Love Birds!

Good morning! I am up on the SRM Blog today with a new set from Jane's Doodles called, Love Birds!  I think it is the sweetest set! I wanted a bit of moonlight behind my birds. (Because it's romantic to profess one's love in the moonlight right?) I punched a circle from a piece of scrap paper.  I used both the negative and positive pieces here.  I placed the circle in the middle of my paper and sponged shades of blue around it.  Then I took the negative piece, placed it over the paper, and sponged my yellow.  I went back with a dauber and sponged a bit of white around the moon.  I wanted a bit of sparkle, so I took a paint brush and a bit of glossy accents, and "painted" around the moon. I sprinkled a bit of glitter.

The birds were stamped on a separate piece of paper, as well as the hearts, sentiment, and tree branch.  All of it was colored with Copic markers.  Everything was fussy cut and glued in place over my moon.  I added glossy accents to the hearts, wings, and leaves and then sprinkled glitter.  I added Flower Soft to my tree branch. I added a doily behind the image for added sweetness.  ;) 

For my birds' bellies, I used a white gel pen.  I love how textural this card looks and feels.  It was one of those cards that I truly loved as soon as it was completed.  And believe me, lately this hasn't been happening too often! LOL!

The next few weeks are going to be an emotional ride as Cortney just got her "move-in" date yesterday. My feelings are a bit all over.  It will be a difficult transition for me as I've been her caregiver for so long.  She has been my shadow, my side-kick, my little partner in crime. My days are filled with her, and soon, my days will be quieter, emptier.  I will need to fill them up with something else. That will take time and some getting used to.

I appreciate all of your support and words of kindness. It helps immensely. :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day my friends!

I don't have one ounce of Irish blood running through these veins, but on March 17th we ALL have a bit of Irish in us don't we? ;)

Since I don't generally send St. Patrick's Day cards, I opted for a good luck card instead. 

I found this adorable cut at the Silhouette store.

I added Doodlebug glitter to each section of the rainbow and clouds.  I added gold Flower Soft to the pot that was given a coating of black glossy enamel. As a finishing touch I added a sentiment from SRM stickers.  

Our school is giving a little treat to all of the students today, Green River floats! YUM! :)

And of course we all wear our St. Paddy's attire!

Have a great day!

Babies and Valentines.....

Good morning! I am home once again with a sick girly.  This has been such a bad winter for colds.  She just got over pneumonia over the holiday and now it has hit her once again.  I am hoping this time it is simply just a cold....nothing more. 

I try to keep baby cards on hand, so I decided to once again use the adorable set from Crafty Secrets called, Bedtime Kids!  I printed the lambs in two sizes and gave them a bit of color with Copic markers.  I rubbed their bodies with a bit of glossy accents and sprinkled them with white flock. 

I also added Flower Soft around their necks.  I added a bit of seam binding, pink string, a clear flower, and a few pearls for the center.  The background was cut using Gold Ovals One die from    Spellbinders.  I did a bit of airbrushing in the background with my Copics.  

Cortney and I had a Valentine shoot last weekend and here were a couple of pictures from it.  I am thinking that pink is her color!  I think this may be the color we look for in a prom dress.

Cortney would be thrilled if you followed her journey on her FB page.  :)

Time to take care of the sickies....

Have a wonderful (and hopefully germ-free day!)

JustRite's Stitched Sunflowers!

Good morning!

I'm back with another JustRite release called Stitched Sunflowers!  ( I warned you there were 10 days of releases!)  Fun right? This is another fabulous set if you love to color!  I cut this fun box using my Silhouette. It is a little K-cup coffee carrier. I thought putting the K-cups and a gift certificate to a coffee shop would be a perfect gift for a teacher!

I stamped the bag using a background stamp  that actually won't be released until August.  So think of it as a sneak peek! LOL!

I cut the sunflowers and leaves using my Silhouette and the SVG file that coordinates with the set.   I colored them in using my Spectrum Noir markers.  I layered the flowers using dimensional foam circles. I 

I added Flower Soft to the centers of the sunflowers.  I stamped the sentiment and hand cut a banner.  I tucked it under the sunflowers.  I also added ribbon and string to finish it off. 

Here is the entire set. :) 

And the coordinating SVG set. 

JustRite Inspiration

Debbie Olson

Eva Dobilas

Darsie Bruno

Michele Kovack

Marisa Job

Kathy Jones

Kristi Schurr

Angela Barkhouse

Margie Higuchi

I don't always post on the weekends, but this weekend is an exception! Be sure to check back tomorrow for another new release!

Have a great day!

Palm Trees and Coconuts

I hope you all had a great weekend!  I was busy at the American Girl doll store celebrating my niece's birthday.  We did a bit of swimming on Sunday and had a BBQ at my in-laws afterwards.  All in all a busy, but fun weekend!  

I have a summery card that I created last year when I was part of the Splitcoast Dirty Dozen team.  

I had used my Cricut for the entire card.  I would love to tell you which cartridges, but honestly I don't remember.  ( I apologize!)  The entire card was totally inspired by the beach ball flair button.  

I added lots of fun details, like brown Flower Soft on the coconuts. Sand on the....well...sand.  LOL! Glitter on the clouds, a bit of ink to define the sun, pearls, and glittery seashells. 

I am off to dodge the raindrops today. There are a few things that must be done....

Have a wonderful day!

Spring Tulips...

Good morning! It is the beginning of a new week! We are supposed to get rain most of the week....spring showers bring May flowers right? I found this darling tulip card at the Silhouette store. It was designed by Daniela Angelova. I gave the tulips a bit of shading with my Spectrum Noir markers. I used a bit of glossy accents and glitter and popped up the top layers of the flowers with dimensional foam squares from Scrapbook Adhesives 3L.  The bottom of the card opens to reveal the message inside. 

The gardening tools are part of JustRite's Garden Tools stamp set. I shaded it in with Spectrum Noir markers and added chocolate brown Flower Soft to emulate dirt. I added a bit of satin ribbon and a few posies to finish it off.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a great week my friends!!!

Wishes for You

Good morning! I have a fun sunflower card to share with you that is a digital image from Crafty Secrets, called Sunflower Digital Art Set. I printed it twice and added chocolate brown Flower Soft to the center for texture.  I adhered it to the center using dimensional foam circles.  The rest of the flower was colored using Copic markers.  The background is a cool die from Spellbinders called, Fanciful Lattice. I sponged a bit of ink while die was in place for a bit of depth.

For my finishing touches I added some colored seam binding, a fun button, gold cording, and a tag. 

I am officially on spring break (even though it is currently snowing outside) and it came at a really good time. Life has been beating me up lately and I need a break. So I am planning on visiting family and friends to remind myself that I am indeed blessed and loved. Sometimes those reminders are needed! :)

I am off to the grocery store (fun, fun!) and finishing laundry (more fun!). 

Have a great Sunday!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE. It ends on Wednesday night. 

Sweet Taffy Apple!

Wow! Life has been busy lately!  I always thought as the kids got older I'd have more time......I was wrong!

They seem to always need a ride somewhere or have something going on.....

I remind myself that these days are fleeting and to just enjoy it.  

Crafting, blogging, whatever else can wait.

And this is the reason for my being away for a few days.

Every now and then I create just for the sake of creating. To rejuvinate my mojo.  Finding adorable cuts on Silhouette is one of the ways I do that! ;) 

Who can resist a delicious taffy apple in fall?

Accented with a couple of pretty sunflowers, rustic twine and glittery Prima leaves. I gave the "caramel" a sheen by adding glossy accents to it.  I even left "drip" marks along the right side using extra glossy accents. The sentiment is an SRM sticker and I thought it was perfect for a delicious taffy apple card. ;)

Speaking of sweet and perfect.....

Cortney in her Halloween costume.

She wanted to be a gypsy.

A pretty darn cute gypsy she is!

This is my favorite picture of her.  It is just so Cortney.  

Her coy little smile......melts my heart.

That's all for today my friends!  I am off to get an hour of crafting done while the hubby is golfing and the kids are doing their own thing this evening. 

Have a great night!

Happy Everything!

I have a card to share today that I created over the summer with some left over pieces from my Silhouette.  I have quite a collection of "extra" pieces, and I don't have the heart to throw them away!  

So everything you so here was from the Silhouette.  I  used a sentiment from Kimberly's  My Craft Spot stamps .  

I added a bit of black Flower Soft to the center of the daisy.  

The human heart is strange. It is amazing how you can feel happy and sad all at the same time.

This weekend, for the first time in 18 years, my gal spent the night away from us.

We have had her on a list for a place in Illinois called Misericordia.  It is a home for disabled adults and children.  Now if you don't live in Illinois, you might think that it is a typical state funded group home.  

Let me assure you it is not.

It is the Cadillac of group homes. 

It is beautiful, well run, and has the most loving staff I have ever known!

With that said, it still tore my heart out to leave my baby girl there.

I absolutely know she is in good hands.

I know this is going to be the best place for her someday.

To be independent, engaged, happy.......

But as her mama, it was difficult. 

I can't imagine what I will feel when it is more than just a weekend someday.

This was just a chance for her to get to know them.

For them to get to know her.

And for them to fall in love with this happy,

sweet, loving little girl.

As we have....... 

It is always hard to let your children grow up and become independent, but even harder for us moms who have special children.

But I know that it will be the best thing for her. 

She is social, active, and loves making new friends. Her world needs more than me to be happy.

*sigh*

Being a parent is tough.

Thank you for your kind e-mails and such....

IT truly helps!

Autumn Vintage Labels Three by JustRite Papercraft!

Good morning and Happy Labor Day to you!

(If you are here for my Crafty Secret's post, be sure to scroll down at bit!) 

 Today kicks off September's new releases by JustRite! I LOVE this time of the month when we get to showcase all of the new beautiful stamps! 

Today's set is perfect for fall (my absolute favorite time of the year!). It is called, Autumn Vintage Labels Three. It was stamped in brown Memento ink and given a hint of color using my Inktense pencils. The card itself was a fun cut I found at the Silhouette store.  I found this polka dot ribbon and thought it was perfect to add a touch of whimsy to my card. 

The main image was cut out using Spellbinder's Vintage Labels Three. I added a bit of brown Flower Soft to my wheat stalks and a few rhinestones to dress it up a bit. 

Supplies:

Paper: Papertrey Ink (cream, green, kraft.)

Dies: Spellbinder's Labels Three

Rhinestones: Doodlebug

Flower Soft

Silhouette (Banner Card)

Embossing plate: Papertrey Ink

Ribbon: Unknown 

Inktense Pencils. 

For more inspiration on using this beautiful set, please be sure to visit the other designers!

JustRite Inspiration

Debbie Olson

Marisa Job

Michele Kovack

Kazan Clark

Kellie Fortin

Heidi Blankenship

Sheri Holt

Darsie Bruno

Angela Barkhouse 

Kristi Schurr

Eva Dobilas

Barb Schram

Margie Higuchi

Have a great day my friends!

How Lucky I Am....

I don't have one ounce of Irish in me, but I think I have become a wee bit Irish by association!  See, I live on the south side of Chicago.....where practically everyone is Irish! ;)  

Some of the teachers had a corn beef and cabbage cook off on Wednesday.  Yum!

I have my green on, and am wearing my four- leaf clover necklace today.  

I think I could use the luck'O' the Irish! ;)

I have a St. Patrick's Day Card for you that was created using my Cricut.  I added gold Flower Soft to emulate my pot of gold. Such cool stuff to work with! I added a bit of seam binding, a black button, and a computer generated sentiment. 

I have been playing my new lens and am in love with it!  I just can't seem to stop taking pictures.  

So I bug my kids......my pets.......

They seem to be pretty used to a camera being in their faces most of the time! : D

I will be back on the "real" St. Patrick's Day to share one more holiday project with you!

I am off to see a play tonight with my hubby, Jekyll and Hyde. I am looking forward to getting away for a few hours with him.

Have a great Friday!!

XOXO

Easter Wishes

Good morning my friends!  It has been another busy week here and sometimes I feel like I am just barely keeping my head above water!  I love a full busy life, but sometimes it just starts to get the better of me.  I need to remind myself to take a deep breath and relax a bit.  Very hard for this Type A personality! ;)

I do have an Easter card that I had created for the Cricut Circle magazine last year.  You know how some cards just make you feel good?  Like it turned out as perfect as you had hoped it would?  This was one of those cards.  It was so deliciously vintage.....with my absolute favorite colors.

With a dose of glitter.

And a bit of lace.

A soft pink ribbon, and a delicate flower.....

A piece of doily.....a bit of twine....and a couple of pearls. 

This card just simply made me happy.

:)

Have a wonderful day my friends!

Thank you for stopping by to visit!