Irish Wedding Song

Happy Monday!

Wow, I had only one post in the past week.  Guess that's what happens when you cram 4 doc visits (3 human, 1 vet) and 3 med tests in a two week span!  Glad to have all my annual visits done but it sure makes for a hectic two weeks! Then the Hubs and I went out of town for the weekend to visit old church friends we hadn't seen in 13 years and hear our former pastor preach in a new church.  A wonderful weekend, but now I'm catching up on my crafting, blogging and other life responsibilities while being partially distracted with our youngest son traveling halfway across country with 3 buddies on a spring break trip to Austin, TX.  Ah, the joys and wonders of college road trips!  Only this time I'm on the parent side, not the one on the road trip! LOL

But back to present things--

Today is time for another 

Pink Elephant Challenge - TPE #241!  

This week we have is an Inspiration Challenge 

with a great inspiration photo:

Here is my project:

SPIES:

STAMPS: Celtic cross (stash); butterflies (Fiskars). Song/music image (Musicnotes.com)

PAPER: White and dark green cardstock. Background DP from stash.

INK: Cottage Ivy (Momento).

EXTRAS: Label die (Sizzix Framelits); Doily circle die (Taylored Expressions); Swirly flourish die (My Favorite Things); aqua green prima flowers; shamrock button.

This will sound odd --- About half my background is Irish and yet I have very few St Patrick/Irish stamps or Irish craft paraphernalia.  Why, I don't know.  Anyway, at my wedding, almost 24 years ago, my uncle sang The Irish Wedding Song, which is one of my favorite wedding songs.  And, I've been wanting to make some kind of framed collage art with the music of it to have with our wedding photo and the shadow box that holds my veil and bouquet.  So I finally decided to do it. 

I have the sheet music somewhere in a box but I went ahead and downloaded it from Musicnotes.com.  I reduced the size of the music then printed it out.  Then, I typed up some of the verses in a decorative font on the computer to use as the "sentiment".  

I have had the celtic cross stamp forever.  It is part of a rubber set of celtic stamps that is one of my first stamp sets I've ever bought years ago.  

Here is a photo of it hanging on the wall.  I need to get a small silver shadow box to put it in and a larger silver shadow box for my veil and flowers.  They are a bit cramped in the current one. 

For Following Challenges:

Shopping Our Stash - #141    3-2-1

For SOS I used 3 Flourish dies, 2 stamped butterflies and one shamrock button.

Challenge #5 - Use Something Green

Irish Blessings!

Happy Birthday

It's Monday, Monday, Monday!

I hope wherever you are it's more spring like than anything!

It was here yesterday and now it's back to Brrrrrrrr! March always seems to be fickle about what weather it wants!

But never fear --- cause the best thing about Mondays is

another 

Pink Elephant Challenge!

YEA!

TPE Challenge #240!

This week's a theme:

Birthdays!

If you are like me you never have enough birthday cards on hand.

Below is my card for inspiration and don't forget to stop by the Pink Elephant Challenge blog and

check out my fellow DT's projects.

They all always have some fabulous work!

SPIES:

STAMPS: Gifts and sentiment (Taylored Expressions).

PAPER: Kraft cardstock base.  DP - Hip Hip Hooray!(We R Memory Keepers).

INK: Morocco, Teal Zeal, Sunflower Yellow (Momento).

EXTRAS: Banner die (My Favorite Things); Sentiment Label die (Reverse Confetti); Big label (Sizzix Framelits); Scallop circle die (Sizzix Framelits); Stars, present ribbon & streamer (Taylored Expressions); Large dot emboss folder (SIzzix).

I used the sketch at CAS(e) This Sketch this week.  Not sure how CAS I am but oh well.  I used a lot of elements from my monthly kit from Taylored Expressions.  February's kit was Birthday Bash (how appropriate is that?).  I also used a technique shown by Arielle Gordon with my emboss folder.  If you don't want to emboss the entire paper, you can slip your paper in the emboss folder, take a small hammer or mallet (I used my old Sizzix mallet), and pound the folder where you want the embossing to come out.  Just be careful, pounding can be stress relieving and get you carried away!  LOL  I had a couple "pinches" in my paper where I hit too hard.  But, "ssssh!" they're covered up!  LOL

I hope you will join us this week at 

The Pink Elephant Challenge 

and share your birthday projects!

For Following Challenges:

Pink Elephant Blessings!

Best Journeys

Good Monday Morning!  It's early!  <yawn>  But I'm finally playing at Muse again!  And I had a lot of fun "musing" this challenge!  I guess you could say I pretty much cased it too.  I loved the design and color of Lisa's card.

I've been wanting to use this sentiment stamp for a long 
time now.  It's a bit large as you can tell.  So I thought this was the perfect card for it.  And I don't use my butterfly and dragonfly stamps enough so I thought a dragonfly went great with the sentiment.  I chose a chevron pattern at the bottom of the card also to go along with the "not straight lines" of my sentiment.  I decided to "reverse" the polka dot theme in the muse sample by using polka dot washi tape on either side of the sentiment. Oh and I forgot --- I put the dragonflies on springs so they can "fly"!

SPIES:

STAMPS: Dragonfly (Inkadinkadoo); Sentiment (Momento).
PAPER: White card base; DP - Basics Brights & Pastels (Die Cuts with a View).
INK: Bahama Blue, Paris Dusk (Momento).
EXTRAS: Scallop circle die (Sizzix Framelit); Black polka dot washi tape.

For Following Challenges:

Muse #56

Muse Inspiration by Lisa Haines

Monday Muse Blessings!

Painted Words

Good Sunday Afternoon!

Is this a crazy weather day or what?  My son in Oklahoma is in the middle of an ice/snow storm and here in North Carolina it is 71 and sunny!  March is coming in like a moody lion!  LOL

The hubs and I had planned on going on a long nature walk at the lake today with the dogs, but halfway through the morning, the ER calls and apparently the Hubs forgot he signed up for an overtime shift today!  The lake will be there another day. 

So, he trudged on to the hospital (not a happy camper) for the next 12 hours and I meandered to my craft room for some peaceful, windows opened creative time!   

Now I'm getting in just under buzzer time for the challenge at Casology --- "paint".  I had some paper left from my shaving cream technique and all week had been staring at it as how to incorporate it into this challenge.  Then, some new supplies I ordered from Simon Says finally came in and 

here it is ---

SPIES

STAMPS: None.

PAPER: White & black cardstock.

INK: Dylusions Ink spray.

EXTRAS: Chat bubble (Simon Says); "hello" die (Memory Box).

Painted Sunday 

Blessings!

Duck N' Daisies

HAPPY SUNDAY!

"This is the day that the Lord has made;

    let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24

It's suppose to be really nice today in the Triangle --- warm temps, mostly sunny --- a spring like day!  So the Hubs and I are going to take the dogs out to Dairy Queen and then Lake Crabtree for a nice long nature walk!  

Then we hope to light a fire in the fire pit and enjoy a glass of wine before the Oscars!  Somewhere in between there will be a little crafting done too!  

But for now, it's time for a new challenge ---

A Cupcake Inspirations Challenge- #250!

Today's challenge is a 

COLOR challenge ---

Pink ~ White ~ Pistachio

Image from: Rose Cupcakes by Whisk Kid 

Is that not a great picture?  

Makes me want a Gigi's Cupcake instead of ice cream!  Yum!  Yum!

Our sponsor this week is

Paper Pretties!

Paper Pretties

The prize they are offering is very generous --

PRIZE:  6 Digis!

My card I've created has the image "April" --- a very cute duck under daisies.

SPIES:

STAMPS: Duck image & Sentiment (Paper Pretties); Daisy & Leaf stamps (Taylored Expressions). 

PAPER: White cardstock base. Cotton Candy & light green cardstock; DP (Stash).

INK: Copics; Tuxedo Black (Memento).

EXTRAS: Daisy & leaf die (Taylored Expressions); Scalloped circle die (Spellbinders); Postage stamp die (Simon Says); basic circle die (Spellbinders); Diamond Stickles; Glossy Accents (on raindrops).

So stop by the Cupcakes Inspiration Challenge Blog and check out the rest of the DT's projects and link up yours using the challenge colors as your inspiration!  We would love to see what you create!

For the Following Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches - #125

Little Red Wagon - #226 Yearning for Spring

Sunday Blessings!

Easter Joy

Photo credit:

Collar City Brownstone

Oh yeah!  It's FRIDAY!  YEA!

Even though I don't work out of the house, I still get fired up for the weekend!  The Hubs is off both Sat/Sun this week so always makes for even more celebration.  Sunday is the pick day weatherwise --- to be almost to 70, so hoping to get the pups out to the park to annoy the ducks.

First, I have to get through today's agenda of annual medical tests/doc visits.  So I'm posting this in between appointments.  And, got good news with my nephrology visit --- all good!  Doc does not forsee my PKD getting any worse than it is now EVER!  My creatinine and kidney functions are NORMAL!  YEA!  Such good news!  And, I definitely feel blessed for that because PKD is usually not kind at all to those who have it.  I am very, very fortunate. Now on to the dreaded mammo and my first bone density scan (got to love the menopause)!

With that done later today, Saturday is March 1st, so I've got spring fever and with spring fever comes spring craftiness.  So here is maybe my first Easter card for 2014:

SPIES:

STAMPS:  Sentiment - Stash (I think Inkadinkadoo).
PAPER: White cardstock base; light green and lilac cardstock; Background DP (My Mind's Eye); DP for pink eggs, flowers-Spring Mix (DCWV); orange eggs - (Pebbles Basic).
INK: Lilac rose (Momento).
EXTRAS: Bunny, bow, grass dies (Impression Obsession); Fence, egg and flower dies (Taylored Expressions); pink and lime green enamel dots; small dot emboss folder (Cuttlebug); ScorePal for scoring lines.

I used the sketch from The Paper Players challenge this week and did some die cutting with eggs, grass and picket fence.  I got a lot of new "spring" dies and supplies this week and so I'm psyched to get crafting more later today and tomorrow.

Spring Time Blessings!

Cheers!

Happy Thursday!  

A fun card today --- my oldest (Patrick) son's birthday card. His 22nd birthday was yesterday. It's still hard not being able to celebrate in person with him, but thank goodness for Facebook, FaceTime or Skype, and texting!  Had a nice conversation with him and sent him birthday wishes too.  I do sometimes still miss that little tike he was even though I am so proud of the young adult man he has become!  Ah, the angst of parenthood!  

SPIES:

STAMPS: Birdbrain Brew Digital Stamp (From The Heart Stamps);

PAPER: Brown, teal and white cardstock; DP - Happy Campers (We R Memory Keepers).

INK: Copics and Blick pens.

EXTRAS: Arrow dies (Taylored Expressions); Rub on letters for sentiment; Enamel dots; teal ribbon.

The image I used on the card is from From The Heart Digital Art Stamps.  I just love those cute Birdbrain images that Faith Skrdla creates!  They are just so adorable!  The Hubs actually helped me choose which digi to get for our son's card and he picked a good one!

This is one of my biggest coloring projects in a while and I hope I did the image justice.  

I chose the color scheme from the challenge at JUGS this week and the sketch from Repeat Impressions.  

Birthday Blessings!

Under The Weather?

Happy Tuesday!  

Time to be {PIN}spired

with another 

{PIN}spirational Challenge -- #96

This is our inspirational photo:

We have three great sponsors this week 

each providing a nice prize for one of three lucky winners!

Stamp Art Design by Kathryne

 Prize:  5 Digis

Delicious Doodles 

Prize:  4 Digis

Scrapper's Delights

Prize:  3 Digis

And here is my project using 

Bee Digi #5

From Scrapper's Delights

I brightened up my photo and did a close up so you can see the black scallop frame I used and some other detail that gets lost in photographing.  

I was actually stumped with this project not knowing really what direction I wanted to take.  I had some yellow beehive pattern paper and some with bees, but once I used the honeycomb pattern emboss folder I tossed those papers out of the mix.  Since the bee is standing under a flower, I chose a rainy/ill theme and stamped and fussy cut the clouds. I cut out the top part of the flower to fit it on top of the frame (I should have printed out a smaller image but sometimes I refuse to admit defeat).  LOL

The raindrops are pale yellow flat sequins from Pink Posh. I sparkled them a bit with some Stickles as I also did the flower middle.  Of course, sitting and blogging I thought to myself that I should have Stickled the bee's wings also.  Oh well.

SPIES:

STAMPS: Digital bee image (Scrapper's Delights).  Sentiment & clouds (Taylored Expressions).

PAPER:  Black and white cardstock; DP - part of my stash from Taylored Expressions kits.

INK: Tuxedo Black and Summer Sky (Memento). Copics for digital image.

EXTRAS: Chain  link square die (Spellbinders); Honeycomb emboss folder (Cuttlebug); Bow die (Taylored Expressions); Pale yellow sequins (Pink Posh); Stickles; black enamel dot.

Feel Better Blessings!

Warm & Fuzzy

WOW!  It's Monday already?

One good thing about Mondays ----

The Pink Elephant Challenge # 239!

Today's challenge:

Use the color PINK!

Don't forget to stop by 

The Pink Elephant Challenge Blog

and check out all the 

fantastic projects from 

Ella's Design Team!

Below is my project for some inspiration:

SPIES:

STAMPS: Digital Image and Sentiment (Doodle Pantry).

PAPER: Cotton candy cardstock.  DP - from stash.

INK: Blick pens; White Fine Sharpie.

EXTRAS: Scallop circle die (Spellbinders); basic circle die (Spellbinders); Doily die (Lifestyle Crafts); label die (for sentiment)(Reverse Confetti); spiral flower die (Taylored Expressions); pearl gem (inside flower); Paper rounder punch (Creative Memories); pink flocking powder; white sequins.

I took "use the color PINK" very literal as you can see!  LOL
I just adore this digital image from Doodle Pantry -- bunny slippers.  I used some pink flocking powder to emphasize the ears and edges of the slippers.

Actually, I am in serious need of some pink patterned paper. What I used here is just about all I have in my stash.  I've ordered some spring paper pads but they have yet to arrive in the mail (hopefully today).

Yet, the beauty of crafting is taking what you have and making something beautiful from it.  I hope I succeed most of the time.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Milk Coffee Challenge - Girly

Warm & Fuzzy Blessings!