Pretty in Pink.....

Good morning everyone!  I hope you are up and ready to go this morning.  It is Monday and we must all get back to the grind!  I want to share with you my latest card.  It really makes me think of Spring! My image is from Sarah Kay and I used distress inks to color it.  This is one of those cards that started with one idea and I just kept building on it until suddenly it spoke to me and said.....Hey lady.....I'm Done!  I like the look of this one and I am beginning to have fun with my coloring.  I still love the look I can achieve with these inks and may never get entirely away from this technique again.  Once again I have gravitated toward pink.  I hope you don't mind too much....it just seems to be my color of choice lately.  My little roses are Prima and the other three are homemade with Prima E-Line Petals.

Now I'm off for another cup of coffee and to visit other blogs.  I'm hoping to see many pictures from CHA.  Some of my blogger buddies were able to go this year and I'm hoping they took lots of pictures!

Supplies:
Watercolor Paper
Card Stock from my Stash
Sara Kay Stamp
Prima Flowers
MS Punch
Cuttlebug Folders
Doily from my stash
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
Ranger Distress Inks
Mega Punch from Punch a Bunch (Leaves)

January Thaw.....

As we are apparently in the midst of a January Thaw, my thoughts have turned to springtime and flowers and green grass, and butterflies...etc. etc.  You get the picture.  Our temps are ranging in the upper 50's and sunshine and I have to tell you I'm loving it.  But the news says more cold temps coming just around the corner.  So this morning I want to share my new card with you.  I made it for the Weekly Card Challenge #4 over at Joan's Gardens.  You can follow this link to check out all the information on this and maybe you might want to play along!  Joan's Gardens   This week Joan asked that we do the following:

1. Use Yellow and Green for your colors
2. a piece of trim
3. a frame to call attention to your focal point
4. embossing

I used the Daffodils from my Flourishes "A Year in Flowers" set and colored it with Copics.  This is the first time I have used my Copics in a long time and my skills are a little rusty, but I did enjoy doing this.  It really reminds me of Spring and sunshine!  I hope you enjoy this one....I have seen a Robin in our yard so I know Spring can't be far away....I hope she brought her Blizzard Bloomers as we have Arctic air coming!

Supplies:
Flourishes Stamps
Spellbinders Dies
Gina K Designs Card Stock
Copic Markers
Ribbon and Pearls from my Stash
Cuttlebug Folder



Tag Challenge....

Every week Joan's Gardens is hosting a tag challenge to help us make enough tags for us to use throughout the year.  You should go visit Joan's Gardens and have a look around.  She has a very active blog and shop where you can purchase many things that we crafty girls just can't live without!    I'm participating because my tag making skills are lacking and I just love them and I'm hoping I will learn something by checking out all the beautiful creations submitted each week.  Everyone has their own style and there is a lot of talent out there.  You can get the details on Joan's blog and maybe you will want to join in the fun!

My tag this week started out as a piece of glossy card stock and I just cut out a tag minus the hole in the top.  I dry embossed a corner emblem using a metal embossing template that sort of matches the Spellbinders Edge Die that I used.  After attaching the edge to the tag, I used Adirondack Acrylic Paint in Pearl with a bunched up piece of seran wrap and dabbed paint all over my tag and the decorative edge.  This takes a little while to dry....no heat gun please...so be patient.   Once it is dry I used Ranger Distress Inks in Lipstick Red, Vintage Photo, Bundled Sage and Broken China to add some color to everything.  Next came the ribbon along the edge and then I cut a doily in half and folded to add dimension and edged the doily and the decorative edge of the tag with gold leafing pen.  My image is a downloaded image printed onto watercolor paper and then distressed with the same colors I used on my tag. I embossed another piece of card stock with gold embossing powder to mount the image so it would sort of match the doily.    And last but not least came the homemade flower with gold stickles on the petals with some of the same ribbon peeking out of the edges.  This tag is not meant to hung, just hide it down in a gift bag with your gift and off you go!



Let's Switch Gears A Little......

As you know I have 4 Grandsons and they are each very dear to me. We have my daughter's son, her husband's two sons and my husband's daughter's son.  Sort of "Mine and Yours, Them and Their's"!!   So every now and then I need to make cards just for them.  They love getting mail especially if I tuck in a little Wal Mart money!  I doesn't take much ....just a little to tuck in their pockets so they can say they are not broke.  When my daughter's son, Spencer, was very small he would spend a lot of time visiting me.  One day I gave him a dollar and he said what is it for.  I said , it's Mad Money!  With this most serious face, he looked up at me with dollar in hand and said....."I not mad"!  So I said ...Wal Mart Money?  His little eyes gleamed.  Now he is almost 13 and it is still Wal Mart Money!  Funny how little things can mean so much!

I'm sorry, I got lost there for a minute!  We were talking about making cards for them!  Yeah....I do love doing that, but boy cards are a little difficult for me.  They are getting to be young men and the little cutsie cards just don't cut it anymore!  So even if they have a cute image, I have to do something sort of grown up on them.  Anyway....here is a card I made for a boy's birthday.  It's an easel card and I colored the image with Ranger Distress Inks.  I cut out the image and used a Spellbinders Oval die to mount him on.  The sentiment is done on Spellbinders Labels 10.  No lace, ribbon or bows for this little guy....just some stripped grown up paper and a few buttons for a pop of color.  Of course there will be birthday money tucked inside so all will be well!

WOYWW 86

Now before you say anything, this is my area when I first moved in back in the summer....Everything pretty neat and tidy and still very clean!  I spoke to you about my craft cabinet....did I tell you how very much I love this thing?  My husband had it built for me and it holds a world of STUFF!

Open the doors and this is what it hides!  My Mess!  Now I don't share these photos with just anybody.....so since I have shown you, I might just have to kill you!  When I see a picture like this, I always think of a saying my Grandmother always used....."Shabby but Neat".  She was referring to an apron with a patch on it, but she had starched and ironed it to perfection.  The moral of her story is no matter how little you have, keep it clean and neat.  I can close the doors on this cabinet and feel very neat!



This is my workdesk this morning.  I've been working on a birthday card for a boy.  Boys cards have always been a challenge for me.  You would think that having 4 Grandsons I would be very much into making their cards.  I love to send them cards, but they are still hard for me to make!

So there you have it....Just a little about my life, my journey, and my secrets.  Now if you want to become a part of this madness....just go here:  Stamping Ground   Take a little look around and link your own photos of what your workdesk looks like.  Don't be bashful, just jump in with both feet.  I just love to be nosey and look at all the pictures of what you have going on in your life!  We all have our own little messes and sharing is good for the soul!

My Box.....

Good morning!  I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!  I just wanted to pop in and share with you this little box I just finished.  Those of you who follow my blog know that I just love, boxes, flowers and butterflies!  So this little number will be just perfect for the Weekly Challenge #3 over at Joan's Gardens
Here are the rules for this week's challenge:

1.Make a box...any kind of box will work.....even an alter box (how about a box for your tags)
2. a flourish
3. a butterfly
4. Make a flower (alright...if you can't make one use one you have purchased)

My box is made from a template I purchased from PaperTrey Ink.  It is supposed to hold cards or stationery, or whatever you want.  This is my first attempt with the template and I've got to figure out how to keep those score lines from showing.  The box has a divider in the middle so you actually have two sections.  I really like the idea of this box and it is pretty simple to put together so I will probably be making more in the future.  My paper is from my Stash, I made the flower with Prima E-Line Flowers and edged the petals with Stampin-Up Not Quite Navy and Mint Melody (Oldies but Goodies).  Then I added Stickles to the edges, just because I love a little bling...  The Swirl and leaves are from Spellbinders Dies  and that cute little butterfly is cut out of some of my DP and edged in Not Quite Navy Ink.

Ok, I think I have covered all the bases for Joan's challenge.  You should go to Joan's site listed above and check out what all the excitement is about.  She has a wonderful shop there and carries many items and when you order, everything comes in pristine condition!  She is truly a class act!

This should about do it for me today.....and remember, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, just take a little time for you and breathe!

Tag #2

For some reason, I seem to be hung up on pink lately.  I never used to do anything in pink and now that is all I want to do.  I made this tag to enter in Joan's Gardens weekly tag challenge.  The idea is to make several tags that you might need for the year.  I'm always needing a tag for something and then I never take the time to make one, so this is just right down my alley!  If I get my ducks in a row, I might just have enough tags for the whole year.....well at least I would have a good start!   My tag is pretty simple really....I sponged Ranger Distress ink in Victorian Velvet then stamped and embossed my swirl with clear embossing powder, then I sponged Aged Mahogany over that.  I added an edge using a Martha Stewart Punch and then I made flowers to go on it using the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die, and Prima E-Line flowers.  I sponged them with Victorian Velvet Ink as well.  The tag is a Spellbinders Tag die cut in half and the sentiment is from Just For Fun Stamps.  I hope you enjoy!

Well it is Friday and the weekend is in sight!  Have a great day and remember to take time to breathe!

WOYWW 85

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday!  Well these Wednesday's are rolling around quickly and when I took this picture there is nothing on my desk but mess!  I'm in between finishing a project and still thinking about what I'm going to do next.  You'd think I'd just clean this up and put everything away.  There are stamp pads, a colored image, glue dots and some magnet sheets I just purchased from Hobby Lobby to use for storage of some of my Spellbinders Dies.    It is not that I have so very much going on here; it is just I'm quite lazy these last few days and really don't want to pick-up after myself.  How's that for honesty?  Well I'm going to show you my mess anyway!  Even though there is nothing much going on here! 

I have been totally enjoying these little peeks into everyone's craft areas!  It is so much fun to see what you all have going on.  I try to visit each blog and look around, even if I don't take time to leave a comment, trust me, I was there! If you would like to be a part of this madness, and it is madness, just go here and have a look about!  Stamping Ground    Quite frankly, I think Julia has created a monster!  But, Oh My Goodness, it is so much fun.  I'm totally addicted!  So thanks so much for welcoming me into your fold.....I'm  looking forward to being around for awhile!!

Valentine......

Good morning everyone!  Today I finally finished my card for Joan's Gardens #2 Weekly Challenge.  You can check out the details here:  joanscreations.blogspot.com .  Go check it out!  Since the new year, Joan has been doing some new things over on her blog....lots of excitement going on!  You still have time for this week's challenge and today begins a new Tag challenge.

Well I'm not very good when it comes to making Valentines...I find that I'm quite a bit challenged in this department, but Joan's Challenge just screamed Valentine to me.  Here is my card!

 
I tried to make my focal point (The Heart) look old, worn and spidery, but instead it just looks blotchy in the picture.  So be kind.....my photography skills are sadly lacking.   Below are the details for Joan's Challenge:
 
1. Use paper that has a stripe (if you don't have one, you can make one)
2. Use a button or some kind of embellishment
3. Use a Heart
4. Use a bow

I covered all the bases on this one and used up some things from my stash!  One of my goals this year is to use what I already have.  So..... Come join the fun!  I'd love to see what you create!

Supplies:
Card Stock and DP from my Stash
Spellbinders Dies
Cuttlebug Die (Corners)
Ribbon, Buttons, Pearls and Stamen from my Stash

A Promise Is A Promise.....

I promised to come back early this morning and share this little birthday card I made.....I'm getting a late start, but here I am!  I usually like to post way early but I sort of slept in this morning. (Not a bad thing!)

This little hAngler is stamped onto watercolor paper and colored with Ranger distress Inks.  I matted onto dark green card stock and the top piece of card stock has the center cut out using a Spellbinders Die and the embossing around the opening was done using a metal embossing template run through my Cuttlebug to emboss.  I used to do all this by hand, but now you can just run it through a machine and you have the same wonderful embossing in a fraction of the time!  Talk about a "Blast from my past!"  I found a whole case of these templates that I had tucked away for safe keeping.   I didn't use any fancy papers or ribbons or flowers or ANY fussy, fussy on this one.  I like clean and simple every now and then. 

If you like him, leave me a comment.....I love hearing from you!

Well I'm off to get another cup of coffee and run through some of the blogs I visit every day to see what you guys have going on.  Have a wonderful Monday and remember to take a little time each day just for you!

I'm Still Here......

Just a quick post to let you know that I am still here!  It has been kinda quiet here on the blog for a few days ....  I have been trying to finish a project  for a deadline.  It is one of those that I can't share just yet so please be patient.  I did however, finish a birthday card early this morning and I will be sharing that in the morning.   I have cleaned off my work desk and now I am looking around for what I'm going to do next!  I have several images stamped off and just waiting for me to pick up a brush so that will be first thing on my agenda.   I have some ideas rolling around in my brain and we will see what falls out in the next couple of days. 

Well, I'm off to watch some football.....thanks for being patient with me.  Be sure and come back tomorrow and I will show you the card I finished!

WOYWW

Well ladies, as you can see there is a little going on here on my work desk this week.  An image I'm in the process of coloring and some beginnings of flowers and vines that I will need for a project that is still forming in my head.  These flowers will be different shades of pink when I'm finished....I hope!  That is the plan.  When you think of this this isn't too bad for me, but I've begun the pushing back technique so I won't be showing that part of the desk!  Over to the right there are 4 bottles of Glimmer Mist and some Distress Re-Inkers and more Spellbinders Dies.  It seems I use them on every card or project I make.  Love them!

Well it's 23 degrees here in the Northern Part of the Tennessee Valley this morning and the wind is whipping!  I have no idea what the wind chill is, but it is definitely COLD!  We have had just an additional dusting of snow.....just enough to coat everything and make it slick again!  My big thing today will be to keep the fire going and sit close to it!  Hope you have a wonderful day and that you are warm and toasty where ever you are!  As always, take time to Breathe!

Bird Card.....

This week Joan's Gardens is hosting her first weekly challenge of the new year!  Why don't you go visit Joan's blog and play along!  This week Joan asked us to use the following elements on our cards or projects:

1. Use some kind of animal, bird or whatever
2. Use a floral background paper
3. Do something that takes you out of your comfort zone
4. Use some kind of Die

My bird is a hummer, I used a floral paper from my stash, the die is a Spellbinders square die and something out of my comfort zone is that I colored the hummer and flowers with Ranger Distress Inks.  As this is only the second time I've colored flowers this is definitely out of my comfort zone!  Please be kind!

So there you have it!  Have a great day!  Take a little time just for you.

Supplies:

Spellbinders Dies

Flourishes Stamps

Silk Ribbon from my Stash

Ranger Distress Inks

Watercolor Paper

Designer Paper from my Stash

Gina K. Designs Card Stock

Sakura Gelly Roll Pen with sparkle (Hummer)



Tag Challenge at Joan's Gardens.....

With the coming of the new year, Joan at Joan's Gardens promised some new things for us to participate in and she is standing true to her word!  From now until June of this year, each Tuesday we are challenged to create a tag to enter.  This will help us get a jump on tags that we will need throughout the coming year.  Hop on over to Joan's Gardens and check this out! Weekly winners will be voted for so please support me if you can!   I am not on top of my game with creating tags, so this will be a chance for me to learn some new things.  I love tags to go along with a little gift so I'm going to try and participate each and every week!  Why don't you join in....this could be a lot of fun!!

I do love pink and green and cream together.  So here we go.  My tag was covered with crumpled up tissue paper sprayed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and glued to the tag.  From there I just started adding elements.  The flower was made with Prima E Line Flowers (I just love making my own flowers!) The ornamental tag used to hold the sentiment is a Spellbinders Die purchased several years ago and I didn't know to mark them back then; so I have no idea what the name is.  I cut one end off so it would fit the tag.  All the rest of supplies will be listed below.  I hope you enjoy looking at this.  I have had so much fun making and isn't that what this is all about anyway.....So come on.....join in.....be creative....take the journey!

Supplies:
Basic Tag (from stash)
Spellbinders Die
Marianne Creatables Die (leaves)
Tissue Paper (from stash)
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (Vintage Pink, Honey Dew Mist, Latte)
Prima E Line Flowers
Flourishes (sentiment)
Seam Binding
Ranger Distressed Inks
Paper Doily (from stash)
Stick Pen (Home Made)
Flower Stamen (from stash)
Cuttlebug Corner Die

More Snow Pictures!

This is the way the snow looked first thing this morning.  Most of it came before 8pm last night and then some more around 2:30 am.  First thing it began to drop off the trees and the melting began.

It is such a pretty snow and the streets were not really involved.  It just hung on everything and looked beautiful...then as the sun began to peek through this is what it looked like out our front door:

 In the upper left hand corner of the picture you can see the sun reflecting off the tops of trees.  Just beautiful...then:



This is what I saw.  Just one little tree with the sun reflecting off it...all the rest were still in the shadow.  The red and white in the foreground is our flag in the front yard.  This was such an amazing sight, I just had to share it with you!  Isn't Nature a wonderful bag of tricks?

Hope you enjoy my little photo shoot.  We are supposed to have more snow tonight and in the morning and then again on Saturday or Sunday.  Whew.....was it me who said we get very little snow in East Tennessee?

Good Morning!

Well, I have been up for a long time.  Sometimes it doesn't matter what you take or how badly you need to sleep, it just doesn't happen.  Ok, one night out of 5 isn't too bad .....right?  I have been doing well these last few nights but last night was a bummer again.  I'm hoping this isn't going to be a trend for me.  Insomnia is not becoming to an old lady!  Deep wrinkles and puffy eyes are a fact of life, but no sleep just makes this worse and I have to tell you.....looking in the mirror can be hazardous to your health!  That old lady looking back at me from the mirror is not even my Mother!  So now that we have that little episode off our chest....I have my little angel finished and mounted onto a card and ready to share....

The image is a Magnolia stamp (Sitting Angel) and she has been stamped onto water color paper and colored with Ranger Distress Inks.  I really love how she turned out....I've been trying so hard to get the shading just right and this one actually looks the way I wanted her to look!  Check out those cheeks.....now I ask you.....aren't they just perfect?  I used chalk to do her cheeks.  In the past, every time I tried to do cheeks, I ruined the whole image.  I will definitely be doing more of the chalk from now on.  the flowers are some of the E-Line flowers from Prima I received in the mail a few days ago.  I just edged them with distress ink, sprayed with Glimmer Mist and pushed some stamen through the centers.  Then everything got just a splash of Crystal Stickles.  The branches are from a punch that I have.  They were Glimmer Misted with Honey Dew Mist and then some Stickles on them too. 

Oh, we got more snow yesterday evening...It looks about 1 1/2 inches maybe 2 and it is a heavy wet snow.  The next few days are supposed to be frigid again so a good excuse to keep a fire and color some more!  Maybe I can take some pictures to show later!  Have a wonderful day....it's Thursday and the weekend is in sight.....so keep your head down and keep plowing forward!

What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday

Today's post is for the What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday:  WOYWW    I found this blog through Sherry Cheever and thought it might a fun way to spend my Wednesday.  Stamping Ground  You should visit and look around.  You get to take a peek into other ladies stamping areas and see what they have going on!
Here is what I have going on at my work desk.  Some E flowers from Prima (I can't wait to play with them) and a Sitting Angel from Magnolia.  I'm taking lots of time to finish this little lady.  I want her to be extra special.  I have big plans for her.  I have been trying to perfect my water coloring techniques for some time now...I love the look of the Distress Inks used in this type of coloring...but my shading techniques leave lots of room to grow.  I have been experimenting with different brushes trying to achieve the look I want.  I am finally beginning to have a light bulb come on in my head now and then.  I discovered the secret is definitely in the brushes and learning which colors have more color saturation.  Those colors have to be used sparingly and you have to brush most of it off the brush before you apply to the stamped image, otherwise you have this blob of color that just will not budge!  Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain and Aged Mahogany are some of those colors.  I learned this the hard way, believe me.  So for this little lady, I'm taking lots of time ....trying to get her just the way I want her to be.  My next card will have her front and center.   See you then!

Looking Forward.......

It is now January 2, 2011...I still find this kind of hard to believe.  It seems like last year just flew by.  I'm hoping this year slows down just a tad.  I would like to savor it.  Now I have a new card to share with you.  It is to be for a birthday and I'm not really happy with it, but time is short, so I just had to stop fiddling with it and move on.  The stamp is from Flourishes  (Clematis and Butterflies)  It is one of their new releases.  It was one that I just couldn't live without so I splurged!  I colored with Distress Inks and that is where I went wrong...I'm not far enough along to do these flowers and make them look the way I want them to.  But, like I said before this is a rush job for a birthday.  I hope the receiver will be kind! 

What I used:
Flourishes Stamps
Websters Pages Paper
Gina K Designs Card Stock
Distress Inks
Copic Markers

Happy New Year.....2011

No, I did not make it to ring in the new year.  It's an old lady thing.....but just before we said good night, I looked at my husband and said....." 5---4---3---2---1---HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  We kissed and went to sleep.  It's OK.   Just because we sleep through it, doesn't mean it doesn't come just the same.  LOL. 

So..........as we step into this new year, my wish for you is this:  May you be healthy, happy and have the things you need and some of the things you want.  May you have time to be creative.  We all have that side of us that needs to be turned loose!  May you find joy in your life!  This past year I found joy!  Thinking back over the year, there were a lot of times I just thought...."OK Lord.....This is not funny!"  But you know what.....it really was.   We have had to make adjustments, like many of you out there.  I don't pretend to be any different.  But late in the year I realized I did find joy this year.  It was there all along, I just never had the time to realize it.  We get so caught up in all the buzz of life, we forget to breathe; and although I say this on my blog about every day.....I was not practicing what I preach! 

So for me there are no resolutions this year.....I only vow to Take Time to Breathe.  To enjoy the little things in our everyday lives and don't sweat the rest!  To stop long enough to look around and see what is going on around you.....Look inside yourself and see what is going on in there.  It just might amaze you!  Oh yeah.....And find your joy...whatever it is!