Happy Mother's Day!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lavender Lemon Tea

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers out there! :) I hope you are truly celebrated for the amazing women that you are!

I made cards for my MIL and aunt using some neat digitals from Shawn Petite. these can be found in her member's resource library. it's free to register, and she shares some neat printables, both things that she has created as well as vintage ephemera. she is a very talented artist, and I am always inspired.

I have used her gelli plate image as the base, printing the beautiful vintage floral image directly on top. some matting, lace, tickers, and butterflies to embellish. still trying to keep everything that I mail fairly flat. I don't remember if the butterflies are from Shawn's printable or from another artist, possibly Artymaze, Shabbydabbydoodah, or Mad Paper Crush. I have been cutting out so many pieces for the baby journal that I can't remember exactly who did each one. maybe some day I will be better organized! ;)

each of you have a most amazing day, knowing that you are loved and cherished!

Jennifer

Happy Mother's Day!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Ginger Peach green tea

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, grandmas, great-grandmas, aunts, and other significant women out there! :) Celebrate you today, and the many ways you bring love and contribute to your families!

I do know that this day is not always an easy one for those who have lost crucial people in their lives. to you, know that I pray you find some measure of comfort in the love of those nearby.

I haven't yet been able to craft the way I used to, but I did manage to make a few cards for my MIL, aunt, and new mom, Lauren. :)

They are all similar in style, with just a few minor differences. The lovely vintage woman image is a freebie on the Gecko Galz blog. The background paper and roses are from a post at the Graphics Fairy about cabbage rose wallpapers. I cut the flowers from one of the wallpaper images. 

I stitched around the main image and background papers after matting. The button and floral stamps are from my vintage stash, and the crochet trim has been avocado dyed.  a paper doily and sequins were added to complete each card.

Thank you so very much to all of you who have left comments or contacted me about our new granddaughter! you are so wonderful! :) her parents are asking that her personal details not be shared online or on social media, so we respect their desire for privacy. but oh my goodness, she is such a sweetie! we had a fabulous time visiting them for a few days. maybe one day we will all live closer to one another again. 

before I forget, those of you who follow my blog via email, I have received notice that this option will no longer be available after July of this year. I am absolutely awful about visiting the blogs that I follow, and I appreciate the convenience that email alerts provide. hopefully something else will come about so that we can continue to get notices in our inbox. 

know that you are all loved!

Jennifer 

Challenges:

Gecko Galz monthly ch - Secret Garden using a product from GG

Mother's Day Wandering Kitty Cat

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Coconut Coffee

Hello after so long! :)

I know many of you have sent messages asking after me, and I appreciate each and every one. thank you! my health has been quite a mess, so I've been spending my time in bed, basically just reading lots and lots of books. getting on the computer is difficult for me, so I limit my time to about once a week to only take care of the very minimum tasks. I owe many of you messages and will try to send them as I am able.

I did manage to get a card made for my MIL for Mother's Day. hubby said that she has been carrying this card around the Senior Center facility where she lives showing it to everyone. it makes me happy that she enjoys it so much!

the precious stamps are from Purple Onion Designs. they were stamped onto watercolor paper and colored with pencils. Smokey the cat and the little toadstool cluster were stamped several times then popped up on foam dimensional tape. I used the stamping off technique with the foliage stamp to create a fun wilderness scene for our little kitty cat. a leaf embossing folder on the kraft card base adds to the over outdoor feel of the card.

little sweetheart blossoms from Wild Orchid Crafts, vintage buttons, distressed seam binding, ticket, and grosgrain ribbon snippet complete the card.

my MIL has been missing having a cat ever since she moved into the Senior facility. for Mother's Day, my hubby and I thought it would be fun for her to have a stuffed animal of a cat to remind her of the ones she used to have in her home, but rather than find one in a store, we sent her a gift card to Build a Bear so she could go with her great-grandchildren to make her own. :) that way she not only will have a furry pet to keep in her room, but she will have a fun day out with her family. Build a Bear has several cute cats to choose from, so she can tailor it to look however she likes. thus, the kitty cat card for the holiday. :D

Thanks so much for stopping by! love to all of you!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Ike's World - embossing
SUYP - anything goes w/a cat
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafty Animals - anything w/an animal goes

Happy Mother's Day, A bit Unconventional....

Coffee of the Day - Decaf Lobster Butter from Roos Roast in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms and grandmas out there!

I have a special card to share with all of you today, but it's not your traditional Mother's Day card. it's a card I made for me and my sons that celebrates the reason I am so very happy to be a mom - my boys. the bond those 3 guys share (and the very special one that includes my husband, too!) fills me with such great joy. they are so close to each other, not just in age, but in companionship and friendship.

I said in a post a little bit ago that David is the very air I breathe, but oh my goodness, these young men are my heart. :)

from the time I was 16 years old, doctors told me that I would never have children. I knew deep in my heart that if I were to be a mother, it would happen because God knows best. my greatest dream has always been to be a wife and mother. that's it. and He answered my prayer so completely with my precious family. we are blessed. so very, very blessed to have one another. after 10 years of hearing that it would never happen, I had 3 sons in 3 years. so I celebrate being a mother. they are my miracles and I rejoice in them each and every day. as I said, they are my heart.

so my card recognizes the joy that IS being a brother. the images and sentiment are by Vera Lane Designs. papers are from the Authentique Summertime and Meadow collections, vintage buttons and burlap ribbon are stash items, and the cardboard was inked and distressed a bit. the dies are by My Favorite Things.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge - It's a Man's World
Brown Sugar - masculine for Father's Day
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes #233
QKR - anything goes
Tic Tac Toe - bright colors, something digital (images & sentiment), die cut (grass & paper doll)

Happy Mother's Day!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (my fave for a special day!)

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! and a most special prayer to all of you moms who have children in Heaven.... I'm hugging you real tight and sending you lots of love today! :)

Happy Mother's Day with Bugaboo!

Coffee of the Day - Coconut

Since I am a Guest Designer with Bugaboo, I get to play along in their challenges. A new one begins today with a fun, "Anything Goes" theme. I thought this would be the perfect time to make a Mother's Day card for my neighbor who is expecting her baby in the next week. (you might remember the little purse I shared on yesterday's post for her daughter.  check back in just a little bit for a baby gift I made.)

I don't know if you check the Bugaboo store very often, but every day a different stamp goes on sale for only $1. Between the daily sale and Freebie Fridays, it's a great way to stock up on cute images for not a lot of money! :) I happened to get this 'Mom Flower Trio' image a few weeks ago when it was on sale for $1. sure can't beat that!

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

it is NOT part of the card.**

I kept the card simple because I remember what it was like back in those days of having little ones in the house. no matter how much you tried to keep things out of reach, they still managed to get their hands on things that were supposed to be off limits. ;)

papers are from the Pink Paislee Hey Kid collection, sweetheart blossom is from Wild Orchid Crafts, and vivid pink seam binding is by Really Reasonable Ribbon. doily and buttons are from my stash. you can see I've used that ever present banner punch by SU!, too.

see you in just a little while with another post! :) and be sure to stop by the Bugaboo Challenge blog to see what the DT has come up with to inspire you!

Challenges:
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - Mother's Day
Brown Sugar - Mother's Day
Pattie's Creations - Mother's Day or flowers
QKR - feminine/Mother's Day
Stamping Boutique - Mother's Day
Cr8tive Hands Friends - anything goes
DL Art - Mother's Day
Sasayaki Glitter - Mother's Day
Crafty Gals Corner - Celebrate Mom
Creative Craft Cottage - 3 of a kind (buttons)
Paper Minutes - Mother's/Father's Day

Tips for Distressing Ribbon and Mother's Day Card

Coffee of the Day - Carrot Cake

Happy Monday, everyone!

With Mother's Day right around the corner, I knew I needed to get a card made for my Mother in Law so I could get it in the mail soon along with her gift. I turned to the RRR current monthly club kit for my inspiration.

The turquoise gingham in the kit is one of my very faves! I knew I needed to use it on my Mother's Day card, without a doubt!  I'm also addicted to every color of the seam binding, so I use it on almost every project I make it seems.

my card took on a shabby/vintage flair, so my ribbons needed to follow suit. one of the things I love about almost every ribbon at RRR is how easy it is to distress them.

the turquoise gingham was run through kraft ink to give it a county/shabby feel. you could also use a kraft marker to achieve the same effect.

the forsythia seam binding was slightly dampened. while wet, I added small amounts of 2 different shades of ink to my hands and crumpled it all up into a small ball. I kept rolling and rolling the seam binding into a ball, similar to what you would do with clay or play dough until I had achieved the desired effect - lots of wrinkles and different shades. unravel and it's ready to use! if the seam binding is still damp, just let it air dry or hit it very fast with a heat gun.

the mulberry flowers are just as easy to distress. the turquoise chrysanthemum was a bit bright, so I added a wash of kraft ink with a watercolor brush. used the same technique to change the color of the white one, too. easy peasy! pale yellow open roses and a mini sweetheart blossom were added to the floral bouquet.

natural burlap string is tied through the large vintage button. the digital papers are from the Prima Anna Lee collection, which matches the gift I made for her. digital library card printable is from Cameo Shoppe, and the Mom digi is by SheepSki Designs as part of the Outlawz progressive challenge. distress stickles was added to both the digi and the little tag.

be sure to play along in our current challenge at Really Reasonable Ribbon, "Things with Wings and ribbon or trim!"

Challenges:
Eclectic Ellapu - spring flowers
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Allsorts - ribbons and roses (roses are tucked in with the chrysanthemums as well as on the papers)
Hiding in My Craft Room - lots of layers
Little Claire's - spring colors
Through the Purple Haze - layers
Creative Corner - spring flowers
Pattie's Creations - Easter or springtime
Polkadoodle - floral frenzy
A Beautiful Mess - anything goes

A Mother's Day Teapot

Coffee of the Day - Maple Nut

I haven't been doing much crafting, but really needed to get a Mother's Day card made & mailed for my MIL. lots of dr's appts, tests, scans, and such on the horizon. some stuff has been discovered that was not in the least bit expected, but so very thankful it was found. just adds a bit more 'fun' to this journey. I will pop in as I can..... know you are in my thoughts and heart, even if I'm not on here.

floral teapot image is from Bugaboo, papers are from the Basic Grey Highline collection, starburst die is from Taylored Expressions, banner & scallop dies are by Spellbinders, tiny leaf flourish die is Cheery Lynn, and flower is Prima. sentiment was typed out on my compy. I used my spica clear glitter pen to add highlights to the main image.

Challenges:
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - all about Family
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Milk Coffee - Mother's Day/special lady
Cut it Up - die cuts and Mother's Day
The Stamping Boutique - Mother's Day
Digitally Sweet - mothers
Get Inky - Mother's Day with flowers
Graph It Color - let's go pink
Pattie's Creations - Mother's Day
Scrapping 4 Fun - use "Happy Mother's Day" in your language
Delightful Ch - petal power
Sassy Studios - Mother's Day
Crafter's Cafe - Mom or special lady
Inky Impressions - Mother's Day
Penny's Paper Crafty - 2 or more dec papers
Fan-tastic Tues - flourishes
Tuesday Throwdown - special lady
Artistic Inspirations - all for mom/anything goes
My Craft Spot - Mother's Day or Spring
The Pink Elephant - Mother's Day
The Squirrel and the Fox - Mother's Day
My Sheri Crafts - celebrating moms
Eureka Stamps - Mother's Day flowers

A Mother is Born

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

A new showcase is up at Milk Coffee, and the theme is Mother's Day. I do hope you will stop by to see what the other designers have created with these cute images. :)

I chose to make a card using the ever adorable 'Mom Loves You' digi. oh, how I remember the joy of being pregnant with each of my boys! nothing on earth can compare with that feeling! now, I was sick as a dog and on bed rest and tons of medications because of the complications I had with each one, but it was still one of the most beautiful times of my life. :)  I was never supposed to have children, in fact I'd been told for 10 years that I would never have them, but I knew God had other plans. so in 3 years I had 3 precious sons! yep, they are THAT close in age! grins! and we never lived close to any family, plus we were always moving while I was either pregnant or had just had a baby, so those were VERY interesting times indeed.

okay, enough of that..... onto my card!

Papers are from the Basic Grey Lucille collection, sentiment is from Create with TLC, flowers are Prima, and button is from my vintage stash. the sentiment tag was sprayed with 2 shades of glimmer mist. some ribbon, a few rhinestones, and faux stitching complete the card. I used a sketch from one of the challenges over at SCS Love Fest. 

I also want to take a moment to thank everyone for the very encouraging messages. You make my heart soar! :)  

Challenges:

Paper Crafting Journey - bingo: sentiment, flowers, buttons

Penny's - anything goes

WAW - anything goes

Inky Chicks - Mother's Day or birthday
Paper Minutes - faces
Sassy Studio Designs - stitching
Paper Shelter - celebrations: new baby

Mother's Day at Pile it On, but alas she gets no flowers.....

Coffee of the Day - Maple Pecan (to celebrate the last day of our annual Maple Festival!)

Yes, you are seeing correctly! I have a card for a DT project! :) oh happy, happy day! Today is a fun challenge over at Pile it On - create a Mother's Day card without using any flowers at all.... sounds much tougher than it actually is, especially for a coffee lover like myself. tee hee! My MIL happens to enjoy coffee almost as much as I, so it was easy to choose an image from our sponsor, Bugaboo, to make this fun card!

Papers are Lily Bee Designs Head Over Heels by, twill ribbon is Prima, buttons are Cosmo Cricket, baker's twine is Martha Stewart, accents of shimmerz paint and my white gel pen were added, and finally the heart was punched from a Starbuck's coffee cozy before spraying with pearl glimmer mist for a touch of shine! the polka dots on the coffee pot were made by tapping the end of my pen into my ink pad, then stamping right onto the cs.


Challenges:
Pile it On - Mother's Day, but no flowers
The Crafter's Cafe - embellies with a twist (Mother's Day)
Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes with kraft
Ribbon Carousel - anything goes with a spooled item
Creative Card Crew - ribbon (hope the twill counts)
Paper Take Weekly - sketch
Bunny Zoe - ribbon or twine
Made Especially for You - recycle (Starbuck's coffee cozy)
Divas by Design - buttons and/or bows
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Deep Ocean - punches and/or dies
Papercraft Star - polka dots
Aud Sentiments - anything goes
Hiding in my Craftroom - Mother's Day
Fussy & Fancy - punches/dies
Pixie Cottage - Mom or special lady

Boy when life gets away from ya........

Coffee of the Day - French Vanilla

.......... it REALLY gets away from ya! ;)

things have been so crazy around here. I must begin by saying thank you so very much to those of you who have emailed me or left comments expressing your kind thoughts and prayers for my family. life is starting to 'adjust' I guess would be the best word to use. David is still getting used to his diagnosis, as are we, and the rest of the guys are doing great. Ryan only has minimal bruising and a small bump left on his arm from the hematoma. Tyler has finished his final exams and returns home this weekend. he just might have made Dean's list again....... woooo hooooo! Mick's finals are next week. I know he will ace them as well. I am blessed with such smart sons! summer camp starts up in just a few weeks, so I won't have them around for long, but will treasure each and every moment we have together.

now on to my card! I haven't had much access to a compy, but did make a Mother's Day card for Dave's mom. I pulled out some of my ab fab fave Daisy D's paper from the Beacon Hill collection and paired it with this pretty daisy/sunflower from Shady Tree Studio. the flower is actually part of the fall set, Come to me Autumn, but it worked perfectly for a bright springy card, too. the main tag flower was accented with red glass glitter and green stickles. I also stamped the flower in the lower right hand corner as a bg accent on the decorative paper, using the masking technique. the big flower is a Prima, buttons are from my vintage stash, and the tea tag is one I saved to use as a fun embellie. the sentiment is a SU! rub-on.

hopefully as our life returns to a more 'normal' pace I will be able to post more frequently. and maybe someday someday someday the Good Fairy will fix my compy and I won't have to beg & borrow in order to go online! ;)
love y'all! Jennifer

A Mother's Day Bouquet

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Caramel

Today is a new challenge over at Isabella's Sketchbook! In recognition of moms everywhere, the challenge is to make a project that honors mothers, grandmothers, that special mom-figure in your life. The winner will get their choice of 2 beautiful digis from Isabella's wonderful store, as well as a fancy blog badge to proudly display! So please play along with us! once you finish up here, please stop along at the other DT members' blogs and leave them some love. you know how we all love those comments! :)

My card was actually made to match the altered brie box I made a few weeks ago for Earth Day as a gift for my MIL. The papers are Basic Grey Lilykate. I painted the flowers with pink and butter cream shimmerz to give them a pretty glittery sparkle. The watering can flower holder was sponged with vanilla craft ink to give an aged, distressed look. I added a sentiment tag from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. The buttons are all vintage, baby Primas were added to the stitched ribbon bow, and more faux stitching was added along the right side of the card. The flower border punch is from Martha Stewart.

I remember the bouquets of wildflowers I used to pick for my mother, and then the flowers the boys would pick for me. I don't know that my mother ever did anything with the ones I gave her, but the ones the boys gave to me were priceless treasures. I would find a cut glass vase or jar to put them in and place them in a spot of honor in the house somewhere. A place where I could look at them all throughout the day. It was those spontaneous acts of love that touched my heart so..... :)

I am off to the dr.'s and hosp. for my pneumonia, so if you don't hear from me for a few days, not to worry. I do have a few posts scheduled to keep you occupied. :)

Alota Rubber Stamps - flowers
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - stitching
Paper Play - pastels
Incy Wincy - Anything Goes
Shabby Tea Room - bling and glitter
Sentimental Sundays - for that special someone
City Crafter - tag
Pink Elephant - Mommy I Love You
Dare U 2 Digi Stamp - Flowers
For Fun - Mom
Gingersnap Creations - botanical

Quickie Stick Chick Mother's Day with Sparkle!

Coffee of the Day - Seattle's Best Cinnabon

Just a quick post today, as I am starting to get behind on some stamping commitments. yep, horrible I know. I HAVE to stamp this weekend. feel my pain?!?! ;)

Anyhoooooo...... my son, Tyler, has a best friend, Nathan, who is a Marine. Nate has been home for 2 weeks on leave and it has truly been wonderful to see him again. All of the boys really love Nate - he is a friend to all of them - more like another brother. Well, he will deploy to Iraq again soon and I wanted to send some cards with him for the soldiers to have to send back home, even from their base in SC. So I loaded him up with a little over 100 cards, some I had made, some I have collected from friends and SU! demos who know that I send cards out to the Marines. This is one that I tossed in the mix.

You know how I love my American Art Stamps stick chicks and Basic Grey! So both came to good use on this card. I added some great sparkly cord & vintage lace trim that I found on Etsy, punched a few flowers & added rhinestones to the centers, inked up a chipboard flower, and then finished it off by doing some paper piercing. I haven't pulled out my paper piercing tool in a while (mainly 'cause I always end up poking myself with the darn thing! ), so decided to give it a go. Thought it was a pretty simple card that will hopefully make some Mom of a Marine somewhere very happy!

When saying your prayers today, please add a special one for all those serving in the armed forces. It isn't about whether or not you agree with the war, they are there putting their lives on the line regardless. And if not in Iraq, then somewhere in the world. Thank you to the American soldiers! We salute you!!!! :)

Jennifer