CAS Christmas hosted by Trina

We have more inspiration for you and still time to join us at CAS Christmas this month where Trina is looking for stockings on our Christmas cards!

Please also welcome Helen who is our guest designer this month

I used this cute little girl from MFT: Filled with Joy and backed her with a PTI Berry Boughs Die.

I colored her with copics.

Won't you join us this month?

I look forward to seeing you in the gallery!

Heart Hugs, friends!

Seize the Birthday ~ Balloons!!

Yeah!  Another Seize the Birthday Challenge brought to us by Shirley!

She wants us to have balloons on our BIRTHDAY CARDS for the topping this time!

I used a stencil to make my balloons and then I used a stamp with stars and stamped over the balloons again using the stencil.

I hope you will join us and I will see you in the gallery!

Remember if you don't want to make a card with balloons, that is fine just be sure it is a birthday card!

This is what I used:  PTI  Birthday Balloon Stencil
                                 PTI Simple Impressions:  Celebrations (stars)
                                 PTI Banner Style
                                 Distress Oxide Ink

Heart Hugs, friends!

Mother's Day cards...the day is just around the corner

I meet every Wednesday for Bible Study and the ladies always buy a card or two or I donate for someone we need to pray for and let them know.  So I was thinking, gosh, next Sunday is Mother's Day I only have this coming Wednesday to have some cards for the ladies...so here is an assortment of them and I used the flowers from Betsy's new collection from The Greetery called Fleur Impressions.  Just telling you they are from Betsy is enough to know that they are fabulous to play with and wonderful designs.  I hope you will go visit and see her whole collection...I will be adding moreto my collection for sure!

I used an assortment of inks...some of Catherine Poolers inks because you just ink and stamp once and the color is perfect every time.  However I did use some of the Distress Oxide inks and loved them also...in fact with the oxide inks you can stamp a lighter color on top of a darker color...did you know that?  So fun...now I am off to play with the trees!!

Heart Hugs, friends!

CAS Christmas ~ May challenge with Trina

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...friends, this month Trina is our hostess and she wants to see stockings on our CAS Christmas card for the May Challenge!

I pulled out a favorite Verve stamp set called Jolly Jingles.

I taped off part of the card and did some sponging, then added the sentiment and the stockings.

Won't you join us this month of May and get a jump start on your Christmas cards for this year?

Heart Hugs, friends!

To all my Faithful Prayer Warriors:

I just had to take a moment to thank all of you for praying for Dina during this second round of cancer.  We thought after 5 years she was good to go...but that wasn't the plan.

She had intense chemo days with a total of 31 days spent in the hospital.  

It was another form of lymphoma and a rather aggressive one, the doctor had told her she has seen lymph nodes double in size over night!  So you can just imagine how quickly they responded to getting her on a treatment plan and knocking it out hard and fast.  She was taking a couple of different cocktails to beat this cancer and the longest stay was 6 days because each of 5 drugs had to be given individually and with time in between.  And of course they have to monitor her when giving the drugs to be sure she doesn't have a reaction to them.

She also had to have 4 lumbar punctures because this little bug can sneak into the spinal column and reach the brain...which of course we do NOT want.  So by taking out some spinal fluid and replacing it with chemo, they were able to control the spread.  She never did test positive for the disease in her spinal fluid, so we were always most thankful.  It was NOT the most pleasant of procedures to endure, and one time she had a spinal headache that lasted over a week.

She was very brave and courageous during this whole battle and her husband was by her side staying at the hospital 24/7 with her...sleeping on the "window seat" with just a narrow cushion for a mattress.  On Wednesday May1 she had her scan and the doctor called yesterday to tell her it was all CLEAR!

No cancer in her body!

All of our prayers have been answered and I would be remiss if I didn't thank each of you for all the prayers, love, thoughts, and of course CARDS sent to her and to me during this battle.  The kind words were always uplifting and encouraging us and reminding us that "God has this"  He will take care of her.  And He did, once again we all see the fruitfulness of His love and mercy and how He hears our cries!

So thank you for being there for me too and giving me strength!

Last weekend Ellie had her last volleyball tournament before going off to college in the fall.  Dina has missed all the tournaments during her chemo, she was not allowed to be in public because her white count was practically non existent and she would not be able to fight any sickness.  the Ntional tournament her team qualified for was in Dallas, Texas and Dina was given the okay to go by her doctor and we couldn't miss out on the chance to go to WACO and visit the Silos and of course the Silo's Baking Co!

 Dina and I having some iced sweet tea!

 Dina in front of the merchandise store

And Dina with wig off, showing me how one eye has lost nearly all her 'fake' lashes.  Now she has no eyelashes and no eyebrows, but you know, she has her life, so all is good and I always say, it is just hair and it will grow back!

God bless you all!

Heart Hugs, friends!

Seize the Birthday with Texture!~

Hello, hello!

This Seize the Birthday challenge is brought to you by Cathy and she is looking for texture on your BIRTHDAY card!

Now be sure that it is a birthday card friends, something that indicates you are wishing them a celebration,  etc so we can tell it is a birthday card, otherwise you will not be in the running for a winners spot!

Here is my "texture" card, I first die cut my window because I knew I wanted to use a piece of my AI background that I ran through with a happy birthday words cuttlebug folder. And then to add more texture I used the dotted swiss EF.  And I love these PTI leaves and thought those too would add great texture along with this darling bird that Bonnie sent me for my birthday!  Thank you Bonnie, I do love this little guy and all his added texture!  So that is it for me, a simple yet very embellished card with lots of texture.  Please join us with this challenge and I will look for your Birthday card in the gallery!  If you don't want to use texture, that is fine, just be sure it is a BIRTHDAY CARD!

Heart Hugs, friends!