To Let You Know...........

Just wanted to let you know that the cards shown on my blog are for sale. The price is $2.50 per card or 5 for $10.00 plus shipping. Any boxes or gift bags are also for sale. Just email me and I'll be glad to let you know the price. Many things are sold already but I have so many I decided to offer them for sale to clean out my inventory. Thanks!

SU Baskets and Blooms!!!

My good friend Diane over at http://www.nelliesnest.blogspot.com/ sent me ten precut Basket and Blooms dies. All I had to do was tape them and put them together. They're not filled with any goodies yet. She has the die and I don't.....yet! Aren't these just the cutest things and they can be used for every occasion imaginable. Favors at parties, school treats, halloween goodies, wedding or shower favors, birthday favors........the list is endless. These are all the rage now with SU demos and their customers. Definitely on my wish list! Thanks Diane!

35 Days To Halloween! Are You Ready?

Both these images would not fit on the front of a standard A2 card so I had to come up with a way to use them both front and inside. The text is computer generated and the images are from Stampendous. Both have been around awhile but I like them a lot. I colored both using blender pens and my ink pads. CS is SU black and DP is Ghostly Greetings (small orange dot) and Making Memories. Hope you like it! Have a great weekend!

Christmas Peace

http://rainy.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ This is the site where I CASED the design for this card. Only she used acetate over the surface and as I didn't have any I did things a little differently. This is a situation that demonstrates any card can usually be saved when you think all is lost. I got all the sponging and stamping done and ran it through the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, UPSIDE DOWN, so the dots were inverted on the right side. So I patiently covered each little dot with Stickles Frosted Lace. Up close it sort of looks like rain coming down!!! But it saved the card. Used Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue, Almost Amethyst and Sage Shadow for the sponging above a torn edge of scrap on Whisper White and stamped image and sentiment in Basic Black. Matted on Black SU CS.

Quickie Christmas...or Not

This was quick and easy and I like the cheerful colors. I used Very Vanilla and Green Galore CS. Again, I apologize for not knowing where the DP came from, probably a pad I bought in Mike's last year. I used Red Riding Hood Red photo corners and ink for the images which came from The Snowflake Spot by SU. This could be Christmas because of the colors but it could also be a get well at the holidays or just a winter card to a friend.

Peaceful Elegant Christmas

This is a simple elegant image from Rubber Cottage called Peace Angel. If you click on the picture you can see that the ribbon in front of the globe says "peace on earth, good will to men." I tried coloring this first with soft colors but didn't like it. Then I tried stamping in a solid color like blue or green. Still didn't like it. Then I tried the Sahara Sand and knew I had it. The CS is Sahara Sand as is the image. I don't have a clue where the DP is from, sorry. I don't really like this bow but the ribbon, from the $1 table at Mike's, is a perfect match. Can't win all the time!

Guilt Produces A Card

I've neglected my faithful readers soooo long that I simply had to do another card tonight. This is a piece of Heidi Grace paper on SU Very Vanilla cardstock. The window image is a new Hostess set called Window Dressing and the sentiment is from the same set. I stamped it on a scalloped punch, folded it in half, then punched out two flowers in Always Artichoke and So Saffron, my image colors, and added a pearl center. This is a darling set and I know I'll get lots of uses for it.

I am dedicating this card to my good buddies Diane (http://www.nelliesnest.blogspot.com/) and Brenda who are both good friends and cat lovers. Thanks ladies! Love you!

Christmas Choo Choo!!!

I know, I know......where have I been? I have no excuse. So I'll just get on with this new card using two of SU's In Colors--Red Riding Hood Red and Kiwi Kiss. Also used More Mustard Ink on the train. I just love this image and think it makes a great Christmas image what with the popularity of model trains at the holidays. A great one for a train enthusiast! A few dots of Candy Cane Stickles on the photo punch corners to dress it up. Enjoy!

The Mother of all Blog Candy!!!!!

In honor of her grandmother who died from the disease, Carolyn King has gotten together with a gazillion stampers and more stamp and papercrafting companies than you can name to come up with a blog candy package worth over $1000!!!!!!!!! Woo Hoo! Be sure to check Carolyn's blog for the details. It's really very straightforward.

This is the card I made for the caregiver of an Alzheimer's patient. So hop on over and enter!

http://myblogbycammie.blogspot.com/

Check It Out-Great Blog Candy!

http://stardustgemsandribbon.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/blog-candy-timetrick-or-treat/#comment-2435

Christmas Mojo

I cased the background of this card from Heart Prints, mentioned in the post below but decided to go in a different direction. The focal image is a sticker from a pack my daughter gave me last year. They have clear backgrounds and are very shimmery. The sentiment is from Vintage Christmas by Crafty Secrets. I LUV their stuff! I used the Score Pal on the layer under the sticker and on the bottom and the Swiss Dots CB folder for the background.

I'm showing two shots of this card because one shows the background better than the other. I used the CB snowflakes folder on top of silver metallic cardstock and a Sizzix snowflake die over the window cut with a Nestabilities square. Used Frosted Lace Stickles on the big snowflake and a pearl in the center from K&Co.

I cased this card from the most wonderful site called Heart Prints. Go to the Cuttlebug section to see cards that will knock your socks off! http://www.heartprints.net/

Pond Update

OK here are 2 pics I just took this morning. The deep end is fully excavated and you can see the formation of a "shelf" about a foot down from the top edge. This is to sit submerged plants on. At the far narrow end we are starting to pile up dirt on which to build the falls. When you put your liner in it goes up and over that pile and then the rock part of the falls is actually built INSIDE the liner so there are no leaks when you are done.

Blog Candy Tip

http://crafterskitchen.blogspot.com/ Go here to visit this lovely blog and enter your name to win some beeeeuuuutiful christmas blog candy!

I'm Baaack!

Betcha thought I'd forsaken the blogging world! NEVER! Anyway the pictures above show the pond that is under construction in my yard. You have all seen pictures of the small pond we have and with that under our belt my son decided he wanted a really good size one. He has done all the excavation by hand with a shovel and pick-ax. I have been the "gopher" and dirt disposal person, wheelbarrowing the dirt around to another site and getting cold drinks and moving plants to make room for this behemoth. It is 20' long and at the deep end 4' deep and 10' across. There will be a falls at the top of the narrow end. It has changed quite a bit in appearance since these pictures were taken last weekend so I'll have to get some more recent ones for those of you interested. Everyone in America wants a pond, they just don't know it yet!!!

Now down to more fun things! I have spent quite some time lurking around Becca's blog at Amazing Paper Grace. Becca is one gracious lady and sooooo talented. I have been inspired to try her technique using corner punches to create circular elements for cards. She did a video on this on her September 2 post on her blog http://www.amazingpapergrace.com/. I urge you to vist and view her gorgeous cards and watch the video. The pictures I have shown below are my first attempts at this and one card I made using it. Read on:

OK on the left is a picture of my pattern after the circle is cut from the nestabilities large circles set. Also shows some of the circles after using the corner punches. The card is one I made using the part of the circle that was in the center. See you can do it either way. Use the center or use the circles perimeter as shown in the picture and mount a stamped image in the center. NOW, this is not an exact science. I recommend you just use some scrap and cut some circles. I used the large and second largest circles in the nestabilities set. You could cut your circles another way. The measurements of the two I used are 3 3/4" and 3 1/4" circles. Some of the corner punches fit the smaller circles and some fit the large. You have to play with it a little. And I will tell you that small mistakes don't show that much, really! This is a good thing as Martha says!!! Go to Becca's site and view the tutorial. She also has many samples of her drop dead gorgeous cards using this technique. She is one lovely lady and oh so talented! Tell her I sent you.

The pond pictures above show one reason I haven't been on much lately but I also have been dealing with a killer bone spur on one heel and I could hardly walk. Cortisone shots are helping but eventually more drastic measures will be taken I'm sure. I've been through this before on the other foot. And just a bunch of busy family things going on too. I appreciate your patience and hope to get back to my regular schedule. Have a great weekend everyone!

blog candy!!!

http://starvingartistamps.blogspot.com/2008/09/delicious-candy-just-in-time-for.html

Check out the above link for some great blog candy! Be back soon!

Halloween Envelope Scrapbook

Had so much fun with the first envelope book I had to do one for Halloween. I will give this to my daughter who every year dresses up her little pug in a costume. She can keep the dog's pictures in here from past years. I did a real close up of the outside which I did in two layers. The printed layer is a flocked paper stuck to the cardstock layer of Really Rust. Instead of a scalloped border I used the Drippy Goo border punch new from Martha Stewart this year and available at Michael's. That fancy belly band is a Martha Stewart spider punch and I gussied it up with Stickles. You have to try one of these. They're so fast and easy!

Mini Envelope Scrapbook

http://inkingaddict.blogspot.com/2008/07/envelope-scrapbook-tutorial.html

This is the link where you will find a very good tutorial on how to make these little books. You use 3 #10 size business envelopes, solid CS, and some designer paper. You also need several punches. This was fast and easy and I plan on doing more as I really enjoyed this project. I used the new Main Blueberry DS from Stampin' Up!. Love this paper! It goes with Not Quite Navy and Old Olive colors. Enjoy!

Happy Labor Day!

Here's my labor for today. This card uses what is known as a blintz fold. You can learn how to do it on http://igotstamps.com/?m=200807. Check her July 29th post. Just so you know, I photographed this on a piece of Really Rust paper because the card faded out on a plain white background. I used a plain vanilla card highlighted with Really Rust paper and inks and SU DP. The sentiment is from Upsy Daisy and the image is from Baroque Motifs. Four little matching brads hold down the corners of this special fold. Enjoy!

PS Is fall here??? Can I say it is? Can I huh? Please!!!!