Love you, a Latte'

Oh that Krista at Saturated Canary has done it again.  Such talent!  :)  I loved her new digi stamp, Latte, so much I scooped it up Monday, met a girlfriend at Starbucks impromtu for coloring, crafting and coffee of course, then I went to the copy store yesterday and made this card before I went to bed last night.

I had a tag that said "Happiness" I almost used. I'm totally going to have to color this gal again soon.  I love her a LATTE'!

Fabric cuff

I made this fabric cuff for the lovely Bobbi Ann in my Marie Antoinette Mail Art group.  Adding the black to it in a pretty way was a fun challenge for me.

A bit of fun with a new kind of flower.

Detail of the center piece... Gosh, I should have dusted it huh?  Sorry Bobbi Ann, I didn't even see the fuzz til I was editing this image. ;-)

Enjoy Bobbi Ann!

Altered Cabinet Card Swap ~ Halloween

I recently participated in an Altered Cabinet Card Swap at Caroline Outz-Hay's blog.  Oh... my... goodness... did I ever have fun with this project!  I have lots of cabinet cards from my great-grandfather's things, and they were calling me to play, big time.  Here is the one I chose for the card I made for my partner Kim.

I love how great the two ladies black outfits worked with the Halloween theme.

They are looking at some type of book, spells maybe?  Hee hee!

We were also set to create a pocket for the card.  After days of thought on what to do, (haha) I came up with a sort of quilted pumkin pocket.  

A gauzy silk and lace bow.

And a gauzy flower with black velvet leaves.

The stem opens at the rhinestone button to slip in the card.  Here it is, above, tucked inside.

 

Such a fun fun project!  Thank you so much Caroline for hosting.  And thank you Kim for my beautiful card and pocket.  They are my very favorite things I have up this year.  My VERY FAVORITE!  You can see what Kim made me at her blog ArtJoyStuff.  I truly love them!

Rush - This mom's enemy

Nearly two months into this school routine, and I still die inside a little every morning I send my very first Kindergartener off on her bus.  I never realized what an adjustment it would be, for me!  Rushed, stressful, tearful mornings like today leave me feeling especially wretched.  The fear that I am falling short or downright failing sometimes torments me.

My thought pattern including self doubt needs some serious recalibration.  I'll just say it... healing.  But I know my battle is not against flesh and blood, and that my Father did not give me a spirit of fear, but of Power, Love and Self-control.  He picked me to be her momma for a good reason which I may not see, but for which I am forever grateful.  He is the Maker, the Author and the Finisher and I already have victory (including peace and wholeness - nothing missing, nothing broken) in His name.

Prize Surprise Swap

Tabitha at Creative Wings Boutique hosted the most wonderful swap recently, and I am delighted I decided to play.  We each created a Prize Ribbon for our partner.  I have never tried one, so it was a joy to dig into my fabrics and doodads to come up with something for my partner Hope.

Here is the ribbon I made just for her.  Oh boy did I have fun with the pleating.  Really, though, I love that kind of stuff.  Hee hee!

I did it all in creams and whites.  I just loved playing in the satin and swiss dot.

It all lent so nicely to gold accents, a rhinestone and pearl brooch for some bling, an shimmery alcohol inked H for Hope, and a tiny bit of millinery.

And here is the beauty Hope made and sent to me.  Lovely don't you think?

Oh how I love pink.

And bling.

I forgot to photo the deliciously gorgeous vintage magenta velvet back.  {love sigh}

Bonne Chance, Hope told me, means Good Luck.  I love it Hope!  Thank you so much for being such a wonderful swap partie.

Can you tell I was having fun with my photo taking?

I love this one.

I keep thinking of something my mom says, "You want a medal, or a chest to pin it on."  I'm sure she got it from her dad.  We affectionately call these little sayings, "Grandpa Don-isms."  Of course I need to change mine to... "I've got a ribbon, now all I need is a dress form to pin it on!"  :)

Inspiration

You know those times when inspiration flows; bliss in creation and process?  I love it when that happens.  The Saturated Canary Challenge Blog really helped me out with it's photo inspiration challenge.

The inspiration photo... 

Mermaid fun!

Oh dear, I know I have been going color crazy on you, but I just have to share another lovely Saturated Canary digi stamp... Pearl.  Perfect image for today's Designed to Color theme ~ Make Believe/Fantasy.

I colored her up with my Copics. Then cut a mask out of cardstock in her shape. Then Glimmer Misted with Garden Fairy and went back with a paint brush dipped in the mist to darken a shadow around her. I took a couple pictures to show the full sparkly effect.

Sure had fun with those pink dots on her tail!

She went in the back of a composition book I decorated in pink and green for my dear friend.

It's such a cathartic joy, coloring... Thanks for letting me share with you, again. xo

Time Together

This digital stamp from Saturated Canary was so much fun to color up and make into a card. 

She is called Grey Tie

I am entering it into the Black and White +1 challenge there.  I think I was imagining the RRoP when I picked the +1 color.  :)

Catch a falling star...

And put it in your pocket, never let it fade away.

I just love how easy it is to create with Graphic 45 paper.  It is so beautiful.  This past Saturday I spent the entire morning toodling on this project; decorating a star box and filling it up with goodies.  I love aqua and cream.

The paper lent itself to this water nymph definition.

I covered the lid's border in sea and water dictionary paper.

Glitter glass on the top and Stickles everywhere else.  Lots of love and drying time in this star. :)

Toodles!