One fast post

Since I want to catch up on some commenting tonight, and I apologize for this delay, I'll keep this short. I've got a card that's headed to Curtain Call, with only hours to spare. It's their anniversary, and there's a big celebration happening over there. Hope you've had time to play too! I had a bit of time this morning, and made a quick card. I like the way it turned out. I have a question for you out there in blogland though. My SU black ink and re-inker are almost ready to be replaced. What black ink do you use, and why do you like it? I really do appreciate your input on this!

I loved the colors; the pinks and blues all tucked neatly into these shelves.

Started with a Neenah white base, and used a scrap of same for the 'frame.' The dp are all scraps! Yippee!!! And...while I hate to admit this ONCE AGAIN, I've broken my 'no new stuff all month' rule. I did a bit of shopping at RC, and picked up this stamp set...won't try to justify it, other than to say I really like it. I'm not telling you about the dies I bought too. (not used on this card...) We'll just pretend the stamps were all I ordered...So I've got a bit of NBUS on this one. I inked it up with some ME smoke and Studio G aqua. Michaels sequins, and allllll done. Happy dances everyone, it's time for me to hit 'publish' and visit your blogs!

On the run

Wanted to post a card for today. I'm on the run, so will get right to it. Hopefully I'll have more time to write soon. CAS on Sunday is up to their 38th challenge. For this challenge, the DT has decided we should make sympathy cards. Pop over and check out what lovely cards they've made. We all need these, as much as we don't want to, and so far this year, I've needed three...Hope that's the last for a good long while. But I did make one. And it's posted below (obviously, duh me!!).

As promised:

This was created with scraps of gray and white die cut with a PTI die, all on a Neenah white base. The stamp is by River City Rubber Works, stamped with ME smoke ink. And that's all for this one. Happy dances everyone.

Not supposed to be here...

I'm supposed to be "up north" painting at my dad's place, visiting with both of my sisters, and my dad and his sister, but something came up, and I'm here instead. It's for a good reason, and I'm exactly where I need to be. I've managed a little time in the craft room, and have come up with a card that I rather like. It just so happens to fit a variety of challenges too! Nice when it works out that way. I started with Deconstructed Sketches, my first time playing there, then as the card came together I realized it would fit into City Crafter's Challenge and also Simon Says Wednesday Challenge. Neato!

   

Let's see...stuck to the sketch? Check. Chipboard? Check. Spots and dots? Check!

The sentiment looks blurry when you first see it. It really isn't; it's shadow stamped. Neenah white base, scraps of green and yellow. The sweetest ever little polky dots are from a Pebbles pad called Family Life, and the chipboard flower is from the same line. One MME yellow enamel dot, and two Doodlebugs blue dots. (More dots!) I die cut the yellow and green panels with MFT's Pierced rectangle stax. The stamp is TT, and the inks are Studio G (green), and Memento (blue). That's about it for me today. Happy dances everyone.

Attitude adjustment

Yesterday afternoon, I was crabby. Ugly crabby. Good thing the kids are grown and gone, and that we no longer have any pets. It was silly really. Wanna know how silly??? On the new diet prescribed by my doctor, I read that if I eat one of my favorite healthy snacks, walnuts, that one quarter cup of them would almost equal a full meal in terms of beneficial eating. Many of us with migraine headaches cannot eat many seeds, nuts, or whole grain things. Walnuts, for me, don't trigger migraines. And I actually like them! So as soon as I saw that walnuts are pretty much on a no-no list, dark clouds complete with thunder and lightning, high winds and hail, surrounded me. Oh, I was ugly. DH asked what was wrong, I said why and that as a result I was crabby. He said, "I'll stay out of your way, then." I needed an attitude adjustment. It took a good night's sleep and this morning I'm fine. So I can't have walnuts for a while...really wasn't worth wasting a good 'crab' on, and I'll be able to eat a few now and then. Life is back to sunshine. You all really didn't need to know that did you? Sorry. I guess the reason I mention it, is because we all go through hard-for-us things. And while this was only walnuts, anyone on a migraine diet can tell you exactly how limited their diet is, and how when one thing is taken away, it feels like a really big deal. We need to push through the negative emotions, put our trust fully and completely in God, and find those things no matter how small to rejoice about. So this morning, I rejoice that I have a cup of iced coffee in front of me! And that I am truly blessed in countless ways!

Card, you ask?? Why yes! I do have a card, in fact, I have two to share this morning! Something else for me to rejoice in! I made these yesterday right before the "walnut incident." Then because of the resulting crabbiness, I didn't photograph them until a few minutes ago. (I'm such a knob...I can almost see you nodding, Sue...but since we're related...guess what???, you are too! HA!) They are both very CAS. Enjoyed making them very much. The first card will go into ColorQ, with an amazing color palette, and also into CAS(E) This Sketch. The second one will go over to City Crafter's Challenge Blog, where we're to use some chipboard on our projects. EZPZ for me...I have what feels like tons of chipboard leftover from years of scrapbooking.

Card #1

Neenah white base, a scrap of black, and a scrap of white. These are some of the stamps from my "Tracey enabled" order...I just have to chuckle about that... They're from PTI. I stamped them in SU black, and colored them in with various markers. CAS, EZPZ!

Card #2

This one also started with a Neenah white base. I cut another black scrap with a TE polaroid die, and added the chipboard circle to its center. A (not "Tracey enabled") PTI stamp, using SU black ink, and three Michaels sequins. Psshht! Done! Another EZPZ card. And since I've held you up long enough with this post, go and enjoy your Saturday. Happy dances everyone!

Lighting Schmighting!!

It's a beautiful sunny day here in Southeastern Wisconsin. The sky is that perfect shade of blue. Big, white puffy clouds occasionally drift by. You'd think that on a day like today, I could get a really good photo...but nooooooooooo! The square card seemed to cooperate better than the A2 card. However, I managed, I think, to finally get it right.

So last week I started cleaning and tidying my craft room. decided to skip the tall cupboard, but move and clean all the rest of the surfaces, drawers, and counter/desk spaces. I've made it to the desk top. That's oh, mmm, about 1/2 way around the room. On my desk is an "in" basket. Full to overflowing. Decided I had to work with absolutely everything in there. Today I finally made it to the bottom. A 4" x 4" white card base. And I am now ready to move around to the next counter space, the armoire, and the 16 drawers of paper. But not today...this afternoon is get-to-the-rose-beds day. Blecchhhhh. It's past time...

I did take the morning hours to make a couple of cards though. The first one will go into CASology and also into Keep it simple, a new-to-me challenge. The second one will go over to Curtain Call. CC is celebrating their first anniversary, and so a big congratulations to you!!! They've got an awesome inspiration photo, and the DT has come up with some amazing cards. Be sure to celebrate along with them!! Oh!, and they've offered some very cool prizes too. Check it out!!

My first card goes along with the first two challenges. And who wouldn't want a hippo (or two) for a pet??

Looks crooked, doesn't it? Trust me, it's pretty darn straight...it's just the way I had to photograph it. Dagnabbit! There's that little recycled square base, onto which I laid my ME scalloped frame die. It fit on the long side, so I was able just to die cut the bottom edge. The inside has a piece of vellum that happens to match the circle of vellum over the little hippos. I used my WPlus9 circle die and cut the white cs circle and vellum circle at the same time. This sweet little hippo stamp cost me all of $.99 at The Scrapbook Store in Milwaukee. It's from Imaginisce. Inked the edges of the circle and the hippos with ME smoke ink, and used an old SU stamp with the same ink for the sentiment. A shimmery blue bow and done.

Next up is that A2 card. It's sooo pretty irl....

Remember yesterday's post where I blamed Tracey for enabling me? Well this die and sentiment stamp are part of that crumbled resolve purchase. How could I possibly resist???!!! Obviously I didn't. PTI is happy, I am happy, all's right with the world! I started with a Neenah white base, and used a heart from the other set I ordered from PTI and created my own background. I used varying pressures to get light and dark images. Some of the light ones have been brushed with a bit of Wink of Stella. Not sure where I got those sequins, but I do love the pastelly holographicky (new words Darnell!) shimmer they have. I layered the "happy" and like how that turned out. The pinkish beneath the 'happy' was done with a finger dauber and some Versacolor ink. Same ink for the sentiment. The hearts are inked in a pretty aquaish Colorbox. And I think that's it...Have a great weekend everyone.

I'm blaming Tracey for this one, ; )

You all know her...you all love her...and doesn't she create just the most delicious cards???!!!!! Yes, dear friends, it's allllllllll Tracey's fault. Putting the blame for this card squarely on her shoulders.... I know you're dying to hear the details, so grab your favorite beverage, sit down, and listen in....

Well! I was perusing my blog list one day, last Friday to be exact, when I clicked on Tracey's blog...In My Creative Opinion. There I sat, practically drooling over the amazing card she'd created. My heart beat a little faster. Sweat began to form under my bangs. I could feel my resolve crumbling. You see, I'd resolved NOT to make any more crafting supplies purchases for the whole month of July. THE. WHOLE. MONTH. The next thing I knew, I was clicking the "add to cart" button over at PTI. Oh woe is me. Then right after I'd made my purchases, a smidgen of guilt began to creep in...not enough to cancel the order mind you, but a teensy squeensy bit. I had to wait until yesterday for my order to arrive. A little more guilt. DH got the mail. "Oh that's just a little something I needed.....," I said, voice trailing off. But the story doesn't quite end here. Nope. And here's where Tracey gets the blame... When PTI sends you your order, they slip a little goodie into the box. So besides the two stamp sets and die I ordered there was this journal card tucked all nicely in with my brand-new wonderful goodies. Stay with me now....And over at Muse, where I do like to play, the lovely and talented Therese Calvird made this delightfully wonderful card. I worked and worked and worked and worked at it, but Mr. Mojo wasn't cooperating; not one iota. THEN.....I picked up the journaling card. Oh. My. Goodness. So, because Tracey made an amazing card, and forced my resolve to completely and totally crumble, I placed an order to PTI which included the journal card I'm using for my take on the Muse! And that's why you've had to read this long post before seeing any cards! Go ahead, blame Tracey...

     Tracey's card

   Therese's card

And now the moment you've all been waiting for...or did you skip the reading part and head straight to the card? No matter...! ; )

As you've (hopefully) read by now, the entire front of the card is a PTI journal card. Except for the sentiment, which is WPlus9, and the ink is PTI. I also added the MME three enamel dots. IRL, it's a bit softer, but little cooperation with the lighting and editing...*sigh*

BTW, I hope you know that this post was all in good fun. Tracey is a wonderful person, and maybe I should have said "inspired" rather than "blame," but then it wouldn't have been as much fun to write! Be sure you head over to her blog and take a peek at the wonders you'll find there. She's brilliant!

BTW2, Thanks to all of you who voted for my last Muse card! An HM is definitely an honor. : ) and thank you all so much!

Makin' Hay...

...while the sun shines. Being the daughter of a farmer, I know what that means. As a very small child, I can remember living with mom and sister Sue on my grandmother's and uncle's farm while dad was overseas in Greenland with the Air Force. I remember when Uncle Norman and the hands would 'make hay' a couple times a year. It was a big deal, with all the men working from sunup to sundown, and grandma and mom cooking huge amounts of food all day long. I wanted to go out to the fields and help, but as a two-year old, that just wasn't going to happen. They barely let me in the barn, when all I wanted to do was find the kittens...The farmhouse was small by today's standards. A decent sized kitchen, a living room, three bedrooms, and an enclosed front porch. Notice I didn't "bathroom...." Nope, the only indoor plumbing was a pump at the kitchen sink. And there was an wood cook stove. Wood burning furnace too. Mom split wood for both cooking and heating, among her other jobs; Uncle Norman had cows and fields to take care of, so splitting wood was mom's responsibility so long as we lived there. In 1960, when Uncle Norman married (my beloved Aunt Eve), they added indoor plumbing to the kitchen and created a bathroom. What a treat! By then we were gone, living together as a military family in another state. You'll be interested to know that one of my babysitters on the farm was the cow-dog, Corky. If I got to close to the road or barn, he'd 'herd' me back to where I was supposed to be. I imagine that I wore that poor dog down...But for me, in this day and age, "making hay" means doing things that I either need to get done, or want to get done in-between migraines. So that's what I did this morning!

Sorry for the ramble, but it was nice to chat without pain or medications getting in the way of my thinking.. I've been wanting to create a tag for Jackie Rockwell's new Tag You're It! Challenge since she announced its inception. And I've made several tags, or tag-cards. None what-so-ever to my liking. Until today! Our inspiration is from the ever-fantastic Virginia Lu. Check out her tags:

Aren't they just the sweetest???!!! So much to be inspired by on the bitty beauties. I saw dots and colors.

Starting with a green Bazzill base, I added a tag cut with my Silhouette. It actually has a topper, but chose to use the template left by the cut-out, and stamped in the little dots with MME Hazel ink using a tri-dot from WPlus9. The birds and the sentiment are TT, and some Twinery Twine. The black ink is SU. It looks much sweeter irl.

And one more card to share today. I'm fully and totally in love with the color combination over at The Card Concept Challenge. They just look happy! Got a ping right away, and off I went!

Yum-alicious! Not sure which of the AMAZING DT chose these colors, but kudos to you, and kudos to the DT for their amazing cards. Go play! Seriously, jump in on this! You know you want to....

This makes me happy! POLKA DOTS!! I think they were invented just to make me smile, or am I wrong about that???....Anyway....Neenah white base, a black scrap as a mat, and another Neenah white panel. Stamped some polka dots with TT stamps using red VersaColor ink, Studio G blue, and SU black. Michaels ribbon tied up in a perfect bow (I love it when bows look good), and a PTI sentiment in SU black ink. EZPZ.  And now, since I need to make some other kind of hay, I will wish you all a wonderful Saturday. Happy Dances everyone!

ETA: Sorry...I'd call this "Clean and Layered"...not sure, but I think the bow makes it more than "Clean and Graphic."

One more...

Another birthday card for a girly-girl in the family. 'Nuff said. Used the colors over at City Crafter's Challenge. Not ones I would normally choose, but thought I should stretch a bit. I like how the card turned out. Busy, but not too. What do you think?

Here she is:

EZPZ. I let my Silhouette Cameo do all the hard work. Pretty dress, and it will please the recipient of this card. The Paper Company yellow cardstock, a scrap of purple, Martha Stewart's pearls, TT sentiment and some Rubber Stampede purple ink. And that's a wrap. Happy dances everyone!