Flashback Friday-using up my stash

Hello! I haven't done a flashback in a while, even though I'm always trying to use up what I have before buying anything new.  I recently went shopping for supplies and was so proud that I only bought adhesive, cutting blades, and some xyron sticker refills!  Not saying this will happen next time, but it did this time!

My two pages aren't connected; actually they're for two different albums.  The first is for my oldest one's album.  She transferred school last year and we helped her move.  She is doing so well and we are so proud of her!  The background is all one page.  It came blocked off like this and I've had it for quite a while trying to figure out what to do with it...  A little trimming of photos, cutting letters, and punching flowers and that was it!

This page is part of the goal album for DD2.  The page is actually one I made at a class years ago. Long, long ago!  I finally dug the container out that held all of my ready to go pages and decided to use this one.  Since it was finished, I just needed to add the photo and journaling.

I can't remember everything from the second page, but I think the DSP is Lap of Luxury. Most of the supplies are listed in the labels section.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Sympathy, Hope, and Kindness

Hello! Today's post features two card designs I made recently and also a bit of philosophy, musing, and personal reflection.  You'll be happy to know that I'm sharing the cards first, so if you want to skip the rest it will be quite painless for you to do so!

I've recently had an increased need for sympathy cards.  I always have a supply of these on hand because I hate making these at the last minute, however, my supply has been steadily getting smaller and I needed to add some new replacements.  While I was picking out the paper for my cards, I was admiring the back of the gray pattern and thinking these would make great 'all occasion/thinking of you' cards.  I can always use those too!  I managed to make a total of six cards from one 12x12 sheet of paper and didn't have any scraps to set aside!

My flowers were stamped on whisper white using basic gray, then colored with pretty in pink and perfect plum pastels.  I used white for the flowers so the colors would be true and not muted by the vanilla background.  The hardest part of making these cards was deciding exactly how to place the flowers... other than that, they went together pretty quickly.

Now for the mental exploration of these cards...  Lately there has been a lot of thought been given to the finality of life and how best to use the time we are given.  This started several years ago when my brother almost died in a motorcycle accident followed by my dad suffering a major stroke.  At that time, I was questioning the reasons behind what was happening and looking for some brilliant insight to make me understand the grand scheme of things.  No such luck!  Helping my mom care for my dad on a daily basis and accepting the personality changes in my brother (major brain injury) left me feeling tired, empty, and completely broken.  A little less than two years ago, my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer.  He had surgery to remove the growth and was on schedule to begin chemotherapy when he fell and broke his hip.  So instead of chemo, he had another surgery... After his hip healed, he began receiving chemo which left him incredibly weak, sick, and quite grumpy (not that I blame him for that!).  He had just finished his sixth treatment when he decided he was done feeling terrible all the time.  He stopped chemo and slowly began to feel more like himself.  In the past month, we have found that he still has some cancerous growths, but they are growing at a much slower pace than normal for his type of cancer.  There is a good chance that he will end up dying from something other than cancer, which is both great and sad at the same time.  

All of this had me thinking about the quality of our lives versus the quantity and a good friend told me to read the book Tuesdays with Morrie.  If you have never read this book, you should.  It is a short story and very basic to read, so it's manageable even if you don't care much for reading.  The story was exactly what I was trying to sort out in my thoughts about death.  It is a beautiful story about two friends sharing the beauty of life while learning about preparing for death.  I can honestly say that it has given me great insight, and also shown me how I want to live my life from now on.  

During Fall Break, my sisters, my youngest DD, my parents and I went to a local historical museum.  There are sections dedicated to the German immigrants, local military, and origins of agriculture in our area.  We had a wonderful time letting my dad share his insights on all of the above and he took great pleasure in telling my daughter about using most of the farm equipment they had on display.  We played several rounds of "Do you know what that is?" and "What is that for?", without being able to use the information boards they had available.  Dad knew almost all of the tools and equipment, although my sisters and I did pretty good on the things we had seen Grandpa and Dad use on the farm.  It was such an amazing day and I was so happy to have another wonderful memory to add to my treasure chest.  This was also the reason I really wanted to use the Life is Beautiful side of the patterned paper.  Because when you stop to enjoy it, it really is! 

If you've read all the way to this point, I hope this has inspired you to take the time to enjoy some simple, happy times and share something with those you love.  Even the most ordinary things can become great gifts over time.  Have a wonderful day!

Scrappy Christmas Cards

Hello! Just a quick post with some Christmas cards I created from a pile of scraps.  I decided since so many of the scraps were pretty small, I would go with a quilted theme.  I'm not sure what you would call these particular quilt patterns, crazy??  No matter what you call them, they used up quite a bit of the smaller pieces of some very old Christmas DSP.  There are still a few bigger pieces left, but I think they'll have to wait for another day (maybe a scrapbook layout).

I pieced and glued my scraps onto a 4 x 5 1/4 piece of copy paper, ran the whole thing through the embossing folder and finished my card.  Not too difficult other than trying to find the right placement for the scraps...  I also managed to use the negative cut of a top note die that has been in my stash for a loooong time.  So glad it has a home now!

School and DD2 have been keeping me quite busy and I really need to get more Christmas cards made if they're going to be ready in time!  Wish me luck and thanks so much for stopping by!! Have a wonderful day!

Card Recipes:  Paper-real red, very vanilla, Merry Moments dsp, Ink-chocolate chip, Stamp Set-Joyous Celebrations, Accessories-oval and scallop oval punch, hexagon punch, top note die, square lattice folder

A Punchy Penguin and Thoughts on Morning

Hello and Happy Monday!!!! What's that you say? I can't use happy and Monday in the same sentence? Well, more on that later...

Recently we celebrated DD#1's birthday and she loves penguins so when I saw this @ I knew I wanted to recreate it for her card.  It was super easy to make too, thanks to all of the punches and the top note die!

I am happy to say she loved her card! I am one of those mean moms who won't let her kids eat cereal completely loaded with sugar.  A little sugar is ok but if it's more than 10 g, no dice... Did I mention diabetes runs in my DH's family?  So for her birthday, I indulged and bought a box of Cocoa Puffs for her.  When she woke up birthday morning she found her birthday card taped to the box of cereal.  I could hear her squeals at the other end of the house!  Such happiness coming from a non-morning person!!  Which leads to the second part of my post.

I recently came across a quote on pinterest that I just can't buy into.  It was something to the effect that since we choose to be happy, someone who is not a morning person chooses not to be happy.  Now I will admit I am NOT a morning person, but I do consider myself to be a happy person.  I do agree that we have to make a conscious effort to direct our moods and we can choose how we respond to things; I just don't think that not waking up chipper is a 'choice'.  I simply need a little more time to ease into my day.  My oldest DD is the same way-quite pleasant after you give her a chance to completely wake up. 

What is my theory? I think people are predisposed to their morning attitudes and sleep cycles.  When DD#1 was a baby, she would wake up and be content to lay in her bed for a while before calling for attention.  DD#2 (my morning person) would wake up and instantly want to be out of bed, changed and fed so she could start her day.  She even resorted to shaking the sides of her crib to get our attention as she got older! :)

I also think having morning lovers and haters in the same household leads to better social skills.  For example, DD#2 learned at a very early age not to talk to her sister until after breakfast, Mom required a cup of coffee before turning human, and Dad, well Dad worked nights so well all gave him a wide berth until after lunch!  The rest of us learned that no matter what we thought, DD#2 would never sleep in and would always have a perky smile on her face as soon as her feet hit the floor.  We don't have to like it but we accept it!  On the plus side, she is one person I never have to wait on to get ready.  She is usually dressed, breakfast done, and teeth brushed before I finish my first cup of coffee.  She also likes going out in the cold to start my car! Not sure where she got that gene, but so glad she does!!

So if you don't like mornings, especially Monday mornings, don't worry... You're in good company and I'm happy I'm not alone!  Hope you have a great week!

Card Recipe:  Paper-basic black, whisper white, pumpkin pie, elegant eggplant, Ink-elegant eggplant, stampin' chalk marker, Stamp Set-pennant parade, Accessories-top note die, 1" circle punch, oval punch, scallop oval punch, decorative label punch

  

Flashback Friday- Getting Inky!

Hello! I'm apologizing in advance... Today's post is a little picture heavy, but I did include some cute, furry kitten photos so I hope I'm forgiven!  As I was making some phone calls and paying bills last week, I was grumbling to myself  that I really needed to get a little more organized with all of the papers that seem to accumulate when the girls go back to school.  Sign this, send in $ for that, be sure the choir gowns are altered by the first concert, return fundraiser information now...  It is enough to drive me batty some days!  Just as I was wondering what in the world I could find that would organize and I would actually use, Shadow's big ol' Lab tail knocked a clipboard off of a shelf.  I picked it up and was going to return it to the shelf when inspiration struck.  I should have taken a before picture, but didn't think of it until it was already painted.  The clipboard was one that I had bought to use for preschool and the kids helped 'decorate' it with stray marks from markers and pencils.  I gave the whole clipboard a good coat of off white acrylic paint.  As the paint was drying, I went to Pinterest to see what ideas I could borrow to make my new organization board.

I really wasn't in the mood for a neat and clean papered clipboard, of which there were TONS of photos.  I liked them, but didn't really want to do the whole paper thing.  I did however find some inspiration in a mini clipboard that was all inky and stamped-not my usual style, but it looked like a lot of fun!  

So I pulled out some of my favorite stamps, lots of ink pads, and got busy.  I'm not sure if it was the acrylic paint or the clipboard, but my bold browns were sucked right in, leaving behind a very muted design.  I really liked it, and quickly decided to exchange my subtle blues and greens for the stronger, brighter colors.  The funny thing was I would never have combined the different shades that I used, but they really worked well together once they were dry.  Then I went back and sponged some browns and blues, and a little vanilla for good measure.

When I finished, the chrome clip looked completely out of place! Can't have that!!  So I pulled out the vanilla flower trim and made it all inky as well.  The newsprint bird was a suggestion from my oldest DD, and I added some 'vintage' crochet ribbon to finish it off.

Now I just have to convince myself to clip important notes and paper on here.  Not an easy task since it will cover up all of the inky goodness, but maybe it will motivate me to take care of those papers so I can see the clipboard again.

I hadn't intended to share photos of the kittens, but they were weaving in and out of the table legs as I was trying to take my pictures.  I figured if they were feeling so photogenic, I should oblige.

Katniss decided to climb up my leg as I took her photo. Ouch!

Beauty was too busy swiping to sit still, but finally

I was able to capture this shot.

Where was Shadow during all of this?  Why, resting comfortably on the deck like a good dog.  I'm pretty sure he's convinced that we make way too much fuss over the silly cats who don't even have the courtesy to stay out of my pictures.  He does however make quite a big deal of strutting back into the house with me.  I'm certain he makes faces at them through the window as he enjoys his place inside.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and find some time to play with your craft supplies too!

Project Recipe: Paper-very vanilla, First Edition DSP (ret), Stamp Sets-Faith in Nature (ret), Inspired by Nature (ret), Warm Words (ret), World Map, Ink-soft suede, early espresso, baked brown sugar, marina mist, not quite navy, night of navy, garden green, old olive, Accessories-bird builder punch, scallop oval punch, vanilla flower trim, Chantilly crochet trim

Anything But a Card Challenge 20- Doing a little dusting...

Hello! I'm so glad you are stopping in today!  The challenge this week at Anything But a Card Challenges is to dust off your older materials and supplies.  If you're like me, this also becomes a challenge in cleaning and organizing your crafting area!  We are already on challenge #20! I am so excited to see so many playing along each week and hope that you will find time to link up with us too!

Before I began my project, I had to find my crafting table (knew it was under there somewhere..).  I was amazed at the various pieces of projects, and papers that were laying around.  So once my crafting space was tidy, I was ready to get started.  While cleaning, I found a cardstock box that I made about a month ago while trying out a template/tutorial I found here.  I also realized I have A LOT of paper!  I decided to use a lone leftover sheet of an old SU DSP.  I have no clue what the design is, but it is quite old! **Edit** I have been told that this paper was from Jersey Shore, retired quite a while back... The daisies in the paper led me to pull out my very neglected daisies die.  Both of these items were used to dress up my card box and I was on such a roll that I made 8 coordinating cards to complete the set!  You can see my cards posted here.  I am happy to say that my sheet of paper is a mere pile of scraps now and I completed a project that will now become a thank you gift for a dear friend.

the front view...

and the top.

The scale of the box is hard to see in the photos, but this easily held eight 4 1/4x5 1/2 cards (several of them a bit lumpy) and their envelopes.  I made a belly band from the left over 1" strips from the box and decorated it with the daisies.  Sadly, I don't have measurements to share because I kind of eyeballed it.  It's loose enough to slide off, but also doesn't fall off easily.

There were a lot of dusted off things on this project! The cardstock used for the box, the patterned paper, the daisies die, and the pumpkin pie corduroy brads were all quite old and neglected.  But no more!

I hope I have helped inspire you to dust off your goodies and play along this week! We would love to see what you have kept hidden away!  Be sure to stop by the challenge blog and see what the design team unearthed for their fabulous projects too!  Have a fabulous week and happy crafting!

Project Recipe: Cardstock- from stash, old SU DSP, wild wasabi and whisper white, Stamp Set-Fabulous Phrases, Ink-bashful blue(sponged on daisies) and pacific pointe, Accessories-daises 2 die, little leaves sizzlit, oval punch, scallop oval punch, pumpkin pie corduroy buttons.

Happy Anniversary- Saleabrate!!

Well, hello there! I am so glad you popped in for a visit today!  Things have been quite uneventful this week, which is perfect for spring break!  I even managed to get a few scrapbooking pages finished using MDS!!  But today is not about my current projects. Nope, today is all about my wonderful ability to procrastinate and then realize that I goofed again...   In February, my stamp club made a card using the beautiful paper that was available for free during Saleabration...key word being WAS available...as in 'not available now that I'm getting around to posting this'... Sheesh! Have I mentioned lately how crazy things have been for me lately?!

So, today I am sharing the card we made at club that features the lovely, but no longer available, Sycamore Street DSP!  It also has a very pretty ribbon that was also a free item during  SAB... not that this helps you if you don't already have it...

I borrowed this layout from someone, but unfortunately, I do not remember who...  I decided to use the postage stamp punch to make the fish tails on my banners, and really like the interesting edge!

If you are a follower and frequently read my posts, you know that I have been alluding to a very crazy few months.  You also know that my Mom has not been feeling the best and that I also recently relocated my classroom to a new building.  It was during this time of major stress that I realized that I needed to make some drastic changes to my life because I was becoming more unhappy with each passing day.  So I made the HUGE decision to make this my last year of teaching at the preschool.  I have turned in my notice and will officially be unemployed as of May 17th.  While the initial thought of this scared me to no end, I must admit that in the past week I have found an inner peace that has not been present for me in a very long time.  No, I don't know where I will be working next, or even what I will be doing, but I also know that God has a plan for me and He is guiding my steps.  In the meantime, I will be crafting my little heart out and spending some much needed time with my family.  I'm also letting those rusty wheels in my head spin and I have some really fun ideas floating around up there.  Before I finish this post, I want to share something I found on Pinterest...

I hope you allow yourself the same! Happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-pool party, whisper white, tangerine tango, Sycamore Street DSP, Ink-island indigo, Stamp Set-teeny tiny wishes, Accessories-Sycamore Street ribbon/button set, oval punch, scallop oval punch, postage stamp punch

Color Me Beautiful Challenge #11-A Christmas Flashback

Is it really Friday?! This has been the craziest week and I don't feel like I have accomplished anything, even though I have been running around like a chicken!!  I also realized that the annual arts and crafts festival that we attend is in a week!! That means Christmas is WHEN?!  I am not going to count the days because then I would really start to worry!!  But enough of my whining...

The challenge at Color Me Beautiful, this week, is sure to inspire the Christmas spirit!  Although... if you are not moved by the Christmas spirit, you could easily use these colors for any other project as well!

Try as I might, I could not get primrose petals to cooperate with the other colors.  Who knew it could be such an anti-social color... :p   But I DID use some Spice Cake DSP!! Go figure! 

I'm not sure that I'm finished tweaking this card... A little too much 'space' for my liking, maybe another stocking? The other ladies on the design team managed to succeed where I struggled and are sharing their fabulous creations at the challenge blog, so be sure to go visit them. And if you are so inclined, we would love to see what you can do with these beautiful colors!!

I managed to pull out some retired goodies for this card and it's Friday, so I'm calling this my most recent Flashback Friday card!

Today I am baking cookies for DD#2's fall festival, but I'm hoping to multi-task and get some creating done as well!! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and find some time to be crafty too!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-sahara sand, real red, soft suede, very vanilla, red glimmer paper, Spice Cake DSP (ret), Stamp Set-Bells and Boughs, Ink-soft suede, Accessories-1 3/8" circle punch, scallop oval punch, stocking punch (ret), linen thread

Color Me Beautiful Challenge #3

Hello! It's Friday! My favorite day of the week! Not only does it mean the weekend is here, but it's also time for a new color challenge at Color Me Beautiful! I am having so much fun playing with the wonderful color combinations and this week is no exception!

Check out these yummy colors...

and our color palette...

Anyone else hungry for eggplant Parmesan, or is it just me?!  

When I originally saw these pictures they really called Halloween to me.  So I made a Halloween card, but me and my nitpicky, wishy washy ways, I wasn't loving that card.  It wasn't horrible, but I really wanted something better to share, so I went back to the drawing board and made a new card...

Nope, not Halloween... but I like this one a lot more! Plus, it gave me the excuse to pull out some new toys and play with them!!  AND I have another Christmas card completed!! Bonus!

Have I mentioned that I love the bundles in the Holiday catalog?! As if coordinating stamp sets and framelits weren't wonderful enough, you also save money when you purchase them together!! How could I NOT buy them????

I hope the inspiration picture, color palette, and my little ol' card have encouraged you to pull out these SU colors and some SU stamps and play along!! I'll be patiently waiting to see your wonderful creations!

Be sure to check back later this week and I'll share my first attempt card with you.  Like I said, it's not horrid and I like it, but it just wasn't WOW like I wanted it to be.

Card Recipe:  Cardstock-basic gray, lucky limeade, whisper white, rich razzleberry, tempting turquoise, Ink-rich razzleberry, tempting turquoise, basic gray, Stamp Sets-Teeny Tiny Wishes, Ornament Keepsakes, Accessories- Holiday Ornaments framelits, white bakers twine, basic rhinestones, snow burst embossing folder (ret), Punches-modern label, word window, 1" circle, scallop oval

The intervention...

Hello, my name is Margaret and I have a problem.  I started making Christmas cards about a month ago to use up my old Christmas DSP.  I thought I could handle it, just make a few cards, use up some old paper, and then I would stop.  I was in control... or so I thought.  I have recently come to realize that I have an addiction to creating Christmas cards.  I've even started looking at other old packages of  Christmas DSP, just to see what was there...  I knew I hit rock bottom when I became frustrated that I had to make a birthday card. "That won't use up my Christmas paper... I have to use up my Christmas paper!!"  So that's my story.  I am a Christmas card addict.  The saddest part of this is I will have to find a way to control my behavior.  After all, Christmas is an annual holiday, and there will always be new DSP to buy, therefore making my current DSP old.  It's a vicious cycle...  But I can change... if I have to...I guess...

All silliness aside, I am really enjoying making my cards early (gasp!) and I was so excited when I realized I only had two full sheets and some little scraps left of my Merry Moments paper.  Bring on the new paper!!  

I once again used a Merry Monday sketch for my cards.  I'm just obsessive enough to feel that I need to do the sketches in order, but really would have liked to skip this one.  It was a wonderful sketch and I had this brilliant card pictured in my head, but when I attempted to put my vision to paper, I did not love it.  So I decided to try the sketch again with a different idea.  Not overly crazy with that one either...  But I finished the sketch and the next few are very basic and I think they will be a lot easier for me to use.  So here are both of my cards using sketch #7 from Merry Monday.  

   

My initial plan was for the cardinal to be resting on the branch, but it just didn't look right.  I also thought the background would be less bare and more 'forest-like' with the pine tree images.  I just feel like the whole vision fell short of what I wanted...

First of all... apologies for the washed out image... grr...

I decided to go a completely different route with this one.  I wanted to use the shaker frame, but didn't want to actually have a shaker card (confusing, I know).  So I stamped my image twice, added dazzling details to the bottom image and then layered the second image on top.  I think I would have been happier with this one if I had embossed the red background.

So do you ever have this problem?  Finishing a card and then really not liking it?  

Hope everyone has a fabulous rest of the weekend! Happy crafting!

Card Recipe #1-Cardstock-old olive, very vanilla, real red, Merry Memories DSP(ret), Ink-chocolate chip, old olive, Stamp Sets- Lovely as a Tree, Bells and Boughs, Language of Friendship, Punches-scallop oval, scallop circle, bird builder

Card Recipe #2-Cardstock-real red, very vanilla, garden green, Merry Memories DSP, Ink-real red, asst. markers, Stamp Sets- Sweet Snowglobe (ret), Warm Words (ret), Punches-1 3/4" circle, large oval, scallop oval, Accessories-dazzling details, shaker frame

Umm... Another Christmas Card...

No, it's not Flashback Friday, but in my desperate attempt to use up my older Christmas DSP, I have another card to share this week!  I had to get a little creative with this one.  I used the sketch #5 from Merry Monday and knew I wanted to use the snowman circle from Tags Til Christmas, but there wasn't any blue in the DSP... So I grabbed the color coach and found that marina mist was suggested with real red and old olive, which were colors in the DSP! BINGO! Of  course, the snowy image just begged for some dazzling details as well!  Who am I to argue with a snowman stamp?!

I colored the image with markers and also did a little 'splitting' of the sentiment using the marina mist marker.  I love being able to color only what I want to stamp.  Makes fitting things into a punched shape much easier!!

I think there's just enough DSP left to make that mini album and possibly a few scrappy cards or a page or two.  As happy as that makes me, I am even more amazed that I have 10 Christmas cards made already!  I just won't know what to do when December arrives...  Maybe I'll get some more scrapbook pages finished!  Hope you are finding time to enjoy your weekend! Happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-very vanilla, real red, Merry Moments DSP (ret), Ink-marina mist, real red, pumpkin pie, basic black (markers), Stamp Set-Tags Til Christmas, Star Studded Season, Punches-large oval, scallop oval, 1 3/4 circle, 2 3/8 scallop circle, Accessories- dazzling details

A Completely Shameless CASE

I have really been enjoying my spring break! I'm actually getting some cleaning and organizing done, laundry is back under control, and I even have found time to be crafty every day so far! Unfortunately, my internet connection has decided that this week would be a perfect time to do an impersonation of cold molasses pouring from a jar...  So it has taken forever to visit my blogging buddies and next to impossible to upload pictures.  I'm really hoping the entire week won't be like this!

On Sunday, I was organizing the files of wonderful cards I have found on the internet and saved to my computer.  Most of these were pre-pinterest and even though I did note who made most of them, I do not have direct links to the cards on the blogs.  I am bringing this up because I really wanted to CASE several of these and I think it is only appropriate to give credit to those who inspired me.  So, while I'm giving you the blog link for today's inspiration, it is not the direct link to the card.  Sorry...Did I mention my molasses-like internet connection?

Normally, when I CASE a  card, I end up changing bits and pieces of the card or changing the images.  Not today!  This is a shameless case of the gorgeous card made by Susan.  I don't even remember when I saw this on her blog, but I was so impressed by the elegance of this without too much fuss.  The only changes I made were the colors.  I was so stuck on which colors I would like best, so in the end, I used all of them!! Since these will be wedding/anniversary cards, I can always use a back up stash for those moments when I remember "OH! That's THIS Saturday?"

and a close up shot for more detail...

Well, I'm off to bed! Another fun filled day of running DD to practice, grocery shopping, and more spring cleaning will be waiting for me tomorrow!

Card Recipe:  Card stock-baja breeze, very vanilla, crumb cake, soft suede, basic black, Ink-basic black, Stamp Set-Fabulous Phrases, Extras-scallop oval punch, large oval punch, elegant lines embossing folder

Well...Owl be...

Happy Valentines Day!  We don't really do a lot for Valentines day at our home.  The girls share cards with their classmates and friends, but other than that, it's a lot like any other day.

My oldest DD just celebrated her 13th birthday and since she loves owls and purple, I combined those to make her card.  Let me tell you, it's not so easy to be inspired by purple owls, but she loved her card, so I guess that's all that matters!!  Sorry about the not so great photo quality.  It was overcast when I took this picture, and too cold to be outside!

I used a lot of goodies from my scrap box and some purple glitter glue from my girls craft supply.  The sentiment was created on my computer and the inside says "Well, OWL be darned!"

I was so looking forward to an evening of eating out, when she informs me the morning of her birthday that she wanted my pork roast with carrots and potatoes.  Fortunately, I only had a morning class on her birthday and was able to get everything into the crock pot and had it ready for dinner!  Maybe my DH will fix dinner tonight... After all, it is Valentines Day!

Just a reminder that there is still time to be entered in my blog candy giveaway!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-whisper white, perfect plum, wild wasabi, tan paper from stash, Ink-perfect plum, rich razzleberry, peach parfait marker, Stamp Set-Punch Bunch, Accessories-owl punch, modern label punch, scallop oval punch

Another Challenge Card!

Wednesday, I actually managed to squeeze in some crafting time to play along with some challenges! So if you're in shock at seeing another post from me already this week, now you know why!  Top Tip Tuesday has two different sketches (created by Lisa!) to choose from.  I chose the CAS one, although my card doesn't really look super CAS!  LOL!  My tip for TTT is pretty simple, but it is not something I realized when I first started making cards.  **When you are using several similar embellishments or stamped images, you can easily add dimension and interest by randomly popping some of them up with dimensionals (or pop dots).  I usually lay out my pieces and then decide which ones I want to 'pop'.**    Shopping Our Stash had a challenge to use borders of some kind.  My assorted hearts make the border on this card. BTW- If you have never played along w/ SOS, it is so fun! They actually encourage you to dig through those wonderful treasures that are hiding in your stash and use them (Wow, such a novel idea!!!).  The only relatively new thing on this card was the heart embosslit I used! The DP I used has not been pulled out in ages!

I have actually started to acquire quite the collection of completed Valentine cards! I may actually be finished by Valentines Day!!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-real red, pretty in pink, whisper white, Raspberry Tart DSP (ret), red glimmer paper, Ink-black Stazon and assorted SU markers, Stamp Sets- Gift Givers, Precious Butterflies (sentiment), Accessories-heart to heart punch, scallop oval punch, large oval punch, full heart punch, Fashionable Hearts embosslit, dazzling details and pink glitter glue

A Three Hour Card, A Three Hour Card...

I think I know how the people from Gilligan's Island feel now! They only intended to take a 3 hour tour and spent what felt like an eternity on the island instead.  I set out to make a bridal shower card, not a big feat, and ended up spending 3 HOURS from start to finish on this!!  Those of you who follow my blog will understand immediately why this took me so long! I'm a CAS card maker by nature.  I do enjoy vintage and shabby, but they still end up being pretty simple.  Not this card, my friends...

In an effort to spare those from the challenge blogs who don't really want to hear my tale of endless crafting, here are the challenges I chose to  submit my card.  Shopping Our Stash is asking for all that glitters, sparkles, or shines (not a problem on this one!), SUO Challenges is asking for an infrequently used or new technique (lots of embellishing and Smooch spritz), and Top Tip Tuesday has an anything goes challenge. And my 3 hour card...

and the inside...

I saw the inspiration card on Robyn's Stamping Hood a few months ago and thought this would be fun to recreate. I must have been channeling Anne Marie  (aka the Bling Queen!) because the next thing I knew I was pulling out pearls, embossing folders, ribbon, smooch spritz, glimmer paper, and lots of other shimmery bling!  In all fairness, there are a lot of crafters out there who could have made this in 15 minutes, but this was so far out of my comfort zone that I would pull paper out, then put it back. Try this punch? No... What about this one?  Big pearls or tiny pearls?  It needs texture... No, that's too much...Hmm...which sentiment should I use... Even cutting the paper for the cake layers was an ordeal (cut 3 different times til I was happy)! When I finally was committed (or needed to be!), and adhered everything to the card, it still needed something.  Out came the Smooches!  When I finished, my table looked like the entire SU catalog had exploded and I had shimmery fingers from the smooch spray! But I have to say, when I picked up the finished project, this truly is one amazing card, by my standards.  Of course, with snow and freezing temperatures, I was not about to go outside just to get better lighting, so even though you may not be able to see all of the shimmery, glittery goodness, believe me! It's there!!

I used a LOT of goodies on this card and amazingly 90% was stuff I've had for quite a while! I am hoping that the bride-to-be will enjoy this card! I honestly don't know her, but she is marrying our neighbors son, and I have known him since he was a baby! Hope you have managed to make it through my extremely long post and that you enjoyed visiting!!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-pretty in pink, real red, very vanilla, Sending Love DSP (ret), red glimmer paper, Ink-real red, blush blossom marker (for shading edges and hearts inside), Stamp Sets- Loving Thoughts, Sprinkles (ret), Punches-modern label, heart to heart, scallop oval, corner rounder, large oval, Accessories-elegant lines embossing folder, basic pearls, vanilla shimmer and blushing bride smooch spritz, Chantilly crochet trim