Kate's Crazy Cool Christmas - Can You Help?

Hello my friends!  It's Friday night as I write this...it's been a wonderful day visiting a good friend whom I have a 'soul-bond' with.  You know the kind of friend that no matter how long it's been, you always pick up as if you just saw her yesterday.  That kind of friendship is real and deep and matters greatly.  I am very blessed to have a few friends I can say that about.  Life is truly short, and we've got to make the relationships we've been given a priority!  I love you ♥

Well, I don't have a project for ya today...instead I'm feeling lead to share this CaringBridge entry from Holly McRae.  Are you looking for someone to bless this Christmas?  Although her own daughter, Kate, is battling cancer herself, Holly writes today about others in need:

"There are so many families I could tell you about. Some we knew well, others time was short, but the connection was deep. Most of the children's stories I have followed, mostly with various forms of brain cancer, their sites are only updated yearly now. A memorial to a precious child who fought a very terrible disease. I guess 3 years in the pediatric cancer world is enough time to see its effects.

Then every once in a while you meet one little one who not only captures your compassions, but inspires you deeply. We met this little guy through the Christmas drive you all generously made happen. He was the one who passionately loved country music. He is blind from his brain surgery, but sees life more clearly than most. Currently he is undergoing the same treatment plan Kate just finished.

I received a call the other day and his unmistakable voice poured through. My smile was instantaneous. He has that effect on most. He shared about his recent MRI, and made sure to tell me about his birthday. And without fail, almost always reminds me to thank those who gave to the Christmas drive 2 years ago. So thank you...from one of the most delightful boys you could imagine.

And so here we go... into another Christmas season. We are so grateful to the many of you who have supported this effort to bless families suffering through childhood cancer.

Another glimpse into the lives of a few of our brave fighters this year...

Little Russ man. Little Rusty was diagnosed with brain cancer (Pineoblastoma) at the tender age of 4. Spread throughout his spine, the prognosis was painful, 20% chance to see the next Christmas. Well that next Christmas is here and so is our brave man! After multiple rounds of chemo and high dost chemo with a stem cell transplant, Rusty just finished his radiation. Scans will be after the holidays.
Rusty loves all things football. He knows every NFL team, their mascot, colors, and many of their players. When he isn't calling plays and practicing his touchdown dance, he can be found playing with his lightsabers defending their home from the Darth Vader and the dark side. His smile is contagious. Despite all he has faced this past year, he remains joyful bringing happiness to everyone he spends time with.

Tyler. After a common childhood fall at the age of 2, it was discovered that Tyler had rhabdomyosarcoma of the mandible (jaw). He underwent surgery resulting in various complications, chemo and radiation, with 54 surgeries to date. Tyler gets to enjoy this Christmas in remission, but continues to face many setbacks from his battle, with the potential for more surgeries. His grandmother boasts you will never meet a little boy that cares more for others than Tyler.

Any donations can be sent to Kate's Crazy Cool Christmas c/o Holly McRae @ 5354 Haven Ave Alta Loma, CA 91737. Thank you for your generous support. For any more information regarding the drive please see the previous journal entry.

Again, thank you."

See you soon, my wonderful friends!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Loving Hybrid Cards!!!

Can you believe that November is almost over?  EEK!!!  Don't even ask me about Christmas.  I am definitely not ready to deal with that yet lol!  I am still grieving over the extra weight I've put on over the past month or so :(  Part of me says, 'Well, just wait until after Christmas because you know you'll want to eat all of those goodies' - then the other part of me is screaming, 'But you are a fat pig... how do you think you're gonna fit into your jeans if you keep eating like this?'  ARRGGGH!!! LOL!!!

On a much brighter note, I'm so happy for my son who is enjoying working at his new job.  I do believe it's a good fit for him.  I can see him 'blossoming' which is a very good thing.  Depression runs in both mine and my hubby's families.  My son has struggled also, so to see him thriving does my heart good : )

As a kind of disclosure, I want to say that I love all of those gorgeous paper pads (believe me, I have more than my share!).  Susana carries tons of awesome 6x6 paper pads HERE.  However, sometimes I find that using digi papers are fun!  For this particular project, I already had the paper printed and the colors fit so well - I just had to use it!

As in most of my cards, I began by stamping Dawn's Fairy by Susana Loves Stamps with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and coloring with Copics (you can find Shin Han Markers HERE).  Dawn's Fairy comes from the Mythical Reflections Collection HERE.  I gave her eyes some shine with Transparent Gloss Gel and a bit of sparkle with Stardust Stickles.  Here's where the difference comes in...

Because I wanted to try out Art Anthology Gelate in Splashed on her wings, and because I didn't want to cover such a large area with Stickles, I opted for the Gelate.  I also outlined the wings with Stardust Stickles.  In my opinion... the best of both worlds : )

The image is popped up using foam dimensionals over Nitwit digi papers.  I left the Garden Corner dies by SCACD white which kind of gives an embossed look with the light background.  They are accented with rhinestones.  The heart is a print and cut using my Cameo and Silhouette software.  Obviously, it would have been easier to get out my heart punch, but I already had these (unused from another project) so I popped on a Papertrey sentiment and tied a bow with twine - done!

Have a wonderful, crafty day!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Creating a Garden Scene

Hi again :D  Are you as surprised as I am that I'm back so soon? LOL!  I think my little vacation made a difference in my mojo!  I've been enjoying watching football with my hubby.  When I decided that I was going to try to understand the game, I realized that it was actually fun - imagine that :D  I am now an official 49er fan!!!  I am so excited about the possibilities with Kaepernick.  He's done great the last two games (his firsts as QB).  He's from Turlock, CA which is close to where I live, so of course I gotta cheer him on!!!

Today I'd like to share with you a card I made using Butterfly Kisses by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD.  She's from the Sampler #8 Collection which you can find HERE.

I began by stamping her with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink (refills HERE) and coloring with Copics (ShinHans HERE). As usual, I've accented her with both Stardust Stickles and Transparent Gloss Gel.  I decided I wanted to create a garden scene with her, so she's cut out (not very well, so don't look too close lol!).

For my background, I started with watercolor paper I had tucked away.  I used a Mister to wet the entire piece and began painting the sky with Silks Acrylic Glaze in Sky Blue, adding water and Wild Blueberry Mica Powder as needed.  LOVE LOVE LOVE these mica powders!!! While that was drying, I cut out the clouds, fence (Susana has dies HERE, HERE, and HERE), flowers and grass (Silhouette files) which I left on the Cameo sticky mat so I could easily color them in with Copics.  Oh... I painted the fence with Oyster Silks!

The Classic Corners dies by SCACD were already cut out from another project I thought I'd use, but didn't... but they were RED, so I took out my trusty 3D Stamp Paint in Rose (LOVE LOVE LOVE 3D Stamp Paint too!!!) and sponged two quick drying coats over them.  Voila'!  Bet you couldn't tell they were red before... could you?

Using ScraPerfect Best Glue Ever is a dream for me... really!  It holds so well with only a small amount.  The applicator will deliver just a tiny dot if that's all I need!  Look at the corner dies... there's not a lot of paper for big globs of glue to smoosh out - this is a perfect example of how well Best Glue Ever works.  It doesn't wrinkle the paper either - yep... a dream :D

Tip:  In case you didn't see my tip from yesterday... I discovered that using a pencil eraser (in my case a white eraser on a disposable mechanical pencil) worked very well at cleaning up a little bit of oops! glue I got too close to the edge while layering papers.

Oh... in case you're wondering, that cute li'l butterfly also comes with the image.  Isn't it adorable?

Challenges Entered:
Pile It On - Anything But a Christmas Card
Simon Says - Anything Goes
Pause Dream Enjoy - Anything Goes
Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Thank you, my friends, for visiting.  You know that I love you!!!

See you soon ♥

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Hybrid Card with E. Bell for SCACD

Hey friends!  I've missed you...  I decided to make the entire Thanksgiving week a vacation for me.  I didn't really do much - a couple of days I even stayed in my jammies :D  However, I did get a couple of projects finished while my belly was stuffed with all the traditional Thanksgiving Day goodies!

Today I'd like to show you a fun card I made using both digital and traditional supplies.  I began by stamping Who's Me by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and coloring with my fave Copic Markers (ShinHan's can be found HERE).  Who's Me is from Sampler #8 which is a fabulous collection!  This sweet image is accented with Stardust Stickles (which I can not live without!) and Transparent Gloss Gel on her shoes and eyes for that shine   : )

Since I had time to clean up my craft room a bit, I was able to get to my sewing machine - yay!!!  The image, layered over a Nitwit digi paper, was sewn around the edges.  I've also sewn a zigzag pattern over the background digi papers.  (Don't have a sewing machine?  Try the Sew Easy HERE).  I used Photoshop Elements to print the paper and my Cameo to print and cut the cute li'l flowerpot and heart.

*Tip #1:  I've just recently discovered both Epson Presentation Paper 44lb. and HP Matte Brochure Paper 48lb.  It makes a HUGE difference in the quality of the digi prints!  As you can see, the colors are bright and (I think) you can't tell that these are not 'real' lol!  You know what I mean... I didn't cut them from a paper pad, but printed them from a digital file : )

In case you are wondering if I'm a paper pad hater... fear not!  In fact I LOVE 'em!!!  I'll be showing you some NEW from the store at the end of this post!

To give the flowerpot a little more dimension, I layered the pot twice and covered it with Transparent Gloss Gel; then layered the flower three times and gave it a Stardust Stickles center.  It's popped up with foam dimensionals.  My fave Best Glue Ever was used to adhere the rest of the card.

*Tip #2:  I have found that using a regular pencil eraser works great at cleaning up any extra glue that got where I didn't want it!  I tried the Adhesive Pick-up HERE which works great for other adhesives, but for the Best Glue Ever, try an eraser (you're welcome!) lol.

The sentiment is from My Time Made Easy and the gorgeous lace-rose ribbon I picked up from Hobby Lobby.

Challenges Entered:
Pile It On - Anything But a Christmas Card
Cute Card Thursday - Girls Only
Totally PaperCrafts - All Stitched Up
Loves Rubberstamps - Fun with Ribbon
One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes
Inky Impressions - Make it Girly

New Products You'll Want to See!!!

• New 6x6 Paper Pads- Bazzill, Simple Stories and more- HERE!
• Newest Distress Stains- HERE!
• New Artistcellar 6x6 Stencils- HERE!
• New Spellbinders D-Lites- HERE!
• New Stamping Bella Uptown Girl stamps-HERE!
• New Make It Crafty Chipboard- HERE!

So happy to be back... I hope to visit you soon too!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Easy, Beautiful Background with Luminarte Mica Powder

Happy Friday my friends!  Another week has whizzed by behind my back...  Last weekend hubby and I visited his sister and family in Georgetown.  We had a wonderful time and even got to experience a little snow.  I have to admit, it's fun to VISIT snow, but I don't think I would do well living in it...  My hat's off to those of you who brave the beautiful, but c-c-c-olddddd snow lol!

The day before we left, hubby informed me that Robin's birthday was the next day.  What is a cardmaker to do, but make a card???  Here's what I whipped up...

The image I used is Courageous Eyes which is from the Eyes of Adventure Collection by Susana Loves Stamps.  I've had her colored for awhile, waiting for the perfect occasion.  Since she's wearing beads, I thought Robin might appreciate her since she loves jewelry and beading.  :D

I began by stamping the image with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  Did you know that Susana carries Refills? Of course I used my fave Copic Markers (ShinHans HERE) to color this sweet image and accented her eyes with Transparent Gloss Gel - I especially LOVE the "Eyes" collection and the gloss gel really brings out the beauty of the eyes!  Another one of my craft staples is Stardust Stickles which I accented the bird and a bit of her top.



The black pearls were a snap to make using another favorite... Paper Pen in Graphite.  Although black isn't my absolute favorite, the paper pens are!  If you can't find a suitable color in the paper pens, take a peek at the Pearl Pens.

My trustworthy Spellbinders came in handy cutting out the image and layering it over the Decorative Oval.  Spellbinders on Sale HERE.  Before I get to the background, I want to mention the beautiful Dies by SCACD - Garden Corners and Ornate Hinge (more of my faves lol!).  After giving them a coat of 3D Stamp Paint in Silver, I adhered them with Best Glue Ever.  I think I've used just about EVERY favorite product on this card!!!

On to the background... finally huh???

I began by cutting a piece of black cardstock 5"x 5" and cutting it in half.  I then layered one on top of the other and trimmed another .5" so I would have enough room between the panels and all around the edges.  I also did this so that the paper would fit in the 5" x 7" Craft Concept Tuscan Tiles Embossing Folder.  I love the larger embossing folders Susana carries, but in this case, I needed it even bigger!

So after running both panels through my Vagabond with the embossing folder, I adhered them to another black layer.  I then gave the entire piece a good coat of Luminarte Silks Acrylic Glaze in Ice.  This is basically a clear sparkly coat which then... adheres the gorgeous Primary Elements Mica Powder!  I used:  Stargazer Primary Elements Mica Powder and Wild Blueberry Primary Elements Mica Powder.

I decided that I wanted to see how well the Mica Powder would stick after rubbing with a Shop Towel (a thick paper towel).  A little bit rubbed off, but what you see here is after quite a bit of scrubbing!  Susana has tons... and I do mean TONS of colors in this awesome Mica Powder!  You know me... I've got to collect them all - I do have a ways to go, but I keep chugging along cuz these are the best :D  You really only need a small amount which I tap on with a soft brush and then brush it around randomly.  Easy!

The last thing I added is the tag with the birthday sentiment which I tied on to the die cut using Scrapper's Floss in Midnight.

Voila'!!!  Happy Birthday Robin ♥

Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

A Stroller Card with Little Bo Peep!

Good morning my sweet friends.  Another week has quickly gone by, and I feel that I haven't accomplished everything that I'd like to.  Sometimes life can be quite overwhelming, but thank God they don't last forever!

Last Friday we celebrated our youngest son's birthday.  He requested homemade pizza, so I took out my recipe which uses my beloved Vitamix.  Oh this appliance does quick work of mixing the dough.  I've used it many times and each time, the pizza crust turns out great!  My oldest son is the pizza chef :D  He makes the best toppings!  So between the two of us and double chocolate cake, we had a mouth watering celebration :D

Although far from being a baby, my youngest son IS the baby.  I do have a soft spot for baby things.  Do I want one?  Heck no!  But you gotta admit, the sweet smell of baby powder and the super cute baby 'everything' makes one smile!!!  So when I first saw this oh-so-adorable image by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD, I knew that I wanted to create a baby card.  As I strolled (hee hee) through my Silhouette files, I came across this sweet stroller - perfect!

I altered the single cut file into a card by mirroring it and placing perforations in the center to make it easier to fold.  I also cut out two more singles which I adhered one on top and one on the bottom of the card both for stability and also so I could emboss just the top layer.

Peek-a-boo!!!  The inside reveals Little Bo Peep by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD which I colored with copic markers (ShinHans HERE) and accented with Art Anthology Gelate in Splashed (Dimensional Gel Paint).  If you look at the wheels of the stroller, you'll see the clear sparkle and texture which I applied with a sponge dauber.

Papers are from Lost and Found Market Street by My Mind's Eye (lots of other fabulous paper HERE) which I used for the inside of the card.  I altered the cut file to cut only the top, then bottom portion of the stroller so I didn't have to cut out the entire image twice with the dp.

I've used a Cuttlebug embossing folder, but you can find a similar embossing folder HERE or HERE.  The cute li'l sheep and butterfly is also a Silhouette file which I cut out with my Cameo and pieced together with my Quickie Glue Pen.  Everything else was adhered with my fave ScraPerfect Best Glue Ever!

Before I took the pieces off the cutting mat, I colored them using copic markers.  I've found that doing this not only saves paper, but also time because I can decide the colors as needed and match to whatever color scheme I'm using.

A pink rhinestone on each end of the stroller and one on the butterfly give this card a little extra bling, while the buttons tied with white Scrapper's floss add charm!

Be sure to check out the Store Blog for ongoing inspiration, information and fun!!!

By the way...this is going to be the next pad of paper I purchase - wait, maybe I shouldn't share it with you... please leave me some lol!

10% off HERE

Thanks for visiting.  YOU make this all worthwhile!!!

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~

Not One, but Two New Stamp Releases!

Hey Friends!  I'm back with another NEW RELEASE :D  Are you as smitten with new rubber as I am?  I also enjoy working with digis, but there's something about the physical stamp that nothing else can satisfy!

As the holidays are fast approaching and life becomes busier and busier, it's nice to have a moment or two of quiet with my 'calgon take me away' time - which is crafting of course!!!  I don't mean only MY crafting... I mean anything to do with crafts lol!  I truly believe it's the best therapy :D

Are ya ready for a Hop?

This is SCACD's last 2 stamp releases of the year! We're bringing you cuteness from Elisabeth Bell for SCACD with 4 new adorable stamps in the Sampler #8 Collection. We also have Susana Loves Stamps new collection- Mythical Reflections which brings you 4 more mythical stamps to help inspire you and help you create!  Be sure to check out all the details on the SCACD store blog and hop along with the SCACD DT as we showcase these amazing new stamps!


If you've been following us today, you should have arrived here from Amanda's Blog.  If you'd like to start at the beginning, head on over to see Danni!  If you've gotten lost along the way, the entire Hop List can be found on the Store Blog.

Oh how I've had fun fun fun creating with these new stamps!!!  Today I have the privilege of showcasing one image from Elisabeth Bell for SCACD Sampler #8, and one from Susana Loves Stamps Mythical Reflections.

First up is Golden Lily by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD.  Totally different style than I'm used to... I really like the way it turned out :D

The background paper is a Silhouette file which I print and cut, but Susana has a wonderful assortment of 6x6 paper pads HERE.  I just happened to find this pattern the other day and knew it would be perfect for this image :D  My husband asked me if I knew what it said.  When I told him that I didn't have any idea, he said, 'What if it says something derogatory?  I'm confidant it doesn't... but if you can read it, please let me know! hee hee

This card actually was quite a family affair... this is the second time I colored Golden Lily.  My youngest son looked at the first one and basically told me it was all wrong.  What would I do without him?  He gave me some pointers, including a couple of photos from his phone.  Thanks C!!!

Here's the list of copics (ShinHans HERE) I've used:
R29 R27 R24 R22 R21; Y28 Y15 Y13 Y11; C9 C7 B01 B00; E11 E00

In this photo, I want to point out different ways to use the 3D Stamp Paint.  The Classic Corners die cuts and Nature's Tapestry Fan were both sponged with Gold 3D Stamp Paint.  The corners, for the most part, are totally covered, while the fan was swiped here and there with the sponge dauber.  I used the same red cardstock for these dies and got different looks using the same paint - yay!  I love when variety happens!!!

Here I've used a Memory Box Honeyblossom Sprig die with green and yellow cardstock, adhering the paper pieced flowers with my Quickie Glue Pen and lightly covering them with Gold 3D Stamp Paint.  On top of that, I've used Gold Liquid Pearls to accent the petals.

Next up is Hannah from Susana Loves Stamps Mythical Reflections.  I do think she is so very lovely!!!

Because I just noticed it and now it's a glaring defect... I must direct your attention to it LOL!!!  I forgot to cut out the lower part of her skirt 'cover.'  I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to my art, I can hardly stand it!  Oh well, I'm learning to live with my many imperfections - ha!

Hannah was colored with the following copics (ShinHans HERE):
RV04 RV02 RV00 C1 BV02 B26 B24 B06 B02 B01 B00 B000 Y28 Y15 Y11 E37 E35 E34 YR21.

I've used a new product on her wings and the gorgeous Memory Box Tiffany Frame die cut (which is on top of the untreated Spellbinders Decorative Oval - selected Spellbinders on SALE).  If you can't see very clearly, go ahead and click on the photo to make it larger...

The new product is Art Anthology's Gelate, which is a very cool dimensional gel paint.  This is Splashed (clear with multi glitter) which I sponged on Hannah's wings and the Tiffany Frame die cut.  It is textured and oh so sparkly!  I haven't tried the other colors yet, but since this is a gel paint, it's transparent (compared to 3D Stamp Paint which gives opaque coverage).

Behind the beautiful Garden Corner dies by SCACD HERE is some fun dp by MME - lots and lots of fun paper HERE.

I've made Hannah hold a sweet heart tag (cut out with my Cameo!) wishing a Happy Birthday to someone special ♥  Imagine the possibilities!!!  She's popped up with dimensionals HERE.

Finishing touches of triple rhinestones bring a bit more bling to the party :D

 Our International Friends can find these new releases at Quixotic Paperie.

Now hop on over to see what amazing creations Melanie has for you!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by ♥

May God bless you, keep you and comfort your soul~