WHAT IF? WEDNESDAY AT REPEAT IMPRESSIONS

Hi there blog friends!  

What a fabulous weekend we had - temps in the 80's and lots of sun.  The fall colors are spectacular this year, lots and lots of reds and golds!  It's been a beautiful fall so far.  

It's What if? Wednesday time at The House That Stamps Built.  Wendy has created another fun sketch for us.

You're invited to join the sketch challenge and play along with the RI Rock Stars.  Check out all the details at The House, and good luck!  You may just win some awesome RI stamps.  

For some inspiration here is a card I made using the WIW sketch!  

Stamps I used on this card are RI#9503-L "Wine Glass" and RI#9515-G "Wine and Friends".  Both stamps are from the new "Wine Time" stamp set.  I colored the glass and the "wine" with Copic markers and then used a Wink of Stella clear glitter pen to add some sparkle to the image.  

For more inspiration check out the Rock Stars

                               Deonna  -  Geri  -  Joy  -   Karen  -  Melissa  -  Patti J

Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you'll join the sketch challenge and play along.

DESIGNER'S CHOICE CHALLENGE AT REPEAT IMPRESSIONS

Hi blog friends!  

Here we go with another awesome designer's choice challenge at The House That Stamps Built Blog.  

Our super talented Rock Star teammate Geri Utterback is taking a turn this week and her challenge is "Fall".  So come on and join us by creating a "Fall" themed card and posting it in the challenge area at "The House".

For my card I used RI Stamp #514-I "Prize Pumpkin" 

Visit the Rock Stars for more inspiration for Geri's DCC. 

                          Deonna  -  Geri  -  Joy  -  Joyce  -  Karen  -  Melissa  -  Patti J

Thanks so much for stopping by.   

WHAT IF? WEDNESDAY AT REPEAT IMPRESSION

Hi blog friends!!!  

What a fun sketch challenge Wendy has for you this week at The House That Stamps Built!  You will love playing with this one.  

My card took this sketch fairly literally, but this sketch would be fun to flip in many ways.  Let your creative side have some fun with this and join our challenge.  Details are at The House. 

I used stamps RI #9716-H "Fish Face" and RI #9720-C "Big Wish", from one of the newest sets "Contain Yourself".  I used Dew Drops for the bubbles and to accent the eyes.  The fish is colored with Copic Markers.  

Please visit my Rock Star team mates for even more inspiration using this sketch. 

                  Deonna  -  Geri  -  Joy  -  Joyce  -  Karen  -  Melissa  -  Patti J

Thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving your lovely comments.  

GETTING TO KNOW ME BLOG HOP

Hi blog friends,

I've been asked to participate in a unique blog hop by my friend and  super talented co-design team teammate at The House That Stamps Built, Patti J.

The purpose of the hop is to introduce you to me and what makes my creative world tick.  Patti J's "getting to know me" post will blow you away when you see what she created for her son's recent wedding.  After you see it, you'll agree with me that she's super, super talented.  

The best part about this hop is that I get to introduce you to two of my incredibly talented crafting friends who will post their own "Getting to Know Me" blogs next week.  I'll do that later in the post.  

There are a series of questions I've been asked to answer in order for you to get to know me better.  So here we go!

What am I working on?

Currently my work space is covered with many projects, but my focus has been to complete an envelop mini album for a fall wedding.  It's a long process, but it's so very relaxing.  It's also very exciting to see the project come together.  

How does my work differ from others of it's genre?  

Well this is an interesting question.  I'm going to assume the "genre" is papercrafting.  My personal papercrafting goes from CAS (clean and simple) cards to multi-layered mini albums, to re-purposing items to alter.  It's pretty diverse and keeps the interest and excitement going.

Why do I create what I do?

I only create things that I enjoy creating.  So the answer to this question is I do it because I enjoy it.  

How does my creative process work?

Inspiration comes to me daily.  I try and make notes of the ideas or color combinations I like or see or want to try.  The process begins with one of those ideas and then I go through my stash to find what products or tools I can create the idea with.  Sometimes that works sometimes it doesn't but again, it keeps this hobby interesting and fun.

Do I have a favorite tool that I can't live without?

My favorite tool at this time is the magnetic plate for waffer thin dies.  What a great time saving and stress buster it is.  It's a little pricey but I have found it to be worth what I paid for it.  

I hope this information has helped you get to know me better.  I'm always open to questions.  If you leave one in the comment area, please be sure to leave your email address so I can get back to you.  Otherwise, you can email me through blogger.  

Now, I'd like to introduce you to my two awesome crafting friends.  They will be posting their "Getting to Know Me Blog Hop" next Monday, September 22.  I hope you'll visit them and leave them some love.

Olga Jewell is such an awesome lady.  She has been my biggest cheerleader since the first day I posted my first card online.  She never fails to visit my blog and leave a comment and lend support.  She is an incredibly talented designer and when you visit her blog you'll fall in love with her work.  

Charlene Mitchell is another awesomely talented friend.  She and I share DT spots on Outlawz Challenges CAS group.  Charlene's work is so diverse and spans digital images as well as stamps.  She's never afraid to stretch herself or step outside her comfort zone to try a new technique.  

You'll get to know both of these ladies much better next week.  So make a note to visit their blogs next Monday or better yet, you can sign up for an email notice when they post on their blogs.  

Thank you so much for stopping by and getting to know me a little better.  

A SPECIAL BLOG POST

Hi blog friends,

Today I have a very special request.  I am trying to raise funds for the fight against Alzheimer's disease.  You see, my mother has this disease and it's been one of the hardest journeys of my entire life.  

This disease is insidious.  It's evil.  My mother is a kind, caring, loving lady.  Strong and courageous.  She's a bonafide member of the greatest generation.  She lived her life with dignity and humility.  She knew how to pinch a penny so hard it would bleed a dollar.  

She worked hard as a wife and mother, doing whatever it took to add to the financial income of the family.  For years every fall, when we were younger, she picked apples.  I remember coming home from school and our house smelling like fresh picked apples, because along with her 13 cents a bushel that she was paid for picking, she was given a bushel to bring home.  She made apple pies, apple sauce, apple butter, apple cake, apple fritters and baked apples to name a few of the culinary treasures she would come up with.  Later on, she went to work for the United States Post Office and worked her way up to Postmaster.  She retired from that position after 33 years of service.  

During the WWII years, she was a teenage "airplane spotter" and did whatever she had to do to contribute to the war efforts.  She lost a boyfriend during the war and kept his letters tied with a black ribbon in a cedar chest, along with my sister's and my ballet shoes and costumes and my two brothers first toys and some of our baby clothes.  She took special care of preserving my father's Army AirCorp uniform.  And while their marriage ended in divorce, she was making cookies for him and making sure he was doing okay, until the day he died.  She saved and savored sweet memories.

Now, she has no memories.  She lost everything she'd ever worked for to this disease and it also took her memories.  Her story is not unique.  This is the "common" story among Alzheimer's victims.  

On Saturday, September 20, 2014, I am joining our local Walk to End Alzheimer's Disease.  I signed up late, so I'm busy trying to raise funds to help fight this monster with the sincere hope that you or I will have hope for a cure.  

If you can please help, I would appreciate it.  I'm attaching a link to my web site where you can donate, or join a walk in your area.  

Thank you for whatever you can do.  Here's my page!