The Sofa Lady

FRIEND card!

2011-07-09T11:54:00.002-04:00

I love the quilted look and most everything vintage. This is a card I did for a friend who had our family over for lunch - the whole lot of us (6 total, plus our pooch). It was a great time and she is a great friend!

Center-step card.

2011-06-18T08:15:00.002-04:00

This is a card I made for a family whom I've only met once. Two of their sons are in the military and one was seriously wounded. This, along with more cards from other friends, was sent to brighten their day...knowing they were being thought about and prayed for.

Wedding Invitation to Wedding Card

2011-06-11T20:59:00.002-04:00

Here's the wedding invitation we received in the mail.

And here's the card I made for the happy couple out of their own invitation!

First (of several) Shadow Box cards!

2011-06-06T16:53:00.001-04:00

Here's the first Shadow Box card I did. So simple!

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-28T21:26:00.004-04:00

Here's the cake Hannah made in honor of our Pig Roast at church tomorrow. And in case you're wondering, yes...it's homemade! Vanilla with buttercream frosting and fondant!

Happy Birthday Seth!

2011-05-28T09:19:00.004-04:00

A very sweet boy at my church is turning 3 this weekend. His favorite color is "camo!" Here's his birthday card, though I wish I had of done the candles and balloons in camo instead of the "background." He's 3...what will he care? Will he even notice? I doubt it!

Hannah Turns 15!

2011-05-25T08:40:00.001-04:00

Here's Hannah's birthday card for her 15th birthday! She's truly becoming a remarkable young lady!

And Another Year Goes By...

2011-05-19T21:24:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone!

I can't believe it's been almost a year to the day that I last posted! Where has the time gone?

I've done alot of crafting this past year and will post a few favorites soon.

Everyone well?

Did You Miss Me?

2010-03-21T11:05:00.002-04:00

What better way to get back in the swing of things here on my blog than to post a card of something I love...socks! My friend, Colleen, surprised me with not one, not two, but three pairs of Easter socks last week, and this is the card I made her to express my utmost thanks and appreciation!

I apologize for being so delinquent in my blogging duties. Life has a way sometimes of getting busier and more demanding than one would like, which is exactly what happened to me! Don't know how often I'll be able to post, but I'll try to do something at least once per week, ok?

Blessings all around!

One More Post Today...

2009-09-23T19:23:00.005-04:00

September 8, 2009 - Back to School for the kids!

And one more card I forgot to put in the previous post. This was a card we did in Orlando at the Super Craftshow. I sent it to a friend for her birthday. (I tried to move it to the bottom of this post but it wouldn't go so I guess I'm leaving it here.)

Oh, I just love my kids!

Did you notice my youngest daughter has her Bible in her hand in additition to another reading book?

Feast or Famine!

2009-09-23T17:58:00.009-04:00

Well, you've got 26 or 27 cards to look at here.

It's not that I haven't been crafting - I have!

I've just not been posting.

Life has a way of happening you know!

These aren't in any specific order so I will quickly just tell you what occasion each was done for. Okay?

This first one is for my niece, Emily. Her birthday is coming up so it's still sitting in my craft room waiting to be mailed.

And this one was for a friend who gave me some Gamsol so I could play with my new pencils.

And this one was for my brother's girlfriend who had a birthday without me knowing about it. It's a little "belated" greeting!

And this one is for a friend's husband who had some skin cancer removed from his face. I know, the bandaids are in the wrong place but it's the only stamp I had that even remotely came close to a male having a boo-boo!

This one was for a very dear friend of mine whom I used to work with at the furniture store. Just a note of encouragement.

And this one's for a friend whose having a birthday in October. Yes, it's still sitting in my craft room too!

This one's for the group who had us in to minister at their Bible camp. It's just a little thank you that the whole family will sign and I'll eventually get in the mail!

This one's for my father-in-law's birthday. He really is "one of a kind!" Awesome and wonderful man! I love him!

This one's for a friend's birthday and is actually en route to California as we speak. The inside reads "...appreciate what is." In this case, the birthday boy (man) is "what is and yes! We appreciate him!"

This one's for a friend's church whose having a rededication service in a couple of days. My husband is the guest speaker at the event! Reason to celebrate indeed!

And this one was for another friend's ordination. He and his family have been missionaries in Khazakstan for 8 years, soon to be missionaries in China.

This is one of the cards I did at our church Stamp Camp in August. I wanted to get everyone in the Christmas spirit!

A baby girl card for a couple at our church. The buggy has lights on it that lite up all over when the button is pushed! Fun!

Another Stamp Camp card that another friend did. (4 of us girls did 2 cards each. Sadly, I only have one of the girls' creations! 4 more beautiful cards are left unappreciated by you.)I sent this one to my hubby's brother and his wife for their anniversary recently.

Another Stamp Camp card done by the same girl who did the previous one. I sent this one to my mother-in-law for her birthday. She loved it!

And yet another Stamp Camp card that I did. I sent this one to the director of one of my kids' schools who was celebrating 50 years there!

My brother and sister-in-law's anniversary card.

A friend's daughter's wedding card. Don't you just love black and white together?

A thank you card to my daughter for the birthday gifts she brought me.

A thank you card to my friend for her birthday gift!

And a thank you card to my mom for her gift!

This one's for another friend's gift!

This one was for a very sad occasion. My 2nd daughter's friend from high school was killed in a car accident a couple weeks ago and this was the card I made for her family. Her favorite color was orange. If you think about it, please remember the Sherlock family in your prayers. It's been very rough time for them. (Thanks!)

This was my sister's birthday card. She was born the day after me only 6 years later. My husband thought this looked like "kids in a car seat" but clearly you can see that it's an ice cream sundae, right?

(Nearing the end here...)

This one was for my aunt in Oregon for her birthday.

And this one was for our kitchen crew at church who made me a gorgeous cake for my birthday! They're amazing, truly!

These are most of the cards that I've done since we've chatted. They're the ones I remembered to take pictures of anyways. Some got mailed or delivered without being preserved for posterity! Oh well...

See, I've been crafting, just not posting. Hopefully that will change from here on out but there are no guarantees!

I guess that's it!

Blessings to one and all!

I'm Back!

2009-08-17T07:50:00.003-04:00

Hi Everybody! I'm home once again! And it's good to be so. I still haven't caught my breath, but I have to tell you -- it was one glorious week! My hubby did an awesome job ministering (as did the other guest minister - they tag-teamed services). Our kids had a fabulous time too and have one common chant at this point - "We want to go back next year!" I think we'll have to make another line item in our budget so we can make it happen! Great fun for all!!!

The Delaware River looked like chocolate milk due to the rains "up river" which washed mud "down river" (as well as the powers that be having to release tons of water from the reservoirs due to them overflowing which caused even more mud to slide into the river)...so we didn't get to do the jet skiing, tubing or canoeing. But that's okay because we swam, played basketball, visited with new friends, took naps (yes! DH and I took naps nearly every day - can you believe it???). We ate 3 good meals a day like clockwork (8:30, 12:30 & 5:30) which were even more wonderful since I didn't have to cook them OR clean up the dishes afterwards. Hey, I could get used to this!!!

I took a craft box with me but only managed to make one card while away (too busy napping) so once I get that stuff all put away and get my craft room in order yet again, I'll be back with some creations, ok?

Hope you all missed me! Oh, and by the way, we were on the Pennsylvania side of the river, not New Jersey!

Home From Florida, Heading for New Jersey!

2009-08-04T09:01:00.005-04:00

Hello Everyone!!! I'm back from Florida and the CHA Craft Supershow, but this Saturday my family and I leave for New Jersey so this will be the only post until after we get back on the 15th! I know you'll miss me!

The Craft Supershow was amazing! Florida was way too hot and humid for my taste, so I've decided that's one place I'd never like to live - ever! Wow!

I dont' know what the final count was for attendance, but for what I saw and experienced, I'd say it exceeded their expected numbers. Since this was the first time they did an event like this, I'm sure they're already making their list of things to improve for the next time!

Here's a few pics from our trip.

This is a group shot of the team that went with the Ye Olde Outhouse.

Here we are setting up the booth. Isn't the outhouse the cutest thing you ever saw? The Assistant Pastor at our church made it for Betty. She and Kim drove with the thing on top of Betty's van all the way from New York to Florida! Lest you think they were totally out of their minds, it was in pieces and wrapped in a tarp to keep it safe from the rain (and they got ALOT).

This is Betty, owner of the Ye Olde Outhouse and the one with a huge vision for her company.

And this is Kim, Betty's traveling companion and all-around right arm through the whole process! She was the Master Teacher in all of the workshops and she did a fabulous job! Our students loved her!!! I found that she's quite a funny lady too. She kept us all in stitches with her funny stories and antics.

This is Bev, Betty's sister-in-law. She was an amazing asset to the team! She worked like the Energizer Bunny each and every day. What was so amazing about her was her bright heart and cheery attitude no matter the heat, humidity, hard work, or anything. She was a real joy to spend time with! She came all the way from Colorado to help Betty do this show.

And this is Colleen, the one who flew with me from New York and back! She, too, was a hard worker and a fun member of the team. She was Betty's top sales girl and sincerely did an awesome job doing what she was there to do! If ever you need someone to draw attention to something, Colleen's your girl! She had them coming in by the droves!

Doing this show was quite the experience!!! Alot was learned which will only prepare Betty for the next time she decides to do a show of this magnitude. Overall, everyone did an outstanding job and I, for one, was blessed to be a part of the team.

Now I'm preparing for our week away at a New Jersey Family Camp where my husband is the guest speaker. He'll preach 7 times in a matter of 5 days so it won't be a vacation for him but it will certainly be alot of fun for the family as a whole.

See you when I get back! Happy Stamping!

Craft Supershow, Here I Come!!!

2009-07-28T09:00:00.003-04:00

It's time once again to hit the friendly skies, this time to sunny Orlando, Florida!!! As you probably are aware, the CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) trade show is there this summer (they do these shows twice a year - I went in January to California to their winter one). For the first time ever, after the trade show for retailers, manufacturers, members of CHA, etc., they're having a Craft Supershow which will be open to the public. Expected attendance - 6,000!!!

My friend, Betty, owns a craft store called Ye Olde Outhouse. She was asked by the CHA echelon to host some workshops using different techniques and applications, not necessarily just cards, to which she agreed. The team (of which I am part) has been working for months preparing for this event. I will be one of the instructors at the 5 workshops on Friday and Saturday. Betty and Kim (the other instructor) are already in Orlando at the CHA. They drove down with a van jam-packed to the brim with necessities, plus the portable "outhouse" on top! (I'll have to send pics later.) Colleen and I (she'll be working at the booth selling stuff) fly out tomorrow morning. Then Bev, Betty's sister-in-law, is flying in from Colorado to work the booth as well.

This is to let you know that you won't be seeing me online for about a week. Please agree with us that "all will be well" and that the supershow will be a total success for everyone, especially Betty. She's really gone out on a limb for this!

Check out our classes too! Look under Education tab of the CHA Craft Supershow website, then under Ye Olde Outhouse projects!

Wish you all could go too! I'll report in when I return.

2 Special Ladies' Thank Yous

2009-07-24T07:45:00.008-04:00

Several weeks ago my youngest son sat at the kitchen table twirling his fingers through my crocheted table cloth while he ate his breakfast! I was devastated when I saw the result of his twirling - a hole the size of a baseball! This tablecloth is special to me because it's a special gift from my husband from one of his overseas trips, India if I remember right.

My friend, Carolyn, who knows everyone, said she had a friend who could fix it. Anna, when looking at the tablecloth, decided this was a job fit for her friend, Rosemary, as it was too detailed and beyond her expertise. Rosemary took the tablecloth, and having just had surgery on her arm, sat for a month repairing each and every stitch! You can't even tell where the hole was now! She did an amazing job! And after it was finished, she then gave it back to Anna who starched & ironed it, preparing it for its return to me!

Neither lady would take any money for their labor saying it was "an act of love" for me, someone they never had even met! So I figured I'd send them a 6-pack of note cards that they could use when sending gifts, a note of thanks, encouragement, whatever!!! While the packets were pretty much the same, there were slight variations with each of the cards.

This is Rosemary's thank you card.

And this is Anna's.

And these are the note packets I sent to each of them for an exceptional job well done!

Thank you ladies! I am so grateful and appreciative for what you have done!

(In case you're wondering what "consequences" my son received for such an act, I withheld his new paintball hopper, bought and sitting in the packaging and very much in my room and out of his hands, until such time as the tablecloth was back in my possession! A lesson well-learned on his part!)

25 Years For Ron & Judy!

2009-07-22T16:56:00.003-04:00

25 years ago our friends, Ron & Judy, began pastoring their church near Buffalo, NY. To commemorate their silver anniversary at Love Joy, I made them this black & white card using lots of silver brads on the crossed score lines!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to two very special people!!!

Janet's Corrosive Creations Challenge #20

2009-07-17T09:56:00.003-04:00

"WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?" is the theme for this week's challenge over at Janet's Corrosive Creations Challenge Blog. I had fun with this one too. I even dug out (no pun intented) an old SU set that I've used many times on other projects, but nothing lately.

As you can see, the dogs are out enjoying themselves, as they should be!

Hope everyone has a YAPPY day!!! (sorry, couldn't help myself)

Stampin' For The Weekend Challenge #7

2009-07-17T08:01:00.002-04:00

Here's my entry for the Stampin' For The Weekend Challenge #7. It's actually a birthday card I did for one of my SBS sisters. Sun, Sand & Surf make one happy adventure for me and fits the song title "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks. There were 2 other song titles to base your card on too..."Tangled Up In Blue" by Bob Dylan and "Three Times A Lady" by the Commodores.

Hope you're enjoying summer where you are!

A Couple of Recent Projects

2009-07-16T11:40:00.004-04:00

I've spent alot of time lately on my Harley lately so I've not posted anything in a few days. But in between road trips I have created some things, which I'll show you over the course of a few posts.

This first card is for our Assistant Pastor and his wife's anniversary coming up on the 18th. I used some of the new 2009-2010 In Color colors and DSP. Very simple.

This next card is another simple one for one of my uncles in California.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE BOBBY!

We're expecting rain off and on for the next week so I'll undoubtedly be inside more than I'd prefer to be. But that also means I'll be online more seeing what you all have been up to and hopefully showing you my creations!

Have a blessed day everybody!!!

Sketch Saturday #59 Challenge

2009-07-12T07:39:00.002-04:00

Here's my entry for the Sketch Saturday #59 challenge. I had so much fun doing this one. Don't you just love that butterfly??? It's dream, I'm sure, is to find one beautiful flower after another! This is actually a birthday card that I'll send to my friend near Syracuse next month.

Time to get ready for church!!! Indeed this is the day the Lord has made...and I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!!! It's a wonderfully-sunny day already, promising more sOnshine throughout the day! Blessings everybody!

Stampin' For the Weekend Challenge #6

2009-07-10T11:15:00.004-04:00

The theme for this week's challenge is "Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate," so of course my mind immediately started singing this song, which really has NOTHING to do with chocolate OR strawberries! Here goes...

"When I think about rain, I think about singing,

When I think about singing, it's a heavenly tune.

When I think about heaven, I think about angels,

When I think about angels, I think about YOU!"

I know you're wondering why I would start singing THAT song when I should've been at least thinking about chocolate and strawberries. Well this is how I got there.

"Strawberries," ... mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm!

"Chocolate," ... MMM MMM MMM MMM MMM!

And the 2 together ... "pure heaven," which made me think about the song! Weird, I know!

But the fact that I love this delectable treat also made me think of phileo love, the kind between a husband and wife. And then I thought of Josh & Kelly, our youth leaders, who have an anniversary coming up in a few days. And then I thought, I need to make them a "strawberries dipped in chocolate" kind of card, or something that would fit the theme. So then my song became... (drum roll please)

"When I think about chocolate, I think about berries,

When I think about them together, it's a heavenly tune.

When I think about heaven, I think about love,

When I think about love, Josh and Kelly that's YOU!"

Can you see how I got there from here? You can't? Okay, I'll have to orbit a while longer in my own little world. But at least I'm still singing!

Wedding Card For Our Niece

2009-07-09T10:07:00.006-04:00

My husband's brother's daughter (aka "our niece") is getting married on Saturday, the 11th. "Uncle Eric" was asked to officate at the wedding so he flew out to LAX yesterday along with our youngest daughter so he could be there to "do the honors." Deb just wanted to go with her dad.

Here's the card I did for Breanne and Jeff to send with their gift. Her favorite color has always been purple so I of course accommodated her color scheme...only to find out later her wedding colors didn't include purple at all, but rather green and brown!!! Oh well, I tried.

I think this picture is just adorable though, don't you?

I Know What You Must Be Thinking!

2009-07-06T16:30:00.000-04:00

Where is she?

Why hasn't she posted anything in more than 2 weeks?

Did she run away from home?

"On the run" (not from the law OR my family, but on the run just the same).

"Busy. Busy. Busy." ... and ...

"No" are the answers to those questions (though running away from home sounded like a good idea on more than one occasion!).

Truly, the operative word behind all my musings these past couple of weeks is

being just plain busy. I've really had no time at all to do much crafting.
Ever since my hubby's birthday I've had one thing after another to either attend, take care of, administer, figure out, fetch, plan for or accommodate.

Thankfully I have been able to leave comments on a few blogs, but that's about it.

Hopefully today will mark the end of the lull in the "Sofa Lady news" department.

Lest you think it's been all work and no play, let me show you a couple of pics of my adventures on the 4th of July. Several of us gathered for a ride from upstate New York to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania - 110 miles one way! It was fabulous!!! The only thing that would've made it even better was if my hubby could've gone too. Unfortunately he had to man the home front and finish the bathroom remodel. (Bummer, I know. I so missed him!) Here's just a couple pics of that day:

This is our group standing in front of the overlook.

We look like a motley bunch, don't we?

And this one is what we could see from the "lookout" point.

Simply beautiful!

I had to get this shot too because it shows how even the guys were taken up with the awesomeness of the view!

And yes, I did manage to get this card done in the midst of my crazy life.

It's for our former pastor's birthday whose big day is July 3rd.

I usually do stars & stripes or red, white & blue, but this year I thought I'd do something totally unrelated to the Independence Day holiday.

I can't imagine what he must've thought as he opened it from his mailbox, but that's okay.

It's the thought that counts, right?

I trust everyone is off to a great new week!!!

Mojo Monday #91

2009-06-21T20:54:00.004-04:00

Here's my entry for the Mojo Monday Week #91 sketch.

I'd been trying to get to it all week but I was just too busy.

It's not the best picture either.

Sorry about that!

Can't say I've done a BIG card like this in quite some time!

Anyway...

Hope all the men in your life had a

Happy Father's Day!

Interesting Facts About My Man!

2009-06-19T05:55:00.008-04:00

Today is my hubby's birthday, so in honor of his special day I thought I'd devote today's post to him. What fun! Here's 10 things that most of you probably don't know.

1. He's the oldest of 4 children. It would've been 6 but the twins died when they were born at 7 months. They probably would've lived had they been born today.
2. He's the only left-handed member of his family which means he's the only one in his right mind. As they say, "If the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, only left-handed people are in their right mind!"
3. He's deaf in his right ear due to chicken pox as a toddler. It helps with his selective listening.
4. He always thought he'd be a medical doctor. After pre-med classes he became a carpenter, then a preacher and now he's working on his doctorate in theology. A doctor alright, just a different kind!
5. He loves "ing" words too - hunting, camping, fishing, playing golf, riding his Harley. No surprise, huh?
6. He, as a kid, loved taking things apart to see how they worked which drove his mother crazy.
7. He's been around the world at least 6 times, speaking in at least a dozen countries.
8. He didn't meet my family til 3 days before our wedding when he got off the airplane with long hair, faded jeans, and a guitar slung over his shoulder. My parents were not impressed but I was!
9. He once rode his Harley down the aisle at our church as it was his sermon illustration for the day, just an example of his ever-increasing desire to break out of the "mold."
10. He won my heart at age 21 and I am blessed each day by his love for the Lord, his love for his family, and the life that we have together!

Here's the card I made him for his birthday, both inside and out!

Happy Birthday Honey!

Kitchen Crew Honored

2009-06-17T20:50:00.006-04:00

This is the card I made for our kitchen crew at church who was recently honored for being special servants. They meet every Wednesday morning to prepare goodies for our church's after service fellowship on Sunday. We've had everything from cookies, cakes and other desserts to full blown meals! They love what they do (it shows!) and we, the recipients are always blessed by something new and delectable! And their coffee is great too!

Anyway, in addition to taking the whole group out to lunch, we also presented them with a "Bronze Bagel Award" which was hilarious! We took a trophy of a lady with upstretched arms (as in victory!) and stuck a real life bagel on the ends of her fingers (as if she were holding it) that our Assistant Pastor had "bronzed." Actually he lacquered it to the point it looked like a freshly baked glazed donut, but it still got the point across and looked great! The church got a good laugh. The kitchen crew was blessed. And now proudly displayed in our cafe is this award of the highest honor, which always evokes questions from newcomers like "What is that?"

Too fun! Don't you just love making someone else's day?

Corrosive Creations Challenge #16

2009-06-14T20:29:00.009-04:00

This is the sketch for the Corrosive Creations #16 Challenge that my SBS sister, Janet, does each week. And here's my entry for the challenge! I can't tell you who it's for (in case they're reading) but suffice it to say that they've been married a l-o-n-g time!

I used SUs Rainbow Sherbet DSP, Green Galore, Basic Black and Whisper White cardstock. I used the same markers with the addition of Tempting Turquoise. The stamp set is an old one from SU called All God's Children.

It was pretty fun to make - easy and quick!

Family Birthdays

2009-06-12T22:23:00.005-04:00

Roger is turning 47 on the 16th.
This is HIS birthday card.

Lorri is turning 50 on the 17th.
This is HER birthday card.

They are married to one another and have 2 great kids.
He is my hubby's brother-in-law.
She is my hubby's sister.

Sadly, we don't get to see them very often because they live about 5 hours away. But it's just like we've never been apart when we do get together. It's so easy to catch up and bridge the gap of time.

Happy Birthday Roger! Happy Birthday Lorri! (I hope they can hear me singing already...) And since they probably don't read my blog, I'd say it's pretty safe to post these before their big days!

Scores, Folds & Stickers!

2009-06-11T07:23:00.003-04:00

Have any of you tried one of these folded cards? My friend, Rox, showed me how to do one a couple of weeks ago. As the weird little German guy used to say on the TV show "Laugh In," Very interesting!" It's not one of my favorite type of cards, but it was fun doing just the same. And yes, I will definitely do more in the future! This is what it looks like all folded up...

...and opened! I used a bunch of stickers from an old SU scrapbooking kit, plus some punches, DSP, etc.

If you haven't made one yet but would like to give it a try, let me know and I'll give you the instructions!

I'm a parent chaperone on one of my kids' field trips to the dam this morning so I must get ready. Yep, we get to go down inside the thing and see all the inner workings, learn the history, etc. It's definitely not something I look forward to doing, even though I've done it before. I'm a bit claustrophobic and it just gives me the willy's. But, oh, the things we do for our kids!

Happy Thursday everybody!

Flowers To Go

2009-06-10T22:19:00.004-04:00

This is an anniversary card I did for my aunt & uncle in California. My personal goal was to use colors I wouldn't normally put together. While I had my doubts about this color combo, I think it actually came out okay.

This is a Bella image I've had for some time but never took out of the package. Finally I can say I used it!

Have a good night everyone! It's raining here...what's it doing in your neck of the woods?

Corrosive Creations Challenge #15 Entry

2009-06-08T17:53:00.008-04:00

Check out my SBS sister, Janet's, challenge blog! She does some amazing work and really inspires the rest of us! You'll find all you need to know on her blog so get on over there and enter your own "corrosive creation!"

My entry is a birthday card for my brother who turns 51 soon, a little tri-fold with a "surprise" inside! (hehehe)

Have fun girls!

Awesome Blog Candy You Don't Want To Miss!

2009-06-08T17:42:00.002-04:00

Ready...Set...Go! Check out this most amazing blog candy that my SBS sister, Leslie, is giving away in honor of her 42nd birthday (coming up July 7th). Just follow her instructions and your name will be entered to win!!! And you know how fun that would be!

Now stop reading and go enter!

Blessings!

Sketch Saturday #54 Challenge Entry

2009-06-07T07:46:00.005-04:00

Wow! 2 sketch challenges done in 1 day ... I must be on a roll. And this when I don't usually do any (for lack of time).

Here's my entry though for Sketch Saturday #54. It's ridiing season so I used one of my favorite Bellas. My entry is a little modified (turned sideways), but I hope it's still acceptable!

Blessings on your day everyone! Now I need to get ready for church!

Stampin' For the Weekend Challenge #1

2009-06-06T12:46:00.011-04:00

I usually don't do challenges because, quite frankly, I don't have the time...though I wish I did! Since there's so many wonderful ones out there though which give alot of inspiration, I decided I NEED to make time to do at least one per month. And being as Stampin' For the Weekend Challenge just started yesterday, and being as my SBS Sister, Vanja, is on the design team, I thought I'd give this one a try. The challenge was to use purple and yellow.

What I used:
* Barely Banana and Perfect Plum cardstock (plus a hint of green for some "oomph" and Basic Black for inside the flowers)
* SUs Top Note Die
* Retired SU DSP from "who knows when"
* Yellow Ribbon from stash
* Green Raffia from a gift received (I love to recycle, don't you?)
* Stamps: "Love You" from a Hero Arts set, and the other from a Round Robin box
* Buttons: SU's Fresh Favorites
* Flowers cut using my Cricut
* Crystal Effects, Glitter Gel Pen, Stamping Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots, Eyelets

Check 'em out girls! I think they're off to a pretty good start! Great candy to boot!

* * * * * * * * * * *

I just had to show off my youngest daughter today as well! She got new glasses this week!

Isn't she darling???

Okay, time to enjoy the great outdoors! It's simply wonderful today!

Cuttlebug Saved My Hiney!

2009-06-03T08:05:00.008-04:00

I know you must be wondering what in the world I'm talking about! Well, once I tell you, you'll most certainly understand because I'm sure you've had your own "last minute saves" that have kept your "fanny out of the fire too." Let me explain.

Yesterday I was minding my own business when I remembered with a startling screech..."Ahhh! I should've sent Aaron's wedding card days ago!" And my hubby specifically asked me to do it too; but with so much to do during his absence (he's with his buddies at Americade in Lake George - a huge motorcycle rally), I completely forgot! With no time to spare, I stopped to smell this most beautiful flower that sits outside my side door, raced upstairs to my "happy place," got out my Cuttlebug and zipped off this card! Voila! Something to check off my list...er, actually I had to put it ON the list before I could check it off, thus the reason for my forgetfulness!

But don't you just love quick, spur of the moment, panic cards that you can whip out in a matter of minutes? I do, and here's the one I did! It's nothing sensational but it'll most definitely do! A little Cuttlebugging here, and die cutting there, pearl pasting, bow tieing, and TA DA - IT'S DONE! (And no one will ever know I almost forgot!)

May the days ahead be just as you expect, with no "Oops! I forgot!" 's in them!

Totally Tool

2009-06-02T10:20:00.018-04:00

All of the men in my life have garages full of tools. That's why I bought the stamp set, Totally Tool, some time ago. With Father's Day coming up and my hubby's brother's BD, I planned to use this set to make all of the cards I needed to send.

I'm not sure which layout is my favorite, but if I had to choose, I guess I'd say my hubby's. His is at the very bottom. I wish his garages were tidy like this; but while most everything else in his life is organized to the hilt, his garages are not, at least not at present. All 5 need a good spring cleaning. (Yes, you read that right. Crazy, huh?) Come to think of it, the inside of the house could use some good old-fashioned spring cleaning too! My, how we accumulate "stuff" when cooped up during winter! Hmmm...I sense a yard sale coming on!

If you had to choose a fav,
which would it be?

Thinking of You

2009-05-31T20:15:00.010-04:00

June 2nd is a day I will always remember, not because it's someone's birthday, or anniversary, or other special day one would want to celebrate. It's a day a young life was lost to a drunk driver.

She was the 2nd oldest daughter of a family that had attended our church for years.

We choose to remember the day to the family because we love them and know they will always remember too. Knowing others are continuing to stand with them while remembering their precious daughter helps them to heal and make some sort of sense out of a senseless situation. Amazingly, by God's grace, they are doing quite well.

These are this year's cards to the family.

The top one is for the mom and dad and children still at home. The bottom one is to the oldest daughter who was in the car at the time of the crash but survived. She was married last year, just one month after the first anniversary of her sister's death, so I felt it was appropriate to send her a card of her own.

Thank you to my SBS sister, Leslie, for sending me these perfect images with which to work!

May we all count our blessings, especially for the gift of life.

Two Reasons to Celebrate!

2009-05-27T21:09:00.005-04:00

This is a card I did for our friend, Phil, who recently graduated with his Master of Divinity degree...quite a feat considering he's a father of 4 daughters and pastors a fairly large church! I downloaded his picture from our fellowship's website; and since it was black & white, I did the whole card the same, except for the cap! He got a big kick out of it! Of course when we ran into he and his wife at a favorite eatery, we treated them both to ice cream in honor of his accomplishments!

This next picture is one I wanted to share of my hubby and daughter. It was taken the day before she left for New York City and the school she would attend for 5 weeks taking 2 summer courses. We celebrated her upcoming adventure by taking her out for some good, old-fashioned Italian food at one of her favorite places to eat - The Olive Garden! I just love reasons to celebrate! Don't you?

Arial View!

2009-05-22T06:51:00.007-04:00

I had the MOST amazing morning yesterday!

I went up in my friend's husband's plane with him,

and what a time we had!

Here's a few of the pics I took while enjoying the view!

This first one is of the Letchworth Gorge.

This next one is of the MM Dam. As you can see, the water level is pretty low.

And this one is the arial view of our house! My hubby said it looks like the compound of Waco, Texas - all secluded and tucked back in the trees!
I don't think so!

And this last one is of me in front of the plane, safely on the ground.
It was a great time in the air!

The next thing I want to do is go up in a hot air balloon.

My friend, whose husband I went flying with, says I'm a thrillseeker.

Would you agree?

A Flower Card w/ A Double Purpose

2009-05-18T05:54:00.005-04:00

I did a workshop on Saturday for a group of teachers, and the last project we did was to make these cute flowers on large paperclips. I wore mine on my shirt pocket til the group was finished with the other 2 card projects. They were so excited to learn they were going to be making these too! I cut them out with my Cricut ahead of time and had them all packaged in sets. All the girls needed to do was adhere dimensionals between the layers.

Since I needed to make a Thank You card for a friend
once home, I decided to make her a flower too and put it on her card. Being a teacher as well I thought she could use her's as a bookmark!

The sizes of each layer starting at the top:
3/4" flower, 1" circle, 1-1/2" flower, 2-1/2" flower, 3" flower.

Hope your flowers are blooming ladies!

Another Teenager in the House!

2009-05-09T14:46:00.016-04:00

Well, I survived my daughter's sleepover birthday party. Only 8 of her 10 invited friends could come, but evenso, I was prepared for a sleepless night of giggles and girls running up and down the stairs, to and from the kitchen, in search of morsels of food with which to satisfy their middle of the night cravings. Heaven only knows that a full sheet pizza would never be enough!!! And even though the giggles and runnings did happen, the girls were overall pretty quiet in spite of the corporate desire for fun! But I do need to make a run to the grocery store now.

They finally settled down around 1:00am which meant I could finally get some sleep myself. As morning came and they emerged from their minimal-sleep-and-snack-induced comas, they enjoyed a pancake breakfast prepared by the King in my kitchen, my husband! After more chatting, giggling and an explosion of new energy, they enjoyed a balloon stomp in the front yard followed by some "Slip-n-Slide" fun made from a tarp, alot of dish soap and the hose. (Note to self: put dish soap on your shopping list.)

After showers to wash off the dish soap, they prepared for my friend, Amy, to come so they could have their makeovers - the highlight of the party! We did "before" and "after" pictures too which the girls loved seeing.

By the time everyone left, I was exhausted. Even though my hubby cooked breakfast, he wasn't in the "nuts & bolts" of the party so he was pretty much free to do as he pleased. My #1 son actually left home for the ordeal so he didn't have to deal with hormonal girls. My #2 son thrived on the attention he received from mimicking and mocking them endlessly, though it wasn't the kind of attention I enjoyed hearing repeatedly! It was I who oversaw everything: the meals, the games, the makeovers, the cake & ice cream, and all the transitions in between. And I was tired.

Thank goodness Mother's Day was Sunday! It was my turn to be doted on and you'd better believe I took full advantage of the situation! I had a fabulous day at church (my husband's an awesome preacher!), then he barbecued salmon on the grill. Mmmm-mmmm good! Strawberry shortcake for dessert (and no dishes because someone else did them!) and voila! The perfect day!

I hope all you mothers had a great day too!

(Oh yeah...here's my daughter's birthday card I made!)

Mother's Day is Coming!

2009-05-07T08:19:00.004-04:00

Mother's Day is just a few days away. I love it because it's a day to be pampered, even just a little, and not have to cook! My hubby usually goes overboard in the "making it special" way, so I know this coming Mother's Day will be a day to be remembered just like the rest.

Since it's also my daughter, Hannah's, birthday, I've chosen to show off my Mother's Day cards now so I might highlight her special day later. Actually she's having a sleepover party with 10 girls on Friday night, and a Mary Kay skin-care class on Saturday by my friend who is also going to show them how to correctly put on make-up so it doesn't look like they've put it on with a shovel! Since May 10th will officially mark Hannah's crossing into teenagerhood, I thought this class to be quite appropriate since I'm going to start letting her wear a little make-up now too, not much, but a little. But first, proper skin care to fight those blasted blemishes!!!

Anywho...these cards are for Eric's mom in Florida and my mom in California. Both were sketches I copied from SBS blogging sisters Anne & Kristen. I'm hoping neither mom reads my blog between now and the time they each receive their gifts, but if they do...Here's to you Mom(s)! We love you and pray you have a most marvelous day!!!

Praying For You Peggy!

2009-05-07T08:05:00.005-04:00

A dear lady from church has been having some health problems which required surgery and now a nursing home stay for rest and recuperation. She's been through the ringer and every now and then I like to send her a cheery card. This is yesterday's installment.

I cut out both the oval hole on the front and the scallped edge around it with my Nesties and of course Cuttlebugged the front of the card. On the inside I popped up an image from SUs Merci which shows through the front oval. I embossed the image with SUs Iridescent Ice, saturated it with water, then touched the water pools with my AquaPainter which had been dipped in reinkers. After it dried (about 30 minutes), I then cut out the image. This probably wasn't the best image to use for this (a large flower would've been better!) but it came out okay anyway.

The flower is an off-white one that I colored with markers. The sentiment is from SUs Thoughts and Prayers which I love!

Get better soon Peggy!

Ode to Rox

2009-05-06T18:20:00.004-04:00

I've been so remiss in my duties!

I had meant to post this on May 2nd because that's when Rox's birthday was.

But I forgot.

Rox is my friend who did the 60-mile WALK in Washington DC with me last year.

She's also the one who just had surgery on her foot, which isn't in and of itself a bad thing considering she'll be pain-free once she's all healed. (No, the WALK didn't do this to her!)

And having all that time off from work isn't so bad either. It gives her lots of play time she isn't usually afforded due to her full-time job.

At least my card to her was on time even though this post was not.

She was pampered and spoiled with a wonderful meal prepared by her DH, presents and flowers from family & friends, and an all-around good day in spite of having to lay around and be waited on in the name of "healing."

("Pass me my new Copics, would you please?

And that paper too. I have some coloring to do!")

I guess it could be worse, perish the thought!

I Love Surprises!

2009-05-02T07:43:00.004-04:00

My SBS sister, Leslie, is amazing.

She's always thinking about others and

looking for ways to bless them.

Case in point - this card & images I just received in the mail!

There's enough images here to keep me busy for months!

So why am I sitting here? Good question!

Toodle-ooo...I'm off to my craft room!

Thank you Leslie!

Best of Cluck Terry!

2009-04-30T14:16:00.004-04:00

Terry is a lady I've known for some time. When I worked at the furniture store, she was one of my faithful customers who bought beautiful things for her home. But she's also been one of the tellers at my bank for 11 years so I've known her in that capacity as well.

Today is her last day on the job; she's retiring from it all. Tomorrow she's a new woman - ready to take it easy, sleep in if she wants to (probably not!), travel, whatever strikes her fancy. In honor of her big day I made her this card wishing her the "Best of Cluck," which is the name of the stamp set I used, retired from SU. It's one of my all time favorites!

Some day I hope to know the joy of retirement. Til then I'll applaud others who have reached that most prestigious point in their lives and acknowledge it with a homemade card.

Happy Retirement Terry!

Two Cards For Two Dudes

2009-04-25T08:46:00.004-04:00

I've been busy in so many ways, not the least of which is making cards!!! Here's just a couple of my creations that I've done this past week.

This first one is for Matt, the man from our church whose been working on our house. Since I'm 99.9% certain that he won't be reading my blog, I feel safe in posting it today even though it won't go out in the mail til later this afternoon. Why has he been working on our house? Because we decided to take it off the market and stay put until all of the kids are out of school - another 7 years! So in order to make life more comfortable while we wait for their respective graduations, we're doing a bit of remodeling. Stamp set is SU's Totally Tools.

This next one is for Bill, a friend, a semi-neighbor (he & his wife live 5 miles further up in the hills than we do), and he's the treasurer at our church. Being as I'm the bookkeeper, I work closely with Bill. This stamp set is from Cornish Heritage Farms, Primitive Blessings. I couldn't resist doing this for him, even though he's not an "old crow" per se! On the inside I put "Welcome Home!" (hehehe)

It's another gorgeous day today! My boys are hitting golf balls in our front yard (and will ride the dirt bikes later). My girls and I will go to my SU workshop this afternoon.

Have a great day everyone!

Just Because

2009-04-20T17:48:00.002-04:00

Okay everyone. Look and admire. This is the surprise card I received in the mail from my SBS sister, Leslie. Isn't it just the BEST? I had meant to post it a few days ago but I went away for the weekend so I didn't have a chance til now. Isn't this the coolest?

I just love surprises!!! I am so blessed. Thank you Leslie!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM MARIE!

2009-04-16T10:59:00.014-04:00

My friend, Kim, is amazing. She's a wonderful wife by choice, marvelous mother by necessity, savvy speech pathologist by profession, mindful missions director at our church by calling, and a super stamper by gifting! She's the one who started stamping first, and started a blog first, joined the Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers first, went on the first stamping cruise first...you know, a real epitome of a woman in pursuit of fulfillment!

And today is her birthday! I wish I could say that her birthday card is a real eye-catcher. I wish I could say it came out just like I planned. I think the only thing that came out just like I imagined was the hinged part. The rest was, well, shall we say, "do overs" and "add to its!" But isn't that the beauty of creativity? What doesn't work on the intended side can either be covered up or added to, or even get a second chance for stardom on the reverse! And since she's the one who first introduced me (and alas, my checkbook) to the world of stamping, she understands about such things. The best part, she doesn't mind. "It's the thought that counts" is what she'd say because she's also a faithful friend.

The sun is shining, school is out for spring break which means she's off from work, so I hope Kim has a marvelous day of pampering and fun! And I hope she gets lots of cards from those who love her (and chocolate...because everyone needs chocolate on their birthday...and presents....because a birthday without presents is like paper with no ink)!!!

Happy Birthday Kim!

More Easter Cards

2009-04-11T18:36:00.002-04:00

Did I tell you that I had to take my Cricut back to the store because it didn't work right?

It was the one my DH got me for Christmas.

Anyway, I finally exchanged it and this one works perfectly!

I'm quite pleased, needless to say.

I only have 2 cartridges at this point, but I'm sure I'll be getting more because,

afterall, I NEED more cartridges which promotes more creativity!

These are just a couple more Easter cards I did.

Yep, the Cricut cut the grass and the eggs!

May everyone's day be blessed tomorrow!

Now That Clara's Received Her Card...

2009-04-11T05:52:00.004-04:00

I joined an Easter card swap in my SBS group.

For those of you who don't know what SBS is,

it's a "Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers" group,

of which I am part of group #25. As you can see, my card for Clara

is a hinged card in the shape of an Easter egg.

The top opens to reveal the greeting.

I'm so glad Clara liked it!

It was very easy and fun to make!

Happy Easter Everyone! The Lord is risen indeed!!!

I Hate Grocery Shopping!

2009-04-07T15:55:00.007-04:00

What does grocery shopping have to do with this card?

Absolutely nothing!

I do have to go tonight though (ugh!),

which means I really should be making my list and checking it twice,

but since that's something I don't feel like doing right now,

I thought I'd stall a bit longer and post something I've done recently.

It's not one of my better "works of art," but it was fun making just the same.

I've seen a few of the challenge cards my SBS sisters have done..

I believe I will tackle one or two of those next (granting more stalling time...).

Hey, sometimes I work better under pressure, don't you?

Does anybody else hate the task of listing, fetching, driving home, hauling in the house, putting away in the cupboards & pantry, those things that are gone in the blink of any eye which requires the same task to be done the next week??? I guess it's better than going to the dentist though!

My First Hinged Card!

2009-04-05T07:55:00.003-04:00

Wow! This was so much FUN to make!

I saw the idea on one of my blog-hopping adventures

(which I usually don't have time for)

so I can't tell you for sure where it was I saw it!

But I just had to try one for myself...

and now I've made several.

This is for my sister-in-law, Charlene,

whose the wife of my youngest brother, Scott.

I hope she likes it!!!

Happy Palm Sunday everyone!

Sweet Kimberlyn!

2009-04-04T06:29:00.004-04:00

Who doesn't like purple? My niece, Kimberlyn, loves it! I can't say it's one of my favorites (the color or the card), but it's springy and will certainly do the trick to honor a very special girl on her special day.

I saw this layout on Splitcoast some time ago and I thought it was about time to try it.

Now it's time to try another cup of coffee...Bye!

I Got Mine Today!

2009-04-03T15:44:00.006-04:00

I had no idea I'd be so excitted but I am!!! On our way home from a day of shopping, my hubby and I stopped by the post office to grab our mail. Amongst the usual assortment of junk and "unhappy mail" (bills) was this darling Easter card from my SBS sister, Anne. Our group is doing a swap - she got my name - and even though she only mailed it from the UK on March 31st, it arrived today!!! What fun to receive!

She also sent me some images to play with, 3 each of 2 designs.
Too bad I have plans for my evening -- take the kids to youth group, go to the gym, and then shop for flooring for my laundry room which is being renovated at the moment. I'd much rather be tucked away in my "special place" where only stamps, ink and paper have my undivided attention!

Thank you, Anne. I love my happy mail!

Birthdays Are Made For Ice Cream!

2009-04-02T15:19:00.006-04:00

April is a month filled with special days to acknowledge, much like June, and come to think of it, the rest of the calendar year as well.

I've been busy making this month's cards which I'll reveal a little at a time. (Don't want to overwhelm you with my masterpieces! - ha!)

Anyway, this one's for my niece, Stephanie, who lives in California. I'm not afforded a lot of time with her being as I live on the east coast, but whenever I'm out for a visit she always makes time to see me wherever I might be perching at the moment.

Birthdays are a good time for ice cream - who wants a cone???

I'm One Proud Mom!

2009-04-01T18:27:00.025-04:00

Whenever there are 5 Sundays in a month, our church has a "Family Sunday." Instead of going to Children's Ministry, special age-appropriate programming, school-age kids stay in the service with their families. This past Family Sunday my hubby decided to do something completely different than he's ever done before. He had our youth band lead worship for starters. They've really "gelled" as a team and did a great job! But he also asked 4 of the teens to bring the message. The title: "Many Messengers, One Message." The guy on the far right of this first picture is our youth leader, Josh. He set the stage with an overview of what the kids were going to speak on which was the "witnesses" of Jesus that testify to His Truth: His works (Josiah), the Father (Jenn), the Word (Phil), and History (Whitnie). They all tied together beautifully!

Here they all are, waiting to go!

Here's my son, Josiah. He was first after Josh.

And here's my hubby wrapping up the service.

And here's all the cards I made for my hubby to send to each of them for a job "Well done!" Obviously the 2 on the left are for the boys and the other 2 are for the girls!

Yes, I am one proud mom! I'm still beaming...

To A Grrreat Friend!

2009-03-31T06:36:00.005-04:00

Good Morning Everyone!
Does anyone have a list of sites you go to for your challenges? I think I'd like to try some of them out so if you have a list of favorites, would you mind passing them along?

In the meantime...this card is for our friend, Bill, whose birthday is just 2 days away. He's one of our motorcycle buddies and my hubby and I just love he and his wife. We've been friends for years!

SU's Under the Stars stamp set, along with Basic Gray, Kraft, Old Olive and Whisper White cardstock.

Blessings one and all! It looks like we're getting some sunshine later! Hooray!

Workshop Projects

2009-03-24T12:50:00.006-04:00

Here's the workshop projects I did this past Saturday with my group. Being as there were several "newbies" in the group, I kept it simple.

Here: Lovely as a Tree stamp set (heat embossed), with Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie & Whisper White cardstock, Pacific Point ribbon. As some say, "Easy--peasy."

This one: Basic Black cardstock embossed with Cuttlebug's Leafy Branch folder. Botanical Blooms stamp set from SU's Sale-a-Bration catalog. Regal Rose, Rose Red, Green Galore & Whisper White cardstock also used.

Everybody did a great job! And now I need to make some personal cards for family & friends... Ta Ta...

A Few Things I've Done...

2009-03-21T09:16:00.006-04:00

Here's a few THANK YOU cards I've done over the past few days.

This first one's for my hairdresser whom I was sending a check to for some products I ordered. Very appropriate, huh? (Love those Bellas!).

This next one I did for my hubby who needed a card to send to a

pastor/friend of his. ("Man cards" continue to be difficult for me!).

And this last one's for some friends whom we've known for the better part of 15 years. So many wonderful things are going on in their lives...and I just wanted to thank them for sharing it all in church on Sunday!

Bless you all! I'm off to do a workshop this afternoon. Thankfully it's too chilly to ride today so I won't be missing the open road!

She's Home! She's Home!

2009-03-16T15:16:00.008-04:00

Saturday was a fabulous day! My Baby finally came home. Here she is - isn't she gorgeous??? She's Redhot Sunglo (metalflake red) with tons of chrome! I am blessed beyond measure.

If you look back to my post of March 9th (The Mouse Will Play), at the very bottom I told you that Pearl had left our family, but that "someone else" was joining us! Well, this is what I was talking about!

Eric rode my Dyna Low Rider (Pearl) to the dealership a couple of weeks ago so they could get her ready to be resold. My Baby wasn't ready to come home yet so we had to wait; but each time I passed through the city of the dealership, I'd stop to see her. The dealership employees were very gracious and got her out for me to sit on and drool over each time I stopped. (It's pretty bad when all of the employees at the dealership know you by your first name because you're in there so often. Some even have us on speed dial!).

When Saturday came and the temperature was "reasonable," my wonderful hubby hopped on his bike and rode it to the dealership where he would leave it to have some "muscle work" done to the engine plus a chrome job. He was then able to ride My Baby home to me, though he couldn't resist taking the long way home just to see how she handled! He's impressed!

I about flipped when I heard him first, then saw him pull around the corner! I donned my chaps, jacket, helmet & gloves and took her out for a ride! Ahhh, yes...heaven again. I just love to ride! If you haven't tried it, might I encourage you? There's nothing quite like seeing God's country from the saddle of a bike! The wind in your hair, the open road in front of you, and the bugs in your teeth (from smiling so much!) together are the perfect prescription for a fabulous, no-stress day.

My hubby has a I bumper sticker that reads, "You never see a motorcycle parked at a psychiatrist's office." I have to agree! Riding is good for what ails ya!

Eric and I both have a collection of Harley t-shirts from various dealerships we've visited. (His far outweighs mine by 300% at least!). As expected, he brought me one home from Orlando Harley, one of the largest (if not THE largest) dealerships in America. It says, "Live Free. Ride Hard." And I am!

I'm a pastor's wife and mother of six, and I ride a Harley! Life is indeed good!

A Few More Creations

2009-03-14T10:28:00.009-04:00

Here's a few more cards I made while very much awake in the middle of the day!

This first one is for a pastor-friend who was in Florida with my hubby. Yesterday Eric received a box of gourmet coffee in the mail (as the result of a conversation they had during their trip). This is the thank you card I made for him to send. The stamp set is from Papertrey Ink. Cardstock: Kraft, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla. Ink: Blue Bayou, Bordering Blue, Chocolate Chip & Always Artichoke. Ribbon: non-SU (but oh so cute!)

And this one's for a friend at church whose having a birthday March 21st. Yep - I'm ahead of schedule! SU's Window Dressing stamp set. Cardstock & DSP all SU: Blue Bayou, River Rock, Really Rust, Whisper White.

And this last one's for my sister-in-law in California whose also having a birthday March 21st. My hubby will be officiating at her daughter's wedding in July. We're hoping the whole family will be able to go out for it but at this point we're not sure, even though airfare is lower than in years past. Sending one is alot different than sending 6...but we're praying! And if it doesn't work out, okay. We'll be there in heart for sure! SU's Merci stamp set. Cardstock: Bashful Blue & Whisper White. Ink: Brilliant Blue, Green Galore, YoYo Yellow. Ribbon: Another cute, non-SU type! Cuttlebug folder: Spots & Dots.

Have a wonderful day everyone! The sun is shining here already and it's supposed to get up into the mid-to-high 40's...a real heat wave!

What To Do When It's the Middle of the Night & You Can't Sleep!

2009-03-12T09:21:00.016-04:00

WHY...STAMP OF COURSE!

I'd been awake since 3am for no apparent reason. True, it had been a rough day but nothing in particular was on my mind. Finally at 4:30am I got out of bed with a huff while spewing unkind words about menopause! If I had to be awake, I may as well be productive in the process. I headed upstairs to my craft room where I worked for over 2 hours before I I heard the pitter-patter of little feet. This of course was my signal that my party-for-one was over.

Here's what I accomplished while everyone else, including the dogs, were making zzz's...

A card for our Assistant Pastor's wife whose birthday is March 18th.

And a card for my mother-in-law who sent me a beautiful hand-embroidered cloth bag just because she loves me. It's one she found on one of her last trips - to the Bahamas I believe!

And a birthday card for my daughter's friend whose having a sleepover birthday party tomorrow night! That's one less kid I'll have at home...

And last but not least, a card for a young pastor in a neighboring town whose been discouraged because of a sickness he's not recovering from fast enough! Just a little encouragement for he and his family.

And that's what you do when counting sheep doesn't work!

No More Boo-Boo's!

2009-03-09T23:33:00.006-04:00

A few months back a dear man at church fell at home and broke his hip, the ball joint part. After some time in the hospital and more time at a rehab center, he was recuperating well and just about ready to go back to work when...you guessed it...he fell again! This time he chipped his pelvis, but thankfully he won't need surgery as he did before. Today he was moved from the hospital back to the rehab center where he will again have to go through therapy to get things in good working order. I plan to go visit him tomorrow on my way into the office and take him this card. I know the band-aids are in the wrong place but I think he'll appreicate the well wishes just the same.

The sofa and boy are Magnolia stamps, the lamp is something I got off ebay a long time ago, and the sentiment is from SU's Mini Mates. A few embellies and voila! It's ready to go.

And now I need to go to bed, which is where I should've been at least 2 hours ago!!!

Celebrating My Friend's "Retirement"

2009-03-09T07:26:00.003-04:00

My friend is retired, albeit briefly and not by choice. She must look for another job soon but in the meantime I'm celebrating her "new found freedom" of not having to go to work. I put together a little goodie bag for her and made this card to accompany it. I got the sketch from my SBS #25 sister, Anne's, blog.

Someday I'll be retired but in the meantime, I'm singing in the rain! "Hi Ho, Hi Ho...it's off to work I go!" (C'mon sun!)

The Mouse Will Play!

2009-03-06T10:35:00.012-05:00

Yep. The cat's away...and I am playing!!! Here's just a few projects I've gotten accomplished during his absence. I do miss him terribly but suffice it to say, I'm making good use of my "me" time!

This first card is a birthday card for an uncle in California. Just some random things I put together. The star punch is an old SU one that I got off ebay many moons ago.

This one's for a friend from church who just landed back in the hospital. Pray for her, won't you? Her name is Peggy. I'm on a Cuttlebug kick and this is one of their new folders that also comes with cutting dies called Everyday Greetings.

And this one's for another uncle in Colorado. Live Like You Mean It stamp set from SU, plus one of Gina K's that has the fishing pole.

This one's for a friend at church whose "bark is really bigger than his bite!" He's a great man of God and guess what? He's having another birthday!!! And I get to remind him!!! (hehehe). SU's Under the Stars used here. You can't see it, but I "lined" the white paper at the top of the card with Tempting Turquoise. My flash must've bleached that part out!

This one's just an encouragement card for a young lady who came to our church for the first time this past weekend. She's friends with one of the ladies in my stamping group. Precious, precious girl. I "connected" with her right away. Here I used the new CB folder Friends Forever. The stamp is one that came in the Round Robin box from SBS #25 !!! Too cute to pass up.

And this one's a Thank You card for my friend who brought the kids and I dinner last night "just because." She knows Eric's out of

town so she just wanted to bless us. Mission accomplished! "Nothing" is what was left by the time all was said and done! The CB folder & die is called With Gratitude.

Time to tend to chores before I head back upstairs! Have a tremendous day everyone! And oh yeah...I have some really exciting news to share later. Do you wonder what it could be? Let's just say "Pearl" is no longer with me, but 'someone else" is, or will be soon once the weather cooperates and gives us an opportunity to get her home! Oh yeah...Oh yeah... And she's RED too - my favorite color!

Same, Only Different

2009-03-04T08:04:00.006-05:00

Here are two cards that are essentially the same, only different that I made for my God-given mom's twin sons, in essence, my step-brothers. I've not yet met either one as they live in different states, but I have talked to each on the phone! Their birthdays are coming up so I made these to acknowledge their special days!

I used To the Nines Specialty DSP from SU, which I LOVE, plus Always Artichoke and Sahara Sand cardstock. The stamp set is a familiar favorite, Lovely as a Tree. I also used the Word Window Punch, Round Metal Edge Tags, and Natural Hemp Twine. I paper pierced the entire card and then put Crystal Effects on the word Celebrate! As I've mentioned before, "man cards" are difficult for me and these were no exception.

I know the pictures didn't come out very well, but which do you like better?

One is a Lonely Number...

2009-03-02T22:54:00.005-05:00

I wasn't going to stamp tonight but I couldn't help myself. The house was quiet with the kids finally in bed; and with my DH gone to Florida, I had a few minutes to myself with no demands on my time whatsoever. Imagine that! That certainly doesn't happen very often, at least not at my house. Usually there's something to be done! With the dishes done and the dogs walked, I headed upstairs to my craft room.

I can't take complete credit for this card because I got inspiration for it from somewhere else during the course of my day today.

Everything on it is from SU except for the bird which is a Bella, and the rhinestones. Cardstock: So Saffron, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango,, Whisper White. Haiku DSP. Ink: More Mustard. Button: Favorites. Ribbon: Tangerine Tango.

One is indeed a lonely number, but for tonight, that's all she wrote! I'm off to bed!

Sweet dreams everyone!

I'm Lovin' It !!!

2009-02-17T16:18:00.005-05:00

I am SO loving the new Specialty DSP from Stampin' Up!!! It's cardstock weight so the possibilities are endless! Here is another card I made from the To the Nines collection. The colors from the collection are Always Artichoke, Sage Shadow, Sahara Sand and Chocolate Chip. I added a Creamy Caramel star too being as the time clock had that in it as well!

...and the Good News is...

2009-02-17T10:33:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was a fabulous day! Our family skied well into the late afternoon; and after a hot bubble bath, I flopped on the couch in my jammies and watched movies with the group until I called it a night for real.

Today I was supposed to go to work. My DH took my minivan being as all 4 of the younger kids had dental appointments for teeth cleaning. I was supposed to take his truck; and when he was done with them, he was going to drop them off to me so I could take them home, also doing a vehicle switch.

Well, as it turns out, his truck had no breaks when I went to leave! Nope, nada, none, zilch, zero...you get the idea. I pushed them to the floor and there wasn't any response. That's the bad news because we just had the master cylinder done on the truck a few weeks backs. Could it be that this is the problem again?

The good news is: while I was "stuck home" with no vehicle with which to get to the office, I had all this time on my hands so I meandered upstairs to my craft room where I did these quick cards. The 3rd card won't upload (?!?!) so I've finally decided it's not for anyone's eyes but the recipient's, my brother-in-law! Oh well.

My troops should be pulling in the driveway any moment so I will close here and get out the vacuum so there's no doubt I put my "spare time" to good use! You won't tell, will you?

This first card is for my daughter's friend's birthday who spends more time at our house than she does her own. I call her my 7th child.

This next card is for my Aunt Anna in San Diego, CA. She's a real gem!

A Valentine Surprise!

2009-02-17T08:48:00.004-05:00

This is my 14 y.o. son holding my Valentine present - a specially-made breakfast that he whipped up with his own 2 hands! Both my hubby and I got one. Joe's not an early riser so the fact that he climbed out of bed when he didn't have to just to make us breakfast makes the surprise even more special!!! What a wonderful son, huh?

I am blessed, as I know you are too!

Promised CHA Pics of Projects...and more!

2009-02-16T06:21:00.013-05:00

I felt like a kid in a candy store at the CHA. Never before had I seen so much inspiration in one place! I had already been to a couple of classes offered by specific vendors the day before the official launching of the convention, which only whetted my appetite and heightened anticipation, but when those doors finally opened and the throngs of people dressed in everything from business suits to sweats (!!!) rushed in, my goodness! My eyes couldn't take it all in in one quick glance. I didn't know where to start. So my friend and I started at one end of the convention center and went up and down the aisles repeatedly looking at the booths and what the vendors had to offer. Many booths had Make & Takes so we did as many of those as we could. And here posted are just a sampling of those.

This is the marquis as we got to the Convention Center. Notice the fact that there's no snow? That's right - only sunshine, and lots of it! Notice the palm trees - you don't see THOSE in New York!

This is the first Make & Take we did after entering the "floor." It's a little gift bag that was so simple to make (and take)!

This is actually a card we did in the Spellbinders class. It's supposed to have a bow tied in the corner but I didn't want to use all the extra ribbon (self-centered, I know. But I thought I could use it on another project!). The ribbon is one I'd not seen before so I of course encouraged my friend to buy some for her store! Amazing, soft stuff!

And this is a wooden frame I made at the Provo Craft booth! Since I'm totally into American flags this was right up my alley!!! Did I mention that I won a Cricut machine at that same time? Yep, my number was called so we wasted no time in getting up there to collect! Since my DH got me a Cricut for Christmas, I happily gave my new win to my friend for use in her store. I know, good friends are hard to find!

And this little gem I did at another booth but I can't remember which one. It's a canvas board that we inked and scrapped on. Very, very cute. I'm giving it to my oldest daughter to put pictures of she and her friend (whose a boy) in.

(The generosity is just oozing...)

And this next picture is for you, Debby Boltman! When we went to Hollywood and I saw Johnny Depp's STAR on the Walk of Fame, I had to take a picture of it just for you!

This next picture is actually a card I did in the Spellbinders class too. I'm entering it into the SBS Challenge for this week.

This is another Make & Take from one of the booths. Cute box, huh? I didn't finish embellishing it with flowers, but they're tucked inside for the time when I can manage it.

This is a card I made a few days ago for my niece whose having a birthday this week.

And this is a card for my brother, Steve, whose having a birthday on the 26th.

I have a couple more pictures to share but my computer is really acting up this morning so they must wait til later. I need to get ready to go skiing anyway. Have a blessed day everyone!

Home From California!

2009-02-07T08:19:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm home but haven't downloaded (uploaded?) my pics from my camera yet. And now I'm off to a basketball game for my son. Hopefully I'll have some productivity to that end when I return. Who wants to clean the bathrooms anyway? Blogging is so much more fun!!!

I had a fabulous time at the CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) convention though. Wow. Talk about overload of possibilities!!! Kim, since you've been you know perfectly well what I mean. So many options!!! The place just oozed with imagination!

And my extended visit with my family was even more wonderful! What a time we had!

Did I mention the warm weather? Oh yeah - high 70s. Great! I came home to a 70 degree difference. What a reality check when I stepped off that plane!

I promise pics later! Time to hoot & holler for my son!

Anaheim, CA Here I Come!

2009-01-22T15:29:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone! Sorry to "write and run," but I must! I have a zillion things to do yet before I can pack my suitcase for tomorrow's trip! I'm heading west for the CHA which is taking place in Anaheim, California beginning on Saturday, the 24th. My friend, Betty, and I are going together. She owns a little craft and gift shop nearby and I'm attending as her invited guest. Such fun is in the air! I can hardly wait! I will miss my DH and kids terribly, and oh yes, my new li'l pooch (another story...but let's just sum it up to say I went to the mall to buy a new comforter for my bed and came home with a new dog - all 2.3 lbs. of cute, cuddly fur!). Since they all will miss me too the homecoming on February 2nd will be sweet! (I'm staying a few extra days to visit with my family.)

I'll touch base when I return with lots of pictures and an update of all I experienced!

Think of me as I'm enjoying the 80 degree weather and sunshine while many are suffering through those long, cold, dark, snowy and sometimes unbearably cold & frigid temps! (I'm honestly not trying to rub it in.... hehehe).

TaTa!

Happy 2009 to One and All !!!

2009-01-09T08:21:00.007-05:00

I know, I know! I still have a Christmas background on my blog when we're a week + into the new year already! In my defense, the "Cutest Little Blog on the Block" website is under construction at the moment so I can't change it til they're "all better." So bear with me please! Or, if you prefer, keep singing those Christmas carols and stay in the holiday spirit!

There's so much I've missed since being on furlough from my stamping world. I have so many blogs to visit and catch up on, not to mention cards to make which I'm already behind on! Looks like I'll be sending "belated greetings" to several family members and loved ones! Today though I can get started as I'm off from work and have nothing but housework and laundry to do - and both can wait!

First let me say that I had the most wonderfully-awesome Christmas ever. My God-given mom (biological father's wife) came to visit from California which was a total surprise to the kids, as expected! They screamed and about fell over when she walked through the front door! It was the best 2 weeks ever. I was sad to send her home on January 1st but we all know that good-byes are never easy. Since I'll be going to California on the 23rd for the CHA in Anaheim, I'll get to hug her neck again real soon.

My DH got me 2 wonderful gifts for Christmas to support me in my stamping habit - a Cricut and some Copic markers! He has a great memory and so my not-so-subtle hints worked!!! Yippee! I've not had any time to play with either but as I said, today's the day!

As to the One Lovely Blog Award, I'd like to thank my SBS sister, Sharon, for giving it to me. She has a fabulous blog too and has been quite busy lately making the most wonderful cards! I always love to check in and see what she's been up to!

And all I have to do is pass the award along to 7 other lovely blogs, so here goes. Be blessed girls!

Roxanne
Kim
Kathy
Becky
Angie
Viv
Judy

Visit each of these blogs, won't you? You won't be disappointed. Now, Becky's been having some health issues so she hasn't posted in awhile. Won't you also offer some encouragement (and most of all, prayer) for her today? We need a quick healing!!!

Love you all!

A Couple of Cards For People at Church.

2008-12-18T07:51:00.005-05:00

Some time ago we did this thing at church where we recognized different people for things they did - kind of like an "I Noticed You" award, though we called it, "Servant of the Month." I don't know why or how we got out of the habit but we did, until this month when my DH decided it was time to get back on track and recognize those who make our church life better. This month we honored the lady whose in charge of all the decorating for all the various seasons. She's even the one who picked out the color scheme throughout the building. She does a fabulous job all the time! Our church looks bright and cheery no matter what time of the year it is. So last Sunday we honored her with some flowers and a gift certificate to Olive Garden. This is the card I made to put her gift card in. Very simple, but nice.

This next card is one I did for a young woman, again at church, who just had her first baby, a boy obviously. While the stamp is from SU, the paper stuff is from a gift I ended up with from our church staff & leaders Christmas party last week! We play this silly game where everyone brings an exchange gift...everyone picks a number...then we go number to number either picking a new gift from under the tree or taking someone else's. It's a riot, especially as the "gag gifts" are unwrapped! It's something we look forward to every year and is a game I'm sure you've all played yourself in one variation or another. Anyway, the basket full of stamping goodies is what my hubby ended up with so naturally he gave it to me! The "questioning ("Are you going to give it to me?") and glaring ("You'd BETTER give it to me!") eye" probably clued him in as to my desire to have it! (lol) And in return I very lovingly gave him the binoculars I ended up with...and he didn't have to give me "the eye" at all!

6 more shopping days til Christmas!!! All I have left to buy are a few stocking stuffers for my DH. And tonight I pick up my God-given mom from the airport whose coming in from So. Cal. to be with us for Christmas! It's a total surprise for my kids who have no clue she's coming! We have the video camera ready!!!

SBS #25 Challenge #9 Entry

2008-12-11T06:32:00.003-05:00

Here it is! Here it is! I woke up with a start this morning, realizing I hadn't posted my card for the challenge. So even though it's a day late, this is my entry! The stamp set is one from a 99 cent bin at AC Moore. I got another one too (big spender!) that I need to try out now too!

Have a blessed day everybody!

A Few Things to Share!

2008-12-08T20:24:00.004-05:00

I have been so very busy of late, I've not had much time to do anything except the necessities! Please forgive me!!! But I did manage to scavange a couple of minutes to show you some of these masterpieces. This first one here is a card I received from my SBS #25 sister, Janet! Isn't it adorable??? It was actually the first Christmas card I received!

This next card is the one I did for my DS who turned 12 on the 6th. He's a VERY active boy who loves all the "fun stuff" in life ~ snowboarding, skateboarding, climbing trees, etc. (you know...the dangerous stuff!) and it's not very often he doesn't sport a scab or fresh cut on at least one of his arms or legs, if not all 4 at once!!! To be honest, the card didn't impress him as much as the presents! But that's to be expected, isn't it? I thought his card was cute though! Don't you just love the sofa?

This last card is just one of about 12 I made for family for Christmas this year, with not one of them being alike! Unfortunately, I had so many packages to box up and mail that I didn't have time to take pictures of them all before I tucked them away in their appropriate boxes and sealed them up for mailing, wihch I also managed to get done today. It feels so good to actually cross something off the ol' To Do List! And to get them out of the dining room where we don't have to trip over them anymore is a bigger thrill!

Okay, now I have to get busy on my SBS #25 entry for Challenge #9 using just scraps! Hmmm...the creative juices need a little jolt here though as I don't feel "in the zone" at the moment! Hopefully I'll not only come up with something but also get the picture taken and it posted!!!

Hope you're all enjoying the season!

Tis the Season to Be Jolly...Fa La La La La...!

2008-11-30T08:26:00.013-05:00

The day after Thanksgiving officially launched the start of the Christmas season with people and their shopping carts bombarding the stores which opened before daylight. Thankfully I wasn't one of those people leaving the warmth of my DH and our cozy bed, though I have been known to join the ranks of craziness a couple of times in years past. This year I'm ahead of the game as I began my shopping this summer while on vacation in Tennessee. And since my DH and I did some more shopping a few weeks back, and me much more this weekend, we're that much closer to being done totally which I anticipate being in the next couple of weeks. But then there's all that wrapping to do which, honestly, I love just as much!

In fact, I love everything this time of year dictates. Friends and loved ones to see. Decorating the house. Trimming the tree, after we've tromped through the woods to find yet another "perfect one!" Christmas caroles to sing. Cards, cookies & treats to make. Parties to attend and host. I love it all. And I'm sure you do too because, afterall, it's Christmas!

My prayer for you this season is that the Spirit of Christmas would capture your heart in a new and magical way, giving you a childlike sparkle in your eyes as you anticipate the wonder of each unfolding day. In the midst of the busy-ness may you remember why we do what we do this time of year. It's because of the little baby Jesus whose birth announced peace and hope for the entire world. Truly He is the Reason for the season. May we all join with the chorus of angels in heaven as they sing, "Hosanna in the highest!"

God Bless You!
Merry Christmas!
Happy shopping...and wrapping...and eating...and celebrating!
Tis the season to be jolly...Fa La La La La, La La La La!

And shortly I'll be able to show you some of the Christmas cards I've been busily making! I got my first Tildas and they're wonderful! I NEED Copic markers to do them the justice they deserve, but until then I'll use what I have. But, I did put them on my Christmas List for my hubby's eyes to see!!!

Fun With My Girls!

2008-11-17T20:19:00.008-05:00

Yesterday was a whirlwind, a good day, but so long. After our church responsibilities I took my 2 youngest daughters to my college daughter's apartment so her friend could do their hair. What a time we had! Complete with cheesecake, sparkling juice and chocolate in hand, we set out on some quality girl time! "AK" is my daughter's friend from Nigeria. She's a beautiful young woman with a heart of gold. And apparently she's the resident "corn rower" of all of her friends! She was so good to sit with Deb for 4-1/2 hours from start to finish just to give her a gorgeous "new do!" Here they are as they are beginning the detangling process! But because t took so long to do Deb's hair, Hannah will have to wait until next time to have her's done!

And here's Deb all combed out and ready for her braids! She's so happy!

The bottom (or back) is done and now AK is ready to start on the top.

Here's the 2 smiling girls all done with the event! Deb looks great! AK did a fabulous job! And she even gave me some helpful hints on how to maintain a more healthy-looking head of hair on my girls with very curly, ethnic hair.

Here's me with my girls enjoying some fun time before making the hour and 1/2 drive home!

And here's what we woke up to this morning!!! Over 7 inches of fluffy white snow! My kids are delighted! I'm finding I have more on my To Do List now - like get out the shovels, and the boot trays, and clear the sidewalk, and ... and...

Time to kiss my kiddos goodnight!

Fall / Thanksgiving Theme

2008-11-15T10:19:00.006-05:00

No more same-o, same-o! No more comfort zone. As much as I love stars and stripes and the whole patriotic theme, my blog had been seriously lacking something. Thankfully I finally figured out what it was ~ seasonal personality! With that in mind, I'm deciding to change my blog theme with each changing season, special occasion, or perhaps random mood. This will indeed depict much more accurately what frame of reference I happen to be coming from at any given time. And it'll keep people like you wondering what I'm up to next! So without further ado... here's my blog's Fall & Thanksgiving theme! And here's a card from my heart to your's as you celebrate the season! I have so much to be thankful for and I know you do too! I know Turkey Day is a couple weeks away yet, but Happy Thanksgiving anyway! Just think! Only 40 more shopping days til Christmas!!! Anybody started their shopping yet???

SBS #25 Challenge #6 Entry

2008-11-14T16:50:00.003-05:00

Take a look at this darling stamp!!! This is the one I won in the SBS #25 Challenge #4. Isn't it the cutest? And so perfect too for this card I needed to make. I told you I'm going to my college daughter's house on Sunday after church so she and her friends can do my two younger daughter's hair. Well, this is one of the thank you's I plan to send afterwards.

The Challenge was to use bling ~ as little or as much as we wanted. So here she is ~ getting all beautiful for a night on the town!

Blessings!

I Won a Challenge!

2008-11-12T14:06:00.003-05:00

Oh my gosh! I won Challenge #4 of the SBS #25 group, and didn't even know! Well, not until about 15 minutes ago anyways when I went to the post office to pick up my mail and there was this cute little card with these goodies inside! Here's a pic of the booty I just received (which sparked an "Oh! I won!" response). Thank you to Janet and her diligent endeavors to keep us girls stamping and creating "outside the box" of what we might normally do! And thank you for the gifts! They are greatly appreciated!!!

Wanna know something cool before I sign off? Sunday after church I'm taking my 2 younger daughters to one of my older daughter's apartments so her friends can do their hair! I was already anticipating what kind of Thank You card to make for these college girls who are so graciously giving their time and talent to my younger girls. With this new Bella, I have the perfect image to use!!! Thank you again!!!

Time to go play...

I Did a Marathon!

2008-11-09T19:18:00.012-05:00

I did a marathon yesterday! No, not in the foot race sort of sense, in the stamping sense! Three of my four younger kids were at a youth conference and my one son who didn't go with them was content to play on the Wii all day long! Normally I have very strict limits on how long the kids can play, but yesterday was an exception so he was in hog heaven! So was I. I don't think he got dressed until 5pm or so. But I wasn't the picture of loveliness myself as I didn't get out of my sweats until 3:30, and only then did I spruce myself up a tad because the other kids were going to be home between 4 and 5pm and I was going to have to greet them AND the youth leaders at the door! Such alarming truth!

But because my hubby was out of town and I had no one to wait on hand and foot, I took the opportunity to make the cards I promised to two of my 3 Day WALK donors ... the one who was the highest donor, and the other whose name was pulled from the hat! I made both of them 10 cards each, so that was 20 cards right there, plus a couple other cards and voila! I had the best "neck hurting, back aching, fanny flattening and hand numbing day" a girl could ever want!!! Basically I made them identical sets of cards, with a few variations here and there to fit their personalities. I couldn't quite get a good angle on the pictures but I think you can get the gist of my accomplishments!

I did regular 1/2 fold cards mostly, but I also did some tri-fold cards, buckle cards and criss-cross cards too!

Here they are all packaged and ready to be mailed. This last card on the right is a revamp of my SBS #25 Challenge #5 entry. Anne was so right. Good color on the left, too much of a contrast (stark white!) on the right! So I fiddled with it a bit - decided on some polka dots around the edge of the white, stippled on the white to knock down the "glare," then tried to fade some color from the one side of the slip towards the other. It helps but I still am not happy with it completely. Oh well...

Time to flop on the sofa now and wait for my honey to come home.

Happy Sunday! Have a fabulous day tomorrow everybody!!!

SBS #25 Challenge #5 Entry

2008-11-08T08:43:00.003-05:00

Here it is ~ my entry for the latest SBS #25 Challenge! I'm just lovin' using my older stamps, here SU's Laundry Notes. I'm not real happy with the final product as it needs a little more "oomph!" Any suggestions?

Happy Mail!

2008-11-07T05:21:00.005-05:00

Look what I got in the mail yesterday ... not one, but two cute cards!!! I just love Happy Mail! The card on the left is a thank you card from my one friend who wasn't into stamping all that much til she went on the stamping cruise. Now just look at what she can do (and she does it with enthusiasm too!) The darling Bella card on the right is from my SBS sister, Janet, who sent it for no other reason than to bless me! What an absolutely wonderful surprise!!!

Thank you! Mission accomplished!

Weird Sense of Humor?

2008-11-01T10:22:00.014-04:00

I can't stop laughing. I think I must have too much time on my hands this morning. On my way upstairs I happened to glance at my calendar and realized that George's birthday was coming up in a week. So I thought I'd make him a birthday card too as long as I was going to be spending some time in "my room."

Problem is...George is a dog, my sister's dog to be exact. He's a little round ball of fur that looks more like a mop with legs. He's spoiled, true, but oh, so cute! When I visit my sister in Florida George always finds it necessary to sleep on the bed with me. Actually I don't mind. That's probably as weird as me wanting to make him one of my creations!

I had a thought! Instead of sending him a card from "Uncle Eric and Aunt Deby and all of the cousins in New York," I'd make him a card and send it from OUR DOG, Amos! Yeah, that'll work! Maybe then it wouldn't seem so odd. Doubtful, I know. But how am I going to get Amos to hold still long enough to get his paw prints on the card without totally destroying it? Afterall, he is a St. Bernard! And if I'm sending a card, I must also send a gift because, you know, cards are nice but presents are even better!!! I suppose that later today I'll have to venture down to the new Bow Wow Bakery that just opened up in town. I'm sure I'll be able to find some delectable treat for the birthday pooch! (Is it just me, or is this getting weirder by the minute!).

Well, I may be the ONLY one whose laughing right now. I can only imagine the look on my sister's face when she helps George with his mail. What? Something not addressed to her? I'm sure she'll get a chuckle (my goal) but in all honesty, George will no doubt find the present the better thing in the box!!! I'll let you know what feedback I get from this little endeavor.

And no, Amos doesn't usually send George cards. He did however, some years ago, send a Christmas card to Barney, my aunt's dog in Oregon (yes, complete with present!)! It's been awhile though so I'm thinking it may be time to acknowledge him again. Could this be the beginning of some new craze in my life? Any pets out there in need of a little lovin' ?

What I really was venturing upstairs for this morning before I was so easily distracted was to make another Pastor Appreciation Thank You card for some dear friends who never miss an opportunity to bless us! Since I loved the color scheme of the SBS #25 Color Challenge I decided to use those colors again. In fact, the woman's mom did her newly-renovated family room in these colors and it's stunning!!! Can't say that I would necessarily have put them together myself but they sure are gorgeous, aren't they?

The image is one that's soon to be released from Stampingbella. It was one of the freebies my friend got on her stamping cruise and then passed on to me! Isn't it the cutest????

Well, I've played long enough and find I must now get to work on some much-needed housework! Shucks! Oh well. At least I've got joy in my heart! The Bible says that "a merry heart does good like medicine" (Prov. 17:22) so girls, have your own personal party today! Laugh at the unlaughable! Make a joke! Tickle someone. But be sure to enjoy the moments brought your way. And remember, God loves you more than anybody else!!! And if you happen to think of George on November 8th, remember he'll be turning 9 years old!

Have a marvelously blessed day!

SBS #25 Challenge Entry

2008-10-31T13:38:00.006-04:00

Okay everyone. I finally did a challenge card - my very first in fact! I'm not sure what to do with it from here, but I will post it to my SBS #25 page as well and then see if I can't figure it out from there.

The challenge was: Make a birthday card using only 2 embellishments (hard for me to only use 2). If we used the same colors as the originator, Janet, then we got our name "in the hat" an extra time!.

The colors she used were Old Olive (one of my favorites), Elegant Eggplant (another fav...), Really Rust and Black which, in my opinion makes other colors pop!

I originally had black ribbons with white polka dots (3 to be exact) going down the side of the card. When I went back and re-read the instructions, I had to revert to Plan B which was take the ribbons off and add a black strip down the side because the extra 3 ribbons made 5 embellies and not just 2. You can see that I Cuttlebugged that strip as well as the Old Olive underneath the top layers.

The stamp set of course is Unfrogettable, with the party hat being from Sock Monkey.

Tell me, how'd I do???

SCOR- !!!

2008-10-29T17:10:00.017-04:00

That's as in Pal, Scor-Pal!!! Because I was kind enough to loan my ATG gun to my 2 friends who were going on the stamping cruise to Jamaica, Mexico and other wonderful places (yes, the very same one that Gina K. was on, and Emily from StampingBella, among lots of others!), my friend, Maureen, brought me back a Scor-Pal!!! How did she know I was wanting one??? Could it be that my other friend, Kim, told her? But then, I'd only told her once or twice some time ago, so how was it that she remembered? I guess it doesn't matter, really. The fact is, I offered my ATG gun because my one friend didn't have one, and that niceness was returned to me in a BIG WAY! I was elated, to say the least, and I am so appreciative of her generosity...which gives me yet another reason to spend some time upstairs in the ol' craft room! (By the way, if you don't own an ATG gun, you should get one! They're totally awesome to use! At first I thought it might be a bit top heavy and awkward to use, but it really isn't. And when I compared the price of getting adhesive tapes for it to, say, the SU Snails, well, there was just NO comparison. ATGs are the best all the way around!).

About the time I composed myself after receiving such a nice gift, Maureen whipped out all of her stamping creations from the cruise! What beautiful, awesome cards and other projects! I was in awe...of not only her beautiful creations but her growing enthusiasm at stamping as well! She's always liked going to workshops, but not necesssarily for the stamping part. Rather, she has just enjoyed being with the girls - chit-chatting and enjoying the moments. Well, I can't say that anymore! She's totally into it and can hardly wait til the next workshop...for the stamping! I am so proud of her!

And the freebies she got were way over the top! Unbelievable stamp sets, inks, colored pencils, embellishments, punches, paper, mineral spirits along with the pencils to use them...and so much MORE! I was having a hard time taking it all in, probably because I couldn't imagine anyone giving away that much stuff!

Then it happened!!! She started giving me some of her freebies! Why was she doing this? But then I realized it's her special gift - the heart of a giver. She gives to everyone - and not just things. She gives her time too. And her comment to me as she was "sharing the wealth," so to speak, was "Well, if I need to use these things one day, I'll know where to find them!" Can you believe it? Again I was in awe. It totally felt like Christmas! I could hardly stay focused til quitting time at work so I could get home to "play." Here's a picture of the blessing I received.

And since my dear friend doesn't usually read my blog (I MUST talk to her!), I'm posting my Thank You card to her that I did as soon as I got home! Of course I used my new Scor-Pal! The inside reads..."Stamp alot!"

And here's some more Pastor Appreciation Thank You cards I've done since last time. I tell you, my hubby and I have been so blessed this month!

Til next time... "Now hold that pose! Everyone Tap...Tap...Tap!"

No, I Didn't Get Lost!

2008-10-25T11:23:00.010-04:00

Hello! Hello!

I've not been around much - here or at home. It's a crazy time of year for our family with so much going on. But thankfully I've managed to sneak a few minutes to show you some of my latest projects. Some of them I used older stamp sets which I still love but just haven't used in some time.

This is the the thank you card I made for the wonderful couple in Virginia who hosted Rox and I before and after the 3Day WALK. Pumpkins remind me of all that we're thankful for!

And this is the thank you card I made for Rox's friend who loaned me an air mat and pad for the 3Day WALK camping experience.

This is a birthday card for a friend.

And another friend's birthday card.

And another birthday card!

This is a card I made for a couple in our church who just had their first baby!

And another big buckle card that I demonstrated at a workshop last night.

This was another workshop project we did last night using the Bouncing Brayer technique, something I'd never done before! Since I love tie-dyed things, I thought this was awesome!

It's Pastor Appreciation Month and this is a card I did for some friends who blessed my hubby with some homemade goodies! I used the small tag punch for the petals & leaves, then folded them.

More Pastor Appreciation thank you cards! I love the Fresh Cuts Notes and stamp set.

And more Pastor Appreciation thank you cards!

That's it for now! Time to attack those dust bunnies and cob webs! Hopefully I'll get to my follow-up letters/cards to all of my 3Day supporters soon!!! I have 27 to do!!!

More joy to follow...Have a truly blessed day!

Tagged again!

2008-10-12T17:11:00.006-04:00

Oh me, oh my...what is a girl to do? It seems that Susie tagged me the day I was leaving for DC. So let's see if I can come up with some new stuff of interest.

First, the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Next, the random and weird facts about me:

1. I'm English, Irish, Dutch, Scotch, Welsh, Polish, Lithuanian, German & Cherokee Indian (aka "a Heinz!").
2. On the back hills of Oregon, when I was 15, my uncle taught me to drive a stick shift - his 3-speed on the column.
3. Sun, sand and surf - my idea for a perfect day!
4. I had a wonderful chicken caesar salad for lunch today.
5. My toenails are painted the most awesome color of cranberry!
6. I took a flying lesson once (yes, in an airplane...but actually it was more like a VW with wings!).
7. I absolutely HATE beets and gag at the smell!

And I'll have to tag others later in the week as I'm headed out the door for another adventure, but nothing even remotely like the one I just came back from. Church business this time - a class in fact!

Keep smiling!

Wylde Woman Award!

2008-10-11T19:23:00.003-04:00

How awesome is this? I'm an official "Wylde Woman!!!" Actually, I've known this for some time, just spelled it a little different is all. What a blessing to be given such an awesome award from my fellow DC-walker friend, Rox. From what I understand the award is given to someone who:

1. Brightens your day

2. Teaches you new things

3. And lives their lives fully with generosity and joy

I am so glad she honored me this fine day! You can honor someone too if you want! Just follow these guidelines:

1. You may give the award to any number of women, just remember the purpose of the award.

2. Make sure you give a link to their blog.

3. Also link back to Tammy so she can visit the blogs of the wonderful women you choose.

Hmmm, there's so many neat people I know. But I think I want to honor Debby with the Wylde Woman Award for she's the one that taught me how to link people's addresses under their names! Thanks Deb! As you say, "Easy Peasy!"

Blessings!

These Feet Were Made For Walking !

2008-10-10T16:54:00.030-04:00

Hello, Everyone! I know you're all probably wondering how Rox and I did in DC so I'll give you as much information as I can without keeping you too long. Suffice it to say, it was one of the most awesome, exhilarating and tiring experiences I have ever had. Here's some stats:

*There were almost 3,000 walkers at this event, plus between 350-400 crew members and volunteers who did an amazing job! They cooked, and served, and stocked porta pottys, and crossed us safely at intersections, and manned the different sponsor tents, and planned the routes, and put up signs...I mean, they did it all! Just planning logistically for this event would make a normal person run screaming into the night!

*Most of the WALK was in VA, with the last day taking us over Key Bridge from Arlington, VA to Georgetown, DC. We even walked by the White House!

*There were several hundred survivors doing the WALK, the youngest being in her late teens, early 20s.

*About 70 men did the WALK, some of whom were survivors too!

*Some people went all out dressing up for the event, wearing BIG bras on the outside of their shirts with twirly things on the ends or fluffy feathers all around. Very interesting. Not something I'd do, but I enjoyed the creativity of each project which brought laughter and brief moments to take my mind off my aching feet!

*People with signs cheering you on, congratulating you, thanking you for doing this WALK for them, their mother, friend, whatever, lined the streets in various spots. Some gave out chocolates. We made sure we stopped and paid them special attention!

*Pit stops were every 2-4 miles along the 3 routes, each with a different theme (Hollywood, baseball, pajama party, etc.). Most of the crew dressed in costume.

*We didn't visit the Medical Tents at the stops at all the first day, but we frequented them the 2nd and 3rd days ~ Rox for her knee and me for my blisters! I knew I should've taken out stock in the Band-Aid company!

*Food was actually good all the way around. They had lots of things to choose from at the pits and even more at mealtime back at camp. I felt like I grazed all weekend long. Didn't I ask you to pray about that?

*We were comfy in our little pink pup tents though I can't say I've gone to bed that early since I was a little kid. 7:45pm one night and 6:45pm the next! Can you say, "throbbing feet?"

*The sense of community and comraderie was overwhelming. I felt like I was part of something really huge that mattered. It was a really good thing all of us were doing, but I had to wonder why I'd never thought of it before! News Flash! My 20 yo DD told me just yesterday that she'd like to do it with me next time! (Next time? Did someone say we were doing this again?)

*Over $7 million was raised for breast cancer research that weekend. And to that I shout, "HALLELUJAH!" It was worth every tear, pain, blister and mile.

I wish I could say I made it all 60 miles but the fact is, I only made it 55. I did something to my knee at about mile 7 that first day which made me over-compensate for it while I walked which then did something to my hip. I hobbled on another 8 miles before waving down the sweep van. It was either that or not be able to walk at all the next day and I was determined to walk!

Victoriously I pressed through the pain on Days Two and Three and made it every step of the way! What a moment when crossing the Finish Line with hundreds of people there cheering! At that moment, I was an Olympian! (Rocky! Rocky! "Wait, he wasn't an Olympian, or was he?)

Now I want to share some pictures, which is what you've really been waiting for, right?

The picture at the top of this post is of us arriving at Opening Ceremony before we began our walking adventure. Don't laugh! You wouldn't be looking so chipper yourself at 6am!!! Our friend, Linda, was our DD (designated driver) so we made her a team shirt too!

This is of us on the route on Day One. Still smiling...that's good!

A sea of pink tents!

A picture worth a thousand words!

Need I say more?

This is right after we crossed the finish line, crowds cheering! We were given our Victory Shirts (which we're wearing), a pink rose, and then some time to rest our tootsies before an emotional

Closing Ceremony.

And this is by far my favorite picture! Yep, our adventure is over, but with a new understanding and appreciation of what the Race For a Cure is all about!

This experience will forever be etched in my memory with a sense of satisfaction that I participated in something that will eventually benefit all mankind. I encourage each of you to try it too! Get more info at http://www .the3day.org/ and see what I mean.

Glad to be home! I missed you!

P.S. Only one blister left to reabsorb and then I'll be all better!

The Friendly Skies Await!

2008-10-01T20:13:00.015-04:00

Well, it's here - the day I'm officially ready to leave for Washington DC. It's actually the day before take off day, but I'm ready just the same. My duffel is packed; my back pack is packed; now alls I have to do is shower in the AM, drop the kiddos at school, and head to the airport. My DH will valet my chariot and we'll chat the whole way there, me leaving him with last-minute instructions, him lamenting my leaving, both batting eyelashes, quick smooches in between lane changes, hands clasped over the gear shift. It'll be a most enjoyable hour's ride to the airport!

Some things to keep in mind as I go:

1. No, the dog won't miss me. (True, he's a cute face and very definitely a good dog, but there's no question in anyone's minds that he's my hubby's dog!).

2. Yes, the kids will miss me, but only at lunch time. Since Daddy will find it easier to have them "buy," they won't get all the little extra "goodies" I usually put in their lunches.

3. Yes, I took care of all the loose ends at the office before I left.

4. No, I won't miss the phone ringing off the hook while I'm walking 60 miles. (I may miss my sofa, however.)

5. Yes, I like camping, but a cushy bed at the Hilton is more my style these days. Nonetheless, bring on the pink pup tents!

6. No, my duffel is not overweight, but I am.

7. Yes, I'm happy it's not supposed to rain in DC this weekend; however, I AM prepared if it does!

8. Yes, I raised ALL of my support for the WALK ($2200) - PTL !

9. Yes, I'm leaving dust bunnies all over the house (mixed in with dog hair for a little extra "flair.") In fact, I may just leave them through the holidays. If I throw some glitter on them along with the new crop of cob webs that will be adorning the house by then, they'll be Christmas decorations!

10. Yes, I am honored to do this WALK for women all over the world - our mothers, daughters, sisters, friends...and even the men who may be affected by this dreadful disease. My prayer is that a cure would be found - and soon!

This is how YOU can pray:

1. Safe travel. I hate flying. I do it because it gets me from point A to point B, but I don't like it. I'm not scared; that's not it. It's the motion sick thing that I've had since I was about two.

2. Duffel arrives when I do. I've had it happen that my luggage doesn't get to my destination when I do, so that's a big one for me considering it'll have all my essentials to do the walk.

3. Fit feet. I've been training for this but really, "can one ever be truly ready to walk 60 miles, even if it is over 3 days?" I know my feet will be tired, but I would like to keep them in good working order.

4. All systems go! No need to explain that one!

5. Divine appointments. I'm really praying that I'll have opportunity to be an encouragement to someone while there - share my faith - bring a little hope. Jesus has done so much for me that I just want to share His love with everyone!

6. Victory in all areas. Walking (3 days straight). Talking (making new friends). Sleeping (usually hard in a "new place"). Eating (or lack thereof)!

7. And last but certainly not least, my family. It's not easy when the "chief cook and bottle washer" is gone from the home. My DH does a dandy good job in my absence, but I know he'd appreciate all those little arrows towards heaven on his and the kids' behalf!

Bless you all! I'll report in when I return!

Up! Up! And Away!

Green Cake, Anyone?

2008-09-30T18:37:00.012-04:00

Green must be the color of the moment. Check out the green cake. This, however, is not just any ol' green cake. This one is a very creative replica of something. Any guesses on what this creation might be? If you said "Plant Cell Anatomy," you're correct!!! The cranberry muffin on the bottom corner represents the nucleus, the gummy worms the golgi body, the jelly beans the chloroplasts, the spaghetti (around the muffin) endoplasmic reticulum and we can't remember what the chocolate chunks were supposed to be, but that's okay...the teacher will! My DD has always been pretty good in the imagination department. Since she was very little she's had the nack of taking things (often from the garbage) and making them into something quite interesting! She's definitely my most prolific artist! The best part of this project is this: once the teacher grades it, she and her friends get to eat it!!! That's good news for my DD as she has a sweet tooth to the "nth" degree! Personally, I prefer yellow cake, white cake, or brown cake (chocolate), but I guess when it comes to science projects, do as the students do - eat it GREEN!

Does anyone have a knife?

Hot Dogs...To Go!

2008-09-29T20:17:00.007-04:00

Being as I'm busily preparing for my WALK in DC, and still needing to do my usual wife and mommy duties, I've not had a whole lot of time in my stamp room. BUT, out of necessity I managed to grab a few minutes to make a birthday card for my DH's father. My father-in-law is an amazing man in many ways. He's been a source of inspiration and stability through the years that I've so appreciated and have become accustomed to. And what a sense of humor! Last year he bought me a tshirt that says, "You can agree with me OR you can be wrong!" (He knows me so well!) Of course it's one of my favorites and I always wear it when he and my mom-in-law come for a visit! Anyway, one of the things that amazes me is his love for HOT DOGS. He'd eat the silly things day after day if he had his 'ruthers. So, in honor of his big day, I put together this card with SUs "Voila" (affectionately called "Cheffy") stamp set. I used the new colors, Pacific Point and Tangerine Tango, plus some other favorites, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie and Tempting Turquoise. (Love that Pacific Point ribbon!) Then my husband and I put together this little gift box and sent it off to his dad in Florida today! It's everything he'll need for a real, just like he likes 'em, hot dog meal, complete with beans! We even stuck in some $$$ for dessert - ice cream at his favorite stand! BTW, Zweigle's Texas Hots are the best! And they're made right here in New York! Happy Birthday Dad!

Would someone please pass the ketchup!

My 3-Day Shirts Are Done!

2008-09-27T14:22:00.002-04:00

Rox and I brainstormed our shirts yesterday and this is what we came up with!

Let me know what you think and which is your favorite!

White One: very basic. My name, pink ribbon & team name on upper left top. 3-Day Walker logo on bottom right.

Pink One: It says, "Big or Small, Save 'Em All!" Cupcakes really have nothing to do with anything except that we've decided it's what one feels and looks like when stuffed into a sports bra!

Green One: This is my personal favorite. We took a Gina K stamp and stamped it - then scanned it - then arranged and printed it on transfer paper. Once ironed on, we "glittered" the polka dots inside each image.

Here's a close-up of the images!

Very fun!

(So you know - Rox and I will wear the white shirt to church tomorrow when they pray for us. It's the most benign of them all!

Breast Cancer Walk Coming Up!

2008-09-27T07:14:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone! Just wanted you to know that I leave for Washington DC on Thursday with my friend, Rox. She and I have been training for months for the 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. It's a 60 mile walk over a period of 3 days with the proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Organization as well as another philanthropic group also doing research. We'll be flying into DC,and then camping out with thousands of other people also doing the walk! I'm sure we'll be tired by the time all is said and done, yet exhilarated over what we accomplished. Both my mom and sister died of breast cancer (my mom in 1984 at the age of 47 and my sister in 1996 at the age of 36!!!). I'll be sure to give you a "We did it and we're home!" report once the swelling in my feet has gone down (snicker). Thank you all for praying. I truly believe that "Together We CAN Make a Difference!"

I've been tagged!!!

2008-09-26T19:53:00.001-04:00

My SBS25 sister, Debby, "tagged" me (http://debbysstuff.blogspot.com/) I don't know how to link that under her name so any help anyone can give me will be most helpful!). For those I'm tagging, follow these rules:

RULES:
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay, so 7 random facts about me:
1. I met my husband while we were both in the Air Force.
2. I hate snakes so much so that I enjoy running them over with my car.
3. My favorite food is MEXICAN!!!
4. I'm allergic to housework. In my dreams dust bunnies are taking over the universe.
5 I absolutely detest being tickled! (I WILL fight back!).
6. I love hearing my husband preach! He's awesome!!!
7. I'm in the process of writing a book!

Now, will the following please consider themselves tagged!!! (Sorry, but I only know of 5 other bloggers...or can you randomly choose others?)
Roxy (http://roxysramblings64.blogspot.com/)
Kathy (http://kathysknook.blogspot.com/)
Kim (http://frogoffaith.blogspot.com/
Becky (http://rooksramblings.blogspot.com/)
Angie (http://pinkroomponderings.blogspot.com/)

My kitchen's a mess and in need of help! Time to wake up!

Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers #25 !

2008-09-26T14:21:00.000-04:00

I did it! I joined the Sisterhood ~ and it feels good!!! I'm relatively new to the stamping world but have jumped in with both feet! A year and 1/2 ago I became our group's SU demo so that keeps me on top of things in a big way! I've always been a creative kind of person, but making cards is definitely a passion! I'm looking forward to getting to know my other "sisters" - YAY!!!