Simple Autumn Blessings

Here are a couple more cards made with JustRite's Autumn Blessings set. While the designs are my usual simple style, the coloring on these babies took me a little while. The Indian corn image (which I love) was colored with markers with the exception of the bow, which was outlined with my Indian Corn marker and then filled in with a blending pen and ink from the same color ink pad. I also used my blending pen and Twilight ink to shade around the outside of both images. Additionally, what you can't see on either card is the fact that the images were cut out with an oval Nestabilities die and mounted to the oval "frames" with foam mounting tape.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Indian Corn Blue cardstock; Black, Indian Corn Blue, and Twilight ink pads; Indian Corn Blue, Autumn Terracotta, Goldrush, Sunflower, and Buttercup markers; JustRite Autumn Blessings Borders & Centers set; 2-1/4 by 3-1/16 inch JustRite Wood Stamper; Cuttlebug w/Argyle embossing folder and Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; Dove blending pen; 3M foam mounting tape.

The image on my second card was colored using Prismacolor pencils and OMS. The apples in real life are less pink than they look in the photograph. The scored lines around the perimeter of the Cocoa cardstock were accomplished with my borrowed Scor-Pal, which my friend seriously needs to reclaim, enabling me to quickly purchase one of my own. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Black, Cocoa, and Twilight ink pads; JustRite Autumn Blessings Borders & Centers set; 2-1/4 by 3-1/16 inch JustRite Wood Stamper; Gold mini brads; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Dove blending pen; Scor-Pal; CuttlebugNestabilities Classic Ovals set; 3M foam mounting tape. w/

Ah, 'tis Wednesday already! We're more than halfway to the weekend. And, tomorrow it's October already. I hope your week is going well! Later, friends ...

Unscripted Owl

Here's my take on this week's Unscripted Sketches #25. While I love sketch challenges, I'm usually not very imaginative. When I looked at this sketch, however, I saw a couple of the elements in a different way - the way some of my more creative friends always seem to see things. I'm pretty proud of myself. LOL. Still clean and simple like most of my cards, the fun leaves add a little whimsy. My silly owl looks like he's sitting in front of a stained glass window, doesn't he? I love the papers I used, too. This particular paper from DCWV's Latte Matstack is textured.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa, and Olive cardstock, DCWV Latte Matstack; Cocoa ink pad; Cornish Heritage Farms U R A Hoot stamp set; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Paper corrugator; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide and Mat.

I hope your day is a good one, and thanks for stopping by! Check back tomorrow for a couple more cards made with JustRite's Autumn Blessing set.

From the Pumpkin Patch

As soon I saw the Autumn Blessings set from JustRite, I decided that would be my one new set for fall this year. I love all of the harvest images and borders. Today's card is my take on Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #84. It was a fun, easy sketch. For my pumpkin image, I colored the pumpkins with Prismacolor pencils and OMS and the stems and leaves with markers. Then, I used a blending pen and Twilight ink to go around the entire image to give it a bit more depth.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Autumn Terracotta cardstock; Retired CTMH Nature's Treasures paper packet; Black, Chocolate, and Twilight ink pads; Brown Bag and Garden Green markers; JustRite Autumn Blessings Borders & Centers and Impression Obsession Sentiments II stamp sets; Gold mini brads; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Dove blending pen; Stampin' Up Word Window punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilties Classic Circles set.

Wow! It's the last week of September already. I hope yours is a good one! Thanks for stopping by... Oh, and if you're interested in what I do besides stamp, stop by "This is the Day..."

You are my sunshine ...

... my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray ... Remember that song? Now, that I brought it up, I'll probably be singin' it song all day long. LOL.

This card is my take on Weekend Sketch Challenge #99, posted on the Fresh & Fun blog. I deviated from the sketch a bit in keeping my card a standard 4-1/4 by 5-1/2 inch size. As for additional explanation, I don't think my card warrants it. Besides, if you have questions, you can always ask.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Black, and Cranberry cardstock; Retired Cranberry gingham paper; Black and Cranberry ink pads; Treasures September Stamp of the Month; Black Bitty Brads; Kaiser Kraft adhesive-backed pearls; Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder and Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

I hope yours is a great day! Thanks for taking the time to visit ...

Simple Saturday

I doubling up today! Here are a couple of cards made with "Treetops," a cute set of funky trees from Close To My Heart. This top card was inspired by this card on the Stampin Cos Its Fun blog. Different papers. Different stamps. The same general idea. I like Jean's card better. LOL.

What the photo of my card doesn't reveal is the fact that the top of the smaller tree has foam tape beneath it. Everything else, I believe, is shared in "the list."

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Garden Green, Olive, and Desert Sand cardstock; Olive and Chocolate ink pads; CTMH Treetops and The Good Life stamp sets; Hero Arts Dots & Flowers background stamp; Button from my stash; Ecru crochet cotton; White gel pen; 2-inch scallop punch; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide and Mat; 3-M foam mounting tape.

I used autumn colors for this next card, stamping the treetops on colored cardstock and then punching or cutting them out. The three panels that create the background are 1-3/4 by 4-inches.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Chocolate, Sunflower, Autumn Terracotta, and Garden Green cardstock; Chocolate, Sunflower, Autumn Terracotta, Olive, and Bamboo ink pads; Treetops stamp set; Gold mini brad; Stampin' Up Word Window punch; 1-11/16-inch circle punch; Cuttlebug w/Branches embossing folder; Sponge dauber.

Thanks for stopping by!

Rich Autumn Leaves ...

... is this weeks theme for Stamp Simply #106 on the No Time to Stamp? blog. Perfect. I was itching for an excuse to ink up my Falling Leaves set one more time and see what I could do with a few ink pads and my waterbrush.

Unfortunately, the camera didn't do my card justice. The leaves and sentiment were stamped with VersaMark on watercolor paper and embossed with gold embossing powder. The ink pads I used to color my leaves were Autumn Terracotta, Goldrush, and Sunflower. Filling them in was very quick and easy with me just kind of playing around until I achieved a look I was happy with. To finish the background off (and camouflage some random speckles of embossing powder), I used my favorite Speckled Background stamp and Autumn Terracotta ink. Then, the question became how to complete my card. With thoughts that the leaves were pretty enough to stand on their own, I didn't want to clutter it up. Thus, I finished it with a favorite Bible passage anchored with three gold Bitty Brads.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Chocolate cardstock; Watercolor paper from Wal-Mart; VersaMark, Chocolate, Autumn Terracotta, Goldrush, and Sunflower ink pads; Flourishes Falling Leaves and Close To My Heart Make it Count stamp sets; Retired Speckled Background stamp; Gold Bitty Brads; Gold embossing powder; Waterbrush.

Did you notice the background in my photo? Those are leaves that were used as part of the decor at last weekend's wedding reception. They're real, as in preserved California black oak leaves. They are very beautiful, but I really have a lot of them. Not having a clue how many we would need, I ordered 30 bunches. We tapped into 12 of them, and the rest are still in their packages. I guess I'll make a pretty arrangement for my desk at work and see if it's enough to entice some buyers to take some of them off my hands. LOL.

I hope I can get my hands on some photos of the reception hall. It was gorgeous. The linens and chair covers were all white with burgundy satin table runners on all the tables. The long tables featured tiered wrought iron candelabras in the center. More small white frosted votive cups ran the length of the tables with the colored leaves scattered about to almost look as if they had fallen where they laid. The 16 round tables we used in the center of the room featured floating candle arrangements on mirror tiles with more small votives and, of course, leaves. The head table was on a stage with similar decorations as well as the floral arrangements that had been used at the church. It was arranged so that the approximately 400 candles were lit before the guests arrived. It was beautiful. It doesn't seem like it was almost a week ago already.

Happy Friday! What are you doing this weekend? I'm looking forward to getting some things done ... while working at my own pace, which will most likely be relatively low-key. Marv is going to drive truck during the beet harvest again this year. This afternoon, he's at the farm giving his truck (semi) a practice run. I anticipate the campaign will start soon. Instead of the night shift he drove last year, he will be driving an 8 to 8 "daytime" shift. That will be better, I think, and healthier for him. Nonetheless, I suspect things will be a little hectic for however long it takes, but the extra money will be nice - Christmas money that won't have to come out of the "general" fund.

No, this is long. If you're still with me, thanks for stopping by. I'll catch you again tomorrow with a little something for Simple Saturday!

Soon ...

It won't be long before the earth is covered with a blanket of brightly colored leaves. On Tuesday, it was official. Autumn is here. One thing I've noticed this week, since I became aware of the world around me again, is that the days are getting much shorter. It isn't quite light outside when I get up in the morning, and it's getting dark much earlier in the evening. The weather we've had in September has been the nicest we've had all year, although it is supposed to start cooling off next week. That's OK ... so long as the fluffy white stuff doesn't show up for six weeks or so.

About my card, I've had a jar of Autumn Flower Soft sitting on my desk for a while and deemed it time finally use it. The colors are so pretty. Still in what I call a wedding "stupor," the mojo isn't exactly oozing out of me yet, but I gave it my best shot. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Goldrush, and Chocolate cardstock; Retired CTMH Nature's Treasures paper packet; Chocolate ink pad; Four Seasons and Thank You stamp sets; Gold mini brads; Leaf button from my stash; Autumn Flower Soft; Martha Stewart Embossed Zigzag Edger punch.

I didn't think I'd get a card made tonight. After work, Cameron and I took the boys to a book fair at their school. It was a good time, and we made some fun purchases. When I finally got into my corner, it was with the intention of clearing the clutter. I did make a little headway before being distracted by the Flower Soft. Dustin called again tonight and relayed how they tested their compatibility today on a tandem bicycle on Mackinac Island. They're having a blast. I'm so glad. I'm anxious, too, to see their photos. Maybe they'll let me make some prints and put together a little scrapbook for them.

For tonight, I'd better get to bed. Work has been very busy this week, which has made the workdays fly by. One more day. I'm looking forward to the weekend. As always, thanks for stopping by and sharing my life and attempts at creativity. Enjoy your Friday!

Autumn Wreath

Another card made with a new set from Flourishes, "Seasonal Wreaths." Such pretty images, but what was I thinking? All of the beautiful samples I saw were again colored with Copic markers. I kinda want 'em but probably won't get 'em 'til my ship comes in - an event I can dream about but probably won't happen. LOL.

Luckily, for this first image anyway, I was able to pull off a decent coloring job with CTMH's water-base markers. I think my success had something to do with the fact that the details of the image are small/fine. I'm relatively happy with the results.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Goldrush, and Pansy Purple cardstock; Enchanted paper packet; Black, Pansy Purple, and Bamboo ink pads; Sunflower, Goldrush, Garden Green, Brown Bag, and Petal markers; Flourishes Autumn Wreaths stamp set; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Piercing Tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide and Mat; Sanding block, Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

It's taking me a while to get back into a normal routine. Last night, I got caught up in clearing out the clutter, a project that will most likely take as long as the wedding preparations took. Tonight, I bowled and perhaps stayed at the bowling alley a bit too long ... unwinding. What I wasn't doing was celebrating my athletic prowess. I bowled badly. Lucky for me, my teammates picked up the slack, and we took all four points. Time for some practice, I guess.

Before bed, I'm trying to decide if I should attempt to catch up with the newlyweds. Dustin left me a voicemail at 1:38 this afternoon to report that they were about 15 miles from the Mackinac Bridge. I see he called our land line at 5:55 this evening. Evidently, they made it to their destination. I hope they're having fun and think I'll leave them alone for tonight. Oops. The phone is ringing as I write. It's Dusty, and he's talking to his dad. I had my turn, too. They're having fun. Michigan, they say, is beautiful. I'm glad they took the time to get away for a few days. Now that I've said goodnight to my kids, I'll bid you goodnight as well. I hope your week is going great. Thanks for stopping by! Later...

Finally... Simple Saturday!

At last, a card and one I've been itching to make since I saw this fun sketch on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog last Thursday.

The stamps I used are from Flourishes new Falling Leaves set. I wanted a set of leaves I could color even though most of the beautiful samples I've seen made with this set were colored with Copic markers. I used Prismacolor pencils and OMS to color my leaf, and while I don't necessarily think the finished product is all that realistic, it's pretty, representative of fall, and last, but not least, it matches the paper I used. LOL. I love the sentiment. It's so true even as I try to recall the events of the past few days.

Back to my card, the leaf was adhered to the card with foam mounting tape. Everything else is self-explanatory... I think.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White cardstock; DCWV Indian Summer Fall Matstack; Chocolate and Bamboo ink pads; Flourishes Falling Leaves stamp set; Stampin' Up Old Olive grosgrain ribbon; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide & Mat; Corner rounder; 3M foam mounting tape.

How fun was that? Making a card just for the heck of it without the nagging feeling that I should be doing something else. That's not to say there aren't other things to do. There is plenty. The hustle and bustle of the past few weeks has definitely taken its toll on our living space. I've got stuff stacked up everywhere and "spring cleaning" I didn't get to then that needs to be done now before the snow flies. I'm going to take one more evening off, however, doing only what I have to do to get by and then catching up with my blogging buddies. The newlyweds are leaving tomorrow morning for a honeymoon on Mackinac Island in Michigan. I'm so glad they decided to make the trip. Some of us who say we'll take a honeymoon trip "later" wait a very long time. LOL.

I hope your day was a good one, and as always, thanks for stopping by! Later ...

Beautiful...

This is Miranda placing Dustin's ring on his finger. So far, it's the only photo I have, and I'm so grateful to my sister for having sent it to me. You can see how happy they are.

It was a beautiful day in every way. And, as I can't, at this moment, describe it all without getting all teary-eyed, I'll share a funny moment.

Prior to the processional, it was "the plan" for Dustin to escort each of his grandmothers to their seats at the front of the church prior to walking me in with Marv and the little boys behind us. While he was seating Marv's mom, it became apparent that Bjorn might not cooperate with the plan, so Marv opted to take him and down the side aisle and wait for Mathias and me to join him in the front pew. Then, as Mathias and I were standing waiting, he got antsy, too, and thus, I motioned for Cameron, a groomsman, to slip him down the side aisle to join Grandpa and Bjorn. That left me standing there alone waiting for Dusty to come back and escort me down the aisle. He, however, had disappeared, having gone to join the pastor. Yes, that's right, he forgot his mother. With that, the wedding coordinator sent an usher down the opposite side aisle to fetch up Dusty. He responded quickly and as he passed my family mouthed the words, "I forgot Mom," with the cutest darned grin on his face. Neither the kids being ushered down the side aisle nor my later-than-planned entrance was anything noticed by the majority of the guests, even though I felt as if I'd been standing there waiting a long time. While we both thought it was kind of funny, he apologized. Not to worry, I told him. This is one of the stories we'll laugh about in 20 years. Little does he know that I'll be holding the fact that he stood me up over his head for 20 years, too. LOL.

As for today, I kind of feel like I'm stunned - tired and not quite ready to jump right back my regular routine ... whatever that was. Tomorrow, however, I'm going back to work with nothing more than work on my mind, and when I come home I'm going to sit down in my corner and see how the mojo flows. I'm also going to catch up with all of you on your blogs. In the meanwhile, thank you for all of your kind wishes. They mean the world to me. Later ...

Today is the Day!

First, today is release day at Sherrod Studio. In addition to the new sets I've shown you, "Christmas Greetings" and "Fresh Baked," Kim will be releasing two additional sets, "Pond Friends" and "Tropical Holiday."

For today's post, I made a tin full of little cards using trees and sentiments from the Christmas Greetings set. A dozen 3-1/2 by 4-1/4 inch cards fit in the tin. While too small to meet USPS regulations for mailing, these little cards are great gift enclosure cards or tie-ons for a gift bag. A tin filled with these little cards would make a nice, quick gift for a hostess or anyone for whom a small token of appreciation would be appropriate.

As for the rest of the design team, Kim, Ceal ,Dawn, Joseline, Kelly, Leah, Mary, and Sparkle, I'm excited to see what they have to show us, too. And one more time, I'll remind you to leave a comment on Kim's Sherrod Studio blog. What could be more fun that your choice of one of her stamp set?

As I write this post, I am fall-on-my-face tired. Almost all day Friday was spent decorating the reception hall and then it was off to rehearsal followed by the groom's dinner. I am hoping a good night's rest will prepare me for the day ahead. It will all begin with a 9 a.m. hair appointment. As our presence at the church is not required until 3 p.m., I am hoping to spend the morning and early afternoon relaxing. We'll see. I'm sure I'll be telling you all about it. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend!

Sherrod Studio Sneak Peek ... Day 2

Here's another peek at a new set, "Fresh Baked," set to release from Sherrod Studio on Saturday, September 19.

What a fun set! I stamped my gingerbread pair on Chocolate cardstock and "iced" them with White Daisy Pigment ink. Stamping and cutting out their little outfits was darned near as much fun as playing with paper dolls. Oh, and another really simple card - the best kind during the busy holiday season.

Now that you've seen my card, you need to skedaddle out of here and check on the rest of the Design Team: Kim, Ceal ,Dawn, Joseline, Kelly, Leah, Mary, and Sparkle! And don't forget to leave a comment on the Sherrod Studio blog for a chance to win a free set!

Short and sweet again today. The wedding is tomorrow ... but I have yet to sleep from yesterday, and so I'm off to catch a few winks. I hope your week is wonderful so far. Catch ya tomorrow!

Sherrod Studio Sneak Peeks ... Day 1

This month I have the privilege of introducing you to "Christmas Greetings," one of four new stamp sets to be released on September 19 by Sherrod Studio.

Christmas Greetings is a set of cute trees and wonderful holiday sentiments. I always LOVE Kim's choice of fonts, and this set is no exception. I also appreciate the size of these stamps - not too big, not to small - perfect for cardmaking.

Although my card is simple, I love it nonetheless. And, I'm anxious to see what the other Design Team members have come up with. Let's go check them out: Kim, Ceal ,Dawn, Joseline, Kelly, Leah, Mary, and Sparkle!

Oh... I almost forgot ... Leave a comment on Kim's Sherrod Studio blog for a chance to win the stamp set of your choice from her new releases. Sweet! Oops ... that's tomorrow's post ... Later, friends!

Perfect ...

As you can see, I found shoes and a little clutch - just the right size to hold my tissues, enough makeup to repair what tears mess up, and sufficient money to treat myself to a couple of cocktails once it's all over. The shoes were waiting for me in the first store I walked into, the purse in the second. The color of the satin shoes and the trim on the little purse match the satin beneath the cutwork on the bodice of my outfit exactly. Perfect - just the way everything else is coming together. A few days ago, I didn't know it would be this way. I am so blessed.

Oh, there are still a few things to do, and I anticipate there will be a kink or two. A few minutes ago, the groom-to-be called. "How many napkin rings did you make?" "Four hundred," I replied. "Well, we have 100 more rings that we have napkins," he said. "It's not a problem, Dusty, just call them in the morning, and they'll deliver more when they deliver the rest of the linens tomorrow."

I say it again. I am so blessed. Between stops on our little shopping excursion last night, Miranda shared some happy memories of her mom. I was so glad to hear them. Miranda was 10 when, after being sick for many years, her mom succumbed to colon cancer at the age of 37. Sadly, most of Miranda's memories involve her mom being sick, either from the treatment or the disease itself. But last night, she talked about the things her mom made and the craft shows they attended together - good memories. Tonight, if I could have one wish it would be that her mom could be with us on Saturday to see her daughter, who is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, marry my oh-so-handsome son. She would be so proud. About that boy of mine, he's got to know that he's second only in birth order and that until I take my last breath, I will be here for him.

Yup, I'm sappy tonight. My heart is so full. Thank you for stopping by. Although I haven't had enough time to leave a lot of comments on your blogs, I've been thinking of you as I know you are thinking of me. We'll make up for lost time ... after the wedding.

In the interim, stop back tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday for sneak peeks of some of the new stamps from Sherrod Studio. While my offerings will be simple due to time constraints, you'll get the idea with much more, I'm sure, from the rest of the Design Team.

No Time for Stampin'

Happy Monday! After my saga post yesterday, I thought I'd provide a little update and let you know I'm all together again - teeth and all! My "to do" list is getting shorter, too! After a couple of trips to the dental office and a few errands this morning, I even managed to work a half day.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Grand Forks after work to find some shoes to go with my dress and maybe a little clutch to hold my tissues. Wednesday night, I have to bowl. I also learned the boys will be with us Wednesday and Thursday nights, because their dad has to go to Minneapolis for training on Thursday. He won't be back until sometime on Friday - hopefully in time for rehearsal. Talk about timing, but as it's software training that's crucial to his job that he's been waiting on for close to a year, he's gotta go.

What little time I've had to stamp, I've been working on projects for the Sherrod Studio Sneak Peeks, which begin on Thursday. Whether I'm back between now and Thursday remains to be seen. Just wanted to let you know I won't be messing up that purty dress with a Jack O' Lantern smile. LOL. Hope your week is the best, cuz' YOU'RE the BEST! Later, friends ...

Woohoo!

Sometimes, one's just got to take a few minutes to breathe, which is how this card came to be. I was hoping to relax.

My card was made with a long-neglected (as in never been used) set of the cutest little owls I ever laid my eyes on. What you're not seeing in the photo is the owl's body which was cut out and attached with foam mounting tape. His eyes are gold gemstones that were in a pack of multicolor sparkles I picked up at Wal-Mart. As for the branch, I stamped it with Olive and then colored over the branches with a Chocolate marker. All simple.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Chocolate cardstock; Basic Grey Archaic 6x6-inch paper pad; Olive, Chocolate, Honey, and Bamboo ink pads; Chocolate, Honey, Brown Bag, and Bamboo markers; CTMH You're a Hoot stamp set; Cocoa Designer Ribbon Rounds (retired ... I think); Pewter mini brads; Gemstones from Wal-Mart; Sanding block; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

Yesterday was not a great day. There were several apartment building issues, which are typical when the hubby is away. I broke a tooth, a fake one and a front one at that. Thus, looking like a jack-o-lantern, I couldn't leave the house and, of course, get my errands done. While I have to go to work tomorrow, I will have to get my dental/denture issues taken care of first. Last night, Marv called to see how it was going, and I ended up crying on the phone - highly unusual. I'm the type who cries over the happy stuff - births, baptisms, weddings, etc. When the going gets tough, I usually buck up. Good grief. I didn't come here to whine.

On a brighter note, it's another beautiful day. Tomorrow, it's supposed to be 80 degrees, and looking at the 10 day forecast, it's supposed to be sunny and 71 on Saturday. Perfect. Additionally, I made significant headway on my "projects" yesterday. As my card says, "Woohoo!" That said, I'd better get back at it. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend, and thanks for stopping by! Later ...

Sherrod Studio DT Sketch Challenge

I'm hoping the old adage, "Better late than never," will apply to this post. I'm late due to the fact that a wedding has taken over my life. LOL.

OK. Here's what is going on. This month, Kim from Sherrod Studio challenged her design team to a sketch challenge. For my card, I chose my favorite Friendship Blossoms set and used a bright and cheerful color palette - perfect for a card for a friend.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy cardstock; DCWV Indian Summer Fall Matstack; Black and Holiday Red ink pads; Sherrod Studio Friendship Blossoms stamp set; White Bigger Brads; Stampin' Up Whisper White taffeta ribbon; Sunshiny Yellow Fun Flock; 1/2-inch circle punch; Fiskars Apron Lace punch.

Now for the fun stuff! Go check out what the other members of the Design Team have come up with: Kim,
Ceal ,Dawn, Joseline, Kelly, Leah, Mary, and Sparkle.

And... there's more to come! On the 17th, the Design Team will start posting its sneak peeks for the upcoming release from Sherrod Studio. Our samples will put you in a festive mood and get you thinking about the very best time of the year!

Hi!

Hello, and Happy Friday! I hope this post finds all of my cyber friends happy, healthy, and looking forward to the weekend. For me, one day is blending into the next as our family prepares for the joyous event, Dustin and Miranda's wedding, which will take place one week from tomorrow. My list of 1,001 little details to take care of has been whittled down to 801 or so. LOL. It will be OK. I have the weekend to myself. Dustin's bachelor party is this weekend at a fishing resort, and thus, the groom-to-be and his dad are 100 miles away until late Sunday afternoon. Yea!

About my card, as soon as I saw it, I had to have this Pure Innocence image from Digital Stamp Characters. Aptly named, the image is sweet and simple - like a child's drawing.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Orange, and Olive cardstock; DCWV Indian Summer Fall Matstack; Black ink pad; Orange marker; Digital Stamp Characters Pure Innocence 012 image; Impression Obsession Anytime Sentiments stamp set; Antique Copper mini brads; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; Black My Legacy Writer.

It has been a very long time since I went three days without posting, and, unlike my last post, I'm not very chatty tonight. I think I'm tired. However, my "to do" list for tomorrow includes a Simple Saturday post, and most likely, I'll have somethin' to say. 'Til then, take care and thanks for stopping by!

Twice as Pretty

For no reason other than I wanted to see this flower in pink, here's one more card made with Hero's Arts Special Moments set. The image was colored with Prismacolor pencils, using OMS to blend the colors. Diamond Stickles were added to the the flower centers. The simple "best wishes" sentiment will work for a birthday, anniversary, or wedding. The pretty black background paper is from DCWV's La Creme Matstack.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Black, and Bubblegum cardstock; DCWV La Creme Matstack; Black ink pad; Hero Arts Special Moments and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Black chiffon ribbon; Diamond Stickles; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps.

How was your day? Mine was spent working my butt off while trying to get my bearings straight with regard to what day it is. Long weekends do that to me. The bride and groom-to-be had supper with us tonight after which Miranda and I went over the program, which of course, needs to be laid out and eventually printed. I hope my old Epson has it in her. LOL. An old rocker, I'm not certain what to make of the vocal music they've selected, although I'll have to admit, it's all kinda pretty - George Strait's "I Cross my Heart," "Grow Old with Me" by John Lennon, and Clint Black's "When I Said I Do." There are still 1,001 little things to do, with the 10-day "official" countdown beginning tomorrow. I also start bowling tomorrow night. Sigh ...

About yesterday, it was fun. We took the kids to the mall just long enough to get their shoes and then sent them and Grandpa to the park by the lake. Speaking of shoes, I didn't realize that shoe companies actually market shoes to audiences so young. Yup. Little Bjorn knew exactly what he wanted, and of course, his younger brother wanted the same thing. Saving us from spending a disgusting amount of money was the fact that the store had a "Buy one pair and get the second pair half off" thing going. Old Grandpa darned near fainted. However, this was the man who took his younger son shoe shopping one time and learned that his wife doesn't necessarily mean what she says.

As the story goes, I sent him downtown to get Dusty shoes. Dusty was around 10 years old (circa 1990), and when Marv asked what to get him, I replied, "Buy him whatever he wants." Nike had just come out with a new pair of Air Jordans, which, of course, were the shoes Dusty wanted. When they got home and I saw the $146 price tag I almost required resuscitation to get me breathing again. "You said whatever he wanted." "Well, I didn't mean whatever he wanted." Yea, my kid had the coolest shoes in his class that year. I probably went barefoot. His dad never took him shopping again. LOL.

That's enough chit-chat. Just had to jabber a little while I still had the chance. If you're still with me, I appreciate it and thank you for sharing my little corner of the world. I'll be back as often as time allows. In the meantime, make your week a good one! Later...

Just a Note

Here's a 10-minute card made with a cute piece of cardstock from DCWV's The Green Stack. The beaver, which was part of the paper design, was cut out with a circle punch. The "ribbon" along the bottom of the patterned paper was also part of its design. My card was just a matter of layering the beaver on a cardstock circle and scalloped circle, adding a few brads to the "ribbon," and adding a simple sentiment. Believe me, it took much longer to decide what to do with my paper pieces than it did to assemble the card itself. I'm thinking this will be a good card to slip into one of the little boy's backpacks along with an encouraging message.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Cocoa, and Cranberry cardstock; DCWV The Green Stack; Cocoa ink pad; Verve Stamps Asian Flair stamp set; Red mini brads; Circle and scallop punches.

In a few minutes, Marv, Cameron, Sarah, Bjorn, Mathias, and I are leaving for a little day trip to Bemidji, which is about 90 miles from here. We have some school shopping to do for the little guys, and after that, we'll check out the sights. Bjorn and Mathias start school on Friday, Bjorn in Kindergarten and Mathias in Preschool. For now, Grandma better finish getting ready as not to hold up the show. Hope your day is a good one! Later...

Special Moments

Here are a couple of cards made with stamps from Hero Arts new Clings collection, deeply-etched rubber images mounted on foam that clings to your acrylic block. I think I've said it before. As an "old-timer" who started stamping with a wood block in her hand, I consider the foam-mounted rubber stamps to be the best of both worlds. You get the stamped image that only a rubber stamp can provide as well as the advantages of using acrylic blocks. And, I'll have to admit I pretty much stalked Hero Arts website, waiting for its new Clings to become available for mail order.

This top card was made with the Special Moments set. I love this flower. For this card, I stamped the image with VersaMark on watercolor paper and embossed it with black embossing powder. It was colored with a watercolor brush using ink from my Orange, Holiday Red, Garden Green, and Olive ink pads. I stamped two words from the sentiment on the card front and the rest of the verse, "... to cherish the special moments" on the inside. The patterned paper is from DCWV's new Indian Summer Fall Matstack. I think I've said this before, too. Orange is a "new" color for me after having been reserved for Halloween for a long, long time. These days, I'm lovin' it. Oh, and the watercolor paper I mention is from an inexpensive pad I picked up at Wal-Mart.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Black cardstock; Watercolor paper from Wal-Mart; DCWV Indian Summer Fall Matstack; Black and VersaMark ink pads; Hero Arts Clings Special Moments set; Black mini brads and spiral clip; Ribbon from Wal-Mart.

I used the same flower for my second card along with this background stamp, again a Hero Arts Clings stamp. Because its size wasn't noted in the product description, I didn't know what I'd be getting, and as it turned out, the stamp is 3-3/8 by 3-3/8 inches square. Much to my delight, the pattern was relatively easy to line up to acceptably cover a larger area. The paper behind the flower was computer-generated. Happy with the way it turned out, I just might try it with other definitions as well. About my flower, I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils and used odorless mineral spirits to blend the colors. While it wasn't necessarily a fun image to cut out, I love the results, which made it worth the effort.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Chocolate cardstock; Black, Chocolate, and Brown Bag ink pads; Hero Arts Clings Antique Brocade stamp and Special Moments stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Stampin' Up Spiral punch; Sponge dauber.

I hope you have a wonderful day planned. I'm going wear the hat of domestic engineer today, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. I hope to sneak outside once in a while, too. After the crappiest of summers, we're enjoying beautiful weather that I hope holds out for a few weeks. Enough jabber. Thanks for stopping by! Later...

Simple Saturday

I've got a couple of cards today made with CTMH's September Stamp of the Month set, "Treasures." I've seen so many gorgeous cards made with this set and thought it to be high time I inked it up.

For this first one, I embossed the flower, stem, and seeds using VersaMark and white embossing flower on Heavenly Blue cardstock. To give my embossed images a bit more definition, I used a round sponge to rub on some Crystal Blue ink. Easy. The card size is 5-1/2 by 5-1/2.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Heavenly Blue, and Moonstruck cardstock; Moonstruck and VersaMark ink pads; Treasures September Stamp of the Month set; Acrylic disks from Michael's; Corner rounder; Round sponge.

Simple white and black with a touch of red are the hallmarks of this second card, and I couldn't love it more. A pierced border across the bottom seemed to be all it needed.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; Black ink pad; Treasures September Stamp of the Month set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide & Mat.

How are you doing today? We had a fun morning with the boys, playing games and just hanging out. The rest of the day has been a hodgepodge of miscellaneous projects. Whatever I do tonight, I'm going to be sitting on my backside with my feet up while doing it. Maybe I'll have to drag an ottoman into my corner. LOL. What are you up to this weekend? Whatever it is, I hope you are enjoying yourself. Like always, thanks for stopping by! Later...

Cool Candle!

Actually, for the recipient, the candle will be a whole lot cooler when I replace the one dollar bill with a twenty like this card on The Hero Club blog shows. Instead of asking Marv for a $20 bill, I opted to use the crumpled up one that was stuffed in the pocket of my jeans for my sample. You get the drift, and it saved me from having to explain why I wanted it. Cute idea though, huh?

With no big candle stamps, I cut a couple of strips of cardstock to which I added some stripes with a stamp from my It's Your Day set. The flames were stamped with Sunny Yellow rolled in Orange. The stamp is a leaf from the Angel Whispers set. Yellow Stickles add spark to the flames. As for the "cool" candle, it was simply folded. A paper clip not only keeps the folds together but was slid behind the background piece to hold it to the card until it's easily removed. I suppose if one's feeling ambitious, a same-size cardstock candle could be added beneath the currency candle, leaving a nicer looking card when the $$ is removed. This one would be cute, too, in bright primary colors.

Materials & Tools: Stampin' Up Kraft and CTMH Colonial White, Olive, Autumn Terracotta, and Chocolate cardstock; Chocolate, Olive, Autumn Terracotta, Sunny Yellow, Orange, and Bamboo ink pads; Hero Arts Dots & Flowers background stamp, CTMH It's Your Day, Angel Whispers, and Paper Trey Ink Birthday Basics stamp sets; Antiqued Copper Bitty Brad; Yellow Stickles; Paper clip; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

Did you miss me? While I had no intention of staying away so long, it was an all-around busy week that didn't afford me time in my corner. We did take time this evening, however, for a picnic and some playground time at the park with Bjorn, Mathias, and their daddy. The little guys are staying with us tonight, too - just for the fun of it. No, before it gets any later, I'm going to get this post up. I hope your week was a good one and you enjoy the long weekend. While I make no promises, I'm itching for a little time in my corner and hope to have some cards to show you. That said, take care and as always, thank you for supporting me through your visits and sweet comments. Later...

This Blog Interrupted by Life...

The "life" I mention in the title has nothing to do with this pair. Not tonight, anyway. I suspect, however, there are more interruptions on the horizon, so bear with me. OK? Please... LOL.

According to the announcement to your left, it's official! In the old days, engagements were announced many months before the wedding. Not anymore. Maybe, however, it's not a bad idea to wait.

About 10 years ago when he was too young, oldest son's engagement was announced two months to the day before the scheduled wedding. That same day, he called it off. I don't know if reality set in when he saw it in print or what the deal was. I do remember that it was his dad's birthday, the invitations were scheduled to be printed the next day, and while the bride-to-be was cool enough with the situation, her mother was PO'd big time. I did my best to stay out of her way even though I was writing for the newspaper at the time, which made it difficult for me to hide. Although it was a bit of a mess at the time, all ended well. The relationship didn't end with the broken engagement, and the bride and groom-not-to-be remain close friends.

I'm confident the show will go on for Dustin and Miranda. The only announcement feedback I had from them was a call from him, complaining that the photo in the paper make his teeth look like Chicklets. Yea, I told him, at least you've got teeth. Kwitcherbitchin.

Ah yes, life is interesting sometimes. Rarely easy. Always good. Like I said, hang with me. That said, I'm going to get my butt to bed before Wednesday is here... barely. Hope yours is a good one!