It's Been A Long Time.....

Friends,

It's been a long time since I have posted on my blog but hopefully my absence won't be much longer. It seems that life gets in the way of what I love to do but I am hopeful that things are settling down and I can begin to post in earnest very soon.

I have taken the time to cruise some of my favorite sites and blogs and WOW there are some really creative and talented people out there! I have taken pictures of the cards that I've made and hopefully I will get them posted here post haste.

Blessings to you and yours.

Happy Stamping!

Linda


"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

Hello!

Greetings Stampers and Friends!

First of all, I would like to thank those who have served  and those who continue to serve our country to keep this great nation free. The old adage "freedom is not free" is so true. I pray that we, as Americans, never forget it. 🗽

Today's card is one that I have CASed but I can't remember who to give credit to (that happens when I lose the note with someone's name on it.).

"Hello!"

 The thing that I liked most about this card when I saw it were the scoring marks (using ScorPal) in a checkerboard fashion.  I added turquoise rhinestones in different dimensions in each circle stamp. I used Indigo SU ink for the stamps and sentiment. 

My apologies for not leaving details on this card.  We are in New Hampshire, working hard, opening up the cottage and I don't have access to any of my stamping supplies for references. It was VERY cold when we first arrived but today it is beautiful.  I am going to plant some flowers down by the beach and just enjoy the day.

Happy Stamping and I'll be back with another card (with details!) very soon.

Linda

"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10
 

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining the Light Challenge #238

Greetings Stampers and Friends!

Unfortunately, it's been a couple of weeks since my last posting because I have been ill with pneumonia! I discovered it takes the wind out of your sails, so to speak. If I am not making cards or doing needlework, then I am really sick!  Now I am starting to feel better and want to (slowly) get back to my life!!

I decided to enter a card in a contest today:  Our Daily Bread Shining the Light Challenge #238, a "Sketch" Challenge.

For those of you who don't know what a "Sketch" Challenge  is, it's a template drawing of how the front of the card is designed and then you follow the design in making your own card.

It didn't take very long to come up with the color combination I wanted to use this time. I chose "Chocolate Chip" and "Crumb Cake" from Stampin' Up.  I also chose a pink card stock from scraps that I save from larger pieces.

I added the sentiment "Bless You" on the front of the card and left the inside blank to write a note to the recipient.

On the inside of the card, I layered (first) pink, then "Crumb Cake" and punched out a heart in the lower right-hand corner.

I made a detailed list of supplies for this card below the photo.

                                                      ODBDSLC #238

  

 

ODBDSLC#238 (Inside)

 

Card stock:  Pink Card stock from scraps bin and "Chocolate Chip" & "Crumb Cake" from Stampin' Up.

Stamps:  ODBD Item #309, Prayer Bookmarks (I used just the top line of the "Bless You" bookmark.)

Ink:  Archival Inks in Sepia.

Adhesives: ATG; Tombow Aqua Mono Liquid Glue (clear); Studio G Adhesive Foam Dots 11 mm, 7/16 Inch; also unnamed Foam Dots with less depth.

Ribbons & Such: Pearls from Recollections; Opaque glitter from Stamp LaJolla #616 Teaberry.

Embossing Folders: Swiss Dots from Cuttlebug; Flower Background from Darice.

Dies:  Impression Obsessions DIE063-I Bow.

 

I hope you have enjoyed my card today.  I had FUN making it!

 

This card won the Splitcoast Stampers Card of the Week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Blessings,

Linda

 

PLEASE stop and make a comment (click on "no comment") and SIGN UP to be one of my followers!  Thanks so much! Have a great day!

 

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalms 46:10  

A Cup of Tea and Friendship

Greetings Stampers and Friends!

In today's busy world, we all need time to celebrate our friendships and what they mean to us. Just a slice of time, a cup of tea and words shared between friends. No outside influences or distractions, just conversation over tea. That's what this card is all about.

This stamp set is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps "Special Blend, SNS13-036." The sentiment inside the card says, "they warm the heart.". This is a large stamp set that is worth the investment, as there are many sentiments that can be combined, along with a "Happy Birthday" sentiment. 

I happen to be a big fan of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps because they are among a handful of Christian stamp companies. When I first started stamping, I couldn't find any Christian-type stamps, so I am happy to support as many as I can. Please show them some love and hop over to their site http://sweetnsassystamps.com (click on link) to see what they have for you!


Cardstock: SU Rich Razzleberry, Pink cardstock and DSP from my stash.
Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, SNS13-036, Special Blend.
Ink: SU Rich Razzleberry.
Ribbons & Such: SU Rich Razzleberry 1/4" ribbon; Pink Metallic Dots from stash.


I hope you have enjoyed today's card. Please click on the spot where it says "No Comments" to leave a comment (I know, I know! Lol) if the comment box is not there.

Please also sign up to be a Follower!!

Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you'll drop by again very soon.

Happy Stamping!

Linda

"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

A Bright Card and a Thank You!

Greetings Stampers & Friends!!

First of all, I would like to thank Our Daily Bread Designs for awarding me $15 worth of stamps for my card for last week's "Shining the Light Color Challenge 233."  I truly appreciate your prize.  Thank you so much!

Today's card is for a teenage cancer patient who lives in Texas.  I decided to use bright and vibrant colors and will hopefully make her happy and cheer her up when she receives it. It was a blast to make (after I finally decided what I wanted to do!).

 

"God has your back!"



Cardstock:  SU Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight;  Staples, White #110 cardstock.
Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento Angel Pink.
Dies:  Sizzix flower, Sizzix Leaves; Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, Butterfly.
Flower Center:  Jolee's Boutique Dimensional Stickers, Yellow.
Embossing Folder:  Cuttlebug, Dotted Swiss.
Copic Markers:  Butterfly, R81, R83 & R85.
Michael's:  Rickrack in Light Pink with Glitter Filament.
Sentiments: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, "God has your back" & (Inside) "You WILL beat this."
Adhesives:  Tombow Aqua Mono Liquid Glue; ATG.

Enjoy the card!

Happy Stamping!

Linda

"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

Our Daily Bread Designs "Shining the Light Sketch Challenge" (ODBDSLC234) OOPS!

Greetings Stampers and Friends!

I love to challenge myself! Stepping up to the plate, to be under a time crunch, just to see what I can do. That's the story on today's card.

I've looked at this challenge all week but haven't gotten around to doing something about it until this afternoon. Okay stampers, I've said I love the challenge, so let's go! I have four hours to get this done.

OOPS! I'm too late!! Well, chin up! This would have been my entry! (I was a minute late!)

Believe -A word of encouragement

 

 

I used ODBD Shabby Rose papers for most of the card.  I took a second paper identical to the top one and cut out roses for a 3-D look. The circle was a Prickley Pear Red Rubber Stamps die. The butterfly is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps & die. The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps inked in SU Melon Mambo.

 

Even though I missed the deadline by a minute, I still enjoyed making this card!  I'm off to make another card!

 

Happy Stamping!

 

Linda 

 

 

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalms 46:10

 

A Word of Encouragement

 

Greetings Stampers & Friends!

A word of encouragement.....don't we ALL need it at some point in our lives? Whether we've been disappointed by someone or if an illness has gotten us down, we all need to be lifted up at some point and a homemade card has a way of doing just that!

My sentiment stamps today are from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps "God is Bigger, SNS-13-065." This is a really nice stamp set if you want some positive, short sentiments to send to someone.  The front of the card says "Don't give up," while the inside says, "Praying you through this."  Some of the other sayings in the set are "God's got this; Think positive; You will rise above; God has your back; You inspire me," among many others.

The sentiment on the front of the card was stamped in "sepia" from Archival Ink. The sentiment on the inside of the card was stamped in "Frost White" from Color Block inks on Chocolate Chip cardstock from SU.

Also on the front of the card, I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder called "Distressed Stripes" to make the Chocolate Chip paper look "woodsy."

The flower on the front is the same one that I have used in two other cards.  It wasn't intentional--lol.  I loved the stamp, started practicing with it right away and made three flowers. This is also from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, "SNS-14-032 Mini-Flower Blocks #2." I filled all three with different Copic marker colors as soon as the Memento Tuxedo Black Ink was dry. I was trying to decide which Copic colors I liked the best and as it turned out, I loved all three!

The center of the flower has just a touch of  "Flower Soft" in Ivory, adhered with Tombo Mono Aqua Liquid Glue.

For the vines, I used Spellbinders Shapeabilities "S5-129 Foliage Two."

I used Stampin' Up paper in the following colors: Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Garden Green.

Three very light gold pearls were attached to the upper right corner (from my stash).

I have to say, this card went together as easy as peanut butter and jelly!

Don't give up!

 

 

Try to give someone a word of encouragement who needs it today.

 

Happy Stamping!

 

Linda

 

 

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalms 46:10

.

 

 

It's A Scrappy Card!

Greetings Stampers & Friends!

Today was a "scrappy" kind of day where I went into the scrap box and picked out some patterned and plain colors of paper that I wanted to use up. I have no idea where I bought this paper but my educated guess is Michael's.

What spurred the colors In this card were the Peerless Water Colors that I wanted to try (since buying them at the Allentown Stamp Show). I brought out the Strathmore 140# watercolor paper and tried out various color combinations, and came up with the ones in the rectangular "Happy Birthday." 

I decided what I wanted and then chose a "Happy Birthday" stamp and stamped it on a new sheet of Strathmore paper with VersaMark (clear).  I used a white opaque embossing powder and heated it up. After it cooled down, I applied water to the watercolor paper and added the colors.  I love how "Happy Birthday" just popped right up after the colors were applied.

After this dried, I took some of the 1/8th of an inch ScorPal tape, applied it to all four edges and put some of the Diamond Glitter from Stampin' Up. I decided to heat it with the heat gun to keep it from shedding.

I used the Martha Stewart punch on the white vertical paper.

I used one of the small butterfly from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps "Majestic Moments SNS13-025" and their matching die set SNSD-036. I filled them in with Copic markers.

 

 

Happy Stamping!

 

Linda

 

 

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalms 46:10

 

Splitcoast Stampers Weekly Inkling #461 - Stencil Monoprints

Greetings Stampers and Friends!

I decided to give a try to the "Stencil Monoprints" card on Splitcoast Stampers. 

The idea is to ink up a stencil, spray it with a little water and apply the dampened stencil to watercolor paper. Gently pat the watercolor paper with a clean rag to soak up excess water/ink (I did try this several times and it does take a little experimenting to get the hang of it.)

I had a smaller stencil than the tutorial, so I cut it down to the size of the stencil to apply it to the card.

Here is today's card:





Happy Stamping!

 

Linda

 

 

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalms 46:10

 

Our Daily Bread Designs "Shining the Light" Color Challenge (ODBDSLC233)

Greetings Stampers & Friends!

Today's card features one that I made for ODBD for their "Shining the Light"  Color Challenge. The colors to use were purples and aqua/teal in various shades, using at least three colors in the card.


ODBD "Shining the Light" Color Challenge #233
 

Card Details:

I used paper from the ODBD Shabby Rose Collection on top of a light pink cardstock base; then, I used a generic 110 lb. white cardstock on top of the gingham paper; then, the aqua print from ODBD.

I used  "Floral Ovals" S4-356 in white cardstock also from Spellbinders Nestabilities and Classic Large Ovals" (in light purple cardstock) also from Spellbinders Nestabilities.

I used Archival VersaMagic ink in Sea Breeze to highlight the aqua paper as well as the white heart punch in back of the butterfly.

The butterfly die is from Impression Obsession DIE253-U  in Stampin' Up Wisteria Wonder cardstock. Inside the card (seen below) is a die-cut bow from Impression Obsession (DIE063-I).

I chose aqua-color roses and aqua pearls to accent the card and butterfly from my supplies.

 Inside of card



I hope you enjoy this card.  Please leave a comment!

Happy Stamping!

Linda


"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

A New Look!

Greetings Stampers & Friends!

I decided to take the plunge and changed the look of my blog. Don't worry, you're in the right place---- it's just toned down a bit from the pink color I had previously. It's more of a "comfort" look than the template I had. Since it's not very popular to have a Victorian-looking-pink roses and lace-girly-kind-of- blog and none are available in the template section, this will have to do! Lol.

If I have time to make a card today, I will post it.

Happy Stamping!

Linda


"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

Today's Card.

Today's card is a sympathy card that I needed to make.  For some reason, I decided to use Stampin' Up's Daffodil Delight cardstock---not a typical color to use for a sympathy card. I decided to go ahead and use it.

That being said, I really enjoyed making this card! The flower and sentiment on the front are from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. The inside sentiment is from Stampendous No. 33 "Blessing," purchased at Hobby Lobby:

                   "May God who understands each need, who listens to every prayer,

bless you and keep you in His tender care."

On the face of the card, the white cardstock was embossed with Swiss dots. The yellow cardstock was embossed with "Musical Flourish."  Both of these embossing folders are made by Cuttlebug.   The black-and-white butterfly ribbon ia Item #2008-03-121 from Michael's.

On the upper corner, there are three black Hematite Swarovski crystals.

 

 

 Happy stamping!

 

Linda

 

 

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalms 46:10

 

Get Well Card

 Greetings Stampers & Friends!

This card was made with a very special technique that I like to call "flying by the seat of my pants."  :)

Sometimes I get ideas while going through my paper scraps that I just can't get rid of. That's the story with this card. I had some cards left over from Easter that were embossed with different patterns that I didn't use. I wanted to use some of the stamps that I bought at the Allentown Stamp Show and then I started digging through my scrap paper to see what else I could find. This is the final result.

 

This is Blackberry Bliss cardstock from Stampin' Up, embossed with dots. I bought a mini-flower stamp set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps that I used here (stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento Dye Ink). I used this specific ink because I wanted to fill in the flower with Copic markers and the markers won't bleed if you use this brand of ink. I used Copic markers R81, R83 and R85 for the flower petals and E74 and E57 in the flower center. The flower was stamped from the set "Mini-Flower Blocks #2, SNS 14-032" from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.

Underneath the flower is SU cardstock called Eggplant and is stamped with a design from Our Daily Bread Designs called "Ornate Borders and Flowers, #F430."  This is backed with black cardstock.

Behind this is an ornate metallic silver square cut out with Spellbinders Nestabilities
#S4-318 called "Fleur de Lis Squares." I used the largest die.

The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps #SNS 13-034 called "Wishing You Well."
I backed it with a silver metallic oval punch by SU.

I hope you have enjoyed this card today. Please leave a comment or even become a follower! I appreciate it very much. Thanks. 

Happy stamping!

Linda


"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

He is Risen!

He is risen, indeed! Allelujah!!

Happy Easter, Stampers & Friends!

These are two of the cards I made for Easter. I was commissioned to make the first one for a friend who wanted to send 12 of them to family in Ireland. (See March 20, 2015.) While I didn't have time to make a lot of cards for family, I did accomplish that much!

 Easter Blessings!
 



Happy Easter!

 

 

Thank you for visiting my blog.

 

 

Happy Stamping!

 

Linda

 

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalms 46:10

 



 

 





Live Love Cards March 2015 Stencil Challenge (#2)

Greetings,  Stamping Friends!

I am excited to add my second card to LLC's March Challenge, using stencils in some form on your card.  I was cleaning on top of my cabinet in the crafting room when I stumbled on some stencils I bought ions ago that stick to the surface you want to stencil. SO, I got out all of my supplies and started playing around with them.  The first one I didn't like at all so I thought I'd try a second stencil. Here is the end result:



The shading turned out exactly the way I wanted, so I am happy with it.  I used Island Indigo card stock from Stampin' Up! for the card base & for the sentiment.

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY for Heirloom Productions' Paper-crafting Show in Allentown, PA. I can't wait to see some of the booths from some of my favorite vendors--Our Daily Bread Designs, Sweet 'n Sassy, to name a few. Copic markers usually has a booth as well.

Thank you for stopping by.  I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store!!

Happy Stamping.
Linda


"Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10

Stamping Show

Hi Everyone!

I had a wonderful time at the Heirloom Productions Stamping Show in Allentown, PA today (Saturday). There weren't as many vendors as in years' past but I still managed to fill my bag up with goodies--enough to keep me busy for a long time.

I did speak with Kelley from Our Daily Bread Designs about the links she posted (about how their stamps are made). It's really an interesting process. They had some beautiful sample cards on display. 

Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps had an extensive collection of stamps with coordinating dies for almost all of their larger stamp sets. They also had A LOT of card samples for inspiration. They also brought a collection of very, very fine glitter that I believe rivals that of "Dazzling Diamonds" of Stampin' Up!

If you love brads, then Eyelet Outlet is the place for you! Need a ladybug? A mini ladybug? How about a spool of thread? A mustache, train or flip-flops? they had a wide selection available.

All in all, it was worth waiting for.

Happy Stamping!

Linda


"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

Thank you!

For today's card, I chose the Lotus Blossom flower from Stampin' Up! and some beautiful, softer color card stock for the card. I really like the combination--see if you do, too. (I did add a couple of leaves form another stamp set because I needed some balance with the TY stamp.)

Spring is right around the corner and my daffodils are starting to peak up through the soil. This year, I can't wait for everything that Spring will bring.

Have a great day and happy stamping!

Linda


"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

Easter Cards (AND I won!!!)



Today was a very special day for me. I made my first "commissioned" card sale.

I was asked to make twelve Easter cards for a friend who is sending them to relatives in Ireland. I think they turned out beautifully because I would be proud to send them to MY relatives (if they were in Ireland!).  I had fun making them. My family has been encouraging me to do this for quite some time but I wasn't ready for it.

Details: I used an older stamp set from Stampin' Up called "Abundant Hope." The card stock was Elegant Eggplant and Wisteria Wonder from SU. The Spellbinder's Die was Floral Ovals (S4-356) and the inner white card stock oval was S4-110 Classic Ovals Large. The eggplant card stock front was embossed with the potted Swiss pattern. The ribbon at the bottom was also in Eggplant from SU. Flowers filled in with Copic markers.

                                             🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈

A second positive thing happened today as well---I won a $25 gift certificate from Our Daily Bread Designs for my "comment" post being chosen from their blog site during their 7th Anniversary week! Thank you SO much! I can't decide what I want the most! I look forward to seeing their booth this Saturday, March 28th, at Heirloom Productions' Paper crafting Show in Allentown, PA. (The show is actually Saturday & Sunday.)

THANK YOU for taking time to visit my site and stop by again soon.

Happy Stamping!

Linda


"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

Faith

This is a card that I am entering in Live Love Cards' March Challenge. The challenge is to use a stencil in the making of your card. I used four different sizes of circle punches to make my own stencil (the white circles placed randomly on the card).

I used a second stencil from pink card stock swirl die. After running the die through my Cuttlebug machine, I punched out the swirl and used the card stock as a stencil. I placed it over the heart and used a darker pink ink to fill in the swirl pattern.

Here is my card:

 

Good luck to all who have entered!

Remember Me???

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Wow, it really has been a LONG time since I put anything on my blog.  I have been busy creating cards but I was frustrated with the whole posting thing. There were some family health issues involved as well but, for now, I am back and will be posting cards here soon.

I've been researching the "Bokeh" technique that seems to be the rage right now.  I've seen quite a few samples of how it's done and am working on my own version.  It is supposed to be like looking into a fuzzy camera lens.  I will give it a try.

The Lenten season is upon us and I have been asked to make some Easter cards for a friend to send to her home in Ireland. 

This post is actually a test to see if my computer behaves itself and posts correctly.  I am looking for a new one and have a couple in mind.  Hopefully, a new computer will make writing this blog much easier and more efficient!!!

Today in PA we are in the midst of getting 3-5 inches of snow, so stay inside where it's warm, cozy, and pull out some card stock and create!

Linda

Catching up!!

Greetings, Friends!

Happy Birthday to a sister-in-law

I hope you all had a Blessed Easter!  As usual, there was too much food and good company.  I like it that way! 

Like I said I was going to do, I am posting some cards that I made during the time period when I was caring for a family member.  The above card was made with A LOT of scrap paper!  I also used a pre-printed scene from Flower Soft, using their product & glue.  The lace is a Martha Stewart punch and the ribbon is from Michael's. The small butterflies are a punch from Fiskar's.

Come and visit again!  Please leave a comment and sign up to be a "Follower."

Linda Hasz

"Be still and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

More Cards!!!

This "Happy Birthday" card I made is from scrap paper with the main card being on a light teal card stock.  I made a vellum butterfly stamped in white and embossed.  I filled in the butterfly with Copic markers and fussy cut it out.  I outlined it with Diamond Stickles. The bow was made with an antique lace. The verse, "People will love you for the honesty within your soul" was cut out from vellum.  

"Happy Birthday" Inside

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

This Sympathy card was created for a special family who lost their brother. The card itself is made from purple card stock. The white background is satin/shiny stripes from Michaels.  The two rows of doily stripes are from a Martha Stewart punch and plain frosty paper from scrap. The cross was made from Spellbinders Nestabilities S4-265 "Cross Collection" with purple pearls adhered.  The oval was made from scrap paper and "Lacey Ovals" Spellbinders Nestabilities S4-314.

"Sympathy" card

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

This "Thank You" card was made from brown/pink CS.The flowers are from a MS punch of hydrangeas with brown pearls in the center.  The ruffled heart is from a Marvy punch.  "Thank You" is from PrintWorks Collection.  Pink bow from my ribbon collection.  Dots on the left are ivory rhinestones. I really loved the look of this card!

"Thank You" card

 

Beautiful Sunday!

What a beautiful day! For those of us with a little cabin fever, it's nice to see sunshine and warmer temperatures. It was great to be outdoors today.

I am posting some cards that I put together from the beginning of 2014.  I am catching up for the time period when I couldn't post due to a family member's surgery.


"Get Well" Card from Isaiah 41:10
"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you."

The first card is a "Get Well" card on teal cardstock from my stash.  I believe it's from Stampin' Up.  The white CS was put through a Cuttlebug folder called "Dotted Swiss."  The Spellbinders Nestabilities die is from "Floral Ovals."  The stamp is from Stampabilities, "I Will Strengthen You."  The verse is stamped & Embossed with clear embossing powder. There are light pink Swarovski crystals adhered around the edge of the oval.

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



"Get Well Soon" card.


The second is a "Get Well Soon" card also done on gray CS from stash. The circle on teal is from Spellbinders Nestabilities "Lacey Circles." Snowflake die from Sissix. Silver circle cut from 3/4" punch from Stampin' Up silver glitter paper; silver stripe from the same. Tea rhinestone in center.

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


"Love" card;
Inside Message: "Happy Valentine's Day"


The third card is on gray CS with a base on red CS.  The hologram heart paper is from The Paper Cut.  Silver wire ribbon is from my stash.  The hearts are from a Martha Stewart punch.  Red rhinestones adhered to hearts. "Love" stamp from Michael's. Top two papers cut with Fiskars' Victorian blade.

This is it for today.  I hope you have enjoyed these cards.  Please drop me a line and let me know how you liked these cards and "Follow" me, please!

Happy Stamping.

Linda


"Be still & know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10

I'm BACK!!!!

It's nice to be back after a long hiatus!  I had some family medical issues that needed to be attended to but things have been taken care of and now it's back to card-making time!!

One of the more recent things I've done is attending the Stamping Show by Heirloom Designs in Allentown, PA a few weeks ago.  I took a class in shading with Copic markers. I thought I knew how to use them but I really ended up learning a lot. I liked to use them before I learned some "tricks of the trade" but now I LOVE them! There were 3 cards involved in this class and I will post 2 of them; the third one isn't finished yet!



First Card with Copic Markers





Close-up of flower





Second card, 3x3 inches

So, here are 2 out of the 3 cards.  I will be posting a lot of cards that I have been working on since last Thanksgiving.  Hard to believe we're in the season of Lent already. I hope you will enjoy what I have been working on.

Peace be with you.

Thanks! for Thanksgiving

This is the last card that I will be creating for fall.

This oak tree stamp is one of the stamps that I won from Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps from their October 2013 Sketch Challenge. I thought I would use it for a thank you card. The leaves on the oak tree were filled in with Copic markers, although they are much lighter than the photo shows.

To the left of the tree you will see a rectangular piece made out of "kraft" paper.  I double-layered that and put two orange eyes in it and put a piece of twine for the bow. Cute!  The sentiment "Thanks" was drawn by me with a calligraphy pen.  A multi-colored stamp pad in fall colors was used with the leaves stamped on the yellow CS.

A fun card to create!

Thank You Card

 

Take time to count your blessings as Thanksgiving approaches this coming Thursday.  We, in this country, have many. many things to be thankful for including our freedom. Thank you to those who serve and who have served.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Until next time, happy stamping.

 

Linda Hasz

 

 

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10



Prickley Pear Stamps - October 2013 Sketch Challenge

It seems as though fall is on its way out the door and winter is quickly approaching.  If you watch TV or look around computer sites, it seems as if Christmas was here before Halloween! I am winding down making fall cards and I have some to show you.

The cards below were made with some of the stamps & die cuts that I won from  participating in Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps Sketch Challenge of October 2013.  In thanking them for the gifts, I also told them I would make some cards from the stamps that they sent to me, so here they are!  

These are from the Fall Leaves set:  the leaf branches, the leaves themselves, pinecones, sentiments and more.  I used Copic markers on the leaves.  I also used the die cut for the leaves that were a lot quicker than fussy cutting!

I used a round punch to create the moon and added gray chalk to create the clouds in front of it.

I used brown card stock with orange CS behind the off-white.  Inside the card, I used orange CS with the sentiment, "celebrate today and every day" stamped & embossed in brown, and I added the PP owl in the bottom left corner & embossed it as well.

I hope you enjoy the results:

Happy Fall #1

 

Happy Fall #2

 

 

 Happy Fall #3

Special thanks to Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps, the company whose products made these cards possible.

Until next time, happy stamping!!

 

Linda Hasz

 

 

"Be still and know that I am God."  Psalms 46:10

 

 



A Tweaking Experience.....

Today was a beautiful day with sunny skies, cooler temperatures and beautiful trees. My favorite time of year!

In regard to tweaking, I am trying to get my blog the way I like it and I am experimenting with different layouts; so, please be patient!

Today's card is from the pre-Cardworks files:





"Happy Birthday" x 2

  I found some designer paper in brown with the pink flowers on it and also was able to find matching satin ribbon with the same design, opposite colors.  The ideas took off from there. I did tape the brown DP paper to the pink paper and then ran it through the accordion pleater (sorry, I can't think of the name of that gadget).

The edges of all the papers were done with the large Fiskars Paper Cutter Machine with the extra-large blades. I think the name of it was Victorian if I'm not mistaken. All I know is that it looks like a torn edge to me and it gives the card a look I really like

The envelopes were stamped with the same stamp as the card and embossed.

I hope you enjoyed my blast from the past!!  Remember, if you would like to make these cards just let me know and I will e-mail the directions to you.

Please leave a comment, let me know how I'm doing AND join my group of "Followers."

Remember, please feed the fish---they're hungry!

Happy stamping and creating!

Linda Hasz

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46:1

Friends & a Cup of Tea + Bonus Card

This is a card that I made last April for a friend's birthday.  She loves tea and I found a set of stamps that included all kinds of sayings for friends, tea, birthday, etc.  It's done in Stampin' Up raspberry card stock and has a separate "pocket" for the packet of tea to sit in.  I tucked the packet inside the card. Everything was filled in with Copic markers & 3 pink rhinestones attached to the top right side.



"Happy Birthday" Card

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

Today you are in luck because it's two-for-the-price-of-one day!!

I have chosen a "Get Well" card because it came about the way that many cards do, at least for me. The process is getting the DP (designer paper) with the intention of making something fabulous and then it is put in my stack of DP.  Later, I go through the stack looking for OTHER kinds of DP paper but then it suddenly hits me.  NOW I know what I can do with that paper!! I quickly picked out the paper with the shells, followed by the paper with the fish & other creatures in little outlined boxes that matched it.  I chose two plain-color card stock colors and I just went on from there.

So now you know how this card came into being.  I had so much fun with the first one that I made five more after it (one of them has already been sent).



"Get Well" Card

That's it for today!  Thanks for stopping to visit and please take a minute to leave a comment.

 

Keep stamping and creating!

 

Linda Hasz

DON'T FORGET TO FEED THE FISH!!! 

 

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10

I WON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to tell you that I won Prickley Pear Rubber Stamp's OCTOBER CHALLENGE!!!!

All of you must have wished me luck because it certainly worked!  A brand-new blog, a new Challenge and I actually won!  I found out on Tuesday but because my computer hasn't been too computer friendly, it's been painful to get out here and blog.  I've been told that I need to do some upgrading in order for things to be functioning properly, which I hope they will soon do.  My husband wanted to know what was for dinner after I won and I told him I was still "basking" in my wonderful win and couldn't cook.  Boy, did he laugh!  Well, we did get carry-out pizza!

In the meantime, I have been walking about an inch off the floor and spent ALL DAY working on cards yesterday & today (I think my back side is a little numb). My card making/sewing/stitching room is a WRECK because sometimes my creative process isn't nearly as neat and tidy as I've seen on Pinterest.

So, now I am looking forward to making more cards with the stamps that I won from Prickley Pear and I will be posting them!  Thank you so much! I appreciate it, I really do!

If you would like to visit Prickley Pear's main site their link is: http://www.prickleypear.com/
and their blog site is: http://prickleypearrubberstamps.blogspot.com/

Happy Stamping!

Linda Hasz

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10

A Wedding Card

Today, I'm going to share something I just made...a wedding card.  I was asked to make this for a family friend, so I went a little overboard.  I tend to take my time when creating cards but this one took a long time, I will admit.  I also decided to make the envelope for the card, since it was a tad bit bigger than usual (5-3/4 x 4-1/2 inches).



Wedding Card



A shiny metallic gray CS was used to support the wedding cake. Cut to fit the front of the card. 

A piece of dark gray from your scrap box can be used next as the base for the cake to sit on.  It is 1/4 inch in width and is approximately 4-1/4 inches in length.  You can use 1/8-inch Scor-Pal DST to adhere this to the gray CS or you can lightly glue it with Aleen's Tacky Glue.

A beautiful pearl shiny white CS was used for the cake. Cut the 8-1/2- x 11-inch CS in half and run it through the Cuttlebug with a swirl-type folder (or whatever you would think is appropriate for a cake). Now cut the cake (pardon the expression) by first trimming the sides, then cut it horizontally into three equal pieces. You should now have three pieces that fit together like a puzzle.

Take the bottom layer of the cake and use a corner round punch to clip off the upper sharp corners.  Adhere to gray CS with double-sided tape.

Take the second layer and trim off 1/2 inch off EACH SIDE. This will keep the pattern even on the cake. Then repeat trimming off the upper sharp corners on each side.  Adhere with DST above first layer, following the embossed pattern.

Take the third layer and trim 1 inch off of EACH SIDE. Trim the sharp corners round.  Tape down with DST, matching the cake pattern. Now you should have what looks like a wedding cake!

At this point, I did something that I consider optional:  I had some 6-inch touille on a roll and cut off about a 10-inch section.  I took some white floss (or thread) and cut off three pieces, long enough that you can tie a knot or two in it.  Gather the touille up with your fingers, taking the first piece of floss, centering it in the middle,wrapping it around the touille and pulling it tight, then tie a knot.  Repeat this process on both ends just shy of where the cake rest sits, securing with a surgeon's knot (right-over-left, left over-right). Place a drop of glue, let it dry, then clip off threads close to the thread.  Use Aleen's Turbo Tacky Glue and at each of the three places, glue down the touille so that it looks like netting around the cake. Cut off excess touille with a sharp pair of scissors.

I took some trim I had in my sewing box and glued them down between the layers of the cake (to cover up the seams) with Aleen's Turbo Tacky Glue. I measured each piece with the good old "eyeball" method. Glue any frayed ends or ends you will think will come apart.  Press the trim down lightly at first but as the glue adheres, press more firmly.  Please let this dry overnight. (I have seen tiny strings of pearls used here instead of trim--it's just that I had the trim & wanted to use it.

While the trim is drying, there are other things you can do while waiting (I hate to wait).  There is a punch that Martha Stewart has that looks like hydrangea blossoms.  This is what I used to punch out flowers in my desired (bridesmaids') color, which was purple.  I take two of the larger flower petals and lay them on top of each other so that the top flower "fills in" the bottom flower.  There is a smaller layer that can be used in the middle. These were "fussy glued" together (well, if you can fussy cut and you can fussy glue, right??).  Here you can take a couple of different paths: (1) Glue a crystal/rhinestone in the middle, or (2) punch a small-hole punch to punch a hole in each flower & use a brad to secure them together.  Set these aside to dry for a few minutes.

While you are waiting (!), it's time to punch out some fern branches to go under the hydrangea flowers. There are quite a few forms of ferns/small leaves that can be found in scrap booking/craft stores these days.  Find out that you like & you will find yourself using it everywhere!  I used two different colors of green for the fern branches.  Use as many or as few as YOU like.  Either glue dots or a fast-drying glue can be used to make them stick.

Now it's time to place the flowers on the cake (LINDA'S HINT: I like to place my flowers FIRST; the ferns/leaves go second). Consult my card for placement.  You could use less/more depending on your taste.  You could also drape some of the smaller flowers by themselves around the cake.  Then adhere ferns/leaves.

I decided to use small flowers to put in a group on the top of the cake.  You could use three large flowers or use wherever your imagination takes you.

I added three small butterflies with a Fiskars punch with Stampin' Up glitter paper in silver.

As a final touch, I put a small white ribbon around the middle of the card & anchored it with a bow on the front.

Remember when I said that I would learn by experience??????

I think I've just learned an important lesson after all of this; that is, my explanations are way too long and because of that, I don't think you understand the joy that card making gives me.  So, if you would like a detailed explanation of a card, just A-S-K!!  I will be more than happy to accommodate you.

For now, I will continue with the joy of card making and with less hot air.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!!

Happy Stamping!

Linda Hasz

"Be still and know that I am God.: Psalms 46:10