To heal your heart

 As I look out the window I am seeing the first snow flurries of the season. A far cry from what is falling in the UP. Yesterday they woke up to 4 inches of snow on the ground and were expecting another 6-8. Let's just say I very happy to be a lot further south than that.

I made this card awhile ago for a dear friend whose brother had just passed away. She was very close to him which makes it all the more painful. I think the memories from our childhood helps us to stay young and she certainly had enough great memories to stay a kid forever. I hope her heart is starting to heal. There is nothing like friedship to help make bad things feel better. When I think back to my childhood I am very fortunate to have such wonderful memories. My parents provided a very safe and loving home. We didn't get everything we wanted but we got more than some. In hind site I am thankful for my parents setting limits with us, and I am sure the people that are in my life are just as thankful. No one likes a spoiled brat.

Today's card is once again using the designer paper as the focal point of the card. It is from Pinkpaislee called London Market. I went over the main designs with a Stardust Gel pen which you can see better in the image below. I stamped one of the labels from Our Daily Bread's Bird & Butterfly Labels that coordinated with Spellbinders Label 18. Even though the ODB stamps are rather pricey this is one that I was very much willing to spend the money on and I find I get a big bang for my buck with it. The three newspaper print embellishments in the upper right were purchased at a stamping convention and since I emptied them into jars, I no longer have the packaging. They look like the left over pieces from punching holes in card stock. I am sure you would need an industrial punch for this and a strong arm. I have others that are metallic with dots and stripes.

 

 

Ok, I am back from a two hour siesta. I have the house to myself this weekend and I take every chance to do exactly what I want, when I want. My hair hasn't even seen a hairbrush today (or shampoo as far as that goes) and I'm lovin' it. No, not the image of myself in a mirror, just the fact that I can. I think I will spend the evening up in the studio making some thank you cards for recent birthday gifts and then onto some Christmas cards. I usually make all 45 cards the same and it's a major production line but that is because I usually don't start them in time and that it the quickest way I can get them all made. My friend says she would get too bored doing them all the same. This year I am trying it her way and because I am starting early enough I might just be able to pull it off. Wish me luck!

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

All brown

I just love this background stamp from Stamp Camp because it looks like designer paper. I did stamp it on paper that looked distressed to begin with. I picked it up as an unmounted stamp at a convention and it is very versatile in any color. I decided to keep the colors in the same hue family. The frame is from Our Daily Bread called Bird & Butterfly Labels and it fits the Spellbinders Label 18. The stamp set has 5 different sizes and there is a die for each one. I was very hesitant to buy this set of stamps because it was very pricey for 5 stamps, but it I felt it was worth the money. The birthday sentiment is from Stampin' Up called Petite Pairs and I stamped everything in Momento Rich Cocoa. I have a nice stash of seam binding ribbon in several different colors. A few of my friends and I each purchased a bolt of ribbon that came in 100 yard lengths and then we spilt them into 20 yards each and shared. It is a nice way to get a variety of good quality ribbon. There is nothing better than sharing.

 I cooked a turkey dinner this weekend. Each employee at the hospital where I work receives a turkey and since I didn't have room in my freezer, I had to cook mine as soon as it thawed. I cooked the whole Thanksgiving dinner except for the rolls and pumpkin pie. I have to let you in on a little secret. My husband is all into these little contests the car dealerships offer. I think since he is home all the time he is into anything that gets him out of the house. He never wins it big but usually it's a blanket or a grocery gift card. This time it was a voucher for a turkey or ham up to $12, so it looks like we will have another turkey for the real day. What ever floats his boat.

This week I am teaching our stamp club how to stamp on dominoes to make jewelry. I did this several years ago so I had better dig out my notes to refresh my memory and make a few samples. I hope you are all enjoying fall. It is one of my favorite seasons even if it means snow is right behind it.

~have fun and enjoy!

Designer paper is your friend!

 

 

Happy November, well maybe it will be after November 6th. I am not looking forward to the long lines for voting this year. I swear, just when I think I have it figured out, another add comes on TV supporting the opposite of what I was planning on voting. As the adds have pointed out that when you read the proposals just as they are, there is a lot of unsaid messages. I guess I won't know until I hit the booth, or the bottle!

 

This is a very quick card again with the designer paper doing most of the work (I am having a lazy month). The designer paper is 6x6 London Market from Pink Paislee. There is quite a bit of Paris themed paper in it as well. I put some glitter on the pink flowers that is part of the paper and then I highlighted the words and butterflies with my Stardust Sakura gell pen. I wish I was better at photography that I could capture these in my photos, but since I am not, you will just have to take my word for it. I also used Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles.

 

 When you are in a hurry to make a card, let the designer paper do the work. I find that paper that has images and words can usually do the trick and I tend to gravitate to the vintage and shabby chic paper. I also like to use the smaller pads of paper (3x5, 6x6 or even 8x8) because the images are smaller and are a better proportion for a card. The next time you are in the paper isle at your favorite store and they have the same product in several sizes, take a look and you will see what I mean. The other great thing is you can buy two different ones for the price of a 12x12 pad.

 

 

Not much new on the home front. Getting ready for winter means putting away all the summer things and emptying out all the flower pots. Hubby is doing that today. The arrangement is that I do all the planting in the spring and in the fall he empties and puts everything away. I love that arrangement.

 

~Have fun and enjoy!