Enjoy the Journey

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Chipotle Bacon (yes, that IS my coffee! grins!)

Happy Saturday! we are in the midst of a snowstorm here. I'm watching cars slowly inching their way up the hill that my house sits upon. Here in NE Ohio, it's not unusual for us to have snow and bitter cold temps into the first part of May, so this really isn't a big deal. I remember an Easter several years ago where we had to cancel church because the snow storm was so bad.  glad I like the snow so much! :) perfect reason to stay inside and craft while my sons all sit around and play D & D. Hubby has a group out at Camp, or else he would be joining them. All of them played into the wee hours of the morning. it was great to hear the laughter of my guys filling the house! :)

Anyhow, I am here with a DT card. it is a halfway past the halfway post for Top Tip Tuesday Challenges, as well as a project for today's Paper a` la Mode at The Outlawz. You still have a few days left for the Top Tip challenge, which is 'Up, Up, and Away'. We are sponsored by Zlatoena and her cutey bunnies! Paper a` la Mode's theme is anything goes.

I'm using the 'Bunny on a Space Rocket' image and some great digital papers I came across. I'll link them up as soon as I track down the mfg. in my folders...... There are an assortment of dies on here - some from Spellbinders and others from MFT. the journaling card is from We R Memory Keepers. button is a coolio vintage one and wooden veneer stars are Studio Calico. clouds were edged in stickles, while parts of the spaceship and its flames were painted with shimmerz. Sentiment is Create with TLC. stamp on journaling card is from SMASH. I felt like such a goober because I realized that I had planned to accent the little dots in the flames with my gold glitter gel pen, but forgot. I didn't see it until after I scanned the card. will go back and get 'er done!

enjoy your weekend! stay warm in the love of the people around you! :)

Challenges:
Simply Create Too - Easter or bunnies
Charisma Cardz - twinkle twinkle little star
Crafty Ribbons - one for the boys
Little Miss Muffet - boys only
Fab 'n Funky - add a sentiment
Inky Impressions - add blue for colon cancer awareness
Word Art Wed. - anything goes with encouraging verse
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Alchemy - anything goes
ABC - in the air

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh......

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Mousse

Thank you so much to my friend, Sharon, who sent me an email telling me some most fantabulous news. otherwise I might have missed it and not found out until tomorrow or later..... gosh oh golly, I am so excited I can hardly TYPE! ;)

my idea for the Spring Challenge at May Arts has been accepted and I am IN! :) wooooo hooooo! my bum is bouncin' on my chair and I am doin' the happy happy dance! oh my goodness, I can not even believe the amazing company I am in..... you can see the list of other participants here. the Spring Challenge is posted here.

I can't wait to get started! oh my stars, this is gonna be FUN! :)

my boys are on their way home this afternoon to spend the weekend with us, so I have a feeling we will do a bit of celebrating! yeehaw!

thanks to all of you who believe in me. you give me wings. :)
love to you!
Jennifer

Happy Pi Day!

Coffee of the Day - Gingerbread

Happy Pi Day to all of you! I feel like such a goof that I didn't realize it was Pi day until late this afternoon. sheesh.... what a goober! for those of you who aren't familiar with pi, it is a mathematical number based upon the area of a circle. today is also Albert Einstein's birthday, which is really pretty cool when you think about it....

thank you as well to the multitudes of you who have left such beautiful comments for me. a few followers have left, but I guess that is to be expected as well. I keep saying to my family that I'm really not that interesting, but at the same time I am as thankful as all get out for those of you who hang around and put up with me! :)

so I'll have a few more projects in the upcoming days, I'll always have a pot of coffee going  if you want to stop by to chat, and most certainly you can count on me for some little bit of something or another to keep us all smiling......

love to each and every one of you! :)

ABC Christmas Cup of Tea

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Today I am posting a midway reminder card for the ABC Christmas challenge 'E is for Eyes down' bingo. We are sponsored by both Shape EZ templates and Stamp Fairy. Last week I used an image from Stamp Fairy for my card, so this week I am showing a project with a Shape EZ template.

I am using the following options from the bingo board: not a square, flowers, glitter. my card uses the Tea Cup Flip Card template. it was an easy one to cut out, which is great for my bad head.

I first printed out some digital papers onto white cs. I then printed then tea cup template right on top of the printed papers. easy peasy! :) I then typed out my poem onto the inner liner piece template prior to printing. that became the pocket for my tea bag. 

the outside cup was sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist. be careful, because glimmer mist does cause colors from the printer to alter. in this case I love the different shades it turned the red. vintage crochet trim and buttons plus a glittered Prima poinsettia were added. edged were distressed. 

as you open the card, snowflakes from a Basic Grey stamp set were stamped on the liner. the base was sprayed with the same walnut gold glimmer mist. more distressing of the edges with both reds and browns.

it has been a very difficult past few days for me. I'm not going to go into it all here, because it has become apparent that most of you really don't want to hear my cancer/health woes. I don't blame you one bit. I don't either. guess that is why there are some complaints about me going around on the internet that I am catching wind of....that hasn't been easy to deal with either. sure do wish that people would at least be courteous enough to talk to me about their issues. I don't even know who the people are who dislike me so much.  oh well. I can't make everyone happy. I have cancer and can't change that. I'm dying and can't change that. the only thing I can change is my crafting and try to do the best I can with what I make, and believe me, I really do pour my heart into my projects. and I try to find something to smile about in the midst of it all. it isn't easy, and some days I'm not successful. 

sorry for the humbug. I'll try to do better. 

Pastel Easter Egg

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog (just seemed appropriate with my post! grins!)

Several weeks ago when The Crafters Cafe group was still around, I signed up for an Easter card swap in the Robyn's Fetish group. My card has been mailed out to my swap partner, so I am now posting it here.

I was given the Easter Egg image for my card. The papers are more of those sent to me by my friend, Chris, so I don't know the mfg., flower is Prima, leaf die is SU!, and border die is MFT. I masked the egg and sprayed glimmer mist on the main image. some lace was added to the tag and a few pearls to the border. I finished off the card with a bit of faux stitching. the big flower on the egg was painted with several shades of shimmerz.

I hope you have a most fabulous weekend! mine is going to be very quiet, hopefully spent in my craft room! :)

Challenges:
Brown Sugar - Easter
Avadares - Easter or Spring
Delicious Doodles - die cuts
Polka Doodles - spring flowers
Sparkle and Glitter - spring is in the air
Stamping for the Weekend - lace
Robyn's Fetish - Easter
CRAFT - Easter or Spring
Craft Us Crazy - anything goes
Art Impressions - anything goes

Time for Tea with my BFF

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut

Now I know all of you will find this hard to believe, but I have actually been a tea drinker much longer than I have a coffee drinker. even though I would drink 'coffee milk' with my Dad on weekends when I was a little girl, I have always loved tea - both hot and cold. I love to mix up my own brews, most especially cold blends in the summer.

So when Claire drew this most adorable, precious image of 2 little girls having tea and cakes, I jumped right on the chance to play with it! This is one of the new releases at Jellypark this week. we also have a great new challenge - Bunny Hop: use your bunny images on projects. This is also my submission for our new Paper a la Mode challenge at The Outlawz - anything goes.

Of course my little girls on the card had to have loads and loads of PINK! ;) I used papers from the My Mind's Eye Lavender collection, a fab vintage button, this heart border die by Memory Box that has captured MY heart, a fun fabric flower by Jolee's, and baker's twine. The doily was sprayed with glimmer mist.

Now I suddenly feel the need for a cup of lavender earl grey! :)

Cupcake Inspiration Challenge photo - colors and the girls' cute little cakes

Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks - die for dies
Divas by Design - buttons and bows
Paper Shelter - punches or dies
Party Time Tuesdays - die cuts
Crafty Sentiments - pretty in pink
Can You Digi It - little ones
365 Cards - cake
Crafty Bloggers - spring or pastels
Fashionista - make it pink
My Craft Spot - tasty treats
Ribbon Girls - ribbon or twine
Clearly Inspired - die cuts

The Easter Bunny is Getting Ready!

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake

Not too long until Mr. Easter Bunny comes hippity hopping down the bunny trail, so he is busy busy busy coloring up those pretty eggs! Our inspiration showcase at Milk Coffee is all about Easter, and there are some adorable new images in the store to help you with those projects for the holiday. if you stop by the blog, you will find a most beautiful free image that completely sums up what Easter is really all about.

My card uses the fun little Easter Bunny image. Don't you know he is happy playing with those fun eggs! I made this using some great papers my friend Chris sent to me. sorry I don't know the mfg.  Flowers are Prima, lace and buttons are vintage. I adore the discoloring of the blue button! that is one of the things that make vintage buttons such a treasure to me! :) Added a little doily piece, sent to me by another friend, Tracey, a few rhinestones, and some baker's twine.  I know it's a simple card, but by the time I was finished painting and ready to put it all together, I had spiked a yucky fever.

David returned last night from attending a big Christian Camping Conference in Michigan for the first part of the week. He had a great time catching up with some friends we haven't seen in quite a while. Another big conference for our Church District is in June in Philadelphia, and I really would love to feel well enough to attend. Even though David will be busy speaking at some of the sessions, I would love to do the proper tourist thing and visit the historic sites.  we shall see.....

p.s. some of you have asked about my coffee flavors. they are all actual flavored coffees, most of them decaf. I do have some syrups that I add on occasion, such as the bacon syrup I received at Christmas which is VERY tasty with today's flavor! but most of the coffees are just coffee - nothing added, well, except for milk, because as the name of today's shop says, I drink milk coffee! grins! or coffee milk as my dear Daddy taught me!

Challenges:
Crafting for all Seasons - spring into spring
LEJ Designs - all things spring
Ribbon Carousel - spring is in the air
Tuesday Throwdown - lace and doilies
Die Cuttin' Divas - sketch (flipped on it's side, panels turned into banners)
Crafty Bloggers - spring or pastel
Creative Stamp Friends - spring colors
Daisy Doodles - springtime
House of Gilli - anything goes w/pastels
Lexi's Creations - Easter
Ooh La La Creations - 4 legged friends

Oh yes, I do love Coffee!

Get up off the floor, yes, it's 2 posts in one day!

My radiation poisoning symptoms are back in full throttle, so I'm not sleeping all that well. that means I can sit in my craft room and make cards deep in the night - pretty much the only positive thing about the whole mess! ;) Last night I got 2 cards made, and they actually look fairly decent once the sun comes up, too! ha! That also means I'm on my 2nd pot of coffee - whoa nelly! Gingerbread this time. sadly, I'm almost out of this flavor. sigh...... and it's so tasty, too.

My card uses another one of the cute cupcake photos from Cupcake Inspiration Challenges. in fact, this is the one that first caught my eye so that I knew I wanted to play along. it's just so ME! :)

The image comes from Milk Coffee. it is the very first image I ever bought from this fun store. papers are Basic Grey Fiction. the button is vintage. twine is just regular household twine. not sure who the mfg. of the flower is.... sorry. the coffee cozy and swizzle stick/hole clogger-upper thingy both come from Starbucks the great and powerful, most wonderful of all coffee shops. I haven't been to one since before Christmas, but I know in my heart of hearts that they are still out there, making cup after cup of delicious lattes and frapps for people to quench their happy little palettes.

Challenges:
Loves Rubber Stamps - anything goes
Great Impressions - going green
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Twisted Tuesday - spring into green
Make it Monday - anything goes
One Crazy Stamper - anything goes
Melonheadz - going green
Basic Grey - anything goes with BG
Card Makin' Mamas - green
Digi Haven - green
Simply Create Too - St. Patrick's Day or use mostly green
Stamping with the Dragon - anything goes
Crafts 4 Eternity - bingo:  flowers, green, layers
Crafters Cafe - green or St. Patrick's Day
Simon Says Stamp - a bit of green
Inky Impressions - St. Patrick's Day or green

Peace and Joy Angel Bear

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

Today starts a fun new challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges. for this fortnight we have a bingo card for you to use. our sponsors are Stamp Fairy and Shape EZ by TLC templates.

My card uses an image from Stamp Fairy and the following from the bingo card: ribbon, animal, and die cuts.  papers are from October Afternoon Good Cheer. border die cut is Memory Box, seam tape is SU!, rose is Prima. the fairy bear's wings were covered in stickles. I added some faux stitching, tickets, and old sequins, along with a pin that was handed out at JC Penney's over the Christmas holidays. I made sure to save it (and a few others!) because I knew it would come in handy on a card. ta da! :) I used my gold glitter gel pen on the halo and star to add more sparkle and shine. The music sheet snowflake border piece was sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist. there really is a lot of shimmer on this card that doesn't show so well in the scan.

Challenges:
Winter Wonderland - bears
Emerald Faeries - bling
Digital Tuesday - buttons or bling
TTCRD - anything goes
Created with Love - anything goes
Paper Playtime - anything goes
Christmas Card Challenges - anything goes
Ribbon Girls - ribbon or twine
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - ribbon, ribbon, ribbon
Christmas Cards All Year Round - sparkle and bling

St. Patty's Bear with Blessing

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Coconut

I managed to make a card today, using the fun cupcakes at Cupcake Inspirations Challenges as my inspiration. I had saved this free Irish blessing from Michelle Perkett last week, and knew it would be perfect to go with this cute Irish bear from Sassy Cheryl. all the makings for a perfect St. Patrick's card! :)

Papers are Basic Grey Origins, flowers are Prima, buttons are vintage as is lace. the bear's tie and clover centers are dotted with distress stickles in peeled paint, a lovely shade of green. I painted the edges of the card this time, rather than using craft ink like I usually do. the edges of the blessing were carefully burned.

Challenges:
Sassy Cheryl - flowers everywhere
Party Time Tuesdays - die cuts
QKR Stampede - 3 of something (3 designer papers & 3 buttons)
Celebrate the Occasion - Luck of the Irish
Clear it Out - St. Patrick's Day stash (papers and flowers are OLD! grins!)
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - go green
Twisted Tuesday - springlike and green
Digi Darla's - green
Stamp and Create - fur or feathers
Great Impressions - going green
One Stitch at a Time - green
Basic Grey - anything goes with Basic Grey
Hiding in my Craft Room - green
Digi Haven - green
Broken Box Stock - St. Patrick's Day
Card Makin' Mamas - green

Happy Birthday, Dear Jocelyn! :)

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Coconut

Today is March 4th, so I hope all of you are marching forth with boldness and gladness in your step! this day always gives me the chuckles, 'cause I am a goof that way!

it seems only fitting that one of my most favorite people in the whole wide world is celebrating her birthday today. our middle son, Mick, has chosen the most delightful young lady as his girlfriend. you hear me speak about her from time to time here on the blog or see things that I make for her. her name is Jocelyn, and she is such a delight! :)  Today is her birthday, and I hope she finds it full of all of the most beautiful things in life!

 Mick and Jocelyn - so in love!!! :)

I love you muchly, dear Jocelyn! sending you the largest virtual pumpkin spice latte I can imagine! you are my coffee buddy!


sorry for the absence of crafty posts. I feel absolutely horrid. tried to do a few things with all of the guys home this weekend and almost ended on the ground more times than not. spent most of the time in bed, just flat worn out. oh my golly, cancer is not fun. think even brussel sprouts would be better. maybe.

Some Jellypark Fun

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Mousse

Happy Friday! boy, am I ever glad the weekend is here. my guys will all be home again this weekend. sadly, Mick is coming home to attend the funeral of a former RA of his from his time at Bowling Green. He just found out today that his friend suddenly passed away.  After the funeral, we are planning a day trip to Pittsburgh. it is one of our favorite places to visit. The day away will be good for all of us.

The cards I'm showing are the last of my Love Fest challenge projects for Split Coast Stampers. All images on my projects today are from Jellypark. gosh, do I ever love Claire's artwork! I'm not doing a lot of crafting right now, but trying to rest up as best I can as well as get things ready for my stores opening. Thank you to everyone for your wonderful words of encouragement! they mean a lot! :)

The first cards shown are actually a set of 3x3 minis. I had forgotten how much fun these are to make! and goodness knows I have plenty of cs just this size, since most cards I make are 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square. The image is 'Girl Waving', and papers are Basic Grey Serendipity. flowers are Prima, buttons are SU!, and chevron die is MFT. flowers in hair are painted with shimmerz. I used a white colored pencil to draw some highlight lines in her hair.

The next card was for a photo inspiration challenge. The bee's wings were coated with stardust stickles, and the black stripes were painted with shimmerz. The paper, frame, banner tags, and journaling sticker come from a digital paper kit found at 2 Peas called '12th of Never'. let me tell you, fussy cutting that frame was a doozy! cutting anything is so hard for me these days. my brain doesn't function all that well and basic cutting is almost impossible. it probably took me close to 30 minutes to cut that out. it is popped up on foam tape, as is the main image and the sentiment. buttons and trim are vintage, flower is Prima. the eyelet was found in with  my vintage buttons. I just squeezed it shut with my crop-a-dile and then glued it onto the card. I didn't want the hole to show through the front of the card, which is why I didn't punch it directly into the paper. this way it sticks up from the card. the big black button is fabric covered. just a hodge podge of a card! :)

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

Challenges:
All That Stickles - stardust stickles (bee card)
Brown Sugar - greeting
Oozak - anything goes Spring
Crafts 4 Eternity - bingo:  flowers, twine, yellow (bee card)

i love you heart with puppy

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

Another card for the Love Fest challenges at Split Coast Stampers. Today and tomorrow will be the last of my cards for these challenges. then it will probably be a just a little while before you see any cards from me.... a few other things on the horizon, which I will share with you in a bit.

Today's card was for the final Love Fest challenge - love with a die cut. the image is from Create with TLC and Baubles by Bri. Bri is Paulette's daughter and has a cool shop on Etsy. Paulette has some fab vintage images over in Bri's shop for an amazing price, and this is one of them. I hope to slowly pick up more of them to add to my vintage collection.

You can see the full image here. I used my Spellbinders fleur de lis rectangle to cut it and then embossed the border with copper ep. the little flowers on the heart were painted with shimmerz. the large heart is a Spellbinders die and the heart border is a Memory Box die. flowers are Prima and buttons are vintage. the little baby feather was mixed in with the bag of vintage buttons. I thought it was so cute, so added it to the flower. the little 'i love you' sticker is from SRM. some washi tape, baker's twine, a ticket, and faux stitching complete the card. whoops - paper is Basic Grey True Love.

for my big news - I am going to be opening an online store as well as one at Etsy. I am hoping to have the opening day set for Wednesday, March 13, the special Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation Day. my store will sell cards and other projects I've made, paper goods and other vintage items that I use on my projects, and other fun vintage treasures that I come across while out with hubby on our antique adventures. :) I'll keep you updated as we get closer to the big day!

Challenges:
Crafting for all Seasons - dies and punches
Crafts and Me - dies or punches
Stamp 'n Doodle - 2 or more dies and/or punches
Natalie and Amy - diecuts
Addicted to Stamps - kraft cs
Divas by Design - anything goes
Inky Impression - splash of red
Emerald Faeries - love
Paper Girls - washi tape
Great Impressions - heart
Robyn's Fetish - ribbon or twine

In Remembrance...

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut

Today is a bittersweet post.... one year ago today a young man walked into Chardon High School and killed 3 of his fellow students. several others were injured, but so many more in our small community were forever impacted. Ryan was a senior at the time.

(entire student body of Chardon High School, taken on March 16, 2012.

our son Ryan, is on the 50 yd line at the uppermost 'V' of the heart)

I could tell you story after story of the heroes that day. I could tell you so many other stories of how lives were touched by the love that was poured out upon our students and village. One that stands out so strongly for me is the mother of one of the young men killed who immediately offered forgiveness to the man who pulled the trigger. How many of us would do the same if ever in her shoes? I certainly can't say that I would.

I have a sign that still stands in my front yard that reads, 'we will never forget.' It has been up far longer than what would be considered 'acceptable' to keep it posted. red ribbons still hang around the trees in our yard, somehow still crisp and vibrant, even through the multitudes of rain and snow.

But the card I made goes to one young man who has been a friend of our family for many many years. he played t-ball and then baseball with  my sons. our families have had cookouts together, gone to church together, watched Super Bowl games together, even learned how to ride 4-wheel motor bikes together. He is a senior this year. On that day last year, he was sitting in the cafeteria when the shooter entered. both of his friends on either side of him were shot and killed. I'm shaking as I type this..... I can not even fathom what he went through that day and all of the days since. David keeps in touch with his parents since I can not so easily.

As this anniversary approached, I knew immediately who I NEEDED to make a card for, and all of my sons did not hesitate to sign when they were home this weekend..... our hearts break for what this young man has been through and still goes through. he needs to know that he is not alone. tragedy may strike, but he has not been forgotten. he is loved, just as you are loved - truly, deeply.

card details:
image by A Day for Daisies, papers by Basic Grey Aspen Frost, dies by My Favorite Things and Spellbinders, buttons are vintage. stars are painted with shimmerz, clouds are outlined with stardust stickles. glimmer mist was sprayed on main image, but I was using a new bottle that jammed & blobbed all over.... sorry.

Challenges:
ADFD - use a die cut
Paper Shelter - animal
WAW - anything goes with encouraging sentiment
Anything Goes - make it manly
City Crafter - wings of an angel (things with wings)
Craft Room - something for a man
Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - thinking of you
Digi Darla - masculine
Pink Elephant - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
All That Stickles - stardust stickles

Some Doodle Garden Fun

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Chocolate Pecan

I want to show you several cards I've made for the Love Fest challenges at Split Coast Stampers using images from Doodle Garden. these images are just as cute as can be! :)


My first card was for a color challenge - use either brown, aqua, and yellow or brown, aqua, and pink. well you know this girl well enough that if told to make a project with pink, I am gonna make a project with PINK! :) so pile on the pink I did!!!

I also used the color palette for a wonderful promo called 'Spread the Love'. my natural is more khaki, so hopefully that is acceptable. in this campaign, we are to reveal our 'blog crush'. I don't think it is any secret that Melissa Phillips is one of my crafting heroes. I so love her beautiful vintage, shabby style. good golly, I even told the world all about it when I was blessed enough to be featured as Moxie Fabber of the Week! I am such a pathetic junkie when it comes to her blog and projects......

image is Doodle Garden 'Hedgie Love 2', paper is Basic Grey Fiction, sentiment is Create with TLC, flower is Prima, heart border die is Memory Box. the butterfly is painted with shimmerz and the balloon is covered in distress stickles. some washi tape, faux stitching, buttons, baker's twine, buttons, and this fun little layered heart complete the card.

The next card was made for a fancy folds challenge. I gave it to Jocelyn, Mick's girlfriend, while she was here over the weekend. she is my coffee buddy! :) she also loves all things purple, so it was fun to make this for her!!!

image is Doodle Garden 'Rise and Shine', (just HAD to get that image!), sentiment is Create with TLC, papers are Basic Grey Soleil. card is a center stair step, which I had never made before. edges of main image are coated in distress stickles. flower is a gorgeous Prima that was sent to me by Barbara. have been hoarding it and some of the others she sent, but since the card was for Jocelyn, I knew I could use it. tee hee!

Tomorrow I will have a special post, so I hope all of you will stop back by. it marks the one year anniversary of the shooting at our high school. lots of things are planned here in our small community, starting today. it's a very bittersweet time.

Challenges:
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Flourishes - All that glitters (hedgie card)
Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes
Ribbon Carousel - love is in the air (hedgie card)
TTCRD - anything goes
Love to Create - string, twine, or fibers
Robyn's Fetish - ribbon or twine
Allsorts - animals
Basic Grey - anything goes with Basic Grey (that is so easy for me! grins!)
Pattie's Creations - fancy folds (morning bunny card)
4 Crafty Chicks - twine
Loves Rubberstamps - tag or one on project (morning bunny card)
Shopping our Stash - tag or one on project (morning bunny card - stash is buttons and trim)

You are my Sunshine

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Happy Monday to ya!
We had a wonderful visit with the whole fam, but as usual it went by way toooo quick. I spent a great deal of time tucked away in my craft room because the guys were out in the living room working on D & D characters - something that evidently takes hours and hours and days and days to do..... just in case you were wondering! ;) so I left them to it while they had Mythbusters playing in the background and made a few projects for the Love Fest challenges going on over at Split Coast Stampers. I found that if I came into the room and tried talking to them, they never heard a word I said, so it was easier to just stay in my craft room playing. :)  just felt good knowing they were all right outside the door! my fever was spiking all weekend, so I wasn't sleeping well - which is really icky since I had high hopes of getting lots of rest.  oh well, at least I could craft! grins!

This card was made for a color challenge as well as the sketch challenge at Sassy Cheryl's. I hadn't used one of her images in way too long, so it was fun to color one up. Cheryl is expanding into rubber stamps soon, so  she is opening a new store that will accommodate those in addition to her digis. her old store will be closing, so quite a few digital images have been marked down in price before they are discontinued the end of this month.

Papers are MME Stella & Rose Mabel, lace is vintage, images are both from Sassy Cheryl, flower is Prima. sentiment banner was sprayed with 2 shades of glimmer mist. you see I had to add some of my fave washi tapes! a little faux stitching & fun, big button complete the card.

Challenges:
Sassy Cheryl - sketch
OSAAT - use a digi
My Time to Craft - song or film inspired: 'You are my sunshine', of course! ;)
Lady Anne's - anything goes with a sentiment
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - buttons and bows
Daisy Doodles - anything goes
Creative Creations - song inspired: 'You are my sunshine' :)
Whoopsi Daisy - add a sentiment

A Princess and Her Crown

Coffee of the Day - German Chocolate Cake

Today is both a new challenge and new releases over at Jellypark! I do hope you will stop by to see all of the wonderful projects being show by the DT! The challenge theme is 'Get in Shape' - use all kinds of shapes on your project or make a shaped card.

I have used the new Princess digi image on my card and fun floral shapes made with my Spellbinder's dies. papers are from the Basic Grey Serendipity collection, lace trim and buttons are vintage, sentiment is from Create with TLC. flower die cuts and sentiment were sprayed with glimmer mist. crown was coated in rock candy distress stickles. leaf die is SU!, little roses are from a MFT die, and the negative space at the bottom was cut from a MFT as well. faux stitching stamp is Gina K. Princess crown, shoes, and purse were painted with shimmerz.

This sentiment is very special to me. Most of y'all might not know that I have a small collection of tiaras. they aren't very fancy, but they are precious to me. I haven't been able to wear any of my tiaras for a while. believe me, I tried! and man oh man, do they hurt on a head with either no hair or not much! grins! we have a wonderful group of ladies out at Camp who are part of a little group of 'Princesses,' and I remind them as often as I can that they are all the daughters of a King. so often life makes us feel less than royal, either through circumstances or just the day to day living of it. we need to hold our heads high and wear that crown! :)

well this is my last scheduled card for a little while.....I must say I'm looking forward to crawling into bed and staying there for a few days or a month or so. ;) right now that sounds absolutely delightful! being sick for so long is absolutely no fun whatsoever! blech!  I'll pop in every few little bit to say hello, but until then know you are loved - truly, deeply!

enjoy your weekend! Jennifer

Challenges:
Happy Camper - use your favorite stamp: both of these 'cause I love any princess stamp & the senti one from TLC is fab! :) of course you know how often I am using this Gina K stitching set..... thanks again, Joan!
Shelly's Images - sew much fun
LUFP - photo inspiration (colors and leaves from tree)
Crafting By Design - anything goes
Penny's - anything goes
Stampavie - lots of layers
Anything Goes - vintage/shabby chic
Loves Rubberstamps - lots of layers
TTCRD - anything goes
Vickie's/Lady Anne's - anything goes
Incy Wincy - pop it up (main image is popped up on foam tape, felt flowers stick up from card base)
Whoopsi Daisy - make it girly

A Mother is Born

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

A new showcase is up at Milk Coffee, and the theme is Mother's Day. I do hope you will stop by to see what the other designers have created with these cute images. :)

I chose to make a card using the ever adorable 'Mom Loves You' digi. oh, how I remember the joy of being pregnant with each of my boys! nothing on earth can compare with that feeling! now, I was sick as a dog and on bed rest and tons of medications because of the complications I had with each one, but it was still one of the most beautiful times of my life. :)  I was never supposed to have children, in fact I'd been told for 10 years that I would never have them, but I knew God had other plans. so in 3 years I had 3 precious sons! yep, they are THAT close in age! grins! and we never lived close to any family, plus we were always moving while I was either pregnant or had just had a baby, so those were VERY interesting times indeed.

okay, enough of that..... onto my card!

Papers are from the Basic Grey Lucille collection, sentiment is from Create with TLC, flowers are Prima, and button is from my vintage stash. the sentiment tag was sprayed with 2 shades of glimmer mist. some ribbon, a few rhinestones, and faux stitching complete the card. I used a sketch from one of the challenges over at SCS Love Fest. 

I also want to take a moment to thank everyone for the very encouraging messages. You make my heart soar! :)  

Challenges:

Paper Crafting Journey - bingo: sentiment, flowers, buttons

Penny's - anything goes

WAW - anything goes

Inky Chicks - Mother's Day or birthday
Paper Minutes - faces
Sassy Studio Designs - stitching
Paper Shelter - celebrations: new baby

Peace on Earth Angel

Coffee of the Day - Maple Pecan Pie

Our new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenges is Designer Paper - use a little or load it up! :) well, very rarely do I not use any, so this was a fun challenge for me! We are sponsored by QKR Stampede and Stamp and Create. Be sure to stop by the challenge blog to see the FABULOUS projects by the DT.

For my card I am using the adorable Peace Angel image from QKR Stampede. She reminds me of several rag dolls I had when I was a little girl. Raggedy Ann & Andy were by far my favorites. I loved reading their books, too, and had quite a few of them. Somewhere in the attic I still have my dolls....

Papers are from the October Afternoon Good Cheer collection. it's a little hard to see, but behind the crochet lace is a piece of sheet music designer paper. I added some faux stitching to match the stitching on the doll. lots of washi tape, of course!, some vintage buttons as well as VERY vintage ric rac, baker's twine, tag, and a beautiful Prima poinsettia complete the card. her wings were coated in fruit punch stickles 'cause an angel has to sparkle! and the stars were painted with shimmerz.

on a side note, the winner for the Pinterest contest hasn't been posted yet, but thank you to everyone who helped out with re-pins.
also, I sent out a message to all of my DTs yesterday. I am cutting waaaaaay back on all of my DT work until I can hopefully feel better. this card took me over 4 hours to make yesterday, and I cried almost the entire time 'cause I felt so icky. I just can not go on like that. I'll have a few more cards to share this week, but after that, it might be a bit more sporadic. I just have got to get to a better place with my health if I can. this cancer might end up taking me in the end, but it will never win. there is still too much joy left to behold.

my love to all of you! Jennifer

Challenges:
All That Stickles - fruit punch stickles
Crafting for All Seasons - dies & punches (Spellbinders die for main images & Tim Holtz die for scalloped border at top - kinda hard to see that one)
Stamp 'n Doodle - anything goes
WAW - anything goes (and boy howdy, do we ever need peace EVERY day! if nothing else, just to keep peace in our hearts....)
Bearly Mine - lace, ribbon, twine
TTCRD - anything goes
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - bingo: digi, die cuts, flowers
Craft Your Passion - all that glitters
Eureka Stamps - inspired by a song: "Let There Be Peace on Earth" (I actually sang this song as a solo back in junior high!! yes, it has been around THAT long! ha!
Paper Girls - washi tape
Christmas Card Challenges - tags

Tag it at Top Tip Tuesdays!

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake

Our new challenge at Top Tip Tuesdays is 'Tag it' - either create a tag or include a tag on your project. We are sponsored by Shape EZ Templates and Sweet Stamp Store. Be sure to stop by the challenge blog to see all of the great projects created by the DT! :)

I used the Flip Tree template for my card and papers from the Bright Smiles digital collection by Michelle Underwood at Two Peas. the middle panel has actually been modified so that it also lifts up. some vintage sequins and a Prima rose were added for simple embellishment.

Tip: Look around your home for great things to re-purpose in your crafting! the tag on my card comes from a purchase made at an antique store. some coats of distress stain, a few squirts of glimmer mist, a stamped sentiment, and several types of washi tape transform it into something brand new! :)

I'm going to be posting a bit more sporadically the rest of this week and into the next, I'm afraid. I just really don't feel well these days. I'll craft when I can, but I am just flat worn out and feel icky. I had really hoped to be back on track with DT work, but not so sure that is going to be happening now.....I don't have the energy to eat or do much of anything. gosh, the joys of cancer make me want to stick out my tongue like a proper 2 year old sometimes. sorry, but I'm just so weary of it right now. maybe if I spend a few days or a week in bed that will help things out.....

anyway. I am so thankful for the small things that make me smile every day. they  make such a huge difference in the ability to get through the rough moments. thank you for being part of that! :)

love to all of you! Jennifer

Challenges:
Kaboodle Doodles - anything but a square
Make it Monday - anything goes
Paper Girls - washi tape
Charisma Cardz - anything goes
Happy Campers - shabby chic
Southern Girls - bling it on
Crafty Sentiments - fancy folds or not square

You Add Sunshine

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut

The new challenge at the Digi Makeover is one of everyone's favorite's - anything goes! woo hoooo! I know all of you will be playing along with us this week! :)

My card uses the wonderful Jen's Sunshine set as well as one of the frames in the Framed set.  I changed the color of the frame to a blue/green before printing. papers are from the Basic Grey Clippings collection, flowers are Prima, leaf is a SU! die, button is from my vintage stash. her wings were coated with distress stickles. I followed a sketch from One Stop Craft and flipped it on its side.

Challenges:
One Stop Craft - sketch
One Stitch at a Time - make it girly
A Gem of a Challenge - dies and punches
Basic Grey - your favorite (Basic Grey, of course!, pink, Prima, ribbon, vintage buttons)
No Matter Which - stamped or digi & ribbons and bows
Stamp 'n Doodle - bingo: digi, ribbon, sentiment
Crafty Bloggers - anything goes
Daisy Doodles - anything goes
Whoopsi Daisy - make it girly
Crafts and Me - doily
Creative Moments - buttons and bows
WAW - love/anything goes
Tuesday Alchemy - hearts and/or things with wings

Clips and Pins at Pile it On

The new challenge this week at Pile it On is clips and/or pins. We are sponsored by Pin & Tack Handcrafted Delights, who are also offering a very cool discount to everyone who plays along in our challenge! Stop by the PIO challenge blog for the discount code. :) plus you are also going to want to see all of the very cool projects created by the DT this week!

My card uses a cute image from A Day for Daisies, papers from Basic Grey Olivia, dies from Spellbinders, Tim Holtz, and My Favorite Things. you know how addicted to washi tapes I've become! buttons and lace trim are vintage. stickles are on each little bubble as well as the edges of the main image and each banner. the paper strip the banners are clipped to was popped up for more dimension. oh yes, the little baby roses also have stickles on them. I used that great stitching stamp set again from Gina K. (thank you once again, Joan!!!) I added a few little polka dots to her hat with my white gel pen.

Challenges:
There She Goes - flowers
Anything Goes - shabby chic/vintage
ADFD - pink polka dots
Raise the Bar - anything goes
Inky Impressions - ribbon or twine
Cute Card Thursday - an eye for detail (each individual bubble was dotted with stickles)
Simply Create Too - Mothers Day or for a female
Sparkle and Glitter - the things I love (washi tape, flower, vintage buttons, PINK!!!, Basic Grey, and Princesses)
A Gem of a Challenge - dies and punches
Bugaboo Bingo - heart (on her hat), players choice (buttons), sewing (faux with stamp) or red, twine, and sewing
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Sweet Pea - use a digi
Craft Us Crazy - show us your favorites (washi tape, flower, vintage buttons, A Day for Daisies, PINK!!!, Basic Grey, and Princesses)
Party Time Tuesdays - 3 (3 banners, 3 roses, 3 clips, 3 vintage buttons, 3 washi tapes)
Basic Grey - favorites (washi tape, flower, vintage buttons, A Day for Daisies, PINK!!!, Basic Grey, and Princesses)

Last Day for re-pins....

Coffee of the Day - Santa's White Christmas (see Feb. 14 post for story)

Thank you so much to all of you who have been helping me with re-pins for my contest board over at Pinterest! it means so much to me! :)  Please read the post right below this one for more information.....

Today is the last day to do any re-pinning....
Here is a link to my board. Remember - it is only by re-pinning and not just be following that I get contest entries. Thank you again! :)

I will be back later with a card post. I am so running behind on crafting projects. just haven't been feeling top notch these days. some days it feels as if I have been fighting this cancer monster forever.....all of my family is here for the weekend, and I have spent most of it sleeping in bed. sigh.......feel like I should get the 'loser most horrid mom of the decade' award.

Please check out this board on Pinterest...

Hello everyone!

I have a HUGEY HUGE favor to ask..... Krista Smith of Saturated Canary is running this coolio contest through Sunday. she is asking people to create a special board on Pinterest and get as many re-pins as possible. the person with the most re-pins will win 30 Sketch Copic markers!!! whoa nelly - that is a LOT of markers!

most of you know that almost every craft supply in my stash is won from challenges, contests, and blog candy drawings. my crafting budget is itty bitty teeny tiny, so this would be ginormous!!!

here is a link to my special board on Pinterest.... I am still working on adding photos to it, so check back often. thank you for your help! :)

p.s. if you re-pin any of the photos on my board and decide to start your own board for the contest, leave me a comment and I'll come re-pin some of yours to help you along! but you need to leave me a comment so I know you are in the contest. :)

Floral Sympathy

Coffee of the Day - Santa's White Christmas (see yesterday's post for story behind it)

Hippitty Hoppity Hooray it is Friday! and all of my family will be together this weekend! hooray! yep, I'm a happy happy mom! :) Tyler and Mick come home today, plus we will see Jocelyn, Mick's girlfriend on Sunday. yipppeeeee! oh this momma loves her little ducks, I tell ya!

I hope all of you felt properly LOVED yesterday..... and everday as well!  David absolutely adores his coffee. as you can see we are having it again this morning. makes us miss the fabulous coffees we found at Barnies in Florida... the flavored coffees we can get up here just aren't quite the same. Ryan was able to drive down to spend the day with his girlfriend, Ashley yesterday. they had a lovely time together and also celebrated their one year anniversary of dating! :)  oh, do you remember when you counted those milestones? I do... still remember my first date with hubby. even the date. yep. those dates always have an importance, even all these years later.

I want to share the 2nd of the sympathy cards with you. I had mentioned a few days ago that I needed a few for some of my blogging friends. I tend to make these 'as needed' because I am able to really pour as much love and prayer as I possibly can into each one as they are made. Since I'm not a quick crafter, that means for several hours I am thinking and praying for the people these cards are going to. never is this needed as much as when someone you love has died. the range of emotions run the gambit, and often you feel so very alone. I don't know if the people who receive these cards can tell, but at least I know and God knows that I want them to find just a small bit of peace & comfort between the folds of the paper.

The image is Buttercups by Doodle Pantry, paper is 5th Avenue by Melissa Frances, trim and buttons are vintage, wonderful flocked and glittered flowers are Prima, stitching stamp is Gina K, and rhinestone flourish is Want 2 Scrap.

Challenges:
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Sparkle and Glitter - all the things I love (my vintage trims and buttons along with Primas & distressing! only thing missing is zombies! tee hee!)
Polkadoodles - shabby chic
Doodle Pantry - anything goes with one of their images
Incy Wincy - add texture
Lia Stampz - anything goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - distressing
Sweet Pea - use a digi