THIS AND THAT

I think this is a pretty picture of the ice storm we had in 2008, but, sure hope we do not get another one any time soon!

We had 19 dgrees this morning, it is sunny but still cold. Was a good morning for whole wheat toast, eggs, bacon and gravy.

I needed a baby card for a boy and it was also for MMTPT Challenge on Tuesday. We were to use a Winnie The Pooh theme and since I didn't have any bear stamps I went searching. Found these American Craft bear stickers that I have had for ages and used them to represent Winnie the Pooh's family-Mrs. Winnifred, Willie and Wendy Pooh. So, you didn't know about the Pooh family?? It helps to still have part of your childhood imagination around. (Grin)

I thought this Thought for the Day, which I get in my inbox each day, was both humorous and on target.

"A blind, anemic, weak-kneed flea on crutches would have a greater chance of defeating a herd of a thousand wild stampeding elephants, than the enemy has of defeating God." -- Ray Comfort

POTPOURRI

I have been really lax in posting during November-will try to do better. Had a really nice Thanksgiving with family. Too much food, but very good!

I had this layered candle I had used in a Thanksgiving centerpiece last year, wanted to use it again but thought it needed to be dressed up some. I put a wide piece of brown ribbon around the middle, added a smaller leaf print ribbon then attached some cutout leaves I had stamped using Hero Arts Leaf Prints. I also added some toned striped ribbon at the top and bottom. I am also uploading a photo of the candle in the centerpiece.

Had my monthly Weigh In with the Wannabees on Wednesday and wasn't happy, back to counting carbs as I am diabetic. Since DH and I are both diabetic, I don't do much baking but saw this recipe somewhere that sounded easy and good. I plan to make a half batch and give some away or freeze for when I need a snack for guests. I love pumpkin and spices so these should be good.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies- 5 dozen

2 boxes of spice cake mix

1 stick of butter, softened

2 eggs

1 large can of Libby's pumpkin

2 cups of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. mix ingredients and scoop spoonfuls of pumpkin batter onto greased cookie sheets. bake for 13 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks. Serve them warm with tall glasses of milk!

Now it is time to think about Christmas and all the events leading up to that happy time. Will post some Christmas cards I have made in a later post. I usually put my tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving but still don't have it up-planning on this weekend.

FALL CARDS

Here are a couple of 'fallish' cards I made but haven't posted.  The one above was made using SU Lovely As A Tree stamped on Canson watercolor paper and colored with a aquabrush and SU ink pads. The green panel was embossed using the Houndstooth Cuttlebug embossing folder.

I stamped the Hero Arts leaf stamp on some of the distressed pages from different Basic Grey pads using assorted ColorBox inks. Cut them out with detail scissors, glued to a frame and popped them up on the Basic Grey gold base. The cranberry swirls were cut using a Cuttlebug swirl die.  Added a sentiment and done!

WHITE OUT

This card was made for two challenges:

1.  One Layer Wednesday (OLW24) to use no white, cream, red or green on our holiday cards..

2. Splitcoaststampers (F4A34) to use no white on our winter cards.

 

My card base is SU Blush Blossom and the sleigh scene from SU Sleigh Bells Ring set is stamped using SU Eggplant Envy.  The sentiment is from a Penny Black set-this and every year.  I used my Fiskars scoring blade and scored a couple of lines by the sentiment. Easy card to make and would be fast to duplicate if you have several holiday cards to make.

                                            

CARD TIME

I have been Bad about posting the cards I have been making lately.  Here are a few; hope you enjoy.

I gave this card to my youngest daughter for her recent 40th birthday!  I cut 1 1/4" squares out of blue/brown designer papers and glued to the chocolate mat.  I stamped a sentiment on one of the middle squares and added a chocolate satin ribbon.

This was made for a Tuesday Tea Party Challenge-we were to use butterflies on our cards. I stamped, watercolored, cut out and then embossed the butterfly with clear embossing powder.  I added some gold stick on bling to the body of the butterfly and on the sheer white ribbon.

A friend who crochets made the little crocheted flowers and gave me some so I made this card to send to her as a thank you card.  Love the little flowers.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

Wishing everyone a Happy Fourth of July weekend.  We will be celebrating with a BBQ tomorrow evening with family. 

The Ways To Use It Challenge this week was to make a patriotic card EXCEPT you couldn't use any hue of red or blue on your card.  How un-patriotic!  (Grin)  I used More Mustard cardstock as my base card and layered with some music designer paper from Provo Craft.  Stamped the small stars with Chocolate Chip ink on More Mustard then cut them out and popped them up with pop up dots.  I used a star punch for the large star and layered with a smaller star.  I printed off the words to America the Beautiful, distressed the edges and used Old Paper distress ink to sponge for an older look. I liked the untraditional colors.  Here is the finished card.

I first started stamping in early 1997.  Here are a few Patriotic themed items I have made through the years.

I think this card was made for Jan at the beginning of the school year-probably when she went to teach in middle school.

 

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A easy, simple card.  The mat and star are made from a blue and silver gift bag.

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Stamped the star from Love It on Georgia Pacific white using Cranberry and Not Quite Navy ink. Stamped and cut out enough stars to double layer, slightly off center, using Scotch Pop Dots. Added some designer paper  from Hobby Lobby on one side and used a piece of yarn for accent.

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I have had this unpainted wooden box for a long time. I collect Americana items so decided to paint it with that theme.

I painted using a light coat of DecoArt Colonial Blue so the woodgrain would show through. Painted the star with DecoArt Burgundy and antiqued both with FolkArt Antiquing medium. Antiqued the second star and added a red and gold dotted grosgrain ribbon around the lid.

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The pouch was made using a business size envelope. Stamped some stars on the envelope and then cut out on each side for the handle. Put some blue tissue paper inside and added some red yarn and a tag. I did have some small flags added.

Sure do wish it would rain but the chances don't sound too good right now.  Went to Cabool yesterday evening to see The Wall That Heals-The Traveling VietNam Veterans Memorial and Museum. Had seen it a few years ago in another town-still impressive the second time.  My youngest brother was killed in Vietnam and we saw his name on the wall. Congrats to Cabool for a fine display over the holiday weekend.

CATCHING UP ON CARDS

Will take a break from flower photos to show a few cards I have made recently.  Will be back later with more garden shots. Something these cards all have in common, except for the yellow daisy card,  is the sentiment, Just A Note.  I love using the sentiment by Rubber Stampede and stamp it direct to the paper.  The card can then be used for about any occasion.

I have three Splitcoaststamper Challenges going here: 1. Tuesday Color Challenge 267 to use Basic Gray, Apricot Appeal and Sage Shadow, 2. Wednesday Sketch Challenge 277 and 3. WT267 to mix our patterns. I used Basic Grey Wisteria dp for my paper patterns matted with Basic Gray and Sage Shadow as my base card.  The paper flower is from my stash.  I really like these colors together.

Easy, simple card. I used punches for the owl (EK Success)  and leaves (Sissix die) and glued them to the base card which I had scored to make a frame.

I used the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder on the yellow cardstock.  The daisies I bought at Wal-Mart.  I must be in a simple and easy phase right now.

This card was super easy.  Used designer paper from the Dollar Store, layered on Ballet Blue cardstock.  The bird was punched from Ballet Blue using the SU 2 Step Bird and Branch punch.  LOVE PUNCHES!!

TONED DOWN DAISY

On the Try A New Technique Challenge, TLC270, we were to select a card we had previously made and  ramp it up or tone it down.  If you make cards with lots of layers-do less.  If you do more simple cards-do more.  The daisy card in the post below is the one I toned down.  Here is the toned down version:

This card qualifies as a Clean and Simple card or CAS.  I used the same stamp, ink and paper just less of it and no designer paper.  I used red jewels on this version instead of the diamond jewels on the ramped up version.  I think I may like the toned down version best.

UPSY DAISY

I have been spending most days outside getting the flower beds cleaned out and we have been having some wonderful weather for working outside. Plan to work outside awhile today. 

I haven't been stamping much but here is a card I made Sunday for the Featured Stamper Challenge and the Way To Use It Challenge, to use piercing on our card.  I love SU Upsy Daisy stamp and use it on a lot of cards.  I did some paper piercing on the white panel. I used Linen background stamp in red to make the background before stamping the daisies and sentiment in red. I added a butterfly using the Martha Stewart butterfly punch and added a jeweled trail.  The red flowered panel is a strip of Honey pie designer paper by Cosmo Cricket.

POTPOURRI

I haven't stamped in over a week what with one thing or the other.  Spent 4 hours in the ER last Friday morning-all kinds of tests to see if I was having a heart attack.  Thankfully, not!!  Gave me Zantac for my stomach which they think was the problem.  Had visitation, memorial and burial for one of DH's cousins and family dinner on Saturday and then  to my sister's on Sunday for Easter dinner.  Tuesday was the day I play cards/games with some friends and yesterday morning was Weigh In Day and then out of town for some van parts.  In between have been trying to get taxes completed-they went to the tax office this morning-what a relief!! 

Here are some cards I had made earlier and never uploaded--

The next card is called a Shaker card.  Shake it and the glitter down in the corner moves around. I was going to take this for my sister Easter Sunday but forgot!

Ecclesiastes 3:1

I made this card for SplitCoastStampers Color Challenge 263 to use colors: Pretty In Pink, Dusty Durango and Creamy Carmel. I used white as my neutral.  I stamped the image from Long-Time Friends on textured mat paper by K&Company using black Stazon ink.  I watercolored with DerWent watercolor pencils using a aquabrush.  The designer paper is Basic Grey Sugared and I used a Martha Stewart border punch on Creamy Carmel along the top.  The sentiment Ecclesiastes 3:1, is a sticker by EK Success from a package I bought at Wal-Mart.  The embossilet butterfly by Stampin Up' was given to me by my independent Stampin' Up demo in a 'goodie package' along with my last order. Thanks Patty!   I now want to order that embossilet die.

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Today, March 20, 2010 is the first day of Spring in our part of the world. Twice a year, around March 20 or 21 and September 22 or 23, the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal in all parts of the world. These two days are known as the March(vernal or spring in the northern hemisphere) equinox and the September equinox. These are my two favorite times of the year-Spring and Fall.  To honor Spring (although it is supposed to turn colder this afternoon with rain, sleet and snow after almost 70 degrees yesterday) here are a couple of cards I recently made.

Seems I have needed several Get Well and Sympathy cards lately and these will do for either occasion. Both are Challenge cards, the first for Color Challenge 262 to use Rich Razzleberry or Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive and Orchid Opulence.  The second card is for Featured Stamper 162.

A FAIRY TALE

Today's F4A3 Free For All on SplitCoastStampers is Fairy Tales. We were to make a card based on a fairy tale.  I couldn't think of any stamps I had but happened to think of this paper after I read Anne's grandson's version of the Princess and the Pea on her blog.  http://www.inkinginred.blogspot.com/ So Thanks Anne, your blog post jogged my memory that I had this Sweet Little Pea dp from ProvoCraft. My card is to depict the reward of a happy marriage beween the prince and the princess. I cut the paper so little sweet pea could be my sentiment. Used a round and a round scalloped punch for one of the little pods and popped it up on dimensionals. The embossing along the side is made using a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  The card base is Stampin' Up Bashful Blue; my camera shot it a little on the green side.  Another baby card for my stash!  Here is the completed card:

MASCULINE SYMPATHY

F4A1 Challenge to use Textures, Patterns and a color you don't use very often on your card.

My base card is Kraft and my texture is the faint Versamark Antique Cracking stamped on the Sahara Sand image panel and the distressing on the Not Quite Navy and Sahara Sand panels. Pattern is the plaid wallpaper sample which is also textured and the color I don't use much is Sahara Sand. I really like this collage stamp from INKADINKADOO I bought at Michaels. I stamped it using Not Quite Navy ink on the Sahara Sand cardstock; used scissors to distress the edges of the panels. It makes nice birthday or sympathy cards for a guy and I needed one to send today.

Patty, your mother sent Leon a neat birthday card and I need to find out the collage stamp she used-I really like 'collagey' type stamps. I want to welcome you, and my niece Dawn, to my blog-hope to stay up to date. Bev J.

This card is also for Sharon Johnson's SSnotime128 challenge to make a sympathy card.

COLOR THROWDOWN

This is my first card for the Color ThrowDown (click on title above for link to CTD Blog). Today CTD81 was to use brown, pink, white and Olive on our card.

My card is also for SCS Sketch Challenge 269 featuring a triangle.

Card base is Pink Pirouette. The triangle dp and rectangle panel are from Basic Grey. The rose image is from Anna Griffin and was stamped on GP White using Old Olive ink. I used a small brush and Pretty in Pink ink to color the roses. Sponged with Pretty in Pink and highlighted the roses with Martha Stewart Dandelion ink. I used a small hand held punch for the dots I put on the rectangle panel.

I enjoyed working with the colors and the sketch though I usually don't use this many layers!

PUNCHY SUNFLOWER

My card is for TLC261 (try a new technique) which today was to create a card using punches, die cuts, etc., and CAS55 (clean and simple) Redo; to redo a card you had created before. The above card I chose to redo and is the basis for my punchy card below. There are a few things left from the previous card but I changed several things: colors, added stem, leaf and bees. I added one die cut bee to cover a glue mistake-he looked lonely so I added another then remembered Julia telling us in WT257 Odds are...that odd items are usually more visually appealing that even items-so I added the third bee! If I could Redo again I would have the third bee coming from a greater distance to maybe help balance the top a little. Someone suggested I should have left a bee trail but it is done now!

I used Stampin' Up small oval punch for the petals in Summer Sun and leaf in Olive Green, large and small oval for the sentiment, SU scalloped punch and hand held circle punch for the center of the sunflower. The stem is a piece of Olive Green cardstock and the Cuttlebug die cut bees are cut from Imagine That designer paper.

MISSOURI WALTZ

The Limited Supplies Challenge 259 was not so much limited supplies but limited ideas. With President's Day this month our challenge was to make a card based on information about a president. My waltzing couple is to represent the song 'The Missouri Waltz' associated with President Harry S. Truman who was from Missouri.

The Missouri Waltz is Missouri's State Song and was played during President Harry Truman's presidential campaign. He didn't especially like the song and grew tired of hearing it played so often. Here is more on what he had to say and he always spoke his mind.

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/trivia/waltz.htm

Coral Daisies

Our challenge on the SCS Limited Supplies (LSC260) Challenge was to use a border punch and ribbon on our card.

Stampin' Up Cameo Coral is used for my base card layered with kraft Cuttlebugged with the swiss dots embossing folder. Stamped Upsy Daisy on GP white with CC ink. I might have fudged a little by using paper ribbon and bow (love that Martha Stewart bow punch)-don't use fabric ribbon much anymore. I tend to do things in cycles so if I ever decide to use fabric ribbon I have a lot of it in my stash! I forget the name of the scalloped punch and see I also forgot to trim off the right side.

My card is based on a card I really liked but right now I have forgotten who it was. Thanks for the inspiration if you recognize your card with the changes.

ORANGE LOVE

The Ways To Use It Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers was to use the color orange on you card-some way-some where.

I don't have orange cardstock so I used SU Pumpkin Pie as my touch of orange. The flower background and sentiment is from a Lori Siebert cardmaking block 'Sweet Life'. The flower and leaves are punched using a Cuttlebug flower die and the stem is a sliver of Rose Red.

Have several cards to post I made during my "blog vacation" and since. Will hopefully get them uploaded in the next few days.