Where Has Winnie Been?

You may have noticed that I have not been blogging or visiting for a while.  After Christmas, I fell ill and was hospitalized for seven days.  I spent New Year's in the hospital, ringing it in with my husband and toasting with plastic cups full of ice water,  and it was rather depressing.  Thankfully, my doctor is working on my medications and soon I will be like my old self.  I will never take being home for granted again!

My blog relies on sharing my crafting with you, and since I haven't created anything lately, I haven't been able to share.  I thought I would share the Christmas card I made for my husband.  We both love fountain pens and I gave him two of them for Christmas.   I decided to make a tree out of ink spots with nibs for a trunk.  It was a lot of fun to make and he really enjoyed it.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts, Hampton Arts
Ink: Wendy Vecchi Ranger Inks
Paper: Gina K Designs
Misc.: Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mirrored Stars, Twine

Speaking of fountain pens, while I was sitting in the hospital, my husband brought his laptop so I could watch my favorite YouTube videos to cheer me up.  I came across one on gratitude by SBRE Brown and after watching the video, I asked my husband to bring my fountain pens and paper the next day, and I spent the day writing thank you letters to various hospital staff who had been so helpful and kind while treating me.   By taking the time to show my gratitude, I feel as if my recovery was made easier.

I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season.  Thank you all for all the fun and support this past year, and I look forward to sharing more of my cards and my inky fingers soon!!

Tim Holtz August 2014 Tag - Blind Bird Justice

Here I am finally getting around to making my tag for the monthly Tim Holtz challenge of the 12 tags of 2014.  This summer has been super busy with both fun and crazy things (like a flood!). I was glad to spend some time creating and getting my fingers inky today.

This tag incorporated so many various mediums (Distress Inks, Distress Stains, Distress Paint and Embossing Paste), lots of stencils and techniques and fun products, too.  I used a piece of filmstrip ribbon over the bird's eyes, so now you know why I named it as I did.

I will be giving this to my friend Ruth who enjoys my tags and as a thank you as I have been so behind in my crafting.  Hoping this autumn my fingers will be plenty inky again!

Have you tried making a tag?  It is so much fun, and it is a way of learning new techniques and having some creative time.  Visit Tim's blog and enjoy the fun along with us!

Until next time!

Say It With Flowers

As I have previously written, I haven't been doing much in the way of crafting or card making lately.  I have been out and about enjoying summer and spending time with family and friends.  I had to make an exception to my break when I was asked by a partner at the firm I work for if I could make a special card for him to give his wife for their anniversary.  He had never asked me before (normally, I make them for assistants and a few other staff members), so I said yes.  The only guidance he gave me is his wife loves color and flowers, so this is what I came up with.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts, Paper Smooches, Gina K Designs
Paper: Gina K Designs
Ink: Archival Inks, Memento Black
Misc: Copic Markers, Gems

Here is another example of one card using three stamp sets by different companies.  It is a fun way to get the most of the many supplies I have and give the sets a different look.

It felt so good to get my fingers inky!  Hoping to just find time to create for myself soon.  I know I have relatives coming next week and a block party to attend next weekend as well so I am not sure when I will fit it in.  Summer is really in full swing here!

If it is summertime in your area, I hope you are having a lot of fun and family/friend time, too!

Until next time!

Au Revoir, Mon Amie!

Saying goodbye is never easy when you work with someone you like and they change jobs.  Yesterday one of our attorneys left our firm and is going somewhere else.  This was the first time I ever made a departing attorney a card, but this lady was very kind and when my husband passed away, she helped me with my paperwork and helped me tread water when my head was foggy and she made sure my interests were put in the forefront.  For that alone I will always be thankful.

I made a Paris themed card as I know she studied in Paris when young, and she speaks the most beautiful French I have ever heard.  For this card I used Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous background stamp, and the focal image is from Hero Arts.   The ink I used for the background was Wendy Vecchi's, and I sponged Tim Holtz Distress Ink around the image.

As many of you know, I love Paris.  While thinking about this card, I realized that my Paris and French collection of stamps is rather large.  I don't use them enough, so I am glad I had a reason to get them inky!

Until next time!

Waiting For Vincent Louis

There is nothing more special than awaiting the birth of a precious little baby.  I was asked to make a personalized baby shower card for a baby boy and had some fun digging through my stash to find a stamp I have not used in ages.  I've had this little baby stamp since I started stamping over 12 years ago and I found him in a dollar bin!

Supplies:
Stamps: Studio G 
Paper: Gina K Designs, DCWV
Ink: Archival Cornflower Blue
Misc.: Spellbinders Dies, Stampin' Up Oval Punch

For this card I decided not to do the usual baby blue colors and think this different combination was a fun one.

Wishing many blessings to the family and friends as they await baby Vincent's arrival!

Hashtag Love

Many of us have had days where you are feeling rather blue, or just plain blah.  Well, the other day I was having one of those days and it turned into a fun, happy day by a generous act.  Mario Rossi came up with a great idea for a stamp set for Stampers Anonymous called Hashtags! It was perfect for him as he is a great Twitter and Facebook user.  If you aren't following him, I highly recommend you do, as he is so much fun!  When I saw he was giving away some of these stamp sets on Facebook just by leaving a comment I did.  When I saw I was one of the winners I was so happy and excited!   After a long day of working and commuting in below zero weather on Friday, I came home to find it in the mail!

Last night I used the stamp set to decorate packaging and make a tag for my girlfriend Amy, who we are celebrating with this afternoon at a brunch.  The gift bag was a plain inexpensive bag, but by using my various Stampers Anonymous stamps to decorate it, it made it personalized to my friend (one of my Jane Austen group ladies).  The fun hashtags look great scattered throughout.

I am looking forward to making more fun things with this set.  Thank you to Mario Rossi and Tim Holtz for your generosity of spirit.

Just remember as you go through your day, a kind word or action can really mean a lot to those you encounter along the way.  No act is too small to make a BIG difference!

WOYWW #223 - New Supplies & Dietitian Birthday Card

Hi, guys! It is Wednesday, and as that camel on the TV commercial is fond of saying "It's Hump Day!" Since it is Wednesday, I am sharing what is on my work desk with you.  Thank you to Julia for this desk-hopping fun! I can't believe how fast this week flew by!

Today you will see lots of fun goodies on my desk.  I picked up the new Wendy Vecchi colors of Archival Ink and boy, do they look pretty!  You will also spot the new collection of Tim Holtz stencils! I can't wait to break them open and get my fingers messy.  I also picked up a couple of Balzer Bits stencils to try.  Julie's full-size stencils are great, so I am sure I will love these, too!

I also was asked to design a birthday card for a friend's daughter-in-law who is a dietitian.  I decided to lay out a bunch of my food stamps into a heart pattern and cut them out with large heart die cuts.  It was fun trying to figure out what foods would look good and how to arrange them.

This is the completed card.   When making this card, I discovered I had a lot of food-related stamps!  I guess I shouldn't be surprised since I love to cook and love to eat!

Hope your day is a great one!  I look forward to seeing what everyone else is working on.  If you haven't joined in this desk-hopping fun, I would suggest you give it a try.  There are lots of crafty friends waiting to be made!

Until next time!