This and that...

Ok, so it is November and things are BUSY around here. The 23rd is my folks 45th Wedding Anniversary and I am throwing them a party the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, also my birthday, I am having at my house....AM I CRAZY??????

Also, our car that has been perpetually in the shop the last few months has now decided to not start....again....ugh!

Here are a couple things I have been working on lately...

This is a Nutcracker that I drew and colored. I have a friend that is cuckoo for Nutcrackers, I mean she has like, over 100 of them! For her birthday, I drew this and colored four of them in different colored outfits and framed them.

That got me thinking about The Nutcracker Suite and so I drew this Mouse King to go with the Nutcracker.

I think they turned out pretty good...what do you think? OF COURSE...I colored them with Copic markers.

Blessings!

Shannon

Top Five List...

Of Where Shannon Has Been The Last Month!

5: She starting cleaning out the garage...we should see her sometime next spring!
4: She joined the Circus...you should see her beard!
3: She joined the Peace Corps...she thought it was a spa retreat!
2: She was abducted by aliens...good thing she has her CHL!
1: She joined the CIA...now she has to kill you! hehehe

Actually, I have been recovering from the Mother Of All Colds, which turned into Bronchitis. So needless to say (and yet I am still saying it...hehehe) I have not been in the mood to blog...or do much of anything else.

I will begin posting regularly again soon!

Miss you!
Shannon

Sweet & Sassy Stamps Christmas Cheer Blog Hop Day 1!

I know, I know... it is only October. But, if you are like me, you need ALL the time you can find to get those cards out in the mail for Christmas! Sweet & Sassy Stamps is having a 3 day Blog Hop to showcase some of the incredible Christmas stamps and digi stamps that are available RIGHT NOW! I am the last stop for the day, so if you did not start on the Sweet & Sassy Blog, you should hop over there to start from the beginning. You do not want to miss out on all the DT's lovely creations!

This lovely image is from the Jesus Is Born stamp set. It has this image and several sentiments, including portions of scripture. It is a very versatile set, in that you can use the image as the focal point, or you can use the larger scripture portions and have a completely different look. I chose to use this portrait of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as my focal point. I colored them with Copics, cut them out and popped them up on foam dots.

I used several different shades from the E range to get the skin tones the way I wanted them. I used W1-3 for the swaddling clothes to add some contrast between Jesus and his parents.

The CS is SU! Mellow Moss and the DP is Basic Grey Mellow. I really like the way this paper coordinates with the colors I chose for the image.

I carried the same "feel" to the inside and added a portion of the Book of Luke, which I cut and embossed with my new Nesties Labels 9. I cut one size larger with the BG DP for a border and put my white CS on the opposite page to allow plenty of space for writing.

Here is one of the sentiments that go along with this set. I stamped, trimmed with edge decor scissors from Fiskars, and popped it up on foam dots as well. I was trying to go for a "stable" feel so I used a large rectangle Nestie to cut out the angular piece of DP and then embellished with hemp twine.

Come back tomorrow and start the Hop again with the lovely and talented Chris Dickinson. You can see the rest of the schedule for tomorrow and Friday on my sidebar.

And don't forget the BIG SALE!!! going on at Sweet & Sassy Stamps right now for subscribers! Just visit the SNSS store, sign up as a Sweet & Sassy Stamper, and then you can take advantage of a Subscriber Only Buy 1 Get 1 Free Sale on a large number of soon to be "out of print" stamp sets. Get 'em while you can! While you are there, check out the new digis and get your Free Digi!

Thanks for Hoppin' with me!

Sweet & Sassy New Release Blog Hop

It is time for a new release from Sweet & Sassy Stamps! The two sets that are being released are Forget Me Not and Baked With Love. The SNSS DT has some yummy eye candy for you today using these two sets.

AND!!!! we're also sending you on a Recipe Scavenger Hunt in honor of our new Baked With Love stamp set. What you do is, visit all the blogs on the Hop. While you are checking out the incredible creativity, you will collect "ingredients" for a mystery baked good. Once you have all 13, try to guess what the item is. Go back to the SNSS blog and leave your guess in the comments section with your email. Don't worry, only Korin can see your email! She will draw a winner from all the correct guesses.

If you didn't start on the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps blog, please head there now to find out your assignment then come back here to continue on the hop.

Here is the card I made using the Baked With Love stamp set.

This set was so much fun to use, it has so many adorable images.

Here is a close up of some of the individual images that are colored with Copic markers.

The set comes with several sentiments, and here is the one I have chosen. The CS is SU! Brilliant Blue and Real Red. The DP is from the DCWV Summer Stack but I colored in the turquoise flowers with Copic to make them match the CS. I added ribbon and some gems.

I stamped the images on Neena Classic Crest Solar White and then used my Cuttlebug to cut out and emboss with them.

This Sugar Jar turned out really well, so I just HAD to show it off! hehehe

After designing our new Baked With Love stamp set, Korin thought it would be wonderful to have a recipe card digi to go with it...so follow the link to see that digi! And while you are checking out the digis, don't forget about the freebie for today! It will be gone tomorrow!

Now how about that recipe clue????

Your next ingredient is:

ALLSPICE

Continue to hop along and collect the rest of the ingredients (note: not all blogs will have a clue)...

• Chris Dickinson
  Courtney Fowler
  Sandy Domelle
  Janette Olen
  Jeanette Comerford
  Teresa Kline
  Ceal Pritchett
  Deedee Anderson
  Lorie Souther
  Nancy Brown
  Leah Cornelius
  Shannon Pankow
  Belinda Chang
  Lisa Hjulberg

Remember, once you have collected all 13 ingredients, to head back to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps blog and comment with the recipe you think the ingredients are for. You just might win this month's new sets, Baked With Love & Forget-Me-Not!

Thanks for hoppin!

A Drum Roll and A Blog Hop.....

TA-DA!!!! A new card! Finally!

This card is made using the new Basic Grey "Eskimo Kisses" paper, isn't it just adorable? I have paired it with the Waddle I Do Digi Stamp that was a special with purchase a while back.

I added silk/paper flowers and bling brads from my stash, along with a few other finishing touches that you can see below.

I colored him with Copics and added Glossy Accents to his scarf, eyes, cheeks, feet and beak. I trimmed him out and popped him up on foam dots.

Here is the heart charm from the wedding section at Joann. You get a bunch in a pack and they are perfect for sliding over ribbon. The pearl pin is a corsage pin and the beads were recycled from an old belt my DD did not want any more. I did not have *quite* the right shade of green ribbon, so I colored a lime green grosgrain ribbon with Copic to match the cardstock. (This is a handy trick to use if you are in a pinch!) And I finished it with Light Blue grosgrain ribbon tied with a bow.

Here is the sentiment I chose, which I outlined top and bottom in two different Copic colors (C3 & B21). I love this image! He is so sweet! You can still get Do Not Open Until Christmas at the Sweet & Sassy Stamps site, which was a companion set to this one.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE NEW RELEASE BLOG HOP THAT STARTS TOMORROW!

We are celebrating our October release with another 1-day blog hop. You will see amazing projects using our two newest sets as you hop along the DT blogs Thursday, October 1st. Find the clues along the way for a chance to win both sets from the new release!

Start at the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps blog then visit the following in no particular order:

• Korin Sutherland
• Chris Dickinson
• Courtney Fowler
• Sandy Domelle
• Janette Olen
• Jeanette Comerford
• Teresa Kline
• Ceal Pritchett
• Deedee Anderson
• Lorie Souther
• Nancy Brown
• Leah Cornelius
• Shannon Pankow
• Belinda Chang
• Lisa Hjulberg

Blessings!

Me, maybe some Candy and a Friend...

Ok, this is not a sale advertisement, or a DT Blog Hop or anything remotely craft related. Just me, sitting here typing...while my kids continue to NOT go to bed and I continue to wonder whether or not Laptop Wrist is a REAL ailment or just a figment of my imagination...I think it *might* be carpal tunnel, but I don't really want to *think* about it much! Things here have been pretty out of the ordinary...I cannot go into details but suffice it to say that our stress levels are WWAAAYYYY over the normal threshold and your prayers are greatly appreciated. On the up side, we both still have jobs! I know many people are not so blessed and I hope that God will open a new door, a better door, for them in the near future.

Interestingly enough, I did something recently that most people think of as a "man-thing". In fact, I was the only woman there! If you really want to know what it was, email me and I will let you in on the secret. I would post it here, but DH tells me that my blog now shows up when my name is Googled so my personal privacy is pretty much out the window. Actually, I might end up making a Blog Candy out it...that would be fun! Put all the correct answers into a hat and draw a winner? What do you think? What kind of things would make a good "Candy?" I know what my crafty friends will say....but what about the rest of you? Let me hear from you!

Now, I want to tell you about a sweet person that I have come to know in the blogging world. Ellyn, who owns the blog Profoundly Seth. Seth is her youngest who was born early and was profoundly deaf. They fought to get him Cochlear Implants, which he now has, and the journey was amazing to read. She also talks about her losing a child (stillbirth), losing a husband (in the process) and how she is coping with being pregnant while her marriage seems to be ending. She has three other kids, Ava, Jace and Eli(he was stillborn) and is currently expecting #5. Her blog is an adventure into faith, family and fortitude. Please give her some bloggy love, and help raise her "hit-count"...it is her only source of income at the moment.

Blessings,
Shannon

Autumn Stroll Blog Hop! Last Stop

Turning leaves, a cool breeze and the kids are back in school...must be Autumn! Of course here in Texas it is still PLENTY HOT! But, it is getting better... This month, Sweet n' Sassy Stamps has a few new Autumn-themed clear stamp sets and some new digi's as well. If you did not get here from Sandy's Blog, then you might want to head back to Chris's Blog and start your Blog Hop day off right. You don't want to miss any of the lovely "Fall Festival" of creativity we have in store for you!

This lovely little lady is from a digi set called,"Pick of the Harvest." I have colored her with Copic markers on Neenah Solar Crest cardstock. The think I love about digis is how easy it is to use them. You just print them out with an inkjet printer, set the ink with a heat gun and voila! you are all ready to color and don't have to clean up after yourself! hehehe

Isn't this just the sweetest sentiment? It comes with several, but I chose this one. I used SU! Chocolate Chip CS and some DP from DCWV The Green Stack and Basic Grey Mellow. The flowers are just pieces from my stash and the brads are Basic Grey Urban Prairie. The ribbon I got on sale at Joann and the butterfly charm is Blue Moon from the jewelery making section at StuffMart.

Here is a closer look at our cutie! Don't look TOO close, you see where I got a little happy with the markers! LOL I really like how this sweet little gal turned out. You can get her in digi form from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps right now. It is quick and easy and you will be coloring in no time!

This precious little guy is from a set called, "Leaves Me Smiling." He is also a digi (gotta love 'em!) and I have printed him on the same paper and colored with Copics. If you look closely you will see how I used individual little brushtip strokes to add some dimension to his fur.

Again, just an adorable sentiment! This set also comes with several to choose from. I used the same CS and DP for this one, but I added a button and some silk leaves and ribbon from StuffMart.

Now, I am your last stop on the hop for today, but don't forget to check out Belinda's Blog in the morning! She is sure to knock your socks off!

Blessings!