No Lion: You're the Best! / Amazing Friend

I'll spare you my ramblings and just say I had a little creative time while getting beat at Scrabble by the HH. Here's a card created for a challenge I just discovered - The Friday Mashup!

 Oh how I love butterflies :)  And oh how I love the amazing friends God has gifted me with!
(Not sure what happened to the color on these next two photos...the last photo shows the "real" colors)

Thanks soooo much for stopping by!
Marie with a :)

CAS : You Color My World (and Yet Another Easel Card...)

I don't seem to be successful with sketches!  As my daughter told me, "This isn't your best work, Mom." Gotta love the honesty of kids :)  Still, I like the Clean and Simple look so I'll keep trying...

 I wanted to show the inside of this card but I can't get it to rotate...so I guess you'll just have to tilt your head to view :) 

Check out the sketch and other takes on this challenge here: CAS 159

PS Don't forget Saturday 9/24 is the last chance to win a set of stamps from the CTMH Idea Book. Check out the post here: HERE.
Thanks for stopping by,
Marie with a :)

Inspired by My Wonderful Downline :)

It's ironic really.
Donna was the one who first got me into stamping, nearly a decade ago.
(Even though I was totally intimidated by her fabulous work.)
Since then she has become like family to me; one of my best friends.
Just recently she became my downline :)
And she continues to inspire me in many ways, including in the crafting arena.  Here's a card she made:

I used some pieces I had already cut out and made another easel card, copying her idea:

Here's a couple more of her creations:

And finally, here's a baby card I made using some OLDER CTMH paper:

(after viewing the photos, I think I am going to stamp "welcome" above the "sweet baby girl" on the front.

I had a part time job proposition today, involving my crafts, so I would appreciate it if my praying friends lift a prayer for me as I seek wisdom and discernment. Thanks for stopping by!  Marie with a :)

A Couple of Cards and a Chance To Win

The HH and I spent a few hours  in the "Art Room" last night, with The David Crowder Band blaring the entire time. Occasionally we would shout a comment or thought to one another; mostly we worked in comfortable silence. (Well, WE were silent, The DCB was not.)  I realized anew how blessed I am to have a husband that I love to spend time with and a (humble) craft room and hobbie I love. So I have decided to have a little "Name That Room" contest.  The HH thinks "craft room" is not quite fitting if he is going to share it. (He'll be drawing, painting and working on puzzles.)  Go to my facebook page and offer a name suggestion for renaming the Craft Room.(There is a link on the left hand side of this blog; simply scroll down and click on it) I will read each of the name suggestions (without revealing whose suggestion it is) to the HH and have him choose one. The winner will get to choose ANY STAMP SET OF THEIR CHOICE from the new CTMH Idea Book.  The contest will end next Saturday. (if you aren't a papercrafter and want to enter anyway, you will win a set of handmade greeting cards rather than the stamps or paper pack!)

I love the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge. This card is a DIE CUT using the cartridge :)

A top tri-fold card with die cut circle.

 Side view

More cards and a layout to come :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Marie with a :)

H2H: Card stock only challenge

Here's my really quick take on the Heart 2 Heart Challenge which was to use only card stock (3 colors) and NO PATTERNED PAPER. Easel cards are super quick and easy to make and you will find a tutorial under my "tutorials and such" page at the top of the blog.

Thanks for stopping by!
Marie with a :)

Blog Awards

I'm not very good about receiving/posting/passing on blog awards but I'm going to try to be better.  I've received the "Top Ten" and "Top Five" awards from the heart 2 heart blog in the past but never posted. There's been others that I haven't been able to figure out how to post. Over the past week I've received this award twice:

The goal of the award is to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers. The rules of the award are:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have fun!

So here goes.  I received the blog award from Vicki Price at The Price Of Paper and Angie at Make And Take Time. Thanks, ladies!  Since I received it twice, I guess I can pass it on to TEN bloggers :) 
 1. Andrea at The Art of the Matter
2. My sweet blogging friend Jane at Scrappy-Gram's Designs 
3. Erin at Crafty Texan's Tidbits 
4. Tammy at Creating From My Home in My Spare Time 
5. Shari at Shari's Paper Trail 
6. Caron at Scraphappy Corner 
7. Connie at Paper Pleats and Ribbon Roses 
8. Michelle at Paper, Projects and Pizzas 
9. Jody/Barbara :) at Cre8n' Memories 
10. Sonia at Scramping Tita  
Whew...that was A LOT harder than I thought - so many great blogs out there!


Thanks for stopping by,
Marie with a :)

LOTSA Roxie...

I was asked to sell some of my cards at an upcoming flea market (less than 2 weeks away!) so I have been fervently trying to create some cards.  Here are (more than) a few showcasing the new Roxie Paper Pack:

 The exclusive CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge makes cutting out banner pieces in a variety of sizes sooooo easy!

This is another "fun fold" top folding card.  

 The CTMH cardstock papers now come with a "zip strip" at the top.  Here's one of the Roxie zip strips: You are my inspiration.

 Letters and flowers cut using the Art Philosophy

 I love the corduroy brads!

 I also love the pewter designer brads :)

 There's so much versatility with this paper...from soft and subtle to "wild" :)

 (inside of card)

I think I've done enough Roxie cards...but then I found these perfectly coordinating red envelopes in one of my envelop drawers tonight so who knows? Maybe I'll be back with more...

Thanks for stopping by,

Marie with a :)

H2H challenge, Anniversary card and lotsa photos

Can't seem to eke out Craft Room Art Room time these days. BUT! This weekend the HH and I celebrated our 24th anniversary. Since it was also Homecoming weekend for a couple of our kids, we celebrated at home...I surprised him by clearing off part off a huge table in the, um, Art Room and designating it his spot (he told me we had to change the name of the room though 'cause craft room apparently wasn't masculine enough.) Friday night we enjoyed time in the craft room  Art Room (this is going to take some getting used to) while the oldest daughter and her fiance cooked dinner; Saturday night we went and saw Seven Days in Utopia and Sunday after church we went for a hike.  Today is officially our anniversary and here's the card I made for him:

Here's a photo of the HH and I taken yesterday:

 The following cards were created (mostly) using Typeset scraps and diecuts:

 This last photo is the invite I made for a CTMH open house:

 And finally: I think if Dr. Seuss was still around he'd be writing a book on the Art Philosophy cartridge: OH THE THINGS YOU CAN DO...

Thanks for stopping by,
Marie with a :)