Prosit!

New challenge over at Cut It Up and the challenge is to use a die cut and your favorite color!  I love Vintage browns and blues together and this wine tag was the perfect place to use them with this wonderful die cut/stamp from Stamplorations.   Prosit Word Stamp and Die has such a lovely script and the die cuts beautifully!  It is the perfect size for this 3 inch wide wine bottle hanger tag! 

I started with paper from Polkadoodles and cut a banner.  The wine glasses are from the Cricut Design Space.  I stamped the "prosit" with embossing ink and then sprinkled with clear powder and heat embossed!  I cut the word with the die and adhered it to the tag.  To give the wine a bit of sparkle, I used a shimmer pen and colored over the glasses.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Adoration...

We are mid-February  and our optional theme over at Path of Positivity is Adoration.  

I'm thinking today about the adoration/admiration I have for my family, my grandfather in particular.

I'm going with the definition of admiration and esteem.  There were several different images over at Beccy's Place I could have used to describe my grandpa.  He was a farmer and loved his animals, but I chose this digi image set, Garden Silhouette, because I also admire anyone who can grow something and the sentiment is perfect to describe Grandpa!  

My grandpa loved simplicity and had great faith.  It has been the past few years I have really come to admire his quiet strength.  He was a man of few words and never angered easily.  When I was young, I thought of my grandma as the stronger of the two since she was quicker to anger and had words for all occasions; but now I understand how difficult and how much inner strength it really takes to keep quiet and let some things pass!  

I wish I had spent more of my life trying to be like him, and to this day when I'm out in the barn working around horses I try to emulate his quiet demeanor. 

 While teaching therapeutic horsemanship, I had a motto: Strength through Balance.  I tried to teach this was true of physical, mental, and emotional balance.  My grandpa seemed to be just that, a very balanced individual loving the simplest pleasures that many overlook.  

*   *   * 
To see how to create an effect like this, I invite you to view the video below.  It is an older one, but describes how to turn a digital silhouette (or die) into one you can color! The tag in that video also uses the Garden Silhouette stamp and can be found on an earlier blog post HERE.  *Note the demo below uses free images from Cricut DS because I didn't want to watermark all the images.

Constructing this journal page:

The die cut I used on this page is a silhouette stamp from the Garden Silhouette!  I simply imported it into Cricut DS and set it to cut instead of print!  How fun is that!!  

The image was watercolored using watercolor pencils and Tombow markers.  I colored with the pencils over some of the darker portions.  I continued coloring by scribbling Tombow marker on a ceramic tile and picking up the color with a  paintbrush and a little bit of water.  Then I painted over the image.    

I assembled everything using a stamped and inked background for the base page, a die cut from the set, some scrap paper I embossed, and stash items listed below!  The "string" through the button is actually what I pulled from the denim strip when fraying it!


Material List: 

This digi:  Garden Silhouette from Beccy's Place 
Sentiment:  Garden Silhouette from Beccy's Place  
Colored with Watercolor Pencils and Tombow Markers
Adhesives 
CTMH Inks and retired Stamp Sets
Ribbon, Denim strip, Burlap, Lace and Button from stash
Gold paint w/water for splatters
Cricut Standard Mat

Cricut Blade
Cricut Maker

 Sharing with these challenges: 

Country View:  Splatters, Splashes, & Drips
Cheerful Sketches: Sketch to right
Not Just Cards:  AG
Sweet Stampers:  Hearts and /or Flowers

Beccy's Place:  AG with Beccy's Place Image
All Sorts:  Dies or Punches
Outlawz ~ Festive Fridays:  AG

Be sure to come on 

over to 

Path of Positivity 

and see 

what the team 

thinks about Adoration!  

You can also find 

more information 

about entering 

the challenge!  

Thanks to our 

wonderful sponsors this month:

and

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Cowboy Up, Valentine!

It's time for a new challenge over at 

The Outlawz Twisted Thursday and the optional twist is:  Be My Valentine:  Pick ANY Outlawz DT card from ANY team and case her/his card.  

There are so many talented designers over at The Outlawz; it was a difficult choice.  The Twisted Thursday team is a very talented team with incredibly creative designers....I just couldn't just choose one!  

So, I went outside our team and chose to CASE a card from Andrea Norris who is on the Wednesday Sketch Team.  She made an incredible card and you can view it HERE.  I have used a digital stamp from our sponsor called Bugaboo Cowboy Fence from Bugaboo Stamps.  I personally love this image and have used it many times!   

I hope you can see how I was inspired by Andrea's card.  I copied the 3 horizontal strips of paper across the card by using barbed wire.  The off set rough edged oval imitates her oval.  I used the blues, greens, greys, orange, and metallics.  Lastly, the composition is really close.  Thanks, Andrea, for a fun inspiration for my card!

Material List

Click on the link to go directly to the product. When available, I use compensated affiliate links.  This means if you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

Image: Bugaboo Cowboy Fence from Bugaboo Stamps
Inspired by:  Andrea Norris Mr Spaceman
Copic Markers
Paper from Whimsy
Adhesives 
CTMH Inks Retired
Cricut Access for verbiage, barb wire cuts, horse shoes, and image background cut
Cricut Standard Mat

Cricut Blade
Cricut Maker

Cricut Access


This page is off to the following challenges:  

Catch the Bug:  Childs Play (exchanging Valentine's or dressing up as a cowboy and playing!)
Crafty Calendar:  Use Die Cuts
Bitten by the Bug:  Valentine's Day
A Place to Start:  Masculine
Always Fun Challenges:  Love/Valentine's Day
My Time to Craft:  Love Me Do!

Be sure to visit

 The Outlawz Twisted Thursday for all the details about the challenge and to check out all fun inspiration from the DT and participants!

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Such a Cute Couple!

Valentine's Day is coming up pretty quickly!  Time to get some cards ready to go!  I think this a delightful Digi from Conie Fong and makes for a lovely Valentine or any card to celebrate love/couples!  I colored First Kiss with Copics and have backed it with the retired paper kit from Kaisercraft.  The heart ribbon is  retired from CTMH.  I topped it off with a red gem. 

More Valentine's and love are coming this week!  So, stay tuned!

This page is off to the following challenges:  
Conie Fong FB Feb:  AG with option of Hearts/Love
Crafty Cardmakers:  Love is All You Need
Dream Valley:  Love
Get Creative:  Use Hearts
Crafty Friends:  Love/Romance
CCC:  Wedding/Engagement/Love

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

You are Loved!

The new theme at Cut It Up is "Love is in the Air - Valentine's Day."  I chose to go a little different direction with my card since CAS-ual Fridays is our sponsor!  I wanted to use one of their wonderful stamp/die combos for my card.

When you visit the Cut It Up blog, have fun viewing the DT projects and check out the rules and prize info.  Then be sure to share your project with us ~ don't forget the die cut to have a chance to win a prize from our amazing sponsors. 

Material List: Hope Ribbon Stamp Set:  Floral ribbon, inside sentiment

Ruffled Ribbon Fri-Dies:  Floral Ribbon

Copic Markers

Adhesives 

Cricut Standard Mat

Cricut Blade
Cricut Access for fonts, verbiage on outside of card, colored ribbons
Cricut Maker

This notecard is off to the following challenges:  

Crafty Creations:  AG

Corrosive Challenge:  AG
Crafts Galore Encore:  AG
Love to Craft:  AG

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Valentine

Yes, it's another new Pony Digi from Hetty Clare!  This one is Winning Kiss!  I think this would make a great Valentine for any horse crazy girl!  Hey, it's her first love no matter how old she is!  ;)  I colored this with Copics and have backed it with a retired CTMH Paper.  The gold heart is also retired from CTMH and the blue gems are from Bo Bunny.  

 This page is off to the following challenges:  

Paper Minutes:  Valentine's Day
TTCRD:  AG
Try it on Tuesday:  Share the Love

Unicorn Challenge:  AG
Crafting Happiness:  AG twist hearts
Dream Valley:  Love
Double Trouble:  Thing 1: Repeat (gems) Thing 2:  include a critter 
Use Your Stuff:  Stash item~ retired paper and heart from CTMH and use a critter

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Adore Him!

It's February already and our new optional theme over at Path of Positivity is Adoration.  For this word, I again went over to the thesaurus.  So many times I think I know the definition of a word and then find it can mean several different ideas, so it's always fun for me to go see what I can find.  

The definition seems to be deep love and some of the synonyms were:  admiration, devotion, esteem, reverence and veneration.  So, as I was perusing the different images over at Beccy's Place I came across this beautiful digital stamp set called Lamb of God.  I looked at the expressions on the faces of those lambs, and thought what better example of adoration than this.  The sentiment simply reiterated the focal image.

*   *   * 
To see how this card was designed/created, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and join me for the video below!  Might want a snack, too!  ;)

Material List: 

This digi: Lamb of God digital stamp set from Beccy's Place 
Sentiment: Lamb of God digital stamp set from Beccy's Place  
Copic Markers
Adhesives 
CTMH Inks
Polkadoodles digital wood paper (retired I think)
Cricut Standard Mat

Cricut Blade
Cricut Access for barn, star
Cricut Maker

 Sharing with these challenges:  
International Art & Soul:  Fav Song~ Oh, Come Let Us Adore Him

12 Months of Christmas:  Opt Twist Winter Blues (Not sure I have enough blue for the twist!)
Holly and Ivy:  AG Christmas
Winter Wonderland:  Little Friends
Jingle Belles:  We 3 Kings...3 layers to look at! 
Christmas at Sweet Stampin':  Add some Sparkle (star)  
Christmas Crafts All Year 'Round:  Love/hearts
Classic Design:  AG
Crafty Animals:  AG with animal
CRAFT:  Christmas
Fab'n'Funky:  Christmas
Watercooler Wednesday:  All About Occasions

The Outlawz Festive Friday
Beccy's Place:  Use Beccy's Place Image; Opt:  animals

Be sure to come on 

over to 

Path of Positivity 

and see 

what the team 

thinks about Adoration!  

You can also find 

more information 

about entering 

the challenge!  

Thanks to our 

wonderful sponsors this month:

and

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Pony Bubbles

Here's another new Pony Digi from Hetty Clare!  This one is Pony Bubbles!  I colored with Copics and have backed it with retired CTMH Papers.  The green ribbon is also retired from CTMH.  

This image reminds me of all the shows I went to with my son and celebrating with.... snow cones!  Yep, Keith would go find the snow cones and he and Harry would share one!  Harry loved them!  Our horse, Thunder, would prefer Iced Tea.  Now, Charlie will only drink water and he prefers water from home! 

There's nothing like sharing a treat with your buddy! 

This page is off to the following challenges:  

2 Crafty Critter Crazies:  AG with a critter
Stamping Sensations:  Feminine
Always Fun:  AG
Use your Stuff:  Critters (These papers, ribbon and stash have been around for quite a while!)
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends:  AG
Craft-Dee BowZ:  AG

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Pony Plait...a new digi!!

Sometimes you get a new digi/stamp and you just can't wait to color it; for me this is it!  I saw this pony image from Hetty Clare and fell in love!   If you adore horse/pony images I invite you to check out her new pony images on her site HERE.  You are going to LOVE them!  This particular image is Pony Plait.

Let me say upfront, I'm not on a team for Hetty Clare and I purchased this image.  So I'm not biased in any way; I just love this image.  Why?  Probably because I have spent some late night hours in a barn listening to music and banding manes for horse shows!  I've also spent fun filled afternoons with little ones playing 'day spa' with the minis!  ...and the image is soooo cute!

The digi starts out with a touch of grey scale.  I experimented with some different Copic colors here for sort of an antiqued look.  I started with some E7's for the horse and added E9's.  That little sweetie's dress was colored up in B9's and the grass was done in YG6's.  

The sky was done in Sky colored (retired) CTMH alcohol ink dabbed on with cheese cloth/cotton gauze.  

This page is off to the following challenges:  

2 Crafty Critter Crazies:  AG with a critter
The Crafter's Cafe:  AG
Creative Craft Cottage:  AG
World Wide Open DT:  AG
Colour Crazy:  AG hand colored
Sisterhood of Crafters:  Newly Acquired Stash (New Digi!)
Perfect Time to Craft:  AG
Crafty Animals:  AG with animal

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Strength in 2020

It's time for a new challenge over at 

The Outlawz Twisted Thursday and the optional twist is to use an image from LeighSBDesigns.  

I have used a digital stamp from our sponsor called Heart Tree from LeighSBDesigns Art Studio.  This is such a versatile image and I have used it for 3 very different projects since I've received it!  You can find the earlier projects HERE and HERE to see some different ideas for this digi stamp! 

For this post, I'm working in my 2020 Art Journal.  It is a 6 X 6 inch journal to sort of create/share/reflect my way through the year.  You can check out some other entries HERE and HERE.  

I started in Design Space and added the verbiage to the digital image and cut it out in a square.  I Copic colored the image...this was great practice in fine lines for me!  I have to say, it was an exercise in mindfulness as Alyce over at Kit & Clowder would say!  

After coloring, I inked the edges and went to work with ink and stamps on the backgrounds.  I added wood veneer, lace, washi tape, and the gold heart.  

Material List

Image: Heart Tree
Copic Markers
Washi Tape
Adhesives 
CTMH Inks Retired
CTMH Stamps Retired
Gold Heart Puffy CTMH Retired
Wood Veneer from Stash (My grandpa did wood working, so I inherited lots of cool stuff!  This veneer was probably acquired in the 1970's/'80's.)
Lace
Cereal Box for dimension under digi
Cricut Access for verbiage
Cricut Standard Mat

Cricut Blade
Cricut Maker

Cricut Access

This page is off to the following challenges:  

International Art & Soul:  Recycling (wood veneer)
A Vintage Journey:  We're All Getting Older (Distress, Antique, Age, Weather)
Love to Scrap:  AG
Everybody Art:  AG
Creative Inspirations:  Something New or Something Old (Everything old for me!)

Be sure to visit

 The Outlawz Twisted Thursday for all the details about the challenge and to check out all fun inspiration from the DT and participants!

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Get Well!

Get Well Soon is our Theme over at Cut It Up!  Show us your ideas on cards and other well wishes; don't forget your die cut!  

Now you might be wondering where my die cuts are....well, the bears are die cuts from outline drawings in the Cricut Access (Library).  It's sort of like having the stamps and die cuts!  Grab your favorite beverage and check out the video below to see how I did this!

Material List:  
Digital Delights by Louby Lou:  Feel Better Sentiment Set
Copic Markers
CTMH Retired papers from Stash
Adhesives:  3D foam Tape
Cricut Standard Mat
Cricut Blade

Cricut Access for bear images
Cricut Maker

Come over to Cut It Up and share your ideas!  

When you visit the Cut It Up blog, have fun viewing the DT projects and check out the rules and prize info.  Then be sure to share your project with us ~ don't forget the die cut to have a chance to win a prize from our amazing sponsors. 

These cards are off to the following challenges: 

Crafting Challenge:  Touch of White 

Try It On Tuesday:  White Space or Colorful Grunge

TTCRD:  AG

2 Crafty Critter Crazies:  AG with a Critter

Crafter's Cafe:  CAS

Die Cut Divas:  New Things (New idea in Cricut DS, new sentiments)

Mod Squad:  Animals

Unicorn:  CAS

Festive Friday:  AG

Aud Sentiments:  AG with a sentiment
Daring Cardmakers:  Cheer Someone Up
CAS on Friday:  Get Well

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.

Get Well Soon is our Theme over at Cut It Up!  Show us your ideas on cards and other well wishes; don't forget your die cut!

Tenacious!

"Tenacity is the ability to hang on when letting go appears most attractive."  unknown

Yes, sometimes you've gotta' just grab the big cup and finish the task at hand!  That's one thing about being tenacious, I usually finish the job no matter how problematic, daunting, or laborious!  If you missed my first post about this character trait, you can see it HERE!  

In addition to my being tenacious, I'm a committed coffee drinker and always...and I do mean always...have a mug in my hand!  So, adding this page to my journal is perfect for me!  I love this blank coffee cup from Scribbles!  You can find it HERE.  Since it has no verbiage on it, I could add exactly what I wanted to say!

Here's a YouTube video on the page!  Grab your 'Big Cup' and join me!

*   *   *   

This page is another in my journal reflecting art, contemplation, study, etc.  I'm exploring our first optional theme of the year over over at Path of Positivity which is Character Traits.  (However, you may share any sort of artistic medium over at PoP:  writing, cards, journals, scrapbooking, painting, sewing, etc as long as it is Positive!  The theme is optional.)  

*   *   *

Scribbles Digi:  #917 Coffee

Copic Markers
Retired CTMH Stamps:  Cup of Cheer and Year>>>Noted
Retired CTMH Inks:  Cashmere, Champagne, Chocolate, Cocoa
Stencils: Latina Crafter Coffee
Bo Bunny Glitter Paste Copper
Canon Mixed Media Paper
Adhesives 
Cricut Standard Mat

Cricut Blade
Cricut Access for fonts, verbiage
Cricut Maker

 Sharing with these challenges:  

Brown Sugar:  AG
We Love2create:  AG Mixed Media
All sorts:  More than a single word sentiment
Sweet Stampin':  Journals/Albums/Frames/Keepsakes and use stamps
Simply Create Too:  Monochromatic
Tinker Dream bastel-traum:  Monochrome/Glitter
Modsquad:  Recipe~ Stencil (Retired Latina stencils for coffee beans, coffee title, and coffee rings on background, Stamping (Retired CTMH stamps for date, coffee beans, lines, and goals), Interactive (journaling) 
Simon Says Stamp:  Use a Stencil
Coffee Loving Papercrafters on FaceBook

Be sure to come on 

over to 

Path of Positivity 

and see 

what the team 

thinks about Peace!  

You can also find 

more information 

about entering 

the challenge!  

Thanks to our 

wonderful sponsors this month:

and

Thanks for stopping by!  Make yourself at home and feel free to peruse other posts/pages, leave a comment, and/or check out my Pinterest and YouTube Channel.