SU Catalog in the Mail Today!

Did you hear my credit card scream???????

Love Letters

Here is another square card but this one is small-it's only a 3 x 3 one. I started out making a large legal size card-I don't know what they are called here-I like A2 size cards best. Well I messed up the long card, so cut off the end that wasn't messed up and came up with this.

I used distress ink on all the layers-this one is the Dusty Concord. The flower is actually three layers that I put together to make one and tucked a Prima leaf under it. One of the stores I frequent has a flea market of items, and these paper flowers were 10 cents a piece. I spend way too much money on these "cheap" items. I have a whole shoebox full of flowers, another full of brads, another of metal objects, and another of crap I don't know what I bought it for but had to have it.

I hope to list my newest fun tomorrow and you will have to answer another weird question to qualify for the freebie. I need the sun to come out to get a photo too.


Hey Canada!!! Happy Canada Day!
As you celebrate, spend a loonie or two on something cold for me!

Oh Happy Day!

I made this card months ago and then stuck it away because the postal rates went up and it requires special postage. I don't normally like square cards anyways but I had seen a tutorial on a blog of how to use corner punches to make edges, circles, and rectangles. This was because the scalloped punches were so hard to find. I am experimenting with a triangle punch to make a spikey edge with large zig zags. It's almost too much work at this point

This card is pretty simple once you have your circle scalloped. I used scraps of card stock for the layers. This would also make a great Christmas card by substituting winter colors and maybe making a poinsettia flower with a jewel for the center instead of the brad.

Best Wishes

I had the punch out because I am indexing and cataloging them along with all my brads, eyelets, inks, etc. I used this punch a few weeks ago and it really layers nice. All scraps except for the background card. I used the red distress ink for the edges and almost didn't because I thought it would be too too much. But I then ran the burlap pad over that and got this color. And to add to it, I smooshed the weathered wood in a few spots too.

I distressed all the edges of every layer. For the middle of the flower, I used a large brad in darkish brown topped with a punched out circle to get it to pop off the page a bit. I used Acrylic Accents on top of it and if you look really close, you will see my finger print. I thought it was dry-but it wasn't. I debated on ribbon to finish it but there were two small golden brads just staring at me, so had to use them or lose them.

Boo!

Using the same sticker line and paper company as last night's card , I made this one . I tried using texture papers for the layers.After gluing it all together, I knew I should have razor distressed the layers too. I like this a little better than the previous card as there is not as much white. And I am using lots of scraps. I may scrounge around and see if I have any more scraps like this and try distressing them on the edges.
I am not stamping much right now as I have everything trashed and am reorganizing my craft stash-stash is probably not the right word tho. Obsession-yeah, that sounds better.

It has been too muggy the last few days to really accomplish anything but I am making progress. Then I need to paint and fix a hole in the dry wall while I am at it. I did organize all my scraps into a 3 drawer Iris cart so I can easily find items by type-so plain card stock pieces with chipboard in one drawer, stickers, fibers, plastics, metals etc in another. and all patterned pieces in the third. I then have a small bin with small ink pads for when I need them. And have added some embossing samples, glitters, and tons of brads etc as a quick card/ kid-friendly kit.

These are the leftovers that usually I would give to my niece to play with but she seems to have a problem taking responsibility for her art supplies and it always ends up being thrown away by dad/mom, so with such an expensive hobby and supplies too good to toss, I am keeping them in a bin here in case she visits and she can craft at the kitchen table if she wishes.

Trick or Treat

I really don't like this card. I think had I used textured card stock for the base card, maybe it would have been better. Or maybe a different color of base card, like the florescent green or the yummy purple from the printed papers. I was just using up some scraps. Maybe I can try some others when I fish around in my sticker stash over the holiday as I am trying to organize my stickers, paper and rub ons by theme. The comes the stamps. Lord, give me some more hands.

Meow!

This paper kinda freaked me out. I thought from a distance it was embossed where the footprints were, but its flat as a pancake. It was just begging for a card front tho. The meow chip was from the going out of business sale-5 cents! I just made layers to bring out the colors and roughed up the edges a bit. That little round thingie-it has prongs on the back but its more like a rivet than a brad. It was a bugger to get thru the card stock and you can see where I bend it. Oh well, it works. I did distress ink the paper in red to match the red layer.

Lucky me-hubby is coming home for about 24 hours before he leaves again. I get to drive on the frigging freeway with the shattered windshield that he told me not to fix until he came home as its the company car-he let me borrow it while he was gone instead of parking it at Metro. I only went one place and three weeks later, I still have gas to burn up. I hate to drive!

Leaf of Gold

Here is a quickie as I am exhausted and did not get to stamp tonight. Hubby is coming home for a day or so and then going away again and he doesn't know how bad I have the house torn up. I am scrambling to get something finished but it's a losing battle since i hurt my back last Wednesday. Some progress is better than none but I am not having much fun while he is gone-unlike I usually get tons done and feel better about it. I need a hot tub!

This card was done with an embossing plate in a Sizzix machine. After embossing it, I took a sanding block to rub some of the color off the paper as it has a white core and it emphasised the leaf frond. It's really fun and simple to do and you can use all sorts of papers, textures and get different looks. Some textured card stocks even have a white core. I punched the corners and wound Sulky Metallic thread around it and taped in the back and then layered the completed embellished leaf on a card with another layer of paper.

Hopefully, I will have another card and maybe over the holiday, I will put up some Non-Pariels again. I have been going thru my stash and finding all sorts of goodies worth gifting out to my fellow bloggers. I have a good question this time, too.

Martha Stewart/Michaels Update

Interesting update to what I wrote yesterday. I stopped at Micheal's today to pick up a frame and there, right in the front of the store----Martha's items on clearance! Since she only has a 6 month exclusive at Micheal's before the items are available to the independent scrap and stamps stores come October (and Wal-Mart I am sure) Micheal's may be cutting their losses.

I was wondering if MS received monetary compensation or stock for her co-named products with Ek Success. I found this statement at a financial site posted in January 2006. ""Terms of the deal include a licensing agreement, as well as an equity stake in the venture, the value of which is contingent on certain performance thresholds."" I wonder if she got anything up front or will the company wait and see if the line is at all successful.

EK Success is owned by a private equity firm named GTCR Golder Rauner LLC. so Martha may be paid with stake issues of this company. Micheal's recently was purchased by another private equity firmed named Blackstone, which last week had 12 % of its stake go public in an IPO. Unfortunately, I cannot find if MS owns any of these stakes or shares without purchasing and becoming a "member". But based on MS filing before her jail term, she isn't a wise investor as many of her stocks were money losers or bankrupt companies. Martha's investments

I will leave it at this-I used to own stock in Micheal's as part of my retirement fund. When it was purchased by Blackstone in October 2006, I was saddened as this stock was one of the few that weathered the whole crash after September 11 and I thought it would be good to have down the road into my old age. I had no choice in the sale to Blackstones (I voted no but I am only one person) and paid a hefty tax when they gave me my cash for my shares. I have since put what was left into a socially responsible fund. But knowing what I know about Micheal's now-I am glad I no longer am an investor in the company and find myself shopping rarely at the stores anymore.

I will post another card later tonight-I may even find time to stamp a few for later. Maybe stamping will make it rain-its so dry here!

Happy Birthday Wishes

I made this card several months ago and was not particularly happy with the way the stamping turned out. The phrase is crooked, the zig zag should have been embossed and it just is kinda bland to me. I used some chips I found at a clearance sale along with a bunch of scraps that are two sided-my favorite kind of card stock.

I think the chips were on a sheet from Wild Asparagus. Maybe the paper was too. I know I bought tons of it because it was heavier and I knew it would be good for card making as I wouldn't have to make a backing card if I didn't want to. This was a pretty quick card and this is a quick post but I promised. Now back to tearing up the house. I make really good messes when I am not even trying.

95 tomorrow-I need to get outside and get some vitamin D. It is a very important nutrient and I don't get enough of it. I think I am a vampire!

Boycotting Merchants and Vendors

If you are looking for a card-look later tonight. I am answering some inquiries about boycotts today.

Many people ask why I boycott companies or products. As a consumer with disposable income, I believe other than writing letters, being vocal at the craft stores and informing and educating my friends, boycotting is my form of protest. I always inform the companies that I am boycotting why I am doing it and how to get it to stop. Much of my protesting is also being done by others who feel the same.

Martha Stewart at Micheal's is a big and well known boycott at this point and it's a fairly new one. I will not buy anything with Martha Stewart on the labels-this includes magazines, books, craft products, household supplies etc. I believe she thought she was above the rules and flaunted it and made money falsely and at the expense of those who do follow the rules. While she serves a short incarceration and paid a fine, others lost their lively hood because of her lies and deceits and they were NOT rewarded with more money making possibilities. Some are now on welfare or making less than they previously were. Her products at Michael's are sitting on the shelves because they cannot be discounted per her contract with EK Success and are exclusive to Micheal's (yeah right, before they even debuted in the stores EBay had tons of them to sell). Micheal's personnel say the products are just sitting and few are buying them as they are overpriced and bland.

So people ask about my boycotting of Provocraft/Cuttlebug etc. Back when the Cricut was first introduced, small independent shops were not allowed to discount the machine one penny. Yet Wal-mart was practically giving them away at wholesale prices-marking them down 50% or more at times. The little guy who stocked up on them and then could not give their loyal customers even 10% off got stuck with machines for months. Supposedly there was a shortage of machines but Wal-Mart always seemed to have them. Even Micheal's had a hard time getting them and they Were allowed to discount but not as much as Wal-Mart. The s**t hit the fan so to speak when stores that decided they had to do something to move stock decided to sell them cheaper than Provocraft dictated. They did not advertise them as being on sale-you either had to put them in your online basket to see the sale prices or ask at the customer service centers for the unadvertised pricing which is how the agreements were written. Provocraft heard about this "unauthorized" sales tactic and cut off the stores from all products. Many local stores and online stores used a large amount of staple products like glues, paper etc and now they had to scramble to find replacements for these well made products.

Shoppers like myself who were long time users of the glues wrote Provocraft complaining about the different set of rules for the little guy vs. Wal-mart and got form letters back basically saying they didn't care. Their bottom line was their own pockets and the all inclusive agreement and set of rules for Wal-mart. So I and many others will never buy another Provocraft item until they make one set of rules and abide by them for all crafting. I was boycotting Wal-mart long ago so nothing will ever change there!)

Provocraft has also left the original owners of the Cricut pretty much on the limb when they introduced the new machine recently and did not address problems with upgrading the ones who put Cricut on the map for them. I would love to sell mine along with all its cartridges (all of which I bought before the whole fiasco started) but when Wal-Mart etc can sell them new at almost half of what I paid-I am kinda stuck, ya think?

Just so no one feels I am picking on any one company here-I also boycott McDonald's. For many years they used beef fat (and still do last I heard) in their fries. This was even after they advertised they used healthy fats. It was devastating to the Hindu community to find out they did in fact use beef products in the fries but lied about it for a decade. McDonald's lost 10 million in a Class Action law suit but still continued to use the same fat (altho they now labeled some products). Being a vegetarian myself, I was deeply sickened that I had this product in my body and I have not eaten fries in the Golden Arches in years. Makes you wonder what else they were hiding.

I also will never shop at Borders Book Stores again. I purchased an item and it rang up 5.00 more than the price on the book. The bar code they placed on the book was wrong but when I returned it, they said it was correct, even after I looked online in the kiosks in the store to check the prices and the retail price was 14.99 in every place online including their own Internet store. I returned the entire bag of products that day-165.00-and informed them I would not be back. A Barnes and Noble opened a few weeks previously across the street and I went there instead. Will my boycotting Borders change anything? I have no clue but the company itself is in financial trouble and needs to clean up its act and treat good customers better and hire personnel with a better attitude than "Oh Well"

I speak with my wallet and my mouth as a consumer. I will not be used and abused by merchants, vendors, or be made to buy simply because everyone else is buying. I think before I purchase.

Boycotting and complaining does work. I was awarded 100.00 by my state consumers office after Best Buy gave me the run around on a rain check a few years ago. Employees were holding products for their friends instead of honoring rain checks for customers as promised. All it took was one visit to the store manager, who was a wash and one email to my state attorney general. Very little of my time but worth it. And the rain check that wasn't being taken seriously? I took it to a competitor of Best Buy and they honored it and gave me another 10% off! Guess where I go back to these days?

I hope this enlightens you to my boycotting history and that it will help make your purchases in the future well thought out to fairness for all. I will post another card instead of War and Peace later tonight.

Floral Thank You

I just got home from the BEST sale I have ever been to at a scrapbook/stamp store. All the Quickutz were 50% off! A lot were picked over but there was still plenty to choose from. Also many of the newer alphabet sets were there and those babies are normally 200.00 a set. Since I don't use the cutsie ones normally, I made sure the ones I got had multiple uses. But I did get a penguin. Simply 'cause penguins are cute.

This card used one of the other die cuts I have from many companies. I have Sizzix, Sizzlets, Ellison and a few from Cuttlebug (before I started the boycott) and some from ZipeMate in addition to the Quickutz. I use all of them in the same machine-the Sizzix machine. I just recently got a Revolution machine free but haven't used it and probably will sell it. I also emboss with the Sizzix using rubber sheets. It was demonstrated at a stamp show and there are multiple sites on the Internet telling how to use all dies in various machines. You don't need one of each so practice with what you have.

I started with a white basic card and layered dark brown on it. Then the floral layer was inked on the edges with distress ink (I think I may have used a bit too much now). I stamped on a piece of vellum and place it behind the frame and pop dotted it off center and added some Prima flowers using gem brads from Making Memories for the centers. I had a scrap of red ribbon that was too small for a bow but it seemed to bring out the red more in the floral paper, so I tucked it behind the flowers.This is a fast, quick card using lots of remnants from my stash.

I think this reminds me of a gramma card-those wonderful ones from the 50's or 60's that were maybe a nickle or dime or so. I have a bag full of them that I gave to my gramma that I found years later after she died and it was wonderful to see them so loved.

Monkey Giggles

I haven't posted in a few days as I have been tearing up my house while hubby is in China/Korea. I am not getting very far. I have a lot of bruises , scratches, broken nails and a screwed up back tho. So at least I can show some work I did. I just did the work on me I guess.

I have not been stamping either. Here it is 3 AM and I need to go to bed but wanted to post a card I made on my trip to my son's wedding in April. If I had not been able to color images in the car, I would have gone nuts. It was my way of tuning out the Beach Boys for 750 miles and the same XM 50's radio over and over and over. I forgot my Ipod, so had to distract myself somehow.

So this card is from an idea at a class at Jane's -I am sure it was a Laurie design. The stamped images are from Great Impressions . The red layer is stamped in VersaMark and embossed in clear detail. I just pop dotted the white image layer on the dark blue after distress inking the edges and adding the off centered brads. The striped paper was layered on top of the diamonds and I actually didn't cuss doing this bow on the ribbon. Coloring was done with Prismacolors and Gamsol and of course, the obligatory Stickles on the tassels of the hat and a hint on the packages.

Spring Chicks

I made this several months ago as part of a one on one swap. Completely forgot I had made an extra only this one is reversed. The chicks are on the other side in the one I swapped out. The particular theme was not Easter, but "inside out" which meant you had to also decorate the inside of the card and the envelope too. I forgot to photograph the envelope and the inside but the envy was eggs all glittery on the back flap and corner front and multi colored and the inside of the card had another half egg and a backwards chick.

I punched each corner with an EK Success punch and edges the mat layers in a coral red color. All the coloring was done with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol and then the eggs were touched up with Stickles. I debated whether to tie a bow by itself or to tie it under the layer and went for the latter. I don't know that the bow color is the right one for this but it's what I had handy and sometimes in the cold weather I get too lazy to go upstairs and look for something else.

All the solid color cardstock is from the spring pack of DCWV but I have no idea who makes the patterned piece as it was in my stash. I liked this card pretty well. Sadly I am no longer a part of the group I swapped with. Apparently I am not good enough for them anymore but that is a story for another post which I am working on when my anger abates.

Hey-one more day until it's officially SUMMER!!!!!

ETA-The stamped images were cut out after coloring and glittering. I pop dotted them onto the card when dry.

Birthday Boy

There is a scrapbook store in Farmington Hills called the Scrapbook Zone . We just refer to it as the "Zone" because you zone out walking up and down the aisles and aisles of papers. They have a terrific dollar area where there is all sorts of paper, pens, stickers, stamps,buttons, and odd stuff. You could buy one of each item and spend so little. It's great if you have young kids into scrapping-just give them a 5.00 and let them shop for themselves.

I found this paper there in a pack of 10 sheets for a buck. I got the blue, brown, green, red, and yellow packs. It was from Ek Success Architecture line from a few years back and its textured and really cool. I found some dark blue scraps and a few white pieces and basically that is all I did. I made layers and edged them all in denim from the Tim Holtz line. I stamped in Making Memories acrylic the words. and before I finished layering, I added the three itty bitty brads to the corner.

About 10 minutes and I was on my way. I also made a girl one but forgot to photograph it as the sun was almost behind the pines. I liked the boy one better anyways. This card recipe is pretty versatile for just about any card or occasion and another fun way to use up scraps!

Make A Wish

Here is another unstamped card. This is one of those printed chips I found at the going out of business sale a few weeks back. All of the various matted layers are distress inked on the edges before layering. The top three are pop dotted to give them more depth.

I added acrylic accents to the area where it looks frosted and then used Stickles on the cherry/berry. The hardest part was lining up the two layers under the image so it would look even and not lopsided. So other than the drying time for the accents, maybe 15 minutes including inking and cutting. I like this card stock because it's textured and thicker than most and it's double sided too!

With Deepest Sympathy

No one likes to make cards like this. I used to go to Hallmark and while looking for ones I thought might be appropriate, I would cry myself down the aisle and then just buy a blank card because the message was never right. I remember trying to find one for some one who lost their life partner. The proprietor thought I was so strange for that-can you imagine when I asked for one for a "non-traditional" wedding? Or when a service dog died? I haven't been in Hallmark in years-I even quit collecting the ornaments at Christmas as we no longer put up a tree. I hated getting up in the morning to see it spread all over the family room and the cats acting like nothing was wrong.

I tried this card on plain white and it was too stark with the white that was in the patterned paper. So I went with an ivory-plain-no texture. It still was too "white" so adding a bit of distress ink helped a lot. Everything was scraps except for the cream card and the layers were all smooth card stock inked on the edges and then some were razor distressed too. When I was finished, I still wanted something for the corner and went looking for plain brown eyelets or brads in my stash and came across these flowers. I don't know if they work as much as the eyelets would have but the game was coming on , so I let it be. I think I am gonna make a bunch like this and set them aside so I don't have to cry in the aisles of the card shop anymore. And my real feelings can go inside.

Celebrate!

It's 2 AM and I sit here waiting for hubby to call as he is flying from Shanghai to Seoul. For some odd reason, they do not allow you to use your cell phones inside the airport, so all I got was a message on the phone I never use saying he was going inside and would call me from Seoul. I have this little clock on my desktop that calculates the time differences for me-its bad enough I have to realize it might be tomorrow there! If I didn't have insomnia normally, I would with all this rigmarole.

I am presenting a card I am not sure I like. I love the textured card stock because its so heavy weight but after ink distressing and then razor blading the edges, I wish I had just left well enough alone but when I saw I had missed some edge, I also ended up inking the ribbon and I don't have any to replace it. I am now having a hard time keeping the edges stuck down and I wonder how many others are having that problem with some of the heavier card stocks? I do like these metal washers and am seeing a lot of them out there-some with rhinestones, some chipboard, some printed with text and even wooden ones.

I am still doing my multiple layer thing. I want to get the scrap pile down some more and what better way than using lots of layers. I had some of my cards with me at Red Robin last night and the waiter really liked them. He used to design flower arrangements for the local grocery store flower department. I would rather do that than smell greasy burgers all day. I can smell my jasmine coming thru the yard tonight as the breeze is perfect. I need a jasmine stamp or scented embossing powder

I am going to a Penny Black class (actually two of them) tomorrow in Fowlerville. I hate driving especially knowing all the construction on the way-but it's worth it for Penny Black! I have no idea if its stamping, stickers or what-I just heard Penny Black and said I am in! Have a good weekend. I will post what we made if it doesn't rain and hinder my photographing them.

Punched Paisley

It's almost 6 AM and I am just jacked up for some reason. I had supper late and didn't finish my yard work because the skeeters were getting bad. I had taken my newest cards to show to my niece and her mom and the waiter came over to check them out and ask if I sold them. I was kinda shocked by that as I never would think they are good enough to sell. One of the local stores I frequent sells pre-made cards for 8 bucks! And they are pretty generic to me-but if some guy comes in and buys a gift certificate for his wife or girlfriend, maybe he has no clue and will buy one for the gift card to be presented in.

Here I am using the punch I spoke about a few postings ago. I did two punches and layered them to form a daisy type flower and then punched a circle for the middle. I did edge the circle in one of the brown distress inks-I think it was Scattered Straw. There are 9 layers of card stock and papers not including the flower which I pop dotted. Instead of making a bow, I ran a flat piece of ribbon under the top layers and taped on the back before adding the top concoction to the main layers. All but the thank you layer and the flower petals are distressed in ink-some with the straw and some with Weathered Wood.

I also did a blade distress to some of the card stock layers as they are more durable and up to the challenge. I used this and its only 1.00 so pick up a few and use them-safe and fun and so a bargain! I can't believe how much doing a blade distress on layers changes a card and give it so much texture!

The sun was going down when I took this photo so I think the colors look a bit flat. Even with all these layers, this card is not as heavy as I thought it might be and would probably get by with regular postage.

Songbird

A few years ago I went to an Auntie Amy's convention in Novi, Michigan. I was overwhelmed to say the least. Since I have some issues with claustrophobia, I tried to stay within eye shot of the door in case I had to leave quickly. There were just too many people in such a small area. I have heard there is a new convention center and it's much larger. I just never felt comfortable going back to the old place. Just the bathrooms alone freaked me out!

One of the vendors who was pushing the new at that time Stazon inks came up with this idea. I have no clue what to call the technique so if anyone knows what to call it, let me know. I am sure he didn't invent this idea but having a teenage boy show you stamping stuff was pretty neat (he was a cutie). He had us take a folded acetate paper holder and put several dots of inks (you can use most any I would think) on the inside and then close the folder and rub your hand over it to disperse the inks. We then opened it back up and spritzed with water.

Then we placed two full size sheets of white glossy paper inside with the glossy sides facing out. Then you closed the folder and laid it flat and rubbed your hands again to color the glossy paper. You would always end up with cool designs on the paper but no two alike. Then you removed the paper and dried with your embossing gun. Then just cut to size for whatever your background project is. You rinse the inks off the folder to re-use again and again. I think you could let the folder dry and cut that for an interesting embellishment too if you have lots to spare but acetate over lays are expensive by the box unless you find a sale, like I did (B2G1).

I then stamped in Stazon this image of a bird, which took on an Asian influence to me with the red base card. I tore the edge of my stamp image and added that little red clippie and voila! Instant card.

The above technique can be quite messy so be prepared. I also tend to get headachy around Stazon and alcohol inks so be sure to use adequate ventilation-all you cubby hole stampers especially. Now I am going into the yard to see my real birdies. I think they need food as squirrely boy seems to be taking it lately.

Love is Friendship

I got a bunch of punches in the last few weeks. I will have to figure out a good storage idea for them as I have them in a large duffel bag right now and it's full and falling over! I used the large flower punch on several card I have been working on. This is one of my favorites as I also used two circle punches for the middle of the layered flower. The smallest one I also added acrylic accents to. I originally used matte, but didn't like the look, so went over it with glossy. It is hard to discern in the photo. I pop dotted the layers after inking.

I used a bunch of scraps again and layered and inked the edges in Distress Denim. I also blade distressed the blue layer under the flower with my handy dandy Heidi Swapp distresser- a great bargain at only 99 cents! The finishing touch was a rub on from the going out of business sale recently. I got a whole package for 1.50. What a bargain!

I want to make another like this using some of the shimmer paper I purchased from KI or perhaps even make some Independence Day cards using the same recipe. But first, I have to balance the checkbook!

Easter Egg Hunt

I tend to stamp out of season. So here I was last week making an Easter card. I think I liked it because green and purple go so well together and I found this shimmer paper in my stash and pulled out the perfect two ribbons to go with it. I used a non-Bazzill card stock (I have yet to buy the smoothies style but I will!)for the base card. Inking the edges was a close call but it looks better to me now. I used the Tim Holtz line as usual. I also ran a smaller piece thru a corrugater and then inked that too, both the edges and the ridges.

I did use a scrap of minty green textured card stock for a layer and a small piece of yellow textured for the horizontal strip. I was going to leave it just as a strip but when I came across the ribbons, wanted to see if I could tie it nicely on the side and it came out pretty good. I am not a good bow tying person and I get easily frustrated by even shoe laces.

The final layer is not stamped but was a chip I got at a going out of business sale recently. All these wonderful chips of printed card stock were 5 cents a piece. I got at least two of each! I cannot resist much of anything under a dime if it's not smelly. I will have a couple more cards later that use some others I found. Makes for a quick card if you are in a hurry. I distressed the edge of this chip in the same purple and then used a paper distresser to tear it up a bit.

This card is fairly heavy and thick with all the card stock layers and ribbon but I was pretty happy with the outcome and can't wait to make some similar but in other holiday themes. KI just came out with some summer shimmer papers called Beach Party and they have flamingos, palm trees and tiki themes.

A Trio of Posies

I am in such a pissy mood tonite. My dog keeps peeing on my hostas, hubby ran over my boysenberry bushes with the mower (and denies it) a few weeks ago and it looks like they are NOT coming back, I can't find compost accelerator in any of the local garden stores, and I want to tear up my to do-list and just be lazy for a while. But I have no one to help me do the things I need to do. I wish this little gnome was real and I could hire him and his cohorts to weed the garden and trim the bushes.

This was a quickie while I was waiting for the dryer to buzz. I got a bunch of punches in the mail yesterday including the newest scalloped Marvy shapes. I thought the rectangle would be larger tho. I used a flower punch for this card and then curled the edges around a pencil to give them some dimension. Bazzill cardstock has so many textures now that it was easy to pick out different ones for each flower from my scrap bin. This was maybe a 5 minute card as no stamping was involved. I am not in a stamping mood lately. This card would be an easy one to reproduce in any sort of color combo with your scraps.

Watch The Leaves Turn

As pretty as fall is-I don't ever look forward to it. I don't like cold, dark, windy or raking leaves weather and wish it were always summer except for one day of snow-Christmas eve. I am a summer person-the hotter and muggier, the better.

I made this card several years ago and found it in a box this week. I think I made it at Karen's for a make and take. I haven't been there in a while for reasons I just don't want to go into here and I am not sure she is going to stay in business much longer based on what I hear. I miss some people who used to work there, especially Joann and Pat. I end up having to drive an hour or more to get stamps or take classes that are stimulating and productive. It just makes the whole situation at Karen's sad and pathetic.

This card is made from die cuts which are then chalked to simulate the variegated colors of fall in oak leaves. I started with several different colors of card stock and just chalked the seams of the leaves first and worked my variations out to the edges, creating shadows and darker edges. I then tied all three of the leaves together with raffia and pop dotted them into place on a card layered with faux wood paper. I am not sure who made the rubber stamped phrase. It appears to be fading tho, so I may have used some ink I should have embossed instead. This is an idea you could use a bunch of die cuts with-flowers would be perfect. I don't use chalks enough and I just took them out again today to play with.

The Door to Spring

This was a reject from a contest I entered. I liked the concept of it but I used items that were not included in the contest packet. I did not win the contest and have no idea how my entry did. I certainly don't want to know if I got no votes at all, right? Best to be in the dark!

I liked this door handle I found at a flea market type of display at a store in Commerce Township. I don't get there often because its so out of the way. There are not regular roads to get there and if anyone knows the area-every road I swear is named Commerce Road east, west or something like that. Their tag line is that they had a bunch of roads left over so named them all Commerce. Whatever.

I used Bazzill Bling on this card for the top matte. It had just enough shimmer to set this off along with the Stickles. I wanted to do a card where it would open from the handle and have flowers inside or some other images, but never could pull it off right. I just left it like this and that means if I ever mail it, it will need to go special postage rates as its thick. One product I think you all would love is the Trio tape runner . It is the BEST I have ever used for applying ribbons of any width. I will never use anything else for ribbon again.

Well, I am shutting down for a while-storms coming and I won't be outside taking any photos. Have a nice weekend.

Thank You Pots

I have been so busy potting and planting yesterday and today. Finally it warmed up enough. 41F the other night made me have to drag in all the tomatoes and delicate flowers not yet in the ground. I only have my English planter to do tomorrow. I saw it many years ago in a gardening magazine and finally found one at English Gardens. It better last forever for as much as it cost. Too heavy to move too!

This as another card I made at Jane's Craft Studio. It used the same stamp set as the last one I posted here. This card is pretty self explanatory. Would be easy to make a ton of these from scraps-and I know we all have way too many of them. The obligatory Stickles topped off an easy as pie card. Maybe 10 minutes and a few more to color the pots with markers or Prismacolors.

I have a bunch more to photograph assuming it doesn't rain tomorrow-but the Weather Channel is already hyping up this front that dumped on Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin so guess who just had a tornado watch issued? Where is the Valium for my dog?

Thank You and Merci

I printed this using various fonts on the computer. It was fun playing around with the 10,000 + fonts I have. I wonder if I will ever use them all. I even have one that is X-rated. It was a freebie off some some site about 2 years ago. I don't think I will be using it anytime soon tho.

Square cards are not my favorites. I hate to make them and hate to mail them too. I do love textured card stock tho, so at least this was fun to put together. Basically it's three layers of squares just graduated down in size a bit. I then took a small scrap of the same type as the base card and turned the striped texture the other way to tie the ribbon scraps around. I have 10 thumbs but did manage to tie these. But you could pre-tie some and just stick them on the solid piece evenly spaced.

I also made a matching envelope from the same solid yellow. This was a quick card once I settled on the fonts. This might especially be cute as a thank you for a baby gift or a teenager to send to a Grammy. Just switch around colors depending on what you have in your stash. Play around and have fun. Thank you and merci.

Sweet Rosemary

One of my two favorite stamp stores is having a bi-monthly contest. You are given a baggie of miscellaneous items including a stamp and have to make something of it. Nothing else can be used except glue, a one phrase stamp and Stickles. In the case of this contest-orange was the base color for the card. Since I could not find any more paper similar to the contest paper, I had to wing it making my samples before deciding on one to submit.

This was a reject. It was also my 2nd favorite of the six I made. I used a rub-on instead of a stamped word. I could have stamped it but the rub-on was in my stash and it matched.

The background stamp is from Great Impressions and it was the stamp of the month in May. I stamped the orange base using Versamark ink and embossed in clear detail. I can see in my photo I am now a bit off on aligning it tho. I cut a swatch of strip to cross the middle of the card and rubbed up the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Burlap. I hand scalloped with a corner punch the green textured card stock and also distressed it before affixing the two small pieces to the striped swatch. I die cut a smaller piece of green and another piece with flowers similar in size and inked them for the middle. Now the place where I tied the ribbons-that is from a die cut too. It was originally a handle on a purse-the green in the middle is also from the purse. I don't like purses, so hacked it up for pieces.

I then stamped some of the daisies from the SOTM and cut them out with detail scissors and Stickled them in two colors. I pop dotted them on the green piece and off-set them a bit. I tied a bow of two pieces of ribbon-one dotted, one grosgrain. It needed a bit more color so I had this piece of baby ric rac and slid that in for color and texture.

I wasn't sure on a word, so I went ahead with the rub on. When I look at it now, I realize most people are gonna want to turn it so the fold is on top, but the true intention is the way it is photographed-fold on the left.

The contest entry had brite orange, neon green and hot pink papers, and I was very frustrated because I never found those colors in the stores-until after the contest entry was submitted. I will post my entry later but honestly-I hate it and my hubby had to grab my arm and make me post it. I still hate looking at the photo. I always seem to like the one I CAN'T enter.

BTW-the night after I took this photo outside, we had a frost and my rosemary plant took a beating. I am trying to nurse it back, but it's cold and rainy again tonight. Basil plants did not make it tho.

Update on Nonpariels-no Claimer, So Drew Again..

Patty H Did not contact me and it's been almost 72 hours, so I am drawing another number. The new number is 28 and that is KayellWY There is no email link for her either so exiled prisoner, you have until Wednesday at Noon to claim or I draw another number.

I see many bloggers are having a hard time getting winners to claim, so I hope this isn't because the offerings are bad or cheesy. Unless you want cheese-I can send a piece of that too.

Let The Sunshine In!

It has been raining all day. Almost 2 1/2 inches so far and more coming. I am paranoid about my sump pump working correctly as a few years ago, it stopped while hubby was in China, daughter was in Chicago and there was no one but little ol' me to clean up. It took me a week just to haul out moldy crap. I since have everything on shelving except the treadmill which survived (how convenient). We now have a an alarm on the sump and if the water rises-believe me, I will know. But I am still paranoid. But that is my nature.

I made this card in a class at Jane's. Jane (who recently retired), sold the store to SanDee and their whole crew have the most affordable classes I have ever taken. Laurie in particular is so talented. SO if you find yourself in the Waterford/Clarkston area near the Dixie/Telegraph area, stop and give them some business. My daughter used to live right down the road from Jane's (I am so mad she moved-I mean it was only a job and a raise and aren't stamps more important?)and it was a reward to me to go there if I battled the stupid traffic, road construction and anxiety attacks I get while driving (but I rarely get there in the winter unless its 100 percent clean/de-iced roads). I really enjoy myself at Jane's and wish she was closer-but then I would have NO money.

So this card is pretty neat. It uses a Sizzix die cut for the window. The stamps I think were See-D's. We actually made 6 cards using all the different flower stamps in the set. And of course, we had to Stickle up all the blossoms. Isn't it cute how the corners are a fern punch? The green layered paper is metallic and I wish I had flowers outside my window like this. But I haven't planted them yet as its raining all the time, so hopefully I will tomorrow. Just two weeks ago we had a hard frost, so I am glad I waited.

I put two images here because looking at the card flat and then from a bit off the side does make a different perspective.
Now I am going to bed to shed more rain-my Pistons were too busy squabbling and forgot what we as fans paid them to do. I will be in a funk for months-I threw my jersey on the floor and stomped on it last night. ) Oooh-maybe the NBA will fine ME for that. I won't be watching the Finals for the first time in years-I am burnt out on the horrible officiating, whining and politics of the NBA (and CWebb-go away-please!) and will now turn my attention to Tiger Woods coming to town! What a cutie-and really no baggage either-so isn't that nice for a change. Just hope his wife waits off on the baby a few days.

Exiled in Paradise and A Winner!

OK-this was mighty enlightening. I think I might have had to add more info but decided to let it ride and see what you came up with. For one thing-this is a really remote island so no electricity and no refrigerators. So milk is out and if you expected milk to last 90 days in the heat-have any of you EVER tasted curdled milk?? (I wouldn't have been so mean to place you on a cold remote island-that's for the 2ND offense) . And anyone who chose salty foods, the first thing you better do is find a natural spring or dig a well by hand, because the island is surrounded by SALT water!

This is probably a lush tropical island so there will be plenty of greens, just don't know if they are edible until you try them and wake up the next day not sick or incapacitated by poisons. So any vegetables you brought to live on , hopefully, you either brought the fully laden plants with roots or saved the seeds as you ate. Potatoes, rice, quinoa, nuts and peas are good because all are nutritious, and you can make flour and make stews with other native plants. So you could make maybe bread-altho you would have to figure out a leavening agent in the wild or have flat bread.

I personally would die of starvation if I had to live on Twinkies-I think they would survive along with roaches any sort of nuclear war . But they are not replenishable which is probably wise anyways. The next incoming strandee would probably kill you if you left him/her Twinkies.I think most of you would not make it 90 days if you tried to live on some of the items you were to bring-but you would die eating what you love. Something that is renewable and it would probably have to be-is the best bet. You leave nothing for the next guy and you die because he will die too, so it wont matter to him if he gets life in prison. My choice would have been rice. I would make the best cereals (you do have a way to cook-one packet of matches) mash it into flour, or make some stir fry's with the native plants. My second choice would have been soybeans. Yum!! I could eat this like candy.

Now two answers confused me. Jerky-unless its veggie jerky-its contraband!! You get another 30 days. And burritos from the gas station-you better hope you are the only one on the island ever as there will be plenty of gas and not the octane kind! But if you can figure out a way to contain that gas-might be a way to cook better or barter with the natives before they decide to cook you as stew!

So I used a random number selector and the number is #30! And this translates to post 30 which is Patty H. Patty, I tried to go to your website/link but it takes me to SCS and it's not a Patty gallery that shows up under your name link, but a Joelyn. So please get back to me so I can figure this out and get a street addy.

This was fun and I plan on doing something similar again soon-not an essay tho. It will involve taking a photo of something you own or finding a photo online of an object like it. So sign up for the feed and you will be the first to know. Thanks everyone for entering.

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I've Been Tagged...How Many Times??

I'm not sure if this is the right blog for this. It seems like everyone who has a blog has been tagged multiple times and by different questions. I can't tag anyone else tho-the only one left is my daughter and she hasn't updated her blog in months because she has no Internet except at work-and she works for the MAN!! So no playing for her at work.

The whole idea is to have one word answers to each item. Here we go.


Yourself: solitary
Your Partner: workaholic
Your Hair:long
Your Mother: sad
Your Father: dead
Your Favorite Item: newspapers
Your Dream Last Night: none
Your Favorite Drink: tea
Your Dream Car: electric
Your Dream Home: clean
The Room You Are In: dinette
Your Fear: sleeping
Where You Want To Be In Ten Years: alive
Who You Hung Out With Last Night: Courtney
You're Not: trusting
One of Your Wish List Items: marathon
The Last Thing You Did: Stickling
You Are Wearing: shoes
Your Favorite Weather: Hot
Your Favorite Book: Roots
Last Thing You Ate: crackers
Your Life: ordinary
Your Mood: stressed
Your Best Friend: none
What Are You Thinking About Right Now: gardening
Your Car: Aveo
What Are You Doing At The Moment: procrastinating
Relationship Status: questionable
What Is On Your TV: off
What Is The Weather Like: sunny
When Is The Last Time You Laughed: yesterday

Last Call. Drawing at 11PM Sharp.

Go visit this posting and answer the question at that post to be put in the drawing. This has been quite enlightening and I already have another fun thing for next time!

Here is another scrap card-just don't light the candle!