Merry Christmas!!

Hello Everyone! Merry Christmas! I wanted to share with you some pictures taken of my home in East Tennessee and the wonderful Live Nativity the church presented at our barn! The shepherd with the donkey is my grandson who is here from Ft. Knox!

It has been a season of trials but even more blessings for my family! We got to share some awesome family time together! Movies, dinners, Nativity, laughs, cries and so much more! And, we even have our first white Christmas in many many years! Just beautiful!


Hope each of you is having a joyful holiday! Celebrating the birth of Jesus makes every day joyful for me! I hope, too, that the New Year brings Bountiful Blessings to you!

Love and blessings,
Vicki

White Christmas....Maybe?

Hello Friends!

I wanted to share some pics of our first snowfall with you. It is so beautiful! I just feel bad for those who have to get out in it! The first pic is my view from my kitchen window. The horses don't seem to mind the snow as long as they get some extra hay and corn! You can see that the right side of the barn faces the road. Our church will be presenting a Live Nativity there on the 19th. Viewers don't even have to leave their cars! Now we are just hoping the weather will cooperate so folks can be safe driving the road!

The next pics are the views from my front porch. Amazing how a little snow can make things look so peaceful! We have three creeks on the property and they merge in my front yard. It's beautiful when it snows but a little scary when the heavy rains come! The little metal house you see on the right is a canning house that my grandfather built so they would not have to heat up the house kitchen so much! The wooden building by my mailbox is the wood shed. No, I never had to make a trip there for a good "whoopin" but I carried many a piece of wood to and from there! The little bit of a building you see on the left of that pic is the general store my family had here for years. My Mom has most of the display pieces from the store in her house now, but there is still a HUGE safe and several other things in there. The store was closed by the time I was born, but you can imagine the stories we have heard that came from the front porch of that building!!






The last pic is where the road curves around my house. This was just a dirt road made from a wagon trail until the 70's. I had so much fun racing down the hill on a homemade cart! Stopping was the hard part! Now the dogs wonder why all this traffic keeps coming through their yard! The little bridge is one lane still and one of the few left in the county. Many a traveler has misjudged their speed around that curve and they got to see the creek "up close and personal" with their cars! Those who think the country is a quiet little place with nothing happening have never been here!

We are now covered in ice! Hopefully, it will all thaw soon so I can get to the church to decorate for our "Keenagers" (Seniors) party on Saturday!

Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me share a bit of home with you! I love this place and feel so blessed to enjoy it every day! Come back when you can and feel free to leave a comment anytime! Hope you all have a Blessed Christmas or a Blessed Holiday to those who observe other special days! We'll be looking forward to your next visit!

Blessings to all,
Vicki

Anniversary Wishes

Hello Everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! I had a fantastic time with family in Kentucky! Even Missy enjoyed herself and was exceptionally good with the traveling! The rest of the herd stayed home and was attended by an awesome neighbor! Thanks again, Janice!

Today's card was designed for an anniversary. I started with some DCWV cardstock for the base. I used a Fiskars border punch around the edges. Next I stamped a French script background on vellum with Versamark and embossed that with white powder. I cut the sentiment square with scallop scissors and stamped the sentiment with Versamark and embossed with copper powder. The leaf images were stamped and embossed the same way. I took some pewter photo corners, pressed them into the Versamark pad and embossed them with the copper powder also. I finished the card with green satin ribbon and a little bling accent on the knot. The inside of the card was completed with computer generated sentiments on white cardstock layers edged in green. I really liked the look of this card! It was made for an elderly couple and the vintage feel seemed just right! Hope you like it!

Thanks so much for visiting today! Hope you enjoyed your visit and maybe felt a little inspiration! So many of you inspire me with your amazing talents! Please come back soon!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

House Full of Birthday Blessings

Hello Everyone! Are you getting excited about your Thanksgiving holiday? It is one of my favorites! This year is a special treat as I am going to be with my daughter and family for their first Thanksgiving back in the States! After three years in Germany, we are so thankful to be together!

The card I have to share today was a little time consuming to complete but still fun to make. It's always a fun time when I can use my Cricut!

I started with a cranberry cardstock base and layered patterned paper with a diamond pattern. The house is cut with the Winter Woodland cartridge from a DCWV adhesive mat stack. The fence is cut from pink cardstock with the Heritage cart. The sentiment is cut with the George cart, first in green and then in shadow layer in pink. I added small cranberry pearls to the center of some of the flowers and larger pearls as accents for the gate. The ribbon is threaded through the card and tied into a bow. I used a hand held diamond punch to make slots for the ribbon to run through. I distressed the edges of the card base to add a little more interest. On the inside, I layered more patterned paper and added the greetings which were stamped and computer generated. The greetings layers were punched with a Martha Stewart border punch. More steps than usual for this card, but I think worth the time! Hope you like it, too!

It is so good to be back in my craft room and making cards for friends again! My "therapy" of crafting is back in session and making my days a lot more enjoyable! Life has its twists and turns but I can always count on my craft goodies to keep me going! LOL! Isn't it amazing how some paper, ink and "toys" can make you smile?!?!?

I want to wish each of you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for and a big part of the blessings I enjoy are due to my wonderful cyber friends and family! Hope the turkey comes out just right, your football team wins, and you can enjoy knowing you are loved and appreciated!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Stargroves is Celebrating!

Hello Friends!

I wanted to share some info with you today! Anne at Stargroves is celebrating her second blogaversary and has some wonderful goodies to share with a lucky participant! Anne is a super talent and her blog is well worth a visit. She shares some great ideas and even shares sketches of her work! I always get some inspiration when I stop by!

Hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous Fall! And stay tuned!!! I have some new posts coming soon with my Cricut as the star!!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Keep On Rollin'

Hello Friends!

I have a fun card to share with you today! I was asked to make a birthday card for a friend's roller skating buddy. The really neat thing about this group of skaters is they are all Seniors and the oldest is 93! It is amazing to see them circle the floor like they do! I can barely stand on roller skates, much less look good at it!

I started with a Kraft cardstock base and layered patterned paper from my stash. I rounded the outside corners on both pieces. Next, I distressed all the edges and sponged them with Vintage Photo Distress ink. I used the Cricut Wild Card cartridge to cut the "It's Your Day". The skate was cut with the Cricut Sports Mania cart. It is actually an ice skate pattern, so, I cut it in shadow and then trimmed off the blade. I punched the shoestring holes with a 1/16th punch and threaded them with red twine (from the dog food bag!). Then I added a little bow at the top. The edges of the skate are embossed with black powder. I used circle punches to make the wheels and the stop. Those are edged with gold glimmer pen. I added crease lines, stitch lines and sponged a sort of shadow on the skate with the Distress ink. I then attached it to the card with dimensionals. Keep on Rollin' is written with a calligraphy pen. Finally, I added brown striped grosgrain ribbon to the top and bottom. A Happy Birthday sentiment is stamped inside. I love the finished look! I think this is what my friend was asking for, and it should be just the right card for a male skater!

Hope you enjoyed your visit today! Please come back often and let me know what you think! I appreciate all your comments and suggestions! It is part of the learning and growing experience for me and my craft projects!

Have a great week and I will leave you now with~

Bountiful Blessings
Vicki

A New Family Member!

Hello Everyone!

I have a new addition to the herd! She's being called Missy for now! She is a Boston Terrier mix and she is a delight! I have had Bostons all my life and when the opportunity to give Missy a forever home came about, I couldn't resist! She's been here less than 24 hours and already thinks the best place to be is right by me! The terror....uh, terrier part of her personality comes through when she is around my other animals! She thinks she's bigger than all combined! LOL! I have been blessed with wonderful furry friends and Missy is a welcome addition!

Hope this finds you all having a blessed Autumn season! The color in the trees here is just starting to peak and God's beauty is all around us! The "leaf lookers" are starting to fill the roads and every weekend seems to include a festival of some sort! Fun times!

I'll leave you with a "Happy Fall Y'all!" and send you~

Blessings,
Vicki

For Quintin...Football Is Life!

Hello Friends!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! We are finally getting some much needed rain!

Today's card was made for my grandson, Quintin. He just played starting quarterback for the first time (as a junior) on the varsity team! He played the entire game and they won!! 10-0!! We are so proud of him! The entire team was so supportive and they all rallied as a great team!

Quintin is not just a good football player but a wonderful young man. He works hard at school, helps his single mom with a much younger sister and two foster siblings, smiles for everyone and, best of all, he is not ashamed of his relationship with God! At sixteen, he is quite the fellow!! OK, I'm through bragging now! I just can't help it when it comes to my grandchildren!!

I started with a base card of SU Brilliant Blue. I layered white cardstock next with a punched and faux stitched border. A layer of stashed patterned paper was next. The football player was made with a clipart image. The sentiment was cut with the Sports Mania Cricut Cartridge. A simple card, but I thought I should let my grandson know I was proud of him!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! It is always a joy to hear from you! Hope you will come again! Have a wonderful week and I send you all...

Blessings,
Vicki

Welcome Little One

Hello Friends!

When you recover from the fact I actually posted something, I hope you can enjoy this baby card!

I made this card for my daughter to give to a good friend. It is the first crafting I have been able to do for quite some time. I'm hoping this will jump start my joy for crafting again.

I used lavender cardstock for the base and layered a piece of patterned paper for the background. The edges were punched with a Martha Stewart border punch. The title, bassinet and inside baby dress were cut with the New Arrival Cricut cartridge. The inside greeting was computer generated. I added some ribbon bows as accents.

It felt so good to be making a card again! Now, if I can just keep it going! My health issues are getting taken care of slowly but surely. It has taken the better part of summer to get here, but I am excited for the days ahead! I truly appreciate all the prayers and well wishes! It is a great comfort and morale boost to hear from you.

Hope your Summer has been a good one! I know most have children back in school now. I had a real treat when my youngest daughter and her family returned to the States from Germany and stayed with me until they could get housing arranged. They are MUCH closer now and I will get more chances to be with them. My oldest daughter has become a foster parent so we have two more delightful children to enjoy! I am so blessed!!

Thank you for stopping by today! Come back when you can and please let me know you were here by leaving a comment. Until next time, I leave you with...

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Hello Everyone! It's been a while I know!! It finally seems like I am crawling out of the dark hole I have been swimming in for the past several weeks. Lots going on in my life and I am starting to see an end to some of the chaos.

I want to thank all of you that have checked on me and missed me! I have missed you, too! Hopefully, this long an absence won't happen again soon!

I have done quite a bit of craft related things but not paper crafting. I made five birthday cakes since I last posted, made flowers for a friend's wedding and have had a blast welcoming my youngest daughter and her family back from Germany. Not to mention all the church functions!

I have weathered numerous illnesses and medication changes. The jury is still out on the last change. I am to be tested this week for sleep apnea. It seems to be the culprit for a number of related problems. All I know is I am over the sleeping two hours and waking up and then being exhausted all the time!

I want to get into my craft room and play so much but the time flies by before I can get thru the door. I have even resorted to making cards with a Hallmark CD...oh, the horror of it all! LOL! I'll be crafting again I know....just not sure when.

My love and blessings to you all! Don't give up on me! I will at least try to keep my blog updated more often!

God bless,
Vicki

ETA: Thank you everyone for your sweet comments even tho' they are not showing up on my blog!

Which Way Do I Go ?!?!?

Hello Friends!

What a busy month! And I am a bad girl!! So much going on my crafting has been seriously neglected!! Hope to change that soon, but for now, I am sharing a picture from Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! These two deer jumped the fence like it wasn't even there! I feel like I have been jumping hurdles lately, too! LOL!

Hope you enjoy this little taste of the Nature around me and you have a wonderful day!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

M is for Mary

Happy Monday All!

Hope all the Moms had a fantastic Mother's Day! I was blessed to be with my Mom and one of my daughters and two of my grandchildren! We had beautiful weather and a fun time at a neighbor's cookout!

The card I am sharing today was made for my dear friend Mary. She is so special to me! She is always there for me, drives me wherever I need (or want) to go, and is a true Sister in Christ! A birthday card for her was a joy to make! It is a 6 x 6 card made with cardstock from a K&Co collection. I cut a window in the center and curled the pieces back. I used mini copper brads to hold the curls in place. I then cut another piece of the cardstock for the backing. I added a border in coordinating cardstock cut with a MS border punch. The M was cut from gold textured cardstock with the Cricut. Inside I adhered a computer generated verse printed on Swiss dot cardstock and colored with chalk to coordinate with the floral print. I didn't have an envelope for this size and thickness of card, but I was able to make one from a 12 x 12 sheet of coordinating paper. This design is a favorite of mine and I was very pleased with this result! Best of all, Mary loved it!!

Hope you all have a terrific week! Take time to tell those important to you that you love them! And, if you have a special friend like Mary, be sure to give them a call or send a card to let them know how precious they are to you! Friends like these are a treasure!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Happy Birthday, Jamey!!

Hello Everyone!

Hope your week is going well!

Today's card is the birthday card I made for my awesome son-in-law! He, my daughter and grandson are stationed in Germany for a few more weeks. He has done two tours in Iraq and will be leaving for Afghanistan in the Fall. He is definitely my hero! They are all heroes to me!

I started with a kraft card base. The camouflage background and the dog tag are die cuts from the Stand and Salute Cricut cartridge. I used three colors of stock for the background. The sentiment is stamped with a Hero Arts stamp and embossed! I used a chain from a keyring for the dog tag. This card was so much fun to put together and Jamey loved it! Hope you like it, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great week and I hope a creative one!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Vintage Birthday

Good Monday Morning All!
Hope you had a good weekend!

Sadly, we had far too much rain in Tennessee and many have lost their homes in the flooding. Please keep these folks in your prayers!

I wanted to share a card today that was made for a dear friend of my mother's. I started with a creme color base and added the cornflower printed paper as the background. The hat and stand was cut from creme colored brocaded wallpaper using the Heritage cartridge for the Cricut.The shoe was cut with the Tie the Knot cartridge and colored with chalks. The colors are much closer than the camera shows. The sentiment was stamped in Brocade Blue SU Craft ink and embossed in clear powder. I also sponged the edges of the Nesties label with the blue. All the accents and sentiment were raised on dimensionals. I love the vintage feel of this card! It was a perfect card for this friend as she collects antiques.

Hope you have enjoyed stopping by today and you will visit again soon! Always a joy to have folks share their time here. It is much appreciated! Have a great and creative week!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

...And the Birthdays Continue!

Greetings! Yippee! We made it to another weekend! Hope you have had a great week!

I am still in birthday mode as the Spring birthdays just keep on coming! Here's two cards made for orders I had.

The patterned papers are some from my stash. The green borders were cut with a Fiskars edge punch. The sentiment on the top card was stamped on a Cricut die cut. I edged the die cut with a gold gel pen.


On the purple card, I used a scallop edge punch and a die cut from the Cricut Storybook cartridge. The sentiment was stamped with a clear stamp.

Both cards have computer generated verses inside.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope you have enjoyed your visit and you will come by again soon! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Birdie Birthdays

Hello Friends!

I wanted to post a couple more birthday cards today. These cards are accented with the same Cricut die cut but different papers!

Simple cards but fun and feminine!

Hope you are having a great week! Come back and visit again soon!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Dahlia Greetings

Hello and Welcome!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! Rain and thunderstorms here, but we badly need the rain and it is cloudy enough to make for a good cleaning and crafting day!

I have another birthday card to share today. This is one of my favorites as I love the vintage feel of this card! I started with a kraft cardstock base and adhered the vellum DP. The flower was made by cutting one of each size Dahlia with my Nesties and then laying them for one focal flower. The brass brad holds them together and I attached it to the card with glue dots. The sentiment is cut from gold vellum with a word window punch. I attached it to the card with mini brads. I plan to duplicate this card as I have some of the DP left. Hope you like it, too!

It's back to the craft room now to play some more!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

How Sweet It Is!

Hello Friends!

I was blessed to receive this blog badge award from Linda at Payne Holler Cards! Thank you so much for thinking of me, Linda! Linda does stunning work! Be sure to visit her blog and see the beautiful projects she creates!

I would like to share this with some blogging friends who are not only sweet but so inspirational!

Cindy Stamping Therapy
Peggy The Wired Angel
Mary My Stampin Hideaway
Kathy Will Stamp for Wine
Karli Crafting with Class
Monica Giddy Greetings

I hope your week is going well and you are having some precious crafting time!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Happy Birthday Marcus!

Hello and Happy Monday!

What a beautiful weekend we just had! Spring is just an awesome time...except for the allergies, of course! I got to share great times with family and friends this weekend! Hope yours was fun, too!

The card I have to share with you today was made for an older boy whose grandparents and aunt are close friends of mine. The granddad retired from the railroad so I thought this train station DP was perfect for the background! I used Kraft cardstock for the base, adhered the DP and rounded the corners. The sentiment was stamped on a gold vellum tag cut with Nesties. The ribbon slide was also cut from the vellum with a Nesties die. The name is written with a CM marker. A fun and simple card for a dear young man!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! It is always a joy to share my projects with you! Please do come back often and let me know what you are thinking about the projects you see here!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Anniversary Monogram

Greetings! Hope your week is going well! We are almost to the weekend!

I have an anniversary card to share with you today. It was made for dear friends and I was so happy that I could use my Cricut to make the monogram bird! The paper is from the DCWV Sweetheart stack. I used Nesties for the layer which is stamped with the sentiment. Both the bird and the sentiment are raised on dimentionals. I also outlined these layers with a gold gel pen. I rounded the corners with my Round It All. A simple card but striking with the stock used.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have enjoyed your visit and will come back soon!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

You Bring the Cheese, I'll Bring the Whine!!

Hello Everyone!

If this is your first visit to Bountiful Blessings, you may want to wait for another day to visit. This is not going to be a typical post for me. If, on the other hand, you like to hear moaning and complaining...well then, get your coffee or tea, pull up a chair and get comfortable!

Those of you who know me or follow my blog know I am usually a "glass half full" kind of person! On my bad days, I may even get to "glass half empty". Well, today, I am pushing the "WHAT GLASS???" kind of day!! I normally wouldn't share this kind of day with others, but I found myself thinking, "I can't be the only one who has these days!" So, I thought I would vent a little (or a lot) here and let everyone know it's okay to have a "what glass?" kind of day. It's what you do with it that matters!

I often refer to my computer as my "significant other". With very limited vision and no driving allowed, it provides me a wonderful link to the world around me. Well now my link has a major kink! I think it's a virus but all the scans and clean-up programs say no. Everything is functioning as it should. Then why can't I get into places I have always gone before??? Why are my favorite sites freezing up or not opening at all??? I can only get to SCS like every third day! ERRR!!! Maybe I shouldn't have referred to this hunk of tech bits as my significant other! Maybe it is being a poophead just to get to me! (Can you tell I don't get out much?) At any rate, frustration is high, depression is looming, and cussing is definitely in my future!

On another note... I was thrilled to finally get an email subscription added to my blog! (Thank you, Monica!) I am using Feed Burner and I have discovered you get what you pay for! (It's free!) I noticed a sharp decline in comments first and then a real decline in hits to my blog. I thought maybe it was because I was not posting as often as I used to, but then I discovered what was happening! When Feed Burner sends the email to notify I have posted, they also send MY ENTIRE POST including pictures!! No wonder I have fewer visitors accounted for! Subscribed followers don't have to even visit the blog!! Now, you are thinking, "why don't you change the settings or go to another service?" First, you can't change the settings and second, I can't afford to pay for another service! So, I have resigned myself to the fact that folks are enjoying my blog and I am thrilled! I just won't have that ego boosting, makes it worthwhile feeling you get when you see the comments and hits move up. You know you love that feeling, too! You know you do! I craft because I love it! But, it is all the more rewarding when you read that comment or see the numbers climb!

So, I have vented some of my frustrations with my computer experiences, made everyone think "put on your big girl panties, Vicki, and get over it!" and I have made myself feel better for having shared! Now, I am going to try one more time to find this bug in my computer and I am going to keep posting my craft projects and feeling the love from all of you.

Wait a minute......is that a glass I see?? Oh, and look! It's a full glass! A full glass of blessings that fill my life on a daily basis! A full glass of love that I share with my family and friends. A full glass of love, mercy and grace that only God can give me!

So, at this point, I guess all I can say is, "NEVERMIND!!"

ETA: To all my blog group friends...I love and miss you! I still can't get on SCS but I am thinking of you all!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Floral Birthday

Hello Friends!

Hope you had a great weekend! Ours was so beautiful in East Tennessee! We shared a great time with my brother and his family! We got to celebrate my Mom's birthday and mine !! I am really ready to celebrate as today is MY birthday! Woo Hoo!! I LOVE birthdays!! I have been so blessed in my life and a birthday just shares the blessing even more! We also have several other family members and friends who have birthdays and anniversaries this month! Over the next few posts, I would like to share some of the cards I made to recognize their special days!

Today's card was one of the largest ones I have made! It was for a very dear friend who has brought so much love and joy into our lives! She is a flower genius and shares her plants as well as her knowledge! Did you know there is an old Southern "wisdom" about giving and receiving plants and flowers? Well, supposedly, you always want to share your bounty with friends and neighbors so that your own "bed" or garden will multiply and grow hearty! And, you never say thank you to someone who gives you flowers or plants! Nope, you say God bless you! Again, supposedly, if you say thank you, your flowers will wither and die! There is some pretty profound stuff in there I think!

Enough Southern lore....back to the card! This was made from DCWV glitter cardstock. I first cut the stock to an 8 1/2 " x 11 " size. I scored it and folded it in half. The bottom border was cut from another sheet. I added button centers to several of the flowers on the stock. I also punched an accent flower from some of the stock. I used a brass brad for the center and attached it with glue dots. The top border was punched with a MS punch. I used Nesties to cut the circle for the sentiment and outlined it with gold marker. The inside of the card was pretty spiffy on its own but I added a stamped sentiment and a computer generated verse. I also added a signature block as the paper was very textured. I love the vibrant colors in this stock and will probably use it often!

So glad you visited today! I hope you will come by often and stay a while! You are always welcome to look around and leave your comments and suggestions! Have an awesome week and share some sunshine with those you love!!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Easter Penny Poem

Hello Everyone!

I know, day late and card short for the Easter season, but I still wanted to share these projects with you! Some things are just too fun to miss!

I made these book tags for friends and family. Very simple but really fun! I cut the tag shapes from DCWV Spring Glitter Stack. The poem is computer generated. The poem paper is chalked and shaded. I had a stash of uncirculated pennies from other projects and decided to use them here. The pennies are attached with glue dots and the poems are adhered with double sided tape. I added ribbon to the top for extra color. And that's it!

So glad you stopped by today! Hope you will visit often!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Easter Three

Hello and Welcome!

No, you haven't missed a day! I realize Easter has come and gone, but I want to share some cards with you that I made for my family! My love of card making seems to feel even better when I am making cards for family!

The first card was made for my oldest daughter who loves purple! The crosses and the sentiment were all cut on my Cricut with the Easter cartridge. The borders are done with a MS punch as is the butterfly. All the DP for these cards is from a DCWV stack.

The next card was for my grandson who is a teenager. He still gets a bunny, I don't care how old he gets!! The egg and rabbit are from the Easter cart and the grass is done with a MS punch. I also used tie Cricut to cut out his name. I used the ribbon slide die and the Cuttlebug for the sentiment.

The third card was for my granddaughter who is five going on fifteen! She is my horse riding pink loving princess cowgirl!! I used the same punches, dies and patterns as before. But on this rabbit, I added flocking to give him a furry feel.

These were all such fun to make and I really liked the way they came together!

Hope you had a happy and blessed Easter and your Spring is just beautiful!! Come back by when you can!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Designing DIVAS Challenge Vintage

Hello Friends!

I have had an interesting couple of days with my computer! Don't you just want to scream when you know where you want to go, you know it's IN THERE, and you can't get to it?!?!?! After many trials and even a system restore, I am once again able to get to "Blogland" and my friends! I have to admit, I was starting to feel some withdrawal symptoms. Whew!!

I am excited and honored to be hosting the challenge for our Designing DIVAS Blog Group this month! I had the perfect April Fool's Challenge all ready to go and then I couldn't get on to SCS! Meant to be, I guess! The "real" challenge is one of my favorite projects to make! (Of course!) You can make it as simple or intricate as you like! As you can see in the photo, it is to make a VINTAGE CARD! By vintage, I mean before WWII. And no, I was not around for that era! Shame on those of you who were thinking that!! But, I do love the detail and depth of color of images from that era. To take the challenge one step further, you can make the image 3D like I did on this card.

I started by printing the image onto glossy 4x6 photo blanks. I printed it three times. I adhered one print to the green card base. Then, I cut the next print apart including the interior pic. The third print, I cut out only the floral arrangement. The second layer is adhered with dimensionals as is the third layer. Very simple to do and it gives you real depth on your catd. Still, it's easy to mail and takes less time than stamping and coloring an image.

There are many resources for vintage images. Two of my favorites are Digital Two for Tuesday and Vintage Holiday Crafts. DTFT gives you images to print and color while VHC has beautiful vintage clip art.

So, how 'bout it? Up for the challenge? Can't wait to see what the DIVAS create! You can check out their blogs by clicking on the DIVAS names on the sidebar. Such amazing talent these ladies have!!

Thank you so much for visiting today! I hope you will come again soon! And I "challenge" you to leave a comment and let me know what you think of these projects! I would love to hear how you go about your work and especially any 3D ideas you may have!

ETA: Sorry, I forgot to mention that the card base was embossed using the CB and the Victoria folder!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Happy Happy Birthday

Hello and Welcome!

How is your day going? Good I hope! It's a special day for our family as my Mom celebrates her 82nd birthday today! No, she won't disown me for telling her age!! She will gladly tell you herself! LOL! We are thankful we made it another year and have no qualms about our age! I made her a special birthday card and you can see it here! She and a dear friend, who has a birthday on the 29th, got to spend the day yesterday being treated to a spa manicure and pedicure and then lunch.
I think my friend, Mary, and I had a better time than they did just watching them be pampered and petted! It was a wonderful day and a great memory maker!

We have lots of Spring birthdays for our family and friends so, I have been kept busy making cards and gift card holders. The card I am sharing today is one of my favs 'cause I love anything to do with birds! I started with a white card stock base and adhered the Spring DP. The bird and cage are cut with my Cricut. I added a pearl dot for the eye and a sheer ribbon at the top. The sentiment is stamped and then punched with a deckle square punch. The border is punched with an EK Success punch.

I plan to share some more of the cards I am making for the birthdays this month, so, please hurry back and let me know you were here! I love getting your feedback and suggestions for the blog, the pics, or the projects! We are halfway thru this week, and I hope you have a wonderful few days until we celebrate the blessed day of Easter!

Blessings to you,
Vicki

Happy Easter!

Hello Friends!

We had a great time Saturday with our church's Senior group, The KeenAgers! It was an afternoon filled with fun, food and fellowship! We always try to have some little goodies as party favors and take home treats. I thought I would share those with you today!

We were fortunate to find chocolate crosses at a nominal price, but to add to the treat, I stamped an Easter card and adhered it to the back of each box. It covered up the nutritional info; but, if you are eating chocolate, does it really matter?!?!? LOL!! We placed one of these at each table setting. We also made up treat bags for everyone. I was able to find these cute bags at the dollar store. I love the colors! In each bag we included various bite size types of candy, a chocolate bunny, a notepad, a pencil, a mini drum ( that you play by rolling in your hands and says "make a joyful noise"), a seed packet and a plastic egg with an Easter penny and poem inside! The Easter penny poem reads:

Here is an Easter penny
All shiny and new
To remind you of your blessings
At Easter and all year, too!

Happy Easter

These were a big hit with everyone! I share these things because I know many of you work with church groups. If you are like me, you are always looking for ideas for those groups. It seems to get harder each year to come up with new projects! So, I hope I have offered some inspiration for your next church gathering! If you have tried and true projects that have worked for you, please let me know! Maybe we should start a project idea swap! How fun!

I hope you have a great week ahead and you are blessed to meet with some Senior KeenAgers of your own! What a treasure!

Blessings to you,
Vicki