My Favorite from 2017

Today, I'm back with some of my favorites of 2017. I missed posting my favorites from 2016, but when I posted my 2015 favorites, I kept the number to an even dozen. That's what I did this year too. I'm posting them in date order as they appeared on my blog. I hope you enjoy the look back. You can click the link on the card title to go back to the original post for full details.

Rejoice Evermore (fourth card in this post)

A Turtle and Her Books
 

Be Joyful

Barista Brentwood Owl

Declare the Works of the Lord

 

Tickled Pink Birthday

When You Feel Like Quitting

Land That I Love

Someone Remembers, Someone Cares

How You Bean?

Your Kindness Warms My Heart

Brentwood Birthday

Thanks for taking this trip down Memory Lane with me. Apparently, some of your favorites are mine too. :) I'll be back tomorrow with a card for the first challenge in 2018 for Word Art Wednesday. I hope you'll come back to visit soon.

Top 10 Viewed Blog Posts of 2017

Hello All! I know it's been a while since I posted. Some health issues have kept me out of my craft room. I'm finally feeling much better so hopefully I'll get back to crafting soon.

I have been enjoying all the "Best Nine" collages on Instagram. Click here to see mine. Then today I read Kristie Marcotte's post today of the top 10 viewed blog posts from her blog The Best Things in Life are Pink. That inspired me to take a look at my own blog stats and see what my top 10 viewed blog posts of 2017 were. Here they are (click the link on each card title to see the original post):

#10 - Coffee Over Everything

#9 - Brentwood Birthday

#8 - Your Kindness Warms My Heart

#7 - A Trio of Thanks

#6 - Autumn Trevor

#5 - How You Bean?

#4 - Land That I Love

#3 - O Give Thanks

#2 - Seasoned with Salt

#1 - Tickled Pink Birthday

Thanks for reading through my list. I'll be back soon with my favorite cards of 2017.

Let Freedom Ring

{If you are looking for my Word Art Wednesday post, please scroll down one post or click here.}

This is my last post as a Guest Designer for Our Daily Bread Designs. I'm so thankful for the opportunity Kelley and Lisa gave me to design for ODBD. I had the privilege of meeting them in person last month and they are such nice ladies. For my last project, I just had to use the Double Display Card die and Double Display Layers dies. These dies make this type of card so easy! I used three of the papers in the Stars and Stripes Paper Pad for the card layers and one of these patterned and two solid papers for the circles surrounding the heat embossed sentiments. This paper pad has LOTS of beautiful patriotic patterns and coordinating solids. So far, I've made 3 Double Display cards and one A2 card and I still have quite a bit of paper left.

I used several of the Double Stitched Circle Dies to showcase two of the sentiments in the Let Freedom Ring stamp set. I also used the Double Stitched Pennant Flags to set off these circles a little more. Stickles were applied to all the little light blue stars in the patterned paper and to the stars on the interior panel surroudning the sentiment. This adds LOTS of sparkle that I really wish showed up in pictures. Some sparkly enamel dots finish off the card.

Our Daily Bread Design Products Used:

Let Freedom Ring	Double Display Card Die	Double Display Layers Dies	Double Stitched Pennant Flags Dies	Double Stitched Circles Dies
Stars And Stripes

Other supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill (Cherry Splash), Georgia Pacific (white)
Ink: VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Other: Simon Says Stamp fine detail embossing powder (clear), Gina Marie Designs enamel Dots (Patriotic), Stickles (Star Dust)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Must Use Patterned Paper
Crafting From the Heart Challenge #176 - Anything Goes
Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #362 - More than One Fold

Thanks for visiting with me today. Please be sure to check out the entire ODBD September release here. Thanks again to Our Daily Bread Designs for having me as a Guest Designer. It was an honor and so much fun!

I Pledge Allegiance

{If you are looking for this week's Word Art Wednesday post, please scroll down one post or click here.}

I am back with another card using the Double Display Card and Double Display Layers dies from the September release at Our Daily Bread Designs. This card also uses the Justice For All stamp set and the beautiful Stars and Stripes Paper Pad from this release. I am really enjoying working with all these products but I am really liking the quality of the papers. They have a nice weight and feel to them and are so easy to work with.

The sentiments were stamped in dark red ink then die cut and embossed them with the Ovals dies. The largest two sizes of the Layered Lacey Oval Dies were cut, embossed and then used as mats for the sentiment panels. The largest Layered Lacey Oval die was used on the front. Enamel dots were used to embellish this frame. These dots have some sparkle to them. The stars on the front of the card and on the interior panel as well as the stripes were all accented with Star Dust Stickles. I wish the sparkle showed up well in the pictures. It adds a nice accent that doesn't take away from the Pledge of Allegiance on the front of the card or the Scripture verse on the interior of the card.

Our Daily Bread Designs products used:

Justice For All	Double Display Card Die	Double Display Layers Dies	ODBD Layered Lacey Ovals Dies	Ovals Dies
Stars And Stripes

Other supplies used:
Cardstock: Recollections (navy), Georgia Pacific (white)
Ink: VersaFine (Crimson Red)
Other: Gina Marie Designs Enamel Dots (Patriotic Sparkle), Stickles (Star Dust)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Crafty Sentiments Challenge - Dies and/or Punches (I chose to use dies)
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Must use Patterned Paper

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll check out the entire September release. It's fantastic!!

Someone Remembers, Someone Cares

I have another Double Display Card to share with you today. This one features some beautiful papers by Authentique. I've die cut several of these card bases and layer sets now, and I am still enjoying how easy the dies are to use and emboss. I REALLY like how the layers fit each panel with just the right amount of border.

I used my favorite encouragement sentiment by Dare 2B Artzy. It comes from their Prayers 4You stamp set. This set features several nice sentiments for encouragement cards. Some dyed seam binding and moonshine sequins embellish the front card panel.

Another sentiment from this stamp set is on the interior of the card.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill (black), Georgia Pacific (white)
Patterned Paper: Authentique (Latest and Greatest 6 x 6 Pad)
Stamps: Dare 2B Artzy (Prayers 4You clear stamp set)
Ink: VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments: Our Daily Bread Designs dies (Double Display Card, Double Display Layers, Ovals, Layered Lacey Ovals), Paper Pretties (dyed seam binding), Simon Says Stamp sequins (Moonshine Assorted)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stamp It (no digis allowed)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Must Use Patterned Paper
Cuttlebug Mania - Anything Goes - Must use dies and/or embossing folders (I used 4 different die sets on my card)
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #359 - Punches and/or Dies

Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you'll come back Wednesday when I'll have another project for Our Daily Bread Designs and one for Word Art Wednesday.

Land That I Love

I was so excited when I was asked to stay on as a Guest Designer for Our Daily Bread Designs for September. I really enjoy using their dies and stamps. When I saw the new patriotic September release, I was even more excited. You can see the whole release here. Did you notice they have two fancy fold card dies AND layering dies for both of them? No more figuring out how to cut and fold your card base and how to cut your patterned paper. These dies do all the work for you. I get to play with the Double Display Card Die  and Double Display Layers Dies. I have quickly become addicted to making them. Consider this your warning that you'll be seeing this type of card fairly frequently for awhile. LOL


One of the things that I really like about the Double Display Card Die is that the score lines are so well defined. I've used other dies that have score lines included but you have to search to find them and it's hard to fold on them accurately. Not a problem with this die. The card die requires a full 12" length of cardstock. I don't have an extended platform for my Grand Calibur or my Cuttlebug but by using two passes, I was able to easily cut the card base.

This card fold has such a "Wow!" factor, that you really don't have to do a lot of extra fussing to make a beautiful card. For this card, the balloons were fussy cut from one of the sheets of the new Stars and Stripes Paper Pad and popped up on the left panel. Some baker's twine provides strings and bows for the balloons. Both sentiments from the Let Freedom Ring stamp set and matting panels were die cut and embossed with Double Stitched Circle Dies. Some sequins and Stickles finish off the card.

Our Daily Bread Designs Products used:

Let Freedom Ring

Double Display Card Die

Double Display Layers Dies

Double Stitched Circles Dies

Stars And Stripes

Other Supplies
Cardstock: Bazzill (cardbase and dark blue), Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (red)
Other: VersaFine Ink (Onyx Black), Simon Says Stamp sequins (Assorted Moonshine), Stickles (Star Dust), JilliBean Soup baker's twine, Ranger Multi Medium Matte, Scrapbook Adhesives foam squares 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Must use patterned paper
Crafty Creations Challenge #349 - Anything Goes 
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crop Stop Link Party #31 - Use item/brand from Crop Stop online store (I used the following brands: Ranger, Fiskars, Cuttlebug, Tsukineko, Jillibean Soup and Scotch ATG)
Cuttlebug Mania - Anything Goes with Die Cuts and/or Embossing (lots of die cutting on this card and I used the dies to emboss) 
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #359 - Punches and/or Dies

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll come back soon.