For My Hubby

I was challenged to make a manly card for a card swap. One of these was sent to my swap partner and the other I made to give to my hubby as a just because card to thank him for all the wonderful things he does to take care of me and our children. I got word from my swap partner yesterday that she gave hers to her hubby three days ago on his birthday. She said that he just loved it and that it is sitting on his desk. My husband enjoyed receiving his card as well. This is such a great card to give to the men in your life for any occasion - birthday, anniversary, Father's Day, duck season, etc.

The card is all svg files from SVGCuts.com. It comes from the Picnic in the Park kit. I used my Sizzix Eclips to cut out the pieces. The paper I used is an old line by My Mind's Eye called Miss Caroline. I bought a lot of it when it came out a couple of years ago because I liked it so much; but now I am running out of it. There are only a few sheets left of it in my stash. The cardstock is American Craft. I used my Memento and Color Box inks to ink the edges. I like the dimension that inking adds to a project. I also had the pearls in my stash. They were bought from HL.

I will be entering this into the following challenges:

Creative Fingers: #13 Anything Goes (1/3)

Cute Card Thursday: #297 Anything Goes

The Crafter's Café: #39 Anything Goes (2/3)

Use It Tuesday: #68 Anything Goes

Cards for Men: #24 Anything Goes

Paper Playtime: #24 Anything Goes (3/3)

Challenges 4 Everybody: #34 Anything Goes

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

I was challenged to make a gatefold card for a card swap. I went to Splitcoast Stampers and found a tutorial by Beate Johns for a Z fold card. I thought I'd give it a try and I really like how it came out. The big ribbon bow slides off to open the card. The ribbon is from my stash (it came off a gift package I received last Christmas) and is wire edged. I like using the wire edge because it is so much easier to shape the bow the way you want it to look. The dp is from an Authentique collection (a collection from last year), and the cardstock is Papertrey Ink and American Craft. The white ink is called Fresh Snow and is from Papertrey Ink. The stamp is from Punkin Patch stamps and the die cut is Spellbinders(2010 Heirloom Ornaments). The pearl embellishments are from HL.


I will enter this card into the following challenges:

Weekly Christmas Card Challenges: #52 Faith
Pile It On: Non-traditional Christmas
Challenges 4 Everybody: #34 Anything Goes
4 Crafty Chicks: #170 Christmas
Little Red Wagon: #213 Off the Edge
The Sisterhood of Crafters: Handmade
Word Art Wednesday: #108 Anything Goes
The Crafter's Café: #39 Anything Goes
Creative Craft Challenges 2: #24 Non-traditional Christmas Colours
Oldie but A Goodie Challenge: Ribbon and/or lace
Use it Tuesday: #68 Anything Goes

Whoo Loved Receiving Her Owl!

My sweet Ezra had been asking me for weeks to make his teacher an owl. He had been telling me that owls are her absolute favorite and he wanted to give her one! Well this morning when he woke up, I had a surprise waiting for him. I stayed up late last night and put together this 3D owl. He was so surprised as he thought I would probably just make a card. We opened it up, packed it with Kraft Paper Crinkle (from Michaels) and then added chocolate candy bars and a note of thanksgiving. Ezra constantly praises his teacher. It is a blessing for him to have a teacher that really enjoys her job and is able to so easily motivate her students! Ezra took it to her today and she sent a note home that went like this: "Thank you for the awesome super cute owl. I love it. I showed all my friends." And Ezra said that she truly did take it around all day today at school showing it off to the other teachers. It brings so much joy to be able to give something to someone and have it make them so happy.

The SVG files for the owl came from SVGCuts.com. It is in the Enchanted Autumn kit. The owl is so incredibly well designed that I felt like it had no need for any extra embellishments. I used three shades of brown for it and had all of those in my paper stash. I had found a bunch of brown paper on clearance for .15 a sheet awhile back and had loaded up. The owl's finished dimensions are 5x7x5, so needless to say it makes quite a nice gift container.

I will enter this into the following challenges:

Use It Tuesday: #68 Anything Goes

Through the Purple Haze: Use Your Craft Stash

Paper Playtime: #24 Anything Goes

Challenges 4 Everybody: #34 Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create: #47 Anything Goes

Christmas Bear



Christmas is coming and it is time to consider how you're going to wrap your gifts. Well how about this year making/using homemade gift tags on your packages! Can you see the gift wrapped lovingly in paper with a big red bow and a handmade tag attached to it? I love to wrap my gifts. There is something about several boxes under a Christmas tree wrapped in a array of colors and finished off with bows that warms my heart. I just cannot bring myself to use store bought gift bags and this year I think it will be time for store bought gift tags to go too!!! The Christmas bear on this tag is an SVG file from KaDoodle Bug Designs and the tag base itself is from a Fall tag at My Scrap Chick. The red and white polka dot ribbon and red jewels are from my stash as were probably purchased at HL. All cardstock was in my paper scrap stash box and is Papertrey Ink or American Craft. Inking is done with Color Box and Memento inks. If you would be interested in purchasing some tags for your packages this Christmas season, please contact me through my profile email and I will send you the information. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas this year!!!

I will be entering this tag into the following challenges:

Creative Cutting Challenge: #23 Christmas/Not a Card
Pile It On: #47 Non-traditional Christmas
Paper Playtime: #24 Anything Goes
Challenges 4 Everybody: #34 Anything Goes
Craftin Desert Divas: #20 Tags
Through the Purple Haze: Use your Craft Stash

Sweet Scarecrow

Well this scarecrow isn't very scary, but instead turned out so super sweet. This is a great paper piecing from My Scrap Chick. You can find it in their Fall Treat Boxes kit. The cardstock is Papertrey Ink and American Craft. The DP is from my stash (sorry can't remember the manufacturer). I wrapped some twine around it and finished it off with a bow. I inked my edges with Memento and Color Box inks. I can see making several more of these. One of my favorites!

I will be entering this into the following challenges:

Totally Papercrafts Friday Challenges: #194 - Add a Bow

Card Crafter's Circle: #102 - Thankful/Thank You

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog: #154 Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenges: #249 Ready for the Holidays/Thanksgiving or Christmas

Die Cutting Divas: #142 - Thanksgiving 

613 Avenue Create: #47 Anything Goes



Z is for Zebra

Awhile back I was going to enter a challenge on a FB group that I am a part of where I was to make a card with a black background. I had finished up the base of the card with the animal print in white and I had attached the red ribbon. I was unable to finish as my husband and I began traveling for some interviews. Well the card base laid around and I kept thinking I should finish it somehow. Well I noticed that ABC Challenges has a current challenge called Z is for Zebra, so I decided I would just add the oval Spellbinders die and a zebra paper piecing and enter the challenge.

The animal print background and the zebra are both from SVG Cuts. You can find the background in their freebie files (they currently have over 300 freebies to choose from) and the zebra is part of the Wild Child collection. The cardstock is Papertrey Ink and American Craft. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look. And please do become a follower. I will be giving away a prize pack when  I reach 100 followers.

So Much to Be Thankful For

I hope that as the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches that we are all blessed enough to see and to know how much we have to be thankful for. I know that I feel extremely blessed as the holidays are rolling around this year. As my family recently had a major move (my husband took a new job and we moved from New Mexico to Ohio), I am delighted about how well we have transitioned into our new home and new community over the last three months. We still have a lot to learn about our surroundings, but we really like where we are. I am also thankful for my family. My husband and kiddos are a joy! And I can't say enough about how much we have been blessed by our new friends! I give praise to God for my satisfaction, just as I have been doing over the last three months. In honor of a heart full of Thanksgiving, I have a card I'd like to share.

The SVG cut files are from Treasure Box Designs. The cardstock is Papertrey Ink and American Craft. The DP and ribbon were found among my stash and scraps. The card measures 4 1/4 x 4 1/4. I used both Memento and Color Box Inks to ink the edges and to stamp the sentiment. The sentiment is from Jaded Blossom's Wedding Wishes.

I will enter this card into the following challenges:

Craftin Desert Divas: Linky Party #19 - Thanksgiving

Totally Papercrafts Friday Challenges: #194 - Add a Bow

Card Crafter's Circle: #102 - Thankful/Thank You

Pile It On: #46 - With Thanks

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog: #154 Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenges: #249 Ready for the Holidays/Thanksgiving or Christmas

Papertake Weekly Challenge: Giving Thanks

Die Cutting Divas: #142 - Thanksgiving 

Jaded Blossom: Anything Thanksgiving

Parade Your Crafts: #8 Grateful

Flamingos in November Anyone?

I'm sharing a card today that I made for a card swap group that I participate in. One of November's challenges is to make a Flamingo card, so here is mine. Once again I am very thankful to Mary over at SVGCuts.com. Not sure I would be able to make so many great cards if Mary wasn't around designing such incredible SVG files. Thanks Mary and Leo for all you do! And hopefully my swap partner will get her card in the next day or two and not see it posted on here first. Keeping my fingers crossed.

This card is from the Summer Holiday Kit. I used my Sizzix Eclips (electronic die-cutting machine for those of you that are unfamiliar with this tool) to cut out my SVG files. The papers are from Echo Park's Hello Summer paper pack. The cardstock is Papertrey Ink and some other from my stash. I also used Memento inks and some pearls to finish everything off.

I will be entering this card into the following challenges:

Pile It On: Challenge #45 - Show us your Tools

Rhedd and Rosie's Challenge Blog: Challenge #139 - Birds and Blooms



A Wonderful Time of Year!

Christmas is nearing and I'm getting so excited. Deep in the depths of me there has always been a fondness and joy about this time of year. And this year, I have even more to be excited about. Having moved back to the northern regions, I can look forward to the huge possibility that Christmas will be blanketed with snowfall. I can't wait to find out. I truly enjoy many things about Christmas. I really like giving and getting presents. I can't wait to see the smiles on the faces of our kids as they wake up Christmas morning. So much fun!!! I enjoy the lights and the music. Today I went shopping and already the Christmas music was playing. I walked up and down the aisles singing away. I enjoy the musicals and plays that are performed this time of year. But what I love the most about Christmas is that eyes and hearts are turned toward my Lord Jesus. It is a time to remind everyone that the Savior was born. I love it that more people come to church that Sunday before Christmas (or even better when it is Christmas Day) and they get to hear a message about the birth of Jesus. It warms my heart also that more people turn their minds to thinking of giving a helping hand. It truly is a wonderful time of year.

I originally made these cards for a swap I participate in. One of the themes for November is to make 2 small cards (3x3). I downsized the original SVG files for both of these cards to allow them to work. If you enjoy swapping cards, let me know and I can give you details about the group I'm in. The SVG file for the card up top must be a retired file from My Scrap Chick as I can no longer find it in their store. The card to the left is from the Everyday Winter Cards Kit from SVG Cuts.

I will be entering my nativity card into the November Challenge - In the Frame at a Heck of a Challenge.