CAS548 - A Hurt but Not Broken Heart

Well, we are in the final prep stages for Hurricane Dorian.  Prayers are most welcome and much appreciated for everyone in his path.  This is a monster storm and we are praying for all those in the Bahamas.

Sweet Kia,  on SCS Clean and Simple Design Team has a hurting heart...as she says, "hurt but not broken", so she challenged us to make cards with heart.

I will not show you the 4 previous attempts to watercolor this heart.  I just couldn't get it right until I decided to dig out my old Stampendous Frantage Embossing Powders then, the card created itself...finally!!

If you'd like to play along, there is no time limit.  The link is here:  CAS548

Here's my card with a close up of the pretty sparkles:

I fussy cut the heart then cut along the broken line and popped the entire thing up with foam tape.  

 Watercolored with Distress Markers 

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you have some crafty time to play along.

understated....

Last night my mojo just decided to take a hike.  I fiddled with this card for two hours before giving up and heading to sleep.   This morning, those same elements came together in a card I've decided I can live with.

I used the Sketch Challenge SC344 from SCS as well as the color challenge CC334 - Basic White, Going Gray and Tempting Turquoise.  I didn't have anything to work with the bright turquoise but I did have a scrap from an old SU pack.  (can't remember the name).  I left off the sentiment because I thought this could work for anything from birthday to wedding/anniversary or sympathy.  Good one for the stash!

Just realized that you need to click the "x" to see this photo.

I also want to thank Dotty from Dotty A Cards and Things for the kind Versatile Blogger Award.

There are a few "rules" to accepting this award:

• Link back to the person who sent it
•  Share it with 7 recently discovered blogs
• Tell 7 random things about yourself

Less is More - I know you all probably already know about this one but I just found it and love the challenges.  I need to work on my CAS skills.

Simon Says Stamp and Show - This challenge blog feeds my vintage funky spirit

Craft Us Crazy - an anything goes challenge site

Jen Shears Designs - Jen is a fellow May Arts team member and has a lovely CAS style & creative mind

Entering Kathyville - Kathy has a delightful style and rocks CAS, too.

Scrappin My Heart Out - The fabulous Debbie Carriere of Gallery Idol fame

Inking in Red - The awesome Anne who loves Red but dabbles in other color as well.

Ok...now for the hard part:

1.  I LOVE Oreos so I rarely buy them.  I would eat them all in one sitting.  Ditto for Cookies n Cream ice    cream

2.  I usually stamp late at night.  I feel "guilty" stamping during the day because I love it so much it feels more like play than work.

3.  I mill my own wheat for flour.

4.  I used to make my own clothes...not so much anymore.  Now my sewing is mainly in the craft category.

5.  I HATE ironing, but love my clothes and pillowcases ironed soooooo

6.  I like to weed.  It's a mindless activity that I find relaxing and it's instant gratification.

7.  I've been married 42 years...that's a lifetime!

 

That's it!  Have a lovely Thursday and try to stay cool.  We live in a tropical area so we're used to it but we feel for those of you who aren't.  Drink lots of water!

Make it Monday #16 - sympathy

Sympathy cards...I don't think anyone enjoys making them but they are a necessity of life.  The Make it Monday challenge on Papertrey Ink this week is Sympathy cards....I needed three so thought this was a good push to get them finished.

Simple, elegant, understated.

I still can't comment but will keep trying!             

Supplies:

Paper - PTI Vintage Cream, True Black

Stamps - PTI Damask Designs, Everyday Blessings (inside)

Accessories - May Arts Black Silk Ribbon, foam tape

                                                    

Clean and Simple Monday

Two CAS cards for you today.  The first is for the CAS117 Challenge over at SCS.  It's a color challenge to use brown, white, light blue and tan.  My mind went immediately to the beach. 

May Arts is having a beach themed challenge this month.  I'm so excited about this challenge.  May Arts has so many beautiful, natural ribbons to choose from!  I just happen to live a few miles from the beach and the SCS colors are so natural to the area.

Supplies:  Paper - Bazzill Basics, Neenah Classic Solar White, PTI Dark Chocolate

Stamps - Impression Obsession

Ink - Tim Holtz Walnut Stain

Accessories - May Arts Burlap Twine, Burlap, shells

The Play Date Cafe #79 color challenge was really interesting this week.  Sadly, I needed a sympathy card so decided to see what I could do with those colors.  There is a tiny bit of glitter pen at the base of the leaves that looks really nice IRL.

Supplies:  Paper - SU Dark Grey, Riding Hood Red, White

Stamps - PTI Out on a Limb

Ink - SU Dark Grey, Versafine Lime

Accessories - Sakura Glitter pen, ribbon, embroidery floss, Glue Arts Ribbon Adhesive

Praying for You

Gosh, this week has just flown by and I'm so not ready for a new week yet!   Well,  nothing to do but plunge right into it. 

Today's card is oh so late for the Featured Stamper Al_Silver2, aka known as Alanna.  Alanna is just the best at Clean and Simple cards!  Her gallery is full of inspiration!    Here's Alanna's card that I picked to case.

It's also for the CAS - tastic challenge to CASE a member of their talented Design Team.  I chose this beautiful card by the lovely Deb Neerman.  Deb has an easy elegant style and can weave a tall tale that will leave you either chuckling, LOL or shaking your head. 

When casing a Featured Stamper, you must change at least 3 things from the sample you chose.  I changed the color, the size and style of flower (I made mine to match the DP I used), I moved the horizontal panel up to where Deb's is and used scoring. I also changed the position of the sentiment.

Here's mine:

You've got to click on the photo to see that DP close up.  It's by My Mind's Eye called Lush Pink Daisy and it's flocked. 

Here's today's other challenges:

Craftalicious Challenges - Make your own flower 

Creatalicious - Show Some 3D

Prairie Fairy Designs - Make it 3D

Stamp & Create.com - Flowers

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Flowers

The Alphabet Challenge - N is for Nature (flowers)

The Stampman Challenge - Two colors (ivory & pink)

Supplies:

Paper - My Mind's Eye Lush Pink Daisy, Bazzill Basics, PTI

Accessories - Scor-Pal, punches (for flower)

CAS61 - Sentiments

I've been keeping a secret!  I was asked to be the one of the Guest Designers for the April CAS Challenges on SplitcoastStampers and today's the day!!  I am so humbled to have been asked to join the talented group of CAS creators and hope I've created something to give you some inspiration. 

The CAS61 Challenge this week is :

"Ways to Use It: The only stamping on your card is a sentiment (or verse). (Use any colors, papers, embellishments & sentiments) – just keep it simple *wink*"


.  I've created two cards totally different in style featuring a sentiment as the focal point.

This first one was difficult to photograph due to the sheen on the ribbon.  The ribbon is not so shiny IRL but after about 20 shots (including wrangling DH to take a few...this is one of his), I just decided to go with it.  It's soft, delicate and I just adore that sentiment by Joni Eareckson Tada.   You can read here story by clicking the link.   I have been fortunate enough to hear her awesome testimony to the grace of God, in person, several times.  Each time I am humbled, awed and amazed.

This second card is simple and understated.  I think it would serve well as either a sympathy card or a "thinking of you" card for men or women.

Hope you get a chance to play along this week with us on CAS61. 

I'd love to know what you think of my samples.

Blessings!

Supplies:
Stamps - SU Words of Wisdom
Paper - Papertrey Ink, Crate Paper
Accessories- pearls, ribbon, Spellbinder dies, rose
                                                                             

It's Sneak Peek Week at Ethereal Forest Designs!

That's right, Ethereal Forest Designs is about to release some fabulous new designs.   I have a sneak peek for you of two of the awesome new images.

I've used the Rose image and the All Occasions Sentiment Set to create this simple but elegant sympathy card.   The images will be available April 1st. 

For this card, I printed two copies of the Rose image.  I colored them with Prismacolor pencils and baby oil, then I cut the center out of one of the Rose images.  I cut out the full Rose image, then used my dimensionals to pop up the center portion.  I used my Spellbinders Rectangle Nestibility dies to emboss the card front, added the rose and sentiment and done.

Please visit the rest of the EFD team to see even more great images this week.  I'lll have another peek this week for you as well.

 

Faith, Hope, Love - Casing JovialJudi

Today's Featured Stamper Challenge over at SCS is to case the uber talented jovialjudi.  Wow!  This lady has the most awesome gallery!   The rules require that you change at least 3 things...I changed a few more on mine because these cards are for my DH (will tell you about that in a minute).  Here's Judi's card:

Can't you almost TASTE that yummy cupcake!?

and here's mine:

These cards are for men, so I couldn't add any bling or ribbons and my DH asked for a clean and simple style. This fits the challenge at PALS to KISS (Keep it Simple, Sweetie)  I changed the panel size, colors, and left off her embellishments.  Thanks for the inspiration, Judi.

Now for the why.... I've been thinking about Challenge 26 over at Stampin' Sisters in Christ all week, to show God's love.  My husband has been working with Samaritan's Purse in their efforts to help the Haitian people recover from the earthquake.  The media will never tell you about what this organization is doing.  They are building homes, using the best materials, for the people of Port au Prince...hundreds of  homes.  If you have it in your heart to help, I know they would put the funds to good use because we've seen it. 

My DH has been priviledged to be able to help them procure the materials through the company he works for.  He has been so blessed and blown away by their love for the people and the hard work they're doing to restore the Haitian people to dignity, that he wanted to send Samaritian's Purse execcutives personal thank you notes.  This is my small contribution to him.

My tears flow as I write.  Blessings.

Supplies:

Paper - PTI Kraft, black

Stamps - PTI Simple Blessings

Accessories - dimensionals

Mercy's Sketch 44

I got a few minutes..around midnight (!) to finish a card I started yesterday morning. This is for Mercy's challenge 44. Overall size is 4.25 square.


I triple looped the bow, ran a few stitches through the center to gather it, then tied a separate piece of ribbon over the stitches.

Made the stick pin from inexpensive pearl stick pins and beads from Michael's.


Supplies:
Paper - Making Memories Sabrina
Ink - Versafine black
Accessories - glue on facets, sheer ribbon, beads, pearl stick pin, Spellbinders oval dies

With Sympathy - Color Throwdown #51

I really don't think anyone enjoys buying or making sympathy cards. Sadly, they are a fact of life. Recently, a dear friend emailed me that her 22 yr. old niece was in the hospital undergoing treatments for cancer. Two days later she notified me that her niece had passed on to be with the Lord. A young beautiful life taken much too soon.

As I contemplated an idea for a card for her family, I went looking for color combinations that I thought would celebrate her life yet exude a sense of peace and calmness. This challenge at the Color Throwdown blog #51 seemed to fit the bill. We were to use Garden Green, So Saffron and Lavender Lace. Those are colors I would not have put together myself but I think they suit this butterfly perfectly. The sketch is a play on the Midnight Madness challenge. I wanted to keep it pretty clean and neat.

I used the "out of the box" technique on the buttefly's wings. The butterfly is heat embossed in black onto watercolor paper and colored with SU markers. Overall card size if 5" x 5".

Supplies:
Stamps: SU (Retired) Wings, Papertrey Anniversary set 2007
Paper: SU Garden Green, So Saffron, Lavender Lace
Ink: Versafine Black, SU markers - Garden Green, So Saffron, Lavender Lace
Accessories: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder, Clear EP, bling brads (JoAnn's)

Blessings!