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.