Full Bloom Rainbow

Hello friends! I hope you’re having a great week so far! I’m wondering if this cold weather has me feeling this way lately, but I’m seriously lacking in creativity and just have misplaced my MOJO lately! If you’ve found it, please let me know! LOL!

In the meantime, I seriously needed to create a rainbow in my life and found that a young lady certainly was in need of a smile sent her way as well so I thought I would do just that:

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I had received my Pink and Main Crafty Courtyard Card Kit and really loved the happy colors and pretty blooms in the stamp set and so I started out using the stencil with rainbow order inks for the background!

I’ve also used the same color of Distress Oxide inks to do the stamping on the tag and envelope as well. I absolutely love the tag die set was included with the kit which I’ve used for the main focus of my card. I always want to add just a bit of black to my rainbow colors, so I decided to white heat emboss the sentiment from the stamp set and then used one of the tag die elements to cut it out with and pop up over the bottom of the tag.

I’ve also used the ribbon and enamel dots included in the kit to finish it off. (The floral sequins used for the photo prop were also included in the kit. LOL!)

Here’s a closer look at the details in the tag. For the black border around the tag, I just cut a piece down to size and then cut off the edges with my scissors to match up with the tag. The scallop tag behind it was cut with the paper and die from the kit. I used some circle punches to create the black re-enforcer and then I tied the ribbon together with some black twine from my own stash and topped the center with an enamel dot from the kit.

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This card has now been sent along to a young lady that is currently in the hospital dealing with cancer treatments and really needs some cheerful happy colors, so I hope that this will help fill her day with some cheer.

Hoping that this card has also sent some feelings of cheer today your way as well! Thanks so much for stopping in today friends and I’ll see you soon! 🙂

Challenges:

Allsorts – Dies and/or Punches
A Bit More Time to Craft – Anything Goes #110
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2007 Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door– Anything Goes
Fab ‘N’ Funky – For a Child (sent to a 15 yr. old in hospital)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Add a Sentiment
Creative Knockouts – Flower Power

Turner Syndrome Awareness Blog Hop

Hello friends!

February is TSA month and If you’re not familiar with this, please read about it below:

Turner Syndrome is a genetic disorder where a female is born with only one X chromosome, instead of two, leaving her with life-long medical issues and learning disabilities. This condition occurs one in 2,500 female births worldwide, but is more common among pregnancies that do not survive to full term. That is why Turner Syndrome Females are considered MIRACLES!

My TS related project is inspired by the TSA official color board:

For my project, I have combined two different digital sets that were kindly made especially for this blog hop and the TSA cause:

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I was really inspired by the wonderful colors along with the images from the inspirational board above, but it was fairly easy since the images were already pre-colored in the set to create with!

I’ve used the TSF Key digital set from Jan’s Digi Stamps for the images on my card. Also what’s cool about this set is that all of the proceeds from this set go directly to the Turner Syndrome Foundation! It’s a stunning set to have plus a great way to help with a terrific cause too!

I have printed out the images over a piece of white cardstock and cut them out. I also added one of the images in a repeat pattern to print out over a piece of green cardstock for a decorative strip on the background of my card design.

I took an embossing folder and embossed only the top portion of my card base, added the green printed strip with ribbon wrapped around it and sponged the edges. I layered some pink cardstock and cut a scallop square piece of lavender colored cardstock for behind my vanilla panel and popped it up over the card base with foam tape.

Lastly, I’ve attached the bow, button and twine to the side of the image panel and attached the cut-out butterfly to the top corner of the image panel. I glued only the center portion of the butterfly so that I could pop out the wings.

Here’s a closer view of the images. I’ve used a Copic marker on the vanilla-colored panel to create a “shadow” around the key image and then I attached the cut-out key over top of that. I’ve used the same Copic marker for a few more shadows around the key. For that butterfly, I’ve used a glitter gel pen to color portions of the butterfly and then a clear glitter brush pen to go over the wings.

You can see that TSA symbol on the key which is the same image used for the green background panel I created on the computer.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed my card today!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Challenges I’d like to enter my card for:

Jan’s Digi Stamps Challenge – #6 Anything Goes
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2004 Anything Goes
Arty Divas – #14 Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door – Anything Goes
Allsorts – A Touch Vintage

A Special Present from Santa for Digi Doodle Studios

Hello friends! Happy weekend! It has warmed up slightly for us this weekend and the sun is out…for now! It’s supposed to get below freezing again soon though and I’ll have my warm slippers ready for it!

Today I have another fun card to share with you using a Pairables set from Digi Doodle Studios:

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Surprise! This cute little girl is popping out of the gift marked: “From Santa” and she threw open the box lid and is tossing blue ribbon around everywhere! She seems to be so happy about celebrating in the cold! LOL!

All of the images I’ve used for this card came from the Christmas Elves Pairables set from Digi Doodle Studios. (There are so many elements to play with in this set!) I have actually enlarged a couple of the images from the set and sized them the way I needed them to fit with my scene and make it appear as if she was popping out of a large box. I printed out the girl a couple of times so that I could place her behind the box with the lid and then another image to cut her out without the lid of the box and make it more dimensional.

I’ve used several layers of cardstock and more decorative papers behind her with both stitched and scallop rectangle dies. I used my Martha Stewart “goo” border punch to add the “snow” look at the top of the layers with white Glitterstock.

I’ve added some silver metallic ribbon behind the smaller layers and placed a snowflake rhinestone in the middle of the bow. I die cut the sentiment with a stitched tag die and added some silver twine to tuck alongside the present. I stamped some pink snowflakes over the tag and crinkled it up a bit for dimension and movement.

Here’s a closer look of the coloring I did on her with Copic markers. I’ve used a white gel pen for her cheeks as well as to help create the texture on her coat.

I’ve used some Nuvo White Blizzard Glitter Drops for the sparkle on her hat trimmings and she was popped out from the background paper with foam tape.

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I hope my card gave you a smile today and were inspired in some way!

Thanks so much for popping in here today my friends! So happy you’re here! I’ll see you again soon!

Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps – Anything Goes
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP1945 Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door – Anything Goes
Fab ‘N’ Funky – Add Some Sparkle
Creative Knockouts – Anything Goes
Jingle Belles – Baby, It’s Cold Outside!
Send a Smile 4 Kids – Happy Holidays or Anything Goes for kids

Paper Nest Dolls Autism Campaign

Hello friends! I’m back to share some really incredible and adorable newly released stamps from the Paper Nest Dolls for August 1st! These are special stamps made especially for Autism Awareness and PND is donating a portion of the sales to the Autism Society of America! Here’s how I’ve created a card for it:

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Isn’t she adorable?! I love her holding that puzzle heart and her matching puzzle bow! There are two stamps that you get with this set called Ava with Puzzle. You get the Ava deeply etched red rubber stamp and the puzzle heart stamp as well. If you prefer to have the boy, there is also the Evan with Puzzle stamp that also comes with the puzzle heart too.

I have cut her out with my MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die and layered her over a piece of black cardstock that I mounted over a piece of white cardstock which was embossed with a heart embossing folder. I had this pretty bright blue ribbon that I thought went perfect across the center of it. So I placed these layers onto a black top folding 5×5 card base and also added the white heat embossed sentiment at the bottom that was cut out with a banner die and popped up with foam tape.

For the puzzle piece accents, I took an old puzzle that I had and painted in different colors to match my layout and then went over them with some glossy paint. I’ve also added a tiny heart button to the blue puzzle piece at the bottom.

Here’s a closer look at the image and how I’ve got her colored in. I’ve used my Copics to color her and then I took a Spectrum Noir clear glitter brush pen to go over her puzzle heart and hair bow. Then I took some crystal accents and covered the heart with it. You can see how shinny the heart looks. You can also see the the bit of shine over the puzzle pieces too. There is a slight shimmer to her hair bow which is hard to capture in a photo, but it’s there.

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Hope you’ve enjoyed my card and have been inspired with these adorable Autism Campaign products from the Paper Nest Dolls!

Thanks so much for dropping in today and I will see you soon!!

Challenges I’d like to enter this card for:

Aud Sentiments – For a Child + a sentiment
Crafting By Designs – Anything Goes August
Watercooler Wednesday – WWC232 Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday – Bright & Cheerful
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Anything Goes
Allsorts – Buttons and Bows

Whimsy Critters Everywhere!

Hello friends! Hope you are having a wonderful week so far! I have been busy in my craft room trying to prepare for a class next week along with trying to help my son pack and move out of state…so my plate has been a bit full lately. I do have a couple of really fun critter creations that I’ve made using some Whimsy Stamps products today:

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If you don’t remember, Whimsy Stamps has come out with a couple of really adorable clear stamp sets to help promote their “Adopt Don’t Shop” campaign with $1 of the sale from each stamp sold going to the Gulf Coast Humane Society.

Now, normally I am a “dog fan”, but I know many of my blog friends and several others are huge cat fans as well! I have also been requested to make up some cat friendly cards too! So, I thought this would be such a great opportunity to make one! I’ve used the adorable Adopt Don’t Shop CATS clear stamp set for this one.

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I have used a kraft colored A2 sized top folding card base and stamped the little paw print from the stamp set with the same color around the edges. I also took the humorous sentiment from the set and white heat embossed it over a piece of espresso cardstock and cut a banner strip from it. This same color of cardstock was used as a layer behind the kitty image panel that I’ve cut out with the WS Hand Stitched Nested Rectangles die. I covered up the bottom portion of this panel with some plaid papers. I then wrapped some twine around the middle of it and tied a bow which I have attached a wood veneer heart in the middle.

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Here’s another card I had made to help cheer someone.

Vicki-WS-I'veGotYourBack-flat Here’s a pop quizz…. if you’ve known Whimsy Stamps for a while, does this particular image look familiar to you? It’s a VERY old one and also one of the very first rubber stamp sets that Whimsy Stamps sold! I believe mine is dated 2009! I wanted to keep it as I’ve been a part of this company off and on since it started! 🙂 Really cool to still have it. Obviously, it’s not available for purchase, but they did offer it as a freebie during their “Adopt Don’t Shop” party event last month. The paw prints along the edges were also used from an older stamp set from Whimsy Stamps as well. (You can see a portion of it on the right side of the photo above.) Vicki-WS-I'veGotYourBack1

Both of these images were colored with Copics.

The sentiment came from the same stamp set and was white heat embossed and cut out with the WS Quick Strips Die set. I cut around the pup’s tail and then used a rectangle die to cut the rest of the image out and then layered onto a black piece of cardstock cut from a scallop rectangle die. I layered the paw print piece, another piece of black cardstock and the image panel onto a white top folding A2 sized card base. Lastly, I’ve added a few black enamel dots and even gave their eyes some shine with glossy accents.

Thanks so much for dropping in today! Hope you’ve enjoyed my critter cards! I’ll be back again tomorrow with a different kind of critter! 🙂

Challenges: –

Crafty Catz – Anything Goes
Creative Fingers – Anything Goes
QKR Stampede – #344 Anything Goes
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP1916 Anything Goes
Creative Moments – Anything Goes

Purple Day Epilepsy Awareness Blog Hop

Hello friends! I am very honored to be joining my friend Fikreta Posavec to support her efforts in “Purple Day” for Epilepsy Awareness.

Please take a moment to read:

Purple Day is a global grassroots event formed with the intention to increase worldwide awareness of epilepsy, and to dispel common myths and fears of this neurological disorder. Further intentions of this movement are to reduce the social stigmas commonly endured by many individuals afflicted with the condition; to provide assurance and advocacy to those living with epilepsy that they are not alone in their ongoing endurance; and to initiate individuals living with the condition to take action in their communities to achieve these aims.

The day occurs annually on March 26.

Formation and history

The concept of Purple Day was initiated by a 9-year-old named Cassidy Megan and was motivated by her own struggle with epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia helped to develop Cassidy’s idea, and the first Purple Day event was held on March 26, 2008, and is now known as the Purple Day for Epilepsy campaign.

In 2009, the New York-based Anita Kaufmann Foundation and Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia joined to launch Purple Day internationally and increase the involvement of numerous organizations, schools, businesses, politicians and celebrities around the world. On March 26, 2009, over 100,000 students, 95 workplaces and 116 politicians participated in Purple Day. In March 2009, the official USA Purple Day Party launch was organized by the Anita Kaufmann Foundation. Canadian Paul Shaffer of the Late Show with David Letterman attended the official launch at Dylan’s Candy Bar in New York City.

In March 2012, Purple Day received the Royal Assent and became a legal day for epilepsy awareness in Canada.

In December 2015, Electronics retailer Dick Smith had arranged a major corporate partnership with Epilepsy Action Australia to support Purple Day in Australia with a $50,000 cash sponsorship, prizes and exclusive distribution of Purple Day merchandise. A week prior to Purple Day celebrations in 2016, Dick Smith was placed in receivership. Later, the Retail Food Group provided a $50,000 donation to match Dick Smith’s previously promised sponsorship.

My own experience with epilepsy revolved around someone in my childhood school. She was constantly made fun of because of certain behaviors she had due to epilepsy and I wasn’t aware of her condition, but naturally felt sorry for her. Due to me trying to be nice to this person, I quickly became someone who was also made fun of for it. Children can be cruel, but I’m sure that the long term affects of what this person went through were very traumatic and long lasting. I watched her collapse in her yard with a seizure and was so scared. (This is how I learned about what she had.) She was embarrassed about it and didn’t want to talk with anyone about it. I have since lost contact with that person from school years, but think of this time with my heart still going out to that person and wishing her a happy life.

My hope is that there is more education about this in the school system and especially since it can be very dangerous and children need to be aware of it along with what to watch for and/or to tell a teacher what is going on or how to help. If other children are more aware, then maybe stigma can be less severe for children with epilepsy. It would be so hard for a child to speak out about something they are being made “ashamed’ for.

Fikreta has brought us together for a fun blog hop to bring awareness to PURPLE DAY and educate people about this condition that her husband has.

Here is the special card that I’ve made for this blog hop:

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I had so much fun with this card! I first started out by making a panel with alcohol inks over some Yupo paper. I didn’t have the MFT Triangle dies, so I made myself a stencil and cut out my own from the alcohol background I made. I then white heat embossed the sentiment from the MFT All About You stamp set and cut out the black strip and attached in the center between the triangle layout. I then cut out this panel with the MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle die and added some splatters with some Brutus Monroe purple “basket grass” Aqua pigment and water. (Love the shimmer it created too! See the photo below.)

Next, I cut out the “you” die from some Brutus Monroe Spring collection glitter stock and placed it underneath the black strip sentiment. Lastly, I stamped one of the cute little Yetis from the MFT Beast Friends stamp set and colored him with my Copics. I popped him up over the bottom portion of the design with some foam dots. Lastly, I’ve added some Brutus Monroe Unicorn Bottlecap Sequins and filled the centers with Nuvo White Blizzard Glitter Drops.

Here’s a closer look at this cute little guy and how I’ve colored him up. I’ve used a light purple tone marker to color the outer “fur” portion of his body.

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Here’s the card lying flat, and you can see in the light how those splatters shimmer! Those aqua pigments are very awesome to play with!!

challenges I’d like to enter:

My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge – MFTWSC429
Creative Moments – Anything Goes
Pammies Inky Pinkies – PIP1912 Anything Goes

Whimsy Stamps Partner’s with Make a Wish Canada

Hello friends! It’s my pleasure today to post information about this special image that Whimsy Stamps has just released today in honor of our beloved illustrator Crissy Armstrong’s brother, Ray Gauvreau, who is currently battling cancer.

I have made a special card just for him that is being sent out his way:

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I started out by coloring up this image with my Copic markers in the following:

Penguin body, IV wheels/post – C8, C5, C3, C1
penguin feet/beak, tongue, cheeks – YR24, YR21, Y23, R20, R11, R00, R000
Bandage, IV bag – E33, E31, Y11, R00
ground/shadow – C1, E0000

For the background of my card, I took some xyron printed paper and foiled the background which I think looks great for a masculine theme design and that is what I was trying to go for with this card. After foiling it, I took and sponged some yellow distress ink to blend around the edges of it for a bit of color, along with the image panel.

I had an old stamp set from my stash and thought it would be a great fit for this card, so I stamped the vertical “fight” sentiment next to the IV bag and then I took the other sentiment and heat embossed it with white EP and cut it in a strip to attach over the image. Lastly, I’ve added some white enamel dots to each corner of the design.

Here’s a close look at the image and how I’ve colored it in. It’s hard to tell in the photo of course, but I’ve also covered the IV bag with a clear glitter brush pen. I think this image is a really great one to add to a crafter’s collection for “get well” cards and encouragement too like this one. After cutting out the colored image panel and sponging the color around the edges, I’ve also layered this along with the foil panel with some black cardstock before attaching it onto a white top folding A2 sized card base.

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