The Outlawz 2000 Member Party!

Yah Outlawz! It is hard to believe I started The Outlawz with 12 very dear friends over a year ago and we are now over 2000 Members! It seems like we just celebrated 1000 members. If you are not familiar with The Outlawz let me tell ya about it! There are 8 different challenges with a brand new one starting each and every day. We have site wide prizes and individual group challenge prizes so you can win multiple ways. Our sponsors are the greatest and we are shouting out Thank you for their kind generosity and support of The Outlawz! The DT is over the top and I love each one of them. If it were not for the DT- there would be no Outlawz!. They are friendly, eager to help and are awesome friends and oh yea - extremely creative!! The Outlawz is a little different from most other challenges for we communicate with the members all through the challenge from day one until  the last day of the challenge -other words 24/7! You can post your creations, come back at the end of the month to see if you won or you can stay around and chat a bit:) The challenges are set up so there is something for everyone: Sketches, Color, Greetings, Paper Ala Mode, Twisted Thursdays, C&S, Copic/Promakers and free digis with Anne Fenton and Sandi Huggett. All starting on different days of the week!

How are we celebrating The Outlawz 2000 Member Party? I’m glad you asked because this go-around, we’re celebrating you!

Where in the World

We want to know where you are from – your country, state, providence, street – or where your heart longs to be! So come on and play with us. Did I tell you we have games too? Bingo, Name That Tune, Word Puzzle and a Crossword Puzzle!

Also, The Outlawz has a Tutorial blog hop with every party and I have the privilege of representing the entire site!   There are 7 other designers representing the different challenges.

Today I told The Outlawz Design Team I had a surprise for them. Let me back up! If you are a designer on The Outlawz you are not eligible to win any prizes:( However, this is my blog and I can give a prize to whomever I want and that includes the design team!! Everyone is eligible to win a $50.00 gift certificate at Oozak.com including the design team! Are you familiar with Oozak.com? Let me tell ya this is a store to go to when you need any kind of crafting supplies! Rusty, the owner of Oozaks has really extended his business this yearJ He not only sells Copics, paper pads (hundreds), inks, glitter and lots more, but he is also selling Magnolia’s and several other stamp lines! Did you ever want to see a paper pad up close before you purchased it? You can see every detail when you enlarge them at Oozak. This is the place to shop!  Please tell Rusty thank you for his generous gift when you visit his store!

Ok, so what else can you win on my blog this week? How about a free exclusive adorable Mayzy Art Digi for everyone!?!  Yep, that is right - everyone gets one! And what is the cutie pie named? Miss Outlawz!! How sweet is that? You can download her at The Outlawz in the “Freebie forum.” You need to know before you win any prize from The Outlawz you must be an Outlawz member – easy peezy – doesn’t cost you a dime and you will be eligible to win some fantastic prizes not only for the party, but every time you play one of our challenges.

Since I am giving away two prizes – I have two tutorials for you!

Here is my card for  “Where In The World?” with the Mayzy’s adorable Miss Outlawz! I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States! 

I am asked all the time how do I color my backgrounds. First I cut out the image using a Nestability Die and I tape it with Painters tape to prevent it from sliding around. 

I use post-its to make  a clean line between the sky and grass. Using a sponge dauber I dab a small amount of Memento Cantaloupe ink.

Next I add a little bit of Memento Angel Pink

I wasn't fancy on this background and dab the rest of the sky with Summer Sky.

I turn the post-its around so the sky is covered and I sponged New Sprout and a tad of Bamboo Leaves on the bottom. 

That is all there is to it. When I don't have an image that takes a lot of room I will add more dark to light in the sky and grass. 

Second tutorial is called Wainscot Background! Gina K did a fantastic video demonstrating how to do it. 

Take a piece of card stock and cut to your desire size. Using Scor-Pal score every 1/2 inch.

Using a  Memento Ink pad slide it down your card stock until you achieve the desire look you want. 

Here is a card from my previous post showing the beautiful backgrounds 
you can create! Watch Gina K - StampTV video to see a detail video tutorial! 

Next you should hop over to my awesome sistah Pryn for I know she has an awesome, fantastic tutorial for you!! 

The Outlawz Host: Colleen Holmes - ME

CAS Host: Pryn Garritan

Greetings Host: Tina Gilliland

Color Host:  Teresa Arsenault

Sketch Host: Cindy Potentier

Twisted Thursdays Host: Patricia St. Martin

Copic/Promarkers Host: Darlene Lyons

Paper Ala Mode: Theresa Lee

To win the prize you must comment on my blog! If you are a follower you get two chances. 

Challenges:

• 2 Sisters: Anything Goes
• All Sorts: Die Cuts
• Colour Me Creative Challenge : Big Hair
• Kraftyhands : Red, White and Blue
• Card Makin' Mamas :  Red, White and Blue
• Emergency Crafters: Summer Fun
• Simply Create Too : Your Countries Colors
• Cute Card Thursday: Summer
• Delightful Challenges: Anything goes

And finally I am at the end of today's posting!! Yahhh! Good luck and have fun!!

Happy Fathers Day!

Hello happy crafters!  Can you believe my second posting in a week!? A little bit better huh?   I was with my grandchildren Abbie 6 and Andew 4 this past week and let me tell ya - I couldn't have asked for any better well behave kids!! We sat around doing practically nothing and they enjoyed being home and not having to get up early for school. We had lots of tea parties, movies, checking the garden out and playing with their dog Trigger. Super sweet week!

Tomorrow is Father's Day and these are some of the cards I made for a customer.  The first one is a cute image called Biker Babe by Mo's Digital Pencil

Introducing you to "Mr. Brown Goes Surfing' by Phindy's Place!  Ok, how many other women out there have a hubby who is a remote control freak!  Honestly, my sweet DH has to have it in his hands and loves to channel surf that drives me crazy. He will stay on a station long enough for me to start getting interested in what is playing  and "click"  it's gone!  Sometimes I really miss the old days where you had to get up and change the channel and only 3 channels to choose from.  There was no channel surfing then:)

Gina K By The Sea Stamp Set - Love, love this stamp set for men's cards!

Background made with sponging Memento Ink

Gina K By The Sea Stamp Set 

Do you like the blue Wooden background on my cards? It's called Wainscot and I will be showing you the technique during The Outlawz tutorial hop on June 24th!

The Party is coming on June 24th at The Outlawz! Wowzie wait until you see the sponsor prizes!! $50.00 gift certificate to SCACD, Mo, Mayzy Green are just a few of the digital stamps you can win. Did I mention $20.00 gift certificate to the store of your choice? Awesome, awesome prizes! Watch this adorable video Jo Ham created for the party!!

Last but not least~ I am the proud owner of Through The Craftroom Door Online bi-monthly magazine. Our first issue has 75 wonderful pages and 6 free digi's. Other words you pay $2.57 for the 6 digi's and the magazine is free! You cannot beat those price!! Lots of fun and new ways of doing things.

Here is a sneak preview of the Magazine. 

You can purchase it here.

• My Shari Crafts: Father's Day
• Designs by Lisa: Masculine, Father's Day
• Cardmadfairy's Digi Days : Father's Day
• Delicious Doodles: Father's Day - For the fellows
• Craft Punked : Father's Day/Man in your life
• Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge: Dashing Dads
• Emergency Crafters: Anything with Wings
• Fun with Shapes & More: Die cut, punch summer
• Simply Create: Father's Day, Men
• CCEE Stampers: Nautical Theme
• Charisma Cardz: Male Theme
• Dutch Dare Card Challenge: For Dad
• The Outlawz: Paper Ala Mode Challenge:Father's Day

red light house

Hello and good afternoon! Did you have a great week-end? We had a quiet one and on Sunday I drove two hours south to my daughters to watch the kids all week while she finishes up her school year. The kids are out for the summer, but the teachers have to attend one more week. I didn't arrive until 12:30 AM for I missed one of the roads and almost ended up in DC. Amy was awake when I arrived and we talked until 2. I tried sleeping on the couch after she went to bed and her hubby got up at 4 to raid the fridgerator and Abbie woke me at 6 and then Andrew was up. My eyes feel so heavy and I would love to close them for about an hour. However, Andrew is 4 and Abbie 6 and not sure what will happened if I did. So I thought perfect time to do a blog post which I have been really poor at all year. 

I had an order for 6 Father's Day cards and so guess what I will be posting all week?!! You guessed it!! Today's card is using the light house from "By the Sea" stamp set at Gina K's.  The sentiment was typed in Word and I so love it! This week at The Outlawz Greetings Challenge is Happy Father's Day  or Boys card.  I have a really hard time creating cards for men and esp. ones I do not know. Do you? On a female card you can add anything you want and of course we love practically any kind of adorable image. But what do men like on their card? We think boys and men don't like glittery shining things but the boys do:) My grandsons always say "ah that is pretty!" if I glitter something up but what do men like? Tell me!!

Copics: Red R59, R24 R22.

I sponged the white sentiment paper with Blue Sky Memento Ink. 

Ok! here are some info in the form of video's!  Let me tell ya though! The Outlawz 2000 member party has fantastic games, challenges and what you like most of all - awesome sponsors!!  Gift certificates for online craft stores in the amounts of $50.00, 25.00 and more!! 

Happy Thursday!

Hello everyone! Are you ready for a beautiful summer weekend? The weather here in Maryland has been horrible humid and in the 90's. During the weekend we are going back into the 70's, which is fine with me! I love summe,r but not so hot you can't enjoy it. The humidity has been in the 80's and just plain yucky.

We got the master bedroom painted and I am loving this new color! It's like a teal and so very pretty. Why is it when you paint one room the rest of the house goes into shambles?  There were messes everywhere I looked but today I was able to put most of it away.

The card I am showing today was specially made for one of my best customers. Her niece is in nursing school and it's her birthday. I found this adorable image in my files that I purchased a long time ago and forgot I had it. It's from Mo's Digital Pencil! Perfect!  The colors I used for African American Skin was E29, E13 and E11 and I am still getting a lot of red:( If you have a color combination for AA and it doesn't show this much red, please share with me!

Green: G05, G03 and YG21. I added a touch of W00 to the creases of her hat and coat to give more 3 D effect. Bear: E44, E43, E41. Shirt: YR68, YR63 and YR20,

The scrolls were made with my Silhouette Cameo!! I love this machine and it is worth every penny! Esp. when you know you will never be buying another Spellbinder or other types of Dies again. It does it all and so very easy to use:)  The bow was created using "Bow Easy".  Stitching around the edges. I love this card and the way it turned out!

Do you have something you created and would love to do a tutorial for everyone to see? Or show off your pretty cards and layout? Submit them to Through The Craftroom Door Magazine and be published. All of the submission details are on the TTCRD web site.  Random winner will win a $25.00 gift certificate to either Oozak.Com or a store of their choice.

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome weekend!

Challenges entered:

• Fussy and Fancy Friday: Swirls and Flourishes  
• Joyful Stamper: Anything goes

Happy Memorial Weekend!

 Thank you to all the men, women  and families that
 have made the ultimate sacrifice for us. You are our true American Heroes.

Hello happy crafters!! Last week my dream came true!! The first issue of Through The Craftroom Door Magazine by me was published online! It is 75 pages full of ideas, tutorials, cards, how to photograph your creations, scrapbooking, video tutorial, coloring with Copic's and Prisma pencils..... You receive 6 issues plus one holiday issue filled with fun holiday ideas! Each issue cost you $2.56 but get this!! You will always have free digi's and this issue has 6! So in reality you are paying $2.56 for 6 digi's and you get a free magazine! Watch the video below created by my awesome friend Jo Ham to see glimpses of what the magazine is all about!
 
As you can see I again have not posted for a long time, since before Mother's Day:( I made several cards and no time to post. Last weekend was the Outlawz Baltimore Retreat and we had a blast!! What is that? It was the first annual retreat that I organized for online crafter's to come together and meet in person. We had several classes with Suzanne Dean teaching beginners and advance Copics and Marti Wills taught Prisma Coloring and Mixed Media. Oodles of door prizes and super goodie bags. There were approx. 25 women who came and we had a blast! Most of them were from The Outlawz Design Team and it was so much fun meeting the people I have communicated online with for years. The next one will be held in late September 2013. So save your pennies and plan on joining us! I created these cards weeks ago to fill orders. I have no clue what I used to create so hold on, sit back and enjoy the cards, video and photo's of the retreat!!

All of my images are from Phindy's Place
My client has dark skin and I am still working on the colors
so they don't look so red. 

LOL it looks like her hair is smoking in this photo!!

That would be one hot mama!

Here are a few photo's from the retreat!!

Goodie bags

Linda Payne

\\

Carla Sutto

 Karen Shirey

Lisa Haines

Theresa Lee and Angela Bonanno

Marti Wills and Suzanne Dean

 AnaRy (Gilli Stamps creator) and Rami

 Pat Crank

I have to tell you about when I was giving the goodie bags out! I said "in order to get a goodie bag you need to have a spoon stick to your nose" I turned my back to reach for a goodie bag and when I turned around there were 20 plus woman sitting at the dinner table with spoons on their noses. I almost peed my pants laughing so hard!! Linda is going to kill me for posting this but it was so hilarious! I had too!

 Angela and Regina! Too cute. Do you think I will live after this post? LOL

 Carla Sutto and Guylou Beland (Inimitability Digi Stamp Owner)

 Theresa Lee showing her Pinterest brownies! YUMMY!

 Suzanne Dean and anaRy Baumgarth

I will post more on another day...this post is LONG!!

Challenges

• Craft A Scene: Spring flowers
• Creating When We Can: Fashion and Pearls
• Great Impressions: Anything goes 
• Order of the Opus Glui: Sewing
• Phindy's Place:  1 Image, 2 Designer Papers & 3 Embellishments
• Card Making Mama: Punches
• 
  

Happy Thursday!

Good Afternoon everyone! It seems weird posting during the day for I am usually a night person. I surely want to thank all my of my followers for your kind words and for making me smile! You rock my world big time! 

This Sunday is Mother's Day in the states. A day we put aside to be thankful our Mothers, Aunts, Granny's and any female who supports us in one way or another as our Mother's. I am so blessed to have the mother I do. She has been my best friend all my life and I thank God for everyday I can still speak with her! She is honest, sincere, loving, kind, thoughtful, pleasant, witty, smart  and BULL headed!! LOL!! She is my mom and has taught me so much about life and help develop the person I am today! Love you mom!!

Are you ready for the new Through The Craftroom Door Magazine!?! It will make its new debut on Wednesday and let me tell you, there are some awesome tutorials with step by step instructions, gorgeous layouts and a section for making a wedding with love! Come and check it out on Wednesday! And, did  you know that Through The Craftroom Door has a challenge blog with awesome prizes! The current challenge is Mother's Day and you can check it out  here!

Talking about Challenge Blogs!! Have you check out The Outlawz!! Seven different challenges with a new one starting each day. Plus, a free digi challenge!! Come on and play for you won't be sorry:) Here are just a few of the prizes you can win: Oozak-$50.00 Gift Certificate, Gilli Stamps- Goodie bag, Paper Temptress with the most gorgeous papers, Color Me Creative Craftroom- a copic class of your choice by Suzanne Dean!! Come on what are you waiting for?

Talking about free digi's that is what I am using on my card! The one is from the very talented Sandi Huggert, Sandi's Samples, don't you just love the design of it with the beautiful flowers!! Sandi and Anne Fenton bring you new digi's every two weeks at The Outlawz and as you can see they are beautifully done!

Have a great evening and thank you for stopping by!!

Happy Mothers Day!!

Hello Happy Crafters and how is your new week so far!?! I made 8 cards yesterday for a card order and will be sharing them each day with you:)

Today,  I used  Summer Blossom , a super sweet image from  Phindy's Place Digital Stamps.  I love, love Phindy's images and usually can find so many I need and ones I don't need too, which  I buy because they are just too cute!  Most of my card orders are for different nationalities and Phindy's place is one of the first places I go looking for sure enough she usually has exactly what I need!! They are so fun to color and decorate with!

You would have laughed if you watched me making this card!! I mixed Fran-tage Gold Halo Mix Glitter with Fran-tage mica tea stained fragments and a little sand.. I added a thick coat of Versa Mark Ink and sprinkle my mixture over it.and started to heat emboss it. The large mica fragments started blowing everywhere while I held the heat gun underneath the paper. Ok, that surely didn't work, so I tried spraying a layer of clear acrylic paint for that is really sticky when wet. Nope that didn't work either and more mica's flew everywhere. Well,  in the past if I were having trouble adhering fine intricate paper or embellishments to my papers, I would spray it with Clear Texture Goosebumps and everything would stay put. So I tried spraying the Goosebumps and the pump was clog and I just couldn't unclog it. So I took the sprayer off of the bottle and went to pour it slowly onto my paper. EEEEks it was not as thick as I thought it was and half of the bottle came out onto my paper. Well let me tell ya, the mixture stayed put that time, I don't even think I would have had to heat emboss it!! Next time I will try a glue pad.  Any how these mica's are so pretty and shiny and I will surely use them again!

The little beach embellishments I found at Walmart. An entire package was $1.00! Colored with Copics. The bird stamp is from a stamp kit from Gina K.  I sponged ink my sky with Memento Summer Sky Ink.

Challenges:

• The Outlawz Greetings: Anything goes, must have sentiment
• Dream Valley Challenge: For a special lady
• Pan Pastel: Anything Goes
• Paper Sundaes: Mother's Day
• Sentimental Sundays: For a special woman, must have sentiment
• Stampin' Sisters in Christ: something from nature. The sand in my mixture.
• The Paper Players: Mothers Day
•  A & T Challenge: Anything goes
• Oozak - Spring Colors
  

Birthday Cheer

Hello happy crafters! It's Saturday and the sun is shining brightly! One of my favorite things about spring is having the windows open and feeling the fresh air from a slight breeze! I have to do it early in the morning because my DH is glued to the thermostat like he is to the TV remote control!! Last night I went outside to get warmed!! LOL no lie! He had it down to 68 and I was freezing to the point I was shivering and he was as comfortable as can be with a t-shirt on!!

I have received several emails asking if I am ok! Thank you so much for missing me:) for I surely have missed you!! The letters really touched my heart:)  There have been no emergencies, illness's or flying out to my parents home. I just have been so busy getting Through The Craftroom Door Magazine ready for my first publication!! I can't wait to see what you think!  So many dear and awesome friends have been helping me and it is looking good!! Lots of techniques, 3 D projects, photo and video tutorials!  On May 15 it will be available!!

My first Outlawz Rodeo is coming up very quickly!!! Oh me, oh my I sure am nervous about it! The  Rodeo is a social  event I planned for May 18 -20 so online crafting friends can come together and finally meet one another in person! I have so many dear friends online who have been a huge part of my crafting life, I want to meet you and have a real hug!  There will also be several classes for you to attend during the day! Two Copic Coloring classes taught by  Suzanne Dean  who can teach anyone to color with Copics in a day! Suzanne's passion is teaching coloring  with Copics and will dazzle you with her techniques! Marti Wills is having a class with colored pencils and another class using Mixed Media's. Marti colors with Prisma colored pencil and  makes everything look like a photograph. You should really check out her pages of colored fruit, flowers and teddies to see how awesome they are! I am in the process of putting together the goodie bags and door prizes. It's not too late to make reservations to come. The hotel has extended the days for our special pricing. If you live within driving distance, come on and join us for a weekend of non stop fun with games, outings, dinners and lots and lots of chatter!! You can see all the details at  The Outlawz Challenge website!

And if all of that hasn't kept me busy!! My DH brought home a huge card order from the ladies in his office! Today I will be creating 8 of them and hopefully my mojo will kick into high gear!!

My card is featuring these adorable tweety birds and flowers from the Gina K Petals and Wings stamp kit. I love this stamp set! It can be used for so many different occasions and today I chose to use it for a birthday card. I actually cased it from Gina K, herself for  love the look of it!

Paper: Gina K is exclusively in the Petals and Wings Stamp TV Kit. Love it! Spellbinders # 18 die cut and it matches the stamp perfectly. Copics for coloring. Stamp N' Up oval and scallop oval punch's. Stickles on the flowers to add some glittering shine. Easy Peasy to create in less than 10 minutes excluding the cutting the birds stamp. 

Have a great weekend!!

It's Your Day!!

Hello happy crafters! I am home! For those who are new to my blog, I have been flying back and forth between my home in Maryland to Arizona to help my parents with life. My father will be 89 in two weeks and has the beginning of Alzheimer and my mother 86 is having several health issues. I was out there for 2  weeks in the beginning of March and after returning home my mother was in a vehicle accident and I flew out for another 3 weeks. My mother was very fortunate and had some major bruising and no broken bones or damage organs. After being gone for a total of 35 days I could not wait to be back home. I missed DH terrible:) He is so good to me and I love him dearly. He had the house professionally clean before I returned and oh my gosh what a  HUGE surprise and treat for me!!

Isn't this the happiest little duck you ever did see!?! He is  part of the A-Blooming with Blessings Stamp Collection  at Gina K design!.

I have a few announcements to make!! Through The Craftroom Door challenge theme is "Show me your favorite technique"  and the prizes are a $10.00 gift certificate to Floppy Latte's Digital Designs

and

$18.00 gift certificate with Aletha, demonstrator for Ippity!

The Outlawz Baltimore Retreat Rodeo is coming upon us quickly!!

 Hope you are joining us for fun, games, classes and an entire girls weekend together!!

I am now the proud owner of Through The Craftroom Door Magazine

 and can't wait for my first publication on May 15th! Lots of tutorials,

 ideas and fantastic inspirations!! Hope you will join me in my new adventure!! It also is not to late to enter submissions!! Wouldn't you love to have one of your awesome creations in a magazine. The theme  is "Anything Goes!"  

I am looking for tutorials, projects, craft room photo's, how you store your stash. Anything that is related to paper crafts! It can not be posted anywhere else on the web before and for 2 months after the publication. There will be a random drawing prize for all submissions. Come on!!   I need YOU! Please send submissions or questions to sweater32@aol.com and place submission for magazine in the subject line. 

 Final date for entries  is May 1.

Challenges:

• CMC Copic Challenges: Favorite yellow combo group.
• Digi Designs: Lets me our animal friends  NOTE: these are totally adorable images!!
• Mark;s Finest Papers: Stitching
• Alphabet Challenge Blog:  F is for Feathers
• ATC & Cards with Attitude: Anything goes
• Card Crafters Circle: Stitches
• Clearly Stamp: Spring
• Fussy and Fancy: Punches or Dies
• Color Create: blue, yellow and white
• 
  

C is for Copics!

Hello Happy Crafters! Well, I have been in AZ for 2 weeks and my parents are doing good.  Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes. I have lots of stories and if you belong to The Outlawz design team you have read the one I am posting today, but I wanted to put it here too! For new followers my mother will be 86 and my father is 89 and I have been traveling back and forth from Maryland to Arizona to help them out a bit.


The other day my mom was really hurting from a vehicle accident she was in and she finally took some pain meds that knocked her off of her feet and she slept all day.  I cut up a fresh watermelon and put it in the fridge to surprise her.  When she got up, I was outside helping my dad and so she decided to heat up some left over's for dinner. I walked in the house...sniff, sniff  and open the micro wave and almost died for their was the bowl of watermelon. OH my gosh talk about stink!!!! It was horrible!  I asked her how long did she nuked them and she said 10 minutes on high!!She thought it was the left over corn beef and cabbage. Yep they look alike to me too!! LMBO! Let me tell ya if you ever want to get rid of anyone in your house - zap some watermelon! 


This card was made for a very special person, Rusty. He is the owner of Oozak where you can buy all of your copics, over 240 different paper pads, Memory box dies, stamps galore and his prices are ideal! Rusty is very dear to my heart, because he has supported The Outlawz, a challenge website I created 17 months ago, from the very beginning  with nothing but generosity.  He is such a wonderful person and friend and I hope you will visit his awesome online store! If you are ever near Kalamazoo, Michigan you will need to visit his new walk-in store with a fantastic showroom.  And, this last week his brand new challenge blog went live - check it out!

My image is from Saturated Canary, isn't she just adorable!?! and look at that apron holding my copics! This is an ideal image to send any of your crafting friends! My die is from Cherry Lynn Designs

I colored this in a hurry the day I was leaving for Arizona. Not real happy with it but ... My card was used for The Greetings Challenge over at The Outlawz which was a fun one to do. You need to use something on your card that begins with the first initial of your name. I used Copics for Colleen!

Hope you are having an awesome week!

Happy Easter!

Hello Happy Crafters! Can you believe it is April 6 and Easter is in 2 days? Wowzie!  We have had no winter in Maryland, I think our accumulations was like 2 inches of snow for the year! I can live with that very easily. It's in the 90's here in Arizona at my parents.

 In case you didn't read my last posting I am the new owner of Through The Craftroom Door Mag. I am so excited for my first issue will be coming out on May 15!! Lots of work to do, but I have awesome friends who are helping me with fantastic articles, tutorials, video's and lots more so stay tune!!

How about you? Would you like to submit something to be printed in the magazine? It can be anything made from paper: card, scrapbook, boxes, different types of folds. Or perhaps a review on a new tool or product or even an old tool for I am hoping to catch the interest of new and season crafters alike. Do you like to do tutorials and share what you know, they can either be photo tutorials or video's. You can send your submissions to me, Colleen at ttcrdmag@gmail.com.  Please list the products you use on your creations and type "Magazine submission" in the subject line.


My card is my Easter Card to all of you! If you would like to know who's stamps these are please tell me in the comments and I will email you when I get home. I saw them at my local scrapbook store and had to have!  I also case the card from the companies examples. I just felled in love with everything about it!

Hoping all of you have a very blessed Easter and Passover.

Hugz!

Challenges:

• 
  

My friends

Hello all my friends. It's been quite awhile since I have been able to do any postings, As we know, life throws us some curve balls. Let me catch you up to speed with me. First I live in Maryland and my parents live 2000 miles away in Arizona. On March 8,  I made a trip to my parents home for my mom wasn't feeling well. . On March 22 I returned home and on March 28,  my mom  was in a vehicle accident and I flew back to their home on March 29.  I truly believe God protected my mother during the accident. She was T-boned by a car going 60 mph and her injuries are a lot of bruising, but no broken bones and she is up walking around and going on with life. It's amazing for she is 85 years old!

Are you familiar with Through The Craftroom Door magazine started two years ago by Suzanne Dean and Marti Wills? It's a fun craft magazine filled with articles, tutorials, crafting tool information and a whole bunch more. Suzanne and Marti's life has changed significantly since they started the adventure and have realized they no longer had the time to devote to it as they once had.  Well, I am now the official owner of the magazine and very excited and scared to start this new adventure!! I have a lot of friends who are coming together to help me bring to you the best online magazine ever!  The first issue created by me and my friends will be May 15. Please come check out what Suzanne and Marti created for it is filled with excellent articles and it is only going to grow bigger and better!

The few days I was home, I made several cards! This one fits two DT commitments, The Outlaws Greetings Challenge , pastel mania and Through The Craftroom Door, Spring, use a butterfly! Usually I do a separate one for each, but this time it's two for the price of one!!  This cutie is Rose's Garden by Sara K made for a very special friend, Sandi Huggett who I pray gets well real quick!

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Paper: First Edition, Spring Feast: Oozak.com has all of the First Edition paper pads and I love each one! Fulls of glitter, shine, pretty patterns and  really great prices. Oozak has over 240 different paper pads and a great place to shop for great prices and awesome customer service. Stitching with machine around the border. Cheery Lynn  Designs butterfly and scrolls. Ribbon from stash. 

Challenges: 

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Bells and Whistles

Hello from Arizona! I am at my parents house in Yuma, Arizona and the weather has been gorgeous in the 80's since I have arrived.  For those of you who do not know my father has the beginning of Alzheimer's and colon cancer and my mother has the beginning of dementia and pretty significant neuropathy in her feet which causes her to stumble a lot. My father will be 89 in a few weeks and my mother will turn 86.  They also will be celebrating their 68 wedding anniversary in July. Can you imagine being married 68 years. Oh my gosh, that just amazes me how lucky I really am and they are my best friends. When I get home I will tell you about my adventure in Mexico with my parents!! It's a story for one of the books! Any how they are doing remarkable good and still own and maintain their own home. Life is good! 

The twelve of March was started another  Belles 'n Whistles Challenge and sure hope you will play along with us! This is my second month as a guest designer and I am loving it!  The theme is butterflies which is one of my favorites. A large amount of my creations have a butterfly in one fashion or another so I was super happy!  My card was created using the image "Flowers" from the Sweet Art Ebony Collection.  Isn't she sweet!! I totally enjoy coloring any of Elisabeth Bell creations rather it be Belles 'n Whistles, SCACD collections, Whiff of Joy or the new collections at Whimsy Stamps. I would buy all of them if I could! Does this card not scream springtime!! I cannot complain about the winter though. Maryland literally had no snow this year except for 2 days under an inch. Awesome year!

Paper: Spring Feast by First Edition: I love First Edition paper pads for each one comes with 16 different designs, 4 sheets of each, 8 have glitter w/effects and 8 are double sided! Did you know that Oozak.com has the largest selection of paper pads at the most reasonable price, over 240 different paper pads to choose from.. The butterflies are a Martha Stewart punch. The grass was created using a memory box die. Love, love Memory Box which will be in Oozak's store real soon at the best prices ever!

Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to come play at the Belles 'n Whistles challenge!!

Because of You

Hello Everyone! I am in Arizona visiting my parents for the next few weeks! My father is 89 and my mother 86 and they still live in their own home. My mother is still driving (eeeks sometimes) and there are some health issues, but all in all they are doing fairly decent. It's hard living 2000 miles away from each other so I visit every 2 -3 months for usually 2 weeks. The weather is beautiful in the 80's and tomorrow we are going to a lettuce festival. I know, I know!! Lettuce??? Yep, they celebrate Lettuce out here in Yuma!

My postings will be really short until I get home with limited information. Sorry:( I downloaded the photo's to blogger and completing the posting from here. Needless to say I forget what paper pads, or anything else I used.  If you want to know anything you would like to know, write it in the comments  and when I return home I will be able to tell you the name of the products.

I like to make my DH cards before I leave and place them in different areas for him to find while I am gone. On this card I used the duo stamp set  "Because Of You"  a beautiful silhouette stamp and sentiment from Gina K. It is the first time I have ever used a silhouette stamp and I loved it. Ink, Stamp done!! I stamped it right on top of the music sheet paper and I think it gives it a dynamic look! Looking at the photo now I wished I would had left a little more space between the sentiment and the rectangle box. Oh well, we are our own worst critics! I can always find something to pick apart on my own cards! Do you do that?  

The Sketch is a sketch for the March and April issue of Through The Craftroom Door Magazine, an online crafting magazine. Stay tune for a great big announcement from ME in a few weeks concerning TTCRD! 

Sketch

I did my scroll by using an adhesive die cut and sprinkled red glitter over it.

Well ladies and gentlemen enjoy your weekend! 

Thank you for stopping by!! I will finally be able to do some blog hopping while I am at my parents!! So I will see you on your blogs starting later today!! God Bless and Hugz!

Irish Blessings

Happy Monday everyone! So many of us say "I hate Mondays"  I read somewhere if you hate Mondays then you hate 1/7 of your life. Makes you stop and think doesn't it? . I did a few calculations. Hating Mondays equals approx 52 days a year. I will be 60 in a few weeks so that would equal 3120 days or 8.5 years of your life. I don't hate Mondays!

Today is Greetings Challenge at The Outlawz and the theme is "I see green!"  March and green to me is St. Patrick's Day! Did you know that "Colleen" in Ireland means girl  yep, that's me! I am Irish and German, hmmmm Irish temper and German bullheadedness! what a combination.

Irish Blessing:

Paper: First Edition "New Leaf". I love First Edition paper pads! 16 design, 4 sheets each. 8 glitter with effects and 8 double-sided. The best and most economic place to buy paper pads is at Oozak.  I think I can honestly say Rusty/Oozak has the largest variety of paper pads and the best prices!! Check it out! 

TIP OF THE DAY:  So you want a particular image and you cannot find it in any of the digi stores. This is what I do next! I  do a Google search.  For the above card I entered "St Patrick Day coloring pages" and sure enough a slew of free coloring images pops up! Easy Peasy!