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 Squirrely Thanks

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lemon Basil tea

Happy Monday! I bet you don't hear that very often. grins! but we have to find something good about every day, and I choose to rejoice in the fact that I woke up this morning to the sound of birds chirping their beautiful songs. :) I have a happy and content cat sleeping on the sill of the front window where he can keep an eye on all of the critters in  the front yard when he wakes up, a dog who finds joy in every little thing from a stick in the driveway to the squeaky unicorn toy that drives hubby up the wall, and a family that texts me every day with the stories of their lives. blessings? oh yes! I have them in abundance!!! so it IS a happy Monday! :)  not easy, but happy.

 so I am sharing with all of you a card I made to say thank you to a group of amazing people who came out to Camp for a service project. about 70 people arrived several weeks ago to help transform Camp through painting, cleaning, and various fix-it projects. I don't have any photos to share, but what they did is amazing. I want to make them several thank you cards, but this is the first. I work so slow these days, and my list of cards to make is so very long....

The adorable squirrel thank you image is from LOTV, papers from my Authentique Meadow collection, grass die by My Favorite Things, and felt cut with a die by La La Land. I added a twig from outside to use as a fun bit of whimsy. all other items are from my stash. there is a little sparkle on the card with touches from a wink of stella clear glitter pen.

For my birthday blog candy winners, please check this post. congratulations to the winners! I'll have more candy later this fall. in fact, I have blog candy planned all the way through Valentine's Day! :)

Have a wonderful week! I'll see you back again in a few days with another project. :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes w/an animal
Crafty Animals - anything goes w/an animal
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Love to Craft - anything goes
Sweet Stampers - animals
Angie's - anything goes
Alphabet Ch - 'G' is for Great Outdoors
CRAFT - thank you
Sunny Day - any animal
Ching-Chou Kuik - thank you/sympathy

Thanks a Latte! Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog Hop

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Strawberry Lavender Mint

Happy Friday to everyone! :)  I am sharing a card with all of you that I made not only for the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Spring/Summer Blog Hop, but also for a group of VERY kind people who have done something so spectacular for us out at Camp Burton. They have spent the past 2 weeks building a covered deck/porch off of our dining hall! I knew they were people after my own heart when they brought their own tricked out Keurig along, complete with a minimum of 4 different types of coffee. oh yeah! :)

So making a coffee themed thank you card for them seemed the perfect thing to do. Don't you agree? The above photo shows Dave, my hubby, with the addition as of last weekend. I haven't been out there this week to see how far they have progressed. Excited to see the work they have accomplished when I go out later today and work this weekend. :)

My card uses an image and sentiment from Bugaboo, digital papers from the Echo Park Celebrate Spring collection, ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon,  and a pretty little daisy from Wild Orchid Crafts.

twine, buttons, and ticket are all items from my stash. shimmerz paint was added to the spoon and heart for some sparkly shine. wink of stella glitter pen was used on the steam coming from the coffee cups for a bit more! :) I added some polka dots to the pink coffee cup with a white get pen and orange pearl pen accents to the sentiment piece for even more fun. lots of distressing with both ink and a distressing tool. faux stitching, too.

Thanks for stopping by! Btw - I have added a privacy policy page to attempt to comply with the new GDPR guidelines.
Jennifer

Challenges:
Catch the Bug - bingo (sparkle - shimmerz paint on heart & spoon, wink of stella glitter pen on steam; sentiment; stitching - faux, on yellow mat and green dsp)
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Inspiration Destination - #151 anything goes
Stempelsonne - anything goes
QKR - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Dream Valley - summer colors

A Pen Friend Thanks

Coffee of the Day - Sleepy Time Tea with extra Valerian (no coffee for the past few days. I've been really sick and tea just tastes better.)

The weekend is almost upon us, thank goodness! :)
I'm here with a bit of pink springtime inspiration to brighten even the gloomiest of winter days.

I have used the adorable "A Pen Friend" image to create a thank you card to send off to a special friend. you can find images similar to this one in Elisabeth Bell's store! some cute digital papers by Adrienne Looman, a little tag, pretty paper flowers, and other fun embellies all combine to create a card that tell my friend how very much I appreciate her kindness. :)

main image die is by Spellbinders, flowers & leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts, sentiment is from SRM Stickers, buttons are from my vintage stash, pink crochet trim is from Live & Love Crafts, distressed pink seam binding is from Zipper Stop, and little denim tag is re-purposed from a pair of jeans.

have a most amazing day! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafting By Designs - inspired by a movie (You've Got Mail or Pretty in Pink)
Crafty Creations - anything goes
DL Art - winter with an optional 'thanks'
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Inky Chicks - anything goes

Thanks Flower Hat Kitty

Top 3 at Creative Craft Cottage

Coffee of the Day - Irish Creme

Happy Happy Friday! it seems so rare that I actually make a card that isn't for some required project, but that is what I am sharing with you today. I am so very far behind on thank you cards and really need to play 'catch up' on them.

I was super blessed to win some fun images from Sami Stamps a few weeks back. I chose one that I knew would be perfect for this one thank you card I needed to make. a friend I've made over in the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's Facebook group has a cat named Anna. Debra and I have struck up quite the friendship as we talk about coffee, cats and crafting - the 3 'C's! :)

a little while ago she sent me an envelope chocked full of these beautiful Starbucks coffee cards. the stores in my area don't carry them, so I was tickled pink to receive this package from her. 2 of the cards are on my project here. my poor photography skills don't even begin to show the beauty of these cards! most of them are embossed in copper and truly gorgeous! I treasure each one and will use them VERY sparingly.

so for my card I have 'Flower Hat' and paper from Basic Grey's Fresh Cut collection. you can see the only embellishments I've used are the Starbucks items and ribbons & trims from Really Reasonable Ribbon. NO BUTTONS! ;) what is up with that?! grins! they just didn't seem to fit this time. I know - you probably think I have bumped my head. no worries. I'll make up for it on another project! :D

thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you tomorrow with my last Bugaboo guest designer post.... sniff sniff.....

Challenges:
Ike's World - a little sketchy
Show Us Your Cats - floral kitties
Sami Stamps - anything goes with one of Sami's images
Craft Rocket - spots and/or stripes
DL Art - anything goes with 'thank you' option
Corrosive Ch - animals/nature
A Gem of a Challenge - animals
Creative Craft Cottage - anything goes
Let's Craft and Create - 4 legged friends

Thanks a Latte Cup Stack

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Cupcake

Hooray, it's Saturday! the weekend is upon us! :) hope you have all kinds of relaxing, good for the soul kinds of things planned to do today.

this is the first of two posts, so be sure to check back in just a little bit for my Digi Bells Challenge post. :)

There is a new challenge over on the Bugaboo challenge and inspiration blog. it's all about the beautiful colors found in the photo.

I'm still on a coffee kick, well, I guess to be more accurate, when am I not?! but I truly need quite a few thank you cards, so it's fun to combine the two. :)

I'm using the cute digi set, 'Coffee Time - Thanks a Latte' on my card. I created the background by inking the inside of a padded envelope that I received and stamping that directly onto my card base. normally I recycle all of my padded envelopes, but some just can't be used again for mailing. those I save for stamping. :) I then sprayed a beautiful shade of aqua glimmer mist over the top for some pretty shine.

cup dies are by Tim Holtz, main die is by Spellbinders, sentiment & banner punches are by SU!, and sequins are from Lawn Fawn. twine is from Target, I think. pretty little flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts. foam on latte is created with liquid applique. accents on main image were highlighted with shimmerz paint. little flourishes are actually saved from the die I will be showing you in today's later post. :)

see you in just a bit! :)

Challenges:
Alphabet Ch - 'I' is for ink it up
Polkadoodles - use a die cut
Scribbles Designs - sip and savor
Southern Girls - anything goes
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Crop Stop linky party - anything goes with a product they carry (Tim Holtz)
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Simon Says Stamp Wed Ch - add some shimmer (glimmer mist, sequins, & shimmerz paint)

Thanks a Latte!

Top 3 at Scribbles Designs

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Cupcake

I have several thank you cards that I need to get out, so the Summer Coffee Lover's Card Making Blog Hop is the perfect time to get in gear and get them done.  this way I can also give them a fun coffee theme, which you know I enjoy! :)

add in that today is Humor Me Wednesday over on the Bugaboo challenge and inspiration blog and we have a perfect combo!

I've used the wonderful 'Girlz Coffee' image on my card as well as the sentiment from 'Coffee Time - Thanks a Latte.' for the summer theme, I've used papers from the Authentique Utopia collection. the little coconut card is from one of the sheets. isn't it fun? I love coconut coffee in the summer!

flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts, noble peacock seam binding is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and buttons are from my vintage stash. I couldn't resist using that gorgeous fabric covered button. I found it in a jar of old buttons I picked up at an antique store a while back. it seemed perfect here. :)

Hope you have a most amazing day! :)

Challenges:
Love to Scrap - anything goes
The Crafty Addicts - anything goes/hobbies (my addiction to coffee is most certainly a hobby! we pick up new flavors of coffee everywhere we go and love to try out new coffee shops! )
Lemon Shortbread - anything goes
Retarte - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Dream Valley - summer colors
CCC Digi Creations - let's get sentimental
DL Art Thankful Thurs - red, white, and blue or optional thank you card
Scribbles Designs - sip and savor

Thank You Camping Scene

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Thought today I would share with you a card requested by Ryan before he took off for his summer internship in Indiana. he actually requested 3, so will share them bit by bit when other commitments don't need to be posted. plus, it gives me an excuse to think about him! :) this one is for a friend of his who loves to go camping.

The images are from one of my favorite, although retired, stores - The Doodle Garden by Jenn Nilson. I was honored to be on her Design Team for a while. what a truly lovely person!

papers are from the Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy collection, small flower and leaf are by Petaloo, long leaf if by Prima, sentiment is by Create with TLC, banner die is from SU, and main image die is Spellbinders. some brown twill ribbon wraps around the top of the banner, a bit of inked, torn cardboard placed in the corner, and then faux stitching added for interest. a few buttons from my stash complete the card.

enjoy your day! :)

Challenges:
Allsorts - the great outdoors
A Gem of a Challenge - weather
Crafty Calendar - Father's Day/for a male
Creative Corner - just for men
Dragon's Lair - one for the guys
Kitty Bee - masculine cards/cards for Dad
Polkadoodles - one for the boys
Sasayaki Glitter - for a male

Thank You So Much Flowers

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Pecan

Today starts a new challenge over at Catch the Bug, with the theme being 'Flowers Galore.' using flowers is never a problem for me, and I bet it isn't for YOU either! so come play along with us! :)

**the watermark I've been given by Bugaboo is the little lady in the car. 

it is NOT part of the card.**

I chose to use the pretty 'Make it Snappy - floral Mom's Day' image, which also comes blank so you can fill it in with whatever sentiment you want. here I have added a thank you sticker from SRM Stickers.

papers are from the Basic Grey Mint Julep collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, seam binding is from Really Reasonable Ribbon as is cutey little yellow chevron bag. faux stitching was added  for funsies. :)   I'll probably add a gift card to the tag when I get ready to send out the card. the tag is the perfect size for one. accents were added with a clear spica glitter pen.

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

Challenges:
Art by Miran - anything goes
Simply Create Too - thank you
As You Like It - fave embossed or patterned papers (I LOVE my Basic Grey papers & so miss this company. it hasn't stopped me from using them though, as you can see from this card. I adore their vintage and whimsical designs which so totally fit my style! )
Craft Rocket - flower power
DL Art - flowers or graduation
Simon Says Stamp Wed - flowers
Crafty Sentiments - tag it
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - spring flowers
Deep Ocean - flowers everywhere
Glitter 'n Sparkle - one for the ladies
A Gem of a Challenge - flowers
Sweet Stampin' - thank you

Thank You, Little Ladybugs

Winner at DL Art

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Tuesdays at Bugaboo Stamps mean a new release, and this one is a cutey! who doesn't love little ladybugs in their garden? stop by the blog to see what the other designers have come up to inspire you! :)

Dave & I stopped by a nursery yesterday and they actually had ladybugs for sale. :)  how I wanted to buy some for my garden, but it isn't quite ready yet. hoping to work out there a bit today so I can make it a lovely home for the ladybugs, bees, and butterflies!

**the watermark I've been given by Bugaboo for being

 a Guest Designer is the little lady in the car.

it is NOT part of the card.**

this adorable little 'Ladybug Sunbonnet' helping out her ladybug friends image was the perfect thing to go with the new Authentique Cheerful papers. flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, forsythia seam binding, red burlap string,  & crosshatch emerald satin ribbon are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and vintage buttons & green ric rack are from my stash. doily was sprayed with red glimmer mist.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope your week is off to a great start so far! :)

Challenges:
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
DL Art Thankful Thurs - Mother's Day/thank you
The Crazy Ch - 3 or more layers
Outlawz Twisted Thurs - add a sentiment
Come and Get It - card for a woman
Pile it On - garden creatures
Corrosive Ch - spring
Crafty Catz - female
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Broken Fairy - anything goes with ribbon or twine (both on here)

Thanks, Little Birdies!

It's now time to post my project for Sandra Caldwell's Etsy store new digi releases! this is always fun, since she sneaks in a few images the DT doesn't know about either. ;)

I have used the oh, so fun 'Birdy Hair Salon #301' on my card.

papers are from the Basic Grey Kneehighs collection, mini sweetheart blossoms are from Wild Orchid Crafts, baby pink seam binding & pink burlap string are both from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and buttons are from my vintage stash. main image die is by Spellbinders and larger die is by SU!.  a wink of stella clear glitter pen was used on her hair bow for some sparkle. :) the little sentiment is an SRM Stickers product.

also feel free to join Sandra's Facebook group page for more fun! you never know if she is going to have an impromptu game or challenge! :)

Challenges:
L'il Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Outlawz Paper a la Mode - Welcome Spring
A Gem of a Challenge - Spring
Allsorts - International Women's Day
Suzy Bee's - anything goes with a touch of spring
Digitally Sweet - Spring is in the Air
Wags 'n Whiskers - Spring Fun
Craft Rocket - feathers and/or fur

Quick & Easy Thank You Card Set

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Hello, Everyone!

I hope your new year is off to a roaring start so far! how are those resolutions going? broken any of them yet? one or two? just a few? maybe all of them! grins!

I needed to make quite a few thank you notes, but I am a slow crafter since I spend so much time adding bits and bobs to each card. I decided it was time to just throw caution to the wind and try for a 30 minute challenge! pretty bold, don't ya think?!

 

 
I grabbed a few sheets of Paper Temptress Brown Bag Kraft cs, cut & scored to basic size for mailing, and then did some very simple layered stamping, using stamps by My Favorite Things. still needed a bit of 'zing,' but I was really wanting to keep the cards flat for mailing, so I grabbed my handy dandy glimmer mist. voila! just a few sprays added the exact amount of shine the cards needed while still allowing me to mail them with only 1 stamp.

I felt pretty happy and actually accomplished the challenge! wooo hooooo! granted, they aren't my usual style, but they get the job done. so I challenge each of you to step outside of your comfort zone and try something different. Paper Temptress has all of the card stock to help you with your projects, whatever style you are trying to make!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

A Big Snowman Thank You

Winner at Paper Sweeties

Coffee of the Day - Dulche de Leche

Today I am honored to be the Guest Designer over at My Sheri Crafts! thank you so much for having me! :) the theme for the new challenge is "Let's Build a Snowman."

I am always in need of thank you cards, but most especially at this time of year. I thought it would be fun to incorporate a winter theme with my thanks, and it's always fun to create a shaped card!

I started with a base of Paper Temptress  Desert Storm Kraft cs and cut out my Shape EZ snowflake template. other shapes were cut from Basic Grey Aspen Frost paper. edges were covered with either Prima chalk ink or white acrylic paint and stickles. the white pure elegance organza ribbon ties such pretty bows, and you can see how the iridescent stripes catch the light! just gorgeous!  the absolutely precious red satin with white polka dot 1/8" ribbon ties a few little twigs to the bow, mimicking the snow angel's arms stretched ever so wide. :)

cutey snowman angel image is by Sassy Cheryl, sentiment is from Create with TLC, flowers are all from Wild Orchid Crafts, and cute little dew drops are from Double Click Skittles. I just received them in the mail as part of a prize package I had won. couldn't wait to put them to use! :) stickles on main image for snow and wink of stella pen on wings for some sparkle. he sits on a ticket and is surrounded by mini doilies from Etsy.

whew.... lots going on, but it turned out so nice, I think. :) perfect way to say thank you to someone for their kindness!

Challenges:
Double Click Skittles - something new (my skittles and new stamps from them!)
Di's Digi Designs - new to you (skittles and stamps on sentiment piece)
Allsorts - what's new (skittles and stamps on sentiment piece)
Card Mania - winter fun
Cute Card Thurs - anything goes
Pile it On - anything Christmas/Winter
Crafty Calendar - something new (skittles and stamps on sentiment piece)
Bastel-traum - winter
World Wide Open DT Ch - anything goes
Paper Sweeties - photo inspiration
As You Like It - anything goes
Star Stampz - Winter Wonderland
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Crafty Boots - snow and sparkle
Eureka - snowman or snowflakes

Many Thanks Sunflower Bunny

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (yep, again!)

I have been one busy little bee behind the scenes, making things for the upcoming hops as well as a guest designer gig. but I figured it was high time I made something just for 'funsies' that I could post and share with all of you NOW! :) not to mention that I needed a thank you card to mail out.

I have been digging through my digital files to actually use some of these wonderful images I have had for a while. One such image is here on today's card. it's by Digital Delights by Louby Loo and called 'Flowering Bertie.' I colored the flower to look like a sunflower. papers are from the Basic Grey Indian Summer collection, leaves are by Prima, dies are Spellbinder, orange ribbon is SU!, sentiment sticker is by SRM Stickers (sorry about the glare - it's  not like that irl), and buttons are from my vintage stash. I'm not sure who makes the golden burlap twine, as I bought it on Etsy.

the sunflower center on the image was covered in distress stickles, as was the edge of that die. I added a few border dots with my white gel pen. oh yes, if you look VERY closely, you will see an itty bitty brass acorn charm hanging from the bow. :)

Hope your week is off to a grand start!

Challenges:
Craft-Dee Bow Z - anything goes with a handmade bow
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Choux Choux Paper Art - Halloween Blog Hop Linky Party (fall project)
Melonheadz - try something new (it's my 1st attempt tying one of those loopy bows with twine. you don't even want to know how long it took my goofy fingers to tie this thing!)
Little Claire - autumn
QKR - 3 is a Crowd (3 buttons and 3 loops of twine)
Really Reasonable Ribbon - 'orange' you glad it's autumn with ribbon or trim
Emerald Faeries - thank you
Dream Valley - autumn colors
Creative Fingers - anything goes

Bzzzz Bzzzzz - A Floral Thank You Note

Coffee of the Day - Sweet Potato

I am going to apologize in advance for the photo quality on this one, folks. hubby had to take it with him just as soon as I finished making it, so I barely had a chance to take the piccy. this is one of the cards I was asked to make by someone who works out at Camp. doing the other one today. I am a verrrrrry slow crafter. I am happy to get one card made in a day. :)

anyhow, I didn't have any guidelines to go by as far as whether this was to be girly, masculine, whimsical, or whatnot, so for me, when in doubt, go PINK! :) tee hee! not really, but that just happens to be what the end result turned out to be....

I so rarely know how a card or project is going to look when I first start crafting, so it's as big a surprise to me as it is to everyone else! ha!

the pretty floral thank you image is by Eureka, papers are from the Basic Grey Urban Prairie collection, grosgrain ribbon and vintage buttons are from my stash, and flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts. the flower stamen and bee's wings were painted with shimmerz. I sure do love that stuff! :)

btw - if you happen to enjoy Wild Orchid Crafts flowers, Live and Love Crafts has a sale at their website to celebrate their birthday, but it ends today. hurry over to get 15% off your entire purchase!

and my birthday blog candy ends on Tuesday, so be sure you have entered!
I've started to get caught up on visiting blogs. if I haven't stopped by yours yet, I'll be there soon! :)

Thanks a Latte!

Coffee of the Day - Sweet Potato

Crossing another card off of my 'honey do' list, and of course this one was loads of fun to make! :)

Some very special friends of ours sent me a most delicious package of coffee a little bit ago, so I wanted to make a coffee themed thank you card for them. Out came a stamp I had not used in ages - one of the cutey Riley & Co. moose stamps.

papers are from the Basic Grey Hey Boy collection, sentiment is from the My Favorite Things Perk Up set (another from this great set is stamped inside), flowers are a combo of Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts, linen thread is SU!,  and wood veneer pieces are by Latina Crafter. a Starbucks coffee cozy was re-purposed for a bit of fun! :)

a word of caution with these particular wood veneer pieces - as cute as they are, they are VERY THIN. the first banner I used broke apart just from trying to put glue on the back. quite flimsy. cute, but not easy to use. for the bigger pieces, it's not a big deal, but tricky with the banner. I decided to use foam pop ups on this one, just on the ends, to minimize the amount of handling required. it still almost broke apart. I'm a bit worried about how it is going to do going through the mail, even with all of the bubble wrap I added. crossing my fingers. I would recommend hand delivery for the future.

Hope you have a great weekend! :)

Challenges:
Digi Sketch - sketch with animals twist (both)
4 Crafty Chicks - chevrons
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Loves Rubberstamps - add a sentiment
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Make My Monday - coffee or tea
Not Just Cards - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - anything goes with celebration twist (only used a/g)
Pile it On - cute animal
Scribble and Scrap - anything goes
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - thank you
Wags 'n Whiskers - lots of layers
Crafts 4 Eternity - wood (veneer pieces)

Thank You, Friend Bunny!

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

Hello to all of you! I hope to be back to posting several times a week if all goes well. thank you so much for the lovely and gracious comments so many of you have left for me! it truly makes my heart sing! :)

I had a BIG project I was working on behind the scenes for the past few weeks, so now that is has gone postal, I can get to the projects I also need to work on for upcoming events in our lives.

I have several thank you cards that need to get out (actually waaaay more than several, but I'm taking them a few at a time!), so today's card is the first I'll post.

a VERY dear friend sent me the most pinkalicious coffee hoodie in the mail about a month ago. little does she know, but I wear it ALL the time! :) I made this card to tell her how much I just LOVE the hoodie and her, too!

the image is by From the Heart and happens to be on sale as I am posting. it's called 'Bunny Hello.' isn't it adorable?!

papers are from the new Basic Grey collection, J'Adore. twine is from The Twinery, flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts and Petaloo, canvas banner is SU!, thank you sentiment is a sticker by SRM Stickers, and buttons are a mix of vintage as well as from my stash. some faux stitching and a little doily snippet finish the card. oh yes, the bunny's tail is coated in flower soft to make it puffy!

Hope you are having a great week so far! the weekend is juuuuuuuust around the corner!

Challenges:
From the Heart - sketch #104
4 Crafty Chicks - die cuts (main image and banner)
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes
Pile it On - die cuts and/or punches (die cuts - main image & banner)
Crafting for All Seasons - Animal Magic
Inky Impressions - Spring is in the Air
Simon Says - April Showers or April Flowers
Whimsy Inspires - use a die cut (main image and banner)
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Crafty Sentiments - lots of flowers
Digi Choosday - dies (main image and banner)
Fan-tastic Tues - anything sq. or rect. goes with die or punch (dies - main image & banner)
Inky Chicks - stitching (faux)
Papertake Weekly - anything goes with option to add a bunny
Party Time Tues - anything goes
Bunny Zoe - spring colors
Card Mania - Flowers
Eureka - spring flowers
613 Avenue Create - anything goes
Dragonfly Dreams - Spring
Corrosive Ch - hop into spring
Hiding in My Craft Room - think spring
Fussy and Fancy - buttons and bows
Wags 'n Whiskers - buttons
Die Cut Divas - in the garden and die cuts (main image and banner)
Mema's - anything goes with a die or punch (main image and banner)
Sisters of Craft - anything goes

So Blessed

since I am sitting here by myself today, I have been thinking about how VERY BLESSED I am.....

I might be by myself for these next few days, but I am not alone. I am surrounded by the most amazing people I call my friends. thank you to all of you who have loved me through some very difficult times in the past 2 1/2 years.

I would be remiss if I didn't give a quick shout out to several groups of people:

1. the fabulous people in our District Church community who have provided prayers (LOTS!!), cards, meals, and most of all, support for David & our sons during my cancer battle. I love you all! you show God's love each and every day - no act of kindness was too small! thank you!

2. Jenn C., Michelle V., and Katie C. from Party Time Tuesdays and Paper Makeup Stamps who put together a jaw dropping blog hop for me when I was first diagnosed. Katie also had a digi stamp set drawn to help raise funds for our medical expenses. so many people participated and sent me their cards. I treasure each one of these beautiful hand made creations, just as I treasure each one of YOU!

3. some of the most fun ladies over at SplitCoastStampers who sent me, of all things, SOCKS! as I was going through radiation treatments, they bombarded me with fun socks to keep my toesies warm and stylin'! I still wear them all, and smile when I put them on! y'all rock the casbah!

also, there were some pretty talented and inspiring women who took part in the 'Hope You Can Cling To' challenges I was honored to hostess. you encouraged me as together we helped make cards to bring smiles to others going through this same battle. thank you!

4. and finally, a hugey huge huge thank you to each of you who stopped by my blog, sent a card (Jenn Borjeson - you will forever be my angel!!!), popped a message to me just to make sure I was doing okay, or texted. you let me know that I never once walked this path alone.

you didn't know that you were God's light in the darkness, did you? you didn't realize that He was using your voice to speak His love to me when I was feeling sad and overwhelmed, did you? you didn't know that in those rare moments when I so longed to just give up, He used YOU to send THAT message to say, 'hey, I'm thinking about you,' did you? and when I needed someone to reach out and hold my hand, He sent YOU to grab it.

thank you, from the bottom to the top of my heart. because thank you will never ever be enough. but it is all I have. and you are all I need! :) <3 p="">

Thank You Lighthouse

I finally had a chance to get my remake done for the thank you card we needed. thankfully this one met with Dave's approval! it's pretty simple, but that is how he seems to like cards for guys. as long as it makes my hunny bunny happy! :)

lighthouse image and sentiment are by From the Heart, papers are from the long retired Basic Grey Boxer collection, flower is Prima, and wood veneer stars are by Studio Calico. accents to the lighthouse were made with shimmerz paint. buttons were some I found a long time ago at Joanns. I knew they would come in handy one day!

Challenges:
i heart sketches - sketch #65
Outlawz Greeting - water or beach
One Stitch at a Time - use a digi
Cards Galore Encore - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper
Ladybug Crafts - use your fave embellies (buttons!)
Creating in Faith, Hop, and Love - anything goes with scripture
Lexi's Creations - for the man/boy in your life
Cardz 4 Guyz - bingo: twine, image, buttons
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - water
A Creative Romance - one for the boys
Left of Center - masculine

A Thankful Kangaroo

Coffee of the Day - Holiday Blend (I think it's cinnamon, vanilla, and caramel...)

Hello! I have quite a few cards I need to make, so am trying to slowly but surely get into my craft room to get them done. biggest problem is that my printer is out of black ink and we have to wait a bit to get more. so I'm trying to use images I had already printed out, but had not had the chance to color. who know what y'all are going to end up seeing! grins!

Our next door neighbor, (they are just the most amazing, sweet couple!!!) gave me a gorgeous piece of pottery that she had made herself for Christmas. it truly brought tears to my eyes when I opened it. so I knew I wanted to make a special thank you card for her. I usually get the cards made for people, but am horrid at getting them mailed. all of mine need special envies and lots of postage, so have to wait until we have the money to take them to the post office. this one can just get walked next door! woo hooooo! one down out of a bajillion I owe everyone!

The sweetie little kangaroo is from A Day for Daisies, papers are from the Basic Grey Picadilly collection, little rose is Wild Orchid Crafts, 'thanks' is a new to me coolio SRM sticker. shimmerz paint was added to the wings and flowers, Mr. Huey's white spray was misted onto card base. everything else is from my stash.

I hope to be posting a bit more often.... thanks for sticking with me! :)

oh yes, Tammy at ADFD let me know that she sent in a card I had made using one of her images to 'Quick Cards Made Easy' for publication!!! so the magazine will be coming out the end of this month. it is the Feb. issue. thanks, Tammy! you are so good to me!

Challenges:
ADFD - add yellow
Emerald Faeries - things with wings
Animal Friends - punches or dies
Die Cut Divas - make it glitter (shimmerz paint)
Crafty Girls - anything goes
Ladybug Crafts - thanks
Creative Moments - anything goes/buttons & pearls (the shimmerz paint on the wings is actually a pearl tone)
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - glitter & sparkle (shimmerz paint)
Sisterhood of Crafters - use something new ('thanks' sticker)
TTCRD - anything goes
Whimsy - something new ('thanks' sticker)
WAW - anything goes that is encouraging
Loves Rubberstamps - metal (paperclip)
Word Play Saturday - yellow
One Crazy Stamper - anything goes