Sugar Crystals

This Season ...

2010-11-05T12:47:00.002-04:00

It's Friday, it's Friday ... woo hoo ! Happy Friday to YOU ! Hope you have a good weekend . Today I am posting my card for this week's Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge which you can find here . Linda Lucas is the hostess for this week and she has chosen ...

Phil. 4:8 ... " Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things . "

This verse is one of my favorites. There is nothing quite so settling in one's spirit as to know that you are thinking right thoughts and have a confessed and honest heart before the Lord. The card challenge for the week is to make an all white or all cream card in pure tones. I love , love , love the look of white cards ... so clean and just makes whatever has been stamped plus the textures pop right off the card ! So here is my card ... recipe is below .

Thanks so much for stopping by !
Hugs!
-Crystal

Recipe:
Stamp: Stampabilities, verse unknown
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Neenah Solar White
Accessories: Spellbinders Nesties, CB embossing folder, Scor Pal, Copics , Stickles, ribbon, pearls, pop dots

ODBDSLC34 and Greetings !

2010-10-26T17:26:00.002-04:00

Hi dear friends ... how are you ? I certainly hope you are all doing great and enjoying gorgeous weather wherever you may be. I do apologize if you have come by often for a peek . When life becomes busy and full , prioritizing has to take place and in my case, although I have been doing quite a bit of stamping , blogging continued to take a back seat. I have missed the challenges and visiting with you and I do promise to post from time to time as well as to come by to gaze on your awesome creations. Our Daily Bread has a great challenge going on which is to use Kraft and black and one other color ... and here, happily is my card for this fun challenge. It's rainy and dark which made it difficult to get a good photo... it does show the shimmer but there is no orangy tone on the ribbon... weird !
Have a wonderful evening ! And thanks so much for stopping by !

Hugs !
-Crystal

----------------------------------------------
Stamps : ODBD Scripture Series 1
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Antique Linen, Brillance Platinum Planet
Paper: Kraft, black and pumpkin , unknown
Accessories: Spellbinders Maple Leaf dies,CB Mesh folder, grosgrain ribbon, sponge, BG button, jute, pop dots

Popping in to say Hi and a card too !

2010-09-10T14:11:00.002-04:00

How are you , dear blogger friends ? It's been quite a while ! What a terrific summer hiatus beginning with my youngest son's graduation and then travel and all the other wonderful things that summer brings. If we could only have a few more hours in a day to do it all. Blogging took a back seat but not card making so here is one of the many I made this summer.

I used an old sketch from Verve , I believe, and really like how it turned out. Some dp from Basic Grey's Max and Whiskers ,a corner rounder on the edges , Verve Plain Jane, some stitching, ribbon , button and cording and done. Of course, isn't that verse soothing and a great reminder of our ultimate Help ?

I look forward to popping in occasionally and also to come peek at your blogs. I just know I'm in for some real mouth- dropping beauties ! Stop by and say " Hi" and let me know how you've been .

Hugs !

SNTODBD10 & SSCC30 Trust in the Lord

2010-05-24T15:27:00.004-04:00

Hi Friends !

This week's Stamping in Time challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs is a sketch challenge ! I love a good sketch and this one is a real good one, don't you think ? You can find all the info at ODBD here . This is also for this week's Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge which is to use sponging or distressing.

I am knee deep in grad prep and need a bunch of graduation cards too so this may be the first of a few you see here. Most of my cards need to have a masculine feel so I will be stretched challenge -wise !

I am using dp from Basic Grey's Max and Whiskers pack. I have distressed the brown dp which is layered over mustard dp. The sentiment is from Scripture Collection ... such a wonderful verse... it's stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa. I have used a thin rope-like border to add interest to the top and bottom of the Scripture panel. The panel and it's mat was cut out and embossed with a Curvy Rectangle from Spellbinders. Buttons are from Basic Grey and twine is from May Arts. All the edges have been distressed slightly. Pretty quick and easy and I do need quite a few more of "quick and easy" !

Thanks so much for stopping by ! I so appreciate that you would !

Hugs !

Missing you !

2010-05-21T09:59:00.002-04:00

Hi Friends:

How ARE you? I have missed stopping in to visit .

Been heavily involved with graduation preparations ... taken quite alot more time than anticipated. On top of that, we have had rain, rain, rain here in Central OH and there springs a leak right over my stamping table. Big boo hoo ! But hey, after tomorrow , it looks like the rain will move out for a good while, things will dry out and I WILL happily be back in my therapy room ! I am SO ready to go !

I'll be squeezing in some peeks to your blogs to view your gorgeous creations so be seeing you real soon.

Big hugs !

MMSC#53 Sweet Wishes for your Birthday

2010-05-13T09:39:00.002-04:00

How are you , friends ? I surely hope doing well .

My card today is for this week's Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge which you can find here .

I had a real senior moment trying to remember which this sketch was while uploading so had to go hunting for it online... ever have one of those? Duh ... Well, onto my card ...

I am using Cosmo Cricket's "Garden Variety"... love that paper ! I've stitched along the right side of the green dp layer. The sentiment is computer generated. The strawberry stamp is a very old one by Rubber Stampede... was stamped twice on Neenah white and colored with Copics R27 and R29. I used a Nestie to act as a template to Copic "frame" the edges with E00. The lace border is a Martha Stewart punch, ribbons and ric rac from JoAnn's and gems from Michaels. A fun challenge !

Enjoy your day ... hopefully with a little stampin' worked in !

Hugs !

Great is Your Faithfulness SC278

2010-05-11T15:03:00.002-04:00

Wanted to post this week's Sketch Challenge before the day ends and a new sketch pops up over on Split Coast. ( Where does the time go ?!)

I think the photo is pretty self explanatory but if any questions, email me.

I'm using some of my new Graphic 45 papers , Our Daily Bread Scripture , Spellbinders Nesties 12, Memento Rich Cocoa, Distress Ink in Antique Linen, ribbon, gemstones , few pop dots and that's it !

Thanks so much for visiting ! I'm catching up on visiting your blogs and enjoying it immensely!

Hugs !

Unlock Your Future

2010-05-10T20:38:00.002-04:00

Hope you all had a delightful Mother's Day weekend and Happy Monday !

I'm posting a card this evening for this week's Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge which is to use brown, blue and white as well as Our Daily Bread Designs challenge which is to make a graduation card. The image uses the new graduation set from Flourishes. The image is stamped with brown Chalk ink and cut out with the new Labels Twelve Nesties. I have added some stitching , ric rac , ribbon and buttons . DP is by Bo Bunny.

Have lots of new goodies from my recent trip stamp shopping ! There's lots more fun to be had ( woo hoo ) which means I'll be back with another post very soon.

Have a great evening !

Hugs !

Hugs and Smiles CPS165

2010-05-08T08:11:00.002-04:00

Happy Saturday All !

This will be a very quick post as I'm out the door to do some big time stamp shopping in another city! Woo Hoo !!
My card is for this week's Card Positioning Systems sketch. The dp is by Bo Bunny. It's so vibrant IRL ... it's cloudy here so couldn't get a really good photo. I am using this cutie from Stamping Bella and she is colored up with Copics and " bella-ished" with gemstones. Some stitching and more gemstones and done ! Any questions, of course, you can email me... be happy to answer 'em.

Have a super Saturday AND all you mom's out there... may your Mother's Day be blessed in every way !

Hugs !

Birthday Wishes

2010-05-06T10:31:00.002-04:00

Stampers Dream has a terrific sketch challenge this week . The only thing is that you must use Just Rite stamps for your image. Now I confess, I only have one Just Rite and it will not work for this sketch so I don't qualify to link my card up BUT I had to play for fun.

I am using the new Basic Grey " Max and Whiskers" dp... this pack is totally FUN ! My image is a stamp from a place called Double D in MN and I don't even know if they still exist. The image was colored with Copics, cut out and embossed with an oval Nestie . Some zig zag stitching to the bottom and some silver metal dots and that is all there is to it ! What do you think?

The month of May is always crazy busy at my house and this one is no exception with graduation preparation. I will, however, be back very soon with another post. Thanks for visiting !

Hugs !

Lift Up My Eyes for Mojo & SSCC

2010-05-03T18:38:00.002-04:00

How are you, friends, this fine Monday? Hope your weekend was "just the way you like 'em".

This card is made with those wonderful new Basic Grey dp's called " Cappella". Oh my... so yummy! My Scripture verse is from Verve and was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa onto the main panel. The sentiment is also from Verve as is the butterfly. I used four co-ordinating dp's from this pack to make the left column, have stitched around the card , added ribbon and buttons and twine.

This is for two challenges this week : Mojo Monday sketch which you can find here . Isn't this a great sketch ! And also for Stampin Sisters in Christ which is to use stitching or knitting .

Looking forward to hopping around to see your wonderful creations ! Thanks for hopping over here ! Hugs !

Wonderful Mother + challenges

2010-04-30T10:07:00.003-04:00

It's Friday... yeah... and a beautiful one ,at that, here in Ohio ! It's been another crazy busy week so have had very limited time in the craft room .

I wanted to post the card I made for my dear MIL whom I adore. Since she lives in California, it had to be flat and clean and simple so here it is . I'm also including this is SSCC and ODBD challenges this week .

I have used dp from Basic Grey's "Kioshi" pack... I wanted that bouquet of flowers to be the focal point of the card. I have used Liquid Pearls and Stardust Stickles on the flowers and sadly my poor photo doesn't show the sparkle hardly at all ... but IRL it is there so imagine a little , will you ! :)
The sentiment is from Stampin Up and was stamped , colored in with a light Copic and cut out with a Labels Six nestie. Small flat gemstones and ribbon and a small bow and OH , yes ... do you see the STITCHING ??? That was made with my new Janome Sew Mini from hubby...oh, what a keeper ! I still have lots of practicing to do since I am NOT a sew-er ... but I do love the look ! And there you have it !

I'm off to garden and then some more crafting so I do hope to have another post for you in the next day or so. Have a great Friday wherever you are !

Hugs !

Toad-ily Thankful ... I am !

2010-04-23T11:22:00.003-04:00

Wow, friends ... I can NOT believe Friday is already here ! It's been an incredibly busy week and there's more to follow so forgive me for not posting more regularly.

My card today is using this cutie from Penny Black called " Viva Diva" . I am not a frog loving gal after a very slimy experience in Hong Kong many years ago BUT I do love this image. I've colored " him" up with Copics as well as around his body. He's cut out and embossed with a circle Nestie, matted with a Kraft pinking circle Nestie and matted again with a black circle Nestie. The dp is by Bo Bunny , twill and button from JoAnn's and tiny prima's added with a dot of Stickles.

I'll be entering this in the Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge this week which is to use flowers.

This card goes out to a dear friend who spoiled me " terribly" for my birthday ! Yep, tomorrow is the day and I will be all of " 29 " ... well , ummm, you can multiply that by ... I'm looking forward to having my college boys home , visiting and eating some sumptious meals together.

Thanks so much for stopping by ! Let me know you've been here ... Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll be back next week with another post.

BIG hugs !

Tackling a Multitude !

2010-04-19T14:21:00.005-04:00

Hi Friends !

I'm holed up in the craft room this
afternoon trying to catch up with a huge number of card needs including those for friends. I don't usually post my Clean and Simple cards that go out pretty frequently but thought I would post a picture of some I have done for a friend. ( Don't miss the glass of lemon tea on the right. Lots of tea keeps a fast and furious stamper hydrated ! ) LOL!

Here's a close up view of a couple of the sympathy cards. This stamp is by Outlines and paper is by K&C. I have used a Martha Stewart butterfly punch and lots of Stickles.

This stamp is by Paper Inspirations and DP is also by K&C. I have used the curvy rectangle by Spellbinders for the sentiment. Tiny pearls were added to the middle right of the sentiment. As you can see , all very simple, easy and clean.

Still lots of catching up to do so I'm back to the stamp room. I'll be back very soon with a challenge post.

Have a super Monday ! Big hugs !

SSCC#34 Some Bright Encouragement

2010-04-16T08:42:00.003-04:00

Hi Friends !

It's Friday... woo hoo ... hope you have a nice weekend planned , maybe with some crafting squeezed in ?!

I have a card for you today and it's for this week's challenge at SSCC. I love a good challenge and this is one of those ! This week's Scripture is found in Phil 4:4-7 and the challenge is to make a card or project about prayer and / or peace. Good one, yes ? I know I always need a good supply of these on hand.

My card is a little on the bright side but then I wanted it to be uplifting and encouraging both. I'll leave the recipe below. The challenge ends tomorrow so if you haven't played, you still have a bit of time.

Have a delightful Friday and weekend. I'll be back Monday with another post. Thanks so much for popping in ...

Hugs !

Recipe:
stamp: Our Daily Bread Scripture Collection
paper: Barely Banana, K&C
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Distress Ink in Antique Linen
Accessories: Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Fruit Punch Stickles, orange gemstones, orange satin ribbon, Martha Stewart border punch, Spellbinders Nestie die, sponge, pop dots

SNTODBD7 My Soul Finds Rest

2010-04-14T07:13:00.002-04:00

Hi All...

My card is for this week's challenge at Our Daily Bread which is to use tearing or faux tearing.
My Scripture is from the new Scripture Collection 4 and one of my all time favorites. I am also using the new Vine frame. I verse is stamped on Neenah cream and then heavily sponged with Antique Linen Distress Ink. The dp is from Graphic 45 and has been sponged also with Distress Ink. I have layered everything up, added a two toned satin ribbon and a coordinating button and slightly bent the edges of the middle layer for a distressed look and torn look. Easy Peasy ! So what do you think? The challenge deadline is tonight so hop on over and play if you haven't yet.

Have a beautiful Spring day everyone. Hugs !

ODBDSLC9 Thanks ...

2010-04-12T19:16:00.002-04:00

Hey, dear friends ... happy Monday !

My card today is for this week's Shining the Light challenge. It's a sketch challenge which you can check out here . Now I love Webster's Pages. Their papers are beautiful nature depictions ... birds, flowers , the like ... and this dp was no exception. My main image was stamped with Our Daily Bread's " Grow in Grace" flower. It's kind of hard to see since the image is so small. I have added the sentiment from SU! and then added golden yellow Smooch to the center of the flower images. Everything else was layered up per the sketch and ribbon and gemstones added for the finishing touch. So what do you think?

Have a good evening, everyone! Thanks again for your sweet comments! They truly make me smile.

Hugs !

CPS161 A Teeny, Tiny Wish...

2010-04-10T19:44:00.003-04:00

Oh my goodness ... I made this card for this week's Card Positioning System and just now discovered the deadline is at 8:00 ... exactly 15 minutes to go ... so here I am sticking this up just under the wire !

Love this sketch ! The base and sentiment base is Neenah cream, dp is Cosmo Cricket's Material Girl. The sentiment is by Hero Arts. Buttons round it out. I punched some dp to center on the buttons on the left. Hope the photo explains everything else but if you have any questions , just email me.

Thanks so much for stopping by . I'll be back on Monday with another post .

Hugs !

A " Twinchie" From the Garden !

2010-04-09T16:11:00.002-04:00

It's Friday, woo hoo ! It's also our 23rd wedding anniversary this weekend and I am so looking forward to a date night and dinner at one of our fav restaurants!

Today's card is for Flourishes Release Week Challenge . Yeah, new stamps coming again at Flourishes ! I think I need to get a job ! The challenge is to make a 2" x 2" " twinchie" ... which should be the focal image of your card. I have used one of the stamps from Flourishes " From the Garden" set , colored it up with Copics and paper- pieced the gloves with dp from Basic Grey's "Green at Heart" . The image was cut out and embossed with a square Nestie and then matted up with some textured Bazzill brown. Jute was wrapped around the corner of the image and secured. The sentiment is also from that set and was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa. Some twine tied into a bow and buttons finish off the look .

Have a great weekend, friends ! If you come by to visit , I'd love to hear from you ! Hugs!

Do Not Be Anxious ... Triple Challenges

2010-04-07T20:10:00.002-04:00

Ahh, nothing like an escape to the stamping room at the end of a busy day !

My card is for three challenges : CAS#61 which is for the sentiment to be the main image, ODBD which is to use faux stitching and Card Patterns Sketch#58 .

The DP is from the new Basic Grey " Green at Heart " paper pack. The "sentiment" is from Our Daily Bread Designs new Scripture Collection 4. Border punch is from Martha Stewart. The image was cut out and embossed with a Labels 4 Nestie. Faux stitching was with an Inkessentials pen. I don't own a working sewing machine so no question this is faux ! I certainly hope to remedy that in the future . Oh, the choices out there ! ( Any recommendations for a good sewing machine for stitching on cards is greatly appreciated ! ) Clear gemstones and satin ribbon and a butterfly charm finish it off.

Have a relaxing evening ! Hugs to you all !

May the Comfort of God's Love... Multiple Challenges

2010-04-06T15:57:00.004-04:00

Hi blogging friends !

Hope you had a beautiful Easter and your week is off to a good start. I'm basking in the sun's rays, blue skies and the breeze is bringing the scent of my magnolia bushes through my stamping room window. Quite heady !!

My card today uses this beautiful embossed dp from s e i ... called Bridgeport. I am using this week's Mojo sketch . This card is also for a few other challenges.

Mojo Monday: use this sketch

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday# 61 : use those supplies you have bought

Shabby Tea Room: embrace the white with one other color

Stampin Sisters in Christ #33: use the word " love" on your card or project

Thanks so much for stopping by ! I'm delighted that you would and love your comments ! Hugs !

Recipe:

Stamp: Stampabilities

Ink: Brilliance Pearlescent Thyme

Paper: Neenah white, SEI

Accessories: Scalloped oval Nesties, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, CB swiss dots folder. Copic YG23, pearls, white satin ribbon, lime green satin ribbon

MMSC#47 ... A Virtuous Woman

2010-04-01T06:39:00.003-04:00

Hi Friends ... Happy Thursday!

My two new sets of stamps from Our Daily Bread arrived this week ... woo hoo ...and when I saw the sketch challenge at Midnight Madness ...I knew what I wanted to create ! You can see the sketch here.

If you have not read Proverbs 31 I highly encourage you to do so. It's a wonderful sketch of a virtuous woman of God. I have taken the liberty to choose 7 words to describe the characteristics of this admirable woman. I'm sure there are others. I have computer generated the words on the left and cut them out with a rectangle Nestie, mounted onto the left panel. The larger sentiment and vine border is new from Our Daily Bread. DP is from October Afternoon. Buttons from Basic Grey, twine from May Arts, bow is punched with a Martha Stewart punch, ribbon ( tab) from JoAnn's and lower corner tab punched with a SU corner tab punch. That rounds it out. What do you think ? I had such fun with this card and really like the finished look !

Have a glorious Easter weekend ! What HOPE we have ! HE IS RISEN !

Big hugs !

Fabulous Just the Way You Are !

2010-03-30T17:22:00.003-04:00

This weeks scripture verse at Stampin Sisters in Christ is Isaiah 40:31: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run , and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. " Kristine has a very interesting tidbit on an eagle's response to a storm. Breeze on over to the SSCC blog to read it here .

The challenge this week is to " mount up " or paper tole a part of your image. I have cut out my flower twice and paper pieced and mounted the middle center of the flower and also one of the leaves. The dp is by g.e.d. called Green Bird... it's a brighter shade of green IRL . Love it ! The flower and sentiment is from Verve. The sentiment was cut out , matted and embossed with an oval Nestie. I have added black Stickles to the center of the blossom , ribbon is from JoAnn's and gemstones from Archivers.

Have a good evening ! I'll be back on Thursday with another post.

Hugs!

ODBDSLC6 ...The Will of God

2010-03-29T15:47:00.003-04:00

How ARE you, friends ? Sure hope your Monday is off to a good start. I've been busy getting ready for Easter plus lots of Spring cleaning but made some time to play this challenge over at Our Daily Bread. Betty's Stamping in Time challenge for us this week is to make a monochromatic card. Now, can I just say that this challenge was a REAL challenge for me ? I'm such a DP junkie. I have made this large tag to go with a pot of flowers for a friend.

I have used three shades of purple Bazzill. The lavender was run through the CB with the Victorian folder and then punched with this Fiskars border punch. The verse was stamped with Versacolor " Boysenberry" and then both the embossed panel and the verse panel was sponged with Brilliance Platinum Planet. The verse panel was cut out with a Labels 4 Nestie. Butterflies were cut with a Martha Stewart punch and then purple gems were added as shown. Lastly, everything mounted up and some satin ribbon added and all done !

Gotta get back to work ! Thanks for stopping by !

Hugs !

ODBDSLC6 & SSCC#31 Spring is here !

2010-03-25T16:07:00.004-04:00

This is my second post for today so be sure to scroll down for both posts. This card was made for this week's Our Daily Bread's : Think Spring and New Life challenge . It is also for Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge which is to make a Clean and Simple card. The golden BRIGHT yellow paper is Bazzill and was run through a CB folder. I am using one of the floral images from the new From the Garden set at Flourishes which was colored with Copics and some Stickles added to the center of the blooms. The border punch is from Fiskars. DP is from October Afternoon. Gemstones from Hobby Lobby.

Have a wonderful evening !

Do You Need a Smile ?

2010-03-25T11:00:00.002-04:00

... or maybe some bright color and pattern ? I definitely need color as it's gray and rainy here but wait! The grass is getting greener everyday ... woo hoo ! My card today is for WT 263 which is to CELEBRATE . I had a fun time with a friend shopping in another city yesterday for stamps and goodies and boy, did we find some good stuff ! This little snapper is from Inky Antics and was colored up with Copics and watercolor pencils. I have paper pieced his balloon . DP is from Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird. The image was cut out with a large pinking circle Nestie. Buttons are from Basic Grey.

Have a good day everyone ! And thanks for popping in ! Hugs !

For I Know the Plans...

2010-03-23T16:11:00.002-04:00

Hi Friends:

We are back from a lovely and fun wedding in Oklahoma and I am playing catch up and just wanting a nap instead. Thought I would post an older card to change up the "front page" for the moment. I have several card parts that are nearly finished and will have another post very soon. Thanks for stopping by !

2010-03-17T20:24:00.003-04:00

Hi dear friends !

No card for you today as we are traveling to a wedding but will be back on Tuesday with a post. Have a super weekend !

Our Daily Bread Anniversary Challenge 4

2010-03-16T07:16:00.003-04:00

A good morning to you !

I have been so delighted to continue playing in Our Daily Bread 's Anniversary Challenges this week. Today's card challenge is to use your all time favorite . I love all their stamps but I tell ya... I love those Scripture Collections ! I love having a verse " front and center" to send and encourage with just a few embellishments and some beautiful paper. So here's my card... using Lamentations 3: 21-23. The dp, by American Crafts , is much more beautiful IRL. I have used metal dots for the corners of the verse panel which was scored with my Scor Pal , grosgrain ribbon and a big button and really there wasn't much more to it than that.

I'm off to our monthly stamping day. Sure to be fun and GREEN with lots of St Patricks Day touches . Have a great day! See you back here hopefully tomorrow.

Hugs !

Flourishes Challenges and Our Daily Bread Day Three

2010-03-15T07:59:00.003-04:00

Good Monday morning, fellow stampers ! Hope you had a great weekend ! Mine was busy but good .
Today I am posting two cards to complete three challenges I wanted to play. I love a good challenge and these have been so much fun . Flourishes has a new blog look and they are celebrating with daily challenges which end today so check them out if you are looking for a couple good ones. My first card is for Flourishes Day 5 which is to use pink and green . Now...someone kick me ! I LOVVVVE pink and green ... together ! In clothes, on paper, in home decor , in gardens ... well, you get the idea ! Lilly Pulitzer made famous this color combo years ago in her resort wear collection and it's still a hit today . Now my card isn't quite what I visualized but I did use Flourishes Sweet Pea set and the color combo. Don't you love that bright , Springy pop of color ?

My next card is for Flourishes Day 4 which is to use " sparkle" and for Our Daily Bread Anniversary Challenge Day 3 challenge which is to use silver or gold . We have my nephews wedding this weekend and the color and simplicity is for them . I have used the I Love Roses set from Flourishes and embossed the base in silver. Silver trim, a button and some gems round it off.

So what do you think ? I have a couple sketches I want to try today so we will see if I can squeeze some time in the stamp room .

Thanks for stopping by ... I so appreciate your comments and I love visiting your blogs ! Hugs !

ODBD2AC2 Be Inspired ...China !

2010-03-14T07:46:00.003-04:00

Good Sunday morning, friends :

This will be quick as I'm off to worship and then to visit Dad for the day . Today's challenge at ODBD's second anniversary celebration is to be inspired by CHINA. Just a couple days before getting the challenges on the site, my DF gave me some halves of dp she had recently purchased and oh, boy, what beauties ! I love , love this one ! And perfect ! It's the color of my very own china pattern. I was thinking literally when I made this card ... edges of the dinner plate, silver touches for the " platinum"and a lace bow to resemble a luxurious tablecloth ! Deets below. Hope you get to play the challenges . Have a nice Sunday wherever you are . Thanks so much for all your sweet comments . You bloggers are just the BEST !

Recipe :
Stamp: unknown
Paper: Neenah, American Crafts
Ink: Memento London Fog
Accessories: Lace ribbon ( Hobby Lobby), Copics, silver zig painty, Spellbinders circle and scalloped circle Nesties, scissors, sticky dots

ODBD Anniversary Challenge Day One

2010-03-13T07:51:00.003-05:00

It's a rainy day this Saturday morning but that is fine with me . It's not snow ! Happy Saturday , friends !

My card today is for Day One of Our Daily Bread's Anniversary Challenge which is to use COTTON on your card in some way.

I 've had this little cotton patch in my stash " forever" and am so happy to finally have a good reason to do something with it ! I'll leave the card deets below. Hope you'll hop over to Our Daily Bread and check out the challenges . They are sure to be fun !

Recipe:
Paper: dp, Archivers black, Neenah, silver metallic
Accessories: Spellbinders dies, CB folder, cotton patch, sticky dots, clear gemstones, ribbon

Timeless Tuesday & Celebration Day Two

2010-03-12T08:58:00.004-05:00

This is my second post today so be sure to scroll down for the rest . This card is for this week's Timeless Tuesday Challenge plus day two of Flourishes Celebration of their new blog look over at Flourishes . They are looking mighty good !

Now to the card : The challenge is to make a card of celebration. A perfect excuse for me to make another birthday card for my dwindling supply and I know just who I will be giving it to, so hopefully she is not checking my blog page !

I'll leave the recipe below. Make sure you check out the Flourishes page and play in their challenges this week. There are goodies to be had !

See you back here tomorrow with more ... I promise !
Have a super Friday, everyone !

Recipe:
Stamp: Flourishes
Paper: Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copics, ribbon, gold pearls, sticky dots, corner rounder, Stickles

Flourishes Celebration Challenge #1

2010-03-12T07:08:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday ! Woo hoo ...

I've been wanting to play the challenges this week in honor of Flourishes new blog face and am playing catch-up . Today 's card is the sketch challenge which you can find here . I have colored this gorgeous tulip with Copics . I'll leave the recipe below. It's back to the stamp room for me . Hope to see you back here for a later post today . Have a good one now and thanks so much for stopping by !

Big hugs !

Recipe:
Stamp: Flourishes
Paper: Archivers, Neenah
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copics, Spellbinders Curvy Rectangle, ribbons, buttons, sticky dots, Quick Kutz folder, sticky gem

SSCC#29 Hallelujah !

2010-03-11T11:49:00.003-05:00

This week's challenge at Stampin Sisters in Christ is based on Isaiah 12:6 ; " Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you . " The challenge is to make a card or project that shows or expresses JOY or joyfulness. A good one, don't you think ?!

I had several ideas but this one captured my heart and wouldn't let go ! The funny stamp is an old one in my stash from Art Impressions and reminds me a little of my grandmother, maybe just a little more dignified and her hair less wild. She was the epitome of joy in the midst of hardship, always quick to laugh, positive and a living testimony to Jesus Christ. She lived her full 93 years with polio and today, this is how I see her.. still a little more dignified ( !) ... jubilant and polio-free in her heavenly home.

I have paper pieced her dress and added pearls to her neckline . The sentiment is computer generated .

Have a JOY-filled day, everyone !

Recipe:
Stamp: Art Impressions
Paper: Neenah, Basic Grey's Sugar Rush
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Vivid in Marigold
Accessories: Copics, Spellbinders Curvy Rectangle and Tag , pearls , computer generated sentiment, sponge

ODBDSCL5 He Who Dwells ...

2010-03-08T08:53:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday, dear friends !

I have a double post for you today , so be sure you scroll down to see both cards.

This is my card for this week's Our Daily Bread sketch challenge which you can find here .
I've pulled our my Cool Caribbean cs from Stampin Up , run through the Swiss Dots CB folder and layered onto Neenah white . The verse is from Our Daily Bread's Scripture Collection ( love those sets !) and was stamped with Memento London Fog, cut out and embossed with a circle Nestie. Tip: if you know what your design most likely is, you can do two or three cuts with your CB at one time. I cut the scalloped white circle and the Scripture circle in one run through as well as the dp circle and scalloped circle . Does save time. The border punch is from Martha Stewart , ribbon is from JoAnn's. The thin red strip is Ruby Red from SU. The corners were cut with the large chrysanthmum punch ( Martha Stewart ) then quartered with scissors to fit the corners. The dragonfly is a button from JoAnn's. I simply snipped off the back and secured with a sticky dot. And there you have it ! What do you think ? I have to admit I love the colors and of course, love the verse.

Have a really nice day, everyone !

Friday Flourishes Focus & MTSC63

2010-03-08T08:14:00.004-05:00

My second post for you today ...I'm a little late posting my card for Flourishes Friday Focus . The challenge was to make a Get Well card . I have used the new From the Garden set that you can find in the Flourishes store , stamped the pot and flowers with Memento Rich Cocoa and colored with Copics. DP is Basic Grey , ribbon from JoAnn's and buttons are also Basic Grey. The sketch is from last week's sketch at Mercy's .

Thanks so much for stopping by today ! Hugs !

Lucky Paddy Bear

2010-03-06T09:22:00.004-05:00

Woo hoo, happy Saturday, Friends ! The sun is shining here ... oh, so wonderful ! Hope you are getting some of that sunshine !

I had a blast doing this card. This image is a digi called " Loves Healing Hands" from Sassy Cheryl's... if you haven't seen Cheryl's work, you must treat yourself ... she has some really fun images.
Sassy Cheryl is having it's very first challenge this week which is All About Green . Rather than do an obvious St Patricks Day card which I probably would not send, I choose to do a children's card . This adorable cutie and her bear were colored with Copics , the bear was colored using the flicking/ feathering motion to resemble his fur. I've added some scoring on the mat with my Scor Pal and punched corners from a contrasting green dp. I'll leave the recipe below.

Hope your Saturday is terrific ! Hugs !!

My blog watermark reversed itself , weird ... will work to get it right side up .

Recipe:
Digi : Sassy Cheryl's
Paper: Basic Grey, Neenah solar white
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Scor Pal, Copics, ribbon, SU corner tab punch

Nurture Yourself & several challenges

2010-03-04T17:10:00.003-05:00

Hi, dear blogging friends !

Hope you are having a really good week . The sun is shining ; one can certainly see the difference that makes on peoples faces !

My card today is made for the following challenges :

FTTC 56 : which is to use scallops

CAS 56: Hip to be Square

Ways to Use It : use lace

SSCC#28 : worship, pray, sing as you create

Pink Elephant: use green

I am using the new Flourishes " From the Garden" set. Love it ! The image was colored with Copics . I love the wooden button and that wonderful Martha Stewart border punch. I have added Shimmerz to the glass dome for a shiny effect which is a bit hard to see in the photo. I'll leave the recipe below.

Thanks so much for popping over ! Love your sweet comments .

Recipe:

Stamp: Flourishes

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: Basic Grey's " Origins" , Neenah solar white

Accessories: Copics, Martha Stewart border punch, lace ribbon, wooden button, satin ribbon, Hero Arts tiny buttons, sticky dots, Spellbinders square Nestabilities, Shimmerz " Angels Wings"

Wish Big !

2010-02-25T20:42:00.002-05:00

Hello Stampers:

This card is for two challenges this week : Ways to Use It over on SCS which is to use the color orange and Our Craft Lounge's very first sketch challenge. I decided to pull out my much neglected watercolor pencils and some Gamsol and color up this sweet little guy named Ben , a digi from Mo's Digital Pencil . He is stamped on Neenah white and colored with pencils and a couple of Copics. The paper is by Basic Grey and was distressed ... and distressed ... and distressed some more. Stickles were added to the water , the sentiment was cut with a Spellbinders flower die and dew drops were added to the corners . And oh, the orangy shoe-lacey trim was added also. I think that about covers it !

Have a restful evening . Big hugs !

FTTC55 A Bouquet of Sweet Peas

2010-02-24T14:10:00.003-05:00

Hi All :

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge this week is to use flowers ! Yes, are you anxiously awaiting a peek -through of a tulip or crocus in your garden ? Me too !! Stamping these made me full of anticipation .

I am using the small bouquet from the Sweet Pea set which you can find in the Flourishes store. I have colored them with Copics and added a little Stickles. The white backgrounds were run through the CB with two different folders. All the layers are double stacked for dimension. The image panel and mat are Spellbinders Labels Six. I think I was a little pearl-happy ... probably would have looked a little more balanced with less ... Fun to play the challenge.

DH's birthday is today so I whipped up his favorite ... a yummy and moist German Chocolate cake . Wouldn't you know... it was so moist that after icing the layers, they split right down the middle. So gotta figure out how to put it back together with toothpicks until time to dig in.

Thanks so much for hopping over for a peek ! Hugs !

SSCC#27 & MMSC42 challenges

2010-02-23T15:22:00.004-05:00

Hi friends !

Has it really been a week since my last post ? Do you ever struggle with this really good problem... multiple hobbies and limited time ? DH gave me a stack of new books for Valentine's Day and that's where my nose has been ... reading! The stamping itch came back today and I happily hit the stamp room .

My card today is for two challenges this week : this week my dear friend ,Laurie is challenging us to use timepieces or something denoting time or the passage of time in our card. The Scripture verse for the week is found in Esther 4: 14. I encourage you to check out the challenge here . I chose to use this verse from Nina Brackett's set found in Gina K's store. The dp was stamped with an old fashioned pocket watch stamp.

The sketch is this week's Midnight Madness challenge which you can find here.

Have a good evening. I'll be back with another post soon . Thanks SO much for stopping by!

A Little Pink Encouragement

2010-02-16T18:02:00.003-05:00

This week the new Our Daily Bread Challenge is to make a card or project using pink or red and bling ! Well, I love pink ... red too .. but no contest . It had to be pink and with lots of pearls !

My base is Berry Sensation by Bazzill , a yummy shade of pink. Dp is Basic Grey. I stamped the verse lightly on a scrap of Neenah white with Color Box silver then cut this into three even pieces and layered onto a scrap of Berry. The main image verse was stamped on Berry with Memento Tuxedo Black and cut out with a Spellbinders Curvy Rectangle. The top and bottom swirls are from Fancy Tags which was cut out in Gable Green and then cut in half and added to the top and bottom of the verse. Medium and tiny pearls were added to the swirls and the image panel. The ribbon was on a Valentines goodie box we received from a patient ... so pretty and it matched ... so I pressed it and tied into a bow with my Bow Easy. A pearl stick pin was added to the bow. I love all the pink and bling not to mention that the verse is one of my favorites.

Check out the ODBDSLC 2 challenge here . You'll have a chance to win a $15.00 gift certificate to the ODB store .

Have a great evening !

Hugs !

SSCC#26 He Loves You

2010-02-15T08:57:00.004-05:00

Happy Monday, dear friends !

Hope you had a sweet weekend with those you love. I sure did !

My card today is for this weeks Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge . This week's verse is found in 1 John 4:10. " This is real love -- not that we loved God but that He loved us , and sent His son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." Isn't that the most amazing thing ! That sure encourages my heart and I hope it does yours too.

Ceal's challenge this week is to make a card or project for someone you love that lets them know God loves them.

On to my card... I used a Kraft base for my card , ran a scrap of Neenah cream through the Victorian CB folder and mounted atop the Kraft. I used an Martha Stewart punch for the border and then secured another scrap of Kraft atop that. My dp is from K& C and was added atop the kraft scrap. I then stamped the cross ( Verve ) onto Neenah with Creamy Caramel and then the verse from Jeremiah 29:11 ( Verve) was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa over the cross. This was cut out and embossed with a curvy rectangle Spellbinder Nestie. I found a Not Quite Navy scrap...a very nice complement to the dp and cut out and embossed a Labels Six die to mat behind the image panel. I also took a scrap of this and cut out two swirls with a CB die to mount behind the image panel. Ribbon/bow was made with my Bow Easy and added to the dp . I then colored some pearls with a E33 Copic and added these to the Labels Six corners and to the upper left . And that is all there was to it . Pretty easy. This wonderful verse means so much to me . It lets me know that our Creator knows us , has plans for each one of us ( WOW !) and gives us HOPE and a future. Don't we all need to be reminded of that in these challenging times ? !

Have a delightful day and thanks for hopping over ! I 'm thrilled that you would . Hugs !

You Take the Gold !

2010-02-12T11:10:00.002-05:00

This is my second post for today. I normally do not post my simple and quick cards that go out but in honor of the Olympics opening today in Vancouver and in honor of this young fella getting this birthday card, I decided to post this.
The background was done with a star CB folder. I used flocking to add snow to the letters and the " slope" . Did not have anything resembling a medal so used a gold button instead. I am sorry I did not take a pic of the inside ... the sentiment " You take the GOLD !" was computer generated . Like I said, simple and quick.

GO USA ! So what are you looking forward to seeing ? I'll be watching the figure skating as much as I can. I'm sure by the time the Olympics are over, I will have had enough !

Enjoy your day !
Hugs !

Mice Birthday Parade

2010-02-12T07:48:00.002-05:00

'Morning, friends ! Are you excited Friday is here ? I certainly am !

I hope to post a couple challenges later but thought I would prop up this card for fun . I love Cosmo Cricket papers. I love how they are bright and bold and yet the patterns co-ordinate well. So out they came along with this cute Penny Black stamp that I had yet to ink up. I colored the image with Copics , sponged around the image while it was still in the curved rectangle die . The corners are from a SU punch. Buttons are Basic Grey. Ribbon from Hobby Lobby ... everything was just layered up and really . it took me less than 30 minutes to make this card. I think it will be a cheery birthday card .

I'll be back with more later . Have a fabulous Friday ! Big hugs !

Valentine Floral

2010-02-10T14:52:00.002-05:00

Hi , Friends !

Thought I would show a card I recently made. I am certainly in a bold flower mood with lots of color ! If you say there must be too much snow there , you are absolutely right ! Spring and it's gorgeous colors can't come soon enough for me !

I have embossed and colored this card with both SU markers and touches of Copics which allowed me to bring out more pop ! I stamped the blossom twice on Neenah white , embossed just one of the images and colored as stated above, blending and shading as needed for richness and contrast. Both were cut out. A black mat and frame were cut out with Labels Three Nesties. The white panel behind the flower was embossed with CB's Victorian folder. The border is a new Martha Stewart punch. I'll leave the recipe below.

Thanks so much for stopping by today to visit !

Recipe:
Stamp: unknown
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Paper: American Craft, SU Black, Neenah white
Accessories: Martha Stewart punch, CB folder, pearls, satin ribbon, Bow Easy, sticky dots, Spellbinders Labels Three

SSCC#24 and Mojo #124

2010-02-06T13:35:00.002-05:00

Two posts in one day is not bad ! Wanted to squeeze in some playing time with the above challenges. This is for Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge which is to make a card/ project with an image of a child or childlike things such as toys but not a baby card. The verse for this week is found in Matthew 18:4 ; " Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. " I adore this image and was thrilled to have an excuse to ink it up. It was lightly colored with colored pencils. The sketch is also for this week's contest at Mojo Monday.
Recipe:
Stamp: Paper Bag Studios
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Paper: Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love, Neenah cream, Archivers brown
Accessories: Martha Stewart border fence punch, flower punch, Prisma pencils, Basic Grey button, twine

Thanks so much for visiting ! See you back here soon.

What's Your Cup of Tea Challenge

2010-02-06T10:19:00.005-05:00

Happy Saturday !
I can't believe it's been a week since my last post ! Life does get busy, doesn't it ! I have several card parts that I've begun but have not finished because of more pressing matters . With a beautiful snowed in Saturday ahead of me , I look forward to finishing them. Now onto today's post. Flourishes will soon be releasing three new sets and you have a chance to win these if you play. So what is the challenge? Create a card inspired by the packaging of your favorite beverage. Coffee, tea, diet coke, you name it.
Those who know me , know I love my tea. I mean I LOVE tea ! This slightly beaten up can below is one of my favorites... Ginger Peach ... And here is my card. I'm not totally thrilled with it but after fussing over it, I am done ! It is what it is ! I have used the Chair set from Flourishes . What would be more relaxing than sitting down with a glass / cup of tea and a good book or having my quiet time ? So now you know my thought process !

The chair was paper pieced with a dp scrap and layered onto the stamped panel. The image was colored with Copics. I used half of the sentiment, "Just sitting here ..." for the front and finished the rest ... " thinking about you ." on the inside . The image panel was sponged with Distress ink. The orange panel was run half way through a Victorian CB folder. I think everything else is pretty self explanatory. Deets below.

Have a relaxing Saturday ... with your fav beverage ! Hugs !

Recipe:

Stamps: Flourishes

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Distress Ink in Antique Linen

Paper: Basic Grey, Neenah cream , black scrap

Accessories: CB folder, square Spellbinders Nestie, olive ribbon, gemstones, sticky dots, Copics

CAS 51 Friends are like Flowers ...

2010-01-30T12:08:00.004-05:00

Hi All :
Hope your weekend is off to a fabulous start !
My card today is for this week's CAS challenge over on Split Coast. The challenge this week is to use DP. What can be more simple then that ! I have used some textured cream cardstock for the base. This was run through the CB with a Quick Kutz folder. The dp is from Basic Grey's June Bug and was layered over a scrap from DCWV textured mat stack. The image , from Hero Arts , was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa and colored with Copics. Stickles were added to the center of the flower. It was then cut out and embossed with a square Nestie. The sentiment, from Flourishes, was also stamped with Rich Cocoa and cut out and embossed with a tag Nestie. Tiny buttons were added to the tag and there you have it !
Have a super day... hopefully with some creating time squeezed in.
Hugs !

SSCC 23 ...Just a touch of green ...

2010-01-28T12:35:00.002-05:00

Hello, dear stampers !
Today's post is my card for this week's Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge which is to use a touch of green. I've been wanting to try a little vintage since that is WAY out of my usual . My card uses Kraft cs for it's base. The dp is all from K&C 's Life's Journey . I've used a EK Success punch for the border. The sentiment panel was edged with my Scor Pal. The sentiment is from Stampabilities and one that I picked up at Hobby Lobby. The sentiment was stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa. I also stamped the leaves from SU's Embrace Life set in the background to add a little visual interest. These were colored in with a Mint Green Copic marker. The primas are from Hero Arts and were sponged with Color Box's Chalk in Warm Red then layered along with punched mint green leaves. Dew Drops were added to the centers of the primas. Finally sheer cream and gold ribbon and cream satin ribbon tied in a bow with my Bow Easy finish it off. There's my take on vintage and with a touch of green for the challenge. What do you think ?
Have a super day, everyone ! See you back here on Saturday.

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday 51

2010-01-26T12:13:00.003-05:00

This week's Timeless Tuesday challenge over at Flourishes is hosted by Pat Adam and of course, adoring Pat, I just had to play ! This week we are to use anything with the letter P... pink, paisleys, pearls, purple, piercing ... well, you get the idea. For more info. head on over to the Flourishes Newsletter .

My card uses the dp from Basic Grey's Eva pack. I coordinated this with SU's Marvelous Magenta and the base card is Neenah white. I colored up the violets from Flourishes Violets set with Copics, cut out and embossed with oval Nesties and mounted. The sentiment is from Hero Arts and was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ( as were the violets ) and cut out and embossed with circle Nesties. The border is done with a Martha Stewart punch. Pearls were added to the punched border, the image panel and the sentiment panel. And done ! I think I've mastered my P's ... ! See you again this week !

SNTODBD01 God is My Salvation

2010-01-26T08:30:00.003-05:00

G'Morning ! The computer is still in the shop but with a little help I am able to post from my laptop and I am delighted to post my card in time for Betty Wrights new challenge at ODBD. The challenge is to highlight a word or words using either ODBD's Scripture Collection 1 or 2. I have chosen this verse from Collection 1.
My DP is from Basic Grey's June Bug collection. I cut out the corner dp using Spellbinder's Peony die. The verse was stamped with SU's Night of Navy onto Neenah white . I stamped the verse again using Versacolor Marigold and cut out the above sections to highlight. These were attached with double stick tape. The verse was cut out and matted with Labels Four Nesties and the main panel was sponged with Night of Navy. Dots were added with a Navy fine tip marker as well as the mat with a white Inkessentials pen. I then cut out a navy Fleur de lis die from Spellbinders and secured behind the Labels panel. Navy satin and gold satin ribbons were secured to the base panel before the fleur de lis and Scripture panels were added. Tiny buttons were added to the lower left. I hope you like it. The deadline for playing this new challenge looms with a new challenge coming from Betty on Thursday so if you want to play, do hurry. Check out the ODBD blog for more details .
Have a terrific day . If you've come by for a visit, please let me know. I love your comments !
Hugs !

Temporary Setback

2010-01-25T08:09:00.002-05:00

Good Monday morning, friends ! We've had a nasty computer bug since last Tuesday and unfortunately the box is still in the shop. I certainly hope I have not lost any files but we will see. In the meantime, I'm surfing via my trusty old laptop. I am hoping I will be back with a card for you VERY soon . Have a good day now Big hugs !

Have a Sweet with Sprinkles !

2010-01-18T10:08:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday, friends !
I'm a bit under the weather today so this post will be short.
Today's card uses Impression Obsession's sumptuous cupcakes . The base card was run through a Cuttlebug folder and then layered with this dp from Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love . The cupcakes were colored with Copics and cut out and embossed with Nesties. I stamped the cupcakes again on a scrap and cut out just one cupcake and layered onto the main image for dimension. Stickles were added for " sprinkles". The sentiment " Have a Sweet day with Sprinkles on top" , doesn't show up very well in the photo but is stamped in the lower right corner of the dp. Have a good day, everyone !

Recipe:

Stamps: H&M stamps

Ink: Copics, SU's Creamy Caramel , Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: Neenah cream, Cosmo Cricket

Accessories: CB folder, Martha Stewart border punch, satin ribbon, buttons, twine, Stickles, sticky dots, Bow Easy, Nesties

Feel the Love Challenge

2010-01-15T10:31:00.003-05:00

My second post for today ( no, I'm not kidding !) . I just had to put my card in for Flourishes Feel the Love Challenge over that the Flourishes newsletter which ends at 5:00 Eastern today. My card uses the rose from I Love Roses set . I have used a Cuttlebug folder for the card base.
The roses were stamped three times with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Neenah white , then colored with Copics. Two rose buds were then cut out and layered atop the main image using the tole method. The image panel and frame panel were cut out using a scalloped rectangle Nestie.
Then using a very fine tip paintbrush, I added Peaceful Poppy Radiant Pearls to the rose for brightness and contrast . Everything was layered up as shown. Using an Inkessentials pen, I wrote the word " love" to the lower right corner on the black panel. Tiny red gemstones , red satin ribbon along with sheer dotted ribbon finish it off. Recipe below. I think that will do it for today.
Recipe:
Stamps: I Love Roses by Flourishes
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Neenah white, Bazzill red, black
Accessories: Copics, Spellbinders Nesties, CB folder, satin ribbon, sheer dotted swiss ribbon, Radiant Pearls, paintbrush, tiny gemstones, sticky dots,

Agape Love

2010-01-15T07:08:00.002-05:00

Well, yesterday's time in the stamping room was just what I needed ! I broke in my new pack of BG's " Origins" paper to make this card. Isn't that paper lovely! The Spellbinders frame is gold metallic cardstock from a long ago trip to Hollo's in northern OH ( can't believe I still have a small supply left !)
Everything was pretty much layered up. The bow game me a mini "fit"... it's not perfect but it will have to do ! Recipe is below. Have a good weekend ! I'll be back with more on Monday. Let me know if you've come by for a visit. I've missed you all and have enjoyed doing some peeping at your blogs .
Recipe:
Stamps: Our Daily Bread
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: BG Origins, foil cardstock, Archivers base
Accessories: gold satin ribbon, sage gemstones, sticky dots, Spellbinders Frame and Labels Four

Simple Masculine Valentine's

2010-01-14T13:29:00.002-05:00

Happy Thursday ! We're almost to the weekend and already two whole weeks into the new year ! Wow ! Today I've had a super amount of time in the stamping room and I'm beside myself with glee ! I've lots to accomplish but wanted to take a moment to post these cards that will be given to my three sons. Nothing frilly , no ribbon or gemstones but just a heart button tied with some black twine. Easy peasy and I think they will like them... especially if they come with some yummy candy ! heheh I'll be back with more later . Have a good one now and thanks so much for stopping by !
Recipe:
Stamps: Stampabilities
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Stenma dp, Sandy Lion dp, SU basic black , Bazzill Red, Neenah white
Accessories: Cuttlebug Argyle folder, Spellbinders heart Nesties, EK Success border punch, heart button, black twine, Sharpie fine edge marker , double stick tape

Love to My Sweetie !

2010-01-09T16:21:00.002-05:00

Hi, dear friends, how are you ??? ... hope your 2010 is off to a GREAT start ! We are shivering here in OH but oh, my stamping room is WARM ! I had time to play a little today and decided to post this card. I wanted to use this gorgeous dp plus ink up this new set . Before I knew it, I had made a PINK Valentine's card for my dh ! Oh, oh... quite hilarious to think what his reaction might be, but he's such a good sport , I'm giving it to him ! Just goes to show though, how long I've been out of paper crafting ! I'll post the recipe below but did want to mention that the snow and pom poms on the hats have this new Sparkly Fluff I picked up from Archivers a couple months ago. Just add a little glue and then pat down some fluff... no heat setting is required. I'm looking forward to coming by to visit your blogs in the next couple of days ! Sending you HUGE hugs !

Recipe:
Stamps: Stampendous
Ink: Memento London Fog
Paper: Neenah white, SU, dp( Quick Quotes )
Accessories: Copics, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder, Martha Stewart border and heart punches, Sparkly Fluff, BG buttons, Stickles, oval Nesties, tag Nestie

Merry Christmas to YOU!

2009-12-18T14:50:00.002-05:00

Hey, I miss you all ! I miss my stamping and I certainly miss checking out your blogs but I have been good and put the whole stamping / blogging fun on hold while taking care of holiday business here at home. Come January, I plan to become re-aquainted with my craft room , yeah, yeah ... AND come by to visit YOU! I'm sure I have tons of things to feast my eyes on . We will be traveling over the next couple of weeks... prayers appreciated . In the meantime, I just want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas filled with warm family moments and a heart FULL of joy towards Jesus, our very Reason for the Season. --Crystal

Give Thanks / Mojo #114

2009-11-25T13:32:00.002-05:00

Ah, to have a moment to post something ... yes ! How are you friends ? Life is crazy busy at the moment as I'm sure yours is too. I've put myself on a restriction diet ... that is ... less computer , more work ... so the blogging ( boo hoo) has taken a back seat ... well, sort of !
Here's my card for Mojo Monday ... a really simple card ... recipe is below.
Hope you, dear friends in the USA, have a blessed Thanksgiving and the rest of you have a super rest of the week.
Thanks for stopping by ... your comments are just the best ! Hugs !

Recipe:
Paper: Neenah cream, Quick Quotes dp, Night of Navy
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Prismacolor pencil
Stamp: a very old SU sentiment
Other: Circle / scallop Nesties, EK Success punch, Pumpkin grosgrain ribbon, Navy button

A Gift Idea

2009-11-18T08:50:00.003-05:00

Good morning, friends ... I have a quick post for you today and I'm again out the door... such is my life right now ! My DF Laurie reminded me one day of an old technique we had learned from our dear SU demo... stamping on tissue paper, wrapping the tissue to a white candle and melting with your heat tool. Now I don't have a tutorial for you , but I'm pretty sure you can find one on SCS... I have used the Lighthouse from ODBD, stamped in Memento Black on one thin piece of tissue, colored with a blue and a gray Copic and cut to fit the candle... just wrap around well and heat til it melts to your candle. I have used Crackle Accents to the finished look as well as Stickles to the light... You can measure and stamp again so that you have two of the same images around your candle. Is this confusing ? If you have any questions, jot me an email. Have a blessed day now. Hugs to you all .

SSCC12 Honoring our Heros

2009-11-10T08:38:00.004-05:00

This week at Stamping Sisters in Christ , Candance is offering the challenge based on John 15:13 : " Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." The challenge for this week is to make a card for a soldier and as a bonus, donate it to Operation Write Home. Candace has reminded us of a quote: " Only two people have ever died for you; one is Jesus Christ and the other is the American soldier." I don't know about you but I am always so deeply moved by these men in uniform and their willingness to serve. May God bless them . If you would like more information on this challenge , head on over to Stampin Sisters in Christ for the details on how to make a card to donate .
My card uses Stampin Up's Brilliant Blue, Real Red and white . I've cut triangular panels of blue and red then ran them through the new Stars CB folder and secured . I added the striped ribbon ( Hobby Lobby) over the seam and trimmed the edges. I then added a ribbon in the middle to resemble a medal ribbon and added a punched star and then a foil star atop that. The image is a piece of clipart from an old Memorial Day program that I resized to fit. I have matted that with opposite red and blue panels. The sentiments ( computer generated) were cut and embossed with a Tag nestie and secured. As you can see, I tried to keep everything flat for easy mailing. Don't forget to pray over your card that the soldier who receives your creation will feel God's presence and your love and prayers lifting him/her up.
Have a fabulous day ! { hugs !}

We Have Come to Worship Him

2009-11-09T16:02:00.002-05:00

Two posts in two days... yay! This stamp is an old stamp from Stampington I've had for a couple years now, at least and happily pulled it out again . I love the postcard/ collage look of it. I have stamped the image on Neenah cream with Memento Rich Cocoa. I then used Encore Gold to create a bit of shimmer with the direct to paper technique. The dp is Spiceberry from Memory Box which has a nice little matte gold to it. It was layered over shimmery gold foil paper. The border was stamped with a MS punch out of coordinating dp. I've used a CB folder on the underlying strip of gold. The sentiment is computer generated and cut and embossed with a Labels nestie. Shiny gold satin ribbon and some yellow gold gems and that's it . Hope your week is off to a fabulous start. Hugs to YOU !

Grace

2009-11-08T16:44:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone ! It's been awhile , I know. We've been so busy here , there's just no time to hit the stamping room and my, have I missed it ! Tomorrow I meet up with the girls for a full day of stamping . Now , if I am good, I will not spend all my time gabbing but instead get a good stash of cards made which I really need to do. We'll see !
My card today uses the new CB folder which I think is called Herringbone, but don't take my word for it just yet... look it up to be sure. The dp is from a friend and I think from the K&C pack Que Sera Sera ... again , I'm not sure . Gee, I am no help here today, am I ? The sentiment is from Our Daily Bread 's " Grow in Grace" and was stamped with VersaColor in Mountain Lake. The sentiment was cut out and embossed with an oval Nestie. The paper is Neenah cream. Bright yellow paper is from Archivers. Gemstones are from K&C. And really, that is all there is to it !
Hope you are all enjoying some beautiful weather this weekend ! Thanks for stopping by ! Hugs !

Let It Snow !

2009-10-28T18:06:00.002-04:00

Hi All ! Am back in chilly OH after a brief and welcomed vacation in sunny FL . Now isn't this " little man" cute ? Lest you think the sentiment is fitting my mood ... NOT ! But I just had to ink up this fancy fella. This is a really simple card. I chose to go for an "icy" monochromatic look . Recipe will be posted below. I'll be back later with more ... gotta tend to the family, ya know. Hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. { hugs !}

Recipe:
Paper: Dewfrost by Memory Box, Neenah white
Ink: Color Box black, Copics
Stamp: Inkadinkado
Other: Rectangle nesties, black detail EP, clear gems, satin ribbons, mini pop dots, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, Dazzling Diamonds glitter

A Brief Note ...

2009-10-18T13:48:00.003-04:00

I'll be traveling for the coming week and since I have yet to figure out how to do scheduled posts , I won't have any cards posted for you but check back here next week. I will be crazy itching to stamp, blog and visit your blogs when I return ! Have a really good week , everyone ! { hugs !}

Blog Hop tonight ! / SSCC #8

2009-10-16T10:33:00.006-04:00

Happy Friday everyone!
Tonight is the blog hop for Nina Brackett's new Lord of the Season set . I will be gone all day and weekend and must post early so if you will check back here at 10PM tonight , the Gina K team as well as others will have their posts up. Be sure to join the hop. You are sure to be inspired and wowed by everyone's creations. Now to my card... I wanted to use this set for baby shower invitations / registry inserts and am so pleased at how versatile this set is and how you can make it work for many different occasions. This is also my post for this week's Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge . I will leave the recipe below. Let me know what you think . Thanks so much for stopping by ! Remember, everyone will have their posts up at 10:00 tonight ...

Gina K designers joining in on the hop tonight :

Nina
Carolyn
Cathy
Donna
Erika
Jessica
Kurtis
Lee
Melanie
Theresa

September's Center Stage Spotlight Team:

Janice
Joy
Kay
Lori

Nina's Guest DT and friends :

(me... you are here !)
JenMarie
Lisa

Enjoy the hop ! Remember , you can purchase this set in the Gina K store here . For more inspiration , be sure to check out Stamp TV here .

Recipe:
Stamps: Lord of the Season
Paper: DCWV Nursery pack , Neenah white
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black , Copics, sentiment ( computer generated)
Other: Labels 3 Nesties, large pinking circle Nesties , grosgrain ribbon, sage gemstones, mini pop dots

Blog Hop tomorrow !

2009-10-15T16:12:00.002-04:00

Hey friends :
Hope you are having a super Thursday and looking forward to the weekend! I don't have a card for you at the moment but just wanted to remind you to stop by here tomorrow. There will be a blog hop for Nina Brackett's new "Lord of the Season" set with Gina K and gang as well as yours truly. It's sure to be filled with some uber special creations that will inspire. See you tomorrow !

Delight Yourself in the Lord ...

2009-10-14T08:24:00.003-04:00

G'Morning, All !
I could not wait to use this gorgeous paper that my friend Laurie shared with me... unfortunately, I can't remember the exact name but it's from K&C's holiday pack so hopefully that will help. My sentiment is from Verve and was cut and embossed with a square scalloped Nestie. I'll leave the recipe below as I am out the door this morning. Have a blessed day everyone and please let me know you've come by for a visit . { hugs !}
Recipe:
Paper: K&C
Stamp: Verve
Ink: Memento Bamboo Leaves
Other: satin ribbon, Martha Stewart border punch, button slide ( JoAnn's) , mini pop dots, Sizzix flourishes, gemstones

SSNOTIME108 Krafty Black

2009-10-12T18:12:00.003-04:00

Hi All !
I decided to play along with Sharon's Stamp Simply challenge this past week which is to use kraft and black cardstock. I rarely use kraft as my ideas just do not go in that direction . Nothing like something to stretch the mind a bit! Now this card was easy peasy ... I took a piece of kraft and ran in through with a large pinking circle in the middle thus cutting out a circle . I then folded the cardstock in half. I then added a folded black scrap on the inside , gluing it so that it fills the hole. I then cut a smaller pinking circle out of a kraft scrap to add to the black . Oh, I punched two holes into the black and threaded the black striped ribbon. The ribbon was black and white ... I colored the white with a Copic that matched the kraft pretty closely. The ribbon was knotted and trimmed. The sentiment was stamped as you see above. The paisley flower is from Heidi Grace stamps. It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and embossed with detail black. Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Graphite was then sprayed lightly onto the kraft panel and once dry, black gemstones were added to the center of the flowers. And really that 's all it took ! What do you think ? I think I will pull out the kraft and try using it a little more ! Have a super evening wherever you are . { hugs !}

Flourishes "Season that Sparkles" Challenge

2009-10-11T17:50:00.003-04:00

Hope you all are having a great weekend ! Now, if you didn't know, Flourishes will soon be releasing 6 new sets . Yes, you read that right ... SIX ! If you would like to add your name into the drawing to win all six sets , then this challenge is for you . Hop on over to the Flourishes page here to read all the details.
I am using paper from the new Eskimo Kisses pack from Basic Grey. Love that paper ! The image is a free digi but I am so sorry to say, I can't remember exactly where I found it but I promise when I locate it, I will come back and post it for you. I've colored with Copics to match the paper, used a Quickie Glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the details in the image and after cutting with a scalloped circle Nestie, left the image in the die and went around the edges with the glue pen and then added glitter to the scalloped edges. If you click on the photo , it will enlarge for you. I'll leave the recipe below. Thanks again for coming by and leaving such sweet comments.

Recipe:
Paper: Basic Grey " Eskimo Kisses", SU
Digi image
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Other: Scalloped Circle Nestie, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Quickie Glue pen, white satin ribbon, button, twine, snowflake CB folder, mini pop dots

A Touch of Homespun Christmas

2009-10-10T13:54:00.003-04:00

Happy Saturday , All !
Today I'm showing another card using Nina Brackett's new Lord of the Season set . The tree was stamped and colored with Copics. I sponged distress ink onto the panel before removing it from the Labels 4 die. I used a glitter glue pen to draw the garland on the tree and then added gold glitter. The star on the treetop was a bright blue. I just colored it with a gold Zig Painty pen and then added the same glitter glue while still wet and that worked just fine . The red embossed paper was from Archiver's but I don't have a name for you . And lastly, the sentiment on the lower right corner " tis the season" is by Martha Stewart. The recipe is below . You can see many more ideas using this set on Stamp TV. Don't forget there will be a blog hop on Friday , the 16th using this set so make sure you stop by to savor all the gorgeous creations from the DT at Gina K.
And lastly , if I might, my friend Laurie is having a birthday today so pop on over to her blog to wish her a Happy ! Have a super Saturday !

Recipe:
Paper: Eskimo Kisses ( Basic Grey) , Archivers, white
Stamps: Lord of the Season ( Gina K)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Accessories: Glitter glue pen, gold glitter, star, gemstones, gold cord, pop dots, Labels 4 Nestie ( Spellbinders )

Eccl.3:1 / Lord of the Season #4/ MoJo Monday sketch 107

2009-10-07T07:40:00.004-04:00

Hello stampers ... Happy Wednesday !
I have another sample for you today using one of the sentiments from Nina Brackett's new "Lord of the Season" set ... This card also uses MoJo Monday's sketch for this week . You can find that sketch here .
This verse is so encouraging to me at this time . With transition from busy kid years to a near empty nest, it's a comfort to know that He is with us in our seasons of life also . Even though we are experiencing a little of the heart-sadness that goes with this phase, we can trust the Lord that He does have new service opportunities and new adventures for us.
Have a super day ! ( hugs !)
Recipe:
Paper: Bo Bunny's "Gypsy Spice", Hobby Lobby
Stamps: Lord of the Season ( Gina K)
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Scalloped Oval Spellbinder Nesties, May Arts ribbon, K&C gems, pop dots, Scor Pal

I Cor. 12:31/ Siku & Shiya

2009-10-05T10:44:00.003-04:00

Hey friends :
Hope you have stamping on your to-do list today. My card today uses Mo's Digi adorable image " Siku & Shiya" ... aren't they cute ? I've colored them with Copics and added Liquid Applique to their fur. They were then cut out with a circle Nestie as well as the mat behind it. The white panel was run through the CB snowflake folder and then painted with Moonlight Smooch. It has a wonderful sheen IRL that I have been unable to capture in the photo. Papers are from Archivers and SU as well as Neenah white . Red satin ribbon was added to the base panel. The Scripture verse stamp is an old one from Embossing Arts that I love . It was stamped and then cut out with a Tags Nestie . Silver cording ties it up as well as the image " ornament" . I added a clear gem to the hanger part of the image panel. Really that simple ! Hope you have a terrific Monday. I'll have more for you on the Lord of the Season set this week as well as other posts. Thanks so much for stopping by ! { hugs !}

Recipe:
Paper: Archivers, Neenah white, SU
Stamps: Mo's digi, Embossing Arts
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Accessories: CB folder. circle Nesties, tag Nestie, Moonlight Smooch, silver cording, red satin ribbon, Liquid Applique, pop dots, " diamond" gemstone

#3 Lord of the Season

2009-10-02T08:24:00.003-04:00

Hi friends ...
I'm concluding my week with another card using Nina Brackett's new set , Lord of the Season which is now in the Gina K store. Today's card uses vellum and embossing. I have stamped the image onto vellum, embossed with jeweled gold embossing powder and then colored in the image on the reverse side . I chose to focus just on the fruit and leaves, so as to draw attention to those. The sentiment was also stamped and embossed. The vellum is secured on the inside fold between the cs and the vellum with vellum tape. Lastly, a honey gold satin ribbon was added and done ! Really a simple and easy card but , I think, elegant . Recipe will be below.
Remember to hop on over to Nina's
blog to view this gorgeous set in it's entirety and to see Nina's beautiful samples . And check out the Gina K store for all the new releases.
I'll have another post for you next week using this gorgeous set so check back here then. Have a FABULOUS Friday and weekend ! And thanks again for stopping by .

Recipe:
Paper: vellum, white cs
Stamps: Lord of the Season ( Gina K)
Ink: Gold Encore, SU markers
Accessories: jeweled gold EP, vellum tape, gold ribbon

#2 Lord of the Season

2009-10-01T07:55:00.002-04:00

Is it Thursday already? Today I have another sample to hopefully inspire using Nina Brackett's new set, " Lord of the Season". I tell you, the more I use this set, the more I love it ! The ideas just keep coming ! I have used the dp and the tole idea for the tree. I used a Spellbinders rectangle die to frame the tree by sponging inside and outside the die. I will leave the recipe below. If you'd like to see more samples using this set , hop on over to Nina's blog . Gina K and her DT also have samples posted this week. And don't forget, tonight is the release party at SCS beginning at 7:00 CST. There will be games, prizes and previews so be sure and hop over there to join in the fun.
Thanks so much for stopping by . I love and appreciate your comments ! Have a good one ! { hugs !}
Recipe:
Paper: Kaiser, Neenah white, SU
Stamps: Lord of the Season ( Gina K)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, SU
Accessories: Spellbinders rectangle Nestie, sage gemstones, white satin ribbon, dimensionals, sponge

Lord of the Season / Guest DT Creation #1

2009-09-30T05:44:00.004-04:00

Good Morning, All !

I'm delighted today to post the first of my creations using Nina Brackett's new "Lord of the Season" set soon -to -be in the Gina K store. What a versatile set and a dream to color. Seeing these topiaries made me think of the entrance to a wedding thus I chose to make this card. Recipe is below.

Hop on over to Nina's
blog to see more samples of her lovely set. Gina and the GinaK DT are showing previews of the new stamps as well. You can start on Gina's blog to find the DT's links. And don't forget the release party will be on Thursday, October 1st over on SCS starting at 7:00 CST. There will be games, prizes and more previews.

I'll be back tomorrow with another post using this set. Thanks for coming by! Have a blessed day, everyone !

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey " Porcelain, SU Pretty in Pink

Stamp: " Lord of the Season" Gina K

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics (RV11, G24, W1, W3 )

Accessories: Spellbinders Labels 4, petal gemstones ( Michaels), shimmery ribbon ( JoAnn's)

Some Fall Inspiration and an Announcement !

2009-09-28T19:10:00.004-04:00

Happy late Monday to you all ! My card for you today uses the new Flourishes leaf set and what a dream it was to color this!
The leaf, acorn and sentiment were stamped with Rich Cocoa by Memento onto Neenah white and colored with Copics . I forgot to write down the colors , oops, me sorry . Gold Encore as well as a light touch of Memento Bamboo Leaves green were sponged onto the image panel . The image was cut out and matted with , I believe, Labels Nine . Paper is by Cosmo Cricket. Ribbons , a slide and some gold sticky dots and all done ! It shouldn't be long before we have some gorgeous Fall color here and I am certainly looking forward to that !

Now for the announcement : I am excited and honored that Nina Brackett from Gina K has asked me to be her guest DT for her new release, " Lord of the Season" available this Wednesday , October 1st. I will have some samples to show you beginning Wednesday so check back here. Don't forget to check out Nina's blog as well as Gina K's beginning tomorrow for the sneak peek.

Have a restful evening and thanks for stopping by ! Hugs !

A New Outfit !

2009-09-24T08:24:00.002-04:00

Good morning, stampers ! I don't have a card for you this morning but hope to post one tomorrow. But I do have a new look ... what do you think ? I've tried many times to change my banner and background but it would just keep reverting to the old...so this is refreshing ! Many thanks to Evan Todd , who volunteered to make me a new blog banner . I am really liking that beautiful leaf ! So thank you, Evan ... if you leave a comment , I'll be sure and pass it along to him. Have a blessed day, everyone !

Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge #5

2009-09-22T13:35:00.004-04:00

Hi All and Happy Tuesday ! You in the mood for Fall ? There's a fun challenge going on at SSCC this week. Kathy Winter chose for this challenge, Ecclesiastes 3:1. " There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven." Read the chapter when you can. This very chapter makes me want to bow down and worship the Creator... what a great God ! Now the challenge is to use Fall colors. I thought long and hard about this. One of the things I love about Fall is taking a hayride, going to the apple and pumpkin farms , etc. I didn't find any dp in my stash that came close to what I wanted to do , but then I remembered I had this CottaMesh. The base panel was run through a Swirls CB folder . The image is from Mo's Digital and was stamped and colored with Copics ( YR09, YR16, E35, E55m E00, R20, YG17, B97, 00 ) . I then sponged Bliss Blue lightly around the image and cut out with a square Nestie. Next I took this wood grain dp and doubled up two square Nesties and cut out to frame the main image. The CottaMesh was then cut to fit underneath and frayed. The leaf brads are by Spare Parts and were painted with Smooch ( Pumpkin and Siren) and left to dry. Once dry, I added them to the corners. A jute bow was added to the top left with a mini pop dot . The sentiment is computed generated, cut with a Labels 4 die , cut in half , sponged with Distress Ink and secured to the edge of the " window" . And that does it! I really like the "looking out the window of the barn " effect that the CottaMesh gives. Make it a super day! The Lord bless you !

Time for a Christmas Card , eh !

2009-09-17T16:45:00.004-04:00

I'm not normally in the mood to make Christmas cards this early, but with all the cute snowman cards out and a new Spellbinders pendant in my possession , the motivation moved in ! The poinsetta is layered with the tole idea and Liquid Pearls and glitter were added which don't show up very well in the photo but might show up if you click on the photo. I'll leave the recipe below. I've not been feeling so great today so I'll keep this short. Have a good Thursday evening and thanks a bunch for stopping by ! { hugs !}
Deets:
Stamp: Stampabilities
Ink: Color Box silver pigment, Copics (R81,R83,R85)
Paper: Neenah white, silver foil cardstock
Accessories: Spellbinders Fleur de lis pendant, snowflake CB folder, Pink Poinsetta Shimmerz, Liquid Pearls, dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, fern punch, pearls

SSCC4 "The Places You'll Go "

2009-09-15T14:43:00.004-04:00

Happy Tuesday, All !
I've managed to hit the stamping room today to put together my card for this week's challenge at Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge. The Scripture for this week is found in Jeremiah 29:11 " For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future ." This verse is such an encouragement to me ... wow ! For my card which is to follow the sketch this week , I knew what I wanted to do right away. Taylored Expressions has this adorable set out called " The Places You'll Go " with Dr. Seuss quotes and sweet images. Here's my mini how -to. I've stamped the balloon and sentiment onto Barely Banana with Memento Black ink. I again stamped the balloon onto a Banana scrap. Images were then colored with SU markers , the clouds were colored with a white Inkssentials pen and the main image sponged lightly with Bliss Blue. I then brushed on some Candlelight Shimmerz to the yellow stripes of the balloon. Click on the picture for a close up. The main image was then cut out with a large circle Nestie. The balloon will be slightly outside of the circle, which is fine. Then cut the second image just for the balloon part and the clouds and mount onto the main image for dimension. I then cut two large pinking circles with contrasting dp and mounted these behind the main image. The base dp as well as the contrasting dp is by Making Memories . I then colored the white in this red / white stripe ribbon with a yellow (Y15) Copic marker and added just to the other side then what is called for in the sketch. After attaching a corner of the contrasting dp, the lower right corner was folded up. I could not resist adding this cute little " worm" by Art Impressions ( ok, it's a caterpillar but let's pretend it's a worm ... you know, as in bookworm ?!) which was stamped , colored and cut out and added with a mini pop dot. Lastly I added mini buttons from Hero Arts to the upper right corner. I think it's a fun card for a student , young or old. What do you think ? I appreciate you stopping by as well as your sweet comments. You, blogging friends , are just the best ! Have a blessed day !

Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge 3

2009-09-11T16:21:00.004-04:00

Happy Friday all ... and Happy weekend too!
This week's challenge at SSCC3 is " Back to School" which is to make a project for a student or teacher. Two of my sons head back to The Ohio State University this next week and my goal was to make cards for them to not only encourage them to work hard, to make good choices and to keep the big picture in mind but to not forget the Lord . College is such an exciting time ... the feel of independence and freedom ... remembering my own college years ... I want them to have fun , to study but most of all to not forget all that we have taught them ... that ultimately they belong to Christ , to pray for His guidance and to seek His wisdom. Not an easy thing to do or remember on a college campus.

The sentiment for this card is from Our Daily Bread. The gray base panel was run through a CB folder for texture. The image was cut out with circle and scalloped circle Nesties. Gray and OSU papers are from my stash . I'm not quite sure who makes them. Ribbon and sticky dots were added. And there you have it ! Thanks a bunch for stopping by today ! { hugs!}

SSCC2 You Make My ...

2009-09-05T20:50:00.003-04:00

Whew ... I see I'm getting my card for the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge #2 in by the skin of my teeth ! Tonight is the deadline so if you are so inclined , hurry ... you have until 11:59PM . This week's challenge Scripture is from the Song of Solomon 6:3 ... " I am my Lover's and my lover is mine ; he browses among the lilies ." The challenge is to make a card for your spouse or significant other , or if you are not married, someone you care for such as a dear friend and you MUST give it to them. Here's my card. This adorable stamp is by American Art Stamp and was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa and colored in with Copics ( BG000, BG72, E70, E71, E27, E00, W1 and 00). I then cut out the image and the mat with Labels Four Nesties. The paper pack is Basic Grey's " Offbeat" . I chose to stamp the image twice and cut out and paper piece the umbrella and layer up for dimension. The sentiment was computer generated and cut out with a tag Nestie. I then added gemstones to the umbrella and each side of the sentiment. And lastly, but certainly not least, it's off to my DH who has been SO sweet and thoughtful today ... Thanks again for visiting . Be sure and check out Stampin Sisters in Christ blog for a new challenge beginning tomorrow. Hugs to you !

Feel of Fall Challenge at Flourishes

2009-09-04T15:03:00.003-04:00

Flourishes is kicking off Fall with some new releases and to be into their fabulous drawing to win all FOUR of their new sets , all you have to do is play their challenge using their sketch . Interested ? Head on over to the Flourishes newsletter for the deets. Here's my card. This is one of my favorite sets from Flourishes called Swing Set . I , however, was seeking for a way to make it more Fall-like and this is what I came up with. Instead of paper piecing the sleeveless dress , I paper pieced using long sleeves and colored the leaves with Fall Copic colors. Ta Da ! I am so pleased ! Papers are from Basic Grey's "Mellow" pack. The red panel was run through a CB folder on reverse , the punch is from EK Success and ribbon and buttons ( Hero Arts ) were added.

Have a fabulous rest of day and a super Labor Day weekend . I'll be back with more soon.

FIL Birthday

2009-09-03T08:32:00.003-04:00

Good morning, Friends ...
I'm posting a card from my older stash for you today. I made this card for my dear FIL for his birthday. This stamp set is from Clear Dollar Stamps . I've stamped the image with Memento Rich Cocoa twice. The main image was cut out with a Spellbinders Nestie and lightly colored with Prismacolor pencils. I then cut individual sails from the second image after coloring them and layered them for dimension. Stickles were added to the water for shimmer. The paper is from Basic Grey's " Granola" pack . I've punched large burnished eyelets to the corners of the base panel and then threaded with May Arts twine. The sentiment was cut with a tag Nestie and added with pop dots. I think that about explains it. If you have questions at any time about a card, feel free to email me. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit today. Praying you will have a fabulous day ! { Hugs !!}

You Answer Me ...

2009-09-02T19:44:00.003-04:00

Happy Wednesday ! I've a late post today. Been playing with my new Spellbinders which you can see here. This scripture verse is from Our Daily Bread and is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black then cut out and embossed with the Labels Four die. Some distressing from TH's Distress Antique Linen was sponged onto the panel. The gray frame is also cut out and embossed from the same set. The orange frame is from the Classic Frames set. What a gorgeous set! Papers are from Basic Grey's "Ambrosia" pack. Punched dots were added to the corners and gems from K&C to the main image. Super easy ... just layer everything up and mount with dimensionals.

Have a restful evening. I'll be back tomorrow with another post. Blessings !

Fall is in the Air !

2009-09-01T16:30:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone ... hope you are all doing well this first day of September. I have a quick and simple card to show you this afternoon. I just love this little leaf from Basic Grey . It was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa and then colored with watercolor pencils and an aqua painter. This wonderful textured pumpkin ( looks more salmon in the photo ) paper is from Bazzill and the brown and cream are SU! The sentiment ( Flourishes Sweet Violets) was stamped with Rich Cocoa also . I colored the pearls with a brown Copic marker. I also added some rich satiny ribbon to the base panel . Everything was layered up with dimensionals and done ! We are out the door to a baseball game. Hope to be back here tomorrow with more . Have a good one now.

Artful Sentiments CC #22 / Rainy Day

2009-08-27T06:54:00.003-04:00

Hey, friends... hoping you are having a terrific Thursday. This card is made with My Favorite Things " Rainy Day" set . What a fun set to color. I've used Copics E57, E31, G94,YG17, YG03, V15, R27, Y11, Y17, Y19 and O on this card. Artful Sentiments CC is to use the three greens listed above. The paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Snorkel pack. Twine was added for a drawstring for her hood and buttons added to her rain slicker. I've used a pale blue colored pencil to lightly color the image panel and then a silver metallic pencil to add some raindrops. They don't show up very well in the photo. If you have any questions, just email me. That's all for today. I'll be back with more this week. { hugs !}

Timeless Tuesday challenge/Your Kindness Leaves ....

2009-08-26T14:55:00.004-04:00

Is it Wednesday already ... wow ... I had hoped to post this card on Monday but the camera battery went dead then couldn't find the charger from vacation, then... but then I know you know how it goes ! Life is filled with the unexpected ... Here's my card for today... a really simple thank you. I love this paper from the K&C Wild Raspberry pack and with Fall soon upon us, I wanted to use this summery gorgeous floral while it was still " in season". The background mat and frame is Ruby Red . The frame is from Spellbinders Classic Frames and was cut out and embossed. The sentiment is from Verses and was stamped on a scrap of dp and positioned to the back of the frame. The Timeless Tuesday challenge at Flourishes this week is to use pearls. I've added pearls to the corners of the frame and to the butterfly. The pearls were colored with a Copic marker (BG15). The butterfly was cut out from a scrap of dp then Stickles were added . I had to resist adding ribbon and other embellies , instead letting the glittery dp have center stage. Hope you like it . I'll be back with more later . Have a super rest of Wednesday. Hugs !

Friday Flourishes is Distressing !

2009-08-21T10:22:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone ! I'm "playing" another challenge today ( woo hoo) which is the Friday Flourishes Challenge. This week it is to make a card with distressing.

I buy paper already distressed when I need that rough hewn look so hardly ever think to distress a good piece of paper but I tried it here. This gorgeous paper is by Graphic 45 and I've used both sides. I've taken super fine sandpaper and roughened the edges, especially the corners. It doesn't seem to show up very well in the photo . Next , I pulled out this old sentiment from Stampin Up 's retired " All I Have Seen" set and stamped it with Memento Rich Cocoa onto Very Vanilla. I then pulled out this nifty potted plant from Flourishes " Chairs" set and stamped it alongside then colored in with Copics. The image and mat were cut out with Labels 4 and popped up with dimensionals. I used Distress Ink " Antique Linen" and sponged around the edges of the panel. I've also layered strips of the dp which also doesn't show up very well in the photo. Next , I took this sheer ribbon and tied it over the image. If you look closely ( click on the picture for a close up) you can see that this sheer ribbon lies over the words ..." for all I have not seen..." I think that gives such a visual picture... our vision of the future is cloudy ... we can not see or know what our future holds but our Creator knows and we can trust Him . Finally, tiny gems were added to the image and that does it for this card. Have a wonderful summer weekend and thanks again for stopping by . I'll see you back here on Monday . { hugs !}

Blog Award to Pass Along

2009-08-20T11:43:00.002-04:00

Good morning, everyone ! I received this beautiful award from Grace

which is just the sweetest because she is such a sweetheart... an inspiration to me too ! What more, her blog is gorgeous ... you must run over and take a peek if you haven't already!

The rules for this award are that I must list five things I love to do and then pass it along to five other people.

Now this is going to take some thought because I love to do SO many things but here are five :

1. I love doing things with my family. Humor reigns in my house!

2. I love to create beautiful things... whether it be stamping or decorating, I take alot of joy in the visual arts.

3. I love to travel. Going overseas is quite an experience but even more, I'm loving seeing more of the USA.

4. I love shopping for bags, and shoes and stamps/ supplies and kitchen gadgets and flowers and ... I'm probably more of a window shopper than a buyer ... I don't need/ want to have them all ... does that make sense ?!

5. I love to show hospitality, as the Bible says we should. I bake, cook and take great joy in opening my home to others whether for a week or when they drop in. And yes, I've had to learn to relax my standards and just welcome and enjoy and love the people , not worry about the dust bunnies or the pile of newspapers.

Boy, would I love to pass this on to EVERYONE on my blog list as reading your answers would be so fun and enlightening ! OK , probably not feasible for me to do that so how about these five :

I'll be back to post a card later on. Have a blessed day ! { hugs !}

Stampin Sisters in Christ ( SSC) Challenge #1

2009-08-19T11:27:00.005-04:00

WooHoo ... two cards posted in two days ! That's a good feeling ! First , I want to apologize for the " busy" photo. I take my shots in my stamping room right by the big picture window which ,unfortunately, is also where my mess is, so I really hope you can see the card for the clutter ! One day I'll get the photo "cube" which should make things better. Now onto the card. This card was made for the Stampin Sisters in Christ #1 challenge which is use to food or drink on your card. I've had this cookie stamp ( Mail Expressions) for years and thought it would be fun to ink it up again. The sentiment( Darcies ) was broken up into two . Both the cookies and the sentiment were stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa. The sentiments were cut out with a tag Nestie. The cookies were embossed slightly and then the chips were colored in with a Chocolate Chip ( !) marker to make them pop a little. They were then cut out and popped up with dimensionals. The papers are by K&C 's Wild Saffron pack. The upper left corner of the dp was paper pierced on reverse to make it stand out a little better. Buttons ( Hero Arts ) and ribbon finish off the look . I would so love to have some real chocolate chip cookies today( yum, yum ) but gotta watch that cholesterol !

Have a good Wednesday !

II Timothy 1:7

2009-08-18T08:05:00.003-04:00

It's starting to feel like summer is winding down with the boys getting ready to go back to college and school thus my time in the stamping room will increase. I am SO looking forward to that ! Now don't get me wrong, I love having the boys home, they are just the best but a woman has to have some stamping time ya know! I love the Scripture collections from ODBD and this one from this set is the first I've inked up. I've pulled the dp's from the K&C " Wild Raspberry" pack. The white punched borders are from a Martha Stewart punch. The image was stamped on Barely Banana and then cut out and embossed with circle Nesties. I then cut and embossed the two separate mats with large pinking circle Nesties. The bird is from a MS punch also. Ribbon and dew drops were added to finish it off. What do you think ? The forecast is calling for rain for the next few days which will be welcome here. What better thing to do on a rainy day then to stamp! I love that you've chosen to stop by today! Have a good one now, ya hear !

Vintage Lottie and an award

2009-08-13T19:17:00.003-04:00

Hi All ! Hope you are having a fantastic week. I am sorry to have been MIA. My days are filled to the brim with activity and must - do's as I'm sure yours are too. My card today is a little on the vintage side; a style that's not very " me" but with this sophisticated " Lottie" from Impression Obsession, I wanted to give it a go. The image was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa onto Very Vanilla cs and then colored with Prismacolor pencils. I then added tiny beads to her ribbon choker . The image was cut out and embossed with Spellbinders oval Nesties as well as the mat behind the image. The background paper is from K & C's McKenna pack. Beaded trim and satiny ribbon trim was added and the sentiment ( computer generated) was cut out with a Nestie's tag and then added. You can click on the image for a close -up. Next ...

Christina recently sent me this award which I am thrilled to receive . Thank you so much , dear friend ! It's taken me awhile to post and pass along. Here's the rest of the scoop:

To pick up the Circle of Friends Blog Award :

Cut and paste the award logo and use it on your own blog. Nominate at least five other bloggers you feel have become part of your circle of friends. Link to your nominees , within your blog post and include these instructions on how to pick up the award on your blog post. To show your appreciation to the person who gave you the award, link back to their blog. Finally, comment on the recipents blogs to let them know they've received the award.

OK , here are my five nominees:

It was certainly hard to choose just five because I consider all of you such great stamping friends... what an awesome bunch of women ! Thanks for stopping by ! Have a good Friday and weekend. I'll be back early next week with more.

Blog Candy you won't want to miss !

2009-08-12T19:20:00.002-04:00

http://http://stephaniecastrodesigns.blogspot.com/2009/08/some-thank-you-blog-candy.html

http://http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/2009/08/thank-you-collab-blog-candy.html

Tea-licious !

2009-08-06T14:40:00.003-04:00

Hi friends ! How wonderful to be back ! We had a fabulous vacation overseas ! The wedding, the weather, the sightseeing, the resort ... everything made for a memorable time we won't soon forget. A group of us women met one day in Melbourne for afternoon tea and scones. Talk about a beautiful table and yummy food not to mention the laughter and conversation. The card above is a thank you I'll be sending way Down Under to the dear lady who hosted the tea. I've used paper from the new Basic Grey Lemonade pack. The stamp and sentiment are from My Favorite Things. The image was colored with Copics , sponged while in a Nestie and then cut out. Candlelite Shimmerz was brushed over the image and then Stickles were lightly added to the teacup. The yellow mat was run through a CB folder to resemble a tablecloth and then everything mounted up with dimensionals . Dew drops and ribbon were added and that's it !

I look forward to doing some serious blog hopping in the next few days. Can't wait to see all the wonderful creations you've been putting out . { hugs !}

Scripture Magnets

2009-07-21T08:50:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone! Happy Tuesday to you ! Today I thought I would show you a couple of the Scripture magnets I am making . This idea started when I was thinking of ways to encourage my college- age sons . Making Scripture cards would be a great idea but then I thought adding a magnet will allow them to stick to the metal around their desks or add to the bathroom mirror so they'll see while shaving ! These are so easy to make. I used Basic Grey papers here and created the verses via computer . The shapes were cut with Nesties and layered up with dimensionals. You can do them in a theme to reflect a child's personality, school colors or interests. After embellishing, I just added a magnet to the back as you can see below. That's it ! What do you think ?

I will be off the computer for a couple of weeks but will be back soon. I have some big ideas to try when I return . Have a great week ! { hugs , hugs ! }

Seaside Shack

2009-07-17T10:51:00.003-04:00

It's Friday, Friends ! Where has the week gone? It was fun to finally have a bit more time for creating and coloring. This Seaside Shack is from Impression Obsession and boy, does it make me want to head for the water ! I colored it up with Copics and the colorless blender and a little bit of Prismacolor metallic silver. I then sponged around the edges with Bliss Blue and Creamy Caramel. The border is made with a EK Success punch. Dp is from the new Basic Grey pack , " June Bug". Buttons ( JoAnn's) were threaded with twine from May Arts and glued on. Voila... done ! May you have a wonderful summer weekend ! Thanks so much for visiting . I'll be back here on Monday .