Happy Easter - Spring has Sprung!

There is a lot of confusion regarding what Easter Sunday is all about.  For some it means decorating eggs and looking for the Easter Bunny.  Most people are confused as to how the resurrection of Christ is related to the Easter eggs and bunny!  Are you?  I was so I decided to look for an answer. Biblically speaking, there is no connection between the resurrection of Jesus and the common traditions related to Easter.  Essentially what happened is that in order to make Christianity more attractive to non-Christians, the ancient Roman Catholic Church mixed the celebration of Jesus with celebrations that involved spring fertility rituals.  Those rituals are the source of the egg and bunny traditions.  Hopefully when you celebrate today with your loved ones, you will remember what the day is all about while having fun looking for Easter eggs!

Spring is springing up all around me.  While I was out last week, I snapped several pictures of the beginnings of Spring in North Carolina.

These are the trees blooming at the entrance to my neighborhood.  While I was taking the picture, it looked like it was snowing as the flowers were blowing off the trees.

This gorgeous tree is in my Mom's yard.  (That is her house in the background.)  What makes me so sad is that Mom's eyes have deteriorated so much that she can't see this tree and enjoy it's beauty.

I took this picture underneath the tree looking up to the sky.

Can you spot the dogwood just starting to bloom:

This is one of my favorite flowers / trees.  The dogwood tree means rebirth and resurrection and Christianity as a whole.

 
I don't know what this is called but it is really pretty.  This is right beside my driveway so I get to see it every day.  This is the best it has looked in our ten years here.

I wish this was in my yard!  It is in my neighborhood and I had to stop and take a picture.  I have always loved a Forsythis (or as many Southerners call it, a Yellow Bell).  I planted one when we lived in Texas and in Washington.  Don't know why I haven't done so here!!  I'll have to get Sonny on it.

Last but not least are these pretty Hellebores (or Lenten Roses).  You'll have to take my word for it that they are pretty.  Guess they are just shy and like to be droopy.  I like to cut them and float them in a crystal bowl of water.

Hope you have enjoyed my little bit of spring and have a wonderful Easter!!

Easter Gifts

It's almost time for Easter!  It is really early this year.  I sure hope the weather gets warmer by Sunday.  March always has such crazy weather.  We went to the beach for a long weekend last Friday. It was nice weather on Friday and Saturday but Sunday was miserable.  It was rainy and I don't think the temps got out of the 40s!  The sun broke through around noon so Sonny went to the driving range and hit some golf bags and I went for a walk on the beach.  It was a short walk though - that wind was blowing right threw me!  Think I only walked about 1 1/2 miles.  I was proud of myself that I exercised every day I was there.  On Friday, Sonny and I walked a couple of miles but on the road.  He didn't want to get sand in his shoes!!  He never set foot on the beach the whole time we were there!  I walked every morning 1 - 2 miles.  I have this great app on my phone that Ashley told me about called Runmaker.  It tracks your walking (or running) and gives audio cues along the way of distance, time, average speed, etc.  Plus you can also listen to music while you are walking.  I use Spotify for my music app.  It has made me get out and walk more.  

Anyway, here are a few things I have made for Easter.  I love the Easter Lamb single stamp in the Occasions catalog!

This little bag/box was easy to make.  The bag uses 3 1/4" x 10" card stock scored at 4 1/4" and 5 3/4".  I embossed the back of the bag and then added a strip of DSP across the front (just on the bottom).
The box that fits inside uses a piece of card stock 3 3/8" x 5", scored at 1" on all four sides.  I used Red Line Tape to adhere it to the bottom of the bag.


Next are the chalkboards!  What a find!  I happened to be at Target at the right time.  Usually when I check out their Dollar Spot, it is pretty picked over.  But I found these several weeks ago for $3 each and bought all they had!  I embossed the little lamb in the corner and used a strip of DSP as a belly band.  I had some note pages stashed away so I used a clip that I also decorated with DSP to hold it to the top of the chalkboard with a ribbon tied on.  The notepad can be removed to write on the chalkboard.  I bought some chalk to go with them but do you think I can find that chalk???

The Hostess Code for March is 3YZSNHHC

If you place an on-line order with me, I would appreciate you using this code!!

St. Paddy's Day and Stamp Club

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!

 

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day a few days early.  Our favorite Irish restaurant/bar had a big celebration on Saturday with bands, vendors, food and of course, your favorite beverage.  It was a free event with the option to buy a VIP ticket.  We decided to purchase the tickets since they included 2 beverages, a meal, tee shirts and access to the VIP toilets each.  Well, maybe I should say the VIP Porta-Potties!!  We didn't have to stand in line in the restaurant for the toilets but by the end of the night, I was standing in line inside!!  

 

 

We ran into our leprechaun friend that we had met at the celebration a couple of years ago.  This guy comes dressed like a leprechaun every year!  I didn't get a great picture of him this year but here is his picture from 2012 when we met him - Bob, the Leprechaun

There are all kinds of people at this event!  This couple was really OLD!  They sure went all out with their costume - wig, beard, a tutu that had lights attached!  Oh my!  There were several young people there also with tutus on and tights underneath.  Believe me, their outfits were not flattering!!  Don't people look in the mirror when they leave home????

This was also Stamp Club week for me.  We made a few Easter cards.

I just love this little Easter Lamb single stamp (only $10). 

Isn't this the cutest?  I CASE-d this from Judy Marshall's blog, Brown Paper Packages, where you can download the seed packet template.  This chick is from a Sale-a-bration set called Honeycomb Happiness.  He is super cute!  She has a few other templates on her blog as well.

This card was another CASE - this time from Frenchie (Stamp and Scrap with Frenchie).  I used the DSP from Sale-a-bration for the pants - using the Washi Tape Label Punch.  I used the glitter tape to decorate tem along with a few other items I had in my stash.  The sentiment is stamped on white paper and cut out with the new Balloon Punch. 

And an Easter cross card that I have already shared with you HERE.

Paper Players Color Challenge



I made this card today for a color challenge on the Paper Players blog site.  These are such great colors and the little bit of black makes them really pop.  I used Timeless Textures for my background and stamped it in white.  This stamp set is a great one for backgrounds.  I also used one of my favorite stamps from the Occasions Catalog, Picture Perfect, for the starfish.  And of course, I had to add Wink of Stella all over the starfish!!   I die cut "hello" and stamped on top of it with my white ink.  It is so easy to adhere that tiny die to the card using the Fine Tip Glue Pen - another favorite product!!

 

Be sure to check out the rest of the projects for this challenge!

 

Brayer Power

This card is a little out of my comfort zone but it turned out ok.  I was going through some of my "stuff" and found this package of Stampin' Up Coaster Board (pg 148) that I had never used but I have had it about 2 years!  The Coaster Board is thinner than chipboard, but sturdier than cardstock.  It's great for die cutting and embossing.  

I ran it through my Lovely Lace embossing folder.  Next I inked up my brayer (which I probably have not used in several years) with Watermelon Wonder ink and rolled it over the coaster board. This is the debossed side.  I brayer-ed both sides but I liked this side the best.  It's neat how the raised portion takes the ink and the debossed areas stay white.  You can't press real hard on the brayer though.  I stamped the cake with Watermelon also and punched it out with the 2 1/2" punch.  I love the sentiment from Party Wishes (Occasions Catalog, pg. 5).  I tucked some of the Dotted Lace Trim behind the circle.  

Sonny and I went to the movies today and saw Eddie the Eagle.  It was very good.  I would recommend it to you.

Pedal Pusher Love

It is still not too late to spend $50 with Stampin' Up and receive a free stamp set (or paper, Project Life item, washi tape, etc.).  This bicycle set is one of the new stamps for Sale-a-Bration - Pedal Pusher.  I think it is so cute and can be used for a lot of occasions.   I decided to send it to someone special.

I stamped the bike with black Memento ink and used markers to color it so it would match the Lost Lagoon card.  Oh how I am going to miss Lost Lagoon when it retires in June!  I just realized that when I took the picture of the card, I had not adhered the panel to the card.  Rest assured, I did glue it down before mailing it!  The DSP flag that is peeking out of the side and the DSP background piece are both from Sale-a-Bration also (Wildflower Fields, pg. 12).  The "love" sentiment is from a great stamp set in the annual catalog, Something to Say (pg. 108).

American Idol Recap

Here's my quick run down of the Top 10 from Thursday night.  There was a double elimination this week.  The bottom three performed at the end of the show and the judges voted to keep one of them.

1. Dalton Rapatoni sang "Radioactive"  I thought it was good but he usually changes up the songs that he sings and he did not do that with this one.  The judges were not blown away with his song choice.
2. Lee Jean sang "Use Somebody"  I was so happy that he was not in the bottom three!  He is just so cute and talented for a 15 year old.  He played the electric guitar also while singing his song. I liked his performance.  
3. Sonika Vaid sang "Since You Be Gone," a Kelly Clarkson song.  She didn't do a lot for me with her performance.  The song is about an "angry girl" and she didn't give it the attitude she should have.
4. MacKenzie Bourg sang "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," by Whitney Houston.  Love that song and he definitely made it his own.  It was just different to hear a guy sing this song.
5. La'Porsha Renae sang "Halo" by Beyonce.  This girl is going to be the next American Idol!  Her voice is so beautiful.  She has some crazy hair and was funny when she was in the dressing room and they were doing her hair.  She said no one had ever touched her hair except her or her mom so it was a traumatic experience for her.
6. Trent Harmon sang "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge - one of my favorite songs!  He had been working hard on not making the funny faces he usually does.  I liked his performance.
7. Tristen MacIntosh was the last one to snag a spot outside of the bottom three who had to compete for their spot.  She sang a Vince Gill song and accompanied herself on the piano.  She got a standing ovation from Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban!

Bottom three:

1. Avalon Young sang "Earned It"  I was not familiar with this song but she sang it great!  
2. Olivia Rox sang a song by Pink.  She was not bad but not as good as Avalon.
3. Gianna Isabella sang an Alicia Key song and didn't stand a chance.

So that is the top 10.

Here is the video from Kelly Clarkson's emotional song that she sang last week.  Have a tissue ready!

Easter Cross

Easter is early this year - March 27th - so I thought I'd better start on my Easter cards.  This is the first one I made and I love it!  By changing the sentiment, this card could also be used for sympathy, get well, etc.

I CASEd a card from Pinterest by Angie Pyjas.

I used the Hardwood background stamp for the cross.  I stamped with Early Espresso onto Crumb Cake card stock and just cut two of the panels for the cross.  I added brown brads to each end.  (When was the last time you used a brad??)  The wreath is stamped with Wondrous Wreath stamp set and cut out with the matching framelets.  That stamp is not just for Christmas!!  The flowers (Perfect Plum and Watermelon Wonder) are also from the Wondrous Wreath and cut out with the framelets.  I used the Softly Falling embossing folder on the Wisteria Wonder card.  Happy Easter is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and cut out with the Bitty Banners framelets.

Thought I'd share a picture I took with my sister (Marianne) in mind while at one of the Smithsonians last week.  She HATES spiders!!  This one was a big hairy tarantula.  I'm just glad there was glass protecting me from him!

American Idol Recap

Do you watch American Idol?  I have watched it for years.  I didn't watch the first two years but after that, I was hooked.  Kinda sad that this is their last year but I do think it is time.  Ashley and I were discussing it last weekend and the fact that the judges (or no one actually) coaches them before they go on stage makes it hard for these kids to know what they should and should not do.  The judges are famous for telling them they picked the wrong song.  Well, they are kids - why doesn't someone on the show help them pick a song that would be good for them.  I prefer The Voice so much more than Idol now where the contestants are helped and mentored.

Since I have been out of town for the past week, I am just now watching the taped shows and catching up on my TV time.  There is some really strong talent this year and some really young ones too!  It will be fun to watch the artists get pared them down to one.  A few years ago, I kept a running commentary on my blog as the artists performed each week.  I thought I'd try it again since this is the last year.  Here are my thoughts for this week's Top Ten:

1.  Olivia Rox singing "Unconditionally" by Kathy Perry - Thought she did a great job with the song and has a really good voice.

2.  Gianna Isabella singing "Listen" by Beyonce.  Yuck!  I think she is in trouble next week and may be the one going home.  She was off pitch throughout.

3.  Lee Jean (don't you love his name?) singing "Skinny Love" by Birdy - I don't know this song but I love Lee! I liked it but I don't think the judges were sold.

4.  Avalon Young sang "Stitches" by Shawn Mendes (another one I've never heard!)  I didn't much care for this one either.  The judges didn't like it either except for the guest judge, Kelly Clarkson.

5.  Dalton Rapattoni sang "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White Ts.  Yey - a song I know and like!!  He is really comfortable on stage and has gorgeous blue eyes.  He also wears eyeliner! He said that he applies it the night before and sleeps with it on so it will be smudged just right.  He will go far in the competition.

6.  Tristan McIntosh sang "Somethin' About You" by Dan and Shay. She grabbed my heart from the very beginning of Idol.  When she tried out, they surprised her with an appearance of her mom who is in the military and was deployed.  It made me cry.  I liked the song that she sang but unfortunately, she mumbled some of the words.  She did seem very comfortable on stage for being 15 years old.

7.  Mackenzie Borg sang "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran.  He did a good job with the song.  I think he will be back next week.

8.  La'Porsha Renae sang "Diamonds" by Rhianna.  This girl has the most amazing voice!!  The judges and the audience were on their feet at the end and it took a while for the audience to quiet down. I think she may be the final American Idol.  She has a mature voice and sings circles around all the other kids.

9.  Sonika Vaid sang "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence.  Another song I don't know but her voice is wonderful and she looked beautiful.  She will be safe this week for sure.  Another standing ovation!

10.  Trent Harmon sang "Like I Can" by Sam Smith.  I love this guy and I loved the song.  I believe he picked the right song for his voice!

The highlight of the night was Kelly Clarkson!  She was funny all during the show referring to her pregnancy (only 7 weeks to go) but her performance at the end had me crying - along with Keith Urban and Jennifer.  What a great song.  Poor Kelly had trouble making it through the song as it was so emotional.  If you haven't heard "Piece by Piece", you need to find it and listen to it!

This is going to be a tough year for Idol.  This week I hope Lee Jean doesn't go home.  The ones I think are in trouble are Gianna Isabella, Avalon Young, Tristan McIntosh and Lee Jean.   They will pare the group down to 8 on Thursday night.  Vote for your favorite!

NC Demos Blog Hop featuring Occasions Catty AND In Colors

Welcome to the second NC Demos Blog Hop.  You should have just come from Tracie Langley's blog.  I loved her two projects!!   Hope you are enjoying the projects this month from the Occasions Catalog and using Stampin' Up's In Colors and are getting a lot of ideas for your own projects.

Each year when the new annual catalog comes out (June 1), there will be 5 NEW In Colors introduced.  The sad news is that means 5 colors will RETIRE.  The retiring colors this year are shown below:

The ink pads, cardstock packs, ink refills and accessories will only be available while supplies last. They usually sell out quickly!!  So I would suggest if you love these colors, you order them now before they are gone AND also so that you can take advantage of the FREE gifts offered during Sale-a-Bration!

OK - on to my project.  This was a fun card to make!  It measures 5.5" x 5.5" so a special envelope was made for it using the Envelope Punch Board  The card folds flat for mailing but when the recipient receives it, he/or she can open each section like an easel card.  Wouldn't this look nice sitting on a desk for all to see?!

The In Colors I used are Hello Honey and Mossy Meadow.  I also used Cajun Craze and Mint Macaron which are the matching colors for the Botanical Gardens DSP.

This is the card flat - well sorta flat!  It kept popping up as I was trying to photograph it.  I needed a couple of extra hands to hold it shut but when you put it in an envelope, it will be flat.

This sentiment is from Flower Patch.  I used the Decorative Label Punch to punch it out and sponged the edges with Hello Honey ink.

Each top square (Hello Honey) measures 2.5" x 2.5".  They are attached to the bottom rectangles (measuring 2.5" x 5" and scored at 1.25" x 2.5".

The stamp set, Botanical Blooms, framelits AND DSP can be purchased as a bundle saving you 15%. It is a great set!!  If you would like to place an order online, please use my Hostess Code found at the top of my blog posts.  By purchasing this Bundle, you would qualify for a FREE item from Sale-a-Bration!  Who doesn't like free???!!

Hope you are enjoying the Blog Hop! Check out what my other NC pals have to show you!! Laura Meier is next on the Hop so make sure you click on her name.

Shavron Borders
Regina Campbell
Tamra Davis
Kitty Helton
Jo Anne Hewins
Amy Ingram
Michelle Irinyi
Melissa Kernan
Tracie Langley
Sharon Maranich (ME)
Laura Meier
Mary Robinette
Susan Root
Pam Staples
Lisa Tedder
Frances Wagner

Smithsonian Museum Photographs

We are having fun here in D.C. but it is freezing cold!!  The temps have not been out of the 40s since we have been here and the wind has been brutal - even Sonny agrees!  So it is not good weather to be walking around DC and exploring!  The drive here was not great either.  We were trying to outrun the storms and tornados but about every half hour we would run into the storms and could barely see the car in front of us for the rain pouring down.  I was a nervous wreck when we finally got here and Sonny was pretty wiped out too.  We had planned on eating at a favorite Italian restaurant of ours in Bethesda after we picked Ashley up from the airport but decided instead to head over to the hotel (at the National Harbor) and find a restaurant within walking distance.  Ashley was lucky to make it in. She was delayed a little bit but it was better than spending the night in another city.  They announced on her flight that they were going to have to divert to Pittsburgh but ended up being able to turn back and do an instrument landing in DC. 

Thursday she had most of the day free so we took the metro into DC and walked around a little bit.  I had on long johns, gloves, a hat, and a coat but was still really cold!  We went to the Natural History Museum and saw a fabulous photographic display of the "Best of the Best" of 20 years of Nature's finest moments.  The collection was of dramatic landscapes, wildlife behavior and pictures of Earth's ice peaks to the oceans.  There were more than 100 large format prints on the walls and I was snapping photographs like crazy. I want to use them to make a calendar or a date book!

Here are just a few of them.  I just can't imagine how many shots the photographer had to take to get the final and best one! 

PORCUPINE

THIRSTY LION

NORTHEN LIGHTS

LONG EARED OWL

 O

Gotta run - they are waiting for me.  We are driving over to Alexandria tonight for dinner.  There is a water taxi from here to there but we have all decided it's too cold for that!!

Enjoy Cheerwine!

I received this beautiful card this week from Regina Andari, who is a member of the NC Demo group.  Regina does not live too far from me but we have never met!  Regina was given several sheets of coupons (50cents off) for Cheerwine soda by the distributor who was stocking the shelves at a store she was shopping at.  She couldn't use all of them so offered them to Facebook friends and I was a lucky recipient.

I love this combo of Mint Macaron and Blushing Bride.  I don't have this DSP (sigh).  It is from Birthday Bouquet (pg 9 of Occasions catty).  Isn't this a gorgous card?  I love the pleating she has done.  I will be CASEing this one for sure!

If you are not local, you might not know about Cheerwine!  You are missing out.  It reminds me of cherry Dr Pepper.  It is hard to find outside of the Carolinas.  When I loved in Texas and Washington, I really missed drinking my Cheerwine.  I have also turned my daughter into a big fan of the drink.  Whenever she comes to visit, she always takes a 12 pack back with her in her luggage!  We are taking some to her this week in DC and we usually stock her up when we drive to Texas to visit.  I'm not sure what she is going to do in Hawaii!!

I got this from their website:

"Created in 1917 in Salisbury, North Carolina by a general store owner named L.D. Peeler, this singular soft drink with a hint of wild cherry and a bubbly effervescence became an immediate hit. Folks from all around the county came to LD's store to give it a try. 

Soon cold cases all over North Carolina were filled with the "Nectar of North Carolina." It was known to put a smile on everyone's lips who gave it a try, and the Legend was born. 

Raised in a glass. 

Generations later, the Legend has grown larger than life. Family and friends in every state of the Union clamor for this taste that always surprises. Cheerwine is regularly spotted in such far flung places as the great wall of China. The fjords of Northern Europe. The battlefields of Iraq. 

Today, L.D.’s great grandson Cliff Ritchie leads the company, as Cheerwine officially expands to new parts of the country and continues to win loyal fans with just one sip."

Surprise Pop Up Balloons

I have a special card to share with you today!

This is called a Surprise Slider Card.  Here is what the card looks like closed.

Pull the little tab at the top and surprise!  Up pops the balloons!

I found the instructions for this card on Splitcoast HERE

I used the stamp set, Balloon Celebration (pg 12) from the Occasions Catalog  I won't tell you how long it took me to get all those gold bows and strings on the card!  That was the hardest part!  I just love the color combo of Soft Sky and Blackberry Bliss!  Add a Touch of Stella and they really sparkle.  I am not a big champagne drinker but I have two friends who live in Texas that love it!!  (yes you, Margaret and Sharon!)

I hope this card will hold you for a few days.  We are driving to DC for several days to meet Ashley at a conference she will be attending.  We are trying to take advantage of seeing her as often as possible while she is still on the "mainland."  She received her orders yesterday for Hawaii so it is official.  Her report day in mid June.  Now she can get started figuring everything out.  Her car needs to be shipped to Hawaii and that will take anywhere from a month to two months.  She has gotten the blood work and immunizations for the cat, Bogart, so he won't have to stay in quarintine when she arrives.  She needs to figure out what to take with her (she is allowed 4 suitcases); what to send to Hawaii and what to put in long term storage!  Glad it's her and not me!  It boggles my mind!

Up, Up and Away!

I haven't made a card for a challenge in a long time.  I used to search out challenges and make cards to fit them but I haven't done that in a while.  Yesterday when I was looking at different blogs to get some inspiration, I came across the Paper Players Challenge with the theme of "up up and away." With so many balloon stamps available, I decided to make this card.

I stamped the sunburst with Versamark, sprinkled white embossing powder over it and sponged the area with Pool Party.  I used the Balloon Punch and punched out 3 balloons from Designer Paper.  I ended up not stamping any balloons after all!  I actually did stamp them (on the other side) but liked the un-stamped balloons best.  I die cut "happy" with framelets and glued them to the middle of the card.  I stamped the stars (from Balloon Celebration) with Pool Party and Pink Pirouette ink.  I used glue dots under the balloons to anchor the silver cord.  I used the Washi Tape punch for "birthday" (from Celebrate Today).  Next was to layer the white card stock onto Pink Pirouette and then onto the Pool Party card.

What do you think?

Final Stamp Club cards for Feb.

These are the last two cards that we made at Stamp Club last week.

This one uses the Botanical Blooms bundle - DSP, stamp set and framelets - a pretty good deal I think.  The card on the left is one I received at Quarterly but sorry to say, don't know whose card it is. I made the card on the right switching out the flower center to Cajun Craze and using a sentiment from Trust God.  I love the sentiment!!

This next card proved to be a bit tricky - only because of the math involved!!  I had mistakenly put the wrong measurements in the directions for cutting white panels so we had to do some "figuring!" The correct measurement is 1 3/8" x 3".  The "For You" is from a Paper Pumpkin set.  I had hoped to put all the flowers on a large block and stamp them all at the same time but I could not get them close enough since they are the rubber backed stamps and not photopolymer.  So we just passed the stamps around the table.  I really like the Sale-a-bration stamp set.

February Hostess Code

February Hostess Code is 2TA3GQ7G

If you are placing an on-line order, please use the code!  Thanks!

Stamp Club Picture Perfect

This is another one of the cards we made at Stamp Club this week.  It was so easy but looks so good.

 

The circle is watercolor paper.  I just used my Aqua Painter and ink that I squeezed into the lid.  I painted the bottom with Sahara Sand which I then stamped Gorgeous Grunge lightly.  The top is painted with Soft Sky with Lost Lagoon painted across the horizon.  The secret is not to think about it - just load your Aqua Brush with water and ink and swish it across the paper.  The rope image is from Sea Street.  I curved the stamp on the acrylic block.  Use Gorgeous Grunge all over the Vanilla card and glued a piece of burlap ribbon down one side.  On scrap vanilla card stock, I stamped the starfish from Picture Perfect (love this stamp!), cut it out and then went over it with Wink of Stella before adhering it to the circle with dimensionals.  The birds are done by hand (just make a check mark!)

 

While I was working on the cards, I was standing up to stamp and bent over my work table.  Sammie jumped up on my back and peered over my shoulder to make sure I was stamping straight!  I had my phone right beside me so was able to get a picture!

 

What a day!

How do you like the new blog header and background?  I didn't make this one.  Instead I got it from one of the free sites (Shabby Blog) and then just personalized it.  Inside the circles are parts of cards I cropped.  The middle one and the one on the right are from cards we will be making this month at Stamp Club.

I had a pretty scary morning.  I was supposed to play bridge in Mooresville this morning.  We had gotten just a bit of freezing rain in the early morning but it didn't look like anything to worry about. Sonny was a dear and started up my car when he went up to get the newspaper so it would be nice and toasty for me and so the ice would melt off the windows!  I left the house and headed out of the neighborhood.  I went really slow through the 2-3 really bad curves on Island Point just outside our neighborhood with no problem.  I picked up a little speed and was rounding another curve when my car started skidding on the black ice.  I skidded from one side of the road to the other until I finally landed in a field on the other side of the road with my car turned around and facing the road. Luckily, there were not any other cars around me.  After calming myself down, I pulled out of the field and into a parking lot that was just a couple of feet from me and called Sonny.  He got to me about 15 minutes later and checked out the car.  Luckily, no damage to it or to me!  He ended up following me up to Hwy 150 where more cars had been traveling on the road and it wasn't so treacherous.  When I finally arrived at bridge, it started sleeting again and the girls who were waiting for me decided not to play but to get in their cars and head home!  I did the same - much slower this time!!  It never got above freezing today but there is a warm up coming tomorrow!  Can't wait!!  I hate to see what our electric bill is going to be this month.



Tomorrow is stamp club.  Here is one of the cards we will be making using the Large Number framelits and Number of Years stamp set.  This is a good set to have!  I am going to let each one pick which card they want to make.