Happy Memorial Day!

I decided to make a set of cards in honor of Memorial Day.  I have the Stampin' Up Land of the Free wood stamp and I simply adore it.  This year I used Vintage Photo Distress Ink to color a white card base and my Mission Gold watercolors to flick color and create my unique background.

This set up a nice contrast to the white cardstock stitched rectangle die cut centerpiece.  I used Faded Jeans and Festive Berries Distress Markers to color the stamp before stamping onto the die cut.  Some red and blue star die cuts as accents and these simple cards were quick to put a set together.

So simple and easy - I even used some blue envelopes from the stash. It always feels good to use up some of the stash.  These cards are my llittle tribute to those from the Land of the Free who helped to ensure that our land stayed free.

Our Beautiful World - Cup

I've been relatively absent as life caught up and overwhelmed me.  I've been crafting and find myself with photos to take and edit.  I hope to return to a more normal posting schedule and share with you what Brandy and I have been up to.

In the meantime, I've decided to join the ladies over at Our Beautiful World.  Their word prompt this week is Cup.  I couldn't resist staging these photos this morning with my small bunch of peonies purchased at the local Trader Joe's.
  

I decided to gather the coffee cups collected throughout the years.  This mismash of cups represents gifts over the years all of which are sizeable cups, so that I can have more than 8 ounces of coffee in a sitting.  Coffee is simply a dairy delivery system in my thinking - a mechanism for drinking cream!  As such, i need a sizeable cupmto get the mix right.  I'm remembering today the many mornings sitting watching the sun climb from the horizon into the sky with a strong cup of coffee and two lovely St. Bernards at my feet.  I've tried to cut back on my coffee drinking ways for health reasons.  Since we've now lost both our saints, I guess I don't miss coffee that much.

Is there a cup you'd like to share with everyone?  Come join the fun over at Our Beautiful World and post a picture of your cup.

A Much Delayed Easter Basket Share

Whopsie - I found these photos on my phone that I'd not bothered to post here.  I whipped up  these small little Easter "baskets" back in April, but forgot to share with you here.  I went through the scraps of patterned paper to find a set that match the color scheme of the fruit crates that I found at Hobby Lobby.  I then used the sentiment stamp from my Hero Arts stamp set along with some printing from the computer to make the sentiment flag.

A little hot glued flag poles, some chocolates and a teeny, tiny chickdee adorn the inside of the baskets.  The tiny flowers were leftover from my other projects (there's still more to use up!) and make the finished project sparkle.

Thank you for tolerating my need to share and document this project so very far after the holiday. I hope your week is going well.  Brandy and I are off today to the CK scrapbook convention in Mesa. There will be a fair amount of shopping and crafting and joyful time spent together.  I will hope to share photos of our endeavors to craft with you in the coming days!

Brandy's Freehand Hibiscus Watercolor Art

Brandy decided to use her creative talent to freehand paint a scene for the front of one of her Mother's Day cards.  I am so pleased to share this with you.  The background was washed onto a piece of Arches watercolor paper using Distress inks.  Then, Brandy used a pencil to sketch the image onto the paper using a photo as inspiration.  The image was then colored with a watercolor brush and her Mission Gold watercolor paints.  Notice the paint splatters and the use of the white opaque pen to add dimension and detail to the painting.

Awe and inspiration - these are the two words I'd select to begin to desribe my best friend and the impact of this work of art.  I am sure this card stunned in person and the receipient was also awestruck and inspired.  Beautiful.


I'm linking this card up with the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge Simon Says Flowers

Wor+d Art Wednesday's  Challenge #230-231 Anything Goes

Dome join the fun.

A Delicate Aster Kind of Card

I believe this to be the last of the Mother's Day cards that I made for the fundraiser at my work.  There could always be a stray set of photos which haven't been edited, but I think this is it.

I'd mentioned earlier this week that I always thought these asters were a bit prickly in shape, but this set of cards demonstrates why I've come to love my Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters dies.

I used an older Heartfelt Creations border stamp and gold ink to add the filigree to the left of the card and lots of pearl elements to embellish and accent these cards.

The set really turned out to be lovely and somethig I thoroughly enjoyed making.  I am hoping that the receipients of these cards felt special and cared for too!

I'm linking this card up with the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge Simon Says Flowers

Word Art Wednesday's  Challenge #230-231 Anything Goes

I thought I'd share a few photos of the cards sale at my work.  It was a very good idea and something fun to do.  I'm pleased we were able to help those who help our soldiers.

These cards were made by Bonnie Grassi, the person who led the fundraiser and a very creative sister at my workplace.  She's so creative and these cards are lovely.

In the end, only two cards were left unsold.  I am unsure who had more fun - us as crafters or the people who purchased the cards.

Our beneficiary was Soldiers Angels who support our troops and send care packages to soldiers overseas  A fantatic charity that I had the pleasure to join.  Check them out at the link provided.  Have a fantastic day!

Hello Beautiful Set of Cards

I get the pleasure of sharing this lovely card set with you that Brandy made. There is a considerable amount of effort that was poured into these pretties.  The butterfly frame was inked in a rainbow of colors to tie each of the die cut elements that surround the sentiment which was stamped with Simon Says Stamp's Hello Beautiful stamp.  The card base was stamped and clear embossed onto colorful card bases to create the monochromatic background.  So pretty!

Our Beautiful World - Ceramics

The ladies over at Our Beautiful World have an inspiring word prompt each week to guide our amature photography so that we can share what it looks like in our part of the world.  This week the prompt is Ceramics.  I immediately thought of this ceramic bowl that was my grandmother's.  This bowl originally came in a kit for making plum pudding at Christmastime and is at least 30 years old. When we woud visit for Christmas, my mom would ask for my help in whipping up fresh whipped cream for jello or fruit salads.  This fusterated me greatly because the bowl is not big - maybe a quart of liquid easily fits into this bowl.  Using an electric mixer, I had to hold the mixer very straight in order not to spray cream around the kitchen.

When i grew up I began to cherish the ability to go to my grandma's house and whip cream for the salad.  I would volunteer, just to use this bowl.  A few years ago as I was visiting, I mentioned to my grandma that one thing I'd like from her house would be this bowl.  She didn't hesitate and gave me the bowl instantly.  I was filled with joy at the thought and this bowl sits in my kitchen to this day.   I don't use it to whip cream - that's still fusterating.  I do use it to serve dishes and to look at fondly.

What do you think of when you read Ceramics?  Come join the fun or see the variety of photos from around the world!.

City Crafter Challenge - Feeling Prickly

I decided to join the City Crafters Challenge Blog in their challenge this week by sharing this card made for the fundraiser at my work.  The Feeling Prickly challenge is to make a project using something prickly.  I always thought these Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters flowers and leaves looked prickly.  This is one of the reasons that I didn't purchase them at first. Then, I worked with them in a class and fell in love.

I used a Spellbinders die to make the light green frame in the background and my Heartfelt Creations Delicate Oval die for the white lacey piece.  Come on over and join the fun at the City Crafter Challenge Blog.  Their Feeling Prickly challenge is full of unusual and fun takes on the challenge! Time is short to join, but you can do it!

I'm Not Feeling Blue - But I Am Feelin' the Color Blue

Good morning and happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there taking a moment (with a coffee?!) to read some blogs.  I am woefully behind in posting projects from our fundraiser at work.  The fundraiser ultimately raised $132 that will go to a fund which sends care packages to soldiers serving overseas.

This card is being sent out with love.  I thoroughly enjoyed making this card.  I used my Altenew Vintage Flowers stamp set and the MISTI to mask and stamp these layered flowers.

The image was then die cut with one of my rectangle dies.  I used fun foam to raise the panel on the card front and a bit of twine to finish this simple, but elegant card.

I'm going to link this up with Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #228/229: Family.  Come join the fun.  I'll be back this week with some of the last few cards made for the fundraiser as well as the cards for my family.  Enjoy today!