Strength and Dignity...

Good morning! I'm excited to be playing along with the first Unity Friends With Flair of 2014! WOW! Where did 2013 go? I absolutely LOVE this sentiment from the November 2013 KOTM - could it be better for the new year?!?!?!

I am also linking this up with the new CAS-ual Friday's Challenge - In a Word. The challenge is to use a word that is something you hope for in the New Year. I kind of like strength...I have had lots of opportunities in the last year to learn how strong I can be when I lean on the Lord - and want to continue to grow in that area this year as well!

I stamped my sentiment with MFT ink on a rectangle cut with my Lil' Inker's Rectangle Dies, then flicked some Martha Stewart blue pearl paint on it. The edges are also inked with distress ink.

The background is pattern paper from Basic Grey's 6x6 Persimmon paper pad, and a diagonal strip of Avery Elle kraft cardstock, with some glitter washi tape along the border. 

I tucked a doily behind the sentiment panel, then die cut a few feathers with a MFT die. I debossed with PTI's Linen Impression Plate, then spritzed with a bit of Gold Heidi Swapp Color Shine. The white one also has a bit of Glossy Accents and Tim Holtz Rock Candy Distress Glitter on it. Finished off with some natural jute twine wrapped and tied around. 

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful first weekend of 2014!!!

So Blessed...

Good morning! I'm over on the My Craft Spot blog this morning sharing this card - it is super special to me, because I used some leftovers from THIS card that I made for the last Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger. I now know that it was the last one with Cath leading the way. I will always count it an honor that I was picked as a Trigger Target on the last time she picked! So...this card is in her honor - to thank her for the blessing she has been in my creative growth over these past few years! Thanks so much Cath - this is for you!!!

As I said before, I used a very important leftover from that other card - the negative cut! I used it as a stencil over my kraft paper cardbase, and applied embossing paste, then dabbed with gold paint. Once I ever-so-patiently waited for it to dry (HA!) - I added some bling, some Natural Jute Twine tied in a bow around the bottom of my card, and a sentiment from My Craft Spot's Happy Thanksgiving Stamp set - love that gorgeous font!

Here is a close up view of the texture:

I am also linking this up with a couple of challenges - first up CAS-ual Friday's Challenge - Embossing:

And CASology Challenge - Brown:

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you are having a wonderful day!!!

So sorry for your loss...

Sometimes sympathy cards are the hardest to make - and it always seems impossible to make them when you actually need to. So sometimes I find it better to make them when I don't need them, and then have them on hand when the need arises:

I'm also playing along with the current Inspired By Challenge - I actually planned on using this inspiration to make a fall card...but this kind of happened instead!

I used Avery Elle Sea Glass cardstock for my card base, and created the texture with a Mister Huey's mask and some embossing paste. I also smeared some gold paint around the edges and let it all dry. 

Next, I used a couple of Simon Says Stamp dies to cut the banner from white cardstock, and the feathers from American Crafts pattern paper. Stamped an Avocado Arts sentiment on the banner with MFT ink, smeared some Glossy Accents and some gold tinsel glitter on the side of the feathers, added a bit of jute twine to tie a bow, and attached all that with foam adhesive. Finished off with a couple of sequins.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you are having a wonderful day!!!

Unity FWF and Mojo Monday Sketch

Good morning! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July yesterday! I'm stopping in to share a card for Unity Friends with Flair and a couple of challenges:

I used the sketch for the Mojo Monday Challenge for this week:

And I am also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp and Show Anything Goes Challenge.

For this card, I used lots of Crate Paper paper and goodies, and a sentiment from the Unity June Kit of the Month. I stamped my image with MFT ink on a square cut with my Lil' Inker's Stitched square dies.

I made my own gold mist using a small mister bottle, some Martha Stewart gold paint, and a bit of water. I LOVE how it worked! This picture shows the glitz and glimmer a little better:

I added some jute twine to the tiny tag, and finished off with some clear sparkly sequins from Neat and Tangled.

Thanks for stopping by this Friday! Have a great weekend!!!

Paper Smooches Guest Designer - Week 1

Good morning! SOOO excited today to post my first couple cards for my month as guest designer over at Paper Smooches. The new release is ADORABLE!!! I pretty much squealed when I saw the Crystal Clear set - here is the first project I made with it:

First I stamped the straw in the place I knew I wanted to put the jar. Then I used a fun technique that I have tried a few times before - I turned the stamp over in reverse, and stamped it with MFT Sno Cone ink - a nice soft blue. Then I turned the stamp back the right way and stamped the outline and the "Ball" word in black ink. 

To make it look a little more realistic, I colored all over it with an embossing pen, then sprinkled it with clear embossing powder, heat embossed, then sprinkled it again while it was still warm and heated it again. This gave a nice thick and shiny layer. 

Did the sentiment by spraying some Mister Huey's yellow mist at the top, allowing it to dry, then stamping my own sentiment using Graffiti. I also added a few sequins (cause I LOVE them!) and smeared some pink ink on the outer edges, then sprinkled with some pink glitter. Finished off by rounding a couple of corners, then mounting it on a card base of Avery Elle Kraft Cardstock, and tying some jute twine in a whimsical bow at the top.

My next card I used one of the other sets I fell in love with at first sight - Briny Blue - another super fun set! 

I started off by making my background on a card base of Bazzil Cardstock. I used the wave cut from Borders 1 Dies to cut a mask. Then I laid it on my cardbase in varying positions and inked with some blue distress ink. 

The rest was a happy accident! I thought the distress ink had dried enough, and stamped my sentiment with watermark ink and sprinkled on my white embossing powder. Some of it stuck to the waves, but I realized that it actually looked kind of neat - like sea foam! So...I sprinkled away some more!

Next I stamped 3 of the fish from the set, colored them with Copics, and fussy cut them out. Added the bubbles where I was going to place them and heat embossed them as well before attaching the fishies with foam adhesive for a bit of dimension.

Finished off with some May Arts lace trim tied in a bow around my card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I can't wait to show you my other cards for the month! See you again next week!!!