Getting My Craft On

Good Morning Friends.  Guess what day it is?  Yep, you guessed it...it's Hump Day!!!  Dang, I still love that commercial. :)

I want to thank all of my friends and followers who left the sweetest thoughts for me during the last two weeks as I went through one of the saddest times of my life.  All of y'all's prayers meant so much to me.  I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.  

I know that my Granny is in a much better place and as one of my DT team mates said to me, she's saving me a seat in Heaven.  The service was absolutely beautiful.  It was just what she would have wanted. 

So, I have been able to get back to crafting.  I sure missed it while I was gone.  I hate being away from my craft room.  It's my relaxation and decompression area.

Today begins a new challenge at The Crafter's Cafe. Our theme this week is to "Make a Square Card." That was pretty easy for me since most of my cards are square ones.   

We have two wonderful sponsors this week:
                              

I am using Fred She Said Designs for my card today.  Are y'all ready to meet Rosy??

I think she's adorable.  I decided to make this a Mother's Day card and used a stamp from SU for the sentiment.  Rosy is decoupaged with 4 layers.  I'm not sure how much you can tell it.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today.  I hope y'all will continue to keep up with me now that I am back and getting crafty.  

Have a wonderful day and God bless y'all.

Recipe:
Image: Fred She Said Designs Rosy with Flower digi
Sentiment: Stampin' Up  More Great Greetings (1993)
Coloring Medium: Crayola Colored Pencils, Gamsol
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Cardstock: Green--Recollections, Pink--Colorbok
Paper: DCWV
Buttons: My stash
Ribbon: My stash
Tools: Fiskar's Trimmer, ATG Gun, Glue Dots, Pop Dots

Challenges:
Ladybug Crafts Ink--For a Special Lady
Paper Take Weekly--For Mom/Special Lady
Party Time Tuesday--#164 Animals
Shopping Our Stash--#143 Buttons and Bows

Dude!

It' still Monday, but I have another card for y'all. This uses a cute set from Fred She Said.  They have some great images for sale in their store.  Y'all should check them out.

I used the Whimsie Doodles sketch for January, but I put my own spin on it.  I also used the color combination from Chromatic Craze and it's in the two designer papers.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today.  I hope y'all have a wonderful day.  God bless.

Recipe:
Image: Empty Pocket Shrugger Digi Set Fred She Said
Sentiments: Same set
Coloring Medium: Crayola Colored Pencils, Gamsol, BIC Markers, Glitter Gel Pens
Cardstock: Blue, Orange (Recollections)
Papers: The Paper Studio Celebrations paper pad
Tools: Fiskar's Trimmer, ATG Gun, pop dots, Coluzzles Circle Cutter and Blade


Challenges:
Whimsie Doodles--Sketch
Sentimental Sundays-More than 3 Layers
Chromatic Craze--#6
Cardz 4 Guys--Happy Birthday

2013 in Review

Hello, my friends.  Today is New Year's Eve.  The last day of 2013.  As I sit here, looking back on this year, I see alot of things.  Good things, bad things, sad things, happy things and every where in between.  This has been a hard year for my family.  We've struggled with deaths in our family.  My dad passed away on Memorial Day from cancer, my uncle passed away two weeks after that from cancer, and we lost my 23 year old cousin to a drunk driving accident in July.  We've struggled financially, emotionally, and physically.  During the first few months of this year I was recovering from a broken neck and neck surgery, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and for Christmas, I had the Shingles.

But, on the bright side, my husband and I have a stronger relationship, my daughter is doing great in 4th grade and I have three new design team positions for the new year.  I have been enjoying my current design team positions and have been stretching my boundaries with my card making.

I would like to revisit some of my most favorite cards of 2013.  These are the ones that I think turned out the best.  I hope y'all enjoy this trip down memory lane.

This one was made for Sassy Studio Designs PCP challenge

I followed a sketch challenge to create this card.

Using a new star burst technique

One of the cards made for Teapot Tuesday over at Splitcoast Stampers

Kenny K's wonderful talent just inspires me

I made this card for my dad's 65th birthday, but never got to give it to him.

Another beautiful Kenny K creation

I think this has to be my most favorite of the whole year.  I just love how this one turned out.

Using a Dustin Pike image.

I love sunflowers, and this Fred She Said set is just beautiful.

Beccy Muir created this amazing birdhouse.  It was one of the first cards that added all those flowers to.

This is one of my first tries at Gothic art.  Terri's image is just beautiful.

This was my design team call entry for Kenny K.

Using the same image from Delicious Doodles as I did previously shows the versatility of Teri's images.

My first Gothic inspired altered project.  I joined the 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop with Smeared and Smudged this year and this was one of the projects.

A wonderful image from Rick St. Dennis.  His images are so fun.

QKR Design Team entry during October

This beautiful little girl is a QKR Design Team entry that you will see next week, but I just love it and since I created it in 2013, I wanted to showcase it.

Thank you for taking this trip down memory lane with me.  There are tons more cards that I love and have enjoyed making, but I didn't want to burn out your retinas.  I look forward to seeing each and every one of you in the new year and being able to showcase my work for another year.  Thank you for being my followers.  I have made it almost up to 100.  I'm very humbled that I have that many people interested in my work.  I truly appreciate all the wonderful comments y'all have left for me during this past year and I look forward to seeing alot more.  I love reading them.  My New Year's wish for all my friends in blog land is:

May you always have sunshine in your face, food on your table, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, family and friends surrounding you, enough faith to sustain you, and may your crafting always make you happy.

Happy New Year!

The Crafter's Cafe with Fred, She Said

Guess what day it is?  Yep, that's right.  It's HHUUUMMPPP DDDAAAYYY!  Woot! Woot!  I absolutely love that commercial.  That camel trips me out.

So, that being said, welcome to another Crafter's Cafe challenge.  This week, we are using Fred, She Said images to create something with "Flowers".  I chose Daisies and Ladybugs.

I fell in love with this set when I saw it.  It's so cute.  I colored the image with colored pencils and OMS.  I then fussy cut around the daisies and added pop dots to them.  (I printed out two copies of the daisy chain.) I also cut out the little ladybug that I placed on the sentiment.  I used black card stock from Recollections as my base and mats.  The DP's are all from my stash.  I inked the edges of the image and sentiment with DI Vintage Photo.

I sure hope to see some of you at Crafter's Cafe this week with a Flower entry.  The prize? Fred, She Said images.  It's worth it to enter!

Hope y'all have a great day!  Thanks for stopping in for a visit.  God bless!

Thank You Mom

Good Morning again.  Thanks for stopping in today.  I hope you enjoy your visit.

The showcase card uses a couple of images from Fred She Said.  I used my Spectrum Noir pens to add some color to the images.

I decided to use a purple/green combo for this card.  I think this has to be one of my favorite color schemes..along with pink/green, pink/brown, pink/black and turquoise/brown.  

I printed off the images on Neenah card stock and colored them in.  I then fussy cut the top layer of flowers and the top butterfly.  I used a Nestabilities circle die to cut out the main image.  I used a piece of Colorbok Lavender card stock to make the scalloped circle with the Nestabilities.  I used pop dots to add the flower layer and the butterfly.

The card begins with a Lavender card base from Colorbok measuring 6" square.  I don't know why I am on a square kick, but I have been making alot of them lately.  I then cut some DP from K and Co. and some purple and green card stock from Colorbok in 1/8th and 1/4th inch increments and layered them alternating between card stock and DP.  I wrapped a purple satin ribbon around the middle and tied a bow, the best one I have ever tied, to the left side.  I then used pop dots to add the focal image.  I used Versa Magic Plumeria ink to stamp the greeting (Studio G) onto white card stock.  I then fussy cut the sentiment and added to the bottom left.  I added some purple flat back pearls to finish off the card.

I hope you find this card pleasing.  I really like the way it turned out.  Thanks for popping in today.  Have a great day.  God bless y'all.

Challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday--#196
Crafts 4 Eternity--#114 Marvellous Mums
The Outlawz--Monday Greetings 030413