Baby Card

 

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

 

Well, I am happy to report that we finished removing the wallpaper from our kitchen walls. It was a tough job and my hands and finger nails suffered a bit but it's all over now.

 

On Saturday I went to the tile shop that our contractor recommended. They have kitchen displays set up with different types of backsplashes. There was so much that I liked and quite a variety. 

One of the sales associates gave me some good advice. He said I should pick my countertop and have it installed and then come with a sample and pick my back splash. 

 

I thought I needed to take a tile sample in order to pick the countertop. I had the process backwards. I match the counter to my cabinets. So armed with my small cabinet door, off I went to the granite store. There just happens to be running a special on countertops. I narrowed it down to 2 that I really liked.

 

There is one other place that I am going to either today or tomorrow and then my decision will be made for the counter. Then I pick my backsplash and floor and our installer will be ready to go. Whew -  lots of decisions to be made.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for a dual purpose. I submitted some of my work to Cottage Cutz because there was a design team call. I made it to the 2nd round and submitted this card as one of my projects.

 

They liked my work and chose me as one of their designers for the next 6 months starting in March. See the announcement here.

 

To create this card, I used the challenge colors #571 from Splitcoaststampers. Barbara was our hostess and she chose wisteria wonder, pool party and pear pizzazz for her color trio.

 

I started my card by stenciling the background in the challenge colors. I used a stencil from Dylusions. I found a piece of Stampin'-Up designer paper in my stash that had all 3 challenge colors. It was the perfect size for one of my panels.

My layout is an older Wednesday sketch #552 also from Splitcoaststampers. For the other rectangle I used the Stampin'-Up  "gorgeous grunge" stamp set in pool party ink.

On the image panel I used a Cottage Cutz baby elephant die and cut in pool party cardstock. Used another Cottage Cutz round balloon die and cut in wisteria wonder cardstock and die cut the letter "B" for baby. Finished off my card with some pear pizzazz ribbon and bow.

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: gorgeous grunge (Stampin'-Up) 

Paper: wisteria wonder, whisper white, dsp (Stampin'-Up) 

Paper Size: A2 Ink: wisteria wonder, pool party, pear pizzazz 

Accessories: dotted flower stencil (Dylusions), sweet baby elephant & round balloon dies (Cottage Cutz), pear pizzazz & white ribbon, MFT little letters die 

Techniques: stencil  

 

 

 

 

I am also entering:

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

2.  The Ribbon Girls has a use any image challenge along with ribbon.

3.  Alphabet Challenge has a "Z" for zoo animals

4.  Crafting With Friends has an anything goes challenge.

5.  Really Reasonable Ribbon wants us to celebrate with ribbon or trim

~Hugs From Afar~

 

Hello Blogger friends and thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. It's a beautiful Saturday here in Pittsburgh. The sun is already shining and we are supposed to have temperatures around 60°. Definitely a spring like day and one to be enjoyed in the middle of winter.

 

Our grandson Ethan spent the night and he and my hubby went to some local high school basketball games. It's playoff time and this is something they have done for several years now. And this afternoon they will be back in the gym watching some more games. So that gives me a free afternoon.

 

I want to go to our local big box store to check out material for the back splash for our kitchen. We are at the point now in the remodel to begin picking our floor, backsplash and countertop.

I hope this stage doesn't get a bit overwhelming with all the options we will have. I am trying to narrow down choices so my hubby and I can make a decision together. Anyway,  I will keep you updated on my progress here.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge #570 on Splitcoaststampers. Peggy is our hostess and she chose cherry cobbler, mossy meadow and hello honey for her color trio. 

Love this color combo and I thought flowers when I was planning my card. I looked through my Stampin'-Up designer paper collections and found the "Farmer's Market" and "English Garden" collections with this week's colors. Score!!!

The pot of flowers is cut with dies from MFT. I added the "sending" word cut in cherry cobbler. This is a die from Simon Says Stamp. The sentiment is from Verve. It was a gift for an order I placed.

On the embossed panel, I used the Stampin'-Up "boho chic" folder. Completed my card by adding some very vanilla grosgrain ribbon and then some hello honey thick bakers twine.

This card is going off to my BFF, Elaine who is battling breast cancer. She just completed her 3rd chemo treatment and this one was a bit rough. Pray for her! I try to keep cards headed her way for a little bit of cheer during these treatments.

 

Well, that's it for me for today. Time to get my day started. So until next time......God bless.

 

card details:

Stamps: Verve 

Paper: cherry cobbler, hello honey, mossy meadow, very vanilla, farmer's market & english garden dsp (Stampin'-Up) 

Paper Size: A2 

Ink: cherry cobbler 

Accessories: spring garden dies (MFT), sending die (Simon Says Stamp), boho chic EF, hello honey thick bakers twine & candy dots (Stampin'-Up)

 

I am also entering:  
1.  Crafty Friends has a girly challenge. 

2.  My Time to Craft has a check it out challenge.

3.  Brown Sugar has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Creative Fingers has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  4 Crafty Chicks has a friendship challenge. 

~Just a Note~

 

Hello Blogger Friends and a happy Wednesday to you all. Hope wherever you are that the crazy weather of the past few days has passed you by.

 

We had rain, ice and then snow here in the Pittsburgh area. It was enough to close schools yesterday. Our preschool goes by the local school district schedule so we were closed as well.

 

I stayed inside and started to take the wallpaper off in our kitchen. We are doing an update and this stuff is going. It started slow because I was doing it the hard way. Using water and a sponge I was soaking the wallpaper and making a mess. It came off on the one wall but the process was taking too much time.

 

Then I read a few articles online and saw I could use a spray bottle with hot water and either fabric softener or vinegar. I didn't have fabric softener since I use dryer sheets so I opted for the vinegar.

 

It worked much faster and definitely less mess. I managed to get another half wall removed. So I will be at it again today. My hubby is going to help tomorrow but I am hoping to have most of it done. Hopefully he can just finish up what I haven't gotten to. Behind the stove and refrigerator will be a bit of an issue because they will need pulled way from the wall.

 

Already with just one wall done I can see a difference in our kitchen. It's much brighter with the wallpaper removed. Now onto my card for today so I can get back to my work (lol).

 

This one I made for the color challenge #569 on Splitcoaststampers. Karen was our hostess and she chose watermelon wonder, lost lagoon and old olive for her color trio.

 

 

watermelon wonder, lost lagoon, old olive

 For my card I wanted to use the flower patch stamp set as well as the picture perfect stamp set for the hummingbird image. I had my card idea but I couldn't get it to translate to paper the way I wanted.

 

What I mean is the flower patch dies don't line up so easily with the stamped image. So I had to search online for a video to see how it's done. That took some time. Then I remembered why I haven't really used this set from Stampin'-Up. It's a bit frustrating.

 

They have another set with a matching punch that's the same way. You have to search for instructions to see how to use it. There are too many companies out there now with stamps and matching dies where there are no issues. You just stamp, cut and go. Makes me think twice about buying more dies with matching sets from Stampin'-Up.

Plus there is a bit of a learning curve with the 3 step stamping on the hummingbird. All that to say I am a bit frustrated with my card this week. It took me all day to get this card finished. And I am not exaggerating when I say all day.

Anyway, my background stamp is the Stampin'-Up hardwood stamp set and I stamped in smoky slate on whisper white cardstock. The flowers are stamped and cut from the Stampin'-Up flower patch set.

My hummer is stamped and fussy cut. I finished my card by adding some lost lagoon ribbon and a bow. Well, my friends that's it for me for today. Off to my kitchen to start the wallpaper. So until next time........God bless.

 

card details:

Stamps: flower patch, picture perfect, hardwood (Stampin'-Up) 

Paper: lost lagoon, whisper white, watermelon wonder P

Paper Size: A2 I

Ink: watermelon wonder, lost lagoon, old olive, smoky slate 

Accessories: flower fair framelits, blueprints 15 (MFT)lost lagoon satin ribbon  

 

Valentine love you a latte

 

Hello Blogger Friends. Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with the Charmed Life Blog. Hope your weekend was a great one and in particular Valentine's Day.

 

We did something different this year. Instead of going out to dinner, I decided to make a special meal for my hubby here at home. He was really pleased with the Valentine meal that I served us.

 

I started us off with appetizers an a glass of Asti Spumonte. My hubby isn't a wine drinker but he does like the taste of Asti. Maybe because its sweet and bubbly (lol)!! The appetizers were simple just some Brie cheese, crackers and gourmet specialty olives. Our local Market District is kind of like a Whole Foods store and they have an olive bar with the most delicious olives.

 

For dinner I made my version of surf n turf. The surf part was a shrimp linguine that really had a lot of flavor with garlic and lemon zest. I tossed it with some fresh grated parmesan cheese. for the turf part, I grilled some strip steaks and served them with a blue cheese butter.

 

Then for dessert, we had some strawberries dipped in milk chocolate with mascarpone and another glass of Asti Spumonte. The strawberries were so delicious. I found them at our Market District store. So all in all our day was a special one for us. I even received a dozen of long stemmed roses. They are a beautiful dark peach shade.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for a friend of mine to give to his wife for Valentine's Day. She loves coffee so it was perfect for her.

 

My stamps and dies are from Taylored Expressions - the pizza my heart" collection. I stamped and die cut the mug on white paper to start. Then I stamped again in the pool party and basic gray shades so I could do some paper piecing.  

 

The little faces are a part of another stamp from this set so I decided to use it on the coffee cups. I thought they looked super cute. I cut the pool party background panel with a stitched die from MFT. It just added a little interest to this panel. My background embossing is done with an embossing folder from Darice on basic gray cardstock.

 

I finished this card with some die cut hearts cut from red glitter paper. It added just a touch of bling to complete the card. Well that's it for me for today. So until next time..........God bless.

 

card details:

stamps: pizza my heart (Taylored Expressions)

paper: real red, pool party, basic gray, whisper white (Stampin'-Up), red glitter paper (American Crafts)

Ink: tuxed black (Memento)

Accessories: pizza my heart dies (Taylored Expressions), Blueprints 15 (MFT), hearts ef (Darice)

 

I am also entering:

1.  Addicted To Stamps has a die cut challenge.

2.  Come And Get It Challenge has a love is in the air.

3.  Crafting When We Can has a add hearts challenge.

4.  Glitter 'n Sparkle has a love is in the air challenge.

5.  One Stitch At A Time has a love is in the air challenge.

We Go Together

 

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

 

I was thinking this morning how much I have enjoyed having this blog and posting my work to it. I also like being able to share a bit of my life with my blog readers. It's been 6 1/2 years that I have been blogging. Where did those years go?

 

I look back at my work and see how I have grown as a stamper over the years. I have been on several design teams and now I am the design team coordinator of the Splitcoaststampers color challenge.

 

So thank you to my followers and readers who just stop by to have another look at my work. I so appreciate all of the support that I receive from everyone. Love reading your kind comments as well, and they are always welcome.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the Free For All Challenge #311 on Splitcoaststampers. Jeanne was our hostess and she wanted us to create a Valentine card for a guy.

 

I just bought these bacon & egg dies from Taylored Expresssions specifically for making a guy Valentine card. Timing is everything!

I used a kraft, chocolate and red color combo. Thought they would be great guy colors as well. My designer paper is paper from the Canvas Corp that I have had in my stash for awhile.

I cut my heart from a Spellbinder die and added the bacon & egg images. Stamped the first part of my sentiment on the heart with a stamp also from Taylored Expressions. It's her "we go together" set.

I cut a scroll from a Verve die and added the remainder of my sentiment. Then cut a pennant added some hearts and I have another Valentine finished. This one I will give to my grandson Aidin-he loves bacon and eggs. And he always tells me that I make him the best breakfasts.

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: we go together (Taylored Expressions) 

Paper: kraft, real red, ww, soft suede, brown sugar (Stampin'-Up), chocolate dots (Canvas Corp) Ink: tuxedo black, (Memento), real red (Stampin'-Up) 

Accessories: classic hearts (Spellbinders), scroll & pennant trim die (Verve), bacon & egg die (taylored Expressions), love you die (Impression Obsession)   

~tic tac toe valentine~

 

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

 

We are having a taste of winter here in Pittsburgh. It's been snowing on and off since last night. It's not sticking and we have had about 2" here in our community. Although we had to drop my card off at the shop right after dinner and it was starting to get icy. The salt trucks were out but it could be a rough commute tomorrow morning.

 

This was one of those days when some comfort food for dinner seemed like a good idea. So after preschool I went to the market and picked up the ingredients to make a meat loaf.

 

I used a new recipe and made this cheeseburger meatloaf. It was so full of flavor. My hubby loved it and I did as well. I rolled the meatloaf like a jellyroll with the cheese in the middle. It was a nice combo of ingredients and flavor.

 

Lately when I buy red meat, I am getting either black angus or the grass fed beef. What a difference in taste and no antibiotics or growth hormones. Its a bit pricier but then can you put a price tag on your health?

 

Now onto my card for today. I made this one for the ways to use it challenge #569 on Splitcoaststampers. Sabrina was the hostess and she wanted us to use tape of some sort on our cards.

 

I wanted to make a Valentine  X & O card using washi tape. I didn't have any black tape so I used the red that was in my stash. For the X & O's I used black alphabet stickers. Added a flag, stamped my sentiment used some twine and a button and I have another Valentine card made.

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: filled with love (Paper Pumpkin Kit January 2014) 

Paper: real red, basic black, whisper white 

Paper Size: A2 

Ink: tuxedo black (Memento) 

Accessories: washi  tape (Recollections), alphabet stickers (Flavia), MFT blueprints 15, licorice twine (twinery), black button (stash)  

I am also entering:
1.  Cards 4 Guyz challenge #106 is Valentine or love.
2.  Clear it out challenge blog has a twine challenge.
3.  Fairy Tale Blog has a valentine's day challenge #136.
4.  Lemon Shortbread has an anything goes challenge.
5.  Cards In Envy has a from the heart challenge.

hugs, kisses,valentine wishes

 

Hello Blogger friends and a happy Sunday morning to you! It's Super bowl Sunday although I hear the sports announcers referring to it now as the big game.

 

Don't know the background on that so I will have to check it out with my hubby. Anyway we don't have any special plans for watching it since our team is not in it. Usually we go over to my son's home but they didn't say anything this year.

 

We have been busy the past few days so I didn't check in with them to see what was up. Sometimes they call the day of and invite us over. But either way we are okay since the game is over late and my hubby has to get up at 4:15 for work.

 

Anyway time to move on to my card for today. This one I created for the sketch challenge #578 on Splitcoaststampers. Cathy was the hostess and she gave us this great square layout to work into a card.

 

 

I decided to go with a Valentine card. I still need a few and this sketch was good for my idea. My card dimensions are a 4 1/8" square.

 Used elements from the Stampin'-Up Paper Pumpkin kit from January 2015. That would include the patterned paper, the gold lined heart, the gold paper clip, the red flags as well as the pink & gold twine. I stamped the sentiment from the stamp set that was included in this kit in real red ink.

The heart designer paper was actually intended to be a bag topper from this kit. So there is a crease in the middle of it. I covered it by wrapping the twine around and then didn't pay attention that I adhered it to the card upside down (lol)! I discovered that after the card was posted on SCS. I was able to correct it but I didn't retake the photo.

 

The love you and small red hearts are from an Impression Obsession die and my background embossing folder is from Darice. And that my friends is my card for today.

 

Time to get start getting ready for church. So until next time........God bless.

 

card details:

Stamps: filled with love (Paper Pumpkin January 2015) 

Paper: real red, pink pirouette, ww 

Paper Size: SQ 

Ink: real red 

Accessories: Paper Pumpkin Kit January 2015, love you heart die (Impression Obsession), hearts embossing folder (Darice)

I am also entering:
1.  Crafting When We Can has a hearts challenge.
2.  613 Avenue Create has an anything goes challenge.
3.  Addicted To Stamps has an anything goes with a stamp

You Are Tea-riffic

 

Hello Blogger Friends! thanks for stopping by to visit with me in Charmed Life Land. I so appreciate all the visits I get and all the comments that you leave. I read them all.  

 

Didn't do much of anything today. Went to the gym and had an appointment with our trainer. Our team just loves working with him. He has taken us a long way in the 2 years we have been working with him. There are 5 of us on our team. We meet 3x a week for our workout. And, about every 2 weeks we meet with Josh.

 

I did make a card today as well. I will post that one in the next day or 2. This card I am showing today I made for the color challenge #568 on Splitcoaststampers. Vicki was our hostess and she chose soft sky, so saffron and basic gray as her color trio.

 

 

 

My card is using elements from the Stampin'-Up July 2015 Paper Pumpkin kit. This Pinterest card was my inspiration.

I changed the kit card by using basic gray as my base color. I also added some soft sky designer paper on the card base.

On the image panel I used confetti celebration designer paper  and cut a flag with an MFT die. The striped layer is part of the kit as is the gray background designer paper .

On my teacup I stamped a flourish in soft sky ink. It's from an older set from My time Made Easy. The sentiment is from the Stampin'-Up set "a nice cuppa". Finished my card by adding some cotton Perle twine and a few soft sky hearts.

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: thanks a latte (SU Paper Pumpkin July 2015), a nice cuppa (SU), spot of tea (MTME) 

Paper: basic gray, painted petals & confetti celebration dsp 

Ink: soft sky, basic gray 

Accessories: Stampin'-Up Paper Pumpkin Kit July 2015, heart punch (marvy uchida) Cotton Perle twine, Flag stax die (MFT) 

 

I am also entering: 

1.  Alphabet Challenge has a Y for you choose. I have a card of encouragement.

2.  Creative Fingers has an anything goes challenge.

3.  Really Reasonable Ribbon has an anything goes with ribbon or trim.

Thanks A Latte (2)

 

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for stopping by to visit with the Charmed Life blog. Today was my day at preschool. We had 4 kids missing from class. It makes such  a big difference in our day with a smaller class.

 

This class likes doing art work. Today we had them do some heart stamping. We shaped a cardboard toilet paper holder into a heart and had them dip it in white paint. Then they stamped on red paper. It turned out really cute and the kids were so proud of their paintings.

 

After class my hubby took me to lunch. We were given a gift card to a local restaurant for Christmas and decided to use it today. It was a nice afternoon spent together. We are attending a marriage conference at our church and relearning the importance of making time for each other.  You need to make deposits into a marriage to have a successful one.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for one of my preschool families as a thank you for a Christmas gift. I used the contents of the July 2015 Paper Pumpkin kit from Stampin'-Up.

 

This one I followed the kit instructions with the exception of adding a few sequins. The kit came with the background designer paper, the die cut teacup, ribbon and a stamp set.

 

I have said it before and I will say it again. I  am really happy with my subscription. I don't always get to making the cards the month the kit comes but since I am not a Stampin'-Up demonstrator that doesn't matter to me. This kit came in handy for me because  I needed thank you cards after Christmas.

 

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

 

I am also entering: 

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

2.  Crafty Girls Creations has an anything goes.

3.  Southern Girls has an anything goes challenge.

Thanks a Latte

 

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog.

 

Well, it's official- Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow so he is predicting an early spring. I just read that Groundhog Day has been celebrated in the US since 1887.

 

But truth be told the group that puts on the event here in PA actually decides ahead of time what the prediction will be. I read somewhere that they use the Farmers Almanac. Just a bit of levity to start off my blog post today. 

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made with the contents of the Stampin'-Up July 2015 Paper Pumpkin Kit. I know I have said it before but these kits are just fabulous. You can either make the card according to the kit instructions or create your own design.

 

For this card I used the kit contents and changed things around a bit. Instead of using the white card base I changed it to basic gray. I found this card idea on Pinterest and used it for making this card.

 

The designer paper I used is from the Stampin'-Up "confetti celebrations" collection. The sentiment is one of the stamps that came in the set.

 

For the coffee cup, I used the stamp from "amazing birthday" and stamped in tangelo twist. Die cut a small heart from kraft paper to complete the card. And, that's my card for today. It's time to dim the lights in Charmed Life land for another day. So until next time.......God bless.

 

card details:

Stamps: thanks a latte (july 2015 paper Pumpkin)

Ink: basic gray, tangelo twist

Paper: basic gray cardstock, kraft, confetti celebrations dsp

Accessories: July 2015 Paper Pumpkin Kit, MFT flag stax die & heart die