Word Art Wednesday Challenge #197

          Howdy ya'll! I hope you all are having a beautiful morning so far! I am back with Word Art Wednesday Challenge #197. As always we would be honored to have you join us. If you would like to participate just click here to be taken to the Word Art Wednesday blog and find out all the details.
          For my card this week I kept it simple because unfortunately I have been dealing with some things one of which is my health has decided to flare up and when it does it causes me more pain than usual. Plus I have been a bit stressed because a dear friend and fellow firefighter that works with my husband lost his home to a house fire caused by a lightning strike and then I have also been worrying about my brother who had surgery. When I am stressed it unfortunately increases my pain even more. So because I have had more pain than usual it was difficult to sit at my desk for a long period. My daughter was super sweet as always because after I made my card she set up my Foldio 2 and took the pictures for me. My daughter who is only 12, truly has to be the kindest and sweetest person I know. I am not just saying that because she's my daughter either. Her heart is absolutely the purest and most loving heart in the world. She did a pretty good job on the pictures too. Some were a little crooked and she didn't put the backdrop into the Foldio 2 but I am not complaining one bit because let's be honest, she didn't have to help me out at all. She could have just let me suffer with my pain, lol!
          My card this week is a standard A2 side-folding card measuring 4 ¼" x 5 ½". For the background I used two different color ink pads to stamp two different size butterflies. The ink pads are very similar in color, just one is a little darker than the other. If you don't have two shades that are similar then you could just use "2nd generation" stamping, which is where you stamp the image with a fully inked stamp on a scratch piece of paper and then immediately re-stamp the image on your card without re-inking the stamp. If you want to just use one stamped image rather than two, then you would stamp the fully inked image on your card and then re-stamp the second time on your card as well without re-inking. If you really wanted to kick it up a notch then you could even try "3rd generation" stamping which is stamping a third time without re-inking your stamp. 2nd and 3rd generation stamping can be a great way to save money on ink pads because you can get a dark, medium, and light ink color from just one stamp pad all by using generation stamping. It's really a lot of fun to play around with your inks and generation stamping! You will be amazed with how many shades of ink you really can get from just one ink pad so I highly recommend you play around and see what you come up with.
          I also added a little handmade bow to my card using my Bow It All 2.0, but if you don't have this tool you can always make a bow using a fork, two fingers, or something as simple as two nails hammered into a piece of wood. That's basically wraps up my card. The only other thing I did wast cutting out the stitched rectangles and ovals using dies and my Big Shot Machine. Oh, I did add a little butterfly to the inside of my card and as you know I always decorate the back of my cards so I added a little butterfly to the back as well. If I was feeling better I would have die cut out some butterflies, but stamping was so much quicker and easier on me this week ;) I greatly appreciate you all stopping by my blog today and I hope you enjoyed my card! I would love it if you would take a moment to leave a little comment as well as subscribe to my blog. It lets me know that you like what I am doing and that you want me to make more :) Thanks so much again and I wish you all a super blessed week!

Card Front

Card Inside

Card Back

Supplies Used:
Stampin' Up - Crisp Cantaloupe Cardstock
Stampin' Up - Crisp Cantaloupe Ink Pad
Stampin' Up - Blushing Bride Ink Pad
May Arts - 3/4" Pink Twill Chevron Ribbon
My Creative Time - Scalloped Stitched Oval Dies
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies & More
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Scor-Pal/Scor-Tape/Sookwang Tape 
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
Card/Plate holder purchased from Michael's Crafts
The Stamps of Life - Custom Made Personalized Stamp (used to stamp very back of card)
Michele R Designs - Custom Made Personalized Watermark 
Sizzix Big Shot Machine
Sizzix Magnetic Platform 
Foldio 2 Portable Photo Studio
Scoreboard
American Crafts/Cut Up 9" Paper Trimmer
American Crafts/Cut Up Cartridge Paper Trimmer
Zutter Bow It All Tool (I used it to make my bow)

Challenges Entered:
CropStop Linky Party #7
Simon Says Stamp Citrus with a Twist


(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #196

          Good morning and happy Wednesday everyone! Today's card is for my Design Team submission for the Word Art Wednesday Challenge #196. If you would like to join us click here to be taken to the Word Art Wednesday blog and find out all the details.
          A week or two ago Faery Ink offered one of their gorgeous digi images for free so I snagged her up right away. She was absolutely perfect for a card I had in mind. After you are done viewing my card and checking out my blog, be sure to pop on over to Faery Ink and view all their beautiful digital images. Let me go ahead and give you all the details on my card because I know you will want to spend a lot of time over at the Faery Ink site, lol! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! Have a blessed week!

Card Front

Inside Card

Supplies Used:
Faery Ink - Gabbie Flutterfae
Recollections Cardstock - Neutral
Recollections Cardstock - Passion Fruit
Stampin' Up Stamp Pad - Old Olive
Stampin' Up Stamp Pad - Sahara Sand
Spellbinders Nestabilities Enhancing Elements - Gold Rounds 1 (largest die)
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies & More (2 largest stitched rectangles)
Stampin' Up - Sizzix Circle Framelits Dies
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Scor-Pal/Scor-Tape/Sookwang Tape 
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
White Jelly Roll Pen (to add highlights on the eyes)
Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers  (Colors FS2, FS3, TN2, CG1, CG2, DG2, DG3, PP1, EB1, EB2, GB8, GB10, CT1, CT3, CT4)
Wink of Stella - Clear Glitter Pen
Card/Plate holder purchased from Michael's Crafts
The Stamps of Life - Custom Made Personalized Stamp (used to stamp very back of card)
Michele R Designs - Custom Made Personalized Watermark 
Sizzix Big Shot Machine
Sizzix Magnetic Platform  

Challenges Entered :
*Crop Stop Linky Party 7
*Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Homegrown Summer  (I am using the flowers in the fairy's hair for the homegrown summer theme)
*Spectrum Noir - August Anything Goes Challenge 


(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #195

           Good morning all! I hope this post finds you all doing well! I have been quite busy this week but so blessed that what is keeping me busy is spending time with my siblings, nieces, and nephews. I haven't seen my sister in 16 years nor met her children so all the craziness has been so worth it. Found myself as red as a lobster though today thanks to the Florida sun. The sunblock we just had bought ended up being expired and unfortunately I ended up with sun-poisoning. Not good! You would assume a well known store would not be selling outdated products that are over 3 years old. I will definitely be checking expiration dates the next time I buy sunblock. Anyway, let's move on to the creation am sharing with you today ;)
          This is Word Art Wednesday Challenge #195. If you would like to join us click here to be taken to the Word Art Wednesday blog and find out all the details. I decided for my card I would do some more coloring. I chose an adorable little fairy made by Some Odd Girl. I think she turned out so cute! I wanted to bling her out so I used some Wink of Stella and made her sparkle from her hair all the way to her dress and wings. The picture doesn't even begin to show how sparkly this cutie is. Hope you enjoy my creation this week! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! I wish you all a very blessed and beautiful week!

Card Front (Card size is an A2 4.25" x 5.50")

Fairy close up

Supplies List:
Some Odd Girl - (I believe this fairy stamp set is retired as I could not find a link)
Recollections - Cape Cod Cardstock
Sizzix/Stephanie Barnard - Framelits Die Set w/5 Stamps Dragonflies
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Scor-Pal/Scor-Tape/Sookwang Tape 
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
White Jelly Roll Pen (to add highlights on the eyes)
Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers (Colors used FS2, TN2, TB1, TB2, TB3, TB5, TB6, PP3, GB10, EB5, EB7, EB8)
Wink of Stella - Clear Glitter Pen
Versamark 
Copic Multiliner Pens (to add black details - This allows the Spectrum Noir Alcohol markers to be used and the black lines will not bleed)
Studio G - Rhinestones/Jewels
Jeweled Ribbon (bottom detail - sorry I don't know where to purchase this as it was given to me)
Card/Plate holder purchased from Michael's Crafts
The Stamps of Life - Custom Made Personalized Stamp (used to stamp very back of card)
Michele R Designs - Custom Made Personalized Watermark 

Challenges Entered: 
Simon Says Stamp - Monday Make A Plan Challenge (I had to plan the design of this card, the colors, and the layout)
Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Spectrum Noir - August Anything Goes Challenge


(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #194

          Good morning everyone! I hope you all are having a great week thus far. I am back today with another Word Art Wednesday Design Team creation. This week's challenge is #194. As always the Word Art Wednesday Challenge is an "Anything Goes" challenge and is open to anyone who would love to play as long as your creation is family friendly as well as uses an uplifting or encouraging sentiment. We would love to have join us! To find out all the details and enter the challenge just click here to be taken to Word Art Wednesday.
           For my card today I decided to do something you all haven't really seen me do in awhile and that is color in an image with alcohol markers. Although I haven't put any on a card in sometime, I actually still do a lot of coloring images, but they usually get put on my daughters memory books. I personally think she didn't turn out too bad, but unfortunately I was having some trouble with the dress. For some reason this particular color didn't want to blend that well. It was the first time I have used this color combination so I guess I just need to play around with it some more until I get the hang of how how to blend them. I then decided I wanted to pull in the other colors from the background as well as make her look like a cabaret dancer so I added the little cardstock spirals. I didn't have any feathers that matched but I wish I had because that would have looked really neat. Anyway, I hope you like the way she turned out :)
          I really appreciate you all stopping by my blog today! I hope you will come back again soon! God Bless you all! Have a fabulous week!

Card Front

Card Inside

Supplies List:
Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies & More
Recollections cardstock - Blue Ombre
Recollections cardstock - Spice Market
Stampin' Up - Designer Series paper
Some Odd Girl - Renew Clear Stamp Set
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Scor-Pal/Scor-Tape/Sookwang Tape 
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
Small flower purchased from Michael's Crafts
Copic Multiliner Pens (to add black details)
White Jelly Roll Pen (to add highlights on the eyes)
Card/Plate holder purchased from Michael's Crafts
The Stamps of Life - Custom Made Personalized Stamp (used to stamp very back of card)
Michele R Designs - Custom Made Personalized Watermark

Challenges Entered:
Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge 


(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #193

          Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! Today I am sharing my Word Art Wednesday Challenge #193 Design Team entry. We would love to have you play along! You can join the Word Art Wednesday Challenge by going to www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.com or clicking here.
          I have a little confession to make about my card for today. I actually made a card like this for my mom back on Mother's Day. I loved the card so much and love my vellum flowers that I had to make it again for you all! I think it's been one of my most favorite cards I have made thus far and I was totally bummed that I couldn't keep the first one I had made. Now that I've remade it, I can't take my eyes off of it, I LOVE IT! I hope you will too. I love this shade of pink of the vellum. It's so soft and elegant! It was hard trying to find a background that didn't take away from that elegance of the vellum as well as a background that could keep up so when I found this background paper at Michael's Crafts I was thrilled. Definitely a great combo... I think anyway ;) (PS: The only difference from this card and the card I made for my mom is that hers didn't have the front bible scripture and the inside of my mom's card was decorated as well as stamped "Happy Mother's Day")
          Thank you all so much for stopping by my blog today! If your not already a subscriber, I would greatly appreciate it if you would sign up and follow my blog. Have a blessed week!

Card front

Supplies List:
My Favorite Things Hybrid Camellia Flower Die-namics
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies & More
Recollections cardstock
Stampin' Up - Pink Pirouette Ink Pad
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Homemade Enamel Dots (made using pony beads)
Simon Says Stamp - Ranger Multi Matte Medium (to make the flowers and adhere the enamel dots)
Glue Dots

Challenges Entered:
Simon Says Stamp - i Scream For Challenge
My i represents inspirational quote since my card has an inspirational Bible quote of the front. Another i is represented by the ink used on my card for the inspirational Bible quote.


(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #192

          Happy Wednesday all! Today is Word Art Wednesday Challenge #192. I had some inspiration for my card today from Jessica Esch. Jessica is always making beautiful cards and this one is a simple yet gorgeous card that I just had to make. Please stop by her blog to see all her beautiful creations! Her blog is www.chick-n-scrap.blogspot.com Thank you for stopping by my blog today! I wish you all a wonderful and blessed week! PS: Don't forget you can join the Word Art Wednesday Challenge, we'd love to have you play along! If you would like to join us click here.

Supplies List: 
My Creative Time - Pretty Butterflies & Dragonfly Dies
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies & More
My Creative Time - Build A Scripty & Watercolor Background Stamp Set
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
Recollections Card Stock
Stampin Up - Tempting Turquoise Ink Pad
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Homemade Enamel Dots (made using pony beads)
Simon Says Stamp - Ranger Multi Matte Medium (used to adhere homemade enamel dots)

Challenges Entered: 
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes Challenge



(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Get Well Card

Hello everyone! My mom had surgery so I made her a get well card and thought it turned out so cute that I wanted to share it with you all. Enjoy!

Front of card

Inside of card

Close up of mouse on front

Close up of mouse on the inside

Front sentiment used on card with the clear glitter embossing powder

Supplies List:
Craftin Desert Divas - Tissue Time
Recollections Card Stock - Cool Waters
Versa Mark Ink Pad
Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies & More
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Momento Tuxedo Black Ink
Wink Of Stella Clear Glitter Pen
Clear Glitter Embossing Powder

Challenges Entered: 
Simon Says Stamp - Furry Friends Challenge
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes Challenge



(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #191

          Hello all! I hope everyone had a blessed and safe July 4th. I come today to share with you the Word Art Wednesday Challenge #191. You all have probably figured out by now how much I love bubbles/circles so for my Design Team card this week I again made a bubble/circle style card using bubbles/circles in a different way. I love how you can take a something as simple as a circle or square and make so many different patterns. Since I posted such a long post on Saturday I figured I would keep today's short and to the point, lol! As always if you have any questions feel free to ask. Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you all have an amazing week! I now present to you, my card ;)

Front of card

Inside of card

Supplies List:
Stampin' Up - Sizzix Circle Framelits Dies
Stampin' Up - Pistachio Pudding Ink Pad (retired), Crisp Cantaloupe Ink Pad (retired), Bermuda Bay Ink Pad
Stampin' Up - Pistachio Pudding Cardstock, Crisp Cantaloupe Cardstock (retired), Bermuda Bay Cardstock
My Favorite Things - Blue Breeze Dye Ink Pad, Cotton Candy Dye Ink Pad, Grape Dye Ink Pad
My Favorite Things - Blue Breeze Card Stock
Recollections Card - Pink Buttons Cardstock, Purple Passion Cardstock
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies & More
I used a total of 6 different types of Embossing Folders from Sizzix and Paper Studio.
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Scor Pal - Sookwang Tape
Zutter Bow It All Tool (I used it to make my bow)
Tsukineko Sponge Daubers
I made the bow with ribbon that I purchased from Michael's Crafts
The holder for my card was purchased at Michael's Crafts 

MISTI and Foldio 2 Review

          Happy 4th! Hopefully you all are having a fantastic July 4th holiday. I'd like to take a moment to send a big THANK YOU to all of our Military men and women who have served or who are currently serving. My family and I greatly appreciate your bravery as well as all the sacrifices that you and your family have made that allow us the ability to celebrate the freedom we have. There will never be enough Thank You's said to show our gratitude!
          My apologies that this blog didn't post yesterday. Apparently I didn't click publish so the scheduler didn't know to post yesterday. Something told me to check the blog this evening and thankfully I did because I would have never known it didn't post.
         Today's blog post is going to be quite lengthy as I am sharing my reviews of the MISTI tool and the Foldio 2 'fold-able studio'. I haven't had these products very long so I am basing my reviews on how they have performed thus far so as I use them more should I find I learn something new or the my opinion of the product changes I will let you know. As for now though, I LOVE BOTH of the these products.
          Let me first start with the MISTI. If you haven't heard of the MISTI, the MISTI is short for the Most Incredible Stamp Tool Invented. It is an acrylic stamp tool much like a stamping acrylic block use with a positioning tool, but this tool does so much more than an acrylic blog used with a positioning tool could ever do. Just to mention a few of the things this tool allows you to do is perfectly re-stamp, stamp multiples, and stamp with proper placement. As I said that is just the beginning! I was going to do a video to show you how it works but there are already so many videos out there, so I am going to post some of the ones I found to be most helpful. Let me start though first with where you can purchase this amazing tool. I purchased mine directly through the inventor/manufacturer My Sweet Petunia. I found purchasing it directly through the inventor/manufacturer gave me the best/lowest price. At the time I bought mine it was on back-order but that didn't affect my order at all because I ended up receiving it just 4 days later. I was told they are constantly restocking so the wait times on the back-order are usually only a few days, but just to be sure I would contact them because this baby is in high demand so the turn around times can vary. Other places you can purchase it are from Simon Says Stamp and My Favorite Things. When purchasing this I highly recommend you purchase atleast a couple of magnets as well as the Novus Plastic Polish/Cleaner. I purchased 2 magnets but wish I would have purchased more. Be very careful with the magnets as they are extremely strong so you will get your fingers pinched if not careful. DO NOT stack the magnets together either as they are nearly impossible to separate since they are so strong. There is also a warning on the manufacturer's website that these magnets can break or chip because they are made of Neodymium so be sure to read that warning if you chose to purchase the magnets. Not only are these magnets strong but they are also the perfect size which will allow the lid to close properly and allows your stamps to stamp properly. Using other magnets might be to thick or large and not allow for the tool to be used correctly. The Novus Plastic Polish/Cleaner is also important to purchase because it is currently the only cleaner the manufacturer recommends and says won't damage the acrylic. According to the manufacturer other cleaners can crack, dull, scratch, and fog the acrylic where as the Novus Plastic Polish/Cleaner is specifically formulated to be used on acrylic. Another item available for purchase is a Grid Paper Pad. A lot of people have loved the grid paper pad, but I chose not to purchase it because you can download a free grid template, use graph paper, scrap paper, or even make your own template. I chose to use the free grid template as well as make my own template that I just make copies from. This allowed me to customize it to my likings and specific ways I do things with the tool. Currently the MISTI tool has a screen printed grid line on the lid, so because of that, the MISTI will come with a clear vinyl cling to place on the lid. This will help protect the screen printing from coming off, so be sure to place that over the lid immediately upon receiving your tool. My tool already had some of the screen printed grid missing and was told this is normal due to it being hand made/screen printed by hand. Mine as well also had some scratches and bubbles near the hinges and also squeaks which again I was told is normal due to be being handmade, but that it will not hinder the use or quality. Now if there are any cracks, that is not normal so contact the manufacturer to notify them. By the way this tool can be used by a right handed or left handed person. To change the MISTI tool for a left handed person click here for the video. One other thing that I loved about this tool was that I was able to use the outside of the lid to stamp as well. I had to prop up my card stock on a book since I was using the outside of the lid but everything still stamped really well. By using the inside as well as the outside of the lid, I was able to stamp 4 cards with 4 different images and sentiments. This was amazing because I then made 10 cards of each of those 4 so overall I stamped 40 cards in about 12 minutes. All I had to do was change the cards, ink, stamp, and then repeat. I have not seen a video of anyone doing this yet, so I will try and get a video done soon so you all can see this technique.
          As I mentioned there are so many videos on the internet on how to use the MISTI tool so you can research the Internet/YouTube to see them all but these are the ones I have found most helpful:
My Sweet Petunia YouTube Channel
Jennifer McGuire - Introduction (Speed up to the 5.48 minute mark)
Jennifer McGuire (techniques)
Jennifer McGuire (techniques)
Jennifer McGuire (techniques)
Darlene DeVries
Maureen Wong (browse through the channel as there are many MISTI tool videos)

          Now let's talk about the Foldio 2. The Foldio 2 is a 'fold-able photo studio'. The new Foldio 2 is much larger and brighter than the original. I purchased my Foldio 2 during their Kickstarter Campaign so I got it for a great price as well as being able to get it before it ever hit the market/stores. If any of you have ever backed a Kickstarter Campaign you may know there are pro's and con's to it so this Campaign was no exception. I expected to receive this back in March but due to some manufacturing issues it took longer than expected, but I finally have the product now and I LOVE IT! What is great about the Foldio 2 is that it comes with 4 backdrops, a dimmer, multiple styled plugs for traveling to other countries, LED lights, portable, comes with a carrying case, and soon will have an app to do cool things with your pictures. There were some issues with the stickers coming undone and a magnet sticking to another but it's an easy fix and something you can do yourself. You just locate the magnet remove it and reinsert it into its original position. The sticker re-sticks just fine but in the event it doesn't they have included extra stickers. Some people reported flickering with the lights but if you simply swap the plugs with one another the flickering goes away. I then marked mine so I would know how to plug them in each time or you can just leave them plugged in because it is a 2 part plug so the lower half can be removed for storage. The Foldio 2 is approximately 15" squared when fully open where the original Foldio is 10". When closed and stored in the case it is 15" squared by about 1" to 1½" thick. I purchased this to take pictures of my cards and other craft items I make and I will say that the quality of my pictures has been amazing! So crisp, clear, and bright! Below are some pictures of the Foldio 2 as well as pictures for you to see the difference in my pictures before the Foldio 2 and now with the Foldio 2. If you are interested in purchasing the Foldio 2, it is currently available for Pre-order through the manufacturer/developer Orange Monkey. To go to the Orange Monkey website and learn more about the Foldio 2 or to pre-order your Foldio 2, click here.

Foldio 2 - open with lights off/unplugged

Foldio 2 open with lights on. The card I have in the center is 4.25" x 5.50" so as you can see with this 15" overall, there is still plenty of room to put larger objects inside.

Picture of my card WITHOUT using the Foldio 2

Picture of my card WITH using the Foldio 2 (I did not use any of the backgrounds that come with it so the backing you see is the Foldio 2 interior itself, but the picture below is using the white background that comes with it.

Taken with the Foldio 2 and using the white background. The backgrounds I received with my Foldio 2 through the Kickstarter Campaign were the white that is shown, grey, black, and green.

I think that about sums it all up for my reviews of these two products. If you have any questions on these products don't hesitate to ask. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today. I hope you all have a blessed, safe, and wonderful holiday weekend!



(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #190

          Well hello again my fellow crafters! It's Wednesday and I think by now you all know what that means ;) That's right, it's time for my Word Art Wednesday Design Team post. Woo Hoo! This week is Challenge #190. We would love for you to join us so if your interested just click here to be taken to the Word Art Wednesday Blog where you will find out all the details about how you can play along.
          I told you all that I would be including my reviews on the Foldio 2 and the MISTI but I decided to do it in a separate blog post so that today's blog post didn't drag on forever, lol. I have already typed up the post for my reviews and it is scheduled to post on this Friday, July 3rd so please check back then.
          Now let's take a look at the card I made for you all today :)

Front of card. Card size measures 4.25" x 5.50". The verse was printed out from my computer rather than stamped. The handmade bow is actually a perfect match in color but for some reason it looks different when photographed.

Supply List:
Stampin' Up - Pistachio Pudding Cardstock (cardstock is now retired)
Stampin' Up - Pistachio Pudding Ink Pad (this color ink pad is now retired)
My Creative Time  - Scalloped Stitched Oval Dies
Peachy Keen - Polka Dot Background Stamp (discontinued item)
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Scor Pal - Sookwang Tape
Zutter Bow It All Tool (I used it to make my bow)
Polka Dot Ribbon purchased from Michael's Crafts
Card holder/plate holder purchased from Michael's Crafts

Challenges entered:
Simon Says Stamp - We're Going Dotty

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog and I as well greatly appreciate all of your sweet comments! Have a wonderful and blessed week!

(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #189 & MFT Summer School Entry & Simon Says Stamp Entry

          Hello! I hope you all are having a great week so far :) I unfortunately have been sick since Saturday evening so I apologize for this post being short. I am going to get right to the point that way I can hop back into bed and sleep it off. The card I made this week is for the Word Art Wednesday Challenge #189. If you would like to join in on the challenge this week please visit Word Art Wednesday to find out all the details. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today and again I apologize for my post being so short. I wish you all a blessed week! PS: You may notice my picture is nice and bright... well I am delighted to say that I finally received my Foldio 2. I am hoping I will feel well enough to post my review this weekend and I will include my review of the MISTI too, but if I don't get it to you this weekend then I will include it with my post next Wednesday.

Product List:
My Favorite Things - Die-namics Horizontal Stitched Strips
My Creative Time - 3 Star Stitched Dies
3 different kinds of embossing folders (I believe these were all from Sizzix)
Sizzix Circle Die Set
Homemade Enamel Dots
Stampin' Up - Primrose Petals Ink Pad (But Stampin' Up Real Red also matched the red cardstock)
Recollections Cardstock - Cape Cod
Recollections Cardstock - Holiday
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive

Entered Into The Following Challenges:
My Favorite Things Lesson 1 Rule of Thirds
My Favorite Things Lesson 2 Focal Point
My Favorite Things Lesson 3 Movement/Flow
My Favorite Things Lesson 4 Line 
#MFTSTAMPS
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge



(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #188

          Happy Wednesday y'all! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far. It's that time again where I bring to you my weekly Design Team creation for Word Art Wednesday. We would love to have you join us for this week's challenge, which is #188. To find out the details and how you can join in please go to Word Art Wednesday.
          Back in December I placed an order from Scrapbooking Made Simple when they had their huge Spellbinders sale and most of it finally arrived. There are still somethings that haven't arrived but I was so excited because what I did receive had the Spellbinders feather dies in it. I love these dies! They are so pretty! So of course I had to make a card with them. Also this past week I went to the new My Favorite Things store. The new store is amazing! It is super huge and they have a fabulous new area for their classes. While I was there I grabbed some Banana Split and Spearmint card-stock as well as the matching dye ink so I thought I would use them as well for my card.
          I told you all I would give you a review on the MISTI tool and I haven't forgotten. I am just still trying to figure it all out and use it as much as I can so when I give my review I can give you my honest opinion on it. So once I have really explored how it works I will post my review. I wish you all a fantastic and blessed week! Now let's get on to my card shall we ;)

Front of card: Card size is an A2 card measuring 4.25" x 5.50"

Inside of card

Back of the card using my custom made personalized stamp

Supply Life:
My Favorite Things - Banana Split Cardstock
My Favorite Things - Spearmint Cardstock
My Favorite Things - Banana Split Dye Ink Pad
My Favorite Things - Spearmint Dye Ink Pad
Spellbinders - Feathers Die Set
Spellbinders - Paisley M-bossabilities Folder
Sizzix - Labels Framelits
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies & More
The Stamps of Life - Personalized Stamp
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Scor Pal - Sookwang Tape
Zutter Bow It All Tool (I used it to make my bow)
I made the bow with ribbon that I purchased from Michael's Crafts
The holder for my card was purchased at Michael's Crafts



(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #187

          Hello everyone! Hope you all have had a great week thus far. I come to you today with another card for this week's Word Art Wednesday Challenge #187. If you would like to join in on this week challenge and have a chance to earn some awesome prizes then head on over Word Art Wednesday.

I will be entering this card into the following challenges:
www.creativecardcrew.blogspot.com - White On White

Now let's jump right to it shall we :)

This card is all all white 5" x 5" square card. The only color is the black ink in the sentiment. Each layer was reduced by a half inch making the next two layers 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" and then 4" x 4". The sentiment tag measures 3 1/4" x 1". I then embossed each layer with different embossing folders of my choice, including the base of the card. Each layer was popped up with foam tape. Viola' the card is complete :) Another super fast as easy card to make. (All of these embossing folders are from Sizzix)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #186

          Happy Wednesday ya'll! I hope your week is going well thus far! I am back with another Word Art Wednesday Challenge. This is Challenge #186 and we would love to have you join in with us this week! To join us please click the following link to find out all the details: Word Art Wednesday Please remember that these are "Anything Goes" challenges so anyone can enter as long as your creation is family-friendly and uses encouraging or uplifting sentiments. These challenges are not just for card makers because you can enter digital art, altered art, etc. Plus you can enter up to 5 projects each week/challenge. The more you enter, the more you'll increase your odds of winning :)
          I am loving the card I made this week! It's probably because I have some weird love for bubbles and circles, lol! I hand stamped all the circles/bubbles you see on the light beige card-stock. I wanted a certain design but didn't have any card-stock or paper that I had wanted to use so I just made my own. That is what I love about stamping, you can create your own papers/backgrounds. If you haven't tried to design your own paper/background yet, you really should give it a try. It's so much fun and I think you'll love it! For the sentiment, I printed it out onto white card-stock and then took the same inks that I used on the rest of the card and sponged the white card-stock to get the look I wanted. It looks like this card was hard to make but it was actually super easy! Just stamp basically where ever you want, you don't need a plan or specific layout. Just stamp away while having fun doing it! Now to introduce my card I think I need a drum roll. (pretend you hear it, lol) Ta Da! Here is my card!

Sorry for the dim lighting of the picture. I wasn't able to get the natural lighting I usually use because it's been raining everyday this week and my Foldio2 has still not arrived :( The bow also for some reason doesn't look like it matches but it actually does. The overall size of this card is 5 1/2" by 5 1/2" squared. I reduced each layer by 1/4" for the outer squares and then for the 3 inside squares I reduced them down by a 1/2" then repeated the 1/4" increments. The sentiment panel was reduced down by 1/2" but I used a scalloped edge die to do the borders, so it didn't turn out to be a perfect square but I still am happy with it.

Supplies List:
Recollections Cardstock - "Neutral"
Recollections Cardstock - "Pink Buttons"
Stampin' Up Ink Pad - "Chocolate Chip"
Stampin' Up (Sizzix) - Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
My Favorite Things Ink Pad - "Cotton Candy"
Georgia Pacific White Cardstock
The Stamps Of Life Stamp Set - bubblegum4me
The Stamps Of Life Stamp Set - crazy4daisies
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape
Tombow Adhesive
Tombow Dot Adhesive
Scor Pal - Sookwang Tape
Zutter Bow It All Tool (I used it to make my bow)
The ribbon was given to me by a sweet friend
The holder for my card was purchased at Michael's Crafts

Thank you for stopping by my blog today! I welcome and greatly appreciate your sweet comments! Don't forget you can find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Just remember I am still building them up so your patience is greatly appreciated. Have a wonderful and blessed day!



(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday #185

          Good morning everyone! I hope everyone had a blessed and safe Memorial Day! The entire weekend my husband was on duty, my daughter was with her grandma, and my son was at Universal Studios for a friend's birthday so I just spent the weekend all by my lonesome :( There was really no relaxing for me because my fur-baby had taken a turn for the worse and I literally was up with her non stop. I got a couple occasional cat naps but that was about it. She is still not well but she has shown some improvement so I am staying positive and not giving up hope. Over the weekend I also was babysitting 16 baby chicks. Those chickies were so cute! It's amazing how fast they've grown in the 6 days I had them. The little soft fur was has already turned into feathers and their yellow coloring is starting to turn to browns and blacks. It was also quite neat to see how the changes in each one are so different too. While spending my time alone this weekend I as well reminisced about my military family and friends. I thought about all they have went through and still do. So many funny stories of time spent with their buddies but unfortunately so many sad ones too, way to many losses. One of those losses includes my cousin whom we lost on August 3, 2005 while he was serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. My heart goes out to all the other families who have lost loved ones to war. I am so appreciative and grateful for all the men and women who serve to protect this country! So that was my weekend. How about we get on to some crafty goodness.
          Today I am sharing another Word Art Wednesday card. This is for challenge #185 featuring scripture 1 Corinthians 2:5. I am in love with the pearlized card-stock I used! The picture doesn't do this card justice, that's for sure. We would love to have you play along with us at Word Art Wednesday, so after you finish my blog post please hop on over to their blog by clicking here: Word Art Wednesday Blog. Remember every Wednesday there is a new challenge you can join :) Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a beautiful and blessed day!

Card Front

Card Inside - I chose not to stamp a sentiment for now.

Close up of butterfly

Back of card - Showcasing my personalized stamp. I chose to create my own caption and then had it custom made by The Stamps of Life

Supply List:
My Favorite Things - Fancy Butterflies Dienamics
My Favorite Things - Stitched Basic Edges Dienamics
My Favorite Things - Textile Rectangle Frame Dienamics (Retired)
My Creative Time - Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies & More
My Creative Time - Pretty Butterflies & Dragonfly Dies
Stampin' Up Sizzix - Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder
Stampin' Up - Tempting Turquoise Stamp Pad
Georgia Pacific White Card-stock (purchased at Wal-mart)
Recollections Blue Pearl Card-stock (single sheet purchased at Michael's Crafts)
Recollections Teal Paisley Scrapbook Paper (single sheet purchased at Michael's Crafts)
Recollections Mini Butterfly Punch (purchased at Michael's Crafts)
Tiny rhinestones (purchased from ebay)
The Stamps of Life - Personalized Stamp



(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)

Word Art Wednesday #184

     Thank you for joining me once again for our Word Art Wednesday Challenge! This is challenge #184 featuring Bible scripture Deuteronomy 30:14. Sorry this blog post is going to be a bit brief with regards to my card details. The school year is winding down for my daughter who is home-schooled via an online program and it's that time where we need to get all of her work finalized and submitted, which is a chore all in itself. LOL! Then on top of that one of my little fur-babies has unexpectedly become paralyzed. Usually things like this show early symptoms, happen from an injury, or from old age but she is only 5 and didn't suffer an injury of any kind. We have no idea why she has become paralyzed but after the vet did all her tests, she is confident that this is permanent, so my fur-baby is going to need a wheel chair for the rest of her life. Poor baby already suffers from seizures, but she has been doing fantastic on her medications, and the vet feels that she isn't suffering with any internal pain from the parallelization so with the wheelchair and the seizures currently being under control, it looks like she will still be a very happy baby with a long beautiful life ahead of her. Until I am able to purchase a wheelchair for her, it means a ton of extra work on my family. She has to be carried everywhere and carefully monitored so that she doesn't fall, hit anything, jump, etc. Just because her body isn't functioning doesn't mean her mind quit too so she of course still wants to act like a puppy. Once we get her the wheelchair she can run around chasing her fur-siblings and lizards again, lol! Should I have some free time this week though I will try to comeback in and give more details on my card. Otherwise if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask :)
     Now for my card today I chose to make an A2 size using My Creative Time Stitched Rectangular Frame Dies and More along with The Stamps of Life Birdcage2stamp Set and the matching Birdcage Club Die Set. For my flowers I used a Recollections tiny punch that I picked up at Michael's Crafts this week for only $1.00! Doesn't it give just the cutest little flowers! I adorned them with tiny rhinestones and added some clear Wink of Stella just to give my bird cage a little sparkle too. I didn't want it to feel left out ;) Plus I added a couple of tiny butterflies I punched from silver glitter paper using my other new Recollections mini punch. Again it was only $1. For the scripture I used the largest size die from the My Creative Time Stitched Decorative Banner Dies to cut out the banner. All of the card-stock I used is from Recollections, which I purchased at Michael's Crafts this past week as well because they were having an A-MAZING sale on all of the Recollections card-stock. It was 5 packages for $10. Each package contains 50 sheets of fantastic quality card-stock, which if you do the math comes to 250 sheets of card-stock for just $10! That's an amazing deal! What I also love about the Recollections card-stock is that they offer card-stock to match every one of my Stampin' Up ink pads as well as the My Favorite Things ink pads that I currently own. Also when I cut the Recollections card-stock I don't get a white center. The card-stock is colored all the way through. I have even sanded this card-stock before. So if you haven't tried out this card-stock yet, I highly recommend you give it a shot. You can't beat the price and quality!
      Well folks, that is all I have for now. Don't forget to go check out Word Art Wednesday's Blog. There are tons of beautiful creations, an inspirational devotion, and some good ol' fun. We would love to have you join us! Have a beautiful, blessed, and wonderful week! Until next time, tootles :)

PS: A quick tip to get your string, twine or floss in the shape you'd like is to simply take a very tiny amount of Multi Matte Medium onto your fingers and then rub it all over the string/floss/twine. Remember you only need a little bit and don't worry it dries perfectly clear. Once it's all covered then you will simply shape the bow how you would like and once the Multi Matte Medium dries you have a perfect bow :) Oh and I forgot to mention that the bird cage as well as the little bird were actually die cut 3 times, glued together with the Multi Matte Medium, in order to give it some even dimension without needing to use foam tape/pop dots/etc.



(Disclaimer: Any supply links listed above are links solely being used as a guide to show you what those items are. Some links may come directly from the manufacturer while others may not. Unless otherwise stated all products were purchased with my own money and in no way am I affiliated with these links nor the businesses associated with them. Please use discretion should you choose to shop from the links listed above. Thank you)