she is starting to collect her own stash of stuff. It is fun sharing what I know about paper crafting and stamping and seeing her take it in her own direction. What do you think? She would love to know what others think of her creative work so far.

I am entering these into a few challenges so I can share her work with others

Saturated Canary Smash Hop-Journaling
Truly Madly Crafty May Challenge FIVE, teal page, 5 different embellishments, flowers, pearls & gems, ribbon, MF swirl and glitter sticker letters
The Corrosive Challenge #149-teal page, Flowers and Doilies and Bling, Oh My!
Anything Goes Challenge #66-Journal Cover, Things with Wings, the Butterfly
Hotshot Craft Challenge #8-Diecuts
The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge-May Flowers
Great Impressions Challenge #3-Anything Goes
Let's Ink It Up Challenge #23-Bling, jewelry box and chandelier are both stamped
Inspire Me Fridays #58-Anything Goes

Thank you so much for stopping by today to see what my daughter Nicole has created. She really appreciates you leaving a comment for her to read.

Happy Creating,
Mary and Nicole

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! I know it is a day early but I am very excited because one of my gifts this year is new garden beds for the front of my house. I have been here in this house for 35 years and have lots of wonderful gardens around the house. Right along the front of the house though we have had evergreen shrubs that had no character and just got bigger and bigger every year. My husband just didn't want to pull them out. This year when my son, who has his own landscaping company, was complaining about the mess that they were causing with the walk and the lawn (and he was tired of listening to me complaining about it)  suggested that it would make a great Mother's Day gift for me to let me have the new gardens. My husband agreed, the old bushes are gone, my son designed the new gardens and I am going to the garden center today with my son to pick new plants and tomorrow my son and husband are going to spend the day putting everything in the ground!

I made this card for the Going Grey with Scrap-Creations challenge this week. The theme this week is Mother's Day. I knew I wanted to do something different for my mom's card this year, and I know she likes classic better that over the top cards. I played around with different ideas until I came up with using my Rubber Stamp Tapestry peg stamps and stamping around just the first letter of Mother. I printed it out multiple times on a piece of copy paper and stamped around the letter different ways, just on the beginning, on just the top or only on the bottom. I decided that I like all around it the best and this was the end result. I am happy with it and think my mom will like it too.
If you made a card for your mom tomorrow why not share it with us over at Going Grey with Scrap-Creations we would love to see what you made for your mom!

Here are some other wonderful challenges that fit my creation

2 Sisters Challenge #91-Make It Girlie
Anything Goes Challenge #66-Things with Wings
Card Makin' Mamas Challenge #45-May Flowers
Celebrate the Occasion Challenge #62-Mother's Day
CES Challenge #85-Anything Goes
Clear It Out Challenge-Mother's Day/card for a mentor
Crafts and Me Challenge #83-Punches and Dies, I used both
Crafty Calendar May Challenge-Things with Wings
Crafty Creations Challenge #169-Frame It!
Crafty Sentiments Challenge-Mother's Day
Creatalicious Challenge #33-Butterflies and add some flowers
Creative Card Crew Challenge #10-Sentiment as focal point
Creative Craft Challenges-Anything Goes
Critter Sketch challenge #114-Mom
Deep Ocean Challenge #25-"What a Wonderful Woman"
Digi Doodle Shop's Best Challenge #107-Bingo! A bit of Sparkle(on the stamped flowers), Something New Ribbon, Pearls
DYSU Challenge #71-Use a Flower
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge #62-Butterflies, Ribbon and Punches
I Brake For Challenges-I brake for florals
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #118-Honoring Mothers
Lollipop Crafts Challenge #79-Mama Mia
Love To Create Challenge #14-For Mom/Special Lady
Made Especially for You Weekly Challenge-Mother's Day with Ribbon
Oozak Challenge #2-Spring Colors
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #79-I Love You Mom
Raise The Bar Challenge #104-Mother's Day
Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #47-Mother's Day/Feminine with Ribbon
Ribbon Carousel Challenge #RCC52-Something with a Mother's Day Sentiment
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #185-I Love You Mum
Simply Create Too Challenge #13-Mother's Day
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturday Challenge-Mother's Day
Stampin' For the Weekend Challenge-Lots of Layers
Sweet Stampin' Challenge-Flower Power
The Paper Shelter Challenge #63-Anything Goes
The Shabby Tea Room Challenge Week #113-Pretty as a Pitcher
The Squirrel and the Fox Challenge #17-One For The Girls
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge #76-Clean and Simple
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #97-Motherly Love

These are all fantastic challenges so be sure to stop by and play along with them.

Thank you for stopping by today to see what I created. I really appreciate all the wonderful comments that you leave for me to read, it really makes my day!

Happy Creating,
Mary

Playin' in the Rain

This is my second post today. I never post post twice!!! I feel like I lost my creative mojo the last couple of weeks. I have been busy with family things and my daughter has now decided that she likes papercrafting sort of, she is creating a journal for her poems using one of the Simple Stories albums because she wants to embellish the poems and the first journal was  too small and the pages were to thin to stamp on. This is her first attempt at any kind of papercrafting so she is trying to learn how to use all the tools I have. She is also going crazy buying stamps, DP, flowers, ribbon and lots of bling/pearls. We definitely have different tastes so there isn't too much I have to share with her except my knowledge and my time crafting with her.

I am now finally feeling like I want to color and finish the cards I was stuck on, they finally look like they have come together like I envisioned them to be. I am so happy to feel creative again!

What do you think of my raindrops? I have had them for about 3 years but could never bring myself to use them until I made the right card for them. The picture doesn't do them justice, their sparkle is so delicate and pretty. I am so happy to feel creative again!

Here are some fabulous challenges that fit my card

Aud Sentiments Challenge #52-Spring/Summer colours
Card Makin' Mamas Challenge-Getting Girlie
Cardmadfairy's Digi Day Challenge-April Showers
Creative Card Crew Challenge #9-Ribbon
Digi Doodle Shop's Best Challenge #104-April Showers
House of Gilli Challenge-Pretty ribbon and Sparkle
Oozak Challenge #1-Anything Goes
Pile It On Challenge #17-Sparkle and Shine
Raise the Bar Challenge #101-Cloudy Skies
The Ribbon Carousel Challenge #RCC50-Anything Goes with There She Goes
Saturated Canary Challenge #15-April Showers
Stamp and Create April Challenge-Spring
Stampin' For The Weekend Challenge #8-Sparkle and Shine
Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge #136-Use soft pastels
The Crafty Pad Challenge #167-Live on the Edge
The Crazy Challenge CCH #116-Feminine/Girly
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #95-Use some sparkle
Use It Tuesday Challenge #30-April Showers, my hoarded item is these pretty jewel raindrops

These are all wonderful challenges so be sure to stop by and play along with them!

Thank you for stopping by today to see what I created. I really appreciate all the wonderful comments that you leave for me to read.

Happy Creating,
Mary

Girls Just wanna Have Fun...

Happy Tuesday!!!! It is sunny and bright today here in New England. It has rained for the last 2 days (and it was much needed) but it is nice to see the bright sky again, at least for the next few days.  It is also time for another fantastic challenge over at Going Grey with Scrap-Creations. The theme this week is a personal favorite of mine, Girls just want to have fun. You can interpret it however you like. I went for the idea that it is always fun when the girls compete against the boys and win, hehe. Be sure to check out the ladies creations this week they are awesome!

Here are some other fabulous challenges that fit my card

2 Sisters Challenge #88-Use a digital image
Coffee, Chocolate and Cards Challenge #11-Bingo-Pearls, Punches Flowers
Clear It Out Challenge-Based on a song, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun My stash is the DP and flowers
Simon Says Challenge-Simon says... follow Danny's sketch
Crafty Sentiments Challenge-For a Child
Crafts 4 Eternity Challenge #68-Something New, the image and the blue pearls
Crafty Catz Challenge #129-Stripes or checks you choose
Creative Belli Blog Challenge #141-Children
Mo's  DP2 Challenge #131-Flowers
DYSU Challenge #68-Stripes
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge #61-Punches and Dies
Just Keep on Creating Challenge #1-Anything Goes
Lexi's Creations Challenge #63-Punches and Dies
Love To Create Challenge #12-Anything Goes
My Craft Spot Challenge #53-Things that go, her roller skates!
PanPastel UK Challenge #15-Add a Flower
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge #PWC202-Card for a girl
Paper and Such Design Challenge-Just for the Girls
SJ Crafts Monthly Challenge #4-Favorites, these are my favorite colors blues and purples
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #160-Loaded with Layers!
Twisted Tuesdays Challenge #2TC4-For the funny kiddos
Wags and Whiskers Challenge #77-Anything Goes

These are all fantastic challenges so be sure to stop by and play along with them. There is so much inspiration to see at each one!

Thank you for stopping by today to see what I created. I really appreciate all the wonderful comments that you leave for me to read.

Happy Creating,
Mary

Birthday Wishes Wrapped with Love

Hello and Happy Tuesday! I have a shortened day at school today I hope. It is workshop day for us so I am hoping to get out a little earlier than a full day of school and start cleaning up one of my flower gardens. There is green starting to sprout up and that means that need a clean and clear area to do their best all Spring. I love working out there just as much as paper crafting!

It being Tuesday it is time for our weekly challenge over at Going Grey with Scrap-Creations. This week we have a fun theme for you to play along with Birthdays. Any kinds of birthdays kids, loved ones, dear friends whatever you want you never seem to have enough of them on hand, RIGHT? So come play with us this week, I can't wait to see what you create!

Here are some other fabulous challenges that fit my card

2 Sisters Challenge #85-Birthday Fun
Alota Rubber Stamps Challenge #80-Birthday
Anything Goes Challenge #64-Anything Goes
Celebrate The Occasion Challenge #57-A Child's Birthday
Come and Get It Challenge-Bring it on...SPRING!
Craft Your Passion Challenge #104-Dots and Stripes
Crafts 4 Eternity Challenge R#65-3of a kind, 3 fluffy flowers
Crafty Sentiments Design Challenge-Bunnies
Creative Card Crew Challenge #7-Spring
Deep Ocean Challenge #22-Masking or use more than one stamp, I did both
Incy Wincy Designs Challenge #140-Easter and/or Pastel colors
Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #113-Anything but a Rectangle
Lili's Little Fairies Challenge-Anything Goes
Paper and Such Design Challenge- Spring or Easter card
Papertake Weekly Challenge-Anything Goes
Phindy's Place Challenge #99-Ribbon
Pile It On Challenge #14-Create a Scene
Fairy Fun Fridays Challenge #75-Spring Fling
Rainbow Lady's Challenge #198-Butterflies
The Ribbon Carousel Challenge #RCC47-Spring is in the Air
Simon Says Challenge-Simon says...Anything Goes
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday Challenge-Spring
Stampin' For the Weekend Challenge #6-Anything Goes
Stamps & Fun= Creativity Challenge #93-Bingo, bow, the color purple and sentiment (text)
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #157-Playin' with Pastels!
Sweet Stampin' Challenge-Spring or Easter
Tammy's Scrapin' Corner Challenge #4-Anything Goes with inspiration colors purple and pink
The Craft Garden April Challenge-Pastel Colors
The Crazy Challenge #113-Spring
The Cutie Pie Challenge #15-Favorite Cute Stamp
The Pixie Cottage Challenge #114-Cuddly Critters
The Poodles Parlour Challenge-Going Dotty!
Through The Craftroom Door Challenge #23-Spring is in the Air with butterflies
Totally Gorjuss Challenge #125-Swirly Whirly
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #92-Pastels

These are all wonderful challenges so be sure to stop by and play along with them!

Thank you for stopping by today to see what I created. I really appreciate all the wonderful comments that you leave for me to read.

Happy Creating,
Mary