Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #213 - THANKFUL

 Hello, my fellow crafters! This week we start our monthly challenge over at Crafty Gals Corner!  The theme for this challenge is: Thankful

Our amazing sponsors for this challenge are:

(in alphabetical order)

Dr. Digi's House of Stamps

Prize ~ 2 Digital Images

Fred, She Said Digital Designs

Prize ~ $10 Gift Certificate

I absolutely love the image I used! Mine is Teapot from Doctor Digi.  I did a fairly clean and simple card. I colored in the image after I had stamped a sentiment in the middle of the teapot. Then I mounted it on 2 sheets of cardstock, gave it a little gold trimming and a gold embellishment, added some wheat and acorn stamps, and it was done! It didn't take long at all, and I absolutely LOVE it! Here it is:

So there you have it! I hope that this will inspire you to create your own card for the challenge! And remember, it doesn't have to be full of embellishments to make it look good!

Thank you for stopping by! Please have a wonderful day and stay safe!

Many Blessings, 

Jeanie Ellis - Scrapbookingmamaw

Breast Cancer Awareness - My Experience

Last month (October) was Breast Cancer Awareness month. I normally go for my yearly mammogram in September of each year. I had one scheduled for the 19th, but my sister passed away on the 13th of that same month, so I rescheduled it for the 29th of September. Little did I know that it would be a turning point in my life. After all, things like this don't happen to you, right? That day I was told that I had a suspicious lump in my left breast. Of course, then I went for a 3D mammogram a couple of days later, then had a biopsy and as it turned out, it was cancer. Yes, it was in the early stages, but still, cancer.

My youngest sister, who had just passed away, had Hodgkin's Lymphoma (my dad had the same cancer and passed away from it). She also had COPD stage 4 and breast cancer, the latter being a "by-product" of the Hodgkin's Lymphoma. But what took her life was a heart attack brought on by her fear of lack of oxygen. She was unable to reach the oxygen. With her passing, there was a lot of work to be done in order to take care of arrangements and also to help her young adult son to relocate and set him up a household (my twin sister's apartment). So, I didn't think about checking myself for any lumps or anything, as I try to do monthly.

Needless to say, I was very surprised that the mammogram had found a lump in my left breast, rather than my right, because I've had 2 biopsies on the right side before. But what if I hadn't gone to my yearly exam? That thing would have grown rapidly, as I was told it was the fast growing kind. The next thing to do was the lumpectomy with a sentinel node biopsy.

Going through the process of the lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy scared me a lot more than the cancer itself. It was unknown territory, never before experienced. I've had "cancer scares" before. I was sure that I was told the incisions wouldn't be very big, but man! They sure aren't small! Anyway, I made it through the procedures just fine, and am now in the process of healing, waiting to find out if I need to have any kind of a treatment plan going. I'll find out next week.

What my point to this post, really, is to say how important a yearly exam is...because if I had just decided to do it later, or even skipped until the next year, that lump would have grown and it might have been too late to do anything about it. Only God knows. So, yeah, I hate mammograms...they hurt! But I'm so glad I did get it done, and the cancer was caught early enough to nip it in the bud.

I will keep you posted. Until then...

Blessings! Jeanie Ellis - Scrapbookingmamaw

Sassy and Crafty Colorful YouTube Giveaway Hop!

Sassy and Crafty has collaborated with Craft Collabs for a fun YouTube Giveaway hop! I know I sure had fun! Here's a video for you to check out!

Sassy and Classy Colorful YouTube Hop!

Thank you for stopping in! 

Blessings, 

Jeanie Ellis - Scrapbookingmamaw

3 Cards 1 Die Cut Background Techniques

Hi, fellow crafters! Here is a new technique that I learned recently, in making 3 card backgrounds with 1 diecut, and cutting it one time! That's right...not 3 times, but once! I hope you will check it out! And if you haven't subscribed, I hope you will and hit that notification bell! Thank you! Hugs!

Crafty Gals Challenge #212 - Halloween Colors

 Hello everyone! And welcome to our October Challenge #212 over at Crafty Gals Corner Challenge Blog! This month, we are celebrating HALLOWEEN COLORS! While I don't celebrate Halloween, I do love the colors! 

Here are our amazing sponsors for this month:

Ike's Art

Prize ~ $10 Gift Certificate

LeAnn's World 101

Prize ~ 2 Digital Images

Stamper's Delights

Prize ~ 3 Single Digital Images

For this challenge, I am using  Cornucopia from Ike’s Art. I love this image! It's a good way to use all of those fall colors! So of course, I started out by printing out the image, and deciding what colors I wanted to use and if I wanted markers or pencils. I decided to go along with the markers from Spectrum Noir for this, as there is a lot to the image.

With my leaves, I wanted them to look like they were turning fall colors, so I went ahead and put various colors down first, then a very light green, and then a brown tone on top of that. To get the depths of the shadowing on the fruit, I used a light brown for added shading. And with the cornucopia, I added some gray to it. Of course, I used darker colors for the first layers first, then the brown and gray for the depth of shadows.

I mounted my image on some red and black onto a white cardstock base, and then added my sentiment. Done!

I hope that this card will inspire you to join us in this month's challenge! And thank you so much for stopping in!

Blessings,

Jeanie Ellis, Scrapbookingmamaw

Celebration Giveaway & Anniversary Hop! #ONASTAMPAGE2020

THERE'S A NEW CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY & ANNIVERSARY HOP! CHECK IT OUT!

The Power of Practice Card Blog Hop!

Hello, fellow crafters....that means YOU! And welcome to the 

POWER OF PRACTICE BLOG HOP! 

In this Blog Hop, you will see designers who have come a long ways in their card making skills! (Below is the list of the line-up of designers). Take a look at their beginnings and where they are today. And now....

For those who are just starting out in your card making, I have something very important to tell you....PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! Yep, that's what I said. If you have a desire to start making cards or you've already just started, BRAVO for you! And if you look at your card and say...UGH! This sure isn't as good as the others I've seen! Well, take heart, my crafty friend....everyone has had to start somewhere! So don't give up! All it takes is practice. Even if it's just a few minutes a day or week....DON'T GIVE UP!

So, let me share with you a card I made for my first Design Team project (I'm actually surprised they accepted me). I totally was learning...totally! Here it is (from My Besties):

Now, while this isn't my very first card...I have no idea where that is...it is one of my very first cards! I was learning at that time how to actually color the images. The fancy fold design was ok, but that coloring! I had a lot to learn! And, I'm still on that Design Team!

Here is one of my most recent cards I made using an image from Stephanie Sybile Art:

One of the things I did as I went along, was look at a lot of YouTube, Pinterest, and fellow designers to get ideas and tutorials on how to color, adjust the size of images, and so on. And then I'd practice doing those things. After doing thousands and thousands of cards...okay, maybe not thousands...I have come a long way, but I am still practicing. There is always room for improvement! But the point is, DON'T GIVE UP! If it's truly something you want to do, then it's important that you KEEP GOING!

Now here is the Line-Up for the Designers who are participating in this hop. Be sure to check them all out...some may have prizes!

HOP LINE-UP:

Karen Hasheck

Vicki Parson

Mary Ellen Driggs

Ishani Sai

Charlotte Ehrukainen

Jeanie Ellis <<<<<<<------------YOU ARE HERE

Fairuz Fabiha

LeeAnn McKinney

Thank you so much for stopping in! I really appreciate it so much!

Blessings, and HAPPY CRAFTING!

Jeanie Ellis - Scrapbookingmamaw