Junk Journal July Day 30 - Favorite Quote

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Vanilla Nut coffee

Only two projects left for Junk Journal July! it's been so much fun using the prompts to create things for various journals. I hope you have had fun, too! :)

for more information about the challenge, please visit this post.

Today's prompt is 'Favorite Quote.' while I have several quotes that I really love, none of them seemed to fit any of the journals I am working on. 

"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park

you can see that it doesn't really work for a baby journal. tee hee! 

pocket on coffee dyed page

so I went for one of my absolute favorite quotes for babies: "Let her sleep for when she wakes she will move mountains." (this can obviously be changed to 'him') this is for Tyler and Danielle's baby journal. Echo Park has a baby girl collection that uses this saying several times - on journal cards, stickers, etc. perfect!

individual items for pockets

I created a pocket to hold ephemera.  the edges were sewn and dried flower stickers accent. there is a long tag in the back pocket and the front one holds the journal card with the saying as well as an antique postcard. it dates to 1919 and is from Belgium. so cool! the image on the tag is from a digital baby set by Gecko Galz. a ticket serves as the tab, and it's finished with a vintage button. (added after the bottom  photo was taken)

thank you so much for stopping by today! take comfort in knowing that you are 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!)

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

Birthday Cats, Mice, and Old Cheese

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

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

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

so now on to my project....

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

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

(to save these images, click on the photo 

which should take you to another page.

right click and then 'save as' to

the file of your choice

on your computer.

if you have any troubles, 

pop me an email.)

so now we really will get to my card.

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks a Latte! Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog Hop

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Strawberry Lavender Mint

Happy Friday to everyone! :)  I am sharing a card with all of you that I made not only for the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Spring/Summer Blog Hop, but also for a group of VERY kind people who have done something so spectacular for us out at Camp Burton. They have spent the past 2 weeks building a covered deck/porch off of our dining hall! I knew they were people after my own heart when they brought their own tricked out Keurig along, complete with a minimum of 4 different types of coffee. oh yeah! :)

So making a coffee themed thank you card for them seemed the perfect thing to do. Don't you agree? The above photo shows Dave, my hubby, with the addition as of last weekend. I haven't been out there this week to see how far they have progressed. Excited to see the work they have accomplished when I go out later today and work this weekend. :)

My card uses an image and sentiment from Bugaboo, digital papers from the Echo Park Celebrate Spring collection, ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon,  and a pretty little daisy from Wild Orchid Crafts.

twine, buttons, and ticket are all items from my stash. shimmerz paint was added to the spoon and heart for some sparkly shine. wink of stella glitter pen was used on the steam coming from the coffee cups for a bit more! :) I added some polka dots to the pink coffee cup with a white get pen and orange pearl pen accents to the sentiment piece for even more fun. lots of distressing with both ink and a distressing tool. faux stitching, too.

Thanks for stopping by! Btw - I have added a privacy policy page to attempt to comply with the new GDPR guidelines.
Jennifer

Challenges:
Catch the Bug - bingo (sparkle - shimmerz paint on heart & spoon, wink of stella glitter pen on steam; sentiment; stitching - faux, on yellow mat and green dsp)
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Inspiration Destination - #151 anything goes
Stempelsonne - anything goes
QKR - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Dream Valley - summer colors

Faith Can Move Mountains

Most Inspiring and DT Favorite at Path of Positivity
Coffee of the Day - The Coffee Fool Vanilla Macadamia Nut

Today's card is another special one, this time for a fundraiser being held in honor of a wee babe who spent some time at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital NICU. His mom, Lea, has put this fundraiser and card drive together to raise money for Starbuck's gift cards and handmade cards to put them in for other family members who have to experience times such as what she went through. You can find more information here on her blog.

Using the mood/inspiration board, I created this card with a beautiful digital image that I purchased on Etsy. my faith has brought me through some very difficult times in my life, so hopefully this sentiment will bring hope and comfort to someone in need.

papers are from both Echo Park and Kaisercraft, ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, the main image die is by Spellbinders while the tree die is by Tim Holtz for Sizzix. vintage buttons & doily are from my stash and the little banners are actually sticky notes from Target. I used a Wink of Stella clear glitter pen to accent the word 'faith' on the main image and the gold dots on the sticky notes. some re-purposed grey tissue paper adds a bit of interest & texture behind the main image.

I had to work hard to keep this card as flat as possible to make it easy to mail as well as to deliver. not an easy task for me. ;)

if you have a moment, please consider a donation or making a card for this very worthwhile fundraiser. thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Creative Craft Cottage - dies and/or punches (Spellbinders & Tim Holtz dies)
Let's Craft and Create - anything goes with lace, ribbon, twine (I have 2 of the 3 here)
Addicted to Stamps - ribbons galore
Dragonfly Journeys - grey is the new black (used as card base, tissue paper, vintage button, and ink for both painting & distressing)
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Path of Positivity - anything positive goes (hopefully this sentiment brings a bit of hope to someone going through the tragedy of having an infant in the NICU. my faith has sustained me through some of the most terrible times in my life, as well as brought me to the mountain tops. I hope this sentiment and the prayers I poured into the card bring some comfort. the greens, my favorite color, are soothing, while the yellow brings the hope with the sun)

Springtime Birthday Greetings!

Top 3 Pick at CRAFT

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie (yes, it's actual Moon Pie coffee! it both tastes and smells like a real Moon Pie treat. delicious! I am having the chocolate today)

Today I am sharing with you a lovely birthday card for a very special young lady. well every person is special, don't you think?! ;) but this young lady is the daughter of my online crafting friend, Fikreta, and her birthday is the end of this month. Fiki is asking her crafty friends to make and send cards to her daughter. I am only too happy to do so. :)  I had posted a card that I made for Fiki's husband a few weeks ago. yes, I am a very slow crafter. thankfully I got started early keeping that in mind. grins!

The precious "Kidz Bella Birthday Balloons" image is from Bugaboo, digital papers are from the Echo Park Celebrate Spring collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, birthday sentiment die is by Whimsy Stamps, and ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. main image die is by Spellbinders and buttons & doily are from my stash.

I hope you have a most amazing day! Thanks for stopping by!
Jennifer

Challenges:
CRAFT - birthday
Hester's Birthday Candy challenge
Crafty Catz - anything goes w/optional so cute image
As You Like It - favorite pink or blue ( I absolutely ADORE all things pink! most especially since my breast cancer diagnosis, but I was into pink long before that. being a mom of 3 sons, I had to declare my girl power somehow! ha!)
Allsorts - in the pink
Star Stampz - 2 or more patterned papers
Dragonfly Dreams - here come the girls
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Always Happy Birthday - anything birthday w/optional flowers
DL Art - birthday
Morgan's Art World - anything goes
Sweet Stampers - birthday
Catch the Bug - say it with flowers

A Skull Wreath for Halloween

This is my second post for today. :)

I want to thank both Avril and Teri over at Delicious Doodles for having me as their Guest Designer this month! I was blessed to be a previous challenge winner from their fun blog, so they invited me to be a guest with them for October. isn't that fun?!

the theme for the month is Halloween, and while we don't typically celebrate this holiday, I couldn't let the opportunity go by to create a skull wreath card. doesn't everyone need a skull wreath as a decoration?! grins! maybe it's just those of us who happen to have a similar last name!

I started with the Skully Christmas Wreath image, printed it multiple times, popped up a few skulls on foam tape for more dimension, and then added it to my little mausoleum crypt. this was created with a Spellbinders die that I added embossin paste to a  Crafter's Workshop stencil.I inked the paste after it dried and then used my ink squirty tool.  another Spellbinders die adds the laurel at the top.

the grasses are a My Favorite Things die. pretty border die at the top is from Whimsy Stamps and sentiment comes from Create with TLC. orange satin ribbon is from SU! while orange twine is a Michael's find. paper is from Echo Park.

and while we're on the subject of skulls, since this is our last name, my sons decided that it was time we all got a family tattoo. so each one of us is getting a skull tattoo, unique to the individual. I had mine done last week. I also had a Winnie the Pooh one done on my arm to represent me with my sons. yes, I am the enigma - a skull and Winnie the Pooh all at the same time! :) but I love them both dearly!

Tyler had his tattoo done at the same time I had mine done. Mick had his done yesterday. I think it's neat that they all want to do something that unifies us as a family! :)

well, that's it for me.... all of you have a most amazing weekend! and I hope you get a chance to play along in the Delicious Doodles challenge this month. :)

Challenges:
Choux Choux Paper Art - Halloween linky party
Anything Goes with TLC - anything goes with a TLC image/sentiment

Quirky Rosettes Guest Designer - It's a Sweet Summer!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (because it's my all time fave!)

first of all, Happy Father's Day to all of the dads, grandpas, uncles, and single moms who have had to be all of the above.... days like this I miss my dad like crazy, but am so very thankful for the short time we had together and the wonderful example Dave is to our sons! :)

For my card today, I was asked to be a Guest Designer over at Quirky Crafts. the theme for the new challenge is 'Quirky Rosettes.' now I had never in my life made a rosette, so okay, challenge here we come! ;)

Thankfully I had a die I had never used before (shock! horrors! none of you have any of those, do you?!?) to the rescue marches the Tim Holtz mini snowflake rosette die. I know you are thinking, snowflakes? in the middle of summer? well, hey. it's all I had. so this gal was gonna make do!

I was provided this cutey pie image, 'Siannie,' by Kaz Kraftz at Stitchy Bear Digi Outlet. all of the papers and elements are from the Echo Park Country Drive collection.  her little dress was paper pieced, while the edges of each rosette were covered in stickles. her socks & the flowers in her hair were painted with shimmerz. buttons are from my stash, and flowers are an assortment of Wild Orchid Crafts & misc.  a doily peaks out from behind the main image.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I'll have my blog candy up in just a bit. :)

Challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wed - sketch
Double Click Skittles - summer fun
A Gem of a Challenge - summertime
Di's Digi Ch - summer fun
Really Reasonable Ribbon - sizzlin' summer colors
The Stamping Boutique - summer fun
Aud Sentiments - summertime sentiment
Hanna & Friends - in the garden
Crafting By Designs - summertime fun
Inky Impressions - summertime
Crafting Musketeers - Shades of Summer
Crafty Time Ch - girls, girls, girls
Lia Stampz - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Melonheadz - bright colors
Stamp and Create - summer fun
613 Avenue Create - anything goes with optional sights, tastes, and sounds of summer (flowers & butterflies from sights column; child from sounds column)

Love You So Peas

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

The response to our very first challenge over at The Doodle Garden was outstanding! thank you so much to everyone who played along! A new challenge begins today and the theme is a beautiful color palette you may use any way that inspires you! Design Seeds has the  most beautiful color palettes every day. I have long been a subscriber!

Please be sure to stop by the Doodle Garden challenge blog to see how all of the DT used the colors. it's fun to see the different ideas! you might find a free image (hint, hint) you can use on an Easter card! ;)

I chose to use the cutey 'Sweet Pea' image for my card. the paler hearts are covered in distress stickles. papers are from the Echo Park Everyday Eclectic paper collection. sentiment is SU!, flower is Prima, twine is from Target, enamel dots are my homemade ones, wooden clip is one I painted, and then some washi tape and faux stitching were added to finish it all off. :)

just a happy little card I can pop in the mail to surprise my hunny bunny at work one day!

the card drive/blog hop for Linda Payne's grand-daughter is coming along nicely! it will be on April 14 and we have so many generous folks who are donating some great prizes. head over to the blog to see the fabulous digi images that are available for a donation. grab a badge for your blog! let me know if you would like to be a part of the hop. We want to flood this family with cards and love! :)

Challenges:
Tuesday Morning Sketches - sketch turned on its side
Fan-tastic Tues - square and use patterned paper
Craftitude - anything goes or add cardboard
Scrapping 4 Fun - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Stampin' with the Dragon - spring
STAMPlorations - stamps and your fave technique (distressing)
Totally Papercrafts - pastels
Craft for the Craic - something for Easter or Spring
Crafts Galore Encore - include your fave color (pink)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Flat Friends - include a sentiment
LEJ Designs - fave dies (Spellbinders)
Mema's Crafts - anything goes w/ optional Easter or Spring twist
Catch the Bug - anything goes
4 Crafty Chicks - color a stamped image
Delightful Ch - hip to be square
Outlawz Twisted Thurs - anything goes w/ twist to use fave color
Crafting By Designs - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes

Ewe are SO Sweet!

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie

Hello! More cool stuff to tell you about - I am back with the Pile it On Design Team again! it was so nice of everyone there to allow me to come back to the DT! the challenges are so much fun to play in, and y'all know I can't seem to keep away from challenges!

the challenge starting this week is called 'Lamb or Lion' and is sponsored by Jellypark, another one of my old teams! the idea is to use either a soft and sweet theme (lamb) or go bold and bright (lion). I kinda mixed them up a bit on my card. I chose a soft and sweet image from Jellypark, Ewe Are So Sweet, and then added bright colors.

papers are digital ones from the Echo Park Beautiful Life collection., gorgeous gilded rose is Prima. everything else is from my stash. I did add some faux stitching, 'cause y'all know I can't 'real' sew to save my life! flower centers are dotted with a pink spica glitter gel pen. the sentiment banner was sprayed with glimmer mist.

since I am adding this to the Top Tip Tuesday challenge, I will give you a little tip: when I went to add the sentiment banner, I decided it needed some extra dimension, so I wanted to pop it up on foam tape. the main image was already adhered with foam tape of its own. I wanted the banner to go to the edge of the card, and a little staple would be perfect. problem - I couldn't staple the banner to the card AND also use foam tape. soooooooo I stapled the banner FIRST, then added the foam tape. that's right, the banner is stapled to nothing at all. extra thick foam tape pieces are added to make it stand taller than the main image, but without really really really looking close, no one would ever know that it wasn't stapled right to the card!

Challenges:
Pile it On - Lamb (soft and sweet) or Lion (bold and bright)
Card Makin' Mamas - stack it up (more than 3 layers)
i {heart} sketches - sketch #55
Challenges and Candies - spring around the corner
Digitally Sweet - anything goes (papers, image, and sentiment are all digital)
Get Inky - buttons everywhere
Jo's Scrap Shack - florals
Simply Create Too - shop in your stash - all of these things are old stash
Aud Sentiments - sentiment for a girl
Cute Card Thursday - spring
Sweet Stampin' - cute
DRS Designs - button up
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Paper Shelter - animal
Word Art Wed - anything encouraging goes
Oldie but a Goodie - buttons (I think everything here is older than 6 months....)
Top Tip Tuesday - stitching (faux!)
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
Crafting by Designs - colors of spring
Catch the Bug - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - anything goes optional twist use old stash (everything here is old stash)
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - friends

Best Wishes Penguin Prezzie

Here is one more card for the Bugaboo Birthday Challenges. I am so happy to be adding to my birthday card stash! not sure if I'll get any more made before deadline, but I'm glad to have done 4. now to get going on some Valentine cards next.....

This card is for the first of the challenges, a bingo/tic-tac-toe board. I think I spent most of today looking for a card template. I have one for a stack of gifts, but only wanted to make a single present. ended up having to improvise, as everything I found required an electronic cutting machine. I don't have one of those gizmos, but am truly content with my Big Shot. :) boy howdy, does it ever get a workout in my craft room!

image is from Bugaboo, papers are from the Echo Park Birthday Girl collection, bow die is MFT, flower is WOC, sentiment is SU!, and everything else is from my stash. distress stickles were added to the cupcake and other items on main image. a little rhinestone tops the cupcake.

the present top portion is actually a pull out card. didn't get an extra photo since I was doing good to get my scanner to co-operate for one piccy! :)

Challenges:
Bugaboo - bingo: bugaboo image, cupcake, scallop
Crafty Hands - add a tag
Sister Act - anything goes
Animal Friends - punches (tag) and dies (main image & bow)
The Crafting Cafe - anything goes
Die Cuttin' Divas - penguin appreciation day (dies - Spellbinder & MFT)
Emerald Faeries - things with wings
Paper Shelter - digi image with senti
TTCRD - anything goes
{Pin}spirational - photo: penguin, stripes, watercolor (that's how my image is colored)

Finally Got My Crafty On!

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

It is snowing like crazy here, which is great since most of it had melted off in the past few days. I just LOVE the Winter Winderland I call home! :)

while my family was away this past weekend working at Winter Camp, I was actually able to do a bit of crafting for the first time in over a month! gosh, did it ever feel GREAT! of course it took me almost an entire day to make one card, and my poor scanner is on it's very last leg, sad to say. but I hope to get back to my craftroom again in the next day or so. wooohoooo!

The image is by Simply Betty and is called 'Angel Elizabete'. she cracks me up! back when I was in Jr. High, we had to draw pictures of what our friends thought of us, what our parents thought of us, and then what we thought of ourselves. this image is pretty close to the one I drew of myself! yes, I've always had that sassy, rebellious side to me! tee hee!

The sentiment is from Ginger's House, papers are from the Echo Park Winter Park collection, ribbons from rose are May Arts, white trim is Prima, accents to main image are done with stickles, spica glitter gel pen, and shimmerz paint. washi tape, buttons, and rhinestones finish the card.

Challenges:
Simply Betty Facebook Ch - add snowflakes
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesday - Anything Goes
Pile it On - 'P' is for.... pink, patterned paper, punches, Prima :)
Sentimental Sundays - pick one of the fave challenges (#160 for the girls)
That Craft Place - anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes
YNS - photo inspiration
4 Crafty Girls - anything goes
DRS Designs - frosted flakes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes
Paper Shelter - anything goes

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

Christmas in July at Jellypark

Coffee of the Day - Mocha Mint (it just seemed appropriate for the challenge!)


Today marks a new challenge and digi release over at Jellypark Friends! I do hope you will pop by to see all of the fun projects created by the DT as well as our guest this month, Diane. prepare to be amazed! :) The challenge for this go 'round is "Christmas in July." We are also doing something else fun on the weeks that we don't have a new challenge going - Stamp Spotlight. we will be featuring a different digi image from the Jellypark store. Make sure you stop by!

I mentioned to all of you yesterday that I would be sharing another card inspired by the challenges from the Stretch Your Stamps online class. This one also comes from Day 1 - using your background stamps: technique - Stamped Elements.


I stamped my SU! woodgrain bg stamp across 3 small white tags that had first been sprayed with candy apple glimmer mist. the edges were then sponged in the same early espresso ink used for stamping. I painted my cute Jellypark kitty to look like a calico or tortiseshell. this was one of the first digis I bought from Claire, as I am such a softie when it comes to cat images!

stickles was applied to the Santa hat & edges of punched senti. papers are Echo Park Season's Greetings, poinsettia is Prima. scallops across bottom were created by punching half circles from scrap pieces of EP paper and then overlapping. this is a wonderful way to use up some of those small or thin scraps of your cute papers! kitty is popped up on foam to give a bit more dimension. faux stitching with my white gel pen completes the card.

Challenges:
Forever Friends - Christmas but include an animal
Little Red Wagon - Christmas in July
Divas by Design - Christmas in July
Crafty Sentiments - Christmas in July
Crafts and Me - stitching, real or faux
LEJ Designs - animals
My Time to Craft - raining cats and dogs
Twisted Tuesday - pick 2 (twine & stickles, also have yellow) with holiday twist
Get Hippity with Ippity - Christmas in July with a tag
Hooked on Crafts - Christmas in July
Crazy Challenge - Christmas in July
Pink Elephant - Christmas in July
Truly Madly - animals
Card Crafters Circle - Christmas in July

Bring on the sunshine....but you can have the heat! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

Yep, I admit it. I like the sunny part of summer, but not the heat. Probably because we don't have a/c in this old house.... and when the temps hit 100*, it is HOT! our ceiling & little box fans are running their motors off to keep air moving. Thankfully it's been a bit cooler these past few days, but now you know why I like the snowy season so much! :) it is far easier for me to warm up than cool down... my prayers go out to those parts of the country hit by drought and wildfires.

Today's challenge at Party Time Tuesdays is Die Cuts and Punches. We have some wonderful sponsors, so please check out the challenge blog for all of their info as well as inspiration from the DT!


I used this fun boy in a hammock image from The Paper Shelter and senti from Create with TLC. papers are from the Echo Park This & That Charming collection. main image was cut with a Spellbinders die, grass & clouds with MFT dies. sun was punched with star and scalloped circle punches, & senti with a SU! tag punch. trim comes from another sponsor, Creating is Fun. little touches were added with my white gel pen, including some faux stitching.

Tests at the hospital yesterday didn't go so well. I must be turning into a vampire... you know I much prefer zombies or werewolves, but alas, we don't seem to get a choice in the matter. they had a doozy of a time drawing blood and had to call in the head of the dept. finally to get it done. even then she had to draw an i.v. to get what was needed and wiggle that blasted needle all around before finding any blood in my body. yikes! it was a bit on the painful side! my poor arm is now covered in even more bruises than before. They were telling me that is all very typical for chemo patients. oh chemo, how you are so not my friend.... and I go back tomorrow for yet another treatment. yuck. do not want to go, Sam I am.....if I have to pass this way again, I don't think I will opt for the chemo. it has done so many horrible, permanent things to my body. I'm sure not everyone has the reactions to it that I have and for many it is very helpful. but anyway....still looking for the sunshine. just keep the heat! grins!

Challenges:
Incy Wincy - summertime
Creative Mondays - for men
Cupcake Craft - number cruncher (designer paper)
Stamps & Fun - summer
There She Goes - sewing and stitching
One Stitch at a Time - sun
Cardmad Fairy - summertime
Delicious Doodles - summer holidays
Simply Create Too - summer/vacation
Totally Papercrafts - here comes summer
Paper Crafting Journey - summer
Dude Time Doodles - fun in the sun for men
Fresh Brewed Design - summertime

Friends Forever - new Dilly Beans challenge!

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

Hello! I bet you didn't think I'd be back quite this soon with a project, now did ya?! well, I wasn't quite so sure myself..... tee hee! I have several projects that I have started sitting on my craft desk, but then get to feeling too puny to finish, so I was tickled pink to actually get this one all the way to 'card' stage! ;)


Dilly Beans has a new challenge that started yesterday and the theme is 'friendship'. Nothing in my life has quite shown me what the true meaning of friendship is all about quite like this cancer journey, so I wanted to make a card for my hubby to tell him how much I appreciate him sticking by my side. I have learned in my 25+ years of marriage that the romance may come and go, but it is the friendship we have that gets us through the tough times. That and our faith....

I used several of Megan's cutie little hedgies, adding some eyelashes to the girl and of course a pretty pink Prima! it just seemed appropriate that they were standing on these fun mushrooms doing 'Eskimo kisses'. I used glitter gel pens to highlight the flowers and polka dots. the grass was cut with a MFT die. Papers are Echo Park This & That, the senti tab is a fun one from Jenni Bowlin.

everyone have a most wonderful weekend! know that you are truly loved! :)
Jennifer