PS I Love You

Happy Wednesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. I had a good friend of mine come over this morning for coffee after she dropped her son off at school. We had such a great time of catching up on so much.

We enjoyed coffee from our new Keurig coffee maker. My husband received it as a Christmas gift and I love how hot the coffee is as well as all the delicious coffee that you can make.

I registered the machine and was offered 2 free boxes of K-cups if I purchased two. Well I jumped right on that one. I am on a mission now to find the K-cups at the best price. So if any of my readers have an ideas let me know. I refuse to pay .60 each for the K-cups.

So now onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge #410 on Splitcoaststampers. I was the hostess and I chose the trio of calypso coral, soft suede and pool party. I challenged everyone to make a non-traditional Valentine's card.

For my card I kept it on the clean and simple side. The designer paper is from the Stampin-Up "sweet shoppe" collection in calypso coral. I cut the designer paper and the background layer with the Spellbinders die matting basics A & B. Makes layering so easy.

I used another Spellbinder die and cut a rectangle in soft suede and layered pool party on that. My hearts are also a Spellbinders die classic hearts. Cut those in calypso coral and soft suede.

My image is from Penny Black and I stamped in soft suede. I added some soft suede ribbon and bow with a coral brad center to complete my card.

Well that's it for me today so until next time........God bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  Crafts and Me wants us to use our fav embellishment. Love die-cuts and ribbon.
2.  Simon Says Stamp has an anything goes challenge. I used a Penny Black stamp.
3.  Sisterhood of Crafters has a hearts challenge.
4.  The Perfect Sentiment has anything goes with a die-cut.
5.  The Stamping Chef has a "love" challenge.

Love is the key

Happy Monday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. We had a crazy ice storm here this morning and it delayed schools for a couple of hours. Tomorrow its supposed to go up to 60°. We may even have a thunderstorm and then it will return to normal winter weather. That would be around 25° for a high temperature.

The days are getting longer its still light at 5:40 pm and getting lighter earlier in the morning. Before you know it the tulips will be popping up.

Anyway onto my card for today. This is the sample I made for the color challenge on Splitcoaststampers. Becky is our hostess and she chose a great color palette with island indigo, daffoldil delight and lucky limeade.

I decided to make another non-traditional colors valentine's card. I chose my designer paper and then selected my layout which is this weeks Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #176.

My island indigo designer paper is from Stampin-Up's "sweet shoppe" collection and the daffodil delight flag is cut from Stampin-Up's "world spectacular" collection.

I used the MFT "dizzy doily" die cut in lucky limeade and added a Spellbinders circle cut in daffodil delight.

My sentiment is PaperTrey Inks "lock and key" set and I also used the matching key die. Punched a few hearts in island indigo to complete my card.

Well that's it for me for today. So until next time.....God bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  ABC Challenge wants us to make a valentine's card.
2.  Artistic Inspirations has a love/anything goes challenge.
3.  Love To Create has an anything goes with a sentiment.
4.  The Pink Elephant has a hearts challenge.
5.  Gingerloft has a "love is in the air" challenge.

Mary Marsh

mouse with bubble hearts

Happy Friday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. It's 16° here and snowing. A good stay to stay by the fire and drink hot chocolate. But, I have a hair cut appointment. I have an SUV so I should be fine driving-hopefully.

My house guests left yesterday for their new home in Nevada. It was a very emotional parting moment for us. We have mentored this young couple for 5 years. Aidee sent me a text message at 2:00 am when they arrived in Nevada and she said she couldn't stop crying. She forgot about the time difference I am sure.

It's hard to move to a new place and have no family support and have to make friends all over again. But, that's how it is these days with jobs. Ruben will be working for the Univ of Nevada. A good opportunity for him but difficult as well.

Our home is so quiet today without them and the baby. I miss them a lot. But, we will have the chance to go and visit in a couple of months.

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for my blog post on The Great Impressions Blog. I post over there every Friday. I am still making Valentine cards so I decided to use this cute "mouse with bubble hearts G46" stamp. There is a valentine special at the Great Impressions online store. You can get 10% off and free shipping if you spend $25. 
I colored him with Prismacolor pencils and gamsol. Then fussy cut just the mouse and added him to the floral oval die. I stamped the hearts and colored them.

Layered the Spellbinder floral oval die over a Spellbinder lacy oval die. I like to layer dies for added interest on a card. Finished this one off with some Stampin-Up Alpine grosgrain ribbon and bow with heart brad center. I use the Bow Easy to make my bows.

Well, that's it for me for today. Time to venture out in the snow. So until next time......God Bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  Brown Sugar Challenge Blog wants us to make a Valentine card.
2.  Outlawz Twisted Thursday is anything goes with designer paper & brads.
3.  Ruby's Rainbow has a Valentine challenge.
4.  Sisterhood of Crafters wants us to use hearts.
5.  Shopping Our Stash wants us to use our oldest ribbon. This ribbon I bought from Stampin-Up 3 years ago.

A Jar of Hearts

Happy Friday everyone and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. Our house guests Ruben & Aidee and Baby Elijah have arrived.
They are staying with us for a week and then leaving for their new home in Reno, NV.

We have mentored this young couple for the past 5 years and have grown so close to them. They have no family here in Pittsburgh. they are from El Paso, TX. We met them through church and almost instantly there was a bond with us.

Elijah is such a little sweetheart. So busy at a month old checking out his new surroundings. He didn't sleep much today but hopefully he will be settled in tomorrow and back to a more normal routine.

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for my Friday post on the Great Impressions Blog. I found some great heart paper in my stash and decided to go with a non-traditional Valentine card.

I stamped the jar of candy hearts E565 on watercolor paper and then wet embossed. I used Stampin-Up pool party, lucky limeade and wisteria wonder inks to color the hearts. The image is fussy cut.
I think it has such a little girl look to it and I have the perfect one in mind to send this too.

All 3 of my backgrounds panels are embossed. The lucky limeade with the Stampin-Up folder basket weave, the wisteria wonder panel with the Cuttlebug folder swiss dots and the pool party panel I put though my Marvy heart paper crimper.

The designer paper is from Stampin-Up's "sweet shoppe" collection. I cut the paper and the layer with the Spellbinders mattings basics A & B dies.  Added some pool party ruffled ribbon and a lucky limeade brad to complete my card.

Great Impressions is offering 10% off at the online store and if you spend $25 you get free shipping. Great deal and a chance to get some new valentine stamps.

Card layout is the Deconstructed sketch #84. Tweeked just a little.

Well it's late and time to dim the lights in Charmed Life Land for another day. So until next time.......Go bless!!

Some other challenges:
1.  Aud Sentiments Challenge has a bingo. On my card I have die cuts-embossing-love.
2.  Happy Campers Blog has a buttons, beads or bows challenge.
3.  Creative Belli has a pruple and blue challenge. I used designer paper, brads and ribbon from my stash.
4.  Divas By design has a make it girlie challenge.
5.  Little Red Wagon has a repeated shapes challenge. I repeated hearts and rectangles.

Blooming with Kindness

Happy Wednesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. Well, I have finished with all my Christmas un-decorating and packing everything away for next year. It took me 5 days to get it all done but it's all history now (lol)!!

I have my house clean and now we are waiting for our house guests to arrive. A young couple from church are coming to stay with us for a week.
They are moving to Reno, NV and the movers are coming on Thursday to pack them up and make the cross-country trip.

They mentioned going to a hotel for a week but I wouldn't hear of it. They just had a baby a month ago and we have plenty of room here.
We took this couple under our wing when they moved to Pittsburgh 5 years ago from Iowa. Ruben had just finished his doctorate there and had accepted a position with the University of Pittsburgh. Now he has a position with the University in Reno.

They have grown so close to us and we with them. It will be hard to let them go, but this is a great opportunity for him. And, we can always go and visit them. They said they will have a room set aside for us.

So I wont be doing much card making in the next week but I do have one for today. This one I made for the color challenge #409.
Peggy is our hostess and she wanted us to use rose red, pink pirouette and wisteria wonder. This was such a great color palette.

For my card I used the Stampin-Up set "blooming with kindness" and stamped the image in rose red ink. Cut it with a Spellbinders circle die and layered in rose red cardstocks. Added some pink pearls to the scallop layer.

The background designer paper is wisteria wonder and then I used a Sizzix embossing folder for the lower wisteria panel. I layered these in early espresso cardstock since we can use neutrals of our choice.

My layout is this week's MojoMonday 276 sketch.

My side panel is rose red cardstock layered with rose red seam binding and a layer of pink pirouette.
Used an embossing folder on this panel as well. I also used a Stampin-Up scallop edge punch here.

I left off a sentiment because I am not sure how I will use this one.

Well, it's time to dim the lights in Charmed Life land for another day. So until next time..........God bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  Crafting For All Seasons wants us to use something new. My stamp image is new.
2.  Crafts and Me wants us to use soemthing new. My stamp image is new.
3.  Cards Galore has an anything goes challenge.
4.  Pretty Little Ribbon Shop has a flowers and ribbon challenge.

A Special Purpose

Happy Sunday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. Well, another update on my Christmas un-decorating. I have everything taken down in my downstairs and packed away. I have a few things upstairs that need taken down and packed and then I am all finished for another year. Whoo-Hoo!!

We had some very spring-like temps this weekend her in Pittsburgh. It was 65° here today. The tulips will be getting confused if this continues. I even had my windows open and that is so unusual for January. No complaints here though.
Now onto my card for today. This one I made for the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamp challenge on Splitcoaststampers.

Ceal's was our hostess for this 4th challenge and she provided us with a sketch to use. She also wanted us to use long or large text.

I had this long text to use from the SNSS set - "one of a kind".

My card colors are pool party and soft suede. I used older Stampin-Up designer paper from the "autumn spice" collection.

Stamped my sentiment in soft suede, punched some butterflies from the designer paper and my card was done.

I also used Spellbinder A-2 matting basics dies collection to cut my layers. These dies makes it so easy to get an accurate cut without measuring. Well that's it for me today so until next time..........God bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  613 Avenue Create has an anythinggoes challenge.
2.  The Squirrel and the Fox has an anything goes challenge.
3.  Word-Play Saturday challenge has an anything goes challenge.

Be Mine, XOXO, Wow, Hugs, Love

Happy Friday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. Well, I feel like I made some more progress on taking down and putting away the Christmas decorations.

Yesterday, I packed all 3 of my nativity sets and all of my nutcrackers. I got sidetracked and ended up organizing 2 closets but when that was done I was happy.

Seems like January is a month to get organized. Today, I tackle at least one of the trees. Check back tomorrow and I will let you know if my plans were accomplished (lol).

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for my Friday post on the Great Impressions Blog. Valentine's Day is approaching fast and if you like to make cards for this holiday as do I-here is one for you.

My image is the Great Impressions Stamp - "hanging candy hearts D363". I stamped and then embossed. Colored the hearts and bow with copic markers. Layered this panel on black cardstock and used a border punch. Just adds interest on your card.

From there I decided to go with red designer paper in dots and argyle. On the argyle panel I ran in through my heart paper crimper again for a little background interest.

I die cut a heart and stamped one of the heart sentiments. To get just the "be mine" sentiment I used a black marker and centered it with my stamp-a-ma-jig for placement.
On this card I finished the inside so I wanted to show you that as well. My sentiment is the Great Impressions Stamp "happy valentines and hearts D364". I die cut more hearts for the inside as well.

That's it for me today. Hope you enjoy your week-end. So until next time..........God bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  Paper Crafting Journey has an anything goes challenge.
2.  Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge is anything goes with a twist. We are to use "my favorite thing". I love die cuts and punches.
3.  Lady Anne's Challenge is to stamp on your card.
4.  Craft Room has a valentine challenge.
5.  Inky Chicks has an anything goes challenge.

Weeds Be Wildflowers

Happy Wednesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog.  Well we have the outside decorations taken down and packed away until next Christmas. The wreaths are off the windows and tomorrow I will pack those away.

Next it's the first of my 3 Christmas trees. My husband reminded me that there is no time schedule to get the stuff packed and put away.

I knew that but it just made me feel better to have him remind me. The putting away process is definitely time-consuming and it cuts into my craft time (lol). But a little each day will whittle away at this major task.

I did make time to craft today. I checked out the sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers for a start. Janette was the hostess there and she had a great layout for us.

For my card I used the SNSS stamp set "wildflowers" and stamped on vanilla cardstock in pretty in pink ink.

My other vanilla panel I used the Cuttlebug embossing folder "stylized flowers" and sponged with pretty-in-pink ink.

My background paper is some BoBunny that I had in my stash. It is black but I guess it looks green on some computer screens. At least that's what some girls on Splitcoaststampers think it is-oh well-no green here just black, vanilla and pink.

The sentiment panel is from the same SNSS set. I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to place the sentiment on this smaller panel.

I die-cut a butterfly from the black designer paper and added a few pearls to complete this card.

Well, it's time to dim the lights in Charmed Life Land for another day so until next time.........God bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps has a color challenge for their January virtual stamp day.
2.  Divas By Design has an anything goes challenge.
3.  Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge has an anything goes.

Romantic Collage

Happy Tuesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. It's time to start taking down the Christmas decorations. It really doesn't seem like I have had them up for very long but it's been a month. Oh well off to the attic until next year.

My card for today is one that I made for the color challenge #408 on Splitcoaststampers. Julia is our hostess and she chose a great trio of colors for us to work into a card - raspberry ripple, very vanilla and sof t suede.

I have been wanting to use this Romantic Collage H147  stamp from Great Impressions Stamps. I thought it would work well with today's colors.

The image  is stamped in Versamark and raspberry ripple ink then I clear embossed. My sentiment is from PTI stamps -lock and key. I also used the matching key die as well.

I sponged the image panel with a bit of soft suede ink and then used the Stampin-Up color spritzer with soft suede to distress my background.

Julia also wanted us to make a floral card so I used the Tim Holtz mini rosette die and cut in raspberry ripple.  Added some May Arts crochet ribbon and Stampin-Up raspberry ripple ribbon.

Well that's it for me today. Off to my Christmas decorations. So until next time........God bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  Creative Creations Challenges has an anything goes.
2.  Pause, Dream, Enjoy challenge is to use ribbon.
3.  Pretty Little Ribbon wants us to use flowers and ribbon.
4.  Stamp and Create has a "love" challenge.
5. Vintage Stamping Challenge wants us to go vintage.

Chalkboard Valentine

Happy Sunday everyone and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. Today is a brand new monthly challenge on the Great Impressions Blog.

This month it's a sketch challenge. The layout is from one of our DT members, Erin Taylor. Hope you can play along with us. You have a chance to be a guest designer on the Great Impressions Blog for March and win some great stamps.

My sample is one that I made using a new technique I just learned how to do.

It's called the chalkboard technique. The idea is to create a card with a sentiment or image that looks like it's on a chalkboard. It was easy to do and I love the look.

For my chalkboard card, I decided to go Valentine's Day. And, here's how I did it:

1. Run an embossing buddy over a piece of black card stock. This will keep the embossing powder from sticking in places you don't want it to.
2. Stamp the image or sentiment with Versamark and emboss with white embossing powder.
3. Use a white pencil to add some hand-drawn lines. I used it on the edge of my black card stock.
4. Now, add your *chalk dust* by sponging white ink onto the black card stock. You can use a paper towel or a sponge.

I used 3 different Great Impressions Stamps on this card.

I used the Jar Candy hearts -E565,  Burst of Hearts -G319 and Happy Valentines Day -D364 for the chalkboard images. I wanted to give the effect of hearts flowing from the jar of candy hearts.

Added a Spellbinders flag to complete the card. I just love this technique and definitely will use it again.

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


layout to use for your card

 

Some other challenges:

1.  613 Avenue Create has an anything goes challenge.

2.  Dream Valley Challenge has an anything goes.

3.  Pile It On has a black, white and another color challenge.


First Valentine's Card

Happy Friday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. Our cold temps are going to be hanging around for a few days. I think its perfect weather to make soup. Something about soup and crusty bread that warms up the coldest, snowy winter days.
My husband has been asking me to make stuffed green pepper soup so today was the day. I found a recipe online and tweaked it a bit. It was so delicious and I doubled the recipe so we have leftovers. I think soup tastes better the 2nd day anyway after the flavors have a chance to meld together.

Now onto my card for today. Friday is my regular day to post on the Great Impressions Blog as part of their design team. I am showing my first Valentine card for the 2013 season.

My sentiment is from the Great Impressions Stamp -Happy Valentine's Day D364. I think the font is so beautiful and it's in stock at the online store.

I stamped in purely pomegranate ink and layered on Spellbinders ovals. My background paper is from BoBunny. Used a Stampin-Up scallop edge punch, middle layer is purely pomegranate silk ribbon.

My bow is made with the MFT bow die-namics. Punched 3 hearts to complete my card.

My card layout is Wednesday's sketch #417 from Splitcoaststampers.
Well, that's it for me for this Friday in January. Until next time........God bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  Simon Says Stamp has a "new something challenge. My stamp is new + my MFT bow die-namic.
2.  Cards Galore has an anything goes challenge.
3.  One Crazy Stamper has an anything goes challenge.
4.  The Crafters Cafe has an anything goes challenge.

Gold, White and Silver Wedding

Happy Wednesday and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. We had some sunshine here today but it is so cold. Temps didn't go above mid 20's today. It will be around 12 degrees tomorrow morning. Tough for the kids waiting for the school bus. I hope my grandsons are bundled up.

So the snow we had a few days ago is not melting.  Some hot cocoa and sitting in front of the fireplace checking out the blogs sounds good to me (lol)!!

Well, onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge on Splitcoaststampers. Vicki was our hostess and she chose the color palette of gold, silver and white. She wanted us to make a wedding or anniversary card.

I chose to make a wedding card.  I stamped the wedding silhouette image in memento timber brown on shimmery ivory card stock and then die cut with a Spellbinders square .

I used Stampin-Up brushed gold card stock as my base and on my ivory layer I used the Sizzix embossing folder "kassie's brocade". Used a corner rounder on this layer.

I die cut a Spellbinder lacy square in gold and added some gold designer paper over the square.

To get the silver option in, I added silver pearls around the square and finished my card off with some ivory paper flowers. 

My layout is from Mojo265 sketch.    

That's my card for today. Time to dim the lights in Charmed Life Land for another day. So until next time......God bless.

Some other challenges:
1.  Divas By Design has an anything goes challenge.
2.  ABC Challenge has an "E" for embossing.
3.  Cards Galore has an anything goes challenge.

5 favorites from 2012

Happy New Year everyone and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. We had a great New Year's Eve celebration with my son and his family.

We get together and celebrate my hubby's birthday and then we have a sleepover. We had a wonderful dinner let me tell you. My daughter-in-law is a fabulous cook.

She made a standing rib roast, a potato and leek casserole, roasted herbed cauliflower and roasted green beans. For dessert we had chocolate mousse and a incredible bread pudding with an amaretto sauce.

It is a blessing to my hubby as well. His birthday is December 28th. We have a great family time. My grandsons love it and my daughter-in-law told me at breakfast this morning that she loves sleepovers as well.

We are back home now and all is quiet here with just the 2 of us. I am working on my blog and my hubby is watching tv.

I found a blog that wants us to pick 5 of our favorite cards from last year and post them on our blog. It's a contest and their is a give away. So I thought  I would do a review of my work from last year and see what I liked best.

I made my own background on this one. See the blog post here.














 I just love these sweet chicks and the patterned paper. See blog post here.


Love the sweet Pure Innocence girls. This was my granddaughters valentines card. See blog post here.



 I won a design postion with Great Impressions Stamps with this card. See blog post here.

 I made my first sun-ray background on this one. See blog post here.



  Made this one and there was no stamping. I found this great paper and turned it into a card. See blog post here.

I had a tough time narrowing this down. I had 12 and finally ended up with these 6. That's my partial year in review. Thanks for supporting my blog in 2012. I appreciate all my readers and commenters.

So until next time........God bless.

Entering this in a contest on Debby's blog - A Scrapjourney. Check it out.