Nice Warm Hug

 I have a friend who had surgery earlier this week and I wanted to send her a card wishing her a speedy recovery. So I thought tonight I would work toward getting that card finished.

The image is the progressive image this month for the Outlawz Progressive challenge called It's Tea Time from The Paper Shelter. I used the pre-colored version. The designer papers and card stock are from my scrap stash. I fussy cut the image since it was already a square. The sentiment is from Create with TLC and die cut with Clear Dollar Stamps Designer Labels (sadly no longer in business). I inked the die cut with Tea Dye Distress Ink. Very appropriate with the name of the stamp, right? The corners were punched from a Stampin' Up Punch. The arrows is a die cut from MFT Blueprints 13 (retired). My card base and arrows are cut from dark brown card stock. I am entering these challenges:

• The Outlawz Progressive challenge: use It's Tea Time image
• Outlawz Wednesday Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: anything goes
• Creative Knockouts challenge: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes

I do believe that tomorrow I may get some time to craft. I have a design team project that I need to finish and I'd love to get more birthday cards done. There are also plenty of thank you cards to do for Teacher's Warehouse. So lots to do. I hope you are staying safe and God bless!

Donna

Noel

 Another bright (and plaid) card today. I challenged myself as I cleaned off my desk to use only the things I found on it. 

The image was a leftover from my design team card for 12 Months of Christmas this month. The image is from Taylor Made Cards 4U. I fussy cut the image and popped up the image with foam tape. The tag is die cut from MFT Blueprints 13 (retired) and I fussy cut a backing black tag. The plaid paper is from MFT Merry and Bright patterned paper (used on a card earlier this wee). The sentiment is die cut from Spellbinder's Holiday background die. I found that in the corner of my desk that I used months ago on a card. (It's been a while since I cleaned off my desk). Even the card base was a leftover on my desk from  another card. Whenever I need a card base I use a full sheet and make two cards so I check my extras first before I make a new card base. I am entering these challenges:

• CAS Colours & Sketches: sketch 
  
• Rudolph Days: anything Christmas goes
• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes 
• Simon Says Wednesday: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

I thought I would get back to crafting on Tuesday this week but that didn't happen as I had hoped. We went back to Baby Creek to work on the barn. We've finally finished the outside so now we have lots of details on the inside. I'll really be quite happy when it's complete. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow. Please stay safe and God bless!

Donna

Don't Light the Candles

 Back again today with another birthday card. Stocking up since my supply has been depleted. If you've been around my blog you know how much I love plaid paper but I may have gone a little overboard this time. LOL!

There are 4 different plaid papers on this card. I originally had a plain white background and didn't like it so I added a fourth plaid paper. Maybe I should have gone for a solid color? What do you think? The cupcake image is from Beccy's Place. In my files I have it labeled birthday cupcake but I wasn't able to find it in Beccy's freebies or in the store as part of a set. The sentiment is from a Beccy's Place stamp set called Birthday Stanley and apparently it's been retired as I don't see it in the store either. But I think the sentiment is so cute! The plaid paper is from My Favorite Things Merry & Bright (retired). The white card stock layer is die cut with MFT Blueprints 13 A2 die (retired). The three smaller pieces of plaid paper are die cut with Spellbinder's Classic Rectangles Large. The ribbon is from my stash as is the blue gem that I used. I am entering these challenges:

• Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: sketch 
  
• Cupcake Inspiration 500th Birthday challenge: birthday 

  
• Beccy's Place August challenge: use a Beccy's Place image; optional flip a coin (I really started to do this and managed to get several of my flips completed but the color flip through me off since I wanted to use the plaid paper. But I did  complete the birthday theme; add ribbon; add something shiny; and use a sketch.)
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• Carlin's Map Paradise: anything goes

The day is almost over. I'm thrilled to have some time to play today. I hope to get some more time tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by. I'll leave you with some pictures of the twins. I haven't posted any for a while. They started school again last week so these were taken when they got their hair cut getting ready to return to school.

                                                Valerie                                            Arthur

Please stay safe and God bless!

Donna

Where's the Cake?

 Happy Monday! August is swiftly counting down and September is looming closer all the time. Time is moving on and the pandemic has settled into our town suddenly. The students are back. They sent a number of them home who tested positive and they've suspended those who are caught partying so the university really is trying to keep a handle on the students. But our numbers are increasing at a faster rate than before. Our mayor issued a 15 person limit for public events. The times they are a changing!

So I found that I have nothing on my calendar for the first part of this week. I am going to take advantage of that and try to up my supply of birthday cards of which I am almost depleted. I had been working on thank you cards for Teacher's Warehouse. They want very simple cards that can be mailed for a single stamp so nothing fancy. Last week I did 40 cards for them. So far this week I have 22 finished, but I am taking a break from them and moving to birthday (and anniversary as I have need several of those for September). So here's a birthday card I worked on this afternoon.

The image is from Bugaboo Stamps called Dollar Candle Cake. I colored the image with American Craft and Spectrum Noir markers and die cur it with Gina Marie Designs Wonky Stitched Circles. Teacher's Warehouse gave me a bunch of patterned paper and this colorful word patterned paper came from there with no indication as to the manufacturer. The sentiment is from W Plus 9 Unforgettable stamp set and die cut with MFT Essential Fishtail Sentiment Strips. I used black card stock for layering and a pink card base. The icing is sparkly with a coat of Wink of Stella. I am entering these challenges:

• Stella Sketch Catch the Bug: sketch 
  
• Cupcake Inspiration: 500th birthday challenge 

  
• Seize the Birthday: rainbow colors 

  
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: oh so cute
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Almost dinner time here so I'll probably get back to crafting this evening I hope. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you are staying safe and God bless!

Donna

Chase the Falling Leaves

 I can't believe it's been an entire week since I posted. I have been crafting but I didn't take pictures. I made 40 thank you cards this past week for Teacher's Warehouse. They give them to the teachers and ask them to send a thank you to donors and volunteers. They went though 250 thank you cards during our first few weeks open so I said I'd make some simple ones that I could mass produce and I used a lot of images and sentiments that I already had printed/stamped and colored so that I could make a lot of cards in a short time. But tonight I wanted to make a card for my stash and here's what I came up with.

The leaves are from Lawn Fawn called Stitched Leaves. I die cut the leaves from paper that I got from Teacher's Warehouse (TW). They had a huge amount of paper and gave me a big box of the excess. None of it is printed with the manufacturer. The background paper is from the TW stash and die cut with the A2 stitched die from MFT Blueprint 13 (retired). The sentiment is from Create with TLC. I used an EK Success punch to punch out the sentiment and then inked it with distress oxide inks: Abandoned Coral, Fossilized Amber and Orange Marmalade. I mounted the front on a brown base card stock. I am entering these challenges:

• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Hand Stamped Sentiments: fall inspiration photo 

  
• The Outlawz Monday Greeting challenge: for him 
• Scrapping4Fun: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today. I will try to get some other cards completed this weekend as I have a few birthdays coming up soon. I hope you are stay safe and healthy. God bless!

Donna

Make Some Waves

 Happy Thursday! We are almost halfway through August already! Where does the time go? I had some time last night to put together a birthday card after returning from Cincinnati and helping with jobs at my FIL's house.

The image is from Pattie's Creations. It's the freebie of the month at her challenge blog. The image is colored with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut with a tag die from MFT Blueprints 13 (retired). The Make Waves sentiment is from Annymous Stamps (a freebie from ages ago and I could no longer find on the web). The rest of the sentiment is computer generated and die cut with MFT Blueprints 32 small banner die (retired). The background paper is from my scrap box but I believe it's from the Paper Studio. I finished off with some gem stone "bubbles". I don;t use orange much but when I researched the color of seahorses a bunch of them seemed to be kind of orange so I went with it.

I am entering these challenges:

• Pattie's Creations: beach/under the sea
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies: use a critter
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: sketch 
  
• AAA Birthday: Tic Tac Toe (masculine, die cuts, patterned paper) 
  
• Simon Says Wednesday: midsummer blues
• Seize the Birthday: anything goes 
  

I am hoping to get more time to play later today. I made a list of things I needed to do today and I am slowly ticking them off. So hopefully I'll finish out the list and have time to craft! The laundry is calling me right now. LOL! I am slowly getting used to this new blogger design so I may not be getting everything correct just yet. Please stay safe and God bless!

Donna

Missing a Tooth?

For the progressive challenge this month for Limited Runs, we are supposed to use this cute monster image. When I looked at him the first thing I thought about was his missing teeth. So I thought why not make a card for loosing a tooth. Those of you who have been by my blog more than once know that I have twin grandbabies so I figured I would make one for each of them for when they loose their first tooth.

This is both of the cards that I made. Instead of his hand in the image I popped up a tooth that I printed and fussy cut. The images are colored with Spectrum Noir markers and die cut with MFT Blueprints 13 A2 stitched die. I love plaid paper so I used plaid paper from my scrap box for each of the cards. The sentiment is computer-generated and die cut with the washi tape die from MFT Blueprints 13. I backed each of the sentiments with matching card stock and added a slim piece of the card stock along the plaid. The hearts and tooth are coated with Wink of Stella. To finish each off I added a sparkly gem. (Right now Valerie loves to peel these off the cards so I hope she grows out of that before I have to send her this card. LOL!) 

I am entering these challenges:

Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge: sketch 

Crafty Friends challenge: anything goes 

Simon Says Wednesday: use your favorite tool (dies)

A Bit More Tie to Craft: anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper: use patterned paper

I'll be missing for the next few days. We are going to run over to Cincinnati and help Tom's Dad with some jobs. Thanks for stopping by. Please stay safe and God Bless!

Donna

We Have a Birthday

 Another birthday card today. I used some things I haven't used in a while. And some of my favorite things.

I used a number of Distress Oxide Inks: Salty Ocean, Black Soot, Fossilized Amber, Broken China, and Seedless Preserves for the background. I used masking paper to mask off the inked area that was die cut with MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Squares. The images are from MFT Space Explorer, colored with Spectrum Noir markers, and die cut with the coordinating dies. The sentiment is from the same set, stamped with Versa Fine Onyx Black and embossed with clear embossing powder.. The balloons and stars are covered with Wink of Stella and have a really nice sparkle to them. I am entering these challenges: 

• My Favorite Things Summer School Day 5: white space
• Creative Knockouts: sparkle and shine
• Simon Says Wednesday challenge: use your favorite tool (masking paper and DOIs)
• The Male Room challenge: birthday 
  
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you are enjoying your week. Stay safe and God bless!

Donna

A Good Wine

Happy Thursday! Hope your week is going well! The weekend is almost here. It will be a busy one for us. The twins are coming all day on Saturday and we are having dinner and paying cards with some friends on Sunday. Good times to look forward to. Hope your weekend has some fun in it too. I finished a card this afternoon.

The image is from Bugaboo Stamps called Frame It Red Wine. The image is colored with Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut since it had a frame. I used a black marker to go around the edges so the white card stock wouldn't show. The sentiment is a computer-generated one that I added to the image. I also added some white highlights with a gel pen. The patterned paper is from Papers by Lozzy from the Plaid collection. The Cheers sentiment is from Gina K Designs A Charmed Life (retired). The inside finishes the sentiment. It reads: 

Open the bottle to allow it to breathe

If it doesn't look like it's breathing,

give it mouth-to-mouth.

Happy Birthday!

I am entering these challenges:

• Catch the Bug: anything goes
• Incy Wincy challenge: sketch 
  
• Simon Says Monday: Happy Birthday
• The Male Room: masculine birthday 
  
• The Outlawz Monday Greetings: birthday

Thanks for checking out my project this afternoon. I may get something else done after dinner. Right now we have to go volunteer at Teacher's Warehouse. Stay safe and God bless!

Donna

Anniversary

I haven't been doing a lot of crafting this week. Too busy with other things. My Favorite Things started their summer school series this week. I really wanted to play along but the week is passing quickly. I did manage to get Day 1 finished.

Day 1 was all about the visual triangle. I used MFT Wildflowers and formed my triangle with three different flowers from the set. Within that triangle I placed my sentiment from the MFT Together Forever stamp set (retired). And to add a little interest I used a white gel pen to doodle on the flowers and some sequins, also in visual triangles. I am entering these challenges:

• My Favorite Things Summer School Day 1: Visual Triangle
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Crafty Sentiments Designs: anything goes
• Crafty Friends: summer colors
• Crafter's Cafe: anything goes

The barn roof is finally complete but there are a ton of little details to go along with raising the roof. Today we dug ditches for pipe from the downspouts, so the rain will flow away from the barn. I can safely say I would never choose ditch digging as my profession. LOL! That's one detail that I am glad is finished. Thanks for stopping by today. Stay safe and God bless!

Donna

Shimmer and Shine

Happy August 1st! And welcome to a new challenge at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up! Our theme is always anything goes for a Christmas card but we also have an optional theme; this month is shimmer and shine! Our sponsor this month is TaylorMadeCards4U

For my card I used the Special Delivery Christmas Digital Kit. The Santa and the plaid paper are from the kit. The textured paper is one of the papers from the paper pack that Decosse's Dynamite Doodles offers as a prize. Here's the entire packet up for grabs this month.

I finished off my card with some sequins that I filled with Dimensional Magic for more texture. I hope you'll join us this month at 12 Months of Christmas Link Up! I am entering these challenges:

• Crafty Hazelnut Christmas: anything goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft: anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes
• Outlawz Crash your Stash: sequins
• Catch the Bug: anything goes

Thanks for stopping by. Please stay safe and God bless!