Harvest Blessings

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. Hope the month of November is going well for you. 

This month is special to me because it's when I celebrate my wedding anniversary. We were married 36 years on November 7. We went out for a special dinner and the restaurant toasted us with a glass of champagne. 

We looked over our wedding album and talked about some of the special events that we remembered from that night. Interesting how things change over the years. Most of the friends who attended we don't really see anymore. Some have moved away, others were work friends and since we both retired, we don't see them any longer. Of course, our family will always be our family and nothing has changed there. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for an event over on Splitcoaststampers. They have a special design team and once a year all the former team members host a challenge. For this challenge we were to create a shaped card. This alos works for the challenge on the Hand Stamped Sentiments Blog. 

I had this Fancy Pumpkin die from the Stamps of Life. It's part of their fold-it collection. I have several of these type dies, and I just love them for making a shaped card. This one you can make it with or without the embossed panels. 

I stamped my sentiment on a flag banner and added a ribbon to complete my card. I have several more Thanksgiving cards to make and I may just use this same design. 

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

Card Details:

Stamps: Bountiful Harvest (Verve)

Paper: tangerine tango, pumpkin pie, old olive, vanilla (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: choc chip, pumpkin pie, tangerine tango (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: fancy pumpkin fold-it die set (Stamps of Life), pumpkin ribbon (Stampin' Up)

Techniques: shape card

I am also entering:

1.  The Sisterhood of Crafters has a Fall harvest challenge. 

2.  Hand Stamped Sentiments has an inspiration challenge. 

3.  Crafting Happiness Challenges #148 has a Thanksgiving/Harvest challenge. 

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

5.  Cardz 4 Galz has a thankyou/thankful or Thanksgiving challenge. 

Sending an Ocean of Love

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this last Saturday in August. Looks like we are going to have a great weekend here in Pittsburgh - weatherwise that is. 

I will be in the kitchen dealing with a huge tomato harvest. But that will get taken care of in a timely fashion today. Then I am going to put my patriotic decorations away and pull out my Fall stuff. I always like when it's time to change the decorations. Even though we have almost a month of summer left, I am going to put the summer decorations away. 

Now onto my card for today. This one is definitely one with a summer vibe. I created it for one of the DTGD challenges on Splitcoaststampers. We were to create a fun fold card. 

I used the July 2023 Stampin' Up "fun in the sun" kit. The kit gives you supplies to make 9 fun fold cards. This card is just one of the designs in the kit.

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

Card Details:

Stamps: fun in the sun (Stampin' Up)

Paper: azure afternoon, daffodil delight, flirty flamingo, melon mambo, pool party (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: azure afternoon (Stampin' Up)

Accessories: Paper Pumpkin Kit July 2023 (Stampin' Up)

Techniques: Side Step Card

I am also entering:

1.  Aloha Friday Challenge is vacation mode. 

2.  Creative Fingers Challenge is anything goes. 

3.  My Time to Craft wants us to use die cuts. 

4.  The Paper Shelter Challenge has a summertime challenge.   

5.  Crafty Gals Corner has a summer fun challenge. 

Swan Silhouette

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

August is moving right along. It's already halfway through the month. I want to put the brakes on and slow the days down a bit (lol)!!!

We had our family reunion this past Saturday. It was a great time of spending time with family and lots of good food. My hubby picked about 40 banana peppers so that was my food contribution. 

I stuff them with hot & sweet Italian sausage plus onion, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning and a can of Trader Joe's fire roasted tomatoes w/diced chilies. That was the first dish to be emptied. Two of my nieces asked if I could share the next batch I stuff. So that's what I did yesterday for them. 

Today, I have garden tomatoes to roast with onion, garlic olive oil and balsamic glaze. Then I put them in a food processor to puree and freeze them.  Doing it this way I end up with a delicious marina to enjoy in the winter. 

But, before I get into the kitchen, I wanted to post a card. This one I made for the DTGD challenges on Splitcoaststampers. I was hosting this challenge and I wanted everyone to use a silhouette. The silhouette could either be a stamp or a die cut. 

I started my card with the background paper. It's from the "Landscapes Paper Pack" from Divinity Designs. The stamp and sentiment I used is from Blue Knight Stamps - "swan scene". I stamped with black archival ink from Ranger. 

This will be the card I give to my hubby on our anniversary in November. And, that's it for me for this post. So, until next time......God bless. 

card details:

Stamps: Swan Scene (Blue Knight Stamps)

Paper: gorgeous grape, basic black (Stampin' Up), landscapes paper pad (Divinity Designs)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: jet black archival (ranger)

I am also entering:

1.  Simon Says Stamp has a CAS challenge. 

2.  The Crafty Addicts has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  The Paper Funday Challenge is anything goes w/optional the great outdoors. 

4.  Crafting Happiness Challenge is anything goes. 

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

Precious Poppies

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

Welcome to August and I can't help but saying the summer months are flying by at a rapid rate. Our CA kids were here for a visit last week, so no Blog posts from me. We had such a wonderful family time with our CA & Pittsburgh kids and especially the grandkids. Now, my house is way too quiet. 

We are going to visit our CA kids in the early Fall. Just not sure when yet. We didnt make it out in the Spring so it was 6 months since we saw them. Just way too long even though we did Facetime calls. It's just not the same as an in-person visit. 

My hubby also has started the harvest from his vegetable garden. He picked 37 banana peppers the other day. I spent Friday and Saturday stuffing them with a combo of Sweet & Hot Italian sausage. I froze them for wintertime enjoyment. And I shared 6 of them with our next-door neighbors. They love them. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the DTGD challenge on Splitcoaststampers. For this particular challenge we were to use stencils. 

The stencil I used is from The Ton Stamps. It's the precious poppies stencil and it is a multi-layer stencil. The ink is also from The Ton - rose quartz, soft garnet, red sangria. The card base is polished pink cardstock from Stampin' Up. 

I didn't add a sentiment because I am not sure how I will use this card yet. 

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

card details:

Paper: polished pink, white (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: rose quartz, soft garnet, red sangria (The Ton Stamps)

Accessories: precious poppies stencil (The Ton Stamps)

Techniques: stenciling

I am also entering:

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

2.  Gem of a Challenge Week 16 is anything goes. 

3.  Inkspirational has a stencils challenge w/optional of layering stencils. 

4.  Polkadoodles has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  Cardz 4 Galz wants us to use something beginning with "P". I used a poppies stencil.

Buzzin' By

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for stopping by today to visit with The Charmed Life Blog. 

Hope you have some fun plans for the weekend. It's summertime and a chance to get out and enjoy yourself. We are going to a barbecue at a friend's home later today. That will be fun with about 10 couples in attendance. I am making an appetizer to share. I have made it before and it's always a hit. Using the fresh cucumbers from my hubby's garden. Here is a link to the recipe.

Now onto my post for today. This card I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog.  I am featuring the new Bee Gnome and Bee Phrases die. My friend has been sick with a lingering sinus infection and her hubby with complications from Covid. I want them to know I am thinking of them as well as praying for them. So, let's get started with some details on how I created my card.

Design Steps:

I started my card by stamping my sentiment. It is such a large one that I wasn't sure how many images I would be able to use. I wasn't getting a good image with this stamp even using my MISTI. After wasting several pieces of cardstock, I tried Versafine instant dry pigment ink. That was the ink that worked on this stamp.

After I stamped the sentiment, I used a Nuvo glitter gloss pen for some interest. It looks splotchy in some of the photos but IRL it's a nice even sparkle.

Daffodil Yellow Card Base: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Black Layering Panel: 3 7/8" x 5 1/8"
Daffodil Image Panel: 3 5/8" x 4 7/8"

Next, I cut the images from cardstock. For the gnome wings I used vellum and then shaded with some tumbled glass distress ink. I was going to use the hive from the Bee Gnome die But I thought the gnome would be perfect with the sentiment wording. He looks like he is saying "hi" and bringing some flower love!

My elements are prepared I am ready to start card assembly. I secured the image panel to the black layering panel with double sided tape. The gnome is attached with dimensional adhesive.  I laid out the honeycombs until I was satisfied with their placement and then secured them with Art glitter glue (clear drying). For a little added interest, I paper pieced some dotted designer paper in the honeycombs.

To finish off my card, I attached the panels to the card base and scattered a few sequins and black enamel dots. 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.  Through the Craft Room Door has an anything goes challenge. 

2.  Arty Divas has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Love to Craft Challenge is anything goes. 

4.  The Creative Crafters has an anything goes.

5.  Fab 'n' Funky has an anything goes. 

Joy Nativity

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

December is quickly drawing to a close and soon we will ring in a new year. I am sure most of us will be glad to say goodbye to 2020. The spread of this China virus and all that ensued with the spread was a lot of anguish for most people. But, enough of that for now.  

My card for today is one that I created for an event on Splitcoaststampers. I really liked the simplicity of this card and did create 2 of them. Something I don't usually do. I don't create multiples of my Christmas cards. Well, I should qualify that statement. I order the Stampin'-Up Paper Pumpkin Kit for Christmas and that gives me 10 quick cards to make. But my other cards are one of a kind and I like it that way.

This challenge was to use plaid on our card. I had the perfect sheet of 6 x 6 designer paper. And since I didn't need the entire sheet for this card I was able to make 2 cards. The cherry cobbler card base coordinates to the designer paper.

The Joy Nativity die is from CottageCutz and is currently on sale at 50% off. A good chance to pick up some dies for next year's cardmaking. The stitched edge is a die from MFT. I finished off this card by adding a few green glitter enamel dots. 

Well, that's it for me for this post. I still have a few more Christmas card creations to post on the blog. I will be featuring those over the next several days.

card details:

Paper: cherry cobbler, whisper white, festive farmhouse dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: Joy Nativity die (CottageCutz), stitched basic edges die (MFT), glitter enamel dots (Stampin'-Up)

I am also entering:

1.  Lemon Shortbread has an anything goes challenge.

2.  The Holly and Ivy Christmas challenge is anything goes.

3.  Country View Challenge is an anything goes Christmas.

4.  Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge is anything goes.

5.   Die Cut Diva's has an anything goes challenge.    

Good Vibes

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

It's the last Saturday in August. Can you believe it? Just wondering how did the summer months fly by so quickly. Although we have plenty of warm days ahead, in just about 3 weeks it will be Fall. Coming into my favorite holidays of the year soon but I just wish not so fast (LOL)!!

Anyway let's move onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. I used the colors from this week's color challenge #806 on Splitcoaststampers and also as part of the DTGD challenges on Splitcoaststampers. For this last challenge you have to be a Fan Club member to get all the details and to play along in the challenges. 

This card is for my daughter-in-law's birthday. She is a California girl and she surfs so this will be perfect for her. 

The colors for the SCS color challenge are so saffron, poppy parade and pool party. 

so saffron, poppy parade, pool party

I used cardstock in those shades for my surf mobile. The background designer paper is from the Stampin'-Up "see a silhouette" collection. I was going after a hippie vibe with this designer paper. I think I found it (lol)!

The Surf Mobile is a new die from CottageCutz and the Peace phrase is part of a CottageCutz Christmas die. I computer generated the "good vibes" sentiment.

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

card details:

Paper: poppy parade, so saffron, pool party, basic black, see a silhouette dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: pool party, so saffron (Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: surf mobile, stitched rectangle, peace, love & joy dies (Stampin'-Up)

Dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Festive Friday FF0066- I chose bright colors, pretty paper, uplifting sentiment. 

2.  Polkadoodles has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Aud Sentiments has anything goes + a sentiment

4.  Creative Knockouts has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  Krafty Chicks has an all occasion challenge. 

Put on Your Party Hat

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

 

I feel like I am starting to get a handle on my time once again. Preschool is starting to fall into a routine and I am getting caught up on my other life responsibilities (LOL)! And the stress of being behind leaves as well!!!

 

I finished up some household chores and that left me time to write up a blog post. This card I made for color challenge #752 on Splitcoaststampers. Jeanne was the hostess and she chose daffodil delight, pacific point, flirty flamingo.

 

daffodil delight, flirty flamingo, pacific point

For my card I used the Party Hats die from CottageCutz to create a masculine birthday card. I cut the hats in the challenge colors. Background paper is from the Stampin'-Up "Brights" collection. I used some clear wink of stella on the hat toppers.

 

The sentiment is from the MFT stamp set "bitty birthday wishes". To finish off my card, I scattered a few daffodil delight enamel dots. I also entered this in one of the DTGD challenges on Splitcoaststampers. Joanne hosted and she wanted us to use the word STAMP to create our card.

S - Star
T - Tuesday's color challenge
A- Accents
M - Masculine
P - party hats

 

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

card details:

Stamps: bitty birthday wishes (MFT)

Paper: whisper white, pacific point, daffodil delight, flirty flamingo, basic black, pacific point dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: 4 1/2" x 5 3/4"

Ink: tuxedo black (Memento),

Accessories: party hats die (CottageCutz), enamel dots (Stampin'-Up)

die I used to create card:

I am also entering:

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

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

3.  Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge is anything goes.

4.  Happy Little Stampers has an anything goes with dies.

5.  The Cutie Pie Challenge has an anything goes challenge.  

 

Hooray It's Your Day

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

 

Well I am on break from processing tomatoes for a few days. I canned 5 more pint jars on Saturday using 10lbs of tomatoes. We have about 20 more that will ripen in the next 2 or 3 days and  those I will roast them with olive oil, onion, garlic and balsamic glaze and then freeze. Roasting really brings out the flavor in a tomato.

 

I also made 2 loaves of zucchini bread. One we will eat now and the other I put in the freezer for some late fall or early winter enjoyment. I have another zucchini that I may also make into a sweet loaf. Although I did see a recipe in my Food Network magazine with zucchini, summer squash and pasta that sounded delicious.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the DTGD challenges that were held on Splitcoaststampers. I was part of that design team for 6 months and every year the current and alumni members host challenges for a week. There were lots of prizes given away. This year we were celebrating 15 years of DTGD challenges so the event was open to all but you had to be a Fan Club member to win a prize.

 

This challenge was hosted by Sandee and she wanted us to make a masculine card. For my card I used some of the elements of the June 2018 Paper Pumpkin Kit from Stampin'-Up. The mouse with presents is a die from CottageCutz.

Attached the gold Hooray phrase which is part of the PP kit, stamped the sentiment and scattered a few gold sequins. To complete the card I used some black & gold twine.

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: broadway star (PP Kit 2018)

Paper: lovely lipstick, lemon-lime twist, designer paper (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: lovely lipstick

Accessories: PP Kit June 2018 (Stampin'-Up), Mouse with Presents die (CottageCutz)

I am also entering:

1.  A Gem of a Challenge has an anything goes.

2.  Crafty Calendar Challenge is anything goes.

3.  Watercooler Wednesday has a masculine challenge.

4.  Aud Sentiments has a masculine challenge + a sentiment.

5.  Creative Knockouts has a tic tac toe. I chose -twine-sentiment-stamping