We are in the midst of a heatwave this week and boy is it hot! Heat advisory of 105-115. I can't imagine being out in that.

This is a quick and easy card made with a free Blossom Spray Tonic die. The sentiment is Stampin Up from a garage sale find. Sometimes you just need a quick card. Be kind to one another and if you are in this heat, stay cool. It is over a large part of the country and dangerous.

I have a new addition to my crafting family. I am having pain in my wrists and elbows and am afraid carpal tunnel is sneaking up on me. In case I become incapacitated  and cannot turn the handle on my Big Shot, I purchased a Gemini Jr. on sale and she came to live with me Friday. I hope we have a long, happy relationship. Be kind to one another.

I could not enter my encrusted jewel leaf card to the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge because I did not stamp on that card. The sentiment was a cut-a-part from Kaiser Craft. I still wanted to try the technique again and what I did is one of those "Don't try this at home" things. It rained last night so the glitter on my patio is washed away so I was ready to try again. If a griddle would work, why not a skillet? It's kind of like a griddle. I used my new Penny Black bodacious die stamped with Versamark and put it on parchment paper in a skillet. I covered it with Zing apricot e/p then sprinkled Ranger gold tinsel e/p lightly over that. I turned my gas burner on low and waited. It took a bit but it all melted. Where there was e/p between the flowers it melted that right into the flower so I waited till it was cool, then sort of peeled it off. It didn't all come off the stem but it was so delicate I was afraid to try anymore. I used a Darice embossing folder and stamped the greeting with a SU stamp. I love how it turned out and will do this again. So I will enter this in the challenge since I used a die cut, embossing layered powders and stamped. Be kind to one another.

This heat has one redeeming factor - I can stay in and craft! It truly is a terrible heat. You can't stand to be out and I literally can't breathe in this kind of weather. We'll see what happens when I go to exercise and come back to the car. I may have to leave it running with the air on while I'm inside!

Since I was inside all day I tried the encrusted jewel technique I saw from Loll. It took several tries and the mess I made is indescribable. It will be Christmas before I get all the glitter out of the carpet. BUT, the results are amazing. On my first try I somehow managed to blow most of the glitter off the die cut, hence the carpet. I did better on the second try but then I realized I wasn't really coating the leaf with enough "stuff". I used Stampendous Copper Tinsel embossing powder, and their gold glitter along with frantage in bronze and gold. I don't have a griddle so I heated it from underneath carefully so it didn't catch on fire, which at one point I thought it might. Once the smoke dissipated I was left with a beautiful encrusted leaf. I love this and can't wait to try again. The gray and copper cardstock and sentiment are from Kaiser Craft and the copper paper is DCWV. The leaf die is Poppy Stamps.  The first picture is of my first two tries. Be kind to one another.

Edited to add: I just let Molly outside and I have glitter on the patio.

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads out there who work so hard to take care of their families. And to those who are missing their dads because of miles or those no longer with us.

Believe it or not, I have two more cards to share for the Twofer Card Challenge of trees. I have so many tree stamps (I didn't realize how many until I started looking for them) and decided to make a couple more cards. The tree is Altenew and the pigs are Scrapping For Less. The frame is a Mama Elephant on the missing you card.  I hope you can read the sentiment on the pig card, it is so fun. Be kind to one another.

I wanted to make a few more tree cards for the . I didn't think outside any box, just made the cards. Tree is from Innovative Stamp Creations and the deer are Memory Box dies. The second card is the Black Ice design. The thank you is Hero Arts and the silver leaves are from a kit from Love with Lizi. Be kind to one another.

I was a winner from Mia's blog at https://craftartista.blogspot.com/  and here are all the goodies she sent. Greek coffee and three little candies that look yummy. Beautiful lavender sequins and some bright green snowflake sequins. Some puffy red satin hearts, a clock embossing folder and an ink cube. She also sent a handmade ring, two pair of earrings and three cross stitched wooden ornaments. I also received two sheets of chalkboard stickers, a roll of sparkle washi tape and the coolest ever metal corner brackets. In the package was satin blue ribbon. 

Most of the small embellishments were packaged in silver hearts  mesh bags. Thank you so much, Mia. Everything is wonderful. Be kind to one another.

I think I misled you about the video. The link I posted was to make the iris. Here is one for the string.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U02XHkyurrc&t=222s. This is Lydia of Understand Blue. If you search for "Stamping with string" a lot of videos come up for that technique.

When I saw the word for the Twofer Card Challenge  was trees yesterday I was so happy because I have tree stamps! I put everything else away and got busy. I did the fish card yesterday and finished the tree card today. I actually thought outside the fish bowl. The tree stamp is from 1999 and is a PSX wood mount stamp.  I embossed it with clear embossing powder over a sponged background of Distress Oxide inks and added Kaiser Craft black pearls. The sentiment is Stampin Up.

The fish, fish bowl and sentiment are Simon Says Stamp. So is the stencil but DUH! you don't generally have waves in a fishbowl which I didn't realize until I was taking pictures of the cards. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. They were made by sponging Distress Oxide ink over the stencil. I used the top of the tree to make the seaweed on the bottom of the bowl and a glitter pen to add shine to the fish in the bowl. Be kind to one another.

Boy did I get to play yesterday. This technique is called String Art and it is so easy and so much fun. You place a piece of card stock in an open phone book. Do you remember those! I have a little one and it worked just fine. Put a puddle of reinker in a container. Then take a piece of twine or cord about 15" long and smoosh it in the reinker until it is saturated with ink leaving it clean several inches from the bottom. .Swirl your twine over the card stock in any pattern you like and leave the tail of the twine out of the bottom of the book. Put another piece of card stock over the twine and close the phone book. Put pressure on the book with one hand as you slowly pull the twine out. You will get two mirror images on your paper. You can do it again with two new pieces of card stock before reinking and you will get two softer images. A catalog or heavy book will work just as well.  Here are the ones I did yesterday. The top picture is the mirror image with the first pull. The second picture is the first pull on the left and the second pull without reinking on the right. The last one is the first pull.
I googled stamping with string and many videos came up. There is a beautiful video making irises https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ccIreGQdm4 that I would like to try also. She starts with the string about 12 1/2 minutes into the video. One last hint - wear gloves! Be kind to one another.

My card today could not have been simpler or quick. I love the sentiment and the die cut. Both are Stampin Up and I think it made a lovely card. I hope you have a great weekend and get to do whatever makes you happy. My weeks have become so hectic I would like to chill out. Be kind to one another.

I got my windows washed yesterday and now I have to wear sunglasses in the house. When I look out the sun blinds me! What does that tell you about my housekeeping skills. When I look out the window and think "Oh my gosh, it is so foggy today" and it's not, I know it's time to clean the windows.

My son and daughter in law plant all kinds of things in pots. This year they tore down the swing, slide set my son built years ago for the grands and they plowed up the space and planted tomatoes and peppers. When I saw this stamp I knew I had to make them a card. It is an Impression Obsession stamp and I sponged DI on card stock and then went over the sentiment with inks too.  The mat is a Gina Marie die and I added a twine bow. Be kind to one another and enjoy the day.

I can't tell you how excited I am to welcome Loll of http://www.stampingwithloll.com/ as a new follower. You are in for a treat when you visit her blog. She always shares a video of a new technique she has tried and her cards are so worth seeing when you visit so I hope you will.

This is a simple card I'm posting today. It seemed so appropriate since it is getting so warm. Two step stamping on the ice cream and just a pink strip of c/s and a turquoise square of c/s on a white panel, then mounted on a black card base. The c/s and image are Stampin Up and the sentiment is Lawn Fawn. I am sorry my pictures are always crooked. I am straight challenged. Be kind to one another.