Countless Blessings

It's very hard to keep focused on the countless blessings the majority of us have. We are discouraged by what we see and hear on the news and often in our own parts of the world. But when we encounter someone who shines brighter than the rest, it helps us to re-focus on all we have.

Recently  the news highlighted on one young lady, Lauren Hill. She has terminal brain cancer and despite this, she fights on to play college basketball however her body will let her. When I saw her, her courage and her smile, facing down death, I felt impelled to create a small, humble, poured-out-of-my-heart card. It took me two days, but it is all I have to share with her and her family.

The beauty of a peacock.

But what kind of sentiment would be appropriate? Definitely not a sympathy because this gal is a light. a beacon of courage to others. All I could think of was that she is leaving a legacy. She's made a mark with her life.

Yes, she is and always will be, unforgettable.

Products used--

Stamp sets used: Stampin' Up "Perfect Peacock," and Gina K. Designs "Unforgettable," Inner flourishes by Hero Arts "Feathery Grass."
Cardstock: Gina K. Designs
Peacock painted with Gelatos and Perfect Pearls with paint brush and water.
Background painted with Gelatos and sprinkled with Epsom salt. 3D Crystal Lacquer over eye, beak, feather tips on head and "eyes" of the feathers. Rhinestones in flower centers. Liquid Pearls edge the peacock feathers and highlight flowers.

After drying overnight, I brushed the loose Epsom salts off, then dabbed Delicata Gold ink over some of the background.

The inside flourishes are stamped with Delicata Gold ink, Memento markers on the flower stamp, and VersaFine black for the sentiment.

Thank you for stopping by and taking a look! 

If you would like to send Lauren and her family a card, here

is the university she attends:

Lauren Hill

c/o Mount St. Joseph University, Women's Basketball 

5701 Delhi Road

Cincinnati OH 45233-1607

♥

Watercolor - Gelatos on Background Stamps

Wooohooo, this one worked! Finally :D :D :D


I took a Just Rite floral background stamp and colored the flowers with Gelatos. Then I gently spritzed water all over it and waited a bit, laid the watercolor paper over and :(  - the first one didn't turn out (see below). But I resprayed the stamp and Oh LA LA!!! I'm over the moon with it and will just paint the backside of the first one that kinda flopped.

Really - that's all I did. Then after it dried I added the sequins and will add a sentiment later on but had to get it uploaded. But the colors are soft and muted  - remind me of looking at a beautiful garden after the optometrist puts dilating drops in your eyes ☺ prettiful!

1st & then 2nd Generation layers: (big difference)

Sending hugs to all who take the time to visit my humble blog :)  ♥

Swim with Us :)

Ready to snorkel or dive? How about just swim in warm ocean, look down and see all the pretty colors of fishies?

These cards were very hard and challenging for me to make. They took a full two days.

Stamp Set:  Under the Sea by Theresa Momber for GKD
Inks: Gelatos (blues, greens, and yellows)
Shimmer: Perfect Pearl spray (background or ocean water) and Wink of Stella clear (over the fish).
Bubble bling: Robin's Nest blue and clear dew drops
Bling scattered on sand: Taylored Expressions Mini Mini crystals
Paper Punch: Photo Corners, Modern Label, Word Window by Stampin' Up
Cardstock: Flourishes Black, Georgia Pacific white 80#
Vellum: Grafix confetti
Paper piercer, copper brads by GKD, Aileen's Clear Tacky Glue, Mono adhesive
Memento marker in gray


The funnest part of the cards were 1) creating the backgrounds, and 2) coloring/fussy cutting the fish and turtles.

Briefly, I scribbled Gelatos all onto my craft sheet, then spritzed several times with Perfect Pearls mixed with water. Doing this gives me the option of not having to buy all the gelatos in metallics, which are a real temptation! Then I took the white card layers and placed them onto the wet gelatos, gently swirling to make sure I covered all the paper.

I stamped the fish and turtles with Memento Tuxedo Black, then colored them all with Copics. After I glued them to the 'water,' I brushed the Wink of Stella clear all over them to give them quite a shimmer.

I made up the sentiments on the laptop, then printed on vellum, cut and adhered to the card outside and inside. I used some fun fonts, so that's why the first letters look goofy. I drew in some swaying sea weed with the Memento Gray Marker. The yellows in the ocean kind of looks like that in real life when the sun filters through the shallow water :)

Card One

Card Two

Thank you dear friends for stopping by to take a look!!

Tiny Blossoms

I used Gelatos to color cardstock blues and greens, then the Fiskars hand punch to cut out lots of tiny flowers. Then I used a round end of a stylus on a mouse pad to try and curl the flowers upward. Glued the flowers to an embossed cardstock card. Used an aqua pen to water color with the Gelatos on the bird, then Sakura Clear star glitter pen to highlight embossed dots. The sentiment is from JustRite clear stamps. Oh, see the yellow dots inside the flowers? That's Buttercup Liquid Pearls :)

Thank you for looking!