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

Epic Hipster Chimp Birthday Card

Coffee/Tea of the Day - White Chocolate Cinnamon Hazelnut coffee

Hooray, it's the weekend! I hope you have something absolutely fabulous planned, whether it's just relaxing with your favorite beverage and sweetie or chock full of activities with family and friends. Enjoy!

(vintage monkey birthday card)

Today is our son, Ryan's, birthday, so I am sharing the card that I sent to him. It's no secret in our family that monkeys of all kinds terrify me, so of course it's fitting that at least one person marks them as their favorite animal. sigh....I try to be kind and create a project or two for Ryan using primate images, no matter how challenging it is for me to do so. they flat out give me the heebie jeebies! ack!!! so anytime you ever see a monkey card from me, you know it is indeed a labor of love. ;)

I confess that all of the animals in the Tim Holtz Hipster stamp set make me smile! their expressions are a hoot! I purchased the matching die for the chimp, and will try to collect the others as I am able. it really does add so much to have the die for these.

according to Tim Holtz's video, stamp each image 3 times in order to have enough for die cutting all of the pieces. I actually stamped out 5 to add a few extra layers. all layers are separated by foam tape. Crystal effects were added inside the glasses for some fun and texture. his eye color doesn't show as vividly, but I really love the extra 'zing' the crystal effects adds.

The way cool background is created with a selection of distress oxide sprays sponged with distress ink. you can really see the distress ink in the way it wicked through the texture paste that was applied to the Stitching stencil. the Typo stencil peeks subtly through the back. such a great masculine look!

you know me - I have to re-purpose whenever possible! :) our monkey fella is matted by a piece of a Starbucks coffee cozy. edges were inked to distress. the piece of wood came from some work my hubby was doing in our house this past week. he had to do some drilling for plumbing, and this was one of several pieces I grabbed for craft projects. isn't it so neat?! it's tied with a piece of baker's twine that was also distressed. vintage buttons from the stash are added to word banners and a fun sentiment by Heidi Swapp.

Thank you for stopping by! have a great weekend! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Creative Craft Cottage - for the men in your life
Brown Sugar - anything goes
CRAFT - animals
Papercraft Ch - no designer paper
TTCRD - anything goes
Use Your Stuff - upcycle/recycle
Get Creative - anything goes
Allsorts - from boys to men
Crafty Calendar - lots of layers (5 layers in the chimp alone)
Let's Craft and Create - add extra layers (5 layers just in the chimp image)
Sognado Scrap - anything goes

Nautical Birthday Card

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Pecan Pumpkin Spice coffee

Hello to everyone! Yes, I have been away for quite a while. sorry to have been missing with no word. my health has not been the best, and unfortunately the beastie is back, so dealing with that. not going the chemo and radiation route this time. but this is going to be a post about happier things, so on to the crafty goodness! :) thank you to all who sent cards and emails to check in on me though. I really appreciate your kindness!!!

I haven't been able to craft for every holiday in my family, but have been trying to do what I can of late. I am sharing a card that I made for Tyler's birthday earlier this month. he loves all things nautical, so these images and stamps were the perfect fit.

I am having a grand time playing with the distress oxide sprays and crayons by Tim Holtz. you will see some upcoming projects featuring them, too. the bg was created with a mix of several distress crayons, sprayed with pearl glimmer mist to give a beautiful glow while also helping mix the colors. the paper was then embossed with the cool Seaside embossing folder by SU! I love those waves!

Nautical stamps are from a Tim Holtz mini blueprint set. a silver metallic gel pen was used to accent the images. other pieces are from the Sea Life, Let's Get Nautical, and She Sells Sea Shells sheets by Gecko Galz. (p.s. if you go to their blog, they frequently give away images! sign up for their newsletter and you receive a free sheet every month) little seaweed pieces are actually a Martha Stewart fern punch. each one was inked in several shades to replicate the grasses. various ribbons and twines are added for texure, and vintage buttons from my stash complete the card.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Check back soon for more projects. I hope to have some blog candy next month to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness month.  much love to all of you! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafting By Design - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes w/opt. masculine twist
House That Stamps Built - anything stamped goes
The Male Room - masculine w/embellishments
SSS Wed. - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
Retro Rubber Stamp - anything goes with a stamp older than one year (upon researching, I think the set was released in about 2013. I haven't had mine that long, but it looks as if these were released then. thanks!)
Corrosive Ch - anything goes
2 Sisters - something with the letter 's' (ship)
Country View - Under the Sea

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

Happy Birthday Fly Guy

Featured at Little Red Wagon
Top 3 Pick at Sweet Stampin'
Top 3 Pick at Colour Crazy Craft Challenge
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tea Thyme

Today we celebrate our son, Mick's birthday. We were blessed this past weekend to be able to get together for a quick lunch with Mick and his girlfriend, Lauren, as well as Tyler and his fiancee, Danielle. Mick and Lauren came to Ohio for a tattoo convention and concert while Tyler and Danielle came into town to get their marriage license.  We were only able to spend a few hours together, but it was wonderful to see everyone. unfortunately, I ended it all by having a really bad seizure episode, but that is the way it goes these days. :( can't seem to kick these things.

this is the card that I made for Mick. I used the "Fly Guy" image from Power Poppy on the outside and the "Leaping Trout" image on the inside. I didn't get a photo of the inside of the card. sorry.

all dies are by Spellbinders, with distress stickles being added to the cat tails. vintage buttons are from my stash and wide grosgrain ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. Happy Birthday stamp, linen thread, and little banner punch are by SU!  papers are from the Authentiqe Meadow collection. I am just about out of it and down to a few little scraps... will need to buy more of this wonderful paper! I obviously love it very much! :) little dots were added to the matting die cut with a white gel pen.

I will be back in another day or so to share my MIL's birthday card. her birthday was yesterday.

thank you so much for stopping by!
Jennifer

Challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking - birthday bash
Always Happy Birthday - anything Happy Birthday goes w/cake option
Crafter's Cafe - lots of layers
Dies R Us - birthdays (Spellbinders)
Crop Stop - anything goes w/products they carry (Authentique, distress stickles, Spellbinders)
Use Your Stuff - birthday
Dare 2B Artzy - birthdays
Inkspirational - birthday
Sweet Stampin' - occupations or hobbies
Brown Sugar - use 2 patterned papers
Moving Along with the Times - masculine
Little Red Wagon - lights, camera, action movie inspiration (A River Runs Through It)
The Male Room - fish/fishing
Colour Crazy week 28 - anything hand colored goes

Birthday Blog Candy!

* This post will remain at the top of my blog until the drawing *

Happy Birthday to me, but ALL of you are going to help me celebrate! :)

I have some fun candy that everyone can take part in, no matter where in this lovely world you live! some friends are joining the part, bringing the balloons and party hats, because I want to make sure that EVERYONE can come to my party! :)

There will be actual prizes given out to several winners here in the States, but online gift certificates for digital products sent to those of you who live in other parts of the world. does that sound like fun?!

I am not going to make you do anything other link your little blogs with our blue froggy friend down below. you have until the end of the month, and I'll announce winners both here on this post and on another one on Monday, July 2.  and I promise to make the announcement that day. isn't it bothersome to go to a blog when they say they are going to post a winner and they never do? not here. if I say candy, you get candy! :)

but do you want even more chances to win? all you have to do is link up a birthday card or project and you will gain more entries. link that specific blog post for each additional entry. play as often as you like, just be sure to link each post separately.

now I know you want me to stop chatting and show you what's in the prize boxes, so here goes:

Grand Prize:

Lil' Inker Fine Print stamp set

3 Dare 2B Artzy ink pads

Prima doily stencil

Petaloo burlap flowers

Asst. of Unity single sentiment stamps

tags and doilies

ribbons and trims

resin frames

other fun goodies!

Second Prize:

Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink pad

Wow! ultra slow dryng embossing pad

(I received this as a prize win

and already had one.)

Crafters Workshop stencil

Asst. of Unity single sentiment stamps

tags and doilies

ribbons and trims

Charm assortment

other fun goodies!

Third Prize:

Spellbinders Seahorse & Sand Dollar die set 

plus extra goodies

now keep in mind that since taking the pictures, I have already been adding more stuff to the goody bags. little extras like buttons and a few more ribbons. who knows what else might end up in there by the time the month is over! Just found a little stash I had tucked away from Whimsy Stamps! wooo hooo! each prize package will receive a stamp goody from them! :)

click on the photos to be taken to a larger piccy. any questions? just leave a comment. no need to become a follower unless you just wanna hang out here in the coffeehouse with me. :) I try to be cool that way. peace, love, and all that jazz. no pressure. don't even need to post a photo on your blog.  just have a slice of cake. maybe dance a little. chill out and get your groove on.

and just so you know, I WILL be wearing one of my tiaras all day. I might have lost most of my hair, but I can still rock a tiara like nobody's business! ;)  Party like a Princess!

One of the prizes offered for International winners is a gift certificate to Create with TLC. Paulette has very kindly given all of my readers and followers some free images! isn't that so nice of her?! please stop by her blog and leave her a thank you. :) aren't party favors fun?! there are more over on my post for today, so head over when you finish linking....

(to save these images, click on the photo 

which should take you to another page.

right click and then 'save as' to

the file of your choice

on your computer.

if you have any troubles, 

pop me an email.)

more additions!!!! :)

I have heard back from my friend, Mo, of Mo's Digital Pencil. I am adding a few gift certificates from her digital store to the prizes for the international players! wooo hoooo! you  might want to head over to her shop now because she has a great sale going on for retiring images using the code: BYEBYE.

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

now go get your cake before it's all gone. ;)
*Reminder - the only way to be entered into the candy drawing is to use the inlinkz froggy tool! otherwise I don't know that you want to be entered. :)

Jennifer

Birthday Cats, Mice, and Old Cheese

Winner at House Mouse and Friends
DT Favorite at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla CupCake coffee

So today is my birthday and we are having a party here on my blog! Gourmet cupcakes, ice cream, balloons, music, and lots of dancing! chips and nachos, too! something for everyone!

Don't forget the candy, BLOG CANDY!!!!! Head over to this post and get your name entered for a chance to win some fun prizes! it doesn't matter where in this big, happy world you  live, because everyone has a chance! :) you have until the end of the month to enter. more entries if you link a birthday themed card or project!

so now on to my project....

I pulled out one of my oh, so neglected House Mouse stamps, "Gift for Kitty" and combined it with elements from one of my most favorite ever online stores & blogs, Create with TLC. you have probably seen me use Paulette's sentiments and digital elements if you are a follower or frequent visitor here. she  is a doll. really and truly. she gives away free stuff ALL the time. honest. go check out her blog. now. well, maybe after you finish reading my post. and linking your blog to the candy. then go visit Paulette. tell her hey and ask her what she has against coffee. she will laugh. ;)

speaking of Paulette, she has a few freebies for y'all. talk about party favors! check out the blog candy post for a few more. :) a few of the International participants will win gift certificates to her Etsy store! cool, huh, ?!

(to save these images, click on the photo 

which should take you to another page.

right click and then 'save as' to

the file of your choice

on your computer.

if you have any troubles, 

pop me an email.)

so now we really will get to my card.

card:
cute House Mouse image: check
great Create with TLC elements: check

story: this thing drove me up the freaking wall to get done. I was worried about that cat. it just wasn't right. But here it is finished. Ta da! :)

digital papers are from the Echo Park Celebrate Spring collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, lace trim is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and seam binding is distressed & by Zipper Stop. little ticket and burlap doily are from my stash. no clue whatsoever where the pretty pink sequins came from, but I do like them ever so much. Die is by Spellbinders and punches are from SU! I used a wink of stella glitter pen to go over the jingle bell.

thanks for hanging in there with me. y'all rock the casbah! let's party!
now go get some cake!

Challenges:
House Mouse and Friends - anything goes w/birthday option
Ike's World - anything goes/song inspiration (Happy Birthday, kinda obvious, sorry)
SUYP - furryything goes with cats
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Cute 'N Crafty - birthday
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Cupcake Inspiration - color challenge: pink, green, yellow
Use Your Stuff - inspired by a song: Happy Birthday, of course ;)
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes w/a critter
Ching-Chou Kuik - cats or dogs
Crafty Animals - anything goes w/an animal
Dream Factory - Nine Lives

Serene Still Life Spotlight Birthday

Top 3 Pick at Crafting With Dragonflies
Coffee/Tea of the Day - World Market Bourbon Pecan coffee

Hello, everyone! I hope your week has been off to a good start so far.

Please pop back by tomorrow as it's my birthday and we are going to celebrate with some blog candy! hooray! :)

Today's bit of crafty is a card using a technique I haven't done in years! if you haven't tried it before, it's actually quite fun and easy. Spotlighting a portion of your image can be done with either rubber stamps or digital images.

For my project today I am using one of the image from the beautiful "Graceful Still Life" digital set by Power Poppy.  don't forget that they have that great sale going on from now through the end of the month if you use the code COLORINGCHALLENGE at checkout. for more details, be sure to head to either their blog or store. no, I am not on commission, I just happen to think they have gorgeous images. ;) I am trying to improve my painting skills, so these challenge me to try to be better. as with everything in life, we have good days and bad. yesterday was most definitely a bad one. not only did I have horrid migraines and seizures that knocked me for a loop. but whatever I tried to paint ended up in the trash. thank goodness today is a new day with brand new blessings to unfold! :)

anyway, on to my card....

for the spotlight technique, you don't have to, but I did print out my digital image twice. this made it easier for me to line up the image after matting and coloring.

digital papers are from 3 different Prima collections: Almanac, Lucid, and Steel Toe Mary Jane. nothing like being all mixey matchey! :) flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts (just had notice pop in my email about a sale going on here, too! check it out!) and Dimco at Really Reasonable Ribbons. the polka dot ribbon and crochet trim are also from Really Reasonable Ribbons. vintage buttons are from my stash. sari ribbon smidgen is left over from making rehearsal dinner invitations. :) you will see those as the date approaches! :) btw - wedding invites have been mailed and are reaching nearby mailboxes. people are letting us know how excited they are! happy happy!!!!  all of the dies are by Spellbinders and my favorite little punch in the world, the banner punch, is from SU!

you can't tell from the photo, but I did stamp "Happy Birthday" on the inside, because this card is going to Ryan's fiancee. her birthday is next week, although they are currently in New York City with their youth group on a missions trip.

I think that does it for me. I have rambled long enough and y'all have been so very patient. :)

much love to all of you! see you back here tomorrow for birthday fun and a card if my mojo comes back after going on vaca as evident from yesterday. ha!

Challenges:
Power Poppy - round and round (spotlight, buttons, polka dots on ribbon & border paper)
Crafting With Dragonflies - ribbons and lace
TTCRD - anything goes
Hiding in My Craft Room - buttons and bows
Creative Craft Cottage - Eileen's anything goes w/purple option (as a cancer survivor I know how terrible this disease is. my prayers remain with her family & friends. I have added purple to my card in her honor. saw the challenge posted on my friend, Fiki's blog)
CCC Digi - Eileen's anything goes w/purple option (see above)
Morgan's Art World - anything goes
Sparkles - let's be pretty
Retarte - anything goes
Ribbon Girls - anything goes w/ribbon and summer option
30 Day Coloring Challenge - really trying my best to get a little done every day as long as my seizures allow

A Bee Skep Birthday

Featured Project at Little Red Wagon
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Salted Caramel coffee

It's the weekend! hooray! :) that would usually mean that hubby is home for the day, but he and Palmer are out at Camp meeting a delivery, so it's just Moon Pie and I here at home. the seizures haven't changed, but I so appreciate the kind comments and emails that so many have you have sent. :) thank you!

I apologize that it's taking me so long to post projects. the card I am sharing today took me about 3 days to complete. I can only craft for about 30 minutes before my wonky head gets too much for me to bear. but I'm thankful for the time I am able to spend in my craft room, no matter how short it is. :)

I created this birthday card for my SIL, although it will be a bit late getting to her. The beautiful bee skep and flower image is from Power Poppy. they have a great sale going on now if you use the code: COLORINGCHALLENGE . the sale is valid through the end of the month to my understanding and can be used multiple times. there are a few restrictions, so please check the store or their blog for more information.

the fun little journal cards are from a new to me store I found on Etsy called Arty Maze. wonderfully shabby goodies at a reasonable price that download and print out so nicely! why yes, thank you! :)

you can see that I used them on both the front and inside.

the background paper is made with sunburst yellow and grey brusho powders spritzed with pearl glimmer mist. the small flower stamp and birthday sentiment are from the SU! "Best Birds" set. iridescent texture paste was spread over a Studio Calico hexagon mask in the lower right hand corner of the card.

ribbons along the bottom of the card are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, while the lace and natural jute trim in the upper right hand corner are from my stash. vintage buttons are stash items as well. a wink of stella gel pen was used to accent the bees' wings. flower is from Michael's.

Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you back here tomorrow for Father's Day!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Always Happy Birthday - anything birthday w/summer birthday option
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Creatalicious - anything goes w/optional flowers (on digi, bg paper, journaling card, & mulberry flower)
Scribbles Designs - anything goes
Colour Crazy - anything hand colored goes (watercolor brushes & SU! ink refills)
Craft Rocket - birthday
Little Red Wagon - too bee or not to bee
Crafty Gals Corner - summer colors
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Rubbernecker - birthday
DL Art - anything goes
Daily Marker 30 Day coloring challenge - trying as best I can when my seizures allow

Springtime Birthday Greetings!

Top 3 Pick at CRAFT

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie (yes, it's actual Moon Pie coffee! it both tastes and smells like a real Moon Pie treat. delicious! I am having the chocolate today)

Today I am sharing with you a lovely birthday card for a very special young lady. well every person is special, don't you think?! ;) but this young lady is the daughter of my online crafting friend, Fikreta, and her birthday is the end of this month. Fiki is asking her crafty friends to make and send cards to her daughter. I am only too happy to do so. :)  I had posted a card that I made for Fiki's husband a few weeks ago. yes, I am a very slow crafter. thankfully I got started early keeping that in mind. grins!

The precious "Kidz Bella Birthday Balloons" image is from Bugaboo, digital papers are from the Echo Park Celebrate Spring collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, birthday sentiment die is by Whimsy Stamps, and ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. main image die is by Spellbinders and buttons & doily are from my stash.

I hope you have a most amazing day! Thanks for stopping by!
Jennifer

Challenges:
CRAFT - birthday
Hester's Birthday Candy challenge
Crafty Catz - anything goes w/optional so cute image
As You Like It - favorite pink or blue ( I absolutely ADORE all things pink! most especially since my breast cancer diagnosis, but I was into pink long before that. being a mom of 3 sons, I had to declare my girl power somehow! ha!)
Allsorts - in the pink
Star Stampz - 2 or more patterned papers
Dragonfly Dreams - here come the girls
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Always Happy Birthday - anything birthday w/optional flowers
DL Art - birthday
Morgan's Art World - anything goes
Sweet Stampers - birthday
Catch the Bug - say it with flowers

It's Your Birthday, with Puppy Kisses!

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Macadamia

Hubby and I returned very late last night after spending 2 days visiting our youngest son in Indiana where he is currently a senior in college. it was his birthday and we wanted to spend a bit of time with him. it can be anywhere from a 5-6 hour drive depending upon road work and bathroom stops, so we don't get there all that often. ;)

I'm not sure if I've introduced the latest member of our family here or not. as I think I had mentioned before, in June we rescued a cat named Moon Pie. then at the end of August, we rescued a puppy that we named Palmer. he is mostly ladrador. he travels with us whenever we go somewhere. :) this was his 2nd trip to Indiana.

obviously I needed to make a card for Ryan's birthday, so when I saw this adorable image over at Bugaboo, I knew it was perfect! it's called 'AKV Boy Sitter with Dog.' I created a bit of a concrete wall for them to be sitting on.

papers are from the Basic Grey Clippings collection, main die is by Spellbinders, zig zag die is by My Favorite Things, and leaf die is by Prima. flower is from Michaels and red twine is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. buttons are from my vintage stash and sentiment stamp is from a company that has retired. I added a few dots with my white gel pen to the card base & zig zag border for some extra fun. :)

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

Challenges:
Catch the Bug - photo inspiration challenge (flower, colors)
Fresh Brewed Designs - animals
4 Crafty Chicks - anything goes
Sasayaki Glitter - animals
Through the Purple Haze - furry friends
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
Crafty Addicts - anything goes/use patterned paper
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Going Grey with Scrap Creations -  birthday
Cutie Pie - birthday plus cute