Shades of Brown

There's a new challenge on the Cupcake Inspirations blog and it's a color theme!



Our sponsor for this challenge is Poppy Stamps  and they are generously offering a $20 gift certificate to our randomly chosen winner. Link up your project and share our inspiration photo for a chance to win!



Brown is not my favorite color...UNLESS, it's spiced it up with some bold colors or patterns!



Each month Club Scrap hosts monthly challenges on their Facebook group page. The Idea Deck Challenge for November 2018 is the Ace of Clubs. The Club Scrap® Page Formulas are such great tools when I need a little inspiration! Club Scrap originally sold these as a deck of cards with the cutting and assembly instructions listed on the back of each card. Now they are sold as printable .pdf files.



I used the Ace of Clubs card from ALCM Idea Deck Volume 2 to create my set of gate fold cards.  I love that the only thing I have to think about is picking out stamp  images and complementary card stock!



Card #1 



I used card stock, stamp images and embellishments from the new Club Scrap Gone Wild page kit. I needed some type of closure for the gate fold, so I dressed up a gold paper clip from my stash with some of the ribbon from the kit and tied on the tiny bronze binoculars.



Card #2 



This card features Gone Wild stamp images and a cut apart from the page kit. I made the tiger cut apart into a decorative belly band closure.



Card #3 



The lion stamp image needed a little something, so I added some Stickles to make his eyes glow!



I used matching brads from my stash and waxed linen thread to create a tie closure for this card. The bronze giraffe dangles from the end that unwinds.



Card #4



I used more Gone Wild cut aparts for this card. I trimmed the giraffe image to fit the blue panel and fussy cut the sentiment cut apart for interest. I made a simple belly band from one of the scraps I had left and added some Stickles for bling.



Click HERE to see what the rest of the Design Sweeties have created for this challenge and link up your "shades of brown" creation for a chance to win!

I'll look for you in our gallery!

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A Leaf, a Rock and a Stick Walked into a Bar...

My yoga instructor hosted a labyrinth meditation walk on Saturday as a way to begin the Lenten season and extension of our studio study of the First Chakra. I have participated in these meditation walks three times and each time I have had a profound spiritual experience. I try not to prepare, or have an intention, I just show up and walk.

"If you really want to know spirituality, don't look for anything. It is not the object of your search that is important; it is the faculty of looking." Sadhguru

A large group of us met on the Wesley Center grounds. As our group filed along the walking path in silence and I waited my turn to enter the opening of the labyrinth, I tried keep my mind clear. As I started walking the path, I focused on my senses. I could smell the rain coming, feel the humidity on my skin, hear the leaves crunching, the wind blowing in the trees, an occasional bird singing. I started looking for a memento, just something to hold, but I wanted it to be meaningful. A leaf got stuck in my sandal. I was walking too fast anyway, so I bent to pull the leaf out and kept it as my first token. It was a reminder of the cycle of life. By the time I reached the outside of the maze, I had collected a few more tokens and was deep in thought. My husband, Chris, was with me and walking behind me. I began to think of all the people who are most important to me and a few overwhelming thoughts set in. I could feel a lump in my throat and the tears start to well up.  The mind’s job is to keep us safe. Deep self-awareness is not "safe". My initial reaction to those thoughts was to make a joke about it, to diffuse it. So, I looked at the little bits of ephemera in my hands and thought "A leaf, a rock and a stick walked into a bar...". I continued walking and when I reached the center and was still for a few moments, things became very clear. My fears are what keep me from being present...fear of death, fear of being alone, fear itself. How much time have I wasted worrying about the past and what will come in the future? I need to be here, now, enjoying this moment.

Chris and I sat on a bench by the lake for awhile after our walk. We had a deep discussion about our experiences and a good cry. Chris said I needed to let those emotions bubble up and out like champagne! I felt cleansed, and illuminated with new understanding.

Today I read more about the First (or root) Chakra...

"The root chakra is comprised of whatever grounds you to stability in your life. This includes your basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and safety, as well as your more emotional needs such as letting go of fear. When these needs are met, you feel grounded and safe, and you tend to worry less day to day. "

WOW...the answer was there all the time (pointing to my chest), I just had to look.

My post is part of  the new Cupcake Inspirations challenge. The challenges are biweekly and this color challenge is "white out".

I did a little research on the symbolism of dragonflies and yoga and discovered that the dragonfly is believed to bring happiness, new insights, new beginnings and exemplifies the virtue of living IN the moment and living life to the fullest. It is a symbol of prosperity, good luck, strength, peace, harmony and purity.

Club Scrap® Color Me Happy Jumbo Unmounted Stamps

A dragonfly's wings and body are iridescent. This property is believed to be "the end of one’s self created illusions and a clear vision into the realities of life".  I just happened to have some iridescent embossing powder to embellish the stamp images. I love how all of these elements came together!

Stampendous Kaleidoscope embossing powder.

There's a gift certificate from Poppy Stamps for our randomly chosen winner, so be sure to join the Design Sweeties this week and make something beautiful to share! I'll look for you in the gallery!

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Snowflakes

We woke up to a winter wonderland Friday morning!

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This doesn't happen often in Louisiana! No school for the parish and my Facebook feed was jam packed with pictures and video of "sneaux day"! The sun came out at lunchtime, but there were still a few Frosty the snowmen still standing at the end of the day.  I think it put all of us in the Christmas spirit!

I still haven't decorated my house yet, but I did make a Christmas card or two!

[caption id="attachment_12254" align="aligncenter" width="3161"] Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Sketchy Snowman and Snowflakes sentiment. Club Scrap® card stock.[/caption]

Today starts a new theme challenge at Cupcake Inspirations!



This week's sponsor is Poppy Stamps and they are generously donating a $20 gift certificate to our randomly chosen winner!



Make something festive and link up for a chance to win! I'll look for you in our gallery!

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Oh, Fudge...

My mom loves chocolate. She always has a stash of M&M's in her bedside table. Ask the grand kids, they know EXACTLY where it is! Mom always made fudge for the holidays, not the easy microwave kind... the kind you need a candy thermometer for. For some reason, I wasn't a fan until I got older. Maybe it was because she would put pecans in them and I didn't really like nuts in my sweet treats. I know, I was a weird kid like that!

I haven't seen one in years, but when I was a kid the ice cream truck would cruise the neighborhoods in the summer. We'd be playing in the yard and our ears would prick up when we heard the first tinkling of the music box recording of "Turkey in the Straw" coming from the big speakers on the top of the truck. Every kid in the neighborhood would run home to get money to buy ice cream!  We always wanted ice cream sandwiches, the double popsicle with two sticks,  or the ultimate BOMB pop! Mom would always tell us to get her a Fudgsicle...ewww...only grown ups ate stuff like that! We thought they were a terrible waste of ice cream money until my sister Steph managed to get a lick/bite of one. Those things were pretty GOOD! Mom would sometimes buy a box at the grocery store, probably thinking they were a private snack. They'd be gone in a few days and of course we had no idea what happened to them! They were the COOLEST!

The new theme challenge at Cupcake Inspirations is....Mother's Day!



This week's sponsor is Poppy Stamps and they are generously providing a $20 gift certificate to our randomly chosen winner!



In honor of my fudgsicle loving mom...I made this card 'cause she is the COOLEST!

I used a Club Scrap® collage stamp and die cut from waaaaaaay back to create the background! Comment below with the name of the kits and the year they were released and I'll choose a random winner for a little Mother's Day surprise!

[caption id="attachment_6480" align="aligncenter" width="1650"] Club Scrap® card stock and fiber from the May 2017 Adirondacks kit. Background image stamped with Club Scrap leaf ink.[/caption]

Don't you love the bite marks in the ice cream pop?! I just had to add a wobble mechanism to it...I bought a really big bag of them!

[caption id="attachment_6482" align="aligncenter" width="1125"] JFF Rubber Stamps Ice Cream Bar, Ice Pop and Sentiment Hearts Mini Cube. Images stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with copper or super fine white embossing powder. Images colored with Gansai Tambi Watercolors. Diamond and Yellow Stickles for sparkle.[/caption]

Click here to check out what the rest of the design team created and join the challenge! We love to see your artwork in our gallery!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the FANTASTIC mamas out there!



I link to sources for your convenience. Affiliate links used at no extra cost to you.

Challenges entered:

Club Scrap 05/17 Card Sketch Challenge



Club Scrap 05/17 NBUS Challenge - Snarks and Puns!

Crafty Cardmakers Add a Sentiment

Crazy 4 Challenges # 385 Shades of Green 

JFF Rubber Stamps May Card Challenge "A Mother's Love"

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