It's Been a While...once again.

I started out many years ago, gung ho for this blog thing. Frankly, I don't know what happened other than life evolves. What we think is important to us is indeed so, but for a time. I guess the season is drawing to a close for me. Otherwise, surely I'd be better at this.

Now don't get me wrong. I have been making cards, 4 or 5 a week, not including those requested or needed for family celebrations. And yes, I've been buying stamps and dies, etc. However, I can feel myself going in another direction. The fork was taken when I discovered travelers' notebooks and found an amazing company with quality leather items that I adore, Chic Sparrow. Now that I've invested about $1,000 on various sizes of notebook covers, I think I'm done and moving on to junk journaling. I'm very new at it and the pace I'm on is much slower than when I began making cards. We'll see where it leads. I am 70 yrs. old now. Life is expected to slow down for my age. Having knee replacement surgery this past August has taught me this.

So, here is a card for the design team I'm still on, Simply Create Too. It's the only one I've ever been on and they still want me, or at least they haven't asked me to leave. Recently, they've adopted a more "anything goes" style so that means less stress for me.

Here's my card for the challenge. There's nothing spooky about it, as I don't do Halloween, but it is seasonal at least.  Join me if you want. I'll chat with you in the near future.

Paper and ribbons is all there is for this card month's challenge.

For a better look sans the digits,
go to Simply Create Too challenge
blog.

It's Been a While

It's been a while since I've been here, but I've had fun with card kits such as Tonic and Simon Says Stamp, as well as with AliExpress. I know there is a great deal of ambivalence with the latter Alibaba company which is actually on the stock exchange. I do understand most of it. However, this country in which I live was built on capitalism and AliExpress is the epitome of it. If we for one minute believe that copyrights and patents were never stolen/infringed upon when the USA began to come into its own, we should think again.

Personally, I believe several (not all) of the stamp companies I purchase from have been raising their prices far too quickly and quite a bit. Fancy packaging may contribute to costs. I am aware that we should be producing as many items as possible right in the USA. Yet, this didn't begin overnight. I've seen, "made in China" for well over 60 yrs. I'll be 70 this month. I've seen numerous other countries producing goods for Americans. We can't expect to resolve this issue in a year or two if it has taken this long to get to the point of having to do something about it.

I just stepped off my soapbox about that subject. Suffice it to say, if I like it, I'm gonna get it from whatever source is convenient for me at that time.

A few days ago, I did some house-cleaning on my blog. The challenge design team Simply Create Too is now up-to-date and I deleted some other links on both nav bars that were no longer relevant. Blogger has changed since I last posted and it looks a bit easier for this non-tech-savvy senior to handle.

I've also returned from a wonderful vacation in Jamaica W.I. At almost 70 yrs. old, I got a passport. The time spent was wonderful and included relatives and friends.

Before I left, I had the honor of creating a birthday card for a distant aunt who turned 100. I'm praying I have 30 more healthy years to my life. In the meantime, whatever I have been blessed with, I am thankful for.

I'll be posting again in a day or two...sans the drama chat.
Blessings, Erica

Simply Create Challenge #148, Anything Goes

We have a gorgeous morning here in Arizona. We know mornings such as these won't last, so most residents are out and about. I'm content to be here in my crafty space. First church, then here and then, tonight...Game of Thrones.

I love AG challenges. You can let your mojo spirit soar to anywhere you want. So that said, I was on a roll creating rather generic cards for a minister at my church. He wanted subtle colors and basic sentiments. So this is one that I made. I got the stamp and stencil as freebies in a UK magazine. It was a double issue with several Ranger stencils, stamps and sentiments,...a real bang for the buck. These periodicals can be pricy in the US.

I hope you get a chance to play at Simply Create Too before the month is gone and hopefully you have lovely weather to enjoy if not now, very soon.

Best Wishes,

Erica

Simply Create Too challenge no. 146

Over at Simply Create Too, we have a challenge going on that is Anything Goes, with a twist to use hearts. Easy peasy, right...since it's the month for hearts. I have already submitted for my DT challenge, but I found myself with quite a few heart related dies, so here's one more.

It's a bit on the dark side. We were in the middle of a big chill here in Arizona when I took this. But you can see all the dies...from AliExpress with the exception of the circle. It's a busy card, but I especially love the letters.

Hurry over to Simply Create and play before the month is done.

Blessings,
Erica

Less Is More Challenge no. 389

Hi Friends,

The dreaded one-layer card is up and running at Less Is More and I took it on with a cute image I rarely get to use since few people to whom I send cards actually enjoy frogs.

I colored him up with Jane Davenport watercolors. I love the cute cases they come in.

I have another frog card but I had included a very ordinary sentiment and since the sentiment is the thing for this challenge, I'm not posting it. This frog holding his 'insurance legs policy' says it all, I think.

I hope you have a chance to play along with the challenge.

Blessings
Erica

Less Is More is Eight Years Old!

Bring on the party. Less Is More challenge is here for the month and celebrating it's 8th year in blog land. That's pretty impressive. Challenge blogs do come and go, but this challenge blog with its guidelines to stay clean and simple with white space as they call it, has had staying power.

Designer team members have changed but the challenge with its unique format remains the same.
I don't get as many opportunities to play as I used to, but I did have the honor to be a winner very early on. I will never forget how I did the happy dance when I found out and no one in my family got it. They do now as many a Saturday morning I can be found checking out the latest challenge.

So, I think it's fitting to make this card wishing LIM all the best. And since the blog originates from Great Britain, why not a cup of tea? And there are eight hearts on it too.

If you have never visited Less Is More, I hope you will have a chance to visit and give the challenge a try.

Blessings,

Erica

Simply Create Too Challenge No. 146, Anything Goes/Use Hearts

Hi everyone. How's the first month of the new year going for you? I hope it is running smoothly. It is for me. This week, I will be going for cataract surgery, a very popular eye operation these days...at least for those of us who have attained Medicare age. I had put mine off for as long as possible. I finally didn't have a choice if I wanted to drive at night or even go west in evenings and east in mornings. The sun, which I adore, plays havoc with my eyes. This surgery will fix it.

Simply Create Too is having it's 2nd challenge of the year, Anything Goes, Use Hearts. You don't have to use hearts, but why not since this is the month for exchanging Valentines. So my card is really all about the coffee theme, but I was able to incorporate hearts. I love this image and I'll be using it more as the year goes on.

I hope you'll get a chance to make lots of Valentine Day cards so I can enjoy your creations and comment on them too,.