Share Handmade Kindess Week 1

Hi friends!  I hope that you are well!  We are ok.  We had a busy day of errands.  I had to go to two different grocery stores and I'm off to a crop in a little bit.  I'm hoping to get some projects done that I can post here.

Today, I wanted to share a card I made for a challenge.  Ohhhhh, a challenge!  Remember when I used to do those all the time??  Yeah, me either.  My sweet friend Jennifer McGuire started a month long challenge called Share Handmade Kindness.  I love this premise!  And I love that since Jennifer has such a big reach so many people are getting involved!  It really only take a tiny ripple to start change.

I made this card for Share Handmade Kindness Week 1 and the challenge was to make something for a friend or family member.  Obviously, this is the easiest way to go since you can just hand a card or project or baked item or ANYTHING handmade to a friend and family member and show them how much you care.  I made this card for a friend of mine who is also my son's teacher.  I'm so glad that I've gotten to know her!  Beyond being my son's teacher, she has other children who are friends with my kids.  She invites my kids to their birthday parties.  She encouraged her son to play with my son when we first started at this school and didn't know anyone.  Most recently, she gave my son a ride home after music lessons when Dustin had to go to the doctor.  Obviously, she's a great candidate to receive a little handmade item.

I used some My Mind's Eye Jubilee papers and a Lawn Fawn stamp set for this card.  This paper has a lovely watercolor effect on it.  I stamped the butterflies 3 times on the same paper and cut them out and got this beautiful gradient effect.  I added some purple Stickles to the butterflies for my sparkle.  Purple and butterflies are a couple of my friend's favorite things.  I am also entering this card in the current Lawnscaping Challenge which is Thinking of You.  

Have a great day, friends!  Go Share Handmade Kindness and enter to WIN a prize on Jennifer's blog!

*Affiliate links used in this post.

Food For Thought

Hi friends!  I hope that you are doing well.  We are ok.  The baby has hand, foot, and mouth and now so do I.  Sigh... isn't that how it goes?  Eventually, we'll start our summer vacation.

Today, I'm sharing a card I made for a call that wasn't picked up and I'm entering it in the Paper Issues Food for Thought challenge.  I used some stamps from Lawn Fawn and some Webster's Pages paper for this card.  I used different colored ink for stamps for a colorful effect without having to color.  The sequins are wood patterned from Studio Calico.

Hope you're having an amazing day!  

Lawnscaping Winter Blog Hop

Hi friends!  Today, I'm super excited to be back with my friends at Lawnscaping for the Lawnscaping Winter Blog Hop!  You should be coming here from Samantha M.'s Blog, if not hop on back to the Lawnscaping Blog to start the hop.  Don't forget to leave comments at each stop to win one of the prizes for our sponsors!  You can find info on the prizes and sponsors on the Lawnscaping Blog.  You have until Sunday Dec 15 at 11:59pm EST to leave your comments.  Winners will be drawn at random.

To be perfectly honest with you, I haven't been feeling well for the last week and I've been in and out of the doctor's office.  I was hoping to make more items but I just couldn't.  This one simple card took me forever.

On my card, I used Lawn Fawn's Critters in the Snow.  I love penguins!  I'm not sure if I've ever shared that on my blog.  They are my favorite animals (all year round.)  I also used a speech bubble from Lawn Fawn's A Birdie Told Me.  I used my brand new American Crafts Peppermint Express.  After I put my papers together, I decided that they were too busy but I didn't want to start over.  I used a technique that I've seen on my friend Marie's blog.  She sometimes puts her patterned paper inside a Whisker Graphics Glassine Bag and it mutes the pattern.  I used one of the Glassine Bags to wrap up my panel.  I finished this card with a little of the new Silver Metallic Divine Twine and some Stickles in Crystal on my igloo.

Next up on your hop is Elena J.  Don't forget to leave a comment before you go so you can be entered to win one of the prizes!  Also, in the spirit of the holidays I'm going to pick a random commenter to get a small sampling of the new Whisker Graphics Silver Metallic Divine Twine.  :)      

Turkey Day Bitty Bags

Hi friends!  I hope you're having a fabulous day!  We are doing pretty good.  The kids are having a great Thanksgiving break!  It's been a really lovely time hanging out with our friends.  We are looking forward to having Thanksgiving dinner with our family.  It will be Avery's first Thanksgiving.

Today, I'm sharing a project I made for the boys's teachers for Thanksgiving.  I packaged up some homemade cookies.  I used the White on Kraft Polka Dot Middy Bitty Bags which are SO cute and I love the kraft look for fall.  I grabbed some Becky Higgins Grid Cards and this darling Lawn Fawn mini stamp set and made the tags for this.  I added some Orange and Lemon Divine Twine and tied it in a knot then adhered it to the card.  Then I added some Chevron Petite Stickys to help stick these to the bags.

Have a great day, everyone!  And Happy Thanksgiving!

FBW #245

Hi friends!  I hope you are all doing well.  We are ok.  Still having van problems but hopefully this is the last of our problems.  Please keep your fingers crossed for us!  And we are wrapping up our couple weeks of non-stop birthdays so hopefully things will slow down for us.

This week's Flutter By Wednesday Challenge is a sketch from Kathy.  All you have to do is use the sketch and have a butterfly or fairy on your card to enter.  I love this sketch and tried to go a little outside the box with it.  I took the Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper paper (which I love) and punched the holes in it then I adhered it to the card with foam squares so there are little windows.  I added some Studio Calico wood veneer butterflies and stamped a Lawn Fawn sentiment.  Clean and simple but I'm pretty happy with it.

Have a great day, friends!  And don't forget to link up your creations on the Flutter By Wednesday Blog!  

Welcome Baby but Not Yet...

Hi friends!  I hope you're having a great day!  We are ok.  I'm already starting to have contractions so I've been told to take it easy.  Please keep your fingers crossed that the baby decides to cook just a little longer so she's healthy.  

Here's a card I made for publication that wasn't picked up.  It's just a very clean and simple baby card.  I used Lawn Fawn Stamps and some Carta Bella paper.  The button is from my stash and I used some May Arts burlap string on it.  

Have a great day, friends!  

IHP WCMD Sketch

Hi friends!  I hope you're having a great day!  We just came home from a party for a very special friend who helps everyone she meets.  It was a great party and the kids had so much fun!

I made this card using the I {heart} Papers WCMD sketch but I'm too late to submit to the challenge.  Whoops!  That's what I get for having a social life.  I used Lawn Fawn stamps, Lily Bee paper, Spellbinders dies, Copic markers for the tree trunk, an SRM sticker for the sentiment, and Holiday Divine Twine on this card.  I think it turned out fun.  The triangle is really outside the box for me.  I'm also submitting this to the Simon Says Stamp WCMD challenge.  

Have a great day, friends!  

Baby Kangaroo

Hi friends!  I hope you're having a great day!  I'm blogging again because I want to get this card in under the wire for a challenge.  ;)

Apparently, I have baby on the brain so I'm making tons of baby cards.  I should probably find a few more pregnant people to befriend.  I'm entering this card in several challenges: Simon Says Stamps Animal Antics, MarkerPop Coloring challenge 5, and Moxie Fab World Minty Fresh challenge.  I colored my Lawn Fawn image with Copics.  The paper is American Crafts/Dear Lizzie Neapolitan and the ribbon is white wrinkled ribbon from May Arts.  I also used a punch to add a little interest.

Have a great day, friends!  

Wishy Washi Shell-ebrate

Hi friends!  I hope that you are doing well.  Things are ok around here.  We are trying to enjoy our summer but man, it is rough having the kids here by myself ALL the time.  ;)  When are they old enough for summer camp?  

I'm sharing a card today that I'm entering into the Paper Issues Wishy Washi challenge.  I made this for Brady because he loves turtles.  Isn't that adorable?  I think it's because he's shy and quiet like a little turtle.  The image and sentiment are from Paper Smooches.  The grad cap is from Lawn Fawn.  The washi tapes are from Love My Tapes.

Have a great day, friends!

March CARDS Magazine Pubs

Hi friends!  I just realized that I never showed you the cards that were published in the March 2012 issue of CARDS Magazine by Northridge Publishing so here they are:

Have a great day, friends!

Rainy Day Challenge

Hi friends!  I hope you're having a great day!  We are doing ok.  The kids went to a birthday party today and had lots of fun.  They are so cute!

Today, I'm sharing a card I made for the Lily Pad Cards Rainy Day Challenge.  The challenge is to make a card with a rain theme.  I decided to ink up some Lawn Fawn because really, who could resist this cute umbrella?  The umbrella is from Plus One and the sentiment is from Partly Cloudy.  The paper is Echo Park Dots and Stripes.  I also added coordinating Stickles to each umbrella handle.    

Have a great day, friends!  

A Walk on the Bright Side Recap

Hi friends!  I hope you're having a great day!  Today, hasn't been very good here.  Here's hoping that tomorrow is better.

Today, I wanted to recap all the projects I made with the Paper Made Bakery April Kit: A Walk on the Bright Side.  There are only a couple more kits left so get yours while you can!  It's a fabulous one!

Have a great day, friends!  

Happy Easter!!

Hi friends! I hope you have a lovely Easter if you celebrate it! If not, have a lovely Sunday! We have already opened Easter baskets and hunted eggs here at our house and it's only 8:30am. Dustin has to work so we're on our own until later. Then we are going to his parents's house for dinner. YAY!

Today, I'm sharing the cards and gift packages I made for Brady's teachers. I decided to use a spring sentiment just in case they don't celebrate Easter. My sweet friend Kendra Sand was sweet enough send me some of these peeps die cuts. I used them with some Lawn Fawn paper and a sentiment from Easter Greetings from My Thoughts Exactly Stamps. I used my MFT grass die, a Martha Stewart punch, and some Cotton Candy Divine Twine to finish.

Here's a close up of one card.

And here's a super simple package I put together for the teachers. I just put candy inside. I used a White Polka Dot Bitty Bag from Whisker Graphics and some 19mm white lace tape from Love My Tapes.

Have a fabulous day, friends! Hoppy Easter! ;)

Happy Good Friday!

Hi friends! I hope you're having a wonderful day! We went to the Children' Museum today and the kids had a blast! I'm a bit tired right now but nothing too bad.

I wanted to share a couple more challenge cards with you today. I always feel the need to blog challenge cards right away because there have been so many times I didn't blog them on time and the challenge ended.

First up, I made this card for the Some Odd Girl April Challenge (color challenge) as well as the Oozak Challenge #1 (anything goes.) I used Nutsy Kaylee for my card with a sentiment from Tiny Baker Tia. Can you believe how much I like those SOGies to color for them all the time? The ribbon is May Arts, washi tape is Love My Tapes, bling is Kaisercraft, the paper is Pink Paislee, and I used Copics to color.

My next card is another one for the Lawnscaping #31 challenge (to color) and Card Positioning Systems sketch #259. The stamps and paper are from Lawn Fawn, I colored with Copics, accented with Stickles, and added a Zva bling flourish.

Have a great day, friends!

While the Kids are Away...

Hi friends! I hope you are having a great week! My kids are at my in laws's house so I've been resting and stamping a bit. Well, a lot. I should probably be sleeping more but I don't feel that tired. Probably since I rested well last night. You never fully "turn off" when you're a mommy. Every bump and noise at night makes me wake up but I didn't do that last night because I knew my kids weren't here.

Let's get into the cards, shall we? First up, another one for the Paper Smooches Sparks current challenge as well as the Easter challenge on the Create Blog. The bunny is from Paper Smooches A Little Lovin. The sentiment is My Thoughts Exactly Easter Greetings. The paper is from American Crafts Dear Lizzy Neapolitan.

The next card is for the Retro Sketches #5. I used Amy Tangerine's Sketchbook papers for this and the stamp is from the first Amy Tangerine line.

The last card is for Card Patterns Sketch 159, Lawnscaping Challenge 31: coloring, and iCopic #76: for a child. I used Lawn Fawn stamps and paper for this. I used May Arts ribbon, Martha Stewart punch, Spellbinders Nestie, MFT cloud die, and Kaisercraft bling.

Have a great day, friends!

Paper Made Bakery April Release Hop (GIVEAWAY!)

Hi friends! I hope you're having a great day! Today is the Paper Made Bakery April release blog hop! The new kit is called A Walk on the Bright Side and it is a FUN ONE! Paper Made Bakery has listened to their friends and have beefed up the embellishments. This kit might be the best one yet!

You should be coming here from Lisa's Blog. If you just stumbled in today, head back to the Paper Made Bakery Blog to start the hop!

Want to win?

Comment here and on each gal's blog (original comments, please). The more you comment, the better chance of winning! Want EXTRA entries?! Share this hop on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, in an email...Be sure to comment on Paper Made Bakery's FB wall and let us know you've shared -- if you haven't already, Like Us while you're there! We'll pick TWO lucky winners on Wednesday, April 4, so hop on down the bloggy trail -- hippity hop pity!

Here's my card for today using only items found in this kit.

I'm the last of the DT members on the hop. Head back to Paper Made Bakery and pick up your kit while it lasts!

Lawnscaping Challenge 19 and a SAD Goodbye

Hi friends! I hope you had a great weekend! We had a fun one! There's a giant pumpkin festival every year in our town and we attend each year. It was just as great (if not better) this year and the kids had a great time!

This might seem backwards but I'm gonna start with my goodbye. It's with a VERY heavy heart that I'm stepping down from the Lawnscaping Design Team. If you've been a follower for a while, you know that I've been having some health issues and I need to take some time to work on that. I've really tried to stay on all my teams but I haven't been able to give everyone my best. I'm SO sad to be leaving the AMAZING Lawnscaping team. Each of these women is so kind, talented, loving, and caring. I, honestly, could not have asked for a better support system. They are all now my friends and I'm so lucky to have them! And I have to extend a HUGE thank you to Laurel and Lynnette for asking me to be on this team when it began and believing in my talent every step of the way.

Ok, enough about me! On to the Lawnscaping Challenge! The theme for this challenge is to ADD Dimension to your project! You can use foam adhesives or embellishments to add dimension. The sponsor is Simon Says Stamp which is just an AMAZING store! The winner of the challenge will receive a $25 gift certificate!

Here's my first card for the challenge where I managed to accidentally GLUE my tree layers down instead of popping them. (Proof that I might need a little break.) Though the embossed and glossy papers on this card do give it dimension. I used Lawn Fawn's Critters in the Forest for this card along with some Imaginisce paper.

And now for the card I did right! ;) I used some foam tape to pop all these bandaids to give this card lift! This card uses Lawn Fawn On the Mend and some Basic Grey Lauderdale paper. I am also linking this up to the Link Up for Pink linking party where they are hosting an amazing event for breast cancer!

Check out the DT:

Laurel

Lynnette

Britta

Christiana

Ayana

Vera

Our guest designer for this month: Laurie Wilson

And the winner of our guest designer contest: Cathy Fong

Link up: Lawnscaping Challenge 19

More WCMD Cards

Hi friends! Hope you are having a great weekend! We are about to head off to the Giant Pumpkin Festival. I'm pretty excited about this! :D I will have pictures to share later.

I'm sharing a couple more cards I made during World Card Making Day today. This first one was made for the Authentique Sketch for Oct. I decided to go with a pink card so I can link up to the Link Up for Pink linking party again! You MUST check this out! These girls really poured their souls into organizing something amazing! All the elements on this card are Authentique Uncommon, I made the epoxy with some Epiphany tools my friend Gina let me play with at her house.

Next is a card I made for the Lawn Fawn WCMD Challenge. The challenge was to make a card and send it. I used Lawn Fawn's Judy's Blooms and Sophie's Sentiments for this card. The paper is My Mind's Eye, the lace is from May Arts, and I added some seam binding.

Have a great day, friends!

Some WCMD Cards

Hi friends! I hope you had a great day! I got a migraine but was able to get it settled down enough to make a couple cards this evening. I'm gonna share a couple with you now as my last hurrah for this WCMD. :)

Here's a card I submitted to the I {heart} Papers Facebook Page contest. The challenge was just to use some IHP goodies on your card which is SO easy being that I have A LOT from that store, they sell everything I love! You could also enter this card over at Lawnscaping Challenges for the WCMD challenge. You can make ANY card with Lawn Fawn and link it up to win! Supplies: Lawn Fawn stamps, Cosmo Cricket paper, handmade flowers, lace and crotchet trim

Next up is a fun little card I made for a few challenges. This card uses the Card Patterns sketch 135. I'm linking up this card for the Link Up For Pink linking party. They are trying to raise money for their Relay for Life team and there's a HUGE link up party with TONS of prizes! If you're looking for a place to donate, they have a link on their sidebar to donate. I think this is a wonderful way to fundraise and raise awareness about Breast Cancer. I know several people who have or have had cancer and I will do anything I can to support research!

Speaking for breast cancer awareness, I also made this card for one of the Hope You Can Cling To challenges on Splitcoast. For the entire month of October, there will be new challenges everyday to show support, awareness and help the cause. There are prizes and they have a place where you can mail your cards. I made this card for Lydia's challenge to put a pink critter on your card. Supplies: Authentique paper, Paper Smooches stamps, button, punch, and string

Lastly, here's another card I made for the I {heart} Papers challenge. I used this week's SCS Sketch Challenge for this card. I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge. Supplies: Studio Calico paper, Hero Arts/Studio Calico stamps, seam binding, handmade flower, tiny attacher.

Hope you all had a GREAT World Card Making Day! I can't wait for next year!

Happy WCMD 2011!!

Hi friends! Happy World Card Making Day! Sigh...cards! I love cards! I'm sure you already knew that. :) There's just something so special in giving someone a handmade card that you spent your time on. Card are an absolute passion of mine! I love stamping, paper piecing, coloring, using punches, tying bows, etc... This craft is my passion and my joy! I'm so glad there's a day to celebrate it!

Today, I'm taking part in a HUGE blog tour organized by Paper Crafts Magazine. Click HERE to see all the amazing designers on today's hop and prepared to have your socks knocked off!

Today, I'm sharing two cards with you! This first one is for the Moxie Fab World Card Play challenge and for the Simon Says Anything Goes challenge. The paper is Fancy Pants and the stamped sentiment is from Paper Smooches.

My second card was just made for fun. What's a hobby if you can't just do what you want for no apparent reason? I used a Lawn Fawn sentiment and some GCD paper for this. The twine is Aqua Divine Twine.

Have a wonderful World Card Making Day, friends! Get crafty!! :D