Guesting again with Inlovearts!

Hello all!  We had a busy weekend moving my daughter from one dorm to another, and various other projects around the house.  The move went well, and it was a long day.  She's happy, and the building and her room are gorgeous, with incredible city views.  See the end of this post for a couple of pics. 😀

The kind folks at Inlovearts craft supply company asked me to be their guest again, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity!  I hope you like the creations I made to share.  At the end of this post is a link list for the supplies I used, as well as a discount code for you to use.  Check their site; they have neat and affordable things to add to your crafty stash. 😉

First up is probably my favorite of this bunch.  I LOVE these stickers.  The pack I chose has this sweet blue bird and pretty roses.  I picked a patterned paper from my stash and at first, I did not plan to put the bird directly over top of it, but I really like how it turned out!  The sheerness of the stickers is so lovely.  I had a little file folder die cut in my stash too, since forever, and found it to be the perfect backdrop for the rose stickers, and a sentiment I stamped on.  When the card was nearly complete, I felt it needed one more tiny element in the top left corner, so I used a bit of the Heart Clover Wave border die (you'll get to see more of it in a bit), and just snipped one blossom off and topped it with a pearl.

Inlovearts Heart Clover Wave die, Cartoon and Daily Various Decorative Stickers bird, roses stickers, Stackable Hearts Nesting dies; pearls; crochet lace; mini file folder die cut

I also used tiny snippets of the Stackable Hearts Nesting dies as doilies peeking out from beneath the file folder.  I gently inked the edges, and added pearls (of course).

Up next is a dainty, feminine encouragement card using the Roses Pattern embossing folder.  Sigh!  I love the pattern on it.  Since I wanted to showcase this, I kept other details to a minimum and tried not to cover up too much of it.

Inlovearts Roses Pattern embossing folder

Had to add a pearl to the top of the crochet flower.  You know me.  LOL

So this is the Heart Clover Wave die I was mentioning earlier!  Isn't it fancy and lively?  Each clover is made up of little hearts, so it could be used for Valentine cards as well.  Me being of Irish descent, I needed to make a St. Patrick's Day card.  😉  I paired with it another product I chose from the Inlovearts shop, which is the pale green crochet trim.  I do love crochet trim.

Inlovearts Heart Clover Wave die, DIY Lace Decorative Stickers lace crochet trim; pearls; gold sequins

And in my world, where pearls reign supreme, I just had to top each clover with them.  But with this being a St. Patrick's Day card, where folks think of the 'pot o' gold', I decided to add little gold sequins too.

The Wave Border die set helps make the cutest scenes.  I used sparkly aqua glitter paper to create the prettiest waves for a bright day on the ocean.  The clouds are actually hearts made with Stackable Hearts Nesting dies, cut to resemble puffy white clouds.  Is it too much of a stretch?  I hope they read as clouds.  

Inlovearts Wave Border dies, Stackable Hearts Nesting dies (as clouds)

The fun thing about using this die set is you can use it on both sides.  For the card below, I die-cut the waves on the back of the glitter paper, and just turned the pieces over to reveal waves going in the opposite direction.  

You can tell from the pic below that I used Glossy Accents to cover the boat; I just love using that stuff. 😁

What do you think??  I had such fun making these cards!  

Here is the link list:

(8 colors) DIY Lace Decorative Stickers 15mm：

https://bit.ly/33Lho4e 

(11 varieties) Cartoon and Daily Various Decorative Stickers (25pcs)：

https://bit.ly/2DBllO8

Heart Clover Wave Frame Border Dies：

https://bit.ly/31wI4CW

Wave Border Dies：

https://bit.ly/3kuW7Sc

Roses Pattern Embossing Folder：

https://bit.ly/2ChL7X8 

 I also used this one on a few of the projects, the scalloped nesting hearts:

    https://inloveartshop.com/products/copy-of-stackable-rings-nesting-dies

For your shopping pleasure, there's a discount code you can use, too:

discount code :  G-22206

Thank you so much to Inlovearts for having me as a guest again! 😃

And as promised, here are some pics from my daughter's new dorm room.

Isn't it nice??  What a great place to study and do online classes!  

Thanks so much for joining me today.  I appreciate your visit!

God bless you,

Thank You, Friend, You Are Enough...and more

Hello friends!  It's hump day, and we're halfway through the work and school week. For those of you who have young kids, how's the homeschooling going?  I have to admit, I don't think my stress level would be too good if I had to work from home full time AND help little ones stay focused and on track with schoolwork, plus find other ways to keep them occupied.  That would tire me right out!  God bless all of you who do it every day. 

I've got a parade of cards to share today.  The first one is my favorite.  I am of Irish descent (Polish and Lithuanian too), born on St. Patrick's Day, and I have a penchant for shamrocks and Irish blessings.

Memory Box Lucky Charms, Lucky Leaves shamrock dies; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags die, thank you sentiment; Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Accents flower punch; pearls; vellum; Gina Marie Designs Pleated Lace Rectangles die; Ann-ticipations Irish Blessing stamp (under vellum); vintage thread

In the close-up below, you can see better the sheen on the green cardstock.  It has a pearly look.  Very pretty!

Memory Box Lucky Charms, Lucky Leaves shamrock dies; Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags die, thank you sentiment, Luck Of The Irish small shamrock stamp; Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Accents flower punch; pearls; vellum; Gina Marie Designs Pleated Lace Rectangles die; Ann-ticipations Irish Blessing stamp (under vellum); vintage thread

Papertrey Ink Tiny Tags tag die, sentiment stamp; Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch; Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Accents flower punch; pearls; My Favorite Things Stitched Mini Scallop Rectangle STAX die; Prima paper; vintage thread

Wplus9 Clear Cut Stackers Stars dies; Papertrey Ink Double Ended Banners die; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles dies; silver cardstock; I can't remember which set the sentiment came from!

Papertrey Ink Choose Joy sentiment; Gina Marie Designs Picket Fences With Wood Grain Finish die, Frilly Lace Rectangle die; rhinestones; Altenew Lavender Bud stamp and die; small leaf die cuts from Stampin' Up! scrap bag

Echo Park Trust In The Lord sentiment; K & Co. butterfly die cut; Kat Scrappiness Wonky Wavy Stitched Rectangles die; brown rhinestones, assorted Ranger Distress Ink sprays; gold embossed snippet from store bought card

I'm glad I bought the Papertrey Vintage Picnic set when I did, because it was on clearance and is all gone now.  It's the sweetest set.  I put my picnic basket on a gingham 'blanket'.

Papertrey Ink Topiary Trio dies, Vintage Picnic stamps and dies
(basket of food, sentiment); Gina Marie Designs Picket Fences With Wood Grain Finish die

A coworker of mine retired last year, and I made a card for him that looks very similar to the one below.

The Craft's Meow Just Sayin' sentiment; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; sun and palm tree stickers - dollar package; My Favorite Things Stitched Basic Edges die; Stampin' Up! Avant Garden dotted stamp

Verve Strong Anchor stamps (anchor, wheels) and matching Nautical dies; L'il Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles die; Inspired By Stamping Masculine Tags sentiment and nautical frame stamp, Fancy Label 2 dies; twine

Our Daily Bread Workshop Tools tool dies; Lost Coast Designs Measuring Tape stamp; Stampin' Up! Hardwood and Sanded background stamps; Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments sentiment   

Avery Elle Winter Wreath stamps and dies (wreath, berries, bow); Impression Obsession Birds dies; Papertrey Ink Daily Designs Sentiments sentiment, Double Ended Banners die

I had my eye on this oldie but goodie Stampin' Up! set, Garden Pleasures, below, for a while.  I found it for a (bird) song on Mercari (it's a yard sale kind of site, where people sell used items and ship around the country; I sell things on there too, and have made a decent penny doing it!).  It is such a charming stamp set.

Stampin' Up! Garden Pleasures birdhouse, bird stamps, Holiday Home sentiment stamp, Linen background stamp; Spellbinders Lacy Squares die; pearls; Papertrey Ink Double Ended Banners die 

Stampin' Up! Christmas Stocking punch (don't own it, not sure if that's the right name?), Hardwood background stamp; red gems; Sizzix / Tim Holtz Bricked embossing folder; twine; Hero Arts Holiday Sayings sentiment

Impression Obsession Square Shaker Frame die; Stampin' Up! Peaceful Boughs pine dies; Flourishes / Spellbinders Classic Tags die; Papertrey Ink Tag-Its #8 Mini sentiment; Stampin' Up! Hardwood background stamp; red button; twine

Before I go, I would like to share this verse from Scripture with you.  I say it aloud when I feel any anxiety creeping in to my mind:

2 Timothy 1:7
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

If we give in to fear, the enemy has won.  Stay positive, even amidst all the strangeness we are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Research has proven that focusing on the positive is good for you.  I found this article on the Mayo Clinic's website that shows benefits of keeping negative thoughts away from your mind.  Here is an excerpt:

"The health benefits of positive thinking
Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body."

Sending love and social distance hugs to you all!
God bless you!

Cards to Share

Hey there!  How are you all doing out there??  I hope you're keeping busy and keeping your hands washed to keep the germs at bay.  What a crazy time it is right now!  We are doing our part and staying in unless it's absolutely essential to run to the store.  My husband and I are taking walks in the evening, and it feels good to get some fresh air.

I had a little time this evening to photo-edit some cards from a while back, so I'm sharing today:

Stampin' Up! - 'thanks' sentiment (unsure of set); calendar panel; Webster's Pages - silver lace fabric

Papertrey Ink - Inside and Out: Birthday II sentiment; Stampin' Up! - Bloomin' Hearts Thinlits dies

Momenta - Hello sentiment; Altenew - One of A Kind flower stamp; Stampin' Up! wooden flower; Simon Says Stamp - Stitched Circle die; My Favorite Things - Scalloped Rectangle die

My Favorite Things - Inspired By Spring sentiment, Scalloped Rectangle die; Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch; Stampin' Up!  Itty Bitty Accents flower punch

My Favorite Things - Ewe and Me Forever sheep, flowers; Lucky -  clouds; Grassy Fields dies

The sheep card is definitely 'cutesy', and I had made it for my youngest daughter's 17th birthday.  She has always loved animals, and at the time, this sheep stamp set by My Favorite Things was new to me, so I played around with it and created a scenic card.

The Craft's Meow - Owl Be Thinking of You sentiment, stars; assorted scraps from my desk

Tim Holtz - Tattered Leaves die; Lawn Fawn Stitched Leaves oak leaf die; Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin - You Are My Anchor sentiment, Le Jardin Botanique leaf stamp

The last card is my least favorite in the line-up today.  I was trying to use elements that were on my desk at the time, and make it look cohesive.  Instead, it looks a bit busy to me now.  LOL 😆

Thanks a bunch for joining me today.  Stay safe and stay well, and God bless you!

Love, laughter and smooth sailing

Well hello there!
It's been a while since I've been here on my blog.  Life is whirring by.  When I stand back and look at the things that occupy me, it's not much "on paper", but oh how it fills my time!  Mine is a simple life, but a very rich one.  I am indeed blessed. 😄

These cards were made a while back, and it just so happens that they were waiting in draft form in Blogger for me to post.  Makes it easy on this busy morning.  I have to take my cat, Cristabel, to the vet this morning.  She's been throwing up A LOT in the past day.  On Tuesday night, I had given her some new treats from a company called "Get Naked" - Furball Relief Semi-Moist Treats.  I'm not exactly sure this is the cause of all the vomiting, but it's the only different thing in her routine.  The vet asked me to bring the bag of treats with me for the visit.  Poor Cristabel.  She's such a sweet cat, and we hate to see her feeling so poorly.

With the exception of the first card in this post, all the rest have something to do with water.  Speaking of boats and water, part of what has been keeping me so very busy is attending regattas on the weekends for our youngest daughter.  She's a rower on the Crew team at her high school.  When you attend a regatta, it's an all-day deal.  Many times she had an 8:00 am rowing time slot, and the kids have to be there two hours ahead of time.  So we'd get up super early and have her to the boats by 6:00.  Then we (the parents) wait.  The rowers go by so fast, so we don't see them for very long, but oh how exciting it is to watch!  After they row back up to where they started, they've got to de-rig the boat for travel back to our local boathouse.  Then the kids walk to the food tents (where all the spectators/parents are), and maybe catch a couple more teammates' races before heading home.  Yep, full day.  And we've done it in all kinds of weather, mostly the not-good kind.  😏  We've had snow, hail, rain, wind, clouds, FREEZING temps, and occasionally, a nice sunny day (but that's rare this year).  It's like camping every weekend.  And I'm not a camper.  LOL

She's had a tremendous year, and earned three medals!!  We're so proud of her!  She is in great shape, has more discipline than ever before (these kids practice before school from 5-7 a.m.), and has learned a great deal about the power, stamina and endurance she has within her.  💖

I had to take a close up pic to show you the 'waves':  they're made of ripped vellum.  I mounted them on a piece of watercolor paper that had been gently washed with blue paint, then die cut with a Spellbinders Large Deckled Rectangles die.  Also cut the same out of craft foam to layer beneath the panel.  Then I glued a piece of jute rope around the scene, creating a nautical frame.

This last card is super simple, and I made it for a child.  It uses craft foam stickers (sun, waves, palm trees) from a dollar store.

That's it for me for now; time to get Cristabel packed into her carrier, and that's a real job!
Have a blessed day!