Sympathies and Topiaries

Hello!  I've got a grouping of sympathy cards, and one thank you card, to share today.  There's a topiary theme to a couple of them so they're appearing together here in this post.

The supply lists are in the captions beneath each photo.

Stampotique 'Big Bee with Medium Bee' rubber stamp - Colleen bow using seam binding from Hug Snug 'Metal Green' -  sentiment - My Favorite Things 'Essential Sentiments' - fern paper - Stampin' Up! scrap bag

Spellbinders 'Decorative Labels Eight' flourished rectangle die - Memory Box 'Large Sitting Cat' - pawprints - Papertrey Ink 'With Sympathy: Loss of a Pet' - Verve 'Deepest Sympathy'

Papertrey Ink 'Daily Designs Sentiments' - Unity 'Countryside Blooms' jar with flowers

Papertrey Ink background patterned paper - Verve 'Deepest Sympathy' - Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch

Anita's 'Topiary' - Paper Smooches 'Salutations' (in silver embossing)

Papertrey Ink 'Topiary Trio' topiary and thank you sentiment

Thanks so much for the comments you've left on my blog in the last few days.  After not posting much at all for months on end, I am really blasting out posts this week! 

God bless you!

Long post full of cards!

Hello again!  I had a chance this evening to edit some card photos, and I've got a long line of pics to share today.  Some are simple, some are fancier, some make good use of scraps. ;-) I hope you enjoy!

Thanks so much for joining me today!  Happy Thanksgiving once again!

Christmas at the North Pole

A Christmas card at the end of May?  Sure, why not! I make 'em all year long. :-)

This is one of my favorites, because it's so frosty-looking.  The background is a piece of white glitter cardstock, the perfect backdrop for a North Pole scene.

Below is a better look at the glitter, and a tiny tag made with

The stamp set I used is Winter Groves by Paper Smooches.  I did go back over the penguin with a black marker after I stamped him.  It helped give it a much darker, deeper color.

Hope your summer is going well so far!  We've spent a lot of time in our pool.  A vacation is not in the cards for us so our backyard is our oasis, and I really enjoy spending time in it with my favorite people in the whole world. :-)

Under the weather

Available at Arts Plus Gallery

Happy Thursday, my friends!  We're almost to another weekend...hooray!
Today, I'm sharing a card I made with new-to-me dies from Paper Smooches called Wedding Shower. WHAT.A.CUTE.SET.

There's an umbrella in the die set, along with a heart, a raindrop, and wedding rings.

What I like about that set is that the umbrella can be used for a baby shower creation, or as you see here, in a get well card.  I just happened to have the perfect sentiment (DeNami Design) to go with it.

I paired three fun, bright, cheerful patterned papers (Stampin' Up!), with a kraft card base. I used craft foam under the umbrella's fabric and handle portions.  And for the shaft and handle, I first die-cut them from white scrap cardstock, and then used an 18kt Gold Paint Pen from Krylon to give a beautiful golden luster.  A couple of sparkling sequins stand in for rain drops. :-)

Thanks a BUNCH for visiting me today!
May you be healthy and blessed!

You & Me: salt & pepper

Hi there! It makes me happy to share this card.  I gave it to my husband for our anniversary this past fall. How can you go wrong with the cuteness of Lawn Fawn?

The salt and pepper shaker cuties are from their Love 'N Breakfast set.  The ampersands and sentiments are from Paper Smooches We Connect, a set that I scored when an online shop closed its doors. 

The scattered white and charcoal sequins represent, what else? Salt and pepper!

Stamps: Love 'n Breakfast - Lawn Fawn; (ampersands) We Connect - Paper Smooches Paper: kraft - Papertrey Ink; white scraps Ink: white pigment ink - Ranger; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: Marshmallow, Charcoal sequins - Pretty Pink Posh; Copic markers

Festive Party Banners

Happy Monday!

Hope you had a nice weekend!  We attended a family wedding in Cape May, NJ.  It was fun seeing faces you love, all in one spot. :-D  The bride looked ever so lovely, and so did her groom.  They just glowed, you know what I mean?  Sigh.  Love, sweet love! 

Today's card doesn't need much explanation.  Just another birthday card to fill the basket at the shop, strung with party banners, thanks to my FUN Petite Pennants Builder Punch by Stampin' Up!  I need to pull that out more often.

Thanks for coming by today, and hope to see you again soon!

Stamps: Salutations - Paper Smooches Paper: white - Papertrey Ink; Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose, patterns - Stampin' Up! Fibers: ivory twine - American Crafts Accessories & Tools: Petite Pennants Builder Punch, Flower Trio punch - Stampin' Up!; White Opal Liquid Pearls - Ranger; iridescent sequins

Chandelier Flower

Happy Monday!

Today's card is one that I had submitted for publication with Paper Crafts Magazine (sniff!  Miss this pub!) in 2013.  Alas, it was not chosen.  I remember the category I submitted it for was to use stamps in an unusual way.

So, may I present my Chandelier Flower:

Yep, it's an upside-down chandelier, from Glowing Hours / Unity Stamps.  I thought it was pretty clever, m'self.  ;-)

Thanks so much for coming by, and you have a WONDERFUL and blessed week!

Stamps: sentiment - Salutations - Paper Smooches; leaf, stem - Summer Flowers - Inspired By Stamping; chandelier - Glowing Hours - Unity Stamps Paper: kraft, white, black - Papertrey Ink Ink: Cameo Coral, Pear Pizzazz - Stampin' Up!; Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: pearls - Queen & Co.

"Moxie Fab Thanks!" Blog Hop

This is one of two posts today.  Please click HERE for the Inspired By Stamping November release post.  Thanks!

Our well-loved epicenter of the papercrafting community, Moxie Fab World, is sadly closing its doors.  Its creator and hostess extraordinaire, Cath Edvalson, is moving on to other things in life.  To show our appreciation for everything she has done for the crafty world, we're having a MAJOR, MAJOR blog hop.  I'm tickled pink that I could be part of this amazing outpouring of gratitude and affection.

You should have arrived here from Niki G's blog.  If you would like to start at the beginning, click HERE.  

I pondered a while, trying to decide how best to honor Cath.  I know the kinds of cards she is drawn to, as evidenced by her Pinterest board, "Cards I Just Love" (I am still so very proud that one of my creations made it onto that board.).  My style doesn't necessarily lean toward the super clean and simple, and often contains vintage touches.  I remembered that Cath likes roosters (check out her Pinterest board called,  "I'm Stricken With Chickens.") and it just so happens I recently bought some pretty chicken paper.  Voila!  An idea was born.

I attempted to include a sentiment on the front somehow, but it just didn't work aesthetically for me.  It was going to say "Good luck", and as roosters are a sign of good luck in a kitchen, it would have been appropriate.

Cath, I will miss you and MFW.  It kind of feels like our crafting world is bit more 'untethered' now.  Thank you for every lesson you taught, each lovely challenge, every smile you brought to our faces, the moxie-fab prizes you offered, and every crafter you highlighted in Moxie Fabber of the Week (thank you for letting me be one of the lucky ones).

If you are continuing on the hop, your next stop is Sharyn Tormanen.

Thanks for your visit today!

Paper: kraft - PTI; cream; Chocolate Chip, Old Olive - SU; hens - Michaels Fibers: linen thread - SU Accessories & Tools: crochet flower, button, large round scallop die - SU;  Branch punch - Martha Stewart; Bisque Liquid Pearls - Ranger; Chicken Wire die - MFT Die-namics

Guest Designing at City Crafter

Welcome!  It's my pleasure to be Guest Designing this week at City Crafter.  This card of mine was the winner a couple of weeks ago, and as a result, I am helping to bring this week's challenge to you.  :-)  Thank you to Kirsty Vittetoe and the whole team for having me!

The challenge is "One Stamp, Two Ways."

On both cards, I used a rubber stamp with no name by PSX.  I bought it on eBay years ago, but rarely ink it up.  Topiaries always capture my heart, so this stamp is a treasure to me.  Since the stamp is finely detailed, for version #1 I kept the color scheme to black and white, with pops of olive green added by the ribbon and the sentiment from Inspired By Stamping's Graceful Hydrangea set.

Stamps: topiaries - PSX; Graceful Hydrangea - Inspired By Stamping Paper: white - PTI; Basic Black - SU Ink: Versafine Onyx Black - Tsukineko; Old Olive - SU Fibers: Old Olive satin ribbon - SU Accessories: rhinestones

The next version is my fave, I think.  I loved coloring these topiaries with my Copic markers.

Inspired By Stamping phrase combined with Paper Smooches birthday sentiment = joy!

Stamps: topiaries - PSX; Birthday Greetings - Inspired By Stamping; Salutations - Paper Smooches
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White - SU; pattern - Garden Vignettes - My Mind's Eye Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black - Tsukineko Fibers: gray sheer ribbon - JoAnn's  Tools: Labels Thirteen die - Spellbinders Accessories: rhinestones - Queen & Co.; Copic markers

Thanks so much for coming by today!  Hope you get a chance to play along at City Crafter.  :-)