DAY 50 - 100 Day Blog Challenge!

I can't believe it!  I'm half way through the 100 day challenge.  This came about after I signed up to do a 100 day moving intentionally challenge - well, I hate to admit this, but with all going on in my life I haven't completed the movement challenge, BUT I have kept up with the creating/blogging challenge I started on January 2.  Last night I said I might celebrate with a cupcake, but I didn't make any so I guess it will be with a Pepsi and Kettle Corn!  :)  I hope everyone following my blog is encouraged by my daily posts and getting into the spirit of creativity! 

Yesterday was a struggle for me creatively!  I wanted to make bookmarks, but couldn't come up with an idea to save me, so the end result was the cupcakes and birthday wishes.  Tonight I walked upstairs, entered my craft room and immediately I saw what I wanted to make and it was so easy, I made two!.  It's interesting to me how all this stuff works - keeps me guessing that's for sure.   

I used the same paper (DSP - Bella Rose) as last night, but ran it through an embossing folder and sanded it down to create a distressed look.  The flower is from Awash with Flowers, colored with Pretty in Pink and Riding Hood Red stamped on Whisper White.  The stem is Old Olive and Pear Pizzaz.  Ribbon is Pretty in Pink 3/8" taffeta, tied through a  Jumbo Eyelet (pewter).  The sentiment is a scripture from a set I've had a very long time, brand unknown! I did use snail to attach the DSP to a piece of card stock to make a firmer piece, then added the white followed by eyelet and ribbon as a finishing touch.

Well, it's time for me to hit post and go celebrate - see you tomorrow.  Happy Stamping!

Day 49 - Birthday Wishes

I don't know about you, but I love cupcakes and I dreamed today of making a great big batch, decorating them with gooey icing and eating them all, well, one for Bill and the rest for me! :)   But instead I made a cupcake card combining Itty Bitty Bits, On a Pedestal and So Happy for You.  I stamped the pedestal stand three times, shortening the layer each time lining it up with the Stamp-a-ma-jig.  I used markers to color the little cupcakes and punched them out using the circle from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch set.  I used the embossing pen along with clear embossing powder to give a shine to the pedestal.  The DSP is from a couple of years ago - Bella Rose.  This was one of my favorite papers and I still have some, so it just seemed like the perfect fit for this card. The card stock is Riding Hood Red, Pretty in Pink and Whisper White.  The decorative edge is made with the scallop trim edge punch. 

Well, the card is made, the description is written and I just want to tell you that I'm still dreaming of making that big batch of cupcakes, covered with gooey icing and eating them all!  Making this card really didn't take care of my cupcake craving, but it did pass enough time that I don't have time to make any now - so maybe, just maybe I'll make it past this craving!

See you tomorrow for Day 50!  Wow, maybe that's a good reason to celebrate with a cupcake!!!!

Day 48 - An Experiment in Stamping

I felt a little adventurous today and so I tried something totally new, for me that is!  I had bought some stamps that were in a sheet to punch out and some of the little nooks and cranny pieces came out all by themselves in some very neat shapes.  They had the same backing on them, so I saved them to make a collage!  Today I pulled out one of my clear blocks and randomly placed the pieces on top.  I tried to make a square but I just placed them, in no particular order.  I took four markers out of my box (Bravo Burgundy, Rose Red, Regal Rose and Cherry Cobbler) and began to color - again no order just did it!  Then I stamped it on an almost square piece of Whisper White card stock.  I liked the look and it had come out even enough that I decided I would pull out a stamp from the new SAB set So Happy for You and stamp all around the card.  I was pleased enough to continue!  I added a Bravo Burgundy piece behind for a layer, added that to a Melon Mambo layer and after punching two slots and tying some white organza ribbon through I used snail to adhere the entire top to a Blushing Bride card!

Now I really like the way the card came out, but unless I make more right now, I'll never see this exact design again!  Just think of the many variables with these little pieces of rubber.  I can stamp these in any color or group of colors, punch out hearts, circles or even a butterfly!  What fun to imagine the possibilities.  I'm thinking there may even be a stained glass window in here some where.  I will be playing with this for sure so you know you'll be seeing some other ideas soon.  If you have any thoughts on this, please let me know - I would love to try some of your ideas too!

I'm almost to 50 consecutive posts, just a couple of more and I'll be halfway through my 100 day blog challenge.  I don't know if I thought I could do this or not when I began this on January 2, but I'm finding I'm having fun!  My husband now asks me every evening if I have my card made or my post done.  It's become a part of my every day and is a great distraction to the other not so good stuff going on in my life.  God is good and I believe my doing this challenge was indeed set in motion by a God that already knew what was coming my way.  I love that I worship a God that has known me since before I was conceived and is never surprised by what comes my way.  As I look back over the last month or so, I can see how He was going ahead of me years ago.  I'm thankful for my God, my husband, daughter, granddaughter, friends and even crafting that are traveling this cancer journey with me!

Until tomorrow, Happy Stamping!

Day 47 - Thanks

Thursday (Friday Eve) and what a day!  Hard to believe that it was just Tuesday that I had surgery as today was almost back to normal.  I went to

Bible Study this morning and it was so good to be in God's Word and with my good friends.  I came home after my busy morning, ate a fabulous sandwich made with homemade bread (a special gift) and fell asleep for about four hours.  Bill came home, we drove into Sealy for dinner and he took me to our Home Owners Assoc. meeting.  I'm on the Board and they said I could miss, but just thought I really ought to be there and so off we went, me and my wonderful chauffeur!  :)

Once I was back home I had to decide what card to make for today's creation and post.  Yesterday my card was one I had made a while back and just added a sentiment and I then used it as a case for today's card.  To case a card is to "copy and selectively edit" making a similar but different card.  I've heard other ways of saying it, but that's what it boils down to, so I got busy.  I pulled papers, one of which I hadn't used until tonight.  I first pulled a piece of Poppy Parade and to choose a color to go with it, I turned to the catalog and the Designer Series Papers and that's where I found the paper "Summer Garden"  which put Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzaz and Peach Parfait together.  There it was my two colors for today - Poppy Parade and Peach Parfait.

I really like using our clear blocks to make a background for a solid stamp.  For this card I used the Size C clear block and the stamp on top came from Friends Never Fade.  Just like last nights card, I stamped the background square with the lighter of the two colors and then the design.  I also used this for my Christmas Cards with "Dasher".  It's a quick and easy way of making a very decorative card.  Much easier than it looks and allows you to get a lot of cards done in a short period of time.  I actually made the first card so quickly I decided to make two tonight so I could show how different cards can look with just slight differences.  So, on my first one I used the distressing tool on the white layer and sponged the edgtes.  Using a 3/8" taffeta ribbon to tie around it and the sentiment at an angle.

The second card is made with the same colors, same size block and stamp, but I didn't distress the edges and cut a small strip of the Poppy Parade and placed it under a strip of the Victorian.  And on this one I placed the sentiment square on the card rather than at an angle.  The only other difference was the size of the oval I used for the sentiment.  Very much alike and yet very different. 

So, my cards are done for today!  I think I will be making some more of these - maybe three or four of each in different color combinations - I have so many cards events coming up soon and I'll be ready for them all.

See you tomorrow,

Day 46 Thinking of You

I've had a very good day and for that I'm very thankful.  My surgery was on my right side so it's not as easy to stamp and punch as it will be in a few more days and so I'm using a card I made some time ago, just adding the sentiment today.  I've said before that I often don't add sentiments until I'm ready to use a card, otherwise, I always have the wrong cards on hand.  I don't know about you, but it seems to me that my card needs run in groups, i.e. get well, thank you, birthday etc.   So I try to make a few cards that I can just add to and send, keeps me from those moments of panic.

I added the "Thinking of You" sentiment after using the scallop oval punch.  A friend of mine just mentioned that too often we line everything up and the cards look stiff - so when adding this I placed it at an angle - she's right this added so much to the card! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Stamping,