Tattered Sparrow

Before I tell you about my card, I need to retract the statement I made in my last post about ink not sticking to the set of stamps I used on my last card. Out of curiosity, I tried the new stamps using an ink pad from Papertrey Ink. The image was perfect. Then, I tried a couple different colors from Close To My Heart. Again, the images were flawless. For whatever reason, they don't stamp well with Tulip ink, and as that is what I was using at the time, I became frustrated. While I believe the statement about all polymer not being created equal to be somewhat true, I can't say I've had a lot of problems with stamps from the various companies. Once they're seasoned (and some stamps require more seasoning than others), most polymer stamps, providing the etching is deep enough, provide a clear image. A stamper long before polymer stamps were invented, I still have an appreciation for images produced by rubber stamps, too, even though they clearly (no pun intended) are not as easy to use.

Now, about my card. It was made in stages between games of Cootie, Memory, and Hide the Thimble with Mathias. The focal point image - rubber on cling mount - is by Tim Holtz. While I love the look, I wasn't sure what to do with it at first. Most certainly, it isn't a stamp to be used with anything "cute." The background I created for it just kind of evolved. I used a variety of stamp sets and Black, Bamboo, and Desert Sand ink pads. The antiquing was done using the direct-to-paper technique. I like the way it turned out and wouldn't mind random stamping a couple of 12x12-inch sheets of Bamboo cardstock like this just to have around.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Bamboo, and Black cardstock; Black, Bamboo, and Desert Sand ink pads; Tim Holtz Tattered Sparrow rubber stamp; Inkadinkado Butterflies & Birds, Stampendous Flexible Friendship Wishes, and Close To My Heart Air Mail (retired) and Lovely Lace stamp sets; Pewter photo clips and mini brads; Stampin' Up Word Window punch.

I had a lovely afternoon with the boys. We did a little laundry and played some games. A current favorite, "Hide the Thimble" isn't a purchased game but rather one I played with my grandma when I was a little girl. Mathias and I don't use a thimble but rather a small object of his choosing. Today it was a Cootie leg. The game simply involves taking turns leaving the room while the other person hides the object and then taking turns finding it. If you're close to the object, you're "hot" and if you're on the wrong side of the room, you're "cold." Words such as warmer, cooler, freezing, and on fire come up in the conversation, too. It took Mathias a while to catch on to the hot/cold concept, but I noticed he had it down pat today. So often when I'm playing with the boys I remember the special times I had with my grandma. I hope my little ones have similar memories someday.

Did you have a good weekend? I hope so. With another busy workweek ahead of me, I'm going to turn in early tonight. Have a good week, my friends ...

Where, Oh Where ...

... did my mojo go? Oh where, oh where can it be? Simple card, right? Not for me ... today. For one thing, I seriously struggled with a new stamp set. Polymer stamps are great, providing the ink wants to stick to them. And yes, I seasoned them. The truth of the matter is all polymer is not created equal. Live and learn. Regardless of its simplicity, the card is kinda cute and a nice break from traditional pastel "baby" colors.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Tulip, and Desert Sand cardstock; Creative Basics Animal Cookies Collection; Black and Tulip ink pads; Cloud 9 Designs Simple Thoughts - Baby and C.C. Designs Bear Hugs stamp sets; Ribbon from Walmart; White mini brads.

My lack of mojo might have something to do with the fact that I'm walking around like a zombie today after staying up too late last night.

Our trip to Fargo was fun yesterday. The wedding suits are very classy. Miranda and I are going to the florist this week to check out flowers, and on Friday, we're going to the place where the reception is being held to scope that out, figure out what we need for table linens, etc. I have some ideas for invitations and am going to work on a design in my spare time this week. The show is on the road ...

Bjorn and Mathias are here this afternoon, so I'm going to go see what they want to do. Mathias has abandoned "Cootie" for the "Memory Game." That one he'll win for sure unless Grandma is extremely lucky.

I'm hoping that I'll have the time and mojo to stamp a little this evening. We'll see. In the meantime, enjoy your day, and as always know that I appreciate your stopping by my little corner of the blogosphere! Later ...

Simple Saturday

My Simple Saturday card was insprired by one I saw on the Stampendous website.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Black, Buttercup, and Cranberry cardstock; Black ink pad; Garden Green marker; Stampendous April Showers Flowers and CTMH Boutique Borders stamp sets; Black gingham ribbon.

I went to bed early with intentions of sleeping in this morning. Instead, I woke up early. That was OK as it was nice to have some time to do some things before getting ready to go to Fargo. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day. I commented on Facebook last night that now the thermometer finally hit 70 degrees, it's time for a new photo. I haven't seen a snowflake for a couple of weeks now, and the chance for more should be slight - for a few months, anyway! On that note, I'm off ... Enjoy your day! Later ...

hello ... hello ... hello ...

Recently, I've been trying to stamp "intentionally," as in make something besides feminine cards that only suit adult women.

Last night, I endeavored to make a birthday card for an adult male. However, I must not have been in the mood, because I finished this one and pretty much left my corner in disgust. Looking at it tonight, I'm thinking it's not so bad and would certainly be OK for most men who don't give two hoots anyway. LOL.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Indian Corn Blue cardstock; Retired CTMH Naturals cardstock; Basic Grey Granola 6x6-inch paper pad; Cocoa and Bambo ink pads; Retired CTMH Vintage Father's Day stamp set; Pewter photo clips, mini brads, and conchos; Circle Window Charms; Sponge dauber; Sanding block.

This second card is my take on Weekend Sketch Challenge #83, hosted by Lori Craig on her Make a Difference blog. I bought this stamp set at Archiver's and could swear it said "Exclusive for Archiver's" on the packaging. I guess not, or perhaps it was exclusive to Archiver's at one time and has now been brought into the regular line. Who knows? I was so excited to finally step into that store, I might have imagined it. Back to my card, it's relatively self-explanatory. It was pretty boring before I thought to to add the "stitching," which made it kinda fun.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sunflower, and Chocolate cardstock; Memory Box 6x6-inch paper pad; Chocolate and Garden Green ink pads; Garden Green Marker; Stampendous April Showers Flowers and CTMH Simple Stitches stamp sets; Buttons from my stash; Brown embroidery floss; Sanding block.

It's been a fine Friday. I got done with work early and was home by 3:30, which was enough to make me happy as a lark.

Cameron had a cute story for me today, too. It seems Bjorn lost his second tooth last night. He followed Daddy's instructions and placed it under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy, and when he checked this morning, lo and behold, she'd been there. "She left me a dollar!" "Wow," Cameron said, sharing his excitement. "But," Bjorn exclaimed, "she took my tooth! Where am I going to get another tooth?" Then, he became even more concerned, because he didn't have it to "show Papa." That's when Cameron told Bjorn he'd call the fairy and see if he could buy it back. Funny and sweet, huh?

Do you have plans for the weekend? Dustin informed me that we're leaving for Fargo at 10 a.m. Have I mentioned that the men in the wedding party are buying suits instead of renting tuxedos? A men's clothing store, Halberstadt's, at West Acres Mall in Fargo, outfits wedding parties with suits, shirts, and ties for only a few dollars more than it would have cost to rent the tuxes. They require the men to show up in person twice, the first time for measurements and the second to fit the suit for alterations, which are included in the cost. While that seems almost too good to be true to me, I suppose they are guaranteed enough sales that they are able to discount them. The fact that there shouldn't be any clothing disasters in the 11th hour is quite appealing to me. Between proms and weddings, we've had our share of tuxedo troubles in the past. It is Marv who is being measured tomorrow, and while he and Dustin are doing that, Miranda and I are going to hit the craft stores to see if we can get some ideas for decorations. I'm a little bit worried that there isn't going to be much out there for fall just yet, but hopefully, we'll see something that sparks some thoughts. I've got invitations to design but really need a feel for what she likes and is thinking of in the way of a theme.

Before this turns into the longest post ever, I'll close with a wish that yours is a wonderful weekend. I'm off to my corner to see if I can't come up with something for Simple Saturday ... Later!

This is a first ...

I like my top card better in the photograph than I do in person, and I like the card on Aaron's Booth #32 blog better than my second one. LOL.

My cards started with a color challenge on Jeanette Lynton's blog. For this first one, I adapted a sketch from the beautiful new Wishes book. It just didn't come together right for me. Perhaps the background is too much. Maybe softening it with a sponge dauber would have helped . Maybe, just maybe, it will grow on me. Who knows? As you can see, I deviated from the color palette and added a Honey flower center. The original center was Petal, which, in my opinion, was too much of a good thing.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Pansy Purple, and Petal cardstock; Pansy Purple, Petal, New England Ivy, and Honey ink pads; Endless Friendship, Intrinsic Backgrounds, Boutique Borders, and Say it in Style Stamp sets; 3M foam mounting tape.

My second card was inspired by this great card by Aaron Brown. Working from memory, my card is different albeit remarkably similar considering how frazzled I was after dealing with/having fun with little ones for several hours yesterday (OK, so now you know I'm human).

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Pansy Purple, and Petal cardstock; New England Ivy, Petal, and Pansy Purple ink pads; Intrinsic Backgrounds and Say it in Style stamp sets; Buttons from my stash; Retired New England Ivy Designer Ribbon Rounds; White crochet cotton; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots and Nestabilities Classic Rectangles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

Although they wore me out, the little guys and I really did have a good time yesterday. After noting in yesterday's post that the casserole I was making was one of Uncle Dusty's favorites, I called him and invited him to join us for supper. It was fun. It was also nice to have someone here who appreciated my cooking, because Bjorn and Mathias were not impressed. It appears they're at ages where they are not very adventurous when it comes to food.

I didn't have any excitement at work today, which was most definitely fine by me. One more day before what will most likely be another fly-by weekend. Yea! We're going to Fargo with Dustin and Miranda on Saturday. Wedding stuff. There will be a lot of wedding stuff in coming months. Fun! Tonight, Marv went to the golf course to hit some balls, so I'm going to hit my corner and see if I can't come up with a card I like... Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the evening.

It's a ... Baby!

No, I didn't get fired. Instead, I'm home early taking care of the little guys whose daycare provider took the day off. I'll explain more later. There's a little story, of course. Always is. LOL.

Here are a couple of cards I made on the weekend - Baby cards made with stamps that that aren't necessarily baby stamps. They're very simple but cute, if I do say so myself. I used Cuttlebug border embossing folders, nifty little things that all too often I forget I own. I also used a blurb punch on the little boy card. While I've had it for years, I don't think I'd every actually used it on something. Other than that, I don't think there's much to say.

Materials & Tools (girl card): White Daisy and Baby Pink cardstock; retired Spring Harmony B&T paper; Black, Blush, and Grey Wool ink pads; Grey Flannel marker; Unity Stamps Love You stamp and CTMH Sweet Baby stamp set; Black My Legacy Writer; Piercing tool; Dove blending pen; Cuttlebug w/Frills Borders embossing folder and Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

Materials & Tools (boy card): White Daisy and Heavenly Blue cardstock; retired CTMH Spring Harmony B&T paper; Black ink pad; Whipper Snapper Designs Ducks in a Row stamp and CTMH Sweet Baby stamp set; Ribbon from my stash; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Black My Legacy Writer; EK Success Blurb punch; Cuttlebug w/Just My Type Borders embossing folder; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

I worked five hours today, beginning at 7:15. We've known for several days that Cameron's daycare provider wasn't working today, and the plan was to split the day three ways between Grandpa, Daddy, and myself. Cameron, however, had a day of meetings, none of which he was comfortable missing. That left me and Grandpa, who has to play golf on "Men's Day" (like every day isn't "men's day" on a golf course for crying out loud). Before I left this morning I told him what time I'd be home to which he replied, "The sooner the better." That was not a smart thing for him to have said to a not-a-morning-person at 6:45. He was quickly reminded that I was taking vacation time so he could play golf. Let's just say he didn't say more, which was smart of him.

While I won't tell him, the truth of the matter is I didn't mind having to leave work. By 7:30 a.m., I was in a vice president's office trying to unruffle his feathers. Nothing I did, mind you, but another vice president. I wasn't in the mood for office politics that early in the day either. Playing Cootie and Memory is much more fun. I'm off to play a game of Memory right now, and then we're going to make dinner, a rice and broccoli casserole that is Uncle Dusty's favorite. With a little luck, I'll catch you later! Enjoy the rest of the day ...

Inkspired

Tonight's card was inspired by this great card I saw recently on Jennifer Buck's The Buck Stamps Here blog. Doesn't the Flower Soft look pretty? Now that I've used it on a few cards, I'm finding myself really liking it and wishing I had more colors.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; White Daisy and Baby Pink textured cardstock; Black, Topiary, and Grey Flannel stamp pads; Penny Black Gossamer rubber stamp; Close To My Heart Happy Birthday set; May Arts ribbon; Black My Legacy Writer; Dove blending pen; 3M foam mounting tape.

How are you on this Tuesday that feels like a Monday? I had a crazy day that began at bedtime last night. At 3 a.m., I was still staring at the clock - thinking, I think, about the work I'd brought home that I hadn't done and fretting about the workday ahead. I finally fell asleep only to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5:15. By 7 a.m., I was at work where I pumped out an article due today for a magazine in the UK in record time. Additionally, I distributed two press releases, one of which was picked up by CNBC, a first, finalized at least four more press releases, wrote drafts for a couple more, caught up on my correspondence, and started another article, which is due on Thursday for another publication in the United Kingdom. On a roll, my plan was to work until 5. I didn't make it. Seven hours and 45 minutes into the day, I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Eight hours was enough. By 4 p.m., I was at home and sound asleep on my futon. While I'm still tired, I think I'm good to go for a couple more hours. Falling asleep tonight shouldn't be a problem.

Changing the subject, Cameron called to report that Bjorn lost his first tooth tonight. That should make for a cute little smile. For now, I'm off to entertain myself for a couple of hours. I hope you had a wonderful day. Thanks for stopping by!

New Feature

A very sweet email message requesting links to cards made with specific stamp sets spurred me to do something I've been wanting to do for a long time - build a custom search engine for my blog. It's located on the sidebar under About Me and Contact Me. The best thing about it is that it works! For example, if you type in the words "Treasure Life," a new page will appear with links to the cards I made using that stamp set. Other search words I've tried are names of companies and specific tools, etc. I knew there was a reason why I have been so darned meticulous about my material and tools lists! Woo Hoo!

As for how I did it, I haven't a clue. I just followed directions. Believe me, when it comes to this blog nothing that I do that's technical stays in my head past the point of success. LOL.

Another feature I've been meaning to add to my side bar is My Followers. Currently however, there seems to be a problem with the My Followers widget and Internet Explorer. I experienced the repercussions of the issue myself a couple of days ago when using IE, I tried to leave a comment on a blog that had the My Followers widget in its sidebar. What I got was the "blue screen of death," which scared the heck out of me. The problem is pretty much universal and does not occur with Firefox. It's my understanding that Blogger is working on it, and when it's fixed I'll add My Followers, too.

Back to the search engine, I hope it's helpful!

If at First You Don't Succeed ...

Do you ever post a card you think is great, see the photo on your post and only then see ways that it could have been improved? This happens to me all of the time, and usually, I let it go.

I started this post yesterday, putting up the card you see on the top right. I thought it looked a little bare, so took it back to my desk, removed the stamped elements and pearl accents, and stamped a script background on the patterned paper.

Satisfied (or so I thought), I put it back together, photographed it, and added the second photo (bottom right) to my post. My thoughts, however, when I saw the second photo were, "Gee, I wish I'd stamped the bird a little higher in the branches." So, back to my desk I went to take it apart yet again and restamp the focal point image, which I also made a little bigger than the original.

Looking at card #3, I think a different sentiment stamp might have been better, and I see that I need to trim my ribbon. However, I'm not going to photograph it again nor continue this crazy card-making story. The card is my take on CPS#117 on the Card Positioning Systems blog. Breathe easy that I have nothing more to say about it!

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Cocoa cardstock; Unforgettable paper packet; Cocoa ink pad; Inkadinkado Delicate Branches, Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages, and retired Close To My Heart Air Mail stamp sets; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Kaiser Kraft pearl accents; Sanding block.

Darned if the sunshine isn't gone, and it's raining today. I was hoping the weatherman might be wrong, and I'd have the opportunity to spend some time outside with Bjorn and Mathias this afternoon. Maybe fire up the grill for supper, too. Not today. For now, I'm off to get going on some inside chores, which include a big pile of laundry and bringing my spring/summer wardrobe out of storage - finally.

What are you up to today? Whatever it is I hope it makes for a good day and one that affords you a few moments to remember what Memorial Day is all about. Thanks for stopping by. It's you, after all, who give me reason to keep on keeping on this funny blog thing. Later...

Sketch Challenges and Simple Saturday ... on Sunday

How's your weekend going? So far, so good for me. The party yesterday was great fun. The birthday girl is the sweetest little thing, and it's so cool to see my sister as enthralled with being a grandmother as I am.

About my cards, this first one is my take on Weekend Sketch Challenge #82 hosted this week by Mary Jo Albright on her Beauty Lies Within blog.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Blush, and Garden Green cardstock; Basic Grey Porcelain 6x6-inch paper pad; Blush, Garden Green, and Bamboo ink pads; Basic Grey Porcelain Bitsy and Close to My Heart Say it in Style stamp sets; Basic Grey Porcelain Brads; Sponge dauber; Sanding block; 3M foam mounting tape.

As soft and subdued as my first card is, the second one is bright and bold. The sketch is Jen Del Muro's latest A Sketch for You to Try on her i{heart}2stamp blog. Isn't that some wild and crazy bird paper? I love it and thought this would be the perfect sketch to show it off. As for the buttons, I don't know if I got carried away or not. Instead of using Glue Dots to attach them to the card, I sewed them on using crochet cotton. I stamped the Big Pinks paper flower with a stamp from the Spot on Backgrounds set.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Citrus Leaf, and Topiary cardstock; Basic Grey Lime Rickey 6x6-inch paper pad; Topiary and Orange ink pads; Hero Arts Anytime Messages and Close To My Heart Spot on Backgrounds stamp set; Just Blooms Big Pinks paper flower; Hero Arts buttons; White crochet cotton; Needle; EK Success Dotted Wave Edger punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Ovals set.

This last card is a Simple Saturday qualifier and a sketch you've seen me use before. It's my all-time favorite for bolder prints and/or paper that's too pretty to cover up.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Indian Corn Blue, and Outdoor Denim cardstock; Basic Grey Granola 6x6-inch paper pad; Outdoor Denim ink pad; Happy Birthday stamp set; Navy organdy ribbon from my stash; EK Success corner rounder; Sanding block.

Now that I've somewhat satisfied my need to stamp, I'm off to do something others might deem a bit more productive. I also need to sneak outside and soak up a little sunshine. It's currently 65 degrees and sunny with no wind. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Bummer. Whatever you're doing, I hope you're in the midst of a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by! Later ...

Time Well Spent

Here's my card for Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #69. I used five coordinating papers from Basic Grey's Granola pad. I love the colors. I paper-pieced the cup and discovered that once all the card elements were in place, there wasn't much left for me to do. I added the three brad and attempted to find a spot for some ribbon, which ended up being a no-go. Enough is enough! For my tastes, it's fine just way it is.

Materials & Tools: Materials & Tools: Colonial White cardstock; Basic Grey Granola 6x6-inch paper pad; Cocoa ink pad; Flourishes Coffee with Friends stamp set; Pewter mini brads; Martha Stewart Arched Lattice Edger punch.

How's your day going? Anyone with any big plans for the weekend? As for who picked up the Cootie game last night, it was Mathias ... without being told. He was only too happy to after not just beating, but skunking his daddy and me. Neither of our Cooties had any legs ... the lucky one was the only one who could shake a six! With luck like that, the kid should have been at a roulette table. The little boys are in fine form this morning with Bjorn asking to use the computer before I'd downed my first cup of coffee. In other words, I wasn't quite "with it" yet. LOL. Our party is at 1 p.m. today 60 miles away, so I'd best go finish getting ready, gather up the young ones, and hit the road. Unless the hubby has other ideas, I'm hoping for some stamping time when I get home. Enjoy your day! Later ....

Thank You, Teacher Mandi!

Cameron mentioned earlier in the week that he wanted to pick up a little something for Bjorn's preschool teacher for the last day of school. Of course, Mom volunteered to make her something, which is what I usually did for the teachers he and his brothers had in elementary school (their female teachers, anyway). Well, today was the last day of school, and as is my style, I left the project until last night.

Here's what I came up with. It's an Origami box like the ones I made a couple of months ago (as in January.LOL). Little did I know prior to last night that it's the just the right size to hold two 4x4-inch Post-It note pads. I picked up a couple that are yellow and look like a ledger pad. Perfect! I wanted to make a matching pen but couldn't remember specifically what pen lended itself to being taken apart to accommodate a piece of matching paper. As I was looking at all of the pens at Wal-Mart, I figured I'd recognize it when I saw it. The only thing was I didn't see it and remembered later that it was the Pentel RSVP that worked so well. I ended up picking up a pen I thought might work, and lucky for me, it did.

Once I found the directions for folding the Origami box, the rest was simple. I used three coordinating papers from the CTMH retired School Zone paper packet. I colored my stamped image with Prismacolor colored pencils and odorless mineral spirits. The "Thank You, Teacher Mandi!" sentiment was computer-generated. Three matching buttons attached with Glue Dots finished it off the box.

For the gift bag and card I used more coordinating papers. The school bus stamp is from Close To My Heart's retired School Fun set. I paper pieced the yellow part of the bus and colored the rest with markers. The little boy in the back window was stamped with a stamp from the Family Ties - Children set. What you can't see in the photo is the piece of transparency that makes the window look like a window. Fun! All in all, it was pretty quick and easy. Best of all, Grandpa, who went to pick Bjorn up this afternoon reported that Teacher Mandi liked her gift! It was fun making it for her. She's a very sweet young woman who is Cameron's age and a wonderful teacher who has done wonderful things for Bjorn. Her parents are really great people, too. I've known them for years.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Outdoor Denim, Sunflower; and Clover Meadow cardstock; Retired School Zone paper packet; Chipboard; White gift bag; Clear cardstock; Black ink pad; Holiday Red, Grey Flannel, Grey Wool, Topiary, Baby Pink, and Tombow #850 Flesh markers; Whipper Snapper Designs Alexander & Ivan stamp; Retired CTMH School Fun stamp set; Buttons from my stash; Cranberry gingham ribbon; White crochet cotton; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Glue Dots; Martha Stewart Embossed Zigzag Edger punch; Black My Legacy Writer; Sanding Block.

Well, that was a long post! I'll try to keep the rest of it short. Bjorn and Mathias are with us tonight, and I've already been whomped at Cootie by Mathias and kicked off my computer by Bjorn. Tomorrow, Cameron, the boys, and I are going to Roseau for a birthday party for my great-niece Hailey. There are no specific plans for the rest of the weekend, although I think we'll probably do some type of family thing on Monday. Were I a salaried employee, I'd probably be working all weekend. It's that crazy. As it is, I brought some stuff home to do. Even though working off the clock is probably dumb, I'm more dedicated to getting my job done than I am getting paid for it. After the little guys are in bed, I'm going to sneak into my corner for a little stamp therapy. Whatever you do, I hope your weekend is wonderful. As always, thanks for stopping by to see what I'm up to. Catch ya later ...

Just Because

Although I have several "intentional" projects to work on such as graduation cards, a gift for Bjorn's teacher, and a couple of other things, I made these cards last night just because I felt like it.

First, I was in the mood to paint with my much-neglected waterbrush. Watercolor is my favorite paint technique, and I've long wanted to learn how but have never found/made the time. A waterbrush and ink from an ink pad are as close as I've come ... so far. As for the card, it's self-explanatory, I think.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Lilac Mist, and Black cardstock; Watercolor paper; Black, Lilac Mist, Spring Iris, Sunny Yellow and Topiary ink pads; Penny Black Gossamer rubber stamp and CTMH Argyle Backgrounds and Happy Birthday stamp sets; Black Bitty Brads; Black wire; Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; Medium waterbrush.

My second card was the result of my craving some cuteness as well as my desire to cut into some new patterned cardstock from my little trip to Archiver's. I paper-pieced Megan's top and skirt and colored the rest of the image with markers.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Pansy Purple cardstock; My Mind's Eye patterned cardstock; Black and Pansy Purple ink pads; Tombow #850 Flesh marker and CTMH Sweet Leaf, Autumn Terracotta, Baby Pink, Sunny Yellow, Topiary, and Grey Flannel markers; Whipper Snapper Designs Megan stamp and CTMH Happy Birthday set; Colonial White mini brads; Black My Legacy Writer; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Pop Dots.

How was your day? I was very busy and will be tomorrow, too. As soon as I heard my manager say my name followed by, "Don't freak out," I knew something was up. It was a request for a 600-word article for a publication in the UK due ... uh, today... I didn't freak or faint. It's only 600 words of rather generic information. She got the deadline extended until tomorrow morning. I'll get 'er done ... that and about 20 other priority projects that are piled high on my desk. Obvious, isn't it, why the 32-hour workweeks didn't work out? It's nice to be needed. LOL.

Marv called a few minutes ago and is on his way home with four little fish and one fish story - the "big" one that broke Dustin's line. Typical.

If you follow American Idol at all, you'll know that my prediction was wrong. My reaction was rather blasé - no moans, groans, or tears. I didn't fall out of my chair. Before the show was over (it ran past two hours), Cameron called to see who won, so I was able to share the moment. He was more shocked than I was. Good thing his dad wasn't here. He would have been annoyingly noisy about the whole thing.

No, I'd better go get to work on those "intentional" projects! Thanks for the sweet comments on my last post. Your support and visits are appreciated. Enjoy the evening, and I'll talk to you again on Friday (yea!).

Clean & Green

Here's my card for Kelly Jo's Color Chef Challenge #7 on her KJ's Stamp Pad blog. I was thrilled to see this color combination, because, like Kelly Jo, I like the clean, crisp look. And, why is it we all save our leaf stamps until fall? Leaves are a beautiful green before taking on the multi-color hues of fall. Well, that's unless you live in northern Minnesota where the trees are still bare - a few days before Memorial Day, no less!

Back to my card, I inked up the larger stamps with Sweet Leaf and then rolled the edges in Topiary. And, while they might not be all that realistic, they sure are pretty! To soften the background a bit, I used my Speckled Background stamp with Sweet Leaf ink. The only thing you can't see in the photo is the embossed line between the two rows of dots created by the edger punch.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, and Topiary cardstock; Sweet Leaf and Topiary ink pads; CTMH Nature's Vein and Verve Stamps Thoughtful Florals stamp sets; Retired CTMH Speckled Backgrounds stamp; EK Success Lines N Dots Edger punch.

What a fun day! Bjorn's preschool graduation program was so sweet. They sang several cute little songs before receiving their diplomas. I got some cute photos, although there were times when I wished I'd worn an old Thief River Falls Times jacket, which would have afforded me the privilege of marching right up front and taking photos without getting any dirty looks from anyone. As it was, I was afraid of looking like a pushy, overzealous old grandma, so I hung back. LOL.

When we were having refreshments, I looked at Bjorn and thought he'd lost his first tooth. Nope, it's still there ... barely, and his mommy reported that he not only has one loose tooth but four! Two on the bottom, and his two front teeth. It shouldn't be a surprise as this little boy had a mouthful of teeth when he was nine months old, unlike his daddy whose first tooth didn't show until the day of his first birthday - the same day he took his first steps!

Watching Bjorn today took me back in time, too. The photo on the left is one of his daddy (the little guy on the right) at his preschool graduation program in May of 1984. Oh, how fast the years go by ... The photo to the right is my favorite of day - Bjorn in Papa's arm bearing a big grin as Mommy tickles his ear. My heart is so full of gratitude for the joy this little boy and his brother have brought into our lives. With that, I'll just say that I hope Grandpa and I are around for many more milestone moments such as the ones we shared in today.

Now, it's off to go check out my favorite blogs while watching the finale of American Idol. Marv left this evening on a one-night/one-day fishing trip with Dustin, his brother, and nephews, so I'm home alone. That means if I go flying off the couch when they announce the winner on Idol, I'll be talkin' to myself. I'll guess I'll just have to call someone who cares. LOL. I hope your day was a good one, too! Take care, and as always thank you for taking the time to visit!

Mojo Monday on Tuesday

Good evening! How's your Tuesday going? So far, my day has been up and down. Work junk. No biggie.

My card is my take on the sketch for Mojo Monday Week 87. When I saw the sketch, I thought, "Oh, wow! There's an inchie element on this card!" As you can see, however, I didn't use one. My obsession was obviously short-lived. LOL. I don't know what to say about this card with the exception that I'm really happy with it. The sentiment and Creme Brule flower were mounted with foam mounting tape. The little pearls in the centers of the Petal flowers are kind of hard to distinguish in the photo. Otherwise, what you see is what you get. The sketch is one that I'm going to save, because I think it might be a good one to use for a monogram card, too.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Olive cardstock; Bella paper packet; Creme Brule, Chocolate, Olive, Petal, Smokey Plum, and Bamboo ink pads; Endless Friendship and Verve Stamps Serenity stamp sets; Ecru crochet lace from Wal-Mart; Kaiser Krafts pearl accents; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Sponge dauber; Glue Dots; 3M foam mounting tape.

After a rather hectic day, I'm looking forward to a quiet evening. American Idol. A little stamping. An early bedtime. Tomorrow night, I'll tell you about Bjorn's preschool graduation program. Maybe I'll have a photo, too. Undoubtedly, it will be a "proud grandma" moment. I hope your evening is a good one. Thanks for stopping by!

Indulge Me ...

Can you handle just a little more "inchie art?" This will be the end of it (for a while) unless, that is, I'm hopeless addicted. While I don't think we have to worry about that, it is kind of fun. As you can see, I made 3x3-inch gift enclosure cards with my most recent tiny creations. All three were colored with markers, and I used square, clear mosaic stickers (like Window Charms) on the top and bottom ones. They add some dimension as does the textured cardstock I used. I'm not going to bother with a materials list, as I think you can readily see what I used. The stamp set is "Butterflies & Birds" by Inkadinkado. By the looks of it (and I almost wish I hadn't looked!), it's one of several new stamp sets that lend themselves to inchie art. Ah, so many stamps. So little time. LOL.

How is your Monday going? I started the day with a whopper of a headache that kept me home from work until noon. I've had this off and on thing going on for weeks - occasional headaches, a throat that is kind of sore, and the cold I caught way back when not really doing anything but not going away either. It's probably allergies - a can of worms I would rather not officially open.

My stamp club met last night and as always, was so much fun. Having this opportunity to see my friends is a highlight of every month. As for the week, there are a few things happening, including Bjorn's "graduation" from preschool on Wednesday. This weekend, we have a couple of high school graduation open houses to attend as well as my great-niece Hailey's first birthday party in Roseau on Saturday afternoon. Tonight, I'm going to get my stamp club mess cleaned up and hopefully, eke out a card. Thanks for stopping by! Your support is so appreciated. Enjoy the week! Later...

More Inchies

Here's another card made with the Butterflies & Birds set I introduced yesterday. To stamp the butterflies I inked up my stamps with Orange ink and then rolled them in Autumn Terracotta. The color variation is prettier in person than it is in the photo. Once the images were on the card the big question was where to put a sentiment. When there wasn't a place for one that didn't look awkward, I opted to stamp three favorite word stamps on the stamped images themselves. It works for me.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Black cardstock; Basic Grey Ambrosia 6x6-inch paper pad; Orange, Autumn Terracotta, Black, and Bamboo ink pads; Inkadinkado Butterflies & Birds and Technique Tuesday Words We Love stamp sets; Silver mini brads; Sponge dauber.

I did a little "Inchie" research last night and discovered a lot of cards that were as simple as this second one. For the stamped element, I used watercolor paper. I swiped stripes of Citrus Leaf and Breeze ink across the paper with my waterbrush. After it was dry, I stamped the image with Breeze ink. In true inchie style, this one was mounted to a same-size piece of chipboard. The rest, I believe, is self-explanatory with the exception that the Breeze background is textured cardstock. I chose to add the word "Inspire" with thoughts that it is perfect to go with a peacock feather.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Citrus Leaf, and Breeze cardstock; Watercolor paper; Chipboard; Breeze and Citrus Leaf ink pads; Inkadinkado Butterflies & Birds and Technique Tuesday Words We Love stamp sets; Waterbrush; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder.

OK. It's down to business today with stamp club projects to prepare, laundry and housework to do, and most important (and fun), grandchildren to enjoy. Thanks for taking the time to visit me, and have a great day. If I'm not too pooped to operate the keyboard, I'll catch you again tonight. Later...

Butterflies & Birds

When I was at Archiver's in the Twin Cities a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a set of stamps, "Butterflies & Birds" by Inkadinkado. The set includes 23 stamps, most of which lend themselves to "inchie art. Like monograms, inchies lend themselves to simple cards, which makes me wonder why I, of all people, have such a time with both! Anyway, after fooling around with all different kinds of things, I finally came up with a card I deem presentable. In fact, I'll even go so far as to say I like it. LOL. For all the fiddling around I did, one would think there would be some explaining to do. Instead, I think the materials list will tell the story.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Black, and Bamboo cardstock; Black and Bamboo ink pads; Inkadinkado Butterflies & Birds and Close To My Heart Say it in Style and (retired) Air Mail stamp sets; Black grosgrain ribbon; Ecru crocheted lace from Wal-Mart; Sponge dauber; 3M foam tape.

I had a very nice lunch with my mom and sister, and later this afternoon, we had coffee before they left town. Between little visitors last night and this morning and the lunch and coffee dates this afternoon, I didn't accomplish any major cleaning jobs, but I don't care. I managed to chip away at a couple of smaller projects, and spending time with my family is more important than wiping away the few crumbs that have accumulated in the silverware drawer.

With no particular plans, the evening should be uneventful with Marv channel surfing from his recliner and me in my corner wishing he had a longer attention span. LOL. Thanks for stopping, and for those of you who leave comments, know that they are appreciated. Enjoy the evening, and take care ...

Simple Saturday X 2 ...

Or ... "How Much Fun Can One Girl Have with a Couple of Itty Bitty Bird Stamps?"

Wild paper on this first one, huh? It's from the new Lime Rickey collection from Basic Grey. The colors are bright. The patterns are bold, and quite frankly, I don't know what the heck I'm going to do with some of it. LOL. There isn't much to explain here. I colored the birds with markers, choosing colors that are in the paper. After I had already stamped the sentiment on the border piece, it dawned on me that I should have pulled out one of my individual word sets and stamped Happy, Birthday, To, and You on each of the four tab pieces. And, there I was again, making improvements ... after the fact. With time on my hands, however, I put my money where my mouth was, and thus, the second card below.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; Basic Grey Lime Rickey 6x6-inch paper pad; Black stamp pad; Sunny Yellow, Orange, Citrus Leaf, Dutch Blue, and Cranberry markers; Hero Arts Hello Tree and CTMH Happy Birthday stamp sets; Black mini brads; Stampin' Up Word Window punch; Corner rounder.

For what ever reason, these silly-looking, little owls stacked up on top of one another put a silly grin on my face. For this card, I cracked open another new-to-me paper pad from Basic Grey, this one called "Granola." The colors are fun, and many of the patterns will work for masculine cards. I'm happy, too, with sentiment stamped on the tabs.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White cardstock; Basic Grey Granola 6x6-inch paper pad; Cocoa ink pad; Bamboo and Brown Bag markers; Hero Arts Hello Tree and Impression Obsession Sentiments II stamp sets; Pewter mini brads; Stampin' Up Word Window punch.

How are you today? Any big plans for the weekend? My sister emailed me last night and said she and my mom are coming to down today. And, she asked, would I be interested in going out for lunch? Of course! As for right now, Bjorn has requested some computer time. After going to bed so good last night, he's deserving. Mathias has the Cootie game set up and is waiting to kick my butt again, too! Enjoy the day, and thanks for stopping by! Most likely, I'll be back at some point. Later ...

I'm Such a Loser ...

... at Cootie, that is! I got my revenge though. After losing by four legs to Mr. Mathias, I tricked the little Munchkin by telling him in my perkiest voice, "The winner gets to pick up the game!" He fell for it, going so far as to thank me and then scrambling to put everything in the box. I may not be lucky, but I can still outfox a four-year-old ... most of the time.

Initially, I was going to use "One of a Kind III" for my title but after three cards, find myself becoming weary of the phrase. LOL. Seriously, what do you think of this one? My thoughts are, "I'm almost there." This one seems a little bottom heavy to me. Anyway, this is basically the same sketch as the last card turned on its side and with an oval instead of a circle. The polka dot flower is one I stamped a while back with a stamp from my Spot on Backgrounds set.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Cranberry, and Black cardstock; Black ink pad; Flower stamp from Tickled Pink promotion; Be Yourself May SOTM, Spot on Backgrounds, and Boutique Borders stamp sets; Big Pinks and Hero Arts paper flowers; Black Bigger Brads; Martha Stewart Arched Lattice Edger punch; Cuttlebug w/Swiss Dots embossing folder and Nestabilities Classic Ovals set; 3M foam mounting tape.

It turned out that going out for supper interfered with Bjorn's plans (a television program), so Grandpa went and got them and brought tacos home to eat. We confiscated the children for the night, because after a grueling day at work, their daddy needed a break. I'm hoping he went out to socialize a bit. Funny how this is working out. Fifteen years ago, I thought he was way too social, and we butted heads at every turn. Now, I occasionally find myself pushing him out the door to go do something. Anyway, with little ones here, I can't clean, so I'll just have to stamp until it's time to go to bed. It just breaks my heart ... My wish for you is a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

One of a Kind II

Here's my take on Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #68. I used papers and stamps from Tickled Pink as well as the May Stamp of the Month, Be Yourself. I've seen so many cute cards made with the SOTM and the big flower from the promotional set. It's like they were made for one another. Although I think my card is fine, I might have liked it a tish more had I used a solid paper for the background. I think Cuttlebug-embossed white would have done for me, and I could have dyed the little crocheted flowers blue ... Ah, I love how I realize how I could have done it better -after the fact! LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Crystal Blue, and Blush cardstock; Tickled Pink National Scrapbooking Month promotion; Black and Blush ink pads; Be Yourself May Stamp of the Month; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Heavenly Blue Bigger Brads; Fiskars Sunburst border punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

Happy Friday! What have you got planned for the weekend? Me? I'm going to clean, clean, clean, and, in my spare time, get ready for my stamp club meeting on Sunday night. While I can't say I'm all excited about the cleaning thing, I've been "in the zone" for the past couple of days, and once it's done, it'll be done ... for a while, anyway. For now, we're going to pick up Bjorn and Mathias and take them out for supper. Enjoy what's left of Friday! I'll catch ya later ...

One of a Kind

Hi! How are you today? Here's a card I made last night using the little bird and owl stamps that are part of Hero Arts' Hello Tree set. While it worked out great to color the owl with markers, I kind of wish I'd paper-pieced those little birds. I just might do that yet!

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Cocoa, Sweet Leaf, and Hollyhock cardstock; Magic Moments paper packet; Black and Cocoa stamp pads; Hollyhock, Bamboo, and Brown Bag markers; Hero Arts Hello Tree and Anytime Messages stamp sets.

I'm in a better mood tonight than I was last night. I had my quota of chocolate today. There's a peanut M&M dispenser near the coffee machine at work that readily accepts my quarters ... all of them. I'm happy, too, that we're one day closer to the weekend. Yes!! There are a lot of things I want to get done, including seriously cleaning my little nest. After my post last night, I took a few minutes to straighten out my closet and felt much better for having done so. It was at the avalanche stage. Falling out of one's chair is one thing. Getting clunked in the head when you open the closet is another.

One more thing before I sign off. We had snow this morning. Not a lot but enough to accumulate on the roof and windshield so that it was visible. It's getting old, and if we don't get some sunshine and heat, we'll be lucky to have leaves on the trees by Memorial Day. I'm sure you're envious. LOL. Like always, thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the evening ...

Hump or Slump Day?

Here's a quick card to go with my quick post tonight. It's made with a piece of Cosmo Cricket paper I picked up at Archiver's when I was there a couple of weeks ago. It's from the Gretel collection. I've made a card similar to this one before. The sketch is a good one for showing off pretty papers.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Desert Sand, Bamboo, and Barn Red cardstock; Cosmo Cricket Gretel Autumn patterned paper; Barn Red ink pad; Chocolate marker; Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics stamp set; Natural jute; Martha Stewart Embossed Button punch; Sanding block.

As energetic as I was when I posted last night, I'm lethargic tonight. It's funny how, after 12 years, I'm still struggling with time issues and trying to balance work with all the other things I want to do. Maybe, I need a life coach ... or ... a good, square kick in the backside. Perhaps, I haven't had enough chocolate today ... so far. LOL.

Enough of my silliness. How was your day? A good one, I hope. Thanks for taking the time to visit my little corner of the cyber world. Enjoy the evening!!

Spoiled Brat ....

AKA "I Want That Punch" AKA "Enabler's Alert." LOL . Coming up with a title for my post was no problem tonight. I just had to pick the one that fit best.

First, to give credit where credit is due, my card was inspired by this card on Julie Koerber's Out to Impress blog. While everything about her card appealed to me, I wanted the stamp instead of the stickers. I didn't find it, however, but did come across the stickers a few weeks later. So, I bought 'em, and they've been occupying a spot on a shelf for nearly a year. Funny thing is, I came across the stamp recently, too, on a new website I found.

The brat thing, however, is not about the stickers nor the stamp, which I have yet to buy. It's about the punch that I saw on May 3rd on Terri's My Frame of Mind blog. Isn't Terri's card cute? And, from the moment I saw her buttons, I knew that I needed that punch. Somehow though, I managed to control myself until May 8th when I searched for a "Martha Stewart button punch" on Google. While I found a lot of talk about it on a lot of blogs, I didn't find it available from a retail location. Thus, I checked out eBay where I found it and exercised the "Buy it Now" feature. Thirty seconds or so and the transaction was complete. Gotta love it.

Now, for the really impressive part of this little story. May 8th was Saturday. My husband came waltzing through the door tonight and asked, "What the heck did you buy from a Rafael Rodriguez in Long Beach, California?" "I don't know," I replied. There was no way the punch would get from California to Minnesota in one business day, or so I thought. What's even more amazing is that it was here yesterday, and he forgot about it and left the package in his office last night. He apologized. I didn't care. I'm just darned impressed that the USPS can get something from California to Minnesota over the weekend, and it wasn't even Priority Mail. I'm impressed with the punch, too. Did I need it? I dunno, but I think I'm really going to like it and use it a lot. Do you need it? That's where the enabler thing comes in. LOL. The fact that the punch embosses a little rim around the button is pretty nifty.... And now for "the list."

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Hydrangea, and Citrus Leaf cardstock; Dutch Blue Textured cardstock; White glossy cardstock (the button); Penny Black Sun-Kissed Stickeroos; Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Martha Stewart Embossed Button punch.

After that long spiel, I'll keep it short. Had I not had so darned much work to do, I would have left work sick at 10 a.m. this morning. I hope none of my guests from Sunday are having stomach issues. If they are, it's a sign that I should stay out of the kitchen. Seriously, while darned near doubled over throughout much of the day, I'm much better tonight.

That said, my husband wants some attention. Perhaps I'll engage him in some type of game that will improve his memory, so he doesn't forget the important stuff. LOL. Hope your day was a good one and tomorrow is, too! Catch ya then ...

Catch Up Time ...

Once again, I missed the weekend challenges. This is my take on Weekend Sketch Challenge #80, hosted this week by Cambria Turnbow on the Stamp a Little Love, Baby blog.

About my card, what's there to say? It's made with the new Animal Cookies Creative Basics Collection, which I love for its fun, bright colors. The sentiment and border are JustRite stamps.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Tulip, Dutch Blue, and Sunflower cardstock; Animal Cookies Creative Basics Collection; Dutch Blue ink pad; JustRite 10 Harmony Classic Circle I and Designer Centers & Borders set; Retired Cranberry gingham ribbon; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

Bjorn and Mathias are staying with us tonight, because their daddy plays on a Monday evening golf league. The weather was quite nice early this evening with just the right amount of breeze, so we took them outside to fly their kites after supper.

I think my photo is appropriately named! Yes, those little specks in the sky are their kites. The boys were very excited and couldn't believe how high they flew. Grandma, who is not an experienced kite-flyer, was quite taken with the experience, too. Had we had more string, they would have flown even higher. I was able to get one decent shot of Mathias' blue fish kite using the optical zoom on my camera. Bjorn was not very happy that the closeups of his green turtle kite were not good. I guess I should have had a tripod. We'll try again another day. There should be many fine kite-flying days in the weeks to come. Notice I said "should," and note that our grass is only just starting to turn green and the trees are still bare. On his way to the lake on Saturday, Cameron took a photo of the ground covered with snow in an area north of here. Is it any wonder many of the folks around here don't buy into the global warming theory? We just figure Mother Nature has a mind of her own. LOL.

How was your day? A good one, I hope! For me, it was one day down, four (sniff, sniff) to go! It'll be OK. That said, I'm off to do a couple of things before an early (before 11 p.m.) bedtime. Have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for stopping by!