A Pair of Bears

First a little disclaimer . . . You're probably going to see the word "new" rather frequently this weekend. I want you know, however, (and I haven't the foggiest notion why!) that I've been really "good" lately. I haven't bought "much." About the bear stamps, they are new and one of the latest releases from C.C. Designs. For me, it was love at first sight, and to date, they are the cutest bear stamps I've ever laid my eyes on. While making my purchase at All That Scraps, I picked up this Argyle Cuttlebug embossing folder, too. I've seen so many cute baby cards made with this folder that I thought it would be a good one to add to my collection. I might add that while it wasn't the only new folder I liked, it was the only one I bought . . . so far, anyway. Back to the bears, I almost consider a cute bear stamp a stamping "staple." You know - like sugar, flour, and rice in your kitchen cupboards.

Now, about the card, it's my rendition of the sketch for Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #30 . I took the easy way out with the bears, stamping them on Brown Bag cardstock and cutting them out. I also ran the brush tip of the same-color marker around the stamped lines to give them added dimension. A little Carnation Pink chalk on their cheeks gave them some personality. They make me smile. The sitting bear is mounted to the card with foam tape, and I used Mini Glue Dots to attach their satin ribbon ties. Use pink instead of blue, and those two little boy bears will transform into a cute pair of girl bears.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Heavenly Blue, and Brown Bag cardstock; Heavenly Blue gingham paper (retired); Black and Crystal Blue ink pads; Brown Bag marker; C.C. Designs Bear Hugs and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Light blue satin ribbon; Spring chalks; Cuttlebug w/Argyle embossing folder; Black My Legacy Writer; 3M foam mounting tape.

So much for sleeping in on a Saturday morning. It was 5:38 when I tiptoed to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. "You up?" Marv muttered. "Yup." I had the chance to make a couple of cards before the little boys woke up. They are in fine form this morning. This has got to be the best time of day with little kids, which means I should get my butt off the computer and go enjoy them. You have a good day. I'll catch you later . . .

Posting While I Can . . .

I have intermittent Internet service again this evening, and while I cannot get anyone from the cable service to as much as acknowledge the possibility, I still believe my recent signal problems have had something to do with this building's elevator shaft. An electrician was here today to install a new outlet and light in the elevator pit. With the exception of extreme weather conditions (as in 40 below zero), the only time I have had issues with my signal is when someone messes with the darned elevator, and regardless of what the so-called expert says with regard to probability, I don't think it's a coincidence.

That's enough jabber about my cantankerous mood, the result of my conversation with the cable guy. Rather, we'll discuss my cheerful card. It was an easy one, made simple by the fact that the flower is just the right size to stamp a dozen times on a 4 by 5-1/4 inch piece of cardstock. I used a Sunflower marker to color 11 of the flower centers and the marker and a blending pen to color the petals of the last flower. The center of the yellow flower was created with Liquid Applique - a small detail that makes a big difference. Cards so simple need that "touch me" quality.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sunflower, and Black cardstock; Black ink pad; Sunflower marker; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Hero Arts Anytime Messages stamp sets; Black Bitty Brads; Liquid Applique.

I made a couple more fun cards with this set that I'll show you in the next day or two. To begin with tonight, I need to get my corner straighted up a bit. As hard as I sometimes try, I can't stay neat when doing something creative. I think, too, that if I had a larger space, I'd just have a bigger mess. I'm sure there are at least a few who can relate to that statement. With that thought, I'll sign off for tonight. Take care and thanks for stopping!

Whoot, Whoot!

I reiterate "whatever that means from the last time" I used that title! Last night, I felt like saying, "Shoot!" instead of "Whoot!" when Blogger won't let me upload my photo, and thus, I couldn't post my latest creation. Well, here it is tonight - worth the wait . . . I hope.

With a longing to make something plaid and use my much loved but ignored as of late owl stamp, my card was inspired by on this card on the Mother's Little Helper blog. Every time I turn around, I see new owl stamps, including a cute set in the new CTMH catalog. Still, I haven't seen any I like better than this droopy-eyed wise guy. With regard to the card design, there isn't much to say. My card base measures 4-1/4 by 5 inches to accommodate the focal point image that extends approximately 1/2-inch beyond the top fold. The owl was colored using Prismacolor colored pencils, mineral spirits, and a blending stump. One of these days, I'm going to use those pencils for something besides owls. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Barn Red, Breeze, and Cocoa cardstock; Sarasparilla paper packet; Cocoa ink pad; Cornish Heritage Farms U R A Hoot stamp set; Prismacolor colored pencils, Gamsol mineral spirits; Blending stump; Cocoa grosgrain ribbon; Teal mini brads; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Sponge dauber.

Tonight, I'm going to play with the September Stamp of the Month, which arrived yesterday along with the sets for October, November, and December. The name of the September set is "Treasure Life," which doesn't tell you much. To keep things interesting, I think I'll leave it that way until I show you something I've done with it. Between now and the time I make it back here, take care and thanks for stopping by my little corner.

Still Out on a Limb . . .

Here's another card made with the Out on a Limb set and those pretty little Prima Flowers. The patterned paper is from a long ago set from Close To My Heart. I don't use a lot of gray, and always ask myself, "Why not?," when I do!

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Petal, and Grey Wool cardstock; CTMH patterned paper (retired); Chocolate and Sweet Leaf ink pads; Papertrey Ink Out on a Limb stamp set; Prima paper flowers; Stampin' Up Whisper White taffeta ribbon; Hero Arts Medium Accent Pearls; Liquid Pearls.

I should be cleaning instead of stamping, but since Marv is sleeping in, I'm currently engaged in quiet activity. I'll give him another 45 minutes or so, and then the vacuum cleaner is coming out. With that, I'll go back to my desk to see if I can't come up with something to post . . . later! Have a good day!

Inkspired

There are times when the card that inspires me is so darned pretty that I hate to reveal it. This is one of those cards - one that I spied on the recently discovered Mainly Flowers blog. Take a look at Joanne's beautiful creations. If you're like me, you're jaw will drop, too. What really blew me away was that, according to her profile, she's only been stamping for a year and a half. Wow!

Actually, I'm happy enough with my rendition. It afforded me the opportunity to get out my Out on a Limb set, use some of the little Prima flowers that my wonderful friend shared at our last stamp club meeting, and try out the White Opal Liquid Pearls that has been sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks. Made by Ranger (like Stickles), Liquid Pearls is a dimensional paint. I used it for the center of the flowers. Like Stickles, it's easy to control and ends up where you want it - a property that I appreciate. I love the Sweet Leaf/Heather color combination.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Heather cardstock; Sweet Leaf textured cardstock; Sweet Leaf ink pad; Papertrey Ink Out on a Limb stamp set; Prima paper flowers; Opal White Liquid Pearls; Stampin' Up Whisper White taffeta ribbon; Edge Distressor tool.

I haven't mentioned yet that I've seen the online version of the fall/winter CTMH Idea Book. In fact, I've paged through it several times and see something new every time I look. The changes that always come this time of the year include the retirement of four colors (Kiwi, Breeze, Orchid Bouquet, and Carnation) from the Spring Blossom collection. Replacing them are four new colors - Creme Brulee, Juniper, Sorbet, and Tulip. New, too, are true double-sided patterned papers in the paper packets with what appears to be great patterns on both sides. I'm really happy to see that. As always, there are lots of cool, new stamps, and I'm excited about the new stamp pad holder (made to hold all of the stamp pads and markers) even though as I'm currently situated, I probably don't have room for it on my desk. The list of retiring items is out, too, which means it will be time to do a little sorting one of these days. I always find that a bit of a bummer, although this year, I don't think there are any stamps on the list that I haven't gotten around to using yet! That is a bummer!

I reiterate that I hope everyone is having a nice weekend. I took a long nap this afternoon and ended up having kind of a lazy day today, which means I'll have to get on the stick and get something done tomorrow. Hopefully, that "something" will include a little stamping! Take care.

Just One More . . .

Can ya tell I might be just a little partial to these cone flowers? Seriously, I was going to put this set away and play with something else today but then said to myself, "Just one more!" So here it is in purple this time. The blue flowers, which don't match the paper but look OK anyway, were an afterthought and were stamped, colored, cut out, and adhered to the focal point image with foam mounting tape. I used the waterbrush and ink from my ink pads again for this one.

Materials & Tools; White Daisy, Pansy Purple, Sunflower, and Garden Green cardstock; Enchanted paper packet; Black, Sunflower, Autumn Terracotta, Pansy Purple, Garden Green, New England Ivy, Indian Corn Blue, and Twilight ink pads; Whipper Snapper Designs Blossoms & Butterflies and Impression Obsession Anytime Sentiments; Pewter mini brads; Corner rounder; Sanding block; 3M foam mounting tape.

We had a fun afternoon. Bjorn walked through the door with a plan - Cuttlebug first and then ride the Gator. I grabbed five sheets of copy paper, quartered them, and he and Mathias took turns choosing embossing folders and running them through Grandma's card-making machine. Then it was outside to ride the Gator. We also brought out the Fisher Price ESPN Better Batter Baseball trainer that Uncle Dusty and Miranda gave them a while back but only after I'd nearly torn the house apart looking for three C batteries. Finally, Grandpa came to the rescue and borrowed them from something else. I can buy batteries for 10 percent over cost at work, so why we ever have to hunt for them is beyond me . . . Do they make anything for kids anymore that don't take batteries? It's no wonder the Cuttlebug is such a hit. They have to crank it! Anyway, the batting thing was fun. Bjorn caught on right away. Mathias was more interested in hearing the thing make noise. Even Grandma had to take a few swings and connected with the ball well enough to impress Grandpa! The afternoon went by too fast, and before I knew it, it was time for a week's worth of hugs and kisses again. I hope it's not that long until we see them again, but it will be nice to have the smooches just in case.

Has anyone besides me been following Design Star on HGTV? It's down to the final two. I plan on parking my butt on the futon and watching it in a few minutes. I might even vote. I'm partial to Jennifer because of some of the awesome paint techniques she has used. I also like her personality. Her smile is genuine and infectious, and I think I'd enjoy watching a show she hosts. I hope you have a good week. Busy at work every day, I know I'm going to be glad to see home and my corner at the end of every day. Later!

Good Morning!

Here are a couple more cards made with the Blossoms & Butterflies set. I don't think I'll ever tire of this set. It has so many possibilities, and I think it will go a long ways in satisfying my frequent desire to "color." For this first card, I used a blending pen and color from my ink pads. I also speckled the background of the focal point image and sentiment with Bamboo ink.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Indian Corn Blue cardstock; Desert Sand textured cardstock; Black, Chocolate, Garden Green, New England Ivy, Indian Corn Blue, Sunflower, and Bamboo ink pads; Whipper Snapper Designs Blossoms & Butterflies and Blooming Expressions stamp sets; CTMH Speckled Background stamp; Ribbon from Michael's; Dove blending pen; Corner rounder; 3M foam mounting tape.

I've said it before. I don't really know my flowers. That said, I took the flower on this next card to be a poppy. I used the waterbrush on this one, filling in the poppy with Orange and then some Holiday Red. This one was speckled, too, and I went around the edges of focal point image and sentiment with a sponge dauber using Bamboo ink. You'll also note that I used an embossing folder that is not Swiss Dots. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Bamboo, and Black cardstock; Black, Orange, Holiday Red, New England Ivy, Sunflower, and Bamboo ink pads; Whipper Snapper Designs Blossoms & Butterflies and Blooming Expressions stamp sets; CTMH Speckled Background stamp; Ribbon from reasonableribbon.com; Waterbrush; Cuttlebug w/Diamonds in the Rough embossing folder and Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

With Marv at the golf course already, it's quiet around here this morning. The situation is only temporary but nice nonetheless. I always appreciate a little time to sit with my morning coffee and collect my thoughts. I have a very busy week coming up at work with press releases hitting the wire on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I also have a ton of stuff in the works. Busy is good. It makes the workday go fast and home, at the end of the day, seem that much better. With that, I'll close for now and go address my kitchen floor, which is beyond sponge mop dirty. It's a hands-and-knees job - one that I don't mind once in a while. I hope you have a good day, and as always, thank you for stopping by. With a little luck and/or a few stolen moments in my corner, I might be back later!

Inkspired . . .

OK. So I'm weak. When I saw this sweet little cone flower somewhere in the blogosphere, I knew that I had to have this stamp set from Whipper Snapper Designs. To go with it, I ordered this sweet set, too. You can view them best here. They are rubber stamps mounted on cling mount. My card was inspired by this card on the Running with Scissors blog. If you check out some of Leslie's cards, you will see that she is a "painter" to be admired . . . as in "Wow!" I'm looking forward to a fun weekend playing with these new stamps. You'll note on the Whipper Snapper sight that Anna Wight has some other cute designs, too, so know that I did have to exercise some self control! Regardless of what Mr. Marv thinks, I always do. LOL.

I don't know if the photo will show that my card, with the exception of the white paper, was made using textured cardstock. For this one, I used my blending pen and ink from my ink pads.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy cardstock; Sweet Leaf and Blush Textured cardstock; Black, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate, Blush, Hollyhock, and Sunkiss Yellow ink pads; Whipper Snapper Designs Blossoms & Butterflies and Blooming Expressions stamp sets; Stampin' Up Whisper White taffeta ribbon; Dove blending pen; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide and Mat.

My night out was really fun. The play was so good - so funny. The characters who played the female versions (Olive and Flo) of Oscar and Felix were perfect as was the supporting cast. My bowling team is ready to go, too. It will be me and three friends from work - all young enough to be my daughters, so I guess it will be "Granny and the Young Chicks." No problem. I'm still perfectly capable of having fun, and I can still throw a bowling ball. As for the weekend, we don't have a lot planned with the exception that we're looking forward to some three generation family time. I hope that regardless of what you have planned, yours is a good weekend. Take care, and thanks for stopping!

Trying Out Those New Watercolors

I made this card last night, using (for the first time) the Pearlescent Watercolors that I had to have several weeks ago. I discussed them here on a Friday Favorites post. I guess having them wasn't really all that urgent after all. LOL. What's really a bummer is that you cannot see the "pearlescence" in the photograph. It shows a little bit in the closeup. Regardless, it is truly is much prettier in person. For this card, I embossed the stamped image on watercolor paper and used the watercolor paints with a regular paintbrush. I'm certain my waterbrush would have worked fine, too. The May Arts 3/8" White Organdy Polka Dot ribbon is new to my stash. I love the fact that it is so sheer. To offset a question, I purchased it here. If I'd known I was going to like it so much, I probably would have ordered more. It comes some other great colors, too.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Hydrangea, and Black cardstock; White watercolor paper; Black ink pad; Versamark ink pad; Black embossing powder; Penny Black Gossamer stamp and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp set; Pearlescent Watercolors; May Arts white polka dot organdy ribbon; Paint brush; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder.

This week is really flying by, and while I'm not accomplishing as much as I'd like to every day, I'm making headway at least. I found a bowler and a sponsor for my bowling team today. Our only criteria for additional bowlers is that they're fun. No serious stuff. If we bowl well, we bowl well. If we don't, we'll have a good time anyway! Back to the present, I'm going to make it an early night tonight after doing a few household chores and finishing the card I started last night. I hope your week is going well, and as always, thanks for checking out my little corner of the blogosphere.

Inkspired . . .

My card was inspired by this card on the Stamp Like Crazy blog. When I saw it, I thought "Hey, I have some red paper like that." This is the Martha Stewart paper I picked up the other day at Walmart, and it was the stitched pattern (in red, green, and brown) that made it a "gotta have." The other patterns are nice, too, and if I don't care for what's on one side, I like the pattern on the other side.

Other than that the fact that I reversed the colors and used a different sentiment and flowers, my card is shamelessly like Carol's. Why mess with perfection? I love her card. To add a little interest to the black piece, I ran it through my paper corrugater twice, first vertically and then horizontally, for kind of a waffle-weave affect. There are also four black mini brads, one in each corner, anchoring the black textured piece. They aren't showing up so well in the photograph. I think that covers it. If you have questions, ask me, and I'll try to answer them in my next post.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; Martha Stewart 12x12 Classic Woodland Paper Packet; Black ink pad; Verve Stamps Floral Whimsy stamp set; CTMH Just Blooms Summer Posies; Hero Arts Art Flowers Summer Collection; Black and Red mini brads; Black Bitty Brads; Fiskars paper corrugator; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

Today, was another killer Monday at work with small details sucking up so much of my time that I didn't have a chance to get to the big stuff. I wish I were an early bird instead of such a night owl. If I could get to work by 7 every morning, I could have a couple hours of time to get stuff done before the phone rings or much of anyone else is circulating. The worst of it is that even with a good night's sleep I don't function all that well in the morning. I never have. I'm more apt to get a streak of ambition at 10 p.m. than 10 a.m. That's enough discussion of one of what are many of my idiosyncrasies. I'm kind of under the impression that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, so I'll have to figure out how to function the way I am. I hope yours was a good day. As there were questions on my last post about the crayon resist technique, I'll be back tomorrow with a little "walk through." 'Til then, take care and thanks for stopping!

You Make Me So Happy . . .

My card was made using another Inkadinkado Clear Mini Stamps set. When I saw it, my rationale was that I could use a cute puppy stamp, and because I'm not real big on dogs (or cats, for that matter), the $1.99 price tag was just right. He is cute, isn't he? And, the paw print, bone, and two-piece sentiment are part of the set. You'll note I stamped the bone on the twill ribbon. Other than that, I don't think there's anything else that warrants explaining. If you have a question, just ask. This would make a great card for a special child or perhaps, a significant other.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Brown Bag, and Black cardstock; Black and Brown Bag ink pads; Brown Bag marker; Inkadinkado Wag My Tail Clear Mini Stamps set; Twill ribbon; Black Bitty Brads; Black My Legacy Writer.

One more thing about the card. When editing the photo, I noticed that I hadn't colored my puppy's tail, so I filled it in with the cloning tool and am off now to accomplish the real deal with my Brown Bag marker. I hope your day has been a good one. Thanks for stopping by.

Small Packages

I'm starting to shop online the way I shop at Walmart, deviating from my list and picking up stuff on the end displays. Well, it's not quite the same. I haven't come across an end display online but rather little things that look interesting that instead of tossing, I click into my cart. Today's cards were made using two of three Inkakdinkadoo Clear Mini Stamps sets that I added to my card during a recent online shopping trip for supplies. At $1.99 a piece, they didn't break the bank or anything.

This snail is so ugly he's cute, isn't he? I colored him with markers and even added a little Liquid Glass to his eyes. While I use Liquid Glass as an adhesive frequently enough, I don't use it much otherwise. I like the idea of the stuff but find it hard to control. Used on a large area, the paper beneath it buckles when it dries. I don't like that either. Two little dots I could handle, and it really does add something to the silly looking little guy. The snail comes with two sentiments, the "Better later than never . . ." stamp on the front of the card and the "Happy Belated Birthday" that I stamped inside.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Black, and Citrus Leaf cardstock; Black ink pad; Citrus Leaf and Topiary Markers; Inkadinkado Belated Happy Birthday Clear Mini Stamps set; Hero Arts Art Flowers Summer Collection; White Daisy Bigger Brads; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots Embossing Folder and Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Liquid Glass; 3M foam mounting tape.

My next card, a fun "Spring" card, was inspired by my very talented friend, Jeanne, who posted a video tutorial on her Creative Bliss blog recently. I so admire those who do these tutorials. I'm not so brave. I'd spit and sputter, and if things didn't go right, who knows what would come out of my mouth. . . I'm joking, but seriously, there are reasons why I write! Anyway, it was a very enjoyable card to make using the aptly named "Sleep Like a Baby" set. If you can't read the large sentiment, it says, "People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one." True, and cute. I paper-pieced the new mommy's robe, the ruffle, and the baby's tiny blanket. Paper-piecing appears to be becoming quite popular again. It's one of my favorite techniques. To finish off the card, I added a few paper flowers to the base. Folded flat for sending, the card fits in a 5-1/2 inch square envelope. I think this card would be as enjoyable to receive as it was to make. Thanks for the inkspiration, Jeanne!

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Baby Pink, and Breeze cardstock; Sweet Pea paper packet; Black and Breeze ink pads; CTMH Baby Pink and Brown Bag markers; Tombow Flesh marker; Inkadinkado Sleep Like a Baby Clear Mini Stamps set; Hero Arts Art Flowers Spring Collection; White Daisy Bigger Brads; Pink mini brad; Black My Legacy Writer.

Today was another busy day at work. If I can say one thing about my job, it's that it is unpredictable. Things frequently crop up, changing the course of my day and often, changing my plan all together. While I'm slightly annoyed at times, I think there are other personality types who wouldn't be able to take it. For me, the interruptions and different personalities I deal with are what keep my job interesting. Marv left a few minutes ago to go "hit some balls" at the golf course, leaving me to my own devices. I'm game for a little stamping before hitting my pillow early tonight. Thanks for stopping, and have a wonderful Wednesday! Later . . .

Just Because . . .

Here's another card made with my much-loved and long-awaited Penny Black Gossamer stamp. For this one, I embossed the outline image with black embossing powder. I had yellow/Sunflower in my head and really liked the image once it was "painted." With no plan for the rest of the card, however, I had a heck of a time figuring out what to do with it and flipped through countless paper packs before realizing that this polka dot from the Silhouettes paper packet was just what I wanted. The little bee accent was probably more labor intensive than it would have needed to have been. It's actually three layers - stamped once on the Colonial White (what fit on the circle anyway), then embossed on vellum and cut out, and finally embossed on Sunflower cardstock and cut out (the body). Finishing the card amounted to a little layering, mounting the bee with foam mounting tape, and stamping the just right "Just Because" sentiment up in the corner. I'm happy to say that after so much fiddling around, I love the finished result.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Sunflower, and Black cardstock; Silhouettes paper packet; Vellum; Black, Sunflower, and Olive stamp pads; Penny Black Gossamer stamp and Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; VersaMark ink pad; Black embossing powder; Embossing tool; Waterbrush; 1 and 1-1/4-inch circle punches; 3M foam mounting tape.

Today was busy. I anticipate a busy week - at work, anyway. After all the activity last week, my house seems almost too quiet tonight. I'll get used to it, and if I don't, I'm certain Bjorn and Mathias' mother will let us borrow them for a few hours one night this week. For this evening, however, I'm going pop a CD into the CD player and retreat to my corner for a while where hopefully, I will come up with something to show you tomorrow. Thanks for stopping!

Simple Sunday

As simple is the norm in my corner, the title probably isn't all that appropriate. It's just what popped into my head. This card is all about the color combination. I love Citrus Leaf combined with black and white. The centers of the big flowers are punched circles and the random polka dots were stamped with one of my favorite stamps, a pencil eraser.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Black, and Citrus Leaf cardstock; Black and Citrus Leaf ink pads; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms, Verve Stamps Stems and Blooms, and Paper Trey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Ribbon from reasonableribbon.com; Round metal-rimmed tag.

Most likely to your delight, I don't have time to chat this morning. Places to go and people to see, you know. LOL. Have a great Sunday. I'll probably catch you later.

Hello!

Judging from how quiet the blogosphere is, most folks are not sitting on their computers this weekend. I'm wishing we'd done something, too, as my weekend of solitude has not been what I thought it would be. As for my card, I sat down to make something spectacular and ended up with a regular ol' "Kathi card." I'm cool with that, however, and with my simple style. My lifestyle isn't elaborate in any way. Why would I stamp that way?

For this card, I used two Verve sets, Asian Flair and Floral Whimsy, for the focal point image. I love that these two sets and so many other Verve Stamps sets are so compatible. I love this 7Gypsies paper, too, although I'm totally bummed that none of CTMH's reds are as much as a near match for the red in the paper. Vineyard Berry is the closest but doesn't look great right next to it, and thus, the very narrow Vineyard Berry mat under the focal point image. You'll note another paper-pieced vase, a great way to add a third pattern of the coordinating paper.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Desert Sand, and Vineyard Berry cardstock; 7Gypsies Sushi Journey 6x6 variety pack; Olive, Black and Desert Sand ink pads; Verve Stamps Asian Flair and Floral Whimsy, Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Stampin' Up Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon; Antiqued Copper mini brads; Dove blending pen.

I do believe it's time to make that root beer float and head outside for a little sunshine. I hope you're having a great day! Later . . .

Happy 4th of July!

The patriotic stamp sets I have must all be discontinued, because when I went to find one this morning, there weren't any in my collection of current CTMH stamps. That left me to come up with something of my own. This is a simple one - punched stars glued to a Star Spangled Blue "field" and 1/2-inch Holiday Red strips/stripes. The faux stitching was an afterthought, something to give the card a little pizazz. The sentiment is simple and speaks well of my feelings about what it is to be an American.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Star Spangled Blue, and Holiday Red cardstock; Star Spangled Blue ink pad; Verve Stamps Here for You stamp set; Marvy star punch; Coluzzle Oval templates, cutting knife, and mat; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide and Mat; White gel pen.

Marv got up early to go to the nursing home to cut his dad's hair and spend the morning with him, as his mom is out of town for a couple of days. As for me, I'm just kind of looking around trying to figure out what I should do today. I guess I'll just play it by ear. Later!

A Song at Sunset

Let me start by saying this card was a little experiment. Somewhere, I saw something like it (perhaps remotely) done with Papertrey Ink's new Birds of a Feather and Out on a Limb sets. My card was made with PTI's Out on a Limb and Impression Obsession's Birds of a Feather set. I stamped the branch and the bird on regular Colonial White cardstock with regular dye-based black ink. I did use my embossing gun a bit to make sure that the ink was dry. Using a round sponge, I rubbed some Sunflower ink around the bird before covering it with a Post-It note stencil cut with a circle punch. Then, I rubbed on some more Sunflower ink before switching to Autumn Terracotta. Once I was happy with the look, I added a little Black Distressing Ink around the edges. Once it was done, I really didn't know what to do with it and resorted to using this Black and Bamboo polka dot paper from the Silhouettes paper packet. It's OK. The big OOPS came when I decided to stamp my sentiment directly on my focal point image. The card was, at that point, all put together, and don't you suppose I dropped my inked up stamp? I've had that work out in the past, but the stamping gods were not with me tonight, and it was a mess. For now, I've covered my oops with the sentiment stamped on a piece of sponged Colonial White paper. I don't know if I'll redo it or just add it to my sample basket for its technique value.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Black, and Bamboo Cardstock; Silhouettes paper packet; Black, Sunflower, and Autumn Terracotta ink pads; Papertrey Ink Out on a Limb and Impression Obsession Birds of a Feather stamp sets; Twill ribbon; Black Distressing Ink; Round sponge; Circle punch.

Today was a long, slow day - typical of a day before a holiday. I reiterate from yesterday that I am so looking forward to three days off. While we don't have any plans, I might talk Marv into a drive to the lake for a picnic or something if the weather is nice. I spend so much time cooped up inside at my job that I find myself wanting to be outside more and more when I'm not working. For tonight, I'm going to get a good night's sleep, so I'm perky tomorrow. I hope your 4th is fantastic! Thanks for stopping.

It's All About the Ribbon

Depending on how fast you can tie knots, this is a five or ten-minute card that I don't think would have been nicer had I spent three hours on it.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Simple Pleasures paper packet; Cocoa ink pad; Verve Stamps Asian Flair stamp set; Chocolate Distressing Ink; Antique Copper Bitty Brads; Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon; 3M foam mounting tape.

I made this card around 2 a.m. this morning. Out of nighttime formula Alka Seltzer, I used daytime formula and went to bed at 9:30. While I don't think it had anything to do with the Alka Seltzer, I was up and wide awake at 12:30. Around 3:30, I went back to bed and slept until it was time to get up and get ready to go to work. I'm OK so far this evening, but regardless of how tired I am, I'm not going to bed as early as I did last night. It doesn't work. I am also going to mosey over to Walmart later and pick up some type of cold remedy that says "nighttime" on the box. Coughing less during the day today, I'm thinking that this thing is finally starting to go away, which will suit me just fine. I'm tired of talking about how lousy I feel, how tired I am, etc.

As for my challenging writing project, I'm still working on it and even brought it home. Whether I'll work on it will depend on how generous I feel with my time. At least I'm starting to grasp the subject matter, having talked to the software engineer who wrote the program. Much to my surprise and relief, he talked in terms that I could understand.

There's only one more workday before the long weekend. Hurray!! I'm so looking forward to it. I'll bet you are, too. I'm off to do a little shopping, and I'll see when I get home whether I feel like working or am pulled to my corner. You never know . . . I might be back, and if not tonight, tomorrow. In the meanwhile, thanks for stopping!

Asian Flair

There's no smart-butt play on words in my title tonight. My initial thoughts about last night's card was that it was plain. Then I took a second look and decided it was pretty, which is where the "Plain Pretty" originated. One would think that someone who plays around with words all day wouldn't have to come home and do it at night, too. It's just that I don't get to have a whole lot of fun during the day.

About my card this evening, I have a thing for anything Asian, so when Verve Stamps introduced its new Asian Flair set, there was no hesitation on my part in ordering it. On Verve's part, there was no hesitation in sending it either. I love great service. As I don't have much time to stamp tonight, however, I went in search of inspiration and found this card on Amber's The Stamping Scrapbooker blog. Obviously, I changed it out quite a bit. I love her card, including her use of Crystal Effects. I wasn't so gutsy with the Liquid Glass. Call it no confidence, as I pictured myself getting to the last symbol and either having the top come off the bottle or dropping the whole thing face down on the floor. While it hasn't been that kind of day, I didn't see that pushing my luck made a whole lot of sense either. LOL. If you linked to the set, you saw that all of the design elements are small, including the tiny bamboo leaves that I stamped on the twill ribbon. I love the sentiment, and, of course, all the cards I make using it will have to have ribbon.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Garden Green, and Olive cardstock; Olive ink pad; Verve Stamps Asian Flair stamp set; Twill ribbon; Pewter mini brads; 3M foam mounting tape.

After gagging down some nighttime-formula Alka Seltzer Plus, I slept like a baby last night. Out by 10:30, I slept straight through until 6:15 and woke up feeling like a human being. Marv said I coughed, but it couldn't have been much. I think I'll repeat the process tonight. I need all my bearings tomorrow, as I have a writing project with subject matter that is so far over my head that I don't know how I'm going to pull it off. What I researched today was so technical (as in IT stuff) that I feel like I've got to dumb it down a little for an electronic engineer to understand it. And, I thought it was going to be a slow week . . .

On that note, I'll bid you adieu for tonight with the promise of showing up here again tomorrow. With a little luck, I'll be braggin' about my writing coup and have something stamped to show you. 'Til then, take care!

Silhouette Blooms

While the look created with silhouette stamps may be nothing more than a current trend, it's a simple, classic look that I don't think I will ever grow tired of.

This card was quick and easy. I stamped my flowers on a 3-1/8 by 5-inch panel that I cut into 1-inch strips. The cardstock piece behind my strips measures 3-1/4 by 5-1/2 inches. The patterned paper amounted to two 3-4-inch wide strips adhered to my card base - a great use of scraps. I used chipboard for the sentiment, sponging it first with Desert sand and then using a sponge dauber and Chocolate ink to give the edges added dimension. A couple of Antiqued Copper mini brads finished the card. When it came to the sentiment, I fretted about the fact that I'm waiting on an order for oval Nestabilities. However, once I came up with the chipboard, I was almost glad that I didn't have them yet.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Desert Sand cardstock; 7gypsies Sushi Journey 6x6 paper variety pack; Desert Sand and Chocolate ink pads; Cornish Heritage Farms Silhouette Blooms I and CTMH Say it in Style May SOTM stamp sets; Dimensional Elements Bookplates; Antiqued Brass mini brads; Round sponge; Sponge dauber.

I didn't get to stamp much this weekend. That was OK. What I didn't get done yesterday in the way of domestic chores, I accomplished today, and Cameron and the boys spent the afternoon with us, which was fun. A picnic was mentioned yesterday, so we concluded the day with a trip to the Dairy Queen and nearby park to eat. It was nothing fancy but more than enough to thrill a couple of little boys. Children are so easy to please. I truly don't believe Bjorn and Mathias would have been happier today had they been at Disney World.

I'm looking forward to a short workweek and then a long, quiet weekend. I believe that both the boys have plans that are going to take them out of town, and Bjorn and Mathias will be spending the weekend with their mother's family at a family reunion, which will leave Grandpa and me to our own devices. I've said it before. As much as I love my family, I have no problem with a little solitude once in a while. As always, I wish you a good week and thank you for stopping by my little corner of the blogosphere.