WaterColor Jazz

Hello everyone. I am so excited about this new product I just picked up and I want to share with everyone. I could never master water coloring although I did try, so finally, I just gave up and would dabble using distress inks and my Nuvou Mousse but none was real watercolor.

But all that has changed with these Kuretake Zig Clean Brush pens.  These pens are awesome and even my attempts look almost like a professional did it. No, I haven't mastered these pens but using them for the first time gave me results I never expected and a lot of hope for my future.

Below is my first attempt at watercolor. I thought it was good enough to warrant a card. 

I used a sentiment and images from Altenew "Beautiful Day" stamp collection. My watercolor paper is Strathmore Bristol Smooth Surface and my coloring media was Zig Watercolor pens.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Crafting With Attitude - #38 Anything Goes (4/29)
QKR Stampede - #293 Anything Goes (5/3)
Polkadoodles Crafting - Wk#17 Anything Goes (5/3)
Simply Papercraft - #57 Anything Goes (5/26)
Creative Fingers - #145 Anything Goes (5/3)
Colour Crazy - Wk#17 Anything Goes (5/10)
Brown Sugar - #277 Pearls/Mother's Day (5/7)

That's all I have for tonight. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you come again real soon.

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Quirky and Funny

Boy have I been busy stepping outside my comfort zone. First I got involved with scenic stamping using Stampscapes stamps and glossy paper, then I moved on to creating with alcohol inks and Yupo paper. 

But I didn't stop there, nope I moved into the paints (so outside my zone) and I must say I really do like the Nuvo embellishment mousse and pearl drops. 

Another product that caught my eye is the Dylusions paint series by Dylan Reaveley in conjunction with Ranger. The paint is vibrant and fluid and created specifically for journal page creations.

Well, I am a card maker so I had to figure how to use this paint to create my cards and that wasn't hard.  All these inks are so versatile and can be used in so many ways. I created several cards and would like to share a couple with you. I used digital images from my stash and colored them with Spectrum Noir markers.  The sentiments I used are all by Dylan Reaveley.

Although these cards are far from my usual style and so outside my comfort zone, I still hope they will inspire you and maybe even bring a smile. 

Both card backgrounds were created with Dylusions paint and stencils. I used a gel pen to add little bits here and there.  The sentiments are by  Dylan Reaveley in conjunction with Ranger. I love these sentiments because they are quirky and funny. 

So there you have my latest adventure in the world of crafting and paper.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Crafting With Attitude - #38 Anything Goes (4/29)
Simply Papercraft - #56 Anything Goes (425)
Jo's Scrap Shack -#229 Anything Goes (4/19)
Creative Fingers - #144 Anything Goes (4/19)
Polkadoodles Crafting - Wk. 15 Anything Goes
Crafting With Friends - #65 Anything Goes (4/24)
Colour Crazy - #15 Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and come again soon.

Sending Hugs From Texas

~Lesia

Out to Sea

Hello Everyone! Can you believe how long it has been since I last posted anything? Well I found this new facebook group and I have been so busy interacting with the members and learning so much around using and creating scenes with Stampscapes Stamps that I have fallen behind on most everything else, but today I decided that I would get a post completed and share a card with those of you that still visit.

If you have a sailor in the family or know someone serving in the Navy then this little card might be just what you were looking for.

I created this card using stamps from Stampscapes and colored it with several dye-based inks using a Colorbox stylus tool and a few sponges. I used Recollections Navy Blue cardstock and Neenah White Cardstock. Very simple and easy to make but sends the message out to sea perfectly.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Get Creative - #68 No Pattern Paper (4/30)
Artistic Inspirations - #197 Anything Goes (4/14)
Always Fun Challenge - #52 Happy Birthday (4/7)
Little Patch of Crafty Friends - #79 Anything Goes (4/13)

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment to say hello.

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Look for the beauty in everything, everywhere and everyone.

International Women's Day

International Woman's Day means many things to many people and for me, it means that we should celebrate the accomplishments of women around the world and all throughout history. It also stands for individuality, being able to be you without fear of rejection and accepted as an equal gender. March 8th is the day that every woman should come together and celebrate each other. To all my crafting friends I want to say "Thank you for being you" I would want nothing more and nothing less. So in honor of women everywhere I share this card with you.

To create the card I used a Fancy Pants paper pad that I've had for a really long time and an image that is just as old and I have no memory of how I acquired it.

This card was easy enough to assemble, I used Copics to color the image, added a few brads and used more paper from the same pad to complete the inside. I did add a space for a personal message after the photo was taken.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Simply Papercraft - #55 Anything Goes
Morgan's Artworld - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers - #143Anything Goes
Polkadoodles - Wk #10 Anything Goes
Crafting With Friends - #62 Anything Goes
Colour Crazy - #10 Anything Goes

That's all I have for tonight. Thanks for stopping by and as always "Seek to find beauty in all things"

Sending Hugs From Texas

~Lesia

Stampscapes Scenes

Hello All,

I have been busy these past few weeks taking lessons to improve my coloring ability and creating panoramic scenes using one stamp or more.  This has been so much fun and today I would like to share a few of my creations.  I hope this will inspire you to check out the YouTube videos by Kevin owner of Stampscapes (linked at the end of this post) and maybe if you haven't played with this type of coloring you will.  This is a short post but it has quite a few photos (more than 4) so relax for a minute and browse through them. 

The cards above were all created using Stampscapes stamps and colored with various ink types on various types of paper.  So now a few more to share.

These are scenes created using the same brand stamps that will eventually become the center/focal point of a card.  

Oh well, that is all I have for this post.  The stamps I used are linked below.

Autumn Brook 212G
Lakeside Cabin 147F
Lakeside Cove 049G
Maple Brook 259F
Rocky Peaks 188F
Sedge Filler 251C

If you'd like to see Kevin's videos just click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day.

Hugs and Kisses 

From Texas

~Lesia

All You Need is Love

Love, Love, All you need is love...remember that song from long ago? Well, the day for all hearts to come alive is here and the florist is pleased with the number of flowers and chocolate that has been sold.  As for me, I think if I were given a box of markers or crayons and a bouquet of lace I would be just as happy and feel just as loved (smiles).

Today I am going to share two cards with you that I hope you will like.  One is without any coloring and the other is with an image and coloring.  They both represent the day of caring and loving one another.  So here we go.

This card was created using Spellbinders Nested Hearts Die, Martha Stewart Border Die, Lace, Ribbon and DP from Cosmos. I inked my edges using Distress Inks, printed out a greeting and added a lock from my stash to complete the card.  I couldn't find a key flat enough for the inside so I just stamped a greeting.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Moo-Mania - #159 Love (2/20)
Creative Moments - #136 Anything Goes (2/19)
Crafty Gals Corner - #159 Add A Heart (2/26)
Craftaholics R Us - #7 RED (2/20)
Crafty Addicts - #45 Anything Goes/Loved Up

When I created this card I was trying to use paper I had in my stash from last year and I think it is by Paper Studio from Hobby Lobby.  I think my image is one from Mo Manning but I can't recall the name of it or anything.  I colored her with my Copics, added a few Recollection flowers, stamped and cut out a greeting using Die'namics Fishtail dies to complete the card. On the inside, the heart border punch is one of Martha Stewarts.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes/Use Real Stamp (2/27)
Crafty Creations - #360 Anything Goes (2/27)
Crafting By Design - Be My Valentine (2/20)
Pause Dream Enjoy - #7 Anything Goes (2/20)
Try it On Tuesday - Love Is In The Air (2/19)

That's all I have for today. I really must go see about my laundry, after all the washer stopped almost an hour ago and the dryer who knows.  Seems like I forget everything whenever I go in my craft room (you know what I mean).

But as always thanks for stopping by and find beauty in all things.

Sending Hugs From Texas

~Lesia

Little Graduate

Surprise fellow crafters, I am back again with another post.  It has been quite some time since I created a scrapbook page so this was something I really had fun doing.  My youngest grandson graduated from kindergarten in 2016 and I am just now getting around to creating a page for him, so I would like to share my page with you but before I do I have an announcement to make.

LOYALTY WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

The winner of my loyalty giveaway.....

 per Mr. Random is

entry number 12

CONGRATULATIONS TO "JEANIE ELLIS"

Please email me at memascrafts2@gmail.com with your shipping information.

Note: You must claim your win before Saturday, February 17th.

Now on to my scrapbook page creation I have to share with everyone.

To create this page I used Graphic 45 paper from the "ABC Collection" along with their stickers and chipboard pieces. I layered and inked all my edges using Distress inks and to add dimension I used a few pop dots here and there.  My inspiration comes from Arlene, "Butterfly Kisses" who I think is one of the best when it comes to creating with Graphic 45. Hope my page has inspired you to create a page if you haven't in a while or if you've never given it a try. These projects make a perfect conversation piece and can be part of your home decor.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

QKR Stampede - #282 Anything Goes (2/15)

Crafting With Friends - #60 Anything Goes (2/14)

Polkadoodles Crafting - Week #6 Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - #75 Anything Goes (2/16)

That's all I have for this post.  I hope everyone has a fabulous, loving Valentine's Day and I'll check back in next week with everyone with hopefully another giveaway.

As always thanks for stopping by.  

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Love Is In The Air

Are you looking for the giveaway?

Click Here

February, the month of romance and love in its simplest form has arrived and Cupid is dancing as folks prepare to share their hearts with the ones they love (family, friends, and special ones).

I wanted to create something that was masculine and cute but my brain just wasn't prepared to leave the flowers and the bling so I had to search for inspiration.  After a couple of days, I found what I was looking for and now to share it with you.  My inspiration came from Tracy owner of "I Wanna Create A Memory". To see Tracy's creation click here.  Kudos and thanks for the inspiration.

Without any other chatter here is my card, perfect for the man that has stolen your heart or perhaps you allowed him to take it (smile).

The paper I used was by My Mind's Eye "Union Square" and the stamp is from Mo's Digital Pencil titled "Heart Thief". 
I colored the image using Copics, cut it out with my Brother Scan N Cut and positioned it on Spellbinders Standard Circles die.  I added two hearts using Spellbinders Nested Hearts and generated a greeting on the computer that I cut with a Die-namics Fishtail Banner die. Other items used include natural twill twine and EK Success picture corner punch.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Simply Papercraft - #54 Anything Goes

Quick Quotes - Friday Challenge #84 "LOVE" (2/25)

Cut It Up - #141 Layers of Love (2/21)

Creative Fingers - #142 Anything Goes (2/23)

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes "Love Is In The Air" (2/14)

Crafting With Friends - #60 Anything Goes (2/14)

Colour Crazy Craft - Week#6 Anything Goes 

Brown Sugar - #275 Valentine Day (2/28)

As always thanks for stopping by

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Loyalty Giveaway

Finally!!!! I have battled with this flu virus and so far I have won the war.  When you suffer from COPD (chronic obtrusive pulmonary disorder) fighting the flu is a daily and aggressive fight. For two weeks I couldn't get out of my bed.  The first week was hell since I live alone and at times I thought it was over.  The second week one of my crafting buddies and a close friend decided to take care of me.  Unfortunately, my crafting buddy is a nurse so she took charge of my life and got me out of the bed and sitting for periods of time.  All she kept telling me was she could not allow my flu to turn into pneumonia and I agreed with her. My bedroom looked and smelled like a hospital room, all that was missing was the blood being drawn and shots being administered.  Around the third week I was mobile again but ordered to stay indoors and to avoid other people, which I obeyed to the letter and it worked.  I was able to craft a bit and surf the internet and even chat with folks on Facebook.  And now approximately one month later I am back to normal and happy to be in my craft room again.  My battle began on December 28th and ended a couple of days ago.  I am blessed!

I noticed that eight followers have left me, and that's okay. Sometimes we follow not for inspiration but for the free goodies and when there are no more goodies then off we go. For those of you that continued to hang out I have a little giveaway but before I share the giveaway I would like to share a couple of cards with you.

This card was made using Heartfelt Creations designer paper and a sheet of cardstock. The focal point was a topper I cut from one sheet of the paper pack and the rest was easy to assemble.

I completed the inside using the same designer pack and I just love how it turned out.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes
Colour Crazy - Wk#4 Anything Goes
Crafters Castle - #1 Anything Goes

 I created this card using some Graphic 45 paper that I had in my stash.  Yep on a mission to use what I have.

Below is the inside which is plain but coordinates with the front of the card.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Polkadoodle - Week #4 Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - #142 Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - #274 Birthday

Now moving on to my giveaway.  I have 3 Spellbinders dies that I can share with someone since it appears I have two of them (that's what happens when you purge). Just add your name to Mr. Linky below and cross your fingers.  The photo only shows two dies but I am actually giving away three.

NOTE: Find more giveaways on the Blog Giveaway Directory by clicking HERE.

SIGN UP FOR GIVEAWAY BELOW

Vintage and Frosty

Hello All.  I thought I would get one more post in before Christmas and with only one week to go, I am cutting it really close.  The excitement of Christmas doesn't hit me until the morning of when I am awakened by the giggles and laughter of the little ones that still believe in fairies and magic.  

But until then I'll continue to play in my craft room and share my creations with my crafting buddies.  Today I have two cards to share that I think are very different but both represent the holiday.

My first card was made using Maja Design designer paper and kraft cardstock. I distressed the paper edges and added a few embellishments to complete the layout.  The greeting says "Christmas Blessings" which I cut from the paper.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Crea Chicky's - Challenge Christmas (12/26)
Crafty Hazelnut Pattern Paper - December 2017 (12/31)
Crafts Galore Encore - #47 Merry Christmas (12/30)
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Goes Holiday (12/31)
Scrap and Craft - #10 Anything Christmas (12/27)
Crafty Calendar - Its Christmas (12/27)
The Rubber Buggy - #8 Winter and/or Christmas (12/31)

I used the "Frostyville Broder" die from Memory Box and an image from Mo Manning to complete this card. I added a few embellishments from my stash and colored the image using Copic Markers.  The greeting I printed and used a Spellbinder tag die to cut it out.  Although you can't see it, the snow around the image is stickled as well as parts of his scarf and hat. I then sprayed the entire card with glitter dust to give it all a really nice sparkle. Perfect for the snowfall.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas - Winter Cards (12/31)
CCC Digi Creations - #87 Happy Christmas (12/28)
Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Extra - December 2017 (12/30)
Country View Challenges - Christmas (12/31)
A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes (12/26)
Cheerful Sketch Challenges - Sketch (12/29)
A Gem of A Challenge - #209 Anything Christmas (01/03)
Allsorts Challenge - Cold and Frosty (12/21)

Well, everyone, that's all I have until next year.  I sincerely hope each of you will have a blessed holiday and that the new year will bring you many more.

Sending Hugs From Texas

~Lesia

Christmas Blessings and GiveAway

Whew! After safely driving (actually I simply rode, but that was hard to do) from Texas to North Carolina and back (total of 35 hours) I have finally recuperated enough to finish creating my Christmas cards and am once again ready to share.

I also want to announce that I will soon be giving away a "Pazzles" cutting machine to include several cartridges to go along with it.  Unfortunately, though the winner will have to commit to paying the cost to ship it since I think it will be more than I am willing to pay.  When will I give it away you ask..well..my goal is to award it as soon as I reach 700 followers or someone offers to buy it $150, whichever comes first.  Everyone is invited to join in but unfortunately, the cost to ship overseas may simply not be worth it.  I've only used this machine 3 times, so when I say it is new it certainly is new.

After my third video tutorial, I decided that it would be easier to stick with Cricut so I purchased the newest version of that machine. I put the Pazzles machine back in its box and in the closet, it went and it has sat there for over 2 years gathering dust (thank goodness it was in a box).  At first, I thought I would sell it at a really good price but never did so now I am going to offer it for free.

Included in this bundle is the Pazzles machine complete with the users manual and warranty information. 




This giveaway and others can be found on the Blog Giveaway Directory. Click here to see more listings.

I also purchased a few image CDs so there is a ton of images that can be used for your projects and it comes with a whole book of ideas to get you started.  


If you're interested just keep a watch out so you can add your name to the list and become a follower if you're not one already.  By the way, tell your friends and add it to your blog so we can drive the numbers up quickly.

Now on to what I have to share with everyone.  I have a few cards for those special people in our lives that we seldom think of until we need them.  You know the ones...our mechanic, beautician, the nurse at the doctor's office, the lady that grooms your pet and even our local postman.  I thought it would be nice to let them know we think and appreciate them as well.  Here are the cards I want to share and enter into the challenges as listed.

This little card I thought would be perfect for the lady that grooms my little Yorkie-Poo every month.  I colored the image using Spectrum Noir and Copics and I changed the words on the cup to say Happy Holidays.  On the inside, the words say "Wishing you a Dog-gone awesome Christmas and a Tail-wagging New Year".

Kitty Bee Designs - #109 Anything Goes/Christmas (12/24)
Color Crazy Challenge - #48 Anything Goes/Must Color (12/15)
Winter Wonderland - Christmas Colors Red and Green (12/06)

Hopefully, this card will put a smile on my beautician's face.  The image is one by Robert Jackson and she was colored with Copics. The DP is an old MME called Santa Claus. The inside has two messages.  One side says "Beauty comes from the inside...from the inside of a Beauty Salon" and the second message in keeping with the Christmas spirit says, "Hope your holidays are "STYLED" with fun...Merry Christmas".

Simply Papercraft - #53 Anything Goes (12/28)
Crazy4Challenges - C4C414 Color Your Day

I certainly couldn't forget about the staff of nurses that sit at the front desk in my doctor's office.  The image is from Mo Manning and she was colored using Copic markers.  I used Spellbinders dies, a Martha Stewart punch and Basic Grey paper. The words I chose for this group of ladies is as follows: "Sending you guys wishes for a HEALTHY little Christmas and a WELL blessed New Year".

Quick Quotes Friday Challenge - #82 Die Cuts (12/29)
Crafty Calendar Challenge - It's Christmas (12/28)

Of course, there is the mechanic that keeps those vehicles of ours running and although they do charge quite a bit, I still think a little kindness will go a long way especially this time of year.  I received a set of vintage images as a gift from a friend and they were just in time for this card.  All I had to do was use my dies to create a frame, add some foam to the back for dimension and then adhere it to a card base.  I couldn't think of any wordplay phrases so I simply said "Wishing you a never-ending season of love and peace".

Crafting With Friends - #56 Anything Goes (12/13)

Crafty Hazelnut Christmas - #362 ATG Christmas/Quick&Easy (12/05)

Well, folks there you have it for me.  Not sure when I will get the chance to create and post again because things do get hectic this time of year.  I'm going to try and find time for my craft-room amidst all the chaos but until then

Stay safe, create and thanks for stopping by

Sending Hugs From Texas

~Lesia 

Funtimes in Texas

Hello All
Before I say anything else I would like to say thanks to Always Fun Challenges for selecting my entry as one of their Top 3 Picks.  Additionally, I was a blog candy winner over at Tindaloo in Cyberspace and I can't wait to get my winnings which is one of her digi stamps.  Yeah, I am off to a good start here...hope its a winning streak for me.

Now that I've gotten my announcements out of the way let me move on. I just realized that although Thanksgiving hasn't arrived all I can think of is we have only 6.5 weeks before Christmas. I've written out my Christmas list and now all that is left is to figure out how to get it all in time for Christmas.  Perhaps I'll get lucky with Black Friday sales being just around the corner.  Why do we go through this every year, perhaps its the whole atmosphere that makes the hustle worth it?

When I'm not out shopping to complete my Christmas list I am in my craft-room making sure that I have enough cards to share with friends and family.  This part I enjoy doing and sometimes I overdo it a bit.  But its fun creating and sharing what I've created so allow me to share one of my Christmas cards.

Creating this card was quick and easy to do.  All you need is cardstock, some scrap designer paper, a greeting stamp, and the Frostyville die.  Cut the die twice, turn one upside down and adhere to your mat.  Add a strip across the middle accented with a strip of scrap designer paper and then add your greeting.  That's all there is to it.  Quick and easy...I like'em like that sometimes. This idea really did come from one the challenges I am entering and the color combo was because of another challenge although the image wasn't Christmas at all lol.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

The Sketch File - November London Tube Sketch (12/04)
{PIN} Inspirational - #203 Inspiration Image (11/20)
Holly and Ivy Challenge - #18 Anything Christmas Goes (11/11)
Creates and Makes - #16 Anything Goes (11/26)

For this card, I used My Mind's Eye designer paper and black cardstock. I used a Fishtail Die and a Circle die along with a doily to create my layout.  Once the layout was completed I added my greeting, a poinsettia, and a few pearls as my finishing touch.  The hardest part of this card design was deciding on the paper combination.

I'd like to enter this one into the following challenges:

The Merry Christmas Challenge - #42 Anything Goes Christmas/Snow (11/13)
Inspiration Destination- #137 Anything Goes (11/14)
Creative Moments - #130 Anything Goes (11/14)
Crafty Creations - #354 Anything Goes (11/20)
Christmas at Sweet Stampin - Anything Goes Christmas (12/08)

Well now its back to the drawing table because I have a lot more cards to do.  This is when challenges come in handy because you can get ideas from what others do.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Signs of Autumn

Finally, I am back in my craft room celebrating the signs of fall; cooler weather and fall colors. Autumn has always been my favorite of the seasons even with my allergies. I like the crispness of cooler temperatures and the fabulous changing of the color of the leaves. 

It is this time of year when inspiration can be found all around. All one has to do is look at the trees, explore your local craft store decorations and of course the little ones asking when they can go and get their costumes.  

With Halloween upon us there was no question that one of my cards would be a Halloween card and with the trees lining the highways with a multi-color treeline, I had to create a card that would not only represent Thanksgiving but would represent the colors of Autumn.

So without any more unnecessary chit-chat here are my cards for this post. 

My first card didn't take very long to make and used items from my stash.  I created my background using Oxide inks and masked out a moon.  Both the witch and the tree are die-cuts and the "Get Spooked" greeting is actually a sticker that I added to a piece of chipboard and then added a bit of foam to add dimension.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Artistic Inspiration - #189 Anything Goes "Spook it Up" (11/10)
Always Fun Challenge - #30 Halloween (11/04)
Shopping Our Stash - Halloween (11/06)
Digi Choosday - #44 Anything Goes (11/14)

I used an image from Poppy Power titled "Harvest" and colored it using my favorite Copic markers. You may notice that I flipped the image before I printed it so that the handles wouldn't be hidden by my flowers.  I used papers from My Minds Eye (MME), flowers are Recollection and Prima, and the greeting is from a collection by Fiskars. I used my favorite fall colors, orange, green, brown, yellow and red.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Pin Inspiration Challenge - #202 Photo Inspiration (11/06)
Crafting From The Heart - #181 Anything Goes (11/04)
Die Cuttin Divas - #341 Pumpkins (11/05)
Creates and Makes - #16 Anything Goes (11/25)
A Snowflake Promise - #45 Anything Goes (11/10)

The trick-or-treaters are here so that's all for now.  So guys don't get spooked (for those that participate in Halloween) and I'll see you next time.

Thanks for stopping by

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Let the Holidays Began

Hello everyone.  Do you find it amazing that when you go to any craft store today you will see both Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all being displayed?  I mean Halloween hasn't arrived and yet I see Christmas trees and lights all over the place.  I just smile and think of how soon city streets and family homes will be lit with bright lights.  Yep, its the time of year when the air will become crisp and cool and there will be lots of music and festivities. 

Before I continue further I have to announce that my Christmas card entry over at Creative Fingers was chosen to be one of their Top 3 Design Team Favorite.  Yeah! to me for the honor of being selected.  Much hugs and thanks to the team.

Now back to my post. What better way to start the holidays than to create a card for each holiday.  For this post, I am sharing a Halloween card and a Christmas card.  I hope you will like them both.  I am still working on an Autumn or Thanksgiving card to share later.

I started by masking out a moon and then inking the entire card with Distress Inks.  Once the inking was completed I removed the mask and then used a die to cut out my spooky house.  I used pieces of paper to place behind the windows. Using a Stampscapes stamp I added a few weeds in the front of the house. The greeting and the bat are dimensional stickers by Dollhouse.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Pause Dream Enjoy Challenges - #194 Halloween (10/17)

Inspiration Destination - #135 Anything Goes (10/17)

Double D Challenges - Fright Night (10/15)

Crafty Gals - #144 Make it Spooktacular (10/16)

For this card, I embossed a sheet of white Bazzil and then cut it in 2 sizes.  I also embossed the card base.  The designer paper is from My Minds Eye (MME).  To create both the centerpiece and the greeting, I cut out the holly and the bells from the designer paper and adhered to pieces of chipboard which I cut out to fit the shape.  Then I glued the pieces together and added some foam adhesive to the back.  The greeting was also cut and added to chipboard before adhering to the card.  Each square was layered to create a diamond with a bit of dimension. 

I hope to enter the following challenges:

The Merry Christmas Challenge - #38 Anything Goes Christmas (10/17)

Creative Moments - #128 Anything Goes/Smile (10/16)

Sweet Stampin Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (10/30)

Addicted to Stamps & More - #263 Holiday (10/16)

As always thanks for stopping by 

and come again soon.

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia~

Back to Basics

Hello fellow crafters.  I have been absent from posting mainly because I've been working on a mini album which I seldom do and when I start one it takes me literally days/weeks to complete.  All the coordinating and planning each page is just time-consuming, especially when you have 38 pages to design!  I finally took a break so I could go back to basics, meaning back to making cards.

My vision for the card I am sharing was to keep it relatively simple, elegant, and soft...hopefully I succeeded in doing this.  Here is my card as well as a side view of the card so you can get a sneak preview of the inside.

To create this card I used 80# Bazzill cardstock and 110# cardstock for the base that I picked up at Michaels during their sale.  I used a Memory Box Diamond Background die to cut both the foam backing as well as the top diamond frame.  

My image is from Power Poppy stamps and I colored it with Copic markers. The pearls were painted pink and here is a tip, if you're going to paint your pearls do that before you apply them to your project (learned my lesson). Lastly, I added a Recollections flower and used pieces from the diamond cutout on the inside to tie it back to the front of the card.

Copics Used on this Project:
Petals; RV10, RV11, Y23
Branches and Leaves; E31, G40, G43 and B0000 for shading.

I would like to enter the following challenges:
Inspiration Destination - #134 Anything Goes (10/03)
Crafty Creations - #350 Anything Goes (9/25)
Simply Papercraft - #50 Anything Goes (9/27)
Creative Fingers - #137 Anything Goes (10/07)
Crafting With Friends - #51 Anything Goes (10/07)
Colour Crazy Craft - #38 Anything Goes (10/07)

As always I thank you for stopping by and hope you will stop by often.  Also, remember that your comments are appreciated and welcomed.

Sending Hugs from Texas

~Lesia~

Snowfall Scenes

Let me start off by saying that I pray for hope, courage, and faith for everyone impacted by Harvey, and I pray for strength, wisdom, and faith for those preparing to face Irma or the aftermath of Irma. I can only imagine the fear and devastation that they are facing and I truly feel the sadness in my heart.

I decided to think of something that would represent faith and that is the holiday season where we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus.  For me the celebration comes alive with the first snowfall, therefore, I created cards with snowy backgrounds. I hope you like them and perhaps they will remind you that Christmas is less than 120 days away.

On both cards, I used distress inks, a mask and a bit of frisket to create the snowy background.  Once I did that all that was left to do was to add my greeting and my image.  The first image is from the "Lovely as a Tree" collection from Stampin Up and the second image "Vintage Pine Tree" is from Stampabilities. Although it's not shown I did add the greeting "Silent Night" on the second card at the bottom left.

I fell in love with the technique for creating a snowy background and have a few more cards that I need to finish up and get posted but until then be safe where-ever you are and happy crafting.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Crafting With Attitude - #31 Anything Goes (9/24)

Aud Sentiments - #188 Anything Goes + Sentiment (9/17)

Simply Papercraft - #50 Anything Goes (9/27)

Creative Fingers - #136 Anything Goes

Paper Creators Crafts - #61 Simply Christmas (9/29)

Love to Craft - #14 Anything Goes (9/28)

Crafty Girls Creations- #39 Anything Goes

Crafts Galore - Anything Goes (9/29)

A Bit More Time to Craft - #51 Anything Goes

Stinkin' Inkers - Color Wheel (9/28)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will visit often.  

Sending tons of hugs from Texas

~Lesia~

First Bestie Image Card

Hello, everyone.  Today has been one of those days, you know the one where you simply don't want to do anything, go anywhere and you're not quite sure why you feel so blah.  You're not sick and you didn't have a bad day the day before and no one has done or said anything to upset you and yet you seem to have a "leave me alone" attitude.  That has been me for most of the day.

Perhaps it was the whole eclipse thing, that has somehow affected my inner spirit.  It was kind of neat although we only got a partial here in Texas.  I was able to capture it using the old cereal box viewer we learned in elementary school.

Okay back to my gloom and doom day.  After eating a bag of Ruffles and my last ice cream cup (talk about emotional eating) I made my way to my craft room. It took a few minutes but after fluttering around a bit I did finally (3 hrs later) sit myself down and created my first "Bestie Girl" card. I don't have very many of these images but the ones I do have are really cute and a bit detailed, so coloring up this one did take complete focus.  I hope you like my little Bestie.

"Fishing" Bestie is the name of this image (I think) and you can find the clear stamp on Etsy. She was colored with Copic markers and I apologize for not writing down the markers I used but you can tell they all came from the Reds, Blues, Browns, Greys and a few from the Yellow family. I thought to add a touch of golden yellow to her red and blue outfit made it not look too patriotic since that is not what I was shooting for.  After I heat embossed the greeting "Way to Go!" I added some Wink of Stella for a soft shimmer.  

Other products I used include Authentique designer paper collection "Lovely" that had papers with dots and stripes. The flowers are from Recollections and the gemstones were part of a Bo Bunny kit I had and didn't use until now.  I followed through to the inside using paper from the same collection.  Considering how my day started I have to admit that I am pleased with this little card that measures 5.5 x 4.5 and I even managed to create a complimentary envelope to go along with it.  

I plan to enter this little card in the following challenges: 

Catch the Bug - Bingo Challenge (embossing, dots, and stripes, 3 layers) (8/25)

Just Us Girls - #407 Color Week (red, blue, yellow) (8/23)

Crafty Friends - #64 Anything Goes (8/24)

Stamping Sensations - August Anything Goes (8/29)

Little Patch of Crafty Friends - #64 Anything Goes (8/31)

That's all for now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sending Hugs from Texas

~Lesia~

Inspired Card

It is always great when you can find the inspiration you seek somewhere on the internet or YouTube.  There is such an array of diverse and talented crafters that regardless of what it is I wish to try, I can always find someone that has a style that appeals to me.  Yesterday, I wanted to do a quick card but not one that would be called CAS.  It had to be one I could complete in an hour or less but still have a certain charm and I found it in a card created by MaryJ.  Thanks, MaryJ, and to the rest of you here is my card.

The image I used is from Stampingbella and is part of the Uptown Girls collection.  This particular image is "Audrey Loves Makeup".  After coloring her with my copics I cut her out using my Brother Scan N Cut (does a fabulous job) and popped her up on my card.

I used the "Hello" die for my greeting and added the word beautiful from a Tim Holtz sticker sheet. Next, I used the "grated effect" die from Spellbinders and cut it in half to use on the front and inside of the card.

Lastly, I adhered all my panels to a gray card base completing this card in less than an hour.

The Copic markers I used: E27, E25, E11, E00, C1, C3, C5, B24, B23, B21 and R37

Thanks again to MaryJ, and now I would like to enter the following  "ATG Challenges":

Morgan's Art World - #16 Anything Goes

Making Memories Crafting - #8 Anything Goes One for Ladies

Creative Fingers - #135 Anything Goes

Colour Crazy - Anything Goes 

Scrapper's Delight - Anything Goes

Crafty Friends - #64 Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - August Anything Goes (must use stamped image)

Little Patch of Crafty Friends - #63 Anything Goes

Fashionable Stamping - #126 Use Your Inks (must use stamped image)