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My projects are not to be submitted and/or used in any written publication, advertisement or contest without my knowledge. I am flattered if you use one of my projects as inspiration, but please give me credit when you do and, if possible a link back to this blog. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me using the contact form. Thank you

I appreciate my Followers!

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

The Purples have it ...

A flower's appeal is in its contradictions — so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect.
~Terri Guillemets

Good morning!
Another Tuesday is upon us and with it, the last week of September. Anyone else wondering what happened to the month? 

Ah well then, on a positive note, another Color challenge started today at The Outlawz Challenges
These are our colors... you MUST use purple and any of the other colors noted. This one has a double twist ... use a flower and a birthday theme!




Here is my 5 x 7 card


Supplies
Cardstock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Die "Stitched Banners" from Gina Marie Designs
Die "Swirl with Leaves" from Darice
Embossing folder "Bit of Paisley" from Cuttlebug
Liquid pearls from Ranger
Sentiment from "A Bunch of Love" from CTMH

Our sponsor this month is Through the Craft Room Door with a one year subscription to the Magazine.

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Peace on Earth ...

We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power.
Then will our world know the blessings of peace.
~William Ewart Gladstone

Good morning Everyone
I spent a lovely day with some friends making Christmas cards and here is one to share.


"Holly leaf" die from Darice
"Nested pierced fancy label" die from Gina Marie Designs
"Stitched Banners" die from Gina Marie Designs
Background paper from DCWV (I think)
Cardstock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Ink from Stampin Up!
 Pearls from Stampin Up! and colored with a sharpie
Sentiment from "Calm Christmas" by Stampin Up!

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, September 24, 2016

80 Birthdays!

“Live in such a way that if someone spoke badly of you, no one would believe it.” ~ Author Unknown

Good morning
I am sharing a special birthday card for a special lady who just turned 80!

Although I have met the woman several times, I really don't know her on a personal level but my husband does and I have only heard good things about her from him.

Dr. Lewis appears to be thought of very highly by everyone that comes to know her. From what I understand, the woman is tough but knowledgeable and encouraging. A true educator.

I have also noticed during certain events where she is in attendance that everyone dotes on her.
It's actually quite funny to watch because, while this woman has aged quite a bit since I first made her acquaintance and now requires a cane to walk, she is still very independent and can get a bit grumpy when people try to 'help' her ... so now they all do it tag team style and on the sly!
They just "happen" to be walking in her direction when heading to and from their cars is one of the most popular tag team events to watch!

So here is the card I made for her.
This is a Tee-Pee card




Supplies
Balloon punch from Marvy
Cardstock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Darice die "Foliage Branch"
Design Paper from GCD Studios "Chocolate Kisses"
Embossing folders from Cuttlebug "Perfectly Paisley" and Swiss Dots"
Fern punch from Martha Steward
Flower stamens from Jo-Ann Fabrics
Gina Marie Designs die "Butterfly, small profile"
Ink from Stampin Up! and Memories
Ornament punch (used for vase) from Stampin Up!
Pearls from Michaels and Stampin Up!
Pink flowers from The Paper Studio "La Petites"
Silver flowers from Close to My Heart
Sizzix die "Ornate frames"
Stampin Up! die "Butterflies"

Friday, September 23, 2016

Always be a Mermaid ...

"Rainbows and mermaids are proof that imagination and beauty go hand in hand."- Brandi Fitzgerald.

Good morning my Crafty Peeps!
Through the Craft Room Door Anything goes Challenge is still in progress so you have some time to get your cards or projects submitted!

Our sponsor this week is Polka Doodles and I am using this cute image "Meribelle Pearl"



Card size is 5 x 7
Image: Meribelle Pearl from Polka Doodles
Cardstock from The Paper Studio
Copics
Design paper from stash
die: Nautical from Momento
die: Window frames from Stampin Up!
Pearls from Stampin up!
Prisma Color Pencils
Sentiment from Halo Rubber Stamps
Smooch from Clear Snap
Vellum paper from stash

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Gumball Inspiration ...

Mirth is God's medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it!
 ~Henry Ward Beecher

Good morning!
Another bright and blessed day us upon us one and all!
I hope your week started off on a positive note and just gets better!

Today is Tuesday and the start of a new Color Challenge at The Outlawz and we have an inspiration picture for you taken by our very own Jacqui.

Isn't this the coolest picture? Of course the first thing that popped into my head was Gumballs! So that was what I went with for my card.


After I colored the balls, I fussy cut the image out. So that I would get that bumpy texture on the balls, I added Aleen's paper Glaze to a couple of the balls, let dry for a while, then cover a few more. I did this process until all the balls were covered then I set aside to thoroughly dry. 


Once I had the card together, I added the glaze to some of the circles on the background 


Card size iz 5 x 7
Supplies
Aleen's Paper Glaze
Cardstock from The Paper Studio
Copics
Design paper "Birthday Circles" from the The Paper Studio
Embossing folder "Decorative Dots" from Stampin Up!
Image from Education.com
Prisma Color Pencils
Sentiment from "Happiest of Birthday Wishes" by Stampin up!

I hope you come play along with out challenges! This month our sponsor is
Through the Craft Room Door with a one year subscription to the craft magazine!


BUT ... here's the thing - The Outlawz Challenges has a new and different challenge that starts each day! So click HERE to see what we have going on!

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara





Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Alway about the Family ...

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.
~Erma Bombeck

Good morning!
I certainly hope your day has started off wonderfully and just continues to get better as the week goes on!

Today is the start of a new color challenge at The Outlawz!
Our Sponsor this month is Through the Craft Room Door with a one year subscription to the online craft magazine. 


Our challenge is monochromatic and I used shades of blue. This actually worked out well as I'd just pulled some pictures to start a layout and not yet decided which direction I would go with color since we are all dressed in shades of blue and white...

So here is my two page 12 x 12 lay-out.
Now please keep in mind that I did not start out scrapbooking when I got into stamping and papercrafts. I started out card making, so I am still in the infant stages ...

Once I was happy with the layout, I took the 12 x 12 base sheets outside so that I could use my stencil and smooch spritz. When it was all nice and dry I was able to start adding my photos and lettering (which was attached with foam dots).


Supplies
Card stock from Bazzill, Stampin Up! & The Paper Studio
Design paper (used for the letters) from my stash
Stencil from Heidi Swap
Smooch Spritz from Colorsnap
Flowers from the paper Studio
Leaf punch from Fiskars
Tag punch from Stampin Up!
Big Scallop die from Sizzox
3-D alph stickers (for the year) from Colorbok
Donna's Alphabet dies from Spellbinders
Blue flowers from The Paper Studio
Pearl Stamin from Jo-Ann Fabric
Fern punch from Martha Stewart
Black precision pen from American Crafts



Monday, September 12, 2016

Memories ...

There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.
~Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory (Thanks, Harold)

Good morning to all my fair friends and followers!

I am slowly but surely taking myself in hand and "scrap-booking" ages of photos and memories.

This has not been an easy task for me I assure you since scrap-booking has never been my forte. But I am finding it to be an interesting and challenging endeavor, so I will continue on with this new adventure and see where it will lead me. I have lots of 12 x 12 papers and possibly more time to indulge my new interest after the first of the coming new year. 

But we shall see ...

For today I am sharing a 12 x 12 two page layout.

No, you are not seeing things. While this appears to be a Christmas layout, it is not. That cute little chubby face is me around my first birthday. And as I was born in December, very close to Christmas, I decided I would use this fabulous kit I purchased during a sale at Hobby Lobby. The nice thing is, I still have plenty of the packet left so I will be able to create a Christmas layout as originally intended. Maybe. LOL ...

I was a bit dismayed to realized I had placed the tape rather crookedly on the paper, but sadly it stuck fast and I could not remove it to straighten it without damaging the paper :O(

Here are the two together and below are the pages individually




Supplies
Cardstock from Stampin Up! and Bazzill
Design paper from "Tis the Season" page kit from The Paper Studio
Alphabitties from Provocraft
"Pirouette" Embossing folder from Cuttlebug
"Tattered Poinsettia" die from Sizzix
Gold Tape from Studio G

I hope you enjoy these! Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Friday, September 9, 2016

Another Bird-day coming up ...

“Approach life knowing there will be plenty to go around. Be generous.” ~ Frank McKinney

Good morning!
Here's my mid-week reminder that there is still time to play along with us at Through the Craft Room Door.

Our Challenge is always anything goes!

Our sponsor this week is Limited Runs and I am using this fun image to make a birthday card for my nephew




SUPPLIES: card size 5 x 7
Image "Mini Bird DB cake" from Limited Runs colored with Copics, Prisma Color pencils and Pearl Smooch
Black India Ink
Sentiment from Studio G
Cardstock from The Paper Studio, Stampin Up! & Bazzill
Martha Stewart border punch
Green "enamel" dots from my stash

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Imagine ....

“Life just doesn’t hand you things. You have to get out there and make things happen. That’s the exciting part.” ~ Emeril Lagasse 

Good morning!

Today is the start of a new color challenge at The Outlawz
Our Sponsor for the month of September is Through the Craft Room Door with a one year subscription to the magazine.

This week we are using an inspiration photo ... 



Here is my card inspired by the above photo:
I see books and color.
For me, you can not have one without the other and books mean adventure into other worlds, times and lives.

I used various bold colors to sponge in the background which I cut to size and then topped with the die cut trees. 

The stars peeking through the branches were created with a White Gel pen then topped with a touch of Pearl Smooch. 


Supplies: Card size 5 x 7
Cardstock from The Paper Studio, Stampin Up! & Bazzill
White Gel Pen
Pearl Smooch
"Tree frame" die from Gina Marie Designs
Sentiments from The Angel Company "Dance with your Spirit" and "Explore"

Thanks so much for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

I entered this card in the following Challenge(s)



Friday, September 2, 2016

Marking the page ...

A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it.
--- William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958 ---

Good morning Everyone!

Through the Craft Room Door Anything goesChallenge is still in progress so you have some time to get your cards or projects submitted!

Our sponsor this week is SamiStamps and I am using this fun image "Floating Kitty 3"

My daughter saw the image after I had printed it and asked me to make her a book mark. so here it is ...


Image: "Floating Kitty 3" from SamiStamps
Card stock: The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Inks/Pens: Copics, Prisma Color Pencils, Stampin Up! & Palette
Stamps: "Sail away" from The Angel Company, "Paint Splatters" from Prima Marketing and Sparkles from Stampin Up!
Stash: Tassel

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara



Thursday, September 1, 2016

What Sunflowers do ...

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do."
-- Helen Keller --

Good morning!
Today is the first day of a new month and the start of a new progressive freebie challenge at The Outlawz. Each month you will receive a free digital image to use in the Freebie/Progressive challenge. Once your creation is completed, upload it into the freebie challenge and you will automatically receive the next month free digi. We will have one image per month so you have plenty of time to create a project using the image please register with your name and email address to: outlawzprogressivechallenge@gmx.com

Our sponsor this month is DisDigiStamps and she has given us this really cute image "Sunflower Mouse" which I colored up with my Copic's.
  


SUPPLIES
Digital image "Sunflower Mouse" by DisDigiStamps
Colored with Copics and Prismas Color Pencils
Cardstock from The Paper Studio, Stampin Up! & Bazzill
Design paper from my stash
Enamel dots, homemade
Ink from Pallet
Sentiment from "Celebrate with Cake" by Close to My Heart
Dies: "Nested pierced fancy label" & Scalloped stitched ovals" by Gina Marie Designs

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

I entered this card in the following challenges

Love to Craft Challenge - ATG LTCCB #2