August Birthdays

A new digital image by Snoopy's Homemade Fun and it is perfect for my sister's birthday and for the sketch at MFT.

I love this sentiment because my birthday is in August too!
The beautiful black frame is Spellbinders Stately Circles.  I cut the sentiments with MFT Stax Circles.  When I chose the pink paisley ribbon, I did so because I wanted that color, but then I remembered the paisley embossing folder and the Cuttlebug paisley dies - perfect.   I really like how it turned out. Yes?
Here is the sketch I used:

Challenges:
Gem of a Challenge - birthday wishes
Cas ual Chick - emboss and layers
Simon Work it Wednesday - die cuts
Simon Wednesday - anything 
MFT sketch

Isaiah 41:13

The challenge this week at the Kraft Journal is to make a CAS card with an inspirational quote or some uplifting saying.  I chose a Bible verse that is very special to me.
Being Clean and Simple, I did not use any embellishments, only cardstock.

The card base is black cardstock on which I layered Brown Kraft and then Light Kraft cardstock.   The image is by Clearly Digital Stamps.  The scalloped "frame" around the image is made using Brown Kraft cut with two dies.
The image is colored with Copics. The verse printed on the Light Kraft cardstock is a verse I downloaded from Word Art Wednesday.

Challenges:
Inspiration Destination - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Di's Digidesign - hand colored image 

Sunshine This Summer

Living in the Pacific Northwest, we don't usually suffer from the heat.  We may get a few days over 90 but there is a reason we are called the Evergreen State - cool temps and rain.  But this summer is different.  We have had an incredibly hot, dry summer and it started early in May.  Really enjoying all the sun but not so crazy about the dry, brown lawn!

The challenge at the Die Cut Divas is summer and summer activities.  I used a digital image of the sun by Papermakeup Stamps and digital paper by Diane's Daydream Designs for this card.  The sun is colored with Copics and then I add the sunglasses topped with liquid glaze. The sunglasses are just one in the set of four by Impression Obsession.  You can find them at Dies R Us, our wonderful sponsor this month.  The sentiment is cut out with Spellbinder's Labels and Tags die (on sale right now).
Trivia:  Did you know that Washingtonians buy more sunglasses per capital than Californians?  (one theory on that is that we in Washington wear them so infrequently, that we are always losing them so have to buy more! )

Challenges:
Inspiration Destination - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - sparkle and shine
Dis' Digis - hand colored image

Baking For Others

When it comes to paper crafting, cards are my favorite thing to do.  Now with OWH closing their doors, I am finding other places to send my cards, but I am also branching out and making things besides cards.  Amazingly enough, I like some of the things I have made!

There is an elderly couple (88 and 90) who live a few miles from me.  I have fallen in love with them these past few months.  She recently had a knee replacement so I bring them soup and baked goods every once in awhile.  This is my first time to use one of the coffee bags from the Kraft Outlet.  How fun.  These bags are small 3 3/8 x 2 1/2 x 7 3/4" - just right for gift-giving.  I filled this bag with Famous Amos cookies just for photographing purposes but will replace them with home made cookies for my friends.
The frames around the window are made by cutting Vintage Dictionary Pages and Brown Kraft cardstock with Spellbinder dies and my Cuttlebug.  The flower is made with dies too and some of the petals are sponged with Tim Holz Tea Dye Distress Ink.  I printed the sentiment and a digital cookie onto a Scalloped Grungy Prim Tag and then added some orange Hemp Cord.
I didn't make this bag very fancy because I am such a plain Jane person but I can envision many fun ways to decorate, according to the contents.  I am already planning my next coffee bag.
Before I go, I better mention that the challenge this week at the Kraft Journal is Anything But A Card.  Please share with us.  We love seeing new ideas.

Challenges:
Inspiration Destination - anything
Penny' Paper Crafting - anything
Crop Stop - anything

Puppy Dog Lover

A birthday card for a granddaughter who love dogs, especially puppies.

The image is colored with Copics.  The sentiment is cut with my Silhouette and the little fence posts behind the image are cut with MFT fence die. Sketch is Sketch Saturday:

Challenges:
Simon Monday - anything
Papertakes - no square card
Crafty Sentiments - country
Inspiration Destination - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Pennys Paper Crafting - anything
Sister Act - anything
Di's Digis - celebration
Craftin Desert Divas - birthdays
Time Out - nature, optional animals
V's Sweet Ideas - celebrate
Stamplorations - stamps and distress

Smile! It's Your Birthday

July is a crazy month for birthdays in our family.  Lots of cards to make.  Here is one of them I made for a daughter.

The stamp is Pure Innocence.  The camera BG paper and the two cameras on the side are digital papers by Diane's Daydream Designs.
I used the sketch at MFT

Here is the inside:

The top and bottom sentiments come with the Picture Perfect Pure Innocence set.  The Happy Birthday is Unity.
Challenges:
Simon Monday - anything
MFT - sketch
Sister Act - anything
Di's Digidesign - celebrations
Craftin Desert Divas - birthdays
V's Sweet Ideas - celebrate

Time To Pick Three

It's time again to pick three at the Kraft Journal Challenge.   Beach, Sentiment, Fabric, Shell, Tall and Skinny, Aqua, Orange, Punch.

Isn't this digital image a riot?  Did you ever do this - bury someone in the sand or have someone bury you?  I can remember doing it as a child.  I am way too claustrophobic to do it now.  Plus the thought of all that sand inside my clothes - yuck!
For this card I printed the digital image onto Light Kraft Text paper and white cardstock so I could use the Kraft as sand and color and fussy cut the kids. (Those feet were so tiny to cut!)  The water is done with a B000 copic marker onto blue cardstock.  The clouds are cut out with MFT dies.  The boat is an Impression Obsession die.  Shells are pre-colored Doodle Pantry digital images.
The card base is my favorite Kraft, Brown Kraft. 
This took several attempst for placement and dimension but it did come out pretty cute.  I think I will send it to my grandchildren who live in California and go to the beach often.
So I used 4 of the items in the list.  Come to the Kraft Journal and show us your card and which items you pick.  Challenge runs until Sunday evening.

Challenges:
Pile It On - water/by the water
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Sister Act - anything
Time Out - nature
Without Words - blue and brown
Simon Says Work it Wednesday  - anything that refreshes (the dip in the water, not the sand!)
Papertakes - anything
Simon Says Monday - anything 

Time for Refreshment

What a busy summer.  Hubby and I have been working like crazy on our yard and property after years of neglect.  We have had children and grandchildren staying with us since the last few days of June and will have someone here every day until the 21st of July. (different guests but constant).  I am already tired - mostly tired of cooking and cleaning!  And I miss the quiet and alone time.  One thing I have missed is my mornings out on the deck with just my coffee, Scripture, and God. 
I made a few cards (before the madness hit), with the intention of sending them to some people struggling with health and financial needs.  I never got around to writing inside and therefore never sent them.  As I was straightening up my office, I saw them and it was such a good reminder to me to be still (which can be translated from the original language to "relax") and know that I am God. Even in the busyness of the days, it is good to just be still, at least for a bit, and relish in the goodness of God and His blessings.
Each card is a bit different with different Copic colors,  Stickles, and cardstock.  Not sure which one I like the best.

The verse is digital.  The image is a Stampin Up stamp.   I used Tim Holz Tumbled Glass distress ink on the edges of each.

Challenges:
Pile It On - hot fun in the sun
Papertakes - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Time Out - nature
Without Words - blue and brown
Simon Says Work It Wednesday - anything that refreshes
Crop Stop - anything 

Wheats Up?

  At Die Cut Divas, the challenge is Summer Activities.  For me, one of my summer activities is my vegetable garden.  We don't grow much wheat on the west side of Washington but I love this stamp set by Your Next Stamp and it gave me a chance to use the beautiful die cuts made with the Impression Obsession Wheat Dies.

The image is colored with Copics and Prisma pencils.  Sky is done with Tim Holz Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.
Dies R Us is the sponsor for the Die Cut Diva's Challenge this month.  What are your summer activities?  Show us.

Challenges:
Papertakes - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Sister Act - anything
Crop Stop - anything
Time Out - nature
Stamploration - stamps and distress

Summer Fun

One of the activities we do EVERY August is go to the county fair.  In fact, we usually enter things like bakery items, photography, flowers.  So far I have ended up with at least one blue ribbon each year.  Some of my grandchildren enter and receive some kind of recognition each time too.  Of course they enjoy the carnival rides at least one day during the week.   I made my Summer card, the challenge this week at the Kraft Journal, with that as my inspiration.

The card base is Brown Kraft.  The panel is Buff Ivory.  I love this Ticket Stub Twill Ribbon and I really like the fact that the repeat pattern fits either an A2 card whether portrait or landscape.  (Doesn't it just bug you to have to cut in the middle of a pattern to make it fit on a card?  Drive me nuts!)
All the images are pieces from a Stampin Up scrapbook kit.  Can we say old???  Oh, my goodness.  I have had these pieces at least 14 years.  Just knew I would use them one day!

The gals at the Kraft Journal would love to see your summer cards.  The challenge runs from today, Monday, through Sunday p.m.

Challenges:
Pile It On - hot fun in the sun
Crafty Sentiments - summer
Inspiration Destination - anything
Sister Act - anything

July 4th - a Day of Thanks

So glad for the freedoms we still have here in America.  Truly thankful for all those who have fought and keep fighting for them.   But oh, so sad for the corruption and the moral decline in our nation.  Many will not agree with me, but America is no longer a great nation. A nation that has turned its back on God, ignores its Constitution, changes the definition of marriage, allows the murder of the unborn, ridicules those of the Christian or Jewish Faith - those are no longer qualities of a great nation.  We were promised hope and change recently.  Since then the decline has escalated.  The only hope and change will not be found in a man but in the promise of God, "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

It is the 4th of July, but this card isn't really an Independence Day card.  The challenge at the Die Cut Divas is summer activities.  One of the activities in our area is an airshow at a Canadian airport about 5 miles from our home. (We live in the U.S.)  We have attended several years but even if we don't go to the airfield, some of the aircraft fly directly over our home.  My favorites are the Canadian Snowbirds and they actually do many of their maneuvers right over our house. There are planes from several countries and many eras at the show.  So I thought of the airshow when creating a card for this challenge.  

The digital image of a F-2 Banchee is from the set, Glory Days by Doodle Pantry, and the sentiment is by Diane's Daydream Design.
The building is cut out with a Memory Box Cityscape Nightline die with the coordinating backing, Cityscape Silhouette.
Kraft colored ribbon and striped washi tape are my embellishments.

I hope you have (or have had) a fun, safe 4th of July and will have many more fun activities this summer.  Show us one of yours for the challenge. Our wonderful sponsor this month is Dies R Us.

Challenges:
Crafty Creations - red, white, blue
Dies R Us - stars and stripes
Cuttlebug Mania - sentiment
Craftin Desert Divas - red, white, blue
Papertakes - take your pick -  red
Die Cuttin Divas - anything
Inspiration Destination - anything
Sister Act - anything 

Loving Summer

 It is time for a new challenge at the Die Cut Diva's - Summer Activities.  And sponsored by Dies R Us.

I love summer: sunshine, blue skies, flowers, gardens, outdoor barbeques, trips to the beach.  Trips to the beach?  Here in the Pacific NW, we don't have very many sandy beaches.  But I love the beach whether rocky or sandy.  There are several lakes in Canada that have lovely sand.  Hopefully we can get up there soon for Kayaking, not surfboarding! as on this card.

I have a digital image of surfboards in sand but no Kayaks, so I used the surfboards on my card instead.  I printed them on three different designer papers then fussy cut.  I actually sliced the Kraft paper so I could put them down in the "sand".  Also sponged the Kraft a bit so it would look more like sand.  After tearing the blue paper, I put Stardust and Baby Blue Stickles on for the waves and foam.  The chair and flip flops are die cuts from an Impression Obsession die, Beach Chair.
What are some of your favorite Summer Activities.  Show us this month at the Die Cut Diva's Challenge.

Challenges:
Simon Work It Wednesday - refreshing 
Di's Digidesigns - summer fun
MFT color challenge
Frosted Designs - summertime blues
Inspiration Destination - anything