Marley

Hello Stampin' Friends! I have been MIA for a while just trying to deal with the details of life, work, summer, vacation and whatever else hits me in the face everyday when my feet hit the floor!

Today's card is simple, but more than that it is a tribute to my friend, Marley. She is probably THE most creative and talented person I have ever known. I mean it! She can look at something and make it! When our girls were little, we frequented a dept store which had the most beautiful little girl clothes. She would yank one of interest off the rack, look at it carefully and then go home and make it. She can sew ANYTHING, bake the most amazing tasting cakes and decorate them with any design, paint, arrange flowers, GROW them first and build a house if she puts her mind to it. She is a dear sister in the Lord, a friend you can pick up where you left off at any time. In recent years, with our kids grown and other changing circumstances of life, our orbits have not been connected, except with an occasional run in at the grocery store. Recently, she contacted me on Facebook and asked if she could stop by with a "few" stamps she was divesting herself of and an incredible SU scrapbook from a few years back which has card ideas and patterns galore. Of course I said - Of course! Better than all the great stamps and pattern book she gifted me with (including this one!) was the chance to visit with this dear friend over a glass of iced tea. What an unexpected blessing!

The card has an invisible whisper white base, double sided designer paper, turquoise textured Bazill with a punched edge (Fiskars). The Thanks (Love You to Bits) is stamped in Timber Brown STAZON ink and the ribbon is a brown satin from Joann's. The little Prisma flowers have some little odd and ends brads stuck through the middle to mimic the dp flowers. The colors look a little off in this photo, but I promise they are more matchy-matchy then they look because that's just the kind of stamper I am!

Thank you, Marley for the great visit and the new to me stamps and book! I will put them to good use, I promise!

TTFN!

Artha

Carissa

I apologize to any regular visitors whom I have disappointed with no new posts this week. I am in a bit of a hub-bub. My middle daughter, who is a military wife just returning from South Korea for a year has been visiting for 6 weeks, with our sweet almost 2 Iyla, aka Cuppycake. They will be pulling out in a U-haul early tomorrow morning, towing her car since college, her purple KIA Sportage, affectionately known as "the skate." My husband and Iyla's favorite Poppy will be driving them across the country, as my SIL has already reported to his intermediate duty station, prior to deploying to Afghanistan.

Since I have been a little short on card motivation when I knew their time to leave would be eminent, I don't have a handmade card to post today, but this is my heartfelt comments to the child of my heart.

"Be strong and courageous! Be strong and very courageous!! Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Blessings on you, Carissa, as you use art from the heart to fashion your new digs into a home which honors the Lord.

Using Scraps

Happy Tuesday, Stamping Friends! This is the last day of my 4-1/2 day holiday and I am trying to focus on it and not borrow trouble from tomorrow too soon! It will have enough of its own I am sure!! LOL!

Today's card is using scraps again. Until now, I have not had a chance to use this new stamp medallion from Hero Arts called Scallop Flourish, stamped in SU! Tangerine Tango. I used some textured Bazzill Turquoise , a scrap of DP and a tangerine print from Basic Gray, all on Whisper White run through the Cuttlebug with the flowers embossing folder. Sentiment is a Plain Jane single from Verve Stamps.

Thanks for looking and have a GREAT day!

TTFN!

Artha

My Friend Monica

This card was one I made for my sweet friend, Monica. A Godly sister in the Lord, kindred spirit and my own personal prayer warrior, she covers me in prayer even when she doesn't know what to specifically pray for. She is a woman of the Word and makes Truth a priority, along with loving her family and her friends. She is such a treasure!

The bird is from Inkadinkado, colored with SU! Chocolate Chip and Mellow Moss markers, using the huffing method. I used the scalloped Nestie to cut the focal shape out and then "scuffed" the edges on the Chocolate Chip ink pad. SU! DP and the Cuttle Bug Bird embossing folder and the final element is the bow, blue silk ribbon edged in brown. The sentiment is from Verve Stamps, one of the singles Julie offers. Love all her sentiments!

Hope you are enjoying a great 4th of July, celebrating the amazing freedoms we enjoy, all at great cost. We owe so many a debt of gratitude for defending these freedoms.

God Bless America!

TTFN!

Artha

Birds

Happy Saturday, Friends! This is another quick card using pre-made sheets of tags, some matching DP and a punched border. How easy can it get? I made MANY of these little cards, which are appropriate for most occasions: encouragement, birthday, thank you, etc. Just add a brad to connect the greeting or sentiment and off you go.

Thanks for looking!

Tree of Love

Hello Dearies! Are you ready for a long weekend and to celebrate our nation and our freedoms? I am privileged to have 4 days!! WOW!! I even came home at 1 PM today and I feel like it was Saturday! It is not often that I leave the salt mine before 6-7 PM and I am IN there between 6 and 7 AM. So what a joy to have some extended time off!

This card was my DH's Father's Day card. He is such a gem and the love of my life! The tree is PTI as is the sentment. Love their stamps and designs!! Scraps of polka dots in green and some manly brown ribbon and it was done!!

Hope you all had a GREAT week and have a stellar 4th planned to celebrate!

TTFN!

Artha

Howdy do, Stampin' friends! This is about the easiest card ever made. It was my son's birthday card last month. He was 24. I found these great tags all in 1 12x12 sheet and it was motorcycles, cars and I saw masculine cards out the wazoo! I have such a struggle making cards for the men in my life. This was such a snap. I used scraps and some other punch outs from the 12x12 tag sheet and stamped the sentiment. Sorry, I do not have the names of the sources. Hope you all had a stellar day!

TTFN!

Artha