It's a Girl Thing ~ TSA Bloghop WINNERS!!

I am brimming with happiness at all of the wonderful comments, shares, and participation in general in this beautiful hop for TSA Awareness!  I wish everyone could win...
              (in a big way, everyone has!!).



My 3 lucky winners are (as your name was stated on either FB or this blog's comments)

1. D.Ann C
2. Lagene
3. Shartl H

Congratulations! & Thanks so much for participating and for your great comments.

D.Ann C wrote: I love that the butterfly is the symbol for these gals as they can fly even missing up to 70% of their wings and these gals rise tho missing 50% of their chromosomes!"

What a beautiful fact to know D!! Thanks! Another great way God weaves beauty, love & hope into our difficulties.1

I will send out one of the above prizes to each of you as soon as I receive your information :)  No requests please

It's a Girl Thing ~ TSA Blog Hop

Hello Blogging Friends!! Welcome to my project for the 

"It's A Girl Thing" Turner Syndrome Awareness Inaugural Blog Hop!

Turner Syndrome is a genetic disorder where a female is born with only one X chromosome, instead of two, leaving her with life-long medical issues and learning disabilities.  This condition occurs one in 2,500 female births worldwide, but is more common among pregnancies that do not survive to full term.  That is why Turner Syndrome Females are considered MIRACLES!

               
NINETEEN caring Sponsors and ELEVEN DT Members have partnered with us to bring Turner Syndrome Awareness to the Public.  For details on how you might win any of these fabulous prizes, please see Lori's TS home page.

Thanks for learning About Turner Syndrome.

Personally, I feel so blessed to be part of this Blog Hop for Awareness! After I read "Lori's TS Journey, {{I hope you will too!}} about this condition I had never heard of ~ I acquired a great respect for her and all she & Julie have been through.  I am thankful that God is using my blog & my love for paper crafting to help create awareness.

Through this hop, Lori's goal is to help other TS moms to have more resources than she did AND to find forums where they can share insight, successes and set backs.  You may not have TS in your life but through this hop you may be able to help direct a friend. . . or her cousin . . . or her cousin's friend! to others who have been there before or are just beginning the TS journey themselves.  

As a "THANK YOU!" for joining us I will be giving away 3 great prizes! To be eligible, all you need to do is follow my blog and leave a comment on this post.  3 WINNERS will be randomly chosen after the
blog hop concludes on February 8th, 2019!!!!!!
I will be sending each winner a collection of stamps 
featuring butterflies from Unity Stamp Co!!!

  

         

My TS related project uses colors from the TS official color board!! AND lots of butterflies, because they represent femininity, strength, and uniqueness.  The butterfly was designated by TSSUS to be the TS symbol. "Butterflies fly on their own which is our hope for our girls."  and just like a butterfly, they are considered fragile and beautiful miracles.

      

Unexpectedly the light glows through the cardstock in the dark!! I put butterfly branches on the inside of each window that don't really show without interior light on.  Some butterflies are attached to the lantern via clear plastic cut from packaging while others are attached in the same way, to the door. The pictures flatten this a little, but it has amazing dimension to it!!

I gathered all my inspiration from the TS blog, so my lantern uses translucent blue vellum for the windows ~ letting the light inside come shining out ~ illuminating the beauty that is within!  Previously locked away, the door is thrown open giving that beauty the freedom to soar!

Don't forget to visit the "It's a Girl Thing" Turner Syndrome Awareness Inaugural Blog Hop so you can enter to win the some of the HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS in prizes donated by our 

19 AMAZING & GENEROUS SPONSORS!!!

                                  If you would like to qualify for my 3 give-aways be sure to click the "follow" button on the left of my blog and leave some love in the comments!!  Although the winners will be chosen randomly, I will likely share your comments so it would be wonderful to hear your thoughts on Lori's story, Turner Syndrome or what inspired you most from this blog.  

Here are my 3 prize packages!!(stamps & stamp sets only!)

       

BONUS!   "like" my page on FB "Hi!" Notes and leave a comment there, I will enter your name for a second chance to win!!! 

Wow! This is the wordiest blog I've ever posted! Still, don't forget to share the love & visit all of the other blogs on our blog hop list. You'll find they have fun, inspiring projects AND MORE CHANCES TO WIN!!

 

Thank you for visiting!!  I hope you've enjoyed this adventure as much as I have!! Good luck with prizes and God bless your new year 2019!!!


For a quick pictorial of my process
CLICK!

Inspired? Here's a couple of challenges  I've entered this project in ~ And you can too!!

Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes # 372-373
Simon Says: Anything Goes!
Classic Design Team Challenge Blog
Jo's Scrap Shack Challenges
Crafty Friends Challenge
Score Pal Challenges
Colour Crazy Challenge

Butterfly Lantern

For my base I cut a 9x9 inch square and scored it  to maintain a 1/2inch ledge leaving the long tails to close off the bottom.  The interior scores were made to leave an opening the size of my lantern base (3x3inches).

After the vellum was placed inside the panels (& before bending and assembling the sides) the scroll green die cuts were glued to the outside center of each vellum panel.

The butterflies were die cut "skeletons" put over chalk colored crepe paper & closely trimmed.

The lantern its self was inserted into the space left in the base.  The door was trimmed 1/8th inch from the bottom so that it would be free of the base and able to swing open.

   

The final detail was the loop of ribbon simply threaded through the bead and cut flush on the bottom.  I used quite a dollop of glue on the bottom of the bead, effectively capturing the ribbon & anchoring it to the lantern.

Thanks friends!!  I so enjoy sharing my little brain storms!! If you have an idea, method or insight to share, please do so in the comments below!!

Snow Fox - Winter White Out

Another Quiet Winter Scene

Have you ever been lucky enough to go hiking when the air is so still & cold that it sparkles around you?  And the landscape is white... the sky, the ground, the horizon...

I have laid on the snow and just gazed into the nothingness of the white fog sky.  Sub zero and I feel so snug wrapped in the warmth of my parka & blue jeans. I have caught my breath in the stillness with awe for my benevolent and awesome god.   The wonder of it.... and I am once again overwhelmed with a deep sense of gratitude to my creator. I am but a speck in a snow filled land in a limitless universe.

I am in love with paper crafting Winter-scapes! They remind me of my Winter hikes and my sometimes still spirit.  . .   I hope you enjoy them too!  Any questions concerning the products I used? Just post them below and I will get back to you ;) 

This week Simon Says Stamps has a CAS challenge for you, so if you're into winterscapes they are almost certainly clean & simple!!
Simon Says also has a simultaneous  challenge to recycle something! The silver border on this card is actually an invoice I received from papers and More! It's a light weight silver shimmer

Winter Solitude

I love Winter. 

I know it sounds strange, but I love the snowy days (as long as I don't have to drive much in it!) It doesn't matter if it is brilliant sunshine out or gloomy gray.  I love it!  It is the best time for introspection, heavy reading and of course making "Winter" cards. I love the quiet solitude so that's what I try to channel while I craft.  I also love to create depth so the aspen trunks really delight me!!

 These images are from Impression Obsession Stamps & I had such fun combining them with different stamps and die-cuts!!  I used water color on regular card stock to color them and layered in the snow hills with a stitched edge.

Inside the cards you can see the embossing

that is just a frame for the outside images.

Both sentiments are from Unity Stamp Company and the inside of the card is debossed snowflakes or swirls.  

Floating Easel Snow Ornament

        I love a great challenge!! This week I found a fun one blogged on Mississippi McGyver: Mixed Media Floating Easel cards using stencils.  You can find the Challenge link up at  STAMPlorations' January Mixed Media Challenge!
            
This is the first time I've tried this style of card and it was a lot of fun. I found it is best to use very sturdy paper so that there is no drooping or stretching when the easel is open!!  I would  also advise you to start with the window frame you plan to use. Then you can determine the size of the card to go around it and also if your subject is going to look proportionate to the opening!

For mine I layered up several snowflakes descending in size on both sides using dimensional tape & lots of glitter!!  Don't forget to put your thread or string through the inside of the project so you can suspend it from the frame opening. 

                 

Sponged with Tim Holtz's Oxide ink, the beautiful snowflake stencil is a great find from Newton's Nook Designs.  I used several gems to tie it aesthetically to the 3D ornament as well as 3 colors of Nuvo Crystal drops here & there.

                                                                         
Happy Winter!!  Hope you find time to craft.  I'll watch for your projects at the STAMPlorations Challenges!!  

Christmas Fun with Bugaboo Stamps!!

                                         

                                                  

Gosh!  The year has gone so fast!! This weeks PIP Challenge is # 1848 ~ That means we're in week 48 of 52 for 2018!!  Perfect timing though for a fun & easy holiday diy :)  Bugaboo Digi Stamps is this weeks sponsor and the generous provider of this weeks images "Christmas Tags"!  You can enter to win by simply uploading up to 3 of your current creations at the Pammies Inky Pinkies Challenge Blog.  One lucky winner will receive a $12 shopping spree in the Bugaboo Digi Stamps store!!! 

This digi set is simply wonderful!  I love the cartoonish drawings because they look so good with simple and bright colors!!  They are adorable tags but I thought it would be fun to try something different. 

       Each digi was colored and then die cut with corresponding circle dies in 3 or 4 sizes!  I decided to use bakers twine to string them and added a second row with a drop for extra interest.  
         





To connect them to the twine I cut additional circles in various matching papers, glittered, gold, DSP and sandwiched the twine between 2 identical size disks.  

For decoration I used Nuvo Crystal Drops, water colors, & gel pens to keep the colors bright & basic.

My garland is 8 feet in length.  I thought it would be cute on an antique window I have.  I also like the idea of draping it on a tree.  What are your ideas?  I would love to hear from you ;)  Send me a link of your project!!!!  I'll be watching for them on the PIP Challenge Blog too!!!