Just Look at THAT FACE!!!!

Please see next post for Pink Saturday........ thank you! :)

I had to make something with this cutie little fella, so please forgive this interuption to the day......

Doesn't he just melt your heart? oh goodness, he sure does mine.... he can climb up and snuggle with me any ol' time! and you know he would be licking your face and givin' you lovin'! just look at him! awwwww......

This precious pup can be found at Squigglefly and was drawn by Crissy Armstrong. I am entering it in several challenges, but I mainly made it just 'cause he was FUN! and isn't that what crafting is all about anyway? plus, I do have quite a few thank you notes to get out so........

It's a pretty simple card really. just watercolored, LOTS of distressing, including my water distressing technique along the main image edges. the scan is a bit wonky from the binder clip, so sorry about that. Give your pets a big hug today and tell them you love 'em!

I Love Digi Challenge - thank you

i heart 2 stamp - sketch (sideways)

Sundays with Crissy - dots

Crazy 4 Challenges - Frogs, snails, & puppy dog tails

My very FIRST Pink Saturday! :)

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Twist

I am sooooooooooo excited! Today is my first time to be a part of this amazing phenom called 'Pink Saturday'!!!! I have sat by the sidelines for well over a year now and gazed at beautiful pink loveliness week after week. You know how fond I am of pink, and why I didn't jump right in with both feet is beyond me..... but I have taken the plunge, and oh, the water is sweet indeed! grins!

My first contribution may not be filled with the vintage or the soothing that you will find on other blogs, but it is inspiring to me and brings me great joy - some of the criteria for Pink Saturday.

For those of you who frequent my blog, the above picture will not be new to you. You have seen it before. But it is the inspiration for the card that comes after. For a while now I have wanted a pink Vespa. no, I still don't have one, yes, I still want one, and yes, one day, this bit of beauty will be mine to toodle around the countrysides of Ohio! :) So until then I will find my joy and contentment making cards and other craft projects using images of them. and that is fine by me. :)

You know my true love each day is coffee. and of course, pink. So what better way to begin this new adventure than with this adorable Princess Latte on a Vespa image from The Stamping Boutique. of course she has accents of shimmerz paint. The sketch comes from Card Patterns. Papers are from my Rhonda stash, and a new stash from my friend Melissa. I am blessed as all get out with the most amazing friends! I stamped directly on the twill with timber brown staz-on. Pretty much everything on here is a hodge podge of goodies, but isn't that what life is all about anyway?

Have a most beautiful PINK day! love to you all! :)

p.s. speaking of The Stamping Boutique, please feel free to join us over at The Latte Lounge - a fun forum for all kinds of chatter!

You're in my prayers..... with GLITTER! :)

Coffee of the Day - dreaming of a lovely latte sipped along the sidewalks of Paris... wanna come along? :)

Well you should know by now that I have quite an interesting relationship with God. I talk to Him quite often throughout the day - much like texting or IM'ing a friend you can't get enough of. David just rolls his eyes when I describe it, because everyone has a different kind of God relationship - that is the beauty really. So does it come as any surprise to you that mine would involve pink glitter? :) no, probably not. grins! it doesn't surprise God either. I have been praying for so many people lately, I really needed more cards of this type to mail out to some of them.

A fun challenge going on the past 2 weeks in the SNR Squigglefly group was to create any kind of project using one of their images and glitter. well, I actually used 2 from this beautiful digi package called Fancy Flowers. It comes with about 6 images and was designed by Nina Brackett. I love its versatility! and of course I had to go PINK!

Because the challenge called for glitter, I printed this onto SU!'s shimmery white cs. Once the watercoloring was done, I stamped over both images with SU!'s retired "Script" bg stamp. The butterfly has it, too, but it doesn't show as well. I like the subtleness of it though. Edges were distressed as all get out, matted, and then covered in worn lipstick distressed stickles. The papers are K & Co. Wild Raspberry. I sure don't know what I am gonna do when I run out of that paper pad, 'cause it is discontinued and probably one of my all time faves from them. I mean, I use it ALL the time..... Anyway, I found this GORGEOUS trim pack from Fancy Pants when I was sorting through stuff the other day, and it seemed a perfect fit here. Added some Primas from Rhonda, vintage buttons, and a velvet millenery leaf. oh my stars!!!! I almost forgot all of the pretty shimmerz!!!! how could I do that?!?!?! I painted pink and butter cream shimmerz on various leaves & petals of the flower as well as wings of the butterfly. The body of the butterfly also has rock candy distress stickles to give it a little extra oomph.

The glitter challenge ended on Wed. and a new one has begun. Please check out the SNR group to see what fun Holly has going for us!

I hope you are having a truly lovely day! :)

Gingersnap Creations - Botanical

Love Bear Brings Flowers for YOU! :)

I sure hope my posts are popping up as schedued..... if not, they are drifting off in cyberspace on some grand vaca and will hopefully send postcards from beyond! :D

My next card for today features a cutie image from Sassy Cheryl. This little fella reminds me again of those delightful bouquets of flowers my boys would bring me when they were younger! The papers are Basic Grey Junebug and the flowers have been painted with shimmerz. The bee and his trail were also given the special shimmerz treatment! bees tend to get a bad break, but our gardens really need them. :) Flowers are primas that have stickles dotted in the centers. trims and ribbons are a hodge podge. LOVE the punch I found on sale a while back at JoAnn's. The button stack comes from my lovely vintage treasure chest. gotta love those vintage buttons! don't know what I would do without them!

I hope y'all are taking good care of yourselves. know that you are loved deeply!

Crafts 4 Eternity - sketch (swapped sentiment & embellies portions)

Sassy Cheryl's - photo inspiration

Your Next Stamp - going dotty

Crafty Pad - ribbons

Cupcake Crafts - recipe of 3's

Wish you were here........

Coffee of the Day - something yucky & institutional more than likely.... :(

I have played in a neat challenge from over at KPink's group on PCP - Take a trip down Memory Lane. isn't that a neat theme?

When I saw this neat image from Kristen, I immediately knew what I wanted to make. I am an only child, and my dad and I were very close. I spent so many hours as I was growing up waiting by the windows for him to come from work or to pick me up while I had been staying with relatives. I had games I would play while waiting to make the time pass, but I could sit at a window for truly hours as long as I knew that he would be there. He died almost 18 years ago, and I still miss him almost as much today as I did that fateful day back then. I could still sit by a window and watch for him.......... if only his car would pull into the drive.

The papers on this special card are from my precious Daisy D's stash. As with all of my cards, the coloring is watercolors. The curtains are paper pieced . Accents to the curtains and flower centers were done with my white gel pen. For the planter box, I first stippled darker ink over the painted box, and then sponged vanilla over the top of that. From there I adhered some rub-ons to complete the shabby chic look. well, to HOPEFULLY achieve the shabby chic look! ;) Crystal Effects was applied over the glass portion of the window. Buttons, crochet lace, a little Prima, and ribbon were added to finish. oh yes, can't forget the faux stitching, which isn't straight, so please don't look too close! :)

Papertake Weekly - sketch (turned on its side - got kinda loose with my interpretation!)

Stampin Sisters in Christ - stitching

Your Next Stamp - going dotty

Crafty Catz - spots

Alota Rubber Stamps - flowers

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp - flowers

A Mother's Day Bouquet

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Caramel

Today is a new challenge over at Isabella's Sketchbook! In recognition of moms everywhere, the challenge is to make a project that honors mothers, grandmothers, that special mom-figure in your life. The winner will get their choice of 2 beautiful digis from Isabella's wonderful store, as well as a fancy blog badge to proudly display! So please play along with us! once you finish up here, please stop along at the other DT members' blogs and leave them some love. you know how we all love those comments! :)

My card was actually made to match the altered brie box I made a few weeks ago for Earth Day as a gift for my MIL. The papers are Basic Grey Lilykate. I painted the flowers with pink and butter cream shimmerz to give them a pretty glittery sparkle. The watering can flower holder was sponged with vanilla craft ink to give an aged, distressed look. I added a sentiment tag from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. The buttons are all vintage, baby Primas were added to the stitched ribbon bow, and more faux stitching was added along the right side of the card. The flower border punch is from Martha Stewart.

I remember the bouquets of wildflowers I used to pick for my mother, and then the flowers the boys would pick for me. I don't know that my mother ever did anything with the ones I gave her, but the ones the boys gave to me were priceless treasures. I would find a cut glass vase or jar to put them in and place them in a spot of honor in the house somewhere. A place where I could look at them all throughout the day. It was those spontaneous acts of love that touched my heart so..... :)

I am off to the dr.'s and hosp. for my pneumonia, so if you don't hear from me for a few days, not to worry. I do have a few posts scheduled to keep you occupied. :)

Alota Rubber Stamps - flowers
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - stitching
Paper Play - pastels
Incy Wincy - Anything Goes
Shabby Tea Room - bling and glitter
Sentimental Sundays - for that special someone
City Crafter - tag
Pink Elephant - Mommy I Love You
Dare U 2 Digi Stamp - Flowers
For Fun - Mom
Gingersnap Creations - botanical

A Golfer's Lucky Day

Coffee of the Day - Tiramisu

Hello everyone! Sorry to have been away for so long. still battling the pneumonia. this breathing thing is a real downer. wish it was optional or I could just hire someone to do it for me. then I could get about my fun crafting and not have to deal with the struggle of it anymore. but enough of that blech...

I saw these MOST fun new fellas over at Mo's Digital Pencil called the 'Big Guy' series and knew I needed to start adding them to my Mo stash! oh goodness, they are all wonderful! This one was the first to go into my cart, followed quickly by his friend at the bbq grill. you will see him on a creation soon, I am sure. The challenge for this week is to make a masculine card. It has been FOREVER since I last played in a Mo challenge, so I quickly got to work.

I don't know anything about this paper, I apologize, because it came in the most phenom gift from Rhonda. But I knew it would be the ideal thing for his whacked out golf pants! I remember when Dave was a golf pro and the crazy outfits we would see on the course. So I dug into my memory banks and created something a little bit crazy that is probably more suitable for the Sr. Tour. :) I remembered that Julia S. is always using bits of cardboard on her projects, so thought I would use a piece here, too. I inked it up a bit with some vanilla craft that is also on the edges of the main card. Added a few manly buttons, some neat ric rac, and of course, a golf tee tied with linen thread.

Enjoy your evening!

Paper Sundaes - color challenge

Pile it On - boyish colors

Digi Doodles - anything goes

Simple Pleasures involve Fish.... and some fun news! :)

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Truffle




Don't your simple pleasures usually involve fish? grins! well tuna fish is one of my comfort foods, so these fishy friends MUST count! my family thinks I am completely wonked that when I am really sick, I reach for tuna and crackers. yep, super-dee-duper strange. someone must have dropped me several times on my pointed little head when I was little, and it must have been right into a swimming pool! :)

Anywaaaaaaaaaaaay.......................

I think these fish from Isabella's Sketchbook are just so neat. She has quite a few to pick from and I am in the process of collecting them all. Today starts a new challenge over on her challenge blog, but she is also announcing the creation of her brand new DT. my dear friend Linda Payne is the co-ordinator of this crew, and I am blessed as all get-out to be included! woooooooo hoooooooooo! doin' the Texas Two Step over here to celebrate! wanna join me?! or you can just play in the challenge if you are so inclined..... the challenge this week is an 'anything goes', but get this - the prize this week is 6 free images to the winner!!!!! so I do hope you play. and be sure to stop by the other DT members' blogs to tell them congrats, too! you will make their day!

My card uses some of my precious Daisy D's paper stash. The water dots ARE intentional! :) I thought it looked kinda cool for an ocean scene. The sand is stippled over with darker ink to help add extra dimension. The shells were painted with opal shimmerz before coating with crystal effects. Buttons are from my vintage stash and both lace and beaded trims come from JoAnn's. The 'simple pleasures' tag is also from Daisy D's. gosh, I really really miss that company.... heavy sigh......

All of you have a wonderful day and enjoy YOUR simple pleasures! love ya!
Jennifer

Gingersnap Creations - Kraft

Baked with Love for YOU! :)

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (from my dwindling stash....)

Hello! I hope you have had a wonderful day so far. I am finally starting to see that there is a life beyond pneumonia - yipppeeee! I hated that I had to miss the wonderful stamping convention in Akron this weekend, but on the other hand, I wasn't in the hospital like my dr. wanted me to be either, so home was a happy medium. :)

I wanted to play again in the challenge going on over at Isabella's Sketchbook challenge blog this week. the challenge was to create a project using a food image. I love this one of this precious little girl baking something yummy. It reminds me of the times I would visit my great-grandmother and we would make her wonderful applesauce cookies. Those were the BEST cookies! She was always asked to bring them to church. How blessed I was that she was able to meet Tyler, our oldest son, before she passed away. She was the one who introduced me to Jesus, too. oh goodness, that woman spent so much time on her knees for me. She saw me baptised at church camp one summer. What glorious memories!

The papers on my card come from the Jenni Bowlin Farmer's Wife collection. Just perfect for the vintage feel of this image, don't ya think? I colored the utensils on the table to match some that I have hanging on my wall that I picked up at several antique stores around here. The recipes I found online, printed, tore the edges, and then distressed with ink. Of course the buttons had to come from my vintage stash!

Enjoy the rest of your day! Take a little walk down memory land yourself, and then say a big 'thank you' to those wonderful people in your family tree who have helped make you who you are today! :)

2 Earth Day Blog Hops in One Post! Have Fun! :)

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Twist




Welcome to Create it Green’s Earth Day Blog Hop!! Thanks so much for joining us!

If you have landed here from the *fabby blog of Victoria*, then you are right on track. (what a gorgeous card by the way!) if at any point you lose your way, then please go back to Create it Green and start the hop or see what little treats might be hiding there (hint hint hint!!!). You won't want to miss all the Earth Day Inspiration or the amazing prizes from our generous sponsors! Make sure you leave a comment on each blog on the hop since winners will be drawn from the comments!!

For the Michelle Perkett Earth Day Blog Hop, you will just be arriving here from the *most spectacular blog of Kerri*! wow! hard for me to follow all that brilliance! (get it? she shines brighter than the rest of us! oh gosh, I am rolling today! giggles!) but truly, she is one fantastic crafter! and you will see lots on Michelle's hop today. again, everyone needed to use some repurposed items on their projects as well as incorporate the color green.

Believe it or not, my card today actually works for both hops! phew..... I am safe! grins! I am using a precious sentiment from Michelle and a wonderful image from a designer new to me - KPink, Kristen Powers. The papers are K & Co. Wild Raspberry. The recycled elements come through my pretty pink string, which is more of my infamous laundry twine. y'all just cracked me up the other day with your comments about it! it seems you think that is a pretty spectacular find! hey, it works perfectly for tying up these buttons, as you can see! giggles! the hearts are punched from Starbucks drink cozies and then inked. what a fun texture they add! The heart and flower center on the main image hand have been painted with royal red shimmerz, in addition to the hearts and little highlights on the sentiment. The sketch comes from the Cute Card Thursday challenge.

Now from here for the MP hop head on over to *Patti's most phenom place*! This is quite the clever project, so hold on to your socks, 'cause otherwise they are gonna be blown right off of your tootsies! :)

The Creat it Green blog hop will run from April 22nd until Sunday, April 25th, midnight PST. We will be drawing for winners on April 27. So be sure to check the Create it Green blog to see if you are a winner. And check back here each day for more projects!

Now on to the *most amazing blog of Jean*. but I warn you - be ready for an over load of CUTE!!

Crafty Pad - recycled element

Stampavie - lace & button

Create it Green Earth Day Blog Hop - Day 3

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Macadamia



Welcome to Create it Green’s Earth Day Blog Hop!! Thanks so much for joining us!

If you have landed here from the *fabby blog of Victoria*, then you are right on track. (what a gorgeous card by the way!) if at any point you lose your way, then please go back to Create it Green and start the hop or see what little treats might be hiding there (hint hint hint!!!). You won't want to miss all the Earth Day Inspiration or the amazing prizes from our generous sponsors! Make sure you leave a comment on each blog on the hop since winners will be drawn from the comments!!

This card is for my son, Tyler, from one of our cats, Eliza. When he isn't around, she looks for him. When he is here, she must sit in his lap. And I must say, and he agrees with me, when she is with him, he does much better playing his video games! I tease him that she is his muse! :) So when I saw this fat cat digi from Squigglefly, I couldn't resist the temptation to make a card for Tyler from Eliza. I paired it with this fun, playful paper from Shirleys 2 Girls. The stripe ribbon is also from S2G. The repurposed items on here are the bow - some crinkled packing material wrapped in the neat ribbon, and the kraft strip behind the main image. You have to promise me to never ever tell Tyler what it is before I reveal to you what it is..... okay? promise? since I have been so sick with pneumonia, I have been going through tissues like crazy. as I was opening yet another box the other day, I looked at the pull strip and thought to myself, "hmmmmm...... this is kinda cool. I bet I could use this in my crafting. I like the ragged edges." so here it is! Isn't it fun? I just added a rub-on and some buttons. like I have said, you just never know how you might use what you would have thrown away. now to go put this on Tyler's desk and wait for his reaction........ tee hee hee!

This blog hop will run from April 22nd until Sunday, April 25th, midnight PST. We will be drawing for winners on April 27. So be sure to check the Create it Green blog to see if you are a winner. And check back here each day for more projects!

Now on to the *most amazing blog of Jean*. but I warn you - be ready for an over load of CUTE!!

Create it Green Earth Day Blog Hop - Day 2

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Spice



Welcome to Create it Green’s Earth Day Blog Hop!! Thanks so much for joining us!

If you have landed here from the *fabby blog of Victoria*, then you are right on track. (what a gorgeous card by the way!) if at any point you lose your way, then please go back to Create it Green and start the hop or see what little treats might be hiding there (hint hint hint!!!). You won't want to miss all the Earth Day Inspiration or the amazing prizes from our generous sponsors! Make sure you leave a comment on each blog on the hop since winners will be drawn from the comments!!

My project today uses a cute little digi from one of our sponsors, Digital Delights by Louby Lou. I was blessed to be a guest designer for them last year, and Wendy is just the greatest! She draws the most adorable images! I love the expressions on the faces of these 2 buddies! David bought a baseball cap the other day and left the tag in the Jeep. I saw it and immediately snagged it for my crafty stash. I knew it would come in handy one day! 'Adventure' seemed the perfect definition to stamp on it for these two sitting on their stumps in the woods! :) I tied the tag with some canvas mesh that was also in that same "oh yes, this will be perfect to use one day in my crafting" stash of found goodies. Added a few twigs, some buttons, and a little piece of linen thread. You never knew repurposing your hidden treasures could be so easy, did you?! and just ignore those spouses that roll their eyes at you........ after a while you hardly even notice! grins! Papers are from KI Memories and come from my friend Kate at i {heart} papers again. she is so fabby! love ya!

This blog hop will run from today, April 22nd until Sunday, April 25th, midnight PST. We will be drawing for winners on April 27. So be sure to check the Create it Green blog to see if you are a winner. And check back here each day for more projects!

Now on to the *most amazing blog of Jean*. but I warn you - be ready for an over load of CUTE!!

Create it Green Earth Day Blog Hop - Day One!

Coffee of the Day - Tiramisu



Welcome to Create it Green’s Earth Day Blog Hop!! Thanks so much for joining us!

If you have landed here from the *fabby blog of Victoria*, then you are right on track. (what a gorgeous card by the way!) if at any point you lose your way, then please go back to Create it Green and start the hop or see what little treats might be hiding there (hint hint hint!!!). You won't want to miss all the Earth Day Inspiration or the amazing prizes from our generous sponsors! Make sure you leave a comment on each blog on the hop since winners will be drawn from the comments!!

For today, and yes, I will have a different project each of the 4 days of the hop, I have chosen to alter a little brie box. The box itself is 4 1/2" in diameter, so not too big. I covered it with the beautiful papers from Basic Grey's Lilykate collection, which were sanded and inked along the edges. Around the rim of the lid is this wonderful crochet trim that I tied in a bow which you can see at the top. The little Prima rose was sprayed with rose walnut glimmer mist to both give color and shine to match. A combo of new and vintage buttons were added. I have to tell you about the pink twine tying the brown flower button - at various times when washing our many afghans and blankets, I find these stray strands in the bottom of the washer, or somtimes the dryer. Well, not one to throw away a fiber I can use for crafting, I put them in my little stash of scraps. That is what you see here! :) Hubby shakes his head, of course, but it was the perfect color pink to go with this project and a great way to repurpose something!

The gorgeous digi image on this box comes from Isabella's Sketchbook. I love her store! The centers of each flower have been dotted with shimmerz paint. For the container, I painted it with several colors of ink, but then sponged on vanilla craft to help age and distress it. doesn't show up so much in the scan, but irl you can see the difference.

The little hearts inside the box come courtesy of one of our blog sponsor's - Green Field Paper. They so kindly sent some of us samples of their most popular papers. As soon as I saw the papers with the flower seeds embedded within, I knew just what my project would be! So I punched hearts from the various shades, added a few little Prima flowers to accent (but no embellies to the centers as I normally would since these will be planted, and I want to be earth-friendly!), and wrote on them in true Alice-style 'plant me'! :) There are about a dozen inside the box. My MIL is coming to visit in June, and she loves to garden. I thought this might be the perfect little giftie to welcome her to our home!

This blog hop will run from today, April 22nd until Sunday, April 26th, midnight PST. We will be drawing for winners on April 27. So be sure to check the Create it Green blog to see if you are a winner. And check back here each day for more projects!


Now on to the *most amazing blog of Jean*. but I warn you - be ready for an over load of CUTE!!

Gingersnap Creations - Botanical
Busy Beauties - Green with a twist
Pile it On - Spring
Totally Papercrafts - Spring
Digital Tuesday - April Showers, April Flowers

Squigglefly Rewind

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Today is a fun day at Squigglefly. Various designers are taking some of the older images and using them on new craft items! how cool is that!?!

I chose this neat digi from Angie Davis called Chair Cat. It has long been one of my faves. Probably because I have always been a cat freak. I decided to use some of this wonderful paper that my friend Kate, the owner of i {heart} papers, sent to me when she heard about my craft room fiasco. what doesn't show in the crooked scan (sorry about that!) is that the paper is both shiny and flocked. so pretty irl! I added texture to the kitty by stippling on ink with a dry paint brush. I then used a silver glitter gel pen to go over the lines of the chair to give a bit more sparkle. man oh man, I would love to have a set of these gorgeous chairs! The buttons are all vintage. I sprayed the prima flower with walnut gold glimmer mist to help age it just a bit, but also to help give it a touch of shine to match everything else.

Be sure to check out other DT members' blogs to see what they are showcasing today! and check back tomorrow for the start of the Create It Green Earth Day Blog Hop!

'Owl'Ways Together :)

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti

Hello there! Sorry to have been away again. Once we got over the icky tummy bug, I came down with pneumonia and a sinus infection. I am sooooooo ready to not be sick anymore. So I am done with it all - okay? sound good to y'all? deal! :)

For today I am playing in the challenge over at Isabella's Sketchbook - use the sketch provided. well, I turned it upside down, being the rebel that I am. I tried to keep in mind that I am sending this to my sweetie, so kept the frilly frou frou to as much a minimum as I could. Even added some sticks to make him happy! giggles! guess which owl is me? yep, it's tough I know, but give it a go anyhow.........

Papers are the new Basic Grey Green at Heart. This is an AMAZING collection! I love the colors and designs! The curry areas have been painted with beeswax shimmerz for a little extra shimmer shine! I have had this vintage/retro lace trim in my stash for a while, and thought this would be the perfect time to use it, since it is more of an accent on this card. I used the distressing technique I told y'all about a few weeks ago again - distressing with water and ink. That hot pink turned out much hotter than I anticipated once I got going with it (not so hubby-friendly), so I pulled out my ink squirty tool and 2 different markers - celery & cocoa, to help create a more subtle look to the main image. I also gave a wash of caramel ink to the bg to help as well. it is amazing how several little tricks can create a totally different overall effect.

Thursday starts the big Create It Green Earth Day blog hop, so I hope you check back. I also plan to have a little Squigglefly something for you tomorrow if all goes well. Thanks for hanging in there with me! It sure means a lot! :) love ya!!!

Paper Sundaes - Card with no people
Stamp with Fun - Animals

A Little Hint for Hubbies.......

Sorry to have been away. Our family has been hit with the most nasty tummy bug ever created. We call it the "Spring Break Bug", because that is exactly how long it has lasted. Ryan brought it home the first day of Spring Break and here it is, the day before the guys go back to school, and life is just beginning to emerge from the covers of each bed. Oh my stars, what a week it has been!

Thankfully Easter was a lovely day. We were all healthy as could be that day. The day after was another story entirely. David has been the only one to not get sick, and for that I am extremely grateful. Poor Mick came home from his rock climbing trip on Wed. and was sick by Friday.
It has taken about 4 days to completly overcome the effects of it, with me of course, being the exception. I do hope to get back to my crafting soon. Slow and steady like that turtle as always.......

But here comes the hint for hubbies -
When your family is sick with a tummy bug and is JUST beginning to hold food down and is requesting soup - Southwestern Tortilla Chicken with Beans is usually NOT what they have in mind. :D nor is Teriyaki Chicken Noodle, Cheesey Potato Broccoli, or New England Clam Chowder. All of those are quite yummy on their own in normal times I am sure, but just plain ol' red and white cans of Cambell's chicken noodle or even Ramen are just the ticket. We do appreciate your thoughtfullness, honest to goodness, we do! but at times like these, simple is best. love ya, honey! :) thanks for all the trips to the store for ginger ale and Gatorade! We couldn't have made it without you! mwah!

Splashing with Friends and some news.....

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti

I was able to do a bit of crafting these past 2 days - which is exactly how long it took me to finish this card! ;) but finish I did...... which makes me very happy!

Isabella's Sketchbook has started a brand new challenge blog, so I thought I would try to work up a card to submit. For the first challenge, the players are to use a sketch. This fun image, Beach Friends, is one of the very first I bought. It reminds me of my boys on the beach as they were growing up in Florida. We always lived near the beach and spent many many days there before moving to Ohio.

Check out the store for a wonderful sale going on. also as you may remember, she has a DT call-out going on through the end of April if you are interested.

The papers are from the Basic Grey Lime Rickey collection. I added a metal tag from Flair Designs, a Prima flower, shells, twill ribbon, and buttons. The little seed button reminded me of some of the neat seed beans my Dad and I used to hunt on the beaches in Texas as I was growing up. As you can tell, I have many fond memories tied to the ocean and times at the beach.

The main image has a few little deets that I want to point out to you. For starters, the inner tube, sunglasses, and swimming goggles have all been covered with crystal effects. The hat's bow was painted with pink shimmerz. I used my white gel pen to add polka dots to the tote bag as well as to go over the tummies of the penguins to give them more depth. Now I was using my ink squirty tool with caramel first to give a little more character to the main piece. it looked neat, but needed just a hint of a darker color, so I pulled out the cocoa marker. things were going grand with just a light touch until I got to the right side (the finishing portion, of course) when the marker globbed a BLOP of ink right over the head of that cute little penguin wearing the red bathing suit. awwww pooey..... now what to do? well I always told the ladies in my stamping classes that there were no mistakes, only moments of 'whimsy'. so I got heavy handed with the ink squirty tool, which I did not originally plan to do, and went to town. it ended up looking okay, but then led me to do another of my fave techniques - a water and ink distressing to the edges of the cs.

Using the Direct To Paper technique (DTP), ink the edges of the cs heavily. For the next step, I keep a little bowl of water nearby. Dip your finger into the water and then run it along the edges of the cs. This allows the water to absorb into the paper and also lets the ink soak into the paper as well. As I rub my fingers along each edge, I use my fingernail to rough up the edges some. This adds to the distressed look as the cs dries. Give it a try sometime!

now for the news portion - I had told you that I was going to be leaving my DTs because of my health. Well when I sent out the notices to the companies and challenge blogs that I represent, many of them let me know that they did not want me to leave. All that they would ask is that I submit as I was able, even if it was only once a month and even if I couldn't start until next month or so. How amazing is that?! Talk about making a person feel loved!!! I am just so very very blessed! So every once in a while you will still be seeing some company posts here. and every once in a while you will see some of my own things as I am motivated and able. God is good - so very very good. Every day! :)

Creative Card Crew -Aged/Vintge/Distressing

Charisma Cards - Animal Magic

Simon Says Stamp - Its So Distressing

For Fun Challenges - Anything Goes

Totally Papercrafts - Let's Go Digital

Pile It On - Animal-rific

Sometimes things just stink....... for a while

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day. But my heart is sad and I am crying. I am saying goodbye to my lovely DTs. They have been a part of me and so very special to me for a while now. I have met the most wonderful people through these teams. I have been introduced to some gorgeous art.

But I am sick right now and just can't seem to get better. This blankety blank fall from the other day has done some damage. So I have to take an even longer break from crafting than I originally thought. It isn't fair to leave people hanging on week after week waiting to find out if I am up to submitting a project or not, so I am stepping down. But gosh almighty I am gonna miss those fantastic people! So please continue to stop by those phenom stores. please continue to visit those amazingly talented crafters and leave them bloggy love.

And the sun still shines and the birds still sing and God still sits on His throne and loves. that doesn't change. thankfully! :)

Flowers & Coffee... It Must be Spring!

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

Today starts a new challenge over at Squigglefly - Flower Power - just use flowers and a Squigglefly image somewhere on your creation.

I have been trying to do a bit of scrapbooking lately, not much mind you, but a bit. I think this is one of my ab fab fave pix that I have taken EVER! I took it last fall when Dave and I had gone on a day trip to Chagrin Falls. I decided to print out this wonderful flower frame by Rich Davis onto acetate and then color it with my sharpies on the reverse side. Other than the GORGEOUS papers from My Mind's Eye, everything else on the page is vintage - including that wonderful millinery flower at the top. isn't it stunning?! of course it is one of my delightful Etsy finds. The sentiment is also a SF. Whoops, the velvet leaf is a new Prima. The title block was sponged and distressed as I wanted to keep it simple. The page is 8 1/2" x 11", which is the size I have been doing lately. These books are so much easier for people to look through than the larger 12x12 ones.

Sorry to have such a short post today. I took a really nasty fall yesterday and am sore and bruised. It seems that my hearing being gone in one ear and overall klutziness to begin with are not a good pairing...... I am more purple than this page!

Y'all have a good day and I hope to see you tomorrow! :)

Crafts 4 Eternity Reverse Challenge

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Macadamia

Hello! If it is Sunday, then it is time for a new challenge with Crafts 4 Eternity! For today, we get to use the sketch, some brads, and reverse something on your project. The sponsor is a fun company called Crafty Sentiments. I was blessed to receive this adorable stamped image & flower in the mail from Suzette, a C4E teamie as well as a designer for Crafty Sentiments.

I decided to REVERSE the sentiment portion of the sketch from one corner to another. I grabbed this fun new paper pack from K & Co. called Poppyseed. I love the great colors in it, as well as the bold images. The brackets (which are somewhat REVERSED), punched little flowers, girl's socks, hair bow, & bow on dress are all painted with butter cream shimmerz to give them a bit of sparkle. I also painted over the word 'Journey' with the same butter cream shimmerz. The centers of the flowers and butterfly body have been highlighted with stickles. the butterfl itself was painted with wintergreen blingz and a gold glitter pen. I wanted to be sure to have little shiny bits on this card! I went over the polka dots and edges of her sleeves and dress with my white gel pen to make sure the white stood out. An organdy bow and vintage button finish off the card.

Be sure to play along if you can! I would love to see what you create!

An Easter Egg for You!

Coffee of the Day - Tiramisu

Good morning! Are you getting ready for Easter? I haven't even started yet... our middle son, Mick, is heading off on a rock climbing trip the end of next week (eek!) that snuck up on me out of the blue, we've had an invite for dinner, and this is just the 2nd card I have made. how is that for not being the least bit prepared... oh well, we will get there - ready or not. :) I hope you are doing better than I!!!

This adorable image is created by Cheryl Alger and can be found at both her store and Squigglefly. Speaking of SF, they have some fun new images being released today, including a new line called "Inside Outs". Be sure to take a look! Cheryl has her own challenge blog that has recently started, so I am entering this.

I must say this card did create a challenge for me. I realized that I only have one Easter SF image, and thankfully it was one of Cheryl's. Since it IS going to be sent to a little boy, I tried to keep it less girly than I typically make, which proved to be more difficult than I thought it would. Usually I don't have a problem with guy cards, so maybe it is coming out of my time off from crafting for so long. Anyhow, in the end I gave in and added the paper flowers in the corner. It just seemed so bare without it! :) Since the little boy is only 5, I hope he won't mind. ;) I tried to keep the colors boy-friendly though. My guys will have kittens when they see it, so I am gearing up for that confrontation. oh well...... I do think it turned out fairly cute.

Do you realize this is the first pair of shoes I have colored in ages that aren't PINK?! giggles! in case you have never noticed, I have a thing about making all of the girls' shoes PINK in the cards I make. look at yesterday's post... and if you check back to almost every single one, the shoes are all PINK! :D so making his plain ol' brown was another one of the challenges for this card. but no way, no how was I giving this guy pink shoes. forget the kittens, my guys woulda had cows! I soooooooooo wanted to add glitter to the little baby flower and egg, but I didn't 'cause of the whole boy factor.... man, they are HARD to make a card for! :p guess I had better girly me up a card QUICK!


Y'all have a wonderful weekend, and I will see you tomorrow!

There is always laundry to do......

Coffee of the Day - Kahlua & Cream

Well there may always be laundry, but doesn't this chica look like she is enjoying herself while she is doing it?! :) I love this image from Isabella's Sketchbook, a new store that I have come across in my wanderings. She has groups at both PCP and SNR, so come join us for some fun chatting! She is also doing a DT call-out if you are interested. well, golly gee..... who wouldn't be interested in playing with these wonderful images all the time?! grins! I, for one, am putting in my app! and crossing fingers, too!

I haven't played with this wonderful 'in color' from SU! much, Bermuda Bay, so thought it high time to use it. You see, a most amazing set of boxes arrived at my door this week. Kate, the owner of i {heart} papers, had of course heard about my craft room fiasco. In all of her sweetness and goodness and most deep down generosity, she sent me 2 of the biggest boxes filled to overflowing with 12x12 cs and dp! She also threw in some clear stamps, rub-ons (she knows I am getting so addicted to these!), and other embellies! oh my stars, was I one weepy weepy gal! my guys were as flabbergasted as I. so this gorgeous paisley paper is some from this collection. the red polka dot is the flip side. I just had to make a card with it PRONTO!!!! and the BB looked perfect with it! so the best way I can say thank you to Kate is to tell all of you about what she did and tell you how fabby her store is - which I do all the time anyhow each time I mention shimmerz, especially the PINK that she keeps in stock just for me! giggles! so run over there and leave her some love, either on the blog, the PCP group, or just buy something wonderful 'cause she has lots of goodies!

Everyone have a great and glorious day! love ya!

Jennifer

It's Twisted Thursday with Shirleys 2 Girls!

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

How wonderful to be back crafting again! Although I am still slower than molasses at getting things done, it is so nice to be getting inky again! I love getting lost in the entire experience!


So today brings us another Twisted Thursday challenge with Shirleys 2 Girls! the twist this week is to use buttons. gosh, no prob for me! you know how much I love buttons! :) I also wanted to do some more paper piecing, so thought it would be fun to use this cutie little chick. He just seemed perfect for the job! grins!

The polka dots on the egg are colored with a white gel pen, and the little black sparkles of the bg are highlighted with a spica glitter pen. The floral trim is from Making Memories; buttons are an asst. of MFT, SU!, and vintage. The card base is edged in white craft ink.

The Girls have provided a very informative blog page that answers all kinds of digi how-to questions. Be sure to check it out! :)
And don't forget to check out the rest of the DT's creations! You know you will be amazed as always! Play along this week! can't wait to see what you make!

Qualifying Challenges:
Just Us Girls - lt. Brown (I used kraft), lt. green, yellow, lt. blue
Crazy 4 Challenges - Spring
Paper Sundaes - paper piecing
Incy Wincy - Easter or Spring
Digital Tuesday - Spring
Stampin' for the Weekend - Easter
Bee Crafty - Spring
Jacksonbelle Embellishments - Easter or Spring
Paper Garden Projects - Easter or Spring
Totally Gorjuss - Ribbon

Voting open for 50/50 Group....

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a grand and glorious day! I awoke to rain, but with a hubby beside me playing "Pickle in the Middle" to Latte on the other side and Mocha at my feet. can't get any better than that! Dave laughs that our bed is like the one on "Willy Wonka" except with big labbers instead! I wouldn't have it any other way! I love my big doggies! :) oh yes, and hubby, too! giggles!

Feeling better, bit by bit. horray! crafted a bit yesterday. it is taking me FOR-EV-ER to get anything accomplished, but the important thing is that I am getting it done.

Wanted to let you know that the voting is up for the 'Special 50/50' group I told you about the other day. (see below post). because we crafters really like to know that other people like our work, I am going to ask you to wander over to the challenge blog and take a looksie at ALL of the neat projects that are entered. if you feel inspired to vote for someone's, then please do. if you would like to vote for me, then I would most certainly appreciate it. but only if you REALLY want to. I know I am not the greatest crafter out there. I just do this because I really like playing with paper and ribbon and buttons and getting inky and ribbon and buttons and Primas and shimmerz and ribbon and well, you get the idea! :D

So may the sun be shining on your corner of the world, even if only in your heart! :)
see you later, gator! Jennifer

A Vintage Bunny for 50/50 Crafters

Coffee of the Day - Kahlua and Cream

Well I am finally able to get a card completed and posted - yippppeeeeee! you don't know what a major undertaking this has been! took me 2 days because my energy kept disappearing, but I am thrilled to bits to have it finished. :) and it turned out okay, too. that is the happy happy part!

I am part of a fun group called the 'The Special 50/50'. Eventually it will be a group of exactly 50 designers and 50 crafters. The crafters are challenged each month to create something with the digis provided by the artists. I didn't get a chance to play last month, so wanted to try to participate this month. Thought this was the perfect catalyst to jump start my crafting without any DT pressures (not that I feel all that pressured by any of my DTs, but you know what I mean. I have been blessed by the people I work for and with!)

The digi I chose is from a store called Milly Dee Designs. I think he is adorable! and he is completely paper pieced! I did add a few little touches here and there with watercolors and a white gel pen to accent. Pretty much everything on this card came from a wonderful care package I received from Rhonda upon hearing of the demise of much of my craft room. Isn't she amazing?! Thank you again, Rhonda! so I can't tell you who any of the papers are by, but I think they all go well together. :) I added my own little touches here and there to give it that vintage flair - white craft ink along the edges of the card base, all papers distressed with ink.

Enjoy your evening! and thanks for the many emails, cards, and other outpourings of love! y'all are the best!

Challenges:

Paper Sundaes - paper piecing