My New & Improved Craft Room!

Hello, my friends! I hope you are having a fab week! I'm so excited that my new craft room is finally finished! Thanks to my bestest friend, Megan, who helped me with the whole thing - including the motivation to get it done. As I mentioned in my last post, I had been living with a highly disorganized craft room for way too long. Our contractor friend did the built-in shelves for me, which I absolutely love! So, here it is - my new favorite place!....

View from doorway

My desk/work area

New built-in floor to ceiling shelves. To give you an idea of how deep the shelves are, the Cricut cartridge cases on the top shelf are 3 rows deep. There are about 150 total.

Lower shelves

My babies! My Imagine machine is broken, so now it serves as a $400 shelf for my Expression 2.

 

 

My embossing desk/area (and my sleeping baby, Lexi)

My awesome view!

Well.... there you have it! Thank you so much for taking the time to check it out!


-Diana ♥

For My Mama

Hello, my crafty friends! Hallelujah - it's the weekend! I hope you are enjoying it. Our Mother's Day celebration got put off due to my Grandparents' health issues. My mom had to be with them, which is about 2 hours away, so I didn't get to see her until later in the week. Anyway, this is the card I made for her....

Inside

SIZE:  A2
CRICUT:  Expression & Gypsy
CARTRIDGES:  "Kate's ABCs" & "Mother's Day 2010"
PAPER:  Lawn Fawn; DCWV; Recollections
STAMP SET:  CTMH "A Little Everything"
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Sunflower"
PUNCHES:  Martha Stewart
OTHER:  Gypsies Moon lace trim; Scrapp'n Supplies gems; 3M foam tape


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Challenges:

FCCB -  Challenge Me Monday #210; "Celebrate Mom"
Die Cuttin' Diva's -  Challenge #165; "Wobble It" or add dimension
Simon Says Stamp -  Monday Challenge; "M"
DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday May Linky Challenge; anything goes; 2nd entry
My Sheri Crafts -  Challenge #133; use at least 3 flowers
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #132; anything goes with sentiment
A Little Bit Crafty -  "Flower Power"
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Totally Gorjuss -  Challenge #236; lace


**********************


Thank you so much for stopping by & have a great day!!


-Diana ♥

A Heartfelt Thanks

Hello my fellow crafty peeps! I hope you are having a wonderful week! I am so excited because the remodeling of my craft room starts in a few days. This is a long overdue project & my room has become such a disaster. Since we moved here my theory has been "oh well, just put it anywhere cuz I'm gonna re-do it soon anyway." Yeah well.... that was 3 years ago, so you can imagine the disorganization that surrounds me by now! I'm just looking forward to being able to see what I actually have, since currently there are just stacks & stacks of things everywhere & so much of my stuff is just buried.

Anyway, I do have a card to share today, so I hope you like it. This is kind of a different style for me, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out....

SIZE:  A2
CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy
CARTRIDGE:  "Artiste"
PAPER:  CTMH "Cloud 9" card kit
STAMP SET:  Lawn Fawn "Many Thanks"
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Sunset" & "Ocean"
OTHER:  CTMH washi tape & shimmer trim; Martha Stewart edge punch; Fiskars corner rounder punch; Sakura gel pen


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday May Linky Challenge; anything goes
FCCB -  Challenge Me Monday #209; patterned paper
Heart 2 Heart -  "Take 5"; CTMH products required
HIMCR -  Challenge #NSD05; "Thank You"
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #171; polka dots
Simon Says Stamp -  Monday Challenge; "Five"
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #131; anything goes with a sentiment


**********************


Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a fabulous day!


-Diana ♥

Another Year Wiser

Howdy folks! I hope you all had a spectacular Easter! We went out to dinner with my husband's family, which was really fun. Today's card is one I made last week for my Dad's birthday. He reminds me very much of a wise owl. I just love this little guy so I thought he'd be perfect....

Inside

SIZE:  5"
CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy
CARTRIDGES:  "Wild Card 2" & "Birthday Bash"
PAPER:  Bazzill; Core'dinations


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday April Linky Challenge; anything goes; 3rd entry
Pause Dream Enjoy -  Linky Party #8; anything goes; 2nd entry
BBTB2 -  "Birds Of A Feather"
A Little Bit Crafty -  April Challenge; "The Birds & The Bees"
The Sisterhood Of Crafters -  "Things With Wings"
Cut It Up -  Challenge #43; birthday cards
Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge; clean & simple


**********************


Thank you for stopping by & have a fabulous day!

-Diana ♥

A Simple Sympathy Card

Hello my crafty friends! I hope you are all enjoying this holiday weekend! Tomorrow is Easter & I'm looking forward to spending the day with family & friends. Today I have a quick & simple sympathy card to share with you. One of my husband's Aunts passed away last week, after a long battle with various illnesses. I made this card for her husband....

SIZE:  5"
CRICUT:  Expression 2
CARTRIDGE:  "Creative Everyday Cards"
PAPER:  Bazzill
STAMP SET:  K Andrew Designs "Sympathetic Sayings"
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Sweet Leaf"
OTHER:  Smooch Pearlized Top Coat; Scrapp'n Supplies rhinestones


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday April Linky Challenge; anything goes
Pause Dream Enjoy -  Linky Party #8; anything goes
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #128; anything goes with a sentiment
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #168; die cuts
Crafty Creations -  Challenge #261; white + 1 other color
Creative Card Crew -  Challenge #59; Spring
Stuck On U Sketches -  Die Cut Challenge; "Anything Spring"


**********************


Thank you so much for visiting me! I wish you all a very happy & blessed Easter tomorrow!

-Diana ♥ 

You're Crab-u-lous!

Hello & happy Friday! It's a lovely day here in Northern Cali. I really don't know what possessed me to make a crab-themed card, other than I really love this whimsical little dude!

 

Inside

SIZE:  A2
CRICUT:  Expression & Gypsy
CARTRIDGE:  "Smiley Cards"
PAPER:  Fancy Pants; Bazzill; Core'dinations
STAMPS:  My Pink Stamper
INK:  Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Black Soot"
OTHER:  Stickles "Xmas Red" & "Black Diamond"; Ranger Liquid Pearls "Onyx Pearl"; CTMH Liquid Glass; Fiskars Paper Edgers & scalloped circle punch; washi tape from my stash; 3M foam tape


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday April Linky Party; anything goes
Crafty Catz -  Challenge #226; Animals
FCCB -  Challenge Me Monday #205; "Spring Cleaning"; previously unused image/cartridge
Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes


**********************

 
Thank you so much for stopping by & have an awesome weekend!

-Diana ♥

You're Tweet

Hello my crafty friends! Happy Friday! It's been raining a lot here, which is absolute heaven for me. I've always been partial to crappy weather for some reason. However, when it comes to my crafting, I'm definitely more partial to Spring/Summer themes & colors. This card reflects one of my favorite Spring color palettes....

 

SIZE:  A2

CRICUT:  Expression 2

CARTRIDGE:  "Cricut Alphabet"

PAPER:  Teresa Collins "Spring Fling"; Recollections

STAMP:  CTMH "My Sunshine"

INK:  Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Black Soot"

PUNCH:  Martha Stewart

OTHER:  Stickles "Crystal"; Teresa Collins brad; CTMH Liquid Glass; Fiskars Paper Edgers; googly eye from my stash; Sakura gel pen; 3M foam tape

**********************

Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday March Linky Challenge; anything goes; 3rd entry

BBTB2 -  "Spring Flowers"; Cricut only

FCCB -  Challenge Me Monday #203; "Bye Bye Birdie"; Cricut only

Exploring Cricut -  "Crafter's Choice"; use at least 1 patterned paper & 1 cardstock

Little Scrap Pieces -  Saturday Linky Party; anything goes

Creative Card Crew -  Challenge #58; Animals

Pumpkin Spice -  Challenge #64; Dots

Cut It Up -  Challenge #41; anything goes

Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #125; anything goes; must use sentiment

My Sheri Crafts -  Challenge #129; "Celebrate Spring"

Crafty Catz -  Challenge #224; anything goes

**********************

Thank you for visiting me & have a great weekend!

-Diana ♥

"Crafting By Designs" Guest Designer

Hello my crafty friends! Today I am honored to be a guest designer for Crafting By Designs. There is still plenty of time left to join in their March Anything Goes Challenge. Click HERE to enter your project. Since St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow, I decided to make that the theme of my card....

Inside

SIZE:  A6
CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy
CARTRIDGES:  "Small Talk Frames & Tags" & "Create A Critter 2"
PAPER:  Bazzill; Core'dinations
EMBOSSING:  Cuttlebug with "D'Vine Swirls" folder
STAMPS:  Studio G; Joy's Life "Everyday Occasions"
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Sweet Leaf"
PUNCH:  Martha Stewart "Ribbon Threader"
OTHER:  Stickles "Platinum"; Studio G glitter glue; Scrapp'n Supplies rhinestones; American Crafts "Colorcopia" colored pencils; Sakura gel pen; googlie eyes from my stash


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday March Linky Challenge; anything goes
Die Cuttin' Diva's -  Challenge #156; "Luck Of The Irish"
BBTB2 - St. Patrick's Day


**********************


Thank you for visiting me today! Have a fabulous weekend!

-Diana ♥

A Colorful Thank You

Hello again my crafty friends! I hope you are all having a fabulous week! For today's post, I have a card I made without using any Cricut products (gasp!!). I've never been one for doing the coloring thing with my stamps, but when I recently got this stamp set, I just had to give it a try.

Inside

 

SIZE:  5" square
PAPER:  Bazzill
STAMPS:  CTMH "Alfresco" & "Banner Wishes"; Paper Smooches "Chit Chat"; Heidi Grace "Borders"
INK:  Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Black Soot"; CTMH Exclusive Inks "Twilight"
COLORING:  American Crafts "Colorcopia" colored pencils
OTHER:  Sakura gel pen; Fiskars Paper Edgers; Prima pearl/gem


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday March Linky Challenge; anything goes
HIMCR -  Challenge #139; Spring colors
Little Scrap Pieces -  Show It Off Saturday Linky Party; anything goes
Heart 2 Heart -  "Triple Play" (I used 3 stamps); must use CTMH products
Cute Card Thursday -  Challenge #311; "What A Gem!"
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #122; anything goes with a sentiment


**********************

Thanks so much for visiting me!

-Diana ♥

Hunkydory Card Kit

Hi there! I have totally been neglecting my blog these past few weeks, but I'm now going to rectify that.

I wanted to share these cards with you, even though they are impossible to photograph, because I am so in love with them! They were made with the Hunkydory "Twilight Butterflies" card kit (click on the link to see better photos & a video), which I purchased from Paper Wishes. These cards have so much foiling & bling that the glare keeps me from getting a good photo, but I just had to share them anyway. In person, the colors are absolutely stunning.

I'm not going to enter these cards in any challenges because I'm basically just following their directions & anyone can do that. I hope you enjoy them!....

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

-Diana ♥

Nothin' But Love

Hello my crafty friends! I hope you are all enjoying this fine holiday weekend. Today is my final day as Guest Designer at FCCB. I'm featured in their Spotlight Sunday post, which you can view by clicking HERE. All the details of my featured project are listed below....

 

Inside

SIZE:  A2
CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy
CARTRIDGE:  "Sweethearts"
PAPER:  Bazzill; Doodlebug
EMBOSSING:  Cuttlebug with "Heart Blocks" folder
STAMP SET:  CTMH "In My Heart"
INK:  Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Black Soot"
PUNCH:  Martha Stewart
RIBBON:  Offray
OTHER:  Smooch Pearlized Top Coat; Scrapp'n Supplies rhinestones; Sakura Glaze pen


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday January Linky Party; anything goes; 3rd entry
Crafting By Designs -  January Challenge; anything goes; 3rd entry
Die Cuttin' Diva's -  Challenge #148; "Out With The Old, In With The New"
Craftin Desert Diva's -  Craft It Up & Link It Up Linky Party; Winter; 2nd entry
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #115; anything goes
Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge; "Emboss It"
Simply Create Too -  Challenge #53; Valentine's Day/Hearts
HIMCR -  Challenge #133; Clean & Simple
My Time To Craft -  Challenge #231; "All About The Love"


**********************


Thank you very much for visiting me! Have a fantabulous day!

-Diana ♥

Winter Fun

Howdy friends! I'm super excited because I'm the Guest Designer this week at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog. Today begins their weekly challenge & my project is being featured along with the Design Team's. I would like to say a special thank you to them for including me this week! To enter the "Winter Fun" Challenge, click HERE. I hope you all enjoy this fun calendar page I made....

SIZE:  12 x 12"
CRICUT:  Expression 2 & Gypsy
CARTRIDGES:  "Edge To Edge", "Speaking Of Winter", "Designer's Calendar", "Paper Lace"
PAPER:  Bazzill, We R Memory Keepers, CTMH
STAMPS:  Recollections
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Ruby"
OTHER:  Stickles "Platinum", "Crystal" & "Black Diamond"; Ranger Liquid Pearls "White Opal"


**********************


Also Entering In These Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday January Linky Challenge; anything goes; 2nd entry
Simply Create Too -  Challenge #52; anything goes; 2nd entry
Crafting By Designs -  January Challenge; anything goes; 2nd entry
Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge; "Ice Inspiration"
Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party; anything goes
Exploring Cricut -  "Winter Wonderland"
Craftin Desert Diva's -  Craft It Up & Link It Up Linky Party; Winter


**********************


Thank you so much for taking the time to visit me! Have a fantabulous day!

-Diana ♥

It's Heeeere ..... Hello 2014!

Happy New Year everyone! Well. . . .we are 3 days into 2014 & I hope it's been good to you so far. I've been busy working on my Christmas thank you cards, but I did manage to sneak in a New Year's card just for fun. . . .

Inside

SIZE:  4.5" x 5"
CRICUT:  Expression & Gypsy
CARTRIDGES:  "Fontopia" & "Don Juan"
PAPER:  Bo Bunny "Surprise!" Collection
STAMPS:  Paper Smooches "Christmas Sampler"; CTMH "Trim The Tree"
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Holiday Red"
OTHER:  Prima "Say It In Crystals" flourishes; CTMH "Sparkles Holiday Shapes" stars; red rhinestones from my stash; Fiskars scalloped circle punch; foam tape


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday January Linky Party; anything goes
Twisted Tuesday -  Challenge #66; "New Beginnings"
Exploring Cricut -  "Happy New Year"
BBTB2 -  New Year's Linky Party
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #153; "Party"
Paper Issues -  "Shiny & New"
Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge; "Something New"
Simply Create Too -  Challenge #52; anything goes
Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party; anything goes
Crafting By Designs -  January Almost-Month-Long Challenge; anything goes
Crafty Creations -  Challenge #253; anything goes


**********************


Thank you for visiting me & have a great weekend!

-Diana ♥

There's Snowman Like You

Hello crafty peeps! I hope you are all surviving the pre-holiday madness, as we count down the hours until the big day. I am hand-making a lot of gifts this year, so I have been confined to my craft room pretty much 24/7, but I'm definitely not complaining!

One of my favorite elements to use on my Christmas cards is snowmen. I don't know what it is about them, but I just love the little buggers! This particular card started out being kind of all over the place because I didn't really have a concrete plan in my head, but I think it came together okay in the end....

SIZE:  5 x 7"
CRICUT:  Expression & Gypsy
CARTRIDGE:  "Artiste"
PAPER:  My Mind's Eye "Winter Wonderland"
STAMP:  Paper Smooches "Christmas Sampler" set
INK:  Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Black Soot", CTMH Distressing Inks "Chocolate"
PUNCH:  Martha Stewart "Aspen Snowflake"
OTHER:  My Mind's Eye chipboard snowman & twine, Stickles "Star Dust" & "Black Diamond", CTMH Liquid Glass, Fiskars Paper Edgers, foam tape


**********************


Challenges:

Craftin Desert Diva's -  Linky Party #21, Christmas, entry #2
DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday December Linky Challenge, anything goes, entry #2
Paper Playtime -  Challenge #25, "Winter Fun", entry #2
Die Cuttin' Diva's -  Challenge #146, "Happy Holidays"
Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party, anything goes
Love To Create -  Challenge #96, anything goes
Every Day Is An Occasion -  Sunday Funday #16, anything goes
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #111, anything goes w/sentiment (Isaiah 9:6)
Cute Card Thursday -  Challenge #300, "Celebrations"
Dream Valley -  Challenge #72, Christmas
Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge, "Bling It On"
Crafting Musketeers -  Challenge #8, "Layer It Up" 


**********************


Thank you so much for visiting me & have an awesome day!

-Diana ♥ 

Blue Christmas

Hello, my crafty friends! I can't believe it's so close to Christmas already! When I was a kid it used to seem like forever between Christmases, but now it comes unbelievably fast. It has been surprisingly cold here in Northern California. The other night we got down to 22° & we even had a little bit of snow, which was so exciting! I know it's no big deal for you East Coasters, but it is a very big deal here!

Anyway, for this card I used my favorite Christmas colors.... blue & white. This color combo used to be non-traditional, but now it seems pretty mainstream. I've always seen it representing winter or Hanukkah, but now I see it used more & more for Christmas, which works out great for me! I made a set of 10 of these, using the CTMH "Frosted" Paper Packet & some other embellishments....

SIZE:  A2
CRICUT:  Expression & Gypsy
CARTRIDGES:  "Folk Art Festival" & "Lacy Labels"
PAPER:  CTMH "Frosted" Paper Packet
STAMPS:  CTMH "Frosted" & Joy's Life "Everyday Occasions"
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Twilight"
EMBOSSING:  Cuttlebug with Darice "Snowflake Background" folder
OTHER:  Stickles "Star Dust", CTMH Liquid Glass, sparkly snowflakes from my stash, foam tape


**********************


Challenges:

BBTB2 -  "Winter Is On The Way" Challenge
Craftin Desert Diva's -  Linky Party #21, Christmas
Cute Card Thursday -  Challenge #299, Christmas
DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday December Linky Challenge, anything goes
FCCB -  Challenge Me Monday #190, holiday cards
Paper Playtime -  Challenge #25, "Winter Fun"
Simon Says Stamp -  "Let It Snow" Challenge
Color My Heart -  CTMH Color Dare #73, "Frosted Blue" & "Frosted Turquoise"
Jo's Scrap Shack -  Fun-Day Friday Challenge #30, Winter
Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party, anything goes
All That Stickles -  "Happy Holidays" Linky Party, must use Stickles 


**********************


Thank you so much for stopping by & have a wonderful weekend!!

-Diana ♥

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hello my friends! This is just a quick post to wish everyone the happiest Thanksgiving ever! I am so grateful for every single one of you! Have a fun & safe holiday!

XOXO
-Diana ♥

A Thanksgiving Critter Cutie

Hello my crafty friends! I hope you all had a great weekend! We had some seriously crazy winds but no real damage, so we're very lucky & grateful. Today's card is just a simple one, but I'm quite fond of my little Pilgrim squirrel :)

SIZE:  A2
CRICUT:  Expression & Gypsy
CARTRIDGE:  "Create A Critter 2"
PAPER:  Jillibean Soup, CTMH, Bazzill, My Mind's Eye, We R Memory Keepers, Recollections
STAMPS:  CTMH "Say It In Style", Peachy Keen "Critter Faces"
INK:  CTMH Distressing Inks "Chocolate", Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Black Soot"
OTHER:  Stickles "Black Diamond" & "Star Dust", Smooch Pearlized Top Coat, Prismacolor colored pencils, Sakura gel pen, Fiskars corner rounder, 3M foam tape


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday November Linky Challenge, anything goes
Die Cuttin' Diva's -  Challenge #142, Thanksgiving
FCCB -  Challenge #188, "Sparkle & Bling"
Every Day Is An Occasion -  Sunday Funday #15, anything goes
The Paper Girls -  Challenge #44, "It's Time To Give Thanks"
4 Crafty Chicks -  Challenge #169, anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack -  Fun-Day Friday Challenge #27, "Thankful"
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #107 (Psalm 19:1), anything goes
Paper Playtime -  Challenge #24, anything goes
Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party, anything goes
HIMCR -  Challenge #125, Thanksgiving
Craft Your Passion -  Challenge #190, Thanksgiving/Give Thanks
Make It Monday -  Linky Party #168, anything goes


**********************

Thanks so much for visiting me & have a wonderful week!

-Diana ♥

A Little More Halloween

Hello friends! I hope you are having a fab weekend thus far! I am still playing catch-up from my whirlwind trip to Nashville for my brother's wedding. Since I've been traveling & very busy, I hadn't posted any of my Halloween cards, so I've decided I'll just go ahead & post them over the next couple of days. Better late than never, right?....

  

SIZE:  A2
CRICUT:  Expression & Gypsy
CARTRIDGE:  "Create A Critter 2"
PAPER:  Doodlebug
STAMP:  Studio G
INK:  Tsukineko Brilliance "Platinum Planet"
EMBOSSING:  VersaMark Watermark stamp pad, CTMH Embossing Powder "Silver", Marvy Uchida heat tool
RIBBON:  Doodlebug 
OTHER:  Prismacolor colored pencils, Stickles "Star Dust" & "Black Diamond", CTMH Liquid Glass, Fiskars Paper Edgers, Scrapp'n Supplies rhinestones, Smooch Pearlized Top Coat, Creatology google eyes


**********************


Challenges:

BBTB2 -  Halloween
Happy Campers -  Challenge #23, Halloween
Craftin Desert Diva's -  Linky Party #18, anything goes, entry #2
Paper Playtime -  Challenge #22, "Googlie Eyes"
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #144, anything goes, entry #2
Twisted Tuesday -  Challenge #62, anything goes, entry #2
Die Cuttin' Diva's -  Challenge #139, anything goes
Perfect Sentiments -  Challenge #98, Fall or Halloween
5 Simple Things -  Inspire Me Fridays #127, anything goes
Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party, anything goes
Simon Says Stamp -  Anything goes


**********************


Thank you so much for visiting me & enjoy the rest of your weekend!

-Diana ♥

Many Thanks

Hello crafty peeps! I hope you're having a great week. I just returned from a trip to Nashville, TN for my brother's wedding. Because of Lexi's health issues, I made it a very quick trip.... back & forth between California & Nashville in 72 hours! Needless to say, I'm a wee bit tired. The wedding was amazing & I had so much fun, but I'm glad to be back home with Lexi & my other babies.

For today's post, I have a set of four 4 x 4" thank you cards. I just got this stamp from CTMH & I think it is so stinkin' adorable! I also made matching envelopes, which I am very into lately....

 

SIZE:  4 x 4"
PAPER:  Echo Park, DCWV, Core'dinations, Bazzill
STAMP:  CTMH "Flowering Thanks"  *** Available for purchase HERE ***
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Black", VersaMagic "Spring Pansy" & "Aloe Vera"
EMBOSSING:  Cuttlebug with "Swiss Dots" & "Simple Flowers" folders
OTHER:  Prismacolor pencils, Fiskars Paper Edgers, Offray ribbon, Stickles "Eucalyptus", Ranger Liquid Pearls "Baby Blue" & "White Opal", Viva Decor Pearl Pen "Lilac", We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board


**********************


Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday October Linky Challenge, anything goes, entry #2
Every Day Is An Occasion -  Sunday Funday Link Party #14, anything goes
5 Simple Things -  Inspire Me Fridays #126, anything goes
Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party, anything goes
Craftin Desert Diva's -  Linky Party #18, anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #144, anything goes
Twisted Tuesday -  Challenge #62, anything goes
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #103 (Galatians 6:14), anything goes


**********************


Thank you for visiting me & I hope you have a wonderful day!

-Diana ♥

XOXO

Hello crafty friends! I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday. I've been so consumed with taking care of Lexi that it's hard to focus on anything else. It turns out she is in kidney failure now, in addition to the liver tumor. It wasn't just an infection, like we had hoped it would be. For the most part she is in good spirits, so we just take it day by day & treasure every moment with her.

I have made numerous cards over the past few months, but have just never gotten around to posting most of them. So I'm going to start with this one....

SIZE:  A2

CRICUT:  Expression & Gypsy

CARTRIDGE:  "Simple Cards"

PAPER:  K&Company

EMBOSSING:  Cuttlebug with "Swiss Dots" folder

STAMPS:  CTMH "In My Heart" & "Simple Stitches"

INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Desert Sand"

OTHER:  Offray ribbon, Ranger Liquid Pearls "White Opal", Fiskars corner punch, Scrapp'n Supplies heart gems

**********************

Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday October Linky Challenge, anything goes

Happy Campers -  Challenge #22, flowers, 2nd entry

5 Simple Things -  Inspire Me Fridays #124, anything goes

Die Cuttin' Diva's -  Challenge #136, use brown

Hiding In My Craft Room -  Challenge #119, Super Scraps Saturday

Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party, anything goes

Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge, use rubber or clear stamps 

CAS-ual Fridays -  Challenge #117, use real or faux stitching

**********************

Thank you so much for visiting me today!

-Diana :)

Giveaway Winner!

Hello friends! I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to announce the winner of my giveaway. We found out last week that, in addition to her liver tumor, Lexi is now in kidney failure. We had a really rough few days & I was thinking it was time, but then yesterday she sprang up with bright eyes & has been eating & she's taken me for 3 walks through the vineyard since yesterday. Miracle of miracles! I know not to get my hopes up because her condition is fatal, but I'm just enjoying & treasuring these days when she is her happy self again!


And now.... on to the winner!....

DIANA L.

Congrats to you, Diana!!

I already have your shipping info, so I will get this prize bundle on its way to you early next week. 

Thank you to everyone who entered & I'll be back soon with some more cards to share!

-Diana :)

Bear Hugs & An Awesome Giveaway!

  **** SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR MY GIVEAWAY ****

Hello crafty friends! My posting has been kind of sparse recently because I'm so preoccupied with Lexi. We got some more potentially bad news this week that now her kidneys might be starting to fail. We're still waiting on some more test results, so there's lots of prayin' going on in our little world! We're really hoping beyond all hope that it's just a kidney infection, which can be cleared up with a few weeks of antibiotics, but we'll have an answer in the next couple days.

Anyway, I find it helps me to make ridiculously cheerful cards (online shopping also helps but that's a whole other issue), so that's what I've been focusing on. I made this pop-out frame card for my sister-in-law's birthday. Once again, I used the Jinger Adams All-Occasion card kit, which I am still obsessed with :)

 

SIZE:  5 x 6"
CRICUT:  Imagine
CARTRIDGES:  "Better Together" & "Teddy Bear Parade"
PAPER:  Jinger Adams & Core'dinations
STAMPS:  My Pink Stamper "Fabulous Phrases", "More Punny-licious" & "Itty Bitty-licious", CTMH "Card Word Puzzle"
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Holiday Red", Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Black Soot"
PUNCHES:  Martha Stewart & Fiskars
OTHER:  Jinger Adams cardstock stickers, CTMH Liquid Glass, Stickles "Fruit Punch" & "Star Dust", Fiskars Paper Edgers, Sakura gel pens

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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday September Linky Challenge, anything goes
Every Day Is An Occasion -  Sunday {Fun}day #13, anything goes
Happy Campers - Challenge #22, flowers
5 Simple Things -  Inspire Me Fridays #121, anything goes
Hiding In My Craft Room -  Challenge #116, "Lots of layers"
Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party, anything goes
Sister Act -  Challenge #25, anything goes (cards only)
Simon Says Stamp -  Wednesday Challenge, anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays -  Challenge #139, anything goes
Totally Gorjuss -  Challenge #202, "Dotty"

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GIVEAWAY!

All you have to do to enter is comment on this post. That's it! You don't have to become a follower to qualify. 

The deadline is Friday, October 4th @ 11:59pm PST. 

I will use random.org to pick the winner.

Here is the prize bundle....

CardMaker card kit "Simple Comfort", CTMH "Live Out Loud" stamp set, Cuttlebug "D'Vine Swirls" embossing folder, K&Company adhesive borders (pack of 28)

 Thank you for visiting me! Have a blessed day!

-Diana :)

Birthday Pop-Up Card

Hello my fellow crafty peeps! I hope you are all having a wonderfully fabulous weekend! It's been pretty warm here - 93° today - but bearable, so I'm not complaining :)  Today's card is one I made for my daughter-in-law, Kayla's birthday. I had to wait until she received it before I could post it, lol. Anyway, I used my new card kit from Jinger Adams, which I purchased from HSN recently. It is such a fun kit! The only bummer about these pop-up cards is that they're really hard to photograph well. I did the best I could but it truly does look much better in person. You'll just have to take my word for it :) ....

Front

 

Inside - flat

Inside - upright

SIZE:  5 x 6"
CRICUT:  Expression & Gypsy
CARTRIDGES:  "Elegant Edges" & "Don Juan"
PAPER:  Jinger Adams
STAMP:  CTMH "Joyful Birthday Occasions" set
INK:  CTMH Exclusive Inks "Desert Sand"
OTHER:  Jinger Adams cupcake embellishment, Fiskars Paper Edgers "Victorian", Martha Stewart pearls, rhinestones from my stash, Sakura pen

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Challenges:

DL.ART -  Thankful Thursday September Linky Challenge, anything goes
Paper Playtime -  Challenge #18, use 3 different papers
Little Scrap Pieces -  Fun Friday Linky Party, anything goes
Happy Campers -  Challenge #21, use a stamp
Seize The Birthday -  Birthday theme
Pink Cricut -  Link Up Tuesday, anything goes
Cute Card Thursday -  Challenge #285, "Pretty In Pink"
Red Carpet Studio -  Challenge #52, anything goes
Word Art Wednesday -  Challenge #96, anything goes
5 Simple Things -  Inspire Me Fridays #119, anything goes
Totally Gorjuss -  Challenge #200, anything goes
Crazy 4 Challenges -  Challenge #202, flowers & pearls

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Thank you so much for visiting me! I hope the rest of your weekend is awesome!

-Diana :)