Wintry Ice Skate

Hello friends!  Happy Sunday!  We've got snow coming down and here in South Jersey we might get 12" - wow.  😮 SO, so, so grateful I work from home at the moment!  Not a fan of driving in this kind of weather.

I'm playing in a couple of challenges with my wintry card.  The first is:  Tic Tac Toe PP# 526 - A Challenge From Laurie.

Stampin' Up! Framed Tulip embossing folder, lace, ice skate die, white cotton twine; Flourishes Let It Snow snowflakes, sentiment; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags tag die; rhinestone; glitter

I chose the diagonal from top left to bottom right:  die-cut, embossing and blue.  I also happen to have sparkle, and scene on the board.  My ice skate is laced up and sitting amidst a flurry of snowflakes!  There's a panel beneath the ice skate that had been embossed with Stampin' Up!'s Framed Tulips embossing folder.  

This was a fun card to put together, because I could add a little of this and a little of that.  There's a snippet of an old book page on here that was begging to be used up, as well as a piece of lace.

I'm also entering at a new-to-me challenge called Rudolph Days, where anything goes as long as it's Christmas!

Thanks so much for your visit!

God bless you!

Bird-Themed Cards

Hello everyone!  We have a cold day here in NJ; today's high is 28 degrees!  Very cold indeed, and super windy, too.  I am grateful for a warm home, and sunshine pouring in our windows.  I'm burning a Peppermint candle from Antique Candle Co.  I bought the bundle while it's on sale.  It smells soooo good!

I've got some bird-themed cards to share with you, and I'm entering the first one in a challenge called Tic Tac Toe.  See below for the row I picked!

K & Company bird sticker; Spellbinders oval dies; white lace; gold mirror cardstock; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags sentiment stamp 

I used the bottom row, with a sentiment, embellishment (lace, bird sticker) and die cut (the two ovals).  Love how easy the options are on this whole board!


I'm entering the card below in another challenge called Inspired By... and the current theme is Tweet Messages.   

Impression Obsession Birds dies; My Favorite Things Bold Greenery dies; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags tag die; The Greetery Sentiment Suite: Birthday sentiment stamp; cream twine; DCWV Coral Couture patterned papers

I was inspired by the bird sitting atop a branch.  I like that bluebird image so much.  😀  What a beautiful watercolor piece.  

Stampin' Up! Natural Beauty moth/butterfly stamp; Papertrey Ink Keep It Simple: Birthday; pearls; Altenew Build A Flower: Rose leaf cluster stamp; lace; pearls; calendar image of nest

Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin 'My Wonderful Family' elements, sentiment stamp, yellow pearls

Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin 'My Wonderful Family' elements, sentiment stamp

Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin 'My Wonderful Family' elements, sentiment stamp, mint pearls

Impression Obsession Birds dies; My Favorite Things Bold Greenery dies; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags tag die, Angled Labels die; The Greetery Sentiment Suite: Birthday sentiment stamp; DCWV Coral Couture patterned papers

The final two cards are fairly flat, with no pearls (gasp!) and no foam tape, and can use ONE postage stamp!  I am not accustomed to doing this.  LOL  I always keep a steady supply of Additional Ounce stamps, as I mostly make bumpy cards, ha ha.

Impression Obsession Birds dies; Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Accents flower punch, sentiment (not sure what set), patterned papers; lace

Stampin' Up! Garden Pleasures birdhouse, bird stamps, Weathered background stamp; Papertrey Ink Buttoned Up #1 button die, Skinny Mini Banner die, birthday sentiment; vintage thread 

I hope your weekend is peaceful, relaxing, or whatever you are most hoping for!  I am ALWAYS up for a weekend that includes cardmaking. 😀

Exodus 35:35 NIV

35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

Thanks for visiting today!

God bless you!

Floral Aprons

Hello friends!  I'm back to play in a couple of challenges.  One of them is new to me.  I've got a little list of challenges that I keep in my phone's Notes app, and the list continues to grow!  

Let's get started! 

At Little Red Wagon, the current challenge is to use dies, and this one closes tomorrow, so I'm just making it in under the wire!  

I'm also going to link this up at the NBUS challenge, which is to use your never-before-used-schtuff.  This cute apron die set from Stampin' Up! is retired, but new to me.  I know it was a popular set, and no wonder.  How adorable!  The possibilities are endless.  I made two in soft pink and soft yellow, inspired by the Stampin' Up! patterned paper.  

Stampin' Up! Apron Builder Framelits dies; Gina Marie Designs Eyelet Elegance Rectangles die

Stampin' Up! Apron Builder Framelits dies; Gina Marie Designs Eyelet Elegance Rectangles die

I used brushed silver cardstock for the cooking tools; they shimmer nicely in real life.

Did you have a good weekend?  I spent plenty of time in my studio, making cards for Valentine's Day.  I sewed holes in my comforter, and my lace curtain (Cristabel's nails did a lot of damage!).  And I watched a movie with my daughter (Disney's Brave) and it was so good!  It's an old movie, at this point, but I don't care.  LOL  I cried near the end, we both did actually.

Can't be mad at this little face...

God bless you,

Cool Cat

Hello friends!  It's a sunny and cold Sunday here, and I plan to go on walking trail with my daughters this afternoon.  They have been there before, but I never have.  I'm very much looking forward to it!

Oh, and I did make the Pumpkin Rocks from the Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies yesterday.  They are delicious!  Upon request, I substituted chocolate chips for the raisins that the recipe calls for.  My family doesn't like raisins much, but I sure do!  My daughter found a copy of the book for under $10 if you are interested!  (Remember in my previous post I mentioned that Amazon sells it for $104?!) I shop for a lot of my books at Thrift Books.  Some are used, some are new, but even the used ones can look brand new.  

I'm playing in a new-to-me challenge today:  The Male Room!  Masculine cards only are accepted, and I think that's a fun challenge.

Isn't this dapper black cat adorable?  He's wearing a black glitter bow tie!  I found this little bow tie in one of the Stampin' Up! scrap bags I get from time to time.

Memory Box Large Sitting Cat cat die; My Favorite Things BB Cool Cat sentiment and paw print stamps, Stitched Sentiment Strips banner die; Stampin' Up! bow

Check out his tie....awww.

The Male Room is also looking for new Design Team members!  

Here's a link to this particular challenge, which is Animals.  

Wishing you all a beautiful day - no matter what you are going through, or where you are.

Sending love to you!

God bless you,

Sweet Coffee

Hello friends, Happy New Year!  It's been a tough week for our country.  My emotions have been up and down.  One thing I remind myself is that God is in control.  So important to keep looking at Him, and not at the circumstances around us.

I have a card to share today, and I am playing in challenges, too.  That makes my heart happy. 😊

Tim Holtz / Stampers Anonymous - Fresh Brewed Blueprint coffee stamp; Quick Kutz Hot Drink coffee cup die; Memory Box Classic Tags circle tag die; twine; Stampin' Up! Brown Sugar cotton twine

This is a birthday card for my youngest daughter, who discovered the elixir of coffee while in her first semester at college.  I began drinking coffee when I was about 22 years old, and I never looked back.  LOL  

Here are the challenges I am playing in:

• Krafty Chicks Challenge #541 - Stamp Act - use a stamp
• Time Out Challenge #178 - Life In The City.  My daughter goes to college in the city, so this is where she drinks her coffee!
• NBUS - never before used stuff!  The Tim Holtz coffee stamp and Quick Kutz coffee cup die are new to me
• The Card Concept - Winter Warmth - my style is Clean & Layered (was a bit tricky to pick a style I used here, but I think this might be the best match).  I was inspired by the warm winter drink -- although, hey, I drink coffee ALL year!

The weekend is upon us, and I'll be baking cookies called Pumpkin Rocks from Maida Heatter's Cookie cookbook.   (Though I found the exact cookbook I own on Amazon, which is featured in this link, the price is a staggering $104.34 for the hardcover version.  Are you kidding me??)

Psalm 121:1-2 ESV

A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

God bless you!

Poinsettia Punch

Hello again!  Tomorrow is my last day off from work (been off for a week) and it will be a short work week, with New Year's Eve quickly approaching.  I have enjoyed my staycation very, very much.  😃

I have two cards to share with you, both featuring a beautiful poinsettia from Simon Says Stamp's The Magic of Christmas - and all items used are listed beneath the photos.  

I was going for a dramatic Christmas card with the first one here:

Simon Says Stamp The Magic of Christmas poinsettia, 'Christmas' & 'Blessings' sentiments; Stampin' Up! Peaceful Boughs pine dies; pearls; vintage thread; tag from stash; Papertrey Ink; Ranger Glossy Accents 

I layered some pine boughs beneath that GORGEOUS poinsettia, and I created simple patterned paper by using the 'Christmas' sentiment from the same set, in red on red.

Then I used Glossy Accents as beads of 'dew' on the poinsettia, which was colored with Copic markers.

This is what it looked like, all ready for its close-up, in my photography light tent.  I have a small collection of items and greenery to place around my cards as they get photographed.

I am entering this card at NBUS #21 (thank you for still running this challenge, Darnell!) as the Simon Says Stamp poinsettia and sentiment stamps had not yet seen ink.   

The next card was for my oldest daughter, who looooves bling and shiny things.  😁

Simon Says Stamp The Magic of Christmas poinsettia; Stampin' Up! Peaceful Boughs pine dies; red rhinestones; Ranger Glossy Accents; cream twine; Fiskars Star punch; Papertrey Ink Tag-Its #8 Mini 'joy' sentiment 

It was difficult to capture the gold mirror polka dot patterned paper, so I photographed it two ways. Two kinds of red gemstones were added to the pine greenery, and they look a whole lot better in person, too.

As in the first card, this poinsettia also got the Glossy Accents 'dew' treatment.  If I'd had more time, I might have used Glossy Accents on the entire poinsettia, for some real excitement.  LOL

Thanks so much for your visit, and God bless you!

Glad Tidings, Plaid Tidings & more

Hello friends, Belated Merry Christmas to you!  I hope it was full of blessings for you and your loved ones.  For those who struggle at this time of year, or especially this year, my heart goes out to you.  There are so many complicated emotions that can accompany Christmastime.  

I love this season because we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  💓

As much as I wanted to share these cards with you during the month of December, I just ran out of steam.  LOL  So, here are a bunch of cards that seem to have a couple of themes running through most:  Glad Tidings and Plaid Tidings, with a few other twists in the lineup.

The first card was for my husband.  I got new dies, from Paper Rose - both the stitched tree and the deer (LeAnne, thank you for enabling me!), and they go so well together! 

Paper Rose Stitched Trees, Deer Family dies; gold sequins; Simon Says Stamp Magic of Christmas pinecone stamp; Papertrey Ink Angled Labels die, Silent Night sentiment; Verve Christmas In The Air sentiment in background

I'll be linking this one up to the NBUS challenge #21 (Never Before Used Schtuff), as these dies are brand new!

The next card was for my youngest daughter, using a bottlebrush tree stamp set from Papertrey Ink.  Love how the little trees came out. 

Papertrey Ink Joyful Christmas bottlebrush trees, Christmas Blessings sentiment; Gina Marie Designs Eyelet Elegance Rectangles die; Hug Snug white seam binding; pearls 

Made a second one, and there are very subtle differences between the two, including how the bow was tied.  Hard to see in the photo, though.

The next is for the stash, and was simple to make but has a good pop to it.  The tree was punched from gold and plaid paper (this was in a Stampin' Up! scrap bag I bought).  I added gems to it, and stamped a couple of Verve snowflakes with Distress Ink on red cardstock, to create my own patterned paper.  The effect reminds me of flocked wallpaper from the 1970's.  Ha!

Stampin' Up! tree punch; Verve Glad Tidings sentiment, snowflakes; Papertrey Ink Angled Labels die; red rhinestones

Every now and then, this little Lawn Fawn bunny comes out to play.  I think he's the cutest.  He's sporting a blue-green scarf as he glides over glistening snow-covered hills in the moonlight.

Lawn Fawn Winter Bunny; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags die; Flourishes Warm Winter Wishes sentiment; My Favorite Things Stitched Basic Edges die; glitter glue; rhinestone; white cotton twine

Our cat, Cristabel, gives my husband a card for his birthday, Father's Day, and Christmas, so here is the card she gave to Dad this year.

Papertrey Ink For The Guys 'dad' die; red rhinestones; Paper Rose Stitched Trees die; Memory Box Large Sitting Cat die 

The next one is for my stash, too, and it's different, and not at all the expected Christmas colors.  This has more of a peaceful, wintry feel.

Stampin' Up! Garden Pleasures birdhouse & bird stamps, Brushed Silver cardstock, patterned papers, snowflake die; rhinestone; Verve Glad Tidings sentiment; Papertrey Ink Angled Labels die; glitter glue

The next four cards have a plaid thing going on, as you will see.  Those little corrugated Christmas trees were in a Stampin' Up! scrap bag I bought, so I had quite a few to play with.

Papertrey Ink Tag-Its #8 Mini sentiment; gold candy dots; Fiskars Star punch; Stampin' Up! tree & star die, patterned paper strips, scalloped oval, snow embossing folder, crochet lace

Stampin' Up! tree and star, scalloped oval, snow embossing folder; twine; gold ribbon; Papertrey Ink Angled Labels die, Christmas Blessings sentiment

Stampin' Up! tree and star, red snowflake felt accents, Brown Sugar twine; Crafty Secrets vintage stickers; crochet lace; ivory candy dots; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags round tag die; manila tag; Flourishes Christmas Postcard "Dec 25" round stamp

Crafty Secrets wreath sticker; ivory candy dots; Stampin' Up! tree and star; crochet lace

Not sure how I feel about the next card, but here it is for you to see, nonetheless.  Love the Papertrey Ink sentiment, and those sweet Simon Says Stamp mittens, though.

Papertrey Ink Stylish Sentiments: Christmas sentiment; Simon Says Stamp Winter Warmth mittens; white cotton twine; rhinestones; Gina Marie Designs Big and Little Chain Rectangles

And the final card involves some repurposing.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may recall these candles from 2012.  I plucked off the n, o, e, and l from the candle decorations, and put them on a card front for my mom.  

Spellbinders Persian Motifs die; Inspired By Stamping Fancy Alphabet, Mason Jar Add-On II (label), Festive Frames (holly); red Liquid Pearls; pearls

That's it for now!  I've got another (shorter) post in the works to share soon.  

Thanks so much for coming by today, God bless you!