Cupcake Love

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Love Blog this Saturday in January.

 

We are expecting some wintry weather later today. It's a great day to be be sipping on some coffee and working on crafts. I am doing both at this moment (lol)!!

 

I have started on my Valentine cards. I usually make some for the guys at church to give to their wives. They look forward to it every year. And then I send to my own family.

 

This card I made today is also being featured on the CottageCutz Blog for my weekly DT post.  I used a new die from the Valentine collection - Love Cupcake.

 

I wanted to stick with the traditional Valentine colors of red & pink with black accents for my card. I chose some heart themed designer paper for my background layer.
Black card base: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"
Red Layering Panel: 5 3/8" x 4 1/8"
Designer Paper: 5 1/8" x 3 7/8"

Image Panel: 3rd largest stitched square die
Black Layering Panel: 2nd largest square set die

I cut the cupcake from red and pink cardstocks. Love all the detail on the cupcake base as well as the icing. I adhered this with Ranger multi medium matte.

Stamped a corner sentiment using a Stampin'-Up Paper Pumpkin set from a couple of years ago.

I angled the image panel and used some black velvet ribbon as an accent.

Finished off my card by attaching to the black base. Well that's it for me for this post. So until next time...…..God bless.

 

A Flurry of Joy

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

 

This is the last of my 2018 Christmas card designs. I am still in the process of taking down my Christmas decorations so posting a Christmas card seemed appropriate.

This was one of my favorite cards that I made this Christmas, and I only made one of them. I didn't have any more of the gingham designer paper. If I find this pattern, I may make some of these for next year.

 

My card layout is from the Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge #726.

The snowflake is from the Stampin'-Up Festive Flurry set. I embossed the background using the Tim Holtz woodgrain folder. The joy sentiment is from a CottageCutz die.

 

That's my card for this post. So until next time...…….God bless.

 

Card details:

Stamps: festive flurry (Stampin'-Up)  

Paper: real red, whisper white, gingham dsp (BoBunny)  

Paper Size: A2  

Accessories: festive flurry framelits (Stampin'-Up), joy of giving die (CottageCutz), white enamel dot (homemade)woodgrain embossing folder (TimHoltz)  

 

I am also entering:

1.  Polkadoodles Craft Challenge is anything goes.

2.  Winter Wonderland has a snowtime challenge. Use either snowflakes or snowmen.

3.  Christmas Crafts all Year Round has a let it snow challenge.

 

Happy New Year

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

 

Well we are starting to see winter weather here in Pittsburgh. We had some snow, high winds and cold temps. I don't really mind weather like this. I grew up in Pittsburgh and having 4 seasons is part of the climate here.

 

I am still working on getting my Christmas decorations down and put away. I am doing a little each day because this task is something I don't really enjoy doing. But I have made progress.

 

I usually start with the peripheral decorations and then make my way to the trees. Once I started the undecorating it's made me anxious to get finished with it and get my house back to normal. Several more days and I will be finished.

 

Now let's move onto my card for today. This one I made for the Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge #729. Allison was the hostess and she gave us a great layout for our cards.

For my card I decided to go with a New Year's theme. I used the Ring in the New Year die from CottageCutz. For element 5 of her sketch, I added the New Year's mask. 

The background paper is from Stampin'-Up's "year of cheer specialty" collection. I stayed with the paper colors of white and silver and added just a splash of color with the mask and the firecracker.

 

That's it for me for this post. So until next time......God bless.

 

card details:

 

Paper: whisper white, melon mambo, pear pizzazz, granny apple green, highland heather (Stampin'-Up), silver (Recollections)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: ring in the new year, wacky stitched square dies (CottageCutz)

 

I am also entering:

1.  A Bit More Time to Craft has an anything goes challenge.

2.  Crafts Dreamy has an anything goes challenge.

3. The Happy Craft Challenge is anything goes.

Tell it on the Mountain

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

 

It was another sunny day here in Pittsburgh. Two days in a row is so unusual for us in January. It was cold but when the sun shines it just makes it seem warm.

 

We took advantage of the day by taking down our outside Christmas decorations. I am not going to start the inside until next weekend. It seems like I just decorated and now its time to undo everything. I do a little at a time because everything needs wrapped and packed carefully so it's good to go next Christmas.

 

Now onto my card for today. I am showing another of my 2018 Christmas cards. This one I created for the Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge #724. Carey was the hostess and she gave us a great layout for our cards.

My card is a larger one than I usually create. The overall size is 6 3/4" x 4 1/8". The sentiment and wise men ornament required a larger size.

I bought this stamp set from Penny Black and have been wanting to use it on at least one of my Christmas cards. It included the mountain phrase die. I think it gives a bold emphasis to my card.

The card is done in night of navy ink and cardstock. My background paper is a denim shade. I thought it has a night sky look to it.

The wise men ornament is a die from CottageCutz. Well that's my card for today. So until next time...…….God bless.

 

card details:

Stamps: He is born (Penny Black)  

Paper: whisper white, night of navy (Stampin'-Up), stone washed denim dp (Provo Craft)  

Paper Size: A6  

Ink: night of navy (Stampin--Up)

Accessories: Wise Men Ornament die (CottageCutz), Mountain Phrase die (Penny Black), metallic enamel dots (Stampin'-Up)   

 

I am also entering:  

1.  CHNC challenge #419 has an anything goes Christmas.

2.  Penny Black Saturday challenge is anything goes w/option something new. This stamp and die was a new purchase for me this Christmas season.

3.  Polkadoodles has an anything goes challenge.

 

 

Birthday Sweater

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this first Saturday in January.

 

It's such a beautiful sunny day here in Pittsburgh. The sun is something we don't get a lot of in the winter. So when its shining, it feels good.

 

Today is my extended family Christmas get together. There will be about 60 of us at my brother's home. He has a house that is perfect for large crowds. Between the sprawling family room in his basement to the large open floor plan upstairs it just doesn't feel crowded.

 

Everyone brings a dish to share and we will have a big variety. I am bringing meatballs in a marinara sauce to accompany the lasagna my sister in law is making. I found these black angus beef meatballs from grass fed cows at Whole Foods last year. They are so delicious. They are simmering in my crock pot as I write this post.

 

Let's move onto my card for today. This one I made for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz blog. I am in need of some masculine birthday cards this month so that's my theme for this post.

 

Since it's January and sweater weather I thought I would use the Ugly but Cute sweater die for my card. It's part of our Christmas 3 collection but my card shows you a way to use it for other occasions. Helps you get more mileage out of your dies.

 

The sketch #720 from Splitcoaststampers was a perfect layout for a masculine card. It's simple and I think that always makes for a great  male themed card.

My designer paper is from the Stampin'-Up "sweet taffy collection. It has a variety of colors that will help me build my card. For the angled panel, I cut a piece of turquoise cardstock 4" x 5 1/8" and cut it at an angle. I did the same with my designer paper.

  cut my sweater from cardstock to match the colors on the designer paper. Used Stampin'-Up's rich razzleberry and pumpkin pie cardstocks.

 Now that the card elements are cut, I can start my card assembly. I attached the angled panels to the white card base with double sided tape. I wanted some texture on the turquoise panel so I embossed with an argyle embossing folder.

I wanted a cover up where the 2 panels meet. I thought of ribbon or twine but eventually decided on just a strip of rich razzleberry cardstock. It's 1/2" wide and 4 1/4" long. It kept the masculine appeal of my layout.

White card Base: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

The sweater was attached with dimensional adhesive. I always like the look of the image being lifted just slightly off the image panel. 

 To complete my card and add a sentiment, I used the Celebrate Phrase and cut in turquoise cardstock.

 Well, that's it for me for this post. Time to get dressed for my family party. So until next time...…..God bless.

dies I used to create card:

 

To You & Yours

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

 

It's my first post of 2019 even though I am still showing Christmas cards. I made these ones with the Stampin'-Up Paper Pumpkin kit. I loved the plaid designer paper that was included in the kit.

 

The farmhouse style is one that is growing on me. Although I am really not ready to do a home makeover yet. These cards went out to my nieces and some friends who have embraced the style for their homes. I made 20 of these cards.

 

The Paper Pumpkin kits come with everything you need to make a more Clean and simple style card. I saw a card on the Paper Pumpkin Facebook page and used her idea for my cards. I changed the snowflake colors on the first card.

 

Well that's it for me for this post. I have my grandson coming over for a sleepover and it's time to get ready for his visit. So until next time...….God bless.

 

I am also entering:

1.  As You Like It Challenge is anything goes.

2.  Crafting with an Attitude has an anything goes challenge.

3.  A Bit More Time to Craft has an anything goes challenge.

 

Christmas Poinsettia

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit this last Saturday of 2019.

 This year went by like a whirlwind. Hope 2019 slows down a bit (lol). I am getting ready for my youngest son and his family to come and visit for a week. they will arrive tomorrow. 

Looking forward to another celebration of Christmas with them. My sweet little granddaughter, Phoenix Daisy, will bring such a wonderful joy to our home. Her antics will be talked about long after she leaves.

I have a lot of little things to do to get ready for their visit. So let's move onto my card for today. This is another of my Christmas cards from this season. The layout is from the DTGD challenges on Splitcoaststampers this past summer. And, the challenge hostess was Sandie. Here is a link to the challenge. You have to be a fan club member to be able to view it though. 

I created a Christmas card using the MFT poinsettia die with Stampin'-Up's cherry cobbler cardstock. My background paper is from the Christmas Specialty collection from Stampin'-Up.

Also used a metallic snowflake, sequins and silver cord to complete my card. And, that's my card for today. So until next time...…..God bless.

card details:

Paper: cherry cobbler,garden green, this Christmas specialty dsp (Stampin'-Up) 

Paper Size: A2 

Accessories: poinsettia & flag stax dies (MFT), foil snowflake (Stampin'-Up), silver cord (recollections), silver sequins (Darice) 

I am also entering:

1.  Fussy and Fancy has a Christmas/New Years challenge. 

2.  As You Like It has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Crafty Creations has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Cute n'Crafty Christmas has a Christmas/Winter theme.

5.  Creative Moments has an anything goes with optional of Christmas challenge

Christmas Lantern

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

 

Well Christmas Day 2018 is in the history books. We had such wonderful family time both Christmas Eve with my in-laws and Christmas Day with my son and his family. Our dinner on Christmas Day was fabulous. My daughter-in-law and I work so well together in the kitchen.

 

I made a ham which I don't usually do for Christmas but I had some other new recipes that I thought would compliment it well. I made an orange marmalade glaze for the ham which turned out so delicious.

 

The new recipes were roasted rainbow herbed carrots. I bought white, purple and orange carrots. Hence the name rainbow. The herbs I used to season were fresh rosemary, thyme, shallots, garlic. Then I roasted them with olive oil and the herbs.  They had such incredible flavor. This one s definitely a keeper.

 

I also made green beans with a gremolata. The gremolata consisted of lemon zest, garlic, fresh parsley, pine nuts, a bit of parmesan cheese and olive oil. I also had a sweet potato gratin. This consisted of fresh sliced sweet potatoes, gruyere cheese, heavy cream, onion powder, smoked paprika and chipotle powder.

 

I also had a fresh fruit salad. My family was happy with everything and I had compliments galore. Now let's move onto my card for today.

 

This is another of this year's Christmas cards. I created this one using the colors from CC716 on Splitcoaststampers. Jeanne was our hostess and she chose melon mambo, pear pizzazz and blushing bride for her color trio. Optional was to add foliage.

melon mambo, pear pizzazz, blushing bride

My lantern image is the Lantern w/Pine boughs die from CottageCutz. I used the challenge colors plus some neutrals for the greenery.
My pine boughs are cut in mossy meadow (Stampin'-Up's new neutral) and the acorn is soft suede and baked brown sugar.

I just bought the Stampin'-Up Buffalo Check stamp and wanted to use it on this card for my background. I stamped in blushing bride ink and then used a pear pizazz marker and drew lines to make it a tartan plaid.

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: buffalo check (Stampin'-Up), christmas messages (Hero Arts)  

Paper: pear pizzazz, blushing bride, whisper white, melon mambo, mossy meadow, baked brown sugar, soft suede  

Paper Size: A2  

Ink: melon mambo  

Accessories: lantern w/pine boughs, rectangle dies (CottageCutz)

 

I am also entering:

1.  As You Like It has an anything goes challenge.

2.  Crafting with an Attitude #46 has an anything goes challenge.

3.  Crimbo Crackers has an anything goes Christmas challenge.

4.  ABC Christmas Challenge is "Z" for zero embellishments. I used a die but added no additional embellishments.

5.  Christmas at Sweet Stampin' has an anything goes challenge.

6.  Cute N' Crafty Christmas #3 has an anything goes challenge.