Birdies Thank You Card

Good day! It's a lovely rainy day here in Oklahoma, so I decided to spend some time crafting. I made this Birdies Thank You Card for the sweet lady who does our taxes. She has been doing them since my hubby and I have been married, 25 years. A thank you card is probably long overdue. 

The card layout is from this weeks challenge at Tuesday Morning Sketches. An image from Unity Stamps called For all Your Help Birdies was stamped and then colored with copic markers. When I started looking at sentiments, nothing fit right. Then I remembered the retired Vertical Greetings stamp set from Stampin' Up!, that I had never used, and decided that would work perfectly. The floral patterned paper is new from Echo Park from the It's Spring Time paper pad and some coordinating paper from my scrap bin. A butterfly from my stash was added and that's it. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!🌼

Challenges entered:

• C.R.A.F.T.: Female
• Craft Rocket: For the Girls
• Creative Knockouts: Add a Sentiment
• The Four Seasons: Spring Season
• Tuesday Morning Sketches: Sketch

Four Paws Thank You Card

Hello crafty friends! I have been very busy this month taking care of our senior cat Mr. Tommy. Three weeks ago he had a lung lobectomy to remove a small tumor. The surgery went well, but my hubby decided we had to stay up with him for the first week. So, we took shifts sleeping and making sure he was okay. To say the least... I was very sleep deprived! Thankfully he is recovering nicely and is getting back to his normal routine. 

This Four Paws Thank You Card was made for the surgeon and hospital staff to thank them. The inside reads "for a job well done!!!". It features the Talk To the Paw stamp set from Unity Stamps, the paws were colored with Copic markers and then fussy-cut. The sentiment was made with the computer and I accented it with a little heart. Some fun striped and polka dot paper was used and everything was adhered flat. That's it. So glad you stopped by and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!

Challenges entered:

• Krafty Chicks: All Occasions
• Stamping Sensations: Anything Stamped/Sketch Option
• The Sisterhood of Crafters: Dots and/or Stripes

Mr. Tommy the day after surgery:

Mr. Tommy three weeks after surgery:

Christmas Thank You Card

Hello and Happy New Year! We have turned the chapter to the beginning of 2023, the pages are unwritten and waiting to be filled. I hope this year writes something wonderful!

I like to start the new year by making a Christmas Thank You Card. This year a dear friend surprised me with flowers, cupcakes and deli treats right before Christmas. So, I made this card for her. The tree was made using a very retired stamp by Stampin' Up!, it's from the Scentsational Season stamp set. The colors include: Shaded Spruce, Poppy Parade and Merry Merlot. A little star sequin was added to the top of the tree and the nesting circle die cuts are from Unity Stamps. The Thank You sentiment is from the Abstract Impressions stamp set by Stampin' Up! and everything was adhered flat. That's it! So glad you stopped by and enjoy the rest of your day.🎄

Challenges entered:

• A Place To Start: Anything Goes
• Alphabet Challenge: Thank You
• Peace On Earth: Anything Christmas Themed

Christmas surprise from my friend:

Butterfly Wreath Card

Happy Wednesday! I have a quick post to share a couple of Butterfly Wreath Cards I made using a stamp set by Reverse Confetti. The pink card was made first and then I decided to make a blue one too. Copic markers were used to color the images and then they were die cut with the coordinating dies. A piece of patterned paper from the Summer paper pad from Carta Bella (2021) was used and adhered onto a piece of Blushing Bride cardstock by Stampin' Up!. The papers were cut with a scalloped layering die by Unity Stamps and a Thank You sentiment from Stampin' Up! was added. Everything was adhered flat for easy shipping and that's it! So glad you stopped by and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!🦋

Blue card entered into the following challenges:

• Cardz 4 Galz: Gingham/Plaid
• Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies 
• Simon Says: Summertime Blues
• We Love Stamping: In My Garden (I love the butterflies in my Garden)

Heartfelt Thank You Card

A happy hello! Today I'm sharing a card that is fussier than my usual creations. This Heartfelt Thank You Card features the Nature's Prints stamp set and coordinating dies by Stampin' Up!. The colors include: Night of Navy, Gray Granite, Starry Sky and Pear Pizzazz. There is a base layer of Night of Navy cardstock, then a piece of patterned paper from the Sun prints dsp. The patterned paper was ran through the Big Shot with a Stitched with Whimsy die. Then a piece of In Color dsp in Starry Sky was added. All the images were stamped and die cut, then layered. A piece of Pear Pizzazz cardstock was embossed using the Fern 3D embossing folder, then adhered to the base of the die cuts. The sentiment was added and then I decided to add the flower and die cut to the side of the sentiment. I'm entering this card into the Stamp Act challenge at Krafty Chicks. That's it! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day! 

Dragonfly Thank You Card

Good day! It's a nice sunny day here in Oklahoma. As I sit by my front window I can watch the dragonflies land on my bushes and wait for their prey. I have several different types of dragonflies, some large and some smaller. So, I decided to get out the Dragonfly Garden stamp set and make a Thank You Card. This stamp set has been in my stash at least two years and hasn't seen the stamping action it deserves. Everything used on this card is by Stampin' Up!. The patterned paper is from the retired Dandy Garden dsp and the splatter stamp is from the retired Timeless Textures stamp set. Current supplies include the Dragonfly Garden stamp set and ink colors in Pool Party and markers in So Saffron and Mango Melody. That's it! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day.

Challenges entered:

• Retro Rubber: Anything Goes with Stamps over 1 Year Old
• Unicorn: Summer Time

Butterfly Thank You Card

A happy hello to you! Over the last few days we have received some much needed rain and I'm very grateful. Our yard was starting to turn brown and my plants were definitely suffering. It's been a dreadfully hot July, so I'm happy to see this month end. 

This Butterfly Thank You Card is simple and easy. The big butterfly makes a wonderful focal impact. It's from the retired Beautiful Day stamp set by Stampin' Up!. It was colored with Copic markers and then fussy-cut. The papers are also retired by Stampin' Up! from the Garden Impressions dsp. Lastly, the Thank You sentiment was stamped and everything was adhered flat for easy shipping. That's it and thanks for stopping by!🦋

Challenges entered: 

• Allsorts: Butterflies/Bugs
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: Anything Goes
• The Creative Crafters: Anything Goes

Thank You Card with Squirrel

Hello! I have a quick post to share this Thank You Card with Squirrel that I made for a local wildlife rescue. A couple of months ago I found a squirrel that had been hit by a car but it was still alive in the middle of the road. I stopped and got the squirrel safely off the road. Then called several rescues to see if I could get help. A group called Wing-It agreed to let me take it to their vet. Unfortunately, it's head injuries were too great, so the vet ended it's suffering. Even though the outcome wasn't what I hoped, I really appreciate their help! 

The squirrel image is called Nibbles from Unity Stamps and it was colored with Copic markers. I did search through several paper pads until I found the brown floral. It's from the Family Traditions collection by Webster's Pages. I've been hoarding this paper for awhile, but I love how it looks with the squirrel. Well, thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Thank You Card with Tree

Well... after all those presents are unwrapped, sending a thank you card is always a good idea. So, I made this card for my parents using some of my older stash. At the rate I buy patterned paper I will never use it all and I know several of my stamps sets haven't been used enough. It felt good to use these neglected supplies. Most everything is retired by Stampin' Up! except for the Tim Holtz tumbled glass distress ink by Ranger. It's nothing fancy, just a simple Thank You Card with Tree. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!🌲

This card is entered into the anything goes challenge at Krafty Chicks.

Sad News, New Cat and a Card

The past two weeks have been extremely hard! My best kitty friend passed away of a heart attack at home. One minute I'm feeding him treats and doing dishes, he runs off to the bedroom and then I heard a dreadful yelp. When I got to the bedroom he was unresponsive, we drove him to the emergency vet but nothing could be done, he was gone. He was my shadow and followed me around the house. At nine months old we adopted Mr. Dickens and then we found out he had a heart condition. He got all the best vet care along with yearly heart ultrasounds and bloodwork. His last visit was two months ago and everything looked good. We were hopeful we still had many more years with him, he had just turned 8 years old in July. His passing was so traumatic on us and our other cats. Now my heart is broken and my house feels so empty!💔 

For a long time I've felt a tug to help senior cats. The passing of Mr. Dickens sent me on a search for a senior cat to help. I found an 18 year old female cat that was at the shelter because her owner went into a memory care facility. I put in my application to adopt her, but she was adopted by a lady who specializes in helping senior cats. I was just thrilled she was no longer in the shelter! While I was at the shelter the staff recommended an 11 year old male that was surrendered by his family because they wanted a kitten (don't get me started on how mad this makes me). When I picked him up he immediately rubbed my face with his head. He is such a sweetie, but the poor guy smelt like a litter box! He didn't deserve to be in the shelter, so my hubby and I agreed we needed to help him. His name is Tommy and since his adoption he has been very sick. He has been home a couple of times but has spent 6 days at the veterinarian. Cats do not like change and all the stress gave him an awful upper respiratory infection. He is doing better and hopefully he will be fully recovered soon. My heart is still broken and will be for a long time, but it now has another purpose of helping Tommy get better. I may have jumped into helping another cat a little too soon after losing Mr. Dickens, but for Tommy we came along at the purr-fect time.   

Now onto the card I made for our veterinarians to thank them for taking care of Tommy. It features stamps from the Newton's Sick Day stamp set by Newton's Nook and the images were colored with Copic markers. The patterned papers are from the It's A Party paper pad by Pink & Main. The design is simple and one I use a lot for quick cards. Well, that's it. I appreciate you stopping by and I hope you have a great day.

Challenges entered:

• Creative Moments: Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks: All Occasions
• Show Us Your Pussycats: Furrything Goes
• Simon Says: Anything Goes 

Ninth Blogiversary

Hello crafty friends! Nine years ago today I started this blog and published my first post about Getting Started making handmade cards. My second post was a Floral Thank You Card that I made using basic supplies. Today I thought it would be fun to use the same patterned paper as that first card with some of my newer supplies. Thankfully I didn't have to dig too deep to find the floral paper by Basic Grey from the Green at Heart collection (2010). I paired it with a green gingham and followed a sketch from Try Stampin' On Tuesday for the layout. The butterfly is from the Monarchs stamp set by Newton's Nook and it was colored with Stampin' Blends markers in Flirty Flamingo and Rich Razzleberry. A thank you sentiment from the Petal Palette stamp set was stamped with Rich Razzleberry ink both by Stampin' Up! and everything was adhered flat for easy shipping. That's it! I'm thrilled you stopped by and if you want to share how long you've been making cards feel free to leave me a comment. Enjoy the rest of your day!😊

Challenges entered:

• Allsorts: A Stamped Image
• Crafter's Castle: Anything Goes
• Try Stampin' On Tuesday: Sketch/Optional: Bold & Bright 
• Simon Says: Use Something Green
• Unicorn Challenge: Make It Feminine

Sketch TSOT 496:

Snow Thanks Card - TMS #593

Hello! This week at Tuesday Morning Sketches we have one last 2020 sketch to revisit and we are playing with Tammy's favorite sketch. It was challenge #548 from March 31, 2020 and it was designed by former design team member LJ. The first time I followed the sketch exactly, this time I mixed it up using snowflakes. We would love for you to join us this week! For all the challenge details and design team inspiration click HERE. I look forward to seeing what you create. ❄❄❄

Here in Oklahoma we've had a very unusual cold snap and it's been below freezing here since last Monday. At first we got ice and now we have about 5" of snow on the ground with more on the way. The cold and snow definitely influenced my design choices. To make this Snow Thanks Card I used patterned paper from the retired Snowflake Splendor dsp. The sentiment is from the Snowflake Wishes stamp set and the snowflake die cuts are from the So Many Snowflakes die set. Three sequins were added to finish the sketch and that's it. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Sketch: 

Fox Thank You Card

Well... it's time to say goodbye to September. I like the month of September but I'm eagerly waiting for the cooler temperatures that arrive in October. It's the crispness in the air and the changing of the leaves that I look forward to in fall. 🍂

To make this Fox Thank You Card I used the sketch from Try Stampin' On Tuesday. The fox image is by C.C. Designs and it was colored with Copic markers then die cut with the coordinating die. All papers are by Stampin' Up! along with the thank you sentiment, little butterfly and flower. Everything was adhered flat for easy shipping and that's it. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Challenges entered:

• Creative Knockouts: Thankful Thoughts
• Simon Says: Anything Goes
• Try Stampin' On Tuesday: Sketch #477
• Watercooler Wednesday: Anything Goes

Thank You Card with Circles - TMS #548

Hello! This weeks sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches is a great way to help you pass the time if you're stuck at home during this virus outbreak. I definitely had fun making this Thank You Card with Circles. To give me a specific direction I decided to take the sketch literally. I used similar colors and circle sizes. It was a challenge to find papers I liked together and I punched several circles that went into my scrap pile. In the end I really like how it turned out. I hope you will give the sketch a try and join us this week! For all the challenge details and design team inspiration click HERE. Don't forget to link your creation by 8 pm EST on Sunday. Thanks for stopping by and stay safe!

Sketch #548:

Simple Thank You Card - TMS #497

Happy Tuesday! This weeks challenge sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches is perfect for a simple easy card. Although it could certainly be used for a more elaborate design. I took the simple approach and used a piece of patterned paper from the Pretty Things paper pad by MME. The butterfly is from my bin of "extras" that I stamped many years ago and I stamped the Thank You sentiment from the Petal Palette stamp set by Stampin' Up!. That's it, a Simple Thank You Card. We would love for you to join us this week! Click here for all the challenge details and design team inspiration. You have until 8 pm EST on Sunday to link your creation. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day.

Sketch:

Butterfly Thank You Card

Hope all is well in your world! This week I was busy making a special order of baby boy burp cloths. I had all my sewing supplies put away since my surgery last August, so it was a chore to set everything up. Now that everything is out I need to make baby girl burp cloths for a gift. They really are fun to make and are great baby shower gifts!

Now onto this Butterfly Thank You Card... I made this card for my neighbor who orders Stampin' Up! supplies from me. When I delivered her latest order I included this card. All supplies are current and by Stampin' Up!. Supplies include: Thick Whisper White cardstock, Shaded Spruce cardstock, Soft Sea Foam cardstock, Garden Impressions designer series paper, Calypso Coral Stampin' Blends markers, Memento black ink, Butterfly stamp from Beautiful Day stamp set and Thank You sentiment from the Abstract Impressions stamp set. That's it, thanks for stopping by!

Challenges entered:

• Crafty Creations: Anything Goes
• Pause Dream Enjoy: Anything Goes
• Watercooler Wednesday: All About Occasions

Blue Butterfly Thank You Card

Wow! It's been a very long time since I've had two posts in one day. I'm definitely neglecting my household chores, but oh well!!! This Blue Butterfly Thank You Card was made for one of my neighbors who organized an outdoor activity for our neighborhood this coming weekend.

To make this card I decided to use a couple of Stampin' Up! supplies that I've had unused in my stash for awhile. I seem to buy supplies faster than I use them. The butterfly is from the Beautiful Day stamp set and was colored with Night of Navy Stampin' Blends. For the background the Marbled stamp was used with Poppy Parade ink. A strip of white cardstock was embossed with the Softly Falling embossing folder and then the Thank You sentiment from the Abstract Impressions stamp set was heat embossed on black cardstock with white embossing powder. The completed panel was matted to Night of Navy cardstock and that's it. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Challenges entered:

• C.R.A.F.T: Thank You
• DL.ART: Red, White & Blue
• Shopping Our Stash: Red, White & Blue
• Simon Says Stamp: Anything Goes
• SU-Only!: Patriotic, #SUOC202

Kitty Thank You Card

Thanks for stopping by today! I have a quick post to share this Kitty Thank You Card I made for one of our neighbors who gave us a donation to the Rescued Kitten Medical Fund. For the story click HERE. The Really... Kitty? stamp is from Unity Stamps and I used a Catch the Bug Sketch for the layout. To select the colors I used the challenge at Color Throwdown to use: Red, Gray and Black. It's a simple card but I'm happy with how it turned out. Wishing you a wonderful day!

Challenges entered: Color Throwdown (Colors), Crafty Creations (Anything Goes), Word Art Wednesday (Anything Goes), Crafty Gals Corner (Anything Goes) and Cute Card Thursday (Anything Goes). 

Cute Kitty Thank You Card

Howdy friends! We had to take one of our kitties to the vet today because he is having some urinary issues. He is still there until he decides to give them a sample. It would be wonderful if he could understand the idea if you go... then you get to go home. I made this Cute Kitty Thank You Card to give the veterinary staff when I pick him up.

To make this card I used the sketch from the Stella Says Sketch challenge #504. The image is called Cute Kitty by Bugaboo Stamps and it was colored with Copic markers. Trying to match the image mat on the sketch I cut the blue mat with my Cricut machine, then a small shadow circle was cut in green to layer under the colored image. All patterned papers are from my scrap bin and the Thank You sentiment is from Momenta. To finish the card I added a yellow embossed butterfly and three green sequins. That's it! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Raccoon Rascals Kindness Card

Sometimes a project keeps getting pushed because of other priorities and this Raccoon Rascals Kindness Card is one of them. There is wildlife rescue and rehabilitation here in Oklahoma called Wild Heart Ranch and I follow them on Facebook. They do a wonderful job sharing their animal experiences and videos with their followers. Their work is inspiring and at times heart breaking! They recently rescued a raccoon from the side of the road and it had a broken jaw. The pictures were painful to look at and my heart hurt for the little raccoon. That's when I knew I needed to send them a card using the Raccoon Rascals stamp set from Newton's Nook.

To create this card I started with a piece of watercolor paper and sprayed some Mister Huey's color mists along with Tattered Angels glimmer mist. The sky was darkened with Broken China distress ink. Once dry the tree from the Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree stamp set was stamped using Memento black ink. Then the sentiment from the Thoughtful Branches stamp set by Stampin' Up! was heat embossed with white embossing powder. The image was colored with copic markers, fussy cut and adhered with dimensionals. A scalloped frame by Taylored Expressions was added along with a few punched stars. That's it!

This Raccoon Rascals Kindness Card is entered into the following challenges:

• Color Inspiration: Hand Colored Image
• Cards in Envy: Thank You
• Sunny Day Crafting: Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!