Joy Tree

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with the Charmed Life Blog this Tuesday in July. As I mentioned yesterday, I will be publishing cards all this week so hopefully you will stop again tomorrow. 

My hubby's vegetable garden is starting to produce and it's time for me to start stuffing, filling and freezing banana peppers once again. He has about 22 peppers waiting for me right now. This will continue through early October. But I love having wintertime meals ready to go. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #1112. It's all about Christmas in July. I love creating Christmas cards. Our colors were  poppy parade, shaded spruce and pool party. Optional is Christmas in July with a theme of "O Christmas Tree".

poppy parade, shaded spruce, pool party

For my card I used a new to me die from the Stamps of Life. It's one of their fold-it card dies. The Joy Tree Fold-it. The idea is that you cut a shape from the 3 dies provided and in this case it's a Christmas Tree. And you end up a fun shaped card.

You use the first die and place it on your card fold. Then to cover up the edge line you use the die again and cut just one layer. Then the 2nd die cuts another layer, and the 3rd die cuts all your tree words.  

I used the challenge colors plus gold shimmer paper from Stampin' Up for my star and the peace word. My believe word was cut from pool party designer paper and inked with the same ink to get a deeper shade.

I made 2 cards using these colors and the one below shows my 2nd card. This card is made with the Christmas Tree Fold-it. 

Well, that's it for me for this post so until next time......God bless. 

Card Details:

Paper: shaded spruce, poppy parade, soft suede, simply marbelous dsp, gold fine shimmer dsp (Stampin' Up),

Paper Size: A2

Ink: pool party (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Joy Tree Fold-it Die, Christmas Tree Fold-it die (Stamps of Life)

I am also entering:

1.  Peace on Earth Christmas #115 is anything goes Christmas. 

2.  Double Trouble #220 is a Christmas in July. 

3.  Creative Knockouts #574 has a Christmas in July. 

4.  Krafty Chicks #828 is Christmas in July. 

Mailbox Birthday Wishes

Hello Blogger friends! I guess you are wondering where I have been since I haven't posted on my Blog for over a month. 

Well, I have been busy but still creating and just haven't' posted to my Blog. I am involved in our local political scene and that has kept me quite busy these last few months. Things are a bit quiet now but will ramp up again as we head into our mid-term elections. 

I will post every day this week hopefully. So, make sure you come back to see my cards. This one I created for the color challenge on Splitcoaststampers.  We were to use balmy blue, darling duckling duckling and granny apple green for the color trio. Optional was an anything goes theme. I chose a 4th color of real red.

I needed a birthday card for a good friend who celebrates in July. So, I thought of the Spellbinders Pacel & Post die to create my card. I cut the mailbox in balmy blue and night of navy (neutral). The flowers are cut in the challenge colors + real red (my anything goes option). I used dimensional adhesive to lift it up off the background for interest.

I embossed the background panel with the Stampin' Up eyelet embossing folder. Stamped my sentiment to complete my card.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So, until next time......God bless. 

Card Details:

Stamps: Parcel & Post Sentiments (Spellbinders)

Paper: Balmy Blue, Darling Duckling, Granny Apple Green, Night of Navy, Real Red, White, Basic Beige (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Parcel & Post dies (Spellbinders), Eyelet 3d Embossing Folder (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  A Cut Above is anything goes with a die cut. 

2.  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Can you Handle the Pressure is anything goes using an embossing folder. 

4.  Crafty Calendar has a Happy Birthday challenge for July. 

5.  Alphabet Challenge is "F" for festivities. Mine is birthday.

Birthday Wish

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

Another weekend is upon us and maybe it holds from crafty time for you. I hope to get into my space tomorrow and make a patriotic card. I had an idea pop into my head today for a card to celebrate America's 250th year. 

If it comes together on paper the way, it's in my head I may invite some of my friends over for a girl's night and let them make the same card. They aren't stampers so I will have to have the paper and dies all cut for them. They can stamp with some assistance. 

So, if it works out, I will post the cad on my Blog if anyone might be interested in re-creating it. Now onto my card for today. This one I created using the colors from the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #1075, Our colors were pool party, gorgeous grape and peach pie.

pool party, gorgeous grape, peach pie

I received this pretty envelope from a friend for my last birthday. She didn't write on it so I could use it again. But as soon as I saw it, I knew it was a match for gorgeous grape cardstock. So, it became designer paper on this card.

I trimmed the envelope down and layered it on peach pie cardstock and then gorgeous grape for my base. I colored the butterflies with a distress marker that complements the pool party color.

Added my birthday wish phrase in peach pie and white and scattered a few pool party glossy dots to finish off this first card.

I am going to give it to the friend who gave it to me for her birthday.

Paper: gorgeous grape, peach pie, white (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: Confetti & Cake dies (Scrapbook & Cards Today), Glossy Dots Assortment (Stampin' Up) Tumbled Glass Distress Marker (Ranger)

Techniques: Upcycle

I am also entering:

1.  Creative Fingers Challenge #323 is anything goes. 

2.  Cut It Up Challenge #357 is anything goes with a die cut. 

3.  Crafty Catz has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Ellibelle's Garden Party is anything from a garden.  

5.  Addicted to Stamps & More has a birthday challenge #518. 

Mother's Day Tulips

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. Hope your weekend was a relaxing one and you were honored or you honored someone for Mother's Day. 

I was honored by my next-door neighbor. She had dinner for her Mother-in-Law, and she invited my hubby and me to come for dinner. It was a lovely day. Her two little ones made me cards and I also received a beautiful plant. 

My son and daughter-in-law are away for a few days. I will see them later this week and we will celebrate then. So I get two celebrations. My CA son has a gift coming to me as well. Shipping was a bit delayed, but he won't tell me what is coming. 

Now onto my card for today. This is the Mother's Day card I will give to my daughter-in-law. She loves tulips. 

I used the colors from the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #1103. We were to use fresh freesia, misty moonlight and old olive for our color trio. Optional was to use designer paper.

fresh freesia, old olive, misty moonlight

I thought these colors were perfect for the card I had in mind. I started with the "bouquet of tulips" die from CottageCutz. I cut the vase and tulips in the challenge colors. I ink blended some of the tulips to get a darker shade.

I looked through my designer papers and found this pattern from the Stampin' Up "lighter than air" collection. I thought it had feminine appeal with the scallops. I continued the scallop theme with a die cut rectangle as a layer for my image panel.

I stamped my sentiment and added some purple sequins to complete my card. 

Well, that's it for me for this post so until next time......God bless. 

Card Details:

Stamps: 10 years of growth (PP Kit March 2023)

Paper: fresh freesia, misty moonlight, old olive, basic white, lighter than air dsp (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: fresh freesia (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Bouquet of Tulips die, Rectangle & Scallop dies (CottageCutz), Blueprints 15 die (MFT), Purple Sequins (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Beautiful Blossoms has an anything goes floral challenge. 

2.  Daisy Chain Challenge wants us to layer it up. 

The Beach Life

Hello Blogger Friends. Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

Well, it's Saturday and another start to a weekend. It's a rainy day here in Pittsburgh.  Just a slight drizzle for now so I have my windows open and a nice breeze is blowing through my house. 

I spent yesterday doing household chores. So, my Saturday will be freed up.  My family is coming over for a visit. We are going to the premier chocolate factory in Pittsburgh to enjoy one of their delicious ice cream sundaes and then go on a trip through the chocolate store.

My grandsons are in town for the NFL Draft. They went down to be a part of the massive crowd in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. We were with them on Wednesday night and now we will get to see them again today.  I am looking forward to it. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #1101. 

wild wheat, misty moonlight, lost lagoon

We were to use wild wheat, misty moonlight and lost lagoon for the color trio. Optional this week is a 4th color. 

I used lots of dies to create my beach scene card, I started with the Beach Scene builder die from MFT. It created the sand and water.

I cut the water in lost lagoon and then stamped the waves in misty moonlight. The sand was cut in crumb cake (neutral) and I stamped sand granules in wild wheat ink.

I added the pelican, logs and starfish for added interest. Logs cut in soft suede (neutral). I cut the pelican beak in lemon lolly cardstock and sponged with the same color ink.

The top of the card is stenciled using soft sky ink. This covered my optional item of a 4th color. 

Finished off the card by stamping my sentiment on a cloud in misty moonlight ink and added a sun cut in lemon lolly and sponged with the same color ink.

I am going to send this one to my daughter-in-law for Mother's Day. She loves the beach and this is her serenity. This card will definitely give her a smile. 

Well, that's it for me for this post. So, until next time,,,,,,,,,God bless.

Card Details:

Stamps: Island Life (MFP), Sunset at the Beach (Just For Fun),

Paper: basic white, lemon lolly, lost lagoon, crumb cake, soft suede (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: Wild wheat, Misty Moonlight, Lemon Lolly, Soft Sky (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: pelican, die, stitched sun die, cloud die (CottageCutz), beach scene builder die, cloud stencil (MFT)

I am also entering:

1.  Crafty Gals Corner is anything goes.

2.  The Sisterhood of Crafters has a "make someone smile" challenge. 

3.  The Paper Funday has an anything goes w/optional twist of die cuts/punches. 

The Little Things You Do

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with the Charmed Life Blog today. It's Sunday and I hope it's a day of rest and relaxation for you. And that you were able to get some crafty time in over the weekend. 

I was able to get crafty las week for several days. I was actually making Christmas cards. I am determined not to be in the Christmas rush of not having cards done. I say it every year but hoping this year is different. I did manage to make 10 cards las week. I usually need around 40 so I am off to a good start. I usually don't make more than 1 of the same card. But I had some designer paper that  I wanted to use up so I made 10 cards in the same design but with different paper. 

I bought some product last Christmas and never got to use it and that will be my next batch of cards.  I am excited to start those ones. Although I have some Mother's Day calendars I am making for some of the women at church so I need to get moving on those. Plus making my Mother's Day card. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for the Splitcoaststampers challenge #1100.  I was the hostess this week and I chose pretty peacock, cloud cover and secret sea for my color trio. Optional was to use designer paper. I encouraged stampers to get creative and choose paper that doesn't have these colors if they wanted.

secret sea, cloud cover, pretty peacock

I needed a thank you card for my next-door neighbor who helped me out in a huge way a couple of weeks ago.

To create my card, I used the Stampin' Up December 2025 Paper Pumpkin Kit. That's how I chose my colors for this challenge. These kits come with everything you need to create at least 9 cards. Sometimes I create them as per the instructions and sometimes I make alternate designs. 

I created my card according to the kit instructions except I added an additional layer of cloud cover for the card base.

My background paper is one of the card bases that was included in the kit. All the other items on the card are also from the kit including the beautiful bronze sequins.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So, until next time......God bless. 

Card Details:

Stamps: Watercolor in Bloom (PP Kit Dec 2025)

Paper: cloud cover (Stampin' Up),

Paper Size: A2

Ink: Pretty Peacock (Stampin' Up),

Accessories: Watercolor in Bloom Paper Pumpkin Kit Dec 2025,

I am also entering:

1.  Allsorts Challenge is in the garden or anything goes. 

2.  Love Those Pretty Papers is anything goes using patterned paper.

3.  Creative Fingers challenge is anything goes. 

4.  Paper Funday is anything goes w/option of die cuts or punches. 

Daisy Daydream Birthday

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

Well, Tax Day (April 15, 2026) has come and gone for another year. Hope all of my American followers were able to get everything filed on time. I completed mine and even got a refund this year. 

Now I can concentrate on getting my craft room reorganization done. I keep putting it off, but I definitely need a better system than what I have right now. I know where most things are but sometimes, I forget about things I bought since my system is not so streamlined. But my goal is to get all that changed this year. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created using the contents of the March 2025 Daisy Daydream Paper Pumpkin Kit from Stampin' Up. These kits give you everything you need to create at least 9 cards. What I like to do is create alternate designs from what the kit calls for. 

This one is a fun fold card. It's called a Z-fold design. I used my own white card base and then took one of the printed card bases from the kit and cut it for designer paper. 

The daisy images were the front of the base and I cut those to 1 7/8" x 5 1/4". The honeycomb images were the back of the card base and I cut that for my card inside at 4" x 5 1/4". 

I cut 2 circle images and stamped then with honeycombs. The stamp set is also part of the kit.  The bees and daisy images were also in the kit. To complete my card I added some yellow enamel dots. 

For the card inside I added a honey pot. It's a die from CottageCutz. 

Well, that's it for me for this post. So until next time.....God bless. 

I am also entering:

1.  Creative Creases has an anything goes with a fun fold design.

2.  Cut it Up has a colors of Spring challenge using die cuts. 

3.  Craft Rocket Challenge #135 wants us to layer it up.

4.  C.R.A.F.T. challenge is anything goes. 

5.  Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge - I used middle panel- embellishments-free-circles. 

Easter Cross w/lilies

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

Hope you had a great weekend and were able to get some crafty time in. When Spring rolls around that sometimes gets difficult if you are a gardener. I am not the one who tends the outside here. That is my hubby's domain.  

You might think it's odd that I am featuring an Easter card today. But one of my neighbors and a couple of friends are Eastern Orthodox Christians and yesterday was their Easter celebration. So, they always get a card from me just a bit later than my Western Christian friends. 

For this card I started with my background paper. It's from the Divinity Designs "Spring Flowers 2" collection.

I paired it with Stampin' Up rococo rose cardstock and rococo rose foil designer paper. My cross is cut from the designer paper and rococo rose cardstock.

Cut my Easter phrase in foil and to finish off the card.  I added some die cut sequins from the foil paper.

Here is another of the cards I created for this Holiday. 

And my last one for this year.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So, until next time......God bless. 

Paper: Rococo Rose, Blushing Bride,  Love You Always Foil Sheets (Stampin' Up), Spring Flowers 2 Pad (Divinity Designs), Chantilly Cream (MFT)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: Cross w/Spring Lilies die, Easter Phrases die (CottageCutz), sequins die (MFT)

I am also entering: 

1.  Crafting From the Art challenge is anything goes.

2.  Crafts Galore Encore is anything goes.  

3.  Creative Crafting Uncles has a Spring/Easter challenge. 

4.  Moving Along with the Times has an anything Spring challenge.

5.   Paper Rocks Scissors has an anything goes using paper or scissors. 

Bunny Kisses

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. It's Easter Monday and I am showing another of my Easter cards. I don't know how I get so behind posting these cards. I did the same with my Valentine cards (LOL). 

Anway hope your Easter celebration was a great one. Ours started off with church and then we had a lovely dinner with a friend. My meal turned out just as I wanted it too. And we sent some leftovers home with him and there was still plenty for dinner today and probably tomorrow. 

Now onto the details for this card. To create this one I used the colors from the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #1097. We were to use granny apple green, fresh freesia and balmy blue for the color trio. Optional was an anything goes theme. I chose to use a 4th color of petunia pop.

granny apple green, fresh freesia, balmy blue

I used the Easter Basket die from Stamps of Life. It's part of their "Fold-It" line. So, the die makes an Easter basket fun fold shape. The die also includes the egg shapes and decorations for them.

I cut the basket outline in pecan pie (allowed neutral). I used the two-tone cardstock from Stampin' Up. It gives a lighter shade of the same color. I cut the basket front with the lighter shade.

For the eggs, I used the challenge colors plus my 4th color of petunia pop.

My cute little peeking bunny is cut in pecan pie cardstock. I added the bunny kisses sentiment to complete my card. Both of these dies are from Cottage Cutz.

Well, that's it for me for this post. Stop by again tomorrow to see a couple more of my Easter cards. So until next time.....God bless. 

Card Details:

Paper: Fresh Freesia, Balmy Blue, Granny Apple Green, Petunia Pop, Pecan Pie, White (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: Easter Basket Fold-It die (Stamps of Life), Double Trouble Bunny die, Bunny Kisses die (CottageCutz)

I am also entering:

1.  A Cut Above Challenge is anything goes with a die cut and a twist of using pastels. 

2.  Double Trouble Challenge is from Thing 3 - using Easter elements. 

3.  Crafty Animals is anything goes with an animal.  

Easter Tulips

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

It's Easter weekend. I just finished cleaning in anticipation of my company tomorrow. It's a breeze because I keep up after my house almost daily and Saturday is running the sweeper, kitchen and bathroom days. Although I keep up with the kitchen daily as well. 

It will be a smaller gathering tomorrow for dinner, but I am still looking forward to it. My hubby's brother & family are out of town for the holiday. His siter is not feeling well so she declined the invite. We invited a young man from church who has no family here in Pittsburgh, also another single man from church who just lost his mother. 

I am making my usual Easter menu. Ham, hash brown potato casserole, roasted green beans and a fruit tray. I almost nixed the ham this year, but I couldn't decide on another meat so I went with ham. 

Now onto my card for today. These cards I created for the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #1098. We were to use gorgeous grape, daffodil delight, poppy parade and coastal cabana for the color trio. Optional was dies or punches. I chose the die option.

gorgeous grape, daffodil delight, poppy parade, coastal cabana

I looked through my paper pads and found this beautiful pattern from Divinity Designs "Spring Flowers 2" collection. It had the challenge colors and these beautiful tulip images.

The panel is a 6x9 size, so I was able to cut it in half and get 2 cards. For this card I used daffodil delight as my card base. Die cut my Easter phrase in gorgeous grape and scattered a few gorgeous grape enamel dots to finish off my card.

For this next card I used gorgeous grape as my card base. Die cut my Easter phrase in gorgeous grape and stamped the blessings word in gorgeous grape ink. I scattered a few gorgeous grape enamel dots to finish off my card.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So, until next time.....God bless. 

Card Details:

Stamps: Alleluia Stamp set (Divinity Designs)

Paper: gorgeous grape, daffodil delight (Stampin' Up), spring flowers pad 2 (Divinity Designs)

Paper Size: 4 1/2" x 5 3/4"

Ink: gorgeous grape (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Happy Easter Greeting die (CottageCutz), gorgeous grape enamel dots (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Alphabet Challenge is "Y" for yellow flowers.

2.  Creative Fingers is anything goes. 

3.  Cardz 4 Galz is Spring Flowers.

4.  C.R.A.F.T. Challenge is Seasons/Weather or ATG. I chose the Spring season. 

5.  Just us Girls has a Spring or Easter Card challenge using die cuts.