"Mom" Greetings

After just returning from a trip to Arizona where we visited my mom and brothers I wanted to send a quick "Hello, Mom" note. My mom has Alzheimer's and doesn't remember much of daily life, just details of her growing-up years. But she does like cards and pictures, which she sets out on display and is reminded of people and events...sometimes. Even  if she can't remember who sent her a card, I want her to remember she is loved.

Ingredients used:

Card stock- solids from my stash & patterned are Authentique "Winter"

Stamps- Stampin Up "Mom" & "Hello", Sweet Stamps "Riches in Glory", Simon Says Stamp! "Miracles"

Dies- Spellbinders "Labels15", "Pendants Fleur de Lis", & "Tudor Rose Card Front"; TH/Sizzix "Tattered Flower Garland"

Embellisments- Ranger Liquid Pearls "Platinum", Karen Foster "Charcoal" twine

Challenges entered:

https://craft-deebowz.blogspot.com - Feb. Challenge, AG w/a bow

http://www.cropstop.com/blog - #37 Feb. Challenge, AG

http://letscreatechallenges.blogspot.com - #134 AG + Mothers

http://www.scrapyland-blog.com - #83 AG

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge - "Take Note" (the little "notes" attached are the simple sentiment)

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge - "Add a Die Cut"

http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com - #322-323 AG

My First Ever Easel Card

At least I can't remember ever making an easel card before! But then my memory is NOT what it used to be! SweetStamps is having a challenge right now using an easel card. Anyway, I followed the directions (pretty closely) and here is my card!

Closed

Propped open

My list of ingredients:

Card stock- both solid aqua and print ("School Days") are TPC Studio

"Green Burlap" paper- Paper Studio

Stamps- "Happy Birthday" is Clear Dollar Stamps,

"Vertical Rose Border" is SweetStamps,

"Birthday Blessings" sentiment is Stampabilities

Ink- Memento "Bamboo" & TH Distress Ink "Antique Linen"

Flowers- "Gardenia" from StampingScrapping.com (old, hoarded item)

Die cut Leaves- Spellbinders "Foliage"

Die cut doily- Sizzix "Doily, Lace Medallion"

Baker's twine- SewEasy Fancy Floss "blue lagoon"

Glitter glue- Stickles "Icicle"

Challenges:

http://sweetstampsblog.blogspot.com - Monthly: "Easel Card"

OurCreativeCorner6.blogspot.com - "No More Shopping Sins"

Craftingforallseasons.blogspot.com - #68 "All Things Bright & Beautiful"

http://ooh-la-la-creationschallenges.blogspot.com/ - #147 "Easel Card"

Cardinal Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

Today was a busy, fun-filled family day here at our house! I hope you all enjoyed a blessed Thanksgiving Day with your family and/or friends! I also hope you had time to reflect on all the things in your life you can be thankful for.  I know God has blessed me is so many ways...but I am especially thankful for my family, my church, my health....my spiritual health in particular! I can say without a doubt that I am heaven-bound because Jesus bought and paid for me with His death on the cross and has given me such an amazing life here and now, with the hope of heaven awaiting me. That's a whole lot to be thankful for! Leave me a comment and let me know what YOU are thankful for today!

So here is my Christmas card for the weekly challenge at SweetStamps this week!

This is my last week as Guest Designer on their blog. Its been a fun and busy month!

They have such great products in their store...its been amazing to be able to showcase some of them for you!

This week's challenge started on Tuesday. It is #145 "The Holidays".

You still have four days to enter, so why not pop over to the SS blog and get inspired by the DT samples and then get creative...and join the challenge! There is a nice prize you could win too!

For this card I used the SweetStamps stamp set called "Cardinal Pair & Warm Wishes".

I colored the image with alcohol markers, colored pencils and ink. Then I added some Stickles for sparkle in two colors: "Crystal" & "Holly".

The dies I used are the "Standard Circles Lg" by Spellbinders and the "Catalina Wreath" by Memory Box.

The background layer with the grid design is also shimmery with Smooch Spritz in a lime green. The green base card stock is stamped with pale green and white ink using an evergreen tree from Stampin' Up.

The card stock is mostly scraps from my stash, as are the gold twine and the sequins.

I used a sketch from the Technostamper blog:

http://technostamper.blogspot.com - Mon Lunchtime Sketch Chall #290

More challenges:

http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.com - #182 Winter Wonderland

http://ShoppingOurStash.blogspot.com - #121 Holidays or Winter

http://Cardsundmore-challengeblog.blogspot.com - #95 Advent/Christmas decoration

http://avenue613.blogspot.com/ - #47 Anything Goes, Optional Twist:

Create Your Own Challenge (use chart)

Here are the things I used-

Col. 1: image, sentiment, patterned paper, solid paper

Col. 2: any sketch, die cut

Col.3: Stickles, Glimmer Mist (Smooch Spritz)

Col.4: Sequins

Col.5: twine (gold)

Hello, Mia!

Today I made a special card for a special friend, Cindy, who has a brand new puppy named Mia. Mia just came "home" last Friday and is doing quite well for such a youngster! Isn't she cute?! I think she is a toy poodle or something tiny like that....not sure. She already has completely won Cindy's heart and her hubby's too! Cindy's favorite colors are pink and brown so it was real easy to pick a color scheme for this card.

I will add a list of ingredients for the card at the end of this post. For now, here are the challenges I am entering this one in:

http://flourishes.org/category/challenges/timeless-tuesday - "Layer 2 or more ribbons together"

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com - "Anything Goes + a Kraft Card"

http://tuesdaymorningsketches.blogspot.com - #192 "Sketch" by Melissa

Ingredients:

Patterned paper - Paper Studio

Kraft, Pink cardstock - from my stash

Chocolate and pink ribbons - also from my stash

Baker's Twine - StampingScrapping.com

"Beaded Ovals" die - Spellbinders

Flatback pearls & rhinestones - Pizzazz Aplenty

Sentiment - computer generated

Inside

This sentiment is also computer generated, the font is "Freebooter Script".

Thanks for stopping by today!

Shopping Our Stash #85 "Suits Me to a T"

Happy Tuesday!
It is time for another challenge at Shopping Our Stash!
Challenge #85:  "Suits Me to a T"- use at least two items that start with "T"- for example: tag, tape, twine, trees, tinsel, tattered angels products, tin foil, tin cans, trim, tea bag, tea cup, tomahawk, tangerine, tigers, turtle,  etc.  Be sure to list what they are in your post!
At first I was a little stumped and could only find one or two things to use so I let my project sit overnight and when I came back the next day....voila! several other items came to mind!

Thinking of You card

"T" ingredients + other stuff:

Teal card stock- Paper Studio

Teal Prima roses

Twine- Sew Easy "Fancy Floss"*

Tea-dyed Bias Tape

Texture plate- Fiskar "Filigree"
Tim Holtz Distress Ink- "Evergreen"*
 "Tattered Sparrow" stamp- Tim Holtz*
"Thinking of You" stamp- Clear Dollar Stamps
"Tacky Glue"- Aleene's*
Flatback pearls- Pizzazz Aplenty "Lt. Coffee"
Brown Dye Ink- Vivid/Clearsnap
Sponge Daubers- Imagine Crafts*
Dot Card Stock- Imaginisce
Glue Dots*
Spellbinders Dies- "Fleur de Lis Accents"* &
"Card Creator/Fancy Ribbon Threader"* &
"Card Creator/A2 Matting Basics A/B"*
Button is from my stash
* All the starred items can be purchased at www.stampingscrapping.com 


The oldest items used are the bias tape and the button (they are both 20+ years!) but all of the other stuff has been in my stash for at least a year or two. All the smaller paper/cs pieces are from scraps I saved from other projects.
As always, I hope you are inspired to join in this challenge! Please visit our main blog and post your project there so we can see all of your "T" craft items too!


I am entering this card in a few challenges too!
Hiding in My Craft Room - #80 "Super Scrap Saturday"
Our Creative Corner- "Shabby Chic Style"
Sketchbook Saturday- #87 "Sketch by Iwona Palamountain"

SSiC Challenge: Flags/Banners

Today begins yet another challenge at Stampin' Sisters in Christ! I hope you decide to join us! The sample I have done is in honor of the birthday of our great nation, the United States of America. July 4th is less than 2 weeks away! As always, there will be lots of fireworks, parades, picnics, speeches and family gatherings. Our nation was at one time considered a Christian nation, founded on God's word and principles. We can no longer make that claim because man has made a god of himself...or nature...or science...or power...or wealth. But the true God, America has relegated to a dusty shelf in the library, just part of our colorful history. And even that is being rewritten to exclude God! But as our theme verse this week says, "I will be exalted among the nations..." God IS alive and remains all-powerful and in control of all the earth. He does not NEED our praise and acknowledgement but has decreed it and is certainly worthy of it. In His own perfect time He will reveal His power and authority over all creation. At that time..."Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to God"- Romans 14:11.

My prayer for America is that before we drift even farther away from the Living God that He will send revival and repentence to our land. And, yes, I still pray continually that God will bless America! And not just America, but all the nations of the world...that Jesus Christ would reign supreme in the hearts of the peoples. "What the world needs now is Love, Sweet Love..." and His name is Jesus.

Our hostess this week: Kris, our wonderful DT leader!

She chose our theme verse:  Psalm 46:10

  "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the antions, I will be exalted in the earth."

Our generous sponsor: KL - an anonymous great gal!
The prize she is offering to one randomly chosen participant:

               A Grab Bag of Stamps! Wow! Thanks, KL!

Now here is the challenge that Kris has chosen: Use flags/banners in your creation

For my creation I used just two small flags and placed my sentiments on them: "Happy 4th!" and "God Bless America!" I entered this card in few other challenges as well. The sketch I followed was one of the challenges, and using a Magnolia stamp was another. If you want to see which challenges I entered just scroll down to the previous post. My list of items used for this card is there too.

I do hope you will join this challenge and show us your project with some flags or banners on it! And you just might win a nice prize too! Please check out my DT Sisters' samples too for some more inspiration! You can see their creations at SSiC or click on their names in my sidebar.

Thanks for stopping by today!

God bless you! God bless America! And may God bless all the nations of the world!

Maggie Card: "It's Still Winter"

One card for two challenges:

http://magnoliastamplovers.blogspot.com/ - "Twine"

http://thedutchmagnoliachickies.blogspot.com/ - "Still Winter" 

Supplies used:

Cardstock (3 kinds) - Cryogen*, Doodlebug Design, Paper Studio

Edge punch - "Doily Lace" by Martha Stewart*

Die cut - "Pendants- Fleur de Lis" by Spellbinders*

Magnolia Stamped image - "Tilda with Bell"*

Sentiment - "Sentamints" by StampingScrapping Design* 

Twine - "Vintage Green" by StampingScrapping Design*

Lavendar flower - "Color Me White" by StampingScrapping Design* -

(tweeked a bit & colored with colored pencils!)
Glitter glue - Ranger Stickles "Star Dust"

Pearls - "Snowflake" by Queen & Co.*

Leaf Stick Pin - Pearl Green by Pizzazz Aplenty

Small flowers are from my stash

 All *'d items can be found at www.StampingScrapping.com