Loving Birthday Wishes

My friend Nancy asked me a while back if I would make for her a special birthday card that her yoga class could give to their instructor. This is a very special birthday for her yoga instructor and the class wanted to surprise her. Her yoga instructor is going to be 85 years old. She is an extraordinary woman still very active and makes her class of "young-uns" (50 and 60 year olds) work hard to keep up with her in class.


I knew immediately that I wanted to use this Stampin' Up! set titled, "Touch of Nature." The "Loving Birthday Wishes" sentiment is from an Anna Griffin set. I've had the handmade background paper for ages and it seemed perfect for a birthday card in the requested nature theme. I colored the image with Tombow markers and colored a second bird and mounted it on pop dots to give the bird dimension. Next I added some Prima flowers and pearls and skeletin leaves. The scalloped border is made with a Martha Stewart border punch.

I need to get back to my son's wedding preparations. We leave for the wedding in England in less than a week and I still have much to finish. I'd better get busy.

Have a great day!

Comfort food

For the past 10 days I've been sick. OK...ok...I am not expecting anyone to shed a tear. It is just that I never ever get sick. Seriously! I haven't had a cold or the flu in over 10 years. Not even so much as a sniffle.

Well, all of that changed about 10 days ago when I got the grand-daddy of all colds/sinus infections...whatever. YUCKY POO! I've felt horrible.

Today I needed something for supper that was comfort food. Something to just feel better. I'm tired of jello and noodle soup. So for tonight's supper I made us some good, old fashioned Chicken and Dumplings. Mmmmmmm mmmmmm good!

I am not sure my photo does it justice since this is what was left over and scrapped from the bottom of the pot. But it sure was tastey!

So tell me. When you aren't feeling well, what is the best homecooked "medicine" that makes you feel a bit better? This "bug" of mine has gone on for ten days and at its end. Last week I wasn't even up for cooking. But ya know? Sometimes the simple fixin's are the best medicine.

Ah ahhhhh chew! I'm getting better, but I think I have a day or two left of this nastiness in me! Hopefully it will be another 10 - 15 years before I catch it again.

Hope you all are feeling well!
Cheers!

Cheers to you!

I have really fallen in love with the Sarah Kay stamps. The images always make me say, "awwwww...so sweet!". This little girl with the chicks reminds me of my daughter when she was a little girl. I'm not sure exactly why...could be the bare feet, the long braided hair, or it could be just because it is precious, just like she still is.

Friday Sketchers challenge for this week is the layout below:

I chose some complimentary background papers from Wild Asparagus. I added machine zig-sag stitching, a bit of jute for a bow, some prima flowers with dots of Glitz stickles in the centers. The little girl is watercolored with Tombow markers. I added some sunshine yellow Flower Soft to the chicks to make them fuzzy. Too cute!

What are you doing this weekend? I'm working on finishing up wedding stationery for my son's upcoming wedding. It is in two weeks and is in England! I'm so excited about my first trip to the UK. But I needed to make a card for another occasion so this was a fun little diversion.

OK, back to my wedding preparations. I'll post some of the wedding items I've been working on over the next week if you'd like to peek.

Cheers!

Fancy Rooster

Is anyone else like me in that you have a lot of Stampin' Up! stamp sets and even some that have never touched ink once and yet there are other SU sets that you use over and over again? This fancy rooster, from the retired Stampin' Up! set called Roosting, is a stamp set I never get tired of using. When I saw Julee's Mojo Monday Week 74 layout for this week, I knew immediately that I wanted to use my Roosting set for the main image. Below is this week's Mojo Monday challenge layout:

I stamped the rooster on a cream colored cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils. I then masked the rooster and stamped the background with my Stampin' Up! Weathered background stamp in aged copper ink. I used a Martha Stewart lattice punch on black cardstock for the ruffled edges. The green striped background paper is also from Stampin' Up! and the flowered layered paper is from Basic Grey. I added a prima flower and some black and white gingham ribbon to finish the card off.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing today's card. Your comments and just the fact that you take a peek at my blog and cards means the world to me.

Until next time....

Great Catch

Woo hoo! Baseball season is getting close and don't you just know that this year WILL be the Chicago Cubs year for the pennant! Right? Uh huh! You bet!

This week's House Mouse and Friends Monday challenge is the sketch below. It is the perfect sketch, I think, to use this cute Happy Hopper "Great Catch" stamp. I happened to see the Francis Meyer baseball background paper at Michael's a while ago and knew I would need it sometime. As well, the baseball brads were on sale, so how could I resist?

My little Happy Hopper baseball bunny is colored with Prismacolor pencils and I machine stitched around him with a feather stitch to replicate the baseball stitching. I added a little dimensional glaze to his baseball in the mit to give the ball a realistic look.


This was such a fun and fast card to make. It really is giving me spring fever and waiting for baseball season to begin.

Cheers!

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." This quote is by H. D. Thoreau and this sentiment stamp is one of my favorite sentiments stamps I own. I love the swirl of the words and how it causes one's imagination to soar, much the same as Thoreau wrote.

It has been a while since I've participated in one of Julee's Mojo Monday challenges but this week's layout was perfect for this sentiment and I just had to make up this card using Julee's wonderful layout shown below.

I used gold metalic cardstock partnered with some lovely Wild Asparagus swirl paper. The butterfly is punched with a Martha Stewart punch. The flower is a huge silk flower that I took apart for the petals. The pearl brad is from the Bride's Wedding collection. I embossed the center gold paper with my cuttlebug swirl embossing folder.

I think this card can be used not only for an inspirational card but also for a graduation or even to a newly married couple. What do you think?

Cheers!

Springtime Bliss

This week's House Mouse and Friends challenge is to make a tall and skinny card. This sweet little mouse napping under the spring violets makes me think of the word bliss. Using some of my favorite Anna Griffin background paper in purple and forest green these tiny violets seemed to be a perfect match. I used a Martha Stewart lattice punch for the green border as well as oval nestibilities for the image, its scalloped frame and the sentiment. "Bliss" sentiment is from the Close to my Heart clear acrylic stamp set called, Adorable.

Won't it just be pure bliss when the snow melts and we can see some spring flowers and the crocus and violets begin to open? I know it will be for me.

Until next time....

Valentine Bunny

This week's challenge for the HOUSE MOUSE AND FRIENDS Monday challenge site is to use one of your House Mouse or Friends stamps and create a Valentine.

I chose my Happy Hopper stamp that is titled, "A stitch in time." This stamp has served me well for SEW (oops, I mean SO) many occasions and I never tire of this sweet stamp. Colored with prismacolor pencils and a touch of stickles added to her thread and needle to make them shimmer, and gel pens for the embroidery floss is all used for the coloring.

The background paper is actually a lovely heart/flower velum that I mounted over white cardstock. The sentiment is from the Papertrey Quilter Sampler Sentiment Set.

And no card is ever complete for me if I don't use at least one punch on it. For this card I used a Martha Stewart ribbon threader punch and ran red with white polka dots ribbon through the holes and over it added the sentiment. The bottom edge of the card is pinked with pinking sheers. Don't scold me for using my pinking sheers on paper. These are really old sheers that won't cut fabric anymore but are great for papercrafts. I have special sheers for my fabric!

Better get "hopping" on your Valentine cards. Valentine's Day is just 10 days away.

Cheers!

A cup of tea, a prayer or two...

A cup of tea, a prayer or two. Special moments shared with you! That is the sentiment of this darling Inky Antics stamp. I've watercolored the image with Tombow markers and a wet paint brush. One thing "new" that I used on this, and only just a teenie bit, is the sparkles on the bows in the girls' hair. It is a new-to-me type of stickles glitter called Glitz Stickles. The Glitz are even sparklier than regular and the colors are really rich. Of course in a photo, you don't get the full effect of the sparkle but trust me, they are!

I am going to attach a special tea inside this card and send it off to a friend who I think just might enjoy a cup of tea. We may not get to share it together but this is the next best way, don't you think?

Cheers!

With Sympathy and remembrance

My husband asked me to make a sympathy card for him and I realized as I was making this card that it was three years ago today that a friend to many of us quite suddenly passed away. Lori Adelaars was a talented stamper, crafter, gardener and also a loving wife, mother and a sweet friend. Lori, we all still miss you and think of you and all you shared with with us.

For this card I used the Stampin' Up! set called "Heartfelt Thanks." It is a two-step stamping set. I wove ribbon through the bottom by punching first with a Martha Stewart ribbon punch and then added the butterflies with a Martha Stewart butterfly punch. The background paper is actually a floral velum mounted on creamy yellow bazzill cardstock and then a soft dusty lavendar colored card stock. The inside sentiment reads, "May you find comfort in your loving memories."

While this card is for my husband's friend and family, making it gave me pause and reflection to my own memories of one whose generous heart touched so many of us in the stamping world.

We miss you Lori!

Piano Bear

Are you ready for today's Superbowl game? Which team are you cheering for?

This is just a card I made for no reason other than I like the Piano bear. He looks so intent on his music.
This is another of Stampabilities Gruffie stamps. This bear's name is Pebble and the stamp is titled "Beary Nice Song." I colored with prismacolor pencils and add some Nestibilities punches for the sentiment. The notes punch below the image is a little tiny punch that my sister gave to me. I happened to see the musical note brads one day at Michael's and knew I'd have a need for them one day. I think they are a fun touch.

Enjoy your day!

Samuel P. Bunny

Are you scratching your head over the title to this post, Samuel P. Bunny? When I was about 10 years old we had a pet rabbit and his name was Samuel P. Bunny... Sam, for short. I loved Sam. He was such a great pet. Sam was a New Zealand White rabbit, not brown like the way I've colored this one. Sam had bright red eyes. He was gorgeous. Nevertheless, I had to title this card in Sam's honor.

Isn't this stamp great? I love it! It is an old 1993 PSX stamp. I colored him with Prismacolor Pencils and sponge-shaded the background behind him with Tim Holtz Antique Photo ink. The card stock is craft cardstock and I've stamped it with the beautiful Stampin' Up background stamp called Fine Lace using Chocolate Chip ink. The carrot ribbon is one of those teeny weenie spools from Micheals.

The sun is out today. Reflecting off the snow it really is a pretty, albeit cold, winter day. I hope your day is filled with sunshine too.

Until next time....

House Mouse and Friends Design Team Call

The House Mouse and Friends challenge blog posted the following announcement this week. So if you love House Mouse, Gruffies and Happy Hoppers stamps and are interested in applying for one of the two spots open on their Design team, read on:
Vacancy - Design Team Members wanted

We have a vacancy for 2 new DT members. The term will be for 12 weeks (12 challenges). You will be given a minimum of 2 weeks advance notice of upcoming challenges to give you plenty of time. You would also need to email your work to me by the Friday before the challenge (this will give me the weekend to prepare the post as i won't be around on Mondays soon).

If you are interested in joining our DT team then this is what you need to do:

Make a post on your blog containing the following:
1. Why you would like to join the team
2. Show three samples of your best work on the post (please post pictures and not links to help save us time), they don't have to be new work and do not have to contain HM stamps (though we would like to see at least one)
3. Leave a comment on THIS POST with a link to your application post.

In response to this call, and with this post, I wish to apply for one of the DT positions.

Why, you ask? Because I would be ecstatic if I were to be chosen to be one of the new members of the House Mouse and Friends Design Team. Each Monday the team presents a new challenge and I always thoroughly enjoy participating in these challenges; especially because they are using some of my favorite stamps: House Mouse, Gruffies and Happy Hoppers. My collection of House Mouse stamps is extensive and what a great opportunity it would be for me to be a part of the team that presents these weekly challenges using some of my favorite stamps. Oh yes! (she squeals)…I’d be delighted to be chosen!

Below are three sample cards of mine. I'm not sure if they are my "best work" but they are three of my favorite cards and I wish to submit them as samples.

Baby Shoes

Everytime I make a card using a House Mouse stamp I immediately think of two of my friends, Nise and Deborah, both of whom refer to my House Mice as "rat" or "vermin" or "rodent" cards. It makes me laugh everytime. But come on ladies...aren't these cute little mousies?
The challenge over at HOUSE MOUSE AND FRIENDS for this week was to use paper piercing on your card. When my husband saw this card and I told him the challenge requirement he laughed and said, "You always do go a bit overboard!" True enough, this is a lot of piercing, but it was fun to do and I don't use this ornare piercing template often enough. Besides, it was perfect for this image with the oval center.

I probably would have added machine stitching to this card but with all of that piercing there no longer was any room or space to stitch.

This is the year of baby girls for my family and friends. I have two newborn baby girls amongst my family and friends so I decided to add pink shoe laces to these sweet vermints.

I hope everyone is staying warm during this exceptionally cold, snowy and icy winter across most all of North America. To my friends across "the big pond" what is your weather like this winter? (Summer to my Aussie pals).

Stay warm!