Stylin' Snowfolk

I thought if I stamped this snowman snow woman, it would make it feel like winter.  No such luck although the temperature is a little better this week than it was last week in terms of the humidity.  Sonny still came back this evening from putting the cover on the boat drenched.  You would have thought he'd jumped in the lake!  

So how do you like my snowfolk?  Ain't she stylin?  This is the first card I've made with this new set but I see lots of possibilities!  I also found a video tutorial (but can't remember where it was) of how to make the scalloped rectangle using a border punch.  I made several different sizes while I was making this one - hopefully, I will remember how to do it the next time I want to make one!  (The mind is a terrible thing to lose.)

I was a good girl today and went to the Y.  It was the first time I had been in several weeks although I have gone over to our neighborhood pool and done a few work outs in the pool.

I have been glued to the Olympic coverage day and night!  Tonight I watched the men's gymnastic.  Unfortunately, Team USA didn't fare well but I was pulling for Great Britain.  China was listed as the winner, at first, with Britain second and Ukraine third. But those results did not last. As the crowd — Princes Harry and William included — whooped and hollered because the British team had just won its first men’s team Olympic medal in 100 years, the judges huddled for about 10 minutes to discuss the outcome. In the end, China remained the champion to win its second consecutive Olympic gold medal and continue its domination.  Japan won the silver medal, moving up from fourth after the judges rejiggered the scores.  That knocked Britain to third and Ukraine to fourth, causing boos in the audience.  One thing that did not change was that the United States team — a favorite to win a medal, and maybe even the gold — was leaving empty-handed. It finished fifth.  That was almost as bad as last night's girls's gymnastics.  I felt so sorry for Jordan Wieber (the reigning world champion in the all-around and a favorite to win the Olympic gold medal) when she was eliminated.  Bela Karolyi,  the coach of the last United States team to win an Olympic gold medal, said Wieber was cheated out of a spot in the all-around. 

We're saying a few prayers tonight.  My brother in law is in the hospital in Texas.  Sonny spoke to our nephew earlier and Jack is having trouble with his pacemaker.  The doctors are keeping him overnight to see if they can figure out what is wrong.

Cork Stamping

Hope you had a good weekend.  I did.  We had friends spend the night with us on Friday night from Texas.  Margaret and Graham were in town returning their grandson to his parents.  They've been babysitting him for over a month!  Unfortunately, they did not get to stay very long.  They got to our house after 4 pm Friday and left around 9 am Saturday.  But we had a nice short visit.  We were going to go out on the boat and have dinner at a lake restaurant but the weather was kind of "iffy" and we were afraid to take the chance.  Turns out, we could have though.  Anyway, we went to Horsefeathers Restaurant instead - Sherrills Ford local little honkey tonk.  The food was good and the beer was cold.
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Saturday morning Sonny and I went out on the boat and had breakfast at The Grill Cafe on the lake.  After that, we found a quiet cove and chilled.  It was pretty hot though.  I stayed in the water most of the time. 
When we came home, I got to play with my new goodies that had arrived on Friday!! 

Sunday we went out on the lake again but this time, we waited until aboout 4 pm to avoid the hottest part of the day.  It wasn't quite so hot and the humidity was not as bad as yesterday.  The past few times we have been out on the lake, we have seen the coolest boat.  It's bright yellow or gold and has black detailing and a black canopy.  We've got to believe the people who own it are big Steeler fans! 

Here is a card I made last week.  I stamped the nautical image on a piece of cork in Night of Navy.  The stamp set is from The Open Sea.  I cut the anchor out and adhered it to the cork with glue.  I cut the cork and the Newsprint DSP with a nestability.  The Night of Navy cardstock is alson embossed with the new Fan embossing folder.

From My Heart

Have you ever started out with a good idea only to have it go in the complete opposite direction?  That is the story for this card.

I started out creating a transparency card.  There is a bit of the transparency (acetate sheet) on the card but I ended up cutting most of it off because it just wasn't working for me.  The Espresso cardstock is behind the transparency and the DSP (retired) in on top of the transparency.  Oh well .... I tried to do something a little different.  It is a great man's card - I have trouble with those anyway.  The sentiment is from From My Heart and "enjoying" is embossed with Copper embossing powder and popped up. 

Supplies: 
Paper:  Early Espresso, River Rock, Acetate Sheet, Well Worn DSP
Ink:  Early Espresso, Versamark
Stamp:  From My Heart
Access:  Copper Emb. Powder, non SU Nestability

I think my mom had a great birthday yesterday.  I didn't see her - I had a dentist appointment (ugh) and she wasn't home much anyway.  Angela took her to her swim exercise class in the morning and then to lunch with one of her friends from swim class.  They went to a pizza place downtown that Mom used to go to a lot with her friend, Marie.  Marie died last year and Mom lost her lunch buddy so hasn't been back.  The owner made a big fuss over seeing Mom again and that made her day.  Afterwards, she and Angela went to have a mani-pedi and a massage.  She had about an hour at home before they hit the road again to dinner and a meeting with the Lion's Club.  I haven't talked to her today because I guess she may still be recovering!  I am so glad she is feeling better and is able to do a lot of what she used to do.  She still hurts some and takes the pain meds but not on a regular basis like before.  I really believe the Physical Therapy and getting out of her chair and moving has helped tremendously.

Hexagon Punch!

This is my second post today!!

Today is my Mom's 84th birthday!  Happy Birthday Mom!  The family took her out to dinner on Saturday night since Marianne was going to be at the beach this week.  Tuesday our friend, Ellen, invited us to lunch and we went to Jeffrey's Restaurant.  We celebrated both of their birthdays - Ellen's was last week.  Ellen and Mom used to work together in Charlotte and I have become friends with her through Newcomer's.  We were on the Board together a few years ago.  It was my first time to eat at Jeffrey's and it was delicious!!  In fact, I ate such a big lunch that my dinner consisted of a dish of ice cream (with nuts and chocolate sauce!)

I CASE'd a few cards this week but this one is my favorite!  Usually when I CASE a card, I change it up somewhat.  But this one was so great, the only thing I changed was the sentiment!  It is from Andrea Walford.  She used to be a Canadian SU demonstrator and does great work!!  I love her cards.

The colors didn't turn out too great but ... it's still a great card!  Hexagons seem to be the rage lately.  I wish SU had a Hexagon punch (they do have one in My Digital Studio!!).   So, this paper is from Twitterpated and I just cut the hexagons out.  No, it is not a card I will mass produce, but it was a fun one to make. 

Supplies:
Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Black cardstock, Twitterpated DSP
Ink:  Black Craft
Accessories:  Black Pearls (non SU), Black Taffeta Ribbon, Stamp-a-ma-jig

So check out your DSP and see what you can cut out and use!!

Queens Sketch 49

Another Stamping Queens Sketch Challenge using My Digital Studio.  I really love this card!  And it would be easy to recreate if you don't want to use MDS.  Doesn't the card look embossed?  That's what I would do if I were recreating it without using MDS.  But the MDS version is actually an Stamp Overlay that I put on top of the Kiwi Kiss card (in white).  I just love the Blooms across the middle.

Here is the sketch we used this week:

Why don't you create a card using this sketch? 

Check out the other Queen's cards HERE.

Stampin' Up Convention Fun

So, convention is over.  Even though I opted not to go this year, I enjoyed following the posts of those who did via their blog and Facebook.  Amazing how modern technology works!!  Yesterday was the last day of convention and for the first time, SU did a Convention Live Feed.  I think a lot of us hyped it up to be more than it was.  We really thought it would be some big announcement (SU did say it was going to be a "fun announcement".)  A lot of speculation went on as to what it might be with a lot of people hoping for some big new product or a change in venue for next year's 25th year convention site.  I was a little disappointed that it wasn't but it was cool to be at convention via the internet for a short while.  It started out with Shelli (owner of SU) and her daughter, Sara welcoming all of us.  Then they went over to a fortune teller booth where Rich Judkins, President of SU, was dressed up like the fortune teller.  They asked him questions about the next Grand Vacation.  

In order to get him to "work" they had to insert .... of course, rubber stamps -  right out of Shelli's new Convention Bag (that everyone received full of goodies) .... into the slot!  Clever, huh?

Not the same as being there, but you could still feel the excitement.BUT what the announcements were:

• The Grand Vacation Incentive Trip for 2014 will be.... Western Caribbean! The promo video they showed made it look like a LOT of fun.
• The online Independent Demonstrator Agreement (IDA) will now be available for ALL demonstrators. Demos no longer have to have a Demonstrator Business WebSite (DBWS) for you to sign up online.

While the Incentive Trip doesn't really impact me, the online IDA impacts ALL demonstrators. In the past, you could only sign up new demonstrators if you had a business website through SU which I do.  But, it only makes good business sense to have this online IDA available to all. By completing the information online, potential demonstrators don't have to wait for their applications to be sent to and received by SU! The potential demo can see right away if something went wrong with the application - and it can be immediately resolved! Everything is done online and the new demo has access to the website immediately! The new demo has an upline immediately and all is good.  Demos can access a number of fun sites and ideas once they have logged into the SU! website. It is a HUGE win-win for everyone.

So after the announcements, Sara did a show-and-tell/on-stage demonstration for all to see. Usually you have to be in attendance to see this, but seeing it on-stage/online - although still not the same, was the next best thing.   She shared several ideas using canning jars.  This one in the picture below she called a "Wedding Jar."  She simply placed the doily cutout on the jar and then spritzed it with our Shimmer Paint. After it dried, she removed the doily.  What a cute (and EASY) idea! Add a little ribbon and you have a wonderful gift!  She made a few "wedding wishes" cards (3x3) for people to sign and place in the jar at a wedding reception or shower.  Would also work for a baby shower, don't you think?  People could put their suggestions for the baby's name???  That's how I came with Ashley's name.  We had picked Erica until my cousin suggested Ashley at my shower during a game we played.  Ashley is so thankful for Caroline's suggestion!!

 

Next they shared a really fun part of Convention AND Regionals.  They announce that it is time for a Prize Patrol and post a picture on the screen of what the prize is.  Then they announce which color wristband is the winning color.  (I've never won at convention.... boo hoo)  But then the winners jump up to claim their prizes.  And it makes it so much easier for the staff to find you when you wave your arms.

 

Also - here's a cool video from Stampin'Up!'s Convention 2012. This year the theme is "I am." LOVE IT!!!

You get to see the offices where the wonderful Demonstrator Support people work, the fabulous warehouse (it is just so clean - they must work really hard at keeping it that way!), and then it finishes up with the STAGE AT CONVENTION!!!! 

Want to join me and my friends next year for SU's 25th year? Become a demonstrator! You can tell we have so much fun. What other job do you know of that has this much fun!

OH - you may want to watch this a couple of times (or even more...). Did you notice the unicycle?  What about the ladies shirts that match the SU! fabric behind them?  Recognize the lady at 1:33 of the video - YUP!   Co-founder and CEO Shelli Gardner!   What about the hula-hoops (I could never work those things - good thing I don't need one of those for my job, huh?)? AND, did you know that guy that pops out at 2:09 on the video - that is Rich Jutkins and he's the PRESIDENT of Stampin'Up!   What are some of the other things YOU notice?   Post a comment here so we can all see - the more eyes the better!

Enjoy the video!

 

 

Reason To Smile

I am loving this stamp set, Reason to Smile.  One reason is it is a two-step stamp and I love two-steppers!  Another reason is it is only $5!!!  Super deal!  Here are several cards I made with the set (I really thought I had already shared them but don't see them.)

This first one is the one we did in club this week.  It uses the Emboss Resist technique. I stamped the flower with Versa Mark ink and embossed it in white.  Then, using daubers, rubbed Daffodil Delight on the flower; Cajun Craze in the center; and a little Island Indigo around the edges.  

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze, Island Indigo, Summer Smooches DSP, Whisper White
Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes, Reason to Smile
Ink:  Island Indigo, Versa Mark, Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight
Accessories:  Island Indigo Ribbon; Big Shot; Labels Framelits; Itty Bitty Banners Framelits; Daubers, White Embossing Powder, Heat Gun; Fancy Fan Embossing Folder

This card is a very simple one.  I stamped the flower in Elegant Eggplant and used a yellow marker to color in the bottom part of the flower.  Then I used the Color Spritzer to spritz a little color onto the card.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Sahara Sand, Eleg. Eggplant, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink:  Elegant Eggplant
Stamp:  Reason to Smile
Access:  Color Spritzer, SU Markers, Eleg. Eggplant Dotted Ribbon; Labels Framelit

This (below) is one of the Shoebox Swaps from last Saturday.  The two-step stamping is done with Black Ink, Basic Gray Ink and Daffodil Delight.

Cardstock:  White; Basic Gray, Sahara Sand, Daffodil Delight
Ink:  Gray, Black, Daffodil
Stamp:  Reason to Smile
Access:  Clear Buttons, Twine, Scallop Punch

 And the final card is also a very simple one to make.  I stamped the flowers in black ink and used Calypso Coral ink to color the flower - just making a few brush strokes and not coloring in the whole flower. 

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Whisper White, Gumball Green, Calypson Coral DSP (from paper stack), Early Espresso
Ink:  Calypso Coral, Black
Stamp:  Reason to Smile
Access:  Finishing Touches Edgelits, Gumball Green Ribbon, Calypso Coral (retired SAB) ribbon, markers

So now you have a Reason to Smile this weekend! 

Stamp Queens Sketch

Today is the Stamping Queens Sketch Challenge.  Here is today's sketch:

I did my card with My Digital Studio and it was super easy using punches.  I filled the three circle punches with DSP from the Storytime Kit.  The background paper is also from the Storytime Kit as is the Owl image and the rulers.

I love this kit.  I'm making a special book for my grandson for his birthday with this kit.  I'll be sharing it with you next month when I finish it.

This is the last month that Cristena will be heading up our Stamping Queens team.  I'm not sure what changes will be made to the program but one of our NC gals is taking over the team, Pam Staples.  She's a great SU demonstrator and very creative so I'm sure she has some good ideas for the team. 

Shoebox Swaps

Today is the day when the annual flight of the Stampin' Up demonstrators begin to flock to Utah for Convention. This year I am not among those winging their way to the Salt Palace. (boo hoo)  I will try not to whine too much since it was a choice I made.  I hope to go next year though!   Instead I will try and console myself with stamping and being productive.  My friend and roomie from last year is going to convention tomorrow.  She has busted her butt this past year building her business and I think it will pay off for her.  She has earned the trip to Fuji!! plus she told me she has gotten a couple of letters from SU that she has earned rewards this year and will be walking on stage.  I can't wait to hear what she is being rewarded for.

In the meantime, here are a couple of the Shoebox Swaps I did last Saturday.  Even though we only paid $5 for the event (plus gas & lunch), this swap is going to cost me.  We used several stamp sets that are now on my "must have" list.  This next one is one of them.  It is also on Marianne's list too.  We both love this card.



Shape Card Open (by Kathy Hunt)



Shape Card closed.

We used the Labels Framelits and the Big Shot to create the card.  The back piece is creased so it will open easily.  But the stamp set is what I love.  It is Stippled Blossoms (two step stamp).  We stamped the outline image in full strength Primrose Petals and the inside image in Primrose Petals that was stamped off.  The green leaves were done the same way.  The sentiment is Perfectly Penned - another great stamp set. 



Thoughts and Prayers by Amy Pennell

Luckily, I have this stamp set .... Thoughts and Prayers.  But I don't have the Apothecary Framelits!!  (on the list though.)  We punched out the flowers with the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack with a tad of glue in the center and glitter.

Petite Pocket Die Card

Marianne and I had a great time in Greensboro Saturday at the Shoebox Swap.  We made 12 great cards and enjoyed the fellowship of some great ladies.  We left the house bright and early Saturday morning and got to the Shoebox Swap right at 9 a.m. - just in time! 

This is the card that Marianne created.  I was so proud of her!  She made her decision super quick Friday night.  It usually takes her forever to make a decision on what to create but this time, it didn't.  She used the Petite Pocket Die on the card.  This would be a great card to slip a gift card in or just a little note to slide out.  The cute flower is from Button Buddies and she used one of the new Dahlias for the center.

Ingredients:
Cardstock:  Elegant Eggplant, Wild Wasabi, White, DSP In Color Patterns Stack
Ink:  Versamark, Wisteria Wonder
Access:  Petite Pocket Die, Elegant Eggplant Dotted Ribbon, Bird Punch, Dahlias, Scallop Punch, Corner Rounder

After I played bridge today, I stopped by Mom's to pick her up and take her to Physical Therapy.  I was so happy to see how good she was doing.  Maybe we have turned the corner on her back stuff.  She has slacked off a lot on her pain pills and she wasn't using the walker!  Hip Hip Hooray!!  Her birthday is next week so maybe this is a big gift for her!

Clear Mount Stamp Tips

These guides are great for your clear blocks!    They come in two 8-1/2″ x 11″ sheets. You can use them on any of  your clear stamping blocks to help your postilion your stamped images perfectly.

They are reposition-able and washable. The guides include eight die-cut guides sized for blocks, D, E, F, H, and I, and three guides you cut to customize.

Straight, angled, and curvy lines on the guides help you easily line up sentiments, images, and repeated patterns.  I remove the guides and wash them with the blocks in dish soap. Then I rinse them and dry them and position them back on the blocks. They cling beautifully and the stamps cling to them beautifully too.
They are especially great with words.  Place the stamp on a line on the block and when you stamp, use the lines on the block to line up the bottom and sides of the card stock for great placement every time.
It’s easiest to attach the guides to the bottom of the block and then attach the stamp to the bottom – this avoids distortion. The greatest thing to do is use them for lining up two or more stamps on the same block together! They are easier and faster than the Stamp-a-ma-jig (although the Stamp a ma jig is one of my favorite tools.).   A Must Have!

Item # 121785 – $5.95 – you can order yours now!

Some customers have complained that the Cling Mount Stamps do not cling well.  Here is my solution to that:
 
1) make sure your blocks and the back of the stamps are clean. After using them frequently, you will get body oil on the surface and this reduces the cling. Just use the Stampin’ Scrub to clean the blocks and the backs of the stamps. You can also wipe them with an ALCOHOL FREE baby wipe or a damp cloth dipped in dish soap. Be sure to rinse the soap off the blocks or stamps before using.
2) Huff on the back of the block before sticking the stamp onto the block. This will create a layer of moisture to help seal the two together.
3) Place the stamp face down on the work surface and the place the block on top of the stamp and press gently, holding for a second or two. Pick up the block and press on the side of the stamp to make sure they are firmly attached together
4) When using a large stamp or when using Versa Mark or Craft Ink change the way you ink the stamp. Place the block on the table with the stamp face up. Hold the stamp pad in your hand and pounce it on to the stamp. This works great, also, to make sure that you are getting full coverage on the large stamps.
I seldom have any problems if I follow the steps above. BUT, there’s always an exception so here are two more tips that will solve the problem.
5) Rub the stamp and or the block on the back of your sleeve or pant leg to build some static electricity before attaching them.This really helps if the block is cold.
6) You can use a very light layer of Tombow glue (or Aleen's Tack It Over and Over) on the back of the Stamp – let it dry and it will be very tacky – It will stick perfectly.


So now that you know how to work your clear mount stamps, how about a card?  Marianne and I are going to Greensboro tomorrow for a NC Demos Non-Convention Goers gathering.  There will be 12 of us there and we are going to all do a Shoebox Swap.  Here is the card I am doing:

 I tell you, I am in love with the Postage Due stamp!!  This time, I stamped it in River Rock.  I just realized that I did not post the card with the latest changes.  I punched out the sentiment "Sending You Love" with the Itty Bitty Banners die (stamped using Cajun Craze ink) and adhered it in the top right.  I also stamped one of the postage stamps in Cajun Craze too to add a little pop to the card.  The other stamp is in Always Artichoke.

Marianne is doing a really cute card using the Petite Pocket Die.  I'll snap it tomorrow to share with you.

Well, better sign off and head on in to bed.  Marianne's already in the guest room asleep.  Sammie does not know what to do.  She usually sleeps in that bedroom on the twin bed closest to the window.  She sleeps on a pink blanket that I have folded up on the bottom of the bed and I noticed tonight that it is practically black from her fur!!  She keeps wandering in and out of the room where Marianne is but now she has settled outside the door.  At night, she starts out sleeping in our bedroom but leaves sometime during the night and I think goes in the guest room to sleep.  Who knows where she will end up tonight?!

Smoothies for You

 Try these smoothies!  They are good for you too!



Blueberry-Banana Smoothie
Makes 3 (3/4-cup) servings
Using almond butter boosts protein and gives this smoothie a rich, almost chocolaty flavor.

   Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened frozen blueberries
• 1 medium banana, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain, or vanilla, yogurt (can use silken tofu)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp almond butter (or peanut butter)
• 1 tsp honey

Add all ingredients to blender. Cover and blend until smooth and creamy.  Serve immediately.

Per serving:
   190 calories, 7 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 31 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 70 mg sodium, 5 g protein *5.5 (4)

Peachy Almond Smoothie
Makes 3 (3/4-cup) servings
For extra body and fiber, ground oatmeal is used.  You can use a variety of fresh berries and stone fruits.

   Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp rolled oats
• 3 ice cubes
• 2 cups sliced fresh peaches (or nectarines or strawberries)
• 1 cup almond milk (or 1% milk; I like the SF almond milk)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey

Place the rolled oats in the blender and blend until oats are finely ground.  Place in small bowl and set aside. Place the ice cubes in the blender and crush.  Add the peaches (or other fruit), almond milk (or 1% milk), lemon juice, honey and the reserved rolled oats.  Cover and blend until smooth and creamy.  Serve immediately.

Per serving:
   80 calories, 1.5 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 17 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 50 mg sodium, 2 g protein *2.5 (1.5)

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Add-ins
To increase your fiber, try adding flaxseed to your smoothie (1 tbsp adds 1.6 g fiber).
To increase your calcium, try adding nonfat dry milk powder to your smoothie (1 tbsp adds 62 mg).
To increase your protein, try adding whey powder (1 tbsp vanilla-flavored whey protein powder adds 4 g).
~~~Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter



 Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Do you have to tell it all?
Where do you get the glaring right
To make my clothes look just too tight?
I think I'm fine but I can see you
won't cooperate with me;
The way you let the shadows play
You'd think my hair was getting gray
What's that, you say? A double chin?
No, that's the way the light comes in;
If you persist in peering so
You'll confiscate my facial glow,
And then if you're not hanging straight
You'll tell me next I'm gaining weight;
I'm really quite upset with you
For giving this distorted view;
I hate you being smug and wise -
O, look what's happened to my thighs!
I warn you now, O mirrored wall,
Since we're not on speaking terms at all,
If I look like this in my new jeans
You'll find yourself in smithereens!!!

  ~~~Author Unknown

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Sketch Challenge 47

I can't believe that we are already on Sketch Challenge #47!!  I really enjoy these challenges and doing them with My Digital Studio.  It stretches me to come up with different interpretations each week.  This week I actually did two cards for the challenge.  It was a fun sketch.



Tea Time II kit

Most of the creating work I did for this card used embellishments from Tea Time II digital kit. Embellishments in My Digital Studio can be elements you'd normally think of: brads, ribbon, buttons, but they are also beautiful digital images that can be moved and/or made smaller and layered to create beautiful additions to your cards and pages. I'm so excited about My Digital Studio II (which is coming soon!) because they will be adding the ability to color embellishments, too!

This MDS card uses DSP from the Summer Smooches.  The stamps are from Mouthwatering.  This would be easy to re-create with paper and stamps too.

Check out what the other Queens made this week using this sketch HERE.

Pleasant Poppies

I just love the colors in this card!  The Pleasant Poppies stamp is a single stamp with so much potential!  This is just one of the cards that I created with it.  

I stamped the poppies in black ink and colored them with my markers using mostly Soft Subtle colors.  I originally had stamped them and tried coloring them with darker colors but didn't like the look.  I prefer these soft colors - So Saffron, Baja Blue and Pink Pirouette.  I matted the Whisper White onto Black and adhered that to the Marina Mist.  I used a retired ribbon in Marina Mist to tie around the card.  I really miss the wide grosgrain ribbon! 

I played Bridge today ... had a little better cards today than I had last time but still nothing to write home about.  It was a fun day with friends though.  Today I am taking my Mom to yet another doctor!  But this time it is to Dr. Allen, her regular doctor for her 6-month check up.  He had wanted to see her after she saw the neurologist so I'll be killing 2 bird with 1 stone at least.  She started her Physical Therapy today and Angela said they had her in tears.  I'm sure but she needs to start moving around more.  She'll do PT twice a week.  Angela is going to take her this week and I'll be taking her next week - fitting it around bridge and my club meetings.

Our heat is supposed to abate a bit this week.  We sure could use some rain!

Have a good week!  Don't forget Tuesday is Stampin' Up's new digital downloads so check them out!

Bootiful Occasions

Another hot one today!  We tied the record I believe at 101 degrees and it's still 88 degrees at 9:30 pm.  We took our boat out this morning and went to breakfast.  Then we found a quiet cove to throw the anchor and swim.  We both had books to read on the boat but I could only read about a chapter before I had to jump in the water and cool off again.  I could only stand it for a couple of hours before I told Sonny we or go home or I was going to melt.  So, we went home and I got creative with one of my new stamp sets.

The Bootiful Occasions stamp set (found on page 50 of the new Stampin' Up catalog) was one of my "must have" sets when I first looked through the book.  It has four boot images and a “happy Boot-Day” sentiment.  I think it will be great for a masculine card as well as the Halloween image and the Christmas image.  Today I made three cards with it using all but the Christmas boot.  (I'll do it later in the week and share.)



Take #1 of the Halloween Boot

After taking the picture of the witches boot, I decided it needed a little something else.  So, I added a little bow.  What do you think? 

Take #2

close up of the bow

For the Witches Boot, I stamped the boot and the sentiment in Elegant Eggplant.  I cut this stamp apart so the image and the sentiment are separate.  Then I colored in the dots using a Copic marker.  Then I embossed the white card stock using the Spiderweb embossing folder.  The bottom Elegant Eggplant card stock is embossed with the Stripes embossing folder and then the edge was punched with the Scallop Edge Punch.  A strip of black cardstock was layered between the white and Eggplant.  I was able to tie that itty bitty bow using my Bow Maker.  Sonny is still making them if you are interested in purchasing one.

Next is the Cowboy Boot.  I can see all kinds of uses for this stamp!  I have lots of Texas friends that this stamp is perfect for.  I have gotten rid of all my cowboy boots (had black, navy, and red boots at one time).  This is another one I thought needed a little something else after I took the picture.



Take #1 Cowboy Boot

 

Take #2

I colored in the bottom part of the boot with the Midnight Muse marker.  Here are the deets:  Stamp the boot 3 times - once in Midnight Muse on the Crumb Cake cardstock; once in Midnight Muse onto white scrap and lastly the stars in Versamark on scrap white.  Use Cherry Cobbler embossing powder on the stars and adhere them to the boot with glue.  I used dimensionals to attach the white boot to the one stamped on the Crumb Cake. 

Ingredients for Cowboy Boot :

Paper:  Midnight Muse, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Newsprint DSP

Ink:  Midnight Muse, Versamark

Accessories:  Cherry Cobbler emb. powder, Heat Gun, Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine, dimensionals

Next is the Rain Boot card.  Do you know all the names for this shoe?  How about  rubber-boots, wellies, wellingtons, topboots, billy-boots, gumboots, gumbies, gummies, barnboots, wellieboots, muckboots, sheepboots, poopkickers, or rainboots!!  My friend Margaret calls them "wellies".  I like poopkickers!!  I wore these "wellies" a lot when I was gardening when we lived in Washington state but I haven't worn them much since we left.  They are great for mucking around in the mud!

I only did one take on this card - didn't see a need for any changes.  I used the Two Tags Die and my Big Shot to cut out the tag and stamped the boot in Black.  I used the Cherry Cobbler marker to color in the boot.  I used the Adorning Accents embossing folder (hearts) on the white card.  The Cherry Cobbler strip is die cut with the Adorning Accents Edgelit and then embossed with the Adorning Accents embossing folder (scallops).  The DSP is Twitterpated.  I drew the stems and leaves in with a marker for the flowers.  The flowers are punched out with the Itty Bitty Punch Pack.  I used a tiny pearl for the middle of each flower and a brad and a piece of red twine at the top of the tag.

Postage Due

I was on a roll this weekend and made several cards with my new stuff as well as some old stuff.  Postage Due (pg 108) is one of the stamp sets that didn't catch my eye at first.  But, after seeing a lot of the samples from others, it grew on me.  This is a little outside my norm; just like the set I bought last year, Daring Adventure.  But I love to try and stretch myself.

I started out embossing the Crumb Cake card with the Tulip embossing folder.  I stamped the large Postage Due stamp  with Early Espresso onto Very Vanilla cardstock.  Then I distressed the edges and matted it onto Cherry Cobbler.  It's hard to tell but I also stamped a portion of the stamp on a scrap piece of Vanilla and tore it, sponging around the edges before lining it up and adhering it on the larger piece.  I also stamped the flower separately in Cherry Cobbler, cut it out and adhered it.  I stamped the postage stamps in Cherry Cobbler, Espresso and Midnight Muse and then punched them out with the Postage Punch and adhered them with dimensionals.  Happy Anniversary is stamped in Midnight Muse, punched out with the Banner Framelit and adhered with dimensionals.

Click on the cards to view them larger.


Postage Due

Here is another version of the Postage Due stamp.  This time I stamped just the bicycle part onto a piece of DSP (retired) in Basic Gray.  The postage stamps are stamped in Cherry Cobbler and Basic Gray and punched out with the Postage Punch.  The strip of DSP across the middle is matted with Cherry Cobbler.  There is a strip of Whisper White at the bottom that is punched out with the Adorning Accents Edgelit.

Close up of postage stamps and Edgelit trim

Did you watch fireworks last night?  We went out on our boat around 6.  It was starting to thunder and I was afraid we were going to get caught in a storm but it passed over.  We settled down in a cove across the lake from Queens Landing, where the fireworks were going to be shot off.  Sonny and I took our books and did a little reading, took a nap, and ate our dinner while waiting for the fireworks to begin.  There were a lot of individuals all around us shooting off fireworks so it was entertaining while we were waiting.  Finally the fireworks started at 9:45 but only lasted about 15 minutes.  In the past, they've usually lasted about 30 minutes.  I don't know if they ran out of fireworks or had some kind of technical difficulties.  It was pretty disappointing.  But luckily, we did not have to sit in traffic to drive home - just a little boat traffic. 

Happy 4th!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!



made with MDS

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!  We joined my mom and Angela last night at their church to watch the fireworks put on by Lowe's YMCA.  We have usually watched the fireworks in the parking lot very close to where they put them off.  I think I like that location better - seems like you are right under them.

Tomorrow night we will probably go out on the boat to watch fireworks again.  These are put on at Queens Landing over the lake.  I enjoy laying down on our boat and watching the display.

It is Wednesday and time for the Stamping Queens Sketch Challenge.  We decided to all do a patriotic card this time in honor of the 4th.  Here is mine:

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• Dates:  July 1 - 31, 2012
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• There is a limit of one (1) set per customer.
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  • Clear Mount 131275
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Great flower set plus two-step stamping

And here are a couple of projects made with the stamp set.  Click on the picture to enlarge.

Short Trip!

Well, I'm back!  Too bad - We left so full of hope and excitement of helping others to return pretty disillusioned with the whole process.  Saturday didn't start off any better than Friday had.  We were told when we all parted ways on Friday night that we were to report to Red Cross hdq. at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.  I texted our leader Friday night to tell her we would see her in the lobby of the motel at 8 for breakfast.  Well, I was awakened at 7 a.m. Saturday by her asking me where we were - the others were down in the lobby!  I told her I thought we were meeting up at 8.  Oh no, she told me she changed that during the night.  Hmmm - would have been nice to tell all the team members!  They were going to have a team meeting in the lobby and then head over to Red Cross.  We quickly dressed and joined the others for our meeting which was basically outlining that she was the supervisor of the group and did everyone understand that.  Luckily, there is one lady in our group (besides me) who doesn't mind speaking her mind which she did during the meeting, outlining a lot of the complaints we all had of the situation so far.  Sonny and I had breakfast and got our stuff packed and actually arrived at Red Cross before the other 2 cars did - they were lost once again!  We stood around at headquarters for about 1 1/2 hours and finally decided that we wanted to drive over to the damaged area just to say that we had seen something besides a mall!  So we did, leaving our supervisor at headquarters to sort out what we were supposed to do.  Here is most of what we saw:

This was Rising River Resort - think they had camping and cabins.  See the wrought iron gate - water was up to the middle of it.

This was an ABC store and bar that had sandbags at the doors but the water was up to the foundation.

Our team inspecting the damage!

A gas station flooded out.

Dee called us before we got to Lake City where there was an open shelter and wanted us to pull over so she could talk to all of us on speaker phone to make some team decisions.  She told us there was no need for us as a team in Florida, Colorado or Montana; it turns out that the team that arrived from California - AFTER we arrived, were sent out to a shelter (when we were told there was nothing); but if one of us (with experience) wanted to be a Food Supervisor, there was a need in Tallahassee.  No one wanted it!  So, flight reservations were made for us to return to NC on Sunday!  We returned to Gainesville and met Dee for lunch.  She said our team leader who had arrived the day before us had not told the staffing at headquarters that needed to know the info that we were even coming.  (I think there is a huge power struggle between these two.)  In the meantime, our team leader (Marge) had been promoted on site to Shelter Manager (probably thus not giving the attention that was needed to her team members, several who had never been on a deployment.)  So, she wanted us all to drive to where Marge was and confront her with our issues.  We did that but again, another waste of time!  It was basically a "he said, she said" situation.  Marge says she told people we were coming; that it was their fault. Sonny and one of the other guys actually walked out of the meeting.  I don't think they really wanted to hear from Sonny at that time!  Anyway, after all that, we all headed to Jacksonville (except for our supervisor as she was going to Tallahassee to take that other position until someone could relieve her.)  We at least had a fun time the little bit of time we were in Jacksonville.  I led us to a restaurant on Atlantic Beach - about 30 minutes away - and we had a good dinner and even took a short walk on the beach.  So, at least I got my toes in the sand!!

me, Sharon and Nan at Ragtime in Atlantic Beach

The girls on the beach!

Sonny and Jim on the beach.

To top it off, when we were at breakfast Sunday morning at the hotel before heading to the airport, there were 3-4 Red Cross workers there also.  They asked us where we were headed and we told them home since there was nothing to do.  They had just arrived and were headed to Gainesville to work in a shelter.  I'm sure when they got there, they were told to turn around and go home also.  But what a waste of money - plane tickets, car rentals, food, lodging, etc.

 So I am home!  While I was gone, I got a Stampin' Up delivery that I need to unpack and start creating with some of the goodies.  I have 4 new stamp sets that I am itching to use!  Stay tuned tomorrow for some new creations.