Charlie Brown Tree

The best thing about all the Christmas specials from my childhood was the Charlie Brown tree. When I grew up and got my own tree each year, I always managed to get the one that looked the worst (altho cutting it down on the farm, it never looked bad but I was always frozen solid and dragging kids over the hills and thru the woods) and by Christmas morning, the tree was usually on the ground because of the cats. One year, we had to wire the tree to the ceiling to keep it straight. In 1997, while I was sick, I decided not to put up a tree anymore.

By this time we had an artificial tree (as much as I love the scent of pine, I was fearful of fires and there were allergies to deal with). I haven't had a tree since then but love looking at ornaments, decorations and other accoutrement's of the season. I prefer to gift and celebrate birthdays or "just because" days as I think the Christmas season is so out of whack in recent years---come on---decorations in the stores in June? Christmas in July sales? I don't like that peace and joy and love have taken a back seat to greed-so I no longer celebrate it.

But I still make cards-and give my kids a check to do what they want with it. This year there is a new member to the family as my son got married. Johanna is a beauty so I will have to make a pretty card for her too. Unless she likes Charlie Brown trees !

This card is so easy and uses up scraps. Just cut some strips in the colors you want and stick them down on a layer using a Trio or other runner to make a tree. Punch out a star and pop dot it. Add a threaded button or other small items for some eye pleasing depth. Make a layer or two for the base card and add a stamped phrase or rub on (which I used). Kids might like making this one too! Charlie Brown, this one is for you!

Wanna See Something Funny?

Click on the link on my sidebar where is says "my other neglected blog".I put a short video over there of a pick up basketball game.

WARNING!! SOME EXPLICIT LANGUAGE!!


But all you moms and moms-to-be will think it kicks butt!

Musical Birthday

I love double sided paper and will buy almost any I can get my hands on. I just never remember who makes some of the papers after I cut off the ends and then end up scrounging around for more when I like it a lot and of course, never can find it again. I wanted to say this was SEI but am not sure. Since it was 3 years ago-I know I never will find it again! I have started buying two sheets of some for just this reason. Know how fast this one took? Less than five minutes. I cut a piece of card stock, folded it to leave 1/4 of the size bare on top. It's adaptable for any size card from a gift tag to a huge "office get together on a gift" one. Cut the top using decorative scissors. Tie two pieces of ribbon/twill in a knot and lay across the edge after folding up the front and staple! Yes, staple it on the sides to make a pocket. If you have any excess ribbon over the sides, trim it. Use a corner rounder on the bottom if you want.

Now you need textured matching card stock that is plain or use another piece of the double sided and use the plain side. Stamp your phrase across the top and also cut with the decorative scissors.. I then used a die cut for a message but you can use a blank scrap here to write something or snot dot a gift card or add a photo of you and the birthday person-use your imagination. I later added a bit of Stickles but you can leave it plain.

Tuck this piece back in the pocket when dry and done. An out the door quickie!

Ah One...and Ah Two....

So many of you are not gonna get that at all! I grew up watching Lawrence Welk with my gramma and that was the way he got the band in sync to start the next piece of music. I still remember the Lennon Sisters and the champagne bubbles. I preferred Mitch Miller myself and learned so many songs singing along with the bouncing ball. This mouse will now be Mitch Mouse as I have no idea what his real name is.

All of the stamps used on this card were from Great Impressions and the mouse image is officially called Happy Tunes-that isn't a name, so it will stay Mitch. He and the other image stamp were inked with Black dye ink and colored with Prismacolors and Gamsol. I cut the mouse to a small rectangle and found some card stock layers to match the print paper I had chosen and layered them all. The candle image/phrase was punched with an oval and backed with a scalloped oval piece. These punches are all the rage and I had to wait forever on a waiting list to get this one.

I started the card with a minty green base and folded it in half (A2) and chose a striped layer to place across the bottom half. Then matching the golden yellow in the stripes in card stock, I stamped the SOTM in Brilliance Moonlight White ink several times across the top and bottom of the yellow piece. That was layered across the middle of the card to butt up to the striped piece, leaving a small amount of the base green to show thru. I then cut two pieces of ribbon and attached them with Trio Tape Runner.

Layer on the images with their fun color backgrounds, add some Stickles for sparkle and let the music begin. Let me hear a melody....a simple singing song....I love to sing along...........Just follow the bouncing ball.

Ghostly Images

I sometimes make cards and love them. I many times make cards and hate them. I usually take those apart and never go back to them and rescue what I can. When I made this card, I think I knew right away it was just not right and even my niece said it was a nose wrinkly card. Maybe had the white card stock been textured I might have thought it was passable but I doubt it. So I took it apart and months later-this week in fact-I played with it some more.

Before:

So I added some color with textured card stock and inked the edges with soot ink and layered the pieces on plain black card stock (I tried purple but didn't like it) for the base card. This ghostly guy I found in a grab bag and just chalked his facial features and shadows a bit, took a piece of pre-printed ribbon with some itty bitty brads and attached this concoction to the scrap papers I used. It's a much cuter card with more pow-one my niece would not wrinkle her nose at anymore. And a quickie too!

After:

I need to get more going with these colors too. Halloween is my favorite day of the year-better than Christmas to me! Boo to You!!

Hail Storm in Michigan-Intense and Scary!

Storm in Durand MIchigan

Click to see a video of the hail storm that scared me half out of my skin. It is available for only 7 days, and then the link goes dead. I could not figure out how to save the video but maybe someone will load it to You Tube.

ETA-I was on the freeway when this hit. My dog was with me and went nutso as he hates storms and rain and even the rumble bars on the side of the road. And the construction made it even worse because the rest area is closed! I hate orange barrels so much!!

Ticket To Love

Plain is plain. White is plain. Isn't it grand what you can do with colors to something so plain as a white sheet of card stock? This was a card I made at spring stamp camp at Stamp Image Studio and the idea was either Stacey's or her mom's. There is just so much going on with this card, that I have to post several photos to get all the info to you.

Here is the finished card with a bit of a side angle. It was starting to get dark when I photographed it, so the colors are a bit more vivid close up. I wanted you to see the full card before I went into the details. This is plain white card stock scored using the Scor-it board. Nothing special like texture or gloss.

For this base card, we used several stamps from the Inkadinkado stamp line that comes to stamp and scrap stores with a "buy two get one free" special every month. The flourish stamp is item number 96129 but this type of design is showing up in many stamp lineups, even SU has one this catalog. But I love the Inkadinkado stamps because they are affordable and fun (actually I don't think I have found a stamp company I didn't like at least a few images if it's on wood).

I used all Tim Holtz Distress Inks with this card and on the flourish stamp I used Weathered Wood all over the white card. I just turned it here and there in a pleasing pattern. I then used Tattered Rose and Peeled Paint to swirl lightly over the paper. Each person would get a different look depending on how they swirled. I edged the card to distress it more in Antique Linen. Tearing a small piece of Basic Grey, I also rubbed the inks over this, but edged this with Vintage Photo. I set both aside for now.For the ticket stub, I cut a piece of Basic Grey or use other patterned card stock and rub it up with ink. Then take a large ticket punch (McGill maybe) and punch out a ticket in the same white you used for the base card. Using Tattered Rose again, stamp a background of hearts or some similar large stamp image, over stamp this with a script type verse stamp image in Tea Dye and over stamp that with Love stamp from Inkadinkado item 96124. You can swirl a little linen ink over the whole thing. Layer the ticket on the piece of Basic Grey and find a pleasing way to lay this and the other torn piece on the center of the card
Next I took a plain silver brad that was HUGE!! Just use some generic one. Karen Foster also makes some like this. I rubbed it across a Versamark pad and got it juicy with ink and immediately dipped it into Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder-Vintage Photo. The textures on these are so wonderful and if you haven't used them, just buy one jar and give it a try. They do not heat up smooth, so if that happens to you, you are heating way too long. They will be rough and if some flakes off, it is supposed to! I clipped off the prongs as close as possible because I was going to pop dot it. When it had cooled, I added a piece of tied gingham ribbon behind it, and a punched out primitive heart from a Basic Grey scrap was attached with all purpose glue to the top. Just pop dot it into place. Here is a straight on look at the card so you may get a better look at all the distressing and aging. I thought this card was so incredible the day I made it and I am so happy I was able to take the camp and have such fun. Can Fall stamp camp be far behind?

Enabler Alert for Mid Michigan! Quickutz!!

Do you LOVE Quickutz dies? Want some really cheap? Like 60% off or better? Get thee booties to this store in Okemos, just east of the MSU campus and down I96 from the capital city of Lansing.

.All single cut 2x2 dies - $3.00

.All double cut 2x2 dies - $5.00

. Khaki Alphabets - $25.00

. Goose Bumps - 2x2 dies - $5.00

I got 40 dies yesterday and I am salivating as to the cheap price I got them for. The store is changing vendors, redesigning the whole store and hoping to unveil next week the new design.They will no longer be carrying Quickutz :o( I went three days into the sale thinking there would be nothing much left and was amazed there were still hundreds of dies, so get there before the weekend when everyone gets paid and actually has money, otherwise they will be gone, I think.

There were also some of the Revolutions, the large alphabets and even a squeeze tool or two on clearance. Hurry in for some great deals. If I hadn't been up there-an hour's ride for me-buying some new running shoes, I would have missed out.

I almost thought of buying what was left and selling them on eBay but I was leaving some for y'all-and they did have some military sets which normally are 50 buckaroo's and retired. So hurry in! Tell them the crazy person from Flushing sent ya-the one who only likes double-sided paper. (I was gonna say the one with the paper addiction but that is just about everyone I know!)

Have fun if you go and if you need a place for lunch, let me know. I have every menu from every place I ever ate, I think!

Girls Rule!

A very tall card this is. When I saw the idea for this , I didn't want to make it. But going thru my stash, I found some legal size envelopes with those sting binder things on the back for a clasp and said-what the hey! My niece loved this card so I am going to make her one later as I need to find some softball paper. She is playing on a traveling team for the first time this summer and has weekend tournaments that gobble up all her time. At 10, I wish she also was involved in something like scouts or a reading club instead of just all sports all the time.

I don't remember what stamp set was used for this and I no longer have it to use-it's in the box I intend to auction off or sell locally in a garage sale. I just don't use it enough to keep it. The ink was a chalk ink from Colorbox-again, a color I don't use often as I am not into pinks. I used a corner rounder on the edges of the individual letters and then punched a hole to tie the pieces of ribbon thru. The base card was just some generic green that matched the patterned paper. I wanted to do the "rule" word in a rub-on but all my l's were gone, so I found some odd stickers and it worked out pretty well.

I got new running shoes today! Playmakers rule! Well worth the hour's drive.

April Songs

I love this cool technique to make backgrounds on glossy paper. You will never get two alike and depending on what colors are prominent, you will get a different feel for each piece you have cut, even if you use the same stamps and inks. This particular card used a piece of the same paper that made this card but look how different it looks with the colored base cards being the oppposite. For this card, I used some Bazzill textured card stock and a corner punch to make a place to anchor the glossy stamped piece. I lined the glossy sheet with silver envelope liner that brought out the faint silver color showing thru even tho there was no metallic inks used. I think it was the gloss of the card before the inks that shows. I used a small piece of the silver to line the back of an oval oddity I found and I stamped my word on the silver before filling it with Acrylic Accents (no finger prints in this one).

I tried a few other ribbons or textures but liked the variegated colors in this particular ribbon the best. It just seemed to enhance all the background colors and play off them. I think I got 6 cards off this one sheet of glossy colors. I do wish I had photographed them all but some went for swaps. Time to maybe make a mess again!

As Good As It Gets.

I saw this site on another blog and decided to play with it. I chose as close as I could but nothing was really me other than the running shoes and long hair. No running shorts, no lonely road in the suburbs, and these were ones that were free. I saw a Harry Potter one and a surfing one that were cool.

Go make an animated avatar at Meez for your blog, too. Now if only I could sing like the Gwen Stefani hairstyle.

Mother's Day

I think I saw this idea in a nationally available magazine a while back. I get them all so I could not pin it down to one or another. What I set out to make and what it became are really two different cards. One thing I don't like is that this is a square card. Just dislike them but I had this printed square scallop piece and also had a bunch of die cut letters that I was not sure of using, so gave it a whirl.

Looking at the photo and reproducing this card is pretty self explanatory. I did cover the chipboard with paper and ink up edges a bit. I also sanded them to make sure the layers meshed. I guess because its too plain is why I really dislike it. This might be a good idea for a card from a guy to his mom but so not my style. Needs ribbon....or garlic.

Feeding Your Inbox

Many of you have signed up to receive the updates on my blog and I thank you for that. But how many of you actually are getting the feeds? I have a bunch of emails listed in my account that are unverified which means you did not click on the email Feedburner sent you to activate the feed.

At the end of the month I am going to delete those emails that have not activated as the clickable email Feedburner sent is probably long gone from your inbox. If you want to get updates when I post them, please go to the box on the right and sign up and then click the email you will receive to complete the cycle. I cannot resend it to you, you have to do it yourself.

You will not be spammed or receive anything but my blog updates. If you are using another feed, I understand that. Or many of you are using Readers. I just hope that those who do want to get the updates and aren't, will see this and resubscribe.

Off to bed for some much needed reading time!

Happy Holidays Bear

Going thru my stash yesterday, I found a bunch of cards I had made last fall and had completely forgotten about. I think the photos are a bit dark but I am not is search of any snow or wintry images to make this look more seasonal. It was fairly warm today so I thinned out my herb garden and planted more (want some mint?), which I rather like doing. I love having dirty hands and smelling like a pizza. Oregano aroma will follow me for a while as I cool down.

I started this card with a medium muted lime card stock that is a bit textured. I added a red layer that is a metallic finish and placed that across the middle leaving room for my ribbon strips. The stamped image and phrase are on a smooth white with tiny silver flecks. I really like this paper but haven't a clue what it's called or where to buy it. I do have it in blue, red, black (incredible look to that one) and golden yellow. I got them at a going out of business sale at a store called See Spot Run in Franklin, MI a few years ago. I loved that store-it was very unique.

My image was colored with Prismacolors and Gamsol-I very much liked the shading on Teddy. I then trimmed the hat and pompom with silver tinsel glitter. Before I added the white layer with the image to the regular base card, I added red star brads to the corners so that they would have the backs hidden and not showing thru the inside of the card. I usually trim the backs of my brads so the prongs are less bulky, too.

I think this may be a Penny Black stamp as it reminds me of her style. I was thumbing thru my stamp file (an old recipe box with images indexed by style and size) and could not find it listed. I may have a box of stamps I haven't gotten to yet-what a surprise. Two hands are never enough. I need to turn the compost before I sit for good tonight. Happy Monday!

Serendipity Holidays

Want a quick way to use up tiny bits of card stock or paper? I saw this idea a while ago for tiny punched out squares of papers and how easy is this?

Little kids could make these too! I gathered a bunch of scraps, punched them out and inked up the edges in black I also inked the edges of the grayish base card which seemed to complement all the colors for a cooler effect. Topped it off with a metal eyelet phrase, a punched and inked heart and done. Maybe 5 minutes if I pawed thru the paper bin too long.

I never throw anything over an inch away and maybe I should but criminy, it would be a waste, I think! Doing my part for the planet one square at a time.

I am A Rockin' Girl Blogger!

I was nominated twice this week for this very cool award and it's taken me several head whacking tries and some html help from my daughter Courtney to add some of the things I wanted to do. I placed the icon below my name and feed box for now because I am still so new at editing anything without screwing up a few times. I still am having a problem getting a photo to stay loaded without it going to an red X. I need to rest my brain now. I did good I think as my blog is still here and not lost in cyberspace as I was afraid it would be!

Lori and Dana both nominated me and I am honored. I would like to nominate some others but have to find some who are not already members-so bear with me for a few days while I look thru my archived blog list and I will update this post with them.

If you would like me to add your blog to my royal dance club listing, please leave a post with your permission and first name. I am on a roll tonight!

B As In Boy

This was a card from May, when the lilacs were in bloom. They didn't last as long this year as I am used to. The weather got too hot for them and browned them up. So I had to trade one wonderful aroma for my heat. Not a great trade off-I want them both.

This card is made using a bottle cap that was unused-but if you pry off one that is used and not bend it up-it will work too. I smashed this face side down on a padded piece of wood with a rubber mallet until the edges curled under. It's really easy to do. I then punched a circle of brown cardstock that matches the base card and popped it inside the cap with a giant pop dut underneath, punched a smaller circle in white, added a die cut B and layered them inside the cap. I just added acrylic accents and let it dry Check it out-my thumbprint is in the stuff-as usual. I am so impatient sometimes. Happens with every card I think. I leave my DNA behind.

A tan colored card base topped with some light weight scrap papers and a few layers later, a card is born. I scuffed up the edges of the patterned paper a bit with a light sanding block and attached the bottle cap when dry with double sided tape. Make sure if you mail such a card, you use a padded envy, and extra postage. Play around with this and change the letter to anything for your correct theme. Fast card and scrap easy.

I Stood In Line!

See why? And the line was right next to the stamping/scrapping aisles-so I amused myself for an hour playing with stamps and flippin' thru paper.

Anyways, the local Meijer's-a chain of stores in the Michigan and Ohio areas, had a deal tonight. Normally,the book was on a today only special for 19.99 but if you bought $30.00 of anything else (except another Harry book) and it was before 2 AM (the bewitching hour?) you got another $7.00 off at the register. So my book was $12.99 (way cheaper than any online store or major book store and I got the binders I have been wanting for my dvds and software that were also half off. What a deal! I can't read it now however, as daughter gets first crack tomorrow.

Tim Holtz Is At It Again!!

I don't think this is what I was expecting this time. But I must have some! Will I get all 24? Hmmmmmm.... not sure as I hear they will be 4.50 to 5.00 a pop. I think to start out, I will get the browns and maybe the reds and oranges. Unless someone offers a great deal on all of them!

I think they will maybe be sold in 4 packs? That would make sense but still 20 buckaroos is a lot for acrylic paints, ya think? Somehow I will find a way to get these cheaper but not until September as that is the release date from what I am seeing. I need some stock in Tim!

Bon Voyage!

No, I'm not going anywhere. I can't even get an hour down the freeway to the art fair for some reason. Every day, I get dressed, make sure everything is hunky dory with myself and the dog and the weather bureau issues a storm watch or warning. Twice today, I thought I was going only to have to dive for cover as it poured and I honestly have not seen trees do what they did yesterday and still stay upright after. My potted flowers blew off the deck, the umbrella was across the yard and the chairs upturned. Don't like that stuff-wind scares me.

Here is a card maybe someday I can send to myself if I ever go anywhere. I want to spend a summer in the British Isles as that is half my heritage. I just need a way to get there and back without flying. Am I too old for the Merchant Marines? Or maybe a giant whale can swallow me and spit me out on the white cliffs of Dover.

This card was another easy one. I used my trusty Heidi distressor on all the darker edges after I distressed them with Tim inks.I did ink up the base card a bit as I am not big into white background cards. The flower was punched out and I punched a circle to match and edged it too. The hardest part to me is lining up the acrylic stamps to make words so I finally went out and bought a block that had lines on it to make it easier. I know you can etch your blocks but I have no idea how to do it straight, so it was easier to buy one already done.

I did pop dot the flower a bit because the layers were a bit uneven. So the dots are only on the top of the flower for balance. The upper right corner was a bit bare and I always know eyelets or brads are easy to fill some space with, so these white ones worked out fine. I see now one of them is a bit defective-I wonder how many in a pack of 100 end up like that? These brads have a bit of a rubbery feel to them-unlike the ones that are metallic in feel. Must be the paint. I got them on clearance as I buy them even if I don't need them now when I see a color I like and can split with daughter.

Bon Voyage-I am going to bed to read my new stamp magazines I got this week. Maybe the dog will actually let me sleep by myself for a change.

On This Special Day

Isn't this turtle cute? He is really enjoying the summer dog days. I wish I were with him laying in the grass soaking up the sun (cue Sheryl Crow now). This stamp and phrase are from Great Impressions. I usually end up buying some of the complimentary stamps each month but rarely do I like the actual SOTM.

This card is from an idea I got from Laurie at Jane's Craft Studio a while back. Make sure if you are in mid Michigan that you stop by to visit with the wonderful people at this store. If I lived closer, I would be in store at least once a week. Just the samples on the walls are worth the trip. And up the road a bit off I96 is Stacey's , so make a day of it and have fun. I can tell you where there is a nice Irish Pub for lunch in between the two stores--------yum-o!

This card had 5 layers added to the base card. I played with the various sizes of cardstock to see what might be a bit different instead of just one on top of the other as Laurie had done. I finally came up with this layered card. I edged most of the pieces with a hot pink chalk ink. Yes, even the blue layer is edged in pink! Laurie had done bows on her card and I just have such a hard time with bows. I even bought that little tool to help and still can't seem to do it right. So I made photo corners with my ribbon. I colored with Prismacolors and Gamsol and now wished I had done a bit more shading on Turtle. A little brown and darker green would have given him more depth. I had to top him off with Stickles on his party hat and a bit on the flowers just because I love glitter.

A pretty quick summery card-favorable for both male and female occasions. My grass is soaked tonight after terrifying wind and rain so I wont be out laying on it for a while. I can hear the frogs from my herb garden tonight calling to each other and the fireflies are prolific too. Summertime.........wish it was always summertime.

Luck of the Draw.

This is a card from my archives. I made this in 2004 at a scrapbook weekend. The idea was to visit as many stores on the list and get a "passport" stamped and then submit it at the last store and maybe win a huge prize. The place I made this at is no longer in business-in fact only two of the 12 stores are still around. I really liked this particular store but saw it going down hill within a year. Sad as it had tons of stamps and it was the first time I had ever used Tim Holtz Distress Inks.

The background music paper was off white and I used the inks to make it really old looking. Now I use 3-4 colors to get some unusual age to items but at the time of this card, there were only 6 colors out there, so I used two. I bought all the inks, of course. I have all 24 to keep current and wonder what is coming next, now that Tim has made embossing distress powders to match!

I adhered the torn and distressed paper to the card-I inked that up a bit too. Then I stamped a message on a plain white sheet and layered it over black after inking the edges of the phrase. Finishing up, I added these cool fake brads. I think EK Success made them as part of their Architecture line that was so new then. I then just tucked some real playing cards-which are mini size-behind the phrase.

Here is another card I made using playing cards. I bought them to make mini ATC's but haven't gotten around to that phase yet! Too many things to do and not enough hands and sofa slug is no help at all.

Going to bed early-if 2AM is early. The Ann Arbor Art Fair is starting in the morning and I am going if the storms stay away. I need a new yard thingie or two.

Just Because....

Here is another quickie! I made this last summer at a local stamp store when they were demoing the embossing plates from Fiskars. You can see on the bottom where I did the rubbing. Just use the plates and a regular embossing stylus and rub back and forth with a little pressure.

I stamped three different flower images which were all from Hero Arts-(sold as a set if I remember right) just above where my embossed rubbing is. I then used chalks to color my flowers to bring out the delicate nature of them. I ran a wide piece of organza ribbon across the flowers, so you don't have to set the chalk as it won't smear with the ribbon over the top-just tape the edges inside the card. I then cut a liner for the card a bit smaller than the base card and taped/glued it to the inside after folding but only on the top. Other wise you end up with a card that won't fold flat.

And to finish, I stamped my message Just Because... and topped each flower on top of the ribbon with a tiny rhinestone crystal to give it some bling. Easy, summer/fall card and very adaptable.

Your Kindness is Appreciated!

Another card using the Sizzix corner die cut and a corner ribbon wrap. I made this in the spring and photographed it then too-and now that I no longer have the card, I noticed the button slipped on the flower. I had purchased some really cheapo pop dots at the dollar store and either they didn't hold at all or they shimmied down the card with whatever they were holding in place-hence the top flower and button are moving down a bit.

This was a fun and fast card and is very open to other themes like Christmas, birthday, or just because you want to make a quickie. I edged all the layered pieces in Distress Inks-I think it was Chipped China. The lower right corner of the phrase image is wrapped with a stray piece of ribbon as I have so many of those in a zippie. I used a small flower punch to punch two layers and off set the top on and added a button that I tied some embroidery floss thru in a knot. I really like that die cut and see myself using it a lot more now that I can actually find anything in my stamp room-but more work is pending so off I go.

Let's Party!

I made this for a square card swap earlier this year. I still hate square cards but found these cool die cut frames for 5 cents a piece and decided to use some. It must have been close to St. Patty's Day for me to have these stickers tho.

Basically I just pop-dotted the square frame on top of a folded square card that I had punched out the middles to match the frames. I placed the sticker image behind the middle cut out, wrapped a few pieces of ribbon around the corners and added the phrase. It was so bland, so I added some tiny flower brads with Prima flowers and touched them up with glittery Stickles. Not the greatest card but I gave a lot of them away and only kept this one. I really need some creating time soon instead of archival postings.

This card was hard to photograph as it would not stand up, looked weird straight on so I went with the odd angle and it was too windy outside, so a pretty off photo I think.

I went to a stamp store open house today and learned something new, so as soon as I can, I will post a photo. Always nice to learn fun, new techniques and the make and takes were free! Of course, I spent money too. How can I not??

Potted Posies

I found this card after forgetting I did it for a swap last spring. It was for the group I was in that kicked most of the members out and made so many stampers very upset with what turned out to be "stamping snobbery"

The theme was to only use scraps and of course, I was already doing that, so I came up with this idea on the fly and used what was at that time my favorite phrase stamp too. I love shades of purple coupled with orange reds-not because of the Red Hat Society but because they just look so cool together. The purple layer is stamped and embossed in clear detail to give a subtle flower pattern. I had another photo but the colors were not true and the stamping showed better in the back but not as good for the other layers.

The potted flowers were some acrylic set I got as a SOTM somewhere and I used several of them in the set to make the main image. I then colored the pots using Prismacolors and Gamsol and added Stickles to several of the posies. After adding all the layers-the red piece across the top is corrugated-I tied bows and stamped my message stamp on the bottom. I think I needed a tad more black ink tho or maybe more pressure as it wasn't a clean stamping.

Gosh, I need to keep digging in desk mess-who knows what I will find!

I Was Tagged----2nd Time This month!

So seven new things about me...are you sure you want to be bored again?

1--My husband and I only had two dates. He and I went on one to Mr Steak in April 1972 and he went away for 6 weeks. He came back, we went to the drive in and I moved in with him. We got married (eloped actually) and it's 35 years later. I am still a cheap date as I often just get a tea and a salad. He didn't know I didn't eat meat, so I ordered a baby steak and had them burn it so I didn't have to eat it.

2--I have the ticket stubs to every movie, every concert and every sports event I have ever gone to in my life. Not so much a pack rat as an ephemera collector. I also have my very first utility bill I had in my name.

3--I love rutabagas. Just boiled and smashed with some parsley and a little margarine and some seasoning. I got this from my gramma and I make it at Christmas along with a Tofurkey. Yum-o

4--I have all the original Star Wars action figures along with the ships. They were my son's but he gave them to me for safekeeping and when I can, I take them out and have my own little scenarios. I love toys and have my brother Bruce's blue rubber car from 1957. It and a photo are the only things I have that were his. He died at 15 and he would have loved Star Wars action figures so much

5--I went to 12 years of Catholic school prison. My senior year as I was 17, I moved out, enrolled myself in a public school and got a job. There really was a world out there and I wanted to experience all the wonder of it. I went to school with black kids for the first time in my life-1971. I still can dance like Paulette showed me how in the halls in front of my locker-something the nuns would not allow in our stiff blue and white uniforms. Odd that I wanted to be a nun in grade school

6--I collect vegetarian cookbooks and have over 150. I especially like ethnic ones and if they are like travelogues, all the better. A trip diary and some recipes from the area are a perfect combination!

7--I have to buy a new car every two years-it's part of my husband's job description with GM-so I buy the cheapest ones they make with nothing much added. It may sound like a good deal to others to have a new car that often but I can't get much for them after and really don't drive many miles-less than 6000 a year. I heard they are changing the program to every 4 years. But it still wont make me buy a more expensive gas guzzler. I say bring back the Geo line and make it electric! I haven't driven my car in almost 2 weeks. But as long as he works for them, we have to have a current or last year model car in his name-even if it sits in the driveway undriven. It sucks.

Autumn Velvet

I stamped on velvet! How cool is that? I learned this from Stacey at Stamp Image Studio in Fowlerville at a stamp camp. Of course, the place she got the ribbon from no longer makes it, so I hope to experiment with some other pieces I picked up at Joann's recently. I bought velvet from the remnant bin at 50% off the remnant price as I could not find any velvet ribbon at all.
Basically, you need a heat resistant cloth and you lay your fabric over a wood mounted stamp-DO NOT use an acyclic stamp!-and do this rubber side up and spritz the velvet with warm water-don't saturate it tho. Then lay the heat resistant cloth over the image and fabric and use an iron to "stamp" your image into the velvet. Really, you are melting some of the fibers of the velvet. If you look close on the right leaf, you will see where I rocked a bit and it picked up the edge of the rubber which I did not want to do. I would say count to 10 at most to get the image. You can then mount your velvet image however you want.

The layer that frames the velvet used a wood grain stamp with Distress ink but I think a golden hue might work too. The corners were rounded using a corner rounder and then the word Autumn(Hero Arts) was stamped and embossed on some metallic like cardstock and cut out. You could pop dot this if you wanted. Lots of ideas with this technique and if you have scraps of velvet-oh my! you will have fun. Just be careful depending on what sort of velvet you use. Some are all acrylic and it's best to have some cotton in it I think. Try a small piece before you go crazy with an idea.

Ric Rac Birthday

Just a quickie tonight. I am feeling a bit depressed and need to retreat for a day or so. I have not had time to create and have so many images in my head and I tried just cutting some paper tonight and matching colors for a respite but it didn't work. Went for a run-got a sore foot. I get in funks sometimes but maybe it was the weather cooling off that did this. It was 96F yesterday and only 73F today . I like hot and this reminds me that it doesn't stay that way and summer is a rare blossom in Michigan.

I did at least, chose from my recent collection, hot colors for you! All scraps and the acetate printed circle was from the flea market at the stamp store. I have two huge canisters of buttons that someday I will divide by style or color or when I get snowed in (bite my tongue!). I think this button was a Doodlebug one. Ric Rac from May Arts and a very quick card and versatile too. Always use the Trio tape runner with ribbon and Ric Rac and other narrow items. Love that tool!

Perhaps I will feel sunnier tomorrow-I am too old to use the PMS excuse. Unless having a husband underfoot is a hormone problem!

Get Well Soon

This card is made from an 8 x 11 piece of card stock. I saw this idea a while back and made this with the idea of making kid ones with suckers. Basically, you cut the layers but only on the top. You have the longer edge on the bottom and fold in three even folds and then cut each layer to make the pockets. You will still have one whole piece of card stock, just folded and each fold is larger. So the back pocket is the whole length piece of paper and so on. I then glued the edges to the side after adding any printing papers for decoration to the three front layers. It's pretty simple even tho I am giving you a convoluted way to do this. It will fit in a legal envelope when you are done. But use something pretty and fun.

I used various ways to enhance the card and the two tags is where you add your message. I folded a few tissues for the top pocket along with a stick used for rub ons that I attached a message to. A good old Popsicle stick is what it is but when its with rub ons, it becomes a specialized tool I guess. You can add a sucker or a gift card for online shopping in another pocket. Brads would work for the flower punch outs. It's a card to play around with and themes will come to you as gardening, back to school, graduation with cash tucked in and others are really open to this style. So have fun making some of these to use up all your scraps and textured card stocks.

Thank You So Much!

++++Lost Internet last night-felt lost and out of sync.++++

Thank you all for reading my blog and for posting comments. I really look forward to looking each day to see what others have posted to mine and to link back to theirs and see what is going on all over the world. I even love reading the ones I cannot read! Italian, Finnish and some symbol stuff that I really don't know what it is but it's pretty!

I had a weird experience tonight. I am tearing apart my old desk-it's one of those O'Sullivan ones that was glued together and no one would want it anyways as its 12 years old and had a dip from the original optical mouse, and the cat used the side for a scratching post. But going thru the files, the printings of craft stuff and tons of papers I keep asking myself what I had kept it for...I found a print out of the first email I ever sent in 1995! My daughter Courtney was a vet school student at Michigan State and my son was just starting his Senior year of high school. I was complaining about his greedy Christmas list! Jeez.........Funny I kept it tho.

This is a pretty simple card using scraps of double sided textured card stock and multiple layers. Of course, I inked all the layers with burlap distress ink and worked it around a bit on some of the papers. I will probably die with my Distress Inks in my hands. This card is a quickie and probably less than 10 minutes, especially if you have your papers selected. Looking at this now, the only thing I might change is the base card. I think I would go with textured white or a green one. I also think this card could easily be switched to a Holiday card as so much blue is showing up in recent years with decorating for December. The tags were punched from an Ellison die and tied together with the piece of ribbon. Fast, fun and out of here!

I've Been Tagged-again.

Here are the rules---------7 things about myself and tag others. I think everyone has been tagged-if you haven't, let me know and I will tag you.




1: I have screwy feet. I hurt my big right toe about 20 or so years ago and now cannot get a pair of shoes to fit right on that foot. It's like the toe knuckle is too big for most shoes. I did this in a running of a 10 mile race in Flint Mi during a monsoon.

2: I don't read fiction-unless its a Superman comic book. I will only read history, science, bio's, and that sort. I just prefer to fill my head with real stuff-if I want to get away from life, I dive into the past for a while. I have enough books to open a book store but have been giving them away as I read them instead of saving them.

3: I will not go in an airplane-as the quote goes-If I was meant to fly, it would have been easier to get to the airport. I love to look at planes both on the ground and in the sky but I don't like to be in them. The last time I was in one was 1981 and I had to get drunk. I don't need that anymore.

4: I love the old MGM musicals and know all the songs and sing them as I am out for a run. I get strange looks but who cares. It's good for my lungs and makes the time go fast. I especially like the Judy Garland and Fred Astaire ones.

5: Many of you know I am a vegetarian but not many know I also will not use medicine made from animals, hence I turned down hormones after my surgery and sought out a plant source for HRT. I also use vegetarian vitamins (much more pricey) . I also don't wear leather or wool.

6: I like it hot and humid and have always felt the stork dropped me in the wrong place and some poor woman is wandering around the jungle begging for snow and cool temps. I have lived in Michigan nearly all my life and was born here but have never felt connected here to anything other than the sports teams.

7: I am a birth mom. I had a baby girl in high school and placed her for adoption at 3 days. I was reunited with her when she was 17 and she too had a baby girl (who just graduated high school herself, with No baby!). I made the best decision for her and myself at the time and I am pro-choice-and had other options way back then. I wanted a better life for her and while that didn't always happen, I cant change the past. I just hope she isn't a gramma until she is older. And I don't want to be a great gramma until I am 60-which is a long while yet!

You Are My Sunshine!!

Hot Hot Hot

I love it! More please.

I made this card last fall and it's pretty simple. I used a Sizzix die for the photo corner and another die from Ellison for the sun. All the layers are edged inked-some are rubbed a little more than others. The center of the sun is chalked and I can't for the life of me figure out what is in the middle. I tried to scrap it off with my finger and it would not budge. It may be glue but I would think it would have come off easily with that little sticky remover thingie I have. Just think of it as sunspots, I guess.

This would be a less than 10 minute card I . I almost added some sparkly stuff but left it as it. But now months later I would add some brads or eyelets to the right side-just to even it out, I guess.

Winner!!! Come On Down!!!

Well, I am posting the winner a day late. I got home, selected the winner last night/actually early AM and crashed. I then had to photograph the cool alterable and just got so behind today. Now this extra item I have had for years. I actually have quite a few of them and I imagine they might be a collectible to Barbie fanatics. Years ago, I purchased dozen of Barbie Dolls for Toys 4 Tots and the Barbie's were all bundled in 4 dolls with one of these items pictured below. It also included a DVD/CD-ROM and poster. Now, they were loose, so we decided not to donate these at that time and maybe come up with another way to give them out later. I just discovered the box last week and thought-hmmmmmmmm-looks alterable to me with maybe a book inside or some such.

outside/inside
So the lucky winner of the non-pareils will receive one of the cute Barbie purses to do whatever they want to with-including maybe sell it on eBay. I don't care as long as you are happy. I know I did not get a lot of entries in my question contest-I think based on the fact that a lot of bloggers are giving away stamp sets and gift certificates is maybe a reason why mine was bypassed. I am not a demo, so I have no sets to give away and all my other crafting items went to the local Girl Scout camp. So I just had fun putting a theme together and hoped others would respond. I might do this again but maybe not as it almost has become a "top me if you can" thing for some bloggers.

So the winner will receive the above along with what was pictured on the original post last week. The winner chosen at random is..........................#1!!!!!! So for all you people who think being the first poster doesn't win-well bla! It did. So the winner is Angel Wilde over at Angelosity. Get back to me in the next few days so I can get this off to you-leave a post at the bottom of here with your email etc.

Now I never said what I would purchase-assuming I even got into the mall parking lot without having a melt down. I would like another pair of jeans from Chico's-they are the most comfortable ones I have ever owned and for those of you who never have gone there-as long as you are a 16 and under, they can fit you. And get this-they only have three sizes in the store--1, 2, 3! You can be a 14-16 anywhere else and be a 3 at Chico's!!!!! How cool is that? I think they even have half sizes too. I would probably just start buying cute things at other places for kids and donate them to the Angel Tree at Christmas after. I wear stuff until it falls apart and then some. The only thing I usually buy every year is new running shoes and live in them and my race shirts or sweats. I am easy to dress and live a simple cotton life. I do need some sweaters tho and finding any without wool is very hard-sometimes I take the men's store route for them.

I liked how Allison actually showed some links to what she liked as I do like to look at stuff online and in catalogs. And for everyone who wants shoes and purses (unless you are like me and search and inspect and even smell-leather was a no no here!!-I buy purses and shoes when I see them in fabric or non-leather and stick them away for years sometimes).Vegan shoes are big in Europe but hard to find here right now. And all the ones who wanted stamps-what mall has stamps because I am moving to your town! Our malls have shoes, and more shoes and junky stores and more shoes. How many athletic shoes places does one town need?

Back to card making maybe? I have some done but not photographed as I stuck them in a box and moved the box and ...well, you know how that goes. Which box???

Legacy Lives On

I found these pre-made cards in the clearance bin at Micheal's months ago and decided to buy some in several colors. I probably bought too many but if they turn out like this-well worth it.

I love the little hinge on the right side and even tho these are the dreaded square cards, I am happy with one for once. I just don't like to make this sort of card. I prefer baby cards or wedding ones or happy anything.

The pre-made card is offset on the side so it's is about an inch short on the top fold. The flap that buckles over is attached and slides in the double slot. I covered the inside of the card with a cream square and then layered a strip that matched the layer of the front down the side. I printed the sentiment on the same cream paper using a laser printer and distress inked the sides of all the pieces in dark brown, even the flap to give it more depth. I then placed the layers and pop dotted the Prima flower with brad-I don't like the brads showing thru on the inside so I did cut the prongs shorter to not show. I then tucked a small Prima leaf under the flower.


Here you can see how the tucked flap looks open and there is plenty of room to write your thoughts inside too. Because the actual base is pre-made-this is a very quick card to make and easy to alter depending on the gender or situation. I will make some happy cards now.

Blogger Problems Tonight-ETA

Is anyone else having a problem with blogger tonight? I am trying to post something with a title and the title area wont work. I cannot even get the cursor to show up there. I am able to put stuff in the body and even photos but there isn't any way to put a title on it and I don't like to post without a title. If anyone else is having problems, please add a comment. I contacted the help desk and there isn't anyone else adding the same issues. I get so frustrated with technology sometimes. I like smooth sailing.

ETA-I was helped a bit by a guy named Wasted at Google Help. Not a permanent solution but it works for now. So I titled this as I write this.

Contest is Coming to a Close Soon!! Read Me for More Info!

Make sure to get your entry in-I have something really cool to add to the booty but I am not gonna add the photo until I have the winning name ready to draw. It is something I have had for a while and it is alterable and I don't want to part with it but a little girl would love this and it's very girly girly and might also be perfect for a wedding shower altered item. You snooze-you lose!

It fits in so well with the love theme, too!! Last call at Saturday night 11:59 PM.

Making Spirits Bright

I was not going to post tonight but someone emailed me and said her post hadn't shown up for the contest and she wondered why. So I even checked my spam file and it's not there either. I wonder if others get confused if they don't see it right away? I emailed her and told her to try again and we will work from there. My other option is to open it up for non-approval posts but I am honestly afraid of the garbage out there. I have seen some nastiness posted and it is very hurtful, so I like having the little bit of control of not exposing my readers to anything ugly in print.

This card is from a Hero Arts class I took last winter. It used one of those chipboard letters they came out with a while back and I think I used the pop out letter on another card too. I backed this letter with a weird paper that I think is from Hero Arts that is crepe-like. Then the chipboard was stamped with a circle stamp from Hero arts as was the phrase. On red crepe paper I stamped a plain tree outline and then on white stamped a striped tree the same size. Then I stamped a phrase tree image and cut out the image to go over the red paper tree and I did not do a good job as I am not a good aligner.

The small tree set is called Fusion Trees and it contains 3 stamps. What is really cool is I have since found several other similar tree stamps from other companies that fit inside the outline tree making this set even more versatile. It is pictured here below.

I then punched a hole in the top of the tree tags and threaded with ribbon and tied around the chipboard. I think we made 5 cards that night and it was fun-I will try to find the others later.

I am going to bed now-I just got back from a Weird Al concert and it stormed and my food blew away as did hubby's hat (which was probably good as it was getting rank!) It was a pretty good concert of 2 1/2 hours and it was FREE!!!!!

Thinking of You-Photos Added

This was the card I wanted to submit for the local contest. I loved its "dirtiness" Unfortunately, I could not use this because it wasn't the correct printed papers. I tried to find more of the papers locally as they were from KI, but no one had the current hot pink summery ones. SO I really wanted to go with this style and them, but had to go in a different direction. I always like my rejects better than my actual submission.

This card used Great Impressions SOTM for May 2007. I usually like the other stamps in the set each month and usually pass on the actual SOTM. But this stamp was in the card kit. I hand punched the edges using my corner round-I have them in three different sizes and this was the medium one. I also punched the small holes over the scallops using my Cropidile. And then I sanded the paper for a worn look. All the edges were distressed inked and the flowers were stamped and Stickled before cutting. I used some random letters to make up the words I was thinking of using. I wanted something generic for the phrase to keep it more versatile.

I actually stamped! I don't like my submitted card so don't know if I will add it here until I hear who won. I saw the entries and honestly-they all sucked, including mine.

ETA--here is the winning card for this month's contest. Like I said above, I was disappointed in every one's entries including mine. This contest was not anywhere near the quality of the last time which had about 5 that were excellent.

The card below was my entry-I absolutely hated it because I am not into hot pink or anything pink! I have no idea if I got any votes as I don't ask. And its better not to know.

Shabby Halloween

Love these chipboard pieces. Here is a before and after. It was too too plain for me before and wasn't sure what to add when I went shoe box diving and found these three matching buttons. I think it improved it a lot but still seems missing something.

I think what I am looking for is something glittery or shimmery. I wish I had some ghostie rub ons for the bottom of the black piece but of all the rub ons I have (which is almost every one made!)-that is about the only one I am missing! Even some shimmer paint washed across the black might have worked if I had not already stuck it down with permanent tape. An idea for next time!

I am Rated G!

This is to make up for the one I don't publish as I sound like Ozzie there!

My other blog that is published-had the word porn and still got a G.

Photo Added to Nonpareils Post!

Go back to the the original post if you haven't left your ideas yet-I have added a photo. I have a few more things to add but we had a mini disaster here tonight. This was originally gonna be a red , white and blue package but somehow the glitter-a huge bottle of Americana colors-opened itself and is all over me, the dog, my nephew, the floor-you get the idea. I have to clean it up somehow but the cats keep scattering it.

So I am shifting to a love package theme. This way you will get a head start on your love cards for February or just because love cards can be given any time. So the more posts I get with your virtual spending spree, the more items I will add.

The package contains as of Midnight July 4 the following:

1 full spool red organza ribbon-new
1 Art Accent bead container-full-new-reds and pinks
1 pink and 1 white tube glitters
1 package red jimmies
1 sheet Valentine heart acrylic/epoxy stickers
1 container of reds,pinks,golds and whites brads from Karen Foster.
1 sheet crystal elements-clear
1 full Altoids gum-sealed-to chew and then alter the tin!
1 package coasters to alter-round
2 sheets handmade paper in red and white
1 package cream cards with envelopes
1 red scrapbook 5 x 7 size
1 set heart glittery rub ons
1 new container of dental floss to color with chalk or ink (why pay for the other stuff when its this to begin with and you can make it match?)
1 Hero Arts catalog with ideas, samples and fun stuff

The link to the contest is here !!!!!

I will amend as I add more items. Remember the random drawing is Saturday July 7th.

Special As Can "Bee"

Tag cards are fun. You can make them as big or as small as you like and do just about any design with them too. I think as Christmas cards, they are fun especially if you included a gift card inside .The hardest part to me is getting the inside tag corners even. Someone taught me recently to cut one side and use that as a template for the other side. It worked too!

This card is pretty easy and the highlight is the bee of course. It's a photo corner! I was gonna use just the bee but stuck the whole thing on it and let it "be". I folded a sheet of paper in half and then folded down the front to make a flange where I could add a piece of patterned paper and run the twine underneath before gluing the sides. The end card is standard A2 size for reference.

Below you will see the tag outside the pocket. You could journal here or add a photo of your garden or kids. Even better, pop a gift card to the local flower nursery for the giftee!

Here is a link to another tag card I did a while back and I will have another coming soon-I was on a roll I guess-busy as a bee!

Are You Up for The Challenge???New Nonpareils!! Photo added!

I have a bunch of Nonpareils for you if you answer this poser honestly. I thought long and hard and wanted opinions on something I hate doing-shopping at the mall. Recently when my son got married, I had to shop for some suitable clothing. I think it's been years and years since I went into the "Valley" and I put it off until the last minute. I was hyperventilating and breaking out in a cold sweat and it was not pretty. I hate clothing shopping most of anything I can spend money on.

So here is my poser for this time-no solitary confinement on a deserted island this time . You must post your answer here on this thread only-and follow the rules. Honesty and silliness count-and the more fun we have the more the booty grows. I will post a photo tomorrow as I decide on the main course-but it's gonna be a party because you are all going shopping-in a cyber mall!!!

Here is the deal. I am giving you a Visa cash card with 1000.00 to spend in one day. You may purchase anything at the mall that you can wear, it can be one thing (are you lusting after a designer dress?) or several things or multiples of the same thing-no one can have too many jeans. It cannot be something to eat (I don't have x-ray vision) and it cannot be something to read because I won't be able to see your brain dressed up looking smart. I want to "see" you all purdied up and ready for Glamour Magazine. There are only two things excluded-no fur and no leather. Now, go shopping and report back here what you bought! Links to photos are okay too!

I will chose a random entry as the winner of the nonpareils using http://www.random.org/ so everyone has a chance to win and I will post a photo tomorrow of the fun stuff you will get-sorry, no real Visa cash card tho. The random drawing will be on Saturday July 7th at 11:59 PM. I am going to the ballet that night. I am so excited as I have never seen Baryshnikov live. He is still a sexy guy at 58. Yum!!!

Things That Matter

I did not get a photo today of my give away. I promise to tomorrow and hope to get more participants. Last month I had almost 40 but that time I had a photo right away. I promise you that you will like the goodies-so don't hesitate to play the game with me. Think of it as a reverse Pandora's Box-only good things will come out of it.

Hubby came home from his latest trip, I met him for an early supper as I was on my way to the gym-but never got there-as then we waited on daughter passing thru town on her way to the beach for a few days. I wish I was going someplace fun-but I would want to go alone and specific to what I want to do for me and apparently that isn't acceptable. Like I can't take care of myself away as I do for weeks at a time at home?

So this card was in my queue-I have about 15 loaded right now and waiting for editing. I love double sided card stock especially if it's textured too. I was thinking this was Crate Paper but since I cut up my card stock and patterned paper into 6 x 6 sheets, I often cut off the edge with the designations on it. I was pretty proud of myself for wedging the side like I did to show the backside on the top. Of course, I then see it in all the magazine samples this month. I distressed the edges with dark brown ink and then layered all the pieces. The ribbon is placed with Trio tape-you have to get some of this for all ribbon placement. I love it!

Go enter my contest and see what fun you can have with pseudo cash!