'U for Upon' and 'V for Very Quick' at ABC Christmas Challenge

'V for Very Quick'

Hello and Welcome!

I've been on a blog break while recuperating from my surgery in August but it's good to be back. Today's share is a design team card for ABC Christmas Challenge. I am hosting this month so along with a sponsor's prize for our lucky winner I am offering a cute stamp set by Andrea Gomoll. 

Our sponsor this month is All Dressed Up

They are offering 2 free digi's from Wendy's Etsy Shop. 

To play along create a Christmas themed project using the letters 

'U for Upon' or 'V for Very Quick'

and yes you can create two projects using both letters or incorporate both on one. Enter as many times as you like and be sure to specify which letter influenced your project. Be sure to check out all of the DT inspiration here on the main challenge blog! 

Good Luck!

Lisa xx

Dashing Through the Snow Folio Card

Welcome, we have a brand new challenge for you at ABC Christmas Challenge. This month we are on the letters S for Snow and T for Teal. Every entry needs to be a Christmas themed project and you can enter as often as you like. For my DT project I was inspired by Kathy Clement's folio cards and decided to make one of my own. As she says it's a great way to give a card that also doubles as a gift. This Christmas I'll be gifting a handmade folio card with a packet of specialty cocoa and a recipe, for a delicious cookie to enjoy while sipping their cocoa, to friends at my church. 

I love this die that I bought last year in Branson, Missouri. There's a fabulous scrapbooking store on the main highway through town and it is chock full of crafting supplies. I always find unique things in that store and end up making multiple trips when I am there. ;) It is by Yvonne's Creations and it's called Holly Jolly Nesting Frame. I added flat back pearls to the star centers and inked the edges with Tumbled Glass distress ink. I used a cut-apart image on top of the die and popped it up with foam tape. The sentiment features the word Snow so that is my 'snow element' for this challenge. I added a Recollection rosette 3D sticker, a resin heart, twine bow, and in the upper left is another image from the sticker sheet. The reindeer at the top of the focal image is from Pink Paislee's City Sidewalks ephemera pack and the number '25' is by Simple Stories and is a sticker from a 2017 Christmas collection which I can't remember right now. A polka dot ribbon was added to the front and back covers and is the closure for my folio. All of the papers used are from the Jingle collection by Authentique .

This is how the inside looks when you open it. The right side is a pocket where I slipped the cocoa packet and the left side is purely decorative. I used washi tape on both sides and cut-apart images from the collection. 

The left flap lifts up and I created a tuck spot with a banner from the cut-apart page to slip my recipe into. On the bottom I added a red doily and punched a 3.5" circle and stamped a sentiment from Verve's Jolly Jingles stamp set. I also stamped a small snowflake on the background and colored in the ribbon and jingle bells with festive berries Distress Ink Marker.

Back Cover

This was a fun project to make and came together quickly using the coordinating papers and cut-apart images in the Jingle collection. 

Our Sponsor for this challenge is Wild Rose Studio

and one lucky winner will receive this prize below.

Winter Cottages A5 Clear Stamp Set

also as a sponsor we have 

with a prize of 

For more details check out the main challenge blog link above and enter to win. Our hostess Chrissy is offering a prize of her own to one lucky winner so check that out as well. You have until the end of September to play along. Good Luck!

Crafty Hugs,

Lisa xx

Happy Mail Tracker

Front Cover

Hello and Welcome Back!

As promised I am back with a project I made for a friend in India. We swapped 5 decorated tags and I used the beautiful collection - A Ladies Diary - by Graphic 45 to decorate her tags and to create this Happy Mail Tracker for her. She swaps with a lot of pals and thought this could be useful for her to keep up with what is going out and what is coming in. The cover and inserts are designer papers but the main body of the book is a file by The Cutting Cafe. I design for TCC and when Regina shared this new file with us I knew I had to create some for friends of mine. Unfortunately, I mailed two before I realized that I had forgotten to snap photos of them. Ugh! At least I remembered this time lol. We'll call it ex-cancer brain okay?1? LOL

Here is a link to the PDF file that is offered at The Cutting Cafe. All you have to do is print and trim to size. Easy peasy!! 

Happy Mail Tracker - Planner Add On Printable

I used a Cinch machine to bind my book but you could use any style binding you choose. I also decided to chomp the corners with a We R Memory Keepers Corner Punch - Scallop. All of the edges were inked (dp's only) with Gathered Twigs distress ink by Tim Holtz. The alpha's on the cover are from the sticker sheet from G45's Secret Garden collection. 

Here's what the rest of the book looks like.

If you like to swap happy mail then check out the links above to get this file. They make great gifts for your pen/swap pals and Christmas is not too far off in the distant future. ;)

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back with more scheduled posts next week with design team projects for ABC Christmas Challenge on the 5th and The Cutting Cafe on the 7th. 

See you then!

Crafty Hugs, 

Lisa xx

5 Tag Swap with Pen Pal

5 Tag Swap featuring Graphic 45's A Ladies Diary

Hello and welcome back! 

This is a scheduled post and today I'm sharing a Tag Swap I made for a dear friend in India. We originally met through Pocket Letter Pals and although I left PLP's we have remained friends. Earlier in the year she was battling cancer and in July I was diagnosed with cancer also. I'm happy to report that she is doing very well and has recovered. I am beginning my journey and on the 17th of this month I had surgery to remove the cancer and received a chemo treatment during surgery to kill any remaining cells. I have a rare cancer, Peritoneal Carcinomatosis, and just grateful that I was a candidate for the specialized surgery they now offer to patients. My family and I are praying that when I go for my first PET scan in November it comes back NED (no evidence of disease). It seems cancer touches so many people all over the world and it tends to bond you to each other in a very special way. That is why I wanted these tags to reflect beauty with a vintage touch (which she loves) and I couldn't resist adding encouraging notes using Tim's word stickers. 

Close up of the first tag, the sentiment is a cup apart from one of the designer papers. I die cut Tim's beautiful butterflies using another dp and inked the edges with Gathered Twigs distress ink. Liquid pearls were added to each tag and flat back pearls to the butterflies.

Fussy cut images really make these tags pop. I die cut a doily by Taylored Expressions and cut it in half and added to each side of this tag. 

Another die cut doily but this one is from My Favorite Things and I love the vintage feel of it.

The papers and cut aparts in this collection are so pretty. I added foam tape to some of the elements to add some dimension to each tag.

 

The flowers are a great feature and I fussy cut several types to add to these tags. The stamps were inked and two were popped up on foam tape. Every tag has a kraft base and all edges were inked with Gathered Twigs distress ink. I love the warmth this color adds. A O-ring was used to hold the tags together and I added various ribbon/trim to it as a finishing touch.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope these tags inspired you to create some of your own and swap with a friend or gift someone. I would appreciate your prayers for my continued recovery. It will be a long one but I knew that going into it and fully believe that I have more to do here and God is not finished with me yet.  I'll be back on Thursday (also a scheduled post) with a companion gift that I sent my friend as a happy. ;) 

Until then take care and I'll see you then!

Crafty Hugs,

Lisa xx

Fun with Rosettes at The Cutting Cafe

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Hello and Welcome!

I'm sharing a card today that features a great file - Fun with Rosettes - for The Cutting Cafe's second design team post this month. This was a quick and easy card to create and the rosette really packs a punch. The butterflies are also part of the file and I added 3 to this card for a visual pop of color. 

Visit TCC's blog today to see more inspiration using this template...cutting file. If you leave a comment on the DT post you'll be automatically entered into a drawing to win 3 FREE SETS of your choice from TCC. Regina will announce the winner on the 7th of September when our next post will be. Good Luck!

Lisa xx

Bible Verse Book for My Sister

Front Cover

***Photo Heavy Post***

I'm back with a share today that I made for my sister. It is a Bible Verse Book which offers encouragement from the Bible and I included inspirational quotes as well. She has been going through a lot the past few years with her health and I felt she needed this when I saw it on Suse Fish's blog. Suse recently changed her blog and unfortunately I couldn't find the link to it but you could search memory verse book which is what she called hers I believe. 

I used a ribbon as a closure for this book and various trims throughout to add some texture.  

The flower ephemera is a tuck spot.

Another tuck spot behind the butterfly. 

Love this quote!

One of my favorite Bible verses.

Another great quote! The tag is a journal spot where she can record prayer requests.

A great verse and one that we are both holding on to. 

The Proverbs 31 woman. :)

Another tuck spot on the left with a journaling tag.

Great quote!

My pastor says this all the time and it's true...

One of her favorite verses.

Always!

A place to record her blessings.

I stamped a favorite verse of mine on the left journal card. The stamp is from Verve Stamps which is now closed. So happy I have several of Julee's Scripture stamps!

A few more of her favorite verses.

Yes He is!!!

John 3:16 and a great quote on the right journal card.

Back Cover

I created this book by punching two holes in each journal card then using O-ring binding clasps to close. This photo shows the back cover on left and front cover on right.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope this book inspires you to make one of your own. Be sure to check out Suse's blog and you can also find her on You Tube and Instagram. Have a great week everyone! 

Crafty Hugs,

Lisa xx