Personal Pep Talk

I pretty much made this card for me, which is good, because I'm not certain I'm lovin' the way it turned out. I believe I took something that was looking a bit masculine and tried unsuccessfully to make it more feminine. No matter, the card is OK, and it's the message that counts - one I needed to remind myself of.

The sketch is a fun one - this week's A Sketch for You to Try on the i{heart}2stamp blog. There isn't too much to say about my card that you can't see for yourself. I stamped the verse twice in Olive and Petal, cut out the "Give Thanks" and used foam mounting tape to attach it over its green counterpart. My bejeweled brads are homemade, and while I could have used self-stick Sparkles, I opted for a few of the little Acrylic Gems I talked about in this post and attached them with Liquid Glass.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Olive cardstock; DCWV Latte Matstack; Olive and Petal ink pads; Verve Stamps Plain Janes Pray... stamp; Acrylic Gems from Wal-Mart; Chocolate and White Bigger Brads; CTMH and Hero Arts paper flowers; Stampin' Up Word Window punch; Liquid Glass; 3M foam mounting tape.

I've accomplished quite a bit today, all while giving myself a little pep talk and calling on my faith to help clear some of the cobwebs in my head. Things happen for a reason, and I like to think they serve to make us better. And faith tells me what I cannot understand now will be made clear to me someday.

Enough heavy stuff. My two favorite little people will be here in about an hour. Our plan is to go to the Dairy Queen for supper (and ice cream!) and then hit the park for a little outdoor fun. Then, I think Grandpa is going to go to the birthday party, and I'm going to stay home with the kids. We talked it over. It's a 40-mile trek to the party. It doesn't start until 8. The gathering place is a bar/supper club. I can handle "bedtime battle" on my own, as Mathias is the only "warrior" when it comes to going to bed. His brother (once the ultimate bedtime warrior) now knows when he's tired and even asks to go to bed sometimes, which makes him smarter than his grandmother. LOL. And, when the little darlin's are asleep, I might just sneak back into my corner for a little more stamp therapy. I hope you are having a wonderful day, too. Later ...

Paper-piecing Fun

I love paper piecing, and I'd already saved the tiniest scraps of Basic Grey paper with this card in mind. What I didn't realize, however, was how large my focal point image was going to end up. There was no room for a sentiment without covering something up. That's when I had the idea of doing something with vellum, my Word Window punch, and a couple of Bitty Brads that I was certain wouldn't distract from the design. I stamped the sentiment with ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. It "fit" just right in just the right spot. What the camera didn't do justice are the "Stickled" glittery flower centers.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cocoa, and Cranberry cardstock; Basic Grey "Infuse" 6x6-inch paper pad; Cocoa, Hollyhock, Blush, Cranberry, and Olive ink pads; Verve Visual Floral Whimsy and Impression Obsession Sentiments II stamp sets; Vellum; Stardust Stickles; Clear embossing powder; Embossing tool; Antiqued Copper Bitty Brads; Stampin' Up Word Window Punch; Sponge dauber.

So, it's been a good day. Like I said they would be, Bjorn and Mathias are here tonight with lots of stories to tell about their new daycare. Although it appeared that they had a good day, too, we could tell that they have some adjustments to make - a new routine, new rules, new kids, etc. I remember enough about being a kid to know that new places are sometimes kind of scary. Heck, I probably thought they were scary until I was well into my 40s and finally became comfortable in my own skin. Back to daycare, I'm told the turtle is awesome.

We played outside for a while this evening. Actually, the boys drove their Gator around while Grandpa offered guidance, and Grandma laid flat on her back in the grass and thought about how good life is right now. I'll think about it until I fall asleep, which is going to be soon. I took a little time off today to run uptown and order flowers for my daughter-in-law-to-be, so I'm starting the week with a little time to make up. It was worth it. She loved them.

While I think I've really overused the word "good" in the last two posts, I hope your day was good, too, and that tomorrow is even better. I'll talk to you again then.

Cards, Cards, Cards

There are times (but luckily not too many) when I see a single card and have to have a stamp set. When I spotted this oh-so-cute card on Charmaine's Oodabug Alley blog, Bugs and Blooms became one of those sets. The ladybug really got to me. In one word - cute!!!

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Sweet Leaf cardstock; Black, Sunflower, Sweet Leaf, Chocolate, and Topiary ink pads; Holiday Red marker; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Verve Visual Filigree Fantasy stamp sets; Ribbon from Walmart; Corner rounder.

Cute as the ladybug was, I couldn't base my decision to purchase a stamp set on one stamp. Then, I saw the bee. I didn't have a bee stamp but needed one. I also like cute bees as opposed to, for the most part, realistic bees. While I have a true appreciation for the important work done by bees, I'm scared to death of them, and even real-looking bee stamps kind of give me the creeps. What you can't see in the photo are my cute bee's vellum wings.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Black, and Sweet Leaf cardstock; Vellum; Black ink pad; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Verve Visual Thoughtful Florals stamp sets; Black Bitty Brads; Black gingham ribbon; Paper piercing tool; Stampin' Up Horizontal Slot punch.

In addition to the cute bugs, the set includes lots of cute flowers. Who can have too many flowers? This card was inspired by the Be Inspired challenge on Beate's Fresh & Fun blog.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Cranberry, and Buttercup cardstock; Cranberry, Buttercup, Crystal Blue, Garden Green, and Black ink pads; Heavenly Blue marker; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics stamp sets; CTMH retired Speckled Backgrounds stamp; EK Success corner rounder.

If I had to pick my favorite flower in this set, it would be the one I saw on that first card. It's just so darned sweet and makes for such a cheerful looking lineup. I saw the background stamp as one I would use again and again, too.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Topiary cardstock; Black, Cranberry, Topiary, and Buttercup ink pads; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Verve Visual Thoughtful Florals stamp sets; Topiary My Accents; EK Success corner rounder; Stampin' Up Word Window punch.

Amongst all the little flowers in this set is one that's a bit larger. It's a sweet one, too. For this card, I used my Prismacolor colored pencils, Gamsol mineral spirits and a blending stump to color them. The result was a fun-to-make, simple card.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Garden Green, and Black cardstock; Black and Garden Green ink pads; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol mineral spirits; Blending stump; Memory Box Bugs and Blooms and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Ribbon from Michael's; White Bitty Brads; Stampin' Up Ticket punch; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches.

So, with several stamps in the set that have yet to touch an ink pad, I will say I love this set. I will also say that it took longer to write this post than it did to make the cards this morning. Furthermore, I bought Bugs and Blooms (along with the Impression Obsession Cupcakes set featured a couple of posts ago) from Stamper's Dream. I didn't link you there earlier, because I bought the last Bugs and Blooms set they had (Yes, seeing one of something left in stock is a motivator to place an order). Back to Stampers Dream, service was first-class, which seems to be the way with a lot of online companies. And . . . it all started with a ladybug . . .

My husband thinks I'm crazy but, nonetheless, seems to realize that stamping is my therapy. I know for a fact that stamping is cheaper than a shrink. It's more fun, too. Unfortunately, health care coverage does not cover stamps but would be wise (and money ahead) if it did. Now, that I've stamped a little, I'm going to go get on with the business of the day. Thanks for stopping. I hope your day is a good one!

Alive and Kicking . . . Er, Stamping

First, thank you to all who have commented on my last two posts. I went to bed right after posting last night and slept straight through until 6 a.m. Evidently, the fever broke during the night, and when I woke this morning, I knew I was on the mend and feeling good enough to go to work. While I still have a cold, am very sore from coughing, and don't feel like mountain climbing, I believe I'm on the road to recovery. This card is for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. It's a composition of some of my favorites - color, words, stamps, paper, tools. This challenge is a favorite, too, which is why I'm a little sad that Beate is suspending it until August 15th, while she takes a much deserved break from the blogosphere.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White cardstock; Twilight textured cardstock; Stampin' Up Porcelain Prints Designer Series Paper; Twilight ink pad; Stampin' Up Essence of Love and Verve Visual Serenity stamp sets; Silver mini brads; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide and Mat.

This second card was actually my first card of the day. Yes, I was up at 6 a.m. in the mood not only to stamp but to do something different and scanning Splitcoast Stampers' site to come up with a new (to me) technique. I decided on the Grid Technique. With no Scor-Pal (Tell me, do I need one of these things?), I used my Empressor tool and guide, which worked just fine. It was kind of fun and a good way to start the day.


Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Garden Green, and Olive cardstock; Olive, Garden Green, and Bamboo stamp pads; Verve Visual Serenity and Memory Box Bugs & Blooms stamp sets; Olive chiffon ribbon; Empressor tool and Guide.

OK. Despite the sore diaphragm, life is good again. In fact, a phone call I received while creating this post made it even better and provided me with a little secret, which hopefully, I'll be able to share in a few days. In the meanwhile, I've got plenty to do, including getting ready for my stamp club meeting on Sunday night.

For tonight, thanks for stopping and cyber hugs to those who extended get well wishes. Have a good weekend, and if you're so inclined, stop back to see what I'm doin'. Later!

Tupperware Melts, Etc.

Yup, if you place a lid from a Tupperware bowl on a burner that you haven't gotten around to turning off yet, the lid will melt . . . and create smoke . . . and toxic fumes. Actually, I didn't just learn this today, but it had been a long time since I'd done it, which stands to reason considering how infrequently I go into the kitchen. I believe that it was Dustin's birthday cake that I encapsulated in a Tupperware Cake Taker, which was being stored in the oven that I turned on to preheat with the intention of making a frozen pizza. I was so enthralled with Falcon Crest that I didn't even notice that my house had filled with black smoke. That was quite a few years ago and truly the mother of all messes.

As I suspected they would, the young people had places to go and people to see, so they didn't hang around too long after we ate. Having entertained them twice in three days, I didn't lay down in front of the door or anything when they said it was time to go. Instead, I made a beeline to my corner and made the card that I'd envisioned earlier. It's actually Jen Del Muro's sketch from a couple cards ago turned on its side. All I needed was some purty paper!

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Hollyhock, and Olive cardstock; Cocoa textured cardstock; Basic Grey Infuse 6x6 paper pad; Olive, Hollyhock, and Cocoa ink pads; Verve Visual Anniversary Birds stamp set; Garden Green marker; Antiqued Copper mini brads; 3M foam mounting tape.

With the exception of the little mishap with the plastic lid, we had a very nice dinner. Cameron and Dustin ate like teenagers, which only told me that they appreciate a meal that mom cooks once in a while. Dustin is crazy, too, and should he ever give up his sales supervisor job, I believe he could be a stand-up comedian. One never knows what he's going to say or do next. I believe that is a trait he might have inherited from his grandfather, and although he's embarrassed the heck out of me a couple of times in public, I, for the most part, love his sense of humor. I did email him at exactly 1:23 this afternoon, which was the time he was born. I told him that if I'd known then what a wonderful man he would be, I would have been even happier than I was. My soft-hearted child, he appreciated the sentiment. It's true, too. When you have babies, it's hard to imagine what they will be like as adults. Having them grow up to be good people is as good as it gets.

That's my mindless chatter for tonight. Grandpa wants to go for a ride, and although he hasn't said as much, I'm will to bet he wants to go to the Dairy Queen. Who can turn that down? Have a wonderful Wednesday. I'll be back then with a little something.

My Mojo is Missing . . . . Again!

For the past few days, I've either been hot or cold when it comes to stamping. I love these little love birds but as you can tell, I couldn't come up with anything very imaginative to do with them last night. I had a "vision" for this set today, however, while driving home from work, so if my company (as in my kids) leave early enough, I might get to it later.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Dutch Blue cardstock; Dutch Blue and Olive ink pads; Verve Visual Anniversary Birds stamp set; Dove blending pen; Cuttlebug w/A2 Textiles embossing folder; Stampin' Up Slit punch (scallops); 3M foam mounting tape.

The timer on the rice is beeping away in the kitchen, which means I gotta go . . . Thanks for stopping. I'll catch you later!

Another Fun Sketch

When I saw this card on Jen Del Muro's I {Heart} to Stamp blog, I had to give it, along with her fun sketch, a try.

I am such a sucker for plaid and would have plaid everything if I could. The only plaid thing I haven't loved in my life were some of the awful plaid polyester sport coats (and pants) that were all the rage in the late 70's. Marv had several when we were first married and one that I remember more than the others. It was a green/apricot combination that he wore with a peach shirt and green tie. Anyway, I was still in bed one morning when he came in to kiss me goodbye on his way out the door to go to work. I was in my first trimester of pregnancy with Cameron, and all it took was one look at his getup, and I was off to the bathroom for a bout with morning sickness. I blamed it on that sport coat, even though I puked every day for nine months regardless of what the poor guy was wearing. I also went through a phase with plaid wallpaper, doing my kitchen, a bathroom, and one of the boy's bedrooms, learning the hard way that it doesn't really matter how new your house is, the walls are not straight, and thus, neither is the pattern of your wallpaper. Stripes (another phase) work the same way. Ugh! I got relatively adept at using a chalkline.

Back to my card, I had the perfect plaid for this one - one of the patterns from the Sarsaparilla paper packet in CTMH's summer idea book. With the exception of the colors and the second butterfly my card needed in the lower left hand corner, my card is a lot like Jen's. My friend Jeanne made an awesome card using this sketch and stamp set, too, here on her Creative Bliss blog. I love the bright, happy colors she used.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Black cardstock; Twilight, Barn Red, and Desert Sand textured cardstock; Sarsaparilla paper packet; Black, Barn Red, Twilight, and Olive ink pads; Verve Visual Petals & Stems and Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics stamp sets; Black mini brads; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; 3M foam mounting tape.

Albeit a little cool this morning, it was a nice day in northern Minnesota all day. I guess tomorrow is supposed to be nice, too, before the rains come again. As nice days are such a strange phenomena, work should be cancelled. Because I changed the menu for yesterday's family gathering, I am making Dustin his traditional birthday meal tomorrow evening on his actual birthday, which will be nice. OK. That's enough jabber out of me for today. Thanks for coming by to see what I'm up to. I'll catch you again . . . later!

Playing Around with the Brayer

Before I put my brayer away, I played a little more. This first card would have looked better had I mounted my stamped elements on Bamboo cardstock instead of Colonial White, which, unfortunately, looks snow white in the photo. The leaves were stamped with New England Ivy on glossy cardstock. I used my brayer to apply Garden Green and Olive ink over the top. I didn't end up with as much color variation as I would have liked. In other words, I need more practice!

Materials & Tools: Colonial White cardstock; Glossy white cardstock; New England Ivy, Olive, and Garden Green ink pads; Autumn Splendor and Joy Forever stamp sets; Gold mini brads; Brayer; Sponge dauber.

My second card is my attempt at the Crayon Resist technique where you add highlights to the stamped images with a white crayon before applying your background color with a brayer. When you have your color down, you wipe away the crayon with a tissue. I used Blush and Hollyhock for my background colors, and for whatever reason, the finish was kind of speckled. To off set the "kind of" I speckled the whole thing with Hollyhock ink. As for the placement of my sentiment, that was determined by the fact that I'd missed one of the flowers with my crayon. It worked out.

Materials & Tools: Black and White Daisy cardstock; Glossy white cardstock; Black, Blush, and Hollyhock ink pads; Joy Forever and Verve Visual Floral Whimsy stamp sets; Retired CTMH Speckled Background stamp; Ribbon from Michaels; Black Bitty Brads; White Crayon; Brayer; 3M foam mounting tape.

With a little break in the action and everything under control in the kitchen, I had just enough time this morning to slip this post in. When the festivities end, I'll most likely be back . . . Have a nice day! Hug your dad, husband, and sons! Later . . .

No Mojo . . .

I should know better than to try to stamp when my head is pounding, because . . . Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? The card (again obvious) is for Marv, who will think it's nice just because I made it. He'll give me a hard time, however, because it doesn't include the word, "Papa." Maybe I can get by with finding a stamp that says "Grand" and tack that on top of the "Father." I did buy a T-shirt for the little boys to give him that says something about his grandkids being as perfect as he is. It's kind of turquoise and orange, and I hope like heck he doesn't wear it in public. I can hear it now. "Why did you buy it if you don't want me to wear it?" I know him so well . . . and yes, he's a man of integrity, a role model, provider, protector, teacher and the best friend I'll ever have.

Materials & Tools: Barn Red cardstock; Retired CTMH Naturals cardstock; It's a Guy Thing paper packet; New England Ivy, Barn Red, Cocoa, and Outdoor Denim ink pads; Verve Visual Father Figure stamp set; Pewter Photo Hanger and mini brads; Outdoor Denim grosgrain ribbon.

The aspirins I took earlier have kicked in somewhat, which is a good thing, because I just found out that due to scheduling, I am making lunch for the family tomorrow instead of dinner tomorrow evening. That requires a menu change, another trip to the grocery story, and my getting my butt in gear and doing everything tonight that I thought I could put off until morning. Later . . .

Weekend Sketch Challenge

This is my card for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. Can you tell how much I love the Petals & Stems stamp set? It's sweet and fun. It makes me smile. I deemed paper choice important for this sketch and am happy with my choices.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Cranberry, Hollyhock, and Cocoa cardstock; Basic Grey "Infuse" paper pad; Olive, Hollyhock, Cranberry, Cocoa, and Bamboo ink pads; Verve Visual Petal & Stems and Thoughtful Florals stamp sets; Antiqued Copper Bitty Brads; Stampin' Up Word Window punch; 3M foam mounting tape.

My house is quiet. Marv went to the golf course, and Cameron came to pick up the boys late this morning. I have a "tent" (a Spiderman table with a blanket over it) in my living room and toys scattered everywhere. The sink is full of dishes from the pancake breakfast Grandpa made this morning. I have a shopping list as long as my arm. With a corner well-stocked with stamps, paper, and ink, all of that sounds rather unappealing. Nevertheless, I guess I'd better hop to it . . . Later!

"That's for my Daddy!"

It didn't take little Bjorn long to figure out who should receive this Father's Day card. The neckties were a sure giveaway. His daddy is a sharp dresser, dresses up for work every day, and loves neckties. It wouldn't surprise me if he has a favorite and has the same tie in several colors as depicted on the card. Anyway, Bjorn was pretty excited about the prospect of giving this card to his daddy on Sunday. Speaking of Bjorn, he and his brother are surprise guests tonight, which kept Grandma from getting her Friday Favorites post done. I was lucky to eke out a card! I have a few more Father's Day cards to make tomorrow. As I'm doing so, I'll be thinking about my own dad and missing him. I so wish he'd known my sons as adults and had the chance to meet his great-grandsons. He was quite the storyteller, and I believe Bjorn and Mathias would have fallen for and relished his tall tales just like Cameron and Dustin did.

About the card, it's a simple one. A light pencil line, which was later erased, helped me line up the ties. The D-A-D letters were cut out and are mounted to the card with foam tape.

Materials and Tools: Cocoa and New England Ivy cardstock; Retired CTMH Naturals cardstock; It's a Guy Thing paper packet; Cocoa, Barn Red, New England Ivy, and Outdoor Denim ink pads; June Word Puzzle and Verve Visual Father Figure stamp sets; Brown mini brads; 3M foam mounting tape.

I still don't have a specific plan for this weekend. As Dustin's birthday is Tuesday, and his favorite "Birthday" meal is one that everyone else likes, too, so I think I'll be cooking stir-fry on Sunday. It's also traditional to have ice cream cake for his birthday, which is fine with me. Cooking and baking in the same weekend would be a stretch for me these days. I don't know how much stamping I'll be doing this weekend but will try to post a couple of things. For tonight, I'm heading to bed. I slept about seven hours last night - from 10 to 3 and then again from 5 to 7 - so I'm a little zonked tonight. If these weird sleep patterns are a senior citizen thing, it's one I could live happily without. As always, thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a great weekend.

Simply Stated, Simply Stamped

I believe I could write volumes about the significance of the Serenity Prayer in my life. Sometimes, it's a struggle. We want to do what is best - what's right, and yet, we don't always know what comprises "best" or "right." Sometimes, we have courage, and at other times, it eludes us. I am one who, if courage involves confrontation, would rather retreat. Whether that is the right thing to do is a question I ask myself nearly every day. And yes, I pray for the wisdom to know the difference.

My card design is simple, as I wanted nothing to distract from the words.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Olive, and Bamboo cardstock; Olive ink pad; Verve Visual Serenity stamp set; Gold Bitty Brads; Olive gingham ribbon from reasonableribbon.com; Cuttlebug w/Diamonds in the Rough embossing folder; Sanding block.

My second card, made with the same Serenity set from Verve Visual, is another simple design.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Garden Green, and Olive Cardstock; Garden Green ink pad; Verve Visual Serenity stamp set; Green satin ribbon from Walmart; Piercing tool; Stampin' Up Piercing Guide and Mat; 1-11/16 circle punch; Empressor tool and mat; Sanding block; 3M foam mounting tape.

This post evoked more thought than words, which I'll have to say has left me weary and ready to call it a day. That's not before, however, I declare that I am delighted tomorrow is Friday. While it hasn't been a bad week, it has been a busy, demanding one, and I'm ready for a couple of days off. We have two family birthdays and Father's Day to celebrate on Sunday, and I'm trying to think of something fun to do that isn't dependent on great weather. I'll have to do a little brainstorming. In the interim, I'll be back with my Friday Favorites post and a "Fun Friday" card . . . whatever that is. Now that I've committed myself, I'll have to do a little thinking about that one, too. Have a nice day tomorrow, and I'll catch you then.

While You Were Sleeping Last Night . . .

. . . I was up making cards, because I'd fallen asleep earlier in the evening. The bedtime ritual with Mathias that involves my laying down with him until he falls asleep backfires about 25 percent of the time. Grandma clonks out, too, only to wake up two or three hours later too wide awake to go back to bed right away.

This first card was inspired by this card on Charmaine's fun Oodabug Alley blog. If you're familiar with my simple stamping style, you will know why her card appealed to me so much.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Black cardstock; Stampin' Up Kraft cardstock; Black ink pad; White Daisy pigment ink pad; Verve Visual Floral Whimsy stamp set; Black Bitty Brads; 3M foam mounting tape.

My second card was inspired by Cindy's great card on her The Creative Closet blog. The colors - light blue and red - that I never would have put together on my own were what knocked my socks off. Cindy claims to have an obsession with these colors, and I can see why. Look at this beauty! I love it. One of the stamps I used for my card is the border that that's included in CTMH's June Word Puzzle set. I love it, too!!

Materials and Tools: White Daisy, Black, and Holiday Red cardstock; Heavenly Blue textured cardstock; Black and Topiary ink pads; Heavenly Blue, Holiday Red, and Buttercup markers; June Word Puzzle and Happy Birthday stamp sets; Cranberry gingham ribbon; Stampin' Up Slit punch (for scallops).

It was Wild Wednesday at work today with so many interruptions that I couldn't get anything more than bare basics accomplished. If my body and boggled brain cooperate tonight, I am going to bed early, so that I can go to work early and get something done before anyone else gets there tomorrow. At least, I'm not feeling bad about being cooped up inside all of the time. The weather is unbelievably awful - overcast, windy, and downright cold. The forecast for the next several days is dismal. Yuck! On that rather sour note, I will leave you for tonight. Take care, and thanks for stopping!

One of Those Cards . . .

This is "one of those" cards, one that has been worked and reworked and one that I still think could be improved upon. With an idea in my head, I started with Twilight cardstock. It was too dark (too boring) for these cute, whimsical butterflies. I embossed a couple of butterflies - one Breeze and one Chocolate - on vellum using ink and clear embossing powder. The color was wasn't strong enough. The butterflies I used were embossed as well. You can emboss with dye-based inks on regular cardstock. You just need to move relatively quickly. I think the design, for the most part, is OK.

What I'm thinking is that it might have been better had I skipped the white circle behind the butterfly. In fact, looking at the photo I'm thinking that I could have attached my brown circles, to the Breeze piece before I ran it through the Cuttlebug. Would that have created a cool, "inlaid" look? I might just have to try it sometime. There's the possibility, too, that Chocolate butterflies might have looked better than Breeze butterflies on this particular design. I don't know. Maybe it's fine just the way it is. The whole creative process is one big experiment, isn't it?

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Breeze, and Chocolate cardstock; Breeze and Chocolate ink pads; Verve Visual Flutter By stamp set; Clear embossing powder; Embossing tool; Antiqued Copper Bitty Brads; Brown satin ribbon from Walmart; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder and Nestabilities Classic Circle set; Stampin' Up Word Window punch.

I've been seeing a lot of satin ribbon used on cards recently, which warranted a trip to Walmart yesterday, where I found brown, white, cream, and a green I might be able to make work with something. I also came across another little find, which I may or may not show you tomorrow, depending on how it my brainchild pans out. Nothing like creating a little intrigue, is there?

If this post wasn't so long already, I'd tell you about some bizarre happenings last night (as in all night) in the apartment building Marv and I manage and live in. At least my reasons for being so tired tonight are not the result of my own lack of judgment. I went to bed. I just didn't get to stay there. I was tired all day and didn't accomplish all that I needed to, which means I need to get a very early start tomorrow. And so, the week begins . . . Going to bed right now, however, would mean starting tomorrow around 3 a.m., which is too early. Thus, I'm going to my corner for a while. It's the one place in my world where I have a little control and know (most of the time, anyway) what the heck is going on. Like always, thanks for stopping. I hope your week is a good one.

A Couple of Cards

I made this card last night using a color combination recommended in CTMH's winter catalog. It turned out kind of cute. My only issue was in photographing it. Evidently, it has one layer too many, and it wanted to tip forward. What the photo doesn't show is that the flowers are layered, backed with pieces of foam mounting tape. One more thing - while I know I've offered this tip before, I will offer it again. If you use white-core cardstock and don't want it to crack when running it through your Cuttlebug, sandwich your cardstock piece between a couple sheets of copy paper. It doesn't always work, but if it doesn't eliminate the cracking, it lessens it.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Petal, and Crystal Blue cardstock; Crystal Blue, Petal, Honey, and Topiary ink pads; Verve Visual Petals & Stems stamp set; Cuttlebug w/Spots & Dots embossing folder; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; 3M foam mounting tape.

The photo of my second, super simple card fails to show that the squares were mounted to the card front with foam tape, too. I love the crisp, clean look of red and white or black and white - actually, most every bold, bright color with white.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Holiday Red cardstock; Holiday Red ink pad; Verve Visual Floral Whimsy and CTMH Happy Birthday stamp sets; Red Sparkles from CTMH; Ribbon and rickrack from Walmart.

I've mentioned in a couple other posts that I have been reorganizing the labels that appear at the bottom of every post and appear as links on the sidebar of this blog. I've been through all 489 posts, and while I still have a few changes to make, it is for the most part done and should be a better tool for anyone who, for example, wants to look up Christmas cards. An interesting post was one from December when with excitement, I wrote that my hit counter had reached 10,000. I note that it's nearing 60,000 hits today. Does that mean that 50,000 people have visited my blog since December? No. It means that the page has been opened as many times. The statistics show that I have a moderate number of loyal people who visit my blog and that some (probably disappointed when they get here) that land here as a result of search engines. To those who come around to see what I'm up to, I thank you and hope you enjoy what you see. As for those that happen upon me by accident, what can I say? Certainly, I am not an expert in search engine optimization.

Although I have stacks of stamps and cardstock that I'd love to give my attention to, I also have several piles of laundry that are speaking to me. I also brought work home with me - an article to write for a publication in the UK due to the publisher tomorrow. The rest of the day will be spent working a little, writing a little, and most likely, seeking occasional respite in my corner. I might be back . . .

And while I was at it . . .

I used my scrap of Basic Grey paper to make this card, again using a mix of products from several companies. The idea for the card came from Hero Art's website. If you're ever bored or at a loss for ideas, click on "cardmaking" for projects and tons of great ideas. I pop in there every once in a while and it never fails that in mere minutes, I find something that inspires me. I love textured cardstock for this type of card. The large flower is a pink one from the Big Pinks collection. As it was the wrong shade of pink to match the card, I simply used a large flat paint brush to brush Hollyhock ink from my ink pad on it until I achieved the desired shade. It looks great and as you can see, is a very close match to the pink in the patterned paper. The only other notable thing I did with this card was lightly distress the edges of the sentiment with my Bamboo ink pad.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cranberry cardstock; Desert Sand and Cocoa textured cardstock; Basic Grey Infuse 6x6-inch paper pad; Cocoa, Bambo, and Hollyhock ink pads; Verve Visual Floral Whimsy stamp set; Big Pinks Collection and White Daisy Variety Pack paper flowers; Cranberry Button; White embroidery floss; Antiqued Copper Bitty Brads; Corner rounder; 3/4-inch wide flat paintbrush.

It's Thursday, and I'm still showing you cards I made last weekend. I've stamped a couple since that I will show you tomorrow evening. I have to determine the subject of my Friday Favorites post, too. The weather is still crummy in Minnesota, although the sun did shine for a few minutes during my break this afternoon. The forecast for the weekend is lousy, good for holing up in my corner and nothing else. I was going to take a day of vacation to stay home and simply breathe tomorrow but got an end-of-the-day assignment that's a rush, so that means I'm working whether I want to or not. It's OK. Maybe I'll take a half-day, and then again, I might just save my time for a nice day! If I can go in early like I did this morning, I will be able to get out of there at a decent time anyway. For tonight, I'm going to put my jammies on and watch TV or read. Thanks for stopping. I'll catch you tomorrow!!

The Creative Circle

It all started with this card on Melissa Bickford's Just Dandy blog. Melissa's card inspired my friend Jeanne to make this card, which in turn inspired me to make this card. Jeanne and I, we've learned, are attracted to the same card designs. We like the same papers, too, and both liked the Basic Grey paper Melissa had used on the original card. Well, Jeanne (lucky girl!) found the elusive paper (on sale, no less) and the card posted here on her Creative Bliss blog. While poor little me has yet to locate Basic Grey's Gypsy collection, I was inspired by Jeanne's second card to come up with yet another card using paper that I do have. This paper is from Basic Grey's Infuse collection, and it worked out beautifully with textured cardstock from CTMH's new Basic collection and ink, ribbon, and a spot of patterned paper from Papertrey Ink. The sentiment is from one of my new Verve Visual sets. How's that for mixing it up? I really like the fact that all of these products are compatible. As for the card design, it is wonderful for some of those larger patterned papers that tend to present a bit of a challenge otherwise. My long story is another example of how the creative circle goes round.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White Cardstock; Desert Sand and Cocoa textured cardstock; Basic Grey Infuse 6x6-inch paper pad; Papertrey Ink Pink collection (patterned paper); PTI Berry Sorbet and CTMH Bamboo ink pads; Verve Visual Petals & Stems stamp set; Just Blooms paper flowers; PTI Berry Sorbet satin ribbon; Circle Window Charms; EK Success corner rounder; 3M foam mounting tape.

I'm not so tired tonight, which is no wonder since I went to bed at a decent time last night and then overslept this morning. Being rested is good. Having to go into work 40 minutes early tomorrow just to make up time from having been late every day this week does not excite me, however. What I like to do instead is work a few minutes extra every day so that I can leave early on Friday. That's not going to happen this week, I'm afraid. Oh, how I would enjoy a life without clocks, particularly time clocks. Dream on, Kathi. Before I sign off, I have some good news. The sticky stamp that was lost was found stuck to the bottom of my Olive stamp pad. It was a perfect fit, and what possessed me to actually look at the bottom of that particular pad, I don't know. I was just happy to find it. Take care. Enjoy your Thursday. Most likely, I'll be back with a card and a little jabber about my not-so-exciting life.

While I'm not a "yellow" person . . .

. . . I saw a yellow card somewhere that may or may not have been something like this and thought I'd give it a try. It turned out OK with Diamond Stickles (that you probably cannot see) placed in the centers of the flowers giving my card just the right amount of sparkle. I might tie some white organdy ribbon around the top, too, with the bow on the right side, centered above the sentiment. Some 3/8-inch wide ribbon, which, of course, I don't have, would look really nice. Sigh . . . So often I think I have too much stuff and just as often, I think of what I don't have . . .

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sunkiss Yellow, and Heavenly Blue cardstock; Topiary, Baby Pink, Heavenly Blue, and Amethyst ink pads; Verve Visual Floral Whimsy and Impression Obsession Sentiments I stamp sets; Silver Bitty Brads; White wire; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder; Stampin' Up Word Window punch; EK Success corner rounder.

I don't know why I'm so tired tonight. Perhaps, it's the dreary weather. However, I'd best try to stay vertical for a while, because if I lay down, I'll clonk out, which will only make for a fitful night and another tired day tomorrow. Good grief! This sleep thing is getting to be much more of an issue in my senior years, and I can't say I like it. That said, I'm going to go read a while. If I fall asleep sitting up, I'll only be able to assume it was meant to be. Have a wonderful Wednesday. I'll be back then.

Who Can Resist?

Catchy title, huh? The inspiration for this card originated with a challenge amongst the design team members at Papertrey Ink. It begins with this card on the {capture the moment} blog. While Nicole used the crayon resist technique for her card, other team members used other methods. You can link from her post to the other great cards! It's a fun trip around the blogosphere.

My resist card was created by stamping my flower images with VersaMark ink on white cardstock and embossing with clear embossing powder. I then sponged on some background color, which, of course, the embossed images resisted. I think everything almost everything else is self-explanatory. The little butterfly has white wire antennae, mostly because I was too impatient to cut around the stamped image. It never fails anyway that when I'm cutting something so fine, I don't cut one of the antenna off. The wire was a way of adding a fun little touch while preventing unnecessary frustration.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Spring Iris, and Lilac Mist cardstock; Lilac Mist and Spring Iris stamp pads; Verve Visual Petals & Stems, CTMH Spot-on Backgrounds and Say it in Style May SOTM stamp sets; White wire; Round sponge; EK Success corner rounder; 3M foam mounting tape.

I'll be back later. I stamped like a mad woman last night and first thing this morning. I am obsessed . . .

Weekend Challenge Sketch

Here's my card for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. Take a look at Beate's beautiful card here on the Fresh & Fun blog. That new Fresh Cuts set from Stampin' Up looks really interesting.

My card has a more casual flair using the Petals and Stems set from Verve Visual one more time along with the fun papers from CTMH's Let's Get Together paper packet. If the photo doesn't show it, the flower elements were stamped, cut out, and layered with a little foam mounting tape. Dimension always adds a fun element to a card.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Buttercup, and Breeze cardstock; Let's Get Together Level 2 paper packet; Breeze, Cranberry, Buttercup, and Garden Green ink pads; Verve Visual Petals and Stems and Impression Obsession Anytime Sentiments stamp sets; Cranberry gingham ribbon; Garden Green mini brads; 3M foam mounting tape.

I think it is going to be an early night. With the exception of a fan humming and some birds chirping rather loudly outside my window, it's really quiet around here tonight. As much as I adore my husband and family, I'll have to say that every once in a while I like the quiet of being alone. It gives me a chance to catch up on my thoughts and put life into perspective. Thanks for stopping by and to those who have left comments or emailed me this week, I'm sending cyber hugs. Words of encouragement are always appreciated. Good night, and have a great weekend.