October CAS Watercolour Reminder

Hello my crafty friends, I'm here with a reminder that we are half way through the October CAS Watercolour Challenge. Don't forget to tell them Happy Birthday as well! Their 2nd birthday to be exact!

 As usually the CAS Watercolour Team has lots of inspiration for you as well as the gallery of cards from those who are playing along. I hope you will come and play with us as it is a super fun challenge!

For my card, I used some Distress Inks to make a water color wash for my background in our challenge colors. I almost ditch it, but decided to try to go over them again and then I liked it better. Then I stamped my dandelion, little extra bits and the sentiment with Distress Oxide ink. I  then matted it onto some acorn brown paper, although you can't see the acorn pattern. lol I wanted the brown, so used it.It looks like it is on crooked, but in real life it isn't. I also splatter the brown ink on to my washed background. Mounted it to my card panel and called it done. Now, what will you make with orange, green and brown in watercolour?! You have until the 24th of October and you can link up 3 times! Make sure to come and link up with CAS Watercolour Challenge, it's such a fun place to play and Loll and Bonnie are amazing and welcoming women as is the Design Team! 

As always I thank you for taking the time to visit with me for a spell. Your comments always add rays of sunshine to my life! I will most certainly be by to visit you soon too. I want to take this time to thank Loll, Bonnie and the Design team for having me as Guest Designer this month!! It was so much fun! 

Crafty Hugs,

Card Recipe:
Distress inks: Ground Espresso, Carved Pumpkin and Twisted Citron
Distress Oxide: Walnut Stain
Gina K: Peaceful Roses Stamp Set for the sentiment-NBUS
Maymay Made It: Sorry Stamp Set for the dandelion

CAS Christmas Card Challenge

Hello crafty friends, I hope your Thursday is going well, it will be the weekend soon! I am taking off for the weekend and having a little get-away. Bret will be holding down the fort as well as the dogs. I'm anxious to get away just for a few days. So keeping this post short and sweet for once as I have much to do yet before I leave at noon tomorrow.

But before I left, I wanted to jump in and join the CAS Christmas Card Challenge. I wanted to join in on another of the CAS challenge, but time isn't allowing. The prompt word as you can see is "wreath". I hope my card is CAS-if not please delete it Loll. I had fun playing with the wreath builder stencil, but didn't use it for this wreath. A snippet from my ever growing pile was used as well. As always the recipe will be below. I thank you for your visit and your comments bring so much sunshine to my life. Especially this year as all it has done is rain, rain, rain. More rain in our forecast for 3 days next week, Mon-Wed and fall temps. Usually Sept is sunny and perfect temps, but not this year! Not much of a summer at all, so sad about that. Anyway I will be back on Monday and will catch up on my commenting once back home. Have a great weekend my crafty friends!

Crafty,

Card Recipe:
Maymay Made It Build A Wreath-wreath, sentiment, accents
Gina K ink cubes
SU Gold Embossing Powder

Sunflower Thanks

Hello all my crafty friends, I hope you are having a wonderful Tuesday! Heavy rain in the forecast for us again today-but nothing new there, an impact day for us is what they are calling it now. I think by the end of the week we are supposed to get 2 or 3 days of dry weather with sunshine. Won't that be nice?!!!

I wanted to play along with the sunflower challenge over at CAS Watercolour Card Challenge. I was sent this beautiful NBUS sunflower die by a very special, sweet and generous lady for my birthday a while back so I wanted to use it finally. I had fun with this die. I water colored it after cutting it on watercolor paper. Created a background using Distress Oxides and the splash technique that Loll has a video on. I'm not very good with it, I think I needed more water to dilute my color. Oh well, I am still pleased with how it turned out. I need two thank you cards for some special people. So I made this one and one on a kraft colored mat which I didn't take a photo of.

I need new tires on my car, so my neighbor works part time for a friend of his, who owns our local tire place. He told me there was a sale on tires, but that it ends on Saturday, this past Saturday. So on Saturday he gets my tire size and gets me prices on the tires. Then arranged for his friend to pick up my car on Monday (everything was put through on Saturday to get the sale price) and put the tires on and I wanted an oil change and all my fluids checked. Not used to this since Dwayne always did all this stuff. But with the help of these two men, it is getting done. Now the other guy, well he is the son of my late husband's boss, so Dwayne and this guy grew up together and worked together. He left me his own vehicle so I wouldn't be without a vehicle since they would have my car until sometime today! So not only did he come and get my car right at my home, he also left me a nice vehicle in case I had to go somewhere. So I wanted to send thank you notes to both families. It takes a village to raise me! lol That's what it feels like-but in all seriousness I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life that help me navigate life after Dwayne. Sometimes it is hard to see your blessings when you lose someone so important to you, but I have been blessed and know I'm very blessed! So thank you to all of you out there as you are a huge blessing in my life as well!!!!

As always I will list the items I used down in the recipe section at the end of this post. I thank you for stopping by and sticking with me this far and I thank you for your sweet comments. They always bring rays of sunshine to my life! I will be by to visit you all soon as well. Keeping busy with these dogs, but Kahlua is doing well and getting taller. Pictures of the girls next time around. We are slowly getting the hang of potty training. lol The girls are getting along so well and I am thankful for that. Have a lovely week my friends!

Crafty hugs,

Card Recipe:
unbranded sunflower die
Oxides Distress inks: Broken China, Mustard Seed, Peacock Feathers
watercolor paper: Canson XL
Maymay Made It stamps: Positive Vibes
My Creative Time: More Stitched Rectangular Dies (I extended the length)
Zigs/Arteza watercolor pens

Let's Bake a Birthday!

Hello my crafty friends, I hope your Saturday evening is going well. I know I've been MIA in keeping up with my comments and with posting. I have a good reason.....at least I hope it's a good reason. I've been keeping very busy with a new puppy. What?!!! Yes, Bret decided he wanted a puppy and of course who do you think needs to care for it while Bret is at work? Yep, me. So between babysitting my granddaughter here and there and training a new puppy, I am running ragged. Here is the new little girl, her name is Kahlua. Savannah is great with her so that is a good thing!

This new little girl chews on Savannah's tail, pulls out Savannah's undercoat all over the floor and takes Savannah's bones away from her and Savannah just lets her. Then when Savannah has had enough, Savannah will get up on the couch as little Kahlua can't get up there....yet. They are so funny together and I laugh so hard sometimes. But they are also exhausting. Especially this little girl-she is fast, she is a puppy and she finds all kinds of trouble when you aren't looking! lol So I have to keep my eye on her at all times. I will be glad when she is potty trained as well!!!!  Anyway, she is cuteness overload isn't she?!

I do have some old cards that I never posted about. They all have been mailed out long ago, so thought I would share them tonight. I do have some more to share and will share the others at a later date. These cards are all baking birthday cards. I thought they turned out pretty cute, but want to make some in CAS style at a later date. As always the recipe will be at the bottom of the post. 

Card 1

 Inside of Card 1

 Card 2

 Inside of Card 2

 Card 3

 Inside of Card 3

 Card 4

 Inside of Card 4

If you stuck with me this far, thank you! Your comments always bring sunshine into my rainy days and yes it is still raining here. Everyday just about it. Never saw this much rain during the summer before. Anyway, I will be around to your blogs soon if I haven't been yet. I'm trying to keep up here and there, but it is hard sometimes with the new pup. Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

Crafty hugs,

Card Recipe:
Gina Marie for the circle grid
My Creative Time for the baking items and most sentiments and the cherries from another set
Maymay Made It Stamps for the inside sentiment of cards 1 and 4
Colored with my Zig's and Arteza's

CAS Mix Up Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope you all have been able to stay pretty cool. It's been a hot one here. Sometimes we have hot summers, sometimes not. Sometimes it swings back and forth. This year it seems to be swinging back and forth. So we've had about two weeks of extreme heat, but a cold front is coming in tomorrow afternoon or evening and we will be back to beautiful low humidity and temp days. For a few days anyway. lol So stay cool everyone!! Cause I know some live where it is hot and humid all the time.

Well I have a sad attempt at playing along with CAS Mix Up Card Challenge in which Bonnie (who chose the challenge theme) has asked for those playing to color their die cuts. You have to add stamping and one other mix media element. There are so many to chose from on the side of the blog. I die cut my dies out of water color paper, a gift from a sweet and very talented blogger. Used my Zig's and one Arteza to color by putting down color on something slick and picking up the color with my water brush. Didn't care for this water color paper, but could be user error too! But the colors just didn't want to blend well and forget putting down the color directly to the paper and then blending, cause it wouldn't blend. But like I said, could be user error. Cause I'm not the best water colorer! I stamped my little sentiment and also used the Tim Holtz blender brushes to blend some ink on the sky and some sun glow. Of course I didn't plan well on that and decided to do it after I had my flowers glued down. Duh to me! But I looks ok anyway. Or as good as it can anyway. Much more vivid in person, but still soft. Added grass by flicking up with my two colors of green Zig's/Arteza's full strength.  Anyway I think I met the challenge rules. I hope I did anyway!  I have to say my card is going to look sad compared to everyone else's and the design team's cards. lol I will keep trying though, one day maybe.....or maybe I just need to rub elbows with some of these talented ladies!  Ok enough chatter, all my supplies will be listed below in the recipe section.

This is how I'm staying cool! Especially after mowing.

 Or playing Frisbee with Savannah! We can't play to long in this heat though. She gets very hot and won't stop playing unless you make her or she collapses. We do this anywhere from 3 to 5 times a day weather permitting. 

As always I thank you for stopping by for a spell. I know it's hot, but the pool is open and very refreshing! Hope you will stop by again soon. As always, your comments bring such sunshine into my life!

Crafty hugs,

Card Recipe:
Kah-I-Noor Bristol Vellum - anyone use this??? I like the whiteness of it, but not the way it works.
AliExpress - Daisies Die
Maymay Made It "From All of Us" - sentiment
Verafine Black Onyx ink-sentiment and the dots on the daisies with a stylus
Fossilized amber and broken china Distress Oxide inks
Zigs: #50 Yellow, #64 Oatmeal, #45 Pale Green, #41 Light Green
Arteza: They don't have color numbers or  names, it was an orange color.

Rudolph Days

Hello my crafty friends, I hope your week is going well. It's hump day so we are on a down hill slide to the weekend. It's been rainy and very dreary here, but temps have been up. One day of sun and that was yesterday. More rain to come as well as snow showers. Crazy weather but spring is definitely on it's way. I'm laid up for a bit. Fell back when we had all that ice and no I didn't fall on the ice. Fell coming up the steps out front after getting all the mail for the week it was icy. Re-injured my ribs I felt it, but it wasn't that bad. Then it just kept getting worse until it finally stopped me in my tracks. Rested last Friday all the way through to Sunday. Went to work on Monday but didn't do much. Yesterday I thought I was feeling pretty decent, still could feel the ribs, but not so bad. So I did a few things. Well paying for it now. So resting and trying to get them to heal once again.

Today is the last day for Rudolph Days over at Maureen's blog, Scraps of Life by Scrappymo!. Maureen is always such a gracious host so I hope you go check it out and play along each month. I got my cards made and thought better get them posted as this is a short month and today is the last day of the month! How did that happen?!! It's amazing how losing 3 days makes a huge difference. So without farther ado here are my cards. I made 6, 2 of each design. I think I kinda wish I would have left the plaid paper off but it's done now and so it will stay. 

As always the recipe will be below. I am slowly trying to make my way around to your blogs, no notifications so having to "find" your blogs on some. Please be patient with me, I feel like such a failure in so many ways but I'm trying. lol Thank you so much for your loyalty to me and my blog. Your comments always bring much needed sunshine to my life! Have a wonderful week!

Crafty hugs, 

Card Recipe:
Maymay Made It-Joyful Stamp set
My Creative Time-Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies and More
Paper Studio plaid paper
Assorted Colored Ink Cubes
Versafine black ink

Twofer Challenge

Hello Crafty friends, yesterday started a new Twofer Challenge. For this month the challenge word is "hearts" February is a great month to use hearts in isn't it?! But remember to go over to the Twofer Challenge blog and read the rules. I think I have it straight this month. lol I looked through Pinterest to get inspired and I did, along with a new stamp set that I just got in the mail. So here are my the "hearts" I used and my two difference designed cards and different occasions cards.

I will list all my supplies in the card recipe down below. Thanks so much for stopping by this grey day and visiting with me a spell. As always your comments bring much needed sunshine to my life. 

Crafty hugs,

Card Recipe:
Maymay stamp set-All About You-(the word YOU and the hearts)-NBUS
My Creative Time stamp and die set-Once Upon a Time-(typewriter and sentiment)
My Creative Time dies-More Stitched Rectangular Dies
My Creative Time dies-Sitched Squares Inside & Out
My Creative Time die-Photobooth Stitched Die-pretty sure this is a NBUS as well
Inkadinkado stamp set-Dot Flourishes

Feathers, Feathers, Feathers-A Twofer Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I know it has been forever and a day since I've posted. Not really into blogging or doing much crafty stuff. Some cards here and there as I need them but that is about it. Will be doing my donations for our local Pink Out though and I hope to get pictures of the things I make and show you all. I have been coloring in adult coloring books. Been to cold to do much of anything else!  So I sit with my finger-less gloves on and color. The cold has also been taking it's toll on me physically and I've been having back problems as well. So not doing a whole lot but working and resting as I can. Went to 3 movies since New Years and that is about it. I also have a job with a new lady just right up the road, but maybe I told you about that already. Who knows with my mind!

Well I wanted to get in on the Twofer Card Challenge and I believe today is the last day to enter. I hope so anyway, so I will be getting in under the wire. Dang it, the challenge is closed. I hope you check it out though and play along for the next one! The challenge gives you a prompt for you to follow and you must make two different cards using the same stamps or dies of that prompt. Well the prompt was feathers. And that really threw me! lol Now you can interpret "feathers" however you would like. Like you can use a dream catcher because it has feathers hanging, or you can use a bird because birds have feathers, etc...get it? Sounds like fun right?!! So here is what I came up with. Not very creative and my first card was from Pinterest. The second one, which is so.....well I have no clue, but not good, was my idea. lol  Since I'm not sure when this challenge closes, I'm just putting my picture in without taking the time to edit it. Sorry!!!

As always my recipe will be down below. I want to thank you for stopping by, I know I'm way behind on commenting and I hope to get around soon to your blogs. Have patience with me please. 

Crafty Hugs,

Card Recipe:
My Creative Time feather stamp set
Ranger clear embossing powder
Zig Clean Color brush pens
Paper Tre Ink birthday bird stamp set-Thank you Auntie!!!-NBUS
Maymay Made It stamp sets-NBUS
Mixed Media paper used on the first card so I could water color with the Zigs

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays!

Hello my crafty friends, sorry another month has went by and nothing from me. I am hoping that will change with the colder temps. Not a whole lot going on around here but I have been holding some card classes for my teacher friends. Just a way to get together each month. I get 4 cards together for them to make and then we have lunch. Such a nice little get together. So will be sharing what we have been up to soon.

I also just got back from a trip down south. My sister friend talked me into going down to Myrtle Beach, SC with her and her husband. Since I am very comfortable with them, I went. We had a great time and even went to Charleston for the day, I was born in Charleston so it was fun seeing the place where I was born. I will share a few pictures at the end of my post.

But for now I have some birthday cards I made in the beginning of summer. They are a complete CAS from Anita over at My Paper Craft World . She sent me a beautiful birthday card and I loved the design so much I had to CAS it. And CASE it I did! I made a bunch of them and here are a few. As always the recipes will be at the end of this post.

Here are a few pictures from my trip. Bret took care of Savannah up at school for me so that made this trip possible. My little lady that I took care of passed the day before I left on my trip. So I missed the funeral but the family sent me off on my trip with their blessings. They are such a wonderful family!

My sister friend and her husband and myself. Yes, I'm the shortest! We took this selfie just before our tour boat came in to take us around the harbor in Charleston. We also were told some stories about Charleston and  and learned a lot about Ft. Sumter.

Historical River Front in Conway, SC This is my aunt, uncle and cousin and of course me.

 Walking on the boardwalk one evening in Myrtle Beach, so took a picture of the waves crashing on shore. Not a bad photo for night time. All photo's were taken with my phone camera as well.

 While in Charleston for the day, we ate at Bubba Gump's and I got the Shrimp and Grits. Cause you know a southern girl can't go without her grits!!!!  OMGosh, was this ever so good! I know it probably doesn't look good, but it makes my mouth water just looking at the photo. lol I brought many bags of grits home with me too because in the North you just can't get good grits.

As always but especially now, I thank you for stopping by and visiting with me a spell. Your comments always lift my spirit and make my days brighter. I hope to get around to visit your blogs soon!

Crafty hugs,

Card Recipe:
stamps: My Creative Time, Maymay Made It, Stamping Up
dies: Some die cut words Anita send me, My Creative Time
misc. scraps from my scrap bin
foam tape
distress oxide inks
misc. sequins

NBUS Challenge

Hello my crafty friends! Well months have passed again without any posts or comments from me. I'm very sorry, blogging just hasn't been my thing right now. As I've said before, mowing and taking care of the outside keeps me busy as well and even though I'm not looking forward to winter coming, I am looking forward to no outside maintenance. lol I have also been struggling with being anemic (from my fall and broken ribs, had internal bleeding)-so very tired and sleepy and just feeling funky. But I put myself on iron pills, went through this several years back so knew what to do, and the iron pills are helping. Just gonna take time to build myself back up. I am trusting in the good Lord that he will heal me and keep me going. 

I have come cards for you today. The same but different if you know what I mean. They are all sympathy cards, been making way to many of them here of late! I wish I could say that I was just mass producing these for my stash, but I wasn't. I needed 3 for family members so I kept them similar just changing the sentiment on the front and the flower. Saw this idea on Pinterest, so  NOT my idea at all. I used distress oxides for my "sunsets". First time bleeding with them and how I am loving them. Only stamped with them before which I love them for stamping as well. As always my recipe will be down below. I used a NBUS stamp set as well so I think if I hurry I can get in under the wire for Darnell's NBUS challenge. I believe and could be wrong, that today is the last day of it. 

Well that is it for me today. Not sure when I will be back around right now. My life just seems to be moving in a different direction right now. I do look to see what you have been up to, just not commenting. For that I'm sorry, like I said just to much going on and just struggling to keep up with life. Winter might change that though. As always I thank you for your sweet comments, they really do mean the world to me but understand when you can't comment. Just taking the time to stop by is wonderful to me as I'm not a "number's" gal. 

 They all say the same thing on the inside.

Crafty hugs,

Card Recipe:
Distress oxide inks - fossilized amber, spiced marmalade, wilted violet, faded jeans, black soot
Inkadinkado - Meadow stamps-NBUS-silhouettes
Maymay Made It - Your Faith is Showing-NBUS-outside and inside sentiment
My Creative Time - Believe in Your Dreams - with sympathy sentiment
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies and More