Humorous Pop Out of Bed Card

Spritz, spritz, wipe, wipe… This post has been thoroughly sanitized with bleach and I know you’re staying 6 feet away, so we’re all safe. : ) I know we all need some humor to keep us sane in these stressful times, so I thought I’d share this cad I made last year to cheer up my dad as he started feeling the effects of the chemo….

Hahahaha! Both he and mom got a kick out of it.

Gotta love that exhausted rooster!

Googly eyes on the ‘toast’ and a nice enamel toaster add to the fun:

I love putting something funny in a delicate and delightful frame….

Supplies:

• Art Impressions Fainted Chicken
• Spellbinders Romancing the Swirl Ringlet Round die by Becca Feeken
• Spellbinders Toast with Jam and Bread stamp and die set by Debi Adams

I hope you got a chuckle out of this sweet card! Since we don’t sleep in toasters and half of us are supposed to be staying in… no need to pop out of bed, ok?!

Take care!

~D.Ann

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Update on dad: Thanks to all of you who have been e-mailing your well-wishes while he has been getting chemo for pancreatic cancer these past 4 months! They did the preliminary set-up MRI and CTs at UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Thursday. They hope to be up and running with the new MRIdian Linac machine by April 8, and afterward they will schedule his 5 days of radiation… barring further interference from the coronavirus. They’ve changed it so that only the patient can go into the hospital and all have to have their temperatures taken and maintain social distancing except the medical personnel treating him, so we feel fairly confident as they’re not near where the sick patients are. We were going to stay down in Miami during his treatments, as traffic is usually too thick and too exhausting for any of us to handle driving back and forth 5 days in a row. But with over 2000 of Florida’s 4000 COVID-19 cases here in South Florida, they’ve shut down all but essential business (and his treatments are essential) so traffic is MUCH lighter, cutting the drive down to an hour. I’ll probably go stay at their place and we’ll drive back and forth each day… that’ll be better anyway, since mom and I also have weak immune systems. Eight weeks after the radiation they will reassess his progress. Thank you again for your kind concern!!

 

CATchy MEWsic Card

Hello and thanks for your patience! I’ve been out sick again, but finally got back in the saddle with a really fun card I needed to make up for a friend. I used the current challenge prompts from A Blog Named Hero: Love is in the Air with a color palette:

   

Now that I’m on my computer, I see that third color is fuchsia… on my phone it looks red. I figured out it’s the phone… I took a screen shot from the pone and put it on my computer and it looks just like the one above. Crazy! Oh well, it’s close enough and still perfect for the theme. Next time I know to check the computer for truer colors!

From the minute I saw this Dancing Music Notes die, it was almost exactly what I’ve long had in mind for my Taking Note poem about the people in the symphony of our lives. I wanted the poem written across a flowing staff with pictures of people’s faces in the notes. I have tried and tried to fit it in, but it just looks too crowded…

I guess I’ll have to just print it out in a pretty font on the inside of the card… unless I can talk Hero Arts into making this into an 8×10 die and printing my poem on a stamp, too! lol! For this card I specifically wanted this lovely sentiment on the inside:

At least my other idea for this die worked… having cats playing across the music staff… so fun! My favorite is the white kitty in the lower right who’s resting with her paw linked through a musical rest symbol! To get the reverse image of the dangling kitty I stamped him off on a flat rubber stamp and stamped that onto paper. Since the impression was light, I traced over it with an ultra fine pen. I didn’t worry about the umbrella piece showing… It just looks like part of his paw. I may have gone a little overboard with the hearts, but to me they represent their fabulous musical purrs. The sentiments seemed a little lost after I added the hearts, so I outlined them with the black ultrafine marker. If I could have put my hands on a paw-print stamp, I’d’ve probably put one in each note, and then it would’ve been WAY too busy, so it’s a good thing I couldn’t find one handy.

Supplies used:

• Hero Arts Dancing Music Notes Confetti Die
• Hero Arts Raining Cats and Dogs stamps and dies
• Hero Arts MMH04-18 & Cinco de Meow stamp sets (feel the MEWsic)
• Die-Versions My Micro Font 1/4″ die (CAT-chy!)
• CAS-ual Fridays Big Treble stamp set(inside)
• Tsukineko Memento dye ink: Tuxedo Black
• Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils (cats):  Cadmium Orange, Dark Cadmium Yellow, Warm Gray 1 & 3, Ivory, Pink Carmine, Rose Carmine, Light Red Violet
• Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks (blended background): Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Barn Door
• Hero Arts inks: MMH 01-18 Passion Flower (sentiments) & MMH04-18 Fiesta Red (hearts)
• Sakura Microperm 01 ultrafine pen
• Core’dinations cardstock: white & purple; card base: Parisian Nights
• Simply Defined permanent adhesive runner and ‘Stay-Put’ glue

Thanks for stopping by to CATch this MEWsical little number! I hope it made you smile!!

~D.Ann

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Serene Papertrey Ink Beach Scene Any Occasion Card

Good morning all! If you’re somewhere that’s cold you could use a vacation and if you can’t actually get away, I have a card you’ll want to stare at and imagine yourself there as you crank up the heat.

I had a goal this year of doing more of the Papertrey Ink challenges and finally got my act together to join the Laurie’s Fabulous Favorites Challenge today. She asked that we use one of our favorite Papertrey Ink sets. Tough decision as there are so many! However, living in Florida, I really love the Text and Texture: Ocean set paired with the Fence Line: Summer set for making realistic beach scenes like this one:

I have tried to paint the ocean myself, but just can’t capture it, so I love stamps that help me, like this one does!  This scene reminds me of beaches on both coasts of Florida! The Brilliance inks give a realistic twinkle to the sand and a metallic shine to the ‘rusty’ fence wire.

Supplies used:

• Papertrey Ink Text and Texture: Ocean and Fence Line: Summer stamp sets
• Spellbinders Labels 25 and Majestic Labels 25 dies
• Papertrey Ink Hawaiian Shores cardstock
• Recollections cream cardstock 110#
• Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores dye ink
• Ranger Tim Holtz Distress ink: Antique Linen, Old Paper, Tumbled Glass
• Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide ink: Vintage Photo
• Tsukineko Brilliance pigment ink: Lightening Black & Pearlescent Beige
• Tsukineko Memento dye inks: Desert Sand, Tuxedo Black
• Prima Planner Glue Pen
• Simply Defined permanenet adhesive runner

I hope you’ve enjoyed this project and perhaps it transported you briefly to a peaceful warm spot! See you soon!

~D.Ann

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Darling House Mouse Cards

Hello and welcome! Today I have a set of darling House Mouse cards to share with you.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve been trying to keep up with #TheDailyMarker30Day coloring challenge this month. This time around I’ve tried to stretch my coloring skills, and ventured into doing some skies with Copic markers.

Previously, after finishing coloring the main image in Copics, I’ve used chalks for the sky because I would get streaks and unevenness trying to do a sky with Copic markers. I think I’m finally getting the hang of it! On this first card I was also pleased to get a bit of reflection of the walnut in the water, with a natural ripple look, too:

Love the sheen of these DCWV Shimmer Stack papers!! For the inside, I dry embossed the dye (you’ll see it better in the next cards) and used the cutout center as a decorative element:

On the second card, I added some rain to the sky. Here in Florida, it can be both rainy and sunny with a blue sky while raining, rain on one side of the street, but not the other, etc., so I didn’t feel like I needed clouds. I didn’t have a good terracotta color in my Copic collection, but I found that RV 34 and R22 mix together nicely for a close match.

Since part of the die impression reminds me of suns, I ran over the raised ‘suns’ with some yellow chalk and added this little guy celebrating, with my own sentiment:

For the final card, I decided to switch the ice cream color from pink to strawberry-flavored red to match the cardstock. The House Mouse stamps have names for most all of their critters. The bunnies are Hop-it and Itty Bit. I love that little Itty Bit fell asleep in a sugar coma before he got his face and paws cleaned off! : ) I also like that the frame die kind of reminds me of a waffle cone pattern! Since my hands were actually steady today, I took a chance on writing my own sentiment:

Here’s the inside:

        

Supplies used:

• First card (Maxwell floating in a walnut)
  • Stampendous House Mouse Pop Stamp set HM01A: POPHM01-09
  • Tonic Studios Deco Oval Trellis die set
  • DCWV The Shimmer Stack cardstock
  • Recollections white cardstock 65# and 110#
  • Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa dye ink
  • Copic Markers: B02, 21; BG90; C3; E00, 02, 31, 33, 37, 51; W1; Y35; YG61, 63; YR02, 04
  • Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops: Gloss Ripened Pumpkin
  • Prima Marketing Planner Glue Pen
  • Simply Defined adhesive runner and ‘Stay Put’ adhesive glue
• Second card (sitting in a flower pot in the rain)
  • Stampendous House Mouse Pop Stamp set HM01A: POPHM01-02 & 07
  • Inside: Stampendous House Mouse Pop Stamp set HM01A: POPHM01-03
  • Tonic Studios Deco Oval Trellis die set
  • DCWV The Shimmer Stack cardstock
  • Recollections white cardstock 65# and 110#
  • Tsukineko Memento Gray Flannel & Tuxedo Black dye inks
  • Copic Markers: B02, 21; BG90; C1, 3; E00, 02, 51; G24, 82; R22; RV24; YG61, 63; Y35; YR02, 04
  • Pebbles, Inc. Pearlescent Chalks – Jewel Tones
  • Sakura MicroPerm 01 Ultrafine pen
  • Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops: Gloss Red Berry
  • Prima Marketing Planner Glue Pen
  • Simply Defined adhesive runner and ‘Stay Put’ adhesive glue
• Third card (ice cream bunnies)
  • Stampendous House Mouse Ice Cream Lick
  • Tonic Studios Deco Oval Trellis die set
  • DCWV The Shimmer Stack cardstock
  • Recollections white cardstock 65# and 110#
  • Tsukineko Memento Gray Flannel & Tuxedo Black dye inks
  • Copic Markers: B21; C3; E02, 31, 33, 51; G24, 82; R24; RV02; YG17 61, 63
  • Pebbles, Inc. Pearlescent Chalks – Jewel Tones
  • Sakura MicroPerm 01 Ultrafine pen
  • Prima Marketing Planner Glue Pen
  • Simply Defined adhesive runner and ‘Stay Put’ adhesive glue

I’m entering this card in the following fun challenges… click on any of them for more information on how you can play along:

• House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge HMFMC #284 Love/Anything Goes (I’ll enter the first card from here and the other two from Instagram)

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – Add Some Red Cards 2 & 3 (3 entered from IG)

I’m glad you stopped by! Hope to see you again soon!!

~D.Ann

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My Monthly Hero Paraguayan Dancer Card

¡Hola! Hello! Mba’éichapa! (–that’s “hello” in Guarani – one of the two national languages of Paraguay.) Welcome to a post with an international flavor today! I chose to turn the darling dancing mouse in the My Monthly Hero April 2018 set into a traditional Paraguayan folk dancer doing the famous bottle dance:

When I lived in Paraguay, doing a missionary type work, I would often see women balancing amazing loads on their heads as they walk through the streets… laundry, a basket full of delicious chipas (a cheese bread made with cassava/manioc flour, shaped like a bagel) and more. These well-balanced women really know how to use their heads! In the bottle dance a girl or woman will start by balancing a bottle on her head while dancing. More and more will be added by her partners, one at a time, reaching up to 10 or more! After each, she continues to dance. Impressive!! Here is part of a page from my scrapbook, using a postcard picture:

I just drew a couple of these bottles on cardstock, fussy cut them and covered them with Texture Gems for my little mouse dancer. The texture gems added a little sparkle as centers to the flowers in the frame and sentiment, too.

  

I love that the leaves on flowers in the frame with this kit can be lifted up… just a little, or into a daffodil shape. I gave my mouse and bottles a little depth by cutting them out in black cardstock and having it peek out just a bit.

Materials Used:

• Hero Arts My Monthly Hero April 2018 (MH 0418C) stamps and dies (note: bottles were hand drawn)
• Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Fiesta Red ink
• Copic Markers: C1,3; Gr05;R20, 22, 24, 29; Y08
• Faber Castell Texture Gems: Silver
• Core’dinations cardstock: White, Red, Black
• Tsukineko Memento dye ink: Tuxedo Black
• Simply Defined “Stay Put” glue

I’m entering this card in the following fun challenges… click on any of them for more information on how you can play along:

• A Blog Named Hero : Crafter’s Choice

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – Add Some Red

Thanks for traveling with me today!

~D.Ann

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Set of Humorous Art Impressions ICU Step Cards

Greetings, crafty peeps! Unfortunately, it’s that time of the year when folks are getting sick and ending up in the hospital. I started this set a while back and kept needing to send off a card, so I couldn’t get the complete finished set in a picture. Here are most of them… almost finished… right before I sent off the second one:

They just make me smile!! Hope they do the same for the recipients!

First, I colored the couples up, wanting to be able to choose from a rainbow of ladies with different colored hair. Next time I want to add in some olive and dark skinned ladies, too.

Then I added some glossy accents to the eyes, lips & earrings, and to the purse and shoes for a patent leather look.

Next, I matched each lady up with a matching cardstock for the step card base and found some decorative paper to match for the background. Then I sewed the ‘curtain’ to a piece of cardstock and attached everything to the card, added the heartbeat cutout and sentiment and the front of the card was done:

Here’s a side view:

On the back, where the heart is (on this particular step card die), I added the sentiment: “Hope you’ll soon be fully re-covered!” and one of the left-over hearts from the heartbeat die cut. The envelope says: “Sending a little laughter… it’s the BEST medicine!”

So here are the rest of them – just variations on a theme:

Materials used:

• Art Impressions Get Well stamp set
• Sizzix Card, Hearts Step-Up die
• SugarPea Designs Heart Beat SugarCut die
• My Sentiments Exactly Back of Card stamp set
• Tsukineko Versamark Ink
• Inkadinkado embossing powder – black
• Memento dye ink – Tuxedo Black
• Copic Markers: B05, 21,29; BG13,15; C3; E000,00,02; R24,29
• Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents
• Kuretake Zig Wink of Stella clear
• Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L tape runner
• Simply Defined ‘Stay Put’ Glue
• Misc. Seafoam gauze material (Hobby Lobby), thread
  • Red card:
    • Core’dinations cardstock – red, white
    • Basic Grey Blush-Admire paper
    • Copic Markers:  B05, 21; BG13,15; C1, 3; E02, 51; R24, 29
  • Yellow card:
    • Core’dinations cardstock – red, white, yellow
    • K & Company Contemporary Papers
    • Copic Markers:  BG13,15; C1, 3; E00, 02, 23, 33, 51; R35; Y06, 08, 13
  • Green card:
    • Core’dinations cardstock – green, red, white
    • Frances Meyer Diva Stripes paper
    • Copic Markers: B02; BG13,15; C1, 3; E02, 51; G02, 05, 09; R29
  • Blue card:
    • Core’dinations cardstock – blue, red, white
    • Basic Grey Blush-Admire paper
    • Copic Markers: B02, 05, 24; BG13,15; C1, 3; E02, 51; R29
  • Purple card:
    • Spellbinders Conversation Bubble 1 die
    • Core’dinations cardstock – lilac, pale green, red, white
    • Recollections Blue Ditsy Floral paper
    • Copic Markers: B21; BG13,15; C1, 3; E00, 02, 71; R29
    • Sakura Micron pen 05 black
  • Pink card:
    • Spellbinders Conversation Bubble 1 die
    • Core’dinations cardstock – pale green, pink, red, white
    • DCWV Butterfly stack
    • Copic Markers: BG13,15; C3, 5, 7; E02, 11; RV02, 04, 17; V15, 17, 25
  • Orange card:
    • Core’dinations cardstock – orange, red, white
    • Frances Meyer Diva Stripes paper
    • Copic Markers:  BG13,15; C1, 3, 5, 7; E00, 02, 51; R29; YR 02, 04, 07

I’m entering this card in the following fun challenges… click on any of them for more information on how you can play along:

• Art Impressions Challenge #241 – Stripes and Circles (Green Card)

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – Add Some Red (red card and red heartbeats on all)

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – Anything Goes

• MarkerPoP Challenge #141 – Love is in the Air (Red Card)

Thanks for stopping by! I hope YOU stay healthy and no-one else ends up in the ICU!!

~D.Ann

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Spellbinders You’re A Gem Gift Boxes

Hello, precious peeps!

I know you’ve seen these cool party favor boxes before, but this time I did something new – I put the sentiment inside the lid. I like the surprise of the recipients opening them and being doubly surprised! I did a batch of 24 for the party, but you get the idea with just these 4:

Supplies Used:

• Spellbinders Contour You’re A Gem Steel Rule Die & Die D-lites You’re a Gem etched dies
• Recollections Signature Brights glitter cardstock pad
• Tombow Xtreme adhesive (this tape is strong enough to hold the boxes together despite the glitter!)
• Sookwang Scor Tape (for the gem die cuts on top)
• Misc chocolates and mints… plus a few extra for the crafter! (Gone BEFORE Jan 1! LOL! It’s a good thing those peppermint brownie Ghirardelli chocolates only come out once a year!!) : )

I am playing along with the following challenges – click on any one for more information on how you can join the fun!

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – Party Time
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – Something New

Thanks for stopping by today and for leaving your comments. I always read them all and appreciate your encouragement!

~D.Ann

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A Fun Diet Tip and a Free Digi!

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I’ve posted something! lol! Let’s hope this year is better for all of us! To help get it started off right, today’s post is going to be a bit different from my usual crafting posts. This past May I made some adjustments to my diet that helped me lose 40 pounds in four months. Then life’s circumstances kept me from sticking to it for the past three months. Fortunately, despite that, I’m only up 2 pounds. Now that life has calmed down some, I’m ready to knuckle down and lose the last bit of my excess baggage. Since I know many of you are trying to be good, too, I thought I’d share a fun diet tip with you. I know, using “diet” and “fun” in the same sentence is a major juxtaposition, but you’ll see what I mean soon enough.

Disclaimer: this post is in no way to be considered medical information and you should consult your doctor before following any dieting advice. (Although this is very true, you’re going to chuckle when you see what that advice is!)

If you’re like me, you might have grown up around folks who always kept a candy jar on hand ‘for company.’ I loved visiting family members that had those jars when I was a kid and now I keep one myself – only it somehow seems to run out of chocolates more often than I have company to share it! So I made up a sign to put on the candy jars.

Before I show it to you, I will preface this with a disclaimer… For those of you that know me as a Bible Study teacher, know that I work hard to make sure that what I teach is accurate and never taken out of context. This, however, is most definitely taken out of context and is totally just for fun, ok?! So here’s the sign (from above)…

Just in case you don’t have your Bible handy, here is what Colossians 2:21 says:

“Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”

Hahahaha! A dainty reminder of a stern order. Of course, this was not originally intended to keep one away from chocolates, but it sure does make me smile! I did it in ombre red to subliminally indicate STOP.

If this makes you smile, too, and you want to use it but don’t have the gumption to letter your own sign, nor to use Paint Shop or another program to make up your own sign, I’ve created a free .jpg digi you are welcome to save and print out for your personal use. All I ask is that if you post it on your blog or on social media, please link back to this blog post, ok? Thanks! Come back here and leave me a comment if you do and I’ll try to visit your post. Have fun!

Right click on the image above to save it to your computer.

Supplies:

• Spellbinders Wonderful Locket die
• Core’dinations 65# white cardstock
• printed digi (see above)

And, yes, I am going to enter this in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes. : )

I hope I made you smile! Wishing us all the best as we try to maintain our resolve and reclaim our figures!

~D.Ann

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2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop – Life is BeauTEAful card

Hello and welcome! Time has flown by. I can’t believe it’s already time for the 2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

Here is my first card, using fall colors:

The inside and envelope coordinate, too:

Oh, and FYI that sentiment is done by some precision cutting of two different stamps. : )

Materials used:

• Hero Arts Tea Party Fancy Die
• Hero Arts To Seize or Not to Seize & Kit-tea stamp sets
• Spellbinders Floral Ovals dies
• Your Next Stamp Coffee & Tea Border die
• Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge & Barn Door
• Tsukineko Memento dye ink: Tuxedo Black
• Core’dinations cardstock: white & black
• Scotch tape runner
• Sookwang Scor-tape double sided adhesive
• Simply Defined ‘Stay Put’ adhesive glue

I am playing along with the following hops and challenges. Be sure to click on them for more information on how you can play along and enter for prizes:

• 2018 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Hop
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes
• CropStop November Linky Party #45 Anything Goes (Core’dinations, Ranger, Scotch, Scor-Tape & Tsukineko)

Hopefully, I’ll see you back real soon with a couple of other caffeinated cards I’ve made, if I can get them typed up. : )

~D.Ann

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Clearly Besotted Fluffy Furball Stand Up Card

Good morning sweet kits! It may be the penultimate day of the Cat Lovers Hop, but we’re not winding down! It’s full steam ahead, tho’ some of us are just running on catnip and coffee by now!

If you’re not one of them (or, perhaps, even if you are), you may look as bright eyed and bushy tailed as these cute kits:

I stamped and fussy-cut them, then stacked them up, intertwining their tales. With Glossy Accents, their eyes almost look like googly eyes!

This stand-up card starts out flat, to fit in the envelope. The top flap lifts up and folds back down.

Here’s a view looking at the back:

There is a small tab on the ‘base’ that it rests against to hold it up for display.

Supplies:

• Clearly Besotted: Fluffy Furball stamps
• Sizzix Card, Playful Stand-Ups dies
• Papertrey Ink Summer Sunrise cardstock
• Recollections cream & white cardstock
• Graphic 45: Raining Cats and Dogs
• Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black & Desert Sand (env.) dye inks
• Copic Markers: B21; E31, 51, 55, 57; W1
• Pebbles, Inc. Pearlescent Chalks – Jewel Tones
• Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents
• Simply Defined permanent adhesive runner
• Simply Defined Stay-Put Glue

’m playing along with the following challenges – click on any one of them for more information on how you can join the fun:

• 2018 Cat Lovers Hop
• Lost Coast Designs & Carmen’s Veranda Challenge #63 Cats & Dogs

You know cats are gonna win this one hands down! >^.^<

In my next post, I’ll have today’s giveaway put together… Skedaddle on to the next person on the hop for now (after leaving some love here (and on Instagram or Pinterest if you wish). Thank you, sweeties!! : )

~D.Ann

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