Happy 1st Birthday, Lyra!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Hazelnut Spice coffee

Hello to everyone!  :)

Please forgive my long absence. I have what is now being called 'long covid', having been sick since Christmas. thankfully the vaccinations and booster shots prevented me from being hospitalized or being any worse than it has been, but oh my goodness, I am so ready to be over this. ugh.  

anyhow, on to crafty stuff! :)

our first grand-daughter celebrated her one year birthday last weekend. oh my heart! she is such a delight! because we live so far away, plus with me being sick, we weren't able to go to her celebration, but we did have a fun video chat after her big party. she doesn't just walk, she RUNS everywhere! :D  

because I haven't been feeling well, my inking and coloring skills are at a minimum right now. along to the rescue came Lily of the Valley pre-colored digital images! they are called Simply Prints in the Etsy store. so many adorable designs to choose from. (P.S. they currently have a BIG sale, so now would be an excellent time to add some of these cuties to your stash!)

for this card, I used the Birthday Fairy simply print paired with some of the pretty designer paper from the Backing paper collection.  I also added a pastel pink gingham paper, I think from either Carta Bella or Echo Park. it was a piece in my stash that no longer had the markings.  .A Wink of Stella glitter pen was brushed over the fairy wings, wand, antennae, and package bow. gotta have some sparkle! :) The image was cut with a Spellbinders die, pale pink seam binding and bright pink floral trim are topped with a flower from Wild Orchid Crafts. a small pink ticket butterfly & cupcake ephemera, and vintage buttons complete the card. 

I am trying to finish Easter cards so they can be mailed out tomorrow. I'll be back next week to show you those.

I truly hope all of you are well. I have missed sharing with you on my blog, but really am going to do better posting. I plan to start work on a baby journal for our newest grand-daughter, due the end of August! :)  I'll share the process of creating that, as I take a VERY long time to make a junk journal. 

much love to each of you! 

Jennifer 

Look Deep into Nature Birthday Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Maple Walnut coffee

Hello and Happy Weekend! :) I hope you have something fabulous planned, even if it's hanging out and relaxing.

I am sorry that I haven't shared much recently. working very diligently on hubby's journal for our anniversary at the end of this month, and I am extremely slow. :/  but I am oh, so thankful for the moments when I feel well enough to craft. isn't this such a wonderful activity that can bring so much joy and be therapeutic as well?

the card for today has been picked by my family as one of their all time favorites that I have made. I created it for our son's birthday. as much as I am a tree hugger, Mick is even more so! he loves nature with a passion. he has asked me to make him a gardening journal, so that will be next month's project. ;)

I used the amazing papers from the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Great Escape collection. I have purchased so many sheets from this collection. it is definitely a favorite. I am also using quite a few of these papers in hubby's journal. this is a fairly large card so that it could accommodate the journaling card. in case you can't read it very well, it says, "Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better." isn't that so lovely?

green twine is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, burlap ribbon is a stash item as are the vintage buttons, and little flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. I think the wooden mushroom came from World Market. I bought the pack quite a while ago. everyone in our family laughs because I am forever picking up little tidbits when out on walks. the mini pinecone came from Camp, as did the little seed pod portion. I covered that in distress crackle paint. love the way it turned out! the piece of bark is just a smidgen I found. isn't that bit of moss on it so precious? makes my heart swoon. :)

I didn't get a photo of it, but I stamped a mushroom on the inside and then stamped again with water rather than ink. it created a gorgeous watercolor look. I think I added the word 'explore' as well as a birthday sentiment. my memory is just not the same these days.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Take care and know that you are deeply loved! :)  Jennifer

Challenges:

1.  Creative Fingers - anything goes
2.  Craft Rocket - birthday
3.  DL Art - birthday
4.  Crafty Creations - anything goes
5.  Paper Funday - anything goes w/back to school option
6.  TTCRD - anything goes
7.  Crafter's Castle - anything goes
8.  Crafty Calendar - anything goes
9.  Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
10.  Classic Design - anything goes

Floral Teacup Birthday Card

Runner Up Winner at Morgan's Art World

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut

Hello and happy weekend! :)

I apologize that I haven't been back to share more of my craft projects. I had a bit of a setback and ended up in the hospital. ugh... since being home, I am just so very tired and worn out. haven't felt up to doing much other than lying on the courch or in bed reading or sleeping. 

anyhow, you want to see crafty stuff! ;)

so this is a birthday card I created for my MIL. poor thing has been in lockdown at her assisted living center since the first of March. she is struggling, because she really loves to get out and DO. she has much more energy than I do these days. this is the card I added to her gift.

The image is a vintage one that I found online as are the old seed covers.  the book page in the bg is vintage. flowers and leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts, organza ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, cotton trim is from my stash as are the vintage buttons. the doily was avocado stained. who would have ever thought avocados would create a pink dye? not me, that is for sure! sentiment stamp is from Purple Onion Designs. I know it's a bit casual for this card, but it is the only birthday sentiment I could find in my collection that was large enough.oh yes, I forgot about the little heart charm. another stash item.

the ceiling fan was blowing my ribbon around, so that is why the tails are up in the air. :)

all of you have a most amazing weekend! thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and love!

Jennifer

Challenges:

613 Avenue Create - anything goes or sentiment is the focus

Allsorts - flowers all over

Crafty Calendar - add a ribbon

Crafty Friends - happy birthday

Creative Fingers - anything goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes

A Perfect Time to Craft - anything goes

Creations in Pink - more pink than any other color

Creative Craft Cottage - add flowers

Morgan's Art World - anything goes

Fab 'n Funky - anything goes with pink

Botanical Birthday

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Pumpkin Spice coffee (I love this flavor and drink it all year long)

Hello and Happy Monday! a beautiful new week is before us, full of miracles and possibilities! :)

I am back to share with you a birthday card I created for one of my daughters-in-law. She loves purples and lavenders, so I tried to incorporate those into the card. I am still not well enough to do any watercoloring of images, so am relying on the beautiful things I find on Etsy. just tying a bow or trying to glue flowers is a challenge these days. my head and fingers just can't get in sync. ;)

but anyhow, the papers and images come from 2 of my favorite digital shops on Etsy - Roxy's Creations and ShabbyDabbyDoDah. I also used a piece of script paper from Shawn Petite. It is in her free resource library, and I absolutely love it! it's about a strong, empowered woman, which is exactly who my DIL is. :) all you have to do to access the library is become a subscriber. it's free, which is fabulous because I have learned so much from this very talented artist. she is very generous with her freebies, but then so are the other 2 stores that I linked. you can subscribe to their newsletters for free as well.

not too much fancy or complicated on this card. vintage buttons and trims from Really Reasonable Ribbon. words are Tim Holtz dies and flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts.

thank you so very much for the uplifting and supportive comments and emails that you have sent. it brightens my day, that is for certain! 

my prayer for all of you is that you are surrounded by love, health, and peace. :)

Jennifer

Floral Wedding Card in Greens and Purples

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut Rum

Hello and Happy Friday to you! :)
I am sharing the first of several projects that I have recently created. I will spread out the posts over several days, as I am feeling well enough to get to the computer. btw, thank you for the kind and encouraging comments left on my previous post! :) y'all are amazing!!!

The first card was created for our son's wedding last month. the card is a bit larger than a typical size. sorry, I didn't get it measured.
digital papers and images are from Roxy's Creations. She has some gorgeous paper kits and vintage ephemera pieces in her store. if you sign up for her newsletter, she occasionally sends out freebies. I think the pieces used here are from the green and purple kits. I printed both out at the same time for this and another project I will be sharing shortly.

flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, word die is by Tim Holtz, seam binding is from Zipper Stop, and the vintage buttons, doily, burlap ribbon, & sequins are from my stash. "Love" was embossed with copper ep.

Thank you very much for stopping by! I hope you have a most amazing weekend! :)

Vintage Happy Thanksgiving Greetings!

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Cinnamon Macadamia Nut coffee

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends here in the USA! I hope you are surrounded by family and friends, counting your many blessings. :) I know I am so grateful, every day!

I am sharing the card I made to send to a few very special folks. Our middle son will not be able to be with us this holiday because of living so far away. St. Louis just isn't as close to Ohio as Michigan. ;) Our other sons and their wives will be driving in tomorrow to spend the weekend with us. While we will miss Mick and Lauren, I know it will be a wonderful time with everyone else. I am so excited to see them again!

One of David's sisters and her husband spent a few days with us last week. They live in Texas, so other than weddings, we don't get to see them often. Thankfully there are 2 weddings next year, so we will have several opportunities for visiting and fun times!

so on to my card -
the beautiful vintage images are from The Graphics Fairy. plaid paper is by Bella Blvd., gorgeous brown textured ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. the leaves were die cut from the Tim Holtz Fall Foliage die set, using cardstocks that were sprayed with an assortment of distress oxide sprays. so many lovely colors irl! the little acorn cap I picked up out at Camp. I love using bits of nature on my project, especially in the fall.

Have a most glorious holiday and weekend!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner - anything fall goes
Creative Moments - anything goes
SSS Wed - anything goes
Words 2 Craft By - thankful
CRAFT - inspired by a book (Cranberry Thanksgiving or Berenstain Bears Give Thanks)
Creative Knockouts - winter/holidays (holiday - Thanksgiving)
Southern Girls - anything goes

Happy Halloween Something Wicked Skull

Coffee/Tea of the Day - White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice coffee

Happy Halloween!
We aren't big celebrators of the day, but as I have mentioned in prior posts, I do try to make cards to send along with candy to our sons and the ladies in their lives. I wanted to make a card for hubby, too. yesterday was a rough one, with me spending most of the day in bed, so I quickly finished this card this morning.

The bg piece is the same as what I created for the cards for the Candy Crow and Skull Couple cards. Distress oxide sprays and distress inks were applied over watercolor paper, then stamped with images from the Tim Holtz Tiny Things 2 and Regions Beyond sets. the TH flame stencil was then used.

for this card, I also used the TH crossbones stencil and grit texture paste. I love how the paste absorbs colors from the bg! the sentiment is from the TH Regions Beyond set and embossed on black cs. the skull image is from the Simon Says Stamp and TH Stamptember 2019 collaboration set.  it reminds me a bit of an alligator, which is fitting since we lived for 10 years in Florida and met up with quite a few of those critters. ;) the skull was loosely watercolored and fussy cut before distressing with ink.

vintage buttons are from my stash, tickets are from a Jellibean ephemera pack, and ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon. the rose is from Wild Orchid Crafts. I added some touches of ink and also used my SU! ink squirty tool to spray some black speckles. did the same on one of the little ephemera tickets.

I was so excited that this sentiment was included in the TH Regions Beyond stamp set. when Dave and I were dating, this was one of the first movies we watched together, and quickly became a favorite. if you haven't seen it or read the book, I highly recommend it! :)

enjoy your day! thanks for stopping by. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
SSS Wed Ch and SSS Work it Wed. - anything goes
Crafty Gals Corner - Halloween colors
Little Red Wagon - scary it
Paper Funday - anything goes w/Halloween twist
A Place to Start - create your own challenge:
1. image, sentiment, solid paper (mat and sentiment pieces as well as card base)
2. embossing, wet or dry (wet)
3. embossing powder
4. buttons, flowers
5. ribbon
Dream Valley - add a sentiment
Pammie's Inky Pinkies - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - anything goes w/sentiment
Krafty Chicks - orange and black

Day of the Dead Skull Couple Halloween Cards

Top 3 Pick at Always Fun Challenges
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tiramisu coffee

Happy Wednesday to all of you! :)
So I managed to finish the cards for my sons and their significant others and get everything in the mail, hopefully in time. well, I should say that hubby got it in the mail for me. ;) what a guy! I am working on his card today and will try to post it tomorrow if all goes well.

The bg for both of these cards is the same as what I created for the Halloween Candy Crow card I shared a few days ago. I tried to streamline the creative process as much as I could since crafting takes me so very long these days.

for a recap, distress oxide sprays as well as distress oxide inks were applied to watercolor paper. I used the Tim Holtz flame stencil over this, as well as the Prima messy script mini stamp. House stamp (and some of the sentiments) is from the Tim Holtz Regions Beyond set, owl and mushrooms are from the Tim Holtz Tiny Things 2 set, and the wonderful Dia de los Muertos skull couple are from the Tim Holtz Day of the Dead set. the other sentiments are from the Simon Says Stamp and Tim Holtz Stamptember 2019 collaboration set.

The skull couple comes in two sizes in the stamp set. I used the smaller ones and embossed with black ep. I then lightly watercolored the images after fussy cutting. edges were distressed with ink. with a last name like Scull, all of us in the family tend to gravitate toward and collect skull images.

sentiments were embossed with white ep onto black cs. each was then distressed with black ink.

moth images are from The Graphic Fairy. roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts and have had black soot distress stickles added to them. ribbons and trim are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. the mirrored hearts were first colored with a sharpie marker and then lightly sponged with timber brown Stazon ink to tone down the red as well as add some aging. (sorry for the glare in the photos)

this time I remembered my vintage buttons! :)  I also added these cool little seed pod shell fragments that I found out at Camp a week or two ago. they have been messy painted with distress crackle paint, I think in Shabby Shutters. I have had this a while, obviously, since the colors of distress crackle paint have all been discontinued. that was a sad day, as was the day they retired all of the distress stickle line. :( needless to say, I stocked up as much as I could.

Have a most amazing day! thanks for your continued support. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
TTCRD - anything goes
Always Fun - Halloween
Crafting Happiness - Halloween
Crafty Cardmakers - Halloween
Double Trouble - color (orange, red, purple, brown) and optional twist of something that flies (moths and owl)
Pattie's Creations - autumn or Halloween
Sweet Stampers - autumn or Halloween
Tales From the Craftroom - Halloween
Creative Crafters - anything goes
SSS Wed Ch and SSS Work it Wed - anything goes

'Candy Made Me Do It' Halloween Crow

Top 3 at Sweet Stampin'
Winner at Fabrika Fantasy
Honorable Mention at Lavinia World
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Hazelnut Vanilla coffee

Hello to all of you!
I am sharing a card that I made for one of my son's and his wife for Halloween. we always send them candy for the holiday, even though they are all grown and have moved away. some traditions just last long beyond the nest. ;)

my crafting is extremely slow these days, so it's taking me lots longer to get these made. hopefully I will have the others finished tomorrow so they can get in the mail.

I had a great time creating the bg on this card. it's a combination of numerous distress oxide sprays in addition to regular distress ink. the main images were stamped with Memento ink. in lighter ink that matches the card base I stamped the Prima script stamp I have been using lately. it might not show in the photo, but irl it peeks through ever so slightly, which is exactly what I wanted. :) stamps used are from the Tim Holtz 'Regions Beyond' and 'Tiny Things 2' sets. the Tim Holtz flame stencil was also used before distressing the edges.

The crow was embossed with black ep. both it and the sentiment are from a special collaboration stamp set between Simon Says Stamp and Tim Holtz. I actually bought the set because of these stamps. :) it originally was one stamp, but I cut the sentiments apart from all of the images. that way I can get more use from them and it's easier to stamp one or the other. I lightly watercolored the crow after fussy cutting. it is popped up on a double thickness of foam tape. sentiment is embossed with white ep on black cs.

the candy bingo card is by Jenni Bowlin and is a digital download from Snap Click Supply. if you don't yet, check them out every Wednesday for their dollar specials. it's the best deal around!  they also have some kind of promotion that runs every weekend, ranging from 50% off certain brands to a sale on new products. I am not a rep for them, just a very happy customer! :) the card is edged in black soot distress stickles. they are also added to the flower by the sentiment.

both moth images are from The Graphics Fairy, ribbons and trim are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, flower is by Wild Orchid Crafts, and little candies are from a QuicKutz die. boy howdy, did those little goodies almost do me in! I also added a few twigs for the crow to rest upon. gosh, I just realized that I didn't add any vintage buttons! what is up with that?! :)

I hope all of you have had a wonderful weekend! bring on Monday. :)
take care!
Jennifer

Challenges:
SSS Monday Ch - spooky
Dragonfly Dreams - use black
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Allsorts - make your own bg
Crafty Calendar - Autumn colors/Halloween
Crafty Friends - embossing, wet or dry
Di's Digis - Halloween or Harvest
Sweet Stampin' - Halloween or black and orange
Shopping Our Stash - Halloween
Daring Cardmakers - make it spooky
CRAFT - Halloween/Thanksgiving/Bonfire Night
Lavina World - anything goes using stamping
Fabrika Fantasy - Halloween

Sending Love and Hugs Two Cats Tag Card in Pink

Coffee/Tea of the Day - White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice coffee

Hello and Happy Friday! :)
I am here with an entry in the Cat Lover's Blog Hop. There have been very few moments in my life when I have not had at least one cat in my family. I was a cat lover long before ever having our precious pups in our lives. Our current feline king of castle is Moon Pie. he is a rescue kitty who completely rules the roost! he and Palmer are the bestest buddies. :) in fact, he is sitting on the computer desk beside me   as I am typing.... silly guy! :D

My project uses some of the paper that I made for the breast cancer ribbon awareness cards from this post. rather than use it for the bg, this time I die cut a tag from it. Prima doily and script stamps were used on the tag as well. I die cut another tag from kraft cs and stamped it with one of the sentiments from the retired SU! Ribbon of Courage stamp set. edges on both tags were distressed with ink.

The gorgeous vintage cat clip art is from The Graphics Fairy. they were fussy cut and popped up on foam tape.  flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, vintage buttons, doily, and pink crochet trim are from my stash, and pink ribbon tying together the tags is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. decorative papers, as with the cards from the other day, are by Echo Park and Kaisercraft. oh yes, distress stickles were added in various places for a touch of sparkle and vintage loveliness.

Thank you to everyone who has left such heartfelt, loving comments about my cancer battle. all of you are simply the best!!!!

enjoy your weekend! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
SUYP - Meowleween or furry anything goes (featuring a cat)
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes
Krafty Chicks - gift packaging, tags, or anything goes (2 tags on the card)
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Crafty Animals - anything goes w/an animal
Creations in Pink - anything goes in mainly pink
Daisy Chain - pink or Halloween
Papercraft Business Ch - tag, you're it
Creative Crafters - anything goes
Bastel-Traum - favorite animal
TTCRD - anything goes
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Brown Sugar - anything goes
My Time to Craft - Halloween or cats

Strength Anchor Alcohol Ink Resist

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Rum

Happy Monday as we begin a new week! I hope you all had a most wonderful weekend and are ready for the adventure ahead as a new week sits before us. :)

I was able to do a bit of crafting, thankfully. bad healthwise, but still grateful for the time in my craft room.

At the beginning of the month, Jennifer McGuire shared on her blog several stores that were doing promotions to raise funds for the Bahamas in the aftermath of the hurricane. I was able to do my share and purchase several items. The stamp today was one such benefit product. here is her post if you would like to see some of the promotions and the companies that participated. a few are still active.

The stamp set is called 'Anchors the Soul' is in available from Honey Bee Stamps. I see now that there is also a coordinating die set for it. adding it to my wish list for Santa. ;) proceeds from the die set will also go to the relief efforts.

it's such a beautiful stamp set with such meaning. a friend of ours is going through some difficult times right now, so I wanted to create a card for her. we go to church together, and she also works with Dave out at Camp. both she and her husband and struggling with their health. I know how much those cards can mean when your health is weak. the knowledge that there is someone out there who is thinking about you can be so encouraging on a rough day.

I created a shadow effect with both embossing and craft ink in white on photo paper. the background is created with an assortment of alcohol inks. the teals, purples, and aqua shads don't show in the photograph for whatever reason, so I do apologize for that. it is a much more cohesive card irl.

the image was then cut with a Tim Holtz stitched rectangle die. I wanted to try the off the edge look for something different after seeing this done in several samples. it's matted on white cs and a white cs base as well. the pale blue layer is stamped with a Prima script mini bg stamp and the little greenery flourish. The word 'strength' from the sentiment is stamped along the side, and the full sentiment is stamped inside.

a tiny twine bow in red and rose from Wild Orchid Crafts help accent the anchor. sequins in red and iridescent white add a bit of sparkle while a distressed ticket adds another pop of color and interest.

Thank you so much for stopping by and your lovely words of encouragement as I post here again in the midst of my illness. y'all are the best! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Dare 2B Artzy - favorite color (blue is so soothing and comforting!)
Addicted to Stamps - for a lady/girl
Creative Fingers - anything goes
QKR - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - anything goes w/a sentiment
Creative Knockouts - anything goes
Southern Girls - tic, tac, toe: die cut, stamp, blue
Crafty Creations - anything goes

Mother's Day Wandering Kitty Cat

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Coconut Coffee

Hello after so long! :)

I know many of you have sent messages asking after me, and I appreciate each and every one. thank you! my health has been quite a mess, so I've been spending my time in bed, basically just reading lots and lots of books. getting on the computer is difficult for me, so I limit my time to about once a week to only take care of the very minimum tasks. I owe many of you messages and will try to send them as I am able.

I did manage to get a card made for my MIL for Mother's Day. hubby said that she has been carrying this card around the Senior Center facility where she lives showing it to everyone. it makes me happy that she enjoys it so much!

the precious stamps are from Purple Onion Designs. they were stamped onto watercolor paper and colored with pencils. Smokey the cat and the little toadstool cluster were stamped several times then popped up on foam dimensional tape. I used the stamping off technique with the foliage stamp to create a fun wilderness scene for our little kitty cat. a leaf embossing folder on the kraft card base adds to the over outdoor feel of the card.

little sweetheart blossoms from Wild Orchid Crafts, vintage buttons, distressed seam binding, ticket, and grosgrain ribbon snippet complete the card.

my MIL has been missing having a cat ever since she moved into the Senior facility. for Mother's Day, my hubby and I thought it would be fun for her to have a stuffed animal of a cat to remind her of the ones she used to have in her home, but rather than find one in a store, we sent her a gift card to Build a Bear so she could go with her great-grandchildren to make her own. :) that way she not only will have a furry pet to keep in her room, but she will have a fun day out with her family. Build a Bear has several cute cats to choose from, so she can tailor it to look however she likes. thus, the kitty cat card for the holiday. :D

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

Challenges:
Ike's World - embossing
SUYP - anything goes w/a cat
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafty Animals - anything w/an animal goes

Missing You - Honoring the Hundreds of Native American Women who go Missing Every Year & Blog Candy

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Salted Caramel

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the Women's March. I was privileged to join with over a million of my sisters and brothers in solidarity for so very many important causes in Washington DC at that first march two years ago. I would love to be able to march again this year, but my health prevents me. as of a few days ago, I really wanted to, but it's hard enough for me to get up and down my stairs right now, much less walk a few miles.

Yesterday was the very first march of Indigenous People in DC. oh, how I wanted to be there for that, too. so many things trouble our native people right now - their sacred lands are being destroyed by oil & gas pipelines, their beautiful women disappear at alarming rates, basic health care and housing is lacking, and yet they are some of the most peaceful, kind, loving people I have ever had the honor to meet. I have learned so much from the time I have spent in their presence. to say my life has changed would be an understatement.

so when I attended the very first Women's March, I carried a sign on behalf of our Native People. (I actually have the water vessel from that poster tattooed on my arm now!)  I planned to do the same today. But since I couldn't attend the march, I thought to make a card honoring the women who disappear each year.  it's a very serious problem here in the US and in Canada. a new bill has been put through Congress called "Savanna's Act," which honors a young woman brutally murdered about a year and a half ago. David and I met her family at the Standing Rock healing ceremony just after she was murdered.

I embossed a panel of watercolor paper with the bg stamp from the Dare 2B Artzy set "Feathers." using WOW Perissa powder. the same bg stamp was stamped directly onto the card base and embossed with WOW Primary Goose powder. the feathers were stamped onto both watercolor paper and recycled cs and embossed using the WOW Perissa powder. feathers were then fussy cut and watercolored with various shades of SU! ink. I wanted to give everything the look of ombre, but also feminine and a sunrise over the prairie.

flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, pretty little crystals are by Prima, ribbons & trims are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and ticket & vintage button are from my stash. "Miss You" sentiment was stamped with an alphabet set. tag was cut from the same recycled cs as the feather. a real feather was added to the bundle. (it's a found treasure! no birds were harmed in collecting it!)

I now have the blog candy ready for all of you who follow my little blog. :)

the candy will run through Sunday, January 27. I will announce the winner here on Monday, January 28. this will allow enough time to mail the candy to the winner before Valentine's Day.

*please leave a comment asking to be entered. . this is open to followers from all around the world! :)

some of the items included in the prize:

• House Mouse 'Shower of Love' stamp
• Unity Itty Bitty 'You Melt My Heart' stamp
• Treasured Times 'Baby Doll in the Garden' stamp
• SSS 'Hot Mama' dye ink
• assortment of Really Reasonable Ribbon ribbons
• flower shaped eyelets
• My Mind's Eye chipboard tags
• Crate Paper hearts & lips puff stickers
• Doodlebug Designs tiny hearts stickers
• adhesive mini pearls
• Valentine themed sequin mix
• more little goodies, some not pictured here :)

the blog candy is for anyone who is a follower or would like to follow my blog. if you follow by email or some other method, please be sure to let me know in the comments. I am offering this as a way to say thank you for those of you who offered your kindness while I was not around due to my illness. it really does mean a lot! :)

even though I only have one physical prize to give away, those of you who have been involved in my blog candy giveaways in the past know that I often will surprise a few of those entered with gift certificates to digital stamp companies. so be sure and get your name in the drawing! :)

Thank you for reading about a cause and people that are so very dear to my heart! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! :)

Challenges:
Crafting With Friends - anything goes
Simply Create Too - anything goes
Crafting With an Attitude - anything goes
Just Add Ink - something new (Prima crystal dots)
Crafty Creations - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes

Thank You for Your Kindness and Blog Candy Winners

Creations in Pink Top 3 Pick
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Apple coffee

Happy Wednesday to everyone! isn't it such a glorious day?! :) the birds are eating so much from the feeder I am filling it up twice a day right now. so many beautiful varieties stop by to say hello and grace me with their lovely songs. the little chippies and squirrels come along to offer 'clean up' service, which keeps our cat, Moon Pie, entertained as he watches from the window. he sits mesmerized just watching and watching. the natural world never fails to bring me smiles each and every day! :)

for those of you who had asked, Palmer has recovered perfectly from his accident. thank you for your kindness! he has never before ventured into the road. the only thing we can think is that our son, Mick, had just picked up his dog, Brutus the day before. the dog across the street somewhat resembles Brutus from a distance and we think that Palmer was trying to go see him. our street is a major road and very busy. David and Palmer had just returned from a trip out to Camp, and David was bringing Palmer into the house.  in fact, we were supposed to be going to our friend's funeral....  we think that Palmer saw the other dog and wanted to go see him. regardless, the saddest part, besides Palmer being hit by the car, is that the driver didn't stop to see how he was. they just kept going. :( but thankfully he is doing just fine now. again, thank you to everyone who asked after our fun pup! y'all are so sweet!

now on to the blog candy winners!

the winner of the Pink/Thinking of You/Breast Cancer Awareness blog candy is:

5. Chris B.

the winner of the Halloween/Fall blog candy is:

2. Rhonda Miller

please send me an email at: jenscull at yahoo dot com by Sunay, Oct. 14 so that I can get your prizes to you. if I haven't heard from you by then, I will choose another winner and announce on Monday.

Thank you to everyone who participated! I will have another blog candy drawing the first of next month with a Christmas theme. :)

now for my latest card...

since I still had the Simon Says Stamp "Mandy's Flowers" set on my craft desk, for World Card Making Day I decided to keep playing with it. I used the SSS "Modern Rose Blooms" bg stamp on the kraft card base, which was also part of the kit that I had won. papers are from the Bo Bunny Early Bird collection. I think I am going to need to order a pad of this paper, because it really is lovely. a few of the papers even have coffee cups, so you know I will definitely be using those on upcoming projects! :) the flower center has been dotted with distress stickles.

the pretty floral border die is from Sizzix and was sprayed with pearl Tattered Angels glimmer mist for a wonderful shine. ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbons and properly distressed for a shabby feel. flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts. it was originally white, but I painted it with ink refills to match the flowers from the main image. doily, ticket, and vintage buttons are from my stash.

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

Challenges:
SSS WCMD
Shopping Our Stash - giving thanks
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Creations in Pink - anything goes in pink
Creative Craft Cottage - Halloween or pretty pinks
Pause Dream Enjoy - anything goes
Dream Valley - flowers
My Time to Craft - use kraft cs (card base)

From My Heart To Yours for WCMD plus Blog Candy

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Victorian Earl Grey tea (Earl Grey with lavender and roses, one of my very favorites!)

Happy World Card Making Day! I hope you are able to get crafty today, and if not, then perhaps sometime this weekend. :)

Some of you might know that October is the month that is recognized for Breast Cancer Awareness. I have been in remission from Triple Negative breast cancer for 6 years now. to say that I am blessed would be an understatement. I am thankful every single day. flat out. I do ask that you use wisdom in the ribbon causes that you support. just do a bit of research. I remember the kindness that so many people shared with me when I was going through my diagnosis and treatments, so kept that in mind when making my card for today's post.

I am afraid that my one day in the craft room this week was a bit much for my poor head and sent me into a tailspin, but I sure did enjoy getting inky again! I was super blessed earlier to have won a kit from Simon Says Stamp, so put some of the elements to use on my project that I am sharing. the sentiments in the "Mandy's Flowers" stamp  set were perfect for the thinking of you card I wanted to make. flower center is dotted with distress stickles. I sure love that stuff!

the kit also included an assortment of papers from the Bo Bunny Early Bird collection. I don't often use Bo Bunny papers, so this was a treat. very pretty and nice quality. I have several of their digital collections, and will definitely add some paper pads to my stash when I come across them.

ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, with the seam binding distressed as I love to do. :) pink crochet trim is some that I won a while back, so I apologize that I don't have the store to reference. vintage buttons are from my stash. isn't that floral button gorgeous?!  little flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts. so happy to see that the new owner has opened the store. hooray!

now I know that most of you are here for the blog candy! I have 2 that I am offering - one that is pink/thinking of you/breast cancer awareness themed and another that is Halloween/fall themed. I will have these open for only a few days so that they can be mailed out by the end of next week and the winners can get busy playing with their goodies! candy is open to everyone!!!! no need to post on your blog or become a follower unless you just want to. everyone is welcome to come to the table and share a cup of coffee or tea with me. :)

Pink/Thinking of You/Breast Cancer Awareness Blog Candy:

• Breast Cancer Ribbons
• House Mouse cling stamp
• Pink Washi Tape duo
• Heidi Swapp Journal Embellishments
• Prima cling stamp
• Pink polka dot plastic bags
• Pink Buttons with adhesive
• Pink mulberry flowers
• All items shown in photo
• Assorted other buttons, ribbons, and flowers not shown

*Inlinkz tool removed per new privacy laws since all prizes have been claimed. thank you for your understanding. :)

Halloween/Fall Blog Candy:

• Simon Says Stamp ink pads
• Simon Says Stamp cling stamp set
• 3 Treasured Times cling stamps
• SRM Stickers
• Fall Leaves Washi Tape
• Jack O'Lantern Painting kit
• WOW embossing powder
• All items shown in photo
• Assorted other buttons, ribbons, and flowers not shown

*Inlinkz tool removed per new privacy laws since all prizes have been claimed. thank you for your understanding. :)

I do try to add a few extra items to each blog candy package other than just the items shown. I want each winner to be happy with the goodies that they receive. :)

Winners will be announced on Wednesday, October 10. Please be sure that you have entered the appropriate blog candy by way of the little blog froggy link. if you are unable to do so, please let me know in the comments section. otherwise I will not know that you are interested in the blog candy.

*for those of you who are having difficulty adding links, I am very sorry. I have tested it myself and not had a problem adding a specific blog link. you might want to try that or come back again and try again later. I will add your names to each of the blog candy prize drawings. thank you for letting me know about the problem. if you don't mind, I can try adding your entries myself to see if that works also.

Thank you so much for being friends of my blog and stopping by with your kind comments! Have a most amazing day!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Colour Crazy - #40 anything hand colored goes
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Cardz 4 Galz - What's New? (new stamps, papers, and aqua ribbon)
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Paper Minutes - watercolors
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - for a cause (pink for breast cancer awareness)
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Creations in Pink - anything goes in pink (LOVE this challenge theme!!!)
Digi Doodle - pink for breast cancer or Halloween
Crafty Cardmakers - lace or ribbon (both here)

Cup of Columbine Birthday Greetings

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tea Thyme (I see that it is currently out of stock. hopefully it will soon be back and ready for purchase. I am almost out myself!)

wow, I know that I have been gone for a very long time. so sorry about that. have lost a handfull of followers, and to those of you who have stayed the path, I am so very grateful and say thank you!!! :)

not only did we have the beautiful wedding, but a few days after that, a dear friend of ours passed away. she had only recently been diagnosed with ALS, so we are all still reeling that she is gone. the day of her funeral, our precious dog, Palmer, was hit by a car. thankfully he is doing okay now, but it's been a bit stressful needless to say.

as I am trying to sort through the supplies from one wedding, we are in the midst of preparing for the next one. :) and all the while the seizures still rage on. sigh.... was ever so thankful that they went on a temporary hiatus for the wedding so that I was able to attend and get what needed to be done, done.

but you are here for craftyness. so here you go! finally! I am hoping to get more done in the days and weeks to come. not sure if anyone ever took photos of the things I made for the wedding, but I do have a picture of the dinner invitation I can share later....

the card was made for my SIL's birthday. the beautiful cup of columbine flower digital image is by Power Poppy, digital papers are from several Prima collections, and sentiment is by SU!  butterfly die is from Cheery Lynn and main die is by Spellbinders. (I can no longer add either digital papers or Cheery Lynn to my post labels for some strange reason per Google. they are flagged and cause my pages to be blocked.)

seam binding is distressed with ink and is from Zipper Stop, twine is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and flowers are from the former Wild Orchid Crafts. not sure if and when the new owners are going to open the store, as the site has been saying it will be opening soon for quite a while now....

vintage lace & buttons as well as doily are from my stash. frantage powders have been added to the  main image and around edges. wink of stella glitter pen was added to the center of the butterfly die.

again, thank you to those of you who are still here! :) I will do my best to be back and share with you soon. have a most amazing day!
Jennifer

p.s. I will have more blog candy coming VERY soon!!!!

Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner - 3+ layers
Everybody Art - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - add some texture
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes
Crop Stop - anything goes w/doily option (Prima & Spellbinders sold in store)
Dream Valley - girlie
Whoopsi Daisy - anything goes in shades of purple
Always Happy Birthday - anything birthday themed goes
Daisy Chain - birthday

Sunflower Garden Birthday Greetings

Winner at County View Challenges
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Pineapple Lemon tea

The weekend is here! Hooray! :) I hope you have something absolutely wonderful planned. share with me what you are up to.

I am finally sharing the card I made for my MIL's birthday. she recently moved into an assisted living down in San Antonio and really loves it. when I got in touch with her on her birthday, she was on her way to a water aerobics class. she has always been one to stay busy, but it's so nice to see that she is continuing that still. She is flying up for Tyler and Danielle's wedding, and it will be wonderful to see her again. :)

The sunflower garden image is from Make it Crafty. I added touches of distress stickles to the flower centers as well as the edges of the main piece. I sure hated that they discontinued the distress stickles, but I tried to stockpile as much of it as I could find. :)

These are about the last of my pieces of the Authentique Meadow papers. I might have a tiny scrap or two left, but that would be about it until I can find more online somewhere.... time to put on my Sherlock digs and go searching! ha!

main die and matting are by Spellbinders and the banner one is by SU!  pretty little sunflower is from Wild Orchid Crafts. I look forward to seeing the store once the new owner has taken over.

vintage buttons, burlap doily, and ticket are from my stash while all ribbons & ric rack are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. birthday stamp is by SU! 

thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy your weekend! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Allsorts - flowers all over (also tiny flowers on lower paper)
Colour Crazy wk 29 - anything hand colored goes
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Country View - in the summer garden
Southern Girls - tic tac toe: yellow, stamp, bling (distress stickles) or white, blue, yellow
Craftaholics R Us - anything goes
That's Crafty - close to nature
Sheepski - for someone special (my MIL)
Crafty Sentiments - add a sentiment
Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers - C is for Coloring

Just Chillin' Little Fairy

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Orange Ginger tea

We are slowly getting closer to the weekend... do you have any fun plans?

one of our favorite groups is out at Camp right now, so Dave is working the long week. It's a group called Camp Sue Osborn and it's for anyone with special needs. Last week was for the Alumni - those who have graduated from the program. this week if for anyone up to 18 years old, I believe.  they stay through Saturday rather than leaving on Friday when most of the camps usually depart. head over to the website to not only see photos of Camp, but have your heart brightened. :) these are some amazing people, flat out. the campers are amazing, but the staff are some of my favorite people in the whole wide world. :) I love those folks with everything I have. it tears me up that I can't be out there right now. yucky seizures. blech blech blech. but really. go to the website.

now on to my project for the day...

I know I promised to share the card I made for my MIL, but I am sneaking this one in instead. I think I am sending it to Danielle, Tyler's fiancee. the wedding is coming up very soon, and I think she needs a reminder to just chill a bit. :) pre-wedding jitters can be a bit un-nerving, can't they?

the adorable fairy image and sentiment are from LOTV, green digital paper is from the Prima Strawberry Kisses collection, and chevron stripe digital paper is from the American Freedom free collection by Raspberry Road Designs.  main die is by Spellbinders, banner die is by SU!, and floral die in the upper corner is by Sizzix.

lace, washi tape, vintage buttons, and ticket are all from my stash. purple twine and green satin ribbon are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. the UK store is closed right now, but you can buy their products from RRR and other retailers. I added a faux stitching border with a white gel pen and also some splatters with white Mr. Huey's spray.

sparkles & shine were added to the fairy's wings with a wink of stella glitter pen and to her bobbers with a pink spica glitter pen.

btw, spending time with everyone at Camp Sue is what inspired our son, Ryan, to work with children on the autism spectrum at Hope Bridge. he loves it there. :)
and almost all of the Camp Sue staff will be attending Tyler and Danielle's wedding, so it will be great to see them then!

I hope you have a most wonderful day! thanks for stopping by! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Digistamps 4 Joy - anything goes summer or winter
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Scrappy Land - anything goes w/die carried in their store (Sizziz and Spellbinders)
Simon Says Stamp Wed - use a die or punch (dies by Sizzix, SU!, and Spellbinders)
Crafty Sentiments - add a sentiment
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - stitching, real or faux
Unicorn Ch - stitching, real or faux
Crafteezee - summer
Cutie Pie - bingo: buttons, ribbon, die cut, but also added bow, glitter, and flowers :)
Incy Wincy - tic tac toe: stripes/checks (subtle chevron stripes on the banner paper, but it's a bit hard to see. feel free to enlarge the piccy), splatter, stitching
Coloring in Scrapland - fairies
Scribbles Designs - fun in the sun
Fabrika Fantasy - summer
Daisy Chain - summer
Dragonfly Journeys - summer lovin'
Make My Monday - fantasy
Sparkles - fairies