Your My Pot of Gold-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello crafty friends, here we are back to Monday again. Not sure how these weeks fly by so fast but they do. My foot is doing much better now, not healed all the way, but I can walk on it normally now. I am super happy about that. I enjoyed the week with my youngest son, even though he worked, it was nice to have someone home with me. I love when he comes in from work late at night (he works at our local movie theater part time) and lays down on the bed and tells me what ever has him excited. Then he gets up and heads to his room. He can be a chatter box, must have gotten that from me cause his dad was a man of few words. lol This particular night, he had to tell me about a hawk that swooped down in front of his Jeep and snatched up a rabbit as he was leaving work. Sometimes it is about a coyote standing in the field at our driveway, or about deer, etc...Just a special 5 to 10 minute chat for me. He is back up at college now, and I'm going to miss him. Although he only has 8 more weeks of classes and then he will be home for the summer and work. He is hoping to get an internship this summer with a local construction company that is big here in town. He worked for them last summer as a labor. I happen to see the guy that does the hiring at church and talked with him a bit. He hadn't realized that Dwayne had passed away. He also asked if Bret was coming back to work for them this year. I told him I didn't know, that he was looking for an internship. So he asked a few questions and then said to have Bret email him. So I hope it works out that Bret can get that internship since his major is Construction Management. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Well I didn't have projects for the last two BBTB2 challenges, but this week I'm on top of it. I think....Our challenge was issued by my design team sister, Lynn. She wants us to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a project or if you don't celebrate St. Patty's day, then a green project will work too. So I thought I could get my St. Patrick day cards done for my grandchildren and nephews. I used this card sketch for all my cards, but I did change the orientation of the sketch on some.  I did the print and cut feature of my Explore to make my pattern papers. I also used the print and cut feature for some of my images, not all though. The hat, boy/girl with clover was a straight cut on the Explore. This will be a 2 part post. The 2nd post will post tonight at midnight. So make sure to come back to see the rest of my cards tomorrow. I did 10 in all by mass producing. Now it is your turn to make a project with your Cricut machine and come and share with us!! Need more inspiration, go no farther than my design team sisters over at BBTB2.

As always thanks for stopping by and visiting with me a spell. I love when company comes a visiting!! You comments always brightens my day and I thank you for them. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:

Green argyle-Blast Off pattern-print and cut

Yellow gingham- Blast Off pattern-print and cut

Striped-Greeting Cards pattern-print and cut

Lucky-CTMH Artistry-print and cut

Top Hat (Bo Bunny Dots paper) and Children silhouettes (generic black paper from my stash)-A Child's Year 

Turtle-Create A Critter 2-print and cut

homemade enamel dots in small and medium sizes

Every birthday should be taken with a grain of salt....

Hello my crafty friends, I hope this Monday finds you well. Nothing new or exciting around here. I just went to a Rosery group at church on Saturday with my husband's cousin, and then to 5:30 pm mass Saturday evening with the cousin as well as her daughter and dad. They are such great family to me and have been a big help since Dwayne's passing. So I tend to spend a lot of time with them. After church we went out to eat at the local diner and had so many laughs. It's good to laugh like that! Then home, Bret came home on Friday to work, so he worked all day and evening on Saturday and Sunday all day. He then headed back up to school. Spring break will be coming up in a few weeks and he will be home for a week. I imagine he will work the whole time. I always love when he is home and can't wait for May to come around cause then he will be home for the summer. Anyway just a mundane weekend, which is right up my alley.

As you know it's time for a new challenge over at BBTB2. Our sweet Kelly of Kelly's Concoctions  chose our theme for this week and she wants us to create a fiesta themed project in honor of Nat'l Margarita day. Yes, there is a Nat'l something day each month I think. lol I had no clue what the heck I was going to do. So when that happens to me, I surf Pinterest. I typed in "margarita" and drinks and such popped up. So my card is inspired by a sentiment that I saw on Pinterest. My card is also very simple. I used the Ole Cricut cartridge in Design Space or Cricut Access, what ever they are calling it these days. I also used one of the writing fonts to put my sentiment on the outside and inside of my card. That font was called Chloe Whimsy.

I hope that you all will play along with us on this fun challenge. If you need more inspiration, just look for farther than BBTB2, my design team sisters have lots of inspiration!

As always, thanks for stopping by and sittin' a spell with me. I also love company especially now that I'm alone a lot. Your comments always lift my spirits and make me smile! Crafty hugs, Brenda

See, simple, very simple! But cute don't you think?

 Close up of the Wink of Stella sparkle and my "salt" is flower soft.

The side of the card. I goofed, when the Explore started writing the sentiment, I realized that the pen adapter wasn't closed. Ooops! That's why the "es" looks smaller from the rest of the letters. I can live with it though.

Chocolate...A Basic Necessity-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope your Monday is off to a great start. We had a very cold weekend here in Central PA with negative digits. More snow for today and supposed to change over to rain for Tuesday so they are already calling for heavy flooding. Not looking forward to that mess or the icy slush as it makes it to the change over. 

 I made it through another "first" without hubby. Friday into Saturday I was kept busy with 2 of my granddaughters. I went to pick them up and they spend the night. We enjoy supper when we got home, colored and made monkey bread for snack. Then I tucked them in bed. Saturday morning we made Valentines for their parents and colored some more and played games. The in the early afternoon their parents came and got them. Then I celebrated what would have been our 23rd anniversary with our youngest son. He came home from college to take me out to eat and then to the movies. His boss's wanted to meet me, they were very kind to me and told me I could come in anytime to escape reality and watch a movie with a friend. Just to let my son know and he would let them know. For free. How sweet is that?? They said they would take good care of me and give me snacks and such. I just thought that was so nice of them to tell me that. I don't go to the movies much, but was very nice of them to offer me that. Sunday my youngest granddaughter was over to see me, she is 3 months and really growing! Then my second to youngest granddaughter was dropped off so I could watch her while her parents went grocery shopping. She just turned 2 today and apparently is a little stinker when they go shopping. So the grands and my youngest son kept my mind occupied and I survived the weekend. Thank goodness for the grandchildren, they sure do bring a lot of joy into my life. It's a little bittersweet though, because my husband loved the grands so much as well and got great joy from them. 

Anyway, better get on with the job at hand. As you know Monday's always brings a  new challenge over at BBTB2. Emily is our sweet host for this week and she has challenge the DT and you to make a project using candy because today is national gumdrop day. I bet you didn't know that did you? lol So she wants to see candy on our projects. Make sure to go over to BBTB2 to see what inspiration my DT sister's have for you too. I started off with a card base and added some red paper for my base. Then using snippets of black and the heart paper as well as snippets of white.

As always, thanks for stopping by and sittin' a spell with me. I so enjoy your company and love to hear what you have to say on my latest project. I'm not quite in the swing of things yet, but hopefully I will get going better with each post. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Going to go play at the Snippet's Playground this week because I used snippets on my card.

Recipe:

Valentine Sweets Cricut cart-I did a print and cut

Sentiment from Cardz TV stamp set called "Sugar Rush"

wink of stella on the candies (click on the picture to enlarge and see all the shimmer and shine on those candies)

I Scream, You Scream....BBTB2 Challege

Hello crafty friends, hope you have had a great weekend and that the week is off to a great start as well. I am still taking each day as it comes, can't really look forward to the future yet or even conceive the future without my beloved. I know it will come one day, but for now I am best taking each day as it comes. 

Today is Monday, so that means a brand new challenge is going on over at BBTB2. I am hosting this week and the theme I chose for my DT Sisters and you is to use ice cream on your project. Did you know that on the first Saturday of February it is "Eat ice cream for breakfast" holiday?!! I can't make this stuff up people, it really is!! lol Sooooo, this is why I want to see ice cream on your projects. Go over to BBTB2 and see what inspiration my design team sisters have for you and then link up a project with ice cream on it with us. 

I used Mojo Monday 431 sketch. As always, thank you for taking the time out of your day and visiting me. Your visit is much appreciated as are your commented. You bring much joy to my day when you visit! Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:

Cricut Sweet Shop cartridge, print and cut

Outside sentiment and face on bowl of ice cream-My Creative Time "You Make Life Sweet" stamps and dies set.

Inside sentiment-My Creative Time "We're Better Together" stamp/die set and Maymay Made It "Happy" stamp set

Hearts-WPlus9 "Borders and Backgrounds" stamps

Sequins and glossy accents

Snowflakes, lots and lots of Snowflakes-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope if you were in the path of this storm you made it through it safe and sound. I had originally had this scheduled to post because I was afraid we would lose our power with this snow storm. But we didn't. We did however get 28 inches of snow dumped on us! I was so happy to have my youngest and his friend get home from college on Friday before the snow storm hit. It started around 5/6pm on Friday. Woke up to lots and lots of snow on Saturday. Still coming down like crazy, but my son and friend went out to shovel the back porch and walk open. Then they "waded" through the snow drifts on the tractor path to get to the farm. Once there they got the doors open to the big shed and got the loader tractor out and pushed snow at the farm and home. Then helped a neighbor, all the while the snow continued to fall at 2 to 3 inches per minute. Finally called it done for the day. Woke up this morning to a beautiful, sunny day. My son got the tractor again and pushed more snow and snow drifts at the farm and home. Then he went up the road and plowed a another neighbor out. In the mean time, I shoveled the front porch, couldn't open the door, and shoveled to the driveway from the front porch as well as opened up a path to the pipes that they oil man uses to deliver my heating oil. My neighbor came by and finished helping me get this done. Then my son and friend came home and we had supper. After supper they dug open the mail box so the mail could be delivered. It was his 20th birthday, so celebrated that and then off they left to go back to college. These boys worked hard this weekend! Thank God, because I don't know when I would have gotten dug out since my other son was still snowed in at his house. He lives about 25 minutes from me and thought he would be able to get to me on Saturday to dig me out. Nope, didn't happen. He was still snowed in late this afternoon! I would rather mow grass than shovel snow. lol So I'm done, where's spring?! And yes, youngest son and friend got back to college safe and sound. a 2 1/2 hour drive and I can watch them drive all the way home on my phone, it even tells me how fast they are driving. Such a piece of mind to watch them get there. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. Feeling frosty??

My back porch/patio after the guys shoveled Sunday.

 My youngest clearing the driveway on Saturday.

 This was our visibility, sometimes worse than this on Saturday.

 This is my front yard on Sunday.

 My backyard on Sun., there is a picnic table between the two trees, buried.

 Out my back door, with the door open on Saturday, it was piling up against the door.

Ok, enough of my rambling. We were challenged over at BBTB2 to use a snowflake on our project by the talented Susan. Well, I should have did a snowflake layout since it is snowing like crazy and I will be taking pictures. But at the time I did my project I didn't know we were going to have a huge storm, so I have a card instead. It was Pinterest inspired and you can find that inspiration here. Ok, it was more like a down right copy, I admit. I couldn't help it, I feel in love with it. I was going to make my snowflake white and for some reason, I made it silver glitter. Don't ask me what I was thinking, but I forgot I was going to make it white like the Pinterest one. Yea, still not on my game I'm sorry to say and don't think I will be for a while yet. Anyway I used a lot of snippets on this one. The only thing that isn't a snippet is my card base, which is 4 1/4 X 4 1/4. So this card will still fit in an A2 envelope. Ok, it's your turn to create some dazzling snowflake projects to link up with us. 

As always thank you for stopping by and visiting with me a spell. You comments always make my day and leave me with a smile on my face. Crafty  hugs, Brenda

Edited: Joining in with the challenges:
Rudolph Day
Snippets Playground

Recipe:

Cuttlebug embossing folder on the 1 1/2 inch squares

Winter Wonderland Cricut cartridge for the snowflake

Some random shear white ribbon from my stash

Random clear gem

Sentiment from a SU set, sorry I don't remember which one

Penguin Cold-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was so, so. Hard to know what to do with yourself when you don't have your mate around anymore. I helped our cousin take down Christmas trees at her house and her dad's house on Friday and then on Sat. I went to mass in the evening. 

Since it is Monday, you know that means it is a brand new challenge over at BBTB2. This weeks challenge is hosted by our talented Kelly. She wants us to use penguins on our project. So I made a little card. Well, it isn't the standard A2 card. Instead it is a 4 1/4 x 6 1/4 card. Kept it pretty simple by doing a print and cut on the Explore. I stamped my houndstooth pattern on some snippets of white cardstock. I also curved my sentiment on my block to match the curve of the penguin's head.  Recipe will be at the bottom. 

As always thanks for stopping by. It's always great to get visitors. You always  make my day a happy one. I will be by to visit you real soon too. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Thanks to a blog buddy, Lisa, I can enter this into the the Thankful Thursday challenge over at DLART. It is to use the colors yellow, black and white. Thanks Lisa!

I also want to enter into the Snippets Playground challenge of using snippets. 

Recipe:

Penguin-Create A Critter, print and cut on Explore

Hounds-tooth pattern-My Creative Time Build A Banner Kit

Snowflakes-My Creative Time Winter Flake Dies

Sentiment-Cardz TV Snow Day stamp set

Glittery Paper-Die Cuts With A View glitter paper

Brrrr, Baby It's Cold Outside! BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I am trying to find my new normal since my beloved husband's passing. So it is back to creating for my DT's. Not sure how it will go, but it can only help me to create some again. 

Today is a new challenge over at BBTB2. Our sweet Melanie has chosen our theme of hats, mittens and scarves because baby, it's cold outside! At least it is cold here in Central PA. Although yesterday was 55 and today it is only in the low 30's. How does that work?! We have been very fortunate that we haven't had hardly any cold weather or snow so far. I think this is my kind of winter! So for this challenge I made some pocket cards by printing my cards on my Explore. The cartridges I used will be under my pictures. For now, I just have some filler cards in the spaces instead of pictures. I will put pictures in later, I have tons of snow pictures to scrap. 

Thanks for joining me today, I always love when you come and sit a spell and enjoy a hot drink with me. Your comments always, always make my day and I will be back to visit you too very soon. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Cartridges Used:

Holiday Cakes - mittens Colors were changed on the Explore

Mr. Frosty for the patterns on the card shapes

Snow Angel - brown/blue hat

Winter Woodland - blue/pink hat

Snow Friends - snowman

Sweet Juicy Watermelon-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope you all are having a wonderful Monday! I haven't posted in a while and I may have not been to visit you in a while too. So sorry about that, I follow your blogs through email or bloglovin'. Mostly by email and I haven't been getting my email notifications anymore for some reason. This tends to happen from time to time and it is frustrating. I'm not getting my email notifications for You Tube either. So if I haven't visited your blog, I'm truly sorry. I will be back as soon as I get my notifications again. In the mean time I will get to the blogs that I follow using bloglovin'. 

On the medical front, hubby was given an extra week off from chemo. So no chemo this week. Doc is afraid that the chemo will do permanent nerve damage. So he is having hubby doing a CAT scan tomorrow and then on Monday he will go in for quite possibly his last treatment. Doc will contact our doctor down at John Hopkins to let her know that hubby is ready for the study. Hubby will just have to wait the 28 days to get all the chemo out his system. He should be able to do all the testing for the study. We will see what Monday brings, as well as the results of the CAT scan. I'm praying that the study will be just what he needs to kick this cancer's butt!

Ok, back on track here, we have a new challenge today and that challenge is being hosted by our sweet and talented Susan. She has challenged us as well as you to use watermelon on our projects. I searched all my Cricut cartridges for watermelons and then picked the one I liked best and this is what I came up with. 

As always thank you for taking time out of your day to visit me. I always love when you stop by and your comments always make my day more special! Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:

Ant-Nate's ABC's Cricut Cartridge

Watermelon-Preserves Cricut Cartridge

Sentiment-Cardz TV Sugar Rush stamp set

Pattern Paper-May or may not be old Creative Memories paper

It's All About the Water! - BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, here we are at Monday again. I swear this summer is flying by way to fast! It is chemo week and tomorrow we will see how hubby does with the meds he is to take tonight and in the morning and if they work for controlling any allergic reactions. Keeping my fingers crossed! 

As you know if it is Monday, then it is a brand new challenge over at BBTB2. This week our sweet and talented Sharon has given us the challenge to jump into the water! Our challenge and yours is to make a project using water as most of us love to lounge by the pool, go to the ocean and lounge on the beach, or lake. Water parks are very popular as well in the summer, so you can go in many directions with this water challenge. I didn't know what I wanted to do for this challenge, I guess I had to many options. lol I was going to scrap my Niagara Falls pictures from when we went to Iowa, but my printer ink won't be here until today, so I decided not to go with that. After searching Pinterest for inspiration I finally went with today's card.  Now it is your turn, link up with BBTB2 with your water project. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

As always thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by and visit me. Your comment always bring sunshine to my day!! Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:

Pack Your Bags Cricut Cartridge

Build a Scripty & Watercolor Background Stamp Set by My Creative Time

Surf's Up Stamp and Die set by My Creative Time

Distress Inks in Faded Denim and Salty Ocean

Tree's that Shade-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, here it is Monday once again. I hope you all had a safe and fun 4th of July. It rained here until 5:30 and we caught a glimpse of the sun for a brief minute. So we just hung out relaxing. And I baked hubby some cookies. Last Monday when hubby had chemo he had another allergic reaction, much milder because of their swift actions. They had given him Benedryl before starting chemo. After being into chemo for a while, the head nurse comes by and asked me if hubby had that rash on his forehead and I said no. He said he didn't think he saw one either, so he stopped chemo and started flushing saline through his system. Doc came out and looked at hubby and once the rash left, they started chemo back up and hubby finished up with out any more happenings. Now before he goes in next Monday, he has to take 4 new pills the night before, 4 the morning of and 30 minutes before chemo, he is to take 2 Benedryl pills. I assume they will be giving him a shot of Benedryl as well once there. That really knocks hubby and other chemo patients out and they sleep the entire time. Hope this next round doesn't have any reactions with it! We did get some good news, hubby's tumor marker came down by 50 points! We were so happy to hear that. Of course he has a long way to go, but we are going in the right direction!

Well you know if it is Monday then it is time for a new BBTB2 challenge. Our challenge was to use a tree on our project. It get's hot in the summer and we all love the shade a tree can provide in the summer months. I have to tell you that the layout I did for this challenge gave me all sorts of problems from the get go. The final thing that happened was I ran out of ink in my printer. lol But I only needed one more thing and that is a trail sign in front of my critter riding the 4 wheeler, so I will add it when I get more ink. Just before hubby got sick with his fevers, we went to VA for the Easter holiday. It was warm and sunny. We road the 4 wheeler's and a Ranger all over our friend's 300 acres and had a ball. So I took some pictures from that to make my layout with. Our friends have made all kinds of trails throughout their land, there is one spot where it is a huge hill that goes down, like a steep roller coaster hill. I always dreaded going down or up it on the back of a 4 wheeler with hubby. My friend (who is more like a sister to me) got a Ranger, so I started riding with her in it. That little truck ATV takes that hill like it is nothing, and it isn't near as scary. lol We went first down the big hill and then the guys came after us. One at a time. And since we were at the bottom first we took pictures of the guys come down. I wish the picture showed how steep that hill really is! We also went through some mucky water that had collected in a "hole" and became very muddy as well as slippery. Once again us girls went first and waited for the guys to come through and took pictures of them. We girls were protected inside the Ranger, but the guys, well their 4 wheeler's got muddy and they had to put up their feet to stay dry and mud free. lol It was a great time that weekend, ending with a beautiful Easter meal that us girls made. After the meal we got on the road to head home because hubby had his first appointment at Johns Hopkins. But as we know, he never got back down because of the fevers. We are hoping by fall he will be able to go back. 

As always, I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to visit little ole me, your comments always make my day. If I haven't been around to see you, I will be soon. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:
Campin' Critters Cricut cartridge
Print and Cut using the Explore
Papers from an old DCWV paper stack, 
Plain light blue paper-don't know who it is by
SU Rotary Alpha stamp
My Creative Time die Arrows

Flags/Banners-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope this Monday finds you all well and ready for a new week. It is chemo today, yes usually we go on Tuesdays, but this week Tuesday was pretty booked up, so we went with a Monday. Keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well this week at chemo. Hubby seems to be doing pretty good, those fevers are few now, which is a good sign. My ribs are healing slowly. They still hurt but not like they did, but sleeping is still a challenge. I will get there though, just time is needed and I've got that.

Trying to get back into the swing of getting crafty. I don't always do well in the summer as it seems to be a lot to do in the summer. Of course this year, we are getting washed away by all the rain. We got 7 1/2 inches of rain this past week! With 3 1/4 just on Saturday! So I won't be mowing grass for a while so that is one thing off the plate. lol Although I do love to mow the grass. Anyway we have a new challenge over at BBTB2. Our talented and so sweet design team sister, Michele, gave us the challenge of making a project using a flag or banner for the upcoming holiday. Gosh, can you believe that the 4th of July is this weekend?!! Summer is flying by and I'm not ready for that. lol My card for today is very simple, but patriotic.  I used the print and cut feature on my Explore for the girl and her flag. That's it, I told you it was simple. I don't have much mojo at times. lol But I think it is good enough to use for Hero mail in my OWH box. So I will write a letter in it to one of our Hero's. Now it is your turn, make anything with a flag or banner and link up with us. Can't wait to see what you all make! 

As always, thanks for taking time from your busy schedule to stop by and visit me. I know I'm behind on making my rounds and I'm trying to get caught up a little each night. Have a wonderful week and thanks again for your sweet comments, they really do make my day! Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:
girl and flag-Summer Celebrations
banners-Art Philosophy
sentiments and inside border-My Creative Time 4th of July Stamps

Wedding Time! - BBTB2 Challenge

Hi my crafty friends, I hope your Monday is off to a great start! Hubby went to work this morning so that is a good thing. He has been doing half days for now. Tomorrow is chemo day so he won't go back in to work until Friday. His pump will be put on tomorrow afternoon and will come off on Thursday afternoon. He always feels like he has been freed from prison when that pump comes off. lol Anyway enough chatter, lets get on with it.

Our sweet design team sister, Kelly, gave us the challenge to make a wedding or anniversary project for this week at BBTB2. This challenge comes at a good time for me as we have a son getting married on June 13th. I got my inspiration from this card on Pinterest. The Cricut cartridges I used on my card are George and Basic Shapes for the lettering and Bits and Pieces for the hearts. It was a very simple card to make and didn't take long at all. I sized everything in Design Studio and then cut it out. Easy peasy! I used stickles on the hearts that aren't embossed and on the letters as well. In real life it sparkles so pretty! I using Swiss Dots embossing folder on some hearts and the top of my card. I also popped up each of the larger hearts with the smaller heart glued on the larger heart. The layers are popped up on foam tape as well with the Mr and Mrs glue directly to the card base. So what do you think of my white on white wedding card? Now it is your turn, go check out what inspiration my design team sisters have for you and then you make a wedding project and link up with us! I can't wait to see what you make!

As always, I appreciated you taking time from your busy day to visit me. Your comments always make my day that much brighter!!  Crafty hugs, Brenda

Dance Like No One's Watching-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, since hubby's fever has come down and he has started treatments again, I decided to get back on my DT. I have missed crafting and I'm rusty to say the least, but hopefully I will get back in the swing of things. Hubby's last chemo treatment was rough on him. He was feeling a little sick while getting treatment so the nurse gave him some saltines to nibble on. Got home and he promptly ran to the bathroom. I felt so bad for him. Then the nurse and pharmacy got here to get hubby's pump placed on. The pharmacy delivered the meds and then left and then the nurse got hubby set up with his pump. No sooner than she got it on him than he was back in the bathroom. When he came out he was so white, his lips were so white and it was a little scary to see. His heart rate was up of course so the nurse said she wasn't leaving until his rate was back down. So I got him settle in his recliner, covered him up because he was freezing and the nurse checked him a little later. His heart rate was back down so she left and he rested. The next morning he felt good to go so I was a thankful wife!

Today over at BBTB2 our challenge was issued by our our sweet design team sister, Emily. Her little girl is going to be starting dance soon so that is our theme, dance. I didn't know where I was going to go with this challenge. But in the end this is what I came up with. My dancing girl comes from the Cricut cartridge Shall We Dance. My mat is from Elegant Edges and I had my Explore write my sentiment using the Quarter Note cartridge.  I punched a Martha Stewart butterfly and two smaller butterflies using a Studio G punch. I added some pearls and called it done. Let's see your dance projects and make sure to use your Cricut cartridges. Can't wait to see what you do. 

Thank you for taking time from your busy day to visit me, I always love to read your sweet comments-they always make my day! Crafty hugs, Brenda

It's all about the Bunnies

Hello my crafty friends! So last night I was going to play along with my design team sister's for the BBTB2 challenge where we were supposed to use a bunny on our project. Well I got my card done, but never got it loaded up before the time frame. So I'm just sharing it here. I used Simple Holiday Cards to cut my card, I sized it in Cricut Design Space and then cut it on my Cricut Explore. I used some flower punches to make some flowers for on the card and I used homemade enamel dots and liquid pearls for the centers. The bow was cut from the Cricut cartridge, Something to Celebrate and the butterfly was die cut and stamped using My Creative butterfly dies and stamps. I added some pearls and a gem on the bow and called it done. Simple, but love the way it came out. I hope you all will go over to BBTB2 and check out the inspiration my design team sisters have for you and then join in on the challenge. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Think Spring! BBTB2 Challenge

Hello crafty friends, it is a busy Monday here. Taking MIL to see the radiologist to get her radiation treatments set up. She will be going everyday for 5 weeks and I will taking her. Hubby has a CAT scan this afternoon as his cancer marker keeps going up, so now doc wants to see what is going on. I don't understand how he can feel so good when the marker is going up. I sure hope that the CAT scan doesn't show the cancer is growing. This journey is still so stressful and now MIL has been added to the mix with her cancer. I swear they are going to put me in the grave. lol Yes, I'm being over dramatic, but it stressful for me.

Anyway on to why we are here for today. It is Monday as you all know that when Monday's roll around it's time for a new challenge over at BBTB2. My sweet friend and BBTB2 leader Susan has issued our challenge this week and she has chosen for us all to use a birdcage on our project. Not really sure how I wanted to go with this challenge at first, but then I got to playing around on the Explore design studio and just came up with my card. I welded a square doily from Mother's Day cartridge onto a square adjusting my sizing to make it the size of an A2 card base and cut it out in pink. I layer chocolate card stock behind the doily. Then I cut a birdcage out that I like, it came from the French Manor cartridge. I layered the birdcage onto a SB oval mat. Then I dressed up the doily and birdcage with punched out flowers using little Studio G punches-love these for when you want some tiny punched shapes. Then I added some liquid pearls to my flowers as well as added a MCT die cut butterfly to the cage. And lastly punched the word window shape from SU to place my sentiment on. My sentiments came from a Cardz TV Stamp set. I also finished off the inside of my card with another SB oval, some more of the punched flowers and my sentiment. 

I hope you will go over to BBTB2 to see what inspiration my DT sisters have for you and then I hope you will cut a Cricut birdcage to put on your project and link up with us. You know we love it when you get crafty with us!

As always, thank you so much for dropping by today. Your visits always mean so much to me and your comments really make my day! Crafty hugs, Brenda

 close up

What's old is new again!

Hello crafty friends, I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We woke up on Sunday to it snowing. Then it turned to freezing rain in the later afternoon. I am so over winter, and I think we all are. So why isn't winter leaving yet?! Since it came in like a lion, I am hoping that it goes out like a lamb. lol Enough about the weather, it already gets to much attention!

Well since today is Monday, you all know that means it is time for a new challenge over at BBTB2. My sweet design team sister, Emily, has chosen our theme this week. And she has told us that it is National Old Stuff Day. Who knew?! So in honor of that we are to use a Cricut cartridge we haven't use in at least 6 months. Well I haven't used a lot of mine in 6 months because I have fallen in love the the CTMH Cricut carts and use them a good bit. But I did go through and used a cartridge that I first go when I got my Cricut and that is Beyond Birthdays. I also use Solar System digi for my world. 

I used my Explore to layout my window card base on, which is from Beyond Birthdays. I then wasn't sure where I was going to go with it, and then saw the Peace on Earth cut on BB, so I then decided to make it a Christmas card. Then I saw the dove with the olive branch, and thought that went well with the Peace on Earth. So I laid two out. Then of course I needed an earth, and I found that in Solar System digital images. I used dark blue cardstock for my base. I used all snippets for my card except for the card base. The blue for the ocean on my world was a cloud looking paper, but I thought it worked well for on the earth. The land is green foil paper. The "peace" shadow is some left over from the blue card base and the "peace" on top is cut from silver foil paper. The doves are just from white cardstock and the olive branches are cut from the same green foil paper as the world land. I just added a simple Merry Christmas to the inside and called it done. Not my most favorite card, but I loved the idea behind it. lol Want more inspiration? Then look no farther than my DT sisters, they have some fabulous projects for you today!! After you are done being inspired, make a project using a cartridge that you haven't used in a long time! Then link up with us.

As always I want to take a minute to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by and visit me. I so appreciate your sweet comments. You always make my day and I always enjoy your visits! Crafty hugs, Brenda

Time to Celebrate-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello crafty friends, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Ours was pretty good. It snowed all day into the night on Saturday, we ended up with about 9 inches with a tad bit of freezing rain later in the late evening. I went shopping with my youngest son as he needed a new coat since his had gotten to short on him. Was glad to get home though, the roads were terrible, no plows had been at all and of course there are the people who drive like the roads are dry and clear. lol DS was ready to put me out his car! lol Please tell me I'm not alone with back seat driving with a teen. He is a really good driver, but it was the weather and the other nuts out there I didn't quite trust. lol Sunday was beautiful, sunny and warm at 42 degrees! After negative temps and wild winds, that 42 felt so good. Hubby pushed snow from the drive and then we took a nice 4 wheeler ride. Such beautiful scene seeing the farm land blanketed in snow!

Well as you know Monday's always bring a new challenge over at BBTB2. My sweet and talented friend, Diana, has give the DT and you the challenge of using a clock on our project. Oh man, at first I was thinking what am I going to make?!! lol But then I thought a little more, and decided on the following project. After having my Explore since before Christmas, I finally got it out the box and set it up. Oh man, does it ever cut nice! I am so loving it so far!!! I am having an issue about linking my carts. It is telling me that they are already linked. Well yes they are, to the Gypsy. So not sure what I have to do to get them to link to the Explore. So I guess I will call tomorrow. Anyway, I used one of the clock images they have in their library, it is a pocket watch and the reason I went with a pocket watch was that I have a pocket watch stamp from Studio 112. Someone had sent it to me and this is the first time using it. So yay, I used a NBUS!! (Never Been Used Schtuff) I used that stamp to make my background on my card base, I love how it turned out. Then I used MCT stitched rectangle dies to cute my black mat layer, which is a snippet, so I will be able to go play in the playground. I used MCT alpha stamps to stamp my sentiment and heat emboss it in SU white embossing powder. Using gold foil paper, I cut out my pocket watch on the Explore at 2 inches. Assembled my pocket watch and popped it up on my black mat.  I also popped up the mat layer on my card base. For the inside, I just stamped another pocket watch and die cut a gold MCT balloon in hologram paper. I haven't placed a sentiment inside yet, because I don't know what I am going to use the card for yet. It can be a birthday card, a retirement card, a new job card, etc...Lots of things to celebrate! And that is it folks, a super simple card but I am so loving it and loving the Explore.

Now it is your turn to make something with a clock and link up with us. Just make sure to use your Cricut for your clock cut, that's it! As always thanks so much for taking time out of your busy life to visit me. I am always happy to see you visit with me for a spell! Crafty hugs, Brenda

edited to add in some challenges that I'm going to play in

Snippets Playground- love going over to the playground to play and give Di some big hugs!
Time Out Challenges-"Rock Around the Clock" is the challenge. Thanks Anita for the heads up to play in this challenge as well!!