Speedy Recovery

One of our grandsons broke his arm this week and I wanted to send him a card. I realized that there are really not very many stamps or sentiments that are geared to a broken arm for a 4 year old little boy! I had just received this designer paper from Basic Grey and that is what gave me the idea for this card. 

I also made it for a StampTV challenge to stamp something going in a non-traditional way so I put the sentiment going up and down. The train should look like it is emerging from a tunnel. It ended up being a fun card to make. I enjoy most making a card for a specific person or event. Those are also the cards that come together easier.

Thanks for the visit today. Have a wonderful weekend!

Recipe:

Stamps: Life is Good by Theresa Momber – sold by GinaK

Paper – Pure Luxury Smokey Slate, White, Green Apple and Moonlit Fog

Special Paper – Basic Grey Oliver

Other: Spellbinders Nestabilities

Adam's Birthday

Yes, another grandchild birthday is coming up. In fact I have several more to make before August is over! Adam will be 7 - he is the oldest son of my oldest son! I do try to make cards for the little ones that speak to them. It is not easy because there are just not that many stamp sets out there for that. When you have 13 grandchildren and the oldest is just going to be 10 and I try to never repeat a card - well that is a lot of stamp sets or at least a lot of possibilities within the stamp sets. 

So here is Adam's. It really was a fun card to make (do I say that on every post?)! I knew I wanted to use the car and I wanted to use the colors for a color challenge on StampTV. So I found this fabulous DP from October Afternoon and it just came together. 

Thanks for stopping by - I read and cherish every one of you comments, thank you!

Recipe: 

Stamps: Heartily Yours - GinaK

Paper: GinaK Pure Luxury Turquoise Sea, Cranberry Tart

Other Paper: October Afternoon - Roadmap

Other: Nestabilities 

Mahalo

Good morning, and what a glorious morning it is! Yesterday was such an exciting day for me, being selected as the Center Stage Guest Designer for the month of August for StampTV. I am still pinching myself (mentally because I bruise easy)! I am very excited and have been overwhelmed by the wonderfully supportive comments left here on my blog and on StampTV. 

So this card is for all of you! Mahalo means thank you - thank you for the support and the constant encourament I have received from StampTV friends and from my Stampin' Sisters in Christ sisters! You are all the best!



I made this card for the StampTV inspiration challenge and also for the CPS-177 sketch challenge. I also entered into the Copic Creations to color a bird with Copics. It was really a quick and fun card to make with few layers. I am just loving all the bright colors that this stamp set begs to use! I colored and cut out all the flowers and the toucan with the message in it's beak. I used an impressibility for the card base. It was a fun card to create and came together just playing with the circles and different colored elements. 

Thanks for coming by and, as always, thanks for commenting!

Recipe:
Stamps: Aloha by Theresa - sold by GinaK
Paper: Pure Luxury Wild Dandelion
Other: Circle Nestabilities, Copic Markers

My Mom - My Friend

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One more time! I made one more card for the GinaK Center Stage Guest Designer for August.  The picture is not as clear as I would have liked, sorry. For this sample I used the StampTV episode of using the Spellbinder's Impressabilities. It is not easy to see but it is on the Pure Luxury Kraft. I colored the image using Copics and also used some Sakura Stardust pens in the leaves but it did not show up well in the picture. 

Personal note:

I will be sending this card to my mom. She always was my best friend growing up and as an adult. I talked to her on the phone every day for years and years. I miss her. She is still here and she is still wonderful but the strokes and dementia has taken away that woman, now I talk to my wonderful dad almost every day. Today I picked up my daughter and together we picked up lunch and brought it to them and shared a meal together. It is hard to see her get weepy because the food spills on the floor. It hurts to watch her eat with her fingers half the time, to need oxygen several times a day. It hurts to watch my dad be so tired out yet lovingly take care of her day after day. Thank God for the Hospice nurses who come 5 days a week to help bathe her and make sure she is okay. Mom likes my cards (don't moms love everything their kids make!) she sets them out and shows them to the nurses. So this card is for my mom - my friend! 

Thanks for coming by, I really like your visits and leave a comment if you have an extra moment. 

Recipe:

Stamps: Seeds of Kindness and the sentiment is from Friends both from GinaK

Paper: Pure Luxury Kraft, White, and Ocean Mist

Special Paper: DCWV Linen Closet

Extras: Pearls, Copics

Birthday Tulip

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Another attempt at being chosen for the Center Stage August Guest Designer. This is the third card that I have made for that and it came pretty easy. For one thing I absolutely love this stamp set. It has been inked up a lot. It is also one of my favorite episodes of StampTV called "Reverse Nestabilities".  

For this card I used some of the digital paper that I had downloaded from GinaK. I stamped the tulips several times so that I could pop up a couple of them for even more dimension. I also put a tulip on the inside. I used my Copics to color. 

Recipe:

Stamps: A Year of Flowers from Melanie and sold by GinaK - Sentiment from Enjoy the Sunshine

Paper: Pure Luxury Lipstick Red and Sweet Corn

Special Paper: Digital grunge dots sold by GinaK

Other: Copic Markers, Dewdrops, Nestabilities

Thanks for another visit! 

Have a great week filled with blessings!

Aloha!

**Looking for the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge Card? It's down below, please scroll down.**

I am trying out with a second entry for the Gina K design team for the month of August If you want to try out here is the link to her blog. The challenge was to use one of the many techniques that she has on her website. For this card I chose the "Inking a Cuttlebug Folder". I really spent quite a bit of time on this card, I just couldn't get it to look right. So it changed quite a few times! I should have taken different pictures of all the different places this flamingo wanted to live! Finally I hit upon this one, simple but still looks complete.

I also used masking for the water behind the flamingo. The flowers were added to "finish" the project. The ribbon happened to be a great match.

Recipe:

Stamps: Aloha - made by Theresa - sold by GinaK

Paper: GinaK Pure Luxury Grass Green and White, SU Regal Rose

Ink: Memento Black and Memento Bamboo Leaves

Other: Random ribbon, Copics, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug folder

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please don't forget to scroll down for the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge for this week. 

Have a week filled with blessings,

  

Seeing the Light - Luke 8:16

This was such a fun project! When I first read that making a votive candle holder was an option I thought - no way! So I made a card for my grandson Dylan who will be 3 in October. I know that this is a tad early but I like to make cards that I know will go to a specific person then say a prayer for them while I am making the card. Anyway, I felt guilty for not attempting the votive holder when my fellow Stampin Sisters in Christ sisters were doing it and quite well I might add. So...... I made one too! Thanks for the challenge Peggysue, it was a good one! If you came upon this post from another website be sure to to to Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenges.


This week the scripture verse that Peggysue chose is Luke 8:16. 

No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lamp-stand, that those who enter may see the light.

Some time ago we heard a homily (sermon) where the priest asked this question, "If anyone were to walk into your house would they know that you are a Christian?" That made an impact on us and since then (more than 30 years) we have had several symbols of our faith in most rooms of our home. But I think that this verse goes even deeper then just the external symbols such as wearing a cross, or the dove on you car bumper. It is how we live day by day and minute by minute. When you look at me I hope that you see the light of Christ in me whether I am wearing a cross that day or not. I see that light in my (minister) brother who (with his wonderful wife) do missionary work for European Missions Outreach. I see that light in my daughter who is mentally handicapped. That light was visible at Mass tonight in the eyes of a young mother gazing at her little girl. I have to make sure that whatever I do and wherever I go that people will see that light in me.


Have a great week filled with blessings!

The Door

Gina from Stamp TV has invited us to make a card using one of her StampTV techniques for a chance to be chosen as a design team member for the month of August! Here is a card that I made today for that chance. I certainly wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to try out although the competition is fierce with all the talented people that always try out. Here is my card:

For this card I followed the Highlighting with Nestabilities technique and in the how to use it section I followed the instructions on using the Bow Easy.I stamped the sentiment for the card on the inside as is shown in the bottom right hand corner of the picture above. I stamped the door twice and used some walnut distress ink on it. I colored and highlighted with Copic markers.


Card Recipe:
Stamps: The Journey by Asela - sold by GinaK 
Paper: GinaK Pure Luxury white, Cranberry Tart and Tan Leather
Special Paper: Basic Grey Green at Heart
Other: Nestabilities, ribbon, Copics and a brass key

Wish me luck and thanks for stopping by!

Birthday Birdie

In my family there are always so many birthdays that I just cannot make too many. The good thing is that I do generally send them. This is a gate-fold card, I really like these because they are a little different from the normal cards.  The difficult part usually seems to be a way to get the card to stay closed. This time I found some little Magnets from Basic Grey, that worked great.

I made this card for a few challenges. First was for the "blast from the past" challenge on StampTV to make a gate-fold card. Then there is the color challenge of JUGS#42 to use green, navy, orange, and cream. Then there is the Copic Creation challenge to color a bird using Copics. Now I did research for the bird to see which birds have some orange and blue in them. This bird is a barn swallow! Isn't that cool? So there is the orange for the JUGS challenge!  

Recipe:
Stamps: Spring Mix from Gina K Designs
Paper: Pure luxury Vanilla and In the Navy
Special Paper: DCWV Latte
Other: Buttons, Copic Markers, Nestabilities, Copic Markers 

Ella's Card

**Looking for the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge Card? It's down below, check it out.**

One of my wonderful granddaughters will be 8 on Sunday - you guessed it, her name is Ella! Ella holds a special place in my heart, she always will. She was just a little 1 year old when I experienced a very painful loss in my life. Her mom and dad made sure that I spent as much time with her as possible because they knew that her little hugs and unconditional love would help me. They were right! She (and her younger brother) attend the school where I teach so I get the added bonus of seeing them every day during the school year. God sends us healing in a number of ways - one for me answers to the name of Ella.

This card was made for a couple of challenges. The first was the inspiration challenge on StampTV. We were asked to make a card based on that image of the cake. That was my rendition of it. The other was for the sketch challenge on Card Patterns 73. I paper pieced the sections of the cake to get some of the green into it and I HAD to go with pinks! This card took me a long time to make, some cards just fall into place and others are a struggle. This one was harder than most. I hope she likes it! 






Recipe:
Stamps: Candles on your Cake by Melanie, sold by Gina K Designs
Paper: Gina K Pure Luxury Passionate Pink and Creme de Menthe
Specialty Paper: Paper Pack from DCWV called Nana's Kids
Other: Some flowers and brads 

All our love

**Looking for the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge Card? It's down below, check it out.**

Oh I had fun with this one. I think I really liked working with these colors and the sketch challenge on StampTV really got me going! Then on Mark's Finest Paper blog they had the colors challenge this week to use red, orange, and yellow - another winner for me. So sunny and warm - perfect for Florida don't you think? I added the butterfly for Flutter By Wednesday who challenged us to use layers and, of course, a butterfly or fairy.

I popped up the flowers and the butterfly for the 3 dimensional look and used both the round and the octagon Nestabilities for the focal points. Thanks for stopping by again today!

Recipe:

Stamps: Sending Sunshine by Theresa sold by Gina K Designs
Paper: GinaK Pure Luxury Sweet Mango, Red Hot and White
Designer Paper: DCWV Citrus
Other: Ribbon, Nestabilities, Copic Markers

Thank You Plant

**Looking for the Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge Card? It's down below, check it out.**

I remember a long, long time ago (okay, not THAT long) when plants were given as a thank you, I received several that way. That was always such a nice gesture. I was lucky enough to have been a stay at home mom for the 18 years, until our youngest started kindergarten. During those years I often was the go to person to help out with child care, braiding hair, making cookies, whatever was needed. I loved those years. 

Well, I cannot tell you how many plants did not do well in my care! I was much better at taking care of the children!  So now I send cards - lots of cards. This one will go out this afternoon.

This card was made for 2 challenges. The first was for the StampTV Monday color challenge to use yellow and green. The second was the sketch challenge for CPS 175. Coloring the plant was fun (easier than remembering to water them). 


Recipe:
Stamps: Seeds of Kindness by Gina at Gina K Designs
Paper: Pure Luxury Grass Green and some SU Barely Banana
Specialty Paper: Cosmo Cricket Material Girl
Other: Nestability, Ribbon, Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping by - I always love hearing from you.

Home Sweet Home

Happy Sunday! The weeks of summer are flying by which is evidenced by the fact that it seems like I just posted for Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenges a little while ago! It is always good to have our Sunday visit though.

This week Grace brought us the verse from Psalm 127:1a. "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it." We were asked to make a card that depicts something that has to be built according to a set of plans. The first thing that comes to mind is a house. I really thought about this verse and how it speaks to me which led me to remember when my DH and I were first dating and talking about our future. We had it all planned out. We would buy a house and have about 4 children. I was going to be a nurse and Jerry was just out of the Army and thinking of going into hotel management. We were both still in school. Yup - those were the plans. Well, I had to have a hysterectomy just a few months after our marriage which led to a lot of bills and other complications. To shorten this incredibly long story; it is now 38 years later and we have 8 adopted children (grown ups now), I teach in a Catholic school where our children attended and Jerry owns a small precast company. Not the plans we originally had - guess God had other plans huh? And they were good for we have been blessed time and time again - thank you God! 

This week the sponsoring company is Wink Wink Ink. They have some adorable images (my card is made with some of them).  I printed the images on white cardstock and again on a DP. I colored the images with my copic markers and sponged the background. I used a Spellbinder die and cut it in half to put on the sides of the images to make it look like shutters and put nail head embellishments on them to look like nails. Thanks for stopping by, please leave a comment if you have an extra minute - I love hearing from you. 

Have a week filled with blessings! 

Recipe:
Stamps:  Grandma's Parlor - Wink Wink Ink
Paper: Gina K Pure Luxury Cranberry Tart and Kraft
Special Paper: SU Bella Bleu
Other: Nestabilities Label Four, Copic Markers, Brass Nailheads 

Merry & Bright

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I know - it is just too early to think of Christmas, in fact I agree with you. Gina at StampTV has put a Christmas in July challenge and even had a new stamp set introduced this month. So now I am making Christmas cards with a few groans and moans thrown in. I mean I am on SUMMER VACATION and do not want to think of Christmas yet - but I know that when November and December roll around I will be sending Gina {hugs} for head start on the busy season. 

I made this card using Gina's new stamp set and for a challenge this week on StampTV to create a split negative card. I made this one and another one with the reverse image and a different layout. This card is also for the CPS175 sketch challenge.  Thanks for stopping by - I always like your visits and comments too!

Recipe:
Stamps: Blessed is the Season - Gina K. Designs
Paper: Pure Luxury Fresh Asparagus and Cranberry Tart 
Other: Lace, burgundy and vanilla embossing powder, MS branch punch, spellbinder die. 

 

Toucan

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 Wasn't there a cereal that used the toucan as it's symbol? I had such fun coloring him! I researched on the computer what their colors should be and noticed that with the beak, anything goes! The body was supposed to be all black but I need more practice coloring with blacks so I used dark grays instead. I colored the toucan twice and cut one up so that he pops up a bit and also colored and cut out the flowers. I usually shy away from square cards because I have no envelopes for these cards - another thing to learn!

This card was made for 5 challenges, first is for StampTV inspiration challenge, the second is for CardPatterns72, the third is for the CopicCreations31 to color a bird, and using a punch (square punches) for Speedy the Cat challenge 11 finally it was for the DutchDare Challenge to use flowers. Have a terrifically wonderful day and leave a comment if you have a moment, hey you could even follow me by clicking on the "follow" link on the right. 


Recipe:
Stamps: Aloha - by Therea - sold by Gina K. Designs
Paper: Pure Luxury Black, SU Yo Yo Yellow
Special Paper: Basic Grey Lime Rickey
Other: Spellbinder Dies, Copics to color

Hummingbird

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I am just totally into the card making mode these past few days - I love when that happens. It is strange how sometimes a card can just be a total struggle and other times it is a nuisance to stop long enough to take the photo and upload the card. Today is one of those days which is why this picture is really a little brighter then I like. The real red looks a little more orange. That is the Florida sun for you! Well, here is this card made for several challenges. The first is the StampTV sketch challenge, next is the Color Throwdown Challenge, and last is the Copic Creations Challenge to color a bird. Check, check, and check - got them all in this card. The next card is waiting for me on my craft table so I am going to keep this short, but I will be back! Thanks for leaving a comment.

Recipe:
Stamps: Hugs and Prayers by Nina sold by GinaKDesigns
Paper: SU Real Red, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, and Baja Breeze
Other: Spellbinders Impressibilit, Nestibility, Copic markers, Cuttlebug folder, Sakura glitter pen  

Hugs

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You have to love these colors - they scream SUMMER!! I made this card for the StampTV color challenge (love it Carla!). I also used the sketch from Mojo Monday (I needed this creative mojo boost - thanks!). And I made this for the Flutter By Wednesday's. And finally I made this for Mark's Finest Papers SCF11 to use a punch - I chose to use my Nestibility. 

I really appreciate you stopping by for a visit! Your comments are all read and appreciated! Have a blessed day!


Recipe:
Stamps: Hugs and Prayers - Nina Bracket - sold by GinaKDesigns
Paper: Pure Luxury Sweet Mango and Turquoise Sea
Special Paper: DCWV Citrus and Cafe Mediteranian
Other: Spellbinders Label, Copics to color 

Rest

Happy Sunday! It is once again time for the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge. This week the scripture verse is from the book of Matthew chapter 11 verse 28. It states, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest."  If you read my description of why I chose this verse on the main website, here, you know that I had to make a card that had water in it. Water gives me rest. When I am troubled by a problem or a situation I like to sit at the end of our dock and just look at the lake, I see some turtles popping up their heads, or the way the water swirls around a fish jumping out of the water. The creatures in the water - they totally trust God. I could learn from them. I feel close to God when I am at a beach or the lake, I talk to Him and he hears me and I listen. Jerry and I teach baptism classes at our church and we talk quite a bit about the symbolism of water. We cannot live without it - and for me it is a reminder of God's presence in my life. When I look at the water my burdens are lifted and my heart can rest because I allow Him to take over. Amazing how that happens isn't it?


About this card. This is the first time that I created a scene and it took several tries before I got this finished product. I will have to lead you to Theresa Momber's website where I watched several tutorials. This is very similar to one of hers so I give the credit to her. Here is the tutorial I used and just changed the colors. It barely compares to her incredible card but.... 


Recipe:
Stamps: Aloha - by Theresa sold by GinaK
Paper: Pure Luxury Kraft and Chocolate Kiss
Inks: Various blues
Other: Sponge Daubers, Copics, and a flower that should look like a sun

Personal Note

I do not often upload personal photos, instead I focus this blog on my card making craft. However, I shared a couple of days ago that I was having a "girl cousin sleepover" with 5 of my 6 granddaughters. These are the ones that were able to come. Their ages are 8 to 4. We had so much fun and they were so good. For those of you who have been following my blog for a while you may remember that 4 of these wonderful young ladies just had their adoptions finalized in the beginning of this year! Am I blessed or what?!?!

We:
played in the lake
dipped fruit in melted chocolate
made s-mores
made cards and painted wooden crafts
polished our nails
watched a movie
played a board game
talked and squealed (them - not me)

Thanks for indulging me in a proud and happy grandma sharing!

Thinking of you

I love working with just black and white, it is such a wonderful contrast and can make for some striking cards. I made this for a friend of mine who could use some prayers. It was not a difficult card to make and thanks to CPS174 I got my sketch! And thanks to StampTV I got my colors.I stamped the words on the Basic Grey paper, the foliage image was embossed on vellum. Then it just came together.


Recipe:
Stamps: Botanicals - GinaK
Paper: Pure Luxury Black and White
Special Paper: Basic Grey white on white and vellum
Other: Bow Easy and some glitter

Thanks for looking!