FCCB Challenge #246 ~ St. Patrick's Day

Hello & happy Monday to all my crafty peeps! Without further adieu, it's time to introduce our new fantabulous Monday challenge at FCCB....

Challenge #246 ~ St.Patrick's Day

This Week's Sponsor
digiplayground.com


 
There will be 3 winners of $7 gift certificates!

To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and, if it's not obvious, let us know which cartridge(s) you used.

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Here is my project for the challenge....

 

SIZE:  5"

CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy

CARTRIDGES:  "Seasonal Soirées"; "Smiley Cards"; "Art Philosophy"; "Teddy Bear Parade"

PAPER:  Core'dinations; DCWV; Bazzill

OTHER:  Stickles "Star Dust" & "Black Diamond"; 3M foam tape

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Challenges:

DL.ART -  March Linky Challenge; anything goes
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Simon Says Stamp -  Monday Challenge; "Just a Hint of Clover"
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #172; anything goes
The Sisterhood Of Crafters -  Paper piecing and/or paper piercing
Simply Create Too -  Challenge #80; St. Patrick's Day or mostly green


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Thank you for visiting me & have a fantabulous day!

Stop & Smell The Roses

Hello my friends!  Happy almost weekend! For today's post I made a card for a family friend of ours who was in a very unfortunate accident a couple weeks ago. She's out of the hospital, but now she's staying at a rehab facility until she gets her strength & movement back. Roses are always a safe bet to cheer someone up, so I hope she likes this card....

Inside

SIZE:  5 x 7"
CRICUT:  Craft Room; Expression 2; Gypsy
CARTRIDGES:  "Soirée Lettering" & "Small Talk Frames & Tags"
PAPER:  CTMH cardstock
EMBOSSING:  Cuttlebug machine; Anna Griffin folder "Rosa"; inked with CTMH Exclusive Inks "Whisper"
STAMP SETS:  Craftin Desert Diva's "Say It Big" & "Simply Said"; CTMH "Heartstrings" & "Curlicue Frames" 
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Cranberry", "Lagoon", "Whisper" & "Pixie"
OTHER:  Martha Stewart border punch; CTMH Extra Thick Twine "Pixie"; CTMH sequins; Sakura gel pen; 3M foam tape


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Challenges:

DL.ART -  February Linky Challenge; anything goes; 4th entry
Craftin Desert Diva's -  Linky Party; use ribbon; 2nd entry
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #195; anything goes; 3rd entry
Simon Says Stamp -  Monday Challenge; anything goes
Crafting By Designs -  "Thinking Of You" card
Cute Card Thursday -  Challenge #262; "Fancy Corners"
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #172; anything goes


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Thank you very much for stopping by & have a great day!

I {Heart} You

Hello crafty friends! I hope you're enjoying this holiday weekend! I'm still recovering from my gallbladder removal surgery 3 days ago, but I'm doing pretty well. My husband has been taking wonderful care of me & my mom has kept us hooked up with meals, which has been a lifesaver. Anyway, I haven't been feeling very creatively inspired, but I was just putzing around in my craft room & came up with this card. I'm trying to get my Imagine machine working again & I managed to get it to print, but it still won't cut. At least I'm able to print out paper with it, so that's what I used for this card....

SIZE:  5.5" square
CRICUT:  Imagine
CARTRIDGE:  "Berries & Cream"
PAPER:  Core'dinations
MANUAL DIES:  Cuttlebug machine; Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts "Large Stitched Circle Stackables"
STAMP SET:  Craftin Desert Divas "Simply Said"
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Pansy Purple"
RIBBON:  Celebrate It
OTHER:  3M foam tape


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Challenges:

DL.ART -  February Linky Challenge; anything goes; 3rd entry
Craftin Desert Divas -  Linky Party; use ribbon  
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Crafty Creations -  Challenge #282; "Owls, Hearts & Love"; 2nd entry
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #195; anything goes; 2nd entry
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #170; anything goes


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Thank you so much for visiting me & have a great day!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hi friends! I don't have a project to post because I just had surgery yesterday, but I just wanted to say....

 

 Big love to you all!

I Love You

Hello crafty friends! I hope you're all having a lovely weekend & not getting too soaked. It rained like a you-know-what here last night & we lost power for a good 12 hours, but it's back on now, thank goodness! I wanted to do this post last night but, of course, no internet! Grrr.

It's been a rough week for us here in the Martin house. We lost our sweet girl, Lexi on Monday night. As most of you know, she was diagnosed with a massive inoperable liver tumor over 2 years ago. She had been symptom-free the whole time, until last Friday when she started declining rapidly. By Monday we knew it was time to say goodbye. She could no longer walk & was extremely disoriented. We had our home care/hospice vet put her to sleep here at our house, surrounded by our whole family. She was by my side for 14+ years & was the love of my life. I'm devastated but trying to keep myself busy & distracted. You can see more photos of her & stuff on my Facebook page HERE. 

Lexi Annmarie Martin   5/11/00 - 2/2/15

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OK, now onto the crafting portion of my post. Today's card was made using a sketch from Joy at Obsessed With Scrapbooking. I think it's more summer-y than Valentine-y but I do love the colors....

SIZE:  A2

CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy

CARTRIDGES:  "Elegant Embellishments" & "Paper Lace 2"

PAPER:  CTMH 

STAMP SET:  CTMH "Wild About Love"

INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Desert Sand"

OTHER:  My Mind's Eye enamel dots; 3M foam tape

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Challenges:

DL.ART -  February Linky Challenge; anything goes; 2nd entry

Obsessed With Scrapbooking -  Sketch Challenge

Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Challenge; anything goes

Simon Says Stamp -  Monday Challenge; "H is For..." (hearts); 2nd entry

Heart 2 Heart -  "Home Is Where The Heart Is"; use CTMH products; 2nd entry

Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #195; anything goes

Cute Card Thursday -  Challenge #359; "Crazy in Love"

Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #169; anything goes
Crafty Creations -  Challenge #282; "Owls, Hearts & Love"

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Thank you for visiting me & have a wonderful weekend!

FCCB Challenge #244 ~ Valentine's Day

Hello there! I hope you all had an awesome weekend! Yep, it's Monday, which means it's time for another FCCB challenge! I hope you can join us!

Challenge #244 ~ Valentine Projects

This Week's Sponsor

Digital Image from Kitty Bee Designs

Be sure to visit our sponsor!

Here is my project....

SIZE:  A2

CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy

CARTRIDGE:  "Create A Critter 2"

PAPER:  CTMH

STAMP SET:  My Pink Stamper "Buggy Punnies"

INK:  Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Black Soot"

PUNCH:  Martha Stewart

OTHER:  CTMH Extra Thick Twine "Pixie"; CTMH Stuck On You Puffies (hearts); 3M foam tape

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Challenges:

DL.ART -  February Linky Challenge; anything goes
Heart 2 Heart -  "Home Is Where The Heart Is"

Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
My Sheri Crafts -  Challenge #149; Valentine's Day (use at least 1 heart)

Simon Says Stamp -  Monday Challenge; "H is for..." (hearts)
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #168; anything goes
Cute Card Thursday -  Challenge #358; "Stamping Mad"
Crafting Musketeers -  Challenge #22; "Cute"

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Thank you so much for visiting me & have a fantabulous day!

Thankful Ribbon Card

Hello friends! I hope you're enjoying a fantastic Sunday. My neck/arm pain has subsided immensely & I'm feeling so much better. I was actually able to make dinner & do some laundry last night without my husband's help & without too much pain. Anyway, today's card was a really quick & simple one. In fact, I didn't even use a Cricut machine (gasp!). I've been working on keeping my cards clean & simple, as I tend to get obsessed with details. It hasn't been easy but I'm challenging myself to do it & it's actually been fun to try something new.

SIZE:  A2
PAPER:  CTMH cardstock "White Daisy"
DRY EMBOSSING:  Cuttlebug machine; Darice folder
WET EMBOSSING:  VersaMark watermark stamp pad; CTMH embossing powder; Marvy Uchida heat tool
STAMP SET:  Avery Elle "Oh Happy Day"
INK:  Brilliance "Platinum Planet" 
RIBBON:  Little Scrap Pieces
OTHER:  3M foam tape


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Challenges:

DL.ART -  January Linky Challenge; anything goes; 4th entry
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #194; anything goes; 3rd entry
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #167; anything goes; 2nd entry
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Simply Create Too -  Challenge #77; Mother's Day (or for a female)
Dream Valley -  Challenge #98; anything goes; 2nd entry


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Thank you for stopping by & have a great week!

Love You Tons

Hello, my fellow crafty peeps! I hope you are all having a fantastic week! I'm feeling quite a bit better these last couple of days (knock on wood). I had another fun-filled visit to the ER on Saturday night (pfft!), but they did give me a couple of new medications to try, which seem to be helping (again, knock on wood). I also have an appointment this week with a Physical Medicine specialist for some nerve conduction studies, which will hopefully get me some answers. Anyway, blah blah blah.... onward to the crafting! I recently acquired a couple of new Cricut cartridges & also picked up some new manual dies, so I combined them to come up with this little cutie patootie card....

SIZE:  A2
CRICUT:  Expression 2
CARTRIDGE:  "Valentine's Day"
MANUAL DIES:  Cuttlebug machine; Lawn Fawn Lawn Cuts "Love You Tons"
PAPER:  Doodlebug; CTMH
STAMP SET:  Lawn Fawn "Love You Tons"
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Slate"; Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Black Soot"
RIBBON:  Little Scrap Pieces
OTHER:  CTMH Enamel Hearts; Fiskars corner rounder; Sakura gel pen; 3M foam tape


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Challenges:

DL.ART -  January Linky Challenge; anything goes; 3rd entry
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #194; anything goes; 2nd entry
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #167; anything goes
The Crafter's Cafe -  Challenge #100; stitching (real or faux)
Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge; "Have A Heart"
Die Cuttin' Diva's -  Challenge #199; "Cheer Up"
Dream Valley -  Challenge #98; anything goes
Simply Create Too -  Challenge #77; Mother's Day or for a female
The Sisterhood Of Crafters -  Anything goes; must use new item


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Thank you for visiting me! Have an amazing day!

A Flakey Thank You

Hello crafty friends! I hope everyone's weekend is off to a fantastic start! I have to make this brief because I'm still suffering from this pesky nerve damage in my left arm & typing is extremely uncomfortable. Ahh, the things we endure for our love of crafting, huh? Unfortunately, I haven't been able to craft much at all because of my arm, but I made this card last week & wanted to share while it's still Winter & snowflakes are still relevant. I realize that bright pink snowflakes aren't exactly realistic, but just go with it (I'm medicated, lol)....

SIZE:  A2
CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy
CARTRIDGE:  "Charmed"
PAPER:  CTMH; Core'dinations; Bazzill
DRY EMBOSSING:  Cuttlebug machine; Darice folder
WET EMBOSSING:  VersaMark watermark stamp pad; Ranger embossing powder; Marvy Uchida heat tool
STAMP SET:  Avery Elle "Oh Happy Day"
OTHER:  The Twinery twine; Viva Decor Pearl Pen "Ice White"; Sakura gel pen; Fiskars Paper Edgers; rhinestone snowflake from my stash; 3M foam tape


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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thurs. January Linky Challenge; anything goes; 2nd entry
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
BBTB2 -  Snowflakes
Die Cuttin' Diva's -  Challenge #198; photo inspiration
My Sheri Crafts -  Challenge #148; "Let It Snow"
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #194; anything goes
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #166; anything goes


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Thank you for visiting me & have a great day!

FCCB Challenge #242 ~ "Winter Fun"

Hello friends! It has been way too long since my last post, but I've been dealing with some health issues. I'm going to be fine once I have surgery next month. I swear I turned 40 & started falling apart, lol. Anyway, enough about that. It's time for another Challenge Me Monday at FCCB....
   

Challenge #242 ~ "Winter Fun"

This Week's Sponsor

Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons

  
To qualify for the prize, be sure to use at least 1 Cricut cut on your project and, if it's not obvious, let us know which cartridge(s) you used.

I really focused on making this a simple card & not fussing with it too much. It's hard for me to be satisfied with a simple design but I'm learning. I have been obsessed with the color blue this holiday season & I love these particular shades of blue on this card....

SIZE:  A2

CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy

CARTRIDGE:  "Jolly Holidays"

PAPER:  Doodlebug; Recollections

RIBBON:  Doodlebug

PUNCH:  Martha Stewart 

OTHER:  CTMH Liquid Glass; Stickles "Star Dust"; 3M foam tape

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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday January Linky Challenge; anything goes

Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes

Cute Card Thursday -  Challenge #354; anything goes

Divas By Design -  Final Challenge (blog closing); anything goes

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Thank you so much for visiting me & have a fantabulous day!

FCCB Challenge #239 ~ "Beyond Red & Green"

Hello & happy December to you! Of course, it's also Monday, which means it's time for another FCCB Challenge Me Monday....

Challenge #239 ~ "Beyond Red & Green"

 (create a holiday project without using red & green)

For this card I used my favorite cartridge of all time, "Art Philosophy". It really is a genius cartridge & every cut is useful. Even the font is outstanding. There is absolutely NO wasted space in this handbook! If you don't own this cartridge yet, the only way to purchase it is through a Close To My Heart consultant. My consultant is Diana Larson & she's fabulous! Click HERE to check out her online store. Ok, that's enough of my chit chat for one day! Finally, we arrive at my card....

SIZE:  5 x 7"

CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy

CARTRIDGE:  "Art Philosophy"

PAPER:  CTMH; DCWV; Core'dinations

EMBOSSING:  Cuttlebug with Darice folder

OTHER:  Ranger Liquid Pearls "Baby Blue"; stars from my stash; 3M foam tape

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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thurs. December Linky Challenge; anything goes
BBTB2 -  Christmas tree; Cricut only
My Sheri Crafts -  Challenge #147; "Oh Christmas Tree"
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Cut It Up -  Challenge #59; Non-traditional Christmas card


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Thank you for stopping by & I hope to see your creations for the challenge! 

Let's Talk Turkey

Hello & happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there in blog-land! I hope you had a fabulous & yummy day! My whole family went to my Grandma's house for dinner. I made this card to wish her a happy Thanksgiving & to thank her for hosting dinner. I used several cartridges & I think they all worked well together. Of course, nothing says Thanksgiving like a teddy bear in a turkey costume! Huh? Oh well....I think he's pretty stinkin' adorable....

Inside

SIZE:  5.5"
CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy
CARTRIDGES:  "Art Philosophy"; "Create A Critter 2"; "Teddy Bear Parade"
PAPER:  CTMH; Lawn Fawn "Sweater Weather"; Core'dinations
OTHER:  Stickles "Black Diamond" & "Platinum"; Smooch Pearlized Top Coat; Sakura gel pens; 3M foam tape


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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday November Linky Challenge; anything goes; 5th entry
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge; anything goes; (optional: use Lawn Fawn)
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #160; anything goes
BBTB2 -  "Giving Thanks"
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #191; anything goes


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Thank you for visiting me! Have an awesome weekend!

FCCB Challenge #237 ~ "Embellish Me"

Hello & happy Monday to you!  It's time for our Monday challenge at FCCB. I hope you can join us, or at least pop on over to see what awesomeness my DT sisters have created!


Welcome to another Challenge Me Monday!

Challenge #237 ~ "Embellish Me"
(use at least 3 embellishments)

This Week's Sponsor

For my project, I used one of the new Anna Griffin cartridges, "Elegant Embellishments". This is a really fun yet practical cartridge. There are a few card designs, some basic shapes & some word art. Here is what I created using one of the card cuts....

SIZE:  A2

CRICUT:  Expression 2

CARTRIDGE:  "Elegant Embellishments"

PAPER:  CTMH; My Mind's Eye

OTHER:  Doodlebug floral embellishment; Martha Stewart pearls; Viva Decor pearl pen "Ice White"; Fiskars corner rounder; 3M foam tape

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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday November Linky Challenge; anything goes; 4th entry

Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #158; anything goes; 2nd entry
BBTB2 -  Anything goes, Cricut required
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes

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Thank you for visiting me! I hope you're inspired to check out our challenge! 

A Belated Veterans Day Card

Hello crafty friends! I hope you are all having a fabulous week! I know I'm a little late, but I still wanted to share this card I made for my husband for Veterans Day. I couldn't post it until after I gave it to him (as he does occasionally read my blog, lol) & then I wasn't feeling well yesterday. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm so proud of my husband's service (82nd Airborne Div.) & so grateful for all the men & women who have served or are serving to protect our freedom. Happy (late) Veterans Day! 

Inside

SIZE:  5 x 7"
CRICUT:  Expression 2
CARTRIDGE:  "Artfully Sent"
PAPER:  CTMH; Recollections; HOTP
STAMP SET:  My Pink Stamper "Fabulous Phrases"
EMBOSSING:  VersaMark watermark pad; Ranger embossing powder; Marvy heat tool
OTHER:  Darice star gems; Sakura gel pen


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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday November Linky Challenge; anything goes; 3rd entry
Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge; "We're Seeing Stars"
Heart 2 Heart -  No ink
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #158; anything goes


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Thank you so much for visiting me! Have a great day!

Peaceful Holiday Wishes

Hello my crafty friends! I hope you are enjoying your Tuesday (hey - at least it's not Monday). Today I'm sharing the second card I've made with the new "Christmas Kitsch" Cricut cartridge by Anna Griffin. I know I just said this yesterday but this cartridge is amazing! The cards are all relatively simple & quick. This will make it so much easier to crank out all my Christmas cards for my family. Every Christmas my uncle's girlfriend orders 30-40 cards, my cousin orders 20 & my aunt orders 20-30. As if that doesn't keep me busy enough, I also make a lot of card bundles to give out as gifts. This is why I'm starting to make them so early. Last year I waited till the last minute & worked myself into a complete frenzy. Oh well - live & learn, right? Anyway, here is my card for today....

Inside

SIZE:  5.75" square
CRICUT:  Expression 2
CARTRIDGE:  "Christmas Kitsch"
PAPER:  CTMH "Snowhaven" paper packet
OTHER:  CTMH Liquid Glass; Martha Stewart punch "Aspen Snowflake"; Viva Decor Pearl Pen "Ice White"; Sakura pens; 3M foam tape


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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday November Linky Challenge; anything goes; 2nd entry

Crafty Catz -  Challenge #253; anything goes 

Heart 2 Heart -  No stamping

Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday challenge; anything goes; 3rd entry

Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #188; anything goes

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Thank you so much for visiting me! Have a lovely day!

FCCB Challenge #235 ~ Anything Goes

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! It's Monday & that means it must be time for another FCCB challenge!....

 Welcome to another Monday challenge!

Challenge #235 ~ Anything Goes

This Week's Sponsor

Click HERE to join the challenge!

For my project I used the new "Christmas Kitsch" cartridge by Anna Griffin. It has so many cute shaped cards, super simple cut-out cards, tags & envelopes. I can already tell I'll be using this cartridge a ton for my Christmas cards this year, but here is the first card I decided to make....

Inside

SIZE:  5.5" 

CRICUT:  Expression 2

CARTRIDGE:  "Christmas Kitsch"

PAPER:  CTMH

STAMP SET:  CTMH "Just To Say..."

INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Glacier" & "Cranberry"

OTHER:  Ranger Liquid Pearls "Onyx Pearl"; Viva Decor Pearl Pen "Ice White"; Sakura pen; silver glitter button from my stash

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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday November Linky Challenge; anything goes

Crafty Catz -  Challenge #253; anything goes 

Divas By Design -  Anything goes

Heart 2 Heart -  No stamping

Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday challenge; anything goes; 2nd entry

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Thank you for stopping by & have a fantabulous day!