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

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)

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

Under the Sea Altered Nuts Can

Top 3 Pick at Sparkles Monthly Challenge
Highlighted Project at Use Your Stuff
Winner at Sunsational Stamps
Top 3 Pick at The Fairy and the Unicorn
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Sweet Pear tea

Hello! Happy Monday! :)
I hope you had a great weekend! I apologize that I haven't had a craft project to share with you in a while.  These seizures and migraines are really doing a number on me. Unfortunately they seem to be getting worse rather than better, much to my dismay. I am using my cane to get around much more often, as opposed to just 'holding on to the walls' as I usually do to get around the house. Yesterday it was easier to just stay in bed, because I found myself falling down  every time I tried to stand or walk.  this is not fun, folks. :( I want to be out enjoying the sunshine and bird songs and the smell of grass and good stuff of summer. oh well. maybe soon.

 anyhow, enough of the icky stuff.  I had wanted to have this project completed in time to celebrate World Oceans Day and the March for the Oceans. I had planned to attend a nearby march, but of course I couldn't. taking care of our waterways and the beautiful creatures that live in them is very important to me.

So I created this altered project using a mixed nuts can. Since becoming a vegetarian over the past few years, we eat lots of nuts. :) I save the cans for my projects, and thought it would be fun to make this for Tyler and Danielle to put the shells and beach glass they collect on their honeymoon this fall.

I gathered images from The Graphic Fairy (anchors), Create with TLC (fish), and SU! (fish rubber stamp).  papers are from the Authentique Sea Maiden collection, and flowers are from both Wild Orchid Crafts & Petaloo. all ribbons and trims are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. sea horse and sand dollar dies are by Tim Holtz.

The background base paper was sprayed with Tattered Angels pearl glimmer mist. This is one of my favorite sprays for a glorious all over sparkle, but especially for water scenes. Essentially every piece of paper or cardstock used on here was sprayed with this glimmer mist at least once. :)

From there I created the sand portion. I used the actual sand designer paper from Authentique, but then sprayed it with the Tattered Angels walnut gold & pearl regular glimmer mists and the Hot Chocolate Chalkboard glimmer mist. once these had dried I stippled a bit of gesso over the top to give a bit of texture. this piece of dsp was then adhered around the bottom with foam tape.

The seahorses were distressed with white craft and crumb cake inks and then sprayed with the pearl & Atlantic glimmer mists. I added a little bead for the eyes. torn cardboard was distressed with white craft ink. the floral anchor piece was edged in gold glitter glass. I used a little fern punch by Martha Stewart to replicate sea plants. they were distressed and inked. The top has a wonderful burlap doily and neat flower that I came across a few years ago in my travels, knowing that it would be perfect on some project. looks like this was the one! :)

Pearl beads and metallic beads by Prima add more texture along the ocean floor. Real shells & beach glass pieces, along with postage stamps and vintage laces & buttons help to complete the project.

I hope you have enjoyed my little altered project today. Enjoy your day!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Canvas Corp - To the Sea (Tattered Angels pearl, walnut gold, Hot Chocolate, & Atlantic glimmer mists)
613 Avenue Create - anything goes w/optional buttons & bows theme
Dragonfly Dreams - anything goes
Corrosive Challenges - anything goes
Catch the Bug - make a splash
Fairy and the Unicorn - anything mystical/mythical (mermaids, on card)
Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media - layers
Let's Craft and Create - anything goes w/punch it optional theme (Martha Stewart fern punch)
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Sparkles - sea shells
Sunsational Stamps - beach
Crafter's Cafe - tic tac toe: lace, patterned paper, ribbon
CRAFT - add ribbon and sparkle (sparkle comes from the numerous glimmer mists, pearl beads, and beach glass. it has a lovely shine irl)
Use Your Stuff - magical (mermaids, on card)
Altered Eclectics - anything altered or mixed media

You Are Amazing - Autism Blog Hop

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

I am back today with another card for the Stamping for Autism Awareness Blog Hop. We are asked to only link one card for the hop, but I am making several to send to our son Ryan, who works with children on the autism spectrum. It's a facility called Hope Bridge, and they have locations in several areas. He is in Indiana, and I want to send him a few cards to share with some of the children he works with.

Today's card uses a cute image by Mo Manning called "Hurricane Harvey." my sons wouldn't just pull out one toy to play with; they had to pull out the entire toy box just like this little guy! :)

the watercolor bg is part of the same paper I created in the card from this post - made using brusho powders on watercolor paper. I used cobalt blue and grey, spraying with pearl glimmer mist to add a bit of sparkle. the stripe paper is from the Authentique Cuddle Boy collection.

sentiment is by Create with TLC and all other elements are from my stash. that fabulous wood bark star is from an online store that is no longer open. so glad I stocked up, because it is so fun! lots of ink distressing and a border of white gel ink dots helps add a cool visual touch.

thanks for stopping by! it sure feels good to be back playing in my craft room again. Palmer and Moon Pie, our dog and cat, are happy to be playing in there with me, too! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
A Perfect Time to Craft - anything goes
ATG with TLC - anything goes with a TLC product
Crafter's Cafe - color: blue, green, and yellow
DL Art - anything goes

A Day Full of Sunshine

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Today I am sharing a card made for a very special blog hop - Stamping For Autism Awareness Blog Hop.  Our youngest son, Ryan, works for a fabulous place called Hope Bridge. it is a therapy center for children on the autism spectrum. He absolutely loves working there. I am making cards to send to him to give to the children there. I hope to get several made this week. hopefully I can get one made for the staff as well to say thank you for all they do! :)

I wanted to use shades of blue on my card because royal blue is the official color for autism awareness. I pulled out my brusho powders, which are a new to me crafting tool. I used cobalt blue and grey on watercolor paper. rather than using just water, I also sprayed the paper with pearl glimmer mist for a nice bit of sparkle. (I do this with my gelatos, too.)

That adorable little puppy is from LOTV. isn't he precious? when visiting blogs over the weekend, I saw several cards with paper cut at an angle and was inspired to try the same. it adds a fun design element!

of course I had to give the card my own little shabby spin, so there is a bit of ink distressing as well as some re-purposed treasures. I added a row of painted white dots across the top. the sun die is by La La Land. sentiment stamp is from SU!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope to have more cards for this wonderful blog hop later in the week. :)
Jennifer

editing to add link for another card made for blog hop:
You Are Amazing


Challenges:
Get Creative - no patterned paper
Dragonfly Journeys - baker's twine

Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
House That Stamps Built - anything goes
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes w/a critter

Hello Winter Hot Cocoa Canister for GIU

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

check back tomorrow for my final post.
Jennifer

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

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

Holiday Gift Ideas with GIU

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

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

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

now on to my gift ideas ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jennifer

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

Collect Moments Christmas Tea Cup Card

Coffee of the Day - Creamy Chestnuts

I have been such a VERY busy bee in my craft room, so be prepared to be inundated with a LOT of crafty goodies. :) it's been fun, but I am a whooped puppy! still going at it until my list is done...

Today I'm sharing with you a card I made for one of my bestest friends in the whole world. she used to be a coffee buddy, but she no longer drinks coffee. she does still drink tea, though, so I was happy to make a card for her with several yummy tea bags added. we used to go to a wonderful tea room here in town until they sadly closed their doors.

the stamp is by Prima and was added to a library pocket. the pocket and the library card the tea bags are adhered to are sprayed with several shades of glimmer mist. I also used my SU! ink squirty tool. little ribbon snippet is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and pretty lace trim is from Hobby Lobby. holly flourish die is by Cheery Lynn and doily die is from Little Darlings Rubber Stamps. paper & poinsettia are from Hobby Lobby as well. button is from my vintage stash.

have a most amazing day! see you back here tomorrow! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Winter Coffee Lover's blog hop
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Everybody Art - doily (die)
Inky Chicks - Christmas card in traditional colors
Ike's World - photo inspiration
Crafty Boots - Christmas

A Cup of Christmas Joy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pretty Breyer Horses in Pink

Winner at Creative Knockouts

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan (yes, I'm drinking a lot of it this fall. it is so very tasty!)

Hello all of you lovely Digi Bell fans! I'm  here to share a bit of crafty inspiration with all of you today from Elisabeth Bell's archives.

By now all of you are probably aware that I am a HUGE fan of her weekly newsletter. I urge each of you to sign up if you haven't already. Elisabeth so very kindly sends out a free image to her subscribers every weekend. can you believe that?! free!!! and they are adorable!!!

the digi I am sharing today is probably the one that got me hooked on her cuteys to begin with. it's called "Breyer Horses" and was once a rubber stamp. isn't it precious? although I am certain I say that about each and every image that lands in my mailbox. giggles!

papers are from the Basic Grey Sun Kissed collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and buttons are from my vintage stash. the main image die and the matting one are both by Spellbinders while the banner die is from SU!. the gorgeous horse die is a new to me one from Memory Box. isn't it great?! I sprayed the doily with granite glimmer mist. little distressed seam binding and ric rack snippets were attached with the Tim Holtz tiny stapler. sure do love that thing! :)

don't forget there is a great challenge going on over at Elisabeth's fun challenge blog. the theme is Autumn or Halloween. you could win some digis from the store!

I hope you have a most amazing weekend! now go get your craft on. ;)

Challenges:
Craft Rocket - pretty pinks
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes
Creative Knock-outs - doily delights
In the Pink - lots of layers
Through the Purple Haze - add embellies
Fab 'n Funky - animals
Crafty Boots - in the pink (as a fighter of breast cancer myself, I appreciate your challenge theme!)
Dream Valley - for the girls (the young daughter of a pastor friend of ours saw my card posted on Facebook and fell in love with it. my oldest son will be delivering it to her over Thanksgiving as a surprise!)

Welcome Autumn! and a Digi Bell Blog Hop!

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan (it's a tasty new one! yum!)

Welcome to my happy little spot on the Digi Bells Blog Hop today! Grab a nice piping hot cup of coffee to keep you toasty warm on this rainy Ohio Friday.... let me tell you, God is truly in His splendor this fine Fall day. it's absolutely GORGEOUS here! while it might be raining and cool, the changing leaves are fabulous to behold! squirrels and chippies scurrying here and yonder, birds serenading us at the feeder - oh, life is so very beautiful indeed! :)

so let's celebrate it all with this precious new image Elisabeth has brought forth from retirement called 'Fall Errands.' she is just as sweet as can be with her packages and jaunty little hat! and that messenger bag! adorbs!!! of course I had to color my cookies to look like Walker's shortbread. ;) if someone were bringing me a tin of cookies, that is what I would love to have delivered. tee hee!

you should have arrived here from the absolutely AMAZING blog of FIKI, my sweet friend!!!! if at any time you get lost on the hop, just head over to the Digi Bell's blog for the complete list.

for my card I've used papers from my most fave ever fall paper collection, Basic Grey's Indian Summer. main die is by Spellbinders, pumpkin die is from Sizzix, and leaf dies (sprayed with glimmer mist) are by Tim Holtz. seam binding on tag is from Zipper Stop and crochet trim across top is vintage as are teh buttons. little wood veneer pieces ans washi tape are from SU! all flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. sentiment stamp is from Shady Tree Studios.

now hop on over to my dear friend, LYNDA's blog to see what simply breathtaking project she has made to knock your fluffy socks off! she is some kind of talented! :) be sure to leave her a comment, too. it just makes people feel a little extra special when you take the time to say hello on their blogs. :)

thanks so very  much for stopping by! enjoy your weekend!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Fussy and Fancy - shades of autumn
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Cardz 4 Galz - use at least 1 die
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Crafty Ribbons - ribbon or lace
Moving Along with the Times - trees and/or leaves
Sasayaki Glitter - Autumn/Harvest/Halloween
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
{pin}spirational - photo inspiration (colors, leaves)
Scribbles by Sandy - fabulous fall
Ooh La La - shades of autumn
Whoopsi Daisy - die cuts/punches
Eclectic Ellapu - autumnal
Ribbon Girls - use any image
Dare 2 B Artzy - fall

I'll Never Forget

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie

Hello and Happy Friday to each of you! :)

I'm here today to bring a bit of Digi Bell sunshine into your day. Today is the day subscribers to Elisabeth's newsletters get super excited, because we know we have happy mail coming by way of a cutey free image courtesy of our own sweet benefactor! she so faithfully sends out the most adorable images every week to everyone who signs up for the fun newsletter. have YOU signed up for you free copy? click here for a super easy sign up and also a cool eBook that has some neat free images, too!

My card today uses a free image from a few weeks ago called 'Sally and Ellie.' This little girl with her elephant are as precious as can be! I found the perfect sentiment at Create with TLC to go with it, too. :) I added little flowers to her top with markers.

papers are from the Basic Grey Saturday Morning collection, doily was sprayed with several shades of glimmer mist, seam binding (distressed with a few shades of ink) is from Zipper Stop, and dies are by Spellbinders. gingham ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. flowers are from both Wild Orchid Crafts and Michaels. buttons are from my vintage stash.

Be sure to join along in the current challenge we have going on, too. it's a fun theme of 'Buttons and Bows' - easy peasy for most of us. ;)

enjoy your weekend! Jennifer

Challenges:
Anything Goes with TLC - anything goes with an image by Create with TLC
Crafting Circle/Crafty Awesomeness - anything goes
Just Keep on Creating - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Creative with Stamps - add a sentiment
DL Art Oct linky ch - anything goes
Not Just Cards - anything goes

Fairy Tales

Coffee of the Day - Coconut

Hello everyone!
I'm here to share a card to hopefully inspire you to grab your beautiful Elisabeth Bell images and head to your craft room for some creative time. :)

My husband and I recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. quite the milestone in this day and age! I made him this card, using the precious 'February Flutter' digital image and the inspiring sentiment from Ginger's House you see here. the inside reads, "thank you for being my happily ever after." :) he really is!

while the card style might be a bit more frou frou-y than I would typically make for him, he did like it! especially when he saw that the fairy prince was wearing the same colors as his favorite super hero - The Incredible Hulk! ;)

Papers are from the Basic Grey Kioshi collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, little flourish die is by Cheery Lynn, and grosgrain ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. doily was sprayed with several shades of glimmer mist and a pretty floral postage stamp was re-purposed in the corner. buttons, as always, are from my vintage collection. dies are by Spellbinders and sentiment punch is by SU! lots of shimmerz paint added to the main image, too.

may you have a 'happily ever after' in your life, too! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Come and Get It - lots of layers
Glitter 'n Sparkle - anything goes
One Stitch at a Time - anything goes with a special day (anniversary)
Ribbon Girls - use any image and ribbon
Crafter's Cafe - use buttons
Fantasy Crafters - anything fantasy goes
Let's Craft and Create - spots and/or stripes (both in papers)
Paradise of Stamps - fairy
Petal Lu - anything goes
Crafting with Dragonflies - fairies/fantasy
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Art by Miran - anything goes
DL Art - anything goes
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
RRR- things with wings and ribbon or trim

A Wise and Precious House.... WAW Guest

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

I am so very sorry to have been away for so long. seizures and migraines have been keeping me in bed. being on the computer is like kryptonite to Superman - sure to send me straight to seizure city.

this post is going to be super fast, only because it is already a week late for my guest posting over at Word Art Wednesday. thankfully they are a very kind and forgiving bunch. ;)  and I'm ever so happy that I was able to get my projects completed ahead of time since these were the last things I made before everything hit. nothing crafty has been done in weeks, sadly. :(

anyhow, y'all don't want to hear about any of that. on to my card. papers are from the Basic Grey Origins collection, precious little cottage digi is by Saturated Canary, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, ribbon and seam binding (distressed with inks) are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and buttons are from my vintage stash. doily was sprayed with several shades of glimmer mist. accent dots were added to card base with a white gel pen.

thanks for your patience in waiting on posts from me! sure does mean a lot! I hope to be back to crafting in the next few weeks. it normally takes about that long for my seizures to cycle through....

if, by chance, I have won any challenges, please pop me an email. I haven't been around to check the challenge blogs in ages because it is just too hard on my head. I'll try to get caught up on that as soon as I can. if you happen to come across my name, I would be ever so grateful if you could shoot me a message. thank you! :)

have a great day! love to all of you! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Creative Moments - anything goes
Classic DT Open Ch - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Sunny Day - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w'patterned paper
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Paradise of Stamps - anything goes
Crafty Friends - anything goes

Christmas Curls in July

Coffee of the Day - Pecan Toffee

Hello and Happy Friday!

It's Christmas in July! have you made any of your holiday cards yet? there are so many cuties available in Elisabeth Bell's digi shop, and if you subscribe to her newsletter, you just might find a few popping into your mailbox, too! :)

One of those freebies that showed up in my inbox was this adorable image, 'Christmas Curls.' isn't she precious with her little kitty?! since we have just rescued a cat here in our home, this one really struck a chord with me. in face my own kitty cat is sitting in his special bed right here on top of the desk beside me as I type this post! yes, he might just be a bit spoiled, but as a rescue, he has a right to be! :)

papers are from the Basic Grey Evergreen collection, main die is by Spellbinders, pretty snowflake border die is by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions, and little flower is by Petaloo. lace along bottom, buttons, and holly sprig are all vintage stash. pink seam binding (distressed) and gold cord are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. tag was sprayed with glimmer mist. distress stickles were added to holly berries and shimmerz was painted onto bells of main image. some faux stitching and a burlap doily complete the card.

this is my last post on the Digi Bell blog as a guest designer, and I have had such a lovely time! I still have a few more posts with them, but no more on the blog. it's sure been a fun ride!

it's also a mid month posting over at Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra challenge, so be sure to link up those Christmas cards you are making!

have a great weekend! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - anything Christmas goes
Whoopsi Daisy - Christmas in July
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Classic DT Challenge - anything goes
World Wide Open DT Challenge - anything goes
Craft Rocket - anything goes
Crafting With an Attitude - anything goes
Crimbo Crackers - anything Christmas goes
DL Art July linky party - anything goes
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes

Christmas Mice are Stirring Tag

Top 3 at SLS Lines

Coffee of the Day - Pecan Toffee

Today's Christmas in July challenge on the Bugaboo challenge and inspiration blog is all about making holiday tags. there are some great prizes up for grabs as well as half off everything in the store through the end of the month! :)

For my tag I have used the cutie 'Scene It - Christmas Mice' image. I used a card template for the tree since my tag is rather large and edged it with Prima chalk ink. tag is sprayed with glimmer mist.

lots of little accents of distress stickles and spica clear glitter gel pen on the main image for added holiday sparkle. some of the same distress stickles was added to the poinsettia, too.

a tiny snippet scrap of 25th and Pine Basic Grey paper added to the upper corner along with a vintage button and Zipper Stop seam binding make this a fun tag for any Christmas gift! :)

I'll have one more holiday project for the Bugaboo excitement this week, so please check back. sorry I couldn't play along in all of the challenges. this being sick is no fun whatsoever.

Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Winter Wonderland - Let's See a Christmas Tree/make it cute
Star Stampz - celebration
Creative Fingers - anything goes
SLS Lines - anything but a card
Sisters of Craft - anything goes
Left of Center - animals