"Pleated Fold Cards"

Hooray!!!    It's Friday.
Yes, my friends, followers, visitors and viewers, we  know  what day it is.  It is the day we celebrate because the work week is ending and the relaxing fun weekend is beginning.  Those who are not working are waiting for those who will be ending their week and you will be able to share some time with them.  Some of you who are working summer school had your last day on yesterday and you've headed out to the beach and parks.  This is the end of July...you may say we have two more days (which is true)...but  blink and Monday will be upon us as August...time to get those little kids ready for back to school.
I remember back when I was very, very young and picking out new clothes for back to school...I would always love to find a pleated skirt or a dress with pleats.  For some reason, pleats felt like I was dressing so elegantly and sophisticated.  You can have a good laugh...I did. Today, I only want to see pleats on homemade cards for a design and not on my body.
Here are three, yes, three cards I made using pleats. I did a tutorial search on Pinterest to find the directions:   http://www.createwithgwen.com/2016/02/drapery-look-fun-fold.html?  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP4diaswToM
 You may use these or find one on your own.

For this card I used  beige Recollection cardstock for my base (A2).  A layer of ancestry family heritage scrapbook paper (green).  The pleats were made from a sheet taken from Recollections Christmas Noel paper pad (polka dot). The heart was die cut from Spellbinders Vines of Passion in a greenish yellow and white.  The small flowers are from Prima.  The sentiment is one I copied from Pinterest.

This card is similar to the one above using different cardstock. (Neenah white and DP from 7 gypsies gypsy pack)..the pleats are reversed... and for added contrast, I used a lamp post cut from Circut Design Space, a corner die that was cut using Our Daily Bread Design  die and a poinsettia cut from Spellbinders. The sentiment was layered on a piece of red from my stash.

This will be entered at WordArtWednesday.blogspot.com   Anything Goes Challenge Weeks #240-#241.

I followed the video on Stamp and Scrap with Frenchie to achieve this card.  I used the Martha Stewart snowflake punch for the center band and a snowflake embossing folder from Darice.  The pleated paper came from Kanban.  The pink cardstock from Recollection and the white base from Neenah cardstock.

It looked like I couldn't stop with the pleats but I finally did.  Making these cards was very easy and relaxing...now I'm getting ready to relax somewhere else for my weekend of fun.  Hope you enjoy your day and your weekend.  

Come again!

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"One More Before The End Of July"

Happy Thursday, friends, followers, visitors and viewers.
How is your day going so far?  Are you busy putting the final touch on a project before Friday's deadline?  Are you just passing time away waiting for the weekend?  Are you just checking in before taking that swim in the pool, walking around the trail or shopping in the mall?  Maybe you are looking for Pokemon...
I used some time this morning to make one more Christmas card before the close of Christmas in July.  I told you earlier this week that I had not made as many Christmas cards during this month like I did last year.  So, since this is the final days of July, I made one more card for this category.
I have used Neenah white cardstock cut at 6 1/2 by 4 1/2.  I cut a topper using Spellbinders Cascading Grace die which was also cut in Neenah white cardstock.  I put a piece of Bazzill red cardstock between the base and the topper.  I used the Tim Holtz's Alterations caged bird die to cut out a birdhouse. The paper was a piece out of my stash.  The "branch" punch from Martha Stewart was used to cut out branches in the mint green color.  The darker leaf came from my stash as well as the poinsettia.  The sentiment and the bird came from eksuccess holiday glitter words and silhouettes stickers:

Entry for WordArtWednesday.blogspot.com

I may or may not sneak in a Christmas card every month before December gets here.  I've enjoyed making this one today.  The thought of Christmas takes my mind off of the heat outside to cooler and colder days in the winter.

Thanks for your time....come again and leave a comment.  I do enjoy hearing from you.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"Flower Power"

Good Wednesday to my friends, followers, visitors and viewers.   I'm hoping you had a wonderful day yesterday and is on to a good day for today.  With the heat going on, everything is getting cooked in our flower and vegetable garden.  It was storming and raining last evening but it didn't do any good for some of my flowers.  The leaves are actually dry and are crumbling in my fingers.
It is simply okay.  I decided to stamp some flowers today to make up for the lost ones (lol).

 

Entry for WordArtWednesday.blogspot.com

Anything Goes Challenge Weeks #240-#241

Supplies used:

Neenah white cardstock...base A2

blue Recollection cardstock ... 1/8 less than base

Inkadinkado Meadow stamp set; sentiment from Fiskars Petals From Scratch stamp set

Spellbinders standard circle #5 and #6

Martha Steward butterfly die

Nuvo crystal white drops

Hero Arts white pigment ink used to stamp the flower onto the blue cardstock

one foam dot to pop up the sentiment from the circle die cut

 You can basically see how this card came together.

Supplies used:

Neenah white cardstock ...base A2

kraft cardstock for layers

TODO Damask Embossing Folder

rusty hinge and fossilized amber distress ink to add some color to the flowers

Fiskars Petals From Scratch stamp set...stamp 4 times and used 2 to layer together with foam dots

Recollection wooden stamps sentiments (Love Ya)

white liquid applique around the edge of the flower

Organdy gold ribbon

You can visually see how this card was made

Thanks for your time and comments from the past.

I always enjoy hearing from you....keep it up!

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"Another Christmas Card"

Hello friends, followers, visitors and viewers.  Welcome to Tuesday.  The weather forecast is the same as well as your caution for being in it... hot, humid and you need to be careful if you plan on staying out in this heat for a long period of time.  If you are a walker....go to the mall...you don't have to shop...  enjoy the nice cool temps while you are walking a mile before relaxing and going home.
Hope you have a sympathetic boss if you have to work outside in this weather...I hope he or she knows that you will need to break and drink plenty of liquid (water) to keep you from getting dehydrated.
Christmas In July has been around for a long time.  I managed to do a card or two just about the whole month  of July in 2015...not so this year.  Counting the ones I've done so far this month will not get me far for the Season.  I worked on adding another Christmas card to my box this morning.
I used Neenah white cardstock, A2; black Recollection cardstock; a piece of DP from Recollection Christmas Noel.
The dies used to help make this card were: Our Daily Bread Rectangle stitched die and Spellbinders Victorian Sign Post.
Jolee Christmas light 3D sticker was added to the Sign Post die cut.  Use my  computer and printer to type out and print the sentiment onto the cardstock.
The embossing folder is one from Sizzix (swirls and dots).
Hope you enjoy your view:

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

" A Little Bird Crazy"

Hello Friends, Followers, Visitors and Viewers.  We are starting off another week of hot, hot weather.  I was in Durham, NC next to Cary, NC over the weekend.  Just riding for over an hour in a car with the sun beaming down on you made for one uncomfortable ride.  Yes, the air conditioner was cooling the car, but I still was getting a lot of heat from the sun shining through the window especially on my arm.  Be careful as we are told about being out in this heat for a long period of time.
I have used one of Tim Holtz's crazy birds on my card for today.  Along with the bird, I've water colored a piece of Ranger water color paper and added a musical line to appear as if the bird is singing.   I've used a quote from Berthold Auerbach to go along with the music chord.  The card is a standard A2 using Neenah white cardstock; Recollection black cardstock; scrap piece of DP and NUVO gloss white crystal drops for embellishment.  I cut a portion of the water color paper off on a diagonal and did the same to the DP.  Between the two pieces I used the crystal drops in different sizes on the black cardstock.

I'm beginning to enjoy water coloring and stamping...I'm still a novice but practice will one day make perfect.

Thanks for viewing my blog today.  I always love the comments and  I'm inviting  you back again.

Sending you a hug and LOVE, 

Lois

"Water Coloring Plus Stamping"

Hello Friends, Followers, Visitors and Viewers.
It's Friday and I'm ready for something....?????
"Something" is not the sweating from the temperatures.  It is 90+ degrees where I am...prediction of storms...caution about being out in the weather... so this is not good.  
My weekend consist of enjoyment at an eight year old birthday party.  We will be inside for the event  so the air conditioner should be just nice.  I'm hoping we will stop by a nice restaurant near the water so I can get me some fresh seafood.  Summer, fresh seafood and by the water are my favorite things this time of the year.  As a matter of fact, my card shows how I'm feeling:

I've used Neenah white cardstock for the base; light blue Recollection cardstock layered over the white; grey Recollection cardstock layered over the blue and Ranger water color paper layered over the grey.  I've used two different shades of blue with a little green to achieve the "ocean" look of water and three shades of brown  to achieve the "sandy" look .  The stamp I used is "Stampendous" seashell jar.  I colored the seashells inside  and outside the jar different colors.

What a "watery" feel to this card.  

By the water, collecting seashells and getting my toes covered in sand sounds like fun to me.  This is the "something" I would love to be doing this weekend.  Summer is not over and I'll get to do this before the warm weather goes away.

Thanks so much for your time and your comments!  I enjoy hearing from you.  Take care until we meet again!

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"JOY"

Good Day to my friends, followers, visitors and viewers.  We had no storms raging last evening.  It was pretty quiet.  There was no report of new shootings going on across America.  I don't play the lottery so I didn't win.  No one gave me an extravagant gift.  So, why "joy" on a Thursday morning in July?
Good question.  I'm glad you are here to read the answer.
Do you feel like giving up ... throwing in the towel?  Do you feel like every time you turn around ... something else is broke, or late, or something is wrong with something or somebody in your life?

Did you lay in bed last night and your problems have gotten so bad that it even seems like the darkness of the night has even turned its back on you. So, you lie awake in bed wondering will the night ever end.
This morning, I know about an unspeakable joy that the world didn’t give you and the world can’t take away ... it is God’s Great Joy.

Joy, joy, God's great joy.

Joy, joy, down in my soul;

sweet, beautiful, soul saving joy,

oh, joy, joy in my soul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmvX3YwETdQ

Psalm 30: 5

Entry: WordArtWednesday.blogspot.com

My card for today is shown in different angles:

I've used Recollection dark purple cardstock; Designer paper from my stash in purple and gold; a small piece of gold foil paper; a sheet of acetate; Prima flowers;  floral from Cottage Cutz die: faux pearls

 

 

I hope you enjoy your "JOY" today.
Thanks for visiting.
Come again!

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"Happy Birthday To You and To My Sunshine"

Happy, happy Wednesday friends, followers, visitors and viewers.  Glad you made it to the middle of this week.  I'm glad you are safe from the storms of last evening. To my friend in Richmond, I'm hoping you and your family were safe.  We just had a lot of small tree limbs to fall and lots of leaves off  the trees.  We're cleaning up this morning.  Thank God that it was not really, really bad.

Thank you for joining with me today to see what I have created.  My granddaughter's birthday is on July 26 but her little party is this weekend.  I have a sister and nephew whose birthdays are on Saturday also.  Many July birthdays to celebrate.
Here are two cards I made.  The one with the teddy bear is definitely for my little sunshine.  The other one was made with the same idea but a little different:

Enabler's List: Neenah White cardstock; kraft cardstock; Ranger watercolor paper

Ranger distress inks ( red barn, dried marigold and mustard seed); Momenta Rub-Ons; eksuccess birthday stickers; black Sharpie

Enabler's List: Neenah white cardstock; Recollection light blue cardstock; kraft cardstock; Cuttlebug happy birthday embossing folder; eksuccess birthday stickers; K&Company Dancing Stickers; white chalk marker.

Thanks for a little of your time today...come again!

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"Grandmother Challenges Granddaughter"

Hello Friends, Followers, Visitors and Viewers.  Great beautiful days but when the evening comes, great scary storms and wind.  It is going to be another round of severe weather predicted for this evening.  If you are in the way of any of these storms, just be safe.
During the first week of July, my granddaughter visited for a week.  We spent a lot of time doing various things.  Just one morning while it was raining and we couldn't go outside, we played with "grandmother's crafting stuff".  She will be eight on the 26th of this month, so imagine trying to explain to an eight year old that sometimes you enter card challenges and sometimes you win prizes if your entry is chosen.  She wanted to enter a challenge  (thinking that she would win something).   I didn't go to any website to find one for her (a little too much for her age).  I decided to challenge her by doing a card...leaving it on the table with all the supplies I used to see if she could make the same card (that was her challenge)
Little minds do go above and beyond what you would think wouldn't happen.  Take a look at these two cards...one from grandmother and one from granddaughter:

Grandmother's card

Granddaughter's card

Just for fun, I'm going to enter her card in the challenge at WordArtWednesday.blogspot.com

I hope her card is picked but if not, I have her birthday present ready for her on Saturday.

I used pink, she used blue.  She added more stamps from the set to her card than I did.  She wanted glitter on her card...I used glitter glue on the card I made.  Her colors came out a little more vibrant than the one I did (maybe she was pushing harder on the Misti ).

A Mother's Day gift from my daughter (the mom of this little girl)

A mini Misti (it had just arrived two days before my granddaughter came to stay).

The stamp set from Recollections Color Splash that we used to make our cards.

The selection of inks we used for our project...not all of these were used.

When her parents came to pick her up, they had to guess which card she did.  Her grandfather had to do the same thing.  If I had not told you which one I did as opposed to the one she did, would you be able to tell.

I did enjoy doing this project with my granddaughter.  

I thank you for viewing with me today.

Come again to see what I'm creating.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"Short and Sweet"

Good Monday morning Friends, Viewers, Visitors and Followers.
I have had a busy, busy weekend.  We were gone most of the day on Saturday and Sunday.  We were up again early this morning to get some things done before the extreme heat sets in.  Hope you all are taking care of yourselves while you're working in the heat.  Keep the water flowing!!!
I'm presenting a short and sweet card for you today.  I'm starting with my usual Neenah white cardstock for the base ( 4.25  x  5.5).  I've use a piece of paper from Heartfelt Botanical Orchid paper pad.  I then topped this with another piece of Neenah white.  It has been embossed with Sizzix die.  An inch of the Heartfelt paper was cut and adhered to card.  I cut several floral leaves in white from the Paper Artist HOTP cutting dies.  I layered them to form a flower using die cuts of foliage from Cottage Cutz greenery die.  A butterfly in black and yellow (Recollection), was cut from the cutting dies of Paper Artist HOTP.  Sentiment was found on Pinterest.  A pink Prima flower was adhere to the middle of the white flower with a Martha Stewart faux pearl:

Entry: WordArtWednesday.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for coming back and spending a little time with me today.  Go out and be productive or just enjoy yourself on this beautiful day in your neighborhood.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"A Little Coloring"

Good Friday to my Friends, Visitors, Followers and Viewers.
Today is the last working day on the job for this week...Monday is just around the corner.  Wait!...here comes the weekend with plans to attend the beach...have a picnic or barbecue... go to a concert... craft...or just relax.

You know and I know there is much unrest going on in our country and around the world.  If we all could just get along with one another...just think how great this world would be.

On July 4th we celebrated "freedom" (just one week ago).
 Yes, God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom.

Today's card was made with the following:

cardstock: Recollection pink and black; Ranger watercolor paper; Design paper from MME

image: free from Google

inks: water colors (very soft) pink, green blue and yellow

        colored pencils: yellow, blue, orange, red, pink

glitter glue used on the middle of two flowers.

Sentiment: Serve one another in love     Galatians 5:13

Entry: WordartWednesday.blogspot.com

Thanks for visiting this week.  Have a fantastic time this weekend and just enjoy life.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

Enjoy Life"

Hello Friends, Followers, Visitors and Viewers! 🙂 I’m so glad you’re here today and checking in! I’m beyond blessed by your presence and I hope you feel encouraged by what you find and can share here!
Today, let's focus on life and how we enjoy it.
Many take each day for granted as if you will still be here tomorrow. .  Do you have that kind of confidence?
Many live as if today is their last and each moment is special making it enjoyable for themselves as well as for anyone else in their surroundings.  Do you do this?
Many appear to don't care about enjoying life.  They want to make their day and your day as miserable as they can.  Are you this kind of person?
How do you enjoy life?

Materials:

cardstock:  Colobok kraft: Neenah white and for the design paper...Scrapbook & Collage Papers (The European Collection)
a piece of tan burlap
die: Spellbinders Romantic vine
tag: Recollections Mixed Media
embossing folder: Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations winter berries
brush gold brad
Entry:
WordArtWednesday.blogspot.com

Thanks for viewing.  Come again!

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"Tattered Lace...Chamomile Spray Die"

Good Wednesday morning friends, followers, visitors and viewers.  It's the middle of the week.  You may call it "hump day" if you wish...I'm glad we are all still here to celebrate in whatever way we so desire.
I bought some dies recently (Tattered Lace Chamomile Spray die and Paper Artist cutting dies)  and I would like to share how they look on a card today:

Materials:

cardstock...Neenah Bright White; Craft Smith silver foil; Recollection mint green

embossing folder: Darice...stage curtains

dies: Tattered Lace Chamomile spray;  Paper Artist cutting dies (flower leaf) and (heart); marvy butterfly

Hunkydory The Little Book of The Orient: vase

Martha Stewart butterfly

Studio 112 adhesive gems

Technique:

The base card is cut in white @ 4.25  x 5.5.  It has a layer of silver foil cut 1/8 inch less on  top of it.  The focal layer in white is cut 1/8 inch less than the silver foil.  It has been embossed using the Darice folder.

Using the Tattered Lace die...it was cut out twice and mounted with foam adhesive dots.  It was adhered to the card with foam dots.  

The vase was fussy cut from the Hunkydory paper and adhered below the floral spray.  Leaves from the Paper Artist cutting dies were cut out (4) in green  and placed behind and in front of various places on the spray.

Three small butterflies were cut out and placed strategically on the spray with the Martha Stewart butterfly.

The sentiment was computer generated and cut out with the Paper Artist heart die.

Entry:

WordartWednesday

Thanks for stopping by today. 

Comments can be left either by clicking on the envelop or by clicking on the time of the post.  Hope I hear from you!

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"Christmas In July"

Hello friends, followers, visitors and viewers.  Welcome to Tuesday!
It's July and as a crafter you know that most stores, websites and other crafters are getting into the mood for Christmas.  A great opportunity to get started early so that you want be stressed and behind in your cards when December rolls around.  The cards that I've seen so far are very impressive and if you do your searching, I'm sure you will begin to get ideas and share those you have yourself for Christmas 2016.
I'm sharing two cards today.  One that is on the fun side and one that is a little formal:

This is the fun, cute one that was strictly made with a young child in mind.  The penguin actually slides from side to side and will flip around.  This makes a fun card for a little child.  The material used:  cardstock> Neenah white; Recollection red and red foil.

die > Hero Arts frame cut; Marianne creatables; and Precious Marieke Christmas baubles

Embellishment > eksuccess sticko penguins and Martha Stewart faux pearls

Entry > SOC (first and third challenge)

I'm considering this card on the formal side...due to the gold foil that I used and the swirly die.

Materials

cardstock: Neenah white;  Craft Smith metallic foil

die: Spellbinders Cascading Grace and Spellbinders  poinsettia; Sizzix Holiday Greens (Tim Holtz Alterations)

Embellishment:  gold alphabets on clear circle (I've had them so long that I'm not sure what company)

Entry: WordArtWednesday

Thanks for viewing  today.  

Don't forget...if you want to leave me a comment, then, click on the envelope.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

"NUVO Crystal Drops"

Hello friends, followers, visitors and viewers.
 It is so good to be back with the crafting world this morning.
 I missed you and I tried (just for a little bit) to peek in to see what you were doing last week.
I couldn't devote  a lot of time on the internet with you due to spending time with my granddaughter...but I'm looking forward to your creations this week.
Nuvo Crystal Drops... have you seen or heard of this product?
I sometimes watch a show call "Create and Craft".  They have promoted this product and demonstrated it on the show.  I didn't purchase from them but instead waited until Joann's had a sale and I bought the gloss white just to give it a try.
I'm not getting paid to review this item...so I'll just tell you...I really, really, really like this product. Since experiencing with this one color, I've gone back to Joann's website to order some more (while they are running another sale).
Here is the card I made using it:

Materials

cardstock: Neenah white; pink and black Recollection

stamp: Martha Stewart clear stamp set frame border punch

ink: Studio g pigment  in various colors ( mauve, blue, green, gold, and pink)

embellishment: Nuvo crystal drops gloss white

Notice that the flowers were stamped in various clusters around the sentiment that had been printed on the cardstock before it was cut out.

I used a ruler and a pink Sharpie to make the dotted lines under the words.

The Nuvo crystal drops (gloss white) were used in the center of each flower

I've often used glitter glue to make dimensional dots on my cards but it has flatten out.  These drops remains in its dimensional position (the best part of this product).

Again, I'm not promoting or selling this product....if you would like to try it, Joann's had it on sale.

Thank you for viewing with me today.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

P.S.  To send a comment, click on the envelope.

"Another New Idea"

It's Friday my friends, followers, visitors and viewers.  Happy Friday to you!  Happy beginning to your long weekend or holiday vacation.  Beaches, fishing, touring, site seeing...which one is your favorite?
I'm preparing for my weekend, so I'm going to be quick with this post...
I tried something new (at least for me).  Someone else out in the crafting world probably has done the same thing, but for me it was by experimenting...I didn't use the traditional water color paper...I pulled out some photo semi-gloss paper and decided to see what distress inks would look like on it.  I took out a piece of acetate and pressed as many colors of the distress inks on top of it...spritz it with water and press the semi-gloss paper on top of the inks.  What did I do with the piece I made?  Part of it was used behind a cut out on the card and the remainder of it was used to cut out some butterflies.  I hope you enjoy this view:

Enjoy your weekend and holiday on Monday.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois