Chalkboard Boy on Sled

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie (found a little bit left. wooo hoooo!)

To help get you ready for tomorrow's HUGE post, I am sneaking in my last card made for Hope You Can Cling To. I actually made several others that never showed up here on the blog. will possibly add them some day. but goofball me thought the deadline for adding cards to the HYCCT galleries was tomorrow instead of yesterday. somedays I don't have any idea how in the world I survive moment to moment without my head falling right off of my shoulders.... so I quickly put this one together. well, not THAT quick. it still takes me a while.

anyway - this was for the last challenge, 'Pick a Team' in honor of "Breaking Bad". I have never seen this show, but it is on my list of things to watch. the idea for the challenge was to create a black & white card, but then add one other color depending upon which 'team' you chose. Since I knew I was making a Christmas card, I went with green, since red is not really one of my fave colors, although I craft with it all the time.

All stamps are from Flonz. they have the greatest vintage stamps. they take well to Versamark, too, even though they are clear. these stamps come from 3 different sets. I thought the chalkboard technique was a great one to use for a black & white challenge. other touches were added with white craft ink and my white gel pen. btw - Tim Holtz made a fab tag using real chalk on his. will have to try that sometime.

Papers are Basic Grey 25th and Pine, button is vintage, big die is Spellbinders while holly leaves are a Basic Grey die. little red holly dots are stickles that I added after uploading to SCS 'cause I felt it really needed a pop of red. a little doily piece, baker's twine, beaded poinsettia, washi tape, tickets, and rhinestones complete the card.

Hope you have a great weekend! See you tomorrow! :)

Challenges:
Flonz - traditional Christmas
Alphabet Challenge - T is for twine
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - monochromatic (hopefully the neutrals are ok)
Craftitude - anything goes with twine or string
Crafts 2 Challenge You - monochromatic vintage Christmas
Jingle Belles - holiday traditions (my father & I used to go sledding every winter when I was a little girl. we took our sons and they kept going even as they became teenagers. it is great fun no matter what age!)
Art Impressions - Holly Jolly Christmas
CRAFT - Christmas
Paper Shelter - winter fun
TTCRD - anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday - seasons (winter) waving hi to all of my former teamies!!!! :)
Crafty Bloggers - Christmas
Created with Love - Christmas reds and greens
Incy Wincy - ribbon, twine, or fibers
Sparkle and Sprinkle - anything goes with embossing powder, glitter, and/or flocking
Crazy Challenge - 'B' is for: boy, bow, button, bling, berries, black
Crafty Calendar - all things Christmas
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Winter Wonderland
Card and Scrap - Christmas card
Papertake Weekly - anything goes Christmas

Have Hope Mixed Media Owl

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Pecan

Today's Hope You Can Cling to Challenge is 'Mix It Up - Mixed Media.' While I have done this with other projects, I haven't really done it on a card so to speak. I knew I wanted to use this cute little owl from Tracey at The Stamping Boutique, but incorporating a digi on a mixed media card presents its own set of problems, especially when my printer at the time was on the fritz. rollers were messed up and nothing wider than about 5" would go through..... I was having to cut all of my cs before feeding it through.

as I mentioned before, life is pretty interesting at our house on a daily basis. ;)

the card base is sprayed with several shades of blue glimmer mists with The Crafter's Workshop mini fish scale stencil. 'have hope' is from the stamp set of the same name by My Favorite Things. the branches were cut from a Starbucks coffee cozy with a TH die. leaves were cut from Basic Grey Persimmon paper with a TH die. little baby flowers are Prima. I think the button is SU!. paint along the edges is white mixed with a few drops of baked brown sugar re-inker. I didn't have a tan acrylic paint, so I just made my own.

I also want to tell all of you thank you for your support as we have gone through the ups and downs of first thinking I was cancer free and then discovering I might not be. it means a lot to have all of you here with us. thank you!

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Challenges:
Sister Act - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Delightful Challenges - winged things
Craft Room - feathered friends
Cheerful Stamp Pad - stencil
Crafty Bloggers - anything goes
Ooh La La - things with wings
Path of Positivity - hope
Allsorts - treemendous

Coffee Together with My Best Friend

Coffee of the Day - Oatmeal Cookie Crumble

well as I am typing this post, I am sipping coffee from my ever faithful french press. thank goodness it always works so long as I can get hot water to it! :)  by 8:30 this morning I had moved all of the branches that had fallen yesterday up to right by the house. not sure if Dave wants to take them out to Camp for bonfires there or what, so left them by the driveway. my pretty pink Camp Burton hoodie is no longer pretty and pink. oh well. it had to happen one day, and better from good ol' dirt than me spilling food all down the front, which I seem to do with every bite I take.

more than anything, I am just so thankful that there wasn't any damage to our house. God kept us safe, once again. His angels ROCK! :)  I can just picture them all over and around the house like a big fierce, glowing bubble. oh yeah!

now on to crafty stuff -
today's Hope You Can Cling To challenge is 'A Listening Ear.' I was so excited to find this adorable image from A Random Fan that just so totally sums up my besties in all the world - my pups! grins! they have so faithfully listened to my cries, screams, yells, songs, whispers, and whatever noise I happen to make at any given moment. they have made this cancer journey so much easier to travel.

papers are Basic Grey Sweet Threads, fabulous flower is Prima, dies for image are MFT Mat Stax, dies for leaves are Spellbinders, 'together' sentiment is from Melody Ross Soul Food. pink shimmerz accents the hearts.

Challenges:
CRAFT - recipe: 1 or more die cut, 2 or more designer papers, 3 or more embellies
Basic Grey - food and drink
Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes
Inkspirational - anything goes
Paper Pretties - eat, drink, and be merry
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Deep Ocean - button it up
Craft Your Passion - pink
613 Avenue Create - create your own: image, sentiment, patterned paper, die cut, stickles, button, flower, ribbon
That Craft Place - think pink
Squirrel and the Fox - pink for breast cancer awareness

Room In Your Heart for the Unimaginable

Coffee of the Day - Chipotle

Today's Hope You Can Cling To challenge at Split Coast Stampers is a really fun one - Impossible Things Happen: a fairy tale theme. everyone loves a fairy tale! what is your favorite? I am a Sleeping Beauty fan from the word go..... I think that is probably my absolute favorite movie in the whole wide world!

I have many images I could have chosen from for this challenge, but the one that spoke loudest to me of hope was 'Dreams Do Come True' by A Day for Daisies. The great sentiment is once again from Ginger's House. paper is She Art by Pink Paislee, stitching is from an Inky Antics stamp set, pink shimmerz was added to both the sentiment tag and Cinderella's shoe, button is vintage as is the sheet music used to cut stars. a pretty flower, a heart doily, pink seam tape, and pink rhinestones complete the card.

Temps are definitely dropping here. it's frosty and rainy. our heater has been out of commission since last week, so we are hoping the part to fix it comes in SOON! it's a bit nippy in the house these days! ;)

don't forget to sign up for the Pinktober blog candy! :)

Challenges:
Creative Craft - anything goes
Ladybug Crafts - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - bingo: die cut, doily, flowers
Perfectly Rustics - patterned paper
Bunny Zoe - ribbon
Craft Your Passion - pink
Crafty Cardmakers - shabby chic
Melonheadz - fairy tale
Paper Playtime - ribbon and buttons
My Craft Spot - color inspiration
Great Impressions - buttons and bows
That Craft Place - pink
Allsorts - ribbons and bows
A Creative Romance - pink
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon

Salt Air in my Hair

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (almost out - eek!)

After our busy week with the guys here, I am finally getting back on track with crafting again. not to mention having the cancer burden lifted just flat out feels FANTASTIC!!!!!  I know I  still have a long way to go on the road to healing, but just to know that the cancer is gone makes such a difference. the radiation from Friday is already causing lots of problems, so that is a downer. it's a nasty bugger, that is for sure. did you know there is a limit to how much radiation you are allowed to have your body exposed to over a lifetime? I sure didn't until we started down this road.... I'm pretty close to mine.

on to the fun of crafting though. and this card will most certainly brighten a day! it is full of happy colors! The new Hope You Can Cling To challenge at Split Coast Stampers for today is 'Sending Flowers.' so I piled them on! :) you'll see flowers in my paper, the die, the image, and the gorgeous Prima.

the wonderful image is 'Aloha Blooms' by A Day for Daisies, papers are Basic Grey Lauderdale,  sentiment is from a new freebie site I found called Ginger's House, fabulous floral die is called 'Daisy Doily' by Whimsy, and that stunning flower is a Prima. the flowers in her hair were highlighted with pink stickles. the lace trim is vintage. I painted in the little birds below the sentiment.

don't forget about the Pinktober blog candy! there are going to be a LOT of winners, so be sure to enter! :)

Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Creative Fingers - girls just want to have fun
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
Paper Pretties - lots of embellishments
Cards Galore - flowers
Catch the Bug - bingo: black, button, sentiment

HYCCT - Put Your Brave Boots On!

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie (it's almost gone, boo hoo hoo!)

Happy happy Friday! this post is going to be loaded with LOTS of cards, so I won't go into much detail about products. if you would like more info, please either email me or head over to my gallery at Split Coast Stampers. each card will have a list of items used. :)

We also have a new challenge over at Jellypark today, so please stop by to see what everyone has created. We are celebrating Pinktober and breast cancer awareness, so get your pink on! :)

I am thrilled beyond measure to be today's 'Hope You Can Cling To' hostess at Split Coast Stampers! My challenge theme is one very near and dear to my heart. I am calling it 'Put Your Brave Boots On' after a stamp set made by Unity. the saying in this set has become my mantra during my cancer battle. it seems that every time I have another test, scan, or 'whatever' I have to face, I tell myself to put on my brave boots. in fact, as you are reading this, I am at the hospital going through more of those tests and scans. and oh my goodness, am I ever so weary of this battle sometimes. but I wear these brave boots not just for myself, but also for my husband and sons. I want them to know that we do not EVER give up in this family. things may get tough, but we can still find joy every single day.

So for my challenge I am asking everyone to make a card with images of boots and shoes. you can see some great samples created by other HYCCT hostesses in the gallery by entering 'HYCCT1318' in the search engine at SCS. also use this tag if you yourself create a card and upload it. thank you! :)

here are my projects:

my first card uses a fun image from Jellypark called 'pattern wellies.' I believe it was a freebie at one time or another. papers are Basic Grey True Love; sentiment was typed on computer. dew drops, rhinestone flourish, glimmer mist, and glitter gel pen are just a few of the embellishments used.

this card uses the 'Brave Boots' itty bitty set from Unity and Basic Grey Green at Heart papers. glimmer mist, enamel dots, tulle trim, and some wood veneer help add to the feminine touch. boots were stamped onto patterned paper.

this last card is done with the same Unity Brave Boots, but with a masculine feel. the barbed wire and star charm dies come from MFT, papers are My Mind's Eye Stella & Rose Mabel. lots of shading with inks give a rustic touch. this fabulous sentiment is also Unity. one of my fave sayings of late.

thanks for your patience! have a most wonderful weekend! :)

Peaceful Lake Scene

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Hello! First I want to share some cool news with you. Today in the UK a most amazing magazine goes on sale. Digital Crafting Essentials vol. 1, looks to be a fabulous magazine, packed with images and samples from some of our most fave artists! not only will you see my fellow Jellypark peeps inside, but also Saturated Canary, Heather Ellis (the artist behind Pure Innocence at MFT), Crafters Companion, and many others. I can't even begin to express what an honor it is to be included in this magazine!!! when you buy a copy, you receive 2 DVDs loaded with images. so cool! I'll show you my card in a later post.....

Next up is a card I made for the 'Peace and Quiet' Hope You Can Cling To challenge at SCS. the idea was to create a card using just images, no words or sentiments, to reflect a peaceful scene. I remembered that I had this wonderful image from Phindy's Place, so was glad to use it. papers are Basic Grey Serenade and border die is MFT. burlap ribbon is May Arts and button & seam binding are from my stash. pretty simple, but that is pretty much the idea.

------> TOMORROW is the day I am hostess at Hope You Can Cling To!!!!! I hope you will stop by both here and over at SCS!!!! I would love to have you play along! :)

don't forget the Pinktober blog candy! I hope to get to everyone's blogs and projects this weekend. sorry I haven't made it yet. y'all are fabulous for making projects though. thank you! :)

Challenges:
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Crafting with Dragonflies - nature/trees/leaves
Penny's Paper Crafty - anything goes
Designed to Color - tie it up
4 Krafty Girlz - anything goes
Flourishes - burlap or canvas
Kaboodle Doodles - earth tones/colors
Perfectly Rustics - watercoloring (I color almost all of my images this way)
Inkspirational - anything goes

Ribbon Boy in a Pocket

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Maple Nut

Well I was able to get a bit crafty yesterday, so I do have a card to share with you. don't forget to sign up for  my Pinktober blog candy while you are here. I would hate for you to miss out on some cool goodies! I've also passed 1000 posts this week, so have added another winner to the bunch! :) remember, you do not have to be a follower or post anything on your blog to enter. just promise to make a card to pass along to someone that lets them know you are thinking of them. easy peasy!

The new challenge over at Hope You Can Cling To for today is 'Pocket Full of Hope.' I added a pocket to my card using the Pretty Pocket die from MFT. the cutey image on the tag comes from Whimsy and Stars - 'Ribbon Boy.' I paper pieced the ribbon with Basic Grey Lilykate paper, while the rest of the card was made with Basic Grey Carte Postale papers. faux stitching is done with Inky Antics Sew Many Stitches stamp. card base bg was made with the inside of a padded mailing envelope. buttons, brads, a paper flower, and May Arts ribbons finish the card.

Challenges:
Crafting Cafe - anything goes
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - cut it out
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Crafter's Cafe - cute
Paper Playtime - ribbon and buttons
613 Avenue Create - pile it on
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Quirky Crafts - fave things: Basic Grey, pink, and buttons
Craftitude - anything goes with things that start with 's' (stitching, support ribbon)
4 Krafty Girlz - anything goes
Paper Pretties - embellish

You Will Shine, Fishy!

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Hello to you! I haven't posted quite like I  had planned this month. seems my health has other ideas, so have spent way more time in bed than I would like. at least I am reading some fabulous books while there, so a silver lining does exist, folks! :)

I would like to share a card today that was made with several challenges in mind. You know how committed I have been to the Hope You Can Cling To challenges at SCS. well, several of them fall into the CAS category, which is a real hair puller for me, as you well know..... thankfully Sandy at Scribbles Designs helped me tremendously by having a 'shades of orange' challenge that begins today. I was able to mix Sandy's cutey fish with Lori's CAS - Courage and Strength in orange and red challenge.

I used great papers from the Basic Grey Hipster collection,  Lawn Fawn photo die, Unity stamp for the sentiment, SU! linen thread, button, and cool orange rhinestone flourish to mimic seaweed.  the fish's scales were painted with apricot shimmerz.

I'll try to get a bit more crafting done this week. depends upon how I'm feeling and my Willy Wonka head does.... truly feels as if it's been dancing too much with the Oompa Loompas after all of these lovely pain meds I'm taking. spent yesterday at the dr. and go to the hospital Friday for some tests and scans.

but it IS autumn and the leaves are gorgeous and the weather is nice and cool and my squirrel and bird friends stop by to see me and life is beautiful! :)

Challenges:
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle - add some orange
WAW - anything goes with encouraging senti or verse
Great Impressions - a button and a bow
2 Sisters - anything goes
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Card Crafters Circle - use 3 embellishments
Crafts 4 Eternity  - CAS
Creative Fingers - anything goes with shades of one color
Sister Act - anything goes cards

Go Confidently Dream Catcher

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake

Today's new challenge over at Hope You Can Cling To is 'Words to Inspire You.' I knew that I wanted to make a masculine card, so I pulled out this fantastic stamp set from Unity that I bought a few weeks ago. The stamp is called 'Capture Confident Dreams' and is just so very amazing. While you are over at the Unity store, you have just GOT to see the new Fashionistas that Tracey Malnofski has drawn! I want them both!!! and was I ever doing the happy dance when I saw them!!!! rarely do you see cancer support images that actually show REAL looking chemo women. these are fabulous! :)

papers are Basic Grey Persimmon, burlap ribbon is May Arts, main image was fussy cut and then popped up on foam tape. some buttons, feathers, and a pretty paper sunflower were added. I wanted to try to keep a natural feel to the card.

Be sure you have entered the Pinktober blog candy on this post. :)

Challenges:
Delightful Challenges - distressed
Dreamweaver - magical and mystical
Crafter's Cafe - fave craft item (buttons & Basic Grey!)
Divas by Design - 3 or more layers
Rhedd and Rosie - autumn colors
Simon Says Stamp - use a rubber or clear stamp
Sisterhood of Crafters - anything goes
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - cut it out
Just Inspirational - feathers
Papertake Weekly - two by two (2 feathers and 2 navy patterned paper panels)
TTCRD - anything goes
C is for Challenge - boys and men
Eureka - anything goes
Get Inky - fall colors
A Gem of a Challenge - for the boys
Allsorts - autumn colors
Challenges and Candies - colors of autumn
Craftitude - anything goes/ things that start with 's' (sunflower)
QKR Stampede - fall colors

Hi Typewriter

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Pecan

Sorry I missed a day of posting.....I spent part of Sunday and all of Monday in bed. went to bed early last night as well, so haven't been quite up to my crafty self. have a LOT of emails and blogging to catch up on, so please be patient with me.

The new challenge over at Hope You Can Cling To is called Strength of Steel. the idea is to use metal elements on your card. I tried to emboss a piece of aluminum foil and add ink accents, but it ended up looking so horrid. went another route entirely! there are some pretty cool samples in the gallery though of soda can flowers and the foil embossing if you would like to see.

I used the typewriter image from Jellypark, papers from the Basic Grey Hello Luscious collection, metal flair from Webster's Pages, flower from WOC, stick pin from Maya Road, and enamel dots from Teresa Collins. a piece of zipper trim attached with staples adds more metal to the card. hi ho silver shimmerz and a clear spica glitter gel pen accent all of the silver metal portions of the typewriter.

enter the Pinktober blog candy here! I'll try to stop by your blogs in the next few days as I get caught up and start feeling better...... thank you for making cards to pass along a 'hello' to others! :)

Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Twisted Tuesdays - layers and metal
Craft Your Passion - heavy metal
Eureka - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - anything goes
Robyn's Fetish - use a digi

Save the Rack

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Today's card is by no means intended to offend anyone. I come from a family of hunters and live with a family of hunters. We all have great respect for animals as well as for women. but at the same time, we have a fun sense of humor. we can't get through life without it, especially when difficult times come along. I hope you can see that when you look at my card. believe you me, if I myself am not offended by this and I'm going through breast cancer, then I think it's probably okay.... ;)

As I was browsing through Etsy last month, I noticed that the latest catch phrase for breast cancer awareness is 'Save the Rack' with deer antlers as the symbol. Unity Stamps recently came out with a new line of hunting stamps. Yesterday LuvLee challenged all of us to use pink camo on her Hope You Can Cling To challenge. so I have taken all of the above and created this card.

I colored the deer stamp with my SU! markers. the deer was then covered in walnut distress stickles. the card base & senti tag were sprayed with 2 shades of pink glimmer mist. The senti tag was made with a combo of the sentiment from the 'Nice Rack' stamp and 'Big or Small' sentiment stamp. The fabulous camo rose trim comes from Shabby Rose Trim over at Etsy. I bought a gorgeous autumn paisley one at the same time that I'm excited to use on a later project. buttons, pink camo ribbon, and SU! linen thread finish the card. oh yes, that cool shield die is from Spellbinders.

Don't forget to enter the Pinktober Blog Candy! :)

Challenges:
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Cut it Up - think pink with die cuts
Digi Haven - use 2 colors (pink and brown)
Pattie's Creations - ribbon
Totally PaperCrafts - bring humor
Wags 'n Whiskers - pink/breast cancer awareness
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon
LUFP - breast cancer awareness linky party
Cardz TV - breast cancer awareness

Love to Create - candy inspired (tootsie rolls & raisinettes, some of my  most fave candies EVER! also, breast cancer support M & M's)
DL Art - breast cancer awareness linky party
Shopping Our Stash - pink/breast cancer support (stash: buttons, tag punch)

Hope on a Clothesline

This is my 2nd post today and it is for Hope You Can Cling To. the newest challenge is called 'Punch it Out.' we are encouraged to use punches and die cuts on our project. well I picked up this FABULOUS MFT Support Hope die after a wonderful friend gave me a gift certificate. isn't it amazing??!!? I knew this image from A Day for Daisies would be so pretty with it....

papers are Basic Grey Serendipity, other dies are MFT chevron stripes and mini rolled rose as well as Spellbinders, punch is Jenni Bowlin, linen thread is SU!, and Hope senti is from MFT 'Have Hope' stamp set. rock candy distress stickles covers the felt rose and shimmerz paint is on the flowers of the main image as well as both bra bows.

Challenges:
LUFP - breast cancer awareness linky party
DL Art - breast cancer awareness linky party
MAWTT - anything goes
Simon Says - dotty
Crafty Sentiments - fave technique (die cuts, distressing, sponging) or colors (pinks with greens and shabby!)
Inky Chicks - 2 die cuts (I actually have 4)
Shopping Our Stash - pink/cancer awareness (clothespins and buttons are old stash)
Live and Love Crafts - pink
ADFD - flowers
Chocolate, Cards, and Coffee - flowers

Believe Impossible Things

Post #2 today....
I will get the blog candy link going, too, I promise. got tied up with my doctor's appt. yesterday. have to start seeing a new oncologist. our insurance co-pay on specialist visits has gone up to $60 ..... can we all say 'YUCK' together! every dr. I see is a specialist! oy! they don't make it easy to be sick.... think of the fun craft supplies I would MUCH rather spend my money on.... oh well.

on to more pleasant things, like another card for the HYCCT challenges! This is a card I made for Beate's first day challenge of Flat is Fabulous. now all of you know me and a one layer card is so very NOT me! this was quite the challenging card for me to make! but Sandy of Scribbles Designs made it so much easier for me.... I told you yesterday that she has quite a few free images in her store. this wonderful cancer support ribbon is one of them! yep! hurry over to the store so you can grab it! :)

I sprayed my card base with 2 shades of pink glimmer mist (yes, I have several shades of pink glimmer mist. I'd have more if I could afford them.... you know I love both pink AND glimmer mist!!!) as well as calico white Mr. Huey's mist. once it was dry, I added the paper pieced ribbon (Basic Grey Urban Prairie) and a phenom sentiment from the Unity set, ' You Will Shine.' a few little doodles in the corners with a black sharpie and the card was finished. the longest part was waiting on all of the mists to dry. I actually like how it turned out, even if it doesn't have any ribbons, trims, or buttons on it. tee hee!

Take care, see you tomorrow, and know that you are truly loved! :)

Challenges:
WAW - anything goes with encouraging senti
Flourishes - paper piecing
Loves Rubberstamps - anything goes
Shopping Our Stash - pink/cancer awareness/support (dsp is old)
Red Carpet Studio - pretty in pink
LUFP - breast cancer awareness linky party
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes/one layer
Lexi's Creations - pink
Sister Act - anything goes
DL Art - breast cancer awareness linky party
4 Krafty Girlz - anything goes

Watching the Sunset with my Best Friend

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut

Today I'll have 2 posts of projects for the Hope You Can Cling To challenges going on over at Split Coast Stampers. I hope you will be able to join along at some point this month. It is not only a great deal of fun, but you get to make cards that support such a phenomenal cause.

The challenge starting today is a Pinterest inspired one. Bridget is our hostess and she has shared several beautiful photos she found on Pinterest. you can take one or a combo of several and use them as inspiration for a card. I was actually surprised by the photo I used. it isn't the one I would have expected. but as soon as I saw this digital image from my friend, Deidre, and her Etsy shop, it was easy to see how the card was going to come together.

papers are from the Basic Grey Soleil collection, gorgeous flower is WOC, and everything else is just stash stuff. the moon is painted with shimmerz, and the sunset is painted over with my frost shimmer spray. I used the inside of a bubble envelope to create the bg on the card base.

All of you know just how much my labber dogs mean to me and what they have done to help ease my cancer journey. this image speaks volumes to that. I wouldn't have made it this far with what sanity I have left if it hadn't been for my dogs. :)

Challenges:
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Paper Shelter - shabby chic
Creative Craft - anything goes
LUFP - breast cancer awareness linky party
Just Inspirational - bingo: 3 papers (I actually used 4), gems, lace
Oldie but a Goodie - bingo: lace, flowers, glitter (shimmerz paint on moon)
oldies are pretty much everything on here except flower and image.
Just For Fun - buttons and bows
Natalie and Amy - shabby chic
Crafty Cardmakers - cute and furry
Melonheadz - animals
A Gem of a Challenge - add black
Pattie's Creations - animals

Keep Your Face to the Sunshine

Coffee of the Day - actually not sure, hubby made it before he headed out for work....

Hello after a bit of a break! I ended up going to Indiana and Chicago after all. it was a great trip - bittersweet in that we dropped off Ryan at Indiana Wesleyan University to begin his new adventure there, but a fun time in Chicago celebrating our anniversary. I loved everything about the city, as I knew I would. we spent most of our time driving around to look at the architecture, which is was the main thing I wanted to do. We did get to have lunch at Frontera's, a fabulous restaurant owned by Rick Bayless. we sat next to the most charming gentleman who dines there every Saturday. he kept us entertained for the entire meal! But I knew the whole time we were in Chicago that as much as I enjoyed it, I could never live there. it is a beautiful city, of that there is no doubt. but I need my hills and trees and woods. :)

I'm going to slam y'all with several posts, so hold onto your seats. I wasn't able to get these scheduled before I left, so I'm very late adding them to my blog now. please forgive me for being tardy. once we came back home, the  traveling took it's toll, and I've not been doing well. I'm trying to get caught up slowly but surely.....

I was blessed to receive an invite to be a guest designer over at Quirky Crafts Challenges. There new challenge is called 'I Like to Move it, Move it.' They want to see movement of some kind on your papercraft projects. The sponsor is The Cutting Cafe. There is also a new challenge over at the Digi Makeover - pearls and lace. I combined all of these challenges into one card!

First I printed Kat the Pinwheel Fairy and one of the sentiments from Jen's Sunshine onto white cs. these were cut with a Spellbinders circle die to create a suspension card. papers are Basic Grey Mint Julep, flower and leaves are Prima, linen thread & pinwheel punch are SU!  her wings are painted with shimmerz. the pinwheels do actually turn, so there is more movement on the card there. I did add a light wash to the pinwheels to tame the white of the dsp. the pink lace is vintage. the sentiment side was sprayed with glimmer mist.

Challenges:
WAW - anything goes
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Creative Card Crew - things with wings
TTCRD - anything goes
Emerald Faeries - magical creatures
Mema's Crafts - lace and flowers
Oozak - anything goes with dies/punches
Flutter By Wed. - anything goes with a butterfly or fairy
Allsorts - it's about the sentiment
Pattie's Creations - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
Aud Sentiment - any sentiment
Delightful Challenges - make the cut

Moving Parts at Top Tip Tuesday

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Caramel

Hello to everyone! the sun is shining here today. the past few days were all rain, so it's nice to see the sun peek it's head out again. mind you, I enjoy the rain as well, but a bit of sunshine does lift the spirits! :)

Yesterday Dave, Ryan, and I went to see Tyler down at Akron. had a wonderful visit with him. enjoyed lunch at a great Lebanese place that Tyler and Dave had gone to before. I was quite worn out from the trip and went straight to bed for the rest of the day when we returned. slept until after 10 this morning.... doesn't take much to wear me out these days it seems. I was glad that I was able to go on the trip though.

Our new challenge at Top Tip Tuesdays is 'moving parts.' this challenge threw me a bit sideways, since it had to be the actual card that had moving parts. but I persevered, and with the help of some kind people over at Split Coast Stampers, found a fun tutorial to try! I'll most certainly be making more of these cards in the future!

Our sponsor is Stamp Fairy, so I used an assortment of images from there: Barry Birthday 3, Balloons, and Mimi Frames Freebie. my card is a suspension card. I show both sides of the hanging ornament.

Papers are Basic Grey Soleil, trim and flowers are Prima, buttons are vintage. leaf die is SU!, circle dies are Spellbinders. balloons are paper pieced. card is fairly simple, but it's fun to play with! circle medallions hang from SU! linen thread.

Challenges:
Celebrate the Occasion - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - the letter 'B' (buttons, bear, balloons, birthday, brown)
Creative Craft - all about animals
Die Cuttin' Divas - anything goes
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - insects or animals
TTCRD - anything goes
Digi Darla - celebrate
Love to Create - punches and/or dies
Sparkle and Sprinkle - use a digi
Eclectic Ellapu - anything goes
Great Impressions - pastel colors and/or polka dots
Whoopsi Daisy - spots and stripes
Robyn's Fetish - stripes or dots
Squirrel and the Fox - furry friends

Some Jellypark Fun

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Mousse

Happy Friday! boy, am I ever glad the weekend is here. my guys will all be home again this weekend. sadly, Mick is coming home to attend the funeral of a former RA of his from his time at Bowling Green. He just found out today that his friend suddenly passed away.  After the funeral, we are planning a day trip to Pittsburgh. it is one of our favorite places to visit. The day away will be good for all of us.

The cards I'm showing are the last of my Love Fest challenge projects for Split Coast Stampers. All images on my projects today are from Jellypark. gosh, do I ever love Claire's artwork! I'm not doing a lot of crafting right now, but trying to rest up as best I can as well as get things ready for my stores opening. Thank you to everyone for your wonderful words of encouragement! they mean a lot! :)

The first cards shown are actually a set of 3x3 minis. I had forgotten how much fun these are to make! and goodness knows I have plenty of cs just this size, since most cards I make are 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square. The image is 'Girl Waving', and papers are Basic Grey Serendipity. flowers are Prima, buttons are SU!, and chevron die is MFT. flowers in hair are painted with shimmerz. I used a white colored pencil to draw some highlight lines in her hair.

The next card was for a photo inspiration challenge. The bee's wings were coated with stardust stickles, and the black stripes were painted with shimmerz. The paper, frame, banner tags, and journaling sticker come from a digital paper kit found at 2 Peas called '12th of Never'. let me tell you, fussy cutting that frame was a doozy! cutting anything is so hard for me these days. my brain doesn't function all that well and basic cutting is almost impossible. it probably took me close to 30 minutes to cut that out. it is popped up on foam tape, as is the main image and the sentiment. buttons and trim are vintage, flower is Prima. the eyelet was found in with  my vintage buttons. I just squeezed it shut with my crop-a-dile and then glued it onto the card. I didn't want the hole to show through the front of the card, which is why I didn't punch it directly into the paper. this way it sticks up from the card. the big black button is fabric covered. just a hodge podge of a card! :)

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

Challenges:
All That Stickles - stardust stickles (bee card)
Brown Sugar - greeting
Oozak - anything goes Spring
Crafts 4 Eternity - bingo:  flowers, twine, yellow (bee card)

i love you heart with puppy

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

Another card for the Love Fest challenges at Split Coast Stampers. Today and tomorrow will be the last of my cards for these challenges. then it will probably be a just a little while before you see any cards from me.... a few other things on the horizon, which I will share with you in a bit.

Today's card was for the final Love Fest challenge - love with a die cut. the image is from Create with TLC and Baubles by Bri. Bri is Paulette's daughter and has a cool shop on Etsy. Paulette has some fab vintage images over in Bri's shop for an amazing price, and this is one of them. I hope to slowly pick up more of them to add to my vintage collection.

You can see the full image here. I used my Spellbinders fleur de lis rectangle to cut it and then embossed the border with copper ep. the little flowers on the heart were painted with shimmerz. the large heart is a Spellbinders die and the heart border is a Memory Box die. flowers are Prima and buttons are vintage. the little baby feather was mixed in with the bag of vintage buttons. I thought it was so cute, so added it to the flower. the little 'i love you' sticker is from SRM. some washi tape, baker's twine, a ticket, and faux stitching complete the card. whoops - paper is Basic Grey True Love.

for my big news - I am going to be opening an online store as well as one at Etsy. I am hoping to have the opening day set for Wednesday, March 13, the special Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation Day. my store will sell cards and other projects I've made, paper goods and other vintage items that I use on my projects, and other fun vintage treasures that I come across while out with hubby on our antique adventures. :) I'll keep you updated as we get closer to the big day!

Challenges:
Crafting for all Seasons - dies and punches
Crafts and Me - dies or punches
Stamp 'n Doodle - 2 or more dies and/or punches
Natalie and Amy - diecuts
Addicted to Stamps - kraft cs
Divas by Design - anything goes
Inky Impression - splash of red
Emerald Faeries - love
Paper Girls - washi tape
Great Impressions - heart
Robyn's Fetish - ribbon or twine

Some Doodle Garden Fun

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Chocolate Pecan

I want to show you several cards I've made for the Love Fest challenges at Split Coast Stampers using images from Doodle Garden. these images are just as cute as can be! :)


My first card was for a color challenge - use either brown, aqua, and yellow or brown, aqua, and pink. well you know this girl well enough that if told to make a project with pink, I am gonna make a project with PINK! :) so pile on the pink I did!!!

I also used the color palette for a wonderful promo called 'Spread the Love'. my natural is more khaki, so hopefully that is acceptable. in this campaign, we are to reveal our 'blog crush'. I don't think it is any secret that Melissa Phillips is one of my crafting heroes. I so love her beautiful vintage, shabby style. good golly, I even told the world all about it when I was blessed enough to be featured as Moxie Fabber of the Week! I am such a pathetic junkie when it comes to her blog and projects......

image is Doodle Garden 'Hedgie Love 2', paper is Basic Grey Fiction, sentiment is Create with TLC, flower is Prima, heart border die is Memory Box. the butterfly is painted with shimmerz and the balloon is covered in distress stickles. some washi tape, faux stitching, buttons, baker's twine, buttons, and this fun little layered heart complete the card.

The next card was made for a fancy folds challenge. I gave it to Jocelyn, Mick's girlfriend, while she was here over the weekend. she is my coffee buddy! :) she also loves all things purple, so it was fun to make this for her!!!

image is Doodle Garden 'Rise and Shine', (just HAD to get that image!), sentiment is Create with TLC, papers are Basic Grey Soleil. card is a center stair step, which I had never made before. edges of main image are coated in distress stickles. flower is a gorgeous Prima that was sent to me by Barbara. have been hoarding it and some of the others she sent, but since the card was for Jocelyn, I knew I could use it. tee hee!

Tomorrow I will have a special post, so I hope all of you will stop back by. it marks the one year anniversary of the shooting at our high school. lots of things are planned here in our small community, starting today. it's a very bittersweet time.

Challenges:
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Flourishes - All that glitters (hedgie card)
Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes
Ribbon Carousel - love is in the air (hedgie card)
TTCRD - anything goes
Love to Create - string, twine, or fibers
Robyn's Fetish - ribbon or twine
Allsorts - animals
Basic Grey - anything goes with Basic Grey (that is so easy for me! grins!)
Pattie's Creations - fancy folds (morning bunny card)
4 Crafty Chicks - twine
Loves Rubberstamps - tag or one on project (morning bunny card)
Shopping our Stash - tag or one on project (morning bunny card - stash is buttons and trim)