Old gent on 3 wheels

It's my baby brother's birthday tomorrow and this is the card he will be receiving in the mail. I can't believe he is 40 already. He is the baby of the family and my sister and I will always see him as such.

This is a great stamp for a masculine card. It is from Rubbernecker - "old gent on 3 wheels" and nothing is better for a man's card than stripes. The designer paper is called Oliver by Basic Grey. I have it in a 6x6 pad. I have mentioned it before but it is worth mentioning again. The designs on the paper of the smaller pads is smaller and fits a card much better than the same design of a 12x12.

I stamped the image in Midnight Muse and the card stock is Night of Navy, both from SU. I then used  Spellbinders Label 18 to cut him out. The card needed just a little something and I found the gold border in one of my packages of Magenta's sticker borders.

The kids will all be home for Christmas and there is still some decorating I need to finish. Unfortunately yesterday I was out with the DH putting up a few more outdoor decorations and as I stepped back to see how it looked, I tripped over the dog who had decided to lay down right behind me. Needless to say I looked like a tasered crazy lady as I was trying to catch my balance and ended up falling to the ground. Can you just picture the arms and legs flailing in all different directions? I am sure anyone who saw it would not have used the word graceful what-so-ever. Anyway I managed to get up and give the dog a look that made him even run.  I landed on my chest with my right arm underneath me. I didn't feel too bad until I tried to climb into bed last night. 800 mg of Motrin wasn't giving me much relief and I was amazed I was able to crawl out of bed this morning. I will give it a few days to see if it is just a pulled chest muscle. Even if it is a cracked rib or two, there isn't anything more that would be done for it except added radiation to tell me it's cracked.

I am sure hoping those elves find their way into my house to finish the decorating and maybe even some baking. What- I've been a good girl this year! OK even if they just finish the decorating I would be happy.

~Have fun and enjoy!

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!

October Queen

 

This is a birthday card fit for an October Queen. I am just not sure who the Queen is (mine isn't until next month). The colors were just fitting and the crown was a last minute thought to add to the card. I love this pad of designer paper. It is Lost & Found -Two from My Mind's Eye that I got 50% off from Hobby Lobby.

 

I feel a little bad because there is very little stamping on this card, but it it a great way to make a quick gorgeous card. Look for designer paper that has images or panels like the one I used today. The only thing that is stamped is the birthday sentiment which I embossed with copper embossing powder. I am not sure who makes the birthday font. It is a cling that I have in with all of my wood birthday stamps, but any thing would work. The brown swirls are a Memory Box die called Scroll work and I cut them out of bronze metallic paper. The other swirls are part of the design in the paper. The flowers are some from a dollar store. The crown is a package of diecuts from Kaisercraft called Lost Icons.

 

 

Below is a better picture of the scrolls. I just love this die because it can be added in a small area or behind something to fill in yet it doesn't overtake the card.

 

 

Another beautiful fall day here in Michigan. I wish this meant it was going to be a mild winter but I'm not putting any bets on that one. The leaves have passed their pretty colors and there are a few bare trees now. We will have to wait to see what the next few weeks brings.

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

 

A pretty corset

 Another quick week has flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was in my studio for the entire day last weekend. I had the house to myself (and you all know what a vacation that is for me) so I just spent the time doing what I enjoy most. Not only did I do a lot of die cutting but I managed to make a few cards as well. This is a stamp that I bought at a stamping convention back in August made by Stampendous called Rose Corset. I had these ivory panels that I picked up at a sale the YMCA was having when they were moving to a newer building. My son Elliot was working there at the time and I was able to buy quite a bit before the sale started. I don't think I will ever run out of envelopes. Most of the stationary items had been donated and several were unopened. Before anyone starts asking what embossing folder I used on them let me tell you that the panels came already embossed. If you click on the images you can see the detail a bit better.

I got out my Prisma colored pencils which I don't use as much as I should. The blending with Gamsol didn't work as nice on this paper as it wasn't very smooth. I used the following colors on the corset- Jade Green 1021 and Slate Green 936. The flowers were done with Blush Pink 928, Spanish Orange 1003 and Yellowed Orange 1002. The leaves were done with Marine Green 988 and Zest De Lime 1005. I added some glitter to the flowers and silver pearls for the buttons. I didn't add a sentiment because I didn't have much room and I wanted the image to stand alone.

 

 

 It has been raining most of the day but I am just happy it isn't snow. We have had a few nights that were a bit frosty, but the plants still look good. The leaves are still beautiful but it won't be long before they are all on the ground. It is going to be windy tomorrow so I am sure the lawn will be a pretty color of red and orange. Every thing is calm on the home front. My son did 8 more days of high dose radiation. The margins of the tumor they removed were clean, but when they dissected the tumor, it was still very healthy inside. The tumor board at U of M suggested radiation but said it was his call. His cancer is rare so the treatment plan isn't routine. They said there is a high chance it will return in two years, but we will deal with that if and when it happens. We just have to get through this first. I don't have the time or energy to be worrying about something that we have no control over. I just saw a quote that said the other side of fear is freedom and that is what I choose.

~Have fun and enjoy!

Doily Squares

 I am on vacation in my own house. I have it all to myself to do whatever I want, but you won't find me dancing naked on the table. It is a perfect fall day and the colors outside my window are absolutely beautiful. I fell like I should be posting something more for fall but this is one of my favorite creations that I made lately.

I used the dies from Quickutz called Nesting Doily Squares. The designer paper is from ColorBok-Sweet Summer which is a brand that Walmart carries for only $5 a pack. The card stock is of course from SU- Buckaroo Blue (old color) and Lucky Limeade. The leaves on the flower are from MS punch called Frond and I punched them out of SU Pear Pizzazz. The flower is from Trico that is a brand at the $ store. The white floral trim is exactly that - satin trim from JoAnn Fabrics and it is on top of a panel that I punched out with MS Deco Fan edge punch. If you click on the image above, you can see a crystal stick pin which is from Maya Road. The main image is from the SU stamp set called Punch Potpourri and I went over the flowers with a Sakura Gelly Roll Clear Star pen. I put some blue rhinestone gems on the flowers and the corners of the white doily square.

My friend Carol sent me home with her beloved case of Memory Box dies to use this weekend. I felt like I needed an armed guard to follow me home with such a prized possession. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful friend in my life- not just because she shares her things with me, but because she is just such a beautiful person. We are always there for each other and when she hurts I hurt, so I am sending my love and prayers to her today.

~Have fun and enjoy!