A balmy night!!!

I am sitting here in front of an open window, enjoying the balmy breeze tonight. Can't get much better than this, unless it would be to get my ATCs done, and the half finished card for a new Flourishes stamp release. None of it is due till March sooooooooo I will sit in front of the open window and enjoy. Have a great night!

Photo Wallet sbs7 challange

I

I finally found time to make a photo wallet.

It is this weeks (and last weeks) challenge with the sbs7 group.
Our only criteria is the technique, the rest is up to us.
I found this challenge easier than the last one. I work better visually, so good pictures along with written instructions work best. SCS has some fantastic tutorials, that is the place I go for help.
All stamps are from Flourishes: Love Nest and Flourished Elements. Sentiment from Fantasy Gardens.
Paper is: prism and SU
Ink: SU
Add a ribbon, metal tag, and fibers.

Screaming!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am ready to scream and pull out my hair, I have been trying and having a neighbor try to help me set up my e-mail through outlook express on my laptop. So far no luck and I have a feeling I can no longer get into it on my dh computer. I'm afraid to look, so I may not get any messages to of from anyone for awhile.
Wish me luck!

Theres snow escape.....

It is not often I have an opportunity to "design" a page using snow pictures. A couple of my grandchildren had never seen snow, they had the chance at Christmas when they cut their own tree.

I had help with this design, I cased a page from the close to my heart idea book for spring. No they didn't have any winter pages in that book, I changed that part.

I distressed the edges of all the matting. It does not show very well in this picture, I had to use the edge of an exacto knife, that worked pretty well.

I used basic greys dasher with a little red from su. I inked the edges of all the photo mats. The lettering and snowflakes are sizzix, ribbon is may arts scalloped edge brown. The brads are from my stash. I finally found a use for the green tree eyelets.

Dream Mice

Several of my sisters in SBS 7 are fond of house mice, and so am I. I bought some stamps years ago, used them a few times then they sat on a shelf. Seeing cards made using these guys put me in the mood to break out the stamps again, and to prove to my dh that just because a stamp is not used often does not mean it is not needed.
I used a card sketch that is one of my favorites, I made a Christmas card using the heart nestabilities.
The finished card measures 5x5.5 and opens from the side. The larges heart was not quite big enough to get the whole design in which required me to stamp and cut one of the butterflies to layer on the top. I saw that I had not added the "kite string" after loading the photograph, that was rectified immediately.
Materials used:
SU paper: vintage violet, so saffron, crisp cranberry with a touch of always artichoke.
Stamps: House Mice when they were produced by Stampa Rosa inc. and a little bug from the retired Bugs and Slugs by su. It was clear embossed on saffron panel.
Ink: SU and copic with a little gel pen glitter on the butterflies.
Ribbon: SU
Die cuts: Spellbinders heart nestabilities.

Spring Flowers

Thursday nights, once a month is SU and stamping night. All of the participants are (I was going to say vintage stampers but thought better of it) experienced stampers. That has worked to our advantage as we take turns being the hostess and share/teach a technique. This month Sherri Vaughn showed us a folding technique she and a friend came up with.
Sherri said that one night they started folding paper using the small su tag punch. The first card is the one she demonstrated. The images are close to my heart, tag punch is SU. Paper, ribbon and button are from various sources.
Sherri also told us that by using different folds we could come up with varied looks. Using basic greys new two scoops paper I made a birthday card.
All images are from Flourshesllc. The card is simple to make once you get the folding technique down. If anyone is interested in the fold leave me a comment and I will made a tutorial.

Happy Birthday to Sharon J.

I mailed two birthday card this year, (I make cards and don't mail them) this is the second of the two. I had fun making this one, (some cards aren't always fun).
I can't remember where I got the inspiration for it, as my mother would say "I've slept since then". I don't even remember what this fold is called.
I guess I should have written all this down before I sent the card. I cut the circles with nestabilities, stamped with sweet treats. The square is dry embossed using a cuttle bug folder and colored with marvy opaque stix for dark paper.

I used stampin up color site to help with the color combination. If I remember (ugh, this is getting hard) right it is morning marigold, ruby red, sky blue. I do remember the stamp sets I used LOL,

Sweet treats, open to love from Flourishes.

I stamped direct to rubber the bird and the vase of flowers, that way I inked only the vase , leaves and stem. I used a bon bon stamp from sweet treats for the Flowers, after adding a little green at the base they look like roses. With clear stamps it is very easy to add or change the image you do not want. You don't have to guess when the placement is.

I masked the vase then using direct to rubber stamped the bottom tier only of the cake stand. Using a technique I had seen I colored the cake stand (now a table) and drew lines to resemble wood.

Happy Birthday Sharon J.

Flourishes!

We are thrilled to become a member of the SCS community today. Go over and check us out and join the in on the forum.

Click here.

It's Carnavale Time

I kind of cased a card from notimetostamp. Now how do you kind of case a card? The layout is similar, of course I used the same stamp set she did, just different elements. All stamps are from Flourishes new set Mardi Gras.
I used more traditional colors than the card before, (purple, gold, green).
I started with a white panel, brayered it with summer sun, the feathers on the background are stamped off once then applied with summer sun also.
The "white" mask is embossed with silver platinum, dazzling diamonds are applied with stamping dimensionals.
I cut out the white mask and stamped the headdress after mask was glued to panel, The streamers are embossed with green tinsel, gold tinsel on headdress. The feather on the male mask it eggplant with glitter gel pen.
The more I worked on this card the more carried away I got with rhinestones, beads, and 1.5 inch wide satin ribbon.
The card is summer sun with a vellum overlay, stamped with white stazon.
This is one of the harder cards I made, mostly because I did not have a definite plan in mind when I started.
I will get notimetostamp link when I have another break at work, time to go. Thanks for looking

Laissiez Le Bon Temps Rouler!

Why does your mojo always come back on busy days????? I know why, because my brain works too fast when I have projects pending. And this stamp set was just released yesterday at Flourishes and Mardi Gras is in full swing along the Gulf Coast.
I used non-traditional colors for the card, su web site helped. I plugged in a color I don't use very often, night of navy, then told the site to search for coordinating colors. I chose a combination that had only three colors in it night of navy, rose red, certainly celery. Then I picked the pattern paper, bg pheobe. I knew I wanted to use the kick stand style that is on scs challenge this week. I did not try to follow the "rule" for the challenge, I just liked the sketch.
While making the card I found I could use another color, I checked the su site again and searched what color would go with the three I had chosen, chocolate chip it is.
I used a half sheet of 8.5x11, I folded at 3 5/8. Finished card measures 5.5x4 3/4.
1. The ccchip panel measures 5 1/4 x 3 5/8.
2. pattern paper is5 1/8 x 3 1/2
3. ccelery is 4 1/4 x 3 1/4. Dry embossing done with a cuttle bug "bubbles".
4. ccchip 3 7/8 x 2 3/4
5. pattern paper 3 3/4 x 2 5/8
6. ppink 3 5/8 x 2 1/2
stamp set used is : Mardi Gras
The brown ribbon is may arts scalloped brown. I used it mostly because it fell out of the ribbon drawer onto the floor.
7. sentiment line is cut 3 3/8 x 7/8 chip, 3 5/16 x 1/2 celery and popped with dimensionals.
"Let the good times roll"!

I've been tagged

1. I feel guilty not forwarding "chain letter" e-mails but I refuse to participate.
2. I love sleeping in a cold bedroom. Hard to achieve in Florida.
3. I Like quiet! I very seldom have a tv or music on.
4. I hate snakes but like rats (the lab kind). My boys kept rats, then my grandkids had some. None of us have any now.
5. I live close to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world but have very seldom gone out there.
6. I would like to be able to dance, and look good doing it!
7. Love winter, its easier to keep the rooms cooler.

Michelle tagged me, I don't have anyone left to tag.

I got excited

My e-mail address is sld3@cox.net

The wait is over, the WINNER is......

I feel so humbled by all of the responses I have received and bad that I have only one "candy" to send .

I can see that we are going to have a banner year with all stamping, crafting, quilting, scrapbooking, being done in those organized work spaces. Creations by thinner, healthier people that our family & friends love to be around because we are such nice, nice people! With, I pray, a few expecting babies. See I did read them all.

From around the world the comments showed how much we all have in common and what a small world we live in.

I, Thank You all for participating.

The winner is m. e. green.

Please e-mail me your home address and I will send out your package.

Thank you all again.

Been a long week

This has been my first full week at work since December 20, I'm tired at night, and I lost my mojo after finishing a card I made Sunday. I Mailed two birthday cards on Monday (a first for me, a good start to not hoarding cards I make) now I should wait to post one of the cards until after the recipient receives it.
I have been to tired and brain dead to begin designing a new card. I have finished a book and almost done with the second book, but you can't post pictures about a book, I suppose you could but this is not about a book review. I need to get my mojo back!
Oh well it will come all in good time, now I have to get though Thursday. A lady I have worked with for over 25 years is retiring. I have been avoiding thinking about her not being there or I start to cry. She has already moved away from the area and commutes. I don't know how I will say Good-by tomorrow.

SBS 7 Challange

Why should anything on this card easy???? I lost my connection so the first try did not go though. This has not been an easy challenge for me, I cussed it (in my head), I threw it in the trash, I took it out of the trash and threw it on the floor, I picked it up off the floor and used parts of the beginning card to make this one.
The challenge and sample you can see here and the inspiration for the challenge is here. I had a hard time figuring all the measurements, I did not have any paper that is bigger than 12x12 so I redesigned to what I have on hand.
The card measure roughly 3x5 .5 On the front panel I used versa mark to stamp Best Wishes.
I used spellbinders nestablities to cut all ovals and circles. The ribbon is attached with a brad.

I used my computer to print the sentiment on the back panel with celebrate, by Flourishes, on the circle. The ribbon is threaded though the slit and attached on back side, with a small bell attached to the ribbon.

Stamps by Flourishes: Flourished words

All paper by Stampin Up: white 12x12, wild wasabi, pretty in pink, designer paper

Ink: wild wasabi

Ribbon: Michaels

Brad: s.e.i

bell: Offray trims

First Blog Candy

I wanted to start the New Year with something different for me, that is sending out my first ever blog candy, in celebration of starting a year of new goals. Leave me a comment on what goal or goals you want to achieve this year.

Next Friday at 12 noon central standard time, I will randomly pick a winner, then ask for their mailing address to send,

One of the newest Flourishes releases, Love Nest

Along with a basic grey 6x6 pad, Pheobe

and a 3yd roll of, white with red dot grosgrain ribbon

My goal is to be a better person to all the people in my life, and to become better organized. The former is more important and the latter is going to be much harder for me.

Click here to see all of Flourishes line of stamps, with more to be added soon.

I Give You my Heart

I am wireless now, it took two days, four people and one that refused to give up. He also knew what he was doing. The main problem was all the different components did not play well together, snicker. George had to download a program to get every working together.
I found time today to finish a valentine card using two of the newest releases from Flourishes. Lace Heart and Open to Love. The heart is from Lace Heart the sentiment is from Open to Love, which has potential for many designs, check it out. You will see more at a latter date using the stamp set.
The heart was embossing using red metallic by stamp n stuff. I used an exacto knife to cut the heart. It was very time consuming and will probably be the only one I will make (using the heart). I do enjoy cutting with a exacto knife, just not quite so intricate.
The card is white with a red layer and a layer of soft sky embossed with cuttle bug script. The embossed heart placed on top. I stamped the sentiment on soft sky layered to real red then pretty in pink. The ribbons were attached with red brads. I will stamp the sentement "How do I love you.....let me count the ways." on the inside.

My Finished Card

Well here is the card I made using the panel I started in Michigan, and true to my new motto, (see previous post), I used only scraps of leftover paper from other projects, the base card was even folded in my "to be sorted" bin.
As you remember I used yellow food coloring for the flame. It has dried and seems to be holding up well. It is just slightly tacky, but no more than some gel pens I have used. The food coloring was a gel type I had never seen before.
I will be using more layers, texture and embellishments on my cards this year. When I look at blogs and SCS I tend to be attracted to that type of card.



I did have one dilemma, when I put the sentiment on the upper right side, took the picture then viewed it, I did not like the placement...so I moved it. I liked the placement better at the time but after seeing both of them I could not decide which I liked better. I am leaning toward upper right side as opposed to.



The right central area. Which do you like best?? Why does it matter than much??? I don't know, after all it is a little thing but it just matters. So please give me your vote!

Paper; so saffron, black, brown (from scrapbooking), white
Cord; gold and bronze
punches; ticket, notched corner
Nestabilities; oval
red beads, ribbon, copper wire
Stamp; Penny Black, perfect ending
copic markers
And of course; yellow food coloring

Thank You for looking!

PS: I am going to get some blog candy together for the New Year. Check on Friday to see what it is.

Home for New Year

We are home safe and sane with only 17 hours on the road. Thank You for your prayers, We had clear dry roads all the way home, at this time of the year that is all I could hope for. We enjoyed our time in Michigan and are already planning a return trip next fall. There are apple orchards around Armada Michigan that look promising for full fall festivals, fall is my favorite time of the year.

I and my family members have spent the last two days trying to get my laptop setup for wireless. Something is not being done right because so far I have a cable attached to my router through my DH motem. Technology is not my thing, I just want it to work all on its own. So for a day or two I will not be posting much, and I have a picture of the finished card I made from the candle image posted several days ago.

I have a new motto for the new year (an old motto from my quilting days) Use it up, make do, or do without! I am going to use "stuff" that I already have on hand (a store full or so my dh thinks) to embellish my cards with. My creating room is getting too full. I have thought long on this (all day) and decided I would buy stamps and paper and ribbon, and then not use it? Like that will happen, I haven't worked all the details out yet but it sure feels good when I use up small bits of paper and ribbon.

I'm off to see if I can reconnect my dh computer properly. I can still post from his if necessary.

Happy New Year to Ya'll