I think these glasses are so cute! They are from a Precious Remembrance set called Mom & Dad. I stamped the glasses with colored ink and then again with Versamark so I could use clear embossing powder. It was easy to line it up again. I hope you can see the shine.

 
I think I need a little alligator stamp so I can say "See you later Alligator!!!" Have a great weekend everyone. ~Rhonda

See Ya card
stamps: Precious Remembrance - Mom & Dad, Positive Thoughts (heart)
paper: My Mind's Eye - Quilting Bee; PTI - Stamper's Select White
ink: PTI - Orange Zest, Lemon Tart, Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening; Versamark 
other: PTI - Headline Alphabet dies; Zing - clear embossing powder

My last card for the May Viva la Verve sketch challenge. I'm just barely making the deadline. This is VLV May Wk #4 sketch designed by Amy Kolling.


I stopped by Hobby Lobby and Michael's yesterday. I needed the cutting blades and stamp pockets for storing my stamps and WANTED the new My Mind's Eye paper pads. Only TWO came home with me (i was showing some restraint) as well as some more embossing powder.


Don't you love the polka dots and the cross stitch alphabet paper?? 


I think this about puts May in the books! ~Rhonda



Trust card
sketch: Viva la Verve May Wk #4 
stamps: Verve - Plain Jane Proverbs 3:5, Wings of Love
paper: My Mind's Eye - Quilting Bee; PTI Stamper's Select White
ink: PTI - Smokey Shadow, Chamomile
other: MFT - Blueprint One dies, Fishtail Flag Stax die; PTI - Small Scallop Border die

Viva la Verve! I completed the second sketch of the May challenge. There is also an inspiration photo with this challenge. I picked up the scallops of the banner and the flowers. I kept putting this sketch off thinking that it was hard for some reason but once I got started all became easier. 


I have become so dependent on dies that I hadn't used this particular flower but the fussy cutting was actually fun and coloring with Copics was relaxing. I sure it was because I only used two colors!

I have one more May challenge card to post and get everything linked up at Splitcoaststampers for the contest. Wish me luck! Rhonda


Friends card
sketch: Viva la Verve May Wk #2
stamps: Verve - Making a Statement, Amazing Wishes
paper: My Mind's Eye - Indie Chic Ginger; PTI - Fine Linen, Ocean Tide, Stamper's Select White
ink: PTI - Dark  Chocolate, Melon Berry
other: Copic Markers R01, R02; Spellbinder's Classic Scallop Circles Lg; MFT - Blueprint One; PTI - Small Scallop Border die, Sunshine Impression Plate, Twine; Corner Chomper

I have another combo page.The highlight of Week Sixteen was the Church Dessert Show. The High School kids perform skits and then serve desserts in the middle as a fundraiser. This was the 20th Annual Show. The theme for this year was reality shows. Dancing with the Disciples and the Housewives of Canaan are some examples of very funny skits.


During Week Seventeen  I spend time with my parents. My Dad loves to take pictures and has a HUGE amount of camera knowledge stored in his head. I wanted a few pointers so we spent a few days taking pictures together. Treasured Time. It was fun to see the different perspectives. 


One of my favorite shots is the train through the fence. It might be a little busy for some but it is kind of interesting. ~Rhonda


supplies used:
Becky Higgins Digital Project Life Template A,
Jessica Sprague white outline box
September Blue -  Word Art Titles
Persnickety Prints 3x4 hello chalk cards 

 
I combined the Viva la Verve May #3 Sketch and the Verve Diva Dare (Stars & Stripes) for this card. 


This month's dare pays tribute to Diva Amber's (Stamping Scrapbooker) military service and Diva Laurie Willison's (Soapbox Creations) wonderful use of stripes on her cards.  So we're daring you to create a card using stars and/or stripes.  While the title may conjure up visions of red, white and blue any stars and stripes will do! If you're feeling pretty in pink, go for it! Just remember to use at least one Verve product on your creation!

Don't you love the Star Spangled Impression Plate? I so love it for summer cards. I'm getting lots of mileage from this  Shining Star stamp set. You should play along too. ~Rhonda


Shine Brightly card
sketch: Viva la Verve May Week #3
Challenge: Stars and Stripes Verve Diva Dare
stamps: Verve - Shining Star
paper: My Mind's Eye - Oliver; PTI - Stamper's Select White
ink: PTI - Smokey Shadow
other: Verve - Starry die; MFT - Blueprints One; PTI - Star Spangled Impression plate

I am so thankful to the Men and Women who serve in our military. I can go to any church that I want, get in my car and drive wherever, and say what I wanna ALL because someone in our military made the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom. They are HEROES! I pray that I use that freedom wisely.


My cards are 3x3 and 4x4. It was fun to mix it up a bit with the smaller sizes.


I hope you are enjoying your weekend. We have been super busy trimming trees and working like crazy people in the yard. My are trying to get as much done as we can before it is really hot. We have had cloud cover ALL weekend that we are extremely thankful for. ~Rhonda

Hero cards
Sketch: Mojo Monday #295
Challenge: CAS-ual Fridays #102 - Red,White  & Blue
stamps: PTI - Watercolor Wonder, Star Prints
paper: PTI- Stamper's Select White; My Mind's Eye - On the Bright Side
ink: PTI - Smokey Shadow
other: Verve - Starry Die

This month we are giving you an entire rainbow of "bouquet builder" color schemes to incorporate into a new floral project.  Just pick your favorite floral set at the moment, pull out the ink colors for one of the gorgeous inspiration pieces above and create!  

That's the challenge for this month's PTI Blog Hop. I decided to use the colors as background. I had re-inkers in the "old" formula for the Terracotta Tile and Orange Zest that I used. For the rest of the colors I inked up a stamp and then picked the color up with a paint brush.


This is the first time I have tried the water color effect. It is lots of fun! I decided to use an old favorite - Life and Larger than Life for the flowers. The sentiment is from the new set Side by Side Sentiments.


Happy Hopping! ~Rhonda

Thank You card 
stamps: PTI - Life, Larger than Life, Side by Side Sentiments
paper: PTI - Simply Chartreuse; Strathmore Watercolor paper
ink: PTI - Smokey Shadow, Terracotta Tile, Orange Zest, Melon Berry, and Harvest Gold; SU - Going Grey
 

I'm playing along with the Verve May Diva Dare. You can read about the challenge below.

Stars & Stripes May Diva Dare
This month's dare pays tribute to Diva Amber's (Stamping Scrapbooker) military service and Diva Laurie Willison's (Soapbox Creations) wonderful use of stripes on her cards.  So we're daring you to create a card using stars and/or stripes.  While the title may conjure up visions of red, white and blue any stars and stripes will do! If you're feeling pretty in pink, go for it! Just remember to use at least one Verve product on your creation!

You can't go wrong with stripes! I love them. I also used an impression plate to create some vertical play. I was hoping that it would mimic the light coming from the stars but it is a little hard to see.




Are you in that season of graduations? We have several though less than last year. We are moving into the wedding and baby shower seasons. Enjoy the weekend friends! ~Rhonda

Happy Graduation card
stamps: Verve -  Dare to Be, Shining Star
paper: My Mind's Eye - Oliver; PTI - True Black
ink: PTI - Smokey Shadow
other: Verve - Starry die; MFT - Fishtail Flag Stax; PTI - Seeing Stars

I am playing along with this week's MIM #117 Paper Piecing with Melissa Phillips.  I used the Fancy Folk Art stamps set and several different pattern papers from October Afternoon - Thrift Shop. But my favorite part about this card is the embossed outside shape of the flowers. I hope you can see it. It adds so much to the card front. I also paper pieced the banner for the sentiment.


The Simple Stripes Impression plate and the Edgers #3 die were the perfect finishing touches. Hope you get to play along this week.


Thanks for stopping by!~Rhonda

Life has been busy with lots of projects that weren't card related so it feels good to get back to some stamping. The 10 minute Craft Dash #18 was a great way to start. I didn't have time to over think!


My only panic moment was with the sentiment. I thought I would use this sentiment on the white fillable frame (shown below). Didn't like it at ALL! so I grabbed another one line sentiment from the set and thankfully it fit the green paper strip! wheee. That was almost a killer.


I used the Blueprints 1 die set which helped a lot because every piece is designed to work together. Time saver! My final time was 7:01. 


Playing along with the Viva la Verve Sketch challenge as well as CASology cue card - Bloom. 

Have a great day! ~Rhonda

















Have a Sweet Day! card
Challenge: 10 Minute Craft Dash, CASology cue card - Bloom
Sketch: Viva la Verve May Week 1
stamps: PTI - Garden Variety
paper: PTI - Stamper's Select White, Winter Wisteria dots, Plum Pudding; Crate Paper - Restoration collection; Echo Park - For the Record
ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black
other: MFT - Plentiful Petals, Leaf-filled Flourish, Blueprints 1;

I am off to Bible study! Have a great evening friends. ~Rhonda

I am fortunate enough to have 2 drawers for paper. I had previously stored my paper by alphabetic order (paper color name) as I mainly had paper from one company. But as I have added paper from other companies I needed a better way to integrate all the colors. 


You can also see that the color labels are staggered and there is an occasionally folder of a different color as seen in the picture below with the arrows.


I decided to change and group by the color wheel. So all the neutrals, blues, greens, etc are together. I also decided to put all the labels for the neutrals for example in the same position. It is a great visual clue. I don't know about you but visual clutter is distracting and I don't think we even realize it tell we see the before and after. Don't you think the drawer looks much happier?


The second drawer holds my clear bags, paper bags, transparencies, inspiration files, etc. I had so many plastic bags. I did a major purge. 


The second drawer is once more organized and ready to go!


At the back of the drawer are files with labels that are ready to go for whatever new thing I bring home. Having these in place help keep it going.


How do you store your paper? ~Rhonda

Happy Mother's Day to All the Moms - whether you are a Mom by blood or heart!  My parents are here for the weekend so I am able to share this day with my Mom.



My Mom is a travel agent so it only seems fitting to use travel as a theme. She has been a big part of my journey in this world. 

This is actually the first time I have inked up some of these stamps. The layout is inspired by the Mojo Monday #292.



I was hoping to give my Mom a Stoneface planter like mine but they are still out of stock so a gift card with an IOU will have to work.


Mom inspires me everyday! I pray we have many more adventures together. Enjoy your day. ~Rhonda



Mom - card
sketch: Mojo Monday 292
stamps: PTI - Destination, World Map, Fresh Alphabet, Framed; MFT - My Favorite Sentiments 6th bday; Precious Remembrance - Mom & Dad
ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versamark
paper: My Mind's Eye - Away We Go; PTI - Vintage Cream, Chamomile
other: Spellbinder's Classic Rectangles small; PTI - LL 1 3/4" circles, Library Pocket, Rickrack border die; Zing - clear embossing powder

I'm moving right along into April with this project. Do you remember the advice - have the end project in mind so you know what you are aiming for?


I don't just want to print my pages and put them into a page protector. I want a BOOK! I started exploring what company I would use. Eye opening experience!! It looks like I will have to go with a 12x12 book and use a template that has a 1" border so I can just upload my pages as is. To use my current template I would loose A LOT with binding. Does anyone have any other solutions? I may also have a take out a loan. These things are EXPENSIVE!


I decided to add photos of my current favorite television shows. I just went to their Fb pages and pulled images. I think it worked well.



We were honored to have a special guest visit our youth group. A PROFESSIONAL football player, Jason Fox. Super nice guy! Thankful he visited with us.

Enjoy the week people! Sun is shining here. ~Rhonda