Joy to the World

 Our Lord and Savior has come among us once again! Just popping in today to wish you all a very Blessed Christmas. At present I am at home (sick) while my family is gathered in Cincinnati for all the Christmas festivities. Fortunately it is not Covid but just a very nasty cold or virus of some kind. Being all by myself I have plenty of time on my hands. So I whipped up a card this morning to post for Christmas.

The image is Angel from MMedel Illustrations. I colored her with Spectrum Noir and Copic markers and die cut the image with  MFT Stitched Ovals. Al of the designer paper is from Recollections Christmas Collection. I layered in black card stock. The sentiment is from Technique Tuesday Christ is Born stamp set. I am entering a few challenges:

• The Outlawz Freebie/Progressive challenge: use Angel from MMedel Illustrations
• Creative Knockouts challenge: Tis the Season
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: anything goes
• Sketch ~n~ Scrap challenge: sketch 
  
• Carlin's Card Paradise challenge: inspired by a song (Joy to the World)

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas Day. May the love we share today bring us into the New Year with love to spare for all our brothers and sisters. God bless you and your families. Stay safe. Peace and all good in 2022! I am now headed for a nap!

Donna

Three More Cards

 Happy Tuesday! At least I think it's Tuesday. My days seem to be all mixed up. We had the twins yesterday (Monday) which is not a normal day for us to have them. But they are out of school until the new year begins so we took them yesterday to give their parents a break. We hope to have Christmas with them Thursday night before we travel to be with family in Cincinnati. So I finished my three sets of Christmas cards today. I am not showing them all to you but here is another set of three.

Stamps: Beccy's Place Seasonal Windows digital stamps, Hero Arts Everyday Sayings (sentiment)

Designer Paper: from my stash

Dies: MFT Stitched Circle dies

I backed the image with a deep purple card stock.

Entering Beccy's Place December challenge: use a Beccy's Place image

Image and Sentiment: Doodle Pantry (no Longer in business

Designer paper: from my stash

Dies: Gina Marie Designs Wonky Stitched Ovals

The inside reads: Pucker up and give it a kiss!

Image and sentiment: Doodle Pantry (no longer in business)

Designer Paper: from my stash

Dies: Gina Marie Designs Wonky Stitched Ovals

I used the same design structure for all three cards. I am entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper challenge: use patterned paper
• The Male Room challenge: food

I have one more set to show you but it's time to get some dinner ready. So I am off to cook. My son has arrived from Boston so I am taking time to be with him while he's here. Stay well! Peace and all good!

Donna

Love is Everything

Here we are for another set of cards that I made today after I got home from Indianapolis. The Colts played a great game last night and we had a wonderful time. And the Colts won 27-17. Go Colts! So I have 5 more cards for each set I am making for Christmas gifts so I found this one sheet wonder tutorial that will make enough cards to finish my sets. 

So this is the first card that I made. I picked out three pieces of double-sided 12x12 inch designer paper and cut it down to 6 pieces of 4x6. Then Jeanie Stark shows you how to make each of the cards. I used one piece of the 3 designer papers and folded them back at one corner. I taped the folded designer paper to a white card stock piece of the same size. I stamped the sentiment from a 2014 Simon Says Stamp set called Favorite Flowers. The rose images are from Beccy's Place Painted Flowers (retired). I colored them with Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut each one. I popped them up with foam tape. I tired to match the card bases with colors from the designer papers. I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place December challenge: use a Beccy's Place image
• Crafty Sentiments Designs challenge: anything goes
• Love to Craft challenge: anything goes
• Sweet Stampers challenge: anything goes
• Penny's challenge: anything goes

That's it for me tonight. I didn't sleep well last night at the hotel: different bed, too much excitement from the game, and I missed my bed partner. So I think I will be going to bed early tonight. Make it a great week! Stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

Evergreen for Card Sets

 Happy Saturday! I am getting ready to drive to Indianapolis to meet up with my son Dan and go see the Colts vs. the Patriots game this evening. Dan flew in from Boston last night but we haven't seen him yet. Looking forward to his week stay with us. I have another card for my card sets done. Time is getting short I am going to have to start moving faster.

This image is from Eureka Stamps. It's one of four stamps in the Winter Set of 4 Digital Stamps. The images are colored with Spectrum Noir markers and then I added Star Dust Stickles to the pinecone edges. I played with different colors of card stock bases and different designer papers but used the same design. Even changed up the size of some of the triangle edges. To finish off I added some self-adhesive gems on each card. I am entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• QKR Stampede challenge: anything goes
• Crafter's Cafe challenge: use your favorites (I love to use sketches for my cards)
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: bling it on (Star Dust Stickles)
• A Bit More Time to Craft challenge: anything goes

That's it for me today. I was hoping to get 10 cards done for each of the three sets I am doing for Christmas gifts. I am halfway there. 5 done and 5 to go. Thanks for stopping by. Stay well. Peace and all good!

Donna

Thinking of You!

 Welcome to Wednesday! I am continuing to make cards for my 3 card sets that I need as Christmas gifts. This is my second card for the set.

I saw a similar card on Pinterest and this is my version. I used Beccy's Place Painted Blooms. I don't see this precise set so it may be retired. I die cut the image with MFT Stitched Circles and added the background circle and embossing with Gina Marie Designs Wonky stitched Circles. I liked the green card stock but ran out so I used black as I layered the dotted paper with black. The sentiment is from Hero Arts Everyday Sayings. I used my MISTI to stamp all of the sentiments and then die cut them with Spellbinders Grommet Tags. Instead of grommets I used black brads on the tags. The dotted paper is from my stash. I used Black Diamond Stickles on the centers of the flowers. Lots of sparkle in real life. I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place December challenge: use a Beccy's Place image with twist: brads, paper clips, or eyelets
• Penny's challenge: anything goes
• Crafter's Cafe challenge: use your favorite (Dies are a must have. I use them on almost every card I do)
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: bling it on (Black Diamond Stickles)
• Love to Craft challenge: anything goes

Two down and 8 more to go. Making the cards for the three sets all the same helps with time a little bit. I may do more of this kind of thing in the future. Back to the drawing board. Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe! Peace and all good!

Donna

Happy Birthday!

 Happy Monday! I hope your week started off great! A few things are dropping off my plate after this week, so I am taking stock of what I need to do yet and 3 sets of cards popped up on my radar as Christmas gifts. So I need 30 cards done (3 sets of 10 cards). So I've been watching my Pinterest feed for some simple cards. I am making all the sets the same so I am making the card at least three times.

So this first set of cards was inspired by Paper Daisy Crafting. She has a very nice video and instructions on how to make these cards. They are very similar to a Z-fold card. The background floral paper is one I've been wanting to use for a long time. The colors are gorgeous and it has some shine to it. The card base is purple and I colored the Happy Birthday sentiment purple also. The gingham paper is from my stash. I die cut the sentiment with MFT Stitched Circles. The backing to the circle is also purple and die cut with Spellbinder's Classic Scalloped Circles. I used a small flower die that's included in Gina Marie Designs Cross Stitched Rectangles (retired) to add three flowers around the sentiment with a blue paper and a chunky glitter paper from my stash. I made a fourth card just the same since all the papers cut for four cards. The last one went into my stash. LOL! Thanks to Paper Daisy Crafting for the tutorial.  I am entering these challenges:

• Through the Craft Room Door challenge: anything goes
• Penny's challenge: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft Extra challenge: anything goes

I hope you are farther along to preparing for Christmas than I am. I have lots to do yet. Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you are staying safe. Take care. Peace and all good.

Donna

 

Sweet Holiday

 Happy Wednesday! Today I finished my last Christmas card that I need for this year. It's a card for my grandson Arthur.

I used the same stamp set that I made Valerie's card with: Imagine That Digistamps Gingerbread Cookies n' Cocoa. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers. I die cut it with MFT Stitched Circles. The card base is red card stock. The background paper is from Recollections Christmas collection. The candy cane paper is from my stash and die cut with Gina Marie Diamonds die set.. I backed the image and diamonds with black card stock. I used a red and green ribbon from my stash. The sentiment is also from the stamp set. I cut the sentiment apart. The image is popped up with foam tape. I am entering these challenges:

• Imagine That Digistamp of the Month: use Gingerbread Cookies n' Cocoa
• Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Penny's challenge: anything goes
• Crafter's Cafe challenge: anything goes
• Merry Little Christmas blog: anything Christmas goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes

Tomorrow is our volunteer day. So no crafting tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my card. Stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

Sugar and Spice

 It's been a while again. Life is keeping me busy. I finished writing my Christmas cards today and hope to get them in the mail tomorrow. But I have two more Christmas cards to do. One for Valerie and one for Arthur. So tonight I finished Valerie's card.

This is one of the images from Gingerbread Cookies n' Cocoa, the Digi of the Month at Imagine That Digital Stamps. The sentiment is from the same stamp set. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers, fussy cut it, and popped it up on foam tape. The designer paper is from Recollections Christmas Collection. I die cut the rectangle with MFT Single Stitch Rectangle Frames. The twine is  Doodle Twine, a multicolored red, white and green Christmas twine. The sentiment was die cut with one of the stitched sections from MFT Collage Cover-Up die. I used the same pink Spectrum Noir marker that I used on the gingerbread girl. I used a red card stock base. I am entering these challenges:

• Imagine That Digi of the Month challenge: use Gingerbread Cookies n' Cocoa
• Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door challenge: anything goes
• 12 Months of Christmas challenge: anything Christmas goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: Christmas

Tomorrow I hope to get Arthur's card finished. Then I will be done with Christmas cards. Yippee! I really hoped to get them out much earlier than this. Oh well. Hope you are all well! Thanks for stopping by. Stay well. Peace and all good!

Donna

Snoopy Halloween

 Happy Tuesday! And the end of November. Where does the time go. I finished one more card for Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards that I want to share with you.

It's a simple Halloween card but great fun. I love using the napkin technique for card making and someone gave me these napkins (from Hallmark) a while back and I hadn't used them yet. So I set out last night to see what I could do. I started out with one panel and decided that I wanted to cut the panel down and guess what. It ripped the edges of the napkin. So I made a second but didn't want to waste the first one since the image was still intact, so I fussy cut the image and popped it up with foam tape on the new panel. To complete the card I used Yellow Stickles on the pumpkin eyes (and then ran out), Star Dust Stickles on his mouth, and Black Diamond Stickles for eyes and noses. I just love napkins! I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards: do what you love
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Penny's challenge: anything goes
• Mix it Up challenge: 3-D project
• Love to Craft challenge: anything goes

Today we have a another busy day. We are visiting two places to pick out things for the new house. Apparently it takes forever to order materials these days so the builder asked us to go look at cultured stone at a masonry shop and doors at the door dealer. So I guess we'll be doing that today. This afternoon we may need to be out at our Baby Creek property for movers to come look at the trailer that someone will be moving out. We advertised it for free but they have to move it. But the catch is it's on the top of a steep hill down a county road with 3 fords to cross over a creek. So it is a bit of a challenge. I hope to get another card made tonight but we'll see how time goes. Thanks to Beccy for a month full of fun challenges! Stay safe out there! Peace and all good.

Donna

Patience of a Gardener

 Just a break from my usual Christmas card, as I realized that we are at the end of the month and I had one more progressive challenge to do.

The image is from SheepSki Designs called Claudia's Plant. The image is colored with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut with Gina Marie Designs Wonky Stitched Ovals. The sentiment is from Daydream Designs by Diane. It must have been a freebie somewhere along the way. I die cut it with one of the dies from MFT Blueprints 32 (retired) and inked it with one of the Spectrum Noir markers I used for coloring. The background paper is vellum with a design. Very pretty IRL. I added the leaf in the top corner as an embellishment. I am entering these challenges:

• The Oultawz Progressive challenge: use Claudia's Plant from SheepSki Designs
• Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Pattie's Creations challenge: anything goes

Thank you for stopping by today. Our Thanksgiving dinner with the twins went well yesterday but the big hit was the blueberry pie my daughter made. LOL! So tonight we are having turkey chili to use some of the turkey up. Stay safe! Peace and all good!

Donna

The Letter S

 It's good to be back home! Tomorrow is our Thanksgiving dinner with our daughter, son-in-law and twins. So I am in cooking mode right now. But I did manage to get a card done this evening for thee letter S.

This is an S-fold card and I used a tutorial from Beccy's Place website. The image in my file is named Snowfolk Set but I don't see it on the website. It may be retired. I used the pre-colored image and die cut it with Gina Marie Designs Wonky Ovals. I added a frame line of black marker.

The inside of the card displays patterned paper from Recollections Christmas collection. I used Gina Marie Designs Wine Bottle Label die. The top sentiment is from Beccy's Place Snowman Set. Another set I didn't find on the website. The "Merry Christmas" is from Simon Says Stamps Abstract Holiday. I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place Month of Holiday Cards: Day 21 the letter S (S-fold card, snowmen, stitching)
• Scrapping4Fun challenge: winter/Christmas 
  
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything Christmas goes

Hope your weekend is restful and crafty. Stay safe! Peace and all good!

Donna

Touched by Peace

 Happy Day! Our family group who usually numbers close to 50, has dwindled to 10 this year. So it's a nice cozy group. We traveled home last night so I am happy to be home. Here is another card.

Rudolph is the center image of my card. He is die cut from MFT Delightful Deer. I added a small red dot to Rudolph's nose. The sentiment is from Technique Tuesday's Christ is Born. The house and trees are from a set called Scenic Winter. I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards: Day 20 the letter R for Rudolph
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: something that begins with R
• Creative Knockouts challenge: Christmas Delights
• Penny's challenge: anything goes
• Rudolph Days: anything Christmas goes

We have a busy weekend ahead. Things to do to get ready for the coming week. Work at the mobile home to get it ready to move out in preparation for ground-breaking on the new house. Tomorrow we are having Thanksgiving dinner here for our daughter, SIL, and the twins so my turkey is thawing out. And once the weekend is over we have a long list of things that needs to get done this week. Yikes! I'm tired already. Well, it's off to get the laundry done. Make it a super fun weekend. Stay safe! Peace and all good.

Donna

Glory to the New Born King

 Happy Tuesday! We traveled to Cincinnati today for the family Thanksgiving. It will be a small family get together as a few have dropped out this week. I finished this card right before I left this morning.

My card today features Beccy's Place Lamb of God digital stamps. I used the pre-colored image and a sentiment from the set. I die cut the panel with the A2 size stitched die from MFT Blueprints 13 (retired). I went looking for a stencil to fill the background. I was really looking for something with sunbeams but ran into my Gina Marie Designs fireworks stencil and decided that what better time to shoot fireworks but to announce the newborn King. So I used three yellow colors of distress inks: Wild Honey, Lemonade, and Fossilized Amber, to create the fireworks. I really love this card. I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards: Day 16 the letter N (nativity, non-traditional Christmas colors, non-Christmas stencil)
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: make your own background
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Sentiments Designs challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing all my U.S. friends a very Happy Thanksgiving. And all my other crafty friends a wonderful week! Stay safe! Peace and all good!

Donna

Be Mine

 Happy Sunday! We had the twins all day yesterday. As always they are a delight to have around. But we thought it was Sunday all day yesterday because that's the usual day that we have them. Arthur was washing his hands and reciting the Russian alphabet and Valerie was reading me a book with multi-syllable words in it. They just blow me away how smart they are at 5 years old. Mt cards today are for Valentine's Day!

I used precolored images from Beccy's Place Wild Abut You digital stamp set. I searched but didn't find it in the list. It's one of my all-time favorite sets. The sentiment is also from that set. I could get 2 sets of images on one sheet so I decided to just make 2 cards. I die cut the panels with MFT Inside & Out Stitched Rounded Squares (retired). I used a corner rounder to also round the corners of the red base card stock. And to add my glitter, I used Star Dust Stickles. I outlined the hearts and the sentiment.

I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards: Day 19 Q is for quadruple
• Creative Knockouts challenge: anything goes
• C.R.A.F.T. challenge: for children
• The Paper Shelter challenge: say something
• Love to Craft challenge: anything goes

This week is Thanksgiving Week here in the U.S. It's definitely a busy one for us. Tomorrow, Tom and I are running a chipper that the neighborhood rented to get rid of branches and invasive plants that neighbors have taken out of their yards. Many people have these lined up at the curb and we'll be shredding them all day tomorrow. Neighbors will help drag the limbs to the chipper; but it's full days job. Tuesday we are meeting a builder to tour a house that he's currently building so we can get an idea of the quality of his work. And after that we'll be driving to Tom's Dad's house to spend some time with the family for Thanksgiving. I am grateful that I am only responsible for a vegetable dish and not the entire meal. Friday is our annual "Girls' Day Out" where all the girls in the family go out for lunch and then "shop". Tom and I will drive home after Girls' Day Out. So I hope to find time to craft Saturday as Sunday we'll have the twins again. Makes me tired just thinking about it! For all my American friends I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for all my blog visitors and crafty friends. Please stay safe! I wish you peace and all good!

Donna

Blue Poinsettia for Alex

 I guess this a second "P" card for me since I am using an image that Beccy from Beccy's Place made for my grandson Alex. You can read the message and get the free image here. Thank you Beccy for honoring Alex with this lovely image!

The image is pre-colored and fussy cut. I used two different sizes of the image. I CASED a card that Beccy posted as Inspiration for the letter "O". I loved that design from Beccy so I used the card for the design of this card. The sentiment is from Technique Tuesday Christ is Born. I used a scrap of some blue glitter paper and also some dotted paper from my stash. The card base is also blue. I love using color markers to create a frame. The ric rac is from my stash. To finish off I used Diamond Stickles on the tips of the poinsettia leaves and centers. Alex was born November 21 and was with us for only 4 hours. The blue poinsettia is my symbol for him. Thank you Beccy!

I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards: Day 18 the letter P for poinsettia
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Creative Knockouts challenge: anything goes
• QKR Stampede challenge: anything goes
• Crafty Sentiments Designs challenge: anything goes

Lots of things going on this weekend. I hope I find some time to craft. Can't believe that Thanksgiving is this next week. I am thankful that I only have to bring a vegetable dish for dinner. We drove out to our other property today to show a couple our mobile home. We've advertised it for free to anyone who will move it to make way for the new house. The trick will be getting it down the steep slope of our driveway. Anyway, thanks for stopping by! Stay safe Peace and all good!

Donna