Trees!

Some of us on the Mountain Plains Crafters Desgin Team

occasionally do a just-for-fun challenge

and since a few of us don't do Black Friday

we decided to create something with 

TREES!

I slept in (almost unheard of, but it happened today) and got a very late start on mine.

Then I made three things that went into the trash!

Just one fail after another so I went looking for a card sketch to help me out

Pals Paper Arts #229

to the rescue!

and it still didn't turn out as cute as I thought it would

but it's not horrible so I guess someone on my mailing list will be getting it

Printed Papers - My Mind's Eye 12 Days of Christmas

Tree Stamps - CloseToMyHeart Holiday Trinkets

Inks - CloseToMyHeart New England Ivy, Sweet Leaf, Christmas Red & Crystal Blue

also Tim Holtz Pickled Raspberry & Peeled Paint

I Believe

in Angels

Yes I sure do!

When I was a child, I would talk to them

all

the

time

And I believe my Grandmothers

are my Angels

(since both passed away before I was born)

or possibly I have an overactive imagination...

naw,

I'll go on Believing

I chose to use the current sketch from Pals Paper Arts #225

Image - Unity Stamp Co. KOM October 2014 Love & Joy for the Holidays

Blue coloring was done using Gelatos, which I'm still trying to get the hang of

tiny bling - CloseToMyHeart

background paper - Fancy Pants

and that tiny bity of sparkle you see on the background paper is Wink of Stella in Clear

Boo!

Halloween is a favorite of mine

I still encourage my teenagers to dress up

{although they don't go trick-of-treating}

wearing their costumes to school/football game

and to the church party

I used Pals Paper Arts Sketch #216
& Red Rubber Inspirationals #134, Just Wing It

I'm so happy with how this one turned out!

Printed Papers - Making Memories Spook Alley

Stamps - Basic Grey Boo & Spooky

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

funky ribbon - May Arts

Distressing Ink - Tim Holtz Black Soot

Bats - UmWow Studio covered with Twinkling H2O's in China Black

Hello Friend

oh I have been crafty blocked for TOO long

between the Mountain Plains Crafters Blog Hop

(still going on today - Saturday - HERE)

For my inspiration on this one, I used

Pals Paper Arts Sketch# 213

 Floral Paper

Gina K Designs Garden Tour

All Cardstock

Stampin' Up

Dies:

Donna-Salazar

Carnation Creations (flowers)

& Rose Creations (leaves)

Sentiment Stamps - Unity Stamp Co. Simple Sentiments

Inks - CloseToMyHeart & Tim Holtz

Brads: Basic Gray, American Crafts & Doodlebug Design Inc,

love yourself

well I am just blowing thru these new Unity Stamps I received recently...

and I'm loving them ALL!

For this sweetie, I used Pals Paper Arts #204 Sketch

Printed Papers - Echo Park Yours Truly 6x6

Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Love Yourself

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black with Various Copic Markers

Cardstock - Stampin' Up Red Riding Hood, Basic Black & White

Creative Memories Heart Punches

Tim Holtz Black Soot Refill Ink for splats

make us real

talking about flaws and imperfections, and they do make us real.  I'm one very flawed person and so very imperfect but then what is perfect?  No clue here!

I love this half circle piece on Freshly Made Sketches #134 sketch, it's probably why I played along

and I combined the sketch with the color combo from

Pals Paper Arts #202: Crumb Cake, Bermuda Bay (which I had to use a substitute for), and Real Red

Crumb Cake was embossed using Cuttlebug folder then I applied CloseToMyHeart White Daisy Pigment Ink so the dots would POP

The Bermuda Bay looking strip is actually Washi Tape

Tiny Flower was from stash embellished with Imaginisce Bling

Stamps - Unity Stamp Co. ...everything resides in hope

Inks - CloseToMyHeart in Cranberry (I had the SU Cardstock but not the inks) and Lagoon

vases & flowers

I love when Unity Stamp Co does facebook challenges... such as the current "Itty Bitty a Day" this week, unfortunately I haven't been able to play until today.  I searched & found the perfect sketch, then dug around for just the right Itty Bitty and, well, I think I like it!

CAS(E) this Sketch #171 combined with Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge #198

and, of course, Unity's facebook challenge

Printed Paper - Authentique Free Bird

Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Array of Bottles

Stamp Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black colored with various Copic markers

splotches - Tim Holtz Peeled Paint, Mustard Seed & Tumbled Glass (all mixed with water to splat)

UmWow Studio Circle Confetti chippies

Happy Birthday

I was lucky enough to win a grab bag of stamps from Unity Stamp Company from last week's Friends with Flair!  So I sorted them out and decided which to keep & which to giveaway, I came up with 13 stamps to giveaway... which just happens to correspond with my younger son's 13th birthday!

This great sketch comes from Pals Paper Arts #196

Stripe Paper - My Mind's Eye Lime Twist

Orange Star Paper - Making Memories Just Chillin' Boys

Blue & Orange Cardstock - The Paper Studio

Lime Cardstock - Stampin' Up

Number Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. (from the Grab Bag I won!!!)

Ink - Tim Holtz Salty Ocean

Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Encircled Birthday

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Sunset

Bling - Imaginisce

Live Life to the Fullest

I believe in this sentiment... although I'm a pretty lazy person. I really enjoy sitting & crafting... it all just depends on what you enjoy doing, right?  The fullest for one might be different for the fullest for another

I chose to take part in Pals Paper Arts #186 - Color Combo (Island Indigo, Gold & Whisper White)

Printed Paper - Making Memories Panorma

Gold Cardstock - Making Memories Metallic

Stamp Set - Autumn Leaves word flourishes

Ink - StazOn Jet Black

Fiber - Misc blue jar of ribbon ;)

bling - CloseToMyHeart


Metallic papers are so hard to photograph, I actually had to go outside to get this one!  it's a beautiful but very chilly day here in Arkansas.  I made four of these for Operation Write Home!

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

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

i miss you so much... Chevrons

this might just be my favorite Pals Paper Arts Sketch PPA 181... I really like the details they added to it, like the two chevrons and the arrow tabby thingy.

I'm also submitting this to Unity Stamp Co.'s Friends with Flair

For both cards I used Printed Paper from Authentique Geniune 6x6 pad

Chevron Mask & Chippies from UmWow Studio

Distress & Stamp Ink - Tim Holtz Chipped Sapphire

Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Miss You So Much

the First card I also added the butterfly from Unity Stamp Co.'s Here Today, Here Tomorrow set (which does have a beautiful sentiment as well but I chose not to use it this time)

the Second card I didn't feel needed the butterfly as it has plenty going on with the printed Chevrons

both cards also have this little metallic looking square thingy called Mosaic Mosaique from Crystal Stickers

i miss you

I watch Netflix so much, it's insane... sometimes I actually run out of stuff to watch, lately I've been into Indie movies.  ya know, kinda quirky and off beat... I really like them

Today's cards are brought to you by the sketch over on Pals Paper Arts PPA180

and a paper pack I won at a retreat I went to this fall - Simple Stories Fab{U}lous 6x6

plus don't forget today is Unity's Friends with Flair!

Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Present in my Heart

Ink (for stamping & distressing) - Tim Holtz Walnut Stain

candi (brown embelly)

Butterfly cut using Graphically Speaking from CloseToMyHeart cardstock in Lagoon (both sides)



You may have noticed "hey, this chick really uses miss you stamps A LOT" but since Operation Write Home showed how short they run of them, I'm trying to help out as much as possible by bulking up.  I could use some new Miss You Sentiments tho ;-)

do you feel the love?

I took the Pals Paper Arts Sketch #169 and just kinda went crazy with it.  I thought it was perfect for these little cut-out cards that I very rarely use



Don't you just love this background paper?  I got it from The Canvas Corp Warehouse (it's just north of me about a 40 minute drive) but this paper is actually from American Crafts called Love Always



I think the little Cards I cut out are from the same American Crafts line but I'm not positive.

Tiny Heart Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Love Bug

Ink - Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs









Cardstock is all from DieCutWithAView



Ribbon - misc but it was in my Stampin' Up jar so I suppose it is from SU

Sentiment (Left) - Unity Stamp Co. Let Your Heart Take Flight

Sentiment (Right) - Unity Stamp Co.the Time is NOW

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Tulip




These cards will all get shipped off to Operation Write Home for our Soldiers to keep in touch with those they love.

Thanks & Love

I have all this paper... no wait, I have all this paper that doesn't go with any of my other paper so today I enacted the paper reduction act... I gathered up several of the papers and found the current Pals Paper Arts Sketch 177 to be VERY inspiring. So I made all these cards!



I started out really being loyal to the sketch (the one laying down) but then I started matting & liked it better.

I love two-sided papers... nuff said

All the sentiments are from two different DieCutWithAView Quote Stacks that my awesome friends, Casey & Tricia, donated to my card making cause!

and at this point I started playing with scraps that weren't big enough for the SFF sketch

that's it and I got rid of a few papers from my miscellaneous pile!

I was a winner :-)

back when Operation Write Home had their Labor Day Weekend Virtual Card Making Party, blogger Seongsook of Seongsook's Creations drew my number as the winner!  Well today I received a great prize package in the mail, not only were there the most recent Stampin' Up Catalogs but a great little paper pad  "Winter Frost" along with a cute little gift card she had made.  Well you know me, I had to PLAY!

Sketch is from Pals Paper Arts PPA172

Washi - Downtown Tape

Sentiment Stamp - Hero Arts for OWH Winter Wishes

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Lagoon

Silver Cardstock - Paper-Papers

Snowflake Punch - Stampin' Up

Cardstock - Recollections

Bling Brad - American Crafts Elements

a Monster big HI!

This past weekend I found some fantasticly fun Monster paper for Operation Write Home cards.... for $$$FIVE$$$  at Michael's!  What a great deal... surely the soldiers with little ones back home will love these fun prints!

I used the Sketch from Mojo Monday #311

along with the challenge of For The Kids from The Paper Players  PP163

Printed Papers - Recollections Monsters & Robots

Solid Cardstock - CloseToMyHeart

Twine - The Twinery

Alpha Stamps - CloseToMyHeart Precious Alphabet

Ink - CloseToMyHeart Sunset

Little Boy, Miss You

I'm determined to make as many little kid cards for our Soldiers via Operation Write Home as possible, and I'm feel like I'm making great progress thanks to Dearie Dolls Digis, her pre-colored images make card making so much easier & faster and coloring them myself and I'm working my way thru some really old papers I've been hoarding for way too long


I used the sketch from Pals Paper Arts #169

Printed Papers & all cardstock - misc stash (love using those up!)

Digi - Autumn Swing Boy

Ribbon - CloseToMyHeart Organdy

Sentiment Stamp - Unity Stamp Co. Heartfelt Sentiments

Ink - Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs

Liquid Pearls in Copper Pearl

Fabulous

Pals Paper Arts Sketch#157 is so very flexible with different designs... I love all the different things I've seen over on their blog post.


Printed Papers - CloseToMyHeart Felicity Collection

Stamps - Unity Stamp Co. fabulous girl

Ink - Memento Timber Brown

Solid Cardstock - Olive & Autumn Terracotta from CloseToMyHeart & misc tan cardstock

Ribbon - Making Memories Celery

no sentiments

Autumn (my 11-yo niece who is staying with us for Spring Break) and I ran across Pals Paper Arts Sketch #155 this morning & got to work on some cards

mine on the left, Autumn's on the right

Autumn's Products Used:
Printed Paper - Basic Grey Ambrosia 6x6 pad
Dressform Stamp - Stamper's Best Flourish DressForm
Stamped with VersaMark
Embossed with Zing in Silver
Snug Hug

My Products Used:
Printed Paper - FarmHouse Paper Company Fair Skies
Hot Air Balloons - Unity Stamp Co. Kit of the Month Love in an Instant
Ink - CloseToMyHeart Black
Distressed with Prima Distressing Tool (love this thing!)