Faery Ink Birthday Balloons*

Good morning everyone! And a very Happy Thursday! I hope you are all doing well.  Me... well, I'm stressing at work these days. The VP's admin is leaving and he has decided that I should start doing the budget things for him when she leaves. That takes up about 70% of her day. I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to handle that and my job. He is a stressful kind of person too; really needy. We will see how it all goes I guess.

Other than that everything is going okay. My father in law is staying with us until September. It is nice to go home and spend time with my husband and his father. This was my first time meeting him in person and it has been really great.We are doing little things and will make a trip to North Carolina soon I believe. We have some places that we would like to take him. There is a huge Ten Commandments field that we want to go to. A trip to Maggie Valley would be nice too. Kevin will plan something.

Today I am sharing a card that I made for Amanda and Faery Ink!  Amanda was kind enough to offer her team the opportunity to be published in The Complete Cardmaking Magazine. What a huge opportunity and I couldn't be more grateful!! That was months ago though and I missed the publication. It would have been my first publication too. How exciting :)  Thank you Amanda for the opportunity!!

This is the project that was submitted by me:








I had so much fun making this card, but I was really stressed too LOL! Needed it to be perfect! So, here it is! I used Gabbie Birthday Fae. I colored her with Copic Markers. I layered her several layers. I layered the balloons on different levels. I used confetti vellum for her wings. Then I popped her body up a level and then the cupcake up an additional level. On the balloons, they were covered in different shades of glitter and then on top of that I used Diamond Glaze to give them that shiny appearance. I used a white gel pen to add some highlights to her hair. For the top of the card I cut the "Happy Birthday!" using my Silhouette Cameo and I colored those the same as I did the background on the image. It was all done using dots with different colored Copic Markers. The papers are all DCWV Glam Rock. The lighter blue cardstock is from my scraps. I added some zig zag stitching around the card and some straight stitching down the smaller rectangles in the middle. I added the black glitter ribbon. On top of that I used three buttons from my stash. The image is cut with a label die from Spellbinders.

Copic Markers Used:

• Skin: E000, E00, E01, E11, E13
• Hair: BV00, B21, B04, B06, B26
• Outfit: RV00, RV21, RV23, RV25, RV29; N3, N5, N7
• Eyes: G00, G03, G07
• Lips and Heart Sprinkles: R00, R20, R22
• Sprinkles: YR12, YR18
• Frosting: YG11, YG13, YG17
• Candle: Y11, Y18; BG10, BG49
• Flame: Y11, Y18
• Cupcake Tin: BG10, BG45, BG49
• Background: Y11, BG10, G20, RV21, BG49, RV29, G24, Y18

Challenges:

• Challenge #36: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Art By Miran Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #87: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Creative Fingers Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #115: Anything Goes (2) @ Sister Act Card Challenge.
• Challenge #158: Birthday (1/2) @ Wags 'n Whiskers.
• HIMCR #208: Lots of Layers (1/3) @ Hiding In My Craft Room.
• Challenge #161: Child's Birthday (1/3) @ My Sheri Crafts.
• July: Anything Goes w/Glitter, Embossing Powder and/or Flocking (2/3) @ Sparkle N Sprinkle.
• Challenge #271: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Craft Your Passion Challenges.
• Challenge #19: Must Have Stars (1/3) @ Get Creative Challenges.
• Things With Wings (2/5) @ Incy Wincy Designs.
• Use Buttons and Patterned Paper @ The Outlawz Greeting Card.
• Anything Goes (2/2) @ Through The Craft Room Door.
• Anything Goes (2/3) @ Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge Blog*
• Build It Up (No Flat) (1/5) @ Papertake Weekly Challenges.
• Anything Goes Birthday @ Sieze The Birthday.
• Challenge #136: Anything Goes (2/5) @ AUD Sentiments Challenge Blog.
• CMC #70: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Card Mania Challenges.
• July: Sparkle and Shine (1/3) @ Ching-Chou Kuik Inspiration and Challenge Blog.
• July: Anything Goes (2/5) @ Crafting By Designs.
• Challenge #43: Anything Goes (2) @ Inspiration Destination.
• Anything Goes (2) @ Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.
• Challenge #193: Anything Goes (2/5) @ Word Art Wednesday.
• Challenge #2: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Crafting With Friends*
• July: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Your Scrapbook Place.
• Challenge #149: Birthday Wishes (1) @ A Gem Of A Challenge.
• July: Use A Digi or Stamp (2/3) @ Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog.
• July: Patterned Paper (2) @ Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge.
• July Challenge #114: Anything Goes (2/3) @ DigiStamps4Joy.
• DSC #140: Anything Goes (2) @ Digitally 'Sweet' Challenges.
• July: Anything Goes w/Ribbon (1) @ 3 Girl JAM Challenge.
• July: Anything Goes (2/3) @ DL Dot Art.
• Challenge #14: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Lil Patch of Crafty Friends.
• Challenge #22: Anything Goes (2) @ Not Just Cards Challenges.
• Week #29: Two or More Patterned Papers (1/2) @ Polkadoodles Crafting Challenge Blog.
• July: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Sisters Of Craft.
• Challenge #136: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Artistic Inspirations.
• Challenge #29: Anything Goes (2) @ CCC Digi Creations.
• Challenge #89: As Cute As A Button (1/3) @ The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog.
• Anything Goes (2/3) @ The Paper Shelter Challenge Blog.
• Bingo (sparkle, sentiment, ribbon) (1/3) @ Top Tip Tuesday Challenges.
• Challenge #44: Anything Goes (2) @ Creative Craft Cottage.
• Anything Goes (2/3) @ Petal Lu Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #200: Anything Goes (2) @ Use Your Stuff.
• Sparkle and Shine (1/5) @ Simon Says Stamp! Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #124: Anything Goes (1/5) @ Crafty Ribbons Challenge.
• Challenge #184: A Stitch In Time (1) @ DRS Designs Rubber Stamps.
• July: Celebrate (1/2) @ V's Sweet Ideas. 

Back From A Long Hiatus*

Good morning everyone!!  And it has been a long time since I've posted! A lot has been going on :)  I haven't posted since March. I was getting ready for surgery.

On April 21st, I had Bariatric Bypass Surgery; I had the RNY procedure. I chose the RNY for various reasons: one being that sugar is a real down fall for me, another being the amount of weight that I needed to lose and another being that I was borderline Diabetic. I had a wonderful surgeon, Dr. Jean-Pierre, who works for WellStar (which is where I work). That whole office, Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery, is just wonderful!! My highest weight was 295 pounds in October of 2014. With a lot of hard work and support I was able to get down to 277 pounds as of surgery. The surgery went really well and I was in the hospital for two nights after. I was up and walking the night of surgery, I didn't have a lot of issues with gas and not a whole lot of pain. My sister stayed with me while I was in the hospital and encouraged me to get moving. She was fantastic!

Once I returned home from the hospital is when the hard work began. For three weeks I was on a liquid diet and that was the hardest thing through all of this LOL!  An all liquid diet is horrible! I was so tired of drinking my meals by the end of the three weeks. After the first three weeks I was able to move on to soft/mushy foods. It was eating things that you could cut with a plastic fork. That was much better! And I was able to experiment with some things. I was just happy to not be drinking everything!

Another three weeks later I was able to begin eating regular food again. Although, I am unable to eat a lot of sugar, so I have to be really careful with that. I still can't have raw vegetable, although I'm hoping I will be able to have that soon. I am not suppose to eat anything bread for another 7 months or so. And I REALLY miss bread! And my portion sizes are very small. I can eat about 1/4 cup at a meal. I eat every three hours and I focus on protein. I have to get in at least 60 grams of protein each day, so I focus on getting that first. I take a Flintstone Complete vitamin twice a day and my calcium three times a day. I was on medication for high blood pressure before the surgery, but I am off of that. I was off of that medication a few days after surgery.

I have worked my daily exercise up to at least 60 minutes a day for at least 4 days a week.When we are kayaking, I am doing 6 days a week, but we are waiting on wiring up the trailer so we can get back to that. Exercise has gotten so much easier as the weight has come off. I've been doing a lot of reading when I go to bed and while I walk on the treadmill. I also do lifting every other day. I've managed to keep my muscle mass so far, which is a good thing! I have been feeling really good for the most part. I have gotten sick only twice. There are times when I don't chew well enough and that hurts.. so I try to really pay attention to that. All in all, it has been a great experience so far and I feel great!

It was really hard to get back into a routine and I still think that is a work in progress. I struggle with not weighing myself every single day. I am not losing as fast as I would like to, but that is because I am lifting. There is so much focus on the numbers that it is hard to not focus on that -- the numbers on the scale! As of Tuesday evening, I am down to 237 pounds. I can't remember the last time I weighed that. And 200 is in sight! I'm closer to 200 pounds now instead of 300. That makes me really happy! And my family has been so amazingly supportive.. especially my wonderful husband!!

I completely lost my creative anything until just about a week ago. I'm really glad to be crafting again!! So, I decided it was time to get back into creating and posting! So, this is my first post, post surgery LOL!

I am posting a card that I made for Faery Ink. This was using The Bubble Fairy Queen.  Here are some photos:











I used Copic markers to color this amazing image of Amanda's. The paper is a stack that I bought at Michaels. I can't remember which stack it was. I added some Diamond Glaze on her wings and the bubbles. I added some pearls to her hair and paint dots. There is glitter around the circle. There are pearls and gems on the inside of the card. I also layered the image a bit. Hopefully you can see some of that in the photos.

Copic Markers Used:

• Bubbles: Y15, V05, BG34, BG07
• Hair: C1, C3, C5, C7, C9, BG13
• Clothing: BG11, BG13, BG18
• Wings, Dragon Wing, Belly and Pearls: RV10, RV21, RV23, V0000
• Lips: R00, RV34
• Dragon: YG01, YG03, YG05

Challenges:

• K For Kind Thoughts (1) @ Alphabet Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #36: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Art By Miran Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #87: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Creative Fingers Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #115: Anything Goes (1) @ Sister Act Card Challenge.
• July: Anything Goes w/Glitter, Flocking and/or Embossing Powder (1/3) @ Sparkle N Sprinkle.
• Challenge #7: Anything Goes (1/1) @ Doodle Pantry LLC Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #271: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Craft Your Passion Challenges.
• Things With Wings (1/5) @ Incy Wincy Designs*
• Anything Goes 07/21/2015 (1/2) @ Through The Craft Room Door.
• Anything Goes (1/3) @ Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #136: Anything Goes (1/5) @ AUD Sentiments Challenge Blog.
• CMC #70: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Card Mania Challenges.
• July: Anything Goes (1/5) @ Crafting By Designs.
• Challenge #43: Anything Goes (1) @ Inspiration Destination.
• Anything Goes (1) @ Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.
• July: Feature A Creature *Dragonet* (1/3) @ Stamping Sensations.
• Challenge #193: Anything Goes (1/5) @ Word Art Wednesday.
• Challenge #27: Anything Goes (1/1) @ Crafting Musketeers Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #2: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Crafting With Friends Challenge.
• July: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Your Scrapbook Place.
• July: Use A Digi or Stamp (1/3) @ Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog.
• July: Patterned Paper (1) @ Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge.
• July Challenge #114: Anything Goes (1/3) @ DigiStamps4Joy.
• DSC #140: Anything Goes (1) @ Digitally 'Sweet' Challenges.
• July: Anything Goes (1/3) @ DL Dot Art.
• Challenge #14: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Lil Path of Crafty Friends.
• July Challenge #22: Anything Goes (1) @ Not Just Cards Challenges.
• July: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Sisters of Craft.
• Challenge #136: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Artistic Inspirations.
• Challenge #29: Anything Goes (1) @ CCC Digi Creations.
• Anything Goes (1/3) @ The Paper Shelter Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #44: Anything Goes (1) @ Creative Craft Cottage.
• Anything Goes (1/3) @ Petal Lu Challenge Blog.
• Challenge #200: Anything Goes (1) @ Use Your Stuff.

All Flora and Fauna at Faery Ink!!

Good morning again!!  For my second post today I'm sharing my make from Faery Ink!! Today is the beginning of the April Challenge - Flora and Fauna!!









Here is my Flora and Fauna make!!  This is Flora Rose.. isn't she beautiful!! I wanted to make the rose multicolored, so I went with the red tips and yellow rose. I added some yellow lace and put the red ribbon on top of it. I also added the corner die and the butterflies layered. This was a fun card!  I colored it all with my Copic markers and did just a little bit of layering.

Copic Markers Used:

• Skin: E000, E00, E01, E11
• Leaves: G12, G14, G07
• Long Leaves: YG01, YG05, YG09
• Flower and Dress: Y11, Y15, Y18; R35, R46
• Lips: R00, R20, R22
• Eyes: B000, B01, B04
• Hair: E21, E23, E25

Challenges:

• .

Extra Sassy at The East Wind!!

Good morning!

Today is a new challenge at The East Wind! Can you believe it is the 1st of April!! The challenge this time around is to Make Mine Extra Sassy! (image or sentiment with attitude). Here is what I have come up with:








This is the lovely Aurora Summer Breeze (F0415)!! Isn't she beautiful!! I colored her with my copic markers. I also used a white gel pen. I added a bit of stitching, the sassy sentiment. The oval die is a My Favorite Things die and the purple oval is a Spellbinders die. There is a bit of lace, some white dew drops and the fan dies as well. For the background I splattered white and purple paint on the black paper. I love splattered paint!

Copic Markers Used: 

• Skin: E000, E00, E01, E02, E11, E13
• Lips: R20, R22
• Hair: E21, E97, E99, E39, E59
• Flowers: V15, V17
• Eyes: YG0000, YG13, YG17

Challenges:

• .

New Image Release at The East Wind

Good morning everyone!!  Yesterday I had a stress test .... this was my last clearance before surgery. Now I'm just waiting for the okay. I should have surgery scheduled in the next two or three weeks. When she told me that yesterday the nerves hit me!  So, I meet with the Cardiologist on Thursday and then with the Bariatric Surgeon next Tuesday!  So, we will see!!  I have a lot of mixed feelings... excitement, nervousness, scared! Did I excited?? LOL  I'm really excited.. and really nervous at the same time!  Okay.. enough of that... on to my post :)

Today I am sharing one of the new release images from March for The East Wind. Here is what I have done:









I am trying to use my pencils to get more experience, so I used my pencils for this one. I'm pretty sure I used my Faber-Castell Polychromos on this image. I decided to keep her all pink with a touch of blue and create a Breast Cancer card.. an 'I'm here for you'. I added two types of lace, some thread attached the 'Hope' charm that I found at Michaels in the jewelry section. The two rectangles are cut with Spellbinders dies. I added a few pearls near the sentiment, pink gems around the inner rectangle and stamped the ribbon at the top. I also stamped 'Fight Like A Girl' to the inside of the card. I did a bit of layering on this image; hopefully you can see in the photos well enough.

Challenges:

• Challenge #73: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Creative Fingers Challenge Blog
• DSC #133: Anything Goes @ Digitally Sweet Challenge
• Challenge #135: Girly @ Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge
• Challenge #132: Add A Sentiment @ QKR Stampede
• Challenge #99: Anything Goes @ Sister Act Card Challenge
• Challenge #150: Monochromatic (1/2) @ Wags 'n Whiskers
• March: Add Some Metal (3/3) @ Crafty Calendar Challenge
• Challenge #73: Anything Goes w/Twist of Add A Sentiment @ Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge
• Monochromatic (1/1) @ The Outlawz Paper A La Mode
• Challenge #117: Anything Goes (1/3) @ 613 Avenue Create
• One For The Girls (1/2) @ Come And Get It Challenges
• Challenge #255: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Craft Your Passion
• Challenge #11: Use A Die Cut (2/3) @ Get Creative Challenges
• Pastels @ Simon Says Stamp & Show
• TPE292: Anything Goes @ The Pink Elephant
• Challenge #209: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Die Cuttin' Diva's Weekly Challenge Blog
• March 31 - April 6: Anything Goes (1/2) @ Through The Craft Room Door
• Challenge #128: Anything Goes + a Sentiment (2/5) @ Aud Sentiments Challenge
• Week #13: Use A Die (2/2) @ Polkadoodles Challenge
• Challenge #82: Anything Goes (2/3) @ Simply Create Too
• Challenge #41: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Scribble and Scrap Blog and Challenge
• Challenge #16: Anything Goes @ Not Just Cards Challenge Blog
• Challenge #73: Anything Goes @ Creatalicious Challenges
• Challenge #81: Use A Die Cut (3/3) @ Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Challenge
• C4C277: Bring On The Bling @ Crazy 4 Challenges

SLSLines March Inspiration!!

Good morning! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! TGIF!!!!  Today I'm working from home and I meet with the Dietician. And I am SO HAPPY it is the weekend!! Woot!  I have a bunch of crafting to do... so that will be my weekend hopefully!!  Happy Friday everyone!!

Today I'm sharing my inspiration post for SLSLines Digital Stamps!!  I hope you all are joining us for the challenges!! Here is my inspiration:













I had so much one making this card, but even more fun coloring the image! I colored the image with my Faber-Castell Polychromos. I wanted to have him with some spots of rust. I layered him a bit too! I popped up several pieces of him.. hopefully the photos will show you! And I thought I would add a bunch of gears on the card! So I created this fun card from a Silhouette Cameo cut. I used some really old papers that I had. I'm not even sure who made them!!  All the gears were cut from Spellbinders and My Favorite Things dies. I added blue gems to parts of the gears. I also added some metal gears that I found in Michaels in the jewelry section. A bunch of metal gears.. I couldn't resist! The Happy Birthday is stamped from a Paper Smooches Stamp. I really hope you enjoy him!!  I think he is such a GREAT ROBOT!!! Be sure to grab him from SLSLines Digital Stamps Shop!!

Challenges:

• Challenge #116: Anything Goes w/Optional Purple (2/3) @ 613 Avenue Create
• Challenge #100: Celebration @ Addicted To Stamps Challenge
• Challenge #251: Buttons, Brads and/or Bling (1/3) @ Sentimental Sundays
• Challenge #254: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Craft Your Passion Challenges
• Challenge #15: Anything Goes @ Not Just Cards Challenge Blog
• A Cut Above - Die Cutting and Fussy Cutting (1/5) @ Papertake Weekly Challenges
• Challenge #85: Cute Cards with Fancy Folds (1/3) @ The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog
• Week of March 24th: Anything Goes (1/2) @ Through The Craft Room Door
• March: Anything Goes @ Country View Crafts Challenge
• Challenge #285: Chevrons or Stripes (2/2) @ Crafty Creations Challenges
• March: Patterned Papers @ Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge
• Challenge #26: Anything Goes @ Inspiration Destination
• Wonderful Wednesday: Anything Goes @ Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Wednesday Challenge 
• March: Gear It Up (1/3) @ SanDee and Amelie's Steampunk Challenge
• Anything Goes (1/5) @ Simon Says Stamp! Challenge Blog
• Challenge #176: Anything Goes (1/5) @ Word Art Wednesday
• Anything Goes @ The Outlawz Twisted Thursday
• Challenge #28: Anything Goes (3/3) @ Art By Miran Challenge Blog
• Challenge #11: Use A Die Cut (1/3) @ Get Creative Challenges
• Challenge #128: Anything Goes + A Sentiment (1/5) @ AUD Sentiments Challenge Blog
• Anything Goes Birthday @ Sieze The Birthday
• Challenge #73: Anything Goes @ Creatalicious Challenges
• Challenge #81: Use A Diecut (2/3) @ Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Challenge
• C4C277: Bring On The Bling @ Crazy 4 Challenges
• Challenge #73: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Creative Fingers Challenge Blog
• DSC #133: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Digitally Sweet Challenge Blog
• Challenge #132: Add A Sentiment (1/3) @ QKR Stampede
• Challenge #82: Anything Goes (1/3) @ Simply Create Too
• Challenge #99: Anything Goes @ Sister Act Card Challenge
• Week #13: Use A Die @ Polkadoodles