Thanks for You

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Good morning! Just a quickie little post to start us off. It was a BRISK 45* here this morning when I woke up. add the rain on top of that and my toes were chillin'! think it is time for a new pair of pink fluffy slippers for these tootsies! hope you are comfy cozy wherever you are today!

I wanted to send Tyler out the door this morning with a card for his girlfriend. He told me that her fave flowers are daisies, so I printed out this precious little one from Baby Bud Designs.

To do something a little different, but still try to keep with a fall feel, I went with paper from Basic Grey's Sugar Rush collection. I like the fun, fresh colors in this pack, in addition to the funky, hip mood it inspires. Added a bit of vintage lace tied with some buttons, a scalloped photo corner, and Prima with rhinestone center. a few little glitter pen accents complete the card once a rub-on sentiment was added. Pretty simple, but I think she will like it.

The fall/Halloween challenge is still going on over at Baby Bud Designs throughout the month, so we would love to have you play along! A great prize pack is up for grabs! :)

• Digital Tuesday - Thank you/Give Thanks

Bunnies are Angels Too! :)

Coffee of the Day - Tiramisu

Sorry to be so late posting today. for those of you who aren't aware, today is World Card Making Day!!!! woooo hooo! doing the old lady fist pump over here... btw, that is becoming my signature move much to the delight (cough, cough, sputter, sputter) of my beloved family. hey, I figure at 46 years of age, I need a signature move. so why not the fist pump that so many 'noted' celebrities have adopted as their own? I can be so ghetto right along with them! ;)

anyhow, I think we need to start a petition stating that all take-out should be free and there should be mandatory pedis on WCMD. anyone want to be the first to sign? I have a pen right here.......

okay, on to my card -
the other day I was blessed beyond belief to discover I had won the challenge over at Sassy Cheryl's. so on a shopping spree I went! this adorable angel bunny was the first image that went into my cart. it is my new fave digi by her! isn't this little cutie just as precious as can be? I sparkled her up with so much glittery shimmer shine, but of course none of it came through the scan.... sigh.....

the wings were painted with opal shimmerz and then sprinkled with white glitter. I rubbed off a bit of the glitter to add to the prim feel. the hearts on her dress are painted with the same opal shimmerz, stars with sunny shimmerz, and dress lace with candlelight. I made a flower from pink tissue and a portion of a hymnal page that were all sprayed with pearl glimmer mist. The glitter leaves behind the flower are Prima. Papers are Basic Grey Figgy, pearly buttons are from my vintage stash, little baby tag is Making Memories, and vintage seam binding finishes it off. oh yes, can't forget the doily!

I am trying to get back involved over at SCS, so was reading about some of the WCMD challenges going on over there today. I will be sending this card off to the cancer hospital in Texas as part of their month long drive. I know I will be making more cards for this great cause, so will have more info for you in future posts.

• City Crafter - frills & flowers
• Ellen Hutson - EHWCMD4 glitter
• Little Red Wagon - make your own embellies
• Paper Sundaes - things with wings
• The Shabby Tea Room - Pearls & Pastels
• Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Peace
• Sassy Cheryl - fave image
• Flutter by Wed. - glitter

A Spooky Tree with Treat Bag

Coffee of the Day - Maple Vanilla

Holy Toledo Batman, it has been almost a week since I last posted! eek! talk about scary spiders and petrified pumpkins! sorry about that! we have had some illnesses and such around the house, so not a lot of crafting had been done. but this weekend I hope to rectify all that and celebrate World Card Making Day with a bang!

Today marks a new challenge over at A Day for Daisies. The challenge for this fortnight is Lots of Layers! You can do that however you see fit, just so long as you use an image from the store. I chose this fun Spooky Fall Tree because I thought it would be neat to try to add some dimension by cutting out the leaves and pumpkins & popping them up with foam tape. the leaves are popped up with glue dots which really gave more depth than I at first thought. The entire main image is sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist. The little spiders are touched with a black spica glitter pen. I added a vintage treat bag I picked up on Etsy just for the occassion. We don't normally celebrate Halloween, but I thought it might be nice to send a card to both Mick & Tyler while they are away at school. so yes, I did make 2 of these babies! :) I know there is both lace AND flowers on here, but hey, black lace adds to the spooky effect and the flower is a pale one, so perhaps it will blend........ papers are Basic Grey Indian Summer.

Check out the new group Tammy has started over at Simply Scrapping Crafts. We are having such a great time chatting, sharing projects, and just getting to know one another! Why don't you join us? :) and please stop by my fellow DT members' blogs to see what they have created. They will inspire you with their creativity and talent!

• Sentimental Sundays - Dimension

You have to kiss a lot of men...... ;)

Coffee of the Day - Texas Turtle

I have wanting to make a card with this cute image, Almost a Prince, by Cheryl Alger for a long time. So I decided to join the sketch challenge going on over on her blog this week and pair it with of my all time fave sentiments. I just love this saying! You can find this adorable image and more of Cheryl's over at Squigglefly.

I haven't used much of the Basic Grey Kioshi paper, so thought I would try it out here. I plan to send this card to Mick's girlfriend, and she loves purple, so the colors in these papers were perfect. I sprayed some vintage tatted bits with this gorgeous shade of glimmer mist, as well as the sentiment piece. some pretty organza ribbon, crochet trim, vintage buttons, & seam binding complete the card.

btw - Mick loves frogs. when he was growing up he could always be found outside hunting frogs to play with. thus, the ideal girlfriend card! giggles!

enjoy your evening! :)

Peaceful Wishes

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Hello to all of you! I hope today finds you full of beauty and love!

I am trying to get a head start on my Christmas cards. I figure if I do one or two a week that will definitely give me a boost before the holiday season arrives.

I found this precious image over at Tiddly Inks the other day and just had to have it. It is called, 'Watch Over Us'. I knew I would be going with a vintage feel for the overall card to match the Basic Grey Jovial papers, so before I began coloring the image, I first painted the entire piece of cs with butter cream shimmerz. This gives such a gorgeous shine, but also old world look when the image is watercolored. Distress stickles were added to her wings and halo. David has already set this one aside to go to the Church District office as one of the cards for them. so I know he likes it! :)

You know how much I like Basic Grey, but I really do think that this collection, Jovial, and the one I showed you yesterday, Pyrus, are my 2 new faves from them. I love the colors and designs so much! The prima rose shown here is another fave because it is actually made with velvet like the millnery flowers of old. be still my heart!

All of you have a wonderful weekend! I hope to spend mine crafting if at all possible. Mick is off on a big rock climbing trip with the climbing group at Bowling Green. Ryan is joining the indoor soccer team for his school. and Tyler just might be changing his major to pre-med, honors even! wow! I am so proud of my guys! I am one blessed lady! and I know you are, too! :)

• Tiddly Inks - sketch

Celebrating Autumn with Baby Bud Designs!

Coffee of the Day - Maple Vanilla

What a most glorious Friday it is here in northeast Ohio! oh my goodness gracious me, the air is crisp and clean, the trees are marvelous in the colorful splendor of oranges, browns, yellows, and reds, and you can see pumpkins popping up all across front porches everywhere! What a beauty to behold! I am truly blessed to live in such an amazing area! :)

Baby Bud Designs is kicking off their first challenge EVER in honor of this wonderful season!! From today through October 27, make any kind of a papercrafting creation that celebrates autumn - it can be through colors, images, embellies, papers, you name it! You can make it Halloween, fall, Thanksgiving - the sky is the limit! If you would like to use a Baby Bud Designs image, for today only there is a cutie free one avavilable on the blog as part of the monthly Freebie Friday promo. But remember, she is only there for free today. After that Orlagh the Golden Fairy Queen will be found in the Etsy store for sale with all of the other adorable Baby Buds.

Now for this kick-off challenge, there is a most fabby prize package up for grabs. All challenges from here on out will offer the winner's choice of 2 digis from the Etsy store, but for the premiere challenge, the winner will receive not only their choice of 2 digis, but also 2 rubber Baby Bud Design stamps, and a fun card making kit chock full of goodies! So please please play along with us!

I have made 2 samples for the challenge. My first uses the precious Orlagh that is today's Friday Freebie. Her wings have been painted with beeswax shimmerz. I used the new Basic Grey Pyrus papers. LOVE the fall feel these papers bring! The papers as well as the seam tape were sprayed with frost smooch spritz for a most subtle shine! whoa, is that spray fun to use! A skeleton leaf and felt/music sheet lollipop finish off the card. of course I had to add some pretty lace trims for such a pretty fairy! :)

My next card uses the newly released, Autumn. I couldn't resist making her into a Halloween card. used some papers that were gifted to me, so I apologize that I don't know any info about them. I made a little embellie with some very old crepe paper I came across, May Arts pom pom trim, and tiny black ric rak. buttons and paper sunflowers complete this festive card! Spiced Cider shimmerz was painted on all of the orange areas of Autumn for a little more shimmery shine!

Please check out all of the phenom creations posted by the other DT members today. This is a most amazing group of crafters, so leave them a bit of love, too! :) Happy crafting!

*Paper Sundaes - Fall or Halloween colors (Halloween card)

A Different Kind of Wedding Thank You

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Macadamia with Toasted Coconut

Good morning, everyone! I hope it is truly lovely where you are!

I want to show you a different kind of wedding thank you card that I put together. This is an image I fell in love with long ago and just had to have from A Day for Daisies, Dress #4. I hope to eventually aquire the entire collection of gowns, as they are each a treasure in and of themselves. When the mag publication call went out for wedding cards, I thought to make something a little different. This one wasn't chosen, but I still like it just the same. I'm sure I will just change the sentiment at some point to suit whatever purpose happens to come along, but for now I like it just the way it is! :)

I used Basic Grey Sultry papers. The main image is sprayed with tea rose glimmer mist. The flower is made from vintage dress pattern papers that were punched and then sprayed with the glimmer mist for a pretty shine. the little prima rose was then added to the center and then that whole bit was added to another flower punched from the BG paper to resemble a leaf. some pretty vintage buttons and May Arts ribbon finish off the card.

yes, I will submit again. even if I keep getting told no. yesterday I learned that a card I made was the very last in a competition. that was a tough one to take, especially when it was a card I really liked and thought I did well with. I mean, VERY LAST. whoa nelly, that did some damage to my self esteem. but then I realized, in the end, life is more than just a card. it is really about people and the relationships we have. and I am more than just a piece of paper. yeah, I am still a bit shaken by it, but today I will go back to my crafting table and start fresh with another blank piece of card stock. and another piece of ribbon. no, I am not Renoir, or Van Gogh, but I don't have to be. I just need to be me. and that is enough. :)

• Sentimental Sundays - Wedding
• Bee Crafty - Fall into Fashion
• Digital Tuesday - All About the Girls

Scarecrow and His Wagon

Coffee of the Day - Texas Turtle

As I had mentioned the other day, Squigglefly has released some gorgeous new images by Marla Shega. So of course I had to go pick up a few on Saturday, and this wonderful 'Scarecrow on his Wagon' was first on the list! I love Fall, as you know, and this scene sets the stage so beautifully. It really was easy to color, even with my tiny watercolor brushes. It was the putting the card together that proved a challenge for me...... ever have projects like that where your creativity just seems to be on vaca or on coffee break (if only..... giggles!), or otherwise MISSING?!?!?!

I struggled with the card ALL DAY LONG - nothing seemed to go right, look right, feel right... nothing. so I took a nap in the late afternoon and finally just put it together. still think it is 'okay', but not fantastic. but I DO love the artwork Marla has drawn. so I will give it a go again when my stmaping mojo has returned...... perhaps a trip to Starbucks is where I will find my inspiration? tee hee!

everyone have a wonderful day!

• Stampin Sisters in Christ - Autumn colors with leaves (precious little plastic ones from Making Memories Vintage Findings)
• Paper Sundaes - Fabulous Fall

Star of Wonder

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Good morning to you! Isn't it a truly delightful one?! well, I must say that I can't even see much of mine yet, as it is still pitch dark and even the birds aren't up getting those early worms yet, but the dogs have been out and the cats are fed, my coffee has just finished brewing, so life is amazing! :)

My card today uses a fun snowman by Cheryl Alger for Squigglefly, called 'Star Handler'. This was one of my first ever Sassy Cheryl images to buy. I grabbed some of the new Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather papers and started playing! I knew that I wanted to make a star embellie to go somewhere on the card, so I put on my thinking cap. Don't fall off of your chairs here, but as I was searching out the perfect papers, because I am one of those who has to find my decorative papers FIRST before I even start coloring, I got tired of my 'non Basic Grey' paper packs getting jammed in the drawers of the cabinet I store them in. So yep, I re-organized it. I told you it was shocking! in the midst of this process, one of the packs' backing boards had fallen off. voila! perfect for punching out a star! I then took my distress stickles (that now never leave my crafting table......) and inked it up all good and gloppy, knowing it would take forever and a day to dry. and yes, I kept bumping into it and knocking it over and goodness knows what else no matter where I seemed to put it to keep it 'out of the WAY'.

So onto stage 2, actually coloring the image. not too exciting, so we will move on..... okay, back up, I did watercolor it as I usually do, but added some rock candy distress stickles on the ground to imitate a light snow. shimmerz were painted on the buttons, scarf, and star of the main image. (yes, they are also a permanent fixture on my craft table! grins! but you knew that already!) decided that I wanted to play with more chipboard so I covered a coaster in some of the pretty blue snowflake paper, distressed edges with my handy dandy tool that also never leaves my table, and then inked it up good and messy. added buttons and ribbon with punched border & sentiment. ta da! one Christmas card done and way too many more left to go, but excited about it nonetheless...

Before I forget, Squigglefly has a brand new artist with some of the most gorgeous images released this weekend, Marla Shega. you really must stop by and take a look at her work! sketches so real they come to life! I plan to play with some of the ones I picked up yesterday just as soon as the sun comes out.... tee hee!

• Little Red Wagon - Stars (I sure hope I am making the deadline this week, ladies! giggles!)

Ode to a Glue Stick....

Coffee of the Day - vanilla Macadamia Nut with Coconut

Yes, it is a strange blog post title, but I will explain -

I have discovered this week that my ab fab favorite ever in the entire world as we know it glue stick has been discontinued. I even contacted the manufacturer. Yes, hubby was mortified. He couldn't believe the lengths I would go to in order to keep my now almost depleted supply of glue sticks in tact. He just doesn't understand crafters......

I only use glue sticks to adhere my cs. no, not a tape runner, ATG gun, nothing other than my handy dandy glue stick made by that famous Duck brand. everything else falls short. I can't tell you how many people I have addicted to those amazing sticks of adhesive..... and now they have been discontinued. I must say that the people in Customer Service are as top notch as they come! Do you know that they even went so far as to send me a link to the remaining online store to still have some in stock? yep, above and beyond.....

We are big fans of Duck brand products here in our house. They donated a ton of their Duck brand duct tape to Camp several years ago for summer craft projects. returning campers still rave about how wonderful crafts were that summer! we attend their big Duck Tape Festival held Father's Day weekend each year. Talk about a lot of fun!

So in honor of this news, I created a card featuring a cutie duck image from Tiddly Inks. I kept the card upbeat though..... ;) 'cause really this is a fantastic company. and David and I had some fun times driving here, there, and everywhere trying to find these elusive glue sticks in the past year as supplies dwindled. he really does put up with a lot with me, doesn't he?!

and as a side note, when I was in HS, I had a pet duck. Her name was Grace. I DID NOT name her. My Dad named her, and it was with the greatest hint of satire that she was bestowed this grand name. He said she took after me. 6 years of ballet, tap, and other various dance lessons did not teach me poise and 'grace'. I still trip over air molecules and constantly fall down stairs. Alas, poor Grace the Duck was the same. She never outgrew it either..... Neither have I.....

Paper and acetate overlay are from K & Company Handmade collection.

Thanks for letting me ramble today..... I will now go pause for a moment of silence.... sigh..... okay, time to craft again! life is too short to get caught up in the little things. tee hee!

• Tiddly Inks - pet
• Crafty Creations - music and/or dance (hymn - Oh Happy Day, one of my faves!)

Put on Your Party Shoes and CELEBRATE! :)

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

What a big, beautiful day! Chock full of so much exciting news, fun cards, and images that will melt your heart and make you sigh in delight........ ready? grab your cuppa and join me! c'mon.....

To start.... Ryan texted me as soon as he got to school this morning. He is not only in the HS play, he has one of the lead roles! woot woot! way to go! I am so proud of him!!!! a good Monty Python monologue to audition will never fail... tee hee!

Next.... I have been accepted into one of the most amazing new Design Teams EVER! well, every Design Team is simply amazing, and this one is no exception! I will be working with Tammy and some other phenom crafters over at A Day for Daisies! You know that I have long been a fan of her artwork, so this is enough to give me heart palpatations! in fact, I screamed so loud when I got her email that David had to keep asking me, 'What? What? What? Are you okay? What is happening to you?' before I could finally get my mind together enough to respond.......

So on to my projects...

The first one is a card I created for several challenges going on in blogland. I used 2 of Tammy's images, Rose Tree & A Magical Read. This card shows the true wonder of digis - being able to resize and flip the images. The girl reading & playing with butterflies has been cut out and popped up with foam tape. The butterflies as well as the roses on the tree are painted with pink shimmerz. I used Basic Grey Two Scoops paper, some of my fave blue vintage lace, a few buttons, this gorgeous German cut paper butterfly that has been sprayed with pearl glimmer mist, and a library card. oh my, can't forget the pretty pink Prima rose! I lightly touched it with rock candy distress stickles.

• City Crafter Challenge - Tree of Books
• Shabby Tea Room - Fresh Living
• Cute Card Thursday - Tweet or a Flutter
• Creative Belli - embellies starting with 'B' (buttons, butterfly, blue lace grins!)

The next card was created for the new challenge beginning today over at A Day for Daisies. Challenges run for 2 weeks, so please play along! The theme this fortnight is 'Celebrations'. I decided that this precious Dreams Do Come True image would be perfect for a celebration project! What girl doesn't love dressing up in her favorite party shoes!?! :) of course hers are painted with pink blingz for that extra special shimmery shine! I used papers from the Basic Grey Porcelain collection here. Little added touches from the Making Memories Vintage Findings kits were also added. The main image was edged in walnut distress stickles while the card base was edged first in white craft ink and then rock candy distres stickles. I really wanted some bling on this baby! :) it is a party celebration afterall! giggles! The lace was sprayed with tea rose glimmer mist and the pink crown envie & sentiment banner with walnut gold. So put on YOUR party shoes and come play along!

• Paper Sundaes - 3 or more embellies
• For Fun Challenges - Glitter & Glitz

Thanks for sharing all of the excitement with me! Enjoy your weekend! :)

Seeing Spots with S2G!

I was feeling a bit down in the dumps this afternoon as yet another project I worked on and was so proud of was turned down for a magazine publication. So I needed a bit of brightness and cheer..... what better place to turn than Shirley's 2 Girls! Those images always put such a big smile on my face!

This cutie is one I had long admired, but had yet to get inky..... horrors! so out came the fun Cosmo Cricket DeLovely papers, my bright Prima and crochet flowers, sparkly glitter pens. and great trims from May Arts! of course my mood lifted as I was working on it, just as I knew it would.

So the important thing for me to remember is that I must keep on creating even in the midst of rejection. for it is the process of creating that matters. and someplace, somewhere, there is one person who enjoys what I make. and hopefully I am using a talent granted me by God and bringing some pleasure to Him.

• Shirley's 2 Girls - Dots and Spots

Happy Fall Kitty.... Meow! :)

Coffee of the Day - Butter Rum

Oh How I so love this gorgeous fall weather! It is so brisk and beautiful! gosh, God is soooooo in His majesty! The colors are just as vibrant and fresh as can possibly be........

So without further adieu I shall introduce you to our precious little Fall Kitty. He is from Baby Bud Designs, and yes, you have seen him before. but goodness gracious me, I so love this precious little bundle! He loves to go chasing after the leaves as the wind gently blows them from the trees. He plays hide 'n seek with the little chippies in the yard, but watch out for the big squirrel who is out gathering nuts for the winter! ;) and then he curls up ever so close to the back door with his brothers and sisters all in one adorable bundle of fluff...... doesn't he just makes your heart smile?

I used all kinds of fun little goodies on this card - papers from my ever favorite collection from Basic Grey - Indian Summer, little itty bitty tickets from Maya Road, fall leaves from Prima, glitter trim & ruffle ribbon from May Arts, and of course, my buttons. The card base bg is stamped in craft ink with this gorgeous wildflower stamp from Rubbernecker.

Have a most wonderous day! :)

• Papercraft Star - sketch (loose adaptation I am afraid! grins!)
• Creative Card Crew - Autumn or Fall

Sew, What's New?

Coffee of the Day - Maple Vanilla

I have been wanting to make a card for a special friend I have kinda sorta lost contact with for a while now, and today seemed like the day to do it! We used to do all kinds of things together when our kids were in youth group together, we were at church together, and so on. but then they moved to a different church, she ended up getting divorced, her daughter graduated from HS and her son moves in different circles than mine, and you know - just life. but we still run into each other at the library from time to time, and well, gosh darn it, I miss her! so I thought I would send her a little note to say, "wassssup?"

She loves to sew and has a talent like not many others. So I thought I would combine this cute image, "Button Flower Pot," by Cheryl Alger at Squigglefly with this fun quitling bee vintage photo and some neat Cosmo Cricket Material Girl papers. I have long been wanting to try my hand at making one of these neat tissue paper punched flowers, but thought using some vintage dress pattern pieces would be fun to keep the theme going. oh yes, I will be doing this LOTS more often! :) the photo was sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist and then sponged with caramle ink to help age it more. I actually added my own little bits of thread and twine on the digi image - yep, pick yourselves up off of the floor, it is as close to sewing as I have come in a lonnnnnnnnnnnnng time. ;)

Mick starts his lab job today at Bowling Green, and Ryan has play auditions this afternoon. He is using the monologue from Monty Python's Holy Grail, holy hand grenade scene...... oh my, he should do very well. tee hee! he is most certainly his father's son! :)

Have a great one!

• Gingersnap Creations - Punches (flower & sentiment)
• Stampin for the Weekend - Shabby or Vintage

A 'Berry' Late Birthday Card

Well if you read my post from earlier today, you know that I was working on a card for Tyler all last week..... but what I didn't mention was that I also had a 'berry' belated birthday card in the works as well...... pardon the pun but you will see what I mean here in a second......

I happened to miss an important birthday the end of August. well I have missed more than my share of birthdays this year, but we soooooooooo aren't gonna go there today. Tiddly Inks has a challenge ending today to make a birthday card, so in my process of trying to figure out what to do for Tyler, I was also tossing around ideas for this belated card. This is what ended up getting finished today.

I used this cute little assorted berries image from Tiddly Inks and typed in my own sentiment prior to printing. oh, the joys of digis! :D I had this wonderful quilted heart sitting on my craft table just begging to be used for longer than I care to mention, and the Basic Grey Olivia papers happened to match up perfectly along with the colors I added for the berries. It's kinda busy, but I like the way it turned out! shabby and messy and oh, so like me! some faux stitching seemed appropriate as well as a bitty baby prima and some spica glitter pen accents. just love the way the black makes everything pop!

have you hugged those near and dear to you yet? well, whadda ya waiting for? go get 'em! wet, sloppy kisses and hugs that let 'em know you mean it! :D mwah!

• Paper Sundaes - minimum 3 embellies (quilted heart, buttons, ribbon, prima, thread)
• Stampin Sisters in Christ - stitching (faux and real on quilted heart)
• Cute Card Thursday - play on words

Looking forward with a faithful friend

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Tyler came home this weekend to celebrate his 20th birthday..... no longer a teen - now truly a young man. just any birthday card would not do. I struggled all week trying to come up with what would be just the right image to use, just the right thing to say. and kept putting off making the card because nothing seemed to be exactly 'it'. and I watched him this weekend, sitting on the couch with Mocha, one of our labs. She seems so much older than her sister from the same litter, Latte. (yes, I named them! and I get teased about it all the time!) I think it is because she was hit by a car when she was just a young pup. I have heard that really ages dogs. Tyler is usually more of a cat person, but I watched him with Mocha, giving her extra attention, cuddling with her on the couch, checking to see where she was at various times, and then I knew how to make his card.

I chose this beautiful, heart-string tugging image from Tammy at A Day For Daisies. this is one of the very first images I bought from her. it reminds me so much of all of the guys with our dogs. but this weekend it reminded me of Tyler with Mocha, and then with Riley, another lab of ours when she was older, too. He was so gentle with her as well then. it brought back memories.

I kept the card simple, using some Basic Grey Max & Whiskers papers, some fun SU! punches, a few buttons, and twine. nothing fancy. but the message was in the image and on the inside. it read, "as you look forward to the future, remember we will always be here for you. Happy Birthday!'

so give your pets a big hug today. and your children, too! awww, go ahead and give all of your loved ones big fat juicy kisses and hugs and everything else you can think of! they deserve it and so do you! :)

• City Crafter - One for the Boys

Can you carry a tune in a BUCKET?

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Good morning! Over on Paper Craft Planet, Heather started up a fun challenge in the Squigglefly group called the Bucket challenge. anyone who plays along is to use either a SF image with a bucket, something that can be carried in a bucket or bushel, or do a technique or use supplies that you have had on your 'bucket' list. isn't this such a fun idea?! well I have been slow to play along, but had this cute image by Rich Davis printed out for well over a week now. whadda ya know - it has a bucket on it?! tee hee! then Ryan discovered that he has been accepted into the HS Chamber Choir - big stuff as a Jr.!!!!! so the card just started coming together..........

I gathered these fun papers I really hadn't had an opportunity to use much from Cosmo Cricket, Togetherness and Material Girl. Had to be careful to keep the card from getting girly...... I had seen some card layouts using fun strips of dp, so decided this was another perfect chance to try it myself again. Pulled out those long forgotten Dew Drops, a big chunky button, the big thick twine, and my standby fave SU! rub-ons. the best part is the inside of the card - it reads, "You CAN carry a tune in a bucket!" I am so very proud of Ryan! He also has been asked to do morning announcements once a week with a friend. Theirs are televised live throughout the school, so this is a pretty big honor as well. super cool!

Hope all of you have a most wonderous day! :)

Happiness Is.....

Coffee of the Day - Maple Vanilla again... hubby really wanted some after getting a whiff of yesterday's! :)

A new challenge blog has started in conjunction with the new store site for A Day for Daisies. I have been a long time fan of Tammy's beautiful art, well ever since I first came across her store this past spring thanks to Annika. The premiere challenge is to create something using one of her images that reflects what makes you happy.

That was a real stumper for me since so many things bring me joy, especially when you see the images she has created. But when she released this image called "Papa" last week, I almost teared up. It reminded me so much of the times I spent with my dad, bouncing away on his knees playing a game he called 'horsey'. Oh my gosh, I could wear him out for hours on end while bouncing away on his knees - up the mountains, down through the valleys, through the rivers.... on and on. and I was so tickled to be able to play this game with my boys when they were little, too. they loved it almost as much as I did! :) It's been over 18 years that my dad has been gone, and I still miss him so very much. So this card is for you, Daddy. 

Happiness is my family. always and forever. and this card will sit on my crafting table with me. It's never going to be given away.

I used a sketch from Mojo Monday, although modified a bit, papers, flower, twine, & tag from Making Memories Vintage Findings, my most very fave ever vintage button plus another little one, and some pretty satin ribbon gifted to me by a friend. I did flip it over though to go with the rougher side to keep a more rustic feel to the card. My dad was a Native American so he would get a real kick out of the beard on this guy, but I like it just the same! :) I took my pencil and handwrote, "I love horsey rides with Daddy" in the ledger paper to keep with the flow of the penciled in medallion ledger paper, plus it just makes it more special to me!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! Maybe you should make something special that you can keep for your very own self on your crafting table, too. if you do, please come back and tell me what you have made! I would love to hear about it!

My first official Lady Bud card.... that name just makes me smile! :)

Well by all rights I should have had this finished to go with this morning's big Baby Buds Designs announcement post, but with this wild and crazy weekend, there was just so time for crafting. shocking, I know! ;)

so I spent some much beloved time this afternoon playing with these 2 cute little buds..... for a card for Mick to give to his special someone....... she is loving the cards so far, and golly gee, these girls just remind me so much of her. and actually the hair on these guys is so much like Mick's it's craaazy!

I happened to see that the challenge this week over at The Shabby Tea Room is to make a project using tags. I originally printed out these 2 side by side, but then decided to turn them into tags. I found this beautiful heart in my collection of bits from Making Memories Vintage Findings, as is the bg paper. I spruced it up a bit with some glimmer mist - first spraying with walnut gold and then laying a piece of salvaged lace across the top and spraying with tea rose. the lace pattern just ever so lightly shows through........ so pretty irl! I adhered it as a pocket, poofing it up in the center to give some extra dimension. the beautiful Prima flower is also sprayed with the walnut gold glimmer mist. the little pink hearts in the upper corner are part of the MMVF line, too, the big button is vintage, but the others are MM, and the sequin trim is May Arts. I edged the girl tag and the heart in lavender lace distress stickles. The little girl's dress, headband, and shoes are painted with shimmerz and the boy's overalls have baby buttons added. Base card is edged in craft vanilla and tags are edged in the new SU! kraft ink. Baby Buds are watercolored as usual.

again, please check out the blogs of the other amazingly talented ladies on the BBD DT! you will be in for a treat! :)

• Paper Sundays - Mixed Mediums (watercolor, glimmer mist, craft & dye inks, shimmerz paint)

Exciting News - I'm a Lady Bud! :)

Coffee of the Day - Maple Vanilla

Whew... I don't know about you, but this was another whirlwind weekend for me. The guys were home, so to speak, but spent a big portion of it with their girlfriends, which was cool, as they are the sweetest girls in the world! we had a big cookout for them all yesterday after they spent the day at the County Fair. Then it was off on a rollicking 6 hour round trip ride to drop off Mick back at school..... wasn't any easier to leave him this time than it was the last.... oh well. He and Tyler both are really enjoying college life, as they should, so that does make me feel good. They are exactly where they are supposed to be doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, and God has His loving arms wrapped tightly around them. so this Mom needs to let them fly........

Now on to my exciting news - I have been accepted onto the fun new Design Team over at Baby Bud Designs! so that makes me an official Lady Bud! I am just tickled pink to be a part of this fabby new team! Please take a moment if you will to stop by the other DT members' blogs to wish them a hearty congratulations with me! They are an amazingly talented group of women I am pleased as punch to be a part!

Calypso

Ellie

Giovana

Krista

Purple Lisa

Lisa V.

Margie

Maria

Silke

Sheri

Just a happy little owl!

I am sliding this card in by the seat of my pants for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge this week, but really wanted to play and really wanted to make something with this image. phew.....

The SSIC challenge is to use something metal in keeping with the scripture, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." Proverbs 27:17. My little bit of metal is the happy sentiment bit in the lower right corner. and this card is going to a most precious friend who constantly sends me the most beautiful photos that she takes and includes uplifting scripture. I put them on the fridge, by the compy, or keep them on the craft table with me. So hopefully she will enjoy this little bit of something to help brighten her day the way she has so often brightened mine!

The image comes from Tracey at The Stamping Boutique. papers are Cosmo Cricket DeLovely. I painted lots of pink shimmerz over the cutie owl plus some other colors on the pretty little flower in her hair. The lace trim is some vintage from my Etsy stash. I also added the little felt branch and punched flowers for a bit of fun.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend! :)

She Sprouted Wings.....

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice, yes, I caved and it feels DIVINE! :) I so so so love this flavor!

The temps have dropped, the air has a crispness to it that only comes with the arrival of fall. oh how truly glorious! the leaves are starting to turn. it truly is one of my most ever seasons! so yes, I enjoyed my first taste of Pumpkin Spice in a Starbuck's frapp while we were driving all over the northern half of Ohio yesterday. and it was pure delight! :) my only mistake was in ordering a grande and not a venti, but alas, there will be MORE pumpkin spice in my future, so not to fear! tee hee! so of course this morning had to begin with a pot of pumpkin spice coffee. I even had David smell the grounds as I was putting them into the press. he thought I was nuts, but then again, nothing unusual there. ;)

So onto my project for today - I made this gift bag as a mag submission, but discovered this week that it wasn't accepted. an itty bitty let down, but not by much because I really like the way it turned out. and I know that I will probably tuck a treasured bag of Starbuck's & a scented candle inside and present it to a dear friend who just happened to need the reminder of just how very special she is....... as we all do from time to time.

As you know from reading my posts, I really do enjoy the daily inspiration I receive from The Brave Girl Club. The stamps used on this bag are from the specially designed set created by Unity. This is my first ever Unity set and I am quite impressed. Lots of glimmer mists were used on the bag that don't show too much through the scan, but irl, boy howdy does it shine! papers are from October Afternoon Thrift Shop and Cosmo Cricket Material Girl. the vintage trim is actually sprayed with the glimmer mist as well. the sentiment is embossed to make it stand out a bit more.

I hope that on those days when you feel a little less than your whole self, you can reflect upon your life and the many ways in which you are truly blessed & deeply loved. then you will know that you have indeed sprouted wings! fly, dear friend, fly! :)

Small Things Done in Great Love

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

To start - a few updates..... our son Tyler is doing just fine after the car accident this past weekend. We have all been extremely touched by the numerous emails, comments, and messages so many of you have left. I was telling him today how many of you have reached out to him with prayers and well wishes. He really was overwhelmed with gratitude. and he truly is just fine. God loves this young man more than I can possibly comprehend as a mother and has Tyler wrapped tightly in His arms, safe and sound.

secondly and on a much more minor note - yes, I am aware that Starbuck's has already released their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and frapps. but gosh, it is still so stinkin' hot here that I have not been able to bring myself to succomb to the deliciousness of my fave fall treat. even though the leaves are beginning to turn, with temps in the 90's, it just doesn't seem quite time yet to have my pumpkin drinks! :) but not to fear, I will stock up on the pumpkin coffees and drink more than my fill starting in the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted! :)

Phew, now on to my card for today. This cutie patootie image is the spitting image of Mick's gf Jocelyn. so I had to had to had to make a card with her. and of course he will just HAVE to give it to her this weekend...... but we are NOT talking personal date stuff here on my blog o' death to relationships..... nope, this mom is just making casual conversation about a card I made for someone I know.........

Papers are Basic Grey Wisteria, precious image is Baby Bud Designs, those bows were screaming to me to be painted with iced lavender shimmerz, and used this brand spankin' new floral trim by May Arts. oh yes, rub on is Stampin' Up! also used a few of their new colors - LOVIN' 'EM! you know I never get rid of my old SU! colors, so I am happy as a clam to have more for my collection. these new ones are as fabbylicious as can be!

heading off to Bowling Green momentarily, so will be back later this weekend to chat more! love ya! Jennifer

I Fall For You

Wow! 2 days this week with double posts.... what is UP with THAT?! grins!

I am actually loving loving being crafty again! so hopefully all of you are enjoying the things I am showing as well.....

I wanted to play in the challenge going on over at Tiddly Inks this week, but also make a card for Tyler to give his girlfriend. yes, I know I am not allowed to talk about the guys and their love lives on my blog, so that is as much as I will say...... but he is very excited about presenting this card to her this weekend when they get together, so that makes me happy! :)

I don't have many Tiddly Inks images yet, but hope to acquire more over the next few months. They do so make my heart giggle. The theme for this week's challenge is the end of summer. Well what better paper for me to pull out than my favorite Basic Grey Indian Summer. I think I went through 3 of the 6x6 paper packs last fall, that is how much I love this line! The little hearts have been touched with shimmerz paints, and the cuppy icing was covered in lavender distress stickles. I added the fun glitter leaf (which is gold irl, sorry for the funky scan) and these fun trims from May Arts. I am sooooo digging (pardon the pun!!!) this wonderful tulle ribbon edged in gold. it is just as fabby as it looks! I did cut the loops of the bow off in the scan 'cause it reallllllllllllllllllllllly hangs out there! tee hee! gotta add that girly bling!

will be back in the next day or so with more to share. we head out to Bowling Green tomorrow to bring Mick home for the long weekend. Tyler will be home in time to ride along with us! what a surprise that will be for his bro! :) how glorious glorious to have the whole fam together again! pure bliss!

In the Garden

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Macadamia

It is amazing how much peace, how much inspiration, how much restoration, I can find in a garden or in the woods. and the older I get the more I truly need this time in nature. It revives my soul. I find myself closer to God, which is silly I know since He is everywhere. Our boys (I really need to stop calling them that - boys - they are such amazing young MEN....) are discovering the same thing about themselves. We are a family who needs trees and all the little critters who inhabit them! grins! yesterday David and I just walked around a nursery for over an hour to just gaze upon the gorgeous plants, shrubs, and flowers that workers so carefully maintain. How I thrilled to see the honey bees swarming around perennials in these last few months before winter starts to make its way to northeast Ohio. we even ran into a long time friend and spent a while catching up.

So you must be wondering why in the world I am rambling on and on about gardens and bees and the like......... well you see I received word yesterday that a very special friend is not doing so well. she has been in the hospital for quite a while now, in a specially equipped room that allows for no windows to be opened, no fresh air to enter to replace the stale medical environment that she now calls home. Her beloved dogs can not sit on her lap. She can not see the beautiful gardens that surround her house, the gardens that cause hundreds of people to tour every year - that is just how fantastic they are. and yet this amazing woman will gladly take a cutting here and a pinch there and share with her friends because that is just how wonderful she is. and she wanted to take a little trip out of the hospital to Starbuck's (yes, she is THAT fantastic!! tee hee!), but it caused a fever to spike, so I long with all my heart to sent her a carafe of that famous coffee......
But instead I will make her a card. for right now that is all I can do because she lives so far away from me. and I used this most beautiful image from Tammy over at A Day for Daises. Because my most special projects always seem to use her artwork.........There is a lot of behind the scenes work that went into this card. if you would like the details, I would be happy to send them to you. but I have nattered on here long enough. suffice it to say that I pullled out my beautiful vintage buttons because my dear friend deserves only the best. and I used my precious pink shimmerz because it will make her giggle. My heart is in this card....... David said it took his breath away. I only hope she feels the love I am sending her.

Thanks for hanging in here with me to the end. and may you feel the love I am sending you! :)

• Shabby Tea Room - Old Meets New (old - vintage buttons, new - Webster's Pages papers)
• City Crafter - Let Your Light Shine
• Bee Crafty - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Material Girl (ribbon bow)
• Cupcake Craft - Let's Get Digital