OCC Rainbow Maker Day 1

Hi everybody! I'm here today with homework from Day 1 with Online Card Classes Rainbow Maker. Yes, I'm taking another class...surprise, surprise! It has been a while, but I was more than ready to start some rainbow creations. We're already on Day 5, so I'm a bit behind on the homework. It's hard to do with the new addition in the family. Read on...

I feel this card's background is a little dark, but mind you I was doing this while swatting a playful new kitten off the table, snatching away the blending foams from her mouth, and trying to keep the ink away from her paws. THIS WAS A CHALLENGE!

Anyway, I was finally able to manage a few minutes to blend rainbow colors (I did start with red, but you can't tell because the orange & yellow blended in so much) on this Bristol Smooth paper and then flick some water on it.

Once the kitten went to sleep (YAY--finally!), I got out the VersaFine Black Ink to stamp the image and then heat emboss it with clear embossing powder. I did the same for the sentiment and a star. The other stars were in a pack of sequins I had, so I added some of those with a drop of Silver Stickles. If you're interested in the image, I'm afraid I have no idea where it came from. Found it in my stash!

I am somewhat pleased, but I think I may try this again with lighter colors of the rainbow. The class is a lot of fun, and I'm learning a lot even though I'm way behind on the homework.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

(and Snuggles)

Watercolor, Wheels and Wedding

Hello everybody! I am posting a card I created today for the Mix It Up Monday Challenge at Gina K Design's Stamp TV. We're supposed to watercolor, so I watercolored every single thing on this card except the die cut scalloped circle and the ribbon!

The stamp set I used is Beth Silaika's Karen Dolphin, which includes this cute dolphin, a whale and all the fish you see on this card. I used my Kuretake Zig Clean Color Real Watercolor Brush Pens (from Amazon). First, I outlined the image and then used a waterbrush to lighten the color. I did the same to get the blue background. I also colored the dolphin in a very light grey, cut him out with a circle die, then layered onto a scalloped circle. The black Gina K ribbon was added before the circle was adhered.

Now I'd like to show you another card, created for my son, Chris, just for fun. He recently purchased a new car, so I had to use a diecut I've had for years. It's very appropriate!

This was a very simple card to create. I just layered some paper, stamped the sentiment and added the diecut. Fun!

Finally, what about that wedding I told you about? Yes! Chris and Katie were married June 17th in West Virginia, where both bride & groom are from. First, there's a picture of me with Chris; second, a good picture of Chris & Katie.

That's it for my blog today. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

Crafty Lady

Hi everybody! How's your day? Hope you're having a good weekend.

I put together this card rather quickly, in between chasing the cat off the craft table and finding the Stickles. After this picture was taken, I did add glitter to the coffee cup and hearts. Thought it needed some bling! I colored everything with Zig Watercolor Markers. The flowers & butterfly are from my own stash -- very old pieces, I might add! I layered it onto navy blue cardstock from Stampin Up!

The Unity stamp set is called Martha Girl and includes the main image plus two sentiments. I preferred this one so I could send it to another crafty friend. Got the set at Unity's recent sale.

Thank you for stopping by again today! I appreciate your comments and visits very much. Hope to see you again real soon!

Hello, My Friend

Hi everybody! Hope you're having a good week!

I bought this Playful Flip-It die several weeks ago from The Stamps of Life and have had a lot of fun with it. There are so many dies and so many options, it's nearly overwhelming! The patterned paper I used for this card is also from The Stamps of Life. Love her paper pads!

My next-door neighbor is disabled and is limited in nearly every way. She loves pink, so I made this card for her. She is such a sweet lady, and we have grown fairly close over the past several months. I wanted to give her something cheerful on a particularly bad day.

I have a new member of my family. Everybody, meet Snuggles!

She's a handful! No wonder, she's only 11 weeks old, 2-1/2 pounds. Her days and nights are mixed up, so mine are, too. It's been 3 weeks, and I'm exhausted! Possibly too old for this? It's just like having a toddler. She's into everything! As you can see, her favorite toy is an empty box.

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

Hair Up...

Hi everybody! How's your weekend been? We get a couple extra free days this week with the July 4th holiday. I hope you are able to enjoy it with friends & family.

I created this card for a friend of mine who's been having a hard time. A laugh or two always cheers up a person, so I thought she'd like it. I sent it, and she did!

The stamp set used on the front of the card is called Crafting Time and I bought it at Simon Says Stamps. The die on the inside was in my stash.

Hope you enjoyed today's post! I appreciate you stopping by today. Your comments and visits are always welcome, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

Wedding Time!

Hello everybody! I hope you're having a good day. I thought it was about time I got this wedding card for my son & his fiance posted on my blog. Their wedding is next week, and I've finally finished it plus a few extra goodies for them.

My friend from Gina K Designs' Stamp TV, Kathy Moore, sent me this cut for the front that was created from her Silhouette machine. She had used one similar for a card of her own, and I asked if she could cut one for me. Before I knew it, she had sent me an entire package of die cut pieces that I will be using for quite a while! Her kindness was overwhelming. Thank you, Kathy, if you're reading this.

The inside of the card was foiled using my Heidi Swapp Mini Minc Machine. The verse is from Gina K Designs, and I used silver foil. I added a ribbon for the final touch.

As an extra little gift, I embellished some tiles from Tim Holtz. Here's a snippet of the project.

I added a vinyl letter for each of their names (Chris & Katie) before outlining with Silver Stickles, then embellished other tiles in ways that relate to them. Since he's an assistant men's basketball coach and she's a sports broadcaster, I attached basketballs, baseballs & footballs, along with basketball nets & whistles that were either stickers or Jolee's products. Since they travel a lot, I added some license plates from States where they most frequently go and also from where they live or have lived. They both enjoy music (she sings in church choir) so I included some musical notes. Each tile was then coated with Glossy Accents. 

It was a fun project. I'll either put them on the tables for decorations or give Chris, Katie & her parents each a towle bag of them attached to their gift.

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

Pet Sympathy

Hello again! I'm posting another black and white card today. No challenge this time,  just doing a favor for a friend.

My neighbor mentioned she had a friend who was going to have to put down her dog who's been in her family for a very long time. The owner is not well physically and is currently hospitalized, and this emotional trauma is an extra burden to carry. My neighbor's very worried about her, so I got to work on a card to help ease the pain.

The image is one of my favorites and is perfect for this situation. We decided there was no need for a sentiment on the front, as my neighbor will write a personal note on the inside. I tried different colors of ribbon but we settled on the black so the front would be uniform in color. The inside of the card has a paw print die cut on the bottom left-hand corner.

I love this die from Spellbinders, called Pawing Around (Dog). Someone sent me a card with the Pawing Around (Cat) die cut on it when my cat passed away a couple years ago, and I knew I just had to have the dies. They have worked beautifully for cards such as this.

The ending to the story is the dog was not put down, after all. The owner's husband felt it would be too much emotional trauma so they are keeping the dog comfortable with meds right now and hoping she'll die peacefully in her sleep. The card will be sent when the time is appropriate, so I'm still glad I created it. With no sentiment on the front, it could even be sent now.

Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

Black and White Plus A Little Bling

Hi everybody! I'm slowly getting back on track after moving and then injuring my knee in a fall, so I appreciate your patience. Things like this take time, I'm learning. Thank you for all your good wishes, too. That certainly cheered me up.

This card was created for Gina K's Stamp TV Mix It Up Monday Challenge where we were to use black and white with one accent color either in the ribbon or bling. I chose a touch of red in the gems added to the centers of the black flowers and also as a period at the end of the sentiment. Works for me!

It's been a long time since I joined a challenge, so it was good to get back at it again. It's very inspiring to see what others have created with the same instructions.

Before I go, I'll share my update: My knee specialist said this morning that I no longer need to see him, as long as I continue Physical Therapy and wear my brace until they tell me not to. (YAY!) That date will be closer to mid-June when my son gets married. (OH!) I want to walk down the aisle as Mother of the Groom on two firm legs -- and knees -- so the brace will be worn and the knee will be taped, but no there will be no limping thanks to all the PT I've had.  After talking with the doctor and the physical therapist, I feel there's no good reason to take the chance of falling again on a weak knee. It's okay, everything goes together -- my dress is black, the brace is black, the tape is black. Can you beat that?

Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~