You are my anchor!

 Hello friends and welcome back to my blog.

It's so nice to have the weather finally warming up and signs of Spring in the flower beds.  Hope you're breathing in some fresh air today ... sure helps to life my spirits and I wish that for you today!!

I created a card to share today that satisfies a couple of fun challenge out in blogland.
Here's my card . . .

 

The challenge over on The Male Room this time around is to use the colors 'brown & blue'.

 

 And I'm also joining in the CAS on Sunday challenge (runs through 3/18) where they are offering up this fun sketch.  I love a good sketch to help get me started!!

 

 

I've turned to a very old Impression Obsession wood block stamp for my focus.   It's called 'Cape Lookout Lighthouse'.  The background paper is from an old DCWV 12x12 paper pack called 'The Tradewinds'.  The EK Success (old) anchor die was cut from gold foil paper. 

I'm always in need of masculine cards and very happy with how this came together!! 

 

 Hope you have a great day today and a wonderful week ahead!  Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by my blog today! 

   As always . . .

Love Those Pretty Papers March 2026 Challenge

 Hello Dear Friends

It's a new month and that means it's time for a new challenge over on our
LOVE THOSE PRETTY PAPERS blog.

Today, our OPTIONAL theme is

CIRCLES

Diane & I will be sharing a Themed pretty paper card as well as an Anything Goes card.

 Here's my card using today's THEME:

 

 Today I had fun playing with the old 'spotlight' technique onto this pretty P13 'Time to Relax' designer paper panel.  In the past when using this technique, I've always used white ink ... today I got brave and used purple.  The sentiment circles are dies from a Greetery set and the sentiment is from 'Inspired by Stamping'.  

 

 Unfortunately, this pretty paper pack is discontinued.

 A few coordinating prima flowers with yellow Nuvo crystal drop centers were all that was needed for embellishments.  

 

Now for my 2nd card (anything goes) ... 

 Once again I'm dipping into my OLD stash and found this pretty paper pack called 'Pink & Blue Watercolored' but it doesn't have a manufacturer name on it.  The upper panel is actually the strip I cut from the panel used in my card above (waste not - want not they say).  Even though from a different paper pack, it has the same color base so grabbed it off the scrap heap long with the scrap piece of solid paper and created my decorative top.

 The sentiment die is Cheery Lynn Designs (no longer in business) and I've used a Tutti Designs 'scallop stitched rectangle' die to back it.   

 I hope you've enjoyed what I created to inspire you today!  Please come join our fun and show us what you have created using pretty patterned papers.

Thanks for stopping by and as always . . .

 

Simply Clean & Simple (3/2026) - Baby Animals

Hello my friends and welcome to my blog!

Today I have a card to share for our challenge blog using the CAS (clean & simple) design style. 
Our blog is called Simply Clean & Simple and today's OPTIONAL theme is:

 

 Baby Animals

 

 

 Here's what I've come up with to share with you today . . .

 

 I have a lot of 'animal' images, stickers, etc but not many 'baby animals' (now that I think of it I should have looked in my BABY dies ... I know there are some little critters there ... duh!).  Anyways, while looking through images over on Pinterest, I spotted this adorable little bear and the eye to eye contact drew me in so since it didn't have a watermark I grabbed it and printed out a couple copies.

 

I spotted a couple packs of  Repeat Impressions 'Swing Card' precuts hanging on my 'what not' peg board (gosh I haven't looked at these for YEARS!) and thought one of these would make for a fun CAS card.

After printing the image twice, so I could adhere one to both sides of the swing panel, I cut & embossed 2 panels of scrap white card stock using a Sizzix tree bark embossing folder.  I hand cut my panels for either side then sponged over the embossing with TH distress oxide ink for that tree bark look.

 

 I had this cute wood block sentiment stamp in my stash that worked perfectly!

 

Challenges to share in:

Craft Rocket Challenge #134 - No Designer Paper (3/31)
Little Red Wagon Challenge #848 - Include an Animal (3/10) 
The Paper Shelter #666 - ATG or Twist of Embossing (3/10)
The Paper Funday Challenge #85 - ATG or Fur/Feathers 

Remember, our challenge is Anything Goes CLEAN & SIMPLE but we do offer an OPTIONAL theme.  You have until the 28th to share your CAS design into our challenge blog.

Hope to see you at SIMPLY CLEAN & SIMPLE!

As always . . .

Word Power (3/2026) Challenge

  Hello Friends . . .

It's time for a new challenge over on our WORD POWER challenge blog! 
Have you check it out yet?  If not, please come join us ... inspiration is welcomed!!  

 Here's what I've created for you today ... I hope the words are encouraging to you!

 Today I have used one of the MANY 12x12 sheets I have from Heartfelt Creations.  My friend and I purchased several of their 12x12 paper packs when they were going out of business.  This is only 1 of many sentiment panels offered in this pack.  I simply added a sentiment from a very old Fiskars 'Laugh with Me' quotes stamp set.

 If you really think about it, this sentiment is SO TRUE!!
Now if we could only get more people to smile at each other vs wanting to fight them!
I'll say no more . . .

 You have until the LAST Thursday of the month to enter.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day ahead!

As always . . .

Double D - Books/Bookmark/Stamps

 Hello Dear Friends!

It's time once again for a new challenge over on the Double D Challenge Blog!

 

Here's today's theme:

 

Book / Bookmark / Stamps

 

 and here's an inspiration board created to help get you started . . .

 

 

 WOW!  Now here is something I never thought to create but what a great idea!  Thanks Diane!!  

 

 

 Today I went with Bookmarks ... using the same Paper Rose 'Dear Isabella' paper pack and a few little goodies from my stash like the Prima flowers & silk butterflies.  I also used two of my OLD Martha Stewart butterfly punches (for the bookmark in the center).  The base was created using the old Cheery Lynn Designs (no longer in business) 'Fishtail Banner' largest die in the set.

 

       

 Here are individual images so you can click on each one to see it closer/larger if you'd like.

 

 You'll want to be sure to pop over to the Double D Challenge Blog to see all the details and amazing samples offered up by our VERY TALENTED design team ladies!!

 Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hope to see you at Double D! 

  As always . . .