Painted Blooms

I'm writing this on Sunday - before the Super Bowl - so can't comment on the winner.  Just hoping for Seattle to pull out a win!

I have not felt good all weekend.  Hoping it is nothing but maybe a cold.  I started out on Friday just feeling achy with a bit of a cough.  But after taking an Aleve and laying on the couch for a couple of hours, I was ok.  The same thing on Saturday and Sunday.  My cough is in my chest and I can hear some rumblings in my chest but no fever or other symptoms.  I was wondering if I could have pneumonia but Ashley doesn't think so.  I'm going to wait it out.  If I still feel bad on Monday, I'll be calling the doctor to get checked out.  I'm scheduled to get a massage on Monday afternoon - so hopefully, I'll be ok for that!

I  made a bunch of cards this week - in the afternoon when I was feeling better!  I also worked a lot of my New Zealand scrapbook.  I only have one more city to scrap and after that, it will be just going back and adding embellishments here and there.  I think I'm up to about 38 pages though!!

This card was super easy to make!  I just cut a piece of the Painted Blooms Designer Paper and adhered it to the Blackberry Bliss card.  I just love this DSP and it's hard for me to cut into a piece!!  The sentiment is from a stamp set from Sale-a-Bration - Simply Wonderful.

Here are some other ideas using the Painted Blooms DSP:

 This next card uses the stamp set that coordinates with the DSP, Painted Petals (pg 19 Occasions).  The DSP in this card is from Sale-a-Bration - Irrestibly Yours.  I sponged it with Sahara Sand ink.  I used Rose Red for the card and flowers.  Again, the sentiment is from Simply Wonderful (pg 16, SAB).

Bokeh Technique

When I was in Spartanburg a couple of weeks ago, I made this card using the Bokeh Technique.  I watched a video on line so I would know what to do.  There are several You Tube videos - just search for You Tube Bokeh Technique and you'll find several.  They are all a little different so you just can figure out which one you like the best. Splitcoast Stampers also has a tutorial.

Bokeh is a technique that's been around in photography circles for years and is starting to pop up in card making I've noticed.  By definition, bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image.  Not so sure that's what it is for card making but ....

Here's a sample of the bokeh technique in photography:

The way I did my card is:

• Use Painters Tape all along the edges of a piece of watercolor paper and taped it down to my work space.
• Use the Aqua Brush and brush water all over the watercolor paper.  Make sure it is completely wet - but not sopping.
• Pick up ink from the lid of the ink pad (or use reinkers) and lay down colors randomly.  (I used Coastal Cabana, Soft Sky and StrawberrySlush)
• Once you get the colors the way you want them, let it dry (or use the heat gun to speed it along)
• Carefully remove the painters tape.
• I punched 3 different size templates from Window Sheets (transparency) with circle punches (1", 3/4" and 1/2"). 
• Use daubers to "pounce" Whisper White ink in the circles or rub the ink in the circle templates onto the watercolor paper.  Move your template and keep adding circles of Whisper White ink.
• You can also use a pencil eraser for tiny circles.  I found I had to go over the circles I did with the template again once they dried.
• Let it dry (or zap it with the heat gun) and stamp your image.

For my card, I used the Butterfly Basics stamp set from the Occasions Catalog.  I punched the butterfly from the Irresistibly Yours DSP in Sale-a-Bration and sponged it with different colors.

MDS Monday Challenge

I have enjoyed not having to go anywhere for the past couple of days.  Tuesday I didn't even get dressed except to put on some soft warm lounging pj's.  I spent the day making a few cards and working on my New Zealand scrapbook on MDS.  Same thing for Wednesday except I did get dressed in sweats!  Don't you love days like that???  I remember when I quit working.  At the time, I was not involved in playing bridge, doing cards, etc.  I really don't know what I did during the day after quitting work - I think play computer games and read - but I do remember that I wore sweat pants and sweat shirts almost every day. Sonny called them my uniform.  I was sorta depressed at the time and missing my job but also enjoying the freedom of being able to do anything I wanted during the day.  That probably lasted about 3-4 months before I got a part time job and joined a few groups to do crafts, play bridge, go to coffee's, etc.  Now I wonder how I ever had time to work!!

Here is my take on the sketch for MDS Monday.

This week I dug into my pictures from our trip(s) to Hawaii several years ago.  I love the bright colors in this layout.  I used the kit Paradise Found.  Instead of the flag banner that is in the sketch, I decided to create my own lei across the page.  I used an alphabet punch for "Hawaii" and paper filled it with the same paper that I used for the background - just using different shades of the orange and yellow at the top of the page.

I hope you will take the time to check out the pages the MDS Monday Design Team made.

Here is the sketch that Cindy challenged us with:




And here is what is included in the Paradise Found kit:

You Brighten My Day for Paper Craft Crew Challenge

Since it's Wednesday, I'm over on the Paper Craft Crew Blog for their weekly challenge.

Can you believe I actually made a real card for the challenge this week???  I didn't use My Digital Studio - shocker!!

The card base is Coastal Cabana (what am I going to do when that color retires??)  I paper pierced little holes all around the Whisper White card stock.  On a scrap of white, I stamped several hearts from the You Brighten My Day stamp set (Sale-a-Bration set) in Coastal Cabana and Real Red and punched them out.  I used the Circles Framelits to cut the red and white circles.  I tied the Coastal Cabana twine and a bit of the Gold Bakers Twine around the card.  I used the Little Letters Framelits to cut "YOU" out of Real Red Glitter paper and popped them up with dimensionals.  The finishing touch is the gold and pink sequins on the card.

Here is the sketch for the week:

I hope that you enjoyed my Design Team card for this week's Paper Craft Crew sketch challenge. Take a minute to go over to the blog and check out the other designers projects and enter yours in the gallery.  Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today!  Enjoy your Wednesday!!   I hope to be talking to Ashley later in the day to find out how her vacation on her Rock Boat Cruise went.  They left on Saturday and arrive back in Ft. Lauderdale later today.  I know she had a blast!

Hello Love Baby Card

Time for Tuesday Weekly Deals!  If you enjoy using embossing folder, this is the week for you!!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

I want to share with you a baby card I made.  My daughter-in-law's oldest daughter is pregnant and will be welcoming her own little bundle in May so I made this cute card for her.

This uses a hostess only stamp set - Hello Love.  I used Pink Pirouette and Naturals White along with a little Strawberry Slush.  Cute, huh?  Hope she likes it.

Celebrate Today Bundle Plus MDS Challenge Winner

Wow!  I just checked on MDS Monday and my fall picture was chosen this week.  I am honored.

Here are a few more cards that I made last weekend on our Girls Weekend:

This one uses the bundle found on page 11 on the Occasions Catalog - Celebrate Today.  The DSP is found on page 12 - Birthday Bash.  I decided to cut the DSP a little different for this card.  I used Candy Dots next to the "birthday" tag.  I forget to use those Candy Dots!!

This card also uses the Celebrate Today Bundle.  I decided to make a shaker card for this one.  The DSP behind the shaker is from the Irresistibly Yours DSP in the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  I used the dauber and sponged the paper with Pink Pirouette.  The bow is made using the Build a Bow Punch and DSP from Sale-a-bration, Best Year Ever.

This last card uses a stamp set that you can earn when you are a hostess.  I don't usually order the hostess sets but I have ordered two of them this year!  This one is called Hello Love (pg. 239) and I think these birds are just so cute!  The other hostess set I have is a keeper - Bloom With Hope (pg 240).

I have been using the Ninja Blender that Ashley left with me to make all kinds of smoothies.  If you have any good recipes, please share with me.  I bought a lot of fruit and try different combinations every day.  This morning I mixed up Cranberry Juice, frozen banana chunks, frozen Mixed Berries, a little fresh ginger, a handful of carrots and some Vanilla Yogurt.  Sonny just shakes his head but it really was delicious!  I took advantage of the mangos when they were on sale last week and bought five, cut them up and froze them.  I usually throw a bit of kale in with my smoothie too.  Friday, I made some fresh salsa with jalepenos, fresh tomatoes and spices.  It was very good - even Sonny thought so!  So, tell me what you have tried - either making them at home or buying them at Jamba Juice!

Using Photos in Punches with MDS

I am playing around with My Digital Studio today.  I am determined to finish my New Zealand scrapbook in the next few months.  It's only been a year!!  I worked on the scrapbook a lot last spring but have neglected it since.  The problem is I have soooo many photos (plus Ashley's, Courtney's and Taffy's) and I want to include them all.  It's hard for me to select just a few.

In the meantime, I thought I'd do this page for MDS Monday before the deadline.  I actually couldn't decide which one I liked best so I did two pages!  They both are meant to go on the front of a 2015 calendar.  Wish I'd thought to use it on Ashley's calendar this year, but I will remember it for next year!

The challenge this week is to use pictures in punches.

The pictures above were taken last fall when we returned from New York.  We walked around this beautiful fall area at Ft. Belvoir.  Funny what is hidden on Army posts!!  I used the Timeless Junior Numbers Punches for "2015" and a square punch for the background, lowering the opacity to about 50.

This is probably my favorite!  It is similar to the cover for Ashley's calendar except I didn't think about adding pictures to my punches at the time!  This picture is from Lake Tekapo in New Zealand.

There are some great ideas for photos in punches on MDS Monday's blog.  Make sure to check them out here.

Indescribable Gift with Banner Blessings

I am having a busy week so far.  Monday I played bridge and from there went to see the chiropractor and later that evening we met friends for dinner in Cornelius for Queens Feast.  We went to Alton's Restaurant and it was delicious!!  Tuesday I had Stamp Club at my house.  I had a friend that came and made the projects with her.  I am hoping she decides to join us.  Today I played Mahjong and came home and unpacked my supplies from Club and tried to catch up on TV shows that I had taped (I am really behind!!)

These are a couple of the cards I made this weekend.  I used a stamp set from the Occasions Catalog, Indescribable Gift (pg 35).  I used Blendabilities on both cards.

The Happy Birthday sentiment is from Butterfly Basics (Occasions pg 26)

SHINE sentiment is from a Photopolymer set (Banner Blessings) that is not in any of the catalogs but I really love it!

BANNER BLESSINGS - $15.95

Weekly Deals

I am busy getting things ready for Stamp Club today.  I will be posting our cards soon.  In the meantime, I wanted to let you know what the weekly deals are:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

The Workshop Code for this month is:  HX9XBUWS

Please use it if you place an on-line order

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Girls Weekend

What a fun weekend!  Marianne and I set out Friday after my chiropractic visit a little after noon for Spartanburg and our Girls Scrappin' Weekend.  When we got to Spartanburg, our first stop had to be for lunch at Wades Family Restaurant.  Just as good as we both remembered!  In fact, we stopped again on our way out of town on Sunday and had to wait in line both times.  Sunday the line was out the door and into the parking lot!

If you are ever near Spartanburg, you need to make sure you take time to stop at Wades to eat!   Here are some facts that I found funny -

Each year, they prepare:

• Nearly 150,000 lbs of chicken (most fried chicken:  52,000 lbs of chicken breasts, 28,000 lbs of legs, 11,500 lbs of wings and 1800 lbs of thighs)
• 98,000 lbs of turkey for Turkey and Dressing
• 96,500 lbs. of fresh potatoes for creamed potatoes and potato salad
• 170,000 lbs of green beans and 108,900 lbs of sweet potatoes 

We stayed in a really nice house with lots of land around it for our cropping weekend.  Marianne's neighbor, Debbie, and her friends had won the weekend last year.  There were about 20 gals there.  We couldn't imagine how it would all work but there were 5 bedrooms with at least 2 double beds in each.   The larger rooms had four bed in them so there was plenty of sleeping space.  Most of the furniture (in the den, dining room, etc.) had been removed and there were crafting tables - long ones so everyone had their own table.

This was the area right off the kitchen and I imagine where the dining room should be.  There were two more rooms just like the one above.

Marianne and I were in this room with our tables in the foyer and butted right up to the front door!

And believe me, there was no worry about going hungry.  Several of the gals took turns preparing all the meals.  We had chili, taco salad, BBQ, chicken spaghetti, breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls ..... and more snacks than we could ever eat!  I took my Angel Poop (corn puffs with white chocolate) and it was scooped up in record time!

This was just part of the snacks on the snack table!

I actually got a lot done.  I had a couple of kits that I had started a couple of years ago that I finished.  And I put together Stampin' Up's Perpetual Calendar Kit that is in the Occasion Catalog.  Plus when I finished all that, I made 5 or 6 cards.

When we left on Sunday, we drove down to Greenville.  I've told Marianne several times what a good job Greenville has done on their downtown area and she wanted to see it.  We parked and walked around a bit.  We really needed that walking since we'd sat on our butts all weekend!  When we left, we stopped for lunch and then drove on home.  Of course, we passed the "Peach Butt" (Peachoid water tower) right outside of Gaffney.  There had been quite a discussion of the Water Town among us gals who had spotted it on our drive to Spartanburg.  Evidently, they are doing a repair job on it and have a big plastic cover on the top.  Everyone had an idea what that plastic cover represented from a shower cap, diaper and condom!!  What do you think?

This is what it usually look like: