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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Thanking Dad ...

Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later... that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called Being a Father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life. ~Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities

Good morning!
A new color challenge starts today at The Outlawz

Our Sponsor this month is Raspberry Road Designs with a $10.00 GC

I picked the challenge this week and the colors are Turquoise, Gold and Black with an optional Masculine Twist.

 
I hope you come check out the site and play along with us.

Here is my 5 x 7  card based on The Deconstructed Sketch #84 and created for my Father-in-Law.


SUPPLIES
Black ink from Palette
Black rippled strip from my stash
Card stock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Design paper from The Angel Company
Die "Dad" from Cottage Cutz
Embossing folders "Crackle" from Darice and "Swiss Dots" from Provocraft
Image from Biblical Impressions
Rain Dots from Cloud 9 Designs
Sentiment from The Angel Company

Thanks for stopping by!


(HUGS) Cara

Sunday, January 29, 2017

My Mom / My Friend ...

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.
~Washington Irving


Hello - Hello!
Just sharing another card I made using this gorgeous image "Wild Roses" from Andrea Norris of Sheepski Designs.



This beautiful image will be given away as a Freebie on our Facebook page, Through the Craft Room Door for a short period of time starting February 4th and you must be a member of Through the Craft RoomDoor Facebook Group to get your very own copy of it.

You can also see and purchase more of her lovely images in her Etsy shop noted below, so please go have a visit!

SheepSki Designs



5 x 7
Based on Card Pattern #35
 
SUPPLIES
Cardstock from Bazzill, The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Digi image colored with Alcohol Markers
Flower background stamp from Stampin Up!
Negative die cut from scrap pile created with Fancy Labels from Sizzix
Rhinestones from Close to My Heart
Stamps "Messages for Mom" from Stampin Up!

Thanks for stopping by! Looking forward to seeing you over at SheepSki Designs and Through the Craftroom Door!
(Hugs) Cara

Christmas Twist ...

And, so, Christmas comes to bless us! Comes to teach us how to find the joy of giving happiness and the joy of being kind. ~Gertrude Tooley Buckingham, "There Will Always Be a Christmas" (1940s)

Good morning Everyone!

Today I am sharing a Christmas card ... 
This is one of those twist cards (I think they are called), first one I've ever made and still not sure what I think about them!


 Cardstock from Bazzill, The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Christmas blessings die from Crafters Companion
Deco Swirl embossing folder from Embossilicious
Deer standing & sitting die from Cottage Cutz
Rhinestone from my stash
Starlight dies from Stampin Up!
Start of Light Stamp set from Stampin Up!

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Rejoicing! ...

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ~Epictetus

Good morning!
It's Tuesday and time to show you my challenge card for the Tuesday Color Challenge at The Outlawz Challenges!

This month the Colour Challenge is giving our lucky winner a $10GC for Raspberry Road Designs



This weeks challenge is to use all 4 colors with a Valentine twist ...



And here is my card ... even though it is not a Valentine card per se, it will work as one when I send to a friend of mine.


Card size: 5 x 7

Supplies
Alcohol markers
Black Hybrid ink from Palette
Card stock from Stampin Up!, Bazzill and The Paper Studio
Die from Spellbinders "Classic Brackets"
Embossing Folder from Spellbinders "Twisted Hearts"
Image/Sentiment/Die from Close to My Heart "A Bunch of Love"
Rhinestones from Close to My Heart

Thanks for stopping by!
Cara


Sunday, January 22, 2017

Angels Envy ...

A woman has two smiles that an angel might envy, the smile that accepts a lover before words are uttered, and the smile that lights on the first born babe, and assures it of a mother’s love.
~Thomas C. Haliburton

Hello - Hello!
Just sharing a card I made using this gorgeous image "Wild Roses".


Andrea Norris of Sheepski Designs has generously given us this digi image as a give-away on our Facebook page, Through the CraftRoom Door.

As a former Designer and Featured Digi Artist, Andrea has close ties with Through the Craft Room Door and is still active in our challenges.

This beautiful image will only be offered for a short period of time starting February 4th and you must be a member of Through the Craft Room Door Facebook Group to get your very own copy of it.

You can also see and purchase more of her lovely images in her Etsy shop noted below, so please go have a visit!

SheepSki Designs

 5 x 7
Based on Verve sketch VLVNov2012

SUPPLIES
Cardstock from The Paper Studio and Stampin Up!
Design Paper Unknown
Digi image colored with Alcohol Markers
Embossing folders: "Noel Noel" and "Hugs & Kisses" from Cricut
Ink from Palette
Stamp set "All Year Cheer II" from Stampin Up!

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you over at SheepSki Designs and Through the Craftroom Door


CHALLENGED ENTERED

ATG with CREATE with TLC #7

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

January continues ...

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman

Good morning!
I have for you today, my challenge card for the Tuesday Color Challenge at The Outlawz Challenges!
This month the Color Challenge is giving our lucky winner a $10GC for Raspberry Road Designs.
  
This week we have an inspiration photo for our challenge

And here is my take. I have this cute balloon butterfly and decided it would be perfect!
Although my colors are a bit darker in real life, not sure why they are coming through so light on the image.




Card size: 5 x 7
Supplies
Alcohol markers
Aleen's paper glaze
Black Hybrid ink from Palette
Blue embellishments - homemade
Border punch from Fiskars
Card stock from Stampin Up!, Bazzill and The Paper Studio
Design paper from my scrap bin
Butterfly Balloon Image from Inkahootz!
Sentiment from Stampin Up! Happiest Birthday Wishes
Sketch 170 from Card Patterns

Thanks for stopping by!
Cara

Sunday, January 15, 2017

O Christmas Tree ...

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!... Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!" ~Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Good morning Everyone!

Week one of the New Year has been lived! I hope you made amazing memories this week for yourself and others!

This week I am sharing a 6 x 6 pop up Christmas card. I have to admit, every time I use this particular die from Stampin Up, I am reminded why I don't use it often. While it makes beautiful cards it can be frustrating to put the tree together and attach to the inside of the card in such a way to ensure it pops up correctly and folds back in when the card is closed.


Outside
Design paper unknown
Green metallic card stock from Provocrafts
Merry Christmas Border die from Fawn Lawn
Wreath die from Gina Marie Designs

Inside
Design paper unknown
Fancy Vine Frame die from Gina Marie Designs
India Ink from Memories
Labels 25 die from Spellbinders
Pop up O Christmas Tree Die from Stampin Up!
Sentiment stamp from Inkadinkado

That's it folks! Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Butterflies and Bling ...

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life.  And everyone deserves a little sunshine.  ~Jeffrey Glassberg

Good morning!

Today we start another color Challenge at the Outlawz Challenges and this week we have a lovely color choice and twist from Ursula.

My card is 4.25 x 5.50 using a layout from PageMaps December 2008 and my "B" twist is Butterflies and Bling!



Supplies
Card stock from Stampin Up and The Paper Studio
Design paper from Heidi Swap: Sugar Chic
Dies from A-muse Studios: Scalloped Borders
Dies from Sizzix: Ornate Labels
Dies from Stampin Up!: Bold Butterflies and Butterflies
Embossing folders from Sizzix: Damask and Fluttering
Ink from Palette
Rhinestones from my stash and CTMH
Stampin Up! stamps "Happiest of Birthday Wishes"

Thanks for stopping by!
Don't forget to check out the other challenges too.

A new one starts every day.

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Baby Bag ...

Thought for the day: “Don’t wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel, stride down there and light the bloody thing yourself. ~ Sara Henderson

Good morning One and All!
Today is the start of a new color challenge at The Outlawz Challenges.

Jeanie picked out these fun colors and twist for us to play along with.
Use 3 - 5 colors.
Twist: Must say "New" or "Baby"


I decided to try my hand making a bag using a tutorial I found on SplitCoastStampers.
I used all the colors plus the "Baby" twist.

Supplies
Cardstock from Stampin Up!
Design paper from Amscan
Ink from Stampin Up!
Martha Stewart Train Edger Punch
Stamps: Terrific Tags from Stampin Up!
Tab punch from Stampin Up!
Tag punches from Stampin Up!
Yarn and mini clothes pin from my Stash

So come play along with us!
(Hugs) Cara

Sunday, January 1, 2017

It's the Little Things! ...

Time, the years, the seasons, the dreaming and the hopes which throb with life even under the ice and snow. There is an order to all things, a pressure of progression, and the winds themselves will die into nothingness and the tides wither away before the hopes shall have ended, the aspirations frozen forever. Year builds upon year, even as the seasons follow. And year's end is no end at all, but only a pause, a time for the deep breath that marks the next step forward. There is no halt, no turning back. Tomorrow rises in the east, and all tomorrows. ~Hal Borland (1900–1978), "The Song of Time," 1945 December 31st

Good morning Everyone! 
Today is January 1st ... the first day on 2017 and a new Progress Freebie Challenge has been kicked off at The Outlawz Challenges.

Each month we will send you a free digital image to use in the Freebie/Progressive challenge. Once your creation is completed, upload it into the freebie challenge and you will automatically receive the next month free digi.  We will have one image per month so you have plenty of time to create a project using the image.

To receive your image, please register with your name and email address to: outlawzprogressivechallenge@gmx.com 

Our sponsor this month is All Dressed Up!

This card is 5.50 x 4.25

SUPPLIES

Image from All Dressed Up, colored with alcohol markers
Aleen's paper Glaze
Cardstock from The Paper Studio, Stampin Up! and Bazzill
Die: Fancy Vines Frame from Gina Marie Designs
India ink from Memories
Ink from Stampin Up!
Ribbon from my stash
Stamps: It's the Little Things from The Angel Company

Thanks for stopping by!
(Hugs) Cara

Happy New Year

Good Morning and Happy New Year to all my Friends and Followers!

I pray you are awakening to a New Year filled with much anticipation! For me, I have high hopes for this year! Many changes coming to my life and so far all are positive! 

2016 may not have been the best year but it was a good year in that it saw my daughter returning home after 4 years abroad, my son completing his Associates in Chemical Engineering and my husband and I celebrating our 31st Wedding Anniversary. In fact, in December, we had a large open house and unknown to all the guest in attendance, we renew our marriage vows. We also had a guest from Japan. A friend of our daughters. So 2016 ended with a trip to Zoolights, the Grand Canyon and Sedona. An awesome way to end a rather questionable year.

But 2017 is looking to be promising. 

On the 6th of this month, I end 32plus years with a company that helped put a roof over the head of, feed, clothe and educate my two children. Sadly, it has become a not so good/healthy place to work. Only by God's Grace, am I able to walk away with dignity and the anticipation of a new adventure!

My daughter has reconnected with an old school mate and found love. He is a great kid with a good head on his shoulders. They are a good match and I am looking forward to seeing their relationship grow and bloom.

My son has (FINALLY!) admitted he has a girlfriend, I am anxious to meet her as I have known about her for a long time but he would never admit it (the trials of having a child with Asperger's!). It took my daughter calling him out for him to confirm it. She does live in another state, so hoping he will now make the arrangements for us to meet her face to face.

We have a new president coming into office. Whether or not we like him, we have a responsibility to respect the office he will occupy and to continue to pray he keeps this Nation's best interests in Heart.

All in all ... 2017 looks to be a fantastic year and I look forward to seeing what it brings us all!

(Hugs) Cara