Hibernation is OVER...

it is time to wake up and smell the FLOWERS!!!!

That is exactly what Barnie is doing!

About 40 minutes from our home

at the top of what seems to be an Oklahoma mountain

is a Girl Scout camp...ahhhhhhh...the great outdoors!

I strategically cut around my illustration after I colored Barnie

with Copics and inserted him right at the entrance to our campsite.

When you visit the Pixie Cottage this week

you will discover Barnie

is not the only one fanatical about flowers!!

Our current challenge, once again, gives you a CHOICE....

use this awesome sketch by Jacque ...

AND/OR have a Frenzy of Flowers adorning your creation!

Once you have your masterpiece posted on your blog

link it back to The Pixie Challenge #16 (Sketch and Flower Frenzy)

for your chance to win!!

I am the resident Pixie Cottage scrapbook artist...

total bonus ~I am actually getting my own layouts completed!! ;)

Here is my take on the sketch (rotated once clockwise)

Michelle better be careful...

once word gets out there are S'MORES

all the critters from the Pixie Cottage Stamp Collection

will be wanting to visit camp!

I've entered this Happy Camper layout in the following challenges:

Sew Many Challenges - Anything Goes
Our Creative Corner - Blooming Blossoms
Creative Craft Challenges - Blooming Marvelous
One Stitch At A Time - Flowers
Wee Memories - Flowers
Tellens Place - Flowers
Die Cut Dreams - Make Your Own Flowers
Pollycraft - Make Your Own Flowers
Stempeltraeume - Animals

SSDS -Girly

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If you missed Saturday's Fabric Flower Tutorial by Katie

you'll want to check it out!

I did not have coordinating fabric of pink and purple on hand...

However, I discovered the light weight mulberry paper works well too!!

The lower bloom is layered.

Go raid your fabric stash...

these were fun to make and add so much dimension.

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To those of you that 'know' my children...

it will come as little surprise that upon seeing me creating

the floral accents for my layout

within minutes Sienna was fashioning a flower with an alternate purpose!

A beautiful hair embellishment to compliment her baby bun!

All the ballerinas will be wanting them!

This a.m. she made a more vibrant one to coordinate with her school outfit.

Thank you Katie for inspiring both of us!
Sienna &

God had his hand in this...

relationship, there is no doubt about it.

This is a love story of my little boy, Ian, and Miss Michele.

They met in the fall of 2007

at Rhythmic Notions Dance Studio in Owasso, Oklahoma.

Barely 3, dressed in comfortable clothes

and black ballet shoes he was ready for his first lesson;

not knowing that it would

change and enrich both of their lives

more than we could have known.

(fast forward 3 seasons)

Ian, now 5, continues dancing; tap, jazz, and ballet

-he LOVES it.

As the years have passed from the initial moment when Miss Michele saw

this little blond hair, blued eyed boy -their bond has grown!

In 1997 Miss Michele's own little blond haired,

blue eyed boy, Austen, became an ANGEL, after a tragic accident took his life.

He would have graduated high school next month.

In honor of his memory there will be a scholarship dance competition May 15th in Owasso.

Ian's ballet class will be part of the entertainment, dancing to the most beautiful song, one they played at Austen's funeral 13 years ago.

I'm crying already.

I can't even begin to imagine

what Miss Michele has gone through to survive, herself.

As Ian's mom, I believe God crossed their paths

3 years ago to get us to a fabulous night of dance

where a young dancer will be blessed

with an opportunity to further his/her dance education,

a night where a little boy will shine,

and one where a very special Angel

will be watching over his mom with the biggest of smiles,

and tears sent from Heaven.

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This week at the The Pixie Cottage

we are on CHALLENGE 15:

giving tribute to a Mom or Special Lady

(remember you have the choice to use both challenge ingredients or just one)

Here is Ian's fun & heartfelt tribute to Miss Michele...

and using this sketch by
Pam

One day at dance class Ian was really needing

some quality one on one time with Miss Michele,

so being ever the dashing young man he his...

he asked her out on a Coffee Date!

(wonder where he got the idea ladies like coffee!?)

Here is the "sketch" portion of my layout...

Ian's favorite color is YELLOW...

which in keeping with the primary scheme

worked out perfectly for me to color with my Copics a trio of Simply the Best Roses.

Extra neat that the image is one that I created for Pixie Cottage Stamp Collection .

In efforts to follow the sketch and provide a balanced grouping I wielded my gardening sheers and strategically trimmed off a few petals on the outer blooms and mounted them the pop-dots for added dimension.

The true scrapbooker in me shows...as I passed over my journaling pen to Ian...he may only be 5, but he knew exactly what to say; backwards 'g's and all.

You know his number Miss Michele...

have your calendar out when you call.

Whip cream kisses await you!

*****

Whether you are making a card or honoring a special lady

with photographs in layout form,

or you just want to use Pam's sketch

link your creation back to CHALLENGE 15

from your blog for a chance to win.

One winner will be drawn randomly to select

2 Pixie Cottage Stamps ,

and the top 3 will get a winner's banner for their blog.

Take a moment today and tell someone

you are blessed THEY are in your life.

Scrapbookers have the joy...

of playing with Stamps from The Pixie Cottage

no matter what day of the year it is!

While the card makers have had their go

at my Easter images...it's my turn!

This week at The Pixie Cottage

we have our first Guest Sketch Artist Priscilla

She has created this sketch to challenge you...

As we shared last week our new challenge format will offer you OPTIONS!

You may choose to use THIS SKETCH and or BUTTONS!

Create your inspired masterpiece and link it back to Challenge # 14 at The Pixie Cottage

One lucky person will win 2 Pixie Cottage stamps

and the top 3 will get to display the Winners Badge on their blog!!

***

Here is the "sketch portion" of my layout featuring

one of my Easter stamps Got Rabbits~the painter

For the 'implied' narrow rectangle of 'ribbon'

I pieced together strips of photograph...

My Artishtic children would create all day long if possible.

Luckily we were able to get the egg painting in before Sienna had to go to the hospital!

The beauty of the stamps is that

you can color them any way you like...purple rabbit!?

WHY NOT?

Stay tuned for more...

***

**it wasn't too long of a wait**

Have you met and Chickadee-da-dum ?

In case you forgot what this week's Pixie Cottage sketch is...

Here is that portion of my second Easter layout...

The full page... (let me tell you how unusual

it is to Sierra in NON-PINK...

VERY!
the title...Authentic 8 year old journaling...PRICELESS!

Remember my layout featuring Q-pid in green as the Recycle queen...

WHO CAN guess what the yellow

'implied ribbon' rectangle strip is???

got buttons?

Amazingly enough I have LOTS more!!

Quite the wing span Chicky!!

I have one more additional layout

using this week's fabulous sketch, buttons galore

and my other Easter stamps...

Got Rabbits 2~standing with Basket

stay tuned for it...

Have a wonderfully CREATIVE day!!

You've got the Cutest...

little baby EVERYTHING!

Welcome to the 13th Pixie Cottage Challenge
We're almost like a smorgasbord...
our challenges now come with CHOICES!
This week you have the option of using our sketch below,
embossing (wet or dry)
OR going gung-ho and doing BOTH!

I wet embossed the Crawling Cassie stamp by Lisa.

..applying strokes of the broad end of the VersaMarker

over her pink panties, and pouring on the Ultra Thick

Embossing Enamel by Suze Weinberg, and melting it with a heat gun.

For her big bow I used the petite end of the VersaMarker, sprinkled the dots with

black Stampin' Emboss Powder from Stampin' Up followed by heat gun zapping.

For a chance to win enter your NEW creation at The Pixie Cottage

(remember to link back on your blog!)

Here's the sketch...

I love seeing ALL of the cards that my fellow Pixies create,

they are super fabulous every week!

I, however, see the world in 12"x 12"!

So, more often than not, I will be showing you

ways to incorporate the plethora of Pixie Cottage Stamps

in scrapbook layouts or 3 dimensional gift items.

The following is my take on this week's sketch

showcasing the Crawling Cassie stamp

and Addie~ the very sweet baby

that keeps me company in the Artish studio

M-W-F 'til summer vacation starts.

Once again I made use of multiple items

from the Paper Studio ala Hobby Lobby...

the flowers come in a box set, as well as all of the beautiful brads.

I incorporated the gargantuan flower on her headband by strategically cutting the photo

as the first in the semi circle, embellishing the center with a brad.

Addie's parents are the Pastors of our Church...how perfect is this ribbon!?

I ran the sheer polka dotted ribbon through the loop of the cross ribbon

to give the baby image a 'floor' to crawl on!

I used Copic markers to color...had to get the perfect shade of BINKY :)

I can't wait to see your CREATIONS!

*note--Pixie Cottage Challenges will now be WEEKLY!!!!*

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Our Easter weekend did not go exactly as planned.

Sienna, my oldest daughter (by a minute) was admitted to the hospital with extreme allergy related asthma issues. The outpouring of prayers from my Pixie Cottage family was truly a blessing! We had prayers being said around the world! I can't begin to tell you how much that means. MERCI!!!!

They were answered!!! She was able to come home late afternoon on Easter

which then allowed for a much happier day!