Between

I'm between migraines and running DH to appointments. One for today, and then he's good until next week. I only have a few minutes before he needs some help, but wanted to share the cards I made a few days ago and just haven't had time (or enough pain-free minutes) to post. I started grandson Sean's birthday card, at least in my head, then I saw the ColorQ and used a navy color for the focal point as you'll see. I'm playing along at Muse, and Time Out (die cutting/fussy cutting) for one card, then as mentioned, ColorQ and The Challenge for the other.

My Muse/Time Out card:

I used a medium gray for the base, and added an MFT panel in white, wrapped with some glittery ribbon. The carnation is a cut file from my Silhouette and I used up some scraps for it. A PTI sentiment in ME Smoke ink. A few blings for the center, and done. So pretty irl.

Next is my card for ColorQ and The Challenge:

No matter how many photos I took, the "Sean" looks blurry. Must be the acetate containing all those beads.... A chunk of LF orange stripe from their "Into the Woods" 6x6 pad. a white frame created with two dies; MFT & ME. Another cut with my Silhouette using the Lemon Milk font for "Sean." Some perfect-for-this-challenge beads by Queen & Co. Popped up with some foam tape and done. Now I've got to run. Hoping to get some commenting done later provided the head cooperates... Happy dances everyone

Sunday in Springtime

It's a gorgeous Springtime day, I've got coffee, the Cubs are winning, and my sweet Lizzy is coming over to play with grandma! She's a senior in high school, scheduled to graduate in June and needs to finish making her scrapbook of activities, awards, accomplishments, and volunteering to meet a requirement for her full IB (International Baccalaureate) degree. So since I have all the necessities, she's coming over so we can play together. I'm sooooo excited! She'll be off to college in the Fall and I won't see her as often as I'll want to. This will be a nice memory in the days to come. So I'm starting this post awaiting her arrival. If I have time today, I'll let you know what we ended up doing.

I do have a card today. It's for the Muse Challenge, which has a card by Miss Tracey as our inspiration for this week. I loved it, had an idea for it, but waited for the NBUS dies to arrive via USPS so I could finish it up. Before we look at mine, have a gander at Tracey's card:

*sigh*

Isn't it lovely? That girl can make cards!! After seeing this, I was tempted to order this set, but decided to save my pennies for Saturday when I'll be out for a bit with my sister and her sweet Emma. Just a quick stop at Polka Dots for a little shopping. My nephew and his wife (Emma's parents) told my sister that Emma didn't need any more paper... Have you ever heard such a thing????? Raise your hand if you have enough paper. Yeah....not one hand in the air. So if she wants paper from her grandma, or her most favorite Auntie Hoo-Hoo, then it's paper she'll have! You know you'd do the same thing, lol! Enough naughtiness on my part, here's my card:

The same, yet different. The stamps are from SSS, and as mentioned, I've also used my NBUS dies. A sentiment by HA and some vellum leaves from ancient days. I used some Copics to color the flowers' centers, which I've popped up, then added some Stickles for a bit o' shimmer. And since I hear Lizzy in the driveway, I'm going to run. Happy dances everyone!

Things Working Out

Don't you love it when things just seem to work out perfectly? A bit ago, I came across a new-to-me blogger. Nicole blogs as Frau Vogeli, and as soon as I'd seen her first card, I knew I'd be back for more peeks! Do take a minute to pop over and see her sweet cards; I promise you'll love them. Her latest offering is entered into a new-to-me challenge, and I thought I would support them by making and entering a card; the challenge is called Task For Two Tuesday. I knew what I wanted to make, but needed a bit of a color inspiration. Color Throwdown provided the perfect color palette for me! And as things worked out, today's CAS(E) This Sketch provided some help in the design department. Pretty slick how things just seemed to click into place today! Yay!

My card looks like this:

I stamped a panel with some MME and SC stamps using three different inks. I cut the panel with an ME die, and added a SC 'celebrate' die in black. I popped everything on an orange base. Pretty EZPZ, and I love how things just worked out! Happy Dances everyone!!

Happy Birthday to My Sister Sue!

So....Sue, if you see this before next week and our lunch date with Miss Emma. Stop reading right now. No peeking at your card. Or I'll make a switch and give you an ugly one (hahahahahaha).

Oh I wish you could all meet my sister. She's one of the best people in the whole wide world. Girl can sing, cook, craft, decorate, and is the second best grandma ever (I'm first, lol). Her birthday was yesterday, and I want to celebrate her a little bit. Next week, we're taking little Emma, Sue's almost three-year old granddaughter, out for lunch - she'll have chips and salsa, we'll have tamales and such. Emma loves chips and salsa! Then we're taking her out to buy paper. Sue and I are doing our best to help her become a craftaholic, and I think we're succeeding! It will be nice to have a birthday lunch... I need your help though. Do I call ahead to the restaurant and tell them it's her birthday and we'd like them to put on the sombreros and sing real loud?! Let me know what your vote is, and I'll let you know what we end up doing! You'd better not be reading this Susan....or I'll tell dad!

I struggled with her birthday card a bit. Made three yesterday, and hated each one of them. Literally threw one together today with the scraps from two of the cards, and like the way it came out!! Who knew???? Just works out that way sometimes.

And as luck or fate or whatever has it, I can pop this into three challenges! Woohooooooo!! ColorQ Challenge, CAS(E) This Sketch, and Curtain Call Challenge.

I kept this card very simple, but managed to use all the colors at ColorQ, and the CTS sketch. 

I wish you could see this in real life. It's so much more pretty and delicate than this photograph shows. Made with scraps, scraps, and more scraps. Die cut heart from my Silhouette, an MFT notebook die for the scrap of SC vellum, and a scrap I think I got from Amy Tsuruta. A SSS sentiment with black versafine ink. And that's about it. Am going to run now, and watch my Cubbies lose to St. Louis today. But that's okay; the Cubs have won the first two games of this series. I won't be greedy! (yet). 

Pink

Some of my favorite flowers ever were some tall, later-blooming tulips called Esther. I'll bet they were three feet high and the blooms themselves were bigger than my fists. And they were the most lovely shade of pink. I'd planted them at my old house, and if I were outside with the little ones, passers by would often comment on them. I've looked for more bulbs to plant here, but have been unsuccessful in locating them at our local garden centers. I think I may order them and plant them in the fall; I've missed them. So maybe next Spring, I'll have a photograph of them to show you. In the meantime, you'll have to settle for a pink card!

I'd better get moving as CASology closes in a few hours!

I'll bet you thought I had a tulip card, didn't you? Nope:

Those "happy"s look ombre, but they're not. Just plain old gold embossed. On a pink base. This looks rather fun in real life. Each 'happy' is slightly tilted. On purpose. Don't ask me why, but for some reason, it made my pea-brain happy. The stamp is from PTI's Wet Paint. And that's how I feel today. Happy. Hope you do too! Guess I'd better get going for now, but you all take some time for a couple of happy dances!

Long Explanation Coming...

I've got two cards today, and I thought I'd explain the sympathy card. So if you want to skip this first paragraph, I won't mind. Here we go: Several years ago, DH was approached by Professor Zane Miller about a book project. It seems he'd found a manuscript in the Wisconsin State Historical Society done by several people for the Federal Writers Project within the confines of President Roosevelt's Works Projects Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression of the 1930s. These writers were paid, in order to support themselves and their families, to write guide books about their cities. Books were written about many major cities throughout the US. Milwaukee's book never got published as the manuscript was completed just prior to the onset of World War II; it sat in the archives for over 70 years, unknown, unremembered, and unpublished. Until somehow Zane found it. He contacted my DH, and suggested an editorial collaboration to get this work finally published. Books can take a long time to get going, and after a couple of years of back and forth, Professor Miller dropped out of the project. DH had a copy of this manuscript, on yellow paper with purple mimeograph type. No program in the whole wide world would translate this for ease of editing. Yours truly spent last summer typing this 270-some page manuscript into a Word Document, correcting spelling and punctuation, with the blessing of the editor (DH). He wrote a forward, added photographs, and next month, it will be available to the public. DH, of course, sent one of the author's advance copies to Zane. He got an email back from Zane's wife; Professor Miller had passed away last month. DH was more than surprised, and asked me to make a card for Mrs. Miller. Hence, the sympathy card today. I am adding a link in case you are interested in checking out this work: Milwaukee in the 1930s: A Federal Writers Project City Guide. Thanks for sticking with me.

My card was inspired by Anita Bowden's card for Muse.

I was inspired by the colors and the design. Anita's card is really lovely isn't it?! My card looks like this: 

I tried to make my branch go up...I really did. My brain was having none of it....So it's downward facing. I used watercolor paper for all of this, as I like the texture it gives. I picked up Anita's colors with my Ziggy watercolors, and cut it out with a MB die. A gold scrap of vellum, gold embossed with a HA stamp, and a smattering of gold sequins. The branch is inlaid into an MFT pierced rectangle die.

Card number two is happier, and I'm playing along at Addicted to CAS, and AAA Cards with this little cutie pie! (I LOVE him...)

Isn't he just the sweetest little thing ever??!! WPlus9 came out with some new dies, and right away I heard them calling my name. The fox come with the ability to morph into a cat or raccoon too. The banner is from the other new WPlus9 set that I couldn't live without. I'll be using this with its accompanying bits and bobs soon. The sentiment is from SSS, the circle is an MFT die, and I added some black sequins. Other than the fox's head and the sequins, everything is inlaid. Have a great weekend, and happy dances everyone.

Wednesday Morning

Here it is, a quarter past ten in the morning, and I'm still in my jammies. Ahhhhh....it's good to be retired! DH is watching MLB Central, and is making baby steps toward shedding the last vestiges of that horrid upper respiratory virus. Thank heavens!! With him all comfy and happy, I decided to post a couple of the cards that I've made recently. They fit into a bunch of challenges as well, so life is good! Shall we get right to it? Okie dokie!

If you can believe it, this first card fits into all three SSS challenges (Simon Says Monday Challenge; April Showers Bring Mayflowers, Simon Says Wednesday Challenge; Polka Dots, and Simon Says Work It Wednesday; pastels). Woohoo! And not only that, it fits into the latest Lawn Fawn challenge too! Double woohoo! But wait!, there's more.... Patti is the Surprise Party Guest over at Seize the Birthday, so I just had to play there too!

Cool!

I had fun with this card. 

Florals, polka dots, and pastels. Yep, gott'em all. I wish you could see this irl. We've got another overcast day, so even with editing this didn't photograph as pretty as it is. The stamps and banner die are all from LF's Penelope's Blossom set. The scalloped border die is from ME. I stamped all those flowers and leaves with a variety of inks, and just cut the border. It needed a little something more, so pulled out the polka dotted paper. This one's perfect for our purple-loving daughter's July birthday.

Card number two is headed off to Less Is More. It's a one-layer challenge with geometric shapes. This card was showcased over there last week, and I just wanted to say thanks to the DT. 

So here's my simple one-layer card.

The stripes are made with the Avery Elle Beautiful Bows set, and I used a Wet Paint PTI sentiment. I created a stenciled frame using a couple of MFT dies. Pretty easy once I got going. Heading off now, but you all have a great day. Happy dances everyone!

Three Very Different Cards

In between other things, I made some cards. The first one is full of froo-froo. The second one is more simple with some layers. The last one is pretty darn CAS. It's taken me a bit to get organized, and to find enough time to write a post. Sometimes life just gets in the way, doesn't it?! I'm hoping to get out of the house this coming week and have coffee/lunch with some friends, but each day brings new challenges, so we'll see what transpires. I'd love to head out for lunch. There's a sweet tapas restaurant downtown and they make the best seared scallops with a killer risotto. Crossing my fingers!

Card number one will head off to the current Card Concept Challenge. You can see why I channelled my inner froo once you see this very pretty inspiration photo. Not sure exactly which category my card fits into, but I think it's more Shabby Chic than anything else. Oh! And a happy anniversary to you too!!

I stuck with the creams and blacks, and picked up a bit of the green.

I used some watercolor paper for the creamy color it gives. The dies are from AE (Avery Elle) for the frame, PPP (Pretty Pink Posh) for the flag, RC (Reverse Confetti) for the flowers, and MFT (My Favorite Things) for the leaves. Scraps of papers, a bit of tulle, some twine, a curlycue bling thing, and a HA (Hero Arts) sentiment embossed in silver. One big ol' brad from Pink Paislee. 

Card number two is for the current Muse Challenge. I love playing there, and missed last week because my brain and hands were disconnected. Wasn't going to miss this week...especially after seeing Michele's beauty:

This spoke to me right away, and while I don't have a decent butterfly die, I knew I wanted to make something special. I pretty much CASEd this...

It didn't photograph very well, but it is rather pretty in real life. I found green and gray scraps in my file, and used some white bits that I had laying around. There are three layers of leaves, one in watercolored green, one in vellum, and one in white. Memory Box leaf dies. A few PTI (Papertrey Ink) rainstones, and an RC stamp with ME (Mama Elephant) Smoke ink. Oh, and an MFT frame die. A boatload less froo on this than the first one.

And last, but not least, is my card for CASology (Sprout) and the Inkspirational Challenge (Rock). 

 

While my card is very CAS, it contains both sprout and rock.

NBUS HA plant and rocks stamps. An older TT (Technique Tuesday) sentiment, a smidgen of twine, and MFT dies. Pretty darn easy. And I like this one! Hope you do too. 

And since I've got to get things moving around here this morning, I will leave you. Happy dances everyone!

Opening Day

Even though it's barely above freezing, it MUST be Springtime....BASEBALL SEASON is officially here!!!!! I'm sure you noticed my Cubbie colors. They're my favorite team, though I follow a few others as well. DH will have games on in the family room, and I'll be just a craftin' away listening to them, and run in to see the replay when a player makes a great catch or has a spectacular hit. Go Cubs Go!!

I've got a couple of cards to share today, and I hope to get a few more done before the Cubs play tonight. We'll see what happens...Anyhoo.... This first card will head off to a couple of challenges. Over at Less Is More, the challenge is to use non-white, white space. It will also go to the current Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge, where I've used the far right down trio; tag, kraft, potted plants.

Check. Check. Check. Check.

Found this scrap of BB blue in my files, as well as all the papers except for the white base, which you can't see. I used my Ziggies to watercolor the HA cactus and planter. Tried stamping the little cactus flower, but it didn't look exactly the way I wanted, so I just die cut some yellow/orange gingham and added some random blue sequins to the centers. The sentiment is AE. 

This next one is for the Curtain Call Challenge. This one asks us to use neon colors. Usually I'm not very good at neons; I tend to go overboard and my cards end up garish. This stamp set worked out much more to my liking. And while I'm at it, I think that since it's Anything Goes at SSS, I'll pop it there too! 

Here' what mine looks like:

My friend Mary buys the same pair of shoes in several colors. When she's feeling sassy, she'll actually put on two different colored shoes as long as they match her outfit. She cracks me up. This one might have to be saved for her birthday.... All the stamps are from Studio Calico, and I colored them with various Copics. A couple of star sequins, a ME die, and a scrap of hot pink for the card front. Boy, I'll tell you what.... If I hadn't gotten a MISTI, I would never have attempted to stamp these. Thank heavens for the MISTI. I highly recommend them. And with that, I'll stop and get to some commenting, and maybe, just maybe a bit of housework (nahhhhh.... tomorrow's a new day!). Happy dances everyone.

Booboo

"...And now ladies and gentlemen, appearing for one day only here, on main stage at the Small Mammal Lounge, is the world famous and always funny Miss D. and those ever fabulous Hammettes! Let's give them a nice round of applause!" (And the crowd goes wild.....)

You know her, you love her and here's more proof that she's one brilliant and super fun cardmaker.

Darnell has come up with a great blog hop especially made for April Fool's Day.

Here's the gist....

If you have ever completed a card, and then discovered a boo boo that made you feel like an April Fool, this hop is for YOU!!

• The linky tool for MY BIG FAT CARD BOO BOO is going to be open for24 HOURS ONLY from 12:05 a.m. PDT on April 1, 2016 to 12:05 a.m. PDT on April 2, 2016.
• You can only enter once and you must be a follower.
• You CAN link a card that you have previously posted on your blog! (That's the whole point! We feel especially foolish when we don't see the boo boo until after we published or sent our cards!)
• This is a blog HOP. While hopping to every blog is not an absolute requirement to enter, you should make every effort to hop through the gallery and visit your fellow boobs, er, boobooers! Share a laugh, be a good sport, and have a good time!

Just to be clear:

You should not link a card that you think is your ugliest. 

Rather, you should link a card that you think is your boobiest!

You know, a card you made that passed through your Quality Control Speculations and went out the door with proverbial toilet paper hanging out of its pants!

For instance:

• Maybe you generated your sediment on the computer and it said, "With Symphony" instead of "With Sympathy." 
• Maybe your die-cut vehicle only had three wheels, 
• or your reindeer one antler, 
• or your flower vase was upside down.

Are you in? 

Rack your brains, paw through your photos, mangleate your memories and then circle your calendar to link your card here on April 1st!

Heck, even if you no longer have a photo, but you have a really funny story about the time you were a Card Boo Boo Fool, link up any ol' card just so you can tell us the story in your post!

Since this is only a one-day party, 
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

PASS THE WORD TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS
about the event!
April 1, 2016!

After all, we don't want to be the only two

hanging in the breeze

with our boo boos on display

for all the world to see!!

Grab the badge and pass it on!

I can't wait to show you mine and I can't wait to see yours! (And you know I'm gonna have some kind of prize for the best Big Fat Card Boo Boo!!)

My booboo's are many. Almost all of them end up in the recycle bin, or the salvageable bits and bobs reused on other cards. I panicked because I hadn't saved any of the booboo cards, and I wanted to link up to this hop....Then I started working on this week's Muse Challenge. Won't be playing along. Wanna see why? Okie Dokie:

Booboo card #1:

Ugh!! Just look at those stems. And lets not even go into the horrid watercoloring and my epic fail at blue shadowing. Pure YUK. Booboos all over the place. 

Booboo card #2

Same stamps, different techniques. More epic fails. Uneven inking on the blooms. Sucko 'grass' and even more crapola stems; this time with crapola leaves. Guess who WON'T be playing along at Muse this week.... And there you have it. Booboos times two. It's good we can laugh and/or learn from our mistakes. And yes, these booboos will be making a long stop in the recycle bin, haha! So stop over at Darnell's and link up. Enjoy the hop, and play along!