Friday, July 31, 2015

"KISS" On Friday

Hello Friends, Followers and Viewers,
It's that glorious time of the week, Friday, Friday!  The weekend started for a lot of people I know on yesterday.  Some are having family reunion at the beach and some are sneaking in a day off because they felt the need to have some "me" time.  I'm just "Kissing" today! I'm so good at it that I didn't use my lips.  How did that happen?  "KISS" means keeping it so simple. It is the best thing to do when you have so much to do and don't want to burden yourself.  Have you "kissed" today?  Try it you just may like it:
Thanks
Supplies: grey card base; pattern paper from stash, cut into five banner strips with different lengths; some leaves left over from an earlier project this week (Romantic vines from Spellbinders die cut); flower from Recollection; sentiment stamped on a piece of distressed cardstock (from an earlier project this week).

There you have it.  Something very clean and simple that didn't take long to make.  It will be headed for the charity box.  Thanks for your time today.
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois


Thursday, July 30, 2015

"Go Out On A Limb"

Hello Viewers, Followers and Friends,
Welcome to Thursday, the last one for the month of July.  One more day and the school kids will be off to another year of learning and growing.  Moms are happy, kids are sad.  Would you go out on a limb for someone?  Just in case you don't know what this figurative language is all about...this is what I'm talking about...Putting yourself in a risky or precarious situation in order to help someone. Or, taking a wild guess or expressing an opinion that might not be shared by others.  Typically, it means "I'm going to take a chance." Being "out on a limb" requires you to be very vulnerable because there's nothing below you....you're just out on this limb with nothing to catch you if you fall.  Why would someone do this?  Would you do it for someone in your family? For a friend?  For a co-worker? Your minister?  Would you not do it at all?   I have two cards to share with you  today.  One sketch with two versions using different colors and sentiments:
Happy Holidays
Supplies: white and green Recollection cardstock; pattern paper from Bohemian Bamboo  and Graphic 45 paper pad; K & Company robin; Spellbinders Romantic vine die cut: DCWV Christmas & Winter embellishment

I'll Fly Away
Supplies: blue and white Recollection cardstock; pattern paper for Bohemian Bamboo and Graphic 45 paper pad; hand made vine ; K & Company bird;  sentiment was printed on computer and distress with tumbled glass ink by Ranger.

I know most of you would "go out on a limb" for me if I was in a bad situation,..wouldn't you?

Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Wonderfully Distressing!!!

Hello Friends, Followers and Viewers,
My morning has been lovely so far.   We are trying to get some things done before the rain and or storm that is headed our way this afternoon. Nothing that we are doing is frustrating or distressing.  It is very enjoyable if you like to keep your home looking neat and clean...inside and outside.  I'm inside today and DH is outside.  I stopped for a little while to share some cards I started on last evening.  I was using some Distress Inks and just having a wonderfully good time rubbing and scrubbing (lol).  For one of the card fronts, I practically used a little of every color I own to see what it looked like.
white and black GP cardstock; yellow Recollection cardstock used to die cut butterfly (used as a border) ; Tim Holtz's Distress Watercolor Cardstock; Ranger Distress Inks used in various colors; Sizzix thinlit by Tim Holtz to die cut the right side of mat ; Tim Holtz's stencil was also used on the far left; computer generated sentiment
 For the second card, I tried a more softer coloring.  After distressing, I went a little further and used Sizzix thinlits by Tim Holtz to die cut pieces out of part of the mat.  Butterflies were used not necessarily to cover up anything but to add embellishments and a little flare to make the card fronts pop. Once I finished with both card fronts, I couldn't help but smile at how wonderful they looked.   It is best to get distressed in this way than to sulk and want to be left alone in misery.
 

Black and pink Recollection cardstock; Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock; stripes came from small pieces of pattern paper from stash;  Martha Stewart  stamp (floral branch); Hero Arts stamp (sentiment): Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks (mustard seed, picked raspberry and  tumbled glass) Fiskar butterfly die; Sizzix thinlits Tim Holtz Alterations die.

I'm heading over to WordArtWednesday  Challenge #194-Anything Goes-Family Friendly...to share this card with them.

Thanks for taking a little time to spend with me today.  Leave a comment.  I love hearing from you!
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

What Comes First, The Card Or The Sentiment?

Hello Viewers, Friends and Followers,
Another great day to be thankful and to do something exciting.  In my yard, old  dead flowers need to be pull from the ones that are still blooming.  That is on my "to do list".  I have to get that "vitamin D" time in.  Either you take a pill for that or use what God has already provided for you.  But that's not exciting!  I could go shopping (window) and this would be exciting to me.  Not today.  Question for my crafting buddies and anyone else that wants to get involved...what do you do first when you are making a card?  Do you make the card and think of a sentiment later?  Do you think of the sentiment and make the card around it?  Many times I've just put together some pretty cardstock and pattern paper and laid it aside without a sentiment.  When the need comes, for instance, a birthday, a sympathy card, a thank you or thinking of you, then I'll try to add it to something that is made. In this situation the sentiment comes last.  There are time when I know I'll need a card for a special occasion and I'll design something around the sentiment. In this example, the card comes last.  The conclusion to this question is that it can be done either way and that is only my opinion. What do you think? Today, I'm sharing a card in which the sentiment came last today.  I have a stash of sentiments that I've saved from Facebook post, Pinterest and e-mails.  After making the card, I pulled out a sentiment that had some of the same colors to blend in with the card.
Psalms 119:105
Enabler's List: white and blue Recollection cardstock; natural cardstock; pattern paper from My Mind's Eye and some from my stash; Martha Stewart's doily; K & Comapny vellum dragonfly; Recollection flower; Spellbinders Romantic vines die cut using a peach piece of Recollection cardstock; distressed the edges of one piece of polka dot pattern paper and the blue piece of cardstock.

Thanks for viewing today.  When you craft, think about which one you do first.
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

Monday, July 27, 2015

Christmas In July

Hello Viewers, Friends and Followers,
Today is the last Monday in July.  It is also the last week of July which means that Christmas in July is coming to an end.  If you haven't taken advantage of all the challenges and sales that were going on, you have four more days.  Speaking of challenges...I received good news that one of the cards I made last week was a favorite on another site (http://www.Splitcoaststampers. com). Being a favorite means a great deal to me and I have thanked those lovely ladies who voted me in.  Since this is the last week of July I have my two cards to finish out the Christmas in July challenges.
This card has a beige piece of Recollection cardstock for the card base; natural cardstock for the 1st mat; a piece of white Recollection cardstock for the 2nd mat with the corners rounded with Fiskars corner punch; the center is an image that was colored with a combination of Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pens, Delta Fantasy Snow and Studio G glitter glue enclosed with a circle cut from DCWV The Evergreen Stack; a Spellbinders Poinsettia die cut (small) and the sentiment was computer generated cut out of white and matted with red.
This will be entered in the Christmas Card Challenges #34   and Scraps of Color Blog Challenge...Challenge 12: Now-July 30: Christmas in July
 This is close-up of the image.  Can you see how the snow and the glitter were added  to make the image pop? Let it snow......let it snow.
MOJO 408
Enabler's List: white and black Recollection cardstock for the base and mat;  a piece of red cut from Recollections Christmas paper pad; a piece of wood grain- like cardstock (stash) was used for the window cut from Sizzix' Tim Holtz Alterations window & window box die; a picture from Pinterest for the background; an elf from Pinterest colored with Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pens; computer generated sentiment with a homemade rose on the side

sketch

Thanks for coming to visit today!  Hope the rest of your day will be meaningful and productive.  Come back again .

Sending you a hug and LOVE, 
Lois

Friday, July 24, 2015

Three Sweet Words

Hello Friends, Followers and Viewers,
Something short and sweet to share with you today..."I Love You"!  These three words can take weeks, months or even years to say. Also, three of the most beautiful words a person can utter or hear.  Have you heard them lately? Have you uttered them lately?  Maybe you leave out the "I" and just say "love you"! It doesn't matter if you do, it still sounds beautiful when you say them.  Here are a sample of some quotes that may help you out along the way:   "When I saw you, I was afraid to meet you. When I met you I was afraid to kiss you. When I kissed you, I was afraid to love you. Now that I love you, I am afraid to lose you." —Anonymous    "I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.  I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way." —Pablo Neruda      "For you see, each day I love you more, today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow." —Rosemonde Gerard       "Wait! They don't love you like I love you." —Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs      Is that enough love for you today?  If not, take a look at this card that I made just to melt your heart and to let you  know that "I love you":

white Recollection cardstock card base with red Recollection cardstock mat; Spellbinder A2 Tranquil Moments cut from white Recollection cardstock and cut apart to form corners  and the center piece was cut out using red and white Recollection cardstock; a floral vine was cut from Spellbinders Romantic Vines with three handmade roses placed on top. four faux pearls were used for embellishment: Sizzix Tim Holtz Alteration word dies were used for the sentiment.

If no one has told you lately that they LOVE YOU remember that I do and I just told you so!

Have an enjoyable weekend.  Be safe and come back again on Monday.

Sending you a hug and more LOVE,
Lois

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Now I'm Playing With Ken Oliver's Color Burst

Hello Friends, Followers and Viewers,
Thursday, Thursday! The end of the work week for some and the beginning of their long weekend.   I hope you are planning something nice and enjoyable.  Want some suggestions...go to the park and have a picnic....try fishing from a pier...shopping would be nice if it is raining and you can't be outside...do what makes you happy!  When "Sunshine" visited I let her play around with Ken Oliver's Color Burst with my supervision. She called it "tye-dying" because this was what it reminder her of.   I said I would try it later for myself.  Well, last evening was my chance to see what I could do with this product.  A description on the websites read as follows:  Sprinkle and spritz! Color Burst is an amazing concentrated microfine watercolor powder that lets you create beautiful watercolor techniques like never before! This versatile powder can be used with so many fun techniques! Spritz your project with water and sprinkle on Color Burst and create amazing designs. Sprinkle Color Burst on dry paper and then spritz with water for a completely different look. Dissolve in water and spray from a mister bottle to create your own custom mists. The possibilities are endless! Each bottle contains 6g of microfine watercolor powder. For use on porous surfaces, non toxic and acid free.

I only have four of the six bottles that are advertised. The company I ordered these from was out of the green and violet.  Out came these powders, some water and a sheet of watercolor paper...Let the fun begin.  I wanted to spritz and sprinkle and to see what it would do....
What I find so amazing is...you only use an amount that equals the size of a pin head. As the direction says...spritz and spray water and watch the color burst into this amazing array of its own design.  The water colored paper is on top of a yellow card base.  After I played around with the color burst and cut out the vines (bottom picture), I made this card with the negative.  It looked too pretty to throw away....so it became a card. 

Challenge #193 - Anything Goes/Family Friendly
www.WordArtWednesday.blogspot.com

Now we get to the focal point of the day...the card that was to be the center of attraction for today.
After the fun....the feeling came into play...I was a little happy person.  With so little effort to color a 4 X 5 piece of watercolor paper just by sprinkling on some powder and spritzing on some water. I came up with the idea to use the sentiment to go along with my feelings..."happy, happy".  I was really happy with the results of playing with this product.  The card base is a piece of yellow Recollection cardstock with a piece of mint green Recollection cardstock as a mat and then matted again with a piece of GP white cardstock.  The GP  piece was die cut with Sizzix thinlits (Tim Holtz Alterations). The Spellbinders Romantic Vines were cut from the water colored paper with the Color Burst powder (above sheet). The sentient stamp is from Studio G.
I can't wait to play with Ken Oliver's Color Burst again...just maybe this afternoon after all the chores are done!

Thanks for taking the time to be with me today.  I appreciate your visit.  Please leave a message and come back again.
Sending you a hug and LOVE.
Lois

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Three Sheets of DP Equals Two Cards With Some Left Over

Hello Friends, Viewers and Followers,
Half of the week is over. Are you excited?  Do you have something planned for the weekend already?  I know of one special little one who is counting down until Sunday when she celebrates her 7th birthday.  Her parents, grandparents and aunt are all in the hoopla to make this day special.  We have ordered something special and sent cards hoping that they will make it to her destination by Saturday (mail isn't delivered on Sunday).  Today, I used three sheets of DP (design paper) to make a card (my original intent before expanding into two cards).  I was thinking of her birthday at the time.  Her card is in the mail and this one is just the thought of her celebration. The paper I used came from  DCWV The Far East Stack (it has been the pad on top of all the others for a couple of days). I matted it with a tan piece of Recollection cardstock.  The die cut words came from Sizzix Thinlits by Tim Holtz's Alterations.  They were cut out with red and black cardstock (some from stash). Card #2 was an after thought since I had time and the paper was in my focus.  This one incorporates the tan Recollection cardstock as the card base and the top mat with a darker tan as the first mat.  The same DP was used as the 1st card. A Spellbinders' Opulent Ovals die was used in the solid red as well as the DP.  This was then layered with a floral embellishment arrangement. The die cut word came from Sizzix Thinlits by Tim Holtz. I could have continued to make another card because I had enough paper left over but time would not permit.
Card #1

Card #2


Thanks for taking a little time to spend with me.  I hope you enjoyed your visit.  Please come again.
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

"Making Spirits Bright"

Hello Viewers, Friends and Followers,
Where I am it feels good, very good.  You can go outside, walk around and play in the dirt without breaking a sweat like yesterday. I said last week that I would do two Christmas cards per week until the end of July to go along with the Christmas in July theme, challenges and personal inventory. Today's blog title is one that many of you have seen but have never given those three words much thought. It’s five months away from Christmas.  We send out cards and sing carols involving these words: “making spirits bright”.  What spirits are involved?  In  the song, “Jingle Bells”: Dashing through the snow. In a one-horse open sleigh. O'er the fields we go. Laughing all the way. Bells on bobtail ring.‘ Making spirits bright.  Throughout various communities every house or yard is decorated with hundreds if not thousands of light.  What is making spirits bright in this scenario?  Company staff parties are going on every weekend before, during and after Christmas.  Mixed drinks are being served to all who partake of this activity.  What is making spirits bright in the participating of this activityIf you are a spiritualist, making spirits bright may take on a very different approach when you think of the Holy Spirit versus satanic spirits.  Anyway, today I’m using those words as a sentiment on a card that I made to go along with the sketch at MojoMonday.blogspot.com.  When I include this card  in my charity box  for the soldier who will pick it out to send to someone on his or her list the thoughts in this blog will not  matter. To him or her, they may just want this time of the year to make spirits bright.


MOJO407
Recollection white, red and black cardstock; pattern paper from DCWV The Evergreen Stack: K & Company images;  sketch pattern from www.mojomonday.blogspot.com

The next card: Recollection grey and white cardstock; pattern cardstock from Recollection; Spellbinders die; image from Pinterest; greeting from K & Company; Brush pens from Akashiya Sai Watercolor 

Thanks so much for stopping in today.  Please come back again.  Leave some love on your way out.
Sending you a hug and LOVE, 
Lois

Monday, July 20, 2015

Will You Be Leaving Behind A Moment Or A Memory?

Good Day to my Followers, Friends and Viewers,
It is hot and humid in our part of the world.  It has been advised that if you  have to be outside for a long period of time, to drink plenty of water. I'm praying that no one will leave small children and animals inside of a vehicle any time  today. If it is dangerous for an adult, just imagine what it would be like for a small child.   Today's thought question is based on leaving something behind. Have you ever been somewhere and reached another destination only to find out you left something behind.  When you leave this world what are you going to leave behind?  What kind of investment are you making right now to the future of the world, your family, your church and your friends?  If you don't want to think about when your life is over, try thinking about after being with or speaking to  a person yesterday  Did you leave peace with a word you spoke?  Did you stir up strife with a word of gossip?  What did you leave behind?  Was your impression just for a moment, a short period of time in which the person may not remember you?   Or, was it a memory, something that the person will be able to recall, store up and or retain.  Was it a bad/good moment versus a bad/good memory?  "A moment lasts all of a second, but the memory lives on forever".

Today's card supplies: pink bazzil cardstock; GP white cardstock; Recollection black cardstock; Colorbok Wild Rose pattern paper;  butterflies from Petaloo textured elements; Spellbinders Opulent Oval die.















What moment or memory will someone have of you once you are gone?  Your investment will determine if it was short term or a lasting impression that you made.
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

Friday, July 17, 2015

Playing With Spellbinders Dies

Hello Followers, Friends and Viewers,
Happy Friday to you!  It is that weekend time again.  I have three choices of places to go but as of this writing I'm not sure which one will be the winner.  When you go out, especially the ladies, just make sure you know your surroundings and stay focus on what the next person is doing.  How are you at using your craft supplies often?  I have had a container of Spellbinders dies that have been sitting for a long time without being used.  If they could talk they would probably ask why haven't they had a  chance to make an appearance.  It is almost as if after you purchased them and used them a time or two that you have forgotten they are there.  This morning I made a pledge to open that container to use some dies that had been sitting for a long time. I pulled out Tranquil Moments, Elegant Ovals and went deeper to get Locking Loops to see what I could come up with as a share for today:
 Spellbinders A2 Tranquil Moments die was used on this card.  It has always appeared to look elegant in white.  I'm not sure if I have ever cut it out in another color.  The mat behind this die is pink on a soft lavender card base.  Two Petaloo flowers and two dried flowers were used to go along with the sentiment.  If you wanted more of the pink to show, you could cut out the inside portion where the sentiment is.







For the next card, I used two Spellbinders dies: the mint green mat was cut from A2 Locking Loops and the sentiment was cut out using Elegant Ovals.  The card base is white cardstock. I also wanted to do a little distressing with some inks.  Ranger Distress Inks...tumbled glass, picked raspberry and shabby shutters were used and a leaf vine from Martha Stewart clear stamps was stamped twice on each corner and colored with cracked pistachio distress marker.
Try using something that has been sitting for quite a long period of time.  It needs a fresh appearance.
Sending you a hug and  LOVE,
Lois

Thursday, July 16, 2015

What Are You Wishing For?

Hello Friends, Viewers and Followers,
No Christmas in July.  No sketch challenges. Just picking up some paper out of that famous box of scraps and using my imagination today.  I was thinking about a question concerning "wishes".  Are prayers and wishes one in the same?  Here is where I would love to hear your response.
  According to Dictionary.com and Wikipedia, wishes = to want; desire; long for (usually followed by an infinitive or a clause):I wish to travel. I wish that it were morning;  to desire (a person or thing) to be (as specified): to wish the problem settled; to entertain wishes, favorably or otherwise, for: to wish someone well; to wish someone ill;  to bid, as in greeting or leave-taking: to wish someone a good morning. to request or charge:  I wish him to come.  In fiction a wish is a supernatural demand placed on the recipient's unlimited request. When it is the center of a tale, the wish is usually a template for a morality tale, "be careful what you wish for"; it can also be a small part of a tale, in which case it is often used as a plot device. One can wish on many things for example: wishing wells, dandelions when one blows the seeds or light them on fire, stars and much more. When one wishes in a well he or she throws money in, in the hope his or her wish comes true, and the money normally goes to a charity.  Some cultures have customs in which people are encouraged to "make a wish", such as blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, seeing a shooting star at night, tossing a coin into a wishing well or fountain or breaking the wishbone of a cooked turkey. Many believe such wishes can only come true if they are kept a secret from other people. Others, on the other hand, believe that wishes come true only if they are told to someone else.
Here are two cards I'm sharing today: I opened the scrap box and pulled out items that went together.  white and gray cardstock; gold cardstock; a piece of frame cut from a Spellbinders die; The only new item was words cut from Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits word die.

Back to the original question: Are prayers and wishes one in  the same?
Thanks for visiting with me today.  You may leave your comment in the box below.
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Christmas In July #2

Hello Friends, Viewers and Followers,
When it is hot and muggy outside I'm not thinking very much of Christmas.  I'm trying to wrap my thoughts around making several Christmas cards during the "Christmas In July" event.  If I do two per week during July then I will have a head start.  The one for today follows a sketch that I used from Splitcoast Stampers.    It was a little difficult to get the cuts to go in the correct directions. I cut up a lot of paper before finally getting something that looked presentable.   Here are two cards I made:
SC549
Joy To The World
Supplies: white and red Recollection cardstock; Recollection pattern paper; Recollection and Jolee's Boutique embellishments; Sketch from SplitcoastStampers


SC549
Love You
Supplies: white and pink Recollection cardstock; My Mind's Eye Market Street pattern paper; Sizzix Thinlits; Sketch from SplitcoastStampers

Thanks for joining me today.
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois



Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Letting My "Sunshine" Explore Ken Oliver's Color Burst

Hello Friends, Followers and Viewers,
We had our "Sunshine" from Friday to Sunday.  Yes, the natural sunshine as well as what we call our little granddaughter.  If I forget and call her by her real name, she wants to know why did I stop calling her "Sunshine".  She had a list of things that she wanted to do and of course one of them was to do "art" in grandma's office.  How many of you  have Ken Oliver's Color Burst in your crafting space? I've seen and read a lot about this product but didn't commit to buying it until last week.  I thought I would start with three basic colors to see if it would be something I would be interested in. Sprinkle and spritz! Color Burst is an amazing concentrated microfine watercolor powder that lets you create beautiful watercolor techniques. Spritz your project with water and sprinkle on Color Burst to create amazing designs. Sprinkle Color Burst on dry paper and then spritz with water for a completely different look. Dissolve in water and spray from a mister bottle to create your own custom mists... and more.  It was a surprise to receive an order just in time for the "Sunshine's visit.  I let her play around with the three bottles I had received.   All of these projects will be added to SOC Blogger Challenge #11 @ http://www.scrapsofcolor.ning.com.
This is "Sunshine's" experiment with Ken Oliver's Color Burst Lemon Yellow, Ultramarine Blue and Alizarin Crimson. She spritz the watercolor paper with water and we added just a little of each color to the paper.  She used brush to move the colors around.  After it dried, she wanted to add some glitter to her project.
I'm going to experiment with these colors myself.  Be on the look out to see what I can make in the near future.

Her next project was stamping images and then coloring them.  She wanted to know why the dolls didn't have eyes and mouths.  I told her she could draw some in if she wanted to.  She did very good with stamping her images.  On the bottom right and left, she wanted some more of the Color Burst.
(Mrs. Ella Jackson, she was very happy to know that you saw her first picture and the lovely comment you gave her at church.  We hope you see these...leave us a comment below).

I always play along with the sketch at http://www.mojomonday.blogspot.com. Here is the sketch that was provided for this week followed by my take on the sketch:


MOJO406
Supplies: white and red Recollection cardstock; three sheets of patterned paper from DCWV The Citrus Matstack; a vellum overlay from K&Company; Recollection poinsettia.

Of all the gifts life could send, the BEST is knowing you are my friend.
Supplies:
white and blue cardstock; patterned paper from Mix Paper Floral Mat Stacks; Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush; Glossy Accents; Spellbinders die.

Thank you so much for your viewing time today.
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

Monday, July 13, 2015

What Smell Are You Emitting?

Hello My Friends, Followers and Viewers,
We survived the hot, muggy, rainy, stormy weekend.  How do I know?  I'm writing and you're reading.  We are still here for a reason.  Today's question....Do you realize you have a personal odor? Over some of us there is a wafting cloud of perfume; a sweet smell. Sometimes it is because we are laden with deodorant or after shave or perfume. Over others of us hang a smell of body odor, stale sweat and as Paul says the smell of death. You can stop and ponder your odor for yourself.  Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? (2 Cor 2:14b-16)  Paul is referring to the smell that our life has to others. And this smell has nothing to do with what we do. We can’t spray it on or wash it off. It is just as it is because the sensing is not in us but in those who are interpreting the smell. Interpreting us in terms of their own background and experience.  Here is the card I made to share with you today.  It  goes with the above scripture:
"The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose."
Supplies: white and red cardstock; Recollections roses; faux bling; dried floral; Spellbinders die

Sentiment

roses

Do you smell of death or a sweet smelling perfume?

Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

Friday, July 10, 2015

I'm Trying To Shake, Shake, Shake: Shake It Up!

Good Day Friends, Followers and Viewers,
No one has missed hearing a snippet of  Taylor Swift's Shake It Off song: Baby I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake    Shake it off    Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break   And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake  Baby I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake  Shake it off, Shake it off.  What is happening in the craft world today are shaker cards.  They are all the rage right now in the world of card making.
Google, Pinterest and YouTube are full of tutorials, tips and techniques to show you how to make one.  I saw a card on Pinterest using items I already had on my desk from cutting out images using the Cricut Explore and the Design Space.  I decided to put them to good use today to shake it up on this Friday morning:
Lovely
Supplies: white and dark blue cardstock with Recollection pattern paper; stamped sentiment from Close To My Heart Sweet & Lovely stamp set; chunky glitter; acetate; umbrella cut with Cricut Explore in the Design Space
  This was my 1st attempt at making a shaker card. Of course I can see the minor mistakes I made and I will continue to work on them during my next project.  It may look good to some but a professional crafter can easily pick out the flaws.

Stay tuned for my next shaker card in the future.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois


Thursday, July 9, 2015

The Result of Your "Inkblot Test" is In...Come and Get It

Happy Thursday to all my Followers, Friends and Viewers,
I recall my days in college  when I took various Psychology classes.  For the degree I was pursuing, I had to learn of different test.  I had to know how to administer them and how to read and interpret the results. I learned about and administered various Intelligence tests during my career. As for the Personality tests, I was introduced to  various ones and we experimented with  the Ink blot test (Rorschach test) in class for fun.  The inkblot test, if you're interested in one, is on line.Take the test and get your results at http://www.playbuzz.com. The comical thing about taking a test like this is the frame of mind you are experiencing when you take it.  Are you hungry (everything will look like food)?  Are you going on a vacation (everything will look like something at your destination)? Are you mad with your spouse (everything will resemble something about that person)?
Tim Holtz has a stencil that looks somewhat like items you would see on an Inkblot Test.  I used it to make two cards for today:
Thinking of You
Supplies: black and green cardstock; Ranger watercolor paper; various distress inks; Tim Holtz's stencils

If At First You Don't Succeed,
Supplies: black, peach and yellow cardstock for the matting; Ranger watercolor paper distressed with various inks and Tim Holtz's stencil used on top of the distressing.  Spellbinders A2 Tranquil Moments die for sentiment.

Inside of the above card.

Your results are only for your eyes only and unless you are with a trained Psychologist,  what is said is just for fun!

Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois




Wednesday, July 8, 2015

A Desert In Bloom

Hello Friends, Followers and Viewers,
You know it is Wednesday and we only  have two more work days before we have another lovely weekend.  We are anticipating going out and having some fun again this weekend.  Today, I am sharing a thought from Isaiah 35:1: " A Desert in Bloom".   When you think about a desert, you think of being dry.  When you think about a bloom, you think of openness and new beginnings. We all have times when we feel like we are lost in the wilderness. We have a sense for spiritual things. We believe in God. But when we look, we cannot see God; when we listen, we cannot hear him; when we try to walk in his ways, we stumble like the lame; and when we try to declare his name, we can make no sound at all. Have you ever been there? Do you sometimes feel like a man in the wilderness? Are you there today?  Isaiah 35 speaks to the man in the wilderness. The words of this chapter provide a truck load of hope for the person who feels like they are in a spiritual wasteland. Are you lacking vigor? Does God seem distant and unresponsive to you? Have you tried going your own way for awhile and discovered that you can’t dig your way out of the pit? Listen carefully. Isaiah has good news for you. You will see the glory of the Lord. Are you spiritually dry? Your God will come.  Isaiah is summarizing revival for us.  God will take us from desert to glory. Will you let God come to you in your desert and lead you to glory? As he comes to you, respond to him with faith. Allow him to be your Lord and lead you along the Way of Holiness. That Way is the road to glory.
This card will be posted on http://www.Splitcoaststampers.com for challenge #548 and over at http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.com for challenge #191

SC548
 Isaiah 35:1
Supplies: beige cardstock; bronze cardstock; pattern paper from DCWV The Citrus Matstack and Mix Paper Floral Mat Stacks; Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pen (orange and peach);  Followed the sketch pattern from SplitcoastStamper.com

With Love
Supplies: white, natural, lime, dark green and pink cardstock; pattern paper from Recollection; Offray ribbon; faux bling; sketch pattern from  Splitcoast Stampers.com

Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois




Tuesday, July 7, 2015

You're The Lucky Winner of A Free Vacation!

Hi Friends, Followers and Viewers,

Have you had your smile or a good laugh at the start of your day, today?  What was it that cause your lip to curl or your mouth to open wide with a sound that came from deep within?  Did it make you feel good and you will repeat it over and over again more times during the day?  There are 7 universal human emotions: anger, disgust, contempt, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. You may have smiled or laugh due to happiness and surprise.  I doubt if you smiled or laugh due to any of the other emotions.  I’m not very keen on people who demonstrate disgust 24/7.  No matter if you are saying “good morning/evening”, sharing a funny story or explaining the meaning of something, there is a person whose body language reads “disgust”. Not just one day out of the week but every time they come in your presence.  The face of this person is always twisted and contorted as if everything and I mean everything is rotten, stinky, odor of garbage! If you speak about God, it is the same body language.  If you speak about you would like to give them money, it is the same body language. If you give them a compliment, it is the same body language.  So today, I would like to send this person on an all expense paid vacation of a lifetime..."Laughter".  Laughter is an instant vacation. Take one!
Today is my time to play along with the challenge over at http://www.mojomonday.blogspot.com.


MOJO405
Enabler's List: peach and white cardstock; pattern paper from Mix Paper Floral Mat Stacks and My Mind's Eye Market Street Paper Pad; Sketch from http://www.mojomonday.blogspot.com.

Live In The Moment
Enabler's List: yellow cardstock for card base; mat from DCWV The Citrus Matstack; doily cut from QuicKutz Antique Doily die; corner die cut from Spellbinders Our Daily Bread designs custom design die template; tag was made using Tim Holtz's Distress Watercolor Cardstock and various distress inks from Ranger; 

full view of tag

Sending you on a vacation of a lifetime if you are a disgusting person to be around.  Otherwise,
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois






Monday, July 6, 2015

Do You Really Love The Next Person?

Hello Friends, Followers and Viewers,
You know I always have a question that I pose to you as well as myself.  Today's question was sparked by a conversation that took place.  At the end of the conversation, each person said to the other, "love you". Um-mm, do you really love that person?  “Of course I do!” We all would say that! It’s the only right answer. But what do you mean by love?  We love in the abstract, but when it comes right down to it, we don’t want to get too close. In the words of the Apostle John, we love in word, but not in deed and truth (1 John 3:18).  Love is patient. Patience is necessary in human relationships because people will be slow, agonizingly slow. They’ll get on your nerves. They’ll keep making the same mistakes over and over. Therefore love has to be patient.Love is not jealous.
Ah, but fallen human nature is so very jealous. We see somebody else get affirmation and we feel slighted. If someone else is blessed, we wish we were too. Sometimes we can even hate people who have what we want to have ourselves. Therefore love must not be jealous. Love does not demand its own way. But we do, all the time, especially when we’re in a fight with other people. We want to win; we want them to lose. We plot and plan to guarantee our success. Often we get so caught up in winning that we lose perspective. Sometimes we even lose sight of the truth. Love, true love, is a corrective to all of this because it seeks what is best for the other, not for ourselves. Love keeps no record of when it has been wronged. What, no record? Forgive and forget? That's our lesson for today and now the cards that I have to share with you:
Love You
Supplies: white cardstock with beige pattern paper; frame cut from Spellbinders rose die and then the inside was cut out to reveal the beige paper; three prima flowers folded and adhere to a piece of open weaved cloth, Spellbinders Floral Corner One and Corners & Accents One, a feather.  Sentiment was cut with Cricut Explore in Design Space.

Grateful
Supplies: beige and brown cardstock with a mat cut from natural cardstock; burlap (brown and off white); a piece of cardboard; butterfly cut from Spellbinders die.

Do you really love the next person?
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

Friday, July 3, 2015

Only Sharing

Happy Pre-4th of July Friends, Followers and Viewers,
Off to have a good time and hope you're doing the same!
A few cards to share before they go in the give-away box to charity.
INSPIRATION
Enabler's List: purple cardstock for the card base and a mat cut from DCWV The Chateau Lavender Stack. I added color to some of the petals  and the center of the two largest flowers with  Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pen.  The sentiment came from an Inspiration Vellum pad. 

http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.com
Challenge #190 Anything Goes
happy day
Enabler's List: white and green cardstock; Tim's Holtz's watercolor paper distressed with Ranger distress inks (various colors); stamp image from Clear Stamp (stamped twice....once on watercolor and then on white cardstock and cut out to make a 3-D effect on the branch. Sentiment was stamped from Clear Stamp

I didn't put a sentiment on the front of this card.  I left it generic for the individual to decide how they want to use it.  I used black and white cardstock for the card base, mat, flowers and punched part. A Fiskars corner rounder was used on each corner of the mat piece.

Go forth and have some fun this holiday weekend.  I am and you should do the same.  Enjoy  yourself!
Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois