Janis

Hello Nomad friends.  This post is a little tribute to our friend Janis Woolbright.  I am sure many of you have crossed paths with Janis over the years at Her Peaceful Garden blog and also with her awesomely amazing and super successful Cat Lovers hop.  We only ever met online, but over the years we shared many moments, with bloggy comments and fun, and also emails and late night (for me) chats about crafting, trials and triumphs, family, cats, gardening and other things that make up a busy life.  I can't say exactly when we first crossed paths, but I know I joined in all the Cat Lovers hops which started in 2015, and I had already been following Janis for a while on her blog before that.  Our chats blossomed into an online friendship and I was honoured to count her as a friend.

Janis was always busy, always generous with kind words and her time.  We last talked in December.  I know the last few years have been difficult and I know 2022 kept coming with hits for Janis and her family, but despite that she remained cheerful, talked about her hopes and worries for her family and rarely about her own challenges.  I was shocked and saddened to hear of Janis' death on the 6th January.  I made a card with a bible quote which I think encompasses Janis and a cat, because she was a crazy cat lady and they and we loved her for that, and for many other good and loving attributes she embodied.

My thoughts are with Janis' family at this difficult time.  Her son James has added a post to her blog and to her facebook page if anyone wishes to share a little comment, which I am sure will bring comfort to her family.  I also have her snail mail address if anyone wants to send a card. 

RIP Janis

The Race Is On!!

Hello Nomad friends!   I didn't really have any particular idea in mind today, except I needed some inspiration for the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Winged Things Challenge.  So I went through my Lost Coast Designs stamps and pulled out anything with wings.  Well, that was quite a pile!!  I whittled it down to a few contenders and decided to go for a sky scene...... 

 

 

I had so much fun making this!!!!   I used Lost Coast Designs MRaven1 and Flying Pig 2 with Carmen's Veranda Flying Monkey background, cos you can never have too many flying monkeys!!! All the details are over on the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity so do hop over and also check out the other awesome winged things makes from the team.

 

You have until 23.59 PST 31st January to join the Winged Things Challenge with your stamped anythings featuring things with wings.  Real rubber or clear stamping and the theme must be the focus of your project to be in with a chance to win Lost Coast dollars!!

 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Stamping Sensations January Challenge - Add Some Sparkle
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - 4 Legged Animals
Papercraft Challenge 90 - Anything Goes
Allsorts Challenge Week 711 - AG opt Winter Blues

Happy Animals

Hello Nomad friends.  Gummiapan is a Swedish company and I love their quirky designs.  I also love their Advent calendar and 2022 was the second year I bought the dies calendar.  Well worth the substantial outlay.  They have a couple of challenge groups on fb and I am joining their January ATC 1st theme of black and white with this cute trio 

I used a variety of stamps, stamping the backgrounds and then adding the cute animals and sentiments.

 Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Too Cute
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - 4 Legged Animals
Papercraft Challenge 90 - Anything Goes
Creative Crafting Uncles Challenge 37 - Happy Birthday
Allsorts Challenge Week 711 - AG opt Winter Blues

Birds and Bugs and Flowers

Hello Nomad friends.  It's time for a new challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and the theme for the last two weeks of January is Winged Things.  We want to see your stamped anythings featuring things with wings.   I made some ATC's using the lovely new Mini Collage stamps from Lost Coast Designs.

I used some pastel rainbow paper for my bases and stamped Lost Coast Designs ATC Doodle Flower stamp with Prickly Pear archival ink.   I over stamped with Mini Maritime Collage, Mini Bug Collage, and Mini Bird Collage using black archival and then grunged up the edges with the same black ink. 

 

Hop over to the blog to see all the lovely inspiration from the team and join the Winged Things fun for a chance to win Lost Coast dollars.  

Thanks for dropping by.   Hugz

Joining the fun at
Inspiration Station Challenge #45 - Photo Prompt inspired by birds and flowers
Allsorts Challenge Week 711 - AG opt Winter Blues

Pink Boots and Bling

Hello Nomad friends.  I took part in a secret santa swap in a fb craft group and received a lovely die and stamp set.  So today I decided to make a card using my goodies and a Studio Light Essentials Die – Christmas Card shape stars 69 to cut my base card.  These dies make album pages but they make nice shaped card bases and the holes for binding the page are a great place to weave a little ribbon detail.  The card is for a confirmation which is a big event here in the spring.

I cut the die base from black card twice and used the star insert die on one piece.  I backed the stars with holographic card and scored the back panel just to the right of the line of holes.  Then I glued the two sections together using glue behind the stars and just to the right of the line of holes so I have an opening card.   I used the SL dies to cut a beige patterned card panel.  I cut three little fences from kraft card and the sentiment panel.  I stamped the shoes on white card, fussy cut and added some pink.  The laces are a darker pink, but my camera is being challenged by the holographic effects I think!  I stamped the long sentiment directly on the card with brown ink.  It says

'all that your heart possesses of joy and warm words,
sprinkle it along the paths of life
and it will grow in your tracks'

Now isn't that pretty!!!!

This is a picture of my secret santa package and the SL die I used.

 

 I wove thin silk ribbon through the holes and added a couple of silver charms from Korthobby.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Allsorts Challenge Week 710 - Something New all NBUS stamps and dies
Dream Valley Challenge 284 - New Beginnings confirmation is considered the start of adulthood

 

 

 

 

One In A Million

Hello Nomad friends.  Happening recently have made me reflect on what is important in life and I have decided we all need to slow down, enjoy the simple things, and there should be more love.  So if you haven't told someone you love them recently reach out and say the words.  Maybe that influenced my card today.  I started with a totally different idea but then I spotted Lost Coast Designs Many Sheep and Carmen's Veranda Sheep Doll and this happened.......

I stamped Many Sheep on a panel of white card and trimmed it to fit my slimline base, making sure lover baa was in the picture.   I edged the panel with black ink and stamped Lost Coast Designs ATC Doodle Heart with red ink.  I stamped Sheep Doll with black ink on white card, added a little pink and silver, fussy cut and added her to the card.  A touch of grey promarker to ground her and we are ready for the month of love.

 

You have until 23.59 PST on the 14th January to join the Slimline Challenge for a chance to win Lost Coast dollars.  Hope to see your lovely stamped slimline card in the gallery.  There are very few entries so far, so come on, get stamping and join the fun. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Time Out Challenge 229 - Romantic
Dream Valley Challenge 284 - New Beginnings new love
Pammies Inky Pinkies Challenge 2301
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New new love

Wot No Flowers

Hello Nomad friends.  I see so many craft things I love.  I'm an easy sell for stamps and dies, but I try and look at them and see how I am going to be able to use them.  It's always fun to look at things in a different way.   The other day I used a Marianne Design roll up flower die as a moon and loved the concentric circle look.   Today I found another roll up flower die, this one a bit spikey and decided to play with them both.

I used the smooth flower die to emboss a blue panel and then used magenta archival to edge and highlight the texture.  I mounted it on a same colour stitch cut panel and a dark blue card base.   I used scraps of orange card and the spikey flower die and cut 5 times and arranged them in an ascetically pleasing manner.  I stamped Marianne Designs dog on a scrap of white card, added a touch of colour, fussy cut and added him to the card.   The norwegian happy birthday greeting is cut from a printed sheet. 

Here's the scraps I used, and yes, I almost forgot to photograph them Di and Sarn.  You can see I've already started embossing the circles and cut one of the spikey flower dies!!!   

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Marianne Design Challenge 308 - Birthday LR0257, LR0163, CR1391, HT1607
Snippets Playground Challenge 445 - Show Us Your Snippets
Pammies Inky Pinkies Challenge 2301