Geared Up For A Great Birthday

 Tomorrow our twins will turn 5 years old. Where did 5 years go? I posted a picture of the card I made for Valerie last week so I finally got Arthur's done this morning. We are going to celebrate with them tomorrow so I won't mail them this year. 

The image and sentiment is from an adorable set from Beccy's Place called The Long Haul. I used the pre-colored version but added some Dimensional Magic on the lighter areas of the cement mixer to give it some dimension. I popped up the image with foam tape. The sentiment panel was die cut with Gina Marie Designs Mosaic Triangle Edge Squares. The background papers are from my stash. The embellishments are Jillibean Soup Wooden Flowers but I thought they looked like gears.

I am entering these challenges:

• Beccy's Place October challenge: use a Beccy's Place image; Photo challenge (used some of the colors in the photo) 
  
• Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: Sketch 441 

  
• Through the Craft Room Door challenge: anything goes
• Cupcake Inspiration challenge: anything goes 

  
• Penny's challenge: anything goes

That's it for me today. I have to finish my shopping and wrap the twin's birthday gifts. And see if I can tackle some of the other jobs on my list today. Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

Be Touched by Peace

 The last day of September. Time is flying by and I still have so many things on my list to do. But I did manage to get one more card done for a total of 3 cards this month. Not my most creative month for sure.

This card did not photograph very well. I used embossed resist to make the background. The snowflakes are from a very old Gina K Designs stamp set and the sentiment (which you can barely read : Be Touched by Peace) is from Technique Tuesday's Christ is Born stamp set. I inked the background with Salty Ocean and Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide Inks. To finish it off I added some Lucy's gems as the center of the snowflakes. I did spritz the background with water also. I am entering these challenges:

• Rudolph Days challenge: anything goes Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Simon Says Stamps Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Penny's challenge: anything goes

As we wish September good-bye and usher in October, I hope you are healthy and safe. Thanks for stopping by. Take care/ Wishing you peace and all good!

Donna

Birthday Princess

 Another birthday card but this time for my adorable granddaughter, Valerie, who will be turning 5 on October 6th. I am also working on Arthur's birthday card but it's not ready just yet. But Valerie is always talking about princesses and is in love with Disney princesses so I thought her card should be her favorite colors (pink and purple) and be all about princesses. And definitely sparkly just like her personality.

The image is the progressive image from The Outlawz for September called The Little Ballerina by Hetty Clare. Yes, I realize it's not a princess per say but I think she'll still be happy with the card. The background paper is from my stash. The glittery pink "crinkled paper is the background. The plaid paper is from Paper Pizazz I added a punched out tag piece in the top left corner that's chunky glitter paper. (It didn't photograph very well.) I used a purple gel pen to add some faux stitching to the plaid paper. The sentiment is computer-generated and die cut with MFT Pierced Fishtail Flags (retired). The image is colored with Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut. I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Progressive challenge: use the Little Ballerina image
• Sketch-N-Scrap challenge: sketch 
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Penny's challenge: anything goes

I have several more cards I need to get done. But I am running out of time. Thanks for stopping by today and staying with me in my long absences! Take care. Peace and all good.

Donna

Meerkat Happy Birthday

 Where did September go? I couldn't believe that I haven't made one card in September. And I told myself at the beginning of the month that I wasn't going to wait until the last minute to do my progressive challenges, but here I am; last minute once again.  But I managed to make a card I like, even though I feel like I've regressed since I stopped making cards. 

This adorable little guy is from Imagine That Digital Stamps called Meerkats. Lots of fun images and sentiments in this set. I needed a birthday card so I didn't use the sentiments from the set. I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers. Then I created the background by drawing the horizon line and coloring the "grass" and using MFT Cloudy Day stencil to ink the clouds with Salty Ocean Distress Ink. The base and layering are brown card stock. The background paper is from American Crafts Animal Prints Collection. I found some brown ric rac in my stash. The sentiment is from a retired set from Gina K Designs called Heartily Yours Additions by Nina Brackett, die cut with Quikcutz Tags, and inked with Tea Dye Distress Ink. To finish off the design and give it some sparkle I used Now and Then sparkly gold enamel dots. 

I am entering these challenges:

• Imagine That Digi of the Month: Meerkats
• Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2: sketch (the post specifically mentioned hexagons but I don't have those dies, so I used an octagon. I hope that's okay. And since I was making this for a male I used the sentiment strip instead of the bow.) 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Creative Knockouts: Tic Tac Toe  Middle row: bling / image / die cuts

  
• Love to Scrap Challenge: anything goes

One down and one to go. Why do I do this to myself? Haha! Thanks for stopping by. Hope you are safe and healthy! Peace and all goos!

Donna

Thank You Part 2

 Last night I added a couple of thank you cards that I've done for Teacher's Warehouse and explained a little about what we do there. So to finish off the set that I made here are the last two cards.

Image: recycled greeting card

Sentiment: Desert Diva freebie

Dies: Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Frame, Spellbinders Labels Thirteen

Ink: Mowed Lawn Distress Ink

Card Stock: kraft and white (somehow I lost the border frame for this one so I just added a white card stock frame from my stash)

Card #2:

Image: recycled greeting card

Sentiment: Simon Says/Newton's Nook Pocketful of Happiness (STAMPtember 2020 limited set)

Dies: Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Frame, Spellbinders Labels Thirteen

Ink: Mowed Lawn Distress Ink

Card Stock: kraft

I just love "punny" sentiments to give a little humor to the card. I use them often. I am entering these challenges:

• Creative Knockouts: funny/humorous
• Time Out challenge: colored card base
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends challenge: anything goes

I hope your Monday gets off to an amazing start. We are supposed to have rain today and I hope we do as it's very dry here. My garden could certainly use it. I will leave you with a picture that my husband took the other day.

Our squash do very well out at our second garden as you can see from what we picked on Saturday. The one that made me laugh was the 8 pound zucchini that I am holding. It was big enough to be a baby so we sent this picture to our kids to introduce them to their new "brother." Haha! Into the freezer tis baby goes. Zucchini have a way of hiding until you can't miss them. Besides zucchini we are growing spaghetti, butternut, and honeynut squash. I can't wait to start harvesting the sweet potatoes. Thanks for stopping by. Please stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

Thank You's Part 1

 I am going to end my month with a couple of thank you cards: two today and two tomorrow I hope. Tom and I volunteer at Teacher's Warehouse. Teachers from 5 surrounding counties can come shop at the store for free and get what they need for their classrooms. The only thing that we ask them to do is write 5 thank you notes to volunteers and donors. So with lots of teachers coming in for supplies we need lots of thank you notes. So I am on a mission to use up things from my stash to make thank you notes when I have the time. All the thank you notes I made this week are using recycled pictures from commercial greeting cards. I used dies and sentiments to embellish the cards.

Image: recycled greeting card

Sentiment: Tales from Pollycraft (this was a freebie; I see the blog hasn't been updated since 2015)

Dies: Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Frames, Gina Marie Designs  Wonky Stitched Ovals

Ink: Distress Oxide Fossilized Amber

Card Stock: Kraft

Image: recycled greeting card

Sentiment: Create With TLC

Dies: Gina Marie Designs Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Frames, MFT Pierced Fishtail Banners (retired)

Card Stock: kraft

I am entering these challenges:

• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Penny's Craft Challenge: anything goes
• QKR Stampede challenge: anything goes
• Love to Craft challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate you dropping by. Hope you have an amazing week. Stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

New Driver!

 Happy Wednesday! Two days in a row is a real change for me. I was acting manager at Opportunity House today. Our regular managers are on leave so we are taking turns being manager lately. But I have another card today for my other progressive challenge at The Outlawz.

Image and sentiment: Twinkle Lane Designs New Car

Designer Papers: the Paper Studio and Papers by Lozzy

Ribbon: from my stash

Die Cuts: MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares (sentiment); Die Cut Essentials Bright Rosa With Love Issue 62 (pierced rectangle behind image and sentiment)

Card base: red card stock

I am entering these challenges:

• Simon Says Wednesday: anything goes
• The Paper Shelter challenge: color it!
• Sunday Stamps challenge: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• The Outlawz Progressive challenge: use New Car Stamps

This stamp set came right in the nick of time for me. Tom's nephew just got his driver's license so this card is headed to him for his achievement. That's it for me today. Have to move on to a meeting on Zoom in about 45 minutes, so thanks for stopping by. Make it a wonderful day! Stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

 

Moooo Chas Gracias

 It's been quite a while since I had a chance to sit down at my desk. And once again the end of the month is approaching quickly and I don't have my progressive challenges done. So I am trying to get them caught up this week. My first card uses the fun stamp set from the Imagine That Digi of the Month.

Stamp set: Pretty Calf Imagine That Digi Stamps

Sentiment: from Create with TLC (Sorry I didn't use one from the Pretty Calf set but this is my favorite sentiment to use with a cow image!)

Dies: MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Square (image), TODO Basic Rectangles (sentiment)

Designer Paper: the Paper Studio (both papers)

Inking: Black Soot Oxide ink around the image

I am entering these challenges:

• Imagine That Digi of the Month: use Pretty Cow (Thanks Kris for this super cute set!)
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Scrapping 4 Fun challenge: more than 2 layers 

  
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: add a sentiment
• Penny's challenge: anything goes

I hope to be back with my remaining progressive challenge some time this week. Time is rolling by. Please stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

Happy Anniversary

 Welcome back! I needed a few cards this week so I made some time to get a  few done. Today's card is for an anniversary of a dear friend.

Sentiment: from my stash (I neglected to add the source)

Die Cuts: Gina Marie Designs Wonky Stitched Circles

Designer Paper: from my stash

Embellishments: Flowers cut from designer paper; leaves from Spellbinder's Foliage dies

Entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: summertime blues
• C.R.A.F.T. challenge: wedding/anniversary
• Penny's challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today! We had the twins all day today because we'll be traveling tomorrow. They will be going back to school on Monday. We had a great day! Take care. Please stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

Warm Winter Wear

 Welcome to August! It's time once again for a new challenge at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. Sadly this is my last post for the design team. I have decided to leave the team for now. But this month we have a fun challenge for you. As always you can do anything goes as long as it's a card or you can choose the option which is Warm Winter Wear this month. Our sponsor is All Dressed Up!

Because of the sketch I chose to use I could easily make two cards for this challenge. The image is from All Dressed Up called Christmas Couple. I colored the images with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut them with Gina Marie Designs Wonky Circles and inked them with Lemonade distress ink. The background papers are from the new set from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles named Knitted Textures. 

Someone who enters will win this set. I added pearls (brown on one and white on the other) for embellishment around the stitching. I also added buttons die cut from MFT Button Quartet (retired). Each of the sweaters had a snowflake on them. The snowflake was rather tiny and difficult to see so instead I added a white heart shape die cut from Paper Smooches Paw Prints die set. To finish off I used Diamond Stickles on the Santa hat and hearts. I hope you'll play along with us this month and show us what you are working on.

I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Creative Knockouts challenge: Christmas in July
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas challenge: anything goes
• Penny's challenge: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by to check out my creations. Make your week blessed. Stay safe. Peace and all good!

Donna

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