Always on My Mind Card

Hello! You know what they say "when the cats away the mice will play." That's exactly what I did tonight when the hubby worked late. I was inspired by the current Inky Paws color challenge to use: white, blue, green and yellow. After looking through my Newton's Nook stamps the Newton's Birdbath stamp set got the pick. The images were colored with Copic markers and die cut using the coordinating dies and my Big Shot. For the background Tumbled Glass distress ink was sponged onto mixed media paper and then die cut with the Frames & Flags die set by Newton's Nook. Yellow polka dot paper was also die cut and some green grass punched with a Fiskars grass punch. It was a pretty simple card to put together. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day.

Challenges entered:

• Crafty Creations: Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments: Water
• Inky Paws: Color
• Show Us Your Pussies: Furrything Goes

Masculine Congratulations Card

Happy Friday! It's hard to believe June has already arrived, although it's felt like June for the last couple of weeks here in Oklahoma. It seems we skipped Spring and went straight to Summer. Not my favorite time of year, but I'll suffer through it. Fall will always be my favorite!

Today starts a new challenge at Simply Create Too and the theme is For A Male. The challenge runs until June 29, 2018, so you have plenty of time to play along. Click HERE for all the challenge details and design team inspiration. I hope to see your card in the gallery!

This Masculine Congratulations Card was made for my brother because he recently obtained a new job. The brown die cut had been sitting on my desk for awhile (Glass Effects die by Spellbinders). It was almost used for another project and then I went with different colors. To cover up some blemishes, I painted the cardstock with Rich Espresso Metallic paint. The light blue background was created with watercolor paper and spray inks. It turned out okay but I wish the colors contrasted more. The congratulations is a die cut from Impression Obsession and I also painted it with the metallic paint. To finish the card three glitter stickers by Jolee's were added and that's it. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Welcome Card

Hello! I have a quick post to share this Welcome Card I made for new neighbors who recently moved into our neighborhood. I'm part of the welcome committee and it's a great way to share my handmade cards. This card features a retiring stamp set by Stampin' Up! called Home Life with the coordinating Welcome Home framelit dies. This was the first time I've used this stamp set and it's a layered stamping set, I definitely need some practice. The images didn't get lined up correctly but it still looks okay. Next time I'll use my Misti. All the ink colors are from the upcoming new In-Colors for 2018-2020 and they are Call Me Clover, Grapefruit Grove and Lovely Lipstick. Peeking out from behind the white panel is some new 2018-2020 In Color Designer Series Paper. That's it! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

This Welcome Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Always Fun: Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations: Anything Goes
• Crafty Gals Corner: Anything Goes
• Shopping Our Stash: April Showers bring May Flowers

Heartfelt Sympathy Card

Last week a longtime friend of our family passed away and I made this Heartfelt Sympathy Card to send to her family. Unfortunately another family friend passed away yesterday, so I have a few more cards to make. When it comes to making sympathy cards I like to make them when the need arises. I have a few on hand, but I try to make a card that reflects the person who passed. Of course, sometimes that's easier said than done.

This card is entered into the following challenges:

• Stamping Sensations: Close to Nature
• A Gem of a Challenge: Get Well/Sympathy
• Crafty Girls Creations: Anything Goes

All supplies used on this Heartfelt Sympathy Card have been in my stash for a while and include:

• Paper: Natural, Fresh Fig, Pistachio Pudding and Crisp Cantaloupe cardstock by Stampin' Up! with text patterned paper by Prima Marketing Madeline Collection (2011).
• Stamps: Visual Artistry by Tim Holtz, With Sympathy by Hero Arts, Bitty Butterfly and sentiment stamp both retired by Stampin' Up!.
• Inks: Fresh Fig and Crisp Cantaloupe by Stampin' Up!.
• Other Stuff: Big Shot, retired Framed Tulips embossing folder by Stampin' Up!, Cuttlebug Flourish embossing border, oval punch, scalloped oval punch and butterfly punch all by Stampin' Up!, along with three small pearls by Recollections. 

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Speedy Recovery Card

Hello! I have a quick post to share this simple Speedy Recovery Card. The rainbow colors are bright and cheerful and could be used for a male or female recipient. Right now I don't know anyone who needs this card, so I'm adding it to my stash for future use.

Supplies used:

• Paper: White and black cardstock and Really Rainbow petite paper pad by Lawn Fawn.
• Stamps: On The Mend by Lawn Fawn.
• Inks & Coloring: Memento black ink and Copic markers.
• Other Stuff: Big Shot and coordinating lawn cuts. 

Challenges entered:

• C.R.A.F.T.: Get Well Soon
• Cute Card Thursday: Anything Goes
• Addicted to Stamps: Anything Goes
• Pause Dream Enjoy: Color It
• Tuesday Throwdown: Rainbow Colors

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Blue and Red Birthday Card

Hello! Today was my first day off since last Thursday and I definitely needed the break. It's been awhile since I've stood for long periods of time working in retail. Hopefully I'll get used to it again soon. It has been nice getting out of the house and visiting with other humans for a change.

My goal today was to make a card for my Mother's birthday and this Blue and Red Birthday Card is what I made for her. Blue is her favorite color and this red flower has been sitting on my craft desk just waiting to be used. The patterned papers are from the Americana paper pad by Pebbles (2013). I love how the little flowers have red centers, it really helped to tie everything together. To finish the card I added some twine and a butterfly charm. The finished size is 4.50" x 6.25". Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day.

This Blue and Red Birthday Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Watercolor Wednesday: Anything Goes
• Pattie's Creations: Birthdays
• Crafty Gals Corner: Anything Goes
• Craftaholics R Us: Anything Goes
• Retarte: Anything Goes

Golden Anniversary Card

In the times we live in making a marriage last fifty years is an amazing milestone. My Uncle and Aunt are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary this weekend, so I made them this Golden Anniversary Card.

To make this card I used the following supplies: Pearl card base by Recollections, gold foil paper by The Paper Studio, Label dies by Spellbinders, Number of Years stamp set by Stampin' Up!, Large Numbers framelits by Stampin' Up!, Versamark stamp pad, gold embossing powder by Recollections, heat gun, retired Petite Petals stamps set and coordinating punch by Stampin' Up! and patterned pumpkins thinlits.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

This Golden Anniversary Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Word Art Wednesday: Anything Goes
• Challenge Up Your Life: Die Cuts
• The Sisterhood of Crafters: Let the Sparkle Fly!
• Stamps & Fun = Creativity: Special Occasion

Coral Butterfly Sympathy Card

Hello! I'm feeling much better after my surgery almost two weeks ago. It's easier to sit now and I've been crafting at my computer desk on the pull out keyboard area. Honestly, I really like crafting at this lower level. I can see things better and it hasn't hurt my back. It would be nice if the surface area was larger, but it does force me to clean up when I'm done. Anyway... onto my Coral Butterfly Sympathy Card.

The challenge at SU! Only is to use Butterflies or Dragonflies and I like them both but decided to use the Watercolor Wings stamp set to make a sympathy card. All supplies used on this card are by Stampin' Up!, with the exception of the sentiment, sequins and Tip Top Taupe ink everything else is currently available. Supplies used include: Whisper White, Old Olive and Calypso Coral Cardstock, Petal Garden paper stack, Watercolor Wings stamp set, Calypso Coral and Tip Top Taupe ink, Flourish thinlits, Big Shot, sentiment from retired Simply Sketched stamp set and Fancy Frost sequins. That's it! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Challenges entered:

• SU! Only: Butterflies or Dragonflies
• RETARTE: Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments: Anything Goes 

You're Just Lovely Card

When the new Stampin' Up! catalog launched I wasn't sure what I wanted to buy first. It would be nice just to buy everything on my list at once, but I do want to stay married (or at least today I do). So, I place smaller orders here and there throughout the year. My last order included the Oh So Eclectic bundle and Naturally Eclectic dsp. The colors in the dsp really won me over and I like the versatility of the thinlit die set. This You're Just Lovely Card is my first attempt using the set and I'm pretty happy with the way it came out. The card is a little larger 4.50" x 6.25" (A6 size). Ink colors include: Emerald Envy, Lemon Lime Twist, Peach Peakaboo, Berry Burst and Night of Navy. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!


Challenges entered include: SU-Only (New Fun from Stampin' Up!), Mod Squad (Layered Florals) and Word Art Wednesday (Anything Goes). 

Handmade Wedding Card

Happy Friday! Today is the start of a new monthly challenge at Simply Create Too and the theme is Wedding. This is the first Handmade Wedding Card I've ever made! I've made several anniversary cards but until now I didn't have a reason to make a Wedding Card. I hope you will join the challenge this month! Click here for the design team inspiration and challenge details.

This Wedding Card was made for a cousin who is getting married in October. I obtained her wedding colors and based my color selections from the image I received. Almost all the supplies on the card are by Stampin' Up!. Current supplies include: Peekaboo Peach and Whisper White cardstock, flowers die cut from random scraps, Big Shot, Bloomin' Heart Thinlit, Marriage sentiment from Flourishing Phrases stamp set, Berry Burst Stampin' Pad, Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Brush and Basic Pearls. The embossing folder is retired. For some extra sparkle I used white fine glitter by Martha Stewart and added it to the heart area. It doesn't show up in the photo but it adds a nice detail in person. That's it!

This card is linked to the following challenges:

• Moving Along With The Times: Wedding, Anniversary or Engagement
• Everybody-Art-Challenge: Lace or Pearls
• Watercooler Wednesday: Fiona's Feminine Anything Goes

Inspiration photo:

40th Anniversary Card

Hello! My neighbor and her hubby recently celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary, so I made them this card. I looked up the color that represents the 40th Anniversary and it's Ruby Red. The Stampin' Up! color used is Cherry Cobbler with retired Tip Top Taupe. The layout on this card evolved as I played with the pieces. My original idea didn't work with the size of the flowers, so I tried a smaller flower and didn't like it, so I just moved everything around until I was content with the way it looked.

Supplies used include*:

• Paper: Whisper White and Cherry Cobbler cardstock along with retired 2015-2017 Designer Series Paper.
• Stamps: Number of Years and retired hostess Morning Meadow stamp sets.
• Ink: Cherry Cobbler and Tip Top Taupe Classic Stampin' Pads.
• Other Stuff: Big Shot, Large Number Thinlits, Pansy Punch, retired Bird Builder punch (leaves) and stitched circle die by My Favorite Things. 

*All supplies by Stampin' Up! unless noted.

This 40th Anniversary Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Just Add Ink: Anniversary
• Addicted to Stamps: Flowers
• A Gem of A Challenge: Wedding or Anniversary 
• Brown Sugar: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Special Day Dragonfly Card

Hello and happy March 1st! It's time to break away from those red and pink colors and go for some green. I was glad to see a few green challenges already started. This card is entered into the SU-Only Challenge and Crafty Cardmakers Challenge to use green.

All supplies used for this Special Day Dragonfly Card are from Stampin' Up!. I love all shades of green, so it was hard to pick. The patterned paper from the Blooms & Bliss DSP was the inspiration to use Mint Macaroon. All stamps and dragonfly die cut are from the Dragonfly Dreams stamp set and Detailed Dragonfly Thinlit Dies (bundle #144728). The layout is simple and one I've made before using different colors, you can see it HERE. It's fun to make similar cards in different colors to see the difference color makes. To finish the card three retired Pistachio Pudding sequins were adhered for a little sparkle. That's it! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Fall Butterfly Card

Hello! This week when I saw the color challenge at Create with Connie and Mary it was obvious I had to play along. The design team inspiration is outstanding and the colors immediately intrigued me. Create with Connie and Mary is a Stampin' Up! only challenge, so all supplies on this Fall Butterfly Card are from Stampin' Up!. Everything except the patterned paper (retired Venetian Romance) is current and include: Watercolor Wings stamp set, Love & Affection stamp set (sentiment), Flourish Thinlits, gold sequins, Soft Suede & Delightful Dijon ink, Emerald Envy, Delightful Dijon and Very Vanilla cardstock.

To create this card I knew I wanted to make a Fall Butterfly using Delightful Dijon and Soft Suede. The biggest issue was the card layout. After searching through a few sketches, I decided to use one of my previous layouts in a new way, click here for previous card. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

This Fall Butterfly Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Create with Connie and Mary: Color, CCMC424
• Creative Knockouts: Winged Wonders
• Crafty Gals Corner: Freestyle!
• Jo's Scrap Shack: Anything Goes

Vintage Leaves Sympathy Card

Today marks fifteen years since the attacks on 9/11 and eighteen years since my grandfather passed away. Although time has passed the heartache is still real for those who lost loved ones. In remembrance of this day I made this Vintage Leaves Sympathy Card.

To make this card I used the sketch from Create with Connie and Mary, CCMC423. All supplies for this card are by Stampin' Up! and at this time they are all still available. Here is the supply list:

• Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake and Pool Party cardstock, along with the Serene Scenery designer series paper stack.
• Stamps: Vintage Leaves and Flourishing Phrases.
• Inks & Coloring: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, VersaMark and Copper embossing powder.
• Other Stuff: Big Shot, Brick Wall embossing folder, Flourish Thinlits, Heat Gun, Linen Thread and dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

This card is entered into the following challenges:

• Create with Connie and Mary: Sketch
• Addicted to Stamps: Trees/Branches and/or Leaves
• Brown Sugar: Anything Goes

Best Birds Thoughts for You Card

If you asked me what my favorite stamp set is from the current Stampin' Up! catalog, I would tell you it's Best Birds. I truly adore this set mostly because I adore birds but also because there are so many uses for this set. It comes with some great sentiments and can be used for many different occasions. Have I convinced you of how much I love the Best Birds stamp set yet?

To create this card I combined three challenges and they include:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: Sketch #364
• Paper Craft Crew: Designer Series Paper
• Cards in Envy: Wings

All supplies on this Best Birds Thoughts for You Card are by Stampin' Up! with the exception of Copic markers used to color the bird and branch. Some supplies are new and some are retired and here is the list:

• Paper: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Pacific Point and Basic Black cardstock, along with the retired Pretty Petals designer series paper.
• Stamps: Best Birds
• Inks & Coloring: Memento black and Classic Stampin' pad in Mint Macaroon. Retired Calypso Coral Blendabilities markers and Copic markers: W1, W3, W5, E31, E50, E57, G99, Y23, YG61 and YR21.
• Other Stuff: Big Shot, Birds & Blooms Thinlit dies, decorative edgelit die and Stampin' dimensionals.  

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Floral Thoughts of You Card

There are so many wonderful framelit dies available and I love using them. Although, I need to find a good organizational strategy to keep them put away. Right now I'm keeping them in their original packaging and they are placed in a drawer. If you have any tips you would like to share I'm open to suggestions.

To create this Floral Thoughts of You Card I combined the color challenge at Create with Connie and Mary with the Delightful Dies challenge at SU-Only. The colors include: Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry and Mint Macaroon. If you've followed my blog for awhile, you may know that greens and purples are my favorite colors. So, when I saw the challenge to use these colors I knew I had to play along.

The layout for this card started by casing another one of my cards using the Falling Flowers stamp set (click here to view) but then I was playing around and the focal panel was tilted and I went with it. The only thing I would change would be leaving off the Dazzling Diamonds in the flower centers. It's getting goopy and didn't turn as pretty as I had envisioned. The list of Stampin' Up! supplies are below and thanks for stopping by!

Floral Thoughts of You Card Supplies:

• Paper: Whisper White, Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry and Mint Macaroon cardstock, along with Blooms & Bliss designer series paper.
• Stamps: Timeless Textures, Falling Flowers and Watercolor Wishes.
• Inks: Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry and Mint Macaroon.
• Other Stuff: Big Shot, May Flower Framelit Dies, Dazzling Diamonds and Stampin' dimensionals. 

Mother's Day Card with Flowers

Hello and happy Thursday! This morning I created this Mother's Day Card with Flowers to play along in the following challenges:

• Color Throwdown: Colors
• Crafty Gals Corner: Die Cuts or Punches
• Aud Sentiments: Anything Goes

Most of the supplies on this card have been retired and in my stash for at least couple of years, maybe more, with the exception of the new Happy Mother's Day die cut by Impression Obsession. It's a lot of fun to buy new supplies but I have many favorites that I still love to use. The flowers on this card are from the retired Secret Garden stamp set by Stampin' Up! and they were stamped with Daffodil Delight and Crushed Curry inks. My go to leaf die is the retired little leaves Sizzlits die and I've used retired designer series paper in Night of Navy. The oval stitched die is from Avery Elle and that's about it. I want to thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!

Cupid Valentine's Card

Hello and happy Friday! I've been making Valentine's Day cards and wanted to share with you my latest creation. This Cupid Valentine's Card was made using the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches. I've used some new supplies and old supplies to create this card. The new items include the patterned paper by Kaisercraft from their XO Collection and the Cupid die cut by Impression Obsession. The older supplies include the sentiment by TPC Studios, Watermelon Wonder, Crisp Cantaloupe and Soft Sky cardstock and Watermelon Wonder ink by Stampin' Up!. I used my Cricut machine to cut out the focal shape using the Storybook cartridge. That's it!

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

This card is entered into the following challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: Sketch
• Fun Cuts: "H" is for Heart
• The Sisterhood of Crafters: Something Old, Something New
• Crafting With an Attitude: Anything Goes

Sympathy Card with Enamel Cross

Hello and thanks for stopping by my blog today! I would like to share my latest handmade card, it's a Sympathy Card with Enamel Cross. It's been awhile since I've made a sympathy card, but unfortunately this week I need one. I had a couple of sympathy cards in my stash but they weren't what I wanted for this recipient, so I made something more appropriate.

The  retired Trefoil Cross was stamped with Blackberry Bliss ink, fussy-cut and then was heat embossed using Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel by Ranger. I used a new to me stamp set for the flowers called Watercolor Flowers by My Favorite Things. The ink colors used include: So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Hello Honey, Wisteria Wonder, Rich Razzleberry, Blissful Blackberry, Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive all by Stampin' Up!. Once the flowers were stamped I used the coordinating die set with my Big Shot. I adhered everything onto a white swirl embossed background that was created using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. That last detail was adding the stamped butterfly from the Papillon Potpourri stamp set by Stampin' Up! I decided to leave a sentiment off the front and stamped the inside with a sympathy message.

Many find making sympathy cards difficult, but if you create something from the heart you can never go wrong.

This Sympathy Card with Enamel Cross is entered into the following challenges:

• Allsorts: Roses
• Crafty Cardmakers: No Patterned Papers
• Crafting with Dragonflies: Make it Floral
• Get Creative: No Printed Papers

Die Cut Thanks Card

Last September I was a guest designer at Cardz 4 Guyz and then joined their team. I have really enjoyed my time as part of the team but today is my last post as a designer at Cardz 4 Guyz. I have the honor of being hostess for my last challenge and the theme is a color challenge to use Brown and Orange. I would love for you to join us to celebrate my last challenge!!!

To create this Die Cut Thanks Card I used a Spellbinders die called Glass Effects with Early Espresso cardstock. The fun background was made using watercolor paper and alcohol inks. First I cut the watercolor paper to the desired size. Then using a spray bottle I coated the paper liberally with water and then randomly dropped Sunset Orange Adirondack ink by Tim Holtz. The process was repeated as needed. I let the inked panel dry thoroughly before adhering the die cut panel. For the sentiment strip I matted a piece of Whisper White cardstock onto a slightly larger Tangelo Twist cardstock and adhered the die cut Thanks sentiment by Stampin' Up! to the center. To finish the card I added three dot pastel stickers by EK Success/Sticko. I think it turned out pretty cool and I hope you agree.

Don't forget to CLICK HERE to view the wonderful inspiration from the team. We would love to see your card in the gallery this week. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!