Happy Mother's Day!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Ginger Peach green tea

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, grandmas, great-grandmas, aunts, and other significant women out there! :) Celebrate you today, and the many ways you bring love and contribute to your families!

I do know that this day is not always an easy one for those who have lost crucial people in their lives. to you, know that I pray you find some measure of comfort in the love of those nearby.

I haven't yet been able to craft the way I used to, but I did manage to make a few cards for my MIL, aunt, and new mom, Lauren. :)

They are all similar in style, with just a few minor differences. The lovely vintage woman image is a freebie on the Gecko Galz blog. The background paper and roses are from a post at the Graphics Fairy about cabbage rose wallpapers. I cut the flowers from one of the wallpaper images. 

I stitched around the main image and background papers after matting. The button and floral stamps are from my vintage stash, and the crochet trim has been avocado dyed.  a paper doily and sequins were added to complete each card.

Thank you so very much to all of you who have left comments or contacted me about our new granddaughter! you are so wonderful! :) her parents are asking that her personal details not be shared online or on social media, so we respect their desire for privacy. but oh my goodness, she is such a sweetie! we had a fabulous time visiting them for a few days. maybe one day we will all live closer to one another again. 

before I forget, those of you who follow my blog via email, I have received notice that this option will no longer be available after July of this year. I am absolutely awful about visiting the blogs that I follow, and I appreciate the convenience that email alerts provide. hopefully something else will come about so that we can continue to get notices in our inbox. 

know that you are all loved!

Jennifer 

Challenges:

Gecko Galz monthly ch - Secret Garden using a product from GG

She's Here! :)

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Macadamia coffee

image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

 Our precious grand-daughter arrived last weekend, on the Saturday before Easter. :)  She was born via caesarean section. Both mom and baby are doing well at home. Hubby and I planted a flowering dogwood tree in our backyard to honor this special moment. We hope to go visit them this coming weekend. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement as well as your prayers. Y'all are the best! :)

Happy Easter!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Earl Grey Lavender tea

Happy Easter to all of you! I hope you have a most blessed day, surrounded by those you love. :)

I apologize for not being around. My health has really been struggling these past few months, seeming to get worse. :( I spend most of my time either in bed or on the couch. The upside is that I am getting a lot of reading done as well as watching some wonderful programs through various streaming services.  of course nothing quite beats the beautiful bird song I hear each day or cuddles with our cat and dog.  those are the best!

our sweet little grand-daughter is to be born within the next few days. to say we are all excited is quite the understatement! :) I did make her a journal, but finished within an hour of leaving to visit Mick and Lauren in St. Louis for their virtual baby shower. hopefully we will be able to visit the entire family in May, so I will try to remember to take pictures of both the baby journal and Mick's garden journal then.

(both vintage images from The Graphics Fairy)

With so much divisiveness and antagonism in our county, no, in our world, please remember that love is the great unifier. We are told by Jesus to love our neighbors, all of our neighbors. Let compassion and kindness prevail in our lives, always. :) 

A Few Journal Photos

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Creamy Chestnuts coffee

Hello and happy weekend! 

I apologize that I have taken so long to get a few project photos to you. I haven't been doing very well this past week. Still rough, so will only share a minimal of details on these, coming back to update later. I hope you can understand.

The first is the cover and tassel for an entertainment themed journal I made for Ryan and Elizabeth. it is filled with game, movie, and music pages & ephemera. I believe the paper is from a Carta Bella collection. the fabric is some from Etsy. the game pieces and papers are vintage. the tassel hooks onto the bow at the spine. this was the only photo I took before mailing it to them for Christmas.

The next few pictures are of the handyman themed journal I made David. I took an old Reader's Digest book and altered it. many of the pockets and tuck spots in the journal are made from pages from the actual book. the spine is Tim Holtz fabric. I found the vintage handle and number placket on Etsy. the handle is screwed into the book cover. I was so happy that my Crop-A-Dile actually punched through the cover with ease. 

this is the inside cover. I added the verse that I have on my blog. I thought that was a perfect way to begin. :) this journal is filled with so many vintage items: first day of issue postal envelopes, pages from manuals, sales flyers, postage stamps, receipts, labels, and book pages just to name a few. I love including lots of actual vintage ephemera in these journals. .the papers used in this book are from Michael's and several Authentique collections. I will try to get more photos of this one later. can't even attempt holding a camera right now. ugh.

I believe I had mentioned that I had made a garden themed journal for Mick and one with a nautical theme for Tyler and Danielle. I still had signatures, or sections, left over from each journal because they just became too full of goodness. ;) so Mick has asked for me to make him another garden journal using the remaining pieces. I am also working on a baby journal for he and Lauren. yep, they are expecting a baby girl in April! hooray!!!I knew that I had a few extra months to get that one finished, so didn't push myself with the Christmas deadline like I did on the others. 

I am very much a novice when it comes to making journals, so please be understanding. I am really having fun with them though, and look forward to getting better with each journal I make. :)

all of you take care, stay safe & healthy, and have a great weekend!

Project Photos Coming Soon

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Coconut Caramel Hazelnut coffee

Hello! I hope that everyone is doing well, staying safe and healthy. A new day, a new year, ready for blessings in abundance! New opportunities to spread love and kindness! :)

Thank you to all of you who have so sweetly left comments sent emails or cards. You are much appreciated and loved! :)

I will soon share a few photos of projects I worked on in the past year. yes, I am THAT slow! :D I have started making junk journals and love it! oh my gosh, what took me so long to try one myself? a perfect way to incorporate my shabby/vintage style with re-purposed items and a touch of sass & whimsy. ;) ha!

I made journals for each of our sons and their wives, but didn't get photos of most of them since I was racing to get them in the mail for Christmas. The journal I made for my husband for our anniversary is still a work in progress. he is so understanding! I was able to get his handyman journal finished for a Christmas gift, so at least he has one complete. (I am still adding bits and bobs to it, although I don't think he has noticed yet. grins!)

The biggest shocker to the family is that I am actually sewing in all of these journals! that is the first thing every single one of them noticed. ;)  it is no secret that my old sewing machine and I didn't always see eye to eye, pardon the pun. The repair man even commented that he had never seen a machine that gave someone such difficulties as mine. I was given an older sewing machine from someone who was cleaning house several years ago. Inspired by the many fabulous journal makers on YouTube, I decided it was time to get it out and make a fresh, new start. Lo and behold, I am having so much fun! I go through almost an entire spool of thread with each journal I make. Just goes to show you that we should never stop trying new things or exploring past ones!

My love and prayers to each of you. Stay safe and healthy!

See you soon,

Jennifer

*Update 01/14/21 - I apologise that I have not yet posted photos. I haven't been doing well this past week. Hopefully I can get pictures added over the weekend. Thank you for understanding.

Happy New Year 2021!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Highlander Grog coffee

Sending each of you wishes for a healthy, happy New Year! May you be blessed in abundance today and all year through.

with much love,

Jennifer 

Have You Learned Nothing? Christmas Cat Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Creamy Chestnuts coffee

Hello and Happy Friday to each of you! :)

I want to begin by saying a very heartfelt thank you to those of you who have reached out to me with emails, messages, cards, and letters. You bring me such joy and make my heart so happy! Thank you so much!

I am grateful every morning that I wake up, surrounded by so much love from my family and our sweet furbabies. I am overwhelmed by the blessings in my life, even in the midst of strife and serious health issues. God is so very, very good, each and every day. :)

Janis, the person behind the ever fun Cat Lover's Blog Hop, reached out to me to see how I was doing. She is such a sweetheart! I knew I wanted to try to make a project to play along, but wasn't sure how well I would be feeling. Please be understanding that this card took me almost all day to create. Fussy cutting is not my friend any longer. ugh. my brain can't wrap around how to work scissors, and then my shaky hands don't want to cooperate. I must say that it was nice to pick up my paintbrushes again. 

I patterned the shading of the cats off of the two sweeties in Tyler and Danielle's home - Rowan and Stella. A makeup brush was used to apply ink to the cat's fur while I watercolored the other elements. a glitter gel pen and white gel pen were used for accents. The cutie stamps are from the Tim Holtz and Simon Says Stamp collaboration in September.  The saying, "Have you learned nothing from last year's tree?" reminds me of what we go through every year with our cats. :D 

Rowan on the left and 

Stella on the right

The Christmas tree is a vintage image I found online. I made it extra big before printing so that it would look like the cats were sitting at the tree base. a doily and plaid paper represent the tree skirt. Some coffee dyed paper is the bg.

Thank you so very much for stopping by! if you have a moment, grab a cuppa and visit all of those who are participating in the blog hop. Lots of inspiration and fabulous sponsors. :)

love to all of you,

Jennifer

Challenges:

1.  SUYP - Halloween or anything goes
2.  Aud Sentiments - anything goes w/a sentiment
3.  Crimbo Crackers - anything Christmas (waving hi, Ruth!!!)
4.  Merry Little Christmas Ch - anything Christmas

Look Deep into Nature Birthday Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Maple Walnut coffee

Hello and Happy Weekend! :) I hope you have something fabulous planned, even if it's hanging out and relaxing.

I am sorry that I haven't shared much recently. working very diligently on hubby's journal for our anniversary at the end of this month, and I am extremely slow. :/  but I am oh, so thankful for the moments when I feel well enough to craft. isn't this such a wonderful activity that can bring so much joy and be therapeutic as well?

the card for today has been picked by my family as one of their all time favorites that I have made. I created it for our son's birthday. as much as I am a tree hugger, Mick is even more so! he loves nature with a passion. he has asked me to make him a gardening journal, so that will be next month's project. ;)

I used the amazing papers from the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Great Escape collection. I have purchased so many sheets from this collection. it is definitely a favorite. I am also using quite a few of these papers in hubby's journal. this is a fairly large card so that it could accommodate the journaling card. in case you can't read it very well, it says, "Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better." isn't that so lovely?

green twine is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, burlap ribbon is a stash item as are the vintage buttons, and little flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. I think the wooden mushroom came from World Market. I bought the pack quite a while ago. everyone in our family laughs because I am forever picking up little tidbits when out on walks. the mini pinecone came from Camp, as did the little seed pod portion. I covered that in distress crackle paint. love the way it turned out! the piece of bark is just a smidgen I found. isn't that bit of moss on it so precious? makes my heart swoon. :)

I didn't get a photo of it, but I stamped a mushroom on the inside and then stamped again with water rather than ink. it created a gorgeous watercolor look. I think I added the word 'explore' as well as a birthday sentiment. my memory is just not the same these days.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Take care and know that you are deeply loved! :)  Jennifer

Challenges:

1.  Creative Fingers - anything goes
2.  Craft Rocket - birthday
3.  DL Art - birthday
4.  Crafty Creations - anything goes
5.  Paper Funday - anything goes w/back to school option
6.  TTCRD - anything goes
7.  Crafter's Castle - anything goes
8.  Crafty Calendar - anything goes
9.  Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
10.  Classic Design - anything goes

A Special Labrador Card for Hubby

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Coconut coffee to be followed by Lavender Mint iced tea later today :)

Hello and welcome to the start of a brand new, marvelous week! :) what wonders to behold!

I am slow getting my projects posted, and I do apologize for that. still not feeling real whippy, so everything is taking even longer to get accomplished these days. one of our lovely DIL's was at camp last week with her youth group. it was a delight to see her and spend an hour or two with her each day! Palmer was able to go out to camp on their last day, and he was over the moon to see Elizabeth again! we are huge pet lovers in our family, and our beloved cats and dogs are treasures. I think I have more photos of the pets than I do my children! ha!

on that note, I want to share a card I made for Dave. our Labradors have held very special places in our hearts. my sons have never known life without at least one in the house. so I knew when it was time to make a card for David, I needed to include one of our precious pups.

I found the vintage image online. sorry, but if I don't write absolutely everything down these days, I forget. I will try to do better. gosh, I can't remember from which Etsy store I found the paper either. I think the tag is from either Shabby Dabby Doo Dah or Artymaze. ugh. this head of mine....

lots of distressing and ink squirty tool. vintage buttons are from my stash, and the seam binding is from Zipper Stop.

I made the wonderful decision this weekend to give away all of my Copic markers to one of my DIL's. I never use them and have over 300. she is an artist, and they will get great use. I feel as if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. no pressure to try to master Copic shading and blending. wooohooo! as the saying goes, you gotta do you, and Copics are most definitely NOT me! ;)  she is very excited, and I can't wait to see how she uses them.

all of you have a most amazing week! love to each of you! :)

Jennifer

Challenges:

Corrosive Ch - anything goes

Crafter's Castle - anything goes

Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers - D is for dogs

Craft Rocket - for the men/boys

Crafty Creations - anything goes

Classic Design - anything goes

Country View - do what makes you happy ( this card combines LOTS of my happy! my hubby, our dogs, crafting, vintage, vintage buttons!, distressing...)

Crafty Animals - anything goes with an animal

Creative Crafters - anything goes

TTCRD - anything goes

Floral Teacup Birthday Card

Runner Up Winner at Morgan's Art World

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut

Hello and happy weekend! :)

I apologize that I haven't been back to share more of my craft projects. I had a bit of a setback and ended up in the hospital. ugh... since being home, I am just so very tired and worn out. haven't felt up to doing much other than lying on the courch or in bed reading or sleeping. 

anyhow, you want to see crafty stuff! ;)

so this is a birthday card I created for my MIL. poor thing has been in lockdown at her assisted living center since the first of March. she is struggling, because she really loves to get out and DO. she has much more energy than I do these days. this is the card I added to her gift.

The image is a vintage one that I found online as are the old seed covers.  the book page in the bg is vintage. flowers and leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts, organza ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, cotton trim is from my stash as are the vintage buttons. the doily was avocado stained. who would have ever thought avocados would create a pink dye? not me, that is for sure! sentiment stamp is from Purple Onion Designs. I know it's a bit casual for this card, but it is the only birthday sentiment I could find in my collection that was large enough.oh yes, I forgot about the little heart charm. another stash item.

the ceiling fan was blowing my ribbon around, so that is why the tails are up in the air. :)

all of you have a most amazing weekend! thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and love!

Jennifer

Challenges:

613 Avenue Create - anything goes or sentiment is the focus

Allsorts - flowers all over

Crafty Calendar - add a ribbon

Crafty Friends - happy birthday

Creative Fingers - anything goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes

A Perfect Time to Craft - anything goes

Creations in Pink - more pink than any other color

Creative Craft Cottage - add flowers

Morgan's Art World - anything goes

Fab 'n Funky - anything goes with pink

Botanical Birthday

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Pumpkin Spice coffee (I love this flavor and drink it all year long)

Hello and Happy Monday! a beautiful new week is before us, full of miracles and possibilities! :)

I am back to share with you a birthday card I created for one of my daughters-in-law. She loves purples and lavenders, so I tried to incorporate those into the card. I am still not well enough to do any watercoloring of images, so am relying on the beautiful things I find on Etsy. just tying a bow or trying to glue flowers is a challenge these days. my head and fingers just can't get in sync. ;)

but anyhow, the papers and images come from 2 of my favorite digital shops on Etsy - Roxy's Creations and ShabbyDabbyDoDah. I also used a piece of script paper from Shawn Petite. It is in her free resource library, and I absolutely love it! it's about a strong, empowered woman, which is exactly who my DIL is. :) all you have to do to access the library is become a subscriber. it's free, which is fabulous because I have learned so much from this very talented artist. she is very generous with her freebies, but then so are the other 2 stores that I linked. you can subscribe to their newsletters for free as well.

not too much fancy or complicated on this card. vintage buttons and trims from Really Reasonable Ribbon. words are Tim Holtz dies and flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts.

thank you so very much for the uplifting and supportive comments and emails that you have sent. it brightens my day, that is for certain! 

my prayer for all of you is that you are surrounded by love, health, and peace. :)

Jennifer

Floral Wedding Card in Greens and Purples

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut Rum

Hello and Happy Friday to you! :)
I am sharing the first of several projects that I have recently created. I will spread out the posts over several days, as I am feeling well enough to get to the computer. btw, thank you for the kind and encouraging comments left on my previous post! :) y'all are amazing!!!

The first card was created for our son's wedding last month. the card is a bit larger than a typical size. sorry, I didn't get it measured.
digital papers and images are from Roxy's Creations. She has some gorgeous paper kits and vintage ephemera pieces in her store. if you sign up for her newsletter, she occasionally sends out freebies. I think the pieces used here are from the green and purple kits. I printed both out at the same time for this and another project I will be sharing shortly.

flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, word die is by Tim Holtz, seam binding is from Zipper Stop, and the vintage buttons, doily, burlap ribbon, & sequins are from my stash. "Love" was embossed with copper ep.

Thank you very much for stopping by! I hope you have a most amazing weekend! :)

Hello! :)

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Santa's White Christmas coffee (I am in a Christmas kind of mood)

Hello to all of you who have so kindly and faithfully stuck with me and my little blog. I apologize for being away for so long. My health is fading, but I am still hanging in there. :) I have about an hour or two each morning when I can get a few things done, but otherwise I am in bed or lying on the couch. Obviously, as with everyone, the pandemic hit us hard. Two of our sons had the virus, but oh, so thankfully have recovered. Our middle son's wedding was put on hold, and only two weeks before the scheduled date, they received notice to proceed. It was a lovely, although much smaller event than they had originally planned, but such a glorious day! :) Camp received notice that they could open with strict guidelines at the very last minute. David has been scrambling to get everything ready and in place. This is the first week of programmed camps, so we are thankful!

I have been doing a bit of crafting here and there. photos are saved on my computer, and just need editing & watermarks. Then I will begin to post here. I will try for this weekend....

I hope and pray that all of you are safe and healthy. :) please take care of yourselves and loved ones.

Until I see you again, remember that you are so very loved!

Jennifer

Happy Easter! :)

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Amaretto coffee

Good morning and Happy Easter! :) hoping that each of you is having a most amazing weekend so far and enjoying the blessings that surround you!

I have several photos to share with all of you, to hopefully brighten your day with a bit of spring.

To begin, I was recently inspired by a post by Sandy Allnock in which she drew a hopscotch game on the sidewalk in front of her home. I thought that was such a fun idea! We live on one of the main streets in our town, so our sidewalk is always filled with joggers, dog walkers, and people just celebrating being outside. So on one of our sunny days, I did the same thing, although not even close artistically to what she created! The neighbor girls came over several times to play hopscotch, which they had never played before. it was fun for their mom to teach them. :)

On another sunny day this past week, Dave and Palmer were in the front yard and took a photo of the precious spring flowers growing around one of our trees. I so love this one! I keep emphasizing 'sunny' days, because we have also had several days of snow and rain this week, with more on the way.

Lastly, I was able to get some cards made to send out to family, friends, and even our fabulous mail carrier. it took me several days to make them, even though they are simple. but I was so happy to craft! :)

One of the amazing artists that I follow on YouTube is Shawn Petite. both Dave and I love to watch her create. it's not only inspiring, but she has such a gentle way about her. She kindly shared the images from several Easter and Spring cards she recently made. I used those images, adding my own bit of shabbiness to each. The crochet trim is avocado dyed. and yes, I am adding avocado dyeing to my repertoire of  coffee and tea staining! :)

Shawn shares free downloads to those who subscribe to her newsletter. no cost to sign up, but be prepared to be inspired! Check out her store and blog, as well as her YouTube channel.

Thank you for your kind and encouraging comments, as well as stopping by for a cup of coffee!
Have a most beautiful day! remember that you are so deeply loved!
Jennifer

Happy One Year Anniversary!

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Gingerbread coffee

Hello! I hope that today finds each of you safe and healthy in this ever changing world. Remember that kindness, as always, matters. :)

One of our sons and his wife celebrated their one year anniversary yesterday. I waited to post to ensure that they had received their card in the mail. Dave is making something ever so spectacular for them in his workshop, also known as the garage!, but we don't have any way to get it to them since both of our states are currently under lock down orders. On a positive note, it gives us something to look forward to! :)

my energy for crafting is at a bare minimum, as it took me a full day to make this card, but oh goodness, did it ever feel good to get crafty!

I can't remember where on the internet that I found this vintage image, but it was just perfect for a one year anniversary card. I used my ink squirty tool in two shades of ink on it. goodness gracious, was that ever hard to do! last time I had cancer, my left arm stopped working. this time it's my right. it took all I had just to do that little bit of inking. sigh....

decorative papers are by Echo Park. I thought they were a bit too stark white, so I coffee dyed them! I love the vintage feel they took on! the little tissue paper border is a snippet from a package I received. yep, I really do re-purpose everything! ha! vintage buttons, ticket, and burlap/lace trim are from my stash. actually, Dave gave me two jars of gorgeous vintage buttons for Valentine's Day, and these are some of them. what a guy! :) gingham ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

I know that our lives are all topsy turvy right now, but there are still so many blessings to count. don't lose sight of the goodness that surrounds you! may you have health and peace in the midst of the turmoil.

with love to all of you,
Jennifer

Challenges:
ArtsyStamper - lots of layers
CreativFusion - love and happiness
Corrosive Ch - anything goes
A Place to Start - unconventional household item (coffee for dyeing and wrapping tissue paper)
2 Sisters on the Blog - dots and/or stripes (both on the two designer papers)
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Creatalicious - anything goes w/optional layer it up
A Vintage Journey - celebration (celebrating love & marriage, of course!, my precious family, feeling well enough in the midst of my health yuck to craft, and the many blessings in my life!)

Update and trying to get crafty

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Pumpkin Spice Hazelnut coffee (it's my go to comfort flavor!)

Hello and Happy weekend!
I apologize for my absence. still struggling with health issues, but finding joy in the beauty of each day. :) so many blessings to count!!!

when I feel well enough, I am attempting to put together my first journal. it is great fun! I have been coffee staining almost everything in sight, since I always have an abundance of coffee and grounds in my house! ha! ;)

I am still reading every day. that is an essential for me. also watching lots of movies. thank goodness for Netflix and VuDu! :) of course my favorite thing to watch is the wildlife outside my windows. The birds and other little critters are wonderful and can entertain for me hours....

I want to thank those of you who have left comments or sent emails inquiring about my health. you are so kind! I am not always able to respond, but your messages touch my heart.

My prayers are with everyone around the world as we deal with the coronavirus concerns. may calm minds and healing prevail.

much love to all of you and enjoy your weekend! :)
Jennifer

Wishing You a Happy New Year!

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Victorian Earl Grey tea

Sending wishes to each of you for a most Happy and Joyful New Year! :) May it overflow with blessings in abundance!

Thank you to those of you who have left such kind messages of support and comfort. Y'all are the best!
I am currently battling the flu on top of everything else, so I apologize that I haven't made it around to leave holiday greetings. hopefully this will move along in the next week, and I will be able to get a bit of computer time.

Love to everyone!
Jennifer

Merry Christmas to All!

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Eggnog coffee

Sending Merry Christmas greetings to all of you around the world! :)

image from 

The Graphics Fairy

I apologize for my absence. my health hasn't been the best. had craft projects planned and partially completed for the holiday, but just didn't get anything finished. struggling, but still trying to count my blessings. :)

may you find yourself surrounded by those you love! do something that makes you feel good about yourself. pass along kindness.

and know that you are truly, deeply loved!
Jennifer

Vintage Happy Thanksgiving Greetings!

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Cinnamon Macadamia Nut coffee

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends here in the USA! I hope you are surrounded by family and friends, counting your many blessings. :) I know I am so grateful, every day!

I am sharing the card I made to send to a few very special folks. Our middle son will not be able to be with us this holiday because of living so far away. St. Louis just isn't as close to Ohio as Michigan. ;) Our other sons and their wives will be driving in tomorrow to spend the weekend with us. While we will miss Mick and Lauren, I know it will be a wonderful time with everyone else. I am so excited to see them again!

One of David's sisters and her husband spent a few days with us last week. They live in Texas, so other than weddings, we don't get to see them often. Thankfully there are 2 weddings next year, so we will have several opportunities for visiting and fun times!

so on to my card -
the beautiful vintage images are from The Graphics Fairy. plaid paper is by Bella Blvd., gorgeous brown textured ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. the leaves were die cut from the Tim Holtz Fall Foliage die set, using cardstocks that were sprayed with an assortment of distress oxide sprays. so many lovely colors irl! the little acorn cap I picked up out at Camp. I love using bits of nature on my project, especially in the fall.

Have a most glorious holiday and weekend!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner - anything fall goes
Creative Moments - anything goes
SSS Wed - anything goes
Words 2 Craft By - thankful
CRAFT - inspired by a book (Cranberry Thanksgiving or Berenstain Bears Give Thanks)
Creative Knockouts - winter/holidays (holiday - Thanksgiving)
Southern Girls - anything goes

Christmas Tea Remembrance Cards

Top Pick at Stinkin' Inkers
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Chestnut Praline coffee

Hello and Happy weekend! :)

I wanted to participate in both the Caring Hearts Card Drive and the Fall/Winter Coffee Lover's blog hop. I was so excited when I saw that the Caring Hearts card drive deadline had been extended, so I got busy. understand that it takes me forever and a day to get anything crafty made anymore. oh, the joys of cancer. rolling eyes.....and when I thought about creating cards for people who are in nursing homes, I knew I would be remiss if I didn't make some to send to my MIL, who is also in a nursing home. I thought I would make some little tea cards for her to pass out to her friends. she has always been one of my biggest supporters of my crafting. I think she has truly given away hundreds of my cards as gifts to her friends over the years. :)

So about a week ago I started crafting. yep, it takes me that long! :D I usually have an hour or two each day when I feel well enough to craft. I am so very thankful for that time! although I confess that I spread out on the living room coffee table these days so that I can rest on the couch when I start to feel icky. hubby is so very kind and understanding!

The little packets use digital papers from Gecko Galz, including items from the following collections: Christmas in Nature ATC set, Botanical Christmas, Grandmother's House, Merry & Bright, Christmas Past, and Merry Little Christmas. the tea cups were die cut with dies from Stamp Simply Coffee or Tea set. foliage is from the Tim Holtz mini Holiday Greens die set and cut from cs sprayed with several shades of distress oxide sprays. the poinsettias are from Michael's.

inside the poem is die cut with the Tim Holtz stitched rectangles set, and the scripture is cut with a Spellbinders die set. distressing was done with both inks and a paper distressing tool. beautiful gold organza ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. mini doilies are from my stash. oh yes, I also stamped the right hand side behind the scripture with the music score from the Tim Holtz Mini Holidays 3 stamp set. sheesh, my head these days! oh goodness!

as I was checking the Caring Hearts card drive post to find out about envelopes, I discovered that they are only wanting A2 sized cards. oh well. I guess I will be sending all 24 of these to my MIL instead! but I hope all of you who are reading this can get something made in time to participate in the card drive. it's for such a worthwhile cause. I know there is no way I am going to be able to get anything done in time between the way I am feeling and the amount of time it takes me to create. but I know that my MIL will be happy to have some treats to share with her friends. :)

have a most amazing weekend! love to all of you, my dearest friends!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Ellibelle's Corner - Christmas/holidays
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Ike's World - K is for kindness
Holly and the Ivy - anything Christmas goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Unicorn Ch - Christmas/winter
Dragonfly Dreams - Christmas/winter
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - anything Christmas goes
Merry Little Christmas - anything Christmas goes
Papercraft Business Ch - to give as a gift
Stinkin' Inkers - 'die'lirious and punchy (dies by Tim Holtz, Spellbinders, and Stamp Simply)

Happy Halloween Something Wicked Skull

Coffee/Tea of the Day - White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice coffee

Happy Halloween!
We aren't big celebrators of the day, but as I have mentioned in prior posts, I do try to make cards to send along with candy to our sons and the ladies in their lives. I wanted to make a card for hubby, too. yesterday was a rough one, with me spending most of the day in bed, so I quickly finished this card this morning.

The bg piece is the same as what I created for the cards for the Candy Crow and Skull Couple cards. Distress oxide sprays and distress inks were applied over watercolor paper, then stamped with images from the Tim Holtz Tiny Things 2 and Regions Beyond sets. the TH flame stencil was then used.

for this card, I also used the TH crossbones stencil and grit texture paste. I love how the paste absorbs colors from the bg! the sentiment is from the TH Regions Beyond set and embossed on black cs. the skull image is from the Simon Says Stamp and TH Stamptember 2019 collaboration set.  it reminds me a bit of an alligator, which is fitting since we lived for 10 years in Florida and met up with quite a few of those critters. ;) the skull was loosely watercolored and fussy cut before distressing with ink.

vintage buttons are from my stash, tickets are from a Jellibean ephemera pack, and ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon. the rose is from Wild Orchid Crafts. I added some touches of ink and also used my SU! ink squirty tool to spray some black speckles. did the same on one of the little ephemera tickets.

I was so excited that this sentiment was included in the TH Regions Beyond stamp set. when Dave and I were dating, this was one of the first movies we watched together, and quickly became a favorite. if you haven't seen it or read the book, I highly recommend it! :)

enjoy your day! thanks for stopping by. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
SSS Wed Ch and SSS Work it Wed. - anything goes
Crafty Gals Corner - Halloween colors
Little Red Wagon - scary it
Paper Funday - anything goes w/Halloween twist
A Place to Start - create your own challenge:
1. image, sentiment, solid paper (mat and sentiment pieces as well as card base)
2. embossing, wet or dry (wet)
3. embossing powder
4. buttons, flowers
5. ribbon
Dream Valley - add a sentiment
Pammie's Inky Pinkies - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - anything goes w/sentiment
Krafty Chicks - orange and black

Day of the Dead Skull Couple Halloween Cards

Top 3 Pick at Always Fun Challenges
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tiramisu coffee

Happy Wednesday to all of you! :)
So I managed to finish the cards for my sons and their significant others and get everything in the mail, hopefully in time. well, I should say that hubby got it in the mail for me. ;) what a guy! I am working on his card today and will try to post it tomorrow if all goes well.

The bg for both of these cards is the same as what I created for the Halloween Candy Crow card I shared a few days ago. I tried to streamline the creative process as much as I could since crafting takes me so very long these days.

for a recap, distress oxide sprays as well as distress oxide inks were applied to watercolor paper. I used the Tim Holtz flame stencil over this, as well as the Prima messy script mini stamp. House stamp (and some of the sentiments) is from the Tim Holtz Regions Beyond set, owl and mushrooms are from the Tim Holtz Tiny Things 2 set, and the wonderful Dia de los Muertos skull couple are from the Tim Holtz Day of the Dead set. the other sentiments are from the Simon Says Stamp and Tim Holtz Stamptember 2019 collaboration set.

The skull couple comes in two sizes in the stamp set. I used the smaller ones and embossed with black ep. I then lightly watercolored the images after fussy cutting. edges were distressed with ink. with a last name like Scull, all of us in the family tend to gravitate toward and collect skull images.

sentiments were embossed with white ep onto black cs. each was then distressed with black ink.

moth images are from The Graphic Fairy. roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts and have had black soot distress stickles added to them. ribbons and trim are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. the mirrored hearts were first colored with a sharpie marker and then lightly sponged with timber brown Stazon ink to tone down the red as well as add some aging. (sorry for the glare in the photos)

this time I remembered my vintage buttons! :)  I also added these cool little seed pod shell fragments that I found out at Camp a week or two ago. they have been messy painted with distress crackle paint, I think in Shabby Shutters. I have had this a while, obviously, since the colors of distress crackle paint have all been discontinued. that was a sad day, as was the day they retired all of the distress stickle line. :( needless to say, I stocked up as much as I could.

Have a most amazing day! thanks for your continued support. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
TTCRD - anything goes
Always Fun - Halloween
Crafting Happiness - Halloween
Crafty Cardmakers - Halloween
Double Trouble - color (orange, red, purple, brown) and optional twist of something that flies (moths and owl)
Pattie's Creations - autumn or Halloween
Sweet Stampers - autumn or Halloween
Tales From the Craftroom - Halloween
Creative Crafters - anything goes
SSS Wed Ch and SSS Work it Wed - anything goes

'Candy Made Me Do It' Halloween Crow

Top 3 at Sweet Stampin'
Winner at Fabrika Fantasy
Honorable Mention at Lavinia World
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Hazelnut Vanilla coffee

Hello to all of you!
I am sharing a card that I made for one of my son's and his wife for Halloween. we always send them candy for the holiday, even though they are all grown and have moved away. some traditions just last long beyond the nest. ;)

my crafting is extremely slow these days, so it's taking me lots longer to get these made. hopefully I will have the others finished tomorrow so they can get in the mail.

I had a great time creating the bg on this card. it's a combination of numerous distress oxide sprays in addition to regular distress ink. the main images were stamped with Memento ink. in lighter ink that matches the card base I stamped the Prima script stamp I have been using lately. it might not show in the photo, but irl it peeks through ever so slightly, which is exactly what I wanted. :) stamps used are from the Tim Holtz 'Regions Beyond' and 'Tiny Things 2' sets. the Tim Holtz flame stencil was also used before distressing the edges.

The crow was embossed with black ep. both it and the sentiment are from a special collaboration stamp set between Simon Says Stamp and Tim Holtz. I actually bought the set because of these stamps. :) it originally was one stamp, but I cut the sentiments apart from all of the images. that way I can get more use from them and it's easier to stamp one or the other. I lightly watercolored the crow after fussy cutting. it is popped up on a double thickness of foam tape. sentiment is embossed with white ep on black cs.

the candy bingo card is by Jenni Bowlin and is a digital download from Snap Click Supply. if you don't yet, check them out every Wednesday for their dollar specials. it's the best deal around!  they also have some kind of promotion that runs every weekend, ranging from 50% off certain brands to a sale on new products. I am not a rep for them, just a very happy customer! :) the card is edged in black soot distress stickles. they are also added to the flower by the sentiment.

both moth images are from The Graphics Fairy, ribbons and trim are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, flower is by Wild Orchid Crafts, and little candies are from a QuicKutz die. boy howdy, did those little goodies almost do me in! I also added a few twigs for the crow to rest upon. gosh, I just realized that I didn't add any vintage buttons! what is up with that?! :)

I hope all of you have had a wonderful weekend! bring on Monday. :)
take care!
Jennifer

Challenges:
SSS Monday Ch - spooky
Dragonfly Dreams - use black
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Allsorts - make your own bg
Crafty Calendar - Autumn colors/Halloween
Crafty Friends - embossing, wet or dry
Di's Digis - Halloween or Harvest
Sweet Stampin' - Halloween or black and orange
Shopping Our Stash - Halloween
Daring Cardmakers - make it spooky
CRAFT - Halloween/Thanksgiving/Bonfire Night
Lavina World - anything goes using stamping
Fabrika Fantasy - Halloween

Sending Love and Hugs Two Cats Tag Card in Pink

Coffee/Tea of the Day - White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice coffee

Hello and Happy Friday! :)
I am here with an entry in the Cat Lover's Blog Hop. There have been very few moments in my life when I have not had at least one cat in my family. I was a cat lover long before ever having our precious pups in our lives. Our current feline king of castle is Moon Pie. he is a rescue kitty who completely rules the roost! he and Palmer are the bestest buddies. :) in fact, he is sitting on the computer desk beside me   as I am typing.... silly guy! :D

My project uses some of the paper that I made for the breast cancer ribbon awareness cards from this post. rather than use it for the bg, this time I die cut a tag from it. Prima doily and script stamps were used on the tag as well. I die cut another tag from kraft cs and stamped it with one of the sentiments from the retired SU! Ribbon of Courage stamp set. edges on both tags were distressed with ink.

The gorgeous vintage cat clip art is from The Graphics Fairy. they were fussy cut and popped up on foam tape.  flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, vintage buttons, doily, and pink crochet trim are from my stash, and pink ribbon tying together the tags is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. decorative papers, as with the cards from the other day, are by Echo Park and Kaisercraft. oh yes, distress stickles were added in various places for a touch of sparkle and vintage loveliness.

Thank you to everyone who has left such heartfelt, loving comments about my cancer battle. all of you are simply the best!!!!

enjoy your weekend! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
SUYP - Meowleween or furry anything goes (featuring a cat)
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes
Krafty Chicks - gift packaging, tags, or anything goes (2 tags on the card)
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Crafty Animals - anything goes w/an animal
Creations in Pink - anything goes in mainly pink
Daisy Chain - pink or Halloween
Papercraft Business Ch - tag, you're it
Creative Crafters - anything goes
Bastel-Traum - favorite animal
TTCRD - anything goes
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Brown Sugar - anything goes
My Time to Craft - Halloween or cats

Floral Pink Ribbon of Courage cards

Top Pick at Path of Positivity
Path of Positivity DT Favorite
Path of Positivity Most Inspiring
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Pumpkin Hazelnut coffee

Happy weekend to everyone! :)

As most of you know, I am currently battling the dreaded 'C' again. yeah, it pretty much stinks, as I feel lousy most of the time. as with any disease, there are good days and the not so good ones. the past few weeks have been rough, but I am really trying to get crafty time to help combat the doldrums that easily come with being sick for so long.

I created 2 cards for Breast Cancer Awareness month. they are almost identical, with only minor variations. imagine my shock as I was creating these to discover that I have NO pink 12x12 cs! none! what is up with that?! as much as I love pink in my crafting, I obviously rarely use it as a card base unless I am making something different than my standard 6x6 card. almost every card I make has a kraft cs base. guess I had better ask Santa for some pinky goodness in my stocking this year. ;)

the bg piece was created with distress inks stamped over distress oxide. I used the gorgeous Tim Holtz Glorious Bouquet as well as several Prima tiny bg stamps - script and doily. 2 shades of crackle paint were added sporadically and then topped with splatters of white Mr. Huey's spray. edges were distressed with ink.

the pretty awareness ribbon is from the SU! Ribbon of Courage stamp set. the sentiment is from the same set. the hearts in the ribbon were colored with SU! markers. I then used an aqua painter to mute the colors. after fussy cutting, I wrinkled the image to add a vintage feel.

beautiful flowers are from Michael's and altered with inks and Frantage embossing powder. bg papers are from the Kaisercraft Magenta and Echo Park Wedding Day collections. pink tags were stamped with a Prima bg script stamp. doily is from my stash and was distressed with ink. vintage buttons, lace, ribbons, and iridescent sequins are also stash items.

I want to add a little message here about the sentiment:
for anyone dealing with a terrible disease, courage is required on a daily basis, sometimes by the hour. but that also goes for the members of their family. there is courage needed to face the diagnosis and what it means for the changes that take place. courage is needed when dealing with medical appointments and procedures. courage is needed the most when trying to wrap your head about what the future means and not giving up hope. sometimes courage is needed when people who mean well say things without thinking of how it comes across. (no, my  multitude of sins did not cause my cancer, but I will smile and say thank you for trying to be encouraging.) courage is needed as the person diagnosed deals with the numerous changes that their body is going through, tasks that can no longer be easily accomplished, and the multitude of emotions that can, at times, be overwhelming. we might be a bit tattered, but we are not broken. and we will fight with all we have because that is what courage means - bravery in the face of adversity.

Thank you so much  for stopping by! I hope you enjoy your weekend! remember that you are truly loved! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
SSS Mon. - All Things Pink
Alphabet Ch - 'O' is for one word sentiment
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Craft Rocket - pink
Southern Girls - anything goes
Unicorn Ch - pretty in pink
Creations in Pink - anything goes in mainly pink
Creative Craft Cottage - make it pink
Digi Doodle Studios - black and/or pink
Path of Positivity - courage