Fall Apples

Fall.   That one simple word brings up Happy feelings, for me. I was born in Northern Minnesota, and fall was the best time of year! I love all the little things that make up fall. I love decorating for fall, the fall colors/leaves, pumpkins, and the cold snap in the air. But the best part is the the wonderful smell outside, and in the house. My mom loves to bake and every fall she would bake almost everyday. The family favorites were the pumpkin and apple pies!! She couldn't make them fast enough!!  
When I saw this stamp set from Flourishes, I KNEW I had to have it! It has almost everything I love about fall, in it :) But before I could purchase it, I won it from Laura Fredrickson's Blog Candy contest :) Isn't it amazing how God blesses us when we least expect it?

I used my Tombows to color in the apples, and although this was my first attempt and the color is close, I'm still going to keep practicing. It's close, just not close enough, for me.

My favorite detail is the old lace from a garage sale. I used some strong colors and I think that it adds a little softness to the card. The ribbon, on top of the lace, is from MFT and I think it's the best ribbon I have ever used. Then I added my favorite detail, pearls. If you haven't noticed by now, I use them on almost every card :) They are so pretty and elegant, in my opinion. I also love a stitched card, so I had to add that!
I just bought the papers on Saturday. Don't you just adore them? I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted my card to look, once I saw them. I think that the apples look pretty with all the red in the background.

I will be playing with this stamp set allot, until I get the deep red apple look, I'm going for :)

MFT VIP Who's That Girl Blog Hop!!

Welcome to my little blog :) I'm thrilled to be in the great MFT VIP Blog line up! If you happened to stumble on this post, but are unaware that I am part of a Blog Hop, please start at My Favorite Things, here :  My Favorite Things  to see all the wonderful creations!

Don't you just love all the beautiful eye candy, from the Hop?? Do you want to know how to get these wonderful stamps? Here are the details:

From tonight until tomorrow night you can purchase the MFT VIP HERE a full TWO Weeks ahead of  everyone else.

Here is what you will receive in your kit:

Winter in the City VIP $39.85

Winter in the City WTG

Glitter

Let it Snowflake Die-namics Die

4 Yards of Satin Pleated Ribbon (2 yards White, 2 yards Silver)

Noel Sentiments Mini set - Free - EXCLUSIVE to the VIP kit ONLY

  I love WTG! Isn't the WTG "Winter in the City"  Pretty? I love the cute little dog!  :) Aww!

 I used the Quickutz Lamp Post and holly dies. The shopping bag is from WTG "City Girl". I wanted a leather look for her boots, so I used some brass model car paint. I painted in her "fur" trims too. I think it gives everything a nice sparkle.

The next card, I used a stamp from the Noel Sentiments mini. You will only be able to get this set with the MFT VIP! Trust me, they're worth it! :)

Tonight, September 21st at 10 pm EST, the MFT VIP kit will be released. This is a ONE DAY ONLY product and there are limited quantities. 

Go to My Favorite Things and get your kit today so you can get a two week head start on your Christmas and holiday cards!! :)

The Glory of God

The idea for this card has been rolling around in my head for a long time. It all started when I was playing around with the flourished bracket die from the Cuttlebug. I found that when I put them back to back, they formed a "cross". I have a tendency to wait for a card to come together, in my head, before using those ideas, so it can take me a while to complete a card, just by gathering ideas and playing around with it all. And this card was no different :) 

I used a fancy label die from Spellbinders to cover the "cross" but not cover it completely so you couldn't see it. I am still so inspired by Becca Feeken's banner idea, and wanted to incorporate a sentiment somewhere on my card. But because I have a cross cut from a die that is open and "lacey" it is impossible to keep it together and to let it stand alone with out some support of some kind. So I decided to add popdots under the cross to elevate it up, off of the paper, so you could see it better, then added a Spellbinder tag over it with my stamped sentiment. I only have this one Bible verse stamp, but I really think it fits! So I'll be saving my money for some more verse stamps! :)

The cardstock is a light gray-seafoam green, with a cream cardstock on top. The scalloped border is from EK Sucess called "Dotted Scallop". I bought it yesterday, for this card, because I thought it needed a little lacey piece under it. I do like how it gives a bit of feminity to the card. I added some pearls to finish it all off and give it an elegant feel to everything.


I am really enjoying creating cards lately, and I can't seem to get enough of playing with my Spellbinders and see what they can do. The possibilities seem endless!! Now all I want to spend all my money *ahem* our money, on is Spellbinders! LOL :) They have single handedly re-ignited some of the passion for card crafts, that I have. The more I play, the better I feel and the more fun I have!
Tomorrow we are going to stop at a scrap shop or two and I REALLY can't wait!! I LOVE, LOVE looking at all the embellishments and design papers, just touching everything and trying to come up with ideas for how to use them! I really can't get enough paper! I have SEVEN 12x12x4 clear paper storage boxes FULL of paper, and yet, I can't seem to get enough! It's not greed, it's just the pure enjoyment of all the beautiful papers - it's sick really :) And that is a glimpse of what I am like in a scrap shop - in Heaven!!...


Psalms 19:1
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

Blessings

Do you ever hope for blessings in life? And when you least expect it, they fall from Heaven? That's what happened to me, today!! As you all know I have been tinkering and fighting with my blog and the whole designing of it, so it would feel "cozy" and nice, here? I had pretty much given up trying to fix it and let it be because it was passible, enough, but not "me" or my taste. But this morning as I clicked on to Splitcoast Stampers, I had a private message, asking if I still needed to make a Header/Banner, for my blog. I DID! (I just wanted the font changed, really. It just didn't speak of a "French Garden" - LOL! :) That's when I met Teressa, the nicest, hard working, blog creating, Lady Ever!!! At first it was just fixing my blog then she re-created my whole Blog, and made it BEAUTIFUL!!! I can't tell you how much I LOVE it!! And when I saw it, it actually made me teary eyed!! This is what it was supposed to look like, but could never make it into without her talent! It was all her!! What a blessing she is to me!! I know some may say, it's just a blog, Lady! But for me, it's so Beautiful and makes me enjoy my newfound blogging that much more! :) Blessings are all the wonderful little things in life and all the Wonderful people we meet along the way :)

Teressa, you made my whole day!! Thank you for being such a blessing to me and my blog. It's much nicer here, because of you ;)

Birthday Violets & Clover

I had some time on my hands this weekend, and because we didn't go anywhere for the long holiday, so I decided to finish up a few cards I needed to make for a friend. I was looking around on my favorite stamps sites for an idea or challenge to push me in the right direction, when I saw that Flourishes is having a Birthday Challenge, I decided to see what I could come up with.



I went with a very clean line kind of card, which is very hard for me since I really love my Design Papers!! I really thought this would be a snap, because most of the card making process, for me, is agonizing over which papers to even use!!
I pulled out my precious Neenah "Solar White" paper for this card. Let me tell you, I've been hoarding this stuff like Mad, since I bought it last year!!! And the worst part is that I made so many mistakes on the frame (behind the flowers) I made from my Nesties, it was Obscene! The frames were either the wrong size, shape, color or cut off center... I think I went through 7 sheets of my Neenah!! I guess I'll have to buy some more (*Sigh*)!! I used my Scor-Pal to score frames around the 2 pieces of Solar White paper, that's sandwiching my dark green cardstock. I think it gives it a finished elegant look.
I made a frame with my Lrg. Scalloped Oval Nestabilities, and placed the flowers over the frame. The flowers were colored in with my Tombows. I decided to use my craft knife to cut all the flowers out and pop up a few of the flowers, for dimention. Then I went over them with some Diamond Glaze to deepen the colors and give it a slightly more realistic look, otherwise the colors just lay flat on the paper. I placed a pearl in the centers of the flowers.
I cut out, and used the banner from the Flourishes "Seeds of Friendship" and stamped it with "Happy Birthday" on it, from the Flourishes "Violets" stamp set. I shaded a few small spots on the banner to make it just a bit more "realistic" and less stark white. And I used a few popdots under it to pop it up just a tiny bit.
After that card, I then decided to play around with my Nestabilities and see what else I could come up with for fun. I ended up making another card for the Flourishes Birthday Challenge, and their Bring Back Beautiful Challenge. I love it when a two for one kind of thing happens :)



I had this stamp set for a couple weeks, holding off using it, just waiting for the right card layout idea to come along. And I think it works well in the Victorian kind of theme. It's the Flourishes "Irish Blessings" set, and I liked it from the moment I saw it. I loved it because it was a different kind of stamp and bouquet. Growing up in Minnesota, we had Tons of clover on our lawn and I loved it!
I used a Cuttlebug bracket die on the corners, to give it the Victorian feel. I sponged everything with a little bit of Distress Ink "Antique Linnen" on all the edges, for an aged feel to add to the theme.
The cardstock is a cream with undertones of a very, very light pink, that plays off the pink in the bouquet. I embossed outlines on my cardstock, and I am really in Love with the look it gives.
The Clover bouquet was colored in with my Tombows and Peeled Paint Distress ink. And cut out with my craft knife, popped up with a couple of thin popdots, just so it doesn't look so flat on the paper. I also cut out and popped a few of the clover leaves up on pop dots so the bouquet is more 3D, and looks fuller. I was going for a small "shadow box" effect/feel, here.
I really love how the two cards turned out, and I think I know where my cards are heading towards. I'm still new at this, and I keep trying find some formula that works. But I like to still try anything new, to keep things fresh. I kept struggling to find my "style" and never could feel totaly comfortable about anything, until this last card with the clover bouquet. I think I feel more comfortable with the romantic elegant look. But since I like to try anything, I'm sure I'll keep it all mixed up and not settle :)
My husband payed me the nicest compliment this weekend. He said that he really likes my cards and that I really put time into them :) What a Sweetheart! He's a keeper, Ladies! I must be on the right track, then, if he likes them :)
Well, I'm off to check the mailbox to see if my My Favorite Things box has arrived yet! I can't telll you how EXCITED I AM to see what's in the box and you have no idea how I'm just ITCHING to play!!! LOL !!! :)
*Here's to hoping I get to play, today!!*

Psalms 119:105
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

A Bittersweet Day

I made this card for the My Favorite Things Stamp Sketch Challenge. I actually had a whole different idea and papers in mind, but when I saw the polka dots with the red and gold papers together, I knew they were destined for this card - LOL :)







I used my Favorite MFT stamp set"Lovin From the Oven". This was the set that made me a MFT fan!! I saw a card made in the Splitcoast Stampers Gallery, that someone had made and I said "I have to have that stamp!!". And the rest is history! I'm so excited to have many years of making birthday cards with it :) Isn't it cute??

I did make another card today but just as I was going to put the Finishing/last touches in my painting, I swiped my RED Tombow marker on my image!! AACK!! It's all Ruined!! :( Ever done that?? Oh well, I'll try to make another card and post it soon :)


And the BEST news of all today, I won the My Favorite Things September Guest Design Team Member spot!!! I get to participate in all the fun for a month, I can't wait!! I am so honored and humbled that my card was picked out of some Wonderful and Very Beautiful cards! This is something that I've wanted!! I am so happy! ...And now nervous, I need to do those wonderful stamps and everyone at MFT, right and make them proud! :)

Today also marks the 3 year anniversary of my father's sudden death, from a motorcycle accident. It is a bittersweet day for me, I wish he was here to tell all of this to. He would have been so proud! But this news makes me happier, knowing that I have a good memory attached to September 1st, now, and not just always thinking about what happened to him. I do think Dad is watching out for me from heaven and sent this small uplifting gift, to make me feel better :) I love you Dad and miss you very, very much!


Ephesians 2:8-9

For by Grace are ye Saved through Faith, and not by Works, lest any man shall boast.
~ My Dad's Favorite Verse

Doing Your Best

I like that title because it describes the way I like to do things in life :) I try to be kind and do my best, even when sometimes it doesn't work out. But that's life and there's always a lesson to be learned along the way, in every situation.






I Love, love how this card turned out! I thoroughly enjoyed making this card and when I look at it, it makes me happy. I was trying for a simple monotone colored card, and I didn't have to paw through my paper for 2 hours (like usual), I found this piece in 10 minutes and Knew I Had to use this one. It just spoke to me and looks beautiful. I love that pink color, and pattern. It just grabs me visually.

I made this card for the My Favorite Things: September Guest DT Member Challenge. Their challenge is "Getting Sentimental". The object is to make the sentiment the focal point. And that's why I though maybe going monotone for the colors would be best. I have never made a sentiment be a focal point, so this was a challenge I both welcomed and was interested in.

I used My Favorite Things stamp set Pure Innocence "Have a Blooming Good Day" stamped in Ranger Distress Inks "Antique Linen". Then I stamped over that with a harvest sentiment stamp set from MFT company. After stamping them, I heat embossed both of them so they would stand out some more. Tombow markers were used to color in her heart, hairbands, shoes, flower and grass, to add a bit of color, or else it would all look "flat" with out some color. I die cut their Open Scallop Die and placed it under the matted image. And I used some ribbon along side for interest and to break up all the pink, pink, pink going on :) I used a punch to cut out little flowers to place over the ribbons, then pearls were added after for a softer creamy pink in the middle. I could have used buttons, and I did try, but it just wasn't working, so I went with the punched flowers. The last thing I did was place pop dots under everything to lift it off the paper. I like the 3D element it adds. I like my cards to have dimension, and not be laying flat on a card front. It looks boring to me. It only takes 2 minutes but the results are worth it, to me :)

So I finally figured out my lighting situation (I know I say that every time! LOL). I took my homemade LightBox (Thank You Kim Teasedale!! She's the BEST), and went outside and added a couple lights along the sides for more light, and Voila! The BEST pictures I have taken in a while. I have always loved and wanted pictures that many others seem to be able to do. The kind that are a bright, white "studio" picture with full color. I could never seem to get that, and when I tried to Photoshop light in...Ugh! It all looked so unnatural. I hate that look. So, I hope this works out, although I had to cart two lights, a LightBox, coffee table, camera and card outside, and lug it all back in... I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy lugging this stuff out on my front lawn... :)


~

Psalms 136:1
Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: His mercy endures forever

What Do You Do, When Your Mojo Leaves You??

What do you do when your Mojo goes on hiatus? You wonder "Why me??" just like I did - LOL :) I'm just kidding! I have had a couple of times when it's just not there anymore after just having tons and tons of ideas and major mojo drive, but I've never had it last this long. I've only been making cards since December, so it's to be expected. But it did give me a bout of worry there, for a bit :)

So after some forcing of myself to sit and play with my stuff, I made this card. I had been itching to play with my new My Favorite Things stamp set PI "Being Cute is What I Do". And oh my goodness, did I have FUN!! I love how I can use it on any paper or color it in. And it's a universal kind of stamp (a prerequisite for me since I don't own many), and I love those kinds.







I used a lot of My Minds Eye papers for her and the card's backgrounds. I wanted a bit of a "groovy" embroidered look on her pants so I found an old stamp and heat embossed the image on them. I really like it, like that and I think it looks great.The clouds are a stamp from Verve's "Up, Up & Away" stamp set, with a water colored blue around it to make them stand out a bit. The grass at her feet are a small stamp from Stampin Up from an old set back in the 90's.
The blue flowers are from Recollections Mini Paper Roses. I'm not sure how I feel about them, but this being my first time using them I'll keep playing with them and hold back on judging how I like 3D flowers or not. Everyone else makes them look so natural, I feel like mine are out of place and detracting from the image. But I'll keep playing and we'll see.
The bling strands are from Prima. Again, I like them there, but maybe they are a little much?!? :)
I did use my trusty Tombows to watercolor in her hair, shoes, clouds and grass, at her feet. I really love these Tombows! I'm getting much better at my results then when I was using Distress Inks. I'm not bashing the Distress Inks, I'm just finding I can control the results and finishing better with my Tombows.

And please be patient as I'm still tinkering and fiddling with the whole blog realm. I am liking the changes so far,but still want to lighten my middle background column so everyone can read it. Until then the text will be bold black and very large Reader's Digest type print - LOL :)

I'm entering this in two challenges, just to jump start my mojo again too. For some reason entering in challenges really helps me get back on track. Here's to having fun and jumping back in the creative pool!! :)

My Favorite Things - Floral Fantasy - Blue Flowers
Our Daily Bread - Punches or Dies - Nestabilities "Circle" Die





Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.