So Proud of You Steampunk Chemistry Card

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tea Thyme (currant, citrus, and thyme - without a doubt one of my very favorite teas!)

Hello, everyone! Before I forget, the place in Ann Arbor, Michigan where I order all of my delicious teas is having a sale on some of their classic Japanese green tea. they only charge a very minimal shipping fee, so check out the store if you think you might be interested.  the sale is for a limited time only, so hurry over! my hubby only likes green tea, so we have tried several of these. we also enjoy many of their herbal blends. I like all kinds of tea, and have yet to find any of theirs that I don't enjoy. they are great both hot and cold. :)

The card I am sharing today is made for our oldest son. You might remember that he moved to Delaware this spring to start a new job. We just learned that not only has he done well in his job, but he has received a promotion! :) Tyler works in a laboratory and now oversees the entire operation as the Supervisor. They are training him to be the Department Manager! I am so very proud of him! :)

so of course I had to make a card for him. that is what all crafty moms do, right?!

the images come from The Graphics Fairy and Create with TLC. papers are from my beloved Basic Grey stash, this time from the Origins collection.  I used the mini gears stencil from The Crafters Workshop over the base sheet of designer paper, which was then edged in Sensational Sage embossing powder by WOW!.

main image die is by Spellbinders, banner die is by SU!, and wheel cog dies are by Tim Holtz. tag is stamped with Prima stamps and tied with seam binding  from Zipper Stop which has been distressed with several shades of ink. burlap flower is from Petaloo. vintage buttons and metal cogs are from my stash.

for those of you who have asked and left such kind comments, I am still dealing with my seizures on a daily basis. sometimes they are really bad and it's hard to get out of bed. other days I am able to get to my craft room for a few hours. at this point we are just hoping I am able to go to Tyler and Danielle's wedding next month. most of the time just trying to get Palmer outside to go to the bathroom causes me to go into seizures, so getting to a wedding is a big prayer. I can't ride in a car without them taking place either. but we have lots of hope and faith. :) and in the scheme of things, I have so very much to be thankful for. these are more annoying than anything.

Thanks so much for stopping by! love to all of you!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Shopping Our Stash - get krafty (card base, matting piece, cog die cuts)
TTCRD - anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Card Mania - anything goes
Creative Crafters - anything goes
Use Your Stuff - anything goes (with a title or sentiment)
Pile it On - vintage/retro
A Vintage Journey - get sentimental
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes

Sunflower Garden Birthday Greetings

Winner at County View Challenges
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Pineapple Lemon tea

The weekend is here! Hooray! :) I hope you have something absolutely wonderful planned. share with me what you are up to.

I am finally sharing the card I made for my MIL's birthday. she recently moved into an assisted living down in San Antonio and really loves it. when I got in touch with her on her birthday, she was on her way to a water aerobics class. she has always been one to stay busy, but it's so nice to see that she is continuing that still. She is flying up for Tyler and Danielle's wedding, and it will be wonderful to see her again. :)

The sunflower garden image is from Make it Crafty. I added touches of distress stickles to the flower centers as well as the edges of the main piece. I sure hated that they discontinued the distress stickles, but I tried to stockpile as much of it as I could find. :)

These are about the last of my pieces of the Authentique Meadow papers. I might have a tiny scrap or two left, but that would be about it until I can find more online somewhere.... time to put on my Sherlock digs and go searching! ha!

main die and matting are by Spellbinders and the banner one is by SU!  pretty little sunflower is from Wild Orchid Crafts. I look forward to seeing the store once the new owner has taken over.

vintage buttons, burlap doily, and ticket are from my stash while all ribbons & ric rack are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. birthday stamp is by SU! 

thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy your weekend! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Allsorts - flowers all over (also tiny flowers on lower paper)
Colour Crazy wk 29 - anything hand colored goes
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Country View - in the summer garden
Southern Girls - tic tac toe: yellow, stamp, bling (distress stickles) or white, blue, yellow
Craftaholics R Us - anything goes
That's Crafty - close to nature
Sheepski - for someone special (my MIL)
Crafty Sentiments - add a sentiment
Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers - C is for Coloring

Just Chillin' Little Fairy

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Orange Ginger tea

We are slowly getting closer to the weekend... do you have any fun plans?

one of our favorite groups is out at Camp right now, so Dave is working the long week. It's a group called Camp Sue Osborn and it's for anyone with special needs. Last week was for the Alumni - those who have graduated from the program. this week if for anyone up to 18 years old, I believe.  they stay through Saturday rather than leaving on Friday when most of the camps usually depart. head over to the website to not only see photos of Camp, but have your heart brightened. :) these are some amazing people, flat out. the campers are amazing, but the staff are some of my favorite people in the whole wide world. :) I love those folks with everything I have. it tears me up that I can't be out there right now. yucky seizures. blech blech blech. but really. go to the website.

now on to my project for the day...

I know I promised to share the card I made for my MIL, but I am sneaking this one in instead. I think I am sending it to Danielle, Tyler's fiancee. the wedding is coming up very soon, and I think she needs a reminder to just chill a bit. :) pre-wedding jitters can be a bit un-nerving, can't they?

the adorable fairy image and sentiment are from LOTV, green digital paper is from the Prima Strawberry Kisses collection, and chevron stripe digital paper is from the American Freedom free collection by Raspberry Road Designs.  main die is by Spellbinders, banner die is by SU!, and floral die in the upper corner is by Sizzix.

lace, washi tape, vintage buttons, and ticket are all from my stash. purple twine and green satin ribbon are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. the UK store is closed right now, but you can buy their products from RRR and other retailers. I added a faux stitching border with a white gel pen and also some splatters with white Mr. Huey's spray.

sparkles & shine were added to the fairy's wings with a wink of stella glitter pen and to her bobbers with a pink spica glitter pen.

btw, spending time with everyone at Camp Sue is what inspired our son, Ryan, to work with children on the autism spectrum at Hope Bridge. he loves it there. :)
and almost all of the Camp Sue staff will be attending Tyler and Danielle's wedding, so it will be great to see them then!

I hope you have a most wonderful day! thanks for stopping by! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Digistamps 4 Joy - anything goes summer or winter
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Scrappy Land - anything goes w/die carried in their store (Sizziz and Spellbinders)
Simon Says Stamp Wed - use a die or punch (dies by Sizzix, SU!, and Spellbinders)
Crafty Sentiments - add a sentiment
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - stitching, real or faux
Unicorn Ch - stitching, real or faux
Crafteezee - summer
Cutie Pie - bingo: buttons, ribbon, die cut, but also added bow, glitter, and flowers :)
Incy Wincy - tic tac toe: stripes/checks (subtle chevron stripes on the banner paper, but it's a bit hard to see. feel free to enlarge the piccy), splatter, stitching
Coloring in Scrapland - fairies
Scribbles Designs - fun in the sun
Fabrika Fantasy - summer
Daisy Chain - summer
Dragonfly Journeys - summer lovin'
Make My Monday - fantasy
Sparkles - fairies

Happy Birthday Fly Guy

Featured at Little Red Wagon
Top 3 Pick at Sweet Stampin'
Top 3 Pick at Colour Crazy Craft Challenge
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tea Thyme

Today we celebrate our son, Mick's birthday. We were blessed this past weekend to be able to get together for a quick lunch with Mick and his girlfriend, Lauren, as well as Tyler and his fiancee, Danielle. Mick and Lauren came to Ohio for a tattoo convention and concert while Tyler and Danielle came into town to get their marriage license.  We were only able to spend a few hours together, but it was wonderful to see everyone. unfortunately, I ended it all by having a really bad seizure episode, but that is the way it goes these days. :( can't seem to kick these things.

this is the card that I made for Mick. I used the "Fly Guy" image from Power Poppy on the outside and the "Leaping Trout" image on the inside. I didn't get a photo of the inside of the card. sorry.

all dies are by Spellbinders, with distress stickles being added to the cat tails. vintage buttons are from my stash and wide grosgrain ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. Happy Birthday stamp, linen thread, and little banner punch are by SU!  papers are from the Authentiqe Meadow collection. I am just about out of it and down to a few little scraps... will need to buy more of this wonderful paper! I obviously love it very much! :) little dots were added to the matting die cut with a white gel pen.

I will be back in another day or so to share my MIL's birthday card. her birthday was yesterday.

thank you so much for stopping by!
Jennifer

Challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking - birthday bash
Always Happy Birthday - anything Happy Birthday goes w/cake option
Crafter's Cafe - lots of layers
Dies R Us - birthdays (Spellbinders)
Crop Stop - anything goes w/products they carry (Authentique, distress stickles, Spellbinders)
Use Your Stuff - birthday
Dare 2B Artzy - birthdays
Inkspirational - birthday
Sweet Stampin' - occupations or hobbies
Brown Sugar - use 2 patterned papers
Moving Along with the Times - masculine
Little Red Wagon - lights, camera, action movie inspiration (A River Runs Through It)
The Male Room - fish/fishing
Colour Crazy week 28 - anything hand colored goes

Magical Coffee Unicorn Cup

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Butter Rum coffee

Today's card showcases lots of new things for me. isn't it fun to try out new techniques and products on your projects from time to time? :)

over at the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's blog, there is a neat mini challenge going on to use products from any of the Super Sponsors. I was blessed to receive a great kit from WOW embossing powders, so I knew that I wanted to use some of the things included. But during the last blog hop, I also picked up this great 'Unicorn Coffee Cup image' from Crafting Desert Divas. so this seemed like the perfect time to put all of these fun items together onto a card!

I created the background paper by taking several shades of distress oxide inks and sponging them onto white cardstock. The distress oxide ink pads can be found at Super Sponsor Ellen Hutson. I then spritzed with water.

I took the Prima Crackle stencil, added WOW clear embossing ink and the WOW bonding powder, heat set, and then the gold foil that is also available from WOW.  there is a bit of a learning curve with the bonding powder and the foil, as the foil needs to be applied while the melted powder is still warm. I sure do love the way this looks, especially with that stencil. it creates a gorgeous veining similar to what you would find  in rock formations. so cool!!! EH also carries the WOW products in the USA.

I used the distress oxide inks to color most of the cutey unicorn cup. not so sure I will use them for watercoloring again.  I think they are better suited for regular stamping due to the nature of the ink. but for my first time using these inks, it was fun to experiment.  I added touches of a wink of stella glitter pen to the horn and little pearls to the flower centers.

ribbon & gold cord are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. flowers are from Petaloo and Wild Orchid Crafts.

Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
Coffee Loving Cardmakers Super Sponsors Challenge - Crafting Desert Divas, WOW embossing powders, Ellen Hutson
Cute Card Thursday - ribbons & bows
Crafting With an Attitude - anything goes
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
The Crafty Addicts - anything goes w/optional pets theme (why yes, I would love to have a pet unicorn!)
Tuesday Throwdown - color challenge
Always Fun - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - create your own bg paper
Crafty Friends - fairy or fantasy
Di's Digi - try something new (distress oxide inks, foils)
Simply Create Too - no pattern paper

Strawberries and Cream Fairy and new Birthday Blog Candy Winner

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Salted Caramel coffee

Hello and Happy Monday once again! :)

I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend! We had a surprise visit from Ryan and his fiancee, Elizabeth, who arrived here Thursday evening. They came to rescue a beautiful Australian Cattle dog puppy that they have named Lady Sybil after the character on Downton Abbey. she is such a treasure! They are calling her Sibby for short. of course she and Palmer became fast friends and played together all weekend. :) it was sad for the two of them when everyone had to leave, but Lady Sybil has a glorious new life ahead of her!!!

so of course you can understand why I have not been on the computer for a few days. ;) Moon Pie came out of hiding a few times to say hello to Sibby, but would quickly retreat to  his library nook (a hidey hole he has created in my book cabinet).

Today's crafty share is a card I made to say thank you to our lovely neighbors who gifted me some fresh picked strawberries from a local farm. wasn't that so nice of them?! :) The boys and I used to go pick strawberries from the very same farm that our neighbor and her daughters went to, so it was a bit nostalgic to be on the receiving end. and oh my goodness, did they ever taste wonderful in salads that week!

digital paper is from the Prima Straberry Kisses collection, adorable fairy image and sentiment are from LOTV, and small strawberry image in corner is from Power Poppy. the cream portion was covered in liquid applique that went a bit haywire when heated!

matting die is by Spellbinders and is edged in acrylic paint to distress. ivy flourish die is by Cheery Lynn. little red and white flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts and the main flower is from Really Really Reasonable Ribbon, as are the ribbons. vintage buttons are from my stash.

I also have a new birthday blog candy winner to announce. I didn't hear back from one of the prize winners, so the 2nd place prize will go to:

12. Alicia O'Bryant

Everyone have a great week!

Challenges:
Dragonfly Dreams - summer (strawberry picking is a summer tradition around here)
Corrosive - anything goes
Crafty Calendar - totally girly
2 Sisters on the Blog - fruit
Colour Crazy - anything hand colored goes
Crafty Catz - anything goes w/summer fun option (strawberry picking is a summer tradition around here)
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes

America, Wild & Free

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Cranberry Mango tea

Happy 4th of the July to all of you who live here in the USA! :) to my friends from other parts of the world, hello to you and happy Wednesday! :)

Even though it's just Moon Pie the cat and I here at my house today, spending the day with Netflix and books, I hope that those of you who have the day off are enjoying the holiday and celebrate safely with your loved ones.

I made today's card for all of the staff out at Camp. Dave took it with him as he and Palmer left this morning. this week is Family Camp, with some of those attending having once been staff members themselves and now back married with their children.  some of the family members have been coming to Family Camp for more than 15 years! isn't that so cool?

The flag image is from Paulette at Create with TLC.  you might remember it from the card I made for Memorial Day. I had printed out 2 copies and thought it would be perfect for a card for today, too. our nation's flag never fails to inspire a sense of pride in me, no matter how I feel about things going on around the country. I believe that we CAN come together and be better if we unite in love. :)

The paper and neat added elements are from a free kit I picked up at Raspberry Road Designs. The kit is called "American Freedom." There is currently a store wide sale going on with everything 50% off.  but there are LOTS of free goodies over there to check out, too. this was my first time to print out any of the things I had bought, and they printed quite nicely. that is always a good sign!

behind the flag image is a piece of paper packing that I stamped with a SU! cheesecloth bg stamp then crumpled before adhering. the tag is stamped with a star stamp and then distressed. twine, rick rack, and Zipper Stop seam binding are tied through with an aged Wild Orchid Crafts rose bloom added. vintage buttons, a ticket, and re-purposed denim belt loop give more fun to the card. faux stitching borders finish the card.

Have a fabulous day no matter what you do! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Always Fun - patriotic
Simon Says Stamp Monday - red, white, and/or blue
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
DL Art - red, white, and blue
Eclectic Ellapu - red, white, and blue
Crafty Gals Corner - red, white, and blue

A Squirrely Thanks

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lemon Basil tea

Happy Monday! I bet you don't hear that very often. grins! but we have to find something good about every day, and I choose to rejoice in the fact that I woke up this morning to the sound of birds chirping their beautiful songs. :) I have a happy and content cat sleeping on the sill of the front window where he can keep an eye on all of the critters in  the front yard when he wakes up, a dog who finds joy in every little thing from a stick in the driveway to the squeaky unicorn toy that drives hubby up the wall, and a family that texts me every day with the stories of their lives. blessings? oh yes! I have them in abundance!!! so it IS a happy Monday! :)  not easy, but happy.

 so I am sharing with all of you a card I made to say thank you to a group of amazing people who came out to Camp for a service project. about 70 people arrived several weeks ago to help transform Camp through painting, cleaning, and various fix-it projects. I don't have any photos to share, but what they did is amazing. I want to make them several thank you cards, but this is the first. I work so slow these days, and my list of cards to make is so very long....

The adorable squirrel thank you image is from LOTV, papers from my Authentique Meadow collection, grass die by My Favorite Things, and felt cut with a die by La La Land. I added a twig from outside to use as a fun bit of whimsy. all other items are from my stash. there is a little sparkle on the card with touches from a wink of stella clear glitter pen.

For my birthday blog candy winners, please check this post. congratulations to the winners! I'll have more candy later this fall. in fact, I have blog candy planned all the way through Valentine's Day! :)

Have a wonderful week! I'll see you back again in a few days with another project. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes w/an animal
Crafty Animals - anything goes w/an animal
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Love to Craft - anything goes
Sweet Stampers - animals
Angie's - anything goes
Alphabet Ch - 'G' is for Great Outdoors
CRAFT - thank you
Sunny Day - any animal
Ching-Chou Kuik - thank you/sympathy

Birthday Blog Candy Prize Winners! Hooray!

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Strawberry Lavender Mint tea

I know all of you are on pins and needles wanting to know who the happy prize winners are from my Birthday Blog candy, so I will get straight to it...

Winners will have one week to contact me with mailing addresses or else they forfeit their prizes and other winners will be chosen.

for Mo's Digital Pencil gift certificates, I will use the email address you provided in the Inlinkz to send your certificate.  I will send you Paulette's email address or you can find it on her blog at Create With TLC. I will be sending each of these store owners a list of the winners so they will know to expect to be hearing from all of you. :)

Once all prizes have been claimed, I will delete the Inlinkz database from my original post to keep within the new privacy guidelines.

Here we go!!!!

Grand Prize Winner:

14. Stef H. (Glitterbabe)

Second Place Winner:

9. Rhonda Miller

Third Place Winner:

4. terriavidreader - Terri Scott

Create With TLC Gift Certificate Winners:

6. Valerija

3. KT Fit Kitty

Mo's Digital Pencil Gift Certificate Winners:

10. Fikreta

1. Annie

2. Annabel

Thank you to everyone who joined the fun! I am sorry that I don't have a prize for all of you. Check back again in the fall because I will have more candy for you then. :)

Thank you for making my birthday a very special one! :) YOU are the best present I could ever receive!!!!
Jennifer

p.s. make sure you have downloaded the wonderful free images from Paulette at Create with TLC on both pages. then please stop by and say thank you to her for her very generous gift to all of us. :)

Birthday Blog Candy!

* This post will remain at the top of my blog until the drawing *

Happy Birthday to me, but ALL of you are going to help me celebrate! :)

I have some fun candy that everyone can take part in, no matter where in this lovely world you live! some friends are joining the part, bringing the balloons and party hats, because I want to make sure that EVERYONE can come to my party! :)

There will be actual prizes given out to several winners here in the States, but online gift certificates for digital products sent to those of you who live in other parts of the world. does that sound like fun?!

I am not going to make you do anything other link your little blogs with our blue froggy friend down below. you have until the end of the month, and I'll announce winners both here on this post and on another one on Monday, July 2.  and I promise to make the announcement that day. isn't it bothersome to go to a blog when they say they are going to post a winner and they never do? not here. if I say candy, you get candy! :)

but do you want even more chances to win? all you have to do is link up a birthday card or project and you will gain more entries. link that specific blog post for each additional entry. play as often as you like, just be sure to link each post separately.

now I know you want me to stop chatting and show you what's in the prize boxes, so here goes:

Grand Prize:

Lil' Inker Fine Print stamp set

3 Dare 2B Artzy ink pads

Prima doily stencil

Petaloo burlap flowers

Asst. of Unity single sentiment stamps

tags and doilies

ribbons and trims

resin frames

other fun goodies!

Second Prize:

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink pad

Wow! ultra slow dryng embossing pad

(I received this as a prize win

and already had one.)

Crafters Workshop stencil

Asst. of Unity single sentiment stamps

tags and doilies

ribbons and trims

Charm assortment

other fun goodies!

Third Prize:

Spellbinders Seahorse & Sand Dollar die set 

plus extra goodies

now keep in mind that since taking the pictures, I have already been adding more stuff to the goody bags. little extras like buttons and a few more ribbons. who knows what else might end up in there by the time the month is over! Just found a little stash I had tucked away from Whimsy Stamps! wooo hooo! each prize package will receive a stamp goody from them! :)

click on the photos to be taken to a larger piccy. any questions? just leave a comment. no need to become a follower unless you just wanna hang out here in the coffeehouse with me. :) I try to be cool that way. peace, love, and all that jazz. no pressure. don't even need to post a photo on your blog.  just have a slice of cake. maybe dance a little. chill out and get your groove on.

and just so you know, I WILL be wearing one of my tiaras all day. I might have lost most of my hair, but I can still rock a tiara like nobody's business! ;)  Party like a Princess!

One of the prizes offered for International winners is a gift certificate to Create with TLC. Paulette has very kindly given all of my readers and followers some free images! isn't that so nice of her?! please stop by her blog and leave her a thank you. :) aren't party favors fun?! there are more over on my post for today, so head over when you finish linking....

(to save these images, click on the photo 

which should take you to another page.

right click and then 'save as' to

the file of your choice

on your computer.

if you have any troubles, 

pop me an email.)

more additions!!!! :)

I have heard back from my friend, Mo, of Mo's Digital Pencil. I am adding a few gift certificates from her digital store to the prizes for the international players! wooo hoooo! you  might want to head over to her shop now because she has a great sale going on for retiring images using the code: BYEBYE.

*Inlinkz tool removed per new privacy laws since all prizes have been claimed. thank you for your understanding. :)

now go get your cake before it's all gone. ;)
*Reminder - the only way to be entered into the candy drawing is to use the inlinkz froggy tool! otherwise I don't know that you want to be entered. :)

Jennifer

It's a Joy to Celebrate YOU! :)

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Coconut Hazelnut coffee

Today's card is one that is very special to me because of who and what it represents. I don't talk much about my activism here on my blog, but today across the United States there are marches and rallies to stand in support of the families who have been torn apart because of the Immigration ban, ICE, and border patrol. The event is called "Families Belong Together."   #FamiliesBelongTogether

Normally I would be right there marching in support of these families, but my health problems keep me at home. In the past I have marched for DACA, in support of the repeal of the Immigration ban, and anything else that keeps us from being a nation of togetherness and compassion. I am so sad that I can not be in downtown Cleveland today showing my solidarity with my brothers and sisters of all colors and nationalities. We are so much better together! :)

So the best I could do was to make this card to share with everyone. I understand that ICE targets people of ALL colors. sadly, they seem to be going after the Hispanic population more frequently, at least here in this area of Ohio. I hear more and more stories of raids and people being detained. my heart breaks for these poor souls. families are being torn apart. people are dying. that is not who we as a nation are. that is not what God calls us to be. and children are being torn away from their parents. we have friends that disappeared overnight. we can only pray that they are safe. oh my gosh, I am crying as I type this.

but we must have hope. we  must do better.
and so with my poor health I can make a card. it isn't much, but this I can do.

so I used one of the images from my precious friend, Mo Manning, called "Rosa." she is dancing with joy. because no matter what terrible things life may bring our way, we can never let someone else steal our joy. :)

Mo's sister has created some beautiful artwork that for the march. I have been allowed to link to the post on her Instagram account. if you have an account, please stop by and leave her some love. :) it's a powerful poster.

and I paired it with a sentiment from another dear friend, Paulette of Create with TLC. in our darkest moments, we can celebrate the blessings God continues to provide every single day. :) and I choose to celebrate YOU and those beautiful, wonderful, amazing people who might be locked in those dark, terrible interment camps, but we are here praying for them. we are here standing together letting other people know that they are not alone. we are here saying that they are welcome here and we want them here. we are here saying to those beautiful people that they are loved and they matter. because every one of us is precious in the sight of our God. no immigration ban can diminish  a person in His sight.

so now that I have gone on and on, I will leave you.
if you want details about my card, just leave a message in the comments. I'll send you an email. :)

today is the last day of my birthday blog candy, so pop over here to enter. :)

much love to YOU, because YOU matter to me. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafty Catz - anything goes w/embossing option
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Path of Positivity - anything goes w/neutrals option
Colour Crazy Craft - anything goes
Catch the Bug - Make it Bright: kraft cs and a pop of bright color
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
House That Stamps Built - anything goes
Crafty Gals Corner - anything goes
Retarte - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Dream Valley - all things bright and beautiful

Birthday Blog Candy Reminder

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Victorian Earl Grey tea

Hello everyone!

Sorry that I haven't posted anything in a while. my seizures have been pretty bad these past few days. I haven't been able to do any crafting and have spent most of my time in bed. I am going to try to get to my craft room today for a little while. crossing fingers to get a card finished to show all of you. :)

I wanted to pop in to remind all of you to sign up for my birthday blog candy here at this post. you can gain extra entries by linking birthday themed projects. just link those projects separately please. :) enter as many times as you would like, with each entry having a separate post. thanks! :)

*Reminder - the only way to be entered is to use the Inlinkz blue froggy tool. otherwise I don't know that you want to be entered. :)

You have until the end of June to enter! so hurry on over! :)

You are Somebody!

Coffee of the Day - Pecan Turtle coffee

Happy Friday and welcome to the weekend! Don't forget to enter my Birthday Blog Candy before the end of the month! new additions are being made to all of the prize packages, including the international packages, almost daily. :) you know you want to win. :) right now the odds are pretty good since only a few people are entered. looks like a few of you are going to possibly get LOTS of goodies! grins! you can gain more entries by linking up a birthday themed project. I have heard back from my friend, Mo, of Mo's Digital Pencil, and I'll be buying gift certificates from her store later today. you can't win in you don't enter!

now on to today's project...
I received these beautiful stamps from Reverse Confetti in the mail after having a lovely gift certificate arrive in my mail box from the owner, Jen Del Muro. What an incredibly nice person!!!! I wanted to make something with them right away, but had a few other projects that I had to complete first. But then God put someone on my heart. you know how that goes. and I have learned that when He speaks, I had better listen. He might be quiet, but He is mighty indeed. :)

so I got busy yesterday. I have used the sets "Tall Blooms" and "My Tribe".  Around here, during late summer and early fall, there are some wildflowers that grow along the roadside in the most vibrant purple. they are absolutely gorgeous! they stand out so beautifully from the brown wheatgrasses they grow alongside. I wanted to try to recreate that if I could. it's not easy to see the purples in my photo, but they are there.

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after the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's blog hop, I was so blessed to have won a neat kit from WOW embossing powders, filled with all kinds of goodies. included were the powders that I used on this card: Perissa and Caramel Macchiato on the flowers, and Skinny Chai Latte on the sentiment. The Perissa is probably more suited to scattering like you would do with frantage powders, but I really love the look here on the flowers. it is a gorgeous silver and copper color when melted. the caramel macchiato is a shade of copper.

The sentiment from "My Tribe" was stamped onto vellum with brown ink. it didn't show up so well, so I added the skinny chai latte embossing powder to see if it would help make it pop a bit. once embossed it created a neat marbling effect. this is only a portion of the entire stamp, but the person the card was for needed to know that she is somebody in God's eyes. :)

a few years ago I attended a women's leadership conference. one of the most powerful moments was when we were all told to stand up and repeat over and over again, "I am somebody." for this woman, who had been abused since the time I was a little girl, to say that was difficult because I have never believed it. the young woman receiving this card needed that encouragement yesterday. she immediately sent me a text letting me know how much it meant to her. so to Jen Del Muro, that portion of your stamp is powerful. it's not so much the card, but the message of the stamp you created. thank you. :)

The flowers were stamped onto watercolor paper, embossed, and then painted with SU! inks. after heat setting and painting, I double stamped the other images with ink to make it appear that they were in the bg. I used my SU! ink squirty tool in shades of brown and purple over the top.

beautiful die is by Spellbinders, copper glitter ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and miscellaneous sequins & lace are from my stash. flower is from Michaels, distressed with ink, and then a bit of distress stickles were added. paper is from my beloved Basic Grey, the Vivienne collection...sigh....

thanks for your patience with my long post. :)
have a most fabulous weekend!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash - hello/just because
Crop Stop - anything goes w/a product they carry (Spellbinders, distress stickles)
As You Like It - favorite type of embossing and why: heat because I can use so many neat colors of powder for lots of neat effects. I do enjoy dry embossing, but it doesn't compare to the fun things I can do with embossing powders, such as here.  thanks!)
Aud Sentiments - anything goes w/a sentiment
Moving Along with the Times - June Blooms
Creative Crafters - anything goes
Back to Basics and Beyond - heat embossing
Crafting By Designs - flowers, flowers, flowers
Crafty Addicts - anything goes/w say it with flowers option
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Die Cuttin' Divas - embossing
Tuesday Throwdown - you are on my mind
Crafty Catz - anything goes w/beautiful blooms option

Birthday Cats, Mice, and Old Cheese

Winner at House Mouse and Friends
DT Favorite at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla CupCake coffee

So today is my birthday and we are having a party here on my blog! Gourmet cupcakes, ice cream, balloons, music, and lots of dancing! chips and nachos, too! something for everyone!

Don't forget the candy, BLOG CANDY!!!!! Head over to this post and get your name entered for a chance to win some fun prizes! it doesn't matter where in this big, happy world you  live, because everyone has a chance! :) you have until the end of the month to enter. more entries if you link a birthday themed card or project!

so now on to my project....

I pulled out one of my oh, so neglected House Mouse stamps, "Gift for Kitty" and combined it with elements from one of my most favorite ever online stores & blogs, Create with TLC. you have probably seen me use Paulette's sentiments and digital elements if you are a follower or frequent visitor here. she  is a doll. really and truly. she gives away free stuff ALL the time. honest. go check out her blog. now. well, maybe after you finish reading my post. and linking your blog to the candy. then go visit Paulette. tell her hey and ask her what she has against coffee. she will laugh. ;)

speaking of Paulette, she has a few freebies for y'all. talk about party favors! check out the blog candy post for a few more. :) a few of the International participants will win gift certificates to her Etsy store! cool, huh, ?!

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so now we really will get to my card.

card:
cute House Mouse image: check
great Create with TLC elements: check

story: this thing drove me up the freaking wall to get done. I was worried about that cat. it just wasn't right. But here it is finished. Ta da! :)

digital papers are from the Echo Park Celebrate Spring collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, lace trim is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and seam binding is distressed & by Zipper Stop. little ticket and burlap doily are from my stash. no clue whatsoever where the pretty pink sequins came from, but I do like them ever so much. Die is by Spellbinders and punches are from SU! I used a wink of stella glitter pen to go over the jingle bell.

thanks for hanging in there with me. y'all rock the casbah! let's party!
now go get some cake!

Challenges:
House Mouse and Friends - anything goes w/birthday option
Ike's World - anything goes/song inspiration (Happy Birthday, kinda obvious, sorry)
SUYP - furryything goes with cats
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Cute 'N Crafty - birthday
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Cupcake Inspiration - color challenge: pink, green, yellow
Use Your Stuff - inspired by a song: Happy Birthday, of course ;)
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes w/a critter
Ching-Chou Kuik - cats or dogs
Crafty Animals - anything goes w/an animal
Dream Factory - Nine Lives