Next Birthday Card.....

I had to do another manly birthday card and I always have such a hard time with these.  I was rummaging through a notebook of stamps and came across these Tim Holtz stamps and decided to use these.  I have no idea what the name of this set is, but I decided to use it anyway.  I used distress Inks to color watercolor paper and then stamped the truck with embossing ink and used black embossing powder to heat emboss.  I love the way it turned out.  Then I stamped the other parts with Memento black ink.  I roughed up the edges and used distress inks on the edges.  The piece is then mounted onto a piece of red cardstock and then put onto the card.  The inside was stamped with a birthday wish and it's a done deal!

I will have repair men in the house today, so this has to be a short post.  I'm sure I will need a nap this afternoon once everything is finished.  I plan to find myself a quiet corner and "Breathe".  You do the same!

Heartfelt Creations Wednesday

Good morning everyone!  It is Wednesday and time once again to share a card I have made for Heartfelt Creations.  The Heartfelt Creations stanp set I used is HCPC 3398 Bella Rose Wedding PreCut Set.  I just love this bell and I could just see it done on parchment paper.  I stamped in white craft ink and let it dry and then I embossed the design.  It has been a long time since I have done very much of this but I just love the look I achieved for this stamp.  You can go to the Heartfelt Creations Blog to get the specifics on my card, as well as see what the other design team members did this week.  These sets have sparked the romantic in all of us and there are some lovely creations being made!

Well, that is about it for me today.  Have a great day and no matter what you are doing take a moment and "Breathe".

Sorry to say.....

Good morning ladies...it is definitely Monday morning in my house!  Sadly I have no card to share with you today.  Things have been buzzing around here and I'm just trying to get my feet planted again.  Nothing earth shattering, just a lot of life in my way again.  I have been working on some creations for the design team I'm on and I won't be able to share those for a few more days so stay tuned.  I've also been working on a new way to store my dies and I have to tell you....it is shocking just how many I do have.  You go along and you buy one here and one there and suddenly you have a whole drawer full and they are getting stacked one on top of another.  Most of mine are in Jewell cases and some just won't fit so I was trying to find the DVD cases and they are scarce around  here.  Anyway I'm still working on getting everything organized. 

I spent some quality time in Hobby Lobby over the weekend and found some bargains on a closeout sale and I will share those with you later.  I found a  box to alter in a cream color and it has a scratch on the top...well, I'll just cover that with a flower or a leaf while I'm altering it and it will make a gorgeous Christmas present. 

On a good note, my grandson is coming to spend tonight and tomorrow with me and maybe longer.  He gets to come so seldom that we always look forward to having him.  He is 13 going on 43 and such a good kid!   Then Wednesday, we will go to take my daughter for her final injection into her disc and pray that this will work.  She is much improved and doing pretty well; so we are praying she continues to improve.

Well that is about it for me this morning....not one picture and I do apologize for that.  Be sure to check back on Wednesday morning for the Heartfelt Creations Wednesday post...the girls have some gorgeous creations to share!

Have a great day and remember to "Breathe".  That is what I'm going to do right now!  I'm going after my second cup of coffee and have a look at some blogs!!

Birthday Card for Grandson....

We have some birthdays coming up in our family.  My husband's Grandson (feels like mine) is having a birthday in July.  I wanted to get a head start because there are two others coming up too.  The boy is ALL boy and loves sports and hunting and likes nothing frilly on a card!!  This was difficult for me, as I wanted to add a ribbon and bow and some buttons; but I held back.  This will suite him to a Tee!  Every time he opens one of my cards...he will look at it and then ask..."You did this?".  He loves to get them...especially if there is money or a gift card in it!  He will be 12 in July  and I thought this image would be perfect for him!  I used the step card design and kept the inside plain white so we could write a message to him on his birthday!

As you can see, I did add a little swirly tag from Spellbinders...I couldn't help myself!  Also I colored the image with Distress Inks.  I just need a little practice again!

Well, I have floors to mop and dirty laundry waiting so I need to get a wiggle on!  Have a great day and remember to take a moment just for you and "Breathe"!

My Shoe.....

Before we begin, let me just say, I'm not a maker of shoes...it is just not my thing, but when one of the design team members suggested a blog hop, I thought it would be fun to try again.  I didn't get to be a part of the blog hop yesterday because I had to be away with my daughter and for some reason, I felt I needed to be here to do it.  I'm getting a little more daring with scheduling my posts ahead of time and now realize I could have managed.  That is water under the bridge.  Did you get to hop along and see all the wonderful creations?   Anyway, here it is...a day late and a dollar short, as my Mom would say!

I used a shoe template and gussied it up a little to my own taste and I think it turned out pretty well.  I tucked some of my favorite things down inside and made it a little gift.  I used HCPC 3376 Distressed Leaves PreCut Set and HCPC 3320 Vintage Word Background PreCut Set...the both are Heartfelt Creations and can be purchased at the link I provided. 

Just a note...my daughter got her second injection into her herniated disk yesterday.  We are looking for a miracle...I know one is out there!  She has improved, but then lost some ground.  We are hoping this one will do the trick, as the injections are supposed to build on themselves.  She was ready to go home and lay down...the procedure was a little harder on her this time.  I'm anxious to hear how she is feeling this morning.

That's about it for me this morning.  I'm off to blog hop a little this morning and then on to my daily routine.  Have a wonderful day and remember to "Breathe"!

Another Heartfelt Creations Wednesday....

Good morning everyone!  I'm going to try and set this post to go live on a schedule as I will be away this morning...So if you are seeing this, I did it!  I have tried this a couple of times before and a couple of times It messed up, so we will cautiously do the settings and hopefully everything will be wonderful.

This morning I'm sharing another card that I did for Heartfelt Creations.  The stamp I used is from HCPC 3402 Bella Rose Heart PreCut Set and can be purchased at the link above.

You can visit the Heartfelt Creations Blog  for all the instructions for this card.  I love this sentiment and hopefully, I did a pretty good job showcasing it!  I just love the white on white look and hope you enjoy this as much as I do.  Some of the girls are doing a blog hop this morning, but since I have to be away, I decided I wouldn't chance doing a scheduled post for that, just in case.....So I will be back tomorrow and share my creation.  You can get all the specifics about the Blog Hop at the Blog link above and try and visit all the participants; there will be some beauty shared along the way.....I promise!  So get your hopping shoes on and go visit the Heartfelt Creations Blog and get started!

Hopefully, as you read this, I will be on my way to take my daughter for another steroid injection into a herniated disk.  She was doing so well with the first shot, but had a set back so we are hoping the second one will make her so much better.  She can have three in this series and then she would have to wait for several months before she could do it again.  If this doesn't work, we will more than likely be facing surgery.  Keep her in your prayers!

OK, that is it for me this morning.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that this works!

Have a great day and remember to take a little time and "Breathe"!

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? 107

Hello Everyone!!!  I've been AWOL for several weeks, but I'm hoping I can get back in amongst you guys and become a participator once again!   Now if you are wondering why I'm showing you a picture of my work desk instead of some little creation you need to go to Julia's Blog and you can see what this is all about.  Every Wednesday we post a picture of what we have going on and then link it to Miss Julia's Blog and then go and visit as many people as you can!  I just love looking in on other people and seeing what they have going on. 

As you can see there isn't much happening here ...it's pretty clean.  Just a few remnants of a birthday card I needed to get finished and my cell phone and a punch.  Kinda uncomplicated actually!  I made a trip to the Dollar Tree Store and found this box and I'm going to alter it.....maybe next week!  Well that is about it for this old broad this morning.  I'm off to take a look around at some of the other blogs!

Have a wonderful day!

Teal Flower...All the best..

Good morning everyone!  It's me again...can you believe it, two days in a row!  I think I'm on a roll these last few days.  I've been doing quite a bit of crafting and loving every minute of it!

I just want to share a card I made using HCPC 3399 Wedding Dove PreCut Set from Heartfelt Creations.heartfeltcreations.us.  These stamps from the new release are just so beautiful and I love the sentiments so much.  I made the flower using Spellbinders Dahlia Die and the embossing folder is from the Thank You Set from Sizzix.  The little butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch and of course I shimmered everything so it would shine.  I'm a shimmer kind of girl!

Well that is about it for me this morning.  I hope you have a great day and do something wonderful...!  And no matter where you are or what you are doing..... remember to Breathe!

A New Card To Share.....

Good morning my friends!  I hope you are ready to start a new week.  Father's Day has been celebrated in our household over the weekend and life is good. 

I always have a difficult time doing sympathy cards and therefore I never have any on hand so I thought I would take this opportunity and do one to put back in my stash for when it is needed.  The card is made with watercolor paper as it is sturdy and I love the way it embosses and takes ink if you want to do that.  My card today is sort of clean and simple.  I used a Cuttlebug Folder, "Gracie's Frame" and then cut out an oval in the center of the frame.  I stamped my sentiment through the oval.  The sentiment I used is from a set of stamps from Heartfelt Creations.....HCPC 3377 Sympathy Sentiment PreCut Set.   I made a flower using the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die and some scraps of designer paper;  and the leaves are a Spellbinders Die (Foliage).  I sprayed different and various shimmer sprays to get the look I wanted to achieve, and manipulated the paper to have curls in it and hopefully make it look life like. 

I think the card has a classy feel to it and will work well when needed.  The flower is quite dimensional and may pose a problem for mailing but I envision a mailing envelope with padding to protect it.

Well that is about it for me today.  I have lots of Suzi Homemaker chores to do but will be back soon with another card I made featuring another flower.  I'm going to try and pre-set this to post on it's own...if I can get that down pat, then I can post on Wednesday while I'm gone with my daughter.  If you are reading this...it worked.

Have a wonderful day and remember to "Breathe"!

The weekend is here....

Good morning friends!  Another weekend has rolled around and I hope you have some wonderful plans for this one.  You know tomorrow is Father's Day so plan to spend a little time with yours.

This morning I'm sharing another  Heartfelt Creations card with you.  I used HCPC 3398 Bella Rose Wedding PreCut Set and HCPC 3404 Wedding Sentiment PreCut Set; and of course Spellbinders dies and Distress Inks for coloring.  You know me, I just love those dies and inks! 

It doesn't show very well, but the rings have glitter glue (homemade) as well as the oval with the sentiment on it.  Just mix any clear glue and your favorite glitter, put it in a jar with a screw lid, and you have it when you need a little shine.  I think it looks so classy!  Plus I don't have to wear the glitter on my face for three days when I use it this way!

Well I'm about to be caught up from being away from home on Wednesday.  You know it takes us old folks a few days to re-coup.  My daughter seems to be improving and we are hoping another spinal injection will do the trick for her herniated disk.  So I will probably be missing in action again this coming Wednesday, if the doctors hold true with their schedule.  This coming trip for me should not be so stressful as I know where I'm going and the driving won't be so hectic. 

That's about it for me this morning.  I hope you have a great weekend and wherever you are, whatever you are doing.....take a moment and "Breathe".  I know I will!

Sorry I missed you yesterday!

Good morning everyone...looks like I'm a day late and a dollar short this week.  I totally missed the Wednesday post for Heartfelt Creations and I will try and make it up to you.   I'm afraid that I will miss a couple more as my daughter is having a series of injections for a herniated disk and I will be going along to be with her and get her back home.   This morning I'm sharing another Heartfelt Creations card I made.  This new Wedding collection is just amazing and the Heartfelt Creations products I used are:  HCPC 3401 Bella Rose Scroll PreCut Set

For my card I cut a piece of watercolor paper size 6” X 12” and score at 6”. This is your card base. Set aside. Cut a piece of pattern paper 5 3/4” square and tape your lace and ribbon along the middle. Glue to card base. Cut 4 corners using the Parisian Accents and glue to the corners. Next use a piece of white card stock and stamp your image using embossing ink. Heat emboss with silver embossing powder. Stamp your sentiment onto the image in London Fog ink and color the flower and leaves. Add the half pearl and cut out image using scissors and being careful not to cut into the embossing. Use 3D-Zots to attach over the lace and ribbon. Tie a bow and adhere to the card and you are finished. 6x6

Well ladies, I'm off for my second cup of coffee and then I just might feel like starting my day...  Remember to take a little time for  yourself and "Breathe".

I Just Love Rosebuds.....

Good morning everyone!  I hope you have wonderful plans for the weekend.  I plan to play in my craft room; maybe make some flowers or a butterfly or two.  Some days I just like to experiment with different products to see how they react with different papers or card stock and if they work the way I think they should.

This morning I want to share another card I did for Heartfelt Creations.  I used the HCPC 3400 Rosebud PreCut set and HCD 713 Lace border Die; you can find these items  here:  Heartfelt Creations  I just love this die.  It has so many possibilities and it is just gorgeous used on a card..there is so much detail.  Heartfelt Creations has partnered with Spellbinders and you all know how I feel about Spellbinders...so I couldn't go wrong with this one!

I stamped my image onto watercolor paper and colored with Distress Inks and then cut out using the Nested Hearts dies. Cut a piece of blue card stock 6” X 6” and attach to the base card. I then cut out two of the Wedding Collection Dies and glued them to the card being careful to match holes in the die cuts and overlapping a little. Next I used Scor-Tape to attach the heart to the card. I used a Copic Marker to color my white ribbon to match the blue card stock and attached the bow to the heart using Scor-tape. On the inside of the card I used a small piece of the blue cardstock along the edge of the card and then cut out a medallion from the Parisian Accents. Cut the medallion in half and set aside. I then stamped the sentiment onto a piece of watercolor paper and cut out using a circle die. This circle is then taped to the medallion pieces making the medallion look like it was big enough to work with my circle. I glued a piece of the blue ribbon to the back of the medallion and used tape to attach the whole thing to the inside of the card.

Well this is about it for me today.  I'm off to get a second cup of coffee and see what the rest of my buddies are doin this morning.  Have a great weekend and remember, no matter where you are or what you are doing....take a little time and "Breathe"...



I'm going into DT's!!

Lately I have been so busy doing other things, summer chores, daily chores, weekly chores,...you get the picture; that I have totally neglected doing the one thing I truly love.  I truly love coloring Magnolia stamps with my distress re-inkers!!  This little Maggie was sent to me by a very dear friend, Patty.  She was all stamped and ready to go so I just had to color it in and share it with you!

I used Spellbinders dies to cut out the image and as some of the layers.  The flowers and leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts and I just love them.  Ahhh, now I feel a little better.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed doing it!  I must remember to take a small amount of time and do the things I love the most!  I'm always telling you to "Breathe", maybe I need to practice what I preach more!

Supplies:
watercolor paper, blue card stock, designer paper, Spellbinders (Parisian Accents, Parisian Motifs, Standard Circles Small) Wild Orchid Crafts flowers and leaves, stickles, distress inks, score-tape.

Heartfelt Wedding Collection Release!

Well ladies another month has rolled around, can you believe it is already June?  It has been hotter than blue blazes here...I can't wait to see what July has in store!  Since we are cruising right along into June it is time for another Heartfelt Creations Release and I must say the girls have outdone themselves this time. 

The Heartfelt Wedding Collection features 7 new PreCut Sets and a new exclusive Heartfelt Creations die, manufactured by Spellbinders. With this collection, you will achieve lovely cards for all the weddings you are attending this summer. You are not limited to just wedding, you can create sweetheart, friend, and all occasion cards, especially with the new vintage lace die and stamp in this collection, the sky's the limit! We are delighted that some of the images in this collection coordinate with the recently released Bella Rose Die, adding even more value to a die you might own already. Leave a comment on my blog or the Heartfelt Creations blog byJune 14 and one lucky person will win the entire release valued at $129.99. The winner will be announced on the HC blog on June 15.

 I used HCPC 3399 Wedding Dove Precut Set to make my card and it is done on parchment craft paper.

I just love this release and you will too.  You can go to the Heartfelt Creations Blog and get the instructions for my card and while you are there check out what the other team members have done.  There are some gorgeous creations going on over there!

Well this is about it for  me today.  Have a wonderful Wednesday and remember to "Breathe"!

New Light Tent.....

My picture looks a little side wampus, but you have to remember who you are dealing with here!  Can I just say I love this little thing and those lamps are the bomb!  My first picture turned out perfect; no shadows anywhere to be found.  This is going to make my terrible picture taking look so much better.  Hopefully I can get them set up straight and that will help too.

I know I have been quiet for the past few days.  I've been working my you-know-what off!  I had to set up my light tent and while I was at it, I cleaned my craft room again.  I can sure make a mess when I get to crafting.  Wahaha!!!  I moved some things around to make room and of course I had to make twenty leven trips through the house and up and down to the basement...my feet and legs were screaming.  Today my shoulders have been bothering me.  We have moved deck furniture around and now I have a place to cook outdoors.  We have a grill, a smoker, a gas burner, a toaster oven, and an electric skillet.  Now there is no reason to heat up my kitchen.  These 90 degree temps are a killer! 

I've also been working on a project or two for CHA, I'm almost finished with that so things can get back to normal....well as normal as it usually is around here.  

That's about it for me, remember to check back on Wednesday for the Heartfelt Creations Wednesday Post!  And of course, take a moment and "Breathe".  Exactly what I'm going to do right now.  I'm going for a cool glass of tea and a sit down!

Happy Weekend.....

What do you know, I woke up this morning and it is the weekend!  Happy days!  This shouldn't mean so much to me, being that I no longer work outside the home, but I still love them just the same! 

Guess what!  My dear husband purchased a light tent for me to be able to take better photo's!!!  I've been struggling with getting enough light ,without going outside, to take a good picture.  Well we will see if this makes a difference for me.  I will take pictures when I get it situated and show you what we got!  I'm so excited and can't wait to begin using it!

This morning I want to share another card with you...

I made this card using Heartfelt Creations Stamps (HCPC 3391 Bold Bella Rose PreCut Set).  This stamp would also do well with the technique where you stamp on black with white craft ink and then use pencils to color the rose and petals....hmm , I should have thought of that before!

What do you have planned for the weekend?  I will just be hanging out in my craft room...my husband has to work today.  It is supposed to be hot, hot, hot again so I don't spend much time outside.  Yesterday I spent a little time trimming some small tree limbs the neighbor was letting grow up through our fence and I hauled it to the street for pick-up.  I was dripping by the time I finished.  So I came back inside & hit the shower again...how many showers a day is too many?

Well I'm off to get the day started.  Hope you have a wonderful creative day!  No matter what you are doing, take a moment and "Breathe"!

Very First Guest Designer for Joan's Gardens...

Good morning everyone!  Remember I told you yesterday that I had a suprise for you today?  Well here it is!  About a week ago Joan at Joan's Gardens and Selma (Joan's Designer) contacted me and asked if I would do a tutorial for them to kick off Joan's Guest Designer Summer Series.  I have never done a tutorial before and just the mention of the word was enough to put fear in my heart!  I thought about it and then said yes, because I feel we should never turn our back on an opportunity to grow.  So go get a fresh cup of coffee or tea or your beverage of choice and settle in because this is kind of lengthy.  I'm going to show you how I do the paper that I use as a background for my boxes and also the flowers.  The products I'm showcasing are Spellbinders Dies, Heartfelt Creations Stamps, and Ranger Distress Inks.  Joan carries all of these products in her shop so if you need something just email her or call and she will get you taken care of!

The first picture is the finished box and after that....we begin!


I started out with a cigar box that I glued little feet to the bottom and then I painted it white.  From this point on it is just a matter of deciding what you want to put on it and then start to decorate.  You might say it is a clean pallet!  The top of my box will have a home made paper that I think looks like leather when you are finished.  You start with a sheet of white copy paper...nothing special here...and then I start spraying and dabbing color all over the paper until I think it has enough.  There are no errors here; use any colors you like just be careful not to over do and muddy the colors.  I use Ranger Distress Inks because they are a water based ink and whatever I spray on it will run and blend the colors. 

I usually spray some kind of shimmer on after I get all the color on, or something I have made myself or just plain water.  You just want the colors to blend and cover the whole sheet and I love the shimmer sprays!

Now wad the paper up and scrunch it good and tight.  Use a heat gun to dry or let it air dry if you like...just be sure the paper is dry before you uncurl it or it will tear.

Next this gets glued to the top of your box using some kind of quick drying glue that dries clear.  Be sure to leave some of the wrinkles in so that it has plenty of texture.   Once it is good and dry trim the edges.  At this point I like to add some shimmer paint to give it just a little more shine.   I just use my fingers!



Next I start to work on the flowers.  I used Spellbinders Blossoms 3 Dies and cut out several sizes so I could have plenty of petals.  I used the three smallest dies in the pack so my flowers wouldn't be too large.  I usually use two petals of each size on each flower.  You can use whatever you like...add as many or as few as you like.  When it looks the way you want it to look, stop.

Next sponge on color; again I used Ranger Distressed Inks because they are water based.  I chose colors that would work well with the top of my box.  Usually I like to make my flowers just a little more vibrant than the paper, but make it to suite your own taste.  Mother Nature has a world of colors and shades out there in her flowers and I try to make mine look real if I can.  I always sponge a little on the back so if the petal curls you can see color instead of white paper.

Since I'm going to heat emboss these petals, I like to stamp them and emboss after they are cut out so that the embossing won't be hurt running it through a die cutting machine.    I just ink my stamp with embossing ink and then lay the cut out petal onto the stamp.  Then I emboss with whatever embossing powder I think will look good.  Today we are using gold. (Mental note:  Be sure and lay the petal face down on the stamp; that is the side that has the most color on it.)

Once I have all of the petals embossed I usually spray with some kind of shimmer spray and then add a little more color around the edges.  Then I cut between each petal almost to the center.

Now we are ready to start the fun part!  I just love actually making the flowers!  I use a cushy pad and an embossing tool.  Joan sells a wonderful kit for making flowers that would work so much better, but for today we will work with what we have.  I glue each layer, one layer at a time and push it down into the pad and it will pop up the petals.  Keep doing this until your flower has the look you love.  Sometimes I pinch each petal to crease it a little to add a little dimension.  You can curl the edges or do most anything you want...just be careful and mindful of your embossing.

Once the glue is dry you can fluff up and make them look fuller.  Here is what mine looked like finished.

 You can then glue these and some leaves and some pearls, etc. onto the top of your box.  You can use whatever your little heart desires.  Use as much or as little as you like.  I added a medallion with a sentiment stamped onto it for part of my top.  You can use something like this or nothing at all.  Let your imagination run wild...wade on in and get your feet wet.  Sitting on the bank in this hot weather is no fun!

Well, I have to tell you, this wasn't bad at all.  In fact I sort of liked doing the tutorial!  Just goes to show you, follow your heart, begin your Journey...you just never know where it will lead you.

Now is time for you to make your own creation...try these techniques I've just showed you and create something using them.  Then go to Joan's Weekly Challenge and link back to a picture of your project.  She is offering a prize for the winner.  You can get all the details on Joan's blog!  Just relax, take a deep breathe and follow your  heart!  You can do this....I just know it.  I'm so anxious to see what you make. 

Again, a HUGE thanks to Joan and Selma for thinking of me.  I love Joan's shop and try to purchase my new items from her whenever possible!  She does such a great job with her order handling and shipping and if she has to order something for you, she is always good to keep the communication going. 

If you have enjoyed this tutorial please leave me a comment...I love hearing from you!  Now go forth and enjoy your day and remember take a moment and "Breathe"!!

Heartfelt Creations Wednesday!

Since it is Wednesday again, it is time to share another card I did for Heartfelt Creations.  I used HCPC 3393 Tea With Bella PreCut Set and set it up with Spellbinders Parisian Accents and Parisian Motifs.  You can go to the Heartfelt Creations Blog and see what the other team members have created.  I have really loved working with this release and think all the images are just wonderful!

Well that is about it for me this morning...I have a ga-zillion chores to do.  I must be really slowing up in my old age...I don't know how I ever managed to work and do all these things that have to happen on a daily basis. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow, I have a little suprise for you!  So until then ...take a little time for yourself and remember to "Breathe".