Happiness is...

...the fragrance inside a floral shop.

...toddler giggles.

...a lazy snow day.

...seeing desirable traits emerging in your children.

...a whole milk latte sipped slowly.

...energizing music on a sluggish day.

...a good book.

Color Play

Our landscape is covered in a bright white for a change!  This was the pretty morning scene that we awakened to yesterday:

 

 Mother Nature sure knows a thing or two about landscaping!

Like I mentioned yesterday, I'm itching for a little color and the Round 2 challenge of the current Splitcoast Stampers CAS Spring DT Search provided me with the perfect opportunity to use some!

Supplies:
Stamps - Paper Trey (Birthday Basics)
Paper - Gina K white cardstock, Paper Trey kraft cardstock, SU Pumpkin Pie cardstock
Ink - SU Basic Black
Accessories - Basic Grey buttons, linen thread, corner rounder

Green Friday

It's Friday again and with fresh, new snow on the ground, I've got mixed emotions today.  While I love the clean look of brand new snow, I just can't shake the feeling of spring fever that's already begun to stir.  I have nothing to complain about this winter.  It has been unseasonably mild and dry, but winter is winter.  I'm looking forward to the return of color in the landscape.  To those of you who enjoy the cold, wet snow, I apologize for not seeming a bit more excited.

For today's 2 Cute Ink creation, I chose to use a little green.  St. Patrick's Day is coming up and, for me, it's the beginning of spring's return!  This Shamrock Turtle is rather adorable, don't you think?  My card, on the other hand, isn't one I'm extremely satisfied with.  There's "clean & simple" and then there's "too clean & too simple."  I think this one fits the latter category.  I fussed around trying to add one or two more elements to it, but my brain just wouldn't budge, so I had to let it remain as it is.  I'm posting it anyway.  It'll keep me humble.

Daisy Pixie

Some of my mother's favorite flowers are daisies.  Her wedding flowers were daisies and she still prefers them, but with a little purple mixed in now.  I just love the sweetness of this little pixie from A Day for Daisies and created a card using this month's colors from over at The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog:  red, pink & purple.  You have about a week left to play along if you want to join in the fun!

Supplies:
Stamps - A Day for Daisies (Tiny Pixie Daisy - digital)
Paper - SU Real Red, Rich Razzleberry & Pretty in Pink cardstocks, Copic Blending Card, My Mind's Eye DP
Ink - SU Real Red
Accessories - SU buttons, Nestabilities (circle & blossom), SU Rich Razzleberry taffeta ribbon, foam dots (popped up main image circle), baker's twine
Coloring - Copic markers

Clean & Simple Spring

It's a grey day here with a little drizzle falling from the sky.  We had a little snow overnight, but that is quickly melting with the unseasonably warm temperatures we are having right now!  I'm not complaining.

I'm in a Clean & Simple kind of mood today, so thought I'd share a very quick and easy card!  I stamped the stem using the same color as the cardstock, stamped & fussy cut the flower blossom, popped it up with a foam dot for some dimension, stamped the sentiment, applied some clear Stickles to the blossom edges and I was done!  How's that for a card on the run?!  Now off to enjoy the rest of the day!  One toddler check up done (with immunizations).  Laundry folding, lunch and school drop offs/pick ups next.  Maybe a date with the treadmill.

Supplies:
Stamps - SU (Fabulous Florets, Vintage Vogue - sentiment)
Paper - SU cardstock (Sahara Sand)
Ink - SU (Perfect Plum, Sahara Sand)
Accessories - foam dot (popped up blossom), Stickles (clear)

Are you a Clean & Simple kind of card maker?  Be sure and try out for this spring's CAS DT over at Splitcoast Stampers.  The first round ends Thursday (Feb. 23) at noon (EST)!

Casino Fun

It's Prickley Pear Monday here on my blog and I thought I'd share one of Prickley Pear's new red rubber stamps today!  I don't frequent our local casino except for the occasional dental seminar that is hosted there, but I do like this stamp.  :)  I came across this week's sketch over on the Card Sketch Challenge Blog and immediately thought of this stamp!

Supplies:
Stamps - Prickley Pear (Towne Casino)
Paper - Gina K. white cardstock, SU Basic Black & Tempting Turquoise cardstocks
Ink - SU Basic Black
Accessories - gemstones, baker's twine, SU scalloped border punch, corner rounder, foam dots (popped up black panel)

Here is the sketch from Card Patterns:

 

Happiness is...

...hugs from a toddler.

...mild winter days.

...cleared clutter.

...hazelnut coffee.

...a long bubble bath.

...a night of family fun.

Take Twelve: February

 

This year, along with Stacy Julian's online class called Twelve (registration is now closed), I'm taking twelve pictures on the 12th of every month.  I've been wanting to share, but this month is the first month I've actually sat down and put together a collage of my photos.

Since February 12th fell on a Sunday, I took pictures to capture the quiet, reverence we try to have in our home the first day of each week...

 

Notes:

• The day starts with church.  Right now, Cheerios and baby books are part of our weekly take alongs.  :)
• DH had just arrived home from overseas the night before and was enduring jet lag.  We do take Sunday afternoon naps now and then, but this day it was out of pure necessity!
• Sunday evenings are when the boys get their allowances for the week ahead.  I usually divide their age by the number of weeks in the month and that is their weekly allowance amount.  At their ages, it doesn't take much.  LOL!
• Sunday evenings are also our time to look ahead and plan out the new week.  DH and I usually sit down and go over what appointments, events and to do's we have and then plan together accordingly.
• The boys often spend a quiet Sunday afternoon doing art activities of their choosing.  This particular Sunday they wanted to work on Valentine's Day themed things...with a side of hot chocolate.

Thinking of Spring

Now that Valentine's Day has come and gone, I'm starting to think S-P-R-I-N-G!  I can't say this winter has been all that bad with snow, but there is something about being stuck indoors for a few months that gets to me after a while, especially with three little boys.  Since today is 2 Cute Ink day for me, I just had to use this adorable spring themed stamp called Baby Chickie!  The nice thing about this particular image is that Heidi will send you two images, one with plain eggs and one with the eggs decorated for Easter!

I used my Nestabilities to create an oval shaped card, made some faux stitching with my paper piercer and black marker and then added some clear Stickles to the eggs to give them a little sparkle.

Supplies:
Stamps - 2 Cute Ink (Baby Chickie - digital), Elzybells (sentiment)
Paper - SU Daffodil Delight & Basic Black cardstocks, Copic Blending Card
Accessories - SU Basic Black marker, paper piercer, Nestabilities (oval, scalloped oval), Stickles, SU flower button, baker's twine
Coloring - Copic markers

Prickley Pear February Sketch

It's time for a new sketch challenge over at Prickley Pear Stamps!  Here is this month's sketch:

Link your creation to the Prickley Pear Blog by February 29 for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the online store!

I used the brand new Mini Butterflies Clear Stamps Set and the coordinating Mini Butterflies Die to create this simple card:

Supplies:
Stamps - Prickley Pear (Mini Butterflies Clear Stamps Set)
Paper - SU Basic Gray & Tangerine Tango cardstocks, Paper Trey white cardstock
Ink - SU Tangerine Tango & Basic Black
Accessories - Prickley Pear Mini Butterflies Die, gemstones, foam dots (popped up butterflies), SU Basic Black grosgrain ribbon