Happy Birthday, Donna!!!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter, Donna.

I made a card last year that Donna liked so well she said she wanted it for her birthday.  So I have saved it for her.

Join me in wishing Donna a Happy Birthday.  God Bless You!!! Peggy

I Brake For Compassion

I made this card for a friend who is in the hospital with cancer.  I used two I Brake For Stamps sentiment stamps on this one.  The one on the front of the card is "Because You're Hurting" and the one on the inside is "Faith, Hope, Love".  I hope my friend and his wife will find some comfort when they get this card.  These stamps just seem to say what I wanted to say to them.

 Thanks for visiting with us today.  We love to read your comments.  I hope you will come visit I Brake For Stamps for your stamping needs.  Be sure to use my code SAVE10PEGGY to receive 10% off your purchase.  God Bless You!!!  Peggy

Baby Boy Card - Silhouette

Hi Everyone - a friend of mine is having a baby boy next month and a baby shower is being held for her at work this week.  So of course, I had to make a card to go along with the present.  And since my mojo still hasn't returned, I searched through my downloaded cards for my Silhouette and I found the card below.  It's a 3D Shadow Box card.  You really can't tell it in this picture but it has four different layers.

I think she'll like it!

Thank so much for stopping by today - we appreciate you! Please come back again soon!  God Bless You!  Donna

TEACHER'S GIFTS - Explore, Silhouette

Hi Everyone - This week at my son's school the students are taking what in my day of schooling was called "achievement tests."  The tests that Jacob will be taking this week are called "Georgia Milestones."  Jacob's teachers have worked really hard to try and make sure he and all their students are ready for the tests.  Believe me, Jacob has been stressed out in preparation for these tests.  

I personally think that teachers are underpaid and unappreciated for all that they do and have to put up with at school.  I try to show my appreciation for them at least once a month by sending little gifts to brighten their days. The gifts are inexpensive but they seem to appreciate them.  

With that in mind, I thought I would send the teachers a little pick me up this week.  I don't know about you, but I love the $1.00 bins at Michael's - especially when the items that I want to buy are on sale for half price.  So let's just say, I hit the jackpot getting a nice pick me up for little money.  I also bought gift bags at Hobby Lobby for half price.  I used my Explore to print my saying for the front of the bags and cut the frame out.

The saying says:  For you --- because you have gone the extra "mile" to make sure your students succeed on the "milestones."

I then used my Silhouette to cut out the carrier for the nail polish and file. Here is a picture of the cards, pencils, nail polish, and nail files that I included in the bags.

I hope they will enjoy this little treat.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  We appreciate your visits and comments.  Until another day, God Bless You!  Donna

Aurora Wings "Leann's Angel"

Before I start my post today, I just want to say how delighted I am to have Donna posting again.  When we started the blog we said we were a Mother/Daughter team.  So I'm super happy when she posts.

I tried my hand at coloring with colored pencils again today.  I have watched so many people on Facebook who are so talented and creative with their coloring.  It puts my efforts to shame but I enjoy it so I'll keep trying and maybe I will improve.

I bought this lovely digistamp from Aurora Wings.  Mitzi has some beautiful stamps, if you want to drop by and take a look around.

 

 The frame is from Cricut Design Space cut from a silver and white embossed paper.  The roses and ribbon are from my stash.  The image is called Leann's Angel and she's colored with Prismacolor Colored pencils.

Thank you for visiting with us today.  We love and appreciate all of you.  God Bless You!!! Peggy

HUBBY'S BIRTHDAY CARD! - EXPLORE (again)

Hi Everyone - me again!  Well, I told you that I finally used my Explore - guess what?  I used it again - I'm on a roll!!  My husband birthday was Friday, April 17th and he will NOT accept a store bought card from me or my mother!  He gets insulted if we try to buy him a card for anything!  He also saves all the cards that we make and give him.  He has them in a drawer of the night stand on his side of the bed. Now isn't that the sweetest - everyone say - awwwww!!!!

So with his birthday in mind, I again decided to use my Explore and make another "ready to make" project.  I chose the card below because I liked the colors used in the example on Design Space.  I chose the project and simply followed the instructions step by step to create the card below.  I know he'll like it (and put it with his other collection).

I'm hoping that by using my Explore and making these projects that it will help my mojo come back and I can create some original projects of my own!  Thank you once again for stopping by - you are appreciated!  Until another day, God Bless You!  Donna

I Brake For Lighthouses

Today is my son-in-law's birthday.  This is one man who saves every handmade card he gets.  With that in mind, I chose the Large Cape Hatteras stamp to make his card.

I hope you will go to I Brake For Stamps for your stamp needs.  They have rubber and digistamps.  Remember, use my code for your purchases and receive 10% off.  If you're not used to stamping, give it a try.  It's fun to do new things.  

Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you have a great weekend.  God Bless You!!! Peggy

FIRST TIME TO USE MY CRICUT EXPLORE - EXPLORE, SILHOUETTE

Hi Everyone - I have a confession to make!!  I have been in the deep dark dregs of "no crafty mojo!!" I ordered my Cricut Explore for HSN back in Sept/Oct 2014 as a Christmas present for me from my hubby!!  When it arrived, Mom asked me if I was going to open it before Christmas.  To her shock, I said NO!  So I received the Explore on Christmas day and didn't even tear the paper off the package.  It actually sat in a corner for two months before my son finally removed the paper.  So I took the machine out of the box and put it on it's designated area in my craft "happy space."  It has sat there until now (another two months later) before I decided to make something with it.  Can you believe that I went that long without using my new machine?  Without making some fabulous project?  

To be truthful, it would probably still be sitting there if Mom hadn't stayed after me to make something with the Explore.  She said, "once you use it, you're going to love it!" As my mom knows, I don't like changes and I don't like trying to figure "new techy" things out.  That's my mom - she loves techy stuff!  I'm more like my dad - when he got a new tool, he would give the manual to my mom and tell her to read it just in case there was something in there he would need to know.  Like him I want to take the new "tool" out of the box and just use it!!

So I decided to make a "ready to make" project for a friend of mine at work that has a birthday on Friday.  This was a very simple project to make and for someone who's mojo has gone missing for months, turned out very pretty.  

The moral of this story is - if you're like me and are afraid to take out your new Cricut Explore and use it - it really is easy to use.  I should have been using it months ago!!

Now the 3d Shadow box below was made with my Silhouette - it was another simple project to make - simply cut and paste together.  My friend with the birthday on Friday loves all things "cardinals" and I made her this 3D Shadow box which includes a cardinal.  I think she'll really like it.

Thank you so much for stopping by - we so appreciate your comments and your visits.  We hope you will come back again soon and if you're like me, you'll find inspiration here to play with your Explore!  Until another day, God Bless You!  Donna

Gate Fold Card

I showed you an image yesterday that I colored with color pencils.  It was a Rick St. Dennis' image called "Miss Midnight's Flirty Feathers".  I submitted it to Rick's FB page and asked for constructive criticism.  Rick and some of his design team offered some advice.  I went back to my image and applied their suggestions and I really like it a lot better.  

I made a card with her using an Anna Griffin's Gatefold Cuttlebug folder.  These folders make such beautiful embossed cards.  

The flowers & leaves were made with Martha Stewart punches.  

Here are the two versions of the RSD image.  The first one is the way I submitted it to Rick's FB page for constructive criticism.

 Here is what she looks like after I applied the suggestions made.  Which do you  like better?

 I guess I've never grown up because I like to color.  It kind of reminds me of painting.

Thanks for visiting with me today.  I love hearing from you.  God Bless You!!! Peggy

Pencil Colored Image

I have been watching videos trying to learn some new creativity.  One I watched was of Rick St. Dennis coloring an image with colored pencils.  He made it look so easy.  

So I decide I want to try it.  I went to our new Hobby Lobby (I won a gift card when they had their grand opening) to see what they had in the way of  colored pencils.  Needless to say, they had a variety.  Since I had a 40% off coupon and my gift card, I chose some Prismacolor pencils.  I'm sure they're not the premium kind everyone uses but they were good enough for me to play with.  

I spent the afternoon coloring this Rick St. Dennis image, "Miss Midnight's Flirty Feathers".  It's not my best work but I think it's pretty good for my first try.

Thanks for stopping by today.  We appreciate your visits.  God Bless YOU!!!!  Peggy

I Brake For A Pot of Flowers

I love Spring, especially the arrival of all the beautiful trees and flowers.  Pollen is a pain but I do enjoy the beauty God created.  My card for I Brake For Stamps was made using the digital image Pot of Flowers.  The die cut is an Anna Griffin Cuttlebug die.  The image is colored with Promarkers.
 

I Brake For Stamps is a great website to find many different kinds of stamps, both physical and digital.  Also remember, if you use my code you get 10% off your purchase.  My code is SAVE10PEGGY.

Thank you for joining us today.  I hope to see you back next week.  God Bless You!!! Peggy

For A Special Sister

I don't know how many of you are like me but when Anna Griffin is on HSN my credit card heats up.  I keep saying I'm not buying anything else but she makes such pretty things I just can't resist.  One of the things I bought when she was on recently was the Pop-up Card Kit.  This card is from it.  I made it for my sister who is always there for me.  Everyone needs a sister like mine.

Isn't this pretty?  I must say she loved it.  There I go cheating again.  These are good for when your mojo goes on vacation like mine has been lately.

Thank you for visiting today.  We love our followers.  God Bless You!!!! Peggy

Square Floral Card W/Butterflies

This card is made from a Cricut Design Space file that can be found here.  I chose a different color paper, added pearls to the flowers and butterflies and added ribbon.  As I said before, the Cricut Explore and Cricut Design Space make creating a project so easy you feel like you're cheating.

Leave me a link to  your Design Space projects so I can go look at them.  Thank you for visiting with us today.  We love you.  God Bless You!!!  Peggy

Another Sympathy Card

We lived beside a wonderful couple in NC.  No one could have asked for better neighbors than Willard and Becky Benton. Every time I went back to see my son and dauther-in-love, I would go see them. Willard had been in declining health for some time and finally passed away several months ago.  I made this card for Becky.  

This is another Cricut Design Space file that can be found here. I made the card exactly by the pattern and added a bow, jewels and a sentiment.  I have also made another card using this same file but with different paper.  Not sure how this one will be used.  That will be decided later.

 Thank you for visiting today.  We love our followers.  God Bless You!!! Peggy

Sympathy Card - Friend's Mother

It seemed there was a rash of deaths last month involving people I knew.  One of my best friends,  who I worked with in NC, mother passed away recently. I wanted to make a special card for my friend.  I had just gotten my Anna Griffin interchangeable Cuttlebug Folders from HSN so I decided to use one of them.  

 Isn't the embossing of this folder beautiful?  The flowers I made from the Cricut Mother's Day Bouquet Cartidge.  The butterfly is from the Cricut Indie Art Cartridge.  I added Wink of Stella to the message to give it some shine.  I think the pink jewels add flare too.

Thanks for visiting today.  We love our followers and would love to hear from you.  God Bless You!!!!  Peggy 

Challenges for this card: 
613 Avenue Create - W - #118 A True Anything Goes/NO TWIST
Dragonfly Dreams - M –  Add Some Embellishments
Glitter n Sparkle - W - #131 Anything Goes
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - 2W (1st and 3rd Sunday) E3, C10 #7 Anything Goes 

Robyn`s Fetish - W - #258 Pastel Colors

I Brake For Stamps Design Team

I would like to thank the fabulous Della for inviting me to be on her Design Team.  I am excited about getting to know the rest of the talented DT.  I have been browsing the blog and there are some great projects posted.

If you purchase anything from I Brake For Stamps, be sure to use my code SAVE10PEGGY to get 10% off your purchase.  Click on the logo on the right to visit their store.

For my first card, I had to go with Easter since this is Good Friday. I Brake for Stamps has some lovely digital images, stamps and sentiments.  I chose two digital images, Rugged Cross and Lilies for my first post.

Card Supplies:
Anna Griffin Cricut Card and Overlay
Images - Rugged Cross and Lilies
Colored with Promarkers

Happy Easter, Everyone. Thanks for visiting with us today.  Be sure to visit I Brake For Stamps for a great selection of stamping products.  God Bless You!!! Peggy

White Easter Card

I love the true meaning of Easter.  We are serving a resurrected Savior and we celebrate Easter in honor of that resurrection.  Thank you, Lord for being willing to die so we could have eternal life.

This card was made from a Cricut Design Space file created by Jooniper Parker from the Facebook Group 'Cricut Lovers' Guide to Design Space.  If you are a member of this group the file is free.  If you're not a member, why don't you join?  We have lots of fun and learn from each other.

Happy Easter, Everyone.  Thank you for your visit today.  I hope you will come back soon.  God Bless You!!! Peggy

Anna Griffin Chrysanthemum Card

I have made several cards over the past month or two that I haven't posted yet.  Some that I don't have anymore but I have a photo.  This is one of those.  It is a file in Cricut Design Space.  These files make it so easy to make a card.  Design Space takes the file and creates layers for the different pieces.  You don't even have to think about that part of it.  All you have to do is gather the paper you're going to use.  I love it.

This file can be found here.   I embossed the background and frame with Anna Griffin Cuttlebug Folders.  The petals of the flowers are pop dotted to give them dimension and make them look like chysanthemums.  I added a gold foil flourish, ribbon and an AG setiment.  I think this is one of the prettiest cards I've ever made.

Thank you for  visiting today.  We love our followers and would love to hear from you.  God Bless You!!! Peggy