High Hopes CH#13 - "C'mon baby light my fire!"

The Fun Challenge this week on the HH Challenge blog is, "dry embossing". Join in and you will also have a chance to win some Fabulous HH stamps!! check out the Gorgeous creations made by the Divas this week right Here

You may also be interested in the Jan POTM......a fabulous set of stamps at a special price!! The samples made by the Divas are Gorgeous!!!

I also made this card to participate in the ... Splitcoaststampers - TLC202 Tacky Glitter.

The Cute stamps I used on this card are both from High Hopes ....."Matchmakin' Maynard" and "Light My Fire" sentiment

The dragon is colored with prismacolor pencils (oms) and Twinkling H2o's.

The heart and dragon and sentiment are popped up on foam dimensionals.

The wings and little hearts are glittered.

I used redline tape and fine glitter for the glitter stripes on the bottom paper. This was so easy and the glitter stays on so nicely ...I know I will be using this fun technique again!

The heart is nestabilities.....I made holes in the the scallop edge using my Japanese hole punch.

I used a Martha Stewart punch for the border.

Paper: Georgia Pacific, bazzil, wild asparagus, Costco

Ink: versafine black, bashful blue

Accessories: nesties, ribbon, martha stewart punch, stitching, glitter, sakura glue pen, redline tape, Cuttlebug embossing folders - heart and swiss dot

The cards for Tina's Grandfather are So Gorgeous!! You are all Amazing!!......Thank you for sending me links and photos.....You can view these Fabulous cards right here........"Special Request! Birthday Cards for Grandfather"

Have a Great Day Everyone!! and Thank you for all your Wonderful comments!!

Special Request!!...Have a Roarin' Great Day!!

This card is for Tina's Grandfather's 88th Birthday. Just in case you didn't see the earlier post...Tina is the owner of High Hopes Rubber Stamps....and has been ask by her uncle to fill her Grandfather's mailbox with well wishes. You can read more about in this post.

If you would like to make Tina's Grandfather's Day...please email me ....here and I will give you his address. Also if you have a photo of the card you send or have put it on your blog ...would you please let me know...or send me a photo if possible. Because of the distance between them...Tina won't be seeing her Grandfather on his Birthday...but would love to see the cards he receives. If no one minds...I will upload them to my challenge blog and everyone can see them.

*Edited to add......You can see cards for Tina's Grandfather on this post "Special Request! Birthday Cards for Grandfather"

Onto the card...The Fabulous High Hopes lion I used on this card is called, "Leo". The circle and sentiment is computer generated. The sketch I used is from Mojo Monday 68. What a Great Sketch this was to work with!!

Leo is colored with prismacolor pencils(oms) and H20's.

To create the background I mask the image and brushed on Bordering Blue SU ink for the sky. I then brushed on Old Olive SU for the foreground.

The circle with 88 and the sentiment is set on foam dimensionals.

Paper - Georgia Pacific white, Treasures CS, SU ruby red , k&company patterned papers.

Ink - versafine black, bordering blue, old olive

Accessories - brads, metal clip, fibres, ribbon, stitching

Have a Great Day Everyone!!...and Thank you so much for your lovely comments!!

Special Request and Buddy Update!!

Tina - (the very kind and generous owner of High Hopes) has a Grandfather that is turning 88 yrs young on Jan 21...Tina's uncle has told her that it would so make her Grandfather smile if he received cards of well wishes from all over.

Here is a little Tina has written to all us Divas about this delightful fella.... "My Grandfather will be turning 88 on Jan. 21 and he has been a bit blue for the last several months. He is a widower and misses my Grandmother and had been dealing with being alone for several years now, however his health is starting to fail him (his mind is as sharp as a tack). He has arthritis in his knees that makes it difficult to walk now so only leaves the house on Wednesday nights to go to his adult writing group ....(a group of older writers...not porn writers...hehehe) ...and my uncle picks him up to take him to his house for Sunday Dinners. He has a pacemaker now, and has been slowing down quite a bit, due to other health complaints. As he told me my last call to him "Well honey, I do not buy anything with a long shelf life anymore but I still feel safe buying a green banana..." hehehe... God Bless Him...

Tina has told us that when her mother was alive she would hand stamp humorous cards for her Grandfather...and that he has always shown interest in what is going on in the stamping world. As far as what type of Birthday card to make him goes.......He sounds very easy to please.... loves fishing and has a great sense of humor..... Tina says, "He would just about love anything".

So if any of you kind people have a little time or maybe a Birthday card on hand and would like to make Tina's grandfathers day....Please email me ..... here......and I will give you his address.

I will be back a little later with my card for Tina's Grandpa.....I was in the process of making it when I got interrupted by some very Good News!!

Buddy's pathology report has come in and the tumor is benign!......it also states that it was taken out so cleanly they doubt that it will come back!!...What a relief!!

Thank you all again So Much ...for your thoughts and prayers....Bless you all!!

Hugs, Ila

"Warm Winter Wishes" - High Hopes Ch#12

High Hopes Challenges are back...and the first Challenge for 2009 is Torn Edges!!...brought to us by the Crissy the Talented artist for High Hopes and the originator of the fabulous images used on this card. Check out the Challenge Blog to join in to win some Cute High Hopes Valentine stamps and to see the Gorgeous creations the Divas have created for this Challenge.

This Santa is a hoot!! ....as you can see by his nose and cheeks....he is getting a little too much sun.....I don't really think he cares though...cause who knows how many of those cocktails he's already enjoyed!!...Haa ha.

I've created this card with my brother and his wife in mind...who are down south for the winter. I didn't have a chance to send them a Christmas card...so I'm hoping these Warm Winter Wishes will make up for it...Although.. with our -50 Celsius windchill warning.....I wonder who should actually be getting the Warm Winter Wishes!!...Lol.

The High Hopes images on this card are "Tropical Santa" and "Palm Tree". The Warm Winter Wishes circle is computer generated.

I colored the images with prismacolor pencils (oms) and H20's.

For my background I've used cloud and the sand looking paper from a DCWV past summer stack.

The palm tree and Santa are partially dimensional ...meaning they are glued to the background at the bottom of the images and have foamy's under the top part of them...so they kind of flow up and out. The legs of the lawn chair are thin so I thought it best to glue them down....kind of makes the lawn chair even more rounded. It's a little hard to capture how it looks in the photo.

The large snowflake behind the sentiment is a Sizzix die. I used scribbles and glitter on Santa's hat...and just glitter on the beard and mustache.

Ink - versafine black

Paper - Georgia Pacific white, dcwv, SU kraft

Accessories - sizzix snowflake die, martha stewart punch, embroidery floss, gold cord, brads, glitter, scribbles

Buddy continues to do well. He's back to playing and running around!

Have a Great Day Everyone!....and Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, prayers and comments!!

Happy New Year!!!..and a few updates...

I'm wishing you all Health, Joy and Happiness!!...Not just alone for the New Year ..but for all times as well!!......................

Thank you all so much my Dear Friends!!... For visiting my humble blog....your comments, kind words and well wishes!!..They are all so Special to me and have helped make the year Wonderful!!

Our Little Buddy...had his surgery on Tuesday morning. He has come through the surgery well. The vet said the tumor came off quite cleanly. The cell mass has been sent in for analysis....so we won't know for awhile (I'm not sure how long) what it is made up of. I have been very busy watching over this little fella....as he should not be licking his incision or get it wet...and since it is on his front leg...it looks very tasty...lol. He gets the stitches out on Jan 8th. My blog posts in the meantime may be even more erratic than usual..lol. I So want to Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes!!.......I am a Strong Believer in the Power of Prayer!

I have one more update to mention....some of you may remember my brother Dana. Who was diagnosed with terminal cancer (3-9months remaining)...in July of 2007. Well since then he has been treated and is doing well!!.....He has a few more treatments in the beginning of Jan. but so far at the moment it looks like the cancer is at a standstill. Here again...I Thank you all for the prayers, well wishes and the Beautiful cards that were sent to him. They truly made him feel Blessed and Wonderful!!!

Now...I have received another Beautiful Christmas card.....this one is from Karin....a good friend from Holland!...The sleigh is full of sparkle and there is a Gorgeous Angel Charm hanging from the flowers...I love it...Thank you so much Karin!!

Well....that is it for now.......Take Care Everyone...and if your travelling.....Drive Safe!!! Hugs, Ila

Beautiful Cards I've Recieved!!

I hope everyone had a Great Christmas!! We had a lovely time ....all our children came home...so we had lots of love, hugs, food and pressies all around.

Today I want to share with you all the many Beautiful cards I've received in the last few months... This Beautiful water colored Beauty on top is from Crissy......the Sweet and Talented Artist who creates the most Fabulous images for High Hopes. The Sparkle on this card is Fabulous!!

This Cute tall card is from Michelle ...the card is dimensional, sparkly and has glaze on the candy cane....So Fabulous!!....Michelle is also a High Hopes Diva....and a good friend. This Beautiful card is from Tina Bentley. The layers under the image on this card looks Amazing!! It is a little hard to see them all but I tried to take the photo a bit from the side hoping it would show. Tina also sent some fabulous goodies!!....including a stocking present for "Little Buddy" ....She personalized the top of the stocking with the Fabulous Cute topper below. Thank you very much my good friend....Buddy, my hubby and I have all been enjoying the goodies!!

This card from Charlene a fellow Canadian friend and is just the Cutest.....You can't tell very well here...but under the cute little kitty it is all Sparkly and the snowflakes have bling on them too!!

I received this Gorgeous card from Tracy also a Canadian Friend. The image has been stamped on a smooth glossy type of paper...so classy...and the snowman has glaze and stardust pen accents!

This Gorgeous glazed dimensional Beauty is from Monika ..who is also a friend and DT for Magnolia. The dimension on this card is Incredible!!

This Fabulous card and Goodies are from Dorte...my good friend from Denmark. The bracelet is handmade and is Very Beautiful!!

This Beautiful card and fabulous goodies are from Carla....another great Canadian friend... we've been fast friends right from when I first began blogging.

I received this Amazing and Beautiful card a few months ago from Crissy. She is So Wonderful!!....She sent it as a just because card and I just love it!!

This Beautiful card is from Trina and her Hubby for our last Anniversary. The Sweet image is colored so lovely and the papers are so pretty and sparkly!

Thank you all for these Gorgeous Cards and Goodies!!.....Big Hugs to you all!!....

I would also like to Thank You all So Much for your kind well wishes for our "Little Buddy" ...I will let you all know how he gets along.

Happy Holidays Everyone!.......Hugs, Ila

"Tis the Season" - High Hopes

This Cute Penguin is from High Hopes and is called Package Packin' Penguin. the sentiment is from Hotp.

The image is colored with prismacolor pencils (oms) and H20's

Ink - versafine black, bordering blue for background

Paper - GP white, basic grey figgy pudding, DCWV, I'm not sure where the red paper is from...it was just hangin' out with my various xmas paper.

Accessories - flower, snowflake brad, martha stewart punch, nesties, ribbon, cord, sitiching.

We just found out our little Buddy has to go for surgery next Tuesday......to have a growth on his leg removed. Needless to say I am worried about our little fur baby...and praying it is just a benign cyst. He is such a Sweetie!!

I want to Thank Everyone for all the Fabulous comments throughout the year....you are all So Wonderful!

I wish everyone a Blessed Merry Christmas!!.......and just in case I don't get a chance to post soon a Very Healthy Happy New Year!!