Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Scavenger Hunt Clue # 4 ~ Happy Birthday to My Mom!

Well hunters, I have had some comments that some of the things to find have been hard! Yes! After all, it has to be a challenge!! :) I forgot to post my blog candy picture (what you are working for - including a stamp set!) yesterday, so I will do that when I get home from work. Sorry!!

Question # 4: How old are each of my pets and what are their names?

When you have found the answer and have written it someplace safe, post a comment here that tells me what your dream vacation would be! I have really loved reading about your music choices!

I haven't gotten to the sketch challenge yet today since I teach today, but will post it tomorrow morning!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM today!! She is 79!! We are going over to her house after school/work and having a little party!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

What's For Dinner?

CREAMY CHIVE CHICKEN

Here is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes -- takes 15 minutes to prepare and then it just does its thing all day!

Ingredients
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds)
1/4 C. butter
1 0.7-ounce package Italian salad dressing mix
1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup dry white wine (substitute: white grape juice, ginger ale, chicken broth)
1/2 of an 8-ounce tub cream cheese with chives and onion
Hot cooked whole wheat pasta (optional)
Snipped fresh chives (optional)

Directions
1. Place chicken in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. In a medium saucepan melt the butter. Stir in the dry Italian salad dressing mix. Stir in mushroom soup, wine, and cream cheese until combined. Pour over the chicken.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Serve chicken with sauce. If desired, serve with hot cooked pasta and sprinkle with chives. Makes 6 servings.

No picture to show you as it's in the cooker!

Some neat pictures ~



I am sure this has been around the internet for awhile, and many of you have probably seen these pictures. But I hadn't, and my sister sent them to me this week. I thought they were really neat and since I love photography (and am a wannabee photographer!), I thought I would share them.

Here is what was sent with the pictures: "This is something I have never seen before, or ever even heard of. This lady lives in a Hummingbird fly zone. As they migrated, about 20 of them were in her yard. She took the little red dish, filled it with sugar water and this is the result.
The woman is Abagail Alfano of Pine, Louisiana - she has been studying them daily and one morning put the cup from the feeder, with water in it, in her hand; as they had gotten used to her standing by the feeder they came over to her hand. She says in touching they are as light as a feather. Abagail also said, 'if she had known her husband was taking pictures she would have put on makeup.' "

I checked this out on snopes.com, and it is a true representation of what happened and Mrs. Alfano even has a website telling more about the birds HERE.


Have you set up any birdfeeders for this spring yet? I haven't, and I love to have one or two - not too close to the house (since I have dogs), but where I can enjoy watching them. I don't know if many hummingbirds come around here; I usually do regular birdfeeders for sparrows and such, but I think I would like to try one this year for hummingbirds!
Thanks for coming by!

Scavenger Hunt Clue # 3 and Today's Color Challenge . . .


Today's Color Challenge colors are Basic Black, Soft Sky, and Purely Pomegranate.
I did a watercolor wash on my main panel background using SU watercolor paper and Cool Caribbean, Tempting Turquoise and Taken With Teal Classic Inks. I then stamped my image in Purely Pomegranate. I sponged Tattered Rose Distress Ink (Tim Holtz) on the distressed edges. The background panel is stamped with Baroque Motifs in Versamark ink.
Stamps: A Measure of a Life, Baroque Motifs
Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Basic Black, Soft Sky, Stampin' Up! watercolor, Rose Red POP DP
Ink: purely Pomegranate, Versamark, Tattered Rose Distress Ink
Accessories: black brads by The Paper Studio, ribbon slide by Making Memories, black organdy ribbon, distressing tool
Techniques: watercolor, distressing

And for today's Scavenger Hunt Question # 3: (an easy one, as many of you said you had a hard time finding the first two!)
What is my favorite animal? (SUPER EASY!)
Please comment on this post (without revealing the answer - keep the answers somewhere safe!) to let me know you have the answer and tell me one of your favorite CDs you listen to! I really enjoyed reading about your books and movies and have a whole list of new things to choose from now!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Scavenger Hunt Clue # 2 ~

Question # 2: How many colors can I name in 5 minutes? (easy one to find after yesterday's!)

Please post a comment here to show you found the answer to this one!
In your comment tell me what were the main colors in the last card you made!
I am off to work now, but will post some fun stuff tomorrow! Just had to get the question out early for all the early birds in the hunt!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Scavenger Hunt Clue # 1 ~

Ok, my friends, it's a few days until my one year Blogaversary~! Celebrate ani smiley
So to celebrate, we are going to have a Scavenger Hunt! Each day from now until next Saturday, I will send you on a hunt within my blog to find the answers to each day's question. Write them down somewhere safe, because at the end of the week, next Sunday, you will email me all of your answers. Those with all 7 questions correct will be put into a random drawing for some awesome blog candy, which will be posted on Tuesday. Subscribers through feedblitz will be put into the drawing twice.

After you find the answer to each day's question, you need to post a comment, on THAT DAY's post (it will say something like "Post Here") so I know that you found the answer that day! So, to win, you must post a comment each day and also send me the 7 answers at the end of the week. Make sense? I hope so! (Clarification: You can comment late -- like answer Sunday on Monday, but you have to comment on each day's post even if you are a day behind.)

Ok, off you go!
Question # 1: What was the reason I made my first card posted to my blog last May? There is not a picture of it in the post anymore, but I left a link!

Post a comment here after you have found the answer, but don't post the answer! Save those somewhere safe! Comment on what your favorite movie is (if you don't have one, how about a book?)~
Thanks for stopping by and playing along!

Today's Featured Stamper....


What a delight to wake up and find Michelle (sf9erfan) as today's SCS Featured Stamper! I have long admired her work. Congrats, Michelle!!

I changed colors, images, the sentiment panel a bit and added a layer and clip sentiment. Thanks for looking! Here is Michelle's beautiful card I chose to case.

Stamps: Petal Prints, So Many Sayings, French Script
Paper: Blue Bayou, Mellow Moss, River Rock, Bordering Blue, Very Vanilla
Ink: same as above, plus Bliss Blue, Night of Navy and Sahara Sand
Accessories: metal clip (SU), ribbon slide (Making Memories), word window punch, small oval punch, sponge dauber, ticket corner punch, Blue Bayou stitched ribbon

Check back later today for the first Scavenger Hunt clue!

Saturday, April 26, 2008

The Big Word Project

This is kind of cool -- The Big Word Project lets you choose an available word to represent your website! I chose
to represent my site! It is interesting to see what words people choose and where the words take you. There is a fee - these guys are making a few bucks with this idea..... lol.... I am supporting total strangers....what is up with that??? Okay - a brief moment of losing my mind for $3.00. But at least I didn't choose a 15 letter word or something like that! They have already redefined 3300+ words -- that is some dough! Why didn't I think of this idea? It could pay for my stamping supplies!! LOL

Let's Party Safari!! My One Year Anniversary Party!


Today's SCS Inspiration Challenge (the above picture) was so much fun! I love animals, so this was right up my alley! Some of my friends are surprised and shocked (oh my!) that I didn't do a giraffe card, but I do have one in the works to go with this one!

I used my elephant image I got from my friend, Stacy, and made a party themed card.
I rarely use buttons on my cards, and decided that these yellow ones were the perfect embellishment for the left side. I had matching fibers, and had gotten a little star punch in the mail from a company trying to get me to buy their products!
I think it turned out pretty cute! What do you think?

Stamps: Riveting, CTMH Zoo Friends
Paper: Only Orange, Yoyo Yellow, GP White, Brilliant Blue, Green Galore, Dotted DP by Stamping Station
Ink: Going Gray, Black Stazon, Pink Passion
Accessories: star punch, mutli-colored fibers, yellow buttons, scallop punch, circle punch

One week from today is my one-year blog anniversary! To celebrate we will be having a party next Saturday here on my blog! Recipes, photographs, and of course, BLOG CANDY!! Be sure to stop by each day this week, beginning tomorrow, for clues to find the Scavenger Hunt Blog Candy!!
Thanks for coming by!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Spring Has Sprung!!!


Spring came in one day here. Seriously. It has been cold and windy for weeks (MONTHS!). I went outside today and found beautiful surprise flowers in my yard!Last year these tulips did not bloom (see below), so I was thrilled when they appeared today!

The best part of all is that my crabapple trees are going to bloom this year!! Christmas and New Year's Eve 2006 we had a terrible ice storm with 4 inches of ice on everything (see below for a look at that- the picture is of my crabapple trees in January 2007). Anyway, the next spring (2007) they didn't bloom because the ice had messed up the growing cycle.
But LOOK!! Today they look like this and I am so thrilled and excited!!


In a few days, the whole backyard will be filled with pink flowers! I have three trees.

I am anxiously awaiting my lilacs to bloom too -- they are just starting to bud!

It's Baseball Season and I Made a Triple!

I think I have hit a baseball maybe twice in my life! But I do love watching professional baseball and am glad the season is here! I used to be a big Cincinnati Reds fan -- waaaay back in 7th grade. But somehow, I never stuck with them like I have my pro football team (GO COWBOYS!). So I just have a few teams I like to watch (and a few I definitely don't like!).

Today, without hitting a baseball, I made a triple! A triple challenge card! I made this for today's SCS Ways To Use It Challenge (using scissors). I paper pieced my flowers using white mulberry paper.
This card is also for Beate's Inspiration Challenge here. Isn't this a beautiful piece of artwork?
And for the triple -- this is for a weekly challenge I do with friends. We choose a thread from the Need a Lift forum. This week Stacy chose this thread. We are sending cards to Suzy, whose baby, Jake, was born 8 weeks early. Please consider sending her a RAK!

To make the background, I misted my watercolor paper with water, and then dropped one drop of Taken With Teal reinker and let it run where it wanted! After that dried, I did the same thing with Barely Banana. Easy and fun background! When the watercolor paper was dry, I stamped my flowers in Black Stazon, and then pieced them with white mulberry paper (which I hardly ever use anymore! Remember when it was sooooo popular!?). I used a little leftover piece after I trimmed to stamp the sentiment in Black Stazon. I then stamped the large flower in Tempting Turquoise on white mulberry and cut it out. A few little sparkles here and there, a few punches here and then and voila! A triple!

Thanks for stopping by!
Stamps: Embrace Life
Paper: Barely Banana, SU Watercolor, DCWV Textured Turquoise, So Saffron POP DP, white mulberry
Ink: Black Stazon, Barely Banana, Tempting Turquoise, Taken With Teal
Accessories: CTMH Sparkles, designer label punch, word window punch, velvet ribbon (Target $1), ticket corner punch, water mister, aqua brush
Techniques: watercolor/misting

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Arte y Pico Award...


I have been honored by my blogging friend, Diane, with the Arte y Pico Award. Diane, thank you so much for your kind comments! I am so glad our paths crossed!

Here is how it works:
There are 5 rules attached to this:
1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her/him the award itself.
4. The Award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte Y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5. To show these rules.

I know that a lot of people have already received this award, and I may be giving it some that have already been awarded. I am inspired by so many different people! But these are five blogs (of the many that I could have chosen!) that I have chosen because of their inspiration to me!
Michelle Zindorf
Shelly Kuck
Tosha Leyendekker
Mercy Kerin
Silke Ledlow

Diane, thank you again. I am so honored~

She's Certainly a Pretty Chipper Pig!


I made this card for today's Color Challenge: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, and Chocolate Chip. What perfect colors for my new Hambo stamps I got yesterday! My piggie is certainly pretty and chipper! :)

I stamped my main image on Whisper White CS and watercolored using an aqua brush and dye pads/reinkers. The dark colors you see in the sentiment and CS is really Chocolate Chip -- my picture wants to make it black, but it's not!

Stamps: Hambo Stamps
Paper: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Certainly Celery POP DP
Ink: same as above plus Black Stazon, Green Galore, Barely Banana, Bliss Blue
Accessories: handcut cloud stencil, pink brads, stitched ribbon, aqua brush, sponge dauber
Techniques: sponging, watercolor

Hmmmmm........Chocolate Chip?? Sounds like recipe time!!
I love a good cheesecake and this one is definitely GOOD!

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE

Ingredients
1 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C. sugar
1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)
1/3 C. butter, melted
3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and cocoa. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Set crust aside.
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk; beat well. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat on medium speed until smooth. Toss 1/3 of the miniature chocolate chips with the 1 teaspoon flour to coat (this keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Mix into cheese mixture. Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips.
Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Turn off oven (do not open oven door) and leave the cake in the oven to cool in the oven for another hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Refrigerate before removing sides of pan. Keep cake refrigerated until time to serve. Serves 10-12.

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Today's Technique Challenge


With graduations, weddings and some new baby celebrations coming up, this little gift card holder is the perfect quick project for personalizing your gift. You can find links to directions here for now, but I will probably post a tutorial on this during the coming weekend.

I stamped the boat from Boatloads of Love in Black Stazon on watercolor paper and then watercolored the boat with Real Red, Brocade Blue (very light) and Bordering Blue for the water. The clouds are sponged with Bordering Blue using my handcut cloud stencil and a sponge dauber. The anchor is colored with a silver Zig painty to match the shimmery silver tag (from Target) that holds the sentiment.

The Real Red background is stamped with the compass stamp from the Nautical Cube by Northwoods. Brads were added for dimension and interest. The tag sentiment is from Stampin' Up!'s So Many Sayings and is raised on dimensionals.

The inside has the three other stamps from the Nautical Cube on the top half of the card, and then another sentiment from So Many Sayings on the bottom half.

What is fun about this pattern is that you can use it for gift cards, or certificates, or even money. You can also turn it to open the other way, like a book/portrait, rather than horizontally/landscape like I did with this design. The holder closes with a string tie.

Thanks for stopping by, and try one of these! They really are easier than they look!
Stamps: Boatloads of Love, So Many Sayings, Nautical Cube by Northwoods
Paper: Real Red, American Craft, DP, SU watercolor, Very Vanilla
Ink: Black Stazon, Bordering Blue, Real Red, Brocade Blue
Accessories: red and blue brads, string, silver tag (Target), Zig Painty (anchor), Crystal Effects (to hold the string in place on the tag), handcut cloud stencil, sponge dauber, oval punch, word window punch, designer label punch, circle punch
Techniques: watercolor, sponging

Sunday, April 20, 2008

What Weird and Random Facts?

I was tagged today by Keri! I love this weird and random facts game -- because you can put all sorts of crazy things! So let's see..... (hopefully these are not repeats from when I did this a long time ago, but maybe no one would remember anyway!) I will let you decide if each one is weird or random or even worth mentioning! :)

1) Since Keri tagged me, and she crochets, I will also tell you that I love to crochet!
2) I don't know how to swim ~ but my most restful vacations have been at the beach.
3) I knew what I wanted to be (a music teacher) when I was in 6th grade (at least that is when I remember it). But if I could change my career now, I would be a photographer (or just stamp for a living!).
4) I am a huge Lost and American Idol fan.
5) I hate riding on big roller coasters (but love the ones at Disneyland like Matterhorn and Thunder Mtn. and Space Mtn.).
6) I am going to Ireland for 11 days in one MONTH!!
7) One time, about 22 years ago, my husband and I drove our little Toyota car (BEFORE we had kids!) through a river without knowing if there were boulders or if we would be swept away (keep in mind #2 above!). We had driven 100 miles/3 hours on back roads in Utah to meet his parents to camp, and when we got to the place where the map said there was a bridge, there wasn't one! Our choice was 4 hours back or cross and meet them in 5 minutes. (No cell phones in those days and we wouldn't have been able to contact them to let them know why we were late had we gone back around the canyon!) We could see the road across the river where we were supposed to meet them, so he gunned it and we *sailed* across! Oh, those were the days. EEK! I can't even imagine doing that now..........

I am tagging:
Julia
Lori
Riley
Silvia

Thanks, Keri, for a fun game!

Today's Featured Stamper Challenge


Congratulations to Silke {sparklegirl} for being chosen the SCS Featured Stamper today! Silke has a fantastic gallery and her blog is always full of fun and terrific ideas! Be sure to check them out today!
Here is her gorgeous, sparkly and colorful card I chose to case.
I kept her layout and main ideas, and changed colors, paper, ribbon placement and sentiment.

Stamps: Essence of Love
Paper: Certainly Celery, Heidi Grace DP
Ink: Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: chipboard flower, circle and square punches, flower punch, gems, ribbon (thanks Jessie!)

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Fabric and Paper = Eye Candy for a Crafter

Fabric is kind of like paper for me (almost, but not quite!). I love to look at (and touch) beautiful fabrics! I do sew, and like every seamstress, I have oodles of fabrics stacked up waiting to be cut and sewn into gorgeous outfits, pillows, or curtains. But it's like my Designer Paper. I just like to look at it and never end up using as much as I should. So there it sits, being hoarded and useless -- except for providing eye candy. Which sometimes is pretty nice, don't you think? Just to look at something for the sheer joy of its beauty? That's my rationalization, anyway, for not sewing and using my DP! ;)

Today's SCS Inspiration Challenge gave me the opportunity to look at some beautiful fabrics. I couldn't choose just one, so I chose three swatches:
#1
#2
#3

The little "peace" charm is attached with silver cord. The image from Embrace Life is watercolored using an aqua brush and dye inks pads. I had a bit of lace trim and added that to represent the edging on the full quilt piece. The main panel is raised on dimensionals.

For my layout, I chose Beate's weekend sketch HERE.

It's Never Too Late

to find peace

Nobody can prevent you from finding peace.
Unless you empower them.
If something is stopping you from reaching it,
act on it.
If it's outside your powers,
stop worrying about it.
Peace comes from within.
Search inside yourself.

"A peace above all earthly dignities,
A still and quiet conscience."
-- William Shakespeare

Stamps: Embrace Life by Stampin' Up!
Paper: Going Gray, Purely Pomegranate, Sahara Sand, SU! watercolor, Rose Red POP DP, Basic Grey Perhaps DP
Ink: Basic Gray, Rose Red, Purely Pomegranate, Mauve Mist (retired)
Accessories: aqua brush, gray brads, lace trim by Making Memories, silver cord, "peace" charm
Techniques: watercolor

Friday, April 18, 2008

At Last!


Wow, I really had a time loading this. For some reason, Blogger kept kicking me out yesterday and today.

Here is the picture of my craft show find. It isn't really a door, but made to look like one. I will probably end up painting it someday -- I would prefer a lighter color over the really dark brown. I put up some cards quickly so you could see how it looks. And added some of my giraffe buddies!

This sits outside my craft room door, kind of as a picture of what goes on in "there." I was pretty happy to find it!

Oh - and I finally got better pictures of the card I made yesterday. Take another peek, if you want, for the true colors! I hope you will come back and see the Fast Friday card later this afternoon!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

A Dessert A Month

I happen to like chocolate....I think I better find a nice slow-cooker recipe for next time! I seem to gravitate towards desserts. Probably because I look for and try new and yummy sounding recipes since I am auctioning off a "Dessert A Month" to help our youth group raise money for their mission trip. They are having a big auction soon and all sorts of things are being auctioned. From yard work to free oil changes, to house cleaning to fully cooked meals -- and desserts!

So let me know what you think of this one. I try them all out first, of course! This tastes divine (well - without the pecans for me!) and my husband loves it! His favorite candy is Milk Chocolate Turtles, so it's perfect! And it's perfect for me because I don't like pecans, so I am not even tempted to eat it once it's put together! This is a little time consuming, so you would want to save it for a special night or when you have a bit of extra time to prepare it.


CHOCOLATE TURTLE PIE

Crust: I do it the easy way and purchase a cookie crumb crust!

Chocolate Filling:
1 C. heavy cream
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Caramel Filling:
1/4 C. sugar
1/3 C. water
1/2 C. heavy cream
5 T. unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla extract (use as good of stuff as you can!)
pinch salt
3/4 C. chopped pecans

Warm cream for choc. filling over medium heat until it just boils. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Cool.

Over low heat, stir sugar, and 1/3 C. water until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to a boil, swirling the pan around while cooking until amber colored - about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream for caramel filling, butter, vanilla and salt. Mixture should bubble up and become lumpy. Return to low heat and stir until smooth. Pour into a bowl and chill for 30 minutes.

Pour half of the chocolate filling into the pie shell and sprinkle with pecans. Chill 25 minutes. Spread caramel filling over the pecans. Chill 15 minutes. Pour the rest of the chocolate filling over the top and chill for 30 minutes. Garnish the top with the rest of the chopped pecans, and maybe one or two large pecans. Serves 8-10, depending on how small you cut the pieces (they can be small!).

Oh - and speaking of turtles -- just in case you miss it -- check out the side bar for the picture of my 14 yr. old turtle. He has been with us for that long, anyway -- who knows how old he (she?) was when we got him. My son was going into second grade when Raph (named after the famed TMNT Raphael) came from Florida to live with us. Now my son is almost through with his second year of college! Raph is an easy pet -- and he likes it when I talk to him. He will come up out of the water in his aquarium and stand on his back legs. He is a red-eared slider!

You Make My Day Award


Many of you have received this award already, but I was thrilled to receive it from a wonderful stamper and blogger, Silke. She is such a sweet person and I thank her so much for making my day with this award!

So to Pay It Forward, I am passing along the award to:
Juliana - Stampin' With Inky Fingers
and
Debi - My Crazy Life
two friends that I admire for their great stamping designs, example in their personal lives, and for their fun sense of humor!

Acrylics Come in All Varieties!


Today's SCS Ways to Use It Challenge was to use acrylics of some kind on your card. I used an acrylic button, which has a lovely etched design on it, and acrylic Raindrops on each flower middle, the button holes, and the sentiment scallop piece.
Here is a close-up of the pretty flower design on the button:

I stamped the flower from Embrace Life (Stampin' Up!) with Certainly Celery and then watercolored it with Pretty in Pink. I added Stickles to the flower edges and middle. The leaves are made from the flower - again stamped in Certainly Celery, but then watercolored with the same color. The middle strip is from a lovely piece of DP I got from a friend - but I don't know who makes it.

It is raining here today -- I love that -- but it definitely affects the lighting! I may try to re-take for truer colors later today or tomorrow.

A Monochromatic Garden


I made this card using the same sketch as yesterday for a totally different look. The stamped images are available in Stampin' Up!'s current mini catalog. I found a small piece of silver cord and added that for some sparkle instead of ribbon. I love this Blue Bayou DP - I love all the colors, really, of this paper!

The butterfly has Silver Stickles on her wings. I think there is a little gremlin in my camera that changes the colors because the hardware matches the Bayou color exactly IRL! ;) Here it looks more Brilliant Blue! (That's never happened to anyone else, right?? lol)

Stamps: The Essence of Love
Paper: Not Quite Navy, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou DP
Ink: Blue Bayou
Accessories: word window punch, silver cord, CTMH hardware, American Crafts brads, silver Stickles

Later today or tomorrow I promise (!!) that I will try to get my screen door from the craft show uploaded - at least the top of it! My sister keeps asking me "Where is the picture???" Plus, I have a new yummy recipe this afternoon and a Fast Friday card tommorow! If you have been reading my blog very long, you know that I am one of those people who take 60-90 minutes to make my cards! I know that half of that time is probably spent sitting at my desk thinking and rearranging, but still.... so tomorrow will be my first Fast Friday card!
Thanks for coming by!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Petal Prayers for Shelly.....Please join me!


I made this card for Shelly (see below), using today's SCS Sketch Challenge.

I loved this DP when I saw it and wanted to show it off using today's sketch. I tried a strip of CS as my #2 piece in the sketch, but it covered up too much of the pattern, so I went with white narrow grosgrain instead.

The chipboard flower (my #3 piece in the sketch)has DP glued to it, and then the edges were sanded. There are Raindrops on the center of the #1-B flowers (courtesy of Jessie [knightrone]!). There is not much stamping on this, but I liked the spring feel of the pretty paper!

I made this card for Shelly, a mom of 4 young children, who has advanced breast cancer that has spread. Please read Shelly's story and send her a card!
The inside of my card says "With each petal I send a prayer."

It's Never Too Late

to help someone

It brings joy to both parties.
It makes you a better person
and gives the receiver
hope and faith.
It gives life greater purpose.

Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Paper: Pink Passion, Certainly Celery, Basic Black, DP by Provo Craft and MOD
Ink: Bordering Blue
Accessories: chipboard flower, white grosgrain ribbon, Prima, green brad, large oval punch, Raindrops (thanks, Jessie!), paper piercer

Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

If You Haven't Seen This.......Check It Out!


If you haven't seen the website, or haven't downloaded one of the free monthly Ezines, you need to check it out! SheetLoad of Cards is a great free resource for layout and design ideas! I love it! They also have a wonderful opportunity to help out others HERE. Download issues HERE. Be sure to check out their website! It may be just what you need to get an idea going!

Whom Shall I Fear? Not the IRS!

Thank you to everyone who made a Double Pocket Card yesterday! I think they are a great way to show off designer paper (and I have a LOT of that!)~

It's Tax Day! A busy time at the post office and in H & R Block offices around the country! Usually mine are filed way before this, but with "Clue: The Musical" going on in our house January-March, taxes got put off. But hey - I was EARLY! Federal filed electronically on Saturday and State mailed yesterday! So I have nothing to fear from the IRS! I got mine in on time~ heehee

Last year I found a delightful little stamp company called Rubber Stamp Tapestry. They have tiny little stamps on pegs that complement each other. Most of them come in sets, although single stamps are available too. Detailed instructions come with the stamps, so that you can learn to use each set to make beautiful creations, and then "branch" out on your own. HERE is a card I made at Christmastime last year.

This new card is made using one of their many flower sets.
I used the stamps to make my own background designer paper by just filling in the empty spaces on the Very Vanilla CS. The colors I chose for the background were Elegant Eggplant, Blue Bayou, Sahara Sand, Wild Wasabi and Mellow Moss -- not colors I would normally think would work, but they did! Some of the time I stamped off once or twice to get different shades of color.
The dark strip down the side is Elegant Eggplant, which was put through the Cuttlebug and embossed with one of their newer folders. The sentiment panel is raised on dimensionals and is from a new stamp company called Our Daily Bread Designs. They have 2 new sets available today and a portion of their sales goes to feed the hungry.

The cross charm was looped through the celery organdy ribbon and then attached to the back side of the Eggplant layer. I wanted the focus to really be on the sentiment and the cross, and I think the background foliage is small enough that it doesn't overwhelm those two elements on the card. There are a few Stickles added here and there for a little bling -- the picture never wants to pick up sparkle! But it is there~

Come back later today for a picture of my craft show find from Saturday!


Stamps: Rubber Stamp Tapestry, Our Daily Bread Designs
Paper: Elegant Eggplant, Very Vanilla, Blue Bayou, Mellow Moss
Ink: same as above minus VV plus Sahara Sand and Wild Wasabi
Accessories: celery organdy ribbon, cross charm, Cuttlebug EF, Stickles