Inspired Birthday...

Hello friends~

Another weekend! YEAH -- This week went pretty fast, but I'm glad it's here. My birthday was Wednesday, I had root canal Thursday, so I'm just plum worn OUT!

Well -- it's Saturday, so we all know that it's 'My Time to Create' day!! Now -- c'mon, you know you want to play along...carve out a little time today to play.

We've got an inspiration challenge this week, and I had a BLAST with it. Here's the inspiration photo:
















Here's my card:

















This set is from Stampin' Up! - Thoughts and Prayers. I love this vine of flowers image. I used my SU! markers, and colored on the stamp. I used so saffron and garden green on the leaves, and rose red and taken with teal on the flowers. Used my quickie glue pen to add some dazzling diamonds glitter.

The Raspberry layer is patterned using Papertrey's Retro Backgrounds and Borders set, and the sentiment is from Birthday Basics.

I hope YOU are inspired to go make something to share...be sure to use keyword MTTI03, and link on Lauren's Mr. Linky :).

Just in case *I* have not inspired you enough, take a look at what the rest of the team has done (and this awesome graphic Kristin made!)

• Alicia Weiman
• Dana Gustafson
• Dawn Easton
• Jen Tapler
• Kendra Wisenbaker
• Kristin Bueter
• Lauren Meader
• Lisa Kind
• Mackenzie Bruckler
• Maria Levine
• Odette
• Pam Imholz
• Tamara Harder

Thanks for stopping by -- I'm off to enjoy the weekend!!!

Supplies:
Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers (SU!), Retro Backgrounds & Borders & Birthday Basics (PTI)
Ink: taken with teal, fresh snow
Paper: Taken with teal, so saffron, (SU!), Select white, raspberry fizz, new leaf (PTI)
Accessories: SU markers, glitter, quickie glue pen, dimensionals

What's in YOUR Stocking???

Hello friends!

It's Thursday, and what does that mean????? It's time for another Dustin Pike release!! Continuing with the theme of Christmas in July again this week. There are some SUPER cute images, but as soon as I saw this one, I knew EXACTLY what I was going to do with it.

Whaddaya think?? Cute huh? I downloaded this FREE Timeless Template eons ago, and never got to use it until now. I resized the image (I went with image size 5in wide) and it fit atop the stocking perfectly!

He is colored with my copics, and there is a bit of sparkle added to the trim on his hat... I used my stardust pen and an aqua painter for a softer look.

If you haven't tried Lauren's templates yet, head on over to PTI, they have a few there for FREE to try -- once you do, trust me, you'll be hooked. I love how easy they are to assemble, yet they look SO nice all done up.

ALSO -- be sure to stop by Dustin's site and buy buy buy! He gives GREAT deals on these images, and it doesn't have to be just YOU who colors them...make coloring books for the kids, print a bunch out and put them together to keep the kiddos busy on a long car ride, or while out to eat.

Thanks for stopping by today -- hope you enjoyed your visit!!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! (I'll have to check the name of the set) Dustin Pike digital image
Ink: Real red (SU!)
Paper: SU! DSP, whisper white
Accessories: Stocking Stuffer Timeless Template, stardust pen, copics

Friendship Through Music...

This is the common 'theme' of fife and drum I would say. Another HUGE part of musters is the jam session. Anyone from anywhere all come together and play common fife and drum tunes... hundreds of people...it's a pretty neat thing to see.

BUT -- jamming really doesn't have anything to do with my post today...but music does, and so does friendship!

Our Corps released a CD last month (c'mon, you know you want one...they're $15 -- e-mail or leave a comment here if you seriously are interested) and a few of my PSF's bought one. Sooooo, I needed to to make them a super special thank you card.

I ordered Wild West Anya in anticipation of making thank yous and even birthday cards for corps members, because she's PERFECT for it.

Here's my card.


















Now...that SUPER cool ribbon frame?? Got that from Claire Brennan. She's got some brilliant stuff over on her blog. If you don't know her, you should ;) She's also got her own stamp line now -- I got her two Celtic sets that SOLD OUT - which is awesome, hoping to make something with them really soon.

Anya was colored in (with my Copics) to look like a little Regulator, down to the Sheriff's badge and all. The star with the sentiment (from Papertrey's Everyday Classics set) was cut using my star Nesties. Added a little sparkle with some christmas red stickles, and we were good to go.

Thanks for all the support friends!!

Supplies:
Stamps: Wild West Anya (The Greeting Farm), Everyday Classics (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Memento Black
Paper: PTI True Black, Select White, SU! Basic Gray, brushed silver
Accessories: Star nestabilities, copics, pure poppy saddle stitched grosgrain, stardust pen

Mariners weekend, remembering a friend, and finally a card...

WHEW!

I can hardly believe it's Monday already! The weekend was a blur. Thank to all of you who stopped by on Saturday for Lauren's challenge -- I need to get around and check out what everyone else has made!

Friday night I had a parade, and Saturday we had a Muster in Old Saybrook, CT. What an AWESOME day. The Ancient Mariners, out of Guilford, CT were the hosts of this event, and it was fabulous from top to bottom. The corps is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, as their founder Roy Watrous started the corps on July 4, 1959. This brotherhood stretched over the Atlantic Ocean, and a Swiss Contingent was formed as well. They had a HUGE group of Mariners at the muster, from the US and Switzerland...what a rush to see such a big group come marching down the street... (all that testosterone too...stand back!)

A very cool thing about the Ancient Mariners...their colorguard carries these oars with them...see those little brass plates? Each one of them has a name of a member of the corps who has passed away. In 50 years, they've lost a lot of good people, including their founder, Roy Watrous, and a real great guy I knew -- Sean Egan.

Sean sure knew how to have a good time -- funny as all get out too. Take a look at this post - which Greg describes Sean best. And most of all -- he was so awesome with all of the kids, even though he had none of his own. He always treated my nieces like his own, and what a smile he got when he'd be out on that muster field. For the muster, in addition to the oars that they carry, they had these others made up to stake around the muster field so their fallen brothers would be with them in more than spirit for the weekend.

I get run down with parades and rehearsals, but for some reason, a good muster always renews my pride in what we do, and makes me feel great to be a part of such an amazing community of people, who love what they do. I've included some photos from the weekend below...

'The Wild Bunch' from Basel Switzerland

"The Old Guard" --- 3rd US Infantry Regiment BCT -(The President's Fife and Drum Corps) these guys and gals are INCREDIBLE...

'The International Mariners' from Basel, Switzerland, and Guilford, CT, USA

'The Young Colonials' and alumni from Carmel, NY

'The Civil War Troopers' from Cornwall, NY

The Junior Colonials from Westbrook, CT (those are 2 of my nieces and my nephew -- aren't they CAH-UTE???)

Ok - I said a card, but I think I've given enough to look at today -- I'll be back with my card post tomorrow -- for real ;)

Thanks for letting me share the other passion in my life and thanks for stopping by!!

I ♥ Vera Bradley -- it's a Color Challenge!!

Happy Saturday all!

Today I'm off with the family to a muster with our drum corps. What's a muster??? Check out this post...if you have any that occur near where you live -- most of them are FREE, and are a nice day out with the family full of music, and friendship. I've met a LOT of people from all over the world because of fife and drum...it really is a big family...kind of like my 'online friends' at Splitcoast.

Alright -- I'm done blabbering...now -- onto the REAL reason for my post today...a My Time to Create Color Challenge from Lauren!! I was so excited to see this challenge, as I LOVE this new pattern from Vera Bradley, and actually just this week, ordered the exact bag in the inspiration photo.















Floral and swirls was what I thought of...in those fabulous colors of course. Now the pattern is actually more of a raspberry fizz and summer sunrise kind of colors --- but I really wanted to use some of these Stampin' Up felt flowers I have, so I muted the shades a bit, and used rose red and pumpkin pie...















The brown swirl paper is from Doodlebug (I think). The only thing I'm not 100% sure of are those little bitty pieces of bling on the layer with the sentiment...I placed them at some of the end points of the swirls, but I don't know if it's too random or what...but overall I'm pretty pleased with this. The sentiment is from a retired SU! set, Edgy Eloquence.

Don't forget to check out the blogs of the other DT gals...I think we ALL got to play this week - YAHOOOOO!

• Alicia Weiman
• Dana Gustafson
• Dawn Easton
• Jen Tapler
• Kendra Wisenbaker
• Kristin Bueter
• Lauren Meader
• Lisa Kind
• Mackenzie Bruckler
• Maria Levine
• Odette
• Pam Imholz
• Tamara Harder

When uploading your project to an online gallery, be sure to use keyword MTCC04 - and/or you can link your project on Lauren's Mr. Linky.

Wishing you all a beautiful day, no matter what you do!

Thanks for stopping by!! I appreciate it!

Supplies: Stamps: Edgy Eloquence (SU!), Fancy Flourishes (PTI) Ink: Brilliance Chocolate, Versamark Paper: Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie (SU!), DSP (Doodlebug -- I think) Accessories: dimesnionals, aurora borealis flat back crystals, felt flowers (SU!) flower brads (SU!)

I know...I know...

I said I'd be back today...or was that yesterday with another post...best laid plans...

I've got stuff to post -- just didn't have the time to blog it, can you imagine??

Well -- I'm here, but only for a moment to share with you a little taste of what's to come on Lauren's blog challenge this week!

Looks like the DT has been HARD at work -- I can't wait to see these projects in all their beauty.

Thanks for stopping by!!

I'm Alive!! With Christmas in July!!

Hi everyone -

Sorry I've been MIA. My DT's gave me the week off last week - so I REALLY took it to heart ;). I hope you all had an enjoyable 4th of July if you live in the states. I certainly did...lot of good times with family and friends.

Well, if you haven't seen already, Dustin Pike is celebrating Christmas in July!! LOTS of cute images this week folks -- be sure to stop by his place on Wednesday for this week's freebie, and of course again on Thursday for this week's release...

One of the great images included is this super sweet snowman taking a dip in some hot chocolate...mmmm. I thought 'snowman soup'...but what to put it in...a Timeless Template of course!! Now -- don't be deceived, this will not close over those bottles, but I thought it was too cute NOT to use. This is the Let's do Lunch template by Lauren Meader.


















I used some basic digi-know-how, and multiplied the marshmallows, to make a nice little pile, and added a friend saying hello.

The image is colored with my Copics, except for the marshmallows, which were done in white liquid applique. The sentiment is from PTI's 'Rustic Snowflakes' and the lids of the bottles as well as the template are decorated with other elements from that set.


















Thanks for dropping by today -- I'll be back tomorrow with another post!!

Until then...thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Stamps: Rustic Snowflakes (PTI), Digi snowmen - Dustin Pike
Ink: Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist (both PTI)
Paper: SU! Whisper White, PTI Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist, SU! DP (last year's Christmas paper)
Accessories: Let's do Lunch Template, white applique, Copics, red grosgrain, SU Scallop punch