Sunday, June 27, 2010

CCC #28 and VSD4 Challenge #1

What a beautiful Sunday we're having. I've been admiring my flowers this afternoon. I just got my flower bed cleaned out and planted yesterday....yeah, yeah, I know, I'm a little late getting that done. :-)

Here's another card created for our VSD #4 that our blog group is having this weekend. Our first challenge, April hosted. She challenged us to create a card using acetate. Well, I've never tried this. I was very nervous....hoping I would get it right! :-)
I also combined this card with our Crafty Critter's biweekly challenge (#28) that Terria hosted. She challenged us to make a card using our Cricut and also use flowers and brads.

So, here's my little goody:


I used a piece from the Night and Day dsp from SU! (retired). I thought it went well with Minnie. I thought at first I was going to have to use a piece of acetate from a package. But, then I got to looking through all my paper and found this. I layered some pixie pink and white card stock on the inside and some chipboard flowers with a small black brad beside Minnie. I'm thinking of giving this card to my daughter for her birthday in August. She loves Disney characters and pink and polka dots! (the #28 challenge Terria hosted also said it needed to be a Summer card. Well, DD's birthday IS in August...that's in the Summer...so that's my "Summer" part of the card! Hope that's okay Terria :-)

Until next time...
Blessings...

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Crafty Critters blog group is having another VSD!!!!

Happy weekend everyone!
I do hope your having a good one :)
I just finished trimming hedges and planting some flowers along with cleaning out my flower bed. It looks so good and now that my walkway is swept. It all looks neat and pretty.

This weekend my blog group over on SCS is having a Virtual Stamp Day (Weekend). All day today and a few hours tomorrow, ladies in our group will be hosting challenges.
April was our first hostess today, challenging us to make an acetate card. I'll have that card posted sometime this weekend. (we have until Monday to upload all our creations). So, I hope you can come back to my blog often this weekend!

Right now, I wanted to share with you Challenge #2, of which....I am the hostess! :-)
I have a color challenge for the ladies. Here's a link to the challenge.
The colors are:
chocolate chip, old olive, more mustard, basic gray and very vanilla.
I added a twist:
Make the card masculine...with a manly man in mind :)
And:
Use pewter or silver embellishments

Here's mine...


So, with a manly man in mind, I couldn't use flowers or lacy ribbon so, man this was hard (I love flowers and lacy ribbon)
I used very vanilla as my base and rounded to of the corners. I punched squares of basic gray, old olive, more mustard and chocolate chip card stock and stamped them with the SU! Sanded b/g stamp in chocolate chip ink. I used a sentiment from SU! Fundamental Phrases, punched it with the large oval punch and added a couple vintage brads.

Well, I'm off to work on April's challenge :)

Until next time...
Blessings...

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS to share today!!!!!

Hi dee Neighbors!

We've had quite a bit happening around here lately. Of course, Father's Day but also my Parent's Anniversary and our son's birthday. He is 10 years old! Wow, where does the time go? He's almost as tall as me! Well, anyway, Toy Story is the big thing this birthday. He wanted everything Toy Story...oh yeah....He wanted Alvin and the Chipmunks (2nd one) also. When he got up Sunday (yeah, his birthday fell on Father's Day this year), He was greeted by his gifts on the table...



Notice his card? The one I made a couple weeks ago :) Sunday night we had family over for cake and ice cream. 10 candles....WOW!

Next...

This is the card I made for my husband for Father's Day. I used the new Crumb Cake textured card stock with the Medallion stamped in the corner (I stamped off once then onto the base. I cut a piece of Cherry Cobbler card stock with the top note die and stamped the Medallion again in Soft Suede ink. Then for the sentiment I used the For All You Do stamp set and then punched it out with the curly label punch. I inked the sentiment piece and the top note piece with Soft Suede ink. To finish it, I punched holes with my 1/16" hole punch and then run some linen thread through twice and knotted it.
Next...

This is the card I made for my Father in law. I used basic black, cherry cobbler and basic gray. I stamped the gray piece with Watercolor Trio and the same sentiment from For All You Do. I added some vintage brads and some doodling. :)

Next...

This is the card I made for my Parent's Anniversary. I used the new Friends Never Fade stamp set coming out in the new catalog and also the new Greenhouse Gala dsp. The sentiment is from Fundamental Phrases. I popped up Anniversary after I punched it out with the modern label punch and inked it with real red ink. I layered some real red satin ribbon and chocolate chip grosgrain then finished with vintage brads.

WHEW!!!!! I told you I had a lot to share with you!!! :)
Thanks for stopping by. It means a lot!

Until next time...
Blessings...

Monday, June 21, 2010

So This is what it Feels Like to be a Guest Designer?!!!

Hello ladies!
Happy new week to ya. I hope you get a lot of crafting done. Today is the official start of Summer and the longest day of the year (or so I'm told, we'll see) :)

As many of you know I tried out for the CAS challenges design team over on Split Coast Stampers. I didn't make it :( but, I was chosen as a guest designer! I have 2 weeks I'll be GD, this is one of them!!! I am so EXCITED! I love all the "love" my card is getting over on SCS! It feels good for people to appreciate your "work" (oh who am I kidding this is FUN!!!!)

Here's my card for CAS72



I used my new textured Crumb Cake c/s from SU! It is gorgeous! Of course Crumb Cake (card stock formerly known as Kraft) is one of my favorites. I use it on lots of my scrapbook pages as the background. I used some very vanilla c/s, a piece of scrap vintage looking dp from my scrap box and some lace ribbon by Spare Parts. The image is from Watercolor Trio (SU!). I really like the look of the sentiment stamped on top. And, yes, distressing is one of my new loves. I like the shabby chic look of my card.

Well, laundry awaits (it's not going to fold itself no matter how many times I twitch my nose! darn it!)

Until next time...
Blessings...

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Borders and Gardens....

Hello!

I hope you're having a great week. :)

I'll be short (b/c as I type this it is late and I've not had good sleep for a couple nights)...but I'd like to share the other 2 cards I created for Stamp Camp....


This card has a Natural White card stock base with 3 - 1.5" Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black and Basic Gray borders. I cut the strips 1.5" then used my eyelet border punch on them and layered. The image is from the Paradise stamp set stamped in versamark ink then embossed in clear. I tied on some basic black ribbon and then added a little linen thread.


This one was a big hit at camp. The base is Melon Mambo with some versamark stamped leaves. All images are from the Watercolor Trio stamp set in the Summer Mini. I inked the edges of the Top Note die cut then dry embossed it with the Vintage Wallpaper folder (new in 2010-11 idea book and catalog). For the ribbon piece, I folded over a piece of certainly celery ribbon then layered a piece of Melon Mambo polka dot. Ink colors used: Certainly Celery, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Always Artichoke and Basic Black.

I hope you enjoyed my cards today :)

Until next time...
Blessings...

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

A Little Butterfly Trio

Raining and hailing....that's my Tuesday. How's yours?

I've just been online looking at the school uniforms we'll be purchasing for our daughter for the upcoming school year. We are sending her to Christian School. Boy, we're going to have to take out a loan for her school clothes! *sigh* We truly believe this is what we are supposed to do. So, we'll bite the bullet and open our wallets...*ouch*!

Today's crafty goodness is a card we'll be making at Thursday's "Stamp Six" workshop. Ladies that attend will be making 6 cards, 2 of each design. This is one of them:



Stamps: For All You Do
Ink: Night of Navy
Paper: White and Night of Navy card stock and Greenhouse Gala dsp
Accessories: old olive satin ribbon, large oval..1.5" circle..scallop circle punches


Thanks so much for dropping by today! :)

Until next time...
Blessings...

Monday, June 14, 2010

CCC #27

I TOTALLY FORGOT about our Crafty Critter Challenge!!!! Oh Jennifer...it is such a great challenge. I'm glad I logged onto SCS tonight and saw you all talking about it!
We were to make a card using this SCS color challenge (272), the colors were Kraft, Bermuda Bay and Real Red. Jennifer added a twist to make it a Christmas card. Well, I've not made the first Christmas card this year so I REALLY needed to complete this challenge :)

Now, I have to say, Bermuda Bay is not one of my favorite colors. I still have the 2 sheets that came in the 1 pack of In Color card stock I ordered last year. Ain't that pitiful?!
This is what I came up with...

I used the SU! Snow Swirled and (new!) Perfect Punches stamp set. One of my new favorite things to do is tear a strip of card stock, put snail adhesive all along the back and gather it on the card. I used my "new to me" real red satin ribbon. I punched a hole with my slot punch to tie the bow.

I hope you enjoyed this early Christmas card :)

Until next time...
Blessings...

Caught a Bug?

Well, the start of a new week. I hope you have some time set aside this week for some craftiness! I've been able to spend more time at my craft desk since school has been out. I love it! I really, really need to work on my scrapbooking but of course, I always find a card challenge somewhere that I just "have" to do. :) It's funny how things go. I started out scrapbooking. I hardly ever made cards unless I needed one to give. Now, I find myself working on cards all the time. Next week, I may wake up and only work on pages. Does that make me wishie washie? or just exactly like ever other paper crafter I know?! hahaha

I haven't worked with digi images in a while and I have come across some of the cutest images EVAH! You have to visit Digi Stamp Boutique! Here's a link to their blog and then their store link is in the sidebar. This image is one of their freebies! Nothing better than FREE!


Okay! Right! Ain't it DARLING! I adore these little buggies. I colored them with watercolor pencils, a blender pen and ink pads. I popped the image up and matted it with a piece of rich razzleberry card stock. Then I ran some black thread through 3 buttons to go under the image. It still needed a little something, so, I doodled and then doodled some more. tee! hee!
I hope you enjoyed my post today.

Until next time...
Blessings...

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Oh How Simple!

Okay, you ladies that visit my blog often, know that I LOVE clean and simple cards. I'm all about CAS design. Now, this card is no different but it's a little easier than even I'm used too.
First off I started this card base for a different card and I messed up some piercing I did at the top. Sooooooooo, I covered it up :)


I used a scrap piece of Pretty in Pink card stock to cover up my boo-boo. Then I tied a light pink piece of fiber around. The flowers are from a pack that my dear friend April sent me (aprillower over on SCS) HIYA APRIL!!!!!! :) Thank you sweetie!
Then at the bottom I stamped the bird from Fun and Fast Notes (SU!). I found a Kaiser Crafts pink rhinestone that matched the ones from the flowers and placed it on the stamped flower...okay how easy was that?!
I hope you enjoyed my simple creation today.
Have a Blessed Sunday friends :)

Until next time...
Blessings...

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Star Struck Birthday

Hi!
While on a trip to Tennessee recently I stopped by "The Scrapbook Superstore". Wow, I absolutely loved it. I knew we would be stopping by there so I had checked out my scrapbook and card making supplies to see what I "needed". I noticed I didn't have a star punch of any kind nor did I have a star stamp or stamp set with a star in it. I don't have any brown stickles and I'm running low on shaped papers/card stocks (12x12 for scrapbooking).
I found all this at The Scrapbook Superstore. So, when I got back home, this was the first card I made with my new supplies:


This card also won me a 2nd Guest Designer spot on the CAS Summer Design Team over on SCS! I love finding new ways to stamp my sentiments on cards. I got a little fun and interesting with this one :) I used my tiny hole punch on the black panel and my sentiment piece. I looped the thread through the black a few times then down to the sentiment and put both ends through, then tied a couple knots. I pulled the remaining ends around to the inside.

Supplies used:
certainly celery...pumpkin pie...real red & black bazzil card stock, DCWV paper, orange star brad, 1/16" hole punch, red thread, large oval punch, Fun and Fast Notes stamp set (sentiment)


Thanks for visiting me!

Until next time...
Blessings...

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Blue Paradise

Hello!

I hope you're having a great day. I'd like to share a card I made for the One Layer Wednesday challenge over on the Simplicity blog. This week's challenge was to use the masking technique to make a background.


This is probably the first time I've ever used the masking technique. Isn't that awful! I can't believe I've never tried this technique before. I still have some "smoothing issues" with the sponge daubers to work out, but I am pretty pleased with the end result.

Supplies used:
circle punch, night of navy...not quite navy...basic black inks, Paradise stamp set, Watercolor Trio stamp set, sponge daubers


Thanks so much for stopping by today! :)

Until next time...
Blessings...

Monday, June 7, 2010

A Gift from God

Hello everybody!

I've been away a few days. We went on a much needed (short little) vacation. It was wonderful. Just DH and I and the kiddos. We went to Pigeon Forge, TN, our favorite vacation spot. We spent 1 1/2 days at DollyWood. If you've not been, you need to go. It has something for the whole family. Thrill rides, tame rides, kiddie rides, side shows, the best food you've ever put in your mouth!, and some great concerts too. When you go, before you leave get a bag of their homemade kettle corn! Oh Yummo!
Okay, anyway on to the crafty segment of my post:



Today's CAS challenge over at SCS was to create a card using a quote, saying or sentiment as your focal point. I decided to use my precious Refuge and Strength stamp set (so sad to see it retire from SU!). My card base is old olive. I stamped my quote on kraft c/s in basic black ink then mounted it on a piece of Sweet Pea dp then a piece of rich razzleberry c/s. The cross is stamped on kraft c/s also in basic black ink. I tied a little bit of kraft taffeta ribbon on to finish it.

I love this quote by Charles Spurgeon because sometimes I forget. I take each day for granted. I never want to do that because I know tomorrow is not promised to us. God doesn't have to give me my next breath. It is by His GRACE I have breath, I have life, I have joy, I have strength...I want to live each day thanking Him for his blessings.
One great blessing we received last night...our son was saved! He received Jesus as his Savior. It was a wonderful evening at church. As many of you know that follow my blog, our son has Autism. He doesn't understand lots of things, so we knew he might not understand Jesus dying on the cross for his sins. But, last night we had a guest singer at our church, Mr. Ricky Atkinson. He was singing "Jesus Can" and our son began to cry. I walked over to him and he started toward the alter! My husband and I prayed with him as he cried, sobbed at the alter. Our Pastor came over (who also has a son with Autism) and prayed with him also. My husband asked Aaron some questions to help understand why he had come forward. Aaron wanted to pray that Jesus would help him, and come into his heart. Of course, my husband and I began to cry and we were helping Aaron pray and all the sudden he stopped crying, raised up, looked over at his Dad and said "It's okay Daddy." We all knew that's when he had peace with the Lord. That he had asked the Lord what he needed. Aaron might not understand a lot of things but at that moment he knew what was happening and he made it happen for himself. We as parents wanted to take care of it for him because of his disability. But, we didn't have to do a thing and that is the best feeling to know our Autistic son understood that he is now a child of God. Praise the LORD!

Wow, I'm so excited and now I've talked your ears off. Just remember, each day is a gift from God, don't take it lightly.

Thank you so much for visiting me today!

Until next time...
Blessings...

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Circles of Thanks

Hiya!

I decided today to share a different size card than I usually make. This is a 4.25" square card. I love it's cute little size...


I cut a 3" square chocolate chip piece of card stock. I scored it on each side. I love this look and it's not hard at all. Circle Circus is one of my favorite stamp sets from SU! I used pumpkin pie, chocolate chip, rich razzleberry, & tempting turquoise inks with this set. The sentiment is from Thank you Kindly stamp set. On the biggest circle I popped it up on double pop dots.

Thanks for coming by!

Until next time...
Blessings...

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

...and so Summer break begins :)

The month of June, how sweet you are!

Hello ladies...how are ya? I do hope all my American friends had a great Holiday weekend. My friends from other GREAT countries...I hope you had a great weekend also :)

Okay, so you all know (because I've been talking about it for over a month) that this morning is my first no alarm clock morning....until August! Yay! So, I do believe the card I'm sharing today says how I feel this morning. It's a:


This is a card I made for the CAS challenge DT search over on SCS. I made the watermelon slices by punching garden green circles and real red circles, layering them, then cutting them in fourths. For the "seeds" I used a stamp from the Itty Bitty Backgrounds set. For my slider I used an ant brad. I got a button on the back, put the prongs through one of the button holes then opened the prongs on the back of the button. The ant slides nicely toward the watermelon without "getting of course"! :) The sentiments are stamped on a modern label punch out.

Happy June!

Until next time...
Blessings...