I like the Way You Roll

Coffee of the Day - Toffee Creme

The new challenge at Pile it On is all about Kawaii and cute. not much more says cute to me that this fun sushi set by Lawn Fawn with its matching dies. love it, love it, love it, and I happen to have won it! that makes it all the more fun to play with, doesn't it?!

I kept it pretty simple, why you could ALMOST say it's a CAS card! I think I will, thank you!
paper is from the Basic Grey Kioshi collection. I love that the dies match almost all of the stamps in the set so I don't have to fussy cut them. the little bit of grass was saved from an actual sushi take out. yes, I really do re-purpose EVERYTHING! ;) I added a bit of paper piercing, but whoa nelly, was I really really crooked. need to find my guide that I used to use.....

don't forget to sign up for my Nifty at Fifty Birthday Blog Candy! you can find the post here. pop back in later on for something fun!

Challenges:
Art by Miran - anything goes
Crafts 4 Eternity - fabulous food
4 Crafty Girls - anything goes
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes w/a for the boys twist (this is being sent to my son)
Penny's Paper Crafty - fave embellishments (buttons!)
Rhedd and Rosie - anything goes
Scrapper's Delight - anything goes w/get sentimental twist
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Crafty Sentiments - CAS or full on (CAS)
TTCRD - anything goes
Ladybug Crafts - something for boys and/or use your die cuts (both: this is being sent to my son)
Crafts Galore Encore - use a stamp
The Stamping Chef - anything goes
Stamping with the Dragon - CAS

Metal and Steampunk and Mermaids, Oh My!

Coffee of the Day - Butter Rum

The new challenge over at Pile it On is to use metal on your projects. We are sponsored by a new to me store, Add a Little Dazzle. they were very generous and sent all of the DT several sheets of their metal for us to try. gosh, what a beautiful assortment of colors I received! the winner of this fortnight's challenge will receive a $25 gift certificate to the Add a Little Dazzle store. whoa nelly, that is a fabulous prize!!!

for my project I decided to play around with one of my metal sheets a bit. I took the turquoise one and first cut it down to size - 5" x 5". I then ran it through  my Big Shot using the Tim Holtz Steampunk embossing folder. I used several shades of alcohol inks and sponged them over the metal. it was fun to see how the colors reacted with the metal.

the image is by Rick St. Dennis and is called Atlantis.  boy howdy, did this ever take me a while to paint, and ever so intricate, too. I added pearl drops to her crown, lots of touches with a spica clear glitter gel pen to highlight the water swirlies, and then shimmerz paint to her tail & crown. oh yes, stickles were added to the bubbles. flowers are Petaloo and ferns were punched with a Martha Stewart punch to look like seaweed.

Challenges:
Kathy's Sketch File - May sketch
Crafty Creations - recipe: flowers, die cut, ribbon
Divas by Design - anything goes
Paper Pretties - flowers
Rick St. Dennis Progressive Ch - steampunk
Inky Impressions - bingo: punch, stamp, ribbon OR flower, ribbon, bling OR die cut, stamp, flower
Emerald Faeries - flowers, ribbon, and/or lace
Crafting Cafe - creatures
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes/punches and/or dies (both)
Craft-Dee BowZ - anything goes w/a handmade bow
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Digi Makeover - sting/twine/ribbon
Incy Wincy - embossing and bling
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Outlawz Twisted Thurs - anything goes/use metal or foil
DRS Designs - feeling punchy
Crafty Catz - embossing
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Craftitude - anything goes/use a die
Sister Act - any card goes
SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk - Heavy Metal Steampunk
Open Minded Crafting - fairy tale or fantasy
Craft Hoarders Anonymous - use metal or glass (stash: fern punch, ribbon)
Add a Little Dazzle - Father's Day or anything goes (thank you for the wonderful metal sheets!)
Corrosive Ch - anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle - add some metal

Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear.... Having a Pic-A-Nic!

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel Pecan

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! I hope you have a most beautiful day today!

My card today is two-fold - it's for the new challenge over at Pile it On, but also for a special young lady I'll tell you about in just a moment.....

first up is the Pile it On challenge - our theme is all about the fuzzy wuzzy! We are sponsored by Stitchy Bear's Digi Outlet. One participant will receive a $10 gift certificate to the Stitchy Bear store! :)

my image is from Stitchy's own collection and it's called 'Lunch Time.' isn't it just the cutest? it reminded me of the tongue twister - 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear'.....  papers are from the Basic Grey Knee Highs colllection, ribbon is May Arts, and enamel dots are my handmade ones. sparkly touches to the main image were made with shimmerz paint and various colors of spica glitter pens.  sentiment sticker is from SRM. several dies were used: tiny leaf flourish by Cheery Lynn, main image & mat by Spellbinders, and beautiful butterfly by The Cat's Pajamas. (thanks, Chris!!!)

Now on to the young lady who will be receiving my card ~
I read about a precious little 5 year old girl named Katlynn who is very sick right now and in the hospital. her mom, Valou Allard, a most talented papercrafter, is asking people to send cards to her daughter to help brighten her day. You can read more about the card drive and blog candy here on Valou's post. I am not entering the blog candy, but just wanted to send along a card to hopefully bring a smile! I know as a mom I would do anything to help my children feel better.

Challenges:
Little Claire's - spots and stripes
Open Minded Crafting - use ribbon
Pumpkin Spice - about a girl
Speedy the Fox - use a punch (to create end of sentiment banner)
We Do Doobadoo - lots of layers
Crazy 4 Challenges - bingo: flowers, sentiment, bling (enamel dots)
Digi Haven - bear hugs
Savvy Handmade Cards - zoo animals
Sister Act - any card goes
4 Crafty Girls - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - any sentiment for a child
Crafty Ribbons - sweet treats
In the Pink - fluttering by
Paper Crafting Journey - spots and/or stripes
Crafting for all Seasons - lots of layers
Divas by Design - in the pink
Little Red Wagon - seeing spots
Penny's Paper Crafty - 2 or more dec papers (I have used 3)
Scrapper's Delights - anything goes
Whimsy Inspires - 2 or more die cuts (Spellbinders, Cheery Lynn, & Cat's Pajamas)
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - special ladies
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Die Cuttin' Divas - sketch
Digi Choosday - make it for the kids
TTCRD - anything goes
Craft-Dee Bow Z - anything goes with a handmade bow
Crafty Bloggers - pink with ribbon
Created with Love - critters
The Kraft Journal - for her

Another ATC! :)

Coffee of the Day - Maple Walnut (in honor of our local Maple Festival!)

yep, I've done it! I've made another ATC - artist trading card. these little things are pretty addicting! I have no idea whatsoever what I am going to do with them, but they are fun to make! the one this time is for our new challenge over at Pile it On - Ink on Paper Stamping. our sponsor is a new one for me, Rogue Redhead Designs. they were so kind and sent everyone on the DT who is participating this week a set of stamps to use!  isn't that nice!??! One winner will be chosen from all participants to receive a $25 gift certificate to their amazing store! you KNOW you want to play along now! :)

I was sent the fabulous stamp set, 'Nature Notes.' papers used are from the Basic Grey 'Hey You' collection. burlap ribbon is by May Arts, and all inks are SU! everything else is from my craft stash. I did use my SU! ink squirty tool on the sentiment portion, as well as one of the small flourish stamps. the wood grain bg stamp is the perfect size for ATCs! hubby gave it the 'manly' thumbs up....phew. I never know if they will pass muster or not with my guys. ;)

Challenges:
Wicked Wed ATC - quotes & words
Penny's - one for the boys
Paper Shelter - for the boys
Little Claire's - lots of layers
Card and Scrap - add metal (coin charm and brads)
Scrapping 4 Fun - use a stamp or digi
House That Stamps Built - for the guys (also loosely based on sketch)
Art Impressions - anything goes masculine
Just Inspirational - bingo: blue, die, twine, distress, brads
Party Time Tues. - anything goes

Dance with Faeries

Coffee of the Day - Marzipan

The new challenge at Pile it On this week is to add tulle or mesh to your project. Our sponsor is Inky Impressions, and the prize will be a $10 gift certificate to their store!  be sure to stop by the Pile it On challenge blog to see all of the amazing inspiration by the DT!

My card uses the Inky Impressions image 'Wishing Well Fairy'. This card is going to little Lauryn's older sister, so it needed to be as girly as I could make it. :) that meant it was time to pile on the pinks and purples!

papers are from the Basic Grey Green at Heart collection, sentiment is from Create with TLC, die is Spellbinders, punches are Martha Stewart (leaves) and SU! (tag top & postage stamp). white trim and satin ribbon for flower are by May Arts. please forgive me that I can't remember the mfg. of the tulle ballerina fringe. isn't it a delight, though? enamel dots are more of my handmade ones. a doily, some buttons, and an edge of white gel pen dots complete the card.

tip - enamel dots are super trendy right now. it's easy to make your own at home using pony beads. melt them in a toaster oven on parchment paper at 450* for about 15+ min.  keep an eye on them as they melt. it is a bit of a stinky project. best to do it with the windows open. let cool for just a few minutes, then they are ready for your projects! easy to adhere with glue dots.

tomorrow is the big day for the Lots of Love for Lauryn card drive blog hop, so I do hope you will stop back by! lots of prizes, sponsors, but most importantly, lots of inspiration for cards to send the family. :)

Challenges:
Inky Impressions - dots & stripes
Aud Sentiments - sentiment for a friend
Paper Crafting Journey - for a special lady (young lady)
Cards Galore Encore - include your fave color (pink!)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Faeries Ch - shabby or vintage
Sketch 'n Dies - sketch (die from Spellbinders)
Baffies Kreativladen - for a woman (young woman)
Crafting For All Seasons - dies and punches (die: Spellbinder, punches: Martha Stewart & SU!)
Creative Moments - anything goes girly
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - add wings
Paper Pretties - punches (Martha Stewart & SU!)
Rhedd and Rose's - anything goes
Fan-tastic Tues - anything square goes
Top Tip Tues - cute
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Card Makin' Mamas - buttons, bits, and baubles (buttons & enamel dots)
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards - use stripes
Savvy Handmade Cards - make believe or mythical creature
Sister Act - any card goes
Catch the Bug - springtime
Bearly Mine - Spring
Sassy Studios - make it creative i.e. make your own embellies (made enamel dots from pony beads, flower from ribbon, and tag from decorative paper)
Crafty Calendar - things with wings

Painting Handyman 'To Do'...

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Cream

it's time for a new challenge over at Pile it On. we want to see cards for the guys! our sponsor this week is none other than the infamous Dr. Digi! I hope you will stop by the challenge blog to see all of the great inspiration by the rest of the team. :)

image is 'Dunderton Decorators Ltd', papers are from the Basic Grey Capture collection, burlap is from May Arts, brads are SU!, 'to do' stamp is K & Co SMASH. the painter's tape just seemed the perfect accent. I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches, but twisted the one panel just a bit for some fun. our handyman's glasses are coated in crystal effects.

Challenges:
Pile it On - for a man
Tuesday Morning Sketches - sketch with a 'b' twist (black, brown, blue, brads, buttons, burlap, binder's clip, bow)
Crafty Catz - boys and their toys
Crafty Hands - buttons and bows
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes
4 Krafty Girlz - anything goes
Nutcrafters - boys, boys, boys
Fan-tastic Tuesday - anything goes square
Ladybug Crafts - for the boys
TTCRD - anything goes
Digi Makeover - buttons
Love to Create - anything goes
Melonheadz - bright colors
Perfectly Rustics - hexagons
Flat Friends - for a male
Crafts Galore - use a stamp or digi (used both)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Just for Fun - anything goes
Catch the Bug - bingo: use the color green, text bg, 4 layers
Open Minded Crafting - buttons

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

Vintage/Shabby Faith Fairy

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Today begins a new challenge over at Pile it On. We want to see your vintage/shabby chic projects. Our sponsor is the oh, so fabulous A Day for Daisies!! well you know this challenge was an easy peasy one for me, plus using images from one of my most favorite stores and artists! I sure hope to see all of you play along with us! :)

I used this precious little 'Fairy Wish' for my card. highlights on the wings and antennae were made with my spica clear glitter gel pen. the entire image was painted with rock candy distress crackle paint. I so love the effect of this paint! especially perfect for any vintage project. papers are from the Basic Grey Lucille collection and sentiment is Create with TLC.  buttons & sheet music are vintage, rose is made from May Arts ribbon, seam binding was crinkled & tied into a bow, twigs added for a touch of nature, part of a doily, and a little tag from a shirt purchase complete the embellies. faux stitching finishes the card.


Challenges:
A Day for Daisies - add some nature
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Digi Haven - flowers
Delicious Doodles - stitch it
Totally Paper Crafts - flowers and bows
As You Like It - fave papers (Basic Grey: love their designs & feel to all of the collections. especially love this particular one. have almost used the entire paper pad!)
Crafty Ribbons - flowers galore
It's All About the Vintage - distress and tear
Divas by Design - distressing
Inky Impressions - anything goes
Word Art Wed. - anything goes
Bearly Mine - flowers galore
Ladybug Crafts - flowers and ribbon
LEJ Designs - add texture
Tuesday Throwdown - fantasy
Party Time Tuesday - color challenge (badge is on sidebar past about halfway down)
Artistic Inspirations - ribbon or twine
Bunny Zoe - wings
Card Mania - kraft paper
Eureka - anything goes
Simon Says Sketch and Show - kraft
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - anything with wings
Emma's Cards - buttons and bows
Fresh Brewed - mermaids, fairies, fantasy
Natalie and Amy - fantasy
Sparkles - steampunk or vintage
Basic Grey - doilies
Sentimental Sundays - for the girls

It Takes Someone Special to be a Daddy

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

A new challenge begins today over at Pile it On - for or from a father. Father's Day was always a special day for my dad and I. every few years my birthday and Father's Day would land on the same day, so my dad and I would really plan something fun together. for many years it was just the 2 of us as I was growing up, so we were very close.  he's been gone for over 20 years now, and I still miss him every day. some years I still make him a Father's Day card.

the image on my card comes from A Day for Daisies. it's called 'Dancing with Dad'. I remember dancing with my dad like this! I'm sure many of you do as well. :) the sentiment is a freebie from Paper Crafts magazine. I turned it into a tag, adding ric rac and a bread tag stamped with a sentiment from Wordsworth. it is a VERY old stamp, but one of my faves.  papers are Basic Grey Fact, buttons from my stash, burlap trim from May Arts, and linen thread from SU! I added little polka dots to the girl's dress with my white gel pen, while the buttons on his jacket were highlighted with my clear spica gel pen.

btw. A Day for Daisies is also having a new Club Kit blog hop if you want to see some gorgeous projects by their DT. if you leave a comment, you will also have a chance to win the entire kit for free! :)

Challenges:
A Day for Daisies - add food packaging (bread tag)
Simon Says Stamp - Father's Day/masculine
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - to be young again
Party Time Tuesdays - Father's Day (badge is further down my sidebar)
Aud Sentiments - anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey - masculine
Creative Belli - Father's Day  (buttons are from stash)
Love to Create - Father's Day or special guy
Paper Pretties - fantastic fathers
Perfect Sentiment - Father's Day or special man
WAW - anything goes with encouraging sentiment
Anything Goes - Father's Day
Clear it Out - male cards with metal (staples)
Creative Craft - for the fellas
Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes
Happy Campers - metal (staples)
Crafty Creations - one for the boys
Craft Your Passion - haberdashery items
Melonheadz - Father's Day or male inspired
Mema's Crafts - anything goes with twist: graduation, Father's Day, or summer/vaca
My Craft Spot - Dad
Paper Playtime - 2 or more ribbons (3 spooled items)
Crafts 4 Eternity - for the boys
Stampin with the Dragon - one for Dad
Wags 'n Whiskers - Father's Day
Crafter's Cafe - Fathers or for a male
Stamp 'n Doodle - Father's Day or for a male
Crazy 4 Challenges - Father's Day
Ladybug Crafts - for the men in your life

Stripes and Plaids at Pile it On

Coffee of the Day - Buttered Rum

It's unusual to see me 2 weeks in a row over at Pile it On, but I am filling in for a dear friend this week. her pup isn't feeling very well, so not only am I helping her out by taking her DT spot, but I also made a card that I can pop in the mail to her! :) our new challenge at Pile it On is stripes and/or plaids. we are sponsored by the oh, so fun 2 Cute Ink.

please don't look too closely at my card or you will see the snafus that are all over it! that's what I get for trying to craft when my temp is over 101*! and of course most of the problems I didn't spot until after I had scanned it. isn't that the way it usually happens? oh well. so we will chalk it all up to 'whimsy' and hope for better luck next time! :)

image is Patches the Weenie dog, papers are Basic Grey Cupcake, flower is Petaloo, chevron die is MFT, linen thread is SU!, and buttons are from my stash. sentiment is Create with TLC. I added a bit of faux stitching to the banner and chevron border.

Challenges:
Simply Create Too - bingo (N: red, bow, 3 layers, flowers, punch or die cut)
Sister Act - anything goes
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Card Crafter's Circle - stripe me silly
Craft Your Passion - natural materials (linen thread)
Pause Dream Enjoy - use foam tape (main image)
Songbird - all creatures great and small
The Crazy Challenge - use sentiments
Paper Creator's Crafts - anything goes
Hobby House - anything goes

Bird is THE word at Pile it On! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

okay, how many of you now have that song going through your heads? isn't it a HOOT? ha! yep, I'm an evil one bright and early on a Sunday morning!

if you are here for the Operation Write Home Memorial Day blog hop, then scroll down or click here.

Today's challenge over at Pile it On is to 'put a bird on it'! our lovely little robins flew the nest several days ago. right at the poor mailman I'm afraid to say! it was quite the comedy of errors, but then would you expect anything less at my house?! nope, didn't think so! they are still hanging around the house with their momma Robin, as I hear their beautiful songs. the babies sing at a much higher pitched frequency. it's so very sweet!

anyhow, on to my birdy card......
we are sponsored this week by Paper Nest, so I am using the fun graduation owl digital image to help me get a few graduation cards completed. I'll be posting several more grad cards in the next few days.

papers are Authentique Curiosity, 2013 digi was a freebie from Paper Crafts magazine, wood veneer is Freckled Fawn, embossing folder is Sizzix, and the remaining items are from my stash. 

Challenges:

Pile it On - put a bird on it

Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards - use a number
Sweet Pea - birds of a feather
Totally Paper Crafts - buttons
Moving Along with the Times - embossing
Sassy Studio - graduation
Crafting by Design - graduation
House That Stamps Built - fur, fins, or feathers
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - wedding, anniversary, or graduation
Craft Your Passion - party animals
Pause, Dream, Enjoy - happy....... (graduation)
Pink Elephant - graduation
Great Impressions - celebrations
613 Avenue Create - anything goes
Robyn's Festish - birds

Happy Mother's Day and Pile it On challenge.....

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel Hazelnut

Happy Mother's Day and/or Happy Sunday! :)

All of my guys are off at work, so it's a quiet crafty day for me and the dogs. We have new babies that were born a few days ago on our front porch, so I'll show photos to you in a few days. We're the proud foster family of little robins! it's just so wonderful to watch these birds, so peaceful.

well, onto my card for today. The new challenge at Pile it On is to create a card for a teenager. I have several that need to get done for upcoming graduations, but as soon as I saw this image from our sponsor, Simply Betty, I knew I HAD to have it. ;) it's called 'Mad Scientist Christian,' and he is one of my very favorites from Simply Betty. guess you aren't too surprised knowing how nerdy my family is! grins!

I used a selection of papers from the Basic Grey Fact collection, some washi tapes, a K & Co. painted paper clip, metal tag, SU! linen thread, and some buttons to create this card. the green splatters were accented with a green glitter pen. Lots of distressing here.....
I absolutely love the quotes I have found from Albert Einstein. it seems that he would have been quite a remarkable man to know. Most people don't know that he was also a man of faith. it just goes to show that science and a belief in God CAN go together.  :)

Challenges:
Our Creative Corner - anything goes
Paper Creator's Crafts - for the boys
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Simply Create Too - anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - button it up
Crafts 4 Eternity - tic tac toe (inking, scraps, 3 of something: buttons)
Southern Girls - you can say that again
Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes
Crafting By Design - remembering childhood (chemistry was one of my fave classes in school!)
Divas by Design - anything goes
House That Stamps Built - masculine
Penny's - die cuts and/or punches
Crafty Sentiments - use a sentiment
Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Digi Sketch - theme: for the boys
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Annabelle Stamps - anything goes
Corrosive - my sentiments exactly
Mayzy Art - for the boys

May Flowers Sympathy

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Happy Sunday to you! We have a new challenge going on over at Pile it On this week - 'April Showers Bring May Flowers.' We are sponsored by Gingerloft. I chose to use the image, 'Birdhouse Swirl' for my card.

About a week or so ago we received the sad news that one of David's childhood friends had a son pass away from a genetic disease he has had since he was a young boy. The young man lived until he was 19 years of age. Our hearts are just breaking for them. No matter whether you are anticipating a death or not, the hurt and loss are still devastating. They are in our constant prayers.  I wanted to make a card to let them know we are thinking about them.

Papers are Basic Grey Serenade, flowers are from my VERY old Prima stash, burlap wired ribbon is May Arts, buttons are vintage. the bird is cut from a Tim Holtz die, covered in glitter, and then SU! glass glitter. a vintage button serves as the eye.

Challenges:
Clear it Out - button up
Stamping with the Dragon - spring has sprung
Stampin' for the Weekend - die cuts and/or punches
Digi Haven - digi and button
My Time to Craft - kraft
Pumpkin Spice - nature
Shelly's Images - April Showers Bring May Flowers
Art Impressions - layer it up
Creative Belli - spring (flowers are all old Prima stash)
QKR Stampede - favorite things (vintage buttons, Basic Grey, kraft, Prima, birds)
Crafting by Design - anything goes
Creative Moments - spring
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Die Cuttin' Divas - flowers
Love to Scrap - cut it out
Stamp and Create - use at least 1 die cut
Dream Valley - things with wings

He Has Risen Like He Said!

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Marshmallow

Blessed Easter Morning, the tomb is empty! He has risen indeed, just like He said! What a glorious promise that has been fulfilled! :)  oh, the love that God has for us! may you feel it every day, every moment of your life!

My card for today is for all of YOU - my special friends who have lifted me up to such wonderful places when I didn't have the strength to lift myself. you have poured out your love and friendship and kindness upon me. thank you so very much! may you feel the heart that I put into this card for you!

The beautiful cross image is from Eureka Stamps. I actually saw it first on a friend's blog and knew I needed it for my own! papers are Basic Grey Plumeria. buttons are vintage and trim is Prima. flowers were made with a MFT mini roses die and the BG papers. leaf die is SU! and covered with distress stickles. same distress stickles edge main image. little cluster of berries is some I happened to find in my travels. the colors match the paper perfectly! sentiment is Create with TLC.

Challenges:
Pile it On - handmade flowers
Inky Impressions - Easter or Spring
Raise the Bar - sketch
House that Stamps Built - spring flowers
Brown Sugar - flowers
Digi Haven - spring
Pattie's Creations - Easter
Stampin' with the Dragon - Easter
Sweet 'n Sassy - think spring
4 Crafty Chicks - Easter
DRS Designs - paper flowers
Little Miss Muffet - Happy Easter
Play Date Cafe - color photo inspiration
WAW - anything goes with inspirational verse
Crafting by Design - vintage Easter or Spring
Crafty Creations - Easter
Creative Belli - Easter (papers & dies are my oldies. vintage buttons & lace are really old! grins!)
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - Easter
Sisterhood of Crafters - Easter/Spring
Stamp 'n Doodle - Easter or Spring
Crafty Sentiments - Easter
Cuttin and Stampin - Easter
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Easter
Loves Rubberstamps - Easter
Oldie but Goodie - Easter (papers & dies are my oldies)
Our Daily Bread - He is Risen! :)
Party Time Tuesday - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Craftin Desert Divas - Easter
Daisy Doodles - Easter
Melonheadz - Easter or Spring
Victorine - anything Easter
Basic Grey - Easter
One Stop Craft - Easter
Allsorts - vintage
LEJ Designs - vintage or retro
Simon Says - anything goes
Ruby's Rainbow - Easter
Squirrel and Fox - Easter or Passover

I'm Just a bit Square....

Coffee of the Day - Irish Cream, of course!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We are celebrating in big style here today, starting off the day with Irish Cheddar, Bacon, & Chive Scones. had to make sure it was a good sharp Irish cheddar, too. yum, yum! we'll all probably speak with an Irish accent for the day, just because we are silly that way..... how are you celebrating? green bread or beer? corned beef?

My card today has green on it, but it was made for the new challenge over at Pile it On - circles and/or squares. now I was really the square one here because I normally DO make most of my cards square. but this one I was so excited would actually fit on a standard A2 size card that it didn't dawn on me until it was finished that it should have been completely square! doh! what a goober! so for the BEST inspiration for the challenge, head over to the Pile it On challenge blog to see what everyone else has made! tee hee!

I used this pretty hummingbird block image from Bugaboo, papers from the My Mind's Eye Howdy Doody collection, vintage lace trim & buttons, & Spellbinders and SU! dies. the flower is 2 parts - the center coral/peach flower is from Wild Orchid while the outer flower is actually a silk flower I happened upon. they were perfect together for the colors in this card! I used my SU! ink squirty tool on the main square image as well as my spica clear glitter pen to accent the trails left by the hummingbird. the vintage buttons are my circles! yep, I'm so lame! ha!

Challenges:
Paper Take Weekly - 3, 2, 1 (3 buttons, 2 flowers, 1 banner tag)
Stamp and Create - fur or feathers
Avadares - Easter or Spring
QKR - dreaming of spring
Bugaboo Bingo - lace, flower, bling (spica glitter pen) or die cut, flower, green
Sweet Pea Stampers - spring colors
Artistic Inspirations - flowers
Crafts 4 Eternity - color inspiration
Aud Sentiments - for a girl
Forever Friends - lots of flowers
MAWTT - spring is in the air
Flutter By Wed. - any winged creature
Rhedd & Rosie's - one for the birds
Word Art Wed. - anything goes with encouraging sentiment
Celebrate the Occasion - spring is in the air
Crafty Sentiments - hello spring
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - fave embellie - vintage buttons & trims! :)
LEJ Designs - things with wings
Oldie but a Goodie - feeling floral (leaf die is from my old stash, as is the groovy guava ink used for coloring)
TTCRD - anything goes
Use it Tuesday - die cuts, punches, and cut outs (leaf die is old as is the groovy guava ink used in coloring)
Nana Vic - anything goes
Crafty Bloggers - spring or pastels
Eureka - spring has sprung

Clips and Pins at Pile it On

The new challenge this week at Pile it On is clips and/or pins. We are sponsored by Pin & Tack Handcrafted Delights, who are also offering a very cool discount to everyone who plays along in our challenge! Stop by the PIO challenge blog for the discount code. :) plus you are also going to want to see all of the very cool projects created by the DT this week!

My card uses a cute image from A Day for Daisies, papers from Basic Grey Olivia, dies from Spellbinders, Tim Holtz, and My Favorite Things. you know how addicted to washi tapes I've become! buttons and lace trim are vintage. stickles are on each little bubble as well as the edges of the main image and each banner. the paper strip the banners are clipped to was popped up for more dimension. oh yes, the little baby roses also have stickles on them. I used that great stitching stamp set again from Gina K. (thank you once again, Joan!!!) I added a few little polka dots to her hat with my white gel pen.

Challenges:
There She Goes - flowers
Anything Goes - shabby chic/vintage
ADFD - pink polka dots
Raise the Bar - anything goes
Inky Impressions - ribbon or twine
Cute Card Thursday - an eye for detail (each individual bubble was dotted with stickles)
Simply Create Too - Mothers Day or for a female
Sparkle and Glitter - the things I love (washi tape, flower, vintage buttons, PINK!!!, Basic Grey, and Princesses)
A Gem of a Challenge - dies and punches
Bugaboo Bingo - heart (on her hat), players choice (buttons), sewing (faux with stamp) or red, twine, and sewing
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Sweet Pea - use a digi
Craft Us Crazy - show us your favorites (washi tape, flower, vintage buttons, A Day for Daisies, PINK!!!, Basic Grey, and Princesses)
Party Time Tuesdays - 3 (3 banners, 3 roses, 3 clips, 3 vintage buttons, 3 washi tapes)
Basic Grey - favorites (washi tape, flower, vintage buttons, A Day for Daisies, PINK!!!, Basic Grey, and Princesses)

Cascading Hearts card

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

I was intrigued the other day when I saw a link in the Split Coast Stampers newsletter about a triple heart cascading card. I followed it to the discussion thread and found this blog post by Sheri of Paper Creations. Her card is absolutely gorgeous! I knew right then and there that I not only wanted to try it out for the Pile it On challenge of 'fancy folds', but I thought it might just suit for a Valentine's Day card for Ryan's girlfriend. The proper name for the card is the Triple Heart Easel Card. The tutorial is easy to follow and looks so cool irl! :)  I played my cards right (tee hee!) and was also able to make this work for this week's new Paper Makeup Stamps challenge of red, white, and black! wooo hoooooo!

The images are from Paper Makeup Stamps Dandy Wishes set, Moody for Love, and Sending You Love. This card is the perfect example of why I so love digi stamps. I was able to re-size everything exactly as I needed for each heart layer. I erased the stems from several of the flowers in Dandy Wishes so that they could be placed around the larger floral scenes.

Spellbinders Heart Scalloped dies were used to cut each shape, fired brick distress stickles & rouge liquid pearls were used over some of the flowers, and my white gel pen was used to accent the outer heart scallops. a button tied with a bakers twine bow holds the smallest heart. please pardon the poor quality of the 2nd picture. I took it in my craft room with my phone. it's really hard for me to take nice photos with my shaky hands......

on a side note, I'm back on heavy duty antibiotics again, this time with the oh so lovely steroids that I truly despise to see if my radiation poisoning will ever ever ever truly go away....... sigh. I am so weary of this road I'm traveling. think I'm ready for the big rest station that has the full service Starbucks waiting for me inside! ;)

Challenges:
Pile it On - fancy folds
Heck of a Challenge - love and flowers
Stamping Shack - love is in the air
Stamping Chef - love
MAWT - punch it out (senti is actually punched, others are die cut)
Brown Sugar - go red/hearts
Simply Create Too - Valentine's Day or hearts
One Crazy Stamper - love
Crafts and Me - fave embellie (buttons, trim, and Primas!)
Just Add Ink - shaped card
Go Fish - I love you
Frosted Designs - 'love' plus a heart
Digi Haven - love or Valentine
Ladybug Crafts - love and/or Valentine's Day
Di's Digi - love and/or Valentine's Day
Delightful Challenges - red and white
By the Cute and Girly - roses are red
Lia Stampz - Valentine
Happy Campers - digital and flowers
Little Miss Muffet - hearts and flowers
All That Stickles - anything goes
3 Girl JAM - 3D Valentine with ribbon (maybe my twine will count?)
Great Impressions - have a heart
613 Avenue Create - anything goes with 'love' option

Hearts!

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Spiced Hazelnut

Happy Sunday to you! I'm finally getting to play along in the challenge today at Pile it On! hooray! this week we are asking you to Pile it On with hearts! our sponsor is the ever fabulous Dilly Beans! no one can draw a zombie like Megan, I tell you..... I was so thrilled to be part of that DT for that time in my life. maybe one day when I'm doing better I can re-apply to a few..... I sure do miss a lot of those wonderful people!

anyhow, here is my card for the hearts challenge. hold on to your hats, because this style is soooooooo different from anything I've done before. yep, it's ALMOST CAS! ;)  did you just spill your coffee? I was kinda surprised myself..... don't know that I'll do it very often, but I do like how it turned out.

I actually used more than just my standard watercoloring, too. flowers were colored with SU! markers and hedgie accents were added with my new white colored pencil. that's one snazzy tool to have and I am loving it! :) a little bit of washi tape, some baker's twine, and a button are the only embellies. faux stitching was done with my white gel pen.

I don't know how well you can tell from the scan, but the hedgie portion is actually on the INSIDE of the card. I made a window on the outside to peekie through (thanks, Moxie Fab challenges for the idea!)....... images were printed right onto the kraft cs. I was trying to do some precise measuring to figure out where to put my Spellbinders die when it dawned on me - put the die directly over the image, only with the cutting portion UP. when I folded the card and then ran it through my Big Shot, this cut the shape exactly where I wanted it on the top. easy peasy!!! boy did I feel silly that it took me 5 minutes to figure that one out.......


Challenges:
Pile it On - hearts
The Pink Elephant - pink, red, white
Simon Says Stamp - washi tape
Craft Us Crazy - celebrate love or use red
Card Makin' Mamas - CAS
Simply Create Too - anything goes
Sweet & Sassy - anything goes with a digi
Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes
Simply Create - anything goes digital
Stamp 'n Doodle - anything goes
Whimsical Designs - anything goes
Anything Goes - buttons and bows
Craft Room - Valentine
Inky Chicks - anything goes
Mayzy Art - romance
Mark's Finest Papers - twine
Little Scrap Pieces - flower (I hope my heart flowers count!)
Crafts and Me - new (my coolio white colored pencil!)
Bunny Zoe's - anything goes
Moxie Fab - make a card with a widnow

Patterned Paper at Pile it On - Find a Cure

Coffee of the Day - Peppermint Mocha

The challenge this week at Pile it On is to use patterned paper on your project - wow, that is a lot of P's!
that isn't ever a problem for me, but you need to go over to the PIO challenge blog to see how some of the DT really piled those patterned papers on! anyone else feeling the need for a pickled pepper from Peter Piper?! ;)


For my card I used this very special image from Milk Coffee. It was a freebie over on the blog, and I was so touched when it was introduced there. The senti comes from Create with TLC. you can be sure that I use this one a lot as well! papers are from Basic Grey Serendipity and a special breast cancer collection by Karen Foster. I made sure to position the main image so that a portion of the poem could still be read. the last line reads, "I am a survivor." This seemed the perfect way to encourage someone else going through this horrible disease.

both the senti portion and the pink ribbon were sprayed with Pink Cadillac Glimmer Mist for a little shine. buttons are vintage. I think what I love most about this image is that it lets everyone know that you can be both feminine and strong while still being a fighter of cancer. some days I sure don't feel very feminine or very strong, so this gives me a bit of hope!

Tomorrow begins my week of doctor's appts., tests, and hospital visits every day. I hope to have one or 2 posts pre-scheduled, but otherwise you won't see much of me. on the other hand, the medical staff of our area will be seeing WAY toooooo much of me! grins! have a good week!

Challenges:
Stamp with Fun - button
Digi Haven - anything goes with a free digi
Crafts and Me - add a flower
Crafty Pad - breast cancer awareness/think pink
Little Miss Muffet - add writing, text, or script
Shelly's Images - anything goes
Inky Impressions - anything goes
My Mum's Craft Shop - anything goes
Paper Craft Star - girly
Word Art Wed - love and encouraging verse (one of the biggest examples of love I have seen has come from all of YOU in bloggyland while I have been fighting my cancer! thank you!)
Dawn's Crafting - breast cancer awareness and/or pink (my prayers go out to your mom!)
Cupcake Craftroom - pretty pastels
Ladybug Crafts - anything goes
Natalie and Amy's - anything goes
Mema's Crafts - theme (I chose 'Family Affair: Get Well' it suits for me)
Poodle Parlour - here come the girls