Friday, March 31, 2017

Spring Fever


PDE Linky Party has regular challenge themes every Friday except for the 5th Friday... and this just happens to be the 5th Friday in March. So, today's PDE Linky Party Challenge theme is SPRING! Isn't that a great theme? Spring flowers, birds, Easter, rain/umbrellas, and so much  more.


I hope you'll participate in the SPRING Challenge this week!


For my card, I decided to use a sweet Unity stamp set...


There's just something about umbrellas and rain boots that make me smile! :)





Thanks for stopping by my blog today!



Image/Sentiment: Unity Lizzie Girl Showered With Love stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers and a Zig Wink of Stella Marker

Papers: Recollections Black and White and Stampin' UP! So Saffron Card Stock and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: AMuse Studio Rhinestones

Thursday, March 30, 2017

I Love to Color Day 30


YAY!!! This is the last day of the Daily Marker's 30-Day Coloring Challenge... and I've kept up and colored every day for the challenge (and made a card with what I colored, too!) I'm so excited, because truthfully with the travel commitments and other responsibilities I had this month I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish.

Coloring and Card #30



I never do this kind of fold... honestly, I much prefer this top-folding style over the side-folding that I normally do... but it makes it nearly impossible to get a good picture of the inside of my card, so I never opt for this format. This time I had no choice, because that was the last piece of SU Tempting Turquoise Card Stock in my stash. LOL!










Thanks for stopping by my blog today!



Image: QKR Top of the World

Sentiment: Hampton Art What's Up?

Ink: Lawn Fawn Jet Black and Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Brown and 110# White and Stampin' UP! Tempting Turquoise Card Stock and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Stampin' UP! Brads and Washi Tape from an unknown vendor
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Wednesday, March 29, 2017

I Love to Color Day 29


This is my card for the 29th day of the Daily Marker's 30-Day Coloring Challenge.











Thanks for stopping by my blog!


Image/Sentiment/Die: Taylored Expressions Tick Tock stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers
Papers: Recollections Black and White and Stampin' UP! Cool Caribbean Card Stock and DP from my scrap file
Embellishments: Cloud 9 Rain Dots

Mid-Week Joy Report


I've had a wonderful week, with lots of going. First, I went to a Minister's Wives Retreat (Friday/Saturday)... it was fabulous! Then I went to our state offices for Board Meeting (Monday/Tuesday) - we meet twice a year, so it's kind of a big deal. Lots of great reports were given of the work going on, and some big decisions were made.

One of the things I like about "going" is eating at Chipotle and getting a treat to sip while I drive from Starbucks. Yep, I did both of those things a few times this week. It put a great big smile on my face.

I also managed to make 12 cards this week. Not too bad for a week with only 3 full days at home in addition to a few snatched minutes on the other 4 days.


* * * * *

This is the 13th week of my 50 Truths Challenge... so this week I read chapter 13 of the book 50 Truths Worth Knowing and created a very VERY simple card from my thoughts on the story.


Chapter 13
It's Never Too Late to Be What You Might Have Been


Susan's husband left her when she was 41. She had two children, ages four and nine, and some personal health problems. She had part-time work (writing a Sunday newspaper column) and she continued to do that while searching for a full-time job that would pay the bills. A year of searching and she'd found nothing.

Various challenges continued to drain her financially and emotionally. She spoke of some of those challenges very candidly. And with each step in her story, she told herself that she was too old. Too old to start over. Too old to change her life.

Then, at 44, a friend encouraged her to consider moving to a more hospitable city and starting over. She battled with herself as to whether that was a wise decision to make or not. Then one day she received a phone call that would begin the process to her new life. Three years earlier a professor had left a memo saying that she could teach if the university ever got in a pinch for a teacher. A week later, she was teaching 90 freshmen...and she felt more energized than she had in a very long time.

A couple of years later, again at the encouragement of a friend, Susan been working on her doctoral studies, complete with a four-year fellowship that paid the rent.

Starting over in a new city, she and her two children were still broke, but I'd wasn't a miserable experience. Susan's last words in the chapter sum it up well: "I had held out for a life with a dream attached, and we were moving toward it with joy."

I wanted to depict the idea that Susan communicated well in the chapter - though she thought she was too old, she discovered that time is indeed precious. It's not something to look down on, but rather something to embrace.






Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp: Hampton Arts Collections from the Journey stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink
Papers: Recollections Black and 110# Ivory Card Stock and Teresa Collins Freestyle Clocks double-sided DP
Embellishments: Brads from an unknown vendor

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

I Love to Color Day 28


This is my card for the 28th day of the Daily Marker's 30-Day Coloring Challenge.





Thanks for stopping by my blog!


Image/Sentiment: Stampendous Daisy Thanks stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Brown and Staples Ivory Card Stock and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Recollections Pearls and Seam Binding from an unknown vendor

Sadness and Howling


The Challenge Your Stash gals are at it again... as we are on the 28th of every month. This month Shelly is the hostess - she gave us a recipe theme. We are to create a sympathy card, using some green on it and adding 3 of some kind of embellishment.

So, this is how it goes. We use the challenge theme... and rummage through our stash (we cannot buy anything new to use on these entries) and create a card/project.


I've had this Peachy Keen stamp set for a few years and *gasp!... 
it has never seen ink. It was about time, don't you think?




Lest you think I forgot this is a sympathy card challenge, 
look at the inside of my card:




Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Image/Sentiment: Peachy Keen Howling Puppy stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and White and Stampin' UP! Wild Wasabi Card Stock and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: 3 - THREE - red brads from an unknown vendor

Monday, March 27, 2017

I Love to Color Day 27


This is my card for the 27th day of the Daily Marker's 30-Day Coloring Challenge.





Thanks for stopping by my blog!


Image: Stampin' UP! Blessed Easter stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections 110# White and Stampin' UP! Wild Wasabi Card Stock and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Your Next Stamp Gum Drops

Sweet Baby


Babies! 
I love babies!

The two cards on my blog today are created with dies from the Frantic Stamper Sweet Baby Die and Stamp Release.

Card #1


Frantic Stamper Dies






Card #2


Frantic Stamper Die






Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Dies: Frantic Stamper Baby Word Square #FRA-DIE-10190 and Frantic Stamper Mom and Baby Ducks #FRA-DIE-10147

Papers: Stampin' UP! Bashful Blue and Yo Yo Yellow Cardstock, Pressed Petals Baby Boy Paper Pad DP, and all other papers from my scrap file

Embellishments: Paper Studio Gemstones



Die: Frantic Stamper Brush Script Sweet Baby #FRA-DIE-10192

Papers: Recollections Black and Stampin' UP! Pretty in Pink Cardstock, AMuse Studio Gingham DP, and other DP from my scrap file

Embellishment: Diaper Pin Brad from an unknown vendor

Sunday, March 26, 2017

I Love to Color Day 26


This is my card for the 26th day of the Daily Marker's 30-Day Coloring Challenge...





Thanks for stopping by my blog!


Image: Stampin' UP! Love Is Kindnesss stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections White and Stampin' UP! Rose Red and Wild Wasabi Card Stock and DP from my scrap file

Border Die: AMuse Studio Trio Scallop

Embellishments: Pearls from an unknown vendor

Try Something New - No Line Stamping


Normally Tuesdays are the day I have designated for trying something new and posting it to my blog. But this coming Tuesday I have another commitment on my blog, so I decided to do the Try Something New post today instead.

This is a technique I've wanted to try for quite some time now, but never was brave enough to attempt it. This week I decided it was time to give it a try. And truthfully - now that I've tried it, I've decided I need more practice. Lots and LOTS of practice... because this just isn't doing it for me. LOL!

But the point of trying new things is not to perfect them, but to try them. So I gave it a try.

No Line Coloring



I started by stamping the image very lightly with a light-colored ink (Memento Dessert Sand). In retrospect, I don't think that ink was light enough. I could still see the lines even after coloring. I colored the image with Copic markers and then added the detail to the "steam" using a Zig Spica Pen.

It was a fun technique to try and I'm pretty sure I'll be trying it again - only next time I think I'll use a flower image instead of a person. I think that will be easier.



This card will also be entered in the Spring Coffee Lover's Blog Hop.

Thanks for stopping  by my blog today!


Image/Sentiment: CC Designs Clove with Coffee stamped with Memento Dessert Sand Ink and Colored with Copic and Zig Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and Kraft and Stampin' UP! Real Red Card Stock and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: SU Ribbon and a Heart-Shaped Brad from an unknown vendor


Saturday, March 25, 2017

I Love to Color Day 25


This is my card for the 25th day of the Daily Marker's 30-Day Coloring Challenge.





Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Image/Sentiment: Unity Tulips and Daisies stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and White and Stampin' UP! Orchid Opulence Card Stock and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: AMuse Studio Rhinestones

Mystery Herd


Linda is the host of the current round of the Mystery Image Card Swap on SCS. She selected a SU set to use for the image - From the Herd. This image is certainly a lot of fun (but it also was a huge challenge for me personally since I don't do a very good job coloring animals.)

Linda, thank you for hosting this round and sending such a cute image. I hope you like my card!






Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image: SU From the Herd stamped by Linda on Recollections 110# White Card Stock with Memento Ink - I colored it with Copics
Papers: Recollections Card Stock and AMuse Studio DP
Embellishments: Imagine Crafts Irresistible Pico Embellisher, SU Ribbon, and TPC Studio Metal Accents

Friday, March 24, 2017

Dear God, I Love You!


. . . Love . . .



Well, of course it's a Bible Journaling page....

The Most Important Commandment
Matthew 22:34-40

When asked by an expert (a Pharisee) what is the most important commandment in the law of Moses, Jesus replied that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. He went on to say that we are also to love our neighbor as ourselves.





Be sure to enter all of your Bible Journaling - or anything else that is NOT a card - in the PDE Linky Party Challenge this week.



Thanks for stopping by my blog today!



Page Prep: Master's Touch Acrylic Paint

Image/Sentiment: Stamping Bella APTEEtude stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black ink and colored with Copic Markers

Card Stock: Recollections Black, Red and White

Embellishments: Washi Tape from an unknown vendor

I Love to Color Day 24


This is my card for the 24th day of the Daily Marker's 30-Day Coloring Challenge.





Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Image: Unity Everything Joyful & Beautiful

Sentiment: Stampin' UP! Whimsical Words

Ink: Lawn Fawn Jet Black, Copic Markers, and a Gel Pen

Papers: Recollections Black and White and Stampin' UP! Wild Wasabi Card Stock and AMuse Studio Designer Paper

Die: Nestabilities

Embellishments: Recollections Rhinestones

Thursday, March 23, 2017

I Love To Color Day 23


This is my card for the 23rd day of the Daily Marker's 30-Day Coloring Challenge.





Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Image/Sentiment: CC Designs Popsicle stamped with Lawn Fawn Jet Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Kraft and Stampin' UP! Wild Wasabi Card Stock and DP from my scrap file

Embellishment: AMuse Studio Ribbon