Birthday Card

I've been getting lots of stamping time in. I checked out the LIM challenge, but haven't felt like taxing my lil' ole' brain just yet trying to pick and then combine 3 previous challenges. So, I've been adding to my stash of birthday cards instead.

Sticking with my Clean & Simple designs, I put this tegether quickly. The candles are from a Stampendous set that is my "go to" set of late and the sentiment is from SU's Whimisal Words. The ds paper was just laying around. I colored with my Copics and brightened up the flames with a copper gel pen. The base is SU"s sage shadow and the mat is Neenah solar white.

On another note, as many of you can attest, it gets might difficult to find storage for wood mounted stamps if space is a premium. Quite a while ago, I began unmounting but never was satisfied with my chosen method of storage....cd cases. Then along came SU with DVD cases that really were a godsend. However, after watching Joanna's Youtube video I see that I have been doing it all wrong. This video tute is excellent! If you haven't hit upon the best way to store your unmounteds, do give her way a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Now let's see if I can hunker down and turn out something gorgeous for LIM.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Less Is More Challenge #29

Good evening stampers. I had a lovely Sunday stamping and chatting with friends. It was my turn to host, but they lovingly brought everything to me, so that I didn't have to do a thing. Friends...real friends can be so good for the soul.

The Divas at LIM went easy peasy this challenge. If it can move, you can use it to enter. We certainly know that butterflies can fly and bees are always busy. Who doesn't love 'em right? This is a rather large dollar stamp from Michaels. I love the sentiment which is so appropriate for me these days. I used the Cuttlebug scrollwork folder and the stamp fit perfectly on it. The base is Nenah solar white and I stamped in Memento tuxedo black with copics used for coloring. I tried to keep the colors soothing and subtle. We need to be at peace with whatever challenges the Lord allows in our path. Butterflies sooth me.

Hope you are all having a great weekend.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

I'm Toooo Late!

Wouldn't you know it? I love how this card came out and it would have been a great submission to this....err, I mean last week's challenge at LIM. But I took too long to think it up, too long to create it and alas, way too long to post it. But I like it, so into my pile it goes and I will not go to sleep until I check the new LIM challenge, which I will dream about it, so I can create it on Saturday and post on Sunday or sooner if possible. This latter scenario works for me. The later I take to think up my design, the less chance it has of actually being posted on time.

So, I won't go into any great deets here. It's simple enough. Chairs are from SU, sentiment from Stampotique, "rugs" from A Muse, ink is Rangers Broken China technique used, strategically placed Post-its. I think the divas would have given me a thumbs up for this one.

Hugs & Blessings
Erica

Lots of Color

I took an entire two days this week and stamped my heart out. My room looks like a tornado hit it. I am a messy stamper. I'll work on getting it back into shape for the next two days and then I'm not going to mess it up stamp for at least one week. I'll be posting the cards I've already made and catching up on my reading. I have an e-reader with 15 downloaded books. I just had to have an e-reader last Christmas, and hubby is wondering why he rarely sees me using it. I also need to devote more time to my husband and our new routine around the house. We have been putting off going to the movies until he felt stronger. I think that time is approaching.

This is a semi-homemade CAS card. The panel idea is from Papertrey Ink...if memory serves me. The base is neenah solar white and the mats are from an SU ds pad patterns in color stack. I made a mistake and bought two of these stacks. It will take me forever to use them up as I tend to hoard dsp, but not actually use it. The flower is from the SU die called Daisies, and the leaves are a Sizzix die. I ran them through a crimper for some definition. I made the tag from more white cs and finally found a short tute from SU demo extraordinnaire, Mary Fish, on how to make the banner look . It's done with a square punch. It certainly beats the way I was doing it. Suffice it to say I was struggling. The sentiment is from a hostess set in the new catty called Happiest Birthday Wishes. This is a versatile set I'll be going to again and again. I just love it when that happens.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

Time to Distress at Simply Create

Good Morning stampers. I am quite late posting this card. It has already appeared at Simply Create where I'm a design team member. Life has been happening at warp speed for my family these days. The big news for us is my husband is home from the physical rehab center and we are all adjusting to that. We're pulling together like never before so we can afford home nursing care. This allows me to have a bit of respite, though I must still be on hand until things become routine for his care. He is so much more healthy and emotionally uplifted in our home. We are glad we did not choose the option of assisted living in someone elses home at this time.

'Nuf said personally. So if you like to distress...then Simply Create's challenge is for you. Please go check all the samples the design team has inspired you with. Mine is flowery And I fear, my beautiful Martha Stewart butterfly barely shows up. I should have died it. The flower is handmade as my flowery mood continues. The sentiment is from a new to the SU catty set called Pursuit of Happiness. Each mat has been distressed with my Tim Holtz distressing tool. I've added a satin ribbon bow and a bit of bling. And that's it.

Well, I'm off to do a little shopping with my grandson who has started to enjoy cooking. Now that's a talent I intend to make good on. Now if I could just get him to keep his room clean, I'd say I'm helping to make a perfect husband for some lucky lady someday.

Hugs & Blessings,
Erica

On a bit of a flower kick these days...

Good evening stampers. I am sitting here listening to some lovely calm Christian music...one of those WOW Gospel cds where they have gathered all the hits for the year, and realizing how truly blessed I am. This has been such a rough week in the news. Those brave Navy Seals who lost their lives...the horrible riots that raged in London....the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in the Sudan. Sometimes, I think it's too much to bear for one person. I feel so totally helpless and useless. How is it I can sit here and stamp away with so much suffering going on around me? I know there are many like me. The answer our awesome God gave me is in 1 Thes. 5:17. It is one of the easiest scriptures to memorize. It is simply, "Pray constantly." I have nothing to give and yet, I know it is enough in the eyes of my God. So I have been closing my eyes frequently during these past days and praying simply heartfelt prayers. I know that there are many who are doing the same. Until God tells me He wants more and just what that more is, I know it is enough.

I'm in a flowery mood these days. Been perusing the CTMH and SU new cattys and circling nothing but flower sets. I've pretty much mastered making the paper flowers done with scalloped circles. This one is 6 scallops punched with an SU Stamp, crimped in an old fashioned crimper and sprayed with water to break the fibers down...then crumpled and squished with a brad in the middle. I then touched some Ranger glitter glue to the edges to give it some sparkle.
The leaves are punched with a Marvy punch. My frame is the older fleur de lis Nestie and the image and sentiment are from an SU hostess set called On the Grow. The bottom image is an SU wheel called Victorian. I added a bit of white lace across the lower third. It's quite pretty IRL, and I've used my copics for all the coloring. I stamped in Memento paris dusk... a seldom ink pad that can work just as well as the tuxedo black in many cases. Blue pearls for umph finish the card.

Count your blessings my stamping friends. Count them one by one.Praise him for His unfailing love.
Blessings to you...Erica

LIM...You're a Peach

Evening stampers. This is my 2nd entry to the Less Is More Challenge #26 and it's the first I've entered twice. I was truly inspired by Sue's post here when I remembered that I had a dollar stamp with the same saying as the one on her third entry. I also loved how she  expertly colored the peach.
I had to cut my stamp, which was a clear one, into two pieces and make the sentiment fit on one line. It was originally two lines. I was also eager to use the Spellbinders Ribbon Banners die set. I'm sure I'll get tired of seeing these banners someday, but they lend lots of pizzaz to sentiments on a card. I sponged it in with Memento tangelo ink which closely resembled the colors I'd used on the peach. I don't have lots of copics, so I used numbers that were as close as possible to those Sue recommended. I think it photographed more like an apricot, but it is more subtle IRL. I used an MS border punch on top and bottom and my base is SU garden green. So, I'm submitting it to LIM and hopefully the divas will catch it before times up and leave a comment.

Have a great weekend and stamp, of course.

Blessings,
Erica

Fetch A Sketch

Hi Stampers...hope your Tuesday was great. I am having to make life-altering decisions these days and creating cards is just what I need to take the edge off the stress. Isn't that the reason many of us create? For those 50ish and older, it could be called our "Calgon" moment. Do they make that stuff anymore? I guess Bath & Body Works and Vickie's Secret have given tried and true products we knew serious competition. Ahh, but I digress.

Here's my submission to Fetch A Sketch Challenge #3. I just used a white base and an SU sage mat, along with scrap ribbon and the Nestie blossom diecut on which I stamped a sentiment from an SU set called Pursuit of Happiness. I sponged Ranger honey distress ink to make the saying look framed. I love this saying from Bishop Tutu. If only there were something he could do about the famine in Somalia. But I think he's retired now. All we can do is pray for these poor people. And when we feel down, praise God we are who we are and we are where we are. UGH! Digressing Again.

Blessings, Erica

Made It Myself Mondays

Good Morning stampers. Here is Monday we have a gorgeous, albeit sizzlen' hot one here in AZ.





I spied this blog out today by going to the Cutting Cafe here first and checking out Regina's submission....way cute, and decided to submit this project I made in  June. All deets can be found in the link.

I love how this turned out and plan to make several for Christmas presents.

Here's how the inside looks. It was surprisingly inexpensiv to make if you use my sources.
I'd love to hear your comments.
I'll be back with a cute card for  the Fetch A Sketch challenge  tomorrow.

Hope you get to stamp this week. 

Blessings, Erica