Anniversary, Valentine card and more

Life has been so hectic lately that I find myself simplifying my cards somewhat.   Which is not a bad thing,  mind you.

I had to whip up a quick anniversary card for a sweet couple at church and went with heat embossing.  I made the bow with my bow maker from the Unity Stamp Co.  I am horrible at making bows but this makes it so easy.  I love it! 

Finally, I added some adhesive glitter ribbon from American Craft and we are done.  Simple but lovely. ..... really, you could use this design for a variety of occasions.  I hope you're inspired to get your craft on!

Sympathy card with washi tape

I'm fresh out of sympathy cards and have GOT to replenish my stash.  I go through more than I care to admit because of needs that arise in my church family.

Simplicity is my theme of late and this is no exception.   The sentiment was stamped in dark green ink and comes from the Unity Stamp Co.   I used a mixture of light green washi tape and then added a 4x4 doily with a double looped twine bow and pearl gemstone.

Oh and the green striped tissue flower is from Fancy Pants designs.   This came in a freebie pack in one of my orders from Unity Stamps.  Have I ever mentioned they always give freebies with every order?   Love them.

Birthday or celebration card

This is a cute card made with stamps from the Unity Stamp Co.  The balloons are actually ornament balls turned upside down.  This came from the Unity October 2013 kit of the month.   I added some twine and a sweet tag punched with a Knockout punch.  Easy and quick!

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Wishing you a wonderful Christmas

Here's to a very Merry Christmas to you and your family.  May you have the best year ever in 2014.  God bless!

Cut cost on Glue dots

I had to run to the nearest drugstore for some adhesive and spotted these Glue  dots.  Normally,  I buy these on a roll but this package was layered with cellophane which made it easier to ..... cut them in half!   Why not?   They were the large size so perfect for saving cost, particularly since I wouldn't normally spend the drugstore price as opposed to the craft store price.   So there's your handy little crafty tip for the day.   Enjoy the savings!

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The warm heart of a 12 year old boy

It's almost official.   My one and only will be 12 years old next week.   So I guess we can go ahead and call him a12 year old?  It was a long road and a very long wait until we were blessed finally with this sweet child.   Let me quickly share with you this boys mindset.

If you're not a parent of a young child then you have no clue what the kids are nuts for right now;  rubber band bracelets, necklaces, rings. ... catch my drift?   So the kid talked dad into spending $3.00 on a bag of bands and accompanying clips on a recent trip to the store.   He comes home and proceeds to view video tutorials on how to make these by hand, without the loom that you can get that makes it easier and quicker to make these coveted pieces of art.

Before you know it, he is the proud owner of his first necklace.   Let me tell you, even the boys at school are nuts for these multicolored bands of non-latex.   Before the weeks end, he has orders from several of his peers for bracelets, rings and necklaces.   Last night he completed these orders and proudly stated that it gives him such a warm feeling in his heart to give these to his friends.   Unlike one of his classmates who is making these and selling them,  Jonah has opted to give these away for no profit and instead, realizing the joy that can be had in giving selflessly.  What an awesome lesson for this Christmas season!   I could learn a thing or two from him.

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Xbox 360 games for sale.....shipping extra

I'm listing my 11 yr olds games for sale.  Send me a message if interested.  First come first serve.

Xbox 360 games, all have some scratches but play perfectly.
$5 Indianapolis 500 Evolution
$5 Sonics ultimate Genesis collection
$15 Wwe 12
$15 WWE legends of Wrestlemania
$15 Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del ring...
$8 Ghostbusters
$10 Ultimate Alliance/Forza 2 Motorsports 2-disc collection

How cheap am I? Let me tell ya....

So I got this offer for a free 8x8 photo book from Shutterfly.  It was a printed receipt when I checked out at Target one day.  And brilliance struck.

I'm a crafty girl and a few months back I designed a sticker to use on the cards I sell and to promote my blog.   I used an Etsy seller to print my design.   The total with shipping was $12.75 for 25 stickers.   That's .51 each.

I thought, why not use the free photo book and just upload my design and make my own stickers?   I've got a Xyron 2.5" sticker maker so it's totally doable.

I selected a 9 grid square template for the photo book.  Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out a way to copy that photo onto each grid so I had to manually place that photo into each spot.   I'm cheap, remember?   I'll do whatever it takes!   

I copied that grid onto the front side of 10 pages.   It was a free 20 page book so you only want to utilize one side of the page, although if you use for another purpose like a business card you could do a 9 grid on the back of each page with other info. ...
I had to pay $8.69 for shipping.   That's 100 stickers for me at .09 each.   Of course I'll incur some cost on the adhesive but not much.   I might even punch some holes and tie ribbon for gift tags.   The options are endless when you're cheap!

I'd love to hear your ideas on other uses for free photo books. ...

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Holiday traditions

My 11 year old and I are watching the Santa Clause 3 and enjoying a delicious mug of mint hot chocolate (Swiss Miss. ..yummy! )  The Christmas tree is up and its cold outside,  baby! 

I love this time of year because it's so full of traditions.   There were 5 kids in our family and one of my favorite traditions was getting to open one present on Christmas Eve.  We would stalk the presents all day trying to decide which one we would open.  Later, after everyone was in bed, my parents left the tree lights on and I would sneak out of bed late at night and lay on the couch staring at the twinkling lights.   I loved being all warm and cozy with just me, the beautiful tree, and lots and lots of presents reflecting those sparkly lights. 

My wish for you is that you remember the reason for the season and have a Christ-filled Christmas.

What is your favorite holiday memory or tradition?

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Recycled gift bags made with magazines

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Ok folks,  I need some honest feedback.   I've been looking for a way to package my homemade cards that I sell and came up with gift bags made out of magazines.

I've got strips of heavy cardstock to balance the bag.   My question is this:  its flimsy paper but it IS recycling.   Would you be happy to get a gift bag like this or is it too cheap looking?   Feedback please before I proceed!   This is a very basic mock up.   I appreciate your input.   Thanks so much!

Candy Christmas card

Thanks for popping in and looking at my candy jar card.   It was made with 2 stamps from theUnity Stamp Co Oct 2013 kit of the month.   I tried a couple different things with the candy jar and ultimately did a 3-d bow made with sparkly red card stock and fussy cut the jar.   I used lots of glitter glue,  white on the peppermint sticks and some green on the mistletoe.  There's ribbon around the top of the jar and also a little bit of ''dirty'' on the jar 'cause you know little hands have been all into that candy!

I used a couple scrap strips on the side and a doily on the opposite side.   With all the detail on the jar,  I kept the sentiment simple on a 2'' circle punched piece of kraft paper.   I debated about doing more with that punched circle but I'm happy with the simplicity.   What do you think?

Supplies:  American Craft red glitter adhesive tape (punched dots),  Martha Stewart red sparkly cardstock,  Unity Stamps,  Inkadinkadoo green ink,  Bic Red Mark-it pen,  K&Company green designer paper,  red gemstones

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Seasons Greetings Woodsy card

Here is a sweet,  woodsy Christmas card made with stamps from the Unity Stamp Co.   I know you've heard me say it before,  but I just love their stamps!  

Again,  these images are from the October 2013 kit of the month.   I water colored the trees and added some glitter glue,  then distressed and edged the paper with ink.  The tag was decorated with a white gel pen,  then I also dotted around the card edge. 

I finished it off with some twine,  ribbon and an inked doily.   A sweet,  woodsy Christmas card.   Tell me what you think.Thanks and I appreciate your comments.

Supplies:  Stickles green glitter glue,  white gel pen,  green and brown watercolor brush pens,  Teresa Collins Vintage Finds twine,  craft ribbon,  4x4 doily,  Tim Holtz distressed ink,  pearl gemstones

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Black Friday.... Did you score?

It's going on 2:00 pm where I live and I'm still in my jammies.   Love having the day off and watching Hallmark Christmas movies!   I did some online shopping but no way am I heading out into the throng today.  

How about you? Do you shop online,  get out in the crowds or both? I was able to get the same prices online as the major stores were offering and didn't have to fight any crowds or long lines.  And.... Sipping on cocoa too.   Ya can't beat that.

Happy Thanksgiving

My family and I would like to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope your day was as terrific as ours.

We spent several days cooking and seems like it's all eaten up in a matter of minutes!  Well, not really, we did have a lot of leftovers that will carry us over for the next day or two.

With eating aside, my prayer is that you will take some time to reflect on what Thanksgiving means to you.  We spend so much time hurrying everywhere we go.  This is the day to stop and slow down for just a little while.  So tell me....how did you spend your day?  What was the most fun thing you did?  Watch a ball game?  Play backyard football with the kids?  I'd love to know.

Christmas Survivor pink ribbon card

Would you agree that Christmas is sweeter when you are a cancer survivor?  YES!

So, I had this in mind while making cards recently.  I've mentioned before that

my Mom and sister are both survivors.  I have some awesome stamps from the

Unity Stamp Co.  and I used the pink ribbon from the Unity ''Hope for a cure'' stamp,

the survivor sentiment from the ''I'm a survivor'' stamp, and the Ornament and 

Merry Christmas stamp are from the October 2013 kit of the month.  Love that kit!

So versatile! 

Next, I made a banner tag from the breast cancer collection of Mambi Sheets, added some bling and some glitter glue and we are done!  

(other supplies: American Craft taffy ink, Permapaque pink metallic pen 1.0 fine point)

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Joyful tidings card

Here's another card I made with a sentiment from the Unity stamp Co.
It was pretty simple to make,  starting with
a kraft card,  layering some designer paper and embellishing with ribbon and glittery stars.
 
I stamped the verse on cream colored cardstock and did a little watercolor on the paper and raised it over a 4x4'' doily with pop dots.   Speaking of the doily,  I edged it with beige Colorbox ink and added some yellow Stickles glitter glue.

A joyful and sweet Christmas card!  

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Hark the Angels sing card

Being a pianist,  there's always music lying around and half written songs.   I had this great stamp from the        that I wanted to incorporate with some old manuscript paper to make a Christmas card.   I used the Playful Pups Cricut cartridge and the cloud image for the manuscript paper and also embossed the background cloud with my Cuttlebug and dotted folder.   Then I edged the bottom of the cloud with some white ribbon added some other odds and ends and voila!  

Other supplies:  white gel pen,  Stickles diamond glitter glue,  Paper studio ribbon,  purple ink,  mini musical note punch,  pop dots,  Xyron 2.5'' sticker maker,  Hobby Lobby snowflakes and gemstones

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The Christmas list of an 11 yr old...

My young 'un,  my one and only,  the apple of my eye, has come up with his Christmas list.   Now he's been working on this for about a month.   It's been revised,  erased,  traded for something else,  and all but signed on the dotted line.


What does he want?   The same thing every other kid his age wants ; technology.   And accessories for technology.   And accessories that coordinate with accessories.   Oh an
d a Duck Dynasty Jr Archery set.   And an Uggly Pug electronic dog that makes gross noises.   

I might as well accept the fact that my little guy isn't so little anymore.   No more dump trucks or pirate costumes or cowboy hats.   He wants nano micro juju pods or whatever.   So there we have it.   It's technology or money from here on out.   Or a Nerf Elite N rapid striker CS shooter.   Ah,  something I recognize... Nerf.   He's still my baby after all.

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Deer Christmas card

Got started on an order of Christmas cards and I had permission to do whatever I wanted from the buyer.  So I pulled out a stamp I recently received from the "Merry Deerest" stamp kit that I ordered from the Unity Stamp Co.  

I started with some kraft cards and added a 4x4 doily.  I had printed out some frames in different sizes and colors with my Cricut using the Straight From The Nest cartridge and went to work.  The smaller white frame was edged with, of all things.....a mistletoe stamp roller in green ink.  Kind of gave it a cool look I think.  The larger frame was 4 1/2" and was made with red/white cardstock.  

My local craft store had a bunch of stuff 1/2 off so I picked up these faux pine branches, a pack of 10 for $1.00!  I was super excited about that.  I cut pieces from each stem so it only took me 2 stems to make 6 cards.   GOT TO USE MY NEW UNITY BOW MAKER!!  I've been wanting one of these forever and it is the best thing!  If you don't have one, get one!  It's only $5.99 and they have a video tutorial to help you out.  I was making bows lickety-split.  (And no, I am not getting paid to advertise this people, just love the products!)

So I tied the bows to the pine stem to make sure they didn't  come off because I just didn't think a glue dot would do the trick.   To finish things off, I made little tags for the bottom using the other stamp that came with the Merry Deerest kit which is the Merry and Bright sentiment.  Each one of the tags is just a little bit different whether it be different brads or a little glitter glue, etc.  

So there you have it.  Took me, oh, maybe only about 5 hours to finish....'cause I took my sweet little 'ole time but it was fun and next time, I'll have a better handle on things so it goes quicker.  Thanks for looking and I'd love a comment.  Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Items used: Metallic markers, white gel pen, red twine, Unity Bow Maker and stamps, Hobby Lobby pine stems, Sticklers glitter glue

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Meet Max

We have a new family member named Max.   He's about 3 years old and hyper as can be!   Another family gave him to us as they were overwhelmed with too many animals.   My hubby and son have been wanting one forever and we'd been looking for one as a birthday present for the 11 yr old,  so happy early birthday to my young 'un!

Max is settling in just fine.   The cats on the other hand?   Not so much..... Ha!

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Beach trip.... And work....

I was informed that I have been negligent to this blog .   Alas,  tis true.   Last week,  I had a business trip at Orange Beach,  AL and took my family with me.  I made arrangements to take my son out of school,  (it helps to have a straight A student!)  and off we went.   The first day was gorgeous and my boys had fun at the beach while I'm in meetings.   That night we had dinner at the Shrimp Basket and the food was excellent.   When my son took a bite of my red snapper he made me trade plates.   Why do I always have to give up my food?!

The next day the boys took off for the Gulf Shores Zoo and had a blast,  once again,  while I'm in meetings all day.   Doesn't seem right does it?   *grin

That night was super cold but we participated outdoors in a mullet toss.   The fish,  not the hairstyle.   Believe it or not,  it was actually fun.   Apparently,  it's a big event there every year.   Later we ate at a sponsored '' luau'' where a DJ was spinning tunes.   People were line dancing and my 11 year old tore onto the dance floor when he recognized dances he learned at school.   He was hilarious and not shy at all!
  
By the end of the 3rd day,  the hubby and son were getting on each others nerves cause mom is not around to buffer.   Welcome to my world dad!
  
Lastly,  I spent the last night in Daphne,  AL  with my BFF from high school.   We had so much fun staying up late and reminiscing.   Just like old times... Miss her already.   So there you have it.   Mommy did all the work but had fun anyway.   Oh and if you ever get to Ed's Seafood Shak?   I highly recommend Yo Mommas platter.   Could feed 3 people!

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Leaves and owls Thinking of you card

I had to come up with a quick card for a sweet lady in my church who broke her leg.   Ouch!   I had previously run some paper through my Cuttlebug and had several cards prepared with this leafy embossed design but nothing else.

So I had this great stamp from  the  Unity Stamp Co    and made a cute tag for the card with some washi tape,  button and string.   I love owls and didn't have time for anything fancy so these are just some cute stickers.   I had also punched the edge of the paper with a Knock Out edge punch and added some green Stickles glitter glue,  dotting the holes.   Hope this makes my friend feel better.....

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Seasons Sympathy card

Today I have a card that could really be used as an all occasion card,  however,  I chose to send this as a sympathy card for a friend.   This is one of my favorite scripture verses.   I even use this verse as a tagline in my emails.   So when I found this stamp at the Unity Stamp Co.,  I had to have it.
Let me just highlight a few things on this card.   The white lace ribbon with hearts was inked up with yellow ink to blend in with the Basic Grey paper.   I fashioned a piece of cream wired ribbon into a bow then wrapped a piece of fiber trim around it.  I also added some Stickles glitter glue in a few places on the sentiment and added some Princess Twinkle cut yellow rhinestones from Queen & Co. 
This card has a lot of love poured into it for a special friend who suffered a loss recently.   Thanks for looking.   I appreciate your comments.   God bless!

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Trick or treat the office! Or friends...

So I put together this cute basket for my coworkers to stop by my office. 

The '' trick '' is the mini jars of cupcake sprinkles.   These came as a 4-pack from Targets dollar spot.   Actually,  it's the trick that becomes a treat.   *grin

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Gone Fishing card

My coworkers asked me to make a fishing card for our male nurse who is retiring this week.   I had to pull some stuff out of the archives for this card!

Luckily,  I came across a great page of paper accents by EK Success,  the Bait Shop collection.

I tore the sign for that distressed look,  and hand cut the hat and raised with pop dots.   The fishing pole was a sticker that I placed on cardstock and trimmed so it would have more dimension.   I added a little Teresa Collins twine from the Vintage Finds trim collection.  

All in all,  this was a super fun card to make.

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Reindeer Christmas card

I made this sweet card with a Martha Stewart paper pack that I got on clearance last year.   I love this paper because it has such a serene feel to it.   I cut the frames using my Cricut and the Straight from the Nest cartridge.   The stamped images are from Hero Arts and Hobby Lobby and the fibers are from The Paper Studio.   The inks are Inkadinkadoo and the poinsettia ink also came with the stamp from Hero Arts.   That was a set from Target.   Basically,  everything I made to use this card was bought on clearance!   Gotta love it!

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The Magic of Christmas card

Here's another card I made with ''His Presence'' stamp from the Unity Stamp Co.  and Erin Schreiner.   I love this sentiment because it has so much meaning.   I used some washi tape and adhesive glitter ribbon too.   Baby Jesus is a sticker that I adhered to white cardstock and then cut around the edges,  and raised it with a pop dot.   I fussy cut the frame from cardstock that I ran through my Cuttlebug with an embossing folder.   Some ink,  burlap twine and blue gemstones were added and a 2-piece star at the top for the finishing touches.   Pretty!

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Making the right choice - life lesson for a child

My son had a dilemma this week.   Go camping with his church group or support his soccer team in a tournament.
I must say,  it's been interesting watching him struggle with this issue and most definitely has been a defining moment as far as a teachable life lesson.
There was a little pressure from his coach and my husband and I expressed our opinion but ultimately,  we were leaving the decision making up to him.   Some of you might say we're wrong in letting him decide,  that we should tell him what he's going to do and that's that!   But the boy is almost 12 years old.   He needs to know that the choices he makes in life have consequences ; some good,  some bad.   And,  I'll admit,  I really wanted him to make the right choice.
So,  we let him stew on it all week.   The camping trip would be the last one with his age group before moving up to the youth.   There would probably be some time for Bible study devotions - an overall good time with friends from church.   On the other hand,  he's been the goalie for his undefeated soccer team.   The team depends on him and he made a commitment when he joined this team at the start of the season.
Let me say,  I am not a parent who puts sports before church.   The team has practice every Wednesday,  Thursday  and Friday.   We have not been to Wednesday practices as we feel church is more important.    So there's also the issue,  is a Christian event more important than this tournament?   Some would say yes.   God SHOULD be first in your life. 
So after all is said and done, and with a little prayer for guidance,  my child informed us that he would be giving up the camping trip and supporting his team at the tournament.   You cannot tell me that God is not honored by his decision.    I'm proud of him and believe he made the right choice.    He placed the needs of others before his own selfish desires.

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Boo! Happy Halloween from my kid

I tried to get some card making done yesterday but my 11 year old was not having it.   Instead,  I was instructed to hand him the glitter glue... hand him the ink.... hand him the stamps.... You catch my drift?

He also instructed me that I better put it on my blog too.   Ha!   Well,  I wouldn't want to get in trouble so I better do as I'm told!    So,  according to my young 'un,  Halloween is here.   Enjoy some time with your kids this week.......

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer card

If you know me,  then you know I'm a Rudolph lover.   I decorate my Christmas tree every year in Rudolph ornaments and plush toys (pictured below).   So when I saw this 4-piece stamp set online last year,  I HAD to have it.   And,  believe it or not,  it was promoted as a kids stamps.   Forget the kids,  this bad boy is mine!   Ha!

The Unity Stamp Co is having a new ''Be Inspired '' color challenge and I thought I'd give it a whirl.  I spent a whopping 4 hours on this last night,  much of which was trying to figure out what I wanted to do,  taking it apart rearranging.... you get the idea.   So let's break it down.   I used a ton of products on this,  starting with a lovely piece of soft green designer paper.   I ran the top part through my tiny dots embossing folder and Cuttlebug.   I wanted to have the appearance of snow so I topped each of those dots with a white gel pen,  let it dry and then smudged in more white ink.   Remember when Rudolph ran away and was caught in a storm?   I had that wintery scene in mind on this project.

I couldn't wait to start on Rudolph so he was next.   First,  on the back of the cardstock,  I drew the circumference of the stamp so I could work within that circle.   I had plenty of room as this is a large stamp.   I hand cut the circle and stamped my image in brown ink.   I used 3 different shades of brown but started with an outline using a Permapaque brown metallic pen.   The other shades were sponged in and I used a the white gel pen again to highlight the white fur.   More Permapaque pens were used for the black and red on Rudolph.   I also sponged a soft green and red ink along the lower circle to give some dimension and drew some black lines and highlighted with Stickles.
I cut a larger dark red circle from heavy cardstock and used some snowflake rub-ons and edged/smudged white ink all around.   Snow storm,  right?   {*grin}
I fussy cut the Christmas trees from a piece of designer cardstock and embellished with more Stickles.

A neighbor,  God bless her,  gave my Mom a huge trash bag full of ribbon and lace.   Can you believe it?!   Found this great eyelet cream colored lace that I fanned and layered behind the centerpiece.   I also added some red/white striped craft ribbon.

Now for the tag:  It is ALL Unity!   As luck would have it,  Unity sent some cool freebies in my order this week,  including a Manila tag tucked inside a sweet little scalloped kraft mini envelope.   So what do I do?   I tear up the envelope!   I had to though,  it was perfect!   I hand-ripped it for that torn look but kept the scalloped edge.   I didn't have a ''Merry Christmas'' Unity stamp,  but I do have another awesome Unity stamp with the wording.   I simply masked out the part I didn't want to ink with a little washi tape I had on hand.   Then added more Stickles.   And I glued this adorable Holly felt piece that Unity sent with my other freebies,  and added a Sparkly red Brad.   Whew!   Enjoyed my evening crafting with my Mom until 11:00 pm.   I love how Rudolph turned out.   He's no misfit on this card!

SUPPLIES:  Unity Stamp co stamp ''Rejoice for our silent Night'' Wit & Wisdom collection,  Studio G Rudolph kids stamp,  American Crafts Christmas Book One Snowflake rub-ons,  Permapaque metallic pens 1.0 mm fine point,  Colorbox inks,  Inkadinkadoo brown ink,  Unity Stamp Co embellishments,  Stickles Crystal glitter glue,  K&Company designer paper,  Walmart craft ribbon
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Beautiful sympathy card

It's Friday which is Friends with Flair time over at the Unity Stamp Co  blog.  So I just finished this as part of a set.  This is one of those cards that I have no idea what direction to take but then the juices get flowing and this is the end result.

I started with a great piece of designer paper to layer my white card.   Next,  I took a  6x6 white doily,  cut it in half and edged it with some blue /green ink.   I glued both pieces with the flat side facing out and then glued a piece of lace fabric on top.

I then ran a piece of pretty paper through my Cuttlebug and cut out the oval frame.   The sentiment is from the Unity Sympathy and sadness set.   The butterflies were stamped with white ink and then I added some little swirly tails with a white gel pen and a touch of Stickles.   This is part of a coordinating set of cards I just made for a customer.   I think she will love it.

Supplies:  Colorbox ink, Unity Stamp sentiment, Inkadinkadoo butterfly stamp, Cuttlebug and embossing folder, fabric lace, white gel pen, Stickles diamond glitter glue

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Sympathy card

I've been working on a set of coordinating cards for a customer and wanted something simple but elegant.

This started with a great piece of designer paper that I layered over a white card.   Next I stamped my image with Apricot ink from American crafts and used glue dots to adhere some lace.   A few simple paper flowers with a little bling and more mini glue dots and we are done.   Beautiful!

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Gift tag - Spooky Halloween

This week I'm submitting my tag in a contest over at the Paper Issues Blog.  Let me show you a cool technique you can use.

 Crinkle up some paper and dab it in your ink,  then blot your tag / paper.   In this instance I tore off some gift wrap to crinkle as I had just wrapped a gift and had leftover paper.   I used 2 different shades of orange and some purple.

Next,  I added a few embellishments before stamping my image and to finish it off,  I added some fluffy orange ribbon.   Spooky..... but cute! 

Item's used: 

 American Crafts Apricot ink

Colorbox orange ink

 Studio G purple ink

 Unity Stamp Co Spooky Halloween stamp

 Stickles glitter glue

  Target washi tape

KC & Company Candy corn

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Halloween and The Flintstones

I'm submitting this layout in a contest over at the Paper Issues Blog.  I made this 12x12 scrapbook page of my nephew and his family when they dressed up as the Flintstones for a Halloween party.

I used my Cricut die cutting machine a lot on this project, in particular the Playful Pups Cartridge.   The pumpkins,  the lettering and the bone were all cut with the Cricut.  This was so much fun to make.  Hope you like it too!

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Dangling Christmas Ornament card

I've always wanted to do one of these.   We've all seen them on Pinterest and other crafting sites and they are so pretty and look easy enough to do.   Plus,  I have a new Christmas stamp I need to break in with a favorite scripture verse, Luke 2:10.


So,  I'm over at my Mothers house where we share a craft room off her garage.   She says I've pretty much taken over the space and she's right.   (At least I share my stuff!)   I came across this ornament stamp that a friend gave me last year,  and went to work.   Sure enough,  it was super quick and easy.   And so pretty!

Supplies:  Zig 2 way glue pen

 Studio G inks 

American Crafts Taffy ink 

gemstones 

Twinery Pink Sorbet twine 

 6x6 white card

 Unity Stamp sentiment ''Tidings of Great Joy'' stamp 

Stickles diamond glitter glue 

Studio G purple glitter glue

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Guilt-free Pumpkin bread pudding from Hungry Girl

I love all things pumpkin.   Pumpkin bread,  pumpkin pie,  pumpkin ice cream.... I  could go on and on like the character in Forrest Gump who could name a bazillion different shrimp,  but I won't. 
So when I saw this today from Hungry girl,  I just had to share.   It's made with vanilla soy milk and Brummel & Brown spread to lower the calories.   This is on my must-try-immediately list!
You can check out Hungry Girls recipe here: Guilt-free Pumpkin bread pudding

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October breast cancer awareness & my family

I thought I would share the impact that breast cancer has had on my family since October is the month of awareness.

My Mother was diagnosed about 7 or 8 years ago.   She was the first woman in our family to be diagnosed so we were really shocked.   Thank God,  hers was self contained in one area.   She had a mastectomy one week after diagnosis.   Mom did not want to wait.   The good news is,  she didn't have to have chemo or radiation and has done great ever since.

My younger sister survived breast cancer after a year long battle last year.   Her story was much different.   She had a lump that she ignored.   She hadn't had a mammogram in many,  many years.   She noticed the lump getting bigger and finally,  after much urging,  she finally went to the doctor and got a mammogram.   Because there was movement of the lump and it wasn't stationary,  the doctor didn't think we had cause for concern but a biopsy was done.

To our shock it was an aggressive form and my little sister had a mastectomy and chemo and radiation.   It was a tough year but she came up fighting and as I like to say,  waving her fists in the air Rocky style!   Yesterday,  she found out the results of her BRCA genetic test.   It was negative which was wonderful news.   I'll admit I've thought about my odds with my Mom and sisters diagnosis and definitely feel a sense of relief at this good news.

Ladies,  check yourself regularly.   Don't ignore symptoms.   Don't believe that because your symptoms are not the usual suspect,  that you have nothing to worry about. 

Lastly,  if you are concerned you may have a lump and are uninsured and that is preventing you from pursuing getting checked out,  there are often options.   Check with your local public health department to see if you qualify for any type of Medicaid waiver.   Check with local hospitals and local breast cancer awareness groups and find out if you can get a free mammogram.   Our local group,  Steel Magnolias gave us a ton of helpful information and even delivered my sister a tote bag full of goodies including handmade items and things to help her on this journey.  
Thanks for letting me share our story with you and God bless!

My sister Judi in the

background, 6 months before her diagnosis.

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So thankful for you card

I thought I'd try a new-to-me technique of dividing a card into 4 sections for this set I'm working on for a customer.

I layered a white card with beige textured cardstock and used 2 coordinating pieces of designer paper on the right.   Then I laid a piece of ribbon down the middle for the division and used a different stamped image in both left blocks.   Finished it off with a pretty piece of blue lacey ribbon. 

Here's what I used :

Inkadinkadoo butterfly from the Brenda Walton set (Tuesday Morning store) 

So thankful stamp (Target dollar spot) 

American Crafts Apricot ink 

1. Colorbox brown ink

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Christmas Cardinal Joy card

This is my new favorite stamp from the Unity Stamp Co.    It's the Silhouette songbird.  Isn't it sweet?

Look real close and you can see a tiny drop of Stickles glitter glue for the cardinals eye!

The ornament and the little partridge were cut from a piece of  Martha Stewart Christmas cardstock.  I also misted a paper doily with a red shimmering mist and tucked it under the centerpiece.  Love it!

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Sympathy card with butterflies

This card was made with a sentiment from the Unity Stamp Co.    If my memory serves me right,  the butterfly came from a Pink Paislee clear acrylic stamp set.


I layered a white card with a piece of striped designer paper and centered a piece of beige paper that I punched with the mini 8 We R Memory Keepers Flourish punch.   The butterflies were stamped using Tim Holtz distress ink and I used a white gel pin over the looping trails of the butterflies.   I finished it with a tiny butterfly at the top corner and added some Stickles glitter glue,  then tied a piece of burlap twine.  

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Unity

Christmas card - Silent Night

I'm so ready to start making Christmas cards.   We're finally getting a little cooler weather here in the South which is just the motivation I need to get started.   This is a super versatile Christmas stamp from the Unity Stamp Company's Wit and Wisdom line.   This is the first card I've made with this stamp and I went with a star theme.
I used white cardstock and edged about 1/2'' all around the card with Studio G black ink then added a piece of blue designer paper that had glittery white stars.   Next,  I used a small star shaped paper punch on some blue,  gray and white glitter cardstock.   I strung the stars with Tim Holtz glitter garland and stapled the garland to my page with black/white striped Fastenater staples.


For the next step I took a 6x6 paper doily and cut it in half,  folded it in layers and glued both pieces so they fan out.   Then I stamped my image on a piece of black scrapbook paper, tore it for a vintage look and placed it over the doilies with a couple foam dots to give it the raised effect.   Topped it off with a couple blue gemstones.   And now I'm ready to make some more!

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Birthday cards, heat embossed, washi tape

I'm working on a set of cards for a customer and wanted to share what I've done today.   Each one is different but has some of the same elements.   You can see some washi tape,  ribbon and all have been heat embossed with gold embossing powder.   I love the colors.  

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