4th of July Freebie & My Card From It

Here in the United States it will be the 4th of July before we know it, and if you're looking for a free graphic to send to someone, or if you'd like to make a cute card, here's a freebie that I made and you're welcome to use it.

Vintage Valentines For Two Challenges

So today's cards aren't what I had in mind when I chose to participate in the Paper Players Challenge 788 (PPC788) and the Sunday Stamps Challenge 387 (SSC387). But sometimes cards have a way of making themselves and that's what happened today.

Originally I wanted a brighter card using the colors at Sunday Stamps. But when I saw "patterned paper" as a slot over at the Paper Players I went digging through my 12 x 12 box.

That's when  I came across these two pieces of patterned paper that were given to me years ago. One piece was mostly used up, but the other seemed to have all the colors, so I went in a different direction. I cut out the two hearts, didn't like the look and was going to trash it but decided I'd at least make something from it. 

Valentine's Day came to mind so I went with that. Then there were enough extras on the table that I decided a second card could be made and there's no sense throwing the extras out.

I used the middle column in the Tic-Tac-Toe board (flower, free and patterned paper) but also included a die cut and layers.

Here are both of the cards I made:

Without using my envelope board, I made a matching square envelope from the remainder
of the patterned paper. I cut it straight up and down as I didn't have enough paper to make it the traditional way. The second envelope is embellished to match that card too.

And here's my supply list:

• Unknown Patterned Paper
• Speckletone Madero Beach Card Stock
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Spellbinders Dies
• Kohls Rubber Stamps (how crazy is that!)
• Stampin' Up! Border Die
• Misc. Rhinestones
• Misc. White Plastic Heart
• Dollar Tree Double Paper Heart
• Gifted Sheer Ribbon
• Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler Ink

I really do like to create cards based on the current season, but sometimes these craft supplies have a mind of their own! Next February I'll be glad I made these, but now it's on to some more bright and summery cards! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Color Dare #706

Today's card was made especially for the Color Dare Challenge #706. The two required colors are coral and pinkish purple (as I see it). As much as I love Stampin' Up!'s Calypso Coral, my ink is older and it seems to stamp a couple of shades darker than the paper. That wasn't the look I was going for, so I used a Memento Ink instead. In addition, I added a green to round out the flowers. I love this challenge, as coral is my favorite color and the Rich Razzleberry is a color that I don't use nearly enough.

Here's my Complete Supply List: 

• Michael's Kraft Card Stock
• Close To My Heart  Promise of Spring Stamp Set
• Stampin' Up! Birthday Backgrounds Stamp
• SU! Rich Razzleberry Ink & Card Stock
  
• SU! Granny Apple Green Ink
• Memento Morocco Ink
• Memento Toffee Crunch Ink
• Versamark
• White Embossing Powder
• My Favorite Things Die
• Papertrey Sentiment
• Michaels Rhinestones

This 5 x 7 card has a coordinating stamped envelope and is ready to go to someone who needs a hug!

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

Card & Matching Bookmark

Today's card isn't for a challenge. I just went in my craft room and had fun. I'm trying to use things that I haven't used in a while, so I grabbed the first stamp and die set in my drawer, created a sketch on paper and this is what came out!  I used Stampin’ Up!’s Cross of Hope Stamp and Die set. I believe the double sided paper is also from Stampin’ Up!

When I was finished with the card, I had two scraps of paper on the table waiting to be put away. They were stacked on top of each other and my mind saw a bookmark, so I made one. I thought it would be nice to tuck inside the matching card. I’m pleased with how this turned out and hope to send it out soon. 

Before I go I want to share today’s Happy Thing. I got these three iron DVD racks at the thrift store for $5.00 each. My old Stampin Up! cases were in the chest of drawers and while they’re not necessarily easier to see now, it does give me lots of extra storage in the drawers. Plus I love how they look. They’re the perfect height for the mirror and wall. 

Well that’s all for today. Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy crafting!

Retro Rubber #272 Sketch on the Side

Today's card was made earlier in the week. I had a bunch of watermelons that I stamped and they were still laying on my desk. I remembered Retro Rubber's #272 Challenge (#rrcb272) to take your images up the side of the card. So I made the card and when I came back to post it I saw that another entry used the same watermelons. So I felt funny about posting it. This is actually the second time this has happened to me. 

So today when I went back in my craft room, the card was still there. So I thought that, as they say, great minds think alike! And I really want to play along and time goes by way too fast. So here's my card. It's not the lone watermelon card in the group, but with summer fast approaching I think we're all ready for some sweet treats!

Here's my supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Watercolor Melon (2024)
  
• SU! Flirty Flamingo Ink
• SU! Garden Green Ink
• SU! Soft Suede Ink
• SU! Daffodil Delight Ink
• SU! Granny Apple Green Ink
• Papertrey Blueberry Bushel Card Stock
• My Favorite Things Gingham Paper
• Impression Obsession Warm Fuzzy Sentiments 
• MFT Oval Die

The fun thing I did was to make the sun out of two halves of the watermelon. I used the seeds to form the rays around the sun. It's a fun look and I'll have to remember to do that again.

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

Word Art Wednesday with Newton's Nook Prize!

Tiny Tip: It seems like I'm always losing dies, so I left this set attached. It's just as easy to
use it and losing a little star isn't something that I have to worry about!

Here we are again with a new challenge over at Word Art Wednesday, and the sponsor this round is Newton's Nook! They're offering a $20.00 gift certificate for anything in their online store. There are so many wonderful things there, so you'll definitely want to play along with us!

One of their products that I have and love is their Sky Scene Builder, which I used for this card. I love it because it's so versatile. But what was really amazing is that the Bible verse this round goes perfectly with it! 

My inspiration for this scene was a dusk sky when the sun is setting but the moon is up high in the sky already. I Googled it and I think it's simply called a Daytime Moon. You can't see it real well from the big picture above, but the  stars are a bit shimmery than the clouds. You can see it a bit better in the smaller picture on the right.

Here's my simple and complete supply list:

• Newton's Nook Sky Scene Builder Dies**
• Stampin' Up! Balmy Blue Card Stock & Ink
• SU! Daffodil Delight Card Stock
• SU! Smoky Slate Card Stock
• Michaels White Card Stock
• PaperPapers Glimmery White Paper

Measuring 9 3/4" x 4 1/4" his card is a bit larger than I usually make, but I have some clear envelopes that I'm trying to use up, so I think that will look really good in one of those.

And of course if you'd like to use our Bible verse in your creations, you can download it below. However you're never required to use it and our theme is always "anything goes." We would love it if you stopped by and joined in the fun at Word Art Wednesday. And while you're on your way there, be sure to check our all the wonderful things that Newton's Nook has too!

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

**These were out of stock at the time I wrote this post, but I contacted the company and they said they'll be getting more in soon. It's definitely a set worth waiting for!

Party Cheers For The Color Hues Challenge

Today's card was made especially for Challenge #133 over at The Color Hues. Their theme is Lime Green and Violet. And neutrals are always welcome too.

Vintage Hymnal Card

I think it's best to stamp the image then trim
the page as I learned here!

Today's card seemed to be timed perfectly. Time Out Challenges has a great theme called Playing Music. And just last Sunday I was asked to make eight cards for our pastors at church. Usually Pastor Appreciation Day is in November, but in the United  Methodist Church, our pastors get new assignments on July 1. Even though we're only losing one pastor and gaining a replacement, I guess the board wants to give each of them a card. That's where I, the church card lady comes in!

I love doing this, but there is always so pressure when creating a card for someone you know. When you mail a card out, you do your best and hope they like it. But when it's someone I know, I always feel a little nervous.

After picking up this old hymnal a while back, I knew it would make a great background for a card, and today seemed like the perfect time to do just that, especially since it goes well for both pastors and for Time Out Challenges.

Here's my complete supply list:

• Garage Sale Vintage Hymnal Page
• Stampin' Up! Old Olive Card Stock
• SU! Secret Sea Card Stock
• SU! Curmb Cake C/S
• Papertrey Hibiscus Burst Card Stock
• Versa Mark Ink
• Memento Black Ink
• Memento Pistachio Ink
• Stampin’ Up! Embossing Folder
• Spellbinders Scallop Die
• Concord and 9th Filled In Florals Stamp Set
• Stamp Simply Pastor Appreciation Stamp
• Gifted Rhinestones
• Michaels Twine

After finishing the card I realize some changes I'll make on the next two. First of all, I cut off the hymn number. I think that's a classic part of the page and wished I had thought about that beforehand. Second, I think I'll make the leaves a bit darker. It's funny how ink changes when it dries. And lastly, I think I'd like the scalloped edge to not stand out so much. Anyhow, all things considered it's pretty close to what I had in mind.

This is only my first of three cards that I plan to make using this old hymnal. I wanted to get one uploaded to this challenge just to start. It was a good inspiration to play along over at Time Out Challenges and I'm thankful to everyone over there for putting this together!

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

Fuzzy Ruffles Lap Warner

This is folded into quarters. It's the perfect size for a lap, especially if someone is in a wheelchair.

Today I finished this super easy. It's a simple corner-to-corner crochet stitch blanket that measures 22 squares by 24 squares. I used a skein of Caron Cotton Cakes that was 530 yards long and combined it with a skein of Caron Latte yarn which is a fuzzy yarn. 

Because I used two #4 yarns together, it took an "M" hook to create this. 

I had enough yarn leftover to make the next lap warmer in a 24 x 24 square size.

Lastly I finished it off with s simple double crochet round all around then a "two double crochets in one loop" making it ruffle. I used white Walmart Mainstays yarn for this.

It's a fun piece to make, however yarn is expensive. I'm thinking this ran around $30.00 not counting any discounts that Michaels was giving at the time. 

Here are a few other pictures of the details:

LEFT: The first round of double crochets created a bit of a ruffle. MIDDLE: I made a chain stitch around the edges for the ruffle to attach to. RIGHT: I put a homemade gift tag with the words "You Are Loved"  (an Altenew Die) on it along with a wooden cross from Amazon.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Word Art Wednesday Offering Envelope & Personal Story

Hi there crafty friends! Today there's a new challenge over at Word Art Wednesday, and we have a wonderful sponsor again. Pretty Pink Posh is giving away a $30.00 gift certificate towards anything in their store, and they have some really cute things. I was just over at their site and on May 14 they have some new releases coming out. You'll see the snail if you go there. Oh my, he is so cute! You'll definitely want to go over and check them out!

And as always, our challenge is "anything goes" with the option of using the Bible verse, which is what I did this round. However, instead of making a card I made an envelope-specifically an offering envelope. A while back I used to make all my offering envelopes, usually using scraps that I had on my craft table. I've gotten away from that, but after seeing this scripture, I thought it would be a perfect match.

I'm also playing along with NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) because I just got this Spellbinders Die Set for Mother's Day this past weekend. (I bought it for myself of course!) And I'm also playing along over at Triple B (Birds, Blooms or Butterflies) because of all the blooms on this.

Before I go any further, I'd love to share a personal experience about this scripture in my own life. It's a little hard to talk about, but I think it may help others who may be going through similar experiences.

Back in the 1990's and 2000's things were really good for me and my family. We were making a fairly good salary and things were cheaper. The home where we raised our kids costs twice our annual income. Today that would be impossible. We easily afforded moderate vacations every year. Mostly a drive to Florida to visit the grandparents, but a trip to Disney for several days was not out of the question. Life was really good.

I attributed much of that prosperity to the fact that we gave regularly to our church. This scripture was part of that reasoning. Then troubles came. Nothing devastating. But my husband's company decided that they could make more money if they sent his job to India. He actually flew there for two weeks to train people to take over for him. He was laid off, but thankfully not for long.

A few years later layoffs happened again, only this time he wasn't rehired. He tried for months to find a job locally in Pennsylvania, but to no avail. He broadened his search to anywhere in the United States and continued to apply diligently. Again, nothing. Panic mode was setting in for me, who was homeschooling my kids at the time and didn't have an opportunity land a lucrative job.

We decided to move back to Florida, my home state. My parents were here and I had a job at their small business. I was even able to juggle homeschooling and full time work for a little while. Clark continued to look for work, but boy was it tough. He got a temporary job with a decent salary, but no healthcare for our family of four.

Finally it seemed that God had mercy on us and he landed the job that he has now. He's been with the same amazing company for 12 years, and indeed, we are blessed. Not with money so much. His salary is almost half of what we had up north. But God is faithful. 

So is this scripture true? Indeed I can say yes, but maybe not exactly in the way we think it should be. I created this picture that perfectly illustrates the way I feel about God's will and provision in our lives. I've seen the concept elsewhere but couldn't find it. Thankfully Canva helped me get the point across!

Feel free to share this!

I hope my personal story has been a blessing to you. I tried to keep it short. There are many more details. But the end is, God is indeed faithful. We may hit some bumps along the way, but if we trust Him, we'll make it to the top of that hill!

The supplies for my card are simple:

• Brown Dotted Kraft Scrapbook Paper
• Word Art Wednesday Bible Verse (below)
• Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms Dies
• Stampin' Up! Envelope Board
• Stampin' Up! Black Card Stock
• SU! Shy Shamrock Card Stock
• SU! Daffodil Delight Card Stock
• SU! Calypso Coral Card Stock
• SU! Mango Medley Card Stock
• SU! Soft Suede Card Stock

Please be sure to go on over to Word Art Wednesday. We'd love to have you play along with us! And if you'd like, here's our scripture for this round:

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing in a bit of my life!

Mother's Day Card For Two Challenges

The year certainly is flying by! Tomorrow is Mother's Day already and I finished this card in the nick of time. I had some inspiration from two challenges to help me get started. First, over at Retro Rubber #271 (#rrcb271)

Starved Rock State Park, Illinois

When you think of majestic waterfalls and sandstone canyons, a small state park in rural Illinois isn't usually the first place that comes to mind. Thankfully, my daughter was able to find this amazing place and visit there recently. 

Normally I just share quait places I've been to, but this place is so remote and spectacular, I have to include it here. Perhaps someone will stumble upon this gem as a result of this blog. And, it will be a great reminder of a wonderful place to go on my bucket list road trip!

You’re able to walk under the waterfall too!

My precious girls!

Of course it's the waterfall that's the most spectacular. When I saw pictures of it online and thought that may have been at its peak time of year. However, it was just as lovely the day my daughter visited.

The trails were magnificent too. Perfect for an easy to medium challenges. 

Best of all, the place is dog friendly. Maggie absolutely loved it! You can see her on her hike in the bottom picture.

Here is a screenshot from Google Maps showing how close it is to so many major places. And no doubt there is so much more to see and do there. And if you’re anywhere nearby, check out their website HERE too. In my book, it's worth a tank of gas for sure!

Lastly I have to share one of my favorite pics of Maggie on the hike. She had a great day for sure!

Big City for Two Challenges

Today I'm playing along with two challenges that really go hand in hand together. A few days ago I saw that The Little Red Wagon #856 is celebrating Billy Joel hits this year. How fun! And this round the theme is "New York State of Mind." I knew I had just the stamp for that. I bought this Times Square stamp a few years ago for a friend of my husband who loves New York City. 

The challenge had been floating around in my mind, and when I saw the newest challenge over at Colorful Options, I knew it was a perfect match. Black & White is their main theme this round, but they always have several different options to choose from. I chose Option 2, which is Black & White with a splash of color. It seems like I can't picture NYC without a splash of yellow from those taxis!

Here's my complete supply list:

• Deep Red's Times Square Stamp
• Michaels White Card Stock
• Memento Black Ink
• Yellow Flair Pen
• Stampin' Up! Black & White Paper
• SU! Crushed Curry Card Stock
• SU! Small Metal Dots
• My Favorite Things Oval Die
• Pink & Main Sentiment

This was a really fun card to make and I'm thankful to everyone over at The Little Red Wagon and Colorful Options who put all this together!

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

Stamp Simply Sunflower Season

Welcome crafty friends! We have another wonderful challenge for you to play along with over at Word Art Wednesday today. And the really good news is that our sponsor this round is Stamp Simply and they're giving away a 25.00 gift certificate!

For my card, I'm using a stamp and die set from Stamp Simply. It's called "Sunflower Season." It's one of my favorites. And the stamps are available just by themselves as well. You can find them HERE.

I really love this set because Ecclesiastes is my all-time favorite book of the Bible. A lot of people feel it's depressing, but I think it's so pertinent to today's life. And perhaps I am a bit of a melancholy in the way that King Solomon was. However I think we all can agree that  this verse from Ecclesiastes 3:1 is a big encouragement for sure.

Another thing I like about this card is that the patterned paper, with the rings of the tree trunk, kind of go along with the "seasons of life" theme. Just a little bonus!

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stamp Simply Sunflower Season Stamp and Die Set
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Stampin' Up! Daffodil Delight Card Stock
• Pebbles "Harvest Cutting Board" Patterned Paper
• SU! Soft Suede Ink
• Copic Markers

And, as always, we have a beautiful Bible verse for you to download and use either on a card, in a journal or anywhere else you can think of! Here is that verse for this round:

Stamp Simply has some wonderful stamps that we know you'll love. As usual, our challenge is "Anything Goes" so create something beautiful and join in the fun! We always appreciate every one of our wonderful entries! 

Mazel Tov, Baby Girl!

This is my favorite one of the two. It's the one
I'm taking to the celebration tomorrow!

Tomorrow we're going to a very special celebration! My best friend's daughter recently had a baby and tomorrow is the B'rit Milah (I believe that is the correct name). It's where the daughter receives her Hebrew name. It's a really big deal and a Rabbi will be there and everything!

Of course I couldn't go without a card, and since I had just two days to come up with one, I had to rely on Canva to help me make one. I created two designs, because I wasn't sure how one would turn out. I like them both, but I decided to go with the dove. I just love that design.

After printing these images as FedEx, I trimmed them, mounted them on card stock and put some scalloped edges on the back. I finished each off with a small pink rhinestone.

Here are both of the cards. I hope that through The Angel Card Project I'll be able to send the other one out very soon!

Here's the free digis. 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! Remember that all images are for personal use only, please! Thanks for stopping by my blog today and have a wonderful day!

Wetlands for Cardz 4 Guyz

I just noticed when I logged on this morning that it's Earth Day! It's celebrated in more than 193 countries. So exciting! And my card, which I made last night, goes along with that theme too.

The card was made especially for Cardz 4 Guyz #385. Their challenge is to create a Clean & Simple card for a guy. I think that's my most challenging kind to create.

I noticed afterwards that Jolanda also used the same stamp set as me. It's a great guy set for sure, and I don't have nearly as many of those as I should have. 

Here's a fun graphic that I created in Canva.
Feel free to grab it and share!

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Wetlands
• Michaels Brown 110# Card Stock
• SU! Early Espresso Card Stock
• Speckletone True White Card Stock
• Copic Markers
• SU! So Saffron Card Stock
• Spellbinders Circle Dies
• Verve Sentiment

This was a fun and much-needed card to make. Be sure to check out the challenge over at Cardz 4 Guyz and join in the fun! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful Earth Day!

Spring Well Wishes

I stamped and cut the duck out of
Mint Tape and masked him so I could 
stencil around him.

Today's card was created for two challenges. First over at Retro Rubber (#RRCB270) they have a challenge featuring rain/water. This was a real challenge for me because I don't have any umbrella/rain stamps. They have been on my list of things to get. However, I dug around and finally found some things that could make this card work.

And that led to me playing along with The Neglected Stuff Challenge Blog. This stamp set was one that I bought because of the adorable bunny, but when I opened the set I realized I had never even used any of the stamps. I think that I need to keep this with my Easter Stamps rather than my regular stamps. Either way, it had been neglected since the day it arrived in my craft room!

Here's my complete supply list:

• Stampin' Up! Fable Friends (2019)
• Stampin' Up! Sorry For Everything (2017)
• Memento Summer Sky Ink
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Copics Y02, Y35, YR15, R20, C1
• Stampin Up Boho Blue Ink & Card Stock
• Papertrey Blueberry Bushel Card Stock
• Stampin' Up! Blueberry Bushel Card Stock 
• Weather Stencil (purchased from The Angel Card Project Fundraiser)
• Spellbinders Oval & Oval Scallop Dies
• Big Box Yellow Dotted Paper
• Doodlebug Designs Enamels

I think this card will be really sweet to send to a young person who is recovering. Those are often the most difficult cards to make, so it's nice to have this on hand.

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

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!