where have I been?

I'm baaaaaack........

OMG!!! Where has the time gone and where have I been and what have I been doing? I haven't blogged since August!! This is the longest drought that I have ever had since I first started blogging.

Life has so gotten in the way of my creativity. I have been in a stamping slump. Despite the purchase of a bunch of cool new stuff, it has taken awhile to get my mojo back.

Usually a look at pinterest or challenges helps. I just had to let it go and wait. Today inspiration hit. Shopping Our Stash had a challenge with "trees" as the theme. You could go anywhere with that one. Since the holidays are just around the corner, I decided on a Christmas card.

The trees are a bit subtle, my friends at SOS my choose to disqualify me, but all I know is their challenge gave me mojo back!! Thank you SOS!!!

I used this Hero Arts stamp for the trees.  Where the moon is on the stamp I added a bit of bling.

The deer hanging in front of the trees are also Hero Arts.

Add any saying and you have a quick and easy OLC. Just perfect to get the creative juices flowing again!

Hopefully, I won't let so much water flow under the bridge before I blog again!!

Miracles

I truly believe in miracles. For one thing how can you not wake up in the morning and find the dawning of a new day a miracle. I am celebrating a small but long prayed for miracle today. For those who know me or have followed my blog, you all know that my muse is Pinkie my sweet calico kitty. She spends her days hanging with me in my studio inspiring me to create. 

Poor Pinks has been pretty sick over the last month or so. Not unexpected I suppose in a 16 year old girl. She has been quite a trooper through, hospilizations, IVs, sticks, xrays etc etc. She is on multiple medications and the poor thing has been not eating and losing weight. 

Yesterday morning after yet another visit to the vet, a small miracle happened and Miss Pinkie woke me up asking for food. She scarfed down a small bowl and cooperatively took her meds.  I tried not be to excited until I awoke this morning and she was waiting for me in the studio asking to eat. She is now a member of the clean bowl club!

In honor of this small miracle, I created this card using a fav sentiment from Simon Says Stamp.

I die cut an old die from Memory Box and lightly traced the flowers onto the water color paper. I then just created a watercolor wash just trying to stay within the confines of the image. When I was happy with the water-coloring, I adhered the  die cut and stamped the sentiment. 

I am submitting this card to three challenges:

My old teamies at Just Us Girls are hosting a watercolor challenge:

Just Add Ink inspired my flower colors:

Muse has a card by Tracy McNeely.  Her colors and flowery card inspired mine:

I hope you all find miracles every day!

Go to your happy place

Every year I get away to the Pocono mountains in Pennsylvania  for a crafty weekend of stamping, good food and good times with my best buddies. My buddy Judy aka "the angel" has a house in the "Nos" right on a gorgeous lake. Every year the weekend seems to grow and this year all of us will be there.

To get everyone psyched, I will be sending out this card. My card reminds me of one of the views from the porch.

My card fit into three challenges so I am submitting this to Time Out Challenges where the challenge  is:

'Holidays with the Optional Twist of No Stamping' 
(stamped sentiments allowed)

 I am submitting it to my friend Kylie's Happy Little Stamper CAS challenge   

where the challenge is:

I am also sending this out to a new challenge to me: The Sisterhood of Crafters

CLOSE TO NATURE

What does that mean to you?  

This is a perfect challenge since that's what we have going in to the NO's- a sisterhood of crafters and the theme couldn't be better!!!

I used the British view of holiday- our idea of a vacation here in the states.

The inside of the card says "go to your happy place". We have a running theme of the Nos being our happy place so this card is perfect for our upcoming holiday.

 The masking was a bit tricky and took several tries to get the masking inside to line up with the outside diecut window.

Check out both of these fun challenges and join in!!

Cool challenges

We have had some really hot weather for the last few weeks in Pennsylvania, but there has been a reprieve in the last few days. I am taking advantage of the cooler morning to stamp, since my studio doesn't have AC. 

Speaking of cool, who doesn't like a cool treat, but how about some cool challenges?  Today's card was inspired by three challenges.

It is always fun to be able to combine challenges. Three is the most I generally can combine. I find it amazing that some people can create one card that meets 10 or more challenges.

So here is my creation inspired by cool treats. I really went back in time with this card. I pulled out an old Lizzie Anne set- they made images kinda like AMuse. The set is Sweets and Treats. I can't even find it on the net to show you. It is my go to set for ice cream stamps.

CAS(E) this Sketch always has a fun CAS sketch and combined with Curtain Call and Inkspirational 

this card practically stamped itself!

I added some sticles to make the jimmies stand out.

OK, there is a question for you. Jimmies or sprinkles, which one are you?

Please check out these fun challenges and join in the fun and show your creativity!

the hardest card to make

We never run out of ideas and we are so happy when we are creating  birthday, baby or wedding cards. It is much more difficult when we have to sit down and make a sympathy card, especially for someone we care deeply about. 

I never have a stash of sympathy cards, because it is cathartic to sit down and make a special card to help with someone's loss. I will give you a tip though, keep it simple with soft soothing colors.

My older brother's wife's dad just passed. He was well into into his 90's and lived life to the fullest. He was a happy guy with a great smile and laugh.

My card design was based on this sketch at  As you see it, another new challenge site I discovered.

today. 

I used the stamp set "turning a new leaf" from PTI. This is an oldie but goodie and is perfect for CAS card.

The saying and die cut is from Simon Says Stamp. I don't usually do anything fancy inside my cards, but it just felt right to carry the branch to the inside also. If you are wondering about the ombre, I don't have enough space to collect the HA ombre inks, but used my Marvy blending blox. Compared with the HA inks, I think they work just as well and I have every color.

Please check out this great sketch challenge at As You See It.

Birthday loot!

As I said in my last post, it was my birthday last weekend and I received a load of stamping stuff!! Woohoo!!!! The first set I got inky was this very cool set from Clearly Besotted- Dandelion Dreams.

It is a few months old but new to me. It is the perfect stamp to use with CAS designs as well as thinking outside the box.

To test drive this stamp set, I went traditional with this set. CAS on Sunday is having a color challenge- "Black and White with a Pop of White. This card just miraculously happened- very different from what I normally do. That is the great things about challenges- they make you stretch yourself.

I stamped everything with versamark ink and embossed with white and pink embossing powders. Added a few sequins and i think this is so elegant and whimisical. Is that even possible or is that an oxymoron?

Here is a close up:

As I was writing this post, I thought of a great twist for this card. I need to finish up and see if i can get it done and photographed before I leave for work!!

OK OK!!! I couldn't wait I just finished that card I was thinking!!

It is just the reverse of what I created first!! So cool!! Gotta try this thought process again!!

Check out what the DT and others are doing over at CAS on Sunday!!

Yay for the red, white and blue!!

 

If you are living in the States, you will be celebrating our country's independence. My birthday is on the 2nd, so I plan a 3 day celebration that goes right into July 4th. When I was a kid I always told people I was born on the 4th. I wanted to be a little firecracker. Well all I can say I may not have been born on the 4th but I am still a firecracker!!

I took this weekend off from all things school and decided to do what ever I wanted which is stamping!! My hubby and bestie both got me lots of new stamping stuff including all of the Altenew inks, which are fabulous. For my card today I used Altenew's ruby red and sapphire inks.

It has been a month since I last blogged!!! Yikes, where does the time go?!!? I decided to check out some of my fav challenges to inspire me. Several were hosting red, white and blue challenges and since it is the 4th, I decide to join in with a patriotic card.

I am entering this card at CAS-ual Friday and Curtain Call for their red, white and blue challenges.

CASology's theme is the word "row". I went rather expected with my card. No surprises.

A new challenge for me is Cards in Envy. They want cards that can be sent through the mail!! Love that idea. Today's challenge is "stripes"

Sometimes the most simple card takes awhile, today's card was no exception. Getting the rows of stripes straight and not smudged and then adding the stars evenly. It took 4 tries.

So check back again this week, I hope to share other cards I have been working on over this holiday weekend.