CASology & CLBH#2

Happy Friday everyone. Popping in for a quick second. Waaaaaayyyy too much going on here at the moment. Took time out yesterday to make a card, but got too busy to post it. So I'm finally getting to it today. In between stuff. And yes, I will most definitely be falling asleep in my chair later this evening. Show of hands...anyone else falling asleep on the couch or in a comfy chair after a busy week? One QAEZPZ card to show today. It's for CASology, with the cue card "Cute." And also as my second entry for the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.

 

Pretty sure this qualifies as cute...

Isn't that kitty just adorable?! That's a NBUS N&T stamp and die. I used a font from my computer, and a piece of striped paper from a PhotoPlay pad. Copics for coloring, and I trimmed out the tiny coffee cup from an old scrap.  And I'm off. "A man can work from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done." Or so they say... Happy dances everyone!

CLBH & Inkspirational Challenges

Getting right to things. DH hasn't been feeling well, so I've been absent. Today I have two cards to share, the first one goes to the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop, which you need to check out..., and the second one will be paying a visit to Inskpirational Challenges.

My nod to Fall on this card brown color, the bit of burlap (thx Amy), and one bitty leaf on the cup.

The blue base is a scrap from a million years ago that I've been hoarding, um, saving. A bit of burlap and the stamps are all from EH, with the exception of the little leaf; Verve. I watercolored the cup with my zigs. Much prettier irl. We've got that Midwestern rain thing going on, though not like what's happening in MN & IA. 

Here's my take on the inspirational photo, though slightly different. 

I didn't have a brick stencil, or any brick dp, so I kept the grid pattern with what I've used. The box is from N&T, and I love it! Studio Calico bear stamp, and I fussy cut him. The little 'happy birthday' banner he's holding was a gift from Geri G. many, many long times ago. Thx Geri! And I've got to run my friends, DH duty calls! : ) Happy dances everyone.

Muse + Altenew's Ultimate Challenge Blog Hop

Before I show you my card, I need to ask you a question. Have you seen those stupid laundry gremlins at your house? I mean, really. There are only two of us living here, and I swear, someone is coming in and adding laundry to the hampers. Must be laundry gremlins... It couldn't be me letting it pile up and taking longer to do, could it? Nahhhhh..... Laundry gremlins it is then!

Now that that's cleared up, I thought I'd share a card I made for my sweet granddaughter's upcoming birthday. She's in law school. I know, right?! Yesterday she was two and today she's all grown up. Happened really, really fast! I wanted something special for her card, and had been drawing a blank. Then, I saw Tracey's card over at Muse. Oh. My. Gosh!!! Inspiration Plus! If you haven't seen it, just have a gander here, but be sure you head over to her blog and leave her a comment; it's so right. See what I mean:

Madly in love with Tracey's card. Uh-huh.

My take is just a bit different:

I was inspired by her two flowers, the large black sentiment, and the watercolory look. Where Tracey used watercolor powders, I just used my Zigs. All stamps are Altenew, and I white embossed the blossoms before watercoloring. I love this Peony Bouquet set, and the Calligraphy Alpha, too. Hope she likes it!

Since I've used all Altenew stamps, I'm going pop this into the gallery at The Ultimate Challenge Blog Hop. Pretty sure I've played in most of these featured challenges, and I'll bet you have too! Head over at check out this post. 

That's it for me for today. Must get a few things done. Happy dances everyone!

Monday Morning

Hope your week is starting out well. It's a gorgeous morning here; cool, sunshiny, and quiet for the moment. I love mornings like this. Thanks, God, for today! Got tons done over the weekend, and even tried a new chicken recipe for dinner last night (it was a bit bland for me, but DH liked it....). Even snuck in a short visit with my sister on Saturday. Tucked DH in with his breakfast, remote, and a phone, and drove to see Sue. Nice time. Wasn't gone too long; I start to worry about him and then I know it's time for me to go back home. Hopefully soon, his health will improve enough for me to be gone overnight (if I wanted to go) without someone staying with him. We'll deal with whatever comes.

More craft time over several days. Couldn't seem to get cards done all in one sitting, but I did manage to get one done for Tag You're It, and one for The Heart Desires. Scope out the inspiration from each:

How can you not fall in love with Melissa's sweet tag. I filled my recycle bins with several attempts, and finally managed to make one I like, lol!

So much to choose from! I went with the color palette and added stripes just because they tripped my trigger. 

Here's my tag:

My double tag uses an SC die for the tag itself, and a WPlus9 for the 'hello.' Avery Elle stamps with various inks, some Doodlebug polka dot paper, and bit of gingham ribbon. Don't know why it took me so long to make this...

My card for THD:

I found some felt in my stash in just the right colors, and the red is even glittery! They're cut with RC and WPlus9 dies. I used my Silhouette to make that doily, and an SC die for the sentiment. Scraps of black and stripes. I made the center of the flower and the other yellow dots out of the same yellow cardstock, and added some GA. Looks cooler irl....

Anyhoo...I really must get going. Time to fix DH's breakfast. Me? I'm just having coffee. Mmmmm....coffee! You all have a great week, and I'll be popping around to see you soon. Happy dances everyone. : )

Just a little Happy Dance Today

Can I say thank you once more? For all your prayers, thoughts, and kind wishes. Even though DH still has this kinda big test coming up, I see that his strength continues to improve, and his dread of the possibility of another surgery has waned to a normal level. That, dear friends, is the power of prayer. With this small/medium improvement, he is becoming more independent again, and that leaves me a little more time in the craft room!! I've also been able to get at those chores that had been let go...cleaned out the front hall closet, organized some crapola in the basement, and on Monday I'll be making a run to Goodwill with the back end of my Subaru loaded to the gills. Woohoo!!

Now for the cards. Two of them. Feels good to be able to make cards on a more regular basis! This first one will travel to the Time Out Challenge, with this brief: "Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year." And SSS Monday Challenge has us using a stamp.

Here's what I made:

A scrap of green for a mat beneath the white, MFT die cut panel. The stamps are PTI with an RC sentiment. I colored the leaves with my ziggies, and added a bit of orange glitter to the 'berries.' EZPZ lemon squeezy.

I'm also playing along this week with Cupcake Inspirations; wait till you see the colors on their inspiration photo... Yum!! And since SSS's Wednesday Challenge is also use a stamp, I'm adding this as well!

Love those colors!!

(Can you tell my PTI order came the other day?!) Had to use this tag die that I've been drooling over, since the first time I'd seen it. Endless possibilities! I die cut and stamped some strawberries using WPlus9 goodies, and printed some mint green striped paper from Silhouette. The sentiment is from RC, and is stamped with ME ink. A bit of burlappy ribbon shot with just a smidgen of gold tops off the tag. Turned out pretty sweet! And that's all there was to it. Now I'm off to work on the linen cupboard, put clean sheets on the beds upstairs, and maybe get a little dusting and vacuuming in. After lunch I hope to be crafting a bit more...providing DH is having a good day; he comes before all else. Happy dances everyone.

What I Should Be Doing...

Laundry. I should be doing laundry. But obviously I'm not. Got up early just to hang out in the craft room. After an hour's drive north yesterday (and home again) to have a little cookout at my sister's house, I had a feeling DH would be all tuckered out, and would be sleeping in today. He was, did, and I played and played in uninterrupted quiet. Ahhhhhh.... So naughty of me, I know, but what a feeling of calm. Now I've got some commenting to do, and I need to find my blender. I think it's in a box in the basement, and I really don't want to go down there, because then I'll feel obligated to get to some laundry. But my (as I like to call him) "third best girlfriend" Michael brought over about 500 pounds of tomatoes, and I need to get them chili ready. So maybe if I get a teeny-tiny bit of work done, I can still play in here.....Party Plan. I'm going with it!

I've got two cards today. The first one is for the Inspirational Challenge, where we're to use Primary Colors. Thought I'd pop this into SSS Monday Challenge, too, where we're directed to use a stamp.

Red, blue, yellow, check. Stamp(s). Check. The blue cardstock is from my scraps file, which delights me to no end! A piece of red striped paper from Simple Stories, and some PTI stamps. A smattering of yellow sequins, a ME scalloped edge die, and done. 

And I fell in love with Curtain Call's inspiration photo, but alas, alack, I had no apple stamp (at least none that I wanted to use). This will also visit SSS Wednesday Challenge, as long as the Anything Goes is still in play. 

Well, sometimes pears are green, aren't they? And besides, this set from WPlus9 hasn't seen much love lately.

You'll notice there's no sentiment on the front of this card. That's because "I think you're 'pear-fect'" was too big, and I really wanted to emphasize that pear. IRL, the pear really cool looking. I used the large pear die from this set, and just watercolored it with my Ziggies. I was going to fix the leaf, but decided it looked like a dying leaf from a fresh picked pear. An MFT circle die, and red and black starred scraps. Three black sequins and done. And since that stupid old laundry is nagging me (I can practically hear it), I'd better get on the stick. *sigh* Happy dances everyone!

Good News

Thought some of you would like to know that DH's BIG doctor's appointment went well, and for the immediate future, there's no surgery scheduled for him. He still has to make more improvements, but the doctor was glad to see some of his issues have resolved. That's not to say that late Fall or early in the new year, surgery won't happen; it still could, but for now he's been granted a reprieve. He has a test (another one...) in late September, but at least it isn't surgery! We were both happy with this news. Thank you for all of your kind comments, thoughts, and prayers. They've worked! Blessings heaped upon you all!!!!

Because I got "too" happy about DH's news, I had a four-day run of migraines. Got off my even keel track, and paid the price. But it was worth it... Got busy making birthday cards yesterday and sending them out, and then decided to make a couple for some challenges. Wanna see? Thought you might...

First up is a card for SSS's Wednesday Challenge, City Crafters, and Cupcake Inspiration.

Thought this might work for a little girl's birthday, and heaven knows, we have lots of those in our family, lol!

That little fairy and the flowers are from MFT, and the sentiment is an AE stamp. Lots of scraps, a SC tag die, and a ME scalloped edge die. Some Copics and a bit of ribbon. She's pretty cute.

Next is a card for Stamplorations Challenge, and I've chosen to go with the sketch. I'm also sending this off to Tic-Tac-Toe, and have chosen the far right row going down.

My very CAS card looks like this:

Here I used a Stamplorations Leaf stamp with various inks, an AE little tiny bow die, and a WPlus9 sentiment. Three pumpkin colored sequins, and done. EZPZ lemon squeezy! Gotta run for now, but will see you soon. Happy dances everyone!