Sending A Pastel Hug

Today’s card was made for a combination of two wonderful challenges. Over at Atlantic Hearts Challenge 678 I was inspired to follow their sketch. I loved the idea of the three panels in the back, and I always love stamping flowers, so this was perfect.

And I added to that inspiration by following along with Sunday Stamps (SSC384) for a wonderful color challenge.

I really like how this card turned out, but I do feel my dark pink and green could have been a little more accurate, but I did my best! 

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Beautiful Friendship Stamp Set
• Michaels Gray Card Stock
• Michaels Fashionably Chic Paper Pad
• SU! Lemon Lolly Ink
• SU! Bermuda Bay Ink
• SU! Coastal Cabana Ink
• Memento Angel Pink Ink
• Papertrey Lovely Lady Ink
• SU! Ribbon
• Spellbinders Grommet Tag Die
• Impression Obsession Sentimen (Warm Fuzzies)
• My Favorite Things Oval Die

These two challenges were a perfect combination! If you'd like to play along be sure to check them out! And thanks so much for stopping by today!

Three Skeins - Two Finished Pieces

I’m not a very fancy crocheter at all. I just enjoy the relaxing rhythm of making one stitch after another. I also enjoy crochet because it’s so easy to have a conversation or watch a TV show while doing it. Counted cross stitch can be a little bit harder for that. And since my card making supplies are in a back bedroom that’s always a solitary crafting venture. Crochet is really portable too. I’ve made many pieces while waiting in doctor’s offices.

So today the two pieces that I’m sharing are actually more for my own records, but perhaps they will inspire someone as well. I started with three skins of Herrschner’s Worsted Heather yarns. I used just under two skeins to make the virus shawl. And then I had enough left over with just over one skein to make a small lap blanket.

Here’s the info on my yarn:

At 489 yards per skein it took just approximately 900 yards for the shawl and 600 yards for the lap blanket.

Here are some measurements:

Across the top from wrist to wrist the shawl is 70”. From the top of the neck down the back it’s 34”.

For the virus shell pattern, I used this YouTube video from Coco Bella. She’s really easy to follow and even though the pattern looks a little complex, it’s really easy to do.

Since I had more than one skein Of yarn left over I wanted to do something with it. I created a small lap blanket, which will be perfect for someone in a nursing home, especially if they’re in a wheelchair. I did alternating rows of single crochet and double crochet. I did this to stretch the yarn to make sure that I had enough for this project. Even though it’s a small piece, I think it’s a nice size and will give someone some comfort.

Here’s a picture of the small lap blanket:

I did this to stretch the yarn to make sure that I had enough for this project. Even though it’s a small piece, I think it’s a nice size and will give someone some comfort.

For the trim, I used one of my favorite yarns from Michaels. It’s a fuzzy yarn that is super soft and it’s perfect for either using it by itself or adding a little accent which I did here.

You’ll notice a small wooden cross on this piece. I always try to share my faith with people in a small way when I make things. I thought these crosses would be nice for two reasons. They’re nice and lightweight. As crazy as this sounds, I didn’t want anything that could hurt a nursing home resident should they throw the piece over their shoulders in a certain way. I also like these because they come with a little ball and chain That makes them easy to attach to crocheted pieces. And lastly, it’s something that they can use somewhere else in their room for decoration. If you’re interested in buying some for yourself, I got them here at Amazon.

That’s all my crocheting for today. It feels good to have used up this yarn. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Seth Apter Pillow for Word Art Wednesday

The last time that Seth Apter was our sponsor over at Word Art Wednesday, I made a cross stitch pillow featuring his lovely autumn inspired fabrics. As I shopped for that fabric, I saw so many others of his that inspired me to make a skirt. But after reading the scripture that we have for this week, I decided to go with another pillow featuring his fabric as well.

You can see his whole line of fabrics HERE.

How wonderful is it this Bible verse to go along with a pillow for a bed:

Duplicating the font wasn't possible with the tools I have available to me. Instead I used a free cross stitch making website called stitchpoint.com. It's a great site where you can (fairly) easily create any words you want in any of their different fonts. It's great for names, Bible verses, favorite quotes, etc. 

Here is the pattern that I made using the Bible Verse on just two lines:

I wanted he Bible Verse reference in a different font, so I had to do it on a seperate image here:

It was quite wide and I had just enough room on the piece of aida cloth I uses. However, If you want you can use the following two screenshots to make the verse on three lines:

Hopefully this isn't too overwhelming. It's really fun and quick to stitch this up. The cross stitching part took just a long afternoon. I then made the pillow using Seth Apter's fabrics. We're so grateful for his support to our challenges!

He's also has a lot of other wonderful crafty things on his site, so be sure to check it out. And please play along with us over at Word Art Wednesday. We love having you join us!

And maybe next time will be the time I get to make that skirt! :)

Word Art Wednesday & Happy April Fools Day

Wow, here we are in April already! And for those silly enough to celebrate, Happy April Fools Day! And it's time for another round of fun over at Word Art Wednesday. This time, we have a great prize from a great company called Birch Press Designs. They're giving away a $20.00 gift certificate to a randomly drawn winner. When you see how cute their stuff is, you'll definitely want to play along. 

When I homeschooled my kids years ago, I always did something fun for this holiday. Now that they're grown and gone, I really don't do much. The older you get the less you want to be caught off guard. Perhaps I fear it could trigger a heart attack or at least a fall, neither of which we want!

But one fun thing I can do is make cards to celebrate.

However for this card I took a more serious approach. I thought about a famous quote that I heard from somewhere in time about not being a fool for following Christ. I traced it back to the famous missionary Jim Elliot. AI summed it up better than I ever could:

Jim Elliot, an American missionary, was speared to death on January 8, 1956, along with four other missionaries (Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming) by the Waodani (formerly Auca) tribe in Ecuador, during an attempt to evangelize them; their deaths became a significant event in the modern missions movement, inspiring many to follow in their footsteps, with Elliot's widow later returning to live among the tribe and leading many to Christianity.

His famous quote was written in his journal seven years before his death. While very few of us will meet his fate, his words about what foolishness means is true for us today. Living for God  is never foolishness, even though at times others may question our commitment to Him.

It is my hope to send this to someone in ministry someday. I wanted to keep it masculine so it would be appropriate for a guy as well.

Here’s my  complete supply list:

• My Mind’s Eye and Misc. Patterned Paper
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Computer Generated Image (below)
• Stampin' Up! Soft Suede Ink
• SU! Splendid Thoughts Stamp Set
• SU! Splendid Stems Dies
• Memento Desert Sand Ink
• Memento Toffee Crunch Ink
• Bronze Paper (Hobby Lobby)
• Gold Paper (Joann's)
• SU! Metallic Pearls
• Ranger Gold Embossing Powder

And if you're interested, you can make your own using this simple sentiment:

And if you would like to use our scripture for this round, feel free to grab it here:

We would love to have you join us over at Word Art Wednesday. We are always “anything goes” and There are always great prizes to win!

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

Mid Century Cigar Boxes

Today was a lucky find day for me. On my way to church to set up for a dinner tomorrow, I came upon a yard sale. It was mostly guy stuff and kind of junky, but these two cigar boxes jumped out at me.

My love for cigar boxes takes me back to a time when Florida was a much different place. Cigars were rolled by hand in a town called Ybor City, just east of where I live. Many of the old factory buildings still stand. I like to reminisce of what life was like for people back then, my mother, aunt and grandparents included.

Catalog Inspiration #1

I saw on a YouTube channel that there won't be any more full size Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogs. With so many people ordering online, and with the cost of printing and mailing, it seems much more efficient choice. There will be smaller seasonal catalogs 3-4 times a year, which will still be fun. 

Seeing as how this is the last Annual Catalog (as long as that YouTuber was correct), I'm starting something that I've had on my mind for a while. I'd like to copy, or at least be inspired by cards I've seen in the catalog.

So today's card is an inspiration from page 11. It’s actually a card kit featuring blue paper with white printed flowers on it. But I was able to recreate this look with some reverse stamping.

Word Art Wednesday Easter Card

There's a new challenge going on over at Word Art Wednesday, and this round's sponsor is a company called Stix 2 Anything. They are a UK company that is giving away a generous adhesive package. And if you're like me, adhesive is something that I go through very quickly and can never have too much of. 

For my card, I started with the Bible verse that Word Art Wednesday provided. Then I created the word  Jesus in Canva. It has a slight arch to it, and the font is called Mervale Script.  I ran this through the printer twice, knowing that I would cut it down to a 5 x 7 card. I thought I had plenty of room, but looking at it after I got the 3 images on the top, I wish I had made the printing a bit lower. That's why the pink hearts are there, to kind of balance it out.

Painterly Pears for # Challenges

My card is a 5 x 7 size. 

Today I finally got around to using some products that I "just had to have." I couldn't wait to get them, then they sat on my shelf for too long. When I saw the color challenge over at Sunday Stamps, my mind immediately thought the darkest color looked like Stampin' Up!'s Secret Sea. I was lamenting having only the card stock and no patterned paper to match when I remembered that I had the Painterly Pears Patterned Paper and that included not only Secret Sea, but all the other colors they were asking for as well. Perfect!

Then I saw the sketch over at Atlantic Hearts Challenge and thought that would be a perfect way to use up the patterned paper. And since it has never been opened (even though I had to have it right away!) I'm playing along with the NBUS Challenge too.

Love Those Pretty Papers Entry #2

I am having so much fun using my pretty papers this week. Today I finished four cards for Easter. They are all made with "pretty papers" from a paper pad called Springtime Travel from The Paper Boutique. I bought this pack a year or so ago and it has taken me so far with making cards. 

Below are all four, but I wanted to only feature one over at Love Those Pretty Papers. I thought the one with the bicycle and the lamb would be a good one. I love how it can be for Easter or Spring. Their optional feature for the March challenge is Circles. These four images were circular, so that worked out perfectly, but you don't have to use circles, only pretty paper!

I had to do some fussy cutting of some of the images, but it was pretty easy. 

Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge

Today's card was made especially for a fun challenge over at Love Those Pretty Papers. Their March 2026 post is asking for circles (which are optional) in addition to most of your card having pretty papers on it. I started to think about circles, and decided that they would dictate the whole card.

I knew it would be a bigger card, since I wanted my circles to be about 2" in diameter and I also wanted a border on them. I ended up using a 5 x 7 card base, but the circle do stick off a little. It still stand up and looks cute and creative, however it doesn't fit into a standard 5 x 7 envelope. I think I'll get some nice kraft gift wrap from the Dollar Tree and use this on the top of a gift, kind of like a giant "to and from" tag.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin Up! Always Mossy Meadow Paper
• SU! Flirty Flamingo Card Stock
• SU! Birthday Bouquet Patterned Papers
• Spellbinders Happy Birthday Die
• Spellbinders Circle Dies
• Spellbinders Circle Scallop Dies
• Doodlebug Designs Enamel Stars

I loved doing this challenge and may even join in again before the end of the month. I have so many more ideas (in addition to having way too much patterned paper!).  Many thanks to Diane and Darlene for putting on this and so many other wonderful challenges! And thank you for stopping by today!

Wildflowers For Two Challenges

Today's card was inspired by two challenges. First, over at The Alphabet Challenge their letter for this round is "W" for Wildflowers, which lines up perfectly with Triple B's March 2026 Challenge. They have a lovely inspiration board that features greens, and some wonderful cards to go along with that theme. But any kind of Bird, Blossom or Butterfly is eligible. And since my card has two of those, I'm playing along with them too.

Here's my complete supply list for this card:

• Stampin' Up! Garden Green Card Stock
• Whaline Bee Patterned Paper
• Michaels Ivory Card Stock
• Pink & Main Arch Dies
• SU! Wild About Flowers Stamp Set
• Memento Pistachio Ink
• Memento Bamboo Leaves Ink
• Memento Morocco Ink
• Memento Cantaloupe Ink
• Memento Grape Jelly Ink
• Hero Arts Sentiment
• SU! Burhsed Brass Butterflies
• SU! Wild Wasabi Ribbon

I used the bee hive patterned paper to keep in the theme of wildflowers. However while making this card I realized that I could really use a little bee stamp or some bee embellishments. I was grateful to have gotten the Stampin' Up! Butterflies, but they were much smaller than I thought they would be. Ordering online is funny like that. My need for more craft supplies never seems to end!

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

Happy 12th Birthday to Time Out Challenges!

This month is TIME OUT Challenge's 12th birthday! And on their blog, they have a link way back to their first post in 2014, which I think is really cool since I love nostalgia. 

Their theme this time is an inspiration card from Stef Perry. She's created a beautiful card with two flowers on it. I was inspired by her use of gold embossing around the flowers and gold in the background of the card as well. 

I'm still experimenting with heat embossing on a dry embossed surface. I've seen some really cool cards made with this technique, but mine is still a bit messy. I want to get better at embossing only the top and not the background as much Anyway, I do like this little creations, so I'm entering it with them.

Word Art Wednesday with Concord & 9th Prize!

Hi there stamping friends! Today's card is made especially for our newest challenge over at Word Art Wednesday. Our sponsor this round is Concord & 9th, and they're offering a $30.00 gift certificate to a randomly chosen winner! 

For my project I used their "Filled With Joy" Dies and Sentiments. I have the stencils too, but it was so very easy just to cut the flowers, centers and stems, give them a brushing of ink and glue them down.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Concord & 9th Filled With Joy Dies
• Concord & 9th Filled With Joy Sentiments
• Michaels Kraft Card Stock
• Stampin' Up! Lemon Lolly Card Stock & Ink
• SU! Soft Suede Card Stock
• SU! Pear Pizzazz Card Stock & Ink
• SU! Early Espresso Card Stock & Ink
• Copic E19
• SU! Falling Snow Embossing Folder
• Nuvo Crystal Drops in Dandelion Yellow

We would love it if you would join us! All of our challenges are always "anything goes" and you don't have to use the scripture of the sponsors product. Just play along and have fun. We love seeing the beautiful things that you all make!

A 4-Leaf Clover For 3 Challenges

Just when you think you’ve got enough stamps, a St. Patrick’s Day challenge comes along! I quickly realized that this in and of itself was indeed a challenge, as I have nothing that even remotely resembles St. Patrick’s Day. I even wondered if I had a witches cauldron that I could use as a pot of gold. But the best that I could come up with is making my own four leaf clover out of hearts.

It actually took five different stamp sets to make this card. Here is a picture of the three sets that I used to I make the clovers.

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge 670

Hi there stamping friends! Today's card was made especially for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #670.  One really cool thing that they did over there is that their design team doesn't post their creations right away. That gives us time to think about what we'd like to create without having any outside influences. Brilliant! Many times I don't scroll down on challenges for that very reason.

I have to confess, this card really was a challenge for me. Not because of the sketch, but I really don't feel I have enough Easter supplies, and I really wanted to make an Easter card. I finally settled on this bunny, but it really wasn't perfect for this challenge because you're supposed to put a sentiment on the side and he's holding a sign that needs a sentiment as well. So, I did my best and put two sentiments on. Hopefully it doesn't look weird! 

Here's my complete supply list:

• 
  Close To My Heart Spring Critters
• Newton's Nook Springtime Patterned Paper Pack
• Doodlebug Yellow Dotted Paper
• Offray Ribbon
• Amazon Generic Tag Die
• Memento Black Ink
• Stampin' Up! Daffodil Delight Card Stock
• SU! Cucumber Crush Card Stock
• SU! Hightland Heather Card Stock
• SU! Gorgeous Grape Card Stock
• Copics R81, E34, E11 & Y21
• Doodlebug Enamel Hearts
• Spellbinders Circle & Scallop Dies

I'm really pleased with how this turned out, and that's my biggest reason for doing challenges. I am always left with a card that I would have never made otherwise. Many thanks so everyone over at Atlantic Hearts who put this together. I'm sure they would love it if you headed on over and played along.

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

Posies For Two Challenges

I've been playing around in my craft room thinking about getting rid of some stamp sets that I don't totally love anymore. But one that doesn't make that list is this one from Stampin' Up! It's called Gorgeous Posies. I think I like it so much because it's a two-step stamp set that gives such a dimensional look with little effort. There's no die that goes with it, but I don't mind fussy cutting. 

I was inspired by the sketch over at Sunday Stamps (SSC380) to add the two lines at the bottom, and divide up the sentiment to be a bit on both lines. I'm also playing over at Triple B Challenge. There are definitely lots of blooms on this one. I have some brushed butterflies on order from Stampin' Up! and when they come I think I'll stick a few on this card. Until then the "blooms" will have to do.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin’ Up! Gorgeous Posies Stamp Set
• SU! Perfect Peach Card Stock & Ink
• SU! Calypso Coral Card Stock & Ink'
• SU! Pumpkin Pie Ink
• SU! Baked Brown Sugar Ink
• Memento Cantaloupe Ink
• SU! Pear Pizzazz Ink
• SU! Garden Green Ink
• Memento Black Ink

This was also a fun card to make because it gave me a chance to experiment with all my orange inks. Sometimes it's easy to forget what they actually look like.

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

Word Art Wednesday with Not 2 Shabby

Welcome back, stamping friends! This time at Word Art Wednesday we have a returning sponsor. Not 2 Shabby has  graciously supplied us with a $25.00 gift certificate to spend at their wonderful online store. One thing I love about Not 2 Shabby Is that their products make creating wonderful cards so very easy. They have a wonderful assortment of coordinating ephemera, patterned papers and stamps. 

For my card, I used two of their products. The first one is called Serene Escape Ephemera. Adding to that, I used the Serene Escapes Patterned Paper. I finished off the card with a purple card stock base and frame from Michaels. The sentiment is from a Stampin’ Up! Set called Hello. Easy peasy!

Be sure to hop on over to Word Art Wednesday and play along with us. We have a lovely scripture that you can use, but it’s never required. Neither is using any of the products from our sponsor. Just play along and have fun!

A Simple Easter Wish

Today's card is a simple Happy Easter card that was made with several challenges in mind. First, over at Retro Rubber, they have a fun Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge (#rrcb265). The elements I chose were across the middle row - Kraft Paper, Your Choice, and Embossing (mine is a folder).  You always have to use a stamp that's older than a year, and both of my Stampin' Up! sets are.

And then over at Can You Handle The Pressure, you always have to use an embossing folder, but this time the optional twist is "die cutting." I used a Stampin' Up! Embossing Folder on the Kraft Paper and the eggs were die cut.

Then I thought about the NBUS Challenge #83 where you have to use a product that you've never used before. Mine in the main stamp set, Abstract Impressions. Although it's an older set, I've not used it until today! 

And that also qualifies me for The Neglected Stuff Challenge. In fact, both of my stamp sets are neglected. The flowers I've never used and really forgot I had. And the eggs are something that I love but don't pull out too often. I think that all those little dies actually intimidate me.

And lastly I'm entering over at Beautiful Blossoms Challenge where your main focus must be flowers. 

Wow, five challenges. I don't think I've ever done this many before. But I really appreciate all the challenges out there and the way they encourage our creativity to blossom!

U is For Uplifting

Today's card is made especially for The Alphabet Challenge Blog. Every other Friday they have a challenge that uses one letter of the alphabet and a theme corresponding to that letter. This round the letter is "U" for Uplifting. 

This card is really simple. There's no stamping, as I relied on pre-printed images from a Valentine's Day sheet of paper. It's made especially for a friend and her new husband in South Carolina.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Simple Stores "Kissing Booth" (Lovebirds & Saying)
• Bo Bunny "Back To Basics" Red Background Paper
• Papertrey Ink Ballet Slippers Card Stock
• Unbranded Arrows (Amazon)
  
• Stampin' Up! Self Adhesive Sequins

I wanted to put the arrows going in opposite directions, but I put the bottom one on first and then realized the top one had the heart, and I didn't want that to be upside down. Anyway, I think it looks good. Perhaps it can signify that they're both going in the same direction in life!

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

Word Art Wednesday with The Stamps of Life!

Welcome to my blog! Today's card is made for Word Art Wednesday's Weeks 738 & 739 Challenge. As many of you know, every two weeks (or fortnightly as they say in England, which sounds so much better) we have a new "Anything Goes" Challenge that features a giveaway from a sponsor. This round our sponsor is The Stamps of Life and they're giving away $25.00! So be sure to come over and join us!

My card this round is made using the scripture that Word Art Wednesday provided. It's a scripture about love-perfect for 10 days before Valentine's Day.

I make cards all year long of course, but every time I make a Valentine's Day card I feel like a little kid cutting and glueing everything. Definitely a throwback from my childhood days. And making this card was no exception.

I have a supply list, but when it comes to Valentine's Day, I'm always saving scraps and such and not keeping track of where everything comes from. I do know however, that 4 of the 5 patterned papers for this came from Stampin' Up! A few years ago they featured a DSP set that included golds, peaches, pinks and muted purples. I fell in love with that and so the few leftover scraps that I have here are from that pack. Here's my best shot at what I used:

• Bible Verse From Word Art Wednesday
• White Core Plum Colored Card Stock (Michaels?)
• Gold Card Stock (Michaels)
• Stampin' Up! DSP
• Stampin' Up! Bubble Bath Ink
• Heart Patterned Paper (Hobby Lobby?)
• Honeycomb Glitter Card Stock (Probably Joann, whom I miss so very much!)
• Stampin' Up! Berry Burst Card Stock
• Flat Plastic Enamel-like Hearts (gifted to me)
• Gold Bow (gifted to me)

Fun facts about this card:

It's a 5 x 7, which I've started making more of. It's fun to have a bit more "canvas" to work with sometimes.

After cutting out the scripture freehand, I thought it looked a little uneven which is why I shaded the edges with the Bubble Bath ink.

It was my hope that the placement of the papers in a haphazard fashion would resemble someone walking, thus tying in with the scripture about walking in love. 

Well that's all for today. I'm so glad you stopped by and we would love it if you stopped by Word Art Wednesday and played along with us!

Oh, and if you'd like to use the scripture feel free to snag it below!