Monday Monday

 

I love my compter and I hate my computer. Last week we had to buy a new desktop and in the transfer, I lost my new wonderful photo editing program. Hopefully using Picassa will give me some good photo shots, at least until I get a new program.

In the interim, I have been able to create, just not upload. Here is the latest color craze I have been going through, Pink and Brown! Love love love these colors together!

Created for the following blogs:
our creative corner weekly sketch: sketch
aud sentiments challenge: #9 anything goes
party time tuesdays #12 pink brown and white and b'day sentiment

Back to the Beach- more cards

I couldn't resist playing with more of the scraps and beach shells that I had sitting on my craft table. I have a habit of using up the supplies on my table while they are out. What surprised me is how much "beach themed" items I had in my stash. Don't get me wrong, I love the beach, but we are not beach people. Our summers are not booked with trips to the shore and when we do go, it is for the day. Hubby does NOT enjoy the sand, kids don't know their limitations with the ocean, and the traffic makes the day very LONG. As a kid, every year my mother booked us a week in September after the "season" was over. The weather was perfect, the boardwalk still open, the prices dropped, oh the memories!

These are for the challenges: Curtain Call #41: desert sand, navy, light blue and white and for The ABC-challenge: A is for August and Cute Card Thursday #124 "Whateva" is the theme.

Beach Cards- the Dog Days of Summer....

I love the beach. However, the other half of me, doesn't. Plus, the state of New Jersey charges for the use of the PUBLIC beach...don't ask me why, I think it is a dumb rule. I grew up in MD and the beach was free. So we take our yearly jaunt in September, after the crowds, the weather is perfect, and the roads are not congested with shore traffic. Here are some of my tributes to the wonderful sandy beaches...


This card is for the challenges: Crazy 4 Challenges 48: sketch


Challenges: ABC-challenges: A is for August (vacations) and for fun challenges: water as a theme (i think the beach counts...)


For the challenge: Unscripted Sketches #66

Weddings Abound

And they say that the month of June is wedding month....I guess our cousins didn't get the latest memo! Our anniversary is in September and DH's cousin is getting married in September. I made this card with them in mind. Elegant, yet casual. No kids, but I think the girls will be excited just to witness a wedding in the family- most likely the last one!

CARDS blog was asking for a challenge to use pearls, so I incorporated some baby blues in with embossed diamonds on the cardstock. The large round gels are Anna Griffin. Large satin ribbon and a small tag with the sentiment BLESSINGS finish off the card.

Challenges:
Cards Blog: pearls
Twisted Sketches #18: sketch and to use a tag
The Wildflower Patch: use embossing (the diamonds with my score blade)
Crafty Creations: #79 to make a wedding or anniversary card
also for Sarah Hurleys Challenges: #4 Romance (someone was kind enough to send me a link to this new challenge site! Thank you!)

Blinged Out!

Challenges for Snow Card: fresh brewed designs #11, Christmas in July, Cute Card Thursday #121, Head Start on Christmas , Christmas Stampin' #57, Bling it up! and The Pink Elephant #76, BROWN color challenge

Challenge for this card: DRS Designs Sketch Challenge and Charisma Cardz #28 PINK color challenge

Challenge for this card: CARDS blog

Bling is the operative word today. Gems and glitter- 2 accessories a girl should not live without!! The Let it Snow card is probably my favorite Chrismtas card that I have designed to date! I love the browns and blues together, and the pop of orange... yummy! The snowflakes are MS snowflake punch, bobunny papers, the snowman stamp I won from a challenge site, watercolor pencils and gems are miscellaneous.

The Confident card came together this morning. I woke up to absolutely no electricity. Called PECO and was told that power would be restored at 8:20 am (of course it is 6:20am by my watch...) so, is PECO doing scheduled outages during this horrible heat wave the east coast is having? So somewhat in a dark and foggy lit room, I was able to use the remaining pieces of the Sabrina MM line and "button" as well as Kaiser bling rhinestones. It is also my second entry in the Charisma Color challenge of PINK.

The last card incorporates PINWHEELS, per the Cards Blog challenge this week. This was a card I designed for a workshop where the guests made handmade flowers for their projects. This seemed easy at the time, but actually took some nimble fingers and patience! Paper is Bobunny, stamp sentiment was gifted to me from my sister, MS leaf punch. Glitter and buttons finish off the card.

Stay cool!

Pretty in PInk

Remember John Hughes, all of his teen angst movies? Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink....the brat pack. Oh, how I miss those movies. Funny to look back upon them now and see how young the actors were and how lame the story lines are. But in the 80's, so appropriate for our generation.

I created this card in part for my oldest daughter- aged 13. The lovely teen years. Can I fast forward 5 years??? She loves to shop and is caught in between the "junior" styled clothes and the clothes that I will approve of. Not childish, but "appropriate". And if any of you are going through this, they don't mean the same thing. Boy friend shorts? Are you for real- the line from the limbo comes to mind "how low can you go".... So I have been trying to show her how to dress smartly, trendy, classy and she will end up being fabulous. The image has the same styled top that she is wearing today, with a ribbed tank under it. Still in keeping with fashion, but hiding things I am not ready for the world (code for boys) to see.

2 Sketches 4 you #56
Charisma Cardz: PINK
Just for Fun challenges: use an image and color in
Colour Q: #41, dark pink, light pink, gray, black and white

supplies: Flair clear sticker sentiment, Hannah Stamps "vogue", CTMH glitter, watercolor pencils, lace doily, Making Memories Sabrina paper line.

Vintage

Challenges: Mojo Monday sketch #147, Party Time Tuesdays #7: anything goes birthday card, Crazy Challenges "it's hip to be square", and The Play Date Cafe: #37 Provencial Theme, and CAS-tastic #12 SIMPLE (stamped image, inked edges, lace doily)

Challenges: Unscripted Sketches #63, Just Scraps "Create a Wedding Card", Stamping Sisters in Christ #47 "what brings you peace or rest?"


I have gotten into the vintage look lately. Love the papers- creams, blacks, pinks, greens and blues all together in muted designs....yummy! For me, though, finding the right embellishments was always tricky. I was able to find some old stash: prima flowers, ribbons, and pearls that I was finally able to put to use. If you were to see my table, you would be amazed that I could actually find anything! All items were set out- separate piles of goodies to sort through for each card.... add in punches, scissors, glitter and glue, buttons, 3d foam tape, stamps and doilies, more paper (see the emerging pic in your head...?) Total chaos on the table. A cluttered table leads to a cluttered mind.

Onto the cards...
The butterfly wish card was such a fun card to make! The scrunched ribbon is American Crafts that was found in the clearance aisle of Michael's. Found doilies too, which seem to be the in/out new/past fad that I finally decided to try. The papers are Websters, Lullaby Lane. Don'tcha love the vintage?

The Cherish card evokes feelings of love for me. The romantic colors, flowers, butterflies with glitter....Simple elegance. In keeping with the feeling of love, God loves me. It is a constant reminder daily that even when I fail here on earth, my heavenly Father cherishes me, gives me this beautiful gift of Encouragement to which I use heartily here (making and sending the homemade cards) and that as long as I believe in Him and follow his ways- my hiccups along the road can be turned to good for His purposes.

I am ending my entry with this thought as I have been going through some growing pains. My daily walk has suffered, my mind/table are cluttered with too much mediocre stuff, and our family's faith/relationships have been put upon the shelf lately. Time to get back to what really matters in this life. Tonight I will go to bed with the last thought that I am loved and that I am cherished.