Birthday Wishes

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

Wow can you believe we are entering into September next week. This year seems to have flown by. I feel as though I haven't accomplished a lot of the goals that I set for myself this year. But, I still have 4 months to go and I do intend to meet those goals. 

I had a busy week with the harvests from my hubby's gardens. I canned 20lbs of tomatoes which resulted in 7 - 16 oz jars of a tomato sauce for winter enjoyment. I use it as a base for a marinara sauce as well as in my Chili recipe. I have approx another 8lbs waiting for me to do something with. I may roast these ones and then freeze them. I also have about 20 banana peppers that I want to stuff and freeze. Again that will be a meal in the middle of winter.

Now let's move onto my card for today so I can get into my kitchen. This card I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. I am featuring the new Lil' Bluebird Designs Happy Birthday Stamps & Dies + the Kitty Love Stamps and Dies. I used the sets to create a birthday card. I like to have birthday cards on hand to send out to my family and friends. I have a large extended family so I am always in need of cards. So let's get started with some details on how I created my card.

Design Steps:

Having a layout in mind at the card start is always a big boost for me. That way I can just choose the card colors, and I am good to go. I liked this week's sketch #868 from Splitcoaststampers. I thought it was a great layout to use several of the stamps.

After many attempts to use designer paper for my image panel, I finally gave up and decided to keep the background white. It just seemed to busy with any of the patterns I tried to use in addition to the circles.

Light Purple Card Base: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

White image panel: 4 1/8" x 5 3/8"
Light Purple Circles: 1 5/8" (I used the 4th largest Circle Set die)

Next, I stamped, colored and die cut the birthday images. I used both Copic and Stampin' Blends  markers to color the images.

Photo of the alcohol marker colors I used for coloring.

Now I am ready to start card assembly. I attached my images to the circles with dimensional adhesive. Then the circles are attached to the white image panel with double sided tape.

The birthday swag banner & the happy birthday phrase are both attached with dimensional adhesive.

I added some sequins to the card. I just didn't like the empty white space. I am not a clean and simple stamper (lol)!!! The image panel is attached to the card base with double sided tape to finish off my card.

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

Stamps & Dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Gem of a Challenge has an anything goes. 

2.  Sweet Stampin' has a lots of layers challenge. 

3.  Creative Fingers has an anything goes challenge.

4.  Cut It Up has a sketch challenge of your choice + include a die cut.

5.  Simon Says Stamp has an anything goes challenge.  

 

Another Birthday - No Prob-llama

Hello Blogger friends! Happy Saturday to you. Hope you are having a great weekend and are doing something fun to enjoy the summertime weather. If you are in the hurricane path, I am praying for your safety and protection. 

We started our day by going to Costco and then stopped at Bahama Breeze for a lunch. The lunch was delicious and the time spent with my hubby was great as well. We haven't had a "date day" for awhile. Even though it started with shopping it ended with a nice lunch and time to talk uninterrupted. 

Now I have to get into my kitchen and start processing all the tomatoes that my hubby just picked from his garden. I am going to do canning so it will take quite awhile for this process. It will be a tomato sauce that  I will use as a basis for a marinara sauce or for chili. And, any other recipes that call for a tomato sauce base. So now onto my card for today. 

This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog.  I am featuring the new Llama Love stamp & die set from Lil' Bluebird Designs - it's a Scrapping Cottage Company. I used it to create a birthday card. I like to have birthday cards on hand to send out to my family and friends. I have a large extended family so I am always in need of cards. So let's get started with some details on how I created my card.

Design Steps:

Having a layout in mind at the card start is always a big boost for me. That way I can just choose the card colors and designer paper and I am good to go. I liked this week's sketch #867 on Splitcoaststampers because of the somewhat simplistic design. The circle was also a good resting spot for my llama image.

I looked through my designer papers for a fun and festive designer paper. I found this one with a fiesta theme and I thought it would be a good background for the llama. I also embossed the angled rectangle panel with a cactus folder.

Turquoise Card base: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Designer Paper Layer: 4 1/8" x 5 3/8"
Crushed Curry (Yellow) Angled Rectangle Layer: 1 1/2" x 5 3/8"
White Image Circle: - Stitched Circle Set (4th largest)
Melon Mambo Layering Circle: - Circle set (3rd largest die)  

Next, I stamped, colored and die cut the llama and cactus images. For my coloring mediums, I used a combination of alcohol markers and Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol.

For the llama body I decided to use some Stampendous fun flock. It gives a fuzzy texture and is adhered with a 2 way glue pen. You press it into the image and let it dry. IRL it looks great on my card. The recipient will love the added touch.

The photos below show what makers and pencils I used.

I stamped the first sentiment on the white circle with a turquoise ink. I placed it at an angel for added interest. This sentiment is not part of the Llama Love stamp set.

Now that my elements are prepared, I am ready to start card assembly. I attached the embossed panel first because it needed to be trimmed once I angled it.

Next, I attached the circles to the panel with double sided tape. The images are attached with dimensional adhesive. For the flag element below the circle, I used a white flag I had in my stash and stamped my 2nd sentiment in turquoise ink. This sentiment is part of the Llama Love Stamp set. I layered it with a strip of melon cardstock and attached with dimensional adhesive.

To complete my card I added the turquoise card base to the image panel with double sided tape. And, that's my card for this post. So until next time......God Bless. 

stamps & dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Cardz 4 Galz has a texture challenge. 

2.  Creative Knockouts has a birthday wishes challenge.

3.  Seize the Birthday has a birthday challenge.  

4.  Little Red Wagon has an animal antics challenge. 

5.  Simon Says Stamp has a add a sentiment challenge.  

Heard You Caught a Bug

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

Hope there is some fun summer activities on your calendar today. We are going to a 1st birthday party for our next door neighbor. It will be held at a local park and hopefully the rain holds off. Then from there we head over to my son's home for a family gathering. 

Plus I have more garden harvest to try and get taken care of today. My hubby cut basil yesterday so I will be making pesto. Then he also picked about 20 banana peppers that will need to be stuffed and then frozen for winter enjoyment. Also the tomatoes are starting to come in. There aren't enough yet to do any canning so I will roast the 10 that I have and then freeze them. 

So I have a busy day and wanted to get my Blog post done early. This get well card I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. I am using new stamps & dies from the Lil' Bluebird Designs - a Scrapping Cottage brand. So let's get started with some details on how I created my card.

Design Steps:

I started my card by ink blending the background using tumbled glass, broken china, hello honey and mowed lawn distress inks. The cardstock is Bristol smooth from Canson. I find that the inks blend so smoothly on this paper.

Next, I stamped, die cut and colored the images from the Love Bugs set. I used a combo of Alcohol markers and Prismacolor pencils and gamsol.

I also stamped and die cut the sentiment that is part of this stamp set. The edges are sponged with Broken China distress ink.

For the bug jar I decided to use white cardstock. Then I sponged the yellow, blue and green distress inks so it would appear as glass and you see the colors of the background behind it. I think it worked.

This is a photo of the coloring mediums I used for my images.

Now I am ready to start card assembly. I first stamped the bee "flight trails" in black ink.

I attached the images to the background panel using dimensional adhesive. I cut the grass using the Spring Grass die from CottageCutz.

To complete my card I added a white layering panel - measuring 3 7/8" x 5 1/8". Then the turquoise card base measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". After I took the above picture, I decided that I didn't like the darker green cardstock I used originally. So I switched it out to a lighter green.

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

Stamps & Dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

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

2.  Cute Card Thursday has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Crafty Creations has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Simon Says Stamp has a funny/punny challenge. 

5.  The Paper Funday has an anything goes with optional of  cute critters. 

  

Happy Birthday Blooms

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

Hope you all had a great weekend and were able to do something fun and enjoy the summer season. We had some great family time on Saturday and in this day and age that's not something we can take for granted anymore. We were able to spend several hours with our grandson and it was such a wonderful visit with him. 

This coming weekend we will have a get together over our son's home and more family time. Then on Sunday my hubby will be golfing with our youngest grandson. We feel blessed to have this time with them.

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge #856 on Splitcoaststampers. Karen is the hostess and she chose granny apple green, flirty flamingo and mango melody for her color trio. 

For my card I am using an old Verve set "be blessed" for my flowers & sentiment. The set also has a coordinating die to cut the flowers.  I stamped the flowers  then colored with mango melody blends from Stampin'-Up.

The leaves are a die from CottageCutz. I used granny apple green cardstock and then sponged with the same ink for a deeper shade.

My black background is embossed with the greenery embossing folder. My camera wasn't cooperating and the embossing doesn't show on the black cardstock for some reason.

To get the flirty flamingo color in I used enamel dots and added a butterfly cut in the color. I cut a flag and then stamped the sentiment that is part of this Verve set. 

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

card details: 

Stamps: be blessed (Verve)

Paper: whisper white, basic black, granny apple green, flirty flamingo (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: granny apple green (Stampin'-Up), tuxedo black (Memento)

Accessories: petal points die (Verve), leaves & stems, fancy pocket plus dies (CottageCutz), flag stax & blueprints 3 dies die (MFT), in-color enamel dots, mango melody blends, greenery embossing folder (Stampin'-Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Crafting Happiness has an anything goes challenge. 

2.  Crafter's Castle has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Crafty Calendar Challenge has an anything goes. 

4.  A Bit More Time to Craft has an anything goes challenge. 

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

Sea You Soon

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

We were out and about early today. My grandson came over for a visit and then we went out to a new restaurant in the Pittsburgh area. It's called Mission BBQ. It's a restaurant that started in Memphis and then started expanding. I love their mission statement - "we strive every day to remind everyone what makes Our Country great—its heroes". They are patriotic for our country. And their food is really good. 

We had a long family time visit together and we all enjoyed it. Now onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. 

Today for your viewing pleasure I am featuring the new Under the Sea stamp set and Coordinating die set. The Scrapping Cottage has expanded it's brand to include Lil' Bluebird Designs which will feature stamps and die sets.  I created a card for my precious granddaughter to let her know I will be seeing her soon. Yes, we are planning a trip to California later this month to visit her.

So let's get started with some details on how I created my card.

Design Steps:

I started by stamping the images using tuxedo black ink by Memento and then coloring the images with various alcohol markers. I selected several of the undersea images to create my little underwater scene.

The photos below show the alcohol markers I used for coloring.

Next, I ink blended the undersea background. I used a combo of distress inks, sponge daubers and smooth Bristol cardstock. I think this cardstock blends ink very nicely. Image panel is 4 1/4" x 5".

My sentiment was stamped in an espresso ink. It's a dark brown shade.

I am now ready to start my card assembly. I attached the images with dimensional adhesive. Before I secured the diver and the fish I stamped the water bubbles. I used Versamark ink and embossed with a white embossing powder. After I thought about it I wasn't sure if I should have possibly used a clear embossing powder.

To finish off my card I attached the image panel to a white card base. Card base is 4 1/4" x 5". 

And That's it for me for this post. So until next time........God bless.

Stamps & Dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Love to Craft has an anything goes challenge. 

2.  Creative Knockouts has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Cute Card Thursday has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Crafty Creations has an anything goes. 

5.  Sisterhood of Crafters has an Ocean challenge.