Happy St. Patrick's Day Birthday!

Hello, Friends!

How are you?  The flu has hit our house hard!  We just cannot seem to get over it.  My parents both got it first back in February.  I got sick a week after they did and it just keeps hanging on and on and on!  I finally felt better for two days this week and thought I had finally kicked it.  I was wrong!  The terrible headache, body aches, exhaustion and nausea are back today, but I'm going to power through and show you a card I made for a dear friend this week!

I made this Happy St. Patrick's Day Birthday Card for my dear friend, Chris.  You may have seen her sweet comments on my blog as Chris R. from Iowa.  Chris is the best.  She is so thoughtful.  She frequently sends me care packages just to let me know she's thinking of me.  Did you remember that 2017 was my year of the flying pigs because I was going to do things that I had thought would only happen at the same time that would have previously started "when pigs fly?"  As in, "When pigs fly, I'll get to make and put cards on my blog every day for more than a week!"  Well, I did do that, but to remind me that I was going to see flying pigs, twice my dear Chris sent me flying pigs!  In every care package, she sends treats for Gunner.  When he arrived, she even sent him his own package complete with a stuffed pig, which he sleeps with every night.  Chris tolerates me not writing as fast or often as I should and always responds to my emails right away.  She is always encouraging and supportive.  Everyone should be so lucky to have a friend like Chris!  

Today is not only St. Patrick's Day, but also Chris R from Iowa's birthday!  When I saw this stamp set with the leprechaun, this sentiment, and other St. Patrick's Day icons from Your Next Stamp, I knew it was perfect for Chris.  I've been patiently waiting for March to roll around when I could finally use it and make her this card.  Even with a touch of the flu that day, I was going to make this card and get Chris' birthday present to her on time!  The making of the card is pretty straightforward.  I colored my leprechaun with Copic markers, adhered him with foam tape and stacked gold sequins next to him for his little pile of gold.  (They are not black like they look in the picture.  They are just reflecting something dark when I took the picture.  They are also not cannonballs, which is what my Dad thought they looked like in the picture, either!  This is your average happy leprechaun who wants to wish my friend a happy birthday.  He does not have anger issues!  HA!)  

I hope Chris is having a wonderful birthday and that the rest of you are enjoying your St. Patrick's Day.  I definitely hope you are not fighting the flu!

Stay tuned for more cards coming soon.  I'm going to do my best to not allow the flu to keep me from stamping anymore.  There are cards celebrating spring, Easter and a very special announcement all coming soon!

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Irish Hello Stamp Set by Your Next Stamp

Irish Hello Dies by Your Next Stamp 

Stitched Square Scallop Edge Frame Die-namics by My Favorite Things

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad by Tsukineko

Orange Zest Ink Pad by Papertrey Ink

Copic Markers

Stamper's Select White Cardstock by Papertrey Ink

Swiss Dot Rainbow Petite Prints Paper Pad by Doodlebug

Tiny Hearts Bright 6 x 6 Paper Pack by My Favorite Things

MISTI by My Sweet Petunia

Peacock Feathers Sequin Mix by Neat and Tangled

Scotch Foam Tape by 3M

Cupid's Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello, Friends!

  It's hard to believe it's February already and that Valentine's Day is just around the corner!  For my first Valentine's card I'm sharing with you, I used this fabulous Cupid Stamp from Art Impressions.  I've had this stamp for a while and my back finally cooperated around Valenentine's Day so I could use him!  I love everything about this guy- from his chubby bald head to his heart boxers!  I actually colored Cupid at the beginning of Kathy Rascoosin's 30 Day Coloring Challenge in the middle of January.  I've been coloring a lot and have all kinds of images to share as I make them into cards!  

The card itself is pretty straightforward, so I won't explain how I made it.  However if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section and I will answer them right away!  

  I will take this time to ask a question however!

Some companies spell their thicker paper

Card Stock,

 like My Favorite Things and Gina K

while others spell it

Cardstock, 

like Papertrey Ink and Stampin' Up.

Which is your preferred spelling?  I try to use the spelling that the company uses in my list of supplies.  However, sometimes, like today the two different companies use two different spellings.  It looks like I spelled one wrong, although it's hard to decide which one it is!   :)

I am entering this card in four challenges.  

  

The Paper Players Sketch Challenge:  PP378 provided the sketch I used for my card.  Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge is Anything Goes.  Addicted to Stamps and More's Challenge is Make Your Mark.  This challenge is to color in an image on your card using markers, pencils, paints, chalks, etc.  You could also use a technique to color.  In my case, I colored my sweet little Cupid with Copic Markers.  Finally, the challenge at Just Add Ink is to Just Add Romance.  I think my Cupid ready to shoot his sparkly arrows at a love interest is romantic, so I'm entering it there, as well.  

Stay tuned for more Valentine's Day cards as well as other creations coming in the future from my colored images!!

I used the following products to make this card:

Val Set by Art Impressions

Keep It Simple:  Valentine Mini Stamp Set by Papertrey Ink

Pierced Circle STAX Die-namics* by My Favorite Things

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad by Tsukineko

Wild Cherry Dye Ink Pad by My Favorite Things

Copic Markers

Stampers Select White Cardstock by Papertrey Ink

Wild Cherry Card Stock by My Favorite Things 

Hearts and Stripes 6 x 6 Paper Pack by My Favorite Things

Clear Wink of Stella by Zig

Scotch Foam Tape by 3M

Ladybug Hearts Assortment Sprinkles* by Doodlebug

*Retired

A Neat and Tangled Christmas Card

Hello, Friends!  

I have another card to share with you!  I won this stamp and die set named "Christmas Pageant" from Neat and Tangled back in November.  You can find in on the Neat and Tangled website here.  I wanted this set the second I saw it, so when I won it for free, I was super excited!  I could hardly wait to get these stamps inky and start coloring them!  Unfortunately, I had to wait a lot longer than I wanted but as soon as I was able, I started coloring these guys- even before the girl and her puppy that I showed you yesterday!

 

I had big plans for my card using this set.  I wanted it to be awesomely cute.  I wanted the design to be great and really show off these wonderful stamps and their matching dies.  I wanted to use the adorable font for the "Merry Christmas" and add "to all and to all a good night."  I wanted to make a card that I could really be proud of to do these stamps justice!  

You see, not only do I love Neat and Tangled stamps, but the owner, Danielle, is wonderful!  I've only talked to her through email a couple of times, but that was more than enough to know that she is a sweetie!  I wanted my card to be something she could be proud of, as well!

I colored my images as part of Kathy Rascoosin's 30 Day Coloring Challenge.  That part went well.  I even added extra touches like polka dots on the snowman's scarf and highlights with my white gel pen.  

Then, it was time to put my images onto a card.  I sat down at the table to get started.  My brain said, "this is going to be great."  My back said, "OOOOOWWWW!  Don't sit here!  Get up!  This chair hurts me!"  

As always, my stinking back won.  Instead of getting to make my wonderfully designed card, ready to show off these fabulous stamps, I had to resort to a much more simple design.  I used a white card base and added a cute red patterned background to the entire front of the base.  I cut two frames for my card.  One was cut out of white card stock and the other out of turquoise.  This way, I had my white scalloped frame and a turquoise square that fit inside perfectly.  I added my snowman boy and my ornament girl inside the square with foam tape so they would stand out from the card.  That was all I could stand to do at the table, so I had to consider my card completed.

I thought about waiting until I could do more for my card, but I really wanted to share these images with you and tell you about the wonderful lady who owns Neat and Tangled.  I have no idea when I'll be able to sit at the table to make a more complex card.  I decided I'd go ahead and share this card and then make another when I can do more like I had intended.  

Please click this link to take you to the Neat and Tangled store.  You'll see all kinds of goodies like great stamp sets, dies, stencils, and sequins.  I really like to support brands who have caring people behind them and believe me, 

Neat and Tangled fits the bill!  

My card fits the Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge this week, which is to use red and turquoise on a Christmas card.  This challenge is also a great reason to make Christmas Cards now!  I'll be ahead for Christmas 2018 and get to use Christmas images all year long, since I missed out on getting to use them this past year!  I am also adding my card to the "Just Add Something New" Just Add Ink Challenge since I (finally) got to use my new Christmas Pageant stamp set and dies.  I had never used the paper pad for the red patterned paper, either.  

I'm going to start posting my coloring projects on Instagram since making cards is not as easy as I'd like.  Then, you can still see that I'm alive and well!

I have a small number of 17 followers on Instagram, so I would love to have you join me!  There will be Gunner pictures there as well!

To follow me on Instagram click here.  

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Christmas Pageant Stamp Set by Neat and Tangled

Christmas Pageant Nice and Neat Dies by Neat and Tangled

Stitched Square Scallop Edge Frames by My Favorite Things

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko

80 lb Solar White Card Stock by Neenah

Real Red Card Stock by Stampin' Up

Summer Splash Prestige Card Stock by My Favorite Things

Be Merry 6 x 6 Paper Pad by American Crafts

MISTI by My Sweet Petunia

Scotch Foam Tape by 3M

Have a Pawfect Day with Gunner info!

Hello, Friends!

Happy New Year!  I realize we're actually more than halfway through January, but this is my first post of 2018.  So, I'm going to wish you all a 

Happy New Year even though it's not that new anymore.  

As you probably guessed from my absence, I have been having a lot of problems with my back.  There is nothing that can be done right now to help.  I just have to live with the pain in my lower back and down my legs.  When my back hurts so much, stamping and card making are out of the question.  As a result, I missed getting to make, share and send Christmas cards this year.  That was a huge disappointment because I look forward to making and sending Christmas cards a lot!  Luckily for me, there are Christmas Card Challenges that go all year long so I can still get those stamp sets inky!

This past week, my back finally started to feel a little bit better.  While I was trying to catch up on email, I saw that Kathy Rascoosin was starting her 30 Day Coloring Challenge again on January 15th.  I try to participate in it every single time she does it.  I usually make it a few days and them I'm out because of my back.  I'm not a quitter, though, so I decided, once again, I'd give it a try!  I am able to tolerate sitting in my "spot" on the couch and coloring images with my Copics pretty well.  I've been able to color 7 different images that I wanted to put to use, including the one above since January 15!

The first card of the new year that goes on my blog is always special to me.  I like it to have an extra special meaning.  It didn't take much thought at all to decide this year's card should feature Gunner James!  

Gunner is a sweetheart.  We've almost had him for four months.  He is my shadow!  He rarely leaves my side.  Gunner is definitely my dog, much to the dismay of both of my parents who would like to be able to pet him and hold him like I can!  Gunner isn't willing to do this yet, but he's better with them than when he first got here, so we are making progress!

No matter where I am, I can guarantee you Gunner will be very close by.  Even if I have to stay in bed most of the day, Gunner stays right with me.  He knows when I am really hurting and snuggles up right beside me to comfort me.  I'd prefer he'd go downstairs than stay in bed all day, but he will not.  The one time my Dad took him downstairs, as soon as his feet hit the floor, he ran right back upstairs to me.  

Just like the dog in the stamp, Gunner loves to be held and he loves to give kisses.  I am more than willing to hold him as much as he wants considering all he is willing to do for me.  My favorite part of the day is when he takes an after dinner nap in my arms with his little head on my chest right near my heart.  It is the sweetest thing!  Since Gunner wants to be held several times a night, this makes it more difficult to color stamped images!  However, I am not complaining!  When you have a chance to hold a puppy, you should always hold the puppy!

With all of this in mind, it was easy to pick this image from the My Favorite Things Birdie Brown stamp set, New Best Friend, to use for my first card of the year.  One of my goals this year is to add finished cards to my stash that I have on hand so I have a variety to choose from when I need one.  That's why I picked this "pawfect birthday" sentiment.  I chose my colors for the girl's clothing from the patterned paper which came from Echo Park's Fashionista 6" x 6" paper pad.  Of course, the dog is colored to look similar to Gunner.

  

My design came from Freshly Made Sketches 320th sketch.  The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge this week is to Add a Sentiment.  I tried putting my sentiment across the bottom of my frame like it shows in the sketch, but it didn't look good at all.  So, I decided to stamp it on the black cardstock and emboss it in white inside the frame instead.   

The Pink Pirouette cardstock base by Stampin' Up looked a little plain next to the framed image.  I cut another piece of the same card stock 1/4" smaller than the base on all four sides.  Then I used my Lil' Inkers Quilted Stitched Pattern Die to cut the little stitching lines into my card stock.  This gave it a very subtle pattern that didn't overwhelm the focal point of the card.  After I adhered everything together, my card was complete.  

I was able to honor my Gunner Boy in my first post of the year and add a birthday card to my stash!  

What I learned from making the card is that my back is a lot better at sitting on the couch coloring than it is at sitting at the table putting the pieces of a card together.  As a result, be prepared to see a lot of very clean and simple cards with nice coloring on my blog in the near future!  That's better than no cards and no coloring, though, so I will be happy with that accomplishment!



I am also entering my card in the "Just Add Something New" Just Add Ink Challenge.  The Birdie Brown New Best Friends stamp set and matching dies, Quilted Stitched Pattern Die and the Our Family Frame die I used were all brand new before this card! 

I pray your New Year is off to a great start!

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Birdie Brown New Best Friend Stamp Set by My Favorite Things

Birdie Brown New Best Friend Die-namics by My Favorite Things

Our Family Frame Die by Altenew

Quilted Stitched Pattern Die by Lil' Inkers

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad by Tsukineko

Copic Markers

VersaMark Ink Pad by Tsukineko

Pink Pirouette and Basic Black Card Stock by Stampin' Up

80 lb. Solar White Card Stock by Neenah

Fashionista 6" x 6" Paper Pad by Echo Park

Opaque Bright White Super Fine Embossing Powder by Wow!
MISTI by My Sweet Petunia

Heat Tool

Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas!

As you can see from the picture above, 

Gunner James is ready to celebrate his 

very first Christmas!

He's got his Christmas jammies on and

has been a very good boy

guaranteeing that Santa will have

visited our house by the time you read this.

I predict treats and toys and maybe 

even a new leash will be among the gifts

given to this sweet little angel 

we have living in our home!

Christmas is not important because of the presents 

we will receive in 2017, however.  

Instead, the greatest present is one we have all 

already been given.  

The greatest gift is explained in Luke 2:8-11.  

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 

John 3:17 says

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Because of this wonderful gift from God, we have reason to celebrate, not just at Christmas, but every single day of the year!

Merry Christmas

to each and every

one of you!