You, Kindness, Me -- The Challenge #78

Happy Saturday!

Wow! Can you believe half of September is gone?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around August!

Maybe that's a good thing!

Anyway, check out our Inspiration Challenge

at The Challenge today!

I'm loving those colors and themes --- there's several!

Check out what the Design Team has created to boost your creativity:

Lesley O'Connor - Creator

Anita Madden
Broni Holcombe
Claire Broadwater
Kim Heggins
Lee Ann Barrett

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld (You are HERE)

Nina Forsyth

Rachel Bergfeld

September Featured Designer - Sharron Gregory from On Papillon Wings

I bought new summer stamps and I still haven't had a chance to play with all of them, which included a pineapple die from Lil' Inker Designs.  Why I didn't buy the stamp set, I don't know, but I may go back and get it.

There were so many different things I thought about doing with this inspiration photo but in the end I decided to do a negative-type card.  I cut three pineapple masks and taped them to watercolor paper. Next, I made some liquid Brushos --- sprinkled some Brusho crystals in separate spray bottles and added water to each.  I test sprayed, then added more crystals for a deeper color. I also added a bright pink Dylusions spray ink.  

I pulled off the pineapple masks.  I love how this came out!  At first I was going to die cut a black sentiment to put across the middle and then, looking at some small sentiment stamp sets, I decided to stamp a sentiment in each pineapple.  I used "Butterfly Notes" by CAS-ual Fridays for Catherine Pooler. I finished them off with green apple sequins by Paper Sweeties.

So now it's your turn to create something using our Inspiration Challenge photo, link up and share it with us.  

You might be our next Weekly Guest Designer!

The Challenge Blessings!

Paper Sweeties September 2016 New Release Rewind!

Today is our last day 

of 

Release Week

at Paper Sweeties!

You can now shop til you drop

with all the September products

added to the shop!

Release Week is coming to a close, but the fabulous projects by the Design Team keep coming ---

Beth Luetschwager
Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Jeri Thomas

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Lilian Forsyth 
Lisa Bzibziak
Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michele Henderson
Michelle Bala

Nancy Salkeld (You are HERE)

I thought I'd make a Halloween card for my the Rewind ---

I used the sentiment from Best Witches and the cat from Sweeties Pets along with stamps and dies from Thankful Stamps, Thankful Sweet Cuts, and the cute little witch hat is from the Fall Sentiment Planner Series stamp set.  I added some crystal Stickles to the flower middles for some sparkle.

I'm entering this card into the following Challenges:

Retrosketches #231

Now go play with those new products in our 

September Inspiration Challenge 

still going on until Sept. 30th!

You might be our BIG winner 

and 

receive a $25 GC to shop at Paper Sweeties!

Paper Sweeties Blessings!

Paper Sweeties September 2016 New Release Party!

It's Release Day

at 

Paper Sweeties!

YAY!

All the new September stamps/dies

are now

For Sale

in the Paper Sweeties Shop!

The Design Team has more super sweet projects showcasing all the new products:

Beth Luetschwager
Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Jeri Thomas

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Lilian Forsyth 
Lisa Bzibziak
Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michele Henderson
Michelle Bala

Nancy Salkeld (You are HERE)

Who says girls can't wear Pilgrim hats?  

For Following Challenges:

Paper Sweeties Blessings!

Paper Sweeties September 2016 New Release Sneak Peeks!

Today is Sneak Peeks Day

at 

Paper Sweeties!

Debbie has some really cute new fall stamps/dies out this month!  You need to check them out ---

What's New

Thanks

Thanks Sweet Cuts

Thankful

Thankful Sweet Cuts

Planner Series: Fall Sentiments

The PS Design Team has created some really creative projects for your inspiration using this month's release products!  

Hop along and leave them some blog love!

Beth Luetschwager
Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Jeri Thomas

Kathy Schweinfurth

Larissa Heskett
Lilian Forsyth 
Lisa Bzibziak
Mackie Robertson

Maria Patrick

Michele Henderson
Michelle Bala

Nancy Salkeld (You are HERE)

Here is my card ---

I stamped the pumpkins with versamark and embossed with gold powder.  Then, I watercolored them using distress inks and aqua markers.  I versamarked and gold embossed the sentiment, added some patterned paper and a stitched circle and then finished it off with three Paper Sweeties sequins.

Come back tomorrow --- it's the BIG Release Day!

All new products will be live in the shop!

My card is entered into the Following Challenges:

I chose Mixed Media Style for The Card Concept.

Paper Sweeties Blessings!

Paper Sweeties Plan Your Life Series - September 2016!

Happy Tuesday!

It's Release Week at

Paper Sweeties!

This month's planner stamps are just going to make you "fall" in love with their festive tone!

The new planner stamps will be on sale starting September 15th so mark it in your planners!

What's New 


Planner Series: Fall Sentiments

Planner Series 2016 Full Year Calendar

Stop by all the PS Planner Series Team's projects and see how they create some fun and festive planners!

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties
Jeri Thomas

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala
Michele Henderson

Nancy Salkeld (You are HERE!)

Be sure and come back tomorrow for our Sneak Peeks at the Paper Sweeties September Release of new products!  You'll be "thankful" you did!  ;)

Paper Sweeties Blessings!

Happy Birthday - The Challenge #77

It's Saturday!

Happy Weekend!

I can't think of a better way for Saturdays to begin 

than with a new challenge at

The Challenge! 

This week is a Color Challenge --

Teal ~ Coral ~ Yellow

The Design Team has created some awesome cards for added inspiration for you!

Check it out:

Lesley O'Connor - Creator

Anita Madden
Broni Holcombe
Claire Broadwater
Kim Heggins
Lee Ann Barrett

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld (You are HERE)

Nina Forsyth

Rachel Bergfeld

September Featured Designer - Sharron Gregory from On Papillon Wings
Weekly Guest Designer -  

My card started out with the background dies --- I spied in a basket of already cut dies and never been used.  The background is three of the same chevron die by Lil' Inkers Designs and layered together.  Oddly enough, I had one in each of this week's colors.  I also used a birthday die from Lil Inker's.  .  The flowers and leaves are from the stamp/die sets, Enchanted Garden, by SugarPea Designs for Catherine Pooler's Stamp of Approval. The butterfly is from the set, Butterfly Notes by Catherine Pooler.  I colored them all with Copics and Blicks.  I added some diamond Stickles to the flower centers and around the edges of the butterfly for a little sparkle.

Please bear with me a while regarding my photos.  I bought a Foldio a few months back and I'm still trying to get everything right as I also finally got a new camera lens after I dropped mine (ACK!) I also have a very short window (no pun intended) of opportunity for decent natural light in my house, seeing as we have about 18 trees surrounding us.  Of course it wouldn't be NC without it's tall, looming pines and oaks, so I can't complain too much.  But, oh the perfection we crafty people obsess over!  LOL 

For Following Challenges:

Now it's your turn to ink up some paper and play along!  We can't wait to see what this week's challenge inspires you to create!

Challenge Blessings!

Turning...Old

Happy Birthday to my Hubs, today!

He's a young 51!  

I gave him a shout out because I am sharing the card I made him in a couple challenges ---

Dave is a bird lover so when Bonnie offered to let me borrow her Tim Holtz Crazy bird stamps/dies I jumped at the chance!  For several days I was a bird stamping fool!  LOL  Guess that's ok since my Hubs is a bird loving fool!  hahaha

This three bird panel was one I had stamped.  So using the following challenges, I took a homemade circle stencil and watercolored the circles over the birds.  I dabbed some of it away on the birds so they would be a little lighter hue.  I cut some navy cardstock to stamp and emboss the sentiment on and then framed the whole card in the same navy.

For Following Challenges:

Birthday Blessings to my hubby!  

                                                                                                                

Cut The Cake Time

Another card for today ---

I'm finally trying to use some of my newer stamps.  This time it's the Birthday stamp/die sets - "Candles N Confetti" and "Celebrations" from Reverse Confetti and a stitched label die from Pretty Pink Posh.  I used some "marbled" paper I made for the cake.  So I'm putting it in Darnell's NBUS challenge.  

For Following Challenges:

NBUS #7 - Anything Goes

City Crafter #327 - Birthday Wishes

NBUS Blessings!

Marble Joy

Happy Monday!

Happy Labor Day, 

America & Canada!

It's been a soppy, wet weekend here in North Carolina.  Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hermine rolled through on late Thursday/Friday.  It rained most of Thursday and all Friday into early Saturday morning. Thankfully we had no flooding, trees down or power outage.  

So what do you do when you're stuck inside?.....

what else...

MAKE CARDS 

(and watch college football)!  

LOL!

I spent some time just playing around with different techniques using paints and sprays.  I did some marbling using my Dylusions sprays, alcohol inks and Heidi Swapp color shine sprays with shaving cream.  I got some really cool results.

I used some of the background paper for a card to play The Muse Challenge.  I have this cool Christmas tree die from Poppy Stamps that I thought worked well for this card. The sentiment is a die and a stamp from Ellen Hutson.

 I actually made a Christmas card before November! LOL

For Following Challenges:

Muse Challenge #181

Crafty Blessings!

You Make Me Laugh

Happy WEEKEND!

Today's a special day ---

The Challenge 

is back

AND

we have a new time!

Saturdays 5 am (PST) - Challenge Goes Live

Fridays 12 pm (PST) - Challenge Closes

Saturdays 4 am (PST) Winners Announced

Here is the monthly rotation:

Week 1-Sketch

Week 2-Colours

Week 3-Photo Inspiration

Week 4-Christmas Photo Inspiration

Week 5-Wild Card (a surprise!)

Our first challenge this month 

is a 

Sketch Challenge ---

Such a versatile and fun sketch!  Lots of possibilities!

Check out what the Design Team has created 

to give you 

added inspiration:

Lesley O'Connor - Creator

Anita Madden
Broni Holcombe
Claire Broadwater
Kim Heggins

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld (You are HERE)

Nina Forsyth

Rachel Bergfeld

September Featured Designer - Sharron Gregory from On Papillon Wings
Weekly Guest Designer -  Bonnie Sharp from The Lucky Clucker

My Card

I'm so excited for The Challenge to be starting back up!  It's been a hectic summer for me and have to admit now I'm glad Lesley gave us such a long break!  I spent part of June going back and forth helping my mom look for a new house.  Then spent all of July moving her from WV to SC.  Definitely a little adventure!

So, I'm glad to be able to slow down some now and get back into the crafty mode.  I mean, Christmas is less than four months away, folks!  EEK!  lol  

Anyway, my friend, Bonnie Klass, let me borrow her set of Tim Holtz' Bird Crazy stamps and dies for a few days, so I've been stamping them like crazy to stock up!  

I used the owl on this card. I thought the snarky sentiments from Lil Inker Designs was good match for that silly looking owl.  I pulled it all together to make it super fun using the color combo from ColourQ this week.  I used some patterned papers from my stash and a strip of black polka dot washi tape.  The scalloped frame is from WPlus9 and the stitched rectangle is Lil' Inkers Designs as well.   The black heart is a Paper Sweeties Sweet Cuts and was on my table looking all lonely so I added it too.

For Following Challenges:

I hope you come play along with us this week at The Challenge!

You might be our next Guest Designer!

The Challenge Blessings!

End PKD - PKD Awareness Day 2016

Today is PKD Awareness Day!

Twenty years ago this month, I was diagnosed with ADPKD (Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease), which is an un-curable, genetic disease.  

I have been EXTREMELY LUCKY. My ADPKD has not progressed as most others' does. I'm 53 and my kidneys are as healthy as they were 20 years ago when I was diagnosed. They aren't normal by any stretch, but I haven't had the problems most people do.  My ADPKD showed up during exploratory surgery for possible endometriosis. They discovered cysts on both my kidneys and on my liver.   I have a very mild case.  My nephrologist is confident that I will not progress to the point of ever needing a kidney transplant nor even dialysis.  My sons both have a 50/50 chance of having ADPKD also, which is usually not diagnosable until later in adulthood.

So I made a card to help promote PKD Awareness today --- 

I used a ribbon die from Verve Stamps, heart die from Paper Sweeties, alphabet die from Lil' Inker Designs, the emboss folder is by Darice and the stamped letters are an old set from whom I am not sure and they are stamped in Bermuda Bay ink.

For Following Challenges:

If you would like to learn more about PKD and APKD, you can go to the PKD Foundation.

"Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, ADPKD, is one of the most common, life-threatening genetic diseases. In ADPKD, fluid-filled cysts develop and enlarge in both kidneys, eventually leading to kidney failure. It is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure and more than 50 percent of people with ADPKD will develop kidney failure by age 50. Once a person has kidney failure, dialysis or a transplant are the only options

Unlike some genetic diseases, ADPKD does not skip a generation meaning it often affects many people in one family. Approximately 10 percent of the people diagnosed with ADPKD have no family history of the disease, with the disease developing as a spontaneous (new) mutation. Once a person has ADPKD, even through a spontaneous mutation, they have a 50 percent chance of passing it on to each of their children." ~ PKD Foundation

Healthy Blessings!