Happy Birthday

 Back again today with the last of my progressive challenges for July. The Oulawz gave us a really detailed image from Fabrika Fantasy. It was great fun to color!

• 4 1/4 inch square card in black card stock. Layering in black card stock also
• Stamps: Fabrika Fantasy Red Panda, sentiment from W Plus 9 Unforgettable
• Paper green gingham
• Dies: MFT Blueprints 13 (sentiment)
• Embellishment: Then and Now pink enamel dots

I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Progressive challenges: use Fabrika Fantasy Red Panda
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Scrapping4Fun challenge: happy birthday
• Pattie's Creations challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today! I have a busy weekend so it's not likely I'll be back until Sunday evening when I post my design team card for 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. Stay well! Peace and all good!

Donna

O Come Let Us Adore Him

 I noticed my last post of July 7th. I've only posted 3 cards this month. So sad! My motivation to create (and my time to craft) has evaporated. I will be leaving my blog up to post occasionally but I won't be here as often as I used to be.  Maybe things will get better soon.

My card today is for the Imagine That Progressive challenge using We Three Mice:

• Stamps: Imagine That We Three Mice (totally adorable!
• Paper: Recollections Christmas Collection and scraps of another company I can't think of
• Dies: MFT Stitched Circles, MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags (double cut so the piercing would be all around the sentiment, and MFT Blueprints 32 (the tall rectangles)
• Ink: Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide 
• Embellishment: Yellow Stickles on the star

I am entering these challenges:

• Imagine That Digi of the Month challenge: use We Three Mice
• Sunday Stamps challenge: sketch 
  
• Rudolph Days challenge: anything Christmas goes
• Creative Knockouts challenge: Christmas in July
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Merry Little Christmas Challenge: anything goes

I have one more card that I'd like to finish before the end of the month, so I hope to be back either today or tomorrow to add that card. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are all safe from the fires and heat and the Covid variant. Peace and all good!

Donna

Guest Designer for Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2

 I am so honored today to be a guest designer for Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2! Today begins the July challenge with 2 awesome sketches to chose from. The sponsor this month is Fred She Said, who generously gave us an image to use for the challenge.

I used Fred She Said Cornflowers digital stamp. I colored it with Prisma Color Pencils and mineral spirits.  I die cut the image with Gina Marie Designs Wonky Stitched Ovals and then added a black layer with the wonky stitching. The sentiment is from my stash of already printed sentiments (sorry I don't know from where) and also die cut with the wonky ovals; then inked with Seedless Preserves Oxide ink and AlteNew Purple Wine ink. The background papers are from my stash. The ribbon is from Bo Bunny. To embellish I added  2 Foam Fantasy Glitter Butterflies. Thanks to all the gals at Sweet Sketch Wednesday for having me as a guest designer this month. Much appreciated!

I will be back later to add some challenges. We have the twins today and we have to go pick them up. Stay tuned. Have a super day!

Edit: The twins were great today and we had a blast with them. Took them to a splash pad and playground, so they got hot and sweaty and then could cool off in the water. They had a ball. I wanted to add some challenges for this card:

• The Paper Shelter challenge: going digital (use a digital image)
• Penny's challenge: anything goes
• QKR Stampede challenge: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Scribbles Designs challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful tomorrow! Stay safe. Peace and all good.

Donna

12 Months New Challenge

 Today begins a new challenge at 12 Months of Christmas challenge. This month the theme is anything goes Christmas in July with no optional theme. So really anything goes. Here's my card!

I used a Bugaboo Stamp image colored with Spectrum Noir markers. I used several sets of Decosse's Dynamite Doodles for the designer paper. To finish off I added some gems. There are lots of Christmas in July challenges. Hope you will join us too at 12 Months of Christmas challenge. I am entering these challenges:

• Bugaboo Stella Sketch: sketch 
  
• Merry Little Christmas Blog challenge: anything Christmas goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• The Paper Shelter: going dotty (designer paper with the little confection dots)

Finally got a chance to finish this. Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July if you are in the United States. God bless America! Stay safe. Peace and all good.

Donna

For My Valentine

 I am back with my fourth card for June! Not very productive this month but I hope July is better! Tonight's card is for the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz.

The image for June is from The Paper Shelter called Sharing is Caring. I used the pre-colored image and die cut it with MFT Stitched Circles. The sentiment is from Doodle Pantry, I think. It was printed out before and added to my stash. The designer papers are from my stash. I thin the heart paper is from the Paper Studio. I layered each element with black card stock. I finished it off with some pearl hearts and square pink gems. I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Progressive challenge: use The Paper Shelter Sharing is Caring
• Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2: sketch 209 
  
• Penny's challenge: anything goes
• 613 Avenue Create: anything goes
• LeAnn's World 101: anything goes

I have tomorrow to play again so I hope to get at least one more card done. Looking forward to cleaning off more of my desk. Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe. Peace and all good.

Donna

Sweet Holiday

 Happy Sunday morning. In about an hour we'll be picking up the twins for the day. It's supposed to be hot, hot, hot here so the swimming pool and sprinkler might be our friends this afternoon. Also have a painting project lined up and all their favorites, like marble run. Since I've now made a total of 3 cards this month (woohoo!) I decided to clean off my desk and try to straighten up a little. So my Christmas card today features an upcycled apron that I jazzed up a bit. 

I can't remember if the apron was off a card or package but I dressed it up with some stickers (the holly and berries, the candy cane stick and the peppermint candies). The background paper is Recollection Christmas that I bought at a thrift store. It has a black layer and a raft card base. Pretty simple but since my time is limited and I'm cleaning off my desk, this is it. LOL! I am entering these challenges:

• Rudolph Days challenge: anything goes Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes
• Sparkle Christmas challenge: Krafty Christmas (card base and gingerbread man)
• Merry Little Christmas blog: anything Christmas goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

My clean up will continue. I have lots of stuff on my desk to make thank you cards for Teacher's Warehouse. That may be my next project. That would definitely take a lot of stuff off my desk. Hope you have a crafty day today. Be back again soon I hope! Stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

Cutting Hedge Technology

 So sorry it's taken me so long to get back to making cards. When life happens it happens big around here. Way too many things going on and more to come I'm sure. But today I made myself take some time to do some of the progressive challenges that are expiring very soon. (How did it get to be the end of June already?) This one is for the Imagine That Stamp of the Month!

The stamp set this month is called The Lawn Ranger; super cute! I love puns so this sentiment caught my eye right away. The image is colored with Spectrum Noir markers with an inked background (Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn distress inks). I die cut the image with MFT Square dies but then decided to cut the right and left edges to make more of my background paper visible. The leafy paper is from my stash that I got at a thrift store. The card base is green card stock. The sentiment is from the same set and inked with Mowed Lane distress ink. I am entering these challenges:

• Imagine that DOTM challenge: use Lawn Ranger
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Creative Knockouts challenge: outside fun
• Penny's challenge: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

I am hoping that after dinner I get back to my desk. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Just in case you are wondering about my absence, on June 1st our twin grand children moved in with us with their mother for 16 days. Lots of laundry, dishes and clean up and no time for crafts! After that it was getting caught up with our volunteering jobs. And by the following weekend we decided to go out to our other property and just take a break from everything. The night we arrived we just got everything unloaded when it started to rain. By the morning our rain gauge had fallen over so we knew that we had more than 4 inches of rain. The creeks were flooded and we couldn't get out. The electricity went out Saturday morning and wasn't restored until Monday morning. Out for more than 48 hours. We do have a generator and could keep our refrigerator running. After the creeks went down enough that we could get back into town we decided to come home (where we had electricity) and loan out generator to a neighbor that lives out there full time for his frig. At home our rain gauge registered more than 5 inches. Trees had come down and it was clean up time. Never a dull moment. More rain expected this weekend and most of next week. It's either fast or famine. That's just a few of the bigger things we've been dealing with. Hope your life has been calmer. Take care. I hope to be back soon. Peace and all good!

Donna

Let Heaven and Nature Sing

 Welcome to June! And a new challenge at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. I am getting this up a little late as the twins showed up earlier than I expected today and I had to make them lunch and dinner. I hadn't planned on that. I am one tired Grammy tonight. One day down and 15 more to go. But they do make me laugh, a lot! So our new challenge for June is, as always "anything goes" with our special twist which is "Merry ChristMouse" this month. Our sponsor is Hetty Clare Art and of course Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. 

I used Hetty Clare's Christmouse Caroller and added several tress in the background and also inked the background with Memento London Fog for the snow and Salty Ocean and Broken China Distress Oxide inks. I also used MFT Mini Cloud Edges Stencil. I die cut the scene with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares. The background paper is from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Velvet Jewel Tones.

The music paper is from my stash. The sentiment is computer-generated. I do hope you'll play along this month at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Wednesday Sketch challenge: 
  
• Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog: anything Christmas goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by. I hope that at some point in the next two weeks I'll get a chance to craft something, but if today is any indication I will be wiped out by the time they go to bed. Take care! Stay safe. Peace and all good.

Donna

Sending Love

 Long time no see? Haven't been doing much crafting lately. I'll have a design team card on the first of June and then I'll be busy again. Our grand twins will be moving in with us for two weeks on June 1st. So I doubt that I'll have much crafting time. But I did this quick card tonight specifically for the Rudolph Days challenge. So here's to Christmas!

I used up lots things that were already printed and die cut. The image is from From the Heart Stamps (sadly no longer in business). I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers. I die cut the image with Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Frames. The outside frame was a scrap from my scrap box already cut with the same die. The sentiment was already printed and die cut with MFT Blueprints 13 (retired) washi tape dir. I added Diamond Stickles to the stars and several of the birds. I am entering these challenges:

• May Rudolph Days challenge: anything goes Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Merry Little Christmas challenge: anything Christmas
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by. I know that the twins will keep me busy for the next few weeks but maybe I'll get a chance to play a little. If not I'll be back in a few weeks. Take care. Stay safe. Peace and all good.

Donna

Hoppy Birthday

 Happy Monday! I hope all is well with you. It's been a while since I've had a chance to craft and it will be a while until I am able to craft again. Tomorrow we leave for Boston for two weeks. We are finally going to get to see our boys, Haven't seen them in almost 2 years. Since we are fully vaccinated now, we decided to make the trip. We are driving and not flying so the drive time will be two days out and two days back. So a lot of time in the car. I am pretty much packed and ready to go. At first I wasn't taking anything with me to do, but decided I'd take a small box with images to color. So when I return home I'll have images ready to add to cards. Tonight I had a chance to use an image that was in my "ready to craft" box.

The cute frog image is from Beccy's Place called Frog and Oleander. I die cut the image with Spellbinders Large Octagons. I inked the card stock with Altenew Rose Quartz ink. The sentiment is from Firecracker Designs (found a Facebook page that turned up "not found"). I lightly inked the card stock with Peeled Paint Distress Ink. It's die cut with MFT Sentence Strips. The background flower paper is an upcycled greeting card. I loved the colors. I added a white dotted pink ribbon from my stash. All the layering is done with black card stock. I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place May challenge: use a Beccy's Place image
• Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• Seize the Birthday: anything goes
• Love to Craft: anything goes

I do have one other card that I will post when I get the time. Otherwise, I probably won't be posting much for the next few weeks. Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe until we meet again! Peace and all good!

Donna

Another Year Flies By

 A rainy day here today. Very gray and chilly and just a good day to stay in and do things around the house. I got a few chores done and had a meeting on Zoom for a committee that I am on. But finally this evening I had a chance sit down at my desk. Since we are leaving for Boston a week from today I am trying to get my progressive challenges done for May. So tonight I used the digital stamp set for May from Imagine That called Go Fly a Kite.

I decided to pull out the instructions for a fancy fold card that I found on Brenda Quintana's web site called a Pull Out Card. There are 3 images in the Go Fly a Kite set. I used the adorable bunny image for the front of my card. When you open it, it looks like this:

The inside is a Z-fold card that pops into the aperture in the front of the card. And finally this is the inside of the card:

Stamp sets: Imagine That Go Fly a Kite (images and front sentiment); Stampabilities Card Phrases

Card Stock: navy blue and white

Designer Paper: Imagine That

Ink: Salty Ocean Distress Oxide 

Dies: MFT Stitched Circles, MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags, Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Circles Large

Embellishment: yellow self-adhesive gems

I think I need to try more fancy folds. I like how this one came out. I am entering these challenges:

• Imagine That Digi-of-the-Month-challenge: use Go Fly a Kite
• AAA Birthday challenge: birthday
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• Seize the Birthday challenge: furry friends
• Through the Craft Room Door challenge: anything goes

I hope your week has gotten off to a great start! Thanks for stopping by today. Stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

Trust Issues

 Rained this morning so volunteering this morning kept me busy. But this afternoon  I got some crafty time. Tomorrow is supposed to be more rain so maybe more crafty time. 

This image is Bertha's Bread Baking Bonanza from Dr. Digis House of Stamps. It's the free progressive image at The Outlawz this month. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut the image. I changed her bread-baking habit to cookie baking. The sentiment is from my stash but I neglected to write down the source (possibly Create with TLC). I die cut the sentiment with C.C. Designs Say What Bubbles (retired). The chocolate chips along the bottom of the card are from Sweet 'N Sassy Chocoholic. The card base looks much darker in the photo than it really is. The chocolate chips show up much better in real life. I added a ribbon from my stash. I really wanted cookies on the background paper but had to settle for this striped paper. Not only did I not have any cookie paper in my stash but I don't own a cookie stamp to make my own paper. I was surprised. Oh well. This one is going to my SIL who (as the story goes) used to swallow raisins whole when she got them for snack at a Girl Scout meeting because she didn't like them. I thought this might bring a smile for her. I am entering these challenges:

• Catch the Bug Stella Sketch: sketch 
  
• Simon Says Wednesday: anything goes
• Love to Craft challenge: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft Extra: anything goes
• QKR Stampede challenge: anything goes

That's it for me tonight. With luck I will be back tomorrow. I have several cards I need before we take off for Boston next week so I'm going to have to carve out some time this week. Take care! Stay safe. Make it an amazing week! Peace and all good.

Donna

Thinking of You

 We had a beautiful day today and the twins had lots of fun outside for a change. The rain returns tonight and supposed to be around for a couple days. We were able to get the tomatoes and peppers planted at the house this evening before the rains came. And after we did the planting, I had time for a card.

Digital Stamp: Bugaboo Sunbonnet Flowers

Coloring: Spectrum Noir markers

Sentiment: Stampabilities Card Phrases heat embossed with  walnut embossing powder

Dies: Gina Marie Designs Wonky Stitched Circles

Designer Paper: from my scrap box

Ink: Shaded Violet distress ink around image

Embellishments: ric rac ribbon; Diamond Stickles on flower centers

Card stock: purple and white

I am entering these challenges:

Bugaboo Stamps Stella Sketch: sketch 

Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Creative Knockouts challenge: Tic Tac Toe (embossing, image, sentiment or blue, die, ribbon)

Penny's Paper-Crafty challenge: anything goes

Crafter's Cafe challenge: anything goes

I hope your week will get off to a great start! I hope to get some creating time this week. I have a few cards that I need to complete before we leave for Boston next week. Stay safe! Peace and all good.

Donna

Gnome for the Holidays

 Well, it's been a very busy week and I am late getting this post up as we were out at Baby Creek for a break without Internet. But today begins the new challenge at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. As usual our theme is anything Christmas (cards) goes but we add an optional twist. This month it's a personal favorite: gnomes! Our sponsor is SheepSki Designs and Andrea has lots of fun gnome images. And Lisa has designed some fun gnome papers, so check it out! Here's the card I made for the design team.

My gnome image is Garden Party from SheepSki Designs (thank you Andrea!). I colored with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut with MFT Stitched Squares. I added Stickles to each of the gnomes' hats using lime green, eucalyptus, baby blue, diamond, aquamarine. The papers are 2 of the papers from the Gnome for Christmas kit from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. 

I added a die cut bow from Die-cutting Essentials #59 All Wrapped Up. I used green glitter paper for that die cut and also all the layering. The ribbon is from my stash. I am entering these challenges:

• Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2: sketch #204 
  
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes
• Merry Little Christmas Blog: anything Christmas goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes 
• Penny's challenge: anything goes

The twins will be here tomorrow. We had them overnight Wednesday night and Valerie had a ball stomping in rain puddles after the rain stopped but woke up the next morning not feeling well, so neither could go to school them on Thursday. Lots of other things going on this past week and no crafting. I hope that will change this coming week. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your visits! Stay safe! Peace and all good!

Donna

Christmas Love

 Tonight I have a Christmas card to show. Since we had the twins all day, I colored the images yesterday and then after putting it together I needed time for the Stickles to dry.

My card is 5 inches square with a base card of green card stock. The layering is with black card stock. The images are Sunbonnet  Christmas Tree from Bugaboo Stamps. They are both called the same thing so here is the top sunbonnet image and here is the bottom sunbonnet image. The sentiment image is a freebie from Beccy's Place called Margie's Christmas Freebie. The background paper is from my stash and I made an attempt at tying a bow. I am really not very good at tying bows. I used a number of different colors of Stickles: Christmas Red, Silver, Blue, Yellow and Grape. The dies I used were MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares and MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags (retired). I am entering these challenges:

• Rudolph Days challenge: anything goes Christmas
• Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2: sketch #205 
  
• Catch the Bug challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog: anything Christmas goes
• Sparkles Christmas challenge: trees

The twins wore me out today. Lots of things for them to play with and we hit the playgrounds after we picked them up and before we took them home. It was nice outside so they played outside for quite a while. They should be worn out tonight. We have to pick them up from school on Wednesday and my DH thought we should keep them overnight, so we'll have them all night Wednesday and drop them off at school on Thursday morning. That will be another adventure I'm sure. Thanks for stopping by to visit. Stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna