Hope

Hello friends, I'm back again with another post.  I was able to get a bunch of card photos edited and some draft posts begun.  Makes things a little easier.

As I mentioned in my previous post from today, I've got more surgery to face soon.  My medical team is trying to prevent me from needing chemo (radiation and hormone therapy are still necessities, though).  I tell you, having cancer is such a humbling experience.  I am in control of NOTHING.  This is completely out of my hands, and totally in God's.  He is directing my steps, and providing my medical team with the knowledge and skills they need to treat me.  My job is to move forward, do the "work" (surgeries, treatments, medications, etc), and trust in Him.

Fittingly, I had made a card months and months ago that says, "Hope".  And, what do you know, it's in pink.  The sentiment is from a PinkFresh set called, Walk By Faith, and that is exactly what I am doing.   It's a perfect card to share right now.  I have hope.  I am overwhelmed at times (often!) by what is happening, and how many appointments I have, but...I have hope.  

PinkFresh Studio Walk By Faith sentiment; Inspired By Stamping Summer Flowers lily; Sizzix / Stampin' Up! Large Paper Doily Sizzlit die; ivory dots; crochet lace

When I made this card, I pulled together odd bits to make a cohesive card.  The text background is from packaging from a Girls' Paperie stamp set.  It was much too pretty to throw away.  And if you can see it, there's a mauve doily diecut tucked under the crochet lace.  That had been hanging around my desk for too long!  

I am entering this card in a challenge, at Little Red Wagon - #626 So Very Thankful.  I am beyond thankful for HOPE.

Thanks for joining me friends!  I so appreciate your visits!

All On A Slant

One day back in JANUARY (man, it took me a while to get these into a blog post!) I played with a new-to-me Papertrey Ink die set, Sentiment Splits: Angle Vertical.  It was fun making simple cards with patterned paper, a quick sentiment, and a tiny bit of embellishments.

Certainly not some of my fancier work, but it was fun to just play around with the same supplies while they were all out on my desk, and vary things up a bit on each card.  

Papertrey Ink Sentiment Splits: Angle Vertical dies, Keep It Simple: Get Well sentiment; gold sequins; Stampin' Up! Touch of Nature butterfly and patterned paper

Papertrey Ink Sentiment Splits: Angle Vertical dies, Hero Arts Everyday Sayings sentiment; Stampin' Up! Touch of Nature butterfly and patterned paper

Papertrey Ink Sentiment Splits: Angle Vertical dies, Keep It Simple: Get Well sentiment; Stampin' Up! Touch of Nature butterfly and patterned paper; gold sequins

Papertrey Ink Sentiment Splits: Angle Vertical dies, Hero Arts Everyday Sayings sentiment; Stampin' Up! Touch of Nature butterfly and patterned paper

Papertrey Ink Sentiment Splits: Angle Vertical dies, Keep It Simple: Get Well sentiment; gold sequins; Stampin' Up! Heartfelt Love Notes envelope

This week was a busy one with doctor appointments, and next week will be as well.  I found out I will need further surgery, to remove more lymph nodes and see what they contain.  If they look good, no chemo is needed ("just" radiation and hormone blocking pill).  Praising Jesus in advance that I will not need chemo.  This surgery date has not yet been set.  I am disappointed that I am facing another surgery, but it truly is important.  If I can avoid chemo, I would like that very much.

Thanks for coming by today, God bless you! 

Succulents, two ways

Happy hump day!  Halfway through this chilly week, and we might have to turn on our heat.  We like to wait as long as possible to save money, but it's going down to 37 degrees overnight tonight, so...that's pretty cold.  LOL

I've got two similar cards to show today, both featuring succulents.  My youngest daughter, who is away at college, likes to grow succulents in her apartment room.  When my friend gave me these two stamp sets -- HoneyBee Stamps and Photo Play -- I knew they were just right for my special someone! 💕

Honeybee Stamps Stick With Me and Photo Play Stuck On You plants; Gina Marie Designs Big and Little Chain Rectangles die; My Favorite Things Stitched Sentiment Strips die; Glossy Accents glue 

Honeybee Stamps Stick With Me and Photo Play Stuck On You plants; Gina Marie Designs Big and Little Chain Rectangles die; Glossy Accents glue; The Greetery Sentiment Suite: Love sentiment

Not sure if the above photo better shows the Glossy Accents glue on the plants, but, it is there.  So shiny in real life.  I layered two of the plants on dimensionals too.

Thanks so much for joining me today.  You're the best!

Dainty Baby, Bolder Baby

Hello all, back with a couple more cards today so I can enter a new-to-me challenge:  Dragonfly Dreams.  Their October challenge is "In The Pink".  Yes, it's November now, but the challenge closes on 11/5 so there's a little more time if you want to play!

First up is my pink baby card.  I think this soft pale mauve pink is so feminine, so pretty.  I wish I knew which brand the cardstock is, but it was in a bag of goodies given to me, and I had one precious piece!  I added some stamping off the edge, and several assorted pieces of lovely patterned paper scraps in shades of pink and soft gold.  And, of course, some hydrangea blossoms topped with pearls.

Papertrey Ink Wonderful Words: Baby die; Sizzix Donut Phrases 'sweet' die; Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch; pearls; doily; scraps of paper; matte gold cardstock

The next baby card is so different from the first!  Bursting with more color, with a more modern feel thanks to the patterned paper full of interesting stripes.  I added two sentiments from the same stamp set; one is on the heart, and the other is in tiny print below the patterned paper rectangle.  It says, "Life is sweeter now that you are in the world."  Awww.

Technique Tuesday Sweet Baby sentiments; pearls; My Favorite Things Heart Stax die

Again, thank you so much for your visit, and God bless you!

Elegant Birthday Wishes

Good morning friends, hope your weekend was good!  It has gotten chillier here, and I am LOVING it.  Fall is definitely my favorite season.  

Just popping in to share a "fancy" birthday card that features one of my favorite stamping techniques:  creating my own patterned paper.  

Stampin' Up! Butterfly Basics sentiment, En Francais background, Elements of Style flourish, denim ribbon; gold dots; Papertrey Ink Happy Hydrangea frame and matching die

I am entering a challenge!  Word Art Wednesday Challenge # 515-516, Use an Encouraging or Uplifting Sentiment.

Thanks for taking a peek today at my card.  So happy to have you with me. 😃

Rose with Woodgrain, Rose with Dictionary Print

Hello my friends, thanks so much for the kind words from my last post.  It's so comforting to have my cardmaking friends be out there, thinking of me.  I truly appreciate it. 💖

I need normalcy as much as possible, and things that bring me joy. Anything related to handmade cards is big joy in my book!  I already have some posts in draft form, so it will be easy to hit "publish".

Here are two cards today that both features roses.

Inspired by Stamping Garden Seed Packet rose; Stampin' Up! Hardwood background, Rose Wonder sentiment; crochet lace; pearls

Stampin' Up! Dictionary background; Inspired By Stamping Elegant Flowers and Garden Seed Packets roses; sentiment is Stampin' Up! from a scrap bag - unsure of set

It was fun (when I made these a while back) to play with the two Stampin' Up! background stamps, Dictionary and Hardwood.  I've got a nice collection of their background stamps, most pretty old, but very well loved!

Thanks for joining me here today!

God bless you!

Give Thanks in ALL Circumstances

Hello friends!  A bit of time has passed since I was last here on the blog.  Life got crazy.  Health issues developed for me and it has been quite a whirlwind of tests and doctor appointments, and then surgery.  I am a private person and I've struggled with whether to share here or not, but the Lord has put it upon my heart that I should share.  

Not even a month ago, I was diagnosed with stage 1 invasive ductal breast cancer.  There is no family history of it for me, nor was I having any problems.  This was found on a regular yearly mammogram.  I skipped having a mammogram in 2020 because of the pandemic.  My surgeon told me that timing is everything, and that if I'd had my mammo last year, it likely would not have been big enough to be seen.  This year, it was.  

God's hand has been on me the whole time during this process, as it is every second of my life.  Within a week of my diagnosis, I had a consultation with a surgeon who is a top doc, in our insurance network, AND she is a good friend of my cousin.  I got permission to go on vacation, which was already planned, and I went to see my mom and spend time with her.  It was just the perfect timing, because everything He does is good, He is never late, and He works all things together for our good:  Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

That vacation was refreshing and it was so good to see Mom. 💗 We went to Hobby Lobby, so you know it was a highlight for me!  Got some cool stamps and patterned paper.  But I digress...

Altenew Painted Flowers; Papertrey Ink A Cheerful Heart sentiment Proverbs 3:5-6; Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Pinking Squares die; white ribbon

Spellbinders Large Deckled Rectangles die; Stampin' Up! mushroom patterned paper; Papertrey Ink New Every Morning sentiment Psalm 118

Memory Box Classic Tags dies; Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch; Spellbinders Fancy Tags Two die; Inspired By Stamping Fancy Alphabet stamps; pearls; hemp twine; dictionary page

I had a lumpectomy this past week, and I feel pretty good, all things considered.  The tumor was removed, and so was one lymph node.  Both of those are being biopsied, and I'll have results next week.  Those results will determine if I need chemo and how long radiation treatments will be.  I tell you friends, I am trusting Jesus that I will NOT need chemo, and that I will need only the shortest amount of radiation treatments!  He is my Great Physician.  He has got me so close, I can feel Him.  In fact, before I went for my first mammogram in August, I felt these words in my spirit:  Do not be afraid, Do not be afraid.  I thought it meant that my mammogram would be fine, but of course it was not.  Those words were firm and gentle.  And I take them seriously:  I am not afraid.  Overwhelmed at times, yes!  And sad in the beginning, yes, but afraid?  No.  I trust Him.

I'll come back here and visit again as time allows.  

Thank you for allowing me to share such a personal testimony with you.  We are here on this earth to help one another.  Perhaps there is someone reading this who will be touched by it, or someone who has put off having a mammogram who needs to go get one.

1Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Birds and Bugs

Earlier this summer, a customer asked me to make a card inspired by the Jimmy Buffett songs, which are tropical and beachy.  The best I could do was to bring out these cute stamps and dies from Pretty Pink Posh called Tropical Toucans and Flourishing Fuchsias.  One of my friends gave them to me earlier this year and I'm so glad I had the perfect reason to use them!

Pretty Pink Posh Flourishing Fuchsias and Tropical Toucans; My Favorite Things Grassy Fields die, Essential Sentiments sentiment; Stampin' Up! Burlap background 

The next card was quick to make, using an old Lawn Fawn set and adorable lady bug patterned paper by Ki.  

Lawn Fawn On The Mend sentiment, bug; ribbon; white glossy dots

I hope your weekend is lovely!

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

Talk to you soon!

Shabby Chic Baby Cards

Hello my friends,

I'm sharing a few more baby cards with you today.  They each have a shabby chic vibe which I still love to create.  

Verve Stamps Family Phrases sentiment; My Favorite Things Sensational Stitched Flowers die; Stampin' Up! "b" die, larger flower punch; vintage thread; pearl; tag

Technique Tuesday Sweet Babyi sentiment; Unity Delight In The Little Things carriage; wooden heart; pearls; crochet lace; Stampin' Up! pink rosette

Technique Tuesday Sweet Babyi sentiment; Unity Delight In The Little Things carriage; wooden heart; pearls; crochet lace; Stampin' Up! pink rosette, Heart To Heart punch

The last two cards are pretty similar, with just a few minor differences between them.  I had stamped that sweet baby carriage in two different colors, and didn't want to waste the lighter one (Sahara Sand by Stampin' Up!) but I prefer it darker as in the first carriage pic (Creamy Caramel by Stampin' Up!).

Sure am glad it's almost the weekend.  😊  I might even begin putting up some autumn decor indoors this weekend.

God bless you!

Violet Sympathy

Hello friends!  I regret selling this pretty Stampin' Up! set called Flower Garden!  I go through phases where I de-stash, and sometimes I unload things I wish I hadn't.  Anyone with me?

Stampin' Up! Rose Wonder sentiment, Flower Garden violet, Tufted Dynamic Impressions Embossing Folder, Stitched Nested Die; vintage white ribbon from my Mom-Mom; pearls

Before I sold that set, I had stamped a few images and kept them in a box.  I used a fun Stitched die around the flower - perfect size, and the angles of it complement the tufted embossing - and assembled a purple-y sympathy card.  The camera rarely enjoys working with purple cards, though.  This looks much brighter here than it is in real life.

Today is the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and truly as the sentiment on the card says, for some things there are just no words.  

Dublin Door revisited

Years ago, I made this card, and I was so proud of how it turned out.  I held on to the card for a long time, knowing eventually it would go to the just the right person, for the right occasion.  This did make its way to that special person earlier this year.  

I had been inspired by the famous doors of Dublin, Ireland.  This one is of course not brightly colored, as so many of theirs are.  As a side note, I sure am glad my husband and I got to visit Ireland in 2019, before the craziness of 2020 ensured.

The awning stands away from the card, best seen in the photo below.  The 'brass' doorknob is a brad, and the door was constructed from two different shades of gray cardstock.  I added little lines with a marker at each corner.

I even created a sidewalk for the potted topiaries (Flourishes DIY Topiaries) to stand upon.  I used Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Backgrounds to get the mottled concrete look, then drew the slab lines with a marker.

Proverbs 14:1

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Thanks for taking a walk down memory lane with me today. 😀

Peter Rabbit Baby Card

Coming at you with another baby card this week!  😊 I made this one for the shop, but I admit it was a little hard to let it go.  That little bunny face!  So cute! 

Pink Paislee Auburn Lane frame; Stampin' Up! Fable Friends bunny, Itty Bitty Accents flower punch; Verve Stamps Small Phrases 'you are loved'; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags 'baby'; Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch; pearls; vintage thread

When my girls (young ladies) were very small, we read the Beatrix Potter series of books.  One of our favorite characters was Squirrel Nutkin.  Peter Rabbit is a classic, of course, and that's who this little bunny so reminds me of!  

Proverbs 22:6

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Thank you so much for your visit today!  I hope you're having a wonderful day!

International Leaves

The Post Script background from Stampin' Up! makes its debut here!  I bought this stamp for a great price at an SU sale a couple of years ago, and finally, I've used it.  You know how it goes, too many stamps, not enough time.  😉

I like the look of it, and should remember to put it into action more. 

Inspired By Stamping Vintage Postcards 'Palermo' postmark; Stampin' Up! Post Script background; Tim Holtz / Sizzix Tattered Leaves dies; Papertrey Ink Keep It Simple: Get Well sentiment; My Favorite Things Slanted Sentiment Strips die; Distress Ink Sprays (assorted)

That top leaf was fun to color up with a whole bunch of Distress Ink Sprays.  

Autumn will be here soon, and I am so ready! 

From Cristabel to Dad

Hello there!  Recently I shared a card that Cristabel, our cat, "made" for Dad's birthday.  Well, this one below was "made" by Cristabel for Father's Day!  My husband really likes the color purple, so that's where I - ahem, Cristabel - began.

Papertrey Ink Cat's Meow cat, ball of yarn and matching dies, Tiny Tags sentiment and tag; generic cloud dies; twine

It's not a showcase kind of card, but sometimes I really have a hard time making cards for my guy.  But, it had to do. It's like I get stage fright as it's time to make a card for him.  This is alllll in my own mind!  

All For Baby

Hello there!  As I had a post of baby cards mostly filled in and ready to go, I thought I'd go ahead and share right now.  

First up, going for a neutral, somewhat woodsy kind of card:

Papertrey Ink Inside & Out: Baby sentiment; Lawn Fawn Little Bundle stamps & matching dies; Inspired By Stamping Background Basics II gingham stamp; ivory dots; woven ribbon; Stampin' Up! Weathered Background

Throwback to DCWV Nana's Nursery Boy paper stack on the next card!  It takes me a long time to go through my patterned paper stash.  So this is considered 'old' now I guess!  It sure is cute, though.

Unity Wild About You giraffe/balloon; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags sentiment; DCWV Nana's Nursery Boy patterned papers; glossy accents (on the balloon)

Next, totally assembled out of scraps and bits.  All I had to do was stamp a sweet sentiment.

Papertrey Ink Inside & Out: Baby sentiment; Gina Marie Designs Medium Butterfly die; felt heart, flowers; ivory dot

And last, another card formed out of bits and pieces.  The lamb sticker came in the pack of other critters I showed on cards here in this post.  Since she's pink, I found a piece of plaid paper that harmonized with her fur.  The balloon is from a scrap bag.

Stampin' Up! balloon/sentiment (from a scrap bag); lamb sticker; paper scraps

Thanks for coming by, hope your week is going swell! 😀

Chicken Soup For You

Happy Wednesday!  With a short week due to our holiday weekend that just passed, we have reached the mid-week quickly. 😀

Today I've got a little bowl of chicken soup to share with you.  Cutest bowl of chicken soup I've ever seen, with that happy smile!

Lawn Fawn On The Mend bowl, spoon, sentiment; Spellbinders Labels One die; Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Pinking Squares die; glossy accents

This was quite the 'scrap' card.  I really did pull together many items that were in a scrap pile on my work desk.  The bowl of soup and spoon have some glossy accents on them; it's a shame they never photograph as nicely as I'd like.

It's my hope this will put a smile on someone's face.  

Thank you for your visit!