Changes

My goodness ~ so much has changed since I posted last.  The seperation is going into full fledge divorce ~ the kids and I have moved twice and I had to give up selling Stampin' Up! but life is finally starting to settle down.  I hope to start positing more cards here soon and finally being able to get into creating again.  I hope everyone had a blessed day!!!

Sorrow

Hi everyone, time got away from me yesterday and I completely forgot to post...

A few months ago my dear friend Cheryl's father passed away & this is the card I made for her. I know it seems very bright and cheerful, but these were the colors that called to me for his sympathy card. As you can tell I love using the scallop circles to create clouds in the sky. I know she greatly appreciated the card and of course the thought behind the card.

I hope everyone has a blessed day today.

Don't Put Off...

Hi everyone!! I hope everyone is having a wonderful and blessed day today! Things are great here, the family is good, my friends are great, I'm getting back into my stamping and finally teaching classes again...God is good and makes life great!!

I have done this card for two stamp camps now. At first I wasn't too sure of all these bright colors, but it has really grown on me :) I have started doing a stamp camp at my church once a month and this is one of the cards we are going to be making tonight. I think this makes a great all occassion card.

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Hope Happens

Papers: Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Whisper White

Inks: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo

Blogger issues

Hi all, I have a great card to share today, but blogger has other ideas about retrieving pictures...so I will have to post the card tomorrow :(

True Friend

Good Morning everyone! What a beutiful day today!! I hope everyone is feeling God's blessings in their lives.

Today's card is a CASE of one I made a couple of years ago. I really do like the style of this, it is simple yet colorful. As I said a few posts ago ~ I love this set!!

Stamps: True Friend

Paper: Textured Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White
Ink: Crushed Curry, Bermunda Bay, Soft Suede
Accessories: Burmuda Bay polka dot ribbon

Thanks So Much

Hi everyone - I hope everyone is well. Things are as well here as can be expected.

I was playing with the left overs on my table from my last few cards and this is what I came up with. It is another simple card, but I do like how it turned out.

Stamps: Kind & Caring Thoughts

Paper: Textured Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Glossy White

Inks: Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede

Accessories: Sanding Block

Big Thanks

Happy Monday everyone!!! 18 days and counting...how cool is that?? Today is my boss' first day back in a week...I bet there is part of her that wishes she was still on the cruise ship ;)

I am so loving how this card turned out!! This is great for a masculine card ~ which is something I really need to work on making more of. I used the faux linen technique to make my main image.

Stamps: True Friends, Full of Life

Papers: Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, To the Nines DS, Glossy White CS

Inks: Creamy Caramel, Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Phote Corners, Sanding Block

Honey of a Day!

Hi everyone - Happy Sunday. Well today is the wedding show ~ so that means I will be going to church this evening instead of this morning and it also means that I will get to spend the day talking to upcoming brides showing off all of our great linens and beautiful china sets to make their days even more special...it is so weird to get excited for the brides as I'm working on my divore...so far I haven't told anyone to NOT get married :)

Today's card is another using the Just Buzzin' By set. I was so in love with this set when I got it ~ then I became a little puzzled over how to make it work for me. I have completed my 5 card challenge with this set, but I still plan on challenging myself to keep using this card and create more than picture type scenes with it...I also tried something new by fraying my ribbon a little ~ I'm not too sure if I like it on this card or not...

Stamps: Just Buzzin' By

Papers: Soft Suede, Ballet Blue, Summer Sun, Whisper White

Inks: Ballet Blue, Basic Black, Old Olive, Summer Sun, More Mustard, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red

Accessories: Crystal Effects, Eyelet Border Punch, Circle Scallop Punch, Dimensionals, 5/8" Brocade Blue grossgrain ribbon

Bees & Flowers

Hi everyone! I hope you all have a great Saturday!!

Today's card is a tent topper card and oh so fun to make. This is one of my favorite WOW type cards to make and beginners really like how easy it is to put together ~ especially if you are using our grid paper.

Stamps: Just Buzzin' By

Papers: Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Whisper White

Inks: Basic Black, Ballet Blue, Old Olive, So Saffron, Lovely Lilac

Accessories: Circle Scallop Punch, Eyelet Border, Stickles, Crushed Curry polka dot ribbon

Purple Daisy's

Hi everyone & Happy Friday!! This is going to be a busy weekend for me...my boss is on a fabulous cruise and my co-worker and I are going to work a wedding show on Sunday, which means we will be doing alot of set up on Saturday (we hope!!)

Today's card is another simple card. I love purples so I was quite happy to make a card of all purples...here again I planned to make this card more complex but the simplicity of it won out.

Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Fine Flourish

Papers: Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Almost Amethyst

Inks: Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant

Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch

Courage

Hi everyone - I hope this will be a great & blessed day for everyone!


Today's card is another quite colorful one that I really like. This has been one of my favorite sets ever since it came out ~ it is so easy to use for kids or adults and most any occasions...I will be so sorry when this set retires...it has become my go to for most anything...


Stamps: True Friend, Hope Happens
Papers: Elegant Eggplant, Kraft, Razzleberry Lemonade, Whisper White
Inks: Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black
Accessories: Kraft Taffeta Ribbon

Simple Daisy's

Hi all - 13 days and counting...my goodness ~ I didn't think I had it in me ~ I may actually get a card posted everyday this month...

Todays card is very simple ~ I challenged myself to use the cardstock I had leftover from yesterdays card & this is what I came up with...

My original goal was something a little more complex but as I was playing with this color combo I decided to just stamp the flowers on the DS paper to see how they would look ank I'm quite happy with it. This card took about three minutes to make which will make it a nice quick one to teach but also could be used for multiple occasions.

Stamps: Upsy Daisy
Papers: Rich Razzleberry, Razzleberry Lemonade
Inks: Basic Black
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry polka dot ribbon

Flowers & Butterflies

Happy Tuesday everyone!! I hope you have been blessed so far this new year. Things are going well here for us, we are faily healthy, happy and have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies ~ who could ask for more??

For todays card I was a little stumped. I knew I wanted something bright and cheerful and wanted to finish my 5 card challende using the Flight of the Butterfly so this is what I came up with. The stamped image isn't the main focal point but it does lend itself nicely to the card. These colors just scream spring to me ~ even though winter isn't even officially a month old yet...

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly
Papers: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Razzleberry Lemonade
Inks: Melon Mambo
Accessories: Pretties Kit large flower, Eyelet Border Punch, Crushed Curry polka dot ribbon

Birthday Celebrations

Good afternoon all! Day 11 ~ I'm shocked!! Things are going well here ~ work is great!! I am beyond thankful that God brought me to the job I have now ~ with all that is going on I wouldn't have been able to survive on my pay from Michael's ~ I have also made some great friends with my new boss and co-workers...

On to today's card ~ I'm going to be teaching card making classes at my church so I'm looking for some cards that are cute yet not quite so time consuming to make...this is one of those cards, just a few layers and a basic color theme and volia ~ cute and simple bithday card or change the sentiment and you have an all occasion card. I do think my mojo is slowly coming back to me...which feels great!!

Stamps: Upsy Daisy
Papers: Taken with Teal, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White
Inks: Burmuda Bay
Accessories: Scallop Oval Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, Burmuda Bay polka dot ribbon

Pastor Inspirations

Good Afternoon! This card was inspired by one of the outfits my pastor wears. I knew as soon as I saw his tie, jacket and slacks I would have to make a card based on it...and I am totally loving how this came out!!


I was so upset when this DS retired ~ I so love paisleys!! I'm trying to figure out how to re-create this card using current colors and it is a little challenging to me right now, I guess I need to meditate on it a little and see what I can come up with...I was so inspired I also completely decorated the inside of the card as well, which is something I usually don't do to this degree.


Stamps: Upsy Daisy
Papers: Cameo Coral, Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, retired DS
Inks: Cameo Coral, Purely Pomegranate
Accessories: pop dots

Kind & Caring Thoughts

Good Morning everyone!! I am hoping this new year is going well for everyone.

This was another just playing with this set and the new papers to see what I could come up with...not sure this is a favorite card, but it isn't despised either...

Stamps: Kind & Caring Thoughts (level 3 hostess)
Papers: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Whisper White
Inks: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango
Accessories: Crushed Curry polka dot ribbon

Thinking of You

Good morning everyone! May the Lord bless each of you in a very special way.

I wasn't really planning anything when I made this, I just knew I wanted something that would pull in alot of the new colors. I don't think it came out too bad. I did the thumping technique on the main image to get the multi tone of the flower head ~ gotta love those In Color markers!!

Stamps: Kind & Caring Thoughts (level 3 hostess)
Papers: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Whisper White
Inks: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Garden Green
Accessories: Dust Durango polka dot ribbon

Upsy Daisy

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is having a blessed day and week!

This is one of my favorite sets!! I love pairing this with the glossy cardstock to create this beautiful sunset look. To me sunset or sunrise is the most peaceful time of day and is the best time to see God's artwork in all its glory. When I was a young girl on my grandparents farm sunset was always my favorite time of day...this card kind of takes me back to that innocent time. There was nothing like laying in the fields with my cousins watching the sun slip behind the bluffs....those are memories I will never forget. I wish we lived in a more rural place so my kids could have some of those same experiences.

Baroque Motifs Flower Pot

Hi everyone!! Todays card is one I did as a WOW project at a stamp camp for my new downline, Tabitha. I really like how this turned out. I think it is fun to look at my stamps in a different way. I thought the swirls looked really neat on my pot with the small flowers in a slightly darker tone to add some accent. The same swirl in green helps add a "leaf" look to the back of my punched flowers. To make the flowers I used the scalloped circle punch and just cut between the scallops partway to create petals. Before I cut I sponged the circles with a tone on tone ink to give some definition ~ I kinda wanted these to look like sunflowers.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs (p131)
Papers: More Mustard, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Really Rust, Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip textured
Inks: Summer Sun, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Old Olive
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Eyelet Border, 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon Chocolate Chip

Best Friends...

Hi everyone - 5 days straight...I wonder how long I can keep this up???

So how do you thank a friend for always being there for you? For over 11 years my best friend has been at my side and now that I am going through this divorce they are even more supportive for me. Now most people who will read this will and say that is what a best friend is for ~ the only difference for me is my best friend is a guy. I talk to him about everything and he always offers me a shoulder to cry on if needed and does his best to lift me up when I'm down. He was the main force behind my starting church almost a year ago and is working on helping me find my self confidence. I wanted to show him how important he was to me when he had his birthday so I picked two of my favorite quote from the bible and framed them for him...

The quote for this is Esslesiates 3:1-8

A Time for Everything
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

The second one is 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7



4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I will say that he did appreciate both of these. It does make me feel good when I am able to make a gift from scratch and have some one enjoy it.

I used Inspired by Nature for both of these and various sizes of scalloped circle and a sponge dauber to create the skies. The sayings are printed on vellum and mounted over the backgrounds.

Happy Monday!!!!

This doesn't really have anything to do with card making, but I want to show off the new floor I the kids and I laid in our living room. We have been walking on the sub floor for 3 or 4 years and I have been wanting to get this floor down since then. Ex-DH was having a hard time finding time so the kids and I started this on Thanksgiving 2009...and had it done and our tree up by the Saturday after. I am so proud of myself for doing this, I give all the credit to God for giving my the mental and physical strenght to lay this floor.

Desk Top Photo Book

Hi all - 3 days of posting...Oh My!! First of all I hope everyone is having a blessed day! I'm so excited to go to church this morning and find out what our first sermon of the new year will be... I have scheduled this to post while I'm at church today, who knows what will be going on once I get home ;)

I made this a few months ago, I just never felt like publishing it. You will notice that the pictures displayed have my soon to be ex in them and i am talking about being happily married. I am still proud of the album.

Another Razzle Dazzle Card

Hi all ~ now don't die of shock ~ I'm also going to try to update my blog on a more regular basis...


Here are two more cards I made using the Razzle Dazzle set...these cards also finish my 5 card challenge for this set...Woo Hoo!!


The first one didn't quite turn out how I expected but I don't think it is bad by any means...my stamp-a-ma-jig would have been very useful if I had remembered to use it ;)


I tried ghosting the image with Versamark and brayering color over it. I wanted to create a shadow look when I stamped it again but I got my main image off center...good reason to always use a stamp-a-ma-jig!!


Stamps: Razzle Dazzle (p94)
Papers: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Razzleberry Lemonade DS
Inks: Versamark, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Brayer, Brads, Modern Label Punch


For the second card I wanted something simle yet fun so this is what I came up with...
Stamps: Razzle Dazzle (p94), Hope Happens (p141)
Papers: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Razzleberry Lemonade DS
Inks: Melon Mambo Marker, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Melon Mambo Polka Dot Ribbon, Horizontal Slot Punch

Happy 2010!!

My goodness how the time flies!! Seems like just yesterday we were ringing in 2009...alot has changed in this past year, some good and some bad. I know that everyone I know has gone through their ups and downs and mine are no different. The divorce seems to be going well, we still are able to be civil to each other. The kids are enjoying time with dad and time with me. I made two simple resolutions for this year first to find time every day to study my bible and two to work on being a better person all around be it as a mother, friend, employee, church member ~ what ever the case may be.

I have been getting back into my craft room and re-finding my mojo, so I hope to have some new cards to start posting again. Here is my first one for 2010...appropriately titled Hope Happens. This card is much more vibrant in real life. I am so loving these in colors (of course I tend to say that every year ;) like everyone else...) One of my favorite things that Stampin' Up! has offered us this year is the matching markers and who wouldn't love this polka dotted ribbon???

Stamps: Razzle Dazzle (p 94), Hope Happens (p141)

Papers: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Whisper White, Razzleberry Lemonade DS

Inks: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Basic Black

Accessories: Crushed Curry Polka Dot ribbon