Make A Wish!

Sick. No NyQuil. Pistons lost in two OT. Going to bed with heating pad. Happy Birthday Mike, even if you can't figure it out.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Grapevine And Roses

We actually had a nice day today here in Michigan. It felt more like late April instead of mid March. Normally I would be gearing up for a St Patty's day road race but decided to save the 20 bucks. The entry sheet didn't say what the shirt was this year and I am pretty particular about my t-shirts or sweat shirts. I hate white shirts because I am a slob. I dribble worse than any baby ever could. I think it should be a pre-req that the race organizers put a photo of the shirts on the website as I know I am not the only one who feels this way. I also snub races with earmuffs, shorts, socks and the ilk. I have to have shirts for my quilt squares.

This was supposed to be a valentine. I don't think so. I saw wedding or Mother's Day or anniversary. Watcha think?? The stamp is from Sweet Stamps and was stamped in a medium grey so not to overpower the sparkly chalks. I used a Q-tip to apply the chalks and sealed with a bit of hair spray. The die cut is from a Nestability set. I used a textured piece for the bottom layer and Cryogen White with its pretty sparkle for the top layer. A base square card was sponged with a dabber thingie to give it the mottled look but you could use an air brush here, too. I just can't afford one. Then the bottom half was layered with polka dotted card stock. I don't remember if this is Bazzill or Bo Bunny since I have a bunch of both. I Trio taped a slice of ribbon and then pop dotted the die cut and stamped image layers in the center. Remember, if you mail something like this you will need more postage (to feed the rats at the PO).

Meshed Love

I spent the better part of my night talking with one sibling trying to make sense to him and when that didn't pan, talked to the other sib to wonder why I am in such a stupid family. Nothing meshes. Hubby doesn't want me to contact sib one anymore-because he sees what it does to me. I am starting to agree. He has to want to take care of himself but at 39, mom coddled and he abused anything he was given. Mom is gone now. He has to grow up. And I have to turn away for awhile and hope something positive happens with him.

A simple card-ribbon, scraps, a couple of punches. Layers and pops. And the whole tie in? That single piece of mesh (click photo to see better). I haven't used it much since a couple of springs ago. For a cheapie substitute if you can't find it locally, go to Home Depot or Lowe's for drywall tape. It can be inked or chalked to match anything you have. Now go raid your scraps. I am gonna go raid the leftover Brussels sprouts.

'Round My Heart

If I can only have one set of inks, it has to be Tim Holtz's Distress Inks. I have every color and it's amazing to me what you can do with them. Many times I just swipe them across papers and don't even pay attention to the colors I use, as they seem to compliment each other in so many ways. On this card, one of the brown tones was used to give it an old old look. And these cool pre-made folded cards are from the Paper Cut. The edges were stamped using a Sweet Stamp .

The scalloped edged piece was cut using a Nestability die and if you click, you can see the raised edge. This and all the other pieces were all inked using the Distress inks. The middle circle is a humongous punch and the "heart" is two tags punched with another punch, edges inked and then crossed and held in place with a glossy brad. The only thing I might change on this now is to add a bit of shimmer, maybe with Stickles or some Brilliance ink. Maybe next time.

Oh Happy Day

I think this was supposed to be a Valentine card but ya know, it would work for any celebration. Assuming you think it's a happy day celebration. Even a divorce is happy for a lot of people. Me, I would give this to sofa boy if he went to visit his sisters for a week at Easter. I NEED some alone time. Please!!

So a lot of my fav items are used on this card. Distress Ink from Ranger, Prima flowers, cheapo edging scissors, scraps of heavy weight paper/card stock, grosgrain ribbon. And a phrase stamp from Stacey's Sweet Stamps . Didn't I tie a great knot this time, too??

I always have a fun time when I make the trek to Stacey's store in Fowlerville. One of these days I am gonna figure out a way to teleport my way there. You would understand more if you saw the way I get there driving from Flushing. There is no straightaway point A to point B for me. I snake thru the back roads of mid Michigan ( because of detours and bridges being out over the years, this is just the way things are) but actually save over 20 miles of driving but it does take longer. No flying by the crow for me. But its pretty in the summer and fall (and I rarely go in the winter unless I have a driver).

So this is my sample for today, as I just randomly take them out of the folders and add them here. You may even get a Christmas card for Easter the way I am behind. So I am hunkering down for the blast of wind coming overnight. We still have plenty of winter left in my area-and all you peeps complaining about the heat already-SHUT UP!!!

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Dottie Puffs

There is no stamping on this but there is ink. Can you guess where it is? As part of a valentines card class my SIL and I took at Stacey's, it was fast and fun to make. The designer paper is from Basic Grey and everyone went nuts over it. My one wish with Basic Grey is to make two sided paper. I think they did one subset of papers a few years ago but nothing since. Their loss as I would buy tons of it if it were. I only buy two sided papers and designer heavy card stock anymore. That way I use it all instead of just some.

The bottom edge was punched using Fiskars and the heart punched and then was run thru an embossing folder. Layer the heart over brown and pink the edges. Those puffy hearts come in other colors and I have used red ones before. This would be a great card to use up scraps. So did you find the ink yet? After running the heart thru the embosser, I rubbed a dark brown ink over the dotties. It made them pop!

I wish I could have something funny or cute beyond this, but it's not been a good evening at all. Sometimes the things you find coming to light about family-you had hoped your suspicions were just active imaginations. But they aren't. Mom, I am glad you won't ever know the sad state of affairs that I uncovered.

Winter Blues

It's almost over, right? That yuck stuff called winter has to be taking the fast train out of here ; altho it has been known to stick around until May. A few years back we had a snowstorm on Mother's Day that dumped 8" in no time (I was doing a local road race that morning out near Mott Lake/Bluebell Beach and the finish line was at the beach.) I also remember the 17 inches of snow on St Patty's day in 1973 as we were preparing to move into our first house. So we drank a gallon of Gallo wine instead and moved a month later. It probably took up that long to recover and sober up.

I made this card up at Stacey's back in January, I think. So many have asked for it but I can't bear to part with it. Initially the vellum was not inked on the edges but I wanted a little more depth to the look, so I inked it up and it just pops off the card now.

I photographed these in my kitchen under a florescent kitchen light so can't say I am pleased with the result but until the sun shines a bit more locally, this is the best I can do. The round scalloped circle is embossed using a Cuttlebug folder and Cryogen White card stock. If you click the photo below you will see the sparkle this paper has. A lot of people use this card stock for Copic markers.

The phrase stamp is from Sweet Impressions, Stacey's very own line of stamps. Every time I visit , I find an image I haven't seen before. They are mounted on cling foam, and she also has card stock, inks and other necessities on the site, so go take a look.

We are under a flood watch for two inches of rain and I am going up to Lansing to look at wedding dresses and maybe get some pancakes. I might even drop by Hobby Lobby. I have a coupon. And that is the only way to shop these days. Since I don't really think I can get blood out of a turnip like my grampa said long ago.

Ron-Rolled.

Please tell me this is not acceptable. When I entered the downstairs toidy, this is what I found. He is so inept he could not reach out and take a roll from under the vanity and unwrap it? He left this for me to use. He said it was more than enough for him for tomorrow.

Maybe a cat butt! But not his.

And Now For Something Completely Different.......

Ta da!! Nothing. Oh, I have stuff to put here but haven't gotten them photographed. I guess I've been in a funk. Sore throat, achy, sad, pissed off, knotted tummy, just a lot to deal with the last few months. Someday I will tell ya a long story if I can stomach it. For now, I count the days to spring and peruse seed cattys for herbs and tree nursery cattys for trees I must plant. Here are a few I have in mind as they are hardy in zone 5. Click for info.

yellow lilacs

weeping pussy willow

red twig dogwood

If I lived anywhere warm, I would plant tons of these beauties.

Bat Flower

I will try to get something up here this week. Since it's too friggin' cold to do much of anything.