Poinsettia and Pine - Timeless Tuesday Challenge

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Well, this is the second year in a row that Halloween was ruined for my grandkids. We live in Eastern PA, right in the heart of Hurricane Sandy and thousands of people still are without power and there's major flooding. Last year we had a freak snow storm on Halloween. Luckily, they were camping twice this month and got to go Trick or Treating at the camp grounds.

I've been doing some card making with new stamps from Flourishes to help my stress, which has been really bad lately. Why is it that the smell of New Acrylic Stamps can have such a calming affect. 

This card was inspired by the week 5 sketch challenge from Viva La Verve and the Timeless Tuesday Challenge this week, both of which go together perfectly. The Flourishes challenge is to have the focal image fall off the page.

I used my new Flourishes stamp set called Poinsettia and Pine. I stamped it with memento Black ink then used clear detail embossing powder to give it a little more dimension. This also helps when coloring to keep the colors where they belong. I also used the Merry Christmas from the Flourishes Naturally Merry Stamp Set. 
Another thing that calms my stress is coloring. I LOVE my Copic Markers but haven't been using them lately. It's amazing what a calming affect coloring has. 

The Hand Stitching was done in my own unique design with matching Embroidery Floss.
I love how this stitching just frames the whole project. It is time consuming, but also a calming affect and well worth the extra time.

Other Challenges with this card:
Ooh, La La - Christmas
Simon Says - Just add Pearl
Totally Stampalicious - Anything Goes
Stampin' for the weekend - Anything Goes
Fussy & Fancy - Anything Goes
Crafty Ann's - Christmas
The Crafty Pad - Christmas
One Stitch at a Time - Christmas
Anything Goes - Anything Goes
Jacksons Digital Expressions - Anything Goes

Kiss Me Scottie

Here is my card for today. I got the inspiration from a Viva La Verve sketch challenge week 4.

I used the NEW pre-printed image from Fred She Said called "Kiss Me Scottie". Isn't this just the cutest Christmas Card.
I printed the Scottie three times, fancy cut then and layered portions with foam tape. Same with the mistletoe. Only two layers of them. too tiny!!!

The card is done in Black & White with a touch of Red. I love this combination and don't use it often enough

I hand Stitched the running stitch around the card with Red Embroidery Floss. I LOVE hand stitching. It adds more dimension.

Other Challenges for this card:
Anything Goes - Anything Goes
Die Cuttin Divas - Anything Goes
Digital Tuesday - Fibers (Bakers Twine)
Party Time Tuesday - Anything
Scrap Creations - Pop it up
Ooh La La - Christmas
One Stitch at a Time - Christmas
I Did It! - Use and embossing folder
The Crafty Pad - Christmas
Paper Crafting Journey - Ribbon/Twine
Southern Girls - Animal

Hurricane Sandy Aftermath

Well, the worst of Hurricane Sandy is past us now. We still have some rain and wind, but not like last night. I hope everyone else is safe.

We live in Eastern PA just north of Philadelphia. And we got hammered with 70 mph winds. I didn't get much sleep last night with the howling winds and the creaking house. We live out in the country with lots of trees around us. Luckily, the only one that came down was an Old Christmas tree that we bought balled about 20 years ago and planted. It got really big & ugly over those years and we wanted to cut it down. However, it was taller then the power lines and right next to them. The lines weren't there when we planted the tree. If it went the other way, it would wipe out the one corner of our house. Well, mother nature took care of that tree. It uprooted it and took it down perpendicular to the house and lines. There really is a fabulous God!!!

The tree is so big, I couldn't get a picture of the whole thing from my deck and I wasn't about to go out in the cold & pouring down rain to get a better one. I took the picture from my deck.

That's out daughter's house down below. Her basement is so flooded that when she opened her sliding glass door, the water just poured out and is still flowing. It's coming up through the floor. 

The only other problem is that we are without power and it may take a week to get it restored. We do have a generator that we run just long enough to warm the house and then we turn it off again. Last year we were without power 5 times for a total of 24 days. So, we had enough and invested in a generator. Best investment we ever made. 
We are so grateful for what we had. It could have been so much worse. All that rain could have been snow!

Autumn Blossoms - Timeless Tuesday Birthday Challenge

I had such a fun time this week coloring with my Copic Markers, which I haven't used in months, that I had to make another card with this fabulous new stamp set called Autumn Blossoms. It's the only Fall set I ordered. All the other are Christmas and I'm dying to use them.

The inspiration for this card started with October's week two sketch challenge from Verve La Viva.
I really like orange and purple together for the fall.

The Sentiment, papers, pearls, & Burlap Ribbon are from Close to my Heart.

I chose to Hand Stitch around the card because I like the dimension that embroidery floss adds rather then machine stitching.

Other Challenges for this card:
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday- Birthday
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Card Makin' Mamas - Anything Goes
Fussy & Fancy - Anything Goes
Patties Creations - Autumn Colors
Stampin' for the Weekend - Anything goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - Autumn Colors
2 sisters - Autumn Colors
CMC Copic Challenge - Orange

Autumn Blossoms Birthday Card

I just received a pile of new stamp sets from Flourishes and couldn't wait to get out my Copic Markers and do some coloring. It seems that it's been ages since I colored with them. I felt like a kid again!!!

The inspiration for this card came from Week one of the Viva La Verve October Sketch Challenge.
I also made this card for the Timeless Tuesday Challenge Blog to make a Birthday Card.

The stamp set I used is called Autumn Blossoms.
I stamped two of each of these images, colored them with Copic Markers and cut them all out. I rounded them slightly on a foam mat and added foam tape for added dimension. It's a really pretty affect but doesn't show up on the picture.

The papers and pearls are from CTMH. The bow was made from left over strands from my Burlap Ribbon I pulled out to fray on another card. Us crafters never throw anything away!

The Hand stitching was done in my own unique design with matching Embroidery Floss. I used this color to blend in and enhance, rather then make the card too busy.

Other Challenges for this card.
All Beautiful Cards - Use something NEW (stamps)
Crafty Cardmakers - Autumn
Forever Friends - Autumn
Kaboodle Doodles - Fall
Hand Stamped Sentiments - Fall colors
Everybody Art - Orange
Inky Impressions - Fall
The Perfect Sentiment - Birthday
Stampavie - Stitches
Gingerloft - Autumn
Great Impressions - Fall
All Sorts - Autumn Colors
CMC Copic Challenge - Orange

Fss - Wee Hummingbird and Petunia's

Good morning and welcome back for another Fred She Said Easel card post-it-note holder. I'm just loving making these. They make perfect little gifts.

The inspiration fro this card started with a Viva La Verve week 3 sketch.

Then I printed out the pre-colored Wee Hummingbird and Petunias twice, then mirrored the printing and printed out another set, slightly smaller three times again. I cut one out with the "out of the box" technique and a spellbinders oval die. Then fussy cut everything else out and mounted with foam tape for lots of dimension.

The Pearls and papers are all from Close to my Heart in Gypsy and Crystal Blue. I love these two colors together.

The Hand Stitching was all done with matching Embroidery Floss in my own unique design.

Other Challenges for this card:
Everybody Art - Purple
Ladybug's Craft Ink - "P" - Pearls, Purple, Petunias
Clear It Out - Gift
Bearly Mine - Easel Card
One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi
One Stop Craft Challenge - Anything Goes

FSS - Emma in the Strawberry Parch

Here is another creation with the fabulous Fred She Said pre-colored images. This one is called Emma in the Strawberry Parch.
It's hard to see in the picture, but I printed out Emma and a variety of sizes of strawberries several rimes, cut them out and layered with foam tape.

My inspiration for this card came from the Friday Sketch Challenge. 

I have been commissioned to make some post-it-note holder cards so I turned the card into an easel card and added a matching post-it-note pad. The previous post had the first one I made like this.

I will be making many of this style in the coming weeks for my Etsy shop as they make perfect Christmas Gifts. I think I should have started on them months ago. If only we didn't have to eat and sleep!!! *Ü*

The papers are all retired for CTMH. The red crystals are actually clear ones from CTMH that I colored with a Copic Marker.
The Hand Stitching was done with matching Embroidery Floss..

Stop by tomorrow to see another one with Petunia's and Humming birds.

Other Challenges for this card.
Bearly Mine - Easel Card
Clear it out! - Gift
Created with Love - Something sweet

FSS Emma in the Leaves

Well, I'm trying to create again. I've been sick for the past three weeks and I just can't seem to shake it. Let's just say that Musinex isn't the answer. It's very expensive and I'm still violently coughing. But, things need to get done so here is a card that has taken me a week to make. Hope the next one goes a little quicker.

This card is an Easel card turned into a post-it-note holder.

I used the Fred She Said  pre-colored image of Emma in the Leaves. Isn't she just the cutest!!!

I also embellished it with a new Fred She Said release,  Fallen Maple Leaf.

The papers are retired Close to my Heart papers. I used matching buttons and bakers twine. I hand died the seam binding with sunset ink and alcohol to match the paper and the crinkled it as I heat set the inks. Heat setting gives it a mottled look rather then a solid look by letting it dry on it's own.

The hand stitching was done with matching embroidery floss.

Other challenges for this card:
Crafty Catz - Easel card
Fussy & Fancy - Easel Card
Craft Us Crazy - Fall
Sarah Hurley - Autumn
Southern Girls - Tie a Ribbon Around It.
Little Red Wagon - Use a Bow
Dutch Dare - Buttons & Bows

Fred She Said Early Autumn Blog Hop

Welcome to the Fred, She Said Early Autumn Blog Hop! Summer has ended and memories remain! The FSS team wants to share with you the newly released FSS images!

If you have arrived from Janet Kay’s blog, you are right on track. If you are just happening by, you will want to start on the FSS Blog.

Collect a secret word on each blog along the way, leave us some love on our posts and follow the directions at the end of the hop for your chance to win this FABULOUS PRIZE!

One winner will receive ALL of this:

$25 GC to CropStop (provided by Fred She Said)
$25 GC to Fred She Said Store

Hop ends Friday, October 5, midnight EST.

My card today is made using the yellow and orange pre-colored Poppies images.

I used a sketch from this weeks's Anything Goes Sketch Challenge.

The Papers, pearls, stick pins and color ready seam binding are all from Close to my Heart.

The hand stitching was done with matching embroidery floss.

It's hard to tell on the photo, but most of the flowers had been printed a second time and fussy cut then layered with foam tape.

Your secret word on my blog is "to"
Your next stop on the hop is Robin’s blog.

Other Challenges for this card:
Tuesday Throwdown - Fall 
TCP Tuesday - Colore Challenge
Try It On Tuesday - Lotsw of Layers
Everybody Art - Autumn
Die Cuttin Divas - Shabby Chic, Doily, Flowers
Paper Pretties - Fall
Stampin Royalty - Die Cuts
Creative Inspiration - Doily, Blue, Pearls

Fred She Said Surprise Blog Hop

Welcome to the Fred, She Said Surprise Blog Hop! Summer is coming to a close, and maybe we can find a few moments to spend in our crafty spaces!  The FSS team wants to surprise you with the wide variety of great images there are to be found in the store!  We have no idea what anyone has selected to work with....so we’ll be surprised right along with you!

If you have arrived from Michelle's blog, you are right on track. If you are just happening by, you will want to start on the FSS Blog.

Collect a secret word on each blog along the way, leave us some love on our posts and follow the directions at the end of the hop for your chance to win this FABULOUS PRIZE!

One winner will receive ALL of this:

$25 GC to CropStop (provided by Fred She Said)
$25 GC to Fred She Said Store

...and a Surprise Goody Bag (photo and list of contents on the first and last stops on the hop!)

We’re hopping for 2 weeks!  Hop ends Friday, September 14, midnight EST.

Fred She Said is having a SURPRISE 2 week SALE ( August 31st - September 14th)
20% off any purchase $10 or over
25% off any purchase $ 20 or over

My card today is an Easel Card made using the FSS Pumpkins and Sunflower pre-colored image, and the Sunflower and Thankfulness pre-colored set. The images were all fussy cut and layered multiple times with foam tape.

The inspiration for my card started out with the Sketch and Stash sketch challenge.It may be hard to see in the photo, but the background papers were made using the water stamping technique.

The Hand Stitching was done with matching Embroidery Floss.Your secret word on my blog is heart

Your next stop on the hop is Carolyn's blog. 

Merry Monday Sketch Challenge

I am so thrilled to be asked to be the Guest Designer over at Always Playing with Paper, home of the Merry Monday Christmas Sketch Challenge. I love makiing Christmas Cards so this Challenge Blog is perfect for me.

My card uses this weeks sketch along with the Fred She Said pre-colored English Robins, from the Christmas Birds Series.

The cardstock, bakers twine and pearls are all from Close to my Heart.

The Hand Stitching around the card was done with matching green Embroidery Floss.

Other Challenges for this card:
I did it! - Use a Digi.
My Time to Craft - Christmas
Crafty Ann's - Christmas in August

FSS Hat Tipping Snowman

I almost forgot to post this card in time. It was made for the Merry Monday weekly Christmas Card
Challenge ovedr at Always Playing with Paper. This week is challenge along with the sketch is Clean and Simple. This is not my style of card making but I had some gorgeous papers in my stash for so long and thought they woulkd be just perfect for this challenge. I had to turn the sketch 90° to make it work.
There are shimmery swirls in the paper that show up on the photo but are only seen on the card depending on which angle you are looking at it.

The Hat Tipping Snowman and Flying Winter Birds images are from Fred She Said. They are both the pre-colored images. The Winter Wonderland is from Close to my Heart.

The hand stitching was done with white embroidery floss. Yes, I even sew straight stitching by hand. I like the look of it much better then done by a sewing machine.

I added some white Liquid Applique to the base of the snowman to tie him into the scene. The I added some chunky Glass Glitter to add more texture and sparkle.

FSS - Tipping Hap Snowman

All of a sudden I really got in the mood for making Christmas Cards. No, I'm not rushing the season since I don't like winter. But, if I don't get started now, I'll never get done what I need.

I'm so grateful for the different Christmas card making blogs that run all year long. I just found one called Merry Monday and used this weeks sketch for my card. 

For this card, I used the FSS Hat Tipping Snowman, pre-colored Image. I printed it twice so I could fancy cut the hat, and scarf from the second image. I cut the other one out using a spelbinders ornament die. I then added white Liquid Applique to the snow under the snowman and added chunky glass glitter to it. The added the Liquid Applique to the snowflakes in the sky and added ultra fine clear glitter to them. After it dried a few hours, I heated it with a heat gun and just puffed it slightly.

The papers are retired papers from Close to my Heart. All stitching is done by hand with white embroidery floss in a design to resemble snow flakes.

Daisies & Lady Bugs 3

Here is my third and last card with the Fred She Said pre-colored Daisies and Lady Bugs for a while. These images are just so darn cute I had to make several. I don't know if you can tell, but there are MANY layers to the image itself. Each is cut smaller then the other then layered with foam tape. The daisy and lady bugs were all fussy cut and also layered with foam tape.

The sketch that inspired this card was from Clean & Simple Fall to Sketches. I loved the sketch for this image. But, as you can see, it is far from being clean and simple. It really did start out that way but it's just not my style.
The DP is retired Close to my Heart papers. The crystal flourishes and ribbon is also CTMH.
The Hand Stitching was done with a light blue embroidery floss to match the blue cardstock.

FSS Daisies and Lady Bugs - 2

Here is another card using the Fred She Said Daisies and Lady Bugs. This time I used the pre-colored row of daisies.

The design for my card came from Sketch 67 at My Time Made Easy. This sketch was just perfect for the image I wanted to use.
I haven't use gingham ribbon in years and thought it went very nice with these daisies for a country look.

The Daisies, centers and lady bugs are fussy cut and layered with foam tape for ;lots of dimension. I thought the MS Picket Fence punch added a little charm to the overall look.

The Sentiment is in a NEW Close to my Heart Stamp Set called A Friend Like You.