Always and Forever

Good Morning!! Todays post is for the Craft Secrets Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. I don't get to take part nearly as often as I would like, but this challenge was to use something new we had received over the holidays. This was received over the holidays as a gift to myself - I love Crafty Secrets products because they have that vintage look I love and since I'm into Valentine's Day right now, this was a good time to use this set. It's called Cherubs.

This is the 2nd time I'm writing the instructions, because for some reason the first time did not save - oh well. So, for the envelope I cut a piece of "Cream Music" from Creative Imaginations to the size I wanted, scored accordingly, folded it together and deckled the edges that way, so they would not be uneven. I then cut out a piece of dp from Crafty Secrets "Pastel" paper pack, cut it approximately 1/2" less all around, scored it, deckled the edges, and glued it to the base, applied Magnetic Closures by basic Grey. The cherub was stamped on watercolor paper with Jet Black StazOn ink, let it dry, and used watercolor pencils and a waterbrush, let it dry, and used Stardust Stickles by Ranger on the wings, the ribbon, and the hair. I also adhered a small strip of pink rhinestones in the middle of the wings, and at the top and bottom of the envelope. For the glittered heart, I used a Marvy scalloped heart punch, spread glue over it and then silver glitter. Once everything was dry, the cherub was glued to the heart and the whole piece was then glued to the envelope.

I think you can see from the photo how the ornament was done - nothing special or hard. If you do need further instructions, please let me know in a comment and I will post the details.

Thanks for looking, have a great day, and spend at least a little time doing something that YOU love.

Take Care

To My Valentine

Happy Friday - Wow, another week gone - where does the time go? Now that I've taken on more hours at our Ortho Clinic - the time flies by faster than ever and it seems there is never enough time to spend doing what I really want to be doing. O.K., enough whining, but really if I could, creating is all I would ever do. Oh, the realities of life.

Today's card was again made for the Holiday shop here in town. Isn't the litle girl on this image cute and that hat!! Very simple to put together - I don't think it really even needs any explaining. The paper is Smitten by K & Co. and the punch is by Martha Stewart. The image is once again is from an image CD I got on Ebay.

Have a wonderful weekend, spend time with those you love and try to spend at least a little time doing what you love.

Take Care

A Valentine Tag

Good morning all, I hope everyone is well and happy. We're all clouded up here, expecting rain and possibly snow over the next several days. I love those cozy days, even if I have to go out (and I usually do) I still love the feel of rainy and snowy days.

Another Valentine today. This is a tag I have made for the holiday shop here in town - Lake Tahoe Holidays - and I think I also have some on Etsy. Isn't this image sweet - it's one of my favorites and I hope you enjoy it as well. It comes from a CD of vintage images I purchased on Ebay. The background is stamped with the flourish from Crafty Secrets "Mini Memories" and embossed with clear EP. The edges of the image are accented with the new Distressed Stickles in Antique Linen which my daughter (thank you again Sara) gave me for Christmas. I love it, have used the entire bottle, and have bought another one. If you haven't tried them - do give them a go - I think you'll like them.

Take care, enjoy the day, and try to spend at least some time doing something YOU love.

I Love You

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday. My card today is just like the one I posted a few days ago in pink - this time in red and black. Aren't they cute sitting under the umbrella together. Life's sweet moments. Short short post today, have to get to work.

Have a great day - try to spend at least a little time doing what YOU love.

Take Care,

Amore

Happy Monday!! Before I get to the card I've posted, I just want to say I finally got the link to my Etsy shop fixed - It's at the top left. I don't know what was going on - blogger was giving me an error reading with no way to delete it or edit it - until today. I went in again and whatever the problem was at the time, it was gone and I was allowed to edit it. I'm so sorry about that link, but it is fixed now if you'd like to pop over.

Enough of that, I've posted another Valentine's Day card today, a little more on the traditional look rather than vintage. This is the other side of me - yes, I CAN actually do something other than vintage, and this is it.

It's pretty self-explanatory. The stamp is called "Amore" by Brenda Walton - All Night Media and I'm not sure if I got it at Michael's or at the only other craft store in our area - The Craft Market. If you're interested I think All Night Media has a website - but it's an older one, not sure if it's still available. There are so many pretty ones out there now, I'm sure it would be easy to substitute.

Have a great day everyone, and thanks for stopping by. Take care, and try to spend at least a little time today doing something you love.

Valentine Flourish

Happy Wednesday - I think it's Wednesday anyway - LOL. I've taken on more hours at the Ortho Clinic I am part of, and I seem to lose track of time.

Anyway, my card today is one of my most favorite stamps, I have used in a number of ways, and I'll try to get some posted. Once again, very simple, just a little more layering. The background is done with "Pastel Pink" by Plaid/Apple Barrel Colors acrylic paint on an Inka stamp, and I'm sorry - there's no name on it, but it is a flowered flourish, and then stamped. When I don't have the ink color I want, I will use an acrylic paint. I like it because it usually does not stamp flat - but has peaks, giving it more texture. I went over the sentiment with Stardust Gelly Roll pen, and added pearls. Some of the layers are cut with deckle edge scissors - that' all there is to it. This one was done for the shop here in town.

Have to go - have to get to work.

Take Care, and please try to spend some time doing what you love today - Darlene, I'm thinking of you guys and wish you all the best.

Happy Monday!! First things first. I posted yesterday that I had finally opened my Etsy Shop and thought I had put in a link - apparently it did not take and I did not notice it. I'm not going to bore you with all the details, but in attempting to put it into a separate area on my sidebar I got a error reading from blogger. So, here is my link for my Etsy Shop The Nest I have tested it and it does work, so I'm going to put it in my sidebar under Websites until I can get the other issue worked out.

And now on to more important things. I'm sure most of you know that I love anything vintage (have I told you enough times - lol) Anyway, I do, and this image has got to be one of my most favorite ones - I think I say that a lot - but it's true. It's so sweet and soft and so reminiscent of days gone by.

It's also a simple card to make, and goes quickly. Simply form a standard size top folded card from pink CS, cut out your chosen image, glue to a piece of creme CS and cut approximately 1/4" around the sides and top, leaving enough on the bottom to use the Martha Stewart decorative edge punch. Glue this to the pink CS - see the tiniest bit of pink showing through the holes??? Trim your image in Stickles. I've made a few of these cards, some using Stardust Stickles, some silver, and some in the Antique Linen Distressed Stickles my daughter gave me for Christmas. Thank you Sara. I LOVE it!! It's very vintage looking.

Have a wonderful day and try to spend at least a little time today doing what YOU love. Take Care,

Mi Amour

Today is another Valentine's Day card - I'm sure that's what I will be posting for awhile now as I have a few on hand that I've made for the shop in town and I have officially opened my Etsy shop so I needed to put together some things for that as well. Drop by and take a look.

I love this paper - the name of it is Smitten, but I'm sorry, I cannot remember the name of the company and of course I have used those pieces of the paper that have all that information on the back. The stamp is one of my favorites and I use it often. It is "Amour" by Stampabilities. The ribbon is a pink satin.

Hope all is well with everyone, have a great what's left of the weekend, and please spend some time today doing what you love and being with someone you love.

Take Care

Happy Weekend

Good Morning! I hope all of you are enjoying your weekend. Sorry I haven't been around, but life takes turns and one must follow those turns or get lost - I'm sure you all know what I mean. For a look at a beautiful blog and a list of wonderful encouragement that we all need reminders of so often please visit Becca's blog and scroll down through her beautiful creations to her January 8, 2009 post - you will not regret the time spent here. I printed mine out and am going to frame it and put it on the wall where I sit at my computer. Sometimes I just have to remember to breathe.

Today's card is for one of my favorite holidays - Valentine's Day. I love this little boy and girl image sitting under the umbrella. This is a very simple and quick card to make - simply form your standard A2 size top fold card, choose your vintage image, cut it out and mount in on a co-ordinating CS - Crafty Secrets (see link in sidebar) is a great source - although I do not believe this specific one came from there. I'm not giving you measurements because it's all based on the size of your image. Run a piece of black CS through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder, cut to the appropriate size, glue your image panel to your CB panel and then to your card. I then used a Stardust Gelly Roll pen to glitter it up a bit - the area I especially like is the accenting of the dots - I'm not sure if you can see it really well in the pic, but IRL it's really pretty - that's all there is to it - it goes really fast and makes a cute Valentine.

I have some more as I've been working to get items into the Holiday Shop here in town and so I actually have quite a few items to post. Until then, take care and please spend at least a little time today doing something you love and tell someone else how much you love them

Happy New Year!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season - and a very Happy New Year to everyone. I just had to show you my grandchildren with at least one of their favorite gifts (from Grandma and Papa that is)

The first is my precocious (did I spell that right?)Sabrina with Edward - Sabrina wanted a white rat for Christmas as we were more than happy to supply her with Edward - I personally absolutely love, love, love rats and mice and almost any rodent. It was so much fun picking him out. I bought him when he was first born - 2 1/2 weeks before Christmas - he was only a pink hairless little thing, but the girl at the pet shop assured me he would have hair by Christmas Eve - and he did. Isn't he just one of the cutest things you've ever seen?? Maybe that's why I love House Mouse so much. If you like the real thing and / or the House Mouse stamps, please go here to see the artist for House Mouse and her little friends she has helped - you won't be sorry, and your children will love it as well. Boy, I almost forgot to mention that Sabrina loves rats and mice also - it's not just me and that the apron she is wearing I made for her with pockets in the front especially for Edward to ride along with her.

Next is my sweet Jesse - he's into Star Wars, and actually this wasn't from us, this was from his Mom and Dad - Do you think he looks happy!!!

Next is my sweet and silly Ashlee and the boots she wanted - I think she looks happy also!!

And last, but definitely not least (in fact when I learn to pay attention to the order the photos load in - they will appear in the order I intend which will put) my beautiful Chelsea in first as she is the oldest. She, like so many other young people is in love with Twilight - I must read those books soon so I can keep up -and so I found this poster of Edward and Bella and put it in a frame for her - I think she's happy as well.

We had a wonderful albeit chaotic time, eating, cooking, playing games, watching Christmas movies, eating, eating, and eating - and I miss them all so much.

Hope to see you soon, I'm working on Valentines for the Shop and Christmas for magazine submissions - hopefully some or even just 1 of them will be selected. Take Care, hope all is well with all of you