Finally, a Lilly of the Valley image...

Hi everybody,
I am sharing this card with you with much excitement and joy...
I bought a few Lilly of the Valley stamps back over a year ago when they were still very new in this country. I was so excited to get some because I just loved their beautiful creations. Now they have so much more and I am very excited for how their business has grown.

Anyway, I was really intimidated to try them. I started a few times but somehow I could never get the image colored decently. I see all that beautiful coloring that crafters do on their projects and I just don't seem to have the talent to make them look right. I think that what I need is the right product for the job. So I finally bought some DerWent pencils, but they are too dark for these small images.  HELP please!!! If you have any suggestions for me, I would surely welcome them. I really want to be able to be comfortable with coloring images.

So here's my card and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. The image is not as lovely as you ladies would do, but it's a start. And hopefully, if I get some helpful hints, maybe you will see some better colored images coming up.

I have entered this card into these challenges:

http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/
http://thestampmanchallenges.blogspot.com/
http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/

Thanks for stopping by,
Be blessed!!!
e

Family Visits...the fun and the sad!!!

Hi there scrapping peeps,

We were surprised this weekend by a visit from our daughter and her family. What a fun thing!!!
Instead of just doing normal everyday stuff, we get to spend it with kids and pets, and a couple of adults too. And then we get to do fun stuff, like stay up til the wee hours of the morning watching movies. That's the good part.

But we also had a not so fun thing happen during the night. Our granddaughter's bunny died. She had him and loved him since 2005 and didn't go anywhere without him..."love me, love my Nemo!"  Kirstin (our granddaughter is 15 and a natural caregiver. Nemo was her best friend, lived in her bedroom and they spent many hours together. Another life lesson...living with the good and the sad...

But that's life and we KNOW that there's many happy days to come. She has family that loves her, cares for her and helps her through the sad times. Love you, Kirstin. God bless you for many happy days and adventures to come.

Goodby Nemo!!!

I do have a card for today.
I made this for a couple of challenges.

 

Stamp TV's Monday challenge is an inspiration picture and I fell in love with the mirror frame on it. The colors to use are mustard, blue and deep red. So that's what I started with.

http://www.polkadotdoordesign.blogspot.com/ has an inspiration challenge with the same colors and I LOVE their challenge site. Not only can you win the weekly sponsor prize, but you might also be invited to be a guest designer.
http://stampinsistersinchrist.blogspot.com/ They wanted us to use an item we had purchased that we just had to have, but it's been hanging around in our stash. See the heart on this card? I bought a packet of these beautiful hearts a long time ago...but guess what? they just never seemed to fit into anything I was doing. So, I'm very happy to have found a place for one of them.
http://www.simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/ This challenge required us to use a Tim Holtz technique. My background is colored and then stamped over with a mesh background stamp. The dark red on the right side is a piece of long stranded fiber with a heart attached by ribbon and a butterfly nestled in the strands.

So, that's it for today.
Be blessed today and every day,
e

Tired, but happy....

Hello scrappers,

This is Tuesday and the start to my work week. I work part time and you would think I would have TONS of time to do all the crafting I desire....NOT SO...there's always a ton of other responsibilities and I am either too busy or too tired, or tooooooo...whatever!
BUT it feels good to be busy and look back on a day that feels satisfying and full. We all want more time...but I don't know, I am so tired by the end of the day I don't think I could take longer days.

I made this card for two challenges in particular:
http://theplaydatecafe.blogspot.com/ required colors watermelon, sorbet and lime green and
http://marksfinestpapers.blogspot.com/2011/05/speedy-cats-friends-challenge-54winner.html required "not a normal card" (no squares or normal rectangles).

The cut front piece was cut with my Cricut. The word "Hope" was also cut with the Cricut.
The flowers on the front were made with a Penny Black stamp, colored with DerWent new water color pencils. and then topped off with a very soft, light pink tube of Stickles.
This was my first time using the DerWent pencils. I used a coupon at Hobby Lobby and that made the set much more affordable. They are WONDERFUL!!! Very bright, and just a tiny amount of water on the tip of the pencil just puts the color down gloriously!!! It was VERY FUN!!!

That's all for me for this time.
Enjoy the wonderful summer weather and
Be Blessed,
e

A wonderful summer....

Hello my crafty friends,
It's August aaaagggghhhh... where does the time go??? especially on these beautiful summer days. It seems we wait for summer for so long and then when it comes, everything we love about summer has to be crammed into these few golden weeks. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining... I LOVE summer, just wish it would last longer... for 10 months maybe???? Those of you who live in places like that, you lucky ducky... but those of us who wait and wait... summer is always too short.

With that being said, I always tell myself I will blog more often, and then I get busy and don't do it. It's a matter of priority and mind set. Something I have to get into the habit of doing. I don't know if any of you struggle with that... or maybe did at one time... leave me a note and let me know. I intend to work at it until I conquer.

So, even though I haven't put up much on my blog, I have been making art for my walls and working on three albums. I still have Luke's (he's the graduate) to finish... then I have my little great grand-baby, who is three... and last but not least, I have been slowly re-doing my wedding album.

My latest project is a tag I made for a friend's Birthday. I thought she would enjoy it because she can use it as a bookmark. I made it flat so that it won't be too bulky. That's kind of hard for me because I love to use flowers, etc. but I really tried and I think it's pretty good. I love the colors too, and after I thought about it, I think I have used these colors a lot the last few months. Guess I need to pay attention and get out of the box a bit. I have already decided that my next project is going to be PINK!!!

With that said, here's my tag:

I used a DCWV paper on the background and swiped white Versamagic color on it to mute it down. I really like the look it gave.

Then I used Tim Holtz' Stampers Anonymous stamp in Versamark and embossed in white.

The green on the edges is a Tim Holtz stamp also. They don't say what it's called but it's like tiny dots that fill in places and leave color and texture. I used green paint so that it would leave actual bumps. I smudged the right side a little bit (I wish I hadn't) because I couldn't get it off and it wasn't as "dotty". The left side turned out beautiful but got covered up so it isn't as visible. If you don't already have this stamp, check it out. He talks about it on his site.  He uses it all the time and it makes great snow for winter cards.

The flourishes and little leaves were cut with my Cricut. I could not work without that machine.

And the bird is a SU! punch. I love that bird. I punch it out twice so that I have a solid backing to give it dimension.

Here's the challenges I am entering:
http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/
http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/

Thank you for stopping by.
Blessings,
e