Sweet Baby

Hello there, I hope you are doing well today!  We're mid-way through the week, and the weekend is just starting to appear on the horizon!  Hooray for weekends. 😁

I've got two baby cards today, and both use sweet little animals from the Avery Elle 'Storybook' stamp set.  Love those cute little critters.

Short supply lists in the caption beneath each picture.

Avery Elle 'Storybook' deer - Papertrey Ink 'Tag Sale #5' die - pale green cotton twine, pale green resin medallion accent from Stampin' Up! - DCWV 'Nana's Nursery: Girl' patterned paper

Though it might not initially catch your eye, I used the My Favorite Things die called Grassy Fields on the card below.  It's actually the negative piece that resulted after I die cut some grass.  I hate to throw away things that can be repurposed, so I did add that here beneath the bunny's feet.

Avery Elle 'Storybook' bunny, birds stamps - Craft's Meow 'Sending You Sunshine' hello banner - My Favorite Things 'Sensational Stitched Flowers' die for tiny pink flower - Papertrey Ink 'Sweet Blush' pink felt, 'Tiny Tags' die and baby stamp  - My Favorite Things 'Grassy Fields' die

I am so glad you stopped by!  Enjoy your day and God bless you!

Stripes and Bicycles

Hello friends!  So glad you joined me!

Bicycles and stripes are the themes for this batch of cards today. 

I am pleased with how this first card came out.  I stamped, colored and fussy-cut a bicycle from Market Street Stamps (I loved that company!) and set it on a cork road (it's patterned paper), which is set upon a real map.  Vancouver is prominently displayed here!  The sun and clouds are die cuts, and the clouds were also embossed for some more interest.

Market Street Stamps 'Riding By' - Papertrey Ink 'Cloud 1 & 2' dies - My Favorite Things 'Sunny Skies' die - snippet of a map - Stampin' Up! 'Square Lattice' embossing folder

The same bicycle appears below (I changed the seat color!) and set it again on a cork road surface, but this time, I imagined this as a city scene, hence the gray brick wall.  I added a door and transom from Papertrey Ink 'Home Made' and added Crackle Glossy Accents from Ranger to the transom (after coloring it with Copic markers).  How about that snazzy patterned paper beneath the cork?  It was in a Stampin' Up! scrap bag from my friend.  It's different, and I was pushing my creative limits a bit here.

Market Street Stamps 'Riding By' - Papertrey Ink 'Home Made' door and transom - Tim Holtz/Sizzix 'Bricked' embossing folder

Next up is a super simple thank you card in crisp navy and white.

Papertrey Ink 'Wonderful Words: Thank You' die -
navy and white scrap strips of patterned paper from Stampin' Up! scrap bag

Last but not least, another card with stripes, courtesy of My Mind's Eye patterned paper.  I added a strip of gold mirror cardstock and a stamped sentiment.  Then I layered on some cream colored die cut flowers, some raised on dimensional tape, some adhered flat to the card.  Each one got topped with a rhinestone.

Altenew - 'Label Love' sentiment - My Favorite Things 'Sensational Stitched Flowers' dies

Thank you so much for your visit today!
Be blessed, and have a wonderful week!

Blessings Abound

Happy Sunday, friends!

What a perfect day of the week to share these faith-full cards with you. 😊

Short supply lists are in each photo caption.

Verve 'Jeremiah 17:7' - Stampin' Up! flourish stampin' wheel (can't remember the name!), tan corduroy brad  - My Favorite Things Die-namics Traditional Tags die

Flourishes 'Garden Fresh' sentiment - canned goods and strawberry recycled from a calendar - patterned paper from Stampin' Up! 

Memory Box 'Scalloped Banner' dies - L'il Inker Designs 'Stitched Rectangle' die - Papertrey Ink 'Everyday Blessings' sentiment (Isaiah 41:13)

Papertrey Ink 'Everyday Blessings' sentiment (Ecclesiastes 3:1), 'Monthly Moments Mini Journal Card' die - K & Co. 'Julianna' patterned paper

Avery Elle 'Winter Wreath' stamps - Papertrey Ink 'Everyday Blessings' sentiment

I've got more cards to share with you all.  I photo-edited them all (from 2016 through several months ago - whew!) and loaded into blog post drafts.  Little by little, I can get the posts published to show you what I've been up to, crafty-wise. 

Thanks for coming by today!
God bless you, have a wonderful week!

Heart Beets

Hello friends!
Just a single card to share in this post.  This was an anniversary card I made for my husband.  He didn't get it at first, he thought these were radishes.  They're beets!  On the inside of the card, I hand-wrote, "My heart beets for you."  Punny, I know.  😂

Flourishes Stamps 'Garden Fresh' - My Favorite Things 'Heart Stax' dies

It's a super simple card, with the focus on these ruby red beets.  The white heart die cuts form a backdrop for the vivacious veggies, and I didn't think there was a good spot for a sentiment on the front of the card at all, so I left it as is.

Thanks so much for your visit!
God bless you!

Flower Power

Hello friends!  Six floral cards comin' at ya in this post today!  Let's get started:

It was FUN to make this first card, dressing up that pretty yellow floral sprig with white punched flowers, topped with white Liquid Pearls.

Stampin' Up! 'Avant Garden' floral sprig, 'Itty Bitty Accents' flower punch - Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch

The next one is also simple in style, putting the focus on that beautiful fabric flower from Anna Griffin and the verse from Scripture that I think of often:  "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13.  When I begin to doubt my ability to do things, I remind myself that Jesus is always with me, and He gives me strength.

Power Poppy 'Olive and Oak Expanded' sentiment - Anna Griffin fabric flower -
Spellbinders 'Large Deckled Rectangles' die

The next card relied heavily on things I found in a Stampin' Up! scrap bag that I bought from my friend, Gail.  Those flowers are so pretty!  Gail had already die cut the two circles, and she even trimmed out that pink flower.  All I did was layer things together and add a few pearls.  Done!

All images from Stampin' Up! (sets unknown) from a scrap bag

The large, lacy die cut heart was also found in a scrap bag, along with that stamped sentiment tag (Gail stuffs those bags with the neatest things!), so I paired them together and, once again, just added some pearls....and a twine bow.

Stampin' Up! 'Bloomin' Hearts Thinlits' heart die - tag/sentiment also Stampin' Up! (set unknown)

I worked a little harder on the next card.  😏 I used a floral paper from the scrap bag, along with a text-y strip from a My Mind's Eye 12 x 12 paper pad (Madison Ave, maybe?) on a yellow card base, to pull out the yellow flowers.  I grouped random things in the bottom corner - a wooden butterfly, a small round decorative brad, and a Baked Brown Sugar accent medallion.  The sentiment was stamped on a pinked-edge banner, and there's a very finely-detailed stamp behind it (details in caption) in Crumb Cake ink.  I had a floral sprig already stamped (in Crumb Cake) and trimmed out, so I tucked it behind the banner and also tied some vintage thread on it.  I glued it down with Ranger Multi-Matte adhesive.  Love that stuff.  It dries clear, and you don't need much to get good staying power.

Inspired By Stamping 'Creative Tags' sentiment - Studio Calico wooden butterfly - Stampin' Up! 'Avant Garden' floral sprig, 'Fine Flourish' background stamp (under sentiment) - My Favorite Things 'Mix & Match Banners' die

The final card was pretty easy to put together, and I'm sure the floral strip of patterned paper looks familiar from the card above.  I used a pink pattern from who knows where, LOL, I don't remember where it came from.  It just happened to match the pink seam binding scrap from - you guessed it - an SU scrap bag, so on it went.  The 'follow your bliss' charm is from Girls' Paperie 'Paper Girl' kit of accents.

Girls' Paperie charm - pink seam binding from Stampin' Up!

So there you have it!  Gearing up for springtime, with all these flowers.  We're expecting a little bit of snow tomorrow.  Warmer days will come!

God bless you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you

Hello friends!

I've got three thank you cards to share today.  I tried to keep them simple and to use things I already had stamped and/or cut out, in a scrap box.  Here's what I came up with:

100 Proof Press 'Shell Plate 17' - Blockheads Paper Arts 'Seashells with Rectangle Frame' (large shell) - Verve 'Celebration of Thanks' sentiment

Stampin' Up! grid of pumpkins/sunflower/leaves (set unknown - 'Counting Blessings' maybe?) - Verve 'Celebration of Thanks' sentiment - Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Leaves' die - vintage thread - orange gemstones 

Anna Griffin thank you sentiment/frame, and floral flourish - Pretty Pink Posh Marshmallow sequins

Thank you for coming by today to take a look at the cards I've made!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead, and God bless you!

Feel Better Soon

Every once in a while, I like to create a card with a cute feel to it, especially when I can build a scene with adorable little critters.  This turtle from Lawn Fawn's 'On The Mend' is wearing a hot water bottle on his back, and he seems happy about it!  The sun is a scalloped circle die cut that was white.  I used a yellow Copic marker all over it, and drew on a tiny face.

Lawn Fawn 'On The Mend' turtle, sentiment - Avery Elle 'More Stories' mushrooms and flowers

I used patterned papers from a Ki pad, I believe, to stand in for grass and sky.

Thanks so much for taking a peek, have a terrific day!  Hope you don't need a hot water bottle. 😊
God bless you!

Things With Wings

Hello there!  Sure do love to use butterflies on my cards, but in today's post you'll also see dragonflies and a cute tiny bumblebee. 😄


With the first card, believe it or not, I began with a messy square of 'trial and error' kraft cardstock that I could not bear to throw away.  (I had used white spray ink through a sieve; not really loving it)  The black butterflies pick up the black text from the Stampin' Up! encyclopedia page patterned paper, and of course the sentiment.  Supply lists are in each caption.

Papertrey Ink 'Birthday Basics' sentiment - Martha Stewart 'Monarch Butterfly' punch

Ages ago, when I was on the Play Date Cafe challenge design team, we featured a rubber stamp company one week called Stampotique.  The design team members of PDC got to choose products from Stampotique's website to work with, and I chose one called 'Hutching's'.  I presume that the stamp's wording was originally an advertisement in a newspaper.  I love it.  However, it's a little bit of a challenge to fit it into my cards, so I decided to pair it with bits of nature:  two dragonflies, and some baby's breath flowers stamped subtly in the background (in green).  There's also a tiny sliver of silver glittered cardstock under the advertisement.  Just because.

Stampotique 'Hutching's' advertisement stamp - Stampin' Up! 'Organic Grace' dragonfly stamp & baby's breath flower stamp (subtle in green on background)

Long before I began to use an app called Evernote to organize all of my stamping supplies (with pictures and titles, tags and more), I used to photograph each stamp set and put it in a binder with clear plastic sleeves.  Once I abandoned that way of organizing, I had all these papers with photos of stamp sets printed on them.  Didn't want to throw them away if they were salvageable, and saved what I could.  The one below is an example.  The center panel is a miniature version of Hero Arts 'Antique Background' (with script and butterflies), which I cut from the photo page.  I mounted it onto a gray card base that was stamped with Stampin' Up!'s 'Print Pattern'.  The sentiment was lying as-is in a scrap box on my desk, and then I just grabbed a butterfly sticker to tie it all together.

K & Co. large green butterfly sticker - Stampin' Up! 'Print Pattern' background harlequin stamp - Flourishes 'Strawberries' sentiment -  Hero Arts 'Antique Background' script/butterfly stamp

The last card was super easy, because it used digital print-outs that were a gift from my aunt (thank you, Aunt Leanna!).  I just added some white rick-rack trim, yellow rhinestones, and a little bee that I stamped and trimmed.

Patterned paper, sentiment panel - digital printouts received as a gift - Simon Says Stamp 'Circle Friends' bee stamp

Thanks so much for reading my crafty ramblings!  God bless you! 😀

Sympathy and Hydrangea cards

Hello!  My absolute favorite flower is a hydrangea, especially blue varieties.  I used the Hero Arts 'Hydrangea' stamp and plenty of blue Copic markers to create the first card you see.  I hand trimmed the flower, added dimensional tape behind it, and framed it in white.

Hero Arts 'Hydrangea' stamp - Spellbinders 'Classic Frame' die

Next up is an encouragement card for the faithful, who put their trust in the Lord.  I love this verse of Scripture from Romans 12:12.  I surrounded the stamped sentiment from Papertrey Ink with a butterfly frame that I was blessed enough to win on Instagram. (supplies in caption)

Memory Box 'Hovering Butterfly Frame' die - Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch - Papertrey Ink 'Everyday Blessings' sentiment of Romans 12:12

The next two cards are sympathies...both featuring botanicals.  Hollyhocks on one (Stampendous) and ferns on the second.  They're simple, and clean, and both use the same sentiment from My Favorite Things 'Essential Sentiments'.

My Favorite Things 'Essential Sentiments' - Stampendous 'Jumbo Hollyhock' - Stampin' Up! Pink Pirouette cardstock - white pencil

My Favorite Things 'Essential Sentiments' - fern paper from a Stampin' Up! scrap bag

A fairly clean and simple post today!
Thanks for coming by, and God bless you!

Masculine Collage Cards

Collage cards are among my favorites to make.  I appreciate the challenge of taking elements that look good together and grouping them to create a lot of visual interest.  I actually do the same thing to the walls in my home, using different items together to create a cohesive look. 

The cards featured in this post also happen to have a masculine feel to them.  I used earth tones on every single one.  I let the stickers and die cuts influence the color palette.

Hope you enjoy.

Altenew 'Sentiments & Quotes' sentiment - Inspired By Stamping 'Creative Tags' script tag stamp

Tim Holtz 'Tattered Leaves' die - Papertrey Ink 'Tiny Tags' sentiment - Stampin' Up! 'Autumn Fest' acorn

Many of these stickers are years-old, from K & Company.  You can tell they're older.  LOL  Their time has come and gone, but I really wanted to use them on these cards.

Thanks for taking a peek!  God bless you!

Sending Strength

I love to make encouragement cards to let people know they're being thought of and prayed for.  I've got two I'm sharing today.

The first is super-feminine, and uses a sentiment from Power Poppy 'Olive and Oak Expanded' clear stamp set.  I stamped it onto an oval die cut, which had been shaded (before stamping the words) with Antique Linen Distress Ink while it was still in the metal die.  The paper is from DCWV Nana's Nursery: Girl, and I used a bit of crochet lace and a paper gardenia from iamroses.com.

Power Poppy 'Olive and Oak Expanded' sentiment stamp

The next card was made for my brother and his wife as they experienced tremendous flooding in their home during Hurricane Harvey.  Most of their belongings were ruined by water in their house.  My brother actually took a canoe over to his home to see what kind of damage had been sustained. 😢

The card was just a little something to let them know that we wished there was more we could to help but that we were thinking of them and praying for them.

My Favorite Things 'BB Cool Cat' vase, 'Sunny Skies' sun die - Memory Box 'Madison Window' die - Stampendous 'Sincere Sentiments' sentiment

Thanks so much for your visit today.  Hope your day is beautiful!  God bless you!

Sunflowers, Daisies and Tulips

Hello there!  I realized as I sit at the computer to share these cards, each one involves scraps from the Stampin' Up! scrap bags I buy from my friend.  What I love about using the goodies I find in those bags is the special challenge it gives me.  Not knowing what my friend's projects looked like (for her SU stamping club), I have to pull together my supplies and come up with something worthy to finish them.

The first card was SUPER easy, because the whole focal panel was already stamped for me!  I mounted it on a pale gray card base, with an orange panel and gold mirror cardstock strip.

stamped panel from scrap bag, all SU supplies

The next one has a pale gray base, too.  I always have a stash of pre-cut, scored card bases ready to go, but when I run out, and all I have is pale gray...well, then you'll see lots of gray cards. 😉

Stampin' Up! sunflower, leaves - Papertrey Ink 'Keep It Simple: Sympathy' sentiment

The next card was a little more challenging for me.  This white panel had bright yellow and coral inks (and a tiny bit of blue) sponged onto it and a navy branch with berries stamped in one corner.  I started by matching up some Groovy Guava die-cut flowers and decided to go with Tempting Turquoise or Taken With Teal (can't remember) as a coordinating color.  I layered on the flowers, alternating colors and heights.  The house was stamped, trimmed and left in a black and white state to draw attention to it amidst the riot of color.

My Favorite Things/Die-namics 'Sensational Stitched Flowers' dies - Stampin' Up! 'Holiday Home' house stamp

As you can see by the next card, there must have been a few projects going on at my friend's stamp club that involved these colors!  The stamped panel came as-is, so I added the die -cut flowers, rhinestones, and tag with sentiment for a 'Congratulations' card.

Stampin' Up! 'Absolutely Fabulous' sentiment - My Favorite Things 'Sensational Stitched Flowers' dies

The last card began with a panel of gold/cream patterned paper, which for some reason reminds me of The Flintstones t.v. show I watched as a kid.  LOL  It had a square stitched frame opening, but it was not cut straight (which is probably why it was in the scrap bag! 😄).  I didn't want to waste any of the gold paper but cutting it down further, so I looked for a way to disguise the wonky opening.  I added the other piece of cream stitched square die cut center, putting it back in place basically, and then topped it with a garden of tulips that I stamped and hand-cut.  My hope is that they camouflage that opening.  I also put two ivory enamel dots near the bottom to draw the eye away from the center.

Blockhead Paper Arts 'Flower Garden' - gold/cream patterned paper from Stampin' Up!

Thanks so much for your visit, and God bless you!  Have a wonderful day!