Vintage Coffee Label

Coffee of the Day - Amaretto

Here we are again for another chapter in the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop! hasn't this been so much fun? and gosh, there is so much talent and inspiration being shared, and I haven't had a chance to stop at even half of the projects linked so far!

I used the vintage coffee label offered over at Create with TLC by Paulette. she has several free images that are all wonderful! just be sure you leave her a nice thank you! :)

I really distressed the dickens out of this image! first it was fussy cut, then a light wash was applied, then wadded up into a ball!,then sponged, and finally lightly sanded.

papers for card base and leaves are Basic Grey Indian Summer, buttons, milk cap, & the wide brown lace are vintage, big orange jeweled flower is from Michael's, and burlap ribbon snippet is May Arts.  doily and tag are from my stash.

the die cut leaves were sprayed with 2 shades of glimmer mist before I distressed their edges with ink. the tag was sprayed with my SU! ink squirty tool, and a few little accent dots were added with a marker.

be sure to sign up for my coffee themed blog candy while you are here! stop by this post to enter. and a big hello to my newest followers! so happy to have you here! :)

Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments - autumn leaves
{PIN}spirational - photo inspiration (top pic)
Melonheadz - fall
One Stitch at a Time - anything goes with leaves
A Gem of a Challenge - autumn
Left of Center - rip it/tear it (distressing on designer paper as well as coffee label)
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - fall photo inspiration (bottom pic)
Deep Ocean - autumn
Crafting for All Seasons - Autumnal Hues
Choux Choux Paper Art - Halloween Blog Hop Linky Party (fall project)

Mmmmmm......Coffee!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Today's card for the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop has a bit of a funky, retro feel to it.

As some of you who follow my blog might remember, I had been going through a lot of my computer files recently and decided to use some of my long forgotten digi images. I came across this fun coffee drinking cutey by Karber Digital and knew she would be great for the hop.

papers and feather cut-outs are from the Basic Grey Persimmon collection, embossing folder for card base is by Tim Holtz, flower is by Prima, ribbon & little banner punch are SU!, and buttons are vintage. I stamped the 'm' from an All Night Media alphabet set repeatedly, because I know EVERY time I drink coffee, this is exactly what I am thinking! :)

Please be sure to enter you information for my coffee themed blog candy at this post. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! now I am off to make more coffee cards!

Challenges:
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Crafty Boots - gold or silver (feather on left is gold foil paper)
Pink and Main - anything goes

Quiet Moments with My Coffee

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut Cream

It's yet another installment of cards for the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop.... I think I could probably make a coffee themed card every day of the year and not duplicate a stamp or digi image! tee hee! does that stop me from collecting them? oh, good golly, no!!! :)

I decided to go 'cute' for today's card, using an adorable image from Sassy Cheryl, that she so kindly had on sale this weekend! :) papers are from the Basic Grey Grand Bazaar collection, sentiment stamp is by Prima (sprayed with clear sparkle mist), as is the big orange flower, other 2 flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, and little leaf is Petaloo. whew.... crazy I can remember all of that when everything is all mixed in together. buttons are from my vintage stash and sequins are from Simon Says Stamp. linen thread is SU!, while ticket & ribbon are from my stash.  I added a few touches with both my white gel pen and a wisteria marker. sure wish they had in color markers when vintage violet was out....

anyhow, hope to get more crafting done today. may your week overflow with happiness and blessings! :)  be sure to sign up for my coffee blog candy at this post!

Challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Classy Cards 'n Such - Feeling Fall-ish
Choux Choux Paper Art - Halloween Blog Hop Linky Party (fall project)
Come and Get It - clear it out: ticket, ribbon, and leaf are stash items
Eureka - anything goes
Crafting with Dragonflies - any card goes
Art by Miran - anything goes
Morgan's Art World - ribbons
Hanna and Friends - favorite stamp (I just love my coffee themed stamps! grins!)
Fresh Brewed Designs - 3 or more patterned papers
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Ooh La La - get krafty (kraft cs base)
CCC Digi Creations - anything goes

Sewn With Love Vintage Sewing Machine

Hello all of you! I am back again with another post, but this one has nothing to do with coffee. :)

I was so very kindly invited to be a Guest Designer over at Quirky Crafts Challenges. The theme for this fortnight is 'Sewn with Love' and sponsored by the oh, so fabulous Cutting Cafe. Thank you to Cazzy for inviting me to play along with everyone! I hope all of you will make something for this fun challenge, too!

I was given the Sewing Machine template to use. the template comes with files to create both a card and a box, but I opted to make a card. I don't have an electronic cutting machine, so this was all cut by hand. I am so thankful the pdf files are included for folks like me! :)

Papers are from the Basic Grey Picadilly collection, floral ric rack comes from Really Reasonable Ribbon, crochet trim is some vintage stash as are the buttons, fab little doily and sewing machine charm are from Etsy, little hook & eye strip is a vintage find, pins and chipboard sewing mannequin (covered in TH distress crackle paint) are Maya Road, blue glitter rose is from Michael's, and other flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts. lower piece of sewing machine and tension adjuster circle were sprayed with glimmer mist. needle uppy downy thing was covered in shimmerz paint.

yes, there is a limit to my sewing machine knowledge....they are not my friends. I come from a long line of sewers and it all ended like a brick wall at me. even the sewing machine repair man said he had never seen anything like it when he was constantly fixing mine. it's as if the machine was possessed by gremlins that fought back and attacked me. so I DO NOT SEW! ha! faux stitching is about as close as I come these days. even that is sketchy at best.... sigh....

I'll have another project to share next week for the midway inspiration post, so please stop back by. you might just see some mischievous mice who got into the sewing room!!! :)

Challenges:
Craft for the Craic - anything but square or rectangle
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
Simply Papercrafts - anything goes
Creative Craft Cottage - anything goes
Karleigh Sue - anything but a square
Natalie and Amy - charming
Ooh La La - ribbons and bows
Kitty Bee - buttons
Crazy 4 Challenges - blue
Noor Designs - shaped cards
613 Avenue Create - anything goes with optional twist of sapphire

You Are Here for a Coffee Break GeoTag

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Nut

Hello again for another chapter in the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop! Be sure to head over to this post to sign up for my Coffee Blog Candy while you are here. :) and a big howdy to my newest followers, too!!!!

Today's card is a bit on the simple side for me, and probably not as fall-ish as my other projects, but I still like it! :) I had ordered a few items for my Coffee blog candy (and a few for me, too, I confess!), and they all arrived yesterday. have you ever had things sitting out on your desk or table and just had an idea come to you? well that is what happened to me....

I saw the Prima Coffee Break Journaling Cards, Technique Tuesday Geotag die & Coffee Break Seal stamp, and a light bulb went off in my wonky little head!

I added a bit of distressing, some little white accent dots with a gel pen, smidgen of pink grosgrain ribbon, sentiment banner that was typed on my compy, floral pin & leaf by Making Memories, rose by Wild Orchid Crafts, and bow tied with gold burlap twine. a bit of stamping with a pretty, delicate leaf Prima stamp goes along the left side border. distress stickles coats the coffee on the seal. a cutey wooden veneer coffee mug by Latina Crafters completes the card.

Check back in just a little while for another post. :)

Challenges:
Southern Ridge Trading Company - favorites (pink and coffee!)
Crafty Girls Creations- anything goes
Southern Girls - whimsical, cute, and/or fun
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Mon. Ch - use a stamp
Robin's Fetish - square or rectangle cards

Vintage French Coffee and Blog Candy!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Happy Saturday, and welcome to Day 2 of the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop! Grab a cup of something hot and tasty while you read along.....  :)

Today's card uses a wonderful image of French coffee by Create with TLC. I found some wonderful vintage French coffee ads online that seemed to go perfectly with it. a bit of ink distressing around the edges and they were ready to go!

digital papers are from the Prima Collage collection, sunflowers are from my stash while the others are by Wild Orchid Crafts, gorgeous pearl flourish is by Kaiserkraft, and lace & buttons are vintage.  the main image die is by Spellbinders and 'Coffee' die is by Verve Stamps. I covered portions of the word 'coffee' with crystal effects to make it stand out a bit. the main image was sprayed with my ink squirty tool by SU!  oh yes, the border was cut with a Tim Holtz die.

Be sure to sign up for the blog candy I am offering below...I had wanted to have this ready yesterday for the start of the hop, but everything didn't arrive in the mail in time. PLEASE leave a valid email address in the link so I can contact you if you are the winner. being a follower is not necessary, but do join if you would like. :)

The candy includes a Crafter's Workshop coffee/tea themed 6x6 stencil, coffee chalkboard stickers, Basic Grey Barista stickers, Tim Holtz August Ground Espresso Distress Marker, 15 Prima Coffee Break Journaling Note Cards, 2 Maya Road cup of joe clips, buttons, ribbon, rhinestones, and more!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

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

Challenges:
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Digi Choosday - ribbon and/or lace
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Fall Flowers
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Pile it On - color ch
Vintage Stamping Ch - tic, tac toe: lace, flowers, vintage tones
Little Miss Muffet - bingo: dies, flowers, lace
Let's Craft and Create - dies or punches (dies-Spellbinders, Tim Holtz, Verve; punch, SU!)
4 Crafty Chicks - sparkle and shine (pearl flourish and crystal effects on 'coffee' die)
Brown Sugar - use a doily (does half of one count?)
Catch the Bug - color ch

Coffee Mug Mousie

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (well, of course, it suits today's theme!)

Welcome to my post for the Huge Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop! The hop begins today and goes through Oct. 2. I hope to have a project to share for almost every one of the days, so be prepared for lots of fall coffee love! :)

Today's card is full of House Mouse love in a coffee cup! and the wonderful sentiment comes straight from Create with TLC! thanks, Paulette! she was even sweet enough to share this on the blog as a sneaky peek, so some of you may have seen this already.

papers are from the Basic Grey Indian Summer collection, main image die is Spellbinders, pumpkin die is by Sizzix, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, little leaves are Petaloo, orange ribbon & linen thread are SU!, and pink polka dot organza ribbon, olive green twine, & ivory chevron ribbon are from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

lots of little happy dots were added with my white gel pen. tiny buttons are from my stash while other buttons are vintage. I took the label off of a bag of Pumpkin Spice coffee and adhered it to a small kraft bag. perfect to hold the little tags!

poor little mousie couldn't sit in just a plain cup, so I fancied this one up a bit. painted wild stripes on it then added big polka dots with the eraser of a pencil. love the way the stripes still cover through a bit.

Thanks so much for stopping by!! :)

edited to add - I have coffee blog candy here! some of the things I had ordered didn't arrive in time for when this post first went live, but you still have time to enter. :)

Challenges:
Really Reasonable Ribbon - orange you glad it's autumn with ribbon or trim
House Mouse & Friends - bingo: ribbon, yellow/gold, flowers/leaves
Choux Choux Paper Art - Halloween Blog Hop Linky Party (fall project)
Crafting For All Seasons - layer it up
Inky Impressions - dots and stripes
Little Red Wagon - Happy Fall, Y'all
The Kraft Journal - anything goes pumpkin with kraft (kraft cs base and bag)
Sisterhood of Crafters - pumpkin patch
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
City Crafter - Fall has arrived
Fan-tastic Tues - color me autumn
Dragonfly Journeys - orange you sweet
Unruly Paper Arts - Coffee & Cream photo inspiration
Gruffies and Guests - make it fruity or anything goes (well if you count pumpkins as fruit, then I have that covered! grins! otherwise this is my 2nd anything goes entry)
Die Cut Divas - pumpkins (Sizzix die) or scarecrow

Flowers in a Teacup Card and Accident Update

Coffee of the Day - Marzipan

I must begun today's post by thanking all of you for the very kind and lovely comments you left yesterday about Tyler's accident, as well as the wonderful email messages I received. I have said it before, and I will say it again - y'all are the BEST! :)

Tyler took the day off from classes. His professors were very understanding, which meant a lot to me. His head bothered him for most of the day. He'll have a bit of a knot and abrasion, but so very thankful that is all. the 'what could have beens' are frightening. Thank You, God, for keeping my son safe!

our poor vehicle has been claimed as totalled by the repair shop. so Dave is perusing Craigslist for another for us. until then he'll work from home as he can until the group comes to Camp this weekend. Tyler's car has been repaired enough to get him to classes and back until they can work on it more and an ordered part arrives.

now on to something MUCH more fun! :)

I'm sharing the last of cards I made while on my blogging hiatus. This one was made for a very dear friend who had been quite ill.

image is by A Day for Daisies and was paper pieced. papers are from the Basic Grey Prism collection, flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, banner die, punch, & sentiment stamp are SU!, buttons are vintage, and that fab rhinestone flourish is by ZVA Creative. some faux stitching was added with a white gel pen and distress stickles to the flower centers. a doily mats the main image. a little snippet of pink grosgrain ribbon completes the project.

again, thanks to all of you for your love and concern! if I don't see you back here before then, pop back on Friday for the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop! :)

p.s. you can not only get a sneak preview of my 1st card for the coffee hop, but also pick up a great free sentiment to use if you head over to Create With TLC! :)

Challenges:
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafty Cardmakers - make it sparkle (rhinestones & stickles)
Glitter 'n Sparkle - use a punch or die cut (both: punch-tiny sentiment banner, dies lg. banner & main image)
Allsorts - sparkle (rhinestones & stickles)
Speedy Fox - banners
Suzy Bee;s Bloomin' Ch - vintage shabby chic
Catch the Bug - bingo: bling, player's choice (flowers), paper piecing
Wags 'n Whiskers - glitter and sparkle (rhinestones & stickles)
CRAFT - add some bling (rhinestones & stickles)

Prayers Please...

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

I have a very personal request of each of you this morning. As I was making my morning coffee about half an hour ago, my hubby came downstairs and told me that our oldest son was in a car accident on his way to school. he appears to be okay, but it looks as if our car is going to be totalled. I am on pins and needles waiting for each scrap of news.

My husband had spent yesterday working on our son's car, which is why Tyler took ours. as I am typing, Dave is out in the garage frantically trying to complete work on the car, keeping his mind off of what is going on elsewhere.

you can't even imagine how hard it is to not be able to leave to go to my son - to offer him comfort or check on him. we only have the one car. I know my husband feels the exact same way.

I will update as I hear more. but I do covet your prayers for him, please. thank you from the bottom of this mom's heart.

edited as of 9:45 am: a very kind police officer brought my son home to me. a bump on the head along with abrasions where his head hit the window, plus a nasty headache, seem to be the only injuries so far. you can't even begin to know how very grateful I am. the other driver is okay as well. thankful on that front, too.

if the car had hit even 12" different from where it did, my son would not be here. God kept him safe. and I am singing my hallelujahs...

this is the same son who was hit by a speeding car while he was bike riding back when he was in jr. high and should not have lived through that accident either.  

don't ever tell me God doesn't keep an eye out for each of His children. we may not understand what goes on day to day, but He sits on the throne, and that is all that matters.

Many Thanks Sunflower Bunny

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (yep, again!)

I have been one busy little bee behind the scenes, making things for the upcoming hops as well as a guest designer gig. but I figured it was high time I made something just for 'funsies' that I could post and share with all of you NOW! :) not to mention that I needed a thank you card to mail out.

I have been digging through my digital files to actually use some of these wonderful images I have had for a while. One such image is here on today's card. it's by Digital Delights by Louby Loo and called 'Flowering Bertie.' I colored the flower to look like a sunflower. papers are from the Basic Grey Indian Summer collection, leaves are by Prima, dies are Spellbinder, orange ribbon is SU!, sentiment sticker is by SRM Stickers (sorry about the glare - it's  not like that irl), and buttons are from my vintage stash. I'm not sure who makes the golden burlap twine, as I bought it on Etsy.

the sunflower center on the image was covered in distress stickles, as was the edge of that die. I added a few border dots with my white gel pen. oh yes, if you look VERY closely, you will see an itty bitty brass acorn charm hanging from the bow. :)

Hope your week is off to a grand start!

Challenges:
Craft-Dee Bow Z - anything goes with a handmade bow
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Choux Choux Paper Art - Halloween Blog Hop Linky Party (fall project)
Melonheadz - try something new (it's my 1st attempt tying one of those loopy bows with twine. you don't even want to know how long it took my goofy fingers to tie this thing!)
Little Claire - autumn
QKR - 3 is a Crowd (3 buttons and 3 loops of twine)
Really Reasonable Ribbon - 'orange' you glad it's autumn with ribbon or trim
Emerald Faeries - thank you
Dream Valley - autumn colors
Creative Fingers - anything goes

Some Upcoming Blog Hops...

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Hello to all of you FABULOUS people!!!  I hope your weekend is just as amazing as each of you! :)

I wanted to let you know about a few blog hops coming along.

The first is near and dear to my heart because it is all about COFFEE! :) The hop will run from Sept. 25 to Oct.  2. you can find more information here. I have my card for this one finished already! does that surprise you? nope, didn't think so! ;)

Next is one that is not quite as fun in theme, but most certainly something that needs our attention. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and this hop is designed to raise awareness about domestic violence, an issue that impacts 1 in 4 women, as well as the resources that are available to assist victims of domestic violence.  The hop will take place October 1-14.

For more information, please check out the facebook event here. I have linked to the creator's blog in my sidebar. 

Hope to see you 'at the hops'!!!  p.s. I'll have blog candy!!!

Cheeky Birthday Monkey

Coffee of the Day - French Vanilla

This is one of the rare, few monkey cards you will ever ever see on my blog. they scare the ever lovin' crap out of me. and this one was one of the worst! ack! the card took almost 4 days to complete because I kept getting freaked out while painting that fella. yep. I can take on spiders and snakes with no problem whatsoever, but do NOT EVER get me near primates of any kind.

so of course, my youngest son has wanted one as a pet for ages..... sigh...and his birthday is next week. so being the  most excellent, loving mom that I am, I cast my fears aside (not really!), and made him a monkey card. it took many texts to hubby to get me through it, but it is finished. now to just get it in the mail on Monday along with his gift. phew. that is DONE! ;)

I remembered I had this image in my files from Rick St. Dennis when I was making the Autumn Bear card last week. that man has got a ton of talent! you can find just about anything and everything in his digital art store - from zombies to angels to monkeys to art deco styled glamorized women.

papers are from the Basic Grey Life of the Party collection and little flower is Petaloo. monkey image was fussy cut, and die behind it is by Spellbinders. vintage buttons, ticket, grosgrain ribbon, and washi tape are from my stash. I added some little border dots with a marker, spica glitter pen accents to the tassel on the hat, and homemade enamel dots to complete the card.

I sure hope he enjoys the only monkey card he will probably ever get from me. grins!

enjoy your day!

Challenges:
Creative Corner - party time
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Craftin' Desert Divas - fave color combos (pink and kraft go with EVERYTHING, even masculine cards!)
Crafty Ribbons - Happy Birthday with ribbon
Pile it On - birthday
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - boys to men
Crafting by Designs - Let's Celebrate
Fan-tastic Tues - anything square or rect. goes plus bright & colorful
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Hiding in My Craft Room - freestyle
Scrapper's Delights - anything goes or animals (I am not sure from the post, but either way I have it covered)

A Boy, His Dog, and a Canoe Birthday Card

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (no, I really don't ever get tired of drinking it!)

When you son filmed his own nature documentaries as a young boy, rescued a dog from the pound, does all kinds of extreme sports, and has had aspirations of working for the World Wildlife Federation for years, what other kind of card do you make him for his birthday than a nature inspired one?! :)  He is currently studying Wildlife Resource Management in school, too. yes, I am ever so proud!!!!

I used this wonderful image from The Doodle Garden, which sadly no longer sells digis. paper is from the Kaisercraft Hunt & Gather collection, which I hoard ever so dearly because it's so perfect for my guys! main image die is Spellbinders, stitched sun die is La La Land, linen thread is SU!, and buttons are from my vintage stash.

I was able to start visiting a few of your blogs yesterday by back-tracking from comments left here on posts. hopefully my blog feed will be back to working again soon. again, I am so very sorry.

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Challenges:
Seize the Birthday - anything birthday goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Paper Minutes - anything goes
Pile it On - birthday
Crafting By Designs - Let's Celebrate
Through the Purple Haze - Happy Birthday
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - Celebration
Crafty Catz - Special Occasion
Eureka - fall sports

Sunflower House Mouse Acorn Shape Card

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Can you believe it's Wednesday already?! Yesterday Dave and I had the best time together on his day off. We went to the infamous Hollo's Paper Store where I was able to pick up a few much needed supplies, such as clear envelopes and paper doilies. also went to several of our favorite antique stores so I could get a few more vintage laces and buttons to replenish my ever dwindling stash .... ha! (hope dearest hubby doesn't read that last sentence! tee hee!) he was able to get an old window frame to work on over the winter. he took one this past winter and turned it into the most gorgeous shabby chic mirror for our upstairs hallway. it is beautiful! excited to see what he does with this next one! :)

The card I am sharing with you today uses one of the vintage laces I found yesterday on a fun acorn shaped template from Shape EZ by TLC. I don't see this exact template in her store right now, but I'm sure you could send her a quick message if you were interested. Tammy has a beautiful blog that is filled with gorgeous inspiration using her templates as well as many other projects. I'm a longtime follower of hers! :)

The cutey stamp is a House Mouse one called 'Daisy Face' that I fussy cut, gingham paper is by Simple Stories, leaves are from Prima, lace is vintage as I mentioned above as are the buttons, and little ribbon snippet on stem is by SU!  not sure who makes the sunflower as I took them out of their packaging long ago. same goes for mfg of baker's twine.

acorn cap was sanded, distressed with inks, and then sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist before inking the edges and adding more vanilla ink.

Thanks so much for stopping by! for those of you who have been asking, Mocha is doing okay for now. thank you for your concern and well wishes. :)

edited to add:  I can't get any of the blogs I follow to show up in my feed.... I will be around to visit as soon as blogger decides to co-operate. this has been going on for a few days now. so sorry I've been absent from your blogs. :(  hopefully it will soon be fixed.

Challenges:
House Mouse - anything goes or bingo: ribbon, yellow/gold, flowers/leaves OR button, ribbon, baker's twine, OR all 3 colors
Sisterhood of Crafters - photo inspiration
Clear It Out - theme: autumn, stash: leaves (these Prima leaves are REALLY old!)
Creative Card Crew -  fall
TTCRD - anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle - something that starts with 'g' (glimmer mist, green)
Fantasy Stampers - autumn leaves
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Craft for the Craic - anything but a square
Crafting Musketeers - autumnal colors
Gruffies and Guests - make it fruity or anything House Mouse/Happy Hopper/Gruffies goes

Love Me, Love My Dog

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut Creme

Happy Monday! it is such a beautiful day here in northeast Ohio! the rain has finally cleared, not that I mind rain, and it is just a glorious day to behold! the kind that makes you ever so grateful you opened your eyes this morning! :) I hope it's just as wonderful in YOUR corner of the world!!!

Today I am sharing a card I made to send to our son, Mick. it's been months since I last saw him, although we text each other constantly. thank goodness for unlimited texting! tee hee! popped the card into the mailbox already this morning, so it's on its way to him as I type....it will see him before I do.... sigh.....but it is chock full of love, that is for sure!

I used images from the fun Crafty Secrets set, 'Big Dog' and the freebie digital paper they are offering on their blog for participating in the current linky party. even though it is a Halloween themed paper, it just goes to show you that you don't have to use themed papers for their original purpose. take them out of their 'box'!

The tag was stenciled with a neat new Prima stencil and chalk ink by them as well. I love those chalk inks! they dry so fast and adhere to almost anything! such a neat look, too!

seam binding was hand dyed a while back. Tyler was making a frame from re-purposed wood and needed to do some inking to the edges. we mixed up a water based concoction for him to use, and there was a bit left over when he finished. not to let anything go to waste, I grabbed a few yards of white seam binding and soaked it in the greyish mixture. what you see is the end result. :) it is tied with SU! linen thread.

a bit of black grosgrain ribbon was stapled in the upper left corner. flower is by Petaloo, buttons are from my vintage stash, sentiment was cut with a Spellbinders banner die, and a little ticket from my stash was added. woodgrain card is another from the Webster's Pages packaging that I re-purposed.

many of you know that our beloved dog, Latte, died back in June. well now her sister, Mocha, isn't doing very well. we are doing our best to keep her as happy and comfy as we can. heavy sigh....having pets is wonderful, but sometimes it sure does break your heart...

Challenges:
Crafty Secrets - monthly linky party
613 Avenue Create - love me do
Dragonfly Journeys - button it us
Quirky Crafts - animal magic
A Gem of a Challenge - boys, boys, boys
The Kraft Journal - take your pick: ribbon, patterned paper, die cut, tag and kraft cs base
Ruby's Rainbow - it's a man's world
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Incy Wincy - digi images only
Get Creative Ch - add a tag
Craft Your Passion - anything goes

Birds and Mice with Cherries

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

I hope you are having a fabulous weekend so far! Yesterday was Tyler's birthday and we had a wonderful dinner at a nearby seafood restaurant to celebrate. shame it's taken us 15 years of living in this area to finally get there, as the food was just amazing! I am so VERY proud of the young man Tyler has grown up to become.... oh heavy mom sigh..... my heart just sings when I think of my sons! they truly are my loves! :)

Because of big storms we've been experiencing for the past few days, our power was out for several hours yesterday as well. and it was dark! so like a good crafter, I took my candle into my craft room and got busy. I learned it is not so easy to paint by candlelight! so please pardon the mistakes on this card. I did the best I could, not being able to see so very well. grins! but it was most certainly an adventure!

This precious image comes from a new to me store/artist I found on Etsy, Toadstool Printables. oh, please stop by her store if you have a moment! everything is just so lovely! :)

Papers are from the long ago Basic Grey collection, Sweet Threads, flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, main image die is Spellbinders while the flourish die is by Tim Holtz, sentiment stamp and linen thread are SU!, buttons are from my vintage stash, cherry charm is from Whimsy Stamps when they used to carry accessories, and pink grosgrain ribbon is from stash as well. flower centers are covered in distress stickles. the woodgrain card is actually a re-purposed packaging piece from Webster's Pages. just too precious to throw away! :)

Challenges:
Star Stampz - use die cuts
Really Reasonable Ribbon - things with wings and ribbon/trim
Mojo Monday - sketch
Crafty Friends - "B" is for buttons, birds, bows
Digitally Sweet - anything with wings (main image is digital)
Polkadoodles - shabby chic
As You Like It - fave die and why - the Tim Holtz flourish die because it always adds so much fun and style to any layout I add it to. it can be cut from patterned paper or even clear packaging, but always adds that extra 'something' that makes the project complete! :)
Southern Girls - layer it up
Addicted to Stamps - anything goes
Paper Shelter - use a charm

Autumn Leaves are Falling on Little Bear

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Nut

Here in northeast Ohio it is truly beginning to feel like Fall! Temps have dropped into the 60's & 70's, and the leaves are starting to change color. A few are falling from the trees. Hubby was none to happy when I reminded him that for Halloween Trick-or-Treaters, just a mere 6 weeks from now, we have been known to have snow! grins!

Autumn is without a doubt one of my most fave seasons. So today's card is all about those beautiful falling leaves!

I have used this cutey 'Autumn Bear' image by Rick St. Dennis. there is an entire season of these fun bears! They remind me of the 'Little Bear' stories I used to read when I was a young girl.

Papers are from my beloved Basic Grey Indian Summer collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, leaves are by Petaloo, burlap ribbon is May Arts, banner punch & linen thread are SU!, and buttons are from my vintage stash. the gorgeous golden yellow satin ribbon is also from my stash, so I apologize that I don't know the mfg.  a bit of faux stitching was added along with my usual distressing.

btw - as I've been going around leaving blog comments, I've noticed that some of the blogs I used to follow aren't showing up in my feed. not sure what happened while I was on hiatus. if you happen to notice that I'm not stopping by, please pop me a note in the 'email me' section over on my sidebar. it's not a personal slight, I promise. just a weird something going on with my blog feed. I've had to re-join several blogs. yours might be one I need to add again to my 'friends connect'. thanks!

Have a happy weekend! :)

Challenges:
Rick St. Dennis Progressive Ch - anything goes with RSD image
Inspired By - sketch (moved bow to other side of image)
Moving Along With the Times - cute animal
Pile it On - fur
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Di's Digi Designs - Fabulous Fall Colors
Allsorts - buttons
Crafty Catz - autumn colors
The Stamping Boutique - banners
DRS Designs - a real cutie
Crafty Gals Corner - bingo: flowers, ribbon, 2+ layers
The Kraft Journal - autumn (kraft cs card base)
Our Crafty Corner - autumn colors
Ribbon Girls - add flowers and ribbon
House That Stamps Built - falling for fall

"Live" Definition Paper Doll

Coffee of the Day - Marzipan

I just have to say that I have the nicest people who follow my blog and leave me comments! y'all are the best! :) thank you for your encouragement and the kind things you say!

Today I am sharing the 2nd of cards made for publication, but forever lost. I am just so glad I took photos before sending them off.

As with yesterday's card, the paper doll images are from A Day for Daisies, digital paper & elements are from the Basic Grey Out of Print collection, and flowers by Wild Orchid Crafts. trim and buttons are vintage. I simply ADORE the little piece of an old button card I added to this one. card base was decorated with glimmer mist and a Crafter's Workshop mini Harlequin stencil. the sentiment is a sticker from SRM Stickers. again, the doll and dress are paper pieced. I just love how the doll itself looks printed onto the newsprint paper and then inked. really adds to the old feel! :)

Happy Friday!

Challenges:
Crafty Girls - anything goes
DL Art Sept - anything goes
Crop Stop - anything goes with a product they carry (Crafter's Workshop stencils)
Simply Papercrafts - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Tues Throwdown - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Crafty Cardmakers - floral embellishments
Where the Heart Is - add some text
Come and Get it - buttons and bows (small bow in her hair)
Quick Quotes - anything goes
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - fancy and feminine
Bloggers Ch - stencil it

Enjoy Life Paper Doll

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Today's post is a bittersweet one for me. The card was supposed to be published. sadly, the magazine not only closed down before publication, but my cards were lost. They were supposed to be returned to me, but I never received them. so this photo is all I have left of all my hard work. :(  I will share the other card tomorrow.

The paper doll pieces are by A Day for Daisies. I don't think Tammy ever added them to her shop. she did add complete dolls though, so you can find some similar to this one and the one I post tomorrow. digital paper and elements are from the Basic Grey Out of Print collection. the doll itself was paper pieced and then lightly inked. dress was paper pieced as well with highlights added using both a wink of stella clear glitter pen and black spica glitter pen.

flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and Prima. the card base was created by using a Prima stencil (LOVE this doily!!!) and pink glimmer mist. trim is Prima also. all buttons and button card are vintage. the sentiment is from SRM Stickers.

I loved playing with paper dolls when I was a young girl. I hope you enjoy this card I have made. :)

Challenges:
Word Art Wed - anything encouraging (Congrats on Celebration!)
Little Red Wagon - digi do
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Fan-tastic Tues - make it feminine and square or rectangle
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Love to Scrap - do a double take (I think I have 4 patterned papers here...)
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Stempelsonne - anything goes
Aud Sentiment - anything goes plus a sentiment
Hanna and Friends - use kraft cs
Fab 'n Funky - shabby chic (my fave!)

Because You Are..... a Crazy Bird!

Coffee of the Day - Toffee Nut Cream

Happy Labor Day to my friends here in the States! enjoy your day off from work! wooo hooo to that! :)  and a Happy Monday to all of my friends from everywhere else around the world!!!

We have been having such a great time visiting with Tyler's friend this weekend, I haven't been able to get into my craft room as I had originally thought. so I'll share yet another of the cards I had previously made...

You might have seen these hysterical Tim Holtz Crazy Birds in some places around bloggyland. I would one day love to have the entire set plus their cutey accessories, but for now I am ever so happy to have this one stamp. he gives me the giggles every time I see him! :)

The wonderful sentiment stamp is by Woodware and dictated the odd size of the card. it is a really big stamp! I used my watercolors to highlight each word. the patterned paper is Basic Grey Persimmon, flower is Prima, and brown satin ribbon is May Arts. buttons are from my stash. the one beside the bird is tied with SU! linen thread.

this is a bit of a different style for me, but it was perfect to send off with Ryan as he headed back to school in Indiana. the large size gave all of us plenty of room on the inside to add our special words of encouragement and love for him!!!

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - Tim Holtz stamp ch
Glitter 'n Sparkle - anything goes
Eclectic Ellapu - use something older than 6 months from stash (paper, flower, ribbon, buttons)
Polkadoodle - things with wings
QKR Stampede - birds
Crafty Ribbons - butterflies and/or birds with ribbon
Simon Says Stamp Wed Ch - make it colorful
Shopping Our Stash - put a bird on it (stash-paper, flower, ribbon, buttons)
Try it on Tues - something new (stamps)
Really Reasonable Ribbon - things with wings and ribbon or trim

Thinking of You Poppies in Bottles

Coffee of the Day - Carrot Cake

Happy Saturday! Are all of you doing your "it's the weekend" dance?! grins! and for those of us here in the States, we get the added bonus of a long holiday weekend, too! double the fun! wooo hoooo! I know we will be cooking out on the grill at least once or twice.... hopefully all of you have something especially fabulous planned. :)

Today I am sharing another of my hiatus cards. I plan to get into my craft room today to get something 'fresh' made for all of you, I promise! my room is almost actually clean, too! someday I might actually take a few photos to share with all of you....

I made this card for a friend who's mom went into the hospital for emergency surgery. I wanted to send a card to let them know we were all thinking of them and saying prayers.

The image is by A Day for Daisies, little paper banner at the bottom is Basic Grey J'Adore, chalkboard tag is My Mind's Eye, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and Live & Love Crafts, while buttons are from my vintage stash. I added a few little doodle dots with my white gel pen. you can almost see the snippet of the doily in the bottom corner. sentiment is SU!  flower centers on main image are covered in distress stickles. a bit of seam binding and baker's twine tie off the tag.

Have a most wonderful weekend, whatever your plans!

Challenges:
Crafty Calendar - anything goes
Catch the Bug - anything goes
My Time to Craft - flowers
Art by Miran - anything goes
Digital Delights by Louby Lou - anything goes
Southern Girls - flower power
CCC Digi Creations - include a sentiment
Petal Lu - anything goes
Crop Stop - anything goes with a product from their store (stickles)

A Lovely Little Hobbit Home...

Coffee of the Day - Sweet Potato (buttery caramel flavor with a touch of vanilla)

Well yesterday I hinted about a special guest we have coming to stay this holiday weekend and said that I would tell all today..... The card I am sharing was made for her. :)

yes, it's a her. I know some of you thought that one of my sons might be coming home, but no, that is not the case. Mick is still happy as a clam oh, so far away, but studying what he absolutely loves. Ryan is in Indiana getting ready for classes to begin next week....

but Tyler has a lovely guest coming to visit. :) they met while working at Camp this summer and share a love of LOTR, amongst other things. even though she lives in PA, she goes to school about 2 hours away from us (about 1 hour from Tyler's school).

so I made this card for him to give to her as Camp came to an end. I was so happy when he said that she loved it. :) the first thing she said was, "My very own Hobbit House!"

the Hobbit House is by Lavinia Stamps. I stamped it 3 times, cutting out smaller portions to layer for added dimension. the top layer - the door alone - was sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist and touched up with a grey souffle pen. a homemade enamel dot was added for the door knob.

digital papers are by Far Far Hill, flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, crochet trim is from stash, brown satin ribbon is May Arts, floral flair button is Basic Grey, and buttons are vintage. washi tape at top is Tim Holtz and was lightly inked prior to adhering. oh yes, the banner was cut with a SU! die.

I hope all of you have a fabulous weekend!

Challenges:
Crafting With an Attitude - anything goes
Creative Craft Cottage - anything goes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes with girly girl twist
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Craft Dee Bow Z - anything goes with a handmade bow
Quirky Crafts - Home Sweet Home
Cupcake Inspiration - photo inspiration and layers

Blossom Birthday Bunny

Coffee of the Day - Irish Creme

Back today with another card I made while on hiatus. this was for a friend's birthday. thankfully she really liked it. :) that always makes me happy! afterall, that is why I really make cards and papercraft - to bring others joy! (plus, selfishly, it makes me happy to let my creative spirit fly! grins! I've always said that my crafting is truly an act of worship to God though...)

The adorbs little bunny blossom image is by A Day for Daisies, papers are from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection, gorgeous flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, floral die is Wild Rose Studio while main image die is Spellbinders. distress stickles was added to the flower center. sentiment stamp and punch are both by SU!  vintage buttons, ticket, and ric rack are from my stash.

Today is a SUPER busy day as we have company coming tomorrow. I'm busy busy busy as that proverbial bee trying to get some cleaning done. I'll tell you in tomorrow's post just WHO is coming for our weekend visit!  will have some time then to get to all of your blogs. hmmmmm..... now doesn't THAT make you curious?!?!

love ya!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Animal Friends - forest animal
Card and Scrap - flowers
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Digi Galore - anything goes
Lia Stampz - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Creative Moments - anything goes with a sentiment
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Crafting for All Seasons - bingo: die cuts, digi, sentiment or flowers, die cuts, patterned paper
Digi Choosday - in the pink (LOVE this theme!!)
Fan-tastic Tues - make it cute
Cutie Pie - cute and girly
Stamp and Create - one for the girls
Creative Corner - flower power
Julia Spiri - anything goes