Rejoice

     The last few trips to the craft stores have found me looking through non stamp aisles with ideas flowing through my mind.   When I saw this inexpensive metal cross at Michael's I bought a few to play with and decorate.  This is my favorite, using stamps from Flourishes He is Risen set.  I used a Krylon Pen to edge the cross and the Spellbinders die that has the sentiment on it.  I have found that a quick spray with some clear Krylon helps set the gold leaf keeping it from rubbing of.  The flowers were colored with my Copics and then cut out by hand, some are mounted with foam, while others aren't.  I played with some leaf ideas but really felt like it was getting too busy.  I'm thinking of sending this in place of a card to someone - overall it is 8 inches by 6 inches and would ship pretty easily.
     I have also been working on a small oval box with my favorite Mustang stamp and some awesome leather ribbon around the outside.....hopefully that will be done soon.   Purchased some nifty wood frames that I have covered in paper, hoping to stamps some images and sentiments and mount them inside with some embellishments.  All this playing means I need to catch up with cards that need to get sent but it has been fun.

Thanks for stopping by,

Supplies:  Metal cross from Michael's, Spellbinders Die, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Flourishes Stamps, Krylon Gold Leaf Pen, Copic Markers

Mustang Magic

     I am wild crazy about this Mustang by Serendipity Stamps (I posted a card a few weeks back using it).  It won't be long before my daughter and I are back to the ranch we visit for another week of riding.  Over the years it has become a habit to take some of my work as gifts for some of the staff as well as friends I meet up with.  When I last colored this lovely creature I used my Prismscolors - this time around I got my watercolors out.  He looked like he needed a background, so I created the look of a large moon with the sky beginning to darken.  It was a lot of fun to color, I have about 3 done, and ready to assemble, each of them looks a little different.  The blue and brown  paisley paper is the perfect western background for him!!

Thanks for visiting,

Materials Used:  Spellbinders Label 18, Watercolor paper, Derwent Water Color Pencils, CS, Brads

Challenges: Craft Your Passion 100th Challenge Anything Goes, Papertake Weeky Anything Goes, The Pink Elephant Three Layers

Butterfly Blessings

     Wow, its been a crazy week!  For some reason my last two trips to the craft store I was drawn to aisles that didn't have stamps or paper in them.  Instead I found myself purchasing crosses, frames, and wood with a gazillion ideas of what I hope to do with them.   They are all now, laying around my work space, in various stages of completion.  I think overload hit on Thursday - at that point I just had to take a break.
     There were also some cards - almost done - laying around as well.  Today I got a message from a friend at SCS about someone in need of prayer.....and sending a card would be nice too!  Finished this card up and will put it in the mail Monday.  I am excited to send this - when I recently purchased this stick pin at the Our Daily Bread Design booth at the Lawrenceville show I couldn't wait to use it.  It is the kind of embellishment that called me outside of my comfort zone of how I usually design.  I hope the recipient of this card smiles as much as I did when I sat back and viewed it after I finished it.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day,

Materials Used:  Our Daily Bread Design Stamps, Ribbon, Pin, Stampabilities, Gold Embossing Powder, Spellbinders, Krylon Gold Leafing Pen, Brilliance Galaxy Gold

Challenges:  Stampin Sisters In Christ #129 Wings, Do You Stack Up #61 Wings, Paper Crafting Journey Anything Goes, Paper Play Challenges Wk 9, Stamp N Doodles Embossing of Any Kind, Party Time Tuesdays Anything Goes

Guiding Light!!

     When I had this stamp out a few weeks ago to use, I was rummaging through my paper.   I came across this unusual wavy cardstock..... I might as well confess, I am a paper hoarder!  Its not that I have too much, but I think long and hard about my patterned paper.  To cut and not have it come out the way I imagine it should, feels like a waste - so I like to be sure I have a plan.   I knew then and there I would make a card  with this Lighthouse and fun paper.  The blue paper from The Mango Frost DCWV stack called out to be the background. Using my Copics to color it, then choosing a Scripture Sentiment from the same Our Daily Bread Designs set Light of the World, I put this together.   

     I think it makes a good masculine card - with a bold and positive scripture.  

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by:

Materials Used:  Our Daily Bread Design Stamps, Copics, Spellbinders

Challenges: OD BDSLC97,   Paper Players - Masculine

Easter Flowers

     While running around last week I managed to sneak into my new favorite stamp shop nearby.  They had the new Flourishes set He Is Risen.  Easter will be here before I know it so I grabbed the set and found some time this weekend to work in my stamp room (LOL, like I need an excuse).  It was my hope to CASE Christine Okken at ChristineCreations....but the more I worked at trying the more obvious it became that this card had a mind of its own.  Instead of the lovely card she made with a cut out frame, I ended up with a round scalloped card and no frame......best of intentions don't always work out the way you think they will.  Nonetheless, I am very pleased with how this turned out and look forward to sending it out for Easter.
     I colored the flowers with my blue, green, and yellow Copics - then cut them out.  None of the blue paper I had really rocked my boat so I found this lovely soft green patterned CS that appealed to me more.  I'm pretty sure I will never grow tired of my Cheery Lynn Border Flourish die that I used, it is a favorite of mine.

Thanks for visiting, have an awesome day,

Materials:  Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities, Copics, Flourishes Stamps, CS, Krylon Gold Leafing Pen, Cheery Lynn Die

Challenges:  Stampin Sisters In Christ Challenge 127

  

Girlfriends

 

       I was shopping last weekend and came across a little thing called "Action Wobbles" - they just fascinated me.  They are little springs you can mount an image on so that when you touch it the image rocks back and forth.  I thought of my good friend Pat, and wanted to share them with her......so I sat down and made a card for her using one and will mail it with some 'Action Wobbles'  so she can play.  While most of the info I viewed had people using these on the outside of cards I used mine on the inside. To do this I chose an Art Impression stamp. These "Girlfriends" are really rocking out shopping and you can see the results when you open the card.

        This is my first ever attempt at loading a video so you can see how this looks on the inside....I laugh every time I open this card, good thing its going in the mail today. 

Have an awesome day:

 Materials:  CS, Copics, Art Impression Stamp, Action Wobble, Stamps by Judith, Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities

Challenges:  Make It Monday

Glub, glub.......

     I always surprise myself when I make a card that doesn't have a horse or scripture on it somewhere - LOL.  It isn't as if I don't have a LOT of other stamps in my stash!!  

    While looking through my drawers I came across this inexpensive ($1.00) Inkadinkado stamp from JoAnn's and thought it would be fun to play with.  After coloring this sweet little creature with my Copics I wanted to create a unique effect......sooooo - I stamped the entire surface with Versamark and used some old embossing powder in my drawer 'Cow of Many Colors'.  The effect was just about what I wanted, but I decided to once again cover the image with Versamark and embossing powder.  This particular embossing powder has several different tones to it depending on how the light hits it, sort of like water.  My little fishy looks just great in his special little pool of color!

Thanks for stopping by,

Challenges:  Touch Twin Markers - Animals

Lost my Heart

     I am laughing at myself....a few weeks ago I posted my first Valentine and was sooooo proud that I had actually gotten some of my cards done in advance.  The card for my DH sat on my counter, and in between stamping I was reorganizing my room.  DH kept wandering in and I didn't want him to see his card so I put it away (fully believing I would remember EXACTLY where I put it - LOL) - went looking for it yesterday and don't you know I CAN NOT find it!!!  Willing to bet tomorrow it will magically appear, but I needed a card TODAY, so I took some time this afternoon to make him another one.......actually like this one better!!  Inside is a very nice mushy sentiment with wishes for a fabulous Valentines Day!!
  I titled this "Lost my Heart" - this has two meanings: one I lost the heart card I made - but it also means that I lost my heart to my DH 33 years ago when two became one and I am here to say 'life is good, I am blessed'.

Still laughing at myself as I sign off

Thanks for visiting,

Materials:  Paper Studio Simple Elegance CS, Spellbinders Butterfly Circle, Our Daily Bread Designs Butterfly 2 stamp and die, Ribbon

Challenges:  Stampin Sister is Christ Challenge 126, Simon Says Stamp and Show, Anything Goes

Inspired to Case

     The challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs Blog was to case a card from a design of someone we follow or admire.  WOW - how tough is that!!!  Aside from the many blogs I follow, there are all the Design Team members at Our Daily Bread Designs whose work inspires me on a regular basis.
     For the first few days I was immobilized as I tried to think of what to do.  To try and make it easier on myself, I thought I would first choose a stamp, then go through the gallery and make a decision.  While choosing a stamp at least kept me more focused - there were too many beautiful cards to case.  I literally just chose a number in my head and counted out in the gallery to a card....it was by Sandee Shanabrough.  Seeing her name brought a smile to my face...you see last weekend I met Sandee at the Lawrenceville Stamp show - how fun to case a card she created.
     Sandee stamped her design and did no coloring, so that is what I did....I left off the ribbon and changed the size - as the challenge said change two things.....While this is monochromatic in design I really like how it turned out.  I considered coloring the image (and in fact made one using my Copics) but stamped a second to use on this card.

Thanks for visiting,

Materials:  Our Daily Bread Designs Light of the World image and sentiment and Wood Background.  Memento Ink London Fog, Gray CS

Challenges:  ODBDSLC95 Secret Admirer Case

Happy Valentines

     Catching up with my Valentines cards - this one is for my DD.  I orginally chose this paper with black in it to use on my DS card but as I started working it evolved into this, and once I added the pearls (I so like pearls) it seemed to call out 'daughter' to me. Step cards are just plain fun to do.  I used a few Spellbinders to create the frame for the sentiment and my Cricut to cut the hearts along the bottom.  Inside is a sweet message for her, she appreciates any and all cards I make so I can't wait to share this with her on Valentines Day.  Now I need to get busy on one for my DS.

Thanks for stopping by

Materials:  CS, Spellbinders Nesties, Recollections Pearls, Cricut, My Sentiments Exactly stamp

Challenges:  Creative Belli Blog Challenge 136 Hearts/Valentines, Delightful Challenges - Love,  Perfect Sentiments Challenge  PSC18, Sentimental Sundays #88 Feel the Love.

Stamp Show Georgia

   Sandee Shanabrough, me, and Kelley at the Our Daily Bread Designs Booth in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Sandee  is a member of the Breadsticks Design Team. What a blast working the stamp show, and meeting in person people whose blogs I follow.  I had the privilege of helping Our Daily Bread Designs when they were in Collinsville, Illinois last June and was so happy they were willing to have me back to help out after I moved to Georgia.
     Kelley and her husband Rick are the nicest people.  Josh who works with them was there as well - a great young man.  It warms my heart how organized they are setting up, working the booth and then tearing down....they have it all down to a science.  I especially enjoy helping them pack it up to put in the truck because it makes you realize how hard they work and what road warriors they are.
    Visiting with the people who come to shop is great fun.  Kelley has tons of cards, made by the Design Team displayed all over, and customers 'ooh and ahh' as they browse, shop and get inspired.

Julie Warner - another Breadstick was there as well.

     Of course, I didn't just work the booth I got some shopping in as well and can't wait to start getting inky and play......look for me to post a few of my new creations this week. 

Majestic Beauty

     "My treasures do not clink together or glitter, They gleam in the sun and neigh in the night" a gypsy verse that fits this image.

     This is my newest horse image, a stamp from Serendipity Stamps, and its just beautiful. As I colored this image I was thinking of my next trip to the desert to ride with my daughter in a few months.  Hence the lovely Saguaro cactus in the background.  I toyed with several sentiments to place on the front but none of them did justice to this lovely image.
     The image was stamped on Gina K Luxury CS and colored with my Prismacolor pencils.  The background was stamped on some more Gina K Luxury CS, and I used my Copics to color it.  I then tore a piece of paper and laid it in various positions on the background, and with a dauber, gently tapped the color Bliss Blue by Stampin Up to create some clouds.  Then I edged the two rectangular pieces, as well as the image, with my Gold Leafing Pen.
     Stampin Sisters In Christ challenged us to make a card this week that depicts our style.  I don't know about anyone else but my style changes every time I sit down to create a card.  This does however show my love of horses and gives you a feel for who I am.

Thanks for stopping by,

Materials:  Copic Markers, Prismacolor Pencils, Odorless Paint Thinner, Gold Leaf Pen, Spellbinders Die, Gina K Luxury CS,  Bliss Blue SU CS, Serendipity Stamp, Local King Rubber Stamp

Challenges:  Stampin Sisters in Christ  Challenge 124, Dream Valley  #24Animals Challenge

A Little Box of Goodies

     With Valentines day approaching I wanted to make something besides a card for some friends.  This little box seemed just perfect for what I needed.....While I could have made it larger and decorated it more I opted for one that is only 3 inches by 3 inches.  Six miniature Kit Kats fit in it just perfectly.  I like it so much I will probably make one for my son and daughter as well. For this one I dug out a stamp from a set I have had a few years and not used for some time.  In spite of it being for Valentines day I used no red, just wasn't in a red mood.  The basic measurements for cutting are below.

Thanks for stopping by,

Cut CS for box that pulls out 4 7/8 x 4 7/8 and score at the one inch line on each side.
Wrap for the box is 8 1/2 inches by 3 inches and scored at 1, 4, 5 and 8
Card topper is 6 x 3 and scored at 3 and 1 1/2 - then cut a 3 x 3 piece to stamp and adhere to this.
These are the measurements for the basic pieces, decorating the sides, card and box are up to you.  This would look good made with patterned paper and save some cutting and glueing.

Materials:  Nestabilities, MS punch, pearls, brads, CS, Sentiment (I think is Fiskar)

Challenges:  CES Challenge #69, Card Makin Mamas, Something Old 

Flowers of Praise

     While there are many inspirational blogs to visit, I also love to peruse the gallery at Splitcoaststampers.  There is so much amazing talent from all over the world all within a click.  There are several galleries there that I check on a regular basis, one contains the 'fabulous' creations of Pat Smethers........not only does she create drop dead gorgeous, pick your jaw up off the counter top cards, she is filled with a love for the Lord that shines throughout so many of her creations.  She is a truly inspirational lady!! Her flowers and the layers of love she puts in each card really inspire me.  So many of her pieces include beautiful hand made flowers and with a recent tutorial she had I just knew I needed to sit and play......God blessed her with a real talent and I am blessed she shares it so freely at SCS.  Needless to say I had so much fun making these they are now covering my work space and I need to make some more cards to go with them.  

 Thanks for visiting,

Materials used:  Bo Bunny CS, Pearls, CL Die, MS punches, Stampabilities sentiment, CB Embossing Folder


Challenges:  Word Art Wednesday Challenge

Western Birthday for DD

    Its my DD birthday - she is a young adult, and I am blessed to be her mother, she brings us great joy.  One of our favorite things to do together is horseback ride so it is no surprise I made her a western themed card.  This is a lovely stamp from Coronado Island Stamps, they offer many lovely and detailed animal designs and have several wonderful horse stamps.  I have stamped them twice and used a die to cut them out and then layered them over each other, below them is a scenic stamp from Local King Rubber Stamps that I purchased last year.  In the picture you cannot see that I used Versamark and stamped the horses all over the background paper....in person it looks like a sky of horses running behind the ones highlighted. Recently reorganized my stamp room and set up my sewing machine, so I stitched around the outside of the layers.  This is something I hope to do on more cards.  Inside I stamped the same scenic stamp (after stamping it off once) and the sentiment above is Happy Birthday Cowgirl - of course!  Its always fun to make cards for her or my son as they are some of my biggest fans!

Thanks for looking,

Materials:  Coronado Island Stamps, Local King Rubber Stamps, Versamark, Versafine, CS, Sewing Machine, Dies

WINTER challenge...

     It has been a busy, crazy week!  When we moved to Georgia last summer after 17 years in Missouri, it was a little overwhelming to say the least.  With so much going on, the bedroom and living areas are where I concentrated my efforts first....lots of other 'stuff ' got put in closets - after all, "out of sight is out of mind".  Lots of my stamp stuff got shoved into the craft room closet and other things laid around as I worked on Christmas cards and gifts.  In the back of my mind I knew that January would be the perfect time to regroup and start the organization process - being a little selfish I decided to start in my stamp room first.  I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week building a cabinet to hold my stamp storage containers, they are an unusual size and required a hand crafted cabinet. (I have a picture posted below - I'm pretty pleased with my work.)  Then I organized the closet and rearranged my counter top area.  There is still more to do but I just can't be in this room without doing a little stamping :)
 

 Today's card is with the new stamp set I recently ordered from Our Daily Bread Designs called Never Give Up and includes a fabulous Grunge Cross.  This particular stamp has a die you can purchase to cut out the lovely cross for a very nice layered effect.  I stamped white paper with the Grunge Cross Background and layered it over some red that is spritzed with gold glimmer mist and edged with my gold leafing pen.  I layered the Grunge Cross with three papers and edged also edged the outside black paper with the gold leafing pen.  The challenge this week was to use the word "WINTER" and take three of the letters and use a technique or tool to create your card.  My goal was to use all the letters - a challenge indeed.  Its a stretch but I did it.  White paper and card, Ink, New stamp, Triangle corners, Edged with gold leaf pen, Red paper and cross!!  I said it was a stretch!!  

Supplies:  Our Daily Bread Design Stamp and Die, Glimmer Mist, Copic Red marker, Gold Leafing Pen.  


Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Design SLC92

Thanks for stopping by - have a great day!

Thinking of You.....

     There are a lot of changes when you make a move to a new State....giving up visiting your favorite stamp stores is one of those changes.  What a thrill when through Splitcoaststampers I learned from Jenny Gropp about a store not far from my new home.  I made my second visit there today and spent over an hour wandering and looking.  This card was made using a new stamp I purchased by Outlines Rubber Stamp Company.  Jenny does tutorials for the Outlines newsletter as well as working at the store and I was able to see several ways to use this stamp, but more important I learned about a wonderful dimensional silicone to pop the petals of the flower up.  Hopefully in the second picture below you can see how nicely this gives dimension to my flower.
     What fun it was playing with this stamp and I must warn you that I will probably do a few more cards to post as I keep thinking of new things to do with it.  This card will be entered in the Stampin Sisters in Christ challenge this where they are looking for cards that are "Thinking of You" themed......how convenient that I needed to make a card for that very purpose.

Thanks for stopping by:

Materials used:  Bo Bunny Sunflower Double Dot CS, Mango Frost CDWV CS, Metallic CS, Rhinestones, Endless Creations Sentiment, Outlines Rubber Stamp Striped Petals Med and Large,  Copics, Decoupage Glue, Spellbinders Floral Doily Motif Die, Sparkle Shimmer Mist, CL Die, Gold Leafing Pen.  

Challenges:  Stampin Sisters In Christ  - Challenge #121.  Dream Valley Anything Goes 23, Hooked on Crafts Try Something New. 

Red for Love

     Well it is the first week of the New Year - I am happy to say I do not make resolutions....I am one of those 'day at a time' people.  This doesn't mean I don't have goals I want to achieve, but each day brings new things and challenges and I like to try to be flexible.  LOL, because my family might not think I'm as flexible as I would like to believe.  

     I found this fun glitter foam at Michael's and just had to buy it...my idea was to use a die with it and see how it would layer up for a Valentines card.  By my standards getting my Valentines cards done now is 'very' early.  I usually have a bunch of ideas in my head and wait until the last minute to see if they will work. This is a pretty simple card, and the picture really doesn't do it justice.  The foam came out great when I cut it - no white around the edges showing because it is red all the way through.  Then I gold embossed a dollar stamp I had (it was a circle and that was the best fit) and used an old Stampin' Up sentiment for the bottom that I also gold embossed.  The outer layer of red was run through my GC with a circle die to create a framed look.  I used my gold leafing pen to edge the inner circle and the outer edges of the red layer.  

     It is a simple but very pretty card....the inside says "I will love you till the day after forever..." with a red rose stamped off in red over it.  I think my DH will like it  

     Just a note that I used my new watermark created by Dina Kowal - I had wanted something with horeses (imagine that!) I follow her and know what a fabulous artist she is so when I saw she created watermarks I contacted her.  I think its pretty cool!

  

 

Materials:  CS, Superfine Gold Embossing Powder, Stampin Up - Love, Hampton Art Stamp, Spellbinders Dies, Glitter Craft Foam, Computer generated sentiment inside. 

Challenges: Joans Gardens (JG512) Valentines and embossing, Sentimental Sundays - Anything Goes

My Refuge

    This is an older stamp from Stampin Up that I have had for quite some time.  I wanted to create a masculine looking card to use and thought that these deer would be perfect.  I used my Prismacolors to shade in the background and the animals.  I used a lovely scripture sentiment from Proverbs that I have from Our Daily Bread Designs and some paper from The Paper Studio.  You can't tell but I sprayed the layer with the stamp on it with some shimmer mist for a very nice effect.  This is a card that will be going to the Church bookstore and I will be entering it in the challenge over at Our Daily Bread Designs.    

Thanks for stopping by - Have a Blessed Day,

Materials: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture 7, Stampin Up, The Paper Studio paper, CS, Gold CS, Shimmer Mist, Prismacolor Pencils. 

Challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs SLC 90, Simon Says Anything Goes,  Word Art Wednesday

The Meaning of Christmas

     When it comes to Christmas there are so many beautiful stamps to choose from.....so to sit and make a card is always challenging and fun as I play and decide what image and sentiment to use.  Ones I send personally will always reflect the reason for the season with a sentiment or image that refers to the Greatest Gift ever in the birth of Jesus.  I just loved this image from Inkadinkadoo and the sweet sentiment by Morning Star Stamps - "The setting was humble, the cast was divine".  Inside I used a Stampabilities sentiment "May the glory of Christ's birth bring you joy and hope at Christmas time and always"......

     I made a few cards using this stamp and some great paper I found, Simple Elegance (with foil) by Paper Studio.....I colored the images with Copics.  This is a beautiful and fun image that can be used and layered in various ways.....truly can't decide which is my favorite, but the one below is going to be entered into the challenge over at Stampin Sisters in Christ, Challenge 120, Luke.

Materials used:  Inkadinkadoo Stamp, Stampabilities "Glory of Christ" sentiment stamp, Morning Stars Stamp sentiment, Copics, Embossing Folder, Nestabilities dies, Card stock.  


Challenges:  Stampin Sisters in Christ #120, CHNC #51 Anything Goes for Christmas, Marks Finest Paper, Christmas Stampin' for the Weekend, Christmas

Team penning

     Back from another great visit to the ranch....a good time was had by all.  My friends loved the ornaments and cards I brought for them.  Already thinking about what I can make to bring next year.
     My Christmas shopping is almost done and I will be hitting my stamp room to play - yee haw!!!