The Last Hurrah

… for January 2010. It went fast, and while I’m not wishing my life away or anything, the fact that January is over means we are one month closer to spring!

Here’s my contribution to Unscripted Sketches #40. It will most likely be a card, too, for our next new tenant… whenever that is. Have I said I love these stamps? Probably so. I’ll say it again. They remind me of playing with paper dolls or cutting furniture out of outdated catalogs and compiling the “dream home” of an eight-year-old.

About the card details, I embossed the lamp base with gold embossing powder. The shade was stamped on Indian Corn Blue cardstock with same color ink, cut out, and attached to the card with foam tape. I made the pillows by stamping the sofa on Buttercup cardstock and cutting them out. I used a background stamp from the set to stamp a little detail with Buttercup ink. The sentiment was also attached to the card with foam tape. There’s no shortage of pattern on this one. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Buttercup, Garnet, and Indian Corn Blue cardstock; Sweet Home paper packet; Garnet, Indian Corn Blue, Buttercup, Bamboo and VersaMark stamp pads; Welcome Home stamp set; Garnet Bigger Brads; Gold embossing powder; Embossing heat tool; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

I had an awesome day. While I didn’t get everything done I wanted to do this weekend, I accomplished enough to feel OK about it tonight. And, I’m ready to tackle another workweek.

I hope your weekend was a good one and a great start for the first week of February. Thanks for stopping by, friends. I’ll catch you again tomorrow night. Later…

P.S. I updated my “Whole Lotta Love Sale” page. There are photos of the retired sets and links to photos of the sets that are current.

Filigree Fantasy

Good morning! Thanks for your well wishes. I’m feeling much better today. I was delighted that so many of you recognized the lyrics of the Beatles’ song. All My Loving was the opening number when they debuted on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. At 10 years of age, I was among the 73 million viewers who watched them that night – the most viewers to date for a television program and back in the day when a million was an almost inconceivable number. Back to ‘64, I developed what would become a lifelong crush on Paul McCartney that night. I still think he’s cute. LOL. 

OK. You didn’t stop by for music trivia. Here’s a simple card created with Verve Stamps’ Filigree Fantasy set. The red Stickles glimmer in person. I wanted to add some ribbon, too, every which way I tried to add it, it looked like it didn’t belong there. I gave up.

Materials & Tools: Black and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Black ink pad; Verve Stamps Filigree Fantasy and Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamp sets; Christmas Red Stickles; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch.

I slept away most of yesterday. From the amount of sweat that exuded from my body, I’m guessing I was feverish. The headache was blinding. Again, I thought it might be the real deal influenza. If it was, it was short-lived. I’m fine today, which, with lots to do, is a good thing.

I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend. Again, thanks for stopping by! Later…

Simple Saturday

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, Tomorrow I'll miss you; Remember I'll always be true. And then while I'm away, I'll write home ev'ry day, and I'll send all my loving to you. I may just sing all weekend. Who knows who did this song? I’ll give you a little hint: February 9, 1964.

The stamp set I used to make this card is also for sale. The link at the top of the sidebar will provide the details. Speaking of details, you can darn near see ‘em in this photo, which was taken at night with poor lighting conditions. The card base it white (not gray) textured cardstock. The hearts are solid stamps, the pattern the result of the “Kiss and Twist” technique. They were attached with foam tape, which is distinguishable (for the first time ever) in the photo.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Holiday Red, and White Daisy textured cardstock; Holiday Red ink pad; All My Love stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; 3M foam mounting tape.

Oops! I almost forgot. This card is my take on FTL 76 as featured on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog.

I woke up not feeling great. The headache is back. My throat is kind of sore. It’s all the start of a cold, I believe. That said, I’m off to the medicine cabinet to see if I can find something to mask the symptoms. I really do have stuff I want to get done this weekend.

Hope your weekend is wonderful! Later …

Whole Lotta Love …

Yup. Granny is sittin’ here tonight with a Led Zeppelin song stuck in her head. It’s hard to believe it was 40 years ago when the record (a round black disc with a hole in the center played on a machine called a “phonograph”) went gold. I was Sweet 16. Well … maybe not so sweet but young. LOL.

About my card. It’s on sale for $8. Yea, I know that’s a bit much for a simple card made by a no-name in the stamping industry but… with it you get a free set of stamps – the recently retired “Pure Love” set. Look for a link with more information about my “Whole Lotta Love” sale to appear at the top of sidebar at some point during the next 24 hours. And, and if you seriously need this card and can’t wait for the details, just drop me a line.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Black, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Bubblegum, Watermelon, and Black ink pads; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Black Spiral Clip.

Happy Friday! My headache was gone this morning, and I have been fit as a fiddle all day. We have little guests this evening both of whom are now asleep. My plans for the weekend include a little sorting and purging. My corner is full and is spilling over into the rest of my small space.

What are your plans? Something fun and relaxing maybe? For what’s left of the evening, I’m heading back to my little corner to see if I can come up with something for Simple Saturday. Later, friends!

A Silhouette

With the card base and background piece already made and laying on my desk, this card took me about five minutes to put together this evening.

The background was created using the baby wipe technique. The colors – Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, and Sweet Leaf.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Black, and White Glossy cardstock; Black ink pad; Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, and Sweet Leaf reinkers; Treasure Life stamp set; Baby wipes.

I woke up with an icky headache this morning, took a couple of aspirin, and went to work. I came home at 1:15. I’ve taken more aspirin, slept for a few hours, and still have the headache. My throat has been a little scratchy for a couple of days, too, so I’m not sure if I’m coming down with something or already have it. As I really want to go to work tomorrow and  have stuff I want to get done this weekend, I’m hoping whatever this is short-lived. Besides, I hate talking about feeling crummy. Aches and pains make for poor conversation. Kinda like lousy weather. LOL.

I hope your day was a good one! Later …

Some Do Christmas in July …

I do Independence Day in January. That might again have something to do with life in the frozen tundra where I am much more apt to think about warm July in January than I am to think about cold December in July. LOL.

Seriously, I have had this image since early December when I purchased it and a couple other images from Eat Cake Graphics. I love everything about this stamp from the so-true sentiment to the lineup of cute kids, and I just couldn’t wait any long to use it.

As for the card, it is my “signature simple,” of course. I used both markers and a blending pen with stamp pad ink to color my image. The shading was accomplished with my trusty Dove blending pen (I love that thing) and Juniper ink.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Holiday Red, and Outdoor Denim cardstock; Black, Grey Wool, Outdoor Denim, Chocolate, Bamboo, Citrus Leaf, Brown Bag, Bubblegum, and Juniper ink pads; Holiday Red, Sunny Yellow, Autumn Terracotta, Baby Pink, and Tombow #580 Flesh markers; Eat Cake Graphics Land of the Free stamp; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; Dove blending pen; Sanding block.

Happy Hump Day! Even though it is cold and blustery this evening – a perfect night to stay home – husband has cabin fever and wants to go out for supper. With no desire to cook, I will accommodate his need to get out of the house.

Thanks for all your sweet comments. They mean the world to me! Later…

 

 

A Winter Scene

I don’t make a lot of wintry cards, leaving the pretty snowflakes and cute snowman scenes for those of you who don’t have to live in the frozen tundra.

I’m making an exception for the Mojo Monday 123 sketch, however. We had a few very nice days last week. With temperatures in the high 20s and mid 30s, we enjoyed several winter wonderland-type days with frosty trees and glistening snow – a sure sign that the sentiment on my card is true. Just like some of the tough times we face throughout our lifetimes, no winter lasts forever.

Oh, and while I don’t need to tell you… I could just let you think this card was the original … I will tell you that I performed major card surgery this evening, replacing the original focal point image. For my first attempt, I used a different tree stamp, stamped in cocoa on Juniper cardstock. The “snow” on the bottom was torn pieces of white cardstock. It was ugly right from the get-go. My attempt to “fix” it involved Stickles. With sparkly tree branches and gloppy snowflakes, it was still ugly.

Tonight’s surgery amounted to starting over. I stamped a different tree with Juniper ink on Colonial White cardstock. I tore a piece of cardstock to use as a stencil along the bottom before sponging a Juniper sky. Snowflakes were added with my Speckled Background stamp – first using Juniper and then Colonial White Pigment ink pads. I added a little Colonial White ink around the edges, too, and finally, outlined the tree branches with a white gel pen. And, the end of this card saga is that while this may not be the greatest card I’ve ever made, tonight’s “facelift” was a big improvement.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Tulip cardstock; Treasures of the Heart paper packet (2009 Heart of Winter special); Juniper and Tulip ink pads; Renaissance by Design Roots & Wings and CTMH Four Seasons stamp sets; CTMH Speckled Background stamp (retired) Buttons from my stash; Papertrey Ink Sorbet grosgrain ribbon; White gel pen; Ecru crochet cotton, 3M foam mounting tape.


After that long story, I’ll keep the rest of this short. The wind gave up, making our sub-zero temperatures easier to take. My workday was busy and productive. Tonight, I’m going to wash a couple more loads of clothes and clear some clutter here in my little den before turning in early and making an attempt to recover from last night’s rather fitful sleep session. My computer is acting wonky, giving me an occasional weird “memory kernel” message and requiring me to reboot – each time with my fingers crossed that it comes back to life.

I hope your day was wonderful, and as always, thank you for stopping by! Later…

Simple Valentines

Here’s my take on Unscripted Sketches #39. I’ve got quite a thing going with textured cardstock these days and probably sound like a broken record when I say I think it adds a touch of elegance to my otherwise very simple cards. The hearts were stamped on smooth cardstock, cut out, and attached to the card with foam mounting tape.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Holiday Red, Black, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Black and Holiday Red ink pads; Impression Obsession Best Things and CTMH Say it in Style stamp sets; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder; 3M foam mounting tape.

And here’s another … And, I think you can darned near see the textured cardstock in this photo. Again, very simple. The little bird was colored with markers, and the heart on the envelope was filled in with glitter from my Glitter Tower. If nothing else, with no lumps or bumps, it is one that can be put in the mail with no worries of the envelope being shredded or the recipient having to cough up a few coins because the USPS deemed it required extra postage.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Black, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Black ink pad; Crystal Blue and Sunflower markers; Impression Obsession Heartlines stamp set; Tonerex Glitter Tower; Glue pen.

How was your day? Mine was a good one with the exception of the weather, which is horrendous. Cold. Winds gusting to 40 mph that literally take your breath away. And on the ground, glare ice from melting temperatures yesterday and Saturday. If the wind subsides, I’ll be OK. Such a price we poor Minnesotans have to pay for a couple of nice days.

One more comment about blogging, too. If I usually leave comments on your blog, and you’re not seeing them these days, it is because I can’t. For whatever reason, there are a few blogs that are causing my computer to crash, as in the “blue screen of death” pops up. It’s time to see if I can’t get my computer whiz kid to look at it again, but until that happens, I just wanted you to know I’m not being stuck up!

Enough jabber for tonight. I’m off to do some of the laundry that didn’t get done on the weekend and maybe eke a little something out in my corner. Enjoy your evening! Later…

Heartlines and No Guilt!

Here’s another card using the same color scheme I showed you last night. The same silly little birds, too, who seem to have made their way out of the branches and onto to the clothesline. I colored this image with markers as well, and detailed some of the hearts with a white gel pen. I also used my blending pen and Juniper ink to add a little shading.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Holiday Red cardstock; Heavenly Blue Gingham paper(retired); Black, Holiday Red, and Juniper ink pads; Heavenly Blue, Sunflower, Brown Bag, Holiday Red, Bubblegum, and Watermelon markers; Impression Obsession Heartlines stamp set; Heavenly Blue Bigger Brads; White gel pen; Black My Legacy Writer; Dove blending pen. 


Hey, about the “blog guilt” thing, I didn’t mean to start anything. I wasn’t saying anyone (including me) should feel guilty – just that I do sometimes. And, it’s stupid. We do what we can do, and whatever that is, it’s enough.

We celebrated Bjorn’s birthday today. He turned six on the 13th. I’ve got a bit of a mess to clean up but not during the football game. I’m outa here for that. My stamp club meets tonight. Perfect timing.

Speaking of stamp club, I’ve got a few last minute preparations to take care of. I hope your weekend was wonderful. Later…

Simple Saturday II

I’m not sure this is the best image in the world for an old lady who has to move things around to see close up, but it sure is cute. I colored it with markers and think I got all of the leaves. Stickles (that you can’t see) on the tiny berries give an otherwise plain card a little bit of glimmer. And, while I don’t know who it was who introduced me to the baby blue/bright red color combination, I’m sure glad she did, cuz’ I sure love it.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Holiday Red cardstock; White Daisy Textured cardstock; Heavenly Blue Gingham paper (retired); Black ink pad; Brown Bag, Bamboo, Heavenly Blue, Sunflower, Garden Green, and Holiday Red markers; Impression Obsession Heart Nest cling stamp and Heartlines stamp set; Diamond Stickles; 3M foam mounting tape.


Woo Hoo! Two cards in one day. All things considered, a significant accomplishment. How has your day been? I’ve had a good one.

You know how I was talking about blog guilt earlier today? Between last night and now, I’ve gone through my subscriptions on Google Reader – a housekeeping process of sorts. What surprised me was how many blogs I came across where the blogger appeared to have abruptly stopped posting. No goodbyes. No, “I’ve moved my blog to ….” Nada. While some of them were irregular posters to begin with, others were very regular in their posts. It makes one kind of wonder what went on. Short of being dead or disabled and unable to use a keyboard, I cannot think of anything that would cause me to stop without warning… without saying goodbye. Those of you I’ve come to “know” mean too much.

At one time, I averaged 11 posts per week. My current average is 5.4. I would really like get that number back up to 7.  We’ll see. Just know that I am thankful for those of you who hang with me. Later…

Simple Saturday

I mentioned a few days ago that I was itching to try another card using the baby wipe technique in a blue/green color combination. Well, this is it – a perfect card for Simple Saturday. The technique, if you (like me) didn’t catch it the first time, is explained here on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. Instead of embossing my stamped images in white, I stamped them in black for this card and am liking the results. The background is textured cardstock, which gives the card a much richer look than it would have had on plain white cardstock. The reinkers I used were Sweet Leaf, Heavenly Blue, and Crystal Blue.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; White Daisy Textured cardstock; Glossy White cardstock; Black inkpad; Sweet Leaf, Heavenly Blue, and Crystal Blue reinkers; Inkadinkado Asian Life stamp set; Baby wipes.

My apologies for having been MIA these past few days. No energy. No mojo. I tried to create something last night, but after dumping a jar of white embossing powder on the floor, I kind of threw my hands up and gave up for the evening. Missing consecutive days of posting makes me feel unreliable and causes “blogger guilt.” Dumb, I know, and I have to remind myself that this is not a job. I do it for fun.

We are experiencing some strange weather. It rained all night, and now, it’s snowing. I had a hair cut scheduled for 9 this morning and didn’t think I’d even be able to get into my car that alone drive it. As it turned out, it was warm enough for the ice on the windows to slide off in sheets. The roads were slushy and slippery, but I took my time and got there. As a result, I no longer look like a shaggy dog. The snow is supposed to continue for several days with strong winds forecast for later today and tomorrow. If the temperatures stay up there though, the snow should be too heavy to blow around … much, anyway.

With lots to do this weekend, I’m off to get started. With a little luck, I’ll get to spend some time in my corner and make up for lost time. Have a great weekend, and like always, thank you so much for stopping by!

Mad for Plaid

Hi! Happy Hump Day! I hope you are having a wonderful day.

Jeanne asked about the plaid background I created for this card, using Martha Stewart’s Clear Pattern Stamps set. To answer the question, there are two stamps in the set – a large plaid and a small plaid (the one I find so difficult to line up). I stamped the large pattern first in Cranberry and then the small pattern, using Blush ink.

Speaking of oh-so-talented and versatile Jeanne, she crafted that precious pink crocheted flower. The felt flowers were cut with Cuttlebug dies. As for that green ribbon, it neither matches nor clashes, so I used it. Coordinate. That’s the word!

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Cranberry cardstock; Cranberry, Blush, and Topiary ink pads; Close To My Heart Angel Whispers and Thank You stamp sets; Martha Stewart Clear Pattern Stamps set; Grosgrain ribbon from Wal-Mart; White and Red felt; Crocheted flower: White Bigger Brad; Distressor Tool, Cuttlebug w/Flowers 2 dies.

I felt absolutely lousy when I woke up this morning and stayed home from work today. I feel much better this evening.

Reiterating my wish that your day has been a good one, I’ll sign off for tonight. Thanks for stopping by!

Glitter Butt Is Here!

Do you see what I mean about glitter showing up better on my pants than it does on my cards? And the envelope in the lower right corner is the mate to the one I sat on.

Here are a couple more cards I made to go with the set I mentioned the other day. There’s a little spot of stickles on each of the hearts. I stamped the row of hearts (a border-type stamp) on white textured cardstock. The stitching was accomplished with a stamp from my CTMH Simple Stitches set. The sentiment on the standing card is from Verve Stamps Heartfelt phrases set.


And here are the last two cards, which when combined with the above and those from my Simple Saturday post made a set of six. I added red Sparkles to the standing card and used red Stickles on the card and envelope that are shown lying down. The “Just a Note” sentiment on the bottom card is from Verve’s Asian Flair set.

The sets that all of the cards have in common are Verve’s Thankful Hearts and Thankful Accents. Oh, and I might mention the circle with the sentiment on the “Thanks for Caring” card was mounted to the card with foam tape. While I can usually find something wrong with the cards I make, I’ll have to say, I was pretty happy with this set when it was finished.

I don’t know if you’d call me late from yesterday or early for today. I do know I’d best get to bed. Being tired does not fair well for me at work these days. Too much to do.

I am glad you enjoyed my little Glitter Butt story. My camera was within arm’s reach, and snapping the photo only took a couple of seconds. And, if I’m gonna do dumb stuff, I might as well share it, right?
I hope your week is going well. Later, friends!

When You Sit on Stickles …

… you get glitter on your ass butt. For all the trouble I have getting glitter to show up on my cards, it’s pretty sparkly on my pants, don’t you think? It was an envelope – a still wet envelope – with little red hearts stamped on the flap, so cute with a spot of red Stickles on each one. Until I plopped my backside down on my computer chair where I’d laid it, that is. Obvious is the outline of the flap of the envelope.

It’s been years since I undressed so quickly. While the red Stickles matched the sweater I wore today, they don’t go with everything, so I raced against time to get my pants to the bathroom sink where, luckily, I was able to rinse them and get the glitter/glue out.

Husband, who was running an errand when my catastrophe occurred, didn’t quite know what to make of finding me dressed in a sweater, pantyhose, and boots when he walked in the door. The look on my face must have told him not to get any funny ideas.

The moral of the story (for me anyway) is not to try to do more than one thing at once. I was making dinner while working on the envelopes to go with the cards for the benefit tomorrow. My garlic shrimp kinda burned (it was edible) while I was laboring at the bathroom sink. Sigh…

I haven’t had a craft fiasco for a while, so it’s OK. It was still a good day. And now, I’m going back to my corner. While my pants survived, my envelope did not fair so well. I hope your day was a good one, too. Later …

 

Had to Try It …

Wow! Two posts two days in a row. Pat myself on the back. LOL.

A comment in an email message from Jeanne this morning caused me wonder and sent me back to the Clean & Simple Stamping blog to take a second look at the cards I credited yesterday. It was a good lesson to read and not make assumptions. I assumed a brayer had been used to create the backgrounds on those stunning cards. Instead, it was done using baby wipes and reinkers.

Banished to my den during the football game this afternoon, I decided to give the baby wipes a try. Of course, having to do things my way, I deviated from the directions. Instead of coloring the background first and then stamping the images with white pigment ink, I stamped them first with VermaMark, embossed them with clear embossing powder, and then did the baby wipe thing. I might have been smarter to use pigment ink, as my embossed images ended up kind of pinkish, orangey, and yellowish. Lesson learned. Next time, I’ll do it right. LOL. Anyway, the technique is fun and easy … if you don’t mind inky fingers. You might see one more of these over the course of the next few days, too. This stamp set has bamboo, peacock, and other images that would be fun to try in a blue/green color combo.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Holiday Red, Glossy White, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Holiday Red and VersaMark ink pads; Holiday Red, Orange, and Sunny Yellow reinkers; Clear embossing powder; Embossing heat tool.

I’ll have to say I didn’t expect the football game to affect me and my plans for the day quite as much as it did. But, with the exception of saying my sweet boy obviously didn’t jinx ‘em, I’ll save my “banishment” comments/rant for This is the Day ….

As for that completed card ensemble I mentioned in my last post, it’s not finished and might not be until tomorrow. Seems I trashed my corner and have to clean it up before I proceed. I’m just a creative slob.

Did you have a good day? I hope so. All things considered, mine was great. And, my window is still open – a very good thing in January in Minnesota!! Later, friends…

Sometimes …

I inspire myself. LOL. In “the old days” before this blog, I would get a new stamp set and make a whole basket of cards using that one set. My CTMH friends/customers liked it, because it demonstrated the stamp set’s versatility. I find I don’t do that anymore, which is kind of a shame.

Anyhoo, you’ll note this card features the same sketch, same stamps, and same color scheme as last night’s card. Most of the differences are obvious.

I stamped the background with Martha Stewart’s Clear Pattern Stamps set. I’ve noticed that MS stamps need more “conditioning” than most – an indication that all stamp sets are not created equal. There are a couple of brands that I actually take sandpaper to in order to get them to hold ink. MS is one. Back to my story, regardless of the brand, I have a heck of a time getting the patterns on the smaller background stamps to line up. My problem. Nothin’ wrong with the stamps in that regard. LOL. This attempt turned out moderately well. For this card, I added some faux stitching (accomplished with a piecing tool and white gel pen) to the green strips. Nice touch.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, and Crystal Blue cardstock; Sweet Leaf and Crystal Blue ink pads; Close To My Heart Treasures and Thank You stamp sets; Martha Stewart Clear Pattern stamp set; Heavenly Blue mini brads; White Bitty Brads; Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; Piercing tool; Stampin’ Up Piercing Guide & Mat; White gel pen.

I’ve finished my “benefit” cards, too, but need to make matching envelopes and come up with some kind of attractive packaging for them. I’ll show you the completed ensemble later.

In the meanwhile, I need to go address today’s long “to do” list, which includes cleaning, shopping, and more. I may pay a slight amount of attention to the football game, too – the Vikings/Cowboys playoff game. Dustin and Miranda are at the game. He called around 11. They were already at the Metrodome, which he said was near empty. He was taking photos. Dusty has been to a lot of games, and up until the winning game he was at last year, the Vikings had lost every single game he had ever attended. It was like, “Oh, Dusty’s there. The Vikes are gonna lose.” His dad and others teased him about it. For his sake, I hope they win today. LOL.

If you’re still with me, thanks for stopping! I love each and every one of your comments. The encouragement means so much. Later …

Can You Believe It?

Two posts in one day? What a feat for one who has been a bit of a dud lately! LOL. Seriously, scroll down to check out my Simple Saturday offering.
I had a feeling my camera wasn’t going to do this card justice, and I was right. Oh well, you’ll get the idea.
Unusual for me, this card fits the requirements of three challenges – Unscripted Sketches #38 (love this sketch), Stamp Simply #122 “Mid-Winter Perk-Me-Up!” challenge (to create projects with a floral theme and some fresh spring-time colors) on the No Time to Stamp? blog, and Our Creative Corner’s blue/green color challenge.
To make my card, I stamped the flower on glossy cardstock with VersaMark ink. Oh, and before I forget to give credit where credit is due, I was inspired by these gorgeous cards on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. Since I’ve never really gotten the hang of using a brayer (successfully), I applied my ink with round sponges – Sweet Leaf on the bottom, Heavenly Blue in the middle, and Crystal Blue on top. The white background is White Daisy Textured cardstock. The sentiment stamped on plaid adds a smidgeon of interest.
Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, Glossy White, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Sweet Leaf, Heavenly Blue, and Crystal Blue ink pads; Close To My Heart Treasures and Thank You stamp sets; Martha Stewart Clear Pattern stamp set; Heavenly Blue Bigger Brads; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; 3M foam mounting tape.
As I don’t seem to hesitate to complain about the weather in the frozen tundra, I should say something, too, when it is so nice. It is currently 30 degrees, and while I don’t know how warm it was earlier in the day, it was warm enough to have the window in my den wide open. While it is far from spring air, it’s fresh air, and I love it!
That’s it for now. As always, thank you for stopping by! Later…

Very Simple Saturday

Here are a couple of simple cards I made last night. There are two, because I plan make more and put them together into a set with matching envelopes to donate to benefit that is being held at work next week.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Cranberry, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Cranberry ink pad; Verve Stamps Thankful Hearts and Thankful Accents stamp sets.

Like most weekends, the hands on the clock are racing. And if I’m going to stamp, stamp, and then, stamp some more like I want to, I’d best skedaddle my butt away from the computer and get some chores done. I hope you are having a wonderful day! Later…

Stay Tuned ...

... for Simple Saturday! And about my absence (yet again), it has been one of those "the hurrier I go, the behinder I get" kind of weeks. It's the weekend. Hooray! I hope yours is great. My plan to stamp... stamp... and then, stamp some more, and if life goes according to plan I will be one happy camper. Catch you tomorrow!

Happy Thoughts

Here’s my take on the sketch for Mojo Monday #121 – a quick card made with stuff that was either on my desk or within arm’s reach.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Topiary cardstock; Graphic 45 Fashionista Collection Potpourri designer paper; Star Spangled Blue and Bamboo ink pads; Impression Obsession Anytime Sentiments stamp set; Crocheted flower by Jeanne; CTMH Pewter Designer Brads; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; Sponge dauber.

I darned near didn’t make it here tonight due to a little pity party I had going on. There’s nothing wrong, which is probably the reason I was able to talk myself out of it. Some days …

Was your day a good one? I hope so. Tomorrow, too!! Later…

Sittin’ Here …

This card is the result of my urge to color and Card Patterns Sketch 46. The coloring was accomplished with Prismacolor pencils and OMS, and I stamped the background pieces with stamps from Martha Stewart’s Clear Patterns set. It was a fun card to make. The silly bird stamp makes me smile, and I love the bright primary colors.

 

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Cranberry, and Star Spangled Blue cardstock; Black, Cranberry, and White Daisy Pigment ink pads; Whipper Snapper Designs Pete stamp; Martha Stewart Clear Patterns and Impression Obsession Anytime Sentiments stamp sets; Cranberry and Moonstruck Bigger Brads; Cranberry Spiral Clip; Cranberry gingham ribbon; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Black My Legacy Writer.

How was your Monday? A good day I hope. My day was great.

Oh, and before I forget, I’ll tell you about my car, being some of you have asked. Up until today, it was still in the parking lot at work. With no new snow to move, I didn’t think it would make a lot of difference, and I’d joked to Marv that I was going to leave a note on the dash instructing them where to tow it when they did. To make a long story short, I drove it home today. When Marv came to get me, he stopped where it was parked, and it started right away. Evidently, there was some moisture or something in the gas line the day it wouldn’t start. And, like I thought, the gas tank wasn’t empty either. Am I glad? Yes! I have better things to do with my $$ than spend it on boring car repairs. LOL.

As for what I’m doing tonight, I’m going to rest for a while and then maybe wonder over to my corner for a little stamp therapy. Enjoy your evening!!

 

Faith is …

Here’s my take on Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #97. The stamp, a favorite Bible verse, is one from Verve Stamp’s Plain Janes collection. I hadn’t used it prior to today, not because I didn’t want to but because I’d “misplaced” it. Tells ya something, doesn’t it? LOL.

The patterned paper is from Close To My Heart’s “Key To My Heart” collection, last year’s Heart of Winter promotion. There isn’t much to say that isn’t obvious with the exception that I’m not crazy about what my camera did to the colors. In real life, Papertrey Ink’s Berry Sorbet twill ribbon is not nearly as pink as it appears in the photo nor does my “Stickled” Sorbet butterfly have an orange hue. Sigh…

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Juniper, and Tulip cardstock; CTMH Key To My Heart  paper packet (retired); Juniper ink pad; Verve Stamps Faith Is … Plain Janes stamp; PTI Berry Sorbet twill ribbon; Kaiser Kraft pearl accents; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

Whoa! Another weekend almost over. That’s a bummer. It was a good day though. The little guys were here this morning, and this afternoon, I had lunch and, later, coffee with my Mom and two of my sisters, who came to town to do some shopping. As I got up at 6:30 am after only five hours or so of sleep, I have a feeling I will be clonking out early tonight. Tomorrow, it’s back to the 9 to 5 world.

I hope your weekend was a good one, too. Thank you for your visits and kind words. They always mean so much! Later…

Simple Saturday

Howdy! How’s your weekend going? I started out a little sluggish today, sleeping in and laying around until early afternoon. Since, I’ve cleaned my little abode and am in the process of finishing the laundry. We had dinner guests, too – our two favorite little people who are spending the night as well. Before bedtime, Grandpa and Bjorn teamed up against Mathias and I for a couple of games of “Go Fish.” Mathias and I won the first game, and we tied the second. The “matches” in our game are upper and lower case letters, and they’ve both got them down pat. It’s fun to play and know that they are learning at the same time.

Anywhoo, I didn’t get a chance to stamp until tonight and used this great sketch from Unscripted Sketches for my inspiration.

The background is embossed with a Snowflakes Impressabilities template, which is one of four sweet Jeanne sent me for Christmas. Thank you!

Metal and the design cut out, the Impressabilities are more versatile than regular embossing folders. In addition to embossing and debossing with them, one can use them as stencils or apply ink and deboss for a letterpress affect. The embossing affect, I’ve noticed is a little less pronounced with softer edges. Close To My Hearts cardstock doesn’t crack either, which I think is great.

For this card, I embossed white cardstock and then applied Heavenly Blue ink to the raised design and edges of my pieces. The large snowflake on my card was cut with a Cuttlebug die, run through my Xyron, and covered with Martha Stewart Snow glitter. And of course, this is one of those cards that is prettier in person.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Heavenly Blue cardstock; Heavenly Blue and Crystal Blue ink pads; CTMH Happy Birthday stamp set; Gem from my stash; Martha Stewart Snow glitter; Stampin’ Up Word Window punch; Martha Stewart Snowflake punch; Cuttlebug w/Snowflake die and Impressabilities Snowflakes template; Xyron; Glue Dots.

And now, I’m going to tend to that last load of laundry and then call it a day. I hope you had a wonderful day, too! Later…

Love is in the Air… …

… is the Stamp Simply #121 theme as featured today on the No Time to Stamp? blog. I definitely kept it simple, using textured cardstock and my Cuttlebug Postage Stamp die/embossing folder combo. The matted embossed image was mounted on the card with foam tape. A five-minute card!

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Cranberry, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Cuttlebug w/Postage Stamp Combo.

TGIF! I skipped out of work a couple hours early again today, happy as a clam to come home during daylight hours. Husband and I stopped and bought groceries on the way, so I’m all set to hole up for the entire weekend. Yippee!

How about you? Have you got plans? Whatever you’re doing, I hope you enjoy yourself. While I doubt my Simple Saturday will be more elementary than tonight’s card, I’ll give it a whirl. “See” you then!

Feelin’ Kinda Scrappy

I decided to put a few scraps together and make a quilt card tonight. I used a 1-1/4 inch square punch to cut out my squares and a sponge dauber to ink around the edges of the squares and the hearts, which were also cut out using a punch. Kind of hard to read in the photo, the sentiment reads, “My heart is with you.”

Materials & Tools: Stampin’ Up Kraft Cardstock; Basic Grey Sultry 6x6-inch paper pad; Cocoa and Desert Sand ink pads; Verve Stamps Heartfelt Phrases stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Creative Memories Square punch; McGill Heart punch; Sponge dauber.

Woo hoo! Tomorrow is Friday! It’s my plan to stay as close to home as possible this weekend. I don’t know if you’re aware or not, but it has been really c-o-l-d in Minnesota. As far as I’m concerned, it’s bearable regardless of how low the temperatures go so long as the wind doesn’t kick up. Today it was kind of windy. Brrr…

How was your day? It’s been what seems like a long week, but I suppose that is because it didn’t include a holiday. I just need to get back into a routine. Speaking of, I suppose it’s time to skedaddle my butt to bed. Take care, friends, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

A Challenge Card

Here’s my take on this week’s Mojo Monday sketch.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Chocolate, and Watermelon cardstock; Basic Grey Sultry 6x6-inch paper pad; Chocolate and Desert Sand ink pads; Verve Stamps Serenity stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Kaiser pearl accents; Martha Stewart Butterfly and Doily Lace Edger punches; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Sponge dauber; Piercing tool; 3M foam mounting tape.

Happy Hump Day! Two more days, and it’s the weekend again. Yea! For tonight, it’s off to bed for me. I’m all tuckered out. Hope your day was a good one and that tomorrow is, too! Later …

Smile!

Still not feeling the magic, I didn’t think I had it in me to pull off a card tonight. And then, I saw this bright, fun card on Sarah’s blog. Yes, I thought. Liven it up a bit! Feeling the affects of 15 hours of darkness every day, I think brightening and livening things up in my corner might be a very good idea.

Due to the late hour, I kept it simple, stamping the flower on the back side of my patterned paper and cutting it out. The flower center is backed with chipboard and attached to the card with foam tape. The rest, I believe, is self-explanatory.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Ponderosa Pine cardstock; Cosmo Cricket Early Bird 6x6-inch Mini Deck; Ponderosa Pine and Colonial White Pigment ink pads; CTMH Angel Whispers stamp set; CTMH Basic Craft Buttons; Sunflower Waxy Flax; Chipboard; 3M foam mounting tape.


I hope your day was wonderful. With some personal time to use before my review date at work next week, I skipped out a couple of hours early today to get some stuff done. Ended up playing with the grandsons instead. No better way to spend my time! Nice, too, to be home during daylight hours. And now, it’s off to bed! Enjoy Wednesday! Later …

Make It Count!

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve enjoyed the past few days. We certainly have, although I’m happy to think that now the holidays are over, life just might settle down again. So far, so good. Today was just an ordinary workday. Yea!

My card is kind of weird, made with elements from several stamp sets. I actually had my “vision” on New Year’s Eve but lacked the mojo to put it together.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Bamboo, Black, and Desert Sand cardstock; Silhouette Creative Basics; Black, Desert Sand, and Bamboo ink pads; Make It Count, January Word Puzzle (retired), and Moments In Time stamp sets; Natural twill ribbon; Gold mini brads; Black button; Circle Window Charms; Stampin’ Up Word Window punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles and Labels Six sets; Sanding block; 3M foam tape.

The wedding on Saturday was beautiful, and yesterday, we traveled “home” to finally celebrate Christmas with my Mom. Tonight, I’m looking forward to catching up with my cyberspace friends. I’ve missed you and appreciate your patience! Later…