Engagement Gift

Coffee of the Day - only drinking green juice right now. out of almond milk, which I need for my coffee. have a cup of Victorian Earl Grey tea brewing, which is a fabulous Earl Grey with lavender, rose hips, and rosemary.

That horrid migraine came back to rear its nasty head, so I've been in bed ever since we came back from Indiana. yuck. :(  But I did want to share with you how I wrapped the engagement gift for Ryan and Elizabeth.

Please excuse any typos.... the headache makes it hard for me to see. having to rely upon my typing skills from way back in the high school days. can't see the monitor very well as it's all a blur.

I had picked up some neat typeprint style wrapping paper at Michael's a while back, thinking it would be great for crafting. since we don't tend to give many wrapped gifts that aren't holiday based, this seemed to work out well for the engagement present.

Elizabeth really enjoys period type television shows such as Downton Abbey and Save the Midwife, so I knew that going with a pretty floral stamp would be perfect. I chose 'Strong and Beautiful' from Unity Stamps to stamp across the paper in various shades of her favorite colors - plum, sage, and lavender.  vintage lace was used for the bow.

I also stamped the flower in plum ink on a tag made from the same cs used in the card for her letter. (see previous post) it was stamped again in sage ink as a shadow effect. a doily portion was adhered in addition to some crochet trim and pretty little Wild Orchid Crafts blossoms & leaf. a cheesecloth bg stamp was used on the tag base and then the SU! ink squirty tool. Zipper Stop seam binding that was distressed was tied at the top and a re-purposed bit of plum twine anchors the tag to the lace bow.

and here is a photo of what was inside. We gave them a Lladro bride and groom figure. Dave and I had one on our wedding cake. I used to collect Lladro pieces. it seemed only fitting to give them one as they begin their happily ever after together. :)

Challenges:
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes w/optional spring theme
Inspiration Destination - #147 anything goes
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes

Love and Joy Snowman Tag Card for Season's Greetings Challenge

I realize this is a late night posting for those of us here in the States, but over in the other hemisphere, it's early morning on Valentine's Day and the start of the very first challenge at the Season's Greetings Christmas blog! :)

The theme for our new challenge is "Anything Goes with an optional - Love" and of course any kind of Christmas project, too. it's a huge help to get started on those holiday cards and projects early, let me tell you! so I do hope you will join along! :)

for my card, I have used an assortment of stamps from the Unity Stamp Company: snowflakes from "Layers of Life Magical Bliss and Wonder," sentiment from "...a joyous season", and cutey little snowman from "One of a Kind Winter."

papers are from the Basic Grey 25th and Pine collection, snowflake die is by Sizzix, holly flourish die is by Cheery Lynn, buttons and holly sprig are vintage, and everything else came from my stash. little accents to the sentiment, tag, and card base were made with a gold spica pen. isn't the little straw a fun accent?!

thanks so much for stopping by! I do hope you will play along in the challenge with us! :)

With Deepest Sympathy and GIU Winners

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

I hope all of you had a most joyous holiday, whether you were celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah. for a few short hours, all of my sons were home and it was absolute bliss for this mom! :)

but you didn't stop by for that. all each of you wants to know about is who won the Unity Stamps. ;) it's okay. I'm the same way when it comes to free stamps and prizes.

I do want to share a card with all of you very quickly though. in the midst of preparing for the holiday, we had some sad news come our way. David's aunt suddenly passed away last week. he, Tyler, and Ryan made a fast trip to Pittsburgh for the viewing. Dave's sister from San Antonio was able to fly up, too, so they all had a nice visit with Dave's dad and family.

I made a sympathy card using the Unity set, "You are Important."  I thought this flower was just gorgeous and so perfect to convey our feelings. the sentiment stamp is by Memory Box. I don't have any yet from Unity that would go with it.

paper is from the Basic Grey Kioshi collection. shimmer ribbon and pretty purple twine are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and buttons are from my vintage stash.

the flower was stamped onto watercolor paper with Versamark, embossed with white ep, and then watercolored with multiple shades of SU! inks. I love the look this gave. :) edges were distressed and inked. I went back over it all with the SU! ink squirty tool.

and now the winners of the Unity Stamps from my GIU week are:

KENNETH SIMMONS

(just so you know, your various numbers actually came up 3 times!!!

you were really meant to win this prize! grins!)

DEBRA DAVISON

Please send your mailing address to me at jenscull (at) yahoo (dot) com. You have until the end of the week to contact me or you will forfeit your prize.

Thanks to everyone for leaving such kind and thoughtful comments on my GIU week projects! :) and a very special thank you to those of you who were so VERY amazing and left comments on each one of my posts!!! y'all rock! :)
Jennifer

A Joyous Season Non-Traditional Christmas Card

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Christmas Eve is upon us and the mice are certainly stirring at my house! we are busy busy busy getting ready for the big day! :)

I had so much fun with my Growing in Unity week that I thought I would give all of you a bonus day! :)

The card I am sharing with you is one that Tyler gave to his future in-laws. they are big nature buffs like we are, so it might be a bit non-traditional, but it fit them to a T!

I first created the base by mixing up a modge podge of colors using gelatos and SU! ink refills on watercolor paper. this was sprayed very lightly with water.

once it dried, I stamped the trees from "A Joyous Season" stamp set. the deer were fussy cut from SU! natural vanilla cs. 

little smidgens of moss and flowers by Petaloo were added. a bow made from natural ribbon that I picked up last year at World Market wraps around the upper portion of the card. red tinsel trim holds a few rusty bells.

I'll have a post tomorrow, but completely understand if you are too busy with your family to stop by. Merry Christmas to all of you! may your day overflow with happiness and joy! :)

Jennifer

An Altered Bottle for GIU, but you have to keep it a secret!!! shhhh.......

Coffee of the Day - Black Nutty Fudge

oh so sad...... today is my final Growing in Unity (GIU) day..... I have had a wonderful time both making and sharing my projects with all of you! I hope you have enjoyed stopping by for your daily coffee and inspiration! :)

I've saved the biggest of my projects for last, but you have to keep it a secret. you see, this is a present for my husband and he can't see it before Christmas! ;) I tell ya, keeping him from seeing it as I was making it was a doozy! all of the layers took a while to dry, so keeping this in different places he wouldn't come across it was quite the challenge!

I started with an empty bottle of his favorite Rye whiskey. after first painting with a layer of gesso, I added at least 8 different layers of various colors of acrylic paint. I then lightly sanded the bottle to reveal the assorted layers underneath, at times sanding all the way down to the bare glass.

I then stamped leaves from the Layers of Life "Love Never Leaves" set all over the bottle with Prima chalk ink. I used the SU! ink squirty tool to spray ink droplets.

one side of the bottle is stamped with the "What the Buck" stamp. the other side is stamped with trees and the deer from the "...A Joyous Season" sentiment set.

seed pods and moss, in addition to mulberry flowers, decorate the bottle.

I also made clay leaves by stamping the leaves from the same Layers of Life "Love Never Leaves" set right into clay and then baking. small holes for hanging were made prior to baking.

distress crackle paint was applied once all of the other elements were added. I just love the way this ages and distresses any project! it is great on these altered bottles! :)

Thank you again for all of your lovely, encouraging comments this week! you have brought such joy into my heart, that is for certain!

be sure to leave a comment on any of my GIU posts for a chance to win your very own Unity grab bag of stamps!

I hope for you and yours a most blessed Christmas and Happy New Year! I'll be seeing you in 2017! may your days overflow with peace and joy! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner - anything goes
Sunny Day - anything goes
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
We Love to Create - anything mixed media goes
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes

Hello Winter Hot Cocoa Canister for GIU

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Well we are in the final stretch for my Growing in Unity posts this week. y'all have been so nice to me and left such kind comments on my projects! thank you so very much! :)

Here in northeast Ohio, especially the area of the state where we live, it gets downright COLD in the winter. currently our temps are in the single digits or teens. lots of beautiful snow is on the ground, with quite a bit of ice mixed in.

that means in order to keep warm, you need a big cup of coffee or hot cocoa! for our wonderful neighbors, I made a canister of homemade hot cocoa mix using a fun assortment of Unity Stamps.

I started with a re-purposed Nestle Quick container (it's actually part of the cocoa recipe) and added digital papers from the Design by Dani Woodland Spring collection. it's funny that the papers aren't a Christmas collection at all, but rather a spring one. I just loved the colors, though, to match the canister lid. ;)

images from the "Hello Winter" stamp set by Susan Weckesser were stamped on Stampin' Up! natural white.

the cutey girl was stamped and then cut with a Tim Holtz stitched die. I also stamped the doily from the Layers of Life "Magical Bliss and Wonder" set after masking. the trees were added and then several little snowflakes from the same LoL set in kraft ink. more snow flakes were made with Viva Decor pearl drops. the flower center is dotted with distress stickles and the snow on the ground is created with stickles as well.

more snowflakes from the LoL set, also stamped on the same natural white cs, with dual shades of blue ink, were fussy cut and added to the canister.

gorgeous burlap and lace ribbon from Michael's wraps around the canister and ties in a bow.

a beautiful glitter snowflake, also from Michael's, acts as a lovely little backdrop to the precious girl image by Susan.

a doily sprayed with glimmer mist and tree cut with a Tim Holtz die help accent the canister. a few snowflake stickers, also from Michael's give the final decoration. normally I would have added buttons, but our neighbors have 2 adorable little girls under the age of 3 and I didn't want to chance a button coming off and presenting a choking hazard to either one of them.

tickets were cut from the "Ticket to Christmas" set and lightly painted. I love the way the inks ran together to create a vintage look! distress markers were used to accent.

the top is decorated with a beautiful velvet poinsettia, gold glitter dusted berries, a pretty bow made with ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon, snippet of same burlap and lace, and a little pinecone.

that does it for today's post! if you would like the recipe for my hot cocoa mix, head over to this post. the mix used in this canister uses hazelnut flavored creamer. you can use all different flavors for fun!

thanks so much for stopping by! don't forget to leave a comment on any of my GIU posts for your chance to win a Unity Stamps grab bag! :)

check back tomorrow for my final post.
Jennifer

p.s. a reminder that you can enlarge any photo on my blog simply by clicking on it. the picture will open in another window for you. :)

Challenges:
Sweet Stampers - anything goes
Scrap 'n Challenge - Christmas in white and blue
The Crazy Challenge - everything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wed - make it sparkle (lots of glitter and rhinestones in addition to the pearl drops)
Shopping Our Stash - Winter Wonderland
Kraftin' Kimmi's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
The Crafty Addicts - anything goes or Let it Snow
Craft-Dee Bow-Z - anything goes with a handmade bow

A Vintage Merry Christmas for GIU

Coffee of the Day - Butter Rum

We're to my mid week project for Growing in Unity (GIU) and I am going to show all of you what my typical card style is really like....  :)

As I was browsing through the Unity store one day looking for stamps for this week, I came across this gorgeous stamp by Susan Weckesser called "World of Christmas." I instantly fell in love!

oh good golly, look at all of that vintage glory!!! doesn't it just make you swoon right in your computer chair?! into my shopping cart it went!

I stamped the image onto natural vanilla cs from Stampin' Up! and only used a q-tip to shade it. this helps give such an ethereal, shabby look to the piece.

papers are from the Basic Grey Evergreen collection, flowers are an assortment from Wild Orchid Crafts, Petaloo, and Hobby Lobby, and lace & buttons are from my vintage stash.

corner snowflake die is by Creative Expressions and large rectangular die is by Spellbinders. a gold doily, distressed seam binding snippet tied with linen thread, and rusty jingle bell finish the card. a wink of stella glitter pen was brushed over the 'Merry Christmas' to give it a light sparkle.

thank you so much for stopping by today for my coffee of the day! I hope you have enjoyed the things I've created for you so far! :)

be sure to leave a comment on any of my GIU posts for a chance to win a Unity grab bag of stamps!

see you tomorrow! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Fussy and Fancy - angels and fairies or winter
Morgan's Art World - anything goes
QKR - Christmas cards
Holly Jolly Christmas - Christmas card or abc
Inky Chicks - Christmas in traditional colors

Holiday Gift Ideas with GIU

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Welcome back for my second Growing in Unity (GIU) gal post. How's your holiday shopping going? have you finished? started? ;) my husband used to have a tradition of waiting until Christmas Eve to actually BEGIN his shopping! thankfully after 30 years of marriage, I can happily say that is no longer a tradition of his! grins! he likes to start in October or so like the most of us....

today I want to share with you a few somewhat 'quick' little ideas for gifts using Unity stamps. now bear in mind that quick for me might not be quick for you, I am a VERY slow crafter. I kinda like it that way, as it gives me plenty of time to think about the people I am making things for. once upon a time I could whip up a card in less than 10 minutes, but these days it takes me several hours just to paint my images. but it is sooooooooo relaxing! my cat, Moon Pie loves to come into my craft room with me, so it's really a special time. :)

now on to my gift ideas ~

first up is a tag I made to go on a candle that was sent to my Mother-in-law. if you have a Michael's craft store nearby, these jar candles are fabulous! every once in a while they go on sale 4/$10. otherwise I'll use my 40% off coupons on them. the fragrances are quite nice and even when I burn the candles all day long, they'll still last almost a week.

when my MIL came for a visit this spring, I hooked her on them, too. so I found one in a scent I knew she would like and added it along with some other goodies for her for Christmas.

the tag is made using the pretty "Peace Dove" image, stamped in versamark on one of the freebie tags that came along in the 'thank you' gift Unity sent in my last order. I then embossed it in copper ep, once that dried, I added some frantage powders and spritzes of a few shades of glimmer mist. touches of distressing to the tag's edges, a vintage holly sprig, and pretty ribbons turn this into a fabulous gift!

Next up are some cutey little gift bags that I also found at Michael's. These use a combination of stamp sets that might cause you to scratch your head at first, but they really look great together!

I stamped various snowflakes from the Layers of Life Magical Bliss and Wonder set in Prima chalk inks on the muslin bags as well as the little wooden tags my husband made. I then stamped the snowman from Susan Weckesser's "One of a Kind Winter" set using Staz-on. Tim Holtz distress markers were used to color it in, and the snow drops were made with a Viva Decor pearl pen.

several shades of glimmer mist was sprayed to add a bit of sparkly shine.  poinsettias are from Hobby Lobby. finally, the 'joy' is from a sentiment from the "Joy to Go" set.

Thank you so much for stopping by for a cuppa with me! be sure to leave a comment on any one of my GIU posts this week for a chance to win a Unity grab bag of stamps! :)

Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafty Boots - Winter Wonderland (gift bags)
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Melonheadz - time for Christmas
Marker Pop - winter (gift bags, colored with Tim Holtz distress markers)
Use Your Stuff - Merry Christmas ( buttons, ribbons, twine, and Viva Decor pearl pen are all from my older stash)
Simon Says Stamp Wed Ch - gift it

A Cup of Joy Fold-a-Long cards for GIU

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Hip Hip Hooray! the long awaited day is finally here! Today begins my stint as a Growing in Unity gal, or GIU gal for short! to say I've been a Nervous Nelly is putting it MILDLY! my lawsie, do you have any idea how humbling it is to be chosen, but then to be assigned the week prior to Christmas?! ack!!! ;) no pressure..... nah..... NOT!

okay, so here we go....
I am a coffee lover. alright. some MIGHT say I'm an addict. of course I don't, but then I do drink out of a cup that can hold 30 oz. of the beverage of my choice! tee hee!

so to start off my GIU week, yep, I had to go with coffee projects!
now I'm going to warn you. all of my projects this week are going to be all mixy matchy. I've used stamps from various sets, so I will link them all in the body of my posts. I'm not very conventional. and my projects are about as far from CAS as you can get. that's just how I roll. :)

yeah, I also tend to 'talk' a lot! you should hear me irl! (insert my hubby's eye roll here....)

I came across this way cool card die from Sizzix and knew it would be great fun to use at some point this week. the die is called the Ornate Label Fold-a-long. papers are from Basic Grey, sniff sniff sniff..... okay, no more lamenting my fave paper company closing it's doors.....

I decorated the outsides with vintage button cards and distressed seam binding. each was stamped with a sentiment from the "Joy to Go" set. poinsettias from Hobby Lobby were then added.

inside I added images from the "Hello Love" and "Joy to Go" sets. the sentiment is also from "Joy to Go" and accented with vintage holly sprigs & pearl-ex drops. each image has accents of white gel pen stickles, shimmerz paint, and/or Viva Decor pearl paint.

thank you so much for stopping by! if you would like a chance to win a Unity grab bag of stamps, just leave a comment on this or any of my GIU posts this week. see you tomorrow! :)

Jennifer

Challenges:
613 Avenue Create - holiday happiness (coffee is my happiness every day & season!)
Come and Get it - Christmas
The Stamping Boutique - fancy folds
52 Christmas Card Throwdown - any previous challenge (May dies/punches combined with August watercoloring, since that is how I color all of my images)
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Pattie's Creations - anything goes that's Christmas or winter
Color Inspiration Monday link up - anything goes as long as it's hand colored (water colored with SU! inks)

A Bittersweet Christmas Post....

Winner at Holly Jolly Christmas Challenges

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Today's Christmas card marks my last as a Design Team member over at Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra challenge blog. it makes me sad, but all good things come to a close so new ones can begin. :) I am so grateful to the time I had with these lovely ladies!

I'll be on the lookout for a new year round Christmas challenge blog to join, so will keep all of you posted as to how that goes. I love to make Christmas cards! :)

for my card, I used the cutey Winter Bird House image by Bugaboo, our constant, image was printed onto kraft cs and snow was colored with a pencil.  stickles was added over the top for a touch of shine and sparkle. wonderful sponsor. papers are from a neat pad I picked up at Target.

holiday twine was wrapped around the main image, which was cut with a Spellbinders die. upper corner is embellished with a poinsettia by Petaloo and holly leaves & berries from Wild Orchid Crafts. a little ribbon snippet peaks out for a touch of fun and whimsy. :) a doily and vintage button add interest along the border while a Unity Stamps sentiment completes the card.

enjoy your day and I'll see you back here tomorrow with another crafty project! :)

Challenges:
Creative Moments - anything goes
Fab 'n Funky - glitter & sparkle
Holly Jolly Christmas - anything Christmas
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
Christmas with the Cuteys - anything Christmas and cute
Dream Valley - Christmas
Melonheadz - winter is here
Creative Knockouts - winter wonderland/festive fun

A Cup of Christmas Joy

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie (yes, it's an actual coffee flavor!)

The long anticipated day is finally here! I have a crafty post on my blog once again! hooray! :) Thanks so much to those of you who have left such kind and encouraging comments as well as emailed me. you have been so sweet and patient. :)

Today also kicks off the Winter Coffee Loving Cardmaker's blog hop. while I might not have something for every day of the hop, I hope to have several projects to share. :) you know me and my love of coffee!

My card uses the precious 'Willow with Hot Chocolate' image by Elisabeth Bell and a sentiment from the 'Joy to Go' stamp set by Unity.

main image and die for polka dot paper are both by Spellbinders while the holly leaf flourish die is from Cheery Lynn. papers and poinsettia are some I found at Hobby Lobby. buttons are from my vintage stash.

tag was sprayed with glimmer mist and then also sprayed with my SU! ink squirty tool. seam binding is from Zipper Stop & distressed, and that gorgeous trim along the side is a vintage find. :)  other flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

have a most lovely weekend! hope to see you back here again soon! :)
Jennifer

p.s. I'll have some new DT news to post shortly! so excited! now just need to find a new year 'round Christmas team..... I LOVE to make Christmas cards all year long! grins! yes, I'm strange that way.... ;)

Challenges:
Winter Coffee Loving Cardmaker's blog hop
Choux Choux Paper Art - Visions of Sugar Plums Christmas challenge
Christmas Cards All Year Long - anything Christmas Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - vintage or anything Christmas
Crafty Calendar - Christmas Time
Christmas with the Cuties - Christmas and cute
Scribbles Designs - Happy Holidays
Crafty Ribbons - Christmas
613 Avenue Create - Holiday Happiness (you had better believe that coffee is my happiness! ha!)
Morgan's Art World - anything goes

In My Thoughts and Prayers Daisies

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Hey there, blogging fans! I'm treading in tender waters here, as I've been fighting migraines off and on for a while now. a nasty one hit yesterday and really hit me hard. makes it tough to get any crafting done, that is for sure, those rotten things! ;)

anyhow, sharing another sympathy card for my cousin's family today. this one uses the pretty 'Daisy Window' image from A Day for Daisies.  papers are from the Basic Grey Vivienne collection, pearl flourish is from Michael's, seam binding (that I distressed) is found at Really Reasonable Ribbon, sentiment stamp is from a set by Unity. flower centers are covered in distress stickles and little accent dots are made with a white gel pen.

again, keeping the design fairly simple.

hope you have a most wonderful day! thanks so much for stopping by. :)

Challenges:
Scribbles Designs - a song in your heart (My Prayer by The Platters)
ADFD - add glitter (stickles)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
CCC Digi Creations - anything goes
Pearly Sparkles - anything goes with pearls (pearl flourish)
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Through the Purple Haze - flowers

2 Simple Sympathy Cards

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Sadly, one of my cousins died on Easter morning. although I have to say, if I could choose, that would be the exact day I would pick to go to Heaven! oh, the rejoicing and partying going on! lots of comfort in that mental picture, I tell ya.

anyhow, I am busy making lots of sympathy cards to send to his family. I'm not one of those who can make sympathy cards ahead of time. I need to make these as I need them so I can really think and pray over each one.

I'm also a fairly slow crafter, so I'm afraid y'all are going to be seeing these for a bit. I apologize in advance for this.

I'm sharing 2 today, made with a beautiful feather image from A Day for Daisies. papers are from the Webster's Pages Painted Passport collection.

ribbons and trims are all from Really Reasonable Ribbon with the exception of burlap which is May Arts and buttons are from my vintage stash.

1st card - little banner punch and sentiment used on it are by SU!
2nd card - banner die is SU! and sentiment stamp is by Unity.

thanks so much for stopping by. I hope your day is amazing! :)

Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Digi Choosday - spring colors
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Love to Scrap - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - anything goes
Ribbon Girls - any image and ribbon
Outlawz Mon. Greeting - anything goes
Paper Shelter - buttons
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes

Don't Look Back Bunnies

Coffee of the Day - Highlander Creme (a hazelnut/butterscotch mix)

Happy Monday to you! and Happy President's Day to those of you who live in the States. :)

I am here to share with you a card featuring a new image, 'Bunny Brothers #179,' from Sandra Caldwell's cute Etsy shop.

the sentiment stamp is from Unity. it is one of my all time fave sayings. just seemed to go perfectly with this image. :)  papers are from the Authentique Springtime collection. main image dies are by Spellbinders, heart die is by Sizzix, and flourish die (under bow, cut from clear packaging) is Tim Holtz. flowers are all from Wild Orchid Crafts. pretty diamond satin ribbon comes from Really Reasonable Ribbon. little dew drops are some I won at Double Click Skittles.

I want to share just a bit of my thinking when I made this card:

as I was making it, I was thinking of my family. when any of our sons go through difficult times, my husband and I try to be there to encourage them to press on toward the future. no matter what choices they have made to get them to the point of difficulty, we want them to know that they are always always loved and that point is not a permanent stop or destination, but just a small detour on their life's road.

when I saw this image, it was as if it was hubby and I standing beside one of our sons and letting him know we would always be there for him.

I do hope you will join us over in Sandra's Facebook group.

Challenges:
Eureka - feathers and fur
Dragonfly Dreams - hearts and flowers
Outlawz Twisted Thurs - show some love
Simply Papercraft - anything goes
Crafty Ribbons - animals and ribbon
Creative Knock-outs - furry friends
ABC - 'B' is for bunnies and bows and blue (well, bluish! )

A Valentine for My Hunny Bunny

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

So have you started thinking about making Valentine's for your sweeties yet? I am the only girlie in a house filled with men, so as much as I would LOVE to make frilly, fussy, lacy, gorgeous Valentine's covered in doilies and such, there just aren't that many people I can give them to. my guys kinda frown on receiving them. ;) they tend to also like to receive the most simple cards, which goes against my grain, so I do my best to keep embellies to a minimum when I craft for them. but I can't make a card without ribbons! just not happening!

that is when I pull out my natural fibers and trims for their cards. I'll still add a flower or two, because guys still like flowers, just usually not a whole card full of them.

it's time to get creative with your ribbon choices on those masculine cards!

plaids, stripes, and polka dots are always great picks. I went for the simple, but always fashionable 2 1/2" cotton ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon as a base for my trim across the bottom of the card.  love the frayed edges to it! :) this was topped with the gorgeous 1/2" red wrinkled ribbon that has such a fabulous texture. it looks wonderful against that natural cotton ribbon.

a pretty carnation makes a simple accent. flowers similar to this one can be found in the RRR store. in fact, a brand new shipment of Wild Orchid Craft mulberry flowers has just arrived, so have fun filling up your shopping cart! there are some I can't wait to get my crafty hands on! :) click on the 'new' tab at the top of the page to see all of the fun new goodies!

and by the way, since I first started my blog, I have called my hubby my 'hunny bunny.' when I came across this stamp from Unity, I had to grab it!

bunny image is from A Day for Daisies, paper is from the Basic Grey True Love collection, dies are both by Spellbinders, and buttons are vintage. a bit of faux stitching was added to the heart.

thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
A Day for Daisies - stitch it up (faux stitching)
Choux Choux Paper Art - Valentine/Hearts linky party
WAW - anything encouraging goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Eureka - Love is in the Air/Valentine
Paper Girls - forest friends
Incy Wincy - tic tac toe (ribbon, red, button)
Double Click Skittles - anything goes
Ruby's Rainbow - animal magic
Outlawz Mon Greeting - anything goes
Scribbles Designs - have a heart

Be Original - Be YOU!

Coffee of the Day - Sweet Potato ( a brown sugar, butter cream taste. yum!)

I finally was able to get my card done for the new Anya, Oddies, and Others challenge blog, but please forgive me for the horrid scan. my regular scanner crashed today, so I had to use our regular printer. it's great for printing digis, but scanning - not so much. as you can see, photos are not clear and crisp at all. :(

good news is that I think I can repair my old scanner. I did some internet searching this evening and have found a few troubleshooting sites that just might  have the answers! I sure hope so, because I love my scanner! we all know I can't take pix worth beans any longer since I shake so much. really hope this works!

remember that you can click on any of the tabs across the top of the page on the blog. under each heading you will find not only the criteria for each stamp company, but also the linky tool for your own projects!

since I am working with Unity Stamps, my criteria for the challenge were to use at least one of the following:  blue, wooden embellie, butterfly, sticker. I am using blue and wooden veneers.

I stamped the elephant from 'Original You' onto a piece of watercolor cs that I created with gelatos and several spray mists. there is a lot of sparkle on this irl. the sentiment is part of the stamp set. the card base was stamped with 'Vintage Passport' in Versamark ink. I've not used that ink in FOREVER!

after fussy cutting the elephant, I went back over some of the little black dots with a black spica glitter gel pen. I used the same glitter gel pen to add accent dots across the top of the banner. little flower is Petaloo, enamel dots are homemade, wood veneer flowers are Studio Calico, baker's twine is Webster's Pages, little kraft bag is re-purposed, and I'm sorry I don't know mfg of washi tapes.

Tip - as many of you know, I save all kinds of things to use on my craft projects. even something as simple as a little paper bag can easily be used on a card!

for easy directions on how to make your own enamel dots, click here. once my dots had cooled, I then added them to sheets of mini glue dots so that they were ready to go! :)

I do hope you will play along with us!
Enjoy your weekend! :)

Challenges:
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Mema's Crafts - anything goes
One Crazy Stamper - blue, white, plus embellies (no digi)
Seemacrafts - anything goes
Bloggers Ch - reuse/recycle (paper bag)
Crafty Catz - anything goes
QKR - anything goes
Divas by Design - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Creative Card Crew - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Top Tip Tues - make your own (enamel dots)

Check Out Anya, Oddies, and Others Challenge Blog!

I am such a goober! I completely forgot to tell all of you about a really fun, new challenge blog I am so tickled to be associated with!

Anya, Oddies, and Others is a just for fun challenge blog that runs monthly. you will be given crafty triggers for your projects. use one, two, or all of them on your creations, then link 'em up! easy peasy! no sponsors or prizes, but a fun little badge for your blog if your project is chosen as a winner.

I am running a bit behind on my card for this month since I haven't been feeling too well, but I represent Unity Stamps. hopefully my card will be finished over the weekend.

when you go to the blog, you will see the different stamp company tabs across the top. click on the one you choose for the trigger options and links.

hope to see you there! :)

We Can Beat This Starburst

Coffee of the Day - Buttered Rum

It's Friday! wooo hoooo! always a happy day, regardless of whether you are still in school or not. there is just something so special about a Friday, don't you think?!

I wanted to play along in the Unity Friends with Flair Friday challenge, but also saw a fun sketch over at The Stamping Boutique today. add that to the Outlawz Paper a la Mode challenge of pink that ends tonight, and I was in a hurry to get a card made today! :)

I have a box of cards I need to get out to MD Anderson in Texas to their cancer center, so thought I would add one more to the mix before packaging it up this weekend. this is the same place all cards for Hope You Can Cling To at Split Coast Stampers are sent. since my previous oncologist moved over 1 1/2 hours away from me, I no longer have a card box to add cards to. my current oncologist is at our local hospital, and they don't do anything like the card box I had set up before. so I need someplace to send all of my cards!

I have a big dr. appt. on Monday and start up tests & scans next week. not looking forward to that. you won't see much of me .....

stamps are from the Unity Angie Girl set, 'Cure Girls.' papers are from the Basic Grey Highline collection. starburst die is from Taylored Expressions, leaf flourish die is Cheery Lynn, and die for main image is Spellbinders.  the sentiment banner is actually attached with pink staples. I love these, but save them for very special projects! flower is Prima and sequins were just scattered over the card. I glued them down where they fell. love the random look!

will see you back here tomorrow! enjoy your weekend! :)

Challenges:
Unity Friends with Flair - anything goes with Unity products
The Stamping Boutique - sketch
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - all about the pink
Brown Sugar - patterned paper
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon
Creative Card Crew - girly
Just For Fun - ribbon or lace
Sister Act - any card goes
Ooh La La - faithful friends (believe me, it makes a big difference to have people stand by your side during a cancer battle. not everyone does, sadly)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Sassy Studios - so bright ya gotta wear shades
Crafting By Designs - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Nutcrafters - bingo: bling (sequins), girly, paper punch or die cuts (dies listed above)
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - anything goes
Robyn's Fetish - get well

You've Been On My Mind

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Macadamia Nut

Hello and happy Friday! it's snowing like crazy here. We got the news last night that both Tyler and Ryan are coming in this evening to spend the long weekend with us. you know that makes me a very happy mom! :)

I did manage to get another card made to share with you. We needed a sympathy card for a gentleman in the Church District Office who's mother passed away last week. Since I am still out of ink in my printer, I'm a bit limited as to what I can use. I thought these stamps from Unity worked out pretty well.

Stamps are from the sets 'Cherish Your Dreams' and 'Debby Girl'. papers are from the Basic Grey Hopscotch collection, washi tape is Tim Holtz (I think), baker's twine is from The Twinery. flower centers are dotted with antique linen distress stickles. oh yes, the little kraft reinforcement sticker comes from The Kraft Outlet. it's a fairly simple card, but I wasn't sure if it was going in the mail or if Dave was going to deliver it the next time he goes to the District Office.

I hope all of you have a most wonderful weekend!

Challenges:
Unity - friends with flair
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Frosted Designs - polka dots
Sister Act - anything goes with cards
Aud Sentiments - any sentiments
Crafting Cafe - anything goes
WAW - anything goes with encouraging senti
TTCRD - anything goes
Card Mania - anything goes

Guess What I am Doing Today?

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (kinda obvious on this one... grins!)

So what do you think I am doing today?

Hubby is getting himself ready for the big Hot Dog House we do every Halloween. in case you aren't familiar with this, we get together at a friend's house and grill hot dogs to pass out to families trick or treating. no charge, just a way to say 'hello' to all of the friendly people in our little town! we usually give away several hundred hot dogs in addition to hot chocolate and water every year. we've been doing this for over 10 years. I haven't been able to go the past few. it is such a wonderful tradition and we really have such a great time! :)

but I am getting envelopes of blog candy goodies ready to mail out!!!! I'll most definitely have 6 winners. after I get busy today, there might be more. I'll just have to see. you have until midnight tonight to get yourself linked for a chance to win! the majority of the entries are from outside of the USA, so don't let living across the pond stop you from entering! :)

yesterday I wrote about some of my crafting complaints. today you get the flip side. I am going to tell you about some FABULOUS stores and people who make this world a whole lot brighter! see, I'm not always a Debbie Downer. ;)

for customer service, you CAN NOT beat Stampin' Up!  I don't order from them as often as I would like, and yes, I do miss the days of being a demo. but if I ever ever have a problem, they are speedy fast to fix it with the happiest of people on the phone. if it's spilled re-inkers, broken stamp cases, or whatever, they go out of their way to make sure I AM HAPPY. their orders routinely ship out pretty fast, and replacements seem to ship even faster.

my son, Tyler, had a problem with something he ordered from Amazon a while back. he created a ticket on their website and actually received a call from their customer service dept within a few hours. here it is a few days later and an upgraded part has been sent. they told him they will call to make sure not only that the part arrived, but that it works properly. he is so very impressed!

now for some stores that go above and beyond......

I received, out of the blue, a package a few days ago from Simon Says Stamp. it's been a while since I last shopped with them. as far as I knew, they had no clue who I am.... inside this box was the most beautiful collection of pink crafty goodies - glitters, inks, perfect pearls, and stickles! you know I was beside myself!!! tucked inside was also a gorgeous handmade card. written inside it said, 'We were thinking of you and thought we'd send some things to help brighten your day.'  boy howdy, did it ever! last year my friend Lisa had sent me a wonderful box of things from their store when I was in the midst of chemo. Heidi and the people who work with her at SSS actually remembered that! and the really cool thing is that this box arrived right after I received my letter from the hospital, so I was needing a bit of cheering up. talk about God's timing! :)

next we have Unity Stamps. they are so very kind and generous! I wrote to them as soon as I was asked to be a hostess for Hope You Can Cling To and had my challenge approved. the 'Brave Boots' comes from one of their stamp sets. I just wanted to tell them what an inspiration that stamp set had been to me, and hopefully would be to someone else going through any kind of a battle. well, they sent a fabulous box of stamps (sets and individuals) for me to give away here on my blog! those of you who win prizes through the blog candy will be winning stamps that Unity has donated! how cool is THAT?!?! and just so you know.... I have kept one single sentiment stamp for myself. all of the rest are being given away. I want to be sure to pass along the kindness to all of you.

there are also multitudes of YOU who have sent me cards and care packages. my friend, Tracy, just recently sent me a zombie card that has me giggling every time I look at it! I never forget that I am blessed. really. I just need a bit of a break right now. there is a part of me that is weary. the sun still shines somewhere, the birds still sing. none of that has changed.

see you in a few days with the winners! :)