Sunflower Birthday Wishes

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

Hope your week is going well. I just came home from my workout at the gym. I see a trainer every Wednesday and work with him for an hour. He has given me a routine to do at home with the equipment I have here. So, I do that one 2 days a week. I just want to stay healthy and fit as I get older. 

Tonight for dinner I am making a creamy broccoli bacon soup. I made it a few weeks ago and my hubby and I really enjoyed it. Plus it's very healthy. I am on a Paleo lifestyle plan and this soup fits in with my diet plan. Here is a link to the recipe if you are interested. 

Fo my card today I am featuring one I made for the color challenge #983 on Splitcoaststampers. We were to use granny apple green, crushed curry and pumpkin pie for her color trio. Optional was to use sunflowers on your card. 

crushed curry, pumpkin pie, granny apple green

My card started with my background paper. It's from the Stampin' Up Sweet Sunflowers Paper Pumpkin Kit from August 2022.

It has a sunflower, but the other flowers were in crushed curry and melon mambo. So, I cut smaller sunflowers in crushed curry cardstock, a bee, butterfly and some hearts and placed them over the other flowers.

I inked the edge of my flowers with spiced marmalade distress ink to cover the pumpkin color. My card base is the granny apple green color.

Stamped my sentiment on a tag from the kit and added some crushed curry enamel dots.

This one will go to my good friend in Virginia who has a July birthday, and the sunflower is her favorite flower.

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

Card Details:

Stamps: beyond the horizon (Paper Pumpkin March 2022)

Paper: granny apple green, crushed curry, choc chip (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: choc chip (Stampin' Up), spiced marmalade distress (Ranger)

Accessories: Sweet Sunflowers PP Kit - August 2022, Crushed Curry Enamel Dots (Stampin' Up), Harvest Cornstalk, Fall Scarecrow, Fresh Strawberry Patch dies (CottageCutz)

I am also entering:

1.  A Perfect time to Craft has an anything goes challenge.

2.  Beautiful Blossoms Challenge is anything goes with Flowers + optional mood board. 

3.  Crafts Galore Encore is anything goes. 

4.  Daisy Chain Challenge is anything goes. 

5.  Triple B Challenge is anything goes with a Bird, Bloom or a Butterfly. I have a Butterfly and Blooms. 

Gate Fold Masculine Birthday

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

It's been a cold and blustery weekend in Pittsburgh. We had snow on Friday night and Saturday morning. The sun is shining today so that's always good but very cold. 

I had to make a quick stop after church at the grocery store and the wind was blowing pretty fiercely. But I am home now with dinner in the crockpot. We are having some comfort food with a roast, mashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower. 

Now onto my card for today. My friend asked me to make a card for her son who loves to ride his motorcycle. I am also entering it into the Featured Stamper challenge #889 on Splitcoaststampers. My card is a gatefold style with a belly band. So let's get started with the card details.

Design Steps:

I started by preparing the card base and the layering panels.

Card Base - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2". I scored both panels at 2 1/8" on each side.

White Layers - 5 3/8" x 2"

Designer Paper Layer - 5" x 1 7/8"

Belly Band -11" x 1 1/2" - scored at 7 3/8" & 3 1/8". 

I cut the pieces for the motorcycle. I used red and black since that's the color of her son's bike. I cut a circle using the 3rd largest Stitched Circle die. Sponged some clouds using Tumbled Glass distress ink and Mowed Lawn distress ink for grass. Attached the motorcycle image with dimensional adhesive.

I wanted a sentiment on the front but I didn't have any stamps that would work. So, I used the letters from the CottageCutz Cinema Drive-In Sign and Fifties Phrases #2 dies for the "Ride On" phrase. I attached the image on the belly band and slid it over the card front.
 

I finished the inside of my card using the CottageCutz Happy Birthday w/ shadow die. I also stamped a sentiment. It's from an old Verve set. 

Well, that's my card for this post. So, until next time......God bless. 

I am also entering:

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

2.  Creative Creases Challenge #76 is anything goes with a fun fold. 

3.  Craft Rocket Challenge has a birthday challenge. 

4.  Creative Inspirations #11 is anything goes.  

5.  Time Out Challenge #257 has a birthday challenge. 

Valentine Love

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

Another weekend is upon us, so I hope you have plans for something crafty. We are expecting a snowstorm here in the Pittsburgh area. In fact, as I type this post it's snowing. We haven't had a lot of snow this winter so having a snowy weekend is ok with me. 

I made a big pot of chili for dinner. It's nice to have comfort food when the weather is cold and snowy. My hubby really enjoyed it - even though it was a bit spicy. Tomorrow I will make taco salads for dinner. I love it when a meal extends to a couple of dinners.

Now onto my card for today. This is the last of this year's Valentine cards. I usually make several cards and then let some of our friends pick one for their wives. This one was the last one picked. 

A friend stopped over on Tuesday and really liked this card. The inside sentiment read "Love is just a word until someone comes along to give it meaning". The sentiment really touched him, so he picked this card. 

I also sent him home with some stuffed banana peppers. I had a lot of them in our freezer from last summer's harvest. He really enjoys them. 

Now onto my card for today. I used the colors from the Splitcoasstampers color challenge #986. I was the hostess, and I chose real red, gorgeous grape and garden green for the color trio. Optional was anything goes.

real red, gorgeous grape, garden green

I decided to make a Valentine card using some non-traditional colors. This one is created with elements from the Stampin' Up January 2024 Paper Pumpkin Kit.

For the option I added a 4th color of highland heather. The background designer paper, lavender and greenery are part of the Paper Pumpkin Kit.

I used a panel of highland heather cardstock and embossed with a hearts folder. Die cut a love phrase, stamped the Valentine sentiment and added a real red bakers twine bow to complete my card.

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

Card Details:

Stamps: key to my heart (January 2023 Paper Pumpkin), lovely lavender (January 2024 Paper Pumpkin)

Paper: gorgeous grape, highland heather, real red (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: gorgeous grape (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Paper Pumpkin Kit January 2024, Heart Epoxy Droplets (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Crafty Catz has a Valentine or Love challenge. 

2.  Creative Fingers Challenge Blog has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Cut It Up has a have a heart challenge.

4.  Creative Inspiration Challenge has an anything goes challenge.

5.   Moving Along with the Times has a Love Hearts challenge. 

I Only Have "Fries" For You

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

It's the day after Valentine's Day but I still have 2 cards to post that I made for this Holiday. This one I gave to my hubby as his card. I decided to try these non-traditional colors for a Valentine card. My Valentine sentiment is on the card inside. 

He likes fries, and I thought this would be a perfect card for him. Although when I make fries for him I either bake or air fry no deep-fried ones. 

My card started with the colors from this weeks color challenge #987 on Splitcoaststampers. Our colors were poppy parade, lost lagoon and copper clay for the color trio. Optional this week is any 4th color. I chose yellow. 

lost lagoon, copper clay, poppy parade

The fries die is from the CottageCutz "Circus" collection. I stamped a face, arms and feet with a stamp from MFT. It's from the same set as the sentiment.

For the fries I used poppy parade for the container and cut the fries in yellow cardstock and then shaded it with wild honey distress ink. Cut the "fries" phrase in copper clay cardstock.I added a few hearts to complete my card.

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

Card Details:

Stamps: we make a great combo (MFT)

Paper: cpoppy parade, opper clay, lost lagoon, so saffron (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: 4 1/2" x 5 3/4"

Ink: copper clay, black (Stampin' Up), wild honey distress (Ranger)

Accessories: build a burger die (CottageCutz), blueprints 15, little letters dies (MFT)

I am also entering:

1. Crafty Gals Corner challenge to add a heart. 

2. Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday challenge is anything goes.

3.  I Spy with My Little Eye challenge is hearts or roses. 

4.  Little Red Wagon wants us to show some love. 

5.  The Male Room challenge is a Valentine/Use a heart.    

Hugs & Kisses

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

It's the day before Valentine's Day so I thought I would share another of the cards I created for this holiday. This one I sent to my precious granddaughter out in California. 

She loves getting mail from me and saves the cards I send her.  I packed up a little box with Valentine candy and of course some cash because what kid doesn't like getting money in a card. 

I liked how this one turned out. So here are some card details. 

I used the colors from the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #985. We were to use polished pink, tahitian tide and lemon lolly for the color trio. Optional was to use something that starts with the letter "B". I used a Lawn Fawn border die.

tahitian tide, lemon lolly, polished pink

I thought I would try and make a Valentine using non-traditional colors. With the Lawn Fawn Candy Hearts die I accomplished my mission, especially since candy hearts come in these colors. Making Valentine cards in non-traditional colors is always a fun challenge for me. 

My background paper is from the Stampin' Up "bloom where you are planted" collection and the color is gray granite (neutral). My card base is also gray granite.

I cut the hearts in the challenge colors. My hugs & kisses phrase is a border die from Lawn Fawn  and I cut in polished pink cardstock. The sentiment is from the Lawn Fawn "Love Letters" set. To finish off my card I added some polished pink jewels and a couple of polished pink hearts cut from cardstock.

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

Card Details:

Stamps: love letters (Lawn Fawn)

Paper: polished pink, tahitian tide, lemon lolly, gray granite, bloom where you are planted dsp (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: polished pink (Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: candy hearts die, hugs & kisses border die (Lawn Fawn), in-color polished pink jewels (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Try It On Tuesday has a hearts or Flowers challenge.

2.  A Perfect time To Craft is anything goes. 

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

4.  Crafts Galore Encore is anything goes. 

5.  Aud Sentiments Challenge is dies or love or both plus a sentiment.

We Go Together

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

It's been a couple of weeks since I have posted a card but for good reason. We were away in Florida visiting a friend. My friend and her husband bought a home there and spend the winter months enjoying the milder temps and sunshine. 

They invited us down last year as well. The weather was perfect averaging between 60°-72°. It was sunny every day that we were there except one day it rained. When we left Pittsburgh, we hadn't seen the sun for 5 days in a row. So getting many days of sunshine was perfect for us. 

We are home now and having milder temps here as well. I think our winter weather is returning in the next couple of days. 

I have made several Valentine cards and wanted to get them posted before the day comes and goes. This one I made for the color challenge #984 on Splitcoaststampers. We were to use melon mambo, very vanilla and pecan pie for her color trio. Optional was anything goes.

melon mambo, very vanilla, pecan pie

I decided to try a Valentine card using these non-traditional colors. And for the optional, I added a 4th color with fresh freesia.

My background is the Blooming Hearts cutting plate from Taylored Expressions. I cut it in pecan pie, melon mambo and fresh freesia. Used the die inlay technique and added hearts in melon mambo and fresh freesia.

My cute images are from the "little bits - pb & j" dies also from Taylored Expressions. I cut the peanut butter from pecan pie cardstock and the jelly from melon mambo. The sentiment is from the "we go together" stamp set (Taylored Expressions) and stamped on fresh freesia in pecan pie ink.

I usually make extra cards and let the men from church pick one for their wife. This one however I gave to one of the trainers at my gym to give to his wife. 

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

Card Details:

Stamps: pizza my heart, we go together (Taylored Expressions)

Paper: melon mambo, very vanilla, pecan pie, fresh freesia (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: pecan pie (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: blooming hearts cutting plate, pizza my heart dies (Taylored Expressions), pierced rectangle stax (MFT)

Techniques: die cut inlay

I am also entering:

1.  Die Cut Divas has a non-traditional Valentine card challenge. 

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

3.  Allsorts Challenge is hearts w/option of anything goes. 

4.  Crafty Calendar Challenge is to add a heart. 

5.  Inkspirational Challenge is hearts.