Happy Memorial Day!

I thought a thank you card would be most appropriate since today is the day that we honor and remember the service men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  Thank you!

I also felt the need for a little sunshine in my day.  The weather in Western Washington has been so depressing lately. We have had unseasonably cool weather with tons of rain, even for Washington folks.  It's not like I am a transplant, I have lived in Western Washington my entire life.  I can not ever recall so much rain. 


To make things even stranger, I am feeling a weird urge to clean????  What is up with that?  I think I will clean in my craft room and see if that gets a little mojo going for me!  Thanks for stopping by, I wish you a little sunshine on this holiday!

Details - Stamps: Bloom & Grow (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight; Ink: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Early Espresso; Accessories: 1/8" espresso taffeta ribbon, scor-tape, MAMBI rhinestones, brown sharpie, black sharpie, Sakura clear star gel pen, Floral circle die (Verve), scallop border punch.

Christmas in May?

Weird, I know!  But making Christmas cards in May, June, July, August and every month put me way ahead of the game last year.  I'm willing to do it again.  I reached pretty far back into my stamp collection for this one.  I resurrected Paint Prints to make this distressed looking Poinsettia.  I combined it with a more recent embossing folder and sentiment for May's Christmas card.  I used my Dandelion Sharpie again to get the gold-ish rhinestones I placed in my flower center.

It's a pretty generic sketch.  The hardest thing about this card was getting the embossing folder to lightly impress.  I had to move far off the regular sandwich for this light imprint.  I abandoned cutting plates and just used a couple of shims and a one of the black Big Shot accessories for die cuts.

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Paint Prints, Four the Holidays; Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso; Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Early Espresso; Accessories: M's rhinestones, dandelion sharpie, MM edge distresser, stampin' dimensionals, Petals A Plenty embossing folder. 

You Rock!

This is a little number I made for this past VSN.  It was for Michelle's challenge called A Pirate Wench I Be.  She challenged crafter's to make a tough but girly card.  In my mind I went rocker chick.  I thought a pink guitar would be girly enough.  Then I tried to make it a bit more masculine with some clear embossed designs in black. 

I also used a Sweet Sunday Sketch to get me going on this card, since you only have 45 minutes to get the job done.  This was a really fun sketch to use and I cut my card down from the regular A2 size to achieve the long card look. 

This was also for a Ways To Use It challenge called Fine Tune.  This challenge was about music, so my guitar and music embossed on the bottom of the card work for this one!

Sorry for the prolonged absence!  VSN really took it out of me, in combination with the school year winding down and children at school ramping up!

Take care and have a fabulous first day of your long weekend!

Details - Stamps: Live Life Loud (GKD); Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pink Passion; Ink: Basic Black, Pink Passion, Versamark; Accessories: Nestabilities, clear ep, heat tool, scallop edge punch, Kaisercraft hot pink rhinestones, corner chomper, stampin' dimensionals.

The Whole Shebang

So, I peeked this little number on Friday.  This is a card that I made for Cynthia's VSN challenge called Off, Into the Sunset.  She challenged crafters to sponge a scene and then stamp over it .  I was thinking about how long it would take me to sponge a whole scene and then I thought of this idea. 

I think this could be my favorite card from all of VSN this time.  Maybe it is because it is so simple, or maybe it is because we are in desperate need of sunshine in my neck of the woods.

I am happy to report that my daughter is home safe and sound from Disneyland.  She had a blast and was very good for her Aunties. She wants to go back in exactly 13 days!  Don't ask me, I have no idea what goes on her in just-turned-five-year-old mind!

Thanks for stopping by!

Details:  Stamps: Feel The Sun (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso; Ink: Summer Sun, Barely Banana, Early Espresso; Accessories: Nestabilities, 1 1/4" circle punch, post-its, stampin' sponge, M's self-adhesive rhinestones, TE tiny twinkles, quickie glue pen, Dandelion Sharpie, stampin' dimensionals.

Happy Saturday, Happy VSN!

We have rain forecast for on and off all day!  That makes it a fabulous day to craft, in my opinion.  And lucky for us...we have a full day of VSN in which to do that.  So set up that crock pot and set sail with VSN for our Pirate Party!

This is my card from the first Friday night challenge, hostessed by Beate.  She offered a challenge called Blue Waters and suggested a color challenge (light green, aqua and kraft).  I threw in some white for good measure. 

You see, we have had so much rain that I could probably surf in my pasture.  Okay, you got me, that's a bit of an exaggeration.  But trust me, we have had lots of rain!

I hope to see you over at VSN! Have a great day!

Details:  Stamps: Extreme Surfboard; Paper: Kraft, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White; Ink: Bermuda Bay, Peppermint, Versamark; Accessories: White ep, heat tool, stampin' sponge, white acrylic paint, needle & thread, Chit Chat rub-ons.

It's Almost Here!!!

VSN will start in just a bit!  I'm so very excited and this is a sneek peak of one of cards for this Pirate Party VSN! 

It starts at 6 PM EST which is just 15 minutes away!  Come join us!

Birdie Thoughts

I'm thinking of you today!  It doesn't matter how near or how far, I'm thinking of you today!
I am having Birdie Thoughts today.  Raven thoughts.  My little girl turns 5 years old today and is having the time of her life with her aunts, cousins and grandmother in Disneyland.  Isn't that a dream come true if you are five, to spend your birthday in Disneyland? 

Her Auntie has been posting pictures all day long so I don't miss out on any of her fun.  I just wish I could pause time for her so that she could nap and then go back at it without missing any hours in the day.  She has two more days in Disneyland and I have two more days of....VSN!  That's right folks, it starts tomorrow.  Be sure to pop on by and play a while!
I made this card for a Stamp 2 Spend challenge where Kelly asked us to make a monochromatic card with a touch of gold.  I used a little gold on my birds chest and for the cording from which it's perch is suspended.

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Warm and Fuzzy (GKD); Paper: Whisper White, Green Galore, Gable Green; Ink: Basic Black; Accessories: Nestabilities, Seeing Spots ef, Swiss Dots ef, paper snips, gold cord, paper piercing tool, SU rub-ons, stampin' dimensionals, WCC, blender pen.

Fabric and Butterflies

I had to play along with May's Get Your Diva On challenge.  It was a toughie for me though.  Diva Amy chose to have players incorporate fabric.  I'm not so confident when it comes to fabric.  That is my mother's domain.  I'll take paper anyday!  I gave it my best shot though.

I used my Flutterby die and some white tulle.  On the first photo, it just looks like I have some texture going on for my butterflies.  A close up shot will reveal how the edges of the tulle curl up and give it a little more dimension. I accented the center of each butterfly with some embossed and colored vellum and a light stickling!

I called on a CPS sketch to get me started on this card and I love the little banner sentiment at the bottom of the card.  I embossed it on white to bring a little more amethyst to the card. 

Today, my sweet little girl leaves for Disneyland with her a couple of her aunties, a couple of her cousins and one grandmother.  She's a big girl now, almost five years old.  She's up for the adventure and I highly doubt she will miss Mommy and Daddy!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Details - Stamps: Chicks Rule (Verve), Egg-stra Special (Verve), Thank You sentiment (Verve); Paper: Almost Amethyst, Whisper White, BG Wisteria, vellum; Ink: Lovely Lilac, Almost Amethyst, Versamark; Accessories: white ep, heat tool, white tulle, Star Dust Stickles, Sakura clear star gel pen, needle and thread, white beads, Flutterby die (Verve), stampin' dimensionals.

I have been playing along with the Flourishes Release challenges this week and this challenge was fun. I have never encountered a tic-tac-toe type of challenge.  Out of nine options in the square, I chose the top row to include a button, pink and scallops!

This seems to be one of my go to sketch.  I like the simplicity of it.  Not too surprising if you know me, I'm a fairly simple kind of gal.  My stash was running low on birthday cards, so I opted for a birthday sentiment on this one.  Tag lines is the Flourish set I used here and it has tons of sentiments from which to choose. 

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Saturday.  As for me, I'm off to do laundry and get some crafting in!

Details - Stamps: Tag Lines (Flourishes); Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, MB Gossamer; Ink: Early Espresso, Versamark pen; Accessories: crocheted flower, scallop border punch, little leaves sizzlit, XL bird punch, Sakura clear star gel pen, pink button, white embroidery floss, mini glue dots, corner chomper, stampin' dimensionals.

Rosemary is for Remembrance

I just looked it up and have learned that Rosemary has stood for remembrance since ancient times.   It has been used as a symbol of love at weddings and funerals for ages. 

My husband has a funeral to attend tomorrow.  I volunteered to go with him as I also knew the young man that has passed.  My loving husband recognizes that I don't "do" funerals well and has allowed me to take a pass on this one.  He will represent us well, I know.

This card was made for the young man's "adopted" grandmother.  She is the mother of a very good friend of his and has acted as a benefactor upon more than one occasion for their ventures. 

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I used a Flourishes Release Challenge sketch to flesh this card out!  I stayed very close to the original sketch and just love the way it turned out.  This could be a new go to sketch for me!  for a little extra something, I rounded a couple of corners.

Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Herbs (Flourishes); Paper: Very Vanilla, River Rock, Always Artichoke, BG Perhaps; Ink: River Rock, Always Artichoke; Accessories: Nestabilities, sponge dauber, Tasteful Trim XL die, River Rock double-stitched ribbon, Studio 18 rhinestones.

Mother's Day Flowers

Here is the card I gave to my mother for Mother's Day this year!  I love soft and pretty and this just did it for me.  I used a Limelight Papercraft's sketch and combined it with the April Verve Diva Dare based on the theme of April Showers Bring May Flowers. 

The scallops on the bottom of the circle kind of threw me and I had to work at them a couple of times.  I also loved using my new Verve set called Bloom & Grow, with it's corresponding die for the flowers. 

Well, I guess I should quit dodging work now.  I know it's not going to do itself!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Details -  Stamps: Because of You (Verve), Bloom & Grow (Verve); Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo; Ink: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celey; Accessories: Nestabilities, Swiss Dot ef, scallop edge punch, Floral circle dies (Verve), pretty in pink taffeta ribbon, scor-tape, stampin' dimensionals, M's self adhesive rhinestones, glue dot.

Sailing, Sailing

 I love this card!  It's one of the cards I made for the Pirate Party VSN mini.  My friend, Diane, set up a challenge to represents the sails of a ship.  Per her challenge, players were to use fabric on their card. 

I loaded up some card stock with many strips of scor-tape and then flattened my brown gingham over the card stock.  Then I die cut the gingham and card stock with one of my Nesties.  I trimmed up my edges and called it good! 

I went for a CAS design in honor of the time Diane and I served on the SCS CAS DT and because it was VSN and I had 45 minutes to created my card!

The main event is coming up soon, I hope you will play along.  For more information, check it out here.  Thanks for stopping by!

Details - Stamps: Simply Home (Ippity); Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Soft Suede; Ink: Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz; Accessories: Nestabilities, sponge dauber, swiss dots ef, pear pizzazz seam binding, studio 18 rhinestones, eyelet border punch, brown gingham fabric, scor-tape, stampin' dimensionals, glue dots, corner chomper.

Welcome to May

I think I am done with my blog hiatus for a while.  I told a friend today that I really don't have an excuse and it's true, I don't!  I make tons of cards and it really only takes a few minutes to write up a little narrative for you all! 

So here is a card that I made on Mother's Day when I took my free time to do something I love.  I made a card just for the fun of it.  I had no one in mind when I made and no one has asked me to make a card for them. 

I used one of Julee Tilman's fabulous sketches.  I recycled some twine I salvaged from one of my Verve orders.  It was just too pretty to toss.  I dug out some eyelets for this card too!  I stamped some fun leaves on my card base with Versamark ink and paper pieced my cutie little bird!

I am looking toward a busy couple of weeks with my daughter's birthday, her Disneyland trip with her Auntie and VSN.  Thanks for stopping by!

Details: Stamps: Wordy Birds (Verve), Bloom & Grow (Verve); Paper: Crumb Cake, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Welcome Neighbor dsp; Ink: Chocolate Chip, Versamark; Accessories: scallop border punch, little leaves sizzlet, neutrals eyelets, twine, 1 3/4" circle punch, Nestabilities, charming oval die (Verve), charming banner die (Verve), stamping dimensionals, two way glue pen.