Letting go

I'm one of those people that hang on to important papers, tax records, car records, heck...just about everything because I'm always afraid I will need it...just in case...

In this case, it was time I could let go of my divorce papers from the 80's. I think everything is finally decided upon by now, lol It's not that I wanted to record the heartache but I wanted to establish that I have healed from it.

Join me over on the Arnold Grummer blog to see how I used the divorce papers to make some pretty art from it.

"Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it."
―Ann Landers

Not my usual card...

I only make portrait cards for special friends, but I also will make them as a way to say thank you for being a "patron" of the arts. This gentleman always buys something that I make every time he sees me so when his wife came looking for a birthday card for him I knew I wanted to make him one of my "special cards". I asked her to send me a picture of him and then asked if she wanted something funny or sentimental. 

She asked for funny, and I always run by my customers the sentiments I choose, after all, funny to me might not mean funny to them...lol She however liked my idea.

I've noticed he always picks my cards that have hand stitching on them so I knew I wanted to add some to his card, and went for a whimsical touch by stitching around his glasses and then filling in the lenses with Glossy Accents.

entering this in:

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Gentlemen

No designer paper you say?

Well, that is super easy for me since I rarely use pre-made paper and prefer to make my own. It's not hard to do and actually quite fun! Currently I am making some fall paper using dried leaves as inclusions and it is so pretty, but for this challenge I am using some paper that I made previously.

On this paper I used the Metallic Dust sets ( gold in this paper ) that you can purchase from the Arnold Grummer Paper Making store. I then hand-stitched a geometric design with my floss and used a Happy Birthday stamp along the bottom edge. I think the gold metallic kinda goes with the birthday celebration them of the card.

I am entering my card in the Simon Says - No Designer paper challenge

I love puns!

entering my card in

Word Art Wednesday - #177 - A Family Friendly Challenge

It has been such a joy to find an art form that has brought me so much happiness. Being on the Arnold Grummer paper making team has done that. I simply love making paper and finding new ways to create something, is exciting. I'll have to do a DT post on this soon because by using the deckle division method when making paper you can create fun backgrounds to design your card on. The sun, the grass and the sky are all created using that method. The cows are a stamp that I cut out and adhered to the card along with the sentiment that I printed off my computer. A little bit of hand sewing and outlining the card with a pen finish it off.

Three Cute Cows stamp by Great Impressions

paraphernalia: noun

accessory items 

pronunciation

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You got some time to enter the Frosted Designs challenge: My Favorite Things

You need to use at least 3 of things that are underlined from the song from The Sound of Music.

I used, brown paper ( branch ), wings ( bird ) and silver white ( flower )

I used the Printshop cardstock stickers to create a background, which I separated the thanks and outlined it so it would stand out. The printed background paper came from the November Mixed Media Kit and the eye is a Maya Road resin flower.

other assorted paraphernalia:

The chipboard bird was gifted to me

Cricut - French Manor ( branch ), p. 39

Helmar - 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Also entering my thank you card in:

Cute Card Thursday - #301 Anything Goes

Challenges 4 Everybody - #36 Anything Goes

Try it on Tuesday - Fancy Edges

 Fancy Edges 

 -must see 3 different edges punched or die cut or even fancy scissors

I think this is a fun challenge, to get out those border punches, decorative edged scissors or even to cut a border with your die cutting machine...or maybe tear an edge! Mix and match them and have fun, that's the important part of making anything, isn't it?

 I layered all 3 of my edges together with a running stitch along the top piece.

Cricut - Paper Trimmings. p. 53

Bug Bites - sentiment

Martha Stewart - drippy edge punch

Fiskar - waterfall punch

S.E.I - paper and border

Faber Castell - PITT pen

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a little excerpt from vacation :)

http://www.bubblews.com/news/1016847-odonata

permeate: verb

to diffuse through or penetrate (something)

 

to pass through the pores or interstices of

 

pronunciation

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Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

 

 

Cricut - Wildlife cartridge

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wow, not feeling very verbose at the moment, I discovered my balcony in disarray this morning, I thought a raccoon had plundered his way through it but during clean up I have come to the conclusion that a hawk had his breakfast there....there is one less Blue Jay in this world.

mot juste: noun

the exactly right word or phrasing

pronunciation

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House of Cards - Month 2 Classy and Elegant

You know, there is nothing like self-imposing a challenge on top of another challenge. I am really enjoying trying out different card styles, but will admit that classy and elegant is one of the harder styles for me to achieve, so on top of that I decided to make a classy and elegant Halloween card...seems a little bit like an oxymoron doesn't it? lol 

 So I pulled out some delicate black lace and pearls to go along with the floral printed vellum and a framed sentiment, then hand stitched around the vellum to hold it in place.

Cricut - Happy Hauntings, p. 47

Bugbites - Magic Spells stamp set

everything else came from old stash

Ambrosial: adjective

extremely pleasing to the senses, especially of taste or smell
pronunciation
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Little Scrap Pieces - #33 Seeing Red 

Last night I was at a 40th Anniversary party for a friend of mine, and this is the card that I made for them. It was hard to create an anniversary card using the color red, but rubies (red) represent the 40th year so even though it was a struggle I had to do it.

I used one of my gelli prints for the heart, I liked the contrasting colors and the weathered wood feel it has to it. I hand stitched around the edges.

I made some bacon deviled eggs and a pineapple/ham cheese ball to take to the party. :) It might not have been ambrosial to the senses, but it tasted pretty darn good, guess what I'll be having for lunch today? lol



millefleur: adjective

 having an allover pattern of small flowers and plants

pronunciation
( How copacetic is this? The WOTD is an apt description of the background paper I used for my card. )
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Cards Create Challenge Blog -  June

Little Yellow Bicycle - Special Summer Challenge

blue suede shoes:Elvis  ( 1955 )

Blue Suede Shoes  ( 1956 )

Blue Moon of Kentucky ( 1954 )

Since we could be creative with how we interpret the 50 challenge, I went with the music of Elvis Presley from the 50's.Evidently he was a little blue during the 50's ( oh, and how I was in love with him! If I had been old enough I would have thrown my panties up on stage for him....just sayin'. lol ) So I decided to go with a blue monochromatic card in honor of the King himself.

And here is my card with it's millefleur background:

I admit, I love to hand stitch around my cards, I think it's a left over urge from my cross stitch days. I used 3 variations of the running stitch. The outside border is the dusky blue, the oval is stitched in white. Then the sentiment strip is offset with alternating blue and white floss. It's a great way to add both dimension and detail to your cards without adding bulk if you are mailing it.

The butterfly is a clear cut which I completely covered the back with glue and adhered it to a piece of white card stock and then fussy cut it out. That way the different pattern papers aren't showing through the delicate image.

 

also entering this in:

 

Fab 'n' Funky - #175 Birthday

Little Yellow Bicycle - Elizabeth Park,  ( the millefleur background paper ) Saturdays ( butterfly ) Fern and Forest Boy ( the 2 remaining pattern papers and the chipboard cloud )
Petunia Bounce - font

decussate: verb

to intersect or cross

pronunciation

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 Paper Smooches store

Paper Smooches Trend Watch Challenge - Nautical

to be inspired by this picture:

And here is my card: 

( I used one of the Paper Smooch free digi stamps. )

Added a cute little Pirate hat sticker which I embellished with some stickles. Added a gem to his eye and doodled on the digi design. He is colored in with distress stain.

I used the embossing folder and rubbed it where the pier piling is for some texture. I also added french knots where it's knees are.

Ranger - stickles, Distress Stain

Fiskars - wood grain embossing plate

Faber Castell - PITT pen

Mrs. Grossman - sticker

*new font alert...lol*

Gothic Ultra Trendy

which I think hope has a nautical look to it

And entering in:

Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Things with Wings ( 2nd entry )

demulcent: adjective

soothing

pronunciation
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Inkspiritional - Challenge #16

 

I struggle with monochromatic. There I said it.

Is there such a thing as a color therapist?

<insert smirk>

( as you see, I haven't planted the begonia yet )

The inside to the sentiment stamp actually has a "miss you"in the center of the circle...but I masked that off so I could stamp the pine cone inside it.

 

Personal Stamp Exchange - pine cone...( is the second oldest stamp set I own, from 1993! )

Autumn Leaves - Talking in Circles stamp

Ranger - Distress paints, mowed lawn, vintage photo

burlap, twine - misc.

Helmar - 450

Renee Lingren - markers
Imagine - Goosebumps
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And a close of my begonia, just love the way the sunlight is shining on it.

Take your time..ohhh and ahhh over it a bit....

ok, let's move on now, shall we?

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Even though all my Mother's Day cards are finished, I still needed a few tags for the store.

 

entering them in:

Really Reasonable Ribbon - #70 Mother's Day theme with ribbon

 

 3 more that I made :)

 

Maya Roads - velvet flowers

Really Reasonable Ribbon - twine, ribbon

assorted letters and papers from scrap

Cricut - Doodlecharms, p. 85

milieu: noun

the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment
pronunciation
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Pause Dream Enjoy Challenges - #8 Friendship

 

 

 

The inside of the card:

 

Our Daily Bread Designs - stamp

Cricut - French Manor, p. 54

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Experimenting with my camera, I am titling this "winter into summer"...lol
yeah, I know, gumballs and weeds...don't ask...:)

Yesterday the skies opened up and it poured for about 30 minutes with lightening and thunder galore. Enough to make me unplug everything and go stand by the porch to watch the creek fill up and that's when I spied someone else seeking shelter from the deluge :) When it was all over, he got a Graham cracker from me and scurried back to his home.

 

indissoluble: adjective

incapable of being dissolved or disintegrated; especially: incapable of being annulled, undone, or broken : permanent

pronunciation

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Pink Paislee - Craft N Connect Contest: Color Crush

Fab 'n' Funky - Challenge #166 Spring Colors

 

 

 A close up of the Paisley press ons, since I only had one product, I thought I'd try an be imaginative with my usage of it. So I did a border highlighted with french knots and leaves outlined in floss.

I can get lost in the backgrounds created from inks and sprays, they truly have become one of my favorite things to create. I also get thrilled that I can run these little beauties through the printer for any sentiment I want...

and yes I am a font collector but lately I cannot get enough of Traveling Typewriter.

Ranger - Dylusion sprays

Prima - flower

Traveling Typewriter - font
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convalesce: verb

 to recover health and strength gradually after sickness or weakness

pronunciation

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Spring has sprung Challenge

 something that moves on your card/project!

 

I love a little movement on a card, especially for children's card since they like to have interactive toys...errr....cards.

I used the Cricut cartridge, Doodlecharms to create the shapes. I cut the house apart so that the Gift Card can be slid into it.

 

Here is a close up shot of the Action Wobble:

( I did have to trim the wobble a bit to fit the shape of his head! )

And here you can see that the gift card holder is all on the front of the card. The card itself opens up so that you can write your greetings inside it.

I can't wait to see what you come up with for this challenge, I am always looking for new ways to create movement, I know some people make those slider cards, which look so darn cute! Or maybe a butterfly whose wings have movement? So many possibilities, I hope you hop over to the Try it on Tuesday blog to get inspired by what the DT has come up with and play along with us!

Big Shot

Fiskars - wood embossing plate

Ranger - Distress Ink, Distress Stain

border stamp, ribbon - misc.

Faber Castell PITT pen

American Crafts - Slick Writer

 

 Sponsor

$25 Gift certificate  ( WOW, right? )

 

Love her wooden shapes, be on the look out for a huge project of mine starting May 10th which will feature the wooden bird shape!!

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Some things are simpatico, aren't they? I was commissioned to do a rooster get well card and then Brenshevia showed this awesome tutorial on making sunbursts. I mean..roosters = sunrise...right? Or am I right? lol So after cutting my rooster out in the Cricut Craft Room, Animal Antics; I set about making my sunrise. Go HERE for the tutorial over at Frosted Designs :)

entering this card in:

Sister Act card Challenge - #1 Anything Goes

 

I hand stitched along the sun and glued down the same floss along the creases of the sun rays. Now when you add a die cut on top of that texture you may have a tiny problem. If your die cut is glued flat, it will crease or bend if you pop dot up the die cut then you have issues with those tiny parts like the tail father and feet where the pop dots would show.....

you have Helmar's Liquid Scrapdots...to dah...problem fixed. So not only can you elevate your die cut to match the height of the thread but you protect all those tiny areas and it cannot be seen!! I truly do believe it's why my cards and signs sell so well, no visible pop dots!! And to think I use to pop dot everything...now it's all about the LSD, man! lol ( Drug pun not entirely intended )

Faber Castell - PITT pen

 

Oh, an another reason to love making sunbursts...great usage of those scraps of paper.

No 12x12 sheet was harmed in the making of this card! ♥

 

canorous: adjective

pleasant sounding : melodious

 

pronunciation

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entering this card in:

 

Cute Card Thrusday - Challenge 261 Easter Parade

Sparkles Monthly Challenge #42 - Birds

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Challenge #35 Bring on Spring

Card Makin' Mama's - It's Springtime

 

A little card I drew, I used water color paper and Faber Castell Aquarelle pencils to color in the back ground and the chick. Metallic grape Gelato for her hat and hand stitched some grass. Outlined everything with their PITT pen in black.

 

 

A close up shot of her little flower hat and the fuzzy brad! The Liquid Scrapdots really do help balance the brad "underworkings" ( for lack of a better word for the parts that poke through the paper ) I also think paper piecing adds a lot to a simple card too, do you?

I really do love dimension on a card, and haven't a clue why it makes me so happy?

 

Faber Castell - PITT pens, gelatos, Aquarelle pencils

Helmar - Liquid Scrapdots

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And here is Mother Nature's riposte concerning spring...one day of sunshine! woo hoo!! lol
I choose a more roseate outlook, no snow :)