Thanks so much for coming back today to check out my fourth card featuring grey and red in honor Diabetes Awareness Month. I've so enjoyed hearing from each of you and your stories that you've shared.

I was going to create my card for today's post last night, but ended up working instead. So when I went in this morning, I was thinking I was either going to use Rain or Shine from MFT or Live Your Dream from Stampin Up. I even came in to the computer to look up the What's Up Wednesday Challenge. But when I went back in and sat down, I just got pulled into a completely different direction.

I have had this stamp for years and I think it's a quote we all have seen before. It is very true I believe and it just called to me. Such beautiful typography needs beautiful paper so I dug into my paper stash. My red today is not a bright red but more muted, almost burgundy in nature. I think the paper might be Anna Griffin but I could be wrong. I embossed the sentiment using Versamark, Basic Grey ink and clear embossing powder. That was the "hardest" part of the card? Are you like me and just in awe every time you emboss? It never gets old watching it turn. I remember the FIRST time I saw embossing: I was in college and one my roommates was an art major and she embossed something using OUR STOVE!!! I remember thinking she was crazy and watching her carefully just in case she set the place on fire!

I hope you are warmer where you are than here. A cold front blew in and it's FREEZING!! I mean, it's like 47 degrees outside, but that's cold here!!! I am going to run and start a load of laundry and curl my hair. I am subbing in my friend's Keno group tonight. Wish me luck that I win ... preferably the CASH PRIZE!!

Have a beautiful day!! All of the stamping friends that visit me each day, your praise and support are parts of MY BEAUTIFUL DAY!!

A Special Week

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. My grandfather was a diabetic for years and my mom was diagnosed several years ago. The Diabetes Association uses the colors grey and red for their awareness colors. The grey represents the drudgery of dealing with diabetes every day and the red represents the multiple blood tests that a diabetic performs each day. Now, my mom is not down in the dumps with her diabetes, but I can imagine that it does get old having to think always about blood sugar, carb intake and the like. She manages very well with her diet but was put on insulin several months ago. With my history, I really need to make more of an effort to eat right and exercise which are two of the major ways that you can help prevent becoming diabetic. In honor of all those with diabetes, I am dedicating my blog this week to projects featuring the colors grey and red!



The main image panel on this card was created using the Faux Silk technique and a collage style of stamping. The jewel in the center of the bow was from a pack of Christmas embellishments I picked up last year at Hobby Lobby. I am in {love} with this card. Do you think it's wrong to feel so proud of yourself for creating something beautiful? I know pride is not a characteristic that God wants us to have; but sometimes it's just darn hard not to be!!




My friend Vicki from Stamped Smiles sent me this award. Really touched my heart that she would say such sweet things about me. If you are a reader of her blog, you know how talented she is and if you aren't head over and visit her!

I'm supposed to pass this award on to 5 other stampers as well. So many to chose from so I'll list 5 even though I could list several more!!

1. Janna - she hasn't been stamping very long but {oh, my} is she talented!

2. Lorelie - I love all the layers on her cards!!

3. Maren - she always uses ribbon and has a clean, crisp style!

4. Cindy - amazingly talented and her blog is almost always Just Stampin Up stuff which I love!

5. JanTink - such a fun blog to read as she has a terrific sense of humor. And she has no problem being proud of her GORGEOUS creations ... so you know what, I'm gonna take a lesson from her and be proud of myself too and not feel bad!! God gave me some talent to use and develop.

Well, the list could go on, but I'll stop here because I REALLY need to get some work done today while the little man is off at MDO. I do hope you'll come back all week - I love it when you stop by!!

Sydney Series

I spent last week working on some cards for Simply Sistas. This is Sydney and she is one of my favorite images. As you know, I am not a scrap saver, so I really wanted to use this patterned paper but it is so pretty and glittery that I didn't want to waste it so I went in with the idea to create a whole series of cards.

This first one I used for Jen's SFYTT from this past weekend. It's a cute sketch and I'm super happy with how she turned out. I colored her with prismascolors and baby oil.

For this card I used my SU Markers on. I was hoping my chair would end up looking like suede, you know, with the brush marks in it. Sydney's top is covered with Diamond Dust glitter which you can't see very well, but it's oh so sparkly!! I used the sketch from a card I found by Anna Wight as my layout inspiration!

When I first moved out on my own, I bought an old recliner at a garage sale that belonged to a family friend. It was cheap and filled a need but there was a sofa and loveseat set at a local furniture store that was faded denim. I loved it and decided to save money so I could buy it! Sadly, a gal that I worked with bought it before I was able to. As I was coloring these I thought of that set for some reason and decided to fulfill my dream on paper!! She is also colored with prismacolors and baby oil.

Here is the last card in the series. Today, if I just had some expendable cash to blow on a big purchase (and a spare corner) I would order a pink crushed velvet comfy chair in a heartbeat!! Since that will not happen anytime soon, I decided that I'd just give Sydney a totally girly-girl chair. I love flocked anything - I guess b/c I'm such a texture girl. I am always touching things to get the feel of it.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by today!! I love it that you do!! My little man and I baked a zucchini cake this morning and I can smell it now - what a yummy treat we'll have later today! Have a beautiful day!!

Faux Quilting

This weeks challenge over at Stamp Something was to create something faux. I saw a card this week that had a quilted panel on it and it was so cute...I wish I could remember who posted it. She actually used her sewing machine but I didn't feel like getting mine out so I just used my paper piecer, piercing guide and a white pen. I also saw a card weeks ago over at Oodabug Alley that used this set in yellow and loved it. I've been wanting to use this set ever since and it's been sitting out on my desk, just waiting for me.
This card also uses Sketch 7 from Triple the Sketch.

Stamps are ©Stampin' Up! I forget the name of the set and I used So Saffron, Always Artichoke and Close to Cocoa inks and markers.

Make it a beautiful day!