Dear Santa... and How I take my Card Pics!

All I want for Christmas is... {fill in the blank!} 

I don't know what I want for Christmas, lol! 

SO many things, I can't decide :)

*Please scroll down to see my card for 
Pixie Dust Studio's latest 'stitching' challenge, thanks!!! 

I wanted to share a quick little boy card that I created 

with one of Amy's latest Sweet November Stamps called "Max"!!! 

I was SO lucky to win this sweet boy and some goodies during Amy's preview days!

Yay!!! for more boy stamps!!! 

Isn't he the cutest little mischief you've ever seen?! hee, hee!!! 

Wonder if this little Max will be getting coal or toys for Christmas... 

I guess it depends were that snowball lands ;) 

***

I've had a few comments asking me how I take my card pics :)
I don't really do anything special - as a matter of fact, I really don't think they come out that good, lol! I always feel that they're a bit too dark... this is how I take my pics...

I just move my card and Ott-lite around until I get the right angle with no shadows.
I adjust my setting on my camera;
I have a simple Kodak Touch and I set it on Close-Up and then I zoom in...
I then upload my pics to Picasa - this is where I choose which pics I like best and crop them down.
and then lastly, I use PhotoScape to adjust the lighting/size and add my watermark!
All done!!!

I'm sure that there is probably an easier way to do all the 'photoshopping' stuffs, but this is what I've been doing for the last year, it's a quick and simple enough routine for me - it works :)

Please feel free to share your pic methods with me too!
Thanks!!! and thanks for stopping by today too!!! xo 

Amy's Thousand Sheets of Paper Giveaway!!!

Amy has done it again!!! 

She's used up 1,000 sheets of paper! 

and she's also celebrating her 2nd blogoversary! 

Congrats to you Amy!!! 

And she's also the creative genius behind Sweet November Stamps :) 

So be sure to check her bloggy out!!! 

xoxo

have a FAIRWEE happy birthday :)

Oh my, Oh my!
How this day has flown today... but with good reasons :) :) :)

I have a sweet lil card to share with you right now...
Have you seen these lil "Fairwee's" by Sweet November Stamps?!?!
I fell in love with these teenie little girlies! and had to get my most favorite one!
It was really hard to choose! and Amy is such a talented artist!
 but "Fairwee Josie" is the cutest to me!
I just adore her laid back smile and short cutsie bobbed haircut :) 

This card is tiny, 3 inches wide x 4 inches tall... ALL scraps!!!
I will probably use it as a tag ;)

I also got one of their matching sentiments... 

Sorry, my pics are a lil off today,
I just couldn't get the lighting to agree with anything ;) 

I love my DTs and challenge,
but it's also nice to use up those scraps and create for fun too :)

Hope you likey!!!
Have a smiley and creative day :) 

Card Details: 

Stamp(s): Sweet November "Fairwee Josie" and Sentiment Rubber Stamp 

Paper(s): My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Life of the Party DP, TE Snow White CS 

Ink(s): Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Copic Markers 

Accessories: MFT Scalloped Scallop Border Die-namics, Small Circle and Scallop Circle Nesties, 

Prima Flower, Ribbon, Pearls, Heart Stickers

The Sagittarius {A Sweet November Preview!!!}

Oh my goodness!

Have you seen all of the previews going on at Amy's Blog!?!? 

{A Thousand Sheets of Paper}

Amy has created a new line of Sweet November Stamps called

Zodiac Girls!!!

A stamp for every Zodiac sign!!! 12!!!

If you haven't seen them yet,

you must stop by her blog and have a looksie! They're gorgeous!

Plus!!!

Sweet and very generous Amy has blog candy going on for each of the 12 girls ;)

Today, Amy, Nancy Thomas, Alisom Heikkila and I are showing you the last 2 of the Zodiac Girls!

I was very lucky enough to receive my own sign to preview for you today :)

Sagittarius!!!

Sagittarius (November 23rd to December 21st), a Fire Sign,

known as the Centaur or the Archer...

they are very optimistic, freedom-loving, good-humored, independent, honest and straightforward (blunt!), intellectual and philosophical... they can also be blindly optimistic, irresponsible (Oi!) and restless (so true!)

Her signature colors are rich Purples, deep blues and pinks and their stone(s) are Turquoise and Amethyst.

Isn't she a true beauty?!?!

I love the size of this stamp!

I had SO much fun coloring! and really being creative!

I also love that I was able to use these flower-sequins

that I've been holding on to for a loooong time :)

and look at all the sparkle!

I'm saving this one for my Mom's b'day ;)

I saved this tag from the bottle that these Prima flowers came in ;)

I just had to use it!

Even though Sagittarius' flowers are Carnations,

Crocus and berried plants, hee hee!

Another awesome Birthday card for someone special ;)

Our family has a TON of birthdays in December! 

I am going to neeeed to make a whole lot more! ha! 

I hope you likey too!

Oh, and click any of the pics to make it bigger!

I finally realized that I have the right Copics to create a soft blush for cheeks!

I am loooving how this 'natural' look looks :) yay!!!

Amy's candies will stay open through Sunday, March 6th!!! 

Winners will be announced on Monday, March 7th.

Which also happens to be the official release date

for ALL of March's new stamps at All That Scraps!

A HUUUGE THANK YOU to Amy for letting me be a part of her preview week!

Thanks for stopping by again everyone :)
TGIF!!!

Card Details:

Stamp(s): All That Scraps/Sweet November Stamps "Zodiac Girls - Sagittarius" Rubber Stamp

Paper(s): KandCompany "Que Sera Sera" DP, Papertrey Ink CS

Ink(s): Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Chocolate Chip, Copic Markers

Accessories: Sequin Purple Flowers, Pink Gems, Butterfly, corner rounder punch.

Prima flowers and tag, Baker's Twine, The Robin's Nest Dew Drops, MFT Scalloped Die-namics



Banana-rific!!!

Banana-rific! I cleaned up my desk!!! I have a quick lil card to share... I created this card strictly from scraps leftover from the cards I made for the Caffinated Cropper Blog Hop today, hence, cleaning off my desk area ;) Lookie here - even the cards base is a scrap! This card measures almost 5 1/2 inches tall and almost 3 inches wide... I won this darling lil Sweet November's Fruit of the Month stamp called "Sweet Banana" designed by Amy of A Thousand Sheets of Paper, from All That Scraps April's release! This is the first time that I've had a moment to ink her up! Yea! I drool over Amy's creations and hope that I did her proud with this one ;)

I'd like to enter my card to the following challenges :)

- That's Krafty Thursday Challenge #29 - Use Kraft CS

- Charisma Cardz Challenge#22 - Flowers

I'm sorry about my pic, first, my pics were to blurry, and now they look too bright, lol!

My card is very Amy inspired ;) I used a lil leftover Jenni Bowlin Lemonad DP, mounted lil Miss Banana, added tiny Primas and Pearls and the ribbon is from Papertrey Ink - love it! Need to get me some more ;) Especially since I just ran out of their Kraft cardstock too!

I have to admit, I think that other than any of the Twilight themed stamps that I own ;) this one has become one of my most fave of all! She is just sooo cute! and we are huge on bananas over here! - my kids eat at least one or two a day! She's just the perfect addition to my lil stash here ;)

I can't wait to see what the next Fruit of the Month lil darling will be!  

Here is a close up of Sweet Banana - I used my Clear and Lemon Spica pens to make her sparkly wings, hat and tips of her dress...

Thanks for looking today :) I hope you likey!
Be sure to stop by Amy's blog and see her latest released stamps - Mermaids!

I'm a lil behind on my blog/stalking/surfing right now -
I'll be by soon enough!

xoxoxo

Oh, Alice! Chapter 9: Sunny, Sketchy, Afternoon...

Alice in Wonderland,

how do you get to Wonderland?

Over the hill or underland,

or just behind the tree?

When clouds go rolling by,

they roll away and leave the sky.

Where is the land beyond the eye,

that people can not see, where can it be?  

Where do stars go,

where is the crescent moon?

They must be somewhere in the sunny afternoon.

Alice in Wonderland, where is the path to Wonderland?

Over the hill or here or there, I wonder where.

Hopefully it's a sunny and golden afternoon in your neck of Wonderland!

At Oh, Alice! this week,
we have a Sketch Challenge for you today

brought to you by our very own
Tasha of Millie's Magical Moments!

Here's the sketch:

What's more?
There is a VERY generous prize offering this week from...

The BEARY SCRAP

The Beary Scrap is a sweet one-stop shop for all of your papercrafting needs and are offering an AMAZING $20 Gift Voucher for one lucky winner this week!

So let's get started!
Here's my card...

I was one of the lucky comment winners at All That Scraps and

won Amy Young's latest Sweet November Stamps release :)

Squeeeee!!!

As soon as I received them, I had to go and get inky ;)

Yes, I'm sorry, my card almost looks nothing like the sketch -

I turned it sideways, and flipped the small oval.

Putting 2 images kind of threw me off too, lol!

and I can now see, that you can barely see the middle panel...

sigh... I need to re-try it!

It wouldn't be a challenge if it wasn't challenging, right?! ;)

Best Friends Card Details:
Paper(s): Sassafras Lass DP; Papertrey Ink CS; American Crafts CS

Stamp(s): C.C.Designs - Sweet November Sprites: "Darby & Chenille"

Ink(s): Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Copic Markers

Accessories: Colorbok Metail Flowers; The Robin's Nest Dew Drops;

Spellbinders Small Oval and Labels Eight Nestabilities

There's no time limit to use this FABULOUS sketch,
BUT if you want to throw your
MAD HAT into the ring for the $20 Gift Voucher,
please link your entry (OAC9) by
Friday, April 23rd at 8pm CST!
The winner will be announced on Saturday, April 24th
with our next Challenge! Good luck!

For more awesomely and inspiring creations...
please visit the rest of the Twisted Design Team :)

Betty
Catherine
Erin {The Dormouse}
Jen
Jessica {The Mad Hatter!}
Jimmi
Kim {April GDT}
Kristy
Ky
Lisa
Margie {Me!}
Mary
Pam
Peggy
Sammi
Tasha


Thanks for stopping by!
Have a fabulous'y MAD weekend :)