Thursday Challenges AND a Hop Notice (again)

First......The CCEE Stampers are going WILD this week.......WILD with the shapes of their cards.  Frances challenged us to create cards that were not rectangular or square.  I think I managed to meet that criteria.

The sweet image I used is by Penny Black.  I have invested in a few stamps with this cutie, so you may be seeing her pretty regularly on my blog.  Now, to see the other fabulous WILD cards you must travel to the CCEE BLOG.  However, please finish seeing the rest of this post first, okay???

This second card is my card for the Stampin B's Challenge which was issued by Faith.  We were to use a die cut.

I used the just released PRETTY PANSIES set by Mark's Finest Papers to create the card, along with a Spellbinder's Labels die and a Martha Stewart punch.  I am in love with these pansies......truly!!!  At the Stampin B's Blog you will get to see the rest of the creations by the DT.  BUT WAIT.....I have one more for you......

The third and last card was created as an enticement for you to go on a blog hop.

This rather simple card shows you one image and one sentiment from the very versatile set called SEW WHAT by Marks Finest Papers.  As a matter of a fact, YOU could be a winner by participating in the DT's blog hop going on right now.  You will need to go to Mark's Finest Papers Blog to get all the details and to begin HOPPING.  Good Luck!!!

Had to edit to add a couple of pics I took today WHILE SHOVELING.......

I had to try to find some beauty in the snowstorm that had me shoveling a good part of the day.  We have a Japanese maple 'bush' (really a small tree) in our front yard.  It overhangs the driveway we were shoveling, so I took a couple of shots in the branches.  The first one I am sharing is in natural coloring, but the second one I edited with a sepia tone, and I just love it.

  You may be seeing that one behind a sentiment on a card in the future.

A Humorous Case for Mutnik

Cathy (Mutnik) was the featured stamper this week on SCS and I found a bit of time to case one of her cards.  She is one of the Tea Party ladies and dazzles me each Tuesday (and other days too) with her creations for the Muddamark's Teapot Tuesday Tea Party.  She is a stamp artist, but also does a mighty fine job with her handdrawn elements and her wonderful coloring.  But.....most of all, she often provides giggles through her art and her 'stories.'

This card is the one I cased.  I tried to stay true to the layout and 'theme'.

Congrats on being SCS's Featured Stamper, Cathy AND I look forward to your creations for tomorrow's Tea Party.

Tea Party Cards

Here is are two cards I made  for this week's Tea Party.  Go here for the whole story.

I was a bit rushed when I first uploaded these cards.  Now I will tell you that the images and sentiment used on the first card are available from Mark's Finest Papers midnight tonight.