Cupcakes and Owls

I am one of four girls...I am the oldest of four girls...I am an aunt...I am a brunette, just like my youngest sister, Rachel. These are all statements of my identity as a part of my family! My sister Rachel and I have had the unique opportunity of spending a lot of time together in the last year. She attends a university only an hour south of me, and often comes for the weekend to visit and "get away from it all." She is in her last semester on campus now, and I am sad to think that soon we won't be able to see each other nearly as much. I am excited to see what God has in store for her future, as a music teacher and wife...but first, she has a birthday coming up! Below is the birthday card that I've made her, using the sketch on Everything But the Kitchen Sink. It has her favorite thing (cupcakes) and my favorite thing (owls) and lots of bright colors...which works for her since she has such a bright personality!

Owl and sentiment-Hampton Art Cupcakes-Inkadinkadoo Paper-American Traditional Design Glossy Accents on the cherry and flame.

I am truly a blessed girl to have Rachel in my life...as well as my other two sisters too! Look for future posts of cards that I send to my other two sisters... :) They can almost always count on a homemade card with an owl on it somewhere! :)

Reaching Out to Others

Well, the end of summer is here and I've been thinking a lot about how I can use the talents God has given me to bless others. In August, my mom introduced me to an organization that sends stuffed hand knit and crocheted bears to children around the world who suffer from AIDS. The Mother Bear Project sends you a pattern that you can easily knit or crochet. Once the bear is finished, it is mailed back to their headquarters and sent to children as a source of comfort. I actually crocheted two bears during August!

This weekend, I've been privileged to participate in the Operation Write Home virtual card making party through Hero Arts. So far, I've made 11 cards. These cards will be shipped to United State's soldiers who are serving around the world. These soldiers will then be able to use these handmade cards to send home to their wives, husbands, kids, and other supporters. Below are some of the cards that I've made this weekend.Owl Stamp-Hero Arts LP134

Hooray For You-Don Juan Cricut CartridgeFlower Stamps- Stampin' Up Sentiment- Hero Arts CL129Stamps- Hero Arts CL155

How Does Your Garden Grow?

My husband and I thought that we would take a stab at a vegetable garden this summer. Using wood from my mom and dad's old deck, Derrick built four 4x4 foot boxes. We then filled them with dirt and lots of plants. We are now spending way too much time tending to this garden...looking at the cucumbers and tomatoes grow...slowly! When I saw the Kiss the Cook set of stamps by Hero Arts (CL440), I just had to buy them. My favorite stamp is, of course, the smiling carrot!I come by my love of vegetable gardening honestly...my mom and dad also have an ever growing garden in their backyard. Because of this, I have made this card for my mom. Not only does she have a love of veggies, but also a love of crafting. I know she will appreciate the time I took to cut out all of those little leaves and vegetables as I pieced them together. And, lucky us, we are getting together this Friday to attend CHA in Chicago. Looking forward to it!

Lovin' This Weather!

We have just had the most beautiful weather here in Illinois this week! Unfortunately, I've been playing nurse as my husband had surgery on Monday. So instead of taking walks to the park with my husband and dog, I've been camped out on the front porch, soaking in as much sun as possible!

Of course, being stuck at home has its perks! I've had a chance to make a couple of cards. One is made for the Everything But the Kitchen Sink challenge-using string. The tree on the card I created has a trunk made out of twine. It was so fun to piece together the little pieces to make this realistic little tree trunk...I actually might need to try it with a bigger one too! The leaves on the tree are made from little punched hearts which I cut in half. Some of the leaves are raised with pop dots in order to add dimension! The butterfly at the top is also flying 3-D! Because of the leaves and butterfly, this card also works for Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge-mounting up part of the card to create layers. The third challenge that this card qualifies for is for the little red wagon challenge-Spring! "Spread Sunshine" Hero Arts CL129 Butterfly Hero Arts CL379 Well...off to run some errands and enjoy the nice weather-supposed to have thunderstorms tomorrow! ~Happy Easter~

Come on Spring!

Well...we had what seemed liked Spring weather for just a bit...but it has, of course, disappeared! I told my husband several weeks ago that this was the "fake" Spring that Illinois experiences every year. I hate to say that I was right, but today was down right freezing!I received a new set of Hero Arts stamps in the mail last week and have been making flower cards like crazy! I think that what I like most about the Big Flowers set (CL375) is that the flowers are BIG! They stand out fairly well and make a great focal point for lovely Spring cards! Below are several of the cards I've made. I look forward to giving them to several friends who have been such a great support and encouragement to me during the last couple of weeks! I thank God for them everyday! Other supplies: "Find Joy Everyday" and "You Can Be Yourself..." Hero Arts CL129 Dragonfly and Butterfly Hero Arts CL379 Challenges: All Sorts-Spring Hero Arts-Spring

Proud to be Irish!

Being part Irish is something that my grandfather is very proud of! Because of this, I decided to attempt to make him a St. Patty's Day card that would show him that I, too, am proud to be Irish! First, I cut a card from the Don Juan cartridge with my Cricut Expression machine. I wanted to use the sentiment, "Top O' the Mornin'" so I wanted the cover of the card to mimic a sun. The rays of the sun are paper strips and "Kiss Me, I'm Irish," is suspended in the middle of my green Irish sun. When you open the card, you see the sentiment again and a message to my grandpa! This card was made with the Paperplay Challenge in mind (seeing double), as I have two butterflies and two "Kiss Me, I'm Irish," sentiments. Hopin' my grandpa, who I call Grandbobby, sees how proud I am to be Irish too! "Top O' the Mornin'" and "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" (Studio G) Flourish Background (Hero Arts)

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