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Saturday, October 26, 2019

Cards for Little Hearts Winter Card Drive: Happy Ho Ho Ho

Winter allows us to wrap up in the comforting scarf of healing, but we must slow down to allow its magic. ~Terri Guillemets, "The warmth & stillness," 2009

Good morning!
I am here to share one of the cards I made for the 2019 Winter card drive for Cards for Little Hearts which starts October 1st and ends November 1st.

Cards for Little Hearts is a global card drive, comprised of crafters dedicated to bringing smiles, hope and encouragement to as many children with congenital heart disease as possible by providing heart center staff with handmade cards that are given to patients during their hospitalization.

Please read the guideline page located on the Cards for Little Hearts website (HERE) for important guidelines prior to making and sending in your cards. You can also find additional helpful resources on the FAQs page and a Sentiments List. There is also a Gallery page if you need some inspiration.


Supplies

  • Cardstock: American Crafts, Scrap bin, Stampin Up!, The Paper Studio (base)
  • Design Paper: Unknown
  • Dies: Animals Dress Ups by Sizzix, Mustache by Quickutz
  • Ink: Black Sharpie, Memories India Ink
  • Stamps: HoHoHo Holidays from Close to My Heart
  • Studio G Glitter Glue
I encourage you to please get children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or even your Sunday School class involved. The children always love to receive cards made by other children!

(Hugs) Cara

Friday, October 25, 2019

BabyCakesdnd: Present Hippo Debut

When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things — not the great occasions — give off the greatest glow of happiness. ~Bob Hope

Good morning!
I am honored one again to be a Guest Designer for Sandra Caldwell aka Babycakesdnd, for this month of October.

For my card today, I am using this adorable image #2984 - Present Hippo which is being released today in her stores so make sure you go for a visit and check all her creative and fun images!

I actually really love her hippo images. Not that I’m a hippo collector, but they are all so different and cute and fun! I think almost all the images I have of hers are hippos of some sort or another!

Love this guy too with his Santa suit and arms full of gifts!



Supplies, 5x7card
  • Present Hippo, image 2894 printed on Stampin Up! Whisper White card stock
  • Alcohol Makers, ProMarkers and Copics
  • Card Candy from Jots
  • Cardstock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
  • Design paper unknown
  • Glitter glue from Studio G
  • Ink from Memories, India Ink & Stampin Up!
  • Liquid glass from Close to My Heart
  • Sentiment from Hampton Arts
  • Sketch: MFTWSC91



Click HERE to find more wonderful images in Etsy Store!

Facebook

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Outlawz Challenges: 3 colors and a twist

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
~ Mother Teresa

Hi everyone! Today I am sharing my card for the new color challenge which started today at The Outlawz Challenges and sponsored this month by The Paper Shelter

Our challenge this week was picked by Laurian who has provided a wonderful picture for us to pull colors from. The challenge is to use orange with your choice of two colors and an optional twist which you get to pick.

For my card, I am using a pre-colored sponsor image called My Little She Devil Costume.  

I pulled the orange and green then a bit of blue. IF you look really close at the picture you can see just a touch.




Supplies
  • Pre-colored image printed on Stampin Up! Whisper White Cardstock
  • Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base) and American Craft
  • Circle punch from Stampin Up!
  • Design paper unknown
  • Digi paper from Touched by a Butterfly
  • Ink from Scrapbook.com
  • Nuvo drops
  • Paper flowers from Prima
  • Sentiment from Close to My Heart
  • Stash: Brads
  • Sketch: The Sweet Stop sketch SSS58



Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by The Outlawz Challenges for more challenges and Inspiration!
(Hugs) Cara


Saturday, October 19, 2019

Cards for Little Hearts Winter Card Drive: Friends


Good morning!
I am here to share one of the cards I made for the 2019 Winter card drive for Cards for Little Hearts which runs October 1st  through November 1st.

Cards for Little Hearts is a global card drive, comprised of crafters dedicated to bringing smiles, hope and encouragement to as many children with congenital heart disease as possible by providing heart center staff with handmade cards that are given to patients during their hospitalization.

Please read the guideline page located on the Cards for Little Hearts website (HERE) for important guidelines prior to making and sending in your cards. You can also find additional helpful resources on the FAQs page and a Sentiments List. There is also a Gallery page if you need some inspiration.



Supplies

  • Image “Snowmen Selfies” from SheepSKi Designs, was colored with ProMarkers then printed onto printed on Stampin Up! Whisper White card stock
  • Cardstock: Stampin Up!, The Paper Studio (base)
  • Ink: Memories India Ink
  • Sentiment Neat & Tangled, Merry Kisses
  • Studio G Glitter Glue
Based on CAS(E) This Sketch CTS311


I encourage you to please get children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or even your Sunday School class involved. The children always love to receive cards made by other children!

(Hugs) Cara

Friday, October 18, 2019

Find the Magic

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.
Roald Dahl 

Good morning!
I am honored once again to be a Guest Designer for Sandra Caldwell aka Babycakesdnd, for this month of October. I just love her whimsical images and enjoy coloring them up.

For my card today, I am using this adorable image #2969, Snowball Kitten which is being released today in her store so make sure you go for a visit and check out all her creative and fun images!

I know that, given the image, the sentiment may seem to be a bit of an odd choice but for me it was perfect. I have to say that I find it so sad that it has taken a couple rough situations and 55plus years to figure out that life is too short to be unhappy. I’ve been blessed more than cursed and I realized one day that I wasn't truly appreciative of that which has been given to me. Being angry about a situation I cannot change harms only me. I’ve been working to find the magic in the everyday things of life because it really is there if we want to look. Even in a sweet, simple drawing of a kitty sitting in a snowball!

Here I have to smile because I can picture in my mind this little kitty trying to maybe dress up like a snowman to frighten his favorite doggo friend and sitting there patiently shivering for him to come around the corner! Who knows? LOL

So look for the magic in everyday … and be the happier person for it!


Supplies, 5x7card
  • Snowball Kitten, image 2969 printed on Stampin Up! Whisper White card stock
  • Alcohol Makers, ProMarkers and Copics
  • Cardstock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
  • Embossing folder fromCuttlebug
  • Glitter glue from Studio G
  • Ink from Stampin Up!
  • Liquid glass from Close to My Heart
  • Sentiment from Unity Stamps 

Click HERE to find more wonderful images in Etsy Store!
Click HERE for her Facebook Fan page!

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The Outlawz Crash your Stash Challenge: Corner Punches

Wouldn't it be an exhilarating tonic for the soul to take a moment to appreciate the simple, good things in life which are so bountiful...? ~Author unknown, c.1949

Good morning!
Today is the start of a new “Crash your Stash” challenge at The Outlawz ChallengesThe purpose of this Challenge is to encourage you to use those items that are no longer trending and probably stashed away in a drawer. Forgotten and alone. So, we are here to help inspire you to dig those lovely items out and bring them new life! 

We Are 3 Digital Shop is our generous sponsor this month with a lovely fall themed digi paper set called Autumn Scenes 
Our item for this month is Corner punches … we all have them. At one time they were all the rage to create fun frames for photos or journal notes on scrap book pages. I have a boxful that I can’t bare to part with because they always come in handy for something!

I am using a basket weave corner punch from EK Success. One of my favorites because it’s not ‘theme’ oriented like others I have.


Supplies:
  • Pre-colored Sponsor image “Autumn Scenes printed on Stampin Up! Whisper White Card Stock
  • Cardstock from The Paper Studio (Base), Bazzill
  • Corner punch from EK Success
  • Design Paper Unknown
  • Liquid class from Close to My Heart
  • Paper flower from Prima
  • Sentiment from Unity Stamps
  • Stash: Flower center




Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to stop by The Outlawz Challenges where there is a challenge for every day of the week!
(Hugs) Cara





Saturday, October 12, 2019

Cards for Little Hearts Winter Card Drive: Holiday Hugs

People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy. - Anton Chekhov

Good morning!
I am here to share one of the cards I made for the 2019 Winter card drive for Cards for Little Hearts which runs October 1st through November 1st.

Cards for Little Hearts is a global card drive, comprised of crafters dedicated to bringing smiles, hope and encouragement to as many children with congenital heart disease as possible by providing heart center staff with handmade cards that are given to patients during their hospitalization.

Please read the guideline page located on the Cards for Little Hearts website (HERE) for important guidelines prior to making and sending in your cards. You can also find additional helpful resources on the FAQs page and a Sentiments List. There is also a Gallery page if you need some inspiration.


Supplies

  • Cardstock: American Crafts, Scrap bin, Stampin Up!, The Paper Studio (base)
  • Design Paper: Unknown
  • Dies: Mini Snowflakes from Fawn Lawn
  • Glitter paper: Close to My Heart, Recollections
  • Ink: ProMarkers, Memories India Ink
  • Rhinestones: Recollections
  • Stamps: Merry Kisses, Neat & Tangled
I encourage you to please get children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or even your Sunday School class involved. The children always love to receive cards made by other children!

(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Cabinet make-over ...

It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself.  Makes you wonder what else you can do that you've forgotten about.  ~Alan Ball

Good morning!
Today I am sharing a make over.

I have been hunting for a way to store my embossing folders and thin metal dies which I currently have located in several different containers spread out all over my craft room ... drives me nuts!

While out and about several months ago, I found this 5 drawer cabinet at a local resell shop for $20.00. After some quick measuring I purchased it and dragged it home much to my husbands consternation! The nice thing about the drawers is that they pull all the way out making it easy to get to things towards the back of the drawer.

Since the weather has been awesome lately, I asked my dear husband to drag the cabinet to the back patio so I could begin the process of cleaning and repainting it.



Not pictured here is the marble slab that was attached with some sort of silcone to the top of the cabinet. If you look closed enough you can see the circles where the silicone was blobbed on. My husband threw that away as it was damaged and unusable for any other projects.



I pulled out the drawers, tighted up all the tracks, washed, sandpapered and washed again. Once dry I used a Glidden paint/primer mix but I was not happy with the coverage and finished up going over the cabinet with a couple cans of white spray paint ... I'm think now that the paint might have been old as I've never had that issue before.

I was originally going to leave the cabinet all white and change out the hardware to some red handles but while rumaging through my spray paints I found a left over can of red spray paint from another project which I decided at the last minute to use on the drawers. Love how it turned out!


Here is the finished cabinet. 



Although I might add some red details to the cabinet trim later as well as metal label holders (I think I have just enough red spray paint to cover them). I have yet to decide. What do you think?

I used foam board to divide the drawers in half. Next I need to make new index tabs then I can transfer my embossing folders and dies and clear out a lot of boxes!

I have sizzix strip dies and sizzlets but those are stored in another cabinet that works perfectly for them so I am thinking I will use the smaller top drawer to store all my embellisments that I have in several shoe boxes on a shelf. 

Overall, I'm really happy with it and can't wait to get it into my craftroom.

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Saturday, October 5, 2019

2019 Cards for Little Hearts Winter Card Drive: Winter Friends

My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.  - George R. R. Martin

Good morning!
I am here to share one of the cards I made for the 2019 Winter card drive for Cards for Little Hearts which runs October 1st through November 1st.

Cards for Little Hearts is a global card drive, comprised of crafters dedicated to bringing smiles, hope and encouragement to as many children with congenital heart disease as possible by providing heart center staff with handmade cards that are given to patients during their hospitalization.

Please read the guideline page located on the Cards for Little Hearts website (HERE) for important guidelines prior to making and sending in your cards. You can also find additional helpful resources on the FAQs page and a Sentiments List. There is also a Gallery page if you need some inspiration.




Supplies

  • Pre-colored image “Just for you” from Wink Wink Ink combined with some digi paper from Touched by a Butterfly printed on Stampin Up! Whisper White card stock
  • Cardstock: Stampin Up!, The Paper Studio (base)
  • Design Paper: Unknown
  • Ink: Memories India Ink
  • Sentiment from Mini Wreath by The Angel Company
  • Studio G Glitter Glue
Based on Sweet Sunday Sketch #237

I encourage you to please get children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or even your Sunday School class involved. The children always love to receive cards made by other children!

(Hugs) Cara