Christmas In July at Outlawz

Hi blog friends! 

What a fantastic 2 weeks it's been at Outlawz and our "Where in the World" celebration!  I really hope you had an opportunity to join in on some of the fabulous games and challenges.  Good luck on being a winner if you did!!!  Winners will be announced Wednesday, July 11 at the Outlawz.  It was such fun to see all the CAS challenge creations, and I'm glad it's a random drawing, because who could choose from all of the fabulous entries? 

Today my post is for week two in Outlawz July CAS challenge- "Christmas in July".  I know many other challenge sites have the same theme going on, however the Outlawz CAS DT is adding a tiny addition....your card must be inspired by a Christmas or holiday song. Here are the specifics...While the weather outside is not so frightful, we challenge you to put on your favorite holiday carol/song, or wintery song, and use it as inspiration for your CAS project this week. Please include what song inspired you :) Remember, this song can be used to inspire you in ANY way...even it is not a Christmas/Winter Holiday card.

My card was inspired by the song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas".  I get so emotional whenever I hear it.  Aside from Christmas carols, this is the Christmas song my mother loves most.  (Being that she's of the "Greatest Generation" and this was a WWII song what it means to her goes without saying). 

I paper pieced the heart balloon from "Big Boys Toys" by RI with scrap pieces from Authentique "Glory" dp.  The sentiment is also from RI -  #3703 and today, last day, it's available for 50% off for RI blog members.  Every Monday there's a stamp offered to blog members for 50% off.  The bg is PTI "Spring Rain" CS die cut (negatives) with Memory Box cloud dies.  The base CS is GKD Pure Luxury White and Black Onyx.  The "ribbon" is a piece of Trendy Tape that I adhered to CS and cut.  The USA also came from a scrap piece of Authentique "Glory" paper.

Can't wait to see what Christmas/Holiday song inspires your CAS card.  Good luck and have fun!  See you at Outlawz!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Special Family Weekend

Hi blog friends,
Today I'm not posting a card for you to see, but rather some photos I thought you might like to see of a trip my hubby and I went on last weekend in Aroostook County, or more familiarly known in Maine as "The County".  If you've ever eaten a Maine potato, chances are it was grown in "The County".  It's a big agricultural area and is located in the northern most part of the state.  As is so many areas in Maine, it's a beautiful area and the people embrace their farming life and they make a visitor feel right at home.  

First a little background - when my husband retired a year ago, he began an interest in genealogy.  Quite by accident, he found he had family in The County and a contact with them was made.  We were invited to come to "Mapleton Daze", a summer celebration of a town and their agricultural roots by our new found "cousins" and we couldn't wait to go.  It's a 5 hour trip by car from where we live in Maine to The County, but the entire trip is gorgeous. 

We also met up with my husband's uncle who brings his horses to a farm event every year in Mapleton.  It was good to see him again - he treats his horses as if they were puppies and they adore him.

So, here are some photos I wanted to share with you of the area. 

This photo is my husband's uncle Elmin Mitchell and his prized Belgians. 

They're huge! This was at Mapleton Farms where antique farm implements are demonstrated by very skilled men, women and work horses.

This is Elmin again after his horses were hitched to an antique potato digger.  He is 85 years old (not sure if he'd want me telling you that, though).  He was demonstrating the digger and how, a century ago, the farmers dug their potatoes with it and horses.

This is a panoramic view of some potato fields and a farm house.  The vista goes on forever in The County

A second crop being raised in The County is canola.  The yellow flowers are blooming canola and there are thousands of planted acres of both potatoes and canola, as far as the eye can see.

I hope you enjoyed the photos.  Have a great day!  I'll be back this weekend with a fun challenge from the CAS DT at Outlawz.  I hope you've all had a chance to join in on some of those great challenges....the celebration ends Saturday, July 7. 



Designer's Choice Challenge at Repeat Impressions

One Nation Under God

HAPPY BIRTHDAY USA

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!!
************ 

It's time for another designer's choice challenge at Repeat Impressions, aka, The House That Stamps Built - this time it's Lynette's turn and she has challenged us to a color challenge - using greens and purples.  (I bet you thought it would be red, white and blue, LOL!) 
I hope you'll have a chance to play along with us.  Simply go over to The House That Stamps Built and link your card photo.  You might be the lucky winner of some fabulous new Repeat Impression Stamps if you do. 

Here is my card for Lynette's challenge.

Once again, I used this beautiful hydranga stamp from the Beautiful Days collection and colored it with Copic markers.  The wainscot bg was created using Gina K's tutorial.  A very easy way to create a nice bg.  The flourish "frame" is a die from Sizzix called "Corner Flourishes".  Spellbinder oval was used to cut the shape of the stamp.  I stamped the bumblebee twice and popped the second image on with dimensionals.  My sentiment #8607 was stamped on lavender cs with Memento "grape jelly" ink and die cut with a scalloped oval die. 

Please visit these other Rock Stars for more inspiration using Lynette's great color challenge.

Lynette - Makiko - Joy - Karen - Dawn - Patti - Kecia 

Thanks so much for stopping by and for all your sweet comments. 
A big hug and shout out to my dear blog friends in the states where there is horrid heat and no power, as well as those enduring the aftermath of the wild fires in the west.

SEEING STARS AT OUTLAWZ

Hi blog friends!!!  Happy July 1 and HAPPY CANADA DAY to all my Canadian friends!!! 

Did you notice that Outlawz has extended it's "Where in the World" party for another week???  (June 24 - July 7)  Woohoo!!!  More time to play and win great prizes.  I hope you've had a chance to play in one or more of the games and challenges....there are some really fabulous prizes to win!!! 

Speaking of the Outlawz it's once again time to play along with a new CAS challenge.  This challenge will run concurrently with the "Where in the World" party so you have time to do both and win in both th party and the current CAS challenge. 

The current CAS challenge at Outlawz is called "Seeing Stars" and this month we are welcoming Lisa Arana as our Guest Design Team Member.  Please visit her blog and leave her some love - she is so talented. 

Here is the challenge  for the "Seeing Stars" challenge and I hope you'll play along with us. 
"Seeing Stars" Challenge: We are celebrating Independence Day here in the US this week. The anticipation of the fireworks display has me seeing stars. It is all I can think about :) Your challenge this week is to create a CAS card or project that features star shapes. Big, little, single, multiple..whatever sticks in your mind. It can be any colors or theme that you want. Let's get star struck with CAS flair!

For my card, I used GKD PL Black Onyx and White CS.  I put the while layer through my stars CB EF, "Stars" and then stamped Tami Mayberry's "Stars" stamp set by Gina K Designs. (Do you see a pattern here???)
The tiny stars were made using scrap cs with a $1.00 punch I found at Michaels (gotta love those dollar bins!).

Thanks for stopping by! 
Have a great week and HAPPY 4TH TO ALL AMERICANS!!!

 

What If? Wednesday Sketch Time

Hi blog friends!!!!   It's Wednesday and that means it's time for Repeat Impressions What If? Wednesday sketch challenge! 
This week Wendy has given us this sketch for a challenge and what a fun sketch!  Try it and see what you can come up with.  I can't wait to see your creation.

Post your card on The House That Stamps Built blog and you'll be entered to WIN some fabulous Repeat Impression Stamps!  If you havve and use Repeat Impression stamps, you'll be entered twice.  I hope you'll join the fun and get your What If? Wednesday on. 

Here's my card  using Repeat Impressions Stamps #4206-K "Kisa 2" and #6103 for the sentiment.  I just love that adorable Kisa's face.   When I lived on a farm we had "barn cats" and their soul duty was to keep the rodent population down.  I always loved this unique team of "cat seals".  They were stealth and gorgeous because they were all different in color and design. 

So join me and the the other Repeat Impression Rock Stars and get your What If? Wednesday sketch on and have some fun with this sketch. Visit my talented DT friends and see their fabulous creations!!!!

Karen~Lynette~Makiko~Dawn~Joy~Kecia~Patti

Thank you so much for stopping by and I look forward to seeing your creation posted on The House That Stamps Built Blog.  Good luck...I hope you WIN some of these fabulous stamps. 

Cheri