Thursday, January 31, 2013

mala fide: adverb or adjective


with or in bad faith
 

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Die Cuttin Divas - Challenge #100, Anything Goes
 
This is what I call "local flavor" cards that I make to keep in the Art MoB. They do fairly well, and I don't have to have a tremendous lot of them on hand, but I am always happy when I need to make more to fill in my inventory because that means they are selling. I go into the gallery once a week, to count cards, make notes as to what needs to be replenished.

I distressed the edge of pattern paper with the back of my scissors and lifted up the ducks and the banner with Liquid Scrap dots. I like to keep my cards less bulky as I never know if my customers are mailing or hand delivering them, so I err on the side of flatter is better. I don't want them having any surprises when they go to mail their card and regretting their decision of buying a handmade card and accusing me of mala fide in increasing the cost of their purchase.
 
Creative Imaginations - pattern paper
Cricut - Wildlife cartridge
Helmar - Liquid Scrapdots
Faber Castell - PITT pen
brad - misc.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Year in Review

Limor Weber posted a challenging challenge, lol
Using any type of journal you choose. Mine is a Maya Road chipboard mini album.

I want to start off by mentioning that I don't do art journals. I don't make "all about me albums". But in the last 3 years I have undergone some changes that were forced on me. So 3 years ago, I did make some "all about me" lay out pages, and I did make an mini album full of quotes that helped me get through a very rough time in my life.
So I was at first concerned with being able to do this challenge. If it wasn't for the prize that's offered, I don't think I would have even tried, ( so you can see how badly I want to try out Pan Pastels, lol ). But now I am glad I did because I can see the proof that I am evolving, changing for the good. I started off with my "word for the year" for 2012 which was FOCUS, so I titled my album
"Focus on the Possibilities".

The front of the album is acrylic so I adhered a Creative Imaginations overlay using Aleene's Tacky Glue to the front, ( dried crystal clear!! )added a Prima flower, Ranger's stickles and glitter sticker letters by Recollections.
I used Ranger's Watermelon alcohol ink to color the back of the heart and outlined the wings with stickles. Left side was easy, the right side on the other hand had proved to problematic, I was trying so hard to be creative that it failed miserably and I ended up painting it with black acrylic paint. In hindsight, using a gloss paint and shiny gold foil letters by Pioneer was just not a good combination. Just too hard to read. But I do like the puffy butterflies from K&Co. that accent the theme of the quote about Happiness.
 
On this next page, I think I finally started to enjoy the process, and discovered that by using by Pinterest quotes I had collected, I could virtually trace my last year and I began to enjoy seeing how my attitude was last year compared to where I am now. I began to relax and have fun.
 
  First I put down a layer of gesso and then crumbled some blue Conte pastel on top, using my credit card applicator ( very fancy tool ) to smooth it out. I really liked the outcome, it looks like wood grain. Very cool.

The next page was a lesson I already knew but had forgotten which is, Ranger's Dylusion spray inks need to have a fixative sprayed on them before you add a gel medium on top. Yeah, I know, lost my beautiful background but kept working anyway, no time to cry over spilt milk. I became a woman on a mission.
 
Encouraged by the gesso and pastel mixture I decided to try a similar technique but with my modeling paste. I combined red and yellow pastels and mixed it together, spread it out over my brick stencil. Loved the effect. Used Ranger's Distress Marker and Faber Castell PITT pen for the wording.
 
This page was also a "oh wow" moment for me, lol First I covered the chipboard with masking tape  and then drew with my Conte Pastel pencils. It had a VERY smooth finish to it. I have learned that pastels and masking tape go well together, go figure, huh? Finished off with Faber Castell PITT pens. Background and flowers all done in pastels.
 
The heart was gesso'd first and then 3 different pastel colors crumbled on top, be careful to try and not blend them together when smoothing them out. The background of the page is colored in with pastels and blended together with my fingertip. A mixture of pens and stickers to finish it off.
 
The next page was more of a play in Faber Castell's gelatos. They covered the plain chipboard very well :) I did use some pastels to shade the bucket and the tone down the word strips.

The last page's background was created with assorted sprays. I printed the seahorse clip art on some text book paper and colored in the image with my Faber Castell PITT pens, the seaweed is made with Liquitex Soft Body Cobalt Teal acrylic paint and added some gold micro beads. I used pastels to shade in the edges of the book print and around the edge of the page itself.

So there is my year in review...not such a bad year...I can see myself becoming more positive and achieving more goals!
 

gambit: noun

a chess opening in which a player risks minor pieces to gain an advantage
or
 a remark intended to start a conversation
also
 a calculated move
 
pronunciation
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Hello WOYWW stalkers visitors!!
Welcome to my mess :)
Instead of my desk, I thought I'd show you the sordid floor picture. This is to the left of my desk and must be stepped OVER to get to my desk. The general mess can stay like this for weeks on end too...just shameful. On my basket of Really Reasonable Ribbon; I have my mixed media coasters almost ready to go for mailing, 2 Easter cards for the ART MoB that just need sentiments on the front before being packaged up, papers for my "local flavor" cards that I make for the Art Mob and my dish from breakfast....oh and upside down magnet that recently got knocked down and is forlornly laying there.

 
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I wanted to show this card on a WOYWW post as there are so many of you that really enjoy Tim Holtz and the Blueprint Stamps by Mario. I found this font and thought of your ladies.
You might need to click on the picture in order to see it better but it's called
 
Here is the card which is entered in:
 
Paper Playtime - Challenge #2 Use some brown
 
( this is what I referred to when I said "local flavor" cards
 
Creative Imaginations - squirrel from paper
American Traditional Designs - Evergreen Forest paper
Faber Castell - PITT pens
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Mystery solved
 
Not that you knew I had a mysterious situation, but alas, I did.
I have a suet feeder that has had it's flimsy chain broken now twice this past week. Which meant that it has fallen and had to be retrieved and fixed each time. I have had to resort to a heavier clip and been blaming my squirrels although it didn't seem possible. I've seen their acrobatics out there, hanging from the arm to feed on the suet but didn't think it was possible for them to break the chain, because I've never seen their entire weight on the suet cage. They always hang using their hind feet to hold them up.
 
 Plus the arm of the feeder is always knocked askew which also seemed weird, which I thought was the raccoons trying to pull the suet over to the railing so they could get to it...until..I witnessed....
 
the attack of the big ass crow!
I wish I had gotten a better picture for you but this is one huge crow; that attacks the suet feeder with gusto. I think his weight alone is what broke the chain and after his tangle with the feeder the arm is pushed around almost back onto the porch!
A mystery solved!


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

provocateur: noun

one who incites or stimulates another to action

 
 
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It's Tuesday scrappy pals which means it's time for..
Valentines - Whatever you create must have at least one heart included
 
I love whimsical punny sentiments, they just make me smile. Evidently it made someone else smile too because it's already been sold at the Art MoB! It moose be a provocateur of love card!
 

DCW - Stardust Stack ( base paper )
My Minds Eye - ( from scrap stash, love working from my stash! )
Faber Castell - PITT pen
Ranger - Distress markers
Cricut - Wildlife cartridge
pop dots, pop strips - misc.
Helmar - LiquidScrapdots
 
I hope you pop over to TioT blog and check out what the rest of the Design Team has created for your inspirational pleasure
and
have a heart
play along with us while you're at it!

Don't forget our sponsor for January
with a £10 store voucher for our lucky winner this month
 


Sunday, January 27, 2013

whelm: verb

 
to cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effect
or
 to overcome in thought or feeling : overwhelm
or
 to pass or go over something so as to bury or submerge it
 
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Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday "Birthday" challenge
Chocolate,Coffee & Cards - Challenge 31 Rock On!
 
I think it's funny that this is the first time  have used the Kassie cut from my Cricut Rock Princess cartridge. There are not a whole lot of cuts in this cartridge that I do use, but yet I just HAD to have this cartridge. But ya know, I really do like the Kassie cut...so maybe I should be using more from it.
 
Echo Park - star paper
Cricut - music embossing folder
Rock Princess cartridge, p. 30
font - Vila Morena
Faber Castell - PITT pen
Aleene's Tacky Glue
Helmar - Liquid Scrapdots ( to hold up her hand that is strumming the guitar )
Sharpie - marker
 


Saturday, January 26, 2013

satiate: verb

 
 to satisfy (as a need or desire) fully or to excess

 
 
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CARDZ TV - Color Challenge ( red, black and white only )
Card makin Mamas - A Simple little Challenge
 
 
Echo Park - music note paper ( coated with a layer of gesso to mute it )
Golden - gesso
Cricut - Paisley cartridge, p. 26 ( real dial size )
Faber Castell - PITT pen
Helmar - Liquid Scrapdots ( to lift up word strips )
 
This is a prime example of why I love Liquid Scrapdots ♥
 
 
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I just placed my pre-order for EVERY color of the Ranger Distress Paints...giddy!
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If you don't mind, I'd love to share my "moment in the sun" that happened to me last night with you. I was at a Chamber function with Michele, the owner of the Art MoB and as I was walking through a group of people, a lady grabbed my arm and said, "Hey, I know you. We buy your cards!"...wow, really? After talking to her I discovered she also bought 2 of my mixed media signs for Christmas presents too!! It wasn't like I get to go to CHA, or make splashy videos that everyone views....it was just my "oh my" moment that made me smile...I think I'm still smiling.
 

Friday, January 25, 2013

engagé: adjective

 committed to or supportive of a cause
 
"Engagé" is the past participle of the French verb "engager," meaning "to engage." The French have used "engagé" since the 19th century to describe socially or politically active people. The term became particularly fashionable in the wake of World War II, when French writers, artists, and intellectuals felt it was increasingly important for them to take a stand on political or social issues and represent their attitudes in their art. By 1946, English speakers had adopted the word for their own politically relevant writing or art, and within a short time "engagé" was being used generally for any passionate commitment to a cause.
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Fab 'n' Funky Challenge - Challenge 155 Use Your Favorite Color Challenge ( aqua, red, and black )
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Paper Piecing ( bird's wing )
Inkspirational - Challenge #4 Sketch Challenge
 
 
 OK, so not my best card I ever made. Ever had a picture in your mind how you wanted it to look and then were disappointed in the outcome, but became so invested in it that you just couldn't give up on it either. Yeah, that was me yesterday...all day...
 
I used the CCR to cut the banner out of the doily shape, which means I laid one cut on top of another without removing it from my cutting mat. I really love the CCR!! Each banner flag is lifted up with Helmars Liquid Scrapdots.
 
Cricut Craft Room -
Hero Arts - bird stamp
Stazon
Sakura - Glaze pen
Higgins - Drawing ink
Faber Castell - PITT pen
Sandy Lion - letters
Renee Lingren - markers
friend stamp, twine - misc.
 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

fanfaronade: noun

empty boasting : bluster

pronunciation
 
If I tell you that fanfaronade is what fanfarons do, you'll easily guess that "fanfaron" means "braggart."
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Die Cuttin Divas : Challenge 99 Edge Punch with Ribbon
Little Scrap Pieces - Fun Friday "Use a flower" challenge
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Challenge 30 For the Birds
 
 
My Mind's Eye - pattern paper, ribbon, gem
Maya Road - flowers
Prima - pattern paper
Fiskars - border punch
brad, lace - misc.
Creative Imaginations - over lay
Close to my Heart - thank you stamp  
Stazon
Aleene's Tacky Glue
Cricut Craft Room - April Showers
Reminisce - white pen

I really have nothing to say, how eerie is that? lol


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

euchre: verb

1: to prevent from winning three tricks in the card game euchre

 
2: to cheat or trick 
 

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It's WOYWW today, that means fingers cramp and eyes strain from trying to visit the hundreds of ladies around the globe and nose around their craft desks!
 
 OK, so I had a few people from last week wanting to know if the tube I attached under my shelf was working out and the answer is yes and no. No, the scissors didn't work out there as I capped the end of the tube which made it too short and the scissors kept falling out...then I tried keeping my eye glasses there figuring it would be a nice spot so they wouldn't get dirty or scratched, but I'm constantly changing back and forth and frankly am just too lazy to keep putting them back. Currently the tube is housing a hole punch, needle nose pliers and wire cutters until they get put back into their usually assigned place. Other than that, a card I am sewing on takes main precedence on my desk today. 
 

Big News alert !!( cue trumpet )
When I went to upload my picture, I had actually my browser box back to upload from my computer, lol Wonder if it will be there tomorrow, or is Blogger just euchring with me?

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Fantabulous Cricut Challenge - #145 Sound ofMusic
Paper Playtime - Challenge #2 Use some BROWN
Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge 83 Belated Birthday
Simon Says Stamp and Show - What are you known for?
 
 
So Simon poses the question: What am I known for?
hmmmm?
Interesting question, isn't it?
OK, my bloggy friends might answer it quickly with my "waving hi from the hills of North Carolina" signature :)  or my Word of the Day fixation...
My crafting friends know I love to hand stitch on almost all of my projects and that I am published in the Cricut Magazine.
And my real life friends might say I have a quirky sense of humor and never answer my phone!
 
I guess it just depends on who you ask...and if you ask me...
Well, obviously it's my stunning beauty and effervescent personality!
stop laughing, pick yourself off the floor now....sheeesh
  
My Mind's Eye - music sheet paper
Cricut Craft Room - April Showers
CARDZ TV with Mary - birthday stamp
Copics
Helmars - Liquid Scrapdots
 


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

zarzuela: noun


a usually comic Spanish operetta
 
( honestly, I don't see being able to fit this into any conversations I hold, lol )

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I got the words from Pinterest and unfortunately didn't google the author until after I had already finished my piece. I say unfortunately because there was so much more to this and I wish I had read the whole poem before I began.

 I wanted to share it all with you. This poem was written some time ago. The simple statements contained in the poem can be applied to everyday life. It really applies to everyone in all walks of life. We can learn a lot from trees if we just take the time to look and listen.

 Advice from a Tree
 
by  Ilan Shamir
 
Sink your roots deeply into the Earth 
Think long term 
Go out on a limb 
Remember your place among all living beings 
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields its own abundance 
The Energy and Birth of Spring 
The Growth and Contentment of Summer 
The Wisdom to let go of leaves in the Fall
The Rest and Quiet Renewal of Winter
Feel the wind and the sun
And delight in their presence 
Look up at the moon that shines down upon you
And the mystery of the stars at night. 
Seek nourishment from the good things in life 
Simple pleasures Earth, fresh air, light
Be content with your natural beauty
Drink plenty of water 
Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes 
Be flexible Remember your roots
Enjoy the view!
 
Here is my interpretation:
  
6" x 12" wall hanging
  
Higgins - Turquoise India ink
Tattered Angels - Popsicle, Pearl
Tsukineko - Paris Dusk
American Crafts - brads, Marvy Marker
EK Success - Metallic Writers
Vintage Street Market - Linen tinted tape
Faber Castell - PITT pen
Creative Imaginations - overlay ( dove, fussy cut )
Cricut - Don Juan cartridge, p. 34

entering this in:

PanPastels UK Challenge Blog - Challenge #3 Nature
 

Sunday, January 20, 2013

preen: verb

   1: to groom with the bill
 



 2: to dress or smooth up : primp
 
3: to pride or congratulate (oneself) on an achievement : to behave or speak with obvious pride or self-satisfaction


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Anything But a Card - Tie it Up! ( I used chains, yarn )
 
"Challenge 11 asks you to incorporate things that can be tied: twine, ribbon, thread, wire, rope, cording, trim, chain, seam binding, etc! You don't have to really tie it, but you get the idea! "
 
 
OK, so my mind went straight to 50 Shades of Grey, ( what's new, right? ) lol But, thankfully my creativity went Bollywood instead! I had decided to work on another mermaid wall hanging ( since they seem to sell well at the Art MoB ), and I already had the background "paper", that came from the bottom of my spray box,( as you know, if you have been following my blog; I have created several projects in the last week from this one sheet of wax paper. ) So anyway, that was my starting point. And since I had been playing with an old craft hobby of mine, Gallery Glass,  I wanted to make a mermaid using it.
 
And she developed and preened, she dazzled, as only mermaids can.
 
I truly love how the Gallery Glass mixes together!!
 
I truly believe when I make them that they create their own personalities, and I wonder how much control do I really have?
 

Plaid - Gallery Glass, Blue Diamond,Copper Sparkle,Kelly Green, Cameo Ivory and Redi Lead strips
American Craft - Galaxy marker ( white )
Ranger - Distress markers
Zig - writer
Faber Castell - PITT pen
beads, yarn - misc.
Ranger - Dylusions Fresh lime


Saturday, January 19, 2013

traduce: verb

to expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood and misrepresentation
or
 violate, betray
 
 
"Traduce" is one of a number of English synonyms that you can choose when you need a word that means "to injure by speaking ill of." Choose "traduce" when you want to stress the deep personal humiliation, disgrace, and distress felt by the victim. If someone doesn't actually lie, but makes statements that injure by specific and often subtle misrepresentations, "malign" may be the more precise choice. To make it clear that the speaker is malicious and the statements made are false, "calumniate" is a good option. But if you need to say that certain statements represent an attempt to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse, "vilify" is the word you want.
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Electric Paperie - Altered Boxes
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Valentine's Day/Love & Ribbon Theme
 
This is the box that I began with, along with white tissue paper.
 
I sprayed the white tissue paper with  Ranger's Dylusions Bubblegum Pink and after it dried I stamped Autumn Leaves hearts and flowers all over. Next I put a layer of Golden's Gel Medium over the box and adhered the tissue paper to the bottom of the box. The top layer was adhered with Helmar's V2 Spray, because it's a clear top, it's fixed to the inside.
 
I found this puffy hair clip at Walmart and thought it would be cute as a topper. I added a Maya Roads flower to it with my hot glue gun.
 
I strung some alpha and word beads onto some floss and sewed them into the flower.
I love how fluffy this is!

And it's created so that the person who buys it can just open it up to put their present inside, and the person who receives will always have a pretty box to keep for their treasure. I wrapped Really Reasonable Ribbon around the box and used my hot glue gun to secure it with Velcro pads.
 
I'd love to get a present in this, wouldn't you?

Friday, January 18, 2013

vernissage: noun

a private showing or preview of an art exhibition

 
"Vernissage" has its roots in the old practice of setting aside a day before an exhibition's opening for artists to varnish and put finishing touches to their paintings—a tradition that reportedly dates to at least 1809, when it was instituted by England's Royal Academy of Arts. (One famous member of the Academy, Joseph Mallord William Turner, was notorious for making major changes to his paintings on this day.) English speakers originally referred to this day of finishing touches simply as "varnishing day," but sometime around 1912 we also began using the French term "vernissage" (literally, "varnishing"). Today, however, you are more likely to encounter vino than varnish at a vernissage, which is often a gala event marking the opening of an exhibition."
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entering my card in :
 
Die Cuttin Divas - Challenge #98 Penguins
 
 
OK, so I adore this little penguin ♥
I added some dangly hearts just because he looks so full of love, and I always enjoy creating some movement to my creations. I simply took heart stickers and placed them back to back after adding a single thread of floss between them. Knotted the ends together, tied a bow separately and glued them to the banner.

Did you know that penguins mate for life?
 
 
Cricut Craft Room - Animal Antics ( cut beak out twice, once in black, then in orange )
Little Yellow Bicycle - Fresh Verse Stickers ( sentiment, snipped at ends to create a banner )
Hallmark Cards - heart stickers ( Walmart )
Ranger - Stickles, Star Dust, Orange Peel, and Black Diamond
and Glossy Accents ( on beak and feet )
DMC - floss
Aleene's Tacky Glue

Thursday, January 17, 2013

inchmeal: adverb

little-by-little, gradually

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This card as it is, would be a very pretty card. The background paper is the wax paper that I keep in the bottom of my spray box. It sits there until it get's covered and then I create projects from it. After creating the background for my wall art and coasters I thought I would use it for:

75 Creative Card Challenges Week: Challenge #49
 


But look how pretty this paper is with the light showing through it, so I knew I had find a way to incorporate light as an element.
 
 I cut a heart into the base card stock, and adhered the wax paper over the top. I used my uplight box to see the outline of the heart so that I could glue down the twine to enhance the shape.
 
Bling, bow and sentiment later...
 
numerous inks ( Ranger, Tattered Angels )
twine - misc.
sentiment rub on - Karen Foster
 
It's been awhile since I have oohed and ahhed a card this much, I just love holding it up to the light.
~I feel the need to make another~

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

kanban: noun

a manufacturing strategy wherein parts are produced or delivered only as needed
pronunciation

Jen from Scrappyjen has turned me onto a great blog called Inky Fool
Ya know, I luvs me sum good wordage! lol
I have invited Mark Forsyth to stop by my blog, but he may be too hoity-toity to do so, sometimes authors are notoriously unreachable...maybe if some of you visited him and asked him to visit me, hee hee
Of course he may also be intimidated with a female dominated blog too...most men should be!
~be afraid Mark, be very afraid~
I wonder if he would show us his desk?
;)
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Hello my WOYWW friends!

Hope you brought your umbrella along cause it's raining cats and dogs here! We have roads washing out, mud slides and flash flood advisories all around the area. Thankfully I don't live in any of those places, but I am keeping the proverbial eye on the creek that runs behind my place...
Deeyll asked me if her card made it to me so I wanted to make sure that she sees that it sure did! Thank you Deeyll :) You can see a thank you card I am currently working on, and I added a holder under my shelf for my scissors, they kept hiding from me so I fixed them that!

Now my post may be a tad long winded today, but oh so much to accomplish, so skip if you want to, just don't tell Julia on me, I hear she cracks a mean whip!!
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Simon Says Stamp and Show - Challenge, Lace  Love
 
I had been asked..or did I volunteer? to create a large display box for the Art MoB as Michele is going to do a Valentine display at the store. I don't know if you remember me making the boxes ( which was a WOYWW post 153 ) for my craft show but this is one that I adapted into a Valentine themed box. The whole time I was working on it I just kept thinking about the Valentine shoe boxes that we use to adorn with an abundance of hearts and doilies at school that would sit oh so proudly on our desks waiting to be filled with handmade Valentine cards.
 
We would have a party too, with actual cookies and candies ( none of the healthy snacks they make you bring now a days! ) and we also decked out for these parties wearing anything and everything that was red, pink or white.
 
Ahh, the good old days!
So onto the box, I covered the old topper with 2 bands of a doily trim that I got from a scrapbook crop ages ago, and decorated it with ribbon, lace, a flower and a couple of sticker hearts. 
 
I cut out a large heart with my Cricut and then hand doodled around the edges with my PITT pen.
I also used different font stickers to give it that hand made look. Like I said, I was really deep into reminiscing about my childhood memories! lol
 
flower, red ribbon,heart stickers,doily trim - misc.
Fancy Pants - lace, chipboard letters
Creative Memories - sticker letters
Cricut - Doodlecharms cartridge ( heart, p. 85 )
Letter Envy Font cartridge
Ranger - Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel
Faber Castell - PITT pen

 I'm getting my kanban on for St. Patrick's Day; I'm up to 11 cards so far!
bye y'all, see 'ya at your desk!