What's on My Kitchen Counter

I have changed in my crafting.  Gone are the days of throwing out multiple tries on a card - now days, I just change direction.  I changed direction on this creation a BUNCH of times. It started out as a card with a fun old die, but my die cutting base is messed up and the die is slightly bent so it slipped.  I tried again with a smaller die and it slipped.  Destined to save the image, I went with an oval but didn't have enough paper left to get a full oval so I had to cover it up with something.  I found this fun bow I had made for something else but never used.  The bow was too big and bulky for a card so this became a large tag.  It is currently tied on a bottle of wine, but I can see it tied to lots of fun things. The image is the DRS Designs Filigree Pumpkin inked up with several colors of DOX (Distress Oxide Ink - thanks to Loll Thompson for teaching me that acronym) and DI (Distress Ink).  Then I stamped the Deco Happy Thanksgiving To...

I have some fun cards to share today. On my first card, I did a quick background by inking up some foil with inks in circles, spritzing it all with water, liberally spraying on some Fireworks spray, and then slapping down the paper to soak it all up.  After it dried, I threw some water on it and then mopped it up with a paper towel.  It makes a cool background and if you do lighter ink in the middle circle, you don't have to worry about your lighting on the card.  After that fun adventure dried, I stamped the new The Floor image (this is going to be a well used image - isn't it great?).  I had so much fun doing some image surgery to create my pumpkin grouping!  Most my pumpkins are from the Hot Air Balloon image:  I stamped them with the balloon stamp and then again with the new Filgree Pumpkin image,  I cut the basket portion off at various levels from the balloons to create different sized pumpkins, sponged them with Distress Inks/Oxides, ...

Every once in a while, I see something on Pinterest that I just have to try and do myself - this ostrich is one of those times. I drew it out with a regular ink pen and some Prisma pencils.  Isaiah 43: 18-21 - has so many messages.  I focused on our need to praise God for His mightiness and all He has done for us and plans to do for us.  Even ostriches, who normally put their head in the sand and are clueless, take note of God in these verses. Did you know ostriches are mentioned more than once in the bible?  They are a good way to illustrate one of  our big weakness - putting our own heads in the sand. Many hugz and wishes for a great week - don't be an ostrich (I will try too - lol). Nancy

Back after another long absence.  So glad you dropped by.  I am still crafting, working, junking, and hanging out with family - especially those three cute Grandsons of mine. I have been doing a lot of Bible Journaling.  It seems to help me focus on what is important in life, and I always feel so refreshed and relaxed after doing a page. Here are a few of my favorite pages: Don't you love Squirt?  After watching Finding Dory a million times in last 6 months, I have come to really like the scene he is in.  He seemed to fit this lovely section of Psalm 124:1-5.        If it has not been for the Lord who was on our side,        Let Israel now say -        "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,         When men rose up against us,        Then they would have swallowed us alive.         When their wrath was kindled ag...

I look forward to the Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers every Saturday.  That challenge always gets me going and starts my weekend off perfectly.  I even get up between 4:00 and 5:00 AM so I have plenty of time to do it before rushing off to garage sales.  This week the challenge was a Pinterest Board full of Studio Calico scrapbook pages.  I chose THIS page as my inspiration.  That board made me want to start scrapbooking again - I haven't done much in the last year but I am going on a retreat soon and I think I am going to get some Studio Calico supplies and do my pages like the ones on this board.  Love everything in it.  This weekend, I did a card and a Bible Art Journaling page using the scrapbook page I selected as my inspiration.  The card is part of the thank you cards I am making for my girls to give out after their father's passing (my ex-husband).  I wanted to make them very personal so I am using copies of old...

Hello friends! I have been so lazy lately!  For some reason, I just cant seem to do anything that requires detailed coloring. All my coloring has to be slapped on or I just don't do it.  For example, I wanted to use the tail part of the new DRS Designs Sandy Mermaid image for a fish card.  I didn't feel like coloring so I just slapped a sponge in some ink and swiped it around. I didn't even use the right sponges or start with a fresh one - I just dabbed the closest old sponge.  I used the ink on my counter because I was too lazy to go look for better colors.  Then I took those same inks and dragged them over some acetate. I sprinkled one some water with my hands (too lazy to go find the mister) and dabbed the splotches on my base panel.  I know if I videoed my processes, people would be horrified.  On this card, I stamped the DRS Designs See You Later Alligator on a panel a few times and just sponged differe...

Hello friends, I have been telling myself I need to exercise more - I feel like I am ready to start soon, but haven't.  I think about it a lot... Today, at least my card involves some exercise - lol. I did ink smooshing - where you swipe your ink on a surface, squirt some water and lay your paper on it.  Made several panels and used one inside as well.  The Take a Hike stamp is new at DRS Designs and I paired it up with the DRS Silhouette Hiker image (added a few more dots at the end of the mountain line).  Inside I used the new DRS Follow Your Dreams Signpost stamp.  I think this would be a super graduation card, but would work for many other occasions too such as someone moving to a new job, traveling, actually taking a hike, starting college, or pursuing a dream like starting a new business or learning something new.  - Hope your week is going well.  Mine has sure been interesting!  Hugz, Nancy