Joyful Hi with Basic Grey!

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Rum

Happy Saturday! I've pulled a major goober..... this post was supposed to post first thing this morning, but for some reason didn't. so instead I am re-typing it this evening..... sorry!  Dave & I did have a fun day out though. We went to lunch at a great restaurant in this area called 'Melt'. they serve all kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches. if you have ever watched Man vs. Food on The Food Channel (I think.... we don't get cable, so I'm not positive that's it), they were featured a while back. Then we went to see the new 'World War Z' movie! Dave came out of the movie a bit freaked, but I am soooo ready to crack some zombie heads! wooo hoooo! loved the movie!

anyhow, I had the coolest offer a while back from the wonderful folks over at the Basic Grey Challenge Blog. they asked if I would be interested in being a Guest Designer for them. shoot yeah! you KNOW how much I LOVE my Basic Grey!!!! then I was told the challenge theme for my week: no stamped images. crikey! can you fathom how very very hard this challenge was for me? almost as bad as a CAS..... but I prevailed and did my best. :)

I used paper and elements from the Sweet Threads collection. the flower was made from 2 different pairs of shorts from my sons and a Tim Holtz tattered flowers die. buttons & trim are vintage, corduroy brad is SU!, and joy chipboard sticker is She Art. a few rhinestones on the banner complete the card. I did so some distressing with my ink, but that was it.

Be sure to stop by the challenge blog to see what the DT came up with for this fun challenge! Thank you to the team for inviting me to play along! It was fun, even though it was tough for me. we all need to step out of our comfort zone every once in a while! :)

Challenges:
One Stop Craft - add a tag
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - cute as a button
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Crafts and Me - anything goes
Paper Shelter - buttons and brads
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
That Craft Place - flowers
Happy Campers - bling
Crafty Catz - say it with flowers

My Complete Cardmaking Publications...

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie

Hello and Happy Friday! Today is a MUCH better day and yesterday was wonderful! nothing much happened, which was perfect in contrast to the day before. grins! actually celebrated with pizza for dinner last night, so that was quite the treat. :)

anyhow, since the newest issue of Complete Cardmaking With Your PC has already hit the newsstands in the UK, I thought it was about time I showed you the 2 cards I had published in the last issue. Thank you again to Tammy at A Day for Daisies for including me with her DT in the article, as well as my friend Suzie for sending the magazine to me! :)

btw, if you would like to order your own copy, click here and look for issue #43. several of you have already told me you ordered one and really enjoyed it. I like that you get a CD chock full of great images with it. you can possibly find an issue at your local book store like Barnes and Noble or at JoAnn's.

My cards are on p. 38 and feature the beautiful image, 'I Love My Mama's Tummy.' both also use Spellbinder dies.

This first card was created with papers from the My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline Howdy Doody collection, vintage buttons,  a sparkler from Webster's Pages, tag cut from PTI die, Prima flower, SU! linen thread, and stitching stamps from Gina K. Shimmerz was painted over the little flowers of the  main image. love my washi, and you haven't seen it for a bit, have you? better get busy using it again. ;)

this next card uses Basic Grey papers from the Serenade collection (did you really think I would try to get a card published and NOT use my beloved Basic Grey?!?grins!), flair button is also BG, border die is MFT, buttons are vintage, rose is Prima, glimmer mist was sprayed on tag, heart was punched from vintage sheet music, and shimmerz was again painted on main image flowers.

thank you for sharing this excitement with me! I have lots more coolio news coming up soon, so will post when I'm able.  enjoy your weekend! :)

-----> you KNOW how much I love Basic Grey, right? well they are now in partnership with Jessica Sprague and have released several of their collections in digital form!!! not only is THAT exciting news, but those same collections are on sale for a limited time only right here.  this is not a paid advertisement, just a VERY excited BG lover!!! :)

A Day Filled with Happies.... I need one! :)

Coffee of the Day - Buttered Rum Pecan

Boy howdy, I was never so glad for yesterday to be over and today to begin! we had the most bizarre afternoon and evening.....

it began with a phone call from Dave telling me he was in route to the ER with Ryan for a finger that had been crushed in the tailgate of a pickup. yikes! we spent the next several hours texting back and forth through x-rays to discover if bones had been broken and exams to see if stitches were needed. it seems that when the group had gone to the Lake canoeing, Ryan's finger ended up in the back of the pickup with the rest of the boats. not good. thankfully he is okay now. of course he wanted to go straight back to Camp from the hospital!

within half an hour of that last text message, I was taking Mocha outside when she was attacked in our driveway by another dog. did you know that a labrador's head can fit inside the mouth of a St. Bernard? well I now know it's true....that was the most tense 10 minutes of my life as my poor dog screamed and 2 men tried their darndest to get that huge jaw off of her head. thank goodness Latte was inside, but she was barking up a storm as she heard her sister's cries. Mocha is okay now, but she hasn't been 100% from her health ick a few weeks ago. this was the last thing my poor dog needed. but she's alright and that is what matters.

after I got her cleaned up as best I could, we sat down to watch a  movie in the living room. next thing I  know one of my teeth falls out from all of my radiation poisoning. sheesh oh pete, what next? I was really wishing for a shot of tequila right about then, I can tell you! ;) I think I've lost more teeth in this whole cancer battle than I did hair! they sure don't tell you that in the pamphlets.....

so I was really happy to put that day to rest, needless to say. today begins anew.

on to my card....
I made this in the midst of the ER texting, so if it seems a bit scattered, you know why. my thoughts weren't completely focused on crafting.

there is a new showcase over at Milk Coffee today for Girly Girl creations. A new character is being introduced, too, so check out the blog for a fun contest! you'll love the new images! :)

image is 'Girl Holding a Heart Gift,' papers are from the Basic Grey Soleil collection, ribbon rose is made from May Arts satin ribbon, paper roses were gifted to me so I'm sorry I don't know who made them, and sentiment is Create with TLC. the doily and sentiment tag were sprayed with Clambake glimmer mist. this is one of my new fave colors by them!!! you know how I love my sparkly glimmer mist! :)

thank you so much for stopping by. sorry for the long post today, but gosh, it was just an emotional day yesterday. ready for some quiet crafting and smooth  jazz on the CD player today....

love ya! Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafting for All Seasons - make it girly
Penny's Paper Crafty - girl power
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes plus sending this to Maddy
Crafty Sentiments - girl power
Inky Chicks - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Paper Take Weekly - sketch #80 (current) turned on its side
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
No Matter Which - bingo: bow, border punch, sparkle/glitter
Robyn's Fetish - pink, scallops, border, and a bow
Sentimental Sundays - for the girls
Basic Grey - doilies
Craft Lovin' - anything goes
Send a Smile 4 Kids - for the girls (mailing my card to Maddy; see above)
ABC - P is for Pretty in Pink
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon (pink rose is made with ribbon, too)
Sweet Pea - for children

Sweet Christmas Mousie

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Swirl with Bourbon (that's the coffee flavor, not what I added to my coffee! grins!)

I want to begin my post by thanking those of you who left me such wonderful birthday comments last week! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness! :) had a quiet day with just me and the dogs, but on Saturday did celebrate with the entire fam. went to our fave paper store, since Jocelyn had never been before, and also got in a bit of antiquing. had both lunch and dinner out, which was quite the treat! then everyone headed back to Camp to get ready for the next group to arrive. While we were out and about, they surprised me with my gift from all of them - they are buying me my next tattoo! I am so excited! trying to decide which of 2 I want to get. I really want to get a pink bow for my cancer battle, but also want a tat on my foot, and think that during the summer is the ideal time to get that one. my tats have to be symbolic, and for the most part are related to my faith walk. I'll keep you posted!

now on to my card - we have a new challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges: M is for Men or Mice. We are sponsored by Tammy and her fabulous Shape EZ templates. these are so much fun to work with!

I am using the Shape EZ Tipped Scalloped Flower template, digital papers from the Carta Bella Merry & Bright collection, a cutey image from Bugaboo called 'Christmas Mouse - Cocoa'. the sentiment is from a PTI set, flourish die and border are both Tim Holtz, gorgeous twine is Maya  Road, stitching stamp is Gina K. shimmerz paint was added to the bow, spoon, shoes, and heart on main image. stickles were added to the Shape EZ flowers. I have a 'thing' for polka dots, if you haven't already been able to tell, so I added dots to the mug with my white gel pen. some rhinestones on the sentiment punch, a doily, and a button complete the card.

colors are a bit off in the scan because I didn't want to put the lid down on the scanner & crush the flowers. I did the best I could with the editing, but I am no Einstein in that area. please forgive me.

enjoy your day! sending you big hugs!

Challenges:
WAW - anything goes with encouraging senti
Creative Craft - a stitch in time
Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes
Crafting By Design - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - glitz & glimmer (shimmerz paint, stickles, rhinestones)
Digi Sketch - theme: Christmas
Pause, Dream, Enjoy - anything goes
Paper Nest - animal love
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes Christmas
A Little Bit Crafty - something sweet
Sparkles Christmas - buttons and bows
Docerela - kraft cs
Jingle Belles - a digital Christmas (papers and image)
Sister Act - anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes
Sweet Stampin' Christmas - cute & cuddly with non-traditional colors (pink & blue)

Best Friends with my Dog

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Mousse

Today begins a new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays. We want to see you use office supplies on your projects. Our sponsors are Kenny K and Crimson Cloud. it's really fun to add these fun little embellies to your projects, especially for those hard to make guy cards. hope you will play along with us! :)

My card uses the Kenny K image Dog Walk, Echo Park digi papers and elements from the Brothers mini theme kit (it's on sale right now!), and sentiment from Create with TLC. my office supplies are standard twine, staples, mini clips, paper clip (hey, it's shaped like a dog bone. office supplies can be whimsical!), tag cut from clear packaging, and a sticker made with notebook paper. I just added some buttons and a bit of ribbon. a few little accents with my white gel pen as well as the woodgrain on the main image complete the card. sorry the brightness is a bit off. the metal clips made it hard to get a good scan.

I am giving this to my hunny bunny. I painted the dog to look like Latte. they have this hysterical love/hate relationship. Mocha has always been his 'shadow', (and she is doing much better right now! thanks for the well wishes for her btw!), but Latte is my 'princess pup' who really intimidates Dave at times. we laugh about it. but poor Dave also gets the night-time dog duty, so that will make this card extra appropriate for him.

Everyone stay as cool as you can in this summer heat. NOW you know why I like snow so much! tee hee! when you don't have a/c, you'll take any excuse to stay cool you can! enjoy your day!

Challenges:
Kenny K - anything goes
Artistic Inspirations - fur or feathers
Card Mania - kraft paper
Kraft Journal - inks, paints, or markers (I watercolored with inks)
Paper Nest - animal love
Use Your Stuff - office supplies
Glitter & Sparkle - tag it
Little Claire - male theme
One Stop Crafts - for a friend
Die Cut Divas - die cut and boy/male
Stampin' with the Dragon - anything goes
Art Impressions - masculine
Delightful - raise the banner
Here Come the Boys - let's go dotty
Lia Stampz - anything goes

Vintage/Shabby Faith Fairy

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Today begins a new challenge over at Pile it On. We want to see your vintage/shabby chic projects. Our sponsor is the oh, so fabulous A Day for Daisies!! well you know this challenge was an easy peasy one for me, plus using images from one of my most favorite stores and artists! I sure hope to see all of you play along with us! :)

I used this precious little 'Fairy Wish' for my card. highlights on the wings and antennae were made with my spica clear glitter gel pen. the entire image was painted with rock candy distress crackle paint. I so love the effect of this paint! especially perfect for any vintage project. papers are from the Basic Grey Lucille collection and sentiment is Create with TLC.  buttons & sheet music are vintage, rose is made from May Arts ribbon, seam binding was crinkled & tied into a bow, twigs added for a touch of nature, part of a doily, and a little tag from a shirt purchase complete the embellies. faux stitching finishes the card.


Challenges:
A Day for Daisies - add some nature
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Digi Haven - flowers
Delicious Doodles - stitch it
Totally Paper Crafts - flowers and bows
As You Like It - fave papers (Basic Grey: love their designs & feel to all of the collections. especially love this particular one. have almost used the entire paper pad!)
Crafty Ribbons - flowers galore
It's All About the Vintage - distress and tear
Divas by Design - distressing
Inky Impressions - anything goes
Word Art Wed. - anything goes
Bearly Mine - flowers galore
Ladybug Crafts - flowers and ribbon
LEJ Designs - add texture
Tuesday Throwdown - fantasy
Party Time Tuesday - color challenge (badge is on sidebar past about halfway down)
Artistic Inspirations - ribbon or twine
Bunny Zoe - wings
Card Mania - kraft paper
Eureka - anything goes
Simon Says Sketch and Show - kraft
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - anything with wings
Emma's Cards - buttons and bows
Fresh Brewed - mermaids, fairies, fantasy
Natalie and Amy - fantasy
Sparkles - steampunk or vintage
Basic Grey - doilies
Sentimental Sundays - for the girls

Polar Bear Wishes

Coffee of the Day - Maple Pecan

Hello and Happy Monday to all of you! I was so excited when I received an email from Jackie of Love to Create challenge blog several weeks ago asking if I would like to be one of their guest designers. I was more than happy to say 'yes'! thank you so much for thinking of me, Jackie! :) I am honored to be part of your blog this week!

The challenge at Love to Create this week is paper piecing, and the sponsor is The Stamping Chef. I am trying to keep up with creating Christmas cards, so I chose to use this adorable little polar bear image. we also have a 'thing' for polar bears in my family.

papers are from the Authentique Peaceful collection, clear packaging was used to make the banner that I edged in stickles, buttons are vintage, distress stickles are on the hat, a MFT die was used to make the felt rose that is also covered in rock candy distress stickles, charm is from Stamp and Create, and twine is Maya Road. oh yes, this guy is playing in snow that is made with stickles, too. yep, I do love my different kinds of stickles! :)

thank you again to Jackie at Love to Create challenge blog!

Challenges:
Eureka - anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - use a digi
Corrosive Challenges - animal antics
All That Stickles - distress stickles (rock candy and spun sugar)
Squirrel and Fox - something metal (charm)
Sparkles Christmas - buttons and bows
Winter Wonderland - spots and stripes
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - bingo: charm, die cut, flowers
CRAFT - Christmas
Charisma Cardz - digis

Hello Sweetie! Happy Father's Day! :)

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake

My card today is for my Hunny Bunny. He is my sunshine, my knight in shining armor, my heart and soul. he will probably never know just how much I need him and love him. Because of him, I am a mother when for 10 years the doctors told me I would never have children. God has blessed me beyond measure with this amazing man I am privileged to call my husband and my children can call Father.

I wanted to make him a special card for Father's Day that would let him know just how very much he means to me. if you are a Whovian, you will understand the meaning behind this. if you have never watched an episode of Dr. Who, I urge you to start NOW. :)  I don't have ONE favorite Dr, because each one is so special in his own way. I cry each time one leaves.

Just like the Tardis, my love for my husband grows even bigger on the inside. :)

fab stamps come from Viva Las Vegas, papers are Authentique Original collection, clock and banner dies are Spellbinders, retro squares border die is MFT, burlap ribbon is May Arts, Love ticket is SU!, and buttons are from my stash. the clock was covered in distress stickles. the sentiment banner was sprayed with glimmer mist while the Tardis was sprayed with my SU! ink squirty tool after painting.

Challenges:
613 Avenue Create - anything goes with twist: a special male
Catered Crop - for the boys
Dream Valley - Father's Day/male
Fashionable Stamping - something new (stamps, papers, clock & border dies, love ticket)
Glitter & Sparkle - use 3 of something (buttons)
Hobby Cutz - masculine or Father's Day
Joanna Sheen - Father's Day or male
2 Sisters - for a dad
A Gem of a Challenge - Father's Day/male
All That Stickles - distress stickles (vintage photo)
HIMCR - die cuts
Artistic Stamper - makes for men
Crafting Musketeers - stamped images
Really Reasonable Ribbon - dots & ribbon or trim
Scrap it Girl - dies
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards - bingo: buttons, glitter (stickles), die cut
Southern Girls - punches or die cuts
Crafting for All Seasons - one for the guys
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - for the men in our lives
Crafting By Design - male themed
Inky Impressions - Father's Day or for a guy
Simon Says Stamp - transport (hey, if you can't get there in a Tardis, you really CAN'T get there!)
WAW - anything goes
Sentimental Sundays - sprays, paints, mists
Jellypark - masculine (waving hello to my fave friends!!!)
A Little Bit Crafty - something sweet (my hunny bunny, of course!)

Awesome is Your Middle Name

Coffee of the Day - Spicy Chipotle with Bacon Syrup, yep it's my coffee!

sorry that my post is late today. oh my lawsie, life - it has been interesting over here.... our poor dog Mocha has been so very sick these past few days. not sure if she's going to make it or not. she and her sister, Latte, are 12 years old, so we are thankful for every day we have them. but gosh almighty, these past few days have been rough. the boys have all been stopping by when they can to check on her. She perks right up when she sees her boys! oh how she loves them, and they her. I don't leave her side. so between that, losing our only vehicle, and my newest health/cancer ick, we are really counting blessings around here. and thanking God for every minute of every day with those we love.

As I had mentioned a little while ago, I am a guest designer over at Scribbles by Sandy Designs. a new challenge has started today called 'Manly Men, Masculine, and Dads.' The challenge rules have changed, so any images on your projects are now welcome. Sandy does offer a freebie for you to use though, so be sure to grab it.

I used the fun image Cool Carl along with a sentiment from Create with TLC. papers are Basic Grey Origins.   the leaf die and linen thread are SU! and buttons are from my stash.

Challenges:
Heck of a Challenge - bingo: yellow, green, die cut or punch
Ladybug Crafts - for the men in your life
Scrap it Girl - die cuts
Crafter's Cafe - fathers or for a male
Digi Haven - anything goes
Kitty Bee Designs - Father's Day/masculine
Polka Doodles - male
Simply Create Too - Father's Day or male
Art Impressions - masculine

Sing it LOUD!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice 

it's only Wednesday, and it's already been a doozy of a week. icky appt. at the oncology surgeon's office the other day, and yesterday our lovely Jeep of almost 12 years was hauled away. yep, I cried when it pulled out of the driveway on that big huge truck. not gonna go into all of the other stuff just yet, but suffice it to say, I'm busy counting blessings so I don't dwell on the negative. God remains good and faithful, no matter what life brings our way.

so on to brighter things. it's time for smiles and laughs!!! after all, there is always joy to be found.
our new challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges is L is for Laugh or Less is More. well you know me and I am NOT about to do a CAS card, so funny it is! we are sponsored by Saturated Canary.

I chose to use the adorable image, 'Noel', because I knew I was going to track down the sentiment from one of our VERY FAVE holiday movies, "Elf". actually, we have been known to watch this movie any time of year, but it is especially wonderful during the holidays. if you've never seen it before, I urge you to remedy that NOW! :)

papers are from the Basic Grey Jovial collection, poinsettia is Petaloo, printable was a freebie found online here, corduroy brads are SU!, and lace is vintage. some faux stitching was added as well as little highlight spots.  the caroler's gloves and pom pom are covered in pink shimmerz. music note dies are Cuttlebug.

now in the spirit of singing as well as counting blessings, I am going to post this video. I was listening to an older Chris Tomlin CD, 'Hello Love', when this song came on, 'God Almighty'. the bridge had me in tears.....these past few days I have felt the need to be face down at my Father's feet. I share this clip because it is Chris Tomlin himself, unplugged, singing and talking about the song. feel free to browse YouTube for the entire song.




sending big hugs to all of you! :)

Challenges:
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Oldie but a Goodie - stitching (corduroy brads are really old)
TTCRD - anything goes
Country View Crafts - die cuts
Artistic Inspirations - stitching
Christmas Card Challenge - lace
Joanna Sheen - spots and stripes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - die cut or punch
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes

Dad, You Rock!

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie

Today starts a new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesday. in honor of the upcoming Father's Day holiday, we want to see your masculine projects. Our sponsor this fortnight is Birdie Brown. gosh, does she ever have some cutie images! you can also find some great freebies and a fun challenge on her blog.

my card uses her latest freebie, Rockin' Doggie, and his matching sentiment. I made this card for the guys to give to David, as it goes pretty well with part of his Father's Day present. shhhhh..... can't tell you what that is just in case he peeky peeks over here before the big day! ;)

Papers are some digital ones called Celebrate Today from Design House Digital, star border is a MFT die, linen thread is SU!, buttons are from my stash, as is little black grosgrain ribbon snippet under metal clippie.  the guitar is covered in rock candy distress stickles and silver metal portions are painted with shimmerz. frets are accented with my clear spica glitter gel pen. the bg of the main image is actually a pale blue, but I couldn't get it to scan no matter what I tried. 'Dad' stickers are Melissa Frances. his sunglasses are covered in crystal effects.

Posts are going to be a bit sporadic for a while. lots of medical stuff coming up. ick. cancer really really stinks. and y'all are weary of hearing about it, I know. but not half as weary as I am of typing it all out. just glad I can craft when I'm feeling up to it. I am very blessed in that regard - well in lots of ways actually. :)

Challenges:
Birdie Brown - June freebie challenge
Twisted Tuesday - clothes make the man
Papertake Weekly - hello boys
Creative Card Crew - metal (file clip)
The Kraft Journal - just for him
Loves Rubberstamps - masculine
Tuesday Throwdown - you're the man
City Crafter - all about him
Craft Your Passion - Father's Day/masculine
Creative Craft - we love you, Dad
Country View Crafts - die cuts
Ladybug Crafts - for the men in our lives
Really Reasonable Ribbon - masculine plus ribbon or trim
Crafter's Cafe - father or for a male
Heck of a Challenge - bingo: yellow, die cut or punch, green
Eureka - Father's Day
Get Inky - boys and/or men
Lexi's Creations - Father's Day or special male birthday
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - manly card or Father's Day
Clear it Out - male cards with metal (buttons are from old stash, as is shimmerz paint. metal is an old file clip)
Crafty Sentiment - card for a male
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Father's Day

It Takes Someone Special to be a Daddy

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

A new challenge begins today over at Pile it On - for or from a father. Father's Day was always a special day for my dad and I. every few years my birthday and Father's Day would land on the same day, so my dad and I would really plan something fun together. for many years it was just the 2 of us as I was growing up, so we were very close.  he's been gone for over 20 years now, and I still miss him every day. some years I still make him a Father's Day card.

the image on my card comes from A Day for Daisies. it's called 'Dancing with Dad'. I remember dancing with my dad like this! I'm sure many of you do as well. :) the sentiment is a freebie from Paper Crafts magazine. I turned it into a tag, adding ric rac and a bread tag stamped with a sentiment from Wordsworth. it is a VERY old stamp, but one of my faves.  papers are Basic Grey Fact, buttons from my stash, burlap trim from May Arts, and linen thread from SU! I added little polka dots to the girl's dress with my white gel pen, while the buttons on his jacket were highlighted with my clear spica gel pen.

btw. A Day for Daisies is also having a new Club Kit blog hop if you want to see some gorgeous projects by their DT. if you leave a comment, you will also have a chance to win the entire kit for free! :)

Challenges:
A Day for Daisies - add food packaging (bread tag)
Simon Says Stamp - Father's Day/masculine
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - to be young again
Party Time Tuesdays - Father's Day (badge is further down my sidebar)
Aud Sentiments - anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey - masculine
Creative Belli - Father's Day  (buttons are from stash)
Love to Create - Father's Day or special guy
Paper Pretties - fantastic fathers
Perfect Sentiment - Father's Day or special man
WAW - anything goes with encouraging sentiment
Anything Goes - Father's Day
Clear it Out - male cards with metal (staples)
Creative Craft - for the fellas
Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes
Happy Campers - metal (staples)
Crafty Creations - one for the boys
Craft Your Passion - haberdashery items
Melonheadz - Father's Day or male inspired
Mema's Crafts - anything goes with twist: graduation, Father's Day, or summer/vaca
My Craft Spot - Dad
Paper Playtime - 2 or more ribbons (3 spooled items)
Crafts 4 Eternity - for the boys
Stampin with the Dragon - one for Dad
Wags 'n Whiskers - Father's Day
Crafter's Cafe - Fathers or for a male
Stamp 'n Doodle - Father's Day or for a male
Crazy 4 Challenges - Father's Day
Ladybug Crafts - for the men in your life

A Card for a Courageous Young Woman

Coffee of the Day - Spicy Chipotle with Bacon Syrup (yes, this IS my coffee, and yes, it IS very tasty for something different)

A few weeks ago I saw a post on the Simon Says Stamps blog that they were asking for cards for Maddy once again. I don't know if you remember her or not, but they had a card drive for her last year, too. she is a young woman who was fighting leukemia. Unfortunately she has relapsed, so they are once again trying to get as many cards for Maddy as possible. I knew without a doubt I would be making one to send. it's the very least I can do for a fellow fighter in the cancer wars.  :)

I have these gorgeous new images from Crafty Secrets Flower Garden collection that I wanted to use. (I also made an almost identical card for Mick's girlfriend, Jocelyn, who had her wisdom teeth removed last week). Once I finished coloring the image, I used my SU! ink squirty tool over the top to help age. papers are from Prima's Sweet Fairy paper collection cut with a Tim Holtz border die, butterfly is Petaloo, trim is vintage, and chipboard sentiment is Pink Paislee She Art. I am sorry that I don't know who the lovely little rose & leaf are from. they came in a blog candy win, and I couldn't wait to use them! the card is fairly simple, but I knew it was going to be passed through a lot of hands on its way to Maddy.

my house is getting quiet again. Today Tyler and Mick moved out to Camp for the summer. Ryan will go next week when he finishes his rotation at Home Depot. back to just me and my dogs.....we do have fun together though! ;)

-----> also, in addition to the yahoo gremlins acting up lately, it seems that the ones at Twitter and Blogger have been having their fun as well. some of the blogs and people I had been following just disappeared from my lists. if you happen to notice that I've not been by in a while or I'm not listed as a follower, PLEASE let me know. I haven't done anything on purpose. I'm trying to add everyone back in as I discover you, but it's tough with so many. sorry if I inadvertently hurt any feelings. it sure wasn't on purpose.

take care and have a wonderful weekend!

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - card drive
Crafty Secrets - linky party
4 Crafty Chicks - flowers
Aud Sentiments - anything goes
Crafting with Dragonflies - for the girls
Crafts and Me - something old (paper is VERY old as well as image have vintage look)
Paper Shelter - flower power
Whimsical Designs - vintage
WAW - anything goes with encouraging senti
Bearly Mine - dies and/or punches
Creative Card Crew - punches/dies
Little Red Wagon - heavy metal (butterfly antennae and tendrils on leaf & rose. staples, too)
TTCRD - anything goes
Card Mania - shabby chic
Creative Stamp Friends - pastels
Incy Wincy - spring is in the air
Ooh La La - inspired by nature
Whoopsi Daisy - shabby chic/vintage
A Creative Romance - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - haberdashery items (crochet trim & buttons)

Teen Gamer Epic Birthday by Jellypark

Coffee of the Day - Santa's White Christmas (last of hubby's fave. we needed it today.)

I'm sharing a special card with all of you today. I personally happen to love it. it reminds me so much of ALL of my guys - hubby included. I tried so hard for this little card to get published, and then when it did, I never got the email! too funny! so if you are a subscriber to the online magazine, Through the Craft Room Door, you will see it there in all of it's glory. if not, I'm sharing it here because it's had a lonnnnnng road to get where it's gotten! grins!

a bit of back history. Dave has been a gaming junkie since Play Station first came out. we had a PS before we had a child. before we had a dog even. ;)  and he is known to stay up all night, for days and nights on end, just to conquer a game. doesn't matter that he is ....... years old now. so when we had 3 sons come along, you bet yer bottom dollar that they were gonna be just like Dad! ;)

When Claire released this gaming teen image over Jellypark, I knew immediately that I was going to be making quite a few cards with it!  the drink, of course, had to be colored like Mountain Dew - the gamers drink of choice. we have gaming stations set up all around our living room to support the different game systems and game choices. The dogs have to wind around all of the chairs, game boxes, stools with computers, etc. It's really quite the comedy to see when everyone is busy.

Card is made with Basic Grey Clippings papers, wood veneer arrow from Freckled Fawn, linen thread from SU!, assorted buttons, chevron dies from MFT, burlap ribbon from May Arts, tag, and belt loops from someone's old pair of jeans.

I was asked not too long ago how I do my paper distressing. I have this handy dandy little pink tool that was gifted to me several years ago by a wonderful friend. I don't know if it's still around or not, but I use it all the time! it's a circle with a notch cut into it. the notch has a blade inside. the blade is what I run across my paper to distress. otherwise I used to just use my fingernail. still do at times, or the edge of scissor blade.

yesterday our precious son, Ryan, was in a car accident. thankfully he is okay, but our Jeep is totalled. bad news is that it is our only vehicle. Dave has a Camp truck, but that is only for work. good news is that Summer Camp starts next week and no one is going anywhere, other than me to all of my dr. appts.  I am just so very very thankful God kept Ryan safe. we will somehow deal with getting through our car situation, but nothing could ever replace that young man. on top of everything else our family is going through, that would have been too much to bear.

Tell the people you love that you love them. and all of you really do matter to me. :)

Challenges:
Bearly Mine - dies and/or punches (MFT die and ticket corner punch)
Clear it Out - male cards with metal (staples from tiny attacher - had this forever!)
Creative Card Crew - punches/dies (ticket corner punch and MFT die)
Paper Take Weekly - anything goes
Digi Darla - masculine
Kaboodle Doodles - for the kids
Love to Create - Father's Day or special guy
Melonheadz - Father's Day or male inspired
Country View - die cuts
Ladybug Crafts - for the men in our lives
Really Reasonable Ribbon - masculine with ribbon or trim
Crafting Cafe - here come the boys
Cupboard Trilogy - birthday
Here Come the Boys - use ribbon (on tag)
Pan Pastel - tag it
Robyn's Fetish - use a digi
Ribbon Girls - add a die cut
Brown Sugar - masculine birthday
Creative Corner - boy oh boy
Stamping with the Dragon - tag
4 Crafty Chicks - recycle (belt loops)
Paper Crafting Journey - masculine

Stripes and Plaids at Pile it On

Coffee of the Day - Buttered Rum

It's unusual to see me 2 weeks in a row over at Pile it On, but I am filling in for a dear friend this week. her pup isn't feeling very well, so not only am I helping her out by taking her DT spot, but I also made a card that I can pop in the mail to her! :) our new challenge at Pile it On is stripes and/or plaids. we are sponsored by the oh, so fun 2 Cute Ink.

please don't look too closely at my card or you will see the snafus that are all over it! that's what I get for trying to craft when my temp is over 101*! and of course most of the problems I didn't spot until after I had scanned it. isn't that the way it usually happens? oh well. so we will chalk it all up to 'whimsy' and hope for better luck next time! :)

image is Patches the Weenie dog, papers are Basic Grey Cupcake, flower is Petaloo, chevron die is MFT, linen thread is SU!, and buttons are from my stash. sentiment is Create with TLC. I added a bit of faux stitching to the banner and chevron border.

Challenges:
Simply Create Too - bingo (N: red, bow, 3 layers, flowers, punch or die cut)
Sister Act - anything goes
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Card Crafter's Circle - stripe me silly
Craft Your Passion - natural materials (linen thread)
Pause Dream Enjoy - use foam tape (main image)
Songbird - all creatures great and small
The Crazy Challenge - use sentiments
Paper Creator's Crafts - anything goes
Hobby House - anything goes

Last of the Graduation Cards...

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Marshmallow

Happy Saturday to all of you! a big welcome to my newest followers, too!
this is going to be a super fast post. if it doesn't make any sense, please excuse my wonky, fevered head. Still fighting this radiation poisoning with new double doses of antibiotics. had a big nasty shot of one yesterday. also have to visit my oncology surgeon next week for a new mass that has developed, so a new adventure begins for this summer. will keep you updated as we get the news to what is going on.

---> also, I'm finding out that in the past 4-6 weeks, a LOT of important emails both going TO my email and coming FROM my email have gone on holiday...... in other words, they are floating out in cyberspace somewhere and never made it to their destinations. if you sent me an email and I didn't respond, and you thought that very odd, chances are I didn't get it. please please please re-send. the yahoo gremlins are at it again, being their naughty little selves. it's been quite interesting trying to get some things straightened out with people thinking I was ignoring them, or me trying to figure out why I never heard back...... one was regarding a magazine publication, so you can see I'm not fooling when I say EVERY email is important to me. :) please try again. thanks!

I'm posting what I THINK is the last of my graduation cards..... unless we hear from someone else that is. ;) you know how that goes!

the image is from Sassy Studio Designs and is part of a progressive challenge they are doing over at Paper Craft Planet. papers are Basic Grey Little Black Dress and edges were cut with a Tim Holtz die. used the same freebie Class of 2013 from Paper Crafts magazine, sprayed with my ink squirty tool by SU!. a few buttons from my stash, a gorgeous velvet flower from Petaloo, and velvet ribbon complete the card.

I leave you with this little goodie that was texted to me last night. made me giggle while I was lying in bed! :)

Challenges:
Allsorts - here come the girls
Polkadoodle - to die for
Sister Act - anything goes
Totally Paper Crafts - anything goes
Simply Create Too - bingo (N: red, bow, 3 layers, flowers, punch or die cut)
Charisma Cardz - divas
Shelly's Images - anything goes
Lia Stampz - add a flower
Divas by Design - tie a ribbon