Kindness Begins with LOVE!

Hello, my crafty friends!  I have a darling image and wonderful sentiment to share with you today.  I created it for the "Anything But a Card" challenge going on right now at the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog.  I love creating tags, so that's what I did!

It was minus 22 Fahrenheit here this morning, so when looking through my Aurora Wings images to decide what to color, this lovely Crocus Sprite jumped out at me.  Crocuses are the harbingers of spring, and spring sounds very, very nice right about now!!!

Isn't she just the sweetest?  This is one of the most common colors for crocus, and the color that can be found in my yard, so that's what I used to color her up.

Here's a close up of the coloring.  I used Copic markers on this Crocus Sprite. 

This sentiment was computer generated.  Here's a close up of the sentiment, too, to make sure you get the message our darling sprite is trying to get across ;)

A couple years ago, my husband and I were on a fall mini vacation 5 hours North of us in Northern Minnesota.  We stumbled across a Ben Franklin store.  I thought they'd all gone out of business many years ago, but there it was, in the small town of Grand Marais.  I found a bunch of ribbon there.  The crocus colored ribbon on this tag was purchased there -- 10 yards for $1.59!  What a bargain!  I've been waiting for the right moment to use some of it, and this was it!

Papers for this tag are digital, and were purchased at Snap Click Supply. 

I love the art of Mitzi Sato-Wiuff.  She is a talented artist with an eye for the whimsical.  I realized when picking out this Crocus Sprite that I own 57 of her digi stamps!  I better get coloring!  You can find them either in her Etsy Shop or at AuroraWings.com.  There's a great Facebook group, too, where you'll find inspiration, fun, news of sales, and even freebies! 

Now, I'm off to link up to the Anything But a Card Challenge!  Come join the fun!

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Aurora Wings -- Anything But a Card 

Crazy 4 Challenges -- tag you're it

Inspiration Destination Challenge Blog -- ATG

Hiding in my Craftroom -- favorite colors (love using violets with Copics, they blend so easily!)

The Outlawz, Twisted Thursday -- Anything Goes

Welcome Spring - for Imagine That! Digistamp

Hello, and happy Thursday!  It's time for some Thursday inspiration over on the Imagine That! digistamp blog.  Since it's spring, and I recently saw my first robin, I thought I'd make a springtime-themed card to celebrate the occasion!

Those of you keeping up on my chemo journey, I am done with chemo treatments.  Woohoo!  I got Influenza A with the last chemo treatment and it turned into pneumonia.  A week later, I was out of the hospital.  I am still recovering from that ordeal, but feel like I am finally among the living.  Next week, another PET scan will (hopefully) show the cancer is truly in remission, and then it's gaining strength and I'm on my way!  I'm off of work for a couple more months yet because my immune system has gotten so weak, but now that it's spring, I'm hoping to get back to walking and gaining strength quickly.

Speaking of spring, I used the Leesa's Tulip digital stamp set to create this: 

This set comes with 3 digital papers, and I used all three of them on this card.  There are also some sentiments included with Leesa's Tulip,  and I used one of them here.  This is the pre-colored version of Leesa's Tulip.

I used a Sizzix die to make this card, and a butterfly die from Hot Off the Press.

Imagine That! Digistamp products used:

Leesa's Tulip

Did you join the monthly challenge in the Creative Playground?  Each month, there's a great free set if you use an Imagine That! Digistamp image.  A new challenge starts soon, so please join in the fun!  There's a great Facebook group you need to check out, too.  You'll find all the fun and information here. 

Miss You -- for Crafty Sentiments Designs

It's Tuesday, and that means there's a new challenge happening at the Crafty Sentiments Challenge Blog.  Every Tuesday, a new challenge.  This week's theme is 'Spring'. Ah, how I wish it was!  It is still a long way off here in Northern Wisconsin, but one can hope!

Here's my card for the springtime challenge:

I love this Crafty Sentiments Designs stamp!  It is a rubber stamp called Lilly Fairy. 

I stamped Lilly Fairy on Xpress it Blending Card, then colored it with Copic markers. 

The sentiments is a clear stamp from Altenew.  The dies on the card are from Spellbinders (card base), Lifestyle Crafts (circle dies), and Hot Off the Press (label die).  Papers are from Carina Gardner - Flowers - found in the Snap Click Supply Store.  They are digital.  The crinkle ribbon and lace are from 3 Girl JAM. 

I really hope you are inspired to join the 'Spring' challenge this week at Crafty Sentiments Designs.  I would really love to see your springtime creations! 

Wishing You a Lovely Day -- an MHKDesigns New Release

Hello, my crafty friends!  It's time for another new release at MHKDesigns.  This one is great for those feminine projects we all like so well!  

Here's Pretty as a Pitcher digital stamp set:

This Pretty as a Pitcher set is really beautiful, with a number of elegant pitchers and gorgeous sentiments.  I shaded one of them with Faber-Castell Polycolor pencils, then fussy cut it, placing it in the center of my shaped card.   The floral die cut edger and the butter paper, also from MHKDesigns, are the Easter Flowers digital papers.

MHKDesigns sets used:

Pretty as a Pitcher

Easter Flowers 

Have you joined the MHKDesigns monthly challenge yet?  It's Anything Goes, if you use an MHKDesigns product. You still have some time to enter -- it goes until the end of the month.  Come join the fun!  I'd love to see what you make!  Check out the MHKDesigner and Friends Facebook group, too. There's lots of great inspiration there!

Each Day is a Blessing from God -- an MHKDesign New Release

Hello, and happy Friday!  Today is the day after chemo treatment #5.  I rarely feel good this day, so I scheduled this a couple days ago.  I usually lay pretty low the first few days after a treatment.  But, I have to get through this one and one more.  I can DO this!

Today is another New Release at MHKDesigns.  Easter isn't too far off --  never too early to start those projects!  Today's new release is perfect for Easter and Spring.  It's called, appropriately, Hoppy Easter. 

I colored the Hoppy Easter digital stamp set with Faber-Castell Polycolor pencils.  The sentiment, (and there are some great ones!) is part of the set.  The papers that I used to make this round card are from the Easter Flowers digital paper set.

Here's another view:

I used circle dies from Craftin' Desert Divas and Lifestyle Crafts to make this card.  The label die is from Hot Off the Press.  The crinkle ribbon is from 3 Girl JAM.

MHKDesigns products used:

 Hoppy Easter Digital Stamp Set

Easter Flowers Digital Paper Pack

Have you joined the MHKDesigns monthly challenge yet?  It's Anything Goes, if you use an MHKDesigns product. You still have lots of time to enter -- it goes until the end of the month.  Come join the fun!  I'd love to see what you make!  Check out the MHKDesigner and Friends Facebook group, too. There's lots of great inspiration there!

Our Greatest Glory... for MHKDesigns New Release

"Our Greatest Glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."  Isn't that quote by Confucius the best?   I find such power and hope in it!

It's also one of the sentiments included in today's New Release at MHKDesigns, found in the Etsy Shop.  The New Release is "The Glory of the Lord".

I created this tag/bookmark, thinking it would be great inspiration for someone with  cancer, or another terminal disease.  It would work very well tucked in a Bible or Devotional book.  

I colored the morning glories from The Glory of the Lord with  Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils.  The design papers, including the one the sentiment/quote is printed on, are an MHKDesigns digital paper set called Easter Flowers.

Dies used to create this tag are from Hot Off the Press and Craftin' Desert Divas.  Really Reasonable Ribbon and Timeless Twine finish it off.

Glory of the Lord

Easter Flowers

Check out the MHKDesigns blog for more inspiration and to find out how you can win this set, and the other MHKDesigners blogs to see their incredible takes on this new release.  There's also a great Facebook group, MHKDesigners & Friends that you don't want to miss!

There'll be new releases all month -- the 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th, so keeping checking back, and don't forget to enter the MHKDesigns monthly challenge.  It's anything goes, if you use an MHKDesigns image.  This would be a great one to use!

Winter Fun! for Imagine That! Digistamp

Happy Saturday, everyone!  In case you haven't heard my wonderful news, I had a PET scan last Friday.  My Lymphoma is in total remission!  I had Chemo again on Thursday, and I have 2 more treatments to go, but I'm going to make it through these treatments, and I'm going to BEAT THIS CANCER!  I have so appreciated all your prayers and well wishes.

Today, it's time for some mid-month inspiration on the Imagine That! Digistamp blog. It's a monthly link up with an Anything Goes theme.  You have until February 4th to enter this month's link up.  If you use an Imagine That! Digistamp product, you will get this month's featured product, Lorie's Seeds of Love, for free.  She's adorable!

Since it's very much Winter here in Wisconsin, I went with a little Winter Fun project for this month's link up:

I used the adorable Dog Sledding digital stamp set to create this card.  This is one of the pre-colored images from the Dog Sledding set. The sentiment is also from the Dog Sledding set.  The snowflake designer paper in the background, found in the Imagine That! Digistamp Store,  is from the Merry & Bright digital paper collection. 

Dog Sledding digital stamp set

Merry & Bright digi papers

I cut the scalloped card base out on my Cricut Explore, ran the Hot Off the Press Snowflake dies through my Big Shot, and wrapped the card up with a bit of Timeless Twine to finish it off.  Winter fun, indeed!

I hope you join our link up party this month at Imagine That! Digistamp.  Use one of our images so you can get the delightful freebie!  Visit the blog throughout the week for tons of great inspiration for this very talented design team!  Check out the Imagine That! Digistamp Facebook group for even more inspiration, freebies, contests and FUN!

Your Heart Makes Mine Happy -- for MHKDesigns

A new year, a new month, a new challenge -- all for MHKDesigns. Challenges are moving to the first of the month this year, and running until the last day of the month.  Winners will still be announced on the 15th of the month.  

Challenges are Anything Goes, if you use MHKDesigns products.  Or, there's a inspiration picture to help you along.

Here's my card for the January challenge:

I used the picture board for inspiration:

I love the look of colored pencils on Kraft paper, so that's what I did with this card, using the "I've Been Framed" digital stamp set and the "Tulip of Thanks" digital stamp set.  The "I've Been Framed" stamp set was colored with Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils.  Papers on this card are also from MHKDesigns.  They're "Damsel In Distress" digital papers. 

Dies used on this heart-shaped card are from Top Dog Dies and Hot Off the Press. 

Sets used:

I've Been Framed

Tulip of Thanks

Damsel in Distress digital papers

I hope you can join in the MHKDesigns challenge.  The theme is a fun one (remember, it's anything goes if you use MHKDesigns products), and the prize this month is my absolute favorite MHKDesigns product.  Plus, I'd love to see what you make!

Blessings! for Path of Positivity Challenge Blog

It's time for a bit of mid-month inspiration over on the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog. This month's theme is 'Blessings'.  I'm sure we all agree, we have many blessings to be thankful for!

My husband and I have been blessed with many people dropping off meals and sweets to the house since I've begun my chemo treatments.  It seems I'm always in need of thank you cards for some thoughtful person.  Here's a recent one I made, using the 'Blessings' theme:

I used the free sentiment, found at the start of this month's challenge, and products from one of this month's sponsors, Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. 

From Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Holiday Hoopla Collection, I've used patterned papers, textured papers, and the fun candy cane brad. 

The snowflake dies are from Hot Off the Press.

I hope you can join in on this month's "Blessings" challenge at Path of Positivity Challenge Blog.  We have 2 great sponsors this month, and I'd love to see your entry!

Merry Christmas! for Imagine That! Digistamp

Christmas is getting SO close!  I hope you are finding some time to enjoy the holiday!  Most of my cards are made, some are sent, but I have a couple more to show yet on my blog.

Today, it's time for some mid-month inspiration over on the Imagine That! Creative Playground.  There's a "Joy's of the Season" challenge going on until January 6, so there's still plenty of time to link up.  

Here's what I made for the challenge:

This 3D ornament card uses Imagine That! Digistamp Elegant Ornaments (colored).  I printed each ornament 3 times, fussy cut it, then glued a back to each ornament, making it 3D.  The "Merry Christmas" sentiment, also from Imagine That! Digistamp, is part of the Elegant Ornaments set (uncolored).    Papers for this card are Bella's Beauties Merry & Bright digital papers, also found in the Imagine That! Digistamp store. 

Here's the inspiration picture found for this month's challenge on the Imagine That! Creative Playground.

I used the colored and the ornaments from the tree for inspiration.

Elegant Ornaments (colored)

Elegant Ornaments

Merry & Bright digital papers

I hope you visit the Imagine That! Digistamp blog often, as there's tons of great inspiration and news to be found there.  There's the Christmas challenge going on right now at the Imagine That! Creative Playground.  You have until January 6 to link up a project.  And, there's a great Imagine That! Digistamp Facebook group to check out, too!

Friendships are life's greatest perks -- an MHKDesigns New Release

Day 3 of the December New Releases at MHKDesigns.  I hope you've had a chance to visit each designers blogs each day, along with the MHKDesigns blog to see the guest designers because it's been so inspirational! All of the new releases can be found in the MHKDesigns Etsy Shop.  Today's New Release is really fun -- Stitched Tea Party digital stamp set!

There are several very cute "tea" themed images (or coffee) in this set.  I used just the tea pot, printed in on Kraft paper, and once again, colored it with colored pencils -- a favorite technique of mine.  Since we had a stitched theme going, I used a stitched die to cut out the image.  Designer papers on this card are MHKDesigns Worn Weathered Pink digital papers.

 Stitched Tea Party

Worn & Weathered Pink

The dies used on this card -- stitched die is from Lawn Fawn.  All others are from Hot Off the Press. Here's another view where you can see the acrylic piece that holds the 2 panels together.  I saved it from some packaging.

There's still 2 more days of New Releases, so stay tuned!  Isn't this fun?!?