Happiest of Birthdays, Pretty Fairy!

Coffee of the Day - actually, today I'm having a yummy tea - Strawberry, Lavender, Mint Green blend from a wonderful tea shoppe in Ann Arbor, Michigan :)

Hello to everyone! yep, once again I have been missing from my blog. all for good reasons, I assure you. I had even picked up a few goodies to do a birthday blog candy, and then didn't even get around to posting. how sad is that?! ;) I'll try to get that up by the weekend though.

I have been to several protests against pipelines and fracking, so traveling all over Ohio. hubby and I are also delivering water and other supplies to Flint, Michigan every Saturday to try to help the situation there. Even Palmer went along on our last trip! Country dog in the big city! :) of course he was a big hit. He celebrates his fist birthday next week.... oh how the time has flown! When not traveling, I am busy working at Camp. yep, life is lots of fun and filled to the brim!!!

So today I am sharing a card I have made for both the progressive monthly challenge in the Simply Betty Facebook group and for a very special young lady we know. :) I hope she enjoys it as much as we enjoy having her in our lives! :)

The challenge is to use at least one decorative paper, the colors red, black, yellow, and cream, and also add glitter.

I used Prima digital papers and elements from the Doodledux collection, added touches with stickles glitter and the wink of stella pen, included flowers from Michael's, Prima, and Wild Orchid Crafts, vintage buttons, and finished the card with glitter ribbon also found at Michael's. the inside is decorated, too, with elements from the same Prima digital paper collection. I added cream acrylic paint to the card edges.

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

Strong, Beautiful, Kind

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Hello everyone!  Sorry I've been away for ever so long! I didn't realize that I haven't posted here on my blog in ages.  I apologize for that. with all 3 of our sons' college graduations, life here was just pretty crazy! :) but all in a VERY  wonderful way!!!

I'll do a post this weekend to share photos with you. I have them on my Facebook page, if you would like to see before then. :) yep, I'm the proud momma bird!

My post for now needs to be fast since we are dog sitting Mick's pup for almost 2 weeks. Brutus and Palmer are begging to head back out to Camp for their daily romp, so I'll come back to add in all of my card details.

I'm scooching in by the skin of my teeth for the Simply Betty monthly progressive challenge.  the theme for this month is to use at least 2 designer papers and add flowers. isn't the image gorgeous?

digital papers are from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection, main image & matting die are from Spellbinders, pretty floral dies are by Sizzix, mulberry flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, and buttons are from my vintage stash.

okie dokie, I am back. the dogs and I  had a grand time playing in the rain out at Camp! we were soaked through to the bone, but had so much fun. :)

the neat little embellishment by the sentiment circle is from Webster's Pages. it has a pretty sparkle irl. I added touches of shimmerz paint to the pearls and buttons on the main image. the seam binding, which I distressed, is from Zipper Stop. crochet trim is from my stash. I think it might have come from Hobby Lobby. it has the prettiest satin finish.

have a most amazing day! love ya!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Double D - flowers galore
Digi Choosday - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Through the Purple Haze - anything goes

Feathers and Pearls Progressive Challenge

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel

Hello again! I bet you are surprised to see me back so soon. :) While I was in my craft room, I decided to get my card finished for the Simply Betty Facebook group's monthly progressive challenge. the deadline is in just a few days, so I'm cutting it close this month. nothing like losing time from computer crashes and illness....

The theme for our challenge is pearls and feathers. we were given this neat roaring 20's image to use.  isn't she pretty?

I decided to go with a bit of a retro feel with my card. I found some neat digital feather paper online that fit with the entire 1920's look. I wanted to paint her hair blue to show her independence and rebellious streak that was so prevalent in women of the era. :)

flowers and leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts, ribbon & twine are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, crochet trim, vintage button, & tag are from my stash and little pearl accents are by Studio G. the little pearls on the image are painted with shimmerz.

thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a most amazing week! :)
Jennifer

Save the Bees!

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm busy crafting this weekend since I'm not yet feeling well enough to get out to any of the rallies and protests going on. it's fun to be covered in ink and glue again, I must admit. :)

Today's card is for the monthly progressive challenge that takes place in the Simply Betty Facebook group. it's always fun to play along in this challenge, and the image is so wonderful every month. This time we were provided with 'Beehive Queen' that you can also find here in the store. We also have a recipe challenge to follow: at least 1 designer paper, at least 1 ribbon, the colors yellow, black, & white, and embossing (either powder or folders).

I have used digital papers from the Basic Grey B Side collection as well as flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. my Zipper Stop seam binding was distressed with several shades of ink. for the embossing, I used 2 different colors of Frantage powders on the main image. I really love this stuff! :) dies are by Spellbinders and buttons are from my vintage stash. all wings were accented with shimmerz paint.

I found the 'Save the Bees' clip art on the internet. some bee species are actually on the verge of becoming extinct. please limit your use of pesticides in your garden and consider planting more bee (and butterfly!) friendly flowers this spring. dandelions are one of their primary food sources, so think twice before eliminating them from your yard. if you do a bit of research, you will discover just how crucial bees are to our entire food chain and ecosystem. :)

so let's do all we can to SAVE THE BEES!!! :)
who says I can't be an activist even if I'm home sick?! tee hee!

Go Ahead.... Mess With Me! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Happy Monday and MLK Day! What a wonderful day today as we celebrate the life of this amazing man and his journey of peace & unity!

I guess my card is in a bit of contrast to his message though, when it comes down to it. ;)  but Ms. Betty over at Simply B Stamps had a fun progressive challenge going on that I could NOT resist with this fun coffee image & sentiment!

my card uses papers from several Basic Grey collections, a re-purposed Starbuck's coffee cozy, vintage buttons from my stash, and Wild Orchid Crafts flowers. dies are from Spellbinders. the sentiment was accented with a wink of stella glitter pen. seam binding was distressed with several shades of ink and tied with a smidgen of ric rack.  little wooden veneer coffee cup is from Latina Crafter.

I'm sending this card off to some friends who were SO nice and gifted me with several pounds of Starbuck's coffee. they sure know the way to this coffee addict's, I mean lover's, hear! tee hee!!!

I hope you have an amazing week!

Life Give You Limes? Make Margaritas!

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Southern Pecan

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here in our house we LOVE our Mexican food! so Cinco de Mayo is a day we love to celebrate! and yes, I do love a margarita, too! on the rocks, no salt for me. but I make a mean frozen one, too. especially when fresh summer fruits are available. yum, yum! nothing like a fresh watermelon margarita when it's super hot outside....

Betty, over at Simply Betty Stamps, drew this fabulous 'Rita Limes' image a few weeks ago. I knew she was one that just HAD to be part of my collection. :) and what better time to make a card with her than today!

paper is from the Authentique Utopia collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, cream seam binding is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and dyed to match, as are gingham ribbon and crotchet trim snippets. sentiment portion was lightly sponged with ink and then sprayed with olive glimmer mist. I added rock candy distress stickles around the rim of the glass to mimic salt.

hope you have something fun planned for today to celebrate! we're having a fabulous breakfast with fresh salsa and chorizo then cooking fajitas on the grill for dinner. oh so tasty! :)

make it a good one, folks! thanks for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
Outlawz Wed Sketch - sketch
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Coloring in Scrapland - celebrations (Cinco de Mayo)
Sunny Day Crafting - photo inspiration: colorful or fruit
Allsorts - fruit or berries
4 Crafty Chicks - Sassy Woman

Happiest of Birthdays, Aud Sentiments!

Coffee of the Day - Irish Creme

Today begins a new challenge at Aud Sentiments, with our theme being 'Birthdays' as we celebrate 6 years of blogging and challenges!!!! I do hope you will pop over to see all of the beautiful projects made by the team to inspire you!

I am using an image and sentiment by Simply Betty Stamps for my card. papers are from the Basic Grey Saturday Morning collection. ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon and twine is by Maya Road. the little flowers were given to me, so I'm sorry I don't know the mfg. buttons are from my vintage stash.

check back later this evening for my Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra post. have a most wonderful day! :)

Challenges:
Crafting When We Can - sketch
Outlawz Twisted Thurs - anything goes
Inky Impressions - Let's Hear it for the Girls
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Dream Valley - girly

Next Chapter, with Coffee of Course! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Nut Fudge

A most happy day to all of you!

I am quite the sucker for any and all book and coffee related images. so when I saw this cute digi over at Simply Betty's a while back, there was no resisting! the problem I have when drinking coffee or tea while reading is that I get so consumed with my book that the drink goes quite cold! ;) does that happen to any of you?

the wonderful sentiment I added comes from Create with TLC.  I really feel this way about 2016. I am trying to change attitudes and so many other things that need adjusting about myself. it's time for a new chapter! I am going to embrace the woman God created me to be. I am not going to let other people steal my joy. I am going to let bitterness and old resentments go. I am going to have confidence in who I am (or at least work on it! grins!) I am going to ignore the nay-sayers, but listen to constructive criticism in an effort to better myself. I will strive to LEARN so that I may grow ever stronger. I will treasure who I am and my unique-ness. :)

I just couldn't resist pairing these 2 digis together! I hope you like the results as much as I do. :)

paper is from the Basic Grey Herbs & Honey collection, flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, little dew drop skittles are by Double Click skittles, and gorgeous lace is vintage.

I'll see you tomorrow! have a fabulous day and thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
Come and Get It - something new (sentiment digi, pink flowers, & skittles)
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Crafty Boots - something old (paper, SU! punch for sentiment, & lace), something new (sentiment digi, pink flowers, & skittles)
Love to Scrap - new beginnings
Sweet Stampin' - something new (sentiment digi, pink flowers, & skittles)
City Crafter - say hello, wave goodbye
WAW - anything encouraging goes

Happy Coffee Elf and the Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Pecan

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eek! A Zombie ATC

I'm back with my 2nd Simply Betty zombie ATC, as I had mentioned this morning. This time I'm using the Singing Betty Apocalypse zombie image that was given free for that particular challenge. Even though today is the last day to get entries in, I bet you still have time to request your image. all you actually have to do is color the image and get it uploaded to the proper album. not so hard to do in just a few hours. :)

As before, I still haven't tracked down the mfg. of the paper scraps I found on my desk. will do that soon and try to update the posts. 'eek!' journaling circle and ric rack are from the same Making Memories Vintage Findings kit I used before, pretty purple flower is from Michael's, washi tape is from my stash, and button is vintage.

edited to add - paper is digital offering by Crafty Secrets.

I will have the purple themed blog candy winner later, after the other winners from The Hop to Stop are posted over on The Damsel of Distressed. I want to try to spread the winnings out to as many people as possible. :)

 Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Pattie's Creations - fall or Halloween image
Simply Create Too - Halloween colors
Stamping Boutique - purple, orange, and black
Wicked Wed ATC - witches, bats, and/or black cats
Star Stampz - Halloween or Harvest
Crafty Gals Corner - witches, ghouls, and goblins
Get Creative - Halloween
Pile it On - funky or freaky
Robyn's Fetish - lots of orange

Beware the Zombie! ATC

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Happy Friday to each of you! I hope you have had a wonderful week and have great things planned for the weekend! :)

my week has been CRAZY! between car shopping, another son in a car accident, a sick dog, and life in general, things have sure seemed whacky around here.

we did get another vehicle, so thanks for all of the happy thoughts on that front. here is a photo of Dave and Tyler with our 04 Jeep Grand Cherokee. (taken at Camp) it's in pretty good shape. just needed new tires and a front end alignment, at least so far! a few other small things to do to it, and then we'll feel set for winter.

speaking of which, snow is in the forecast for this weekend. time to bundle up! :)

I have SO MANY craft projects percolating behind the scenes, some of which are holiday gifts. in the mean time, I played along in a quickie challenge over at the Simply Betty Facebook Fan Page. if you requested the free image, you just needed to color it and then add to the group album. I figured I could do that! I'll post another one later today once I get it finished.

I turned it into an ATC. sorry I don't know the paper right off hand. it was a scrap sitting on my desk and just too perfect to pass up! the bat, ric rack, and beware tag come from a Making Memories vintage findings kit. I really hate that they retired that line. they were always so much fun to  play with! :) little flower and button are real vintage and washi tapes are from my stash. the metal accents on the image were highlighted with a silver glitter gel pen.

edited to add - paper is digital offering by Crafty Secrets.

As I mentioned before, I'll be back later today with the other Simply Betty image. I'll also announce then the winner of the purple themed blog candy. :)  see you then!

Challenges:
Wicked Wed ATC - witches, bats, and/or black cats
Dragon's Lair - Halloween
Left of Center - old fashioned horror (can't beat Romero's zombies!)
Aud Sentiments - Halloween
Moving Along with the Times - Halloween
Quoth the Raven - color challenge
Crafting By Designs - Halloween
Dream Valley - Halloween
Our Crafty Corner - getting ready for Halloween
ATC Around the World - Halloween

'A' You're Adorable

Coffee of the Day - Marzipan

Hello to all of you! hope you are doing well!  I have a card to share with you today that is for a special little someone. Through a Facebook group for Simply Betty Stamps fans, we were told that one of the ladies' niece had a baby born with some very serious problems in her heart. one surgery has already been done and more are scheduled. Cards for the family were requested. of course I wanted to help!

I used the precious image 'Baby Doll Betty' and a sentiment from Create with TLC. papers are from the Basic Grey Knee Highs collection. a little doily piece peeks out from behind the sentiment while surrounded by pretty pink paper flowers. sorry, they were a lovely gifty so I don't know the mfg. ribbon and button are from my stash. polka dot accents were made with my white gel  pen.

enjoy your weekend! all of my love to you! :)

Challenges:
QKR - lots of layers
Stempelsonne - anything goes
A Little Bit Crafty - anything goes but not Christmas
Lia Stampz - choose your style: patterned paper, sentiment, flowers, die cut
Cards Galore Encore - anything goes
Divas by Design - anything goes
Paper Shelter - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Sister Act - any card goes

Thankful for YOU! :)

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Why yes, I am thankful for YOU! grins! y'all put up with my long absences, and I really appreciate you hanging in with me. all of you so rock the casbah! :)

the Simply Betty group over on Facebook has a challenge to use this cute image, add pleats, use autumn colors, and then frame the sentiment that comes with the image. phew..... that is a bunch of stuff to do, especially for someone like me who does not do well with adding those fine details to my watercoloring. but I did try. must say it is not one of my best efforts, but try I did. ;)

the frame for the sentiment comes from Graphics Fairy. isn't it gorgeous? papers are Basic Grey Indian Summer. I am gonna be crying in my coffee when I use the last of this precious collection. it is one of my all time faves. the fabby embossing folder is by Sizzix, and the oval die is Spellbinders. everything else is from my stash.

Hope to be back, if at all possible, with another project before Thanksgiving. y'all take care! much love to ya!

Challenges:
Tuesday Morning Sketches - current sketch
Great Impressions - Thankful Thoughts
OSAAT - Giving Thanks
Robyn's Fetish - use a digi
Sentimental Sundays - Heartfelt Thanks
Catch the Bug - photo inspiration
Jo's Scrap Shack - Happy Thanksgiving
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - Preparing for the Holidays/Fall
Open  Minded Crafting - Grateful
Paper Pretties - Be Thankful/Thanksgiving
Simon Says Stamp - Thanks/Thanksgiving
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Clear it Out - anything goes
Cuttin' and Stampin' - Thanksgiving
Die Cuttin' Divas - Happy Thanksgiving
Going Gray with Scrap Creations - Give Thanks
Card Mania - use a digi
Craft Your Passion - pumpkins or turkeys
Dream Valley - anything goes
Melondeadz - add a sentiment
Perfectly Rustics - embossing

Happy Birthday, Amy! :)

Coffee of the Day - Hazelnut

Betty, of Simply Betty Stamps, wanted to surprise her sister, Amy, with lots of big bright Happy Birthday wishes today, so she got together some folks in her Simply B Facebook group to make a few cards.

my card uses the image, "Let Me Take a Selfie Amy" and papers from the Basic Grey Life of the Party collection. flower is by Petaloo, sentiment stickers are by SRM, and stars were punched from Starbucks coffee cozies then inked with white craft. red twine was salvaged from our huge bags of dog foot. I love that stuff and use it on so many projects! buttons and tickets are from my stash. I almost forgot, I added a little wood veneer star that was inked with a marker to her hair. :)

Challenges:
Sweet Sketch - sketch
Inky Impressions - primary colors
Sister Act - any card goes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - celebrations
Double Click - birthday
Paper Pretties - buttons
Paper Shelter - ribbon, twine, and/or floss (used ribbon & twine)
City Crafter - diagonals
Inky Chicks - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafting Musketeers - buttons
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Ladybug Crafts - anything goes
Cheerful Stamp Pad - birthday
Crafty Bloggers - anything goes
Crafty Boots - anything goes

Finally Got My Crafty On!

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

It is snowing like crazy here, which is great since most of it had melted off in the past few days. I just LOVE the Winter Winderland I call home! :)

while my family was away this past weekend working at Winter Camp, I was actually able to do a bit of crafting for the first time in over a month! gosh, did it ever feel GREAT! of course it took me almost an entire day to make one card, and my poor scanner is on it's very last leg, sad to say. but I hope to get back to my craftroom again in the next day or so. wooohoooo!

The image is by Simply Betty and is called 'Angel Elizabete'. she cracks me up! back when I was in Jr. High, we had to draw pictures of what our friends thought of us, what our parents thought of us, and then what we thought of ourselves. this image is pretty close to the one I drew of myself! yes, I've always had that sassy, rebellious side to me! tee hee!

The sentiment is from Ginger's House, papers are from the Echo Park Winter Park collection, ribbons from rose are May Arts, white trim is Prima, accents to main image are done with stickles, spica glitter gel pen, and shimmerz paint. washi tape, buttons, and rhinestones finish the card.

Challenges:
Simply Betty Facebook Ch - add snowflakes
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesday - Anything Goes
Pile it On - 'P' is for.... pink, patterned paper, punches, Prima :)
Sentimental Sundays - pick one of the fave challenges (#160 for the girls)
That Craft Place - anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes
YNS - photo inspiration
4 Crafty Girls - anything goes
DRS Designs - frosted flakes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes
Paper Shelter - anything goes

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

Chipboard with Kaboodle Doodles

for my Paper Cupcakes post, please click here.

The new challenge at Kaboodle Doodles this week is to use chipboard on your papercraft projects. Our sponsor is Simply Betty and one winner will receive 3 images from their store.



I saw the fun line of Design Team Divas and knew immediately that a few would have to go into my shopping cart! I used DT Diva Jen for my card, paired with a great senti from Create with TLC. Papers are Basic Grey Indie Bloom. her sunglasses are painted with shimmerz for extra shine. the chipboard flowers were first inked, then covered in stickles to give them a bit of sparkle as well. the rhinestone flourish is actually hot pink, but ended up looking purple in the scan. sorry about that..... I added an extra rhinestone as her earring for a bit of fun! some pink velvet ribbon finishes the card.

Delightful Challenges - bling it