Happy 1st Birthday, Lyra!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Hazelnut Spice coffee

Hello to everyone!  :)

Please forgive my long absence. I have what is now being called 'long covid', having been sick since Christmas. thankfully the vaccinations and booster shots prevented me from being hospitalized or being any worse than it has been, but oh my goodness, I am so ready to be over this. ugh.  

anyhow, on to crafty stuff! :)

our first grand-daughter celebrated her one year birthday last weekend. oh my heart! she is such a delight! because we live so far away, plus with me being sick, we weren't able to go to her celebration, but we did have a fun video chat after her big party. she doesn't just walk, she RUNS everywhere! :D  

because I haven't been feeling well, my inking and coloring skills are at a minimum right now. along to the rescue came Lily of the Valley pre-colored digital images! they are called Simply Prints in the Etsy store. so many adorable designs to choose from. (P.S. they currently have a BIG sale, so now would be an excellent time to add some of these cuties to your stash!)

for this card, I used the Birthday Fairy simply print paired with some of the pretty designer paper from the Backing paper collection.  I also added a pastel pink gingham paper, I think from either Carta Bella or Echo Park. it was a piece in my stash that no longer had the markings.  .A Wink of Stella glitter pen was brushed over the fairy wings, wand, antennae, and package bow. gotta have some sparkle! :) The image was cut with a Spellbinders die, pale pink seam binding and bright pink floral trim are topped with a flower from Wild Orchid Crafts. a small pink ticket butterfly & cupcake ephemera, and vintage buttons complete the card. 

I am trying to finish Easter cards so they can be mailed out tomorrow. I'll be back next week to show you those.

I truly hope all of you are well. I have missed sharing with you on my blog, but really am going to do better posting. I plan to start work on a baby journal for our newest grand-daughter, due the end of August! :)  I'll share the process of creating that, as I take a VERY long time to make a junk journal. 

much love to each of you! 

Jennifer 

Cup of Columbine Birthday Greetings

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tea Thyme (I see that it is currently out of stock. hopefully it will soon be back and ready for purchase. I am almost out myself!)

wow, I know that I have been gone for a very long time. so sorry about that. have lost a handfull of followers, and to those of you who have stayed the path, I am so very grateful and say thank you!!! :)

not only did we have the beautiful wedding, but a few days after that, a dear friend of ours passed away. she had only recently been diagnosed with ALS, so we are all still reeling that she is gone. the day of her funeral, our precious dog, Palmer, was hit by a car. thankfully he is doing okay now, but it's been a bit stressful needless to say.

as I am trying to sort through the supplies from one wedding, we are in the midst of preparing for the next one. :) and all the while the seizures still rage on. sigh.... was ever so thankful that they went on a temporary hiatus for the wedding so that I was able to attend and get what needed to be done, done.

but you are here for craftyness. so here you go! finally! I am hoping to get more done in the days and weeks to come. not sure if anyone ever took photos of the things I made for the wedding, but I do have a picture of the dinner invitation I can share later....

the card was made for my SIL's birthday. the beautiful cup of columbine flower digital image is by Power Poppy, digital papers are from several Prima collections, and sentiment is by SU!  butterfly die is from Cheery Lynn and main die is by Spellbinders. (I can no longer add either digital papers or Cheery Lynn to my post labels for some strange reason per Google. they are flagged and cause my pages to be blocked.)

seam binding is distressed with ink and is from Zipper Stop, twine is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and flowers are from the former Wild Orchid Crafts. not sure if and when the new owners are going to open the store, as the site has been saying it will be opening soon for quite a while now....

vintage lace & buttons as well as doily are from my stash. frantage powders have been added to the  main image and around edges. wink of stella glitter pen was added to the center of the butterfly die.

again, thank you to those of you who are still here! :) I will do my best to be back and share with you soon. have a most amazing day!
Jennifer

p.s. I will have more blog candy coming VERY soon!!!!

Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner - 3+ layers
Everybody Art - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - add some texture
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes
Crop Stop - anything goes w/doily option (Prima & Spellbinders sold in store)
Dream Valley - girlie
Whoopsi Daisy - anything goes in shades of purple
Always Happy Birthday - anything birthday themed goes
Daisy Chain - birthday

Just Chillin' Little Fairy

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Orange Ginger tea

We are slowly getting closer to the weekend... do you have any fun plans?

one of our favorite groups is out at Camp right now, so Dave is working the long week. It's a group called Camp Sue Osborn and it's for anyone with special needs. Last week was for the Alumni - those who have graduated from the program. this week if for anyone up to 18 years old, I believe.  they stay through Saturday rather than leaving on Friday when most of the camps usually depart. head over to the website to not only see photos of Camp, but have your heart brightened. :) these are some amazing people, flat out. the campers are amazing, but the staff are some of my favorite people in the whole wide world. :) I love those folks with everything I have. it tears me up that I can't be out there right now. yucky seizures. blech blech blech. but really. go to the website.

now on to my project for the day...

I know I promised to share the card I made for my MIL, but I am sneaking this one in instead. I think I am sending it to Danielle, Tyler's fiancee. the wedding is coming up very soon, and I think she needs a reminder to just chill a bit. :) pre-wedding jitters can be a bit un-nerving, can't they?

the adorable fairy image and sentiment are from LOTV, green digital paper is from the Prima Strawberry Kisses collection, and chevron stripe digital paper is from the American Freedom free collection by Raspberry Road Designs.  main die is by Spellbinders, banner die is by SU!, and floral die in the upper corner is by Sizzix.

lace, washi tape, vintage buttons, and ticket are all from my stash. purple twine and green satin ribbon are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. the UK store is closed right now, but you can buy their products from RRR and other retailers. I added a faux stitching border with a white gel pen and also some splatters with white Mr. Huey's spray.

sparkles & shine were added to the fairy's wings with a wink of stella glitter pen and to her bobbers with a pink spica glitter pen.

btw, spending time with everyone at Camp Sue is what inspired our son, Ryan, to work with children on the autism spectrum at Hope Bridge. he loves it there. :)
and almost all of the Camp Sue staff will be attending Tyler and Danielle's wedding, so it will be great to see them then!

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

Challenges:
Digistamps 4 Joy - anything goes summer or winter
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Crafty Creations - anything goes
Scrappy Land - anything goes w/die carried in their store (Sizziz and Spellbinders)
Simon Says Stamp Wed - use a die or punch (dies by Sizzix, SU!, and Spellbinders)
Crafty Sentiments - add a sentiment
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - stitching, real or faux
Unicorn Ch - stitching, real or faux
Crafteezee - summer
Cutie Pie - bingo: buttons, ribbon, die cut, but also added bow, glitter, and flowers :)
Incy Wincy - tic tac toe: stripes/checks (subtle chevron stripes on the banner paper, but it's a bit hard to see. feel free to enlarge the piccy), splatter, stitching
Coloring in Scrapland - fairies
Scribbles Designs - fun in the sun
Fabrika Fantasy - summer
Daisy Chain - summer
Dragonfly Journeys - summer lovin'
Make My Monday - fantasy
Sparkles - fairies

Magical Coffee Unicorn Cup

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Butter Rum coffee

Today's card showcases lots of new things for me. isn't it fun to try out new techniques and products on your projects from time to time? :)

over at the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's blog, there is a neat mini challenge going on to use products from any of the Super Sponsors. I was blessed to receive a great kit from WOW embossing powders, so I knew that I wanted to use some of the things included. But during the last blog hop, I also picked up this great 'Unicorn Coffee Cup image' from Crafting Desert Divas. so this seemed like the perfect time to put all of these fun items together onto a card!

I created the background paper by taking several shades of distress oxide inks and sponging them onto white cardstock. The distress oxide ink pads can be found at Super Sponsor Ellen Hutson. I then spritzed with water.

I took the Prima Crackle stencil, added WOW clear embossing ink and the WOW bonding powder, heat set, and then the gold foil that is also available from WOW.  there is a bit of a learning curve with the bonding powder and the foil, as the foil needs to be applied while the melted powder is still warm. I sure do love the way this looks, especially with that stencil. it creates a gorgeous veining similar to what you would find  in rock formations. so cool!!! EH also carries the WOW products in the USA.

I used the distress oxide inks to color most of the cutey unicorn cup. not so sure I will use them for watercoloring again.  I think they are better suited for regular stamping due to the nature of the ink. but for my first time using these inks, it was fun to experiment.  I added touches of a wink of stella glitter pen to the horn and little pearls to the flower centers.

ribbon & gold cord are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. flowers are from Petaloo and Wild Orchid Crafts.

Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
Coffee Loving Cardmakers Super Sponsors Challenge - Crafting Desert Divas, WOW embossing powders, Ellen Hutson
Cute Card Thursday - ribbons & bows
Crafting With an Attitude - anything goes
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
The Crafty Addicts - anything goes w/optional pets theme (why yes, I would love to have a pet unicorn!)
Tuesday Throwdown - color challenge
Always Fun - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - create your own bg paper
Crafty Friends - fairy or fantasy
Di's Digi - try something new (distress oxide inks, foils)
Simply Create Too - no pattern paper

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

Birthday Cats, Mice, and Old Cheese

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

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

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

so now on to my project....

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

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

(to save these images, click on the photo 

which should take you to another page.

right click and then 'save as' to

the file of your choice

on your computer.

if you have any troubles, 

pop me an email.)

so now we really will get to my card.

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

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

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

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

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

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

...But Give Her Coffee

Winner at Southern Girls
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lemon Basil Tea

Hello and Happy Saturday to all of you! :)

I am back with another entry for the Spring/Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop.  Not sure how many more projects I will have a chance to finish because my seizures and migraines are really knocking me down. I've been in bed for a week now, but am trying to get to my craft room when I have the energy. We crafters have our priorities, don't we?! ;) Needless to say I didn't get out to Camp to work this weekend like I had hoped....

anyway, you are here for the fun stuff, not the icky health yuck. so let's get on with it! :)

here is my shabby card using some fabulous images from Paulette over at Create with TLC. I just love her stuff so much!!!!  she gives away free images and sentiments all the time, and has gorgeous digital products in her Etsy store, too. I have my eye on a wedding set for those upcoming weddings here in our family this year. the newlyweds (ALL of them!) would enjoy some journals for all of their photos, if I can get the time and health to get them made.

anyway, AGAIN!, back to my card....
digital papers are from the Prima Collage collection, beautiful flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and butterfly punch is by Martha Stewart. vintage buttons, lace, and doily are from my stash. butterflies are covered in wink of stella glitter pen while the lady's bracelet was painted with shimmerz for some pretty sparkle. some faux stitching adds to the vintage feel, as does all of the distressing.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a most amazing weekend! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack Funday Friday - anything goes
Southern Girls - sparkle and shine (shimmerz paint & wink of stella glitter pen)
House That Stamps Built - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Crafty Addicts - anything goes w/optional spring is in the air theme
A Perfect Time to Craft - anything goes
Rubber Buggy - Theme: feminine or Mother's Day anything goes

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

Faith Can Move Mountains

Most Inspiring and DT Favorite at Path of Positivity
Coffee of the Day - The Coffee Fool Vanilla Macadamia Nut

Today's card is another special one, this time for a fundraiser being held in honor of a wee babe who spent some time at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital NICU. His mom, Lea, has put this fundraiser and card drive together to raise money for Starbuck's gift cards and handmade cards to put them in for other family members who have to experience times such as what she went through. You can find more information here on her blog.

Using the mood/inspiration board, I created this card with a beautiful digital image that I purchased on Etsy. my faith has brought me through some very difficult times in my life, so hopefully this sentiment will bring hope and comfort to someone in need.

papers are from both Echo Park and Kaisercraft, ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, the main image die is by Spellbinders while the tree die is by Tim Holtz for Sizzix. vintage buttons & doily are from my stash and the little banners are actually sticky notes from Target. I used a Wink of Stella clear glitter pen to accent the word 'faith' on the main image and the gold dots on the sticky notes. some re-purposed grey tissue paper adds a bit of interest & texture behind the main image.

I had to work hard to keep this card as flat as possible to make it easy to mail as well as to deliver. not an easy task for me. ;)

if you have a moment, please consider a donation or making a card for this very worthwhile fundraiser. thanks for stopping by!

Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Creative Craft Cottage - dies and/or punches (Spellbinders & Tim Holtz dies)
Let's Craft and Create - anything goes with lace, ribbon, twine (I have 2 of the 3 here)
Addicted to Stamps - ribbons galore
Dragonfly Journeys - grey is the new black (used as card base, tissue paper, vintage button, and ink for both painting & distressing)
Crafting From the Heart - anything goes
Path of Positivity - anything positive goes (hopefully this sentiment brings a bit of hope to someone going through the tragedy of having an infant in the NICU. my faith has sustained me through some of the most terrible times in my life, as well as brought me to the mountain tops. I hope this sentiment and the prayers I poured into the card bring some comfort. the greens, my favorite color, are soothing, while the yellow brings the hope with the sun)

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)

Easter is a Time for Sheer Hoppiness!

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Hazelnut

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate this holiday! :) This has always been one of my most favorite holidays. I love spring, even though it doesn't really come to our area for a while yet. We can have snow into May, and it frequently snows on Easter, but the flowers that peak through are so lovely, aren't they?! It is truly a season of new hope.

I have a card to share with all of you today. I have given this to our neighbors who have the most adorable little girls! They shared with us a few days ago that their oldest is learning to read by sounding out the letter "P" for Palmer. :) we all smiled over that one!

I happily discovered that one of my favorite artists, Lee Holland, has an Etsy store for digital images. If you hurry, you might even catch the big sale that she has going on right now. I was one happy camper, let me tell you! ;)  This cute little bunny hopped right into my shopping cart, along with several other fun images!

Papers are from the Authentique Eastertime, flowers & leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts, pretty blue ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and dies are by Spellbinders. sentiment is from Create with TLC.

vintage buttons, doily, lace trim, and yellow twine and ticket are from my stash. all cs edges have been distressed with either ink or a paper distressing tool. you can't see it well in the photo, but I used a wink of stella clear glitter pen to accent the hop pattern.

what DID show up well is a lovely pet hair from either Palmer or Moon Pie.... oh goodness gracious.... I had already given the card to our neighbors by the time I started editing this picture, so I couldn't go back and retake it. ack! the joys of having 2 pets with black fur who love to play in my craft room with me!!!

I hope all of you enjoy your day! thanks so much for "hopping" by! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Sweet Stampin' - bingo: ribbon, button, distress
Deep Ocean - Easter/Spring
Die Cuttin' Divas - Easter (Spellbinders dies)
Lemon Shortbread - anything goes
Papercraft Challenges - Bunnies for Easter
Aud Sentiments - Easter or Spring sentiment
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Brown Sugar - Spring or Easter
Crafty Catz - anything goes w/optional twist of old stash
Polkadoodles - #13 anything goes

Happiest of Birthdays, Pretty Fairy!

Coffee of the Day - actually, today I'm having a yummy tea - Strawberry, Lavender, Mint Green blend from a wonderful tea shoppe in Ann Arbor, Michigan :)

Hello to everyone! yep, once again I have been missing from my blog. all for good reasons, I assure you. I had even picked up a few goodies to do a birthday blog candy, and then didn't even get around to posting. how sad is that?! ;) I'll try to get that up by the weekend though.

I have been to several protests against pipelines and fracking, so traveling all over Ohio. hubby and I are also delivering water and other supplies to Flint, Michigan every Saturday to try to help the situation there. Even Palmer went along on our last trip! Country dog in the big city! :) of course he was a big hit. He celebrates his fist birthday next week.... oh how the time has flown! When not traveling, I am busy working at Camp. yep, life is lots of fun and filled to the brim!!!

So today I am sharing a card I have made for both the progressive monthly challenge in the Simply Betty Facebook group and for a very special young lady we know. :) I hope she enjoys it as much as we enjoy having her in our lives! :)

The challenge is to use at least one decorative paper, the colors red, black, yellow, and cream, and also add glitter.

I used Prima digital papers and elements from the Doodledux collection, added touches with stickles glitter and the wink of stella pen, included flowers from Michael's, Prima, and Wild Orchid Crafts, vintage buttons, and finished the card with glitter ribbon also found at Michael's. the inside is decorated, too, with elements from the same Prima digital paper collection. I added cream acrylic paint to the card edges.

Thank you so much for stopping by! love to all of you!
Jennifer

Go Ahead.... Mess With Me! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Happy Monday and MLK Day! What a wonderful day today as we celebrate the life of this amazing man and his journey of peace & unity!

I guess my card is in a bit of contrast to his message though, when it comes down to it. ;)  but Ms. Betty over at Simply B Stamps had a fun progressive challenge going on that I could NOT resist with this fun coffee image & sentiment!

my card uses papers from several Basic Grey collections, a re-purposed Starbuck's coffee cozy, vintage buttons from my stash, and Wild Orchid Crafts flowers. dies are from Spellbinders. the sentiment was accented with a wink of stella glitter pen. seam binding was distressed with several shades of ink and tied with a smidgen of ric rack.  little wooden veneer coffee cup is from Latina Crafter.

I'm sending this card off to some friends who were SO nice and gifted me with several pounds of Starbuck's coffee. they sure know the way to this coffee addict's, I mean lover's, hear! tee hee!!!

I hope you have an amazing week!

Merry Christmas, Little Elf!

Winner at Glitter 'N Sparkle

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Merry Christmas! the day we've all been waiting for is here! :) I hope and pray you are surrounded by people who love you and appreciate the fabulous person you are!!!!!

I am sharing the last of my Christmas creations with all of you today. this one was made for a very special young lady, and I am told she really liked it. :)

I used the adorable "Elf 3" image from Bugaboo and the current sketch for their Stella Says Sketch challenge. stickles, shimmerz paint, Viva Decor pearl pen, and a clear wink of stella glitter pen were used to accent the main image.

papers are from the Authentique Retro Christmas collection. sentiment above the image is by Create with TLC and the stamped sentiment is from Unity Stamps. main die is by Spellbinders and holly flourish die is by Cheery Lynn. little poinsettias are from Petaloo. lace trim and buttons are vintage. tiny jingle bell is by SU!

after my crazy, crazy past few weeks, I am taking several days off to recuperate! I will be back on Tuesday to post the winners of my GIU week though. see you then! :)

Challenges:
Stella Says Sketch - blast from the past
Creative Knockouts - Christmas Delight
Come and Get It - Christmas
Glitter 'N Sparkle - Christmas with glitter
Crafty Friends - sparkle
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - add a sentiment

A Vintage Merry Christmas for GIU

Coffee of the Day - Butter Rum

We're to my mid week project for Growing in Unity (GIU) and I am going to show all of you what my typical card style is really like....  :)

As I was browsing through the Unity store one day looking for stamps for this week, I came across this gorgeous stamp by Susan Weckesser called "World of Christmas." I instantly fell in love!

oh good golly, look at all of that vintage glory!!! doesn't it just make you swoon right in your computer chair?! into my shopping cart it went!

I stamped the image onto natural vanilla cs from Stampin' Up! and only used a q-tip to shade it. this helps give such an ethereal, shabby look to the piece.

papers are from the Basic Grey Evergreen collection, flowers are an assortment from Wild Orchid Crafts, Petaloo, and Hobby Lobby, and lace & buttons are from my vintage stash.

corner snowflake die is by Creative Expressions and large rectangular die is by Spellbinders. a gold doily, distressed seam binding snippet tied with linen thread, and rusty jingle bell finish the card. a wink of stella glitter pen was brushed over the 'Merry Christmas' to give it a light sparkle.

thank you so much for stopping by today for my coffee of the day! I hope you have enjoyed the things I've created for you so far! :)

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

see you tomorrow! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Fussy and Fancy - angels and fairies or winter
Morgan's Art World - anything goes
QKR - Christmas cards
Holly Jolly Christmas - Christmas card or abc
Inky Chicks - Christmas in traditional colors

Funky and Fun Christmas Ornaments

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie :)

Today starts a new challenge over on Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog, so I hope you'll join us for some holiday fun! As always, we are sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps, so someone will win a gift certificate for some great images from their store. if you join along, that someone could be YOU! :)

For my card this month I am using this retro funky image called 'Christmas Ornaments' and giving it my own little spin. main image and matting dies are by Spellbinders while the banner die is by SU!  papers are from the Basic Grey Juniper Berry collection. pretty poinsettia is from Prima and seam binding, which I distressed with several shades of ink, is from Zipper Stop. some vintage buttons and a fun little piece of Christmas flair were also added. I used a clear spica glitter gel pen and wink of stella glitter pen on the main image to add lots of sparkle, and then a white gel pen on the matting die to add some fun highlighted dots.

thank you so much for popping over this Saturday morning. :) hang on and I'll have another post for you!!!

enjoy your weekend!

Challenges:
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes w/optional twist to create own bg
DL Art  Oct linky party - anything goes

YOU are the Definition of Gracious! plus a bit of news...

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Cupcake

Hello to all of you lovely Bells!

I don't know about you, but I always seem to be in the need of thank you cards. almost every image Elisabeth Bell creates can be used for a thank you themed project. it's super easy to add your own thank you type sentiment to most any of the images from her wonderful store!

I have taken the precious 'Little Miss Mouse' image and added a great sentiment from Create with TLC so that my card is ready to send off to a fabulous friend. adding pretty papers from the Basic Grey PB & J collection, Zipper Stop seam binding, and embellishments lets my friend know I think she is pretty special and appreciate all she has done for me! :)

buttons are from my vintage stash, dies are by Spellbinders, and sentiment & banner punches are by SU!. large golden colored flower and pretty aqua sparkle in lower corner are from Michael's. other flowers & leaf are from Wild Orchid Crafts. the fairy's wings are accented with a wink of stella glitter pen and distress stickles are in the center of each golden flower.

I'm so excited to announce that I'm now a permanent part of The Digi Bells Design Team! this is like a dream come true! :)

please be sure to welcome our new Guest Designers as they post in the next few days. :) and join our latest challenge, too! always something fun going on over at The Digi Bells!

thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Challenges:
Crafting By Designs - anything goes
Crafty Boots - use a stamp
Artistic Inspiration - anything goes
Bunny Zoe - summer floral
Get Creative - lots of blue
Incy Wincy - anything goes
Crazy Challenge - sunshine and smiles
Card and Scrap - anything goes
CCC Digi - anything goes
Emerald Faeries - make it sparkle (wink of stella glitter pen, distress stickles, aqua sparkle gem)
World Wide Open DT Ch - anything goes
Robyn's Fetish - faeries

Water Play and the Digi Bells Blog Hop!

Winner at Crafty Sentiments

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Bread Pudding

Welcome to my stop on this summery Digi Bells Blog Hop! :) if you have been following along, then you would have arrived here from LINDA's absolutely gorgeous blog. should you get lost at any point along the way, then just head over to the Digi Bells blog for the complete list. while you are there, be sure to submit your project application for the Guest Designer call out! I have had the absolute BEST TIME as a guest these past few months. :) everyone is just as nice as can be!

as y'all know, each of us are showcasing the adorable images, 'Beach Ball Baby' and 'Big Splash,' former rubber stamps at Sweet Pea. these 2 are so precious! but then, aren't all of Elisabeth's images?! :) You will be able to find them in the digital store here, along with lots of other cuties.

I used papers from the Basic Grey Picadilly collection, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, a little ribbon snippet from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and red twine from Michael's. let me tell you, that twine was quite the deal! it was marked on sale for only 30 cents for 20 yards! yes, I grabbed several spools at that price! :) it's the same quality as what I have ordered from other stores for much more.

main image die is by Spellbinders, banner die is by SU!, and stitched sun die is from La La Land. cute wooden veneer 'play' is also from Michael's. I added a bit of orange stain and white Mr. Huey's to it for some summertime fun. a touch of wink of stella glitter pen was added to the water spray coming from the hose.  a bit of burlap doily and my ever fave vintage buttons complete the card.

now pop on over to ALETHEA's fun blog to see what wonderful project she has created to inspire you! thanks so much for stopping by! have a most amazing weekend! :)

Challenges:
Tuesday Throwdown - fave embellishments (vintage buttons!)
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Creative Moments - anything goes
Crafty Addicts - anything goes/friends
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed. - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
A Snowflake's Promise - summertime
Crazy Challenge - summer fun
Fab 'n Funky - tic, tac, toe (die cut, digi, flowers)
Di's Digi Designs - hot or bright colors