Spring Is Here

Hi There
I do hope you are all well and Mother Nature is smiling on you.

Spring has finally arrived in our neck of the woods. I’ve been playing in the dirt amongst the gorgeous flowers and in the glorious sunshine.   Can't tell you how much I've enjoyed myself in spite of the sore muscles. We are having spring showers today, good excuse to pop in here and let you know I‘m still alive. I have found time to play in the Closet as well. Seems all my cards of late have been inspired by the flowers in bloom around me.

My card today was made for my DIL Ludy. I like to personalize my cards whenever possible, as Ludy is originally from the Philippines I used the traditional Filipino birthday greeting in the Tagalog dialect. It translates to say Happy Wishes on Your Birthday!

I followed Beata’s tutorial to make my Swing Z Fold card.  At the moment there are King Alfred daffodils, forsythia and lovely dandelions blooming in my garden and the Gold Finches are visiting the feeders.  Their lovely yellow colors have inspired the color of the flowers on my card.

Except for the base everything on my card came from my scrap files so I will be sharing it with the gals in Di’s playground for Pixie's Crafty Snippets Challenge - Number 16  Why don’t you get out your scraps (we all know you have them unless you’ve never made a card in your life or heaven forbid toss them out) create something and join in the fun. 

Have an Amazing Day!

Blessings
Bernie
Click here to give --- It’s Free

Christmas Angel

Hi There
I’d like to extend a warm welcome my new followers.  I hope you will enjoy your visits and come back often.  Please do leave me a comment so I know you've been here and I will be sure to visit you as well.  A big Thank You to all of you who have stopped by to leave me a comment even though I haven’t been around for a while.

Will someone please tell me spring is on it’s way, PLEASE!  I do realize I’m blessed and other parts of the country are suffering server damaging weather but I’ve had just about enough of Mother Nature’s tantrums in our neck of the woods. We have had frightening (keep you up all night wondering if your home will be blown away) winds and another 5” of the white stuff last night. I know you’re all thinking ‘Want some cheese with that whine Bernie?’ I think I have a bit of (SAD) Seasonal Affective Disorder. I need some sunshine.  I have been busy in the Craft Closet and I have tried to keep up on my commenting but simply haven’t felt like posting here. I’d like to enter my card in Sandra’s Rudolph Day Challenge so here I am.

I found this lovely 1990 Hero Arts stamp called Christmas Angel in a thrift shop. The wood block is stained with an assortment of inks, obviously well loved but after 22 years it still stamps a crisp clear image. I think the sparkle maybe distoring the photo, her face and hair seem washed out or blured in every shot I've taken.  I stamped her with Stazon ink (Why does that stuff smell so bad?) and colored her with colored pencils. I used my Quicky Glue pen on her wings and the snow behind her then sprinkled with Holographic EP. I have a box I call my ‘That Didn’t Work’ box. Whenever, for whatever reason, something is not right for it’s intended use I pop it in that little box. I try to go to that box and my scraps (snippets) before resorting to cutting into something new. The embossed back ground, scalloped oval and bow were in that box. The angel was stamped on a scrap. I cut out the tip of her wing then used my oval die to cut her out. The blue card and ribbon were also scraps so I am also entering this card in Di’s Pixies Snippet Challenge 9.  Geez Di I haven't been to the playground for such a long time I hope you'll let me have a ride on the swings. 

I’m coming up on my 100^th post. As often as I disappear I find that astounding. I will be offering a small candy to celebrate. Jim is scheduled for a number of tests and doctors appointments so I'm not sure when I'll make it to that 100 mark but stay tuned.

Please do keep Jim in your thoughts and prayer. Hopefully these test will show the doctors how to help make him more comfortable.

I hope this finds you all well and enjoying lovely weather, if not I hope you’ll wake in the morning to sunshine and good health.   
Have an Amazing Day!

Blessings
Bernie
Click here to give --- It’s Free

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

My card today is to promote breast cancer awareness. I used the free digi HOPE ribbon from Incy Wincy Designs. I printed it on pink card stock, cut it out then mounted it onto a Spellbinders Classic Ovals Lg. I colored the border of the oval with liquid gold DecoColor pen. The lace, flowers, half pearls and rhinestones are from my stash.
  One look at my blog and you know Breast Cancer is a subject close to my heart. My dearest friend Susie is a 25 yr. survivor thanks to early detection by mammogram.  My daughter Donna was diagnosed with breast cancer on 1-11-11. She has only recently completed her treatments and is now in remission. Thankfully Donna’s cancer was discovered very early by mammogram. Even after they pin pointed where the tumor was neither she nor her doctors could feel it. This shows just how important it is to get your mammograms regularly.


You can also help save someone else’s life. In this dreadful economy many women, my sister included, have lost their medical insurance and can no longer afford their mammograms. On my side bar and at the bottom of every post I have links to the Breast Cancer site. Please click on one of those links whenever you visit, it only takes a second and each time you do a sponsor will donate funds so women can receive free mammograms.

Thank you for stopping by. I truly treasure each and every kind word you leave me.

Have an Amazing Day!

Blessings
Bernie
Click here to give --- It’s Free

BOO!

Hi There
Just a quick post and a simple card today. I’ve never made a Halloween card before, just never had the need for one.  This is what I came up with when I was asked to make one. 

I don’t have any Halloween stamps, papers etc. I found this spider web on the net and printed it on to Transparency Film. I used my Spellbinders Classic Ovals Lg to cut the transparency, a window in my black card base and an orange frame. I printed and hand cut the sentiment and added green paper on the inside to finish.

Have an Amazing Day!

Blessings
Bernie 
Click here to give --- It’s Free

LOVE

Hi There, I hope you are enjoying a lovely day.

I think this card could be used for a wedding, anniversary, engagement or just to let someone know they are loved. 

This was a quick card.  I used my MS scoreboard to score my card then punched the edge with my Fiskars scalloped punch. It was layered on to my favorite blue card and then on to the card base.  Teeny tiny half pearls were added where each score line intersects. The sentiment was stamped with chalk ink then cut with Classic Ovals Lg and layered on to Scalloped Ovals Lg. A pretty white ribbon and bow to tie it all together.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Have an Amazing Day!

Blessings
Bernie

Sisters at Heart

Hi There

Hope you are enjoying your day and looking forward to a lovely weekend.

I made this card for my dearest friend. Susie is my forever friend. She has known me forever, well since high school and beyond. She knows all my secrets, where all the bodies are buried and she loves me anyway? And I love her. Susie reminded me recently that we will soon be celebrating the 50^th anniversary of our friendship. We met on the first day of high school and have been the best of friends ever since. Susie loves all shades and hues of purple.





The frame was made using a MS daisy border punch. Becca at Amazing Paper Grace has a wonderful tutorial on how to
Punch A Perfect Border Frame here.

The little hearts were already embossed on the pink card stock when I found it. I made the white flower from organza ribbon. The sentiments is a Michael’s $1 rubber stamp. Everything else is from my stash and you know was either found in a thrift shop or yard sale.



Don’t know why I can’t get a decent photo of it but the inside says:

Not Sisters At Birth

But we knew from the start

God put us together

To be Sisters at Heart.

Cheap Trick:  Becca of Amazing Paper Grace has an amazing talent for looking at her punches and coming up with fascinating new ways to use them.  Use the link above to go to her YouTube channel.  Unlike others Becca cuts to the meat of the subject and gives simple to understand directions without endless chatter.  Be warned you maybe there for a while as she has many tutorials.  Not just on the use of punches but all things Spellbinders and ribbon as well. 

Thanks for visiting. I appreciate your comments.
Have an Amazing Day
Blessings
Bernie

Lost & Found

Hi There!
Last October 2010 I mailed a card to my girl friend Diane in Alabama. A few weeks ago I found it my mail box.  One can only wonder where it had been. The envelope was a little dirty and the stamp was missing but otherwise it was fine.  I checked to be sure the card was unharmed, took a photo of it and sent it on again.  I'm happy to say this time it actually got to her.

I didn’t have a rectangle die so I used my Spellbinders Big Scalloped Squares LG and cut thru the center, over lapped the center scallops and used my ribbon to hide the cut. I stamped the corners in green chalk ink then embossed with Sparkle EP. I printed the sentiment on Word then cut and embossed with Classic Oval Lg. I used Crayola glitter glue around the edge and layered on to a Classic Scalloped Oval Lg. The Ribbon and Lace were thrift shop finds. The flower and dragon fly were in a blog candy from Pam of Smiffy’s Cards.   Thanks Pam!

“Cheap Trick” I found some EP in a yard sale grab bag but didn’t have a heat tool. I tried the microwave, the oven, holding it over the toaster, and even heating up a skillet. I wouldn’t advise any of those. 
What worked beautifully was my iron. After stamping with Versamark or chalk ink and sprinkling with EP I held my paper with a clothes pin or tweezers.  One area at a time, I gently rubbed the back of my paper against the iron in a circular motion,  just until the EP melted then moved to another area. Until you can afford a heat tool or if yours dies you can use this method in a pinch.

If you do this please be very careful.    To prevent bumping into it, set your iron well away from your work area on a solid heat proof surface.

Thanks for stopping by today and thank you for your wonderful comments.Have an Amazing Day.
Blessings
Bernie

Purple Fairy

Hello Blog Friends
I do hope you are all enjoying a lovely weekend and the weather is comfortable for you.  A few days ago we were in shorts and running the A/C this morning we are bundled up and the heater is on.  It is supposed to be a comfortable weekend but the heat is on the horizon.
I needed a birthday card for my granddaughter Callie, who loves fairies. I had the fairy and the background  but couldn’t  make them work together.   When I saw Di’s card HERE a light bulb went on. I had the beginnings of the shadow box card in my “Well that didn’t work” file so I pulled it out. The fairy was on the corner of a note pad. I adhered her to some card stock and cut her out.   

For the front I cut my pink card stock using Classic Scalloped Oval Lg. then Classic Oval Lg. and adhered it around my window. I used pieces of a Sizzlit branch with leaves to form a branch over the window then added my rope swing.  Why wouldn't a fairy be tempted to take a swing on a rope.  I couldn’t allow her to actually swing as her back is blank, I glued the tip of her wing to the edge of the window and her hands to the rope.            

  

I adhered my background to the inside then made a pocket for gift card on the back.

I love shadow box cards they are quite easy to put together really looks striking but lays flat for mailing. 
Thanks for stopping by today and thank you for your wonderful comments.
Have an Amazing Day.
Blessings
Bernie

Blue Sympathy

Yesterday I got to play with my 10 yr. old grandson Sean. No time in the closet but I did enjoy my time with him. I don’t get to have him to myself very often anymore.

I wish I had no need for sympathy cards, but I often do. My dear friend lost her mother so I made this rather simple card to convey my sympathy.

I ran some white card stock through my Cuttlebug in a lattice EF. I cut a diagonal strip out of the center and adhered the two pieces to a blue base. I used an EK Success scalloped border punch on both edges of a blue strip of card stock and added my lace on top of it. The sentiment was generated with Word then cut and embossed with Spellbinders Classic Ovals Lg., highlighted with a little chalk and layered on Classic Scalloped Ovals Lg. I finished with some pearls and a MS butterfly.

“Cheap Trick” of the day. If you don’t own a Cuttlebug or other embossing machine, you can placed your card stock in an embossing folder and run it through your pasta machine. I did this for a long time and can say it works quite well. If you don’t have a pasta machine, I’ve heard you will be able to emboss your card stock by sprizting it with water, placing it inside an embossing folder and rolling with a rolling pin. I’ve heard this works but I think it would take a lot of muscle. I haven’t tried it myself.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comments.
Have an Amazing Day.
Blessings
Bernie