Liebster Award--Again

Well, I’m not sure if it’s OK to win this award more than once but I’m going to brag about it anyhow, lol.  Thanks to Cathy @ cathyshappiness.blogspot.com I was given the honor of being awarded, once again, for the Liebster Award.

About the Award

This award was designed to be a blog award in the Pay It Forward fashion.  Once you've been nominated, you award it to five blogs that you like that have fewer than 200 followers, to encourage new visitors to visit these blogs.

Rules for Acceptance

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog.  Post the award onto your blog.  Give the award to five blogger who you appreciate that have fewer than 200 followers.  leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you have given them this awesome award!

Pay it Forward

Choosing five bloggers whom I find inspiring isn't easy as I am inspired by so many!  Here are my choices and I know you will all agree with me once you visit their blogs and see just how great they all are!

Here are the one's I have chosen:

Jen Christoffersen
http://amethystsundays.blogspot.ca/

Ruby
http://handcraftedsimplybyus.blogspot.ca

Gail
http://ilikepaper01.blogspot.ca/

Melina
http://me-craftyscrapper.blogspot.ca/

Jeanete Cloyd
http://creativeplayischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.ca/

All of these artists are so cool so go check them out, let them know I sent you, and become a follower!

Hippity Hoppity Easter’s On It’s Way

It’s mid-challenge inspiration day at Clear It Out Challenge Blog and this little bunny is having some fun hopping down the trail.  Thanks to Nikki at Limited Runs – one of our sponsors --  for providing this cute little fella.  Check out her blog to see some of the great images you could be winning.  Hop over to the Clear It Out Challenge Blog if you want to enter this challenge!  Just as a reminder it’s an Anything But A Rectangle – Easter theme using any stash you have on hand.  ** we understand not all crafter's celebrate Easter so please feel free to use spring colours instead **  Good luck!

 

 

All Kinds Of Fun…

Hey there friends,

I wanted to share the fun little project I created the other day.  It’s decorated rather simply but that’s not the point.  I wanted to make something that would hold the chocolate Easter egg treats I like to give my girls on Easter morning.  Even though they are 20 and 22 they still enjoy their treats.  This year I’ve decided I’m going to do something a little different to present them with their treats.  I used a template for a cupcake box and made this.

 

 

The little bunny is the same image I used on the Easter challenge card I made the other day.  I used a homemade wobbler on this one as well. 

I bought some Easter grass from the Dollar Store and lined the inside of the box with it to form a nest to sit the eggs on.  What a great surprise they’ll get when they open the box and find these ….

 

 

I still have time so I’m going to do a couple more and add more detail to the outside of the box.  Thanks for looking.

 

New Clear It Out Challenge–Easter

Good morning, friends.  Can you believe that we are halfway through March and Easter is just around the corner.  I sure can’t!  This week at the Clear It Out Challenge Blog we are celebrating Easter with a fabulous challenge and two – yes TWO – great sponsors.

And since we have 2 amazing Digital Artists offering prizes this week, we will have 2 winners!!

Limited Runs
3 images from the store

* don't forget to check out her freebie Fridays! *

 

Digi Darla Designs
5 images from the store

This week’s challenge was to make an Easter card in any shape other than a rectangle.  I decided to make an easel card using a scalloped circle.   The cute little bunny is a digi stamp created by Nikki over at Limited Runs.

I attached the bunny to the card with a hand made wobbler.  I got the idea from a YouTube video I saw a long time ago.  Of course, I was going from memory and after checking online for another tutorial I realize I completely missed the step where the coil is attached to punched out circles.  Here is a picture of a wobbler I made for another project…








This is what it should look like.  See how the coil is actually attached to a circle rather than directly to the card.  Although mine works just fine, it would probably be easier to attach it to the circles first instead of having to fiddle with it on the card.  It took me a few tries to get the image exactly where I wanted it on the card because I had a hard time seeing and attaching the coil.








I took a video to show you how cute it was in action but I was having trouble with uploading it so you are going to have to take my word for it.   If you really want to see how to make a wobbler and watch it in action, here is a great video you can watch.

I paper pieced the heart and wrote the sentiment on it (I really need to work on my handwriting, lol).  I cut some eggs out of the background paper and popped them up.  The one in the photo below was just what I needed to help prop the card up.

  

Finally, here is a peek at the inside of the card…



I’d love for you to join us for this challenge so why not give it a try and hop on over to the Clear It Out Challenge Blog.  I hope you have as much fun creating your card as I did creating mine.  Don’t forget to share it here as well using the “share with me” feature on this blog.

**check back next week when I post another example for this challenge using a Digi Darla image.  You won’t want to miss it!**

Treasured Memories

Last week a friend passed away from brain cancer after being told a few weeks prior to Christmas that he had 3 weeks to 3 months left to live.  My heart breaks for his family – a wife, 4 children, and 5 young grandchildren. 

Saturday I attended his funeral which was really more of a celebration of his life. His children all spoke with strength and courage about the love and memories they shared with their Dad.   But what really touched me was when one of his daughters shared the words that he wrote to them knowing that he had only a short time to live.  I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for him to express what he wanted each child and grandchild to hear after he was gone.  But, in doing so, he has left them with something they can treasure for the rest of their lives.

Although his life was far too short, peace is found in knowing that one day we will see him again because of the grace of our Savior.  Wayne believed this and that faith helped him cope with his struggle.  It was never a spiritual battle … he knew where he was going and found comfort in that.  A friend shared at the funeral that when he was with Wayne a few days before he passed away, the reality that it would probably be the last time he saw him alive overwhelmed him.  But Wayne, seeing that his friend was struggling emotionally, held up his hand and said “it’s OK, I’m just going first … but I’ll see you when you get there”.

 

 

 

 

This sentiment was created by me and is offered as a freebie here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used my copics to color an image created by Margaret Bucklew and you can find it here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used two different ribbons and my bow-easy to make this pretty bow with double loops.

 

 

 

 

 

Take a look at the inside of the card…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please pray for Cathy and her children/grandchildren as they adjust to the loss of a husband and father/grandfather.  I appreciate it and I know they do, too.

 

Clear It Out Challenge Time – St. Patrick’s Day

It’s time, once again, for another Clear It Out Challenge.  This month’s task was to create a card/project with a St. Patty’s Day theme using green supplies from our stash.

I had a lot of fun with this card.  I used a new Cuttlebug folder (Pinking Stitch) to create the front of the card.  I sponged over the top with some Peeled Paint Distress Ink by Tim Holtz to make it pop.

I used an image from Bugaboo Stamps who is our sponsor this month.  I just love Bugaboo images and you could win...

Not familiar with Bugaboo?  Pop over to their store and check them out. While there help yourself to their 'freebie' of the week.  My card is being featured on the Bugaboo Stamps Blog this week so I’m extra excited about that!

Take a look at this cute little Bugaboo bear.  I colored him with a combination of Copics and Spectrum Noir markers.  The hat and clovers are colored with Spectrum Noir DG2 &DG3.  The buckle on the hat was colored with DG4.  The bear was colored with Copic markers E11, E13 & E37.    I embossed some white cardstock with my Cuttlebug Dot folder and cut it out with my scallop punch.  I sponged over the top with my sponger and some Peeled Paint Distress Ink by Tim Holtz then adhered my little bear to it.  I added a couple of brads just for fun.

 

 

 

The sentiment was hand printed by me and after cutting it into the flag shape, I sponged some of the Peeled Paint Tim Holtz Distress Ink around the edges.  I added a bow and a few buttons to completed the front of the card.

 

 

 

Here’s a look at the inside of the card. I used the same Cuttlebug folder to frame the sentiment which was handwritten by me on a piece of white cardstock that I sponged with the Peeled Paint Distress Ink by Tim Holtz.

I’d love to see you join us for this challenge so why not give it a try and hop on over to the Clear It Out Challenge Blog.  I hope you have as much fun creating your St. Patty’s Day card as I did creating mine.  Don’t forget to share it here as well using the “share with me” feature on this blog.