Life Is Good

In spite of all the troubles, both big and small, life is still good. DH is having a rough couple of days right now, but with God's help, we'll weather it just fine. Before he got up this morning, I made a couple of fairly quick cards. The first one will go into the 2017 Summer Coffee Lovers Bloghop as my second entry. As part of a goodie package, Helen Gullett sent a few panels and I waited until now to use this one:

My Coffee Card:

So I grabbed my Copics and like a second grader, I colored to my heart's content. The sentiment is from a Studio Calico set, and all I did was to add a black panel behind it and toss a couple-three minty sequins. EZPZ. Thanks, Helen!

Next up is a card for a somewhat new-to-me challenge, Sunday Stamps. This color palette is right up my alley, and I wanted to get a card made and play along. See what you think...

Mine uses the pinks, green, and yellow:

The stamps are all Altenew, from two different sets, and while those funky blooms have leaves and stems in the set, I chose to let them float. And though you can't tell from my poor-at-best photography skills, the flowers are actually two, albeit only slightly, different pinks. *sigh* Still, I like how this came out. And since I have to pop in and check on the DH, I will wish you all a wonderful weekend, and for those in the US, a blessed 4th of July. As always...

Summer Coffee Lovers Bloghop 2017

Even though things are wackadoodle around here, I had to play at the Coffee Lovers Bloghop. Amy and the team are beyond wonderful for doing this, and I so look forward to this every season. I had a card made, or nearly so, but when I saw the sketch at Less Is More, something clicked. After a couple of granddaughters left this morning, and I got DH squared away, I took the time and made a card. I didn't sweep the kitchen, I didn't do the dishes, I didn't start the laundry, and I didn't do anything else for an hour or so except craft. *sigh* Playing in the craft room was long overdue. Someone in the house, who shall not be named and is not me, has needed some extra care the last week or so. But since there was some improvement, I could escape and make a card.

Here's mine:

I used my LF border dies to create the split. The bit of fun coffee paper is from a 6x6 pad that I've been hoarding saving. It's a Pebbles Happy Day. The rectangle is an MFT die, and the stamps are PTI and Sweet Stamp Shop. I colored the 'coffee' with Copics and Ziggies, and added some clear Stickles for a bit of pizazz. If things go well tonight with DH, I hope to get to some commenting. Cross your fingers! And as always...

There's Still Time to Play at The Heart Desires...

Every time I look at this inspiration board from The Heart Desires, I'm still inspired.  If you haven't had the chance to play along yet, I do hope you will join me there. I was (and still am) thrilled to be this month's Guest Designer; this is truly one of my very most favorite challenges in the whole wide world ever! You know you want to....come on...crank up the tunes, grab that cuppa, break out the crafty goodies, and hang out with me!

OH! I do have another card to share! 

Sorry about the photo...the stripes are a gray that actually match the sentiment, but the light wouldn't cooperate. I created the stripes with my Silhouette as I didn't have a chunk in my stash. The cake, sentiment, and cake plate are from Hero Arts, and I colored the cake with a minty fresh Copic. I added some 'frosting' beads with a white gel pen. The strawberry is from a WPlus9 set. And the panel is an MFT die. I'm so in love with Mama Elephant's Smoke ink, that I've used it here again. I wish you could see how cute this is in person... 

I'd like to thank the DT at The Heart Desires for this opportunity; I've had a blast as June's Guest Designer. Can't help but smile every time I think about it!! 

Today's Cards

Sharing cards today, but no chatter if I can help it. No time. Lots going on.

Playing at Color Throwdown and City Crafter's Challenge

Week 366 ~ Frame It!

Mine:

"27" stamps by Studio Calico

Various sequins

Scrap of navy card stock

Card two will play at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Emboss It 

Mine:

NBUS TE embossing folder

MB branch die

MFT frame

SU Parisian Breeze blue base

Verve Sentiment stamp

Scraps of SU dp and cardstock

Last card will play along with Fusion. I used both sides to an extent.

ME scallop die and curve die

Various scraps of dp

Bicycle created by Silhouette; P&C file

SSS "wishes" sentiment

three enamel dots

Gotta run....

Guest Designing for The Heart Desires!!

Oh it's a happy day for me! Katie Brooks sent me an email after the birthday card I made for Lily took top honors at The Heart Desires Challenge, and asked if I wanted to be the Guest Designer for June. After some initial "woohooing," and some serious happy dancing, I replied that I'd be honored. And I am... really, really honored to be June's GD!!!!! I can't wait until you see the inspiration photo, and I'm hoping you'll play along too! Thanks for having me!

Now about that inspiration photo.... I couldn't decide which square to go with, because each one is amazing, and don't even get me started about how much I'm in love with those colors!! See if you can guess where inspiration took me:

*sigh*

This is what I made:

The main panel started out as blank and white. I created three masks from this set, C9's Wildflower (which can also be found in The Heart Desires shop), then covered the entire front with this chrysanthemum. I used some green Copics to color them, and then filled in the background with gray. I had a sample sitting on my desk and gave the centers of a couple a smattering of Stickles, but didn't like the outcome, so left them as is on the 'real' card front. The sentiment is SSS, and the gray ink for the flower outlines is Smoke from Mama Elephant. It needed a little something more, so I added a black mat. EZPZ lemon squeezy!! So there you have it, and I hope you'll join me in the gallery! Thanks to Katie and the DT at The Heart Desires for having me. 

Better

Good Monday morning everyone. Wanted to show you a card I made last night while the Cubs were on. And I also wanted to thank you for your kind wishes concerning DH. He's feeling better this morning, and while I know that he's never going to be "great" again, I'm delighted with 'better.' I can always tell when he's doing alright because he's sitting in the family room next door with MLB Central on. Maybe it's the way his team is playing that's helped his general well-being, lol!! In reality though, I know that it's all the prayers said on his behalf that is sustaining him.

Card. That's really why you're here after all. Only one today, but if I'm a good girl and get my chores done early, I might just make more! Hmmmm...I'll stop chattering now and get to business. Didn't think I could play with at the Curtain Call challenge, but as it turns out, I made a card that works! And since it's an Anything Goes at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, I'm playing there too!

Here 'tis:

One little pot of succulents. The pot and succulent stamps are from two different HA sets, and the sentiment is from a SSS set. I die cut a circle with a WPlus9 die (yeah...like you couldn't tell it's a circle...) from a piece of My Mind's Eye on trend 2 patterned paper pad. And the images are colored with some Copics. One of the things I like best about this, is that the pink Copic matches the dp perfectly. Love it when that happens!! I've got to get to the chores now, but you all have a great Monday, and as always

Happy (belated) Birthday, Ardyth!

My mother used to say while raising us kids, "the hurrier I go, the behinder I get." That kind of describes me these days, lol. DH has been under the weather, and has needed a bit more attention these last couple of weeks, and so I've been away from crafting and blogging. Just keeping up with a few chores while keeping an eye on him has been plenty 'hurrier.' So, I'm 'behinder.' And even more terribly behind with a birthday card for Ardyth.  She, of MASKerade fame. She, who needs no introduction... Just the mention of her first name, and we all know who she is! Maker of square cards, CAS Queen, rainbows, David Bowie, lovely lady, friend! On this week's Muse, where she is lead Designer, Ardyth is celebrating her birthday and we're to CASE one of her cards. I headed off to her blog, and after looking at about ten bajillion fabulous cards, I chose to CASE this one from April 19th 2015:

Now, I love her cards, but I really, really LOVE this one! CAS, gray, and lots of happy to go 'round. Mine looks like this:

I went with a strawberry pinkyred for my happy, though. This square card is already winging its way to Toronto. I only wish I could have gotten to it sooner....so sorry Ardyth. I'll try to do better next year, I promise!

The 'happy' is an MFT die, and the 'birthday' is from a SSS set. While the 'birthday' looks navy blue, it's really black. In addition to the birthday bash at Muse, there's another celebration at AAA Cards, and I'll play along there too. 

Since I was up at 4:30 this morning to help my sweetie, and since I couldn't go back to sleep, I thought I'd make a tag for the current Tag You're It Challenge. Lindsey Larsen is GD this week, and just look at the tag she made!!!!:

Oh so pretty! Great inspiration!

Here's mine:

Back when scrapbooking was my be-all-and-end-all, I bought all kinds of paper, including the curly laser-cut blue you see behind the vellum in the center of this tag. I cut the white part of the tag with my Silhouette, and the gold 'celebrate' die is from Studio Calico. A bit of scrap ribbon, and I was done in time to head off to church. 

Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Ardyth, and many blessings in the coming year!!!