The Three Little Kittens

The 3 little kittens they lost their mittens... I made this card for Cindy's Teapot challenge. It had the cutest little kitties. I didn't stamp at all. I freehand crafted all these little kitties. I asked my kids to help me come up with the kittie's menu. My son Josh said... Hot DOGS and CATsup. I added blackened cajun CATfish. I was trying to come up with more CATegories of punny names. I tried to type CAT into a recipe search engine. It came up with 200 plus recipies for CAT. I am sure that most of them were for catfish that had the word cat in it. I had almost expected for it to say no results for that entry, search again. It struck me as humorous that it had the 200 plus recipies for CAT. I shared the story with my husband and he looked at me like I had lost my mind. He said there are a lot of deranged people in this world. He looked at me like I was one of them.

HOT-HOT- DUH

I made this card for my brother who has a birthday next month. It is different from my norm. I have had this stamp for 10 years and have not used it very often. On the inside it says "I hope you have a Hot birthday... DUH... your birthday is in August and in Phoenix. It will be!!! "

I know he will love it.

Summer Sunshine

Another card using the modern grid technique. It sure is a bright card. It made me think of the summer sunshine.

Modern Grid Purple Pansies

Today's SCS TLC was to do Faux Grid or Modern Grid Technique. I stamped and masked these little flowers. I watercolored them in. I made my grid 1" apart. I like order, so I couldn't just randomly color squares. I had to do them with a pattern. I stamped a flourish and my favorite butterfly. I added a little bow at the top.

I will praise the name of God with a song. And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

The old hymn "Count Your Blessings" has been going through my head this morning. "...Count your blessings, name them 1 by 1. Count your many blessings see what God has done."

10. Airconditioning

9. Music

8. Wonderful Church

7. Home

6. Food

5. Little blue wildflowers

4. Loving Husband

3. Healthy Family

2. My Mother

1. God's love

Just a few things I am thanful for today.

A simple thanks

'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free... that song was going through my head this morning. I don't do simple very often. I love cutting, coloring, new techniques... so this CAS card is very different from my normal card. The SCS Inspiration challenge today, took us to Chasing Fireflies I was inspired by this Tea Set. The little tea tray design made me think of the modern grid technique that I tried yesterday. So I had to give it another try. The flowers were randomly stamped and I made my grid 1/2" apart. I cut the teapot and cup out and popped them up on dimensionals. The only coloring that I did was the green leaves. I did faux stitching around the edges and finished it off with a thank you sentiment. This was the first time that this set saw any ink. I got it from my friend Cindy as part of her blog candy for a year of teaparties. Thank you Cindy!

Violets instead of lilies

Do not worry!

Matthew 6:25-34

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barn, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I was thinking about this scripture today as I was making this card. They may not be lilies, but I am sure that I could substitute violets into the scripture without changing the meaning too much. Running a small business makes for stressful time in this hard economy. I needed to be reminded of God's care for me. Maybe you did too.

Sonflowers

I have always loved sunflowers. I love how the follow the sun across the sky shifting to face the sunshine. I have had a stressful week and needed to be reminded to keep my focus on the SON.

I made this card for Splitcoast Stampers limited supply challenge. The challenge was to crop an image and use it at least 3 times on the card, and use only brads or eyelets as embellishments. I used this little flower stamp that I got when my local scrapbook store closed last Dec. I have tried to use it several times, but didn't like the results until today. I stamped the flower pot using white craft ink. I then masked it to CROP the flowers.

I colored the flowers and flower pot with my prisma colored pencils.

After seeing the modern grid technique on Cindy's blog. I have been thinking all week how I could incorporate it into a card. I stamped the flower on the yellow cardstock allowing the length of the flowers to vary. I made my grid with white colored pencils 1/2" apart. I accentuated the grid with two piece of the brown cardstock. I added the little brads, and a stamped hello.

SNOW in JULY?

Yesterday I made a fall card. Today I made a winter card for the Splitcoast Stampers Christmas in July challenge. It made me think about how quickly life seems to be going these days. I have less than 6 months and my oldest will be 18. Doesn't seem real to me yet. I got this sweet little snowman image in an image swap that I did through Splitcoast Stampers. I colored him using my prisma colored pencils. I really like this stand up card technique. I used some snowman and snowflake cardstock that I had been hoarding for awhile. I punched holes on the side panels for the ribbon and string of beads to go through.

I told my friend Cindy that I would post my wall of cards on my blog today. I have recieved cards from my SCS friends. I put them up on my wall at work next to my desk so I could enjoy them. I love seeing everyone's different styles. The different techniques (TRICKS!!) Mostly I love all the color. I have my friend Cindy's teapot cards all in a row. I noticed today for the first time that they all have their spouts facing towards the left. I wonder why?...

Sketch Challenge 236

I made this card for Splitcoast Stampers Sketch challenge 236. I guess I was thinking, and longing for fall. I used fall colors on this card. I took this photo of a flower arrangement from my mother in law several years ago. I had it in a folder for use on a card someday. Today was that someday. I used wrinkle free distress technique on the base of the card. I outlined each panel with black cardstock. I used twine, brads, a metal embellishment and a butterfly to finish the card. The brads and metal embellishment qualify for the stampinb's challenge to use metal on a card.

This week for Cindy's teaparty we are visiting a botanical garden in Ireland. We are going to start acumulating frequent flier miles with traveling to London, and Hershey PA and now Ireland. (I hope that Kelly found a horse headed home.)Here is the teapot for this week's teaparty inspiration. I knew I wanted to do another stand up card for TLC228. (Cindy this is a TRICK that I know you will love!!! It is so easy!!)

When I saw last week that we were visiting the gardens, I knew I wanted to try quilled and 3-d flowers. It was really hard to photograph, but the rose on my card has 5 different layers. The quilled flowers have a depth of about 1/4".

Since we are going to Ireland, I just couldn't leave my card white, so I used some GREEN dp that I had been hoarding. I don't know where my birds went. I must have scared them off when I walked to the bench that was in this area of the garden. I brought my camera so I could capture this beautiful garden. As I sat really still, I noticed these butterflies.

Don't tell the Queen, but the flowers in this garden are so much prettier than hers.

Cindy told us we had to wear a hat to protect our hair from birds... I'm a simple country gal. No fancy hats here. I did however have a St. Louis Cardinals ball cap. (Well, actually it is little ball cap bowl that Dairy Queen has for their sundaes.) I keep mine on my desk to hold my stamping sponges.

For Splitcoast stampers Technique Lovers Challenge for today, Lynn showed us a really neat fold for a stand up card. I tried to do a sunrise card. I think I need a little more practice. I wasn't entirely happy with the lines between the colors. The quote at the bottom says... A friend is one who strengthens you with prayers, blesses you with love, and encourages you with hope.

More Fireworks

The fireworks that are on the right hand side made me think of an eagle flying.

Fireworks Photos

Happy Fourth of July

I had some of the elements on this card made last night, and waited until today to finish it. It combines 3 challenges (well almost) and celebrates the Fourth of July.

1st challenge: Stampin B's challenge to use metal on card. My stars and firecracker are my metal. They were made out of a coke can.

2nd challenge:(This is my almost challenge) Limited supply challenge. I had to say almost because I did stamp my flag. Stars punched out, Digital stars frame.

3rd challenge: Today's inspiration challenge. Here was my inspiration. I was also inspired by this card.

Dance, Love, Sing, Live

Dance as though no one is watching you.

Love as though you have never been hurt.

Sing as though no one can hear you.

Live as though heaven was on earth.

I love Saturday's Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoast stampers. Stef comes up with the most wonderful choices for inspiration.

I loved this poster.I also had to try a new quilled flower technique. I have tried rolled flowers out of circles, but never out of scalloped circles. Check out Valita's tutorial on her blog it is awesome.

What took the longest on this card was trying to decide which font to use on my computer. I used Microsoft publisher to print the words. I used my paper crimper to make the leaves. I used a marker to outline the edges of the card.

I had to add a butterfly with all those pretty flowers. You know I can't help myself when it comes to butterflies.

I finished it off by piercing the butterfly's trail.

Digital Monarch Butterfly

The limited supply challenge, at Splitcoast Stampers, for today was to use a digital image, die cuts, no stamping, no more than 2 embellishments. Well, I almost met the challenge. I used a digital image of a monarch butterfly and coneflowers that I drew myself in May and I had scanned into my computer. I didn't use stamps. I only used 2 embellishments. Where I failed was I have no die cuts and no way to get die cuts. I had to faux die cut my image, by tracing around a die cut piece of cardstock that was with a RAK from my friend Krischir. After I traced it, I scanned it into my computer to make it a little bigger and I used both of them as patterns to cut out my image. Oh well, 3 out of 4 limits isn't too bad.

Crocodile Card

I made this crocodile, as a thank you card for our children's director at church. We are going to be doing Crocodile Dock for our VBS next week. She does so much work. I wanted to make this for her. I used cardboard sponged with green to make the outside. I used this Template to make my card.

Treasure Map

I was inspired by this wonderful card by Bobbiesgirl. For this card I combined three of splitcoast stampers challenges. I did this weeks color challenge, the technique challenge and the way to use it challenge. My map is made out of cardboard. I drew the map freehand. I printed the scripture on a piece of parchment. I rolled the edges to make it look like a scroll. I faux stitched the edges and I added 4 little brads.

Butterfly Fantasy Box

Today's Ways to Use it Challenge as Splitcoast Stampers was to think OUT OF THE BOX. To make something out of recycled cardboard. This challenge comes at a great time. I have a pile of boxes that I broke down flat and have been saving for awhile. Last week my husband asked if I was saving them for a reason. Well, of course I was. I was planning to make a fantasy box. I have made fantasy boxes before, but it has been awhile. FANTASY BOX. When I finished my box, I embellished it with butterflies and quilled flowers. It only took me an hour and a half, but I think it was worth it.