"Thinking Of You With Tonic Studios Dot & Drop Die"

Hello to all on this Monday, December 18, 2017.
Just think and ponder on this... next Monday will be Christmas Day.  I know you're ready.  The house, inside and outside,  is decorated.  The gifts are bought and wrapped.  The arrangements to have guest over have been made.  This week  you will begin the preparation for that Christmas dinner.  You will either order it from a local store that has catering or you will take each day this week to cook and refrigerate/freeze it until next Monday.  Crafting may not be on your list this week but you don't mind seeing what others are doing.
I was awarded a free die from Scrapbook.com.  It is a Tonic Studio die...Dot & Drop Die Blossom Spray.  I used it this morning to see how it would look.  I also needed some "Thinking Of You" cards in my collection for the upcoming year.
Here is your view:

 I took two photos of the same card.  One with a black background and one with a white and black background.
The swirls around the flower are NUVO drops.  The flowers have a piece of red shimmery paper behind them.  The leaves have a piece of green paper behind the die cut.  The sentiment is from a Hero Arts stamp set.
This will be an entry for http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.com

Enabler's List:
cardstock: Neenah white; Bazzill purple; PaperandMore red shimmery; Recollections green
stamp: *Hero Arts Clear Stamps YEAR ROUND SENTIMENTS CL582

embellishment: NUVO autumn red crystal drops
die: Tonic Studios Dot & Drop Die "Blossom Spray" (It cuts a beautiful pattern into your base card as well as providing a perfect guide for accurate placement of Nuvo Crystal, Glitter & Jewel Drops)!

Thanks for taking a little time from your busy schedule to view with me today.
You are always welcome to comment.
Please visit again.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,
Lois

"Recollections, Hero Arts And A Quote"

Hello on this Wednesday...
Friends, followers, visitors and viewers, what a great day to get outside to enjoy the beautiful weather if you're in the part of the world that is having summer.
It is so beautiful and I enjoy taking a walk to get some of my steps in.  I haven't obtain my goal as of yet but I'm working on it.  If I don't get but fifteen minutes in it is better than not doing anything at all.  Now, don't you agree.

I shop at Michaels (most of you already know this).  I'm known to pick up paper when it is on sale...4 for a $1 or 5 for a $1.  Yesterday, while I was organizing my paper and paper pads, I  put all the sheets that came from Michaels in a bin by themselves.  I noticed that I've been buying paper and not using it.  This morning, I decided to use some for my project as well as a quote I received on Monday.  The quote  led me to get out a kit that I've not used since it was sent to me (the Hero Arts April Kit).

 

 I used the sketch from http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ Sketch Challenge 651 {06/28/2017}
I often get inspired to do their sketch challenge.  This morning was one of those times.  I will submit this over at http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.com  Challenge #288-#289 - Anything Goes also.

 Here are some of the inks I used:
Distress ink: shaded lilac and spun sugar (see the inside circle)
black Archival ink for stamping (images in the circle and on the sentiment)
glitter gel pens (color for lipstick)

 Stamps: Hero Arts April Kit and Hero Arts "you are fabulous" stamp set

Recollections paper:

Watercolor Cherry Blossom; Pink Gold Drops; Pink Glitter; and Damask and Dots

Thanks for viewing and thanks for commenting.

Your continued support is much appreciated.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois

Daily Routine or Ritual

Hello Friends, Followers, and Viewers,
I'm sorry that most of you are back at work today.  Some (I know of one) are still getting some "me" time today...(hey you, if you're reading this, have a good restful day).
Let me just ask you something.  Do you have a routine or ritual you follow daily no matter if you're at home or on vacation?  I'm not talking about meditating, praying, taking care of your personal hygiene or eating. I'm more interested in what you do daily that to another person is unproductive.  The President and Vice President receive and go over the Daily Briefing each morning...productive or not? I read the newspaper (on-line) each morning...productive or not? Some people have an exercise routine or ritual every day...productive or not?  There are people who cannot start their day without checking the Horoscope or Astrology page...productive or not? If you missed a reading today, here is one for you that I copied: Cafe Astrology .com   IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY   You are very insightful and often help others to better understand themselves. Artistically gifted, you have a real creative bent in addition to general "smarts". You are exceptionally hard working and quite ambitious as well--a combination that virtually guarantees success...productive or not? We all have something we do daily.  We must agree together that what we do is productive no matter if someone else doesn't think so. So continue to do what you are doing.
A routine that I do, not necessarily daily, is to make a card or sometimes two.  Yesterday I talked about becoming proficient in stamping and coloring to go along with my card-making.  I practiced again using a big stamp from Hero Arts.  This is the first take on the stamping.

The words are blurred and some of the parts of the flowers didn't come out . The flowers were colored anyway...practice...practice...practice

This is the second time stamping the Hero Arts stamp.  The words are clear in most of the spots.  Some areas had too much ink and again some of the flower parts didn't stamp.  The coloring is okay but I need to learn how to blend....practice...practice...practice. (I guess I need to stay with very small stamps and gradually work my way up to the big ones).

Since the stamping and coloring didn't go as I thought it would...I went back to something I can do better...die cutting , folding and gluing.  For now, this card doesn't have a title.  It will get one when the time arise.  White and purple cardstock was use along with a Spellbinders Card Creator Tudor Rose die and a Spellbinders butterfly die.

Thanks for stopping by today. I love comments.  Share your thoughts with me.  Tell me if you like what you are reading or if you like the cards.  Hope to hear from you soon.

Sending you a hug and LOVE,

Lois