Health issues....

Hello all, I am sorry I have not been commenting on your posts, nor posting any of my own work. As you may or may not know, I have nerve damage in my neck, and I have now developed bursitis in my shoulder as well as carpal tunnel syndrome; my hands are very weak....I have been resting, taking anti-inflammatory medication, as well as natural therapies, but the problems are persisting....I am starting massage therapy next week , and will see how that goes....

If anyone has any suggestions, please share.

This is something I finished before these problems started, but never posted. I am  praying that I will be able to start crafting soon and leave some love for all of you and your beautiful creations. Please send healing energy my way...

xoxooxxoxoox G.

"Flashback Friday Challenges"

Wow, check out how fun this is on Flashback Friday Challenges

" first card you have posted with a window cut into the front of the card"

So guess what ??? The very first post I ever wrote was for a window cut card. How weird and cool is that ? Below is the card and this is the  post . I can't get over how bizarre this is...

BUT, the very first window card I made, as a non-blogger, is this one, on March 15th of 2010. I remember selling it right away for $3 and was thrilled !!! It looks so naked and vulnerable. I had so little STUFF back then...Ok. here we go. I know EGO, this is hard for ya, but its the beauty of this challenge, so step aside.

HERE WE GO:



"Plum Pudding" Card

Good morning , hope Monday Morn is not being too rough on you. Just a simple card for you all this morning. Following the colors on the CR84FN blog and the sketch on Card Patterns :

The CR pic made me think of something elegant, then I found this beautiful ribbon my SIL (Tks Ellen!) gifted me. So it went from there, and ended here.

I made a double looped bow, and painted in my Recollections flower with some Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze Cowboy.

I did some paper cutting out of my well loved and well used DCWV Mariposa paper, added a butterfly bling, used my Fiskars corner punch and glimmer misted it with my TA irediscent gold.

My borders are cut with my MS double loop and painted with the same glaze as on the flower.

Cut a butterfly out of my K and Co. borders and added some bling.

The balance of the card is all fabric from my big box ( Tks Lit!).

and this is the inside...

Et Voila...c'est tout !!!

"L'envol des Papillons"

 Hello there, how is everybody ? I am not stressed, but I am distressed out ...Oufff..It took me 4 EVER to make this card...Are you guys like me and spend hours looking through everything just to make sure what you use is the best choice. Boy, I am going to be in mucho pain after this...

I choose 5 papers from various collections, cut them out,distressed them, and inked  some of them.I then made this cute little envelope. I ended up having to use velcro to keep the flap down. I choose a beautiful button from my collection and cut out this bird cage.

I made a tag and cut out another part of the Mariposa paper, LOVE that collection!! added some ric rac ribbon...

Had to cut an X in half for my accent...

 

The butterflies and the other cut out is also from the Mariposa pack.

For the inside, I cut out the exterior of a circle and added a journalling tag to the center.

I used a Prima mask and sprayed with some color wash.

Yep, they make a cute pair. Till next week...xoxoxo



• Papers: DCWV Mariposa, BoBunny Gypsy Spice, K and Co. designer mat pad
• Bird Cage :DCWV Mariposa Papers
• Letters: Webster's Pages Storytellers
• Color Wash: Tim Holtz Adirondack Butterscotch
• Mask : Prima
• Journalling Card : Prima Fairy flora
• Ink: Tim Holtz Vintage Photo
• Misc.: Button, yellow ric rac

"Silver Moon" Card

Good morning peeps, hope you are doing well. A friend  asked me to make a card for her sister, a photographer. I like that challenge of making a card to suit the person. Then I saw this gorgeous color challenge over at CR84FN, and decided to combine the two. Isn't this enticing ?

This card was really hard to photograph; I am focusing on producing good photos, but I need to study.

I used my beautiful Japanese paper and embossed it in silver; did the same for the contour of the card.
I embossed my flower and added this amazing button, and my ruffled up ribbon.

Added four little french knowt to the corners. I thought a frame would be appropriate to make the link to her passion for photography . I added an old earring to the bottom and inserted this paper; if you look closely, you can see the silver streaks going through it.

For my first time, I used the technique that is shown on this same post. I embossed my paper 3 times, then stamped it and left it there for a minute; what a cool effect. I distressed the edges to have the blue show.

For the inside, I just had fun. I used the same stamp, but this time I applied silver acrylic paint.

• Ranger silver Embossing powder
• Ranger Embossing pad
• Prima flower
• Tim Holtz ornate plate
• Prima fairy flora journalling cards
• Christine Adolph South Seas paper

Today's post is for a warm, caring, generous, artistic, spiritual woman I had the good fortune to meet through blogging Cindy Adkins . Cindy makes gorgeous vintage, mixed media creations; she uses a lot of lace, burlap,graphics, music sheets, birds, fairies, pearls. She makes tags, canvases, banners; she does a lot of altered art: matchboxes, trays, bottles, cans, clipboards. Her work is sold on ETSY and she often has giveaways on her blog. She is published in many magazines, and has her work in several galleries as well as art shows. She also designs for Shabby Cottage Studio and Dezinaworld. Every Sunday, I look forward to reading her on line magazine Whimsical Musings, where she introduces us to several artists.I was completely taken aback and humbled, and yes, THRILLED,  when she fell in love with with my iris folding Japanese Kimonos and told me she wanted to put me into her magazine, which she did yesterday.

AND, after all of this, she takes the time to flutter over to my blog, here and there, like an angel and leaves me sweet, encouraging comments that put a smile on my face, and warmth in my heart.

Cindy is greatly loved and her work well respected, she is always receiving gifts from women bloggers who
adore her. They adore her, as I do, for all of the above, but mostly for her warm, generous, loving spirit...

Thank you Cindy...




 

"Spring Blossoms" Card

Good morning Peeps, It's another spring card today...

My darling friend bought a box full of fabric samples at a church bazaar and gave it to me, and I love using it on my cards. You see it here at the bottom part of my card. Its a beautiful soft pink, with a blue weave and lots of texture. You know me and my textures !!!

I inked this gorgeous piece of lace with Wild Honey distressed ink, and put my little birdie brad from K and Co. I just love how it matches the colors and the weaves of the fabric...

I made the cream flower with my favorite Maya Road rubban; I love it because it has such a yellow tint to it, and it feels really warm and cozy. I made the pink flower on top with another Maya Road rubban and added a Recollections brad; I found the color and texture to go perfecty, once again, with the fabric. The little velour flower, isnt she cute, is also Maya Road.I used a yellow piece of paper /felt to make leaves, and I made 3 stickpins, which I inserted here and there.

And this is the inside of the card; just repeating the elements...I made that little flower also...

Have a wonderful Day Everyone....xxoxox

"Fleurs et Papillons pour Maman"

Hi Peeps, hope all is well...When I saw this challenge on the Frosted designs blog yesterday, I just knew I had to play. Even though I love a wide variety of flowers, tulips are my favorite. I have  hundreds of them in my gardens. I love that they are among one of the first flowers that come out after a harsh 4 months of winter here; I love the varied shapes and colors of the petals,  the ruffles on the parrot ones, the shape of the leaves and I love that you have to wait till they are completely opened to peak inside and see what magical design is in there!
And I adore the color combo they came up with; isn't this scrumptious?

I had a few ideas last night on what to use, but when I went through my fabric today and found this tulip, even leaning the same way, out came the scissors!! This card did not photograph well; please believe me when I say it is much nicer in person !!!

After putting down a few layers for the base, I found this butterfly border; I cut the gems out of a larger gem.

I cut out another leaf put this flower on dimentionals; added a brad among my bottom swirls.

 Aren't these letters sweet ?

I like the shape of this brad; added glossy accents to my tag butterfly.

  I really enjoy the challenge of mixing up products from lots of different companies. And this is my inside.

Have a great week-end all !!! My prayers go out to all the people affected by the earthquake...

• Cardstock : Bazzill
• Papers: Bo Bunny, Basic Grey Wisteria
• Tag: Graphic 45 ; once upon a springtime
• Letters : Webster's Storyteller letters
• Ranger glossy accents
• Brads : Bo Bunny
• Fabric, fiber, gems, 2nd base paper : My stash

"All tucked in" Card

Yep, two posts in one day , and yep another soft colored card; I told you, something weird is going on...

I am linking this up to the challenge over at City Crafter Challenge http://citycrafter.blogspot.com/2011/03/city-crafter-challenge-blog-week-47-in.html
All they ask is to make a pocket. Well, that's easy enough, so I made three. I wonder if that will triple my chances at winning...

So, we will see a lot of tags in this challenge !! I used this oh so pretty fabric for the backing. Isn't that so spring-y...I cut up some Prima tags to make my pockets...I inked up my lace...

 I cut out some tags, inked the edges, added some fibers, my all time favorite ribbon, a brad . I find those images really beautiful.

and I love the back of this paper; I added a strip of the same fabric on both tags...

and here is the third pocket, same fabric and ribbon as the front, with a tag I made with vintage (1949) sheet music, inked it up to age it even more, and those flowers are cut out from another fabric. I thought the colors and watercolor went well with the front. I am really happy with the inside of my card...

I love using fabric on my cards...tks for visiting, again...A bientôt ...Gigi

• Paper : Prima Fairy Flora
• Brads: Recollections
• Ribbon : Prima
• Inks : Tim holtz Barn door, vintage photo and wild honey

"Bundle of Boy Buoyancy" Card

Say that quickly 3 times !!! I dont know if it's the challenge I did over at CR84FN last week  or the advent of spring, but I can't seem to stop using soft colors!  I felt it was time to do something for a baby boy...Challenge myself to use blues; pinks I adore, greens, yellows and oranges I love, but blue I seem to work with a lot less. I always want to challenge myself; wether it's a new color, a new technique, or a new product...it's all about learning and growing. I just checked my pics and I started making my cards March 13th 2010, exacly a year ago. WOW...it feels like so much longer..I have learnt so much thanks to people who so generously share their knowledge...SO, on with it....

Buttons, lace, stickpin, glitter and a swirl...yep, I'm happy....its so soft and cuddly...

Added fabric on the inside....

• Papers : Bo Bunny a gift of love
• Lace : Webster's Pages
• Glitter : Martha Stewart
• Flowers: I am Roses (Crocheted), Bo Bunny
• Inks: Tim Holtz  faded jeans
• Swirls: Basic Grey aqua swirl opaline half pearls
• Letters: Webster's storyteller letters
• Buttons and fabric : my stash