Out of this World

I made a Dozen cards today.... although they did take me all day long to make as I'm not feeling 100%, hopefully that feeling won't last long



Operation Write Home Sketch #205 was absolutely perfect for this Unity Stamp Co. stamp "Out of this World" that I hadn't inked up yet!  can you believe brand spankin' new stamps sit around for weeks at my house before I use them?!  unacceptable!

Another Challenge - HidingInMyCraftRoom#130 "Anything but Holiday"

Printed Papers - Recollections Monsters & Robots

Electric Blue Cardstock - Recollections

Metallic Silver Cardstock -  Paper-Papers Galvanised

Yellow Cradstock - Creative Memories

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black colored with Copic Markers

Sentiment Ink - Tim Holtz Barn Door

having it all

It's FRIDAY!  and the very last Friday of the year, which makes me just a little sad but mostly I'm looking forward to the New Year.  2013 brought me much happiness, due to my sons and husband, but also much sadness with the loss of my job and having to "find myself" career wise. It's been an emotional journey to say the least with many many days of self-doubt, conflicts with my oldest friend due to my very changed financial situation and then the realization that I am so much happier NOT making as much money but having time to do things that bring my soul joy, like working with the youth at my church and volunteering at a food bank!  I love having the time to help my fellow people who need help. Plus I have learned just how much my boys and husband like having me home where I have the freedom to do things for them as well as myself, really frees up the weekend for us to just enjoy life instead of doing chores and working all weekend.  It is an amazing feeling!

Oh back to Friday... Friends with Flair from Unity Stamp Company which I combined with Unity's Color Combo Challenge and Pals Paper Arts #185 Sketch.... I made 5 of the darker pink ones & 3 of the lighter

Dot Paper - Canvas Corp

Vanilla Cardstock - CloseToMyHeart, edge punched with Martha Stewart punch

Blush & Cranberry Cardstock - CloseToMyHeart, embossed using a Cuttlebut folder in my Big Shot

Twine from The Twinery

Amazing Chippies  - UmWow Studio Heart Confetti

Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. The Right Words

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Chocolate

Here comes Peter CottonTail

When I was very little, I received a Velveteen Peter Rabbit, baby blue was his fur with a black velvet jacket... he was so very dapper and I loved him my whole life!  I still have him with those few precious toys I cherish from my childhood

Printed Paper - misc

Rabbit & Grass Stamps - Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Spring Sprung

Black Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black & Colored with Blue Copic Marker

Green Ink - Tim Holtz Peeled Paint

Mulberry Paper in Cream

Ribbon - Making Memories Celery

Eggs - using CTMH Cartridge Art Philosophy with CTMH Cardstock and CTMH Inks in Amethyst, Key Lime & Blush

Stamps on Eggs - Unity Stamp Co. Bee Happy Hexagons


oh so many Challenges to do and Thankfully lots of them are "Anything Goes" this time so I get to play along with several at once... which is really good because these cards (I made a dozen of 'em) took a several days to get finished!

Sketch - Operation Write Home #204
Anything Goes - Inkspirational Challenges #46, Tuesday Morning Sketches #130, Ribbon Carousel RCC88

Christmas gifts in use

We have to split up family for Christmas, this year we went to Missouri for Saturday & Sunday to spend with my dad & mom and to also see my younger brother & his daughter!  What a great visit we had, plus gifts!  wahooo... my brother & niece chose some stamps for me so today I put them to ink & played
 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sketch Frenzy Friday 122013 with zero printed paper!

Cardstock - CloseToMyHeart Indian Corn Blue & Sweet Leaf

Background & Bird Stamps - gifts from my brother & niece but no packaging

Inks - CloseToMyHeart Indian Corn Blue, Sweet Leaf & Juniper

Sentiment Stamp - Dear Lizzy Whistle

thanks sew much

Freshly Made Sketches #117 is a fantastic CAS sketch!  I combined it with my facebook group "You've Been Challenged" current challenge of sewing on any crafty project to create this



Kraft - Canvas Corp.

Fabric - Riley Blake Verona

Brads & Flower - Making Memories

Sentiment - Unity Stamp Co. KOTM the Vintage Touch

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Chocolate

hearts have it

I've already sent my Valentine's day cards to Operation Write Home BUT I know soldiers are always needing Love cards, because they have loved ones year round, don't ya know!  So this current Unity Stamp Co. Card Sketch #11 is PERFECT!!!

I also entered this in Unity's weekly Friends with Flair

Printed Papers - Echo Park Be Mine & Summer Days

Grey Cardstock - DieCutWithAView

Stamps - Unity Stamp Co. Dinged Dots & "Love" from a grab bag

Inks - Tim Holtz Black Soot & CloseToMyHeart Watermelon

Heart Ribbon - Making Memories

Brads - The Paper Studio

and my metal edge ripper from Fiskars

story of a butterfly (stamp)

I fell in love with this Stamp when it was first introduced but I couldn't swing the funds at full price to buy it... bummer for me. And I was sad. Very sad.

Then about two weeks ago, Unity was running a special and it included some of their Artistsa's including some of their line in celebration of 14,000 Facebook friends (of course, one of those is me)... WAHOO!  I'm a lucky girl :-)

Then it came in the mail and when I got it, I was just blown away at it's beauty.  I KNEW what I wanted to do with it for it's virgin run... Vellum!  and boy did I use it.

I also knew instantly when I saw this Freshly Made Sketches #116 that it would be PERFECT for this stamp!


Image Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Written in the Wings

Vellum - misc stash

Ink - Color Box in Black & embossed in Clear

Colored - Copic markers on the back side, then detailed on the front

Paper Strips - PaperTreyInk Friends 'Til The End & In Bloom

Fabric Strips - Snug Hug (don't know the manufacturer)

General Love takes flight

ok ok that was a hokey post title, but I'm not that good at writing & I try to contain my "imagination" for the paper crafts... HA!  Yes, I'm living in lameville today, probably because I've been watching massive amounts of 30 Rock so expect more {I'm sorry}

So on to the real post, today is Midweek Throwdown from Operation Write Home: General Love Theme





Here's the deal.... I made 21 of these, crazy I know... 21 fussy cut airplanes...  great plan Paula

Printed Papers - Misc stash from oh so long ago

Red Cardstock - Creative Memories

Heart Punch - Emagination

Image Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Go.See.Do.

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Cranberry

Airplane smoke trail - Creative Memories Silver Pen

making it... just under the wire!

Unity Stamp Co.'s November/December Challenges are due in 1 day, 2 hours, 36 minutes & I JUST finished!  big WHEW right now  AND I combined the Color Combo with the Card Sketch... muhahahahaha

Look at me, NO printed paper!

Colored Cardstock - Stampin' Up

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder

Unity Stamp Images - Bee Happy Hexagons

Unity Stamp Sentiment - Kindness Matters (wit & wisdom)

Inks - Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick, Rusty Hinge, Dried Marigold,  Evergreen Bough & Black Soot

Twine - The Twinery

I Miss Your Beauty

I see all these sketches, day after day after day, that I really want to do but don't have time or the attention span for.  This one, from The Sweetest Thing called Sweet Sunday Sketch #99, I actually found myself making time for!  Because I knew instantly what paper I wanted to use and what NEW Unity Stamp Set!!!

Printed Papers - Authentique Fresh 6x6 pad

Cardstock - DieCutWithAView

Distress Ink - Tim Holtz Faded Jeans

Dressform & "Beauty" - Unity Stamp Co. Mind & Beauty (dressform)

Stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black, Red potion fussy cut from Authentique paper, Gray portion is two pieces of Vellum bottom layer is black and top layer is clear embossed with Black Embossing Powder

"I Miss Your" Sentiment - Unity Stamp Co. KOTM Love In An Instant

Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot

Embellies - Candi Fix

I miss you face... around the world

today's card is brought to you by the sketch over on 365 Cards from Day 342, ok I'm a few days behind


Printed Paper - Teresa Collins World Traveler 6x6 pad
Cardstock - DieCutWithAView
Silver Trim - Doodlebug Designs paper frills
Image Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Very Small Stamps Masquerade
Stamped in Top Boss & Embossed using Zing in Silver
Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. KOTM Love in an Instant
Stamp & Distress Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot

Miss You Circle

ahhhh Operation Write Home... how I love your sketches!  week after week... this week is no exception with OWH #202

Cardbase - Stampin' Up

Printed Paper - My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Breeze

Distress Ink - Tim Holtz Dried Marigold

Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Miss You So Much

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Pacifica

Circle Stamps - CloseToMyHeart Connections

Inks - CloseToMyHeart Sunset, Sweet Leaf & Chocolate

Chipboard Circles - UmWow Studio Circle Confetti & Layered Circles

Ribbons - misc

Masculine Miss You

Once a month, Our Daily Bread sponsors a challenge on Operation Write Home and depending on the number of entries, they will pay the postage on a box (or more!)... it's really great of ODB to be so generous!  ODB's challenge is "It's All About Him - Masculine Themed cards" which I combined with Just Us Girls #218 Sketch

Printed Papers - misc "outdoors" stash

Cardstock - DieCutWithAView

Truck Stamp - Stamper's Best Rusty Truck

Flourish Stamp - Stamper's Best Small Fauna Flourish

Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa plus Tim Holtz in Gathered Twigs, Forest Moss, Stormy Sky, Fired Brick, and Antique Linen

Semtiment - Unity Stamp Co. Miss You So Much

Ink - Tim Holtz Walnut Stain

Distressing Ink - Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs & Walnut Stain

Bling - iCandi

Greatest Gift

Every time I see this image, I just get that feeling of peacefulness and love. It might be silly but it's true.  I combined several challenges for this one:
Freshly Made Sketches #115 - sketch
Pals Paper Arts #182 - color combo
Scrapping Everyday Miracles - Christmas Theme



Cardstock - Elegant Eggplant & Very Vanilla from Stampin' Up and the Gray is from DieCutWithAView
Stamp Set - Unity Stamp Co. Remember YOU Baby Jesus
Ink - Memento London Fog with Copic Markers
Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug
Edge Punch - Martha Stewart
Pearls - Basic Grey Opaline
Distress Ink - Tim Holtz Dusty Concord

notebook of miss you

a while back I was digging thru my "attic" aka former craft room aka bonus room I came across these papers in what we use to call the "free trade" boxes that I now deem as usable... so well, I used them!

Operation Write Home Sketch #201


Printed Paper - Fancy Pants The Daily Grind
Cardstocks - misc
Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Heartfelt Sentiments
Inks - Tim Holtz Fired Brick, Wild Honey & Peeled Paint
Twine - The Twinery

Ten Cards for OWH!

Johnny Cash is TIMELESS

I loved him as a kid and I loved watching him from the steps of the Capitol building in D.C. on our honeymoon and yes, I was very sad when he passed.  But he will always live on, thru his music.  Music that my son got to perform with his school choir last year before Thanksgiving.  And I wasn't the only one in the audience having a great time.  For my son, the Tim Holtz Word Slide says it all...  "encourage your hopes, not your fears"



I combined a couple of challenges for this one... a Closed Facebook group called You've Been Challenged currently have Clocks & Gears (at least one of each) and another Challenge group on Facebook called Jingle Hells is doing a kinda tongue in cheek version of December Daily, crazy daily themes and Day 2 was numbers.  I also used UmWowStudio's December Sketch. And entered this into Unity's Friends with Flair.

on to my list of supplies used:
*Background Paper - DieCutWithAView Tattered Time
*Distressed Purple Paper - DieCutWithAView textures & finishes
*Black Spray Ink - Tattered Angels Chalkboard in Charcoal
*Purple Spray - Tim Holtz Color Wash in Purple Twilight
*Alpha Stickers - Making Memories tiny alphas colored with Copic Marker
*Cardstock Gears - Coredinations Kraft using Tim Holtz Alterations Steampunk
*Chipboard Gears - UmWow Studio Gear Mash
*PocketWatch Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Day & Night
*Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot
*Metal Clock & Small Gear on Clock - Tim Holtz idea-ology
*Metal Gear & Clock base - misc.
*Washi Tape (yellow dot & kraft music)
*Chipboard Arrow - UmWow Studio Layered Arrows partially colored with Copic Marker
*Tim Holtz word slide tied to page using Leather Jewelry rope
*Black Cardstock for TIMELESS - CloseToMyHeart cut on Cricut using Plantin SchoolBook on the Tall Ball Setting (which I then stretched to be twice as tall with the same width) with a single line drawn along each letter using Sakura GellyRoll in StarDust Pen