Nighttime Blizzard with Paper Smooches

Aloha friends,

I hope each of you and your loved ones are well!!! I've been meaning to finish my card up for the Paper Smooches challenge and it's running down to the wire tonight. It's taken about a week to finish this. It was like "If it can go wrong, it will." And it did, a lot. But finished!

Paper Smooches has some new dies and stamps being released, as well as a very inspiring blog hop. You can see the blog hop list, as well as the challenge that ends (gulp) tonight, here: Paper Smooches Hop and Challenge


Stamp Set: "Swanky Snow Dudes" by Paper Smooches
Die: "Friend" cursive, and "Stitched Dies" (curved hill) by Paper Smooches

Embossing Folder: Snowflakes by Cuddlebug
Cardstock: Gina K. Designs (white and navy), Anna Griffin gold mirror finish
Inks: Memento
Markers: Copics, mostly BG family
Diamond Stickles, Opal Perfect Pearls, adhesive foam, golden yellow rhinestone, Multi Medium Matte adhesive, Scor Tape

Thank you so much for viewing and commenting ♥ !!!

Friends Are A Blessing!!!

Each one of you and so many more who don't even know I have a blog, or who have time to stop by - each friend is TRULY a blessing and dear to me!

If I could I would make each one of you an individualized set of stationery! We made new friends this week who came over to encourage us. As a little gift, I wanted to make a card and simple set of stationery. And I used the latest autumn set/kit from Gina K. Designs! Yippeeee!

Ok, made a boo boo smearing the sentiment ink. At first the card was taped off with Post It Note tape so that the sentiment would have the middle white space. VersaFine says it "dries fast" and well, it didn't this time. Last night my heat tool broke (argh, argh ARGH) and let this air dry. It smeared. I cut a strip of white card stock and inked the edges in Delicata Gold, restamped the sentiment, cut Fun Foam and used Scor Tape to adhere this new strip to the card :/  Boo boos...


Stamp Set: Gina K. Designs "Autumn Wishes" and American Crafts "Marian" alphabet
Inks: VersaFine "Onyx Black," "Sepia Brown," SU "Pear Pizzazz," "Certainly Celery," "Baked Brown Sugar," "Cherry Cobbler," and "Crushed Curry" and Delicata "Golden Glitz"
Memento Marker: Bamboo, Cantaloupe, London Fog, Lady Bug, Desert Sand (thumped the tree)
Wink of Stella Clear (on the berries)
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White
Fun Foam, white; Scor Tape
Envelopes: Desktop Publishing Supplies #57960-100 *** Are you always looking for quality, inexpensive envelopes? See below.


*** I love these envelopes - they are SMOOTH, crisp folds, not too thin, and most importantly, have a wax protective strip that you pull off when ready to use. The humidity in Hawai'i does not ruin the glue on these and no need to lick! And, they come in a sturdy storage box. I have the square back 24 lb x 100/box $8.95 ***

Link to a variety of "Desktop" great envelopes!

Thank you card for our new friends:

Set of 14 cards and 16 envelopes for them. The front has two score lines along the bottom, a multi color tree (thumped with Memento Markers), "B" with VersaFine Sepia, 

inside of cards have a leaf stamped in corner, one of three colors:

Close up of "thumped" tree and initial:

Mahalo for stopping by and big hugs

 for always being there

to cheer me on ♥

A Mushroom Birdie House?

Hi there friends,

Cast off! (not like in let's catch a fish, but like my arm is in a simple brace lol!!!!)

Now I can wiggle my fingers - whooot!

So when do birds live in a mushroom? Give up? When I'm playing in a Lawnscaping Challenge (doh)! I don't have a Lawn Fawn bird house, so this will have to do.

Lawn Fawn is having a IN WITH THE OLD challenge and this was one of the first sets I purchased from them. Beyond time to get this inky!

I have not used my Copic markers in a very long time either. We just can't have that. I am sending this card to a dear friend who moved away from Hawai'i back to Idaho (brrrrr)! The sentiment was taken from two Lawn Fawn sets because I didn't use the gnome and that said "Gnome sweet gnome." So I used the 'tape off' technique over the rest of the stamp and just used a word from two sets (see below).

The background sky is a watercolor using Zig Clean Color Brush "Cobalt Blue." Boy, these brushes are very saturated!! First time to use these, too. If you have not tried the sequins and shiny shapes from Lucy's Cards, take a peek: Pretty Shaped Sequins & Mini Beads


Stamp Sets: Lawn Fawn "Gnome Sweet Gnome" and "Sweet Smiles" {the inside sentiment was a free stamp set from Dani that has a little "Love" and a small rose :D squeeee)
Dies: Mama Elephant "Basic Dies" set (banner and scalloped border)
Copic Markers
Inks: Delicata Gold ("Sweet" in the sentiment), and VersaFine "Smoky Gray" and "Sepia Brown," and SU "Watermelon Slush"
Fussy Cutting
Shiny Bits of sequins and beads - "Lucy's Things" in English Rose
Wink of Stella and Diamonds Stickles
Signo White Gel Pen
Adhesive Foam

(Peek at the simple inside)

I hope you know how much your comments

make me smile, inside and out!

Thank you for taking the 

time to say "Aloha!"

♥

A fun friendship card for the Mama Elephant November 2015 on Flickr.

Hi sweet friends ♥

Sigh, our daughter and her hubby left for home this morning. I miss them already. We had a very upbuilding visit with our local elders and a traveling overseer who made a shepherding call which really built us up. It's hard getting older, living in pain, and Bruce needing a new pacemaker. We are loved though!!!

The card details--

The sky is a lightly watercolored. I tried not to warp the cardstock as it is not watercolor paper. The leaves are colored with Memento Markers "dot" style, then fussy cut and popped up. The squirrel and bunneh are stamped with inks (popped up with foam) and the acorn / carrot are colored with Memento markers. The leaves are strewn about the ground, also made with dots from Memento markers.

Made for Jennifer McGuire's "Share Handmade Kindness" month, November.

Click here to go to the Mama Elephant November Challenge!
Stamp Set: Mama Elephant "Tree Friends"
Dies: Mama Elephant "Basic Die" set
Cardstock: GKD Pure Luxury
Watercolor background: Distress markers "Broken China" and "Weathered Wood"
Sentiment: Versafine Black and Clear embossing powder
Diamond Stickles (the leaf trail as it falls from tree)
Enamel dots by Basic Grey
Twine by DoodleBug
Yellow rhinestone by KaiserCraft

Aloha dear ones -- I so appreciate

your kind comments!!!

♥

Monogrammed Card Set

Hey there again,

Two posts in one day :D  And hurray, the cast comes off Thursday. Whooot!

Our daughter and SIL Joel are leaving for their home on the mainland tomorrow. It's been a whirlwind week for them. Marina has scrubbed our kitchen, pantry and living room until it sparkles. I hate to say goodbye but that's life.

It's a little thank you gift, but last night I laid in bed and made them a little set of cards. They are simple, not fussy because that's their favorite style.

Stamp Sets: Maara Design "Simply Stationery,"American Crafts "Marian" alphabet, and SU "By the Tide" (inside seahorse and conch shell)
Inks: Delicata Golden Glitz and GKD Black Onyx and Memento London Fog
Cardstock: GKD
Envelopes: SU

Inside--

And so it goes, the kids go back (but Marina said they will be moving back and Joel has no say LOL LOL LOL). Here's to FAMILY - long may they wave!!!

As always, with big hugs

for stopping by and saying "hello"

♥

Floral Motif Sunshine

Aloha dear friends,

I seldom get to play in the PaperTrey Ink challenges, so it's so fun for me today. Betsy Veldman posted a video tutorial on how to use small images to create a design. You can see it: HERE

Stamp Sets: PaperTrey Ink "Botanical Silhouettes" and "Borders & Corners Ovals"
Edger Dies: PaperTrey Ink Set #1

Inks: SU "Certainly Celery, Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush and Crushed Curry"
Cardstock: GKD Pure Luxury Red Hot, White and Kraft
Corner Rounder Cropadile

The inside and the envelope are stamped to match the card :)

Big hugs for stopping by to take a look, and

Thank You for leaving some love!

♥

With Thanks - The Mod Squad Challenge

Hi there friends,

How are you? I think this is the first time I've played in Mod Squad! Really!

The challenge by Barb Campbell is all about Thanks.  Easy. And I kept it as EASY as possible because, well, you know, the cast thing. These are just cards, no layers :)

These are thank you cards because friends and family do so much for us and I don't have enough. That's a good feeling, you know? Where would each of us be if we didn't have support when times are tough? And our being there for when they need help! So grateful.

Stamp Sets: All by Gina K. Designs - Spring Blessings; Stippled Nature
Cardstock: GKD 80# (I usually use 120# but couldn't reach that far)

Stamped images with Memento Desert Sand; sentiments VersaMark, Memento Tuxedo Black, then Clear Embossing Powder
Colored with Derwent Water Color Pencils: I used a very tiny it of water to spread the color
Background color by Pebbles Classic Chalks
Dragonfly wings colored pale, then covered with 3D Crystal Lacquer
All the sparkles are Diamonds Stickles
Little bit of Signo White Gel Pen

Thank you very much for coming by, leaving a little love.

Signed,

The One Armed Bandit Cardmaker :*

♥ Aloha ♥

It's Been a While! Sympathy and Thinking of You cards

Hi there friends,

Well, where on earth have I been lol? I'm here. We continue to do our best while riding the roller coaster of "What's Going On With Our Health Today?" Just to cut it really short, my arm is back in a cast among other things but we keep on enduring. ♥

Recently we have had several friends pass away and some who are fighting very serious illness. The cards below are the best I can do while using mostly one hand, laying flat, and using some pre-embossed panels from a while back.

Jennifer McGuire has started a new challenge to share any handmade items with friends and family. Well, these cards will be going to friends and family, cards are my favorite way of showing loved ones I care, and will enter the challenge with these.

Leslie at StampTV challenge this week is having a 1-2-3 Challenge. I used one flower stamp, 2 colors or shades of same color, and 3 round sequins.

Stamp Sets: Gina K. Designs (Flowers Bloom, Spring Blessings, Botanicals, Sunkissed Autumn)
Inks: Memento
Embossing Powder: Wow Clear
Sequins: Pretty Pink Posh
Various Embossing Folders, cords and twines

Technique: Emboss Resist (Stamp the verses first, dust paper with embossing buddy or cornstarch, then stamp the flowers with Versamark, sprinkle and heat clear embossing powder, sponge color over flowers, wipe off ink from flowers)

Thank you all for coming by, leaving your sweet comments!

I've been missing you all! Aloha ♥