You Fill My Heart with Sunshine!

Hello my crafty friends, I hope today finds you all well and enjoying life. It's my turn to post over at Cardz TV Gallery today. Since Easter is this weekend I needed to decide what I was doing for the grands this year. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, but Easter is so early this year that it just snuck up on me. I saw this tutorial over at Split Coast Stampers and decided that I would make these for the grands. They are so easy to make and pretty fast as well!! I made 6 of them, but only showing you one. They are all the same except for the colors and papers.  Don't be fooled, these baskets are a pretty good size and will hold a lot. I have stuffed wadded up paper in the bottom of mine to take up space. If I need the space, I will just take it out. My butterfly doesn't show up to good, no natural light when I took the picture. Sorry about that. This is about the only time I can seem to get crafty, when I need something for the grands. And of course spring is here and I am starting to mow now too. Spring and summer keeps me busy. So I'm not very crafty at the moment, hopefully when I get through this year of "firsts" since my husband passed, I will get in the mood to be a little more crafty. I want to make the grands an album of them with their Papaw here soon, so I hope my mojo comes back some time within the year. Recipe at the bottom of post.

As always thanks for taking time out of your day to visit little ole me. I sure do appreciate your comments as they always put a smile on my face and nowadays, I can always use a smile. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:

Cardz TV Stamps-It's All Good and Easter Blessings

My Creative Time-Bunch of Stitched Dolly Dies

                              Pretty Butterflies & Dragonfly Dies

                              Stitched Round Tab, Arrow & Tag Dies

Martha Steward-punch for the basket handle-sorry don't know the name

                         -butterfly punch

Stampin' Up-Bow punch

Homemade enamel dots

Your My Pot of Gold-part 2-Cardz TV Gallery

Hello crafty friends, I'm back with the second part of my post. This post is for Cardz TV Gallery, where you can find new projects everyday but Sunday. I've really not been in a crafty mood since my husband passed, but I am doing my holiday cards for my grandchildren and nephews. So today, I have some St. Patty's day cards for you using one of Mary's sketch's, you can find it here. I changed up the orientation on the sketch for some, it gives me cards that are all different, even though I used the same pattern papers and sketch. I used the print and cut feature to my Explore for my pattern papers and some of my images. The only images I didn't do a print and cut was the top hat and the child silhouette. For those I used some snippets of left overs. So I am going to jump across the pond to play at the Snippet's Playground.  To see close up's of each card go to my blog. Mary's St. Patrick's day stamp set was perfect for my cards because these kids are my pot of gold in life! They are a pure joy in my life, my husband's as well-he sure loved all his grandchildren. So I still sign his name to their cards to keep his memory alive for them. I hope I've inspired you to make some cards for the people you love and remember Mary has the perfect sentiments for any card on her stamp sets! 

Recipe:

Cricut Cartridges: A Child's Year, Create A Critter 2, Artistry 

Print and Cut on Explore

Cardz TV Stamps

My Creative Time Stamps

Your My Pot of Gold-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello crafty friends, here we are back to Monday again. Not sure how these weeks fly by so fast but they do. My foot is doing much better now, not healed all the way, but I can walk on it normally now. I am super happy about that. I enjoyed the week with my youngest son, even though he worked, it was nice to have someone home with me. I love when he comes in from work late at night (he works at our local movie theater part time) and lays down on the bed and tells me what ever has him excited. Then he gets up and heads to his room. He can be a chatter box, must have gotten that from me cause his dad was a man of few words. lol This particular night, he had to tell me about a hawk that swooped down in front of his Jeep and snatched up a rabbit as he was leaving work. Sometimes it is about a coyote standing in the field at our driveway, or about deer, etc...Just a special 5 to 10 minute chat for me. He is back up at college now, and I'm going to miss him. Although he only has 8 more weeks of classes and then he will be home for the summer and work. He is hoping to get an internship this summer with a local construction company that is big here in town. He worked for them last summer as a labor. I happen to see the guy that does the hiring at church and talked with him a bit. He hadn't realized that Dwayne had passed away. He also asked if Bret was coming back to work for them this year. I told him I didn't know, that he was looking for an internship. So he asked a few questions and then said to have Bret email him. So I hope it works out that Bret can get that internship since his major is Construction Management. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Well I didn't have projects for the last two BBTB2 challenges, but this week I'm on top of it. I think....Our challenge was issued by my design team sister, Lynn. She wants us to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a project or if you don't celebrate St. Patty's day, then a green project will work too. So I thought I could get my St. Patrick day cards done for my grandchildren and nephews. I used this card sketch for all my cards, but I did change the orientation of the sketch on some.  I did the print and cut feature of my Explore to make my pattern papers. I also used the print and cut feature for some of my images, not all though. The hat, boy/girl with clover was a straight cut on the Explore. This will be a 2 part post. The 2nd post will post tonight at midnight. So make sure to come back to see the rest of my cards tomorrow. I did 10 in all by mass producing. Now it is your turn to make a project with your Cricut machine and come and share with us!! Need more inspiration, go no farther than my design team sisters over at BBTB2.

As always thanks for stopping by and visiting with me a spell. I love when company comes a visiting!! You comments always brightens my day and I thank you for them. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Recipe:

Green argyle-Blast Off pattern-print and cut

Yellow gingham- Blast Off pattern-print and cut

Striped-Greeting Cards pattern-print and cut

Lucky-CTMH Artistry-print and cut

Top Hat (Bo Bunny Dots paper) and Children silhouettes (generic black paper from my stash)-A Child's Year 

Turtle-Create A Critter 2-print and cut

homemade enamel dots in small and medium sizes

Thinking of You...

Hello my crafty friends, I hope you are having a wonderful week. It's a good one for me since it is spring break and our son is home for a week. Then only 8 more weeks of classes left. I can't believe he will have his second year under his belt. 

I haven't been in the mood to do much crafting, so things have been quiet on my blog. First off I fell when my son and I were emptying the hot tub and cleaning it. Yep, graceful I'm not and boy was my son mad at me. It was so weird, I took my sandles off and got in the hot tub. There was just a tad bit of water in the bottom. My son had bailed the two outer seats, so I thought I would dry them off and wipe them down. Just as I was turning around to go to the next seat, down I went. Trying to catch myself, I grabbed but of course everything was slippery and nothing to grab onto. So I have bruises all over my right side and somehow hurt my right foot on the side of it. My son walked away for a minute and when he heard me fall, he came running back finding me on my back in the water facing the sky. Then proceeded to yell at me because he told me to stay out of the hot tub. Yeah, I didn't listen and he wasn't a happy camper with me. After he helped me get out and I hobbled into the house to change out of wet my clothing. I was going to go back out, but my son yelled at me to sit down and then proceed to get me some ice to put on my foot. He finished the hot tub and refilled it. I took care of the chemicals the next morning, hobbling of course. Still hobbling....I think my guys might as well wrap me in bubble wrap! lol

So I've been resting my foot trying to get the swelling down, but it isn't going down to well. Might have to go see the doctor about it. Thus one of the reasons it has been quiet here on my blog. The other reason is because my heart just hasn't been into crafting. Part of me wants to, but the other part of me doesn't. Hard to because when hubby would go up to the farm, that is when I would get crafty. I still feel lost and haven't found my "new routine" yet. Another reason has been because of a lot of "firsts" so far this year. With one coming up this Wednesday. I'm not looking forward to attending a dinner, a dinner for farmers who have to attend to keep up their spraying license current. One I attended for 20 years with hubby, one that our son #2 is going to now and he wanted me to come as well. One where they will read the names of the farmers who have left this world....one I'm not sure I'm ready for but will go for our son. So I've been...for a lack of a better word....sulking. Not quite the right word, but just can't think of the right word. So I haven't been into doing much in the crafty way. I did however had to make a sympathy card so I forced myself to do so. Thought I would enter a few challenges as well, which I don't do often but thought I would this time around. They will be listed in the end of this post.

I'm not very good at building a scene and clearly need more practice. I stamped my flowers and then masked them to stamp the jar. Yeah, you see the problem don't you?! I should have stamped my jar, masking the top rim of the jar and then my flowers. It looks like my flowers are on the outside of the jar right now, but it is what it is and I wasn't starting over....again. I embossed my outline of the jar and flowers with black embossing powder so when I watercolored them, it wouldn't run out of the lines. Yeah...need lots more practice with watercoloring. I used my Zig Real Brush markers to color my images that I stamped on watercolor paper. Used a snippet of pattern paper and a snippet of black paper. I also used a NBUS (Never Been Used Schtuff) as well.  Ok, can you tell I've not had anyone but the dog to talk to much?! lol Sorry for the long post and if you have stuck in here this long I thank you. As always thank you for visiting and sitting a spell with me.  I love your lovely comments, they make my day more brighter. I truly value your friendships and now here's my card:

outside

inside

Recipe:

My Creative Time "My Thoughts are with You" stamp and die set

My Creative Time "More Stitched Rectangular" dies

watercolor paper, not sure who makes it

cream colored card base-generic paper

scraps from my ever growing scrap pile

Challenges:

Snippets Playground  - use snippets on your project

NBUS - use never been used schtuff 

CAS Mix Up   Not sure if my card is CAS enough, but going to try to play along. 

Love Ya!

Hello my crafty friends, today is the day that I post over at Cardz TV Gallery. The following cards are the cards I made for my grandchildren using Mary's Cardz TV card kit and sketch one. This is such a fabulous idea Mary had and I am getting ready to get some kits made up again with sketch two. My plan is so make for each sketch to have on hand. I used the print and cut feature on my Explore to cut two of each image and then I pop dotted one on top of the other one. Then it was just a case of assembling after I had all my papers cut to size. I made two monkey card with different papers but didn't get a picture of the one. I think they turned out rather cute and my grandchildren loved them. The Cardz TV stamp set that I used is the Love Ya set. I used the "Sending hugs and kisses and Valentine wishes" on the inside of each card.  As always, thank you for stopping by and sitting a spell with me. I truly love the company and your sweet comments. They really do make my day!  Crafty hugs, Brenda

This card uses Cardz TV sentiment on the inside only. The outside sentiment is from My Creative Time.

Recipe:

Monkey-Create a Critter 2

Hands-Summer Love

Bird and Mail box-On Parade - City Icons

Robot-Robotz

sentiments-Cardz TV "Love Ya" stamp set

Robot sentiment-My Creative Time "Best Bots Forever" stamp and die set

hearts-punch in my stash"

label-SU word window punch

Every birthday should be taken with a grain of salt....

Hello my crafty friends, I hope this Monday finds you well. Nothing new or exciting around here. I just went to a Rosery group at church on Saturday with my husband's cousin, and then to 5:30 pm mass Saturday evening with the cousin as well as her daughter and dad. They are such great family to me and have been a big help since Dwayne's passing. So I tend to spend a lot of time with them. After church we went out to eat at the local diner and had so many laughs. It's good to laugh like that! Then home, Bret came home on Friday to work, so he worked all day and evening on Saturday and Sunday all day. He then headed back up to school. Spring break will be coming up in a few weeks and he will be home for a week. I imagine he will work the whole time. I always love when he is home and can't wait for May to come around cause then he will be home for the summer. Anyway just a mundane weekend, which is right up my alley.

As you know it's time for a new challenge over at BBTB2. Our sweet Kelly of Kelly's Concoctions  chose our theme for this week and she wants us to create a fiesta themed project in honor of Nat'l Margarita day. Yes, there is a Nat'l something day each month I think. lol I had no clue what the heck I was going to do. So when that happens to me, I surf Pinterest. I typed in "margarita" and drinks and such popped up. So my card is inspired by a sentiment that I saw on Pinterest. My card is also very simple. I used the Ole Cricut cartridge in Design Space or Cricut Access, what ever they are calling it these days. I also used one of the writing fonts to put my sentiment on the outside and inside of my card. That font was called Chloe Whimsy.

I hope that you all will play along with us on this fun challenge. If you need more inspiration, just look for farther than BBTB2, my design team sisters have lots of inspiration!

As always, thanks for stopping by and sittin' a spell with me. I also love company especially now that I'm alone a lot. Your comments always lift my spirits and make me smile! Crafty hugs, Brenda

See, simple, very simple! But cute don't you think?

 Close up of the Wink of Stella sparkle and my "salt" is flower soft.

The side of the card. I goofed, when the Explore started writing the sentiment, I realized that the pen adapter wasn't closed. Ooops! That's why the "es" looks smaller from the rest of the letters. I can live with it though.

Chocolate...A Basic Necessity-BBTB2 Challenge

Hello my crafty friends, I hope your Monday is off to a great start. We had a very cold weekend here in Central PA with negative digits. More snow for today and supposed to change over to rain for Tuesday so they are already calling for heavy flooding. Not looking forward to that mess or the icy slush as it makes it to the change over. 

 I made it through another "first" without hubby. Friday into Saturday I was kept busy with 2 of my granddaughters. I went to pick them up and they spend the night. We enjoy supper when we got home, colored and made monkey bread for snack. Then I tucked them in bed. Saturday morning we made Valentines for their parents and colored some more and played games. The in the early afternoon their parents came and got them. Then I celebrated what would have been our 23rd anniversary with our youngest son. He came home from college to take me out to eat and then to the movies. His boss's wanted to meet me, they were very kind to me and told me I could come in anytime to escape reality and watch a movie with a friend. Just to let my son know and he would let them know. For free. How sweet is that?? They said they would take good care of me and give me snacks and such. I just thought that was so nice of them to tell me that. I don't go to the movies much, but was very nice of them to offer me that. Sunday my youngest granddaughter was over to see me, she is 3 months and really growing! Then my second to youngest granddaughter was dropped off so I could watch her while her parents went grocery shopping. She just turned 2 today and apparently is a little stinker when they go shopping. So the grands and my youngest son kept my mind occupied and I survived the weekend. Thank goodness for the grandchildren, they sure do bring a lot of joy into my life. It's a little bittersweet though, because my husband loved the grands so much as well and got great joy from them. 

Anyway, better get on with the job at hand. As you know Monday's always brings a  new challenge over at BBTB2. Emily is our sweet host for this week and she has challenge the DT and you to make a project using candy because today is national gumdrop day. I bet you didn't know that did you? lol So she wants to see candy on our projects. Make sure to go over to BBTB2 to see what inspiration my DT sister's have for you too. I started off with a card base and added some red paper for my base. Then using snippets of black and the heart paper as well as snippets of white.

As always, thanks for stopping by and sittin' a spell with me. I so enjoy your company and love to hear what you have to say on my latest project. I'm not quite in the swing of things yet, but hopefully I will get going better with each post. Crafty hugs, Brenda

Going to go play at the Snippet's Playground this week because I used snippets on my card.

Recipe:

Valentine Sweets Cricut cart-I did a print and cut

Sentiment from Cardz TV stamp set called "Sugar Rush"

wink of stella on the candies (click on the picture to enlarge and see all the shimmer and shine on those candies)