Honey Bear

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this last Sunday in May. 

Our church opened up today for service. We, of course, offered all the safety precautions.  We had everything sanitized and cleaned before, along with hand sanitizer at the door. The greeters are not hugging anyone or shaking hands and we have all the rows of chairs set 6 ft apart. We are not having Sunday School for the little ones just yet. That may resume in a couple of weeks.  But, it was just so wonderful being back for the service instead of just watching online. 

We had riots and looting in our city last night. I live just outside of Pittsburgh. It started off as a peaceful protest and then turned violent in the late afternoon. The Mayor had to put the city on lockdown and a curfew that ran from 8:30 pm to 6:00 am. I am praying for peace to return to the city. In fact, in about 15 minutes my hubby and I will be part of a zoom call to pray for just that. 

So let's move onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge #791.  Barbara was our hostess and she chose daffodil delight, melon mambo and calypso coral for her color trio. Optional was to make a thinking of you card. 

daffodil delight, melon mambo, calypso coral

For my card I created an outdoor scene in the sun with my cute little bear. The Golden Bear is a new die from CottageCutz. Love how he is sitting on the flower pot just watching the honey bee hive.

My background watercolored designer paper that's inside the oval is from Hobby Lobby. The striped paper is from the Stampin'-Up "into the woods" collection. I used an oval die to cut out the opening.

I cut the flower pot in calypso coral cardstock and then sponged with the same ink to get a deeper coral shade. I did the same with the hello phrase in the corner. the sentiment is from the "hello honey" set from Darcie's Stamps.

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

card details:

Stamps: hello honey (Darcie)

Paper: white, daffodil delight, calypso coral, melon mambo, baked brown sugar, soft suede, into the woods dsp (Stampin'-Up), Hobby Lobby dp

Paper Size: 4 1/2" x 5 3/4"

Ink: calypso coral, daffodil delight, choc chip (Stampin'-Up))

Accessories: golden bear, oval, telephone dies9 CottageCutz)

I am also entering:

1.  Inkspirational Challenge is a funny sentiment. 

2.  Sweet Stampin' has a cute card challenge. 

3.  Festive Friday has an inspo list challenge. Mine is watercolor, bright colors and patterns. 

4.  Polkadoodles has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  Cute Card Thursday has a stripes challenge. 

Puppy Hugs

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this last Saturday in May. Can't believe that we buzzed through another month. 

Our state has gone into the  green phase of this pandemic so more restrictions have been lifted. Our church is resuming services tomorrow. There have been precautions taken but I am so happy to be able to go back to church. I believe spiritual life is an important part of who I am. And, scripture does say that we shouldn't forsake the assembling of the righteous. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. I used the new Puppy in Garden Cart to create a thinking of you card. This one could even be used for a birthday card with a birthday sentiment on the inside. So let's get started with some details on how I created my card. So let's get started with some details on how I created my card.

Design Steps:

I started this card with my sketch. I had one saved on my Pinterest board that I thought would work well with this die image. It calls for a square shape that I also liked. It changes things up just a bit.

Once the layout was decided on I chose my card colors. I decided to go with balmy blue cardstock (a medium blue) and use the matching gingham designer paper.
Card Base: 4 1/2" Square
Gingham Designer Paper: 4 1/4" Square

I cut the images in various shades of cardstock. For the garden cart I used a brown striped designer paper for added interest. 

The circle is the 2nd largest from the Stitched Circle set. I used a cloud stencil to sponge in some background clouds with tumbled glass distress ink. 

Sponged some mowed grass distress ink at the bottom of circle for a grassy area.
The "Big Hugs" sentiment is stamped in blueberry bushel ink (a dark blue).

For the rectangle strip across the middle, I used balmy blue ribbon that matched the designer paper. 

I used dimensional adhesive to secure the image circle. I wanted it lifted slightly off the designer paper. The side leaves are cut from the Planter Box & Seeds die.

To complete my card, I attached the image panel to the card base. Scattered a few blue glitter enamel dots - just because I like using them on a card (lol)!!

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

dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1. Crafty Catz has an anything goes w/optional of more than 2 layers. 

2.  Aud Sentiments has a flowers + a sentiment challenge. 

3.  Crafty Creations has an anything goes. 

4.  Simon Says Stamp has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  Cute Card Thursday has a stripes challenge. 

Potted Plants Card

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

It's Memorial Day weekend and typically this one is billed as the start of summer. With the stay at home orders still in effect it doesn't seem like the usual holiday. Our community has canceled the local celebration we normally have. 

But, our neighborhood is planning something small. The person who organized it has asked us all to decorate our front lawns with flags. They have a parade planned around the streets in our neighborhood. This is how it should be done. If our local officials won't honor our veterans, then it's up to us to pick it up.  Of course we will keep the social distancing order in place so we won't run into any issues. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. For my card today, I am featuring the new Potted Plants die and created a thinking of you card for a friend. So let's get started with some details on how I created my card.

Design Steps:

I used this older sketch I had saved on one of my Pinterest boards for the card layout. I thought the 3 circles would work well to highlight the potted plants. 

Next, I chose the designer papers. I have a pack of watercolored backgrounds that have been a favorite go to for me lately. I love the colors they have blended together in this pack.

I cut the potted plants in various colors of bright Stampin'-Up cardstocks. I used the circle set (4th smallest) to cut my circles from the leftover piece of designer paper.

Stamped my sentiment with grape ink on a 1" x 4 1/8" piece of lemon-lime cardstock. I thought this particular sentiment was a good accompaniment for the plant images.

Now that all the elements are cut, I am ready for card assembly.

I attached the images and sentiment panel using double sided tape.

To finish off my card, I attached the image panel to the card base and then scattered a few purple glitter enamel dots. And, that's it for me for this post. So until next time.......God bless.

dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

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

2.  A Bit More Time to Craft has an anything goes. 

3.  A Perfect Time to Craft has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Crafter's Cafe has a feminine challenge. 

5.  Craft's Galore Encore Challenge is anything goes.

Gardening Gnome

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

We are finally starting to get some warm temperatures here in Pittsburgh. Yesterday it was in the high 70's and just as warm today. I have my windows open and a gentle breeze is blowing through my house. Hopefully our overnight frosts are done and the summer gardens can be planted. 

Yesterday, I met with my parents from our Preschool class. I had end of year certificates, their alphabet book and a small goodie bag I put together for them. Knowing this was the last time I would see them and also because our Preschool is not re-opening next was emotional for me. I am believing there is another path for me in this season of my life. So I will just wait to see where it leads. 

Now, onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog and also for the color challenge #790 on Splitcoaststampers. I am featuring the new Gardening Tomte and created a thinking of you card for a friend. So let's get started with some details on how I created my card. 

Design Steps:

The color trio for the SCS challenge was flirty flamingo, crushed curry and rich razzleberry. Optional was to use die cuts. 

flirty flamingo, crushed curry, rich razzleberry

I thought this color trio would work well for my outdoor garden scene. Plus you can add neutral shades and with this challenge dark green is considered a neutral shade. So that helped with the grass I would need for my scene. 

The outdoor scene was easily created with my landscape themed designer paper. It's a new pack from Divinity Designs. The clouds and sky were a good match for the crushed curry color. The sky goes from the light to dark shades of this color. I decided to go with a square card this week because I didn't want to lose a lot of the designer paper. 

Crushed curry card base: 5 1/2" square

Designer paper layer: 5 1/4" square

Next, I cut all the images in the challenge colors + a few neutrals. To get the varying shades of crushed curry in the flower pot and the gnome's hat. I used a crushed curry designer paper that again went from light to dark. The images are attached to the designer paper layer with a combo of glue dots, double sided tape and multi medium matte. 

I stamped my hello sentiment in a cloud cut in crushed curry cardstock and used rich razzleberry ink. The cloud die is an older one from CottageCutz - clouds and sun die. I used the 2nd largest cloud on my card.
Attached that to image panel with dimensional adhesive. The image panel is secured with double sided tape. I added a few flirty flamingo enamel dots to complete the card.

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

dies I used to create card:

card details:

Stamps: friendship flowers (Penny Black)

Paper: crushed curry, rich razzleberry, flirty flamingo, smoky slate. kraft, mossy meadow, color theory dsp (Stampin'-Up), landscapes dp (Divinity Designs)

Paper Size: sq

Ink: rich razzleberry (Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: gardening tomte, cloud dies (CottageCutz), flirty flamingo enamel dots (Stampin'-Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Crafty Catz has an anythinggoes with optional of outdoors. 

2.  Aud Sentiments has an anything goes + a sentiment.

3.  Southern Girls has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Allsorts has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  The Fairy and the Unicorn has an anything fantasy goes. 

Garden Bouquet

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

 

Hope all is well and that your corner of the world is coming alive with the blooms of Spring. My hubby is busy planting what he can in our gardens and the perennials are blooming according to their schedule. We are still having cold weather and frost warnings at night so his planting is limited to the more hardy plants - like kale, beans and lettuce. In fact, his first harvest of lettuce will be ready in a few days.

 

I have finished putting my Preschool class alphabet books together and will meet the parents outside on Friday to give to them. The art projects inside are all made by the kids when I taught that particular letter to them.

 

For instance we made an alligator out of the letter "A". I would cut the pieces and the kids would glue them together. It will be a great remembrance of their first year at preschool. I am so anxious to see the kids one more time.

 

Now let's move onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge #789 on Splitcoaststampers. Karen was our hostess and she chose poppy parade, Cajun craze and mango melody for her color trio.

poppy parade, cajun craze, mango melody

I love these bright and bold colors and I thought flowers of some sort would show them off best.

The bouquet is a die from CottageCutz, and I used the challenge colors for the flowers. I downplayed the cajun craze color by using it only on the flower centers. The stems are cut in mossy meadow (neutral) designer paper.

 

My background paper is from the Stampin'-Up "see a silhouette" designer paper. A beautiful combo of the mango melody and poppy parade colors.

I added some poppy parade ribbon to complete my card. This will be a late Spring birthday card for a friend of mine. That sentiment will be on the inside.

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: dogwood blossoms (MFP)

Paper: poppy parade, mango melody, cajun craze, whisper white, smoky slate, see a silhouette dsp, perennial essence dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: tuxedo black (Memento)

Accessories: Mom's Garden Bouquet, Rectangle dies (CottageCutz), Blueprints 15 die (MFT), poppy parade ribbon (Stampin'-Up)

 

dies I used to create card:

 

I am also entering:

1.  Crafty Gals Corner has a for the ladies challenge.

2.  Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday has a make it feminine challenge.

3.  Retro Rubber Challenge has a spring flowers challenge. Stamp is at least 10 years old.

4.  Crafting Happiness has an anything goes with optional of nature.

5.  Use Your Stuff has a flowers and/or butterflies challenge.

Garden Wagon

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

It's Mother's Day here in the US and a different day for me. I am usually with my son and his family celebrating but not this year. With the stay at home order that is in effect here in PA, I had to be happy with a phone call.  But, I am not going to stress over it. I know that I am loved and the current situation is out of my control. 

So I am sending Happy Mother's Day wishes to all of you out there. I hope your day is a blessed one no matter what you are doing. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created using the colors from the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #788. Jeanne was our hostess and she chose Lemon-Lime Twist, Berry Burst and Powder Pink for her color trio. 

lemon lime twist, berry burst, powder pink

My card is using a new die from CottageCutz - Mouse with Garden Wagon. I cut the flowers and pots in the challenge colors. Sponged the lemon-lime twist cardstock with the same color ink to get a color gradient.

I decided to cut the wagon in a black striped designer paper. I didn't like it in either the berry or lemon-lime color.

The little mouse is cut in smoky slate (neutral) cardstock and I sponged in the same color ink. An afterthought - I maybe should have cut it in a shade of brown. He is a little field mouse after all not a rat (lol)!!

For the background of the image panel, I used a cloud stencil and sponged some clouds in spun sugar distress ink. It's a great match for powder pink. The designer paper is from the Stampin'-Up "fresh florals" collection.

To finish off my card, I scattered a few berry burst glitter enamel dots. This card made it's way to one of my daughter-in-laws for Mother's Day.

dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  2 Crafty Critter Crazies has an anything goes with a critter. 

2.  Crafty Animals has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Challenge Up Your Life has an animals challenge. 

4.  Crafty Friends has a flowers challenge.

5.  Simply Create Too has a flowers challenge.  

Gnome Birthday Wishes

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

 

I am sitting here in my living room typing up this Blog post and it's actually snowing outside. Say what!!! I know it's Spring but snow in May. Where was it in January and February (lol).

 

Anyway, our temps are staying cold all day. Doesn't matter much though since we are confined to our homes still. Although our Governor moved my area of the State to a yellow zone. Don't know for sure what that means since I missed his news conference yesterday. Some businesses are allowed to reopen just don't know what ones yet. This quarantine has been devasting to business- my son has been affected because he is a small business owner in California.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. I used the Flower Power Tomte die to create a birthday card. So let's get started on some details on how I created my card.

 

I started my card by cutting the images. I used various colors of Stampin'-Up cardstock. The flower pot that I used is from the new Potting Shed die. Since I was cutting circle windows on my card, I wanted that image just a bit larger.

Next, I laid out the circle dies on my cardstock. I taped them down so they wouldn't move when I ran them through my Big Shot machine. Before any cutting took place, I laid the images inside the circles to make sure everything would fit nicely.

 The circles are the 4th, 5th and 6th largest dies from the circle die set.

For the circle backgrounds, I decided to use some blue designer paper that had the look of a sky. I cut 3 more circles just slightly larger so they would fit behind nicely. I used the 3rd, 4th and 5th dies from the circle set.

Now I am ready for card assembly. I placed the images inside each circle.

I thought that at least 2 of the circles need something additional. For the birdhouse circle I cut a couple of flowers and also a small cloud image. On the flower pot circle, I just added a cloud. The cloud die is from the Lighthouse w/Clouds die. It's an older one from CottageCutz.

The card still looked a bit empty and too much white space for my liking. So I decided to stamp 3 small birthday sentiments in grape ink. My card is another work in progress this week.

To finish off my card, I attached the image panel to a highland heather (light purple) card base. I also scattered a few grape enamel dots. I am definitely happy with how the card turned out.

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

 

dies I used to create card:

 

 

I am also entering:

1.  Simply Create Too has a flower challenge.

2.  Cardz 4 Galz has a birthday challenge.

3.  C.R.A.F.T. has a birthday challenge.

4.  Seize the Birthday has a birthday challenge.

5.  Cute Card Thursday is anything goes.

6.  Simon Says Stamp has a punches/dies challenge.