Easter Bunny

A while back, my cousin gave me a lot of her rubber stamps she no longer needed.  It felt like Christmas morning to me, to open that bag full of neat, older stamps!  One of them is this cute l'il Easter Bunny by PSX (G-2672).  Love his face, so sweet.  I colored him with soft shades of Copic markers then die-cut with Spellbinders Labels Thirteen.  The striped blue patterned paper and Ivy background stamp (in yellow on yellow) are both from Stampin' Up!.

The seam binding ribbon is from Hug Snug, and tied with a "Colleen Bow." 

Hope your weekend will be beautiful!  It's Super Bowl weekend, and I am not at all into football, but my husband is a big Eagles fan.  So, "Go Birds!" as they say around here!

Christmas Quad

Happy Saturday!  Oh, and it's today that we need to set our clocks back one hour, and who doesn't like an extra hour of sleep on Sunday?  I sure do!

I've got four Christmas cards to share today.  I'll be entering one of them in a card challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge:  W and X are for Whimsical and Xerox.  I chose Whimsical for my second card.

Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags star tag die, Joyful Christmas bottlebrush tree stamps and matching dies; ; white cotton thread; pearls; Spellbinders Labels Thirteen die; Hug Snug Sistine Blue seam binding

The next card was "made" by our black cat, Cristabel, for Daddy.  It is my submission to the "Whimsical" card challenge.

Paper Rose Stitched Trees die; Memory Box Large Sitting Cat die; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags tag die; vintage thread; red gems; My Favorite Things BB Cool Cat paw print

Next up is a card that was so quick and easy to make, I feel like I cheated.  I used a K & Co. sentiment panel, some icy blue patterned paper, and felt snowflakes (retired Stampin' Up!) topped with pearls.  No stamping at all on the front!

Stampin' Up! blue felt snowflakes; pearls; K & Co. sentiment panel

The last card helped me use up some patterned paper (Anna Griffin) that I've had for quite a while.

Paper Rose Stitched Trees die; red gems; Papertrey Ink Silent Night swirls, Christmas Blessings sentiment, Tiny Tags tag die; vintage thread

My friends, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

God bless you!

Give Thanks in ALL Circumstances

Hello friends!  A bit of time has passed since I was last here on the blog.  Life got crazy.  Health issues developed for me and it has been quite a whirlwind of tests and doctor appointments, and then surgery.  I am a private person and I've struggled with whether to share here or not, but the Lord has put it upon my heart that I should share.  

Not even a month ago, I was diagnosed with stage 1 invasive ductal breast cancer.  There is no family history of it for me, nor was I having any problems.  This was found on a regular yearly mammogram.  I skipped having a mammogram in 2020 because of the pandemic.  My surgeon told me that timing is everything, and that if I'd had my mammo last year, it likely would not have been big enough to be seen.  This year, it was.  

God's hand has been on me the whole time during this process, as it is every second of my life.  Within a week of my diagnosis, I had a consultation with a surgeon who is a top doc, in our insurance network, AND she is a good friend of my cousin.  I got permission to go on vacation, which was already planned, and I went to see my mom and spend time with her.  It was just the perfect timing, because everything He does is good, He is never late, and He works all things together for our good:  Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

That vacation was refreshing and it was so good to see Mom. 💗 We went to Hobby Lobby, so you know it was a highlight for me!  Got some cool stamps and patterned paper.  But I digress...

Altenew Painted Flowers; Papertrey Ink A Cheerful Heart sentiment Proverbs 3:5-6; Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Pinking Squares die; white ribbon

Spellbinders Large Deckled Rectangles die; Stampin' Up! mushroom patterned paper; Papertrey Ink New Every Morning sentiment Psalm 118

Memory Box Classic Tags dies; Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch; Spellbinders Fancy Tags Two die; Inspired By Stamping Fancy Alphabet stamps; pearls; hemp twine; dictionary page

I had a lumpectomy this past week, and I feel pretty good, all things considered.  The tumor was removed, and so was one lymph node.  Both of those are being biopsied, and I'll have results next week.  Those results will determine if I need chemo and how long radiation treatments will be.  I tell you friends, I am trusting Jesus that I will NOT need chemo, and that I will need only the shortest amount of radiation treatments!  He is my Great Physician.  He has got me so close, I can feel Him.  In fact, before I went for my first mammogram in August, I felt these words in my spirit:  Do not be afraid, Do not be afraid.  I thought it meant that my mammogram would be fine, but of course it was not.  Those words were firm and gentle.  And I take them seriously:  I am not afraid.  Overwhelmed at times, yes!  And sad in the beginning, yes, but afraid?  No.  I trust Him.

I'll come back here and visit again as time allows.  

Thank you for allowing me to share such a personal testimony with you.  We are here on this earth to help one another.  Perhaps there is someone reading this who will be touched by it, or someone who has put off having a mammogram who needs to go get one.

1Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Chicken Soup For You

Happy Wednesday!  With a short week due to our holiday weekend that just passed, we have reached the mid-week quickly. 😀

Today I've got a little bowl of chicken soup to share with you.  Cutest bowl of chicken soup I've ever seen, with that happy smile!

Lawn Fawn On The Mend bowl, spoon, sentiment; Spellbinders Labels One die; Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Pinking Squares die; glossy accents

This was quite the 'scrap' card.  I really did pull together many items that were in a scrap pile on my work desk.  The bowl of soup and spoon have some glossy accents on them; it's a shame they never photograph as nicely as I'd like.

It's my hope this will put a smile on someone's face.  

Thank you for your visit!

Blossoms for a Baby Princess

Hello friends 😀  To those who live in the USA, I hope you had a nice long Labor Day weekend.  We got to see some family; my brother in law bought a plane!  It's a four seater, twin engine.  Small.  He flew over several states to come for a visit, and we went to the little local airport to see the plane.  While we were at the airport, another little plane landed and they carried rescue puppies from the south.  A group of people were waiting to whisk these pups off to a foster home.  The pups were so cute.

Just wanted to share a bright and happy baby girl card.  It's simple in design.  I liked being able to use snippets of pink, white and orange cardstock and patterned papers to create the bower of flowers around the sentiment.

Papertrey Ink Daily Designs Sentiments; Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch; Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Accents flower punch; Spellbinders Floral Ovals die; pearls, rhinestones 

I'm so glad you dropped by today.  God bless you!

Wild About You

I have been blessed this year by a few friends who gave me crafting supplies they no longer needed.  One of the items was a sticker pack of happy animals.  I gave some of them to my church's Sunday school craft leader, but I kept a few and made some quick cards with them.

Not my usual style, but it was fun to try something different.

Unity Stamps Wild About You sentiment; burlap fringe; elephant sticker

Unity Stamps Wild About You sentiment; zebra sticker; rhinestones; Kat Scrappiness Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangles die; My Favorite Things - Stitched Mini Scallop Rectangle STAX

Papertrey Ink Barnyard Sentiments sentiment, On The Farm circle sentiment; cow sticker

Thanks for taking a peek at these critters! 😊

Frosty Skating

Hi!  I received this sweet little My Favorite Things stamp from a friend who was de-stashing not too long ago.  I've never had one a stamp from their Pure Innocence line before.  Typically I do not gravitate toward stamps of people, but this one was free, so I gave it a try. 😀

My Favorite Things Ice Skater stamp; Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles die; aqua ribbon; pearls

I used Copic markers to color the image, and a white pencil for the skates.  I drew a line behind the skates to fill in for ice, stamped some tiny snowflakes in silver, and added a pearl hem to the little girl's sweater.  I am pleased with how it came out, as I have just about no experience coloring skin.

Thanks so much for joining me here today!

Sing Praises

Hey everyone!  I am popping in to play in a challenge at Word Art Wednesday.  The theme is Anything Goes.  I like those kind. 😉 

I've got two very similar cards to share with you today.  Both began with a song sheet from church.  I die cut a piece, crinkled the paper with my hands, then inked the edges and well, kind of all over.  

Papertrey Ink Walk By Faith sentiment; Michael's lion; Spellbinders Large Deckled Rectangles dies; ivory dots

Papertrey Ink Walk By Faith sentiment; Blockhead Paper Arts Feeling Regal crown; gold embossing powder; Spellbinders Large Deckled Rectangles dies; ivory dots

Matthew 7: 24-27 ESV

Build Your House on the Rock

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

In this crazy world, I am building my house upon the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ.  And it seems by the hour there is new craziness we hear about.  I have got to keep my eyes fixed on things above.

Sending you hugs and love,

Dearest Friend, Happy For You

Hello!  Today's cards put the spotlight on patterned paper.  The first card used skinny scraps that all paired so nicely with one another (and I found them in a Stampin' Up! scrap bag).  

Altenew Dearest Friend sentiment; Stampin' Up! patterned paper scraps; peach gems; wooden butterfly; Kat Scrappiness Wonky Wavy Stitched Rectangles die; EK Success Acanthus Leaf border punch

The second card also features 'vintage' Stampin' Up! patterned papers I've had for quite a while.  You may recognize them if you have been into SU for years.  I'm really trying to use up my patterned papers, but it will take me a loooong time to do this.  LOL

Stampin' Up! patterned paper, Organic Grace fern stamp; Spellbinders Labels Eighteen die; wooden butterfly; Recollections ivory burlap butterflies

Hope you had a lovely Fourth of July holiday weekend, if you live in the USA! 💙💓

A Trio of New Home Cards

Hi!  I always need new home cards to replenish my selection at the shop.  I've got three to share with you today.

Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags sentiment, Winter Hills house; Spellbinders Labels 25 die; cream twine; tag from Stampin' Up! 

Pink Paislee Auburn Lane house, frame and floral spray stamps; Papertrey Ink Daily Design Sentiments sentiment, Boards and Beams topiaries; Kat Scrappiness Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangles die

Stampin' Up! Holiday Home house; Papertrey Ink Boards and Beams tree, Tiny Tags tag and sentiment, In The Meadow hill die; cream twine

Psalm 127:1

A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. 

HOME is so precious. 

Bird-Themed Cards

Hello everyone!  We have a cold day here in NJ; today's high is 28 degrees!  Very cold indeed, and super windy, too.  I am grateful for a warm home, and sunshine pouring in our windows.  I'm burning a Peppermint candle from Antique Candle Co.  I bought the bundle while it's on sale.  It smells soooo good!

I've got some bird-themed cards to share with you, and I'm entering the first one in a challenge called Tic Tac Toe.  See below for the row I picked!

K & Company bird sticker; Spellbinders oval dies; white lace; gold mirror cardstock; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags sentiment stamp 

I used the bottom row, with a sentiment, embellishment (lace, bird sticker) and die cut (the two ovals).  Love how easy the options are on this whole board!


I'm entering the card below in another challenge called Inspired By... and the current theme is Tweet Messages.   

Impression Obsession Birds dies; My Favorite Things Bold Greenery dies; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags tag die; The Greetery Sentiment Suite: Birthday sentiment stamp; cream twine; DCWV Coral Couture patterned papers

I was inspired by the bird sitting atop a branch.  I like that bluebird image so much.  😀  What a beautiful watercolor piece.  

Stampin' Up! Natural Beauty moth/butterfly stamp; Papertrey Ink Keep It Simple: Birthday; pearls; Altenew Build A Flower: Rose leaf cluster stamp; lace; pearls; calendar image of nest

Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin 'My Wonderful Family' elements, sentiment stamp, yellow pearls

Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin 'My Wonderful Family' elements, sentiment stamp

Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin 'My Wonderful Family' elements, sentiment stamp, mint pearls

Impression Obsession Birds dies; My Favorite Things Bold Greenery dies; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags tag die, Angled Labels die; The Greetery Sentiment Suite: Birthday sentiment stamp; DCWV Coral Couture patterned papers

The final two cards are fairly flat, with no pearls (gasp!) and no foam tape, and can use ONE postage stamp!  I am not accustomed to doing this.  LOL  I always keep a steady supply of Additional Ounce stamps, as I mostly make bumpy cards, ha ha.

Impression Obsession Birds dies; Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Accents flower punch, sentiment (not sure what set), patterned papers; lace

Stampin' Up! Garden Pleasures birdhouse, bird stamps, Weathered background stamp; Papertrey Ink Buttoned Up #1 button die, Skinny Mini Banner die, birthday sentiment; vintage thread 

I hope your weekend is peaceful, relaxing, or whatever you are most hoping for!  I am ALWAYS up for a weekend that includes cardmaking. 😀

Exodus 35:35 NIV

35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

Thanks for visiting today!

God bless you!

For The Guys - Family Ties

Hello everyone!  How have you been doing?  Hard to believe Christmas is (she squints at calendar) 17 days away.  Yikes.  We've got our house decorated inside and out, but no Christmas tree yet.  We live in a small-ish home, and the dining room is where we need to put the Christmas tree.  My husband and I are working in the dining room as our home office.   It's going to get mighty tight in this room once we put the tree up, so we're waiting just a wee bit longer to do that.  😆

I wish I had some Christmas cards edited to show you today but a few masculine ones will have to do!  There is a 'guy' theme to this post.  I've covered husband, brother and father.  The first card was for my hubby on our anniversary in October.  He has taken up serious cycling during the pandemic.  When the gym was closed back in the spring, he began riding his bike for exercise.  He rides as many as 65 miles in one trip.  One trip!  I'm impressed and exhausted just by thinking about it, all at once. 😂  So I made a very customized anniversary card that features a bicycle and a night sky, filled with stars (rhinestones).  The sentiment is not quite the best for a couple that has been married over 25 years ("as hand in hand we start"), but the part about the road matched well with the bike, and hey, isn't each day the first day of the rest of our lives?

Papertrey Ink The Best Is Yet To Be sentiment stamp; My Favorite Things Bicycle die, Grassy Fields dies; rhinestones; Spellbinders Grommet Tags banner die

My brother has a birthday this week.  I admit to having a weakness for leaf dies when it's time to make cards for guys.  This one was no exception.  It's simple in design, and muted in tone.

Gina Marie Designs Big and Little Chain Rectangles die; Inspired By Stamping Masculine Tags sentiment stamp; My Favorite Things Falling Leaves dies; banner from Stampin' Up!

And the last card was made for the shop around Father's Day.  It's another clean and simple design, with texture that is subtle:  the gray cardstock has a weave to it, the 'rope' circle frame and shadowed anchor provide a bit of visual interest.

Stampin' Up! Sailing Home anchor stamp; Verve Strong Anchor rope circle stamp; Papertrey Ink Family Ties: For The Guys 'dad' die

And that's it for now!  Wishing you well with your holiday preparations in this oh-so-interesting year!

God bless you and thanks for the visit!

A Parade of Valentine Cards

Hello everyone, how are you doing today?  Are any of you very tired sometimes during our quarantine?  I sure am.  I know I'm not alone in that.  It's just weird how exhausted I can be, even with a decent night's sleep.  I suppose it's because we're in a holding pattern of sorts, with the sense that we need to "get back to normal soon".  Except that our previous way of life will not return in full, at least not for the foreseeable future. 

I think I need to go outside and get some fresh air this evening, maybe take a walk and look at the spring flowers in bloom.  In our backyard, we've got white and magenta peonies, three different colors of irises, and azaleas blossoming at the moment.  Oh, and chives.  They have such pretty flowers.

Today I've got some Valentine cards to show you, just because. 💟  After lining up all of these cards, I noticed I used the same stamp sets and dies A LOT -- guess it was just easier when all of those supplies were already on my desk.  So, you'll see some things repeated. 😏

Stampin' Up! Heartfelt Love Notes (Paper Pumpkin) sentiment stamp, Ornate Frames sentiment die, Itty Bitty Accents small heart punch; My Favorite Things Pierced Heart Stax heart die; doily; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die

L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; My Favorite Things Pierced Heart Stax and Heart Stax heart dies; Stampin' Up! Heartfelt Love Notes (Paper Pumpkin) sentiment and envelope stamps; coffee sleeve

L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; My Favorite Things Heart Stax heart dies; pearls; Stampin' Up! ivory rosette ribbon, Bloomin' Love sentiment stamp; vintage thread; Memory Box Classic Tags tag die

My Favorite Things Heart Stax heart dies; Stampin' Up! Heartfelt Love Notes (Paper Pumpkin) sentiment stamp; black striped satin ribbon; rhinestones

It was hard to capture the shine of the polka dots on the white paper in the photo above, so I took another, which you see below.  However, I could not get rid of the yellow tones, even with my photo editor.  That bugs me, but it's a small thing; not a big deal. 😐

Papertrey Ink Ways To Say: I Love You sentiment stamp; Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Rectangles Large die; pink glitter heart stickers; pearls

Stampin' Up! Heartfelt Love Notes (Paper Pumpkin) sentiment stamps; Papertrey Ink Tag-Its #11 key stamp; button; gold thread; Kat Scrappiness Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangles die; My Favorite Things Pierced Heart Stax heart die

Stampin' Up! Heartfelt Love Notes (Paper Pumpkin) sentiment stamp, A Happy Heart large heart stamp, Itty Bitty Accents small heart punch; Gina Marie Designs Frilly Lace Rectangles die; pink rhinestones

Stampin' Up! Heartfelt Love Notes (Paper Pumpkin) sentiment stamp; My Favorite Things Heart Stax heart dies;
gold glitter frame die cut

Before I go, let me show you pictures my daughter recently took of the Philadelphia skyline at dusk one evening.  She was at one of our nearby rivers (where she had rowed in competition during her high school years) as she watched the sun dip. 

 
Thanks so much for your visit today, and God bless you and keep you!