Distress It!

It's a another bitter sweet day for me - today is my last post as part of The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Design Team.  I've enjoyed being part of this wonderful group, but time constraints have meant that I have had to say goodbye for now.  But I'll be back to participate in challenges! 

This week the challenge is "DISTRESS IT" so come on over and show us some great distressing techniques!  This one is way outside my comfort zone....but I tried.....

The image is called "Train" from our sponsor, QKR Stampede.  The embossing layer was sent to me and I "distressed" it with some darker ink to really bring out the steel plate feel.  I then went over it with sandpaper to give it and even more "distressed" feel.  I also went over the image very lightly with that same ink pad.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

• Creative Knockouts - embossing
• Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes
• Creative Moments - anything goes/boys
• Cuttlebug Mania - transport

Thanks for stopping by today!!!  God bless you!!!

All about the Guys

If May is all about women and Mom's - then June is all about men and Dad's.  As I'm sure you've noticed, a lot of challenges are masculine themed right now and that is the case over at The Crafter's Cafe where our theme is just that:  Masculine.  Bugaboo is our sponsor this week and I was able to use "Relaxing Guy" for my card.  Isn't he just perfect?  The kraft piece is embossed with Swiss Dots (one of my all time favorite embossing folders!).  The argyle paper I had in my stash.  I decided to cut out some of the diamond shapes and then put one in the corner as well.  I did the same thing on the inside.  Add some twine and this is what you get:

 

(inside)

 

I don't know what made me think about cutting out some of the diamonds but I like the way it turned out.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

• Allsorts Challenge - For the Guys
• Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
• Loves Rubberstamps - Anything Goes
• Digi Choosday - All About the Men
• My Sheri Crafts - Anything Masculine
• Cardz 4 Guyz - Father's Day

Thanks for stopping by today!!!  I hope to see you at The Crafter's Cafe.  God bless you!!!

Playing Dress Up

Remember years (and years....and years...and years...LOL!!!) ago when we used to spend the afternoons playing instead of working?  Did you ever get into your moms closet and play dress up?  I never did but I did enjoy getting into her jewelery.  My mom wore those big broach/pins or beads.  Fortunately they didn't have any value because I did break a few strands of her beads in my time.

This week at The Crafter's Cafe our theme is "Girly" and the image I used took me back to time - even the image is called "Playing Dress Up" (Guylou's Digital Stamps).  I was also able to use some glitter tape that I never know what to do with - LOL!  I love using up my stash!!!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

• Digitally 'Sweet" Challenges - Blue, Yellow, and White
• Alphabet Challenge - G is for Gown
• 2 Cute Ink Digital Stamps Challenge - Use Glitter

Thanks for stopping by today!  God bless you!!!

Moms / Special Lady

My mom amazes me.  I'm sure we all feel like that.  But this little woman (and she is little - I think she weighs all of 110 pounds anymore) is a little firecracker and has more strength than she realizes.  And she took me and raised me as her own.  Yes, I'm adopted.  I've never known any other mom because I was adopted at 7 weeks of age.  But growing up my parents always told me I was special because I was chosen.  A mom isn't someone who gives birth to a child.  A mom is someone who holds your head over the toilet when your throwing up.  A mom is someone who kisses all the boo-boo's.  A mom is someone who tells you that you look like a clown when you first start wearing make-up (and even though you don't believe it then - years later you know she was right- LOL!).  I have a great MOM!  I may not have her DNA, but she is part of me in every other way - in every decision I make, in every day of my life her influence and teaching is there.

To celebrate moms or a special lady, The Crafter's Cafe Challenge has two sponsors - Beansie Doodles and Paper Shelter.  I used "My Sweet Mommy" from Paper Shelter for my card.  I colored it with pencils and used some scrap papers I had along with a 3-d sticker.

I'm entering this card into the following challenge:

• Tuesday Throwdown - Special Lady
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
• Loves Rubberstamps - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today!  God bless you!!!

Sparkle!

Crafter's Cafe is adding glitter this week!  What girl doesn't like to sparkle?  LOL!!  I'm not a real fan of glitter when it's lose, but I sure do love Stickles so that is what I used to add some sparkle to my image from Rick St. James.  I glittered the balloon and also the edges.  And now this card is on it's way to a young girl who has some physical challenges.  Why not get out that glitter or Stickles and come on over to Crafter's Cafe this week....cause I need ideas on how to use more sparkle in my life. 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

• Creative Card Crew - Girly
• Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Sparkle N Sprinkle - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today.  God bless you!!!!

Carriers of Faith - All God's Children

It's the 9th and that means it's the Carriers of Faith blog hop!  You should have arrived here from Barb's blog.  If you stayed and visited for a while then you have learned that Barb is quite the talent...and between you and me - I think she must have a second home that only contains her paper collection because she always has the PERFECT paper for every card she makes!  (Love ya Barb!)

Our theme for this month is "All God's Children". We are supposed to create or share something depicting a baby, child, teen, or adult - as we are all special in His eyes!  Our scripture to focus on for the month  is from Mark 9:36-27:

And Jesus took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent me".

My card is not only for the Carriers of Faith blog hop, but also for Crafter's Cafe.  The theme at Crafter's Cafe is Spring...and I used an image from Inky Impressions called "Maddie Spreading Love". 

So how does this apply to the Carriers of Faith?  Well, not only is it a picture of a young girl...but even the name of the image including "Spreading Love".  Isn't that what we are called to do?  To share the love of Jesus and spread His love?  I heard a song one day while I was in my craft room listening to KLOVE on the internet.  The song talked about how he wanted people to see Jesus through him.  That has become my prayer....I pray that when people see me - they see Him...that when they talk to me - they hear Him coming through...that in some way my life is a reflection of all He has done for me.  I'm blessed.  And I pray that today He will bless you in a very special way!!

Your next stop on the Carriers of Faith blog hop is Paula...spend some time there - she's another amazing talent!!!


I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

• {PIN}spirational Challenges - used the color pink and the flowers
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Pile it On - Feminine

Crafter's Cafe - Red, Pink, and White

Remember all those Valentine's you were making a couple weeks ago?  I'm sure that you have scraps of red, pink, and white paper along with embellishments laying around that were left over.  Well do I have an opportunity for you!  The new challenge at The Crafter's Cafe is a color challenge and you can use all those items left over!  Yep - Red, Pink, and White is our theme!

Our sponsors for this challenge are Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and Guylous Inimitability Digital Stamps.  Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps not only has digi's but also clear stamps too.  One of my absolute favorite lines at Sweet 'n Sassy is Cocoa the mouse!  He's soooooo cute!!!  So I chose "Cocoa's Gift" because I needed to make a Birthday card for a friend.  I used one of my new embossing folders from Spellbinders and then papers I had left over from Valentine's cards. 

 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

• Cuttlebug Mania - Let's Feel It (add Texture)
• Partytime Tuesdays - Anything Goes
• Tuesday Throwdown - Anything Goes
• 2 Sisters - Embossing
• QKR Stampede - Friends are Special (my card is a Birthday card for a friend)

Thanks for stopping by today and spending a few minutes with me.  I hope to see you over at Crafter's Cafe.  God bless you!!!!

Must Have Hearts - The Crafter's Cafe

It's a new challenge week at The Crafter's Cafe and our theme this week is "Must Have Hearts".  We have two great sponsors again this week:

Bugaboo Stamps

- and -

Delicious Doodles

I was able to use a Bugaboo image called "Heart Balloons".  Honestly, I couldn't bring myself to make another Valentine card - LOL!!  So I wanted something different.  I loved this little boy and loved the way the card turned out too.  It's already in the mail heading to his destination too.  I colored him with Spectrum Noir markers and kept the card simple with minimal embellishment and papers.

 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

• Cards In Envy - Love is in the Air
• Paper Makeup - Hearts
• Ooh-La-La - Use Hearts
• Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes

I hope to see you at Crafter's Cafe this week.  God bless you and thank you for stopping by!

Crafter's Cafe - Challenge #48 - Use Ribbon and/or Lace in your Design

It's an exciting day!!  It's my very first post as part of the DT at The Crafter's Cafe!!  And the very first challenge brought a theme that I had been wanting to do but never have - and that is to use lace (or you can use ribbon too - but lace is what caught my eye).  I see so many lovely creations out there with lace on them and I have never tried using it yet.  Then a couple weeks ago someone sent me some BoBunny lace - talk about a "meant to be" moment.  LOL!!

Here's my first lace project:

One of our sponsors this week at The Crafter's Cafe is Fred She Said and I used  "I Love You THIS Much".  The papers were from my stash as were the pearls.   At Crafter's Cafe we have several sponsors for each challenge and here's who is sponsoring this week:

 

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Milk Coffee - Monochrome
• Created with Love - Anything Goes
• Make It Monday - Anything Goes
• Loves Rubberstamps - Lace
• Cute Card Thursday - So Sweet
• Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and spending a few moments with me today.  God bless you!!!