A Squirrely Thanks

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lemon Basil tea

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Day Full of Sunshine

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Today I am sharing a card made for a very special blog hop - Stamping For Autism Awareness Blog Hop.  Our youngest son, Ryan, works for a fabulous place called Hope Bridge. it is a therapy center for children on the autism spectrum. He absolutely loves working there. I am making cards to send to him to give to the children there. I hope to get several made this week. hopefully I can get one made for the staff as well to say thank you for all they do! :)

I wanted to use shades of blue on my card because royal blue is the official color for autism awareness. I pulled out my brusho powders, which are a new to me crafting tool. I used cobalt blue and grey on watercolor paper. rather than using just water, I also sprayed the paper with pearl glimmer mist for a nice bit of sparkle. (I do this with my gelatos, too.)

That adorable little puppy is from LOTV. isn't he precious? when visiting blogs over the weekend, I saw several cards with paper cut at an angle and was inspired to try the same. it adds a fun design element!

of course I had to give the card my own little shabby spin, so there is a bit of ink distressing as well as some re-purposed treasures. I added a row of painted white dots across the top. the sun die is by La La Land. sentiment stamp is from SU!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope to have more cards for this wonderful blog hop later in the week. :)
Jennifer

editing to add link for another card made for blog hop:
You Are Amazing


Challenges:
Get Creative - no patterned paper
Dragonfly Journeys - baker's twine

Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
House That Stamps Built - anything goes
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes w/a critter

Hello! Have a Lovely Day! Coloring Contest Entry

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (again!)

Since I am still not feeling well enough to go to any of the rallies and protests scheduled this weekend, I hit the craft room yesterday and participated in a coloring contest going on in the La La Land Facebook group. Participants are asked to use this cutey image, 'Lovely Marcie.'  She only has to be colored, but I went ahead and added her to a card. She is available for a discount for the time of the challenge, which is so nice of the owner! :)

papers are from the Basic Grey Typeset collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, buttons & lace trim are vintage, and dies are by Spellbinders. accents on main image were made with a white gel pen and touches of Frantage embossing powder were also added for some fun sparkle. sentiment was included in the digi set by La La Land.

heading back to the craft room in just a bit for more relaxing therapy. ;) hope all of you have a great weekend! ours has lots of snow in the forecast!!! y'all know how I love my snow! :)

hugs to each of you! Jennifer

Sailing By, Little Crab

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Macadamia

Today's little crab is sailing by to say 'hello' to all of you! :) actually, he'll be sailing into the mailbox of one of our sons soon! I wanted a little something to brighten the day of one of our guys, and this fella seemed the perfect way to do so!

it's also Oldie But Goodie day over on the Bugaboo inspiration and challenge blog, so do pop on over to see what several of the DT members have created to inspire you. the big sale will soon be ending in the Bugaboo store, so be sure to grab those images you have had your eye on! the 50% off sale only lasts until the end of the month.

I have used the cutey 'Crab Boat' image on my card, in addition to papers from the Basic Grey Adrift collection. stitched cloud dies are by La La Land. it's a fairly simple card, but I wanted something easy to put into an envelope. burlap ribbon is from May Arts.

thanks so much for stopping by today! have a good one! :)

Challenges:
Paper Shelter - anything goes
Scrapping 4 Fun - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
Male Room - red, blue, plus one color other than neutral (several shades of blue, hope that is okay. other color is golden yellow)
4 Crafty Chicks - fave designer/paper/company (Basic Grey is and always will be my ab fab fave EVER paper company!!)
CRAFT - summer
Creative Knockouts - anything goes
A Snowflake's Promise - summer

Let's Go to a Tropical Beach Somewhere....

Coffee of the Day -  Pecan Toffee

whew, it's Saturday! did you ever think we'd make it to the weekend? ;) well, my time as a Guest Designer at Bugaboo is winding down, so just a few posts left to share with all of you. I have had a grand time with the lovely peeps there and the oh, so fun images to be found in the Bugaboo store!

today there is a neat photo inspiration challenge on the Bugaboo blog. I remember many moments like this from our years of living in Florida. whenever we went to the beach, I refused to wear shoes the moment my toes hit the sand. my feet needed to feel the sand between my toes!

I chose to use the adorable little 'Kidz Beach' image for my card. papers and little card are from the Authentique Utopia collection. beautiful seam binding is some that I won from Crafty Ribbons. gorgeous color! I did distress it a bit, as I am wont to do. ;)

stitched sun die is by La La Land, palm tree die is a retired one from Whimsy Stamps, and main image die is from Spellbinders. chrysanthemum is from Wild Orchid Crafts and of course my vintage buttons are from my beloved stash. little accent dots and waves were made with a white gel pen.

I really do appreciate those of you who stop by to say hello and leave such kind comments! enjoy your weekend & stay cool on these hot summer days. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
ABC - 'L' is for lots of layers
Crafts and Me - anything goes w/optional summer memories
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Delicious Doodles - beside the sea
Dies 'R Us - water/beach
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - dies and/or punches
Paradise of Stamps - anything goes
SLS Lines - 3 or more layers
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Paper Shelter - ribbons

Water Play and the Digi Bells Blog Hop!

Winner at Crafty Sentiments

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Bread Pudding

Welcome to my stop on this summery Digi Bells Blog Hop! :) if you have been following along, then you would have arrived here from LINDA's absolutely gorgeous blog. should you get lost at any point along the way, then just head over to the Digi Bells blog for the complete list. while you are there, be sure to submit your project application for the Guest Designer call out! I have had the absolute BEST TIME as a guest these past few months. :) everyone is just as nice as can be!

as y'all know, each of us are showcasing the adorable images, 'Beach Ball Baby' and 'Big Splash,' former rubber stamps at Sweet Pea. these 2 are so precious! but then, aren't all of Elisabeth's images?! :) You will be able to find them in the digital store here, along with lots of other cuties.

I used papers from the Basic Grey Picadilly collection, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, a little ribbon snippet from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and red twine from Michael's. let me tell you, that twine was quite the deal! it was marked on sale for only 30 cents for 20 yards! yes, I grabbed several spools at that price! :) it's the same quality as what I have ordered from other stores for much more.

main image die is by Spellbinders, banner die is by SU!, and stitched sun die is from La La Land. cute wooden veneer 'play' is also from Michael's. I added a bit of orange stain and white Mr. Huey's to it for some summertime fun. a touch of wink of stella glitter pen was added to the water spray coming from the hose.  a bit of burlap doily and my ever fave vintage buttons complete the card.

now pop on over to ALETHEA's fun blog to see what wonderful project she has created to inspire you! thanks so much for stopping by! have a most amazing weekend! :)

Challenges:
Tuesday Throwdown - fave embellishments (vintage buttons!)
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes
Crafty Addicts - anything goes/friends
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed. - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
A Snowflake's Promise - summertime
Crazy Challenge - summer fun
Fab 'n Funky - tic, tac, toe (die cut, digi, flowers)
Di's Digi Designs - hot or bright colors

YOU are My Happy Place!

Winner at Dare 2B Artzy

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

I hope you are having a most beautiful week so far. :) the card I'm sharing with all of you today is guaranteed to bring a spot of sunshine and smiles into your day! why, you ask? well it has an image by Elisabeth Bell, of course! don't her images always make you smile?!

I'm using "I Love You This Much" along with the photo frame die by Lawn Fawn and stitched sun die from La La Land. papers are from the Pink Paislee Hey Kid collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and red seam binding is from Zipper Stop. stitching stamp is by Gina K and sentiment stamp on photo die is a SMASH one. buttons are from my vintage stash.

a friend needs a bit of cheering up, so I knew this adorable image would certainly do the trick!

here is a reminder that YOU are indeed a special person, too, and bring sunshine into the lives of those around you. :) thanks so much for stopping by!

Challenges:
Dragonfly Dreams - anything goes
Lemon Shortbread - anything goes
Crafting By Designs - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes with a twist of ribbons and/or bows
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Paper Shelter - sunny days
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed. - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
A Snowflake's Promise - summer
Fairy Tale - summer
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Ooh La La - 'F' is for frame, flowers, faux stitching, bare feet :)
Dare 2 B Artzy - lots of layers
Ribbon Girls - any card goes with ribbons
Doodle Pantry - anything goes

Let's Hit the Surf!

Coffee of the Day - Caribbean Hazelnut

All of us in the crafty world love free images, and today is Freebie Friday over at Bugaboo! head to the store to check out this fella, Johnny Surf. if he isn't in the store yet, he will be shortly. until then, you can see the entire Johnny collection here. he is quite the busy guy! stop by the challenge and inspiration blog to see all of the fun projects made by the team using the image.

**the watermark I've been given by Bugaboo is the little lady in the car. 

it is NOT part of the card.**

I kept my card on the simple side since I want to mail it off to Ryan while he's away for the summer doing his internship. this way it can fit into an envelope easily, as opposed to the big padded ones I normally use to send my cards.

papers are from the Basic Grey Lauderdale collection, wave die is a retired one from Whimsy Stamps, stitched sun die is by La La Land, and main die is by Spellbinders. yellow diagonal stripe ribbon and natural jute string snippets are from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Happy Friday! I'll see you tomorrow! :)

Challenges:
Love to Scrap - it's a boy thing
4 Crafty Chicks - vacation
CRAFT - inspired by a movie (Point Break, who can resist Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze on the beach?)
Star Stampz - for/with kids
Inky Impressions - summertime
Sisterhood of Crafters - summertime fun
Cards in Envy - no girls allowed
Craftin' Desert Divas - masculine
Ooh La La - one for the boys
Scrapping 4 Fun - travel/holiday
Melonheadz - masculine
Brown Sugar - photo inspiration
Cut It Up - sun & surf (dies by Spellbinders, La La Land, & Whimsy Stamps)

Live Where the Sand Comes Up to My Door

Coffee of the Day - Dulce de Leche

Today marks another final DT posting, this time being my time with Sandra Caldwell's team. as you can see, changes are taking place here on my blog. seasons come and go, and it's all good. :)

My card today uses the new image, 'Flip Flops on the Beach #363'.

This was such a fun card to make since it overflows with great embellies! paper is from the gorgeous new Carta Bella Yacht Club collection. the texture to this paper is amazing!

sentiment is by Ginger's House, stitched sun & clouds die is from La La Land, flip flops die is by Taylored Expressions, and main image/matting die is from Spellbinders. sentiment is punched with a SU! punch. flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts.

peacock seam binding is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, twine is leftover from some tags I had used, and polka dot grosgrain is old from my stash. shimmerz paint was used on the little shell of the main image, as was a wink of stella clear glitter pen and white gel pen.

So glad you stopped by today! hope your week is off to a great start! :)

Challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - ribbon
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Simply Papercraft - anything goes
Outlawz Festive Fri - Make Up Your Own Holiday (I think 'Flip Flops Day' sounds pretty amazing, don't you?!)
Cr8tive Hands - anything goes
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - Come Rain or Shine
WAW - anything encouraging goes
City Crafter - on Cloud 9
Lemon Shortbread - anything goes

Bee Skep

Coffee of the Day - Marzipan

Sending beautiful Sunday morning blessings to all of you today!

I know I've been hit or miss with my postings and all but absent when it comes to visiting everyone. we still haven't been able to find that 'one' vehicle for us yet.... sigh.... thought we were buying one on Friday, but the buyer sold it out from under us. oh well. just wasn't meant to be. means the hunt continues into next week. good golly, this is getting tiring! on the positive side, I do love spending time with my honey bunny! grins!

but on the crafty front, I was able to get to my craft room yesterday and just PLAY! this is what I came up with...

every month Crafty Secrets has a linky party. all you have to do is use any of their products to be entered into a drawing for a gift certificate to their wonderful store. I needed a thank you for our pastor & his wife, who have let us borrow a car for the past 2 weeks. we are returning it today, so this seemed perfect to go with the linky party challenge theme of 'Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart.'

Images are from the Crafty Secrets 'Queen Bee' digital set, paper is from the My Mind's Eye Be Amazing collection, ribbons are by Really Reasonable Ribbon, flowers are from Michael's and Wild Orchid Crafts, heart banner die is by La La Land, tiny banner punch is SU!, and buttons are from my vintage stash. oh yes, cute chevron bag is from Michael's as well. wings on the little bee are painted in shimmerz.

Have a most glorious day! :)

Challenges:
Crafty Secrets - monthly linky party
Love to Scrap - ribbon or lace, oh my
Art by Miran - anything goes
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - use a die cut (La La Land and Spellbinders)
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Simply Papercrafts - anything goes
Kraftn' Kimmie Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Emerald Faeries - buttons and bows
Polkadoodles - use a die cut (La La Land and Spellbinders)

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

Just Sittin' On a Barbed Wire Fence....

Coffee of the Day - Maple Nut

Hello again! or should I say 'Howdy'?! I think this is the last of the western themed cards I made this summer. this fella just gives me the giggles. especially since I put him on a barbed wire fence! makes you wonder why he is really singing ..... or perhaps he is HOWLING instead! tee hee!

image is from QKR Stampede, bg paper is Carta Bella Giddy Up, barbed wire fence die is by My Favorite Things, cactus die set is Spellbinders, stitched sun die (I just used a portion of it) is by La La Land.  burlap ribbon is May Arts, bark star is from Live and Love Crafts, and buttons are from my stash. the barbed wire portion of the fence is covered in platinum stickles.

as with yesterday's card, the inside contains the verse, Acts 1:8.

Challenges:
QKR Stampede - cowboys
613 Avenue Create - create your own challenge: card type-A2, event-Encouragement, trend-burlap
One Stitch at a Time - anything goes with 4 legged friends
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
Morgan's Art World - for the men
Simply Papercraft - anything goes
Crafty Girls Creations - anything goes
Creative Knockouts - anything goes

Hello, Little Hedgehog!

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Macadamia

Well, I think Mocha and I are finally getting the hang of things here with just the 2 of us. I leave the door to my craft room open, and she knows where I am. she still gets freaky deaky, but eventually calms herself down, knowing that I DO come out after a while. ;)

One of the cards I needed to get finished was this one for the Progressive Challenge over at From the Heart. Our image this month is the cutey 'Prickles Says Hello.'  I have also used this week's sketch from their challenge, adding my own little touches, as I am wont to do!

papers are from the Simple Stories Summer Vibes collection, flowers are a mix of Wild Orchid Crafts, Prima, and Michaels. burlap ribbon is by May Arts, and orange satin ribbon is from my stash. main image is cut with a Spellbinders die, sun & clouds are cut with a La La Land die, and little banner is cut with a Lawn Fawn die. buttons and washi tapes are from my stash as well, linen thread is SU!

I added the little butterfly trail with my black spica glitter gel pen. shimmerz was painted over parts of the butterfly, while I painted in accents to the butterfly, banner, and hedgehog using white craft ink. his glasses are covered in crystal effects. some faux stitching around the card base completes the card.

Don't forget to pop your entry into my Birthday Blog Candy! :)

Challenges:
From the Heart sketch - sketch 112
Clear it Out - theme: your style (shabby), stash: fave craft item (probably buttons because I use them on EVERYTHING I  make!!!)
Fan-tastic Tues - any square card goes with a twist of summer
Loves Rubberstamps - use a die cut (Spellbinders, La La Land, and Lawn Fawn)
TTCRD - anything goes
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Stamp and Create - summer fun
Come and Get It - cute animals
L'il Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes

Spring is Sure to Follow

Can you believe it? I actually made it into my craft room! really hope to get back in later today if I can. :)

the mother of a special bloggy friend of mine recently passed away after a long battle with breast cancer. it's a nasty beast, isn't it? I wanted to send her a card to let her know I was thinking of her, but also send her a bit of encouragement, too. I so remember the days feeling so hopeless after my dad died. it was really hard to find the joy, even though I loved Dave and  my boys so very much. the little bits of pink pay tribute to her mom's hard fight and the hearts represent not only the love the 2 of them shared, but the love she can find in so many of her friends.

it's a lot to pack into a card, isn't it? this is the reason I prefer to make sympathy cards as I need them. I try to put little touches into the card that might not be noticeable to anyone else but me, but are so representative of the people. I also like to pray for the ones I'm making them for and think about them the whole time I'm crafting.

the image is by From the Heart and papers are from the Basic Grey Highline collection. flower is Prima, leaf flourish dies are Cheery Lynn while the heart banner die is from La La Land. little touches were added to the flowers on the main image with my spica clear glitter gel pen and faux stitching to the 2 decorative paper panels. the heart banner was cut from a piece of transparent packaging, and then the edges were painted with acrylic paint. buttons & floral trim finish the card.

Challenges:
i {heart} sketches - sketch #63 (flipped on side) and insp. photo twist (colors and flowers)
From the Heart - monthly progressive ch
As You Like it - fave item to recycle and why: I really like to re-use the transparent packaging. it's great because it can be die cut into so many shapes and then either left clear or painted. I re-use many of the containers as they are for altered projects. my other fave item is buttons. I take them off of any clothing that is too worn to go to a charity store. of course almost every project I make has buttons somewhere on it! :)
Card and Scrap - add metal (staples)
Outlawz Twisted Thurs - anything goes
Shelly's - April showers bring May flowers
Crafting by Design - April showers bring May flowers
Creative Moments - anything goes/spring
Inky Impressions - recycle it (clear packaging & buttons)
WAW - anything goes encouraging
Card Makin' Mamas - recycle (clear packaging & buttons)
Creative Fingers - anything goes/bingo: die cut, pearls, flower
Craftitude - anything goes or Spring/Easter
Sister Act - anything goes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - Spring or Easter
Fan-tastic Tues - anything square or rectangle goes
Created with Love - in the garden
Squirrel and Fox - use a die cut or punch