Be Mine….

Can it really be time for Valentine’s already? I’m so glad – Valentines are just the sweetest, aren’t they? Here are just a couple for you…

and a couple of tags, all in my Etsy.

 

 

Have a wonderful day.

Dru

I Love You.....

This card was created for the Designing Divas Blog Group Challenge on SCS. This month it was sketch challeng put together for us by Leigh Ann from Stamping with Annie B. I needed a card for my husband and this challenge worked very well, and put me a little out of my comfort zone as I'm not too much into circles - I know, I know - but I'm just not - and it's not something I would normally pick out. But, I really like the end result. Lots of hearts huh?? My husband will love it.



I was also at Darlene's blog and saw a new-to-me challenge blog Raise the Bar and since the challenge this week is hearts I decided I would take part in that also. If you are unfamiliar with this challenge site, pop over and take a look - it seems like fun.

Have a wonderful week, enjoy the Super Bowl and gearing up for Nascar - Go Junior!!

Take care everyone and thanks for stopping by.

Dru

To My Valentine

Happy Tuesday! Sorry for being away so long - lots of business details and deadlines in January, but hopefully things will get back on a more even keel now.

Here are a few Valentines Day cards I made a few months back and forgot all about.
Nothing too involved, pretty simple, easy and quick to pull together.






I'm planning on doing a tutorial on crepe paper rosettes in the very near future. They are an alternative to the folded paper rosettes. I think you'll like them.

For now, take care and have a wonderful week. Thanks so much to everyone dropping by - I appreciate your comments so much!

Dru

It's Pink Saturday Again!

Where did the week go??? I have not posted all week and it doesn't seem as if I have got a lot accomplished - except that I've been working a lot - I guess that counts for something. Please drop by How Sweet the Sound by Beverly for many more really great Pink Saturday posts - there's such a lot of talent there and some very nice people - a really great way to spend a little time on a lazy Saturday or even Sunday. Here's a link to a particularly great blog - She generously gives free images and blog backgrounds - in fact mine is the one she has posted on her blog today. Susie Jefferson at First Floor Flat.
For my Pink Post today, I have a pink (and red) Valentine card and then a few pink Valentine tags to share.







Happy Pink Saturday everyone!!! And if you're interested, the tags will be in my Etsy shop.

Take Care,
Dru

Happy New Year and Sweet Valentines

Happy New Year to everyone! This year has flown by with many blessings and challenges alike. Change can be difficult, but the reward of change can be gratifying and I am sure there will be many challenges, changes, and blessings in the year to come.

I'm posting my first Valentine today and am working on several others. For you who are waiting for the banner tutorial - it's on it's way - lots of photographs to get through the steps, but I promise soon.I have 2 today and will post 2 more (pink ones for Pink Saturday) on Saturday. I love making these, working with vintage images and seambinding - it truly brings me joy especially the glitter! If anyone is interested these will be in my Etsy shop later today.

 Take care everyone, be safe and have a great New Year's Eve. We're staying at home and having Seafood Pasta - YUM! And hopefully I can stay awake - maybe I should try to get a nap.

Dru

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope everyone is having a lovely Valentine' Day. I've been wanting to make cupcakes for the longest time, and I decided Valentine's day would be great for that - so, I made cupcakes last night. It's been many many years and my cupcake making abilities are not where they should be, but I did learn from my mistakes and I'm sure the next batch will look much better. The 3 here in the picture are the best looking ones.

I did not make the House Mouse DT, but I'm o.k. with that and the ladies that did win have amazing talent and blogs - if you haven't already stop by and check them out, you'll be glad you did. I am a believer in everything happens for a reason, and I'm happy to wait it out. Thank you all for your well wishes - they are truly appreciated.

I recently opened 3 online shops, Etsy, ShopHandmade, and ArtFire so I have been busy getting them going - we'll see what happens. But what I wanted to tell you is that I found the most amazing Etsy shop for digital images and when I asked if she could put together a banner for me - even though it was her first one - it turned out beautiful and went very quickly. So if you are interested in either, please stop by Trishia's Shop - FrenchKissed
and take a look at all her wonderful images from French postcards, etc. and if you're looking for a banner - check that out as well.

I'm still working on my husband's Valentines card, so that's all I have for today - have a wonderful weekend.

House Mouse Monday Blog Challenge

HM Blog Challenges are due Sunday evenings - I posted last weeks challenge yesterday evening - almost not on time - so how is it I can get this weeks challenge posted today? Well, I already had the paper out which I love, and I only have so many HM images - I used the only Valentine image I had last week, and did not want to repeat myself - so the choice was fairly simple - it was the ONLY one I could fit into a Valentine's Day theme - at least I hope I did. Anyway, stop by the HM Blog and play along. The mice are so cute and it's great fun.

I hope your Monday was good - you know how Monday's can be. Thanks so much for stopping by, your comments are so appreciated and inspirational.

Valentine's Day...

really is just around the corner now. This card was made for this week's House Mouse Monday Blog Challenge The challenge was paper piercing - now honestly I don't think this is hard, but for some reason most of the time I have a hard time getting my piercing straight, and I'm usually in a hurry - soooo most of the embellishments you see here are actually hiding poor piercing ability - the bow and the line of rhinestones on the top left - both hiding piercing I was not happy with, however - I am pretty happy with the card. I love the little mouse and this new paper I just got - love it. It's from My Minds Eye and I just think the colors are beautiful, an oh yes, I did actually do some paper piercing, but you can't really see it in the photo, hmmmm.
Really, I did - bottom right corner and up the right side - two full lines, and - they're straight too.

That's it - hope everyone had a nice quiet and restful Sunday.

Take Care

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