October Awareness Month ~ Domestic Violence

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

October is, among other things, Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I myself am a survivor of such abuse and therefore as soon as I was invited to the Hop to Stop I knew I had to take part.

While only my closest friends know of my experiences a number of years ago, I've decided to share at least some of my story here. I'm a double survivor. Yep, I got out of one abusive marriage only to find myself in another, where the abuse was worse. In both the abuse was both physical and mental and yes, I still have the scars today.

That said, I don't dwell on the negative. I got out and I don't see myself as a victim, although in the immediate aftermath, I perhaps did. And yes, there has been many times since them when the mental scars became almost too much. But thanks to the AMAZING support of those who do know my history and perhaps a little to do with my own inner strength, I'm still here. I am a survivor.

While my experiences don't define who I am, they have, all of them, helped shape me into the woman I am today. It might sound strange, but I look upon them all as a blessing of sorts, because they have given me an insight and real understanding of what others in similar situations are going through, which is particularly helpful within my Ministry.

If you've been touched by my post and would like to speak to me, in absolute confidence, about the issues raised, please do. I'm here for all of you, whether you're a regular reader, or this is the first time you've read one of my posts. You can reach me either via the Ministry page linked above, or by email to emlouisef at gmail dot com.

Card: Whisper White and Rich Razzleberry
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Stamp set: Me = Grateful
Tools and embellishments: Bird Builder Punch, Decorative Dots TIEF, Deco Labels Framelits and Basic Pearls
Adhesives: Tear & Tape and Stampin' Dimensionals

Challenges...
The Hop to Stop at The Damsel of Distressed
#198 AAG at Pixie's Snippets Playground
#204 AAG at Word Art Wednesday

I'll be back on Wednesday with another Awareness Month creation, when I'll again share a little more of myself with you, my beloved readers and friends, so I hope you'll join me then.

Lea's Lantern

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

The project I'm sharing with you today is my first attempt at a lantern that was created by my very talented Stampin' Sister, Lea Denton, AKA the Crafty Spark. Lea has created a couple of them already, one for Halloween and one for Christmas, both of which can be found on her YouTube channel.

I've gone for a fall theme for mine, using the Vintage Leaves stamp and die bundle from Stampin' Up! that you've been seeing a lot of on here recently...

Card: Cajun Craze and Vellum
Ink: Versamark
Stamp set: Vintage Leaves
Tools: Simply Scored, Leaf Framelits, White Embossing Powder and heat tool
Adhesives: Tear & Tape and Tombow

Challenges...
AAG at TTCRD
#72 AG at Beyond Grey
#80 AAG at Crafting From The Heart

I'll be back on Monday with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Texture Tips for House of Cards

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

I'm honored to be representing Design Team Team 2 at House of Cards and bringing you some tips on how to add even more texture with embossing folders than is perhaps at first obvious. I LOVE using them and for both my original card for this month's challenge and the one I'm sharing with you today, I've used the Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (TIEF) from Stampin' Up!

Once embossed, card can be used with either the raised image upward (embossed) or downwards (debossed). I've used both for today's card, cutting the embossed layer with one of the Deco Labels Framelits...

Here's a reminder of the card I shared on October 1st at the start of the challenge...

Challenges for today's card...
#203 AAG at Word Art Wednesday
#144 AG at 613 Avenue Create
#49 Word Play at AAA Cards
Thankful for You at Incy Wincy Designs

I'll be back on Thursday with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Texture and/or Fall Colors for House of Cards

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

It's the first of the month and that means it's time for a new challenge over at House of Cards and this month we have a great theme for you: Texture and/or these fall colors...

For today's card I've chosen to use both texture, by using the Woodgrain TIEF from Stampin' Up! and vellum and one of the colors, in this case Cajun Craze from SU...

Card: Whisper White, Cajun Craze and snippets of vellum
Ink: Cajun Craze and Jet Black StazOn
Stamp set: For All Things and Vintage Leaves (available in a bundle with the Framelits
Tools: Woodgrain TIEF, Stampin' Sponges, Leaf Framelits and Deco Labels Framelits
Adhesive: Stampin' Dimensionals and Tombow

Challenges...
#203 AAG at Word Art Wednesday
#196 AAG at Pixie's Snippets Playground
#141 AG w/ twist of black at Artistic Inspirations

The House of Cards DT is hugely talented. Please do stop by some of my teamies and show them some love too.

Barbara

Cohenna

Cornelia

Daen'Ys

Donna N.

Donna T.

Dotty Jo

Em

Emily

Heather

Jane

Joni

Judy

Karen

Katy

Lilian

Linda

Lisa

Merethe

Michele

Monika

Mrs Duck

Pat

Rocky

Ruza

Shawna

Steph

Sue T.

Sue N.

Tammy

Toni

Whatever you're doing this weekend, have a great one. I'll be back on Tuesday with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Not What You Look At...

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

The card I'm sharing with you today is one I created for a friend's birthday a couple weeks ago...

Card: Crumb Cake and Watercolor Paper
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Pear Pizzazz reinker, Tempting Turquoise reinker, Early Espresso reinker and Smoky Slate reinker
Stamp set: Moon Lake (retired)
Tools: Aqua Painters and Deco Labels Framelits

Challenges...
#203 AAG at Word Art Wednesday
AAG at TTCRD
#71 CAS at Beyond Grey

I'll be back tomorrow with my latest DT creation for House of Cards, so I hope you'll join me then.

Delicately Glitzy Ornaments #2

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and for all your wonderful comments. I'm honored to have you here and I truly appreciate each of you more than you know!

The first time I played with the new ornament stamp and die bundle from Stampin' Up! I loved it as much as I had when I first saw it in the new holiday catalog. At the same time I created this card, I also created the one I'm sharing with you today.

I had only intended to create one card, with three Tempting Turquoise ornaments, but I thought they needed something else, so added in the Rich Razzleberry one. I could have put the spare ornament away, bit decided it was safer on a card. Grin. In literally minutes, I had the other created...

Card: Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Silver Glimmer, Silver Foil Sheets and Whisper White
Ink: Tempting Turquoise
Stamp set: Embellished Ornaments
Tools: Delicate Ornaments Thinlits
Adhesives: Mini Glue Dots, Tear & Tape and Stampin' Dimensionals

If you're wondering how I got the Silver Glimmer ornament to look different than the others, I did it by putting the die on the back of the card and cutting. I found it cut better that way and also creates great variation too.

Challenges...

#88 Designer's Choice at CYCI
#202 AAG at Word Art Wednesday
#196 AAG at Pixie's Snippets Playground

I'll be back on Wednesday with another creation, so I hope you'll join me then.

Appeal and Cards for Landon

Hi everyone,

As regular readers will know, my family recently welcomed a new addition in the adorable form of my great-nephew Landon Ryan. The little man was born to proud parents Tosha and Josh on August 31, 2015. The little guy has brought big smiles to the faces of his big sisters, twins Brianna and Makayla (5) and twins Chloe and Charissa (3). And also so much joy to the rest of our family, including my sister and his Grammy Beth.

You might also know that in recent days Landon was admitted to hospital with what was and still to this day remains a mystery illness. Tosha is still off work and with Josh having to also take time off the family are very concerned about the little man's mounting medical costs. To that end, Beth has set up a fundraising page, which can be found HERE. Every penny helps and any and all donations are VERY much appeciated

However, if you're unable to help financially, or would like to do something immediately for the family, there IS a way that you can help. Most of you reading this are cardmakers and even if you're not, we all know how special it is to receive a card. It makes us smile and brightens our day to know that someone, somewhere, is thinking of us. If you'd like to send a card to the family, handmade or otherwise, please email me with "Cards for Landon" in the subject line OR contact me via message on Facebook and I'll give you the address to send them to.

On behalf of us all, HUGE thanks to all of you who have been praying or sending positive thoughts our way. Please, please keep them coming! They, and you, mean so much to us.

Love, hugs and blessings,
Em AKA Great-Aunt Em