A Crop, Some Cards and Trying to Fit in Crafting

Hello everyone!! I hope you are all doing well. It has been kind of quiet here this week. I have been SO BUSY running around with Charlotte, as well as fitting in the gym FOR ME, (though I would rather spend the time crafting) that I have had no time to blog. I actually hate when my weeks are like they have been. I am not one of those people who loves to be out and about, busy all the time. I am a homebody so being home is happy place.

I spent an overnight at a crop this past weekend. It was not far from my house and a bit pricy BUT it was so much fun. The food they served was FABULOUS too. Just look at the dessert table!

I had met the ladies I cropped with online at Scrapjazz.com years ago. We used to have a bigger group and go to a store to crop but many no longer paper craft and the store has closed. The ladies came from miles around and Connecticut was in the middle so it was ideal for everyone.

Though only three of us attended the event this time, it was fun to catch up. I got a lot done for me. I created four cards and four layouts. Since I am so slow, that is a lot for me!!

Thank goodness we had a corner. Look at all my junk spread out!! I found it so hard to pack as I have a whole room to myself for my crafting. I don't like to pick and choose stuff. As it was, I left a shoebox of 6" by 6" patterned paper pads at home by mistake. The good thing was that the shop they set up was not that good so I bought NOTHING extra. I love when that happens!!

Today I am going to share two cards I created there. Both I used blending techniques for the front and the designs were very simple.

I used My Favorite Things "Fall Florals" for this card. I used Distress Inks for the blended background.

The circle was a bit of a fudge in placement for me. However, I used glue, something I rarely do-and I did not notice how off it was until it was dry. I think it was originally where I wanted it but when I added the die cut flowers over it, it slipped.

I used yellow and purples on the background for my second card. Again, the blending was done with Distress Ink. I also spritzed a little water onto the ink for a different look. This I made into a sympathy card.

I used a clear Wink of Stella on the flowers when I came home as I forgot to bring it to the crop!! Again, the whole design is simple. I cannot do complicated at a crop. I talk too much!!

That is all for today. I thank you for stopping by. Have a fabulous night!!

Supplies:

Pink Card

InLinkz.com



Purple Card

InLinkz.com

Stamping Smiles Design Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #5

Hello everyone!! Happy Tuesday!! Can you believe it is MARCH already? Wow!! This year is flying by!!

Today I am here to share the card I created for Stamping Smiles Designs Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #5. I cannot believe that this is already the fifth challenge. I have had so much fun creating for this blog!!

For my card, I used the top row across-green, beads and geometric shapes.

I was so excited when I saw this badge because I was intrigued with using beads on my card WITHOUT making a shaker. Here is what I came up with:

I started my card off by die cutting a rectangle of green and white striped patterned paper and adhering it to a Kraft card base. Next, I die cut three triangles with MFT's "Triangle Die-namics" from paper scraps and adhered them over my striped patterned paper. (geometric shapes)

I then die cut the word thanks three times from Kraft card stock using a Simon Says Stamp die. I glued the layers together and the fun began!!

I took a piece of gold thread and weaved it in and out of the thanks sentiment, catching green seed beads at different points in the word. The beads were adhered to the sentiment using micro glue dots so they would not slip.

I then weaved more gold thread around the word and adhered the thanks to the card using Ranger multi-matte adhesive. I LOVE how this came out!! It is still flat enough to send too!!

Please come on over to Stamping Smiles Design Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge and enter a card for Challenge #5. I cannot wait to see what inspires you to make a card!!

Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

SJ Kit Club and Falling Off the No-Buying Wagon

Happy Monday everyone!! I hope you had a fabulous weekend.

I did MOUNTAINS of laundry and the never-ending errands that I seem to never have time to do. Okay, maybe I do have time but I don't want to do would be the correct statement.

I also had book club yesterday and we read The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge-Selleck.

It was okay. A little all over the place for me but an easy read. On Goodreads they say it is a combination of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Help. I think both those books are better written then this one. However, it is interesting that even in the 1970's the discrimination and hatred toward African Americans was still so strong in the south. I am a northerner and was in elementary school in the 70's. I don't remember even discussing race in my house. People were people-that was what my mother taught me.

On another note, I received two packages in the mail on Friday. One was from Simon Says Stamp! and the other was from PaperTrey Ink. I ordered both on my birthday and should not have. I really need nothing!! I snuck the packages in so my husband would not see. (Shhh-don't tell!!)

I bought the Tim Holtz Distress Crayons that everyone is going wild about. Now that I have them what do I do? The Houndstooth Die-namic is Michele Ferguson's fault. I LOVED this clean and simple card she created. I also am kind of a fanatic about houndstooth so I justified my purchase. The Wplus9 "Beautiful Bouquets: Ranunculus" was something I KNEW I had to have when it was released. I just had to wait to order something else before I could buy it. I cannot wait to ink it up and color!!

My PaperTrey order was really bad. (please excuse this awful photo too) This is everything I bought minus all the card stock I replenished. I succumbed to their anniversary fervor. That design team gets me every time!!!

Today I am sharing the cards I created for SJ Kit Club Blog. This is where one of my friends from Scrapjazz.com sends a kit full of stuff and we create cards. Here is what was sent to me this month.

I am always the underachiever for this. Most of the girls make more cards then I do. I always leave it to the last minute and am rushing to the deadline. Not sure why this is. There were plenty of fun items in this kit to use.

For my first card, I used one of the pre-cut designs to make a sympathy card.

I added a blue scalloped edge on the side and a strip of pink paper under the rose image. I know this image was meant to be for Valentine's Day but the roses reminded me of loss for some reason. I decided I would make a sympathy card instead.

After the card was all put together, I used Wink of Stella and glossy accents over the roses to give the flowers a bit of sparkle.

On my second card, I also chose to use a pre-made design. Again, I stayed away from the Valentine's theme and made it more of a card you could give for an anniversary.

I added the little flowers but everything else came in the kit.

My third card was really, really simple. I just cut up pieces of patterned paper and adhered them to a pink card base.

The heart border is a piece of Washi. Isn't it fun? I am not in love with this card but I know that I can send this to anyone that I know.

My last card is my favorite. I started out by making the card front. I used pink distress ink to partially ink a white card front. I then used a die to emboss the edges. 

I created the envelope out of a scrap of the patterned paper I used on the previous card. I added some little heart circles that were die cut from a piece of patterned paper and a few sequins. The sentiment was stamped in red and adhered with foam adhesive. The little wood veneer heart was one from the kit.

I created this Valentine using the card above as a template. 

Instead of shading, I used a piece of the patterned paper and a burgundy piece of card stock behind it. I die cut an envelope out of card stock that came with the kit, adhered it to the card and added hearts that also were in the kit and then some sequins I had. I used foam adhesive to add the stamp. 

I then created two sympathy cards using a simple design. 

I created one with cream card stock and used a pink card base for the second.

I framed pre-printed images with a maroon background, adding some green branches that I die cut using Winnie and Walter's "Paulina's Greenery Cutaways."  

The images were then adhered using foam adhesive. I covered the flowers with Wink of Stella and then glossy accents. 

I really LOVE how these came out. 

Well, that is all for today. I thank you for stopping by. Have a great day!!

#SSDTICTACTOECHALLENGE Inspiration for Challenge #4

Hello everyone!! Today it is my turn on the Stamping Smiles Design Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge blog. I created a card using the middle column from Challenge Four with the elements-sequins, Distress Ink and stencil.

Here is a sneak peek at my card.

To see the full card and a step-by-step on how I created it, click here.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!!