A Triple Shot of Hope

I took the day off from stamping yesterday, but got back to it today!   I am so behind on the HYCCT challenges that I'm not sure I'll be able to finish them this year.  :(   Sad face.  I'm trying, but it seems a bit impossible.  Anyway...  One of the challenges was to use the backs of your photopolymer stamps to make a card.   I thought this set from Ellen Hutson would be fun.  I stamped off and stamped the back to make the background for my flowers and leaves and then reversed the stamps to the correct side and stamped that full strength.   It's a super simple card, but I think it makes a nice thinking of you card.

The next challenge I worked on was all about relationships.   I thought about who might be at the cancer center seeking treatment for breast cancer and how they might have their children their supporting them.   I think it would be nice for the children to have a card for their mom, so that's the relationship I focused on.   I used the sweet Bear Hugs set from Mama Elephant because the images and sentiment are just the best.

And finally, this challenge was to make an encouragement card.  I thought the sentiment was perfect for that.  I hope balloons work too.  They remind me of the movie Up.  

One of the churches near Laila's MDO does a little pumpkin patch fundraiser every year and we always go.   We hadn't been this year since she's been sick, but we managed to stop by yesterday on our way home from picking her up.   She had such a good time and picked out this funky gourd to bring home.  Her favorite part though?  The see-saw!

Tattoo of Hope

Isn't this an adorable image?  I saw it on the Taylored Expressions website and just knew it was perfect for the HYCCT challenges.   I was so excited to use it on a card this week.   It is for the challenge to use an image that would make a pretty tattoo.   I love the sentiment as well!

Laila and I had a craft day yesterday to make tags and treat bags for her classmates at Mother's Day Out.  This expression when she started using the Big Shot totally cracked me up!   She finally got some sleep last night thanks to the Zyrtec her doctor suggested we add in, so we are going to try to let her go to school today.   Fingers crossed.

Triple Cups of Hope

It's Wednesday and time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!  Cindy L has a fun sketch this week that will get you thinking in threes!   I wanted to do the PINKALICIOUS challenge for Hope You Can Cling To, so my choice was three coffee mugs.   For the challenge you had to unscramble 3-4 words from the challenge word and use those on your card.  I went with pink, ink, and cups.  

I'm still behind on my HYCCT cards but I'm slowly catching up.   I just need to keep on trucking and hope to finish them all before the deadline.  I hope to have them packed up and mailed by the middle of November.   :)

We decided we'd been cooped up in the house for too long, so we went to Chipotle for dinner tonight.   It was a fundraiser night for the non-profit that helps the animal shelter where we got Sadie, so it was something I didn't want to miss.  Laila ate great and we had a very nice time.  :)   She's feeling much better, but still coughing.  I hope it clears up tomorrow so she can go to Mother's Day Out on Thursday.  She keeps asking to go back and it makes me sad that she's missed it for a week and a half.  

Sweet Sunday Snowman

Laila and I are feeling some better today, so I was able to make three cards during her quiet time.  She actually came in and sat with me for a while, but she didn't bug me too much.  ;)    I loved the sketch at Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge this week so I combined it a Hope You Can Cling To challenge to use red and white stripes in honor of the candy stripers.  I used another cute snowman from From The Heart Stamps too.  :)   I LOVE how it turned out!  I'm really starting to LOVE digital stamps so, so much!  

See you back tomorrow with Freshly Made Sketches! 

Bold Blossoms of Hope

Another Hope You Can Cling To card I made this weekend.  Laila helped me out with this one.   We made some fun backgrounds together with distress inks and clear blocks.  She picked my color and I only got this one, so here's what I made.  lol Angie challenged everyone to use the wrinkle free distress technique and it really does make a pretty background.  :)

Laila and I are still sick, so it was another rough night of coughing for us and no sleep for anyone.  I went and got some different medicines for us last night but they didn't help much either.   I just hope we are getting close to the end of it all.  Her tests all came back negative for flu, strep, or anything bacterial, so I'm guessing we just have a cold virus.  Fingers crossed for a better night tonight!  Poor Jason is getting worn out along with us because he's the caregiver for us both and not sleeping either.

Coffee and Poppies

Well, we haven't floated away here in Texas...yet.   lol   It's been raining since yesterday evening and still going.  Thankfully it's been mostly light rain with a few heavy showers thrown in.  I haven't really stamped as much as I've wanted to because I've been sick, but I am still working on more cards for Hope You Can Cling To here and there.   I did this one yesterday while I had a break from coughing.  lol    I love this coffee set and thought it might be fun to use with the torn edge challenge.  

I made this very simple card today for the "masterpiece" challenge where you were to be inspired by a work of art.  Georgia O'Keeffe was one of the suggested artists and I saw a lot of poppies when I did a search for her, so I went with that.  I wanted to use my beautiful  new sentiment I got from Hero Arts and I think it gets to shine on this card.  :)

Mosaic Sunflower

I'm a few days late with my Freshly Made Sketches card, but I did finally finish it!  :)  Jen B designed such a great sketch that I had to play along.  With Laila and I both being sick, it took me all week to do my image panel.  lol   It is also for a Hope You Can Cling To mosaic challenge.

So about my panel... The HYCCT challenge was to Google mosaic and be inspired by an image you found.   I found a beautiful image by artist Sharon Cummings and my card evolved from that.  I looked on Pinterest for a free digital stamp of a flower and was led to the one I used which was done by artist Linda Tieu.  I printed it out, die cut it with a stitched rectangle die. and used a Copic multiliner to draw in the background of circles.  I then colored the entire image.   It was a lot of work, but I really love how it came together.  I might do some cards like this more often as I can sit and doodle in the living room or kitchen.   

Laila and Sadie have such a sibling relationship.   They fight, they annoy one another, and then they play together.   It is adorable, but the fighting makes us a bit crazy, especially when they steal each other's toys.  

Fall Thanks

We've had a few cooler days here in Texas, so I'm pretending it is now our poor version of Fall.   I thought this gorgeous cornucopia image from From the Heart Stamps was perfect for a Fall card.   It is their image for their Stamp of the Month challenge, so be sure to go check that out.   I also used the new sketch from their weekly sketch challenge.  I kept it pretty simple to let the coloring shine.  I was pretty happy with how it turned out.   My next Hope You Can Cling To challenge was to use food, so this works for that too!  :)

Laila has been so kind as to share her illness with me and it is kicking my butt.   We took her to the doctor today and they ran some tests but haven't found anything yet.  Her doctor is concerned about her fever lasting so many days, so we are waiting on blood tests now.   If it's not better by Sunday or Monday, we have to take her to the ER for further testing.   I'm hoping it's just a cold as that what it seems I have.   Fingers crossed.

TPD Halloween Cupcake

I started this poor card days ago but just managed to finish it today.   One of the Hope You Can Cling To challenges was all about ombre, so I made a fun purple background with that effect.   For some reason, (Halloween?) I decided to pair it with green.   Don't you think this would be a fun birthday card for someone with a Halloween birthday?!   I love this Large Cupcake set from Two Paper Divas and find myself reaching for it way too much.  I love to color it!   Melissa and Gayla really did a great job on this set.  :)    I paired it with a sentiment from Banners #2.


I've been out of commission for a few days.   Laila has a cold and isn't sleeping so it's been rough going.   I think I was awake most of Sunday night and what I did sleep was in her floor and her recliner.  Boy does that make you feel old and broke down the next day.  lol  She did better last night and Jason as kind enough to take over night duties and give her meds.  We've had to watch her fever to avoid any febrile seizures.  Two is enough and I hope we don't have to see her go through one again. In fact, this time of day it is usually the highest so I'm off to do a check and see if it's time for more medicine!  Have a great week and I hope to be back to stamping more soon!

Happy Trails

I'm going to go ahead and share this card, but it is currently in my "remake" pile because I don't like how it turned out.   I think I've gotten used to making cards with lots of white space and this one just doesn't have enough.   It is for another Hope You Can Cling To challenge to use a mode of transportation on your card.   I've had this cute Lawn Fawn set for a while and it seemed like time to finally ink it up.  :o)

I was sitting at the table coloring one of the crazy birds the other day and Laila asked to color some with me.  :)   I love when she's interested in what I'm doing.

Snowman Hugs

Are you a big user of digital images?  I have a few, but I've been a bit unsure about them for the most part.  I found an awesome new-to-me website that had some adorable ones though, so I decided to give them a shot again.   It's called From the Heart and you should go check them out!  They have a monthly stamp challenge and a weekly sketch challenge, so I played along with the sketch challenge and made this cute card.  I absolutely LOVE it!   The snowpeople are so, so cute!!!!!!   They also work for the Hope You Can Cling To challenge about hugs.  :)  

I also played with the twist which was to do a clean-and-simple card with paper strips.  

Our little family project yesterday was to make pumpkin bread.  It was fun and it turned out so delicious!   Here's a link to the recipe we used.   Laila isn't feeling well today and has a fever, so we've only done a family walk and naps today.   Lazy days are good though, huh?  I just hope we can keep her temperature in check and avoid any febrile seizures.   Meds around the clock here we go!

Hope and Strength

Today is a more pink and breast cancer themed card for Hope You Can Cling To.   A couple years ago I bought a pad of designer paper that was made for breast cancer cards and this sheet has been challenging me to do something with it ever since.  When I saw Ann's challenge to strengthen a piece of designer paper by adding die cuts, embellishments, etc, I know this was the perfect choice of paper.   I die cut it with a stitched rectangle die, and then used the hope die from Paper Smooches to cut out a space to leave open.   Then I added a couple support ribbons that are also from a Paper Smooches die.   The enamel dots were the finishing touch.   All done!

Kraft and pink look quite nice together, huh?  I normally pair kraft with red, but this is not too shabby either!  :)

Have a great weekend!

Cute Pink Puppy

I actually got in a little stamping time last night and made two cards!   This one is my favorite of the two.  I just love this little puppy!! He's so adorable isn't he???   I used pink with him for the Avery Elle I Heart U challenge and also to go along with the Hope You Can Cling to challenge to use a tag. :)

Stamps:  Avery Elle Furry Friends

Ink:  Memento Black, Copics

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Stampin' Up! Strawberry Slush and Baked Brown Sugar, misc designer paper

Accessories;  MFT Stitched Traditional Tags, Stampin' Up! Strawberry Slush ribbon

Our butterfly garden is still amazing!   We had two butterflies emerge and fly away yesterday and lots of baby caterpillars continuing to feed and grow.  

Lots of Kindness

I'm a little late, but I have my card for Freshly Made Sketches today!   I love Cindy's sketch and I hope she's okay with my interpretation of it.  :)    I didn't realize my panel was so huge until I actually sat down to assemble my card.   Oops!   I still think it works and I love all the pops of red on the white!   I think these two stamps are two of my most favorite Stampin' Up! stamps of all time.

Of course it's also another Hope You Can Cling To card.   :)   The challenge was to T-R-A-S-H cancer by using something that started with at least 3 of the letters in trash.  I went with tulips, red, and a stitched die.  

Stamps:  Stampin' Up! Kindness Matters, Love is Kindness

Paper:  Stampin' Up! Real Red, Neenah Solar White

Ink:  Memento Black, Copics

Tools/Embellishments:  Lil' Inker  Stitched Rectangle dies, Wink of Stella clear

My tiny dancer is having a rough week this week.  :(   Grammy left today so I don't know if that's the issue or if it is something else.  I'm hoping things turn around and she can be a bit happier and calmer.  I'm also crossing all my fingers and toes that she's not getting sick or anything like that.   

Hope with My Favorite Things

Today's Hope You Can Cling To card checking in!  :)   This one is one I just love and it was so easy!  Most of the work is done by the My Favorite Things Blueprints set.  I just picked out the colors and papers.  I love when cards are easy AND turn out great. I'm going to leave this one without a sentiment so that someone can grab it and use it for whatever they need to say that day.    Oh, the challenge was to use a trio of hearts and some red.  I think I have that covered.

Stamps:  NONE!
Ink:  NONE!
Paper:  Stampin' Up! Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Soft Sky, Brights Designer Series Paper Stack, Neenah Solar White
Tools/Embellishments:  MFT Blueprints 20, misc enamel dots

We have more caterpillars this week!   So exciting!   Most of them are still super tiny as the eggs just hatched, but this one is getting big and fun to watch.  I am loving our butterfly garden so much.   We had a huge Monarch butterfly hanging out over the weekend and I'm guessing that is where the eggs came from.   It is a great learning experience for Laila and fascinating for her nerdy parents.  :o)

Color Me Not

I'm trying to post one of my Hope You Can Cling To cards each day.  Today's card is for Paula's challenge to use a line art image but NOT to color it.   Yikes.  For a Copics addicted person, that's a tough one.  I used this beautiful set from Altenew in an attempt to make an elegant card that would shine without color.   I added some Wink of Stella sparkle to the flowers that you can't really see here, but it looks awesome in person.  

Stamps:  Altenew Persian Motifs
Paper:  MFT Black Licorice, Neenah Solar White, pink scraps
Ink:  Versafine Black Onyx

Mom and Laila both had a blast at our zoo trip last week.  :)  

Blue Snowman for TPD

1. Two Paper Divas has a fabulous new release this month and this cute Snowman is one of them.   I had such a fun time coloring him.   I had tried a different technique with him for the past two days that I couldn't get to turn out, so I grabbed my markers to go about things the traditional way.  :)  I'm glad I did because I love him in blue!  The sentiment is from the Holiday Sentiments set.  This is also another Hope You Can Cling To card.   Diane challenged us to make an easy-to-mail card, so I left it flat and easy to pop in an envelope.  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is a clean and simple Christmas card, so he is also for that.  :)   

Stamps:  Two Paper Divas Snowman and Holiday Sentiments
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, misc. blue papers
Ink:  Stampin' Up! Basic Gray, Memento Black, Copics
Tools/Embellishments: Cuttlebug Snowflake Embossing Folder

I Heart Pink

Last night Jason and Mom were busy sewing so I grabbed my Copics and sat with them and colored.  I am useless with a sewing machine, so I didn't even try jumping in.  lol   I worked on another Hope You Can Cling To challenge and combined it with Avery Elle I Heart U challenge to use pink.   My background is drawn by hand and colored in with Copics.   I added a sentiment from Avery Elle's Simply Said Hello and a little ribbon of hope and called it done!   It's simple, but I love how it turned out!

Stamps:  Avery Elle Simply Said Hello
Paper:  Neenah Solar White
Ink:  Copics, Sharpie, Memento Black
Tools/Embellishments:  Paper Smooches Hope Die, Glossy Accents

Sadie is not much help with stamping, but she's great at holding down this blanket.  :o)

Lovely as a Tree Hope

Sorry for a second post today.  I wanted to share another card I made for Hope You Can Cling To.  It is for Kathy's strength/warrior challenge.  I was a bit stumped on this one, but she helped me out and mentioned this oak tree from Lovely as a Tree.  I haven't inked this set up in ages, so I grabbed it and started working!   I haven't made a card with so little white/vanilla in ages!  lol

Stamps:  Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree
Ink:  Always Artichoke, Early Espresso
Paper:  Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Regals Designer Paper Stack, Very Vanilla

Monster Mash

It's Wednesday and I'm here with a card for Kim's great sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.   I just love this layout and will be using it again for sure!   A sketch that makes you do a bit of math is always good for the brain!  :o)   I decided to play along with The Paper Players again this week and their challenge was a Halloween theme.   I love these little Lawn Fawn monsters so I thought they'd be fun.  I started off wanting to make a monochromatic card but I couldn't resist a bit of green to break up all the black and gray.  

Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Monster Mash

Ink:  Memento Black, Copics

Paper:  Stampin' Up! Green Galore, MFT Black Licorice, misc. Stampin' Up! retired Halloween DSP 

Watercolored Leaves

Did you get any stamping done on World Cardmaking Day?   I started a few cards and it took me days to actually get back to them!  I wanted to play along with Winnie & Walter's challenges and the first one was watercoloring.   I'm so clueless about watercolors, but I tried to do a background with my Koi Watercolors.   I added a sentiment to split it up and work for a Hope You Can Cling To challenge and used autumn colors for the Simon Says Stamp Autumn Monday challenge.

Stamps:  Winnie & Walter A Tree for All Seasons
Ink:  Early Espresso, Sakura XNCW-24N 24-Piece Koi Assorted Water Colors Field Sketch Set with Brush
Paper:  Stampin' Up! Crumb Cake, Stampin' Up! Early Espresso, Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Master's Touch Watercolor Paper
Embellishments:  Stampin' Up! Neutrals buttons, Stampin' Up! Crushed Curry Baker's Twine

My mom brought Jason and I an awesome gift.  She made us a double wedding ring quilt!   I absolutely LOVE it!  It was her first one of that pattern and I'm so proud of her for attempting it.  She did such a great job too.  :)