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I appreciate my Followers!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Wart's New?

Can miles truly separate you from friends.... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?
~Richard Bach

Good morning!
The Outlawz has a monthly Progressive Freebie Challenge where we get an image to play with.
If you submit your card or project within the specified time frame, they automatically send you one for the next month.

As long as you keep playing, you keep getting awesome images for free!

This month the sponsor is Encino Stamps!

And here is the card I made with the cute frog! 
I am going to send this to my daughter in Japan


Size: 5 x 7
Supplies
Card stock from The Paper Studio, Stampin Up! & Bazzill
Image from Encino Stamps
Colored with Copics and Prisma Color Pencils
EF "Tiny Bubbles" from Cuttlebug
Sentiment from Inkahootz!
India Ink from Memories
Aileen's paper Glaze
Die: "Word Bubbles" from Stampin Up!

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Monday, April 27, 2015

TTCRD Sketch Challenge!

When you retire, you switch bosses — from the one who hired you to the one who married you. ~Gene Perret

Good morning!
The next edition of Through The Craft Room Door Magazine is scheduled for release on May 4th and our challenge this time is a Sketch created by our very own Sandra van Blaricum.

I made a retirement card for a co-worker. 
You do not have to subscribe to the magazine to enter the challenge but any subscriber who enters and has an active subscription at the end of the year will get a chance to win a special prize just for participating. Win-win situation!

Thanks for stopping by
Cara

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Read my Lips ...

Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.

H. Jackson Brown

Hello!
Today is the start of a new Clean and Simple Challenge at The Outlawz and its "Lip Service Sunday"!

Our sponsor this month is Bugaboo Stamps
Click HERE to check our their offerings!

So... cruising the internet wasting time, I find that today is supposed to be "Remember your first kiss" Day! Who knew right?! So we want to see your card or projects with Lips the focal point! Just remember to keep it CAS!

I made this card with her in mind!

SUPPLIES
Card stock from The Paper Studio
Image from CraftsMart
Sentiment computer generated
Border punch from EK Success
Word bubble die from Stampin Up!
Ink from Stampin Up!
Smooch Pearlescent paint (on the lips, although you can not see in the picture)

Thanks for stopping by!
Come play with us
















Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity.  The order varies for any given year.  ~Paul Sweeney


Good morning! 
Today my Mother and Step Father-in-law celebrate 36 years of Wedded Compromise!

Here's the card I made for them.



Size 5.5" x 5.5"
Paper from The Paper Studio and Bazzill
Die "Daisies #2" from Sizzix
Die "Asian Motifs" from Spellbinder
Daisy punch from Stampin Up!
EF "Damask" from Darice
Rhinestone from The Paper Studio

Not shown here is a matching easel I made for them using a die from Marianne Designs

Thanks for stopping by!
(X) Cara









Monday, April 20, 2015

Slinky tart for the Husband

They're not gray hairs. They're wisdom highlights.
Author Unknown

Good morning!

Today is my husband's birthday!
There is a story behind why I purchased this image.
You see, I am blind in my right eye and I always tell my husband someday I am going to get me an eye patch and bling the dickens out of it.
When I saw this image from Slinky Tart, I laughed and laughed ... then I bought the image and made his card! LOL


Card size 5 x 7
Supplies

Digital image "Big Tease" from Slinky Tart
Prisma Color pencils & OMS
Card stock from The Paper Studio & Stampin Up!
"Clockworks" Embossing folder from Cuttlebug
"Romantic Rectangles" die from Spellbinders
"Sprightly Sprockets" from Spellbinders
Gears #1 from Sizzix
Sentiment die from Little Yellow Bicycle
Rhinestones from Recollections
Chalk from Stampin Up!

Thanks for stopping by!
Cara


Sunday, April 19, 2015

Happy Birthday Mom!

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world
 someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” ~ Tom Bodett

Good morning Everyone!
Today is my Mom's 79th Birthday!
I took her to dinner Friday night to celebrate and spend the evening with her.

This is the 5 x 7 card I made or her based on the sketch below using some of the goodies I received from my friend Sandra who lives in the Netherlands!
I distressed and inked the edges to give it a more vintage feel.


This sketch was found on Pinterest but tracked down to HERE

До луны и обратно...

SUPPLIES
Card stock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
DP "My Reflections Ariana" from Close to My Heart
Stamp & Die "Clocks" from Sizzix
"Flora Flourishes" Die from Spellbinders
Heart Brad from my stash
Pearl dots, homemade from pony beads
Yellow flowers from Michaels
Blue & White Flowers and leaves from Scrapberry's
Pink flowers I made using Prima Flowers
Ink from Stampin Up & Close to my Heart.

Thanks for stopping by!
Cara

Saturday, April 18, 2015

No one Like You ...

“Be mindful of your self-talk; it’s a conversation with the universe.” David James Lees

Good morning Crafty Peeps.
Today starts a new Clean and Simple Challenge at The Outlawz

The challenge this week is to use a technique or tool that you have been wanting to try or haven't used in a long time.

Here is my A2 card.
I recently purchased a "bow" die by Tim Holtz Alterations / Sizzix and wanted to try it out. Along the way, the card evolved into a shaker card, which I have not made in a very long time.

SUPPLY LIST
Card stock from The Paper Studio and Bazzill
Die "Fancy Labels" from Sizzix
Die "Bow-tied" from Sizzix/Tim Holtz Alterations
Image "Sweet kiss" from Stampabilities and colored with Copics
Sentiment from "One of a Kind" by Close to My Heart
Corner punch from We R Memory Keepers
Black India Ink
Glitter, sequins and heart embellishment from my Stash

Thanks for stopping by!
(X) Cara


Friday, April 17, 2015

Happy Cake Day

Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again. ~Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Good morning!

Today is the birthday of a co-worker whom my husband and I have know for close to 30 years!
I made this card for and let me tell you I was not happy with the first results.

I was using a DP that I just purchased from a company by the name of Momento (I have to say, so far none of their paper, stamps or dies impress me due to questionable quality) Anyway ... I thought, at first it might be my glue until I ran into warping problems with another card I made using the same paper pack.

Anyway, I had to do some creative bending to get this to look half way decent and I had to replace some of the paper elements damaged in the process.
So here is the card after it's minor make over....

Card size: 5 x 7
Card stock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Sentiment from Inkahootz!
Tag, gift from a friend
Enamel dots are home made.
India Ink from Memories
3/4" circle punch from EK Success
Card is based on a sketch by Studio Calico

Thanks for stopping by!
Cara








Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Once upon a couple of In Laws (take 2)

Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future. ~Gail Lumet Buckley

Good morning!
As I noted yesterday, April 5th was the birthday of both my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law.
Today, I am sharing with you the card I made for Karen!

The heart is wood with paper glued to it and then sanded.

Based on this sketch from Basic Grey

Sketch

Size: 5 x 7
SUPPLIES
Card stock from The Paper Studio & Stampin Up!
DP from mys scrap bin
Silver Flower from Close to My Heart
Flower & leaves from my stash
Wood Heart
Darice EF "Damask"
Darice EF " Lace"

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara


Monday, April 6, 2015

Once upon a couple of In Laws (take 1)

You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu


In my family, April is the busy month for birthdays and anniversaries! 
Can't blame cold winters in this phenomenon ... more like too many beers by the pool side.

April 5th is the date shared by Mother-in-law and my Sister-in-law.

Here is Lorilee's card.
She is a teacher and I had this bit of DP left over from another card I'd made a while back.
I love the old style pens and thought it perfect for her.


Card size is 5 x 7
SUPPLIES
Card stock from The Paper Studio
DP from Stampin Up! "Attic Boutique"
Border punches from EK Success and Martha Stewart
Butterfly punch unknown
Pearls from The Paper Studio
Ink from Close to My heart
Sentiment from Little Yellow Bicycle

Thanks for stopping by!
(hugs) Cara

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Tis Easter!

Where man sees but withered leaves, God sees sweet flowers growing.  ~Albert Laighton

Good morning Everyone and Happy Easter!

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Today I am sharing the Easter card I made for family and friends!


Size: 4.25 x 5.50
SUPPLIES
Card stock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Image from "You are Beautiful" Close to My Heart
Sentiment from "Renewed Faith" Stampin Up!
Ink from Memories and Stampin Up!
Cross punch from All Night Media

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara


Saturday, April 4, 2015

Wanting to hug

No man but feels more of a man in the world if he have but a bit of ground that he can call his own.  However small it is on the surface, it is four thousand miles deep; and that is a very handsome property.  ~Charles Dudley Warner


Good morning!
Today is the start of another Clean and Simple Challenge over at the Outlawz.
Our Sponsor this month is Bugaboo stamps!

This week the challenge is "Name that Embellishment".
Sounds easy enough right?!
We are challenging you to create a CAS card or project that uses an embellishment and/or image that begins with the first letter of your first or last name.

Example: your first name starts with "S - you could use a Sequin or if your last name begins with "T", you could use a turtle stamp.

Get the idea?

Ok .. so lets play!

For me this was a double hitter using this adorable "Fat Mouse with Cheese" digi from our sponsor.

My first name starts with "C" = Cheese
My last name starts with "M" = Mouse

I am sending this little guy to my daughter in Japan. She had to move rather abruptly to another prefecture leaving behind friends and routines and is basically starting over again in another part of Japan. It was not a smooth move and she is a little frazzled so I think this will cheer her up!

I printed the digi onto my Georgia Pacific card stock using my Serif program, then I colored with my copics, which I am still trying to get used to and I used a little bit of Aleen's paper glaze on the heart on the mouses hip,



Card size is 4.25 x 5.50
SUPPLIES
Card stock from The Paper Studio, Stampin Up! & Georgia Pacific
Digi image "Fat Mouse with Cheese"
Sentiment from "Kanji" by Stampin Up!
India Ink from Memories
Copics
Gemstones from The Paper Studio
Framelit die "Word Bubbles" from Stampin Up!
Aleen's paper glaze

So come on over to The Outlawz and play along with us!

(Hugs) Cara

This card has been entered into the following Challenge(s)

Catch the Bug Blog: Anything Goes

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Happy Birthday to Nephew

Thought for the Day
Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts
Author Unknown

Good morning, yesterday was my oldest brothers, oldest sons birthday!
My first nephew.
Due to circumstances out of my control, I don't have any real contact with him, but I still send a birthday card every year, just so he knows that we are out here if he is ever interested in getting to know me and his two cousins.

Supplies
Layout from Alwaysplayingwithpaper.blogspot.com (Lesley Croghan)
Image/Sentiment from "Celebrate U" by Stamping Up!
Ink from Stampin Up!
Black India Ink from Memories
Card stock from Stampin Up!
Die, "Fancy Labels" by Sizzix

Thanks for stopping by
Cara