Read a Good Book

Isn't she cute?  I bought this stamp at a stamp store in Lewisville last month on my way to Quarterly.  She reminds me so much of my daughter when she was little ... and now!  Ashley loves to read and can sit down & finish a book in record time.  She is the fastest reader I know.  When she was little, she had her head in a book 80% of the time.  I watercolored the image using Tombow Markers and my Aqua Pen.  I just love to watercolor that way!! 

Have you read any good books this summer?  I have been reading some books by Sheryl Woods.  They are just "feel good" books and a light read.  I don't usually like to read "heavy" books.  My mom listens to book on tape since she is legally blind - she has a degenerative eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa.  When we were at Ashley's, she was listening to a new book by Ann Ross.  It was one of a series of Miss Julia books.  I got so tickled at her - she was just laughing throughout the book.  She said it was about a bunch of 60-70 year old people, set in the south and their adventures - kinda like Aunt Bee on Andy Griffith!  I may have to get one of these books and read it.    One of the best series of books I have read is by Joan Medlicott - The Ladies of Covington.  They are really good.  When the series ended, I felt like I had lost my best friends!

Meander Book

What a crazy name for a book ... a meander book!  It gets it's name from the way the paper is cut and folded to make the pages.  Anyway, it is a fun little book to create.  And all you need is ONE sheet of Designer Paper, a couple of chipboard coasters and whatever scraps you want to use for embellishments.  I used some paper I had left over from a scrapbook kit by SEI that coordinated well so that is what I used.  This is a great little brag book for new mom's or grandmom's, for recipes, pictures, favorite quotes ... whatever you want.  I haven't decided yet what I will do with mine but I want to do another one now if was so fun!

This is the front of the book.  I made one of those crumpled up flowers using Sizzix Flower Layers die.  The leaves are from the Island Floral die in the Summer Mini Catalog.

This is my first page.  Each page has a tag tucked in it.

You can see the tags sticking out the side and top of the book. 

I got the directions for this little book on Splitcoast Stampers.  Beate wrote the tutorial and there is also a video tutorial.  Here is the link.  Check it out and make one for yourself!

My Baggie of Water plus a Monday Mailer

My re-organization is coming together!  I did the craziest thing though!  I have a wooden dowel that Sonny made for me that fits onto an old wrought iron paper towel holder and it holds some ribbon.  Well, I had pulled it about halfway out so I could get a roll of ribbon that was in the middle (isn't that always the case?)  when a fly landed on my arm.  I slapped at the fly and my hand came down snapping the dowel in two.  BUT ... I got the fly!!  Guess I'm going to have to put a baggie of water over my craft room door.  Don't laugh!  I'm one of those people who believe that a baggie of water over your outside door will keep the flies from entering your house.  I have hung those water baggies in our Texas house, our Washington house and my home here in NC and I don't have flies in my house (except the one yesterday - I do believe he came through the upstairs screen window!)  When I was at Ashley's house last month, I hung the water baggie over her back door.  She just rolled her eyes at me.  When I was first told about this, I did the eye rolling too, but I have come to be a believer.  The girl that told me about it said that when they went camping, they would hang the baggies in the trees around the perimeter of their campsite.  Don't know about that, but it works for me here at home.  I've always believed that it's something about their eyes reflecting in the water.  But you can decide for yourself and read this article HERE.

I tackled some shelves today in my organizing that I really didn't want to ... I was afraid of what I would find!  But now I have 2 baskets of finished goodies, a basket of kits I have bought & not even opened yet and another basket of kits I have started at various events but never finished.  So, that is what I will start working on - see how many I can get done!  My Newcomer's group is having a hand-made bazaar in the fall and letting those of us who make things sell our items at a coffee.  I hope to make a little Christmas money by selling a few things. 

Wednesday my stamp club is meeting and they want to make some fabric flowers.  I spent about an hour tonight cutting out some different sizes of flowers with the Big Shot.  I will give them a chance to cut their own if they want, but thought it would help move things along if I did some of the cutting.  I can't wait to see the flowers they make!  I'm also going to be teaching the Garden Club to make the flowers in August - we just have to find a location. 

Here is my Monday Mailer for this week.  I mailed it today to Tina.  Hope she likes it!

I used the Tropical DSP from the Summer Mini and the retiring Owl Together stamp.  I haven't used this stamp set enough!  But, it's one I will hang on to - I like owls.  I used my bow maker to tie the orange bow!  I think this qualifies for a masculine card.  What say you?

Strawberry Fluff

Hope the father in your home had a great day yesterday!  I let Sonny do nothing all day & that's what he did!  I made lunch for him and took him out to dinner.  Well, actually my mom & sister paid for his dinner!  He chose to go to his favorite Asian restaurant and we all had coupons so it was a pretty good deal.  Ashley called him this afternoon to wish him a Happy Father's Day.  She is pretty bored at her training in Ft Polk.  This training is mainly for the soldiers and she is doing a lot of just hanging out.  She is not the type of gal to not have anything to do so I know she will be glad when this is over.

I have a Weight Watcher recipe to share with you.  It's pretty good for these hot summer days.

Strawberry-Pineapple Fluff  -  Makes 6 servings (1/2 cup) at 2 Points

1 small pkg. sugar free vanilla cook "n serve puddingw
1 small pkg. sugar free straberry gelatin
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in its own juice, undrained
1 cup water
2 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries
1/4 cup light whipped topping
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

In large saucepan, combine dry pudding mix, dry gelatin, undrained pineapple, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until mixture thickens and starts to boil. Remove from heat, stir in frozen strawberries. Place pan on a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Whip mixture, using an electric mixer on High, until mixture is fluffy. Stir in whipped topping and marshmallows. Spoon into serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 10 minutes. Gently stir again just before serving.

And here's the card that (should) go with the recipe!

Doesn't that look yummy? I CASE'd this card.  This will be one of the club cards this month.  I used some Kiwi Kiss ribbon (still love that color & wish it had made it back!).  The little tag is punched with the Tiny Tag that is in the last mini catalog but it is still available for purchase.

A Place for Everything & Everything in It's Place!

I've been in another organization mood ... well, I have to since my SU stamps have outgrown their shelves! I am moving them over to another set of shelves that have a bunch of stuff on them already. So, I'm finding new homes for the stuff on those shelves. I'm going slow - just doing a little bit a day because it's been so hot. Right now, I can barely walk through my room for the mess. I hope by the end of the weekend I'll find a place for everything and put everything in that place. But I did find a little room on my desk this evening to make this card!

Here's the "deets" on the creation:  I used my Nesties to cut out a white circle and a Marina Mist (love this color!) circle.  I made a mask with the hydranga stamp and stamped the French Script background in Crumb Cake on the white circle (I have a retired French Script but there is also one in the catty on pg 134).  Then I inked the hydranga (from a Sneak Peek stamp, Because I Care) with Marina Mist and Old Olive and stamped it on the circle.  I sponged Crumb Cake (loving this color too!) on the circle.  I stamped "because I care" in Crumb Cake on white & punched it out with the oval punch & backed it with an oval of Marina Mist.  I sponged a little Crumb Cake on the oval before I coated it with Diamond Glaze.  I used an oval from my Hodgepodge Hardware - cut in half! - and using Diamond Glaze as glue, I adhered it to the back of the oval.  I tied a little bit of hemp on either side & frayed it.  Looking at the card now, I think I will add a little glitter to the centers of the flowers - just a tiny bit!

You may also have noticed the changes on my blog design.  I'm still playing around.  Yesterday I downloaded a design from another website & it didn't work out.  In fact, it made a mess of my blog and I spent a couple of hours trying to restore some things.  This design is from Blogger.  They have recently updated their templates so they are more up to date.  This one is pretty plain but I will be playing around with it again tomorrow since I canceled the class I was supposed to do at Stampers Alley. 

We went out on the boat this afternoon. I think today was the 6th straight 90 degree day. I hate to think what July and August are going to be like!! I ended up in the water most of the time - just too hot to lay on the boat and read like I usually do. Looking at the forecast, it is going to stay in the 90s for next week too.  At least it cools down at night - unlike Texas!  I've about decided I'm getting too old to take this much heat. 

STAY COOL!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

BLOG IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION TODAY!

New Goodies in the House!

There are new goodies in the house!  I got the new catty today along with a couple of new stamp sets, and a bundle of the new color card stock and ink pads.  I've only had time to look through the catalog once but so far, I'm liking it!!  I'm sending one of the stamp sets back - I ordered the wrong Hostess sneak peek but tomorrow I'll be using the other stamp set (Because I Care) and I'll be sharing.

For now though, I made a card using Design Elements stencils that I got last week and just got around to opening them tonight!  I love them!  You get three stencils in the pack for $9.95 - very reasonable I think.  To see some of the other stencils, click HERE. 

Here's my card and my "how-to's" -

I temporarily taped the stencil to my Very Vanilla cardstock and sponged Crumb Cake (the old Kraft - now in an ink pad) over the fleur stencil.  Then without moving the stencil, I stamped some of the images from the Priceless stamp set over the fleur in Early Espresso (a very dark brown).  I dyed my taffeta white ribbon Early Espresso with a sponge dauber.  Then I stamped "wonderful" from Warm Words on the bottom.  I layered the Vanilla piece onto a piece of Early Espresso.  I stamped the swirl from Priceless on my Crumb Cake card.  I love it!!

July Monday Mailers

I got a call yesterday from my daughter.  She had arrived at Ft. Polk (Louisiana) safe and sound.  We all thought (as did she) that she would be roughing it out in the swamp land of Louisiana battling mosquitoes, but we were wrong.  Her group got assigned to barracks which are air-conditioned!  She is in the officer's quarter with 4 other women who are all a lower rank than she is.  She said 4-5 of the guys all told her they would get some lumber and build a partition for her privacy.  She assured them that she was ok and didn't need a partition!  While I was talking to her, someone came into her quarters and issued her a weapon ... but no magazine or ammo!  Luckily while we were in Texas, she went out with her Dad and his friend, Don, so they could teach her to shoot and she did real well.  She'd never shot a weapon before!  She never went through Basic Training when she joined the Army - it always conflicted with her Medical School classes so she's had to learn Army stuff as she's gone along.  She found out more details about her deployment - she won't be going to Ft. Hood until Aug. 25 and will be leaving for Iraq early in September.  She will be going to  Mosul.  She said most of the soldiers are disappointed that they will not be on the frontlines of the action.  Not me!!  I'm quite pleased with safety if such a thing is possible with a country at war.  When my son was over there 5 years ago, he worked in one of Hussain's palaces!

Another month of Monday Mailers.  Seems like I'm not the only one who struggles with making masculine cards.  I asked the gals what they wanted the theme to be for July and I got a couple of requests for masculine cards.  When I was at Ashley's, my supplies were limited.  She has this "Cheer to You" stamp set that I don't have so I made my card with it.  I wanted to make the beer foam with a white gel pen, but she didn't have one.  I even went to Michael's and JoAnns in search of one but with no luck.  So ... I stamped the foam onto white cardstock and cut it out.  There's more than one way to skin a cat!!  I used Brillant Blue, Creamy Caramel and More Mustard.  This was my card for the first week of July.

So, this weekend when I wasn't feeling so good, I managed to made this card.  It's pretty simple and uses BoHo Backgrounds which will be retiring in a couple of weeks.  I used Bordering Blue with Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa on this one with a brown Jumbo Brad.

This is the card I received last week from my MM partner, Danielle.  These colors are great!  She used the Butterfly Punch making it easy!!

Card Challenge 411

Sorry my posting has been sporatic.  Ever since I returned from Texas, I just have not felt good - allergies, vertigo ...!  I don't know how I lived in Texas for 22 years.  Of course, I had constant sinus drainage the whole time we were there and just thought that was normal.  And, every year, like clock work, I had sinus infections in February and October.  Since Ashley moved back there, we have visited her twice and I have come home sick both times.  Saturday, I was feeling good and thought I was on the road to recovery.  Yesterday, Sonny  & I went over to Concord Mills and then to Ben Franklin.  By the time I got home, I was so nauseous -  I crashed on the couch for a few hours and had saltines and butter for dinner!  Guess that was better than Sonny's dinner of ice cream & nuts!  Today I felt better so I took my decongestant and went to play bridge but I am dragging now. 

I did have a little time this weekend to make a card just for fun!  I did it for the Stamping 411 challenge.  I had seen this really cute flower and wanted to give it a try.  Here's the link to making the flower if you want to give it a try. 

This is the sketch I had to follow:

This is my card:

I used the designer paper from the Summer Mini, Island Oasis.  The piece of paper on the top actually has a white background but I sponged Rose Red over it (see sample below).  The flower is made with Rose Red cardstock; the leaves are from the Island Floral Die from the Summer Mini in Old Olive (I creased them down the middle and sponged them).

Here is a close up view of the DSP:

See, you can alter your paper any way you want it!

Well, Ashley left today for Fort Polk in Louisiana for her training for Iraq deployment.  She will be there for 2 weeks "roughin it".  I can't even imagine how hot and muggy it will be and I figure the mosquitoes will carry her away!  She'll be here late in July for a visit with us before leaving for Fort Hood in August and Iraq in September. 

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Whew, it's been hot the past few days!  When I got home yesterday after playing mahjong, Sonny was down at the boat chillin' (if that's possible when it's 90 degrees!)  I joined him about 4 pm with the hopes of the heat dying down some.  We rode around a little and then threw the anchor and he read his book while I napped.  The only problem was, I kept waking myself up with my snoring!  I'm still congested and was laying on my back ... otherwise, I don't think that I snore!!  We went to a restaurant on the lake - catfish for Sonny & BBQ for me - yum! 

This morning, I did a card demonstration for a friend's church group.  My sister, Marianne, came along to help out.  We had 12 ladies and I think they really enjoyed making the simple cards.  I always enjoy teaching others what I love.  Here is the card we made:

They had their choice of stamps from Pun Fun and Fun & Fast Notes.  We didn't emboss their cards - I did this one when I got home.  Simple, but cute.

After that, I stopped at a local produce stand in Mooresville and got some fresh veggies.  Sonny & I had good tomato sandwiches for lunch.  I know it's summertime when I can eat a wonderful tomato sandwich.  I have some tomatoes planted in one of the Topsy Turvy Tomato Hangers and I actually have 3 good sized tomatoes on it!  We went out again later in the afternoon on the boat but this time, there was not a breeze to be found.  It was soooo humid!  We kept moving our location trying to find a breeze.  It was another night of no cooking for me!  We went to a place on the lake and got a "to go" wedge salad with blue cheese and ate it right in our boat!  

I'm probably going to stay in tomorrow and work on getting my stamp room in some kind of order.  It's just a mess right now.  I need to make room for the new stamp pads and paper that I'll be getting next week along with a couple of stamps from the new catty.  I should also get a copy of the new catalog with the order too.  Can't wait!!

I've had a few people inquire about the designer paper I printed off My Digital Studio in THIS post.  If you don't have MDS (you really should get it!!) but want to print off the papers, you can do it with whatever design program you have - like Kodak, Photoshop, Corel, etc.  You just need to download the papers as a .jpeg file and download them into your program.  It's really easy and the downloads are pretty inexpensive.   Click HERE and look under Digital Crafting.