"Eat, Drink & Be Scary!"

What’s Halloween without a cool vampire I ask, love his sophistication, you know…sipping “blood” out of a crystal wine glass!  This is a free image from Dobrosav BOB Zivkovic.  Got him all shadded and sparkled.  This was a colored image but the color wasn’t very vibrant when I printed it out, so added some depth with my Copic markers.  The fun sentiment is a freebie digi and I thought it worked perfectly with our thirsty guest here, and yes…the spider makes another return.  Freaky!

 

 

The Skeleton Poem

This really cute guy is a stamp from Stampendous called Skeleton Poem, love this dapper guy.  Stamped him using black ink and then Sakura Clear Star glitter pen to trace his image.  Love how those “bones” stand out.  His hat has a “Glossy Accents” shine on it.  He is layered up on Halloween DP and a Spellbinders fence die cut was added for interest using black glitter paper.  You might notice that black glittered spider is still following me, this time he sits atop a bow of sparkly fibers.

 

 

"When Witches Go Riding & Black Cats Are Seen"...

This card is made of several digi images and a fun Halloween greeting that I made on the computer.  Love those Halloween fonts.  The colorful cats image is backed by that great greenish yellow moon with all the bats flying and is also a free digi.  Added the black glitter paper Boo die piece from Serendipity and layered that all onto Halloween DP from my stash and lots of Sakura Clear Star.  Very easy card.

BOO!

This cute Pumpkin Pile image is by Laurie Furnell.  Added some Stickles and shading and then fussy cut and attached it to a Spellbinders lattice die cut and sprayed with a glitter spray.  Added the Spellbinders fence die using a glittery black cardstock and the Boo die from Serendipity.  That pesky black spider makes another return to my card…think he is following me!

RIP

This fun image by Laurie Furnell was too cute to pass up.  I added the “RIP” by hand plus a little shading and of course my Clear Star glitter pen.  I found this cute BOO die cut from Serendipity along with lots of fun stamps during their amazing sale a few weeks ago.  Can’t pass on free shipping and a sale!  Anyway, I cut the BOO from black glitter paper and also punched the spider from a Punch Bunch punch from the same black paper.

A Happy Halloween "Hoot"

I couldn’t pass this image up.  That owl perched on a limb in front of a big orange harvest moon with bats flying all around caught my eye.  Added a little shading, a big scary spider creeping toward the owl and a little sparkle via my Sakura Clear Star glitter pen and it was done.  Backing papers are all from my stash.

 

 

Frankie says "Trick or Treat"

I found this cute Halloween digi out in cyber land by Gloria West and knew one of my Grandson’s would get a tickle out of it. It was pre-colored so didn’t take much, a creepy spider all glittered up and my Sakura Clear Star pen to highlight.  The backing papers are from my Halloween stash.

Sending Love and Sympathy

My dear sister-in-law lost her battle with cancer, but through it all she kept her spirit, strength, sparkle and her wonderful smile.

I wanted to use a floral image, because she loved flowers and I didn’t want it to be without bling because she loved sparkle. 

So for this very special card I used a digi image and colored it up and added glitter to a few of the flower petals and to the leaves.  I created the sentiment on the computer.  There is a beautiful silver glitter paper that backs the focal layer and sparkles like crazy, just like she did.

I think she would have liked this card.

Winter Wishes

I am entering this card in the Mod Squad "Sweet Tooth" challenge.  They have some gorgeous cards over there and a Starbucks gift card for the winner. 

 This very warm, inviting, hot cup of delicious, chocolaty cocoa is a free digi that I had to do very little to.  A little extra color to the mug and diamond stickles to the snowflake, candy cane, and froth.  Definitely out of the box Christmas card colors, for me anyway.  The Winter Wishes sentiment is from a GinaK Christmas duo called Snowman Wishes.  Definitely early for Christmas  for me since I am a last minute card maker…usually.

Happy Holidays!

This card is for Lee’s “Sweet Tooth” challenge at Mod Squad.  How yummy does that sound.  Can’t wait to see all the “delicious” delights that await…in the form of a card of course.

 For this card I used Meljen’s Holly Cupcake digi image.   Perfect for Lee’s Sweet Tooth challenge.  Colored it up and added lots of Diamond Stickles and a Tim Holtz Snowflake embossing folder and a few pearls.  The sentiment is a GinaK Christmas duo called Ornamental Holiday.

Thank you for the delicious challenge Lee!

Birthday Pie

This card is for Lee’s “Sweet” challenge over at ModSquad.  How yummy does that sound.  Can’t wait to see all the “delicious” delights that await over there…in the form of a card of course.

For this card I used a Meljen’s digi image that I’ve had for a very long time and for some reason had never used.  I found it while scrolling through my digi’s and thought this would work perfectly for Lee’s Sweet challenge.  As I almost always prefer pie to cake, this is the one I chose.  I created the greeting above the pie image.  Got it all colored up and if you look real hard you can see the glitter from my Sakura Clear Star pen.  Added some sequins and pretty pink enamel dots that I perched atop of the ribbon and that was that.

 Thank you for the delicious challenge Lee!

Oh Fig!

Oh Fig!

Well hello from the “High Desert of Central Oregon”!  My craft space is workable finally and I have a card to share with you.  I love figs and have been nurturing two fig trees that I have in two large pots for 3 years and this year they are loaded with fruit.  My worry here is that the nights are getting cooler and I’m afraid they may not ripen.  OH NO!  This is my first card since the big move back in June and it took me most of the day to do this very simple card, I made one that was colored in…didn’t like it and finally settled on this style to use the pretty Figs and Pomegranates stamp set from Flourishes.  I have figs on the brain.  Unfortunately that didn’t translate to well to the card stock.  I think somewhere along the way in this big move, my mojo took a left turn and I took the path to the right, hopefully my mojo and I will go full circle and reconnect soon.  I am entering this card in the Mod Squad challenge, the theme is fruit or harvest and I'm hoping to harvest these figs shortly, there are some gorgeous entries over there you should check out. 

Anyway it’s good to be back.

I had some pretty fall papers from Graphic45 and watercolor paper that I stamped the fig images on using Tim Holtz Distress Inks and traced the images with Sakura Clear Star, added the green stones for accent. 

Thank you all for checking in on me from time to time, I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such talented caring ladies.

A quick note...

Hello to all of my talented friends out there in blog land!

Dave and I are finally getting settled and I have the time now to start work on my crafting area and am going to need all the creative support I can get to figure out how to put all of my stamping stuff into a much smaller area...Yikes!

I have so missed making cards and can't wait to get at it again and can't believe I am about to share this with you, but... I've even had to purchase cards a few times in the last three months!  Absolutely awful!!!

Hope you are having a beautiful summer filled with fun and creativity and look forward to joining you all in that.

My best to you,
Barbara

Happy Mother's Day

I was able to get a Mother's Day card made for my precious 87 year old Mother before packing the craft room to take to storage.  So bye bye craft room for awhile.

For this card I used the new digi image from Power Poppy called Gerbera Daisy (isn't it pretty) and illustrated by the talented Marcella Hawley.  I tried a new technique (to me anyway) of adding color to the image using MS Word.  How fun and love the look, a nice change of pace.  The sentiment is lovely too and is from Pink Petticoat and called Lovely Mum sentiments.  I was able to change the color of the greeting to match the flower color.  Colored the image lightly with Copics and then added stickles to the blossoms for some sparkle and it was done.  I am having an issue with Stickles...it seems to wrinkle the paper/cardstock and it's very hard to get it flattened.  Even with using my heat tool lightly on the reverse side.  I used "tons" of pop dots so that it would lay somewhat flat on the card front, with some success. 

 



 

 

Moving Update...

Just a note to let you know I/we haven’t fallen off the turnip truck somewhere and disappeared. 

 

And now for the house/moving update:

Lots of purging and cleaning and trying very hard to make a wet damp spring in Oregon and our yard look nice.  Sometimes the two don’t go hand in hand, but we are pleased with the outcome.

Got all of our pre-work done for getting a realtor

Got a realtor

A sign was put in the front yard saying “coming soon”

Two days later…well before it hit the market…it sold

A quick trip to look for a new place to live

Found place on day two

Have to be out of our house June 4^th, 5:00PM

Nervous breakdowns…ha, ha…no time for that!

I needed a break, so Monday I played in the craft room and did get a birthday card made.  It was a refreshing respite for sure.

So that’s it from here for awhile.  Hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying your spring.  Have enjoyed your blogs and cards along the way too.  It’s nice to know creativity still flows out there.

Still enjoying my glass of wine, just not in the craft room and hope again soon in a new craft area, I can relax a little and once again be "Happy as a clam in white wine butter sauce"!

 

 

 

Birthday Wishes

This card highlights the pretty lemon cluster image from Flourishes called Life Love Lemons (not sure this is still available) and was illustrated by Marcella Hawley and one of my favorite birthday sentiments from Theresa Momber’s stamp set at GinaK Designs, StampTV, called Elegant Florals.  I stamped the image using Memento’s Gray Flannel ink and colored it with Copic markers.  The background paper was made using a background stamp from JustRite stamps called Dotted Fronds, which as it happens is just one of many stamps that I won from a blog hop in January from the very talented Sharon Harnist.  I used a stamp pad from VersaMagic chalk inks called Key Lime to ink up that pretty background stamp.  Cut the focal image out using two sizes of oval dies from Die-namics called Pierced Oval Stax, love the pierced look.  I inked all around the oval on the image piece using the same ink that I used for the background stamp.  Used dimensionals to pop the images and a little ribbon from my stash to complete.  I had a pearl in the center of the flower, but as luck would or wouldn't have it is not in the picture.  Found it a little later attached to my finger, it was so tiny I didn't notice!

Thinking of you and smiling

I needed to add a thank you card to my card stash and the Flourishes stamp set Birds and Vines, illustrated by Marcella Hawley came to mind, it’s such a pretty set.  I stamped part of the largest vine on paper from my stash using Memento Potters Clay  and then with a Copic marker of the same color, colored in just a few of the leaves.  The “white” flower tops were made using a white Sukura pen.  I used this pretty sentiment from GinaK, called Elegant Florals and illustrated by Theresa Momber, I really love the sentiments in this set.  Added a Martha punched border and some pearls to finish.  Think I’d like to try this again but use a more pastel color palette.

Wishing you all a fun Friday and a wonderful weekend ahead.

Cheers, my friends!!!

 

With Deepest Sympathy

Sometimes seems that the older we get the need for a sympathy card comes around a little more often.  I have this beautiful set of stamps from Flourishes called Ferns and Fiddles, illustrated by the wonderfully talented Marcella Hawley who just today brought her new stamp company Power Poppy on line and boy does she have some gorgeous new stamp sets.  Anyway Ferns and Fiddles have such an elegant feel and I think works well for the occasion, but would also work well for a thinking of you or a birthday card too.  That beautifully designed sentiment comes from GKDesigns and was illustrated by the fabulously talented Theresa Momber and you can find it in her Elegant Florals stamp set.

 Hope you enjoy the card and also hope you are making it through April Fool’s Day unscathed.

 

 

Birthday Wishes

I love this sentiment from GinaK and StampTV and illustrated by the very talented Theresa Momber from her Elegant Florals stamp set, its perfect size works beautifully when you are trying to make a clean and simple card.  If you haven’t already you should check out Theresa’s beautiful stamp set.  I decided to try the whitewashed watercolor technique that so many of my card making friends have been making.  Love that look.  So for this card I used this beautiful floral image from Flourishes LLC Stamps called Passion Flower and is illustrated by Marcella Hawley.  Love this gorgeous stamp.  I really like the way it turned out and it was fun using my watercolor brush again.

Happy Birthday Lucas!

My Oh So Sweet Grandson Luke, just celebrated his 12^th birthday…growing up way too fast for this Nana’s liking.

If you haven’t guessed by the theme of the card, he LOVES Lego’s, he has to wade through them just to get to his bed!  Soooo I happened upon this digi Lego paper and the balloon bouquet that matched.  He loved it.  So once again…

Happy 12^th Birthday Luke!

I’m back…

Enough with the house already, I need a little card time and to say hello and let you know that YES I am alive and doing well.  The house should be on the market in a couple of weeks and I have just one more closet in a guest bedroom to go through and I will be able to say that there is not one nook or cranny that I haven’t peered into and cleaned out!  And while it isn’t being delivered to me in my craft room, Dave is still bringing my 5’oclock glass of wine to me every day.  Love that man!

Hope this finds each and every one of my very talented friends and followers well and enjoying springtime. 

My best to you all!

A Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my sweet blog friends and a top o' the mornin' to ya too!

Hope you all have the chance at wearin' of the green today and a little bite or two of some amazing corned beef and cabbage.

Happy Birthday Sandra Sue!

Gerry Morse is my humor muse so decided to CASE her today for my dear friend Sandy’s Birthday.  She also used a Bugaboo image and it’s JJ, so it was meant to be.  Here is Gerry’s card http://stamptv.ning.com/photo/cooking-with-wine?context=user JJ Cooking with Wine. And here is my take on Gerry’s card.  Since my image isn’t really about wine, I kept the cardstock white but for detail I used a new Spellbinders detail emboss die set for interest.  Now for the rest of the story…

I had a little time today, so got a birthday card made and off to a dear friend who has her birthday on Ground Hogs day.  Sandy has a very good sense of humor, so thought this would be a good fit.  This very humorous image is from Bugaboo called JJ Tequila and Shoes instant fun and the character is JJ.  JJ reminds me of “me” with the reading glasses perched on her nose and silver hair, like mine.  Colored her in pretty grays and reds and created the sentiment using Photoshop Elements 9 from a funny joke in the newspaper that I filed away.  Thought it would work well with JJ here.  The birthday sentiment is from GinaK Designs Framed Greetings stamp set.  So Happy Birthday dear Sandy, I hope you like it.

 

Five O'clock Wine!

Well here I sit, with wine in hand...yes, Dave climbed those stairs once again with glass in hand.  Thinking back on my day, I retook command of the entry way closet and as it happened it really did need retaking!  Found our Son-in-Law's winter coat that he's been looking for and donated coats and jackets to our local charity of choice.  And now after finishing another big job, I opened the email to see wonderful, encouraging comments from some of the most amazing and talented ladies, I have known.  I appreciate all your comments, they are full of positive anecdotes from your lives and how you all got through similar situations.

So I lift my glass to you (hic) as I sip (hic), to say thank you (hic).  Humm...maybe I've had more sips than I thought...

I may be a little tired, but always remember, I remain..."Happy as a clam in white wine butter sauce"!

PS: above image is Chef Pierre from Bugaboo

Happy Birthday Lori

I have been a very busy little bee of late, busy sorting, cleaning and generally readying the house for sale this spring and making some good progress.  Just finished cleaning and sorting the pantry...lets just say I found a couple of expired items back in the deep recesses, tucked away and out of site...but I got them!

I decided to reward my hard work and get a birthday card off to a dear friend.  Thought she would like this style and the sentiment.

The image is a digi from TLC and is called Sunday Afternoon Fashion.  Love this one.  Added just a little color in her favorite shade.  The sentiment is also from TLC, I love this one and have been waiting for an opportunity to use it.  The card didn't need much embellishment.  I colored the pearls with the same Copic marker that I used for her hat and umbrella.  I traced around her dress, hat and umbrella with a Sakura glitter pen and that was it.  I hope you like it.  And, now off to watch a little football with Dave and plan the next project for tomorrow.

Preparing for a big move!

A big hello to all my blog friends and followers.  Thought I should let you know why I haven't been posting cards for awhile...Dave and are at a time in our lives where we do not need a big old house anymore, so decided after living here for 25 years it was time to put it on the market and move closer to family.

Really looking forward to a house with no stairs, everything on one level.  So with that said I have lots of cleaning out to do to ready this place.  Storage and closet space is all full of happy memories, but not sure I need to keep them all, so the purging has begun.

As soon as I have things a little more organized, you'll hear from me again, in the meantime didn't want you to think I had fallen off the face of the earth.

Thank you all for visiting me here and I want you to know that I really am "Happy as a clam in white wine butter sauce!"  Cheers!