~Yellow Window Frames and a Sketch~

I love that there are so many delightful challenges to motivate us to CREATE!

Here is my card :

Here are the challenges:

The Craft's Meow April Sketch

Crafty Friends Challenge #2:Use two die cuts

I used two Sizzix dies to create my windows (I chopped up the lattice).

Inspired By #19

I was inspired by the way those yellow windows popped against the teal.

Doesn't it look like a friendly, fun environment?

Thank you for visiting today-hope you have a chance to create something too!

Supplies: The Craft's Meow Tweet of You, Sizzix/Stampin' Up Bigz Lattice die,Sizzix (Frame,Slide Mounts and Coin Holder die), KandCompany,October Afternoon Sidewalks,Papertrey Ink hawaiian shores ink,Bazzill kraft,BoBunny Country Garden dp

~Hope of Spring~

Embellish is back with a new challenge!

We have snow predicted here, but I am holding on to the PROMISE of spring-and I'm excited!

 Although darkness shadows the day, sunshine is waiting to break.

The darker the day, the more the light will be appreciated.

 I am willing to WATCH and wait.

 *Flourishes He is Risen,Sizzix/Stampin' Up Bigz Lattice die pieces,DCWV Nana's Kids Chipboard Shapes,Creative Memories corner rounder,Versamark ink,Whispers yellow embossing powder,Bazzill Basics cardstock,Georgia Pacific white,DCWV The Fall Glitter matstack,"wings" EK border punch excess cut from vellum*

 

Embellish Spring Color Trends Challenge

~Flashback Friday CAS~

For my first Flashback Friday Challenge, I 



 want to share my first CAS card on Flashback Friday 19.0:




First Clean and Simple card.

 April 30,2011

I posted a trio that day:

It was perfect to hand out to my girls' dance teachers!



I was so proud to ink up three cards and marry two stamp companies. ;)

Thanks for stopping in today.

Stamps: SU!, Will'n Way (squiggly line)Ink: Memento Sweet Plum, MS Wasabi and Sea Lavender
Other: Georgia Pacific Cardstock

~Purple Trees~

I really love these trees from Unity.

"Big Round Ball trees" my husband calls 'em. ;)

I want to thank a generous family who blessed us this Christmas with "gourmet meals in a box".  

SERIOUS gourmet food. 

The kind that makes you literally "MMMMMM" out loud and makes your eyes bug out.

SERIOUS gourmet.

sigh

Oh, right...my card. ;)

(Unity Bella Trees,Stampin' Up sentiment,Memento ink tuxedo black,Ranger Tim Holts Distress ink dusty concord,Georgia Pacific white cardstock,Pebbles Inc. Pearlescent Chalks)

Less is More Week 49 Colour:Purple

I chalked those round trees with three different purples and spritzed some Prismacolor Fixative (OUTSIDE of my house).

Thanks for stopping in today. ;)

~Embellish Challenge With Leaves~

I created a card today that was difficult to take a photo of (I'm sure you've had those!).

But, I did my best....

 I used my Perfect Pearls Pigments with Versamark ink.

I love the shimmer.

 I love this sentiment!

Regardless of the poor photos, I DID enjoy the process. ;)

Embellish Magazine Leaves 

Thank you for stopping by! ;)

Supplies:

Stampin up leaf,Flourishes Enjoy the Ride sentiment,Versamark ink,Sizzix tag die,Piggy Tales DP,DCWV Natural Stack,Georgia Pacific white cardstock,AC Cardstock,Kid's Jewelry Friendship thread,Scor-Pal,Memento ink,Perfect pearls pigments

~Tilt it~

I really tried to make this card straight....but the tilt was calling to me. ;)

I truly need tilts in my life.

They reassure me that perfection is not the only way (unless you're a heart/brain surgeon...any surgeon, of course). 

Tilts are acceptable in cardmaking.

 

Isn't that great?

I love the colors Color Throwdown #165

has this week.

Thanks for stopping by. ;)

INFO:

Stampin Up sentiment,7gypsies DP,Sizzix embossing plate and dies for leaves,My Mind's Eye die cut,Spellbinders scalloped ovals,Papertrey ink black ink,Creative Memories Corner Rounder corner rounder,Georgia Pacific white cardstock,Want2Scrap bling

No Stars, No Dots

CAS-ual Friday's CFC18

Your card should be black, white, and red and inspired by a book.

I cut a star with a Sizzix die and made it a backdrop (layered between the divided lattice and the sentiment).

I wanted it to be there, but not be THERE as a focal point.

As you read on, you'll understand the point of this.

The book I chose is by Max Lucado, "You Are Special".

I love this book.

It may be a children's book, but Mr. Lucado has such a way of speaking the truth...that even grown ups are impacted.

In a nutshell?

You are not created by God to wear stars or dots on your forehead.

I tell you what....

it's easy to say "sticks and stones....but words will never...", 

but they do, don't they?

Here is what REALLY got me....

if you accept the stars (praises, accolades, etc.) and let them DEFINE you....

then the dots (criticisms, cut-throat remarks) will STICK also.

HMMMMMMM,

something to think about.

I remind myself of this lesson ALL THE TIME.

I have to.

Thanks for stopping in. ;)

Info:

Our Daily Bread Designs You Are the Potter, Sizzix/Stampin Up Lattice Die,Sizzix Star die,Copic red and black

Under His Wings

I combined a few challenges to make this card.

 Probably the hardest part was measuring the length of cord to wrap neatly on the brads. 

I flipped Just Add Ink:JAI80 Sketch

on its side.

I used PlayDate Cafe's PDCC94 colors.

ODBD Stamping In Time Challenge 41 is to use embossing.  I heat embossed the Chickadee and dry embossed the background with an embossing folder.

Thank you for peeking in! ;)

Info:

ODBD You Will Find Refuge stamp set and Chickadee Die, Ellison Tim Holtz Rays embossing folder, Sizzix/Stampin' Up Bigz Lattice die, Versamark ink, copper embossing powder, clear embossing powder, braiding cord, Making Memories Just Chillin' DP, MS ink

A Doily at the Cafe

Our Daily Bread Designs' Stamping in Time 40 challenges you to use a doily!

I don't have those hanging around, unfortunately.

But, I DO have an embroidery machine that's been neglected for awhile.

It made me a doily. ;)

It's called FSL (free standing lace).  The machine sews it on water soluble stabilizer with whatever thread you choose.

The verse is from ODBD You Will Find Refuge.

I chose the pink to go with this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC93

Aren't these colors and inspirational photo gorgeous?

Thank you for stopping in today. ;)

Info:

Stamp: ODBD You Will Find Refuge

Ink: MS in,Versamark ink, clear embossing powder

Dies: Sizzix Bookplates oval, Sizzix Branch w/ Leaves,Sizzix/Stampin' Up Bigz Lattice (small pieces)

Embossing: Cuttlebug Embossing Allegro folder

Love Is Messy

I watched a wonderful movie last week that was safe for even my girls to see (the TV version of it anyway...I believe some words were blocked out..just a warning).

Have you seen Little Manhattan?  It's a 2005 movie that we must have missed when moving from Germany to TN...because I had never heard of it before.

It's the best movie I have ever seen in awhile.  You have to check it out.  

The message?

 Love is messy. 

 Here is my card for

Polkadot Door Designs' July challenge. 

This was based off of a picture from Polkadot Door.

The owl in my picture is sort of cynical looking.  Ha HA...I did that on purpose.  

Isn't he a HOOT? ;)

Owls usually represent wisdom.  To me, wisdom is so hard to balance when it comes to love.  

I know there is a difference between love and infatuation...I tell my girls that all the time!

However, when I look at love in my life...I realize that it grew where I didn't expect or plan it....

Hence the flowers growing through the lattice....

I tell them "Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Prov 4:23

I feel they shouldn't toy with love until they are old enough to have a better perspective of it.  They might find boys that make their heart flutter...but until they are old enough to marry and handle such things...that delicate romantic love is best left on the shelf.

I know that the movie I mentioned earlier is based on young love...I told my girls that I didn't agree with encouraging that....but they DID GET TO SEE the confusion and emotions involved. 

I've never raised a young lady to adulthood before.  I just pray that they treat their hearts with delicate care and save it for a wise choice.  With the Lord's help, I know they will be ok. ;)

Info:

Stamps:Inkadinkado Bird Assortment, Technique Tuesday Inner Circle, Technique Tuesday Loves Me Loves Me Not Large

Other: Memento Ink, Versamark Ink, white embossing powder, Sizzix/Stampin Up Lattice die, MS border punch, Spellbinders Classic circles, Copics for coloring the bird, Fussy Cut flowers from DP (unknown brand)

Perty Pocket and Die Cut Mat

I tried something new today...constructing a pocket on my card!

Make It Monday #23 Pockets with Edger Dies

"Create a project utilizing your take on the challenge.  Your project must use at least one Papertrey product and make a pocket of any type on the front of your card."

Now, I don't own edger dies....yet!  But I do have other dies. 

Here is my project:

 

Closeup

Here is the info for constructing the pocket:

Papertrey Ink Mat Stack 3 sandwiched between die cuts of Spellbinders Label Four (the smaller one was cut one end at a time, using a smaller set of cutting pads from my Tag-A-Long).

I added small flourishes at the tops from Papertrey's All Booked Up (Look at the sentiment "This is Where I Fall Asleep").  I also used Papertrey's Grunge Me for its flourish on the bottom.  The MIM video inspired me to add those little details.  They DO add pizazz.  

Speaking of pizazz...

look at Moxie Fab's Tuesday Trigger Perty and Flirty.

Talk about inspiration!  It gave me the stylish theme and yellow/black combo.

Mark's Finest Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge Week 63 inspired me to use a die cut as a mat/background.  I used half of my Sizzix/SU Lattice die as a backdrop.

Thanks for taking the time to stop in. ;)

Info:

Stamps: Papertrey All Booked Up flourish, Papertrey Grunge Me flourish, My Favorite Things Let's Go for a Walk sentiment

Other: Papertrey Mat Stack 3, Spellbinders Label Four for envelope, Spellbinders Label eleven for insert sentiment, Sizzix/Stampin Up Lattice Die, Staz On black ink, Sizzix Texture plate, Want2Scrap bling colored with black Sharpie

Fibers and a Sketch

     Tonight I created a card using Card Patterns Sketch 117.

Here is my card.

Thanks for peeking in! ;)

Info: Stamp- SU, Ink- Memento, Other-Spellbinders Fleur de lis pendant die, Sizzix Adhesive paper, fibers Desert Sands, Fiskars Circle cutter, Spellbinders Classic Circles, Spellbinders scallop circles

My Mulan Card

  The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC79 called for some striking colors:

 

   I hardly had any gray paper or embellishments, but had just enough to make the border die. 

 

   I sponged Staz On dove gray ink on a white card base after stamping my SU background with red and clear embossing.  I colored in various areas with two different grey copic markers to add some interest.

   I found this little lime dragonfly I had randomly cut out from my die. It seemed like he wanted to make his home here.  I thought of the cricket from Mulan (in fact, I thought it WAS a cricket until I typed in the stamp recipe for this post, LOL).  He added enough quirkiness, and I was happy to use the little guy.

Thank you for dropping in!

Stamp recipe:

Stamps: SU Fresh Cuts

Ink: Brilliance Rocket Red, clear embossing powder, Staz On black,dove gray,MS Wasabi

Other: PTI eyelet lace die, Ellison thin cuts dragonfly and tag die

Paper: Georgia Pacific white cardstock, green vellum, red cardstock

When I Grow Up

  When I grow up, I want to be an artist.  I would love to sketch anything my imagination comes up with.  Um, it may take awhile to grow up.  However, I CAN stamp anything that comes near to what my drawings WOULD have looked like, had I the gift.  I love this look...

   
  The sketchy, artsy style of the stamp is so beautiful, AND it balances out my dirty fingers.  In fact, smudges almost add to the free, messy interpretation of the dancer. However, it is hard to justify if the marks are too far from the image, like on the bottom of the card.  I have learned to improvise for my weaknesses (my husband calls it "smoke and mirrors" :) ). I smudge the card edges with ink. 
   I found a fruitful challenge. One Layer Wednesday's OLW51, is to stamp three-of-a-kind cards.  Change the ink color, cardstock color, or the sentiment, but you have to use the same stamps.  This is perfect for me...I need cards for my daughter's three ballet teachers.