A Challenge Card

Here's my take on this week's Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #76. I love the sketch ... just about as much as I love the paper I used from Studio 45. After seeing some cards made with this line of paper and checking it out for myself, I went on a little spree. It had been a while ...

About the card, it is pretty straightforward in design. The patterned paper was from one sheet. I love two-sided paper, particularly when the patterns are different and coordinate so beautifully. Oh heck, I just love paper...

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Olive cardstock; Studio 45 Botanicals Collection Secret Garden patterned paper; Olive and Bamboo ink pads; My Cute Stamps Ashley's Blossoms stamp set; Vineyard Berry grosgrain ribbon; Kaiser Kraft pearl accents; Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; Sponge dauber.

Happy Friday! How was your day? Mine was OK even though I thought the clock moved a little slow at work today. It hasn't been that way since I got home, however.

Our outing last night was so much fun. The movie was "Cheaper by the Dozen," which I had never seen. Marv took a chair, and Bjorn perched in Grandpa's lap, watching the entire film without making a sound. Mathias was a different story. He and I shared a blanket on the ground. When we weren't trekking up the hill to use the bathroom, we spent most of our time quietly discussing the stars, the moon, and why he couldn't go down the hill to the playground. Such a funny little character he is. We got home at 11:10, and I don't think it took the boys five minutes to go to sleep.

Do you have plans for the weekend? I'm going to put my domestic engineering cap on and get serious about cleaning house this weekend. I'll be taking my "breaks" in my corner, coming up for something for Simple Saturday, etc. Until my next post, take care, and like always, thanks for stopping by!

Vintage Apron

I've loved this stamp from the first time I laid eyes on it. I don't know why. Certainly, it's not because I wear (or own, for that matter) an apron. I'm wondering, however, if my paternal grandmother didn't have one that was fashioned something like this one. I don't know ... just that there is something that makes me feel almost connected to this stamp.

About my card, I stamped the apron image on Garden Green gingham with Olive ink. Then, I colored in the banding with a Garden Green marker. After cutting it out, I sponged on some Bamboo ink. The rest, I believe, is self-explanatory.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cranberry cardstock; Let's Get Together paper packet; Garden Green gingham paper (retired); Olive, Garden Green, and Bamboo ink pads; Garden Green marker; Lockhart Vintage Apron stamp and Papertrey Ink Mixed Blessing stamp set; Stampin' Up buttons; Ecru crochet cotton; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; Round sponge.

After realizing that today is going to be a full day, I scheduled this post. I received an email from my sister last night asking what I was doing after work today and telling me that she, mom, another sister, and my great-niece are going to be in town in the afternoon. I'm going to try to leave work early again and spend some time with them.

This evening, Marv, Cameron, his friend Sarah, Bjorn, Mathias, and I (and hopefully, Dusty and Miranda, too) are going to a concert and movie in the park. The city sponsored this event for the first time last year, and it was hugely successful and lots of fun. We're going to have to dress warm, however, because the temperature by the time it's dark and the movie starts will be in the 50s. My fingers are crossed that it doesn't rain. Chilly is one thing. Cold and wet is another.

Rain or shine, I hope you had a wonderful day. Tomorrow is Friday! Yeah!! I'll talk to you again then!

Pushing It ...

Did I tell ya I really liked this week's Mojo Monday sketch? So much so, I used it again. I can't seem to put the Paradise stamp set away either, although I promise you I'll show you something different tomorrow evening.

I was going to show you a picture of my inspiration - a photo of hibiscus growing right outside my front door, but it seems I deleted those photos. We have red, pink, and some with deep red centers that are pretty darned close to Creme Brule. While the yellow flowers aren't my favorites, the were, evidently, the preference of a deer, who had to have come right up on the terrace to snack on that bush. He (or she) didn't leave much.

Did you ever see the show "Northern Exposure," which was set in Alaska where there was wildlife everywhere? It's kind of like that here. Deer in town and moose, too, until some parasite killed most of them off. When I worked at the newspaper, I got a call at 5 one morning from the police station, the caller telling me there was a bear in town. Did I want to come photograph it? Of course, I did (insert sarcasm), so I pulled on my jeans, ran a comb through my hair, grabbed my camera, and headed downtown where I found the bear part way up a tree next to the ambulance service. Thank heaven for a telephoto lens. Like I wanted to get too close, even though I'd made Marv come with me for "protection." LOL.

Back to the subject at hand: my card. The "list" should tell the story.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Tulip cardstock; Key to My Heart paper packet; Creme Brule, Tulip, Juniper, Honey, and Garden Green ink pads; Paradise and Say it in Style stamp sets; Spring Blossom My Accents Collection; 1/2-inch circle punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

Today was another busy day, while I was there anyway. I came home a couple of hours early to get some stuff done. Unfortunately, an earlier dietary decision (too many M&Ms) left me with a tummy ache, so I didn't accomplish as much as I'd hoped I would. No sympathy is necessary, because I do dumb stuff sometimes, and my discomfort was quite temporary. I took a nap and woke up fit as a fiddle. And now, as I am certain you have heard enough from me for today, I'll let you go. I hope your hump day was wonderful! Catch ya tomorrow ...

Buttons, Brads and a Birthday Bear!

Here is my take on this week's Mojo Monday sketch. I have to say that this Cosmos Cricket paper had me going for a bit with regard to coming up with coordinating solid cardstock. Put together, however, the papers I chose appear to work. What's unfortunate is the fact the flash on my camera washed out my bear. He/she is better looking in person.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Juniper, and Ponderosa Pine cardstock; Cosmos Cricket Early Bird patterned paper; Black, Ponderosa Pine, and Bamboo ink pads; Olive marker; The Cat's Pajamas Happy Camper and CTMH Say it in Style stamp sets; Buttons from my stash; Just Blooms Summer Posies; Bitty Brads; Juniper mini brads; Jute; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Stampin' Up Photo Corner punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

Another day. Another dollar... or two. LOL. Marv is waiting patiently to take me out to dinner. Evidently, he doesn't feel like cooking. I suppose I should go with him. Nothing exciting to report anyway. Hope your day was a good one. Thank you for all of your comments about my hibiscus card. Anne pegged it when she wrote, "Sometimes less IS more." I've discovered that statement sometimes applies to more than just cardmaking. Take care. Later...

Enjoy!

This is one of those cards that I could not bring myself to embellish. Why? Because I did not think there was a length of ribbon or little piece of metal or plastic that could add to its simplistic beauty. In fact, to my way of thinking, "stuff" just might have taken away from it.

I did fuss around a little more than usual with my stamped image. I stamped the main flower twice with Papertrey Ink Berry Sorbet ink, inking up the whole stamp for my first impression and then rolling the edges on the ink pad for my second. The center of the flower was stamped with Tulip ink afterwhich I used a blending and additional Tulip ink to soften the edges. I used a white gel pen to add some highlights to the flower's petals. The leafs were stamped twice, too, first with Garden Green and then with the stamp rolled on the Olive pad. Again, I used a craft knife to cut around the petals, which enabled me to slip and arrange the leaves under the blossom.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Tulip cardstock; Perfect Day paper packet; Tulip, Honey, Olive, Garden Green, and PPI Berry Sorbet ink pads; Paradise and Say it in Style stamp sets; Craft knife.

How is your day going? My workday seemed unusually long. I was busy, so it must have been my Monday mindset and trying to adjust to life in a cubicle after roaming free all weekend. This evening, I'm going to clean up my corner before, most likely, messing it up again. LOL. On that note, I'll sign off with hopes that your week is off to a great start. Later...

Challenge Cards

Today's cards are my takes on a couple of weekly challenges. My first one is for Weekend Sketch Challenge #90, hosted this week on Laurie's Just Give Me Stamps blog.

I stayed pretty true to the sketch. Notable is the fact that I used Papertrey Ink's Berry Sorbet ink for the flowers. The Dew Drop-like acrylic discs are clear, backed with tiny Juniper circles cut with a hole punch. Three of the flowers were attached with foam tape to add a little dimension, and I used Liquid Pearls paint to accent the center of the flowers.

Materials & Tools: Vanilla Cream and Cocoa cardstock; Unforgettable paper packet; Bamboo, Cocoa, and PPI Berry Sorbet ink pads; Aspirations and PPI Out on a Limb stamp sets; Acrylic Disks from Michael's; Sorbet Designer Ribbon Rounds; White Opal Liquid Pearls; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide & Mat; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; 3M foam mounting tape.

This second card is my "official" card for Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #75. I've made a couple other cards with this sketch already this weekend. Why this is the "one," I dunno. It's not like it makes any difference. LOL. Not much to say about this one. The flowers were colored with markers, and I used a blending pen and Juniper ink to go around the outside and shade them a bit. I also tied a successful satin bow. A big deal for one who usually struggles with the stuff. Oh, and I painted over my flowers with what I originally thought was Shimmerz paint. Turns out, it was Shimmering Pearls, something I bought eons ago that had actually dried up. I spritzed a little water in the container and was able to come up with enough paint on my brush to go over the flowers. The affect is sparkly - the same, most likely, as I would have achieved with Shimmerz.

Materials & Tools: Vanilla Cream, Tulip, and Cocoa cardstock; That's Amore paper packet; Black, Cocoa, Bamboo, and Juniper ink pads; Hollyhock, Tulip, Garden Green, and Olive markers; Clear Dollar Stamps Little Blooms and PTI Mixed Messages stamp sets; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Kaiser Krafts pearl accents; McGill Multi-tag punch; Dove blending pen; Sponge dauber; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edger punch.

It's Sunday evening already. Another weekend is almost over. Sigh. Today was a fun day though. This afternoon, Marv, Cameron, the boys, and I went to the annual VFW picnic with Marv's mom. The food was great. There were games with prizes for the kids. A good time. Back at our house, we hung out until it was time for the boys to go to their mom's house.

This evening, I'm going to get my clothes ready for the week and maybe stamp a little before turning in early. I hope yours was a wonderful weekend and that the week ahead is a good one, too. Thank you for all your sweet comments about my simple cards and ordinary life. Your visits are greatly appreciated. Later, friends ...

Simple Saturday

And, how is your day going? I hope it has been a good one. I've done OK, although I haven't accomplished quite as much as I'd hoped. That, I believe, would have required what Bjorn calls "Super Powers."

About my card, I had some inspiration but don't know from whom or where. I hate that. I can only redeem myself by saying that because I was working from memory, it may not as much as remotely resemble what I actually saw. LOL. Seriously, if I come across the original, I'll let you know.

As for card details, I colored the images with markers - quick and easy. I love the colors even though they remind me of fall, which will be here sooner than I want it to be.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa, and Stampin' Up Kraft cardstock; Bo Bunny Press Vintage Carnival patterned patterned paper; Cocoa ink pad; Brown Bag, Garden Green, Olive, Goldrush, Autumn Terracotta, and Sunflower markers; Hero Arts Trees, Birds & Messages stamp set; Stampin' Up Old Olive grosgrain ribbon.

I did a crazy thing today, as in starting a blog on Word Press. No, I do not need another blog. I already have another Blogger blog that is dormant. What I was going to do was import this one to Word Press. I got the idea from Tiffany, who, bless her heart, is obviously more blog/tech savvy than I am. She made the switch a few weeks ago and loves it. I thought I would, too, and might if I could figure it out. Another day, perhaps. Do take a look at Tiffany's iheartart blog though. Not only is her artwork fun and original, but she's been posting some interesting information of late as well.

Other than the blog thing, I didn't do anything interesting today. Cleaning. Laundry. Before bed, I'm going to go see what I can drum up for tomorrow in my little corner, so I have something to show you tomorrow. 'Til then, take care, and like always, thanks for stopping by!

Playing Around ...

Here are a couple of cards made with stuff that was close at hand AKA cluttering my desktop - a clear sign that I was kind of lazy last night. LOL.

Looking at this top card, I'm thinking there is something about it that is not quite right. Perhaps, the scalloped circles should have been smaller? Maybe, it's top heavy would look better if it black piece was on the bottom of the card? And, pray tell, how do you attach skinny rickrack? I'm all out of mini GlueDots and resorted to running it through my Xyron Sticker Maker. Whatever works, I guess. I do love the sentiment on this card. Yes, "A happy life is made of little things."

Materials & Tools: White Daisy cardstock; Summer Carnival B&T paper (retired); Doodlebug Design Black Eyelet paper; Holiday Red and Black ink pads; Papertrey Ink Little Lady stamp set; White rickrack; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; 1 and 1-1/4-inch circle punches; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

My second card was made with a leftover embossed image from stamp club. I scored my Baby Pink cardstock with the Scor-Pal that a very sweet friend left for me to "store" at my house until this fall (after the wedding).

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Baby Pink, and Bamboo cardstock; VersaMark and Hollyhock ink pads; Bamboo, Blush, and Hollyhock markers; You've Got Flair July SOTM and Say it in Style stamp sets; White embossing powder; Embossing heat tool; Edge Distressor tool; Scor-Pal; Sanding block; 3M foam mounting tape.

I slept until after 9:30 this morning - a rare privilege. My "to-do" list for today is long, mostly domestic chores, which, as Mathias would say, are "not my favorite." I hope your day is a good one. If you get the chance, stop back later for my Simple Saturday offering. I don't know what it will be yet but will come up with something ...

Finally Friday

Weekend greetings! My first card of the weekend is a simple one, my take on this week's Stamp Simply challenge - "Fruit of the Vine." If you're not familiar with this fun challenge, it is hosted by Sharon on the No Time to Stamp? blog.

My card base is White Daisy Textured cardstock, and the center watermelon slice was attached to the card with foam tape. The rest is self-explanatory.

Friday Favorites Tip: Use Dritz Fray Check on the edges of your rickrack to keep them from fraying. I cut my rickrack just a smidgen wider than the piece I needed for my card and applied the Fray Check. When it was dry, I attached the rickrack with GlueDots - one on each end and a third in the middle sufficed. The last thing I did was use a sharp scissors to trim the ends of the rickrack even with the sides of my card. The results are nice finished look that didn't add any bulk to the card.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy Textured cardstock; Black cardstock; Cranberry Gingham paper (retired); Black, Citrus Leaf, and Topiary stamp pads; Cranberry marker; Summer Sweetness and Happy Birthday stamp sets; Black rickrack and Fray Check from Wal-Mart; GlueDots; 3M foam mounting tape. All is good in my world.

It's Friday. I have no aches and pains to complain about (aren't you relieved? LOL). Stamp club last night was fun. Work was quiet and productive (because it was quiet) today. With a better handle on the wedding plans, I'm feeling much more relaxed this weekend than I was a week ago. And the best thing? Last night, I slipped away from my stampers to go say goodnight to the boys. Bjorn was laying on the sofa, watching TV. I bent down and gave him a kiss and told him that I loved him to which he oh-so-sweetly replied, "Oh, Grandma, I love you more than pancakes!" Where that came from, I don't know. I just know that I rate pretty high, cuz' he really loves pancakes.

Do you have plans for the weekend? Whatever they are, I hope they're fun ones. Thanks for stopping by! Later ...

P.S. Thanks for the tips on using the ATG glue gun. I'm getting the hang of it and am loving it. It just took a little practice!

Lisa's Got Flair!

Stumped for a club card for tonight made with the July Stamp of the Month, "You've Got Flair," I remembered this card on Lisa's Lisa's Creative Corner blog. Lisa's cards and projects are always gorgeous, and I'll have to admit, I went a step beyond "inspired" with my card. Instead of taking her idea and doing my own thing, I tried my very best to copy Lisa's lovely creation! It was just too pretty not to do so.

As for directions, I stamped the focal point image on Baby Pink cardstock with VersaMark and embossed it with white embossing powder. The coloring was done with markers. The image was attached to the card with foam mounting tape.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Baby Pink cardstock; Bella paper packet; VersaMark and Hollyhock ink pads; Hollyhock, Blush, and Bamboo markers; You've Got Flair stamp set; White grosgrain ribbon; White embossing powder; Embossing heat tool; Edge Distressor; Empressor tool and guide; Sanding block; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

I slept last night only to wake up with a whopper of a headache this morning. I took a couple aspirin, laid around all morning, and went to work at 1. I'm fine now. Tomorrow is Friday. Yahoo! How was your day? A good one, I hope. For now, I'd best get my butt off the computer and go spend time with the little boys (guests for the night) until it's time for stamp club. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the evening ...

Paradise

If the sketch looks familiar, it's the same one I used for my Mojo Monday card. First, I liked it. Secondly, I'm too pooped tonight to come up with something different.

There's nothing much to say about my card that you can't see for yourself. I used a craft knife to cut around the flower petals, enabling me to slip a couple of leaves under them. I like the dimension they add. Additionally, the focal point image was adhered to the card with foam mounting tape. Love the bright, pretty colors. Looks a bit like paradise.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Indian Corn Blue, and Desert Sand cardstock; Moon Doggie paper packet; Cranberry, Honey, Garden Green, and Indian Corn ink pads; Paradise stamp set; Cranberry gingham ribbon; Cranberry mini brads; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

That good night's sleep I was talking about last night evaded me. I slept for about an hour and then woke up and laid there for a couple of hours trying to will myself to go back to sleep. I turned the TV on and watched a not-so-funny comedian on Comedy Central, a political pundit I dislike on one of the news channels, and finally, an infomercial about some miracle cosmetics that make wrinkles go away. I don't know if it's fortunate or unfortunate that I fell asleep during the latter. LOL. Thankfully, with little sleep, I did OK at work today. I am so busy, which makes the day go by fast. Just wish I could see some light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, I look toward the weekend for a little relief. That's about it for me tonight. I hope yours was a good day, too. Catch you again tomorrow!

One of a Kind ...

First, I need to tell you that my inspiration for tonight's card came from this post on the Jennifer McGuire Ink blog. While it doesn't have anything to do with my card, you need to watch that video. It features all kinds of tips for using Stickles, Liquid Pearls and other similar products. I love that blog. And I thought her owls were so cute, made with a Hero Arts stamp and patterned paper.

My owl was made with patterned paper, too, all cut freehand with the exception of the eyes which were cut with punches and the legs/feet, which were hand drawn. Actually, I cut the shapes from chipboard first and then covered them with the patterned paper. It was all an experiment that I deemed OK enough to glue to a Kraft card. What do you think? With no pattern, I guess he/she is a one of a kind owl. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Stampin' Up Kraft cardstock; CTMH Honey and Crystal Blue cardstock; Chocolate and Desert Sand ink pads; Basic Grey Lilykate 6x6-inch paper pad; Retired CTMH Winter Cozy B&T paper; Chipboard; Cornish Heritage Farms U R A Hoot stamp set; Wiggle eyes from my stash; Black My Legacy Writer; Sponge Dauber; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide & Mat.

I'm late tonight. After discussing wedding plans, Dusty, Miranda, and I went out for a bite to eat. We got a lot done, made a lot of decisions. I'll tell you more as our plans unfold. For tonight, I'm going to head to bed. Between all the planning, a tough day at work, and just maybe, the one cocktail I had with dinner, I'm all tuckered out and ready to sleep. I hope your day was a good one. Hump day tomorrow already. Hope it's a good one, too. 'Til then, take care, friends! Later ...

Mojo Monday, Etc.

Hi! How are you on this fine Monday? Perky, huh? "Fine" and "Monday" aren't usually words I put together. LOL. Seriously, it was a good day.

This evening's card is my take on this week's Mojo Monday sketch challenge. The sweet little image is a freebie digi image from the Fred She Said Digital Designs blog. There is a contest/challenge going on there, too, although I'm not certain this card is contest material. Why I had purple in my head, I dunno. And as you can see, I ended up with lavender. I don't have much for purple in my paper collection, which 99 percent of the time is OK. I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils and OMS. I used a couple of shades of both green and lavender in an attempt to get the image to coordinate with the patterned paper. Wanting a softer look, I stamped the sentiment with Grey Wool ink. The focal point image was attached to the card with foam mounting tape. That's the details. The rest, I'm sure, you can see.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Sweet Leaf cardstock; Basic Grey Lilykate 6x6-inch paper pad; Grey Wool and Sweet Leaf ink pads; Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp set; Free digital image from Fred She Said; Sweet Leaf Designer Ribbon Rounds; Kaiser Kraft pearl accents; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Piercing tool; McGill Multi-tag punch; Sponge dauber; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

Speaking of 3M, I'm not usually much for infomercials. If it sounds to good to be true, I generally assume it is. However, as one who hates to shave her legs, I took notice of the "Smooth Away" commercials I've been seeing lately. Well, lo and behold, I came across this item in the "As Seen on TV" section at Wal-Mart today. As razors were on my shopping list, I opted instead for the "Smooth Away." For $9.88, I thought it would be worth a shot. And, guess what? It works. When I opened the box and saw the 3M pads that attach to the applicator, my first thought was, "Ah, fine sandpaper." If it is sandpaper, it is very fine and called a "Fine-Crystal" hair remover pad. Like I said it works - painlessly and basically, effortlessly. Exfoliated too, my legs are as smooth as a baby's backside. If this post wasn't long already, I'd tell you about my one (and only) experience with waxing. It's pretty funny.

While I had a good experience with the Smooth Away, I'm not doing so well with my new ATG glue gun thing. I suppose, like everything else, it takes practice. I hope so because, I'm having a heck of a time learning to "drive" the thing and get the adhesive where I want it. I bought it for the purpose of assembling wedding invitations en masse, so I'd better learn fast. LOL. And about the wedding, Dustin, Miranda, and I are meeting after work tomorrow to go through my lists of 1,001 details. Having broken it all down into itemized checklists, I'm feeling less overwhelmed than I was a couple of days ago.

If you're still with me, thanks for all your sweet comments about my family photos. Oh, and Miranda received a couple of Grand Champion and several blue ribbons on her horses at the fair. We need to take the little boys out to the farm for horseback rides one of these days. Who knows? Maybe Grandma will try it again, too. The experience, I should hope, couldn't be any worse than the last time. Another crazy story for another time. By now, I'm sure you've heard enough from me. Again, thanks, and have a great Tuesday! Later...

Fun at the Fair

Here are Bjorn, Mathias, Miranda, and Willie. Willy was one of three horses

Miranda took to the county fair this year. The one in the background is Sadie.

While the little boys have no fear, Grandma has a certain amount of

respect for horses. I was the one, however, who hopped the fence

and held big, restless Sadie still while Miranda's friend, who was going to

ride her, got up in the saddle. Evidently, the horse understood when

I said, "Please, don't move." LOL.

Willy, who just got back from the trainer last week, needed

to be worked before being ridden.

And, here is our beautiful daughter-in-law-to-be on Willy.

Bjorn and Mathias are real animal-lovers. At four, Mathias also has an answer for everything. When I told him the sign said to keep fingers out of the cages, his quick retort was, "Well, Gamma, you know I can't read!" LOL.

After checking out the animals, it was time for the treat of choice - cotton candy.
Oh, yes! And, some people never grow up. I'm so glad!
Daddy Cameron and his friend, Sarah, watching his boys have fun.

Those two little heads by the flower are those of Bjorn and Mathias.
They loved this ride!

I swear I have a photo of Cameron on the back of a motorcycle

ride with the exact same look on his face - 25-plus years ago.

I love this photo of Bjorn - sheer delight!

Finally, this is Bjorn sliding into the home stretch.

Pokey Mathias is still at the top of the slide!

And that was our Friday evening trip to the 2009 county fair. While I felt a little punk yesterday, it was worth it. Now, that the fair is over, however, I need to set the bride and groom-to-be down and show them my long lists of details that need to be addressed. The wedding is September 19. With the exception of the invitations being printed (this week), all of the big things are taken care of. It's just the 1,001 little things... and as we all know, time flies.

Speaking of time, it's time for me to get to bed so I can get up and go to work in the morning. I hope your weekend was a good one - the start of a good week! I'll be finding some mojo and stamping some cards this week. It's the only thing that keeps me sane! LOL. Later, friends ...

Simple Saturday on Sunday ...

I'm late. Yesterday was a no mojo day to the point I didn't even try. I can't say that I'm oozing with creativity today either, but I gave it a shot.

This is my take on Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #74. It's a simple card for a simple sketch.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Clover Meadow, and Tulip cardstock; Creative Basic Animal Cookies Collection; Animal Cookies Level 2 paper packet; Dutch Blue, Tulip, and Clover Meadow, and Dutch Blue ink pads; Sweet Baby and Say it in Style stamp sets; Sunflower mini brad; EK Success Dotted Wave Edger punch; Black My Legacy Writer.

Evidently, something got the best of me on Friday night, as I woke up yesterday all stuffed up and entertaining the nastiest of headaches. After the boys left, I worked on wedding stuff for a couple of hours and then slept all afternoon. The "time off" left me with an overwhelming amount of stuff to try to get done today. That said, I'd better get to it.

I hope you are having a great weekend. While Friday night was the extent of my "fun," it was enough. I had to laugh at Mathias yesterday morning though. With a downtrodden look on his little face, he declared, "But we didn't get to see the hippos." I tried to convince him that hippos aren't farm animals. Guess we're going to have to make a trip to the country with that boy. LOL. Enjoy your day! Later...

And in Today's Mail ...

... came this beautiful card! Isn't it just the cutest thing? I received it from my upline, Mary Jo. I'm so happy to have it to show you, because I didn't make it to my corner today. Wait. I take that back. I did get it cleaned up this afternoon between getting home from work early and going to the fair this evening.

While I didn't make the card, I think I can list the materials Mary Jo used to make the card. Having it made me all the more anxious for the UPS man to come on Monday. After seeing card after card made with the beautiful Moon Doggie paper and Extreme Happiness stamp set, I gave in and ordered them. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White cardstock; Moon Doggie paper packet; Cocoa ink; Extreme Happiness stamp set; White Daisy mini brads; Pewter spiral clip.

Oh my goodness, my feet are sore. We packed an awful lot of activity into a few hours at the Pennington County Fair. We ate junky food, checked out all the animals, and then hit the midway where the boys went on some rides. It was a good time. The boys are going back to the fair with their mom tomorrow, and if I can get my weary backside out of bed early enough, I'm going to go back in the morning to watch Miranda show her horses. She had Willy out in the ring tonight when we got there, and while I'm not a horse person by any means, it's obvious he is a magnificent animal. After having lunch with my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, I'm going to come home and dive into some wedding projects and hopefully, come up with a little something for Simple Saturday.

I hope yours was a great Friday and your weekend is wonderful, too! Thanks for stopping by, friends. Later ...

A Box for a Buck ...

... or maybe it was $2. Anyway, it was a little box that caught my eye and landed in my cart a while back at Wal-Mart and has since been sitting on a shelf occasionally whispering, "Do something with me." Well, I did, and once again, I'm going to start my spiel by telling you it looks better in person. For whatever reason, the paint I used for the lid comes out a sick color when photographed. Up close and personal, it's a very neutral "Linen" color like the paint bottle says.

As for the rest of my box, I used paper scraps, a little ribbon, and a stamped image accented with a little Liquid Applique. I would have covered the lid with paper, too, had it not been for those scalloped edges and a lazy streak. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Box from Wal-Mart; Stampin' Up Porcelain paper (retired); Olive Green ink pad; Garden green marker; Flourishes Birds and Vines stamp set; Ribbon from my stash; White Liquid Applique; Yes! paste; Folk Art Linen acrylic paint; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

How is everyone this evening? The parade last night was fun. I parked my butt on the curb with the little guys and relished in their wonder of it all. Afterwards, Bjorn said the parade was "phenomenal." Seemed like a big word for someone so small. Tonight, Grandma is tired and needs to get to bed in order to be in fine form for the fair tomorrow night. The weekend is going to be busy. With that, I'll sign off with a wish that your Friday is a good one. Thanks for stopping by!

Just Stopping By ...

... to say "hi!" No card today. I hope you'll excuse me. My corner has been declared a disaster area and is definitely not conducive to creativity. And with kids coming over in a little bit to feed and get ready to go to a parade, there's no time.

The weather could be a little nicer. It's only 61 degrees and windy. I looked today, and we've had temperatures of 80 and above (barely) here on only five days since June 1. What is that? Certainly not a normal summer ... even in the frozen frozen tundra.

For tonight, I guess we'll dress in layers, and I'll grab a car blanket or two to wrap around the little ones should they get cold.

Miranda and I went to our appointment at the florist. Now, it's to wait for the quote. The hand-tied bouquets will be a mix of roses, Gerber daisies, miniature sunflowers, berries and an assortment of greens. A variety of those same flowers in deep fall shades will be used for the arrangements, corsages, and boutonnieres. I advised her not to open the quote in front of the groom, who is rather overwhelmed by the very idea of it all. Poor Dusty. LOL.

No, I'd better go get a couple of things done before the activity begins. I hope you are having a good week. Talk to you again tomorrow when I have something to show you ... Take care!

Cosmetic Surgery, Etc.

This is an improved version of last night's card. Remember I said I thought I'd like the white band if it were a quarter of an inch or so shorter? While I was still looking at it, it dawned on me to add another coordinating strip of paper, which is what I went off to do as soon as I finished my post.

It wasn't full-blown card surgery. I didn't have to pull anything apart. Rather it was a little cosmetic surgery that required nothing more than a little tuck. I'm thinking it was a big success, too. The green strip not only breaks up the white but makes the butterfly piece and green flower stand out better.

My second card involved playing with the direct-to-paper technique a little more. Usually, this technique involves rubbing one's ink pad across the paper. For this look I laid the ink pad down and used it like a stamp. The fabric of the pad give it texture, and the edges create lines. I just kept overlapping the edges until I achieved a look that I liked. Following me? I hope so.

As I wanted to see what it would look like on both white and solid same-color cardstock, I just worked with what I had to create the simple layout. The sentiment, which was cut out and embossed with Nestabilities Rectangles, was attached to the with foam mounting tape. Had I distressed the inked up paper, I think I would have had a "Basic Grey" look going. Next time!

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, and Black cardstock; Sweet Leaf and Black ink pads; Close To My Heart Butterfly Kiss and Verve Stamps Beautiful stamp sets; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Acrylic disks from Michael's; Cuttlebug w/ Nestabilities Classic Rectangles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

The boys are with us tonight. After losing a game of Cootie and Memory to Mathias, I chased the boys and Grandpa downstairs to play George of the Jungle on the Wii. It's raining outside.. . hard. Better now than tomorrow evening. It won't be fun (or as much fun) if it rains on our parade.

As the thunder and lightning are getting close, I'd probably better get my butt off the computer and go "ground" myself with a little rubber. LOL. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the evening! Later ...

Unusual ...

I'm really on a roll here. "Different" on Saturday. "Unusual" today.

OK. While making a connection will probably be a stretch of the imagination, my card was inspired by this beautiful card by Barb that she posted on her The Buzz blog. I fell in love with the background, which was created with a single background stamp (from Stampin' Up, I think). While it was Barb's first experience with a large background image, some of us "old-timers" are familiar with them (and I, for one, miss 'em!).

Anyway, what I attempted to do was imitate the look with a stamp from Close To My Heart's Adorable Backgrounds set. After I stamped the black words, I stamped over it, using the scrolly (not a word) in the set and Crystal Blue ink. Then, I used round sponges to add Crystal Blue and Sweet Leaf inks. I think I managed to create a look similar to the background of Barb's card.

I used my background piece to make a card based on this week's Mojo Monday sketch. Had I planned a little better, the butterfly that you can see on my second piece of "homemade" background paper would have been right side up. For that design, I stamped the butterflies and then used a direct-to-paper technique with my Sweet Leaf ink pad. When it came to the band, I didn't know quite what to do. I cut a piece of black, which was too much. I think the white (embossed using the Swiss Dots embossing folder) is right but might look better were it a quarter inch or so narrower. I also fully intended to use a butterfly as my accent, but the big one was too big, and the small one was too small, so I resorted to a couple of paper flowers. As for the ribbon, I think I made the right choice. I believe keeping the black matting narrow was a good idea, too. Thick black edges would have been overpowering. The use of the word "unusual"as my title (like "different") is indicative of the fact that I'm not quite sure about this card ... er, experimental card-making endeavor. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, and Black cardstock; Black, Crystal Blue, and Sweet Leaf ink pads; Close to My Heart Adorable Backgrounds and Butterfly Kiss stamp sets; Verve Stamps Beautiful stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Paper flowers from CTMH and Hero Arts; Acrylic disk from Michael's; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder; Round sponges.

A Mojo Monday sketch done on a Monday. How 'bout that? I had a crazy busy day. The whole week is going to be that way. Today, I learned I have a "company profile" due for a German publication due on Wednesday. I can pump out a profile in a couple of hours so it would be no big deal were it not for the fact that translation takes a week. OK. I thought about my situation. I had four years of high school German (like 40 years ago). I can, however, still read enough to get the gist of what's being discussed. Thus, I've decided that I can take last year's profile and update it with this year's information and rewrite it in German. When I pull this one off, I'll declare myself multi-lingual and demand a raise. LOL. That will go over big. Never a dull moment. Speaking of, the little guys will be spending Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights with us this week. Parade. Fair. Fun. Hooray!

Enough jabber. I'm off to my corner to clean up and just maybe start something new. I hope your week got off to a good start! Later...

That Sketch Again...

I should have saved this card for Simple Saturday, but then I wouldn't have had anything to show you tonight so ...

I think I'm going to have to claim this as my "signature" sketch. I use it frequently, particularly when I'm working with pretty paper I don't want to cover up. This paper is from a long-ago promotional paper packet from Close To My Heart called "Promise of Spring." The colors are so pretty. I especially love the look of the lacy Bamboo edge against the Smokey Plum.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Smokey Plum, and Bamboo cardstock; CTMH retired Promise of Spring paper; Smokey Plum ink pad; Happy Birthday stamp set; Stampin' Up Old Olive grosgrain ribbon; Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edger punch.

I was a bit of a dud with regard to stamping this weekend. I did, however, get some stuff done. Time for family, too. A good thing. While I haven't thought much about it yet, I think this is going to be a busy week. It's county fair time, which may have me out of the house a lot or a little ... depending on my mood. I know that we're going to take the boys one evening. That's tradition! On Wednesday afternoon, Miranda and I are going to the florist to order flowers for the wedding. That should be fun. I need to get Miranda over here, too, to show her some of my interesting Internet "finds." For tonight, I'd better get my butt off the computer and make certain everything is in order for tomorrow morning when I return to my life in a cubicle. Thanks for stopping by. I hope your week is a good one. Later ...

P.S. At the top of my sidebar is a not-so-fancy "Stamps for Sale" link. The sets I have listed are retired, most of them recently. There's more to come ...

Thank You

I received this "One Lovely Blog" blog award recently from Leanne at Scrappin' with Gamma and Nancy at Nancy's CRAFTY Blog.

This second "Kreativ Blogger" award came from Mary at on Life and Creating.

Thank you Leanne, Nancy, and Mary! Thank you, too, to others who have given me awards, which have slipped through the cracks with regard to acknowledging them.

Please know that I am not an ungrateful shrew but rather an old gal who struggles to keep up most of the time. It's kind of like my photo. I was going to replace the snow shot, but heck, it won't be that long before we have snow again. 'Tis sad but true. Other than posting regularly, I'm horrible about keeping up with "stuff" on this blog. My Blogs that Inspire list is outdated. I haven't got my Followers list up yet. Is the Followers thing fixed yet? When using Internet Explorer, my computer was crashing every time I tried to comment on a blog with Followers. Back to the blog, I'd like to "remodel" but as I can't remember what the heck I did last time, I've done the easy thing and left well enough alone. So much to do. So little time.

With regard to passing these awards along, they are for you - those who take the time to look and those who take the time to share a kind word or two. I think Erin's recent Scrap My Scraps challenge was a perfect example of our diversity. What we have in common is our desire to share. Hugs to all of you!

Summer Fun

Here's a photo of that "Monster Truck Race" I was talking about the other day. As
you can see the trucks aren't very big, just little Monster truck replicas that they
have to push to make them go. With all the battery-powered stuff they have,
the concept of having to push something is a bit foreign. Grandpa is always pleased
whenever I buy something that doesn't require batteries. First, he prefers they
have to use their imaginations, and secondly, stuff with batteries makes noise. I
should say "extra" noise. These little guys make plenty of noise all on their own. LOL.

This is a Sand & Sea table from Little Tikes. Grandpa-approved. No batteries.
It's surprising how wet a couple of little boys can get with so little water.

Here we are on the grandpa-powered Slip N' Slide. While I think they would have
done fine on their own, Grandpa seemed to think he should give them a little push.
I sat down at the end and took photos and eventually wondered why
I was getting wet ... duh!

Mathias has learned to drive! Last year, he was hopeless behind the wheel. This
year, he's wheeling around like it's second nature.

Bjorn's looking pretty serious in this photo, which is kind of funny, because he's
usually got a big smile on this face. After this photo was taken, Grandpa and Daddy
set up an obstacle course for him. He had a ball. The kites flew today, too. It was a
good day. They left to go to their mom's about a half-hour ago but not before I had
my seven hugs and seven kisses. The good thing is, it won't be seven days before
we see them again. They will be here for supper on Tuesday night, and we're going
to take them to the county fair one night this week, too. I like it best when we don't get
the chance to miss them.

Different

This is one of those cards that evolved. My idea was to emboss on patterned paper and then figure it out from there. White, Olive, and Bamboo is a color combination I don't think I've seen before, and I'm not exactly sure what to make of it.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Bamboo cardstock; CTMH Promise of Spring (retired) paper; Hot Off the Press vellum; Olive and VersaMark ink pads; Stampin' Up Essence of Love and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Stampin' Up Whisper White taffeta ribbon; Kaiser Kraft pearl accents; White embossing powder; Embossing heat tool; Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; McGill Multi-tag punch.

How's your weekend? I spent yesterday cleaning here and there. I did some sorting in my corner, separating solid-color cardstock from CTMH paper packets. I have a couple of reasons for doing that. One, the patterned paper takes up less room. Two, and more important, it gives me a better idea of what I have on hand with regard to cardstock. Prior to separating it, I thought I was running low on a couple of colors. Not so I found.

Today, Cameron and the boys are coming over. Grandpa is making pancakes for breakfast, and Grandma is making spaghetti for supper. Other than that, I haven't got a whole lot planned. As always, thanks for stopping by! I hope your day is a good one. Later ...

Simple Saturday

I hope you can "see" this card. My photo is looking a little washed out and the pink a bit bluer than it is in "real life." Anyway, this is my Simple Saturday offering.

I used a single stamp for both my background and focal point image. All of the images were stamped with Baby Pink ink with the exception of the center image. Wanting that one to stand out just a little bit more, I used Blush ink. The rest is self-explanatory - narrow black mats, scallops on the bottom, a snippet of ribbon, and a simple sentiment.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Baby Pink, and Black cardstock; Baby Pink, Blush, and Black ink pads; Stampin' Up Oh, So Lovely and Verve Stamps Heartfelt Phrases stamp sets; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; EK Success corner rounder (scallops).

Good morning! While I haven't checked the temperature yet, it's stuffy in my den and feeling like it just might be a warm day in Thief River Falls. The sun is shining - a very good sign! I'm up to the "usual" today - housekeeping chores and the like. After a good night's sleep, my mood is improved over last night. While I didn't grumble in yesterday's post, I was kind of out of sorts last night - for no one reason ... just a bunch of little stuff that was bugging me. I'm sure you know the "mood." As my outlook on life is usually relatively positive, my husband doesn't quite know what to do with a grumpy wife. LOL.

With nothing profound to say, I'm off to have some breakfast, hop in the shower, and then pick a project from my long-enough "to do" list. If I make some progress, I'll reward myself in my corner so I have something to show you later in the day. Until then, enjoy your Saturday! Later ...

Oh Boy!

I've been itching to make a Memory Keeper box or two for weeks and finally got around to making one over the course of the past couple of nights. This one, obviously, is for a boy - most likely a baby boy.

As I was making the baby card with the Doodle Palace digital image the other day, I thought about how easy this particular image would be to paper-piece. I was right. It was a piece of cake. To do it, I printed the image twice - once on regular copy paper and the second time on the white cardstock piece that served as my "base" and the sails. For the rest of the pieces, I cut smaller pieces of colored cardstock and one at a time taped them to the copy paper print over the appropriate spot and then just kept running them through the printer until all the pieces were printed. Make sense?

To adhere the bear and boat to the covered box, I used my Xyron for the "base" and glue for the smaller pieces with the exception of the dimensional bear that was attached with foam mounting tape. Other details you can't see include the chalk I added to the edges of the bear and his shiny Liquid Glass nose. The chipboard letters were painted with red acrylic paint, sealed with a shiny (and smelly) spray sealant, and attached to the box with Liquid Glass. While it was a little putsy, it was fun, and I'm pretty darned pleased with the results!

Materials & Tools: Close To My Heart Memory Keeper box; White, Cranberry, Brown Bag, Indian Corn Blue, Grey Wool, and Bamboo cardstock; Retired Outdoor Denim Gingham and Autumn Harvest B&T paper; Indian Corn Blue marker; Digital Image from Doodle Palace; Chipboard letters; White Daisy Bigger Brads; Red acrylic paint; Autumn Soft Chalks; Chalk applicator; Glossy spray sealer; Liquid Glass; Yes! paste; 3M Quick-Dry Adhesive; Xyron 900; 3M foam mounting tape; Printer.

Happy Friday! What's everyone up to this weekend? While I don't have anything specific planned, there is plenty to do around here. For tonight, however, I'm going to relax ... maybe come up with something for my Simple Saturday post. Until tomorrow, take care! Later ...

My Strength

Here's my take on this week's Mojo Monday sketch. Yes. Yes. I know it's Thursday. So I'm a little slow...

About my card, I stayed relatively true to the sketch. Cutting, matting, and arranging the layered pieces took a lot longer than my simple stamped images did. As for the lace, I don't know that it adds much being so little of it is visible. Speaking of lace, I used a lot of foam tape because of it, which adds some interesting dimension. Additionally, I sponged some Bamboo ink around the stamped images.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Olive, and Smokey Plum cardstock; Bella paper packet; Olive, Smokey Plum, and Bamboo ink pads; Verve Serenity stamp set; Gold mini brads; Stampin' Up Old Olive grosgrain ribbon; Ecru crocheted lace from Wal-Mart; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

Hey, everybody! Tomorrow is Friday! Hooray! After a short week, I thought this one seem exceptionally long, but that wasn't the case. Instead, it was productive and relatively pleasant. I'm posting a bit late tonight, because we have visitors again. Bjorn and Mathias are here. We had supper on the terrace, and finally, it was warm enough for them to try out their new Slip N' Slide. They had a good time. We had fun watching them have fun. I'll try to post a few photos of our adventures this weekend. Now, that they're in bed, I'm going to sneak over to my corner and finish a little project I started last night, so I can show it to you tomorrow. I hope your day was wonderful, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you sweet comments. You're the best or as Mathias would say, "the very bestest!" Later, friends ...

Just a Note

This evening's card was inspired by this card posted recently on Sarah's Paper Trey. If you are familiar with Sarah's work, you know that she does amazing things with Kraft cardstock and loves it as much as I do.

There isn't much to say about my card. I used a 1-1/4 inch square punch (vintage Creative Memories) to punch my squares. Sarah did some stitching on her card, while I added a Barn Red mat instead due to the fact my overcrowded corner will not accommodate a full-size sewing machine. I added a paper flower accent and stamped my sentiment - a simple, albeit attractive, 10-minute (or less) card. Just my style!

Materials & Tools: Stampin' Up Kraft cardstock; CTMH Barn Red cardstock; 7Gypsies Sushi Journey variety pack; Barn Red ink pad; Verve Stamps Asian Flair stamp set; White Just Blooms paper flower; Barn Red Bigger Brads.

Happy Hump Day! My day was quiet and productive. I'm writing two magazine articles, which are due next week. One is for the UK and the other for span Europe. Both have approximately the same word limits (as in long -1,400 and 1,500 words) and will answer the same questions. However, because there is apt to be some crossover in readership, I have to basically tell the same story in two different ways. I've had to do this before, and it's quite a challenge. What I decided to try this time is writing them simultaneously. So far, so good. I will probably finish them tomorrow, well before the deadline and atypical for someone who usually sneaks in under the wire. LOL.

Last night was fun, first playing with the boys outside and later, the little gathering with friends from work. The food was great, and for the record, I did break down and drink one (1) beer. The recipe for my salad can be found here. That was my day ... so far. This evening, I'm going to spend a little time in my corner and then go to bed early. I hope your day was a good one. Enjoy the evening!! Later...