MFT Card Challenges 353

Greetings! Can you believe it's October? Like really???  I have all these fun Halloween and fall stamps, but how many will I have time to use???  I fell in love with this cute Witch Way is the Candy set from My Favorite Things and had to get her this time around. It was so awesome of them to bring her back because so many people wanted one!  I used it for this week's sketch challenge at MFT Card Challenges.



It's been an interesting week since I last posted. Laila had early release on Wednesday, so I picked her up at noon. Yesterday was just a stressful day of messages and calls from school. Jason handled much of that thank goodness. I can't do the whole week of negative feedback. But, today seemed some better and we are now on track to get her some accommodations to try and make her days better. I don't know how many times the counselor told us she was a VERY strong-willed child. Like yeah, we know that. Oh boy do we know that!  I think she sat in the hallway for over two hours yesterday because she wouldn't apologize her to teacher for something. (and yeah, that's an issue we'll bring up in her 504 meeting as it's too long of a time out of class). I am connecting our behavior specialist that we worked with this year with the counselor in hopes that she can pass along some things that she found to help. So, keep us in your thoughts please. It's going to be an interesting  year. I'm already struggling myself because the constant negative feedback just destroys me.

We went to Target after early release on Wednesday and looked at Halloween stuff. She's already got her costume, but she loves all the skeletons and pumpkins. :)

She's going to be a Monarch butterfly. :) We have to find tights and she should be ready to go! I love that she picked that one. 

DTGD Day 2

A bonus second post today!  I've been working away as much as I can today.  I have three more finished and three more to go to be caught up.  I don't know if it will happen. lol I'm getting tired.  I wish it didn't take me so long to make them.  I get caught up and it gets out of hand.  I don't even know how long this one took.  Have you tried the cling wrap background?  I thought it was easy and came out really neat.  It was a perfect under the sea background.  I love trying new techniques, especially the ones that work. :)  I'm doing good on my plan to use my Cameo more.  The seaweed was done with that.  I need to buy less dies, so that should help.

This was one of those throw things at it and hope it comes out looking okay kind of cards.  I can't really do the collage look very well, but I love trying it.  The background is made with Brusho.  I love the Stampin' Up! Butterfly dies.  Laila has already asked me to make a Monarch with it after she saw this one.  :)

This one is super simple.  That image is so pretty that I wanted it to be the focus.  I love trying to color it.  It is a nice test of using neutrals and coloring apples.  Plus, HEDGEHOGS!  Who doesn't love those!

Now I have to take a break and run back to the store.  We decided to have quesadillas tonight, so we need a rotisserie chicken.  At least it's only one thing to go get and there's tons of choices of where to go. 

Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow for more cards! 

Mojo Monday 478

I took a break from the online Copics class I'm working on to play around with some Brusho and the new sketch at Mojo Monday.  Doing challenges used to be a great way to get back into the groove of stamping and a way to improve my cards as well.  Today I wanted to do a card in the style of Julee Tillman, who is the owner of Verve Stamps.  She has a fun shabby chic style that is way outside my comfort zone, so it was fun to play around and get messy.  :)

I hope you had a fun time ringing in the new year.  I'm old now so I'm usually asleep before midnight, but do wake up when the fireworks go crazy.  Things are different with kids.  Laila is up at 7am every day.  It doesn't matter if she was awake half the night or not, she's up.  ..and so are we.  lol 

Happy New Year! 

Falliday Leaves

Hey!  I missed you guys yesterday.  I had a card to post, but things got busy and I didn't have time to sit down and do it.  I'll share more on that later.  :)   First here is my card.  Dina's challenge was to use die cuts for masking.  I cut some leaves out of masking paper and masked off some watercolor paper.  I followed up with some Brusho crystals.  I finished it off with a bit of distress ink and a die cut sentiment.   Fun, huh?  the Stampin' Up! Dictionary stamp added some fun detail as well.  Be sure to go check out the Falliday challenges!

Stamps:  Stampin' Up! Dictionary (retired)
Ink:  Brusho Crystals, Vintage Photo distress ink
Paper:  Stampin' Up! More Mustard, Canson Watercolor paper
Other:  Lawn Fawn Stitched Leaves dies, Concord & 9th grateful die, bakers twine, masking paper

Now about yesterday...

As I sat down to eat dinner I looked outside and saw a little dog.  He was cute, a little black scruffy one.  I looked closer and I could tell that he was a stray.  His fur was matted and he was so dirty.  I set up our extra dog crate, got some food, and headed out to see if I could catch him.  I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I at least wanted to feed him.   I caught him and he was the sweetest thing.  Laila and I took him to a vet and they didn't find a microchip.  He had a collar but no tags. I could tell he had been out on his own for a while.  I contacted a local rescue and they were able to take him.  I was sad to leave him, but my life is too crazy for anything else.  Here he is:

Laila and I drove him over to the rescue's vet this morning.  Last I heard he was being groomed.  I can't wait to see some after pictures and see him in a loving home.

I appreciate everyone's words about Laila and sharing our struggles. I'll try to share as I can to let you know how we are.  I know Kelly mentioned that I don't share as many photos of Laila like I used to.  Part of the reason for that is because she doesn't make eye contact with the camera much anymore.  It's a struggle to have her be still long enough to snap one too.  If I do ask her to take one, I get this.  lol

MFT Penguins in Paradise

Hello!  How in the world is it Thursday already?   It's been a week here, but I'll get into that at the bottom.  For now I'll start by sharing the one thing I've managed to create.  It's one of those that I did a piece here and there and finally managed to glue it all together today.  lol The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge was "to go wild" and one option was to use a critter.  I had these cute MFT penguins in my stash and hadn't used them, so perfect!

I made the background using Brusho watercolor crystals and man are those fun to use!  The images are colored with Copics.

Stamps: My Favorite Things Penguins in Paradise
Ink:  Memento Black
Paper:  Canson 140lb Colc Press watercolor paper, Neenah 110lb White, Neenal 80lb solar white
Copics:  YR12, YR15, YR18, Y36, Y38, YG11, YG13, YG17, E33, E35, E37, T4, T6, T8
Brusho Crystals Yellow, Orange, and Scarlet
Dies: Sizzix Tim Holtz tag framelits, MFT Blueprints 27

Do you guys like the supply list?  I am trying to remember to leave the stuff on my desk and then blog before I clean up.  I know I get questions sometimes on what I used and I am not usually helpful because I don't remember.  :)

 Monday started off with a trip to the vet.  My oldest sweetie isn't doing so well.  His blookwork only showed an elevated white blood cell count, so he's on antibiotics now.  I think it's something serious though and I'm not sure how long he'll be with us.  His breathing is labored at times and he is not being very social.  He's staying in his cat carrier resting most of the day.   I'm just heartbroken, but he's 14 so I know we've given him a good life, a better one than the dumpster where he started out.

On Tuesday, Laila had a fever and we've been battling since then.  She says her stomach hurts some too, so I don't know what we have going on.  I've just tried to keep her resting and hydrated.  Since she's had two febrile seizures in the past, I'm a nervous wreck about viruses and fevers.  Between checking on her and Bandit, I'im just worn out.  Jason is home now, so I'm sneaking out tonight for dinner and a movie with a friend.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed about sending Laila postcadrs.  I got behind on replying with all the sickness this week, but I'll try to catch up this weekend.  I am going to go shopping for a scrapbook to hold them so she can look at them.  I'm hoping to find some Project Life type pages so she can see both sides!

I'm off to shower and try to wake up.  Sorry for any typos; I don't have my glasses and I'm squinting and typing.  lol Have a great rest of the week!
Rita

DTGD Day 2

I'm back today with 3 more cards!  I haven't even started on today's challenges, so I'm already behind as usual.  lol I got really sick last night and wasn't able to stamp.  I don't know if I had a small stomach virus or an allergic reaction to something, but the splatters I would have made on my cards were not ones that anyone would have wanted.  Thankfully it calmed around midnight and I was able to sleep.  Feeling much better today, but just a little tired and dehydrated.  Anyway...  This card using a Brusho background that's been in my to-use pile for a bit.  Dina's challenge was a perfect way to use it. The words are from a MFT set.

Susie presented a fun challenge and I couldn't want to color this adorable unicorn from Paper Smooches.  It's so fun!  I used distress inks to make a background for him.  

And finally...

...here  is a card for Lori's challenge.  I had a rough time coming up with something for this one and this is actually my second design.  I'll share the other next week after the challenges are over.  It uses distress inks and a lovely stamp set from Ellen Hutson. 

Freshly Made Roses

Well, I'm pretty late with my Freshly Made Sketches card, but I was inspired by the sketch and wanted to put one together.  I played around with my new Brusho watercolor crystals last week and had a bunch of backgrounds made up.  I used a new Stampers Anonymous stencil that was gifted to me by a sweet crafty friend I met on Instagram. The sentiment is from Altenew.  

Here's Narelle's awesome sketch:

I didn't quite get it right I see now, but I tried.  I have been so tired the past few days and it's a miracle I made anything.  Whew.   I do have two more cards using stencils that I'll post over the coming days and then I'm moving on to a new week.  I might try a week of inking stamps that are still in the package.  ;) 

We had a zoo day on Thursday and Laila got to do her most favorite thing, ride the carousel.  Three times.  lol