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.

GREAT DAY

Except for the cigarettes and prozac, this could be me this morning-slow. Be back later!

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.

Squirrels lunch and remains.................

My daughter shot these photos on one of her photo shoots-A red squirrel enjoying lunch. The remains of his lunch-looks like he enjoyed the treats!
The remains of his lunch....................

Daisies For Spring.......

The CAS54 Challenge (Clean and Simple) today was to make a spring card.

One of my favorite wildflowers is the oxy-eye daisy that blooms April and May here in SW Missouri. I bought these layered daisies by K&Company while at Wal-Mart this morning. They are double layered with glitter on the end of the petals, a dotted center and come on dimensionals. Stamped a swirl by Rhonna Farrer Swirls with Stampin' Up Certainly Celery ink on Georgia Pacific white; layered some of the daisies in three sizes. The sentiment is computer generated, punched with the round punch then layered on a CC scalloped circle. Scored a line at top and bottom of CC base card using my Fiskars cutter and wooden folder.

It has been a cold and wet winter and I am looking forward to SPRING!

Snowy Photos

Winter Wonderland------------------

Snow on a pine branch-------------------

A snowy drive--------------

A snowy coneflower head------------------

Iris cup Caesar's Brother----------------------

I am back after an absence of a few months. Have been dealing with some health issues but am feeling more like my old self and am ready to stamp, take photos and look ahead to spring!!

We have been having a cold and wet winter. The photos above are some my daughter took of some snowy scenes. Enjoy!

FOR THE GUYS

I bought two stamps recently that are suitable for making cards to send to a man. The first one is a Time Collage stamp by InkaDinkaDo; I bought this stamp at Michaels.

I used Stampin' Up Creamy Caramel cardstock for my base. I made the background by stamping the SU Canvas background stamp using SU Creamy Caramel ink on Creamy Caramel cardstock. I then stamped the Time Collage stamp on the background using SU Chocolate Chip ink. I layered the image panel on SU Chocolate Chip cardstock panel after using the SU ticket punch on the corners. I then layered it on the CC base card using Scotch double sided tape. The sentiment is a stamp by Embossing Arts my daughter found for me at a flea market. The deer stamp I bought at Hobby Lobby; it is called 'gathering' by Penny Black. I like monotone cards like the one above so decided to do this one in blue! I probably should have switched the colors on the cards around; but blue deer are a novelty-right?

SU Almost Navy is my cardstock base. I used the SU Flannel Plaid background stamp with Almost Navy ink to stamp on SU Very Vanilla cardstock. The deer were stamped using Almost Navy ink on Very Vanilla Cardstock and the sentiment was stamped in Almost Navy. I added a couple of eyelets on the panel, threaded navy yarn through the eyelets and tied my small bow. I kept it clean and simple.

SEDUMS,SEDUMS and more SEDUMS

I love sedums in all their glory, whether it be just the foliage, when they first start to set on flowers and all the stages in between. I like to leave the flower heads on all winter for added interest when there is not much else going on. This variegated sedum was given to me by a friend and in moving beds around somehow I lost this one. Need to replace it as it is lovely.

Low sprawly grower is Sedum 'Vera Jameson'. Like the wonderful dark leaves.

This is Sedum 'Neon' and neon it is, a very pretty rose color which is striking. Love it, will be dividing it this fall when I redo the bed it is in.

Sedum 'Matrona' has a wonderful bloom and look at the beautiful reddish purple stems! A good one!
For some reason I posted two pics of 'Euphorbia Cyparissias' and haven't figured out how to delete one without deleting the whole post, so ignore the one below. :>)

This isn't really a sedum but a spurge, but makes me think of a sedum. It has attractive yellow gold blooms and is good on a slope or bank as it will cascade. Common names are: Cypress Spurge, Bonapart's Crown, Graveyard Moss, Poor Man's Evergreen (the common name I know it by). It can be invasive as it reseeds and spreads by rhizomes. It can very easily be pulled out from where it is a pest for you. You are cautioned to wear gloves as some people are allergic to the sap in the stems.
Sedum 'Frosty Morn' is one of my favorites. It has a white edging on the leaves. Sometimes will try to revert back to solid green. I pull out the green ones. Sedum 'Autumn Joy'. I have several of this one as they are easy to find and propagate easily. I love it for its foliage and when the flowers first appear in green, to white, to all shades of pink to rusty red and then the dried seedheads in winter. One of the best all around sedums, very popular and seen it most yards.

BIRTHDAY PANSIES

A friend in our Card/Craft group has a birthday this month so I will be taking her this card today. She likes anything purple so I used this basket of pansies, roses and lily of the valley. The base card is dark purple cardstock with sparkly designer paper as the next layer. The white cardstock was embossed on the left side using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. Used RoseArt markers, PrismaColor pencils blended with Gamsol and a white Souffle pen by Sakura to color the flowers and basket. The Happy Birthday is stamped with Violet ink. The two small flowers laying beneath the basket are embossed stickers from the Life's Journey package by K & Company. Added some highlights with a glitter pen. I think she will like it.

I LOVE IRIS!

When I first became interested in rubber stamping and making greeting cards I came across a stamping site that has really helped me grow as a card maker by doing the daily challenges they have each day. If anyone is interested click on the title above to this blog and it will take you there or here is the link.

http://splitcoaststamper.com/



The Iris have all bloomed out in my garden and are history until next year. Here are some iris cards I have made and want to share with you.





For this card challenge we were to use twill on our cards. For the masking; I cut a circle out of a piece of cardstock, discarded the cut out circle to my scrapbox (I save most pieces of cardstock and designer papers). I then used the cardstock hole as my mask. I layed it on a piece of white cardstock, stamped my image, sponged around the edges with ink and then removed the mask. I then colored the iris with watercolor pencils and added some accents with a gold glitter pen. The purple twill is held on with silver eyelets.

This a little different and I like the look. The iris and butterflies are stamped on a piece of vellum and colored with ink. Then take an embossing tool and emboss on the back of the iris being careful to not break through the vellum. Pierced around the edges with a piercing tool and the corners are made with a decorative punch.

This is the same masking technique only using an oval on white cardstock.

The crackled background is made using a stamp as is the sentiment. The iris here is a sticker by Jolee. Easy card.

This was one of the first cards I made and I love the colors with pink-one of my favorite colors. The lace is white with small pearls . I used an oval punch to punch out the iris. Added little square pink brads for accent.

SOME MORE FAVORITES

Most all of my daylilies are favorites. I have downsized my garden and sold some plants, give to family and friends so what I have left are the ones I really like. All my dayliles are older ones; I think the newest I have is from 2000, a Wild daylily called Mount Hope, will post a photo of it later.

Raspberry Candy-one of the Candy Series

Black Eye-and the eye is almost black.

Wild One-This is wonderful in a clump!

Pat Stamile hybredized a line of daylilies called the Candy series. This Blackberry Candy.

Not a real clear photo but this is Jungle Eyes; love the color combination.

FAVORITES

Here are some photos of some of my favorites for this year. With all the rains we had early on the daylilies have flourished. Enjoy! Will add some more later. Emperor's Butterfly with Verbena Bonariensis. Love the verbena waving above the daylilies.

Janice Brown is a Stout Medal Winner (1994) the highest award given to daylilies.

Designer Jeans-love the name of this beauty!

Always Afternoon-another Stout Medal Winner (1997). It starts blooming fairly early and blooms for a long time with lots of scapes and buds. Ornamental grass Miscanthis Morning Light behind and variegated iris in front.

Along The Way. I really like this plant that I bought from Wild's several years ago. Peach with a dark purple eye it is really striking!

DAYLILY SEASON

I haven't posted in awhile but this is now mid-season for my daylilies and I wanted to show you what has been or is now blooming in my yard. These are early and mid-season bloomers. I have several lates that will soom be blooming and some of the daylilies in these photos will be blooming or some will be sending up rebloom scapes. I don't have a lot of reboomers-would like to add more.



This is what I call my Snowball Bed. In the lower left corner by the rock, is a Weigela bush. In the middle is the Snowball and the South end, which is hidden, is anchored by a Smoke Tree. Some companion plants I have used are Verbena Bonariensis which I grew from seed and reseeds, Lythrum Morden's Gleam, feverfew that I grew from seed, Aster October Skies, tall bearded iris on one end and a wild hyssop that I let grow.

This is the arbor my husband built in our back yard. On the left is a huge rock he brought in from the field with our cat loader. Behind the rock is a wild hydrangea I bought at a Missouri Conservation booth. It has settled in and bloomed this year. There are also two Goldmound Spireas and two clumps of Oriental Ruby daylilies. On the right are Sweet Autumn Clematis which will have the top covered when they bloom later on. Towards the end of the bed you will see a ornamental grass I love, Miscanthus Morning Light.

Part of a bed looking west-beautiful this year. This bed has daylilies, Strictus ornamental grass, Crepe Myrtle Watermelon, Siberian Iris, Goldflame Spirea, purple coneflowers, clematis, Weigela Java and a white Daisy Fleabane which is a wildflower I let grow there this year; I love it with the red daylilies growing near by. Edgers are Veronica Sunny Border Blue, Salvia May Night, Siskiyou Evening Primrose which can be agressive but I love the way they wander in and about the daylilies. By the rock is a sedum groundcover that I finally found the name for but can't recall right now. I hate when that happens. GRIN

Lythrum Morden's Gleam is against my West Fence bed with daylilies. That is Red Volunteer leaning in behind so it could get in the picture. The trellis is for a clematis that was moved and is trying to decide whether to live there.

Part of my Apple Tree daylily bed. There used to be a big old apple tree in the middle but it slowly died away. I replaced it with a Cleveland Pear but still call it the apple tree bed. To the right is a big snag my neighbor called to see if I wanted. He knows I like old stumps, driftwood, etc. as accents so my husband brought in it with the tractor-I think it has character. GRIN Along with the daylilies I added Verbena Bonariensis, Nepeta Walker's Low, Variegated Iris, Heliopsis Loraine Sunshine which is flopping from the middle. I need to read and see whether I should divide, cut back or put a cage around it. Do any of you have any thoughts on dividing heliopsis'?

CHERRY BLOSSOM TIME

My youngest daughter teaches history at our local middle school. She is going to Washington D.C. the last of May. A friend whose son lives in that area sent these pictures through to her. Beautiful!! Jefferson Memorial
Washington Monument Weeping Cherry



You that live in the DC area are truly lucky to have all this beauty in the spring.