Blog Hop Wednesday -- January 25, 2017

Hi All.   We have a challenge today to make a Valentine.  However, we are not to use any hearts.  Reds and pinks are ok, but no hearts.  So, although I used the Sealed With Love stamps, Love Notes Framelits, and Sending Love dsp,  I did not use anything with a heart.   I believe it still is very much a Valentine.  Oh, inside it says "Happy Valentines Day."

You should have come to me this time from Joni's blogsite.  Nice job, Joni.  And when you leave here you should continue on to Robbie.  I wonder what Robbie did, and so I will have to hop on over to take a look.  I bet it is totally great.

So let's go take a look at Robbie's creation.  Next week I think we may have another Valentine of some sort.  Must be love in the air.  Hope to see you then.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Wednesday Blog Hop -- January 18, 2017

Well, we have an interesting challenge this week.  We are getting close to Valentine's Day so we were challenged to do a Valentine.  However, we could not use any reds or pinks.  Hmmmmm.

So, here is what I did.  I used golds and whites.  I die cut Bloomin' Hearts Thinlits on Gold Glimmer paper and also a few of the small flowers from the same thinlit set in white.  The sentiment is from Sealed With Love in the Occasions catalog.

The inside sentiment is also from Sealed With Love.  No reds or pinks, but I think the message is there.  Happy Valentine's Day.

You should have arrived from Liz's blogsite.  I wonder what colors she used to get around reds and pinks.  When you leave here you continue on to Robbie's blogsite.  Want to guess what colors she used?  Let's go look.

See you next week (or sooner) when we have another interesting twist on Valentine's Day.

Happy Crafting,
Sandy

Blog Hop Wednesday -- January 11, 2017

This week we were again challenged to do something in blues with snow or snow related.
We were also to use an embossing folder with some type of snow theme.  So what I did was use the Woodland EF and put a lot of mica and dazzling diamonds on the branches to make it look like snow.   The photo doesn't pick up the snow all that well, but in person there is a lot. I also used a brayer to put ink on one side of the embossing folder to make a blue sky.  I finished off our Christmas and snow season by using just the word Peace as my sentiment.   This was a very simple card.

You probably came to me from Liz's blogsite and will continue to Robbie's blogsite.  Hope you enjoy our hop this week.  I think we are winding down from the winter and holidays and will start getting into Valentines and spring pretty soon.  See you next week, or one of these days I will get time to put creations more often than on Wednesdays.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Wednesday Blog Hop -- January 4, 2017

Happy New Year everyone!!   Do you believe it is already 2017?  The years go too fast.

Well, I guess I did not make it back here last week.  I was some kind of sick.  My hubby and I both caught colds while we were in Germany.  We continued on, and on.  We just bundled up with layers and tried to ignore the chill, mist, dampness, and winter weather.  I guess that is why we both were still pretty sick when we got back home.  He recovered but I continued to get worse and worse until I finally went to the emergency clinic the Thursday before Christmas.  Christmas and New Years were somewhat a blur, but I am doing much better now.  The doc gave me a fistful of meds for bronchitis, major sinus infection, infection in larynx and  just plain ick!  But I am Baaaaccckkk!!!

We are challenged this week to use blues, snow theme and some sparkle.  I think we also were to try to use an embossing folder but not the falling snow folder.  Here is our inspiration piece.

And here is what I did.  I used the new watercolor pencils that you will find in our brand new Occasions catalog that starts January 4th.  That is tomorrow, or today if you are reading this on Wednesday.  I have been really excited to get started with some of my new goodies, but I have been too sick to even trudge up to my craft room until yesterday.  But this weekend I plan to play with lots of those new "toys."

I also used white embossing powder on snow dots and stars in the sky.  The stamp came from Holly Jolly Greetings in the Annual Catalog.  I also used Lovely as a Tree, which I hope won't be retired this year.  Every year I pray SU does not let that one go.  It is my favorite.   So I have blues, check;  snow, check; sparkle, check; embossing folder, check.  That should do it.

You may have come to me from Liz's blogsite and should continue on to Robbie's blogsite.  Enjoy our winter blog hop this week.  See you next week.  Fingers crossed all that sick is GONE and won't come back!!

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Blog Hop Wednesday --- December 21, 2016

I am back home.  Germany was really beautiful, especially the Bavarian mountains.  We had a great time.  Yes, we went to a lot of Christmas markets and we went to about 4 in Berlin.  Not sure if we were at the one that just had the terror attack.  I can't get an angle on any pictures that I recognize.  The markets are all pretty much alike.  I do remember the church next door and have a picture of that church.  Sad that all those people having fun were attacked.  I hope the rest of the markets will be safe this season.  I pray for all those families.

We continue this week with our gold and/or silver theme.  This time I have some gold for you.  You should have come from Liz's blogsite and then you should continue to Robbie's blogsite.

This was a very easy card, yet very glittery and pretty.  I especially love the thinlits Stampin'Up! has now, both the straight edge and scallop, and also the stitched.  I did not use the stitched this time.

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and I will be back next week, will you?  Have fun with your families and be safe and warm.

Merry Christmas
Sandy

Wednesday Blog Hop -- December 14, 2016

Now I am in Munich, Germany, and this is the last leg of our trip.  Tomorrow will be our last day and then we travel home on Thursday.  Today (which is Tuesday) we visited the castles of Ludwig II of Bavaria.  The main one, Neuschwanstein, is the one that the Disney Cinderella castle was designed after.  It is a beautiful castle.  The challenge for us was that it is an all uphill walk to get up there.  We were told it was a little over a mile up hill and it would take between 25 to 60 minutes to walk it, depending on your abilities.  It took us about 40 minutes.  Once we got a good rhythm going it was not a bad walk at all.   Then, in the castle there were 171 steps by my count.  Not all one right after the other, but 3 groups of 75, 63 and 33.  Whew, those were worse than the uphill walk. We loved the all day trip and the places we visited.  But we are tired and will probably stay a little closer to home tomorrow and finish up Munich,

So, you are here to continue to blog hop?  We are doing golds and silvers.  I have not made any cards since I left home, but I have something silvery in my photo stash.  This uses the Lovely As a Tree stamp set and some silver foil paper and Dazzling Diamonds.  Pretty silver to me,

You should have come to me from Liz's blogsite and then continue to Robbie's blogsite.  I've been checking their sites out and some lovely creations.

I will be back home in a couple days and can't wait to get my fingers inky.  While I was gone a Stampin'Up! box should have been delivered to my door (neighbors have been watching for it).  My new Occasions pre-order will be in there and I can't wait to check it out.  Not much longer before we all get to purchase and work with Occasions and Sale-a-bration toys.

Take care, happy crafting,
Sandy

Wednesday Blog Hop -- December 7, 2016

Hello again.  This time I'm in Zurich, Switzerland.  (I hope this reads in English, because a lot of my computer prompts are coming through in German, so good luck).  We made it from Frankfurt by train.  However, it was not much fun dragging the suitcases down the stairs in the train station.  There were 2 flights of stairs.  All escalators were set to UP, none down.  However, a fellow took pity on me and took my larger bag and carried it down.  He was so nice,  That was the inner city train just in Frankfurt.  Then we had to transfer to the inter country train and head for Zurich.  Guess what, another 2 flights down stairs.  This time I struggled -- I have no upper body strength -- for about half the distance before my wonderful husband came back up to help me finish.  We made it to our hotel and all has been well since.

Today is Saturday.  I am trying to post today because for the next 5 days we will be on a river cruise floating down -- or perhaps up -- the river in Germany,  During that time our internet will be spotty, so I want to post now, while I have the chance.  Guess where the boat dumps us?  Want to take a guess????   Frankfurt!!!   So pray for no more Lufthansa strikes.  We then fly to Berlin for 4 days and then fly to Munich for 4 more days.  So if Lufthansa strikes again it means we will be training it throughout the rest of our vacation.  Ugh!!  We love to take trains when we have no suitcases.  Yesterday we bought a train pass and went from Zurich to 2 different cities to have lunch and then dinner before coming back to our hotel in Zurich.  It is fun to zip around without suitcases.

So now that you are up to date with my travels, how about my card.  We are supposed to use gold, silver, or both.  I happen to have a card with gold in my photo file.  So here is my entry for this week. I used the gold shimmer paper for the pine cone and gold bakers twine.

As usual, you should have come to me by way of Liz's blogsite and should now continue to Robbie's blogsite  I can't wait to see how they used gold and silver.  I bet both are gorgeous, as well as all the cards on our blog hop.

Next week I should join you from one more travelling city.  By then we should be in Munich, Germany before we head home.  Have a great week.  Enjoy your warmth.  It is cold here.  Yesterday we had upper 20s.  The weather really isn't much different from home, but just a little colder.  Both John and I have layers and layers, so we aren't having any trouble roaming around outside.  I may look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy, but I'm not cold.

Auf Wiedersehen,
Sandy