Happy, Happy, Happy 2027

Today's card is made for two challenges. First, challenge #884 over at the Little Red Wagon, they want you to use numbers on your card. Since it's difficult to pinpoint specific birthdays, I decided to go with the year 2027. And using up some of my pretty paper qualifies me for the NEW Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge November challenge.  Unfortunately their original website was hacked and they are starting over at this new link. It's such a fun challenge to use those pretty papers and I'm glad they're up and running again.

I wanted to keep it a gender-neutral card so I can easily send it to a guy or girl. And I like the fact that it says 2027 on it because I've been a bit lax in my card sending. Life has been busier with my new part time job, and sending has taken a backseat. I'll definitely have to be on the ball with this one!

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Large Numbers Framelits Dies
• SU! Biggest Wish Stamp Set
• SU! Blue Patterned Paper
• Misc. Mosaic Patterned Paper
• SU! Night of Navy Ink
• SU! Crushed Curry Ink & Card Stock
• SU! Tangerine Tango Ink & Card Stock
• SU! Square Collection Framelits Dies
• Mosaic Crystal Adhesive Squares (Tuesday Morning)

I had a lot of fun making this card and I'm always grateful for challenges that get me moving in the right direction! Be sure to check out both of these and play along!

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

Blessings, Barb 🐌

Whimsy Stamps Giveaway at Word Art Wednesday!

Hi there crafty friends! Today's card is made for our Word Art Wednesday Challenge #778 & #779. Our sponsor this time is Whimsy Stamps and they're offering our winner a $25.00 gift certificate to spend at their online store. 

If you're not familiar with Whimsy Stamps, you'll just love their line. They have so many fun and festive stamps, wonderful dies and, as you can see in my card here, pre-printed pieces that word great for quick cards.

I ordered the "His Grace" Card Fronts Pack. At just $5.99 for 10 sheets of images and sentiments it's a great deal!  They have about 50 different styles just for the A2 size, so there's something for everyone for sure!

The pack I chose is a perfect for those difficult cards to make. Most of them show images of children with Jesus, so they're perfect for sympathy cards for a young person who has passed. And while this certainly makes me sad, I chose them because occasionally in The Angel Card Project someone requests cards for someone who has lost a child. And truthfully I usually skip sending them a card because I really don't know what to say to someone who has experienced a loss of that magnitude. I'm hoping that as I use these card fronts up that they will speak to someone's heart and, although my words may be few, the love and concern will still be there.

Here's the supply list for this card:

Feel free to use our scripture as well!

• Whimsy "His Grace" Quick Card Fronts
• Stampin' Up! Bermuda Bay Card Stock
• SU! Coastal Cabana Card Stock
• SU! Dotted Circles Embossing Folder
• Brillance Platinum Planet Ink
• Sizzix Tickets Dies
• Spellbinders Borderbilities Dies
• Unknown Silver Twine
• Sizzix Oval Die

One thing I did for the top and bottom of this card was to use the leftover paper from when I die cut the image. I love being able to make the most of all my supplies. Here's a picture of that:

And here's a picture of all the images and sentiments in this set! I can't wait to create more with this!

I’m also playing along with these other challenges:

NBUS Challenge 92 (My Stampin’ Up! Embossing Folder is my NBUS product)

Can You Handle The Pressure (Embossing Folder Required)

Double D (They’re looking for Texture)

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and be sure to hop on over to Can You Handle The Pressure, NBUS, (Never Before Used Schtuff),  and Double D Challenges to play along. And if you’re joining us for Word Art Wednesday you don't need to use Whimsy Stamps or our scripture to play along. We're always "anything goes." See you over there! 

Blessings, Barb 🐌

Waffles & Butter Crochet Dish Cloths

When I saw a crochet pattern called the Waffle Stitch on YouTube, I immediately thought of creating something that looked like a real waffle.

I went in search of the perfect colors of yarn, and was able to find the color for the waffle HERE and the color for the butter HERE. The only downside is that, although both of these are cotton yarns which are perfect for dishcloths, the brown is mercerized. It has a coating of some kind on it that makes it a little less able to absorb water. However, my main goal here is cute not practical. 

I gave one to a crocheting friend and she didn't mind that it wasn't the best for washing dishes. She said it was too cute to use! And since the texture is thick, this would make a good hot pad for a casserole too (as long as it's not too hot).

Keep in mind that the brown yarn is a size 4 weight. However the yellow yarn is a sock yarn that's thin and requires a smaller hook.

Here are my yarns.

To make the pat of butter, I didn't follow a pattern but simply did a single crochet back and forth until I got the size I wanted. Then I made a second one and crocheted them together to make it thick like a pat of butter would be. 

I really had fun making these and I'm hoping that the other one that I'm giving away this Christmas (to another crocheting friend) will be appreciated.

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

Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina

I was scared to death in this picture!

When you're from Florida, going to North Carolina is almost a Holy pilgrimage.They have everything we don't, namely big mountains, fresh air, autumn leaves and snow. But when we went, it was summer. Despite missing out on the leaves and snow, we got the best fresh air and mountain views from Grandfather Mountain.

The main attraction at Grandfather Mountain Nature Park is the Swinging Bridge. It's a narrow footbridge that sways when you walk over it. And at a 228 feet long and an 80 foot drop, it's definitely a scary thing to cross if you have a fear of heights like I do. I was able to walk all the way across but went right back as to get the trauma over with as soon as possible.

If you're brave enough to stay on the other side like my daughter did, you can climb to the top of Linville Peak. At 5,305 feet, the views are spectacular.

Linville Peak is beautiful, but I'll stay on the other side and take pictures!
That's my daughter with her hands up in the air.

They just don't have views like this in Florida!

But the journey doesn't begin on Grandfather Mountain itself. On the way up, the scenery is just gorgeous. Below is a typical view from the drive up. And thankfully there are tons of places to pull off and take pictures or just admire the view.

Fiddlehead Ferns growing in the rocks is another beauty of the area.

Grandfather Mountain Drive also has two very famous "rocks" that you can stop and see. My idea of a rock is something I can hold in my hand, but when you're in North Carolina, you stand next to them and take your picture. Two such rocks are Split Rock and Sphynx Rock.

At first glance, it almost looks like there's something wrong with the picture.

Sphynx Rock is named because it resembles a Sphynx, although it's not quite as impressive, but at just 20 feet away, it's definitely worth a photo stop.

Sphynx Rock is quite majestic.

You have to be in fairly good shape to make this trek. Below a view from the parking lot to get to the trail that leads to the Swinging Bridge

In addition to a convenient handicapped parking spot, there is an elevator
that you can use to get up to the trail.

The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery is another fun and educational place to visit while you're there.

Charlotte next to a giant tree burl that grew nearby. Just one of many interesting exhibits!

Lastly, my favorite picture from this trip is below. It so fully captures all that is North Carolina to someone who is from Florida.

Charlotte in her element.

If you go, you'll want to Google the current conditions and amenities. Things change from year to year, but the mountains and fresh air will definitely still be there!

Easy Patterned Paper Card

My Stampin' Up! demonstrator Liz always sends me a little "thank you" card after I place an order that often has a special treat in it. This time I got two pieces of patterned paper from a set that I've been eyeing. Unfortunately I can't buy everything I want in the catalog, so it was a real treat to get this these two sheet from the Sunflower Fields Pack. It was just as pretty as I imagined!

Also on my desk sat a lone yellow button that was leftover from another project. It matched this paper perfectly! And since my friend Sue's birthday is next week, this was a much-needed card.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Sunflower Fields DSP
• SU! Soft Suede Ink
• SU! Old Olive Card Stock
• Vintage Birthday Sentiment
• Vintage Yellow Button
• SU! Dimensionals
• Brown DMC Floss

Stampin' Up! makes it so easy to put this cards like this together. I let the beautiful papers do all the work!

If you'd like to order this or any other supplies, be sure to check out Liz's Stampin' Up! page!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Word Art Wednesday Stamp Simply Giveaway

Wishing everyone a happy fall! We finally have cool breezes here in Florida and pumpkins are out in full force here (at least at our church parking lot!) See pictures below.

And over at Word Art Wednesday we're kicking off a new challenge fro weeks 776 and 777 with a great $25.00 prize giveaway from Stamp Simply!

For my card, I used their so-very-versatile stamp set called Stamp Simply Fall & Winter Wreaths. I love this set so much because it has two wreaths that are perfect for this time of year. And you don't have to use them as a wreath. The pumpkins and flowers alone would make great card designs too.

Here's my complete supply list: 

• Stamp Simply Seasonal Wreaths Fall & Winter
• Stampin' Up! Crumb Cake Card Stock
• SU! Self Stick Dots
• Memento Rich Cocoa Ink
• Copics YR15, YR07, Y26, Y02, E37 and TG63
• Pink & Main Patterned Paper

Note: to make the orange accent strips the right color, I used the crumb cake card stock and colored them with the coordinating Copic Markers. Regular card stock seemed way too bright.

I'm really looking forward to using this set much more. And I'm looking forward to seeing everything that you all create for our challenge. As a reminder, you don't need to use Stamp Simply supplies and you don't need to use our scripture. As always, anything goes! So grab some supplies and play along!

Feel free to use our scripture if you like!

And lastly, here I am at our church's pumpkin patch. I volunteered a few times this year and it really gets you in the fall mood, although I really do miss the "real" pumpkin patches of Pennsylvania! I hope you're having a wonderful autumn season wherever you are!

Commemorative Church Plates

I was fortunate enough to take a picture of our church
plate before its demise.

I’ve seen church plates here and there, especially at thrift stores, but I never have given much thought to them. Most of the churches that I’ve attended in my life have been newer churches. Or if I did go to church in an old building, it wasn't the original church. 

It wasn’t until I started.until I started going to an old church a few years ago and saw the plate that they had that I began to appreciate this old tradition. 

That church is called Clearview United Methodist. It was established in 1910 but the current building was built a few decades later. When I first attended, we had a church plate, but we no longer do. More about that below.

Commemorative church plates began as early as the 1890s and made in Germany, but they were mostly popular in the 1940s through the 1970s in the United States. 

Today my interest in church plate history was born at the thrift store when I found this other one below. I was at the Salvation Army and stumbled upon it for just $3.99. And while I don't attend St. Lukes, they are part of what is called the South Pinellas Connection, of which I'm a part of. It's four different churches that share pastors, a secretary and other expenses and participate in events together. Since Clearview is part of that group I thought I'd pick it up for them.

I was thrilled to find this today at the thrift store!

My plan for the plate was to just wash it up and give it to my pastor to take to the St. Lukes Building. But then things got really interesting. I looked on the back and saw some very different markings. I was able to Google the images and got some amazing results.

The old fashioned marking in the middle was stamped when the plate was made by The Homer Laughlin Company. "Rhythm" was the style of plate. That's all Homer Laughlin did was make the blank plate. There were no markings on it except for most likely the gold edging. The "H" stands for the month of August (A being January, B being February and so on). The "55" was the year that it was made. "N" stood for the factory, which was in Newell, West Virginia. And the "4" was the building in which it was fired. How cool is that!

After the blank plates were made, they were sent to the World Wide Art Studio in Covington, TN some time later. Churches would then submit the artword and order plates as fundraisers. A little information was added on the back about the church to commemorate the piece.

I am thrilled to have found not only this plate but all this information. I hope they treasure it over at St. Lukes as much as I do!

People Are More Important Than Things

So what happened to Clearview's Church Plate? Simply put, it got broken. It was proudly displayed in a prominent area of the church, and someone accidentally bumped the shelf that held it and it toppled over and cracked.

But the most important thing is this: that person who broke the plate was in church that morning. He or she heard the good news of Jesus. Their life has been changed. And that's what church is really all about.  Commemorative plates are so nice to have. Those reminders of earlier days are such a treasure. But they're nothing compared to a human soul.

I have a search set up on eBay and I look at thrift stores, hoping to replace it. Perhaps one day I'll find one. But if not, that's okay. I'm so glad that we have people in the building who knock over plates and love Jesus.

Masculine Birthday Card Using Christmas Stamps

Some days I randomly reach into my stash of stamps and pull out a set without knowing which one I will get. Such was the case today with this set from Stampin’ Up! It's simply called Christmas Season. 

However, I didn’t really feel like making a Christmas card just yet. It’s still mid October and I want to enjoy the autumn before it quickly passes. Creating a masculine card came to my mind. I don’t have many masculine stamps, so I thought why not try to create a guy card with this set.

I chose a slimline card, and stamped the pine branches in the background. I only used one color ink, but stamped twice, so that some of the images are lighter and color. Next, I stamped the pinecones, and fussy cut them out. Then to add a little more interest, I chose to use the berries from this set. Since I didn’t want it to look Christmas-y at all, I chose to use a dark yellow for the berries rather than red. Lastly, I finished it off with a jute bow in the coordinating green.

I really love fussy cutting, especially if I have just a few
pieces to cut.

As for the sentiment, I originally had made one by embossing a light color embossing powder on a dark green background. I did not like that look because the embossing powder was too shiny. It seemed to take away from the overall rustic look of this card. So I went with the same ink and paper that I used for the background. Sometimes less, or ordinary, is best!

Even though the embossing powder was off-white, it still 
seemed too bright for this project.

Even if you don’t have this set at home, you can still think about some of the other Christmas rubber stamp sets that you may have. Pinecones are absolutely perfect for guy cards. Even berries, when done in a darker color can add a lot.

Here’s my complete supply list:

• Stampin’ Up! Christmas Season Stamp Set
• SU! Crumb Cake Card Stock
• Memento Toffee Crunch Ink
• SU! Baked Brown Sugar Ink
• SU! Shaded Spruce Ink
• SU! Soft Suede Ink
• SU! Delightful Dijob Ink
• Misc. Jute Twine
• Tim Holtz Sentiment

I feel like I was able to get a little extra mileage from this stamp set by making this card. Plus, I have a guy card that I can now send. It seems I never have enough of those!

And it you do have this set, I found it difficult to line up the berries with the coordinating branch, but here's a tip that I just discovered: stamp the berries first, then the branches are easier to see.

Doing this seemed backwards to me, but it really made 
a difference.

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

Word Art Wednesday with a Poppystamps Giveaway!

As we say here is the south, Happy Fall, Y'all! You can definitely tell it's autumn here in Florida because our highs are only in the 80's and it's really nice at night. How I long for cool crisp days, pumpkin lattes and fuzzy sweaters! But even though my fall is still blue and green, my craft room takes to to a magical autumn place!

Over at Word Art Wednesday this time we're giving away a $20.00 gift certificate to Poppystamps! Their product line is so fun and versatile. For my card I've used several of their dies. And although you usually think of flowers and butterflies as spring or summer cards, I've used them to make a fall card.

Here's my complete supply list:

Feel free to use our wonderful
scripture for you cards if 
you would like!

• Poppystamps Nordic Flower Bunch Dies
• Poppystamps Stitched Frames Dies*
•  Poppystamps Tender Script Happy Birthday Dies
• Poppystamps Nordic Butterfly Dies*
• Stampin' Up! Cajun Craze Card Stock
• SU! Delightful Dijon Card Stock
• SU! Early Espresso Card Stock
• SU! Crumb Cake Card Stock
• SU! Basic Beige Card stock
• SU! Cinnamon Cider Card Stock
• Michels Green Card Stock

We'd love to have you play along with us at Word Art Wednesday! You don't need to use our scripture of Poppystamps supplies. We're always "anything goes!" 

*These products are discontinued, however they have so many wonderful designs that are similar that you can you use.

Another Corner to Corner Lap Warmer

I shared in an older post that I liked creating "Lap Warmers" for those in nursing homes. These are a little different than a wheelchair blanket, as they are smaller but fuzzier and designed to give the residents something soft (and hopefully comforting) to touch.

These are really quick and easy to make up because I use two strands of yarn at the same time, and I do the corner-to-corner stitch that requires very little attention. It's a perfect project to do while you're watching TV or chatting with a friend.

For my future reference, here's the yardage on each:

Here you can see how similar the colors are for this project. I really lucked out having both of these in my stash. Both of these require an H/8 hook is crocheted separately, but stitching them together like this, and M hook is perfect. It really stitches so quickly. I finished this is two afternoons!

Lastly, I had enough yarn leftover from the Caron Cake to easily make this 23 squares by 23 squares, and possibly a 24 x 24 count. Next time I'll try to use all the yarn. I do however keep even the smallest leftover balls so that if I need to add a little extra in a future project, I usually have some that will suffice for color and texture.

Be sure to check out Mikey at the Crochet Crowd on YouTube to give this stitch a try. It's my absolute favorite!

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

Word Art Wednesday #772 & #773 with Creative Worship Giveaway

Hi there creative friends! Today I'm sharing with you a wonderful scripture that we have for you to download for free over at Word Art Wednesday. 

And this round, our wonderful sponsor is Creative Worship Stamps. They are giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to their store, and there are truly so many wonderful things there! One thing I love and want to do next time is to use some ot their amazing digital downloads. However I had already made this card for our challenge, so I'll have to use them next time.

My card today is really simple, relying on patterned papers to give it a warm autumn feel.

I love the scripture that Karen M. created, and wanted to give it center stage on this card. The coordinating envelope is a nice touch that was so easy to create. I simply used a glue stick to fully cover the back of the flap, then I placed a square piece of paper down over it, let it dry then cut it out.

Here's my supply list for this project:

• Word Art Wednesday Scriputre
• Stampin' Up! Basic Beige Card Stock
• SU! Secret Sea Card Stock
• SU! Petal PInk Card Stock
• SU! Painterly Pear Patterned Papers
• A7 Envelope (Michaels)

We'd love to have you join us this round over at Word Art Wednesday. You don't need to use our scripture or products from our sponsor. And our theme is always "anything goes," so grab some supplies and join in the fun!

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

Atlantic Hearts Koi Pond

Today's card was made for my dear, kind friend Karen, who graciously mailed me a pile of wonderful dies that she was finished using. My heart was so happy when I opened the envelope. I love all of them, but the one that intrigued me the most was the Koi Fish die. I would have never chosen to buy this one on my own, but after using it today, I absolutely love it. 

Wanting to make a "thank you" card for her, I gathered the dies pictured below (just a few of the ones she sent) and headed over to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog for some inspiration.

Their Sketch #700 is one that I love for a fun reason; it features three flowers! I like to make fun of myself sometimes because making a card with three flowers is definitely my "go to" design. However, for this challenge, I instantly thought that the Koi Fish would make a good substitute, as their tails resemble the leaves.

I had to Google the markings of Koi Fish and was surprised that there are so many kinds. The one I made here is the most recognized, and they're the Kohaku variety. I studied their patterns and made several others before feeling like these three were a good representation. 

In addition to the dies pictured above, here is my supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Night of Navy Card Stock
• SU! Tangerine Tango Card Stock
• SU! So Saffron Card Stock
• SU! Azure Afternoon Card Stock
• SU! Pacific Point Card Stock
• Papertrey Spring Rain Card Stock
• Michaels Off White Card Stock
• Michaels Patterned Paper Pack
• Copics Y21, YR09
• Black Micron Pen

It was so much fun making this card! I felt the love that came with the free dies, and it was great to get away from my traditional three flowers and use something new and different. And I learned a bit about Koi Fish along the way!

Thanks again to Karen, and thank you for stopping by. I wish you a wonderful day!

Flowery Birthday For Three Challenges

Today I was inspired by three different challenges and out of that came this sweet, and kind of summer-y, card.

First, I went over to Poppystamps (#psc142) to play along with them, and I found that their challenge this month is "Anything Goes." The only thing you have to do is to include at least one of their products. Easy peasy! Then I check in on Time Out Challenges #322 and found that their theme was "Seasonal Colors Where You Live." Since I'm in Florida, it's still very sunny and green here and the flowers are still in bloom in my yard. And the skies are blue, which is why I added blue in the background.  Lastly, I wanted to play along with Retro Rubber#280 (#rrcb280) and found that they have a sketch challenge, which was perfect to tie all of this together. You always have to use a stamp that's older than a year, and my "celebrate" stamp is one that I picked up at a yard sale over 5 years ago. It's part of a set of many birthday greetings, although I don't know the brand.

The whole idea for this card started when I found the two half-circles (green dots and yellow scallop) in my stash. For the shape in Retro Rubber I thought that a split circle would be nice, and it's a great way to use with flowers from Poppystamps.

Here's my supply list:

• Poppystamps Nordic Flower Bunch Die Set
• Stampin' Up! Lemon Lolly Card Stock
• SU! Daffodil Delight Card Stock
• SU! Cucumber Crush Card Stock
• Michaels 60# White Card Stock
• Unknown Red Rubber Stamp (bought 5 years ago)
• Big Box Blue Dotted Paper
• Papertrey Blueberry Sky Card Stock
• Unknown Green Patterned Paper
• Sizzix Scallop Die
• Newton's Nook Green Dotted Paper
• Versamark Ink
• Michaels Yellow Glitter Embossing Powder

This was a bit of a tedious card to make, but it was a lot of fun. Thanks so much to all of the great challenges out there that really inspire me! And thank you for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful day! 

Word Art Wednesday 770 & 771 with Gina K. Giveaway!

Hello stamping friends! It's time for another round of fun over at Word Art Wednesday, and this time our $25.00 prize is from a great company called Gina K! I don't have any of her stamps (due to unfortunate financial limitations 😅) but I've seen her on YouTube and not only are her products really great, she has amazing ways of using them. If you get a chance, check out her channel HERE.

And by all means, come over and play along with us! You can use any products that you have, and you are free to use our Word Art like I did here, but you're not obligated to in order to play along. We are always "anything goes!"

When I first saw the scripture for this round, I immediately thought, once again, of making some offering envelopes. On the 5th Sunday of the month, our church collects money for ministries that help the poor, and I thought this would be a great way to save a little and make a donation.

I created three 4" x 7"  envelopes, starting with some 12 x 12 patterned paper. It was a lot of fun doing these because I could use thick pop up dots and lots of embellishments without having to worry about them making it through the mail.

Here is my starting paper:

And here's my supply list:

• Word Art Wednesday Scripture (above)
• Michael's Patterned Paper
• Stampin' Up! Envelope Board Maker
• Forest Green Card Stock (Amazon)*
• Michaels Light Purple Card Stock
• Papertrey Spring Rain Card Stock
• Sizzix Border Dies (559200)
• SU! Faceted Dots
• SU! Gold Thread
• SU! Blushing Bride Card Stock
• Misc. Gold Elastic Twine
• SU! Brushed Brass Butterflies
• Gold Paper from Michaels
• Sizzix Nesting Dies

*I've had the hardest time finding the exact shade of forest green card stock and I finally found some that I love HERE on Amazon. Usually their card stock is on the thin side, but this is great!

I'm really happy to have made these. It's nice to have a special envelope for those times when a special offering comes up!

And here are close-ups of each envelope:

This one has some very fine gold thread behind the scripture. It's hard to see but it's a really fun look!

This one features a gold piece of elastic twine with is good for giving the envelope extra security.

This one is my favorite with the thick embellishments and the little bow.

And before I go, I want to give a shout out to Michaels. I've gotten some amazing deals this year. this 12 x 12 paper pack was on sale for just $5.00. I bought about five others as well. It's so nice to have paper on hand rather than having to run to the store.

We'd love to have you play along with us, so hop on over to Word Art Wednesday and join the fun!