Just Magnolias - Last Card of 2010 - Anythink Goes!

Can you believe it is the last day of 2010?? Me... I am more than ready for this year to be over! 

Today is Just Magnolia's day.. and well ... some news about that there is a little bit of a change to our wonderful challenge site... ready????
 

How fun is that??? Now you can use your very well love Magnolias... AND... Hanglar & Stanglar images!!  It was so exciting to get down my very few Hanglars and dust them off to use for the challenge!

For my card this week - I used two images, that match up so cute don't they?

I colored them with my Copics - with pastels for the background. I then high-lighted with white gel pen and stickles. Love any images with hearts :0)

The card is an easel card, and I used lots of papers for it. The script background paper is from Graphic 45 - rich feeling and looking paper. Then for the "art" looking paper - Thomas Kinkade papers. Love his art so when I found his paper, I just had to have some, even if it is hard to use most of the time. I just hate covering it up!

 This was also a chance to use my Martha Stewarts Frosty Village border punch. I purchased this punch last year on clearance and have never used it. PERFECT for these papers though! My sentiment is from Just Rite and punched out with a large EK Success tag punch.

I loved using my Hanglars for this one... and so excited we can now use them during the challenge!! Just a shame that they are so hard for us US gals to get!! I was very lucky that a couple of super sweet friends helped me get the ones I have...  Thanks so much :0)

Now pop over and see all the DT cards and then join us!!!

Off to spend the day with Hubby - we have great plans for the New Years Eve evening... our favorite... Dinner in - Movies - him on the computer - me crafting... ahh a wonderful evening!

See you next year!! HUGS and - 

Me and My Space #10 - All my other Punches -

Wanted to make sure to finish my Punches Post before the end of the year... sadly I am ending the year Me and My Space looking not so organized.. LOL

First my last desktop punch storage. These are my larger punches from EK Success and my larger Stampin Up punches that I use more often. I love these large punches but they are harder to store. I found this wire basket at Walmart in the bathroom section. I am not sure what it is meant for, I actually bought it for my inks... but I found it didn't work well for that. But the EK Success larger punches fit perfect! 

 Now to my shameful punch drawer...

This is the bottom drawer in my small rolling storage on the side of my desk. The top drawer is my inky stuff I showed a few weeks ago... this is the bottom drawer. Hanging my head here....

I just ran out of space... and well these are less used punches that just don't hang or stand well. You can see all brands here... most are older punches. I still love the all... I love all punches :0)  I just need to figure out a better place for them.

Gotta run.. We are going to go and get our hair cut and then run some errands - I was close to clipping my bangs up on the top of my head last night while working!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday  - HUGS and-

Dust It Off Sunday - 10 - House Mouse - Might As Well Dance - Candle

Hello - Did you have a good Christmas? Our family did, but worn out and tired! Was a great couple of days with family though. Today for Dust It Off Sunday  I wanted to show you a Candle I made as a gift. The only handmade gift I made, and I made it weeks ago..

I adore this dancing House Mouse - It is a simple small little stamp that is just perfect for gift tags, cards and other items.

Simple to color with Copics, and then of course add some pink stickles to her tutu :0) I cut out with an oval Nestie, edged it in pink Copic and the matted with a white scallop Nestie. I did two of these...

Then used scrap pattern paper and wrapped it around a vanilla scented candle jar. Edged with a Martha Stewart Embroidered Floral Border punch top and bottom.  Two dancing mice.. and then the sentiment -

The perfect sentiment for the image. This is from Hampton Arts... One of my favorite says - I then added mulberry roses between each oval, Martha Stewart Frond Leaves, and LOTS and LOTS of rhinestone pink blings..... never enough bling!

It made a really cute girlie gift - and I do believe there will be a few more candles made this coming year - (Told you I had more gifts planned and didn't get to them... So I have the candles ready to decorate!)

I do hope you had a wonderful holiday, and me... breakfast with the locals today, then a couple of errands and then home for some quiet time... just Hubby, Me and 2 dogs... 2 puppies... a cat....  ok maybe not so quiet.. but some time for some crafting, and watching movies maybe.

Have a wonderful Sunday  -
HUGS and-

Animal Crackers - Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

A tradition started many many years ago. A photo Christmas Card - of our "children". Was fun and easy when it started with a couple of cats and a dog... then a couple of donkeys.. and then a few more.. then add some goats... Well the card has gotten pretty full over the years! Now I just add Libbie and Autie - and all new additions to the family of that year. It is fun to show off the babies :0) 

So here is our family Christmas Card for 2010 - 

We thank you for all the prayers and support

we have received in the past year -

From our family to yours we wish you a very

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

"MichelleO and Hubby"

Libbie, Autie, Gato, Ted E. Bear, Cocoa , Valentine, Darlene, Black Jack, Jazz, Felipe, Macey, Jorge, Felicia, Jolene, Bella, Miguel, Rico, Fanci, Raffie, Diego, Lacey, Lydia, Vickie, Paco, Ellie Mae, Patti, Marissa, Irene, Josie, Rosie, Lola, Lina, Pavo, Gloria, Cali, Mirta, Carlos, Sergio,  Pepita, Frankie, Paintbrush, Lucy, Lillie, Jack, Jill, Annie, Chloe, Hank, Cathy and three brand new Puppies too!! 

Hugs and - 

Me and My Space #9 - A favorite tool - Great Gift Item :0)

Ok, this week I am going to share a couple of my favorite tools. For a couple of reasons. One maybe it can help with a last minute gift item, for a friend or to hint to a Hubby :0) and then Two... well my craft space looks like a bomb went off in it. A Doggy Day Care, and a dumping zone for everything. Sigh... after Christmas I will get it all back into order I hope!

So for my first favorite tool - It is always out on my desk, I have used it for a couple of years now, and wouldn't craft with out it - and all though I love it I just replaced my original with a brand new pink one :0)  Not just cuz I wanted the pretty pink one, but well... my was really sad looking. My ATG Tape GUN!! I adore this thing! And now that my sticky old worn out one is now new clean and pink I love it even more!!

Now I could have gone on with my old red gun, I have cleaned it a million times, it is sticky - but it does work. I have always had a sticking problem when at the end of the roll, one of the first so it had some issues. But a couple of weeks ago I was in Micheals with a 50% coupon in hand... and went around an end cap and saw them... oh the pink one!!! It was only $35.00 - I paid WAY more than that for my first gun. So with my 50% off it was a steal! And it came with two free rolls of tape! So the old one went in my desk drawer, and now the pretty pink one sits on my desk. .... I love the ease of it, I love how long the tape last, and how much cheaper it is than most other adhesives! I buy my tape from the Tape Depot... the off brand, and I think it works just as well as the name brand. And again much much cheaper.  LOVE my ATG!!!!

Another must have on my desk tools is my ruler... I have had many rulers over the years - most of them cheap school rulers - but then I got my Tim Holtz Design Ruler - love it!!!

Wonderful cuz it is clear - I can see my papers and image through it. Wonderful cuz one side has inches and the other has a zero center... no thinking to center things. And Wonderful cuz it has the punch holes all along the sides. Great for lining up holes for brads or flowers or whatever! Love this ruler!! Hubby "borrowed" it once and I freaked when it wasn't on my desk.. he had left it outside!! OH THE HORROR!!!  But I saved it and now he has all my cheap school rulers for his projects!!  Great stocking stuffer huh?

Well that is two items I love - do you have either of them? What do you think of them? Or let me know what your top two favorite tools are.... I might need them too!

HUGS and

Mmmm... A Jolly Holly Chocolate Christmas!

Mmmmm Chocolate... who doesn't like getting chocolate for Christmas? Especially when all decorated?

While doing some shopping the other day I saw one of those giant Hershey's Candy bars... I had seen a few decorated in blog land, and thought what a great little added Christmas gift! So I put it in my basket and then had to slap my hand all week when I saw that yummy chocolate sitting on my desk!

It was so easy to do too! I just covered the Hersheys wrapper with a piece of My Minds Eye embossed Christmas paper. The embossed areas are Santa's Sleighs! Perfect. I then made two borders with Martha Stewarts Embroidered Floral border punch. I know the blue satin ribbon isn't a normal Christmas color.. but I knew that I was going to make it a night sky, so I matched the blue to the Copic color - and I like that it is a bit different. Has a rich coloring to it doesn't it? Well I think so.. LOL

I then colored my image - So odd that I didn't start with that - I usually always color my images first, but I guess I got so excited about that chocolate! So I decided that Stampavie's Penny Johnson's Jolly Holly image was just perfect! Perfect Size, and perfect image! I colored the image with my Copics and then high lighted with a Marvy Uchida Snow Marker for all the snow and Santa's beard, and then some diamond stickles for Santa's fur trim, the snowman's scarf, then gold stickles for the presents. It is then cut out with a Nesties label -

My sentiment - is stamped and then backed with a My Minds Eye Gold Glitter paper.

I hope that they like it... I sure had fun doing it, and was proud that I did it and sent it off with out taking a bite! LOL

Have a wonderful day - Christmas is now only 4 days away!!!!
HUGS and-

Dust It Off Sunday - 9 - Penny Black - Hedgehog Christmas

For this weeks Dust If Off Sunday - I knew I had to go through my stamps and find a Christmas Stamp... I have quite a few older Christmas stamps and had a few to choose from, then saw the Penny Black Hedgehogs... I have two Christmas hedgehog stamps. The Light Brigade, and Coming Your Way. I couldn't decide which I wanted to use. So I stamped them both out and colored them both. I still couldn't decide, so I worked and worked trying to fit both of them on the front of a 6x6 card. Wasn't easy, and I really don't know if it did work... but well.. here it is - Too Much?

Kind of crowed huh? Oh well.. I so wanted to use them both. I also pulled out some old Christmas papers from DCWV. Sewed them together with a zig zag stitch. The sentiment is my favorite this year for Christmas  - I always have one that I use alot each season and this year it was this one from Stampabilities. This seemed a little like a present box, so a red satin ribbon at the top seemed appropriate. But it needed just a bit more... just no room. So I took my red Stickles and created three sets of three dots... don't know why.. but it works too.. LOL

Close up of the trio hauling all the presents -

And of the pair with the festive lights. You probably can't see it here but I used clear dimensional glaze on the bulbs to make them more glass like.

Well we are off this morning to deliver Reno.. then home for a crazy week trying to get all my last minute shopping and baking done for Christmas... I do have a few things planned for the week so please do pop in - :0) And I hope you enjoyed my Crowded Hedgehog Christmas Card.

HUGS and-

Animal Crackers - Bye Bye Reno :0(

Well the time has come... the first Puppy is moving on to his new home. Tomorrow we will meet up with Reno's new "Mom" and he will then have a new home. It will be very sad, but very happy as well. As I know he is going to be very loved and have a wonderful life. A future girlfriend too.. :0)  - I am busy packing up his bag.. yes even a 7 week old puppy has things to pack up! His medical records, his registration papers, a fluffy new blue towel that Mom, Dad and his sisters have had some time with... leaving their smells for Reno to sleep with on those first few nights away from home. And then a new toy... one just like one if his favorites that him and his sisters have been playing with here. It is a little ragged to send on, plus what would his sisters play with then? So a new one was required.

Isn't he just a Doll?

look at how much he has grown in just under two months!

Now I know... there are two other puppies... but this weekend is all about Reno :0)  I had a comment last weekend asking about the girl puppies- yes they are both still available, at this point. I have a few interested, but until actually sold = $  they are available!  Also.. I am a nut getting ready for Christmas so I didn't get Donkey or Goat photos taken... LOL Sorry but after the first of the year we will be back to normal again

Next Saturday is Christmas... so for Animal Crackers posting I have somethin special to share - our family Christmas Card, so stop by and get your holiday greetings from our family - and have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. I will be here this week with a few post of cards to show and regular "business"...  just want to give you a heads up about next weeks Animal Crackers post :0)

HUGS and-

Just Magnolias - A sketch!

One last Just Magnolias challenge for 2010! and no thinking .. a sketch is provided for this challenge!

I just love the new Tilda with Amaryllis - I try to not purchase too many stamps with each new release. But I just knew this one had to come home to me. Colored with my Copics - and then cut out with my Oval Nestie, and inked the edge.

For the pattern papers, I dug into my stacks and used DCWV Garden Party - Love those papers.  I inked the edges of each piece and then sewed them together. Then the lace just seemed perfect for the papers and the image. For the dots at the top I used three vintage buttons tied with white twine.

My sentiment is from Oh My Word! A gift from a wonderful blogging friend. These are so wonderful and I forget to use them - you may see them on a few cards for a while.

Now POP on over to Just Magnolias Challenge and join us!

Me... panic attack... gotta get going for Christmas!!! ACHHHH it is only a week away! LOL
HUGS and-

Me and My Space - Punches Part 2 - Martha Stewart

Hello and Happy Wednesday! Me and My Space today.. and this Wednesday "regular" on my blog here is forcing me to clean up my space a bit! LOL This past weekend I cleaned off my entire desk, and the put everything back - nice - neat and organized! Before I cleaned off my desk my Martha Stewart punches just sat everywhere on top of the shelves of my desk. Now they are sorted and so beautiful to look at while I am working. Just makes me smile to see them all lined up!

So these are sitting on top of the clear boxes that my Copic Markers are in. To keep the names correct on each punch I have written with a Sharpie Marker on the front bottom of each.

I sit the border punch behind the corner punch - they all line up just perfectly.  The Jumbo punches sit on the top. Love the jumbo, they are my favorites :0)

For those Martha Stewart that are the older style that do not fold up and sit nice. I have them on a small space on my wall on towel bars. I forget about these all the time - out of sight and out of mind.

Now I know I am going to get the "WOW that is a lot of punches" I told you last week when I showed off my EK Success punches that I have a bunch. I just love punches. And I am proud to say I have not purchased on that wasn't on sale or used a coupon. Save when I can so I can afford more!

I still have one more post to show you my odds and ends punches.. LOL Yep.. more punches.
So have a wonderful week.. and I hope you enjoyed seeing how I store my Martha Stewart punches. How do you store yours?

HUGS and-

A simple little Sarah Kay gift notebook!

HI - well the challenge sites are starting to wind down for the year, and I am now trying to get a few little gift items done. This was inspired by a note pad I found a JoAnn's a couple of weeks ago. I love the pattern paper, and it totally reminded me of Sarah Kay... so that is where I went with it!

Now of course this did not have a top to it.. it was just the pad itself, but hey it was 50 cents!  I then took some white chip board from Sizzix and created a front and back cover for it. Then I decorated the front before I attached to the pad.

I used some scrap Basic Grey papers  - just PERFECT to match the paper pad. I sewed little patches with a zig zag stitch. I colored one of my favorite Sarah Kays.. LOL I just love when I say that, cuz they are each my favorite when I am using them! HA! I cut it out and attached to the front. Two vintage buttons - and and the Cloud 9 epoxy sentiment were all it need then!

Then I attached the front and back covers to the pad with a strip of Gaffer Tape. (Strong Heavy weight fabric tape) I LOVE this stuff. I have 3 or 4 different colors of it and just found it recently in a drawer, need to use it more!

I was thinking this would be a cute little item to put with a Candle or Box of cookies and tea? Hmm.. will have to work on the second 1/2 of the gift.

Now I just need to get back to JoAnn's and get a few more of these little pads.. I just love them!

Have a great day! HUGS and-

Have you seen January's CardMaker Magazine?

Giggle Giggle... have you seen the new CardMaker Magazine? The January 2011 issue?

Well if you get a chance take a look inside - specifically pages 54 & 55... Giggle Giggle... Yep - I have my first card published! I have had scrapbook pages before, but haven't submitted in ages. And decided to start trying to get myself in print.. I am just so excited!!  Oh and did you know that this magazine now has the entire magazine plus some as a digital subscription?? Too cool huh. Here is a link if you are interested  DIGITAL CARDMAKER

 Ok.. I'll stop being a geek and will let you back to regular blogging now!

HUGS and!

Dust It Off Sunday - 8 - House Mouse - Being Girlie?

Hi - today's Dust it Off Sunday is a Special Card. My good Buddy Tracey, had her birthday last weekend. Her Kids planned a Surprise party for her last Sunday - it was really wonderful! And I do believe totally shocked her. Well I knew I had to make a special House Mouse card for her, she loves House Mouse... and this is one of my favorite HM images. Is it because they are being a bit girlie? Or is it that one totally hilarious one mouse? That could be my friend Tracey or Me either one! LOL We do make each other crack up almost on a daily basis!

 I spent probably 3 or 4 hours on this one! LOL Lots of layers and lots of products. I stamped the image out twice to start and then cut out the bottom 1/2 from the mice down. I wanted to pop this section to make it really look as if they mice were in front of the mirror. I colored both images with my Copics then cut out with my Fiskars finger tip kraft knife. The mirror I then coated with a couple of layers of dimensional glaze - to make is shiny and have a reflective look.

Can you see it here? I tried about 25 photos to capture that shine, but it was tough! I also added the glaze to the lipstick and the glass jar. Then I pulled out my stickles and made dots of sparkle for the necklace. Really cool look for those.. look at the close up -

 

They actually have a bead look to them. Then I kept the rest of the card kind of simple. Again these HM images are so large you just can't do much. I used a piece of My Minds Eye Laundry Line paper that reminded me of the wall paper in the image. Matted it and sewed - I used a Martha Stewart border punch across the top and bottom of the image, matted the image and sewed it down. I found some adhesive pearls and pink rhinestones to embellish the side spaces. 

I copied the front for the inside, and then created a computer generated sentiment - The make sure to pamper yourself went well for us... :0)

I think she liked it - I really enjoyed spending some time and really adding a lot to this card. Should do this on all my cards, instead of always being in a hurry. Do you ever get that way?

Well off to Sunday breakfast - then home to clean up my mess. For some odd reason I started cleaning some of the drawers and the top of my desk last night... made a much bigger mess than I started with in the first place! LOL

HUGS and-

Animal Crackers - A Fogged In Saturday Morning

Well with this Winter time change, by the time I got home yesterday it was already dark... I hate that! So I couldn't get any photos yesterday. I went out this morning and it was so foggy I couldn't see the donkeys! So I waited about 45 minutes and went back out. Not a whole lot better, but at least I could find the pens!

I guess because of the fog - most everyone was still being a bit lazy this morning. Jorge hadn't even gotten up yet.. LOL but he is a little boy so that is ok.

The goats were up and active - Chloe's new favorite place is the top of their newly sided hut. Jill also loves jumping up there, but Chloe knocks her off.. this is her special place. So far no one else has figured out how to jump up there. Great balance to not slide off that wet metal huh?

Vicki - she is so pretty, you can't see her green eyes here.  She is registered as a Spot of course, but the cool thing is that she is pretty much brown spot - but she has these amazing black spots as well. Hard to find black and white spots. Maybe one day we will get a black and white spot.

Ellie Mae - she makes me sad. She is just so gorgeous, her eyes are stunning and she has an amazing voice, you can hear her for miles. Fabulous personality. So why does this make me sad? She is now 5 or 6 and no babies. We just don't know why, she has been with more than one stud  so it isn't the guy - - maybe one day.
Puppy Photos!!

Reno - how stinking adorable is he? We met up with his new owners next weekend so only one more week with him. He really has the sweetest personality, he loves to be cuddled but he also is one hard player!

 

The littlest one, Chica. But this doesn't stop her from being the leader - she is just like her Mom. Type A personality, super high strung. And just totally adorable!

Mini Lib - Shy - quiet - and totally laid back! Oh she will play hard with her brother and sister, but she is the first to back off when when it gets rough.  But man.. look at that face! She is gorgeous, same Blue Merle as Libbie, same gorgeous bright blue eyes - but then from her Dad Autie, she is gonna have a ton of copper on her. Can't wait to see how her coloring ends up!

Well since I am so late this morning - I better get a groove on and do some double time! I have to clean the house, do laundry and I want to get my chores all done quick so I can sit this after noon and craft some Christmas gifts made. I hope, I hope, :0) 

Have a wonderful Saturday! See you tomorrow for Dust It off Sunday - 

HUGS and