Be Brave, It Is Well With My Soul, and more

Hi everyone, just popping in with a bunch of cards to share.  It's Thursday April 16, 2020, and I've been in quarantine for one month exactly!  In some ways, it feels longer, and in some ways, not that long. 

Last night I helped my husband trim his hair outdoors on the patio.  That was a first.  I've cut my own bangs twice, but that's easy.  It's the highlights in my hair that I will not attempt.  Will have to wait until I'm allowed to see my hairdresser again for her finesse and expertise! 😭
The girls have long straight hair, no bangs.  They can coast for a good long while.  LOL

Had to go to the bank today.  Only the drive-through is open, and only two lanes.  The lines were fairly long, but not too bad.  I went armed with patience. 😀  I felt badly for the two bank tellers, who were trying to do their jobs with masks, gloves, and offering as much good cheer as they could, despite testy customers.  Hopefully, we won't have too much longer to be in quarantine.  Though we did just get notification from our governor that all NJ schools will be closed until mid-May.  So...I'm thinking that senior prom will probably not be happening.  😢

Stampin' Up! Elizabeth flourish frame stamp, pale pink fabric rose; rhinestones; butterfly applique sticker; Papertrey Ink Quoted: Right Moment sentiment stamp, Embroidered Frame: Dots die; REALLY NEAT PATTERNED PAPER from a Stampington magazine!

Altenew Lavender Bud stamp and matching die; My Favorite Things Mix and Match Banners die; Stampin' Up! stitched rectangle pieces (from scrap bag); plant pot (punched piece from a friend); pearls;
Papertrey Ink Walk By Faith sentiment stamp

Altenew Lavender Bud stamp and matching die; Papertrey Ink Meadow Greens stamps and matching dies, Stemmed Statements sentiment stamp, Tiny Tags tag die; linen twine;
Gina Marie Designs Peekaboo Circle die, clear droplet epoxy stickers; 

Altenew Lavender Bud stamp and matching die; Spellbinders Labels Eight die; Hug Snug Periwinkle seam binding; Flourishes Stamps Spring Bouquets sentiment stamp; Stampin' Up! Small Banner punch;
Gina Marie Designs pale lavender candy dot sticker

Papertrey Ink Family Ties: For The Girls 'mom' die; rhinestones; Kaisercraft Lady Rose rose and scalloped circle die cuts, patterned paper (rose, long sentiment strip); Sizzix Circle Sentiments corner die

My Favorite Things Pierced Heart STAX heart die; Gina Marie Designs Pleated Lace Rectangles die; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags sentiment, tiny heart stamp, Tiny Tags tag; linen twine

Stampin' Up! Garden Pleasures bee skep, small beehive seed packet stamps, aqua resin embellishment; Hero Arts Leafy Vine flourish stamp (in yellow); Hobby Lobby Honey Bee stamp (in aqua); Spellbinders Corner Flourish die, Labels Ten die; can't remember where the sentiment came from!

Kat Scrappiness Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangle die; Stampin' Up! Extra Large Bird punch (bird and leaves); pearls; Echo Park Trust In The Lord sentiment stamp; linen twine; My Favorite Things Cheerful Cages bird cage die

⇩ CUSTOM CARD BELOW!

Golden Acorn Scallop Shell stamp; Blockhead Paper Arts Seashells With Round Frame starfish stamp; pearls; clear sequins; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; All Night Media small scallop shell stamp; Spellbinders Large Deckled Rectangles die; Stampin' Up! Irish Blessing background stamp; burlap; Papertrey Ink Pen and Ink 'blessings' sentiment stamp; Hampton Art Wedding 'Mr. & Mrs.' sentiment stamp; gold embossing powder

⇩ CUSTOM CARD BELOW!

Papertrey Ink Happily Ever After sentiment stamp, Delicate Details die; My Favorite Things Stitched Mini Scallop Rectangle STAX die; pearls; Kat Scrappiness Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangle die; Golden Acorn Scallop Shell stamp (top corner, furthest to right); All Night Media small scallop shell stamp; Blockhead Paper Arts Seashells With Rectangle Frame shell (bottom cluster, topmost shell stamped in gray), Seashells With Round Frame scallop, sand dollar, starfish stamps

⇩ CUSTOM CARD BELOW!

Papertrey Ink Happily Ever After sentiment stamp; clear sequins; pearls; Hug Snug Argentina seam binding; All Night Media small scallop shell stamp; 100 Proof Press Shell Plate 17 shell array stamp; Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles die

My Favorite Things Inspired By Spring nest stamp; Papertrey Ink Boutique Borders: Baby sentiment stamp; white ribbon; Gina Marie Designs Loopy Rectangles die

L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; Stampin' Up! Touch of Nature acorn stamp, With Gratitude leaf stamp; Gina Marie Designs Peekaboo Circle die (the negative portion); twine; Papertrey Ink Family Ties: For The Boys uncle die

Impression Obsession Mortarboard and Scroll diploma, mortarboard dies; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; Papertrey Ink Clouds 1 and 2 dies, Up Up And Away Sentiments sentiment stamp

That is all for now.  Thanks for your visit, and see you again soon!  God bless!

Meet Me Under The Mistletoe & many more Christmas cards!

Hello everyone!  It's Monday April 13, 2020, and it feels like two days in one.  For most of the day we had high winds, lots of rain, gloomy cloudy skies.  And now, at 5:30 pm, it's sunny and getting cooler.  Much prefer the weather right now!

Easter was beautiful yesterday. I attended church service via YouTube, sewed in the attic (I made masks for my family and several other people as well), and helped my husband with weeding in the garden.  We had a ham dinner here for the four of us, and used FaceTime to talk to my husband's parents.  They had never tried FaceTime before, and they did a great job!  It's an easy thing to use, and thank God we have that as an option to see loved ones that we cannot be with in-person right now. 

Did anyone watch Sight and Sound's production, Jesus, on Saturday?  Oh, it was wonderful!  It touched my heart.  💜 There is a Sight and Sound theater relatively close to me (in Lancaster PA), but I've never been there.  After watching this show, I definitely want to make a point to go at least once.  I also watched Andrea Bocelli's live Easter performance in the Duomo.  It gave me chills!

On to the creations for today:  they are all Christmas-y.

Stampin' Up! Snowfall Thinlits die, mistletoe patterned paper; K & Co. mistletoe sticker; clear gems

Hero Arts Deck The Halls deer stamps, Winter Scene tree stamps; crochet lace; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags star die, Tag_Its #8 Mini sentiment stamp; vintage thread; My Favorite Things Stitched Basic Edges die

Papertrey Ink Fancy Flakes snowflake die; Girls' Paperie medallion sticker, alphabet letter cardstock die cuts, sentiment die cut; Stampin' Up! pine die cuts (from a scrap bag)

Hero Arts Merry Christmas Trees tree stamp; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags circle tag die, Tag-Its #8 Mini sentiment stamp; star punches; Girls' Paperie decorative stickers; twine; matte gold sequin

Stampin' Up! sentiment (from scrap bag, name unknown), Background Basics/Itty Bitty Backgrounds holly stamp; crochet lace; red rhinestones; twine; My Favorite Things Traditional Tags tag die (large); Tim Holtz Christmas Miracle rubber stamp (stamped subtly on large tag); Martha Stewart Branch punch; Kat Scrappiness Wonky Wavy Rectangles die

Gina Marie Designs Pleated Lace Rectangles die; Stampin' Up! Sleigh Bells Ring holly stamp, Santa stamp from scrap bag (set name unknown); twine; Girls' Paperie decorative border sticker; red rhinestone; Papertrey Ink Silent NIght swirl stamp

Papertrey Ink Fancy Flakes snowflake die, Tiny Tags tag die, Tag-Its #8 Mini sentiment stamp  ; Girls' Paperie medallion sticker; rhinestones; Memory Box / Poppy Stamps Breezy Wreath die (cut apart to make the greenery); twine

Papertrey Ink Christmas Tree die; matte gold sequins; Girls' Paperie medallion sticker; My Favorite Things Simply Scallops Large border die; Stampin' Up! Perfect Presentation sentiment stamp and tag punch

Memory Box / Poppy Stamps Breezy Wreath die; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangle die; tag from a gift; Anna Griffin Christmas Card Sentiments sentiment stamp

I hope you had a blessed weekend.  Thank you so much for coming to visit today!

Birthday Bunch

Hi!  It's Wednesday evening, April 8, 2020.  My work day is over, so I get to share some things with you now. 😊

I had this post mostly prepared, but then I threw in some silver baby cup pics at the end.

Here are the birthday cards that I made within the last several months, and are/were at Arts Plus Gallery shop for sale.  They are open by appointment these days, if you interested in a visit there. 

Lost Coast Designs Butterflies butterfly stamp; Altenew Label Love sentiment; crochet lace; Gina Marie Designs blue dots

Avery Elle Winter Wreath wreath, berries stamps and matching dies; orange rhinestones; Impression Obsession Birds dies; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangle die; Papertrey Ink Keep It Simple: Birthday III sentiment stamp

Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags sentiment, tag; pearls; vintage thread; Stampin' Up! Wonderfully Worn background stamp, Kindness Matters butterfly stamp; Stampendous Charm Collection 'carte postale' stamp (stamped over patterned paper)

Impression Obsession Birds dies; Memory Box / Poppystamps Breezy Wreath die; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags tag die and sentiment; pearls; Stampin' Up! rose die cut border (from a scrap bag), Sanded background stamp, Flower Trio punch; crochet lace; vintage thread

Stampin' Up! Bella Toile background stamp, floral and striped patterned paper scraps, Hip Hip Hooray card kit sentiment stamp; vintage thread; embossed gold scrap from a store-bought card

I mentioned in a post very early today that I had been polishing some silver baby cups.  And some of you have also been polishing silver, as well!  I took some quick pictures today with my iPhone to show you.

"Warren"

My daughter's monogram (and my fingers in the reflection 😆)

One of my faves, a tin cup that says 'Baby'

'E.M.' - such beautiful cursive initials

The other side of the 'E.M.' cup.  Isn't that an exquisitely detailed image??

My husband's cup on the right and the one that started my interest in collecting these is on the left.  It's a Wallace cup, and the silver has all but worn off over the years, showing copper beneath.

Hope your day was a good one, and I so appreciate your visits!
God bless you!

For the Guys

Hello again!  It is Tuesday April 7, 2020 as I write this.  It's time to get ready for bed, but I wanted to put together a post to share for tomorrow.  😀  I just took a walk to get some fresh air, because it is supposed to rain overnight and for at least part of the day on Wednesday.  It was SO QUIET outside as I walked.  So quiet.  It's peaceful, and weird. 

So today I'm sharing some cards that have a masculine touch.  Always one of my tougher categories to create.  In fact, when my husband's birthday or our anniversary rolls around, I get so nervous, and procrastinate making his card because I think it won't look 'good enough'.  He tells me he always likes my cards, but you know how we are each our own worst critic. 

My Favorite Things Cheerful Blessings sentiment stamp; Bizzaro Fish stamp; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles dies; Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin You Are My Anchor sailboat, anchor, wheel stamps; Kat Scrappiness Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangles die

Stampin' Up! Hardwood background stamp, Paper Pumpkin You Are My Anchor anchor; black twine; My Favorite Things Pierced Traditional Tags die; Papertrey Ink The Skinny sentiment stamp; vintage thread

Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin You Are My Anchor anchor, wheel, sentiment stamps; woven ribbon; twine; My Favorite Things Slanted Sentiment Strips die

After work this evening (as I write this on Tuesday), I polished more silver.  LOL  Why not, right?  I have a collection of baby cups, and they needed to be shined up.  One cup is my husband's, two belong to my daughters, and the rest I've just collected from antique and vintage shops.  It's not a big collection, but to me they are sweet little treasures.  One has the name 'Warren' on it.  Another more ornate one has the initials 'E.M.' engraved on the side.  I'll have to take a picture of them in the daylight to show you.

God bless you all, and I pray you remain healthy and safe.
xo

Mend A Broken Heart, You Are Amazing & Miss Your Smile

Hello everyone!  I'm popping in real quick to share a few more creations that had made their way to Arts Plus Gallery in Collingswood for sale, before the coronavirus quarantine took over.

Unity Stamps Mend Your Heart thimble, needle, sentiment stamps; Gina Marie Designs Eyelet Elegance Rectangle die; Kat Scrappiness Wonky Wavy Stitched Rectangles die; buttons; doily; Spellbinders oval die

Stampin' Up! A Little Smile sand dollar, sentiment stamps; Impression Obsession Starfish stamp; Golden Acorn Scallop Shell stamp; Hero Arts Canvas Stripes Background stamp; pearls; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangle die

Papertrey Ink Happy Hydrangea flower and frame stamps, matching dies, and Pen & Ink sentiment stamp; Sizzix/Tim Holtz Bricked embossing folder 

Since my last post, a lot has taken place here at home.  I cleaned every item in my china cabinets, and shined up the glass shelves and polished the wooden ones.  That is a HUGE undertaking.  I rarely do it because it is so time-consuming.  But, it's finished now, and will hold me for a while. 😀  I am also polishing some silver items like baby cups, a few special spoons we have in our kitchen drawer, and water pitchers.  Again, time-consuming, but worth it to me.  Also I cut a lot of fabric on Sunday, to make face masks for me and my family.  GOSH that took a lot of time!  Next I need to sew the straps, and then the masks.  It's slow-going, because I am still working.  And finally, we had a pretty bad water leak under our kitchen sink early Sunday morning.  It flooded the cabinet, and then across the kitchen floor, under the refrigerator and stove, and seeped into the basement and SOAKED floor joists, board games, cabinets, storage tubs...it even got into our dryer!  Unbelievable.  That was not a good way to wake up Sunday morning.  I had plans for a relaxing day, but that was not to be.  Our insurance company sent a clean up team right away, and we've got big loud fans and dehumidifiers in the kitchen and basement.  Our kitchen Pergo floor is a little buckly (I made up that word), so we may need to get a new floor.  And we just had that installed a year ago.  OH WELL.  Could be much, much, much worse!  It's just an inconvenience, after all.  😏

Other than that, this is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!  Psalm 118:24

We are here, we are healthy, and that counts for so much. 💖

Homegrown Happy Birthday

Hello everyone!  The cards I've got to share today revolve around green things, goodness from the earth.  I tried for a few years in a row to grow some fruits and vegetables, and failed miserably!  I truly admire the folks who can tend crops and cultivate the land, bringing forth yummy things to eat.  The Burpee Seed and Plant catalog looks mighty tempting, as I page through it.  I will probably just order cilantro and basil plants again.  Those usually do just fine for me, in large pots.

Both cards below were made mostly with fun things I discovered in a Stampin' Up! scrap bag, which my lovely demonstrator offers from time to time.  I did add my own stamps to the mix, but the papers and leafy branches (second card) came from the bag.

Stampin' Up! Homegrown tomato and artichoke, sentiment label stamps, oval and scalloped oval punches, patterned papers; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangle die; Papertrey Ink Spring Moss button; twine

Stampin' Up! patterned paper, die cut branches (names unknown; they came from a scrap bag); gold cardstock for the punched circle; gold cord; My Favorite Things Mini Wavy Pennants die; sentiment (?)

Short and sweet today. 😀
God bless you!

Sweet Shades of Aqua

Hello friends!  Well, we finally made it to Friday.  It's April 3, 2020, and it was a long week.  Busy too.  I am still working full time, praise God, and we had some celebrating going on here at home this week too.  It was my husband's birthday, and we ordered takeout from the Silver Diner.  My youngest daughter and I baked him a fudgy chocolate cake, and we will have that finished tonight (baked last night, and we're about to put the frosting on).  She found the recipe here. It's easy and has a little bit of instant coffee and cocoa powder in the batter, to give it a darker chocolate flavor.  The frosting is a chocolate ganache, made with just two ingredients:  heavy cream and chocolate chips.

Another celebration of sorts is for our town's high school seniors, of which my daughter is one.  We were asked to decorate our front door in honor of our son/daughter, and take a photo.  The pictures will be included in their yearbook.  These poor kids.  It's been an anticlimactic second half of her senior year.  The Disney World class trip was cancelled and will not be rescheduled. Not sure if there will be prom.  And who knows if they'll get to graduate together in June?  Anyway, I included a picture of our front door at the end of this post.

On to some cards:

Papertrey Ink Inside and Out: Birthday II sentiment stamp; Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch; clear gems; Inspired By Stamping Graceful Hydrangea floral branch stamp; Sizzix Sweet & Donut Phrases sentiment dies; gold embossed cardstock from store-bought card; oval die cut

Stampin' Up! Beautiful Friendship sentiment stamp, punched leaves, aqua rhinestone brad; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; Spellbinders Blossoms dies; fabric

The card below was for my senior's birthday.  She went to France last year with her French class from school, so I included the Eiffel Tower.  And we have a black cat named Cristabel, so there she is, looking up at the Tower.

Hero Arts Eiffel Tower die; Impression Obsession Cat Set die; clear sequins; rhinestones; Inspired By Stamping Paris fleur de lis, 'paris' sentiment stamps; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die

Lawn Fawn Little Bundle stamps and matching dies (birds, clothing, clothespins); Glitz Designs Fancy Frames frame stamp; Papertrey Ink Monthly Moments: Journal Card 2 die scalloped rectangle, Daily Designs Sentiments sentiment stamp; Stampin' Up! oval punch

Here's the celebration door for our girl:

I did lots of papercrafting, as you can see!  I hand cut the word, 'Hawks' and '2020' from red cardstock.  My older daughter cut out the boat (because our senior, Kerry, was a rower on the high school team).  I cut two oars out of paper, but they look like kitchen rubber scrapers.  Ha!  And below you can get a better glimpse of the Eiffel Tower (Hero Arts die) garland I made out of two different shades of pink cardstock and some red and white twine.

I also cleaned out my whole china cabinet and washed every dish and glass and bowl and tray, then polished up the shelves themselves, and put everything away.  Whew!  What an undertaking.  But now it's done for a while.

Hope you are healthy and enjoying your families in our quarantined situations.  😀
Thanks for your visit today, and God bless you!