Merilee Lane...Where Life is but a Dream

Happy Easter!

2013-03-31T11:01:00.005-04:00

Sending everyone Easter wishes for today and the whole year through!

This is a shadowbox card I made while on the design team for the Creative Critterz Imaginations blog, which is sadly, no longer updated. However, you can view my original post here. The card was made using my Cricut Imagine, which I still love using.

You can see how I created my own shadowbox effect.

And this is the inside of the card.

For all of the details and my supply list, please visit my original post here.

Have a wonderful Easter Sunday!

Merilee

Sharing a little bit about my life.

2013-03-28T13:01:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone! Today is Thursday and it is beautiful and sunny here in Atlanta, without a cloud in the sky! As I recover from pneumonia, I thought it might be nice to share a little bit about myself.

My husband and I are "empty-nesters" living in Atlanta, Georgia. Our kids are grown with children of their own, all living in the Midwest. We miss them all terribly, but we know that they each have their own lives now.

Hubby and I have four dogs to help fill the "empty-nester" void. I thought you might enjoy seeing photos of our furry little family, so here goes!

This is Chloe Bernice. She is our little Toy Poodle. I thought this was the cutest picture with her little tongue sticking out as she drifted off to sleep.

Although I chose Chloe to be my fru-fru "purse" dog, it wasn't long before we realized that she didn't really fit in that role at all. Instead, she is my hubby's best fishing buddy! :o) Poodles were bred to be water retrievers, and that breeding is well established in Miss Chloe.

Next up is Mr. Rusty Paws. He is from a small rescue in Tennessee and is a Beagle/Black and Tan Hound mix.

My hubby picked him out as a 10 week old pup to be his fishing buddy, but you know what they say about animals--they pick YOU, not the other way around, lol! Since Rusty really HATES the water, he chose to be my loyal guardian and companion. He won't even go to bed without me.

This is my sweet Summer Breeze. Summer is a special girl who came from a rescue here in Georgia. She is a Papillon rescued from difficult circumstances. It hasn't been easy for Summer to trust, but over time she has blossomed into a sweet, loving dog.

Can you see her smiling?

Last, but certainly not least, is our little Sweetpea. She is a coarse hair Jack Russell Terrier. She was rescued in Oklahoma and came to us as a little, scraggly pup--so ugly she was cute, lol!

This little stinker loves her entire family and shows her boundless affection to everyone, humans and dogs alike, by slathering them in kisses. She has brought sunshine into our home and is happy from the moment she opens her eyes in the morning, until the time she finally drifts off to sleep at night. What a blessing!

I hope you enjoyed a little insight into my little furry family. My daily inspiration is, in large part, due to them. They are certainly the ones who keep my husband and I going when we live so far away from loved ones.

I will be visiting each of your blogs, enjoying your creativity until I get a little energy back to create again myself. Have a great rest of the week and thank you for visiting!

Merilee

A bit of a cautionary tale...

2013-03-25T19:55:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! Hope this finds you all happy and healthy--some of you making springtime snowmen, lol! We haven't had any snow here in Atlanta, but we sure have had a lot of wind and rain and even hail.

A week ago this past Saturday my husband and I were enjoying a beautiful evening at our friends house, all of us sitting around the bonfire in their backyard. Our friends have a pretty house on a lake. The weather that night was cool and crisp--perfect for a bonfire.

I have asthma. Up to this point it hasn't been too hard to live with, but I know that smoke is a trigger for me. Nevertheless, I decided to take a chance and join the fun. The wind was blowing and shifting the smoke back and forth. I held my breath, got up, and even moved my chair when the smoke blew my way, but it wasn't enough. By the time I got home, my throat felt raw and my lungs hurt.

During the next couple of days I used my inhaler faithfully, but things only got worse. I began to run a fever, my energy level went down to a new low, and a dry, hacking cough ensued. By Thursday I felt so bad I didn't want to get out of bed, so I made an appointment at the doctor's office only to find out that I was having a severe asthma attack which had turned into pneumonia. I have been very, very sick ever since.

The reason I am blogging about this incident is to warn those of you with asthma not to take it lightly. Even if you haven't had problems with smoke before, this can happen to you. Remember, breathing is essential to your daily life. Asthma prohibits your ability to breathe very quickly. I have learned a new respect for myself, my asthma, and the simple act of breathing. I will never take it for granted again.

I am now on several medications to help me recover from pneumonia. I've been very, very sick. It all happened so quickly and so innocently. It seemed perfectly harmless to sit around a nice, warm bonfire with friends and enjoy the evening. I put my health and my life in jeopardy in just a couple of hours. It wasn't worth it. Enjoy your life, but please don't take chances with your health in the process.

As soon as I recover, I will get back to creating. In the meantime, I will be visiting all my favorite blogs to see what you've been creating.

Have a great week and take good care of yourselves!

Merilee

Happy March!

2013-03-14T19:40:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! Hope you are doing well. My apologies for not posting since December. There has been a lot going on in my life and I felt I needed to take a short break.

With springtime upon us, I've got my creative mojo back and I'm ready to begin again fresh and new. You will be hearing from me very soon with more projects.

In the meantime, thank you for hanging in there with me and I look forward to sharing a piece of my life with you again.

Have a great day!

Merilee

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T20:52:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to all of my blog friends. I wish you hope and joy and love during this holiday season and especially on Christmas Day. I would like to share the true meaning of this beautiful season.

May The Lord give you peace and harmony on this Blessed Day.

Merilee

Clean and Simple Snowflake Card

2012-12-14T18:34:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. I'm not quite ready for my family to arrive, but I'll finish things up this weekend, I hope!

Today I have a clean and simple Snowflake card to share. This card was a little difficult for me. I am a "more is more" kind of gal and it was hard not to add more detail. However, I refrained as best I could and this is the result:

I entered this card in the Cardz TV Design Team Challenge #21, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas". I wish you could see the details a bit better. Instead of adding a lot in the way of embellishments, I added different textures. The background is dry embossed in a snowflake pattern. I used my fine tip glue pen to add a bit of glitter to only a few flakes. Then I used a tiny brush and some pearl paint to add a bit of iridescent shine to a few others. Hopefully you can see that detail a bit better below...

The embossed background was matted on white cardstock and wrapped in silver satin ribbon. Then I cut a very thin piece of embossed silver metallic cardstock to apply to the center of the ribbon.

The focal image was stamped twice, once on white copy paper and once again on vellum. The vellum image was then immediately sprinkled with ultra thick embossing powder and heat set. I wasn't sure how this would turn out, but was pleasantly surprised by the perfect dimension it provided.

I used my MFT Wellworn die to create the frame for the focal point. I cut the background in flat gray cardstock and then the center frame was cut from embossed silver metallic cardstock. I then added rhinestones on either side to finish off the look without taking too much away from the focal image. I layered the two stamped images on top of each other to add a bit of depth in color, and then set the frame atop. The entire focal image is adhered with pop dots for dimension and a simple bow tied and adhered beneath.

Here is another view so you can see the dimension. I'm sorry...the sparkly and iridescent snowflakes in the background don't seem to photograph very well.

I also kept the inside of the card simple and clean. You may be able to see the detail in the snowflakes a little better below...

I added the same ribbon around the cardstock and topped it with a thin strip of metallic cardstock to match the card front.

And, of course, the back wouldn't be complete without my company logo. The frame around it was cut with my Cricut Expression and Lacy Labels cartridge in the same embossed, metallic cardstock. I usually always add a rhinestone above the banner to add a bit of personality. (There goes my "more is more" again, lol!)

I hope you enjoyed my card! I will be back soon with another project!

Thanks for joining me and happy holidays to you and your family!
Merilee

Recipe:
Cardstock: Recollections; AC Specialty Paper-Foil
Stamps: Stampin Up-Christmas Lodge; Flourishes-Sentimental Christmas-SS179; PSA Essentials Personalized Stamp
Die: MFT Die-Namics-Wellworn
Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon
Ink: Memento-Tuxedo Black

Adhesives: Zig Two-Way Glue, Pop Dots; Glue Dots; Zots; Scotch- ATG, Mounting Tape

Other: Ultra Thick Embossing Powder

Tools: Fiskars-Paper Trimmer, Easy Stamp Press; Scotch ATG Gun; Cutter Bee Paper Snips; Martha Stewart Score Board; T-Square; Sizzix Big Kick Machine; Cricut Expression; Cricut Lacy Labels Cartridge

Prayers for Victims in Connecticut

2012-12-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

Today is a sad day in our history. My heart is extremely heavy thinking of those victims of the shooting in Connecticut. So many innocent people killed...so many innocent children who lost their lives before they had even begun.

I will keep the families, the children, and everyone involved, in my prayers. I ask that you do the same, as this tragedy is unthinkable. I pray for those taken from this earth before their time; I pray for those broken families left with a vast hole in their lives that can never be mended; I pray for those children who lived through this horror, and I pray for the lost soul who committed this heinous crime.

Please join me in prayer at this sorrowful time in the lives of so many people. Together, with the strength of prayer, we can reach out to help make a difference.

Thank you,
Merilee

Country Chic Christmas Card - Details and More Photos

2012-12-12T15:29:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! After running into the storage dilemma on Google, I found that I had to purchase additional storage in order to continue adding photos to my blog posts. I was surprised by this change, but the world is always changing, isn't it?

I'd like to continue my previous post so I can show you some close-ups of the Country Chic Christmas card featuring my sepia tone Santa. I also wanted to show you the two cards side-by-side, so you can see how one stamp can be used to create very different cards.

So let's begin with the close-ups of my Country Chic card and a few details describing how it was created.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE to recycle and/or upcycle things to use as embellishments on my cards. I've added some things like that to this card. Can you find them? Let's take a closer look...

The corrugated cardboard I used for the plaque is made from a coffee sleeve! My husband and I love to go to Barnes & Noble, drink coffee at Starbucks and read our favorite magazines. I always save the Starbucks coffee sleeves to take home for projects. Now I've got too many, so I have decided I can't save any more until I use the ones I've got, lol!

Here is a view from the side of the card. In order to add dimension, you can see how many of the elements are set away from the card base at various depths using different thicknesses of foam tape and pop dots.

I added a white "brick" center border to separate the two red and white patterns. Then beneath the border I added some braided trim I found in my sewing stash. I has a slight sparkle to it for added interest.

The cardboard background for this embellishment was cut from the remaining coffee sleeve using my circle punch. Then I added crackle medium to the focal point, as well as to the berries on Santa's hat, to add a little more vintage feel. I love the way it turned out! Here's a better look...

For the sparkly effects in the pine sprigs and holly I used Stardust Galaxy Gelly Roll pens. They work great in adding detail to things such as these!

These little tickets are from Whimsy Stamps-Holiday Ticket Sentiments. I actually stamped and cut these tickets first from kraft cardstock and then again in off white cardstock. I fussy cut the second set and inset them onto the kraft set so they would stand out a little more. The doily I used was actually a little small for this project, so I cut in half and placed it strategically to give the appearance of something a bit larger.

For the inside of the card, I stamped my sentiment and cut it out with Die-Namics-Wellworn Die and Stamp Set. I used a little twine and a small vintage Santa image popped up to finish it off. Here is a close-up of the sentiment.

Now I'd like to show you the two different cards I made using the same Santa image. They each have a very different feel...

One a bit more elegant in cranberry and gray tones...

And the other with an aged feel in a sepia tone pallet of off white, red and kraft. Both cards make a big statement. Which one is your favorite? I can't seem to choose. I actually made the Country Chic card to send to my grandchildren with the "Believe" sentiment and the cute Santa tickets. :o)

Well, thank you for joining me today and I hope you enjoyed today's post. I'll be back soon with another project to share!

Happy Holidays!

Merilee

Recipe:

Pattern Papers and Cardstock: DCWV-The Downtown Love Stack, Main Street Stack; Me & My Big Ideas-Mambi Sheets; Recollections-Solid Cardstock

Stamps and Die Sets: Flourishes-Santa I Believe-SS085, Sentimental Christmas-SS179; Whimsy Stamps-Holiday Ticket Sentiments-10210; MFT Stamps and Die-Namics Set-Wellworn

Embellishments: K&Company BW Evergreen Adhesive Paper Borders; American Crafts Baker's Twine; Wrights-Loop Braid Trim; My Stash-Doily, Jingle Bell; Starbucks-Coffee Sleeve

Ink, Pens and Markers: Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Brushed Corduroy, Festive Berries; VersaMagic-Jumbo Java; Stardust Galaxy Gelly Roll Pens; Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Markers

Adhesives: Inkssentials Crackle Accents; Zig Two-Way Glue, Pop Dots; Glue Dots; Zots; Scotch- ATG, Mounting Tape

Tools: Fiskars-Paper Trimmer, Easy Stamp Press; Scotch ATG Gun; Cutter Bee Paper Snips; Paper Shapers Circle Punch; Hole Punch; Martha Stewart Score Board; T-Square; Sizzix Big Kick Machine; Ink Daubers

Country Chic Christmas Card

2012-11-28T22:38:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone! Hope this finds you all enjoying the holiday season!

I've been shopping like a crazy lady, getting ready to host Christmas at my house this year! I cannot wait--I am SOOOO excited! My daughter and son-in-law and all of my grand kiddies will be here this year! This will be the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!! :o)

This is my "country chic" Christmas card for today. I used the same santa image as in my last post, but I colored them different. The last one was in color and this one is in a sepia tone effect. I wanted to share more photos, but for now I seem to be out of storage here on google. I will investigate the matter and get back to you.

I hope you've enjoyed my post for today. Thank you for visiting my blog and I'll be back soon with another card to share.

Have a great day!

Merilee

Elegant Santa Christmas Card

2012-11-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone! This week is Thanksgiving and I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season!

We live far away from our family so we won't be celebrating with them this Thanksgiving. Our kids may be grown now with families of their own, but my husband and I still have each other and we will have a cozy little Thanksgiving of our own, just the two of us.

When our home was bustling with children, I wondered what it would be like someday when our kids were grown. I must admit that it can be lonely sometimes; however, there are wonderful things about it, too. My husband and I really do enjoy each other's company and have lots of fun together. Our life isn't quite as serious as it used to be when we were raising our family, which means we don't worry like we used to. We are having fun dating again, too--something I thought was long over, and now we actually have time to stop and smell the roses!

We thank The Lord for our wonderful family and all of our beautiful grandchildren, but we are also thankful for our little family of two. God has blessed us with so many gifts, and among them a most precious gift--the gift of us. Together we've lived through a lifetime of experiences and we're looking forward to many more adventures to come!

In the spirit of the holiday season, I'm sharing a Christmas card I made using one of the Santas that I shared with you in my last post here. I decided to do an elegant card with this image and I really like the way it turned out. I entered this card in the Cardz TV Design Challenge #21, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas".

My card base is a bit larger to accommodate the image and its mat. I folded an 8-1/2x11 piece of cardstock in half to create a finished size of 5-1/2 x 8-1/2. I used my Cricut Expression and Elegant Edges Cricut Cartridge-Stamp (Pg. 37) to create the "stamp" mat for Santa. You can read more about that in my last post here.

Santa is mounted on foam tape to set him apart from the card base. I also added two strips of silver embossed foil cardstock to the left edge, topped with a silver snowflake cut from a Martha Stewart punch. A rhinestone was added to the center for a little sparkle.

Just right of Santa is matted cardstock tied with a bow. I added two more rhinestone studded snowflakes, along with a small ornament that I cut with my Cricut Expression using the Christmas Cheer cartridge (HohohoS - Pg.89). Here is a closer look:

The ornament base is cut from silver embossed foil cardstock and topped with a circle from black sparkle cardstock. Centered on that is a Merry Christmas stamp from the Whimsy Holiday Postmark set.

For the inside of the card, I followed a similar layout to the card front. The sentiment is stamped in black and embossed with silver metallic embossing powder. Hopefully you can see the shimmer below...

For the right edge, I tied a small bow and added three rhinestones in graduating sizes.

Well, that's my card for today. I hope you enjoyed it! I'll be back soon to post another card using the same Santa image, only this time in sepia tone. You can view the image in my previous post here. I plan to do a card with an entirely different feel. It will be fun to compare the two once I'm finished.

I'm sending you wishes for a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving, whether celebrating with a large family or simply among yourselves. May God bless you all with health and happiness this holiday season!

I hope to see you again soon! Happy Thanksgiving!

Merilee

Recipe

Cardstock: Best Occasions Glitter Paper Pack; Fancy Pants Designs-My Family Collection; AC Specialty Paper-Foil; Recollections Cardstock; X-Press It-Blending Card
Stamps: Flourishes-Santa I Believe SS085; Whimsy Stamps-Holiday Circle Postmarks
Inks: Memento-Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz-Black Soot, Festive Berries
Markers and Pens: Letraset Promarkers - Sets 1 and 2, Skin Tones and Skin Accents; Sharpie Extra Fine Point Markers; Sakura Stardust Galaxy Gelly Roll Pens and Classic Bright White Gelly Roll Pens
Ribbons and Cord: Really Reasonable Ribbon-November Assortment; Cousin-Waxed Linen Cord
Embellishments: Rhinestones-In Bloom by Bead Design; Snowflakes-Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch
Cricut Cartridges: Elegant Edges-Stamp (Pg. 37); Christmas Cheer-HohohoS (Pg. 89)
Adhesives: Zig 3-Way Glue Pen; Pop Dots; Zots Mini Glue Dots; Scor-Tape; Scotch Mounting Tape; Scotch ATG
Tools: Tim Holtz Blending Tool; Martha Stewart Score Board; Fiskars Paper Trimmer; Fiskars Easy Stamp Press; T-Square; Ink Daubers; Heat Gun; The Paper Studio Paper Snips; Scotch ATG Gun; Becca's Peg Bow Maker; Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch; Martha Stewart Self Healing Mat; Bazzill Basics Splat Mat

Santa Image Stamps

2012-11-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! I hope this finds you all doing well on this rainy, chilly Wednesday in November. With all this gloomy weather, I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing than working in my art studio!

Today's post is about different ways to use one stamp in order to achieve various diverse results. In this case, I'm using the Santa stamp from "Santa I Believe" (SS085) by Flourishes. You can purchase it here. I bought this stamp set last year because I love the vintage feel of this Santa image. It conjures up fond memories of when I was a little girl, anticipating Santa's arrival on Christmas morning! Sorry, nostalgia has struck me as it always does at this time of year. :o}

I began with stamping the image twice and used my Letraset Promarkers to color them in different ways. I wasn't sure what I was going for, so I wanted to try a couple of techniques. Here are my results:

And here are close-ups of each one...

The first is done in rather muted colors to create an aged appearance.

The second is colored to create a sepia tone effect. I like both images and decided to create a unique mat to showcase them. Here are photos of the matted images side by side:

I really love them both--each one has a different feeling, even though the image is the same. Here are some close-ups:

The mat that I chose is from the Cricut Cartridge, Elegant Edges, Stamp (Pg. 37). I cut it twice, once with the shift function in white cardstock and then with the shadow function in gray cardstock. Then I cropped the stamped image in a square with my paper trimmer to fit just inside the mat. The edges are inked in Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Ink. I really love the way it enhanced the image.

The second mat is cut exactly the same, but I substituted cream and brown cardstock instead, even though I stamped the image on white. Once I softened all of the edges with Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, it unified the colors and brought them all together. As you can see, I left just enough white to highlight Santa's face.

Today I will create the final cards using these as my focal images. I've been toying with several ideas for card layouts and haven't been able to choose. I don't know about you, but I sometimes need to separate myself from the project for awhile to gain fresh perspective. I will put it all together and share the results with you in tomorrow's post.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope to see you again soon!

Merilee

Recipe:

Cricut Cartridges: Elegant Edges - Stamp (Pg. 37)
Cardstock: Recollections
Blending Card: X-Press It
Stamps: Flourishes - Santa I Believe #SS085
Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Black Soot, Brushed Corduroy
Markers and Pens: Letraset Promarkers - Sets 1 and 2, Skin Tones and Skin Accents; Sharpie Extra Fine Point Markers; Sakura Stardust Galaxy Gelly Roll Pens and Classic Bright White Gelly Roll Pens
Tools: Tim Holtz Blending Tool; Fiskars Paper Trimmer, Easy Stamp Press, ; Cutter Bee Paper Snips; T-Square; Martha Stewart Self Healing Mat; Bazzill Basics Splat Mat

Fun Halloween Photos to Share!

2012-11-02T18:12:00.005-04:00

Hi Everyone! Hope your Halloween was wonderful. Can you believe it is November already?!? Time sure does fly when you're having fun!

Today I'd like to share some pics of my sweet grandchildren. They are Nana's little angels and they make my life wonderful!

From oldest to youngest, the first is Missy. She loves cats so, of course, what else could she be??

Papa and I were out shopping one day and found this darling hot pink, sequined mask that we thought she'd love.

Next is Sissy. She wanted to be an Egyptian and I can't imagine a cuter one!

We found this darling Egyptian headdress to go with her costume and thought it would be perfect.

And here they are together...

You've all seen my fierce ninjago, Sammy! He asked Nana to sew his costume this year and then he and his Mommy added the finishing touches. Doesn't he look great?

And, last but certainly not least, is Baby Sissy! Doesn't she make the cutest little cowgirl? This was a costume I sewed for her big sister when she was little and it has been handed down to each girl to wear on Halloween! :o)

I wish I could have been there to help them celebrate, but they live very far away. At least I had an opportunity to take a small part in making their day great. I always send them a treat box with lots of goodies and they carried their Halloween buckets to collect more candy.

Being a grandmother is so much more than meets the eye--I just couldn't imagine life any other way. I love each one of them so much. They have very different personalities and are very special in his or her own way. They have unique gifts to share with the world and bright futures ahead. God has blessed us in so many ways with these little angels!

Thanks for stopping by today and sharing in such a special part of my life. I hope to see you again soon with another project to share!

Merilee

Happy Halloween!!

2012-10-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone! Happy Halloween!!

I'm sharing some Halloween cards I made for my grandchildren. I put together a box every Halloween with lots of treats inside since the kids live far away from their Nana. I may not get to be there with them, but I can still participate in the holiday by sending lots of goodies. :o) The kids love watching for the mailman to deliver their surprise box!

These were simple cards to create. I used my square punch to create the cutouts in the cards, as well as the black frames, and dimensional sticker sets for the spooky characters peering out. Here are some close-ups of each card.

The card front--a kitty-cat popping out of a pumpkin...

and the inside, complete with a creepy spider!

Each one is the same cardbase, with a different sticker set. This is the bride of Frankenstein...

and each one features a magic potion inside.

Here is Frankenstein...

and his magic potions!

And a cute little witch!

and the inside. Each one is slightly different, yet the same overall layout. The sentiments on the cards are both cut with my Cricut Expression and the Happy Hauntings cartridge.

And here is the back of the card...

I created this logo using clip art from Microsoft Word to use only on the things I create for my grandchildren. Just a little reminder of how Nana loves them.

And that's it for my Halloween cards. Simple and quick--perfect for creating multiples! I hope you enjoyed them!

Thanks for spending your Halloween with me and I hope to see you again soon.

Hope your Halloween is spooky and fun!

Merilee

Ninjago Halloween Costume

2012-10-30T22:02:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone! Hope you are all ready for Halloween tomorrow!

I finished my grandson's ninjago Halloween costume several days ago, but I had to put it in the mail (he lives in St. Louis, Missouri) and then wait for him to get it before I could share a photo of him wearing it.

First of all, for you sewing enthusiasts, here are a few photos of the costume:

This costume was made using a pajama pattern. It is made of no-pill fleece, which will be nice and warm, since the weather in St. Louis is cold.

The jacket has Velcro closures and the belt is an elastic/Velcro belt made to wrap around sleeping bags. I found by accident and it was the perfect width for Sammy's waist. I just love happy accidents! He will be able to wear this as a jacket after Halloween.

The pants are basic sweatpants with an elastic casing at the top. He has lots of shirts that will go well with this color of green (Sammy's favorite color!), so he'll get lots of use out of these pants after Halloween.

I basically had to wing the hood. I couldn't find anything like what I needed, so I used a regular hood pattern as a template and created my own ninjago version, lol!

Another view...

And, finally, here is Sammy all dressed up! You can't see how cute he is underneath that ninjago hood, lol! He was so happy to have it, he told his mother, "Wow! Nana really is crafty!" :o) He's 6 years old, lol!

Thanks for visiting today and I will see you again soon with Halloween cards!

Merilee

A little note about perfection...

2012-10-22T13:25:00.002-04:00

Many of you may not know it, but in addition to my love for paper, I also have a love of fabric. I have been sewing since my daughter was a toddler. She is now 33 years old, and although my sewing has taken a bit of a hiatus over the past few years, my passion for it still exists.

My husband teases with me about my "collection" of fabric. I'd say my fabric collection is just as big as my paper collection (oh my...), and although the two are very different mediums, they are both wonderful mediums with which to work--each in its own way.

I have sewn many different things over the years--everything from children's clothing to draperies to formal wear and, yes, even wedding gowns! My daughter called last week and asked if I would mind sewing my grandson's Halloween costume. He wants to be the green "Ninjago". I have never sewn Ninjago wear, but I'm always up for a challenge! I hurried to the fabric store to find the perfect fabric, notions, and everything I needed for the project. But when I got home, I found myself frozen at the thought of sewing again--afraid it wouldn't be good enough--that my sewing skills had become rusty since I'd taken up my new passion for creating with paper.

Well, after reading a great post over at The Coletterie, I realized that for me, creating has always been about the journey, as much as the end result. I've wasted precious time staring at the cut pieces of what is to be my grandson's Halloween costume, worrying about doing it perfectly when the fact is, he will be thrilled with the end result just because Nana took the time to create something special just for him. And that's all that matters anyway, isn't it?

So today I begin my journey through "Ninjagoland" and I'm looking forward to it. I will keep Sammy's darling little face in mind the entire time I'm at my sewing machine, knowing that what I'm creating today will be much more than just a Halloween costume--it will be a gift that makes my grandson feel special and important, and that's what makes me love the creative process--making someone else feel loved through giving.

I'll be back in a day or two to share the finished project. In the meantime, whatever it is that makes your heart sing, don't let the fear of being perfect stifle your creativity. After all, God's beautiful world is perfect and everything is created in it's own unique way--that's what makes it special and beautiful and...yes, perfect!

Thanks for visiting today!

Merilee

Sunflower Birthday Card

2012-10-19T19:16:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! Hope all is well and everyone is enjoying a gorgeous autumn day! I live in Atlanta, Georgia, and the weather has been so pretty--mid to upper 70's during the day and low 50's at night. The breeze is blowing and we're far enough north in the state to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. I have lived many places, but I have come to love Georgia very much. We enjoy all four seasons here, but the temperatures remain fairly mild in winter, so we never freeze.

Today's project is a sunflower birthday card. I used a few techniques on this card, including flocking.

This began with a landscape card base in kraft cardstock which I split into two sections, covering the top and bottom with coordinating patterned papers, and using a strip of faux leather paper with a ribbon over top in the center to cover the transition between the two. For the bottom section, the paper was not the shade of green I needed, so I blended it with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Peeled Paint. Then I ran it through my crimper to give it the look of corrugated cardboard. After matting the layers together on brown and gold mats, I paper pierced the outside edge and adhered it to my card base. Hopefully, you can see the detail a little better in this photo.

The focal sunflower image is a wood mounted rubber stamp by Inkadinkado #92249. I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black and inked the background with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy. The image was colored with Letraset alcohol markers and, for an added touch, I flocked the flower centers in brown flocking.

After the coloring and flocking process, I matted the image on golden and brown cardstock. Then I cut some mats out of two shades of olive green using my Cricut Expression and the Lacy Labels Cartridge (ThnkgYou). I love this cartridge and I have used it in many different applications. In this case, the cut lends itself perfectly to the pattern in the background paper. The final touch was to pierce the edges using templates from Stampin' Up.

I centered and adhered my focal image and then looked through my stash for some metallic elements to embellish it further. I found an alphabet paper clip, as well as a small metal label holder, both by Tim Holtz. However, neither were in a metallic shade that would go nicely with my project, so I got out some Rub-N-Buff and changed the finish to antique gold. Instead of using the alphabet stickers that came with the paper clips, I got out my dimensional stickers and trimmed down a round sticker to fit just inside. I used Glossy Accents to adhere it securely and added it to my focal image with a bow to finish it off.

For the label holder, I stamped a sentiment on golden cardstock and trimmed it to fit. Then I trimmed a piece of acetate to fit just inside and sandwiched them together and adhered them both with Glossy Accents. I then mounted the label holder to the bottom center of the focal image with brown brads and added a metal butterfly from my stash.

Once I was satisfied, I mounted the entire thing onto the card front using foam adhesive circles.

For the inside of the card, I wanted it to match, but not exactly, so I chose one pattern from the card front to cover it completely, but using the same faux leather in the center. Earlier I had cut the same image from Lacy Labels but it was too small. However, I believe in "happy accidents" and thought it was the perfect size for the sentiment on the inside. :o) I cut small mats from golden and brown cardstock and mounted them together, paper piercing around the edges. Then I used my Fiskars Stamp Press (which is brand new and I LOVE it!!) to combine two images from different stamp sets for the sentiment. I offset the sunflower to include only some of the words and combined it with my birthday sentiment. I really like the way it turned out! :o) Then mounted it to the Cricut cut, but only adhering three sides and leaving the left edge loose so I could slip in two tickets stamped and die cut from one of my Whimsy Ticket sets. I did not adhere them--they are meant to be removable. I finished it up with a matching ribbon bow.

Finally, I finished the back of the card with my logo, using another cut from the same Lacy Labels Cartridge (ThnkgYou). It is one of my favorite cuts to use with my logo stamp.

Thanks for joining me today and I hope to see you again soon with another card!

Merilee

Recipe
Stamps: Friendship Ticket Sentiments by Whimsy Stamps; Summer Assortment Mini and #92249 by Inkadinkado; Big Greetings by My Favorite Things
Cardstock and Patterned Papers: Mosaic Memories by Recollections; Solid Colors and Specialty Papers by Recollections; Acetate-recycled blister packaging
Ink: Memento-Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Peeled Paint, Brushed Corduroy; Versa Magic Chalk Ink-Jumbo Java
Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon-Silver and Gold Assortment
Markers: Letraset Alcohol Markers
Cricut Cartridges: Lacy Labels-Bliss; ThnkgYou
Other: Glossy Accents; Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist-Lemon Zest; Michael's Dollar Bin Flocking-Dark Brown; Rub-N-Buff-Antique Gold; Tim Holtz Metal Embellishments
Tools: Cricut Expression Machine; Martha Stewart Scoreboard; Fiskars Paper Trimmer; Fiskars Crimper; Stampin' Up Paper Piercing Pack Essentials and Piercing Mat; CGull Tools; Tim Holtz Blending Tool
Adhesives: ATG gun; Hot Glue Gun; Zots; Foam Adhesive Circles, Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive; Flower Soft Glue

Paper Wreath

2012-10-16T15:18:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone! I hope this finds you all happy and enjoying this beautiful Tuesday in October!

Today I have a paper wreath to share with you. I have seen these wreaths all over the internet and thought they were so very pretty! When friends of mine moved into their new house, I thought it would make the perfect housewarming gift.

This was so fun and easy to make! From start to finish, I worked on it about four hours. I'm sure I would have been done sooner, but there was a learning curve, since I taught myself how to construct it during the process.

To begin with, I used a large dinner plate as my template to draw and cut two circles from a flattened, cardboard box. I set one of them aside for later and then took my double-sided paper, inked the edges for a bit of definition, and began rolling my cones. I used my hot glue gun for this project, gluing each cone at the point to hold the cone closed and then gluing them down to the cardboard circle. The project actually went very quickly once I got the hang of making the cones.

I did a few layers of cones, rolling some of them differently than others, turning some to the back and others forward as I did each layer. If you look closely you can see that they are different.

Hopefully you can see the difference in the cones in this photo.

For the center of the wreath, I used a saucer as my template and cut another circle from my flattened, cardboard box. Then I cut a scalloped circle from cream cardstock with my Cricut Expression and my Ribbons and Rosettes Cartridge (Pg. 55). After inking the edges and gluing it in place, I added the black floral rosette from the same cartridge (Pg. 29). You can't see it from the photo, but after scoring and folding the rosette, I sprayed it with gold Glimmer Mist for just a hint of shimmer when the light hits it just right.

Then came the circle in the center cut from the same cartridge (Pg. 21). After lightly inking around the edges, I applied the pretty flourish to the top. I just love this flourish. I found it on Pg. 34 of the Elegant Cakes Cartridge and cut it twice, once from cream cardstock and once from black velvet cardstock (I know, right? The velvet really added a decadent touch!). I didn't use the shadow feature but, rather, offset them ever so slightly. The pretty monogram is from the same cartridge. I did use the shadow feature for that element.

For the back of the wreath, I used my remaining large cardboard circle and covered it with cream cardstock. I then inked the edges and added regular picture hanging hardware with brads. Then I secured the back to the front with hot glue (and lots of it, lol!). Here is a closeup...

Wrapping twine from one eyelet to another several times ensures that the wreath can be securely hung from a nail. Then I added black ribbon tied in a pretty bow at the center top for another option in hanging. To finish it off, I added my logo stamp on the back. (The frame surrounding it is from the Lacy Labels Cartridge, Bliss.)

I hope you enjoyed my project for today.

Come back and visit again soon!

Merilee

Recipe:
Specialty Paper and Cardstock: Recollections
Ribbon: Offray
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink
Cricut Cartridges: Ribbons and Rosettes, Elegant Cakes, Lacy Labels
Tools: Cricut Expression, Glue Gun, Scotch ATG gun, Fiskars Paper Cutter, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Tool

Masculine Card using Center Step Card Base - Card 2 of 2

2012-10-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone! Hope this finds you all doing well and having a great day!

As promised, today I am showcasing the second of two masculine birthday cards using a center step card base. If you haven't seen the first one, refer to my previous post.

Today's card features a darling little boy flying his toy airplanes from Lili of the Valley. Isn't he cute!?!

The image was stamped on cream flecked cardstock and colored with my Letraset markers.

For this card, I decided to stamp the focal image and cut it out in a diamond shape. I popped it up with dimensional tape on its mat and then mounted it atop another square mat in coordinating patterned paper. I added epoxy stickers to either side just for fun and wrapped the matted image with ribbon and a metal ribbon slide that says "happy", since this little fella is thrilled to fly his toy planes, lol!

For the inside of the card, I used additional coordinating patterns from the same paper pack to stamp my sentiment. I then added some little flags along the side to spice things up a bit, as well as some faux stitching. Here's a closer look...

To finish off the card, I stamped my logo, matted it and adhered it to the back of the card. Of course, I added a bit of faux stitching with my white gel pen.

And that is my card for today! I hope you like it.

Thank you for joining me today and I hope to see you again soon to share another card!

Merilee

Recipe:

Paper: Recollections-Mosaic Memories; All other Papers-Recollections

Markers and Ink: Letraset Markers, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Powder Puff Chalk Ink, Martha Stewart Pigment Ink

Ribbon and Embellishments: Studio Decor-Shadowbox Embellishment Kit, Recollections-Epoxy Stickers, Brads from my stash

Stamps: Lili of the Valley, Inkadinkado-Summer Assortment Mini, Stampology, The Paper Studio-Stitches

Tools: Martha Stewart Score Board, Fiskars Paper Trimmer, Blending Tool, ATG gun, Scotch Foam Tape, Mini Glue Dots

Masculine Card using Center Step Card Base - Card 1 of 2

2012-10-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone! Thanks for hanging in there while I sorted out my camera issues. I'm finally back in action again. Yay!

Today I want to share a masculine birthday card I made using a center step card base. I wanted to do something a little bit different and this base is quick and easy. I found a great tutorial for this base on splitcoaststampers.com here.

I actually have two upcoming birthdays for boys in my family, so I made two of these center step card bases at the same time and changed out the papers and themes to personalize them for each recipient.

I'll share the second one with you tomorrow...sorry! :o} But for today's card, I used an image of a darling little boy fishing. Isn't he so adorable!?! I just couldn't resist using him!

This image was stamped on kraft cardstock and inked around the edges. I didn't do any fancy coloring or shading in this case--it just didn't call for it. I think he's cute enough on his own, don't you? However, I did add the "water" below my little fishing man using a border stamp from the Stitches collection by The Paper Studio.

I just love the dimension of this card base. I didn't need to add much detail for interest, but to reinforce the fishing theme, I added some stickers from the Gone Fishin' collection by Paperhouse Sticky Pix.

For the inside of the card I created a wallet made from faux leather paper. To hold the wallet in place, I wrapped a ribbon around it and adhered it to the card base on the underside of the wallet. Then I added the matted birthday sentiment over top. Here's what the wallet looks like open...

On the back of the card I stamped my logo and framed it out with coordinating papers.

And that's it! I hope you liked today's card. Thanks for joining me today and I'll be back with another card soon.

Have a great day!
Merilee

Recipe:

Paper and Cardstock: Recollections-Mosaic Memories; All other Papers and Cardstock-Recollections

Markers and Ink: Sharpie Markers, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Powder Puff Chalk Ink, Martha Stewart Pigment Ink

Ribbon, Stickers and Embellishments: Studio Decor-Shadowbox Embellishment Kit, Paperhouse Sticky Pix-Gone Fishin', Michaels-Adhesive Studs

Stamps: Prima No. 545123, Inkadinkado-Summer Assortment Mini, Stampology, The Paper Studio-Stitches

Tools: Martha Stewart Score Board, Fiskars Paper Trimmer, Blending Tool, ATG gun, Scotch Foam Tape, Mini Glue Dots

Sorry for the delay...

2012-10-09T22:15:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I hope this finds you all happy and healthy, enjoying these beautiful autumn days.

I apologize for not posting sooner. I have been a busy bee creating quite a bit, but I'm having camera difficulties...actually the difficulty lies in loading my photos to my blog. Hopefully I'll have everything taken care of by tomorrow. I have lots of fun things to show you!

Until then, have a great night and thanks for stopping by!

Merilee

Mason Jar Filled with Roses

2012-09-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday Everyone! Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

Today I have another birthday card to share with you. I created this card to enter in the Jars of Joy Challenge in the Moxie Fab World. I encourage you to enter, too! The winning entries will be shown on their blog on Wednesday, October 10 and will receive an "I'm Moxie Fab" challenge winner button, as well as something yummy from my moxie magical prize drawer. Yippee!! :o)

I LOVE this stamp set from Flourishes! It is called "Garden Picks". I thought the mason jar was so realistic--I just couldn't wait to use it on a card! :o) I stamped the image in Memento-Tuxedo Black, and colored the image with my Letraset Markers. Then I did some highlighting here and there with sparkly markers, and finished up with my white gel pen.

As you can see, I added a couple of stickpins. The cameo pin is from Webster's Pages, but the pearl pin I made myself. Just for fun I decided to hang these charms from the stickpins. They are a cute little purse and shoe. They just lighten the mood a bit, don't you think?

The image was matted, popped up on foam tape and applied to a second mat which was also popped up on foam tape and, finally, added to the card base to give an overall dimensional feel. Then I added pink pearls on each corner of the image mat.

I goofed up and got a little ahead of myself while putting this card together. :o( I added the matted image to the card base before applying my gathered ribbon (big mistake), which means I couldn't wrap the raw edges of the ribbon around to the backside of the mat to hide and secure them properly. I couldn't pull it apart because it may have ripped the base. So, to remedy the situation, I folded the raw edges under and glued them to the underside of the ribbon. It works, but it would have been a more finished, clean look had I done it right in the first place...*sigh*

On the inside, I knew the stamp set I planned to use wouldn't take up much space. So I took advantage of the opportunity to showcase the patterned papers used on the card front and sectioned the card into thirds.

This stamp set is from the Susan Branch collection-Celebrations. I love this little cake! I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored it with my Sharpie Markers. Then, as on the front of the card, I highlighted with sparkly markers and finished with my white gel pen.

The final embellishment was another little purse charm, as well as a tiny little cell phone. I thought they were so cute! :o)

One more look...

I hope you enjoyed my card for today! Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you next time!

Merilee

Recipe:

Paper: DCWV-Lemon Flower Stack, Melody Ross Designer Collection-Homespun Chic, Recollections

Markers and Ink: Letraset Markers, Sharpie Markers, Atyou Spica Twinkling Like Stars Pens, Sakura Ice Cream Smooth Gelly Roll Pens, Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Mustard Seed, Memento-Tuxedo Black, Powder Puff Chalk Ink

Ribbon and Embellishments: Wrights Ruffled Trim, Offray Sheerly Yours, Findings-Charms, Websters Pages-Cameo Pushpin, Merilee Lane-Peal Pushpin, Recollections-Pearl Stickers

Stamps: Flourishes-Garden Picks, Susan Branch-Celebrations

Tools: Martha Stewart Score Board, Spellbinders Nestabilities-Large Labels, Big Kick, Fiskars Paper Trimmer, Blending Tool, Stampin' Up Paper Piercing Pack Essentials, ATG gun, Scotch Foam Tape, Mini Glue Dots, Glue Gun

Birthday Card

2012-09-12T12:32:00.001-04:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday! Today I'm here with a new birthday card to share with you. This is one of my favorites!

I saw this little girl in the 2012 Annabelle Stamps, Tomorrows Dream Collection, and I just couldn't pass her up. I thought she had the cutest face! I paired her with the swirly background paper from K&Company's Citronella paper collection to create the "windy" mood for kiting. :o)

I colored the image with my Letraset Markers and my Atyou Spica Twinkling Like Stars Pens to add a little sparkle here and there. For the finishing touch I added a few highlights with my Sakura Ice Cream Smooth Gelly Roll Pen, The little girl's dress and kite were paper pieced using patterns from the Melody Ross Designer Collection-Homespun Chic. I love the array of tiny patterns in this particular paper collection.

This darling ticket comes from Whimsy Stamps, Ticket Notes and Ticket Die. I use these a lot--tickets are so versatile and make a great little added detail to so many different card styles.

The detail across the top of the card was made using several elements: The embossed floral border is from the Cuddlebug embossing border collection-With Love; the embossed scallop border is an EK Success border punch-Embossed Curve, and the piercing was done using my Stampin' Up Paper Piercing Pack Essentials.

This card style was very easy to create and was actually an after thought, lol! I find that the best cards come by allowing myself to create without a lot of preplanning and/or over thinking. Letting go and allowing the creative process to take on a life of its own always yields the best results for me.

As you can see in this photo, I created the card base and attached my matted image to the inside of flap. For a bit of added stability, I ran the rickrack and ribbon over top of the image.

For the inside I used some of the same embossed border detail for the upper edge, and I added a butterfly cut with my Martha Stewart punch, as well. This was actually a practice cut I made to test the punch just after receiving it. I keep all of those extra cuts in a box for future use. Curling the edges and adding simple rhinestones made it come alive, don't you think?

The pretty, stamped greeting is one of my favorite stamp collections from Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps-Glamour Girls. I've used this particular stamp set many times on other projects and I just can't get enough of it! For a touch of elegance, I stamped the greeting, immediately sprinkled embossing powder over top, and heat set it. I really like the finished effect.

I hope you enjoyed today's project. It was a joy for me to create! Please come back and visit again soon!

Merilee

Recipe:

Paper: Melody Ross Designer Collection-Homespun Chic, K&Company-Citronella, Recollections (yellow gingham, Blue card base)

Markers and Ink: Letraset Markers, Atyou Spica Twinkling Like Stars Pens, Sakura Ice Cream Smooth Gelly Roll Pens, Tim Holtz Distress Ink

Ribbon and Embellishments: Offray Straight 'N' Narrow, Martha Stewart Create-Playful Ribbon, Rhinestones, Flowers and Brad from my stash

Stamps: Annabelle Stamps, Tomorrows Dream Collection, Whimsy Stamps, Ticket Notes and Ticket Die, Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps-Glamour Girls

Tools: Martha Stewart Score Board, Martha Stewart Punch-Butterfly, Whimsy Stamp Collection-Ticket Die, Big Kick, Blending Tool, Stampin' Up Paper Piercing Pack Essentials, Scallop Scissors, ATG gun, Mini Glue Dots

911 Tribute and Birthday Card Ensemble

2012-09-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends! First of all, today is 911, a very special day in history. Before continuing, I would like to bow my head in silence in tribute to those who have lost their lives. This day reminds me of how special our loved ones are to us, so I have decided to post a very special birthday ensemble remembering those dear ones who remain with us today. For me, this day is a day to send our love to others.

This card is cheery and friendly, made using a paper pad I've been hoarding for quite some time: DCWV - Lemon Flower Stack. I absolutely love each of the papers and I waited to find a special occasion on which to use them.

Even though this card is a quite simple in design, the papers and special embellishments add an elegance and sophistication to the occasion. Each element stands out on its own to make a statement. The large fabric flower is cut from Petaloo 18" fabric trim. The small white flowers are from the Recollections Bridal Collection; the pleated satin ribbon can be found by the spool at Hobby Lobby - Decorative Trim #976167; the Satin yellow ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon - Spring Collection; and, finally, the thin yellow ribbon from Offray, Straight 'N' Narrow.

For this card I used Whimsy Tab Die 1 with coordinating Vintage Birthday Tabs 1, as well as Ticket Die and Ticket Notes to make these cute little goodies on the front of the card.

The inside of the card is simple and to the point. The birthday greeting is from My Favorite Things, Big Greetings, as well as the tag from a separate set, Studio G-VS4911, Series 61, which you can purchase either at Michaels or at Walmart.

To go along with this card, I made a coordinating gift box, as well as the gift bag below...

I hope you've enjoyed seeing this special gift ensemble. On a solemn day like today, where honoring our loved ones and remembering those who have passed is so very important, I hope this set will help make this day special for those who remain.

Please take the time to honor and love those special people in your lives, whether here with us or passed, and remember that love is a gift best shared with others.

Thank you for visiting and I hope to see you again soon.

Merilee

Recipe

Paper: DCW-Lemon Flower Stack; Recollections
Markers and Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Atyou Spica Twinkling Like Stars Pens
Ribbon and Embellishments: White Satin Pleated Trim - Hobby Lobby-Decorative Trim #976167; Satin yellow ribbon - Really Reasonable Ribbon-Spring Collection; Thin Yellow Ribbon - Offray Straight 'N' Narrow; Large fabric flower - Petaloo 18" fabric trim; Small white flowers - Recollections Bridal Collection
Stamps and Dies: Whimsy Tab Die 1 with coordinating Vintage Birthday Tabs 1; Ticket Die and coordinating Ticket Notes; My Favorite Things-Big Greetings; Tag Stamp from Michaels Studio G-VS4911, Series 61
Tools: Martha Stewart Score Board, Big Kick, Blending Tool, ATG gun, Foam Tape, Mini Glue Dots, Hot Glue Gun

Nontraditional Anniversary Card

2012-09-10T20:55:00.003-04:00

Hi again! This is my second post for today.

My daughter and her husband recently celebrated their wedding anniversary and I made a special card for the occasion. I wanted to create a card specifically suited to them, so I did something a bit nontraditional. They love to go bike riding as a family and when I saw this darling bicycle stamp, I knew just what I'd use it for! :o)

This image is from Flourishes Clear Art Stamps, Bike Ride, and features this adorable bicycle. I thought it perfectly represented my daughter and her family's interests.

I used my Letraset Markers to color this image. They blend so perfectly and really make coloring a breeze! Once I finished, I got out my Atyou Spica Twinkling Like Stars Pens and added a little sparkle here and there. I'm sorry you can't see it in this picture--it was impossible to photograph. I love the sparkle from these pens. It is very subtle and only shows when the light hits it just right. For the finishing touches I added a few highlights with my Sakura Ice Cream Smooth Gelly Roll Pen, along with a little bow on the basket.

Once I cropped my image, I scored it very simply with two lines all around the image. Then I took my emery board and scuffed up the edges a bit to add a vintage feel. To finish it off I added three tiny brads to the left side.

Along the bottom edge I used my Martha Stewart Sunburst Punch to create a double border--one cut in yellow polka dot and one cut in solid blue to create a shadow effect. I then inked the edge of the blue shadow to make it stand out from the card base and offset them from one another.

This pretty little tag is from the Whimsy Stamp Collection Tab Die 1 and Vintage Birthday Tabs 1 sets. I thought it was perfect for the occasion and dressed up my image a bit with a vintage feel.

For the inside of the card I used two of the sentiments from the Bike Ride set (upper left and lower right) and then mixed and matched an additional stamp set by Glitz Clear Stamps, Happy Travels, which I picked up at Peachy Cheap. I couldn't believe it had a small bicycle to go along with my theme--that was a happy accident! :o) I also added another Whimsy stamp from the Magical Mini Letter Seals Collection. I thought all of the elements blended together perfectly to create this card.

I hope you enjoyed my card for today. It's great to get back to my card making again! I hope you come back to share another creation soon!

Have a happy day!

Merilee

Recipe:

Paper: Melody Ross Designer Collection-Homespun Chic (blue and white pattern), AC Pattern Paper-Everyday (yellow polka dot), Recollections

Markers and Ink: Letraset Markers, Atyou Spica Twinkling Like Stars Pens, Sakura Ice Cream Smooth Gelly Roll Pens, Tim Holtz Distress Ink

Ribbon and Embellishments: Offray Straight 'N' Narrow, Tiny brads from my stash

Stamps: Flourishes Clear Art Stamps, Bike Ride, Whimsy Stamp Collection, Tab 1 Sentiment Sets, Glitz Clear Stamps, Happy Travels, Whimsy stamp from the Magical Mini Letter Seals Collection

Tools: Martha Stewart Score Board, Martha Stewart Punch-Sunburst, Whimsy Stamp Collection, Tab Die 1, Big Kick, Blending Tool, ATG gun, Foam Tape, Mini Glue Dots

Hello Again!!

2012-09-10T18:44:00.000-04:00

Hello again everyone! I hope this finds you all doing great!

As you have undoubtedly noticed, I took a little break from blogging to recuperate from surgery, as well as have each one of my grandchildren for their big girl/big boy vacations (one week per child x 3), and even do a bit of traveling myself. We enjoyed our summer very much.

We also have some other changes taking place in our lives. Our house is on the market for sale and we are currently faced with a transfer we're hoping not to make. We live in Atlanta, Georgia, and my husband's company hopes to transfer us to Nashville, Tennessee. While I know Nashville is a wonderful town, we've made a life for ourselves here in Georgia and will certainly be sorry to go. We're hoping against hope that something will happen to allow us to stay, but it is in God's hands. We will bloom wherever we are planted, as we always do.

In the meantime, my beloved art studio has been moved from the formal dining room to the unfinished basement while the house is on the market. :o( I dearly loved my art studio, but we thought it would be better to stage the formal dining room as an office while in the midst of all of this transition. So that means I find myself carrying my things upstairs to the kitchen, one at a time, while creating. It is daunting, to say the least, and really limits my creative time. :o(

Hopefully all of this will be over soon--one way or the other. My husband and I really don't like living in limbo as we are at the present time. However, life presents challenges and changes all the time, and with each one we learn and grow in positive ways. Transition isn't always easy, but I know that no matter what happens, we will be okay--home is where we are together. God is leading us and He has a good reason for everything, so I feel confident in knowing that His plan is the best plan for us.

Thanks for visiting today and sharing in my life. I will be back in just a little bit with a new project to share.

Sincerely,
Merilee