"Blessings to You" - Just Us Girls #173

Hello Crafting Friends,
I am here tonight with a card for the Just Us Girls challenge #173.  Here is the gorgeous inspiration photo:

 And here is the card that I came up with:

The idea for this card came from the lovely Chocolate Frosting ribbons on the wedding cake.  I wanted to try making one of my own so I hand-cut this curvy banner shape and then embossed it with the picnic plaid impression plate (PTI).  Then I decided to layer it onto a piece of book paper which I then trimmed out with my trusty scalloped scissors which I haven't used in a very long time but keep on hand for just this type of situation! It needed that little something extra to make it pop!

 I love this flower die from PTI and don't use it near enough!  I colored the Prima gems with a copic marker to get them to match the green shade of the two Sissix decorative corners that I added to either end of the card.  I wanted to bring the green color into a third area on the card. I also edged some of the petals though it is hard to tell from the photo. 

 The leaves (PTI) are also diecut out of book paper from a vintage Sears catalog book I found at the thrift store.  Love, love, love book paper! In the corner of the picture you can also see that I scored the card-base with my scoring board to add more texture.

And the sweet sentiment "blessings to you" is one that I got at a store right up the street from my home here in Seattle - Amuse Art Stamps.  If you are ever in the Seattle area you should check this sweet store out in person verses in web land!  Such a fun place to shop and you can meet the very kind and sweet owner Linda if she is there when you visit.  Linda helped me pick out my very first COPIC markers a few years back (though she may not remember me) when I was overwhelmed with what colors to choose to get started.  I was lucky that when her store front moved a few years ago it stayed on the same street.  It just moved a few blocks south and I can still walk to it - it just takes a little bit longer now.  Great exercise though!

Thanks for visiting my blog and thanks for all the sweet comments you leave for me!  They make my days and sometimes my 3:00AM middle of the night blog haunts when I wake and am missing my husband so bad my heart hurts. I am sure he gazes down from Heaven and is thinking...go back to sleep silly girl!  The many friendships I have made through card-making warm my heart so much!!!  What a blessing you all are!

That is it for me tonight. I hope you have time to join in the challenge.  I can't wait to go and see what everyone has made!

P.S. I would like to dedicate this card to Jennifer Scull and wish her many blessings!

Take care - and Happy Tuesday! 
:) Jill

Some Thank You cards...

Gratitude! Gratitude and Thankfulness!  That is my theme of the day today!  And I have some new cards to show for it too!

Wow - it has been quite some time since I posted!  I have been busy with lots of financial and insurance issues for our family over the past couple weeks since the New Year!  Today, though, I had time to make some cards to send as Thank You notes to some very special people who have been helping my family out during a difficult time.  I am so very grateful for my friends and family!  Here are the cards:

The sentiment on the front is "From my heart to your home" and on the inside:  "Thanks for giving me a helping hand".  Both sentiments are from a new set from Papertrey Ink which I will like too in my next card.  My son wanted to emboss the other night with the heat gun and embossing powder so I had him emboss the birdhouse stamp  in white and the sentiment too so it would match.  It turned out quite well for a 6 year old doing it!  Embossing can be a little bit tricky! LOL!

Here are some additional shots of the same card....

I colored in the birdhouse with my water-color pencils to add a touch of light color to it.

This next card uses the same sentiments and the small house diecut which are both from Papertrey Ink's December 2010 release titled "Love Lives Here".  Love Lives Here Stamp Set - with concepts by Melissa Phillips.  This is my current very favorite stamp set and I am using it a lot!!!

It has matching dies which you can see here:  Dies: Love Lives Here Collection.  I adore the butterfly and the hand too!  So cute and versatile! I love it!

I added the chimney with a piece of the same paper I die cut the house with and made "glitter" smoke coming out of it....a nice touch I think and makes it feel all snuggly and warm!

This card I made twice - once for my friend Julie and Skip and Family as Skip just lost his Father recently and once for my friend Leanna who just lost her husband Jerry.  Jerry and Leanne are Tim's adopted Aunt and Uncle and always send him the most adorable Hannah Anderson Christmas Pajamas each year along with lots of other goodies.  They are very generous and giving and sweet people and all I know is that heaven just received a wonderful new angel in Uncle Jerry!

 This last card uses an Inkadinkado set which is where the adorable polka dot heart and sentiment come from.  The die is from My Favorite Stamps and can be found here: Dienamics Decorative Doily Die


                                     
I just love the soft purple colors of this card....so fun to have something cheerful on a dreary morning...
This one uses a die from My Favorite Stamps:  Die-namics Decorative Doily Die.  I just love how this one die can totally dress up a card!  They have wonderful stamps too! 
Well that is it for cards today.  I have 3 more thank you cards still to make but this is all I am going to post for now.  I am still learning how to make good cards but each one I make allows me to get a little bit better at this fun craft!  Plus I get to send homemade cards to all my family and friends for different occasions.  Thanks for looking at my little blog!

:) Jill