Thoughts of a Grasshopper

Pines and Poinsettias

2011-12-05T10:07:00.001-07:00

I like using the designer frames embossing folder and the oval punch. I've been punching images to put in the frame other times but today I opted to make a frame. Fun card to make, although cutting the main image took some time.

Stamps: Pines & Poinsettias, Occasional Quotes

CS: Real Red, Wild Wasabi, WW, Holly Berry Bouquet

Ink: Real Red, Wild Wasabi

Misc.: Dimensionals, designer frames embossing folder, lg. oval punch

More details on the Poinsettia Box

2011-11-29T07:28:00.001-07:00

I really appreciated all of the comments I got from the blog hop and through e-mail. I wish I had the time to for a tutorial but time is something I lack. Someone could get rich if they could bottle time and sell it because so many are looking for more of it.

I've had quite a few e-mails with questions on various aspects of the box and I've been responding to them as they come in. I thought I would post some of the answers here in case anyone else is trying to make it.

Question: How did you cut the DP for the box?

Answer: I'm sure there is an easier way than what I did but this is what I did. I cut a petal cone on scrap paper and cut at the score line and then proceeded to cut the other edges so I was left with one panel. I then cut off from each side 1/8". I used that as a template.

Question: When I stamp the leaf you said you used on the poinsettia, it doesn't cover the petal. What did you do?

Answer: I stamped the outer edge of the petals first and then I made a couple of masks and used them to stamp the center and prevent the image from overlapping on a previously stamped leaf. However, I think it really isn't necessary to stamp the center. I only have one petal that shows two different stamped leaves and that could easily be covered with another "petal" from the light bulb.

Question: I think I have the size right on the box, but doesn't close completely on the bottom. Did yours?

Answer: I punched two 2-1/2" circles to conceal the opening from the bottom of the box and inside the box.

Question: What measurements did you use for the box?

Answer: I scored at 2-3/4" and cut off the bottom 1-1/2"

SUStars Gift-Giving Ideas Blog Hop

2011-11-18T22:47:00.001-07:00

I hope you are seeing a lot of great ideas to help spark your creativity on gift-giving. You probably just came here from Shelly's blog. Welcome!

I'm happy to share this cute box with you today. I saw a Halloween themed one that I thought was darling. I wanted to make something similar and this provided the perfect opportunity.

I didn't secure the poinsettia on top because I don't have anything in the box but you get the idea. I used the Petal Cone die and cut three of the cones for this box. Every other flap has the red scallop border.

To make the poinsettia, I used the Island Floral die, the Stocking Accents die, and the 5 Petal Flower punch. The light bulb from the Stocking Accents die is a perfect shape and is a little smaller, complimenting the 3-petal cluster from the Island Floral die. The second layer from the top has a mix of the single petal from the Island Floral die and the light bulb, because it is true of poinsettias to have larger and smaller sizes. I used the medium leaf stamp from the French Foliage stamp set to help give it the right look.

Stamps: French Foliage

CS: textured & Wild Wasabi, Real Red, WW, Holly Berry Bouquet DP

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Dies: Stocking Accents, Island Floral, Scallop Circle #2, Petal Cone

Misc.: Dimensionals, metallic brads, Real Red satin ribbon

It is time to send you on your way to Jane. Enjoy the rest of the hop. If you need to go to the main listing of participants, go here.

Another Owl

2011-10-28T09:37:00.001-06:00

Not a whole lot to say on this.

CS: Paper Pack (retired?), Early Espresso

Punches: 1-1/4", 1", 1/2"

Dies: Pillow Box, Oval Scallop Frame (for the wings)

SUStars Holiday Hoopla Blog Hop

2011-10-21T23:20:00.001-06:00

Yay, you made it here from Barb's blog.

We were asked to prepare something from the mini catalog for one of the upcoming holidays. I thought I'd use the Holiday Stocking Die. Above is what you might think of when you see this die, the traditional stocking. Cute and fun and endless possibilities with papers and embossing folders.

Stamps: Beautiful Season
CS: Real Red, VV, Holly Berry Bouquet DP
Ink: Real Red
Misc.: Holiday Stocking Die, Stocking Accents Die, Glimmer Brights brads.

What I thought of was this baby booty. Nice to be able to use this die for something other than Christmas. I made the stocking and the booty as a card. So, it doesn't have anything to do with a holiday but I wanted to share it anyway and tossed in another option for the die after this.

CS: Blushing Bride
Misc.: Holiday Stocking die, Snowburst EF, Victoria ribbon, VV taffeta

I decided to give the witch's boot a go after seeing so many around. I googled it and found Sandi MacIver had instructions on her blog. It turned out pretty cute. I tossed in a gift card for a movie at the theater, not a bad treat.

CS: Concord Crush, Basic Black, Pear Pizzazz

Misc.: Holiday Stocking die, 3-1/2" circle, 1-3/4" circle punch, word window punch, rhinestones, eyelet border punch, spider web EF, vintage wallpaper, EF, pumpkin pie 1/8" ribbon

Hope you are enjoying the hop. Your next stop is Carol's blog if you want to start at the beginning, you can go here.

Owl Nugget Holder

2011-10-21T10:04:00.000-06:00

I caved! I have avoided owls for the past couple of years as they became popular. They make me think of the 70's when they were over-done in home decorating. My mother even had a macrame owl that she made that hung on a door. I happened across this blog entry and thought it was pretty darn cute and had to make it. I really like theirs with the glitter but I didn't want the glitter all over the kids when they get them so I stuck with the gold paper.

I didn't use their template, or even look at it for that matter. I like to try to make things on my own from a picture. It may be easier to use what they have. What I did was cut a strip of black cardstock 1-1/2" x 7-1/4", scored at 2-1/2, 3-1/2, and 6 inches. I used the scallop punch for the feathers and cut it to 3/4" and rolled it on a marker to make them stick out a little. The eyes I used a 1", 3/4" and 1/2" punch. The center piece is 2 x 1-1/2. I marked it in the center and didn't do a straight cut. I curved it slightly for the eyes.

This holds 2 nuggets.

CS: black & gold

Punches: scallop border, circle: 1", 3/4" & 1/2"

Stitched Stockings

2011-10-11T13:43:00.000-06:00

How cut is this? I love this card. I had 3 different ribbons on it and none of them were working for me and then I remembered that I had some Wild Wasabi that was retired a while ago and it is perfect with the stitching to coordinate with the stockings. Yay!!

Stamps: Stitched Stockings

CS: Crumb Cake, textured Wild Wasabi, WW, Holly Berry Bouquet DP

Ink: Real Red, Wild Wasabi

Misc.: Wild Wasabi double stitched ribbon, Real Red 1/8" taffeta, jingle bells mini, cherry cobbler bakers twine, basic pearl jewels, jewels basic rhinestone, dimensionals, stocking punch

French Foliage

2011-10-09T18:40:00.001-06:00

I went out to the ranch yesterday to teach the Communications merit badge to two different groups of scouts. We had a lot of rain this weekend and it was raining hard when I went. One of the leaders joked with the boys when I got there asking what troop slept in the lake. Apparently their tent leaked and they had several inches of water in it. That must have been miserable but they seemed to be in good spirits. They decided to cancel the activity and reschedule due to the rain and three of the merit badges having to be canceled. This meant I had 4 extra hours to my day and I used it to make a couple of cards.

Today I'm sharing one that I copied from the current issue of Paper Crafts (p. 49). The original creator of the card used a color or two from another company, so I picked what I thought went together. On the splotches of color, I used Soft Suede but stamped off on paper before stamping the card.

Sets: French Foliage, Thank You Kindly
CS: VV, Soft Suede
Ink: More Mustard, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Baja Breeze
Misc.: Linen thread, mustard button

A nice, quick card if you are short on time.

Field Flowers

2011-10-07T10:12:00.001-06:00

In the past two weeks, I've had two aunts pass away. The first one lost her battle to breast cancer and the most recent one had a gun accident and didn't survive. I keep a stash of cards ready to use and usually don't use them unless I'm short on time. I depleted my stash of sympathy cards and needed to make more for the recent death. This started off as a sympathy and I decided to toss it into my general section. It was the first time I used the fancy fan letterpress and I love the look. Very subtle because I used VersaMark and did it on the bottom layer of the vanilla cardstock.

Stamps: Field Flowers

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive

CS: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive

Misc.: Dimensionals, brad, old olive satin ribbon, lace ribbon border punch

OWH Cardmaking Day Blog Hop

2011-09-30T23:00:00.000-06:00

I am so happy to have the opportunity to join this hop. Being military and having experienced deployments and knowing first hand how happy everyone is on both ends when mail is received, this makes my heart happy. I haven't been stamping lately but I'm jumping back in and taking time to enjoy the little things, which includes stamping.

I'm thinking by now you know what OWH is about, but just in case, people send them cards for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. They (OWH) package them up and send them overseas so the military can use them to send greetings to their family. Another way to stay connected.

I chose to use the Pines and Poinsettias stamp set for my card. I must confess, I was on the fence about this set. I didn't plan to even get it because I tend to go for sharper, crisper images and this blends together a lot for me. Why did I get it? Because I didn't pay a penny for it. I'm still deciding on this set but it will be nice to have something different to make cards from.

Sets: Pines and Poinsettias, Occasional Quotes
CS: VV, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Berry Bouquet DP
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Real Red
Markers: Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron
Misc.: Festive Finishes Letterpress, Real Red satin ribbon, dimensionals

Enjoy hopping.

The Military Wife

2011-08-15T08:58:00.002-06:00

I came across this on another blog and liked it.

What is a military wife?

Each one may look different and each is wonderfully unique, but this they have in common:

Lots of moving…

Moving…

Moving far from home…

Moving two cars, three kids and one dog…

all riding with HER of course.Moving sofas to basements because they won’t go in THIS house;Moving curtains that won’t fit;

Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.

Moving away from friends;

Moving toward new friends;

Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting for housing.

Waiting for orders.

Waiting for deployments.

Waiting for phone calls.

Waiting for reunions.

Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.

Waiting for him to come home,

For dinner . . . .AGAIN!

They call her ‘Military Dependent’, but she knows better:

She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;

Handle the yard work;

Fix a noisy toilet;

Bury the family pet . . .

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.

She can file the taxes;

Sell a house;

Buy a car;

Or set up a move…

…all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don’t welcome her.

She reinvents her career with every PCS;

Locates a house in the desert,

The Arctic,

Or the deep south.

And learns to call them all ‘home’.

She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty…

They leap into:

Decorating,

Leadership,

Volunteering,

Career alternatives,

Churches,

And friendships.

They don’t have 15 years to get to know people.

Their roots are short but flexible.

They plant annuals for themselves

and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:

They connect over coffee,

Rely on the spouse network,

Accept offers of friendship and favors.

Record addresses in pencil…

Military Wives have a common bond:

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands;

his commitment is unique.

He doesn’t have a ‘JOB’

He has a ‘MISSION’ that he can’t just decide to quit…

He’s on-call for his country 24/7.

But for her, he’s the most unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign

TDY , PCS , OPR, SOS, ACC, BDU, TAD

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.

She is the long- distance link to keep them informed;

the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:

She wants to wring his neck;

Dye his uniform pink;

Refuse to move to Siberia;

But she pulls herself together.

Give her a few days,

A travel brochure,

A long hot bath,

A pledge to the flag,

A wedding picture,

And she goes.

She packs.

She moves.

She follows.

Why?

What for?

How come?

You may think it is because she has lost her mind.

But actually it is because she has lost her heart .

It was stolen from her by a man,

Who puts duty first,

Who longs to deploy,

Who salutes the flag,

And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband,

…She will remain his military wife.

Let's Hear it For the Boys

2011-06-06T08:55:00.005-06:00

I hosted a male swap on VC Rocks. These are the cards that I received.

Ria Blackwell
Roseanne Urbanc - it is hard to see in the picture, but Roseanne stamped the bonsai in Tangerine Tango on the Tangerine Tango CS.
Sharon Field
Pam Staples
Mary Grauel
Julie Wick
Janice Heighway
Mary Campbell
Jane Hignite
Elizabeth Kratzer
Catie Palmer
Beth Ratliff
Barb Furlong

OWH Memorial Day Blog Hop

2011-05-28T06:51:00.005-06:00

You probably arrived here from We Grow By Our Dreams, your next stop is Paper Therapy Ponderings.

The card I envisioned doing since I signed up for the blog hop, it turns out I don't own the set. How did that happen? I went with a ship thinking of those that we are an ocean apart from. The sentiment reads "You're never more than a thought away."

Stamps: The Open Sea, Whimsical Words

CS: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Not Quite Navy, VV

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Choc. Chip, Crumb Cake

Misc.: Espresso Baker's Twine, Dimensionals

I hope you have a great weekend with whatever you have planned. I was excited to hear the next town over from us is having a parade. We will be giving thanks and honor those that gave their lives and health to keep our nation safe. On behalf of my family, I want to thank all veterans this Memorial Day.

Fabulous Florets

2011-05-26T20:45:00.004-06:00

I've been so bad about posting for a long time now. I take pictures upload them to the computer and never get around to posting. By the time I do, I don't remember what I used and I skip posting. It has been crazy busy and will be for the next couple of months. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love the way this card turned out. It is beautimous, if I do say so myself.

Stamps: Fabulous Florets, Afterthoughts

CS: WW, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso

Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive

Misc.: Elegant Lines EF, Daffodil Delight taffeta, scallop punch

VC Rocks Blog Hop - Color My World

2011-05-13T22:46:00.005-06:00

The first stop of the hop is the VC Rocks blog that has a complete list of all the participants.

You just came from Lori's blog Paper Castles.

Your next stop is Kris's blog Maddiebug Designs.

The theme for the blog hop is "Color My World". I have to admit, when I signed up for this, I wanted to brayer a sunset and use the Extreme Surfboard stamp. It didn't quite work out that way. Our son is having his Eagle Court of Honor next month and I have ~75 invitations to make. I wanted to make several samples for him to pick from and this is what he likes best.

I made a criss cross card, roughed up the edges a little on the diagonal cuts and the chocolate chip oval border of the eagle. I used 12x12 textured crumb cake for the band around the card.

Stamps: In Wilderness

CS: VV, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake, Watercolor

Ink: StazOn Jet Black

Misc.: Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pen

Enjoy hopping!

Nothing Original

2011-05-03T11:43:00.004-06:00

Stamping has been so limited lately. Crazy things have been happening (not to me personally) that have eaten a lot of my time lately with communications to a lot of people working through details. Our son has been working hard wrapping up some merit badges and working on his Eagle project. He has his Eagle Board of Review in a couple of weeks. I'm so excited for him.

I'm thinking it was last fall that I saw this card in a Stampin' Success magazine. I thought it was such a creative way to use the words from these two sets. I got around to making several of these cards a few months ago.

These next two cards I CASEd but I don't know from where. Please, if you know whose ideas these were, let me know. I want to give credit to them.

My husband put on a camporee for our district in March and he needed some thank you cards. I knew the set I wanted to use but nothing was coming to me for it. I changed the sentiment and the paper to use up some old DP but took everything from DJLuvs2stamp.

SUStars March Blog Hop

2011-03-18T22:06:00.007-06:00

You have most likely arrived here from Brenda's Stamping Corner. She had a cute baby announcement and the one thing I noticed was she even stamped the envelope. Way back in my early days of stamping, I did that. Now I seem to be rushing to finish a card to get it in the mail before the mailman comes and I overlook those added touches that show that extra bit of love.

I have two cards for you today. The first one uses the set Easter Blossoms. I originally passed on this set but I couldn't resist in the end. I wanted little flowers in the basket an the punch was too big so I cut out some from the branch that comes with the set. The card measures 6-5/8" x 3-3/8"

Stamps: Easter Blossoms

CS: So Saffron, Poppy Parade, Baja Breeze, WW

Ink: Poppy Parade, Baja Breeze

Misc.: Pearl Jewels, Itty bitty punch pals

The next card I made uses DP that will be available in the upcoming IB&C. When I was looking through the paper and saw this flower, I thought of the Blessed Mother set.

Stamps: Blessed Mother

CS: Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze, WW, Paisley Petals DP

Markers: Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery

Misc.: Sm. oval punch, basic pearl jewels, 1/8" celery taffeta ribbon, square lattice EF

I hope you enjoyed this stop on the hop. Your next stop is Shari's Stamp Pad. She has a couple of WOW projects for you. If you need to go back to the SU-Stars home page for a complete list of all the stops, click here.

Loving You

2011-01-10T07:34:00.003-07:00

It isn't quite so sunny here this morning but I hear we are going to warm up to 79 today, so I can expect the sun to shine through any time now. After not stamping for so long, I found it hard to get into it this morning. My first card after the break and this is what I came up with.

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts, Seasonal Sentiments

CS: WW, Blushing Bride, Chocolate Chip, In Color Patterns DP

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Blushing Bride

Markers: Blushing Bride, Perfect Plum, Regal Rose

Punches: Scallop edge border, heart to heart, 3/16 corner small

Misc.: Dimensionals, Chocolate Taffeta ribbon, rhinestone brad

Back to Life

2011-01-08T10:22:00.008-07:00

It has been a while since my last post. I took a break from stamping, sort of. I usually have my Christmas cards out and being received Dec. 1st. This year the out of town cards were 2 weeks later than usual and the local cards were 3 weeks late. Some local friends may have received their card after Christmas *shudders*. Any stamping I did in December was because I was still making cards to mail off. I ended up mailing off around 124. There were still people on our list to mail a card to, but they will be getting a Valentine card instead.

I spent the last month enjoying family, the festivities of Christmas, reading, cooking/baking, digi scrapping, working on scout "stuff" with my son and his friends, and enjoying life in general.

I went through another spell of trying out recipes that I thought would be good or someone I knew would like. Some weren't so thrilling to my kids and one that was I didn't get a picture of. Guess I'll have to make it again soon so I can post it here.

Inside Out Stuffed Cabbage

1 pound ground beef
2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 medium green pepper, chopped
6 cups chopped cabbage
1 can (11-1/2 ounces) spicy hot V8 juice
1 cup water
1 envelope beefy onion soup mix
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup uncooked instant brown rice

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, squash and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the cabbage, juice, water, soup mix and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in rice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Yield: 4 servings.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

6 large sweet peppers
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 small tomatoes, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1/3 cup canned red beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup cubed Monterey Jack cheese
1 can (4-1/4 ounces) chopped ripe olives
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the rice, tomatoes, corn, onion and beans. Stir in the Monterey Jack cheese, olives, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Spoon into peppers.
Combine spaghetti sauce and water; pour half into an oval 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the stuffed peppers. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
Cover and cook on low for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until peppers are tender and filling is heated through. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

Chocolate Chip Cookies on Steroids

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon almond extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups each semisweet chocolate chips, HERSHEY®’S Milk Chocolate Baking Chips and vanilla or white chips
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Combine chips and nuts; stir into dough. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 9 dozen.

Chocolate Jubilees

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 to 3 teaspoons almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup HERSHEY®’S Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups (18 ounces) HERSHEY’®S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 jar (16 ounces) maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
1 cup sliced almonds, optional

In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, oats, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Transfer to a larger bowl if necessary. Stir in chocolate chips, cherries and almonds if desired.
Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 5-1/2 dozen.

This last one I tossed the recipe, but I had to show you that I made it. I have a friend who loves chocolate covered bacon. I'm not overly fond of bacon but I like it in a quiche, breakfast burrito, on green beans, etc. I tried this recipe for salty sweet fudge. It was a pound of chocolate, a pound of bacon and 2C of pecans, along with a couple of other ingredients. Aside from the fact that bacon and chocolate are odd, when you were eating, the chocolate would be gone and you were left with a mass of nuts and bacon in your mouth. I'll stick to other fudge recipes I have.

The only read worth mentioning here is actually one I re-read - The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Such an amazing story of one woman and what she did to help so many during WWII. The experiences she had in the concentration camps. She is an example in so many ways.

A week into the new year, I finally cleaned off my desk yesterday and I'm ready to get back to stamping and more reading. My list of books I want to read is so long and I keep adding more, which is a good thing.

Simple Cards

2010-12-02T22:08:00.005-07:00

I mentioned before that I was looking to come up some cards that were simple and not bulky to mail. I can save $28 in mailing if I keep it simple. $28 is a nice savings, incidentally, it is also what I saved yesterday at the store with my coupons and the BOGO. One of my daughters has been going with me more lately and she loves to see how much we saved by using coupons. I went to a different grocery store yesterday that accepts expired, competitors, etc. You can use up to 3 different coupons for one item. Pretty fun, but also time consuming.

The above cards were made primarily with the stamp set Peaceful Season. The top card was a card on the demo site of SU for us to make in our classes. In addition to Peaceful Season, Bells and Boughs was also used. This was the first time I used the Tasteful Trim die. I really like it. There is another card on demo site I want to make and share later that uses the scallop border.

Stamps: Peaceful Season

CS: Very Vanilla

Ink: Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler

Misc.: Vintage Wallpaper EF, Oval Scallop Frame Die

Stamps: Peaceful Season

CS: Confetti Tan

Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Craft White

Misc.: Vintage Wallpaper EF

Some happy news - the older chap that I read with several times a week, his daughter is no longer working and rather than look for another job, she is bringing her dad, Charlie, to live with her family. They still want me to come and visit with Charlie and read with him at their home. I don't know if I'll keep volunteering at the nursing home or not, I really went there because I wanted to see Charlie and visit with him.

SUStars Blog Hop

2010-11-20T06:13:00.002-07:00

I'm so glad to be a part of the SUStars Christmas/Winter blog hop. This is my favorite time of year and for some reason I'm really excited for Christmas this year. Looking at this card you would think it was pretty easy to do but I have to tell you, I did this card several times before I was happy with it.

Stamps: Tags til Christmas, Peaceful Season

CS: Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, VV

Ink: Early Espresso, VersaMark

Misc.: Detail Gold EP, Metallic Brads, Vanilla Taffeta, Neutrals Brads, Ornament punch, Rhinestone Jewels

Your next stop on the hop is Courtney at Brighten Your Day the Stampin' Up! Way! If you are just joining, you can keep going or start at the beginning at the SU Stars blog.

Christmas Holly

2010-11-19T13:55:00.004-07:00

I'm all about the Bells & Boughs set lately. This set is so versatile, which is fabulous if you are making a lot of Christmas cards. I stamped the holly in Artichoke on the Crumb Cake CS. The greeting I did in Early Espresso. The dot design on the VV is in Cherry as well as the dots on the circle. The solid lines on the circle are done in Artichoke. I punched both the vanilla and cherry circle with the 1-1/2" circle punch. I trimmed the VV circle around the stamped image so it would be framed by the cherry cobbler CS.

Stamps: Bells & Boughs, Welcome Christmas, Frames with a Flourish

CS: Crumb Cake, VV, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, watercolor paper

Ink: Early Espresso, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler

Circle Punches: 1-3/4, 1-1/2

A Very Merry Christmas

2010-11-18T10:50:00.003-07:00

I don't know what it is, but Christmas and all that goes with it seems to be coming earlier for me this year. I'm as behind as ever on my card making but I can't wait to start decorating, to get the tree up, enjoy the lights, parties, friends, and everything else wonderful about Christmas. My kids started practicing Christmas songs a couple of weeks ago for piano and my older two have been singing for their Christmas concert or practicing pieces for their Winter Concert. That helps in getting Christmas going around here.

A fairly simple card to make today. I pulled out a sheet of each DP from the Deck the Halls pack and used 2 different designs on this card. I took my exacto knife to cut around the poinsettia flowers to fit the music in.

Stamps: Bells & Boughs

CS: Crumb, Cake, Cherry Cobbler, VV, Deck the Halls DP

Ink: Early Espresso, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake

Misc.: neutrals brads, Kraft taffeta ribbon

Valentine for Christmas

2010-11-13T18:09:00.004-07:00

For the OWH blog hop, I considered just stamping hearts across a card and adding a sentiment. Obviously, I didn't do it. It cracked me up when I was looking through my e-mail and saw that Kelly had this card on her blog finds of the day list. Since I had the set out, I CASEd it.

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts, Heard from the Heart

CS: VV, Riding Hood Red

Ink: Riding Hood Red

Misc.: Dimensionals

I think Tamye used the heart punch that SU sells. I don't have that punch *gasp* so I just cut the heart from the friend and used the scrap as my stencil to cut one from vanilla.

OWH Be My Valentine Blog Hop

2010-11-13T07:00:00.002-07:00

You're probably thinking "Valentine's Day . . . Seriously?!" It seems like the focus just turned to Christmas and now I'm fast forwarding a couple of months. The reason for this jump is that for the troops overseas, the deadline for us to make Christmas cards for them to use has come and gone. If you plan to make Valentine's Day cards for Operation Write Home (OWH), the deadline is January 7th.

I have two Valentine's Day cards to share today.

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Well Scripted

CS: Rose Red, VV, Elegant Eggplant, Soft Subtles Patterns DP

Ink/Markers: Baja Breeze, Elegant Eggplant, Rose Red, Blush Blossom, Crumb Cake

Punches: Heart border, large oval, decorative label

Misc.: Deck the Halls designer button, Basic Pearl Jewels, dimensionals, glue dots, Victoria ribbon

This next card is pretty much a case of Ilina Crouse. I used different DP and colors but the layout is hers.

Stamps: I {heart} Hearts, Tiny Tags

CS: VV, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Love Letter DP

Ink: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red

Misc.: Dimensionals

Please take a quick minute to vote for OWH at JoAnn's Craft for a Cause. You can vote every day until Dec. 4th. Thank you.

Your next stop on the hop is Roxie's Stamping Room.

Enjoy!

Rag Bag

2010-11-11T11:31:00.006-07:00

When I was at JoAnn's buying fabric for my girls' costumes, I saw this material and loved it. I used the square scallop die from Stampin' Up! to make the squares. I loved how quick it was with the die cutting through 8 layers of fabric at once.

I used a jumbo button from the Deck the Halls Big Designer Button pack. After I had the button sewn on, I put an antique brad through the center to add a little something.

Just because I think my girls were so stinkin' cute for Halloween as Snap, Crackle & Pop, here they are. My son it too old to dress out it seems.

Washer Necklaces

2010-11-09T07:16:00.003-07:00

Apparently washer necklaces were "the thing" to do last year. Somehow, I missed that. However, when I saw a few recently, I liked them and wanted to give them a try. I plan to make some for the girls (8-11 yr. olds) I work with at church. I'm so glad that I have StazOn in 8 different colors. I plan to add some bling to their washer necklace too.

I made mine double-sided so that if it flips over, it won't matter. On the girls, I plan to use DP on one side and the other side will be stamped.

Charming

2010-11-03T07:19:00.003-06:00

I have admired the Simply Adored product line but never purchased it because it was low on my wish list. With the bundle that they are offering, I decided to go for it. I'm so glad I did. I made this through a Stampin' Up! tutorial, which was great. I need to practice some designs for a small area. Maybe I should have joined that inchies swap . . . hmm.

Stamps: Charming

CS: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler

Ink: More Mustard

Markers: Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke

Misc.: 24" chain, 1-1/4 x 1" charm, clear bauble, vanilla ribbon, basic pearls, scallop ribbon punch, Moonlight Smooch

Vintage Christmas

2010-11-02T05:11:00.003-06:00

I fell in love with this set when it came out. It takes me back to Christmas decorations when I was a child and all the decorating we did. Our house looked amazing every Christmas (still does ). A very simple card that you could make a lot of if you need to.

Stamps: Bells & Boughs

CS & Markers: Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

Misc.: Deck the Halls buttons, linen thread, 1-3/4 inch circle punch, XL scallop punch, red jewels

I made it through October

2010-11-01T06:48:00.005-06:00

October ended up being a crazy busy month but it is behind me now. It seems odd to think that it is slowing down when preparations for the holidays begin, but seriously, it was THAT busy.

Since my last post, this is my favorite card I made. I love the sparkle of the Smooch Spritz on the bashful blue cardstock. It looks really nice with the metallic thread around the main image too. I'm breaking my arm patting myself on the back on this one. It is a simple card, but it looks so pretty in person (not too shabby here either).

If you click on the picture, you will see hints of swirls in the picture (the top right shows it best). I used the Northern Frost Strip to cut out the snowflakes from a cereal box. I placed some snowflakes on top the texture plate before putting my cardstock on and running it through the big shot. I wanted the illusion of snow falling and the wind blowing. I had to choose, show you the sparkle or show the swirls when I took the picture and I'm all about the sparkle.

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids

CS: Bashful Blue, Rose Red, Wild Wasabi

Ink: Bashful Blue, Rose Red, Wild Wasabi

Markers: Blush Blossom, So Saffron, Rose Red

Misc.: Watercolor pen, 2-1/2 inch circle punch, Circle Scallop #2 Die, Victoria ribbon, Northern Frost Strip, Perfect Details Texturz Plate, Basic Pearl Jewels, Smooch Spritz, metallic thread

SUStars Blog Hop

2010-10-15T22:34:00.004-06:00

Welcome to SUStars Blog Hop! We were invited to create either a Thanksgiving card or a thank you card. I chose to go with the thank you card. We've had so many great things going on around here and have a lot of people to remember with a thank you card. This first card is done with the Just Believe stamp set. I made the basic card for a swap and added the thank you to fit my needs. That is the great thing about card swaps, some can be for general use but you can turn it into a thank you, birthday, etc.

Stamps: Just Believe, Occasional Quotes

CS: Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, Confetti White

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait

Punches: Designer Label, Sm. Oval (119863), 1-3/8" circle, scallop border punch

Misc.: Dimensionals, Vintage Wallpaper EF, WW Taffeta

I'm hosting a baby shower this coming Saturday and I'm making a bunch of these as a favor for the guests.

The fun for this hop begins on the SUStars blog. There will be a complete list of links for all the participants in the hop in case a link is broken along the way. Your next stop is Mary Campbell's blog. Enjoy!!! I know you will!

Trying to Stamp Around Life

2010-10-10T20:10:00.003-06:00

Here's hoping that there is time tomorrow night to stamp. It has been so crazy busy with family, school concerts, company, a recognition night at church, scouts and normal life. I was just lamenting to my husband that I haven't stamped in days and I planned to tonight and it didn't happen. He said I'll make a blog entry for you. I asked what he would say - thus the title.

My son earned the Life rank a month ago and is focused on Eagle now. We went to an Eagle workshop yesterday. While there, I learned that I, as the advancement chair for his troop, should have written some letters requesting commendation letters/certificates for a recent Eagle. I had no idea. I spent some time tonight writing 6 letters to various individuals that I thought he would appreciate acknowledgement from. The court of honor hasn't been scheduled yet. His parents wanted it with the regular troop court of honor. I had the Committee Chair check again on that because it is a big deal and should be recognized as such.

My mom comes into town tomorrow and will be here for a week. Kind of neat that she will be here for the twins birthday. I don't think she has ever been around for any of the kids' birthdays. Military life does that.

I hope everyone has a great week. It is going to be another busy one with the usual things, a sleepover birthday party and then some. I know I'll be making time for stamping because there is a blog hop next Saturday.

New Stuff Swap

2010-10-05T07:28:00.004-06:00

The SUStars group had a swap last month with the focus being on using new stamps and new colors. My swap came back yesterday. I was so busy yesterday that one of the girls ended up bringing in the mail after dinner. I was still working when she did and didn't take the time to see what came. Just before bed, I checked my e-mail and read that someone received their swap. I went to the table in the entry and there it was.

Swaps are like Christmas for me, you go to the mail box anticipating that today may be the day that you receive it, giddy when it is there. I usually tear into it walking toward the bus stop to meet my girls. I look through them quickly, oohing and aahing at some. I talk with the twins about their day at school and then I look through the swap again before the other kids come home and dinner is started. Love it.

Martha Lucia Gomez

Barbara Furlong
Courtney
Sue-Lynn Bock
Joann Williams
Lauren Winemiller
Tracy Meece
Mindy Gray
Danielle Bodden
Shari Dudek

gasp No Stamping on This

2010-10-04T05:52:00.001-06:00

My youngest girls are twins and they have a birthday coming up. When I was thinking of the invitations, I thought of making one that looked like a sleeping bag. That seemed easy enough to do with cardstock. I got to thinking that most will bring a blanket and a pillow. I decided to make pillows out of felt and have the invitation inside.

I sewed white felt in the shape of a pillow. Trimmed the invitations to fit inside. (Some pillows had to be wider because they had both girls' names on them.) I added some batting to fluff them up a little. A ribbon stapled at the top, a flower and a gem and they are done.

They are happy with them and that is all that matters.

Just a Blog Hop

2010-10-02T12:00:00.007-06:00

Welcome to Just a Blog Hop. We were invited to put aside all of our stamping oriented obligations and deadlines and create something just for fun. The hop guidelines were simple: choose a challenge to play and choose either a new uninked stamp or an old favorite. Create a card and mail it to someone. What could be better to celebrate World Card Making Day?

I started with challenge (TESC130) from Taylor at Taylored Expressions. It was a fun sketch to work with and I got to use my Balmy Breezes set. While some of you are experiencing cooler weather and perhaps leaves starting to change, we are still in the upper 80's/low 90's. Thankfully not as hot as some have had it lately. The nights are starting to get cooler. My kids notice this as they leave in the morning. One of my girls asked if this is what fall is here. This is our second fall in Florida and they have forgotten last year with the busyness of moving.

I looked on Split Coast Stampers (SCS) to see what challenges have been offered there recently. This first card filled two challenges, the color challenge (CC290) and the Clean and Simple Challenge (CAS86). The Cottage Rose stamp set has always been one of my favorites. I have to say that gray leaves are not a bad thing. Why do I always have to have green leaves when I stamp?

I pulled out Garden Pleasures for this next card for the Sketch Challenge (SC300). That is amazing that they have offered that many sketch challenges, that is about 6 years now. Wow! I stamped the birdhouse on a paint sample from my favorite Hardware store. It went well with the Bravo Burgundy Paper. I used my Copper EP, it has been a long time since I used that color. I don't use my embossing powders enough.

If you came from Emily Gunnell's blog, you are on the right track. The next stop on the hop is Monika Davis. To start at the beginning, go to Jami Sibley's blog.

Happy World Card Making Day

Haunted House and Zucchini Blueberry Bread

2010-09-28T07:06:00.004-06:00

No stamping for me this morning. I thought I would share a card from years ago that reminds me of the haunted house set in the catalog now. I always liked this image with the shaving cream background. Perhaps something you may want to try if you have the current set.

It has been at least 5 years since I made zucchini bread. Actually it was a zucchini apple bread that I made. I wanted to try a different version of zucchini bread. Zucchini blueberry sounded good and I have a lot of blueberries in the freezer for the lemon blueberry bread that I make and for the kids to make smoothies. I crammed the batter into 4 mini loaf pans, but you really need 5 to make it easier to get out of the pan. My husband is not a fan of zucchini and comments how his mother would sneak it in on him but he really liked the bread. I only had a couple of kids brave enough to try the bread but they liked it.

Zucchini Blueberry Bread

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1C oil

1T vanilla

2C sugar

1/4C brown sugar

3C shredded zucchini

3C flour

1t salt

1t baking powder

1/4t baking soda

1T cinnamon

1 pt. blueberries

Topping:

2/3C flour

1/2C brown sugar

1/2C sugar

1t cinnamon

1/2C chopped walnuts

1 stick softened butter

Beat the eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar and brown sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Bake at 350 for 50 min. Cool for 20 minutes in pan before removing to wire rack.

Hope you have a fabulous day.

Two Ways

2010-09-27T06:59:00.003-06:00

Same basic card, shown two ways, one with a simple thank you and the other with the pearls. I hope they eventually come out with vanilla pearls. As soon as I had this thought this morning, I was thinking the catalog has only been out 2 months and I'm already wanting something more. I still have so much to use from this one.

Stamps: Just Believe

CS: Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, So Saffron (VV on thank you)

Markers: Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze

Misc.: Dimensionals, pearls, Always Artichoke 1/4" grosgrain, brad, scallop border punch

The last leaf

2010-09-24T06:11:00.003-06:00

I cut out the twiggy branch of leaves (although the DP makes me think of wheat) a few weeks ago. It has been sitting on my desk waiting for me to do something with it. Today was the day. I was in the middle of the usual morning activities and was able to whip out this card.

I showed one of my kids this card and they asked why I keep using this set when I have so many others. I guess it is time to start using something else. I was thinking the other day how I'm always pulling the clear mount sets instead of the wood mounted ones now.

Stamps: Day of Gratitude, Occasional Quotes

CS: VV, Cajun Craze, Autumn Spice DP

Ink: Old Olive, Early Espresso

Misc.: Button, Dimensionals, Linen Thread, Wide Oval Punch, Piercing mat & tool

Now to get on with today's list. I see a lot of cooking/baking happening today.

It Worked

2010-09-23T09:22:00.004-06:00

When I first got the Day of Gratitude set, I had the Blossom Party die on my desk and I wondered if that pointy-tipped flower would work with this image. It does! I actually would change my color choices around, but I had a limited amount of time and I went with what I started with and made it work. If you click on the image, you will see that I pierced a circle around the cajun center to add a little something.

The colors are a bit off in my picture but you're familiar enough with them to know.

Stamps: Day of Gratitude, Whimsical Words

CS: Crumb Cake, VV, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Autumn Spice DP

Ink & Markers: Old Olive, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Early Espresso

Misc.: Blossom Party die, 1" circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, neutrals designer buttons, linen thread, dimensionals, piercing tool & mat, stampamajig

Happy Day!

No Stamping Today

2010-09-22T09:44:00.002-06:00

I went to bed with an idea of what I wanted to stamp this morning. I went to my desk to begin and couldn't start because everything is such a mess. I started putting away markers from yesterday's card. Then it was packages of cardstock that were still out. Needless to say, I spent close to two hours cleaning up, I'm still not done but I need to move on to my "list" for today. I'm posting like I usually do and I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with the idea I had last night.

You may be wondering what the picture above is. A few weeks ago I received an envelope with the badges I earned this summer for VC Rocks. They don't usually have badges but they were celebrating 10 years. I think it was a brilliant idea and probably helped the group to be more active. I know I participated in a couple of things I don't usually do.

Last night was book club. I didn't make it. I'm kind of bummed about it but I really didn't feel to great. I missed last month because my husband was TDY and next month I will miss for a concert one of the kids is in at school. I don't mind missing next month though. I love hearing them at the beginning of the year, the progression at the winter concert and being totally dazzled at the Spring concert by how far they've come.

This is the book they talked about last night. When it comes to book club selections, I always look in the back before I begin to see if they chose a book that has "suggested questions" and I skim them. This time I only read the first question and stopped because the question put in my mind I would be picking sides and I didn't want to start off with that in mind or any other leading questions.

The book itself starts off a bit gloomy with the death of two teenage boys through a car accident. You never learn more of the accident other than one had been drinking but wasn't intoxicated and one car was mangled and it was hard to even identify the body.

There is Melanie Johnston, a single mother working to support her son Jeff and daughter Sarah. She is outraged by the accident and loss of her son, determined that he will be remembered and leave behind a legacy, she files a lawsuit. In her grieving, looking for answers and ultimately trying to keep her daughter from the backlash of the lawsuit, she ends up attending her children's church. She finds support there and some answers. She works as a price checker and her job ends up providing some challenges due to the lawsuit.

Then there is the other mom, Andie Phelps that is grieving the loss of her only child, Chad. Her husband is so busy with work that she doesn't see much of him and they don't communicate much. They are wealthy and she is able to spend much of her time working on raising money for charities, helping at a soup kitchen, and painting some. While they are dealing with the loss of their son, they both have the burden of guilt for things they did or didn't do with their son.

Through the grief of these two families, the impact of the lawsuit on them and the community, you are able to see the affect that comes from their two worlds colliding. The end talks more of faith, forgiveness and then some. There is the tied-up happy ending (as happy as it can get) for the book. Definitely a good read.

Sweet Birthday Card

2010-09-21T07:21:00.003-06:00

I'm in a mad dash right now to get to an appointment. I would love to be able to tell you that something happened that got in my way of plans for the day. Actually I can say that, it just isn't glamorous or exciting, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got up late today. I usually get up at 5:45 and today I got up at 6:45. While my morning is pure chaos, it is worth it. I went to bed at 2:30 reading a book for book club. I will definitely have it read for tonight. I'll tell you about it tomorrow.

A birthday card because there are a lot of birthdays coming up in my little world.

Stamps: Birthday Bakery, Crazy for Cupcakes, Vintage Labels

CS: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, VV

Ink: Stazon Black, Chocolate Chip

Markers: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede

Misc.: Rhinestones, Oval punch, oval scallop punch, dimensionals, button, piercing tool, elegant lines embossing folder

Friends Never Fade

2010-09-20T08:08:00.004-06:00

Isn't that the truth? Time doesn't always permit talking with them, distance gets in the way of getting together, but they are always there and things pick up right where they left off. I'm definitely blessed with the friends I have.

I'm participating in a swap where you the primary color needs to be a new color, and you need to use a new stamp set. I'm pretty jazzed with how this card turned out. I didn't have any Pear Pizzazz ribbon so I colored the white taffeta ribbon with the pear marker.

Stamps: Friends Never Fade
CS: Pear Pizzazz, Real Red, WW, Greenhouse Gala DP
Ink: Pear Pizzazz
Markers: Pear Pizzazz, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red
Misc.: X-Lg Scallop Punch, 2-1/2" Circle punch (mini catalog), rhinestones, white taffeta

SU Stars Blog Hop

2010-09-17T21:32:00.007-06:00

Those of you that visit my blog regularly know that I love this set. I'm happy to share it on the SU Stars blog hop today. If you would like to start at the beginning of the hop, you can start at the SU Stars Blog. Hopefully, you are already on the hop and just came from Denise Foor's blog. I loved all of the textures on the wreath that Denise created using Stampin' Up!'s DSP, embossing folders and her Big Shot.
If you have gotten the Autumn Spice DP, you've probably noticed that on the paper with all the leaves, there is a background in more mustard. After I stamped the leaves, they just seemed so bare on the cardstock so I got out the Sanded background and stamped it in More Mustard to go along with the paper.

Stamps: Sanded, Day of Gratitude
CS: More Mustard, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, Autumn Spice
Ink & Markers: Early Espresso, Old Olive Cajun Craze, More Mustard (just ink on MM)
Misc.: Early Espresso taffeta ribbon, sticky strip, dimensionals, wide oval punch, decorative label punch

I hope you liked today's card. Your next stop on the hop is Angela Walters, Life with a Wiener Dog. I love her card. It takes me back to my beginning days of stamping. My interest in quilting subsided and my very first rubber stamp was a Boyd's Bear stamp with a honey pot.

Christmas Cards

2010-09-16T07:05:00.006-06:00

These are the cards from the Christmas/Winter swap I participated in last month.

by Beth Ratliffby Jenn Lewisby Jane Higniteby Alice Hartlaubby Brandy Campbellby Debbie Flattumby Catie Palmerby Tina Tavesby Kim Overholtby Stace Coombs

I'm not square . . .

2010-09-14T06:52:00.003-06:00

I'm loving 4-day weeks. The kids had yesterday off and it was a nice day. We didn't do anything grand. The kids cleaned their rooms, I did some laundry and we had company for dinner. I tried out a new recipe for chicken tacos. I can't say I enjoyed it but I have enough left over meat and rice that I'm going to use it for enchiladas.

I've had this card base sitting on my desk since last week when I totally boogered up the coloring on the hydrangea and made something else. I thought I would give it another go today. I managed to color the hydrangea, mounted it on the top note die and had one of those smack your head moments. This is a square card and the way I did the hydrangea, it wouldn't fit on the card. I pulled out the trusty Greeting Card Kids set that is ideal for square cards. I think I will stick with the traditional sized cards for a while, I'm not a square card kind of gal.

I tried coloring the pearl jewels with the SU marker but the color didn't stay to well. I used the purple and olive Sharpie to color them. The color is a little off, although in the picture it seems very off.

Bethlehem Christmas

2010-09-10T06:55:00.003-06:00

I was asked to make some Christmas cards and I made several samples. I have to admit that this card looks fairly simple, but it is time consuming with all of the cutting. As I was cutting between the camels' legs, I was hoping this wouldn't be picked as "the one" that I had to make 50 of. The picture doesn't capture it well, but the oval has the gold Smooch spritz on it, and it looks fabulous with the shine.

Stamps: Come to Bethlehem
CS: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Night of Navy, Very Vanilla
Ink: Early Espresso
Markers: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight
Misc.: Old Olive taffeta ribbon, scallop trim border punch, gold glow Smooch Spritz, Dimensionals

Christmas

2010-09-09T06:37:00.002-06:00

When I bought this set, I envisioned the wreath acting as a frame to another image, or perhaps a sentiment inside. Yesterday I took time to stamp in the afternoon, which I don't usually do. My morning session was a bust and what I had made didn't turn out post worthy so I was determined to make something that I liked. The idea isn't new but it turned out well. I used two different colors of red rhinestones on the wreath. I sponged River Rock ink on the door panels to define them more. I sponged Garden Green ink over the wreath.

Stamps: Welcome Christmas
CS: Confetti White, Real Red
Ink: River Rock, Garden Green
Misc.: Red Rhinestones, Dimensionals, Gold brad, Real Red taffeta ribbon

CASE and Apple Muffins

2010-09-07T06:11:00.012-06:00

I planned to spend some time this weekend CASE-ing cards that I've saved over the last little bit. I didn't do any stamping at all. I worked on different projects, we went to a BBQ and it was just another typical weekend around here carting the kids to be with the their friends. Mary posted this card yesterday for a clean & simple sketch challenge. As soon as I saw it, I wrote her to say it was awesome and I would be making it. I know I've told you before, but she is one of those people that you know whatever she makes, it is going to be good.

Go to her blog for the directions on this card. She even gives measurements. Super easy if you have the punch and if you don't, it isn't bad. I didn't have the right size square punch so I ended up using a knife to cut out the squares. I bought a square punch once and wondered why. It is pretty easy to cut a square with a paper cutter. For the first time, I can see a need for a square punch.

Now for the muffins . . .I came across this recipe about 6+ years ago. I don't make them often (usually because I don't buy muffin mix) but when I do, my family is happy. They are incredibly easy to make because you are using a mix. I usually double this recipe because we are a family of 6 and everyone usually has 2. Sometimes their second gets saved for later, sometimes they inhale both right then. These are very sweet, more like a dessert in my opinion. Sometimes I just make it with the streusel on top and other times I will add the glaze. Even though I double the recipe, I make the glaze for a single recipe because I end up throwing half of it away if I double it.

Apple Streusel Muffins

1 pkg. (6.5 oz.) apple cinnamon muffin mix
1 lg. tart apple, peeled and diced
1/3C chopped walnuts
3T brown sugar
4-1/2t flour
1T butter or margarine melted.

Glaze:
3/4C powdered sugar
1/2t vanilla
1 to 2 T milk

Mix up muffin mix according to package directions; fold in apple. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. In a small bowl combine the walnuts, brown sugar, flour and butter; sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm muffins.

Fast and Fabulous

2010-09-03T07:22:00.006-06:00

I have to admit this isn't my favorite card. I'm going to retry the sketch later. I went from what I remembered seeing yesterday and when I was going to link to it, I realized I omitted a layer. I haven't used the Poppy color yet, so I went with one of the suggestions from the color coach. Again, not my favorite. I will hopefully re-work the card this weekend and have an improved version to share.

So, my brain is mush. Perhaps why I'm struggling to come up with anything today. As I was putting the card together, thinking how tired I am, I realized I've had 16 hours of sleep total in the last 5 nights. I hope to sleep in tomorrow. Right now I'm getting ready to do some grocery shopping, tidy up the house and hopefully clean the porch before the kids get home. Tonight is a football game, last week was a scrimmage.

Have a fabulous Labor Day weekend and I'll see you Tuesday.

Stamps: Fast & Fabulous, Occasional Quotes

CS: So Saffron, Marina Mist, Poppy Parade, Confetti White

Ink: Poppy Parade, Basic Black

Misc.: Buttons, Dimensionals, Decorative Label Punch

OWH Just Believe

2010-09-02T06:34:00.007-06:00

A fairly simple card that I'm making for Operation Write Home (OWH). I'm hoping to make some other cards to send off in a couple of weeks. If you are a stamper, you are most likely aware of the organization. If you are a friend of mine checking to see what I've been up to in the stamp room, you may of heard me mention OWH, or perhaps saw the tat Ben gave himself with the stamp. The cards that OWH receives are sent to deployed troops so that they are able to send cards home for birthdays, anniversaries, miss you, etc. Stamps: Just Believe
CS: So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Perfect Plum, VV
Ink: Always Artichoke, Perfect Plum
Misc.: Piercing tool, scallop border punch

Love Letter

2010-09-01T07:30:00.003-06:00

I'm behind schedule this morning for posting. Yet, for a Wednesday, I'm ahead. I don't usually get to shower until dinner is in the oven but I did that instead of stamping this morning. I still need to go to school but I don't have a set time to show up today, so I could still get some stamping in.

You can never go wrong with red and black. For the punched flower, I punched a row, centering the filigree design for each punch. On either end, it doesn't all fit, so I picked the one that would fit most of the design and used it as my back layer. Maybe I'll have to write a little note to my husband now.

Stamps: Great Friend, Watercolor Trio
CS: VV, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Love Letter DP
Ink: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red
Misc.: Dimensionals, Rhinestones, Black 1/8" taffeta ribbon, scallop border & circle punches, rhinestone & filigree brad, mini library clip

Welcome Christmas

2010-08-31T06:32:00.006-06:00

This card was inspired by a card in Paper Crafts Magazine. I still have my eye out for ways to use the DP.

Stamps: Welcome Christmas

CS: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Jolly Holiday DP

Markers: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive

Misc.: Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain, dimensionals, basic jewels rhinestones

Last week I mentioned that I entered the card below in a contest at VC Rocks. I found out Saturday that it tied for first place. How cool is that?

Halloween/Thanksgiving

2010-08-30T05:54:00.005-06:00

by Carey Rogers
by Patrice Herrera, Jane Hignite
by Loni Holt, Kym Schwinkendorf
by Karen Mongor, Kimber Dunn
by Pam Miller, Brenda Hugar
by Stace Coombs
Three weeks of school completed and we have started the countdown. Ten more days and we will be one-eighth done with this school year. I was informed 3 weeks doesn't sound like a lot but 1/8 shows you are getting somewhere.

Most people don't look forward to Monday but we happen to like it because it is the only day that doesn't have something scheduled on the calendar. It is a nice, slow start to the week.

Happy Day!

It's All New to Me

2010-08-27T05:40:00.004-06:00

I'm so glad it is Friday. I can't say my weekend will be any less chaotic than the week but I'm soooo glad it is here. It would be nice if there were an extra day or two to the weekend so I could catch my breath.

Today I'm sharing cards from a swap.

by Sharon Field

by Sunny Skye DeWeez & Kim Overholt

by Norma Chiaramonte & Vickie Kertz

by Gail Trask & Kris Sobolik

by Kris Sobolik & Jane Hignite

by Jane Hignite

Have a great weekend!

Corner Bookmark

2010-08-26T06:21:00.005-06:00

First attempt at a corner bookmark. I know SCS has a tutorial and I plan to look later to see if I should have done something different. I didn't look there before doing this because my laptop wasn't on and I thought, "How hard can it be?". It wasn't hard at all, although I did waste a couple pieces of cardstock. I was trying to get the Elegant Lines embossing folder a particular way for the top square and it couldn't be done without hitting the sides of the Big Shot. Still turned out pretty nice though.

CS: Marina Mist, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Elegant Soiree DSP
Punches: 2-step bird, border scallop punch, boho blossoms
Misc.: Pearl basic jewel, Elegant Lines EF, basic black marker, white gel pen

Just Believe

2010-08-25T06:51:00.005-06:00

I must have started stamping a little late today. Usually I'm finishing up a card about the time I need to take my son to the bus stop. His days are so long. He is up at 5:30 to leave the house by 6:00. He gets back around 7:30, changes, has breakfast and I take him to his bus. His stop is about 3/4 mi. away. Some days he gets home around 4:15, others it is 6:30, and then there are the late days when he gets home around 8:30. I think he is pretty amazing to be gone so much and then come home, have dinner, work on homework, practice piano, etc. He still finds time to be on Facebook, but the longer days don't allow for him to log on. He spends a lot of his weekend chillaxin' here or with friends and doing a little bit of work on some merit badges. He has a goal to finish his Eagle rank by summer, with it being presented in August or September. You didn't come here to hear about his schedule and how much I love him though .

About the card, I wanted a bigger circle than I used on the card but I also wanted to stick with what SU offers in the catalog. I don't have the circle cutter so I stuck with the punches so it would be quick to do. I also intended for the strip to be slightly smaller, but I used the decorative image for the "thank you". Still smaller than the circle, which was the goal. I lightly sponged the edges on the vanilla strip with Wild Wasabi.

Stamps: Just Believe
CS: Marina Mist, Textured Wild Wasabi, VV, Early Espresso
Markers: Early Espresso, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist
Misc.: Vintage Brads, Early Espresso & Marina Mist 1/4" grosgrain, 1-3/4" & 1-1/2" circle punch

Day of Gratitude

2010-08-24T06:25:00.005-06:00

Today's card is simple in design. I inked up the image with More Mustard and then colored with the markers. Originally, I was going to have a half-circle of rhinestones on the right side of the image but I thought that would be a bit much. I settled for the rhinestone in the center. I love the rhinestones Stampin' Up! has because they seem to sparkle more than other brands I've used in the past.

Stamps: Day of Gratitude
CS: Cajun Craze, VV, Autumn Spice DP
Ink: More Mustard, VersaMark
Markers: Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso
Misc.: Rhinestones, Clear EP

Card Contest

2010-08-23T06:21:00.001-06:00

I entered this card in the VC Rocks contest that ended last night. There were some pretty amazing cards entered. I was challenging myself to use the smaller images in the stamp set because I have been so focused on the larger image. I have fun coloring that image with markers and changing up the look.

Stamps: Day of Gratitude
CS: More Mustard, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, VV, Autumn Spice DSP
Ink/Markers: Early Espresso, More Mustard, Old Olive, Cajun Craze
Misc.: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Early Espresso 1/8" taffeta ribbon, Dimensionals, Fire rhinestone brads

I'm off to a busy day full of meetings, grocery shopping and cooking dinner for a family that lost their mom during childbirth. So sad. You don't really hear of that happening nowadays.

VC Rocks Blog Hop 4

2010-08-20T23:11:00.008-06:00

I'm kind of sad that this is the last blog hop for the summer for VC Rocks. I've had a lot of fun participating and hopping around. You should have just come from Brenda's Stamping Corner. When I verified the link, I checked out what was on the front page of her blog. Oh my heck! If you scroll down to "Just Add Ink Challenge #30", check out that poodle skirt. That is cute! You should go back and look, especially if you like punched art.

I've mentioned a few times on here about how I have so much DSP and I never seem to use it. How I've taken to leaving it out on my desk so I will use it more. I'm not sure if this is good or not because I feel obligated to make a card with it when I see it. I must talk about it enough around here because one of my kids commented "check you out using the DP!" LOL I was happy they knew what I was talking about when I say DP.

Let's talk about the card. I'm so glad I got this set. The first time I saw it online I thought it was a must have and then I got the mini catalog in the mail and I didn't think I would use it enough to justify the purchase. I'm not sure what made me take the plunge, but I've made so many cards and still have a lot of ideas floating around in my head. This one I thought of a week ago and finally got it together.

To layer the Decorative Label punch, I punched two pieces from Early Espresso cardstock. I cut one in half length-wise. The second punch piece I cut between the bumps going toward the center making something of a heart shape. I mounted the ends first and then added the sides.

Stamps: Day of Gratitude
CS: Early Espresso, Old Olive, More Mustard, Crumb Cake, VV
Ink: Old Olive, Early Espresso
Misc.: Regals buttons, Linen Thread, Word Window punch, Decorative Label punch, Early Espresso Taffeta ribbon, and Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by. Your next stop is Stamp with Jane. You may be making a stop at the hardware store after visiting her. You can go here to start at the beginning of the blog hop.

Friends Never Fade

2010-08-19T10:50:00.003-06:00

The colors are off on this card. I forgot to change the settings on my camera and did a quick correct on it. One of those rare times I had my camera on a manual setting. I was trying to get a picture of lightning off in the distance. I did get four pictures but nothing really spectacular like you see in National Geographic.

Stamps: Friends Never Fade
CS: Greenhouse Gala DP, VV, Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Real Red
Misc.: Red Taffeta, Eyelet Border Punch

Friend to Friend

2010-08-18T04:18:00.001-06:00

The swap I participated in had you pick a card from the catalog and either change the set or the colors. I changed out the set. I couldn't find the recipe on the SU site for the catalog, so I kept it the same color scheme. I'm guessing Pumpkin Pie was used but I liked the Peach Parfait with the taffeta. The card I used as my template is found on page 140 of the current catalog.

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Priceless, Teeny Tiny Wishes
CS: Confetti White, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait
Ink: StazOn, Basic Black, Pear Pizzazz
Markers: Pear Pizzazz, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, Peach Parfait, Crumb Cake
Misc.: Pumpkin Pie Taffeta, dotted scallop border punch

Just Believe

2010-08-17T05:28:00.002-06:00

I love the name of this set, Just Believe. There are so many things we have to "just believe" in, have faith in, and you know they are or will be because of the action that goes into them. My first card with this set. The color is a little off because the sun is still rising, however, at the same time, it seems appropriate to have the golden glow.

Stamps: Just Believe
CS: Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, Confetti White
Markers: Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz
Misc.: White taffeta ribbon, dotted scallop border punch, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder

Day of Gratitude

2010-08-16T03:35:00.001-06:00

I made two cards Saturday using this set. I have quite a few more ideas for this set but I'm totally focused on swaps . . . still. I'm using this card for one swap and the other card I entered into a contest. It is cloudy today so I wasn't able to capture the shine of the Smooch spray on the main image. It is the first time I've used it and I love it. This needs to stay short because I have a meeting to get to. Lots of cards to share this week.

Note that I used the new decorative label punch from the holiday mini. I cut off the points from the top and bottom. They poked around the oval just a smidge but just enough that I felt the need to make them disappear.

Stamps: Day of Gratitude
CS: Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, VV
Markers: Early Espresso, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, More Mustard
Misc.: Vintage brads, wide oval punch, decorative label punch, gold glow Smooch Spritz, early espresso 1/4" grosgrain, square lattice embossing folder, dimensionals

Come to Bethlehem

2010-08-12T10:35:00.004-06:00

I'm trying to come up with a Christmas card for a swap I'm in. I didn't plan to use this set but an idea came to me yesterday when I was working in the morning. Today I got it together. I like it but I don't think I'll be doing it for the swap. The bow are a booger to get going in the right direction.

Stamps: Come to Bethlehem
CS: Riding Hood Red, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake, VV
Ink: Black, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake
Misc.: Embossing folder, silver cording

Halloween Milk Carton

2010-08-11T09:23:00.003-06:00

I have this mini milk carton die since it came out and today was the first time I've used it. I had it in my head that it was bigger but it is a nice size for favors, something to hand out in class. The pixie sticks would look cute coming out the spout but they would be quite a bit larger than the carton. The black cardstock under the main image is cut 1-1/2" x 1-7/8" to give you an idea of how big this is.

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids
CS: Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black, WW
Ink: WW
Misc.: Watercolor Crayons, Dimensionals, Pumpkin Pie 1/8" taffeta ribbon, mini library clip, glue dot (to hold the ribbon in place)

Tropical Party

2010-08-09T13:10:00.002-06:00

I was checking out some digital scrapbooking blogs and came across a card like the one I made above. It was using a kit one of the designers made. Seeing all the squares, I was thinking it was a fun way to show the paper in our Designer Series Paper. I still have way too much DP and every time I get another pack, I promise myself I will use it. I don't. Island Oasis has been sitting on my desk for a couple of months. I've even made several cards with Tropical Party. Today I used some. I have to keep telling myself it is OK to use this set still, it is after all, still summer. Today was the first day of school so I'm feeling like summer is over even though it is mid-90s and won't be fall-like for about 3 more months.

Stamps: Tropical Party, Thank You Kindly, Frames w/ a Flourish
CS: Old Olive, So Saffron, WW
Ink: Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red
Misc.: Island Oasis DSP, Fire Circles Brads, Dimensionals, corner rounder

More Watercolor Trio

2010-08-05T07:42:00.005-06:00

Today I wanted to make some cards that wouldn't require extra postage when mailing. This morning I started off with this card. I liked it but it seemed a little plain. I added the perfect polkadots embossing folder and switched the colors around.
Definitely liked the Concord Crush better and went back to that. I can't decide which embossing folder I like better for the embossed strip but I'm leaning toward the Finial Press one.
Stamps: Watercolor Trio
CS: WW, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz
Markers: Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait
Embossing Folders: Finial Press, Perfect Polkadots, Vintage Wallpaper
Misc.: Dimensionals

Watercolor Trio

2010-08-04T07:31:00.003-06:00

Today is going to be a busy day. We registered our son for high school this past Saturday and today I get to go to the middle school and elementary school for the three girls. I'm not looking forward to it, however, I expect it will go a lot smoother since we've been here a year and they are established in the school system.

I like the colors of today's card. Unfortunately, I can't get a good picture. The sprinklers were on this morning so everything is wet outside.

Stamps: Watercolor Trio
CS: Pear Pizazz, Cajun Craze, WW
Markers: Pear Pizazz, More Mustard, Cajun Craze
Misc.: Dimensionals, white satin ribbon, 1-3/4" circle punch, jumbo scallop punch, white signo pen

. . . next year I'll forget mine

2010-08-03T05:59:00.002-06:00

This set has always cracked me up. This particular stamp has always tickled me and I've never had a need to use it. Either I remember your birthday or I don't. The person I made this for, I remembered her birthday, I just failed to schedule my time well enough that I was able to get it made in time. Each week it seems I get a little done on different things I wanted to include. The funny thing is I bought her gift 2 weeks before her birthday. It still won't make it in the mail today. My van is in the shop for some routine maintenance. I make no promises on tomorrow since I'll not want to be out longer than I have to with the school registrations.

Stamps: Wanda's Wit and Wisdom, Occasional Quotes
CS: Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight
Ink: StazOn Black
Misc.: WWC, Dimensionals, Brads, Perfect Polkadots EF, Scallop Frame die

Will today be the day?

2010-07-29T07:24:00.002-06:00

Since we've been back from our trip, it has been super busy. By the time I have some free time, I just want to sit and read a book or e-mail. It isn't that the days are exhausting in any way, we just aren't around. I just realized last night I'm putting on a shindig next week that I thought was still a few weeks out. On the bright side, I was happy this morning when I realized a dinner I thought I was hosting this weekend is still one week away. Nice! Dinners are easy enough to do but I'm expecting several hours on Saturday will be spent at the high school for registration.

We saw Ramona & Beezus yesterday. It was a good movie. I was expecting it to take after the book but it didn't because they are about 5 years older. It did have at least one part from "Ramona Quimby - Age 8". My girls want to own it - not that they will watch it all the time but they will throw it in the mix. They watch one DVD every weekend.

I have to, have to, have to make it into my stamp room today. Lots of birthdays coming up (and those I'm late on).

Grandma's Treasure Bag

2010-07-27T08:26:00.003-06:00

When we were stationed in Virginia, I learned how to make these bags. They are really easy to make and a lot of fun. I made one and then on of my daughters had sewing 101 helping me with the other two bags a couple of days before we left on our trip. We took one of them to Massachusetts to give to my cousin's kids. Their kids (7 & 5) really liked it.

These bags are super easy to make. They get a little spendy with all of the things you put inside and the beads but they last so long. When I first made one, my kids would sit and try and find things, their friends liked it when they came over and were waiting. It went in the car with us and even to some dr. appointments.

You need:
2 - 7-1/2 to 9" squares of sturdy fabric
heavy clear shower liner
poly-fil micro beads (linked so you'd know)
As many things as you want to fill it with.
Ribbon
Printout of what went in
Laminating paper or clear contact paper

The size of the bag is up to you. I made 8" bags. From one of the squares, cut out a circle in the center. Cut a circle of the heavy shower liner about 1/2" to 3/4" larger than the circle cut from the square. (The shower liner hangs from the rolls with the other fabric used for home decorating.) Zigzag stitch the clear circle to the fabric going around the circle twice.

Put the wrong sides of fabric together and stitch 3/4" around 3 sides. On one side, leave an opening for the beads and trinkets to go in. I find it easier at this point to stitch the 1/2" around the square now rather than when it is filled, leaving the opening.

Fill 2/3 full with the beads and add what you want to add. As you are adding the items, be sure to write them down as you go so you will have a complete list when you type it up.

Sew the bag closed at 3/4" and 1/2". Attach ribbon to corner going over several times using the reverse stitch as necessary. Attach laminated list to ribbon by punching a hole in it and knotting the ribbon.

When buying the little things to find, I used some things found around the house, buttons, flag from confetti bags, baby shower and wedding things, mini doll house items.

Some ideas: penny, paper clip, safety pin (use pliers to pinch the end closed so it won't open), star, heart, button, flag, turtle, frog, bee, ladybug, balloon, mini silk rose, wooden bead, rose, dragonfly, magnetic letter, mini wooden letter block, mini car, googly eye, glass candy, marble, etc.

Altoid Tin Swap

2010-07-21T09:43:00.001-06:00

I forgot to share the tins from the Altoid tin swap I participated in last month. I never thought of embossing on it but the Medallion stamp is awesome for it. I like the personalization with the initial too.

Fifth Avenue Floral

2010-07-20T07:35:00.001-06:00

I was looking for some inspiration and thumbed through the current issue of Paper Crafts. I came across a card similar to this one. The card in the magazine has caught my eye every time I see it. I can't say it was a favorite because I didn't dog ear the page. This time, I decided to make it using a similar stamp.

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Occasional Quotes
CS: WW, Paper Pack II
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, More Mustard, Old Olive
Markers: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise
Misc.: Real Red buttons, crochet thread

Manhattan Flower Case

2010-07-19T08:23:00.003-06:00

My e-mails have been piling up lately as I've been busy with other things. Sometimes it is so busy that it doesn't feel like summer and then there are the days that are laid back and it is what summer is all about. Getting together with friends, going to the beach, reading, etc. I spent a couple of hours going through SOME e-mails the other day and saw this from Vicky. I loved it. So simple. So elegant. I had to make it. Of course, I didn't have the right color of textured cardstock so I went with the plain version. I didn't want to get up to get the Melon Mambo ribbon, so I went with the Razzleberry on my desk.
Stamps: Tiny Tags
CS: Shimmery White, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Misc.: Textured impressions manhattan flower, rich razzleberry 1/2" polka dot grosgrain, tag punch

VC Rocks Blog Hop

2010-07-16T21:58:00.003-06:00

I can't wait to go through the blogs when I get home from camp. I'm sure there are some fabulous ideas being shared. You should have arrived here from Lori's blog, Paper Castles. The file folder notebook that she shared is pretty snazzy. I have had that project on my "stamping to do" list for a while. Her card sets in different colors are nice too.

When I saw the Bigz Island Floral in the catalog, I could only see a Christmas light bulb. Today I give you Christmas in July.

Stamps: Tropical Party, All Holidays

CS: WW, Garden Green, Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake

Ink: Garden Green, Riding Hood Red

Misc.: Bigz Island Floral, White Signo Pen

Thanks for stopping by. Your last stop is Loni Holt. Enjoy!

Pick a Petal Notebook

2010-07-13T20:46:00.002-06:00

One of my girls is off to camp tomorrow. They were asked to bring 3 small gifts totaling $5 (or free). We went shopping yesterday and she picked up a $1 lip gloss, a bottle of bubbles on clearance for $2.87 and a bottle of nail polish. We never did find out how much the nail polish was, and it is safe to say that we exceeded the $5. This notebook is her third gift. She is combining the bubbles and lip gloss. We are considering this notebook "free" since we didn't buy it, we already had it and the supplies.

I got the notebook from Target a couple of years ago. It was either on sale or clearance. I just remember being excited about the price and I picked different sizes up with black, pink or turquoise colors.

Stamps: Pick a Petal
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizazz
CS: WW
Misc.: Chipboard, Razzleberry ribbon

Bookmarks

2010-07-12T06:12:00.003-06:00

Have you read any good books lately? I'm reading The Good Earth and should finish it tonight. I hope the main character rethinks something he has done and goes back to the down-to-earth person he was instead of being so prideful. His values have changed and it is sad for him, his family, and others that are affected by his choices. I'm appreciating how swiftly this book moves along and yet, the point is made.

I'm on a bookmark kick again. I'm making some for friends and for the girls at church for one of our meetings when we have a book review. I'm looking forward to hearing their top picks and a little of their book of choice.

One of my daughters needs to have several gifts this week that total $5 or are free. I was thinking a couple of bookmarks would be good, along with a notebook that is jazzed up. She is thinking lip gloss or something similar too. We are going shopping tomorrow to see what we can find.

Tropical Party

2010-07-09T07:06:00.004-06:00

I made this M&T for VC Rocks. I had a hard time getting a picture where the colors were close to right. later in the day (sun setting) may be great for people but not cards.Stamps: Tropical Party
CS: Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Tangerine Tango, WW
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Tangerine Tango
Markers: Tangerine Tango, Early Espresso, Marina Mist
Misc.: 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta ribbon, piercing tool & mat, Dimensionals

1. On the Wild Wasabi card base, stamp the leaves across the middle.

2. Rough up the bottom edge of the Early Espresso cardstock (1-5/8" x 5-1/2")

3. Pierce the Marina Mist cardstock (1/2" x 5-1/2") and attach to the Espresso CS with adhesive.

4. Tie the ribbon around one end and mount to card base.

5. Color the coconut image with markers and stamp onto WW (1-1/2" x 1-3/4"). Mount onto Tangerine Tango (1-3/4" x 2")

6. Mount coconut/tangerine on the card.

7. Stamp flower with Tangerine Tango on WW and cut out. Use Dimesional to attach to card.

The Last of the Red, White and Blue cards

2010-07-07T10:54:00.003-06:00

I used Punched Posies a lot this past weekend and found it to be a fun set to use. When I first saw it, I wasn't that thrilled with it and thought it would be somewhat limiting, dang was I wrong. This is one of the few things I don't mind being wrong about.

Stamps: Punched Posies, On Your Birthday
CS: WW, Night of Navy, Real Red
Ink: Night of Navy
Markers: Night of Navy, Real Red
Punches: Scallop Oval, 2 oval punches, both scallop circle punches
Misc.: Nestabilities circle, SU circles #2, dimensionals, 5/8" red grosgrain, white signo pen, dot impressions folder

BLT Macaroni Salad

2010-07-06T08:22:00.003-06:00

The picture doesn't do this salad justice. It is a rockin' salad. My family has liked it for about 10 years. I took it to a BBQ yesterday and it was loved. I had comments even at the end and the host commented that what comes into the home stays. LOL. Guess I should have shared this one sooner.

BLT Macaroni Salad

2C elbow macaroni

5 green onions

1 lg tomato, diced (I seed mine)

1-1/4C diced celery

1-1/4C mayonnaise

5t white vinegar

1/4t salt

1/8 - 1/4t pepper

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (I use 3/4 lb.)

Cook macaroni; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, green onions, tomato and celery. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over macaroni mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Just before serving add bacon.

I know a lot of people like the Poisonwood Bible, I'm not one of them. I did like how it was written in that you saw through the eyes of each family member what they thought and how they felt. For me, it took several hundred pages before it was remotely good and I was enjoying it. It could have ended or been wrapped up with a hundred pages less and I would have been good with that. Perhaps I would have wanted all the extra info, some repeated several times, if I enjoyed it and was wrapped up in the characters, but I wasn't. One thing you pull from the book is that if you are fanatical about something, it not only hurts you but those around you.

I'll be back tomorrow with something from the weekend. I managed to fit in quite a bit of stamping this weekend.

OWH Punched Posies Birthday

2010-07-02T20:59:00.003-06:00

Another birthday card for the OWH blog tour. I seem to be stuck on using crumb cake with the red, white and blue theme. Stamps: Punched Posies, Occasional Quotes
CS: Night of Navy, Real Red, Crumb Cake, WW
Ink: Night of Navy, Real Red (pad & marker), Garden Green, Crumb Cake
Misc.: 5/8" Real Red Grosgrain, rhinestone brad, dimensionals, 3/4" circle punch, scallop edge border punch

Don't forget to check out the OWH blog for the tour. I hope everyone has a great Independence Day celebration.

2010-07-02T09:10:00.006-06:00

Today is the day for the OWH blog tour. It goes live at 3 p.m. PST. I just got my OWH stamp to use on the back of my cards so they don't end up in the "hospital" when I send them in. The day the stamp arrived, my son stamped his arm and said it is his tattoo. He is trying to show off some muscle in the pic. *grin*
For this tour, we were asked to make a red, white & blue birthday card or a birthday card in general. I wanted to make a ribbon flower and ended up using it as the center for the paper daisy. Details below.Stamps: On Your Birthday
CS: WW, Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Real Red (base for ribbon flower)
Ink: Real Red marker
Misc.: Dimensionals, Scallop Edge Border, Texturz Backgrounds #1, 5/8" Real Red grosgrain, Paper Daisies, Sticky Strip, Glue Dots

1. The base of the card is made with Crumb Cake. I cut a piece of crumb cake 3" x 4-1/4" to run through the Big Shot with the texture plate and then sponged.
2. Punch a piece of Night of Navy to adhere to the back of the textured cardstock and mount to card base.
3. Make ribbon flower. Use a 2" x 2" piece of Real Red cardstock and put rows of the sticky strip tape side by side. Twist the ribbon, starting with the center on the sticky strip and wind it around until it is the size you want. Trim the red cardstock and mount to flower using glue dots. Secure flower to the textured cardstock.
4. Stamp "happy birthday" on a 1/2" x 4-1/4" piece of white cardstock. Snip ends. I used the bone folder to curl up the ends and ran it on the bottom to make it more flexible for bending. Mount with Dimensionals.

RAKs

2010-07-01T11:13:00.004-06:00

I've received a couple of RAKs and a RAK back in the past week. One card I shared previously from a swap I was in. It is always nice to get happy mail.

Sue-Lynn BockGina TaylorPatrice HerreraToday I get to go back to my stamp room. The day camp I did is over and went over well with all of the girls that attended. A lot of work but totally worth it.

Tins.

2010-06-29T06:22:00.004-06:00

I've never played with Altoid tins before. I thought it would be easy to come up with a design but I really found it to be a bit of a challenge. There is a third that I will share after people get their swaps back.

The first one I did with the bird using Mod Podge. It is really durable because of the MP. Inside the lid I cut a mirror to fit and inside I put Listerine breath strips, shout wipes, bandaids, lip balm, hand sanitizer, and safety pins.

I bought a sewing kit from the dollar store for the butterfly tin. I have yet to put any part of it in but it will get good use.

Birthday Swap

2010-06-28T07:00:00.004-06:00

It is way too busy around here. I'm still prepping for a day camp on Wednesday. I have had it planned for a bit, it is now fine tuning, trying things out to see if it needs tweaking and gathering supplies and baking 14 2-layer cakes and making the frosting for them. I'm not looking forward to sifting the sugar. .

Tomorrow I'll share a couple of tins I did trying to come up with something for an Altoid Tins swap.

Barb Furlong

Elizabeth Kratzer

Holly Podkowa

Kim Abbott

Kimber Dunn

Kym Schwinkendorf

Maryn Taylor

Shari Ferruzzi

Tami Black

Trish Cathey

Happy Day!

VC Rocks Blog Hop 2

2010-06-25T23:56:00.006-06:00

Did you hear me scream with excitement today? The book that I put together of digi scrap pages, the one I ordered MONDAY, came today. LOVE IT!

Today is the day for the 2nd VC Rocks Blog Hop! You probably just came from Stampin' Stace and saw the stinkin' cute scrapbook page with the monkey looking out the window. Adorable!! I'm loving all the punch art I've been seeing lately and how versatile the Tropical Party set is.

I went with "sneak peak" for this hop. The stamp set I used is a Level I hostess set called Because I Care. If you get Paper Crafts magazine, you will see this sketch in the magazine. I like the simple look of the card.
Stamps: Because I Care
CS: Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, WW
Ink: VersaMark, Marina Mist
Misc.: Vintage Wallpaper folder, Clear EP, corner rounder punch, WW ribbon, dimensionals, piercer.

1. Make the base for your card.
2. Cut a piece of Wild Wasabi (3-1/2 x 3), round the corners and emboss it. Mount to your base.
3. Cut a piece of WW and emboss your image with clear embossing powder. Sponge over the image and wipe of excess ink. Round the top corners.
4. Use Wild Wasabi for a mat, rounding top corners.
5. Punch holes for ribbon and tie.
6. Mount with dimensionals. Pierce cardstock at base of image.

Thanks for stopping by. Your next stop is Lori at Paper Castles. If you want to start at the beginning, go to the VC Rocks blog.

Get Well, Sympathy, Thinking of You Swap

2010-06-24T09:55:00.010-06:00

My husband has been TDY for a couple of weeks. He came home for about 12 hours and is gone again. The good thing about when he comes back, he is willing to run errands with me because he wants to be with me. Last night was no exception. He went with me to Michael's to buy mirrors, Target so I could pick up water balloons for a day camp next week (and so our daughter could use her gift card), and we went to Walmart & Home Depot looking for a glass cutter so I could cut the mirrors I bought. How many husbands are willing to go to Michael's? Yep, he missed me.

I printed a couple of swap requirements from my e-mail on his computer this morning and nearly freaked. I didn't pay attention to the month but I saw the date as the 28th. Oh Mylanta! These swaps are supposed to be in the hostess's hands on the 30th. I was thinking I'd have to overnight them. I couldn't figure out how so much time had passed so quickly. I was thinking what Sunday's date was and figured out that his computer was off. I'm trying to finish them off for tomorrow's mail. One still has me stumped but I will figure it out. It may be a late night. Did I mention there is a blog hop Saturday? My focus lately hasn't been stamping. I spent several weeks working on compiling a book of digi pages to be printed for a gift. Now my focus is swaps, blog hop, day camp. I still have a lot to do for the day camp but I'm looking forward to it.

These are the cards from the swap.

Barb Furlong

Brenda Hugar

Holly Podkowa

Kim Abbott

Kris Sobolik

Loni Holt

Patricia Gessner

Sue-Lynn Bock

Tami Black

Tina Taves

Big Shot Swap

2010-06-18T07:20:00.005-06:00

I still have the sympathy/get well/thinking of you & birthday swaps to post. I finally got all of the cards scanned in last night. My project that I planned to have done by now . . . isn't. I have only made it bigger as I think of more to include. My absolute deadline is Monday and my goal is Sunday night in case there are any problems I will still have Monday to work with tech support.

After my last post I went through and listed the sets so it is easier to find samples, however, I only did this with 2010. All other cards are still listed under stamping.

I joined the Big Shot swap for inspiration and ideas. I was thinking I don't use my Big Shot enough but I have come to realize that I do use it often. In fact, it is within arms reach more often than not.

Angela Khan

Brenda Hugar

Donna Levi

Jane Hignite

Jeanie Carter

Melissa Isgett

Sandy L

SMB

Stace

Tina Taves

I'll be back Monday with another swap. I can't wait to be done with this project and hopefully the results with be worth all of the time it is taking.

Men in Our Lives

2010-06-13T21:07:00.007-06:00

I hosted a swap last month for the "Men in Our Lives" for the husbands, boyfriends, sons, grandfathers, nephews, etc. There were 17 players in the swap and some really fun cards were shared.

Amy Wald

Barb Furlong

Brandy Campbell

Carolyn Sharkas

Diane Clark-Sutton

Elizabeth Kratzer

Ellen Boyle

Jeneen S

Kim Abbott

Kimber Dunn

Loni Holt

Norma Chiaramonte

Patricia Gessner

Shirley Northey

Sunny Skye DeWeez

Terri Tank

Veronica Miller

Flight of the Butterfly

2010-06-11T08:09:00.004-06:00

Today's card comes to you from my daughter. She made this card to thank me for all I do for her. My baby is growing up. Soon she will be celebrating her 12th birthday. The colors together for the shaving cream technique look really good. I know I never would have put these colors together but they work.

Through the Years

2010-06-09T22:22:00.005-06:00

I used two templates for these 4 pages. I didn't do anything different with the twins as far as flipping the template. It has been fun looking through the pictures and seeing how they've changed and the memories of things they did and liked.

I need to swap out one picture for a color one but I'm happy with the pages. There is a second page to these pages that have favorite pictures, big events or achievements that I wanted to show too.

So you know, I don't dress the twins alike. When we go shopping, they sometimes pick the same things just different colors. As it turns out, when we went to have pictures done they both wanted to wear the similar dresses.

Piles and piles

2010-06-09T07:11:00.006-06:00

This card is one that I have kept for 6 or more years. It reminds me that simple is nice too and things don't always have to be over-embellished to be nice. Don't get me wrong, I love my layers and bling but I also love the simplicity of this card that I have yet to achieve.

I didn't stamp yesterday and I don't see it on today's agenda. Tomorrow, however, I will be getting my box from Mr. Brown and will be playing and checking out the new catalog.

What I have been doing is going through my stamps. Usually when the new catalog comes out, I go through them and decide what I want to keep and give the rest away. This year it is double the work because we were in the middle of a cross-country move when the new catalog came out last year. I currently have over 100 sets that I'm not keeping and I still have 3 more shelves to unload and sort through from my "office". I discovered that my oldest set dates back to 1997. It was a Christmas set that I bought in 1999 and then it was retired in 2000.

Unmounted sets I'm getting rid of.

Partially mounted or mounted that I'm getting rid of.

What I'm keeping so far. I still have 3 more shelves of stamps to go through.

I'm going to sort through the table sets again before putting them away. I'm sure I will come across more that I can part with. I'm trying to be reasonable. In looking at the picture I see an unmounted set that I'm wondering why I wanted to keep it.

Tomorrow I'm going to post a few digital pages of the kids. I'm still working on my book at Shutterfly and hoping to finish it over the weekend so I can have it printed. So much to do on it still. Friday I'll be back with some stamping.

Balmy Breezes

2010-06-08T05:58:00.004-06:00

It has been rather balmy around here lately. The mornings are nice and sunny and you can see the clouds building. Usually sometime between 3 and 6 we get a short thunderstorm and a hard rain. Last year was mild for hurricane season. I was glad for the rains the other day because I learned that if the rains blow toward the front of our house, rain will come in our front door and the dining room window. This is a good thing to know now before you have a good-sized puddle on the floor.

The top card is my favorite. One of the few times I've been happy with my watercoloring.
Happy Day!

Exact Copy and BLT Strudel

2010-06-07T07:06:00.007-06:00

The swaps I participated in May are starting to come in. The hostess had commented that next time people should tell what they are making because there were some duplicates. Funny thing is, one of the duplicates I got back was one of the ones I could have made and considered, however, I went with Inspired by Nature for my swap card.

I'm not posting all 10 cards because 2 were duplicates (and just as nice).

by Shari Dudek, p. 44

by Linda Kilsdonk, p. 61

by Susan Bock, p. 62

by Elizabeth Kratzer, p. 67

by Jeanie Carter, p. 110

by Kimber Dunn, p. 125

by Tina Taves, p. 139

by Christine Calabretta, p. 197

We had company Friday night and I made Cobb salad for dinner. It has been so hot and humid here lately I didn't want to be in the kitchen cooking. I grilled the chicken for it in the afternoon because we are in the cycle of having thunderstorms every afternoon. I'm happy for the rain because our pond is filling up again.

One of my girls suggested Mississippi Mud Cake for dessert. I wasn't sure that I wanted something so rich for the dessert and started to look through a Paula Deen magazine that had just come in the mail. When I saw the BLT Strudel, I thought it would go well with the salad and it looked so yummy I wanted to try it. It was delicious! I had to take a picture toward the end of dinner to share.
BLT Strudel

12 large eggs, divided
1/2C mayonnaise
1 lb. bacon, chopped
1 (6 oz.) pkg. fresh baby spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
1C shredded Swiss cheese
1C seeded and chopped tomatoe
1/4t salt
1 (17.3 oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

In a large bowl, whisk together 11 eggs and mayonnaise until smooth, set aside.

In a large skillet, cook bacon and drain on paper towels reserving 1T bacon drippings in skillet; heat over medium heat. Add spinach and garlic; cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until spinach is wilted. Add egg mixture, and cook until eggs are set but not dry, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, tomato, salt, and bacon. Spoon mixture into a medium bowl; cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry into a 12x10-inch rectangle. Spoon half of egg mixture down center of pastry, leaving a 3-inch margin on sides and a 1-inch margin on top and bottom. Cut pastry on side margins into 1-inch strips. Crisscross strips over filling. Carefully transfer strudel to one side of prepared baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining pastry and egg mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg until smooth. Brush egg evenly over strudels. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cut into slices to serve.

Kind and Caring Thoughts

2010-06-04T05:17:00.004-06:00

I am amazed that it is Friday already. I'm not a list person. I stopped 18 years ago when my lists were longer than the hours available to do it. Rather than focus on what was accomplished the list hung over me of all that I needed to do. I make a list for the grocery store and on some rare occasions where there is so much that I have a list to be sure I don't forget something. This was one of those rare occasions where I had a list. The important things are almost done but there is so much more I never got to. I think the list is going out with the garbage tomorrow and I'll just have to know it will all get done, it always does.

I'm not entirely jazzed with this card. One of those middle of the night creations that needs tweaking.

Stamps: Kind and Caring Thoughts, All Holidays
CS: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, WW
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink
Misc.: Pretty in Pink ribbon

Sea Life & Donut Birthday

2010-06-03T07:45:00.004-06:00

My niece has a birthday soon and she LOVES dolphins. Her room is decorated with dolphins. I made this card using a set that I'm guessing was retired 10 years ago called Sea Life. I hung onto it when it retired because it has an image of a shark and my son loved sharks. I continued to hold onto it because my daughter loves animals and it has two images of things she collects penguins and turtles. She also collects sheep but that is another story. I've used this set to scrap pages from Sea World and trips to different zoos. There was a time 6 years ago when we were moving across the country and between a vacation and the move, we went to 5 zoos in 2 weeks. Sea Life has 8 images: an orca whale, shark, walrus, seals, seagulls, turtles, penguins and the dolphin above.

I'm off to the post office to mail some swaps. I went yesterday but they had already closed. I thought I would have an hour to spend in line after my son's dental appt. The dentist was busy with someone else and they didn't want him to go after the cleaning without the exam because he is getting braces. We have 2 getting braces and 2 getting some expansion.

Inspired by Nature

2010-06-02T07:21:00.008-06:00

I sat down to make a card and realized it was the day for the sketch challenge on SCS (SC283). I haven't participated in the sketch challenge in about a year. It makes it easy to know what you are going to do when that part is done for you. As I inked up the image to stamp it, I realized I have never used this image that I didn't color the leaves and stem and the flower in a different color. I wonder why I feel it has to be colored.

Stamps: Inspired by Nature

CS: WW, Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss, Urban Garden DP

Ink: Not Quite Navy

Misc.: NQN brads

Back Wednesday

2010-06-01T10:41:00.003-06:00

What time I did have this weekend was not spent stamping. I'm working on a photo book that I need to finish in a couple of days. So far I have 26 pages in the book. I need to digi scrap a lot more pages before I'm done. I should be realistic and set a goal for finishing this coming weekend.

I also spent some time knitting a couple more baby caps and making pom poms and attaching them. I'm only have done with the pom poms and I want to knit another cap or two. I'm hoping to have 2 dozen complete by this weekend (I have 22 now) so they can be donated with the others to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando.

I'm organizing my stamps now that the retired list is out.

See you tomorrow.

2010-05-29T03:57:00.007-06:00

I'm so amazed by everyone participating in Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Weekend Bloghop. It is fabulous to have so many in the paper crafting community sharing their creativity and acknowledging those that have served and are serving our country.

I used to love Memorial Day as a kid because it meant just a few more weeks of school, a parade, a BBQ with family and friends, a visit to the cemetery to place flowers on the grave. Things have changes so much for me partly because I grew up and took an interest in the world around me and the history that has brought us to where we are today. I have gained a greater appreciation for those that have served and are serving our country and am grateful for the sacrifices they and their families have made to defend the many freedoms that we enjoy in this great country, the United States of America.

You probably arrived here from Little Bit of Life. If you didn't you can start at the beginning of the hop at the OWH page linked above. I'm in the last 2/3 of the hop so if you need to start at the beginning, I recommend you grab your beverage of choice, a snack and enjoy.

I have 3 cards that quite simple in making thinking of the fact that they will be going overseas and you don't really want to be too bulky.

The first two are made with stamps from Stampin' Up!Stamps: Land That I Love, Warmest Regards
CS: Ruby Red, Not Quite Navy, VV
Ink: Ruby Red, Basic Brown, Craft White
Misc.: Piercing
Stamps: Wonderful Words
CS: Night of Navy, Bravo Burgundy, WW
Ink: Close to Cocoa
Misc.: Star punch & sand paper, glue dot
Use a tooth brush to get the ink on the cardstock.

The last card is made with Ann-ticipation stamps. I don't believe you can buy these stamps unless an individual is selling them. I bought quite a few at their store in California before they closed.
A huge thank you to all that have served or are serving at home or abroad. Thanks to everyone that dropped by. Your next stop is Kelly at The Weekend Stamper.

A Gift Basket

2010-05-27T22:22:00.005-06:00

I need to do something special for an upcoming birthday. I made this basket tonight and I'm thinking I'm going to put in a gift card for a book and to a favorite restaurant, a couple of little things I picked up that are a joke between us and some chocolate treats.

I've been wanting to make a basket just for the fun of it and with Memorial Day coming and BBQs and picnics, it seemed like a great time to make one. The basket measures 4 x 6 x 3.

There isn't any stamping on this. I used confetti tan cardstock and sponged with creamy caramel ink. The brads are vintage. I'm not much of a glue person so I used the red tape. The top uses the top note die from Stampin' Up!

My next post will be for the Operation Write Home blog hop that is happening on Saturday. There are 148 bloggers participating.

Thoughts of a Grasshopper

Pines and Poinsettias

More details on the Poinsettia Box

SUStars Gift-Giving Ideas Blog Hop

Another Owl

SUStars Holiday Hoopla Blog Hop

Owl Nugget Holder

Stitched Stockings

French Foliage

Field Flowers

OWH Cardmaking Day Blog Hop

The Military Wife

Let's Hear it For the Boys

OWH Memorial Day Blog Hop

Fabulous Florets

VC Rocks Blog Hop - Color My World

Nothing Original

SUStars March Blog Hop

Loving You

Back to Life

Simple Cards

SUStars Blog Hop

Christmas Holly

A Very Merry Christmas

Valentine for Christmas

OWH Be My Valentine Blog Hop

Rag Bag

Washer Necklaces

Charming

Vintage Christmas

I made it through October

SUStars Blog Hop

Trying to Stamp Around Life

New Stuff Swap

*gasp* No Stamping on This

Just a Blog Hop

Haunted House and Zucchini Blueberry Bread

Two Ways

The last leaf

It Worked

No Stamping Today

Sweet Birthday Card

Friends Never Fade

SU Stars Blog Hop

Christmas Cards

I'm not square . . .

Bethlehem Christmas

Christmas

CASE and Apple Muffins

Fast and Fabulous

OWH Just Believe

Love Letter

Welcome Christmas

Halloween/Thanksgiving

It's All New to Me

Corner Bookmark

Just Believe

Day of Gratitude

Card Contest

VC Rocks Blog Hop 4

Friends Never Fade

Friend to Friend

Just Believe

Day of Gratitude

Come to Bethlehem

Halloween Milk Carton

Tropical Party

More Watercolor Trio

Watercolor Trio

. . . next year I'll forget mine

Will today be the day?

Grandma's Treasure Bag

Altoid Tin Swap

Fifth Avenue Floral

Manhattan Flower Case

VC Rocks Blog Hop

Pick a Petal Notebook

Bookmarks

Tropical Party

The Last of the Red, White and Blue cards

gasp No Stamping on This