A Banner Birthday with Freshly Made Sketches

This card is based loosely on sketch challenge #117 by Amy at Freshly Made Sketches. It's a very simple card really, but I like the fact that the banners are not adhered to the card and appear to "float". This will be given to one of our church members on their birthday. Our stamping group that gets together on the first Saturday of each month makes one birthday card for the church and any others for themselves. Here's a picture from our last meeting. All are very busy working on their Christmas cards.

We'll be giving out our Christmas candy treats this coming Saturday. Watch for photos!

Betty

Christmas Candies for 2013

Dropping by for the first time in a very long time to share a Christmas project that I've been working on. We have been saving empty toilet tissue rolls this past year to fill with candy and distribute to kiddos in a nearby village. This is our second year to do this and it sure is fun to see the smiles on so many sweet faces!

Here is a picture as I got started. All the toilet tissue rolls (some have candy inside already), candy and wrapping paper laid out on the spare bedrooom bed.

I made tags to attach to one end of the candy rolls with curly ribbon. "Feliz Navidad" stamped on tags.

Finally finished up the wrapping last night after several different sessions over several days. There are about 140 shiny, wrapped gifts all ready to go -- what fun there will be passing these out!

Hoping you're all enjoying your Christmas preparations this year. Merry Christmas, peace and joy to all!
Betty

Birthday Cards

This post will be short and sweet.....

This is a card I made for a fellow who used to be a fireman. Found this free image on the internet -- don't you just love the rainbow?????

This image is from the Graphics Fairy. Hope the recipient enjoys having her name on the  butterfly!

Betty

Anniversary Cards

I've been busy making cards for my friend from church who is so good at remembering relatives and friends on their special days. We make a pretty good team -- she tells me something special about the person and I find a way to translate that to a card.

This couple is in the process of building a home. What makes this card special to me is that I used a picture from when we were building our home in Conroe, Texas. This is the house we lived in before moving here to Mexico.

This is another anniversary card. There's a family story behind the plate of cinnamon rolls!

Before I sign off, I want to leave you with another picture of the Vermilion Flycatcher. He likes to sit on the beak of this metal figure I have on the front porch. Only problem is, he poops on my porch!!!

Adios,
Betty

Summer Lovin' Challenge

Flourishes is having a Summer Lovin' Challenge. If you'd like to play along, make a card inspired by the photo above or inspired simply by SUMMER. You have until Friday, April 12 at 5 pm EST to enter your card, and please make a card only for this challenge. You'll have an opportunity to win the entire Flourishes April Release! If you use Flourishes stamps, your card counts as two entries -- this is what I have done (stamp set is Flourishes Sweet Days of Summer) and here's my card that is inspired by summer.......

Does this stamp ever make me think of summers of my childhood! I don't remember a sprinkler but we definitely had a water hose and that provided hours of fun during hot Mississippi summers! Thank goodness I had a sister -- we'd take turns squirting each other!! And how much fun was it to hold that hose straight up and have the water fall back down on you. (we also had lots of fun playing out in the rain too when it was hot outside!)

Since my card has a red color scheme going on, I thought I'd share a picture of a little red visitor to our yard. This is a Vermilion Flycatcher and is the most beautiful red and black -- it's hard to miss them when they are perched outside on the fence or utility line because their color is so brilliant!

Adios for now,
Betty

Collage Card

I tried a new technique today after watching Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday challenge featuring Dawn McVey. She challenged us to use different stamps to create a collage effect on a card.

The stamps I used are Papertrey Ink (sentiment and gingham background), Stampin' Up (green foliage), Clear Art Stamps (birds), Autumn Leaves (lace), and Martha Stewart (scallop flower).

Mine didn't turn out nearly as good as Dawn's example or many of the other gorgeous cards posted for this challenge, but, hey -- I gave it a try and the winner is chosen by a random draw so I'll still have a chance to win!!!! A couple of things I really do like about my card is how the largest bird looks like it is saying "Happy Birthday" and the fact that I went out of my comfort zone in order to create it!

Speaking of going out of my comfort zone, we had lunch with friends today and I had a chance to try something new -- cactus salad! I have to admit that it wasn't my favorite but I did enjoy the homemade cactus tortillas we had with the chicken fajitas!! Here's a picture of my (mostly) delicious lunch......

Trying new things is a good thing!
Betty

Single Layer Card

I normally don't have lots of luck with single layer cards -- it always seems to me like there is a little something missing! But I made this card yesterday and was very pleased with how it turned out. It's difficult to see in the photo but I first embossed a scalloped circle onto the white layer. Next I stamped the flowers from Gina K. Designs Elegant Flowers inside the circle and used colored pencils and baby oil to color and blend. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink, Gracious Vases; two corners were rounded off from the white panel and the card base and after adhering the white panel to the base, the card was done! Very simple and sweet!!

Wanted to share another photo with you today. We had a wonderful Easter service with inspiring music and sermon. To close out this fabulous Easter service we had some lively picking and singing of the old gospel song I'll Fly Away. Loved it!!

Hope your week is going well!
Betty