Stars and Hearts Birthday

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I'm a little late this morning with today's card. I'm going to take a moment here to digress from the regularly scheduled program and just have a little chat about blogging for a moment. I would just like to know if there are any of you out there who are running blogs (crafting blogs or otherwise) who are struggling as much as I am with website traffic?! Because apparently Blogger Stats are just plain out and out wrong (which sucked the wind right out of my sails....) and according to Google Analytics NOBODY is visiting my blog, which means I'm pretty much talking to myself right now.. This is a real struggle for me to the point where I'm finding myself faced YET AGAIN with the decision of whether or not to continue blogging. I could go on and on; but for now I'd just like to know if there are others out there who are struggling as well? What can we do to help each other?! Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you.

For now, we'll just keep plugging along with today's card. I made a simple birthday card...yes, I know...another one! By now, I'm sure you've seen the card and are ready to move on with the rest of your day, so I'm going to skip the description and design notes and just give you a quick "recipe" breakdown:

Paper: SSS Black, PTI Tropical Teal, Hawaiian Shores
Stamps: Hero Arts "Year Round" 
Sentiment: K & Co Stickers
Ink: Distress Ink Fired Brick
Diecuts: SSS Wafer thin circle dies, Spellbinders Nestablilites Petite scalloped circles
Extras: Signo White Gel pen, silver stickles, Wink of Stella clear glitter pen 



Have a great day and I will be back again on Friday!

Challenges:

1. Crafty Creations: Anything Goes
2. Creative Moments: Anything Goes
3. Inspiration Destination: Anything Goes
4. Modsquad Challenges:  Birthday.

True Friend Blessings

Hi Everyone.

Glad to see you all back again today. I hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was busy on Saturday. The hubby and I went on a lunch date and to see the new King Arthur movie, which we both thought was fabulous! Don't listen to the nay sayer critics and reviews. Go see it if you get a chance!

Ok, so on to the card for today. I used Verve's Up Up and Away stamp set. I stamped the balloon in black ink and then colored it in with Copic markers. I don't have a huge selection of Copic Markers so I couldn't match the pink exactly the way I wanted for the balloon. I ended up using R35 for it and added some white gel pen dots. For the trim on the basket, I used YG91 and for the basket I used B00. The sentiment is from a set of sticker quotes from K and Company that I've had for years. For paper I used Simon Says Black for the base and then Hibiscus Burst, Spring Moss and Aqua Mist from PTI. I added some texture with an embossing folder as well as some silver stickles around the outer edge of the aqua circle.
That is all for me today. Enjoy the rest of your day and I'll see you again on Wednesday.

Challenges:

1. Always Fun Challenges: Anything Goes
2. Artistic Inspirations: Anything Goes
3. Crafting from the Heart: Anything Goes

Coffee House Sunday

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for visiting with me today! I hope you're all having a good weekend so far. Welcome to Coffee House Sunday. Grab your coffee and let's see what I found around the interwebz this week.

• Are you a Top Chef fan? Me too! Here's a few behind the scenes secrets from Tom. 

• Finally the answer to your burning question about whether or not you should refrigerate ketchup

• Be on the look out for those nasty little Seed Ticks this summer.

• I have a low level Gluten allergy so I tried going gluten free for a while; but I was gaining weight like crazy! Apparently this is a Common Weight Loss Mistake 

• This Peach Crunch Cake will also probably be a weight loss mistake; but one I think I'm just going to have to make VERY soon! 

• This Pizza Delivery Guy wins the "You the MAN" award this week!

• Luxury stroller stolen at Disney World, not shocking... Selling it on Facebook....Say whaaatt??

• In the "things that make you go hmmmm.." category this week we have the Starburst Wrappers Dress

• Don't worry, just write a story and be happy! 

• There is a Rat Cafe in San Francisco...with REAL Rats! I am not even joking, people. I'll wait a moment for you to absorb that....

• I still can't watch Robin Williams without feeling contradictory feelings of sadness and laughter; but I am glad he helped his daughter Zelda understand and become an advocate for Mental Illness 

• I don't fly very often; but when I do, I must admit there's always a point at which I wonder How is this plane actually flying?

• This story about a malnourished baby who died just makes me sad. FEED your babies, people! 

• And just like that the KFC 11 Herbs and Spices are secret no more.

• Sure your family may annoy you at times; but don't underestimate the value of spending time together as a family.

• Finally, we'll end this week with this heartwarming story about the dad and the stepdad walking their daughter down the aisle. I mean...COME ON! All the feels, people...

I hope your Sunday is great!

Flowers and Buttons Birthday

Hi Everyone!

Hope you're all doing well on this beautiful Friday. Yesterday, I realized that I needed to make a card for today's post, and I didn't have a lot of time. (I never really seem to these days!) So, I challenged myself to make a card with just what I had on my desk. And this is what I came up with.

Super simple, doesn't really even need a lot of explanation. Have a great weekend everyone! I will see you all on Monday!

Challenges:

1 Aud Sentiments: Anything Goes + a Sentiment.
2.Through the Purple Haze: Anything Goes
3. Crafty Girls Creations: Anything Goes