Belated Wishes and more

 I am so sorry to just abandon my blog. It has been super crazy at home and work lately so I am treading water as fast as I can.  :-)
My daughter recently fell getting off the bus and sprained her ankle.  Many diagnosed with  autism  have a high tolerance to pain.  She rarely cries and this  fall was a tear jerker for her.  I knew it was bad when I saw the tears falling quietly and it swelled up to a goose egg.  I took a photo to send her father when he asked how bad it was.  I am not a nurse so I figured a trip to ER  would be best treatment.  7 x-rays later it was determined it was a #2 sprain.  Not the worst and certainly will heal in time thankfully.

Meanwhile, the crutches are not the easiest.  Because she is on the spectrum, it makes using crutches very interesting.  Like how to space the crutches without doing a face plant, how to maneuver around objects without crashing into them,  and most importantly, how to remain a tip toe walker with two sticks and one injured foot not cooperating?  Good times in my household and at school.  The shining aspect, she has friends carrying her backpack for her which encourages social interaction with peers.  She also gets to ride the elevator at school.  ;-)  I really am trying to see the positive in this.  It happened, let's deal with it and make it work.  

I sat down yesterday and was able to create a card in between running the stairs which is really good exercise for me.  I made a card for my daughter's friend who had a birthday in August.  We missed it.  By a month and half almost. :-( Today we will see her to celebrate and catch up though.  :-)

I made this card for the latest challenge at Sentimental Sundays which is black, white, and one more color.  I used a Bugaboo image who is are sponsor this week.  I popped up his 'stache with foam dots and gave him a light coloring of pearl white from Copic.  That's a SRM sticker for the sentiment  The gingham print paper is from Lily Bee.  I love this paper so!  I am down to a tiny scrap.  I wrapped a piece of pink twine and made a bow to complete.

Here is a close up

I hope you will join us for this week's challenge!

Challenges I would like to enter in:

2 Sisters:  #113 Anything Goes

Crafts and Me:  Anything Goes 

Crafty Ribbons Challenge: #30 Children's Birthday

Crafty Sentiments: Anything Goes

Jellypark Challenges: Pink It Up

PaperPlay Challenges: #41 Simply cute

Papertake Weekly: All Creatures Great and Small

Thank you for stopping by!

Pushing Fall into Winter ;-)

Okay I am already pushing Fall aside with my crafting and going right into Winter today.  I have to start my holiday cards or I will never get enough completed though.

The latest challenge at Sentimental Sundays is 3,2,1 and our sponsor is Meljen's.  I used a cute freebie image from last year I believe?  I love the heart dangling from the tiny tree.  Reminds me of Charlie Brown's tree.  I added glitter to the snow but it is not showing up very well.  Grrr. That's a SRM Sticker along the top which looks like stitching.  Click on the link to view the entire sheet. Love their border stickers!  The sentiment is also SRM.  My 3 things are papers (2 print (Authentique stripe and Webster's polka dot)and one 1 solid, 2 are the stickers, and 1 image.  I hope you will join us.  

Challenges I would like to enter my card in:
Bearly Mine : #54 Add a sentiment
Fashionista: Anything goes Christmas
Gingerloft: #49 Stitching faux or real
Jingle Belles: Snow
Robyn's Fetish:  #127 Stitching Real or faux
Southern Girls: Show us your spots and stripes


Thanks for stopping by!

Autumn Days

 Autumn is officially here!  I am happy for my wallet since we aren't running the air conditioner as much but will definitely miss my warm mornings with bright sun rays shining in my window.  Sigh.  I do like Falls gorgeous colors and some trees in my area already showing the red foliage.  I would love to venture up to Maine and see the trees in their beauty during the Fall.  It's on my bucket list.  One day!  :-)

I made this card for Sentimental Sundays challenge this week which is Autumn and features a Saturated Canary image.  I wanted the apples to be the focal point so I colored her dress and hair in muted tones.  I added red buttons to resemble apples on the ground.  I used a SRM Sticker from the Fall sheet for my sentiment.

Anyone go apple picking?  I am planning a trip with daughter.  She went last year but we had so much rain the grounds were soaking wet and the apples were mushy.  The few she did pick were not the big red fruit I envisioned but we peeled them and made an apple crisp which was quite tasty.  This year, I would love to make spiced apples.  Moving on before my mind fixates on this too much.

The pattern papers are MME which were in my scrap bin.  I used a variety from different lines.  One is Valentine's oriented as you can clearly see.  I liked it though and went for it.  I added a sparkle green trim for added interest as after thought.  Just isn't a card if it does not have some bling or shine.

Challenges I would like to enter my card in:

Crafty Catz: #51 Buttons

Challenges 4 Everybody: #3 Anything Goes

Fairy Tale Challenges: #50 Autumn

Just Keep on Creating: #3 Anything Goes

Ribbon Carousel Challenge: #71 Fall into Fall

Saturated Canary Challenge: #26 Use B items (buttons, blue, and bling ribbon)

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge: #8 Sewing

You are berry sweet!

  Happy Sunday all!  Today I get to share my card for Sentimental Sunday's newest challenge which is banners/pennants. 

I am working on clearing out scraps so I can make way for those new paper lines being released.  The LSS already has quite a few I want but I feel guilt buying new papers when old papers sit.  For this I used a Tiddly Inks digital image printed on a WRMK's polka dot print.  I cut it out and added a green top with dimensional dots for depth.  Most of the scraps are from Sass Lass, GCD Studios, and Bazzill.  I made my pennant banner using pink twine and added heart die cuts.  I used Stickles on the "seeds" of my berry which did not show very well in the photo. 

I hope you like and thanks for stopping by!

Challenges for my card:

Craft Your days Away: #52 Anything Goes

Crafty Ribbon Challenges: Feeling Fruity

Frosted Designs: Twine/Ribbon

Pixie Dust Challenge: Pink

Speedy and Friends: #121 Friendship

Smile Donkey!

 Hey!  I have a super simple card for today.  I made this for the new Sentimental Sunday's challenge and used a Bugaboo image who is sponsoring.

So a little bit about this card. I printed my donkey image on pattern ppaer and then cut out.  I used foam dots to pop him up on the red polka dot paper.    All papers are  My Mind's Eye .  I added a sticker sentiment from SRM Sticker.  Then I made a tail with twine from The Twinery.    That's pretty simple for me.  

Thanks for looking!

A shabby birthday wish

  Hey there!  Hope you are having a blessed day!  A quick post for me today.

I used kraft card stock with a few scrap print papers.  I stamped the wood grain banners, cut them out, and then inked the edges.  I added a purple twine and attached to the floral print panel with pop dots.  The scallop, red stripe, and sentient are from SRM Stickers.  I stitched a small chevron piece I cut from the print.  The challenge at Sentimental Sundays is to use paint so I pulled my white paint dauber put and inked the edges to complete. 

Hope you like!

Challenges I would like to enter my card:

Card Makin' Mamas: 1 image, 2 papers, 3 embellies (stamp for image, flowers, stickles and twine for three embellies)

C.R.A.F.T. :#165 use stitching

Crafts and Me: #94 Anything Goes

Crafts 4 Eternity: #82 Birthday

Pile It On: #31 Cute as can be

Simply Create Too: #18 Use it twice (stamps)

Stamptacular Sunday: Patterns Galore

Holy Cow it's Sunday!

 Hey everyone!  I hope you are having a blessed day where ever you may be.  I am going to share with you my Sentimental Sundays card and then need to head out and start my day.

This is my pink holy cow from Bugaboo Stamps.    I went whimsical this week.  Our challenge is BINGO    and I chose to use kraft paper, pearls, and twine.  

I used My Mind's Eye papers with a SU pink card stock.  I colored in the cow with a Copic and then used Stickles for her halo, wings, and clouds.  A piece of sand colored twine is wrapped around my doily border which is a Martha Stewart punch.  I cut a hexagon in half to make my tab on the right, stapled it and added three pearls.  I hope you like and come join us!

Challenges I would like to enter my card in:

Card and Scrap: #35 Wings 

Catch The Bug: Anything Goes

Chocolate, coffee, and cards:  #16 Anything Goes

Crafts and Me: #91 1-2-3

Creatalicious Challenge: #35 Anything Goes

Cupcake Craftroom: Lots of Layers

Sarah Hurley Challenges: #69 Dimension and Texture

Southern Girls: #48 Pearls

A lovely hello

 The fourth week in June already?  Wow!  I hope you are having a wonderful Monday wherever you may be.  I am enjoying the sun.  My latest card is very girly.

At Sentimental Sundays we are looking for cute and girly this week.  Whoopsi Daisy is our sponsor and you 

can grab a freebie digi here.  We also have a color palette bonus for this week's challenge at Sentimental.

I used My Mind's Eye pink gingham with a lace scallop print from Lily Bee.  The striped ribbon is from my craft supply.  I made a small tab and added my hello sticker from SRM Stickers to complete.

Challenges I would like to enter my in:
2 Sisters: #97 Anything Goes
Creative Mondays: #10 Fairies
Craft Your Passion: #116 Things with Wings
Delightful Challenges: Anything Goes
Dream Valley Challenges: #35 Things with Wings
Love to Create: #21 Anything Goes
Whoopsi Daisy: Things with Wings

A Father's Wish

 Summer is almost officially here on the calendar and the temps here in Virginia are reaching into the 90's.  I love it!  With Summer comes many birthdays and celebrations in my family.  Things are about to become even more chaotic with two birthdays, one anniversary, and Father's Day in one week.  I am on a card frenzy if you will!

I made this card featuring a Bugaboo stamp for this week's Sentimental Sundays challenge.  I have kept it flat and embellishment free since it's for my dad.  

I used My Mind's Eye and Simple Stories papers with a little stitching.  The stamp is from Clear Dollar Stamps.  Thanks for looking!

Challenges I would like to enter my card in:

ATC's and Cards with Attitude: Father's Day

Card Makin' Mama's: #47 Father's Day

One Stop Craft: #186 Father's Day

Poodles Parlour: Father's Day

Scrappy Frogs: Celebrate Men

Simply Create Too: #15 Father's Day

Stamp Man: Father's Day

The Crafty Pad: #174 Let's Hear it For the Boys!

Live Simply

 Sundays sure seem to be meant for simple times in my house.  How about you?

So this week Sentimental Sundays has a polka dot challenge and is being sponsored by Doodle Pantry.  I chose this chamomile image for my card.  I paired it with Basic Grey's Picadilly floral dot print and a lavender polka dot from supply.  The green card stock was stamped with small dot stamp in snow white ink.  It does not show as well as I had hoped.   A SRM Sticker for my sentiment and then twine from the Twinery to accent.
Thank you for looking and hope you will join us!
Challenges I would to enter my card in:
A Gem of a Challenge: #47 Photo Inspiration
Aud Sentiments: Any Sentiment
Crafty Boots: Anything Goes
Crafty Calendar: Flowers in Bloom
Divas by Designs: Anything Goes
Secret Crafter: Anything Goes

Piggy Happiness

 Hi there!  A beautiful sunny day today filled with much happiness for me today.  Hope yours was equally as nice!
My card is a fun whimsical design with lots of Basic Grey PB & J, SRM Stickers,  and a A Day For Daisies image.

I fussy cut the piggy out and popped him up on a bed of yellow scallops with a green polka dot print.  There's also a strip of the floral and little piece of red washi tape.  I used pinking shears to cut out a circle and placed my "happy day" sentiment on.  I hope you like!  

This card was inspired by many challenges but first was Sentimental Sundays whom ADFD is sponsoring this week.  Our challenge is whimsy.  Please join us! 

A Day For Daisies: #43 Go Vintage and Polka Dots
Jellypark Challenges: Washi Tape
Just Keep on Creating: #1 Anything Goes
One Stitch at a Time:  #114 Anything Goes
Pile It On: #21 Mix your scales
Whimsy Inspirations Challenge: #39 Anything Goes

Supplies used:card base: The Paper Studiopattern paper: Basic Grey PB & Jstickers: SRM Stickers Life Is Goodimage: ADFD piggy bankwashi tape: craft supply

Let's Party Monkey!

 Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there!  Hope everyone had a great Sunday doing something they love.  I have a quick card to share today.  Lots on my list to do and never enough time to finish up it seems!

My daughter came over to my desk and said, "awww isn't that cute a card!"  Always warms my heart when she admires something I made.  

I combined a Bugaboo image with SRM Stickers to make this birthday card for Sentimental Sundays this week.  I used the "We've Got Your Border" birthday to separate the yellow and blue pattern prints and added celebrate words to a journaling spot.  The little party hat he is wearing from the "We've Got Your Sticker"  birthday set which I matted on white card stock and then cut out.  

I popped his yellow balloon up with foam dots.  A few red brads to embellish and I was done.  I didn't get a very good shot of this so sorry it is a little blurry.  

I hope you will join us at Sentimental Sundays for our birthday card with B embellishments!  

Challenges I would like to enter my card in:

Allsorts: #154 Card for a boy

Craft Your Days Away: #45 All Creatures Great and Small

Happy Scrappers: Anything Goes

One Stitch at a Time: Use your Favorites (love the stickers!)

Papertake Weekly: Cute Cute Cute

Pile It On: #20 CAS

Stampin' Sisters in Christ: #139 Genesis 6:20 Animals

Also delighted to share 

You Make Me Smile!

 Back to share another kid inspired card with you.

This is Toby and he's from Digital Delights by Louby Lou.  I colored him in with my Copics and layered him on a Pink Paislee paper using foam dots.  He sure makes me smile.  The sentiment and banner are from SRM Stickers.  I used Pink Sorbet twine.  A fun little card to put together. The Sentimental Sundays challenge is cards for kids this week so hope you will drop by and join us with a kid inspired card.  

Challenges I would like to enter my card in:

Card Patterns: #163 sketch

Crafty Catz: #130 Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments: For a Child

Secret Crafter: #183 Cute & Fluffy

Thanks for stopping by!

Follow Your ♥

Hope you are having a blessed Sunday!  Today I have a clean and simple card to share with you.

I used Lily Bee papers, a SRM Sticker, some twine from The Twinery  and a vintage piece of eyelet trim.  

I love the extra large scallop punch from Recollections which I then punched small holes around the scallops.  The tiny heart tag was created from a Karen Foster tag punch and then a small heart punch from Studio G.  Lots of punches for this project.  I did some light distressing with my Vintage Photo ink pad.  

Join us at Sentimental Sundays for our "Let's Get Sentimental" challenge! 

Challenges I would like to enter my card in:

Dutch Dare Card Challenges: Distressing

Less Is More: #55 Punches or Die Cuts

Supplies Used:

cardbase: The Paper Studio

pattern paper: Lily Bee Designs "Head Over Heels"

sticker: SRM Sticker 53003 

twine: The Twinery 

button and trim: craft supply

ink: Ranger Distress Ink Vintage Photo

I can hear you!

Happy Sunday!  I hope you are having a blessed day and enjoying it with those you love or doing something you enjoy!  I have a colorful card for today's post. It reminds me of a sunny day and hoping it will give a cheerful reminder that you can achieve it!  Recently she had an audition for a chorus event and was a little nervous about singing in front of everyone.  I told her she could practice with me as her audience which led her to say  "so not happening!" I finally managed to coax the first verse of the song she chose in the car ride home one night.  She sounded really great but she reversed a line.  I encouraged her to practice more and her response was, "I will when I take a shower tonight."  What makes teenagers think no one can hear them in the shower when they are singing?  I snickered and thought to myself, everyone is hearing it tonight!  The day before the audition, she was really nervous and kept asking me, "what if I mess up Mom?"  I told her to envision herself in the shower with no one around to hear.
So my card was with her mind.  Oh and she made it!  I can't wait to see and hear her sing!

This lion is from Bugaboo stamps.  I colored him with Copics and fussy cut him out to make him floating in thin air.  Have I mentioned I am still working on backgrounds?  Shadows and such?  ;-)  I made the shaped card base  from yellow card stock.  The new Sentimental Sundays challenge is for shaped cards.  There are lots of scraps on here.  That's a Sass Lass scallop border on top of a Imaginisce polka dot print.  I punched a large white scallop and trimmed to mount the lion on.  The tiny pennant is Pink Paislee and I used a Clear Dollar stamp for the sentiment.  

 You kinda need to see the inside to understand the front.  Can you read this?  It is rather small. It says,  
                                                                      "You'll do great!"

Which

Challeneges for my card:

Alphabet Challenge: A=Animals 

Challenge Up Your Life: #62 Tone on Tone

CES Challenge: #72 Lots of Layers 

Craft Us Crazy: #20 Anything Goes

Mark's Finest Papers: #94 Shaped Card 

Papertake Weekly: Anything Goes

supplies used:
card stock: Recollections
pattern paper: Imaginisce, Pink Paislee, Sassafras  Lass
digital image: Bugaboo Oz lion
sentiment stamp: Clear Dollar Stamps Kid's Encouragement
ink: Inkadinkado
rhinestones and large scallop punch: Recollections
other: Copics, foam dots, and sewing machine

Sew Special

Hello and hope you are well on this Sunday!  I am happy to be back in a normal routine.  Well, as normal as I can be.  ;-)  I have a sewing themed card to share with you today for Sentimental Sunday's newest challenge.   We sadly are saying goodbye to Ann Vento, the founder of the blog.  She has been such a huge inspiration but she has lots of new ventures beginning so she needs to devote her time to these.  I wish her the best!  Our new founders have arranged for some great new challenges, sentiments, and always prizes from very popular companies that you won't want to miss. 

This cute little mouse is Cocoa and you can find him at Sweet n Sassy Stamps, our wonderful sponsor this week.  I kept a simple color palette today.  Just one piece of pattern paper too!  Amazing for me!  I am trying to use up all the doilies I have can you tell with all my cards featuring them lately?  I am kidding but I promise to step away from them for next week's cards.  I made myself put them away from my eye sight because I found myself clinging to them. I did a few simple stitches because it is a sewing theme after all and then stamped a SP & Co. sentiment with black ink.  Not too much here.

I hope you will join us for our latest challenge. Many blessings to you!

Challenges I would like to enter my card in:

4 Crafty Chicks: #57 Anything Goes

Crafts 4 Eternity: #39 Anything Goes

Digi Stamps 4 Joy: #28 Anything Goes

Druken Stampers: #75 Get Well/ Thinking of You
Little Miss Muffet Challenges: #19 Animals and Monsters

Sew Many Cards: Anything Goes

The House That Stamps Built: Animals

The Classy vs. the Classless

It's a long weekend here in the states and many Americans are enjoying their last days with a picnic, a parade, spending time at the pool before it closes for the season, and most importantly wearing as much white as possible since it's considered  "classless" to wear after this day.  That was sarcastic for those you not familiar with my witty remarks.  Labor Day is a  day of remembrance for those laborers who lost their lives after the Pullman strike.  This holiday has an unwritten fashion tradition that your white clothes, accessories, shoes, etc. are to be stored away for Fall.  My theory is Fall does not officially start until Sept. 23rd so this gives me almost  two weeks to  continue wearing white proudly.   That's my stance and sticking to it.  My question to you is, will you wear white after Labor Day?  I guess I am not classy.  :(
But enough of this. 

A bright and cheery card for Sentimental Sundays this week.  I used a Doodle Pantry sentiment paired with Echo Park Happy Day's papers. 

I like the bold floral from Retro and the chain link from Little Flowers.  I sprayed a bracket tag with Pepper Red and then layered a small doily on top.  The yellow seam binding was tied to hide where the papers edges meet.  I used orange baker's twine and a fabric orange floral for a little more pizazz.  I made the stick pin with red and gold beads and a pearl stick.  Those are so easy to make! 

Thanks for coming by!

Challenges for my card:

Bearly Mine: #18 Flowers

Clearly iStamp: #35 Pattern paper

Creative Card Crew: Anything Goes

Dutch Dare: #128 Photo Inspiration

Paper Shelter: #29 Anything Goes

***Also wanted to note, my giveaway will be ending shortly so enter if you haven't! ***

Click on hyperlink to take you there. 

Words

I just returned from Williamsburg and I am seriously having problems getting my thoughts together.  So please excuse me if I seem a tad incoherent.  It's nothing that a good night's rest can't cure.  :-)  Or maybe I just need to go back and stay a full week?  Nope, don't want to drive again. 

My card for this week's Sentimental Sunday's is..well... it's a scallop.  I did warn you!  I printed the sentiment (On Thoughts)directly to the die cut and then built around it.  I added a few strips of paper to start with and then just started layering!  I love being able to utilize those teeny pieces of paper and ribbon.  The large swirl at the top was a ripped piece for the large KI lace die cut paper.  I couldn't bare to throw it out because I knew it would be useful on a card or project.  Thankfully the color worked perfectly for this card.  I layered some Recollections flowers with a button center and colored the small flower on the sentiment in with my Copics and a little Stickles for sparkle.  A tiny pearl finishes the center.  The gummed tabs at the top have been hanging on in my draw begging to be utilized. I think these are a new fave of mine! I applied a small floral rub-on and more tiny pearls as a accent.  I then stitched them on because my tiny attacher was not thrilled to be cutting through the fabric and then layers of paper. 
****Don't forget about my giveaway! You can read about it and enter here! ****
Challenges I would like to enter my card in:
Crafty Ann's: Scallops or fancy borders
Crafty Pad: #134 Cute n' Girly
Digi Doodle Shop Challenges: #71 shaped card
Fussy & Fancy: #43 Use a lot of your favorite embellishment (pearls, rub-on's, tabs, and flowers)
I Did It Creations: #68 Different Shaped Cards
Poodles Parlor: Anything in the garden (flowers)
One Stitch at a Time: Anything Goes
Totally Gorjuss: #93 Round and round
 Thanks for stopping by!

Inky Fingers for Sentimental Sundays

This week we have an Inky Fingers challenge at Sentimental Sundays.  I chose to use a sponge to apply the ink which can be a bit messy.   I was covered with baby blue fingers this day.  I had fun doing it though!

The sentiment is Raindrop Echo and can be found here.  I love these dressed up labels Ann designed.  I just printed on Bazzill cardstock and then trimed around the edges.  As mentioned, I dId ink the cardfront with a sponge to give a little texture and also go lighter on the coloring. I inked the edges with the pad directly.  I applied a strip  Bazzill yellow scallop border and a piece of orange ribbon which I attached with the  tiny attacher.  Next came my bling and twine with a cream button. Then I attached the image with foam dots and added a red feather for an extra shot of color.  Voila!  All done.

Hope you like! 

Challeneges I would like to enter this card into:

Shelly's Images: Celebrate use 3 things:punches, ribbon, and digi
The Crafty Pad:129 texture
One Stitch at a Time: #70 anything goes

Friendship Tag

Hey there!  How's your day going?  Incredibly hot here with a chance of storms.  Whew!  Hope we get some rain because my poor grass sure is thirsty.  :-)

It's Sunday so that means I get to share a Sentimental Sunday's project with you!  Yeah!  Our theme is anything goes!  I made a tag that I added a digital image to with some lace and a tiny bit of bling.  The sentiment is from Raindrop Echo and you can find here designs here.  I made the tag from kraft paper and attached a gold eyelet that's been hanging around for some time.  I colored and then cut out a single flower for a focal point.  I like that it accents the greeting and also draws your eye down to the lace along the bottom of the tag.  I did add a strip of red rhinestones because it's me, ♥ my flashy bling!  :-)  I hope you like!
Challenges I would like to enter my tag into:
Craft Your Passion: #64 seeing red
Digital Tuesday: #117 Flower Power
Going Grey with Scrap-Creations: Anything but a card
One Stop Craft Challenge: #138 Tag
Paper Play: week 26 Anything but a card