Happiness Depends on Ourselves

Good morning friends. We all seem to go through periods of our life when it feels like it's just a constant barrage of trauma and loss, and my life has been like that for over a year now. I have been to more funerals in the past year than I'd been to in the previous 5 years combined. My brother-in-law passed away recently and it just feels like the tipping point. He was 51 years old. Just when I think I cannot possibly take any more heartache, I realize that our 14-year-old Norwegian Forest cat, Oliver, is now at the end stages of his life and losing control of his bodily functions. I had to make the call yesterday to schedule what I've never had to do in my life - put my precious pet down. My husband Jeremy and I are just so distraught over it - please just keep us in your thoughts and I wouldn't be opposed to some healing energies being sent our way.

So this card below was hard to post today because sometimes happiness eludes us for reasons we cannot control. But for the most part, I try to live my life by the principle that "happiness depends on ourselves". I would like to enter the card below into the following challenges:

Just Add Ink #779 - Sketch

Make My Monday - Use 2 Dies

Passion for Markers - Shop Your Stash (the sentiment sticker & die cuts)

I Love ProMarkers #601 - AG/Optional Magical

Tic Tac Toe #286 (I chose florals, ink blending, and sentiment strip)

I created my background by ink blending Stormy Sky Distress Oxide ink through my Cloud Edger stencil (use code JennFan10 for 10% off your entire order!). I used some die cut grass attached inside the frame, and a die cut sun attached with foam dimensional tape overlapping the frame. I stamped the dragon from My Favorite Things with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder. I colored with Copics and a white gel pen, fussy cut, and attached with foam dimensional tape. I finished it off with a sentiment strip sticker from a Tim Holtz sticker book. Peace. 

Always Show Your True Colors

 I really loved this new stencil from the February release at A Colorful Life Designs:

You can purchase the Master Bundle at a discount. The stencil I used below is called Geometric Butterflies, and you can use code JennFan10 to get an additional 10% off at the shop!

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Triple B - Birds, Butterflies, and Blooms

AllSorts #843 - AG/Embossing

Classic Design Challenge - AG/Optional Blooms or Butterflies

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies - Anything Goes

I used the ink blending technique on watercolor paper to create my background, spritzing the paper heavily with water and blotting with a paper towel. I used Versafine Black through my stencil as well as on the sentiment stamp, then embossed with clear embossing powder. I finished it off by sponging the edges of the card with black ink. Peace.

Happy Birthday Girl

 Gooooood morning! I would like to enter the card below into the following challenges:

Colorful Options - Mood Board

Star Stampz - Anything Goes/Optional For a Girl

Creative Inspiration - Think Pink

Lil Red Wagon #846 - Just the Way You Are

Seize the Birthday - AG or CAS with Dies

I used the ink smooshing technique to create my background with pink & purple inks/sprays. I used heart eyelets in the corners, and a Happy Birthday sticker sentiment from Tim Holtz. I printed out Panda Balloon from Star Stampz, colored her with Copics and fussy cut out, then attached with foam dimensional tape. Peace.

Magical Birthday Fairy Wishes

 Good morning! I hope this card makes you smile today - I'd like to enter it into the following challenges:

Friends of Sweet November FB February Challenge - AG/Optional Fairies

AllSorts #843 - AG/Optional Embossing

A Cut Above - AG with Die Cuts

Make My Monday #271 - Use 2 Dies

Seize the Birthday - AG or CAS with Dies

I created my background by ink smooshing a piece of watercolor paper into the ink I had sprayed on my glass mat - I then spritzed water directly on the paper to make it drip. I stamped the adorable fairies from Sweet November Stamps with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder. I colored with Copics, Liquid Diamonds, and glitter, fussy cut, and attached with foam dimensional tape. The sentiments are 2 separate die cuts from the Fun with Words 2 Die Set from Whimsy Stamps. Peace.

love tag

 I would like to enter this tag below into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Not a Card

Tag-alongs & ATCs - AG/Optional Add a Number

Love Those Pretty Patterned Papers - AG/Optional Polka Dots

Tic Tac Toe #286 (red, sentiment strip, patterned paper)

Papers are from Unity Stamp Co. - I cut the tag and attached the papers, then added the wooden arrow heart, attaching the sentiment strip to it. Tied a very old ribbon from Stampin' Up! to finish it off. Peace.

Grateful For You

Hello friends - I would like to enter the card below into the following challenges:

Fun with Funky Fossils FB Challenge

AllSorts #843 - AG/Embossing

Creative Inspiration - Anything Goes

Stencil Fun - Create Your Own Background

As You Like It - Cute or Elegant (and why)

I have been making an effort to create more elegant cards, because I tend to make "cute" cards and they are not always appropriate for the occasion/situation!

I created my background with lots of inks and sprays and I used a honeycomb stencil from Visible Image. The bee stamp is from Funky Fossil's Bee Geometric set, and the "pollen" coming from his behind is from the Bokeh Flowers set... hee hee  The "Grateful for You" sentiment is from an old set that I believe was from MFT. Everything was stamped with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder. I colored the bee with Copics & Stickles, fussy cut, and attached with foam dimensional tape. Peace. 

Don't Go Bacon My Heart

 I'd like to enter this card below into the following challenges today:

Lil Red Wagon #845 - I'm Seeing Red

Let's Craft & Create #228 - AG + From the Heart

I Love ProMarkers #600 - AG/Optional Love or Romance

Fab n' Funky #630 - Love is All Around

I make most of my cards 6 x 4.5 inches - so the piece that's left for a scrap is 2.5 x 6. I keep these scraps in a bag and pull them out to make mini cards once in a while, that's what I did here. I used a scrap of kraft for the cardstock base and sponged some red ink around it. I stamped the sentiment and the sweet pig from Tracey Hey's Streaky Bacon set directly on the kraft card base with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder, then colored with Copics and a white gel pen. I die cut the hearts and attached them with foam dimensional tape and adhesive. Peace.