Karin Pro Markers

This is my fifth card in my Could Ya? Should Ya? Would Ya? Yea! series. Say what???

In this monthly series, I plan to try something out of the norm... i.e. a size of card I rarely use, a technique I've wanted to try (or try again), an unusual fold, a card for a bizarre holiday, etc. I also plan to try a new recipe on these days - not a card recipe, a kitchen recipe.

This month I tried out my new Karin Pro Brush Markers. Literally. This is my first attempt at coloring with them, but I did go easy on myself by just coloring and blending. 


Even though I used watercolor paper, I didn't add any water this time. That will come at a later date. 

They really color beautifully and the colors are so vibrant!

And don't forget... there's the added feature of this series - try a new recipe. What's for supper? Instant Pot Crack Chicken. I hope we like it.

Last month I made Million Dollar Chicken Casserole. It was amazing! We'll definitely be having it again.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Unity Let Your Dreams Bloom stamped with Versafine Onyx Black Ink and colored with Karin Pro Brush Markers

Papers: Canson Cold Press Watercolor Paper, Colorbok Burgundy Crackle DP, and SU Grapefruit Groove CS 

Die: MFT Stitched Mod Rectangle 

Embellishments: Michael's Rhinestones and SU Metallic Edge Ribbon

Stay @ Home Update #8

Each Sunday (at 5:00 AM) I'm sharing how the week's 10-minute stay@home organizational challenge went. If you don't have an idea what that means and you're curious, you can learn more in my original Stay @ Home Update blog post - found HERE.

Now here's the disclaimer: Some of these daily stay@home challenges are taking more than 10 minutes, but who's counting, right? 

Here's what I've accomplished this week...

Day 1 - SUN, May 24

I uploaded the wood-mounted stamps in my "Autumn" drawer into my Evernote inventory today.

Day 2 - MON, May 25
I had a lot of envelopes that I would not use - since they were odd shapes/sizes. It was time to purge the bin so I took care of that today. I stored the remaining envelopes by size, but I purposely didn't sort them by color, since I thought it would be easier to grab one if they weren't stored that way, but now looking at the picture I'm thinking I would like it better if colors were stored with their mates. I might do that at some point, but first I'll ponder to see if that's really what I want to do.

Day 3 - TUES, May 26
This 2-drawer lateral file conveniently sits to the right of my stamping desk. It is where I keep my SU cardstock (plus a few colors of Fun Stampers Journey cardstock) - current colors are in the bottom drawer and retired colors in the top drawer.

I know it's not quite time - but I'm getting excited about the upcoming release of the new SU catalog (I always get excited about that!) and I did catch a sneak peek of the new InColors... which I am sure I'm going to love! Today I went ahead and moved the 2018-2020 InColors cardstock to the top drawer. Yep, I'm ready for the new!

Day 4 - WED, May 27
I'm committed to getting my stamp inventory finished so today I uploaded the wood-mounted stamps in my "Fluffies/Changitos" drawer into my Evernote inventory.

I think I have 6 more drawers to go.

Day 5 - THUR, May 28
I found more buttons to sort - a lot more. This picture is just part of them. But I did manage to sort through these, purging the ones I didn't want to keep and adding the keepers to my two bins of buttons (colors and neutrals).

Day 6 - FRI, May 29
Today I uploaded the wood-mounted stamps in my "Santa-Snowman" drawer into my Evernote inventory.

Day 7 - SAT, May 30
I'm trying really hard to get my inventory completed so I uploaded another drawer of wood-mounted stamps into my Evernote inventory again today. This time it was the "Nativity' drawer. I only have a few more drawers to go, but I'm getting close to reaching this month's quota of space on my free Evernote account so I'll likely not get it finished until my new month begins (which is almost 2 weeks).

Okay, that's it for this week. Stay tuned to see what I accomplish in the coming week.

Happy Birthday USA

There's another Weekend Special at SumMore Fun this week. Have you been noticing the weekly specials? Each week a different stamp set is offered for FREE with a $35+ purchase. This week it's the Raisin Boat Red White and Blue stamp set. Don't delay though - this offer only lasts through Monday. 

I used the fireworks stamp from the stamp set (and a variety of colors of ink) to create my own designer paper. I then cut it into the shape of a balloon using the My Favorite Things Perfect Fit Balloon die.

I added some rhinestones to the centers of most of the bursts of fireworks to give it some sparkle. I also stamped the HAPPY birthday USA sentiment onto my card.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Raisin Boat Red White and Blue 

Papers: Recollections 110# White and SU Blueberry Bushel CS

Dies: My Favorite Things Blueprints 21 and Perfect Fit Balloon

Embellishments: Michael's Rhinestones

Cow's It Going?

I fell in love with the Stampin' UP! Over the Moon stamp set as soon as I saw those adorable cows. They remind me of my grandparents. They were farmers, but the land was rugged and not conducive to crop land so they had a variety of animals - pigs, chickens, beef cattle, and a handful of dairy cattle. The Guernsey was my favorite - she was so pretty. But they had more Holsteins than anything else in their dairy herd.

I have fond memories of spending time at their place, exploring the fields with its creeks and round rocks. Oh, and fond memories of the delicious Kraft caramels the milk truck driver always left behind for me when he'd stop to pick up the milk.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Stampin' UP! Over the Moon stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Accent Opaque White 120#, Recollections Black, and SU Wild Wasabi CS and Paper Studio Green/White Gingham DP

Dies: MFT Blueprint 21 and Sizzix Squares

Embellishments: Eyelet Outlet Enamel Dots and Stampin' UP! Gingham Ribbon

A Friendly Spotlight

The Challenge Your Stash group uses what we have to make a theme-appropriate card and share what we've made on the 28th of each month. Barb is the leader of the group and keeps us very organized. We take turns choosing the theme - this month it was Sue's turn.

Sue challenged us to use the Spotlighting technique on our cards.

I was afraid. Very, VERY afraid. I've never made a spotlight card that I liked... though I have seem some amazing ones made by others. I trembled in fear. (Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I was a bit concerned.)

Soooo.... what's a girl to do if she's afraid??? Put it off until the very last minute, of course. LOL! Yep, I made this card last night.

Sheesh! 

Actually, I should do that more often... because this is the best spotlight card I've ever made.

Thanks for a great theme, Sue! I hope you, Barb, and the other CYS gals like my card.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Unity Abundant Blessings stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Accent Opaque White 120# and Recollections 110# Black CS

Dies: MFT Blueprint 15 and MFT Stitched Mod Rectangle

Embellishments: Recollections Rhinestones

What's Hitting the Top Music Charts of 2020?

Eyelet Outlet Records/Vinyl Album Brads, of course. Check them out in the Eyelet Outlet store - HERE.

These things are so cute - and just think of the potential! The hits are churning in my head right now.

Okay, is it just me or can you also see using them as wheels on a vehicle? I'm jus' sayin'... my mind is thinking creatively.

But today - on my first time using them - I simply HAD to pair them with...

Elvis!

I do love my small collection of Cornish Heritage Farms Elvis stamps.

In addition to the Record Brads, I used the following Eyelet Outlet products on these three cards...

Music Note Brads

Glitter Enamel Dots

Three Designs of Washi Tape

Eyelet Outlet has THE BEST selection of Washi Tape!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!


Products Used

Eyelet Outlet Items: Music Note Brads, Record/Vinyl Brads, Glitter Enamel Dots, and three designs of Washi Tape

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms Elvis-themed stamps, stamped with Gina K Amalgam Ink

Papers: Accent Opaque White 120#, Recollections Black, and SU Metallic Gold CS

Die: Gina Marie In and Out Stud Dot Square

2020 Travel the World - Week 21

I started a Travel the World Series last year. (It should be noted that I did a similar thing in 2018, only it was the 50 states.) For 50 weeks in 2019, I visited a different country (virtually) and shared facts about that country. I then selected one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. Fifty weeks; fifty countries... BUT there are 195 countries in the world so that was just a little over 25% of them. Of course I couldn't stop, so this year I'm continuing with fifty more countries, one per week.

This week's country is...

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands is an island country located the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It shares maritime borders with Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia (France) and Vanuatu.

Geologically, the Solomon Islands are part of the volcanic arc extending from New Ireland in Papua New Guinea to Vanuatu.

The Solomon Islands are made up of 6 major islands and over 900 smaller islands, around half of which still remain uninhabited. 

The Islands are what they define as laid back, welcoming, and surprisingly untouched.

The Solomon Islands receive less than 30,000 visitors each year making it one of the least visited tourist destinations in the world.

The Solomon Islands’ coastline totals an impressive 3,300 miles in length. The majority is beautiful, sandy beaches, tropical trees and crystal clear waters filled with pristine coral reefs.

One of the islands in the group of Solomon Islands is named after the former U.S. president, John. F. Kennedy. Kennedy Island was given its name after an incident involving the then serving lieutenant naval officer. His crew at the time swam onto the island after their ship had been rammed and wrecked by a Japanese vessel during World War II.

The climate is tropical oceanic—that is, hot and humid but relieved by cool winds and abundant, year-round rainfall.

Much of the land in Solomon Island is heavily forested and boasts mountainous topography.

The highest peak in the country is Mount Popomanaseu, a volcanic mountain that sits 7,661 feet above sea level.



Solomon Islands’ economy is based on agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

Indigenous mammals are small and include opossums, bats and mice. There are crocodiles in the mangrove swamps and sea turtles nest on the shores from November to February. There are more than 150 species of birds including many species of parrot and incubator bird.

Most of the people live in small rural villages. They engage mainly in subsistence gardening, pig raising, and fishing

Much of traditional culture endures. Crafts are promoted by the Solomon Islands National Museum, established in 1969 in Honiara, and dances and music are regularly performed.

With its pristine reef, warm waters, seabeds littered with World War II wreckage, and lagoons with mantras, sea turtles, whales , as well as a variety of smaller sea critters, Solomon Island is ideal for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts.

Communal, familial and clan ties remain very strong in Solomon Islands. Most people consider themselves to be part of an immediate family of 200 and can trace back their ancestors at least ten generation. 

The Island’s official language is English. However, only 1-2% of the population are able to speak this language fluently. That’s because the Solomon Islands are home to 74 local languages.

I decided to let this Solomon Islands fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Some of the earliest and most regular foreign visitors to the islands were whaling vessels from Britain, the United States and Australia. They came for food, wood and water late in the 18th century and, later, took aboard islanders to serve as crewmen on their ships.

Here's the inside of my card:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamps: High Hopes Spoutin' Off and Great Impressions Whale of a Good Time stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Accent Opaque White 120#, Recollections Black, and SU Sahara Sand CS and Paper Studio Marble Turquoise and Sand Photo DP

Embellishments: Flip Flops Brad and Ribbon from unknown vendors

Love You More than Chocolate

I recently received a surprise PM from one of the moderators of the Stamping Enablers on Facebook. Unbeknownst to me, the moderators were watching who was leaving encouraging comments on the posts of other members and they'd noticed I was doing it quite often. Sooooo --- this is so exciting! Kathleen Driggers gave me a gift coupon to be used in her store Kat Scrappiness. 

It was a lot of fun looking through the many products she sells deciding what to purchase, including some things that from her own line - Kat Scrappiness. In the end, I was delighted to get one of her stamp sets - I Love Chocolate, which can be seen HERE.

Thank you for a GREAT prize!

There are so many fun sentiments in the stamp set that I had a difficult time deciding which one/s to use first.

Here's the inside of my card:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Kat Scrappiness I Love Chocolate stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa Ink

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White, Recollections Brown, and SU Real Red CS and DP from my scrap file

Die: MFT Wonky Stitch Rectangle

Embellishments: Enamel Dots and Heart from Eyelet Outlet and Ribbon from an unknown vendor

Blessings Or Lessons - 1

Since completing the 100 Days to Dream Your Heart Out devotional journal, I've sort of been in a Bible Journaling slump. I've done some, but have struggled with the process and had less that positive outcomes, too. I decided to try a different approach to see if I can get over this dry spell.

First, I decided to start in a different Bible. I've been using the Inspire Bible exclusively since I first started Bible Journaling. I've purchased a few other Journaling Bibles but have hesitated to switch. Now is the time.

Second, I decided to do the devotional included in one of several Illustrating Faith Bible Journaling kits that I own. I've used the kit supplies from time to time, but I've never done any of the devotionals. 

The Blessing or Lessons kit devotional has 14 lessons. I'm not going to attempt to do them daily like I did the 100 Days devotionals, but I will do the lessons in numerical order.

So far, I'm not impressed - with the process, nor my page - but I hope that will change as I get into it. In any case, I plan to persevere. As the saying goes, I'd give up chocolate, but I'm not a quitter. But I digress.

Lesson 1

Human Connections

Matthew 22:37-39

The Scripture from lesson one is one of my favorites from the Bible because it teaches about the importance of loving God (it is the "first commandment, according to Jesus' words) and loving others. It also speaks of loving self, not in a selfish, I'm #1 type of way, but a healthy regard for oneself. This is important, since the second, equally important commandment is to love others as we love ourselves. 

Jesus replied, 

"You must love the Lord your God 

with all your heart, 

all your soul, and all your mind. 

This is the first and greatest commandment. 

A second is equally important: 

Love your neighbor as yourself." 

Matthew 22:37-39

The devotional writer mainly speaks about the way technology hinders relationships. She suggests we look at our iPhone screens too much, instead of looking at the faces of those around us. She poses the question: How many experiences do we miss because we are disconnecting from human interaction?

I am not a social butterfly, but I am one who thrives best in the midst of relationships. People are important to me. Connecting with others regularly invigorates me

I have many - MANY - friends whom I have never met. We invest in each others' lives. We pray for each other; laugh with each other; rejoice when good things happen and cry on each others' shoulders. These friends are no less important (nor less of a friend) simply because I see them on my iPhone screen rather than in person.

The writer goes on to say: I know that for myself, having human connections, relationships, and experiences is what life is all about. I totally agree. My friends (both the ones here near where I live and the ones I connect with virtually) sure enhance my life.

I am thankful for each of you, my friends!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used in addition to the Illustrated Faith Blessings or Lessons Bible Journaling Kit...

Creative Devotions and Illustrated Faith stamp sets, stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Recollections Ivory CS

Washi Tape from an unknown vendor