{SSSC161 DT Call} Celebrate Freedom!

Hello, Blog Friends!   Yes, I know I've been missing in action for a couple weeks, but LIFE is busy as you all know.

I've planted a garden this year so that's taking a little extra time.  Radishes anyone?  Next year I will not plant the entire package at one time.  yikes!  I hope the tomatoes do half as well and I'll have plenty for BLT's and salsa!

 

I've also been planning for my granddaughter Emery's 1st Birthday Party on June 29th. All our family will be home for this BIG event and we're so excited!   One of the party decorations I've made is this banner with her monthly photos.  It was so FUN to create this and see how much she's changed each month. She is such a JOY and blessing!  I plan to punch holes in the corners and string it up with ribbon to hang above the cake table.  I'll be sure and take photos the day of the party to share later.

Now, on to today's card . . .  

This little patriotic cutie was created especially for Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 161 and Design Team Call too!   It's no secret that this is one of my FAV sketch challenges and one I've played along with more than any other.   Oh, how I would ♥ being on the SSSC Team!   Seriously, what I really want to say is "PICK ME! PICK ME!"  lol  :)

the inside reads "Celebrate Freedom"

{acrylic stamp by Stampendous}

 

I've used an assortment of patriotic designer paper and stamps for this card:

Pure Innocence - An Apple For You (star button in place of apple)

Stampin Up! - red star from July Fourth set

Daisy Bucket designs - navy blue circle with star

Stampendous - Simple 4th of July

Oh, I almost forgot to show you the *awesome* sketch . . .

That's all for today!  I hope you're enjoying your summer and finding time to do what you most enjoy!

~ Pinterest Quote for Today ~

Mommy to Be & Daddy's Sunshine Scrapbook Layouts

A special SHOUT OUT to all you scrapbookers

who've been up around the clock this weekend! 

Happy World Scrapbook Day!

In honor of this, I decided to show you two of the scrapbook layouts I've completed recently.  These are individual page layouts for my precious granddaughter Emery's memory book. 

The first one is appropriately titled "Mommy to Be". . . my beautiful daughter Katie . . .

The quote under the photo reads:

"No one else will ever know

the strength of my love for you.

After all, you're the only one who knows

 what my heart sounds like from the inside."

My second layout is "Daddy's Ray of Sunshine" . . .

There is a tag stamped with lines hidden under the photo

 for my daughter or son-in-law to add some journaling.

Once I decided on the sunshine layout, I sorted through my scraps of yellow designer papers and cut the rays freehand.  I decided to zig zag stitch around them too.  The letters and the grass were both cut out with my Cricut machine.  The little flowers are punched and yellow buttons added with baker's twine.

 

 I've been a rubber stamping cardmaker for several years and now scrapbooking is my newest hobby.  Of course, with an adorable subject like Baby Emery, how could I resist?!  

I will have more pages to share with you, so stay tuned, ok?  And would you do me a big favor please?  If you're a scrapbooker and have a blog, please leave me a comment and let me know so I can follow you.  Or, if you have a favorite blog or scrapbook site, I would love to hear about that too!  Thanks!

 For Mother's Day, I'll be going to visit my daughter and family in Nevada and my camera will be close at hand, ready to capture more blessed memories.  I can't wait!  ♥     Just look at this recent photo of Emery at 10 mo old and you'll see why . . .

"Hey, Cabana Boy!  I'll have another bottle over here please!"  ;)

Thanks for blogging by!

{rs#9} Hello Friend

Happy Hello, my Friends!   It seems I'm doing well to get one card a week posted.  Today's creation was totally inspired by the retro sketches challenge.  I would never have thought of this layout without the sketch and all the wonderful inspiration on the retro sketches blog. If you haven't already done so, you'll want to check it out!

I rarely use white as my card base and I almost never create a card without a piece or two of designer paper. But, here you have it... my version of a "clean and simple" (CAS) card!  The stamp set with the swirls is "Priceless" by Stampin' Up!   "Hello. Friend" is a Studio G stamp I picked up at Michaels for $1.   I can never resist!

The delightful little crocheted flowers were made by my Nebraska neighbor and creative blog friend, Debbie Fisher at The Paper Garden.  I stitched them right to my card front with a black  button and baker's twine.

It's a cool and cloudy day here today. . . just perfect for hanging out in my craft room!  I hope you're enjoying your weekend and finding time to do what makes you happiest.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Quote for Today ~

{SSSC157} Happy Earth Day! Let's Recycle!

Today is Earth Day and in honor of it I have created an "up-cycled" card.   Earlier this week, I was flattening out an empty tissue box to toss into our recycle bin, when I had a light go off in my head.  "Hey!  These flowers are too cool to throw away!  What if I cut them out and use them on a card?!"   Sooo...that's what I did...and here you have it...my recycled tissue box card!  : )  

Are you wondering why I have the main piece tilted?  And are you thinking it should be straight?  LOL   I know.  I have the same problem!  It is a real *challenge* for me to so this, but I had to TRY because it is this week's SWEET SUNDAY SKETCH CHALLENGE!   Karen just loves to throw these tilted panels at us every now and then, darn her anyway!

If you haven't already, please check out all the Sweet Sunday Stamper's cool creations and you'll be inspired to join in the FUN!  My flower card was inspired by one of my favorite stampers...Lynn Put at The Queen's Scene.  She used sunflowers on her card and it is so beautiful!

Other than the tissue box flowers, I've also "recycled" scraps of red and orange cardstock and kiwi kiss twill ribbon.  The card is a 5-1/4" square of kiwi kiss and layered on top is a piece of designer paper from K & Company ~Citronella. 

And the inside...

Do you recycle?  We are much better at it than we ever use to be, but mainly because we have a local waste handling company that is hauling it away now.   We recycle almost all plastics, glass and paper and our bin in the garage fills up fast.  I work for a steel manufacturing company and once a year we host a "Recycle Scrap Day" for the community.  It's held the first Saturday of May and I am always so excited to see all the JUNK that people bring in from all over the area.  The last few years we've had an FFA group bring in 3 livestock trailers FULL of stuff they collected.  The majority is old appliances, computer equipment, televisions, etc.  They get paid for aluminum cans too. 

Thanks so much for stopping by... Happy Earth Day!

Quote for Today ~ (found on Pinterest)

{SSSC156} You're My Type of Friend

 

You all left me such wonderful comments about my last card, I made another one with the same stamp set and designer paper!  Don't you just ♥ this sketch by one of my favorite stamper/bloggers Lynn Put!?  Lynn's blog is The Queen's Scene and if you aren't a subscriber, you should be!  I love every single card she creates!  And now, she's designing sketches too. . . check it out here and join the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge!

the inside . . .

 Thanks so much for dropping in and do come back again soon!

 

Quote for Today ~

{CQC#131 RS#6} Hello and Happy Easter!

Hello Peeps! 

Wishing you all a very blessed Easter!

I'm playing along with the Colour Q Challenge again and recently discovered Arielle Gordon's Retro Sketches Challenge to go right along with it!  

My card base is a standard 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" with So Saffron as the base.  On top of that I've layered a piece of  Basic Grey designer paper with the perfect challenge colors.  It's from this 6 x 6 paper pad and could be one of my all time favorites. . .

The old style typewriter stamp is a cling set by Hero Arts, appropriately titled "My Type".  I used Versafine black onyx ink on Stampin' Up naturals white cardstock and then cut around the image.  It's popped up on dimensionals on top of the blushing bride flag.  And, of course, I can't seem to create a card anymore with adding a button and baker's twine to finish it off!

 and, as always, the inside too . . .

I'm happy you hopped by today!

Quote for Today ~

Happy 21st Birthday Card!

This card was so much FUN to create...especially for my dear friend Lu's daughter's upcoming 21st birthday!   I know it's a little on the WILD side, but I think it's appropriate for such a special birthday, don't you?  :)

The base is 5-1/4" square of basic black cardstock, layered with the wild "zebra" print by gcd studios.  (Cosette Collection Item #048-Stars & Swirls)  The numbers 21 were cut out using my Cricut Cherry Limeade cartridge.   I blinged them up a bit with some silver brads and popped them up with dimensionals.  

The cool banner was stamped on the various colored cardstock using Versafine black onyx ink and my new itty bitty stamp set by UNITY Stamp Co.  {see my Ippity Chick... Shuggy! if you need any stamps!}  I used a 1/16" circle punch in the corners and tied it all together with black and white baker's twine.  {If you could use any of this great twine, I still have plenty in my Etsy Shop!}

 The inside....finished like the front!  :)

Thanks so much for all the comments on my last post!  You know I ♥ hearing from all of you and that warm fuzzy feeling it gives me.  *wink*   There were 2 dear readers interested in the April Scrapbook, Etc magazine so I put their names in a basket and the name I drew out is . . .

{drum roll, please...}

 Debbie Fisher (debbiedee) said...

Love your card! I would love a chance to win this magazine. I am needing some major inspiration for scrapbooking as I need to get all caught up on my youngest scrapbook as he will be a senior next year!

4/1/12 6:08 PM

I hope to be back tomorrow with an EASTER card for the CQC Challenge.  Love the colors again this week!   Have a great day everyone and thank you for stopping by!  ♥

Quote for Today ~  {from my Pinterest Words to Live By Board}