Good Morning Magnolias

Good Morning, my friends! It's taken over a month, but I have completed a card to share! (I did have four lumbar injections last month which have taken care of a good 50% of pain, and I am beginning to be able to walk in the house again. The resulting "flares" from my other diseases from the trauma of the procedure are also beginning to abate. FINGERS CROSSED!)

I hope this finds you doing well, and not being too adversely affected by the recent flooding and heat wave. You, my blogging friends, are always in my thoughts with deep gratitude.

Today's card is the result of an image stamped eons ago at a friend's house. It's from my "unfinished box" of stash, and is colored with Copic Markers. The pretty rectangular lace die was much too long, so I snipped a portion out of it and taped it together in a shorter version:

The sentiments are from a virginal Penny Black set that is at least 5 years old. I'm so happy to finally ink it with Forest Green Versafine Clair and heat set with clear detail EP! A little of my Great Aunt Agnes' pink lace shows (from the 1940s), and an inked Die'sire EF called Regency Swirls adorns the side:

The right side of the pearl green card base has been stripe embossed with a bone folder, but the photos don't reflect the deep grooves very well with the shine from the cardstock finish:

This card is for a dear friend who has the most amazingly generous spirit of kindness. Through no fault of her own, she has found herself victim to Florida's double-digit inflation, and skyrocketing home costs. It's no where near as pretty as her creations, but with my current situation of just being able to do things a little at time, she will treasure the card.

Products: Dies: Spellbinders S5-357 Chantilly Paper Lace, Grands (Ovals, and Scalloped Ovals); Stamps: Stampin' Up Good Morning Magnolias, Penny Black Heartfelt Clear Set 30-286, MISC: Great Aunt Agnes' Antique Lace, Copic Markers, Distress Inks, Versafine Clair Forest Green, Clear EP

Please scroll on down for some personal photos.

Challenges I would like to play in:

1. Craft Rocket Challenges #95 Flowers 8/28
2. Paper Funday Challenges #44 Friendship 9/4 (This card is for a dear friend who has the most amazingly generous spirit of kindness. Through no fault of her own, she has found herself victim to Florida's double-digit inflation, and skyrocketing home costs. It's no where near as pretty as her creations, but with my current situation of just being able to do things a little at time, she will treasure the card.)
3. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2232 AG 8/15
4. A Perfect Time to Craft #8 AG 9/1
5. Classic Design Challenge #8 AG 9/1
6. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #187 AG 8/20
7. Tic Tac Toe Challenge #174 Use the graph (I used diagonal right to left pink, pattern paper (in oval die cut), and 3 die cuts 8/18

May I share a few other interesting things from central rural Florida?

Just down the drive, Jack found this rattle snake. It is about 2.5 feet long. Age is determined by the number of rattles on its tail. This one has 11 rattles. Rattles are formed as the snake sheds its skin, which takes place 2-3 times a year. We have friendly black snakes in our "yard" which help keep venomous snakes away:

For those of you who enjoy the Monstera Philodendron plants, this is one commonly called "Swiss Cheese" for obvious reasons. I rooted this plant from another that is at least 35 years old. This spring it sported an unopened bloom:

Then there were three flowers! Since they are in the pool cage (lanai), I hope they can pollinate one another:

The plant is so large, I've had to severely prune it two more times, and it is still larger than this:

Wishing you a beautiful day!

hugs,

Remember PSX?

Hi! Gosh - I was inspired to make these cards last summer for my friend, whose brother passed away from COVID. Apparently, I wrote a post but forgot to upload the photos and publish! Sure do wish my brain was active again! Hope you enjoy them.

I needed a few sympathy cards, and thinking of you type cards, so I looked in my "unfinished box" and found some gold embossed PSX Calla Lily botanical flowers needing to be colored. I used some very forgiving watercolor Mica paints, knowing that coloring outside the lines wouldn't really show up much.

Lapsing into the "old styles" of designing, I found myself wanting to make the shabby chic look. Lots  of my blogging
friends successfully use printed papers in their die cutting, so I tried it here on one card with the leaves. I am in love with that idea! 

THANK YOU, FRIENDS, for the fine inspiration!

It was also relaxing doing ink-distressing, and paper distressing. The sentiments and images were gold embossed:

Though these cards are hardly difficult, it did take me nearly 8 weeks to get them made, so it was a true labor of love.

The mica paints made lots of sparkle!

Included are two NBUS (never before used supplies) products (do the lily stamps count even though they were in my stash box? I had never before made a card with them), and the Anna Griffin Slim Line "Gentlemen's Study" die set (sentiments). 

Darkened photo to show sparkly-shimmery pearlessence:

Even though I could not capture the pearlessence of the watercolors, I must say they made me quite happy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Products: Stamps: PSX Calla Lily Araceae, SU! Elegant Cheer - Paper: Nitwit Paris Collection, Brown-Tan, White - Dies: SU Labels Punch, SB Chantilly Paper Lace, SB Foliage S4-328, Anna Griffin Slim Line "Gentlemen's Study" die set - Inks: VersaMark, Versafine Clair Golden Meadow, Distress Pumice Stone - Other: Gold Detail EP, Copper Dreams EP, Watercolor Mica Paints, Copic Marker Warm Gray01

I would like to play in the following challenges please:

1. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2220 AG 5/22 (sep post)
2. A Place to Start Challenge #052022 AG w Twist: Lillies and Lace (calla lilies and Chantilly Paper Lace die) 6/6 
3. Creative Crafters Challenge #52 AG 6/8
4. Inspiration Station #30 Flower Shop (What a beautiful photo of a flower shop! Flowers always brighten a person's day to let them know someone cares about them and is thinking of them) 6/6
5. Dies R Us #193 AG dies DRU carries 5/28 (sep post) (using SB Chantilly Paper Lace, SB Foliage S4-328)
6. A Perfect Time to Craft #5 AG Flowers 6/1
7. Classic Design Challenge #5 AG 6/1 sep post

Lovingly,

Looking in all the Right Places?

Greetings! And Big Hugs to you each! It took me a month to create these cards, but slowly, if I am persistent, in one-to-five minute increments, I do manage to accomplish things around the house and in my craft room. Hopefully better days are around the corner. Thanks for your kind friendships, endearing thoughts, and for keeping in touch.

Today's cards are silly, inspired first by my husband for our 46th wedding anniversary last month. The other four are "thinking of you" and "birthday" cards. 

Colored simply with Copic Markers and Distress Inks, each card was stamped in a different color VersaFine Clair ink and heat embossed with clear detail EP. All the cards contain the same elements, except the sentiments differ:

Purple Lovers "Thinking of You" (inside "Enough about me - thinking of you and wondering what you have been up to." The front sentiment always makes me laugh:

The Penny Black border actually only cuts on one side. The stitched side needed to be hand cut:

Blue & Tan Birthday card for Color Hues Color Challenge:

Jacky's Anniversary card - he's been such a marvelous person, friend, hubby, lover and caregiver over the decades. Yes, the inside is mushy (giggle):

Green Thinking of You with a different front sentiment. Each card was dry embossed with the same striped folder. This card and the purple one were also inked:

Lastly, the pink birthday card:

Thank you for not giving up on me, and for visiting today! I miss you all!

Products: Images: Bear in Trash Stamps by Judith, Dot Peg Stamps by Judith, Digital Sentiment, 2 fun sentiments by Custer's Last Stamp, Dies: SW Double Pierced Squares CED5509, SW Pierced Flags CED4304, IO Small Grass Die178-C, IO Grass DIE038-J, Penny Black Border Edgers 51-231, Taylored Expressions Banner Stacklets, SU punch, Other: Copic Markers, Distress Inks, VersaFine Clair Inks, Clear Detail EP, Embossing Folder by Tonic "Simple Stripes".

Fine Challenges I'm playing in:

1. DRU Challenge #192 AG with metal die they carry 5/13 (Dies: SW Double Pierced Squares CED5509, SW Pierced Flags CED4304, IO Small Grass Die178-C,  IO Grass DIE038-J, Penny Black Border Edgers 51-231, Taylored Expressions Banner Stacklets) 05/15 (sep post)
2. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2219 AG 05/16 (sep post)
3. Critter Crazy Challenges #62 AG with a critter 06/01 (sep post)
4. Color Hues Color Challenge #40 Blue and Tan 05/15 (blue and tan card shown)
5. Crafty Animals #61 Anything with an Animal 05/27
6. A Perfect Time to Craft #5 AG 06-01
7. Classic Design Challenge #5 AG 06-01 (2 thinking of you, 2 birthday, 1 anniversary)
8. Crafty Friends #155 Animals 06/01 (scroll down)
9. The Paper FunDay Challenges #41 06/01 (anniversary card for hubby)

Stamping Hugs,

Turner Syndrome Card Auction!

 Lori has posted her Turner Syndrome Card Auction! It opened at 9AM this morning. Check out the beautiful cards (for all occasions) that your fellow crafters have donated for this worthy cause.

TS Card Auction

if for any reason you are unable to place a bid on the Instagram Site, please send it with all your relevant info to Lori at 

mulchlady6@gmail.com

Enjoy being inspired by all the wonderful cards, and supporting a worthy cause as well!

For more information about Lori's journey and the card auction, please click here.

hugs,

de