Snow In May? And a Mother's Day Card

I think we are finally going to have Spring...but...I'm not sure...we actually had snow last week!  Although it really wasn't much and with the rain we had also it didn't stick...but...there were little patches of snow here and there the next morning...which means it was cold! Earlier in the week it was 80's near 90...and then in the lower 40's...brrrr....after a rainy Saturday and cloudy Sunday we have sunshine this Monday afternoon and we are in the mid 60's....which is still rather cool for May...but..it is suppose to be warmer tomorrow and the rest of the week.  So, something to look forward to....

A few weeks ago I did a challenge which was to make a Mother's Day card...rather early but, I thought it was a great idea so I could get a card made for my Mother-N-Law and not being doing it at the last minute...especially so since I have to mail it !

 I have to admit this is probably one of my favorite cards I have made...I love eyelet, I love dotted swiss, I love differant shades of purple, and of course flowers and pearls...I don't normally make "square" cards mostly because it's hard to find envelopes to mail them in unless you buy them pre-packaged...this one I had to "borrow" from one of those pre-packaged ones that happen to have a "frame" in the middle of it so it wouldn't work...I found the insperation for this card off from Pinterest which led me to this blog here .  It's in my plans to make some birthday cards in differant colors...sometime in the near future!

My next card  is one I did for a the ABC card swap...this is for the letter "E" we were to emboss on our card...it could be either type...so I did both...we did these back a few months so I must have been wanting some sunny days as this card is quite bright!  

That's it for today....Thank you for visiting and please leave a comment so I know you were here...and just a reminder I have added an e-mail link so you can subcribe to getting e-mails when I post...since you know it's not on a regular basis...

Hugs and Smiles

T



Whip-poor- Willie, an Owl and a Throwback Card

One of the wonderful things about living in the woods is listening to the Whip-poor-will sing…They sing at night through early morning before sunrise or at least the one we that serenades us here does. Although we have yet to see him…each spring we hear his call…someone told me that they do their singing before it rains… sometimes he is close by and other times you just hear him in a distance…sometimes there are two of them…we have named “ours” Willie… Here is a link about Whip-poor-wills info and if you haven’t heard one before here is a you tube link call.

I recently did a challenge on one my facebook crafty groups…the challenge was to do a card with an owl….okay…I had planned to do a card too but time just got away from me so I only did the wall hanging…so, I didn't qualify for a chance for the prze...but, I really wanted to make this hanging for our group leader…she is always doing challenges and offering a prize for the winner…she had a twist on this one as she was offering not one but two prizes and the twist was that if your “card” was picked as one of the winners then you were to send it to her so she could frame them and hang them on her wall. I knew I had at least one owl on one of my Cricut Cartridges…I didn’t realize I had several! But, this is the one I chose to use..it’s off the Cindy Loo cart which I seem to use quite a bit. I had wanted to use different papers but of course I couldn’t find it in my mass of papers. But, while looking I found the blue paper and decided to go with it…glad I did because I love how it came out….I cut it on nine inches…I started off with the back shadow also being brown with another behind it the same size as I wanted it to be a bit heaver…but, didn’t like the brown on brown so I decided to use another blue as the shadow right on top of the brown so it is quite sturdy now plus, it just gave it that extra punch I think it needed….I added eyelets at the top and ribbon to hang it up with.

I have posted about a blog I follow where Clare the blogger has a Throwback Tuesday post where she shows a card from the past….maybe one she had posted before or never had a chance to post. Telling us what she would change about it if she was making it now….she does this each Tuesday while offering a chance to win a box of goodies as well at the end of each month if we leave a link to an old blog post of ours or a card that has been sitting around…here is mine for this month…it's one I did in October 2011.

I think if was doing this card again I would ink around the edges to give it some pop!  I would also add some tiny pearls to the butterflies and I would put the "be happy" on a banner of some type.

Thanks for stopping by and leave me a comment so I know you were here...also...please become a follower if you aren't already.  I have added a place so you can get my post updates via email so you will know when I do post...

Hugs and Smiles,
T

Spring Where Oh Where Are You?

Is it Spring where you are yet?  It's trying to be here but hasn't quite made it...last weekend was cold, rainy, snowy, gloomy....only a dusting of snow...probably more bu,t it only stuck to the grass and didn't stay long...it's been trying to warm up since..finally made it into the 60's today which is our normal...but, also normal is the wind...stay tuned...weather changes daily.

Since my last post I have had  a terrible cold and sinus infection...including a cough...that took a good 2 weeks to get rid of...mostly...and it's been sinus, allergies and an ear infection since.  So, I got a bit behind on some things...had to catch up with the house work...shopping...and just day to day things..then my hubby had to work 3 -12 hr night shifts this week..so those always put me behind on the cleaning...but, hopefully those are over for this week...Friday is a holiday so that means a 3 day weekend...3 days of no alarm clock!  But, it did give me some extra hours to get crafty....So, I will share a couple of cards I made this week first.

My first card is for a challenge which was to use embossing folders...which I seem to collect but not use much of...so this was a great challenge for me to put some of them to work...This is the dotted Swiss folder which was probably one of my first and still probably one of my favorites...I had pinned this card on Pinterest and  really wanted to make it.  So I decided to take it a step further with the embossing.  I substituted a heart for the butterfly since it's Spring I thought it would be perfect.  I also love butterflies so this gave an excuse to use one on a card.

You will find the link to the original post  here.

Now the 2nd one is for a challenge which was to use pastel colors...we were also to use watercolors or the effect of to make you think of Easter eggs...as an extra challenge...not required...I tried to use the watercolors...it's been awhile since I used mine so I thought this would give me an excuse to do that...I did...it just wasn't doing it for me..of course some of that may have been because I was trying to do it at 1:30 in the morning!  So, I scrapped that idea and went to bed...and did this card the next day.  Since I had done the 1st card using an embossing folder I decided to do that with this one too...as also with the 1st card I got this idea from a card I had pinned...altho the pinned card had been done with different printed papers I decided to use solids on mine so I could get in all the pastels...so, the embossing folder gave it some texture. I want to use this LO for another card using printed papers from my endless supply of scraps. 

You will find the original post here.

I have to share one of my crafty helpers...One my sweet boys TK (aka Thunder Kitty) taking a nap. Most of the time he's more into it than this but he found a nice (although I would think very uncomfortable) quiet place to help.  He's such a sweetie! 

Thanks for the visit...please if you aren't a follower already please do so...I am trying to get up to 50 soon......and I will do some blog candy to win...also please leave a comment so I will know you have been here...because for the giveaway it will be required...I recently added a place where you can get updates via emails which might help since I am still trying but haven't quite made it regular blogger...Thanks.

Hugs and Smiles!!!

T

Birthday and Drinks...

My mother-n-law's birthday was on the 10th so I made this card for her...I normally don't add this much to a card when I need to mail it...but, I saw a card like this one on Pinterest and just thought it was beautiful and had to give it a try.  I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do just that!

Click here for the original post...

I can now also share the latest card I made for the A-Z swap I did on one my craft groups...We are at the letter "D" and the theme was Drinks....so many possibilities!  I thought about coffee or tea....maybe a martini...also lemon-aid...but in the end since we were doing this in the winter a couple of steaming cups of hot cocoa with some yummy marshmallows on top won out....which also could be used as a Valentine theme as well...It's actually larger than I normally make at about 5x 6 1/2. 

Our next A-Z card will be the letter "E" and we are going to do a technique instead of a theme and it's embossing....wet or dry....I think I know what I am going to do....just hope they come out as imagined....most don't....

That's all I have to share for now...thank you for visiting my blog an please if you aren't a follower please become one and please leave a comment so I know you were here...I have something planned for next month on here so I am trying to get to at least 50 followers by then...also feel free to invite your crafty friends...

Until next time

Hugs and Smiles,

T

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Hope it's a loved filled day for you and your loved ones....when I think of Valentine's day several memories pop up in my head...those paper sacks (usually white ones) that we decorated back in grade school....hanging them off our desk and then everyone would go around putting those oh so cute cards inside...another memory is when I worked on an assembly line where the room was mostly rows of tables where we did our work....way back over 30 yrs ago....it was mostly women....by the end of the day I think there were more flowers in that room than at the florist. Another year my sweet hubby was somewhere on a Navy ship on some ocean in the world.  Not for sure if he was my hubby just yet....but I remember the roses he sent me in the mail!  They were the prettiest pink!  What a surprise that was as it was something new to this country girl...another year we were going to go out to eat but had to wait for the florists to deliver my flowers....and wait...and wait...and call....wait...call again...one time being told they were on their way...another that they were sending out a new bouquet....when finally the 1st one showed up....we must have been on the route back to the shop. Another year when we were eating the woman behind us was constantly on her cell phone....neglecting the man she was with....no wonder we now just stay home...make a special (but easy) meal and just relax for the evening.  Some years my hubby surprises me with something some years he doesn't....that's okay...he shows me he loves me everyday...and that's what counts.

I waited to the last minute to make my Valentine cards this year...I was making them just this past Monday to get in the mail on Tuesday.  I mostly just want to make them for my 5  great/grand nieces and 1 nephew.  So, since I had to do something fast it needed to be simple.  I remembered on one of my facebook group there was a challenge to do a card we had pinned from Pinterest.  So, I went through all those pinned cards (luckily I have one just for Valentine's) and came up with this one.  I did the blue one for my nephew...not so sure I would call it a "boy" card but it had to do.  I did put together 13 cards I think (sent some to other relatives and friends) in the end...Simple....but I like how they came out...I think a butterfly on this would be cute too instead of the hearts....

I wanted to do another challenge from group...we were to use hearts and this card sketch from: http://studiocalico.typepad.com/studio_calico/2013/02/sunday-sketch-1.html  so.... I whipped this one this morning....using Echo Park for the printed papers everything else is from my scraps....I like this sketch very much so I think I will use it again...maybe with a butterfly (I love butterflies!) on this one too or just an stamped image instead of the hearts....or maybe both!

That's all I have to share today!  Again Happy Valentine's Day....hope your spending it with the one you love...

Till next time...

Hugs and Smiles

T

It's That Time Of Year

When my hubby goes on his annual fishing trip with some of his co-workers...they have been doing this close to if not 20 yrs now. They are only gone a couple of days and nights and I always like to have this time to catch up on some things. I always have all these plans of things I want to do...and I couldn't possibly get them all done in 2 days! Anyway...he left on Sunday morning and here it is Tuesday afternoon and he's already home...unpacked...one load of laundry in and another one waiting....and what I did I accomplish while he was away...Not as much as I had planned...I did get some house cleaning done...my wood floors are all nice a shiny...I did get some shows I had on the DVR watched....and I did get my Valentine cards done and in the mail....and I did get a card made for a friend's Gma who is battling cancer made and in the mail....and that is about it....I didn't get my closet cleaned out....I didn't get the utility room organized like I wanted to....I didn't get my craft room mess cleaned up either...I didn't go shopping....etc...I did do a bit of catching up on a couple of my favorite blogs....and one those is Miss Clare's at: http://bearydocardsinc.blogspot.com/ She is having a simple challenge this month...to post a throwback card...which is an older card that you had made...she is giving away a box of goodies at the end of the month if you take her up on her challenge so this is what I am doing with this card. I just went into my picture file on the computer clicked on some dates and this is the first one I came up with. Clare is posting one of her throwback cards each Tuesday and commenting on what she would change now. So, I will do the same.

I made this card way back in June 2011....With Echo Park papers and embellshiments...the flower I made...was easy peasy...just hand cut circles of pink felt in differant sizes...adhired together with a some bling in the middle...But, I think if I was going to change it I would also cut some leaves to add to the flower as well as maybe adding some  lacy trim somewhere...maybe at the top and bottom where the pink strips are.  Maybe not...maybe just the leaves....What do you think?

The other card I made was for a friend I met on one of my facebook crafty groups.  I thought I would make and send her Gma a card who is battling cancer.  She likes flowers so I thought I would use some 3-D stickers I had bought awhile back because I just thought they were too pretty to pass up...the design is simple...and the sentiment I did on the computer....

I am still trying to do my challenges that I sit for myself this year...a bit behind on posting here but I plan to catch up this week.  So far, I am doing at least one card a week...some of those are from cards I have been pinning from Pinterest...still need to work on those other "pinned projects".....

Some good news to share...my friend that was going through the major health issues is doing better although she had another set back...bounced back from that ...we were able to get out and about about a week and half ago have lunch and go into a couple of stores... and she was able to return to work this week. So, am sooooo grateful for that.

That's it for today....Please if you are new here please become a follower...leave a comment so I know you were here and if you have a blog you would like me to visit then let me know...

Thanks for visiting!

Hugs,
T

Challenges!

I missed posting last week...but I did get a card made...it was for a challenge on one my my facebook groups.  It was to use fibers...no problem right?  Since I love ribbon and use it on allot of my cards.  But....there was a catch it was suppose to be something we hadn't used or tried in the last 3 months....so I had been wanting to make a flower using ribbon.  Decided this was the time do so...plus, it was another thing that I had  "pinned".....so that took care of another "personal" challenge for me....

That was last weeks card...and this week I did another challenge which was to make a non tradtional Valentine....I also got the inpseration for this card on another pin...I stayed away from the trational red, pink, white Valentine colors and used craft along with some black and aqua....I also stayed away from the tradtional heart as the main focal point with the old timey sewing machine but had to add a heart (what's a Valentine without a heart?) somewhere so I added it with the ribbon.

One last card(s) to share...The A-Z swap I am on is up to letter D for this month but last months was "C" for chicken...which was right up my alley for sure...the only thing is I have so many stamps, images etc...that I wanted to use...I finally decided to use a cricut die cut...the local scrapbook store I go to had some card kits awhile back using die cuts of differant farm animals.  I had been wanting to try my hand at them for awhile so I decided to try my version with this swap.  So simple....I had to do 8 and since it was in December I was running low on red ribbon and so I had to use up several types of red ribbon I had on hand...I like how they turned out.  Plan to make more with differant "farm" animals.  But, I think I will add another layer...maybe even use an embossing folder for the back ground...

That's it for today!  Thanks for visiting my blog...please try back again soon....I am trying to "blog" more.  Maybe sometime in the near future offer up some blog candy....I have a reason for it...just need to get some "candy" together to offer! 

Hugs T

A Card A Week Challenge #1 and # 2

Hope this is finds you having a wonderful week so far. It’s been okay here…not great…I have a friend who is going through some major health issues now and am worried about her. I feel helpless in knowing what to do for her except be there and keep her in my prayers.


It’s a cloudy gloomy kind of winter day here. We had a little rain last night and we hopefully will get more this evening. Since it’s in the 50’s and the overnight low was in the 40’s it’s rain and not snow. So, since we need the rain badly I am not complaining about it. Even if it brings gloomy cloudy days…a good excuse to stay indoors and get some crafting done.

We are in our 2nd week of the New Year and one of my challenges to myself for the New Year is to make at least one card a week. That doesn’t mean 52 cards at the end of the year…which would equal out to one a week but actually one a week. Hopefully, I will make far more than 52 cards this year.

For week one of “my challenge” is a couple of cards (yes a couple) I made from kits that the scrapbook store (you can find her on facebook...Simply Scrapbooks in Claremore, OK)   I go to put together. I actually put together about 5 kits the other night but will only post this one or two….Can you tell what I did different with the card on the left? I thought this was a really cute card and one I will use as inspiration for another. I need to find out who made that stamp because I think it is really cute.

The 2nd card I made this afternoon for a challenge on one of the closed craft groups I belong to on facebook. We were to use scraps…sounds easy enough….but, everything we used we had to of had for at least 3 months. So, I went into my scrap bag and pulled a few sheets out….and came up with this. I actually used another card kit from the scrapbook store for inspiration. I don’t know if I really like the white back ground though. But, I couldn’t figure out what other color to use.

Now, another challenge I have made myself for this year is to start doing some of those projects from Pinterest that I have been pinning for months now. Whether it’s a paper craft , sewing, gardening or something else I am going to do at least one of them a month. Hopefully, more…I am saying one a month because some will take some time….I have another facebook craft group that has challenged us this month to do an altered project from a pin we have pinned on Pinterest. So, that came at a great time! Now, to just figure out which one to start on!

Until next time

Hugs

T

Some Recent Projects

It's hard to believe that it's another new year...but, it is...I hope you have a healthy, happy and creative new year...I don't make resolutions really but I have given myself challenges for the year...To begin with I hope to be more creative this year than I was last. Some things I plan to be more creative with are to make at least one card a week...that doesn't sound too hard to do does it?  But, that means one card a week...not three this week and nothing for another three weeks...I want to make one card a week.  For a real challenge I should say more than that but I will leave it at one for the moment....So, if I make one card a week then I should blog once a week too...right?  We will see....

I don't have a card for you to see today but I will share a couple of Christmas gifts I made for my friend Gaye.  I "met" Gaye online on a craft group forum...we have kept in touch from one group to another.  Now, we are on at least one craft group on facebook.  So, we have done "swaps" before.  From Secret Sister to just one on one swap.  This year we decided to do a Not So Secret Sister swap on our own.  We decided to make a few things and buy (or find in our multi-crafty stash) a few things.  I loved making the altered tile a few months ago so I decided to do another one but this time make it an 8x8 tile instead.

I started off by cutting the bottom layer to ft the tile.  Then I added some paint around the edges to give it a little more color.  The cowboy boots were on the paper but I decided to cut another pair from an extra piece of paper to add a little depth on that corner.   The "G" was cut with my Cricut cart. Country Life and the boots from Wild West.

I also did her a altered 5 x5  paper meche' box that I had waiting for me to do something with it.  So, this is what I came up with...I like how it came out except for the inside and I think I can do better....

We have decided to make this an annual event.  We don't just stick to paper crafts but crafts in general.  We also both like to browse the 2nd hand stores, flea markets or just plain junk stores for those inexpensive little things.  So, this year we will have the other one in mind when we are our "shopping".

I'll end with an ornament that I made for a different online crafty friend.  We both missed out on joining a Christmas ornament swap on a craft group so we decided we would just do one on our own.  I had been wanting to do one like this from "pinning" it on Pinterest so I decided this was a perfect time to accomplish that.  I loved how it came out so much I made my sister one and myself...

That's my first post of the year!  It is the 6th of January and I haven't made that 1st card of the year yet so I think I will go do that now...

Again I hope y'all have a happy, healthy and creative new year!

Hugs
T