Easter Blessings

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

Well, the first week of April has brought back some winter temps in the Pittsburgh area. We are going downtown for a theater show on Wednesday and it's definitely going to be winter coat weather. 

We are going to see The Thorn. It was a Christmas gift from our son and a dinner gift card to go along with it. It's the story of creation and weaves through time highlighting the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. A perfect show for Easter. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge #1045. We were to use granny apple green, fresh freesia and bubble bath for the color trio. Optional was anything goes. I chose a 4th color of petunia pop.

My fun fold design is called a double easel fold. I have measurements, photos and a video link of another card I made using this fold - see that here.

The background designer paper is from the Divinity Designs "Heavenly Skies" paper collection. I saw a card on Pinterest from Kendra Sands and used that for inspiration. I changed it up with different dies, colors and sentiment to make it my own.

The He is Risen phrase & Cross are a die from CottageCutz. I stamped my sentiment in petunia pop ink (my optional item) to finish up my card.

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

Card Details:

Stamps: Alleluia Stamp set (Divinity Designs)

Paper: basic white, bubble bath, fresh freesia, granny apple green, petunia pop (Stampin' Up), heavenly skies designer paper (Divinity Designs)

Ink: petunia pop (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: He is Risen Cross (CottageCutz)

Techniques: double easel fold

I am also entering:

1.  Creatalicious Challenge is anything goes w/option of Easter or Spring.

2.  Love to Craft challenge is anything goes.  

3.  The Four Seasons Challenge is anything goes Spring.

4.  A Cut Above is anything goes with a die cut. 

5.  Creative Creases is anything goes with a fun fold. 

Easter Z-Fold

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

I am excited to be guest designing with the Creative Creases Challenge today. This challenge is all about fun fold designs. I created a Z-fold with a cute Easter design for the kiddos that live next door to me. So here are the design steps to create this fun fold. If you would like to see a video, here is the one I found on YouTube. 

Design Steps:

I started my card by cutting the card base from Pacific Point (medium blue) cardstock. The base is 

8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and scored at 1 1/2" & 4 1/4". 

I used some retired Stampin' Up designer paper from the "Painted Blooms" collection. The pattern reminded me of Easter eggs. I cut those pieces at 2 11/16" x 

5 1/2" (front panel) and 1 9/16" x 5 1/2" (inside panel).

Next, I worked on the image panel. I used the Essential Arches dies from Spellbinders. The bunny images are the Double Trouble Bunnies die from CottageCutz. I used a stencil and broken china distress ink for the background clouds.

I attached the designer paper and the image panel to the card base using double sided tape. 
 

To finish off my card I added white cardstock on the inside. This piece measures 2 5/8" x 5 1/2". I decided to cut a small strip of the pacific point cardstock to cover the area where the pieces joined together. This strip is 1/4" x 5 1/2". 

Well, that's my card for today. I hope you can join in with us over at the Creative Creases Challenge Blog. There are many different fun fold ideas from the design team to get your creative juices flowing. So until next time.....God bless.

Where There is Faith

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

It's the last Monday in March. This month went by so quickly and shortly we will be celebrating Easter.  The trees are budding here and some have already bloomed and flowered. 

The daffodils are up and my hubby's Lenten Rose bush has bloomed. His tulips will be up in the next 10 days, I am guessing. He keeps spraying them to keep the deer away. I love to see the earth come back to life after a long and cold winter. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge #1034 on Splitcoaststampers.  We were t ouse petal pink, pool party and soft seafoam for the color trio. Optional is a 4th color. My 4th color is old olive.

For my card I used some of the contents of the May 2019 Paper Pumpkin Kit - "Hugs From Shelli". It had the colors of petal pink and pool party. I cut a card base and used it for background designer paper and layered it with petal pink cardstock. I used petal pink ribbon on this panel.

The card base is very vanilla and I stamped some background splatters with a stamp from the kit in soft seafoam ink.

I used a label from the kit to stamp my sentiment in pecan pie ink and add the die cut flowers- also from the Kit. I used pool party glossy dots to get the pool party color in there.

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

Card Details:

Stamps: Hope Box (PP Kit August 2021), Hugs from Shelli (PP Kit May 2019)

Paper: Very vanilla, Hugs from Shelli PP Kit (Stampin' Up)

Ink: soft seafoam, pecan pie (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Hugs from Shelli PP Kit (May 2019), Glossy Dots, Petal Pink Ribbon (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Creative Fingers has an anything goes challenge. 

2.  Ellibelle's Garden Party (new Challenge) is anything from the garden. 

3.  Little Red Wagon wants us to use ribbon, twine or thread on our project. 

4.  Stamping Sensations has an anything goes or hello Spring challenge.  

5.  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends is anything goes. 

Coneflower Thanks

Hello Blogger Friends! Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. 

Well, we are into our first week of Spring and the weather here has been downright cold. It's dipping below freezing every night. I still have my polar fleece sheets on my bed, and they will probably not get changed out for summer sheets for a few weeks. 

I invited a friend over to craft with me last week. She used to do scrapbooking and is interested in card making. I have so many of the Stampin' Up Paper Pumpkin kits so I thought that would be a good way to introduce her to card making. And a great way to use up some of these kits. 

We made 4 cards and a gift tag She is already looking forward to coming next month and so am I.  

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge #1042 on Splitcoaststampers. We were to use pretty in pink, daffodil delight and old olive for the color trio. Optional is flowers.

I used the multi-layer "Coneflower"stencil from Spellbinders for my card.  I used the challenge colors plus the distress ink "kitsch pink" for a bit of a deeper color on the coneflower lines.

Cut my thanks word in old olive and white cardstock using a die from CottageCutz. I scattered some enamel dots to complete my card. I am sending this to my neighbor who invited us to their Fl winter home in February. She is an avid gardener and loves flowers.

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

Card Details:

Paper: pretty in pink, old olive (Stampin' Up), Bristol Smooth (Canson)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: pretty in pink, daffodil delight, old olive (Stampin' Up), kitsch pink distress (Ranger)

Accessories: Coneflower Stencil (Spellbinders), Thanks Phrase (CottageCutz),

Techniques: stenciling

I am also entering:

1.  A Cut Above has a die cut challenge -using a least one die. 

2.  Craft Rocket Challenge is for the girls.  

3.  Cut It Up has the colors of Spring challenge using at least one die cut. 

4.  Crazy is our fame-stencils are our game challenge is anything goes.

5.  Cardz 4 Galz has a Springtime challenge.  

Time For Cake

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

Well, we made the switchover last night to Daylight Savings time. It will be light tonight until 7:30. Whoo-Hoo I love the longer daylight hours. My body doesn't always do well with this spring forward change so I will see how it goes this week.  

For my card today, I am featuring one of the designs in the Stampin' Up Paper Pumpkin Kit from August 2024. It was all about birthdays and I needed a card for my brother-in-law who is celebrating this month.

For this card I followed the kit instructions but changed it up a bit to make it my own. Instead of using the "cake filling strips" from the kit, I cut my own from one of the envelopes. I also added some moody mauve speckled enamel dots to the cake slice.

The card base,  "hooray" phrase, candle and fork are all part of the kit. It was a quick and easy card to assemble. Well, that's it for me for this post. So, until next time.....God bless. 

Card Details:

Stamps: time for cake (PP Kit August 2024)

Paper: Ppaer Pumpkin Kit (August 2024)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: night of navy (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Moody Mauve speckled enamel dots (Stampin' Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Creative Inspiration Challenge is anything goes.

2.  Creative Knockouts is a birthday challenge. 

3.  Krafty Chicks is a birthday challenge.

4.  Cut It Up has a happy birthday challenge. 

5.  Crafty Catz is anything goes w/add a sentiment.

Lift The Flap Birthday

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

It's been a while since my last post but for good reason. I have been sick with this virus that's making its rounds. I had head and chest congestion and when it started to clear up, I got hit with body aches and a fever. But I am on the mend now and feeling so much better. 

We have made it into March and in a couple of weeks it's the Spring Equinox. And this weekend it's time to move the clocks ahead so longer days on Sunday night. I don't know about you but losing an hours sleep doesn't always go right with me. It takes me about a week to adjust.

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for my grandson's birthday. I love how it turned out. I used the colors from the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #1038. The colors were crumb cake, lost lagoon and early espresso. Optional was to make it masculine.  

crumb cake, lost lagoon, early espresso

I just purchased this new to me Lift the Flap die from Lawn Fawn. The above photo shows the flaps closed.

The trees are cut from early espresso cardstock. I added an owl, a hb2u phrase,a squirrel a snail and hedgie. These are all dies from CottageCutz. Used some allowed neutrals for some of the animals.

My background paper is from the Stampin' Up beautiful bokeh collection. I also cut the clouds using the same paper. Stamped my birthday sentiment to complete my card. 

The photo below shows the flaps open. And that's it for me for this post. So, until next time....God bless.

 

Card Details:

Stamps: Poppy Birthday (Verve)

Paper: lost lagoon, early espresso, crumb cake, pecan pie, basic gray beautiful bokeh dsp (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: early espresso (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Lift the Flap Backdrop die (Lawn Fawn), Forest Critters die, Slimline Clouds die (CottageCutz)

I am also entering:

1.  Elliebelle's Crafty Wednesday challenge is anything goes. 

2.  Little Red Wagon has a birthday challenge. 

3.  Unicorn Challenge is boys/men. 

4.  Crafty Animals challenge is anything goes featuring an animal.

5.  AAA Birthday Game #71 is a masculine challenge. 

 

Valentine Bears

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life this last Sunday in February. This month just seemed to move forward so quickly. Maybe because we were in Florida for 10 days. 

I also had my 3rd annual Galentine Party on Friday evening. It was a fun night with 4 of my gal friends. We enjoyed lots of good food and some fun games. We played a "family feud" game. I even had buzzers. The girls really liked it. My other games were a Valentine riddle, Valentine candy match, Valentine trivia and a Valentine word scramble. And of course there were prizes to be won. 

I like to do something different each year so I will be on the lookout for different ideas for next year. Now onto my card for today.

This is the last of my 2025 Valentine cards. I gave this one to my husband. I liked the cute sentiment on this one and also the sweet little bears. 

I used the colors from the Splitcoasters color challenge#1037. We were to usebasic black, balmy blue and melon mambo for the color trio. Optional this week is Valentine's.

melon mambo balmy blue basic black

I started my card with a new to me die from Lawn Fawn. It's the "heart garland backdrop die". I cut it in melon mambo cardstock and layered it over a piece of balmy blue designer paper from the Stampin' Up "beautiful bokeh" collection.

I used the polar bears w/birch tree die from CottageCutz for my Valentine bears. Cut their scarves in the challenge colors.

My sentiment is a stamp from MFT- their X's & O's set.

I like making Valentine cards using non-traditional colors. And, I like how this one turned out.

Card Details:

Stamps: X's & O's (MFT)

Paper: melon mambo, black, confetti white, naturals white, beautiful bokeh dsp (Stampin' Up), white glitter paper (Recollections)

Ink: tuxedo black (Memento)

Accessories: Heart Garland Backdrop die (lawn Fawn), Polar Bears w/Birch Tree die (CottageCutz)

I am also entering:

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

2.  Crafty Calendar Challenge is hearts.

3.  Polkadoodles has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Sweet Stampin' has a masculine makes challenge. This one went to my hubby. 

5.  MTTC #554 is a 1,2,3 recipe. 1-designer paper, 2-bears, 3-heart banners. 

Be My Valentine

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

Well, at least where I live in PA it's very cold, windy and snowy. It's about 26° right now but I am inside working on my Galentine Party that is set for tonight. I have the preps under control, so I decided to get another of this year's Valentine cards posted. 

The girls are coming at 6:00 pm for a fun-filled night. If you are interested to see what I have planned for the night see this post for more details. 

Onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge #1036 on Splitcoaststampers. I was the hostess, and I chose real red, gorgeous grape and highland heather for the color trio. Optional was to make it a Valentine. 

real red, gorgeous grape, highland heather

I started my card with using a new to me die from Lawn Fawn. It's the Radiant Heart die. I cut it in basic white and then used a real red card base underneath.

I added a little bird on a branch holding the flowing "love" word. Used both highland heather and gorgeous grape. This die is the "Love Bird Branch" from CottageCutz. 

Attached hearts to the branch cut in the challenge colors. Added my "be my valentine" sentiment and a few other red hearts in the corners to complete my card. This is also a die from CottageCutz- "Be My Valentine".

I like making Valentine cards using non-traditional colors. I gave this one to my trainer at the gym to give to his wife. He always appreciates me covering him for a Valentine card. 

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

Card Details:

Paper: basic White, Real Red, Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, Basic Beige, Pecan PieMossy Meadow dsp (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: Radiant Heart Backdrop die (Lawn Fawn), Love Bird Branch die (CottageCutz),Be My Valentine die (CottageCutz)

I am also entering:

1.  Alphabet Challenge Blog has a "W" for wings.

2.  Crafty Catz is anything goes w/optional for the girls.

3.  Creative Fingers has an anything goes challenge.  

4.  Creative Inspirations Challenge is anything goes. 

5.  Simon Say Stamp has a cute and cuddly challenge.  

My Heart Buzz

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

It's a bitter cold day here in Pittsburgh with temps at 22°. I ventured out for my dental appointment and then went shopping for my annual Galentine Party. The wind was quite blustery, but I wrapped my scarf around my neck, donned my gloves and went where I had to go.

So back to the Galentine Party. This is the 3rd year for the party and the women I invite all love it. I usually have it before Valentine's Day but we were in Florida, so I scheduled it for tomorrow evening. 

I have done something different each year and this year it's a game night with prizes. I have a couple of trivia games planned, a Valentine's riddle game, a Valentine candy match and the last is a Valentine friendly feud game. I even have buzzers for this game. There are 4 women + myself so for the feud game it will be 2 teams of two and I will be the moderator. I think they will love the games. 

Then I have lots of appetizers planned and I went with a Mexican theme - taquitos, tacos, tortilla chips with guacamole and shrimp and queso for dipping and adding to the other food and a small charcuterie tray. I also found a recipe for baked scallops that sounded yummy, so I am making that as well.  Saturday is national Margarita Day, so I decided to make some margaritas. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for a friend to give to his wife for Valentine's Day. He really liked it. She will be here tomorrow night so I will find out if she liked it. 

I used the Stampin' Up designer paper "Bee Mine" and created a fun fold card. I saw this sample on Cindy Lee Blog and decided to give it a whirl.

I didn't have the bee punch from Stampin' Up so I used a die from CottageCutz. I also added more stamping on the inside to make it my design.

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

Card Details:

Stamps: Bee My Valentine (Stampin' Up)

Paper: black, white, daffodil delight, vellum, bee mine dsp (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: 4 1/2" x 5 3/4"

Ink: real red (Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: Busy Bee die (CottageCutz), Word Bubble die (Stampin' Up)

Techniques: fun fold

I am also entering:

1.  Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday is anything goes. 

2.  The Paper Shelter has a "with Love" challenge. 

3.  A Cut Above his anything goes with a die cut. 

4.  Aud Sentiments Challenge is love/wedding/anniversary plus a sentiment. 

5.  Make My Monday has a love challenge. 

With Love

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

We just returned from a 10 day stay in Florida. Friends of ours have a winter home there and invited us down once again. This is the 3rd year we have been there. The weather was sunny and warm and averaged 82° for the entire time we were there.  

When we left Pittsburgh, it was bitter cold. So, we were glad to have a bit of summer weather even if it was only for 10 days. When we returned home it was cold, and we have had snow and ice for the past 3 days. But the days are getting longer, and I just bundle up when I go outside. 

Now onto my card for today. This is another one of my Valentine cards. I gave this to the couple we stayed with in FL. Well actually to the man to give to his wife for Valentine's Day. He loved it and so did she.

I created a Z-Fold style card using the contents of the Paper Pumpkin Kit "Lovely Lavender"- February 2024 from Stampin' Up.  I saw a sample on Pinterest from Libby Fens. I changed the card base color and also added inside stamping.

The photo below shows the stamping I did on the inside.
 

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

Card Details:

Stamps: Lovely Lavender (PP Kit Feb 2024)

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

Paper Size: A2

Ink: highland heather (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Paper Pumpkin Kit Lovely Lavender February 2024 (Stampin' Up)

Techniques: z-fold

I am also entering:

1.  Aud sentiments has a love/anniversary/wedding and or shimmer challenge. 

2.  Dream Valley Challenges is to use 2 or more patterned papers.

3.  The Neglected Stuff challenge - I used a kit from January 2024.

4.  Beautiful Blossoms challenge is anything goes floral w/optional mood board. 

5.  Triple B has a birds, blooms, butterflies challenge.