White Christmas

Yes, it's yet another Christmas card. dug deep into my scrap stash and found this small piece of patterned winter paper that was just a little too short to fit my embossed card front. So I dug around and found another scrap (of white card stock) and used this Christmas village die by Stamplorations to cut the bottom border. Not sure who makes the sentiment stamp, but I used a Spellbinders label to cut it out, and a Little B snowflake die on a scrap of silver foil that used to be peanut packaging! The embossing folder is by Cuttlebug and the twine finished it up. The patterned paper is of snowy trees, rather than sky but if you squint your eyes and tilt your head, I think it looks winter sky-ish, don't you? Besides, you can't be too picky when you're using all snippets and scraps. 

Pixie's Snippets challenge 374. I used all snippets from my scrap stash for this, even the embossed card base! 
ABC Christmas challenge, E is for embossing
Word Art Wednesday, uplifting sentiment
CHNC challenge 483
SSS Wednesday challenge, AG
CHN March PP challenge
The 12 Months of christmas
Stamplorations March challenge, stamps and nature or photo inspiration

 

Love and Peace

I've been on a Christmas card making roll these past two days as I'm digging into old stash and trying to make a dent, while also adding to my card stash. This card uses an embossing folder by Sizzix, hand cut tag, stamped sentiment by Meli Melo, and holly leaves and berries by Spellbinders. I tried pairing this patterned tag with four different backgrounds before I settled on this one..sheesh.

CHNC challenge 483
ABC Christmas challenge, E is for embossing
Word Art Wednesday
DL.ARt March linky
SSS Wednesday challenge, AG
Cardz TV challenge 111
The 12 Months of Christmas challenge 63
Creative Fingers challenge 182
CHN March PP challenge

Merry and Bright

Here is another Christmas card that I made the other day. As I've been trying to get my crafty side in gear, I've been digging through old stash and pulling out some supplies that I wouldn't normally use. The papers and tag were freebies from a UK magazine that was given to me by a friend, who passes her old magazines on to me after she's read through them. Because the papers are printed on very, very thin magazine pages, I always glue them to card stock before cutting and using. The die cut sprigs are by Little B and the burlap strip is cut from paper by DCWV. I also pulled out a new stitched frame die by Gina Marie that I had been eyeing for some time.  Then I added some twine and glitter dots by Your Next Stamp. I think this, somewhat non-traditional color combo would work really well for a card to send to a guy, don't you?

CHNC Challenge 483
ABC Christmas challenge, F is for Freebie and G is for Gold
Word Art Wednesday
SSS Wednesday challenge, AG
DL.ARt March linky
CHN March PP challenge
Cardz TV challenge 111
The 12 Months of Christmas challenge 63

Merry

I hope this blog post finds you all safe and healthy during this stressful time with the coronavirus turning our lives upside down. I am grateful to be untouched by the virus and know that many are not as lucky. Crafting is a great way to keep our spirits up (even though my mojo seems to have taken a dive lately), so I was happy to sit down in my craft room to  make this simple Christmas card. The tree die is by Stamplorations, with stitched rectangle by Lawn Fawn , stars by Paper Smooches, and glittery die cut sentiment by Sunny Studio. I went a non-traditional route by using bright polka dotted papers by DCWV.  This design is easy enough to mass produce, which I may just do this year.

Scraps of Life March Rudolph Challenge
CHNC challenge 483
Word Art Wednesday challenge
ABC Christmas challenge, G is for Gold
CHN March PP challenge
DL.Art March linky
SSS Wednesday challenge, AG
Creative Fingers challenge 182

Purple Day Hop for Epilepsy Awareness and Giveaway

Edited to add: My winner is Donna! Congratulations Donna...I'll email you later today. Thank you to all who commented and to those who participated in the hop!

I am pleased to join the Purple Day Hop to spread epilepsy awareness and to help educate the public about the its impact on families and individuals. 

Purple Day is a global grassroots event formed with the intention to increase worldwide awareness of epilepsy, and to dispel common myths and fears of this neurological disorder. Further intentions of this movement are to reduce the social stigmas commonly endured by many individuals afflicted with the condition; to provide assurance and advocacy to those living with epilepsy that they are not alone in their ongoing endurance; and to initiate individuals living with the condition to take action in their communities to achieve these aims.

The day occurs annually on March 26.

Epilepsy Myths:

MYTH 1: You Convulse (Shake And Jerk) When You Have Epilepsy

FACT 1: Not every seizure means a person jerks convulsively, nor is a person always unconscious during a seizure. Convulsions while unconscious are usually associated with tonic clonic seizures. There are a range of seizures which have different side effects and can affect people differently.

MYTH 2: Flashing lights cause seizures in everyone with epilepsy

FACT 2: Around 1 in 100 people has epilepsy, and of these people, around 3% have photosensitive epilepsy. Photosensitive epilepsy is more common in children and young people (up to 5%) and is less commonly diagnosed after the age of 20. Triggers differ from person to person, but common triggers include a lack of sleep, stress, and alcohol.

MYTH 3: You can restrain someone during a convulsive seizure and put your finger in their mouth

FACT 3: During a convulsive seizure you should never hold the person down or put anything in their mouth. It's important to know exactly what to do when someone has a tonic clonic seizure so that you can act quickly. Here's our 10 first aid steps for someone that has a convulsive seizure.

MYTH 4: Epilepsy is rare

FACT 4: Epilepsy is anything but rare, over 500,000 people in the UK have epilepsy. That’s about one in every 100 people. There are also around 60 million people with epilepsy in the world. Anyone can develop epilepsy, it happens in all ages, races and social classes.

MYTH 5: The only side effects of a seizure are tiredness and being confused

FACT 5: Having epilepsy can affect people in different ways. Knowing that a person ‘has epilepsy’ does not tell you very much about what happens for them or how epilepsy affects them. For example, some people may have problems with sleep or memory and for some people epilepsy may affect their mental health.

There are several prize giveaways for those who comment on each stop in the hop, and I also have my own giveaway. All you have to do is comment on each of these beautiful purple projects along the way.

Here is my card for the hop. I used a die by Spellbinders, along with sentiment by Papertrey Ink (Chalkboard Sentiments), and a stamped image by Stamplorations (Trendy Birds). The sentiment that I chose is both encouraging and a recognition of the strength that so many with epilepsy call upon each day.

In addition to sharing my card, I have my own giveaway as well. I am offering up a $10.00 gift certificate to the DL.Art website: DL.Art.com. Diana has beautiful, dyed ribbon and a large variety of flair buttons for every theme and project. She also offers handmade items for sale as well, and you're sure to find something you like. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post, and on each stop on the hop by March 31 . I will chose a winner on April 3 and contact them by email.
Thanks for stopping by and supporting the Purple Day hop.

Blog hop list:

Annabel

Darnell

Fikreta

Hetty

Janis

Ike

Kitty

Karen

Lori

Lisa

Mia

Olga

Vicki

Challenges Entered:

Stamplorations March challenge, stamps and nature  or photo prompt

Stamplorations AG challenge, use Stamplorations product

 DL.Art March linky
 CHN March PP challenge
Double Trouble challenge 52, Thing 1: use spring theme and dies, and Thing 3: enter at Bitten by the Bug
Bitten by the Bug Spring Exquinox, die and spring
Word Art Wednesday, uplifting sentiment
SSS Wednesday, AG
Creative Crafters challenge 26, AG
Time Out challenges 158, purple friendship card
Creative Fingers challenge 182
Lost Coast Designs challenge 95, winged things

Holiday Cheer!

I got this unmounted stamp years and years ago in a grab bag from Viva Las Vegastamps, and have never even inked it up, except to catalogue it. The current Christmas Kickstart challenge calls for Christmas Cheer (AKA alcohol), so what better time to get this out and onto paper?! I dug through my stash of Christmas 6x6 stacks to find this retro design by My Minds Eye, and added die cut holly leaves by Crafters Companion that I got as a magazine freebie. Those bubbles floating around the "cheerful
couple might actually be olives, but I colored them to appear clear because...well, floating olives are even beyond my imagination, haha!

 Christmas Kickstart Challenge 29, Christmas Cheer (AKA alcohol)
ABC Christmas challenge, F is for Freebie
CHN March PP challenge
CHNC challenge 482, Christmas
Creative Crafters challenge 26
The 12 Days of Christmas challenge
DL.Art March challenge
Cardz TV 110

Christmas Cheer with Old Stash

I, myself, am not a drinker, but I have friends who like a tipple now and again, so I have several alcohol stamps and dies that I like to pull out every so often. The March Christmas Kickstart challenge (Christmas Cheer: AKA alcohol), was the perfect time to pull out this cover die by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions . I cut a strip out of the larger die cut to use as a border, in combination with a freebie stamp set from a craft magazine that a friend sent to me. The paper is from my stash and I'm not sure who makes it, but the stitched oval dies are Gina Marie, and stitched rectangle is Lawn Fawn. I also added a little glitter glue to the center of the poinsettia, just for fun. This card used all old, old stash..which is my crafty mission for 2020!

Christmas Kickstart challenge 29, Christmas Cheer, AKA alcohol
ABC Challenge, f is for freebie and g is for gold
CHNC challenge 481
Cardz TV 110
The Creative Crafters 26
CHN March PP challenge
The 12 Months of Christmas 63, Anythng Christmas
DL.ARt March linky

Heartfelt Sympathy

Like most of you in the US, and world-wide, the coronavirus pandemic has changed a lot of our regular routines. I hope that you and your loved ones are staying well and safe, and that you aren't impacted in too negative a way. Staying at home is my preferred situation so it hasn't changed too much for me, but I do worry about friends and family who are having a rough time. Whenever I feel stressed, crafting is the best way to center myself, and so I holed up in my craft room today and made a card or two. Sympathy cards are something I have to send too many of lately,  so I like to make them when I don't feel pressure to send one out. That way I can look through my card stash when I need one, and pick out something appropriate.
I used some glitter cardstock by Recollections and a die by Memory Box (sketchy floral), along with a jar stamp by Sunny Studios and leafy die by Sizzix to make this peaceful , CAS design. The sentiment is by Kaiser Craft and I even got brave and adhered a few sequins by Kat Scrappiness.

The glitter flower doesn't show up very well in my photo so here is a close-up to show the shimmer.

 Memory Box challenge 59, glitter and Memory Box product.

DL.Art March linky

Cardz TV challenge 110 

Creative Inspirations march challenge, pastels 

Creative Crafters challenge 26, AG 

Cards und More challenge 46, spring mood board

Stamplorations March theme, stamps and nature or photo prompt

Color Dare 384, gray and 2 colors of your choice

Big City Noise

I pulled out another old stamp set by Mark's Finest Papers, called Big City, and made this ATC. I used a grid patterned paper for my base, and stamped the City background twice. I then stamped the buildings and heat embossed them.This ATC has gone through several different design changes because I just wasn't happy with the first and second versions. I wanted to give trhe impression of a noisy city, but the grid and stamped background just felt messy to me. I first masked and stamped the yellow moon like this:

The sentiments in the background were still so distracting that I decided to deepen the sky to make the words stand out less. Then I covered the masked moon with a die-cut and ink blended version. This grab-bag sentiment by VivaLasVegastamps was the perfect finishing touch. Much better, I think. Almost threw this one out but I'm glad I stuck with it.

Lost Coast Designs challenge 94, ATC

DL.ARt March linky
CHN March PP challenge

Garden Gnome

One of the first challenges I entered were by Mark's Finest Papers, which are now , sadly, out of business. My first win was this Garden Art stamp set. The sunny spring weather motivated me to pull this old stamp set out and make an ATC. The background is by Lost Coast Designs from their ATC backgrounds set, and I added a grasshopper image by Papertrey Ink. I was able to use small scraps of plain cardstock for my stamping and background, then fussy cut to create my garden scene.

Pixie's Snippets challenge 373. All stamped images were stamped on scraps, and I even used a scrap of patterned paper for the dirt
Lost Coast Designs challenge 94, make an ATC. I used a stamp by Lost Coast Designs for my background

Allsorts challenge 562, Anything with wings. Grasshoppers have wings!
SSS Monday challenge, a bit of green
CHN March PP challenge
DL.Art March linky
Penny Black and More March challenge, spring flowers
Stamplorations March theme, stamps and nature

Let Yourself Go!

I decided to make a couple of ATC's this week, but only ended up finishing this one so far. I used a stamp by Club Scrap from the Mosaic Twist set, and a stamped sentiment from my stash. I stamped the mosaic strip in both Forest Foliage and Poppy Parade inks by Stampin'Up, then cut out the middle image from the Poppy Parade to pop up on foam squares for a little dimension.

 Lost Coast Designs challenge 94, ATC's or coins

DL.Art's March linky
SSS Monday, bit of green

Celebrate

This U-fold turned out to be so easy, as I followed Mrs. A's tutorial on the Butterfly Spot challenge blog, that I made another one today. I used ivory cardstock, more beautiful floral patterned papers and a wood mounted butterfly stamp, which I stamped and fussy cut  . The sentiment die is by Impression Obsession and the stamped sentiment is by Anna Griffin.  This is a great way of using up those scraps of paper that you have in your stash. Also, the best part about this card design is that it folds flat for mailing, which I didn't realize until I made one.

Butterfly Spot challenge 138. I used the U-fold, unbleached and umber colors, dies, and patterned paper.
SSS Wednesday challenge, feminine
CHN March PP challenge
Creative fingers challenge 181: AG
Allsorts challenge 562, Anything with wings
Crafty Calendar March challenge, more than one fold
DL. Art March linky
CRAFT Challenge 547 , feminine card
Elliebelles Crafty Wednesday, spring

Butterfly U-Fold Card

I rarely make cards that use a fancy fold, but this one from the Butterfly Spot challenge caught my eye and I decided to give it a try. Mrs. A, who runs the Butterfly Spot challenge  Butterfly Spot Challenge 138  gives the best tutorials on cards folds that I've seen, so it was easy to put this together.  I used papers from K&Co, a cream colored cardstock, butterfly dies by Jen Hadfield for Pebbles, A sentiment die by Simon Says Stamp, leafy die by Sizzix, and cream colored seam binding. I also pulled out a scrap of heavy weight vellum to help the butterflies stand out against the floral background. When I first saw this fancy fold I thought that it wouldn't be mailable, but it actually all folds flat by just folding everything over to the right. The recipient can just open it up, prop it up and display.

Butterfly Spot Challenge 138. I used all elements of the butterfly wheel (unbleached, umber, ultimate pink, floral patterned paper, dies, and U-fold)
DL.Art March linky
SSS Wednesday challenge, feminine
CHN March PP challenge
Creative Inspirations March challenge, pastels 
As You Like It challenge, favorite flower and why. My favorite flower is a salmon colored rose that grows in our front yard. I love it because it's unique, and because my husband bought the rose bush as a gift to me.
Creative Fingers 181, AG
Allsorts challenge 562, anything with wings
Crafty Calendar March challenge, more than one fold
CRAFT Challenge 547, feminine card. What could be more feminine than pink and butterflies?!

Butterfly Garden

This week has been sunny and warm, and it's starting to really feel like spring, so I pulled out another butterfly stamp set (this one by Craftwork Cards) to make this. I stamped several butterfly images and adhered them to the card, but they looked very plain. So I used another image in the same set to stamp and fussy cut...then layered them on top of the original butterflies. Much better. The leafy die is by Sizzix, and I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder and oval die by Gina Marie. A little bit of twine and some rhinestones ..and I'm done. Trying to make myself use some of those rhinestones that I've been hoarding, but it's hard!

 Butterfly Spot 137. I used tea rose ,two rhinetones, and twine.
DL.Art March linky
SSS Wednesday, AG
Double Dare #383. I used Ballerina, Pixie, Lilac and Mint
Cardz TV challenge 109

Butterfly Birthday

I always mean to enter the Butterfly Spot challenge each month but somehow the month goes by and I have forgotten to do so. This time I jumped right in and pulled out some butterfly dies by Tonic Studios that I won in a blog giveaway, and even got rid of some snippets from my scrap stash along the way. I pretty much keep all my scraps, down to the smallest strip..and they have been piling up. So, once or twice a year I pull out those strips and make backgrounds with them. I tackled the bag of pink scraps to make this one. I had the idea of stamping onto the strips once they were glued down, and you can see the faint hint of that stamping if you look closely. The stamp that I used is a delicate butterfly background that was only 2x2, which meant a lot of lining up and stamping over and over. I was disappointed in the final result because it just didn't look right. Sooooo....embossing folder and ink to the rescue. The embossing folder is by Cuttlebug and I lightly inked over the raised design with some new Delicata pigment ink in Pink Shimmer. The circle dies are by Spellbinder and I used ink blenders to color it mint green. Two pearls  and three rhinestones are the finishing touch. I made about 10 paper strip backgrounds in all colors and will be using those on future cards. Why is my scrap stash still as large as it was before I started??

Pixie's Snippets challenge 372. I deep into my snippets stash to make the background, as well as the die cut circles and the butterfly
Butterfly Spot 137. I used the color tea rose, and two pearls     
Color Dare 383, Ballerina, Pixie, Lilac, and Mint
D.L. Art March linky
SSS Wednesday, AG