vintage image saturday...so cute in purple!

bright and colorful

Another bright and colorful card sure to make the recipient smile! I love it. It originated here.

hey sweetie

If someone sent me this card, it would definately make me smile! I just love the clever use of the colorful circles to form a lollipop. The real stick and the bow are also a nice touch. The sentiment "hey sweetie" is perfect! It originated here.
See you tomorrow!

Meet our July Swappers...

...Pam Sp., May, Susie, Marie, Deb, Elizabeth, Francie, Jayne, Wendy & Joyce.
Pam Sp. is new to our group this month. Welcome! I hope you'll feel right at home. The blog list for this month's swappers is in the right column over there>>>>>> so you can visit and see what everyone is up to.

Some inspiration to make you smile will start tomorrow..and don't forget the Purple Giveaway on June 15th- open to all. Have a great day!

don't miss your chance

SIGN UPS BEGIN TODAY for the July Swap!

The theme for the July Swap is "Share a Smile". This month we will be swapping these 3 things:

1. a handmade card
2. a handmade tag
3. just a WEE BIT of purple craft destash

The card and tag can be for any occasion just as long as it is one that would make you smile: friendship, birthday, thinking of you, etc. If you've got a humorous stamp, saying or image that you've been itching to use, this is the month. And only the destash needs to be purple- your card/tag can be any color you wish.

There will be daily posts filled with lots fun cards & tags, as well as purple inspiration! And of course, there will be a Purple Givaway on June 15th. The "mail by" date for this swap is July 1st. Don't miss the fun- sign up now! Here's how:

STEP ONE: See the list of Swap Rules in the right column >>>

STEP TWO: How to sign up for the JULY Swap:

Send an email to aswapforallseasons@gmail.com with the following info:
1. your name
2. email address for your partner to contact you
3. link to your blog
4. if you are willing to mail to an international partner THIS month

If you have never swapped with A Swap For All Seasons before, please list any recent swaps you have participated in and how you found A Swap For All Seasons.

I will send out a confirmation email letting you know if you have been added to the swap. When the sign ups are closed, you will get an email with a list of participants and who you will be swapping with.

As long as you are still seeing this post, you can still sign up! I will close the sign ups on the morning of June 4th or if we reach 25 swappers. COMMENTS ON THIS POST ARE NOT CONSIDERED A SIGN UP FOR THE SWAP- please send an email!

Please post pics from the June Swap on your blog~

headed to Kansas!

The day is finally here! We are headed to Kansas today to help prepare for Saturday's wedding! My baby boy is going to be a married man. Where did the time go?

I planned to have the remaining swap posts all ready to go, but sewing 200 programs and putting the finishing touches on the brooch bouquet, plus my mani/pedi somehow stole my blogging hours yesterday! So I leave you on your own, dear swappers to finish the June swap. I will leave the Mr Linky post so you can be posting what you've received. I'll have my laptop with me and will be checking in, just not posting.

The sign ups for the July "Share a Smile" swap will begin on June 1st as scheduled! That will be the next post. See you then! I will officially be a "mother-in-law"!

One request: Please pray for good weather in Kansas for us on Saturday- the reception is outside! (We do have a back-up plan, but the kids have worked SO HARD to get the barn ready, it would be disappointing to have to switch gears at the last minute!) So, "if the Good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise..."

thankful

Such a great idea to send a thank you card to people in the military and stationed away from home. I've always heard that cards are so very appreciated. Another great ideas is to give a card to the veterans in our lives on Memorial Day, Veterans Day or any day! It would probably catch them by surprise to receive a card of thanks years after their service. What a nice thing!
This card is a perfect example. I love the vivid colors, the boots and the overall cheerfulness of the card. It originated on this blog.

remembering a sailor...

Today we remember all the brave men and women who have fought for this beautiful country of ours. Today I am thinking of my dad, pictured here as a teenaged sailor in the South Pacific during World War II. I never thought to thank him for his service when he was alive, but I thank him now. He is laid to rest in beautiful JB National Cemetery, next to my mom. I am so overwhelmed with the incredible magesty of this cemetery. The tidy graves go on for miles (or so it seems) in each direction. For Memorial Day, the local Boy Scout troops place a small flag at each tombstone. It's breathtaking. I took these pictures of the cemetery, one is on Memorial Day a few years ago, and the deer picure is one that Mary Grace took from our car window when we visited over Christmas. The cemetery is heavily populated with deer, which is also a sight to behold!
Wishing all of you a very Happy Memorial Day!

extra! extra! read all about it!

Newspaper is a great way to giftwrap "green". It is perfect for the gray and black theme this month. You can even customize a bit with the section you use: sports, fashion, comics, etc. I just love it!

vintage image saturday...wheels

more tim

Here is a great Tim Holtz inspired card, and the originating blog has a great tutorial. The nice thing about Tim Holtz designs is that the wonderful, very vintagy embellishments are readily available at craft stores. You can buy one package and make several cards guy cards to tuck away.

tim holtz

When I think of masculine cards and tags, Tim Holtz definately comes to mind. His use of metal elements and color quite naturally lend themselves to the creation of cards and tags that are perfect for guys. Spectacular examples abound, especially with his ongoing tag challenges. Here is one example from a great blog, Creative Chaos.

a vested card

Isn't this a fun card? I saw lots of variations in color and embellishment on Pinterest. I saw one with a $20 bill tucked into the pocket, others with actual fishing lures. Perfect for a dad, brother, son, grandpa or friend and could be used for several occasions. This particular card originated here

really fly

This tag really inspires me. I love the image, the fabric and sewing, the soft colors, and everything else about it. I found it in this Etsy shop that is filled with shabby chic lovelies.

fly

I love to use catchy phases and/or puns on cards. It's unexpected and fun. Are you wondering what it means to be "fly"? The Urban Dictionary defines it as "the rapper way of saying [someone] is way cool".

I really had to keep my card and tag simple this month as I have had very little personal crafting time! My daughter Mary Grace graduated from high school this past Saturday and my son's wedding is in 2 weeks! Holy Smokes!

Tune in tomorrow for a fly tag!

delightful destash

vintage image saturday

Little guys!

we have a winner!

The winner of the Black and Gray Giveaway is.... Wanda ! She had the number 14 comment that was chosen by the random number generator at mathgoodies.com. Wanda has never participated in one of our swaps, but hopefully she will give it a try one of these months! I visited her blog and learned that she does some very beautiful tatting! Wanda, if you would kindly email your mailing address to me at aswapforallseasons@gmail.com I will get your swap package in the mail to you! No need to "send a posse to pick up your winnings!" Congratulations!

See you all tomorrow for Vintage Image Saturday!

FREE GIVEAWAY TODAY ONLY! OPEN TO ALL! Just Leave a Comment

Leave a comment on this post, TODAY ONLY to enter the Black & Gray Giveaway. You will win this prize package including: an acrylic bird stamp, gray baker's twine, a dark metal fluted tart pan filled with vintage black and gray buttons, a long strip of gray fabric rose trim, a pretty gray & white fabric quarter, black tags, black/gray polka dot washi tape, a few paint chips (one is called "Eeyore's Rain Cloud"!), some dimensional flower stickers, a selection of scrapbook papers, and one of my handmade cards and tag.

The winner will be chosen and announced tomorrow by random number generator. Good luck!

coveted paper and a tomorrow's GIVEAWAY

This is one of my all-time favorite scrapbook papers. There is nothing cuter than little 1950's space cadets! I couldn't resist using it for a dad tag. I've also always liked this black & ivory vintage star paper. Do any of you covet certain papers?
Anyway, I added some rub on letters and trim- pretty much it. Sweet, simple and vintage. This tag will be part of tomorrow's giveaway. Speaking of which...

Just a note about tomorrow's giveaway. Please enter the giveaway even if you have won already this year! Just about everyone has won and the entries are getting fewer and fewer each month. So come one, come all and sign up for the free Black & Gray Giveaway tomorrow!

she's still at it

Kitten continues to create...I love this tag. The use of color is amazing, which is something Debbie does so well. I love the subtle changes in the image as well. Steller!

kitten creates

Debbie so graciously sent me a couple of goodies to share. She is so talented and has been making cards & tags for many years. I love the monochromatic effect and the image on this card. More tomorrow!

not a guy thing today

Wishing you and those you love a Happy Mother's Day!

vintage image Saturday

men's hats!

raising the bar

Wow, what a tag! It was made by Brenda of Bumblebees and Butterflies . I really love that she used a picture of her husband. She made it for a Tim Holtz tag challenge and I'd say she nailed it. Lots of great stuff on her blog! What a great way to use a favorite picture of a son, brother, nephew, husband, dad, you name it!

collage

I love collage cards. You could use this format and make a card for anyone or any occasion, just by using different papers and ephemera. I love the old typewriter! I found this on a wonderful blog and it was made for a project called "It's a guy thing"! Serendipity!

pretty black destash

I mustache you...

...Isn't this a cute tag? The "Dad" could be uncle, brother, nephew or even left off for even more versatility. It could be given to a boss, co-worker or friend. It originated on this blog. Lots of cute cards there!

this one really measures up

The perfect masculine card that is not just for one occasion. I think it would work for a birthday, Father's Day, anniversary or even a "thinking of you" card. Such a nice layout with great images and an impactful message. Another great Split Coast Stamper card. I love it!

June Swappers

Such a lovely group! We have Pam, Jan, Sherry, Jayne, Marie, May, Joyce, Elizabeth and Wendy. It's going to be fun! I have lots of great inspiration lined up to share with you...see you tomorrow!

No worries, still plenty of time to sign up for the June Swap!

I am extending the swap sign ups until Sunday MORNING, May 4th. I am working a 12 hour shift at the hospital on Saturday, so I won't be able to close the sign ups and make the list until early Sunday morning.

SIGN UP TODAY FOR THE JUNE SWAP!

The theme for the June Swap is "It's a Guy Thing". This month we will be swapping these 3 things:

1. a handmade card
2. a handmade tag
3. just a WEE BIT of black and/or gray craft destash

The card and tag can be for any occasion just as long as it is for a guy- such as Father's Day, birthday, thinking of you, etc. Only the destash needs to be black and/or gray- your card/tag can be any color you wish.

There will be daily posts filled with lots of masculine cards & tags, as well as black & gray inspiration! And of course, there will be a Black & Gray Givaway on May 15th. The "mail by" date for this swap is June 1st. Don't miss the fun- sign up now! Here's how:

STEP ONE: See the list of Swap Rules in the right column >>> and be sure you can follow through with all of them before you sign up.

STEP TWO: How to sign up for the JUNE Swap:

Send an email to aswapforallseasons@gmail.com with the following info:
1. your name
2. email address for your partner to contact you
3. link to your blog
4. if you are willing to mail to an international partner THIS month

If you have never swapped with A Swap For All Seasons before, please list any recent swaps you have participated in and how you found A Swap For All Seasons.

I will send out a confirmation email letting you know if you have been added to the swap. When the sign ups are closed, you will get an email with a list of participants and who you will be swapping with.

As long as you are still seeing this post, you can still sign up! I will close the sign ups on the morning of June 4th or if we reach 25 swappers. COMMENTS ON THIS POST ARE NOT CONSIDERED A SIGN UP FOR THE SWAP- please send an email!