Little Critters For 3 Challenges

The summer is quickly flying by, and for many the end of the heat will be a welcome change. My mind is already going to fun fall places like Autumn and Halloween. The pumpkin spice creamer is already in my fridge, and I'm starting on making some fall cards like this one.

I got the idea to use this older set of stamps when the Paper Players posted their Clean & Simple Critters Challenge. I was going to go with a more realistic critter, but hopefully these crazy little guys will count too. 

I loved the layout at Freshly Made Sketches, so I wanted to use that as a guideline. Does this remind anyone else of a Pokemon Ball? My kids loved that when they were little and I can't help seeing the design as that!

And the whole thing started when I chose the bottom row over at Retro Rubber's Tic Tac Toe Challenge (#rrcb261). I carefully coordinated the color of the enamel dots with the inks of each critter. But afterwards I realized I didn't watercolor anything, so I went with the left hand column, and since it's a clean and simple card, and that wasn't in my new column, I left them off. I was really proud of myself for thinking ahead though!

These enamels went so well with the 
little monsters. I'll have to go back and use
this color combo!

Here's my complete supply list:

• Close To My Heart Monstrous Halloween Stamps and Dies (2016)
• Stampin' Up! Fresh Freesia Card Stock
• SU! Azure Afternoon Ink
• SU! Parakeet Party Ink
• Memento Tangelo Ink
• White Card Stock
• Darice Embossing Folder
• Black Card Stock
• SU! Black & White Patterned Paper
• Newton's Nook Springtime Paper (Stripes)
• Misc. Ribbon
• Walmart Googley Eyes

As I frequently say, cards tend to take on their own shape, and while I had visions of this being a little more bold in color, I think it will make a really sweet card for a younger girl this Halloween. 

Thanks so much for playing stopping by and please stop over and see all the other cool cards at these challenges!

Three Quick Cards

I made a card earlier this week and left a bunch of scraps on my desk. Most of them were from a Paige Evans ephemera kit that I just love. But I also had some patterned paper from Joann's that just happened to match it perfectly. Rather than clean it all up, and perhaps these matching pieces would never meet each other again, I created three quick cards. There was still a lot to clean up, but at least it's a little bit less!

I love Paige Evans' designs because they're so bright and cheery, and in this case, the work was practically done for me. All I had to do was grab a bottle of glue and some embellishments.

In addition to the ephemera, I used mostly Stampin' Up! supplies. The twine is from Michaels. I love adding twine because it adds a lot to the card without adding bulk

I'm thrilled to have used just a few supplies and now I have three more cards to send out! It's such a good feeling to utilize all the stuff that I buy!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

Word Art Wednesday #712-#113

It's time for another challenge over at Word Art Wednesday. As always, anything goes, but if you'd like to use a scripture in your work, you can download it below or over at their blog. This round is sponsored by Stix To Anything and you can win some cool prizes there if you are a randomly chosen winner! 

In the scripture this week, three things jumped out at me. One, God is our rock. Two, His ways are perfect. That made me think of a mountain and I remembered this die that I bought a few years ago on eBay to make my daughter, who loves mountains and all things outdoorsy, a card. The words rock and way made me think this would be perfect to go with this scripture. And third, as I was making the card, the line His work is perfect made me think of the natural beauty that he created and that this card represents. So I think they go perfectly together.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Speckletone Oatmeal Card Stock
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Stampin' Up! Secret Sea Card Stock
• SU! Balmy Blue Card Stock
• SU! Garden Green Card Stock
• SU! Sahara Sand Card Stock
• SU! Soft Suede Card Stock
• Michaels Black Card Stock
• Unbranded Die

I usually don't buy unbranded dies, but I bought this for a special purpose and it worked out well for her. It isn't available any longer and the seller isn't there either, but I'm glad it's in my stash. It makes a great masculine card too, and that's who I'll be looking for to send this to.

Thanks so much for stopping by and we would love to have you join us over at Word Art Wednesday. Hope to see you there!

Peaceful Night For Little Red Wagon

This card is a first of what I hope to be 14 more. My mom loves this stamp set from Woodware and has asked me to make 15 Christmas cards for her this year. I usually color this in more neutral colors because that’s what I picture Bethlehem to be like. However Mom likes bright, happy colors, so I added some purple to make it seem more upbeat. 

Since there are houses, I’m entering this over at Little Red Wagon’s Challenge #819 Set A Course For Home. It also seems perfect for that because I can just imagine people walking around this town. And I would imagine that Mary and Joseph were all to happy to get back to their home after traveling to have the baby in Bethlehem. 

Here’s my complete supply list:

• Woodware Peaceful Night Stamp
• Michael’s Purple Card Stock
• Michael’s Gold Card Stock
• Gold Embossing Powder
• Stampin’ Up! Gold Thread
• Copic Markers

I’m hoping that Mom likes her cards. Christmas will be here before we know it and I’m excited to be getting ready so early. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day! 

Sweet Christmas Wishes

Today's card was made from the inspiration of two challenges. First, over at Colorful Options, their August mood board is a mix of browns inspired by a back-to-school/reading theme. I love that, but I used only the colors and went with a Christmas cookie theme. Then over at Christmas (or Not) BINGO Challenges, I used all the elements in the "B" column: Brown, Check, Digital Image and Christmas.

This costs less than $1.00 to print a page
and I was able to get 3 nice sized images
for that price!

It was fun combining these two challenges. I started by creating a digital image in Canva Pro. I downloaded it and had it printed at FedEx. You can see in the photo on the left that it was really easy to put 3 images on one 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. The largest is 5" x 7". But for this card, I used the middle size image and cut it out. I then mounted it on card stock and patterned papers. You can make your images any size you want. Often I put 4 on a sheet of paper. It's a great way to make cards for not too much money. Feel free to use the digital image below for your own cards or crafts!

Here's my complete supply list:

• 
  Digital Image (Below)
• Stampin' Up! Early Espresso Card Stock
• Houndstooth Patterned Paper (Big Box Store)
• Michaels Twine
• Bazzill Peanut Cluster Card Stock
• Stampin' Up! Mini Gold Dots

On the right there's a better picture of the mini dots.

I think this is going to be a really nice card for a guy since it has a lot of masculine colors in it. Christmas will certainly be here before we know it! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and feel free to check out my other FREEBIES for card making as well!

Betsy's Blossoms For Retro Rubber

Today’s card is made especially for Retro Rubber's Sketch Challenge #260 (#rrcb260). I think this is such a fun sketch, and there are so many different things I thought about doing with it, but I reached for one of my all-time favorite old Stampin' Up! sets. 

I think I love this set so much because the flowers and bird are so timeless. I'm also realizing that I enjoy stamping with more solid stamps rather than those you need to color in. Yet the images aren't so solid that you have to have a perfectly stamped image for them to look good. 

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Betsy's Blossoms Stamp Set (from 2012)
  
• SU! Pacific Point Card Stock
• Hobby Lobby Green Background Paper
• Newton's Nook Patterned Paper
• SU! Polished Pink Ink
• SU! Parakeet Party Ink
• Memento Tangelo Ink
• Memento Danube Blue Ink
• Versa Mark
• White Embossing Powder
• Hero Arts Sentiment

Be sure to check out Retro Rubber's fun sketch challenge this round and play along!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Basic Lap Warmer Specifications

Even though it's smaller than other blankets, I think the residents will love how soft it is!

I'm in the process of making what I call "lap warmers" for nursing home residents this Christmas. I call them lap warmers rather than lap blankets because of their size. Officially the smallest lap blanket size is 30" x 40". Because yarn has gotten so expensive, I set out to create something that a resident could enjoy, while not costing me $40.00 each to make. This one ran me about $17.00. 

The thing that's special about these is that I use two kinds of yarn at once. One yarn is a plain yarn, and the other is fuzzy. The fuzzy yarn provides a nice, warm texture for people to place their hands on. And when I pair it with a cheaper yarn, it makes it more affordable while still being soft and comforting.

Another plus of crocheting this way is that, because I'm crocheting with two strands of yarn at once, I use a bigger hook. In this case it's a size "M" hook. Because of that, they are really quick to make. 

The border can be the same as one of the main yarns, or it can be one that's a third kind of yarn altogether. In this case I used the Red Heart Bitty Stripes. There was plenty leftover for a single double-crochet row all around.

I'm ready to branch out and try some different styles. One idea I have is a giant granny square.

For my own references, I've included the following pictures. It's easy to forget what you've made and I want to be able to refer back to this in the future. I hope you find it helpful too!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day! :)

Word Art Wednesday - Weeks 710 & 711

Welcome crafty friends! Today I'm featuring a card made for Word Art Wednesday's Weeks 710 & 711 . This time I used the scripture that they provided and added from there. It's a beautiful verse from Lamentations that  reminds us where to put our hope!

I simply printed it out on white lightweight card stock (I printed three on one sheet in varying sizes so that I could choose which would be best.) Then I framed it, stamped, colored and fussy-cut some flowers and put them around. Easy peasy!

Here's my complete supply list:

• Bible Verse from Word Art Wednesday
• White Card Stock
• Black Card Stock
• Stampin' Up! So Very Grateful Stamp Set
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Copic Markers G05, G06, V04, RV19, RB55, R35, Y13
• SU! Melon Mamba Card Stock
• SU! Patterned Paper

Black and white with a pop of color has always been one of my favorite combinations. It's always easy to work with and it seems like everything matches it. 

Be sure to visit us over at Word Art Wednesday for a lot of great inspiration. You can use the provided scripture to make a card or art project, or use any supplies that you have on hand. Our challenges are always "anything goes." You'll want to play along though, because we have a $25.00 prize from Stamp Simply. How fun is that!?

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day

"H" is for Home

Hi there stamping friends! Today’s card was created because over at The Alphabet Challenge their letter this round is "H" is for Home. I'm a huge fan of houses, and have been since I was a little girl who loved looking at floor plans that were on the bottom of the comics section in the Sunday paper. Does anyone else remember that?

Anyway, I was delighted to be able to create a house using this image from Stampin' Up! I bought it at a yard sale a few years ago and while I loved it, I never used it. It was a little tedious connecting all the components, but thank goodness for Misti! 

Here's my complete supply list:

A close-up of the little pumpkins.

• Stampin' Up! Pop On By Stamp Set
• Memento Rich Cocoa Ink
• Various Patterned Papers (top one is from Pink & Main)
• Stampin' Up! Tangerine Tango Card Stock
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Various Copic Markers
• Sizzix Ornate Labels #3

The autumn theme for this sort of morphed out of a desire to use more neutral colors, then I added in the oranges. The little window box full of pumpkins was a big inspiration in that.

This is my first time entering the Alphabet Challenge and I'm excited to have a new place to play. It sounds like a lot of fun. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Color Throwdown #837

Hi there, stamping friends! Today's card was made for the Color Throwdown's Challenge #837. The colors, yellow, pink and gray really caught my eye and I knew I wanted to make a card for this. There are some really, really pretty cards over there, so if you get a chance check them out.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Delicate Petals Stamp Set
• SU! Smoky Slate Ink & Card Stock 
• SU! Basic Gray Ink
• Core'Dinations Patterned Paper
• Silver Stickles
• Michaels Rhinestones
  
• Divinity Designs Sentiment
• Copics Y13, Y15 and R85

After making this card, the two things I wished I had done differently was to stamp the sentiment in pink to make it pop and to add another border in pink. I thought about redoing it, but didn't have any other yellow patterned paper that was the right shade. I guess we're always growing and learning, even after many years of stamping!

I'm glad to be stamping back inside the house (now that my son, David, has moved out for the season). I usually don't mind the heat, but boy this summer is a tough one. Here are a few pictures of my new craft area. It's just part of what is now a guest room, but I'd always prefer having my son home, even if it means stamping in the hot garage!

Ikea is my friend these days. The desk top, little white shelves on top of it, side shelves and nightstand
all came from there. All my stuff is within an easy reach! 

More storage from Ikea. Their Malm single dresser is perfect for storing
Stampin' Up! stamps! The bin on top is where I keep my "new" stuff. Often I would
put it away and forget to use it! The card rack is one I fill periodically and take
to church to share cards.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a blessed day! :)

Word Art Wednesday Divinity Designs Card

Hi there, stamping friends! This card was made for Word Art Wednesday using products from their sponsor this round, which is a company called Divinity Designs. We are so excited tto have them sponsor us and to be giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to randomly chosen winner.

My card was made using their A2 card fronts called The Great Outdoors.The images are whole, I just happened to cut mine in thirds for a unique effect. When I was browsing their website, this set really jumped out at me because both my son and my daughter loves the great outdoors. I also like it because it’s perfect for making guy cards. I paired it up with a stamp set called Faith Card Sentiments, also from Divinity Designs. I've mounted it on a 5 x 7 card base so I'd have a little room around the edges to all some elements.

I’m also playing along with the NBUS Challenge #76 as this is my first time using these fun products!

Here is my complete supply list:

• Divinity Designs The Great Outdoors A2 Card Fronts
• Divinity Designs Faith Card Sentiments Stamp Set
• Stampin’ Up! Coastal Cabana Card Stock
• SU! Perfect Peach Card Stock
• Memento Espresso Truffle Ink
• Bo Bunny Striped Paper
• Black Michaels Card Stock

Divinity Designs has so many wonderful things in their lineup. If you get a chance, be sure to check them out. But  to join our challenge you don’t have to use their products or the Bible verse that Word Art Wednesday provides. This challenge is always a “anything goes“ challenge. So use whatever supplies you have on hand and join us over at Word Art Wednesday! I hope to see you there!

If you'd like to use the scripture provided by Word Art Wednesday, here it is:

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Three Flowers

My favorite thing to stamp on a card is three flowers. In fact, it's one of the reasons that I enjoy challenges so much. They get me out of my comfort zone and encourage me to stamp things other than three flowers. Except today. 

Over at Freshly Made Sketches #694, their latest design features three circles. You can change these circles into anything, and their design team has done a really good job. But old habits die hard, and here I am with my three flowers.

Yesterday I just made a card for Inkspirational Challenge #345. They were asking for three of the same (or similar) images. Since this fits I'll enter it again over there. (At least my first card with them was Christmas Stockings and not flowers!)

Here's my complete supply list:

• Concord & 9th Filled In Florals Stamp Set
• Stampin' Up! Parakeet Party Card Stock
• Core'dinations Yellow Dotted Paper
• SU! Parakeet Party Ink
• SU! Polished Pink Ink
• SU! Pineapple Punch Ink

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

3 of the Same for 3 Challenges

Today's card is made for three challenges. First Inkspirational has a 3 of a Kind Challenge. You can use three similar images of 3 of the exact same image. I think this is a great way to stretch your stamps! My card is made with an older stamp set utilizing three Christmas stockings. They are a little different, but enough the same to qualify!

I'm also playing over at NBUS, because even though this set is older, I bought it at a tag sale and have never used it. And over at The Neglected Stuff Challenge, well, it's certainly been neglected. In addition, the music paper has also been neglected. I thought it was so cute when I bought it but I really haven't used it that much. I'm glad to have finally pulled it out and want to use it more before Christmas.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Black Card Stock
• White Card Stock
• Stampin' Up! Stitched Stockings Stamp Set
• SU! Merry Music DSP
• SU! Real Red Card Stock
• SU! Garden Green Card Stock
• SU! Crushed Curry Card Stock
• SU! Edgelits Finishing Touches Framelit Die
• Memento Cottage Ivy Ink
• Memento Love Letter Ink
• Memento Cantaloupe Ink
• Gold Cord

It's never too early to start making Christmas cards. July is almost half over and before we know it we'll be "Decking the Halls!" 

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

Primrose Cottage July Freebie

If you don't know, Primrose Cottage has a cross stitch freebie each month for their newsletter subscribers. It's only available for one month, so once it's gone, it's gone.

This month's freebie is one that I just love. It truly captures the essence of summer.

It reminds me a lot of the July Challenge over at Colorful Options. And since they let you enter any type of creative work (as long as it's colorful) I'm entering this over there.

And if you're a stitcher,
or if you may want to snag a few free patterns for the future, be sure to check out Primrose Cottage.

Below is a picture of me stitching this project. What I love about stitching now rather than back in the 90's is that you can get many patterns on your tablet. This allows you to zoom in and out. Great for aging eyes!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day! 

A Batty Birthday Card

Over at The Angel Card Project this week there a girl whose request for a special card really stood out to me. This young lady loves bats. I love bats too! A lot of people think they're scary but not me. Now I don't want one to land on me, but to watch them from afar fascinates me. I did get to touch a bat once. We were attending a nature show put on by the parks department. There was a lady there who specialized in the care of bats and had one to show. We were allowed to carefully pet it. It felt soft and vibrated a bit, which is normal for them.

I've also gone to Gainesville in northern Florida. The University of Florida has Bat Houses that house hundreds of bats. Each night at dusk they all leave their houses and swarm the skies. People come from all over to see them. You can read my post about the UF Bat Houses HERE.

And lastly, we have a few bats that live in the the neighborhood. Again, they come out at dusk and dart around the sky. If you didn't know better, you'd think it was just a late bird looking for one last worm.

Bats can certainly be dangerous if they carry a disease, but from a distance they're nice to watch. Anyway, there's a girl in Arkansas who likes bats (although I'm not sure she likes them as much as me) but I thought I'd make a bat birthday card for her.

It's a simple card using card stock of similar colors then I added some stickles for pizzazz.

If you know someone who would love a bat card, feel free to use this. Here's the free digi. As always:

1. Snag it to your desktop or photos.
2. Put it in a Word or Pages Document.
3. Resize it to the size card you want to make.
4. Print it out, either at home or at a copy center. 

I hope you enjoy the freebie! You can also use and send it as a digital image too. Remember that all images are for personal use only, please!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today and have a wonderful day!

Crocheted Red, White & Blue Throw

It’s the 4th of July and I just finished this red, white and blue throw! I bought this yarn a while back and finally got the chance to use it. I have the privilege of actually going to the Herrschner’s store in Stevens Point, Wisconsin when I visited my daughter this past spring. It’s such a fun place to shop for yarn.

This yarn called Whirlwind is quite thick. One reviewer even said it was thicker than a 5 weight, but I think 5 is accurate. The one thing I noticed about this yarn is that it is a very loose twist. When you crochet with it, it’s very easy to drop one of the plies and that’s something you have to watch for. Otherwise it’s a very soft yarn and easy to work with.

The one thing I noticed about this yarn is that it is a very loose twist. When you crochet with it, it’s very easy to drop one of the plies and that’s something you have to watch for. Otherwise it’s a very soft yarn and easy to work with.

What I loved about this particular color blend, is how rustic it is. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would like the combination of red white and blue with gray in it, but as it turns out, it’s a really great look. The white has speckles in it and often one color. It has little bits of another color mixed in. 

And as lovely as it looks, I can’t help feeling that it may not hold up very well in regards to pilling after several washes. The picture on the right gives you a feel how delicate the fibers are.

All things considered I would buy this yarn again in a different color. It’s really soft for being as thick as it is. It also comes in a lot of different combinations. 

I used a simple Corner to Corner stitch from The Crochet Crowd to make this. It took 5 1/2 skeins to make a decent sized throw, approximately 30” x 60”.

I put a border on the edges to give it a more finished look. It's a great decoration for 4th of July!

Bright Birthday Flowers

Today's card is made for three challenges: Color Throwdown #836,  Retro Rubber Challenge #258 and Triple B Challenge. Below are the requirements for each. I love the bright colors of the Color Throwdown. And I love how the challenge made me make brown leaves instead of green. It's a fun and unexpected twist. For Retro Rubber, all they ask is that you use a stamp set that is over a year old, and in this case, make a birthday card. Easy peasy! And Triple B is always fun because all they ask is that you add a Blossom, Bird or Butterfly on your card. Flowers are my absolute favorite thing to stamp. They also have a mood board you can follow for additional inspiration, but any B, B or B will do! And at the kind invitation of Diane, I’ll be linking this up with Can You Handle The Pressure Challenge too. Anything goes, as long as it’s either dry or heat embossed. 

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Bunch of Blossoms (2016)
• SU! Melon Mamba Card Stock & Ink
• Michaels Kraft Card Stock
• Doodlebug Designs Orange Dotted Paper
• Pebbles Spring Fling Kraft Patterned Paper
• Hemptique Twine
• Darice Embossing Folder
• Memento Desert Sand Ink
• Memento Toffee Crunch Ink
• SU! Sahara Sand Ink
• Papertrey Hibiscus Burst Ink
• SU! Polished Pink Ink
• SU! Peekaboo Peach Ink
• SU! Tangerine Tango Ink
• Memento Tangelo Ink
• Dollar Tree Rhinestones

I put a bit of extra bling on this card because I know it's going to need a non-machineable stamps, so I may as well use those extra rhinestones. I've got my eye on some "low profile" enamel dots from Stampin' Up! and can't wait to order and use those. Saving money on postage is always a good thing!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day! :)

Red, White and Pool!

Today's card was made especially for the Shopping Our Stash Challenge, (#SOS551) which is Red, White and Blue, plus you have to use something that's currently in your stash. Well the products used in this card just made it. I got the set in the mail last week, just days before this challenge went live. So it's new to me, but still in my stash.

I first saw this set over at Caroline's KISS Blog and I fell in love. How stinkin' cute is this! My first thought was "you seriously don't need any more supplies," but when I went to the Concord & 9th website "just to look" the price blew me away. Currently the bundle is $38.75. I hit a sale a few weeks ago (the order did take over 2 weeks to arrive) and paid $15.50 for the same bundle. At that price, all common sense went out the window. I bought some other ridiculously priced items too. I think it really pays to follow these manufacturers and keep and eye out for bargains. They're certainly out there! 

Here's my complete supply list:

• Concord & 9th Poolside Dies & Stamps
• Authentique Red & White Patterned Paper
• White Card Stock
• Stampin' Up! Poppy Parade Card Stock
• SU! Blueberry Bushel Card Stock
• SU! Real Red Card Stock
• SU! Night of Navy Card Stock & Ink
• Die Cuts With A View Glitter Paper

One thing I knew but really realized with making this card is that die cutting isn't my favorite way to make cards. I love stamping and fussy cutting. I think it's interesting because I feel like there's something wrong with me. But this set is really worth it. I'm glad it's in my stash now too because I'm way too guilty of just making flowers, flowers and more flowers. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a "beautiful day!"

Frosty Friends for Word Art Wednesday

Today is a really exciting day for me! I just joined the Word Art Wednesday design team! I'm so excited to be a part of this great group, and to kick off Challenge for Weeks #706 and #707, I've created a card using a stamp set from their sponsor, Lawn Fawn. One lucky winner will be chosen randomly at the end of this challenge and that person will win a $25.00 Lawn Fawn Gift Certificate! That's enough to purchase the stamp set I used for this challenge and then some!

Here's my complete supply list:

• Lawn Fawn Frosty Friends Stamp Set
• Copic Markers
• White Card Stock
• Patterned Christmas Paper
• Silver Paper (Michaels)
• Glitter Paper (Joann's)
• Memento Black Ink
• Stampin' Up! Real Red Ink

What I love about this set is that it's not just limited to Christmas. If you're running a little late on your card sending, this set is perfect for a winter wish. And all the little details are just so, so cute! 

You can purchase the set directly from Lawn Fawn here. But regardless of what card you make, please join us over at Word Art Wednesday for a really fun challenge. You can choose to use the scripture that they provide, or use anything you like. It's always Anything Goes and we'd love to have you play along!