Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #14

I love clean and simple sketches and this week's sketch is a good example.  It didn't take me long to choose my papers and embellishments.

Here is the sketch:

And here is my take on it:

Card stock and ribbon is from my stash.  The circle butterfly die is from Tonic Studios and the butterfly die and matching angel wings are from Memory Box.  I popped it up with foam pads. I love butterflies and have several butterfly punches and dies. The design paper is from Docrafts Papermania line - Lucy Cromwell - 6 x 6 paper pad.  There are 48 papers in this paper pad - 24 double sided and 24 glittered papers.  I love this paper pad so much that I bought 2 of them!  It has shades of pink, blue, purple (lilac) and turquoise.  The sentiment which was stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with white embossing  powder is a free gift I received from Verve Stamps when I placed an order with them.  I am really happy with this card and it will be sent to a very special person.

I am looking forward to seeing your take on this sketch and if you're lucky, you might be able to display our Top 3 badge on your blog!
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Atlantic Hearts Sketch #13

I'm late with this week's sketch challenge.  My husband's younger brother passed away last week Tuesday quite suddenly.  He was an awesome husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather and to say that he will be missed would be putting it mildly.  The funeral service on Sunday was very emotional.  Stew was very fond of one of his granddaughters and she of him.  Taylor is 9 years old and as far as she was concerned, her grandfather was her best friend.  When she tried to speak about him on Sunday, she fell apart and her uncle (Stew's son) finished her dedication to him.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the chapel.  My husband and I are still trying to come to grips with his sudden passing.  This picture was taken Christmas Eve 2011 which was the last time all 4 of my husband's siblings were together.  From L - R - Bernice who is 76 years old.  She has dementia and is in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease.  Stew who would be celebrating his 62nd birthday next month, Jan who will be 64 2 days after my 64th birthday next month and my husband Herb who will be 66 in December:

I managed to cut and emboss the card stock on Monday but as far as putting it all together; took a bit longer as I just was not motivated at all!  Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Everything I've used on this card is from my stash.  The butterflies were punched using a Creative Memories punch.  The embossed card stock is actually light blue in colour although it looks white in the photo.  The embossing folder is from Provocraft.

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Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge # 12

I really like this week's sketch and had fun making a card for it.

Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Card stock and ribbon is from my stash.  The design paper is from a My Minds Eye 6 x 6 paper pad - The Sweetest Thing.  The sentiment is from Taylored Expressions Delightful Day.  The Rose and leaves are from Taylored Exression Rosy Posy stamp set and was stamped with Majestic Blue Versafine Ink and then cut using the matching Taylored Expression Rosy Posy Dies with my Cuttlebug.  I really like this card and hubby likes it too.  I know I've made a nice card if my hubby likes it.  

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Happy Anniversary Herb!

It was 41 years ago today that I married my best friend.  I have never regretted it and even though we have had our ups and downs, I would marry him all over again.

Here is the card I made for him yesterday morning:

I got the idea for this card from one I saw on an Etsy site.  The original card was done all in white but I thought it needed a bit of colour.  I did not do anything with it on the inside except to write him a personal note.  Cardstock is from my stash, Martha Stewart heart punch, 3 step bird punch and tulip embossing folder are from Stampin Up, sentiment which was stamped in Majestic Blue Versa Ink is from Taylored expressions and the scallop punch is also from Stampin Up.  I thought the blue flat backed rhinestones added just the right amount of bling.  I was afraid that this card was too feminine but  Herb loves this card and has it displayed on the end table beside the side of the chesterfield where he sits.

I had barely finished making this card when we got a call from Herb's niece to tell us that her father who is Herb's younger brother had been admitted to ICU with pneumonia.  His brother also has leukemia and when he took a turn for the worse, the doctors put him into a drug induced coma.  We left right away and picked up his sister and drove out to the hospital to see him.  When Herb saw him, he was very upset and told me today that even though he and his brother used to fight a lot as brothers do, it wasn't until he saw him lying helpless in a hospital bed hooked up to monitors with IVs that he realized just how much he loves his brother.  They transferred his brother to Toronto General hospital from the hospital in Brampton as the doctors wanted to do a heart lung bypass procedure to oxygenate the blood and remove the carbon dioxide.  He is not out of the woods yet.  They are trying to increase his blood pressure to a more comfortable level.  The next few days are critical but I am confident that he will pull through.
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Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge # 11

In case you didn't read my previous post; I am now a design team member of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

On to this week's sketch by Michelle Stewart:

Here is my interpretation:

The white card base was layered with a piece of Bazzill Powder Blue card stock.  The design paper is from a 6 x 6 paper pad from Recollections - Blue Christmas which I bought at Michaels last year.  The sentiment from CTMH - A Very Merry Christmas which I bought from my niece Krista - a fellow design team member and a CTMH Consultant was stamped in Majestic Blue Versafine Ink.  The bling is by Prima - Say it in Crystals.  I am very happy with how this card turned out.  

This sketch would be an excellent way to use up some of your scraps; so go ahead, don't be shy - play along and who knows, you might be chosen as one of the Top 3 and get to display a Top 3 badge on your blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge

I am super excited to let you know that I have been chosen to be a design team member of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!!  Whoo Hoo!  I will be joining my niece Krista who is a CTMH Consultant along with 15 other talented ladies.  I am excited about this new venture and wish to thank Michelle and Darla on choosing me.  It has always been a dream to one day becoming a design team member.  The late Annette Funicello once said, "A dream is a wish that your heart makes" and now my wish has come true!

Thanks for stopping by!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge # 10

It is no secret that I love butterflies and flowers.  I have several dies for both and love to incorporate them onto a card.  When I saw this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge, I knew I could use both a butterfly die and some flower dies.

Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Card stock is all from Bazill.  The embossing folder is from Nellie's Choice - Small Flowers.  The strip of design paper is from Echo Park - 6 x 6 paper pad Sweet Girl.  The square die is a Spellbinders Nestibility - Decorative Labels One.  The butterfly and flower dies are both from Your Next Stamp - Spring Fling - Garden.  The bling which is in the shape of flowers are from K & Company.  The sentiment which was stamped with Versafine Majestic Blue is from Penny Black.  I am quite pleased with how well this card turned out and I am hoping to make it onto the design team for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenges.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Mojo Monday 300 and Embroidery on Paper

Mojo Monday is celebrating their 300th challenge.  I have taken part in quite a few of their challenges over the last 2 years or so, just not lately.  To celebrate they are giving away quite a few prizes from 23 paper crafting companies.  Not only that but 6 companies are also offering discounts on their sites.  After looking at my entry; please go to the Mojo Monday site to check it out.

Without further ado, here is the sketch:

This is how I interpreted the sketch:

Card stock is from my stash.  The flowered design paper as well as the embroidered square were part of a card kit.  I didn't care for the card so decided to use some of the elements to make this card.  I embroidered the flowers and leaves and if you look carefully you can see where I used some gold thread for the smaller inside square.  I have had this card kit in my stash for a very long time and am finally getting around to doing something with it.  The other design paper is from Bo Bunny 6 x 6 paper pad - Sweet Tooth.  The sentiment is from Verve.  It was sent to me as a thank you gift when I placed an order with them.  The button is from one of my Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients kits.  The banners were cut with dies from the Taylored Expressions Banner Stacklets die set.

 I used to do a lot of counted cross stitch embroidery but after becoming a grandmother; my interests turned to card making.  I used to go to a twice yearly show and sale called the Creative Festival.  It started out as the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival with an emphasis on the fiber arts and I would usually go in the fall and stock up on floss, needles, and material.  Several years ago, they changed their name to the Creative Festival and it has now evolved into a show with something for everyone including paper arts.  It was at this show that I first became acquainted with a company by the name of Ecstasy Crafts who import a lot of paper crafts from The Netherlands where I was born.  I was  happy to see that they sell embroidery on paper books and card kits.  I am anxiously awaiting for a 3D kit that I ordered from them last week to arrive. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Anna/Oma

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #8

This is the first time that I am entering the Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge.  As soon as I saw the sketch; I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.  My niece Krista who is a CTMH Consultant is a design team member.  I would love to be on this design team.  I think it would be a lot of fun.  Without further ado, here is the sketch:

Here is the card I made:

Card stock and design paper is from my stash but the design paper is from a sheet of 81/2 x 11 inch paper and did not have a name on the back.  I've had it for so long that for the life of me, I can't remember where I bought it!  The die cut is from Memory Box - Tilth (is that even a word?) Floral.  I attached it to the circle which I cut with a Spellbinders die.  The rose was stamped with Tsukinek Clear embossing powder and then heat embossed.  The sentiment was stamped with CTMH Hollyhock onto a Spellbinders Grommet Tag.  The pearls are from my stash.  The main image as well as the sentiment were popped up onto foam squares.

I'm quite pleased with this card and I hope that the lovely ladies at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge will consider me for their design team.
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Happy Birthday Brooke!

The challenge this month at the One Crazy Stamper blog is to make a summer card.  I made the following card for my 2nd granddaughter, Brooke.  I'm sure that the ice cream cone designer paper qualifies for a summer card.  The paper is all from Cool Summer by Carta Bella which I bought at One Crazy Stamper.  The sentiment by My Favourite Things (Polka Dot Greetings) which also came with the matching die, was stamped with CTMH Hollyhock.  Button, bling and twine is from my stash.  It wasn't until I had finished this card, that I found a turquiose button which probably would have been a better choice.

Brooke was born 07/07/07 and she  has been a source of joy for all of us, but especially for her Opa.  She calls him her BFF.  She and Opa love to tease each other.  She enjoys dancing and she is the spitting image of her mother and I have the pictures to prove it.  She is a real girly girl but also enjoys running (like her mother) and playing outside in all kinds of weather.  She loves making cards with me and I have to watch her like a hawk or she will cover her cards with all kinds of bling!  Lately she has been telling us that she wants to take guitar lessons.  She received a guitar for Christmas from my son. Unlike my daughter, however; she is not shy at all and can be quite cheeky at times.  One day while we were at their house, after listening to her father ask her to do something, she told him, "You're not the boss!"  He got down on her level, looked her straight into her eyes and said, "But I am the boss!"  Opa and I struggled to keep from laughing.  

Opa and I are looking forward to seeing her and her 2 sisters soon.
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Happy Birthday Sierra!

Tomorrow is my eldest granddaughter's 8th birthday.  I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.  Opa and I were so excited on becoming grandparents.  When my daughter told us that she was expecting in December of 2004; I told her that I wanted her child to call us Oma and Opa as a way of honouring  my Dutch heritage.

The challenge at the One Crazy Stamper blog for the month of June is Summer.  I thought that the card I made for Sierra fit this category.  Here is my card:

I used a Popsicle stick for the pinwheel.  Card stock & ribbon is from my stash.  Design paper is from a 6 x 6 paper pad - Flower Box by Doodlebug Design which I bought at OCS.  I love this cheerful paper pad and will probably use it to create a birthday card for my 2nd granddaughter Brooke who will be celebrating her 6th birthday next month.  She was born on 07/07/07.

Sentiment is from Penny Black - Sweet Wishes.  Here is the inside of Sierra's card which I personalized with the alphabet clear stamps from Your Next Stamp which I bought at Scrapfest in April.  I also added some blue glitter stars which I punched out.

Here is the clear stamp set from Penny Black.  I've used it quite a bit:

Here is the Alphabet clear stamp set:  http://yournextstamp.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=280&products_id=4890.

Sierra will be getting roller blades from her parents so Opa and I will be getting her elbow and knee pads along with some pajamas which she needs. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Freshly Made Sketches

I decided to play along with Freshly Made Sketches this week.  Here is the sketch:

And here is my card.

The card base is off white card stock.  The rest of the papers all came from the We R Memory Keepers kit which I spoke about in my previous post.  The butterfly stamp and sentiment are both from Verve - So Fluttery.  I stamped the sentiment with Versamark - Cinnamon.  I heat embossed the butterfly with Stampendous embossing powder - Red Dragon - love the glitter in this embossing powder.  I fussy cut the butterfly and  popped it up with foam dots onto the EK Success punched label.  The ribbon is from Walmart and the bling is from K  and Co. which I bought  at Michaels.  I really like this bright and springy card.  I am listening to the weather right now and they are calling for freezing rain.  It snowed earlier today and if I ever get my hands on that d*mn groundhog, he is going to wish he was never born!  LOL

Oma

Some more cards I made for my stash

Here are some more cards I made recently:

I love this Easter card.  The stamp is from Your Next Stamp.  I punched the butterfly using a Martha Stewart punch.  I love the egg ribbon I used.  I also used a Fiskars scallop edge punch on this card.  

The design paper is from a 6 x 6 paper pad from First Edition - Dream Catcher.  I love the First Edition paper pads as some of the paper has glitter.  I love me some glitter!  Butterfly was cut with a Martha Stewart punch.  Ribbon is from my stash.

This particular card used paper from We R Memory Keepers Simply Spring Paper Pack.  I got it through the Craft Channel for an awesome low price.  On the plus side, it came in its own storage container.  The kit contains 48 double sided patterned papers, 6 embossed tags (1 of which I used as my focal point), 6 textured cardstock papers as well as a full sheet of embossed stickers.  I love the cheery colours in this kit!

Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients Monthly kits - 2 Cards I've cased.

I get the Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients Monthly kits and am loving them.  Taylored Expressions has a photo gallery for each kit and that is where I get my inspiration to make cards with the kits.  For this month they had a blog hop and 2 cards caught my eye so I decided to CASE (Copy & Share Everything) them both.  Here is the 1st card I cased.  And here is my interpretation:

I heat embossed the image and used a heart scallop circle die from Spellbinders.  I also used a pink button from my stash but everything else is basically the same as Tracy's card.

Here is the 2nd card I cased.  Here is my interpretation of Amy's card:

I didn't have a telephone stamp so decided to use a sentiment.  I also chose to use some flat back gold coloured pearls instead of the ribbon.  The sentiment is stamped on a die from Spellbinders.  I was very pleased with how these 2 cards came out.

Oma/Anna

Seize the Birthday

I really like this week's Seize the Birthday Sketch so I decided to play along.  Here is the sketch:

Here is the card I made:

This week's challenge was to make a feminine card.  The card stock, ribbon, doily and pearls are from my stash.  The design paper is from  a 6 x 6 Docrafts paper pad - Lucy Cromwell.  I love this pad and have 2 of them.  I am sure that I will be using it quite a bit as the papers are gorgeous.

Been a while

Since I posted!  I've made 9 cards that I have not taken photos of yet as my camera needs new batteries.  I am hoping to rectify that tomorrow.  3 of the cards are at my daughter's house so I will need to take my camera there soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Twinkle, twinkle little Star

I decided to play along with the Mojo Monday sketch challenge this week.  As it is the last Monday of the month, we are to create a round or square card.  Here is the sketch:

Here is the card I created using the sketch:

 I used a Provocraft star embossing folder.  The houndstooth pattern is from my stash and I stamped the small stars on white cardstock with a background stamp.  Ink I used is Colorbox - Chianti. The sentiment is from Verve which I stamped with the same ink as the background stamp. I punched out the large star from silver glittered paper.  The 2 smaller stars are flat back clear rhinestones but they appear to be blue in the photo.  I really like this card.

I made this card for my 2 yr. old granddaughter who loves Sesame Street.  Her favourite Sesame Street character is Elmo.  I dug out an Ernie doll I had and tossed him into the wash with the idea that Amber (my 2 yr. old granddaughter) would like him.  I thought I had checked him out all over but apparently I must have missed a hole as here is what poor Ernie looks like now:

Is there a doctor in the house??  I'm glad that I had put him in the washer by himself.  He is leaning against all the stuffing that I hauled out of the washing machine.  On the positive side, he is nice and clean and smells very nice as I used fabric softener when I washed him.  I still haven't decided yet if I will perform major surgery or not.  He is also missing one of his ears.  

 

Kards for Kids HSC on line cardmaking day - Warning - long post - picture heavy

I had a blast this weekend and made 9 cards for Kards for Kids HSC on line cardmaking day!  Bela has been organizing Kards for Kids since 2005 and it has grown a lot especially in the last 2 years or so.  There are currently 16 Smiley Ladies  making cards.  Won't you please consider joining us in this venture?  You can visit the Kards for Kids for HSC and email Bela to get all the details. Kudos also go to High Hopes Stamps, Your Next Stamp, Kraftin Kimmie Stamps and my favourite store to shop - One Crazy Stamper in Bolton our generous sponsors.

We went on a Virtual Cruise on the SS Smiley of the Seas Cruise ship.  Isn't this a beautiful Cruise ship?

Our beautiful Cruise Director Bela had sent us several card kits complete with stamped images and paper.

We departed from Halifax and crossed the Atlantic to visit some cities in Europe!  I made sure to pack lots of papers, coloured pencils, embellishments, punches and stamps. Our first challenge was to make a card - Bon Voyage.  Here is the card I made.  I am sitting on the deck on my suitcase anxiously waiting to be assigned to my cabin.  (Man, I wish I looked this good in real life!  LOL) Bela provided us with the image and die cuts.  I fussy cut the image and coloured her with my Prisma coloured pencils and gamsol and then popped her up with some 3D dimensionals.

I was assigned to cabin #469 and it was just beautiful with a very comfortable queen size bed, a large desk for making cards, and best of all - a Tassimo with lots of Tim Horton's coffee and a selection of delicious baked goods and lots of fresh fruit!  After everyone got settled in, we went to the buffet table and our assignment there was to make a card using this image as inspiration.  

Bela had provided us with some die cuts as well as a stamped image which I fussy cut and popped up on the card.  Here is the card I created:

I also finished the inside of this card:

The design paper is from a 6 x 6 paper pad from Dove Craft - Tea Party.  The doily inside the card is from my stash.  The sentiment is also from my stash but I do not know who the manufacturer is.  

After resting for a bit, we headed over to the Lido deck to go swimming in the pool.  Man, I could sure go for a dip in that gorgeous pool and then sit on a lounge chair with a Pina Colada to drink and some fresh fruit and yogurt for a healthy snack.  

Bela provided us with the design paper, image from Your Next Stamp (again, which I fussy cut and popped up) and some die cuts.  Here is the card I created:

I have no idea, how that starfish got into the pool!  I know it wasn't me that put him/her there!  Hmm, maybe it was one of the other members of the Smiley Team!  

Our first stop was Spain and we had to create a card using a photo as our inspiration.  The photo (which I cannot provide here) had lots of pink, red and black.  Here is the card I made:

The design paper is from a 6 x 6 paper pad - Echo Park For the Record 2 - Tailored.  I used 2 different scallop squares and my favourite Making Memories butter fly punch to punch out the butterflies on glittered paper.

Our next stop was Gay Paree!!  Bela provided us with the papers, the girl stamped image from Kraftin' Kimmie and some die cuts.  The sentiments and other images are from my stash.  Here is the card I created:

I am such a lucky woman cuz hubby provided me with an unlimited credit card so I shopped til I dropped!  Here is the inside of the card:

Our next stop was Greece and our challenge was to make a card using this image for inspiration and it had to be a summer card.

 Here is the card I made:

This is a mini Your Next Stamp image which I received as a thank you gift when I placed an order with Karen from Your Next Stamp a long time ago.  The design paper is from a paper craft magazine that I bought just last week.  I thought it was perfect for this card.

Now it's on to Venice - a city I would love to visit!  Our challenge here was to create a card using this photo as inspiration:

Here is the card I came up with:

Design paper is from Echo Park 6 x6 paper pad - For the Record 2 - Tailored.  I also used a border punch which I blinged up with some rhinestones.  Ribbon is from my stash and so is the sentiment. I stamped the sentiment on a punched shape which is from Fiskars.

Now, it'\s back to the ship to celebrate with some good ole Rock & Roll!  My son, the disc jockey who spins records on a double turntable (note, I said records - not CD'S) at several night clubs in Toronto would approve!  He loves Rock & Roll!!  Bela provided the Kraftin Kimmie girl image (fussy cut and popped up) and the design papers.  Other image and the sentiments are also from Kraftin' Kimmie which I just happened to have on hand.  Here is the card I created:

Oops!  Looks like I made a bit of a boo boo!  The girl rockin' to the beat is actually the outside of the card - not the inside.  I also added some stars which I cut with my star punch out of red glittered paper.

Phew, are you still with me?  If so, you deserve kudos!

Last, but not least, I was assigned an image & some die cuts to make a Summer card.  Here is my creation:

We also played some games during the day and I won Showcase #1 in the Price is Right game which consisted of 2 packages of stickers and a cute stamp which I will be looking forward to receiving.  Here is the stamp  I won:

I want to thank Bela for all the hard work & time she put into organizing this card challenge.  I enjoyed it thoroughly and I'm sure the other 11 Smiley Team Members enjoyed it as well!
Thanks for stopping by!