Happy Birthday Anne Marie!

Hi friends! Several bloggers are joining together today to wish the sweet Anne Marie Hile of Stampin Anne a very happy birthday!!! The delightful Lesley Croghan is the party planner for today's event and has set up a linky on the Dynamic Duos blog. Pop over there for all of the details!

I first discovered Anne Marie's blog and her sweet nature when I was on the Dynamic Duos design team with her. She makes the prettiest cards and has a fondness for fur babies! She has a few of her own and often foster dogs or cats until they go to their permanent home. I think she's such a special lady and am so very happy to have met here in this blogging world! 

  This card was made especially for you Anne Marie. 

I wish you the happiest of birthdays with many blessings {{HUGS}} !!!

Thanks for taking a peek into my little corner of the world. 

I hope you'll stop by to visit Anne Marie and wish her a happy birthday! ~Lisa

DD #52 & RS #63 ! Sending You Sunshine!

Hi there! Wondering where I've been these last few day? Searching for a little mojo haha!! Yesterday didn't help matters with the drop to a blustery 50 degrees. But I put my thinking cap on today and decided I needed to get down to business. I put together this card to join in the one year anniversary celebration at Dynamic Duos using the latest design from Retro Sketches.

I went waaaay back to the beginning using the 2nd Dynamic Duo of colors, So Saffron & Pool Party. My card base was dry embossed with another of my new embossing folders. Check this one out...there are little polka dots joining the design ~ sweet!!! I topped the card with a panel of MME paper that was stamped with the PTI: Mehndi Medallion. Two PTI: Simple Sunflowers were die cute. One is popped up for dimension, it's  center is too. A PTI: Tiny Tag holds a PSX: bumble bee with glittery wings. I sprinkled on some of my fave gems,  I just love this color and finally a tiny wooden arrow. 

That's it for me today friends. Be sure to stop back by tomorrow, the Precious Remembrance team has taken on a new adventure!! ~Lisa

DD #50 & RS #61 ~ Just Because!

Happy May Day! I sure don't know where April disappeared to, but I'm not complaining since it wasn't the warmest we've had around here. We are enjoying some beautiful warm and sunny weather this week though. My sweet boy Max and I are taking full advantage of it too, long walks and drinking in the nature! I took a moment after getting the groceries put away yesterday to make a card. I'm joining in at Dynamic Duos and Retro Sketches this week.

I'm over the moon to finally have my embossed polka dots!! My SIL (aka: stamping buddy) and I went to the local stamp convention this past weekend. I picked up the neccesary items to make this possible. We had an awesome time, as always, and came home with several new goodies! I had the pleasure of meeting Nami from DeNami Design stamps...you know one of my boss ladies ~ hee!! She's such a sweetheart and we had a really nice visit.

My card is pretty straight forward, followed the sketch taking slight artistic license with the sentiment area. I forgot to stamp a sentiment before I embossed...rookie mistake...so I added a cute cluster of PTI tiny tags instead. The pretty little bird & branch stamp are SU along with the matching punch. 

There you have it friends. I hope you have a splendid day! ~Lisa

DD #47 & FMS #81 ~ You're my Sunshine!

Hi there I'm back again with another card. Two post today can you believe it! For my DeNami product spotlight please scroll down! Hubby is working overtime so I took advantage of a rainy afternoon to get crafty! I put this little number together for two challenges ~ Dynamic Duos and Freshly Made Sketches. I just love the aqua blue and red color combo and this is a really cute sketch. In fact it needed someone really cute in it. Take a look...

Yep that's right...my ridiculously cute mini schnauzer stamp! My sweet boy Max has taken to the bathroom rug because he's NOT a fan of thunder. Poor little baby. I spoiled him and took his dish in there for him to eat his dinner *wink* !! Now if the thunder will say bye bye for a while maybe we can get in a quick walk!

Okay about this card. I started with a pool party base topped with an embossed white panel. The sweet gingham paper is MME and the Washi tape is OA. I thought this sentiment suited my little guy perfectly it's from Precious Remembrance. Isn't that little fire hydrant brad fun! I picked a few of those up eons ago on an outing with my SIL (aka: stamping buddy). And we all know that furry little boy pups are official fire hydrant inspectors  ~ HA!!!

Thanks for visiting ~Lisa

DD #28 ~ All Hearts!

Hi there! Did you ever have one of those crafty days where it took you an eternity to create a card? Oh my word I didn't think I would ever finish this. What started out as a simple plan evolved into a major ordeal!! Glued this crooked, stamped that crooked, tear up, start over...ugh!!! Anyway I think I finally came up with an except-able card for this weeks Dynamic Duos challenge using Sahara Sand and Cherry Cobbler.

I started with the trio of MFT monarch border die cuts, then tied the ribbon to the panel and gussied up the knot with MS pine punches, button twine and a tiny jingle bell. Next I stamped some pine boughs onto the panel using kraft ink for a very subtle border behind my PTI  Love Lives Here: holiday angel. She's stamped with kraft ink as well and popped up with foam tape. I curved her wings for added interest. Another tiny cluster of pine and ribbon was added to her ornament. My sentiment is on a PTI double ended banner die. I offset it to match the upper ribbon treatment.

Okay off to run a couple of errands and shake off my crazy crafty morning! ~Lisa

DD #27 & MIM #90 ~ The Apple of My Eye!

Hello my bloggy friends! I made a card today to play along at the Dynamic Duos challenge in honor of the new design team. This was their first week and I wanted to show them some support. I have also used the latest Make It Mondays technique from PTI's Besty Veldman. Gosh I haven't played along with a MIM in a long time! But take a look at how I've combined the two challenges.

Betsy showed us a smart way to take a small sentiment and jazz it up a bit so it can have a bigger impact. She stamps a portion of the sentiment, then takes part of it and uses a larger alphabet. Lastly she stamps the other portion of the sentiment. This is my take on it using the PTI Fruit Fusion: apple set with the Mat Stack 4 and Tag-its 3 sets. My two stamped and punched alphabet letters are Hero Arts.

Hope your day was a delightful one ~Lisa

Edited: Oh good grief ~ I just realized I used Rich Razzelberry instead of Raspberry Ripple ~ HA! Darn those berries anyway!!!

 

Dynamic Duos #26 ~ Thank You!

 

A bittersweet day this is as I post my last card as a member of the Dynamic Duos Design Team. The inaugural design team is making an exit and next week a new team will be in place. What a joy and a blessing it has been to be part of this team. I was a Dynamo for six months...sort felt like a little super hero with that fun name ~ hee! I'm dedicating this card to Lesley and the team. Lesley gave me my first design team position and for that I am forever grateful. A wealth of inspiration from my team mates came week after week. Thanks girls it's been a fun ride ~ this one is for all of you.

My card begins with a white card base topped with my So Saffron panel. The four corners have been punched to let the white peek through. My favorite Spellbinders labels 10 die cuts are layered together and placed horizontally on the card. PTI simple sunflowers provide my focal along with this sentiment going out to all the Dynamos! A handful of scattered pearls for an addition of subtle elegance.

I hope to see your cards in the gallery this week as I cast one final vote for my favorite! Please stop by to wish my sweet team mates a fond farewell.

Thank you so much to all of those who have played along in this challenge, commented on my inspiration cards and given me your support. This challenge is based on SU colors. As a special farewell surprise I am giving away 25 ~ 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of SU cardstock... a little something from each of the color categories!!! I'll do a random pick from the comments on my card and announce the winner on Friday! Blessing to you sweet friends ~Lisa

Dynamic Duos #25 ~ Smile!

It's black tie week at Dynamic Duos with Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black and the Dessert Option of Die Cuts. You know me I do love my die cuts, but I actually opted to leave them off of this card. Seriously...with pumpkin pie do I really need to opt for another dessert ~ hee!

When seeing the colors you probably first think of Halloween. I decided to be a rebel and think in another direction! How about a nice bright orange poppy with a splash of gems and sweet polka dot ribbon. I started by stamping a series of circle and dot elements by Hero Arts onto my black card base using PTI Fresh Snow ink. Next I stamped my focal image by Inkadinkado and colored the poppy with a marker. I added this to the Pumpkin Pie panel. Using my craft knife I cut two slits on either side of the bottle to thread my ribbon through. A few sparkly gems and the last minute addition of a tiny Stamps by Judith "smile". This lets me use the card for several different occasions. I can stamp another sentiment for that inside. I didn't like the look of my ribbon tails sticking straight our so to add a bit of interest I fastened them down in two spots with score tape!

I can't wait to see what you design this week! Have a pleasant weekend ~Lisa

DD #24 ~ Stuck On You!

Hey there...I'm back... did you miss me!!??!! My hubby had a week off and I decided to take a few days away from my little ol' blog and kick back with my sweetie! We had one of those do as we please what do you want to do today kind of weeks. Bliss!!! He had a couple of early morning trips to the park for photo shooting marathons. For the first one he was up at 3:00am and in the moonlit park by 4:00am. Talk about dedication to your hobby ~ sheesh! Needless to say Max and I stayed home. He walked the railroad tracks with total darkness on either side of him only the moon and a tiny headband light to light his way. He said he could hear the deer snorting loudly in the darkness. He's a brave one...NO WAY would I be there! I asked if he saw any coyote and he said no and I'm kinda glad I forgot about them! That's my guy and I am stuck on him!!!

It's soft and subtle week at Dynamic Duos with Pool Party and Soft Suede. A dreamy combination for sure. I think Pool Party is my favorite SU color. I went with a quick CAS card. I stamped two sweet little hedgies (Darcies) using kraft ink onto my Pool Party panel. I was amazed how this matched the Soft Suede so well. I didn't get them perfectly centered...shhhh don't tell. The sentiment from the set went underneath. Two rows of die cut heart borders from PTI and a Fiskars punched heart for the lovey dovey portion of the card. And a few gems I picked up at Joann for a song and absolutely love.

That's it for me friends I hope you have a chance to play along with us this week. Be sure to stop by the blog and visit the team, their cards will knock your socks off for sure! ~Lisa

DD #23 ~ Take Time!

Hi there! And a happy world card making day to my fellow card makers! It's Saturday once again and that means another Dynamic Duos color challenge! This week we give you the bold and sassy colors of Tangerine Tango and Old Olive.We also welcome three new guest designers for the month of October ~ Aimee, Alison and Paula!

This sentiment by Hero Arts is probably the first sentiment stamp I bought...years ago! And I encourage you to do just as it says. I love the simple act of taking my little Max on a long walk during the Autumn months. We rustle through the fallen leaves that smell so good and watch the squirrels as they scamper about preparing for the winter months ahead. The simple joy of seeing a chipmunk cross our path with his little tail sticking straight up and his cheeks bulging with nuts to store! It's a quiet and peaceful time that I truly enjoy. Something else I enjoy is this leaf stamp from 'A La Art given to me by my son when he was in college! 
 

Thanks for stopping by and I wish you a splendid weekend ~Lisa

DD #22 ~ Faith.Hope.Love!

Hello my sweet blogging friends! Anything fun planned for your weekend? If you're chillin out at home why not whip a a card for our Dynamic Duos color challenge! This week you get to pick a color of your liking to pair up with Cherry Cobbler. I can't wait to see all of the fun color combinations. Here's a little something I put together to get you inspired.

I decided to use Pool Party as my second color along with the neutrals of Crumb Cake and White. I cut two labels one at 4" and one at 3 1/2". The Linden Tree image from Memory Box is stamped on the Pool Party label using Kraft ink then layered  onto the Cherry Cobbler label. I die cut the three banners with my PTI double ended banner die and stamped the Hero Arts sentiment in Kraft ink as well. I layered these on this card made from a cardstock I've had in my stash for a few years! This was the last piece of it and I think it works perfectly here. A few pearls to bring the white forward a bit and I'm happy with the results!

Thanks for taking a peek, I hope to see your card in our gallery this week! ~Lisa

DD # 21 ~ Thank You!

Saturday greetings! Our monochromatic colors at Dynamic Duos this week are two shades of green ~ Always Artichoke and Certainly Celery. It seems appropriate to finish up the summer challenges with green as the trees will soon be ablaze with color and before we know it the green grass will lie dormant under a blanket of white fluff. My card is a tribute or thank you of sorts to the lovely days of September. The summer heat gave way to pleasant days and cool evenings. The annuals are fading and mums blooming ~ Autumn is here!

I used my SB labels 18 to die cut a window in my 4" x 4" card. I filled the space by placing the same size label inside the card stamped with a Savvy Stamps sentiment and tiny PTI blooms. A triple layer of MFT Monarch Border is topped with a sweet floral trim. And scattered pearls added for accents. Here's another view showing the opening a bit better.

I would like to take a moment to remind you that when entering your cards in our challenge please remember not to enter into any other color challenges. This makes your works of art ineligible to be chosen as one of our winners. Take a moment to visit my fellow dynamos (listed on my side bar) along with our guest designers.  Beautiful inspiration awaits!!!

Allyson Andersen (GD)

Karen Aicken (GD)

Michelle Bala (GD)

 I'm so glad you took the time to visit, have a splendid weekend! ~Lisa

DD #20 ~ EEK!

EEK another week has flown by, I can't believe it's the middle of September already. Where oh where does the time go? Well, at this moment in time we have another pair of colors to share at Dynamic Duos ~ Lucky Limeade and Basic Black. Along with those you have the dessert option of Halloween! I opted to have dessert this week and put together a frighteningly fun card for you!

I started by stamping this Halloween scene on a white panel. Isn't my Count Dracula cute! I love this spooky little fella from Vippees. He's posed between this fun iron fence from DeNami Design. Teeny grass clusters and pebbles (that are really supposed to be some sort of flower!) by Art Impressions anchor the fence sections. The twiggy trees and fluttery bats are Stamps by Judith.

My scalloped border is actually the negative from a PTI rick rack border die. These were both added to the Lucky Limeade panel then attached to my white card base. The little letters are a set I picked up at Joann years ago.

That does it for me friends. I hope you find time to play along this week. Stop by to visit the other Dynamos they have a fun mix of cards to share. Have a splendid weekend! ~Lisa

Dynamic Duos #19!

 

It's Saturday and that means a new color combo at Dynamic Duos!

I had to ponder this soft and subtle color combination for a bit, pulling papers, shuffling them around and then finding the stamps once I had a plan in motion. That plan got a kick start from Freshly Made Sketches! Gotta love a good sketch!

My pretty maple leaf is from the Rubber Monger and my swirly monogram letter is by Inkadinkado. The punched (EK Success) frame is Endless Creations. I clear embossed my stamped images and decided against a sentiment. I thought this could be used as a Thanksgiving card or fall birthday for one of our relatives. You really need to click on this photo to enlarge it so the embossed monogram shows up a bit better!

I can't wait to see what you create this week. Your cards from last week knocked my socks off...so hard to pick a winner! Keep up the good work!!! ~Lisa

DD #18 ~ Hey Sassy Pants!

Hi friends! I'm back today with a bold and sassy card for Dynamic Duos. This week we're giving you the challenge to create something using the colors of Poppy Parade and Lucky Limeade. If you don't have those specific colors use something similar and remember neutrals are also welcome.

Check out this little lady from My Favorite Things...isn't she a peach! I'm giving this sassy pants shout out to our three guest designers for the month of September ~ Allyson Anderson, Karen Aicken and Michelle Bala! I'm so happy they'll be with us for the entire month. Please be sure to pay them a visit won't you! Along with my duo of colors I've thrown in a couple of neutrals, white, ivory, kraft and flesh. Hmmm...guess that's more than a couple, but when you have a person you've stamped you have to deal with the skin and hair! I paper pieced her sweet little dress with scraps of October Afternoon papers, added a flower gem to her hair and have given her shoes some gloss and sparkle! My die cut label is MFT: well worn greetings and the banners are PTI.

That's it for me today peeps, don't forget to visit my fellow Dynamos. I can't wait to see what sassy little designs you come up with! ~Lisa

DD #17 ~ Warm Wishes!

Welcome! Another Saturday is upon us and that brings with it another Dynamic Duos challenge. This week we are giving you the monochromatic theme of Wisteria Wonder and Concord Crush. I hope this card I've made inspires you to join along!

I started with a Wisteria Wonder card base then layered on three Spellbinders labels 18 die cuts. This sweet image is from The Rubber Cottage and my sentiment is Northwoods. The pretty little corner embellishments I've added are My Favorite Things vintage flourish die cuts. I attached them to the back of the label then curved them into place. I topped things off with a grosgrain bow fastened with a sparkly gem brad.

As many of you may already know our teammate Bronwyn Eastly has stepped down to focus on work and family. She'll be greatly missed and we wish her the best!!! I hope you take a moment to visit the other Dynamos and play along! Have a great weekend ~Lisa

Dynamic Duos #16 ~ Get Well Soon!

Good Saturday morning! You know what that means...another set of colors from Dynamic Duos. This is black tie week featuring River Rock and Basic Black with the dessert option of brads. I have some paper by My Mind's Eye that I admit I've been hoarding. OK...who am I kidding; I have a lot of paper from My Mind's Eye that I've been hoarding! Somehow I get the feeling I'm not alone ~HA! Anyway let's get down to business shall we.

This pretty floral paper has been in my "too sweet to cut" category for awhile now. But I think I need to embrace the out with the old and in with the new philosophy! After all; there's always pretty new paper to be had. I stamped and punched my SU bird then layered it with foam tape onto MFT: Well Worn Greetings label dies. One cut from river rock and the other from a swiss dot black paper. A PTI: Filligree Border and small Double Ended Banner were die cut from RiverRock. I adhered the punched branches from the bird set to the back of the sentiment banner, curved them to the front, then added it to the card with foam tape. I really like the look of this. I used my dessert option and added a couple of brads here. They remind me of little berries.

Now go get yourselves busy with a card for this latest combo! Can't wait to see what you create. Please take some time to visit the team; they're all linked up on my sidebar ~Lisa 
 

Dynamic Duos #15 ~ Thank You!

Hi there! Can I interest you in some soft and subtle colors from Dynamic Duos!?! How does Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink sound...sweet combo huh! I knew I had some ribbon left over from my floral design days that would work perfectly here.

Isn't it pretty! I had two spools of this forever so long and now I'm down to just half a spool. It's from eons ago so I don't think I would ever find it again. Snippets used here and there might let me hold onto it a bit longer! I decided to pair it with my floral birdcage from Impression Obsession. The tiny stamped garland (also IO) along the bottom is one stamp (3 blooms & 3 leaves) stamped repeatedly. This sweet little hummingbird is by Art Impressions and my sentiment is Savvy Stamps. I chose to use a celery green gingham paper from Lily Bee Design. A chunky button, sprinkled gems and a wee bit of glitter for some added pizazz.

That's it for me today friends. I hope you have a chance to play along this week. Don't forget to visit the design team blogs and show them a little love! Have a delightful weekend ~Lisa

Dynamic Duos #14 ~ You're a Treasure!

Good Saturday morning! Ready for some new bold and sassy colors from Dynamic Duos ~ Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi! I have a pretty little project rather than a card today. Take a look...

I must admit I was in a complete creative block with our colors for two days! Then Wednesday I decided to bake a batch of banana muffins. When reaching for my paper liners I found that I had some left over from Halloween. This became my jumping off point. I think that little lightbulb might have appeared over my head! Check these out ~ orange paper liners with polka dots...squeal...love them!!!

I thought I would whip up a couple of treat bags to give our son and daughter-in-law some of the muffins. I started with a square paper doily folding it on the diagonal. I decorated two of the edges with PTI: filigree border die cuts. The focal portion consists of MFT: well worns greetings die cuts topped with a DeNami sentiment and stamps from PTI: pretty peonies. Our DIL gets the flower, butterfly and pearl bag, while our son gets the butterflies and orange gems. I know it looks a little girly for my handsome son; but he'll just dive into those muffins head first anyway ~ HA!!

The second photo of the cute little topper was just for fun to add to the photo. It's also a combination of the PTI pretty peonies stamps and dies along with a tiny tag (yes Marie...I had to sneak one in!!)

Hope you all have a pleasant day and be sure to visit my fellow Dynamos for some spectacular inspiration! ~Lisa

Dynamic Duos #13 ~ Sweetness!

Hello and welcome! I have a snuggle up warm and cozy little card today for our monochromatic week at Dynamic Duos. When I saw this color duo I knew I wanted to use these cute teddy bears from Stamps by Judith. Looks like they're all loungey and tuckered out after diggin deep into the bee hive! But they're pure sweetness!!!

I stamped them onto a white panel and used this pretty corner punch to let the Early Espresso cardstock show through. The PTI heart border and QuicKutz tiny tag are die cut from Crumb Cake. My little bee hive and paw prints are also Stamps by Judith and the sentiment is Hero Arts. I couldn't resist this gingham ribbon when I saw it, it matches the kraft paper family so well. These are more buttons that I picked up while shopping with my mom earlier this summer ~ just love the kraft color of them too!!

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We've had fabulous entries in the past weeks, I can't wait to see what you do with this fun duo of colors! Thanks for popping in today  ~Lisa