The Simple Things

You know how we are always in a hurry, never taking time to enjoy the simple things, relating the word fun to money.  Why is it that we are of the mindset that if you want to have fun you must spend money?

I had my grandbabies this past week and I don't have a lot of funds to spend on entertainment so I had to get creative. Not to say that we didn't venture out at all because we did but the joy that little kids find in the simplest things is amazing and quite rewarding.  Who knew that playing hide n seek in the house could be so much fun or that indoor exercising would cause so much laughter.

Oh, and have you ever went camping indoors and had pizza while sitting on the floor or watched television inside a tent on an iPad, inside a house while eating popcorn. I tell you this ole grandma was worn out but smiling because my babies said it was the bestest fun ever (and yes, they said bestest).

The last thing to do was to craft and so we did a few kid projects and then I was abandoned for the electronics. Although they abandoned me, I was glad for the momentary peace and quiet. I used this time to create a card using scraps from our earlier project.  I had the perfect greeting to end the day.

I created this card using cardstock, a stencil, 3D sticker, a stamp and distress ink. I made my own background paper by stenciling cardstock using distress ink. Next, I added a sticker, stamped a greeting and adhered it to my self-designed designer paper.

I was able to carry the design over to my handmade envelope using the same stencil and ink. This 5 x 6 card took approximately 45 minutes to make start to finish including the envelope. 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Catch the Bug - #612 Sketch Challenge (#34)(8/4)
Little Patch of Crafty Friends - #86 Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create - #211 ATG/Create Designer Paper
Crafting From the Heart - #217 Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations - #205 Anything Goes (#116)(8/4)

Thanks for stopping by

Sending Hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Be Safe, Stay Healthy and Craft Happy

Thank You

Wow! It seems like forever since I last posted. So much has been going on that has kept me from crafting much. I did find time to go to the Stamping Expo while it was here and that is when I discovered that I was running out of space in my craft-room and needed to purge and rethink my organization system.

So I began my mission to purge my domain and I was pleased that I did manage to rid myself of quite a bit of crafting supplies (mainly stamps and paper) which made room for all the new stuff that I had purchased. 

The second interruption in my crafting time was discovering the YMCA Silver Sneakers program. I really like this program and try to attend every day of the week which usually wears me out.

Lastly, there is the prepping for my upcoming classes as well as playing Mema so my grown kids can take care of the older kids as they prepare to go to college and sign contracts for international teams. There has been a lot going on but today I was able to settle down and organize a bit and then create a bit.

Keeping with my goal to use items from my stash I created these two cards using a stencil and Nuvo embellishment mousse.  I applied the Nuvo through the stencil to create a 3D texture as the focal point of my card.  Yep, I am starting to dabble into the Mixed Media world of crafting, little by little.  I love the Nuvo mousse, however, it does tend to dry out rather quickly so you can't leave it sitting on the shelf.

I then stamped the Thank You and embossed it using some clear embossing powder. I absolutely love the shine on these cards and they were so easy to make.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Simply Papercraft - #59 Anything Goes (#177)

Crafting With Friends - #72 Anything Goes (#62)

Polkadoodles Crafting - #29 Anything Goes (#37)

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - #86 Anything Goes (#138)

Love 2 Create - Wk #29 Mixed Media (#77)

That's all I have for now but will soon be announcing a giveaway that I have been planning for a month now so don't forget to check back to see what will be up for grabs.

Thanks for stopping by and as always

Be safe, Stay Healthy, and Craft Happy

Sending Hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Scenic Stamping

Scenic stamping is the newest way to stamp in my world these days. It all started with Stampscapes stamps and now I have begun to use Stampscapes stamps with other scenic type stamps.  It is amazing the results you can get with this style of stamping.

And once you get the scene all stamped out you start the coloring process which can include all types of media and ways to color your scene. With some scenes, I prefer matte cardstock while on others it just has to be the glossy cardstock. Then you can use a stylus to apply your color, or markers and even pencils can be applied along with gel pens.

Let me just show you what can be accomplished with this style of stamping.

My first card "With Appreciation" was all hand-stamped using various stamps from Stampscapes to create this serene lake view scene. Each and every item was at one time a stand-alone stamp but when added to other stamps that stand-alone stamp becomes part of a scene.

My second card is a humorous quirky one designed to make you smile. Created for us gals that work hard to get the weight off...and hard work it is so why not smile about it. In this card, there are several brands of stamps being used together to create a scene and there is even a touch of gel pens.

The first card was colored using a Colorbox stylus tool, Q-tips and an array of dye-based inks.  The second card has a sponged background using Oxide inks and then stamped and colored with Copic markers.

So can you now see how one can get addicted to scenic stamping? If so give it a try and see what you can create for others to see. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay Safe, Be Blessed and Craft Happy

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia

I'd like to enter the following Anything Goes challenges:

Sunny Day Crafting - #25 Any Animal (6/26)

Creative Moments - #145 Anything Goes (6/25)

Crafty Gals Corner - #168 Anything Goes (7/2)

Crafty Creations Challenge - #368 Anything Goes (6/25)

Craftaholics R Us - #25 Anything Goes (6/26)

Sympathy

It is always difficult to buy or create a sympathy card for someone, but it is something we will eventually be confronted with if we haven't already. Regardless of the number of times, you are faced with the loss of a loved one of yourself or someone else it simply doesn't get any easier. Each incident is as painful as the one before it.

For this reason, this post will be short but I hope that I can encourage you to take time now and prepare for that moment when you may need to offer comfort to someone.  

I have created a sympathy card with an envelope in hopes that it will somehow inspire you to create a few to just have on hand...you never know when you might get that call when a friend asks you to make one for them or you need to send one yourself.  You cannot plan for this type of event but you can prepare.

Here is the card I created when I received the call that asked if I could make one for a special lady that was grieving from a loss.  I wasn't ready then, but I am now.

Like I promised this post is short and promised.  Your thoughts on anything that I've said or comments about the card is welcomed.

Thanks for stopping by, and until next time

Be Safe, Stay Healthy, and Craft Happiness

Sending hugs from Texas

~Lesia

Gift Set Bundles

Well, here I am again to share with you another customized gift set. This time it consists of a 6x6 card, a DVD coordinating cover/box and of course a coordinating handmade presentation box for these goodies. I chose a color scheme of peachy pink, medium grey, and off-white for my client. She informed me that the recipient of this gift set loves to fish, is not a lacy or frilly person and yet she is always a lady and she met her at her temple. With this information in tow, I got started on what would be a unique fun learning adventure of creativity for me.

So let's get started, but beware that the colors may not appear the same but they indeed are exactly the same (different lighting).  In the photo below, you see all three products together. They each coordinate with the other creating a lovely gift set. 

We will start with the DVD Case cover. Deciding how to do this was a bit challenging because I wanted to tie in the client's beliefs and values and this would be my first attempt at creating a DVD case cover. On the front, we have an image of a temple that has been foiled along with the birthday greeting which was foiled as well in a dark peach color. 

Using the pearls, trinket and ribbon was my way of relating back to a more feminine side. This little box will hold any standard DVD case, so next time you give a DVD as a gift think about jazzing it up a bit and making it personal.

The most important part of this bundle is, of course, the card. This card involved a lot of customer input and I did my best to accommodate her wishes. 

When making this card I had to remember that the recipient of this gift set enjoys her cabin on the lake and the fishing she is able to do while there. Although she is not a phoo-phoo kind of girl she is very much a classy lady so finding the right image to portray this wasn't exactly easy but I think I hit the jackpot with this one.  I used an image from Saturated Canary (no longer available) and colored her using Copic markers (listed below). This card has it all; ribbon, flowers, netting, lace, pearls, glitter and brads.

The inside follows the fishing theme with an image of a cabin out in the woods which I colored using Prismacolor Pencils. Once again you see the netting and the ribbon as well as a foiled customized sentiment.

Lastly, we have what keeps this bundle together and that is the presentation gift box. My client asked if I could make a box that would hold both the DVD and the card, and of course, I said yes although I had no clue if I could or not (new template in order).

The gift box measures 8.5 x 6.5 x 2 and it is all handmade using chipboard and cardstock. Although it took me some time to get the template correct I was pleased when it finally came together. Its sturdy and will survive shipping. There is a band that helps keep the lid on the box as well as a little tag I added so the client could write in the recipient's name.

Like I said a fun learning experience. Products I used are at the end of this post. 

Thanks for stopping by and please know that your comments are appreciated.

SENDING HUGS FROM TEXAS

~Lesia

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Little Patch of Crafty Friends - #83 Anything Goes (6/14)(136)
Scrapbook Stamp Society - #142 Anything Goes/Spring (6/16) (10)
Pammie's Inky Pinkies - #1822 Anything Goes (6/10) (25)
Crafting From the Heart - #209 Anything Goes (6/9) (66)
Artistic Inspiration - #201 Anything Goes (6/9) (143)

Supplies:

Copic Markers:  fish BG23, 90, 32 Pinks R85, 83, 81 Grays C7, 5, 3, 1 and T3 Skin E01, E11, E00 Hair E57, 55, 31 Green G94 and G24

DSP: Paper Studio "Floral on Blush"   Cardstock Bazzil, Martha Stewart Punches Washi Tape, Ribbon Netting, Offray Ribbon, Paper Studio Gemstones 

Everything Purple

For this post, I have a card that I created for a special lady I met in one of my Facebook Groups. The focus was actually the color purple. I personalized it with the recipient's name and greeting highlighted in purple foil. Pleased with the results, I decided to share it with everyone. 

After I made the card I realized that the embellishments prevented it from fitting into an envelope properly, so I decided with the leftover papers I would make a chipboard box for it and fill the inside with purple tissue paper.

On the inside, I used the same color scheme and used my PC to print out the sentiment and then added purple foil using my Minc to continue with the theme from the front.

Hope you like what you see. I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Dare2BArtzy - Dreaming of Flowers (6/2)

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes (6/1)

The Corrosive Challenge - Anything Goes (5/31)

Crafting with Dragonflies - The Color Purple (6/8)

Creative Fingers - #146 Anything Goes

Polkadoodles Crafting - Wk21 Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. I hope you will visit again real soon and often.

Sending Hugs from Texas

~Lesia