Your special day . . .

Good afternoon crafty friends!

I have been SO BUSY lately that I really haven't had much time to 'play' (working on a new project for my cave that I'll be sharing with you very soon!).  But today before time runs out, I wanted to play along in a few fun challenges.

First is the Stampendous! July blog challenge (nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh!)... where they are asking you to make a gift for a friend or loved one.  Well ... while I was doing some clean up I discovered the box of empty Cricut boxes I had received as an RAK some time ago and thought one would work perfectly as a little surprise for a tea loving friend of mine who has a birthday coming up.

  

 I've used the Stampendous! CRS2024 - Bubble Day Cling Set for my focus image.

Doesn't she look relaxed!!

This post is going to be short & sweet ... like I said ... time is running out!!  LOL!!

Here are a few additional challenges to share in:

Mod Squad Challenge - I've Got the Blues

CCEE Stampers - Song Inspired (Splish Splashin' Away)

Creative Knockouts - Happy Birthday

Milk Coffee Challenge - Two or more die cuts

Divas by Design - Anything Goes

Miriam's Crafting Blog Monthly Challenge - Containers

Thanks for stopping by!  

Hope you're having a fabulous week!

I'll be back soon ...

Till then ...

Recipe:
Repurposed item ... Cricut Box
Papers:  White cs, Black cs, Paper Pizazz 'water' dp
Stamps:  Stampendous!
Ink:  Versafine Onyx
Accessories:  Cheery Lynn Designs Swedish Spring Oval Frame (FRM135), Memory Box Big Splash Border (98438), Frantic Stamper Accent Labels (FRA-9040), Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers

ALL - IN - ONE BEAUTY!

Happy Tuesday Friends!

It's my turn to create something to hopefully inspire you in using your die cuts, for the Dies R Us Inspiration Blog team, and this is what I've come up with.

How pretty is this??!!!  

And created using only ONE DIE SET!!

I recently ordered the Sue Wilson Designs 'Spanish Collection-Seville' die set from our Dies R Us store and immediately thought that the largest die in the set would make a beautifully shaped base card.  Then I just kept building from there.  Now mind you, this would be EVEN BETTER had I taken the time to switch over to my embossing mat and really pulled out all the beautiful detail in this die set ... but I was just playing around and actually was thinking this was just going to be a prototype for cards to come so I didn't take the time (MY BAD!).  Should have known it was going to come together beautifully and taken that extra few minutes!! 

The ONLY thing additional I added to this card besides the die cuts, is the white panel behind the sentiment panel, my stamped sentiment and the pearls.  That's IT!  Everything else was cut with this ONE beautiful die set.  There are several other gorgeous die sets available in this Sue Wilson Designs collection ... HERE'S THE LINK!

Unfortunately the one I'm showcasing today is currently OUT OF STOCK!  But not to fear ... by simply clicking on the 'Put Me On The Waiting List' option, you will be notified as soon as it comes back in stock and available for you to purchase.  I know you're probably saying ... "Oh sure, I'll do that and never hear back" ... well I'm here to tell you you're wrong ... because I've had to do this myself and before long I receive an email telling me the die I've been wanting is back in stock.

I hope you'll come check out all the fabulous dies available at the Dies R Us store and also come join in our Dies R Us Challenges.  New challenges go live on the 1st and 15th of each month (with a prize for the winner!).

Well that's it for me today!  Now I have all these ideas swimming around in my head on how I can use this die set ... best get back to work and get them OUT of my head and down on paper!  LOL!

THANKS for the visit!

Squigglefly - Add some Twine

Happy Monday All ...

Here we are at the end of another month!  

EGADS!  Where's the time going?

Today I have a card to share for my DT spot over at Squigglefly and our

theme is ADD SOME TWINE.

This cute little guy is by artist Tam Hess and is called 'Fred - Whatever'.

I've kept my design pretty simple today to showcase Fred, whom I colored with my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.  My background design paper is from an OLD, OLD, 12x12 DCWV paper pack that I purchased at JoAnn's.  And the gold/white baker's twine was my twine of choice for this creation.

I hope you'll take a minute and pop over to Squigglefly!

Check out the fun creations designed by my team mates ... then pop over to our store and shop around.  And of course, come join in this fun challenge with us!

See you there!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're enjoying your summer!

As always . . .

Earth Laughs in Flowers

Hello my friends!

 WOW ... can you believe it's Friday again?  

Time is sure FLYING!

After sharing some of my pretty flowers with you yesterday, I thought it only appropriate to share a 'flower based' card with you today!  I get tired of making your typical side open cards so today I created a fun 'gate fold' card using some of the beautiful Crafty Secrets digital design papers.  This is one of the sheets from the Radiant Digital Papers and the pretty floral images are from the Summertime Printable Sheet which is currently available to you for FREE when you place an order at the Crafty Secrets online store.

(Inside view)

The digital images and papers available at the Crafty Secrets store are fabulous ... be sure to pop over and check 'em out!  My card is A6 in size and I've used decal scissors to give my images/sentiment a bit of whimsy before matting them onto black cardstock.  I have left it blank inside for the moment but can be sent for a variety of occasions!

There's a lot going on at Crafty Secrets these days!

Did you see we have 4 new design team members?  Just wait until you see what they have created for the upcoming August Linky Party which will be posted on our Crafty Secrets/Heartwarming Vintage Blog on August 4th.  FABULOUS inspiration will be shared ... you won't want to miss it!  Then you can come play along!  You don't have to follow any particular theme ... as long as you use Crafty Secrets product on your project you qualify to play along and you could be lucky enough to win the $50 prize at the end of the challenge week.  Even if you aren't the BIG winner, you will still receive a $6 voucher to the store just for joining in the challenge fun!  EVERYONE'S A WINNER!!!

Well that's it for me today!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a FABULOUS weekend ahead!

One of my BFF from high school & her hubby are coming for dinner and a visit on Saturday!  Really looking forward to that!  Guess I'd better start thinking what we'll have to eat!  LOL!!

As always . . .

Looking out my front door ...

HAPPY THURSDAY ALL!

I'm happy to report that the A/C guy is here installing a brand new central air system!  After 15 years ours decided to call it quits! Sure could have used it the other day when it was 90 outside and about 100 in here!  LOL!   Actually he commented to me how much warmer it is in my 'cave' today than it is outside but that's only because it got down in the 50s last night and only going to be in the 70s today!  I'll sure be happy to have A/C again when the temperatures climb up in August & September!

While out watering my front porch flowers early this morning I decided to snap a few photos with my phone to share with you since I (believe it or not) don't have a card creation ready to share!

 How about this fabulous sunflower that our birds (or squirrels) planted for us!

I actually had to rescue it a few times in it's infancy!

Once when the landscapers were here cleaning my flower beds and remulching.  It was only about 6-8" high at that point and didn't want them thinking it was a weed!

Then hubby came home one day a few weeks ago and made the comment "WOW did you see how big that weed is at the side of the driveway?"  "Do you want me to go pull it out?"

NO!  I said ... it's a sunflower ... give it a chance!

Thank goodness he ask before 'helping'!

The petals JUST all popped open yesterday and already Mr. Bee has come to investigate!

Isn't it BEAUTIFUL!!  I love Mother Nature!

While walking back to the front door I noticed how pretty the coneflowers were with the morning dew and decided to snap a few photos of them too.   Have I told you how much I enjoy watching Mother Nature at work??   I've actually set this photo as my desktop image!

Always impressed with the qualify of photos taken on my phone ... wow!

 Well I think it's time to get off the computer and start making some cards!

Hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

Just having fun . . .

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

After an early morning visit to my doctor (annual check up - all is good!), I've decided to spend the day 'just having fun!'.  Not worrying about craft show creations, DT obligations ... just doing what looks and sounds like fun!  That's what this 'crafting thing' is supposed to be all about ... right!

So, when I saw today's sketch challenge over on Splitcoast Stampers 

(which I love to play but don't partake often enough)

 ... AND spotted THIS BEAUTY created by a lovely lady whom I follow on Bloglovin' (thanks Donna) ... I knew exactly what my 1st card of the day would be!

And here it is ...

(Inside view)

 I truly enjoy making 'guy' cards using my Stampscapes stamps.  If you've never played with these stamps, you can check them out HERE.  It's amazing what beautiful creations you can come up with using these stamps, sponges and ink.  Really easier than you might think!

 The product I've used on today's card is as follows:

Papers:  White cs, Black cs, DCWV 'dots, stripes & plaids mat stack dp

Stamps:  Stampscapes 'Pines & Rocks' #195G, Stampscapes 'Pine Row' #150E, Inkadinkado and The Stamp Pad co.

Inks:  Versafine Onyx, Memento 'Angel Pink', Tim Holtz Distress Inks - 'Salty Ocean', 'Tumbled Glass', 'Faded Jeans' and 'Stormy Sky'

Accessories:  Spellbinder Classic Circle dies, SU Circle Punch, Eclipse masking, large sponge daubers, Spectrum Noir alcohol marker EB2 (color rocks), TH black fine tip marker for faux stitching

 (close up view)

 Here are a few additional challenges I'd like to share with today:

Our Daily Bread Designs - Sponging or Stencils

Party Time Tuesday July Challenge - Anything Goes

Emerald Faeries - Hip Hip Hooray Birthday
Reves 2 Scrap Challenge #2 - Anything Goes
 Susan Hurley 365 Challenge #94 - Celebration
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Crafting When We Can - Make Your Own Background
Glitter n Sparkle Challenge #94 - Birthday

Now let's see what my afternoon has in store for me, lol!

Hope you're having fun today too, whatever you may be doing!

Thanks SO MUCH for stopping by and I hope you've been inspired to JUST HAVE FUN!

Life is too short not to!

Sisterhood - Die Cuts and/or Punches

Hello my friends!

It's time once again for a new challenge over at The Sisterhood of Crafters.  And, as you can see by  my post title, the theme this time around is

DIE CUTS and/or PUNCHES

I wasn't really sure which direction I was going today but since I had the Graphic45 Botanical Tea paper pack laying in front of me, that was my starting point!

I am so blessed to have a nice array of dies & punches to create with!  The hard part is getting started with a theme in mind.  But when I saw this image cut and laying there, I thought immediately that it would be nice for a sympathy card.  So, now I have my paper & my theme. 

Here's a close-up of the dies/punches used on my card front ... and they are:

Cheery Lynn Designs - Tiny Fanciful Flourish (B387)

Cheery Lynn Designs - Mini Fanciful Flourish Reverse (B291)

LeCrea Designs - Multi Die Flower 005

Elizabeth Craft - With Sympathy #737

I'm really happy with how quickly this card came together.  Sometimes I struggle with sympathy cards, only because of the nature of them ... what can we as crafters create, to help ease someone's pain after suffering the loss of a loved one.

Challenges to share in:
Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge #45 - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesday Challenge - Anything Goes
 Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Well, that's it for me today!  I hope you'll come join in our challenge fun at The Sisterhood where Lisa is our hostess and the team has some wonderful creations made to inspire you!

Thanks for stopping by ... you know I love it when you do!!

As always . . .

Hope is an Anchor . . .

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!!

It's my turn to share an inspiration creation for the Dies R Us Inspiration Blog.
I have a friend who could use an uplift right now, so I made this card with her in mind.

.

Dies R Us product used:

Spellbinder Nestabilities - Labels Fourteen (S4-290)

Spellbinder in'spire - Anchors Away (IN-014)

Memory Box Stencil - Bubbles (MBD-88574)

Memory Box - Big Splash Border (MBD-98438)

Cheery Lynn Designs - Add A Flourish (B456)

For the background paper on this card, I used Colorbok 'water' patterned paper and sponged white craft ink over the Memory Box 'Bubbles' stencil in the upper right corner to add a little extra dimension.  You could also use one of the several other stencils available in the Dies R Us store to add this fun dimension.

I hope you are inspired by my creation today and if you are in need of some fabulous dies at a very good price & shipping price, Dies R Us is the place you need to check out! 
Need more inspiration using die cuts?  Check out our Dies R Us Inspiration Blog!
In need of a fun challenge using die cuts?  Check out our Dies R Us Challenge Blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!
As always . . .

Recipe:

Paper:  White cs, Colorbok dp, Black cs, Gold metallic cs, 

Inks:  Adirondack 'snowcap' white, Versafine 'onyx'
Sentiment:  Our Daily Bread 'Anchor' stamp set

What are you working on today???

Hello my friends!

Not sure what you are working on today but I'm still working on fancy fold cards and other crafty items for my upcoming Fall Craft Shows ... (first one Sept. 24).  Time goes by so darn fast I thought I'd better get started!

Today I have another Tri Shutter Card, this time using Graphic45 'French Country' design paper.

I just love the "WOW" factor this card fold has!  

I haven't shown one person a card like this that they don't say WOW ... that is so cool!  And, open and close it a half dozen times!  LOL!

MY TRI-SHUTTER PHOTO TUTORIAL CAN BE FOUND HERE!

There are no additional embellishments on this card other than the design paper.

A little bit of fussy cutting gave me all the detail and design I was looking for.

A few challenges to share in ...

Scribble and Scrap Challenge #23 - Always Anything Goes

That Craft Place Challenge - Anything Goes

Pumpkin Spice Challenge #78 - Anything Goes

So Artful July Challenge - Colorful Feathers

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything Goes

That's it for me today.  I'll probably be staying in my 'cave' all day, for the next few days.  Going to be in the upper 80s near 90 and our A/C is broken.  We've gotten a few estimates on replacing our central air system and in fact, the guy is on his way over right now to sign the papers and get the job lined up.  HOWEVER, I don't expect it will be soon enough to deal with the high temperatures predicted!  SO ... I'll just keep 'playing in the cave' and hope for the best!

Back to work!
I've switched over to Post-It note booklets and 3x5 Note Pad Booklets so I'd better get busy!  Thanks for stopping by and hope you're have a fabulous start to your week!

OH AND GOOD NEWS to report!
Hubby just came back from his Oncologist appointment where he received the results of last week's CT Scan and I'm thrilled to tell you it was a THUMBS UP!
He continues to be CANCER FREE!
We are SO BLESSED!  Thank you Lord!

Bye ... Bye ...

Hello Friends!

Do you love Crafty Secrets products as much as I do?  

Such a beautiful variety of images, papers, sticker, and ephemera that your creativity can go crazy!!  Pop over to the Crafty Vintage Girl Store to see what strikes your fancy!

FABULOUS sales going on now too ... you don't want to miss out!

HURRY!!  LOL!!

How about this sweet creation that would be just perfect for a friend who is headed out on an ocean cruise.  The perfect card to wish them well on their journey!

The Crafty Secrets products used on today's card are images from the Crafty Secrets 'TRAVEL' Creative Scraps and Radiant Digital Paper. 

I've added a few die cuts to give that 'ocean voyage' feel, to go along with these sweet vintage images.  A little distressing on the ship image and repurposing of the pieces that came out of the Memory Box 'Box Splash Border' #98438 helped add a little extra texture.  And I just love this Anchors Away die from Spellbinders in'spire collection.

I hope you've found inspiration in today's card and will pop over to the Crafty Secrets store to see what fabulous products are just waiting for YOU!

OH and DON'T FORGET ... we have a MONTHLY LINKY PARTY the 1st Monday of Each Month that we'd love to have you come play in.  EVERYONE'S a winner on this challenge ... check out all the details on our Crafty Secrets Blog.  And if it's inspiration you need ... this team is AMAZING and SURE to inspire, no matter what your style!

A few challenges to share in:
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge - The Great Outdoors
Crafty Girls Challenge - Anything Goes
Charisma Cardz Challenge - Anything Goes
Frilly and Funkie Challenge - Cool Water
Little Red Wagon Challenge - I need a Vacation
Paper Pretties Challenge - Red, Black and White
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Spots and Dots

Thanks for your visit ... means so much to me!

As always ...

Do What You Love!

Happy Day Everyone!

Today's card extends some really good advice  ...  at least I think so!

"DO WHAT YOU LOVE!"

My friend Diane (Nellie's Nest) is a guest designer for the current challenge at the Butterfly Challenge blog and inspired me to play along in their 'Spots & Stripes + your butterfly' challenge.

This card was a really quick put together since I have several purple butterflies already die cut and in a container that I made for my neighbor's baby shower a few months back.  And, it seemed that every time I was in need of a striped or polka dotted paper, I couldn't find one so ... I purposely stopped at the local craft store recently and bought a couple different paper packs with ONLY stripes & dots for those occasions.

The background paper on this card is actually more of a plum/raspberry color but for some reason my camera just doesn't like to give me truer color on purples.  Always wants to go more to the blue or red ... oh well, whatever.  'Don't sweat the small stuff ... right!'

I was also able to use up a few 'scraps' that were laying on the worktable.  

• The sentiment panel is from the Creative Expressions Sue Wilson Designs 'Spanish Collection - Seville' (CED1203) that I had die cut for another card then decided to do it in another color.
• The Spellbinder classic ovals were in my 'extra circles & ovals' box.
• As I said ... still have several different sizes and shades of purple butterflies from the shower.

Always a good thing to be able to use up some of those scraps.

Here are a few other challenges to share in:

Creatalicious Challenges - Monochromatic

The Sisters of Craft Challenge - Anything Goes

TokBobok #14 - Monochromatic
Crafting By Designs Challenge - Use a Sentiment
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Spots and Dots
Word Art Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you're having a great day!  Please stop back tomorrow when a have a fun Crafty Secrets project to share with you!

I'm working again this afternoon at the JoAnn Fabrics Headquarters so better cut this short and get moving!  Happy Day All!

Recipe:

Papers:  White cs, American Crafts 'Dots & Stripes' dp

Accessories:  Paper Smooches 'Group Hugs' clear stamp set, Versafine Onyx ink,  Bakers Twine, Kaiser pearls, Cheery Lynn Designs butterfly dies, pop dots, Spellbinder Classic oval dies, Creative Expressions Sue Wilson Designs 'Spanish Collection - Seville' die set (CED1203)

Awww ... a day at the Beach!

Hello my blogging friends!

First let me express a huge THANKS to all my wonderful online friends who shared Birthday wishes with me yesterday!  You truly helped make my day a very special one!!

I'm working on some fancy fold cards for an upcoming show I'll be doing at the local country club in September.  And I was thinking, if the ladies liked my 'everyday' cards ... they're going to LOVE what I have to share this time around with these fancy fold creations!

I have left several of them blank inside with the thought that they could be used for various occasions versus limiting it to just the one I decided upon.  I will let the buyer make that choice.

Here's another one that I thought would also be great for the Men in our lives.

Could be for a birthday, or even Father's Day.

I just LOVE these Graphic45 papers for this type of card.  So many beautiful papers that all match as well as images and little this & that's to add.  The only EXTRA I've added to these cards are a few die cuts ... Cheery Lynn Designs 'Lighthouses' #B384 and Spellbinder in'spire 'Anchors Away' #IN-014.

A few challenges I'd like to share in today are:

Cards 4 Guys Challenge - At the Beach

Creative Card Crew #66 - Sea/Beach

Die Cuttin Divas - Just Beachy

Classy Cards n Such Challenge - Day at the Beach (NO PEOPLE IMAGES)

Crafty Cardmakers & More Challenge - Under the Sea

Lunagirl Moonbeams Challenge - Vintage Seashore/ Bathing Beauties
Live & Love Crafts Inspiration Challenge - By the Sea
Reves 2 Scrap Challenge #2 - Anything Goes

Well it's back to work for me ... actually, it's OFF TO WORK for me today through Friday.  Yep, even though I am 'retired', I do some freelance crafting for JoAnn Fabrics Headquarters and they've asked us to come to the store to work on a LARGE project for them this time around vs doing it in my home.  So I agreed to come up in the afternoons the rest of the week.  Should be interesting & fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope you're having a FABULOUS day!

Till next time ...

Happy Birthday to Me ... Happy Birthday to Me ...

I know ... call me crazy!  

TODAY'S MY BIRTHDAY and I'm a HAPPY LADY!!

Morning Everyone!

Yes, today's my (ssshhh 64th) birthday (OMG how did that happen?) and since it's also my turn to create an inspirational card for the Dies R Us Inspiration Blog, I decided to make a birthday card for myself!  LOL!!  And, since it is for me, I made it in my favorite color ... purple!

Today I've actually used two dies I've had in my collection that I've never used before!  And thought I'd share a little tutorial on how I did the center flower.  So easy and would work with any of your 'outline' dies.  Here we go . . .

(BTW ... there is a background die that goes along with this Peony outline die [Memory Box Lovely Peony Background] ... I just totally forgot to order it so had to come up with my own rough version, LOL!)

Step 1:  Die cut your outline die using black cardstock.  Using a strong adhesive spray such as E6000 spray, adhere it to a piece of white cardstock, glossy paper or vellum.  

HINT:  Hold your die with a pair of tweezers inside an old box to apply the spray.

Step 2:  Color with the color medium of your choosing.  I love my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.  The outline die will keep the colors from running into each other and really makes them POP!

Step 3:  Once fully colored, you can either cut your image into a square and mat it with a coordinating color OR you can do as I did and fussy cut it with scissors or swivel craft knife, then pop it up on your card front.

JUST AS SIMPLE AS THAT!  And, I love how it looks!  I've used a dimensional to pop it up in the center of my card which also left me room for my birthday sentiment and gem.

Here are the dies from the Dies R Us Store that I used today:

Cheery Lynn Designs - Cathedral Lace Frame (DL148)

Cheery Lynn Designs - Happy (B226)

Cheery Lynn Designs - Birthday (B231)

Memory Box - Lovely Peony Outline (98482)

Any time you need a bit of inspiration using dies, please pop on over to our Inspiration Blog!  The team has a new project to share each day of the week, Monday through Friday!

Have you signed up for our newsletter yet?  NO?  Then you missed this fabulous announcement!

Don't forget about our bi-monthly challenges at our Dies R Us Challenge Blog!

A new challenge started just TODAY, with the theme of DAY AT THE BEACH!

What fun ... please come join us!

Well, that's it for me today!  

Now it's time to P-A-R-T-Y!!  

Okay ... maybe just a little!  LOL!

Thanks for stopping by!

Till next time ...

Squigglefly - Over the Edge . . .

Happy Monday Everyone!

Today's challenge over at Squigglefly is called "OVER THE EDGE".

Lately I've been so darn busy I feel like I'm ready to jump over the edge, lol!

But I won't because I have more cards to make and hopefully share with you lovely people!

Of course, 'over the edge' refers to going over the edge of your card, LOL!

Here's what I came up with using a fabulous image by new artist Norma Burnell called 'Magical Ride' (available in the store after July 5th).

With all the detail in this beautiful image, I found my new Spectrum Noir pencils worked best for my coloring.  They made it easy to get into those small spaces and blend the colors just the way I wanted them.  I actually Googled the Fuschia plant to get close to the correct colors.

You'll want to be sure to check out all the amazing creation by my team mates and don't miss JenLee's creation (and amazing coloring) using this same image!  A good example of how the same image can look so different when used by different artists (and Jen is definitely an artist in her own right!!!).

Other challenges to share in:
Crafting At The Weekend - Always Anything Goes
Pumpkin Spice Challenge #78 - Anything Goes
So Artful July Challenge - Feathers
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge #37 - Anything Goes
Time 4 Scrap Challenge #43 - Anything Goes

I hope you'll come check out our challenges and play along.

Thanks for stopping by today and if you have any questions on this creation please leave me a comment and I'll get an answer to you a.s.a.p.

As always ...