Retirement Cards!

Hello everyone!  Well, another school year is about to come to an end (only 18 school days left), and with it there are sometimes many changes.  Our school is "losing" two awesome teachers, as they begin their journey into retirement!  Now... I love my job... but, I can't help but feel a bit envious over their new freedom!  On another note one of the retiring teachers, Jan, is the one who sold me her "barely used" Cricut Explore Air!!!!  I am in love with the possibilities of this new machine, but also overwhelmed with how to use Design Space, etc.  I was so used to my Gypsy and my Cricut Expression that now it seems to take me forever to cut anything.  I know I'll get used to it, and I do love what this baby can do!  :)  Anywho, I was asked to make their retirement cards and these little beauties are what I came up with...  Hope you enjoy!

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge- anything goes
Pile it On- garden creatures
Fantabulous Cricut Challenge- things with wings
PDE Linky Party- anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door- anything goes
Crafty Calendar Challenge- things with wings

A7 sized card (went with this one because so many people needed to sign it)
Country Life- strawberry, flowers
Walk in My Garden- stems
Create a Critter- bee
Cuttlebug- swiss dots, wood grain
Peachy Keen Stamps- The Moodies Face Assortment
My Craft Spot stamps- Jar Basics (mason jar)
Scrappy Mom Stamps- Filled With Love
Stickles- star dust
Embossing powder/VersaMark Ink
Transparency film (for an overhead projector)

Everyone seems to really be enjoying these cards, and we can't wait to show them to our two retiring friends!  They will be missed, but we're excited for them!  :)  Thanks for stopping by!

Berry Best Strawberry Card

Hello out there!  Well, the first few days of school have gone pretty well!  I am so thankful that there were no major catastrophes the first day (especially at dismissal time)...  I didn't have any clingy parents, no crying students, and everyone made it home safely after school!  :)  WHEW!  I am also really having fun with my niece in my class!  She is so dang smart, it actually shocks me from time to time!  :)  Anywho, this week at Joy's Life we were asked to use an "oldie but goodie" stamp set.  I LOVE Yummy Puns, so I knew I wanted to use it on my project...

Country Life- strawberry cut at 4.88"
Tags, Bags, Boxes and More- tag cut at 2.41"
Joy's Life Stamps- Yummy Puns
Eyelet
Twine

I wish you the "berry best" day, and thanks for stopping by!  :)

Pie Love You Card & A House Built by my Niece!!!! :)

Hello and Happy Friday!!!!  To be honest, I have lost track of the days of the week, but the school year is quickly approaching!  Soon, I will not be sleeping in, acting as if every day is Saturday, etc...  One good thing about this new school year is that I will be teaching my niece!!!!  I am so excited!  She is such a brilliant, funny kid and I am excited to be her first grade teacher!  :)  At the bottom of this post you will find a special project that my niece created!  But first, here is a card that I made for the Joy's Life DT...

A2 sized card

Country Life- pie/rolling pin cut at 3.82"

Joy's Life Stamps- Yummy Puns

The Paper Studio- Farm Fresh Paper Pack

OKAY!  My niece is a very creative and crafty kid...  She made this house ALL BY HERSELF!  She is 6 years old, and this just blew me away!  When she finished this project, she asked my sister "Mommy, do you think Aunt Amy would put this on her blog?  It is about crafting."  HOW CUTE!  How could I resist?!?!?  Without further ado, here is the cute little house that Chloe built!  :)

Here is the arteest with her creation!

Front view.  She even put smoke in the chimney, added a sun, and the door opens!  The address is her birth date! 

The interior.  Love the textured walls!  The TV is on the "Antarctica Channel".

Back view.  You can really see the sun on the straw here...

Love the flag and the shingled roof! 

I had to get a close up of the window...  That's Mommy, Daddy, Chloe, and little Sophie (who will be born in November)!  She's already a proud big sister...  :)  You can see that my sister is a redhead too!   Hee hee..

Hope you enjoy and, as always, thank you so much for stopping by!!!!  :)

Sweet Cherry Card

Hello and Happy Monday everyone!  I had a great first day back with my students today!  They were so excited to be back (they felt as if it had been months) and they coudn't wait to show off their new clothes, shoes, etc. from Christmas!  :)  They were also very good considering they'd been out of the loop for 3 weeks...  They fell right back into the rules and routines (and, of course, super-fun learning)!  Hee hee...  Here is a card that I made for a few challenges.  I would give this card away as a "thank you" card or as a "just because" card.  One of the challenges was to keep it CAS (clean and simple), which can be tough for me.  I resisted to urge to start adding twine and Stickles!  :)

Made Especially for You- machine embossing
My Craft Spot- include a delicious treat (I love cherries)
CAS-ual Fridays- use chipboard
Frosted Designs- cardstock only, no patterned paper
Little Red Wagon- yellow, polka dot

This is a 4 1/2 x 4 1/2" square card
Country Life- cherries cut at 2.53"
Mini Monograms- scalloped circle cut at 3.47", yellow circle cut at 3.67"
Cuttlebug- argyle, polka dots
The Paper Studio- chipboard letters
Glossy Accents
Foam tape

*I cut a solid scalloped circle and then used my Crop-a-Dile to punch holes around the edge to give it a little something extra.

Hope you had a great Monday!  See you soon...  :)

What's Cookin' CAS Card

Happy Saturday everyone!!!  I am so excited to have a day off!  Before I get to today's card I want to say THANKS to Lisa @ http://indymermaid.blogspot.com/ for passing the Butterfly Award to me!  Lisa's blog is truly inspiring and she always leaves really nice comments on my blog...  I feel honored that she thought of passing this award on to me!  Thanks again Lisa!  :)  The card that I made today is a bit out of my comfort zone...  The challenge was to make something CAS (clean and simple).  As you know, I LOVE adding Stickles and "bling", so this was definitely a challenge for me!  :)  Hope you like what I came up with....

Use it Tuesday- use an uninked stamp (and I used some hoarded patterned paper)
CAS-ual Fridays- make a mini card (no bigger than 4 x 4)
Scrappy Moms Stamps- use Country Life cartridge
Whimsical Wednesday- make a card "just because"

Card measures 4" x 4"
Country Life- utensils cut at 2.88"
Cuttlebug- swiss dots
Scrappy Moms Stamps- A Pinch and a Dash
Distress Crackle Paint- clear rock candy
Glossy Accents

There it is!  Enjoy!  I'm in the process of cookin' up some more projects for you!  :)

Cowgirl Birthday Card & Link Up Love Party

Well howdy y'all!!!!  Oh my goodness, it has been a busy first week back at school!  The first week is always a tough one, but the kiddos seem to be adjusting to first grade pretty well...  My bookmark was a big hit with all of them, and they are loving the chapter books, so it turned out great!  :)  I can't believe it has been a week since I posted anything!  I was finally able to sit down and make a card, and one of the challenges I wanted to enter is now closed... :(  I am still going to enter it into a couple of other challenges that I came across, though....  Hope you have all been doing well, and I hope to stop by and see you soon!  :)

Whimsical Wednesdays- use 3 cuts, 3 colors, 3 of the same embellishment
The Paper Variety- use twine
Birthday Sundaes- use at least 3 brads

A2 sized card
Country Life- guitar cowgirl cut at 4.18"
Storybook- denim piece cut at 3.35"
Gypsy Wanderings- music notes cut at 0.65"
Sentiment- K. Andrew Stamps:  Positive Thoughts
DCWV paper- The Lodge Stack
Star brads
White gel pen

I am also going to enter this into the K. Andrew Link Up Love Party!!!  This is so much fun and it really does help you meet a lot of new crafty friends!  :)

Start at http://www.gettingcricky.com/ for all the details on how to join in the fun!  :)  One of the rules is to name something you are grateful for....  I am grateful for all of my friends and family, and a job that I really do enjoy! :)



Just Chicken In Card

Hello everyone!  Let me start off by saying "WOW"!  I can't believe that I have reached 100 followers!!!  Thank you so much to all of you who are becoming followers and leaving such nice comments on my blog...  It makes me feel really special and I love visiting your blogs too!  :)  Now onto the card for today....  I am only entering this in one challenge, which is the Gimme a Break challenge.  The task was to use paper tearing somewhere on your project.  Without further ado, here it is!  :)

A2 sized card
Country Life cartridge- chicken cut at 3.47"
George and Basic Shapes- oval (for worm hole) cut at 1"
My Pink Stamper stamps-  Even More Punny-licious
Stickles- star dust
Glossy Accents
Corner rounder
*I just freehanded the worm...

Thanks again to all my bloggy friends for taking a look at my lil' ol' blog!  :)