Happy Birthday To My Jessica!

Hello Friends! 

WOW!  Almost three weeks since my last posting!  The time is flying!

Alaska was AMAZING!  So good, in fact, that I'm scheming on how I can spend all of next summer up there instead of sweltering down here in the heat.  I ended up catching a cold at the very end of the trip and so I was laid up for a few days once we got home.  ICK!

My daughter Jess' birthday was smack in the middle of my cruise and I hadn't gotten the chance to make her a card before I left, so I spent a couple of days making this one for her.  (I would really love to know the secret of how you talented ladies can get a card made almost every day).  The layout for this card was kick-started with a sketch over at The Sketchy Challenges.  I swear, I would probably sit and stare at my empty desk-top for days if I didn't have a springboard like that to get me going. 

Jess, like me, loves color and this DP by My Mind's Eye pretty much jumped out of my collection and begged to be used for this card.  It took me a while to come up with just the right flowers to go with it and I wanted to distress without going overboard.  I do like how they turned out, but I broke one of my die-cut machines while making the leaves.  :(    Birthday Tilda is a new addition to my Maggie collection.  Isn't she sweet? 

Thank You so much for stopping by!  More of what I used to make this card is listed below.  Please leave a comment by clicking on the comments link at the bottom of this post.  I would love to hear from you.  Have a great day and an even better tomorrow!

♥  Laura C.

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

The Sketchy Challenges (# 26 Heidy's Sketch)

Magnolia Stamp Lovers (Distress)

Just Magnolia (Summer Colors)

Simply Magnolia (Garden Blooms)

Recipe:

Stamps: Magnolia (Birthday Tilda)

Inks: Copic markers, Distress Ink (Walnut Stain)

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics and Recollections

Designer Paper: My Mind's Eye (Bloom & Grow "bloom" Eye Candy

Dies: Spellbinders (Scalloped Circle, Scalloped Oval & Labels Eight), Sizzix (Branch w/Leaves), Cuttlebug (Paisley), Making Memories (Circle Cutter)

Punches: EK Success (Retro Flower Med.), Fiskars (Retro Flower Sm.), Carl (Sm. Daisy)

Misc From My Stash: Eyelet, Heart Brad, Seam Tape, Buttons, Twine, Charm, Thread

Happy Father's Day

Hello my friends!  Welcome to my blog!  I am so happy that you've stopped by!

I am in the midst of getting ready to head to Alaska tomorrow, but wanted to get this post up to display the Father's Day card I put together yesterday.  Masculine card designs are somewhat difficult to put together, I think, because there are only so many golfing and fishing card ideas that don't seem redundant.  Also, the challenge for me this time was coming up with one card design for three men, my dad, my father-in-law and my husband.  I prefer to make a unique card for each, but I'm pressed for time and will not be taking any of my craft supplies on my trip.  :(    I'm feeling anxiety about that already...  LOL!

I found this Route 66 digital set, quite by happy accident, at D.A.I.S.I.E. Company, www.daisiecompany.com, and it's by artist Gina Jane .   I don't know what my problem has been all this time, but I haven't done much with digital designs.  Oh Wa Ta Goo Siam! (okay, say it fast now).  The downloadable designer paper designs out there are phenomenal, not to mention, plentiful!  No need to take up precious space in my craft room with paper that I might or might not use.  Anyway, I stitched white lines on black ribbon to try to replicate a road.  (It looks like that road line painter had some cocktails on his lunch hour).  Then I tried to make the bottle cap die cut look more authentic by embossing it.  Hmmm...  I think the jury is out on that one yet.

Oops!  Here I am jabbering on when I have laundry to do, bags to pack and a whole list of to-do's to do.  I hope you have a great week!  I'll catch you on the flip side of it.

Thank You SO MUCH for visiting!  Have a great day and an even better tomorrow!

♥ Laura C.

I have entered into the following challenge:
Craft Your Passion

Stuff Used:

Inks: Distress
Cardstock: Bazzill
DP: Route 66 by Gina Jane
Dies: QuicKutz (bottle cap), Spellbinders (star)
Misc: Ribbon and Crochet Thread

Mom's Garden

Hello Blogger Friends and Thank You So Much for stopping by!  Wow!  Has it really been over two weeks since I last posted???  The time is flying by, and here, I was going to dedicate every waking moment to creating cards this summer...

Actually, I ended up taking an unexpected red eye to Wisconsin on the 23rd.  My mom bought me a plane ticket so that I could attend my niece Kendall's baptism and birthday party.  Hence, the card for my mom.  She is awesome!  This card somewhat replicates a favorite area of her yard that she loves to plant new flowers in every spring.

I just recently ordered this lovely Magnolia stamp called Garden Tilda because she reminds me of mom, who can be found working on her yard on any given sunny day. 

While I was there, I visited with family and enjoyed the nature.  The weather was beautiful!  A little more humid than I'm used to, but I could actually stand in the sun without frying to a crisp.  LOL!  :D

Thank You so much for visiting my friends, your kind words are always so encouraging.  Have a great day and an even better tomorrow!

Stamps: Garden Tilda (Magnolia)                                               

Inks: Memento, Copic and Distress Inks

Cardstock: Bazzill

Dies: Cricut, Spellbinders, QuicKutz and Sizzix

Punches: Recollections, McGill, EK Success and Fiskars

Misc: Navy Paint, Embossing Folder, Lace, Twine and Embossing Powder (My Supplies)