12 Kits of Christmas- July Edition

Hi, everyone!
Has this summer flown by or what?!
We're already at the end of July and though I can't believe summer has went by so quickly...
I'm also excited that soon we'll start getting peeks of new Holiday and Christmas goodies headed our way...
which puts why I'm here today into perfect context...
it's time for our July edition of...

This month our hostess with the mostess is Christina...
feast your eyes on all the goodies she sent for us to work with...

Thanks again to Kara for the fabulous pic! :)

Did you see all the goodies?
Some favorites of mine...
Authentique Holiday papers...and she sent SO many of them too...
some Watzingmouse Big Bloom Poinsettia and Very Vintage Labels 18...
WPlus9 Winter Wishes and Poinsettia Patterns
some PTI Photo Finisher die cuts, Fresh Alphabet and Signature Christmas...
Memory Box dies cuts...
satin ribbon...seam binding...
pearls and tiny sparklets...
this kit was FULL of yummy goodness!
Since there's so much to see I won't keep you and I'll just get right to the nitty gritty...

For this last card I stamped some Waltzingmouse Text It on top of the poinsettia before coloring...

I've done this before and I still love the effect!

Is that bad of me to say?

Sorry!

And that sentiment is from one of my all time favorite sets...

Waltzingmouse Compliments of the Season!

And this month I'm making good on using some supplies left over from previous months and since Christina was our hostess decided to CASE a card she did in April...
here's Christina's card...

And here's my almost identical version...

I used another sentiment from Waltzingmouse Compliments of the Season...
that's the only difference!!
I know I...and I believe a few others...am going to start CASE'ing quite a few of these fabulous cards that these incredibly talented ladies display every month...
it's why I hoard the goodies...
and now the hardest thing is deciding WHO to CASE...
there's so many!! :)
And for the record...
I also CASE'd Christina for my 2nd card as well...
loved her layout on this card...

Now you have to go see what everyone has done with this incredible kit...

Cathy
Suzanne
Marybeth
Joyce
Amy
Christina
Kim
Kara
Jessica
Jeanne
Sharron

And be sure to join us next month when Kim is going to be hostess...
and since I have been the recipient of Kim kits in the past...
they are always fabulous and I know those who haven't received one yet will die when they do...
I can't wait to see what she has in store for us!!

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #108

Good Saturday morning everyone!
Hope you have had a fabulous week and are excited for the weekend!
This is our last official weekend of Summer...
I know that Labor Day is the considered end of Summer but this is our last weekend of Summer break...
they start school on the 1st...
so Summer is coming to an end for us.
It's went so fast...
I can't believe it's over...
except for those fights that have seemed to break out with more frequency the last couple of weeks which is the signal that even they are ready to go back.
They love each other greatly...
and quite honestly they do get along well for the most part...
but it's the way of siblings with very different personalities...
they've just had too much of each other!
The boys went and met their teachers Thursday night...
and when Ryder walked into his class his teacher (whom we have never had before) took one look and said "Let me guess...you must be Ryder!"
He's only in 1st grade and yet his reputation proceeds him!
*giggle*
Monday night Haley has freshman orientation to high school...
I can't believe I have one in high school!!
I'm still reeling from the fact that this little creature who literally fit in the palm of my hand when she was born is now a teen...
and headed to high school!!
Hunter starts the following Monday...
so this year will be the first year in almost 10 that all of the kids will be on very similar schedules...
I love it!!
So how much longer for Summer break for you and when do your kiddies head back?

And how about we celebrate back to school with my favorite of all challenges...
a new Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...
YAY!!
This week we have a fabulous one from talented DT Belinda Change Langner...

It's a tag!!
Am I the only one who loves a tag sketch?
And because I've got back to school on the mind here's what I did...

I used the sweet basket of apples from Peace and Plenty and then the perfect little sentiment is from Frame It...
back to school + apples = teachers!!
I stamped the image on a circle Nestie and then colored in with Copics...
and I don't know if you can tell but I also added some glossy accents to make the apples nice and shiny!
Used some favorite Lily Bee Double Dutch gingham...
and a little lace...
I really wanted to sew on this one but couldn't.
Seems some little hands have done something to my machine so until I figure out the extent of damage and what needs to be done before I can stitch again...
I won't be able to sew. :(

So ready to join in the fun?
Take a hop over to the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge Blog and feast upon all the eye candy the Mischief Makers and DT have for you...
and then get inky!
Link your project up with the linky provided...
just remember to use at least one Waltzingmouse product...
and if you're lacking...
check out the store here for some fabulous freebies from Claire...
one lucky participant will win the stamp set of their choice just for playing along!

Hope you have a wonderful week...
we will be uber busy around here getting kiddies off to school and back in a routine but on the plus side...
I will soon have my mornings free...
and my house may actually get cleaned and stay that way for longer than 20 seconds!
*giggle*

The Details:
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Peace and Plenty, Frame It
Cardstock: PTI Rustic Cream, Pure Poppy, Kraft
Patterned paper: Lily Bee Double Dutch
Dies: PTI Tag Sale #5, Dainty Dolies, Double ended banner
Misc: Copics, lace, twill ribbon (PTI), buttonhttp://www.waltzingmousestamps.com/products/frame-it

PTI Blog Hop- July

Good morning!
Today's the 25th...
and I think everyone knows what the 25th of each month brings...

I don't get to play along every month...

kids...hubby...life...

and yes...

sometimes I even forget...

*giggle*

but I did find a few minutes to throw a card together this month.

Suzanne (thecardyard) was in over the weekend...

and I had such a fabulous time!

After texting everyday...

talking for hours every week...

finally getting to meet her in real life...

I was so excited...

and I still can't believe how courageous she is to come here where the wild things reside...

(that would be my 4 kids in case you're wondering!)

but I can happily say that she left in one piece...

and I missed her as soon as she was gone and hope our next get together can be a little longer!

OK...

so we had a gorgeous inspiration pic this month...

doesn't it just say "summer"?

I'm sad to see another one coming to close...

though here in the South...

we'll be warm through October...

possibly into November...

but my kiddies start back to school next week so it "feels" like it's over.

It went so quick!

#1 son has started football practice and games will start in a couple of weeks...

just doesn't seem right does it?

Football season is warm blankets...cups of coffee or cocoa...crisp fall nights under the bright lights...

not short sleeves...sweat and ice cold cans of Mtn Dew.

OK so here's what I did with the inspiration...

I used the SAF set Natural Beauties...

and if you haven't gotten a chance to play with this one yet...

you're going to love it!!

Why?

Because it hides boo-boos!!

Surely I am not the only one who sometimes stamps a solid image and when you lift the block there's still ink on the stamp and not on the paper...

right?

Normally...

this would cause me to start over...

but not with this set!

When you stamp the "burst" (I actually have no idea what to call it...sorry!) on top of the solid...

it masks and covers!

YAY for me and anyone else who occasionally has a little mishap!!

I kept it sweet and simple...

and used a sentiment from Pretty Peonies because I wanted to make it more versatile...

though it was the sentiment in Natural Beauties that caught my eye.

Literally days before it was previewed I had just pinned this pic on Pinterest...

love that little quote!

OK...

I'm done now...

and I'll see you on the hop!

The Details:

Stamps: Natural Beauties, Pretty Peonies

Cardstock: Stamper's Select, Berry Sorbet, Harvest Gold

Ribbon: Simply Chartreuse

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #107

Hello everyone!
Hope you had a fabulous week!
I am enjoying the here and now...
the incredibly fabulous Suzanne Dahlberg from The Card Yard arrived in Nashville yesterday for a crafty weekend...
and even though we text everyday...
talk for hours every week...
it's nothing like meeting her in person!
Beautiful inside and out...
she's incredible and I'm so excited she's here!
And so is Dinky...
I think he's smitten and will probably propose before she leaves on Sunday! :)
So the here and now is a great place to be!

And before I get to my most favorite Saturday event...
introducing the new Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...
I want to thank everyone for all the wonderfully sweet and incredible comments left on my last post...
I couldn't wait to share the bath makeover that I've been working on forever!
OK...I admit that the "forever" part could probably be due to my extreme level of procrastination...
but it has been forever!
*giggle*
If you feel lost and confused right now...
you can check it out here...
and I wanted to also say that I'm horrible with secrets...
I have a real problem keeping them so the other night I told love-of-my-life that I have a surprise for him and I'll share it after Christmas.
He looked at me and said "CHRISTMAS!  That's 6 months away!"
Then he froze.
And he cautiously asked...
"Is this the kind of surprise that takes 9 months to get here?"
To which I very quickly and firmly replied... "NO!"
So I spilled the beans...
and asked if he remembered that wood grain tile I had told him about...
he said "Yes."
and then I replied "Well...I think the small bath needs it"
And do you know what he said?
"Well I knew that was coming...you've mentioned it twice that I've been paying attention so I knew it's all a matter of when you're going to make me do it."
I do love that man!

OK...so now my favorite Saturday activity...
new Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...
and this week we have one from the uber talented  DT member Tosha Leyendekker...

Here's what I did with it...

I went French with this one and used the gorgeous Waltzingmouse Paris Nouveau...
and tucked behind is some of the harlequin pattern from Heirloom Patterns...
I just love that harlequin...
lines up so perfectly!
A little seam binding and a black gem...
some paper from My Mind's Eye...
and I was done!

So are you ready to show us your interpretation of this gorgeous sketch?
Hop over to the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge Blog and feast on all the eye candy the Mischief Makers and DT have for you...
and then get crafty!
We can't wait to see what you create...
just remember to use at least one Waltzingmouse product...
and one lucky participant will win the stamp set of their choice just for playing along!

Hope you're weekend is fabulous! :)

The Details:
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Paris Nouveau, Heirloom Patterns
Cardstock: PTI True Black, Stampers Select, Kraft
Misc: My Mind's Eye Patterned Papers, seam binding, bling

Yes...I Actually Did This!

OK...
first...
long post...
quite a few pics...
I'll apologize in advance...
if you've been around here in the past couple of months you know I've been painting what seems like every room in the house...
one because of a Spring storm that did a lot of damage to our roof and we were blissfully unaware of until water started pouring out of our daughter's ceiling...
but also because I didn't get any painting done last year due to falling with Hunter and busting both knees...
so I was just behind.
But one of my projects was to give the small bath a needed makeover...
not complete...
even though...
ssshhhh...don't tell love-of-my-life...
after the Holidays...
we're going to put new tile down in this particular bath I'm about to discuss...
have you seen this...

looks like hardwood...
but it's tile!! :)
I'm going to surprise him with this bit of information...
he loves when I surprise him ;)...
and since we're hoping to start laying some new flooring in other parts of the house when he has a couple of weeks off in the Fall...
I'll save this for later...
so seriously...
don't tell! :)


Now back to my project...
this is the only room in the entire house that has paper on the walls...
(This is our small bath...located between the kitchen and family room...
so it's the one that sees the most traffic because who wants to walk across the house to use the others?)
and of course little fingers found a weak spot and started tearing so this project was actually a necessity this Summer...
but I liked what I had on the walls so what to do?
I started searching Pinterest for ideas...
checking wallpaper sites...
and nothing struck me until one day I was actually over on Indulgy (I Indulge very rarely but am so glad I did on this day) and saw the coolest wallpaper!
Now in typical Renee fashion...
I forgot to pin...
but I loved it and knew I would have no problem remembering...
only now I wish I had pinned it so you could see too!
Hindsight!
But I think it was actually a pic of a club or restaurant's restroom...
only it was papered in bookprint!!
And you know me...
LOVE!!
So then I started my search on Google for bookprint wallpaper...
I found none!!
No where!
I don't know where this club/restaurant got ahold of it but I wanted some really bad...
so the search continued for days until I ran across a blog post...
and here's where typical Renee comes back into play...
yes...
I forgot to pin...
again (hanging head in shame)!!
But solution found...
I knew what I was going to do!
Now I'm just going to show you some pics because I'm so excited and can't wait...

Yes...
I actually glued pages of a book on my walls!!!

Actually...
it was two books...
identical so that you are able to read the book...
in order...
to completion!!
And no.
I didn't use any of my copies.
I went by my booklover's crack house ( McKay's) and picked up two copies...
paid a whopping $.50 each, came home and started trimming the pages out.
Some came out very easily...
some...
the glue was quite generous in it's hold!
But I stripped off the old paper and started right to work...
and when I got to end of the long wall and halfway around the small...
I realized either my walls were very crooked...
or my eyes were...
it was horrible!!
I won't go into all the details but needless to say...
that had to come off and back to McKay's I went...
this time two copies cost me $1.25 each.
And since I already knew how hard it was to get these pages up on the wall...
well...
not really hard...
just time consuming...
I went in typical Renee fashion and procrastinated this time...
started painting the dining room...
painted the long hall off the kitchen in chalkboard paint (it's SO cool!  And if you have a little one who loves to draw...what little one doesn't?...I highly recommend you designate a chalkboard wall in your house!)...
then the girl's room was repaired so started and finished it...
and then decided it was time to tackle the small bath...
again!
Mainly because I was hosting bookclub last night and Suzanne is going to arrive on Friday...
it had to get done!!

But before I give the lowdown on how I did this...
can you guess what book I went with?
I considered many options...
Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind...
SE Hinton's The Outsiders (which is the book for me...the one that when I was younger took reading from something I enjoyed...to something I love...need.)...
Audrey Niffengger"s The Time Traveler's Wife...
to name a few.
And it couldn't be just any old book...
it had to be a book that meant something to me.
So can you guess?
A hint maybe?

Yup!
Fellowship!
The book that made me realize that I am a complete and total nerd.
A fact I was blissfully unaware of until that summer 10 years ago that I was severely preggers with #1 son and it was 120 outside (ok...maybe it just felt that way!) and I had my cooling "station" (air conditioning turned down to around 60 and an industrial size fan that could blow cooling winds at about 200 mph...possibly another exaggeration...but it was close!) in front of the tv and then love-of-my-life wanted to watch Lord of the Rings...which I argued with saying that I didn't want to but yet when he told me to leave, the thought of leaving my comfortable nest was too hard to bare...so I stayed.
And I tried closing my eyes...
I really didn't want to watch it.
But then I peeked...
and what?!!

Hot men!

In a nerd movie!

Long story short...
I watched it.

3 times.

And as soon as Two Towers was released in theaters...
I lined up my sister to watch all 3 kiddies and then afterwards...
I immediately purchased all 3 books...
read them 3 times each before Return of the King was released a year later.
Yup!
Nerd status recognized.
But it wasn't my fault.
I could have stayed blissfully unaware of this fact for the rest of my life...
but they cast Viggo Mortenson as Aragorn who now resides on my future husband list...
complete with costume.

And...
since one morning not long ago caught all of us standing around the computer to catch the first glimpse of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit...
I would say we're all nerds in this house so what else could go on those walls?

I know I'm testing you here...
I'm sorry...
but real quick here's how I did it...

I rolled wallpaper paste onto the walls and then placed poster paper on top of it...
trying to smooth as many wrinkles as possible...
and boy did it wrinkle!
But I actually decided I liked the wrinkles...
so quite a few stayed.
Then after covering the walls with poster paper...
I used the glue again to paste each page onto the wall...
see?
Time consuming.
After they were all done and dry...
I used Modge Podge to cover the pages and waterproof them...
especially around the sink and shower areas.
I did leave some weak spots with the Modge Podge...
so if I ever need to tear it down...
I should be able to.
Plus those wrinkles may come back into play then too and actually be useful!

Alright...
did you make it to the end?
What do you think?
Give me your thoughts!
The glue gave the pages the waterstained look...
and it bothered me at first...
but I've decided I like the "aged" look too...
what do you think?
And just so you know...
I still have some art projects to finish for the walls...
but I'll save that for another day!

Hope you have a wonderful day...
I'm done now!

Hello...

Today's the 17th...
and you know what that brings each month...
Waltzingmouse Blog Party...
YAY!!

I'm going to keep this short because there's always so much to see and I don't want to keep you...
but the theme this month is THE GREAT OUTDOORS and there are so many directions you can take with this one...
but I decided to keep it simple and whimsical...

See...
told you!
I used Waltzingmouse Gingham and Co. to create some gingham hills...
and I thought Teeny Trees was the perfect set for some whimsical little trees in my scene...
once I added the the sun, clouds and rainbow...
all dies from Lil' Inkers...
my scene was complete!
The sentiment is from WMS Fancy Phrases...
a perfect little sentiment set...
and along with 3 black gems...
I was done!
Easy peasy!

Now...
don't worry if you don't have your project complete yet...
this party goes for 24 hours...
and you can get all the details on Claire's blog here!
And if you need a little help in getting started...
try the new Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...
it's a fabulous sketch this week from the ever talented DT member Sandie Dunne!

I can't wait to see what you came up with for both of these!

I'm hosting bookclub tonight...
we read Joshilyn Jackson's A Different Kind of Pretty and I'm hoping (like crossing my fingers, eyes, hair and toes!) that we read Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl next month because even though I've already read it...
I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good suspense because it is one kind of ride!
But if you don't see me for a bit...
don't worry...
you know where I'm at and I'll be along for the party soon...
maybe into the wee hours! :)

And maybe you'll come back tomorrow where I'm going to have an extra special post?
I can warn you though...
no cards...
but I did get pret-ty craf-ty if I do say so myself!
*giggle*


The Details:
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Gingham and Co., Teeny Trees, Fancy Phrases
Dies: Lil' Inkers Rainbow and Clouds, Sun (large)
Cardstock: PTI Stamper's Select, Spring Rain, Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold, Blueberry Sky, Orange Zest
Misc: button, twine, gems. shimmer cardstock (clouds)

4 of a Kind - July Edition

Hello everyone!
It's that time of the month again...
time for another...

Joyce was in charge of kits this month...
and OMGoodness...
did she send the goodies!!
Check out all of this crafty goodness...

The colors she chose to work with have such an elegance to them...
Raspberry Fizz, Simply Chartreuse and Smokey Shadow...
and she choose PTI's In Bloom along with a little Pretty Peonies, Wonderful Words, Mixed Messages and Movers and Shakers.
And because you need to stop by and see what her, Cathy and Kim were able to come up with...
I'm going to keep this short and get to some pics...

I know they're basically the exact same card...
but I loved the stamping and wanted to use it and since I only used less than half on the first one...
I just decided to make two...
but if you look close enough...
the Tiny Tags are different! :)
Another uber simple one...

And my last one...

which is honestly the one I love the most...

I used my new Lil' Inker's Frame #1 Impression Plate to create a frame...

(Thank You Amy...you enabler! *giggle*)

I just cut out the center portion with a craft knife and ruler...

adhered the flowers around it and then if you look closely...

yup!

That's a sheet of acetate that I slipped in there...

and then I stamped it with my favorite sentiment from Waltzingmouse Compact Sentiments 2...

(note: it IS smudged because I didn't have any Staz On and I wanted to do this but before I could get a pic...I smudged it. Sorry!  Note to self: Pick up White Staz On!!)

and then look what happens...

Viola!!

It's a literal picture frame!!

I popped it with some thin strips of foam adhesive...

trimmed my pic down and then slipped it right inside!

I love it!!

And I can promise you...

you will be seeing this again!! :)

OK...

now time for you to hop over and see what 

Joyce

Cathy

Kim

have for you!

Hope you find a little inspiration along the way...

and that you'll come back next month because I'M in charge of kits!!

*giggle*

And don't forget about Waltzingmouse Blog Party tomorrow!

The theme this month is THE GREAT OUTDOORS and you can get all the details on Claire's blog here!

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #106

Happy Saturday everyone!
Hope you had a fabulous week...
here in TN we finally received some rain...
in fact some every day this week...
and we broke our triple digit heat wave...
so our grass is growing and starting to turn a nice shade of green...
and it doesn't crunch when you step on it any longer!
And even though I'm disappointed that hubby wasn't able to get some outdoor projects done because of the rain...
he's heading back to work today...
I'm too happy to finally have it here to complain much!
And since we can't mow...
neither can our neighbors so all of our yards are looking pretty bad right now...
but fabulously bad in green!
*giggle*

Since it's Saturday...
the bestest day of the week...
I get to help introduce another incredible sketch for Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...
this week is a fabby one from talented DT member Sandie Dunne...

And here's my take on it...

Yup...
those Simple Stories papers again!
I am truly in love with these...
just can't get enough of them...
and though I would love to say I'm sorry for using them again so soon...
well...
I would just have to apologize again in the near future...
so I'll save all my apologies till I'm totally out of them...
ok?
But just so you know...
I'm planning on buying more!
Because I LOVE them...
*giggle*
And plus don't you think they go fabulously with Waltzingmouse Compact Sentiments?
They're perfect for this fun, relaxed, casual font that Claire designed these incredible sets around!
This particular sentiment is one of my all time faves...
it's from Compact Sentiments 2...
I think of my kiddies every time I see it!

And tucked behind the sentiment panel is a strip of red gingham from Gingham and Co...
perfect!
Along with some lace and twine...
and a big button...
can I just say I love big buttons too...
my card is complete!

Are you ready to join us in this fabby sketch?
Mosey on over to the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge Blog and take a gander at the eye candy my fellow incredibly talented and awe inspiring Mischief Makers and DT members have for you...
and then get crafty!
Just remember to use at least one Waltzingmouse product on your project and one lucky participant will win the stamp set of their choice just for playing along!

And don't forget Blog Party on Tuesday!
This months theme is THE GREAT OUTDOORS...
and you can get all the details on Claire's blog here!
Hope to see you there!

I'm off to get the house as ready as I can for bookclub Tuesday night and then on Friday...
my blogging friend Suzanne (TheCardYard) and I get to meet IN REAL LIFE when she flies in for a weekend of crafty fun...
YAY!!!
I'm so excited!!! :)

Hope all of you have a wonderful week...
until next time!

The Details:
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Compact Sentiments 2 and Gingham and Co.
Cardstock: PTI Kraft, WP9 White
Patterned Papers: Simple Stories Summer Fresh
Misc: SU ink, lace, twine, big button (PTI)

Hot Child in the City...

Runnin' wild and lookin' pretty...
                               Nick Gilder

That's what kept running through my head as I was making a card for the very first...

Could not get that song outta my head...
it's still there...
and you'll see why in a moment!
But Suzanne gave us a wonderful inspiration pic for this month...

and because I'm fairly new to WPlus9 with only a handful of sets...
I decided to just focus on the colors for this one...
and went with the bold yellow, vibrant orange and hot pink!
I pulled out the fabulous A Pocketful set...
I have wanted this set since the first time I saw Anya use it on her blog...
and it's finally in my possession...
and how could I resist cutting a hot pink pocket and singing "Hot Child in the City" while doing it?
And if you're too young to remember hot pink jeans and/or "Hot Child..."...
I don't want to know!
*giggle*

So here's what I did...

I kept it pretty simple...
heat embossed some white "stitching"...
and yes...
once upon a time (*cough...the 80's*) you could even buy them this way in the stores...
and then added some of the adorable little blooms included in the set to fill my stylin' pocket!
Added some fabby plaid ribbon that matched the color scheme perfectly and viola!
Sweet and simple!

Hope to see you along the way...
and if you haven't heard about this one yet...
check out all the details here and grab some inspiration while you're there from Suzanne, Anya, Christina and Gayatri so you can play along!


The Details:
Stamps: WP9 A Pocketful
Cardstock: WP9 White, PTI Raspberry Fizz, Orange Zest, Harvest Gold
Ink: Momento
Ribbon: Ribbon Carousel

Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge #105

Happy Saturday!
Today IS a happy day...
hubby took a few days off and maybe with him home to manage the kids...
ok...
they're unmanageable but he can keep his eye on them and prevent any fights, screams, tears and bloodshed...
I can finally finish painting...
YAY for me!!
Though I have to say with temps in triple digits still...
it's been nice just staying indoors.
And guess what?
I'm daring to dream here that the so called weather experts...
you know...
the ones who make those educated guesses about weather...
are right and we not only see a little rain starting tomorrow...
but we are also supposed to cool down into the 80's for a few days...
can I get a big YAY?!!
We need the rain desperately...
and a very welcome break from the heat.

So I'm inside with hubby and the kiddies...
and since it's Saturday...
I get to introduce our newest Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...
always fun!
And this week is another fabulous sketch from the incredibly talented Teresa Kline...

And here's what I did with it...

That fabulous houndstooth background is from Anya's Heirloom Patterns...
I LOVE that houndstooth!
Lines up like a dream!
And then I used the new to me Blessed By You...
LOVE that willow!
And Claire included some beautiful heartfelt sentiments with this one.
Another thing that Claire does that I've seen mentioned out in the blogland by various people wishing...
she includes "we" sentiments!
I know personally I love having that versatility because as just one member of a family...
when I'm making a card that is from all of us...
as a family...
I want to be able to say "we" and not just "I".
You'll find this little treat in so many of Claire's sets!

Alright...
you've seen the sketch...
are you ready to get inky and join us?
Hop over to the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge Blog and check out all the incredible inspiration from the Mischief Makers and DT...
you won't be disappointed with all the gorgeous creations to get the creative juices flowing!
Just remember to use at least one Waltzingmouse product on your creation and then link up with the linky provided so that we can come by and ogle your creation...
and one lucky participant will win the stamp set of their choice just for playing along!
And while you're there...
this week is our last week with our Guest Mischief Maker Vickie Zimmer and she has been fabulous...
created incredible projects and so much fun to have around and inspire...
stop by and give her a standing ovation blogland style!

And did you get all you wanted with the new release last week?
What did you get?
The awesome My Island...
and the coordinating new "bitesize" North Shore?
What about Heroines Fairy Princess?
Did you pre-order the incredible Big Berries-Strawberry and Jam Packed?
How awesome is Claire for providing a "bitesize" set of just the jar in case you don't have Candy Jar Christmas Fillers?
She's a gem!
And how about Anya's new Playful Pinwheels?
How fun is that set?!!
I can't wait to get it in my hands and will begin stalking the mailman around...
Monday!
I always get a thrill and feel so special when I receive "Royal Mail"...
*giggle*
And remember Blog Party is on the 17th and this month's theme is The Great Outdoors...
don't you think think Playful Pinwheels would be a great set to use for it?
Check Claire's blog here for all the details!

Until next time...
wishing everyone a fabulous week!

Happy 4th!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Holiday today...
we're about to go outside and let the kids have some "poppers" and sparklers...
that's all we can do this year because it's so hot and dry we're underneath a burn ban...
that includes fireworks and even grilling.
Yeah...
not our regular 4th celebrations.
It's been 100+ for over a week and we all just stayed inside where it's nice and cool...
so I was able to squeeze in just a bit of play time and decided to try my hand at the Color Q challenge this week...

It's a first...
in fact this is only my second time ever with a color challenge like this...
I get confused when there's too many colors! :)
But they are featuring my absolute-most-favoritest-color-in-the-whole-wide-world...
NAVY!!
OK...
so I gave this a go...
even though my red family is very hard to distinguish a difference...
but I can tell you I used Momento Lady Bug...
which is a more coral red...
and Love Letter...
which is more red-red...
so here we go...

I used Waltzingmouse Off Beat Backgrounds to make my very own plaid background...
I LOVE making my own plaid...
and it is of my personal opinion that everyone needs this set...
it's amazing!
And some more Waltzingmouse for the star and sentiment...
this time from Sewing Box Hugs...
and based it on this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...

I hope that during your celebrations today...
getting together with family and friends...
that you took a moment to remember and say a Thank You to all the servicemen and women...veterans...who have fought...
and continue to do so everyday...
for the freedoms that we enjoy in this great country of ours!
Thank You and Happy Birthday America!

The Details:
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Off Beat Backgrounds and Sewing Box Hugs
Cardstock: PTI Stamper's Select, Enchanted Evening, Pure Poppy

Ink: Momento Lady Bug, Love Letter, Summer Sky, Danube Blue
Misc: bling, twine, button