Prima Lavender Sympathy Pocket Card

Hello and Happy Easter Weekend!

I have a sympathy card today made with the lovely Lavender collection by Prima. I've used both the 12x12 sheets and the 6x6 paper pad. The base is from another older collection, Nature Walk from 7 Dots Studio.

For this card I pulled out my I Am Roses flowers simply because they have such beautiful lavender and purple shades in their flower selections. I used two of the Alteration Thinlits Stitched die sets... the Stitched Squares and the Stitched Circles. The pearl trim is from Pat Catans. The half pearls are by Hero Arts.

Have a wonderful weekend and very Happy Easter!
He is risen!

Thanks for stopping by!

My Mind's Eye On This Special Day Pocket Card

Hi friends!

I have a quick post today because it's Friday!!! What better reason.

My masculine birthday pocket card is created from My Mind's Eye Kraft Funday paper for the base and some odds and ends I had left of their other older collections. I'm still trying to use up all my vintage stash. The handsome guy standing here is one of Tim Holtz Paper Dolls. I adore these things, and I see they have a new release of them out that I just have to buy.

And that's it for now!
Have a fantastic weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Prima Love Clippings Get Well Pocket Card

Hello there dear friends!

Today I have a get well card made with the beautiful Prima Love Clippings collection. This one won my heart when I first saw it last year. Probably because of the foil accents... gorgeous!

Here under my crocheted trim, you can see some of the foil peeking through.

The flowers are by Prima as well. The champaign colored half pears are by Recollections from Michaels. My Get Well Soon sentiment is from the Clearly Besotted set Many Mini Messages and is stamped in Ranger Archival Coffee ink.

The filigree corner piece is in copper to match the foil accents on the papers.
And that's it!
Have a wonderful day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Prima Lavender Birthday Wishes Pocket Card

Hello to you on this rainy morning!

At least it is here and will be for days according to the weatherman. 

Not to let it dampen my spirits, I've pulled up a card I created recently to show you today even though it wasn't scheduled until next week. It's one of my recent favorites due to this amazingly gorgeous paper collection by Prima called Lavender.

Since at the time I made it I only had the 6x6 paper pad, I teamed it up with some other older papers from Prima and Graphic 45, plus gold glittered corrugate from Hobby Lobby.

I worked in some lavender basic cardstock as well. I think this Lavender collection is one of the most beautiful I've seen for along time. Since making this, I've purchased quite a number of 12x12 sheets. Just don't want to run out. 

For this card I did several layers, all popped up with foam adhesive. I created the round frame using my Alterations Thinlits Stitched Circles dies. I used the Stitched Squares, too, for mats.

The flowers are by Prima, but these are from the Amelia Rose collection. I made the leaves with the corrugate and my Spellbinder's Foliage die.

I hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Distinguished Gentleman Birthday Pocket Card

Good day all! So happy you stopped in!

I have a masculine birthday card... pocket variety... to show you. The base is the My Mind's Eye Kraft Funday along with a few pieces of some of their other papers that were in with my larger scraps. The rest of the mix is Tim Holtz ephemera and, of course, one of the Paper Dolls (although calling this guy a doll is pushing it!)

I love the mustache on this fellow... how cool! For a walking stick, I gave him a metal antique brass key. The material tied to the tag is hand-dyed wool. The metal corner piece is one from Momenta.

For that bottom layer I used Alterations Bigz Postage Stamp die. I stamped the sentiment with the Clearly Besotted Many Mini Messages using Jet Black Archival ink.  It's layered up with gold Metallic Kraft paper.
Hope you have a wonderful week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Special Moments Birthday Pocket Card

Hello friends, and a Happy Saturday!

I wanted to drop by and present to you a pocket card I created using the Prima Lavender 6" paper pad. The base is from the old Tim Holtz 12" Paper Stash Vintage Shabby (now discontinued), which was a great match for the Lavender.

Also in this mix are silver glitter, gray, and lavender cardstocks. I used Alterations Thinlits Stitched Squares dies and a TH Paper Doll. She's popped up with foam adhesive, as are several of the other layers.

For flowers, I chose Petaloo. My sentiment was stamped with the Clearly Besotted Many Mini Messages.

Thank you to all who commented on my Mother's passing post. Your words were a blessing and a comfort to my heart.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mom, 1921-2018

Us girls... 

(r to l) my sister Madelyne, Mom & Me on her 90th birthday, 2011.

Over the years I've posted cards I've made for my Mom's birthdays. I think, other than The Penmaker, she was my biggest fan. On Sunday afternoon she passed away... very peacefully, surrounded by family, and very much the same as my Dad had done eleven years earlier. In fact, Sunday would have been their seventy-seventh anniversary. 

This is how our son worded it in the obituary... 

Her beloved husband, Noah, passed away in 2006. It is, perhaps, fitting that Alice passed on March 18th as this is also the date of her wedding anniversary and there is little doubt that she decided to celebrate it with her husband in heaven.

The funeral will be Thursday, which would have been her 97th birthday.

Our son completed the article with...

Alice leaves behind her two daughters, Madelyne Pawley of Canton and Linda Breedlove of Bolivar, as well as five grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren. All of whom adored her wild sense of humor, sly wit, wry observations and her desire to spoil them all rotten. Alice was a member of Open Door Baptist Church and was a born again Christian whose love for her family was only surpassed by her love for the Lord. Her favorite song was Beulah Land, though she also had an adoration for Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind”. Alice will be missed but she leaves behind an incredible legacy of love and compassion.

I can only add... we long for the day when we will be reunited.

Thanks for stopping by!

An Array of Birthday Cards

Good day friends!

I have several birthday cards to show you today. A pocket card with a tag and two A2 top folding.

This card sports (no pun intended) a digi image I purchased on Etsy. The base is a My Mind's Eye Kraft Funday paper from the collection a few years back. I had just enough of the collection left to do three pocket cards, this being the first.

The other papers were just some MME odds and ends from a couple of their paper pads. I also added in a piece of brown wood grain cardstock that came in the My Monthly Hero February 2018 Kit. Also in the mix are natural burlap string and hand dyed wool.

These two top folding cards have a base of Neenah 100 lb. Desert Storm cardstock. The papers for both came from a Kaisercraft 6.5" paper pad. The brad is by My Mind's Eye.

For this one I used My Monthly Hero February 2018 Kit again. I stamped the bird using the stamp set and cut it out with the coordinating die. I have a bit of the packaging from the kit incorporated in there as well. The fancy flourish at the bottom was cut with a die from the My Monthly Hero January 2018 Kit. Be sure and check out these kits. They're a great value... the amount of quality product for the cost of the kit is amazing.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful day!

The Straight Arrow Update

Hi sweet friends!

Another quick post today. I have so many cards to finish up... I need more time in the days... or an assistant. LOL!!!

My "Thinking of You" card is an A2 size top folding on Neenah Desert Storm 100 lb. cardstock. The papers are from the Prima Love Clippings 8" paper pad. The doily was cut with an Alterations Thinlits die and that lovely pink trim is an oldie from Prima. I separated the crocheted trim from the rhinestones. Love the vintage look of this one.

Now a brief update on our daughter Sarah's recently opened shop in Orrville, Ohio. They are adding tons of product nearly everyday. The Penmaker and I love taking the long drive up there just to see what's new. This is a shot of the store manager, our daughter-in-law Sarah (yes we have two Sarah's). 

Please stop in and say hi if you're in the area.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lovely Ladies Cards

Hello! I hope you're doing well!
I have two cards for you to check out. Both A2 top folding... both with Tim Holtz Paper Dolls for the focal point, but with two different looks.
My first card has a vintage fashion theme. I used the Glitz 6" Pretty in Pink paper pad. The sentiment, stamped on vellum, is from the Altenew Thinking of You set.

My second card, along with the TH Paper Doll, has an ephemera piece from the Botanical Layers collection. The gold embossed sentiment is a stamp from Scrappy Cats Birthday set. For the oval layers I used Spellbinders Scalloped Ovals and Alterations Stitched Ovals. The papers are from Kaisercraft's 6.5" Vintage Timeless pad plus glitter paper from Hobby Lobby.

Thanks for stopping by!

Butterflies and A Dog... Happy Birthday Cards

Hi there! I hope you're having a wonderful day!
I have two cards up on my blog today. Both A2 top folding. I love the ease of these in putting them in regular envelopes. In fact, I bought some gorgeous colored ones from Gina K. Designs you can check out here.
For this card I used a vintage Kaisercraft 6.5" paper pad. I'm trying to use up my stash of papers, and I threw the pad away from this collection and can't remember the name. It was one of my first I bought of Kaisercraft's.

This second card is made of Tim Holtz Dapper papers plus some of that same Kaisercraft collection from my first card.
Hope you like them!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Darling Children Image... Thinking of You Pocket Card

Hi there friends!

I have a Thinking of You pocket card today with an absolutely adorable image. I had this laying on my desk and am not quite sure which collection it came from, but I love it.

This card is rather a mix-up of collections. Whatever I had out at the time got worked into the layers. That's what's so good about sticking with certain companies like Prima. The different collections will usually work together.

These gorgeous flowers are Prima as well. The leaves are by I Am Roses, and the trim is from the dollar store... lovely! The gems are Studio Katia Cupid's Kiss.
I'm working on three birthday cards... all with Prima Lavender papers, but with different bases. Please come back and see them... probably in a week or so. I have so many cards waiting their turn to be shown.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wishing You A Fast Recovery Pocket Card

Hi there! Welcome!

We have some freezing cold weather and snow going on here. Not what I was hoping for today, but there it is. I guess it's what's to be expected in March... the unexpected.

My card is a masculine one or actually for anyone who loves cars and mechanical workings. I used some of the Graphic 45 odds and ends from my stash of papers. Lots of layering and foam dimensional adhesive.

I pulled out a couple of Alterations Thinlits dies... Gearhead and Labels... to make some fancy cuts to mix in among the mats.

The hardware... screw heads and bolt... are by Prima. I think this corner piece is Momenta. Love using metal pieces when I don't use flowers. I gives that extra texture that's needed.

So glad to see you today.

Thanks for stopping by!

You Are So Handsome Masculine Card

 Hi sweet friends!
A very quick post here today. I have an A2 size card on Neenah 100 lb. Desert Storm and My Mind's Eye 6x6 paper pad contents... mostly scraps as this pad is about at it's end. I added a flourish cut from TH gold Metallic Kraft using a die from the January Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Kit. Also put on a couple of screw heads by Prima. The Paper Doll (popped up with foam adhesive) is by Idea-ology... Tim Holtz, of course!
And that's it!

Thanks for stopping by!

High Fashion Birthday Card

 Hello again!
Hope you're doing well today! Thanks for shopping by!
I have an A2 top folding card to show you that I created awhile back. This one has a fashion theme and features Kaisercraft's Vintage Timeless from the 6.5" paper pad. The Base is Neenah 100 lb. Desert Storm from Simon Says Stamp with a mat of Recollections dark gray cardstock. The Spellbinders Oval Floral die was cut from champaign glitter cardstock from Hobby Lobby. It's layered with a printed chipboard tag from Graphic 45 Ladies Diary collection and tied with light peach wrinkled seam binding. I stamped my sentiment on vellum using my vintage Scrappy Cats Birthday set and Ranger Gold Super Fine Embossing Powder. The wood spool is by Prima and is wound with pearl cotton. The gems are Studio Katia Cupid's Kiss Crystals.
I hope you like it!

Masculine Birthday Cards

Hello and welcome!
It's a beautiful Sunday here in Ohio. I hope it is wherever you are, also!

I have two cards to show you today... both masculine birthday cards. I created these for my daughter's shop from My Mind's Eye 6x6 paper pads on A2 card bases of Neenah 100 lb. Desert Storm cardstock I purchased at Simon Says Stamp. For die-cuts on the top card, I used Alterations Thinlits Stitched Ovals and on the bottom one, Gearhead. That's Metallic Kraft on both and a few Idea-ology Mini Gears and Remnant Rubs Gilded Accents on the train themed card.
Have a great day, friends, and...

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday Card & A Grand Opening

Hi friends! Happy Friday!
I have a birthday card to show you made with my stash on an A2 size base of Cotton Candy 100lb cardstock from Simon Says Stamp. The flowers are all from I Am Roses and the humming bird is by Prima.
Now on to some exciting news.

Our daughter, Sarah and her husband JD, have opened in new shop, The Straight Arrow in Orrville, Ohio. It's an amazing place filled with antiques, home decor, and lots of other treasures.

This is our granddaughter, Penny and me just before opening the doors, adding some last minute touches.

They are also carrying The Penmaker's writing instruments and my cards which is super exciting for us. If you're even in the downtown Orrville area please stop by. They would love to welcome you to their shop at 135 North Main Street.

Thanks for stopping by!

Bathing Beauties Birthday Pocket Card

Hi there! I hope you're doing well!

The weather has turned cold here again, so I guess I was pushing it to do this card. These gals must be freezing about now!

For this one, I pulled out some Prima St. Tropez along with a bit of Graphic 45. I love the mix of these two.

The flowers are the St. Tropez velvety style with gold beaded centers. For die-cuts, I used Alterations Thinlits Stitched Squares. I seem to pull this set out constantly. I have the Stitched Rectangles as well, but for some reason, the dies stick to the paper. I have trouble getting them to release even when I use wax paper. Any suggestions?

My sentiment is from my old Scrappy Cats Birthday stamp set, and the embossing powder is Wow Metallic Gold Sparkle Embossing Glitter.

For that dark blue mat on the bottom layer, I used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dot Embossing Folder for some texture.
And that's my card for today. Hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by!