Seeds of Hope, Life is Fragile, and more

Hello again, my friends!  How are you doing today?  Did you spend some time exercising outdoors, or gathering with one another while outdoors, spaced apart?  I hear a lot of neighbors enjoying time outside, either walking, riding bikes, taking dogs for a walk, or listening to music and playing board games on porches.  It is kind of nice, you know what I mean?  People are connecting in ways they haven't in quite some time.  Though we are supposed to keep our distance from each other, there's a different kind of closeness that's developing; it makes my heart happy.

I hope you don't mind I have another post this week. I'm really trying to bang out the photo-editing of my cards, so I can share them here.  Ready?  Here we go!

Old seed packet; Martha Stewart Rose Leaf punch, Hydrangea punch; crochet lace; pearl; fabric flower cluster; Sizzix Sweet and Donut Thinlits heart die

Stampabilities Life Is Fragile sentiment; Gina Marie Designs Small Butterfly die; Prima papers; Sweet Stamps Lace Border stamp; pearls; Spellbinders Labels One die

Stampabilities Life Is Fragile sentiment; Gina Marie Designs Loopy Rectangles dies; Martha Stewart pansy stickers; pink rhinestones; crochet lace

Gina Marie Designs Loopy Rectangles dies; Martha Stewart camellia (?) sticker; pink rhinestones; pearls; My Favorite Things Love You More sentiment; handmade round doily; Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Accents heart punch

Papertrey Ink Happily Ever After sentiment; K & Co. floral oval frame sticker; Recollections bride frame sticker; pearls; Gina Marie Designs Eyelet Elegance Rectangles die 

Impression Obsession Cat Set dies; K & Co. floral frame sticker;
Papertrey Ink Everyday Cat Sayings sentiment; pink sequins 

Impression Obsession Cat Set dies; K & Co. floral frame sticker; 
Papertrey Ink Everyday Cat Sayings sentiment; pink sequins 

Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin Friends of a Feather sentiment and feather stamps, Clearly For You flourish rectangle stamp; doily; white sequins; 

Papertrey Ink Fancy Flakes dies; rhinestones; Stampin' Up! Winter Post sentiment

Verve Holiday Phrases sentiment; Stampin' Up! silver glitter paper, mirror cardstock, stripe patterned paper; circle dies; Papertrey Ink Fancy Flakes die; clear sequins; My Favorite Things Stitched Mini Rectangle Stax die

Lace; Basic Grey Wassail floral pattern paper; Anna Griffin green flourish paper; pearls; gold cardstock from a store bought card; Inspired By Stamping Summer Postcard Add On heart/circle stamp;
Papertrey Ink Keep It Simple: Birthday III sentiment

My Favorite Things Mini Delicate Doilies die; pearls; crochet lace; old book page; Gina Marie Designs Pleated Lace Rectangle die; calendar photo of mountains

Stampin' Up! Print Pattern background stamp; Papertrey Ink Spring Moss button; Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Squares die; Blockhead Paper Arts Feeling Regal crown stamp; gold embossing powder; Inspired By Stamping Happy Occasions Sentiments sentiment 

My Favorite Things Layered Leaves dies; yellow green glitter paper; calendar page; Stampin' Up! sentiment (set unknown)

Stampin' Up! balloons, elephant (set unknown; they were in a scrap bag); Kat Scrappiness - Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangles die; rhinestones; Papertrey Ink Keep It Simple: Birthday III sentiment

Oh, I have plenty more to go.  We'll see how far I get.  As I said before, since we're all supposed to be home for the foreseeable future, it gives me more time to get it done. 😀

Long post with lots of cards - part 2!

Hey!  I'm back with another big batch o'cards to share.  And this is probably it for a while, until I can catch my breath again!  Christmas is coming, and you know how busy that can be.  {smile!}

Thanks so much for taking a look.  Not too many words in this post, just lots of cards!

Alrighty, that's it for now!  Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, and once again, Happy Thanksgiving!  God bless you all.

A Topiary For The Happy Couple

Happy Monday! Today's card is perfect for an engagement, wedding, or special anniversary.

On an embossed (Sizzix Ornate Frame) kraft card base, I tied a white seam binding bow at the top, and added a tag with a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Happily Ever After.

A white Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Rectangle frame made the perfect backdrop for a tiny topiary from Papertrey Ink's Topiary Trio. I added a few bitty pearls on the tree.

Thanks so much for your visit today!

Beer Cheers to the Happy Couple!

Hi there!  I'd call this card a semi-fail Custom Design.  LOL

A friend had asked me to create a card for a wedding, and the bride and groom LOVE beer. So, a beer theme was highly suggested. I have no beer stamps, no beer mug dies, so I had to improvise.

I used Papertrey Ink's Propose A Toast dies and stamps to create 'pilsner' type glasses.  I was envisioning a Stella Artois type of beer (fancy!) for these vessels.  I stamped the interior of each glass with Hero Arts Soft Vanilla ink, coated it with Ranger Glossy Accents, and then added some Ranger White Opal Pearl 'foam' at the top.

There's a circle mat beneath the white one...it's a pretty shimmery white cardstock from WorldWin.

So, this drink is somewhere between a champagne and a beer, but is there such a thing in real life? I'm not sure. I'm a wine drinker. :-)

Thanks for coming by today!

Silver Wedding Rings

Hello Again!

It's going to be a while before I can catch up here on my blog that which I've been doing behind the scenes.  So many cards made.  All photographed.  Very few photo-edited.  And so it goes when one's calendar is full! 

I thought I'd wake up my blog - at least for a day - with a simple wedding card I made a few months back.  

The Precious Wedding Rings die (Memory Box) came to the rescue, helping to make a plain and simple card a little bit more fancy. I die-cut it from white cardstock, then used a Versamark marker only on the wedding bands portions.  Coated it with silver embossing powder, and held on to the 'strings' with crafting tweezers.  After hitting it with the heat gun and letting it all cool down, I added rhinestones in strategic places once this embellishment was glued down to the paper.

It kind of bugs me that there is no sentiment on the front, but I had to let it go. There really was no good place to put one. 

I joined a ministry called Sisters In Spirit at my church very recently. On Friday night, about 10 of us gathered together to make Thanksgiving cards (and a few Christmas cards) for home-bound members of our congregation. I brought along some already-stamped-and-trimmed autumn leaves, and a few twine bows, to contribute to the pile of crafting goodies we used. 

It was very gratifying to know that 40 people will get a little surprise in their mailbox, letting them know that someone is thinking of them. :-)

Paper: gray stripe pattern - Momento; True Black, white - Papertrey Ink Ink: Versamark marker - Tsukineko Fibers: black seam binding - Hug Snug - The Zipper Stop Accessories & Tools: silver embossing powder - Stampin' UP!; rhinestones - Queen & Co.; Precious Wedding Rings die - Memory Box 

Propose A Toast

I'd like to propose a toast:

"May your hearts know only happiness from this day forward." 

Isn't that lovely?  It's a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Propose A Toast set, perfect for engagements and weddings, and even anniversaries.  Quite versatile, I'd say!

I used gold embossing for the champagne, or white wine...whichever you prefer.  I like both!

The damask paper and Bordering Blue card base are retired stuff from Stampin' Up!  I love new stamps and papers, all kinds of new goodies to play with...but I really enjoy using my older stuff, too.  I know I am not alone in that!

Have a terrific day!

Stamps: Propose A Toast - Papertrey Ink  Paper: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; pattern, Bordering Blue - Stampin' Up! Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark - Tsukineko Accessories & Tools: gold embossing powder - Stampin' Up!; Framed Tulip embossing folder; pearls - Queen & Co. 

Clean Best Wishes

Boy, this was tough to photograph!

On this wedding card, there is lots of white, and only a touch of gray ink. I layered a white, embossed circle die cut on the card base, and accented it with punched white hydrangeas, topped with pearls. By the way, when I add pearls or other gems to something that is not flat, I use a touch of glue to help secure it, even when it already has sticky stuff on the back. Two faves of mine: Ranger Multi Medium Matte, or Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue.   

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

                                                                                                     ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

Thank you so much for your visit today!

Stamps: Fresh Cut Wreaths - Wplus9 Paper: white - Papertrey Ink Ink: Basic Gray - Stampin' Up! Accessories & Tools: Hydrangea punch - Martha Stewart; pearls - Queen & Co.; circle die - Spellbinders; Lacy Brocade embossing folder - Stampin' Up!; corner rounder punch - Fiskars