Bluebirdflats

Happy Valentine's Day my Love....

2012-02-15T00:01:00.023-06:00

Over the years I've given my hubs many Valentine's Day cards but I do believe this might be the best. I have the whole Tiddly Inks Wryn series cuz she's just too cute to resist, is easily and quickly colored and always looks her best. She's been colored with Copics and I used my Prismacolor pencils for shading. I find they work well together. The Sizzix Small Easel has been added to the back so this card stands up.

Like many of you I've been trying to find my coloring muse. I've been coloring since I was a wee child, I have always loved it but I've never excelled at it. I've tried colored pencils, watercolors, Distress Inks, chalks, Copics, watercolor markers and a combination of all of them at one time. I keep thinking if I can just find that medium that I'm really comfortable with, my coloring skills will soar and I'll color as well as Zoe of Make it Crafty (oh, to make pleats like hers) or June Nelson who colors Saturated Canary images the way I want to. But, I'm youngish yet. Time to learn. I'm sure, as I've heard, it is just a matter of practice, practice, practice. And I will keep plugging at it because I love it.

Another product I took away from the Owl and Pussycat in Florida is my Uni-ball Signo Broad Pigment Pen which is what I used for the highlights on Wryn's dress and shoes. I have several white pens in my stash but none work this well. It doesn't skip, it shows up beautifully on dark colors and is a joy to write with.

Paper: Recollections Femme Fatale, Bazzill;

Tiddly Inks Wryn 'Grow a Little Love';

PaperTrey Half & Half Die;

Cuttlebug Script Embossing Folder;

Spellbinder Classic Ovals Large;

F.C. Prismacolor Pencils; Stickles Thistle;

Stick Pin & Charm - Stash;

Sizzix Small Easel

Uni-ball Signo Broad Pigment Ink UM-153 White Pen

Hurry and get well, Mike...

2012-02-10T00:01:00.003-06:00

The contractor that worked on our kitchen is recovering from a serious illness. There is light at the end of his tunnel but it will be a few weeks before he's really feeling more like his old self. We're thrilled that he's feeling better because he's become a good friend and because we have some more work for him to do in the future. When you find a good contractor, hold on with both hands because they are few and far between. This card is in the mail for Mike (and I hope he doesn't follow my blog).

This is another stand alone card. I've grown to love the Sizzix Small Easel which is actually glued onto the back of this 5.75 x 5.75" kraft panel. Two triangles were sewn onto the kraft panel with my Janome Sew Mini. I discovered a really easy way to adhere the Spellbinder accent. We all know how hard these frilly motifs are to attach. While at the Owl and Pussycat in Ft. Myers, FL, the designer told me she puts a small amount of Gel Medium down on a piece of paper with her finger, lays the motif in it, pushes it down using another clean sheet, lifts it off with tweezers and places it on her project. I didn't have any Gel Medium so I used Mod Podge on waxed paper, placed the motif down, rubbed it well with a sheet of printer paper and then used the tweezers to place it on the back panel. (Edited to add: the second time I did this, I used my craft mat for the Mod Podge and it stayed wet longer, I just wiped it with a damp rag when I was finished.) I noticed that the Mod Podge dries quickly so either put a layer thick enough to dry slowly or really work quickly. There are no loose ends on the Spellbinder piece, it is totally attached. Of course, the bird cage was stamped first using VersaMark ink and embossed in white (a lovely look on Kraft card stock). The birds were punched from a Stampin' Up punch I've had for some time. The corners are actually pieces from cutting out the Spellbinder frame. The easel was cut twice from glittered card stock and glued together. If you use one-sided paper, cut one out design side up and one out design side down. Also, pay attention that you don't get glue in any of the creases. After my stand dried, I added glue to the strip that attaches to the card, I stood the easel up and gently laid my card on the stand making sure the bottom edges match. Hold in position for a second, and then pick both pieces up and press together - lay the whole assembly aside until it dries. Then you can fold it up and it will fit in your envelope.

Recipe: Paper: DCWV The Linen Closet;

Stamps: Just Rite Spread Your Wings, PaperTrey Everyday Classics;

Stampendous Detail White Embossing Powder;

Distress Ink Broken China, Vintage Photo;

Spellbinder Parisian Motifs;

Stampin' Up Bird Punch,

Recollections Faux Pearls;

Sizzix Small Easel

Weight loss, kidney stones, and, oh, doctor!

2012-02-05T13:05:00.000-06:00

I've been working on this card since January 16th. I've been in the habit of pre-posting my blog for a long time. We have vacations, gardening, grandchildren, housework and friends to visit. So, when I find a quiet day with little to do, I often schedule four or five posts. All of January's posts were created in late December or early January so when I had to visit the Emergency Room on January 16th, I didn't have to worry about getting posts in on time. I've had a previous kidney stone attack, so I was very familiar with the symptoms. The E.R. doctor said I had a stone that was 4 or 5 mm in size and with time, I would pass it. He loaded me up with narcotics and sent me home with instructions to call my urologist in three or four days if I didn't feel better. Well, I didn't feel better so I saw my urologist on the 20th. His call on the Cat Scan was a 7.4mm stone which could never be passed so he scheduled me for surgery on the 21st. I would like to commend the surgical staff at OSF in Peoria, IL. They kept as much of my dignity as possible under the circumstances. For those of you who have never experienced kidney stones, I envy you. The pain is worse than giving birth and surgery is just the first part. After the stone is broken up by laser, a stent is inserted to keep all openings large enough to pass the pieces of the stone. This causes great discomfort for a week. Removal is also extremely uncomfortable but is done in the doctor's office. A large number of people suffer from pain as bad as the stones or even worse for several days after the stent is removed and I was one of those. Being on strong pain meds fogs your brain so no craft work. By the time the pain had started to ease and I was up and moving, I caught a serious head cold which I still have. Usually colds last a week but this one goes on and on. On the up side, I lost 11 pounds which is just a start on what I want to lose and my stomach has shrunk which is a good thing. Instead of the big butter dish for breakfast cereal, I'm down to the salad dish that came with my dishes. Two pieces of pizza is more than enough when I used to share a large with hubs. I'm hoping to keep that up along with ten to thirteen 8 oz glasses of water per day. Trust me, I may grow gills.

Now, on to this card that took me almost a month to complete. It actually isn't a traditional card in that it doesn't open up. It's a 5.25 x 5.25 panel cut from DCWV Textured Card Stock. The next panel is Basic Grey Out of Print (love this pad), and the stamp is La La Land Princess Marci colored with Copics. The crochet circle was one of my designs and was covered with a circle from Spellbinder's Standard Circles. The corner piece was from Marianne Creatables and the ticket was from Whimsy Ticket Sentiments. The stand was from Aimee Asher. It was cut from heavy card stock using my Cameo in MTC, painted with Delta Acrylic Paint and then painted with Mod Podge for stability. It can be flattened for packaging. Marci is wearing faux pearl earrings from Michaels and her dress is decorated with a Recollections rhinestone. Two McGill punches were used: Fern and Leaf Spray. The large flowers were from a PaperTrey die and a Magnolia die. These are probably the most embellishments I've ever used on one card. Some people are so good at grouping embellishments, but I'm not so much.

Card stand from Aimee Asher.

Copics and Spica pens used.

4th Week - Free Digital Images

2012-01-21T00:01:00.001-06:00

Please let me know if these are too late for you to use in your February cards, I'll move it to earlier in the month. Also let me know if you'd like a circle sentiment for February that ties in with Valentine's Day, I'll add a heart and repost.

Download February Circle Birthday Sentiment

Download February Calendar

Download February Valentine Calendar

2012-01-18T12:01:00.042-06:00

I've decided to make a few other changes this year. As much as possible I'm going to cut out sugar, soda and desserts. I am a fanatic for banana Popsicles at 60 calories each. We have a local store that carries the North Star brand and I clean them out every time I go. I also refuse to buy sweets for my hubs. I used to buy ice cream and his frozen Snickers ice cream bars, but now he has to buy them himself. I'm trying to keep him around for a long, long time. I'll keep you up to date on how I'm doing with that, you may hear me whining from time to time.

Another nice change this year is the Michael's brand paper, Recollections. Their colored cardstock is a nice weight for card bases and they've just started carrying 8.5 x 11 pads of patterned paper and I love it. My daughter works at Michaels and although I hate their personnel policies, I support the store because they pay her. Hubs always gets me a gift card for Christmas and I was pleasantly surprised today to find it covered (on sale, mind you), 5 packs of colored cardstock, three 240 sheet pads of patterned paper, several dollar stamps, a bunch of faux pearls and adhesive rhinestones (at 20 cents each) and a real splurge for me - three packs of K & Company 3D butterfly and dragonfly stickers, a Martha Stewart Confetti Heart Punch, several packages of rub-ons AND some envelope seals with my initial on them. One bag was triple bagged because it was so heavy.

Here is the first card with the Cool Water cardstock and the Bold Basics patterned paper. Nicely matched, wouldn't you say? This is my generic card for Week 3. I could use it as a birthday card or a thank you card. I'm loving the PaperTrey Lunchbox Note. I think it makes a really nice addition to the front of this card. And the two inch punch is the perfect size to add an embellishment to it. If you haven't checked out the PaperTrey dies, you'd best do that soon.

Paper: Recollections Bold Basics, Cool Water; Stamps: GinaK Stately Flowers 1, Stampin' Up; Recollections Pearls; Copics: BV17, BV08, BV02, Y00, G24, G94; Spica Sand

Say ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

2012-01-11T07:59:00.029-06:00

Second Week: Get Well. I often struggle with get well cards for guys. I bought this stamp set from my good friend Billie and haven't really used it much. Which was the entire purpose of structuring my blog with definite dates for cards. It forces me to use supplies I haven't used and look at everything I own with new eyes. I just used Spicas to color this image, it was small and since the top background paper was sparkly, I thought the image should be, too. So, would you add anything? Do anything differently? If this was a girl card, I would add a border or ribbon and I might ink the edges of the die cut.

Also, I thought I would share with you that I will be February's Guest Designer for Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central. The February monthly challenge will be flowers - use them anyway you like them and please join us.

Paper: DCWV The Dots, Stripes and Plaids, Stash; Stamps: The Cat's Pajamas; Spica: Turquoise, Lipstick, Olive, Black, PaperTrey Matstack #3 die

Baby, oh baby

2012-01-07T12:01:00.001-06:00

My husband and I are getting old enough that we don't know anybody having babies these days. My daughter is also of an age that her friends are finished having theirs. My oldest grandson has decided he NEVER wants children. I think that comes from an incident when my youngest grandson was an infant and the oldest was changing his diaper. The youngest peed right up his nose. The way the oldest was screaming, I thought the baby died. When we found out what happened, my daughter and I both cracked up, but the oldest grandson was scarred for life. He likes playing with children, but is adamant that he not have any of his own and I'm guessing he no longer changes diapers.

I pulled out my Janome sewing machine for this project. Another item that doesn't get much use even though it sits right next to my desk. It only takes seconds to change the thread (I keep the invisible thread in the bobber so I never have to change that). This is from my last order of Lili of the Valley stamps. I never have enough baby stamps even though I don't use them much any more. I am also using my Polychromos to shade my copics. The best of both worlds. I challenge you to use a tool that you have tucked away somewhere.

Paper: Recollections, DCWV The Dots, Stripes & Plaids; Stamp: LOTV All Our Dreams; Copics: [Skin E000, E00, E93][Blanket B24][Branch G82, G40][Rabbit C00, R00][Baby Clothes B01, B000][Hearts RV32][Shadow N0][Shadow N0], Polychromos

2012 .... and beyond

2012-01-05T08:06:00.001-06:00

I'm planning to make some changes to my blog in 2012. For the past several years, it's been unstructured so I'm going to add some structure to it. I plan on scheduling posts as follows:

1st Week of the Month (1st - 7th): Birthday and Baby Cards

2nd Week of the Month (8th - 14th): Get Well and Sympathy Cards

3rd Week of the Month (15th - 21st): Thank You, Generic Cards, Holiday

4th Week of the Month (21st +): Free Digitals

This will give me a chance to stock up on the cards I need the most. These also seem to be the best sellers at the craft fairs I attend. I will also try to enter more challenges in 2012, use more of the supplies I have stockpiled, donate more unused supplies, try more techniques and card types, and hold down my spending (I know suppliers don't like to hear that). I plan to practice more with my Copics and Polychromos, keep my desk cleaner, finally unpack my Silhouette Cameo, use my Cricut more often, pay more attention to Zoe's coloring instructions at Make It Crafty and keep my house cleaner. And, last of all, I plan to hug my family more often and tell them how much I love and appreciate them.

Since we were on vacation and just returned, I won't have many cards this week. When I color this image again I will add a shadow and ground it. I think every image you color adds to your coloring knowledge. I've never made a perfect card (I've come close, lol) and that's a goal. One card that everyone who looks at it has their breath catch in their throat. You've seen cards like that, right? So, in the birthday category, I offer Cake, Glorious Cake. In using my stockpiled supplies, the Hero Arts banner stamps have never been opened; they were popped up with foam. I've colored my image with Copics and added shading with my polys. So, I ask you? Does it need anything else? If you were creating this card would you add flowers? Ribbon? I tend to be a minimalist; I'm always thinking more is less, although when I see cards that have lots of embellishments, I am also envious that someone knows how to make them look great.

I will try to get one more post this week. I am up to my waist in laundry but will try to post a baby card before Monday.

Paper: Basic Grey Sweet Threads, Recollections; Stamps: LOTV Cake Glorious Cake, Hero Arts; Spellbinder S4-307 Reverse Wonky Rectangles; Smooch Illuminate; Spica Peach, Pink, Clear; Recollections Rhinestones; F-C Polychromos; Copics: [Skin E000, E00, E93][Hair Y00, Y000][Cake R21, R22, R20, G94, Y17, Y04][Clothes YR61, 0, YR00][Shoes E02, E21][Wings V000]

White Christmas ....

2011-12-28T13:42:00.000-06:00

I've heard that there wasn't any snow back home so thought I would send some 'white' north. This is the Southern most tip of the United States in Key West at the end of Duvall Street. We ate breakfast this morning in the restaurant behind the beach chairs. Life is good here. The frozen margaritas are spectacular, the sunsets beyond compare and Jimmy Buffet is no where to be found. There are also a gazillion people in a town made to hold a few thousand. There is very little parking for cars so when you find a parking spot it's similar to winning the lottery. Somehow it wasn't the sleepy palm covered town I envisioned. I don't know where I get my preconceptions but the one I had does not match the reality of being here. There aren't many beaches here to lounge on, we couldn't find any wildlife that wasn't drinking and every picture would have a person in it. So, we've visited, we've eaten decent food (I had yellowfin for dinner last night and it was superb), we've had a few frozen drinks and we're heading north in the morning. Back to the Everglades where we belong. Strange that we should come here, we like wide open spaces, lots of wildlife, small crowds and no traffic. If you like fishing and water sports, this is the place to come. If you like peace and quiet, stay far far away.

Merry Christmas to all.....

2011-12-23T17:23:00.000-06:00

I want to wish everyone who stops by here on occasion a very Merry Christmas. We are traveling, currently in Florida, where the weather is balmy and everyone listens to Jimmy Buffet. Where ever you are, I hope the trade winds are sweet, you are surrounded by loved ones and Santa is very good to you. I will see you in the new year, refreshed and ready to stamp.

A Christmas Request....

2011-12-18T00:01:00.028-06:00

While we're all getting ready for the holidays, our neighbors are spending their time at the hospital with a grandson. He's a cancer patient running out of options and his grandmother is requesting Christmas cards for him.

This was her message to our community Facebook page:

Cindy Chouinard Payne Update on Joshua Ryan Pilger: Today is Friday, 12/16/11. The doctors called Josh's dad and I out of his room tonight to talk. They stated the cancer is not responding to chemotherapy and it is growing. We were given two options. One: we could take him home or Two: We can try a different type of chemotherapy that will hit him hard and hopefully kill it this time. It will be very dangerous as it will knock everything out of him and time will tell if this works. I stated that I want to fight but it is Josh's decision on if he is up for this. We went in the room and the doctors told Josh exactly what he was up against. Without any hesitation, he responded that we were going to fight. THANK YOU GOD FOR GIVING ME SUCH A STRONG SON! I am asking everyone to please pray with everything you have to let him win this battle. We are going to start the new chemotherapy on Sunday morning. And take a minute out of your schedules to send him a Christmas card to let him know that you are praying for him. I want him to know that all of you are behind him in this battle. Thank you! Josh's Mom OSF Children's Hospital, St. Jude, Josh Pilger, Room 406, Peoria, IL 61637

Josh is 17 and a senior at IVC high school in Chillicothe, IL. He likes the Bears. If you could find a minute to drop Josh a Christmas card, his parents and grandparents would be thrilled as I know Josh will be. If you send me a .jpg of your card and your e-mail address, I will post your card on my blog and after the first of the year, send you some "thank you" digital images that I will create just for this request and will be available only to those who send cards.

OSF Children's Hospital, St. Jude
Josh Pilger, Room 406
Peoria, IL 61637

As you open presents on Christmas Day, take a moment to say a prayer for Josh and his family. Thank you so much.

EDITED: 1st card - Meg - thanks so much, you're a sweetie.

My first collage...

2011-12-16T00:01:00.021-06:00

You can probably tell from my card - I don't do collages. With all the fuss about Tim Holtz and all the Tim Holtz products I have, I thought it was about time I tried one. Lots of stuff going on here. I have the embossed heart lock and key. Two butterflies that have been distressed, embossed and covered with UTEE. There's an embossed, distressed pocket watch and a button. The background paper is wonderful, I find it very odd that although Michaels is always out of stuff I want, they do have a great line of paper. The image has Pine Needles Distress Ink on the edges. The brass heart is an old charm I had and the butterfly is an earring I lost the mate to. Not my best effort but I'll get better, I promise.

Paper: Recollections Love Letters, Kraft; Stamp: Saturated Canary Gothica; Spellbinder Labels 8, Fancy Butterflies, Timeless Heritage; Cuttlebug Clockworks Embossing Folder; Distress Ink Pine Needles; Copics: [Skin E000, E51, E93, B63][Clothes BG93, BG96, BG72, BG75, BG78, E43, E44][Hair E51, E50, E53]
Musings: Have you ever had a commercial that just made you go, "huh?" The 501 Jeans commercials used to do that for me. I'd watch the commercial not having any idea what it was about until they ended it with "501 Jeans" and I'd go ????????? There is a commercial playing on a local station currently that really confuses me. I'm a huge Judge Judy fan - never miss her. The local station that plays Judge Judy in our area also runs a commercial that starts, "If you love Judge Judy, you'll love the free checking options of Mid Illini Credit Union." Say what? It's hard to even laugh at that or am I missing something?

Hugs and Kisses....

2011-12-15T12:01:00.037-06:00

Well, I'm finished with my Christmas shopping. The stockings are all hung by the chimney with care. We're having Christmas on the 18th for many reasons. So many places to go, people being pulled in so many different directions. And, we are going to Florida over the holiday, so any time we can get all of the people we love in the same room at the same time, it's Christmas. My hubs will make out like a bandit this year. I kept my ears open and bought all the things he mentioned, plus a few he didn't even know existed. I think he'll be a happy camper this year. Santa loves him. My oldest grandson finally has an apartment so we got him 'grown up' stuff. He likes to cook so we got him presents to promote that talent. We also give money - the gift that keeps on giving. Always appreciated, always the right size and color, not always the right amount.

The weather has been up and down since the 1st of December - up to 60, down to 18. We actually had a toadstool come up the 2nd of December. Weird weather. I would love to see about two inches of freshly fallen snow and all roads cleaned off by 11:00 a.m. on the 18th. I'm fixing a big pot of chili so we can concentrate on prezzies. I already have one of mine - the new Keurig coffee pot. I'm still deciding if I like it. I'm not crazy about the coffee my hubs bought for it - we like a relatively light coffee and these are pretty strong. Also, it only fills 3/4s of the smallest cup we own. Why drink two or three cups when one will do, right? Maybe I should have asked for the Mr. Coffee Latte machine. That sounds more up our alley.

So, here's my next Saturated Canary image. Can't seem to get away from them. I'm still working on my pleats, I'm just not practicing enough.

Paper: Basic Grey Out of Print, DCWV Latte Matstack, Recollections; Stamps: Saturated Canary Queen of Hearts; Cuttlebug Plum Blossom Embossing Folder, 3D Crystal Lacquer, PrismaColor Pencils, Spica Clear, Pink, Baby Blue; Martha Stewart Heart, Leaf Punch; Pebbles Inc. Chalk; Copics: [Skin E000, E51, E93, B91][Clothes R81, R83, R85, B91, B95, B93, E41, E40][Stick YR24,][Hair E50, E51, E53]

January Birthday Sentiment and Calendar

2011-12-12T00:01:00.015-06:00

Hopefully these are posted early enough for you to use them for your January birthday cards. I very much enjoy making these for you and would love to see what you do with them.

Download January Calendar

Download January Birthday Sentiment

Snippet 18: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction."

Fess up time....

2011-12-09T00:01:00.021-06:00

I'm going to share something with you that not even my best friend knows about me. David Tutera's "My Fair Wedding" always makes me cry. I adore the way he makes the bride feel as if there is nothing more important on her wedding day than her. He certainly knows how to make a woman feel special. I wish there were more of him in the world.

And speaking of special women, here's another image from Saturated Canary. I can't get enough of them. These little girls just speak to me and who can resist that face?

Paper: Basic Grey 'Out of Print', Recollections; Stamps: Studio G, Saturated Canary 'Alice' digital stamp; Spellbinder Label 4; Spica: Silver, Orange; Pebbles Inc. Chalk; Papertrey dies; Copics: E000, E00, E93, BV01, G21, RV34, Y35, B95, E51, E50, C1, C3, E04, Y0000, Y00, Y02

Snippet 17: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"A good wife always knows her place."

Hot chocolate for all....

2011-12-06T00:01:00.008-06:00

I've managed to combine two of my favorite companies in one card - Kraftin' Kimmie for the snowman (isn't she just delicious?) and Make It Crafty for the background. I've often expressed my love for digital images and MIC is just the place to get them. Zoe has released an entire line of winter backgrounds that you can find here. Mix and match, lots of choices. I do believe I have every digital image on her site. And I'm a big fan of the Moonlight Whispers stamps from Kraftin' Kimmie but the snowmen in the new release are too cute. How lucky was I to find brads that matched my paper? Looking at this card, I think before I mail it, I will add a little blue chalk on the top of the image, it seems too white for me, even for Christmas. I plan to give this card to our wonderful post lady.

Paper: Stash, Cricut; Stamps: Hot off the Press, Kraftin Kimmie, Make It Crafty; Brads: Bo Bunny; Stardust Stickles; Copics: B01, B02, G24, R81, R83, BV04, BV02, BV01, R22, R24, E35, E34, R11, N0, Y18, Y19, YR61, R17

Snippet 16: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him."

It's beginning to feel like Christmas....

2011-12-03T00:01:00.002-06:00

After a really glorious fall, cold weather has come to Central Illinois. The sky is gray, the wind is from the north and cuts right through you. I have to admit, I wasn't ready although we've finished the outdoor chores. We've scooped the leaves out of the pond, put our tropical pond plants in a tub in the bay window, brought in 2 of our 3 rain barrels (the 3rd stays up to replenish our indoor plant's water on those warm days that melt the ice in our black barrel), covered the furniture in the gazebo, raked most of the leaves and burned them, cleaned out the gutters, emptied and turned over the bird baths, dug up and stored next year's canna bulbs, moved the bird feeders from the south side of the yard to the north side where I can see them when I craft, cleaned out all the birdhouses for winter use, purchased straw for mulch for next year (there seems to be a shortage of straw in March when we need it), put the heated bird bath by the front window where the cat can enjoy the show, brought in all the outdoor plants that will winter in the bay window, filled up 40 gallons of water from the rain barrels to store in the garage (we thaw as necessary), cleaned out the garage and moved the cars in, and stocked up on bird feed. Whew! We're actually ready for a rest now.

On to my card. I've been working on Christmas cards for a week now. I mass produce about thirty of them, simple designs and easy to finish. But I have about twelve recipients that I send special cards to. This is one. If you've kept up with my blog, you will see that I'm not big on mixed papers. I don't know why, I guess I just don't have the eye for it like my buddy Sheri. I've found if I keep to the same pad, some designer has already done the matching for me. This card was created using My Mind's Eye paper. Each printed pattern came from the same Sweet Dreams Holiday Avenue pad. I also don't use flowers much, but I'm crazy about this new Spellbinder Layered Poinsettia die. It contains 4 layers of flower petals and one leaf die. I filled the inside of the flower with a little Glossy Accents and a bunch of teeny tiny yellow gems shaped like ovals.

Paper: My Mind's Eye Sweet Dreams Holiday Avenue; Stamps: Magnolia Edwin on Christmas Eve, Whimsy Holiday Ticket Sentiments; Cricut Elegant Edges Cartridge; Spellbinder Layered Poinsettia Die set; Copics: [skin E00, E000, E51, E11, E93][Hair Y11, Y19][Clothes R89, R39, R37][Package E11, E13, E15][Apples R24, R27, YG07][Mittens W00, W1][Basket E35, E37][Shoes E57, E55, E59][Shadow N0, N1]

Snippet 15: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice."

A background tutorial with CorelDRAW .....

2011-11-30T00:01:00.001-06:00

The minute I saw Edwin on Christmas Eve I was struck with the notion that he looks like he's walking out of a scene. So, that's what I did with him. The background is from Make It Crafty (don't you just love Zoe's backgrounds?) and, of course, Edwin is from Magnolia. This particular paper is from Bo Bunny and I matched Edwin's clothes to it. For full ingredients, see the end of this post. This tutorial is how I created the background under my design paper so it matches perfectly to my circle.

Step 1: Open your CorelDRAW and start a new file. I like my cards to fit a 5" x 5" envelope so I usually make them about 4.50" x 4.50". My base would be 4.75" x 4.75".

Step 2: Add a circle to your new file. This circle was 4" x 4".

Step 3: Add a square around the perimeter of your file. You will use this to cut out the background.

Step 4: Insert your images into your circle. Don't worry about any overlap outside the circle, it won't show.

Step 5: Save this file in CorelDRAW for future use in your template. Export this file as a .jpg or a .png.

Step 6: Import your .jpg or .png file into the program you use to print. I use Microsoft Word. It should import the same size you created it.

Step 7: Print one copy out on printer paper. This will be your template. Cut out the square and then cut the circle on the line using an exacto blade. Cut out a square of your design paper the same size as your file (mine was 4.50" x 4.50"). Use the paper template on top and attach with repositionable tape. This template will fit the Spellbinder's Classic Circle Large Die set, use the largest die (3.75" x 3.75"). It will totally fit inside the circle you cut out of the template. This will create a hole about an 1/8" smaller than your background circle covering the edges. Run this through your Grand Calibur or Cuttlebug. Your design paper should now fit perfectly over your circle background. Save your paper template to use again. You can emboss your design paper but remember, your paper shrinks after it's been embossed so you will have to trim the outside of your background square. Your circle should still match very well.

Paper: Bo Bunny; Stamps: Make It Crafty Mistletoe Archway digital stamp; Magnolia Edwin on Christmas Eve; Distress Ink Vintage Photo; Martha Stewart Carrara Marble Glitter; Spellbinder Classic Circles Large; Pebbles Inc. Chalk; Liquid Pearls White Opal; Copics: [Skin E000, E00, E11, R20][Hair Y19, Y04][Coat, hat R89, R39, R37][Pants R37, R35, R24][Mittens E53, E50, E51][Shoes E57, E31, E55, E53][Apples R24, R27, R35, YG05][Basket E37, E34, E33][Package E13, E11, E15, YR24, E21][Archway R22, R37, C3, C5, YG17, R89, R39, R37]

Snippet 14: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him."

Cheers comes to CSI

2011-11-27T00:01:00.004-06:00

I really didn't think that Ted Danson was going to work on CSI Las Vegas. I was a big fan of cheers but never watched Becker except for the occasional commercial. I wasn't a Ted Danson fan; I could take him or leave him. I watched Cheers because I loved the chemistry the staff had. Sometimes it just works that way. Like Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Separately, I'm not crazy about either of them, but Pretty Woman has become one of my 10 all time favorite films. If I were trapped on a desert island with electricity it would be one of the films I would take with me. The scene that always comes to mind in Pretty Woman is the startled laugh she gives when he snaps the jewelery case shut after showing her the necklace he borrowed for her to wear to the opera. Anyway, back to Ted Danson. He's been a refreshing change from Laurence Fishburne. His character is lighter, more whimsical and with a wonderfully dry sense of humor.

My card today features Cherry Pip from Lili of the Valley. I think she's lighter and more whimsical but don't really know about her sense of humor. This is another practice with my pencils. When my husband asked how I managed to find paper that perfectly matched my coloring, I told him I was just that talented. But really, I found the paper first and set it next to my image so I could match my colors to it. I'm just starting to get the hang of shadows with pencils but I'm still struggling with the hair, especially hair that has lots of open space. I'm learning how to color on the sides of my points instead of on the points themselves. Every image I color makes me more comfortable with the pencils. Next up is to add pencils to my copic coloring.

Paper: DCWV Nana's Kids; Stamp: Sugar Nellie Cherry Pip; Prima Flowers; Martha Stewart Rose Leaf Punch; Magnolia Crystals; Spellbinder Labels 21; Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils

Snippet 13: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day."

Markers vs. Pencils

2011-11-25T00:01:00.012-06:00

I've got Copic markers and Memento markers and I love using them. I'm no expert, but sometimes I get lucky. There's definitely a learning curve and lots of teachers to help you with it. If you check YouTube, there are hundreds of tutorials. There are groups committed to help you with your questions. By the same token, the same can be said of pencils. There are many pencils on the market, I have both Prismacolor and Faber-Castell Polychromos. You can use markers and pencils together but coloring with one is not like coloring with the other. I find I can't hold pencils like I hold markers. And while I can color very very lightly with pencils, I have a heavier hand with markers. The thing I like best about pencils is you can color without bleed-through so if you want to do a plain and simple colored card without layers, pencils are king. I can also color tiny images with pencils and can't do the same with Copics. One other great selling point for pencils is the ease in which you erase your mistakes. That's not happening with markers. This is one of my Christmas cards for 2011. I used Hallmark Card Studio to print the cards using Mo Manning's digital image and adding "Happy Holidays" under it. Hallmark Card Studio allows you to quickly create a card the size of the card you want to use, layout a digital image, add a sentiment and print it out for coloring. This is a very simple card. I couldn't color it with Copics because it's a single layer and I didn't want the ink to show through on the inside, so I used the pencils. I'm still learning how to color with them but every day I get a little more comfortable. I'm just afraid when I move back to my Copics I will have forgotten everything I know about them. And then there's using both together - a whole new learning curve. Which do you prefer - markers or pencils.....and why?

Paper: Stash; Stamp: Mo Manning digital NP employee num 5533; Viva Glitter Liner; Great Impressions Sparkling Ice Glitter; Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils, Hallmark Card Studio

Snippet 12: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Don't greet him with complaints and problems."

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours....

2011-11-24T00:01:00.005-06:00

I have so many things to be thankful for. Everyone is relatively healthy. We have a roof over our heads and food to eat and our home is warm. My daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren love us. We have a little extra to share with those less fortunate. We have time to spend on our hobbies and for travel. I love my husband to distraction and I hope he feels the same way about me. Life is good. I hope it's equally good where you are.

The never-ending grocery list....

2011-11-23T00:01:00.001-06:00

Getting ready for the holidays? How many grocery runs have you made for Thanksgiving dinner? I've done two and have another list to be filled before Thursday. I don't know how it happens. We made a huge grocery/Christmas present run on Sunday. Cart filled to overflowing. I created my menu for Thursday, broke it down into ingredients, added some Christmas presents to be purchased at that store and off we went. Hard to find: French fried onions and Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes. The potatoes were sold out in one location in the store but found in another. And I couldn't figure out what category French Fried Onions were in but hubs found it in a center aisle. So, we get home and we're unloading and guess what? I find out the beans we got for the Green Bean Casserole were not french style - add those to the new list. I glanced at the stuffing package as I group ingredients on the counter and discovered - it needs celery. Add celery to the new list. My family likes cupcakes - eggs? Only two - add those to the new list. Left over containers? I'm out of gallon zip lock bags - add to the list. I really believe someone is going through my cabinets while we're shopping and stealing my ingredients. I'm absolutely convinced that come Thursday morning, there will be even more things missing from my meal and another trip to the grocery store that shouldn't even be open but will be.

Which leads me to another rant... I know some of you are crazy about getting up at o'dark-thirty to shop at stores that open early on Friday morning but coming from the perspective of a parent with a child who rarely gets to spend Thanksgiving with us, I think it stinks. Three years ago her store decided to open Thanksgiving evening. No doubt people who shop there are ecstatic. But she only gets to spend a few hours with us on Thanksgiving because they work late on Wednesday to stock shelves and works Thanksgiving night late only to be at work again at 5:00am on Black Friday. I know she'd rather sleep on Thanksgiving but she comes to our house because it's one of the few times in the year we can get everyone in the same place at the same time. Families have become so complicated. If you have a divorced parent that's remarried, there's a whole host of people vying for attention - in-laws and ex-laws and step-laws. This isn't Father Knows Best anymore.

This card was a first for me, I've never colored on Kraft paper before and the Faber-Castell polychromos are brand new to me also. After seeing June Nelson's wonderful creations on kraft paper, I knew I wanted to learn to color like she does. Check back in five or ten years, I may be getting close to her talent.

Paper: Kraft, Recollections Regent Street; Stamps: Make It Crafty Annabelle, Hero Arts Flourish; McGill Floriano Paper Blossoms Punch; Distress Ink Evergreen Bough; Faber-Castell Polychromos: [Skin: Brown Ochre, Dark Flesh, Light Ultramarine][Hair: Light Cadmium Yellow, Dark Cadmium Yellow, Dark Chrome yellow][Frame: Cold Grey IV][Dress: Light Green, Grass Green, Leaf Green, Permanent Green, Pine Green, Light Yellow Glaze, Cadmium Yellow Lemon][Shadow: Cold Grey IV]

Snippet 11: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquillity (sic) where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit."

All the best people were born in December....

2011-11-20T00:01:00.001-06:00

Here's the December sentiments and calendars. I would love to see what you do with them.

Download December Circle Sentiment

Download December Calendar

Download December Christmas Calendar

Snippet 10: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax."

You're invited.....

2011-11-18T00:01:00.008-06:00

My very good friend and bestest customer ordered some invitations from me a few days ago. She's a tremendously busy lady juggling a high level management job along with children, a house and husband. She never has enough hours in the day under normal circumstances. This order was needed quickly due to a change in circumstances, allowing her to have a holiday open house she thought she was not going to be able to have. My first design had the red card by itself with the gold poinsettia embossed on it. I actually had all the cards printed inside and embossed on the outside the same day she ordered them. The next morning I took another look at them and went, "blech". So, I cut the white cardstock (Beckett Radiance) and cut apart all the red ones. I used this tutorial to cut out the outline of the white poinsettias (I needed 35 of them), I used my Thing-a-Ma-Jig to stamp the poinsettia on the outline in gold ink and then embossed it. The white poinsettia was popped up on foam dots. "You're Invited" was stamped in gold and embossed in the lower right hand corner. When I was finished with the first one I knew I had a home run. These were substantial, festive and elegant. This embossing powder really captures detail, feels wonderful to the touch and the shine is awesome.

Beckett Radiance Cardstock, Ranger Industries Super Fine Detail Gold Embossing Powder, Inkadinkado Poinsettia Stamp, Cricut Expression, Make the Cut.

Snippet 9: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first -- remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours."

Chicks rule....

2011-11-16T07:38:00.003-06:00

Is anyone addicted to "The Good Wife" but me? I was really unhappy when they moved it to Sunday. Now I never know what time it's on. The TV Guide says 8:00pm but whenever the sports game of the week runs over, all the shows after it are thrown out of wack. If you're like me, in bed early and recording the prime time shows, it can be a disaster. Luckily, last week I ran up to double check the time on the recorder and saw that Survivor was running late. So, instead of setting the VCR to go on and off at a certain time, I just hit the record button and let the machine record until it runs out of tape. Then I can fast forward until I find the show I really want. It's wonderful to see so many great roles on TV for strong women. And The Good Wife is filled with great women.

And speaking of women, I recently discovered Saturated Canary digital images. Wow! Something about a big eyed girl just stops me cold. I've really enjoyed coloring this little sweetheart.

Paper: DCWV Rustic Stack; Stamps: Saturated Canary digital Naveah, TPC Studio; Spellbinder Mega Ovals Large, Marianne die; Distress Ink Black Soot; Recollections Glitter Dots; Copics: [Skin R20, E51, E000][Eye G05, B0000][Lips RV10][Dress YR04, YR02, YR000, YR00, YR01, YR82][Hair E41, E42, E43]

Snippet 8: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him."

My deepest sympathy:

2011-11-14T00:01:00.020-06:00

I am crazy about the Sugar Nellie digital stamps. I'm on pins and needles each release day until I can see them. I think this last release was the best yet and of course, I bought them all. This is the first one I've colored. This card was for a friend who recently lost her father. He was a gardener so I used a flower background and she is known for wearing hats so this little girl was perfect (she also is very fond of the Sugar Nellie line). I hope she knows that I'm thinking about her and her family and I'm here if she needs something.

Paper: DCWV The Garden Party; Stamps: Sugar Nellie Victoria Full Head Digital Stamp, GinaK "Comfort and Peace"; Spellbinder Eyelet Circles; Copics: [Skin E0000, E000, R20][Hair Y0000, Y00][Hat YG00, YR00, YR01, YR02, YR00][Eye B52][Lips R81][Shirt YG07, YG01 Covered with 0][Jacket B000][Hairbow YG11][Shadow N0] Lemon Stickles

Snippet 7: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Be happy to see him."

Asian influence...

2011-11-12T00:01:00.001-06:00

I am so happy that my Make the Cut still works with my Cricut and ecstatic about MTC's partnership with Lettering Delights. I catch sets on sale for pennies and love the way they cut. The set I used here is Landmarks and it's perfect with all the nationality Tildas. There's the Sydney Opera House for Aussie Tilda, the Eiffel Tower for Parisian Tilda, the Taj Mahal for Indian Tilda. I can't wait to use them all. I cut the arch out twice, once in black and once in purple and offset them for a shadow effect. Then I rubbed a little metallic old gold on the purple. I didn't add a lot of embellishments because the Washi paper was so gorgeous, I didn't want to cover it up. The arch was popped up on foam dots; Tilda was popped up on the arch. The gold glitter dots are from Recollections at Michaels.

Paper: Washi, Stash; Stamps: Magnolia Japanese Tilda; Lettering Delights, Make the Cut, Cricut; Metallic Rub-on Old Gold; Recollections Glitter Dots; Gold Spica; Stardust Stickles; Copics: [skin E000, E00, R20][Hair C7, C9, C1, C3][Kimona YR24, YR23, Y15, R24, R27, R37][Flowers V25, V17, V20, G24]

Snippet: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives."

Classy shoe for a classy lady!

2011-11-10T00:01:00.103-06:00

We have a friend who is having some medical issues. His wife has kept us up to date with treatment and I talked to him yesterday, his spirits are up and I have faith that he will beat this. I made this card for his wife. If you knew her, you'd know how perfect this shoe is for her. The blue alligator print has a shine that you can't see in this photo. I found the file for the shoe on the MTC library. It was in two layers so I copied the bottom layer, reversed it, welded the two shoes together and cut out the shaped card. Then I cut out the DTCW Gone Wild paper for the overlay. She might even have this shoe. The inside says "Please remember to take care of yourself, too."

Snippet: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimise (sic) all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet."

Devil Woman let go of me, leave me alone, I want to go home....

2011-11-08T00:01:00.006-06:00

I know it's a little late for Halloween but I had to share. I was really pleased with the way this card turned out. The frame is from the Happy Hauntings Cricut Cartridge. I stamped the spider web on the purple paper to create a background. The paper inside the frame is a lovely Echo Park paper. There are several frames on this cartridge that I want to try. I wonder how I can use them without making a Halloween card? Since I've reorganized my craft room, I'm using my Cricut more. Now it's close to my computer and the cartridges. I do wish I had a little more room for the mats but all in all, I'm pleased with the room's layout for the first time.

Paper: Echo Park, Stash; Stamps: Magnolia Devil Tilda, Cornish Heritage Farms Spider Web; Cricut Cartridge: Happy Hauntings; Distress Ink Black Soot; Glossy Accents; Ruby Slippers Stickles; Copics: [Skin E000, E01, R20][Hair E07, E09, E19][Clothes R39, R37, R35, R24][Wings N4, N1]

Snippet: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper etc. and then run a dustcloth over the tables."

Tired of cutting out images? A lazy woman's tutorial....

2011-11-04T00:01:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had a great design for a Christmas card but you were intimidated about cutting out a gazillion images to put on it? I have to make about fifty cards every year and I've avoided card designs that called for me to cut out my stamped image. So....if you have a scanner, a stamp placement tool and your Make the Cut software works with a cutter (I have a Cricut), here's your answer:

1. Stamp your image on white card stock and scan it. Save the scanned image on your computer.

2. Open your Make the Cut software.

3. Import and Pixel Trace your image.

4. Tweak your image until the outline of your stamp is completely filled in. You aren't worried about the inside, just the outline. When you are happy with it, click on Import at the bottom of the window.

5. DO NOT INCREASE OR DECREASE THE SIZE OF YOUR IMAGE AT ANY POINT.

6. Break apart your image. You will want to keep the outline and remove everything inside. Sometimes it is easier to delete a portion of the inside to make sure you are grabbing just the outline and move it to one side.

7. Delete all the pieces on the left and move the solid image to the left.

7. This is what your screen should look like now. Don't be concerned with the white spaces in the image.

8. Select your image and click on the shadow icon. I left the shadow width at the default, but you can change that setting if you wish and make your shadow wider. Click on accept.

9. Move your original image to the right. Break apart the image on the left (the shadow) if there are any bits left in it. Again, do not increase or decrease the size of your image. You can now delete the image on your right, you won't need it again. If there were bits on the shadow image, you can move the entire image to the right and delete what is left.

10. After deleting any pieces you are left with just the shadow. On this particular image - Tucked in Tilda - I can arrange ten shadows on an 8.5 x 11" sheet of Neenah Smooth paper.

11. I copied my original shadow and pasted in place. Create as many shadows as you like being careful not to change the size.

12. After cutting and removing the excess paper, this is what you are left with.

13. Place a small piece of repositionable tape on your work surface and adhere your first shadow to it (this keeps the image from moving while you stamp it).

14. Stamp your image on the acrylic plate of your stamp positioning tool. I use a Stamp-a-ma-jig but there are many on the market. Position your acrylic plate over your shadow until an equal amount of blank space is all around your image. At this point ink up your stamp. It's easiest for me to have the inked stamp in my right hand (I am right-handed), clamp the positioner with my left hand and use a finger on my right hand to move the acrylic plate to the right and stamp my image.

I used the 'extreme' speed setting on my Make the Cut, but I cut them twice to ensure a clean cut. As you make these files, name them with the stamp name and save them for the future. After you've done this a couple of times, it will only take you minutes to create the Make the Cut file. I will still have to color these, but I won't have to cut them out individually and believe me, that not only saves time, but your hands. If you have any questions, please leave me a comment with your e-mail address and I'll answer if I can.

Edited 11/4/11: I discovered by manipulating the same stamped image, I could extract just the stocking and cut multiples of it out in designer paper.

Girls Rock

2011-11-02T00:01:00.038-05:00

In keeping with the "The Good Wife's Guide" I offer this card. Does everyone agree we are no longer living in a June Cleaver world? There have been lots of changes since Father Knows Best and most of them are good changes - and, as the commercial said "you've come a long way, baby".

This image is from Kenny K's Glam Gang - I have all of these images. They make great 'girl' cards for tweens through adults. This one especially could be used in October as a breast cancer card. I think she's fabulous and one of my favorite images of all time.

Paper: Making Memories "Cheeky", Kraft Cardstock; Stamp: Kenny K; Dies: Spellbinder Classic Circle Large, Marianne Die; Crochet Pattern: Bluebirdflats #1; Ecru Crochet Thread; Glossy Accents; Belly Button Flower: Stash; Spica: Baby Blue, Clear, Gold; Copics: [Skin E000, E00, E11, R20][Clothes YR01, YR02, YR00][Gloves YR14, E99][Shoes B93, B95, B91, N4, N3, C0, C00][Hair R85, R83, R81][Eye G82]

Snippet: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it."

Happy Anniversary

2011-10-31T00:01:00.001-05:00

My daughter and son-in-law got married at a Halloween Party, although not on Halloween night. She's always been a little crazy about Halloween and by extension, I guess we are also. In fact, as I type this, my hubs is out putting up the horse drawn blow-up hearse in our front yard along with various things that light up and talk. In past years it has taken us a month to decorate, but we're getting old --- and tired. She's off doing bigger and better decorating; I'll show you the video when she sends it. These days when a light is out - it stays out. She would have obsessed over it. This is the card I made for their anniversary inspired by these Simply Betty images. The cat and the bat are by Prickley Pear, they have the dies and stamps to match. I LOVE this cat. I colored the images with my copics, of course but neglected to keep track - not that there were many colors. I used a little Distress Ink Black Soot and Black Diamond Stickles around the edges of the image.

And to my darling daughter, Charlotte, of whom I am very proud and her husband, Brad - I wish you many happy years together.

Snipet: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people."

I'm late....I'm late....

2011-10-30T18:22:00.025-05:00

After 30 years of working I've collected a lot of funny things that people passed back and forth. I'm going to share some of the funniest with you at the bottom of my posts. I discovered a copy of a 1955 article from Housekeeping Monthly entitled "The Good Wife's Guide". As the days go by, I will educate you on how to become the perfect housewife. Please share any thoughts you might have as you read through them.

I'm ashamed to say that I missed the birthday of a really special friend. We were out of town and I didn't check my calendar far enough in the future. This is the card I created for her. The paper is from the DCWV Old World Stack and was stamped with a Recollections pocket watch. The rabbit is Mo Manning's white rabbit on top of Tim Holtz's Weather Clock Die Cut touched up with a gold metallic rub-on. The copics I used were: C0, C3, RV00, BV11, BV000, BV13, BV01, Y19, Y35, Y02 and a touch of Spica Gold. I thought it turned out very well. The inside was stamped with a JustRite alphabet set and says, "I'm late....I'm late....

If you haven't checked out Mo's images yet, you are in for a real treat. Her digital images will touch your heart.

Snippet: Excerpt from Housekeeping Monthly - 13 May 1955

The Good Wife's Guide:

"Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed."

Buried in stamps......

2011-10-28T00:01:00.098-05:00

Hello, my name is Cindy and I have too many stamps. I have stamps in boxes, in drawers, in cd cases, in folders, in tins and in a stamp cabinet on the wall. I have wooden stamps, cling stamps, unmounted stamps, clear stamps and digital stamps. I have documented and labeled every one in an Access database so I can tell you exactly how many 'lips' stamps I have and exactly where they are, BUT....and this is a big BUT....I have to run to all those places listed above to see them. Some are in sets by Flourish or GinaK or PaperTrey or StampingScrapping Design or Inkadinkado. If I have 10 lips stamps, I have to check 10 different places to see them in order to figure out which one I actually want to use. Or a 'thank you' stamp that will fit inside a certain frame, I easily have 30 'thank you' stamps.

So, one night I had an epiphany: what if all of my 'lips' stamps were in one place regardless of what set they originally came in? The next morning I went to Big Lots and picked up 20 plastic clear shoe boxes with lids and pulled down 150 clear cd cases and started sorting. I labeled my boxes 'Birthday', 'Beach/Sea', 'Love/Marriage/Baby', 'Floral', 'Birds', 'Animals', well, you get the picture. Then, I labeled boxes for my favorite stamps: PaperTrey, Flourishes, Prickley Pear, etc. Then I cleared off one set of shelves and put the boxes on it, stacked two deep. And while I'm not finished yet, I'm far enough along to grab my 'Birthday' box and make a card without looking for stamps to make it with. It's filled with stamps of packages, cakes, candles, party hats, and all of my birthday sayings. A lot of clear sets of stamps have been broken up, all the 'thinking of you' stamps are on an acrylic sheet from the stash of 100s of acrylic boxes I've cut up and saved for no particular reason. If I need a 'thinking of you' stamp, I can pull out that acrylic sheet and decided which of 20 stamps I want to use. I did not, however, break up any of the sets from my favs, although that may happen sometime. In two crates of PaperTrey stamps, I'm sure I have 25 or 30 Happy Birthday stamps. What a pain to have to check every cd case for just the perfect stamp. I also saved one six drawer plastic drawer set for just sentiments that didn't fit any of the shoe box categories. Like "Enjoy, Thinking of You, It's your day, get well, etc."

For those of you with a smaller collection of stamps, it may be really easy for you to keep track of them all, but I'm getting old. I was amazed at how many stamps I have that have never seen ink, or how many "hello" stamps I have from teeny tiny to huge. I also have several collections of words used to make phrases and now they're all on one sheet so I can use them all even if they aren't the same font. I think that will add to the charm of the phrase. And now when I make a card with birds on it, all my bird related stamps will be right there for a background or a phrase. What works for me may not work for you, but it was such a cheap option and the box takes up relatively little space on my work desk, it's easy to take down and quick to put back. I think I'll have more inspiration opening a box because it will all be there in front of me. A note: I have not emptied the stamp cabinet, those stamps are easy to see and I would need another 20 boxes.

As I was typing this I had another idea. I went to my collection of rub-ons and stickers. I think I will sort those and add them to the boxes, too. I already had shoe boxes for colors: My red box is filled with red buttons, thread, flowers, rhinestones, and any and all decorations that are red except ribbon. I have waaaaay too much red ribbon for one box. I also have boxes for blue, purple, black, metallic, yellow/orange, green. When I buy new brads, rivets, rhinestones, etc., they go right into the box. Edited to add: I have 30 spools of special ribbon - baby, boats, St. Patrick's, birds, etc. These are also going in the proper category shoe box. I always forget to check those ribbons when I do a card.

I also put my paper scraps in two gallon zip lock bags and hang them from a skirt hanger in the closet. I can hang 7 bags in a relatively small space. Do you have a special tip for organizing on the cheap? I'd like to hear it.

Free Digital November Sentiment and Calendar

2011-10-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I'm late with these - thanks Vivi for reminding me. I'll have December's up soon. My computer caught a virus and when I got her back all my added fonts were gone. I just discovered it last night so I need to call my computer doctor (he keeps your hard-drive back up for 30 days after repair) and get my fonts back. This one does not match the set (who remembers what fonts they use [me, from now on]) but I'll upload the matching one as soon as I get my folder back. Enjoy

Download November Birthday Circle

Download November Birthday Calendar

Purple paper piecing

2011-10-24T00:01:00.002-05:00

I love to paper piece and this little beauty is designed for it. I started with a print small enough to fit on her shirt and stamped her once on the white paper and once on my patterned paper. Her shorts were cut out of the base cardstock. I colored her skin and hair and then glued on her clothes. Even though the plain paper looks blue, it's really purple in real life. This is my 'salute to Vivi card'. I don't do purple much, I leave that to her because she does it so well. I don't have a signature color like she does, but if I did, it wouldn't be purple (sorry, Vivi). I again did a shadow which I thought turned out very well. The flowers are my salute to Sheri who taught me a card is just not complete without a flower and although I have a gazillion flowers, I rarely use them.

This card marks the end of my tenure on the StampingScrapping Design Team. It's been an awesome ride, I love all the girls. We've had some head banging conversations and I've made some lifelong friends. So, ladies, thanks for the laughs and the inspiration. Mr. Excellent: thanks for the kiss, I will treasure it, see you in March 2013 for a fresh one and some kicka** BBQ.

Entered in the Lawnscaping Paper-Piecing Challenge

Paper: Stash; Stamps: Magnolia Rollerskate Tilda, Penny Black Sentiment; Martha Stewart Leaf Punch, Martha Stewart Scary Fence; Ribbon: Stash; Spellbinder Classic Ovals Large; Copics: [Skin E000, E01, R20][Hair Y11, Y35, Y32, V09][Shoes C0, C1, C3, C5][Background V000, V000, V01, 0]

P.S. - I have some great books and stamps for sale - check out the "For Sale" tab at the top of my blog.

Tilda in the punkin patch

2011-10-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

Would you believe this is the first time I've inked up the Magnolia pumpkins? I'm sure when I bought them I had a use in mind for them, but danged if I can remember. Then, a fall challenge pulled out Scarecrow Tilda, I went looking for a background, and guess who jumped out of the drawer into my hand? Punkins. And isn't this Basic Grey paper dreamy? It was the perfect autumn paper. I used my Tim Holtz stapler for the first time (I put it away where I'd be sure to find it - and guess what?) I just found it again. I'll be using it a lot now that I know where it is - lol. I'm not sure what Tilda is guarding the pumpkins from, but, by golly, she's doing a wonderful job of it. If you like fall, there's a challenge at the Magnolia Stamp Lover's Blog that's just for you.

Paper: Basic Grey-Pyrus; Stamps: PaperTrey Sentiment, Magnolia Scarecrow Tilda, Magnolia Pumpkins with Leaves; Glossy Accents; Crystal Stickles; Copics: [Skin E000, E01, R20][Hat Y21, Y23, Y26][Hair E09, E07, E19][Dress B91, B93, B95][Pumpkins Y17, YR16, G99, G94][Bees Y17, N5][Outline N0, N1, N2,0]

Poor poor pitiful me...

2011-10-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

With an apology to Linda Ronstadt, I'm in the middle of a pity party. We finally finished our last trip until Christmas and I fire up my computer so I can print out some of the fabulous winter backgrounds from Make It Crafty and guess what? My computer is hosed AGAIN. My husband dropped it off at the computer doctor's yesterday and I haven't heard word one. All of my images and card pictures are on the hard drive so they will be available when we use it for travel. However, since the purchase of our little Acer Netbook, we haven't lugged my gazillion pound laptop around and I haven't moved those files to my external drive yet. I take a flash drive to download those things I need to transfer to my 'real' computer. The Netbook is fabulous for e-mail, it weighs next to nothing and can be packed in between stacks of clothes in a suitcase. And I can blog with it. The thing I can't do is hook it to any of my equipment like my printer, scanner or Cricut because I don't have the software. And I can't download any of the fabulous cards (just kidding) that I've made recently. And I don't know if any of those files will still be on my computer when it returns. Thus, the pity party (with chocolate cupcakes).

But I have a tip for you today. If you haven't tasted Heavenly Pears (Asian Pears), you are in for such a treat that your mouth will thank you. They're expensive. Our Kroger was selling them for $1.00/each but a few years ago someone bought some acreage on the bluff not far from us and planted an orchard. The pears ripen in late September and October. They're shaped like an apple and have the texture of an apple. They are crisp even when ripe, unlike most pears which are soft. They are juicy and crunchy and have totally replaced apples in our house. I researched on the internet and found you can store them for a couple of months if you pack them correctly so we plan to buy enough to make it through Christmas. I haven't cooked with them yet because they're fabulous to eat just off the tree. If you can find them, I recommend them wholeheartedly.

And as soon as I get my 'real' computer back, I'll be blogging about our trip to Wisconsin, our trip to Yellowstone National Park and our last trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, complete with pictures. It's good to be home, the more we travel, the more I love my bed...

No bones about it, I love Halloween

2011-10-13T00:01:00.002-05:00

I'm not going to tell you again how much I love Halloween. I've said it before, just read my blog about this time last year. In May, when I went to Grand Rapids to attend Suzanne Dean's wonderful Copics class, I had the chance to actually shop at StampingScrapping.com. We were like kids in a candy store. I want that, and that, and, oooh, gimme me that. One of my purchases was the Tim Holtz stamp set 'Mini Halloween' and I bought it not because I like Tim Holtz (he's ok, but....), I bought it because... say it with me now, "I Love Halloween". I have more Halloween stamps than for any other holiday. This set was a no-brainer. Now, the big BUT, I actually really love it. This card took just seconds to make, in fact, it nearly made itself. All the stamps are from the set. I stamped the skull and crossbones on the background paper - I just eyeballed it. I stamped and cut out the skeleton, calendar and sentiment, backed them with black paper, put a little stickles around the skeleton and Bob's your uncle. If you have to make 30 Halloween cards like I do, this is the one to make. Now you know you want to enter this challenge at StampingScrappingChallengeCentral, so how about it?

Paper: Stash; Stamps: Tim Holtz 'Mini Halloween'; Grape Stickles

Of shoes and ships and sealing wax....

2011-10-06T00:01:00.051-05:00

My husband and I have been on vacation. I will share some pictures with you soon, but wanted to get these CAS cards posted with a HUGE thanks. Over Labor Day week, my husband and I traveled to Land O Lakes, Wisconsin for a week on Lac Vieux Desert. We rent the same cottage every year, it's right on the lake so we can sit on the porch and watch the eagles fly by. My hubs the photographer is on the go, early morning to late afternoon taking pictures. Up to Copper Harbor, all over Nicolet National Forest and waterfalls in between. I may share some of his photos also because he's a great photographer, I'm just a 'point and shooter'.

We were in Wisconsin for one week, came home for five days and took off again for Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. That trip wasn't so smooth. Apparently we cracked the flywheel in our car. If you are ever in Livingston, Montana and your car breaks down - Yellowstone Country Motors is the place to take it. Not only do they have the best service department people, but they have rentals to use while they have your car. When we got to the dealership, we thought it might be a valve; this according to a mechanic in the park. The service manager at Yellowstone Country Motors thought it sounded like a main bearing but couldn't be sure until he took it apart. We spent the night in Livingston waiting for the return of a rental Jeep but since it didn't show up the next day, we grabbed an Infinity and took off back to the park. Dave called us while we were relaxing with friends in Bozeman, Montana and gave us the news about the cracked flywheel. We kept the rental until the day we needed to head home and picked up our unrepaired car. Dave said that if we took it easy going home, it should get us home ok. He was right. For the diagnostics and the car rental, they charged us $175.00.

This is the card that my husband sent them as a thank you. The car is a Stamping Up stamp and the 'thank you' is from Fiskars. I colored the image with a red Prismacolor pencil very lightly and embossed around the image with a Spellbinder's square die. A simple card quickly done.

The next card goes to the wonderful people who opened up their home to us for a day in Bozeman. We ate Reuben sandwiches for lunch and flank steak for dinner. Great food, good wine, wonderful conversation and gobs and gobs of love. We sat on their back porch and watched deer feed on the apple tree in their back yard. It was a glorious day and we were sorry we had to leave. So, Lowell and Marcia, your hearts are as big as your big sky country and we thank you deeply for your hospitality. This card is on it's way.

The sunflower was colored very lightly with Prismacolor pencils, and scored with my ScorPal. Again, a CAS card, quickly created but from the heart.

I'm seeing red....

2011-10-05T00:01:00.002-05:00

First of all, I need to apologize for the photo. No matter where I photographed this picture I could not get the embellishment to show up without ruining the image. I even tried to manipulate it in CorelDraw, but when you could see the sentiment, Tilda was all washed out. So, I had to do it in two steps because I wanted you to see this lovely paper in its true color. I sent my husband out for T-pins for this card. I drew him a picture of them (wig pins? what are wig pins?) and he finally found them at a sewing store. Bless his heart, he must have gone to five stores before he came up with them. I saw the tutorial for this embellishment in Scrapbook News and Review and knew I had to make one of these. I paper pieced Tilda's dress from a matching paper from the same pack. I actually had to cut it out in three pieces, it wasn't the easiest dress to piece, but it's something I really like to do. I plan to do a tutorial for this embellishment on the Stamping Scrapping Design Team Blog in October (Hey, Sheri), so look for that. In the meantime, you can enter the 'red' challenge at StampingScrappingChallengeCentral.

Paper: Making Memories, Stash; Magnolia Tilda Baking Cookies, JustRite Sentiment; Magnolia Crystals; Copics: [skin E000, E01, R20][Hair Y11, Y18, Y13][Cookie Sheet N1, N2, Red Spica][Shoes E31, E33][Background N0, N1, N2,0]; Utee, Ribbon: Stash

Matchbook Card Tutorial

2011-10-01T00:01:00.002-05:00

This tutorial only uses a half sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock as well as a matching scrap of paper. Usually matchbook cards need a 12" x 4 1/4" strip, but by adding the scrap for additional length, you can use smaller paper and use up those scraps you have laying around. This would be a great card to use with those long-abandoned roller wheels on the top and bottom band - or a border punch.

Supplies:

Scor-Pal

Stapler

11" x 4 1/4" piece of cardstock

4 1/4" x 3 7/8" piece of scrap cardstock to match

LaLaLand Stamp

Hero Arts Stamps

Score the 11" x 4 1/4" strip at the 1" mark and fold. With the folded end on the 0" mark, score at 5 1/2".

Fold card at the 5 1/2" score line.

Measure 1/2" up from the folded edge and 2 1/8" from the left edge, mark and center staple over mark.

Place your 4 1/4" x 3 7/8" scrap under the fold to the staple. Adhere. This will extend the length of your base card, allowing you to tuck it in like a matchbook.

Decorate and you're finished.

Copics: [Skin E000, E01, R20][Hair Y26, Y32, Y23][Cake R21, R22, G03, Crystal Accents][Clothes N2, N1, N0, 0, Silver Stickles][Shoes N2, N1]

I know it's not Easter but....

2011-09-27T00:01:00.003-05:00

I love this image. I know it's the hat. I think I have every Magnolia image that is wearing a hat because I love to color them. I'm not a big 'distressed' fan. In fact, I just used my first Tim Holtz stamps for a Halloween card. Distressed just doesn't appeal to me, but I kind of like the edges on this paper. And I've been having a lot of fun with this new Cricut cartridge. If you like making flowers, it can be another tool in your flower making tool box. If you like the 'distressed look', please hop over to the Magnolia Stamp Lover's Blog and enter this challenge.

Paper: Debbie Mumm, Bazzill; Stamps: Magnolia Tilda with Bunny, Studio G Alphabet; Spellbinder Labels Small; Cricut Flower Shoppe; Bow Easy; Martha Stewart Leaf Punch; Distress Stickles Forest Moss; Marianne Swirl Die; Copics:[Skin E000, E02, R20][Hat/Shirt B93, B97, B95][Pants G94, YG63, YG61][Shoes E34, E35][Hair Y19, Y11][Rabbit C0, C00, C1]

SSCC Challenge - my second sketch

2011-09-18T00:01:00.007-05:00

This is my second sketch challenge and it didn't seem to be as easy for me as the first one. The first one created itself, this one was work. I took liberties with the layout and I'm pleased with the overall feel of the card. I've had this zebra paper for quite some time and haven't used it yet. The zebra stamp is one I've had for so long I don't know where it came from. I found a little treasure at Michaels last time I was there. I had no idea that Studio G had tiny alphabet sets. The one I've used here is on my desk all the time. There's still time to hop on over to Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central and put together a card for this sketch challenge

Paper: DWCV The Natural Cardstock Stack, DCWV Safari Chic; Stamps: Magnolia Khaki Tilda; Martha Stewart Linked Trim Deep Punch; Marianne Swirl Flower Die, Swirl Die; Cinnamon Stickles; Studio G Alphabet; Copics: [Skin E000, R20, E11][Hair Y17, Y13, Y11][Shoes E31, E33, E34][Dress E17, E19, E41, E43, E42]Stickles: Gold, Sand

I'm hosting the Fall Colors Challenge at MSL

2011-09-11T00:01:00.032-05:00

I have the honor to be the host of the 'fall colors' challenge at MSL. I wasn't sure just which colors from fall I wanted to use so I combined a couple: red, orange, copper and green. I've never combined the Tim Holtz 'bricked' embossing folder and the Magnolia 'brick wall' before. And I was very proud of Edwin's shirt. Some graffiti would look really great on that wall, wouldn't it? Have you noticed my last few cards have been on an acrylic stand? My hubby (perfect angel that he is) set me up a light box in the living room so I just run down there and take the pictures - and then, run up here and look at the pictures - and then, run back down and take some more pictures.....It would really be nice to have it set up in my room but I don't have room to change my mind in my craft room. Since this challenge just started, you have lots of time to get over to the Magnolia Stamp Lover's blog and enter this challenge.

Paper: DCWV The Four Season's Stack, Basis Red; Stamps: Magnolia Baseball Cap Edwin, PaperTrey Half and Half; Die: Cuttlebug Leaf Die and Embossing Folder, PaperTrey Half and Half Die; Tim Holtz Bricked Embossing Folder; Coats and Clark Metallic Thread; Button: Stash; Silver Stickles; Copics: [Skin E00, E11, R20][Shirt YR18, YR16, YR12, YR00][Pants YG97, YG95, YG93][Belt E29][Hair Y11, Y13][Shoes C1, C3, C5, C7]

All the best people were born in October...

2011-09-02T00:01:00.046-05:00

My October cards were made for best friends. The first one goes to a woman who used to have a vintage clothing shop. The second one goes to her best friend born on Halloween. I've used some new products on these cards including: the Tim Holtz Idea-ology paper (love this stuff) and the Papertrey dress form die and stamp. Both went with the paper beautifully. Add some Krylon Gold Leafing and you have a very elegant yet simple card. The arrow is an ancient Cuttlebug die (sometimes it pays to keep EVERYTHING forever, right?) and I used a regular paper punch to cut out the circle. My second card also had some new goodies on it. I had not used the Echo Park Paper or the Goosebumps before, but I'm now a HUGE fan of Goosebumps. I hope you can tell in the last photo just what wonderful texture it added to my card. It feels like some of the high end paper that's been lacquered. My JustRite 15 point Times New Roman alphabet set is the exact perfect size for adding dates to the calendar.

Download the October Calendar.

Download the October Sentiment

Paper: Tim Holtz Idea-ology, Paperworks Brown Bag Paper; Papertrey Dress Form Stamp & Die, Bluebirdflats Calendar and sentiment; Distress Ink Tea Dye; Krylon Gold Leafing Pen; JustRite 15 point Times New Roman alphabet.

Download October Halloween Calendar

Download Halloween Circle Sentiment

Edited 9/2/11 to add: Leanne's card using my September and Number Sentiments. She's done such a nice job with them.

Edited 9/5/11 to add: Snehal's Creations - a creative gift for teachers and Enblog Sail - see the sentiment used as a sun.

Edited 9/9/11 to add: - Margreet's Scrapcards used one of my age sentiments on this fabulous card - check out the paper piecing.

Paper: Echo Park Paper, Paperworks Brown Bag Paper, Stash; Bluebirdflats Sentiment and Calendar; Distress Ink Black Soot; Spellbinder Graveyard Die, Spellbinder Classic Scallops Small; Goosebumps Spray, JustRite 15 point Times New Roman alphabet.

Circles, circles, circles

2011-08-30T00:01:00.042-05:00

Do you see a theme here? The design paper has circles, the crocheting is circular and the embossing is tiny circles. Again, I've used the Eyelet Circle as my base for this crochet and I'm really excited about some of the new Spellbinder dies to use for this purpose. The crochet pattern is: sc in first hole *(chain 3, sc 5 times) chain 1, sc in next hole (repeat from * around). The second row was sc in first chain 3 space, *chain 3, sc in next chain three space (repeat from * around). I used a #7 crochet hook and two colors of Aunt Lydia's crochet thread. You still have lots of time to join the Magnolia Stamp Lover's "Primary Colors" challenge, so pull out those red, blue and yellow markers or pencils and get to work.

Paper: DCWV Cotton Bloom Stack, Stash; Magnolia Standing Tall Tilda; Martha Stewart Five Leaf Frond Brach; Stickles: Silver, Crystal, Yellow, Turquoise; Spellbinder Eyelet Circles, Standard Circles Large; Aunt Lydia's Victory Red and Golden Yellow Crochet Thread; Fiskars Bubbles Embossing Plate; Copics: [Skin E000, E11, R20][Hair E30, E21, E33][Pants Y17, Y38, Y15, Y13][Shoes E59, E57, E55][Scarf B16, B06, B37][Shirt R29, R24][Background B16]

Hosting the SSCC "Anything Goes" Challenge

2011-08-29T00:01:00.005-05:00

I love an "anything goes" challenge. I've had this card swirling around in my head since I first received the Scarecrow Tilda. I imagined her in the middle of a large field of sunflowers, standing tall with her face to the sun. She doesn't look mean enough to chase off the birds, does she? These images were colored on Neenah Super Smooth paper, a first coloring for me. I did find it easier to blend on than the Beckett Radiance I've been using. The card size is 5 3/4" square and the main image is backed by copper glitter paper. The wings of the bees have Glossy Accents on them and I've applied Stickles on Tilda's sleeves the the center of the sunflowers. Since I am hosting the Stamping Scrapping Central Challenge "Anything Goes", you have plenty of time to enter. Just mention one product that Cindy of StampingScrapping.com carries

and enter your card in the link at the top of the post.

Paper: DCWV The Natural Cardstack, DCWV The Rustic Stack, Neenah Super Smooth; MIC Sunflower Background; Magnolia Scarecrow Tilda, Flourishs Sunflowers; Stickles: Black Diamond, Crystal; Dies: Spellbinder Large Labels; Distress Ink Scattered Straw; Glossy Accents; Magnolia Chandelier Garland Yellow; Copics: [Skin E000, E00, E11, R20][Wood Fence E43, E33, E31, E57][Sunflowers Y18, Y38, Y35, E57, YG93, YG95, G99][Gloves E37, E39, E47][Hat Y26, Y23, Y21][Hair E19, E09, E07][Straw Y32][Clothes YR20, YR61, YR00, YR01, YR00

All the best people were born in September....

2011-08-26T00:01:00.037-05:00

At one time, the Peoria Journal Star had a sports writer that once a month would enumerate all the reasons he was happy with the current month. And one of the reasons would be "best month for napping". The funny thing was that appeared in every list every month. I'm assuming he was a 'nap' person. Well, I think every month is a great month to be born so I've started a new line of free digis. These will be birthday sentiments and come with a calendar. I've used both of these digis in the card shown below. I won't be announcing these on the free digi web site but they will show up regularly on my blog. So, if you like free digis, you just might want to become a follower.

This card was created for my husband's cousin, Nancy. I'm sure she doesn't read my blog so I'm safe in showing this card. I adore Nancy and she's a big fan of mine. I hope she enjoys this card as much as I enjoyed creating it for her.

Paper: DWCV The Linen Closet; Stamps: Prairie Fairy Birthday Gilly, JustRite Times New Roman 15 point; Bluebirdflats Calendar, Bluebirdflats Sentiment; Distress Ink Tea Dye; Sizzix Heart Charm; Spellbinder Classic Scallops Small; Copics: [Skin E0000, E000, E01, R20][Hair Y21, Y23, Y26][Dress BG34, BG32, BG000][Shoes E43, E42][Cake Y000, Y11, N1, R81, R85, YR65, YR61], Spica: Sand, Orange, Turquoise, Clear, Lemon; Glossy Accents

Download September Calendar

Download September Birthday Sentiment

Double Challenge

2011-08-23T00:01:00.007-05:00

I've been having a lot of fun with crochet these days. I found this wonderful Copper Mist crochet thread that matches this background paper wonderfully. I've crocheted on a Spellbinder's Eyelet Circle. I'm hoping the flowers are zinnias which always bloom here in July and August which are Central Illinois Dog Days (Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central "Dog Days of Summer" challenge). Temperatures are often in the 90s here with high humidity. Pots must be watered twice a day or kept in the shade. Air is often hard to walk through, it feels thick and moist. And since my background paper has flowers and I have two flowers on my card so it qualifies for the Magnolia Stamp Lovers Flowers Challenge. So, you have a choice - flowers or 'dog days'. Note: in order to qualify for the SSCC challenge prize, you must mention a product that can be purchased at StampingScrapping.com.

Paper: DCWV Cardstock Neutrals, Citrus Stack; Stamps: Magnolia Tilda with Gifts; Dies: Spellbinder Eyelet Circle; Crochet: Bluebirdflats #1; Crochet Thread: Royal Copper Mist; Coats and Clark Metallic Copper Thread; Punch: Marvy Uchida; Buttons: Stash; Stickles: Orange, Purple, Eucalyptus; Copics: [Skin E00, E11, R20][Clothes YR82, YR02, YR01, YR00][Shoes E18, E17, E15][Packages YR18, YR16, YR15, V09, V06, V05, YG06, YG05, YG07][Hair Y21, YR31, YR23]

Last of the digital circle sentiments

2011-08-15T00:01:00.010-05:00

This will be the last of this series unless someone needs a number that I haven't posted. I would be glad to do it, just e-mail me. I will be starting a new series of digital sentiments - these will be words with definitions. If you have a special word you'd like me to turn into a sentiment, please e-mail me, I'm always looking for inspiration. I hope you've enjoyed these - I've seen a few of you use them which tickles me "plumb to death" as my granny would say. If you have suggestions for other sentiments, I'd be glad to hear those as well.

Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central - Summer

2011-08-14T12:01:00.029-05:00

What's summer without a ragtop? For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term 'ragtop' it's American slang for a convertible or a car with no roof on it. Nick Nolte in '48 Hours' with Eddie Murphy was a big ragtop man, always had a convertible. Heading down the highway with the wind blowing in your hair is the only way to travel. It took a long time, but Tilda finally saved up enough to buy one and now it's parked outside under the tree waiting for her to get off work.

There are a lot of firsts for me in this card. I rarely tear paper. I don't know why, I just never have. So, when I was trying to figure out how to do the background, I ran across this blue paper with clouds. And the Mind's Eye paper was the perfect green. My tree was cut out on the Cricut, the leaves were covered with Puffy Paint, dried, and then heated with my heat gun. The little cranberry buttons were from my button drawer. I plan to work on coloring the car, I don't think it's my best work but overall, I'm pleased with the way this card turned out. You still have time to enter this challenge: StampingScrappingChallenge Central. Just remember to include a product from StampingScrapping.com in your post.

Paper: Debbie Mumm, My Mind's Eye; Stamps: Magnolia Tilda's Car, Studio G Alphabet; Cricut Bloom Cartridge; Buttons: Stash; Marvy Uchida Puffy Velvet Olive Green; Copics: BG72. BG75. BG78, C3, C5, N1, N2, N3

My first sketch challenge....

2011-08-11T00:01:00.026-05:00

I've heard lots of people say that they love sketch challenges because the creative process is so much easier. I've never done a sketch challenge before so I didn't know. I have to admit that some of the thinking has been done for you. When I started on this sketch I wasn't sure I was going to like it but once I picked my paper, it sort of created itself. I stamped the Tim Holtz stamp on white card stock, cut it out with the Spellbinder Labels 10 die, inked the edges with Distress Ink Scattered Straw and popped Tilda with Pony Tail on top. One thing I did that I've never done before was to cut the border die twice, once from each designer paper, making sure I had a left end and a right end from different papers. I measured, cut them and glued them together into one strip. For the 3 elements at the bottom I used some new I-Rock hearts. The sentiment is from PaperTrey. I'm pleased with this first attempt at a sketch. If you've never done a sketch before, hurry over to the Magnolia Stamp Lover's blog and check this one out.

Paper: DCWV Card stock Stack - Neutrals, DCWV Citrus Stack; Stamps: Tim Holtz Urban Tapestry, Magnolia Tilda with Pony Tail, PaperTrey Everyday Classics; Dies: Spellbinder Classic Rectangles; Spellbinder Tag; Spellbinder Labels 10, Spellbinder Parisian Accents Border Die; Other: Distress Ink - Scattered Straw, Imaginisce Hearts; Copics: [skin E00, E11, R20][Hair YR23, YR31, Y21][Jeans/Socks B12, B14, B16][Blouse YR02, YR01, YR000][Shoes RV11, RV13, RV14]

Chef Marci blings her uniform

2011-07-26T00:01:00.014-05:00

I don't imagine that chefs have the option to add a lot of bling to their uniform but Marci has a found a way to add a little sparkle and still look professional. I've added some Jolee Rhinestones as buttons on her jacket and, of course, the cake sparkles. So, you decide. Is Marci being fashionable? I have grown to love these LaLaLand stamps. I have them in both rubber and digital. Rubber is fine for A2 sized cards, I don't have to use toner or chance spots on my paper when I print them. But when you want a larger card such as an A10, the digital images are wonderful and if you want to combine two digital stamps, there is lots of free software that will allow you to do that. I think there's plenty of room in your toolbox for both. If you like Bling, this is the challenge for you, please go to Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central and check out the entries. Please note: to qualify for the prize in the SSCC challenge, you must mention a product sold at StampingScrapping.com.

The inside of this card kind of tied in to the patterned paper I used that was all numbers. I have a bunch of these stamps that always remind me of Art Linkletter's "Kids Say the Darndest Things".

Paper: Beckett Radiance, Making Memories Cheeky, Stash; Stamps: LaLa Land Chef Marci, Inkadinkado; Paper Shapers Corner Punch; Jolee's Flat Back Crystals, 3D Crystal Lacquer Peach; Stickles Fruit Punch; Copics: [Skin E000, E00, E11, R20, 0, G05, R43][Clothes N1, N0, N2, C3, 0][Cake E25, YG05, R21, R24][Shoes E41, E43][Hair Y11, Y13, Y19]

Magnolia Stamp Lover's "Summer Colors" Challenge

2011-07-19T00:01:00.002-05:00

I'm not exactly sure which colors are summer colors. First I thought green, but green is also a Christmas color. And then I thought yellow because so many summer flowers are yellow. But then, water is blue and water is a summer thing. So, the paper actually chose for me. I love this paper and now I'm out of it. I tried my hand at a new design for me - a center step card. I hate tricky cuts, I don't do math, they never fold right, whine, whine, whine. You are going to find this really funny, but I just discovered my Fiskars cutter works for these kinds of cards. Did ya'll know there is a ruler on the cutter slide, too? You can position your paper, drop your blade at the right number, slide to the next right number and you're all done. All you need is a little focus. So, here is my very first center step card. And, if you are my age, the hula hoop is an iconic summer toy. In my prime, I could hula hoop with the very best of them - jump rope, too - even double dutch. Those days are long gone but I'm so pleased to see the hula hoop make a come back. Hurry on over the Magnolia Stamp Lover's Blog and get in on this challenge and....if you figure out what colors are summer colors, please leave me a comment, ok?

Paper: DCWV The Cotton Bloom Stack; Martha Stewart Iron Fence Deep Edge Punch; Magnolia Rocking Tilda, JustRite Curlz 25 pt., Papertrey Clouds Die, Star Dust Stickles, Glossy Accents, Copics: [Skin E00, E11, R20][Hair E09, E07, E19][Clothes BG000, BG02, BG05][Hoop R29, R24, R22][Shoes C3, C1]

Today's my anniversary.....

2011-07-14T08:50:00.000-05:00

It's been seven wonderful years; every day a new adventure. Always marry a man who makes you laugh, the journey is so much better with laughter. We've been together eighteen years, more or less and it seems like just yesterday. There are so many roads we've traveled down, sights that we've seen, places we've been - and every one was better because we were together. I was not well traveled when we met and now I've seen the redwood forest, Peggy's Cove, Gettysburg, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier National Park, Jasper, Everglades National Park, Port Angeles, Victoria, Badlands National Park, Volcano National Park and dozens of other beautiful places. Every road trip is filled with new wonders and we get as excited about the next trip as we did the first one.

This is the anniversary card I made for him. Since he's been retired he has a habit of popping into my craft room dozens of times a day. Hiding this card made the construction take much longer and I'm afraid I rushed the coloring a little in my haste. The crochet is something I'm trying on new cards. This is actually the Eyelet Circle by Spellbinders which lends itself perfectly to crochet. The card is 5.75" by 5.75" and the stamp by Penny Black is perfect for the two of us.

Paper: Melissa Frances 5th Avenue Paper Pad; Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms, Penny Black Sharing Spring; Spellbinder Eyelet Circle; Distress Ink Antique Linen; Filligree Butterfly/Button - Stash; Stardust Stickles; Copics: [Rabbits E30, E33, R20, C00, C1][Flowers YG06, Y38, Y35, C00, C1][Butterfly B52, BG10], Bluebirdflats crochet pattern #2.

Organization: How I roll.....

2011-07-12T08:47:00.001-05:00

Back in the day when I used to get up every morning and go to work I used lots of different software on my computer to do my job. My favorite software was Microsoft Access. I can organize anything in it. I keep my stamp inventory in one database, the cards I make for challenges in another database and the really nifty things I find on the Internet but know I won't remember past tomorrow in another database. I call this database my "Techniques" database but it really contains a ton of information I just don't want to forget. This database contains records with just 3 fields (think of the database as a file cabinet and the record as a file folder. The fields would be the pages in the folder). Field one is the technique or information I don't want to forget, field two is the URL where the information is located and field three is any comments I feel would be relevant. In this example the technique (field 1) is "background tutorial - distress ink, gel medium, pearl ex powder". The URL (field 2) is: here and there were no comments (field 3). My comments field might have information like "would be good for Fred's wedding". Now, the fabulous thing about this database is it is searchable in any field by any word and you always know who to give credit to when you "borrow" someones technique or style. If you double click on the picture, you will be able to see it much larger.

If I place my cursor in field 1 and hit the search icon, this window pops up with a few options. I type what I'm looking for, in this case "background", I tell it which field I'm looking in, in this case "technique", I tell it to find this word in any part of the field, and to search "all" of the database. I might have thirty records that deal with backgrounds and this search will find them all. So, if in six months my pea-sized brain remembers that I saw this really cool background with pearl ex powders but for the life of me can't remember where - here it is. I've been doing this so long it's automatic - see a great idea - document it. At times when I'm out of inspiration, I can page through the records and find something that calls to me. And the truly great thing is the records are filled out in my words, so I don't have to try to figure out what somebody else called something.

Access is reasonable easy to learn. And as you learn, you discover it is much more powerful than it appears. I keep all my stamps listed in a database, I run a query (question) and ask the database, which stamps are Maggies? Assuming I have a field in the database that identifies Magnolia as the company which produced the stamp, the query will return a list of every Maggie stamp I own. I can turn that query into a "report" that puts the information on paper in a pleasing way.

This is my stamps database which contains lots of information on each stamp or stamp set. I have actually combined two databases linked by the "ID", one contains stamp information, the other contains occasion information (how might I use that stamp?). I can run a quick query (under 2 minutes) and find every PaperTrey stamp I own. Or Inkadinkado. I can tell at a glance what the "medium" is (I've enlarged this database to include dies, embossing folders, and punches) - the medium might be rubber, clear, die, punch, embossing folder, etc), is it an image or words (this matters when searching - do I want an image of a fish or do I want the word "fish"), what size is it, where is it stored and what manufacturer produced it? The second database is a list of what can I use it for, holidays, sympathy, men, etc. I did it this way because it's very easy to list all of my Halloween stamps or Christmas stamps. Some people organize by putting each type of stamp together (all of the Maggies in one drawer, all of the Flourish stamps in another). I'm up to 31 drawers of stamps as well as a floor to ceiling case that contains shelves of wooden backed stamps on the wall side and the door side. (It was supposed to be all the room I'd ever need for stamps seven years ago.) When one drawer gets full, I just move to the next. I have them all mixed up, it doesn't matter where they are - I just query the database and it tells me the heart stamp with the writing on it is in drawer 15. The drawers aren't so big that searching them takes long. As I enter each record, the database assigns the next number (ID number), and I put that number somewhere on the stamp or the packaging. I can locate a stamp by it's number or if I have a stamp, I can tell where it belongs by the number. I usually leave a drawer open until the stamp is returned but sometimes I get in a hurry and don't return it right away. It ends up in a basket on my desk until I find time to put it back. The database tells me where it goes.

The database for my challenge cards (actually every card I make) contains the recipe, the URL to where the picture is stored on my computer, what challenges the card was entered in or what blogs I put it on, what galleries I put it in, and the ultimate disposition of the card - "2011 - Julie Jones Birthday". I can list every card I submitted to a SplitCoast Stamping Gallery and the date it was submitted. Once a card has been photographed, downloaded to my computer, entered into my database, I package it with an envelope and add it to my card bin where it stays until I sell it or send it to someone. If anyone has any questions about Access, I can help you sort them out. I could even send you the structure for my databases if you'd like them (you have to have Access to use the structures). I suggest Access for Dummies as a guide, you really don't need to be a whiz on the computer to use this software.

Magnolia Stamp Lover's "Summer Flowers" challenge

2011-07-09T00:01:00.002-05:00

I have a Cricut Expression that I don't use nearly enough. I guess I'm a stamper at heart although I do dabble in other crafts. I recently pulled out a couple of cartridges to see if I could combine them with my stamping. This Damask Decor cartridge makes some pretty nice backgrounds. I cut a 5.5" x 5.5" card and then cut this particular background at 5" x 5". I have lots of 12" x 12" paper pads with patterns too big to use on cards. I find they do work well this way. I actually pulled out my Copic color wheel to find a color that worked well with this particular shade of green. All in all, I'm pleased with it, I plan to use this cartridge for more cards in the future. If you like flowers, the MSL flowers challenge is the place you need to be.

Paper: DCWV The Mariposa Stack; Stamps: Magnolia Tilda with Tulip, GinaK; Provocraft Expression; Provocraft Cartridge Damask Décor; Stickles Star Dust; Copics: [Skin E00, E11, R20][Hair E09, E19, E07][Clothes V09, V04, V01, V06][Tulip YG09, Y11, Y35][Shoes E41, E42, E43][Tag E41, E43]

SSCC Simple Challenge

2011-07-06T00:01:00.002-05:00

I don't often make simple cards. It's too easy to just keep adding embellishments. I forget that clean and simple can be elegant. So, this is my simple card. This challenge is going on a Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central and there's still time so get on over there.

Paper: DCWV The Bella Armoire Stack; Stamps: Stamping Scrapping Designs - Celebrate, Holidays; Spellbinders Labels 14; Distress Ink Antique Linen

Please answer this question.....

2011-07-05T00:01:00.042-05:00

My husband and I were watching John Stewart ragging on Illinois Wednesday night. We were laughing because it kept us from crying but I'm sure the rest of the country was laughing because he wasn't talking about their state. Then he turned to Fox News and the on-going feud they have going. He showed a bunch of his silliest voices, one of which sounded just like Nathan Lane in Birdcage. I mentioned to my husband how much I enjoy Nathan Lane and if I was hosting a dinner party, I'd love to invite him. That got me to thinking about the ultimate dinner party and my question. You are hosting an elegant dinner party for six people and you can invite anyone, alive or dead. Who do you invite and why? I would invite:

1. Sitting Bull - so I could get the other side of the story.
2. Nathan Lane. I think he would be wonderfully amusing.
3. Cleopatra - I want to worship at her feet.
4. Timothy Hutton - I was in love with his dad, now I'm in love with him. I never miss an episode of Leverage.
5. Dean Martin - I have every one of his albums and he can tend bar.
6. My husband - wouldn't be a party without him.

So, give it some thought and come back and tell me who and why. You may even comment on my selection.

My garden....warts and all....part fünf

2011-07-04T00:01:00.086-05:00

This is the last area of our little paradise. This is the back of the pond area.

Our whole yard slopes down to the backyard and to the left. When my husband was digging the pond (every shovel full by hand), he put all the dirt at the top of the pond in order to dig the top pond higher. This is our smaller upper pond. It contains a gorgeous dark pink water lily and several tropical plants that spend the winter in our bay window.

This is a close up of the birdhouse on the edge of the pond. The wrens have also taken up residence in this birdhouse which will soon be covered with moon vines that have been planted at the base. The little blue fairy garden ornament was a house warming gift from our friend, Charla.

These are the Sarah Bernhardt peonies that run around the end of the pond.

This is the gazebo we spend so much time in during the summer. The pine trees right behind the gazebo are the ones that are dying. Since they cover our propane tank, we will soon need to cut them down and replace them with another type of cover. The plant at the base of the stairs is a moon vine which will soon cover the railing all around the gazebo.

This is the table on our deck. It seats eight and has a chandelier hanging over it. On the deck I have Black and Blue Salvia for the hummingbirds, two huge pots of double begonias, my palm tree from the house, an angel's trumpet and several air plants we purchased in Florida. We also have a large hummingbird feeder on the deck. Our cat likes to lay in front of the sliding glass door and watch the hummingbirds and chipmunks that come to our deck.

This little table overlooks my vegetable garden and the pond. In the early morning it's a delightful place to have coffee.

And this is my vegetable garden which has been netted to keep the deer out. We have cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, radishes, 3 kinds of peppers and a lettuce mix. There is also another large pot of Black and Blue Salvia just for the hummingbirds. The trap you see is for the chipmunks. Three years ago we relocated 30 of them. This year we've relocated seven. I had to replant the seeds in the pots three times because the chipmunks dug them up and replanted the pots with sunflower seeds. I don't mind a couple of them, they're cute. A herd of them is destructive. We only trap and relocate early in the season to give them time to find another nest and stock it for winter. My husband just finished this area, it used to be filled with gravel. He created the frame, laid the patio tiles and mulched everything.

This is the Dropmore Scarlet Honeysuckle that adorns the fences on the right hand side of our house.

This knautia spreads by seed and is helped by the goldfinches who love the seeds. It's very light and airy so I leave it where it sprouts. If it makes it out to the grass, it's dead meat. My husband and I have a deal, he doesn't mow the flower beds, I don't plant flowers in the grass.

This is our gorgeous patch of Siberian Iris among the grass and under the Viburnum. The ends of the Viburnum branches are eaten off by the deer every year. It doesn't grow taller, but it does grow wider since it sprouts new branches along the old ones.

This is what the Wisteria looked like in early spring. It actually has buds on it now for a second blooming but the Japanese beetles have eaten all the buds so they won't open. And the leaves now look like lace. Having a garden in the country can be painful. One year I waited breathlessly for a new asiatic lily to bloom only to have the deer eat the flowers just before they were to open. We've moved the lilies to the front of the house hoping that their proximity to the house would keep them from being eaten. And I spray them with Liquid Fence. So, that's it for the Close garden in June. Our garden is usually at its best in June. Feel free to send me a link to your garden, let's compare notes. Do you have a surefire way to deter deer? Chipmunks?

My garden....warts and all....part quattro

2011-07-03T00:01:00.002-05:00

In the distance you can see the raised bed. This is the right side of the house. There are three pots with dracena in them and lots of mulch. There is another plow we found in Lacon and another rain barrel. I use this rain barrel to water the plants in front of the house.

There is also a ground level bird bath next to the rain barrel. The bluebird house is to the right of this rain barrel and under the crabapple tree.

This is our new front door. It has a calla lily on it and was just installed last month. The Norfolk Island Pine comes into the house in the late fall.

My husband made the white bench the birdhouse is sitting on. There is a wire sculpture next to seven Autumn Joy Sedum and a hydrangea. A wren house hangs on a shepherd's hook next to the window and the frog is riding a bicycle.

The flower bed that runs next to our sidewalk is filled with violets, Autumn Joy Sedum, asiatic lilies, oriental lilies, and turk's cap. There's a small (so far) trumpet vine in the center, beautiful yellow iris, and a large patch of yellow tulips in the early spring.

And we're back to the driveway again. Just one more area to show you....

My garden....warts and all....part tres

2011-07-02T00:01:00.017-05:00

Along the back of our yard we have five circles. The first circle contains a birdhouse which has been used by the wrens this year, Joe Pye Weed, catmint, a moon flower vine climbing up the birdhouse and a wonderful plow we found in Lacon.

This shows the birdhouse and plow up close. All of our beds have been ringed with brick and are heavily mulched.

The second circle contains a wiegela, the third contains an old bed frame donated by our good friend, Angie, and is filled with cannas, the fourth contains a variegated weigela, and the fifth contains a viburnum, siberian iris and the grass that came with the siberian iris.

This raised bed contains our annuals. We like to plant giant sunflowers but the deer eat them as fast as they sprout. So, my husband put tree net around the bed. And we spray Liquid Fence on everything in the garden. The deer managed to get all the Phlox before I brought out the spray. Eating the tops of the phlox tends to make two stems from a single one, so actually we get more blooms but they're way shorter than normal phlox. Our raised bed contains as many kinds of Zinnias as I can buy over the winter. We also plant cosmos, tithonia, and cleome. The net makes it hard to weed so the weeds get higher than I like them to be. The short pines behind the raised bed are filled with dove, cardinal and chipping sparrow nests.

The bird house on the arch (which came from an old portable greenhouse) was occupied by chickadees this year. We believe a wren got into the box and pulled all the baby chickadees out and left them on the ground to die. One was still alive when we found them so I put it back in the box but we don't believe the chickadees ever came back.

This is the bluebird box that contains two baby bluebirds due to fledge on or about July 4th. There were originally four and the box was originally on the end of the fence on the right side of the box. On Monday I was working on the computer when I noticed the box on the fence was facing the wrong way. I went down to check and found wet grass all over the fence and the box (my husband had mowed the day before). When I opened the box, the grass was all pulled up and two of the babies were gone. My guess is raccoons. I moved the freestanding birdhouse stand in front of the fence and moved the birdhouse to the new stand. My husband put a foundation block on the bottom of the stand to keep it from tipping over and the baffle keeps predators off of it. When the two bluebirds fledge, we are putting a permanent pole with a baffle on the other side of the fence. We can use that pole for our bird feeders when we move them to the north side of the house in late fall.

This isn't a very good picture, it was taken from my craft room window, but it is the father bluebird entering the box. This was taken when the box was still attached to the fence. We won't put a birdhouse on the fence again.

My garden....warts and all....part deux

2011-07-01T00:01:00.003-05:00

This is the right side of the arbor created by the old ladders. There is a beautiful unnamed grass growing on the left side of it which has purple seed heads and waves so beautifully with any wind. There is a Veronica in front of it.

These are yellow day lilies next to a shoe form that cobblers used to use to repair shoes on. We have several of those around the garden; they were purchased at an old barn filled with 'junk and stuff' in Lacon, Illinois. The barn and outbuildings are closed now but we used to treasure hunt there almost every weekend. I purchased all the glass snack sets I use for garden parties there as well as some really unusual yard art and the little red wagon I use to haul my garden tools.

Here we have Maltese Cross, Veronica, weeds, lavender, and some Autumn Joy Sedum.

Bee Balm that isn't blooming yet, cone flowers, another weed.

This is where our bluebird house usually resides but this year a wren took it over. I replaced the BB house with a spare wren house and just left them alone. We have way too many wrens this year, we actually have three males in our yard where we usually only have one. A wren is currently building in this house and sings from it most of the time. The little doll chair is something my husband found on his many travels. To the left of the chair is a new Ligularia. This bed has been a constant source of Chocolate Mint which came in on one of the plants we received from a 'friend'. It also has red sorrel that has been hard to eradicate. I've been using Roundup Sure Shot which is a foam you can use to target a specific plant. Since it kills the root, it can kill plants inside the garden bed even though you sprayed one outside the garden bed.

This is more bee balm, balloon flowers, more sedum, and day lilies. This chair is another find at the barns in Lacon topped by a birdhouse we found in an antique store in Lacon. My husband has several chairs stored away that can be pulled out at a moment's notice and set in the garden when photographers show up at our home. Most all of the plants in our garden were planted to encourage insects and birds to visit. We have many kinds of butterflies, damselflies, dragonflies, bees, wasps, praying mantis and moths that visit. We have hummingbirds, bluebirds, titmice, wrens (house and Carolina), rose-breasted grosbeaks, grackles, finches (gold and house), downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, orioles, indigo buntings, chipping, white throated, song, and white crowned sparrows, a rufous sided towhee was a frequent visitor this spring, cardinals, catbirds, and house sparrows. When a male house sparrow becomes fixated on a birdhouse on our property, we trap it and dispose of it. I know it sounds cruel and people have been upset that we do it. But most of them have never watched in horror as a male house sparrow pulls out and destroys a whole nest of bluebird eggs. Or kills the mother sitting on the eggs. Our native songbirds are protected by law, but English House Sparrows and Starlings are not native and are not protected. Other birds have hunting seasons. We don't hunt crows, doves or quail. We hunt male house sparrows and ONLY the ones that decided one of our bird houses belongs to them. The male will defend that house even though he doesn't nest in it. I would much rather have bluebirds than house sparrows.

These are the iris, peonies, Joe Pye Weed and Swamp Milkweed. The milkweed will be almost eaten down to nothing by the end of the summer when the butterfly caterpillars start eating it. The butterfly lays eggs on the underside of the milkweed leaf so that when the egg hatches the babies have plenty of food. We plant this milkweed all over.

Tomorrow I'll introduce you to the circles and 'the cage'.

My garden....warts and all....

2011-06-30T00:01:00.110-05:00

There have been so many changes and disasters in the garden this year. The weather has been much cooler and wetter than normal. Not nearly enough sun for the plants in the backyard but more than enough water for the plants in the shade garden which don't get a lot of rain due to trees. I'm going to take you on a tour of our garden, explain our plantings and share with you what works and what doesn't. Please keep in mind what works for us in Central Illinois may not work for you in other places.

If you drive up our driveway and get out of your car, this is what you see first. The potting bench is in progress, my husband just started it last week. It's been seven years coming. There is a large shelf inside behind sliding doors made of lattice. The sink that was removed from our kitchen is in the left side so I can put potting soil in it. There is a shelf along the back for small pots and our old dishwasher utensil basket hangs on the side for tools. This area is gravel. There are three steps down, a brick walkway and then five steps up to our deck. The three steps are where I fell and broke my wrist several years ago. The wood was wet and covered with algae; I stepped on the top one, my foot went out and the wrist on the hand I tried to break my fall with actually broke. I also had a hairline fracture in my coccyx. My husband used a sandpaper like material that's used on boats to cover the steps so that wouldn't happen again. If you turn to the left before going up on the deck, you will find our shade garden and on the right is the first of our 55 gallon rain barrels that I use to water the shade garden with.

This garden along the side of the deck and the gazebo is filled with Coral Bells, Astilbe, Brunnera, several types of ferns, wild geraniums, bleeding hearts and some great art. There is a cement bench in the corner and stepping stones to it. This area gets some daylight before noon but is completely in the shade after twelve AM.

As you round the gazebo, you get your first glimpse of the pond. It's a two tier pond, the lower bowl is 10 feet across and two to three feet deep. The upper pond is six feet across and only one foot deep. We keep tropical plants in the upper bowl to help filter the water. There is a skimmer in the lower pond which filters water, pipes that transport the water around the lower bowl and up to the upper waterfall which also contains filters. Our water is crystal clear but I do start a UV light in the upper pond early in the season to keep algae growth down. We have lots of fish in the pond which we feed once in a while; they get their food from the larvae and bugs that live in the pond. We have toads, bullfrogs and tree frogs that breed in both ponds. This year we had a bumper crop of tiny toads that are now 1/4" long; they're every where we step. We've had more tree frogs this year than any previous year; maybe we had something to do with that. Sometimes the bullfrogs get so big we have to transport them to a local marsh area. Once I opened up our skimmer to check the basket and found a huge bullfrog with two legs sticking out of his mouth. He had caught one of the smaller frogs. We eventually caught him and transported him to a Ducks Unlimited pond down by the river. He's probably eating Great Blue Herons by now. Our ponds are surrounded by phlox, iris, cone flowers, maltese cross, zebra grass, stokesia, ground cover, peonies, Joe Pye Weed, black eyed susan, heliopsis, Russian Sage, Butterfly Weed, Columbine, Amsonia, Bellflower, and weeds, lots of weeds.

This is the shed that my husband built to house his John Deere. The deck was added for my daughter's wedding. The glider which badly needs repainting is one of my favorite places to sit in the afternoon when the sun passes the shed. The post on the right side has part of his deceased mother's trumpet vine that is being trained as a tree. Next to that is the first of our gardens anchored by one half of an arch built with two very old wooden extension ladders and a new ladder built for the top. My Chinese Wisteria is in the process of covering it. To the right of the arch is our second backyard garden bed.

The first bed contains Chives, Zebra Grass, Liatrus, Bellflower, Iris, Black Eyed Susans, Day Lilies, and Dill. We plant dill everywhere so the butterfly caterpillars have something to eat and my husband, the photographer, has something to take pictures of. All of our flower beds have solar lights in them.

This is the second half of the same bed. The egret made of stone and metal was purchased at the Chicago Flower Show from a company in Minnesota. They make all kinds of birds out of rock and metal and since we love birds, we now have three of them. The bird will be easier to see if you double click on the picture and blow it up.

Tomorrow, I will take you across the backyard. We have many more gardens, bird houses and garden pests to share with you. This year we've been invaded by what we think might be a virus that caused many of our huge blue spruces to loose the bottom third of their needles. We have been unable to find someone who knows what the virus or how to treat it. We have two white pines that were sprayed for disease so late that they might not survive. The Japanese beetles have eaten most of the new buds on the Chinese Wisteria. We do have traps out and I go out at least twice a day to knock the beetles into a pail of soapy water. We hate to spray with insect killers because they are indiscriminate. They will kill a Monarch Butterfly as fast as a Japanese Beetle. Luckily in a few weeks, the beetles will be gone and actually, this year we have not been hit as badly as last year. We've had some other sad moments this year but many happy ones also. Last night as I was checking my e-mail, I looked out my window to see a magnificent coyote across the street. He/she was gorgeous and looked like he'd/she'd been eating well in the neighborhood. We have rabbits to spare so I wish him/her luck. This morning my husband went out to get the paper and saw a fox walking down the road. He actually asked me if the coyote I saw last night could have been a fox. It made me angry for a minute. I'm not an expert by any means but I think I can tell the difference between a fox and a coyote. And the deer have been into the garden so badly this year we've had to take some protective measures I will talk about tomorrow.

Sizzix, CorelDraw and Make It Crafty Part 2

2011-06-27T12:01:00.006-05:00

And this is the colored version. The paper on the front of the card came from an old paper stack that no longer has a cover and so shall remain nameless. The letters were cut on my Cricut using Make the Cut and the font listed below. The exclamation point was created with Distress Stickles covered with fine sand. The card size is 5" x 7".

The inside contains three images. The background beach scene, the umbrella, and the little girl with the shovel. Most of the background was airbrushed.

This picture shows the insert that the top two images were fastened to. I plan to make more of these cards and I'll share with you as I do.

Scallop Circle 3D Pop-Up; Distress Stickles Stormy Sky; Sand; Font: CentSchbkCyrillBT; Cricut; Make the Cut; Copics: [Sky B24][Ocean BG72][Sand E33][Tree YG03, YG05][Sea Shell E34, E11, E21, E25, E27, E57][Skin E000, E00, E11, R20, B24][Hair Y11, Y21, Y15, Y19][Clothes BG32, BG45][Shovel & Bucket YG06, YG09][Sand & Seashells E33, E37, E35][Umbrella BG32, BG45, E47][Flag B24]

Sizzix, CorelDraw and Make It Crafty

2011-06-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

I've been playing around with a new Sizzix die that I just received. It's called "Card, Scallop Circle 3-D (Pop-Up) and it creates an insert into your card that you add embellishments to. Lazy is my middle name so when I discovered I could cut this, crease it, add it to my card and then build on it, I was ecstatic. Then, I wondered how to get a really good background behind my pop-ups without adding lots of paper which would make the card bulky. It occurred to me that I could attach the cut-out to card stock, run it through my printer and have part of the image print on the cut-out. And it worked. I used an 8.5" x 11" piece of card stock (mine was white) and scored it, but did not crease it. I used my die to cut out the pop-up piece and without creasing it, positioned it in the center of my card stock using the scored line on the card stock and the scored line on the pop-up to line up the two pieces and adhered it. My printer loads from the back and prints on the top of the card stock, so I inserted the card stock into my printer with the smaller pop-up piece facing up and going into the printer first.

The first picture is from CorelDraw. I opened a new file and made the image 10" tall by 7" wide. I imported my Make It Crafty beach scene and made sure it only occupied the top five inches on my paper.

After printing, I scored my two pieces, folded and then cut my 8.5" x 11" card stock down to 5" x 7" being sure to take 3/4" off of each side and 1/2" off the top and bottom to keep my image in the middle. I can now leave this black and white and build color on top or I can color the background. I will be showing more cards using this technique in the future.

Red,white and blue (and not 4th of July)

2011-06-25T00:01:00.008-05:00

Another challenge (SSCC Red, white & blue), another container. This one is from a brand new Sizzix die, Caddy Bag. This is the first time I've used it. It's actually two sided so you can really cram this little beauty with lots of goodies. I happen to have bags of chocolate on hand, so I stuffed a few of those in as well as some red filler. The flowers and flourishes come with the die and although the center panel is navy blue, the photo does not show up the proper color. It works up quickly and only requires six lines of tape to put together. These would be wonderful filled with Kool-Aid for a child, or tiny bottles of Bailey's Irish Cream. A six pack of Baileys - my idea of a gift. Hurry over to Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central and let's see that red, white and blue.

Paper: Bazzill; Sizzix XL Die: Bag, Caddy #657123; Martha Stewart Glitter Lapis Lazuli, Crystal Fine, #472289 Imaginisce I-Rock - ADHESIVE GEMS, GLITTER; Michael's Ribbon

Something wonderful to share with you...

2011-06-23T06:33:00.000-05:00

Several days ago I received an e-mail from Kym Weber. She had been downloading my digital number sentiments and wanted to share their use with me. I'm always thrilled to see something I created on someones card; these are fabulous and I'm honored that she shared them with me. For more information on the card recipes, please visit her blog. I can guarantee you will be in for a treat; she's very artistic. Her paper combinations are spot-on, her colors rock and her embellishments are awesome, (her sentiments aren't bad either - lol). What do you guys think? I think a design team would be really lucky to get her.

As time permits, I'll finish this number series and move on to another set. I'd like to thank everyone for their compliments, I'm encouraged to keep designing them as long as you like them. A special thanks to those of you who don't leave e-mail addresses so I can thank you personally.

Button, button, who's got the button?

2011-06-19T00:01:00.004-05:00

The new challenge at the Magnolia Stamp Lover's blog is "buttons". Real buttons, chipboard buttons or stamped buttons. Drag 'em out and let's see 'em.

I don't usually make cards that don't have characters on them. I'm kind of addicted to the Kenny K girls and, of course, I love Tilda. This card's focus is a StampingScrapping Design stamp called Beaded Ovals. They're designed to be used with the Spellbinder's dies and I've used two of them, the oval frame and the sentiment. The punches were used to punch out both bottom flowers which were shaped with the McGill tools, stacked, and sewed together with the blue buttons. The corner flourishes under the flowers add a little dimension to the project. Once I picked out the paper, this card worked up quickly and is 5.5" by 5.5". You have lots of time to enter this challenge so head on over to the MSL blog.

Paper: Kraft, K & Company, Bazzill; Stamps: StampingScrapping Design Beaded Ovals; Spellbinder Classic Ovals Large; McGill Punches: Star Flower, Floriano; Sizzix Corner, Flourish #2.

Digital Sentiments - Seventeen through Twenty-One

2011-06-16T00:01:00.002-05:00

I've been remiss in posting the rest of my digital sentiments. I have one more posting for milestone birthdays and then I will be starting on a whole new set. I plan to do 'definitions' next. Hopefully, I'll be able to start posting them in early July. I am so busy with gardening, design team work, challenges and my container business that I just don't seem to have enough hours in the day. I hope you like these and more are coming.

Download Twenty-One with Stars

Visitors to our garden....

2011-06-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share a few pictures of some of the visitors to our garden this summer.

This is one of the two mature bullfrogs in our pond. They've been singing in harmony for several weeks now and occasionally wrestling with each other. The females don't seem to be paying much attention but what do I know about froggy hormones?

Several days ago I was sitting outside at my little bistro table drinking coffee and surveying my kingdom. I had a list of things that needed to be done so when I decided to head indoors to start my day I reached up to close my umbrella (because if I don't, it does a Mary Poppins to the back yard) and to my surprise, a little tree frog was on one of the struts. Had I not noticed him, he would have been crushed when I hit the button to drop the umbrella. Since then, I have paid more attention and we've seen several tree frogs around our deck. One lives in the tomato Topsy Turvey, one in the vinyl trim above the windows outside our family room. They are much smaller than bullfrogs, about two inches long and the most beautiful greenish grey with yellow on the back legs underneath. They also sing at night and since there are many in the trees around our house, contribute to the orchestra when we're trying to sleep with the windows open.

And today, just hours ago, we had our first bluebird egg hatch right on schedule. Dad has been down to the box to check out the newborn. I will check the box again this evening but they should all be hatched by tomorrow. Now I can work on my computer and watch mom and dad arrive with insects. Bluebirds typically fledge 16-21 days after hatching. And hatch 12-14 days after the last egg is laid (these are right on schedule at fourteen days). Five eggs is a normal clutch.

Hard to believe this wrinkled little bundle of bad hair will turn into a magnificent bluebird in less than 30 days, right? I hope the wildlife wherever you are is as comfortable with you as ours seem to be with us. I truly believe they know we mean them no harm, we just want to share the joy of life with them....and with you.

Tilda's Frame

2011-06-13T00:01:00.004-05:00

A co-worker I haven't seen in ages sent me a birthday present last month. She knows how much we like Christmas ornaments so she sent us two shoes; one shoe was Cinderella and one shoe was Snow White. Both shoes had the characters inside the shoe and the outsides were painted in the same theme. They were darling. Her birthday is in six days, so I'll pop this in the mail for her. I created this frame by cutting the inside square and then making a box to put this square in. Then I cut a 6.75 x 6.75 inch piece of corresponding paper and used my Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page punches (would you believe this is the first time I've used any of the four sets I have?) to create this frame. After punching the frame, I turned it over, laid my inside square on it and traced the inside square. Then I got my ruler and cut the opening 1/4" smaller and and assembled the frame. I recently purchased the new Tim Holtz small easel die and this is the first time I've used it for a project. There's still time to join this challenge. Pop on over to the Magnolia Stamp Lover's blog and let's see what you can create.

Paper: DCWV Four Seasons Stack; Stamps: Magnolia Tilda with Flower Pot, Whipper Snapper Designs 29 Again; Tim Holtz Small Easel Die; Spellbinder Fancy Tags; Martha Stewart Around the Page Daisy Punch; Sharpie Extra-Fine Paint Pen; Stickles: Yellow, Stardust, Eucalyptus, Waterfall; Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch; Copics: [Skin E00, E11, R20][Hair E30, E21, E33][Pot E19, E99][Dress Y11, Y13][Jacket Y18, Y38][Shoes E41, E43,][Flowers Y02, YG05, V20]

StampingScrapping Challenge - Embossing

2011-06-11T00:01:00.006-05:00

For our combined birthdays and Mother's Day this year, my buddy Ruthann made us a cake. A beautiful square yellow embossed cake with fondant ribbon. I wished I had taken a picture of it before we devoured it, because it was gorgeous. I have never seen icing embossed before. Well, that cake is all gone but to thank her, I made her a tea bag holder. I printed the template out on cardstock and glued it to a recycled cereal box. I used that to trace the template on my design paper and then I cut it out. The stamps are from StampingScrapping Design. They were stamped on white paper, embossed with Zing Embossing Powder, spritzed with Smooch Emerald, and cut out and covered with Glossy Accents. I've popped them up with pop-dots. The ribbon was a piece I had in my stash. One of these would fit nicely in a card. I hope you check out the challenge at StampingScrapping Challenge Central, lots of fun over there.

Paper: DCWV Dots, Stripes & Plaids; Stamps: StampingScrappingDesign; Template: http://www.thetoymaker.com/; Glossy Accents; Smooch Spritz Emerald; Zing Embossing Powder Black

Wild Rose Studio Thank You Blog Hop!

2011-06-08T21:00:00.015-05:00

Welcome to the SSDT Wild Rose Studio stamps Thank You Blog Hop. We would like to take this opportunity to showcase projects made with Wild Rose Studio Stamps. They have so graciously provided our design team with their wonderful stamps to create with so we are hosting a blog hop. Please be sure to visit each designer's blog and leave a comment for a chance to win these

Wild Rose Studio Stamps. One of our design team members will be the Mystery Blog and one lucky person who leaves a comment on that blog will be our winner!

The stamp I received was a motorcycle. We just can't have enough man stamps, right? I could have colored the bike, but I liked the 'art' look of the stamp uncolored. I added some black and grey paper and a really well known phrase and....bob's your uncle. This was a really simple card and worked up quickly but I very much like it.

Paper: DCWV The Black & White Paper Stack; Irridescent Vellum; Stamps: JustRite, Wild Rose CL152 Motorbike; Quicklets

Please check out all the other great projects from our design team. If you haven't started at Cindy E, please visit her blog, if you've come from Sheri's blog you are in the right place. You won't know which blog the winner will be chosen from so make sure to leave a comment on them all. And good luck...

Cindy E
Janine

C2 - You are here.

Froggy
Billie
Meg

Comments are open from 12:01AM June 9th through 11:59PM June 13th. One lucky winner will be chosen and will be notified via email June 14th. Our Mystery blog will also post the winner on their blog as well.

Kitchen Remodel - Post 4

2011-06-07T00:01:00.143-05:00

On April 28, the back splash was started. So many of the 1" tiles were cattywompus and had to be removed from the backing and straightened. There were so many electrical plugs, switches, cable and phone jacks to tile around that this job actually lasted three days. Grouting and sealing lasted another day. I kept asking Mike if he hated me yet. In contrast, the floor took a day and a half to put down, not counting the underlayment. Lots of cuts on the floor tile, also, because I asked them to lay it diagonally.

Our walls had been 'wavy' enough that there were gaps between the counter top and the wall. We had originally planned for the 2" x 4" accent tile to run through the center of the back splash. The 1" x 1" tile wasn't thick enough to cover the gap so we had to use the thicker tile at the bottom. That also solved the problem of cutting the accent tile at each switch and plug. It actually looks great and was another of those "I planned that" moments.

Originally, our pantry door and trim was dark wood. Since we were trying to make the kitchen brighter, I opted for white doors, white trim and brushed nickel hardware. Pat really did a great job painting this door. The door to the right that leads to our garage was replaced with a new door with a factory paint job.

The new sink and faucet are now working and I've actually done dishes in my new sink. The window has been painted and Pat has ordered new parts to make the window slide up and down with a finger. I'm starting to see light at the end of this tunnel.

On May 12, the floor tile was going down. I loved this tile in the box and I loved it even more on the floor. It actually seems to reflect light upward. It also shows dirt as soon as it hits the floor. Mike is replacing the floorboards and kick plates under the cabinets with the same tile. The plywood was an attempt to keep our curious cat out of the adhesive. She wanted in so badly that eventually she jumped the plywood. I don't think she liked the smell much because she didn't come back in until the plywood was removed.

We're all done except for sealing the tile on the island. Mike left us the sealer so we didn't have to pay for another day's work while he came back to do it. Sealing grout has evolved since the paint brush days. It's in a spray can now. You just spray the grout and wipe off the sealer. Piece of cake.

Our TV covers all three plates: the cable outlet, phone jack and the plug, leaving a nice clean look. If we had not added that extra plug, the cord would have crossed the switch to the left or be stretched the sixteen inches to the plug on the right. Either way, not a good look. Also, I wanted to mention the beautiful hardware on the cabinets and drawers. Those handles catch me every time I walk by; they catch my pockets and my bathrobe. I have learned to walk slowly; if I hurry I could actually rip my clothing.

The sconces on this wall are mounted on trimmed boxes that Pat built. Underneath the one on the right is the old console for our intercom system. Mike mounted 'L' brackets above it and the top of the box is screwed into the brackets for easy removal if we should feel the need. We debated about the hutch. It doesn't exactly match my pale color scheme, but it's in good shape and holds my cookbooks so while I'm still thinking about it, the hutch will probably stay. It's where we put our mail, car keys, change, coupons, and the many other things that come and go in our home.

These are the final pictures. This is the east wall and my new range. Our old range was almond and purchased in 1989. It didn't hold heat well, it was never level and while I didn't hate it, I mentioned it might be time for a new range. The cost of the kitchen to date was mentioned so I dropped the subject. One afternoon two weeks before the end of the project my husband came home saying "I had a great idea on the way home". His great idea was to order a new range. So I did. Our fridge was already bisque (which is the new name for almond but it's a much lighter color than almond) so now all of our appliances match. He was sure I wanted stainless but to get the light and airy look I was going for, stainless would have been a little heavy. All of the stainless ranges I looked at had an industrial look, not my taste at all.

The new door to the garage. We elected not to paint it white. You can see the color difference between the door and the trim. It's a little more gray but it's a factory paint job so we left it alone. We may paint it sometime in the future but it doesn't bother me having it this color.

This is my lovely new island. It has storage space for my crock pot and electric skillet. In fact, it was built for those dimensions. We opened all the cabinets, the range and the dishwasher and 'drew' out the island on the floor with blue tape to ensure there would be room to open everything and to walk around it. We needed a 14" extension on either end for my new antique white stools and room for the appliances. The island ended up being 24" wide which was 6" less than the bistro table we had originally. The island is on wheels so I can move it to clean or move it to our dining room to use as a buffet on holidays. My valance was created from a curtain panel purchased at Lowes. I cut it off, hemmed it and put it in the window. The light comes through it beautifully and it is an exact match to the back splash tile and accent tile. A real find.

Here you can see the two shelves for my appliances and my new range hood. I am so very pleased with the result. Everyone did a splendid job and we've recommended Mike and Pat to several people looking for a contractor. While they were here, they put in a corian window seat in our living room bay window. The gentleman who measured for the seat didn't do a very good job. The slab arrived too long in one direction and not wide enough in the other. Pat and Mike filled in with trim that was meticulously stained to match the existing trim and made the seat fit. My husband can't stop looking at it. The corian covered a plywood base that had been water stained and was really ugly. They also replaced our front door. We went from plastic trim to a beautiful Albany door with a Pella storm door. Our door is a single door with the windows to the left and right. I ordered a brushed nickel sand cast dragonfly door bell which lights up from underneath. As an afterthought, we asked them to replace the french door that led from our dining room to the deck. It was badly installed, the trim was pulling away from the wall, it let in air and asian beetles and the sliding screen was open a half inch at the top so every wasp in the world found its way into our home when the door was open. We now have a new Pella sliding patio door with a screen that is bug tight. As soon as we replace our garage door we will be finished with every major job around our house. We will have little stuff left. As those of you who own homes know, you are never finished with jobs around the house, but we can rest easy that all the improvements we've made have increased our home's value and will last because they were done by professionals who take great pride in their work. If you live in Central Illinois and are looking for a contractor, please e-mail me and I will give you Mike's particulars. We recommend him whole heartedly. Thank you for following me on this journey.

Please join me on June 9th for the Wild Rose Blog Hop. We'll introduce you to a great stamp company and show you some fabulous projects.

Kitchen Remodel - Post 3

2011-06-05T00:01:00.061-05:00

True to their word, on April 14th, Central Illinois Granite employees arrived first thing in the morning to make the template. They actually used wood to create an outline of our counter top. They created this outline in four pieces. The stand-alone cabinet, the left side of the counter, the middle portion, and the right side of the counter. And one week later, they returned with the four pieces. In a few hours, the counter top was leveled, glued, grouted at the seams, cleaned and they were gone. I could not stop touching the counter after they left. It exceeded my expectations, it added a sparkle and shine to the kitchen, like the necklace in Pretty Woman did to Julia Roberts.

These are the two employees that created the template and installed the counter top. They were pleasant, professional and quickly finished.

The seams are invisible. Even if you know where they are, you have a hard time finding them. There are only two, one to the left of the sink and one to the right. We elected to have our back splash come all the way down to the counter, so they did not install any part of a back splash.

This is my beautiful new sink. Mike told me about a product you can get at a restaurant supply house that will polish brushed nickel sinks. I'll tell you about that later.

Mike and Pat Davis are doing the prep work for the range hood. We picked out a beautiful glass and brushed nickel range hood which will provide ventilation and a light over the range. Our hood is vented through the roof.

Our old ceiling fan and light has been removed in preparation for the new track lighting and the first brush strokes of the new blue paint color were made. Even though things are moving quickly and we see progress from day to day, it's now April 22nd and we have lots left to do. We are washing dishes and getting water for coffee in the bathroom. I have been without a kitchen sink for 11 days now and you never realize how much you miss something until it's gone. Our kitchen has been moved to the dining room, our coffee maker and microwave are on the dining room table. We're eating off of plastic, drinking out of plastic and eating out more than we normally do. I've seen remodels on television that last for months and I feel sorry for those people. We are very happy with the work that's been done so far and the difference in our kitchen is nothing short of amazing. We were also thrilled with our choices for material and installation. But, we're most pleased with Mike and Pat. Everything they do is meticulous. And every day they clean everything up and put away all of their tools. Finding a contractor that you can trust isn't easy these days. We've heard horror stories from our friends of shoddy workmanship and no recourse. I admire Donna Davis a lot and I couldn't imagine her marrying someone who was less professional than she was. Over the course of this remodel, our admiration for Mike and Pat grew; we consider ourselves fortunate to have them do this work.

Kitchen Remodel - Post 2

2011-06-03T00:01:00.088-05:00

When we started this process, I contacted someone I used to work with. Her husband was a builder and I wanted to know if he was available. Mike Davis of Davis Builders and his wife, Donna, met with us to discuss our vision for the kitchen and steps we needed to take to accomplish that. He set the order - first the cabinets, then the counter top, then everything else. He arrived on April 6th to unhook and move out appliances and to move some electric plugs. Since we were adding almost six foot of new counter top, we needed the floor plugs moved up to counter top level. An afterthought was adding a new dedicated plug just for our TV and phone. Before the back splash went up but after the counter top was installed, we purchased a new flat screen TV for our counter. If you look at the first picture in my last kitchen post, you can see how much room on the counter top my old TV took up. In my excitement, I set up the new TV and discovered in order to use the TV to cover the cable and phone jacks, the cord would have to be stretched almost two feet to reach a plug. So, I asked Mike to add a plug next to the cable and phone jacks just for the phone and TV. You will see later that the TV covers the whole thing leaving a nice clean look. Just another one of those details that I didn't think through at the beginning. Luckily the back splash had not been installed, so no harm, no foul.

On April 11, the Wood Front Kitchen crew showed up. There were only two employees and in no time at all, they had taken all the cabinet doors off and were ready to work. In this picture, you can see our old microwave cabinet. This is the box they completely rebuilt. The opening in the box will be smaller, raising the entire cabinet so I have more height on the counter underneath.

This is the new microwave cabinet installed. I gained another eight inches of height on the cabinet below. Some of the facing material is already installed.

By April 13th they were installing hardware. They have also removed our sink, faucet and old counter top which was a laminate. Water had seeped under the joins in the laminate and created bulges in the counter. It had also had something really hot set on it which caused a color change we could not remove. I was glad to see it go. Three of our base cabinets were retrofitted to have two large roll out trays in each cabinet. Our new base cabinets had them installed when they arrived.

When the Wood Front Kitchen guys left on the 13th, this is what our kitchen looked like. The new cabinets are a creamy antique white. The two top cabinets on the right and the two base cabinets on the right are new. There is a tall cabinet without a drawer to the left of the new base cabinets. That's a pull-out spice rack with three shelves which replaced our old trash masher. Since we were planning on installing porcelain floor tile, our counter top would need to be raised 1/2" to allow the dishwasher to slide in under the counter top. This was the same reason the cabinet over the fridge needed to be raised. I wouldn't have thought of that, but Woodfront Kitchens measured the kitchen twice. Dave measured for the estimate and two days later another employee came out and remeasured. This assured them the correct amount of material would be created and caught the problem with the dishwasher. Before they left on the 13th, they added height to the tops of the base cabinets so the counter top would be higher than our original counter top and the higher floor would make up the difference.

Woodfront Kitchens has a great working relationship with Central Illinois Granite in Morton, Illinois. After meeting with Dave at Woodfront, we went to Morton to find a counter top. After looking at many selections I picked a Quartz Reflections product which had recycled glass in it. Bits of glass were the same color as my accent tile but what really sold me was the tiny bits of reflective material which might have been mirror. When the light hit the sample, it sparkled. My kitchen needed sparkle; this counter top material was like a beautiful piece of jewelry. We also picked out a new double brushed nickel under mount sink and a new faucet. Those would be installed with the counter top. They promised that they would be at our house on April 14th to make a template of the counter top and be back one week later to install the new one.

Next post: countertop and backsplash.

It's yarr birthday.....

2011-06-01T00:01:00.005-05:00

The SSCC 'masculine' challenge was an appropriately timed challenge for me. My husband's birthday is at the end of May so I used this challenge to make his birthday card. He was a sailor on an aircraft carrier back in the day so Pirate Edwin is right up his alley. Although he wasn't a pirate, he kept in touch with the water using a ten foot john boat he used to row up and down some of the little lakes around our city. He had a trolling motor, but I think the exercise was something he really enjoyed. He hauled that little boat around in a Ford S10 long bed pickup until it had a fateful encounter with a big buck deer several years ago. The pickup was destroyed, as was the buck, and the john boat waits patiently behind the shed for a new pickup that may never arrive. My husband is embarking on his second career as a 'retired gentleman' as of May 31. He plans to travel with camera in hand, taking pictures that usually make me gasp. He has a wonderful eye and seeing things through it causes me to take a second look at everyday objects.

The classic oval diecut was embossed with the Cuttlebug Clockworks embossing folder. The barrel was popped up and Edwin layered on top of the barrel. The sentiment was stamped on pearlescent vellum. He's a little cutie, right?

Paper: Kaiser Scrapbook, Bazzill, Cryogen; Stamps: Magnolia Barrel, Anchor & Scull, Pirate Edwin, Kraftin' Kimmie; Cuttlebug Clockworks Embossing Folder, Spellbinder Classic Ovals Large; Copics: [Barrel E31, E33, E43, E57, C5, C3][Anchor C5, C3][Scull N1][Skin E00, E11, R20][Boots N2, N3, N4, N5, N8][Hair C1, C3][Hat N3, N5][Shirt R22, R24, R27][Pants B97, B95, B91, R24, R22]

Ta Dah! Kitchen Remodel - Post 1

2011-05-30T00:01:00.010-05:00

By the time I've finished with several blog postings about our kitchen remodel, it will be all done. By Tuesday, or Wednesday, the contractors will have removed all their tools from our garage, their trailer from our driveway and their cheerful 'can do' attitudes from our home. All in all, our experience with this disruption to our lives has been very positive. I might leave you with some hard won advice. The very first and most important task I urge you to do is IMMEDIATELY after you fall in love with a material, make sure it will be available to you. I found this amazing glacier water colored 1" glass back splash tile at Lowes. It was on a 12.5" x 12.5" mesh backing and was the exact color of the water in rivers and streams that come from snow melt and glaciers. It's a hard color to describe, more green than blue. We bought a sheet of it, matched it with some 4" x 2" accent tiles and I carried those pieces everywhere with me. We based our cabinet color on them, our counter top on them, our flooring on them. I even purchased a drapery panel of stripped watered silk for a valance that was the exact color of the 1" tile. After we'd ordered everything, scheduled our contractor and started to purchase materials, we discovered that tile was going to be discontinued, it was not being reordered and our local Lowes did not have enough in stock for the job. I have to admit, I almost cried. We would have to start all over with a different color and I was heartbroken. After arriving back home, we decided to check other Lowes in the area for their stock. This was something that the associate at Lowes could have offered to do for us, but did not. We found bits and pieces of both the 4" x 2" and the 1" tile at six different Lowes in Central Illinois. My husband took a half day off of work and we took a road trip. We bought pieces at Peoria, East Peoria, Champaign, Decatur, Springfield and Galesburg. We now know where all the nearest Lowes are near our home. So, unless you really want a tour of home improvement stores where you live, check first.

The second piece of advice I might offer is plan for longer than you think it might take and realize it will cost more than you thought. Even when we had purchased everything we thought we would need, we still had to purchase more. I knew I would want pretty new plates to cover the electric plugs and switches. Our old ones were wood and ugly. I ordered some beautiful ones on line (home improvement stores have a very limited selection and don't usually include the cable and phone jack covers), but I forgot to purchase new actual switches and plugs. They deteriorate over time and get really dirty. We also did not purchase grout for the back splash (I assumed the contractor would do this). We didn't realize all the types of paint we would need. A paint to match the cabinet color for the sides of the cabinets that were not refaced because the stove or fridge was there, a good primer, wall paint, ceiling paint, semi-gloss and eggshell finishes. We ordered beautiful brushed nickel for the faucet, sink and cabinet handles but had dirty gold finishes on the pantry and garage doors. Mixing the two metals looked awful, so we had to buy new hardware for the two doors. We needed a new white vent cover for the heating; the old cover was dark and ugly. We kept piling up the receipts in a folder and still do not have a total. Our contractor will be the last receipt and we won't get his bill until next week.

The following pictures show our kitchen the day after we talked to the contractor. Our remodel was done by several companies. We contacted Wood Front Kitchens to have our cabinets refaced. This involved new doors and covering our existing boxes with new material. I elected to have our cabinets painted a light cream color, the doors design was kept simple. If you look in the lower right corner of the first picture, you will see a trash masher that we don't use. I requested a pull out spice rack just that size. Our upper and lower cabinets and our counter top end at the trash masher. I requested new upper and lower cabinets all the way to the door you see in the next to last picture. Our old lower cabinets were to be retrofitted with roll out drawers for appliances and pots and pans. The hood (which does not hold an exhaust fan) over the stove was to be removed and we would purchase a range hood with a light and exhaust fan. Since we planned to install a new ceramic floor which would raise our fridge, the cabinet over the fridge would be removed, cut down, refaced and reinstalled so the fridge would fit under it. Our microwave cabinet was too tall for our microwave so Dave suggested taking that entire cabinet down, making a new box to actually fit our microwave, and installing it. This would raise the cabinet giving us more room under it. In the second picture, you can see the microwave. We stored all of our snacks on top of it since there was so much room left in that cabinet. Stay tuned, next post I'll show you the cabinets and talk about our contractor.

Magnolia Stamp Lover's Dry Emboss Background Challenge

2011-05-28T00:01:00.032-05:00

So much has happened here and is still happening. First, I haven't posted since I got back from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I attended several classes taught by Cindy Echtinaw of StampingScrapping.com and both a beginner/intermediate and an advanced Copic class from Suzanne Dean. Awesome classes. I met half of the design team I've been working with for a year so that was a great treat. I have to admit I am no longer a fan of air travel. The flights were fine going to Michigan and from Michigan to Chicago. With only twenty minutes at O'Hare to connect with my flight home, we were directed to four different gates. My suitcases were much lighter on the outbound trip. After shopping at Cindy's, they were much heavier. And I had to schlepp them from gate to gate to gate to gate. After that, our plane was only 30 minutes late landing in Peoria, but I was still breathing hard when we landed. I gave my husband a HUGE hug. I was so happy to get home. Kitchen remodel is winding down, pictures start Monday in between new challenges.

The weather here has been rough, but after seeing news coverage of Joplin, Missouri, we can't complain. Cold, wet, windy, but so far no damage. We read in the paper that one of our favorite places in Southern Illinois, Horseshoe Lake, is completely underwater. All 12,000 acres. I hope the weather where ever you are is pleasant.

This challenge is for a dry embossed background. I just obtained this new Sizzix embossing folder (actually, I whined so long that Cindy sold me the only one she had). We've all been dividing our folders like this, haven't we? I like to combine the long slender ones with the A2 sized ones. It's kind of a pain to get them just right. This folder has already done that for me. There is a lovely flourish in the middle combined with the dotted swiss that's the backbone of all the embossing folders. On Core'dinations Black Magic paper, the blue underneath (with a little sanding), looks wonderful. This is a paper I've 'saved'; which means I've had it for years but not used it. My New Year's Resolution this year was to stop hoarding. This new Tilda image is going to become one of my favs. I have so many friends who garden, she's going to make an appearance often.

Paper: Core'dinations Black Magic, Cryogen, Bazzill; Stamps: Magnolia Tilda w/Flower Pot, StampingScrapping.com Frou Frou Stamps; Ribbon: Stash; Stickles: Yellow, Waterfall; Spellbinder Labels 4; Sizzix Flourish, Dots & Ribbons Embossing Folder; Copics: [Background BG000][Skin E00, E11, R20][Coat/Dress B95, B91, B93][Hair E30, E21, E33][Shoes E41, E43, E42][Pot E99, E19][Flowers/Tag E40, R85, R81, Y35, Y38, YG05,][Ground W3]

Magnolia Stamp Lovers Challenge: Graduation

2011-05-20T00:01:00.006-05:00

I have been making lots of size 10 cards lately. I love the bigger area they give me for designs. The Cricut cartridge Stretch Your Imagination is wonderful for doing cards this size. That cartridge has a card feature on it that cuts out a design in the center of the front of your card. If you back the cut-out with vellum, it makes a really pretty card. This card, however, was just cut using my paper cutter. Cut your card 9 1/4" high by 8" wide and score at the 4" mark. You can purchase a box of envelopes (size 10 business envelopes) almost everywhere; I get mine at Krogers. On this card, the black panel (Spellbinder's Labels Large) was popped up with foam dots. The numbers were cut out using the Cricut Cartridge Base Camp and glitter paper from the DCWV Latte Matstack. Tilda was masked. I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig to place Edwin behind her (everyone knows that Tilda is the star). I don't know anyone who is graduating in 2011, guess this card will just take up space; perhaps I can change a 1 to a 2 and use it next year. To enter this challenge, please check out the Magnolia Stamp Lover's Challenge Blog.

Paper: DCWV Black & White Prints, DCWV Latte Cardstock Matstack; Magnolia Graduate Tilda, Magnolia Graduate Edwin, Cornish Heritage Farms Sentiment; Spellbinder Labels Large, Spellbinder Labels Small; Circuit Base Camp for numbers; Crystal, Waterfall, Eucalyptus Stickles; Copics: [skin E000, E00, E11, R20][Hair [Y18, Y19, Y00][E34, E31]][Diploma N0][Robe [YG17, YG11, YG13][B41, B45, B37]][Pants C5, C7][Shoes [C9, C7][E40, E41]][Outline N0, N1]

Winner - JustRite Blog Hop

2011-05-18T19:56:00.000-05:00

Congratulations!

The winner from the JustRite blog hop is Caity Sue Treadwell (CaitySueScraps@) (http://www.caitysuescraps.blogspot.com/).

We have just returned from the StampingScrapping retreat and have just now been able to gather the information need from the blog hop.

Please accept our apologies for the delay.

Contact Cindy at stampingscrapping@charter.net to claim your prize

SSCC Birthday Challenge

2011-05-16T00:01:00.021-05:00

It looks like Marci is baking up a birthday cake just for you. Don't you love La-La Land Stamps? They're so easy to color and they cut out so easily if you like your images to pop. This little beauty was cut out and popped up on a Tri-Shutter card with a Martha Stewart border in the background. The cake was covered with 3D Crystal Lacquer and Fruit Punch Stickles. I-Rock Rhinestones are the buttons on her jacket. I am addicted to the new XL Sizzix Dies; this one was a new release at CHA in January that Cindy Echtinaw of StampingScrapping.com ordered for me. They are a little pricey but if you plan to use it a lot, can become cost effective. I hate cutting cards like this so I was really pleased they made a die to do it for me. You still have lots of time to enter this challenge, so go to Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central today.

Martha Stewart Playful Pink Paper Pad; La-La Land Chef Marci, StampingScrapping Fancy Accents and Label Accents; Sizzix Tri-Shutter Card Die; I-Rock Rhinestones; 3D Crystal Lacquer Peach; Martha Stewart Deep Punch Linked Trim; Copics: [Clothes/Hat YG23, 0, Y32][Hair E35, E25, E27][Skin E000, E00, R20][Cake V91, V95, G24, YR000, Stickles Fruit Punch, 3D Crystal Lacquer][Shoes E43, E41]

Product Showcase-JustRite Stampers

2011-05-08T21:00:00.013-05:00

Welcome to the StampingScrapping Design Team blog hop featuring JustRite Stampers. Hop along with our talented team of designers to see what they have created using various JustRite products. We would like to take this opportunity to thank JustRite for being one of our Creative Partners and for their generous donations to our team. We are very excited to work with JustRite and use their great products to design with!

I have always been a fan of JustRite stamps; I have a huge collection of them. So, when I heard we were going to hop with JustRite stamps, I couldn't wait. It was just a matter of which stamp to use. I love the new ones with flowers and a butterfly. I used the largest Spellbinder Grand Label 11 to create this shaped card. I cut it out and folded it in half. I used a large piece of Michael's lace around the front of the card. Two Spellbinder Lacey Circles, one stamped with a new JustRite stamp finished it off and both were popped up on foam dots. I think it's simple and elegant and I love the green color.

Spellbinder Lacey Circles, Spellbinder Grand Labels 11, DCWV Cotton Bloom Stack, JustRite Butterfly Garden Stamps

Leave a comment using the Inlinkz button on each design team members blog for a chance to win this stamp set.

If you came from Billie's blog, you are where you're supposed to be. If not, please start at Cindy's blog.

Cindy Echtinaw
Anary Baumgarth
Billie St. Clair
Cindy Close (you are here)
Dawn Saenz de Viteri
Janine Blackwelder
Karen Stark
Leanne Garner
Sheri Willshire
Stephanie Hester
Wini Bell

SSCC Anything Goes Challenge

2011-05-07T00:01:00.005-05:00

This is in my top ten all time favorite cards. It came together quickly and I was satisfied with it right away. I didn't play with other colors, papers, stamps, embellishments. And I'm growing so fond of these La-La Land Stamps; they are a delight to color. I used my Grand Calibur to cut a shaped card, scored it in half and folded it. I used the next size down to cut my designer paper, cut it in half and cut off another 1/8" from the top. I used the other half on the inside of the card. The ribbon was in my stash, I've had it for years and it was just waiting for this card. I adhered a white prima rose that had been inked with Pearlescent Beige and touched up with Stickles Fruit Punch to a hat pin. Unfortunately before I really thought it out, I then adhered the whole hat pin to the card. If I were to do this again, I would leave the adhesive off so the recipient could wear the hat pin if they wanted to.

Paper: Wausau Kraft Cardstock, DCWV Linen Closet; Stamps: La-La Land Marci with Rose, Waltzing Mouse Label 4 Stamps, Papertrey Just the Ticket; Spellbinder Grand Labels 4; Prima Rose; Ink: Pearlescent Beige; Stickles Fruit Punch, Crystal; Copics: [Skin E000, R20, E11, E0000][Clothes E42, E41, E43][Roses R81, R83, R85, G24][Hair Y18, Y11, Y19]

Magnolia Stamp Lover's Challenge - Flowers

2011-05-05T00:01:00.011-05:00

This challenge was right up my alley. DH and I have - count 'em - 13 official flower beds and 1 'holding' bed where we nurse new perennials. And we've just finished trimming, weeding and mulching almost all of them. We have a 28' by 6' annual bed where I plant sunflowers, zinnias, tobacco flowers, cosmos - almost anything and everything that butterflies and hummingbirds love. We plant dill just for the butterflies whose caterpillars eat the dill right down to a single stalk. In August, the Peoria Camera Club will come to our place for tea and snacks and spend most of the day rearranging our garden art and taking pictures of the flowers. I usually have a greenhouse up and running by now filled with perennials and annuals that I start from seed, but I am excited to say, I will be taking a trip to Grand Rapids next week in order to attend Copic classes with Suzanne Dean and several classes offered by Cindy Echtinaw of StampingScrapping.com. So, with no one to watch the greenhouse, we've decided to buy seeds and plant directly into the annual bed. I will share pictures of my garden soon.
I was very pleased with this card when it was finished. I like the shape and the colors. I'm not always happy with every card I create, so it's always a pleasant surprise when it turns out to be something I would like to receive myself.

Paper: DCWV Nana's Nursery Baby Girl; Spellbinder Grand Circles; Stamps: Whipper Snapper Sentiment, OTC Sun Stamp, Magnolia Tilda w/bunny, Peachy Keen Face Stamp; McGill Flower Punch, Yellow Stickles, Martha Stewart Leaf Punch; Copics: [Skin E000, E00, E11, R20][Hair E30, E21, E33][Rabbit N1][Clothes/Hat R27, R21, R22, YG03, YG06][Shoes E42, E43]

Just in time for Mother's Day

2011-05-01T00:01:00.004-05:00

We have been so busy lately with the kitchen, gardening and getting ready for the sale that I haven't had any time to create cards. But late last night I found a few minutes to answer a request from a friend for some Mother's Day sentiments and here they are:

Download Mother Sentiment 1

Download Mother Sentiment 2

Download Mother Sentiment 3

Download Mother Sentiment 4

Woodware USA meets StampingScrapping Designs

2011-04-27T21:01:00.001-05:00

Join both teams as you hop back and forth between designers showcasing stamps from both companies.

Be sure to leave a comment on each blog for a chance to win a prize.

Woodware USA will choose a winner from comments left on their design team blogs and StampingScrapping will pick a winner from comments left on their design team blogs.

The hop starts at the StampingScrapping DT blog 12:01AM Thursday April 28th and will end on the Woodware USA blog. You will have until 11:59 PM Sunday May 1st to leave your comment. Winner will be announced via email on Tuesday, May 3rd.

This Woodware stamp set has 3 mushroom images as well as butterflies, leaves and an acorn. The mushrooms were stamped using Memento Tuxedo black ink coated with 3D Crystal Lacquer Berry and Moss Green. I love the tiny tip on the tubes, it's so easy to get into tiny spaces with them. The Happy Birthday is from the StampingScrapping Design's Label Accents set. I used some recycled paperbag paper from Paperworks.com and distressed the edges. The mushroom charm is from Make It Crafty and the ribbon is from my stash.
If you started the hop in the middle, your starting point was StampingScrapping and your next visit is Harriet Skelly.
StampingScrapping.com
Alicia Ekermans
Anary Baumgarth
Anne Harada
Billie St. Clair
Dawn Knight
Cindy Close (you are here)
Harriet Skelly
Dawn Saenz de Viteri
Kerry Urbatch
Janine Blackwelder
Nancy Bush
Karen Stark
Suzanne Schmidt
Leanne Garner
Sheri Willshire
Wendy Stamey
Stephanie Hester
Wini Bell
Woodware USA