Happy Birthday Brother

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

June is quickly going to become history and July will be upon us. We will be celebrating the 4th of July this weekend. 

Our local community is going to have fireworks Friday evening. Not sure why they moved it up this year. But we will be there along with a whole lot of other people enjoying a beautiful display in the night sky. 

Now onto my card for today. This masculine card is for my brother who is an avid trout fisherman. He has a lake near his home and would go every morning and catch the limit for the day. He even shared with my hubby and I. They were already scaled, debone and filleted and ready for a quick pan fry. So delicious and healthy.

I created my outdoor fishing scene using dies from CottageCutz. Used the Pond w/Cattails & Lily Pad die, the Fishing Pole & Boat and the Fishing Gear die. 

I was inspired by this card I saw on Pinterest. I changed it up by using different colors and dies from CottageCutz, eliminated the sun, clouds and grass and added fishing boots and a bobber.

My background is bermuda bay designer paper from the "oh so ombre" collection from Stampin' Up.

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

card details:

Stamps: computer generated

Paper: cherry cobbler, bermuda bay, old olive, pacific point, smoky slate. soft suede, baked brown sugar, crumb cake, oh so ombre dsp (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: early espresso, soft suede (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: fishing pole & boat, fishing gear, pierced wide rectangle frame dies (CottageCutz),

I am also entering:

1.  Simon Says Stamp has an anything goes challenge. 

2.  2 Sisters on the Blog has a men's card and hobby challenge. 

3.  The Creative Crafter has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Make My Monday has an "on the water" challenge".

5.  Gem of a Challenge has an anything goes challenge. 

America - Celebrating July 4th

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. The last Sunday in June- just wondering how this month went by so quickly. It's now officially summer and I am enjoying it. 

Looking forward to my California kids coming in a few weeks. It's always a great family time. My daughter-in-law and granddaughter are up in Boston now with her parents. My son will join them and then they fly here to Pittsburgh. I am anticipating their arrival. My granddaughter and I will have a great time doing lots of fun things together. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made to send out for a 4th of July card to one of my friends. I like to make and send partiotic cards. They are always appreciated by the recipient. 

Card details:

I decided to make a nighttime city skyline card. I started off doing some ink blending of the sky using distress inks. I used Bristol smooth cardstock and prized ribbon, villainous potion, black soot, fossilized amber and wild honey inks. I think this cardstock blends the inks so smoothly.
Slimline Panel: 8 1/2" x 3 3/4"

Then I cut the America phrase and the fireworks image in red and blue cardstocks.

For the city skyline, I used the City Skyline Slimline die and cut it in black cardstock.

Now I am ready to start my card assembly. I attached the images with a clear drying liquid glue and double-sided tape.

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 Calendar Challenge is summertime. 

2.  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends is anything goes. 

3.  Double Trouble has a something, anything, everything challenge - optional slimline. 

4.  Craft Rocket Challenge wants us to use dies. 

5.  Krafty Chicks Challenge is all occasions- Mine is 4th of July. 

 

Spring Floral

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

Today is the first official day of summer and the longest day of the year. I love this day and this time of year when the daylight hours extend to after 9:00 pm. It's a beautiful day here as well. Our flower gardens are in bloom and look so pretty. It's all my hubby's doing, I can't take credit for any of it. He has such a great display of color in the yard. 

Now onto this card for today. I made this one for the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #949. We were to use gorgeous grape, pale papaya and polished pink for our color trio. Optional this week is anything goes. I used jewels for an embellishment.

gorgeous grape, pale papaya, polished pink

I needed a card of encouragement for my friend who just received a not so good report on her husband's health. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer. 

I used the Spring Blooms die from CottageCutz for the floral arrangement. They are cut in the challenge colors plus mossy meadow (neutral) for the leaves and stems.

The background pale papaya designer paper is from the Stampin' Up "expressions in ink" collection. I framed my design with a wide rectangle die also from CottageCutz. 

My sentiment is a stamp from the Penny Black "blooming sentiments" collection. To finish off this card, I added a few pale papaya jewels.

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

card details:

Stamps: blooming sentiments (Penny Black)

Paper: gorgeous grape, pale papaya, polished pink, mossy meadow, expressions in ink dsp (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: gorgeous grape (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Spring Blooms, Pierced Wide Rectangle Frame dies (cottageCutz), in-color jewels (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  A Place to Start has an anything goes challenge. 

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

3.  Ally's Angels has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Beautiful Blossoms has an anything goes w/Flowers challenge. 

5.  Crafts Galore Encore Challenge is anything goes. 

Father's Day Fishing trip

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

Hope your weekend was a good one. We celebrated Father's Day on Sunday at my son's home. It was a great family time and honor to my hubby and son. We had a beautiful day and were able to sit outside on their newly redesigned patio. It turned out so beautifully. I should have taken pictures, but I forgot. 

This card is the one I gave to my hubby for Father's Day. The background panel is a card base from the May 2023 Paper Pumpkin Kit. This kit has card bases with great outdoor scenes. I cut the card base in half and used boho blue cardstock for my card base.

The Canoe and Bear are dies from the CottageCutz Campin Out collection. I stamped the Father's Day sentiment to complete this card. 

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

card details:

Stamps: manly moments (PP May 2018)

Paper: boho blue, pecan pie, copper clay, smoky slate, wild wheat pacific point (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: midnite muse (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: campin out bear, campin out canoe dies (CottageCutz), Paper Pumpkin Kit May 2023 (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Aud Sentiments has a Fun Fold or Summer challenge + a sentiment. Fishing is a summer activity. 

2.  Crafting Happiness has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Cupcake Inspirations has a Father's Day challenge. 

4.  The Cutie Pie Challenge is Dads or Lads.

5.  Crafty Animals is anything goes with an animal. 

Father's Day Camping Card

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. It's Father's Day weekend and we will be celebrating with our son and his family. Looking forward to getting together. 

I was a bit behind getting Father's Day cards ready this year. This one is for my son. I will be delivering it in person tomorrow since I only made it yesterday. I received my Stampin' Up Paper Pumpkin Kit abut a week ago and these card bases are part of it. I thought they would make great backgrounds for Father's Day cards. 

I cut the card base in half and used boho blue cardstock for my card base.Boho blue is one of the new Stampin' Up in-colors and it coordinates with this kit. 

Since there is a tent in the background, I used a CottageCutz die that has the bear in a tent and placed it in the foreground. The tent is cut in moody mauve- a new Stampin' Up in- color. I also added a lantern carrying moose.

I stamped my sentiment, and this card is finished. That's it for me for this post so until next time......God bless. 

card details:

Stamps: man of the hour (Waltzingmouse)

Paper: boho blue. moody mauve, baked brown sugar, soft suede, crumb cake, real red, vellum (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: mossy meadow (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: campin out moose die, campin out bear in tent die (CottageCutz), Paper Pumpkin Kit

I am also entering:

1.  Cut It Up Challenge is masculine. 

2.  Daring Carmakers challenge is to make it masculine.

3.  Fab 'n' Funky wants us to use a sentiment. 

4.  Cardz 4 Guyz has a Father's Day Challenge. 

5.  The Card Concept 197B has a nature calls challenge. The nature theme is my inspiration. 

Folk Art Flower Pot

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

We started our day off with church. It was a great service, and our Pastor had a powerful sermon today. 

Afterwards we went out to lunch with another couple from church. We had a good time and lots of good conversation and the restaurant they picked served up some good food. Now it's just a laid-back afternoon so I thought I would get a Blog post done.  

This card I made using some new Folk Art dies from CottageCutz. Here are the details on how I created this card. 

Design Steps:

I first selected my card colors. I decided on a tahitian blue shade, and I had glimmer paper to match for my background. I wanted a rectangular frame around the flowerpot. The only die I had that was the size I needed is the Pierced Wide Rectangle Frame die also from CottageCutz. 

Next, I cut the flowerpot with Stampin' Up tahitian blue cardstock. The flowers are cut in daffodil delight, gorgeous grape and polished pink cardstocks. The stem is cut from granny apple green cardstock. These are bright summer colors. 

I cut my hello phrase in a bright pink cardstock. It's the same shade as one of the flowers. 

Now I am ready to start card assembly. I first attached the glimmer paper to the white frame. I used dimensional adhesive to attach the flowerpot. I wanted it lifted off the background.

To finish off my card, I attached the image panel to the card base using double sided tape. Added the hello phrase on an angle for interest and secured with liquid glue. I added a couple more hearts to the glimmer paper.

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

I am also entering:

1.  Gem of a Challenge is anything goes. 

2.  Crafty Calendar Challenge is Summertime.

3.  Just Us Girls #683 is use the word "hello".

4.  Crafty Catz is anything goes w/optional to use pink and purple. I used some but not exclusively. 

5.  As you Like It has a pastels or brights challenge. My favorite colors are brights.

 

Hip Hip Hooray Birthday

Hello Blogger Friends. Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this 2nd Saturday in June. 

Today our family will be celebrating my Mother-in-Law's 93rd birthday. She lives with my sister-in-law and that's where the celebration will take place. We are planning a cookout for her. She doesn't get around so well these days but the family is grateful to still have her with us. 

This card won't be going to her. I have another one that is a bit more simple. She doesn't really even look at the handmade cards I give her, so I have learned to keep them on the CAS side. That way I am able to keep a good attitude. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge #947 on Splitcoaststampers.

We were to use tahitian tide, orchid oasis and parakeet party for the color trio. Optional this week is to create a birthday card.

tahitian tide, parakeet party, orchid oasis

For my birthday card, I started with the card base. It's from a 2016 Paper Pumpkin Kit. I added a piece of orchid oasis behind the white panel for definition. An orange crimped panel came with the kit.

From there I cut my balloons in the challenge colors. I used designer paper from the Stampin' Up in-color glimmer paper" collection for the bottom 3 balloons. For the top 2 balloons I used a parakeet party dsp and the tahitian tide balloon is cut in the same cardstock and stamped to add some texture. All the dies are from CottageCutz.

I cut the birthday phrase in orchid oasis cardstock for the shadow and orchid oasis glimmer paper for the birthday word. The glimmer paper is an ombre paper so I used the lighter shade for contrast.

 This card will be for the little boy who lives next door. He will be celebrating a birthday in July. We get invited to their kid's birthday parties. And my neighbor is a big supporter of my handmade cards. 

And that's my card for today. So until next time......God bless. 

card details:

Stamps: bitty birthday wishes (MFT)

Paper: orchid oasis, tahitian tide, soft suede, Baked brown sugar, early espresso, in color glimmer paper (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: orchid oasis (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: spring party card, sending hugs, birthday w/shadow dies (CottageCutz), Paper Pumpkin Kit 2016 (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Allsorts Challenge is birthday's or anything goes.

2.  Polkadoodles has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Seize the Birthday has a birthday challenge w/option of putting your sentiment on a banner. 

4.  Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday is anything goes. 

5.  Cardz for Guyz has a lots of layers challenge. 

Patriotic Card

Hello Blogger Friends and a happy Friday to you. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods and that you are getting to enjoy some great late Spring weather. It's just 9 more days and it will officially be summer. Love this time of year with the warm days and the daylight length.

My card for today is a patriotic fun fold. I was invited to guest design once again with the Creative Creases Challenge #59. the fold I am featuring is called a diagonal joy fold. I saw the video on Tami White's YouTube channel. The link is here. 

Here are my design steps:

I started with a 4 1/4" x 11" red cardstock for my card base. It's scored at 5 1/2"

Used my paper trimmer and made a diagonal cut on the card front. Start at the center top left and cut to the bottom right corner. 

This is what the card should look like after you make the cut.

Next, I cut the designer paper I used for the diagonal panel. I started with a piece 4 1/8" x 5 1/4" and cut it on a diagonal. 

Now for the card insert I used red cardstock measuring 8" x 3" and scored at 4". 

I cut the images in red, white and blue shades. The dies are a brand-new Patriotic Release from CottageCutz.

Now for card assembly. I started with the inside card insert. I stamped a sentiment using the God Bless America set from Blue Knight stamps. I decided to add some fireworks to this panel. The die is also a new one from CottageCutz - Fireworks.

Next, I added the images to the front of the card insert. 

I secured the designer paper to the card panel and also to the card inside. 

To finish off this fun fold, I secured the USA phrase to the diagonal panel with liquid glue. The insert is attached with double sided tape. 

This photo shows the insert attached to card base. 

This last photo shows the card closed. 

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

 

I am also entering:

1.  Sisterhood of Crafters has a birds challenge. 

2.  Little Red Wagon has a things that fly challenge. 

3.  I Spy with my Little Eye Challenge is something with Wings. 

4.  The Paper Funday is anything goes w/optional of no squares. 

5.  Craft Rocket Challenge is to use dies.