With Deepest Sympathy

Here's another CAS card I made.  This time I cut a piece from a 12x12 paper that was part of a  DCWV's La Creme paper pad.  The sentiment was stamped with a Stampin Up stamp.  The rose and lace scallop are stamps from MME, Miss Caroline stamp set.  

This paper is a soft yellow (almost a cream color) and trimmed in black velvet flowers.  It is so gorgeous, I just could not cover it up and decided to let it stand on it's own merit.  The recipient received it today and she called to say how beautiful it is.

I am going to try to make a supply of sympathy cards made up.  It is so difficult to make a card when you are grieving.  But  it is a comfort to know that your card comforted someone else.

Not much going on here this week.  I have been doing little projects around the house.  You know those little cleaning and straightening jobs that you only do when the dirt is bigger than the items sitting on it.  I am trying to do at least one project a day.  Today I did one and a half so I am a little ahead of myself for tomorrow.  I need to take all my window blinds down and give them a good bath.  I am dreading that, but tomorrow just may be the day since the weather will be so beautiful I can hang them outside to dry.  Anyone want to help?  I'll make the coffee and add a  bit of sweet cream and Kahlua to it!

I am entering this in Make It Monday, Always Anything Goes Challenge this week.

Thank You Card Trio

I have been busy creating lots of cards without digi's or coloring.  I have so many neglected supplies in "My Stash".  I just decided to use up some of my former "have-to-haves" and try-out some new techniques.  It was a painful beginning because I have had severe withdrawal pains from my Copics.  Sometimes I just stare at them and other times I just hold them and caress them.  I even take the tops off and put them back on just to hear that wonderful clicking sound. Oh come on, you know what I mean,  don't you ?  You know you do!

I saw some CAS style cards on other blogs, so I thought I would give it a try using the "Thank You" sentiment.  I created it on the computer, but stamped little swirlies and a butterfly (stamped twice, fussy cut and popped up) on the card to decorate a bit.  The card stock is all Stampin Up and the design paper for the yellow and blue one is from Imaginique and the aqua card paper is from Paper TreyInk.  You may even see a sprinkling of Stickle"s Glitter here and there.

They are clean and simple, but I would still be proud to send them out to a friend because the DP is so gorgeous, it speaks for itself.  Too many times I have bought  beautiful DP and then I proceed to cover it up.  Whatcha think?

Whatever you are up to this week, stay warm and Happy Crafting to you!  Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule and peek at my latest creation.  I just love all of your "pea-pickin" hearts.  Ya'll come back now, ya here?  Muwah

Going to enter this one in Sentimental Sunday:  Challenge #139 Thank You

Muwah, I Love You

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Good Monday to you.  Here in The United States we are celebrating the inauguration of our President.  Lots of pomp and circumstance going on. The picture of our Captiol with all the American flags hanging from it was so beautiful.  I do love our flag.  I'm sure you all feel  the same when you see your country's flag flying. Kinda gives me the goose bumps.

I have been making sympathy cards and thank you cards this past week.  I'll  post the rest later this week.  I designed this one for a special person and wanted it to be light and funny.  You have to be careful when sending whimsical or funny cards as sympathy cards.  I believe it is important to know the recipient very well so as not to appear disrespectful.  I know for sure this card will be just what "the doctor ordered' for my recipient.

The image I used is called Fancy Fish.  It was drawn by my good buddy Kim Hecker over at Oak Pond Creations.  I feel pretty safe in saying that when she drew it, she did not think it was going to be used in a Sympathy Card.  But what better than a big sloppy fishy kiss to make someone smile.  OK, I know I am a little strange.  LOL

The fish was colored with Copics and hi-lighted with Prisma pencils.  The black spiky mat was cut with a Cricut "Fancy Frames " cartridge and then Stickled.  The coral is an Impression Obsession and then Stickled.  The sentiment was  computer generated.  I got carried away with the Stickles.  The more I Stickled, the more it screamed, "Stickle Me Please".  The little seashell and paper is from my stash.

I haven't played over at Sassy Cheryls' SMT Blog in awhile, so I will enter this there.  In fact I am going to mosey on over there right now to see what is going on with all her friends.

Have a Howling Good Birthday

It's my youngest grandson's 12th Birthday.  He is my baby, my "Little Finny"  who is taller than me, wears larger  shoes than me and loves every minute of calling me shorty!  He has 2 Black Labs living in his home so when I saw this image on Squigglefly I knew it was meant to be.  The artist is Lynne Sansbery and it is called Howling Dogs.  You can get it here.  I have admired her images on Tammy (Tammy's Spot) and Kevin (McCrafty's Cards) blogs, but have never used any of them.  I can now promise you this won't be the last I use.

The image is so well drawn that I didn't even color it.  It just looked best left in black and white.  I printed the image with light gray ink on black card stock and then printed it with black ink on white card stock.  I fussy cut the dogs out and popped them up with foam tape to give them some sense of motion.  The challenge this week at Squigglefly is asking us to use blue in our cards so I pulled out my favorite (almost gone) blue Authentique paper pad and found this "manly" piece of DP.  The rest of the cardstock is from my stash.  The embossing folder I used is a Cuttlebug one.  There is some black and white bakers twine, also from my stash and the card was finished.   That wonderful sentiment came with the digi, so I didn't even have to test my brain to come up with one.

I want to thank everyone for the kindest comments you left for me on my last post.  It was a most difficult week, to say the least for our entire family.   Reading those comments reminded me how lucky I am to be part of this incredible "Crafting Family".  God Bless all of you and  Big, Big Hugs!

Challenges I plan to enter are:

Squigglefly - "I've Got the Winter Blues"
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

A Sparkly Card for a Sad Day

I made this one for the Sassy Cheryl's Challenge this week.  It is not my best creation, but it helped me through one of the most difficult nights of my life so I will post my "Therapy Card".  I couldn't figure out the lighting and her shirt and bow look more blue but IRL they are purple.

I have been sick with this upper respiratory thingee for 6 weeks.  I finally went to the doctor on Thursday and guess what?  It has turned into pneumonia.  So Linda has been laying around reading her Nook, sleeping, breathing, sleeping, blogging, Facebooking, Sleeping and trying to breathe, oxygen and all.  LOL.  Good news, I am on the road to recovery as I write.

 I finally felt like sitting at my craft table and had pulled out this little image to work with when my phone rang.  Now when a phone rings in my house at 11:00 P.M. I tend to panic.  It is NEVER good news.  It was news that my most beloved BIL had had a massive heart attack and died.  I know that all of you have that one special person in their family that is the leader.  The kindest, most supportive and loved above all the rest, Larry was ours.  If you have followed my blog, you may remember me talking about and making cards for my crazy Wisconsin relatives and Larry was one of them.    Larry and my SIL,  Janet were madly in love with each other and have been married for 52 years.  She was holding him in her arms when he took his last breath.

After my poor husband finally drifted off to sleep I began coloring.  I colored and colored just selecting  random pieces I already had printed.  I am not sure I will even use any of them, but they were good therapy.  I did manage to put this card together,  I must have been trying to cheer myself up, because I certainly put a lot of sparkle in it.  We are off to Wisconsin this week.  You all keep safe and happy crafting.  I'll see you when I get back.  Hugs, Linda