Mel's Basket of Blessings!

Vacations, Valentines and Vitamins

2010-02-22T09:40:00.004-05:00

This is the last week of our month-long vacation in Sunny Alabama. We've had it all weather-wise - from thundersnows, to snow to freezing temps to balmy 74 degrees. February had it all. But, locals tell us this February weather is not at all normal for this area so we're determined to come back and try again. Of course, the free golf has a lot to do with it, too. LOL! Yesterday, we traveled to Fort Pickens in Pensacola, Florida. My DH and his friend Joe are camera buffs. Between the two, there are several hundred photo snaps and videos as well. Here's a video of the shoreline. Don't you just LOVE the music? I'll admit I'm not a water baby, but after this past winter, being on a seashore where the temp is moderate and the wind is balmy does tend to rejuvenate one! Check out my Facebook page and click on photos of the fort itself.

Before I left, I had a hard decision what to bring with me for hobby time while my DH was on the links. I had wanted to stay in touch with my upline as far as Stampin' UP! goes, so she suggested I only bring one set of stamps, and coordinating paper and ink to show what can be done with such limitations. So, I did several valentines just before I left and mailed them out and then brought the store with me anyway. Of course, I didn't take pictures of them. Talk about limitations! I did do three birthday cards for March gals over at Cardmaker Magazine, but I can't post them until later in March because I've just mailed them out! Arrrggghhh!! So, guess there will be no pictures of cards.

That's it for now. I do wish I had done more blogging while we were here. Nearly every day was some kind of adventure....or not. It's hard to go back and try to recapture each day or at least each adventure and tell about it. I will say having high speed internet access was definitely a PLUS in my book. At one time, we had 3 puters and an iPod going here at the condo!! The ink was just flyin' off those keys!! LOL!!

Thanks to our friends and family who came down and shared some of these good times with us.

TTFN!

We're thankful for our missionaries

2010-01-21T08:48:00.008-05:00

It’s Thursday and I’m a month behind with Sale-A-Bration already. I do have two cards to post for you today. Last Monday night, a group of ladies from my church met to make cards for our missionary families. We needed 21 sets of 4 so each family could have 4 cards – we got 20 sets done!! Took about an hour and a half – they were real troupers too! I had everything cut and sized, had all the accessories, punches, inks, dimensionals, etc., prepped as well. Then I needed to have a sample card and instructions for each table. All that took almost 2 days to prep and we got it all done! I’m so proud of those ladies! Several of them had never been to a Stamp Camp before.
These two are just samples. We used 4 different stamp sets that Stampin’ Up! has offered over the years and that contain the phrases, “Best Wishes”, “Get Well”, Thank You” and “Happy Birthday”. We wanted consistency for each set as far as font and color, but the ladies were free to adjust or move or add to the elements on the cards. As a surprise for their hard work, I had a separate table for a Make-and-Take Valentine card, but, because of time constraints, I went ahead and made up some of them for the gals who had to scoot early. Unfortunately, I don’t have a sample of the Valentine Card but it does use this year’s Occasions I {heart} Hearts stamp set, the Curly Label with Heart Big Shot Die, and this year’s Sending Love DSP. The cards were stinkin’ CUTE!!! Stampin’ Up! goes all out to ensure our products are all color-coordinated. You simply can’t make a misteak even if you tried!! HA!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Best Wishes for 2010

2010-01-11T09:53:00.006-05:00

It's still cold but I'm not the only one! We had a minus 3 (F) when we awoke at 7 am today. Florida is set to lose nearly two/thirds of their citrus crop - statements were made on Fox and Friends this morning that the citrus crop would only be good for orange juice and not eating the fruit. Apparently the fruit is filled with ice. Fortunately, the trees weren't seriously harmed and will be good to go for next season. But the warming should start today. I saw Miami will be in the 50s today!

Today's card is an anniversary card for several friends and family who have an anniversary in January. I'm almost POSITIVE none of them read my blog so I think I'm okay with this. If not, then I won't post this kind of card again til after they are mailed. (I'll share the recipe after the picture.)There is something seriously wrong with the picture, but I don't know how to fix the problem. When I look at the scanned picture, all the elements stand out in sharp relief. But the bottom of the card reads "Best Wishes" from the Sincere Salutations stamp set (retired). The inside (which I didn't post), simply reads "May happiness be yours today and always" and is also from the Sincere Salutations Stamp set. This card was easy-peasy to put together. Coming up with a card layout is always hardest for me so I'm very grateful to see so many good quality photos in magazines and online services. I just learned a lesson - when I CASE'd this card (which I'm sure I did), I forgot to write down the person who created the layout. I apologise. So, without further ado, here's the recipe.
UPDATE: My DH stopped by and helped me out - he said if you have fast internet you should be able to see the picture really clear. We clicked on the photo and it shows all the elements in clear relief. That's a relief to me. YES!
______________________________________
Card layout: CASE'd from a magazine (??)
Card Stock: Real Red and Basic Black
DSP: Washington Apple (2008/09 IB&C, ret)
Ink: Real Red, Basic Black
Stamps: Vintage Labels (Occasions 2010), Sincere Salutations (2008/09 IB&C, ret)
Punch: Round Scallop
Measurements: Black Strip, 2"x5.5", DSP Strip, 1.75"x5.5"
Other accessories: Dimensionals, Snail, Clear Stamp block

If you have any questions, email me! I've also added a link on the side today so you can share my blog (if you wish) with your friends on Google Friends, Facebook, and Twitter.

Thanks for stopping by!

It's Friday so it must be snowing.....still.....

2010-01-08T10:54:00.033-05:00

Oh, I am so not a winter person. I dislike intensely being cold and having to wear cuddle duds and long flannel pajamas and having to heat the bathroom to sub-saharan temps just so I can take a shower. My friend Mary says she thought she saw a ray of sunshine yesterday, but she said it disappeared before she could verify its identity. But, I just KNOW spring must be up there somewhere! Hope springs eternal. Um-hum.

Today's card is a Valentine. Not too early to think about those! If you go to any of the card-making-and-sharing websites, these are already being showcased. So, I made one last night from a tri-fold card. I'll share the recipe with you after the photos. If you are as obsessively compulsive about details as I apparently am, you'll see what I mean.

The first photo, captured by my DH using a "new" photo box, is the "back front" view of the card. The second will be the "front front view" and the third will be the "full front" view. Because a Tri-fold card has elements all over it and technically no back, taking a picture of one can be an exercise (not even to mention trying to upload three photos with DIAL-up!). Are you confused yet?
(Bulletin: it has taken 2 hours to upload 2 photos - you're out of luck and I'm out of patience with this Dialup service. Sorry - only two photos.)

A couple of notes: The scallop on the front was cut close to the lines and then mounted on another scallop of Melon Mambo with Snail adhesive. The two birds on the "back front" of the card were stamped upside down on Very Vanilla and then punched out with the large heart. (Try it...you'll see what I mean.) I then mounted it on a right-side-up embosslit heart using Dimensionals between the hearts and snailed the whole thing to the back. In the "middle" middle, I used four Embosslit hearts (two of MM and two of VV cardstock). I punched a MM heart and snailed it to one of the VV embosslit hearts. I used a MM marker to spell out LOVE on four small punched hearts, but if you have stickers or a tiny letter stamp set, try that instead. If I were to do this card again, I'd use stamps - I have bad handwriting. I also used one of the elements from the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt kit, but I kinda think it's overkill. I probably could have just put a few more punched hearts or something. Or not.

And lastly, the DSP sheet is a sparkly one from the Sending Love Specialty paper, giving a look of fireworks around the little hearts! The look was unintentional, but came out really cute. Of course, you can't see the sparkly effects with "my" camera, but it's there!

Now, I know there are purists out there who would tell me I have my Tri-fold card upside-down and as OCD as I am, I would (probably) agree. But, honestly, I did try to do this the conventional way and it didn't work! The card had to be upside down for me. Okay, so I'm not as OCD as I thought, but I'm close! LOLOLOL!!

________________________________________
Recipe:
Type: Tri-Shutter Card
Stamp Set: Love You Much (IB&C)
Papers: Melon Mambo, Very Vanilla
DSP: Sending Love Specialty (2010 Occasions)
Inks: Melon Mambo Marker and Basic Black Classic
Punches: Small Heart (2010 Occasions), Scallop Circle, Large Heart, Embosslits Scalloped Heart of Hearts
Adhesives: Sticky Strip, Snail, Dimensionals
Elements: Sweet Pea Stitched Felt (2010 Occasions)
Extras: Scoring Board, Craft Knife, Cutting Mat, Detail Scissors

Happy 2010 to all!

2010-01-02T13:42:00.004-05:00

It's here! A brand new year! Happy New Year everybody! We had our very good friends from Maryland here to help us celebrate the new year's arrival, but we were all in bed by 11pm. That's okay. We did Friday good! Watched West Virginia's loss to FSU and Bobby Bowden. We played lots of games, ate lots of food and then watched a good movie that they had brought with them. They left this morning, but I guess I didn't ask for enough snow to keep them a little longer. We only had about 3 inches on the ground so they went ahead with their homeward bound trip. I hope and pray they got home safely. I miss them already.

So, did you break a new resolution already? If you did, you're in good company. Nearly all of Congress has broken their resolutions already, too! 'Nuff said.

Since we had company, I didn't work at all on any of my card projects, but I did get my January birthday cards off so I'm in the clear on that. However, Valentine's Day is coming, and the Sale-A-Bration marathon starts the 5th (that's next Tuesday!!) and boy do we have some good things going! For the first time ever, Stampin' Up! is offering a punch as a free item! Our Occasions mini selling period starts the 5th also and we're offering some beautiful items as well as clear stamps!!! We're heading down the right path with these items. I just KNOW you'll like them once you get your hands on them, either at a workshop or a gathering! This is just the perfect time to get started on any of your cards for 2010. (Is that going to be twenty-ten or 2k10 or 2 thousand and ten?) I like twenty-ten - easy to say at least for me!

So, for now, that's it! Stay tuned and please let me know you received your new Occasions Mini Catalog in the mail! I understand that some of you have not received them. Believe me, you'll like the mini when you see it. I've also got the Sale-A-Bration flyers I've got to mail out. They will be in the mail as soon as possible!

TTFN!!

Countdown to 2010

2009-12-28T10:19:00.006-05:00

A brand-spankin' new year is about here and I'm not ready for it. You know what I mean - those new years' resolutions that we're supposed to make....I'm not ready. I haven't thought of what I want to change...or start...or finish in 2010. So, I haven't got a list. Guess I better start thinking about that. Frankly, I know I can't change the world or even the next door neighbors (whom I actually like, by the way), so I guess all the change will have to be with me. (Darn, aren't I perfect already? Oh, not by a loooong shot, nosirree!!) I think I'll think about this for a while.

Why don't you join with me and think about your new years resolutions? I'll post a poll to the right about the most popular resolutions and on New Year's we'll just see what they are!! One vote per person for your resolution highest on your own list, please.

Thanks for stopping by! Get started on those resolutions! You want them ready to roll on January 1st!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T10:35:00.003-05:00

To all my world, Ernie and I join together to wish each one of you a very Blessed Christmas. If your house of worship is celebrating tonight with a Christmas Eve service, we encourage you to attend. If not, then we encourage you to sit down a moment and read the account in the Gospels of God's Holy word, the Bible. What a wonderful way to celebrate His arrival into our hearts!

With much love for all of you. I pray I can be such a blessing for you as you are to me!!

Christmas Cards....and winter

2009-12-21T11:09:00.006-05:00

I know, another Christmas card! I promise it's the last and with it, I'm done with holiday cards. It's time for gearing up to that next card celebration – Valentine's Day! Ohhh, be still, my heart!

But I digress. This card I CASE'd from stampinaddicts.com and I don't have the name of the stamper, so if you're the creator of this card, please let me know so I can give you credit. I made several changes to the CASE'd card and I used all Stampin' Up! products in the card with one exception. I absolutely LOVE glitter pens and used them in abundance on my holiday cards this year. They do such a nice job for adding sparkle in just minute amounts.

Also, when I CASE'd this card, I had to make several adjustments to get the sizes of each piece just right, especially since I was using a solid stamp rather than a line art stamp. (In looking at the original, I think they used the ornament punch and the negative image of the punch.)

Notes: Firstly, this particular DSP is perfectly sized to cut between the rows. Secondly, I used Rose Red classic ink on my cards because I found my Real Red ink pad just too far gone and messy. I'll have to replace it. If you decide to case this card, I'd recommend using the Real Red Classic ink – the Rose Red is just a shade too pink for this bright card and it shows.

Anyhoo, the recipe follows. Note all supplies with the exception of the glitter pens are Stampin' Up!

Stamp set: Delightful Decorations
Inks: Rose Red Classic Ink (but use Real Red instead!), Encore Ultimate Metallic Silver
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Real Red, Whisper White (LOVE THAT PAPER!!), and Brushed Silver
Designer Series Paper: 2009 Holiday Lounge
Gel Pens: Sakura Starlight Silver Star

AND, in case you didn't realize it - today is officially winter and Mother Nature has an attitude problem - she just DUMPED 2 feet of snow on a lot of people! That Meanie! So, here's hope that Spring comes quickly! Woohoo!!

So, that's it for holiday cards. Those of us who are Stampin' Up! Demonstrators are already gearing up for the big Sale-A-Bration and new Occasions Mini Catalogs with beautiful new holiday stamps for Valentine's Day, Easter and those perennial favs, Mother's and Father's Day - set to start January 5, 2010. Can't wait for you to see them! If you're not on my mailing list, but would like a catalog, please email me or visit my Stampin' Up! website by clicking here. You can sign up for my emails, news, and catalogs on my website.

Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas to you!!!

And more snow......

2009-12-19T11:05:00.013-05:00

Snow update (Saturday afternoon): It's still snowing and I wanted to share more pictures with you of the snow. I put my little snow boots on and took a metal ruler out to the patio. When I opened the door, it was very obvious I couldn't walk out - the snow was over my boots! So I stuck the ruler in and took a snap - 10 inches!! I wish I had time-stamped this first image because an hour later, I went back out when we saw a pair of redbirds at the feeder in the front yard. I wanted to fill the feeder and take another reading. This time it was just over 11 inches. Just to be "accurate", I've been taking the reading at the same spot. The snow is coming down fast enough to fill the previous reading spot!! Whooo. I believe this is the snow storm that we've been waiting for about 4 years now. It should significantly help our very low water table here in West Virginia. I just hope it doesn't take a LONNNG time to melt.

Ernie took pictures of the redbirds at the feeders. I was sloppy and got a lot of seed on the snow, but the birds pick that up too. There's a junco and several little brown birds, too

It's Snowing!

2009-12-19T09:32:00.012-05:00

It's snowing and it's beautiful. I'm very glad I don't have to go out today but I honestly thought we'd dodge this one since we live on the other side of the Appalachians and Blue Ridge mountains. Not so much, now. I have friends headed to Iowa today and they are gonna have a hard time slogging through Ohio, Illinois and Indiana!! (Be careful out there, Kathy!! And Mary, if you're reading this, I hope you two didn't head out yourselves on your trip!) This is the mother lode of snow this time. My DH took a picture out the garage door and it looks like we've got about 8 inches at 9:30am. It's still snowing and our "snow" man is saying we can expect snow through Monday. Woohoo!!

I made the mistake of heading to Walmart yesterday just to "pick up a few things". So did everyone else. And their brother. Bridgeport has a "Super Walmart" with 38 or 40 cashiers at the front of the store. I could count on one hand the registers NOT open!! Folks were 8 and 10 deep. A lot of folks would normally like this big snow, but not this weekend - not the last weekend before Christmas! Those poor retailers. Ouch!!

So, today I'm finishing up my holiday cards for my church families. I'm going with the assumption we'll make it to services tomorrow even though we live on a secondary road that won't get plowed right away. But if our "snow" man is right, we may not see a plowed road til Monday!!

Back to the cards....this time I did something a little different: I only did fronts, like a post card! I created the front just as if it were a folded card, stamped a sentiment on the back side, and signed under the sentiment. This way, I got 4 fronts from one sheet of cardstock. Here's the card. I'll stamp a Christmas image on the envelope and be ready to go. I hope you like it!

That's it for today, but I do want to thank all of you for reading my blog this past year. I'm looking forward to 2010 and all the adventures ahead of me and I'll take you with me through this blog! So, till next time, have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Much love to all of you!

We need another remote....

2009-12-16T10:53:00.015-05:00

My DH received his Christmas present early on Monday - a Blu-Ray DVD player. Sooo, he's playing with it and trying to show me how to use the remote. Another REMOTE!!! I just stood there staring at him. Then, I started counting. To use his newest toy, along with our satellite TV, and VHS player and all the other stuff, there's SEVEN remotes, JUST in the living room!!! I told him I was taking a picture for my blog and was gonna sound off on remotes, and he decided to get in on the action. He rounded up all the other remotes for the other televisions, and computers (yep, he has a TV on his Dell home computer) and we took a snap. Here's the picture - that's 13 remotes side-by-side. And, the really sad thing???? They all work! Please, somebody help him!!! HA! As if!

So, let's take a little poll. Use the polling box to the right and let me know how many remotes you own. We can follow the voting for the next few days. I just wonder if anyone else out there is married to a technophobe like I am. How many remotes do you (or your significant other) have? Let me know and I'll do a post on technophobes and their remotes. Right now, all I can do is shake my head and laugh.

I do have to admit that we are enjoying his early present, though I can see in the near future that a new TV may be in the works.... Maybe this one will have a remote, too. Oh, lord help us!!

TFS!

Melanie

Whatever happened to November??!

2009-12-07T07:15:00.007-05:00

Oh, my word! It's December 7 already! Whatever happened to November? It just flew by, but I bet you already knew that, right? We took a vacation with 4 other couples to Myrtle Beach one week and then spent 10 days in Tennessee visiting with my sisters and their families for Thanksgiving. Then I did a 1-and-a-half day Christmas Craft fair in our little town and now I'm settling down to decorate for Christmas and get my cards in the mail. The first night of the craft fair, our town had the Christmas parade and traffic through the fair was really good. During the night, it started snowing and by 3pm, there was at least 5 inches of snow on the ground. It was beautiful, but the snow kept folks away. We set up for the day by 9am, but packed it in at 2pm and headed for home. The roads were fairly slippery and I'm grateful to Ginette for driving us home. I have an invite to a little craft fair next Saturday one town over, so I may take what I didn't sell Saturday down there. I like the little craft fairs. It forces you to stay put in one area surrounded by your tools of trade and you actually can get some work done in between customers!

Well, the one GOOD thing about visiting with family and friends at Thanksgiving is that it absolutely forces you to get your Christmas shopping and wrapping done early so you don't have to mail those packages. So, I'm a little ahead of the curve there, but I've sadly neglected you and my blog to my detriment. I'm sorry.

I have no new cards to show you because everything I have was geared for the Craft Fair and I think I've shown you everything I had. I need to CASe some cards and get started on January. Wooo!! Right around the corner!

Of course, I should mention that our Occasions mini catalog will be in the mail to you soon as well as the Sale-A-Bration flyers. These start January 4th, 2010(!!) and I'll tell you frankly, that I believe Stampin' Up has outdone themselves this time! You will LOVELOVELOVE what we have to offer! Lots of top secrets and new toys to play with so be on the lookout towards the end of the month for your flyers! If you would like to be on my mailing list and receive these as well as future mini flyers, email me or check out my website here.

Remember that during Sale-A-Bration, as in the past, when you purchase $50 of Stampin' Up products, you can earn a free item from the SAB flyer OR (and this is new!!) any of the $15.95 stamp sets identified in the SAB flyer! How's that for a firstie?!! (NOTE: I had to edit this - sorry!)

So, stay tuned! Things are going to really get exciting in January!!!

You still have time to make those special holiday cards and get them in the mail, but you do need to ramp up your efforts! If you need any supplies, click on my shopping link to your right and get them ordered. Stampin' Up does offer a variety of shipping options, so if you need something, you can get it fast. Happy Shopping!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cell phones are the bees knees!

2009-11-10T07:15:00.002-05:00

We are a frugal couple....Not. But we do like a good bargain. Tracfone has a good bargain package for folks such as we are and they now have a nice cell phone with a camera by Motorola. It sells for about 29.95 at most Walmarts, too. I convinced my husband to let me buy the new camera phone and I've been having a blast. Who knew camera phones were so much fun!! But as with any newfangled device, there's a learning curve and I haven't mastered the transfer of my pictures to my computer! Dratdratdrat! So, you don't get to see my pictures!! But they are pretty!

Ah, well. Let's look at cards for today instead! Oh, no! I'm on the wrong computer and I don't have any of my card photos! GRRRRR!!! Bad planning on my part doesn't help you at all! Good grief. Sorry guys. I can't even come up with a good tip of the day for you. But at least I posted. Don't be mad - I'll be back as soon as possible.

TFSB!
Melanie

Apple Annie's

2009-10-29T08:30:00.009-04:00

Today's post starts with a good lunch. A couple of weeks ago, we spent a day with some cherished friends, Joe and Mary. The idea was to drive to Cooper's Rock in Morgantown, West Virginia, then eat lunch at a tiny cafe in Point Marion, PA, just over the state line from Morgantown. We had a wonderful day. It was overcast, and chilly, but as the day wore on, we shed the outer coats.

We had lunch at Apple Annie's and believe me, I couldn't have found the place without Joe and Mary! It's down one of those alleys that kind of give you pause if you're out at night. But the food was excellent and the service just right. I didn't get a picture of the place inside, so the outside will have to do. If you're ever in that area, I recommend them for lunch and DESSERTS!

So, did you know DESSERTS is "Stressed" backwards? I just love this - solve your stress by eating dessert!! Should be our mantra - HA!!

Christmas is coming - and I'm not ready yet!
Today's card is one of the first Christmas cards I've done this year. I CASe'd the card and cannot remember to whom I should give credit. If this pattern is yours, please shoot me an email and let me know. It took me three tries to get the size of the squares just right for die cutting the Top Note. One and a half inches - too big. One inch - too small. One and a quarter inches (1.25") - JUST RIGHT. If you have that size punch, you're ahead of the game. I didn't have that punch so I used my paper cutter. The only issue with this is, of course, exact measuring. Too much, and the squares sit on top of each other. Too little and you've got a large gap and an uneven quilt look - okay, so I'm not a quilter but at least I understand the measurements.

(All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Old Olive, Real Red.
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Encore Ultimate Metallic Gold (yes, SU carries this)
Designer Papers: 2008 Holiday Treasures (I don't throw DSP away - ever. But you can substitute your favorite holiday DSP)
Stamp: Dasher (The original had the two skaters from the Post Script stamp set)
Ribbon: Chocolate Chip grosgrain
Accessories: Vanilla Hodgepodge frame, vanilla brads
Other: Stampin' Up Dimensionals, SNAIL, Big Shot, Top Note

If you want further instructions, email me and I'll give you all the facts.

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment - I LOVE to hear from all two of you!! HA!

Daddy's Birthday

2009-10-20T09:49:00.005-04:00

My father will be 79 this October. He's got back problems, neck problems, pain and discomfort. But to me, he looks wonderful. We don't always agree on things (who doesn't?) but he doesn't berate me or make me feel little because of it. We love each other and that's enough for me. When my sisters and I were growing up in Tennessee, we usually took a trip in the fall to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains. The timing coincided with the annual fall craft fair and my dad's birthday. To this day, I love the Smokies. I am making my own memories now with my husband of 34 years, but it helps that we have a daughter that lives in Greenback, Tennessee, at the foothills of the Smokies!

But this post is in honor of my dad. I made this card for him and will mail it this morning. Even though he doesn't always read my blog, I'll still say this. Daddy, I love you. You're the first man in my life that I said that to and I know you love me, too. You've given me good advice (and didn't get too mad if I didn't always follow it), you've shown me admiration for my talents, and you've been a great encourager for both me and my husband. For that, we love you.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!
Your loving daughter

A Page out of Fall

2009-10-05T08:42:00.012-04:00

Fall is the earthiest of the seasons. It has the distinctive aroma of pumpkin pies, leaves burning, fireplaces and fall festivals. I love it all. Today's post is a scrapbook page I made for my scrapbook club - members of whom are arriving at 10:30 this morning! The background is Really Rust (an autumn glory color!), the DSP is Autumn Traditions and the stamp set....ta dah!! Autumn Splendor!! I used this stamp set with Versamark on the sidelines of the Real Rust background. You can juuuusst see them, barely! Then I used the same leaves stamped in Versamark on Chocolate Chip card stock, embossed them with SU's Gold embossing powder and cut them out. I used SNAIL adhesive for everything but I did use Stampin' Dimensionals for making the little acorns pop out and on the three maple leaves in the upper right corner.

The three 4"x6" scraps are Kraft and Old Olive and I used Whisper White for the journaling block. Of course, I didn't have time to put the pictures on, but I do have some of my husband with his three grandchildren several years ago. They are all growing up but this page will keep them forever at this age!!

This page was simple and oh-so-easy, but I really do struggle to come up with pleasing compositions for my pages. I study and study and study the work of others as well as scrapbook pages and I still struggle. I really do hope the club members like it. I should probably sign up for a very rudimentary beginner's class for scrapbooking!! HA!

Tip of the day:
If you are like me, you use those really good wet wipes for cleaning your stamps and you've noticed that when they are dry, there are tiny, peksy wisps of that dried wet wipe embedded in your stamp. Well then, grab an OLD(!!) eyebrow brush and have at those little wisps. It won't damage your stamp and you'll get rid of those pesky little white blobs!!

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by!

Fall Is Here And Class Is In Session

2009-09-29T22:18:00.005-04:00

Fall is definitely here, here in West Virginia. Today's high was in the 50's and very gloomy...more like an early winter type of day. So that means classes are in session. I've scheduled my very first Christmas Card Stamp-a-stack and am busy getting all arranged for those. If you're in the area and would like to sign up for those classes, check out my SU page, or click on the icon to the right to read about the classes. I still have room and since the classes aren't till November, you have a little tickle room for time. I'd LOVE to have you!

My Scrapbook Club asked for a change in our venue so here's a card we're going to do (if all goes well) at our club meeting next week. (I'm not sure they read my blog so I'm not giving anything away...I don't think.) We've changed the format just this once - one page and two cards. This is one of the cards. I absolutely LOVE this chocolate satin ribbon! Who would have thought how luscious it looks against the deep Rich Razzleberry?!! Gorgeous! I used Rich Razzleberry for the base card, Whisper White for the sentiment and Old Olive for the scalloped border. Believe it - the leaves are cut from the Bright Blessings jumbo roller!! The original card that I CASE'd called for another stamp set that I didn't have (“Falling Leaves”) so I improvised using the Bright Blessings jumbo roller, a companion to the Falling Leaves stamp set. I used Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive and Dusty Durango markers for coloring the leaves, held on to the two posts on the roller and then rolled the inked portion onto Whisper White paper. I cut the leaves out and used Stampin' Dimensionals to layer the leaf images to Old Olive and Dusty Durango card stock! Woo! Yum! The Chocolate Chip satin ribbon is simply double knotted around the front, the ends cut in an inverse “v”; the “Give Thanks” is from “Holiday Best” and is stamped in Chocolate Chip and Old Olive on Whisper White card stock; and the scalloped edge is done in Old Olive.

Remember the Hostess Special from now till November. Host a $250 workshop and choose any item (with the exception of “My Digital Studio” and the hostess-only items) for $10! That’s a monumental savings!!! Click on the shopping icon to your right and head over to my SU Webpage and check out the Holiday Mini items. Then click or email me your order!

That’s it for today. Thanks so much for stopping by!

A late bloomer

2009-09-26T09:25:00.003-04:00

I enjoy reading headlines...all kinds. I love the play on words, the puns (intended or not), the bon mots, even the pundits themselves (sometimes). I have even started reading the Op Ed pages of my local paper! Go figure. I'm not a political zealot, but you have to agree there's a lot of fodder out there for really funny headlines!!

Anyway, today's title comes about because fall is officially here and I'm not ready for it!! So, I was cruizin' Stampin' Up's website for a flower card I could make and this is the result. I must give a shout out to Cam Cao for her original idea. Although I changed some of my card stock and inks used, I still used her basic design. I really like this card. I just wish my scanner gave true colors because this picture looks like I used a lot of grays when in fact I used greens and oranges!! Grrrrrr!! The recipe follows.

Stamps: Bloomin' Beautiful Stamp Set
Papers: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, watercolor paper (unknown source), Old Olive Patterns (Patterns Pack III, Hostess item)
Inks: Stazon Jet Black, SU Basic Black Classic
Accessories: Tangerine Tango 5/8" sriped ribbon, Hodgepodge Hardware Styled Vanilla, Blender Pens, Stampin' Dimensionals, snail adhesive permanent, SU's watercolor pencils.

Thanks for stopping by!

Melanie

A first for me...posting a scrapbook page

2009-09-21T13:17:00.008-04:00

Today is a first for me. I don't think I've posted a scrapbook page before. So, here's one I did this morning. I used a template from Stampin' Up's website for demonstrators, but again, I had to tweak it because I didn't have all the recommended ink/paper/stamps. (Of course.) Anyway, the page is an 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 page with two pictures. The recipe follows this post.
I also CASE'd another card from the catalog - and made some changes. See, I have the markers for just about every color but I don't have all the stamp pads, so there. The ink pads really do make a difference. I tried coloring the medallion with the Crushed Curry marker (recommended color) and ended up using my So Saffron ink pad instead. Using a marker just ended up with a lot of stripes on the inked image. And, I used a different stamp sentiment. And the DSP is different. I used Crushed Curry for the scalloped edge. I have to laugh! It's all different, but still the same! HA!

Recipe for Scrapbook page:
Inks: Basic Black, Really Rust, Versamark, Old Olive
Cardstock: Kraft, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Whisper White
Stamp Set: Autumn Leaves (I'm not sure about the title - I'll check and get back to you.), Wonderful Words,
Other: Stampin' Dimensionals, snail, old olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Recipe for Card:
Inks: So Saffron Classic ink pad, Basic Black Classic ink pad
Stamp: Medallion
Cardstock: Whisper White, Really Rust, Crushed Curry
DSP: Autumn Traditions
Other: Snail

I'm sure there are some errors here. I'm typing this away from my Stamp Pad and I didn't write everything down before I left for the library. You probably know by some of my previous rantings, I have dialup. So, if I want to be efficient, I have to take my laptop to the library where broadband is free. If you catch an error, write a comment or email me and I'll straighten it up, pronto.

Thanks for visiting!!

Melanie

I'm Grateful Everyday

2009-09-19T08:18:00.009-04:00

Last night, I wanted to make a thank you or a grateful card, but couldn't seem to get my inner muse to wake up and design one for me, (lazy thing!) sooo, I went to the catalog in search of one I could CASE and I found this one. I tweaked it a little with the colors, but I think it comes close to being similar. The recipe follows the card.
See what I mean? Everyone needs a catalog!! It's full of ideas when your muse sleeps on you! I used my little white box to photo the card, but I think I had creased the card too much and it wouldn't stand up.

Recipe:
Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Whisper White
DSP: Autumn Traditions
Ribbon: Chocolate from Masterpiece Ribbon Originals®
Other: SU's snail, Stampin' Dimensionals®
Stamps: Bright Blessings jumbo roller

That's it for today. It's Saturday and I've got a computer that got fried the other night. My DH and I are gonna try to "unfry" it today so I can get my files off of the hard disk.

Tip of the day:
Have a heart truly full of gratitude and never hesitate to say thank you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dioramas for Tuesday

2009-09-15T09:04:00.005-04:00

My life.....well, I sign up for card swaps online and nearly get buried with life. I don't sign up and I've got all the free time in the world. Go figure.

Anyway, I signed up for a technique swap online with a great bunch of fellow stampers who are all very supportive and understanding (Hi, Lora!!). My technique of choice for my swap was the diorama card.When I finally came up with an idea, it came together as if it were meant to be! I think the card turned out really nice. The first picture is a head-on shot in my little white box. The second picture is a top-down shot so you can see how the elements all came together. And of course, with my photography skills, you simply can't see the pretty sparkle effect on all the little elements all over the cards. Well, yeah, the glitter on the front, but each of the elements were colored with an In Color marker and then a coordinating colored gel pen was used on top.I made six of these little cards - that means I hand cut every element at least six times - the little sea horses, 18 times! Whooo! I got familiar with the back end of the scissors really fast! I've put the recipe together for you below. All supplies are Stampin' Up with the exception of the swirls stamp on the front of the card which I have had for a bazillion years and can't remember where I got it, and the gel pens

Recipe:
Inks: 2009-2010 Stampin' Up! In Colors, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Dusty Durango and Rich Razzleberry (HA! I remembered all that!!)
Papers: Bermuda Bay, Elegant Eggplant and Old Olive
Stamp Set: Ocean Commotion and a swirls stamp
Glitter and Embossing Powders: Dazzling Diamonds and other SU products and the no-source gel pens
Adhesives: Snail and SU's sticky tape

Thanks so much for stopping by! Leave a comment because I truly do appreciate your input!

Confessions of a Former Craft-a-holic

2009-09-14T20:28:00.007-04:00

I love crafts - all kinds - you name it, I've probably tried it at least once and accrued a large amount of paraphernalia to go with it. But when I made my first card at a Stampin' Up workshop five years ago, I was hooked...line and sinker! Oh, boy! For five years, I attended workshops, hostess clubs, and stamp camps and I had a ball. Still, I resisted the siren call to become an SU! Demonstrator until this past February. I called Kathy and asked if I could come to her house; I had a lot of questions. She said yes. I spent several hours with her and the result is I signed on. I've never regretted the decision.

But, I continued to shop at craft stores. All kinds. I've got several diecut machines and loads of stamps. I had paper out the wazoo (is that a word??), both designer style and textured. But, the more I shopped, the more I felt this was just being really silly. I was selling wonderful, beautiful products from Stampin' Up! and I was consorting with...a craft store??? How could I convince my customers to buy top-quality products from Stampin' Up if I wasn't doing it myself? So, my loyal reader, I'm going to become a die-hard, boiled-in-the-wool, Stampin' Up! Demonstrator! I just love it when I get fired up about something!!

I want you to see that we've got the best product out there for your creative muse. I want to be your Creative Coach and help you bring out the best in your projects, big or small, one-time card or a 20-page scrapbook! You can do it! I can help you! I have juiced up my blog with links on the sides for you to follow for ideas, catalogs, and shopping.

So, call me or email me or come to my house and ring my doorbell - let's get together and create something! I'm ready for you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stained-Glass for Monday

2009-09-14T10:35:00.005-04:00

A good morning to you, dear reader! I've sadly neglected you these last few days (what do you mean...weeks??!) But, in truth, I have been busy, just not here on my blog and I do apologise to you. I've been out of town attending a "Gal Pal" reunion in New Jersey - had a WONderful time, but gals, it was tooo short! Can't wait till next year and the beach - a WHOLE WEEK!! Woohoo!!

Anyways, back to the stained-glass card. I made this for a card swap and had a blast making it. I used all Stampin' Up products except for the tiny pearls on the surface of the acetate. They were left over from a wedding project I completed back in July. I love the look of glitter but it makes an unholy mess, even when done exactly with exacting measurements in an exactly perfect surroundings. And you know what? I'm just not perfect. Not by a loooong shot, no sirree!!! Sooo, I had a mess on my hands, but I do believe I got the look I was aiming for. When doing stained glass on acetate, you stamp on the front and color on the back - hence you appear to be looking through stained glass. The tiny seed pearls are on the front of the acetate and I used pop dots to anchor the vase on the paper. The silly little white bow which now I do believe was totally unnecessary, makes the vase appear skewed but it's really not - maybe it's the flash from the camera that does that.

That's it for today. I hope your week has started off on the right foot. Say a prayer for your loved ones. I happen to know that God listens all the time.

God bless!

The Jackson's Mill Heritage Jubilee...

2009-09-07T05:41:00.006-04:00

I came home last night double-dog-dead-tired. The Jubilee had ended after 3 days and I was tired. Bone weary. The fair wasn't close by - we had to drive nearly an hour each way to get there and we had to be set up and ready to roll by the time the gates opened, and we couldn't close up shop until 7pm. BUT! Our little group of four Stampin' Up gals had done well. We had lots of lessons learned and the money we earned covered the expense of entering the Jubilee as an Arts-and-Crafts group. Kudos to the Country Roads Stampers! We learned last night at the end of the fair that since we've now been vetted (so to speak) we can apply next year for a booth at the Jubilee. I know if we do decide to apply next year, we will do some things differently. I need to type a "lessons learned" document for our group as none of us had done a fair of such magnitude - 4 FULL days, setting up and closing down, re-arranging tables to better suit customers who want to browse, answering questions, looking at other booths and trying to find what setup works and what doesn't. For me, I had thought I would have time to sit and actually work on some items I had in mind, but I found myself losing focus with patrons browsing, and trying to answer questions. I had to stop myself from griping about not finishing a project - I was there to sell!!!

We were surprised at what sold and what didn't sell. Of course, candy always does well, especially at Halloween (I know - it's next month, but the theme of the Jubilee was fall so we did halloween candy boxes!). One of our gals did hand stamping with halloween stamp sets for a quarter and racked up nearly 20 dollars in 1 day - mostly from children, but some adults liked it, too!! Still, beautifully packaged party-in-a-bag items hardly moved and they were gorgeous!! Decorated gift bags were a hit, but cards hardly moved. We had a small basket filled with the peppermint candies and put a "free, help yourself" sign up. One of our gals also put out a ginormous bottle of hand sanitizer next to the candy basket - we had LOTS of "thank you's" for that! Nice touch.

One nice thing did happen. A customer had bought several items and while I was bagging her items, one of the decorated bags fell out onto the ground. We all missed it until later and all I could do was send up a prayer that she would return for any reason! And she did! She said she had gotten lots of comments on her bag in which we had placed her items and she wanted to tell us that she had pointed a lot of people to us. (Yay!) She had not realized even then that she was missing an item! God answered my prayer and I gave her the missing item. Honesty is always good. Satisfied customer....returning customer. Priceless.

My biggest lesson for me was patience. It's been two years since I retired and I've had few opportunities to work in committees or groups. (Marriage doesn't count!) I had forgotten that committees and groups have more than one opinion or idea and mine doesn't always count!! Whooo!! Lesson learned! Be patient. AND NICE because nice matters most.

Oh, yeah. Last night I swore I'd never do this again, but a good night's sleep has changed my mind (or what's left of it) and I just might do it again with lots of changes!! No more 12 hour days - share, share, share that wealth!!

Have a good day and thanks for stopping by! I've got a ton of housework and a kitty that's been sadly neglected the last few days!

TTFN,

Don't you just LOVE a good lesson....

2009-09-01T08:33:00.003-04:00

....especially if it's the OTHER person that is being taught that lesson??? Oh, man, that confused even me! HA!! Let me explain. I am a Stampin' Up Demonstrator. I lost a potential recruit this weekend because I didn't follow up with her. She emailed me this morning and said that she had decided to join SU (UNDER SOMEONE ELSE!) so she could get the benefits since she wanted so many of the wonderful items that we sell. Oh, my! I had just "assumed" she could not afford to be a demonstrator and didn't offer her that chance! LESSON LEARNED. Everyone (no matter who or where!) deserves that chance. As my wonderful upline, Kathy, said, There will be others - live and learn. OUCH!!!

So, I pick myself up, dust myself off, dry my eyes, and promise myself that all my customers shall hear me talk about this wonderful company and have a chance to join!

Don't let this happen to you. But if it has, please let me know how you handled it.

Best to all of you!

Families and Water go together!

2009-08-17T07:30:00.009-04:00

Our youngest daughter and her two teens came for a weekend. The teens are 12 and 14 and were a barrel of fun! Their mom said their dad had a good, long talk with them before they came and that's why they were so well-behaved. I say it didn't matter. They were still a lot of fun to be around. We took them Friday and Saturday down to a local river where the water runs over tiny falls and you can see clear to the bottom. And guess what! My DH (twice!!) forgot his camera!! We had some good shots too, especially of the teens jumping off a large rock into a small hole at the base. I think I'll have to add "keeper of the cameras" to my long litany of jobs!! HA!!!

They left late yesterday and the house is so quiet. That's both good and bad. I can hear myself think and I'm thinking I'm sad they are gone! Doesn't that just speak volumes about how I miss my families??! I just get more committed to moving closer to them in the future.

To make things sweeter, my youngest grandson helped me tremendously with my small treat boxes, getting them ready for sale at the upcoming Jubilee in September. He has a good eye for color and composition and came up with some really good ideas for marketing the little boxes! I've found a fellow crafter in the family! Woohoo!! His mom helped us too by layering elements on the boxes and making sure they were securely fastened. Such fun!! I can't show you pictures because I want to sell them (that sounds so selfish!). But I can show you pictures of a recent swap I did at Cardmaker Magazine! Well, the picture is a collage of the 8 cards I made. When you have dial-up, attachments are your worst nightmare! And just forget about trying to download them to something like Photobucket! I'd still be going at it from last week!! HAHA!!!

The swap was a cute one - create 8 cards using Crayola colors - red, yellow, blue, brown, black, purple, orange and green. I used the Bold Brights from Stampin Up's color line and the Big Blossom flower. I inked the flower using the Bold Brights ink pads or markers (gotta love a marker!!)and then stamped another large background stamp on the inked Big Blossom. This removed some ink, resulting in a pattern on the Big Blossom flower. Then, I punched a one-inch circle from a sheet of super sticky tape, placed that in the center of the Big Blossom flower and then sprinkled color-coordinated glass beads on the tape. I filled in spaces with colored glitter that matched as close as possible. Lastly, I stamped Good Friend in matching colors on Whisper White and mounted that on cardstock, layering the friend stamp crookedly on purpose to add character. Aren't our friends usually slightly wackier than we are? (Well, we like to believe they are!) Because of the beads, I inserted each card into a clear acetate envelope for easier storage and shipping through the mail. (Can't wait to see what I get in return for this swap!!) The recipe for the 8 cards follows the tip of the day below.

I had a lot of fun and actually got this one done ahead of schedule. But, like the proverbial black cloud, I missed a card. I had been scanning in the cards and placing them in the mailer and I didn't put the last card scanned into the mailer. I didn't see the mistake until the next day when I was opening the scanner and saw the last card! AAIIIIIEEEE!! I let Terrie know by email that I was mailing the missing card that day. Oh, I am my own worst enemy when it comes to projects!! Whooo!!!

Well, that just about wraps it for today. I sure hope you're enjoying these last few days before your routine gets smacked upside down with school, projects and GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS!! (Well, are you??! You know you're already behind! It's August already, for pete's sake!! GO! GO! GO!!)

Tip of the day:
Learn to text your teens! My two grandkids gave me their "private" cell numbers and I texted them all the way home. (Of course, I asked them for their numbers.) That's how I learned they arrived safely and I didn't have to worry about them. How awesome is that!!

Recipe for cards:
Stamps: Big Blossom, Good Friend
Cardstock: Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, YoYo Yellow, Glorious Green, Only Orange, Brilliant Blue, Lovely Lilac.
Ink (Pads and Markers): Real Red, Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, YoYo Yellow, Glorious Green, Orange (Marvy Marker), Brilliant Blue and Elegant Eggplant (Didn't have Lovely Lilac).
Beads: No source (Michaels, JoAnn's)
Glitter: SU!, no source clear
Adhesive: Snail (SU!), Super Stick Tape sheet
Envelope: Clear acetate (SU!)

If you have any questions about the cards, email me!! Thanks for stopping by!

Life's Good, No Matter What!

2009-08-12T12:34:00.004-04:00

I have the best life! I've got dear friends, a husband who's crazy about me, a family I just can't get enough of, eternal security and decently good health. What more could I need? Nothing. I'm serious! So, everything else is just icing on the cake so to speak. Which is why I want to volunteer in my community. I've started with a volunteer stint at a local historical site, and I enjoy that, but there's more that needs to be done. I'm working on my DH to join with me in working as a volunteer at a local missions organization. He's not there yet, so I'll keep working on him.

In the meantime, I've been really busy with a family wedding (now past) and getting ready for a local crafts festival in September. In between, I've been working on swaps and I just realized I don't have the right pictures here on my laptop to upload! Shoot! I'll have to add the pictures later! What a dummy!

TTFN, but I'll be back!
Mel

Two weeks ago! Oh my!

2009-07-26T14:21:00.014-04:00

I had no idea so much time had flown by since my last post! I'm so sorry!! Whooo. But...I do have a couple of things to show you today, though, so maybe that will help a little with the withdrawal pangs! LOL!

Stampin' Up's Definitely Decorative items (formerly known as Decor Elements) have really expanded so, I went shopping. In the first picture, I chose Upsy Daisies for my black laptop. WOW!! Does it ever pop!!

I also like wall words so in the second picture, I chose Joshua 24:15 in black, and placed it in our foyer over a sweet black frame containing four stippled pictures given to me by my dear friend Mary. I'm honored to have several of her items in my home.

So, do you like? I know I do and I plan to shop here more often. Wait!! Did you know you could choose hostess gift items from their Definitely Decorative catalog?? Well, you do now! Contact me if you're interested in a catalog or if you want to place an order!

Tip of the day:
I love the Big Shot but I don't have all the dies (yet!) so I have to be creative in producing similar results to projects I've found. Here's one using the square scallop instead of the top note die. Score the square scallop from one corner to the alternate corner. Then using your crimper, place the square leading with one of the non-scored corners. Once it's crimped, crease along the scored edge. Your square/triangle is now ready to decorate a bag or box!

Thanks for stopping by!

Win $1,000 at TheCuttlebugSpot.com!

2009-07-12T15:39:00.001-04:00

I have just discovered that The Cuttlebug Spot is having a contest - "The Journey to 1,000"! They are trying to reach 1,000 followers by the end of July and need your help. To enter all you have to do is go to their site, sign up as follower and complete a few easy steps and you could win a $1,000 gift certificate to Custom Crops (www.CustomCrops.com)! GO NOW and check it out at www.TheCuttlebugSpot.com

The passing of a friend...

2009-07-09T09:13:00.017-04:00

Yesterday I received word that a former co-worker had passed away from a heart attack. He and I had worked in the same office (different teams) for nearly 9 years before we retired in 2007. Such a gentle giant, I had never heard him utter a curse or say an unkind thing about anyone. He never played a joke on me but he had a wonderful sense of humor. He retired 3 months before I did and to mark the occasion, he wore his tux to work his last day. I sat with him for about a half hour, talking about his aspirations for retirement, as anxious for my own, I was seeking validation of a decision he had made, too. He had a daughter in high school who shared his love of astronomy and they were going to capture the heavens.

His wife was a year younger than I. Shortly before she retired in September of 2008, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. She opted for chemo and radiation, lost all her hair but still, she came back to work a few weeks before she retired. I had not heard anything more about them until yesterday. You would have thought they had finally reached their apex, retired, fully vested in their retirement pension, and recuperating from her recent bout with cancer. And then he died. Such unbelievably sad news.

I didn't know him that well, our work took us down different paths, even in the same office. But his passing has rocked my world. I guess for a short time, he and I were contemporaries. We retired close together, we had worked in the same office, and we both had high aspirations for life after retirement. Now, I go on and he's not. I woke at 2am this morning with him on my mind. I got out my Bible and started searching for answers to a sorrow that I couldn't understand and for tears that I didn't know were there. God is so good and so gentle to those of us with sorrow in our hearts. I gripe and complain that life gets in my way of doing what I want, when I want, where I want....the very definition of selfishness.

I guess the whole point of this exercise is this and you've heard it before. You are not guaranteed your next breath of life. Make all the plans you want, but know that God is ultimately in control of your life, whether you like it or not, whether you believe in him or not. The best thing to do is to get on board with God and work your life out together, both for his glory and for your soul. I don't know where Steve stood in his spiritual life, but for me, I'll renew my faith in God and ask his forgiveness for being such a wayward child.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in his way. Psalms 37:23

Roosters

2009-06-28T15:37:00.003-04:00

In between church services this afternoon, I started playing around with the little rooster from the Rustic Rooster stamp set in the Level 2 Hostess Set. I did some searching for a pattern using this little fella and found a card to CASE on the SU website. The card map called for colors I wouldn't have put together but since I was in a playful mood, I decided "why not" and went for it. I'm not disappointed but the scan doesn't do it justice - IRL, he's a cute little thing. While I used all the cardstock colors called for in the original, I changed a few things and used the largest oval punch for the "Thinking of you" phrase. I also used a non-SU stamp for the french background which would instantly disqualify me from any SU challenge but since I didn't have the background stamp used in the CASE'd card, I still like the look. I sponged Rose Red around the rooster and Chocolate Chip around the oval phrase. I dunno, but I've just never gotten the hang of sponging edges to look nice - there's always a little too much or not enough. Well, I can still keep practicing.

Here's the recipe. Stamps used: Rustic Rooster, Sincere Salutations (both SU!), and Italian Poetry Background from Hero Arts; Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red and Whisper White. Ink: Chocolate Chip and Rose Red. Other needs: a crimper for the orange cs, the large oval punch, and the corner punch.

There's so many ways to change the look on this card - a little Dazzling Diamonds on the cock's comb would give a little sparkle to this fella. Using the scallop oval on the phrase and backing it with an alternate color is another change. I never got this little stamp set and I wish I had. Too late now - there's a new catalog on the horizon and I've seen what's in it!! Woohoo!!! Bring it on!!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful Sunday afternoon!

It's over.....all over....

2009-06-27T09:10:00.004-04:00

It's over. Vacation Bible School ended last night with a huge bang and carnival out behind the church. We had a really good week - lots of excited kids, loud screaming, skits, crafts, and of course Bible verses!! Our attendance every night was over a hundred - that does include the workers, though. I also hear that we were up by nearly 25 from last years' VBS tally! Yaay!! I worked with Debbie in crafts for 4 nights (lots of fun and huge messes!!) and then helped clean the church after all was over. I left at 9:45pm and the cleaning team was still going at it, vacuuming the sanctuary and cleaning the kitchen. For an event that lasts only a week, it generated a ton of trash!!!

Kudos to the kitchen team - not only did they prepare snacks for all the kids, they fed the workers every night!! Since almost all the workers had at least a 15 minute break sometime during the evening, they could pop into the kitchen and get fed a hot meal! Delish, ladies!!! And Thanks so much for your hard work!

My husband took pictures on Thursday night because one of the "official" picture takers was not going to be there. I haven't seen a single snapshot of any pictures taken during the week - that's okay. I'm sure there will be a photo show one Sunday night just to let the other folks know what happened that week.

In other news.....
Remember that the current issue of Stampin' Up's Idea Book and Catalog will retire come June 30th. If you have anything on your wish list that you think may be gone come July 1, now's the time to order it. Email me or call me, or just click on my SU link on the right and place your order! Also, if you haven't received a NEW(!) catalog, please email me or call me and I'll pop one in the mail for you pronto!

Tip of the day:
There's a really neat website that helps you put your SU colors together, both in paper and in ink. It's been on several SU bloggers' websites so I am enclosing it here for you to try. Not only does the list include the newest In Colors, it kept all the old In Color combos so if you still have a stash of old In Color card stock, you can use this to make new combos!! Have fun!

SU Color Combo

Thanks for stopping by!

Catalogs are here!!

2009-06-26T09:12:00.007-04:00

The wonderful SU Idea Book and Catalogs were delivered yesterday and I had fun delivering them to my customers who had preordered earlier! And yes! They are all they've been pumped up to be!! Beautiful projects, great tips and over a thousand products under $25!! Now's the time to get started on your holiday shopping! If you are interested in a new catalog, please email me and I'll see that you get one.

Today’s card is a CASE’d card from the Demonstrator’s corner on Stampin’ Ups website. This is such a wonderfully adaptive stamp set. Stamp the bird and branch on Whisper White card stock, then stamp just the bird and cut it out. Attach the bird with dimensionals over the first stamped image and watch it pop out!

The ingredients for this card are: Stamps – Friends 24-7 and Jumbo Wheel Friendly Words; Paper – So Saffron, Whisper White, Always Artichoke and Baja Breeze (Watch out – Baja Breeze is disappearing forever on June 30!); and Ink: Bordering Blue, Old Olive, Versamark and Close to Cocoa. Other products - Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, small oval punch (for the 24/7 phrase) and a small piece of coordinating Designer Series Paper (I found a piece of paper that coordinated with the So Saffron cs). When I rolled the Friendly Words jumbo stamp in Versamark, I rolled it on a whole piece of CS and then cut the CS using my paper cutter. This way, I saw exactly where to cut and had no words off the paper. (Hmmm - good tip there!)

I liked the stamp map of this card. I think I'll do something else with this map with another stamp set!

Remember, if there's anything you want or need from the retiring catalog, you have until 5pm EST June 30, to order it!

Tip of the day:
Happy is the gal who types with a warm cat in her lap!!

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by!

Friends and Thank you's

2009-06-24T08:00:00.010-04:00

I love my friends. They are the icing on my life's cupcake! Some of them are sweet, ssome tart, some down-home-ish, some very stylish, and some I've never met IRL!! But they all make up my life. Today's card is a thank you for a friend I've never met in person, but she's prettied up my life by sharing her creativity online at Cardmaker Magazine's crop forum. I won't tell you her name, because she may be reading this post, but today's card is a thank you for her.

I CASE’d this card from Stampin’ Up’s demonstrator corner. The stamp sets are Wagon Full of Fun and Oval All stamp set. I haven’t played enough with these stamp sets – it’s really a cute wagon, don’t you think? I never thought to put flowers in my wagon – I’ve always used a vase or a basket, but wagons suit just fine, don’t you think?

The ingredients are: Paper – Real Red, Certainly Celery, Whisper White and Chocolate Chip; Ink – Staz-On Pumpkin, SU’s Chocolate Chip, and SU’s Watercolor Pencils and Crystal Effects. The Certainly Celery cs is textured using SU’s Sizzix Texturz Plates Backgrounds #1. I used Crystal Effects for the centers of the flowers and could have used some glitter there as well, but when you’re working at 11pm, thoughts don’t always flow with the river, if you know what I mean!! LOL!!

I hope you liked it. Thanks to those who gave me input on my questionable card yesterday. I agree - something needs to be added and just maybe it should have been some DSP or ribbon. Still, I'm so glad you responded!!! That means someone is reading my posts! YAAY!!

Here's a tip of the day:
Don't trash those old card catalogs and mailings! You can use them for color ideas when you get new stamp sets! Lots of good ideas in those old cats! I have one from 1999 and wish I had all of them!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday...already??!

2009-06-23T07:41:00.005-04:00

I simply cannot believe this has happened, but it has. I was supposed to go away and come back with a zippy new blog site, but that has not happened. Life got in the way. I'm glad for that because without life, hmmmmm, well, there wouldn't be any blog!! HA!!

Sooo, today's entry is a card I made using one of the new hostess sets from the brand-spankin'-new Idea Book and Catalog!!! This card is made with Wings of Friendship, Hostess Level 2. Grrr!! Scanning this picture didn't do anything "good" for the colors I used!! They are MUCH softer IRL and the Barely Banana, a really pretty yellow, just screams at you here! ARRGGG!!! I used Barely Banana for the base, Whisper White for the layered and stamped image and Chocolate Chip for the scalloped oval behind the stamped sentiment. I used Brocade Blue and Chocolate Chip for the blue and brown colors and Marvy Marker's Bubble Gum Pink for the pink color (I haven't got all the SU markers yet, but I'm working on that!) I stamped and colored the bird and flourish on WW card stock, then stamped the little bird again, cut it out, and layered it using Dimensional Dots. I used double-sided tape to attach the stamped and layered image on the card base. I used a tiny pearl for the eye that I found at WalMart - it has sticky stuff on the backside so I didn't have to worry with glue on the pearl. I punched a scalloped oval in Chocolate Chip and layered the stamped sentiment using double sided tape. Truthfully, in real life, the card is very pretty, but I'll admit, with the flourishes in the corners, it still needs something. It's a standard 5.5 x 4.25 card, but I'm thinking I should have run a ribbon along the bottom or at least some DSP. Thoughts? Suggestions?

In case you're wondering where I've been, my DH and I went to Tennessee to help my sister and her husband move their business. They had grown so much that they were literally crammed into every inch of their little location, so they bought an older but MUCH larger office building about 3 miles from their older location. They wanted to be down for 2 days and turnkey by the following Monday. I'm happy to say they did it! Their new office digs are bright, colorful (and I mean COLORFUL!!!), and each employee now has his/her own office space. The business is Spectrum Lighting in Germantown, Tennessee. They sell lights (HA!!) to commercial enterprises such as buildings, coliseums, schools, malls, etc. I'm proud of them - they've done very well in their business!! So, to you my sister and brother-in-law, thanks for letting us "help" you!!

That's the news for today, but before I leave, let me give you a tip for the day:
I have a very hard time with regular tweezers, trying to hold tiny pearls steady enough to drop them where they belong. When I was shopping in Tennessee, I found a pair of reverse tweezers and decided to try them. I LOVE THEM!!! I should have bought them a looonng time ago! They work in reverse - you squeeze open around the object and when you let go, the object is held by the tweezers, relieving your hand! I found mine at Michaels, but I believe you can find them at ACMoore or Hobby Lobby. Well worth the drive and the money!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

I won an AWARD!

2009-06-13T09:23:00.002-04:00

I was given an award today by Lori! I'm supposed to list 10 things about myself, so here goes!

1. I was born in Fort Worth, Texas!
2. Retired from a very good job!
3. Married to my long-time sweetheart
4. Love thunderstorms (as long as there's no tornadoes like last night!!) HA!
5. I love cats and dogs and birds and giraffes and baby lions and......
6. I have two younger sisters and all their families
7. I'm a Stampin' Up Demonstrator
8. I actually like going to church services!
9. I love coffee but only regular
10 I am short!

There!
Now I have to send this to some people so watch out!!!

A Rubber AHA Moment

2009-06-08T20:47:00.003-04:00

I just had to share this "AHA Moment" with you! I've got the Big Shot and I'm loving that thing! But I don't like the teeny tiny slivers of whatever that are sticking to that Texturz Silicone Rubber mat, and I mean they stick!! I can't brush them off and I didn't want to wash it every time I used it, so I showed it to my DH. He suggested using my sticky clothes roller on it! AHA!! Would you believe it worked??! Squeaky clean and ready for business!!

Voila!!

Just had to share that! Thanks for stopping by!

New look, New style, new, new, new!!!

2009-06-08T11:00:00.002-04:00

Hi there! As this is Monday, I want to wish you a very healthy, happy and prosperous new WEEK! There's lots happening here at our home - we're prepping for a road trip and I'm prepping to redesign my blog....again! There's so much new stuff out there for designing blogs and websites and I realllllly want to learn how to pretty my site up for you! So, even though I'm not shutting down, I'm going to be spending time learning all about designing a blog! Sounds like a LOT of fun! I like this kind of stuff! I hope to have my new site up and running by Monday, June 15. So, stay tuned!!

Tip of the day:
Take pictures of, or scan EVERYTHING you do (at least in crafts!) It's a sanity saver! (Not that I'd need my sanity saved :)

Thanks for stopping by!

I Love To Scrapbook!

2009-06-04T10:13:00.002-04:00

Well, I do...now! Last night, I put together a 20-page scrapbook, using a scrapmap from Stampin' Up and I gotta say, That's AWESOME! I used the soon-to-be-"Last Chance" Tailor-Made Scrappin' Kit and the coordinating 12x12" textured card stock. It's very "tailored". HA! I made a pun! Heehee!! Now, notice I did NOT say I've put any pictures on those pages yet - hey! One step at a time, right? That will come later and believe me, after living 56 plus years, I've got plenty of pictures to post to those tailored pages! Oh, well. They are put together and now, I'm going to offer a Scrapbook-In-A-Day class at the end of July. Once the new catalog is out and EVERYONE can see all the gorgeous, beautiful papers and kits, I'll have all the logistics for the class available and fliers out for the class. Can't Wait for That One!!

I've also been working on crafts for our church's Daily Vacation Bible School to be held in a few weeks. One is a little scrapbook made entirely from card stock. All the stock has been cut and I've embossed the front piece with the dots texturz plate using my brand-new Big Shot. (How did I ever get along without that big boy!!) The kids will punch out the holes for the brads or ribbons and put their pictures on the insides. We're taking their pictures the first night so they can have them for their books.

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures to show you - I'm off to the Mansion today for my "tour of duty" - I'm a volunteer at the Mansion once a week. I have a lot of fun with that task! So, I'll take pictures of the scrapbook for the kids that I put together as an example and post it later tonight.

Hope you all have a wonderfully quiet day - it's raining here in West Virginia.

I'll leave you with a tip of the day:
A Winner isn't the one who "wins", it's the one who gets up again when she's been knocked down for the third or tenth or hundredth time! I think all of you are winners in my book!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesdays and losses

2009-06-03T13:51:00.002-04:00

My niece's team, the Purple Thunder, were downed by the Lady Lightning team last night in a double header softball game. Their only losses for an otherwise outstanding season - 13-0!!

My sister said the PTs made all kinds of defensive errors, dropping the ball, and that was just the first game. They lost that one 22-8. The second game was better - my niece threw a long ball to first to get the girl out, but their heart was gone.

My niece was mowed down by the umpire who didn't see her, and knocked her flat on her back - she almost did a backwards summersault. But that little girl got back up and kept playing!!! Way to go, honey!!

My sister said, "After they lost the second game, McKenzie was in tears saying she didn’t deserve to be on the all-star team. I told her that watching her get back on her feet and continue to play after being knocked down by a grown man confirmed to me that she was an all-star."

It was a great season and now today we start the all-star tournament season.

WOW!! What a season!!

For my Stampin' Up Customers, June is an excellent month all-around for Stampin Up - the "Last Chance" list comes out, and hostesses can earn extra bucks for their shows! If you have a workshop that totals between $250 to $399, you receive an extra $20 in hostess dollars from SU! If your workshop is over $400 (WOW!!), you receive an extra $40 in hostess dollars! Woohoo!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Softball followup

2009-05-31T14:45:00.002-04:00

Just a note to follow up after yesterday's post. My sister told me she left some "good" news out of her email yesterday. My niece was invited to join the All Stars for the summer! It's a chance to learn good pitching skills so you don't injure your arms or shoulders while pitching. They really thought about it, but my sister also has a 2 1/2 year old at home, one who's not quite potty-trained yet. The All Stars travel and that's an added expense and she couldn't start until after they get back from their annual vacation - she would have missed several weeks. So, they turned the chance down....this year. Next year is "kid-pitch" so they are going to see that my niece gets some private pitching lessons this summer (did I not mention she's the pitcher??)

OOOORAH, Purple Thunder!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Home Runs and Little Girls

2009-05-30T17:38:00.005-04:00

My niece in Tennessee is nine years old and one of the stars on her softball team, the Purple Thunder (and yes, I'm braggin'!). I've missed all her games this year, unfortunately, but her mom, my sister has been keeping us updated. Their last regular season game was last night and according to her, a nail-biter to the end. It was one of the few games where they played "come-back kid" and won, 8 to 7. Their final count for regular season, 13-0!! WOW!! Today, they played for the semi-championship and won against a team they narrowly beat earlier in the season. The Championshp Game is next Tuesday night at 6pm and I would give my eye-teeth to be there!!! My sister said "who knew 9-year-old softball could be so fun"!!! Way to go, Purple Thunder!! (Don't you just love that team name?!)

It seems I've been very busy this week, constantly on the go, and generally being away from home for the better part of nearly every day. And yet, I can't really tell you what I've accomplished! Now, THAT's a scary thing! I know I've been busy - we spent yesterday at the movies - saw the new 3-D UP! movie, went to Home Depot and bought flowers for the boxes, worked at the Mansion on Thursday, and, Oh, Yeah. Celebrated 34 years of wedded bliss with my hubby! That's what I did!! That's more like it.

On the other hand, I haven't done do-diddly in card making. I HAVE scrapped two pages for this Monday night's Scrapbook club that will meet for the first time at my house. Got all their supplies ready. That's good. And, I put a page together of 12 scraplings that I received from a swap over at CardMaker Magazine. They're so cute! I should do more of that, too! I wonder if this means my "mojo" is gone? Let me show you what I mean. This afternoon, after I had done some bookwork (i.e., filing and paying bills), I tried to make just a fun cupcake birthday card. What was I thinking???!

Okay, stop laughing now. I must have been asleep when I started making the card. At least I got you to laugh, right? T'aint a card to go braggin' about, I'm sure, and I know it's not my "best". But, I'll wager you've made a card or two that you wonder "where did THAT come from"??! Ah-HA!! Thought so!

So, there you have it. The good, the bad and the very ugly. Geesh.

Glad you stopped by! I'll try to update you on the Championship Game next week!

Home Sweet Home

2009-05-23T10:01:00.003-04:00

We returned home to West Virginia in the early evening hours last night. I had forgotten this is a holiday weekend (I'm retired! Everyday's a holiday!) and was utterly amazed at the amount of traffic on I-81 and I-70 on the return trip! People were loaded to the top and I do believe all of them were headed to West Virginia for the weekend! I thought they were going to follow me up my driveway!! HA! Seriously, though, I think I lost most of them in Morgantown. WHERE are they GOING??!

We had driven to New Jersey to visit some dear friends in Williamstown that we hadn't seen in several months. We had a WONDERFUL visit and played lots of card games and ateateateate! She's the bestest cook in the world, bar none. She's the one that everyone else tries to emulate when it comes to her apple pies! Wooo! Good!!!

We're home now - I did the laundry last night and filled all the bird feeders this morning. My DH has headed up to the church to cut the grass and I'm going to the PO to pick up our held mail this morning. If I don't we won't see any mail til Tuesday (which isn't such a bad idea, really - who wants to see doctors bills and ads on such a glorious holiday weekend??)

No cards - gotta get crackin on that. though! This week was all about friends and family - no stampin', no bloggin', no nothin'. Wonderful just to relax and enjoy our friends. We did drive up to Ocean City, New Jersey one day just to walk on the beach. That was really nice. We ate an early dinner at a nice seafood place and got home in time to play some more "hand-and-foot", gals against the guys. Loads of fun. We're looking forward to visiting with them again later this summer. Hope you have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend! Remember our heroes!

Thanks for stopping by!

An Indigo Bunting and Cardinal...

2009-05-17T08:15:00.008-04:00

This past week, we've had birds of all kinds at our feeders, but my DH caught these two beauties one morning at our front yard feeders! In 13 years here in WV, we've only seen an Indigo Bunting twice. At least this time we caught it "on tape". IB's aren't really rare, jst rarely seen I guess! A friend said they must be just passing through and we are a lucky home where they stop to feed.We have lots (and I mean LOTS) of cardinals and goldfinches and we keep our feeders full for the most part but to catch these two beauties on the same day??! Awesome!

In other news: I survived the Open House! YAAY!! I had 5 guests and received a booking for a workshop, and a $400+ order. It was a good day. Lessons learned: too many projects, (okay, okay you told me so!! :), not enough time talking up the DSP special, and I inadvertently insulted one of the guests by my excuse for a scrapbook page. I thought it was cute, but when I saw her scrapbook pages (she brought them with her), oh my goodness! AWESOME!! I told her she should be selling SU because she's so good about putting pages together with her eye for color and composition. She said she spends hours on one page so she wouldn't be good at this. HA! As if!! Wooo! Made me want to go back to college and get my degree in C&C!! (Color and composition!!)

Everyone came away a winner with the door prizes. They were the good thing, I think. The day was overcast so the soup and bread were a hit and I had made cupcakes for dessert with a paper daisy as a topper (no, I didn't make the daisies - should have).

I'll do it again, but not right away. I've got a scrapbook club starting in June and a workshop to prepare for (a first actually away from home!).

So, thanks very very much to all you wonderful folks who held me up in your thoughts and prayers and encouraged me with ideas and thoughtful comments! You helped me immensely and I appreciate you a great deal.

Tip of the Day:
If you haven't already done so, start an idea file. Get one of those multiple flap folders and label them, "punch ideas", "scrapbook pagemaps", "glass ideas", etc. This idea came about when I sat at my desk with my 3-ring binder and realized it was bulging with no apparent order to the mess. OUCH! If you've already done this successfully, let me know! I'd love to hear your take on this tip!!

Thanks for stopping by!

And the countdown begins....

2009-05-14T08:04:00.003-04:00

Now, don't laugh! This is my first Open House since I signed on with Stampin' Up and I'm highly charged right now. And I don't mean in a "good" way either. I invited over 60 people and they are dropping like flies on a cold winter day. That's so discouraging to me. I know the 10 percent rule. After all, I sold those beautiful Longaberger Baskets for over 5 years. I remember how hard it was to get people to attend home shows even then. Both my husband and my upline Kathy have told me over and over that everything is going to be fine and I'll fully enjoy the day no matter who attends the open house. I've got tons of door prizes and a really nice grand prize to be given away at the end of the day. I have 5 make-and-takes for their choosing and two scrapbook pages. I've got a huge pot of soup with crusty bread and good desserts. I've talked it up, sent emails, called them, sent personal invitations, what else can I do? So tell me, those of you who have gone before me and paved the way, how do you entice the populace to enter in?

Okay, enough whining on my part. I'll pick myself up and keep going. Here's a card I've set up as a make-and-take. I CASE'd the card from Janet Elam on the SU website, and made it almost the same way but did the flowers differently. It's done on that fabulous Baja Breeze (I'm gonna miss that color come July!) with Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze ribbon. I used Baja Breeze Classic Ink and Chocolate Chip cardstock. The squares are 1 3/8 inches square, so I used my Cricut to cut "A LOT" of those little squares. I used Stickles for the glitter in the middle and used the flower from the Eastern Blooms stamp set. It's a nice card, appropriate for just about anyone on your list! (You should have seen me trying to center that flower on those little squares until I realized they weren't SUPPOSED to be centered! Once I realized that, I actaully had fun making those little squares!! HA!)

Tip of the Day:
Never give up. Never give up. Never, never, never give up.
(paraphrased from Winston Churchill)

Thanks for stopping by!

Open House and some goodies

2009-05-12T10:20:00.007-04:00

Good morning!! Have you noticed that today is MAY 12 ALREADY??? Where did the time go? Did you have a wonderful mother's day? I'm a step-mom and I got a card from my Tennessee step-daughter. My DH also gave me a dozen red roses and stood up in church and publicly declared he loved me! Now that really captured my heart! He's my sweetheart through and through.

I've got an open house coming up this Saturday May 16 from 10am to 3pm. If you're going to be in Philippi, give me a call and come see the fab new products from SU! I'm demo'ing the new circle cutter - love that baby!!! My upline is lending me some goodies to showcase the Big Shot since I don't have that tool yet (It's on my wish list, though!!) I've got several make-and-takes ready to roll and I'll put on a big pot of soup with some bread and crackers and maybe a brownie or two. Can't wait!!

One of the items I've made just to showcase as a potential class is a wonderful box with 5 note cards in them. I CASE'd them from Kelly Ramey on SU's website. I changed her colors to real red, Basic Black and Basic Gray and used the wonderful Walk In The Park designer series papers. I didn't have SU's gorgeous Whisper White satin ribbon, so I used ribbon from JoAnn's Fabrics. The box is the only thing I'm showcasing here - if you want to see the cards, too, then hop on over to my pad and let me show you!!

Here's where I really digressed. I didn't have the note cards that were listed in the plan and their size is really important if you want to make these cards. So I took a generic white card stock, cut them down to an A2 size and then trimmed them to the note card size. A lot of waste - I need to order some of those note cards and envies. But you make do when you don't want to do without!! And time was of the essence in getting some of these projects ready to showcase Saturday.

Tip of the Day:
Keep those scissors sharp!! It makes all the difference in your projects and time.

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm Ba-a-ack!! Whooo!

2009-05-06T08:27:00.010-04:00

Has it really been a week since I last posted??! Yep - one week ago today. Remember when I said housework could kill ya? Well, I can tell you it doesn't because I'm still here but I DID end up in the ER last Friday. Turns out the doctors "think" my symptoms pointed to a UTI and sent me home with an antibiotic prescription. Doing better. Working on my open house/workshop on the 16th of May.

Now, here's a card I did over the weekend from an envelope and a chipboard butterfly. (Tell me why IRL is always better??) The card really is a lot prettier than this scanned image - I just simply can't get the scanner to work - must be "user malfunction", right? LOL!
The card is made from a flimsy A2 envy. I rubbed a clear Versamark ink pad all over the envy and then dusted with White Perfect Pearls powder in the middle and gold Perfect Pearls powder along the edges. I just used my finger to do the gold. Then I stamped butterflies (from SU's God's Beauty stamp set - a level one hostess set) all over the front of the card in Apricot Appeal. For the large butterfly, I smeared glue all over the top and covered the butterfly in patterned paper (apricot and white dots and swirls) and used SU's sticky tape to make a striped pattern and layered large and small clear beads. I used foam pop dots to hold the butterfly away from the paper. Love the look IRL!! Once I had done all my decorating, I cut 1 and 1/4 inches off one of the short ends; the longer part of the envy was smooshed through a crimper, long ways first.

For the inside, I made a small insert for the envy. I stamped another butterfly, again in Apricot Appeal on Whisper White paper, and gold embossed "a Note for You" (from another SU set, can't remember which one) on top of the butterfly. I then layered the cardstock this way: Whisper White, Creamy Caramel, Whisper White and Gold Mirricard. I see that the Note part could have been a little lower over the butterfly, but I still LOVED it! IRL is soooo much better, believe me! I'm going to showcase this technique at my open house next Saturday, so maybe it IS better that the pic isn't really clear!

I'm looking forward to that day - there's gonna be a lot of activity both in scrapbooking and in card making. I love the way SU demos have banded together to help each other out. I could not do this if they had not already "been there-done that" and DOCUMENTED what works for them - forms, flyers, tips and tricks! Thanks guys! You rock!

That's it for today, Thanks for stopping by! I really appreciate the well-wishes from folks while I was down for the count last week. I'm back and getting better and have gone back to Curves.

Tip of the Day:
I have lots of stamp sets, and it's hard, sometimes, to remember what I had wanted the set for. So, this is what I do. Once I've assembled the stamp set, I copy the picture that showcased the set from the catty and put the pic inside the stamp set holder. Now, when I pull the set out, I can at least see one suggested use for the set!

Our Cardmaker Crop is in full swing!

2009-04-29T15:51:00.013-04:00

We've finished posting all the challenges and games for our second Crop but the activity is still going strong since we have till midnight May 1 (Friday) to finish the challenges and get them posted. Sooo, if you haven't joined in, please do!!! Just follow that little blinkie on the right and jump right in and I mean you!!!

Here's some of my answers to the challenges we've posted.
The first is Terrie's "Dry Embossing" challenge. I used a friend's Cuttlebug some time ago and did a lot of dry embossing using her plates so I was ready for this one since I don't have a Cuttlebug (yet!). UNFORTUNATELY (darnit!!), you can't see the embossing on the white card stock!!! Darn cameras! Believe me, it IS dry embossed!! HA!

The second one is Jane's "Color Your World" challenge. We had to use a stamp that we could color with any medium. I chose the little old gal in SU's "Golden Oldies" set from the newest Occasions Mini catty. She reminds me of me so often! I placed the background cardstock slightly askew since I'm frequently "slightly askew" at my age, heehee!! She was fun to do!

My third one for today is from Lora's "All the Girly Stuff" challenge. I CASE'd a friend's card she did for me on St Patty's Day. But since Lora's challenge was to make a card all pink, well, I did it all in pink. The brown ribbon was allowed because it has pink dots. but everything else was pink! The vellum is pink with pink flowers and I used a pink cardstock for the base. I believe I used Regal Rose for the ink on the four hearts, and I used a heart punched out with SU's three hearts punch. (Thanks, Miss Mary!!)

I did three other challenges and am not quite done yet with more challenges from Saturday. I also want to showcase the two challenges I had and some of the cards that I received for those two. But that's for another day.

As for housework, this morning I tackled our master bedroom and dusted, dusted, dusted...I'm dusted out. I started at the top and worked my way down to the floorboards. Yuck!! I'm telling you, housework is the pits. That's why I never do it until the house is screamin' for help! But it's done. I washed the curtains and hung them back up (thank goodness for washable curtains!). It's clean and now I can enjoy the evening. Tomorrow's another day and another room.

Tip of the Day:
Lots of us are finding our budgets are tighter, we're staying home more, shopping less (GASP!!), and I'm with all of you on this. In these times, let your thriftiness shine through. Swap out instead of buying new - join online groups that have like interests and see if you can trade or swap those items you don't or can't use. Check out www.splitcoaststampers.com and see if someone has a need for what you have and swap out! We're all in this together!

I love your comments and get the biggest laugh sometimes when I'm reading them! You folks are good for my soul and you keep me humble too! Thanks so much for stopping by!

It's Definitely Spring Cause I'm Housecleaning...

2009-04-28T12:53:00.005-04:00

Oh, yeah. The signs of spring are everywhere, birds are singing, lawn mowers are crankin' up and I'm in the throes of housecleaning. There's actually been a study (I'd say who cares??) that 95 percent of us really do enjoy cleaning. Well, I do enjoy a clean house, but I don't enjoy the process to get there. This morning, I tackled the bathrooms. Whoo. I just never think of "dusting" in the BATHROOM!! Who'd think that the room we use to get so clean could be so dirty. I mean, c'mon! All that steam and soap and hot water??! But, I really got into it with dusting the tops of the shower, the tops of the medicine cabinets, the shower rods, the towel rods, well, you get the idea. They are clean. For now. Tomorrow, I'll tackle our bedroom. I figure in a month, everything will be clean and good to go for the summer. So, tell me - does it always take that long to do the spring cleaning???

Now, I'll tell you some other news - I'm hosting my very first Stampin' Up Open House/Workshop in three weeks! I'm full of beans about it, planning all kinds of goodies and make 'n takes, and scrapbook pages. I'm lovin' this! So, it's kind of like shopping on steroids, trying to get everything organized and enough supplies ordered. I made two cards and one scrapbook page last night to see if it could be worked into the day and I'm happy about those. I may try a couple more scrapbook pages, showing how to take a card and turn it into a scrapbook page. I've planned this as a sort of Mom and Daughter thing, since I invited children to this workshop. Since this is truly a business venture, all of this will be free to the folks who attend. Can't wait!

Oh, I received a suggestion to bullet my steps in my tutorials for easier readability so I'll do that in the future. I want my readers to understand what I'm trying to say, so if this helps, it's a winner in my book!

Tip of the Day:
Always take time to listen. You just might hear a tiny "I love you".

Thanks for stopping by!

This is Friday...I think!

2009-04-24T15:22:00.005-04:00

I have to rant. I absolutely! positively! withoutadoubt! HATE dialup internet access. That said, I'm glad I have a laptop so I can at least drive to a library to access the internet using their free wi-fi service. Still, it's so very, very inconvenient. I live in a part of West Virginia where cell phone service is very poor (only one bar) and both Verizon, AT&T and Sprint all have told us we cannot use their internet doohickey thing on our laptop. And don't even get me started on satellite access - what's the sense of that when you have to pay exorbitant prices to get it!!! Still, my DH and I both know that moving just for the sake of internet accessibility is not an option. So, I'll deal with the driving to the library. At least it's only 5 miles from my house. Oh, yaay. Thanks for letting me rant.

Anyway, I do have a technique I want to share with you today. It's called "Faux Diamond Dust" and it is a pure sparkler, especially with the holidays. I LOVE the Christmas holiday and I'm going to show this technique with a holiday card I created several Christmases ago.I scanned this picture in this morning and was not completely happy with the result, but here goes.

Create a card using any cardstock (I used Night of Navy, Whisper White and Bordering Blue). Stamp a focal point on your Bordering Blue cardstock and color the image if necessary. Cover the entire surface of your stamped and colored Bordering Blue cardstock with a Versamark pad using the Direct-To-Paper method. Once you cover the entire surface, sprinkle Heat and Stick powder over the surface. Be liberal here. Use a heat gun to melt the powder (be careful and don't burn the powder). Immediately sprinkle Diamond Dust glitter on top of the powder. Shake off the excess and reheat to set. Mat the completed Bordering Blue with Night of Navy; mat that with Whispering White and then mount this to your card. Pretty, isn't it!! This is the card I learned to use the heat and stick powder and DTP methods. I love the card so much that I made it my holiday card for that year! The lesson is to use the H&S powder liberally and take care not to burn the powder. If it's burned, believe me, you might as well start all over - yeah, I learned that one the hard way. Try it (not the burning part!)! I'd love to see your creations!

Tip of the Day:
Those little Gerber baby food containers are the perfect size for storing your buttons, brads, small diecuts, glitter dust, and embossing powder. So, if you don't have a baby in the house, find someone who does!

Thanks for stopping by!
Mel

Lots and lots and lots of.....well, Information!!

2009-04-22T10:13:00.004-04:00

Cardmaker Magazine CARD CROP
We're gearing up for our second Card Crop over at Cardmaker Magazine! That means we've been creating challenges and games for all of you to play online for the next week. Starting tomorrow morning, there will be at least 4 challenges and two games and then it just gets better every day. The neat thing about a Crop is that you can play 24/7 so there isn't any immediate time constraint on you to complete a challenge. (Well, I think there's a time limit on a couple of games. Follow the blinkie on the right for more information.)

All the challenges and games will be posted over the next 3 days - Thursday, Friday and Saturday. You have until midnight Friday, May 1, 2009, to upload your version of the challenges and your answers to most of the games. See?! You really DO have a lot of time to play.

I am a hostess so I've spent a good amount of time on my two challenges and games. I do hope I can convince you to play! It's fun, only slightly educational, and cost effective since most of us already have on hand what it takes to play! The only requirement is that you must register with the site, but it's FREE, so go ahead and play! I challenge you!!

More Stampin' Up! news:
Stampin' Up is a fab place to shop for your cardmaking supplies, but it's also a wealth of supplies for Scrapbooking! So, to help all you diehard scrappies out there, SU is having a sale the whole month of MAY!! Since May is National Scrapbook Month, SU is offering a "Buy three packs of Designer Series paper (including our Specialty Designer Series paper) or 12" x 12" textured card stock, and get one FREE!" sale!! These are coordinated kits with cardstock, self-adhesive die cuts, and patterned paper. You can trim the sheets to create 6" x 6" or 8.5" x 11" pages for your scrapbooks. There's a scrapbook kit for babies, weddings, parties and even one nicely masculine kit for the men in your life! Grab a friend or two and head over to the site to check the kits out.

There's a second surprise coming, also, that's only available during the month of May! It's a sneak peek stamp set called the Jumble Alphabet stamp set! I'll showcase it tomorrow for you!!

Now, what more reason do you need to check out the website? Click on my link to the right and go shopping! If you have any questions, email me and I'll answer as soon as I can! (Promise!)

Tip of the day:
Save those sticker sheets! They come in all sizes and are an unexpected source of acetate for your windows in your cards and boxes!!

Mea Culpa and Tender Mercies, Please!

2009-04-19T16:21:00.003-04:00

I've done the very thing that I thought I'd never do. I've forgotten a card swap and left all the folks hanging. I wasn't the hostess, but that's no excuse. The cards were due last week and I got a sweet email from the hostess today asking if I was still participating. Oh, man! I feel badly. I just completely forgot. That is the ultimate sin in card swapping because so many folks are relying on each other. I've thrown myself on the mercy of the forum and the hostess. I can only hope they forgive me and let me back in to participate. The funny thing - I mailed off two swaps yesterday that aren't even due till May!! I thought I really had things on the ball!

I have calendars and sticky notes and spreadsheets and I'm looking at a list right now on my board and this one swap is simply not there. I don't know how I missed it - when I got her email, I immediately started searching for the swap and sure enough - I had signed up March 10 for the swap. Anybody got a dozen cattails for me to flail myself with?

So, word of warning, keep yourself square when you're participating in these swaps. Don't do what I did, please!!

Tip of the Day:
Someone asked me how I come up with a tip every day. Well, most of them are what I call "lessons learned" and today's post is a good example! Find a month-at-a-glance calendar and pencil in when your swaps are due. Then, read your calendar daily!!

Smiles and hugs!
Thanks for stopping by!
Mel

What a wonderful week!

2009-04-18T10:18:00.006-04:00

I'm back from a wonderful visit with my sister-in-love and her family and an overnight trip on the way home to visit with our daughter and her family. I love these trips. I get to re-connect with my loved ones and check them out personally to assure myself they are all okay. And they are! I came back with good news - my friend's youngest daughter is getting married in August - finally set the date and I'm thrilled. Her betrothed is a wonderful guy. I'm sure they will both be very happy together. I offered to make their wedding announcements and they accepted, so she and I sat down and designed her announcement! It's going to be really cool! She chose Baja Breeze and Close to Cocoa with accents of Whisper White and Chocolate Chip! What a combo!! I've got to order the supplies and get cracking! If she likes them, maybe she'll let me post a picture for you!

On to cards and bookmarks! This week at Cardmaker magazine, I was the host for an online challenge. So my challenge was to make a child's bookmark with a frog, lots of dots, and the word "friend" somewhere on there. Here's my rendition:

I used the frog from SU's "Unfrogettable" stamp set. The dots are from ACM (probably Cosmo Cricket, I think, but don't hold me to that), the ribbon is SU, and I stamped the letters using a little stamp set I found in the dollar bin at ACM, and googly eyes (Michaels). I used a 3/8 inch punch to punch out the letters and I used popdots to layer the letters and the frog. If you want to see more renditions, pop over here to the dotty froggy bookmarks at Cardmaker Magazine.

Tip of the Day:
I keep a container of baby wipes in my craft room. They're good for wiping my fingers after doing a lot of inking, cleaning my stamps, and cleaning the work area. I can also use them to do neat designs on my SU glossy paper. I'll do a short tutorial next Friday on baby wipes and glossy paper!! How's that for a teaser?!

Thanks for stopping by!
Mel

A Friend card for a Friend

2009-04-11T10:14:00.006-04:00

I belong to several fab groups of carders and have made good friends from border to border and ocean to ocean! If we ever met in person, whoa! What a party!! We're always setting challenges and conducting swaps with each other. We even make cards for non-profit organizations, but that's a story for another day. Here's a card I did recently for a friend out in the "Wild West". Most of the products are from Stampin' Up, but the patterned paper is actually doll house wallpaper! (See what I mean about shopping "everywhere"?) I just liked the look of the whole thing. Nothing fancy, just a sweet card for a friend.

A side note - we got a phone call from our tax lady this morning - all good news and bad news (well, consider the news itself!). So, I owe, owe, owe the IRS and West Virginia....of course! The good news - we beat the deadline with 4 days to spare and frankly, that just added more gray hair. So, I colored it - the hair I mean! HA!

Tip of the day:
As Norm Abram, guru to the woodworkers, would say: Measure twice, cut once. That's even more important to a carder when she is measuring expensive patterned paper! When you do cut, cut only one sheet at a time, even if you're pressed for time. Nothing more heartbreaking to realize you've made a measuring error and ruined not one, but two pieces of paper! ('Nuff said - voice of experience!)

Have a Blessed Easter!

2009-04-10T09:31:00.003-04:00

I don't have a post for you today and I know it's a technique day. But I have a good reason - we still are waiting on our taxes to be completed. So, since I have dial-up and only one land line, I have to stay off the computer for the day. Once we have everything done, I will try to make up for no post today! Thank you for understanding!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Have a Blessed Easter!

Mel

Need a birthday card?

2009-04-09T09:21:00.004-04:00

There are 365 days in a normal year, and then you have the wierd year with 366. Every single day, SOMEone is having a birthday! And I'll bet you know at least 6, right?? I did this card at a stamp camp before I signed on to be a Demo gal, but it's such a neat card - great for the pre-teen, the tween, the teen, and all those older folks (like me) who still kind of celebrate that day. All the product is from SU! but what I like is the glittering candles! And they are big! The candles are actually made from the petals in the "Pick A Petal" stamp set. The Designer Series Paper is Rainbow Sherbet and the cardstock is Tempting Turquoise, Apricot Appeal, and Green Galore. I've forgotten the name of the Birthday stamp set (forgetfulness, LOL!). A cute and very simple card to make using Dazzling Diamonds for the sparkle in the candle! Just don't let the dog eat it! HA!

Tip of the Day:
Are your markers running dry? Need to refill them? It's really messy to pull the marker out of the barrel and fill with ink. Here's a tip from my upline, Kathy: Drop a tiny amount of ink refill into the cap and store the marker upright. It will soak right up and is less messy!! TaDA!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Mel

A Frustrated Crafter is an Inventive One!

2009-04-08T12:15:00.011-04:00

I have grown so frustrated over my attempts to produce clear photos of my "creations". Yesterday's session with the graduation cards finally put the mud on the cake so to speak. I had read on Sharon Johnson's blog one day that she had used a "photo tent". At the time I didn't pay any attention, but after my DH and I discussed yesterday's fiasco, a light bulb went off and we started googling photo tents! WOW!! There's a wealth of information out on the web for building an inexpensive photo box! But this is the website I finally hit on that 1. made sense, and 2. had GOOD instructions! It's www.ehow.com. I know, I know - you've probably been there, done that, but I'm a slow learner! At least we found the site and now I can make my projects look a little more professional! If you want the link to the article I found to make my version of a photo tent, this is the link for the photo tent.

After spending the morning building a small photo tent, we took pictures of a card I had made for a fellow Cardmaker. I am pumped over the results!! I can't show it to you just yet because she hasn't received it. But I promise to showcase it as soon as I can!

Tip of the Day:
Do you have a lot of long ribbon strips that are accumulating in a box somewhere? Well, here's a tip. Use an empty paper towel roll, take doublesided tape, apply all along the length, and start rolling your ribbon scraps! TaDa!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Mel

Addendum at 5P15pm
Okay - I've just got to show you the difference in photo vs scan! Here's the yellow grad front Check out yesterday's blog and you can see the diff!!! I'm so tickled!

When she's mad, she packs a wallop!

2009-04-07T10:04:00.012-04:00

Mother Nature is having her way with us....again! It's snowing here in West Virginia and all my daffodils are seriously drooping. We've got about an inch on the ground and it's windy and blowing and cold. All the beautiful blossoming trees are covered in the white stuff so I imagine the blossoms will fall overnight here. Local lore says we have several more winters to go through before it's all over - dogwood winter, blackberry winter, strawberry winter....can't we just have one and get it over with??! At least I know that Spring will be back. It's a promise!

So, Here's April and soon it will be May. May stands for graduations, so I've made two graduation cards for my step-mother. She has two grandsons graduating this year, one day apart in two states, and yes, I think she's gonna try to attend both. Fortunately for her and my dad, they are only hours away, just in different directions. Anyway, I wanted to showcase both of them for you today. (I blame the scanner for the wierd colors on the first one!) Both cards are made with the school colors in basic cardstock and are identical except for the colors. I used SU's ticket corner punch and wound gold or silver metallic crossstitch thread around the edges. The cap is a Jolee's sticker and the stamps are generic clear stamps. I used a computer program to generate the boys' names and...shoot. I just realized I didn't put the rest of the label under the names. I have "Class of 2009" to be adhered right under the names. You'll just have to 'pretend' it's already there. On the inside, I used the other generic clear stamp for the message in the center and placed balloons with little metal strings to the right of the message. (I think the blurry view of the message is caused by the balloon's popup. Drat!) I've used the wonderful clear acetate envies from SU to enclose the cards - a nice classy touch. I think I may make card holders to insert in the card for my SM. I don't know if she'll put any money in there, but at least she will have them for the boys.

So, a simple but classy card for boys who are graduating high school. You like?

Now, here's a new feature I'll start from today:

TIP OF THE DAY:
When using chalks and other powders on your creations, cotton swabs and cotton balls are inexpensive and can be cut to suit the project. Easy cleanup, just toss and go!

Thanks for stopping by!
Mel

Happy Birthday to a Wonderful Sister!

2009-04-03T16:25:00.002-04:00

Today is my sister's 53rd birthday! She's a wonderful gal, but she has this thing about her age - at least she's not as old as I am, which she wickedly points out to me at every turn!! Heehee!

Happy Birthday to my younger sister! I love you much and miss you more!

Mel

My birds are returning and Muffin is all a-twitter!

2009-03-31T09:06:00.006-04:00

This morning we saw our first red-wings and blue jays at our feeders. They've probably been back for a while, but we just haven't seen them. We put the feeders up in the back yard about a month ago and have seen most of the common over-wintering birds - cardinals, house wrens, and chickadees. But I told my DH the feeders are too far back from the house and I can't see them without binoculars. So, he put two feeders in the front yard right in the bushes under the LR window. That's where we saw the redwings and blue jays. When I look under the feeders, I can see a ground covered in doves!

Our cat, Muffin, is a show onto herself when she sees the birds through the window. I've simply GOT to put my camera in the LR and take snaps of her. A normally tranquil cat (well, some would really argue that point, calling her a hellcat!), Muffin gets agitated when she sees the birds. Her little face and whiskers start shaking, then her shoulders start shimmying and before you know it, her tail is a-twitching! She's so funny!!! Fortunately, she's an indoor cat and is only allowed on the screened porch in the summer. So, the birds don't have anything to worry about with her. It's surprising that as old as she is - nearly 12 - she still gets excited over the birds. We bought one of those little mouse laser lights and tease her with that. Believe me, she can go at it, trying to catch that little pinpoint of a light. We do have to be careful with the light, though, because sometimes she will stop and look at us as if to say, help me catch this thing!! What a funny cat!

Well, that's it for this morning. I'm heading out to work at the Mansion this morning, helping to get the quarterly newsletter out the door by April 15. Hmmm. That date rings a bell.....what..is..it....it's on the tip of my tongue......OH WAIT!! THAT'S TAX DAY!! HAVE YOU FILED YOUR TAXES YET??! Well, if you haven't what are you sitting here for??? GO DO THEM!!

Okay, that's really it for the day! Thanks for stopping by and letting me steam on the taxes!

Hugs and smooches,
Mel

Mary's Poppin' Pastel Card

2009-03-30T17:36:00.007-04:00

Mary took me up on my offer to post a card that anyone had created using last week's poppin' pastel tutorial.
I LIKE IT!! Bright yellow colors - looks so much like spring, but it has a wonderful message, too.

Mary said she used SU's stitched background stamp on white cardstock with yellow pastel chalk and she used the corner ticket punch, SU markers for the flowers and SU ribbon! Nicely done, Mary!!!

Anyone else out there do a card with this tutorial? I'll post it if you email me before the next tutorial on Friday, April 3!

Thanks so much, Mary!
Mel

She's Back!! She's Back!!

2009-03-30T08:35:00.004-04:00

Kathy's back!! Yaay!! She went to Hawaii and got back last night! Yippee!! She's my SU upline and I'll just bet she's got all kinds of neat stuff to share at our tema meeting next week! Can't wait!!!! Woohoo!! Of course, as soon as I hear everything I possibly can take in at one time, I'll share with you!!

In the meantime, I've got a house that needs dusting since I've got some friends coming at noon for lunch. She's had shoulder surgery recently much like I did last August and we just wanted to do some much needed catching up with them since her surgery. Tomorrow, I'll have a new card to share with you! Catch you later, fellow bloggers!

Love,
Mel

Friendship - A Gift That Keeps On Giving

2009-03-29T14:50:00.003-04:00

I have a little wall hanging that says "Friends are our chosen family". I love that little hanging and think it's the "gospel truth" at least in my life! I have my wonderful family - my sweetheart Ernie, my dad, my stepmom and my two sisters with their families. But I also have dear friends that make my life complete somehow. I know I can rely on them to keep my feet on the straight-and-narrow, calling my attention to my misbehavior as well as my good points. I love them all and wouldn't trade them for anything. I have friends that I've never met in person, friends that I only met once and will never see again this side of glory, and friends that I see all the time. I just love them all! My friends, both male and female, have all been there for me when I needed them - some in times of grief, some in times of happiness, and some in times of just kickin' back and shmoozing. I love you, my friends.

For this, I want to say to all of my friends. Thank you so very much for your friendship to me. You are my heart and my soul. God knew what he was doing when he created the family, but he added the icing on the cake when he created friendship!

Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand!

Much love,
Mel

A New Website is Born!

2009-03-28T12:37:00.006-04:00

I've got a new website! Since I joined up with Stampin' Up, I've been waffling about signing up with their website. But today, I made the decision to buy a website with StampinUp and form my own Demonstrator Business Website (DBWS). The good thing about the DBWS is that my name is now out there for folks who are looking for a demonstrator online. So, without fanfare, here's my new website: http://Melsstampinplace.stampinup.net. You can shop there, learn about new promotions, search for projects, watch videos, and even join the ranks of us Stampin' Up demonstrators!! You can sign up for a newsletter from me, also!

So, click on the title of this post and it will take you to my website. Or you can click on the link to the right as well! Come shop with me! I can help you reach your creative inner child and bring out your very best!

How did you like yesterday's tutorial on poppin' pastels? Believe it or not, that's a very easy (messy, too) way to pop your cards! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me (e-addy to the right). I'd love to hear from you, either here, or in an email!

Happy stamping!
Mel

I'm stumped...

2009-03-26T08:17:00.006-04:00

This morning, I've already done two loads of wash, gotten dressed and eaten breakfast. I'm sitting at the computer, drawing a blank. What shall I emote about today? Sooo many subjects but my mind just won't rest on one. Hmmm. Most people would probably hang up here and go do something else, like GET THOSE CARDS DONE!!!, or DO THE GROCERY LIST!!!, or DO SOMETHING!!! Nope, looks like my getupandgo has gotupandwent...somewhere that my body didn't follow!!

Okay, enough of the cheesy stuff. Here's a card I did last weekend to showcase at a customer's home on Monday. It's the bird from the Friends 24-7 stamp set by Stampin' Up! The card is a 5x5 card so I'll make a special envelope to mail it. The card stock is Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze and Whisper White, the ink is Certainly Celery and Bashful blue, and the Designer Series Paper is Muirfield. The brads are general craft but may have been purchased at ACM - they match pretty well, don't you think? I really like the DSP from SU! It's double-sided so your patterns will most often complement each other. I know there are other companies that make double-sided papers, but I just like SU better - JMHO! I can't for the life of me remember the sketch I CASE'd this card from, but whoever you are, thanks!!

I really do appreciate all you wonderful readers who stop by every day. I wonder who you are...are you a drive-by or are you someone who really reads my humble blog? I've posted my email addy on the right so if you care to drop me a line and give me feedback, I'd appreciate it. You can also leave a comment at the end of this post, too. I've been watching my "blog hits" numbers rise and I'm thrilled! Perhaps I may do something like a little "blog candy" when that magic number hits 1000!!! Thanks to all of you! It's a pleasure writing this blog, even when I draw a blank!

March Cards

2009-03-25T09:09:00.011-04:00

Today I want to showcase the two birthday cards I've made recently. They are both made with the beautiful Bella Blossoms stamp set. The neat thing is that the flower head is just perfect for 3-D embellishing! For both cards, I stamped the whole flower on white cardstock and then stamped the flower head again and cut it out. Then I added ribbon, a sentiment that I double mounted on cardstock and then used popup dots to layer the sentiments on the card. The butterflies don't look as pretty here as they do IRL, but they are sparkly and add a nice touch to the flowers. Here's an idea for another version: stamp the flower head and emboss in clear embossing powder. I didn't emboss since I wanted the very soft look here.

I had tried a new technique on one of the cut-out flowers, using SU's Crystal Effects. It turned the flower a vivid magenta. That wasn't the look I was aiming for, so I scrapped that flower head. It would have been perfect for a pop-art card, but I wanted a muted spring color combo. I used Marvy Markers and SU inks for the colors. (Lesson: I don't recommend this combination - they aren't complementary to each other at all. So, if you are going to do color, use one or the other exclusively. I've been slowly accumulating SU's ink colors because I use mostly SU's cardstock for projects I really want to shine. That should be a goal for all of us! We want our projects to stand out and be remembered for the love and attention we pour into it!)

For my Stampin' Up Customers: Sale-A-Bration is fast coming to a close on March 31! You still have time to pre-order your Easter stamp sets from the Occasions Mini Catalog and qualify for free merchandise from the SAB mini. Just give me a call or email me your orders before March 30th! Also note, the Occasions Mini will be mailed out as soon as I receive them; I've been notified that they have shipped to me. In the meantime, if you have fast internet access, click here to download the online version of the catalog!!

SU Demonstrators have also been advised that the company is moving back to one Idea Book and Catalog (IB&C) a year with four Mini catalogs. If you would like to be on my mailing list for the minis, please email me and I'll get you on my mailing list! (Please note: while the four minis are free, the IB&C retails for $10 each.)

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you liked the cards I showcased. Please feel free to CASE them, but if you do, please give me credit for the design! Thanks!

See you tomorrow, and remember the blinkie! I've fixed the link and it will take you directly to the Cardmaker site!

TTFN,
Mel

Rock, Paper, ....Brownies???

2009-03-24T18:57:00.003-04:00

My husband got into my brownies I had baked this morning as part of the 60 I had promised for tomorrow night's AWANA meeting. But I figure, after this morning's episode with the blowout, he probably deserved the whole batch!! I wonder how they taste? I plan to make 2 or 3 more batches before tomorrow night so he's welcome to whatever he wants! He's such a sweetie! (Sometimes! ;P)

Since I had to reschedule my dental appointment, I spent the afternoon at the library updating my blog and scrolling for card sketches. Always fun, but I do believe that spending so much time in front of my puter tires me out! Bummer, but fun too. So, I finished my shopping afterwards, but I did stop at ACM to use my 50 percent off coupon. I couldn't find anything until I was just about to walk out and there at the end of one of the aisles was some of the prettiest paper I had ever seen! It was Garden Party by DCWV! That's what I bought - the 5x7 sheets that are perfect for the front of a card or scrapbook! The papers are sparkly and pretty and absolutely appeal to the girly-girl in me! YUM!! Can't wait for the Card Crop! I imagine I can use these papers to come up with some challenges or answer some of them too!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
Mel

Oh, boy. Rocks in the road.

2009-03-24T14:17:00.011-04:00

This hasn't been a "good" day. I had a dental appointment but on the way there, I hit a rock and blew a tire. (What a bang!!) I hobbled over to the side of the road and called my husband (he's my hero!). Once he got there, he put the spare on and we drove to the nearest gas station where he put more air in the spare and tried to see if there was a hole in the tire I blew. He thinks when the rock hit the rim it pushed the tire away from the rim and let all the air out. (Remember the bang? The tire went down that fast!) While he was changing the tires, I called the insurance company to see if we had any road hazard insurance. She told us that with our 250 dollar deductible, and no damage to the car, there really wasn't any road hazard insurance available for this. Ernie said if it's over 250 dollars we were going to file a claim.

Anyway, we drove both vehicles to the Honda dealer nearby and they sold us a new tire for 100 dollars plus 28 dollars for mounting and labor. There apparently were several holes in the side of the tire, but fortunately I had not bent the rim.

Fortunately, when I first called Ernie about the mishap, he called the dentist to report I would be very, very late. They were most understanding and when I finally got over there, they rescheduled. I like my dentist!! Yoohoo, Doctor Moore!!!

Okay. So far this morning, I haven't gotten nearly anything done that was on my list except to start on the 60 brownies for tomorrow night's AWANA at church. And don't get me started on dropping THOSE babies in the garage!!! I learned my lesson with the cupcakes!! HA!!

Well, I do have something to show you. See the new blinkie on the side? Yep, we're gearing up for our second Online Card Crop over at Cardmaker Magazine and you're invited. Just click on the blinkie and it will take you to where the information is. But be forewarned! Once you get there, you may never leave!! There's so much going on and you'll want to get it all!!! Mark your calendar for April 23-25, 2009. There will be challenges, games and prizes before it's all over. Just one more note. If you're not registered, you can't play. But since registration is free, why not join us? It only takes a couple of minutes to register and it IS free! Hope to see you at the Crop!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

(EDITORS NOTE: A very kind viewer alerted me that the blinkie wasn't taking you to where you wanted to go which is the Cardmaker forum site. She showed me how to correct it and I do apologise for the mixup!! Thanks, dear!!)

Bring on the Classes!

2009-03-22T14:39:00.013-04:00

Well, who actually wants to go back to school, especially when the subject is hard and the teacher is irascible!? I wouldn't! But I am going back to the basics for stamping and you're going with me! It's my goal that every Friday my post will showcase a stamping technique. I'll take you step by step through the technique and then show you a finished product. I want to help you bring out the best of your creations, both in card making and in scrapbooking! You're welcome to join me, and if you finish the tutorial, email me with a pic and I'll pick one to showcase here on my blog! Are you game?

In the meantime, I have lots of work to do - I have several graduation cards to make, and several challenges going on at Cardmaker Magazine's Cardswap forum! I gotta get crackin'!

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for Friday's first tutorial!! I promise it will be very easy!

Oh, BTW, our card swap forum at Cardmaker Magazine is gearing up for our second online Card Crop! More details coming soon!!

TTFN!
Mel

A Day With Friends

2009-03-20T10:32:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, Ernie and I had the privilege of spending a whole day with our good friends Milt and Mary. We drove to Elkins to visit the renovated Train Depot and ate lunch at a tiny cafe called MeeMee's Cakes and Pies. It's just a little cafe with only about 8 tables,but they had a good lunch menu and the people kept coming! We were pleased too, with the dessert selection, and added the cafe to our "places we must return to later" list!

After eating, we drove to Buckhannon to visit the antique stores and pet the resident cat. Mary and I love to go to these stores. We always find something that just sparks us. I have several really nice pieces of Fenton hobnail white milk glass and am always looking for the unusual pieces. I found a small candle plate for $5 and Mary found a little handpainted plaque with a chicken on it. I think we did very nicely there.

Anyhoo, Mary and I both like to make cards so once we were home and dinner was under control, we headed upstairs to my craft space to try out a new ink pad I had purchased last week. We wanted to see if it lived up to the hype we've read. I think we were rather disappointed although we followed the instructions carefully. We liked the look on the dark papers, but not so much on the white cardstock. I can still use the ink pad as an ink pad and just be pleasantly surprised when the ink lives up to its purpose!

But here's the best part - A CARD!!Yes! I've finally logged on to the right computer that has all the pictures in Picasa and I located the card I had wanted to show you a couple of days ago for a challenge on CardMaker Magazine's cardswap forum. I was to make a card using a piercing tool of any kind. Unfortunately, using dark cardstock doesn't let you see the pretty piercings so I went overboard using my white gel pen and ruined the look. I should do this again, don't you think? I know...practice makes perfect, but there's sooo much out there that I want to learn about!! I feel like a kid in a candy store when I see all the options out there! Ooohh, there's another one! Look! AAhhh, I want that one, too!!!

You know it's been a good day when you hate to say goodbye to good friends, but it's better when you know you can look forward to another one!! Anticipation is half the fun as my dad would say.

Thanks for stopping by!! CYA in the Forums!
Mel

Spring has sprung in West Virginia

2009-03-18T14:13:00.006-04:00

Finally! Spring is showing herself and I couldn't be happier! She's really pretty after the dreariness of winter. I was in west Tennessee last week where spring is apparently 3 weeks ahead of us folks who live here in the mountain state, but that's okay! I get to see her twice! Our daffodils (my fav flower) are about 7 to 8 inches tall with buds on them. Our crabapple is budding and of course, the weeds are showing their little naughty heads!! Time to get out the lawnmowers!! Well, maybe you can hold off on that machine. After all, we've had white Easters before here in West Virginia!!

I do have some news to tell and it's good for me. I finally replaced my very old hearing aids today and let me tell you, SOUND IS GOOD!!! Even hearing the air conditioner in the car was a wonderful irritant!! (Is that an oxymoron??) Thank goodness for insurance companies because they did come through for me and now I have some very powerful hearing aids!! No more secrets, no more whispers, I can HEAR YOU!!! YAAYY!!

In other news, I still don't have a card to show you, but I did two yesterday - one as a thank you for a neighbor who watched our house and collected our mail and papers for us; the other was a project for a challenge on Cardmaker card swap. I've uploaded the card swap project to my photobucket account, but for some reason, I can't get it uploaded here. So, I'll do my best to figure out the problem. In the meantime, I'll work hard to get a card for you soon!

Enjoy spring! Summer will be here shortly!
Thanks for stopping by!
Mel

Vacations and Family Rememberies

2009-03-17T08:24:00.004-04:00

I'm back from a wonderful week-long visit with my Tennessee family. I enjoyed every minute of it except for the 11-hour drive home in pouring rain. That tired us out more than anything else. My friend enlightened me this morning in an email: "Isn't it surprising how riding in a car can make us so tired and, even more surprising, how dirty clothes always take up more room in the suitcase than clean clothes!" AMEN!! We made it safely home though and that's what matters most. We spent most of yesterday emptying out suitcases, washing all the clothes and all the other tasks of coming home from vacation. (I think I need a vacation from my vacation!)

I love my family and I'm so proud of them. My dad and step-mother have been very successful in their business but they don't let grass grow under their feet. They are both busy with life, supporting outside endeavors as well.

I have two sisters, both very successful, too. My oldest younger sister, (I'm the oldest of three), and her husband own two businesses and have all the headaches of being "the bosses". My youngest sister has the most beautiful voice and has a number of CDs (I think eight cds??) to attest to that. Both sisters' husbands are also very successful in their own right. Darn it! I'm just so proud of all of them!!

My only complaint? I'm retired.....they're not! So, even though I can visit when I want, they can't just take off when I want to come down. To be honest though, my oldest younger sister, with whom I spent the better part of last week, did take off from work for several days, bless her. I did get to visit with all of them, working it out to spend at least one night with all of them. I owe them all much thanks for taking us in! THANKS!!!

So, what did we do on our vacation? We scrapbooked!!! Yes! My sister's stepson had gotten married and she wanted to make a wedding scrapbook for them. It took us the better part of 2 days, but we scrapbooked 24 pages and finished it before I left. It's beautiful! I've asked her for permission to post a few pictures of the book so maybe I can share them later this week.

To be fair, my husband, who loves golf, only got to play one day because it rained the rest of the week, including the awful 11-hour drive home. But he was such a good sport about it, going with us girls wherever. My sister spent one afternoon driving us around town and visiting the Bible Museum as well as the Pink Palace, the home of the owner that started Piggly Wiggly grocery stores. That was fascinating! The Pink Palace has been turned into a museum and you would not guess the name of one of the exhibits! (Well, if you have young kids, they probably would!) It was called "The Scoop on Poop"!!! Okay, I did beat my sister in the "dung beetle" race, but I don't think that's "resume stuff".

We had a wonderful visit and I'm sorry it had to end. But as the old saying goes, "fish and family stink after 3 days". I don't want to wear out my welcome!

I know this has been a long post! I have spent most of my time since returning, just getting my home and office back together again. But I promise to have at least one card to show you tomorrow! In the meantime, stop over at www.stampinup.com and check out the preview of the new Occasions Catalog! We've got some new products coming out the first of April and I know you will really like them!

Thanks for stopping by! See you tomorrow!
Mel

I see Spring!!

2009-03-10T10:09:00.006-04:00

I live in West Virginia where signs of spring are almost revered when they appear. When you see the tiny shades of green underbrush along road sides, you start getting antsy. When the forsythia blooms, you start walking a little quicker. When the pear trees bloom, you're almost in a trot!! It's wonderful!

But I'm in Tennessee where spring has fast forwarded and the pear trees are blooming!!! And I know I have to return to the hills of West Virginia where we have to backtrack to the litle tiny signs of spring - the underbrush. Brrrrr....

Anyway, we got a chance to visit with my dad and stepmother while in Tennessee. (Hi, Daddy!) We walked around their garden and side yard where they have bushes blooming and a really funky tree called a corkscrew willow that has tiny shoots all over it. I can't remember all the names of the trees and bushes but it was heartening to see things in bloom!! Spring IS a-comin', folks!! That's a given! YAAYY!

Well, I don't have a spring card to share with you just yet because I "only" have a laptop with me and no way to scan a new card in, but I promise to showcase something when I return to West Virginia. In the meantime, (oooh, the sun's coming out!!) PREPARE FOR SPRING! It truly is coming!

Milestones and Timelines

2009-03-06T09:15:00.011-05:00

Milestones and timelines. Our decisions and our life. Milestones are the momentous times in our life where we've made a decision or performed an action that changed the direction of our life, our timeline, for good or for bad. We change our mind about the college we will attend. We go to a party where we meet our life's partner (only he doesn't know it yet!) We act on information and become a doctor instead of a lawyer. But our decisions, our actions, will ALWAYS have a momentous impact on our timeline...our life.

The day I married my husband was a milestone. The day I retired was a milestone. A day in February was another milestone. I signed on to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator! I stopped being "just retired", to being "retired and working"!! Well, it seems to me like I've been working ever since I signed on and I've not held one workshop yet!

So, here's another milestone for me. I'm going back to work, only it's on my terms and in my time (of course, within the guidelines of the company, etc.etc.etc..!) There's a lot to setting up a business of any kind. There's paperwork, finding space in the house for your files and computer, sending out notices seeking business, ordering supplies, ordering your KIT (first and foremost!), cooking, cleaning, church...well, yeah! These things are part of life! You've got to make time for them, too!

Anyways, I signed up because I LOVE crafting and in particular, stamping! I love making cards, mostly. I would like to think that in the years I've been making cards, I've improved substantially! I've not scrapped too many pages for scrapbooks although I do have a few. But the reason I signed on to SU was the quality of their products! I really appreciate that. I've shopped at many good craft stores. I've bought ephemera and embellishments from every nook and cranny! (You really WOULD be surprised where you can find this stuff! Check your grocery store lately??) There are other good companies out there who shall remain nameless (I'm shameless,aren't I!), and I've shopped their products, too! But Stampin' Up's products are all color coordinated from their paper to their inks and everything in between. I know when I finish a product, whatever it is, everything will blend or harmonize. Even when you set out for "shock" value, the colors still work together! LOVE IT!

With that said, here's a card I made for a challenge I participated in over at CardMaker Magazine (Check out the blinkie to the right!) It was not made exclusively with SU products, but I did use some. After I made the card, I found I really liked it! The scalloped circles are embossed with beautiful copper embossing powder and I think that's the reason it pops. There's no designer paper, no other pattern except for the embossed cream paper layered on the base. Its' simplicity really appeals to me. The card can be turned sideways as well and the inside can be used for whatever purpose you choose. If you case the card, I would encourage you to use a metallic pen to write your message on the inside! Also, if you do case the card, send me a picture! I'd love to see what you did!!

So, that's my news of the day! Milestones and timelines! I hope to "wow" you in the future with more creations from my craft room!

Thanks for Looking!
Mel

Insurance Companies - A Tale of "Good Guys?"

2009-03-03T09:15:00.003-05:00

One of the perks of being a federal retiree is the option to keep your health insurance AND be able to afford it. We can still change insurance companies during "Enrollment Season" with the rest of the federal work force and with the cost of insurance, many of us still look to lessen our expenses by shopping fervently for good rates. However, for most of us, it is the single most expensive "luxury" that we pay for out of our monthly annuity. Still, I'm grateful to the powers that be in Washington that decreed we could do so. And I LOVE my insurance company. I just don't like dealing with them. Isn't that what the doctors are supposed to do?

In some cases, the patient (i.e., "me") has to be proactive in ensuring coverage for essential services in order to help cut some of the costs associated with said essential services. Often times, when the insurance company receives the first bill, they will automatically deny it. More than likely, it's SOP for them. However, if the patient (i.e., "me") is incredibly patient (i.e., "stubborn"), the patient (i.e., "me") must resubmit the claim...SEVERAL times. Phone calls must be made to follow up on the resubmissions both to the insurance company AND to the doctor or "provider of services rendered". Tears are shed and husbands are cried on (bless them!) before the patient (i.e., "me") is sufficiently calmed down to talk. Usually, after a lot of back and forth letters and correspondence and phone calls and late-night "what if" talks with husbands, the insurance companies come through. The interminable waiting, though, can exact a toll on a patient's (i.e., "me") patience.

How often do you cry out, "Lord, grant me patience and do it NOW!"? I know I do, frequently!! But, do you know you should not pray for patience? Why? Because God grants patience through trials and tribulations. It's a virtue, I know, and one I don't possess in great quantities (well, not so much in little quantities, either!). So, He patiently (there's that word again!) teaches me daily, over and over and over. He is so patient with me - I must be one of His problem children - all full of trials and tribulations! But I know God sees all and is so sympathetic to us, His creations! I need to pray that His Will be done in His time and in His way.

Saturday and the Rush is On! - Addendum and not a happy one!

2009-02-28T11:18:00.006-05:00

Well, the rush is indeed on! For the last three days, there's been frenetic activity over on the Cardmaker Magazine's Card Swap site. Their first ever Virtual Card Crop is ongoing and is the biggest hoot!! We've got games, crops, conversations and general whooping it up, going on! If you haven't made the time to check it out, follow the blinkie on the side and watch the fun going on! (Or you can go to www.cardmakermagazine.com and click on Card Swaps. Then follow the prompt down to Our First Crop.

The last of the Virtual Crop's challenges will be posted today and the participants have until midnight March 6th, 2009, to complete them. That includes most of the games. Some of the games were of short duration due to the subject matter and winners have already been announced! Yaay!!

That's it for today! I'm making cupcakes for our AWANA group next Wednesday night for our annual Pine Car Races.

Thanks for stopping by! See you at the Forums!
Mel

An Addendum and not a happy one.

Remember those cupcakes? I made 60 and had them in a plastic container to pop in the freezer. Just as I reached the freezer, the bottom fell out and 60 cupcakes dotted the garage floor. Can you say SCREAM!!!!! My DH has gone to get some more eggs. I've calmed down and have made the first 30. I'll wait a while before making the second 30. Arrrggggh!!!!

Challenges! I love Challenges!!

2009-02-26T08:03:00.003-05:00

It's here! It's Here! It's Crop Day!! Day one and the challenge is on! Actually, there will be 4 challenges and 2 games today. Here's the story. Over at Cardmaker Magazine, we have a forum made up of people who LOVE to work with paper, whether it be card making, scrapbooking, or general paper crafts! Some of us are true diehards when it comes to paper crafting! And today is the first day of a marathon Virtual Crop! A lot of preparation has gone into this Crop. So, follow the blinkie over on the right to the site and log on or register (it's free) and read all about the Virtual Crop (first ever for this forum!). Then, participate in some (or all!) of the challenges! Even if you don't participate, you'll enjoy reading and following along some of the threads for the Crop!

I'm one of the challenge hosts for today and whipped up a challenge called Patterned Paper and Ribbon Challenge. Unfortunately, I can't tell you anymore about it here (ooohh, secret stuff!), so you must visit the site to read about the challenge. But I will tell you this, there are prizes to be had! Most, if not all of the challenges will have a random drawing at the end of the crop (Midnight, March 6th, 2009). So, if you're interested in reading more about the challenges and the prizes, I encourage you to visit the website and play! It's a LOT OF FUN!!!

PS - Playing anything is good for the mind and soul. If you don't want to do the card crops, there are several games being played there where you can still join in the fun!

See ya at the Forum!!

Elegant Notes

2009-02-24T06:20:00.004-05:00

Today's post is a mistake. Not the picture, but what happened while I was making it. This is an ATC, one of 15 I made for a swap at a forum I belong to at cardmakermagazine.com. I spent a good part of one day making them after I got my sketch in my mind. Sooo, I have them in my envie, I've got a stamped and self-addressed envie inside for my return ATCs, and I'm looking at the paper for the address to send these and LO AND BEHOLD!!! Butterflies! Bees! Dragonflies! Birds! Nope. Nope. Nope and Nope. Arrrggghhh. NOT on my ATCs. Man! I've gotta start reading ALL the instructions! Well, I'm ahead of the next ATC swap! I just hope it doesn't have a "theme".

These little ATCs (or Artists Trading Cards) are just 2.5 inches wide by 3.5 inches high, pretty much the size of a standard playing card. And that's how they got started. They don't open up, there's usually not a verse on them and they are some of the prettiest works you will see (unless you get to go to the Louvre!). Most people will go all out decorating these little cards with all kinds of designer papers, ephemera, glitter, glue, you name it, it's on there! They can get a little heavy, I'm sure.

But the ones I made are a little on the serene side. I used mostly Stampin' Up's products - whisper white cardstock for the base, Bella Bleu for the DSP, Elegant Notes for the Stamped musical clef note, black brads from ACM, and beautiful black MirriCard for the large oval. (I actually broke out my gorgeous MirriCard stash!!) The pearls were on a roll I purchased from Walmart waaay back when they used to carry fabric and other notions by the roll. I like them for a first try at ATCs. Maybe next time I'll be a little more adventurous - wait! I still have to make those darn ATCs with BIRDS! BEES! DRAGONFLIES! or BUTTERFLIES! Guess that's today's project after all!!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful Tuesday!!

Sunday and Snowy...

2009-02-22T08:54:00.005-05:00

It's snowing....again. I know we have another week of February to go, but around here, March can be just as ugly as January and February when it comes to snow. Ernie has decreed that we will not be driving out this morning to attend services at our church. It's a seventeen mile drive, that even in good weather can be hairy with switchback turns and roller coaster hills. Sooo, we're staying put this morning.

That doesn't mean we can shirk our Sunday responsibilities. All our days belong to the Lord, but today is His day as he has decreed in His Word, the Bible. So, I'll do my devotional this morning and pray. I'll also pray for you, dear reader, that your heart will be full and your hands will be busy at the work of the Lord.

Thank you for stopping by and God bless you!!
Mel

A Crop Is Coming and You're Invited!

2009-02-19T22:36:00.005-05:00

Starting February 26 through February 28, I will be joining with a group of fun and funny folks who will be hosting a virtual CROP over at Cardmaker magazine! The completion date is March 6th so you don't have to get them all done the very same day. For more details, click on the little 'blinkie' on the right (not the picture in this post). Or, you can click here for the link. You can play any or all the challenges or just watch those that are participating. It's a lot of fun, and you don't need a whole lot of supplies - just a sense of fun and a willingness to challenge yourself!

Can't wait to meet you at the forums!

Mel

The Show That Wasn't

2009-02-18T16:49:00.008-05:00

Recently, I attempted to host a Pampered Chef show in my home, but due to my husband's illness and subsequent trip to the ER, we canceled the home show and made it a book show. It was unfortunate, because the show would have been hosted by uber-talented Tanya Broslawsky. She puts on a show that's both entertaining and educational. Of course, you get to eat her fab food,too!!

Anyways, we closed the show on Friday and the items were delivered today! What fun!! It was like Christmas! I got to look at all the items IRL and wish I had ordered all of them! Of course, being the good hostess that I am, I sorted and tagged all the items, put them in delivery bags and made sure the sales slip was in the bag. But I went one step further. I made a thank-you card for all the gals that supported and ordered from me. It's the fine chef from Stampin' Up!'s Voila stamp set. I did a very simple presentation, using Marvy markers and blender pens to color only the turkey, the parsley and the chef's kerchief. All done on a neutral color, so the roasted turkey really pops. I know...it's hokey, but it's a visual reminder that the customer should be cooking up a storm with their new Pampered Chef items! To tell the truth, when I sent the original invitations, I did the very same card, but with the covered dish instead of the roasted turkey. It's the pre-show question - what's cooking at the show. Unfortunately, I just didn't think to keep a copy of that card so you'll just have to use your imagination. I placed their sales slip inside and wrote a thank you note to them! Just one step further, but I think it makes a difference in presentation.

So, there ya go! Thanks for stopping by!

Catch you later,
Mel

Accordion Card - no music, please!

2009-02-18T09:39:00.007-05:00

Today, I'm going to showcase a technique I learned - the Accordion Card. I know I've probably made these before with Kathy, My Stampin' Up! mentor, but I couldn't find the card - probably gave it away!! Anyhoo, I pulled the instructions from the Splitcoast Stampers Website. You can access those instructions by clicking here or you can click on the link to the right. The first picture is the front, tied with a coordinating bow. My DH is trying to teach me how to use my camera and his monopod to hold the camera steady but I think I need to learn how to use the camera first, don't you agree? I mean, the wall behind the card is cream, not green!! And the card is pink and white with strands of pretty spring green. Nothing like IRL to really see a card! Rats!

The second picture is the accordion card opened up to showcase the 4 inside panels. (You should be able to click on the picture for a full screen view.) I chose to make a birthday accordion card.You can use any feature, any stamp, any sticker, or you can make the card as involved as you want. I just think it's cool that I actually followed the instructions!! Heehee!! Now, it's your turn. As they say, "the proof is in the pudding"! You're not gonna know if you can do it unless you try!

Thanks for stopping by! Please leave comments! I really do read them!
Mel

Farewell to Joyce

2009-02-17T09:00:00.011-05:00

Today's post is in memory of my sister-in-law Joyce. She passed away on Thanksgiving Day, 2008. An amazing woman, she was my husband's oldest sister and the oldest of seven children. She had made her home with her youngest sister for many years and had a sense of humor both wickedly pointed and endearingly funny. You couldn't help but laugh with her when she told her stories. Joyce died of Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis...Lou Gehrig's Disease. She was 74 and I miss her.

Before Joyce retired, she was the head librarian at a local library in Suitland, Maryland. She was an avid reader of mysteries and loved British Television. She crocheted and knitted, blessing nearly everyone in her family with her creations. I have a gorgeous crocheted afghan in my living room - it's light, airy and as warm as a blanket. She was a wonderful cook. I remember going to her apartment at Thanksgiving or Christmas and eating...and eating...and eating. She loved cooking and cookbooks. She never let any of us starve, for sure!! I miss her.

When I was first married, Joyce became my oldest sister that I never had. She cut my hair, gave me permanents and generally loved me as the wife of her oldest brother. She wouldn't take any payment, so I would buy tickets to a play or a concert at the Kennedy Center and take her. I miss her.

She had a sense of style that I tried to mimic. I told her once I loved to visit her because I always went home and tried to copy her "look", whether it was her decorating or her wardrobe. She was cool before cool became cool! I miss her.

I am old enough to know that life is always full of "I wish I had done..."and "I wish I had been..." moments. Life is full of regrets. I know mine is. I wish I had stayed in touch with her more. I wish I had called her more. I wish I had more time to tell her what she has meant to me over the last 38 years. Joyce, I miss you!

A Federal Holiday for some...

2009-02-16T09:02:00.007-05:00

When I was still a working person, I dreaded the Presidents' Day holiday. It was the last holiday of a 3 month blitz of holidays starting with Thanksgiving and working through Christmas, New Years, MLK Day and Presidents Day. It was the start to that dreaded long, dry spell of no federal holidays till Memorial Day in May. If you're a Fed, you know what I mean. Twelve weeks of NO FEDERAL HOLIDAYS! But, once May came around, you were pretty much okay. Summer was nigh with the 4th of July Holiday, and you could get outside, even take a vacation if you wanted. And then came September with Labor Day and school starting. Anticipation is building. Then comes October with Columbus Day. You're getting giddy thinking about the upcoming holiday schedule! November arrives! Veterans Day and Thanksgiving and then...THEN!!! IT'S CHRISTMAS!! You made it once again through the maze of federal holidays!! YAAYY!!

Now, I'm retired and I don't get nearly as excited about holidays as I used to. Sigh. Sighh, Sighhh. Oh wait!! I'm retired!! EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY! Right. Six Saturdays and a Sunday. Oh, the life of a federal retiree! It makes me giggle, laugh and once in a while let out a whoop! I. D.O.N.T. H.A.V.E. T.O. G.O. T.O. W.O.R.K.! No gloating here. Heeheehee!!

Okay. Enough already. Today's full. I have to go with Ernie this afternoon to get a part put in the Van. It was due for inspection in January and failed. Apparently one of the parking lights is out and we didn't know it. They ordered the part and went ahead and passed for the sticker so we could drive it - but there's a notation that the van has to get a part and they finally called last week to say the part was in. Tada. Thank goodness for holidays....wait. No, I'm retired and don't have to worry anymore about taking off work to do this kind of thing! Heehee!

We're anticipating a long awaited trip to Tennessee and Maryland soon. This winter has been harsh, preventing us from visiting, as we had wanted to, our friends and families. So, we've made play dates for us - we're heading to Maryland, first, for a week, then we're coming back home, checking on the cat, changing clothes (as it were) and heading to Tennessee to play there. Yippee!! I swear, next year we're not gonna let winter sock us in - we'll move out before it hits! Maybe be snow bunnies for once. I've decided I have had enough snow for the year.

As for cards: I finished my six cards for a Springtime-Anything goes card swap. They aren't due till March, but with the trip coming up, it's nice to get something done and on its way out. Once they are mailed, I'll post a print. I like them and think they could be used for anything spring-y!

Thanks for stopping by! I love to read your comments - nice to hear from you!!
Hugs and Smoochies to you!
Mel

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-15T14:56:00.008-05:00

To all of you who stop by and visit, a big "thank you!" and a happy belated Valentine's day!! My DH took me out to Denny's yesterday, where we met our good friends Milt and Mary, and had a Valentine's Day Breakfast! We met them at 9am and by the time we had finished, the line was out the door! Either good timing or Denny's had a special we didn't know about! Ernie and I like their Grand Slams but we share one instead - we each get a good breakfast but we don't hog it out. Of course, we tip as if we had both eaten a Grand Slam and that's only fair, right?!

After breakfast, we parted our ways and headed to Walmart to fill the freezer. Ernie's been on a hunt for a good custard pie and has not been successful so far, having tried an oreo cream pie, an apple pie and a lemon custard pie. But this trip I think he hit the jackpot. Ernie bought a huge banana cream pie with real bananas and almonds on top of the whipped cream. Too much for me, but I believe he's lucked in this time! He's happy!

Since this is Valentine's Day, of course I made a card for my DH! I used SU's Real Red CS, Candy Lane DSP, the new heart punch, the Love You Much stamp set and a scalloped circle with the love birds. I want so much to learn how to use vellum attractively. There are so many good vellum books out with appropriate verses, sayings and drawings that can add pop to your cards. I think that's going to be a real challenge for me this spring.

Today's post is rather short but I'll make up for it over the coming days and weeks. Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs and smoochies!
Mel

Meet our Diva...Muffin!!

2009-02-12T10:51:00.008-05:00

Muffin is our beautiful, long-haired black and white cat. She's without a doubt the queen of the house. When she walks it's a strut, a queenly stroll through the house. And like any good diva, she does not like to have her picture taken! She seems to know when she's the subject and will give you a very stern look or ignore you altogether.

She's not really interested in toys any longer. After all, she's going to be eleven years old this year - time to act her age. But she loves Ernie's feet. If he's sitting, and puts his foot out, she will literally turn upside down and start playing with his feet. She tries to catch the foot in her front paws (she's been declawed - I know, I've learned my lesson here, so, no preachin'!!). She will roll around his feet and twitch her tail and generally be in toe heaven. Me, on the other hand, she will do nothing but seriously bite my feet. Her ears are back and she slants her eyes at me and she does NOT play with my feet. She BITES. I don't know why...they are just as foot-y as Ernie's!!

Muffin was born in August 1998. We had had to put our beautiful dog to sleep the previous Christmas and we were looking for a cat this time. When we found out she was available, we picked her up in October and she's been with us ever since. Ernie says he doesn't care but I know he does. He will laugh at me when I whine that she's not affectionate like our golden tabby was (nother story!) Muffin is absolutely her own cat. She's not affectionate to where she wants you to pick her up and cuddle. She will sleep in your lap in the evening when you are down for the count and watching the telly. She does not like to be disturbed once she's down and settled and will give you the old evil eye look if you have to get up.

Muffin is a big girl. When she jumps up on your lap, you can feel her She weighs close to 13 pounds and she has the most beautiful whiskers, long and silky. She has one quirk. At the top of her left eye, she has one white whisker, about 3 inches long - really striking. Over her right eye, she has an almost invisible black whisker!

And, Muffin LOVES her cookies. I buy a bottle of the cat treats and feed them to her, one at a time. If I say "Cookie, Muffin", she comes out of her hiding place! Really! Just like a dog! HA! At least a dog will slobber all over you and the hand that feeds it and generally lavish beautiful, unconditional love all over you. Muffin, on the other hand, will look at the cookie, look at you and then carefully reach out a paw and knock the treat out of your hand. Comical, actually. I've been patient to where I can now get her to take the treat out of my hand with her mouth. But she's the most ungrateful animal! Still, because she's as independent as she is, we can lock her in the house for a few days and know she won't have any wild parties while we're gone. We give her plenty of food, fill several bowls and her self-filling water bottle and leave her behind.

Friday is going to be a circus. We have to take her to the vet for her annual exam. Now, she's not very vocal to us, but when she finds herself in her carrier, in the car, you would have thought she was going to die! VOCAL, CATERWAULING, GENERAL CRYING....can you hear me now? Once inside the vet's office, she turns it off and refuses to come out of her carrier. But back in the car to head home and it's the VOCAL, CATERWAULING, GENERAL CRYING....why??? She's going home!! Arrgh!!

I'll let you know how it goes!

Til next time, thanks for stopping by!
Mel

Wednesday - MOTW Day, poor thing...

2009-02-11T08:10:00.011-05:00

Good morning! Today I want to showcase 3 more valentines I've received from friends around the country, literally!! The first is from my friend Judy G. She used one of my favorite stamps from Stampin' Up! This little truck is quite the all-season vehicle! Here she's filled it to the brim with little hearts falling off the back of the truck, and has colored it pink and red - what gal wouldn't want a pink and red truck of her own? I would!

The second card is from my new friend Carol. Her valentine is a gentle reminder of those days when post card valentines were popular. She used a pretty heart-shaped doily to off-set the little postcard and then white embossed hearts in one corner and punched a double heart in the other corner. I think I need to find a little scrapbook to showcase all the lovely valentines I've received this year! What fun later on in the summer to think of valentines again!

The third card is from my friend Sher. It's a Strawberry Shortcake valentine! I love the colors! The powers-that-be have given little Strawberry new retro colors and it's really sweet! The little Strawberry card figure can be pulled off the card and under the figure is a hidden stamp - "From My Heart To Yours...". A sweet sentiment! I think all my cards are keepers, but I cherish the friends that gave them to me even more!

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by! Tomorrow, I'll chat with you about the perils and delights of owning a diva....cat, that is!

Mel

Sweet Valentines!

2009-02-10T11:51:00.012-05:00

You don't have to be married or engaged or even in a relationship to appreciate a sweet valentine! The words and sentiments mean someone thinks a lot of you and appreciates your friendship. I've received some of the prettiest and sweetest Valentines in the past week. I am so blessed! I want to show case a few of them today. The first is a sweet card from my friend, the Empress L. I love the color combination here!

The second Valentine is from my friend Jeanette. She did a lovely job embossing on vellum, a really pretty effect. She makes it look so easy, because vellum intimidates me.

The third valentine is from my dear friend Mare. Her Valentine is black and white with the lovely touch of red - a real popper!

I'm not going to share the insides of the cards because they all contain personal messages. Tomorrow, I'll share 4 more cards with you. I'd say I'm a lucky lady indeed, wouldn't you?

Thanks for stopping by!! Till tomorrow,
Mel

Sweet Coraline.....Not!

2009-02-09T17:53:00.003-05:00

Okay. How many of you remember "bad dreams" movies. You know. The kind you saw as a kid that gave you bad dreams at night? Well, this movie is a bad dream movie. It's PG - so without a doubt, I wouldn't take children under 12 to see it. I went with a girlfriend and we should have followed the guy with his two kids out when he left! He brought two small children in - (about 5 and 7 maybe?) He left 15 minutes into the movie and did not come back. Now, I know I don't know why he may have left, but at least there were 3 adults that probably agree this isn't for children. Now I have to make sure my DH is very near when I go to sleep tonight, big sissy that I am. I never saw "James and the Giant Peach" nor did I see "The Nightmare before Christmas". But I had kinda liked the artistry of those movies and thought I'd enjoy this one. Well, the artistry was what I thought, but I should have been satisfied with seeing the tv commercials. Okay - that's enough of a rant on my part. But don't say I didn't warn you!!

Catch you tomorrow!!
Mel

Sunday and Breezy...

2009-02-08T15:13:00.004-05:00

The sun is shining, but it's not as warm as yesterday - only in the upper 40s, close to 50s. We tried to eat out on the porch in the sunlight, but Ernie's still not up to par. He has bronchitis, bad enough that I took him to the emergency room yesterday. They gave him some antibiotics and cough syrup with codeine. The antibiotics are one pill a day for 10 days, and the cough syrup only if he can't sleep at night. Thank goodness we have health insurance!!! Those little white pills were $6.60 apiece! The cough syrup with codeine was $2.35. Go figure. ARRGGGH!!

Anyhoo, since we're both a little blah, we were reading jokes out of this "Humor for Healing" book and laughing our fool heads off! It wore him out, I think!! Thank goodness, he was able to laugh! Now, he's upstairs taking a nap. Bless him.

I'm heading up to work on a couple of cards - I need a sympathy card for a friend who buried her father just last Friday. I wish I had known, I could have attended his funeral since it was here in our little burgh. I didn't know her maiden name, so I didn't catch the funeral in the paper. I also need a baptism card for Ernie's only granddaughter. She was baptized this morning at her home church. We had wanted very much to be there, but Ernie finally made the decision to call and tell them we couldn't come. I know they were disappointed, but not so much as he was. I also need a birthday card for her mom next week and a birthday card for my DH....whooo, I better get cracking!

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by! I love to hear your comments, especially about your weather! What a wonderful country we live in, where we can touch each other in a matter of seconds by email or instant messaging! Go, 'puters!!

Hugs and smoochies!!
Mel

Ahhhh!! Fresh Air!!

2009-02-07T13:12:00.002-05:00

Whooo!! This has been a wicked winter! Today, though, brings a breath of fresh air, fleeting though it may be! Our high should reach 60 degrees! I've got the front door open (it's all glass), a screen window open in the L/R, and the back door to my porch wiiiide open!!! I sat out on the porch with some vegetable soup and thoroughly enjoyed the time. There were lots of birds at the feeders and in the small bushes that ring the garden. They were fun to watch and listen to along with the chimes on the porch - I could almost think spring was coming.

Fresh air - you think you're breathing okay in a house that's been closed up against the winter wind and cold snow, but when you wake up one morning and wonder - is that the cat or my feet I smell?? And you can't tell the difference - you need some fresh air. Thank goodness for today!! Fresh Air!! I could wax lyrical here but I'm not a poet and I know it!!

Ernie is still down for the count with bronchitis. I suffered for years with it - nearly every winter I'd come down with it and would be sick for weeks. He didn't. Now the roles are reversed and he's the sickly one. We were to have traveled over to Winchester Virginia this weekend for his granddaughter's baptism, but I had to call and tell them we couldn't make it because Grandpa is ailing right now. Poor guy.

I need to work on the next challenge - the waterfall Easter Card. But it's not due till March so I've got a few days to get my thinking cap on. I finally got a chance to mail out my Scratch N Sniff Card and my Scraplings out yesterday. I needed to go to Walmart so I took everything to the post office...and found it closed for lunch. Drat! Sooo, I made the stop on the way back and I found a spot right in front of the PO - it was a parallel park spot - I'm terrible at parallel parking!!! I thought they'd outlawed that years ago!! But just then a spot at the end of the line came open and I slid in there. YAAY!! I got the packages mailed and hied myself home to my ailing honey with his meds. Hope he gets better soon.

Please be careful out there! Enjoy the fresh air if you can and plan for spring! I told Ernie I was ready to move - run away south, anywhere south that didn't have a lick of snow - Key West came to mind. Oh, wait. They have hurricanes.

Well, that's about all I have for today. Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear from you if you've got a project you're working on,or if you have a question I can "answer" for you - if I can't I'll work to find an answer!! Maybe that's my new "day" job - find answers for people! HA! What a job!!

TTFN!
Mel

Schools closed, roads closed, mind closed.....snore

2009-02-05T08:12:00.007-05:00

I do believe we're supposed to be hibernating right now. Of course, we haven't had the snow that the northeast has had this winter, but my little corner of the world has been blanketed with snow for, oh, about a gazillion years now. The ground doesn't even get a clean break before more of the white stuff is dumped! We've got about 6 to7 inches of the white stuff on the ground as I type, but the sun is shining and it's about 5 degrees. Get this! Tomorrow's high? 40 degrees! Saturday?? 53!!!!! Go figure! If I weren't retired, I think I'd be really frustrated right now. My little "no work" dance is getting old and is turning into a "no work" shuffle. I can't believe I woke up at 3 just to check on the snow!!! Go figure! I can't! Blah blah blah. Betcha you could top this, right??

I finished my Scratch 'N Sniff cards yesterday and have got them ready to mail, but they will have to wait till tomorrow when the snow plows have dug us out and I can get the car out. I've got to take my diva cat, Muffin, to the vet for her annual checkup, so I'll stop by the post office on the way back and mail my two packages. YAAY!! Then, it's on to the next challenge, a Waterfall Easter Card. That will be FUN!!

Today is "vacuum the house" day - that's moving furniture, dusting baseboards and generally trying to make the carpets last a little longer. I'm trying to talk my DH into putting down wood floors all through the first level - we did it in the dining room and kitchen and it really looks nice. We did all the work ourselves (yeah, and we're still married!!) and it actually turned out! But, DH is not seeing it my way so I'll keep on vacuuming.

That's about it for this morning. If I get all the vacuuming done, I may reward myself with a few hours in the craft room. And if I get the reward, maybe I'll get a card posted. And if I get a card posted, maybe I'll hear from some of you out there in readerland!! YAAY!!

Thanks for stopping by! If you're driving, PLEASE be careful! And if you're not, say a prayer for those who are and stay safe!

Mel

A quick little card

2009-02-04T17:07:00.004-05:00

I was just issued a "challenge" to make a very simple card and get it posted asap. So, this is what I came up with - I used a basic white A2 card (5.5 x 4.25). I taped a piece of double-sided DSP to the front and found I had cut it too short. So, I turned the DSP over and cut a shorter piece and taped it to the bottom. I then stamped an image with Always Artichoke, used a square punch and layered it over the two pieces of DSP. There's nothing inside the card. It could be used as a masculine thank you card or just a card in general talking about friendships.

Hope you like!
Mel

Please, just TURN IT OFF!!! Somebody?? Anybody??

2009-02-04T08:43:00.004-05:00

Snow....again!!! If I could find the switch, I'd turn it off, believe me!! The first three times were okay, but I think we're bordering on number one gazillion now and it's reallly, realllly tiring. Yesterday,I had a doctor's appointment in Bridgeport. So,I got myself ready, got in the car and got to the end of my driveway. Then, it was downhill all the way. Literally. I had to talk to myself as I drove that I did this for 35 years and one more time wouldn't do me in. I'm glad I did go, because I had a good day, which for me means shopping!!! YAAY!! The sun came out, blue skies abounded and the roads were reasonably clear. Winner all around. Then today, I wake up and there's new snow coming down. When we moved to West Virginia, we commented on the weather here and were told, "stick around, it'll change in 5 minutes". HA! Doesn't make the 5 minutes!! Urgh.

I don't have any cards today. With the big shopping trip yesterday, the only thing accomplished was actually getting my "Hi" cards for the Children's Hospital in Columbia, MO, actually in the mail to Lora Brinkman!! I sent her an email that I had actually succeeded!! Go, me!! Heehee!!

Well, since that's pretty much all the news today, I'll go ahead and close. If you're on the roads today, please be careful. If you're not, say a prayer for those that are and keep warm yourselves!!

Hugs and smoochies!!
Mel

The Calm Before the Storm

2009-02-02T06:21:00.011-05:00

I hope you're waking up this morning knowing your favorite won the Super Bowl last night. (In case you're wondering and haven't seen the news yet, the Steelers won 26-23.) But, if you're not, please know that PITTSBURGH ROCKS!!!! And,yes, we did watch the commercials. But, I am disappointed. There were a few cute ones, a couple of weird ones and one I didn't get at all. By the way, did you catch the Denny's commercial? Their surprise is a free Grand Slam for every American on Tuesday, February 3rd!! Check out their website, here, for details and time!! WOW!!

I've finally got the pictures from Saturday's Love Much Bundle class, held at Kathy Hamrick's home. I LOVE this stamp set! I know you can't see it but the card with the fold on top is all sparkly with SU's Dazzling Diamonds. She had us use SU's two-way glue stick to set the glitter over the word. When I got home I got all my supplies together to make at least the cards for a quick Valentine for my Sunday School Class. They will get the Valentines on the 15th, because the 14th is on a Saturday. But that's okay. The ladies don't know they are getting them and I don't think any of them know about my blog (yet!).

Well, the title of today's post is The Calm Before The Storm. I have had some evil rumors blown my way that there's another wicked snow storm heading our way tonight and tomorrow. I've heard everything from 8 to 12 inches ((!!??) to a more manageable 2-5 inches. So, the calm is....make sure your crockpot works and fire that baby up!! There's some serious cooking needs to be made today!!

Okay, time to get going. It's 6:30 and the coffee's made. My DH is still asleep and I can set up my crockpot and make some soup for tonight.

Oh, one more thing. On the way to the evening service last night,we mailed my "Make It Anyway You Want" card to Teresa!! I sure hope she likes it!! But I also learned a lesson this weekend. I won't be posting pictures anymore before I've sent them! Ok, lesson learned!

I appreciate your visit!! Y'all come back now, hear?

ADDENDUM:
My sister "advised me" that Pittsburgh won 27-23 "because she lost the office pool". I stand corrected!! Sorry about the pool, Steph!!

Super Bowl Sunday

2009-02-01T15:57:00.007-05:00

Well, it's here. This is it. The SUPER BOWL, football's biggest attraction, the one game that just about everyone watches, no matter what team you rooted for. Now, I'm not a football "fan". I think I'm doing well to recognize the quarterback (he's the little guy with the ball I think), but I drive my husband crazy asking all kinds of questions when all he wants to do is watch the game. But I'll tell you, the commercials are a HOOT!! That's what I'm looking for! I don't care if you are for the Cards or the Steelers. I don't care if you got to attend the game or if you watched it on a 60-inch flatscreen that you paid for with your children's inheritance. I wanna be here to watch those crazy commercials that the companies pay a whopping one hundred grand a second to show on this mega epic football game. Of course, living in West Virginia, I do favor the Steelers. It's dangerous not to!!

Well, we are going to the evening service at our church, but Ernie has set the "thingy" to tape the first hour of the game. We should be home a little after 7pm, and you can bet, we'll be watching those commercials!! No fast forwarding through these babies tonight!! And I don't even have a clue as to which ones will be running. Who cares??! It'll be fun just to watch it.

As for the cards from yesterday, I know you're probably wondering where the pictures are that I promised you, but I haven't had a chance to scan them in and post them. I'll do my best to get to them on Monday.

But for now, enjoy the game and don't pork out! Watch the commercials and let me know what you thought of them. Who knows, they may not live up to our expectations and just bomb out. If that's the case, we'll head upstairs to our craft room and make cards!!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Melanie

Weekend?? What weekend?

2009-01-31T12:32:00.002-05:00

It's Saturday for you working folks! Glad you joined me today. This morning, I attended a free workshop hosted by Kathy Hamrick, my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. The workshop was for the Love Stamp and Punch combo. Once I get the pictures uploaded, which may be tonight because I'm not at home - I'll let you see what we did in the workshop!

We finally got out of our house today - we've been housebound since Tuesday with the snow and the ice. Normally that's a lot of fun, but this is the third time since the beginning of the year and it's getting old. Fortunately, we'll get to attend church services tomorrow. That's always a good start for the new week.

Until I get the pictures uploaded, hang in there, and enjoy the beautiful sunshine!

See ya!
Mel

Six Saturdays and A Sunday

2009-01-30T08:44:00.011-05:00

I have a friend who, when asked about the benefits of retirement, said, "Six Saturdays and A Sunday". I've been retired now for 16 months and still wake up every morning excited that I don't have to get up, and head out! I guess that should be my mantra as well, right? Well, today is actually Friday and I've had to cancel yet another appointment for my beautiful, long-haired, black-and-white, diva-with-an-attitude cat, Muffin. Lucky Muffin! How many of you are owned by such a Queen?

Last night, I couldn't sleep (too much Diet Coke, I guess) so after I put the computer to bed, emptied the dishwasher, set the coffeepot to auto, and said goodnight to Muffin, I went upstairs and finished a couple of items I need for swaps coming up. The first card is for a "Make It Anyway You Want" swap in February. We're to get our swap partner's name this weekend, so mine is ready to pop into the postbox on Monday. And, here it is. I stamped the teacup in gold pigment ink then used an ultrafine gold embossing powder, perfect for the tiny lines around the edge of the saucer and teacup. I then used SU!'s Wonder Crayons and colored in the flowers and leaves using the Soft Subtles colors. (For the rest of the card, the recipe follows below.) I love teacups but I don't drink hot tea. So, I use mugs instead. But after making this lovely card I think I may just start drinking my morning coffee in a beautiful tea cup! The teacup is a Stampin' Up! stamp that I inherited from a dear friend who has moved away from the area. I've not used it much, but since this is a make it anyway you want, I decided this is my "anyway I want"!! There's a beautiful, fancy "wordy" stamp that goes with the teacup, but I didn't use it for this card....this time!. You like?

The other project I completed was my eleven scraplings. They were so easy to do once I decided what to do with them but they aren't due for the swap until March 15, sooo, I'll hang on to them just a little longer (and you have to wait, too! HA!)

By the time I finished both projects and straightened my stamp spot a little bit, it was 1:15am and time to actually go to bed.

Well, as promised, here's the recipe for this pretty teacup card:
Stamps are from Stampin' Up!; inks are from Stampin' Up!; pink base cardstock is no-name; textured cardstock is from K&Company's Designer Mat Pad; tiny bow is from JoAnn's Fabrics; and the crocheted doily is something I picked up in my wanderings through dollar stores and flea markets. Which brings me to another story, but that's for another day!!

Thanks for stopping by! Be careful on the roads!

Baskets of Blessings!
Mel

I See February!!

2009-01-29T09:31:00.006-05:00

I've seen Januarys come and go, oh, for over 56 years now, but this one seems to wanna hang on FOREVER!! But the good news is that I see February peeking around the corner! Just a couple of more days and she'll be here - that heart-felt month, that lovers month, the month you say thank goodness January's gone!! HA! The weather has been so ugly (that's an ugly word isn't it?) that I've had to postpone two appointments from today to next week. Yeesh. I'll probably make the vet's appointment for Muffin tomorrow because the roads should be fairly well salted and cleared by tomorrow morning. Poor Muffin.

Sooo, do you have your valentine's present or card ready yet for your heartthrob? Well, do you?? Neither do I. I've been working on so many other things, that I've forgotten my nearest and dearest friend, my wonderful husband, Ernie! So, I think I should make him my highest priority next, wouldn't you say? Me, too! Only problem is, he's nosy, always peeking over my shoulder and giving his honest opinion on my current project. And I appreciate that, yes I do! Most of the time. But I don't want him to see what I'll make him for my Valentine's gift to him, right?! I'll think of something!

I don't have any cards this morning but I have been working on my scraplings! My theme for the itty-bitty scrapling swap is "coffee mug" so I've come up with a sweet little thing that I'll post here when I mail them....next month!! Guess you gotta wait!! Heehee!!

Well, that's it for this Thursday morning! If you're driving, I hope you're not reading this and if you're not driving, I hope you're working on something! Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Hugs and smoochies!
Mel

TA DA!! Things Always Happen on Wednesdays!!

2009-01-28T15:17:00.006-05:00

I have to say I surprise myself sometimes - I know how to follow instructions but sometimes I just don't do that and I end up very frustruated. But today I said I was going to follow instructions no matter where they take me and LO!! I was able to upload my picture to my forum profile!! Woohoo!! I feel....oh, I don't know what I feel. Relieved mostly. That's bummed me for some time. And now everyone can see who's bugging them in forum-land!! HA!

But! I did receive another very lovely valentine in the mail from Jean Mervine, one of the card mavens in my Forum group at Cardmaker Magazine. These gals are the craziest, funniest, and sweetest people I've had the occasion to meet online! I'm honored to pal around with them even if it is in blogger-land!!

I can also say that I've completed the 12 cards I promised Lora for the Children's Hospital in Columbia, Missouri and will put them in the mail tomorrow. YAAY!! Now, on to the next challenge - I must complete 11 scrap-lings by February 20th, so I've got to get cracking! I had never heard of scrap-lings before last week, so when the challenge came up it piqued my interest. If you're a serious carder like some folks I know, you probably have a box full of scrap-lings and don't even know it. They are the left over card stock you always have after you've cut a 5"x5" card. You'll just have to wait till I get one done to see what it will look like! Should be fun!

Thanks for stopping by! Check out some of the other blogs I have on my side panel!
See ya!