Praying For You Card and a Product Review

Hi sweet friends!

I'm working on replenishing my stash of easy mailing cards... as opposed to those I have to send in padded envelopes. I like working on pre-made card blanks to speed up the process, and I generally buy them at Pat Catan's or Joann's stores.

I was hoping to go quickly on this, but ended up taking almost as much time as I do on a fancier card. The base mat and doily are colored cardstock and the layers are Prima's Rossi Belle, with some fussy-cutting. I added some Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear Confetti Mix and an ivory burlap string bow. I heat embossed my sentiment using Ranger's Super Fine Gold Embossing Powder.

Recently I purchased the Tim Holtz Guillotine Comfort Paper Trimmer by Tonic. I saw Jennifer McGuire using one on her YouTube videos, and thought that's just what I need. My Fiskars trimmer is okay, but the cutting blade falls off and it doesn't always cut straight. So, seeing I could get one at The Funkie Junkie Boutique for a good price, I decided to give it a go.

Here is what I've discovered in my first week of use:

• It is light weight, and as my working surface space is small, I have to move it back and forth from table to crafting station, that's a definite plus.
• It cuts smoothly and straight.
• It has a grid pattern (which I love) plus rulers at each end.
• Since I'm terrified I'll cut myself, the protective plastic shield is a big positive.

My only negative so far:

• It only cuts up to eight and a half inches. I do a lot of pocket cards that are cut twelve by five and a quarter. So I have to pull out the old Fiskars tool for those.

This is a tool I'm extremely happy to have paid the money for, and definitely recommend you checking it out. I'll be even happier when Tonic decides to make one to handle twelve by twelve sheets.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You! Card & A Steampunk Pen

I'm winding down on my thank you cards. Just one more to show you after this one.

The focal image was sent to me as a gift with an order from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, and was perfect for this card having that bit of blue on the bell. I cut the Tim Holtz Metallic Kraft-Core with a die from the Alterations Thinlits Stitched Rectangles set and the snowflake with their Mini Snowflakes topped with a TPC Studio blue rhinestone. The pattern papers are Bo Bunny's Whiteout.

I haven't posted any pens lately, but this one in the steampunk style was too pretty to pass up. I love this copper!

Thanks for stopping by!

To My Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is my final card for this holiday, but needless to say, the most important. I made this one for my sweetheart, The Penmaker.

Very vintage and shabby looking. The camera image is a nod to the fact he does all my photography.

The papers are a happy mix of MME Heirloom and Prima Delight. The flowers are teastained Petaloo.

My pretty little girl image is a digi. Zoom in and read the sentiment... so beautiful.

The two pearl hearts were a gift from Linda at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

The Idea-ology Bliss ticket attached with one of their mini paper clips is for the feeling I have for our marriage... fifty years this coming September.

I want to say thank you to all of you who regularly visit my blog. I greatly appreciate you stopping by and for the comments... so encouraging. I haven't been able to write as many myself, and I'm amazed at how some of you are able to continue doing so when I know you're all busy. I try to make as many visits to your blogs as I always have... I  just can't always let you know that I stopped in... but believe me... you are all an inspiration. Love you all, my dear friends!

Again... Happy Valentine's Day!

Linda

With All My Love Valentine Pocket Card

All lace and doilies and hearts and pearls... truly a romantic card. I love the red and white ones, but there's just something wonderful about a pink Valentine.

The blue dotted base paper is from Prima's Delight collection... I used both sides. The other one is MME Lost & Found Heirloom.

I pulled another vintage digi from my stash and framed it with a Spellbinders Framed Floral cut. The big pink bloom is a Petaloo Botanica...

the small paper ones are from I Am Roses. The half pearls are by Queen & Co, and the strung pearls are from Darice. My white doily was cut with Alterations Distress Doily.

The I Love You postcard charm (which isn't showing up very well, sorry) is from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. It's in an antique bronze finish and matches the corner filigree piece, also from Linda's store.

Have a happy Friday! It's snowing here in Ohio, ugh, but we plan on making the best of it, and are meeting our son at IHOP for breakfast.

I'm entering my card at:
Allsorts Challenge - Valentines Day

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Love Always Pocket Card and A Heads Up on Some Big Sales

 

Some more mix and match action with my left over papers. The piece with the glittered swirls is definitely one from My Mind's Eye and I believe the Alterations Distress Doily is made from another. I don't remember the name of the gingham though.

The bronze corner came from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. If you're not familiar with Linda's store, you should check it out now, because she's having a 10% off sale. Her prices are already low, so this is just an extra incentive to buy... of which I took advantage!

A layered K & Company sticker.

Prima Serenity flowers. I bought bunches of these when Joann's had them on sale.

An ivory May Arts burlap string bow tucked in among the flowers and a piece of a Prima vine I had left over from another project. There's also a base of cheesecloth.

Love was cut with Alterations Handwritten Love Thinlits die. The tiny rhinestone is by TPC Studio.

My wood butterflies are from Prima... and in case you missed it... Prima has a huge warehouse sale going on with a box of Prima goodie for only $50.00 plus shipping. Check it out here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Williams' Soap Masculine Pocket Card

I like the challenge of making a masculine card. When I received a packet of free manly-type goodies from The Funkie Junkie Boutique, I put them aside until an idea formed. Well, one did and this is what came out of it.

The papers are from various older Graphic 45 collections. The mustache, Williams' Soap ad, comb charm, and wood button are all from FJB.

I used Alterations Postage Stamp Frame to cut this black layer. The Distress Ink is Walnut Stain.

The wood button is has a clock face with a tiny mustache and pipe. I tied it with some natural May Arts burlap string. It's sitting on an antique gold filigree I got on clearance at Michaels.

The scrap of ribbon was tied around the burlap string. I'm sorry but I can't remember who I purchased it from. I buy a lot of this stuff and have several bundles. I colored the mustache die cut with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain DI.

 The comb charm is attached with an Idea-ology Ring Fastener. 

The tag is tied through the wide eyelet with black seam binding. An Idea-ology Muse Token is pinned on with a tiny safety pin purchased from Hobby Lobby. I thought this card would made a great holder for one of the Penmaker's turned safety razors. Now if I can get him to make one, I'll be all set.

Thank you for stopping by!

Linda

Remake of an Vintage Oldie and a Super New Country Pen

This card may look familiar to you if you been following my blog for a few years. I love the vintage look of these papers, but wasn't happy with my choice of flowers. Soooo... I did a little bit of a remake and added some Petaloo Botanics and green Spanish moss.

This book page heart was a gift from Linda at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. I popped it up with a piece of 3-D foam and added it in with the mix.

My original design was rather flat, so I gave the edges a once over with a little distressing... creasing, bending and lifting... to give some dimension.

I tied a tiny satin bow at the neck of the dress form and glued on another green rosebud.

Happy, happy!

My husband, the Penmaker, is working on sixteen Minerva Monster pens as I write this. The festival in Minerva, Ohio, in honor of our son's documentary, is this Saturday, and he has to have them completed by then. The response to Seth's movie has been overwhelming, to say the least.

Ronnie created this country pen a couple weeks ago. Such unusual coloring in the blank of this one... a ton of depth and then that light band of color at the top... so pretty!

If you're anywhere near, Minerva, Ohio, this weekend, please stop by our table in the center of town. We would love to meet and talk with you.

Thank you for stopping by!

Linda

Curiosity Tag Using Tim's March 12 Tags of 2015 Background

It's a little hard to see, but Tim's background technique from his March 12 Tags of 2015 was my starting point for this tag. I used two of the new Distress colors - Cracked Pistachio and Abandoned Coral along with Iced Spruce and Vintage Photo Distress Paints. These were the first four colors to arrive after I ordered several bottles... (Ros's prompting, LOL)... so I went with them. 

Again, I chose paper from the Kaisercraft Curiosity collection, layering several patterns and scraps with a piece cut with Alterations Mixed Media Thinlits die set. The beautiful antique metal leaf and corner piece are from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. The flowers and green leaves are all from I Am Roses and the foliage was cut from Alterations Spring Greenery Decorative Strip die. The edges are sponged with Black Soot DI.

Thank you for stopping by!

Linda

Masculine Pocket Card From Stationer's Desk

If you're into texture 

and dimension, you'll like this card. Lots of both. The Alterations die-cut, made with the Vintage Cabinet Card and the Mini Cabinet Card, is cut from black chipboard. (Please don't try it with medium weight chipboard like I did, or you'll have a terrible time getting it to release from the die.) I gave it a coat of white acrylic paint and when dry, I brushed on some clear rock candy Distress crackle paint. It gave it a slight reddish cast (I'm assuming it lifted from the back pigment - ?), which is perfect with the Stationer's Desk papers. I sponged Walnut Stain Distress Ink on the edges for a cohesive look with the papers and printed SD chipboard elements.

The pretty filigree piece

is from the Funkie Junkie Boutique and is topped with a Say It In Crystals gem from Prima's Cartography collection.

I used one of the cards

from the 4 x 6 ATC's for my insert adorned with a couple stickers from the 12 x 12 collection pack.

This promises to be

an unusual week, activity-wise, so I hope I can be back before the weekend. Till then...

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda