Happy 20th Birthday Charlotte!!!

 Hello everyone!! 

Today I am posting a birthday card I made for my daughter and another card for a challenge. Charlotte turns TWENTY today!!! Below is the card I created for her.

I used the "Sending Sweet Celebrations Wishes" by Stacey Yacula from My Favorite Things for the images on my card.

I used Copic markers to color in the little fox and the penguin. The sentiment is a negative die cut from Simon Says Stamp.

Charlotte always wants me to make cards for her on her birthday and I had to to a special one this year because she is not only turning twenty, but is stuck doing all her college classes from home. I thought these images would cheer her up!!

I will write something nice on the inside of the card. I need to start making my insides fancier but I have a hard enough time doing the outside!!!

I had to include some recent photos of my daughter from a photo shoot we had this fall for our Christmas card. NONE have been approved by her and most are straight out of the camera. I hate altering pictures!!

 I tend to like the photos where she is showing her personality!!! I just LOVE this kid!! She is the BEST thing that has come into my life. Not everyday was a piece of cake but I would not change her for the world! I hope this year brings you such happiness!!!!

Okay, now onto the card I created for a challenge. I have not been able to play with CASE this Sketch in a while and decided that I HAD to do this weeks sketch #400.

I did switch it up a bit. In lieu of the stripes, I used a scrap of wood plank pattern paper from one of my cards from yesterday. I layered this paper over a Stone colored cardstock background.

I then chose to adhere snowflake die cuts in different sizes over each other. These tended to get lost so I used a bit of Copic Marker in the W grays to give them a bit of shadow.

You don't notice it unless you are looking for it but it just gets the snowflakes a tiny pop so you can differentiate them from each other!

I know the sketch did not have a sentient strip but I had to use one on this card because I had no room to orientate it. I decided to stamp it in dark gray ink onto red cardstock.

I then adhered a combo of mirrored sequins and red sequins randomly around the front to give it some more POP!! I have to say, I LOVE how it came out!!!

Well, that is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by!! Have a FABULOUS day!!!

Just Popping in with a Couple of Cards...

 Hello everyone!! 

It has been a long time since I have posted on here, with exception of some DT assignments. There has been A LOT going on but that will be a different post for another day this week!!!

Today I have a couple cards for some challenges. I was able to get in my craft room yesterday and play with some images that I had colored in/die cut /paper pieced when I had the time and made these into actual projects yesterday. I like when I can do this because I can get more done at one sitting!!!

My first card was I created using a few challenges as inspiration. 

I used the Inspired By Challenge #153 as inspiration for my snowflakes and snowman, and Freshly Made Sketches #464 as the layout for my card. I actually flipped the sketch a little and changed where the sentiment was on the sketch but I used it for the overall orientation of my elements. I never know if this is okay or not!!

I used Spellbinders D-Lites Snowman die that I had paper pieced together as my main element.

I layered the snowman over a shaker that I made with the negative of a snowflake paper scrap I had in my stash. 

The sentiment is from Mama Elephant and the paper is from an old 6" by 6" paper pad-Wish Season-from Fancy Pants. I used Nuvo Crystal Drops in Autumn Red for the berries on the hat and some Scrapbook.com Clear Shimmer Pen and Glossy Accents on his nose. 

My second card was inspired by a sketch from Try Stamping on Tuesday #486, this weeks The Color Throwdown #622, and The Library Challenge #73 book cover image.

I used the Kraft color in my card base and my tiny banner peeking out from the Spellbinders D-Lite's Santa that I had paper pieced together. I used the Santa in place of the large white circle on the sketch.

On the Santa's hat I used some Nuvo Fresh Snowfall Glitter Accent, as well as some Clear Shimmer Pen and Glossy Accents on his nose.

I layered the Santa over some pattern paper from the Lawn Fawn "Perfectly Plaid Christmas" collection. The cream cardstock was embossed using a Tim Holtz Alterations embossing folder.

Instead of using circles like the sketch, I substituted snowflakes that I had die cut last summer. I am OBSESSED with snowflake dies and have TOO MANY for me to even tell you what companies these are from!

The Simon Says Stamp sentiment was stamped with Hero Arts Red Royal dye ink. I am assuming that you all know that the Santa on the book cover was my inspiration for this Santa.

On another note, one reason I have not been blogging or creating anything lately because of my lack of any kind of mojo. I have been so depressed. I suffer from depression on a regular basis but Covid has just about killed me. I needed something to channel my energy into. My solution?

Meet Lucy and Snoopy!!! We adopted them on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Lucy is Snoopy's mother. They are Jack Russell Terriers and have been a blessing to our family.

They ADORE my daughter Charlotte. (Sorry for the horrible photo. They were both looking at me UNTIL I TOOK OUT MY PHONE TO SHOOT THE PHOTO!!!)

I have been doing a ton of wash since Snoopy is not quite housebroken. We are trying but it is a long process. Even though we have more than one bed, and a large bed, both sleep together on top of each other in this teeny bed 

I have to tell you that I have had more energy being around these two dogs then I have felt in a LONG time. I am not sure if it is because we rescued them, or if it is the oxytocin released from petting them, or because I have something to concentrate on besides my stress, but they have been a life line to me and my family. 

Well, that is all for tonight. I thank you for taking the time to stop by. I hope you all have a FABULOUS night!!

Everyone Could use a Smile-A CAS-Fridays Post

 Today it is my turn on the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Blog with a trio of cards using the "Sassy Smiles" stamp set.

Hop on over to my BLOG POST to see how I created these cards!!!

I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Merry Christmas with CAS-Fridays

 Happy Tuesday!! I am just popping in with a sneak peek for a card I created for the CAS-Fridays Blog today. 

I had fun doing a bunch of techniques to create this card. Hop on over the THIS POST to see how I made this with a step-by-step picture tutorial!!! 

I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!

A Successful Sunday With Cards for Some Challenges

 Hello everyone!! Just popping in to post a couple of cards I created for some challenges. 

I had a bit of time today to create. My mojo has been a bit spotty and my energy low so I have not been getting into my craft room as of late. It doesn't help that I really need TO CLEAN because it sure is a mess!!!

For my first card, I used this weeks sketch from the Paper Craft Crew for my card. Please excuse the photo. I could not fix the lighting on it no matter how hard I tried!

Below is the sketch that inspired me. 

I was a little bit liberal with the elements on my card because they wound up being a bit bigger then what is represented in the sketch.

I literally used elements that were previously stamped or die cut for other projects to put this card together.

The flowers are from Altenew and Paper Trey Ink, the circle is from MFT, the envelope was cut from a die from Mama Elephant and the sentiment was from Hello Bluebird. 

This was one of the EASIEST cards I have created in a long time and will be sent out tomorrow to a member of the Union I belong to.

My second card I created using this weeks The Color Throwdown #619 and Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #297.

I knew when I saw the badge for the Color Throwdown that I wanted to use my new Tall Tree dies I bought from The Stamp Market and my Skinny Postage Frames from PTI. These were some of my new toys I bought to try to get my mojo going!!

I created the blue background on this with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and watered down white acrylic paint.

The sentiment is from a stamp set that was gifted to me from Stamplorations.

I absolutely LOVE how this card came out!!! 

My next card was inspired by this weeks Freshly Made Sketches #461 and once again, I used the Color Throwdown colors. 

This card was one I originally designed for The Color Throwdown but I liked the one above better.

I used some paper from my scrap drawer for the background and the greenery is from The Greetery.

The poinsettia is from the Layered Poinsettia from Spellbinders. I used Copic markers to shade it in BUT as I was doing it, I failed to do a color test with my background paper. I wound up having to fix my mistake by using more colors than I wanted so it is more blue than white.

The middle of the flower got muddled too because I was impatient for the Silver Stickles to dry. They were supposed to resemble the tiny flower in the middle of the poinsettia but when I was doing my layers, I didn't let the previous one dry enough!!! 

I will fix it by layering some more over it once the first layer dries.

My last card I created using the Inspired By Challenge #150 and the sketch as my inspiration.

I used a Santa image from Simple Stories Simple Vintage North Pole Collection. 

I keep buying these darn pre made die cuts and never use them but this image was PERFECT for this challenge. 

I actually altered the die cut by cutting some things off this side that just didn't go with this aesthetic. I also covered the fur and hat with a Scrapbook.com Clear Glitter Marker and the hat with some Glossy Accents. 

The snowflakes are from a huge amount I die cut last winter and the sentiment is from Uniko Stamps.

Well, I think that is enough from me today. I thank you for taking your time to stop by and I hope you have a FABULOUS night!!