World Rare Disease Day...

Today is World Rare Disease Day!  I have a rare genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.  Every year for the last 11 years I've been raising awareness about my condition by posting about it on this day on Facebook.  This year I thought I'd do something a little different since I now know two other people with my condition.  I wanted to make my two fellow Zebra's, Kirsten and Amy (all the way across the pond in Wales) a card to wish them a "Happy" and Pain-Free World Rare Disease Day. 

When My Favorite Things came out with the Zippy Zebras stamp set I knew I had to have it!!!  I started out sponging Stampin' Ups Basic Gray ink with the Small Brick Wall stencil from MFT on Neenah.  I stamped my Zebra image with memento ink on Neenah then used the coordinating die-namics to die cut it.  I used Copics to color it and pop dots to mount my image.  Next I used the Twice the Hugs die-namics in Real Red, highlighting it with a white gel pen.  I mounted my layer on a black card base.   

Wishing all the Zebra's out there a Pain-Free World Rare Disease Day!
Share your support by wearing your black and white stripes today.
Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

 

With Deepest Sympathy...

A mother should never experience the pain of losing a child.  My heart aches for their loss, life will never be the same.  

I used this weeks MFTWSC529 for my layout.  I wanted the Lavish Lilies to be the focal point of the card and I think this sketch worked perfect for that.  I stamped my image in versamark on Crumb Cake card stock then colored it using my prismacolor colored pencils.  I used spellbinders circles to die cut my image.  I sprayed the card with an art gun and stampin' up marker.  Michael's ribbon and Stamping Bella baubles.

Thank you for stopping by.
Have a wonderful evening.

 

In Memory of Anchovy...

For my friend who's fish died.  Anchovy's story is the sweetest story ever.  My friend saw that he was the last fish in the store and felt sad for him that he was all alone so she brought him home.  She had nothing for him tho.  She went out and got him an aquarium and all the necessary things he needed to live a happy life with her family.  She would post updates on how he was doing and post pictures with his his new aquarium decorations.  It was the sweetest thing ever.  When she posted that he died, I felt sad for her as I knew that he was a bright light in her day.  I wanted to make her a card to let her know I was thinking of her and how much I enjoyed her posts about Anchovy.

I started off with a die cut A2 Stitch Rectangle Stax Die-namics from My Favorite Things.  I then stamped Sushi Fish Bowl from Stampendous in Memento Ink on Neenah, coloring with my copics.  I used stickles on the fish.  I stamped the sentiment from the My Favorite Things Lots of Hugs stamp set in Versamark, embossing it with White Embossing Powder on Black Cardstock.  I die cut the sentiment with the MFT Fishtail Foundations Die-namics.  

My friend had an artist make this beautiful plaque in memory of Anchovy.

Thank you so much for stopping by.
I hope you have a wonderful day!

 

Surprise Wylie!!!

Happy Birthday to the one that made a grandma and gave me the name, "Mommom".  It's hard to believe Wylie's 12 today!!!  Where on earth has the time gone?!?!  When I asked Wylie what he wanted for his birthday he said, "surprise me!"  So, I used that for the sentiment on his card, lol.

I took inspiration from Angelica's card here.  Wylie's favorite football team is the Broncos so I used their colors for the balloons.  I used MFT Balloon Stax Die-namics and die cut them in Only Orange, Night of Navy, and White.  I used pop dots and a white gel pen to highlight the balloons.  Next I used Retro Square Die-namics and die cut it in Night of Navy.  I lined up my High Rise Alphabet Die-namics die cut in black along the top of the Retro Square strip.  At first I highlighted the letters with a gel pen, but I didn't like the look so I went over it with a clear star gel pen...that was a long process!  The picture doesn't do the glitter effect justice!  I also used the clear star gel pen for the balloon strings.    

Wylie and me on the 4th of July 2020.

Me, my daughter Mikaela, and Wylie celebrating our youngest grandsons bithday, July 8th, 2020.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

 

Smile...

Back in July I asked my friends on FB to send me their address if they'd like a card from me.  At the time I was way ahead of my card making schedule so I wanted to send out some RAK's.  The holidays quickly creeped up and so did upcoming birthday's and that RAK list was put on hold.  I'm once again caught up on my list (for the moment, haha!) and thought I'd get a RAK out.  This one goes out to a friend of mine who like photography and the colors red and blue.

I really like the January Starter Sketch Challenge No. 16 so I thought I'd use it again with this card.  I knew I wanted to use the My Favorite Things Insert It Instaframe Die-namics and have some sort of "Polaroid Picture" look to my card.  I used the Stamping Bella image Saycheeseabella that I was gifted many years ago.  I colored her with Copics and mounted the Instaframe on top of the image.  Next I die cut the MFT Essential Stitched Sentiments with white card stock, then mounted the letters from the MFT Captions Alphabe Die-namics in Real Red.  I mounted the layer on a white card base and topped it off with some baubles from Stamping Bella.

Thank you for stopping by!
Have a fabulous day!

 

Celebrate, It's Your Birthday...

For my friend Vicki.  She loves to cook and bake so I thought the My Favorite Things Birthdays Take the Cake stamp set would be perfect to use for her...

I always struggle with a layout for my cards.  When I'm in a slump, I look on my various go to websites for sketch ideas to get my mojo going.  I came across this Sketch Starter Challenge and wanted to give it a go.  What I really love about this challenge is that it's a monthly challenge, not weekly.  You can participate as many times as you like.  And...there's four sketches to choose from.  Do one, or do them all.  A lot of times I'll participate in a challenge but a week is not enough time for me to blog and get it uploaded to the challenge, I'm lazy, I know.  Anyhow, I stamped my images and run them through the cuttlebug with the coordinating die-namics.  I used Neenah card stock and colored them with copics.  I used a clear star glaze pen on the candles, stickles on the cake, and a clear glaze pen on the frosting and stand.  I also filled in the sentiment with stickles.  I love the glittery pop it adds to the card.  I used Rose Romance card stock and Echo Park Happy Together paper and mounted my image on popdots.

It's snowing today...a rare sight in the desert!

Thank you for taking a look at my blog, have a wonderful day

 

Follow the Rules...

I've been Zwifting (an online cycling app that connects riders all over the world) since March.  I came across this wonderful group called The HERD and started riding with them.  They are so supportive, encouraging, and inspiring.  In December there was a challenge called the Rapha 500- ride 500 km between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.  I knew I wouldn't be able to ride the 500 km during that time frame with the Holidays, but I wanted to participate in some of the group rides being held.  Stuart, who's also a coach, put together 8 days of riding with different routes so people could earn the route badges while being held together as a group.  I did two of the rides, earning two of the harder badges I needed and also won one of the drawings that Stuart held after each ride.  I wanted to make him a card to thank him for his sweet surprise that came in the mail and also for putting together the rides.    

I took inspiration for my card from Stuart's business logo.  I used strips of White, Basic Gray, Black and Real Red card stock to make the background.  I used the My Favorite Things Confetti All Around Stencil with Basic Gray ink, then stamped the Hero Arts bike in black in the middle.  I mounted it on a black circle and put in on pop dots.  I used MFT Big Greetings for the sentiment, stamped in Versamark and embossed with White Embossing Powder on Real Red card stock using the Essential Stitched Sentiment Die-namics.  I used MFT Star Staxx for the stars.  

My inspiration, Stuart's business logo.

The goodies I received.

Thank you for stopping by.
Have a wonderful week!