Lighthouse

Sorry to be so late posting tonight. I was having "Blogger technical issues", but apparently they are fixed now.

Always remember that to enlarge an image you can <----click on it. The main image in this card is Lighthouse from Inkadinkado. I just love the serenity of that image!

I stamped it on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then colored using Tombow markers and a blender pen.

I really could have made this card larger, but I prefer to mail A2 size cards, so I scrunched it all onto a regular size card. If you wanted more room to embellish, you could easily make this into a 5.5" square card.

The photo corner was punched with an EK Nostalgiques corner punch, then brads were added for dimension. I used a glue dot to add a small starfish in the lower left corner for balance and added interest.

So, where did the weekend go??? It's over already???

I appreciate your stopping by. Try to have a happy Monday!

JOY!

After running errands this morning I decided to make a card to post tonight. I used to say that I don't post on Saturday nights, but somehow that has managed to change the last few weeks!

The main image on this card is from Stampendous, and it's called Doodle Joy .

I stamped the sentiment both on cranberry cardstock and on pink cardstock embossing with detail white embossing powder. Then I used both colors to paper piece, putting the elements on foam tape for dimension.

The Christmas balls on the tree are Pink GeoShapes Sparkler Stickers, and the ones on the ornament are Red GeoShapes .

I used a corner rounder on the stamped panel as well as the pink layer behind it.

The designer paper is from Daisy D's and is called Ric Rac Stripes. I adhered a piece of pink ric rac to a cranberry panel and centered it over the designer paper for interest and dimension.

The scalloped note card is from a DCWV packet I found today at Michael's. While crusing my favorite blogs on Google Reader this morning I noted an adorable scalloped card made by Sweet Miss Daisy . She found hers at Target, but at my Target they only had them in really funky colors! LOL!

So....that's it for tonight. Thanks for tuning in, and I hope you have a fun and relaxing Sunday!

Have a bee-utiful day!

I've been playing with background colors a bit. It's amazing how much difference the background makes the card look.

Actually the darker background is green, but I think it looks black in this picture. Which color do you think looks better?

Anyway....this is a card that I made some time ago and neglected to post. Scary that I forget so many things these days!

The main image is from Stampendous. The stamp is called Bee Daisy . I stamped it on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The stamped image was colored with Tombow markers, then I added a little Crystal Stickles Glitter Glue to the wings. It was then punched with a Marvy Mega Oval punch. The yellow layer behind it was stamped with a Marvy Giga Scallop Punch . I used a black gel pen to doodle around the scallops.

The sentiment is an A Muse stamp called Bee-utiful Day . I added the A Muse Tiny Bee to the sentiment panel.

The patterned paper is from Basic Grey, and the ribbon is from May Arts.

So....have a great weekend. I hope you get in a little stamping time.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Shoebox Party Card by Jackie!

My dear friend Jackie contributed this beautiful card to our Shoebox Party.

I love the rich fall colors, and the cute little tag. The stamps are from Stampin' Up, and the inks are ColorBox chalk inks.

The smaller pumpkin was cut out and popped up for dimension, and the "give thanks" tiny tag was tied with raffia.

The corners were punched with the Corner Adorner Concave punch.

Adorable card, Jackie! And it was such a pleasure to have you with us for a fun day of stamping. Thanks so much!

Shoebox Party Card by Nancy

This Shoebox Party card was created by my friend Nancy!

All stamps are from Papertrey. Both the background and the main image were inked with red chalk ink. The main image was trimmed, then layered with a red cardstock panel. We added Hero Arts Clear Gemstones to the center of two of the flowers.

The ribbon is from May Arts.

Thanks Nancy...great card!

Sailboat

This is a new stamp I have in the store from Inkadinkado called Sailboat .

I stamped it on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then colored with Tombow markers and a blender pen. It's so easy to color. For those of you who don't like to color large images, this would be a good stamp for you. It's quick and easy to color!

I'm not sure who makes the paper since I cut off and sewed that part to the card before writing it down. My bad!

The sewing was done with my Janome Sew Mini. As much as I love this little machine, the only problem I'm having with it is sewing straight. It doesn't have the guide lines like my big machine, so I'm still trying to figure out how to keep a straight line. Any suggestions from those of you who have this machine? I'm all ears!

So....tomorrow is Friday! TGIF! Have a good one....and thanks for stopping by!

Hummingbird with Flowers

Oh, how I DO love this image! It's from Inkadinkado and it's called Hummingbird with Flowers .

I received this card in today's mail from my friend Debbie Gunion . Is she sweet to me, or what? :-)

<---Click to enlarge

The image is stamped on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink. It was colored and shaded with Tombow markers and a Tombow blender pen. I just love the way she added Stickles Glitter Glue to the wings and the tail. And her shading is total perfection, don't you think? If you click on the photo to enlarge it you can see the details much better.

Thanks Debbie....I LOVE this card! As always, you did a beautiful job!

And I thank each of you for stopping by. I will have something new for you tomorrow night.

Shoebox Party Card by Susan

This card was contributed by my friend Susan.

I think this is called a View Master card. If you turn the wheel you see different images through the circle at the top of the card.

I won't even attempt to tell you how we made this! Susan had a template for us with instructions, so it was pretty easy with that in front of me.

The stamps are from Hero Arts, and we used two different circle punches.

Isn't it an adorable card? Great job, Susan!

Bad news...and good news

The bad news is no time for stamping tonight! The good news is that I have new stamps in stock at the store!

After working late at the office about two hours, I arrived home to find two orders on my doorstep. So I decided you would much rather have new stamps to ogle over than to see one of my creations! LOL!

The Stampendous Witch Shoes stamp is back in stock...finally!

I also have the new just released Chitango The Monkey clear stamp set, as well as other Chitango Stamps. Sooooo cute!

There are many others, so be sure to check them out HERE .

I also listed the Paper Inspirations stamps, so be sure to check them out too!

I'm totally pooped.....going to wash my face and take a nap. I will be rejuvinated by tomorrow, so please stop back by for something new!

Shoebox Party Card by Varon

Are these adorable, or what?

They were contributed to our Shoebox Party by my friend Varon.

She gave us the template for this size, and a smaller size as well. There is a recipe inside, and the idea is to put this in a basket with the homemade food gift. What a great gift idea!

I really like the little buttons, too!

Thanks Varon...these are so fun and cute! And they are just perfect for holiday gift giving!

Art Brush Turkey

I was on a bit of a roll after participating in my first challenge yesterday, so I tried another one. Gosh, this could become addictive! LOL!

The sketch challenge was posted at one of the blogs I stalk. If you've never been to Jen del Muro's blog, you must go there. Her work is awesome, and so inspiring! Besides that, she lives in Texas, not so far from here...so we're practically neighbors! :-)

You can see the sketch we were to follow HERE .

The background for this card is mustard cardstock, stamped with Memories Crimson ink using my SU! linen background stamp. I distressed the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The designer paper panel was also distressed, as was the turkey panel.

The turkey is from Paper Inspirations, and is called Art Brush Turkey . He was also stamped on mustard cardstock, then layered several times for added color and dimension.

Really, I think everything else is self explanatory. But if not don't hesitate to email me.

This was a LOT of fun, and it made me think outside the box. And that's a good thing! Thanks Jen...great sketch!

So, that's it for tonight, peeps. Be sure to check back tomorrow.

Shoebox Party Card by Mary

For Saturday's Shoebox Party, my friend (and SU! Demo) Mary contributed this card.

I know that the background stamp is the Paisley background. I don't know the name of the sentiment we used, but I just love it. Isn't it a great sentiment that any friend would love to receive?

We punched the sentiment with a Marvy Mega Circle punch, then layered it with a Marvy Giga Scalloped Circle .

The corner punch is also from SU!. I don't have that punch yet. Hmmm....I feel another purchase coming on! LOL! We added paper piercing in the right corner for balance.

Beautiful card, Mary! Thanks so much!

Thank U

For the first time EVAH...today I participated in a challenge at Splitcoast. I've wanted to do that for such a long time, so today I just gave myself permission to play. :-)

The challenge was to case a card from the gallery of StarofMay . Many of you have probably visited her blog at Kwerner Design . I have her on Google Reader and check her new creations daily. Her style is very clean, crisp and uncluttered. I like that!

You can see the card I cased HERE .

The main image on my card is from a Hero Arts set called Letter Messages . I inked the word thank with Versafine Sepia ink, and the U was inked with VersaColor Cardinal ink. I then embossed using JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

I used a Coluzzle to cut out both the sentiment circle, and the red circle. Just for fun, I added a bead of Crystal Stickles around the edge of the red circle layer.

The yellow scalloped strip was made with my corner rounder punch. The designer paper is from Basic Grey, the lime grosgrain ribbon is from May arts.

This was soooooo much fun. I must do it again!

Thanks for stopping by. I have lots more for you this week, so stay tuned!

Outlines Poinsettia

I really love this card. And I do so hope my photograph does it justice, because in real life, it's a looker! LOL!

All stamps on this card are from Outlines, and the stamps used for the poinsettia are not really Christmas stamps.

To make the poinsettia I stamped the Medium Clematis twice, and the Large Clematis once on red cardstock. I used VersaMark ink to stamp, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder.

For the leaves I stamped on green cardstock with Leaf 1 Small and Leaf 1 Medium . They were also stamped with VersaMark, and embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder.

All Clematis and leaves were cut out and arranged on the cream colored layer. I used Scotch Foam Tape to layer some of the Clematis to give it dimension.

The sentiment is Outlines Merry . It was stamped twice on green cardstock, then once on red. Layers were cut out and adhered with foam tape.

I hope I didn't skip any steps. If any part of this was unclear, please feel free to email me.

I had a GREAT day today! We had a shoebox party at my house this morning and it was sooooooooooo much fun! I have some cool new cards to share with you later this week, so be sure to check back in.

Thanks so much!

Ghostly Greetings

This is a card from the archives, actually made last year. The stamp set used for the three windows is Hero Arts Halloween Two Stamp Set .

The ghost was stamped twice, and the pumpking stamped once on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink. They were then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. Can you see the fine embossed edge it gives you? Just perfect for watercoloring!

Each of the stamped images was colored using Tombow markers and a blender pen. Of course, you can use any waterbased markers.

A Marvy square punch was used to cut three squares from the front of the note card. The colored images were strategically placed inside so they would show through the windows.



The greeting on the outside of the card is from my very FAVE Hero Arts Halloween set. It's called Ghostly Greetings . There are three Halloween greetings in this set, and one of them almost ALWAYS meets my needs for a Halloween card!

I'm having a few friends over tomorrow morning for a little shoebox party, so I should have lots of new things to show you in the coming days! I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!

So...thanks once again for stopping by tonight. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Merriest Christmas To You!

I wasn't going to post anything tonight, then changed my mind at the last minute. This is actually a card that I made last Christmas.

The background stamp is Penny Black's Christmas Colors . You may recall that I recently that same stamp on another card HERE .

To make the background for this card, I colored on the rubber with Tombow markers, spritzed with water, then stamped three different times.

The sentiment is also from Penny Black and is called Merriest To You . I stamped it on a white panel using VersaMark Ink and embossed with JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder.

The shadow behind the sentiment was made with a piece of Cut-n-Dry Foam cut into the size needed for my shadow. I inked the gray side of the foam piece, then stamped it as my shadow. In addition to making your own shadow stamps, it has a lot of other uses. Another thing I like is that when you're finished, you simply wash off the ink and use it again with another color.

I keep all my cut shapes in a zip lock bag in a drawer in my studio. Before cutting a new pice I always check to see if I already have one cut that will work. So handy....and pretty thrifty too! :-)

So that's it for tonight, friends. I thank you for stopping by.

Put On Your Poker Face

When I was making this card I liked it. But once I finished and stepped away from it I decided it was kind of busy. The next time I make it I think I will use red or black cardstock instead of designer paper. But since I have it ready I'm displaying it for you tonight as it is.

The main image is designed by Dawn Houser for Inkadinkado and it's called Poker Face . It is definitely a girlfriends kinda stamp! :-)

I colored on the rubber with red and black Tombow markers, then stamped on white glossy cardstock. The reason I used glossy paper is because the colors are more vibrant than on matte cardstock, and I wanted them to be bright. I used a corner rounder on the stamped panel, then layered twice more, once with red and again with black.

As a background for the embellishments I cut cardstock squares then used my corner rounder on those as well. I put a strip of yellow cardstock down the center of each for contrast so the embellishments would show up a bit better.

The embellishments at the bottom are actually buttons I found in a package at Michael's a long time ago. I clipped the shanks off the back and used Glue Dots to adhere them to the cardstock panels.

The background paper is from The Paper Studio. I found it at Hobby Lobby.

So...is it too busy? What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by tonight!

Thinking of You

I took several photos of this card trying to do it justice, and didn't ever quite get there. Isn't this stamp beautiful? It's from Inkadinkado and is called Thinking of You Flourish .

To make this card was really so very simple. I stamped the Thinking of You Flourish on blue cardstock using VersaMark Ink . Then I embossed using JudiKins Lapis Lazuli embossing powder. It's such a pretty color, kind of blue and copper mixed together. I do so wish the photo was better so you could see it.

I trimmed the corners of my stamped panel with my Corner Concave Punch , then layered twice more with a darker blue, then a chocolate cardstock. To layer I used Scotch Mounting Tape for added dimension.

The background was stamped and embossed using only the edges of the Thinking of You Flourish stamp. I also used the Concave punch for the corners, then placed a Blue GeoShapes Sparkler Sticker where each corner was punched out.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog tonight. I am encouraged by your continued support. I read each and every comment...and they mean a lot to me.

I'm off to wrap some packages for mailing from today's web store purchases. With some luck, I might even get to bed early!

Wishes for a Joyous Season

When I got home from work tonight I started playing and stamping a bit. Before I knew it I looked at the clock and it's now 8:45! I haven't made dinner or done anything else I was supposed to do tonight. Sound familiar? :-)

All the stamps on this card are from Penny Black. First I colored on the rubber of my Harlequin Border stamp with Tombow markers in two shades of green. Then I spritzed it with water using my JudiKins Fine Mist Spritzer and stamped it on a white panel.

The Joyous Season stamp was inked with Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. I used a stamp positioner, but you could probably just eye-ball it.

The designer paper is from Daisy D's. I used my Janome Sew Mini to stitch it to a red panel. The dark green panel was also stitched using white thread and a zig zag stitch. I put a little piece of red cardstock in there for added color, zig zagging it to the green panel. I'm trying to build up my confidence in what I can do with this little machine!

This card was pretty fun for me because I was a little out of my comfort zone. I was experimenting with some new things that I don't normally do. Step by step...inch by inch. I'll get there!

Thanks so much for checking in. Have a fabulous Tuesday!

Eat Ham!

When I saw this stamp in the Inkadinkado catalog I just knew I had to have it! Isn't he just too adorable?

The stamp is called Eat Ham! I stamped it on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The image was colored with Tombow markers and a blender pen. I slightly distressed the edges with a Paper Distresser , then inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink just to add a little depth.

I am really proud of myself here....I zig zagged the center panel to my card using brown thread and my Janome Sew Mini. I really do like the texture it adds to the card. I'm a texture girl! LOL!

So, I will probably send a few Thanksgiving cards this year. I have some friends who I know will get a real chuckle out of this one!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Tomorrow is Monday...another week full of new challenges!

Thanks so much for stopping by. And have a great day!

Too much fun!

I have to tell you that even thought I didn't get to stamp today, I had entirely too much fun!

I went to my younger son's new house, which is about 90 miles from here. ALL the grands were there.........6 total. They are all boys....with the exception of the youngest who is such a Diva! With 5 older brothers, would you expect anything else? We played with the new puppy, swam, threw the football, watched football on TV, rode motorcycles, cooked on the grill, jumped, raced, ate, drank, and a host of other things. Whew....I'm completely exhausted! LOL!

I try not to put too much personal stuff on my blog, but I thought I'd share just a couple of pictures from today. I hope that's okay.

Thanks for stopping by. I promise to have eye candy for you tomorrow.

And MORE Raks......

Be sure to go to the store to check out all the new INKADINKADO stamps. I hope to have time to make some samples this weekend. I can't wait to ink some of those stamps!

I'm going out of town tomorrow morning to watch my 7-year old grandson play football, but will be back tomorrow evening. It will be fun to see the grands!

So........how about these cards?

The pink Cherish card is from Colleen at Distinctive Touches . I was her Friday Guest Artist a month or so ago, and she sent me this beautiful card as a thank you for my participation. Honestly....I should be thanking HER!

This is an acetate card, meaning the stamping was done on a piece of acetate and adhered over her background. Beautiful card, Colleen. And thanks for being so gracious. You're such a sweetie!

The wicker chair card was sent to me by my friend Mary. She's also my SU! demo. Isn't this a pretty card? I love the way she colored the image, and how the ribbon she chose works so well with her yellow Giga Scalloped Circle layer. Note the corners of her card. She used a Corner Adorner Concave punch, then accented with Clear Gemstone Adhesive Crystals .

Thanks Mary........it's a gorgeous card, and you are always so thoughtful.

That's it for me tonight. I'm going to bed a little early since I have to rise and shine for my day trip.

I will have something new for you tomorrow night...I hope?

RAKS from Jackie

Both of these cards were mailed to me by my good friend Jackie. And she bought the stamps at Stamper's Dream Stamps !

I just love the rich colors she used for the Paper Inspirations Watercolor Cone Flower card. Didn't she do a beautiful job with those stamps?

The other card she made using the Hero Arts Decorative Birds set. For the background she used the Cuttlebug Stylized Flowers folder. I think the colors and composistion on this card are just superb! I love it Jackie....you did a wonderful job! I am temporarily out of stock on the Decorative Birds set, but I DO have the Holiday Doves in stock.

Am I a lucky girl to get such great cards from my friends.....or what? :-)

RAKS from a friends....

I am so far behind in sharing my RAKs with you! How did that happen? So I will be posting those throughout the next several days. I'm so proud of them that I want you all to see them! Honestly, what is better than finding a beautiful and thoughtful handmade card in your mailbox after a long hard day at the office?

The pink Bella card is from my friend Melissa at Simply Pink . Don't you just love her card? I'm no authority on Bellas, but I do think it's the CosmoBella. And she's just my style! :-) Melissa did such a fabulous job with her coloring and layout. Thanks Melissa....I just love it! Please be sure to check out her blog for more great designs!

The pink plaid card is from my friend Susan F. She doesn't have a blog, and she's always a bit timid about her card designs. Well I think this one is just gorgeous. Thanks Susan for your thoughtfulness.........you're the best!

And I thank all of you for checking in. More tomorrow.

World Peace Dove

I know you already know this, but I DO so love Penny Black stamps!

The main image in this card is called World Peace Dove . Is that a beautiful stamp, or what?

I colored on the rubber with Tombow markers. Of course, you can use any water based markers you have, such as Marvy or SU! After coloring the rubber I used my JudiKins Fine Mist Spritzer to moisten the ink. On this card I did a little something different. Instead of using water in my JudiKins mister, I used a mixture of Distilled Water, Pearl Ex and Gum Arabic. The Gum Arabic is a binder that adheres the mixture to your project so you don't have to use a fixative. I wish you could see the shimmer that this gives the card....it's so pretty in real life.

The sentiment is also from Penny Black, as is the designer paper.

I've been S-U-P-E-R busy tonight! I received a shipment from A Muse Artstamps, and I've been uploading those all night. You can see them HERE . You can scroll to the end to see the newer images.

I ALSO received a shipment tonight from Inkadinkado, but it's obvious to me now that I won't get those uploaded until tomorrow night after work. They are soooooooo nice, and I can't wait for you to see them.

Thanks so much for your continued support, and for stopping by tonight.

Wild About You!

It would be an understatement to say that I was inspired by this card by Julie Ebersole . You can view the specific card in the A Muse Artstamps gallery. The truth is that I have shamelessly CASED Julie's card. When I saw it I just loved it....so why try to improve on perfection? Right?

All images are from A Muse. First, I stamped the Skinny Oval with Brilliance Beige ink. That gave a foundation or floor for the other images. Then I stamped Tiger in Versafine Onyx Black. The Palm Tree was colored with Tombow markers. Then I stamped Wild About You to complete the scene.

I used Fiskars Pinking scissors to cut the orange layer, then used lime cardstock to frame the orange layer. The ribbon is from Michaels.

I think my grands will get this card. It's so perfect for them, and they will just love it!

Thanks so much for stopping by tonight. Be sure to check in tomrrow for something new.

Warm Wishes...Revised

As an afterthought I added Turquoise Geo Shapes Sparklers Stickers to the centers of some of the snowflakes for a little bling. Why didn't I think of that before?

I liked the first one, but I might light this better. It seems to make it a little more *special*. What do you think?

Warm Wishes

I normally don't post on Saturday nights. But I am expecting an order from Inkadinkado next week, so I might need a night off then. I get one day's grace a week, right? LOL!

The stamp used on this card is from one of my very favorite Hero Arts sets. I think this is probably the 5th sample I've posted from this set. You can see the others if you click on Hero Arts Cards on my sidebar, or if you go to the webstore where I have the stamp set listed. I have four of the samples posted there.

The stamp set is called Sweet & Simple Patterns . There are four stamps in this set, and you can make really easy elegant or fun cards with it, as shown by the samples.

This card was actually inspired by the ribbon. It's by Offray, and I found it at Wal Mart. Isn't it pretty? Twice I stamped Warm Wishes from the Plain & Simple Patterns set using VersaMagic Ocean Depth ink. Once it was stamped on light teal cardstock, then again on medium teal cardstock. I then embossed using JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. I like the depth that the clear embossing gives the ink.

I cut out just the sentiment from the lighter teal image and adhered it over the darker stamped teal image. Then I used a couple of colors of complimentary cardstock to layer. You know how I love layers!

The background is cardstock embossed with a Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing template. After embossing I inked the grey side of a piece of Cut-n-Dry Stamp Pad Foam with the Ocean Depth ink to color just the raised portion of the embossed snowflakes.

This is really a pretty quick and easy card, but I think it looks more impressive than the time it takes to make it. I just love it when that happens! :-)

Thanks for stopping by tonight. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Ollie & Olivia

These little guys are just sooooooo cute! The main image is a stamp from Stampendous called Ollie & Olivia . Aren't those little owls just adorable?

I stamped them on watercolor paper, then used Tombow markers and a blender pen to color. I added a little doodling around the edges just for fun. The sentiment is also from Stampendous, called You're A Hoot!. I distressed the edges of the burgundy panel with Ranger Vintage Photo distress ink, then sewed around the edges with brown thread.

The corners were punched with my Corner Adorner Concave punch. I added pewter brads in each corner.

This is kind of short and sweet. It is way past my bedtime, and I'm so not good at getting behind on my sleep! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by...I do so appreciate you support. I hope to have some thing new for you tomorrow.

Jacob's Jeans

This is a card I made tonight for my oldest grandson Jacob. He is 13 and so NOT into the same things as his little brothers. (He's much older and "maturing"). So I decided this was grown up enough for him. Since it's not his birthday I didn't want to put money in the pocket. I try to save that for special occasions. But I did want to remind him how much I love him....thus my note to him in the pocket.

The stamp is from JudiKins and is called Jeans Pants . I stamped it on white cardstock using Adirondack Denim ink. Then I stamped just the pocket portion again, and cut it out. I adhered only the edges of it over the pocket on the original Pants Pocket so that I could put something inside.

I stamped just the top portion of the stamp on a scrap paper to get my template for the belt. Then I cut it out of brown wrinkled paper. I used a brown pen for faux stitching on the top and bottom of the belt to make it look a little more realistic. Then I cut the belt loops so I could slip the belt inside.

The red tab is a scrap of red grosgrain ribbon.

Super easy to make, and it's sure to make Jacob smile. And that's what makes ME smile! :-)

For the "girly" sample using this stamp, click HERE .

Thanks for stopping by tonight. I hope you have a fantastic Friday!

Cornucopia

I enjoyed doing more watercoloring this weekend while I was trying to unwind. This is another Northwoods stamp called Donna's Cornucopia . I just love the fall colors, and it was so much fun to color.

I stamped the image on watercolor paper using Versafine Onyx Black ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. The stamped image was colored with Tombow markers and a Tombow blender pen.

After I finished the watercoloring and put the card together I thought it just needed a little something in that big white space in the upper right corner. So I used a black Tombow marker and colored the word "blessings" from my A Muse True Friend stamp. I used my SU! small oval to cut it out, then the larger oval to frame it in gold. For a little added color I used the larger oval and punched it out twice in burgundy, adhering the two ovals behind the gold oval.

I'm not sure if I like it better with or without the blessings word. What do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by tonight. And remember to count your blessings.

Celebrate Your Blessings

This card seems appropriate for what I'm feeling tonight. I'm posting a little early because I have good news to share.

After a sonogram and thorough exam, the surgeon determined that it's just something to "watch". He saw the area on the mammograms that caused initial concern, but feels that it's just density, not a mass. So I have to go back for another exam in 6 months. Now....isn't that a blessing to celebrate? Am I relieved and thankful? You bet I am! ! !

I want to thank each and every one of you who left heartfelt notes of concern, and especially thank you for your prayers. I am a true believer that prayers make all the difference. I just can't thank you enough! It means so much to me that you care. You're absolutely the best group...ever!

Now...on to the card. I'm going to keep it short and sweet because you probably know this is a Northwoods Rubber Stamp. It's called Harvest Mailbox . I stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink on watercolor paper then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The coloring and shading were done with Tombow markers and a blender pen. I colored this yesterday while I was stressing. It's amazing how relaxing and therapeutic it can be. The sentiment is from Hero Arts, and the ribbon is from May Arts.

Please be sure to take the time to celebrate your blessings. I know I will.

Thanks again for everything...

{{{HUGS!}}} to you all!

Enjoy every moment...

The main image in this card is from a Hero Arts set called Personal Messages . I chose that sentiment because it has special meaning for me right now. We all take so many things for granted, and it’s true so very true that we should enjoy every moment.

This is not something I ever imagined I would do. I always try to keep my blog upbeat and professional. After all, you’re all here to see card samples, aren’t you? But today I’m asking each of you for a very special favor. I need your prayers.

For almost a week now I have struggled with this, and today has been particularly difficult for me. You see, I had a mammogram last week that the doctors didn’t like. So early Thursday morning I went back back in for another one. They didn’t like it either.

I have an appointment with a breast surgeon tomorrow at 1:00. He will take a closer look at the mammograms, do a sonogram and give me his professional opinion regarding where we go from here. It could be nothing…then again, maybe not. I’ve never been one to borrow trouble or imagine the worst. It's just not my nature. So I’m hopeful that this is something manageable. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I have always been quite brave and courageous. But the truth of the matter is that’s only when I’m in control. No doubt, I am not in control of this.

So before you call it a day, please say a prayer, then tell someone you love them and give them a hug. You just never know how much they might need it.

Thanks for you support….and for stopping by.

Joy to the World...

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday weekend. I spent a good bit of today stamping, which always makes my day fun.

This is one of the cards I made today. My photography on this one isn't great because the red ornament really isn't that color in real life. Anyway...the ornament stamp is from Outlines and is called Plain Ornament . One of the coolest things about this stamp IS that it's plain, so you can decorate it any way you wish.

I chose to stamp Outlines Joy to the World inside the ornament. Then I added more stamping by using the Swirly Star Design . Can you see how the design elements are just like the stars and swirls in the Joy to the World stamp? It's a perfect match! All the stamping and embossing were done using a VersaMark ink pad and JudiKins Detail Gold embossing powder.

The background is a stamp from Hero Arts called Snowflake & Flourish Background . I stamped it with metallic gold pigment ink.

The corners of each of the layers was punched with a Corner Adorner Concave punch. The embellishments on each corner are Gold GeoShapes Sparklers from Stampendous. These are adhesive gem stickers....and they are way cool! The ribbon is actually two different May Arts ribbons that I put together.

So...that's it for me tonight. I plan to get more stamping done tomorrow...so stay tuned!

And thanks so much for stopping by.

Cheerful Giving

I know I don't usually post on Saturday nights, but next week has all the promise of being a crazy one for me. So I decided to leave something for you tonight...just in case!

The main image on this card is from Penny Black. Aren't those little penguins just too cute? The name of the stamp is Cheerful Giving .

I colored the rubber with my Tombow markers. If you don't have Tombows you can use any waterbased markers, such as SU! or Marvy. Once I had the entire image colored I spritzed lightly with my JudiKins Fine Mist Spritzer to remoisten the ink, then stamped on cardstock.

I used the same technique to stamp the sentiment, also a Penny Black stamp called Joyous Season .

The blue strip behind the penguins is textured with a Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder. The corners of each of the panels are adorned with Pink GeoShapes Sparkler Stickers .

The decorative paper is from KI Memories. The colors in the paper were the inspiration for the colors of the hat, scarf and sentiment.

I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by.

And please don't forget to leave your vote on the poll just to your right. I need and appreciate your input.