Zzzzz......

Happy almost 2014!

Sheesh...this year has flown by!

Inside sentiment: It works great!

I don't know about all of you, but this card totally describes how I feel after:

 two full weeks in Germany, followed by two full weeks of Christmas parties, 

foods/candies/cookies, etc.,  and soon to be followed by:

 a New Year's Eve Party, a New Year's Day company, and a Cotton Bowl Party on Friday night!

I am ready to get back to a normal routine, and take off the 5 lbs. I've inherited over the holidays!  I used this stamp set the other day to create a card for my health coaches (which I forgot to photograph!), and decided it was so cute, that I'd use it again!

I'm going to enter it in the challenge at Cardabilities - here is their sketch that I followed. 

Don't you just love a great sketch?

See my beautiful, straight, and even matting?  Used my Perfect Paper Crafting rulers - love, love, LOVE them!  (See my sidebar for details!)  I rarely mat anything without them.

Have a great New Year's Eve!

Hugs, and smiles galore,

Patti J.

Supplies:

Stamps: Creative Vision Stamps CVRR135 Exercise Ball
Perfect Layers Rulers

Quick Kutz Scalloped Die

Spellbinders Circle Die

EZ Runner Adhesive

Pop Dots (Walmart)

Cardstock - DCWV scraps 'Flower Power' collection

Hammermill 100# White CS

Ribbon Scrap

Copic Markers: E00, E21, E31, C1, C3, N00, C00, B93, B95, B97, RV 02, RV04, V17, V15, V12

Exciting News!

Happy Sunday to you all...

Have you heard of Die-Versions Dies?  Well, you will be seeing quite

a few of them, as I'm honored to be a new DT member for 2014!

I'm looking forward to working with Dani and the team - they have over 700 dies available, 

and a brand new release in January 2014!  Each of the team members have

welcomed me so warmly - it seems like a great fit!

Check out the Die-Versions Store...

And the Die-Versions blog...

And their Facebook Page!

Have a great week, everyone - hard to believe it's nearly a new year upon us!

Hugs and Smiles,

Patti J.

Joy

Hello out there!

I guess that our trip to Germany totally 'discombobulated' me!  Not only did I 

not get Christmas cards to my crafty peeps in the mail on time, I

didn't even manage to get on-line and wish you a Merry Christmas!

Sheesh....silly me.

Quick and easy card.  Embossing folder by Nellie's Choice, stamp by Memory Box, Sentiment by Paper Smooches.
Add a red bow, and ta-da!  Mass production heaven :)

In my defense, the trip was over 11 hours of flying, and there was a 7 hour time difference...

talk about some serious jet lagging!!!

Life is good, and we've had a December full of blessings.  

We were able to go to Germany for a couple of weeks to visit DD and DSIL.  The baby is due mid-February, so it was so awesome getting to see/feel the 'grand-bump'. We also enjoyed visiting with the sweet grand-dog, Rosie.  

Upon returning home, we had stacks of mail, weekly reports, etc., to catch up on, and our personal Christmas cards/letter to create and mail.  

Last Wednesday night was an Advent service at church.  In addition, each year, our church has a live nativity scene.  The church members dress in biblical costumes, and stand in the manger. It's pretty awesome.  Thurs. and Friday nights were spent at church for that.   Then, in church on Sunday, DH and I had the honor of doing the Advent readings, and lighting the four candles.  So, our first week home was pretty busy.  

Not making excuses, just sayin'....

Christmas Eve Service at church was, as always, my favorite of the year.

Christmas Day was SO quiet!  Just me and the hubby.  We went in the afternoon to our friends' home for a wonderful Christmas dinner, followed by a game of dominoes.  Bah...the guys beat the gals once again.

Anyhooooo......thanks to ALL of you who mailed me such gorgeous cards.

I treasure your friendships, and each card is so special!  

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, filled with family, love, and friends.

Hugs,

Patti J.

A Very Merry Christmas Gift!!!!!

A Very Merry Christmas Gift

There's nothing else quite like the feeling you get during the holiday season! Because this is a season of giving, Adela's Swirl Top Box template can be downloaded now until December 30th as a special gift from her! There's also a special discount coupon for 40% off everything else in the store (use discount code "christmas" at checkout). BUT, no purchase is necessary to receive the Swirl Top Box.  So, visit Creations by AR now to get yours!

Where have I been?

Hello there!

I'm sure that by now, you are wondering where I've been, and why there have been no new posts.  I won't keep you in suspense any longer...

This photo was taken in Bonn, Germany - the home of Ludwig Von Beethoven.  You can get a sense of the size of these buildings when you see how tiny we look!

DH and I left on December 4th, and flew to Germany, to spend 12 days with our daughter, son-in-law, and Rosie, the grand-daughter-doggie!

We had a wonderful visit with them, and saw a lot of Germany while there.  The architecture was certainly awe-inspiring.   We saw Wiesbaden. Cologne, Bonn, Nueremberg, Rudesheim, and probably others that I can't recall this moment.

It was OH SO COLD!  Thank heaven we heeded DD and DSIL's pleas to purchase warm wool socks, hiking shoes/boots, coats, scarves. hats, and gloves!

As you can see in the photo above, we resembled big fluffy snowmen!  Lots of layers each day!

Hopefully, things will be back to normal next week.  I've tried to keep up a bit with commenting, but it's tough when you pay for internet, and there is a time difference of several hours!

Thanks for your patience!

Have a great weekend, and I'll be back up and running next week!

Hugs,
Patti J.

Life's a breeze...

Good morning!  Hope this finds everyone well!  It's all good here - we survived the weekend weather, and hope you did too!

I have another publication reject to share!

This card also uses amuse studio products.  Sigh.....Shirley brings me these wonderful catalogs, and I always find something that I need - must have - want to order  :)

Have a wonderful day, and a great weekend!

Hugs and blessings,
Patti J.

Rejected...

Hello!

I found a few publication rejects that I've forgotten to post, so this week, I'm going to share them with you!

The first one uses all amuse studio products!  Don't you just love those teensy birds?  My friend Shirley, is an amuse demonstrator, so she 'enables' me often!

Thanks for dropping by - hope that your weekend was wonderful!  Ours was good!

Hugs,
Patti J.

A Smile for Jonah

I was reading a friend's blog post the other day, and it touched my heart.  Susan Raihala has asked for help for a little guy, and you can read all about it HERE.  This is my first card for Jonah.

I immediately thought of this Doodle Pantry sweet pre-colored image for this little man.  I think it turned out very simple and cute!  Hope you can jump on board and help bring a smile to Jonah's day!!!

Have a great weekend!

Hugs,

Patti J.

Winner!!!

Thanks to everyone who dropped by my blog yesterday! 

'Wrap up the Holidays with Creations by Ar' continues tomorrow with the amazing Jak Heath showcasing Adela's wonderful new templates!

The randomly chosen winner from my blog is: 

Dawn from Colorado. 

Congratulations, Dawn!  

Drop an email to Adela: creationsbyar@sbcglobal.net 

and let her know which template you would like!

Thanks again for dropping by,

Patti J.

Wrap Up the Holidays with Creations by AR - Day One

Happy December!

Welcome to Day One of  'Eight Days of  Wrap Up the Holidays with Creations by AR'!

We are showcasing the FOUR new releases for December, and they are wonderful!  Each designer has one day to showcase our favorite templates.  Some will create with all of the new templates, others with one or two. 

I chose to work with the 'Triangle Compact', and the 'Our House Gift Tag'.

I hope you enjoy!  There will be one winner per day, so be sure to read the information below!

Triangle Compact

Now, seriously, this was SO easy, and SO much fun!  Those of you with cutting machines could whip one out in 5-10 minutes.  It took me about 15 min. each after printing the templates.

Cardstock: amuse studio, Holly Leaves: Close to My Heart, Warmest Wishes: amuse studio, Merry Christmas: Close to My Heart, Poinsettia: Dee's Distinctively

 

Our House Gift Tag

This was SO much fun!  Almost like decorating my house!  Please enlarge to see all of the fun dimensions!

Here's a shot from the side.  I wanted you to see what a fun, dimensional tag this is. 

How can YOU win one of these two templates?

EASY!  

Just leave a comment below, telling me which template you would like to win.

A winner will be randomly chosen, and that winner will be posted on my blog tomorrow!

If you are the lucky winner, just email Adela at: creationsbyar@sbcglobal.net  

That's it!  

Check back with my blog tomorrow to see if you are a winner!  

Also, tomorrow, you will hop to Jak's blog, and repeat the process!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week!

Patti J.

A Sad Farewell....

Hello!  I hope this finds you enjoying your Saturday.

I'm here today with a sad farewell.  It is my last post as DT member for Scraptownlady. Cheryl has been a dream to work for, and has become a very good friend.  I wish her only the best!  I will also miss working with the ladies that have been my teamies.  What a talented group of people they are. We chat online, or on the phone like a bunch of sisters!  Anyway, for today's post, I'm showcasing some (probably too many) of my favorite Scraptownlady creations.

I hope you will continue to visit the Scraptownlady blog, to see what's new and exciting,

and that you'll keep checking out the Scraptownlady store - Cheryl uploads new items regularly.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Hugs,

Patti J.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a couple of fall cards to wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving.  

I'm very thankful for all of my blessings, including you!  

It's a very quiet day here.  Just DH and I until a bit later.  We have another couple coming out that also has family scattered around the countryside.  We are going to eat, watch football, eat, play dominoes, and eat dessert!

Have a wonderful day :)

Hugs and blessings,

Patti J.

(p.s. Both cards use amuse studio stamps)

'Tis the Season...

Well, hello!  

It certainly feels like 'the season' here.  Cold, windy, damp, yep, it's the season!  I found a new shop this week, Treasured Times Rubber Stamps and Scrapbooking, that carries some fun things!  Found this sweet digi image there, and 'needed' it for my stash!  Lots of layers make this one lots of fun.  

It's pretty self-explanatory.....give me a shout if you have questions!  Copics, torn paper, glue, glitter, cardstock, Amuse Studio Sentiment, twine, and OF COURSE my Perfect Layers rulers for the nice, even mats!  See my sidebar for details :)

The Treasured Times Blog is actually having a DT Call going on now - if you are interested, you can read about it HERE.  You can actually get this image in digi OR a real stamp!

Have a good night - I'm going to try to stay warm!

Hugs,

Patti J.

Blessings in measures of oodles...

Hi there, and Happy Saturday!  I'm here today with my Scraptownlady post, and have chosen to, again, highlight some of the amazing designer papers that are carried in Cheryl's store.

My first item is the above CAS Christmas card (as many of you have specifically requested CAS!).  I love this beautiful distressed 'enhancement' from Authentique, and it made such a pretty focal image against the matching designer paper.  Hope you like it!  Two sheets of paper, and a few pop dots later, voila!

Lid, complete with Petaloo Flowers

Next up is the above Blessings box.  I have been hoarding this empty oatmeal container for eons and decided this was the right time to alter it.  Again, a very easy project.  I wrapped the container with the designer paper, used cut outs from the 'enhancement' sheet, added a die cut and a few flowers on the lid, and I have a wonderful container to hold all of my blessings.


Just for the record, I am, indeed, blessed in measures of oodles!

Thanks for stopping by today,

Patti J.

Designer Tip:  When you don't have time to color, stamp, or fussy cut, go to your best and easiest resource - Designer Papers and matching elements!

Scraptownlady Supplies:
Authentique 'Traditions' Elements
Authentique 'Medley' (Traditions) Designer Paper
Authentique 'Seasons' Enhancements
Authentique 'Autumn Two' (seasons) Designer Paper
EZ Runner Two Sided Tape
Foam Dimensionals
Scor Tape
Petaloo Flowers
Cheery Lynn Die - Fall Leaf Doily Angelwing (set of 2)
Cheery Lynn Die - Large Leaves 1

Other Supplies:
Empty Oatmeal Container

Does this make my butt look big?

So, did that title make you even just a wee bit curious?  Tee hee...

I had a few minutes today, and decided to color another image from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.

I have totally adored their stamps for a long time, but until recently, did not know that they had digi images! Woot woot!  I can afford to spoil myself with new digis now and then!

Meet Self Conscious Paulie. I'm not sure if Paulie is a Paul bear or a Pauline bear, but he/she is all decked out in his/her holiday finery!  Like all of us, the worry is, "does this make my butt look big"?

I thought this image and sentiment were so cute - just couldn't resist putting the markers to work!

Did you notice my totally perfect mats?  All done with Perfect Papercrafting Tools!

I use these on nearly every single project - to see how you can save 5% on your own set,

see my sidebar!

This card had me smiling from the get-go!  Hope you enjoy it too!

I'm entering this card in these challenges:

City Crafter - Use Wreath

Creative Card Crew - Use Pearls

Have a great day!

Hugs,

Patti J.

His eye is on the sparrow...

Happy Wednesday!

I found this pretty digi and sentiment set at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps a few days ago, and thought it would be perfect for someone at church that we need to send a card to.  It was easy peasy!  Print, color, fussy cut, and assemble :)  I did cut the upper bird apart from the branch, so that it could perch on the sentiment.

Image was colored with Copics, and I used my Perfect Papercrafting Rulers to get the beautifully straight mats around the sentiment!  You can use any exacto knife or rotary cutter!  Check out my sidebar for details on how you can save 5% on your very own set!

I'm entering this in the Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge: Make your mark (use markers, pencils, crayons, etc.)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Have a great day!

Patti J.

Design Team Call

Come on, dear friends!  You still have time to apply!!!

 

Creations by AR Design Team Call!

Would you or someone you know like to join our fabulous AR Girls Design Team? If 3D paper crafting is your passion and would like to receive AR templates before they're even released, please read on! 

REQUIREMENTS 

• Have an active blog
• Participate in monthly New Release Blog Hops
• Take clear photos of projects
• Own a cutting machine (not mandatory, but a plus)

SUBMIT 

• Photos of two of your best 3D projects and one 3D card
• Email submission photos to creationsbyar@sbcglobal.net with "DT Call" on subject line
• Include name, blog link, and a short paragraph on why you would like to join our team

DEADLINE
To be considered for a spot on the design team, email your submissions by November 27, 2013.  The current AR Girls will vote on submissions received. Those with the most votes will be notified by email after December 1.

Warm Winter Wishes

Hello, hello!

You are going to get tired of seeing me here.  Really!  I have a little bit (only a wee bit, honest!) of time on my hands, and just had to color up another digi image from Bugaboo Stamps!  By the way, I won last week, and get to choose TEN new digis!  So, hurry over and join in on some of their challenges!

Anyhoooo.....it's become a bit nippy here, so I decided to color this darling snowman.  Any of you who know me, know that I adore snowmen.  I'm especially smitten with the really cute ones, and this guy totally fit that description!

He's colored with Copic Markers, and, OF COURSE(!) I used my Perfect Layers Rulers to get the beautiful straight mat.  I rarely create without them - they take out all of the guesswork!  Check out my sidebar for details on how to save 5% on your own set!  After I took all of the photos and had this blog post ready to go, I decided to add some Glossy Accents to the red band on his hat, and the poinsettia berries, and of course, the ornament!  Gotta have bling and shine, right?

I'm entering this card here:

Make it Monday - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Catch the Bug Challenge Blog - November Bingo Challenge

I used Bugaboo image, Designer Paper, and a Charm

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for all of the nice comments and emails about the baby shower.  I honestly could not have pulled it off without my friends, Shirley and Mary, and our daughter-in-law to-be, Alicia.  They all worked so hard to give DD a special day that was just for her!

I'll be back tomorrow with a pretty card - hint, hint - His eye is on the sparrow....

Have a good day!

Patti J.

The Baby Shower...

Good morning!  

I am touched by how many of you have asked me to post some baby shower photos.  

So, here we go!  Just a warning - this post is photo heavy!

We had asked for NO head table, but they had one for us, so here it is.  Melissa, Jan (her mother-in-law) and I sat here.  If you enlarge the photo, you can see some of Laurie Wilson's beautiful Doodle Pantry work in the very center of the banner.

This is just a shot of the tables.  You can see the gifts beginning to accumulate in the background.  After everyone arrived, there was barely room for another item.  We feel so very blessed!

Of course, we had food!  Strawberry spinach salad, chicken salad sandwiches, cheese, relishes, and lots of crunchy veggies, and punch to drink.

Again, here is some of the wonderful Doodle Pantry images!  Laurie worked up the orange dots just for me, as well as the nugget wraps.  If you ever need a special order item, she's your go to girl!

Here's one more shot, showing the napkin wraps too.

Each place setting had a favor bag. Some were pink, yellow, and blue polka dots, and some were white. The saying on the bag reads 'From our shower to yours, thanks for being here today! Melissa, Nick, and Baby Shaw. Again, the turtle is a Doodle Pantry image.  Each bag contained a washcloth (couldn't find enough shower scrbbies) and a bar of Ivory soap, wrapped in coordinating cardstock, and tied with a pretty ribbon.

Here is our sweet little momma with her cake.

Here are the cake and cupcakes close up.  Every single dot, button, flower, and stripe were edible!

 

She had just opened the Thank You Notes that momma made her.

And here she is with the quilt that I made.

This is our daugher, Melissa, our son John, and his fiance, Alicia.  We are SO blessed! Alicia is a beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  We may have a fall destination wedding to look forward to in 2014!

DH and I with Melissa

Melissa with her in-laws, who traveled from Mesa, Az. to be here for the shower. Meet
Tim and Jan!

Last, but certainly not least, is Melissa with my very dear friend, Shirley.  Many of you know Shirley from my blog - she and I are always crafting, shopping, and jabbering!

A good friend of Melissa's, Jenny Buchanan, took the photos.  There were way too many to post them all, so I tried to post as few as possible.  If you have hung in with me all the way to the end of this post, you deserve a medal!  I totally forgot to take pictures of anything that I created, included the Thank You cards. They were a onsie card, and turned out pretty cute.  If I get one, I'll snap it later!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hugs,

Patti J.