Tuesday Morning Sketch time again! A birthday card for my now one year old great nephew.

This was a challenge for me...the sketch is kind of busy. Instead of fighting it I went with busy paper!

Hope you like it.

Have a good week!

Here I am for a new Tuesday Morning Sketches entry!

I love playing with the sketches, just really don't do great in getting them posted. Hopefully I get this one connected in time.

So, this card is for my niece, she and her family just bought their first house and had a baby. This is their housewarming card, I still need to get their baby card out.

I hope I did not take too much liberty with the sketch! The bird house and birds are from a stamp set I grabbed on the way out of Michaels years ago, I think.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda.

Tuesday Morning Sketch, on Sunday

This is my entry for this week on Tuesday Morning Sketches.

 

I have got to take a class on photographing the things I make because they never come out anywhere near pretty in the picture I take. The leaves in back of the sunflower are brown, almost the same color as the stamped leaves, but you sure can not tell it from this photo! 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.

God Bless,

Linda

 

Happy Birthday Card

Another week, another Tuesday Morning Sketch,

Here is my card for this week:

It really is cuter in person. The black looking areas are really purple so the purple background on the lady fits in...

have a good one

Linda

Another Tuesday Morning Sketch...on Sunday

Once again, a last minute upload.

For some reason the cards I make for the Tuesday Morning entries are some of my least favorite cards!

Today I think I figured it out. First, I am used to making smaller cards. For some reason I find myself making 5 X 7 ish cards for this and it kind of throws me off.

Second, I hardly ever use digi stamps but for some reason I have been using them for this project.

Don't judge me, it is just a wacky mindset I started with, and as of today, I quit! From now on I am going to use my normal size cards and my normal ink and see what happens.

So, here it is, my card for the week:

Once again a shiny card for a little girl! I do love coloring the images like this. No idea where the image came from, if you know, please let me know so I can give credit. The inks are everything from water color pencils to gelatos to Stampin' Up ink and markers. The flower is a combo of  the die I broke last week and some punches. The only thing I am consistent on is the paper. I almost always use Stampin' Up paper and that is why I am a demonstrator! I have never met a paper I like as much as Stampin' Up!

Well, thanks for stopping by!

hugs!

Linda

Sometimes Frugal Does NOT Work Out!

WARNING : DO NOT use long dies with short platforms.!!

There is an artist crafter I love and have learned a lot from. She posts videos on saving money and helping you get the most for your money in the crafting world. Most of her advice is good, this one is a great big error and I am really trying to not be angry and think mean thoughts. I don't have companies showering me with free supplies, I have to buy everyone.

Hopefully this will save a die or two.

This morning I was making a card.I was in a hurry.

using my favorite go-to die:

Yup, Jim Holtz, Tattered Flower Garland. It makes 16 flower shapes at one time and 4 sizes of leaves.

One run through the big shot and bam!! a garden. (Also has a coordinating Tattered Flower bigger die and they all play so nice together) So, I  you can see why I love this baby, right?

Well, back to the short story that I am making long...hey, we crafters like to embellish, right?
 I'm cutting out flowers for a special card this morning and had the regular platform in the big shot (not the extended platform), and I remember the video where these crafters said you could just use the regular on and turn it around and run it through the other way, or run it partway through. So I thought...why not? what could I lose?

Turns out...a lot. My very precious, handy and versatile die went through up to the end of the platform, and then CRACK!! Not the kind of crack that dies make going through the big shot, but the kind of crack they make when they, well, crack.

Can you see it there? all the way through to the plastic backing and even on part of that, though trying to get the picture was hard. Right through the leaves. It kind of worked after that but it is not going to last long and I could cry. The kicker is the extended platform was right next to me, and I thought just to try this out here cause the video sounded so confident.

So..DO NOT USE LONG DIES ON SHORT PLATFORMS unless you really like to ruin your dies.

So, now I'm thinking the truly frugal way is to get good baseline equipment and use it properly. The point they were making is that it is a waste to buy the extended platform if you have only a couple longer dies, but here is what I think.

well. excuse the table. tornado hit. glad I survived.

What I think is I am going to use the extended platform for more regular dies at one time. Do you know how many labels or flowers or spellbinders you can get on the platform and run thru? Seriously, two passes and you will have a stack of all sizes to stamp on or glue on or whatever! So, instead of thinking of it as useful only for the extended, think of it as a regular tool for everyday multi-piece cutting!

A true time saver.

have a good day, sorry so long

Linda

Oh, btw. I am a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, one without a website (though you could still order on line) I am very generous with anyone who orders with me as the demo and if you want the info please leave a message and I will replay really fast with it! Thanks!

Color Bomb Explodes on Paper

It is Palm Sunday and I want so bad to be in church. Last week I had a procedure on my back and sitting more than a few minutes at a time is pretty impossible. Wearing clothes with any form or waistband is pretty impossible. So, here I am, Palm Sunday, not in church and not happy about it. But, God really is good and I am so glad I don't have to be in church to be with  Him!

Pretty sure my husband is going to bring me a consolation latte too. Joy.

So, anyway, I remember never having uploaded my Tuesday Morning Sketch card. Well, I remember I never made my Tuesday Morning Sketch card, making the upload a bit more of a challenge.

One hour later, pushing the deadline and surviving the paper glue cutter and color explosion that totally trashed my makeshift table, here is my card.

Not my favorite card, but I'm proud for making the second week of TMS, pressing on and even though I'm not a sequin kind of person, the little girl it is for love shiny sparkles. Thinking I might go throw some glitter on here and there. Might as well go all the way, right?

Hugs and thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Very Happy Sad Day

Today I accomplished a major victory! For about a month now I have been working on a quilt for a person very close to me. It was one of those projects that seems so fight me all the way.

You know the kind of project...

First, I pick out a fairly simple pattern.  I loved one part of the pattern, the center square, but the rest of it...not so much. So I pick out the fabrics and make the center square and start piecing around it, kind of create as you go. Easy, right? no, not right!!

I really wanted this to be perfect, which is so funny because I don't do perfect. Choosing fabrics became difficult, either too little or the wrong tone or color or whatever. Thread always ran out of the bobbin in the worst place and I made so many cutting errors that I used my binding fabric for a border and had no binding. Don't you feel so sorry for me? Haha!

OK, the worst mistake I made turned out to be my best error ever. I slipped with the rotary cutter and put a gash in the fabric right next to one of the purple flowers! Yup, 1 1/2 inch gash right there in the quilt top. Woe is me....

The funny part is as soon as it happened I thought "butterfly", and sure enough...butterfly was just what I needed.

Only, one was not enough. nope. two were just right to balance it out.

This, of course, gave me what I needed for the last border...butterflies

So, after all the mistakes and fixes and inspirations and trials and errors and thrown in a couple growls and even more smiles, the final product is this

Not perfect, but I am very happy with the results. The back is flannel so it will be soft next to her and I try to keep the quilting on the minimal side so that the quilts have a softer feel to them.

Soo, there it is, sure hope it brings a smile and feeling of love to a very special lady that has been fighting a very nasty health battle. all prayers welcome. The happy?  it is ready to go. The sad? chemo was rough and she is really hurting.

love and hugs,

Linda

oh, btw, the center is from an old quilting magazine, I am not sure whose it is. I think McCalls, but just had the insert.

Love This Bear

Catching up on my cards here!

I have been trying to catch up with some card making over the past week or so. The past couple weeks have been full with sewing and I got kind of behind on the cards, add to that the need for a bunch and, well, having fun catching up.

This little guy is one of my favorites, it is one of the really cute digis by DeeDee. One of them. Now, normally I love my rubber stamps, but once in a while I sit down and print out a bunch of my go-tos and whip out some cards.

How cute is he? You can't see it here but I used the glitter gel pens on the hat and boots and he is really a joyful guy! Want another of Deedee's images? How about this one?

Yes, I know I have to work on Copics and grass, pray for me?

What I like to do is pick out my papers, make one card with one sheet as the base color with accents and matting of the second color, and then reverse the colors on the second. By sticking with the same colors like that it makes the best use of my paper and time,leaving less scraps. Oh, if you want the link for this image Here it is!

Just to let you know I am not related to Deedee in anyway,  receive no compensation, and no way are these the only ones of her images that I use, but thought I would share what I worked on this week!

hugs,

Linda

A Card For Tuesday Morning (on Sunday)

For a couple years now I have been making cards. Lots of cards. Most of the cards are made for people I know, as I need them. This one is made for a contest that I really want to win, and one that I plan on doing weekly.

I have been following Tuesday Morning Sketches and have been inspired by the cards there (not to mention the sketches) so here goes, throwing my hat in the ring. (Can you guess I am not 20-something?)

It is a combination of paper and embellishments from all different companies, and I have no idea where this cute digi image is from, all together they add up to bright and cheerful, don't you think?




Well, keep your fingers crossed for me! I could win a set of dies and I love the Spellbinders labels!





Have a good one, and give someone a hug!

Linda

Goodness and Mercy

I was following my usual trail of blog posts this morning and two of blogs hit me square in the face.

The first was on Jessica Sprague The business of being in business. Jessica expresses her fear of sharing her writing, and her words express my thoughts.
I can share my photos, my cards, things that I make, but my words are different. My art is what I do, my words are who I am. Fear. 

 Next;

Ann Voskamp wrote about goodness and mercy and grace not just following, but pursuing us!! We tend to think that we have to chase the good in life, the grace, but in reality, we are always living with goodness, grace, mercy; we just need to open our eyes and hearts and see it.
   
 My daily life is an object lesson, a continual reminder of this truth. I have two dogs, two little dogs that follow me everywhere. They used to be named "Jasper" and "Cocoa",
but one day when they just seemed to be glued to me tighter than ever, I joked and called them "Goodness: and "Mercy", they follow me all the days of my life.

 The names stuck.

I am now reminded every hour of every day that Goodness and Mercy not only follow me, but they seek me out, keep me in sight, hang as close as possible. What started as a silly comment has become a way for God to minister to me continually.

Laying in bed in pain, they are there.
Eating dinner, they are there.
Washing dishes, they are there.
Bathroom? Yup....Goodness and Mercy, even there.

They seek me out, they stick tight, and when I acknowledge them....Joy.

God Bless!

Linda

Extreme Bobble Bichon….(aka Jasper)

When Jasper came to live with us he was about 8 weeks old. He was and is adorable and precious and, of course, very very cute. Jasper understood words even as a little puppy.

He is now 3 going on 4 years old and has a talent that he has been perfecting over the course of his life. The video clip is a short display of the talent, the movie version will be released in the near future…or maybe not. Watch until the end, the first part is just a warm up! (I dare you to try not to smile)

Have a great day, God bless!

Linda

Operation Write Home

I make cards for Operation Write Home, you can too!

Please follow their "rules"; they are there for a reason. 


Real People; Real Cards!!

Home Site

Happy 4th...again

Linda

Happy 4th of July

I love July!!

2 of my sisters and myself were born in July, my daughter Krista was born in July, my husband was...yup ..born in July.. (not a requirement for marriage, but it did tip the scales :) ).  My daughters doggie was born in July, and our cock-a-poo also. Oh, my baby brother too.  My son in law is the out of sync person here, but he is in February on one of my other sisters birthdays, so we didn't make him change his birth certificate. Our Bichon is December, but that is ok too, of course. Jasper is defiantly sharing his birthday month with a higher authority, and it shows!

So, anyway, the point is, July is a good month, and the fact that Uncle Sam was born in July just proves it!

So, with all this going in my favor, I am thinking maybe I stand a chance at winning a new cutting machine! Several blogs have a  Silhouette give away, and I so want to win this. Every time I use my Cricut I end up frustrated with shredded paper and it is growing old.  I am very unselfishly sharing the sites, even knowing that it increases the competition. ;)  Both of these sites are daily reads for me, so look around while you are there.

Jessica Sprague

Crap   (just trust me on this.. you will love what you see when you get there)


Later, gators... gotta go enter to win me a new cutter.

Dance

I came across this challenge on a blog: 

http://lisajobaker.com/2012/06/five-minute-friday-dance/

Not sure I did it right, but it was interesting. This is what came out.. rules are not to edit~ so this is it!


Dance

When Holly was a baby I would swoop her in my arms and play the music and dance. We danced for 5 years, till she went to dance with Jesus and my music stopped.
When Krista was a baby I swooped her in my arms and we danced. We dance still, 30 years later. Joyful. Sad. Waltz. as the music of life plays, we dance. As the month cycles, we dance. With new puppies and birthdays and death we dance.
Sometimes she leads, sometimes I lead, always we are there to hold each other up as the music changes and cycles.

Stop

Have a great day!

Linda

I MissYou, Katie

OK, time does fly. So here I am again.. long break..

So, what brought me out of my silence? So many of those in my craft world know of Katie, the beautiful, amazing Katie. Katie has been on my mind so much lately, her precious boys and husband always in my prayers. Her brave journey, just so very short, from a stomach ache to diagnosis and then, she was gone. Too young, too brave and too amazing, but yet true. I know God is sovereign, I trust Him and love Him, but will not pretend to understand or venture an answer.

I have been working through the Jessica Sprague Photoshop Friday classes. This week the template just reminded me of Katie, so several days ago I completed it.

The decision to post was confirmed by a visit to Jak Heaths site, where I was reminded that it is Katie's birthday. No wonder Kevin, Will, Hunter and Nate have been so close in my prayers, the thoughts of Katie so strong.

Here are the links for Jak Heath:  http://www.jakheath.com
and
Here is link for Jessica Sprague: http://www.jessicasprague.com/

Here is a link for the digital area of my Stampin' Up site. The paper is now discontinued, but there are a lot of other very pretty choices for immediate download if you care to check it out. I did use Photoshop Elements for the layout,
not SU software. http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/CategoryPage.aspx?categoryid=501

Most important, pray for those close to Katie today. What a blessing she has been to so many of us from a distance, how those who knew her in real life must feel the loss. Tell those around you how much you love them, live life full today. Tomorrow we will look back and wonder where the day went.. it was here just a minute ago.

Linda

A Great Sale

One of my biggest secrets is that I am a Stampin' Up Associate! I joined a year ago to get the items I "needed" for the discount.. Frugal is my name, Saving money is my game!

I really like every Stampin' Up item I've bought. One year after joining I've noticed that a funny thing is happening..I actually am spending less then I did when taking my 50% coupons and wandering store isles buying stuff that is now filling up my craft room. I am also enjoying crafting more since everything is so easy to coordinate and has a purpose.

Well, here is a way to save money for you: a sale on Stampin' Up. Check it out.
Also, the digital punch shapes and brushes and papers download instantly in png format, they can be used in any program that uses png files! What I have done is purchased the punch files, saved as jpegs, pixel trace in MTC, and cut away in all sizes. Print and Cut adds the option of filling shapes with the Stampin' Up paper, and make all sorts of options open to you!

Right now, there are bonus rewards for hosting a get together, (or buying a large order).. you can actually earn a free big shot plus lots of other goodies. Check out my site, give a call if you are interested so I can help maximize your benefits!

http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/showersofblessings/

The sale is on the Hot Holiday Deals!

http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/default.aspx

Also, there are fabulous things available in the Clearance section..

http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ItemList.aspx?categoryid=493

Look for some exciting projects and tutorials in the future. I am so into frugal that my goal is to show you how to maximize any purchase!

Check out the Holiday Mini and the Catalog on my site too, and let me know if you would like to receive the new Mini when it is released. I have it.  You want it.
Catalog free with purchase of $10., by request.

Happy Shopping!
Linda

and another.....

I am loving this.. Photoshop..using the support for Katie to learn Photoshop!

OK, tomorrow I am going to post the actual physical cards I made.  This is really getting me moving here!

And another....

This is a combination of the digi stamps and paper from Echo Park... Splash.. I thought the theme of Swimming for Katie went well with the Splash papers!  I am getting better at Photoshop.. whoooo hooo

Ok, I love this if I do say so myself.  I actually made the banner myself!!!  Now, if only I could have made the title stand out a little more, I would have been really happy!

Oh, I hope I win the prize is so amazing and generous!!!

Another Katie Fundraiser Stamp

I have been working on learning Photoshop Elements.  Gradually it is starting to sink in.  I decided to use all of the stamps from the i heart papers collection of stamps donated to raise money for Katie and her family.  Also, I still really want to win the prize offered from the website below, it is an amazing prize, and you can enter as many times as you want. So, here is my next entry.