Peeking Snowmen

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

Wow - I have been absent on my Blog posts for awhile. We went away for 4 days last week to San Francisco. And prior to that I was busy getting my DT commitments finished before I left.

We went out to visit with my son and his family. My precious 8 year old granddaughter is playing basket in a YWCA league. The team members are from her 2nd grade class. They don't keep score and have very limited rules. But it was fun just being able to watch her play and have fun.

Then of course we played with her babies all the rest of the time. It's non-stop baby adventures from the time she wakes up until the time she goes to bed. She only takes breaks for lunch and dinner. She tells her Mom that no one plays babies like Grandma (lol)! I guess that's part of my role. And this wont last much longer maybe a couple of years at the most.

Now I am back home and getting back into the swing of things. It's a sunny but cold day here so I do want to try and get a walk in at some point. But before that I want to share my card for today.

This one I made a couple of weeks ago as a thank you for a gift that a friend gave me. The colors were from the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #722. I was the hostess and I chose gray granite, mango melody, and rich razzleberry for the color trio. Optional was to use designer paper.

gray granite, mango melody, rich razzleberry

 I started my card by embossing the background with the Stampin'-Up "softly falling" embossing folder. My fence is from the CottageCutz "peeking puppy" die and the snow accents are from the "snowman lane" die.

For the snowmen hats, I used mango melody and rich razzleberry designer paper. I decided to use a cloud to carry my "thanks" sentiment. I cut it from rich razzleberry cardstock.

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

dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1. Joy of Sets has a tic tac toe challenge. I chose rectangle, nature and sparkle. 

2.  Crafter's Castle is anything goes w/option of glitter. I used glitter paper for my snow banks.

3.  PolkaDoodles has an anything goes challenge

 

Bunny in His New Ride

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

Whaat! Where in the world did February go so quickly? Seems like we just celebrated Christmas and I blinked and 2 months drop off the calendar (LOL). Oh well,  2019 is on a roll that I don't really want to keep up with. But even if I'm not on board "time waits for no man". So I guess it's best to enjoy each day and make it worthwhile.

With that being said, let's move onto my card for today. This one I created for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. I used the sketch #737 from Splitcoaststampers for my card layout.

CottageCutz has a new release of Spring dies and on today's card I used Bunny Carrot Car and Happy Easter Greeting dies. 

I chose soft Spring like colors for my card. My background designer paper is from a retired Stampin'-Up "all abloom" collection. The color is pistachio pudding, and then I used the colors lost lagoon, strawberry slush, old olive, daffodil delight and pumpkin pie that were in this designer paper pack. A good way to use up my stash.

White card base: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Pistachio designer Paper: each panel is 2" x 5 3/8"

All the panels and the Bunny image are secured with double sided tape. I used rectangle dies for element 2 of the sketch and added my sentiment to this panel. To balance that panel I scattered some sequins and that completed my card.

   

 Well that's it for me for this post. Time to get moving with my Saturday plans. So until next time......God bless.

dies I used to create card:

 I am also entering:

1.  Inkspirational Challenge is to use your stash.

2.  Crafting with Friends has an anything goes challenge.

3.  Polkadoodles has an anything goes challenge.

 

 

Sending Hedgehugs

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

 

We are celebrating President's Day here in the US today. It's a national holiday so government offices , banks and schools are closed. So lots of people get a 3 day weekend.

We didn't make any plans just our normal stuff. It was the gym for me this morning and as soon as I finish this post, I will be making my card sample for the Splitcoaststampers color challenge.

 

I mentioned yesterday that for the next several days I will be showing the remaining Valentine cards that I made this year. This one was for the color challenge #723. Jeanne was the hostess and calypso coral, coastal cabana and pool party for her color trio. Optional was to add a metallic.

pool party, coastal cabana, calypso coral

 I like to make Valentine cards using non-traditional colors so I thought I would give these ones a try. And with the help of Stampin' Up neutrals of soft suede, baked brown sugar, crumb cake, smoky slate and mossy meadow, I think I was successful.

Started by sponging my clouds wit h tumbled glass distress ink - its really close to the pool party color. Then I started creating my little hedgie scene.

 

I used the new CottageCutz Valentine Hedgehog die. For the hearts I used calypso coral and sponged them with the same ink to make them darker. For the grass, I used mossy meadow but with a light touch since this is a very dark green.

 

To cover the metallic, I used some Wink of Stella on the coral hearts. Stamped my sentiment on a cloud and that finished my card.

Well that's it for me for this post. Time to get busy on another color challenge card for tonight. So until next time...…..God bless.

 

card details:

Stamps: hedgehugs (Lawn Fawn)

Paper: pool party, calypso coral, coastal cabana, soft suede, smoky slate, baked brown sugar, crumb cake

Paper Size: A2

1.Ink: calypso coral, mossy meadow (Stampin'-Up), tumbled glass distress (Ranger)tuxedo black (Memento)

Accessories: Valentine Hedgehog (CottageCutz), cloud stencil (MFT), Wink of Stella (Kuretake)

Techniques: stencil

I am also entering:

1.  2 Crafty Critter Crazies has an anything goes with a critter.

2.  The Twisted Challenge is to make a Valentine with no red or pink. I have none of those colors.

3.  Daring Cardmakers has an alphabet soup challenge.

We Go Together

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

 

It's a relaxing day of rest for me today. Life has been a bit busy so when Sunday rolls around I am glad for an opportunity to do nothing after our church service. Our service was so uplifting. The worship team did a great job and our Pastor had a meaningful sermon. I am off to a good start of the week.

 

I am going to be showing the remaining Valentine cards that I made for the next several days. This one was made for the Sketch Challenge #733 on Splitcoaststampers. I am guest designing with that team through March.

 

I make extra Valentine cards and take them to church. I let the guys pick a card for their wives. They look forward to getting them each year. So this one was picked by our worship leader. He likes donuts and his wife likes coffee. The inside sentiment read "words can not espresso how much you mean to me" (from MFT) then Happy Valentines Day (Great Impressions).

For my card I used the CottageCutz Love Latte & Donut + the Valentine Phrase & More dies. I really like the coffee and donut image. The designer paper is from the Stampin'-Up "have a cuppa" collection. I went with the colors of the paper for my card - bermuda bay, melon mambo, pretty in pink and basic gray cardstocks.

 

For element 6 of this sketch, I used a hearts embossing folder. And for the 5 elements across the top I added hearts and the "xoxo" element. I thought that counted for 2 elements so I do have 5 going across. Rule of odds for card making (lol)!!

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: we go together (Taylored Expressions)

Paper: melon mambo, bermuda bay, basic gray, whisper white, pretty in pink, baked brown sugar, soft suede, have a cuppa dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: bermuda bay (Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: love latte & donut, valentine phrase & more, stitched circle dies (CottageCutz), layered hearts ef (Darice)

I am also entering:

1.  Pile It On has a pretty in pink or feeling blue challenge. I used both these colors on my card.

2.  A Bit More Time to Craft has an anything goes.

3.  The Artistic Stamper has a heart it challenge.  

4.  Creative Craft Cottage has a Valentine challenge.

5.  Crafts Galore Encore has an anything goes challenge.

 

LoveBug Butterfly

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

 

Well Valentine's Day has come and gone. Hope you got to celebrate it someway. Even if it was just sending out a card to someone. Our celebration was at home. We used to go out to dinner but it's difficult to get a reservation and I can make just as good a meal here in my kitchen. So that's what we have been doing for the past 4 years or so.

 

I serve the dinner in courses. By that I mean I serve a course and then I go back to the kitchen to prepare the next one. It takes about 4 hours for our dinner but we love doing it this way.

 

We started with a cheese platter and a glass of wine. Our next course was a lemon cream fettucine pasta with pistachios and scallops. I used fresh pasta for this. It was so delicious.

The next course was a filet mignon steak with an oven baked potato. Then we finished off with our dessert course of a strawberry filled with mascarpone cheese and drizzled in chocolate. My hubby loved it all. That always makes me feel really good.

 

I attended a cooking class a couple of weeks ago where we made this pasta dish minus the scallops. The instructor had us make the pasta in the class but our local market sells fresh pasta so I just bought it there. I didn't make a salad  because I forgot to look for a recipe for a specialty salad. Then I didn't have the necessary ingredients to prepare one. But, there was enough other food that we didn't miss a salad.

 

Now let's move onto my card for today. This is one of the cards I made to take to church. I make about 8 or 9 cards and let some of the men select one for their wives. They look forward to it each year. The guy that took this one needs a card that celebrates not only Valentine's Day but also his wife's birthday and their anniversary.

 

I used the CottageCutz Lovebug Butterfly and Valentine Phrase and More dies to create my card. The background designer paper is from the "painted love specialty" Stampin'-Up collection.

 

Well that's it for me for this post. Time to start my Saturday so until next time...…..God bless

 

dies I used to create card:

 

 

I am also entering:

1.  A Gem of a Challenge is anything goes.

2.  Crafter's Castle has an anything goes with option of Valentine's Day.

3.  Crafty Friends has an anything goes.

4.  Inkspirational wants us to be inspired by the word Text.

5.  Brown Sugar has a Love/Valentine's Day challenge.

 

 

Bunny Kisses

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with the Charmed Life Blog on this cold Saturday in February.

 

I am fighting back against a cold and sore throat that is trying to latch onto me. The kids at Preschool were coughing and sneezing this week and my hubby was sick for a few days with a cold. I am taking lots of Vitamin C and diffusing some Essential Oil blends. I have lots of things to do this weekend and being sick is not one of them.

 

So anyway let's move onto my card for today. This is one I made for my weekly DT post on the CottageCutz Blog and as a sample for my guest DT gig on the Splitcoaststampers sketch team.

 

I started the card with the Splitcoaststampers sketch #735. Cathy is the hostess and she gave us a great layout to turn into a card.

This layout allowed me to create my first Spring card. I used 2 brand new dies from CottageCutz - Teacup Bunny and Bunny Kisses and Easter Wishes. 

 

Since this is a Spring card, I used lots of bright colors and some of the new purple and green shades from Stampin'-Up. I took some creative liberties with this sketch and used my bunny for element 4 (flag banner) of the sketch.

 

Well that's it for me for today. Time to get busy with my day while my energy is at full peak. So until next time...…..God bless.

 

card details:

 

Paper: daffodil delight, gorgeous grape, coastal cabana, pretty in pink, highland heather, granny apple green, naturals ivory, perfectly artistic dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: teacup bunny, bunny kisses & easter wishes dies (CottageCutz), tutti frutti sequins (Stampin'-Up)

I am also entering:

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

2.  Crafty Friends Challenge #103 is anything goes.

3.  Creative Fingers has an anything goes challenge.

4.  PolkaDoodles has an anything goes challenge w/focus on new or thank you. I am using new dies.

5.  Southern Girls has an animal antics challenge.

 

dies used to create card:

 

 

Valentine Hedgehogs

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

 

It's a bright and sunny day here even though it's cold and windy. The shining sun always makes me feel good. Although I woke up with a bit of a sore throat and an earache. Some of the kids at Preschool were coughing and had runny noses this week.

 

As the day goes on I am sneezing myself. Yikes I don't want to come down with a cold. Time for me to load up on the Vitamin C. I have lots of things I want to accomplish this weekend and battling a cold is not one of them (LOL)!!!

 

Anyway let's move onto my card today. This one I made for the color challenge #723 on Splitcoaststampers. Jeanne was our hostess and she chose pool party, coastal cabana and calypso coral for her color trio. Optional was to add a metallic element.

pool party, coastal cabana, calypso coral

 

I like to make Valentine cards using non-traditional colors, so I thought I would give these ones a try. And, with the help of Stampin'-Up neutrals baked brown sugar, crumb cake, smoky slate and mossy meadow, I think I was successful.

 

I started by sponging my clouds with a stencil and tumbled glass distress ink. It's really close to the pool party shade. Then I started creating my little hedgie scene. I used the new CottageCutz Valentine Hedgehog die.

 

For the hearts, I used calypso coral and sponged them with the same ink to make them darker. To cover the metallic option, I used some wink of stella on the coral hearts. I stamped my sentiment on the die cut cloud and that finished my card.

 

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

 

card details:

Stamps: hedgehugs (Lawn Fawn)

Paper: pool party, calypso coral, coastal cabana, soft suede, smoky slate, baked brown sugar, crumb cake

Paper Size: A2

Ink: calypso coral, mossy meadow (Stampin'-Up), tumbled glass distress (Ranger)tuxedo black (Memento)

Accessories: Valentine Hedgehog (CottageCutz), cloud stencil (MFT), Wink of Stella (Kuretake)

Techniques: stencil

I am also entering:

1.  Brown Sugar has a love/Valentine's Day challenge.

2.  Kitty Bee Designs has a love/Valentine's challenge.

3.  Aud Sentiments challenge is love or Valentine sentiment.

4.  Craft Rocket Challenge is Valentine.

5.  Ellibelle's Challenge is dies/punches or something with hearts.

St Patrick's Day Cupcake

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

 

Can you believe we are already in February? Next week is Valentine's Day and I have several more cards to make. I take them to church and let some of the guys pick cards to give to their wives. I have done this for several years and they look forward to it.

 

They have been so complimentary of my cards. I will finish up 2 or 3 more probably on Saturday. This year I made critter cards- dogs, cats, and hedgehogs. I think they all turned out so cute so I hope the guys like them.

 

But for today, I am showing a St Patrick's Day card. I made it as part of the DT post on the CottageCutz Blog. This St Patrick's Day Cupcake die is a new one from CottageCutz. I thought this cupcake image would make a great card for an Irish friend of mine. She celebrates the day with full gusto (lol)!!!

 

I started my card with the current MojoSketch #508. I though the layout would work well to not only show off the Cupcake image but also the Irish blessing.

 

I used the new cardstock shade of shaded spruce from Stampin'-Up for most of my card. And for a bit of contrast I used their emerald envy cardstock. The background designer paper is also from Stampin'-Up.

 

I used the gold coins that are part of this die set, for the narrow rectangle panel on the sketch. The Irish blessing sentiment is part of a digital set that Verve was offering for free a few years ago.

 

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

 

I am also entering:

1.  Cute Card Thursday challenge #568 is anything goes.

2.  Krafty Chicks has a lots of layers challenge.

3.  Crafting By Designs has an anything goes challenge.  

4.  Little Red Wagon has a something sweet challenge.

5.  Crafty Creations has an anything goes challenge.

 

Puppy Love Letter

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

 

Well it's Super Bowl Sunday. Our Pittsburgh team is not playing so it's not a big deal to us. And, my hubby is down with a bad head cold so we are not attending any Super Bowl parties. They are always fun, but he doesn't want to spread his germs around (lol)! We are at home not watching the game just the two of us.

 

I am typing this post as I sort of watch the game. Although I am definitely watching the commercials. They are always the highlight of the game.

 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for a group DT post on the CottageCutz Blog.  I used the new CottageCutz "Puppy Love Letter" die.

 

I started my card with the MojoMonday sketch #507.

 

The background designer paper is from the Stampin'-Up "sending love" collection. For a bit of texture, I used the Layered Hearts embossing folder on the solid red rectangle panel.

 

The letter the puppy is holding was stamped with the Lawn Fawn "love letters" stamp set. The Valentine phrase is another new CottageCutz die - Be My Valentine Puppies.

 

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

 

card details: 

Stamps: love letters (Lawn Fawn)

Paper: whisper white, real red, basic black, baked brown sugar, tip top taupe, pretty in pink, sending love dsp (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: tuxedo black (Memento)

Accessories: puppy love letter, be my valentine puppies, circle dies (CottageCutz), hearts embossing folder (Darice),

I am also entering: 

1.  Dragonfly Dreams wants us to include a heart. I have a few of those on this card.

2.  2 Crafty Critter Crazies has an anything goes using a critter.

3.  The Artistic Creative Team Blog has a heart it challenge.

4.  Classic Design Team Challenge Blog is anything goes.

5.  Crafty Animals has an anything goes challenge.