Hooray for the Red, White & Blue!

Happy almost 4th of July to you!  I love all things patriotic and I am looking forward to making red, white and blue food for my family this week!

I have a card for the challenge over at Sassy Cheryl's today.  The challenge is "Summer".  Summer makes me think of family, picnics, parades, and food.  Tomorrow we are having friends and family over for an early 4th of July picnic.  So, my card is very patriotic today.  I chose Sweet Little Avery from my collection of Sassy Cheryl images.  Her face is so sweet.  I would love to have this little girl come over and hang out with me sometime.

 I used my Prismacolor pencils to color her and inked and sewed my layers.  I used a small stamp from the dollar section at Joanns for all the stamping on my card.

 Here's the front.  The ribbons are from my stash.  I'm not even sure where they came from, but they fit the vintage-y type feel of my papers.  The DP were not patriotic, but I think with the addition of red they pull it off well and instead of being cute and whimsical they are a little more elegant.  I like how this turned out.  The flowers are all Wild Orchid.

Here's the sketch I chose from Sketch and Stash.  You could choose from their vast collection this week.  How cool is that?  They have some great sketches!

Here's the inside.  The stamps are great and I love the "feel" of this card. 

 I have a dear friend whose birthday is on the 4th.  This may be her birthday card this year.

 How cute are these stamps?

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Sassy Cheryl's - Summer

Sketch & Stash - Sketch and the DP are brand new  ;) and the beads are way old!

Creative Inspirations- Anything

Cute Card Thursday - Patriotic

Top Tip Tuesday - Independence Day or Stars & Stripes

Shopping Our Stash - Red, White & Blue
Totally Paper Crafts - Use a Digi

I think that's about it.  I'm off to make some Patriotic Bark for tomorrow's picnic.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs

Michelle

Soft & Sweet Baby Card

Hello again dear friends.  Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you can stay a while.

Today I have a card for the challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room.  This is the sweet picture for inspiration this week.

They labeled the challenge this week "Soft & Sweet".  Before I saw the picture I immediately thought of a baby card.  The colors clinched that!  Last week I was in the Top 3 on their blog and I won some lovely, lovely, lovely digital collages from Janet at Digital Paper.  If you haven't visited her shop you really need to hop over there.  *sigh*  You will love her collages!  Picking my prize took a while.

This sweet baby was one of my choices from Janet's shop.  You can find it here.  This image is so adorable!  I just want to squeeze that baby!

The DP for this card is from MME.  I am in love with the papers I bought from them recently.  I'm already thinking about the next card and some more yummy papers!  I used the sketch from CLP.  I used it on my last card as well.  I forgot about their challenge blog for a couple months.  They have great sketches so I'm glad I found them again!  The blue dotted ribbon is from my stash.  I'm sure there are ribbon fairies that stop by every night and leave me little bits of ribbon.  I've decided every card has to have at least one ribbon on it somewhere!  I used long strips of tulle to make my roses and leaves.  The feathers, buttons and pearls are from my stash.

Here's the inside.  The sentiment is 2 stamps from an old set by Close to My Heart.  Fits perfect I think.

And the back.

The Shabby Tea Room - Photo Inspiration & Colors

CLP - Sketch

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs

Michelle

Fairy Wishes

Hello lovelies!  Thanks for stopping by my little corner of blog land.   I'm so glad you're here and I always appreciate your comments.  Thank you!

Today I have a sweet card for the challenge over at Tiddly Inks.  The challenge this week is "Tickled Pink".  I picked the very sweet Lilli Claire - Make a Wish.  Christy has some adorable images at her shop.  I wish I had more time to create so I could use more of them!

I colored Lilli Claire with my Prismacolor pencils.  I added Stickles to her crown, her wings and her wand.  There's lots and lots on her wings.  I colored the wings first to add some shading then I added the Stickles.  I didn't realize the Stickles were so opaque! You can still see some of the shading, but not all.  Oh well  :)  Live and learn!

The floral DP is from my stash and has been around for several years.  I'm pretty sure it came from Joanns.  Its the only sheet I had and I'm glad to use it up!  It helps me justify all the paper I bought today...or something like that  ;)  I used the beautiful sketch over at CLP.  I may use it again before the month is over.  This card is very pink!  It's a birthday card for my aunt.  She actually loves blue.  I hope she likes this card!  The 3 little flowers at the top are actually stickers.  I've had them for a couple years also.  The challenge at Shopping Our Stash is to use stickers.  I never use them so I guess that made it a challenge for me!

I used the same sketch on the inside (if it isn't broken don't fix it right?)  The Happy Birthday stamp is an old one from SU.  I used a zig-zag stitch on some of my panels and I like how it looks.

And...here's the back.  Yup, I used the same sketch!  lol

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Tiddly Inks - Tickled Pink 

CLP - Sketch

Shopping Our Stash - Stickers

Divas - Die Cuts

Fairytale Challenge Blog - Pastels

Papertake - Bingo (I used ribbon, free, blooms  AND die cut, free, glitter)

I think that's it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs

Michelle

Happy Father's Day Part 2

Hello again dear friends!  Thanks for coming by today.  Relax and pull up a comfy seat.  Enjoy your stay!

Today I have a card for my dad.  I didn't get a card made for him for Father's Day so this is a bit late, but it's so cute I hope he'll forgive me!  They want to see a masculine card over at Mo's Challenge Blog this week.  I used Big Guy Grilling for my card since my dad loves to grill.  Seemed like a great choice!

I colored him with my Prismacolor pencils.  I'm not liking his shirt so much.  I think my head was a little off last night so my coloring wasn't the best.  I don't know why but there really is a difference in the quality of my work sometimes.  I don't always have a headache but my head just doesn't feel right.  This was one of those times.  Next time I'll wait until my head feels better before I color!

I had this paper that was perfect for this image.  Its from a stack from DCWV called Nana's Kitchen.  I've used most of the other paper in this stack, but this never fit any of my cards.  Until now!  This is the perfect fit I think.  My sentiment is from PTI.  The screw brads are great too!  I added the raffia because part of the challenge over at Cooking It Up With Katie is to add texture.  I didn't have any appropriate embossing plates so I was searching my studio for something with texture that wasn't girlie.  I think this was a good solution.

All of the DP came from the same stack, including this sentiment.  You can't quite tell, but there is glitter around the words.  I inked and sewed all my layers and added the same brads to the writing panel as well.

Here's the back.  I added some rafia here too.  Now that the card is done I think I need to pick up something for my dad to use with his grill and make a visit to my folks house!

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Mo's Challenge Blog - Masculine

Cooking It Up With Katie - Texture, Metal, Dad

Creative Inspirations - Case It (I used the sketch)

Th Paper Shelter - The Great Outdoors

Ribbon Carousel - Metal (my brads are metal)

Cute Card Thursday - Summer

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs

Michelle

Stampin Sisters in Christ #145

Hello!  Welcome!  Thanks for being here today.  I would love to have you join me for a glass of iced tea or diet coke.  Have fun while you're here.

Today I have a card for the challenge over at Stampin' Sisters in Christ.  Kris is our wonderful hostess this week.  She chose our verse and challenge for the week.

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  Psalm 46:10

This is one of my favorite verses.  It is so easy to get busy and forget to be still before the Lord; to wait upon Him.  It's easy to get into the routine of throwing our prayers up to God and then running on with our day.  That's like having a one-sided conversation.  Have you ever had a conversation with someone where they wouldn't let you get a word in?  You leave knowing their life story, and they barely remember your name.  Is that how we spend our time with the Lord?  How can we say we know Him if we don't listen to Him?  Being quiet and still is hard.  Very hard.  I know.  I'm a wife, mom to 4 of my own children and a few others.  We have too many animals to name, I home-school, love to cook and bake, sew for a friend's quilt shop, my list goes on.  And I'm sure yours does too.  But God is very clear in His word that we are to put Him first.  Doesn't He already know what we have to do today?  Doesn't He know everything that will happen?  Jesus told Peter, James and John in the garden before His arrest to pray with Him one hour so they would not enter into temptation.  Hoe would things have gone differently for each of them if they had prayed and not fallen asleep?  Peter denied the Lord 3 times.  Do we fall asleep on our Lord?  Do we get so busy we think we'll sit before Him later?  I know I do sometimes.  And yet, He is the creator of the universe.  He holds all things in His hands.  He has shown me again and again that if I put Him first He will take care of all the details of my life.  Hoe could I think I could do a better job than Him?  Just something to think about.  He is standing at the door knocking.  Will you let Him in today?  He's crazy about you and wants to spend time with you.

Our challenge this week is to add banners or flags to our card.  So, come join us won't you?

I started by printing my verse.  That happy blue color, which matches my CS quite well is a happy mistake because I was not aware that I was out of black ink.  *sigh*  Always happens when I'm busy.  So, I was hoping if I changed the color my printer would print it.  And it did!  Yeah for me!  lol  Of course my layers are inked and sewn.

Here's the front of my card.  I actually used the same DP I used on last week's project.  I used DP and these great banners from Janet at By Digital Paper.  The banners are actually larger and I reduced them to use on this project.  They are so beautiful!  Janet has lovely things in her shop.  You should go check them out!  I stamped some swirls on the background and inked the edges.  I sewed 2 coordinating pieces together with a zig-zag stitch and I love how that looks.  You'll probably be seeing more of that!  The die cut is from Spellbinders Fleur de Lis.

On the inside I used the banners in the smaller size that they come in.  They are so pretty I had to use them in more than one place  :)

I used the same sketch for the back.

I think that's about it.  Make sure you stop by all the Design Team member's blogs and see their beautiful creations!  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs

Michelle

A Wedding Bouquet

Welcome friends!  Thanks for stopping by today.  It is hot, hot, hot and humid here today and it reminds me of Brazil.  I hope you are having a great day no matter what your weather is.

Today I have a card for the challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room.  This is the gorgeous picture for inspiration. 

I was so inspired when I saw the picture I knew I wanted to make a card.  My mom had asked me to make a wedding card for her to give.  I thought this would be a good opportunity to get that done.  However, I am so in love with this card I might have to make another card for her to give!  lol

Here's the front.  This is very different from the cards I usually make, I know, but it is a glimpse of all the needlework I used to do.  I still do sometimes, but not as much as I did.  My house is full of pillows, boxes, needlework, etc.  :)  All the ribbon and lace was in my stash.  I would have liked a few other options, but necessity is the mother of invention, right?  It took an entire Yankee game to make the flowers, but it was well worth it.

This flower was so much fun.  I have several hard cover books on ribbon embroidery.  I even taught a class at my local needlework shop once.  It was a gorgeous framed piece of silk ribbon roses.  It was stitched on black velvet.  The ribbons were hand dyed silk and the kit came from Australia.  The designer was Helen Eriksson.  If you click on the Items for Sale tab and scroll down to Everlasting Passion you will see the gorgeous piece.  It is framed and hanging at the top of my stairs.  I still love it!

I made 2 of these daisies.  I love how they turned out.

I used organza ribbon and seam binding from Wild Orchid for the ribbon roses.  I also cut tulle circles with my Big Shot and turned them into filler flowers.  The beautiful lace behind the bouquet is from my stash.  I think it's just what the whole thing needed.

Here's the inside....clean and simple for me  :)

This stamp is from a very old set from SU.  I embossed it with silver.

This is from the same set.

Here's the back.  I embossed my personalized stamp in silver also.  I don't usually put pearls in the back  but this was so plain I had do to something.  I think you can kind of see the lines I scored along the edges.  I used a stylus and a quilter's ruler to do the lines.  I would have liked to do them in silver to show up more but plain looks ok too. 

Here you can see how tall this bouquet is.  I'm not sure if it will fit one of my envelopes, but if I decided to keep it that's not an issue is it?  ;)

I am entering my card in the challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room.

I think that's about it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs

Michelle

SSiC Challenge #143

Hello and welcome to my little corner of blog land again.  Grab some tea and pull up a comfy chair.  I have a lot of pictures today.

This week at Stampin Sisters in Christ the lovely Jerusha is our hostess.  She chose our verse and challenge for the week.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  Ephesians 2:10

We are His workmanship.  He created us.  It is no mistake that you are here.  He has a plan and a purpose for all of us and He has given us gifts and talents to use for His glory.  We are all different and we need to celebrate our uniqueness.  Remember that God made you the way you are.  He knows everything about you and He loves you.  He loves you so much He sent His Son to die for your sins that you might spent all of eternity in glory with Him.  Be glad for who you are.  Celebrate how God has made you.  And thank Him.  You are not a mistake.  May you be blessed by the knowledge of God's amazing goodness today.

Your challenge this week is to make something that reflects you, you are God's masterpiece!

Our sponsor this week is Clear Dollar Stamps and they have generously offered one randomly selected player $15 in digital images!  

Please join us this week.  We would love to see you!

I thought long and hard about what I would create.  Who am I?  What defines me?  How do I want people to remember me?  I was very tempted to do something with pictures of all my children.  I love being a mom.  I love my children immensely.  But that's not the only part of me.  I love to bake, cook, sew, quilt, crochet, knit, stitch, garden, entertain.... What do I choose?  Finally, I prayed.  The most important part of me is my relationship with the Lord.  He defines who I am.  I want people to feel like they have been with Jesus when they leave my company.  So, I started choosing verses.  It was hard to narrow it down to just a few, but I hope I have picked ones that define me.  I decided to make a small book.  I found the best inspiration over on Starr Timmon's blog.  She made a beautiful small book and that was my starting point.

Here's an overall view of my card.  I used my Spellbinders die to cut all my pages.  I bought this gorgeous paper from Janet over at By Digital Paper.  It is so beautiful.  I used WunderUnder to fuse the DP to solid card stock.  I used colors from Coordinations by Tim Holtz.  They coordinated so well.  I was certainly giving my Big Shot a workout... such a workout that I stripped the bearings in the handle :(  Thankfully one of my boys came over last night.  I had already taken the whole machine apart.  He diagnosed the problem, took out the bearings and reassembled the whole thing.  He's not sure how long it will function without the bearings but at least I was able to finish my project!  I've been wanting the Grand Caliber.  Maybe this will be my excuse to get one!

The rose on the front of the book was crocheted by moi!  A long time ago.  It was sitting in my stash just waiting.  The ribbons and lace are all bits from my stash as well.

Here is our inspiration verse for the week.  The 2 verses before it are wonderful so I included them as well.  I printed all my verses on a pale blue vellum which I then die cut and stamped with Distress Ink.

There are a few blank pages to show off the gorgeous paper as well.

If you've been here before you may have heard about my accident in January.  I have no doubt His angels were watching over me and my boys that night.  No doubt at all.

I love this verse in Proverbs.  I have ALWAYS worked with my hands!

If we have truly given our selves to the Lord our names are written in the Lambs Book of Life.  What a blessing!

I'd like to enter my project in the challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room.

I think that's about it.  This was a picture-heavy post!  Thanks for sticking it out this far.  And as always, thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs

Michelle

Waiting For the Parade

Hello again.  I'm so glad you are here.  Your visits and your comments bless my heart.  The weather is beautiful, come sit a while!

Today I have a card with an image from one of my favorite artists.  Mo Manning has the sweetest images.  I have over 40 at last count, and there are plenty more to love!  My image today is called Waiting for the Parade.  I really liked her when I first saw her.  Then, when I saw her over at Pat Frank's I knew I had to have her!  She is on Mo's DT and I ALWAYS love her cards!!  The thing that got me for this image is the Raggedy Ann sitting next to her.  I have a whole collection of them from my childhood and they hold a special place in my heart.  So, I still had credit from a win over there a few weeks ago and I popped her right into my cart!

I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils.  You ladies have left so many wonderful comments about my coloring.  Thank you so much for your kind words.  You have no idea how much that means to me.  Isn't blogging wonderful?  I live in the middle of farm country and most of my friends out here are so busy with farms they don't do any of the artistic stuff I do.  When you stop by and leave a comment it always makes me smile.  So, thank you!  Pat added some tiny silver stars to her image.  Look at her hair bows, the pinwheel and her neck tie.  I didn't have any that small but I did add a small blue pearl to the pinwheel.  And see the squiggly lines around the image?  Yupper, I didn't sew that layer this time!  Over at Totally Papercrafts they want to see "doodling" this week.  Not something I usually do, but I think it looks cute.

Here's the front.  That little girl just makes me smile  :)  One of my "kids", Hannah, said this is her favorite card of all time!  And this is post #104, so that's saying something I think.  Anyway, there's a lot of reasons behind some of the elements of my card.  First, at Mo's Challenge Blog the challenge is "At the Park".  In our small towns the parade always starts and stops at the park, so I figured this worked!  Then, over at Cupcake Challenge Blog and Creative Inspirations the challenge is Red, White and Blue.  Now, I'm pretty sure both of those challenges start in the UK, but how handy that our mother country has the same colors we do!  And I LOVE our Red, White and Blue.  Anything patriotic will find its way into my heart!  I'll have to show you ladies the Uncle Sam quilt and clay-pot statue I made for my front porch!  Next, Papertake Weekly wants 3 -2 -1.  I chose 3 design papers, 2 ribbons (which satisfies the challenge at Shopping Our Stash) and 1 image.  The sketch is from Ribbon Carousel.  And over at City Crafter they want to see at least 5 buttons.  I layered red on blue and tied them together so I have 6.

Here on the inside I added a pocket for either money or a gift card.  That was the challenge at Fairytale Challenge Blog this week.

I am entering my card in the following challenges: 

Mo's Challenge Blog - At The Park

Totally Papercrafts - Doodling

Cupcake Challenge Blog - Red, White & Blue

Creative Inspirations - Red, White & Blue

Papertake Weekly - 3-2-1

Shopping Our Stash - Double Ribbon

Ribbon Carousel - Sketch

City Crafter - Buttons

Fairytale Challenge Blog - Place to hold money

Divas - Summer Theme

The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes

I think that cover's it.  Thanks for taking a peek!

Blessings & Hugs

Michelle

Editor's Note:  I am so excited that this card won at Fairytale Challenge Blog (Challenge #43) and Creative Inspirations (Challenge #167).  Thank you so much for all your support!