Nomad by JL Bryan

I know I don't usually review books on my blog (except the first post I ever did), so many of you might not be used to this type of post from me.  However, I do read a TON, usually a book every two to three days. (It used to be a book a day, but kids take up time, you know? LOL) So, to that point, and since I've had much less time to craft, I might be doing some more book reviews just to keep in the habit of writing...and possibly even letting you know about a book or author you end up loving! 

So, welcome to my second book review post!  First of all, I want to let you know...

**DISCLAIMER** I received this book free in exchange for a review.

Please keep in mind that this does not affect my review in any way. The following review is honestly how I feel about this book.

Coming soon from the author of Jenny Pox (The Paranormals) series and The Songs of Magic series...

The official description from Goodreads:

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship.  When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power.  She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

My review:

I absolutely loved this book.  I really wanted to be critical and find something wrong with it so I didn't sound like some kind of paid actor type of reviewer, but I just can't.  I enjoyed it from start to finish and read it in about one day, which doesn't happen very much anymore.  First of all, it's about a dystopian future, which I love, but the majority of the action takes place in the current time, so it was easy for me to relate to and picture the surroundings as I was reading.  Second, it's about time travel and the inherent paradoxes that go along with time travel, which I have always found just fascinating.  Third, I loved ethical quandaries in the plot.  If you could go back in time and kill someone you consider evil before they can commit any heinous acts, would you?  How would it affect the future?  Would it be better....or worse?  How would it change you as a person?

On one hand, I kind of hope this book is the first in a series.  I really love the concepts behind the plot.  On the other hand, I kind of feel that Raven's story has been told and sufficiently completed, so I could definitely see this as a stand alone book. Only time will tell!

I think this book is definitely worth a read.  The scheduled publish date is July 26th, so I definitely hope you decide to check it out!  You can see the Nomad Goodreads page here.  You might also want to visit JL Bryan's Amazon Page, Facebook and blog.  (If you want a taste of JL's writing style and can't wait for Nomad to be released, check out Jenny Pox.  It's the first book of his I read and I thought it was fantastic! The only very small negative for me  is it was a little gory, but that goes with the subject of that particular book.)

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you soon!! 

Father's Day

Hello my friends!  Wow, it's been a busy summer so far.  This past weekend was just crazy, but fun.  Saturday Bear and I went to a graduation party about 45 minutes to an hour away, but more about that later (so I can share the pix of the card and gift).  Sunday was Father's Day, as many of you know.  Unfortunately, Wy had to work mandatory overtime that day, so he was not home most of his first Father's Day.  It was sad...but it was also good because it gave me time to get his surprises ready.

First surprise was the gifts.

Yes, that is bacon on that plate.  I'll get to that later.  The "dad" blocks are wooden blocks from Tim Holtz that I painted using Alcohol Inks.  Then, using an idea I got from this pin on Pinterest, I created this photo present:

I can see myself doing something like this every year.  Maybe not in frames, because that would take up WAY too much room, but at least taking the pictures, using the same blocks.  It will be fun to see how he grows year to year.

Now, to the bacon.  First, let me tell you, I can't stand bacon.  I hate the look, I hate the smell, I hate the taste, and I DEFINITELY hate the feel of raw bacon.  Ick.  However, Wy looooves bacon.  So, when I saw this pin on how to make bacon roses, I just had to try it.

Turned out pretty good!  Only problem...the "rose buds" didn't want to stay on the stems.  I found that out when I tried to carry the vase to the table and three of them fell off. (One actually ended up on the floor, which is why he got 11 "roses" instead of a dozen.)  I put it together and kept it on the stove until he got home, made him come see it in all its glory, then took the buds off and put them on the paper plate you see in the first picture.  These made a great appetizer for him.

The final thing I did was cook dinner.  Now, I know that's not a big deal for many of you.  However, I am SO not a cook.  I really want to be, and I've been trying new things recently.  I'm one of those people where I'm terrified to try something new, but once I do it and realize how easy it is, I'm fine.  Well, this was the first time I finally got out the crock put (that we've had for, um, seven years lol). I found this pin (yes, it was a Pinterest holiday) and the recipe seemed fairly simple.

Oh my gosh, it was so freaking good!  I think next time I will only use one gravy packet, but all in all it was delicious.  Absolutely no leftovers.  =D

Finally, here's a picture of Wy and Bear.  Happy (belated) Father's Day to all the wonderful fathers out there!  We love you!

Updates!

Holy cow, I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted anything!  That just feels insane.  Life has gotten so hectic recently.  When I'm home, I'm playing with Bear, so I don't have much time to craft or post.  I've been putting some extra time in at a law firm on top of my full-time job, so I don't have a lot of time at home, anyway.  AND I've been interviewing for a new job (3 interviews for the same job) that I ultimately ended up getting!  I just found out yesterday, and am so excited.  It's going to be a lot more challenging than my current job, and it's a heck of a lot closer to home (7-10 minutes instead of 45 minutes - 1 hour).

So!  Bear's baptism went smashingly!  Here's a picture of our big boy:

He was SUCH a good boy!  No crying during the service, just a touch of fussiness that was over as soon as daddy started holding him.  I was so proud of him, and so blessed that our family was there.  DH's mom, brother, two sisters and their families all drove down from Grand Forks, DH's other brother and his family were there, my family were there, my step-dad's parents drove up from Texas, and even my step-dad's Jewish brother-in-law made an appearance!  Plus we had a couple of our good friends there.  Our little Bear is blessed with so many people who love him.  We are very lucky.

After church, we had a get-together at our local Legion.  On top of the food and cake I bought at Costco and Cub, I was up all Saturday night and early Sunday morning making cucumber toasties and cucumber sandwiches.  I found the recipes on Pinterest.  They were such a hit!  I was ecstatic!  These are the toasties:

They were really good.  I found the recipe on this pin, which led me to this blog post. Incredibly easy to make, and I made them on disposable half-sheet cake pans from Cub that actually came with tops, so it was super easy to transport them and we just threw away the trays/covers when we were done.  

I also made cucumber sandwiches, because I've always loved them. I found an awesome recipe on this pin, which led me to this blog post.  Here's the picture from the pin (mine were nowhere near this pretty):

I did not take my own picture of the sandwiches because I was positive I was never going to make them ever, ever, EVER again.  Let me explain.  It was so easy to make everything...until I got to the part where I had to cut them up.  Lord, were they slippery!  Trying to cut them in half, cucumbers spitting out all over the place...it was insane.  However, they were SUCH a hit at the party, I'll probably make them again, although I'll be cutting them in half first and then cutting the crusts off.  One thing to note...I was making double the amount of sandwiches than what the recipe makes, so I doubled the ingredients.  Duh, right? Wrong.  I had almost the entire bowl of marinating cucumbers left over.  Next time I might only make HALF of the marinating cucumbers.  (Although my friends really did appreciate the leftovers. LOL)

I actually have been able to make a few cards in the past couple of weeks, but the pictures are all at home.  So...I'll try to get them posted in the next week or so!  Until then, stay crafty and thanks for stopping by!

Baptism Gifts

Hey y'all!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!  I had planned to have  a Cinco de Mayo card to share with you, but didn't have time to put it together.  I'll be posting it some time; it will just be late. =D

Bear's Baptism is coming up in the middle of May, so I've been wanting to make the gifts for the Godparents.  One of them had taken a picture of Bear when he was two months, and it was just so cute I had to make a couple of canvases for the gifts.

And here's a close up of the wording:

One is a couple and the other is a very close friend, so the alternate wording says "Godparent".  I had a lot of fun making these canvases today.  I painted the outside with a Ranger dobber in Pool. Turns out I've had it so long the sponge had dried up, so I had to soak it in some water before it would work. The paper is from American Crafts, and the buttons were a variety pack that I bought at JoAnn Crafts.  I've never been easy with buttons, so I was very excited with how these came out.

Well, thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you soon.  Until then, stay crafty, my friends!

Challenges:

Paper Creator's Crafts: For the Boys

Delicious Doodles: For the Boys

Simply Create Too: All About Babies

Crafty Sentiments Designs: The Letter "B" (boy, blue, buttons)

Who Needs Slippers?

Hey, y'all!  How has everyone been doing?  I've been doing very well, enjoying the time with Bear and DH. Met my uncle's new girlfriend today, so that was fun.  Glad he's finally found someone decent.  =D

Well, as you may or may not know Sassy Studio Designs had a release last weekend.  The theme?  More Oz Sassies!  Yea!  =D  Although I'm no longer a member of the team, I couldn't help but play along.  The challenge?  Tic Tac Toe!

I decided to use the brick (embossed or stamped), yellow and ribbon row.  I had originally started out using a different row completely, but forgot to print out my flying monkey image.  Therefore, I had to do a quick re-design.  =D

I used The Wicked Witch Sassy from the previous Oz release.  She was colored with Copics.  The yellow brick road I embossed using my Martha Stewart Score Board.  The sentiment I printed out on word.  Boots are so much more fun (and hotter!) than slippers, am I right?  =D

Well, that's all for today.  I was hoping to have more cards to show off, but Bear was in QUITE a mood today, so I didn't get much done.  Maybe later this week.  Until then, stay crafty!

Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:

Sassy Studio Designs: Off to Find a Wizard Tic Tac Toe

SSD DTBST #175: Hats

Really Reasonable Ribbon: Sparkle, Bling and Ribbon

Creative Card Crew: Bling

The Paper Nest Dolls: Embossing

Birthday Card #3

Hello again!  Here's the third birthday card I made in the past few days.  I think this is it for the week...probably more next week, but my dad's coming into town on Friday.  It's his first time meeting Bear, so we're very excited to have him for the weekend.

This card is for a good friend of mine who is having a birthday party on Friday.

The inside:

One of my extremely talented blogger friends (Tracy)* recently created a card using the image Starla from Saturated Canary. As I have previously mentioned, I am a huge SC fan, but have not been able to stock up on many images due to financial constraints, and due to the baby, I have not been able to keep up on my blogs.  Well, I had never seen this stamp before.  I decided since it shares my name (and it's cuter than hell) I just HAD to have it.  So, I jumped over and bought it right away.  I wanted to use it immediately, so I thought it would be perfect for my friend Tracy's birthday. (A different Tracy.)

I colored the image with Copics, Spica markers, and added Stickles and Glossy Accents.  The sentiments are random stamps from my stash, and I can't think of the companies right now, but I thought that inside sentiment was just PERFECT for this image.  The papers are from DCWV and Stampin' Up, and the button is from my stash.  The sketch I used is from The Sweet Stop.

Ok, thanks so much for stopping by!  I've been asked to do a few more cards, so I will probably have a couple more posts next week.  In the meantime...stay crafty!

*I just realized, I gave credit to the wrong blogger friend!  Oh, I feel just horrible.  I saw the card on Facebook and got the names mixed up.  The actual card I saw inspiring me to buy this image was by the incredibly gifted Regan over at Charmed Stamping.  The card that inspired me can be found on her post here.  My bad, Regan!! Big hugs!

Challenges:

The Sweet Stop: Sketch with a Twist: Happy Birthday

Digital Tuesday: Birthdays

Inky Chicks: Happy Birthday, Girl

Sparkle n Sprinkle: Use a Digital Image

The Paper Nest Dolls Challenge: Happy Birthday

Another Birthday

Hello, hello, hello!  Second day in a row with a post.  Woot!  =D

As I mentioned yesterday, I have a lot of birthdays coming up.  One of which is a buddy of mine, almost a brother.  Our moms were best friends and we kind of grew up together, even went trick-or-treating together as He-Man and She-Ra when we were kids.  He's turning the big 3-0 this year, so I wanted to make him a fun card.

The image is from Bugaboo and can be found in the store here.  I just love Bugaboo, and they're so sweet with their freebies every Friday.  The image was colored with Copics, then Stickles were added to the halo and clouds.  As I was editing the photo, I noticed that I totally forgot to Stickle the wings! I went back and did it on the card, but didn't have time to retake the photos.  So, you'll just have to imagine it with crystal Stickled wings.  =D I'm not sure what company made the paper.  It's from my stash.  I do know that I bought it from Archiver's about a year and a half ago. The buttons were made with my Epiphany Crafts button maker.

Challenges:

Going Grey with Scrap Creations: Insects or Animals

Cards for Men: Anything Goes

Cards in Envy: Things with Wings

Paper Makeup Digi Makeover Challenge: Animal Friends

Eureka Stamps: Animal Catwalk

Crafty Catz: This One's For the Boys

Digital Tuesday: Birthdays

V's Sweet Ideas: Anything Goes

Sparkle n Sprinkle: Use a Digital Image

Pinterest Win

Hi!  Welcome to post # 2 today.  Crazy, right?  I feel like I'm overcompensating for being gone so long.

I've recently started cooking.  Rather, I've recently started THINKING about cooking.  Having Bear in our lives now, I've decided it's time to start eating healthy, cooked at home meals so we're prepared when he starts eating solid foods.  With that in mind, I've been scouring Pinterest for recipes, and I've found TONS.

Last night, I actually made one.  It's crazy.  I feel so empowered.  I actually cooked.  I know for many this is nothing, but for me it's a huge accomplishment.

So, one of the recipes I found here was for a 2 bean enchilada casserole.  Looks pretty good, right?

They, of course, took pictures after putting the tomatoes on.  I took my picture before adding anything on top (like lettuce), but here's mine.

Doesn't look at all pretty like the pinned picture, but it was delicious, so I'm calling it a win. (Though the next time I make it I'm adding corn to the baked part, and sour cream and possibly crunched up chips to the top.) Next meal I'm trying?  Tater Tot Casserole. Wish me luck!

I'm Baaaaaack....

Hello my peeps!  Goodness, I feel like it's been AGES since I've been able to post.  Mostly because it's been a while since I've been able to sit down and create anything.  I'm enjoying the time with Bear, but God help me I cannot WAIT until he's just a little bit older and can entertain himself with a toy or something for 5-10 minutes by himself. LOL

Anyway, I have some birthdays coming up, so I told (er, asked nicely) DH to watch Bear for a while so I could get some crafting done. That...didn't happen.  I ended up making dinner instead. (You can read all about that, if you want, in my next post.  I know...two posts in one day!  I think I'm trying to make up for being gone so long.)  So, after Bear when to sleep last night I was able to throw together one card.  Two more to go, but hopefully I'll get to them this week.

Today I'm sharing a card I made for my coworker's birthday.  Her b-day was actually on Saturday, but we're not celebrating at work until tomorrow (Tuesday) so everyone could be there.  Yay for leaving me a few extra days to create!  =D

Saturated Canary is one of my favorite digi companies.  Unfortunately, it's also one of my most recently found, which means I don't have a whole lot of her images...yet.  I'm working on it, though!  This image is Ava.  Isn't she a doll?  I just love all the layers in the outfit!  She was colored with Copics, then Crystal Effects (or whatever that glaze is called) was added to the balloon and eyes for extra shine.  The papers are from DCWV, the ribbons, pearls and flower are from my stash.  I added some Stickles to the flower because, hey, I can't make a card without Stickles. LOL  The inside says "A little cake and lots of fun. Happy Birthday!" then has a black and white stamp of a cupcake.  (Although it's on purple paper, so I guess it's a black and purple stamp. LOL)

Ok!  So, thanks for stopping by, and I swear I will try to get more creations posted.  It all depends on little man's schedule.  =D

Challenges:

Saturated Canary: Anything Goes

The Paper Nest Dolls Challenge: Happy Birthday

Great Impressions: Pastel Colors and/or Polka Dots

Creative Belli: Pastels

Paper Pretties Wednesday: Happy Birthday

Stampotique Designers: Birthday

Sparkle n Sprinkle: Use a Digital Image

Happy Easter!

Hello, my dears!  Happy Easter!  I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend. Mom, Dad, DH and Bear all came to church with me.  It was wonderful!  Bear even made it through the whole service without getting super fussy.  Here he is in all his Easter finery, including a lovely hat from Grandma.

Well, this has been a productive week for me.  I finally got Bear's baptism scheduled, and I was able to finish all the invitations and get them, mailed.  Woo hoo!

For the front I embossed the card using a Cuttlebug folder.  I heat embossed a cross rubber stamp (my very first stamp ever) and fussy cut it out.  I attached it to the front of the card using pop dots.  For the inside, I found a free clip art frame.  I changed the color from black to grey using Paint.net.  Then I typed up the information, layered the frame on top and printed them out.  The grey paper is Recollections from Michael's.

Ok, that's it for now.  Have a fabulous week, and thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:

Penny Black and More: One for the Boys (I hope this counts since it's for my son's baptism. If not, please feel free to remove my entry.  Thanks!)

Card Crafter's Circle: Babies (No infant on the card, but it's for a baby's baptism, so I hope it counts!)

Party Time Tuesdays: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes

DTBST # 170 - Feeling Funny

Hey y'all!  I'm here with some sad news today.  Well, it's sad for me, anyway.  This will be my last Sassy Studio Designs DT post.  I've had a great time this past year, but with my new little one it's just hard to find time to devote to crafting and commenting, and all our Sassy followers deserve the best we can give them!  I will miss my talented and kind Sassy Sisters and the gorgeous images from the lovely Lindsay, but I hope to still be able to participate in challenges and hops once in a while.

Ok, enough with the mushy.  I bet you're just itching to know what the new challenge is, right?  Right!  This week's challenge is.............

Feeling Funny

With April Fool's Day fast approaching, we want to see a funny or witty sentiment on your project.

I used the fabulous Copper Christi, available in the store. Isn't she fun?  I think she looks a bit like Jennifer Love Hewitt.  Do any of you watch The Client List?  Can't you just see this as one of her characters?  =D  Anyway, she was colored using Copics (skin, hair and baton), Spica markers (uniform and hat), and a black gel marker for her boots and belt.  Then gold Stickles were added to her badge, hat and earring.  The police stickers are from Jolee's Boutique, I think.  I'm at work, so I'm not positive.  If you are interested in knowing for sure, leave me a comment with your email address and I'll double-check.  The sentiment is from Create with TLC.  The link is to her blog since I'm at work and can't access her store. The "illegal" tape was actually grey, but I colored it with a yellow Copic marker.  I just LOVE her sentiments...and many of them are quite cheeky if you're getting stuck for this challenge!  I can't remember what company made the background.  It's from a realistic photos paper pack.  Again, if you're interested, let me know and I'll find out.

Ready to play along?  Head on over to the Sassy Studio Designs Blog to see what the other Sassy Sisters came up with and to link up your cards.  Remember, if you use a SSD image you get to enter your creation TWICE!  That's another chance at winning an awesome prize. I hope to see you participating! Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for being such wonderful followers.

Challenges:
Emerald Fairy Challenge Blog: Bling (I was thinking of all the sparkle and Stickles as bling. If that doesn't count, please feel free to remove this entry.  Thanks!
My Grafico: Anything Goes
The Paper Shelter: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesdays: Anything Goes

The Great and Powerful Oz Release Winner

**If you're looking for today's Sassy Studio Design DTBST post, please scroll down.**

Well, I finally get to announce who won the fabulous Wicked Witch image from my stop on the blog hop last weekend. The winner is...................drumroll, please...........................

Alyce!!

Congratulations! Please go to this post for details on how to claim your prize.

DTBST # 169 - Paper Piecing

Hey y'all, and happy Thursday!  You know what that means....a new Sassy Studio Designs Dare to Be Sassy Thursday challenge!  Woo hoo!

This week the challenge is:

Paper Piecing

I think you all know what that means.  Just in case you're not sure, it means that instead of coloring part of your stamp, you should stamp it on a different paper, fussy cut it out and adhere it on top of your stamp.

I used the fabulous Evanora from last weekend's image release.  I just couldn't resist those feathers!  What's that, you ask?  Why, YES, of COURSE she's available in the store!  =D  I paper pieced her dress and cape, and colored her body, hair, feathers and gems using Copics and Stickles.  The papers are primarily from Stampin' Up, except the pink half circles, which are from DCWV's Sweet Stack.  Gems are from Archiver's, I can't remember the company.  (They've been in my stash forever, but the're my favorite kind of gems! They're smooth instead of faceted, so they seem to glow.  Awesome!)  The corner punch is from Martha Stewart.  I forgot to take a picture of the inside, but it says "Have a FABULOUS Easter, dahling!"

Ready to play along?  Head on over to the Sassy Studio Designs Blog to see what the other Sassy Sisters came up with and to link up your cards.  Remember, if you use a SSD image you get to enter your creation TWICE!  That's another chance at winning an awesome prize. I hope to see you participating! 

Challenges:

Digi Darla's: Easter/Spring

Paper Makeup Stamps: Pastels
The Pink Elephant: Easter
Digistamps 4 Joy: Easter
Simon Says Stamp: Easter/Spring
Emerald Fairy Challenge: Bling
Celebrate the Occasion: Happy Easter
Digital Tuesday: Easter

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Hey y'all, and welcome to Day 1 of Sassy Studio Designs' The Great and Powerful Oz release blog hop!  You should have arrived here from the lovely Mary's blog.  If you've just happened upon my post, no worries...head on over to the Sassy Studio Designs blog to start at the beginning.  (Trust me, you don't want to miss a thing!)

Now, if you know me, you know how much I love my villains.  So it was a happy day when I was told I would get to show off the fabulous new Wicked Witch image!

She's just so wickedly sassy...I love it!  =D  The quote on the front is from Wicked. (Fabulous book.)  

Want a chance to win this image?  Leave a comment on this post!  Each stop on the hop is giving away the image they're using, so make sure to leave comments at each post, and don't forget to do Day 2 of the hop tomorrow!  You have until Tuesday to leave your comments for a chance to win.  

Your next stop is Michelle's blog, one of our fabulous guest designers this month.  If you lose your way, you can always find the full list of the hop stops on the SSD blog.  Have fun, and thanks for stopping by!

DTBST # 168 - Seeing Green

Hey y'all!  It's Thursday, which means it's time for the new challenge at the Sassy Studio Designs blog! What's this week's challenge?  It's....

Seeing Green!

What does that mean?  We are looking for a green or St. Patrick's Day inspired project.

I used the fabulously wicked Melefecent Pinup, available in the store.  It's hard to see the sentiment, but it says "Never iron a" (picture of a shamrock) "you don't want to press your luck"

Ready to play along?  Head on over to the Sassy Studio Designs Blog to see what the other Sassy Sisters came up with and to link up your cards.  Remember, if you use a SSD image you get to enter your creation TWICE!  That's another chance at winning an awesome prize. I hope to see you participating!  

Challenges:

Cuttin and Stampin Challenges: St. Patrick's Day

The Pink Elephant: Happy St. Patrick's Day (use green)

Party Time Tuesdays: Luck of the Irish

Sweet Stamps: St. Patrick's Day

Wednesday's Creative Inspirations Challenge Blog: Good Luck/St. Patrick's Day

Blessed Christening

Hey y'all!  I'm very excited to show you today's project.  I'm actually writing this post ahead of time... I'm writing it the day I finished the project, but, since it's a gift, scheduling it for after the gift is given.  I don't think they read my blog, but just in case!  =D

I have *finally* made a photo tray project!  I've been thinking about these trays for a long time, and I so admire the ones I've seen. However, I've never quite had the guts to create one.  I decided my nephew's Christening present was the perfect time to try it out.

It's a little simple, but I didn't want it too bling-y or glitzy since it's for a boy.  I really like how it turned out, especially for my first one!  =D

The papers in the smaller sections are from doodlebug design inc.  The fish paper in the center is from Creative Imaginations  The bible, handprints and footprints are from Jolee's Boutique.  The flower is from Sandy Lion, a present from my dear friend Lynn. (Thanks, girl!!) The crosses, dove, faith, given unto Christ banner, child of God sentiment, tiny fingers and tiny toes banners are from the Me & My Big Ideas: soft spoken line.

Here are some closeups of the parts that I put together.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope to see you again soon. =D

DTBST # 167 - Going Green

Hey y'all!  It's Thursday, which means it's time for the new challenge at the Sassy Studio Designs blog! What's this week's challenge?  It's....

Going Green!

What does that mean?  We are looking for something recycled on your project.

Now I love my sudoku puzzles.  So, I decided to take my recently finished book

cut out an answer page

and use the answer keys on my creation!

Sudoku always reminds me of math problems, so who better to use than Professor S?!?  Isn't she fabulous?  Better yet, yes, she is available in the store. =D

Ready to play along?  Head on over to the Sassy Studio Designs Blog to see what the other Sassy Sisters came up with and to link up your cards.  Remember, if you use a SSD image you get to enter your creation TWICE!  That's another chance at winning an awesome prize. I hope to see you participating!  

Designed to Color Birthday Bash Day 1

Hey y'all!  Have you ever heard of the magazine Designed to Color? It is a fabulous magazine, focused on...you guessed it, coloring!  Isn't that lovely? Whether it's Copics, ProMarkers, colored pencils, watercolors....this magazine covers it all.  Let me tell you, I just love it, and I've found some amazing inspiration within its pages. My favorite thing?  Not only can you buy a paper subscription, but you can buy an online subscription and have it emailed right to you!  I have enough mail, so being able to get it online is just wonderful.

Anyway, DTC is having their one year birthday this weekend. To celebrate, they are having (4) days of events (might be a challenge, might be a comment on a post, who knows!).  See all of the details here at their blog. 

The first day of the celebration, they challenged their followers to create a project using the tic tac toe board below.

Well, I just couldn't resist playing along.  Plus, you know you ALWAYS need birthday cards, so I decided to stick with the birthday theme.

I used this fabulous cake image from The Paper Shelter.  I just love the way it tilts...reminds me of Alice in Wonderland!  I colored it with my Copics (I know...shocker!) and Spica markers for the candles and flames.  If you can't tell, I used the first row.  Purple, cake and balloons. =D

So, seriously...head over to the DTC blog and find out how to play along.  There are a TON of fun prizes being given away.  Come celebrate!

Thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:

Designed to Color: Birthday Tic Tac Toe

Totally Gorjuss: Anything Goes with Pink

Dilly Beans: Stripes

DTBST # 166- Stars in My Eyes

Hey y'all!  Welcome to another Dare to Be Sassy Thursday!  You ready for the next challenge?

This week the challenge is:

Stars in My Eyes

We want to see stars somewhere on your creation.  Now, since my name is Star, you know how much I love this challenge.  =D

For my creation, I used the adorable Cowgirl Debbie (Sassy Cowgirl), available in the store.  Isn't she fun?  I love her outfit.  The sentiment is from Create with TLC.  The stars were made with nesting Quick Kutz dies that I've had FOREVER, but never used.

Ready to play along?  Head on over to the Sassy Studio Designs Blog to see what the other Sassy Sisters came up with and to link up your cards.  I hope to see you participating!  

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you tomorrow!

Challenges:

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge: Use Your Favorite Color (blue)

Cute Card Thursday: Something Old 

Crafty Catz: Dies

Crafts and Me: Dies or Punches

SSD Freebie Friday - Little Red Riding Hood Honey

Good morning, my dears!  Thank goodness it's Friday, right?  I am *so* happy the weekend is here...especially because my truck broke down this week.  I'm really looking forward to having it fixed today.  Yay!

Another fun thing....it's Fabulous Freebie Friday!!  Woo hoo!  You want to see the new freebie image available over at the Sassy Studio Designs Paper Craft Planet group?  It's Little Red Riding Hood Honey!

I used my Immortal Beloved papers to give it a spooky, woodsy feel.  It's hard to see, but there's a dark brown sparkly tree in the bottom corner.

Remember, you still have one week to participate in the current Freebie Friday Challenge:

Once Upon a Time

We want to see  a project based on a fairy tale or book.  I can think of a LOT more cards for this theme, and plenty of Sassy Images that would be perfect, so I hope you'll be able to play along.

Want some more inspiration? Why don't you head on over to the group to see the rest of the DT's projects, grab today's freebie, and join in? 

Don't forget, the freebie's only available for 24 hours, so hurry on over!  Just look for the discussion with today's date. Not a member of Paper Craft Planet yet?  It's easy and free to join.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you over there!

**UPDATE**  I have some very sad news for you.  This will be the final Freebie Friday.  =(  You can get the full story here.  It's been lovely having this feature, and I do hope you will join me again next week when I'll be letting you know about the Dare to be Sassy Thursday challenge.

SSD Green with Envy Hop Winner

Hey y'all!  So, you want to know who the winner of Steampunk Victoria is?

*********** Drum-roll Please**********

It is 

Gloria!

Congratulations, Gloria.  Head over to the Sassy Studio Designs blog to find out how to claim your prize!

To everyone who participated and left a comment, thank you!

See you soon!

SSD Green With Envy Hop...Day 2

Hey y'all, and welcome to day 2 of the Sassy Studio Designs Green with Envy hop!  This is your first stop after the Sassy Studio Designs blog.  Did you happen across this post by accident?  Head to the SSD Blog to start at the beginning! 

Now, as you may know, we don't have any new images for release today. But that's ok!  Instead, all of the DT members (and our talented Guest Designer) have created projects using our favorite SSD image!  Plus, instead of having only one or two winners from commenting through the hop...EVERY stop on the hop is picking a commenter to win the image used in their post.  How cool is that?  So many chances to win!

As for myself, I had a really hard time picking a favorite image.  There are so many fabulous designs to choose from!  However, Steampunk is a style very near and dear to me, so I knew I would have to pick one of SSD's fabulous steampunk images.  I decided to go with.....Steampunk Victoria!  Besides having the same name as one of my best friends (my mom) I just adore her sassiness.  I just love her pose.  Plus, by creating a Steampunk card I got to play with my fabulous Spellbinders gear dies.  =D

Now, since our projects had to contain the color green, and St. Patrick's Day is coming up, I just HAD to create a card for St. Pat's!

Want a chance to win this fabulous image?  Leave a comment on this post and with the help of Random.org I will pick a winner. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, February 20th on the Sassy Studio Designs blog.

Your next stop on the hop is the fabulous Christine's blog.  Have fun, and don't forget to leave a comment on  each stop for a chance to win!  The more stops you make, the better chance you have of winning!  =D  If you haven't already, don't forget to do Day 1 of the hop, starting here, for a chance to win those images as well.

Thanks for stopping by, and we'll see you on Wednesday to announce the winner!

SSD Freebie Friday - Goldilocks Honey

Hey y'all, happy Friday!  It's my first week back at work since having Bear, so let me tell you I am very happy it's Friday.  I can't wait to get home and spend some more time with him. However, now I'm here today to show off the new Sassy Studio Designs freebie!

Today's Fabulous Freebie Friday over at the Sassy Studio Designs Paper Craft Planet group is the lovely Goldilocks Honey!  

Let me tell you, I wish I had those fabulous curls!  The background paper is from DCWV's Once Upon a Time stack, and I decided to keep the card simple because the background was so perfect.

We also have a new group challenge starting:

Once Upon a Time

We want to see  a project based on a fairy tale or book.  I can think of a LOT more cards for this theme, and plenty of Sassy Images that would be perfect, so I hope you'll be able to play along.

Remember, you have two weeks to participate. Want some more inspiration? Why don't you head on over to the group to see the rest of the DT's projects, grab today's freebie, and join in? 

Don't forget, the freebie's only available for 24 hours, so hurry on over!  Just look for the discussion with today's date. Not a member of Paper Craft Planet yet?  It's easy and free to join.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you over there!