~In Your Eyes~

 

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. I made some real progress on my stamping studio yesterday.

 

We went to Home depot and bought a metal storage shelf for the closet. This enabled me to move a lot of stuff from another bedroom to the shelf.

 

I still need to go through the supplies and organize them a little better but this was a big boost for me. I have had 2 bedrooms in disarray for months now.

 

In today's mail, I am expecting more of the Avery Elle stamp & die pockets. This will enable me to finish up with my clear stamp storage. I adopted the Jennifer McGuire system of stamp storage. See her idea here.

 

Plus my friend loaned me a die that will cut chipboard in the shape of a large spool of thread. It's flat of course. This will enable me to organize and condense my ribbon stash. Right now I have it stored by color in 5 photo boxes.

 

I just can't wait until this is all finished. It has been such a long process. And, I also dislike the clutter immensely.

 

Now, onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge #534 on Splitcoaststampers. Peggy is our hostess and she chose pool party, wisteria wonder and blackberry bliss as her color palette. Our option this week is to add stars.

 

pool party, wisteria wonder, blackberry bliss

My layout is this week's MojoMonday 401 sketch. 

 The background designer paper is from the Stampin'-Up "park lane" collection. I used the Cuttlebug folder  "just my type" on the blackberry bliss strip.

My flower is from the Verve set "be blessed". I stamped and cut it 2x for a bit more dimension on my card. I won this set with this card in a recent MojoMonday contest. It is cut with the matching petal points die.

The sentiment is from the same Verve set. I am sending this off to a friend of mine who has stood by my side over the past year.

Finished my card by adding some sequins. Well, that's it for me for today. So until next time.........God bless.

card details:

Stamps: Be Blessed (Verve) 

Paper: : wisteria wonder, blackberry bliss, whisper white, park lane dsp 

Paper Size: A2 Ink: blackberry bliss 

Accessories: petal points die, pastel sequin mix (Verve), just my type ef (Cuttlebug)

 

I am also entering:   

1.  Crafts Galore Encore has an anything goes challenge.

2.  Creative Craft Cottage has a flowers challenge

3.  LadyBug Crafts has a use your dies challenge.
4.  613 Avenue Create is anything goes. Optional: make something for your bff.

 

MOJO400 ~Love Comforts~

 

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. It's a beautiful Sunday here in Pittsburgh. My bronchitis is gone and I was able to attend church services today. So it's a wonderful day for me.

 

Our Saturday was a busy one. I had a baby shower to attend for my niece and we were also invited to a graduation party. My hubby took care of the grad party and I went to the shower.

 

The favors and table decorations at the shower were so cute. My niece has a critters theme for her nursery. So the table decorations were along that line. We all received a different animal made from balsa wood. Mine was a raccoon.

 

We also received a muslin bag with some hand soap and lotion from Bath & Body works. The bag was decorated with a little squirrel. Then I won our table centerpiece. it was a mason jar painted in a rustic way with pink paint and filled with fresh flowers. She is having a girl.

 

We had some cookies on our table as well. They were mini acorns made from nutter butters and a mini chocolate kiss. Super cute!!!

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for the MOJO400 sketch. Congrats Julee on an incredible milestone!! For this sketch, Julee went back to the original sketch she posted way back in September of 2007.

 

And to celebrate this big milestone there is a contest and a fabulous prize on the MojoMonday blog. The prize is a spot on the MojoMonday blog team. How exciting. Yes, I want to be a MojoMonday designer.

 

 

So I mulled over a design for a few days, and today I put my thoughts to paper. I had this idea for the corner half circle to use the sun from the Stampin'-Up set "kinda eclectic".

 

I found some designer paper in my stash that had some background script. I remember buying this to do a scrapbook page several years ago but I never got around to it. So it was sitting waiting to be used today.

 

I stamped the sun in crushed curry ink and also 3 butterflies from the same set in the upper corner. I fussy cut another butterfly and layered it over a stamped one for some added interest.

 

My sentiment is from the Verve set "stronger love" and stamped in soft suede ink. I thought it carried my sunshine theme through. To complete the card I added some pale yellow sequins from the Verve "pastel sequin" mix.

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: stronger love (Verve), kinda eclectic (Stampin'-Up)

Ink: crushed curry, soft suede

Paper: crushed curry, naturals ivory, designer paper (

Accessories: Spellbinders Matting Basic A & B, Pastel Sequins (Verve)

 

 

 

~#1 DAD~

 

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with the Charmed Life Blog. Well, I think I am over my bout with bronchitis- finally. This is the first morning in 2 weeks that I felt good when I woke up. Yay for me! The antibiotics are doing their work. 

 

Yesterday, my daughter-in-law came for a visit and brought their dog. They are going to the beach for a week, and I will be taking care of him. We took him out for a walk to see how I could handle him. That went ok. He has a lot of energy and I hope our week together goes well.

 

I didn't want to stay at their house for a week so I hope he acclimates to our house well. He wanted to run in the yard and I would like to let him do that. I will see how that goes after a few days of him being here.

 

Now onto my card for today. Another one I made for Father's Day.  I wanted to make a card with bowties on it for Father's Day and then I saw the sketch #543 on Splitcoaststampers and thought it would be perfect for my idea.

 

When I saw the sketch, I thought layers 1 & 2 looked just like the dies I have from MFT Blueprints 18. So I cut my background designer paper with those dies and used Stampin'-Up "kaleidoscope" designer paper . I was after a graphic, masculine look and these papers worked for that.

I made my bowties from the MFT dainty bows die and kaleidoscope designer paper . The #1 and Dad word are cut from the MFT "little numbers and letters dies. Well, that's it for me for today. So until next time........God bless.

 

card details:
Paper: black, bermuda bay, crushed curry, strawberry slush, kaleidoscope dsp 

Paper Size: A2 

Accessories: MFT Blueprints 18, little numbers & letters, dainty bows, Spellbinders square dies

I am also entering:
1.  Simon Says Stamp has a make it masculine challenge.

2.  LadyBug Crafts has a use your dies challenge.

3.  Crafting By Designs has an anything goes challenge.

4.  LovesRubberStamps has an anything goes challenge.

5.  PaperTake Weekly has an anything goes challenge with option of something summery. Father's Day always marks the start of summer for me.  

Pencil Thanks

 

Hello Blogger Friends!! Thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog.

 

I love the Spring season in Pittsburgh. We always have such temperature fluctuations. Sunday it was hot, humid and 88°. Today its overcast and cool with temps at 55°. It was so cool overnight that we used our comforter and had most of the windows closed.

 

Our gardens are blooming like crazy. We have had lettuce for a bout 3 weeks now. I just love going outside and being able to pick fresh to make a salad. We have 2 different varieties of leaf lettuce, spinach and kale.

 

My husband is going to do another planting because we want to have lettuce when my daughter-in-law and granddaughter come to visit in July.

 

The local farms also have the strawberries ready for picking. Last year I did that and made strawberry jam. I haven't decided yet if I am going to do that or not. It's a lot of work but having the jam on my pantry shelf is better than going to the grocery store shelves.

 

I also made a lot of pear butter in the fall and have lots of jars of that left. Which is the reason I am hesitating to make strawberry jam right now. have to decide quick because the strawberry season here is a short one.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge #533 on Splitcoaststampers. Karen is our hostess and she chose basic gray, crisp cantaloupe and calypso coral as her color palette. The option is to use bits of green and blue.

 

basic gray, crisp cantaloupe, calypso coral

 

 

Although these colors would be perfect for flowers, I needed a thank you card for one of my Pre-School families, so no flowers for me. I just purchased this new stamp set and dies from PaperTrey Ink. I thought it would make a great school themed thanks card.

My background designer paper is from the Stampin'-Up "afternoon picnic" collection. I thought it looked like graph paper for a school themed card.

The stamp set has different patterns for the pencils as well as solid colors. I stamped my pencils in the challenge colors and used crisp cantaloupe card stock for the eraser.

Cut my flag from the MFT flag stax die in basic gray. My thanks word is a die from Taylored Expressions cut in calypso coral. I received it as a thank you gift for an order I placed.

 

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

 

card details:
Stamps: pencil me in (PaperTrey Ink) 

Paper: calypso coral, basic gray, ww, afternoon picnic (Stampin'-Up) Paper Size: A2 

Ink: calypso coral, marina mist, old olive, crisp cantaloupe, memento tuxedo black   

Accessories: Spellbinders Matting Basics A & B, pencil dies (PaperTreyInk), flag stax die (MFT), Thanks die (Taylored Expressions)  

I am also entering:
1.  PaperTake Weekly has an anything goes challenge
2.  Artistic Inspirations has an anything goes with a twist of die cuts
3.  Hiding in my Craft Room has a freestyle challenge.

Fathers Day

 

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and visit the Charmed Life Blog. It's a beautiful and hot day here in Pittsburgh. I am recovering from a bout of bronchitis. But, hope to be out and about soon and completely well.

 

I opened my windows for a bit this morning before the humidity and heat skyrocketed. I heard the birds singing so sweetly and feeding at the feeders.

 

I even got a first glimpse at a hummingbird.  We have had that feeder out for a couple of weeks but hadn't seen any come for a drink of the sweet nectar.

 

This time of year is so wonderful with all our gardens in bloom and the nest building underneath our deck. The baby robins have flown the nest, but there will be another robin come and do a bit of redecorating and then lay eggs. It may even be the same one but I don't know enough about them to say for sure.

 

Anyway, hope your weekend is going well and you are getting to enjoy some of this late spring weather.

 

Now onto my card for today. I am showing another Father's Day card. I make a lot of them and then pass them to my friends for giving to their husbands or dads. I like being able to share what I make.

 

I made this using the colors from CC532 on Splitcoaststampers. Vicki is the hostess and she chose coastal cabana, old olive and very vanilla as her color palette. The option this week was to use black.

 

coastal cabana, old olive, very vanilla

I thought the colors would work well for a masculine card and Father's Day is soon here. Somehow, I totally missed the very vanilla color here and used white instead.

I just bought this new text block die from PaperTreyInk. It will make some quick and easy cards. When I use it again, I will cut the block 2x for a little more dimension. 

 

On this card I cut the text block image in black and then layered it over a panel of coastal cabana. I tilted the panels just for some added interest. To complete the card I added some stars and a bit of licorice twine. The stars are a die from the MFT Blueprints 15 set.

 

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

 

card details: Paper: basic black, ww, coastal cabana, old olive 

Paper Size: A2 

Accessories: Text block die (PaperTreyInk), Spellbinders Matting Basics B, MFT Blueprints 15, Twinery twine 

 

I am also entering:

1.  Simply Create Too has a keep it simple challenge.
2.  Sister Act Card Challenge has an anything goes challenge.
3.  Crafty Ribbons has a men and ribbons challenge. I used twine.
4.  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge has an anything goes challenge.

  
 

  

Fathers Day

 

reversed the papers on this version

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. I mentioned yesterday that I returned from San Francisco with a pretty intense chest cold and congestion.

 

Yesterday, I went to visit the doctor because I was a bit concerned it might be pneumonia. After an exam + x-ray she ruled that out, and the diagnosis is bronchitis.

 

So I was sent home with an antibiotic and an oral inhalation device. I only have to use this if  I need it.  I am so looking forward to not being sick and having this congestion out of my body. Prayers are always welcomed by me.

 

Now onto my card for today. This is another sample I made for the color challenge #531 on Splitcoaststampers, which I hosted. I chose the color palette of  hello honey, blackberry bliss, basic gray, sahara sand, lost lagoon. The option was to use spots, dots or stripes.

 

 

I have started my Father’s Day cards, and I thought these colors would make a great masculine card. My layout is from the MFT Blueprints 18 sketches. I like the blueprints dies and MFT provides sketches to make it easier to create a card.

 When I cut the papers I decided to go ahead and make 2 cards. I just switched up the designer paper. All the dies used on this card are from MFT. The  Blueprints 18 dies were used on the designer paper, vertical strips, circles, stars and the flag pennants. The "Dad" word is the little letters dies also from MFT.

The background designer paper is from the Stampin-Up “moonlight” collection. I layered that on a blackberry bliss cardstock base. Sahara Sand is used on the 2 vertical strips and also in the circle.

The sentiment is from the Waltzingmouse set "man of the hour". Well blogger friends that's it for me for today. So until next time.......God bless.

 

card details:

Stamps: man of the hour (Waltzingmouse) 

Paper: hello honey, blackberry bliss, sahara sand, moonlight dsp Paper Size: A2 

Ink: blackberry bliss Accessories: Blueprints 18, little letters (MFT)  

 

I am also entering: 

1.  C.R.A.F.T. Challenge is Father's Day/Male.

2.  The Crafters Café has a one for the boys challenge.

3.  Double Click Skittles has a Father's Day challenge.

4.  Mod Squad has a masculine challenge.

5.  Simply Papercraft has an anything goes challenge.

 

Thanks A Latte

 

 

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking time out of your day to visit the Charmed Life Blog. I appreciate all my readers and followers.

 

I have just returned home from a week in San Francisco with my precious granddaughter, Phoenix Daisy. She is 4 yrs old and such a delight. My son and daughter-in-law went away for a long week-end and a little r & r.

 

Phoenix didn't mind them being gone at all. I guess because she knows Grandma will play with her all day long, and we did. We took her babies on all kind of pretend trips. We even played Christmas time with them. It was fun for me as well but I am glad to be back home now.

 

I came back with a chest cold. It doesn't seem to be getting any better so I may have to go to the doctor. I actually had this before I left for California and I started to feel better then it came back on me out there on Sunday night.

 

Fortunately, for me my son and daughter-in-law came home on Monday night. they wanted me to stay there and get better but I didn't think that was a good idea. Besides, if I was there Phoenix would want to keep playing. So I didn't see where I would get a lot of recuperation time.

 

Well, onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge #531 on Splitcoaststampers. I was the hostess and I chose the color palette of  hello honey, blackberry bliss, basic gray, sahara sand, lost lagoon. the option was to use spots, dots or stripes.

 

 

I needed a thank you card for a gift I received from one of my Pre-School students. So that's the direction I went with this sample.

My layout is this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch #269. I liked the layout because it was open enough to show off the designer paper I used.

 

 

The designer paper I used is from the Stampin'-Up "moonlight" collection. Layered with basic gray and a lost lagoon card base.

My sentiment is from the MFT "perk up" set. I die cut my coffee mug from the MFT coffee dies in lost lagoon and moonlight dsp.

To complete this sketch I added the flags and some blackberry bliss hearts. Well, that's it for me for today. So until next time........God Bless.

 

Card Details:

Stamps: perk up (MFT) 

Paper: lost lagoon, basic gray, ww, hello honey, blackberry bliss, moonlight dsp (Stampin-Up) Paper Size: A2 Ink: : lost lagoon 

Accessories: coffee dies, blueprints 18 (MFT), Spellbinders Matting Basics A & B    

I am also entering:
1.  Southern Girls has a spots and dots challenge.
2.  Addicted To Stamps has an anything goes challenge.
3.  Artistic Inspirations has an anything goes with a twist of die cuts.
4.  Incy Wincy Designs has an all or nothing challenge. I chose the all-lots of layers.
5.  Loves Rubberstamps has a coffee, tea, or your favorite beverage challenge

~Special Treat~

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. I am out in San Francisco with my 4 yr old granddaughter Phoenix Daisy. I left my hubby behind on this trip. He is busy with his garden and also doing some interior painting on our home. I can't wait to see how our bedroom turns out with a fresh coat of paint and some color. 

But for now I am her in San Francisco enjoying my granddaughter. the temperature right now is 50º. I left the heat and humidity for some cooler temps. But, this is typical San Francisco weather. It's overcast today which seems to be normal for life at the beach, here anyway. It was quite foggy when I arrived yesterday morning at 9:00 a.m. When that burned off it remained overcast all day. 

Phoenix is at school now until 12:30 and then I will go and pick her up. We will have a full afternoon of playing with her babies. She has 5 of them and is such a good "mommy" to them. So we will take them shopping, and on a train ride, then to the beach, then we feed them and on and on. You get the idea. She exhausts me and herself every day. When her bed time rolls around, I am ready to go to bed myself. 

Now onto my card for today. This is my card for CC529. Barbara is our hostess and she chose crushed curry, melon mambo, and tangerine tango for her color palette. Dessert is to use green. I tried to incorporate it on my card but I couldn't get it to fit. 

With these bold colors I decided to use some of my new MFT ice cream dies. My layout is an older MojoMonday #396. 

I cut the angled panels with the MFT blueprints 18 dies. The dsp is Stampin-Up's flowerpot and flashback collections.
The pierced cardstock separating the dsp is cut with the MFT blueprints 15 die in crushed curry.

The ice cream cone is soft suede and melon mambo layered on a Spellbinders pierced rectangle. I scattered some Stampin-Up candy dots. Stamped my sentiment in tangerine tango and added some flags to complete my card.

Well friend, that's it for me for today. Time to do a few things before I pick Phoenix Daisy up at school.  So until next time.......God bless.

~Starry Birthday~

 

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. It's Sunday and I am having a day of rest.

 

I picked up some germs that the pre-school kids pass along. I seem to be a bit more susceptible this year than last. we have 1 class left and graduation then school is finished for this year.

 

Yesterday, I thought I had bronchitis with a lot of chest congestion, raspy voice and pain in the chest. I couldn't seem to cough up the congestion, it was just laying in my chest. I guess that's the reason I had the pain. When I finally decided I should go to the MedExpress Urgent Care, it was closed.

 

But what I did throughout the day was to take lots of Vitamin C. I made a warm water drink that was infused with a tablespoon of fresh chopped ginger and honey. I made that infusion 3x yesterday. At night I boiled some water and put some Vicks Vapor Rub in it since I didn't have any Peppermint or Eucalyptus oil and did a homemade breathing treatment.

 

I woke up this morning and the chest pain was gone. The congestion loosened up overnight. Thank the Lord!!! I still have a raspy voice and congestion but I can live with that. I am continuing to take the Vitamin C and the ginger and honey drink. I was all set to go to the MedExpress Urgent care facility to see a doctor this morning, but I don't think I need one now. I just feel like I have a cold.

 

So now onto my card for today. This one I created for the Color Challenge #530 on Splitcoaststampers. I was the hostess and my color palette was a send-off for the retiring Stampin'-Up in-colors.

 

I chose coastal cabana, crisp cantaloupe, baked brown sugar, pistachio pudding and strawberry slush. You had the option of using just 2 colors or all 5 of them. The optional element this week is to use bakers twine or sequins in the in-colors.

 

  

coastal cabana, crisp cantaloupe, baked brown sugar, pistachio pudding, strawberry slush

My birthday card stash is low so I decided to go that route with this card. My inspiration for this card came from this card. I changed the colors and added a die cut word and used a different birthday stamp.

My card base is from one of the Stampin'-Up Paper Pumpkin Kits. My stars are cut with the Stampin-Up star framelits dies, the stars from the MFT blueprints 18 dies and the starry night die from Verve.

The happy word is die cut with the MFT happy trio die. I cut 2 in strawberry slush and layered them for a bit more dimension.

The birthday word is stamped in baked brown sugar ink and I used the See Ya Later set from Stampin-Up.

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

 

card details:

Stamps: See Ya Later 

Paper: baked brown sugar, coastal cabana, strawberry slush, pistachio pudding, Paper Pumpkin Kit card base 

Paper Size: A2 Ink: baked brown sugar 

Accessories: Star Framelits (Stampin’Up), blueprints 18 & hello trio dies (MFT), Starry Die (Verve)   

I am also entering:
1.  Crafting For all Seasons has a birthday challenge with 4 of something. I have 4 stripes on my card stock base.

2.  Curtain Call has a totally tassel challenge. The tassel colors are a perfect match for colors I used.
 

 

 

 

 

~Well Wishes~

 

Hello blogger Friends!! Thanks for taking the time to visit the Charmed Life Blog. Can you believe it's mid-May already??

 

We have only 2 more pre-school classes then school is out for the summer. That would make a good song title- don't you think or did Alice Cooper already have that idea(lol)!!! Just a bit of humor to start off this Wednesday morning in May.

 

We are busy preparing for graduation. It will be a fun night. The kids get to go on the stage and sing some songs for their parents. We have 10 kids in our 2 day a week class (3-3/12) and 12 in the 3 day a week class (3 1/2-4 1/2).

 

Next year starts our 3rd year in existence, and we are adding a 3rd class for the 4 1/2 -5 year olds. That one will be a pre-kindergarten class and run 5 days a week. The parents love the school and have spread it by word of mouth. Our classes are almost full for next year.

 

Even though we meet in our church building and are a ministry of our church, the kids that attend are not church members. I like that aspect. We have families that started with us last year and next year will be their 3rd year with us.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge #530 on Splitcoaststampers. I was the hostess and my color palette was a send-off for the retiring Stampin'-Up in-colors. You can still join in on the fun over there.

 

I chose coastal cabana, crisp cantaloupe, baked brown sugar, pistachio pudding and strawberry slush. You have the option of using just 2 colors or all 5 of them. The optional element this week is to use bakers twine or sequins in the in-colors.

 

coastal cabana, crisp cantaloupe, baked brown sugar, pistachio pudding, strawberry slush



My layout is from the Sweet Sunday Sketch #268. I love tilted panels so this layout was perfect for me. The background and tilted panels have designer paper from the Stampin'-Up "afternoon picnic" collection. The other tilted panel is embossed with the Stampin-Up "fancy fan" embossing folder.

 The "Sending" word is a new die that I just purchased from Simon Says Stamp. The well wishes sentiment is from the MFT set "better get better". I am sending this card off to my niece who is in treatment for breast cancer.

My die cut flowers and pot are from the MFT collection "spring garden". I also die cut the sequins from an MFT die. I finished the card with very vanilla ribbon and cotton perle twine.

 

Well that's it for me for today. Time to get ready to go to the gym and then back here for a cleaning day. I am having some of my stamping friends over on Saturday and need to get ready for it.

 

So until next time........God bless.

 

I am also entering:

1.  Cuttlebug Mania wants us to use ribbon on our projects.

2.  Fan-tastic Tuesday has an anything goes with a twist of adding flowers.

3.  Loves RubberStamps has a add a sentiment challenge.

 

card details:

Stamps: Better get Better (MFT) 

Paper: coastal cabana, very vanilla, baked brown sugar, afternoon picnic dsp 

Paper Size: A2 Ink: Strawberry Slush 

Accessories: fancy fan ef, vv ribbon (Stampin'-Up), spring garden & sequin dies (MFT), sending die (Simon Says Stamp), cotton perle twine, Spellbinders matting basics a & b