Make a Difference

So, I think I thought I was doing Weekend Sketch 87 last week. With these children home for the summer, I just can’t keep my wits. LOL! Well, whatever the number, Charmaine delivered a great sketch today for the Weekend Sketch Challenge. You can see the sketch on her sweet little blog. Other gorgeous samples can be seen by visiting Cambria and Sharon.

I have some new Verve sitting on my desk, and the time to play has been so short this week. But, I pulled out a sentiment from Julee’s new set, Just For You, and created a patriotic card for a special veteran in my life.

This is one of those hard to photograph cards. . . aren’t they all when you love glitter? The original sentiment has a set of fern leaves attached to it. As pretty as they were, I didn’t think they matched the theme of my card. I omitted them. (It was quick enough with a Memento Dew Drop size pad of Rich Cocoa. That’s why I keep both the full size pads and the Dew Drops in easy reach.) Then I used a sticky star from the Jody Morrow special to put a transparent, glittery star there on the right to anchor the sentiment. The popped up stars on the left were created with the Stampin’ Up! star punch and the Xyron sticker maker. The Xyron (the orange X model) is probably one of my oldest tools, and I use it frequently for adhering glitter to entire surfaces of small items. The tan colored filigree is a pieces of trim from a packet of Prima Voila trims. I colored it with a Copic Marker. The paper is Jenni Bowlin - Navy Dot and Red Wallpaper. Red trim is from Taylored Expressions.

We love the Fourth in our little Mayberry, USA.  Hope your weekend is full of good times, laughter and warm memories.

A while back, I used some of my Vintage Stickers from Crafty Secrets to  make a short series of get well quick cards. I love how they paired with Kraft card stock for a sweet salutation. Last weekend, I used the Vintage Cuts to make another 8 quick cards focusing on girlfriends and general happliness. With quick witted sayings and darling vintage art, I’m happy to send these out for a quick hello. My favorite sentiment set to go with these quick cuts is Card Sentiments from Crafty Secrets. Hopefully by mass producing…I’ll actually send them. :)  (short supply at the bottom)

I’m going to keep the blah, blah short. I have to play my roll as Mom Taxi in just a few short minutes. Have a great day!

• Cardstock: Kraft Card Stock - Stampin’ Up!, Early Bird - Cosmo Cricket, Bloom & Grow - My Mind’s Eye, Vintage Paper - Crafty Secrets
• Ink: Brown Memento & Sand VersaMagic - Tsukineko
• Stamps: Crafty Secrets sentiments - various sets - but this is one of my faves: Card Sentiments
• Accs: Buttons, buttons, buttons, prima flowers, ribbon, Spica Glitter Pen - Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping by!

If you like mystery and suspense, then the card I’m posting this morning is just for you. Actually, it’s Just For Fun.  Every month, my JiFFy girlfriends rotate responsibility for picking the paper and the main image stamp (set) that we’ll all use on one card and post. You never know what’s going to show up in your mailbox, hence the intrigue. You can see inspiration for how 5 other crazy gals all use the same card and stamps to come up with totally different looks with this set and paper by visiting the JiFFy girls: Alli Miles, Carole Burrage, Julie Campbell, cutie Kim Hughes and Michele Boyer. (Alli may be a little late with her post. She’s had some move related issues over the last few weeks, but even if there’s not a Carter card up top, you’ll love the inspiration you find on her blog - she amazes me.) 

This month, sweet Kim Hughes picked Slate paper from the Crate Little Sprout collection. Isn’t this fun for a little boy card?

Then, unbeknownst to Kim, Carole picked Cuddle Up Carter from My Favorite Things to work with. Isn’t that a perfect match?  For those of you who aren’t aware, the Cuddle Up Carter set (released in March) is a special set for several reasons. First, Carter in the set is actually an image of Carole’s sweet, bright and funny little boy Carter. Carter, the delight of his family, has Cerebral Palsy. You can read a beautiful blog entry from Carole that discusses Carter and his diagnosis here. It’s informative and encouraging. Second, Kim Van der Sandin, the MFT lady, is graciously donating $2 from the sale of each Cuddle Up Carter set to a wonderful organization called Europeds thru September, 2009. I know this is an organization close to Carole’s heart, and I was so glad when she selected this image for us to work with this month.

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I don’t know how I would start a Friday if it weren’t to finish up the Weekend Sketch Challenge sample. This week the sketch comes from sweet Cami.

It was fun, though the star threw me. Alas, it was a great opportunity to try an accordian flower. I’ve drooled over Kelly Lunceford’s for quite some time. You can see her great tutorial here. The center for the flower is a cluster of pearls and then the gaps are filled in with Dazzling Diamonds.

I’ve got a busy day here making a 9 year old feel like a birthday princess. She’s finishing up summer school today with a field trip to the horse barn (she’s super excited!) and then the pool this afternoon. Both of my girls are all worked up about the Princess Protection premier tonight that they will watch at their aunt and uncle’s house with the cousins.  And they can’t wait to dig into the fabulous orange cake that their papa brought over for the big day. It should be a fantabulous time.

Make sure you check out other sketch inspiration. You can find plenty of it if you stop by to see Charmaine, Laurie, Mary Jo and Sharon.

• Stamps: Circular Sayings - Verve Stamps 
• Cardstock: Pure Luxury Chocolate - Gina K Designs, Rose and Teal Prism, Poison Ivory - Arjo Wiggins 
• Ink: Jumbo Java VersaMagic Chalk 
• Accs: Pearls - Mark Richards, Dazzling Diamonds, Pinking Circles Dies - Spellbinders,  Paper Trimming Buddy - Marvy (chocolate scallop), Ribbon - May Arts 

Both of my little girls were born in June, so I’m ‘on cloud nine‘ to be celebrating Bella Birthday Blog Skip, Hop & Dance in honor of Miss Emily, the original Stamping Bella. If you are just stopping by, the fun started just a few hops back. If you get lost anywhere along the way, there is a master hopper list here.

This will be my oldest daughter’s card tomorrow when she turns NINE!  Her daddy will probably give her a card with camouflage something or other, so this one will really stand out! :)  I think she’ll love the pink and the glitz. We took both of our girls, my parents and my grandma to the Lyceum Theater for a fabulous production of Annie last night to celebrate, and we’ll spend the weekend with family.

Your next stop on the Bella Birthday Blog Hop is with Ms. Carole Burrage.

I can’t wait to get over to Carole’s blog. Her cards are always amazing, but her posts always make me howl with laughter. Enjoy yourself, and thanks for stopping by.

• Stamps: Altee’TUDE  - Stamping Bell, clouds by Kim Hughes 
• Cardstock: Pure Luxury White & Chocolate - Gina K Designs 
• Ink: Brown Memento 
• Accs: Zva Felt Flowers - Taylored Expressions, Stickles & Copic Marker (R11, R43, E02, E35, E37, BG000 & w1)

“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wonderous ways. The dry seasons do not last. The Spring rain will come again.” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnatch

I used to make cards in mass production all the time. Somewhere along the way, I got a way from that. I need to get back to it.

I used Faith and Hope to finish up 10 cards last night. I felt oh-so-productive.  I stamped the sentiments on Gina K’s Pure Luxury White (layering weight). That weight is wonderful for the Wizard and other thin dies. Then I used the Pure Luxury White (heavyweight) for the card base.  I used some pretty patterned paper from Basic Grey and a simple embellishment to dress them up.

Maybe I’ll really be wild and crazy today and actually send a few of these out. Thanks for looking.

•  Stamps: Faith & Hope - Taylored Expressions 
• Cardstock: Pure Luxury White - layering and heavy weights, Wisteria Basic Grey patterned paper & Wizard Dark Prism
  
• Ink: New Grape Memento - Tsukineko 
• Accs: ribbon - May Arts, Label die - Nestabilities, hydrangea - Prima, button - foo-fa-la, Marvy Paper Trimming Buddy (scalloped blade) 

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Of course I’m wishing Taylor a wonderful birthday today!

I used the TECC72 that you can find here and all the parts of my Sweet Ingredients Kit that arrived in the mail this week: Doodlebug Paper, Maya Road Chipboard Cupcakes, Doodlebug Brads, Prism Paper - hmm so sweet and all from the Taylored Expressions store. The large circle eyelets are from Stampin’ Up! and the glittered brads in the center are Making Memories. No stamps here.

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He has made everything beautiful in it’s time. ~ Ecc. 3:11

 It’s Divine Design time, and I’m finally ahead of the game. Long time coming, I know. I planned my verse and 6×6 page this month as a celebration of the country I love and my family’s favorite summer holiday, here in Midwest USA, the Fourth of July.You can see other Divine Design (scripture inspired projects) by visiting Angel Wilde, Jami Bova, Nancy Morgan and my moving-back-to-the-midwest friend, Taylor VanBruggen.  I always look forward to seeing their beautiful work.

I have relocated every 3-5 years of my life, all my life. I’ve lived in the north, the midwest, Texas and the deep south.  I’ve never lived in an ugly part of our country, and actually, I’m not sure an ugly part exists. I love the Flint Hills of Kansas, the lakes of Minnesota, the tall pines of Georgia and the Caprock in Texas.  I love it all. Do I sound like Lee Greenwood? Does anyone even know who he is? At any rate, I’m grateful to live here in the beautiful United States of America.

 The scripture is from one of the anniversary sets at Our Daily Bread Designs.  All of the die-cut images are Sizzix (Decorative Label Set, Hello Kitty Flower Bouquet and Hello Kitty Ribbons). I ran the smaller die-cut pieces thru my Xyron and then dipped into glitter. Patterned paper is WeRMemory Keepers. Rhinestone bling is from KaiserCraft, available at eP.

Thanks for stopping by.

I have had the opportunity to work with PK Glitz in the last few months, and it was fun to see them live and in action at the Great American Scrapbook Show yesterday. I love glitter. The WonderFilm was amazing. Can’t wait to play with that when I get home.  Janelle was the cutest thing, and I had to ask if we could video her demo.

Taylor asked me if I’d like to play around with her new ‘For the Love of Cupcakes‘ stamp set for the sketch today. This is just one of 4 cute sets being released today at Taylored Expressions. Sweet!

I colored my cake plate and cupcake with Copic Markers. Then I used some Glassy Accents to give the cake plate an enamel look. There is some glitter sprinkled into the cherry. This makes me happy.

The paper is all Sassafrass Lass. We found these darling 6×6 paper pads of the stuff at the scrapbook show yesterday for $1.99.  Good times! It all coordinates with the Intense Pink Prism cardstock base.

I’m headed home from Dallas today, and my oldest daughter has a big swim meet this weekend.  I had to miss a swim meet last night that was scheduled after I planned this trip. My sweet little girl called me last night giving me a hard time, wanting to know why I entered her in the 100 meter individual medley, something she’s never swam before. Evidently, her coach decided to give her a push because I had nothing to do with that.  I was getting really nervous that she wouldn’t want to swim this  weekend because she is entered in two 100 meter events tomorrow. After she kept razzing me,  she finally broke down (I could hear her grinning in the phone!) and said - ‘Well, I took FIRST PLACE!’ Little stinker! I’m so proud of her!  Swimming is such a great sport, and we’ve had several incredible, life teaching moments with our 8 year old in the last 3 years. This weekend, I’m looking forward to watching her fly thru the water, spending time with friends and my family and sitting in a lawn chair in the sun. This makes me happy.

Have a great day!