you're a star

Happy Tuesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog. Hope you all had a great and relaxing holiday weekend.

I worked on wedding invites, went to a wedding, had friends over for a cook-out and then worked on some dt committments. It was a fun week-end for me.

Today is my day with my grandsons. A happy day of the week for me. And, Ethan has a game tonite so that's always fun as well.

But, before all of that I have another sweet peek to share with you from a new Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps set. This one is "patriotic cocoa". Since the other designers used the cocoa mouse image, I decided to make a card with one of the sentiments. That way you can see how versatile the set is.

I thought this one could be used for a birthday, graduation or a congrats card. The set has 13 stamps and will be released tomorrow, June 1.

In fact, tonight is the release party over on the Sweet 'n Sassy connection. Hope you can join us for all the fun. There will be prizes!!! It runs from 8:00-10:00 pm

For my card I used the layout from the Sweet Stop Sketch blog.



The bright papers are from the Echo Park "summer days" collection. They are available from Sweet 'n Sassy stamps.

That's my card for today. To see more "sweet peeks" from this super sweet set drop by the Sweet 'n Sassy blog. The other members of the design team have some awesome samples to show you.


Some other challenges:

1.  The Make it Monday blog always has an anything goes challenge.
2.  The Gingerloft challenge wants us to tie a yellow ribbon.
3.  Catch the bug challenge wants us to use bright colors.

Victorian Rose Blossom

Happy Thursday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog. It's been a week since I have posted but for good reason.

We had a death in our family. The good news is that my husband prayed the prayer of salvation with him 2 weeks before he died. So he has gone on to be with Jesus.
I had my son and his family in from San Francisco for 5 days. Loved my time with sweet Phoenix Daisy. So crafting was put on the back burner for the time they were here.

But, today is the start of the "sweet peeks" at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. Korin has an awesome release of new stamps for June. I loved this "rose blossom" set. It can be used for a variety of cards-IE. birthday, encouragement, thinking of you, sympathy etc.

This set has this gorgeous rose image and 3 rose themed sentiments plus a true friend sentiment. The image can be colored in whatever medium you use-colored pencils, copics or watercolors.

My card is for my bff to let her know I value her friendship. She loves the Victorian style so I created my card along those lines.

The patterned paper reminds me of Victorian wall paper. I used various spellbinders dies that also have a Victorian look to them.

I colored the rose with prismacolor pencils and gamsol. The sentiment was stamped on a little tag and I added some ribbon and a ribbon rose.

That completes this sample. Make sure you check out the other design team girls. They are showing some beautiful samples today. We have 6 days of peeks for your viewing pleasure. Lots of fun and on the 31st, Korin has a release party planned.


Some other challenges:
1.  Divas by design has a one for the girls challenge.
2.  Creative Card Crew has an anything goes challenge.
3.  The Top Tip Tuesday blog wants us to use 2 or more stamps.
4.  My time to craft blog wants us to use die cuts.
5.  Passionatley Artistic blog has a "scrappin with the stars" linking party.

card recipe:
stamps: rose blossom (sweet 'n sassy stamps)
paper: su choc chip, pink white, sending love dsp
ink: memento tuxedo black
accessories: spellbinders fancy tags 2, labels 4, sizzix label die, pearls, ribbon, prismacolor pencils & gamsol

Amazing Grace

Happy Thursday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog. Another exciting day here in Pittsburgh.

First news is that Brett, Ghilly and Phoenix Daisy are coming tonight for a 5 day visit.
Can I tell you how thrilled I am to have them here for that many days.

I am busy getting the house ready for visitors.

You know how that is. I have to run the sweeper, clean bathrooms plus get their bedroom prepared.

My second bit of news is that I am a guest designer today on the Our Daily Bread Designs blog.

On Thursdays, Betty Wright, hosts the stamping in time on assignment challenge. She asked me to sample along with her this week. How awesome is that!!!

You have to use any of the ODBD stamps to play along in this challenge. Betty is challenging us to "frame it out in texture".   Check out her gorgeous sample.

Create your own textured frames using embossing folders, embossed stamp images or cut out embossed designer papers.  There is a prize to be won in this challenge. It's a $15 gift certificate to the ODBD store.

This is a 2 week challenge so you have some time to think about it. I hope you will play along with us.

For my card I started with the Sizzix tulip embossing folder as my frame. My image is the ODBD set "bird and butterfly labels".  It was designed to coordinate with the spellbinder labels 18 set.

The sentiment at the top is a portion of the "amazing grace hymn" set. When I need a sympathy card, I will stamp the rest of the hymn on the inside.

I also used the spellbinders "fancy tags 2" on this card. I have never layered the spellbinder dies before and I like the look of it. My color combo is Stampin-Up espresso and baja breeze. I also used patterned paper from the elegant soiree collection.  An espresso ribbon bow and ribon flower completed my card.

Have to run my cleaning tools are calling out to me ........... God bless

Some other challenges:
1.  Crafty Creations wants us to use patterned paper, flowers and ribbon.
2.  Stampin' Royalty blog wants us to use birds.


card recipe:
stamps: ODBD bird & butterfly labels, amazing grace hymn
ink: su espresso
Paper: su espresso, baja breeze and dsp
accessories: sizzix ef, spelbbinders labels 18 & fancy tags 2, ribbon

Your Captain

Happy Wednesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog. Rain was the order of the day but I  have a big umbrella so I am not going to complain (lol).

In fact, I used the umbrella today to walk from my car into my class at the Crate Cooking School here in Pittsburgh.

I attended a lunch & learn demonstration class with my friend, Sandy. We loved what they prepared for us for lunch.
We had lemon-ginger poached cod with leeks and spinach, soba salad and blueberry galette with vanilla ice cream.

I never had soba noodles before. They are a Japanese pasta. It was served cold with zucchini, carrots, scallions and a vinaigrette made with fresh ginger, soy sauce, lime juice and oil. It was really yummy.

The galette is a rustic pie that is so popular right now with all the cooks. The crust was incredible and who doesn't love ice cream.
Everything was really good and I have all the recipes to make the dishes at home. I really enjoy taking these classes. I try to go every other month or so.

My card for today is one that I made for the Sweet 'n Sassy blog. It was my turn to post on the blog as part of my design team duties. I am excited to be a part of such a talented team.

The card I want to share with you today uses a sentiment from the new clear stamp set "Let Go, Let God. The set contains 5 sentiments. The one I chose made me think of a ship or boat. So I went with a nautical theme.

Since I didn't have a boat image I decided to make one with various punches. I used a 1 3/4" round punch for the boat body. For the sails I used a 1 1/4" square punch and then cut the square in half. I made a similar boat on this card

For my waves I used a slit punch and then I sponged the tops with white ink to make it look like white caps. I used foam squares to give the waves some dimension and allow my boat to sail in between the waves. The wave idea came from this card by Vicki Burdick.

I found this rainbow patterned paper in my stash and I thought it was perfect for my little scene. God's promise is in the rainbow. He will guide us through any storm.

On that note I will close this post. So until next time........... God Bless

Some other challenges:
1.  Crafts and Me challenge is anything goes.
2.  Truly Scrumptious is also anything goes
3.  A Spoonful of Sugar is anything goes as well.
4.  Craft you passion has a cutie patootie challenge. I think my little boat falls into that category.

Birdhouse Girl

Happy Tuesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog. Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

We are in the middle of several days of rain. The temps are a lot cooler now. I am not complaining because it makes the flowers and grass grow. Not to mention the farmers crops. You need to look at the bright side.

I am off to visit with my grandsons today. Meet the school bus, do homework and take in one of their baseball games is the plan.

If the weather doesn't cooperate I will be home a little earlier than usual. Have to watch "dancing with the stars" tonight. After all Pittsburgh's, Hines Ward is one of the dancers.

My card for today is one that I made for the featured stamper challenge on splitcoaststampers. This week the honor went to Aimes.

I wasn't familiar with this particular stamper. But after visiting her gallery I see that she has definitely mastered a clean and simple style.
I chose her "happy winter card" to re-create ala mary marsh style.

I kept close to her layout but used a different image, papers and colors. My image-Abby's birdhouse- is a digi stamp from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I colored her with prismacolor pencils and gamsol.
I found the perfect paper in my stash from American Crafts-it's their backyard collection.

The sentiment I sued is also from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps-it's the tea time set.

I added an offray ribbon flower and some matching ribbon to complete the card.

Well, it's time to close this post. i have to get back to the wedding invitations that i am working on and making progress I might add. So until next time........

Some other challenges:
1.  The crazy challenge  wants us to use green and pink
2.  The Stamp with Fun blog also has a green and pink challenge.
3.  The Cupcake Craft challenge is to use something you'd find in a garden. Birdhouses are in the garden.

Sweet 'n Sassy customer blog hop

Happy Saturday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog. Today my card is for the customer blog hop over at Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps. This is my first ever blog hop. It's exciting and I hope you will play along.

This is a masculine themed hop and you have to use a Sweet 'n Sassy image to play along.
There is a prize of $25 to be used at the Sweet 'n Sassy Store. One name will be drawn from all the blog hop comments.

The winner will be announced on the SNSS blog on Monday, May 16.  So make sure you leave a comment here on my blog to be eligible for the prize.

 If you are planning to join our blog hop line up, and we hope you will, please add your direct blog post link to the linky tool below AND grab the code at the end of this post and add it to your blog so others can follow along.

My card uses a new digi image- Mr. Fix-it- from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I colored it with prismacolor pencils and gamsol.

My layout is from the mojomonday 190 sketch. Easy layout and it shows my image well.


I used Stampin-Up pacific point, red and whisper white cardstock and patterned paper on my card. I thought it gave it more of a masculine look. The measuring tape is twill ribbon from my stash. I added a pacific point corduroy button and some screw brads to complete my card.

Bird & Butterflies

Happy Thursday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog.


Spring is here in Pittsburgh-finally!! We have had such beautiful warm weather the past several days. I am just lovin' it. I tell ya.

I am working on wedding invitations for a young couple at church. It is labor intensive for sure but, I am making progress. And I have 2 friends. Elaine & Aidee, who are helping with some of the work.

Cutting out the spellbinders shapes on a big project can get tedious and time-consuming. But, they are taking care of that for me. They are such a blessing to me. They both have full-time jobs as nurses and are coming on their off days. Now that's a friend for you.

I take breaks during the day so I can keep my creativity going. I made this card for the color challenge on splitcoaststampers.

This week our hostess, Joanne Travis, chose an awesome combo of colors. Blushing bride, certainly celery and so saffron work so well together.

My layout is from the Stamptacular Sunday blog. They had a sketch for this week's challenge. I loved working with this one.

The image I used is from an Our Daily bread Designs set "birds & butterflies". It coordinates with the spellbinders labels 18.

 stamped in certainly celery then used a saffron marker for the bird image. I added a couple of punched saffron butterflies as well.

My patterned paper is from Stampin-Up as well as the the blushing bride ribbon. My flower center is an offray stylish accent. I sponged it with blushing bride ink.

Some other challenges for this card:
1. The creative card crew has a may flowers challenge.
2. The stampavie and more blog has a ribbons challenge.
3. Claudia & Co challenge wants us to use butterflies.
4. The Flourishes "timeless Tuesday" has an anything goes challenge.

That's it for today so until next time........God Bless





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Sweet 'n Sassy customer Blog Hop

Belli Challenge #117

the perfect way

tea with a friend

happy mothers day

Sweet 'n Sassy customer Blog Hop

Happy Wednesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog. A quick post to let you all know that this coming Friday, May 13 starting at  9:00 a.m. to Sunday, May 15 ending at 9:00 p.m. Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps will be hosting a customer blog hop.

Do you love sharing your creations with other stampers via your personal blog? Do you love being inspired by other stampers when visiting their blogs? If you said YES to those questions you are going to LOVE our monthly customer blog hops!!

The theme for our May customer blog hop will be "For the Guys". Grab our badge and spread the word!

IMPORTANT BLOG HOP DETAILS:


~ We will post a Linky Tool  on the SNSS blog on Friday, May 13th where participating bloggers may add a link to their appropriate blog post. Links may be added between 9am EST Friday, May 13th and 9pm EST Sunday, May 15th. Bloggers may then hop from blog to blog throughout the weekend to see all of the fabulous "For the Guys" themed SNSS creations.

~ALL blog hop participants (those who participate in the hop with their own "For the Guys" blog post, NOT just hoppers) will receive a FREE digi stamp.

~Participating bloggers MUST post a project on their personal blogs featuring SNSS images/sentiments as well as the "For the Guys" theme in order to participate in the hop.

~A grand prize of a $25 shopping spree to Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps will be awarded to ONE randomly drawn name from ALL of the blog hop comments and announced on the SNSS blog on Monday, May 16th.

~Advertising sales and/or promotions for other companies in the SNSS blog hop posts is not permissible and will result in the deletion of the blogger's link from the blog hop list.

~Because this is a blog hop, participants MUST link to their personal blogs and not just a gallery upload. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Please direct any blog hop questions to korin@sweetnsassystamps.com.

See you at the hop!

Belli Challenge #117

Happy Wednesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog.
It's time for our bi-weekly Creative Belli challenge.

This time we are working a  "Letter S" challenge.

So that can be spots, stripes, swirls, stars, shells, sandpaper, stickers etc.

The spirit of the Belli challenges is to encourage you to use your OLD and FORGOTTEN embellishments! So look through your stash and see what you can come up with for this fun challenge.

Everyone is welcome to play along! Challenge a stamping friend!! Just follow the theme - use something that begins with the letter "S".

For my card I decided to use a skunk image and striped paper. This sweet image is from the Stampin-Up "pun fun" set. One of my older stamps sets. The flowers are from the "just celebrate" set-another older set.

The skunk was colored with prismacolor pencils and gamsol. I paper pieced the flower he is holding. The other flowers are also paper pieced . I used an mft die-namics die for my grass.

My card layout is this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch. Karen provided such a fun layout to work with on this card.

The colors are from the Pals Paper Arts blog-challenge #92. We were to use peach parfait-pear pizzazz-poppy parade.

I really liked the color combo. I missed being able to enter this one in that challenge because the challenge closes on Tuesday at 12:00 noon. Oh well, I still liked the colors. There is always next week.



Some other challenges:
1.  Karen's Doodles wants us to use 2 different stamps. On my card I used 3 different stamps. The skunk-the flowers-and the flourish swirl.
2.  The Oldie But Goodie blog has a flowers challenge. Both stamps are over a year old.
3.  The Paper Take Weekly blog wants us to use a punch or die-cut. I used a die to cut my grass.

card recipe:
stamps: pun fun, just celebrate (stampin-up)
paper: peach parfait, pear pizzazz, poppy parade, gina k white
ink: memento black, peach parfait
accessories: mft die-namics, prismacolor pencils & gamsol

the perfect way

Happy Sunday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog. And a Happy Mother's day to all the Moms out there.

We are planning on taking my mother-in-law out for dinner along with my husband's brother and sister.

My youngest son is in Greece working and he sent me a text message this morning wishing me a happy mothers day.
My son & family who live here in the Pittsburgh area sent me an Incredible Edible arrangement. It was filled with such yummy fruit cut in the shapes of flowers. I won't see them today because my grandsons have games.

So this is a quick post before we leave for the day.

I made this card for the inspiration challenge on splitcoaststampers. This week our hostess, Anne, took us to the Henrietta's Handbags site. It was filled with a lots of nice handbags as well as inspiration to create my card.
I chose this toile handbag in black with a polka dot trim as my card starting point.  I knew that I had the perfect designer paper as well as the layout for my card.


My toile patterned paper is from the Paper Studio and the dotted & solid black paper from Lasting Impressions.

I used the Spellbinders Fancy Tags 2, a Stampin-Up scallop border punch and a sheer ribbon flower from offray. It is such a fancy tag and I think it shows my sentiment well.

The layout is this Saturdays sweet stop sketch #107. I like how it didn't cover up my toile paper.

The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps new May release-Let Go, Let God set. There are 5 different sentiments in this set. Just perfect for your card front or the inside.

Well, time to close this post. Off to celebrate my special day.  God Bless!!

Some other challenges:
1.  The bloggers challenge #211 has a nature theme. My patterned paper is natured themed.
2.  Raise the Bar blog is challenging us to use 3 different patterned papers and flowers. My toile, polka dot scallop border and the solid black distressed paper are 3 different patterns. I used a ribbon flower.

card recipe:
stamps: let go, let god (snss)

paper: su naturals white, black, lasting impressions distressed black, paper patch dotted black, paper studio toile
ink: memento tuxedo black
accessories: spellbinders fancy labels 2, su border punch & corner rounder, offray ribbon flower

tea with a friend



vertical pocket card closed view

Happy Saturday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog.

It was one of those laid back days that I love.
Of course, if you ask my hubby he will tell you that all my days are that way now that I am retired (lol)!!

I got caught up on email-blog hopping-made a card because I wanted to and spent time with my husband. Nice!!

My card that I am showing was made for the free for all challenge on splitcoaststampers. Dawn was our hostess and she challenged us to make a pocket card.

I checked out the resource section at splitcoaststampers and decided on a vertical pocket.

For the card front I used patterned paper from Stampin-Up's "sweet pea" collection.

The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps "tea time" collection. I stamped it on a die cut from Spellbinders "fleur de lis" accents.



vertical pocket card open view

The card inside has another of the shapes from the fleur de lis set.

I stamped my teapot and paper pieced it with the same collection of patterned paper. The teapot is also from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.

Some other challenges:
1.  Allsorts challenge blog wants us to use 3 different stamps. I used 2 different sentiments and a teapot stamp.
2.  Catch the bug blog has an anything goes challenge.
3.  The crafty catz weekly challenge wants us to use a quote or sentiment.
4.  Fairy Fun Fridays has a here comes the girls challenge. We are to use anything associated with girls.

Time to dim the lights in charmed life land for another day. Church in the morning and then I will be back in the afternoon.

In closing, I wanted tp show another  picture of my sweet granddaughter Phoenix Daisy. She is almost 5 months old already.

So until next time........

happy mothers day

Happy Friday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog. Well guess who made the front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday. moi!!

Yesterday (May 5) was the national day of prayer. I went to downtown Pittsburgh for the event. It lasted for about 2 hours and it was awesome.

There was a photographer walking around taking photos and he caught me and 3 other people from the group I was with. I was surprised when my husband said I was on the front page of the local paper.

Some deatils from the prayer event: there was a proclamation from the President, our Governor and mayor. There were local pastors and a superior court judge as well as a rep from the mayor's office.

When it started the organizers announced that all were welcome to pray that were in attendance. But, the focus would be based on our Judeo-Christian heritage and that we would be praying in the name of Jesus.

The pastor from my grandson's church was there and I introduced myself. He paid them such a nice compliment. Made me feel good as a Grandmother.

Well, onto my card for today. This is one that I made for the sketch challenge on splitcoaststampers.

I really liked working with this layout and it worked perfect for the mothers day card I needed.

The colors came from the color throwdown #140 challenge. For this one we were to use early espresso (dark brown), baja breeze (blue) and blushing bride. I loved this color combo as well.

The patterned paper I used is from Stampin-Up's new paisley petal collection.


On the card center I used the spellbinder die #4 and a matching stamp set from waltzingmouse stamps.

The mother's day sentiment is  a stamp from whipper snapper designs.

I added some early espresso taffeta ribbon and a few punched blushing bride flowers with pearl centers to complete my card.

A few other challenges for this card:

1.  The Paper Cutz, Ai Factory, Craft Us Crazy & Creative Card Crew blogs are having a mother's day challenge.
2.  The Southern Girls blog has a "let's hear it for the girls challenge.

Until next time..........

poppy sympathy

Happy Wednesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog.
Well I think the rain that we have had for the past 5 days is done now for a couple of days anyway. It will be nice to see the sun tomorrow.

Thursday is the national day of prayer and I am going to travel to the downtown area so it will be good to have the suns rays beaming down on us.

This is the card I made for the color challenge on splitcoaststampers.

Betty was our hostess this week and she chose cherry cobbler, black, crumb cake and vanilla as our colors. I really liked this color combo because I think it makes for such an elegant design.

I made a sympathy card so it doesn't seem like a correct description for that type of card. I do have to send this out right away. But, I was pleased with how it turned out. That much I can say.

My poppy image is one that I won from Our Daily Bread Designs in one of their contests. The stamp also comes with a die so the flower can be cut out really quickly.

My coloring was done with prismacolor pencils and gamsol (odorless mineral spirits). I added some black rhinestones in the poppy center.
I used a spellbinders oval die to layer the flower.

My patterned paper is all Stampin-Up. The background paper is from their elegant soiree collection. The black pattern is their double sided designer paper.

My layout is from the sweet stop sketch blog. This really was a great layout to work with this week.

I added some cherry cobbler seam binding and a Martha Stewart border punch to complete my card.

So until next time........

Some other challenges:
1.  The paper players blog has a theme challenge-birds, bees, flowers and trees.
1.  Craft your passion has an anything goes challenge.
2 The clear it out challenge wants us to use ribbon or trim.
3  Creative Friday blog has an open theme #42.
4.  The top tip Tuesday blog has an open challenge.
5. The Paper Shelter has a bling it up challenge. I used rhinestones on my flower center and on the ribbon.
6. The Papercraft Star blog wants us to find our own sketch to create our card.

card recipe:
stamps: mother's day (odbd) heartfelt sympathy (rubber cottage)

paper: su black, crumb cake, vv, gina k white, su dsp
ink: memento tuxedo black
accessories: cherry cobbler seam binding, black rhinestones, oval nesties, prismacolor pencils & gamsol

Let go, Let God

Happy Monday and thanks for taking the time to visit the charmed life blog.

Rain, rain and more rain was the order for the day today. But, April showers bring May flowers remember.

Our hyacinths have already come and gone. The early tulips are done and now we have our mid-spring tulips coming up.

The grape hyacinths are still blooming. I have been meaning to take some photos of the flowers, but I keep forgetting.

I have been concentrating on my cards and now I have 100 wedding invitations to make for a young couple from church. I have a friend coming tomorrow to help me and then another one on Friday.

I have decided that production work is definitely not my thing. I like making a card and then moving on to the next one. So I think I won't make any more invitations. I also think I said this before. Hopefully, the next time I will remember.

With that being said, let's move onto my card for today. This one I made for the featured stamper challenge on splitcoaststampers. this week the honors went to Susan aka lateblossom. She is a stamper who has really mastered the clean and simple style of stamping.

I chose her feel better grid card to recreate ala mary marsh style. We have to change at least 2 things on the card. I used different patterned paper, a different stamp set and added a butterfly and silver pearls. I kept the grid pattern that Susan used on her card.

My paper is from Stampin-Up's "springtime vintage" collection. The sentiment in the center is a new set just  released  from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. "Let go, let God" is the name of the set. There are 5 sentiments in this set that would be good for either a card front or the inside.

The butterfly on my card is from another new Sweet 'n Sassy set called "tea time". I stamped it on patterned paper cut it out and added some silver pearls for a little bling. That's my card for today!!

You can join the Sweet 'n Sassy Connection, a community for Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps customers & fans to connect by sharing, learning & creating. There are lots of card samples on the site and membership is free.


So until next time.........