Thursday Focus (Product Spotlight) - Sending Love

Hello and Happy Thursday. Today, we are featuring the "Sending Love" designer series paper stack from Stampin' Up. Of course, this paper stack fits great into the Valentine's theme.

I typically try and use other colors than red and white for Valentines, so for this this post, it took a bit of thinking to decide on what I wanted my card to look like. Once I figured out which paper I wanted to use, the card came together like a snap. I was happy about that.

Here's my card that I made for you:

If you've started here at my entry, don't forget to hop on back to Joni, who started us out today on our journey. Amanda is right before me, and Robbie is second. Please check them all out - you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and visit. Stay tuned for more fun!

Coloring Down the Lines - Birdcage Love

This week, we were challenged again to make a Valentine's Card, but this time, not using any hearts on the card. I thought this was going to be hard, but actually, it wasn't. I came up with the idea after fumbling through my stamp sets, and all of a sudden, once I saw the stamp set I wanted to use, it all came together quickly.

Here's what I've created for you this week:

Recipe

Cardstock:  dapper denim, very vanilla, gold foil

Ink:  gold embossing powder, black embossing powder, dapper denim, soft suede, mint macaron, marina mist

Stamp Sets:  builder bird cage, timeless textures, sealed with love

Accessories/Embellishments: jute twine, MS branch punch

I know, I know, I typically don't use another product other than Stampin' Up, but I had already cut these out for a card I made for Christmas, and this was a left over, and I thought it added just the right touch to the card, so I used it. I like the way it looks on the card.

If you've started here, you can either hop one back to Amanda's blog, or continue on to Joni's blog until you come back to me, and then you will have visited everyone's blog.

Again, I want to thank you for stopping by and feel free to leave your comments. I love hearing from you.

A Baby Shower Card for Janell

A co-worker, Janell, is having another baby, and I was commissioned to make the shower card. Of course, this is my thing. I love making cards for people. I know Janell is having another girl, so I raced to my stamp stash to find the new "Moon Baby" stamp set. It's so cute.

I had fun making this card ... and this is what I came up with:

I forgot to take a picture of the inside, but I cut out the cute little stuffed animals and put one on the right side of the card, and one on the left. Super cute!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. I've been posting a little more this week .. and hopefully, I can keep up the momentum.

Cheers!

Sympathy for the loss of Janice's Husband

I've had my fill of sympathy cards this week. A very nice woman, who attends my library classes, lost her husband the end of last week. Another sad story. Her husband had just retired and within days, he was put on hospice. Two days after that, he passed away. I just can't even get my head around the fact that this happened. How doe people go on and get through something like that? I'm so very sad for Janice. She's a wonderful person and I enjoy her coming to my card classes at the library.

This is the card I made for her ... and with such sadness:

I hope the card isn't too sad for her ... I will hope and pray that she finds the strength to lean on her family and friends for support. I know I will be there for her.

With sadness I make this post.

Coloring Down the Lines - Gold and Silver Hearts

Hello everyone. Thanks for stopping back to visit.

Our blog hop for this week is to create a Valentine card or project using no red or pink in your creation at all. WOW, I thought that would be difficult, but actually, it was a breeze. I made this card in no time and it just came to me right away. Actually, I had a piece already cut out that I was going to use for another project and didn't, and that gave me the inspiration to create this card.

Perhaps you've arrived here from Amanda's blog - well, you can continue on to Joni's blog after mine, until you come full circle. I love Valentine cards .. and actually, sometimes not using red or pink can be just as pretty.

recipe

Cardstock:  very vanilla, basic black, gold foil, silver foil, dazzling diamonds glimmer paper

Ink:  gold embossing powder

Stamp Set:  sealed with love

Accessories/Embellishments:  cheerful tags framelit dies, heart punch, mini heart punch, metallic enamel shapes, gold satin ribbon

I knew I wanted to make an elegant Valentine card, and somehow, even though you typically don't associate black with Valentine's Day, this one fit the challenge perfectly.

Hope you enjoyed everyone's creation this week. Check us out next week, there's more Valentine fun.

Have a wonderful week.

Sympathy Card for the loss of Kelly's Mother

I just learned the other day that a friend of mine lost her mother right before Christmas. You can imagine how sad that made me, especially since I had no idea, and now it's been three weeks and I haven't spoken to her yet. I'm so sad.

I didn't know Kelly's mother. You see, I just met Kelly last year from a mutual friend. We became fast friends, and she really is a super woman.

So, I sat down to make her a sympathy card to let her know that I'm thinking of her and hoping that she is doing ok. This is the card I made for her. I actually CASED it from Nancy Novak at stampinshout.com. I typically don't CASE a lot of cards, or if I do, I always change it up but use the basic concept. This one I thought was pretty, and I only changed one thing on the card. Thank you Nancy for your beautiful inspiration.

It always makes me sad to make sympathy cards, but I know it's most necessary.

Until tomorrow, thank you for stopping by.

Coloring Down the Lines - Snowy Swirls

BRRRRRRR! Is it as cold where you live as it is where I live? It's been so cold, under 30 degrees for the past week or so, and the wind is blowing tonight and we're expecting snow and sleet, and freezing rain. But ... in a few days, it's going to be 60 degrees. What gives?

Our challenge today is to create another snow card, using an embossing folder other than gently falling, that looks like snow. So I broke out an older embossing folder I have - polka dots. Now, I have to say, this card is not one of my finest, and I struggled with it so many times. My original idea didn't work out, and I made about 3 cards before I settled on this one. And .. I'm not really excited about it, but it fits the bill. I just don't like when I don't have my mojo ... but it happens to the best of us.

Anyway, here's the card I came up with for you today.

The stamp sets I used on this card were Santa's Sleigh, with the framelit, and Star of Light. As I mentioned, I used the polka dots embossing folder for the snow, and highlighted the dots with dazzling diamonds for a little glitter. The snow at the bottom is dazzling diamonds glimmer paper, and the background colors for the sky (not too visible on this photograph) are pool party, lost lagoon, marina mist, paper denim. The tree is stamped on lost lagoon paper, and I topped the card off with some lost lagoon glimmer ribbon. And there you have it.

Amanda's blog was just ahead of me, and hopping forward takes you to Joni's blog. I hope you have fun hopping along until you come full circle.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting me each week. It means the world to me!

Stay warm.  Love you lots!

Coloring Down the Lines - Snow Theme With Shades of Blue

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were filled with love, laughter, and a lot of fun. As we start into the New Year, may you find peace, happiness, good healthy, and love wherever you go.

We're off to a wonderful start with our Coloring Down the Lines Blog Hop. This month, we are focused on Snow Themes, and today's challenge is Snow theme with shades of blue and a touch of sparkle. You know, when I sat down to create my card, it was harder than I thought. Can you believe it? I thought, I have this in the bag, and it took me over an hour to come up with an idea.  Well, I managed to create something, but it was trial and error until I got it where I liked it. Then, of course, I looked forward to see what the weeks ahead were, and guess what? I think I made the card for next week vs. this week. How in the world did I do that? Well, I'll chalk it up to being sick all during the holiday, and my brain just wasn't functioning.  Anyway, it doesn't matter, because I met all the criteria for this week.

Let's take a look at the inspirational photo, and then on to the goods.

I have to say, I love snow scenes. Let's hope I can come up with some great ones for the remainder of the month .... LOL

The stamp sets I used were Sparkly Seasons (retired), Jar of Cheer, and Thoughtful Branches.  For the sparse trees, they are stamped in Night of Navy, while the pine trees are stamped using Lost Lagoon. For the sky, I used the following: Lost Lagoon, Marina Mist, Pool Party, and Daper Denim. Yep, Daper Denim! I also used the seaside textured embossing folder for the snow drifts at the bottom. I topped off the sky using the snow flakes from Jar of Cheer and used versa mark, and sprinkled with dazzling diamonds glitter. I took a few pictures from different angles so you could see the dazzling snowflakes.

Well, I hope you like it. Now, if you've arrived here from Amanda's blog, you'll be taking a hop on to Joni's blog to see what she's made for you this week. Hope you have fun looking at everyone's entry. I love it!

Enjoy!