Stamping Queens Sketch 28

I made a pretty masculine card for the Stamping Queens Sketch Challenge this week.  This is pretty out of the norm for me but it's good to stretch yourself and do something different, don't you think?

Again, I used My Digital Studio to create the card.  The stamp set is from Extreme Elements and Word Play.  The colors I used are Soft Suede, Not Quite Navy and Kiwi Kiss (which is retired but is one of my favorites!)

Ashley started her vacation today.  She is spending a couple of days in New Orleans with her friends before they all board the cruise ship.  They depart on Thursday afternoon for Cozumel although she doesn't care where they go.  The fun is being on the Rock Boat Cruise and enjoying all the shows and concerts on board.  She has been going on this cruise for about 10 years I think.  They missed the year Katrina hit and of course, she missed it last year.  Each year she adds to the group that goes with her on the cruise.  I think they are up to 30-40 people in their group now!  Friends from college, medical school, DC, Army, Seattle, etc. as well as their friends are in the group.   

Stamping Queens Sketch Wednesday

I made another sketch card this week for the Stamping Queens using My Digital Studio.  I really love the texture in this card.  I used a recent download, Frosty Days II.  Again, this could be easily duplicated without using MDS. 

The card base is Pool Party with Melon Mambo as the next layer.  Then the polka dot DSP layer.  The Pool Party rectangle DSP is matted with Soft Suede,  The white stamped rectangle is matted with Melon Mambo.  The snowflake is stamped with Pool Party and a brad inserted in the center.  After adding all the elements to the card, I used a background stamp in white over the whole card and reduced the opacity to give a snowy effect.  I love how this turned out!  Below is the sketch we had to use.  Hopefully, you will give this sketch a try - it's an easy one!  Show us what you create by posting your card HERE.

The Online Extravaganza is still going on (until Nov. 30) and it is a great time to get My Digital Studio Express.  Included in the promotion is the opportunity to receive a free bundle of preselected digital downloads (at least a $39.95 value) with the purchase of My Digital Studio Express.  The bundle options are:
Bundle #1: My Digital Studio Booster Pack (item #124484)
Bundle #2: Holiday Themed Downloads (item #129385)
    -Merry & Type Stamp Brush Set
    -Letters to Santa Designer Series Paper
    -Letters to Santa Embellishments
    -Baker's Twine
    -Dasher Stamp Brush
    -Holiday Harmony II Kit
    -Merry Delightful Digital Tape
    -25 & Counting Stamp Brush Set
    -Deck the Halls Designer Buttons
    -And a Happy New Year Photocard Template 
Bundle #3: Scrapbooking Themed Downloads (item #129386)
    -Day in the Lift Kit
    -Thoughtful Overlays Stamp Brush Set
    -Fun Flowers Shapes
    -Delightful Digital Tape
    -Sweet Details Alphabet & Numbers
    -Word Play Stamp Brush Set

To view a PDF of the images in each bundle, visit the online store under My Digital Studio Express.

While I had MDS opened on Monday, I created a couple of other things.

This would be great to give to someone as a gift (just change the name & date!).  Print it out, mat it and put it in a frame.  Voila!  A quick and easy gift of a family crest!

This picture is of Westminster Abbey in London.  It is from our trip last spring.  I just changed the photo effect to black and white and matted it in black on grey paper.  Added a few snippets of DSP on the side and the flourish from Baroque Motifs!  Easy peasy!

I am enjoying my time with Ashley.  We took a walk around the neighborhood yesterday morning, did a little creating in my stamp room, went to town for lunch and a quick (??) trip to WalMart and the Dollar Store.  Last night, she cooked dinner for us.  Food always tastes better when someone else does the cooking, doesn't it??  She loves to cook too.  Today Marianne is going to come over and we will play in my stamp room a while and then get some of our dishes ready for tomorrow's feast.

She's here!

Ashley arrived safe and sound Friday night.  She even got here early - 30 minutes early!  Although it didn't do any good since we got stuck in traffic trying to get to the airport.  Her plane arrived at 6 pm and we didn't get there until 7 pm to pick her up.  There was a wreck on Hwy 150 so it took us almost an hour just to get from our house to Mooresville onto the interstate.  And the I-77 was like a parking lot and we had to sit in traffic on the interstate.  So frustrating!  We met the family at Galway Hooker.  It was a nice reunion.  Saturday we drove up to the mountains and spent the night in Blowing Rock.  We wandered around Main Street in Blowing Rock on Saturday going in and out of the shops.  We both got a little Christmas shopping done.  Today we visited the Tanger Outlets in Blowing Rock and bought a few more things.  Sonny was a good sport - while we were going in and out of the shops for 2 hours, he sat outside at a table and read his book!

My posts may be pretty sporadic this week.  I am working on making a project for our Thanksgiving table.  Marianne will be coming over also to work on our 2012 calendars! 

I will post in the morning information about the ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA that Stampin' Up is having.  So don't miss the big announcement!!

Still in Texas

I was going to share a few more of my swap cards with you today but for some reason, they won't download onto my blog,.  I keep getting a "server rejected" error so don't know what the problem is.  Guess I'll have to wait until I'm back home.

We are still in Texas.  But the good news is we have air conditioning!  Although truthfully, Ashley and I both agreed that we were cooler when we just had the fans blowing on us at night.  Her bedroom is pretty big and it only has one A/C vent.  The bathroom and walk in closet were add-ons to the house and they do not have vents.  So the A/C is really working hard to cover that whole area with just one vent.  Sonny is still sleeping on the couch!  He said it is comfortable and cool so he is staying there!!  Ashley left today to go back to work at Ft. Hood so we said our good-byes.  There were a few things Sonny still wanted to do around the house, so we are staying tonight (and having one more Mexican meal) and headed out in the morning.  I am hoping that we will spend a day in New Orleans along the way!!

Yesterday was the first day we had that we didn't have to do anything!!  It was so nice to just sit around and not have anywhere to go or anything I had to do.  Sonny and Ashley worked in the yard and supervised (!) the A/C guy while I read my book and sat in the pool all day!  Last night we went to dinner at my favorite San Antonio restaurant, Josephines .... yumm - delicious T-bone steak, onion rings,and  potatoes at a very reasonable price!!

I am ready to leave though and start making preparations at home for Stamp Club and Quarterly which will be here before I know it!  I will miss Ashley though but I am happy knowing she is in the US & I can call her whenever I want to or get on a plane and come for a visit when I want to.  We'll see her again when she comes for a visit Thanksgiving.

Remember Me?

Well, hope my faithful readers have not given up on me and my blog.  I promise I haven't forgotten you or given up on blogging.  We had a wonderful reunion with Ashley on Thursday which I posted about.  Friday we hung out at my neice's house and met some of Ashley's friends and more of our family at a Mexican restaurant in Austin.  We spent the night at a friend's house in Austin (she and her DH were gone for the weekend) and hit the road for San Antonio on Saturday morning.  Ashley had rented her house out while she was in Iraq and it was neat as a pin when she arrived.  You would never have known anyone had been here!  Unfortunately, it was really hot in her house!  The air conditioner was not working in the back of the house where the bedrooms are.  Luckily, she has 2 units and the other unit was working.  With it being a holiday weekend, we were not able to get in touch with anyone until Tuesday.  Sonny had brought his tools and gauges but he has been out of the business too long and did not have any contacts here in San Antonio.  We got someone to come out late Tuesday to check it out.  It needs to be replaced we found out today and he can not get to it until next Monday!!  In the meantime, Sonny has been sleeping on the couch, Ashley on the air mattress on the floor and me on the pull out sofa bed.  Mom was able to sleep in the back bedroom with the ceiling fan going and a couple of oscillating fans.  My back started bothering me from sleeping on the pull out bed so I have moved to Ashley's room.  If I keep the ceiling fan on high, it's not too bad. 

We have stayed busy doing little things around the house that needed fixing and doing after a year.  Her wine refrigerator was not running so Sonny had to order a part.  He installed it yesterday and now it is running.  He also has been working with her pool cleaner to get it going right.  We've all done a lot of yard work - trimming trees and plants and her yard is getting in good shape.  I've actually done more yard work here than I do at my own house!!

We're enjoying a lot of good Mexican food while we are here!  Some of our good friends from the Dallas area drove down on Tuesday and we met them last night at a good Mexican restaurant.  Tonight we all went over to the Riverwalk and sat outside at one of the restaurants.  I put Mom on the plane for Charlotte today.  She really enjoyed her visit with Ashley and of course, cried when she had to leave.

We have not had internet service or cable TV until today either!  I felt like I was in the stone age!  How did we ever survive without all the amenities we have today?  Every night we would all just sit in the den reading.  Mom almost finished reading The Help and I only have a few pages left in my Jodi Picault book.  I think Ashley has read at least 4 books this week and Sonny a couple!  It was nice but I was sure glad to get the internet hooked up today as well as the TV!

Ashley had to go to Ft Hood on Wednesday for some briefings.  She drove there on Tuesday night so I got her to post my Stampin' Queen's challenge card for me on the internet at the hotel.  I did the whole card with My Digital Studio since I just haven't had the chance to make a card while I was here.  I brought a bunch of projects to work on while I was here, but it just hasn't happened!  We've been lucky - Ashley has only had to go to work one day so far.  She will have to report back to Ft. Hood next Tuesday and start working more so we will probably start our trip for home Tuesday or Wednesday.  Hopefully, Sonny will take it as slow going back as we did coming here but I sincerely doubt it!!  I'm pretty sure when his foot hits the pedal, we'll be back in NC in a day or two!!  He's a basic home body and does not like to venture away from his home turf for too long!

Here are a few pictures from out trip:

Ashley (on right) with her best friend and college roomie, Lisa who had twins while Ashley was in Iraq!

Me and my brother, Jim

My neice, Melinda and my nephew's wife, Katrina

Sonny & I on the Riverwalk

Sonny & his best bud!

Sharon & Sharon!

Ashley and her Grandma!

Sonny & Ashley on Riverwalk

Reunion

Had a great reunion today here in Texas with Ashley.  She landed about 3 pm and they advised us to be at the parade field by 3:30.  So, we were .... we sat outside in the 100+ heat for a little over 2 hours.  Luckily, they had a covered area for the bleachers but by the time the ceremony started at 5:30, we were all dripping!!  My mom actually looked like she had wet her pants!  The buses - all 7 of them - rolled up and the soldiers got off behind the buses where we couldn't see them.  The Honor Guard was there as well as two calvary soldiers on horseback to welcome them.  We all yelled "move the buses" and the buses drove away and we were able to see our soldiers!  What a sight!  They marched onto the field.  Ashley was on the front row - second from the left end so we were able to get a good view of her.  Only a handful of the soldiers had kept their Stetson hat out and hadn't packed them - Ashley was one of them - so they put them on the front row!  After a brief address to the crowd, they announced that you could all rush onto the parade ground to greet your soldier!!  Two of the guards helped my mom make her way onto the field while Sonny & I ran ahead to hug her.  We were all crying but it was a happy cry!  She looked so good and we were all so happy!

Tonight we are staying in a hotel on base.  We will drive to Austin - a little over an hour south to see her cousins.  She is going to surprise her cousin, Melinda's son at school at lunch.  He is in the 2nd grade and last year, he sent her his Flat Stanley so his class should be impressed!  We are having a little party for her tomorrow at an Ausin Mexican restaurant.  Saturday, we are on the road to San Antonio.

It has been a long day.  Ashley & Grandma are sleeping in the bed beside me so all is right with my world!

Birthday Wishes and the Bronze Star

Last week was my nephew's 22nd birthday.  Wow!  Where has the time gone?  Seems like just yesterday when I  made him a little wooden stool with Barney painted on it so he could reach the sink to wash his hands!  Now, Marianne (his mom) uses the stool to reach the higher cabinets in her kitchen since she's so short!!  The family celebrated his birthday at his favorite Japanese restaurant. 

It's been another busy week so far.  Yesterday I played bridge.  When I got home, I worked on some cards for various swaps I am doing.   Today I worked at the Soup Kitchen.  It always makes me feel good to work there.  I feel like I'm doing some good in the world and not just "getting by".

I remembered to take a picture of my Monday Mailer this time!  Last week I put it in the mail before I took the picture.  The theme this month is Favorites.  I used a few of my favorite accessories in the new catalog - the Incolor Designer Brads and the new Designer Frames embossing folder ( you get two folders for $8.95).  I made the cupcake with the Cupcake Punch - super easy!

 

Do you know what this medal is?        

 Well, it is a Bronze Star Medal Award.  Ashley showed us hers today (via Skype) that she received in a ceremony this week!  We are so proud of her!   This award is given for meritorious achievement or meritorious service.

I ddn't forget you!

Remember me?  I was on the go all last week and just was too tired at the end of the week to take pictures and post them!!  I worked at my friend's stamp store last Thursday and didn't think I'd be very busy.  So, I took a bunch of stuff to do - my book, my computer, stuff to make a few cards, etc.  Well, I ended up bringing it all back home with me!!  I didn't sit down all day except to have a sandwich (which my dear hubby brought to me!)  Friday I played Hand & Foot. and when I got home, I got busy working on making a few swaps to take to Regionals in Charlotte in a couple of weeks.  Marianne came over Saturday afternoon and ended up spending the night.  She is going to Regionals with me and wanted me to help her come up with some swap ideas.  She is using the Snow Much Fun set and made 10-20 cards with it.  I meant to take a picture of them before she left.  Well, I really couldn't take a picture anyway.  You know, I ran out a couple of weeks ago and bought a new camera to take to NC Quarterly with me.  I did a little research and bought a Cannon digital camera.  I really decided I paid too much for a camera (Sonny and Ashley helped me make that decision!!)  I also didn't like the way I had to hook it up to the computer to download the pictures (too flimsy) and the battery died on me after only 1 week.  So, I returned the camera this weekend and have ordered another one from Amazon - a Kodak Easy Share.  I have had 2 Kodaks and they are good cameras for the money.  I was just trying to go with a different camera this time.  But, I already have the program downloaded on my computer for Kodak and it is one of the newest models so we'll see.

We got the final word last week as to Ashley's return home!!  I am so excited!!  Due to security reasons, I can not divulge the exact date.  But I will be seeing her in a little less than a month!  Sonny and I have decided to drive to Texas at the end of the month although we did get a credit from Delta for our plane tickets (that we were supposed to use last week!)  Ashley's air conditioner went out at her home last week and we had the renters put some freon in it.  We are hoping that will remedy the situation until Sonny can get there and replace the unit.  So by driving, he can carry all his tools with him.  That was his business before he retired, so he can do a lot of the work himself and save her some money that way.

I am working on a Ribbon Share.  If you are interested, please let me know.  I will be putting the first order for ribbon in this week.  As soon as another one fills, I will order it.  Here are the details:

3/8" Ruffled Ribbon Share (matches the new In Colors as seen on page 194):
Each share receives 2 yards of the 5 in-colors (10 yards total) - Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, and Wisteria Wonder. 

Cost: 14.00/share

1.  Diane C
2.  Margaret W.
3.  Donna M.
4.  Sharon A.
5.  Marianne W.

1.  Kenny M
2.  Sharon M
3. 
4.
5.

 

3/8" Scallop Dots Ribbon Share (*new ribbon seen on page 195*): 
Each share receives 2 yards of 5 colors (Cherry Cobbler, , Elegant Eggplant, Marina Mist, Old Olive, Pretty In Pink)   10 yards total

cost - $10/share

1.  Diane C
2.  Margaret W
3.  Judy N
4. Donna M
5. Marianne W

1.  Kenny M
2.  Sharon M
3. 
4. 
5.

3/8" Scallop Dots Ribbon Share (*new ribbon seen on page 195*): 
Each share receives 2 yards of 5 colors (Basic Black, Melon Mambo, More Mustard,  Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip)   10 yards total

cost - $10/share

1.  Donna M
2.  Margaret W
3.  Marianne W
4.  Sharon M
5.

1. 
2.
3.
4.
5.

I think this is going to be my next big project:

Village of Cuteness

 Aren't they so cute?  This was a class that was offered at convention.  It didn't sound that great to me so I didn't sign up but now, I sure wish I had.  These cute houses were made by Karen Culler at convention and she shared them with us at the NC Quarterly.  I showed them to Sonny and told him I'd like to make some so Friday when I came home from cards, he had cut 6 houses out for me from some scraps he had in the garage!  Now I have to decide how to decorate them.  I think they would also be cute decorated as Christmas gingerbread houses!  Any other ideas???

Happy 4th of July

Hope you are having a great 4th of July and are staying cool and safe.  We stayed pretty busy all weekend so today we decided to just "chill" at home!  Saturday night we watched fireworks from our boat.  They were shot off from Queens Landing and we threw anchor in a cove across the lake and had a great view.  We took a picnic dinner and enjoyed that with my mom and my sister while waiting for the fireworks to begin.  Sunday we were out on the boat most of the day.  It was pretty hot and I stayed in the water most of the time.  I was in an inner-tube and rigged a pool-chair in front of me that I was able to prop my book up on.  So, I stayed pretty cool while reading my book and not getting it wet!  Later in the evening we drove to Mooresville and had dinner at Hickory Tavern.  After dinner, we set up our lawn chairs in the parking lot and watched fireworks put on by the YMCA.  

I have made a couple of cards in honor of the holiday and also as a thank you to my daughter and all the others out there who are away from their family and serving their country. 

 These cards use a retired SU stamp set, Liberty for All and they are stamped on a piece of scrapbook paper that I bought several years ago.

Thank you Ashley.  You will be home soon.  Although I am sad to report that she will not be returning as soon as we thought.  She was informed yesterday that she will not be able to come home early like she had been told a month ago.  She now will return with the rest of the troop sometime toward the end of August.  She has been packing her things and getting rid of stuff she didn't need to take home - even threw away her sheets (except for 1 set) last week.  She had already gone around and gotten all the signatures she needed on the paperwork to return July 21.  AND, we had made airplane reservations to meet her the end of July.  Of course, the ticket is non-refundable so guess we will just have to pay the penalty to change it when we know a different date.  I just haven't felt like dealing with it and will do something next week about it.  Needless to say, Ashley was pretty upset and I was too.  But, what can you do when you're dealing with the government?

Three More Days!

Just three more days and the new catalog will be up and running!  Make sure you have placed your orders for the retiring items before Friday!!

Today I am spotlighting Tart and Tangy along with Cheep Talk.  These are two really great stamp sets.

This is a really simple card to make but it looks so refreshing!

RECIPE:
Stamps:  Tart & Tangy, Heard From the Heart
Paper:  White, Black, Retired SU DSP
Ink:  Pear Pizazz, Kiwi Kiss, Daffodil Delight, Black

I used the 5-Petal Punch and my crimper (found at the very back of my drawer!) to make the flower out of some retired DSP.  Adds just the right touch, don't you think?

RECIPE:
Stamp:  Cheep Talk
Paper:  Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, White
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Espresso, Garden Green, Dusty Durango
Access:  5-Petal Punch, Dusty Durango Dotted Ribbon, Stamp-a-ma-jig

I am going out to lunch  - trying out a new restaurant in Mooresville with the Out to Lunch Bunch.  Should be fun .... plus, an easy dinner tonight!!

Countdown has begun for Ashley!  If all goes as planned (with the Army???), she has 24 more days!

Swap Cards

I played a new game yesterday - well, sorta new to me anyway.  It was Duplicate Bridge.  A friend asked me to "sub" at her house and I didn't realize that was what they were going to play.  But, it was ok.  Duplicate Bridge is played just like regular bridge for the most part.  The scoring is different.  It was fun - you play a set hand and then the other table also plays the same hand so you can see how others win or lose the hand.  I was the third highest score so not so bad!

I have been working on swap cards for Convention.  I have signed up for 2 organized swaps and then I want to have other cards to randomly swap during the convention. 

 This is the card for the Fun Fold Swap.  When you pull on the Melon Mambo strip at the top, the inside card comes out like this:

RECIPE:
Stamps:  Flower Fest, Upsy Daisy (sentiment inside)
Paper:  Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Daffodil Delight, Beyond the Garden DSP
Ink:  Black, Melon Mambo
Access:  White Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, Crop-a-dile

 This is for a swap that you have to use a new stamp set.  This one was available to demonstrators for a sneak peek.  It is the only one I bought but it is the cutest!!  Love the snowman!  The little border sticking out at the top and bottom of the snowman is from the Triple Layer Doily Punch.  I cut it in half and am going to put a pearl in the center (forgot to before I took the picture!).  I have to admit I used two colors that are not my favorites - Garden Green and Poppy Parade.  They look good together but I just don't ever use these two which is why I picked them for this swap!

RECIPE:
Stamp:  Snow Much Fun
Paper:  Garden Green, Poppy Parade, Whisper White
Access:  Markers, Black Ink, Poppy Parade Stitched Poly Ribbon, Northern Flurries Embossing Folder

I have done several of these cards to give out for general swaps.  There is a Vellum overlay over a white card.  I stamped the leaves from Fabulous Florets on the white card and stamped the flowers on the Vellum.  To hold the vellum to the white, I strategically placed glue dots on the back of the vellum on the flower centers.  And then the ribbon held it all together.

RECIPE: 
Stamp:  Fabulous Florets, Tiny Tags
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Vellum, Whisper White
Ink:  Old Olive, Cajun Craze
Access:  Always Artichoke Ribbon Binding, Jewelry Tag Punch

AND .... I have a retiring stamp set for my monthly give-a-way.  Don't forget to leave a comment if you want a chance to win the cards I am featuring this month!!

 RECIPE:
Stamp:  Forest Friends, Watercolor Trio (sentiment)
Paper:  Whisper White, Bravo Burgundy, Retired DSP
Ink:  Espresso, Garden Green
Access:  (non-SU) Ribbon, Small & Medium Oval Punches, Oval Nestabilities

I just finished talking to Ashley on Skype and she is leaving her temporary base tomorrow via helicopter and returning to Maraz where she has at least 3 packages waiting for her!  She needs to start packing up for her return home!!!!  So excited!

Christmas in .... June!

Back to the retiring sets.  I took a bit of a break this week with the cards that I will be offering in the drawing at the end of the month.  (See this post)  I was busy doing things for Newcomer's Bingo and for Stamp Club but now I am back to working for YOU!  And today we are showcasing Christmas!  I love the set, Big on Christmas.  It is really easy to use - stamp it, color it in and mat it. 

 I stamped the image with Espresso ink and colored it in with my white gel pen.  I colored the tree with a Copic pen.  I did faux stitching around the edge.  (Use paper piercer and pierce all around the edges; then use a white gel pen to "connect the dots".)   The DSP is retired as is the Taken With Teal that I matted the image with!  But who cares?  Not the person who will receive the card at Christmas time, I'm sure!

OK - Ignore the black dots on this card.  I had it sitting on my desk yesterday when I reinked my black stamp pads!  Guess a couple of drops eeked out onto the card.  I didn't even notice it until after I took the picture - thought it was something on my camera lens until I took a second look at the card!  There's a sneak peek on this card though so I had to share it.  The lighter colored purple is one of the new In Colors!  It is called Wisteria Wonder. 

I used a thin oval wooden frame that I got from m's to layer with my embossing folder to create the un-embossed oval in the center.

RECIPE:
Stamp:  Big on Christmas
Card Stock:  Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant
Ink:  Black, Wisteria Wonder Marker
Access:  Snowflake Brads (non SU), Stickles Glitter, SU Markers, Snowflake Embossing Folder

I got even better news from Ashley yesterday!  She now thinks she will be returning another week earlier!  Looks like she may be leaving there around the 21st of July.  Not giving us much time to find a good flight but maybe we'll consider driving instead.  We just need to wait for her to return to her base where she can find more details.  She had hoped to be leaving her temporary post last Wednesday and go to a medical conference in Baghdad.  But that didn't work out and she will probably be at the temporary base until next week.  You can believe she is counting down the days.  I don't think she has seen one patient all week!  She read all the books she took with her and was going to the library on base and getting 5-10 books at a time to read.  She reads 1-2 books a day.  Yesterday she went to the library to return her books and get another stack and to her horror, the shelves were EMPTY!  Because the base will be closing, they had thrown away all the books a couple of days ago.  If you are a reader, doesn't this make you cringe?  She has her Kindle with her and it has a couple of books on it plus the Bible.  So, she said she guess she will be reading the Bible for the next few days from cover to cover!  The internet connection is bad there and it would take her too long to download more books on to the Kindle.  So let's hope the PA that she is replacing comes back soon!

The Winner Could Be YOU!

I received some good news today from Ashley.  She may be coming home a little earlier than she thought!  Of course, with the Army nothing is written in stone so I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch!  But, she may be leaving Iraq the first of August instead of the end of the month to set up the clinic at Ft. Hood.  I've got my fingers crossed!!

Yesterday I had a really nice day.  Sonny and I started out by taking the boat out for breakfast to a restaurant on the lake.  After a little bit of a ride around, we headed for home before the lake got too crowded and the sun got too hot!!  In the afternoon Marianne and Mom came over and we went down to our neighborhood pool to "veg" out.  It was pretty warm so we ended up staying in the water most of the time but it was a lot of fun.  My mom is like a kid in water so there was a lot of splashing around and playing.  It was good for her.  One of her good friends had died the night before and this helped to get her mind off of that.  A storm came up around 5 so we headed back to my house to get dressed.  We met the rest of the family in town later for dinner.

I have made a few more cards using my retired sets - Chic Boutique and Eastern Blooms - to share with you. 

I've decided to have a drawing at the end of the month for the cards I am making using retired sets.  A few of them will be used for my Monday Mailers but the rest could be sent to YOU!  Just leave me a comment and July 1, I will put all the names in a hat and draw one .... or two .... out and send them to you!!

RECIPE:

Stamp:  Chic Boutique

Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy

Accessories:  SU Markers, 1 1/4" Striped Navy Ribbon, Oval Punch, Embossing Folder

 RECIPE:

 Stamps:  Eastern Blooms, Swirls & Curls Verses (hostess)

Paper:  Marina Mist, Early Espresso, White

Access:  Pearls, Markers, White Taffeta Ribbon, Corner Rounder, Polka Dot Emb. Folder

RECIPE:

Stamps:  Priceless, Eastern Blooms

PAPER:  Wild Wasabi, Tangerine Tango, Beyond the Garden DSP

Access:  Rhinestones (non SU), Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool

I don't know if you can tell but I've been photographing my cards in a little better light.  After I cleaned out my retiring stamps, I had an extra shelf so I set up a lightbox area in it.  Here's what it looks like:

 I have an Ott-Light that clamps to a table (thanks to Margaret) so I clamped it to the top of the shelf and hung it upside down to shine onto my card.  I just have cardstock behind the card but I can change it out to a dark cardstock if I need to for a white card.

Guess I need to tack that cord up but the switch is midway down the cord and I need to be able to reach it.  So far, it's not bothering me draped down to the outlet that way.

Memorial Day

I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  Ours was nice - pretty quiet but we did spend some time with family.   Yesterday Sonny and I took the boat out on the lake early before the lake got too crowded.  We threw the anchor in our usual cove and read our books.  When we first got there, there were only about 4-5 boats but when we left around 2, there were probably 10-15 boats just in that cove.   Later in the afternoon, Marianne and Mom came over and we sat out on the deck and visited.  One of the chairs (mine!) was covered in baby praying mantis.  I've never seen such a thing! 

Unfortunately, in order to sit in the chair, I had to brush all of them off it!!  Felt like a real killer. 

Later Marianne's husband, Greg, came and Sonny cooked some burgers and hot dogs for us.  I made potatoes and a yummy peach cobbler!  After dinner, we took a boat ride.  When we got back home Angela (my other sister) had gotten off of work and come over to enjoy some dinner.  Then we watched the Coca Cola 600 race .... what can I say - we live in Race City USA!!

Marianne spent the night and we did some crafting today.  We both worked on our Button Farm mini scrapbooks.  It was a fun relaxing day.

Here is the Memorial Day card I made tonight.  It uses another SU stamp set that I bought at the used stamp sale for a steal ($4).  It is pretty old but a good one.  I'll be using it again soon to celebrate Ashley's homecoming.

Speaking of Ashley, I chatted with her on Saturday (instant message) and again today.  She didn't see any patients today and she said she's only seen a few patients the whole time she's been there.  She's read several books,  watched 3 episodes of Off The Map and several movies.  She's only been there since Friday!!  Luckily, she said they have a pretty extensive library since she only took 10 books with her.  She'll read all their books by the end of her 2 weeks!!

Monday Mailer / May

Here are a couple of the Monday Mailers I have sent and received this month.  I'm trying to think of a theme for June's Monday Mailers.  I'm leaning toward Retiring since June 1, Stampin' Up will announce their retiring stamps.  Got any predictions?

 

I am loving this stamp!  I sponged the water and the sky onto Glossy White paper, masking a circle for the moon.  I heat embossed the moon with Vanilla Embossing Powder (used Versamark on the circle first.)  The sails are cut out separately.  I used the Modern Label Punch and put 2 Itty Bitty Buttons up top with a blue circle behind the buttons and linen thread through them.

 This is a great card from Becky using Flower Fest from the Summer Mini.  I just bought this stamp set and will be making some cards from it this weekend.

This is another beautiful card that I got this week from Becky .... great for a wedding card!  She used the new Flower Garden embossing folder and debossed the front of the card.  Just lovely!!

Ashley arrived at her new location yesterday.  She took a 20 minute helicopter ride to get there.  She will be relieving a doctor who is on R&R for a couple of weeks.  The new post only has about 60 soldiers so it is much smaller than her post.  She said she will probably only be seeing 1-2 people a day!  Conditions there aren't as nice as where she is stationed - no cable in her room, food not as good ...  We have not been able to Skype - only talked via Instant Message.  She is hoping to be able to Skype with us tomorrow.  There is only one computer there that has a headset and video and it was in use today.  So, tomorrow she is going to take her own headset to call us.  She said she will be catching up on her sleep and her reading while she is there.  She also took a bunch of movies to watch.  Any of you who know her know that she likes to be on the go all the time.  My guess is she is going to go nuts over there!!  But the good news is it is almost June so her countdown to coming home has begin!!  Mid August doesn't seem that far away.

Monday Mailers for May 2011

Sorry there was no post yesterday.  Blogger was down last night so I wasn't able to post anything.  It's gotten pretty warm here .... well warm for us anyway - in the 80's.  I finally couldn't stand it any more and switched on our A/C yesterday - mainly because of the humidity.  We've had some rain this week and the air is really thick outside now.  I know my Texas friends wouldn't consider our temps as hot nor would Ashley where it is already in the 90's in Mosul.  Luckily, Ashley has been able to get a vehicle so she is not having to walk everywhere she goes.  They will be moving her clinic in the next few weeks and she tells me it will be about 1 1/2 miles from her living quarters so the vehicle will definitely come in handy!  Her attitude has not been the greatest since she returned from her R&R and I think she is marking off the days with a vengence!  August can not get here quick enough for her.  Most of the people she has been working with in the clinic have left by now and she has a new staff.  She is the only one of the medical staff that ended up having to stay for a year - the rest only had a 6-month rotation so that is not sitting well with her ... coupled by some respect issues she is running into.

Just a quick comment about American Idol before I share my cards.  I was quite shocked last night when James was voted off!!  When they announced it, Lauren and Scotty were upset, and Haley almost had a smirk on her face.  James sang one last song for us and kissed his wife in the crowd.  I thought James' performance on Wednesday night was the best of the night.  I put a lot of the blame on the 3 judges.  These judges have done a huge misjustice to the contestants by not being truthful in their comments. They seem to be afraid to step on anyones toes by giving them a bad review. All they can do it seems, is praise them, even though at times, some of the performances were horrid!!!..... Then the voters vote accordingly it seems to me.  I think the voting procedure needs to be restructured. The title is Scotty's to lose now.  I thought  it would be between Scotty and James for the final two.  Both were true to themselves and stood out each week. Biggest shock to me since Chris Daughtry went out in week 4 several years ago.  But, Durbin is better off not winning ... just like with Daughtry, the people who will buy his music are more likely to accept him now.

One more thing - Last night they showed a Steven Tyler video...so this year has been odd, videos by J-Lo, video by Steven, a book by Steven, makes ya wonder who they were marketing, the Idols or the judges? Just sayin' that's all.
OK - stepping off my Idol soapbox!

Here are the Monday Mailers so far this month:

Paper Pieced Sock Monkey - The first card I mailed to Tina.

Supplies:

• Paper:   Whisper White, Pacific Point, Real Red; Celebrations DSP 
• Ink:   Black
• Stamps:  Loads of Love; Sock Monkey, Sock Monkey Accessories
• Punches:   Circle Punch - 1 3/8" and 1 3/4"
• Accessories:  Buttons, Red Grosgrain Ribbon; Celebrations Accents; Stampin' Dimensionals

Printed Petals - Card #2 to Tina

Supplies:

• Paper:   Whisper White, Real Red; Sahara Sand; Daffodil Delight; Pear Pizazz
• Ink:    Real Red
• Stamps:  Printed Petals; Oval All
• Punches:   Ovals; Bird Punch
• Accessories:  Scallop Square Sizzix Die, Antique Brad; Finial Press Emb. Folder

Card being opened

Card completely opened.

Card #1 received from Becky

 Isn't this card the greatest?!!  I just love it.  She cut the boat out separately and popped it up with dimensionals.  This is the single stamp in the Summer Mini on page 11 - Sail Away

Card #2 from Becky

This DSP speaks for itself!  This is the paper on page 23 of Summer Mini - Beyond the Garden.

Becky sent me 2 cards this week - she didn't think the 1st card (Beyond the Garden DSP) was good enough!

This is a great card also.  I wasn't going to argue with Becky - I loved receiving both cards but it wasn't necessary!!  Don't you love how she punched the bird using the DSP (sneak peek - Paisley Prints).