A Pen Friend Thanks

Coffee of the Day - Sleepy Time Tea with extra Valerian (no coffee for the past few days. I've been really sick and tea just tastes better.)

The weekend is almost upon us, thank goodness! :)
I'm here with a bit of pink springtime inspiration to brighten even the gloomiest of winter days.

I have used the adorable "A Pen Friend" image to create a thank you card to send off to a special friend. you can find images similar to this one in Elisabeth Bell's store! some cute digital papers by Adrienne Looman, a little tag, pretty paper flowers, and other fun embellies all combine to create a card that tell my friend how very much I appreciate her kindness. :)

main image die is by Spellbinders, flowers & leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts, sentiment is from SRM Stickers, buttons are from my vintage stash, pink crochet trim is from Live & Love Crafts, distressed pink seam binding is from Zipper Stop, and little denim tag is re-purposed from a pair of jeans.

have a most amazing day! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafting By Designs - inspired by a movie (You've Got Mail or Pretty in Pink)
Crafty Creations - anything goes
DL Art - winter with an optional 'thanks'
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Inky Chicks - anything goes

Memorial Day Bingo Card Wall Hanging

Coffee of the Day - Coconut

Hello and welcome to my stop on the Really Reasonable Ribbon blog hop! you should have come here by way of GINNY'S gorgeous blog! that lady sure has some talent, doesn't she?! :)

if you ever get lost while hopping along, stop by the RRR blog for a complete list. and be sure to stop there when you finish the hop so you can enter the contest for a chance to win your very own monthly ribbon kit!

when I saw this gorgeous collection of patriotic themed ribbons, I knew immediately that I wanted to create something for Memorial Day. I also knew I wanted something other than a card, so I looked through some of the vintage goodies hubby and I had picked up while out on our antique adventures. I saw the bingo cards and thought, 'Bingo!' tee hee!

I used a wonderful Memorial Day vintage image from Create with TLC in addition to several of the ribbons from the monthly kit. star ribbon was distressed with ink to give that shabby look I love!

bark stars are from Live and Love Crafts. doily was sprayed with glimmer mist. buttons are all from my vintage stash. mulberry flowers include chrysanthemums, apple blossoms, open roses, tea rose, and a little bead berry spray.

if you want to see more detail on the photo, just click on the picture. it will take you to another window. :)

now grab a refill of coffee and head on over to CHERYL'S most amazing blog! be sure to leave her a comment letting her know how much you enjoy the project she has made to inspire you. :)

Challenges:
Craft for the Craic - a step back in time
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Creative Corner - Let's Celebrate
PDE linky party - anything goes
Southern Girls - anything goes
Decorate to Celebrate - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Craft-Dee BowZ - anything goes with a handmade bow
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Classic DT - anything for a DT

An Altered Wooden Easter Bunny for the RRR Blog Hop

Top 3 Pick at Crafting Musketeers

Coffee of the Day - Carrot Cake (just seemed appropriate!)

Welcome to my stop on the Really Reasonable Ribbon blog hop! as we do every month for the hop, the DT shows projects made with the fun ribbon club kit. if at any time you ever get lost while hopping, just head back to the RRR blog for the complete list. plus you will want to stop there at the end for your chance to win your very own set of the monthly ribbons! :)

you should have landed here from GINNY's wonderful blog. she always has such neat projects, doesn't she?! :)

our oldest son, Tyler, is going to spend Easter with his girlfriend and her family. he is even going to meet the 'grands' so this is BIG! I made a little something for him to take to her grandparents.

I found this little wooden bunny on the JoAnn's website. actually I first saw it in their sale flyer, but couldn't find it the one time I was able to get to a store. so I ordered it online. I knew it would be fun to fix up!

you can see the various ribbons from the monthly club kit that I used. I also added my fave Wild Orchid Crafts magnolia (I added a bit of watercoloring to make the color match), aster daisies, cosmos, tiny rosebuds, and a sweetheart blossom. I also used a bit of  the iridescent string to tie on the little tag, but it is currently out of stock in the store. you could easily use any of the wonderful burlap or jute strings that Bonnie currently has.  or even some of the thicker baker's twine. :) you could really go for fun with the metallic gold or silver!

the pretty floral tag is from a great new vintage digital company I have found on Etsy called Cameo Shoppe. I promise you will be seeing much more from them on upcoming posts! their sheets print out so crisp and clean! bark heart is from Live and Love Crafts and the safety pin is a found treasure from Tyler's girlfriend. I thought she would appreciate seeing it on here! ;) she is always picking up little goodies for me to use on my projects. what a sweetie!

----> I'm adding another bunny project at the last minute because my youngest son, who has been home this past week for Spring Break, asked me to make one for his girlfriend after seeing this one.

I used this larger aqua wooden bunny from JoAnn's and another tag from the same digital sheet by Cameo Shoppe. here I used the yellow gingham plaid ribbon from the monthly club kit, the aqua version of the pink scalloped edge roses grosgrain found in the ribbon kit, iridescent string, 1/8" pink diagonal stripe ribbon, and light pink mini ric rac for the bow.

parrot green netting is the base for the floral arrangement made of WOC chrysanthemums, lilies, hip rosebuds, and daffodils, a 30mm leaf was added to the daffodil at the bunny's ears.

your next stop on this fun hop is at the most amazing blog of AMBER. you know she is going to have something fabulous to knock your socks off! :)

thanks so much for stopping by!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Allsorts - Spring is in the Air
CRAFT - Easter/Spring
DL Art Thankful Thurs - Easter
Crafting Musketeers - use 3 ribbons (I actually used a lot more than 3 on each!)
Crafty Enjoyments - Spring or Easter
WAW - anything goes
Champion of Champions - anything goes if previous winner

Paper Sweeties Guest Designer!

Hello everyone!
I have the honor of being a Guest Designer over on the Paper Sweeties blog this month! what a privilege this is for me, especially if you have ever been to their blog and seen the absolutely GORGEOUS projects their team creates time after time!!!!

The new challenge inspiration photo is this gorgeous one....

isn't it fabulous? so many things to choose from for your project!

you will see the various elements I pulled from the photo in my card. I began with the wonderful Happy Wishes stamp set, embossing it to create the chalkboard effect. turning the image on its side adds a nice twist! a white colored pencil was used to draw in the extra lines and white craft ink for more shading.

paper for the card base is from the Authentique Legacy collection. just LOVE this paper! :) a bit of copper striped vellum tops the banner and is wrapped in lovely Robin Egg baker's twine. do you see the little smidgen of a doily peeking there at the top of the banner? every coffee cup needs a doily! ;)

flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, lovely shabby bark heart (which mimics the wooden frame) comes from Live & Love Crafts, and coffee cup was die cut from aqua felt with a Simon Says Stamp die.

now you have to take a look at those precious little floral sequins. they are absolutely precious irl! these are from the Cupcake collection. it was SO hard to choose just one pack! Paper Sweeties has so many adorable colors of these lovelies! :) you will be seeing these sequins on many upcoming projects!

the highlight of the entire card is that wonderful seam binding though. what makes this ribbon stand out is that Debbie, the owner, lovingly tea stains every batch by hand. I used the Robin Egg and Oatmeal.

Check out the Paper Sweeties Facebook page for more updates and fun.
thanks so much for stopping by today! and thanks again to the lovely folks at Paper Sweeties for having me! :) I hope you are inspired to join the challenge.

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes
Stamping Sensations - anything goes with a stamp (Paper Sweeties)
Petal Lu - anything goes
Sisters of Craft - anything goes
Frilly and Funkie - layer it up

Happy Coffee Elf and the Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Pecan

Not only is it Friday (which deserves it's own shout out!), but today is the start of the Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! wooo hoooo and a big Fa La La La La! :)

While I won't have as many projects to share for the hop as I have in the past, I will have several, so I do hope you'll stop back by a few times during the week! you know I love my coffee! so grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage and I'll share my project for today.....

my card starts with several items re-purposed from a recent trip to Starbucks. I took a bag that they give you when you buy one of their delicious treats (yes, I bought one. okay, maybe MORE than one, but I did share with my sons, and it was oh, so YUM!) I cut it apart to use as the bg. and then sprayed it with white Mr. Huey's mist. the little sticks you use to keep the steam/heat from escaping also found its way onto the card.

the adorable happy coffee elf comes from Simply Betty stamps. do you ever wish for a cup that size? I have one that comes close that hubby had specially made for me last Christmas. ;) buttons are from my vintage stash, poinsettia comes from Hobby Lobby, I think, tickets are another stash item, and wonderful ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbons. little bell is from Live and Love Crafts. touches with a wink of stella glitter pen and stickles were added.

thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a most amazing weekend! :)

Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Ch Extra - anything Christmas goes
Choux Choux Paper Art - Visions of Sugar Plums Christmas/winter projects linky party
Cards 4 Galz - Cute Christmas
CRAFT - Christmas
Star Stampz - Christmas Creations
Pile it On - anything Christmas or winter
Crafty Sentiments - Christmas card
{pin}spirational - photo inspiration
Eureka - Christmas is coming
Robyn's Fetish - Christmas card
Hiding in My Craft Room - Christmas colors
Simon Says Stamp Mon - holly jolly stamping
Wags 'n Whiskers - fairies and elves

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)

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 Again and Happy September with a YEEHAW! :)

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (to celebrate being back to blogging again!)

Hello to all of you lovely peeps!  :)

I know I have been away from blogging for a bit. I took a little break toward the end of the summer, but am back again to say howdy! to put it plainly, Latte dying just took the stuffing right out of me.

I can't say that much eventful has been going on, unless you count numerous car repairs, hubby & I celebrating 29 years of marriage, and watching all 5 seasons of Downton Abbey as excitement. a lovely fall when the front porch stairs collapsed, but other than that, life is just rolling right a long. I hope all of YOU are right as rain!

I have been crafting while away, so will be showing some of those projects in the next few posts. My first project to share is one of the cowboy cards I promised back at the beginning of summer. I'll have another one in to show in a jiffy....

The images are by QKR Stampede and Eureka, papers are from the Carta Bella Giddy Up digital collection, burlap ribbon is May Arts, bark star is from Live and Love Crafts, while everything else is from my stash. inside is the verse that was used for the summer at Camp, Acts 1:8.

Thanks for hanging in there with me! I will try to start making my way around to your blogs in the next day or so. :) love ya oodles!
Jennifer

Challenges:
QKR Stampede - cowboys
Incy Wincy - anything goes
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Crafty Friends - use a sentiment
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - use a sentiment
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Pile it On - friends/friendly hello
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Clear it Out - theme: anything goes, stash: anything goes (twine, buttons, ticket)
TTCRD - anything goes
Deep Ocean - For the Boys
Little Miss Muffet - one for the boys
Scribbles Designs - Boys Will be Boys

A Cup of Tea To YOU!

Coffee of the Day - Carrot Cake

yes, you are in shock. I have made a card about tea, not coffee. and I'm linking it to a Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop. makes no sense whatsoever if you visit my blog very often. I'm happy to be able to link this to the blog hop though. I miss taking part in these since I'm not on FB any longer.

but if you know me irl, then you know that I was a tea drinker lonnnnnnng before I became a coffee addict. during the summer I make all kinds of blends of iced tea. and this card is going to a very, very special friend.

my bestie in all the world is sickie poo. so she needed a special card. we have gone for tea many times, and I knew she would appreciate the little tea bag I added to the tag. we used to go for coffee, too, but when you are sick, nothing comforts like a cup of hot tea. so I can do that for her. :)

this precious stamp is a House Mouse Gruffie called 'All Warm and Fuzzy'. I still remember the first card I ever made with this stamp. as much as I love the little House Mouse mice, these bears are my faves.

papers are from the Authentique Remembrance collection, flowers are a combo of Wild Orchid Crafts, Prima, and Live & Love Crafts specialties. buttons and lace/crochet trim are vintage. tea border die is Cottage Cutz and was sprayed with my SU! ink squirty tool, while main die is Spellbinders. little punches in the upper corner are SU!. tag with tulle ribbon is in a library pocket that was distressed. the sentiment was computer generated.

and I know all of you are curious as to what the yummy flavor of tea is that I included..... it's a tasty Ginger Peach by Stash. delicious hot or cold. :) the tag slides further down in the pocket, but I left it out so you could see the full sentiment.

btw - if you click on the actual card photo, it will take you to a larger photo to see more of the details, and it won't look quite so blurry.

hope all of you are having a great weekend so far! don't forget I'll have blog candy coming soon for my birthday! :)

Challenges:
Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop - the colors are summery to me! :) plus there is nothing worse than having pneumonia at the start of the summer...
Gruffies and Guests - lavender and lace
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Di's Digi Designs - die cuts (Spellbinders & Cottage Cutz)
Your Next Stamp - sketch or color challenge (color)
Aud Sentiments - bingo: patterned paper, rubber stamp, paper punch plus sentiment
Scrap and Craft - tag it
Card and Scrap - use dies (Spellbinders & Cottage Cutz)
WAW - anything goes/family friendly
Crafty Creations - All Creatures Great and Small
Penny's Paper Crafty - anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Loves Rubberstamps - anything goes
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Ribbon Girls - animal
Verve Stamps - eat me, drink me photo inspiration
613 Avenue Create - anything goes with option of making something for your best friend (and I did!)
Corrosive Ch - pile it on (LOVE this theme!)

Rockin' the Pink Cowboy Boots!

Coffee of the Day - Sweet Potato

Well I was finally able to get into my craft room and get one card made. still a bajillion to go, but at least I am off to a start! :) seems as if my 'honey do' card list just keeps getting longer rather than shorter as the days go by....

Since we have a theme at Camp this summer of 'Go West', all of the cards you'll see me post will be of a western theme.

Today's card uses a fun image by Mayzy Art that was actually created for the group over at The Outlawz. I'm no longer a member, but am a huge fan of Mayzy's work. she has some great fan art if you like that sort of thing. you KNOW I do. ;) check out her freebies page, too.

the nature/landscape images are from Eureka. I am using these so so much! you will probably grow weary of seeing them on all of these western projects, but they really do add so much character!

Papers are from the Carta Bella Giddy Up Girl digital collection, buttons are vintage, linen thread is by SU!, pink grosgrain ribbon is from my stash, rose is Wild Orchid Crafts, and bark star is from Live and Love Crafts. those fancy schmancy boots are cut with a Spellbinders die. as soon as I saw it, I knew I really needed to have it! I have this thing about cowboy boots with my crafting...guess it goes back to always needing to put my brave boots on! :)

Hubby was really nice and took the photo for me. on top of the seizures which won't seem to go away, I had some other yuck happen today that has knocked me out for the count. hope it doesn't keep me down too long. I have GOT to get more crafting done! ;)

hope to be back soon with more projects if my health allows. and yes, I WILL get to your blogs one day. really really!

love to all of you! Jennifer

p.s. the inside has also been decorated. I printed out the verse Acts 1:8, which is the verse for Camp this summer. I used a western style font, distressed the edges, and then sprayed it with 2 shades of glimmer mist. sorry there isn't a photo. will try to get one of the next card made.

Challenges:
Crafty Time - girls, girls, girls
Cards Galore Encore - any card goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
CCC Digi Creations - layer it up
Pile it On - focus on coloring (watercolor)
Paper Creator's Crafts - anything goes
Sisters of Craft - anything goes
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
WAW - anything goes/family friendly
Clear it Out - anything goes stash item: vintage buttons & ribbon
Digi Choosday - use kraft cardstock (card base)
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Come and Get It - distress it (paper distressing and ink)
Quirky Crafts - put your quirky shoes or shirts on (well I've got my boots! grins!)
Corrosive Ch - anything goes
Little Claire - outdoors
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
Sister Act - any card goes

Memorial Day Blessings.... His Soul Goes Marching On

Coffee of the Day - Maple Walnut

Happy Memorial Day to all of my friends here in the good ol' US of A! :) and a big howdy do to everyone else who stops by as well! :)

I come from a family filled with soldiers. some of my cousins are still in the military. so today is one of special significance to me. one of my uncles was killed in combat and many friends have fought in our various wars. I always stop to remember those who have given the greatest sacrifice to our country as well as those who serve.

it doesn't matter what anyone's political views are - there are still people all around the world who are serving in the military in some form or fashion, putting their lives on the line, regardless of politics. and they should be thanked & lifted in prayer. just my opinion of course.

for my card today I used a vintage postcard image by Ellen Clapsaddle. I have quite a collection of vintage postcards myself, but rarely put them directly onto cards or projects. I prefer to print out the images if I can find them in the public domain. This particular postcard was posted yesterday over at Little Birdie Blessings. she shared several that were quite lovely and very appropriate for today.

Papers are a combo of Authentique's Glory and Pride collections. ribbons and trims come from a fabulous May Ribbon Club Assortment I was blessed to win from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I dyed the whites the give them a more shabby feel.

the bark stars and flowers are all from Live and Love Crafts. some of the flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, but I think the poppies are their own private stock. I also hand dyed 2 of them red to match my papers. buttons are all vintage, ticket is from my stash, and postage stamps are some I saved from mail received. they come in so handy on projects like this! the tag was embossed then lightly inked to accent the stars. I think this is one of my favorite embossing folders!

Hope your week is off to a great start! thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:
Really Reasonable Ribbon - red, white, and blue with ribbon
That Craft Place - shabby chic
613 Avenue Create - anything goes or create your own: 1. image, patterned paper 2. die cut (little arrow in upper left corner is a die cut) 3. dry embossing 4. flowers, buttons 5. square card, twine, ribbon
Hiding in My Craft Room - any holiday (Memorial Day)
Creative Corner - anything goes
Robyn's Fetish - anything goes
Penny's Paper Crafty - anything goes
Party Time Tues - anything goes
Incy Wincy - all or nothing (I went for ALL!)
The Crazy Challenge - use ribbon or lace

Patriotic Puppy

Coffee of the Day - Irish Cream

Hooray! I was able to get into my computer files and get crafty today!!! you can't begin to imagine just how happy that makes me! :)  while not among the major things in life to get worked up about, I still wasn't too excited to lose all of my files if I wasn't able to get the files retrieved from the external hard drive....

so on to my card ~

I used this cutey Patriotic Puppy image along with the Declaration of Independence saying, both from Eureka Stamps. (although I used the digi versions) most of the papers are from the Authentique Pride collection. I must say that Authentique has the very coolest patriotic papers, and I frequently use all of them together. I hoard what I do have like a miser. a new collection is coming out soon, so I am very excited about that! :)

the sentiment portion was first sponged and then sprayed with 2 shades of glimmer mist. as you can see, I made a shaker card out of it. a bit of re-purposed packaging works perfectly as the shaker top! the neat wooden bark star at the top comes from Live and Love Crafts. (psssst..... they have a sale going on right now!!!) the denim belt loop is just a fun bit because nothing personifies the spirit of America like a pair of blue jeans! :)

to those of you here in the States, have a safe Memorial Day weekend. I hope to be back tomorrow with another project to share. see you then! :)

Challenges:
Eureka - shaker card
DeConstructed Sketches - sketch #201
Open Minded Crafting - Inspired by a Song (it has to be the Star Spangled Banner!)
Sister Act - any card goes
Crafting by Designs - sentiments
Fresh Brewed Designs - red, white, and blue
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
WAW - anything goes family friendly
Scribbles Designs - 'B' is for.... (blue, buttons, bark, belt loop, bandanna on pup) also waving hi to my former teamies!!!
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Top Tip Tues - animals (waving hi to my former teamies here, too!)
Craft and Smash - animal