Where There is Tea, There is Comfort

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tea Thyme (this is a weekly drink for me. I love the rich, robust flavor of the thyme with the citrus. so very good!)

Hello and Happy Wednesday! I am trying to get more cards made for the Spring/Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop, so I hope you enjoy the projects I am sharing. :)

Today's card uses an image from a dear online friend, Krista Smith of Saturated Canary fame. I know her store is no longer open, but you can find a few of her images at Make it Crafty. PLEASE do not purchase or download any of the images that you find on Pinterest or from the dishonest people who copy her art. there are quite a few out there who have made a livelihood off of copying Krista's lovely style. She is such a genuine, caring soul who reached out to me when I was going through my cancer treatment. I knew her beforehand, but really got to know her personally during that challenging time. So yes, I get a bit bothered each time I see those who are unscrupulous making money off of Krista's ideas and artwork. sadly, it happens to many artists. another friend, Maurie Manning, deals with this on an almost weekly basis as well.

now, on to my card. :)
I have used the wonderful "Happy Tea" image and papers from the Authentique Summertime collection. the sentiment is from Create with TLC. little flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts, vintage buttons & doily are from my stash, die is by Spellbinders, and punches are by EK Success. the tea tag is one that I saved and have repurposed. isn't it fun tied in a little bow? the seam binding snippet works perfectly stapled alongside for some added texture. I keep these on my craft desk because I can't bear to throw these beauties away! grins!

Thank you so much for stopping by and saying hello! I will try to get around repay the kindness. I apologize that I am taking so long. these silly migraines and seizures have knocked me sideways. :/ blech.

Challenges:
Try Stamping on Tuesday - sketch with metallic accent option (staple, if that counts)
Creative Moments - anything goes
Crafty Catz - anything goes w/Christmas option
Crafty Girls Creations - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Everybody Art - for friends (sending this to one of my tea loving friends)

A Wise and Precious House.... WAW Guest

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

I am so very sorry to have been away for so long. seizures and migraines have been keeping me in bed. being on the computer is like kryptonite to Superman - sure to send me straight to seizure city.

this post is going to be super fast, only because it is already a week late for my guest posting over at Word Art Wednesday. thankfully they are a very kind and forgiving bunch. ;)  and I'm ever so happy that I was able to get my projects completed ahead of time since these were the last things I made before everything hit. nothing crafty has been done in weeks, sadly. :(

anyhow, y'all don't want to hear about any of that. on to my card. papers are from the Basic Grey Origins collection, precious little cottage digi is by Saturated Canary, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, ribbon and seam binding (distressed with inks) are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and buttons are from my vintage stash. doily was sprayed with several shades of glimmer mist. accent dots were added to card base with a white gel pen.

thanks for your patience in waiting on posts from me! sure does mean a lot! I hope to be back to crafting in the next few weeks. it normally takes about that long for my seizures to cycle through....

if, by chance, I have won any challenges, please pop me an email. I haven't been around to check the challenge blogs in ages because it is just too hard on my head. I'll try to get caught up on that as soon as I can. if you happen to come across my name, I would be ever so grateful if you could shoot me a message. thank you! :)

have a great day! love to all of you! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Creative Moments - anything goes
Classic DT Open Ch - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Sunny Day - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w'patterned paper
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Paradise of Stamps - anything goes
Crafty Friends - anything goes

Merry Christmas and a Special Blog Hop!

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Merry Christmas, one and all! and God Bless Us, Everyone! :)

I pray for all of you, peace, good tidings, and blessings in abundance!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today. grab a cup of yummy coffee while I tell  you about a most lovely lady by the name of Alyce that some of us are recognizing with a special little blog hop.

if you are following the trail left by Santa and his reindeer, then you should have come here by way of Jamie Peters. if you have a moment, please stop by our esteemed Santa, Mari, who worked hard to put all of this together and tell her thank you! :)

a full list of the hop can be found here, at Carol's blog. :)

if you don't know Alyce and her AMAZING class group called Kit and Clowder, then I suggest you head straight on over just as soon as you can! not only is she one of the nicest people you will ever meet on this big blue marble, but she is super dee duper talented with Copic markers. I haven't even started my classes full throttle yet, and I have learned so much from her. I could sit and watch her color for hours, if given the chance. she has a Facebook group that is such fun, filled with kind and encouraging people. as the new year begins, I am jumping in with both feet to Copic markers, so be on the lookout! :)

we were encouraged to create either a regular Christmas card for Alyce or an ugly card. I chose to go the 'ugly sweater' route, using the adorable image from Saturated Canary, 'Ugly Christmas Sweater.'  papers are from the Basic Grey Nordic Holiday collection, flower is Petaloo, and mini flourish dies are Cheery Lynn. a paper straw tied with baker's twine and some sequins complete the card. I did add some sparkly touches with  stickles and a clear spica glitter gel pen.  her glasses are coated in crystal effects.

I think my card works for both the 'ugly' and 'ugly sweater' portion of the challenge, don't you?! ;)

your next stop on the hop is Carline Samedy. be sure to wish her a Merry Christmas when you get there! :)

Dear Santa...

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

One of my most important card commissions came along a few weeks ago - one from my youngest son for 'someone'.....no details other than it had to be cute and explosive. okay, suuuuuuuure..... I can do that. ??? no pressure on Mom to create fabulous for you. ;)

I sent him links to multiple images and then sentiments to be sure it was all as he wanted. then came time to put it all together. I was sweating bullets! worst part of all was that in the midst of this his phone died, so that we ended up doing all of our communication through Facebook chats.

card was finally finished and then express mailed to him. given to recipient, and a few days later he had a relationship status change on FB. whew....... I think she liked the card! :)

and now I can safely post it here.....

image is a cutey by Saturated Canary, called Molly the Elf,  sentiment is from a set by Create with TLC. red bg paper is Evergreen by Basic Grey, gold polka dot is actually part of a note card I picked up from Target, as are the fun matching paper tags along the side. red satin ribbon is May Arts, poinsettias are from Hobby Lobby, main image die is Spellbinders, clear flourish die is Sizzix (cut from re-purposed clear packaging), and other items are from my stash. stickles was used on main image for some added bling and sparkle.

hope you have a great week as you get ready for Christmas! remember to take some time for yourself a midst the hustle and bustle......

Challenges:
613 Avenue Create - anything goes
Crafts 4 Eternity - Christmas
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards - Christmas
Crafter's Cafe - Christmas/Holiday Season
Glitter 'n Sparkle - Glittery and Sparkly Christmas (stickles, sequins, and gold)
Lacy Sunshine - Holiday Joy
Pile it On - anything goes Holiday/Christmas
OSAAT - anything goes with a glitter (stickles)
Red Carpet Studio - Elf (she looks a bit like Jovie, doesn't she?)
Sentimental Sundays - anything goes w/a sentiment
That Craft Place - Christmas
We Do Doobadoo - Festive Spirits
A Creative Romance - anything goes
Brown Sugar - red, white, and green
Crafty Catz - last minute Christmas (I had 2 days to get details ironed out and create.)
Jo's Scrap Shack - Happy Holidays
Pattie's Creations - Christmas cards
Sister Act - any card goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - Merry Christmas
As You Like It - fave Christmas film: Elf, because it not only heartwarming, but it has so many classically funny lines. we watch it all year 'round!
Aud Sentiments - bingo: die cut or punches (both), digi or rubber stamp (digis), bling (sequins & stickles)
Crafty Sentiments - Christmas
Loves Rubberstamps - Winter or Christmas
Paperminutes - upcycling (clear packaging used for die cut flourish)
TTCRD - anything goes
{PIN}spirational - photo inspiration (Santa hats and colors)

Cath, You Are Moxie Fab! :)

Coffee of the Day - Oatmeal Cookie Crumble

Today is a very VERY special day. a few friends, oh almost 300 or so of us, have gathered together to let Cath Edvalson know just how REALLY amazing we all think she is! :) some might even say she is pretty MOXIE FAB!

You may have come to know Cath from her time as the Trends Editor at Paper Crafts Magazine, as well as the author of the Moxie Fab World blog. I happen to know from person experience that she is also just a pretty fantabulous friend.

If you have just started the blog hop, you can find the entire list on the Moxie Fab blog. if you are in the midst of hopping, you should have arrived here from: Veronica Zalis

While you are here, top off your coffee and then we'll get going! if you enjoy a bit of music, both Cath and I share a fondness for the composer Claude Debussy. click on the Youtube video and have it play while you are here. ;)



I remember the first time Cath ever stopped by my blog. it felt as if the Queen of England herself had popped by for tea, crumpets, and a chat with the girls! you coulda knocked me over with a feather! but when I received my cancer diagnosis is when I got to know the 'real' Cath. she left not only blog comments, but sent personal emails to make sure I was doing okay. she took off her 'business' hat and let me know that she really cared about what was going on. she wanted to make sure that my family was handling things as well as possible. and when we thought I had gone into remission, well, she jumped for joy with us. when we discovered otherwise, she felt the shock as deeply as the rest of us.

Cath would tell me how excited she was to be back out in her garden again. we share a love of nature and the outdoors. so it seemed only fitting that I create a card that celebrates those passions. if you would like any supply details, just let me know either in the comments or send me an email. I've already rambled long enough. ;) the front is actually a modified stair step, so you really get a 3D effect irl.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your next stop is: Lizzie Sanchez

Challenges:
365 Cards - create a shadow effect
4 Crafty Girls - anything goes
Little Miss Muffet - seeing dots
Crafting By Designs - anything goes
Inky Impressions - dies and punches
Lady Anne's - anything goes
Penny's Paper Crafty - lots of layers
Whimsy - anything goes
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Loves Rubberstamps - anything goes
Twisted Tuesday - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - more than 1 fold (grass is on 1 fold, fence on another, cottage & trees on card front)

Here I Come To Save the Day!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (hubby had it made piping hot for me when I woke up! what a sweetie!)

Hold onto your seats everyone, today is going to have several posts. you had better top off that coffee before we get started.... just sayin'......

Being that it's Tuesday, you can guess that we have a new challenge over at Top Tip Tuesdays. it's a really fun one, and quite the challenge if you are someone like me. We want to see you use items starting with your initials on your projects. :) isn't that a great challenge idea? really makes ya think for a few.....

Since my initials are J and S, it made things a bit on the interesting side..... but then as I was browsing through the Saturated Canary store, one of our sponsors, inspiration struck! what you see in my card is the result. I hope you like it. :)

I've used the image, 'The Force Boy' and papers from the Archaic collection by Basic Grey. sentiment is by  Create with TLC. his light saber is covered in shimmerz paint because it has to have that special glow. stars were punched from corrugated cardboard. sticker is one made with lined school paper and a little label.

so here are my lettered items: Jedi Knight, light saber, stars, squares, shimmerz paint, sponging, jute trim, Spellbinders die, and sticker.

Challenges:
Craftin' Desert Divas - anything goes linky party
Kaboodle Doodles - song or quote (this is actually from the Mighty Mouse theme song. I used to sing it all the time as a kid. I've told you what a geeky little nerd I am! grins!)
Love to Scrap - bingo: die cut, sentiment, buttons
A Gem of a Challenge - punch it out
Creative Corner - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
Creatalicious - for the boys
Lady Anne's - anything goes
Allsorts - use your new stash (new image & a new shade of brown SU! ink)
TTCRD - anything goes

Sing it LOUD!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice 

it's only Wednesday, and it's already been a doozy of a week. icky appt. at the oncology surgeon's office the other day, and yesterday our lovely Jeep of almost 12 years was hauled away. yep, I cried when it pulled out of the driveway on that big huge truck. not gonna go into all of the other stuff just yet, but suffice it to say, I'm busy counting blessings so I don't dwell on the negative. God remains good and faithful, no matter what life brings our way.

so on to brighter things. it's time for smiles and laughs!!! after all, there is always joy to be found.
our new challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges is L is for Laugh or Less is More. well you know me and I am NOT about to do a CAS card, so funny it is! we are sponsored by Saturated Canary.

I chose to use the adorable image, 'Noel', because I knew I was going to track down the sentiment from one of our VERY FAVE holiday movies, "Elf". actually, we have been known to watch this movie any time of year, but it is especially wonderful during the holidays. if you've never seen it before, I urge you to remedy that NOW! :)

papers are from the Basic Grey Jovial collection, poinsettia is Petaloo, printable was a freebie found online here, corduroy brads are SU!, and lace is vintage. some faux stitching was added as well as little highlight spots.  the caroler's gloves and pom pom are covered in pink shimmerz. music note dies are Cuttlebug.

now in the spirit of singing as well as counting blessings, I am going to post this video. I was listening to an older Chris Tomlin CD, 'Hello Love', when this song came on, 'God Almighty'. the bridge had me in tears.....these past few days I have felt the need to be face down at my Father's feet. I share this clip because it is Chris Tomlin himself, unplugged, singing and talking about the song. feel free to browse YouTube for the entire song.




sending big hugs to all of you! :)

Challenges:
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Oldie but a Goodie - stitching (corduroy brads are really old)
TTCRD - anything goes
Country View Crafts - die cuts
Artistic Inspirations - stitching
Christmas Card Challenge - lace
Joanna Sheen - spots and stripes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - die cut or punch
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes

Mad Props with Top Tip Tuesday!

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Bourbon Pecan (yes, it is THAT good!)

Today is a midway post over at Top Tip Tuesday. we are sponsored by the most fab Krista of Saturated Canary. Our challenge is to use faux stitching of some kind on your projects.

I chose the fun 'Starla' for my card. I love her quirky attitude and that great 'stache she is carrying! Papers are Basic Grey 'Clippings.' I love this new set of embossing folders from Tim Holtz that I came across on the JoAnn's website. all of you know that I can't sew worth beans, so the funky, shabby stitching of these is right up my alley! I took several scrap pieces  and adhered them to a piece of plain white cs. I then ran this through my embossing folder. I then lightly sanded the tops to give a more distressed look.

Linen thread is SU!, faux stitching was done with a black spica glitter pen, sentiments come from my SMASH date stamp (gosh, I love that thing!), and just a little button from my stash. oh yes, can't forget the little touches of washi tape and flowers! :) I also used both my clear spica glitter pen and a gold glitter pen to accent the stars on her face as well as the gold highlights I added to her hair.

Tip - a fun, new way to add faux stitching is with some of the great embossing folders on the market now. you can even lightly sand the tops once you emboss for a great distressed look! Check both Stampin' Up! and Tim Holtz to name just a few.....

Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge - distress
My Time to Craft - stitching
Delightful Challenges - color my world
Saturated Canary - anything goes
Sarah Hurley - projects with character
Lollipop Ladies - moustache (on a prop stick)
Nutcrafters - anything goes
WAW - anything goes with encouraging senti
TTCRD - anything goes
Bearly Mine - digi days

CASE a Christmas Card at ABC Christmas Challenges

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Mousse

Good morning everyone! I'm feeling puny, so this will be a very short post. sorry about that. These new antibiotics together with the steroids are not hitting my body well. but you didn't come by to hear all of that yucky news, you want to see some crafty!

Today starts a neat challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges - C is for CASE a DT member card. You can go back through any of the cards made by the DT and use it for inspiration. there is even a coolio little watermark available on the challenge blog for you to add to the card you choose to CASE. how neat is that?! We are sponsored by the ever so kind Krista at Saturated Canary, so one lucky winner will receive 2 digis from her store!

Now here is the card I CASE'd from Lacey...... it is from the X marks the Spot Challenge.

Here is my take on her card using Krista's cutie image, Stockings.  Papers are Basic Grey Aspen Frost, dies are from Sizzix, lots of little touches with stickles and shimmerz paints, and sentiment is from Create with TLC.

I hope you will play along with us! This was a great challenge and I really had fun!

Challenges:
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - cold and frosty
Bearly Mine - anything goes
LEJ Designs - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Pretty Little Ribbon - anything goes
Paper Girls - twine
Catered Crop - polka dots
Crafty Hazelnut - Christmas and starts with 'p' (pink pajamas!)
Christmas Stamping All Year Long - anything goes
Sparkles Christmas - anything goes

It's World Card Making Day! :)

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Pumpkin Pie

Happy World Card Making Day to all of you! I truly truly love this day! I've been participating since Paper Crafts magazine first started it several years ago, and I most certainly wasn't going to let a thing like cancer keep me from taking part again! you know sassy little me! tee hee!

If you look around bloggyland, you will find some fun challenges, great sales, and some of the most wonderful people you'll ever come across. I hope you get a chance to do so blurfing, but also get a bit crafty.

Please hop over to the Jellypark challenge blog. Claire is offering up the  most adorable free image for everyone and a fun challenge for the weekend. I hope to play along today if I can.

I have made this card for giogio's HYCCT challenge of '3 dies or punches and a sentiment' as well as Party Time Tuesday's color/multi fold challenge.


The beautiful mermaid image comes from Krista at Saturated Canary. the card fold is one I had never tried before, so thank you to Beate for her diamond fold tutorial in the Split Coast Stampers resources area. :) papers are Graphic 45, button is vintage, cheesecloth was dyed with SU! crumb cake ink, shimmerz paint and my spica clear glitter pen added accents to the mermaid.

punches used were from Martha Stewart and SU! I also added a Spellbinders die, but if you count that, I go over for a total of 4. eek! I added little dots of water droplets with my shimmer spray.

Last night we had the most fun Friday evening with all of the guys home, sitting around the television, eating pizza, and watching Season 2 of The Walking Dead. pizza, zombies, and family - what could be better in life?! ;)

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Craft's Meow - WCMD
A Gem of a Challenge - for the girls
Crafty Mess - anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey - mythical creatures

Smash Journal cover

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Hello to all of my beautiful followers and readers! Guess what? today I am actually going to show you a crafty!!! I know.... you are picking yourself up off of the floor because you think all I do these days is talk talk talk about icky cancer stuff. well no, today you get to see the cover of my Smash journal. not that thrilling I know, but at least it is a papercraft project! ;)


I've been working on this in bits and pieces. a lot of time has been spent waiting on drying. there is so much shine and sparkle that doesn't come through the scanner. I think there are a total of 4 shades of glimmer mist as well as walnut ink spray on there. I also used a wonderful pearl white paint as the base and rock candy distress stickles to accent parts of the dress as well as all of the flowers. so you'll have to use your imagination, dear friends. :)

The paper doll pieces come from the She Art collection by Christy Tomlinson. aren't they wonderful? I die cut the grass using some of her paper line and a MFT die. the ruffle ribbon is May Arts and the butterfly is Prima. it reads, 'She left her fears behind.' Doesn't that just seem so perfect for this journal?

I've been making journal tags for things that have been going on so far. Photos are ready to be picked up at Wally World, so then will get started on the inside pages. I'll post as I get each one completed.


Chemo went okay yesterday. Had a bad reaction to one of the medicines during the actual treatment, but the nurse was so kind and sat with me while I returned to normal. My friend Mel had sent me a mag she was featured in from the UK, so I took that with me to read. Another friend, Tracey, made a special bracelet for me, so I made sure to wear it. I was surrounded by my wonderful friends yesterday! thank you! feeling puny since returning home, but that is to be expected. at least this is all temporary. gosh, I have retained so much fluid and look like a hairless water buffalo in this photo. sheesh.....

I do want to be sure to mention this most lovely blog post by Krista of Saturated Canary. She has drawn an adorable cancer support image that she is offering for free to anyone who follows her blog. She also was so kind and gave me a sweet mention. Thank you, Krista! :) hugs to you!!!! please be sure to leave her a note of thanks and tell her I sent you over. she is such a generous and kind soul.

Here is my Heart

Coffee of the Day - Mocha Mint

Good morning to ya! I'm sure many of you have seen these precious images popping up all over blogland - Krista's Saturated Canary digis. I have longed to have one of my very own and hubby was so sweet and bought me this adorable little bunny for Valentine's Day! :)

although, being the nerdy geek I am, every time I look at her, I'm reminded of the line from the first Transformers movie....... "I am SO not your little bunny!" tee hee! yep, you just never know what to expect from me, do ya?!

anywaaaaaaaaaaaaay..... I couldn't wait to get a card made with her once I completed a few DT commitments. and yes, it feels divine to be crafting again. so glad the ickies have gone away!


I know my watercoloring and cardmaking will never compare to the many gorgeous samples you will see on your blurffing travels through cyberspace of these SC images, but I really did have fun with this one. kept the card fairly simple, at least for me.....

papers are Basic Grey Kioshi, rub-on senti is SU!, her bunny tail and Easter egg are covered in distress stickles, and everything else is just from my stash. oh yes, the pretty pale pink jewels were a very kind gifty that arrived in my mail box a few days ago. that was a happy treat, indeed!

have a most wonderous day! love ya!

Paper Crafting Journey - make it cute