K-Pop Birthday Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Vanilla coffee

Hello and happy weekend!

I've a few projects to share with all of you in the upcoming days, but need to wait until the sun is shining a bit more in order to photograph them. 

so I'm going to share with you the card I made for our granddaughter's 5th birthday. all of our granddaughters, (and their fathers, too!), adore the Netflix show, K-Pop Demon Hunters. at Christmas they put on their own concert for us. it was fabulous! :)

the digital image is from the Etsy store, Celi Arts Co. the bg paper is from Simple Stories.  the card is accented with polka dot ribbon and handmade enamel dots. sentiment stamp is by Simon Says Stamp. simple, but she loved the card. hooray!

I'll be back soon to share all that I have been working on. have a fabulous remainder of your weekend!

Jennifer

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

Hey Sugar!

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel

Hello and Happy Friday! :)

I am sharing another one of the cards I've made to send to my son Ryan who works at Hope Bridge, the therapy center for children on the autism spectrum.  I am just slow getting things both made and posted. ;)

This card was made with a special someone in mind. One of the boys there is someone that Ryan knew before he started working there. After graduating from college, Ryan worked at The Salvation Army. This young boy would come into the office to visit his mom, who also worked in the office. When Ryan left later to start working at Hope Bridge, he discovered that his friend attended when Ryan was greeted with a loud, "Hey Sugar!"  for some reason, this boy decided that Ryan's name was Sugar. :) everyone laughed and that has become his new nickname at work. so they call one another Sugar. isn't that so fun?!

The cupcake image and 'You are so sweet' sentiment come from Graciellie Design.  I used the digital images, but you might be familiar with her stamps at Unity.  the 'Hey Sugar' was computer generated.

papers are from the Carta Bella Cartopia collection, enamel dots are some homemade ones, button is from my vintage stash, and twine is from Michael's.  I added a few little Pearl-ex dots in olive green under the 'You are so sweet' sentiment. a wink of stella clear glitter pen accents some of the frosting swirls.

Have a great weekend, and I'll be back tomorrow afternoon for a fun blog hop with Tiddly Inks! :)

Challenges:
QKR - anything goes
Aud Sentiment - masculine plus a sentiment
Creative Moments - anything goes
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Create and Inspire - anything goes w/ optional stencils or dies (oval die cut)

Guest at Word Art Wednesday

Top 5 Pick at Incy Wincy Designs

I have the honor of being a Guest Designer over at Word Art Wednesday for the month of April. I was so very excited to be invited!

I combined the Bible verse word art with a precious little image by Ppinky Dolls Art called 'Thinking.' I don't have many of her digis, but I do love the few I have.

papers & sticker are from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, little clip is by Tim Holtz, and buttons are from my vintage stash. enamel dots are some of my handmade ones. peach diamond satin ribbon and Sharon crochet lace are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. banner die is by SU! and verse die is by Spellbinders.

I hope you will play along in the challenge at WAW. would love to see some friendly faces while I'm there! :) you can also pick up this beautiful piece of scripture word art for free when you stop by the WAW blog.

and thanks to all of you who have left such lovely, thoughtful comments for us about Mocha. you are so very kind!

Challenges:
Come and Get It - bright colors
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Incy Wincy - fave coloring medium (inks and watercolor brushes)
Melonheadz - let's get girly
Ooh La La - words
Dare 2 B Artzy - polka dots
Robyn's Fetish - add a sentiment
Simon Says Stamp Wed - Let's Do the Polka

Hipster Bunnies Are Coming To Town!

Coffee of the Day - Dulce de Leche

I have some coolio news to share with all of you! last week I told you that I was the Guest Designer over at Sandra Caldwell's stamping Facebook group for the month of Feb., which was exciting enough all on it's own. :)  later that day they asked me to stay on as a permanent Design Team member! of course I said 'yes'!!! so every Monday I'll be sharing projects featuring Sandra's fun & whimsical images! I am so happy to be part of this VERY friendly team of crafters! :)

I do hope you will join us in the Facebook group. :)

I confess to you - I have 2 sons who are hipsters. one will deny to his dying day. the other embraces it. it's pretty funny actually. so I created this card because, well, I just couldn't resist. and Sandra was super sweet and modified the image so it had an empty speech bubble so I could add all of the fun sayings I wanted. :) wasn't that nice of her?  it's called 'Cool Peeps, #270' and just cracks me up!

papers are from the Authentique Springtime collection, banner die is from CC Designs, grass die is from MFT. sentiment die is Spellbinders, and lattice die behind banners using some clear packaging is an old one from SU!. yellow burlap string and green netting are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. the little enamel dots are some of my homemade ones. buttons are from my vintage stash.

Thanks so much for stopping by! :) enjoy your day!

Challenges:
Outlawz Mon Greeting - All About Spring
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Pile it On - homemade embellishments (enamel dots)
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Lacy Sunshine Color 'n Craft - anything goes

A Pirate Parrot's Adventure

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Happy New Year to all of you!
yes, I just shared a card with you a short time ago and now have another! no, it's not going to be like this all year long in 2016, I promise!  just at the beginning of every month, so I hope you will bear with me. :)

Crafts Galore Encore is sponsored by Fabrika Fantasy Digi Stamps in January, and our theme for the challenge is 'Anything Goes.'

I have used the cutey Pirate Parrot 2 on my card. he just makes me smile and was such a joy to paint! :)  designer papers and anchor sticker are from the Basic Grey Adrift collection, little flower is by Petaloo, and enamel dots are some I made. Black burlap string is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I used my SU! ink squirty tool on the main image. some day I'll figure out the name of that thing! ;) little banner punch is also by SU!  oh yes, I partially embossed the card base with the parquet embossing folder by Crafter's Companion.

Enjoy your day! I look forward to what 2016 has in store for all of us! :)

Challenges:
QKR - Feathers or Fur
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Paper Shelter - anything goes
Creative Card Crew - anything goes
Allsorts - anything but Christmas
4 Crafty Chicks - anything goes
CRAFT - anything goes

Cheeky Birthday Monkey

Coffee of the Day - French Vanilla

This is one of the rare, few monkey cards you will ever ever see on my blog. they scare the ever lovin' crap out of me. and this one was one of the worst! ack! the card took almost 4 days to complete because I kept getting freaked out while painting that fella. yep. I can take on spiders and snakes with no problem whatsoever, but do NOT EVER get me near primates of any kind.

so of course, my youngest son has wanted one as a pet for ages..... sigh...and his birthday is next week. so being the  most excellent, loving mom that I am, I cast my fears aside (not really!), and made him a monkey card. it took many texts to hubby to get me through it, but it is finished. now to just get it in the mail on Monday along with his gift. phew. that is DONE! ;)

I remembered I had this image in my files from Rick St. Dennis when I was making the Autumn Bear card last week. that man has got a ton of talent! you can find just about anything and everything in his digital art store - from zombies to angels to monkeys to art deco styled glamorized women.

papers are from the Basic Grey Life of the Party collection and little flower is Petaloo. monkey image was fussy cut, and die behind it is by Spellbinders. vintage buttons, ticket, grosgrain ribbon, and washi tape are from my stash. I added some little border dots with a marker, spica glitter pen accents to the tassel on the hat, and homemade enamel dots to complete the card.

I sure hope he enjoys the only monkey card he will probably ever get from me. grins!

enjoy your day!

Challenges:
Creative Corner - party time
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Craftin' Desert Divas - fave color combos (pink and kraft go with EVERYTHING, even masculine cards!)
Crafty Ribbons - Happy Birthday with ribbon
Pile it On - birthday
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - boys to men
Crafting by Designs - Let's Celebrate
Fan-tastic Tues - anything square or rect. goes plus bright & colorful
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Hiding in My Craft Room - freestyle
Scrapper's Delights - anything goes or animals (I am not sure from the post, but either way I have it covered)

A Lovely Little Hobbit Home...

Coffee of the Day - Sweet Potato (buttery caramel flavor with a touch of vanilla)

Well yesterday I hinted about a special guest we have coming to stay this holiday weekend and said that I would tell all today..... The card I am sharing was made for her. :)

yes, it's a her. I know some of you thought that one of my sons might be coming home, but no, that is not the case. Mick is still happy as a clam oh, so far away, but studying what he absolutely loves. Ryan is in Indiana getting ready for classes to begin next week....

but Tyler has a lovely guest coming to visit. :) they met while working at Camp this summer and share a love of LOTR, amongst other things. even though she lives in PA, she goes to school about 2 hours away from us (about 1 hour from Tyler's school).

so I made this card for him to give to her as Camp came to an end. I was so happy when he said that she loved it. :) the first thing she said was, "My very own Hobbit House!"

the Hobbit House is by Lavinia Stamps. I stamped it 3 times, cutting out smaller portions to layer for added dimension. the top layer - the door alone - was sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist and touched up with a grey souffle pen. a homemade enamel dot was added for the door knob.

digital papers are by Far Far Hill, flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, crochet trim is from stash, brown satin ribbon is May Arts, floral flair button is Basic Grey, and buttons are vintage. washi tape at top is Tim Holtz and was lightly inked prior to adhering. oh yes, the banner was cut with a SU! die.

I hope all of you have a fabulous weekend!

Challenges:
Crafting With an Attitude - anything goes
Creative Craft Cottage - anything goes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes with girly girl twist
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Sweet Stamps - anything goes
Craft Dee Bow Z - anything goes with a handmade bow
Quirky Crafts - Home Sweet Home
Cupcake Inspiration - photo inspiration and layers

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)

Sweet Poppies Tag

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Vanilla Creme

My printer was filled with naughty gremlins for several days, so I wasn't able to get anything new printed off. thankfully I have quite a few images in my stash for days such as those when I want to craft, but things such as sassy tech gremlins get in the way. ;)

My project today is a tag using digis from Daydream Designs. I'll be back on track next week with my Monday postings for Diane. thank goodness my printer is back to its normal self, at least for now. grins!

I've used flowers from the 'Poppies for You' set and a sentiment from the 'Garden Inspirations Sentiment' set. gunmetal stickles were used for the flower centers, as well as some crochet trim, button, and handmade enamel dots. oh yes, the polka dot paper is Authentique Glory.

only a few days left of my Nifty at Fifty Birthday Blog Candy. you know you want to be the winner of all of these fun goodies! :)

Challenges:
House That Stamps Built - sketch (a loose interpretation)
Jo's Scrap Shack - in the garden
My Heart Pieces - anything but a card
WAW - anything encouraging goes
All Crafts  - anything but a card

Congrats, Graduate!

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Vanilla Creme

It's a new challenge over at Add a Little Dazzle, and boy howdy, am  I in for it.... first time in forever that I overslept! yikes! here it is almost noon and I just woke up! boy am I scrambling to get my post going, and that is on no coffee, folks, so bear with  me. ;)  I am trying to adjust to all of these DT posts hitting at once, so next week will be much much better!

anyhow, y'all just wanna see my project, I know! but please stop by the Add a Little Dazzle blog today to see what the rest of the Dazzling Divas have in store for you. this is such a talented team! I am really blessed to be on some pretty fab teams, I must say! you know you wanna play along and maybe win yourself some of these amazing metal sheets of your own to play with! as you can see, I am using them on EVERYTHING! tee hee!

Since our theme this week is 'Graduation,' I chose to use the Graduation digi stamp set by Doodle Garden. dies are all by Spellbinders. for the bg, I took a piece of the Aluminum metal sheet and ran it through my Big Shot using the Basic Grey Diamonds embossing folder. I then took slate alcohol ink and sponged it all over the metal sheet. I love the hints of blue that came through! some grosgrain ribbon, buttons, and handmade enamel dot finish the card. simple, because it is going to a guy. and his school colors are blue and grey, which come through nicely!

Challenges:
Stella Says Sketch - sketch 211
Crafty Sentiments - Father's Day/for a male
Papertake Weekly - for the boys
Oldie but a Goodie - Father's Day/masculine (Spellbinders Label 1 die, ribbon, and buttons are old)
Craft Your Passions - Father's Day/ for the boys
Ooh La La - Father's Day/male

I Zentangled.... and I'm a Dragonfly! :)

I have a new Design Team to announce to you this evening..... I am a Crafty Dragonfly! you'll have to bear with me as I adjust to the time zone difference between here and the blog location. I'll have to remember to post on my blog Tuesday evenings from here on out.... grins!

anyhow, I know this challenge blog is going to stretch me in ways I might fuss about, but boy will I ever learn some great new techniques! the new challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies this fortnight is Zentangle. Our sponsors are Bugaboo and Eureka.

I admit I had never tried this before. never really cared for the look all that much, but I put those brave boots on and jumped right in! if you've never tired Zentangling before, I think it's pretty important to have a fine point marker. I was using an extra fine point Sharpie, but that wasn't really as fine as I think it should be if you are going to do this very often.

I originally made 2 ATCs, but then was reminded that this challenge was for cards only, so I added the ATCs to card bases. some distressing and doodling on the bases helped keep the focus on the main images.

This ATC and card uses the Bugaboo 'Beauty Butterfly' image. bg for both ATCs was created with the Crafter's Workshop Mini Fish Scales stencil, black gelato, and graphite glimmer mist.  this one was also sprayed with Mr. Huey's white mist. each card was matted with a distressed piece of black cs. the butterfly is popped up on foam tape, mounted over vintage black lace next to a Prima rose. handmade black enamel dots simulate the flight of the butterfly. the same graphite glimmer mist was sprayed on the white card base.

This ATC and card uses the Eureka 'Stained Glass Sun' image. small leaf flourishes, May Arts ribbon, and a Prima flower were added to the ATC. handmade enamel dots and some doodles on the card base finish the card. sentiments on both were created with my label maker.

I do hope you will give this new technique a try. I have SO MUCH respect for those artists who can do this. sadly, I am not one of them. tee hee!

Challenges:
Wicked Wed. ATC - black, white, and one other color (ATCs only - grey/silver is other color)
Outlawz Greeting - monochromatic (cards)
Fan-tastic Tues - anything goes (cards)
TTCRD - anything goes

Peace on Earth Wise Man

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Happy Saturday!
I have been so busy with some behind the scene stuff that I completely forgot about getting my project done for the Digi Stamps 4 Joy Progressive Christmas Challenge! I made it this morning, but when I went to link it up, discovered (i.e. 2x4 upside the head, oh yeah, goofball!) the time zone difference. linky closed. bummer. but at least I have another Christmas card to add to my stash. sad to be out of the challenges those. it was nice of them to send along a new image each month for everyone to play with. needless to say with everything going on with my biopsies, my head has so NOT been attached this month! ;)

Everyone who played along in April was sent the image, 'King 1 - Time to Go'. love the camel's expression! papers are from the Basic Grey Aspen Frost collection, poinsettia is from Hobby Lobby, gold stick pin is from Maya Road, and enamel dots are my handmade ones. everything else is from my stash. oh yes, crochet trim is vintage. punched star is inked with craft and sprayed with glimmer mist.  wise man's crown is painted with shimmerz.

Challenges:
Christmas Ch w/sketches - ch #125 farewell ch w/sketch :(
TTCRD - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Crafty Creations - all about 'S' (star, spots & stripes on bg paper, sentiment, sand, sketch)
Delicious Doodles - for the love of animals
Jingle Belles - Peace on Earth
Christmas Stamping All Year Long - anything Christmas goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Ch - anything Christmas goes
Sister Act - any card goes
4 Crafty Chicks - anything goes
Outlawz Twisted Th - anything goes
Fab 'n Funky - Christmas
Fan-tastic Tues - anything goes

Remember Memorial Day

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti

To celebrate my wonderful news of no cancer the other day, we bought the movie, 'The Monument's Men'. I had read the book and really enjoyed it, so wanted to see the movie, too. Dave is so not a history nut, like me, but because he likes so many of the actors in the movie, he persevered. thankfully he enjoyed the movie. it seemed such a wonderful movie to help us remember the sacrifices made by so very many as we recognize Memorial Day today. Everyone has their own opinions about war, but we must always support the many men and women who put their lives on the line for our personal liberties.

the card I have today uses a special image from MelJen Designs, 'Pair of Poppies'. I am sure many of you are like me in that you remember buying and wearing poppies made by veterans. My dad faithfully bought one for me every year. each time I see one I think of him. he also served in the Army, and had a brother who died in WW2, so the poppies bring forth many memories.

papers for the card are from the Authentique Pride collection, flower is by Petaloo, star is punched from a Starbuck's coffee cozy, and enamel dots are my handmade ones. shimmerz paint, stickles, and a spica glitter pen accent the main image.  lace is from my vintage stash. postage stamp is one I saved.

thank you so much for stopping by!

Challenges:
Sunday Sketch and Stamp - sketch (flipped on its side to resemble flag)
Sassy Studio - color it patriotic
OSAAT - anything goes
Red Carpet Studio - Saving Private Ryan
Robyn's Fetish - add 3 buttons
Alphabet Ch - H is for handmade embellies (star, enamel dots, sentiment from label maker, and banner was hand cut)
Delightful Ch - red, white, and blue
DL Art - red, white, and blue
Mema's Crafts - May flowers (poppies seem perfect for this)

Epic Day on a Bike

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Nut

Today I share with you my  next installment in the Jellypark Post Pals card drive. this little guy on his bike makes me smile so big! I have made my card for Alan S., who is a big fan of Dr. Who - of course I HAD to send him a card! :)

if you would like more info about Post Pals or the card drive Claire has put together, check out the Facebook page. you will see so many fabulous cards as well as wonderful stories of the children receiving them. :)

I knew that the fella needed a sidewalk for his bike, so I painted one in. papers are from the Basic Grey Capture collection, since it had lots of blue in it - Alan's fave color! I wanted to be sure to include some bright colors, but make it kinda hip, too. wood veneer pieces are by Studio Calico, and enamel dots are some of my handmade ones.

Challenges:
Sketch 'n Stash - sketch ch #139 (stash-ribbon, ticket, button)
Brown Sugar - anything goes
Jellypark - bold and bright
Simply Create Too - Father's Day or for a male
Sister Act - any card goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - one for the boys
A Song in Your He{art} - Let's Hear it for the Boys
Baffies Creative Shop - male
Penny's Paper Crafty - spots and/or stripes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Cards Galore Encore - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Crafty Sentiments - inspired by a song: "Let's Hear it for the Boys"
Fan-tastic Tues - one for the guys
Papertake Weekly - oh, so cute
Glitter 'n Sparkle - for a male or male colors

Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear.... Having a Pic-A-Nic!

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel Pecan

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! I hope you have a most beautiful day today!

My card today is two-fold - it's for the new challenge over at Pile it On, but also for a special young lady I'll tell you about in just a moment.....

first up is the Pile it On challenge - our theme is all about the fuzzy wuzzy! We are sponsored by Stitchy Bear's Digi Outlet. One participant will receive a $10 gift certificate to the Stitchy Bear store! :)

my image is from Stitchy's own collection and it's called 'Lunch Time.' isn't it just the cutest? it reminded me of the tongue twister - 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear'.....  papers are from the Basic Grey Knee Highs colllection, ribbon is May Arts, and enamel dots are my handmade ones. sparkly touches to the main image were made with shimmerz paint and various colors of spica glitter pens.  sentiment sticker is from SRM. several dies were used: tiny leaf flourish by Cheery Lynn, main image & mat by Spellbinders, and beautiful butterfly by The Cat's Pajamas. (thanks, Chris!!!)

Now on to the young lady who will be receiving my card ~
I read about a precious little 5 year old girl named Katlynn who is very sick right now and in the hospital. her mom, Valou Allard, a most talented papercrafter, is asking people to send cards to her daughter to help brighten her day. You can read more about the card drive and blog candy here on Valou's post. I am not entering the blog candy, but just wanted to send along a card to hopefully bring a smile! I know as a mom I would do anything to help my children feel better.

Challenges:
Little Claire's - spots and stripes
Open Minded Crafting - use ribbon
Pumpkin Spice - about a girl
Speedy the Fox - use a punch (to create end of sentiment banner)
We Do Doobadoo - lots of layers
Crazy 4 Challenges - bingo: flowers, sentiment, bling (enamel dots)
Digi Haven - bear hugs
Savvy Handmade Cards - zoo animals
Sister Act - any card goes
4 Crafty Girls - anything goes
Aud Sentiments - any sentiment for a child
Crafty Ribbons - sweet treats
In the Pink - fluttering by
Paper Crafting Journey - spots and/or stripes
Crafting for all Seasons - lots of layers
Divas by Design - in the pink
Little Red Wagon - seeing spots
Penny's Paper Crafty - 2 or more dec papers (I have used 3)
Scrapper's Delights - anything goes
Whimsy Inspires - 2 or more die cuts (Spellbinders, Cheery Lynn, & Cat's Pajamas)
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - special ladies
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Die Cuttin' Divas - sketch
Digi Choosday - make it for the kids
TTCRD - anything goes
Craft-Dee Bow Z - anything goes with a handmade bow
Crafty Bloggers - pink with ribbon
Created with Love - critters
The Kraft Journal - for her

Lots of Love for Lauryn Card Drive Blog Hop!

Coffee of the Day - Maple Walnut

Isn't this little girl just precious? Let me introduce you....
Lauryn was diagnosed with Leukemia on March 27, 2014. She is currently hospitalized in the DC area undergoing chemotherapy to fight this terrible disease.  Lauryn is Linda Payne's granddaughter...many of you in the stamping community probably already know sweet Linda!

As news of Lauryn's illness spread via social media, many of you have asked if there is anything you can do to help, so we have come up with a plan. We decided to have a Card Drive and would like to invite YOU to help by sending "happy mail" to Lauryn and her family.

Please create cards to share your love and encouragement for Lauryn and her family. Lauryn's parents are Josh and Elizabeth and she has two older siblings: Lily and Logan. We thank the Lord for this dear family and need to pray for them as they are seeking to glorify the Lord throughout this trial. 

Cards can be mailed to:

Children's National
Hematology/Oncology RM 437
Lauryn Newsome
111 Michigan Ave NW
Washington DC 20010

You can find updates on Lauryn via a Facebook page that has been set up by some family. It is Fight on Little Lauryn. They have shared how encouraging it is receive a simple "like" on a Facebook status or words of love and encouragement that is posted.

Here is the fabulous group of bloggers who have joined us in promoting this Card Drive. We would love for you to hop with us as numerous bloggers have blog candy and all you need to do is leave a comment... 

Lots of Love for Lauryn

Olga Jewell Craftieodamae

Mary Anne Kelemen Lakeside Stamping

Lisa Haines The Purple Place

Patti Painter Patti’s Paper Creations

Jennie Harper Stampin Away the Day 

Colleen Holmes A Card’s Delight

Jennifer Scull Just Coffee Please…& Stamps & Ribbons & Paper YOU ARE HERE! :)

Anita Autore Cards & Coffee 

Sandra Van Blaricum Cards and Creativity 

Jerusha Borden I Love Paper Crafting 

Jenn Borjeson Stampin' Angel Jenn 

Nina Brackett Crafting in Croatia

Linda Coughlin The Funkie Junkie

Kathleen Curry Will Stamp for Wine

Melissa Czapor My Many Journeys

Vicki Dutcher All I Do is Stamp

Debbie Ebat Debbie’s Stamping Adventures

Tera Fujan Stamp Queen 

Patti Gilliam Cherish Each Precious Gift

Joy Hadden Pieces of Joy

Danielle Haddon The Musings of a Chocoholic

Karen Knegten Studio at the Lake 

Lori McAree Smiling While Stamping

CG Merrill CG Says (something loudly)

Rhonda Miller Rhonda’s Place to Shine

Lee Murphy My Reality

Betty Neville Betty Neville's Blog

Jackie Randolph Paper Moments 

Shirley Ross Card Art, Etc.

Melissa Shultz Coffee Stamps and Stitches

Carla Suto Carla’s Stamping Spot 

Cat Tidwell Cat’s Creations 

Brenda Turner Stamp It Up

Geri Utterback Geri’s Cards 

Cheri Weston Stamp’n Boomer 

 

The card I have made for Lauryn uses an image offered by Claire Keay of Jellypark for a donation to the family.  Claire drew this from an actual photo of Lauryn! isn't that so cool! there are more images in the set if you are interested. Several other artists donated digital images, too, so be sure to check out the Lots of Love for Lauryn blog to see them all featured.

I won't go into a lot of detail about the products on my card. if you would like more info, please either leave a message in the comments or send me an email. don't want to take up too much of your time in case you are trying to stop by other blogs today.

thank you for popping in! and please consider helping out this family if at all possible. :)

I do have a small prize to offer to anyone who would like to enter. I am keeping it light in weight so that it can be sent anywhere in the world. one randomly chosen winner will receive not only this Spellbinders Corner Sprigs Shapeabilities die, but some ribbons, flowers, and other little goodies! add your entry through our friendly Mr. blue froggy! you only have until the end of today! I will announce the winner tomorrow!

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

Challenges:
Your Next Stamp - inspiration or sketch (sketch)
Aud Sentiments - sentiment for a friend
Hobbybook - 2 or more die cuts (Spellbinders & Cheery Lynn)
Crafty Hands - anything goes
Whimsy Inspires - anything goes
Stamping Chef - anything goes
Crafty Bloggers - die cuts or embossing (there is embossing on the top large, lace die)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
WAW - anything encouraging goes
TTCRD - anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - use a digi
Hobbycutz - bingo: die cut, button, bling (stickles & shimmerz)

Dance with Faeries

Coffee of the Day - Marzipan

The new challenge at Pile it On this week is to add tulle or mesh to your project. Our sponsor is Inky Impressions, and the prize will be a $10 gift certificate to their store!  be sure to stop by the Pile it On challenge blog to see all of the amazing inspiration by the DT!

My card uses the Inky Impressions image 'Wishing Well Fairy'. This card is going to little Lauryn's older sister, so it needed to be as girly as I could make it. :) that meant it was time to pile on the pinks and purples!

papers are from the Basic Grey Green at Heart collection, sentiment is from Create with TLC, die is Spellbinders, punches are Martha Stewart (leaves) and SU! (tag top & postage stamp). white trim and satin ribbon for flower are by May Arts. please forgive me that I can't remember the mfg. of the tulle ballerina fringe. isn't it a delight, though? enamel dots are more of my handmade ones. a doily, some buttons, and an edge of white gel pen dots complete the card.

tip - enamel dots are super trendy right now. it's easy to make your own at home using pony beads. melt them in a toaster oven on parchment paper at 450* for about 15+ min.  keep an eye on them as they melt. it is a bit of a stinky project. best to do it with the windows open. let cool for just a few minutes, then they are ready for your projects! easy to adhere with glue dots.

tomorrow is the big day for the Lots of Love for Lauryn card drive blog hop, so I do hope you will stop back by! lots of prizes, sponsors, but most importantly, lots of inspiration for cards to send the family. :)

Challenges:
Inky Impressions - dots & stripes
Aud Sentiments - sentiment for a friend
Paper Crafting Journey - for a special lady (young lady)
Cards Galore Encore - include your fave color (pink!)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Faeries Ch - shabby or vintage
Sketch 'n Dies - sketch (die from Spellbinders)
Baffies Kreativladen - for a woman (young woman)
Crafting For All Seasons - dies and punches (die: Spellbinder, punches: Martha Stewart & SU!)
Creative Moments - anything goes girly
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - add wings
Paper Pretties - punches (Martha Stewart & SU!)
Rhedd and Rose's - anything goes
Fan-tastic Tues - anything square goes
Top Tip Tues - cute
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Card Makin' Mamas - buttons, bits, and baubles (buttons & enamel dots)
Chocolate, Coffee, & Cards - use stripes
Savvy Handmade Cards - make believe or mythical creature
Sister Act - any card goes
Catch the Bug - springtime
Bearly Mine - Spring
Sassy Studios - make it creative i.e. make your own embellies (made enamel dots from pony beads, flower from ribbon, and tag from decorative paper)
Crafty Calendar - things with wings