Sunday, September 30, 2012

PDCC151

We've had a beautiful fall day here in Southeastern Wisconsin. One of the last, I'm sure, before the cold and snow hit.  After church, I met up with my wonderful niece, Jackie, (shout out here Jack-ay) and we went to the Scrapbook Expo in Milwaukee.  Found a few things...mostly inks, but two Memory Box dies that I can't wait to put to good use! Then we made a quick stop at My Paper Playground, just for fun, and naturally, I found a few, teensy items there too! (Imagine that!!)  After getting home and fooling around for a few, I hit the scrapbook room and made this card.  Wanted to play in the Play Date Cafe #151, and these leaf stickers seemed to be just the ticket.  I should add that the stickers are just the gold outsides of the leaves, stuck onto cardstock, then fussy cut. So here 'tis:


Stampin' Up Ivory Cardstock, leaf stickers by Elizabeth Craft Designs, Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler sentiment, scraps of wine, pumpkin, and green cardstock (yay!), and SU ink. Lighting today was tough, but finally, I got it! Happy dances everyone!



Thursday, September 27, 2012

Something different today

Well, I guess my card making mojo still isn't quite where I want it to be. So, today instead of making cards, I thought I'd actually work on the book that should have been done last month. I'm trying to make books for all the little grandkids around their 2nd birthday. They are fairly simple; easy to read, easily recognizable photos, bright colors, fun themes, favorite characters... well, you get the idea. The ones I've made and given so far are well loved by the kids and the parents appreciate them too.  Once I get all the little grandkid's books made, then I'll do the last three of my kids books, then I'll start on the older grandkids books. That should keep me busy for a while ; )

Have been texting with my very awesome and wonderful niece, Jackie.  Tomorrow there is a Scrapbook Expo in Milwaukee (stamping stuff too), and we've got a date to go! Am very excited to hang with her. She and my sister (her mother-in-law) surprised me for my birthday, and I'm still tickled about that! Should be fun.
For today though, something different:


For this page, I used LYB rub-ons, OA Rock Candy patterned papers, a scrap of navy cardstock, SU cardstock for the background, and Jillibean Soup Newberg Navy Alphabeans. And naturally, my little buddy is the cutest thing on the page.  BTW, he broke his arm on Friday -- bet he's the hit of his 1st grade class with his cast on! Happy Dances everyone!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Baby Boy

Gorgeous fall morning. Ever since Sunday, I thought I'd lost my card making mojo...just couldn't make anything work. So Monday, I cleaned out my paper scraps, bought two new (rather large) containers at T.J. Maxx, and filled them with all my scraps. Then I vowed to use as many scraps as possible rather than cut new paper. And my mojo came back. It's good to create -- it sends me into my happy dancing mode.

But I have a confession to make.I am a paperaholic. There. I've said it. It is true. I absolutely love paper. I buy it every chance I get, and some paper lines, I hoard. You know exactly what I mean -- saving it for only those very, ultra, special pages or cards. Well, I've decided to let the hoards (plural...) rest until I use up most of the scraps in the boxes. At least that's my plan. We'll see how it goes.

For today, I've decided to enter the following into two challenges, the Freshly Made Sketches #54, and CASology #12.  The cue card at CASology was "shoe". I didn't have a shoe stamp, so I had to come up with something different. Loved the sketch at FMS this week too. Pretty sure it turned out well for both.


Bazzill white cardstock for the card base. All scraps for the rest of the card (yay!!). MAMBI sticker, Stampin' Up ink and sentiment. So easy, and in my world, so cute! Happy Dances everyone.


Sunday, September 23, 2012

PPA#143 & RIC#20

Sunday afternoon already.  Went to church this morning and taught Sunday school to the "middle" age group instead of my own class.  It was fun, for a change, to teach a bit older group who has some comprehension, but I still love introducing the littlest ones to the Bible.  Have so much to get done again this coming week--how does that happen?!! Just when I think I can begin to catch up on household stuff, the days begin filling.  Of course, maybe if I wouldn't volunteer to do those extra things (like making dresses for orphanage children in Haiti, but I just couldn't say no, and you know you wouldn't have either) I would have more time to do those things that need to get done around here.  As I blogged before, "I need a wife."  Somehow, it will mostly get done...

I do have a card that I want to share, and drop into PPA#143, and RIC#20. Am trying to get ahead a little on the upcoming birthdays...Reminds me of the 1980s...fer sure...totally...(sorry)


The 5x5 card base is Bazzill, the purple, turquoise, and gray are scraps (yea!), gray and black washi tape, the yellow bling is from Basic Gray, ink is SU, and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Birthday Basics set.  (I must be in a circle mode - see the last post) Happy dances everyone.
P.S. check these out:

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Pretty Pink Posh




I've been thinking for the better part of the week, trying to come up with another card for one of my granddaughter's birthday. Jess will be home from UW for the weekend, and I have a card for her party, but wanted to make sure she got one in the mail at her dorm. I also wanted to play along at the 10 minute craft dash challenge. Check it out here:http://www.prettypinkposh.com/

Finally, it came together... All in 7 minutes. Super easy, and very cheerful.  I'm pretty sure that she will get a kick out of it when she finds it in her mailbox.

I used a Bazzill white cardstock base, stamped Happy Birthday using SU ink and the sentiment from SU's Crazy for Cupcakes set, then used Mrs. Grossman's Sheer Color transparent stickers. That's it...
                                Happy Dances Everyone!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Blue Plate Special...

First, let me apologize.  I love seeing all the wonderful and beautiful cards so elegantly crafted over at Freshly Made Sketches. I also like to play along.
 I must confess, though, that the only (and I mean the only) thing that came to my mind was, bacon and eggs. I tried for several days to shake that image, to come up with something comparable to what the others had made, but bacon and eggs wouldn't leave me alone. So I thought, I'll try to "make" bacon, and since that won't work, maybe the whole idea will go away! So I sat down with my SU inks, copic markers, paper and scissors. Wouldn't you just know...first try with everything -- colors, inking, cutting--absolutely worked. Dang. And I knew that on my Just Because Cards Cricut cartridge there was an egg. Dang again!  So I cut the darn egg out. I then thought, hey, it will probably look like total yuck, so maybe NOW I can get this off my brain.  That didn't work either. The pieces sat there calling me, asking me for a blue plate. They sat there for two days. I tried to tell the bacon and eggs that the plate just wouldn't look right.  They said (and I'm quoting here) "make a square plate". I had no choice. Once put together, they said "you are going to submit us to Freshly Made Sketches #53, aren't you?" I tried to reason with them, to say they were unworthy, that they would be out of place with the other cards, but to no avail. They refused to leave me alone until they made it over there. So for this, I apologize. Blame it on the bacon and eggs. Be sure you stop over at Freshly Made Sketches #53 to see what the nice cards look like.   http://freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com/
Here's what they forced me to use:  Bazzill white and yellow cardstock, and random scraps of tan and blue.  SU Bravo Burgundy ink, and Copic E04 Lipstick Natural marker, Pea Hollee computer font, and for the yolk, a Sticko's Tiles Play circle epoxy sticker. Well, I hope they're happy now...
; )



Monday, September 17, 2012

Normal?

Trying to get back to normal (whatever that is...) after so much activity since Wednesday of last week.  It's five hours to my sisters houses in Rhinelander from here and I had tons of time to create in my head on the drive.  I do a lot of creating like that.  Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. Two of the designs worked out really well.  Look for one of those cards  Tuesday at CASology, as I'm guest designer for the week (yippee!!). Humbled and honored.  It's a really fun place to play!
And I found a new-to-me site to create and play...Embellish Blog.  The colors are brilliant, as are the required Stripes + Polka Dots. Check this site out, you won't be disappointed.  I hope to submit there again.

The white cardstock is Bazzill, the yellow & white polka dot paper is a random scrap, the ink is SU, black and gray washi tape, sun stamp is from Jenni Bowlin, and the flowers & sentiment are from Sudio G. Happy dances everyone. ; )

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

double fun!

Just a quick post today. Am getting ready to head north for my cousin Rosie's funeral. It will be difficult, but I look forward to an eternity in heaven where not only can I reconnect with her, but all the loved ones who have passed.
I wanted to make something cheerful, and this is what I created. It isn't what I started out making, but it's better than the picture in my head. I will drop this into CASology #10: sky, and also into Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge. I used PSS's sketch. Very cute sketch.



All paper is Bazzill. SU Stampin' Write markers. Making Memories Alpha Girl letters and asterisk. I used MFT's Fishtail Flags die. And the flowers and butterfly are from Paper Smooches Spring Groves set. All in all, I find that I quite like this.  Happy Dances everyone...

Saturday, September 8, 2012

PDCC148

So much to do so little time... Certainly not enough time today to stay holed up in my scrapbook room and make cards/pages.  I could use a "wife". You know, the kind of woman (so like many of us), who cleans and cooks, runs the errands, schedules appointments, the kind of woman who runs the day-to-day things. Having a "wife" would give me so much more time to do what I really want to do, rather than all those things that I have to do!  Not to be, so I will make the best of things.  One quick card today, and then it's all my chores and such.  I'm popping this one into the Play Date Cafe Challenge #148.


White Bazzill cardstock, SEI peach (base for butterfly). SU night of navy ink and all SU stamps.  Versamark watermark ink, and Ranger blue glass embossing powder on sentiment.  October Afternoon chipboard frame, seam binding ribbon and buttons.  Random cording through buttons.  Pretty sure my granddaughter will like this one.

Friday, September 7, 2012

2 challenge post

Friday.  Sometimes that is the sweetest sounding word I've ever heard.  Or should I say "herd"... Before I run up to church and get my Sunday School room ready for the first day, I wanted to create something.  This is what I came up with.  Want to link it to Repetition in the Moxie Fab World and Simon Says Stamp Challenge. I find it quite "amoosing".  I promise, no more cow puns.... ; )


All Bazzill cardstock. SU brad and black ink. Copic E00 for muzzles and udders. Random ribbon. The cow is e.i.e.i.o from My Cute Stamps and the sentiment is Barnyard Puns from Joys Life stamps. And yes, these cows are definitely happy dancin', yep, really hoofin' it! 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

cQc#153

So yesterday was my first day back to work (I'm an assistant archivist at my local museum), since the end of July, and it was great to be working with my friend Mary again, and doing the job I really love.  We've been friends since college, and Mary makes work fun. It will be "movie day" down in the Archives today; since it's closed to the public, we pop in a DVD, usually a good chick-flick, and work with the movie running in the background, stopping only to watch our favorite parts. It's a fun way to get tons of work done.
And I've got family birthdays yet to fill this month...Two more granddaughters.  Jess started her first year at UW and is (understandably) overwhelmed by the experience at present.  She will get into her routine and do just fine.  This card is for her; something soft and calming. I will play along with cQc #153 -- awesome colors.


All Bazzill cardstock. American Crafts twine. Hexagon shapes cut from Echo Park Everyday Eclectic. The brown and white patterned is from SU, as is the ink. Sentiment is from PTI's Birthday Basics set.  The top hexagon looks red in this photo, but it truly is a coral color. Go now, and do the happy dance.... ; )

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

CASology -- Family

It's the last day of my vacation, and I've decided to craft alllllllll day, except for a fast trip to the grocery store.  I love the CASology, and decided to whip up a quick card for the "Family" challenge.  Once in a while, my hunny husband needs a little pick-me-up, and this card fits that bill quite nicely -- as well as the challenge.



Bazzill red and white cardstock, Avocado Arts sentiment from Sweet Treat Sweetie set, SU black ink, woman & man wooden veneer figures from Studio Calico. Really like this one. Happy Dances everyone!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

cQc 152

Got back from Madison late this morning, and boy, was I glad to be travelling east.  Traffic going west into Madison lined that side of I-94 clear back to Milwaukee -- Badgers game today.  Then, rather than returning to cleaning the house, I decided to get a card done for our son-in-law's birthday.  Easy choice in my world!  Tomorrow is another day and I will probably do a bit of putting away and cleaning up.  Unless I decide to make thank you notes... ; )  Hmmmm.... Well, we'll see what happens after church.  Here's what I came up with for ColourQ #152:


White and green cardstock is SU, as is the ink.  Random scraps of  beige and gray.  Paper Smooches Spring Groves stamps.  And the patterned paper is October Afternoon's Ducks in a Row: Peek-a-Boo, and I used both sides.  Computer font Pea Emma.  It didn't photograph very well as the early evening here is quite overcast.  It turned out and I'm happy dancin'