I Am a Ginger Gem!!!

It is hard to believe but I was chosen as 1 of 7 Ginger Gems for the Shades of Blue challenge on the Gingersnap Creations blog !!!  I am beyond excited and so proud to wear my Ginger Gems button on my blog!!  Thanks to those who voted and congrats to all the other winners!!!

Play Date Cafe Challenge

I thought I would give this color theme challenge a try.  Here's the inspiration

And here is my entry:

My main image is a TJ technique called cracked glass using an I Brake For Stamps stamp.  The ruffle around it is made with a Stampin' Up medallion stamp (you can find video instructions here ) The ribbon is black twill and I used Word to write out Cherished and used a Stampin' Up punch to cut it out.  Finally, I added pearls, from Kaiser.   They are white though they don't look it.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS LEFT ME COMMENTS!!!

I totally appreciate each and every one!!!

Tag Tuesday Challenge

I thought I would jump in... Even though my style is rather different ... LOL... This is Reach for the Sun.  The theme is faces, and I have 3 on my tag...

First I used scraps to create the faux quilting on the tag background!!  The person stamp is from Stampers Anonymous and the bird stamp is from Stampin' Up.  I picked up the sun and ribbon at my local Scrapbook store.  I hope you like it!!!  You know I love your comments...

Shades of Blue

Hi everyone!  I got these adorable 2x2 canvases from http://www.skybluepink.com/ and decided to use my first one for the shades of blue Gingersnap Creations challenge .  I love that blog (and yahoo group)!!!  Such creative, caring, and sharing artists are part of this group!!  Check them out...okay back to my creation... 

It's a mini wall hanging!!  I used Broken China distress ink direct to canvas and then a Tim Holtz ATC stamp in Chipped Sapphire. I also added some Chipped Sapphire direct to canvas and sprinkled peacock extreme embossing powder (impossible to see on the scan).  I then embossed silver Glue Foil and cut it and attached it to the sides of the canvas frame.  I then stamped the same distress colors on white card stock and cut and rolled them into paper beads.  I colored some twine with the Chipped Sapphire, strung the beads, glued them to the back of the canvas, added the hanger and covered the back with more of the stamped cardstock!!  Ta-Da!!!  Oops I also used a dab of acrylic paint to give me a surface on which to use a gel pen and write ART.  I also used some white gel pen to highlight the "streams of light" coming from the heart..  I hope you like it and I would love to read your comments!!!  Thanks for stopping by...

Soar Album

Hi everyone, I am participating in an ATC swap on Gingersnap Creations with the theme of Soar.  I don't want to share my ATCs until they have been sent out to whomever gets them but I did want to share the album I made to hold the ATCs that I am lucky enough to get in this swap!!!  I had seen a Hero Arts video on bookbinding using the Japanese stab technique.  So I thought I would give it a try.  Here is the result...

For the cover, I used a Ranger Dauber and then a piece of cardstock from Tim Holtz's Lost and Found paper pack.  I distressed it, after using his Alteration edge die, with Vintage Photo distress ink topped with a Zia stamp butterfly that I distress embossed with Terra Cotta distress embossing powder!  The word soar is from Tim's Sizzlet alphabet.  For the bookbinding, I used ribbon.  I used acetate envelopes inside to hold the ATCs I get.  I covered the back cover and inside of the covers with patterned cardstock.  I can't wait to see the ATCs I receive!!  It's kind of like Christmas in July!!! 

A Tribute to Debt

I lost my 13 year old granddog, Debt, yesterday.  He was really a grandchild of mine like any of my 2-legged ones.  I loved him so much.  For a lot of his life, he was King!!  He ruled the neighborhood wherever he lived, herding and nipping anyone who didn't follow his directions!!  LOL... At home, he did the same thing!  The kids (Shani, Simone, and Nate) loved him but no one loved him more than Nate.  Debt was there before Nate's birth and no matter what other dogs came and left (my daughter Drea fosters for a stray- rescue organization), Debt was his dog!!  I think it was a blessing that Nate was in GA this week.  Though we all knew Debt was getting old, he became acutely ill while Nate was gone.  Lately, Debt just laid around.  The spunk was apparent only when another dog got on his nerves... LOL... see, he ruled the roost right up until the end!!  I think my most favorite memory of him is when he would take a blanket and wrap himself in it!!  I loved to watch him do it and I loved how he looked all wrapped up with just that long nose of his and his eyes showing!!  Such a character!!! (I will post a photo that shows him wrapped up as soon as I can find it!)

So, Shani gave him his last bath, which he obviously loved (that's the photo above) and Drea let Debt sleep with her his last night (he usually slept in his own bed!) and then, this afternoon, after millions of hugs, kisses, and pets, he was put to sleep, with Drea, Shani and I present.  Drea held him, while he looked at me, and the vet (who was absolutely wonderful) gave him an IV medication and within seconds he was gone... I realized then that he was once again healthy and whole and very happy!!  So we felt a little bit better, but as with any loss, the pain is for ourselves and the heartache of not having our loved one around anymore!!  His memory will live on forever!

This photo is dreadful of us humans but Debt once again looks happy!  This was taken outside the Humane Society where we had him put to sleep...

Brazen Brilliance Wings

I have been wanting to participate in the Try That Technique challenge that Beth and Diana do each week and I finally got a chance to.  It's a shame that the technique does not really show up on a scan because it turned out pretty.  I also wanted to be sure to get in on the Wings challenge from Gingersnap Creations. I definitely like how it turned out.  The butterfly is from The Angel Company.  The background stamp is a world map from Flourishes though it is difficult to see.  To gather the crepe paper ribbon I used thin Score Tape.   I first taped one side of the tape to my craft sheet (where it won't stick) then laid the crepe paper down on the tape, gathering as I went.  Then I lift the whole thing up and put it on my card.  That was the first time I had tried that.  Anyway, without further ado, the card, Wings:

Background Whimsy using dye ink

This was a tough one for me.  I am not very good with detail work and this technique (from Technique Junkies) required me to outline some of my stamped image with white gel pen... eeeeek!!  I gave it my best shot and this is the result.  I would love to read your comments!!  Thanks for looking.  Oh, by the way, this card is going with a stack of cards I am sending to Operation Write Home, and organization who ships handmade cards to our military overseas, for them to send back home to their loved ones... an absolutely great group!!!