You did it!

Hello there!  One day I started playing around with some snippets of interesting patterned papers from my stash (these are all older ones, from Stampin' Up!) and stacked them in a pleasing way.  I guess the ledger paper reminded me of school, which reminded me of graduation. And so this card began!

Hero Arts Everyday Sayings sentiment stamp; Impression Obsession Mortarboard and Scroll die; Papertrey Ink Wonderful Words: Congrats die; ledger, Stampin' Up! 'royal garden' and striped patterned papers; Inkadinkado Floral Damask damask stamp

I used a damask stamp as a very subtle backdrop for the mortarboard and 'congrats' die cuts; you can barely see it.  The Distress Ink called Antique Linen is a favorite of mine for creating super-subtle designs.

The finishing touch is a sentiment from Hero Arts, near the top.   I like how this turned out; it's rather different for a graduation congrats card.

Wishing all the grads of 2021 the very best!  So glad many of them actually got to have their ceremonies in person this year, as compared to 2020.  

My youngest daughter's graduation day in 2020.

My oldest daughter's senior year pic, side by side with my own.😊

The years are flying by!

God bless you!

Cards From The Heart (Still catching up!)

Hello friends!  I'm back with even more cards to share, as I try hard to catch up!  Not just cards today, there are a couple of other artsy projects in the line up.

The first card was made with lots of scraps, and I "shabbied" it up for a shabby chic vibe.

Stampin' Up! Butterfly Thinlits dies, Butterfly Basics lace butterfly stamp, Bliss solid butterfly stamp, Framed Tulips embossing folder, Itty Bitty Banners sentiment stamp and matching die; pearls, old book page

Next up is my mother's Mother's Day card.  My mom adores the colors of black and white, mixed with a bright pop of color.  I chose a bright blue, because I thought of the beach and a most beautiful blue sky!  I added seashore elements, using new to me dies from Gina Marie Designs.  Gosh, I really love her dies!  I'm amassing quite a nice collection, and the prices are really good.

Papertrey Ink Family Ties: For The Girls word die; Gina Marie Designs Starfish, Sand Dollar, Fan Coral dies; pearls; gold sequins

And, yes, it's similar, but this card below was for my mother-in-law.  She loves the color yellow, and she likes black and white too.  And she likes the beach.  😉

Papertrey Ink Family Ties: For The Girls word die; Gina Marie Designs Starfish, Sand Dollar, Fan Coral dies; pearls; gold sequins; EK Success Swirl Border punch

The next card came straight from the heart for a friend who lives on a mountainside in Colorado.  The deer visit her and her husband every day, and they've named them all!  They are like family to her, and she shares pictures of them on Facebook.  Always makes me smile and warms my heart.

Hero Arts Deck The Halls deer stamps; Stampin' Up! Woodland embossing folder, Lovely As A Tree tree stamp; Echo Park Trust In The Lord sentiment; iridescent glitter

A girly-girly birthday card...

Papertrey Ink Garden Garland flower frame and flower dies; Gina Marie Designs Small Butterfly die; Power Poppy Dynamic Duos: Peonies and Tulips sentiment; Stampin' Up! Flower Trio punch (pink flowers); rhinestones

...and a very simple thank you card.

Papertrey Ink Penned Elegance sentiment; Stampin' Up! Vintage Leaves stamps; Gina Marie Designs Big and Little Chain Rectangles die

Really gave my Soft Suede ink pad (Stampin' Up!) a workout on the next card!

Inspired By Stamping Guy Sentiments sentiment, mustache, top hat, bow tie, pipe stamps; Spellbinders Labels Fifteen dies; natural ribbon

Next up is a notebook, something different for me to make.  I decorated a marble composition notebook, and it is now a prayer book.  I love the gray damask patterned paper and how it pairs with whitewashed woodgrain paper, too, along with lots of lace, and a pretty tag.

Gina Marie Designs Flower Pleated Lace Nested Rectangles die; Sizzix Crochet lace border die; Memory Box Precious Wedding Rings die (bow); marble composition notebook

And this is the back.  I ran out of that pretty gray damask paper (darn) so I had to use a different scrap along the spine.

My daughter's friend graduated from college this summer, and she loves purple, so I personalized this for her.  Not school colors at all.  LOL

Impression Obsession Mortarboard and Scroll die; Gina Marie Designs Big and Little Chain Rectangles die; pearls

And finally, some paintings that I did with my youngest daughter this summer, before she left for college.  It was such a pleasure to paint with her.  We sat at the dining room table with our paints and canvasses, and she had the TV remote next to her as we watched an old Bob Ross (from PBS) painting video.  Have you ever watched his shows?  Sadly, he passed away in 1995, but his videos are still available online.  His calm voice is very soothing, and he creates pure magic with just a few painting supplies.  His directions are easy to follow as well.  The first painting shown here is Kerry's second to make, and the one below hers, is my first and only.   

Thank you so much for joining me yet again in the last couple of days!  I'm not finished yet, and I hope to share more soon.  

God bless you,

Nautical Cards - Father's Day and Graduation

Hello everyone!  It's been a while since I popped in here, but I've been keeping busy in the craft studio.

There's a definite nautical theme in the cards I'm sharing today.  Not too long ago, I got the Stampin' Up! set, Sailing Home and its matching set of dies, Smooth Sailing.  I have been having SO MUCH FUN with these!  They arrived in perfect time for making Father's Day and graduation cards.  Let's take a peek:

Stampin' Up! - Sailing Home & Smooth Sailing stamps/matching dies (lighthouse, boat, birds, rope); Verve - Strong Anchor sentiment stamp; gray button; navy/cream twine

Verve - Strong Anchor sentiment stamp; Stampin' Up! - Sailing Home & Smooth Sailing stamps/matching dies (lighthouse, boats, seaweed), Top Note die 

Stampin' Up! - Sailing Home & Smooth Sailing stamps/matching dies (lighthouse), Stitched So Sweetly; Verve - Strong Anchor sentiment stamp

The cards below are for a few of my daughter's close friends.   I like to go real personal for the graduation cards.  They deserve such recognition after putting in more than 12 years of school -- and they are graduating in 2020, which is a highly unusual year for seniors!

Stampin' Up! - Sailing Home stamps (boat, rope, birds, lighthouse, sentiment), Stitched Nested Dies die; Impression Obsession Mortarboard and Scroll mortarboard hat die

WHOA!  After a lineup of muted colors on the cards above, these last two are BRIGHT! 

Stampin' Up! - Sailing Home stamps (boats, sentiment), Smooth Sailing matching boat dies, label die;
Impression Obsession Mortarboard and Scroll mortarboard hat die

Even brighter than the previous card, is this hot pink glitter card!  This young lady loves glitter and hot pink and red -- well, I gave her all three!

Impression Obsession Mortarboard and Scroll mortarboard hat and diploma dies; Stampin' Up! label dies and sentiment (they came in a scrap bag, so I am not sure of the names)

I'm entering a couple of challenges again, too!

• Krafty Chicks - #514 Week 1 - Stamp Act: Use a stamp
• NBUS Challenge - Challenge #16 - Use "never before used schtuff" - I am using the Stampin' Up! Sailing Home and Smooth Sailing goodies 

Thank you so much for joining me here, and God bless you today and always!

'The Sky Is The Limit' graduation - TGIFC265

Happy Sunday, and to my American friends, Happy Memorial Day weekend!  Our weather is gray today, and yesterday we got quite a bit of rain.  Hoping for some peeks of sunshine later. No matter the weather, there's always plenty to be done inside the house...including making cards. 😉

I'm playing in another challenge today:  TGIF Challenges - Theme Challenge: Travel.  #TGIFC265
I picked a hot air balloon as my mode of travel for this graduation card.  It's headed to a family friend who is graduating from high school soon.

Inspired By Stamping The Sky's The Limit hot air balloon and sentiment stamps; Impression Obsession Mortarboard and Scroll cap die; Papertrey Ink Clouds 1 and 2 die; pearls; Gina Marie Designs Flower Pleated Lace Nested Rectangles die

The pale blue damask patterned paper is old, from Stampin' Up!, and obviously stands in for my sky.  The mortarboard cap has a tiny pearl on the tassel, adding a bit of 'class' (get it, class?  I have corny puns!).

Thank you to the team at TGIF Challenges for hosting such a neat inspiration challenge this week!

Check out what my daughter, Kerry, and I did last night.  We did Bob Ross Painting!  We watched Bob on Netflix, paused the show at various points along the way, and tried to follow Bob's example.  His canvas was like 2 ft x 3 ft, and ours are tiny 5" x 7" canvases.

It was my first time doing a Bob Ross painting, and Kerry's second.  She has inherited the gift of painting from my dad, and from her paternal grandmother.  I love how her mountains, water (check out the tree reflections!) and sky turned out!  My one giant cloud is not ultimately what I was going for, but I thought the mountains and water came out pretty good.  What a fun and pleasant evening with my girl!  Can't wait to do it again.

Thank you so much for coming by today!  I've got to get ready for virtual church now, and a drive-by birthday 'party' this afternoon. 

Have a wonderful day, a relaxing holiday, and God bless you and keep you!

Be Brave, It Is Well With My Soul, and more

Hi everyone, just popping in with a bunch of cards to share.  It's Thursday April 16, 2020, and I've been in quarantine for one month exactly!  In some ways, it feels longer, and in some ways, not that long. 

Last night I helped my husband trim his hair outdoors on the patio.  That was a first.  I've cut my own bangs twice, but that's easy.  It's the highlights in my hair that I will not attempt.  Will have to wait until I'm allowed to see my hairdresser again for her finesse and expertise! 😭
The girls have long straight hair, no bangs.  They can coast for a good long while.  LOL

Had to go to the bank today.  Only the drive-through is open, and only two lanes.  The lines were fairly long, but not too bad.  I went armed with patience. 😀  I felt badly for the two bank tellers, who were trying to do their jobs with masks, gloves, and offering as much good cheer as they could, despite testy customers.  Hopefully, we won't have too much longer to be in quarantine.  Though we did just get notification from our governor that all NJ schools will be closed until mid-May.  So...I'm thinking that senior prom will probably not be happening.  😢

Stampin' Up! Elizabeth flourish frame stamp, pale pink fabric rose; rhinestones; butterfly applique sticker; Papertrey Ink Quoted: Right Moment sentiment stamp, Embroidered Frame: Dots die; REALLY NEAT PATTERNED PAPER from a Stampington magazine!

Altenew Lavender Bud stamp and matching die; My Favorite Things Mix and Match Banners die; Stampin' Up! stitched rectangle pieces (from scrap bag); plant pot (punched piece from a friend); pearls;
Papertrey Ink Walk By Faith sentiment stamp

Altenew Lavender Bud stamp and matching die; Papertrey Ink Meadow Greens stamps and matching dies, Stemmed Statements sentiment stamp, Tiny Tags tag die; linen twine;
Gina Marie Designs Peekaboo Circle die, clear droplet epoxy stickers; 

Altenew Lavender Bud stamp and matching die; Spellbinders Labels Eight die; Hug Snug Periwinkle seam binding; Flourishes Stamps Spring Bouquets sentiment stamp; Stampin' Up! Small Banner punch;
Gina Marie Designs pale lavender candy dot sticker

Papertrey Ink Family Ties: For The Girls 'mom' die; rhinestones; Kaisercraft Lady Rose rose and scalloped circle die cuts, patterned paper (rose, long sentiment strip); Sizzix Circle Sentiments corner die

My Favorite Things Pierced Heart STAX heart die; Gina Marie Designs Pleated Lace Rectangles die; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags sentiment, tiny heart stamp, Tiny Tags tag; linen twine

Stampin' Up! Garden Pleasures bee skep, small beehive seed packet stamps, aqua resin embellishment; Hero Arts Leafy Vine flourish stamp (in yellow); Hobby Lobby Honey Bee stamp (in aqua); Spellbinders Corner Flourish die, Labels Ten die; can't remember where the sentiment came from!

Kat Scrappiness Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangle die; Stampin' Up! Extra Large Bird punch (bird and leaves); pearls; Echo Park Trust In The Lord sentiment stamp; linen twine; My Favorite Things Cheerful Cages bird cage die

⇩ CUSTOM CARD BELOW!

Golden Acorn Scallop Shell stamp; Blockhead Paper Arts Seashells With Round Frame starfish stamp; pearls; clear sequins; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; All Night Media small scallop shell stamp; Spellbinders Large Deckled Rectangles die; Stampin' Up! Irish Blessing background stamp; burlap; Papertrey Ink Pen and Ink 'blessings' sentiment stamp; Hampton Art Wedding 'Mr. & Mrs.' sentiment stamp; gold embossing powder

⇩ CUSTOM CARD BELOW!

Papertrey Ink Happily Ever After sentiment stamp, Delicate Details die; My Favorite Things Stitched Mini Scallop Rectangle STAX die; pearls; Kat Scrappiness Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangle die; Golden Acorn Scallop Shell stamp (top corner, furthest to right); All Night Media small scallop shell stamp; Blockhead Paper Arts Seashells With Rectangle Frame shell (bottom cluster, topmost shell stamped in gray), Seashells With Round Frame scallop, sand dollar, starfish stamps

⇩ CUSTOM CARD BELOW!

Papertrey Ink Happily Ever After sentiment stamp; clear sequins; pearls; Hug Snug Argentina seam binding; All Night Media small scallop shell stamp; 100 Proof Press Shell Plate 17 shell array stamp; Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles die

My Favorite Things Inspired By Spring nest stamp; Papertrey Ink Boutique Borders: Baby sentiment stamp; white ribbon; Gina Marie Designs Loopy Rectangles die

L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; Stampin' Up! Touch of Nature acorn stamp, With Gratitude leaf stamp; Gina Marie Designs Peekaboo Circle die (the negative portion); twine; Papertrey Ink Family Ties: For The Boys uncle die

Impression Obsession Mortarboard and Scroll diploma, mortarboard dies; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; Papertrey Ink Clouds 1 and 2 dies, Up Up And Away Sentiments sentiment stamp

That is all for now.  Thanks for your visit, and see you again soon!  God bless!

Shine Brightly Little Star

Hello there!  Hope you've had a great start to your week!  The weather feels like spring here in the northeast, and my daffodils and crocuses are blooming.  So beautiful!

I've got just one card to share with you today.  It features the sweetest sentiment from Verve's Shining Star.  I paired it with silver and blue, which felt as natural as the night sky.

Verve Shining Star sentiment; Fiskars small star punch; Stampin' Up! star border punch

The silver cardstock, star-studded border was in a scrap bag from my Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  It's perfect as is!  I saw that in the bag, and knew I needed to use it as a border for a card.  It shines, well, like a little star!  LOL

Have a wonderful rest of your week, and enjoy the little blessings that each of us receive every single day. 😀

Red, white, blue and gold Graduation

Hi! I added this card to my basket of goodies for sale at Arts Plus Gallery in Collingswood last week, since graduation season is upon us.

I was definitely feeling a patriotic vibe when I created it. This is not my usual palette of colors! Had to throw in some shiny gold cardstock and gold sequins to add a little razzle-dazzle:

I created a faux-embossed look on the navy panel by using some punched and die-cut stars also in navy cardstock. It's a nice subtle touch to add more interest to an otherwise simple card. The sentiment is from Verve's Purely Sentimental set.

So glad you came by for a visit.  Enjoy your day!