Finders, Keepers!

I don't know if any of you can relate...but I spend a lot of my time looking for one particular stamp, piece of paper, or die when setting out to make a card. So this time, I kept to new acquisitions and a few oldies but rarely used to make what I hope to be a masculine Christmas card!Everything was near my desk and I didn't have to look through drawers or bins so that was nice!
Don't you just love this plaid? It is one of my splurges this year in the Stampin' Up Holiday catalog and I hesitated a minute before ordering it. Immediately I saw a perfect backdrop for a small scene.

My card has a 3 stamped evergreen from "The Greetery," a small deer die cut from Stampin' Up and a"Merry Christmas" die I've had for awhile and wanted to use. The matting and die are done with a mirror gold paper which I save for Christmas. I put this together really late at night and just fiddled with the place of everything and then finally glued it down. The plaid strip on the side helped to anchor the scene. 

If you're wondering the reason for my blog title, this card will most likely go to my brother and his wife. He admitted that he does not keep my cards or any cards, but throws them away. Maybe this will be a keeper at least for a season as it kind of goes with their decor. We will see. Oh well, I enjoyed the challenge and mixing all the sets and dies. 

Take care, have a wonderful weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

A Corgi Trio~Creative Confetti Triple Play!

Hi friends and hope you are having a great week with maybe a little stamping/coloring mixed in! I have had some computer glitches (I couldn't ever find my mouse that allowed me to click on anything...) and finally enlisted some help so I hope I am here more often.
We skipped right over Fall here this year much to my dismay. We had a cold frost move in the last week of October which killed most of the leaves on our Purple Ashes in the yard and then a deep freeze with snow for a few days afterwards.
So that got me in the mood for Christmas cards and I began the hunt for my favorite Christmas stamp from Power Poppy that I only inked once last year. I saw today's new Creative Confetti Challenge and knew what I was going to do. That rarely happens!

I had already colored this cute Corgi up after seeing one of the DT's darling color combos...and just had to make it into a card. I found my little bow die cut and decided to add three of them for the challenge. It is pretty cute, I think!

I found a scrap of designer paper and used those colors to color in my Corgi and gift...a little bit of minty green and bright red which I layered with a dark green plaid and a very old SU! Hunter Green. It was my very last sheet. The rest is just layered and then the bows to play off the bow on the gift in the same bright red and a little wink of stella for the ribbon.
Thanks so very much for dropping by and blessings on your day!

Creative Confetti~Free for All!

So here I am again so soon, but I want to be sure to get this pretty card into this month's Power Poppy challenge...because goodness...it seems like forever since I've been able to play along!
I loved Julie's challenge this month to do whatever your little heart desires.
This was an almost no-line coloring using a retired stamp from Flourishes that I love! It was colored in copics and the humming bird was stamped, colored, and then I went over some of the wings and lines with a metallic pen to add a little bit of silvery shimmer. I used another panel that I had embossed and added little ink droplets only this time in green. I love this technique because it adds a lot of texture and was perfect for the greens in my card today.

Because my original card photo looks a little washed out...here is a close up of the humming  bird and flowers!

My card is over sized to accommodate all the panels and ribbon. It will be a special card for someone special as it took me quite awhile to color and figure out how to put it together. :)  Since the ribbon is a very sheer coral; it was a good choice to add to that corner panel.
Whew...well, once again, thanks so much for visiting and I hope you enjoyed my card today! I loved making it!

Creative Confetti~Make it Shimmer!

Today I am sharing a card for this month's Power Poppy Creative Confetti "Make it Shimmer" challenge! I had spent an afternoon just experimenting with some shimmer embossing paste that I had used with a new Altenew stencil on water color paper. The process went something like this....after you apply your paste you gently spritz the panel and then drop ink refill into the recesses and watch it spread out over the paper. This creates a lot of texture and color. The sparkle came from the SU! Shimmer Embossing Paste.

 I loved the shimmer but thought it would only do for an occasion that required some real sparkle...so I saved the panel for another day...
And then I saw the challenge over on the Power Poppy blog and knew this was the occasion! As you can see, I only used a part of my panel on  the lower portion and used the set, "A Wreath for All Seasons" from Power Poppy to stamp, coloring in shades to match my panel. I did borrow some inspiration from the Power Poppy blog to make my card...adding a vellum scalloped circle and a few tiny rhinestones. The "Joy" is silver embossed!
This card is one of those that evolved over time , but I was really happy with the outcome and to be able to use my embossed panel while it was still fairly fresh in my mind.
Thanks so much for your visit...and wishing you a blessed day!

Special Friends

Gosh, it's been awhile I know! I have a few cards in the lineup but haven't been near my computer for awhile. So for today's menu...*I think I have food on my mind, it is almost lunchtime*..I have a new item to show before I send. This is a recent purchase from Penny Black called "Special Friends." I love so many Penny Black stamps and just finally purchased a few from a recent release. The sweet animals in this set appealed to me!

I also had purchased this embossing folder-looking trellis (Stampin' Up!) and was trying to find a creative way to put it to use. I just embossed the white card front and then brushed green ink lightly over the raised portions. The tiny pink Prima roses were added to maybe resemble flowers growing on a vine...though with these types of images you can't be too literal. I colored the bunny and squirrel with copics and cut them out by hand...then added a tiny banner with the words, "just because" and a tiny green pearl accent. The card is popped up on green which is popped up on white...making for a dimensional card.

I have to say...my yard is a veritable Bambi scene most days with all kinds of woodland creatures...but I have yet to see a bunny and a squirrel coming near each other. Though they often fight for the same food sources and I can see them scampering in the same general area...I have yet to see them hug. Which is why I like stamps, I guess. It feeds my imagination that all creatures are filled with love and goodwill given to them from their Creator! 

As always I appreciate your visit and kind comments! I am so happy to be able to sit down and share a new card! Wishing you a blessed day, friends!

Pardon My Purple!

Well, it's finally Spring here in Northern Colorado...it has been a very long winter and I am enjoying the past two days of Spring like weather. The Pear trees are bursting forth in bloom and I need to go get a photo of those quick before the wind blows them away! We have Lilacs right under our deck where we have our morning coffee and they are so heavenly when they bloom. I saw Power Poppy had a sale on this set "Lilac Time"  last weekend...and it just reminded me to pull mine out and use it.

It may be hard to see any detail on those blooms as they were gold embossed which left little space for shading, etc...but I used a variety of lilacs and purples using my Zig Markers to watercolor these and also the tiny ladybug on that leaf...so fun! I also used a new to me embossing folder from Stampin" Up on the purple layer...it gives the base a tufted look which is very feminine. The panel was given a gold liquid pen treatment along the edges and then an organza ribbon and matte colored gems were added. The sentiment is from Power Poppy's set, "Potted Primroses."  The entire image was splattered with some of the watercolor and it gave a nice little splattering of color without overwhelming the main image. I had initially created this card for the April challenge but I ran out of time posting it...so here it is. I am sure I will have an occasion to use this!
For some reason a lot of people comment on my purple cards by prefacing that they don't really like purple..but they like my card...which always makes me laugh and hence the title of this post.
I love purple...but lilac is even better in my book!
I am so happy you stopped by and hope you enjoyed your visit. Thank you!
Have a beautiful day and hope you get to be out and enjoying Spring in your part of the world!

Joyful Birthday Wishes!

Hi friends...it's getting to be that time...the end of the month and I have two more cards to squeeze in to this month's Power Poppy Creative Confetti Challenges.  My card is for the "Think Spring Challenge." I needed a birthday sentiment to fit into this pretty gold frame and searched my stash high and low...and then came upon this little sentiment with the sweet and cheerful font by Power Poppy by Marcella...I had to use it! It fit just right and added a bit of whimsy to the somewhat serious and sophisticated Peonies. :)

This is from one of my favorite Power Poppy stamps, "Potted Primroses." The sentiment was gold embossed in rose gold powder on vellum and then attached to the back of the gold frame. The frame was then framed with a larger Spellbinders die. The peonies, from Altenew, were stamped and then gold embossed and added to each corner. The entire card was mounted on a linen white card stock from PaperTrey Ink. A few pearls and sequins added for a bit of sparkle!

Here is a little close up:

I made this card a little oversized for our daughter's 32nd birthday! I was so happy that it turned out so well...and that was in huge part to finding the perfect sentiment!
I always appreciate you popping in and wish you a creative day! Blessings!

Creative Confetti Challenge~Two in One!

Hi there! Today I am combining two of the Creative Confetti Challenges over on the Power Poppy Blog for the month of April: On the Grid, and Think Spring!

After making my previous Columbine Card into a grid by trimming the image into little squares...this time I was inspired by Julie's "Think Spring" challenge and so turned to the gorgeous Power Poppy set, "Azaleas." I have used a lot of these images...but the larger branch had not been colored up. I had just received this sweet ruffled ribbon from Stampin' Up and so I decided to use the ribbon as my grid markers (still had the grid on the brain so I combined those two challenges)...rather than white space. So I cut the image into three equal lengths and then used the ribbon in between each layer.  I have a lot of that ribbon...and it was fairly easy to match that pink with my Copic markers. The card was kept simple with just a few scattered small and tiny pearls. I also added a bit of shimmer with my Wink of Stella pen and a few white highlights on the flowers with my white Signo gel pen.
 I wish, I wish, I wish...we could grow those Azaleas here in Colorado. When we lived near Portland, Oregon many years ago...we had lots of these bushes and they added so much bright color in early Spring.
And...here we have the last of the snow melting and my tulips just beginning to emerge ...I feel like a Mama Chick waiting for her babies to hatch hovering over these bulbs...they are almost 2 weeks behind schedule. I just hope Summer doesn't make its entrance early as now I believe Spring is my favorite season. It just doesn't last nearly long enough here.
Blessings on your day and hope wherever you are...the promise of Spring has come!

Creative Confetti Challenge "On the Grid"

Hi friends. I am going to quickly share a card creation today for Power Poppy's Creative Confetti Challenge~"On the Grid."
I decided to use a copy of an original copic colored Columbines from the oh so cute "Cup of Columbine" by Power Poppy just in case I messed up the colored copy in the cutting process. (Because...yes, I do and I did.) Anyway, after I made a copy of my colored image...I then added highlights and shading to the copy and then used a sliver of paper as Julie explained in her excellent tutorial as spacers. I decided to back the image in blue because I had a lot of blue in the Columbines.

It was hard to capture this in the photo...but I made doubly sure to line up the bird's beak and top of his head so it wouldn't look too wonky and that helped the whole image. Since there was quite a bit of white space in both corners...I had the idea to add sentiment banners on both ends taken from the set, "Folk Heart." Oh my heart...I decided to color pearls to match the blue in the Columbines using a blue copic marker also and it is so cute in person! A twine bow along the side to add to the natural look and there you have it.
This was fun and I may try it again before this month's challenge is over!
And here is a picture I took while walking in our Botanical Gardens of some Columbines...I definitely need to try this image again in these lighter shades of  lavender blue.

Thanks for your visit and always enjoy reading your comments and what you're up to!  Blessings on your day, friends!

An Attempt at Masculine with Altenew Stamps~

Hi visiting friends...I admit I wasn't sure about adding this card to my blog...like any card I make...at first I am smitten with just the joy of seeing ink on paper...but after awhile I felt it might be a little too drab or plain...but I am going to use this as a masculine card and think it works well if I leave well enough alone...and I'm sure you know what I mean.
This is an Altenew image with outline and solid leaf prints. I fell in love with it when I saw the DT samples...however...the reason I finally made the plunge to hit that purchase button  is one single entry on the website that was so unique and beautifully embossed with a triage of powders...but do you think I can find that saved anywhere at all?

So...this is just a plain ole card...stamped and embossed in Copper metallic and colored in with Tim Holtz Distress Inks in three shades. I saw this "blessings" set sitting out and decided at the end to add that along the leaf border and it worked!  Then I dared myself to splatter the ink...and I did...just holding my breath that it didn't make a huge mess and so I went very lightly. I used the rough side of the watercolor paper for more texture. After I was finished, I trimmed the panel on both sides and popped it up on a Kraft card base.
This is an understated card, but the metallic embossing and the bold colors look very masculine to me.
Thanks for visiting me today!! I hope your day is full of blessings!

A Teacup of Spring~

Most of my stamping is for no particular reason...sometimes I come across a stamp that brings a sense of sweetness or nostalgia. This one from Stampavie by artist Tina Wenke does just that!! I see they no longer make the stamps...but there is a spot to find lots of digital which I may try soon! I made a 3x3 note card and added just a bit of designer paper (because that is all I had of this scrap )so it served as a border...and some twine across the top of the card. I practiced my water coloring with this image...using my Zig Markers. Except this time I scribbled my markers on a clear block and then used a brush to add to my panel rather than applying directly. I loved the way it turned out and found it much easier than the times I've attempted with copics. I may try a larger card but for today this is perfect for my needs...just the right size to add a gift card in the mail.
The note card die is from Papertrey Ink. I can tell I will be using this often.
Wishing you a warm and wonderful day filled with a bit of beauty! Thanks so much for your visit today!

Nobody Hugs like a Mother!

Hi there and hope everyone is having a beautiful day! Thank you for dropping in...I have been attempting to use some of my older stamps, especially if  I've only tried them once or twice! This one from Stampin' Up is SO cute and I liked that it had images for different themes. Today I decided to use my Zig Brush Watercolors and loosely color up the Mama Bear and hearts.

The water brush markers made it quick and easy to color in...and provided some texture using the smoother side of my paper. I wanted to feminize it by adding the scalloped border. After I had hand cut the two large hearts above...I thought the paws looked a little bare; so I used some little heart die negatives leftover from another project and colored each one in and just glued it to my panel. I am really enjoying the new glue, Gina K Connect because it doesn't leave a sticky residue and is so easy to get into fine places...and it opens and pours easily. Little things like that mean a lot to a stamper. 

This sentiment was part of the set so I added it, last minute to the bottom and then a row of hearts.

Of course, this will be going to one of our daughters. I don't think my husband would appreciate it as much. 

Wonderful to have you here...thanks so much for your visit!

Laurie's Fabulous Favorites Challenge~

Hi friends! Thanks so much for dropping in...Papertrey Ink is changing up it's challenges this month. One I've decided to enter is called:
Laurie's Wednesday Favorites.
We are to post a card using one of our favorite stamps from their company. I have many favorites...some oldies and some that came in the mail just in time for Valentine's Day! So in honor of this favorite holiday of mine  I chose to enter this card which I've been using for so many Valentine creations...all different color combos and a few styles to choose from...sharing later.

                                                               Love in Bloom

I love this set because all of those florals can be customized into so many pretty ink colors...this one uses a combination of corals, pinks, and reds...*I can recall a time when it used to be bad taste to combine these colors...but I have to say, they look pretty on a card!
I also used a square scalloped die set that I just ordered from PTI ...doubling up the background scallops to overlap so you have some white peeking through on the bottom border. The pink layer was embossed with a Linen embossing folder, ( PTI), and some rhinestones added to a few of the fun flower centers.
Thanks so much for stopping by...I have a few Valentines on my desk right now so will try to make it back to share.
Meanwhile...thank you as always for your visit and taking the time to leave a kind comment. Blessings on your day! 

Sharing a Memory~and where to go from here in 2019?

Hi friends! There are times I don't know whether to keep my blog updated as I know many have skipped blogging for the speedier Instagram feed. But this is my space to share memorable moments and milestones. And honestly, just a time of reflection for me as I look back and also ahead.
So before I go further into my story, I need to say how grateful I am for God’s provision and care. He has given me a very caring and capable and strong husband. Our Beulah is a constant source of joy and laughter and love. Our daughters are close by and it is a real comfort to know I can hop in a car on a weekend for a visit!
To be honest, though, I began 2019 a little discouraged.  The health issues that began in 2017 are still no closer to being resolved...and surprising to me...new ones have developed. I know aging is inevitable but mine began with a tooth that broke in December 2017 right before Christmas. Following that was a root canal, crown, and after that so much pain ensued over about 6 months I was ready to have my tooth extracted. The plan at the time was to prepare my gums for a dental implant. I saw several oral surgeons and confirmed that this was the right course of action. Unfortunately, the pain was never resolved. I had electric like pain in my face which was diagnosed as Trigeminal Neuralgia. Over the course of a year or more I saw two neurologists and had MRI's to rule out a brain tumor and M.S. I began the treatment course of pharmaceutical regimen for T.N. During my research I realized that my T.N. was atypical. I began seeing Pain Specialists as well as Orthodontists to determine if it was related to my dental work and if so if there was any way to reverse the damage or minimize it.
 That is the short of it. The time has been long and lots of waiting, searching, and trying to trust and rest. What I have learned in this journey is that you will get a different answer to an illness depending on the type of doctor you see. None of my doctors agreed to the best course of treatment and none of them had much encouragement to share. Dental treatment is not insured and thus very expensive. And ultimately the decision as to what treatment to pursue and how to move forward feels a bit lonely and unsure.
So here I am again...a year later and looking at more surgeries. I am entering a new year with a birthday tomorrow and the need for foot surgery looming ahead. So, my husband asked me what I wanted to do...and I thought to myself...I really just want to be free of pain. Because of having Rheumatoid Arthritis I have been taking a drug that has slowed the progress of that immune disease for about 25 years. Having that drug treatment has been a lifesaver and enabled me to do all the normal activities and reduce pain and disease progression. I have been very grateful for it. But, in the past year  I have been told now by my oral surgeon and also the foot doctor...that the drug will slow my ability to heal. That information precipitated a talk with my rheumatologist who did not believe the medication had that large an effect on healing. But my plan is to go back and double check this information...because I definitely want to give my body the advantage of healing as much as possible if I elect to proceed with the foot surgery. And my oral surgeon had suggested to do exploratory surgery where my tooth was extracted to remove the bone graft, clean the area, and do bone biopsies. The hope there was to facilitate healing in the jaw and to allow me to have the implant. Because right now I don't have any way to proceed with an implant because no one will do it until the nerve pain is resolved. So I am stuck. And boy...do I feel it. I am afraid of having another surgery because the neurologist thinks that could worsen the nerve pain...and that is the last thing I want. So the question is...what started the nerve pain? Is it related to the extraction site being infected or never properly healing? Is it because of the bone graft? Is it due to nerve damage when I was given an injection of anesthetic? Was it caused by a faulty root canal? At this point...I want to know only to know if having surgery will help or make things worse.
I didn't start this post expecting to write this...and I doubt if anyone else sees and that is alright. Because this is my beginning of 2019 and as of tomorrow I am another year older. After the past year I am honestly not looking forward to aging. But I do believe that typical aging is not as difficult as having a major illness and surgeries that abruptly disrupt your life.
My plan is to "forge ahead." I need a big dose of courage and trust to round this next bend. If you read this I would be so appreciative of your prayer.
Which brings me to a photo I wanted to share. Last year my family took me on a trip for my 60th birthday. It was a surprise as to where we were going and I wasn't convinced I would be up for much travel so our daughter planned a short plane trip to the California coast. It was just a weekend...but so special!! I found a photo of the last night we were there and we had taken a small boat off the coast with a Captain in charge. The sun was just beginning to set when this was taken.

When I was looking back over the year and something memorable...I shared with my husband that this was it. Just as we were heading back to shore, a group of dolphins playfully swam along our little boat. It was magical.
Well...thank you for reading along. I will be back to stamping soon.