Rufus says "I'm Sorry"

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

Today was a Pre-School day for me and it was a great class. This group of kiddos are so cooperative and excited to do whatever projects or plans we have for the day.

We did a paint resist snowflake for our art project. I used painters tape on watercolor paper to create a snowflake.

They love to paint so painting the paper was successful and relaxing for them. We will remove the tape our next class for them to see the snowflake appear. 

 

Now onto my card for today this one I created using the 12-12-18 Splitcoaststampers sketch #727.   Diane was our hostess and she gave us a great layout to work into a card.

Some thoughts on my card and this sketch. First I am on the sketch team until March 2019. We receive the sketches a month in advance. So this one came in early November. The dies I used were part of the CottageCutz Black Friday release. Also in November.

 

I am saying all this because there is a Chinese company that is taking the CottageCutz dies and reproducing them as their own designs. They are using the CottageCutz packaging to promote their illegally reproduced designs.

 

And now they have started taking the CottageCutz design team cards and posting them on their site. They took this card of mine and removed my watermark and added their own to my work.

This is so incredibly wrong and the dies are being sold to American stampers. Maybe the stampers don't know the designs have been stolen, but if they do and still buy them they are just as guilty as the company who is illegally reproducing them.  

 

So onto some details for my card. I flipped the sketch to fit my image. The image is a new die from CottageCutz - Rufus the Hound. As soon as I saw this cute puppy, I thought of an I'm sorry card. Don't we all need to say those words?

My image panel sentiment is from Stampin'-Up and I also used the splatters that are part of the stamp set. I stamped in bermuda bay ink. The "I'm Sorry" sentiment is from MFP.
I thought the whimsical design on the designer paper fit well for this card. It's from the Stampin'-Up "sweet pea" collection.

 

card details

 

Stamps: Hey There (Stampin'-Up), Love Remains (MFP)

Paper: so saffron, taken with teal, baked brown sugar, soft suede, black, dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: bermuda bay (stampin'-Up)

Accessories: Rufus the Hound, cross stitched oval dies (CottageCutz)

 

I am also entering:

1. Aud Sentiments Challenge is anything goes + a sentiment.

2.  Cute Card Thursday has a critters challenge.

3.  Crafting By Designs has a layer it up challenge.

 

CottageCutz die I used to create card:

  

Mr Love Bug

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

 

We are forecasted to have a big winter storm this weekend with snow and ice. It's the calm before the storm right now. They keep changing the snow amounts so not sure what will happen. Our local community has declared a snow emergency and advised residents to stay off the roads if you don't need to be on them.

 

I didn't have any plans to go out today anyway. Lots of chores to do around the house including getting my living room tree down. Oh yes, it's still up. Just haven't had the time to get to it. But now I am tired of looking at it. I want to return the living room back to normal.

 

Let's move onto my card for today. This is one of my first Valentine cards of the season. I plan on giving this to my hubby for Valentine's Day.

 

I used the Splitcoaststampers sketch #731 for the card layout. Diane was our hostess and she gave us a unique sketch to use on our cards. After much thought, I decided to use a Spellbinders pennants die to create my triangle shapes. So here are

some card details.  

I cut my triangle shapes with 2 different Stampin'-Up designer papers from the "Sending Love" collection and the middle one with coordinating real red cardstock. Attached the triangles to black cardstock.

 

For the heart shape of the sketch, I used the CottageCutz "Mr. Love Bug" die. To finish off the card I scattered a few small red hearts.

 

card details:

Paper: real red, basic black, pretty in pink, gorgeous grape, pear pizzazz, sending love dsp (Stampin'-Up), vellum (Paper Company)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: Mr Love Bug, Love Postage dies (CottageCutz), Nested Pennants die (Spellbinders),

I am also entering:

1.  PolkaDoodles has an anything goes challenge.

2.  Moving Along with the Times has a heart challenge.

3.  Southern Girls has an anything goes challenge.

4.  The Male Room has an anything goes challenge.

5.  Watercooler Wednesdays has a male challenge. This is my hubby's Valentine card.

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: