Albums + Cards = Blessings

New Year ..Fresh start !

2012-01-25T12:04:00.000-05:00

While it is still January, I am hoping to get a fresh start with posting again. The past several have not been the easiest for me due to increasing leg pain and difficulty walking. When I finally saw the orthopedic specialist, I learned that the pain was sciatica due to stenosis of the lower spine. I had this sciatica before many years ago but not to this extent, apparently the degenerative discs had narrowed to the point that the nerves were severely pinched. Anyway, I am feeling much better and hoping to do a better job of making cards and posting. Thank you for following my blog and hopefully I will give you cards worth looking at!

The theme for our Team meeting in January was to use something from the new Occasions Mini or the Sale-a-bration catalog. Of the 5 who attended 4 used the same theme for the Shoebox Swap...like minds...hmm! We all used the same paper collection from the SAB called Everyday Enchantment which is so pretty with all it's soft colors and patterns.

My card is a CASE of SU demo Kay Kalthoff changing the color scheme slightly. I used Pool Party cs for my base and frame, Fresh Vintage stamp set, Calypso Coral, Lucky Lime and Pool Party markers on the stamp and the Calypso Coral organdy ribblon from the Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack. All the items are featured in the annual Sale-a-bration Promotion on going until March 31. Any item can be yours with each purchase of $50. in Stampin' Up product.

Thanks for stopping by and may you be blessed in 2012!

Celebrate Today!

2011-10-16T09:57:00.001-04:00

I am finally getting this posted even though I should have done so long ago. This is a wonderful card designed by Kathy Seals a very talented Stampin'Up demo and friend. We made this at a Shoebox Swap and I just love the soft colors and lacey look. This is the card I decided to give to Rebecca for her 18th birthday with the verse 'Today is God's gift to you..Each day you are God's gift to me' inside. She is my oldest grandchild and we share a special bond since I was her daycare provider until she was almost 6. Then when her family moved away to various Navy bases the bond continued, she has lived with us for her last year of high school and is going to college locally as her family moved back to this area when she started high school and then moved again last year. I love having her here and although our relationship has changed over the years, she is still my beloved granddaughter.

All of the card supplies are Stampin' Up:
card stock:Whisper White, Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder & Island Indigo
Ink: Pool Party & Island Indigo
Stamps: Perfectly Penned & Medallion
Accessories: Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch, Lace Ribbon Border Punch and Rhinestones.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!
Blessings!

Patchwork Possibilities

2011-08-23T17:47:00.001-04:00

I want to share with you this linear patchwork design I found on SCS tutorials. I had another style in mind but I guess the pattern was an older one for which I couldn't find the directions. When I saw this sentiment which is one of the stamps in the Stampin' Up set called Word Play I knew that I wanted to use it on Rebecca's graduation card. As I thought about the words I tried to find a card design to accent it and thought about how the future will be a patchwork of moments and events that will shape her life. The paper was a stack pad I have had for a long time so I thought it would blend well on the card. The card stock is SU Creamy Caramel and Very Vanilla, the ink is Soft Suede. Rebecca really liked the colors and design. Anything that brings a smile to her face makes me happy. Next week I'll be sharing the card I made for her 18th birthday on August 29 th which will be a very special day for her. It will also mark the first day of college classes for her.
Thanks for stopping by.
Blessings

Special anniversary August 24th

2011-08-19T19:09:00.000-04:00

The summer of 1963 brought the weddings of four couples who were friends of mine plus my own wedding. Of the 5 weddings two couples lost their mates to cancer, one couple divorced (me), one I don't know the fate of and one very special couple celebrate their 48th anniversary on August 24th! This card is for them. Their love and devotion to each other is a testament to a marriage truly blessed. Congratulations to Jan & Tony, may you have many more precious years together!

Card details -- All products are Stampin' Up
Cardstock: Peach Parfait, Whisper White and White Vellum; ink: Peach Parfait, Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink; DSP:Beyond the Garden; Stamp set: Oval All. Also: Big Shot, Flower Garden Embossing folder, Scallop Trim border punch, oval punches, aqua pen and sponge. The flowers were colored on the back of the embossed floral image using the aqua pen and sponge to blend and shade.

Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend!
Blessings!

Black Magic swap

2011-08-16T11:07:00.000-04:00

Our quarterly Team meeting featured a Shoebox Swap so I chose to use the Black Magic technique for which you can find the tutorial on SCS. The images are stamped in Craft White ink and heated with the heat gun then colored with Watercolor Pencils. I gave the stampers a choice of designs from Baroque Motifs stamp set and how ever they would like to color the design. I used brads from the Brights collection to add texture to the card. Cardstock colors are Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze and black. Trim is made with the scallop punch. It was fun to see how the ladies made their cards unique and I was happy that many had never done this technique before.

As always thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Blessings!

Tangerine sparkle

2011-07-21T18:46:00.001-04:00

The embossing class project was to mix a color embossing powder with a sparkling ep or to use one with some texture. I used Tangerine Tango and Iridescent Ice for the first embossing layer. Then I used a retired SU product called Vintage Verdigris for the leaves which are from the Autumn Splender set. I also mixed this ep with the Iridescent Ice to give added sparkle. The new Glimmer brads were a perfect touch to complete the card. The Wild Wasabi layer was run through the Big Shot using Texturz Plates Perfect Details. The card base is Soft Suede as is the ink for the sentiment from the stamp set Something to Celebrate. Additional products are heat gun, Versa Mark ink and Whisper White card stock. This project was a lot of fun once I decided what I was going to use.
Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon.
Blessings!

Melon Mambo Medallion

2011-07-11T16:01:00.000-04:00

I'm taking an on-line class to learn more about heat embossing techniques. I know the basics but not sure about adding more colors, layers, etc. The 1st assignment was to use this square card design and to use colored EP to show off a detailed stamp design. I haven't used this stamp set much and thought it a great time to do so. I gave it a summertime feel by using Melon Mambo Embossing Powder which was introduced in the Stampin' Up Summer Mini Catalog. The layer of Melon Mambo card stock was stamped with another one of the Day of Gratitude set in Versa Mark and heat embossed using clear ep. I finished the card with the scallop edge punch, a pink & silver rhinestone brad and cut the outline of the medallion to lift it above the white card stock. I really like the smooth shiny look the embossing gives the medallion.

Thanks for stopping by and as always have a great day!
Blessings!

Summer garden

2011-07-08T17:51:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends! It is so good to have time to stamp again. The last few months have been very busy family activities and a few weeks visit from Sue and children from Mississippi. Just before they arrived we bought a new 5 burner gas convection oven stove. We had had an electric stove for so long that I had to learn how to use gas as a novice. I just love it and am spending much more time cooking to the joy of my husband who is actually trying new foods. Sue is an excellent cook so we had a lot of variety while she was here. I had gotten out of practice keeping 2 growing active kids filled all day...always hungry!

So now that things have settled down, I am back to stamping! This card was made as a swap for a team meeting recently. I didn't have much time, so took the easy route by using designer paper which is both in the Summer Mini and the new catalog. It is beautiful floral paper in such yummy colors! Beyond the Garden has so many possibilities and I can see myself using it in my albums as well as on cards. My card base is Wild Wasabi as is the paper ribbon and trim for the sentiment which is stamped in W. Wasabi ink on Pink Pirouette card stock like the scalloped layer. The butterfly is from the Strength & Hope set which was stamped in Versa Mark and embossed in Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder cut out and mounted with dimensionals. Oval All stamp set provides the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to keep stamping and blogging.

Blessings to all!

Mother's Day Tribute to Special Women

2011-05-07T12:21:00.001-04:00

When Mother's Day comes around each year, naturally thoughts turn to my mother with whom I was blessed to have for 59 years. For most of those years we were able to celebrate Mother's Day together sometimes on the day & sometimes a day before or after. She was very close to me and in her last few years we had to reverse roles for many things. Mother was a Christian dedicated to spreading Christ's love to all she came in contact. For many years she was a vital part of my dad's ministry. She was a "mom" to several other women and they loved her dearly.

I have always believed that any woman who played a vital part in contributing to the life of a child should be honored on Mother's Day. Growing up I had several such mentors in my life: my grandmother who lived with us, my very special aunt who though she had no children of her own gave love generously to my brother and I as well many other children...teachers who molded my academic ethics, a Sunday School teacher who taught the love of Jesus, women with whom I had friendship and could talk over teen issues that I couldn't talk to my own mother about....Then as an adult a woman with whom I came to love as much as my mother when I married her son and later divorced. She remained my "Mom" for more than 35 years later and I had the honor and privilege to be invited to her funeral last summer.

So on this Mother's Day think of all the women who have been a part of your life. If they are alive, say thank you and tell them how important to you they are. May you all be blessed on this Mother's Day!

Easter Blessings

2011-04-24T09:34:00.001-04:00

"Christ the Lord is Risen today"....On this Easter Sunday may you know the love of our Risen Savior!

My card is one that we made last week in a class. I don't know the the origin of the design but thank you to the designer for sharing it with us. All materials are Stampin'Up.

Have a blessed and happy Easter!

Peter Cottontail

2011-04-18T08:58:00.001-04:00

This card design comes from Ruth Murphy's Stamp Camp on Saturday. I made this CASE later in the day. It uses the Blossom Petal Punch and Build a Blossom stamp set to make the bunny and the cabbages. This was a fun & easy card to make. The card stock is Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and Pretty in Pink, Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding Ribbon, Oval punch for paw, black marker & Easter Blossoms stamp.

Surprise Award

2011-04-04T13:12:00.007-04:00

Upon receiving this award I must…

1. Thank the person who gave this award to me and link back to their blog. Thanks Peg!
    I feel so special that you would send this to me. See Peg's blog, it's amazing!

2. Share 8 things about myself
     1. I am a Christian
     2. I have two wonderful adult children, son-in-law serving in the Navy & 5 grandkids.
    3. My husband & I are retired and contemplating a move to warmer climates.
    4. I have been blessed with many friends both nearby and on line through card making
    5. I am trying to declutter my life with meaningless things, making slow progress.
    6. I have been a Stampin'Up Demonstrator for 2 years
    7. Besides creating cards, I make scrapbooks the traditional way.
    8. I have always tried to be the peacemaker, I don't like conflict.

3. Pass this award to 8 other individuals that I have recently discovered:
    Jessie Arellano
    Amanda Farlinger
    Jan Mata
    Lynn Pratt
    KellyBirrell
    Leena Girsa
    Robin Merriman
    Jessica
These blogs are all great, be sure to visit them.

4. Leave a comment so that they can pass along the recognition.

My son's birthday card this year

2011-03-29T15:59:00.001-04:00

Some of my son's many interests are grilling, smoking meats and using his own blends for bar-b-que flavoring and rubs. Along with other firefighters, he has entered contests and competitions. Last year I used the same stamp set for my son-in-law's birthday because he also smokes meats and grills a lot also.

For Mark's birthday card I chose a little different approach by using watercolor pencils, a medium I rarely use. I really like this paper from the Travel Journal Designer Series Collection, so I paired it with Naturals Ivory card stock and watercolor paper. Other supplies include Basic Black and Chocolate Chip inks, Vintage brad, red twine, red button from Button bouquet, and oval punches.

I know this will bring a smile to Mark's face when he sees it.

Blessings to you!

Delft Blue Tile Technique

2011-03-28T10:11:00.009-04:00

When I saw this technique on the Splitcoast Stampers site, I thought I'd like to try it...ok the sample looked so much better than my tiles! I followed the wonderful tutorial but being as critical of my own work as I am, I'm not thrilled with the look of the 'tiles'. I cut and scored exactly and did my best with using a Jumbo wheel roller to create the tile design and I do like the shade of blue ink I used. I mounted the 'tile' paper on Ballet Blue which I also used as a back drop for my pot of flowers. The stamp is from the set Bloom which will never grow old in my collection of stamps.

Thanks for stopping by & have a great day!
Blessings to all!

Sneak Peek from 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog!

2011-03-26T17:43:00.000-04:00

Isn't this designer paper just lovely? It will be in the 2011-2012 Stampin'Up Idea Book & Catalog that comes out in July. The Paisley Petals Designer Series paper is some of the prettiest I have seen in quite a while and this is just a strip of one of the beautiful floral prints in the package. Wouldn't you like to have this paper to use now? Well, you can! Starting April 1 & running through April 30, Stampin'Up is offering this dsp along with the Four Frames stamp set which coordinates with the Decorative Label punch already available. Make a purchase of $20.00 and you will be able to purchase these items before the catalog comes out. This offer will be available through my SU web site along with the opportunity to earn these free starting April 1st...no fooling!
This card is a CASE of the one listed on our demo site and I have changed things ever so slightly. I'm sorry the card is crooked, it's hard to scan smoothly when the cover moves the card. The details are as follows: Stamp set Four Frames; card stock Marina Mist, River Rock & Rose Red; dsp Paisley Petals; Versa Mark; Black embossing powder & heat gun; Rosettes & a Rhinestone Jewel. Accessories include: Big Shot, Decorative Label punch, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing folder & Scallop Trim Border Punch.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!
Blessings!

Amethyst Birthday

2011-03-20T15:24:00.000-04:00

I just love the Four Frames stamp set that is a preview from the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog which debuts in July. Would you like to purchase this set early? Starting April 1st you can do just that with the promotion that Stampin'Up is offering called Spring is Blossoming. I will have more about this in April.
The frames work perfectly with the Decorative Label punch already available.

I made this card for a dear friend who loves all shades of purple so this year I chose retired SU Almost Amethyst, a shade that is so lovely in my opinion. I used textured card stock and some scrap patterned paper that was given to me. The Almost Amethyst ink is also used to color the white flowers with a blender pen. (for some reason the ink shows up blue on my scanned card). The sentiment is from Watercolor Trio set stamped on White Shimmer paper. Organza ribbon and Dazzling Diamonds trim the card. Other supplies are the oval punch, scallop trim border punch, dimensionals and glue dots to hold the flowers from the Pretties kit.

Denise is a very special friend as well an my mentor and upline...I wish her the best of birthdays and many many more.

Build-A-Bear Baby card

2011-03-16T15:03:00.000-04:00

I recently ordered the Bear Hugs stamp which is part of the Stampin'Up Build-A-Bear Workshop collection thinking it would be especially nice for baby boy cards. I paired it with the Pawsitivily Print designer series paper that was part of the original offering last year. The plaid was perfect for a baby boy card. The base card is Confetti White layered with retired Ballet Blue (a favorite that I miss), the DSP and watercolor paper. My little bear is colored in ret. Creamy Caramel, Ballet Blue, Barely Banana and the In-Colors of Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade and Peach Parfait. Other products are Only Orange (ret.) ribbon, oval punches, dimensionals, sponge & blender pens.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!
Blessings,
Barb

Pot of Gold

2011-03-14T11:37:00.000-04:00

I had been to a Team meeting recently featuring a Shoebox Swap where one of our members made a similar card using a blue pot with multicolored button diecuts. As soon as I saw it I thought of changing it to a Pot of Gold, thus the card.
I used the Top Note Stampin'Up bigz die cutting it in half for the pot. The buttons #5 Sizzlits die, 3/4 " circle punch and a retired button die. Gold and yellow cardstock as well as gold tissue paper was used for the 'gold coins'. Other items used were Big Shot, Whisper White, Garden Green, Basic Black card stock, Garden Green ink and the greeting is from the retired stamp set All-Year Cheer III.

This was a fun card to make using all the die cut items. Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!

Blessings!

No card just message

2011-03-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends!
This is an update as to why I haven't been visiting your blogs. Once again my husband has been ill and I haven't had time to make cards or visit your wonderful blogs. He is on the mend we hope so maybe I can get inspired again to make and post cards. He started out with an upper respiratory virus which turned into bronchitis and lung congestion. After 2 different hospital ER trips he was finally diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism and is on blood thinner meds which require frequent blood tests to check the levels. I ask that you keep both of us in thought and prayer...him for recovery and better attitude and me in dealing with the stress.

Thank you for being faithful friends.
Blessings!

Variations of a base card

2011-02-15T16:36:00.000-05:00

I had to prepare a card for a Shoebox Swap for Ruth Murphy's quarterly team meeting and it had to be made with products from either the Occasions Mini catalog or the Sale-a-Bration catalog. I chose to use some of the paper from the Ice Cream Parlor Designer Series Paper & Quick Accent Pack, ribbon from the Ribbon & Button Pack and the round scallop stamp For You from the Punch Bunch set. My base card is Confetti White with Wild Wasabi cs. I wanted to make it a Clean and Simple design for the sake of time. The ink is Poppy Parade which brings a bright pop to the card.

I had left over materials which I brought home to use myself. Always needing cards to send out quickly, I decided to make some birthday and get well cards to have on hand...these can be for male or female. The 2nd card is done in Pacific Point with the 3rd using the birthday stamp coming from the Fun & Fast Notes set. Additional supplies are the regular scallop punch, the large scallop punch and dimensionals.

We had a great time at the meeting making the various cards and projects and sharing ideas, not to mention the good food. A project we did was to stamp a design on a small domino and make a necklace with it...something I had never done before...what a cool idea it was!

Thanks for stopping by, have a blessed day!

Couple of Valentines

2011-02-10T09:56:00.002-05:00

You know how there are some stamps that you just never want to part with? This 1999 'From the Heart' Stampin'Up! set is one of them... I bought it used when I first began making cards and every so often pull it out to send love notes to my grandkids. The images of the children remind me so much of the 'olden days' of my childhood! I hope the kids don't think they are too old for the style but I love these images....granted I rushed to get them done so the coloring isn't my best. I wanted to make sure the cards got to them before Valentine's Day.

The cardstock is Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Real Red and retired dsp. Ellie's also has the heart stamp from 'Love You Much' and both have sentiments from 'All Holidays'.
I used watercolor paper for the images, various markers, snips, heart punch, scallop punch and dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.
Blessings to all!

Make & Take #2

2011-01-29T17:23:00.001-05:00

Using the stamp set "Dreams du Jour" the butterfly and 'Love you' sentiment were stamped in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla card stock. The flower was colored with an Aqua Pen dipped in Regal Rose and Crumb Cake and cut out before mounting the flower on Early Espresso punched with the Curly Label punch. A strip of Early Espresso is covered with Chantilly Lace before adhereing to Regal Rose card stock which has a torn edge. Sahara Sand Patterns DSP covers the bottom of the Soft Suede card stock base on which the sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso. The design is similar to the one on page 101 in the 2010-2011 Stampin'Up! Idea Book & Catalog.

Valentine Make & Take

2011-01-29T16:41:00.000-05:00

This was one of two Make & Takes we made at Ruth Murphy's Team meeting. My scanner doesn't show the 3 dimensional heart that adds depth to the design. We stamped the heart stamp from "Love You Much" 3 times with Rose Red ink on Whisper White card stock then used the Heart Punch to make the shapes which were sponged and glued together to pop up the heart. The paper is Patterns DSP, Rose Red card stock on which the large flower from "Razzle Dazzle" was stamped in Rose Red ink, pearls and ribbon finish the card. I can always add a sentiment to the card when I decide to whom I will send the card. This is a quick and easy card.

Love Birds Swap

2011-01-20T19:08:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone is having a good start to 2011. It sure has been busy for us so I neglected to add cards to the blog. I made this card for the December Team meeting at Ruth Murphy's which was so much fun...Christmas Party, gift exchange, Make & Take, and of course, good friends and good food!

Our swap exchange had to be a current stamp set used as a Valentine card. I had been wanting to try the Crimped Diamond background which I found on Split Coast Stampers as a tutorial. My colors are Whisper White and Riding Hood Red and my stamp set is Northern Hearts Hostess Level 1 from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The only accent is a single rhinestone from Jewels Basic Rhinestones.

My scanner doesn't do justice to the crimped background's dimensions and shine. I made verticle crimping on this card's diamond center and horizontal on some others to give different effects. Clean and simple style. There is a new Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in the Stampin'Up Occasions Mini Catalog that is called Framed Tulips which will give a lovely frame to this stamp. You can see this folder by clicking on the Occasions catalog picture on the right of the blog linking my web site to my blog.

I'll be posting the Make & Take cards soon. As always thank you for stopping by & please come again.

Blessings,

Silent Night, Holy Night...Christ the Savior is Born!

2010-12-24T23:59:00.003-05:00

Rejoice! Christ the Savior is born! As we celebrate the beauty of Christmas, let us welcome Christ into our hearts and lives. May you be blessed with love, joy and hope as we proclaim the wonder of Christ's humble birth.

Stampin'Up set Holy Family, Night of Navy card stock, silver embossing powder, Versa Mark & heat gun.

Another Christmas card & progress

2010-12-23T09:58:00.000-05:00

My blues have lifted some and thanks Lorie & Becky for your kind words on my last post. I find as I age that pre-Christmas has become a nostalgic time for me, some years more than others. This year has brought family changes once again with my daughter Sue & family moving to Mississippi and not being able to spend special time with them. You would think I would be used to their being far away, but I was spoiled having them close by for 3 years. On a happy note Rebecca lives with us now so she could finish high school here. She and her boyfriend decorated our tree and it looks lovely. She will be leaving in the morning to spend Christmas with her father's family but will be home Christmas night. Hopefully, my son Mark will be with us for part of the day and we may even get a short visit from his son if all goes well.

This card was made from Stampin'Up Cherry Cobbler card stock embossed with the Textured Impressions Petals-A-Plenty folder. The bells are from Bells & Boughs stamp set. I used markers and the 'huffing' method to stamp them then accented in Stickles glitter. The inside is stamped with "welcome Christmas into your heart" from the set Heard from the Heart...a simple yet meaningful sentiment.

I pray that all of you will welcome Christmas into your heart and remember the true meaning of Christmas. Too often we get caught up with all that is expected of us by others and not what God wants us to do. Christmas is afterall the birthday of our Lord, Jesus Christ. May you have the peace that only He can give.

Hugs and blessings,
Barb

Christmas Card 1

2010-12-21T13:37:00.000-05:00

A few days before Christmas and no I am no where near ready! Spiritually, yes but physically no! Each year I say I will decorate early, bake and get everything ready. Well all I can say is that I did make every card that was sent to family and friends, though none were elaborate. This was one of the cards I made this month. The stamp set is called Christmas Postcard made by Stampin'Up. Would love to have made each card colorful but time made me decide to stamp them all in Cherry Cobbler to match the card stock and designer paper from Deck the Halls. The inside is Whisper White paper for the sentiment and is trimmed in the designer paper. A Jewel Basic Rhinestone adds a touch of "bling" to the poinsettia.
Hopefully, I'll post the other two cards I made in a day or so. Have a blessed day!

Thankful Reflections!

2010-11-22T17:11:00.000-05:00

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I wish all of you my faithful friends a blessed Thanksgiving and coming year. Without the support of you, I would not have this blog or cards to share with you. You have blessed me with your friendship, love and understanding.
This has been a very busy time for me so I haven't kept up my entries as I should. This Thanksgiving will be a special time for my family as my daughter Sue, son-in-law Sam and grandchildren Ellie & Roman will be moving to Gulfport, MS area where Sam will be stationed for at least 3 yrs. For us this means that spending special times with them will be limited and we will all miss the family gatherings. I have had the privilege of watching Ellie & Roman grow for the past three years and shared their triumphs and joys. Hearing them say "Grandma, I love you" and the hugs that accompany the words are blessings beyond compare. I wish them happiness and success in their new school and neighborhood.

With the move, came changes for us here at home. Our oldest grandchild, Rebecca, has come to live with us so she can finish her high school years at the school she has become a part of. Being in the military brought many different schools for her and it has been so nice that she could stay in the same area for all four years of high school. I enjoy having her company although she isn't around much what with school, her job and her boyfriend. We share a special bond that began the day after her birth and has continued through the years spending most of her baby, toddler and preschool years with me as day care provider.

I am very thankful that my husband's health has been better and he is able to enjoy feeling well. My health is good and that is a blessing for me.
Most importantly I am thankful for all God has given me especially the love of His son Jesus Christ.

Now to describe my card which was made a stamp camp that my upline had. All Stampin' Up products: Stamps-Autumn Splendor, Grateful Greetings & Woodgrain background stamp; card stock- Peach Parfait, Chocolate Chip & Confetti White; ink- Peach Parfait & Chocolate Chip; accessories- Autumn Spice DSP, Victoria Crochet Trim, Antique Brads, scissors to cut out acorns and blender pen.

Blessings to all!

Swap for Stampin'Up Regional

2010-09-25T20:40:00.000-04:00

This is a swap for my first Stampin'Up Regional to be held in Baltimore, MD on October 2, 2010 which also happens to be World Card Making Day. While 36 swaps may not seem like much to seasoned swappers, it is more than I have ever made before.

I chose Wild Wasabi for the main layer and added it as the oval frame for my sentiment which was stamped in the Wild Wasabi ink. I used the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder on Whisper White card stock adding some color to the flower centers by dotting with Melon Mambo marker and Crystal Effects. The Melon Mambo butterflies which were made with the Embosslits Beautiful Wings kiss the flower stems. The flower in the stamp from Oval All is accentuated by outlining in Melon Mambo marker and colored lightly with Pretty in Pink.

With summer winding down toward crisp fall weather, I wanted to make one last light summer card to savor. I hope you like it. Thanks for stopping by.
Blessings!

Special birthday

2010-08-28T08:19:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is my oldest granddaughter's 17th birthday so I gave her several pads of patterned paper to look at and choose what she might like me to use on her card. This floral from Basic Grey was one she said she liked. This being my inspiration I began planning. I chose the Stampin'Up set called Bloomin' Beautiful because it always makes a lovely card...The single flower is done in Soft Plum (ret.), Perfect plum and Always Artichoke stamped onto SU Shimmer White paper sponged with Soft Plum and accented with Stickles Diamonds. The card is over sized (6x6) Soft Plum textured with the words 'bloom' stamped on the left side and sparkle beneath the flower. To finish I used white organza ribbon I had in my stash and a stick pin made from the SU Pretties Kit with pearls and crystals.

Rebecca and her younger sister enjoy making cards with their mom or me, so I wanted to make this a very special birthday card. Rebecca has become a lovely young woman so I want her to know how special she is to us. I rarely stamp sentiments inside of my cards trying to write something especially for the recipient letting them know this card is just for them. The inside is Whisper White with a border of the floral paper and stamped with "may all your wishes come true" from the Heard from the Heart set. The rest is a personal note to Rebecca.

Those of you who are grandmothers know how special and unique each grandchild is just like our own children are. For those of you who still have grandmothers here of earth, you are treasured beyond measure in their eyes.

Blessings to all today and everyday!

Special anniversary card

2010-08-21T09:09:00.004-04:00

On August 24th a very special couple is celebrating their 47th wedding anniversary. I say "special" because theirs is truly one of those rare and special marriages. They were high school sweethearts who have been "soul mates" ever since. Jan & Tony, you are the greatest!

The card has an Elegant Eggplant base with the lovely Level 1 Hostess stamp Because I Care as the image on Whisper White framed with designer paper "Lap of Luxury" as a frame. The hydrangea is stamped in Elegant Eggplant and Always Artichoke, accented with Pretty in Pink, Lovely Lavender markers and Dazzling Diamonds.Narrow ribbon and a gem finish the design which came from a class that I assisted with. The sentiment is from Hugs and Wishes.

School Day Friends

2010-08-15T07:16:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I attended our team post SU convention meeting, an event that is always fun. For the 'Shoebox Swap' I decided to use this stamp which is in the Greeting Card Kids set. I just love the images of cute children and couldn't wait to make a card with one of the stamps.

Do you remember your first day of school each year with the excitement of seeing friends and meeting new kids? There were always new shoes, new dresses in my case, a new bookbag & lunchbox...dating myself?...you bet! Yes, those were the 'good old days'. Now school starts in August or sooner, kids (boys & girls) wear shorts and sandles but the excitement remains the same from generation to generation. There are friends to see, so much to learn and hopefully a good year for all kids!

Products are all Stampin'Up:
Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Fundamental Phrases
cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler and watercolor paper
Ink: Basic Black, various markers
Accessories: Spiral Border Punch, Aqua Pen, Paper Piercing Tool, Crystal Effects for the apple

I hope this card has evoked some memories for you as it has for me. Thanks for stopping by! Until next time....Have a blessed day!

Sympathy card

2010-08-07T09:10:00.002-04:00

I really like "Thoughts and Prayers" stamp set from Stampin'Up because it is so versatile. This time I am using it in soft pastels. I have paired it with reitred Barely Banana textured paper, scraps of dsp from a few years agao and Very Vanilla. I colored the tree with markers using the 'huffing' method to stamp on the cs. Then I accented the leaves with Pretty in Pink marker. The tree inks are retired Mellow Moss and Close to Cocoa. I sponged the background in Mellow Moss.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your weekend!

Water spritzed floral

2010-08-02T10:01:00.003-04:00

This is another card from yesterday's class, one that came from the SU Convention that Denise attended. Using watercolor paper the image was stamped by inking the stamp with SU Markers, then spritzing the stamp with a mist of water to give a muted look to the image. Bashful Blue cs was added then torn with the watercolor paper to give a ragged look. Pear Pizzazz ribbon and a Not Quite Navy button were added to the cardstock then mounted on Not Quite Navy. The Spritzer tool was use with NQN marker to add dimension. I have not added a sentiment leaving it to be added when I decide on how I will use this card. The stamp set is Just Believe a brand new set from the current 2010-2011 Stampin'Up! Ideabook and Catalog.

Soft smudged background

2010-08-02T09:44:00.003-04:00

This card was made at a class yesterday. We took Soft Suede reinker smudging it onto Whisper White cardstock with a wet sponge giving the paper a variety of shades. The Medallion was stamped with Versa Mark. Craft White was used to accent the center of the medallion and for the words which come from a Level 1 Hostess Set called Afterthoughts. Whisper White cs and Soft Suede cs provide the framing.
The techinque of sponging the ink on the cs gives an unusual background for the stamp making your card a one of a kind look.

Fanciful Silver Mambo birthday

2010-06-12T12:51:00.005-04:00

A friend for whom I made this birthday card, gave me Blossoms & Butterflies printed paper stack by DCWV which has some scrumptious designs so right for summer. I decided that the printed silver and deep pink went perfectly with Stampin'Up Melon Mambo cardstock. With the silver swirls, flowers & butterflies, I didn't need to add much embellishments. I mounted the patterned paper on a piece of textured silver I had as a scrap, stamped Happy Birthday on it and punched out the ovals which were mounted with demensionals. A very quick and easy card. My friend had forgotten she had given me the paper so she is happy to have a reminder of her gift to me. She was also happy to receive the retiring cardstock I had ordered for her and some surprise stamp sets that she didn't have. I really like to give my friends gifts that I know will make them happy, don't you?

Have a wonderful weekend and always remember to thank God for the friendships He has provided!

Birthday card

2010-06-01T11:52:00.003-04:00

Today is my son-in-law Sam's birthday so I thought this would be the perfect image for him...he is an excellent cook using a grill and smoker for many of his meat dishes. An avid deer hunter, he can use venison in many adventurous recipes that even I will eat....

The stamp set "King of the Grill" is from the Stampin'Up Summer Mini Catalog which is available through August 31st. There are some really cool items and the new Clear Mount stamps are so easy to store; I am loving them! This stamp set has a Happy Father's Day stamp in it as well so it's also a great stamp for any occasion that a masculine card is needed.

Recipe: CS- Naturals Ivory and retired patterned paper from 2006
Ink- Basic Brown & Close to Cocoa
Accessories- Watercolor Pencils, sponge for distressing and brads

Clipboard project

2010-05-28T08:35:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday afternoon my upline Denise, her upline Ruth, a friend Dodie and I got together to make clipboard projects. Each design was the sole idea of the designer and did we have fun with this project! We all used Stampin'Up products, but I found a sheet of unknown maker printed paper that spoke to me and this is what I came up with. The soft green plaid paper covers the back of the clipboard and edges of the front. The flower was on the other side of the patterned piece so I cut out the flower mounted it on SU Night of Navy to make it stand out and added it to the front panel. I used the swirl stamp from Baroque Motifs to accent the design in Night of Navy Craft ink on the front panel. The panel was created from the fabulous new Presto Patterns Specialty paper which is in the new Summer Mini Catalog. This paper is white with a lusterous sheen giving the imagination full range on how to use it! I chose the criss-cross design brayering it in Rose Red to bring out the pattern and a soft subtle look. To complete the clipboard I punched small flowers from the Boho flowers punch added pearls from the Pretties Kit which were also put on the large flower and swirls for accent. Paper was placed inside the pen casing and tied to the clipboard with stretchy silver cord.

We had a great time with this project!

Going, going, gone!

2010-05-23T11:53:00.002-04:00

As many of you know Stampin'Up is updating their color lineup. For those who use Stampin'Up products, you may want to take a look at the new and retiring colors and order those you love before they are gone. The ink pads, re-inkers, markers, pencils, chalks and cardstock will be sold on a While Supplies Last basis beginning June 1 and ending June 30. As of then they will be gone, gone, gone!! I will miss many of the retiring colors that I use regularly, but have enough to last me awhile for personal use. If you don't have an SU demo and would like to get your favorite colors, please click on the links at the side of my blog one will take you to my SU web site for ordering.

The new catalog which will be available July 1st will have some scrumptious new shades for you to choose as well as the most popular returning colors. There will also be 5 new In-Colors added to the lineup. Why change? Stampin'Up has to change to keep up with current trends just as other companies have done in order to keep competitive with today's market. For those of you who use many companies' products, you know what I mean.

I know that I am late posting the links to the changes the reason being that I just figured out how to link the pdf. with the pictures...I can be a little computer challenged at times.... If I can be of any assistance, please contact me.

for my Special Friend

2010-05-14T12:34:00.003-04:00

A few months ago I used this card front for an SU demo swap, leaving it plain so that I could choose the wording when I finished the card. My oldest and dearest friend has a birthday on May 18th and thought this would make a nice birthday card for her. I added the stamp Birthday Hugs & Wishes from the "Hugs & Wishes" stamp set, added a white cs base and added some SU dsp for a background. All Stampin'Up products were used as follows Colors: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery; Punches: Scallop Corner, 2 step Bird; Embosslets: Flower Burst, Beautiful Wings; Clear Rhinestone brad; glue dots; Dazzling Diamonds Glitter; 2-way glue.

The message inside is not stamped but written personally for the recipient as I usually do. Barb and I go back to being in elementary school together, but we didn't become close friends until high school. Though we rarely see each other we have continued to keep in touch and continue a true friendship throughout the years. She is the sister I never had, my prayer partner, advice giver and support through illness and loss of parents. I hope I have been the same kind of friend to her as well.

Blog Award from Becky

2010-04-09T13:03:00.005-04:00

I am truly honored to recieve this award from my dear blogging friend Becky. I haven't done much blogging lately but try to visit her blog when I can to see her lovely work and read her inspirational messages. I was so surprised to see my name on the list for this award....thank you so much Becky!!

In following the guidelines of the award, I'll list 10 things that make me happy & 5 pieces of trivia....trying not to bore anyone...lol!!

What makes me Happy
1. The love of Jesus as my Lord & Savior
2. My family
3. Hugs & kisses from my grandchildren
4. Being told I love you by my family
5. Creating cards
6. The fragrance of sheets dried in the fresh air
7. Enjoying the beauty of Springtime
8. Being inspired to create card and scrapbook pages
9. Spending time with friends
10.My DH having a good health day

5 Pieces of Trivia
1. I was raised in a Christian home, loving the Lord from an early age.
2. I have 2 children and 5 grandchildren
3. Have lived in PA and NYC but most of my life in Maryland.
4. Enjoy creating cards & scrapbooks
5. As a teen & young woman, I made most of my own clothes, now I never sew!

And now to give this to 5 of my Blogger Friends: alphabetically
1 Chris
2 Grace
3 Janet
4 Linda
5 Teresa

Easter Blessings

2010-04-04T07:47:00.004-04:00

He Lives! Christ Jesus lives in our hearts and directs us to live as He wants us to! As we celebrate Easter may your heart be filled with the love of Jesus knowing that Salvation is ours through His sacrifice for us. My prayer is that each of you will open your heart to Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

My card is certainly not an original design, but one I'm sure many of you have used with other stamp sets. I chose Wild Wasabi and Barely Banana card stock because they remind me of Spring. The stamp set is a new Stampin'Up set called Abundant Hope which I colored in Wild Wasabi and various markers on the the daffodils. The background is textured with the Polka Dot embossing folder and sheer organdy ribbon finishes the card. All material is Stampin'Up.

May you all have a wonderful and meaningful Easter!

Swap for SU team meeting

2010-03-08T15:14:00.003-05:00

This is the swap card front I made for this month's meeting. I wanted to focus on the new punches and Embosslits dies featured in the current Stampin'up Occasions Mini Catalog. My base cs is Melon Mambo, next is Pretty in Pink which I edged with the new Scallop Trim Corner. I used Certainly Celery for the stems/leaves and butterflies. The flower is made with the Flower Burst Embosslit, butterflies from Beautiful Wings Embosslit and the stems are made with part of the 2 Step Bird punch. I accented the flower center with a Clear Rhinestone brad and used Dazzling Diamonds Glitter for sparkle. Any sentiment can be added when I decide how I will use this and the whole front can be mounted on a regular 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" card base.

Teen birthday card

2010-02-27T10:54:00.003-05:00

You can see that I am a little rusty but am trying to get my mojo back. This design has been in my head for some time but had to get onto paper for my oldest grandson's 15th birthday on March 1st! I had never made a starburst before, knew how it should look but had some issues with cutting one out. Then I used the wrong glue for the glittered star which took overnight to dry even with heat setting it. Next my black embossing powder wouldn't brush off the card base so there are spots not supposed to be there..This is what I came up with and I know CJ won't notice all the mistakes that my critical eye found!
SU's Extreme Guitar is a great stamp for teens and blends well with Friends Rock set. My cardstock is SU Ballet Blue & Whisper White, the accent is a textured silver paper. The star chipboard covered in red glitter and black embossing powder are Stampin'Up. This card qualifies for the central theme of SCS Dirty Dozen Fan Club Interactive this month and color challenge to use Olympic colors this week.
Thanks for looking and have a blessed day!

Grandson's 6th Birthday!

2010-02-20T12:42:00.002-05:00

Today is a very special day in our family because it is the birthday of my daughter Susan and her her youngest child and only son, Roman. I made this card for him because his loves to ride his bike when the ground isn't covered with snow. With all the snow we have had this winter he, Ellie and the neighbor kids have had a ball sledding, building snow forts with Dad and playing in the snow. This has been great for all the family since they haven't lived in many places where there is much or any snow...storing up snow fun for the next tour of duty for Sam which may be in a warmer climate.

For this card I chose Stampin'Up Brilliant Blue cs for the base and Green Galore for the accent and bike color (close to the acutual color as I could get). The stamp set is SU Just Riding, perfect for a growing boy! The helmut is Brilliant Blue with Silver Stickles for accent. I also used Stickles to give the bike a metalic paint look. The sentiment if from SU Birthday Whimsy. The patterned paper is from the Basic Grey Cupcake paper pack and shows bikes of all colors.

I am hoping to get back to posting regularly, visiting blogs and keeping up with all of you my friends. I have a lot of birthdays in the next few months to make cards for and I don't have enough in my 'already made' boxes which means I have to get busy. Luckily I have a lovely card already for Sue and didn't have to start from scratch.

Take care and keep stamping!

Thanksgiving wishes

2009-11-25T11:35:00.003-05:00

Here we are at Thanksgiving once again. Where has the year gone? I send greetings and good wishes to all of you and hope you have been blessed with much to be thankful for. If you are spending time with friends and family, enjoy your time together. If loved ones are missing from your table, know that I care about your losses and heaven's gain. Life is full of changes, good and bad, but God has promised peace, comfort and understanding.

This card is made with the new SU Inline colors, Crushed Curry and Soft Suede. I chose a gate fold card to show off the turkey stamp from the set Gifts from the Earth stamped in Soft Suede on Natural card stock sponged with Soft Suede and mounted on Crushed Curry. The leafy dsp is from the Autumn Meadows Collection. The designer paper and stamp set can be found in the SU Holiday Mini Catalog which holds many fabulous items which are available through Dec. 31st.

Hugs and blessings to all of you!

So Thankful !

2009-11-13T15:56:00.002-05:00

It has been almost a year since I started this blog and I am so glad to start up again. The card above is another version of the With Graditude card I posted last year but with a slightly different version of the Alcohol-Ink Resist background. I chose this card because I have not made many cards in recent months except for Stampin'Up stamp camps at which I assist my upline more than come up with my own creations. I hope to get my mojo working again so that you will find my blog worth following again.

Almost a year ago my husband came down with a brutal case of Shingles. He was treated intensely for it with pain and nerve meds., steroid injections etc. He had an allergic reaction to something (never diagnosed) which caused a rash over his body that lasted two months. All of this certainly took a toll on both of us and while I am normally a patient person, I found this all very difficult to live with. My health suffered also in minor ways, but the summer months brought us both relief. Unfortuately, my cards have taken a back seat and I never seem to get around to creating. Then in August, Ed was diagnosed with prostate cancer and you know, the news didn't really upset either of us. I had remembered hearing about a treatment for prostate cancer used at Georgetown University Hospital Center so Ed investagated it on the internet, got the blessing of his urologist and we began the process of getting into the program. At 71, he was not happy about the traditional methods of combating the disease. Surgery was completely ruled out due to his age. He qualified for Georgetown's Cyber-Knife Radiation and found the very best doctors, care and expertise he could receive. We will and have recommended this to other men. Ed completed treatment October 23rd and will continue to have blood tests for the next year, but his oncologist says he is cancer free.

I thank all of you dear friends who have known about all of this and have kept us in prayer. It truly means a lot to us. Where would any of us be without the love and prayers of family and friends. God has been our steadfast friend and strength.

I will try to get back to visiting all of your blogs and will add posts to mine as I am able.

Blessings!

Becca is 16 today!

2009-08-29T13:59:00.003-04:00

Today is my oldest granddaughter's 16th birthday and we have been celebrating since yesterday. Ed and I took the whole family to Clyde's Tower Oaks Lodge restaurant. For those of you living in the DC area, the Clyde's group is well known for excellent dining. This one is housed in a log lodge reminiscent of the Adirondack Mountains. There are several rooms decorated in various outdoor themes (ex. hunting, fishing, English hunt etc.), an interesting decor for sure. There were 9 of us with reservations for 5:30, the parking was already filled and lining both sides of the Preserve street. In addition to us there was my son Mark, his son C.J., daughter Sue, son-in-law Sam, their kids Ellie & Roman as well as their daughter Becca who was the birthday girl. We had a wonderful dinner, excellent food and service and a good time together. This was a priceless rare time when we can all be together.
The card I made for Becca was made for a Stamp Camp with my up-line Denise. We used Summer Sun, Tempting Turquoise, Passion Pink, Whisper White and black cardstock all SU. We also under-lined the SU Lattice die with designer paper and trimmed it with a button brad made with the dsp and shapes left from the die cut Lattice.
Today continues Becca's celebrating with a trip to Six Flags to see a favorite band, her new blackberry and other gifts from the family. She is also supposed to get her learner's permit in the next few weeks......Oh how I remember being 16, almost 50 yrs ago, having fun, doing things with friends...so tame by today's standards but with the same dreams of driving. My heart is so full of love for this very special child, my 1st grandchild whom I helped to care for for her first six years. She & her mom came to live with us when she was 2 1/2 so we became very close. I'll close by saying Happy, Happy Birthday Becca!

Post SU convention meeting & swap

2009-08-17T14:32:00.003-04:00

I attended a Post Convention information sharing, swap and fun time that my up-line Denise held over the weekend. She was the only one who attended convention and had much to share with her up-line, in-lines and down-lines. Only 8 of us were able to be there, one coming all the way from West Point, NY to visit with those she met at last year's convention. Denise had notes prepared for us to go over, her convention swaps which were all terrific, cards for us to make, samples to show of her 'make & take' and a gift for each of us . We all brought food (of course!) and swaps to share. Seeing all the fabulous swaps she brought back gave us lots of great ideas. It's so much fun to see how each person makes such creative cards.
This card was my swap for the meeting. I was running out of time so I had to make a quick and easy card which this was except for a few smeared silver places where the ink wasn't quite dry. I had wanted to do silver embossing, but didn't want to clean up the mess before leaving for the evening. I love the new ornament punch that I had just gotten for the Holiday mini pre-order! I used it with Ruby Red cs and put one of the new Icicle Rub-ons in the middle accented with a clear rhinestone brad. (A note of warning about the silver rub-ons: if your hands are the least bit warm DO NOT rest them on any of the images while cutting etc. they came off on my hand...I'm sure that's my own fault, but they are too expensive to waste) I stamped the center ornament with the So Many Scallops stamp in Siver Metallic ink which I also used to accent the circle ornament with a new stamp from Serene Snowflakes (Mini catty)on Christmas Cocoa dsp also from the mini. I mounted the 2 punched ornaments with dimensionals and made the hangers with a siver ink pen. My base was Night of Navy cs.

We all had a great time sharing together, meeting a few new women and having a lots of laughs. Just goes to show that you are never too old for a Slumber Party and you never outgrow making new friends.

Sweet Stop Sketch with limited supplies!

2009-08-10T07:40:00.003-04:00

Once again I combined challenges using the Sweet Stop Sketch for Saturday with the Limited Supplies challenge on SCS which called for using only colors that had food in the title. The sketch uses a long card so I used a Groovy Guava long note from SU pairing it with Barely Banana, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla. I chose the SNS set Chocoholic for the image and sentiment. The cake is marbled and glazed with Crystal Effects (which isn't picked up by my scanner) to make the icing shine.

Recent Challenges

2009-08-08T17:02:00.006-04:00

Trying to catch up on my posting, so this first card is for three challenges on Splitcoast Stmapers. I combined the CAS25 sketch with the CAS26 stitching (faux or real) and the color challenge this week to use Certainly Celery, Blush Blossom and Close to Cocoa. The Blush cs is the case with paper ribbon trim from the Basic Grey Urban Prairie Collection print. I stamped the Happy Birthday from SU's So Many Scallops and punched it out with the scallop punch. I used a larger Marvy punch to mount it on and used the Close to Cocoa marker to make my faux stitching on the Celery cs. Another quick and easy card.

Last week's color challenge 229 on Splitcoast Stampers was to use Certainly Celery, Pixie Pink and Apricot Appeal. I found all these colors in this pretty print from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie Collection which made this card an easy one. A little scalloping edge trim for the ribbon and it was done. The sentiment in from SU's The Best is Yet set.

Congratulations Teresa!

2009-08-02T18:27:00.005-04:00

Today's Featured Stamper on SCS is none other than my dear friend Teresa. The card I CASED was done in pink, so did mine in blue and used the other snowman image from SNSS Snow Friends designed by Korin Sutherland. I chose SU Night of Navy for the base, layering with Bashful Blue and dsp. I heat embossed the image in silver, colored the hat in Bashful Blue and used Dazzling Diamond glitter for snow. This didn't show up on my scanning as it does in real life. I found this ribbon from Oriental Trading in my stash deciding to use it because of it's shimmering qualities. The sentiment is stamped in Silver Encore ink which also was used to edge the Navy scallop layer. I used the CB Swirl folder to emboss the white panel.
Teresa, this has been your day, I hope you have enjoyed it!

My mojo was inspired by an apron!

2009-08-01T16:22:00.004-04:00

Today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS is to be inspired by the aprons or other items on Heavenly Hostess so I chose Nouveau which is black velvet lace over fushia satin substituting Real Red cardstock instead of the fushia. Since I hadn't done the Monday Mojo 97 challenge yet I went with that sketch. I had a piece of black fillegree in my scrap folder so I knew it would be the black velvet overlay. I used SU Rub-ons for the sentiment & image and Silver Style Hodgepodge Hardware for accent. No stamps were used and only a little ink to make the dots.
I hope everyone has a good weekend. Blessings to all!

Circle of Friends Award from Becky

2009-07-30T09:18:00.002-04:00

I am touched and honor to receive this Circle of Friends Award from my dear friend Becky It is she who inspires me with her devotion to God and her wonderful creativity.
I have the honor to pass this on to some of my friends although I cannot begin to list all the wonderful ladies I have met here and who I consider my friends. Even if your name is not listed you know who you are and can pick up this award also.
Ceal
Linda
Teresa
Ann
Jackie

To pick up the Circle of Friends Blog Award:

Cut and paste the award logo and use it on your own blog.
Nominate at least 5 other bloggers you feel have become part of your circle of friends.
Link to your nominees, within your blog post and include these instructions on how to pick up the award in your blog post.
To show your appreciation to the person who gave you the award, link back to their blog. Finally, comment on the recipient’s blogs, to let them know they've received the award.

Christmas in July challenges

2009-07-29T16:26:00.004-04:00

I am combining the SNSS Christmas in July challenge with Korin Sutherlands' sketch from the Sweet Stop challenge for the week of July 25th. I chose the SNSS set called Christmas Poinsettias designed by Chris Dickinson.
y card stock is SU Riding Hood Red as is the ink. My patterned paper is from the Basic Grey Wassail collection, scallop and oval punches are SU and Stickles for trim and sparkle. I also cut out the wreath and mounted it on the dark red layer for more emphasis. It's hard to believe we are in the second half of yet another year. While I am not at all ready to think about cold weather and the Holidays, I guess it doesn't hurt to get creative juices flowing to think about Christmas cards. This is my 2nd one in a week, but I still can't get into the mood to make them yet...Thanks for looking and I hope you like me are enjoying wearing summer clothes and thinking summer thoughts!

Happy Friend x 2

2009-07-24T12:18:00.004-04:00

This week's color challenge on SCS is to use Not Quite Navy, Pretty in Pink and Really Rust. The Navy and Pink were easy but adding the Rust made me think this out. Paper Blooms Challenge for July 15, was to use animals which made me think of the elephant for both challenges. The card is pretty simple using the NQN base, patterned paper and pink to layer and color the image. The little bit of Rust comes in the flower leave, grass and sponging on the white paper. A rust rhinestone accents the butterfly. This stamp set Happy Heart Day always makes me smile. All paper and ink is Stampin'Up. This card is for all of you my friends! Love ya!

In the Pink!

2009-07-22T11:50:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can't believe I have a card ready for this week's Belli Challenge! I made this as a CASE of a friends card but as the rules are, I changed several things including the addition of tiny flowers and placement of the sentiment and butterfly. The Belli Challenge is to use metal tags on your card. I used SU's Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware, I just love the creamy color! My stamps are the swirls from Baroque Motifs as a background using the new Mellon Mango ink on Vanilla cs. I added some tiny flowers using Pretty in Pink ink which was also used for the butterfly base to which Mellon Mango was used to "kiss" the stamps together to make a pattern. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, cs is textured Mellon Mango with dotted ribbon trim, butterfly is from Flight of the Butterfly raised with dimensionals and accented with a clear gemstone brad. I know I would be feel better receiving a cheerful card like this if I were the recipient, just love the colors!

Sweet Stop Sketch

2009-07-21T16:17:00.005-04:00

The challenge on Sweet Stop this week has a spin; it must be a Christmas card made with the sketch. I am really having a hard time getting my brain to work in Christmas card mode. Last week's Ways to Use challenge on SCS also was a Christmas theme, so here is my entry for that as well. I chose part of SNS set Christmas Cheer designed by Korin Sutherland. I stamped the stocking image on watercolor paper and colored the ball, kitty and gift but pieced the stocking in SU patterned paper. I used Stickles in Gold for the gift ribbon and Frosted Lace for the stocking edging, also white gel pen for stiching. The card stock is SU Riding Hood Red, Wassail by Basic Grey which I also used in combination with the SU dsp to make paper ribbon for trim. I mounted the cut out image with dimensionals, sponged the Whisper White embossed Swiss Dots (CB folder) with R.H. Red and scalloped the with the SU lace punch, added Goldenberry Dew Drops (Robins Nest) on the bottom and a medallion sticker I bought at Michaels.

Award from Linda

2009-07-20T15:28:00.002-04:00

Thank you so much Linda for this award. If any of you aren't yet familiar with Linda's wonderful creations, please check out her blog She has so many lovely cards and projects. Wait until you see the photos of her craft room, wow!!
I'd like to pass this award on all of you who read and comment on my blog. It means so much to me to know that you have taken the time to do so. I hope you will feel free to pick up the award for yourself. You all have Beautiful Blogs and have so much to contribute to your sister stampers.
Have a wonderful day!
Big hugs!

Saturday's Stamp Camp at Ruth Murphy's

2009-07-20T13:09:00.004-04:00

I attended Ruth Murphy's Stamp Camp with another demo friend at which we made some terrific cards. This is the 1st and is made using the brand new Autumn Days stamp which makes a super masculine card! Ruth's design called for Crushed Curry cs for the base, Soft Suede printed in the same ink using the new Woodgrain background stamp, masking of the sky to reveal the blazing sun and and stamping the pheasant only once but using three colors on the stamp. First I stamped in Crushed Curry, then the feet & bottom in Soft Suede and finishing him in Dusty Durango. I love the effect all this gave. I did have some trouble using the daubers for the sky and ground; I haven't mastered a light touch with them. I much prefer sponging! Everyone's card was slightly different, making each one our own interpretation. I have done this with the next cards as well.

This card I call Blazing Roses. Ruth chose the cs and ink colors, but we took it from there as to how deep we wanted the roses to be. The Manhattan Flower embossing folder created the image on Shimmer paper. Turning it to the indented side, I first brayered in YoYo Yellow, then Pink Passion and finally Only Orange giving it an unusual color and leaving the outline white. I then cut the flowers out, stamped some leaves from A Rose is a Rose in Always Artichoke, cut them out and glued all to the orange cs layer then mounted on the Pink Passion base. The card is finished with a sentiment from Oval All layered onto a scallop layer of Pink Passion. I had a lot of fun with this card!

These are only two of the 5 cards we made. I'll post others soon. Thanks for looking.

CBC#69 and SCS WT227

2009-07-20T12:52:00.004-04:00

I'm finally getting some cards finished and posted....seems like there is always something taking up my time these days.....I thought summer was supposed to be simple and lazy....but I don't find it that way...too much to do!
I did make this card last week and it qualifies for the Creative Belli Challenge which was to use texture on the card. My texture is the wide twill tape on which I stamped the floral image and also Crystal Effects which I dotted on the tree leaves. The Ways to Use challenge on SCS is to use 2 of the same items on your card, so I did the with the tiny flower accents. My stamp set is SU Thoughts and Prayers from the new 2009-2010 SU Idea Book and Catalog. I used Basic Brown, Rich Razzleberry & Ivory cs and ink & Always Artichoke ink.

Lovely Oak

2009-06-26T17:02:00.004-04:00

Today's SCS Limited Supplies Challenge is to choose from the A'La Carte Menu of the items you want to use formaking your masculine card. I chose the following: Menu #1 (2)non-floral nature theme; Menu #2 (2) greens & browns; Menu #3 (1) ribbon & brads but no bows. I used the oak from SU's Lovely as a Tree and sentiment from Congrats. My card base is Certainly Celery in a 5" square card. On that I mounted the wonderful textured diagonal brown stripes from To the Nines Specialty paper, also two cream brads and Mellow Moss ribbon. My oak is stamped three times using the Stamp-a-ma-jig first in Certainly Celery, then just the base in Close to Cocoa and the leaves in Mellow Moss for variation. The word Congratulations is stamped in Close to Cocoa. I sponged Mellow Moss lightly on the stamped paper to soften the look.

Four in One !

2009-06-25T19:56:00.004-04:00

I combined 4 challenges in making this card. First I took the Mojo92 Sketch and used the Paper Blooms challenge to use something that inspires me which is the many bright flowers of summer. Next I took the SCS Color Challenge to build my card using the colors of Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point and Summer Sun which also worked for the Ways to Use challenge today which calls for bright bold colors. these challenges all seemed to come together in this card. My cs is SU Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Summer Sun & Whisper White. The floral print is from DCWV Blossoms & Butterflies & I used Pacific Point ink with the verse from SU's God's Blessings. The flowers were made with the SU Flower punch, the ribbon is something I had in my stash and the butterfly sticker was mounted on the Sun cs, cut out and adhered with a dimensional. I have been trying to broaden my color palette by using brighter colors and this did just that! Thanks for looking.

Stars & Stripes for Belli # 68

2009-06-24T17:13:00.003-04:00

Today's Belli Challenge is to create a card with a Patriotic theme. This is an interpretation of the American flag using a backgound of deep red with raised silver stars & dots. The stripes are cut from strips of antique looking Early American style paper, blue paper with white dots, a star punched from Natural SU card stock and a red button for accent. The button and star punch are SU. No stamps or ink were used to make this card. A friend supplied the patterned paper, the maker unknown to me.

Red, White & Blue Super Hero!

2009-06-24T16:41:00.003-04:00

This week's SweetStopSketch challenge is to make a card with the sketch and also the added twist of using red, white and blue. I used SNSS set Super Hero to make a birthday card. My card stock is Night of Navy, Whisper White and Real Red patterned paper all SU as well as the ink and markers in Brilliant Blue and Real Red. I added white gel pen accent dots.

Home Sweet Home Father's Day

2009-06-17T14:50:00.008-04:00

The current Belli Challenge combines the Sweet Stop Sketch #7 and a Father's Day card. I decided to use the house from SNSS "Home Sweet Home" set. The house is colored with SU Watercolor Pencils and mounted on Naturals cs which also form the base. The accent paper is from the SU "To the Nines Specialty" collection and Kraft patterned paper. The 'Family' brad is from Oriental Trading, brown ribbon: JoAnn's(gift), printed twill tape: Michael's and Happy Father's Day stamp: SNSS "Cool Dude". I wanted to go with a different look on this card since my husband really likes being at home. This card also meets the challenge at Paper Blooms to make a Father's Day card for a man of influence in your life.

CAS 19 Flower Power

2009-06-15T13:03:00.002-04:00

Today's CAS challenge on SCS is to make a card based on Natasha's pink blooms so I chose to use a simple floral paper with only 2 floral brads to accent. I really like the simplicity of the design and how quickly this came together. I rarely think to use only paper and now stamps. Will have to try this more often.

Father's Day Golfer

2009-06-15T08:52:00.005-04:00

This card for my son is my entry for the Cupcake Craft Challenge to make a Father's Day card. These are retiring colors from SU, Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss and Riding Hood Red. The base is Chocolate Chip the stamp set is And Many Mower from the Occasions catalog. I used their design and sketch but made a card, not a bag. I udes Blender pens to color the image, cut it out and mounted it on the Kiwi. Ribbon and a green brad complete the card. Another quick card!

Blogger award from Grace

2009-06-06T19:18:00.006-04:00

Thank you Gracefor giving me this award. Your blog is amazing and I feel honored to be given the award by you!

There are a few requirements to accepting the Honest Scrap Award and they are as follows:

1. I must thank the person who gave me the award and list their blog and link and

2. I must list 10 honest things about myself.

I have had to think about the answers to this, thus the reason for not posting before.

Here goes:
1. Have lived in Maryland for all but 13 years of my life, so I consider MD my home state.
2. Have never dyed my hair, it's all my own color.
3. Went to the movies weekly as a teen, haven't been in years and that was a Disney movie with my
granddaughter.
4. First microwave in 1986, nervous about it, now can't live without one!
5. Have eaten many words..esp. "I'll never do that"!
6. Enjoy traveling, favorite places CA. and Germany.
7. Had no idea I would enjoy paper crafts until 4 yrs. ago.
8. Was part of a Friendship Youth group of the M.Y.F. Wyoming Conf.(PA.) to Puerto Rico 1959 and used a 35mm. camera for the 1st time.
9. Take God's word seriously: forgiving over & over, turning the cheek and never hold a grudge.
10.Love family heirlooms that have been passed to me, they are priceless items of family history.

Now I pass this award on to all of you who visit my blog and write such wonderful words of encouragement. I feel blessed to be in the company of all of you very creative friends.

Pacific Point Butterfly

2009-06-04T08:34:00.002-04:00

The CAS challenge is based on beach towels and bags this week, so I chose a towel called Framed Border in Cosmic Blue and White. My colors are Pacific Point Blue and Whisper White. This is a design of my friend Denise used in Stamp Camp. Stamp set is SU Simple Friendship with the butterfly stamped once on the cs and then again, cut out and mounted for a raised effect. Clean, Simple and Fun!

Ecclesiastes 3:1

2009-06-03T18:41:00.004-04:00

The verse I chose for this card is from the Encouragement stamp set by Sweet'n Sassy stamps. We often think of this verse when their is a death, but it tells us that God has a purpose for all that happens to us, that He will see us through and give us courage for the trial.
The sketch I used is again from this week's Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge along with a color combo from Christian Paper Craft Magazine to use Basic Black, Kraft and Soft Sky or Baja Breeze. The card stock is Stampin'Up, the flowers were a gift from a friend & the brads are SU as is the eyelet punch. Thank you for stopping by. Blessings!

My 1st MOJO card

2009-06-02T21:59:00.005-04:00

Decided to give MOJO Monday sketch a try along with SCS color challenge using retiring IN-Colors Kiwi Kiss, Red Riding Hood and Tangerine Tango. This was certainly not a color combo I would choose but gave it a try. I used retiring SU Bella Rose and Walk in the Park dsp on the tangerine base, then mounted stamped cut out butterflies with dimensionals. Stamp sets are Oval All and Great Friend. This is definitely not in my comfort zone but I am trying to do new things. What do you think?

Graduation CBC #66

2009-05-31T17:16:00.005-04:00

This is not my usual style card and I almost didn't play again this time. However I remembered that I had a Graduation Paper Kit from Creative Memories that I had bought to use in my kids' albums because their school colors are black & gold. I looked through it and found some stickers I could use with the paper to make a card. The cs is Stampin'Up as is the congratulations stamp from the Congrats set. I used Korin's sketch from this week's Sweet'n Sassy Stamps
Sweet Stop Challenge. Unfortunately I don't have any graduation stamps so I went in this direction with the challenge. Have you joined the Creative Belli Challenges yet? If not take a look and join the fun!

The Potting Shed: my demo design

2009-05-31T15:43:00.002-04:00

I wanted to focus on the retiring IN-COLORS'08-'09 and also the current Occasions Mini, so I chose Kiwi Kiss for my base color coordinating it with the Walk in the Park DSP. My stamps are from Scene in the Garden colored with Watercolor Pencils on Natural Ivory cs, sentiment from Soft Summer in Creamy Caramel also used in edging and sponging. I chose brass brads for detail. This is the first time using the Colored Pencils and I like the softness and textured they provide. This was a fun card to make!

Cupcake Craft Challenge #41

2009-05-31T14:22:00.005-04:00

This weeks challenge has been 2 shapes/2 colors on Cupcake Craft, so here I am squeaking in under the deadline I hope. This design came from my up-line Denise and I really like the simplicity of the clean lines. The flower was cut from the SU Big Shot Flower, Daisies2. Three sizes & colors done in one cut, love that! Colors are Bashful Blue, Whisper White and Basic Black. the white layer is scalloped with the SU Eyelet Border punch and black ribbon is added to finish the card. No verse or sentiment is added as I haven't decided how I will use this card. Very quick, clean and simple to make.

Never Forget

2009-05-30T13:02:00.006-04:00

This is one of Sweet'nSassy Stamps Digi stamps that we were able to download when joining the Stampin' Out Alzheimer's Fundraising Event this week. This is my first attempt with digi stamps and chose SU Vellum card stock to print on. I then used ink and blender pens to color the flowers. I did notice that the black printer ink ran into some of the ink when coloring so the effect is not quite the way I wanted it to look. I chose SU Bella Birds dsp and Pink Pirouette cs to mount the vellum image and sentiment. Finished with sheer ribbon. There is still time to join the group of stampers who have made a donation to the Alzheimer's Fund, you can use the link on my blog. Please make a difference by donating!

While the idea is to send a card to someone suffering with Alzheimer's or a family member, I am sending this to the family of a long time friend who just passed away from a long battle with cancer. Though we haven't seen each other since I moved almost 5 yrs. ago, I remember her as being a woman of strength for her family, friends and community. She freely gave of her time to the Ladies' Aux. of the Volunteer Fire Dept, the schools while her children were growing up, to Church activities and wherever she was needed. Almost a year ago she lost her oldest son to a sudden massive heart attack dealing with this horrible loss while battling the disease that took her life. Now she is at peace and home with the Lord.

Many blessings to all of you!

Memorial Day Weekend Thoughts

2009-05-22T09:40:00.003-04:00

My good friend Teresa has posted Blog Candy with a twist. In commenting she would like everyone to tell what plans they have for the Memorial Day Weekend. My plans are always low-key because I try to remember the meaning of why we celebrate this holiday. Having just honored our active duty service men and women with Armed Forces Day, thoughts now turn to those who have given service to our country during war time. This is what I wrote on Teresa's blog.

As always on Memorial Day weekend, I honor the memory of those who gave their lives in service to our country in war time and in peace. Being born during WWII several of the kids I went to school with had lost dads. Then as a young adult, I saw friends off to Viet Nam never to return, their names forever etched in The Wall. The brave men and women who have given the greatest sacrifice to our country deserve our rememberance and gratitude as do those who continue to serve today. With active military service family members, their welfare and dedication is always in my thoughts and prayers.

On a personal note, I will be helping with an SU Stamp Camp on Sunday afternoon at my upline's. She is a retired Army veteran.

Whatever your plans are for the weekend, be sure to fly the American Flag, attend a memorial service and thank God for those who gave us the freedoms we enjoy today!

My Dear Mother

2009-05-10T10:36:00.007-04:00

Today I have no new cards to post, haven't had time the last few days! Today I will give a memorial to my mother, who passed from this world to the arms of Jesus on June 14, 2003.
My mother was born in 1916, raised by a twice widowed mother who came from a strict German background, graduated from high school at 16 and worked in a 5&10 where she met my dad whom she married in 1936. Together they began a relationship that spanned decades of caring, dedication to Christ and raising a family. Always active in church work, my dad studied for the ministry when I was in high school. When he was ordained, he and my mother embarked on a new phase in their lives, serving the Lord together. When my dad passed away my mother continued to witness, pray for others and lend a listening ear to many. Her example of being a Christian was known by all who knew her. To us, her family, she gave advice, love, forgiveness, strength and her never ending faith. To her many friends who called her "MOM", she offered her generous spirit! Her greatest legacy to me was her wonderful relationship with God which saw her through many difficult times and poor health in her last years. So today as we honor and remember our mothers and all the women who make a difference in our lives, may I wish you all a wonderful day of celebration! Hugs and blessing!

Ellie's 1st real design!

2009-05-07T15:22:00.006-04:00

Today Ellie's elementary school had Kindergarten registration so she had no school. I decided we needed some one on one time together so she is spending the day with me. One of the things we have done is make a Mother's Day card for her mom, my dd. She wanted roses and that's what she got! Ellie age 6 1/2 stamped this herself placing the roses and butterflies where she wanted them. I am amazed at how well she designed this! I only had to help her get started with the stickles. Ellie has made many cards but not something like this, I know Sue will treasure it. We are trying to make her Mother's Day a pleasant one with her DH out to sea. I am so proud of how much this little girl has grown in the past year.Looks like another stamping family member!

Friday morning: I'd like to thank all of you for the kind words to Ellie about her card. I'll show her next time she comes over, she will be so happy! Her artistic talent comes from her dad who when he has the time, has done wonderful drawings.
Have a beautiful and blessed day!

Paper Blooms Challenge #5 and CBCC #36

2009-05-04T17:56:00.005-04:00

I made this card for my very dear friend Denise who is my mentor. She introduced me the joy of creating cards. She has two Cocker Spaniels who are her "babies", so Casey and Pepper are going to give her a Special One of a Kind Mother's Day card! I designed the card with the China pattern inspiration piece for Paper Blooms' Wednesday Challenge. I chose SU Raspberry Tart (just love the colors!) and River Rock cs. I made paper lace and ribbon which I covered in a sheer Dusty Rose organza ribbon from Michael's The Prima flowers blend in the color the center being a Rose Dew Drop from Robin's Nest. Vanilla Hardware, frames the Designer Label stamp and punch from SU. The Raspberry Tart paper has Kiwi stems, but I really like the balance of the River Rock with the dsp better.
Having just seen Courtney's challenge to use flowers anywhere on your card, I thought "gee I just did that." So here is my entry for your challenge Courtney!

Black and Linen Floral

2009-05-03T17:29:00.005-04:00

Last Thursday's SCS Ways to Use challenge was to use basic black as the dominant color on your card, so I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I chose the black and linen floral print from the DCWV La Creme matstock pad that was a gift to me. There are some very interesting patterns included and also some flocked patterns, out of my comfort zone but I have to reach out every so often to try something different! That said I tried to be careful to keep the rest simple. I chose the Happy Mother's Day from SNSS Special Women stamped on the solid linen matting it on solid black. The only trim is a French Vanilla SU brad and two tiny black butterflies punched from Creative Memories Meadow punch. On the inside flap of the tri-fold card I added a few linen butterflies and continued them under the linen paper on which I stamped the sentiment. I will be sending this to my friend who gave me the paper. Oh yes, I used a Martha Stewart lace edge punch to scallop the bottom of the paper. This friend has not been feeling up to par for several months so I'd like to tell her how special she is to me on Mother's Day. She runs a day care and has nurtured many little ones over the years. We met through scrapbooking and became fast friends.

I just found my list of challenges for last week and realize that because I used a large brad, this can be entered in the Creative Belli Challenge #64. You were to use a large brad or jumbo eyelet.

Women to Women Sharing Jesus

2009-05-01T10:17:00.002-04:00

Are you looking for devotionals and messages from our sister stampers, writers and crafters? There is a new site I was invited to join and I invite all of you to join also. No challenges here, just Christian women writing meaningful stories about their relationship with Jesus Christ. You may know some of the team from their blogs. Grace is one of the team members. You'll find some of your friends have already joined the group. Please take a look and consider becoming a follower. WTWSJ There is also a link on my sidebar.
Blessings,

Very humbled to accept this Honor....

2009-04-30T08:55:00.009-04:00

The last post told you about the new site WTWSJ and invited you to take a look and perhaps follow the group. Korin Sutherland has passed an honor to me for exalting Christ on my blog. Receiving this award brought tears to my eyes because I don't begin to feel worthy. I have met so many wonderful Christian women who share my love of the Lord and express themselves more eloquently than I.

I have looked at many wonderful blogs written by sisters in Christ and pass this along to some of the members who have touched my life in some way. I wish that all my dear friends were a part of this wonderful site so that I could include them as well.

Here are the details about this award:

"The Exalting Christ Blog Award is given to bloggers who consistently exalt the name of Christ on their blogs. What a joy to see crafters blend their passion for Christ and paper crafting. This award is given to bloggers who share Christ through their posts or through the design of their artwork. We are commanded in Scripture to be 'salt and light' sharing the Good News of Jesus no matter where we are (Matthew 5:13-16). This award is just a way members of Women to Women: Sharing Jesus can say thanks for exalting Christ with us!

Rules:Post the blog award in a regular post on your blog with the explanation, including the original link to WTW and the rules for passing the award along

1. Name five people to whom you want to offer this award and link to their blogs. The blogs need to obviously exalt Christ in some manner.

2. Contact the bloggers you have named to let them know they can pick up their blog award from you.

3. Invite them to permanently display the WTW blog badge and/or the award on their blogs. The badge can be obtained on the WTW site."

I am thrilled to pass this award on to the following 5 dear sisters in Christ:

Chris Olsen
Christi
Judy
Betty
Michelle Bradford

Please take a look at the lovely blogs these Sisters in Christ have created!

I have been honored!

2009-04-27T19:47:00.011-04:00

To have friends you must first be a friend and I am so honored to be called Friend! Many people touch our lives and have become our friends, so I too will take the time to honor some of my stamping friends with this award. If I could I would name many, many more who have become my friends through stamping. This is for all of you! Thank you to all who encourage, advise and help me along my stamping adventure!

Here is the text to be included with the award and it is to be passed on to 8 others. This award comes from Ceal and I have to give it to her because she has become one of my dear friends who encourages my work, gives me Christian love and support in life and I have come to cherish her. Thank you Ceal! The other 7 are listed in no particular order:
Chris
Becky
Linda
Grace
Shirley
Teresa
Heidi
Please check these lovely ladies' blogs, they offer encouragement, advice and friendship.

I was also honored with an award from Grace who sent me this Brilliante Blog award. She has a fabulous blog so be sure to check it out if you aren't familiar with it. Thank you Grace!
Now, the rules for receiving this award:
1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. On your blog, link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Put links of those blogs on yours
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated
What a great way to share with the rest of blogland some great blogs they might not have seen yet and might just really want to visit again and again! So here are my nominees:
Deb
Jackie
Chris
KathyJ
Denise
Wendy
Ann

CPCM Saturday Artist: Ceal

2009-04-26T17:48:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite people is Ceal who is the Christian Paper Craft Magazine featured Saturday artist. I have CASED one of the cards from her blog changing the slightly different color, backgound and sentiment. I used one of the CB border folders in Just my Style on a Groovy Guava SU long note. I stamped SNS Dream Silhouette flowers in the Groovey Guava onto white cs and stamped the sentiment from SNS Be Still in Close to Cocoa matching the trim. The ribbon is Coffee from JoAnn's and used Antique Hodgepodge Hardware instead of a bow. The peace that Ceal's card evokes spoke to my heart and this is what evolved..."Peace be still and know that I am God". Do you have that Peace that only comes from God? It is a wonderful feeling that will bring you through many trials and difficult times. Blessings to all!

Challenges

2009-04-26T12:08:00.006-04:00

This was made for SNS' DT Monday challenge to use Scripture. Once again I took apart a card that was started at a swap and now that I changed it, I'm not so sure it is any better but it certainly has more detail with adding the Basic Grey Two Scoops dsp. The stamp is from SU Occasions Mini called Soft Summer. The card design was actually supposed to look like the example in the catty, but you know me, I had to change it!! I made mine into a Mother's Day card with a Bible verse, both from SNSS Special Women and Rejoice in the Lord. The ribbon came with the basic card supplies and i added the K&CO. jewels to pick up the deeper shades. Ink used is SU Rose Red for the words and Regal Rose for the rest. This card also fits the criteria to list it on the new Christian Paper Crafts Magazine site. If you haven't been over to see it, you really should. This site glorifies the Lord through creativity, sharing, praying and joy of Christian Crafters. A link can be found on my side bar.

The criteria for this card is from SCS's Ways to Use challenge this week to make a white card. I chose the CB Textile folder to emboss the front, added Prima Hydrangea flowers in pale shades with SU pink rhinestone brad centers. The ribbon is from Michael's, Marvy scallop punches, BG paper, SU Whisper White cs & Regal Rose ink. The words are from SNSS Special Women and True Friend. The sketch is from Cupcake Craft Challenges also on my side bar, another fun challenge for you to try.
I'll probably make a few more Mother's Day cards to send to some very dear friends. My mother is at home with the Lord and never saw any of my cards as she passed away before I began this wonderful hobby, but I know she would have cherished them as she did all the cards I sent! We had a very special relationship and she was a wonderful Christian woman who shared her faith daily. Distance kept us from seeing each other as often as we would have liked so we talked every day and did so until the day she went home to be with the Lord. I was able to get there and hold her hand as she went home, I know she heard my voice.

Paper Blooms Earth Day Challenge

2009-04-23T17:22:00.003-04:00

Paper Blooms challenge for Earth Day was to recycle something for use on your card. Does this flower look familiar? I took the card I recently made apart to save the flower and ribbon for this card which was supposed to be for Paper Blooms 3rd challenge.....This is the first chance I had to make the 5 B's challenge, went to upload and found the challenge ended yesterday. So I am entering it for this week's challenge instead! I decided that I liked Pacific Point as a base, placed my blossom and ribbon on it, then added the word 'bloom' and 2 layered butterfly with gem body for interest. My stamps are SU: Bloomin' Beautiful, From the Garden and Flight of the Butterfly, ink and cs is Pacific Point. The flower is colored in Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, Certainly Celery and Basic Brown. The gems are Doodlebug's Blue Jeans Jewels, Stickles and ribbon finish the card. I saved the cs from the original card to use again for something else, no waste here. I love scraps and use almost every piece of paper I can.
Thanks for taking a look and leaving a comment.

Color challenge, wrong stamp, lessons learned....

2009-04-16T07:27:00.005-04:00

The color challenge on SCS this week is Bordering Blue, So Saffron and Pink Pirouette. Easy, I thought, pretty colors. Perhaps it would have been, had I chosen a different stamp to use, but after I colored and cut out the large flower (SU's From the Garden) I wasn't happy with the cs base. The blue just didn't look right, so I went with the saffron after running it through the CB with the Swiss Dots folder although I still don't like the look, something dark would really have made the flower stand out. However, I stuck to the colors but may tear it apart and finish it differently now that it's entered in the challenge. This is one neglected stamp among many and thought I would give it some use. I stamped it in Basic Brown on Whisper White using Pink Pirouette to color the petals and So Saffron with a touch of Certainly Celery for the leaves. I added yellow Stickles to the center and Diamond to the rest to add a little dewy sparkle, although the scanner didn't pick this up. No sentiment because I'm not sure how I will use this card.

Thinking Embossed Thoughts: 2 for 1

2009-04-15T15:41:00.004-04:00

This weeks Creative Belli Challenge is to use some form of embossing on the card and the Monday SNS Design Team challenge is to make a "Thinking of You" card. I combined the two using the CB Paisley Folder to emboss the front of my Mellow Moss card which I then scalloped the edge using matching SU dsp to show beyond the scallop. I picked up the other colors in the dsp: Pretty in Pink for the scalloped trim with a strip of dsp down the center, a Paisley die cut punched with my CM shape maker and Tempting Turquoise ink for the sentiment from SNSS Sweet Gretchen. I added a finishing touch of Dew Drops.

Cupcake Craft Challenge #35: one layer

2009-04-14T12:15:00.003-04:00

This week's Cupcake Craft Challenge is to use only one layer of cardstock beside your image layer adding all the embellishement you care to use. I made this card at a friend's and thought it was perfect for this challenge. It is all Stampin' Up: Brocade Blue base and strip, Whisper White embossed with Background Texturz Plate on the Big Shot, silver embossing on the heart and sentiment, white ribbon and stick pin, pearls and crystals from the Pretties Kit & heart punch. Stamps are from Polka Dot Punches and Holidays and Wishes.

Cello Bag Topper

2009-04-14T06:57:00.005-04:00

The Creative Belli Challenge this week is to use our cello bags. I made this topper to 'top off' my gift for a friend who adores chocolate especially 'very good' chocolate. I can't scan the Harry and David Dark Chocolate Truffles I bought for obvious reasons so I am only showing the topper. Naturally, I chose Sweet'n Sassy's "Chocoholic" stamp set coloring and mounting thechocolate pieces with dimensionals. I used the SU Top Note Die in reverse making it a frame for my patterned paper. The edges are stamped front and back with the small pieces of chocolate candy. I know that my friend will be very happy with her gift!

SNS April Sketch and CAS challenges

2009-04-08T18:17:00.003-04:00

The CAS challenge was easy and combined with SCS's Color Challenge: So Saffron, Bashful Blue and Close to Cocoa. For this I used Bashful Blue cs with coordinating blue stripe, So Saffron Ribbon and Close to Cocoa ink for the verse from SNSS Rejoice in the Lord. My card is actually 5x5, but the scanner only picked up part of it, not sure why! I added a flower punched from the three colors and finished with a rhinstone brad.

The sketch challenge is designed by Suzy. I chose SNSS Sweet Dreams stamp set stamped on white cs, colored and mounted on the SU dsp to add dimension to the card. The colors are Blush Blossom, Bashful Blue and Mellow Moss. I used the D'vine Swirl CB folder to emboss the card base.

It seems like I am only able to enter a few challenges these days, but I'm hoping to have more time again soon.

Sweet'n Sassy April Release Challenges

2009-04-05T17:26:00.004-04:00

Chris' challenge is to use birds somewhere on your card. My card base of So Saffron was embossed with Birds & Swirls CB folder. I chose the SNSS sets of Rejoice for the verse and His Eye is on the Sparrow for the image panel on watercolor paper. I colored it with SU markers and mounted it on Close to Cocoa which I used on the verse as well. I added Easter Blessings from the SU set Flexible Phrasesand sponged Soft Sky on the background. 'His Eye...'is fast becoming a spring favorite of mine and use it every chance I can. I sing the hymn silently each time I think of this set as it has been special to me since childhood.

2009-04-05T15:56:00.004-04:00

I have finished two of the 4 challenges. I was going to wait until all were finished to upload, however, our new ISP is in & out so I'd better upload now. The challenge is a color challenge for Sandy: blue, orange and green. The closest I could come to the shades she gave are these papers from Basic Grey Cupcake Collection. I made a birthday card using SNS Birthday Wishes stamp set inked in SU Brilliant Blue (same cs base color), orange ribbon and the balloon paper layered on matching green paper.

A Very Pink Birthday!

2009-04-02T16:14:00.002-04:00

This week's color challenge on SCS is to use Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, and Chocolate chip. I had started two cards using the pink and red a month or so ago and only completed one, so I already had the basis for this challenge. The base cs is white with the top layer scalloped and the bottom edged in some of the Bella Rose dsp. The top layer is textured Pink Pirouette stamped with Rose Red Craft ink and clear embossed using the Pretty Petals background stamp. The sentiment and inside are printed with words from SNS Birthday Wishes. I trimmed the card with Chocolate Chip ribbon, a fleurette flower in R.H. Red, Pink Piro. and white with a pink rhrinestone brad ceter. I really like the SNS Birthday Wished set because you are able to use the words to create whatever wishes you care to convey both inside and on the front. I find I turn to this set more and more.

Cupcake Craft Challenge#33

2009-03-31T19:09:00.007-04:00

This week's challenge is a sketch and a fond farewell to Ceal who will retire from the DT with this challenge. Ceal this one is for you. You sparked my interest in Cupcake Craft Challenge and I have tried to participate whenever I'm able. My card is a 5 1/2 " square, something I rarely make. I used an Easter egg stamp I bought at a local stamp store shortly after Easter last year before they went out of business. The stamp was made by Holly Berry House. I had originally planned to color it in, but decided to leave it white after embossing it in gold. I accented with gold Dew Drops for balance. My cs is SU Lavender Lace with SU dsp. The circle is a coordinating stripe that I stamped with SU flower in Lavender Lace. The ribbon is from Michael's as is the striped paper.

Weekend cards

2009-03-30T13:06:00.004-04:00

As a new SU Demo I get to go with my upline to her upline's monthly meeting which is a Shoebox Swap. Not having a lot of bulk colors, I had to go with Basic Black, Ruby Red and Whisper White. I chose my new SU set Playful Petals which has so many possiblities. I made a tri fold card, edged the larger front flap with the new Eyelet punch and made my own patterned paper by stamping the small flower all over the white. I stamped the large flower in black on the Ruby, cut it out and outlined in black marker. The smaller done the same way but accented in Ruby and adhered with a dimensional. With everything cut for 12, I'm all ready for Saturday and Denise loves it! I'm excited!

The 2nd is for SCS' limited supplies challenge for Friday to use only black and white, no colors! I used my Love and Happiness Rub-ons on the white cs, edged the black base with Dots CB border folder and trimmed the card with Dew Drops and black ribbon. Clean and simple!
Thank you for taking the time to look at these and let me know what you think. Blessings to all!

Thank You Teresa!

2009-03-28T10:07:00.003-04:00

Thank you Teresa for honoring me with this award! Your creations are fabulous! In accepting this honor I am to pass it along to 10 deserving bloggers. There are so many who give me inspiration and encouragement so it will be difficult to choose only 10. These friends have given me support, encouragement, criticism when needed and praise when they feel I earned it. I dearly love and respect these wonderful artists and thank them all for their friendship. Many of you also fit this description and while your names don't appear this time, I thank all of you! Alphabetically, Becky, Ceal, Chris, Deb,Grace,Judy, Korin, Linda, Lorie, Sandy

It's Spring!

2009-03-24T17:58:00.006-04:00

April is on the doorstep and Spring's promise is in the air. Such a beautiful time of year with all the soft colors mixed with the vibrant shades of purple and red. My card reflects the soft side and while these are sparrows, I chose to make them bluebirds. My challenges are all from SweetnSassy Stamps: Korin's Friday sketch on PCP, Sandy's March challenge to use any shades of pink, yellow and green and the DT Monday challenge to use pink/brown(my choice) or pink/orange. The stamp is from Chris' "His Eye is on the Sparrow", unknown dsp, SU Close to Cocoa, cs and ink, watercolor paper, SU markers, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Creamy Caramel, Apricot Appeal,Certainly Celery, Mellow Moss and Bashful Blue. I also used White Gel pen for the dots and Stickles for sparkle! This card also qualifies for the SCS Limited Supplies challenge to celebrate the 1st day of Spring. Now if it would get a little warmer, I'd be so happy! Yes, I know it's still March, but I can dream! Thanks for looking and have a wonderful day!

Korin's Birthday Candy!

2009-03-22T09:28:00.001-04:00

Take a look at Korin Sutherland's blog Inky Doodle for some fabulous Blog Candy. Happy Birthday Korin!