Romance on the Range

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Constant Comment tea

Hi there! I hope your week has been going well. :)

Today's card is for our son, Ryan, and his wife. they really like anything southwest themed, so this digital set from Gecko Galz was perfect. papers are from Pink Monarch Prints and Echo Park.  a little twine from Michael's finishes the card. you can find this digital sheet of images at the Gecko Galz Etsy store.

have a most amazing day!

Jennifer

Challenges:

Gecko Galz - All You Need is Love

Try it on Tuesday  - All Loved Up

Look Deep into Nature Birthday Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Maple Walnut coffee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Challenges:

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

Strength Anchor Alcohol Ink Resist

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Rum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congratulations, Graduate!

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tea Thyme (this is one of my absolute favorites! thyme, currant, and orange flavor this wonderful tea blend)

Hooray! it's Friday! :)
as many get ready to relax for the weekend, my work week is just beginning. grins! our weekends are always busy because almost every one is booked, thankfully!, with amazing groups out at Camp. between the shopping & cleaning in preparation and then the actual cooking & cleaning while the guests are at Camp, it's busy busy busy. if they want activities such as the rock wall, zip line, or hay rides, then that adds to the fun and excitement of the weekend. :) Palmer goes out to Camp with us and always has a grand time. just say, "Camp" and he is at the back door ready to go! I tell David that Palmer needs his own page on the website so that people can add their own photos taken with him or see his latest antics. Everyone is always asking how Palmer is doing. :) He is definitely a Camp dog!

Today I am sharing a card made for Ryan's fiancee, Elizabeth. She graduated last weekend with her Master's Degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.  She is now on staff at College Wesleyan Church as their Youth Pastor. She and Ryan both interned there.

The images & sentiment are from Vera Lane Studio, digital papers are from the Gennifer Bursett Julep collection, ribbons. twine, & pretty little acrylic flowers are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and buttons are from my new & vintage stash.

Enjoy your weekend whatever you end up doing! :)

Challenges:
Crafty Catz - add flowers
QKR - anything goes
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - anything goes
4 Crafty Chicks - women celebration
Pile it On - small and/or pencils (tiny flower embellies, small typeprint on bg paper, & micro plaid ribbon pattern )
Craft Rocket - use embellishments: multiple ribbons, twine, buttons, tiny acrylic flowers
Star Stampz - hand colored image ( painted if that's okay)
Ellibelle's Creative Moments - for ladies or girls only
Craft-Dee Bow-Z - anything goes w/handmade bow
Kreativekauf - what you think about when you think of May (graduation for sure around here! grins!)
Morgan's Art World - anything goes

You are Amazing, for a sloth! :)

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge (it's Maple Festival weekend here in Chardon, Ohio! we are the Maple Syrup Capitol of Ohio! grins!)

It might be Spring everywhere else, but here in NE Ohio, it's cold and rainy, because it's the Maple Festival. :) it is almost always yucky weather for it, that is just tradition! the first two days had sunshine, but now it's our standard overcast, rain, and cold. some years we have had snow, but then again, we can have snow into May. that is NE Ohio for ya! but I love it here. :)

and I love the maple caramel corn and maple stirs and maple ice cream and maple flavored EVERYTHING!!!!! :)

anyhow, I am here to share with you the card I  made for the fun Tiddly Inks Springtime blog hop. be sure to head over to the Tiddly Inks blog to check out everyone's projects in the links. there will be so many amazing things to see, I am sure! :)

I have merged the oh, so adorable sloth's life image with the pretty quince floral image to make it look as if this cutey is hanging from a flower branch. I also flipped the sloth. I added a few of the extra flower images that come in the quince set. digis are so much fun to play with. :)

You might want to click on the card image to see any of the details in a larger photo. it will take you to a separate page when you do that. ;)

that fun little fella took me about an hour to paint all on his own. but I love the way he turned out. Mick's girlfriend, Lauren, loves sloths. so guess who is getting this card? yep. we are going to see them this weekend so I'll be delivering it tomorrow!

papers are from the Carta Bella Cowboy Country collection, sentiment is by Create with TLC, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, buttons & lace trim are from my vintage stash, twine is by Webster's Pages, ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and beautiful die is by Spellbinders. everything else is stash stuff. :)  the sloth's little claws are covered in crystal effects to help them stand out a bit.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you know that YOU are amazing, too! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
CRAFT - add a charm
Tic Tac Toe - floral, metallic (charm), punch/die cut
Craftaholics R Us - charm
Creative Craft Cottage - include an animal
Bastel-traum - Mother's Day/flowers

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)

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

Thinking of You Birthday Card

Coffee of the Day - English Toffee

Super quick post today as I am on my way out the door to a pipeline protest. Also trying to get this card in the mail for a birthday next week.

Over in the Simply Betty Facebook group there is a monthly progressive challenge. this is the image that was provided this month. isn't she so lovely? we also had a color challenge to use. I decided to create a birthday card for Mick's girlfriend.

papers are from a pad I picked up at Michael's. flowers are from both Michael's and Wild Orchid Crafts. main die and matting one are by Spellbinders while the large flourish is by Sizzix. buttons are from my vintage stash. the sentiment is not from the challenge set, but is from Simply Betty. lace and baker's twine are also stash items. a bit of shimmerz paint accents the main image as does a white gel pen.

the large flourish is cut from a piece of re-purposed plastic packaging.

thanks for stopping by! enjoy your weekend! gotta dash......
Jennifer

Tea Time with Typeset

Coffee of the Day - Starbucks Christmas Blend and Eggnog

whew.... the holidays are OVER! are all of you as whooped as I am?! ;) I have been so tired this week, trying to get over the mad rush of the past few weeks.... the good news is that yesterday I was in my craft room for FUNSIES! :) that is always a good thing!!!!

a coffee and tea loving friend of mine was interested in some tea bags that I had sent to another friend. I told her I'd get some in the mail to her, but you know us crafters - we can't just toss something in an envelope! we have to make a fancy shmancy card to go with!!!

so I grabbed some fun stamps sets I had won a little bit ago from Dare 2 B Artzy. I stamped the tea pot and steam from the Tea 4 Two set in Versamark and then embossed with copper ep. the image was then watercolored with SU! inks. the sentiment comes from the Serenity Tea set. there is a matching die set that goes with both of these sets that I hope to pick up eventually. I love when one set of dies works with several stamp sets, don't you?!

papers are from the Basic Grey Typeset collection. the main image die is by Spellbinders and the cool peek-a-boo die for the bg is by Tim Holtz. isn't it fun?! I added a little tea tag to the baker's twine bow. vintage buttons are from my stash and little flower is by Wild Orchid Crafts. a tiny snippet of mini ric rack at the bottom adds a touch of fun and whimsy.

thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a most amazing weekend and enjoy your New Year's Eve celebrations, whether it's a quiet evening at home or a huge blowout with friends!

I also want to thank you for so faithfully stopping by and leaving me such wonderful, inspiring, and encouraging comments throughout the year! you make my heart so full!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Mod Squad - warm and toasty
Paper Girls - anything goes
Robyn's Fetish - anything goes
Creative Knockouts - anything goes

With Deepest Sympathy and GIU Winners

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

I hope all of you had a most joyous holiday, whether you were celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah. for a few short hours, all of my sons were home and it was absolute bliss for this mom! :)

but you didn't stop by for that. all each of you wants to know about is who won the Unity Stamps. ;) it's okay. I'm the same way when it comes to free stamps and prizes.

I do want to share a card with all of you very quickly though. in the midst of preparing for the holiday, we had some sad news come our way. David's aunt suddenly passed away last week. he, Tyler, and Ryan made a fast trip to Pittsburgh for the viewing. Dave's sister from San Antonio was able to fly up, too, so they all had a nice visit with Dave's dad and family.

I made a sympathy card using the Unity set, "You are Important."  I thought this flower was just gorgeous and so perfect to convey our feelings. the sentiment stamp is by Memory Box. I don't have any yet from Unity that would go with it.

paper is from the Basic Grey Kioshi collection. shimmer ribbon and pretty purple twine are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and buttons are from my vintage stash.

the flower was stamped onto watercolor paper with Versamark, embossed with white ep, and then watercolored with multiple shades of SU! inks. I love the look this gave. :) edges were distressed and inked. I went back over it all with the SU! ink squirty tool.

and now the winners of the Unity Stamps from my GIU week are:

KENNETH SIMMONS

(just so you know, your various numbers actually came up 3 times!!!

you were really meant to win this prize! grins!)

DEBRA DAVISON

Please send your mailing address to me at jenscull (at) yahoo (dot) com. You have until the end of the week to contact me or you will forfeit your prize.

Thanks to everyone for leaving such kind and thoughtful comments on my GIU week projects! :) and a very special thank you to those of you who were so VERY amazing and left comments on each one of my posts!!! y'all rock! :)
Jennifer

An Altered Bottle for GIU, but you have to keep it a secret!!! shhhh.......

Coffee of the Day - Black Nutty Fudge

oh so sad...... today is my final Growing in Unity (GIU) day..... I have had a wonderful time both making and sharing my projects with all of you! I hope you have enjoyed stopping by for your daily coffee and inspiration! :)

I've saved the biggest of my projects for last, but you have to keep it a secret. you see, this is a present for my husband and he can't see it before Christmas! ;) I tell ya, keeping him from seeing it as I was making it was a doozy! all of the layers took a while to dry, so keeping this in different places he wouldn't come across it was quite the challenge!

I started with an empty bottle of his favorite Rye whiskey. after first painting with a layer of gesso, I added at least 8 different layers of various colors of acrylic paint. I then lightly sanded the bottle to reveal the assorted layers underneath, at times sanding all the way down to the bare glass.

I then stamped leaves from the Layers of Life "Love Never Leaves" set all over the bottle with Prima chalk ink. I used the SU! ink squirty tool to spray ink droplets.

one side of the bottle is stamped with the "What the Buck" stamp. the other side is stamped with trees and the deer from the "...A Joyous Season" sentiment set.

seed pods and moss, in addition to mulberry flowers, decorate the bottle.

I also made clay leaves by stamping the leaves from the same Layers of Life "Love Never Leaves" set right into clay and then baking. small holes for hanging were made prior to baking.

distress crackle paint was applied once all of the other elements were added. I just love the way this ages and distresses any project! it is great on these altered bottles! :)

Thank you again for all of your lovely, encouraging comments this week! you have brought such joy into my heart, that is for certain!

be sure to leave a comment on any of my GIU posts for a chance to win your very own Unity grab bag of stamps!

I hope for you and yours a most blessed Christmas and Happy New Year! I'll be seeing you in 2017! may your days overflow with peace and joy! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner - anything goes
Sunny Day - anything goes
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
We Love to Create - anything mixed media goes
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes

A Holiday Cookie Swap Blog Hop with The Digi Bells! :)

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint, just the thing to go with an assortment of cookies! :)

Hello to all of you on this bright and beautiful Sunday morning! :) I am so not ready for Christmas to arrive, but I know by the time it gets here, my house will have been tinseled and hollied and bedecked in ribbons gallore! you see, I've been so very busy working on holiday projects for everyone that not one decoration has been put up yet. that changes as of next week! I am almost finished with projects in the craft room! hooray! :)

but you are here today because you want to taste a yummy cookie, don't you? you have arrived here from LYNDA's absolutely gorgeous blog if you are on our hop with The Digi Bells. if you are just starting out, please stop by The Digi Bells blog for the complete list. you don't want to miss even one stop of the fun, since everyone is sharing cookie recipe cards and this adorable new digi stamp, "Home Baked Christmas," that is making it's way into the store today. :)

every year for Christmas, each of my sons gets to choose at least one Christmas cookie that I will bake, plus we have several favorites that are always on the list. the recipe that follows is one of the 'always' cookies! if you follow my blog, you know that our oldest son, Tyler, became engaged just this past week. I decided to make this card for his fiance, Danielle, so she could have one of Tyler's favorite cookie recipes for her collection. :) we all know that Santa's favorite cookies are Daddy's favorite cookies! :)

Because the recipe is a bit long, I wasn't sure how I was going to fit it into a standard card format. that is when I came up with the idea of making a 'Z fold' card.

papers are from a pretty vintage pad I picked up at Hobby Lobby.

all of the dies are by Spellbinders.

flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts with the exception of the poinsettia on the frosting page. that one is by Making Memories.

buttons and lace are from my vintage stash. accents were made with shimmerz paint and crystal effects.

digital images on the recipe pages are some of the free ones Elisabeth so kindly sends out each week to her newsletter subscribers. you can sign up here if you aren't already on the list. you'll receive a free image every week in your mailbox! :)

If you would like to see any of the photos larger, just click on them and they will open in another window for you.

I'm the last hop on the stop, so thank you very much for popping over! head to The Digi Bells blog and leave a lovely comment for Elisabeth!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Jennifer

p.s. to my regular blog followers, tomorrow begins my Growing in Unity week. I am so VERY excited to share all of my projects with you! I hope you check back each day, not only to see what I have created, but for a chance to win some fun stamps!

Challenges:
The Stamping Boutique - fancy folds (Z fold)
Dragonfly Dreams - Christmas
Pile it On - any holiday/celebration
The Ribbon Girl - any image with ribbons/lace/trim
A Gem of a Challenge - anything Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - cute Christmas
Di's Digi's - winter holiday
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Morgan's Art World - anything goes
Little Miss Muffet - anything goes

A Bittersweet Christmas Post....

Winner at Holly Jolly Christmas Challenges

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Today's Christmas card marks my last as a Design Team member over at Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra challenge blog. it makes me sad, but all good things come to a close so new ones can begin. :) I am so grateful to the time I had with these lovely ladies!

I'll be on the lookout for a new year round Christmas challenge blog to join, so will keep all of you posted as to how that goes. I love to make Christmas cards! :)

for my card, I used the cutey Winter Bird House image by Bugaboo, our constant, image was printed onto kraft cs and snow was colored with a pencil.  stickles was added over the top for a touch of shine and sparkle. wonderful sponsor. papers are from a neat pad I picked up at Target.

holiday twine was wrapped around the main image, which was cut with a Spellbinders die. upper corner is embellished with a poinsettia by Petaloo and holly leaves & berries from Wild Orchid Crafts. a little ribbon snippet peaks out for a touch of fun and whimsy. :) a doily and vintage button add interest along the border while a Unity Stamps sentiment completes the card.

enjoy your day and I'll see you back here tomorrow with another crafty project! :)

Challenges:
Creative Moments - anything goes
Fab 'n Funky - glitter & sparkle
Holly Jolly Christmas - anything Christmas
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
Christmas with the Cuteys - anything Christmas and cute
Dream Valley - Christmas
Melonheadz - winter is here
Creative Knockouts - winter wonderland/festive fun

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)

Sunflower House Mouse Acorn Shape Card

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Can you believe it's Wednesday already?! Yesterday Dave and I had the best time together on his day off. We went to the infamous Hollo's Paper Store where I was able to pick up a few much needed supplies, such as clear envelopes and paper doilies. also went to several of our favorite antique stores so I could get a few more vintage laces and buttons to replenish my ever dwindling stash .... ha! (hope dearest hubby doesn't read that last sentence! tee hee!) he was able to get an old window frame to work on over the winter. he took one this past winter and turned it into the most gorgeous shabby chic mirror for our upstairs hallway. it is beautiful! excited to see what he does with this next one! :)

The card I am sharing with you today uses one of the vintage laces I found yesterday on a fun acorn shaped template from Shape EZ by TLC. I don't see this exact template in her store right now, but I'm sure you could send her a quick message if you were interested. Tammy has a beautiful blog that is filled with gorgeous inspiration using her templates as well as many other projects. I'm a longtime follower of hers! :)

The cutey stamp is a House Mouse one called 'Daisy Face' that I fussy cut, gingham paper is by Simple Stories, leaves are from Prima, lace is vintage as I mentioned above as are the buttons, and little ribbon snippet on stem is by SU!  not sure who makes the sunflower as I took them out of their packaging long ago. same goes for mfg of baker's twine.

acorn cap was sanded, distressed with inks, and then sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist before inking the edges and adding more vanilla ink.

Thanks so much for stopping by! for those of you who have been asking, Mocha is doing okay for now. thank you for your concern and well wishes. :)

edited to add:  I can't get any of the blogs I follow to show up in my feed.... I will be around to visit as soon as blogger decides to co-operate. this has been going on for a few days now. so sorry I've been absent from your blogs. :(  hopefully it will soon be fixed.

Challenges:
House Mouse - anything goes or bingo: ribbon, yellow/gold, flowers/leaves OR button, ribbon, baker's twine, OR all 3 colors
Sisterhood of Crafters - photo inspiration
Clear It Out - theme: autumn, stash: leaves (these Prima leaves are REALLY old!)
Creative Card Crew -  fall
TTCRD - anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle - something that starts with 'g' (glimmer mist, green)
Fantasy Stampers - autumn leaves
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Craft for the Craic - anything but a square
Crafting Musketeers - autumnal colors
Gruffies and Guests - make it fruity or anything House Mouse/Happy Hopper/Gruffies goes

God Will Lift You...and So Will I

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (you know it's my fave!)

one of the cards I have on my list to make is for a very dear friend who has just recently received some devastating news. I want her to know that I am here for her. This sentiment today at Create with TLC summed it all up so perfectly.

I'm also using some beautiful free digital items available over at the Crafty Secrets blog. both the bg paper and post card image can be be found there. I hope it creates the peaceful, but encouraging feel that my friend needs right now.

a frame was cut for the postcard image using Spellbinders dies, flowers are a combo of Prima, Wild Orchid Crafts, and my stash, buttons are vintage and stash, twine is from The Twinery, burlap ribbon snippet is from May Arts, vintage sheet music was cut with a Jenni Bowlin punch, and doily is from my stash. distressing and faux stitching complete the card.

I forgot to add that after I cut the frame, I stamped it with a SU! woodgrain bg stamp. there is also a little piece of a ticket hiding under the sentiment banner.

I'm putting together my blog candy and will get that posted soon! hope many of you sign up! welcome to my new followers, too!!!!  :)

Challenges:
Crafty Secrets - April linky party (ribbon: May Arts, twine: Twinery)
613 Ave Create - create your own challenge (square card, encouragement/thinking of you, burlap)
Crafty Calendar - add a sentiment
Pile it On - fancy frames and/or beautiful borders
Robyn's Fetish - use baker's twine
Inksprational - photo inspiration: eggs (nest on postcard) and colors
Brown Sugar - distress
Sister Act - any card goes
Red Rubber Inspirationals - spring flowers
Whimsy Inspiration - use a die cut
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Just Inspirational - stitching
Party Time Tues - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Tues Throwdown - friendship
Mema's - anything goes w/die or punch

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

He is Risen!

Coffee of the Day - Carrot Cake (yes, it's a real coffee flavor! and it's mighty tasty, too!)

I wanted to post a card today because I know so many of us will be very busy tomorrow. I am getting ready to start some baking, but wanted to take a moment to tell all of YOU how very thankful I am for your kindness and friendship. too often in life we forget to slow down and take a moment to truly appreciate our blessings. I am sending big hugs to all of YOU across the way! :)

This card will be going to church with us tomorrow for our Pastor and his wife. They are such truly special, beautiful souls.

The image is by From the Heart and is called 'Risen Easter Egg.' I saw it while taking part in their blog hop this weekend. it also happens to be on special, at least at the time I am writing the post. the bg paper is by a fabulous company and blog called Free Pretty Things for You. she has the most gorgeous vintage digital treasures! the dsp matting the canvas banner is actually a piece sent to me by a friend. I'm sorry I don't know the mfg, but it was a perfect match for the stripe. thanks, Joan! :)

floral vine trim and buttons are vintage finds, sequins are from Pretty Pink Posh, doily, tag, and twine are from my stash. oh yes, little blue pearl is from Michael's, and canvas banner is from SU!. some faux stitching was added to lower piece of decorative paper, wink of stella clear glitter pen was used on the butterflies, and rock candy distress stickles were added to the banner on the egg.

so what do you think of my photo using my new light box set up? so so so much better than the pix with my phone! hooray to hubby for helping me get it going!

All of you have a most blessed Easter with your friends and family! :)

Challenges:
From the Heart - sketch 103/bling
Allsorts - Easter
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - use a doily
Sister Act - any card goes
The Stamping Boutique - Easter
Emerald Faeries - Spring Flowers/Easter
Ladybug Crafts - anything goes
Cosmic Colors Ch - color challenge (use at least 3)
Add a Little Dazzle - spring color ch or anything goes
Crafter's Cafe - Easter
The Paper Shelter - Easter
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Digi Choosday - ovals/Easter
Crafty Boots - Easter
Eureka - Spring
Melonheadz - Spring
Ooh La La - Easter/Spring
That Craft Place - Easter/Spring