In Process

I completed the ‘autumn thanks’ cards for friend Mary Lee so now what…

Tonight – something different. Luckily I got to spend time in my therapy bubble but no cards were completed. I worked on ‘pieces parts’ of soon to be cards. I decided since I don’t have a card to show off tonight I’d show you the beginnings stages.

I stamped up some cutie-pie Halloween images and got out my new Copic markers. I randomly stamped on neutral cardstock then colored in the little spooks. Once they were colored in I used either water-base varnish or crackle accents over the top. Some of the images on the picture are milky looking because the Gesso isn’t dry yet. Once the goop (finish) drys I cut around each little darlin’.

Next step will be deciding what to do with them. I used one of the witches from this Stampin Up set on a card that I posted on Sept. 9. It will be fun making a card home for each of these.

I will be leaving tomorrow to visit Sissy G in Omaha and to get my hair cut. Mary Lee – your cards will be in Omaha tomorrow.

I probably won’t sleep tonight wondering what the Transfer of Crap will include this time. I’m a little nervous about the ToC this trip… Sissy G told me to have my trunk emptied out… OMG – now that’s A LOT of crap!

No bubble time tomorrow or Thursday – but hangin’ with the Sista is the next best therapy. It is also Gail’s birthday today! I’ll have to stop and buy Hostess Cupcakes for the occasion.

Stop by this weekend – hopefully I will have at least one card made using my wee goblins.

Baking Cupcakes

Spent most of the weekend in my ‘bubble’. HURRAY!!!! I worked on Mary Lee’s thankful cards, colored in stamped images of cupcakes using my new Copic markers, and colored in stamped Halloween images. There is a process to some of these cards and like fine wine, the process cannot be rushed. Take the cupcakes for example, I stamp the image, color them in with markers, then add an acrylic finish – let that dry – then go back and add ‘sprinkles’ of glitter – then the glitter needs to dry. So in between making Mary Lee cards I would ‘make’ a cupcake…closest thing to baking I’ve done in a long time.

We went to the local theatre production of Chicago last night. Three Briar Cliff students were in the cast so I felt compelled to attend. I don’t like the play, don’t like the music, don’t like the movie, but I went anyway – just to show my support. They did a good job – the entire cast. The sets were wonderful. Whoever was in charge of costumes – ick – they were BAD.
Now for the scoop on the cards.

Post-It Card
The only thing unique here is that I used an actual lined post-it note and punched the top using a notebook punch from Stampin' Up. I stamped the list of words using an assortment of stamps from JustRite Stampers. Last year I ordered a batch of stamps from their dollar bin. I don't use them all the time - but I do like the size and variety. I did use several of the words on those damn mini-scrap books I made for the 3/5's Club... I'm NOT taking my carmera this year on vacation. I don't want to be tempted to try another scrapbook marathon!

Pumpkin Card
Oh - you should see this one in real life!
~Base card is light green from PaperTrey - edges smudged with olive green
~Layer of brown dots paper 'the goods' from American Crafts
~The braid was surprise present from Sista Gail (good job Gailey!) it is attached to a cranberry color metallic sheen cardstock
~Two rust color brads
~The top pumpkin image was a stamp I found in a box somewhere... I colored in the pumpkin using Copics, then layered it with a Crackle Accents from Ranger and added a coil of green metal wire.
~The pumpkin is attached to a circle of vanilla confetti, then attached to a scallop (die punch).
~These were attached to a square of coordinated paper 'the goods' from American Crafts and a larger layer of olive green cardstock

Scarecrow
~The image was a bulk hodge-podge of stamps that Sissy Gail purchased on eBay. I colored him in with my new Copic markers then gave him a covering of Cracke Accent
~I smudged the background of the scarcrow with 'old paper' ink from Tim Holtz
~To give a suggestion of 'crops' for the scarecrow to be standing in - I used eyelash yarn from the $Tree
~The design paper is Wild Saffron cardstock
~The base card is from PaperTrey

Thinking of You
I messed up with this one!
I had the 'top' ready to attach to the base card - which I did - UPSIDEDOWN! So..... I tore the card at apart and reattached it so the card could actually open right to left.
~The design paper is the same as scarecrow card - just used a different corner
~The stamp is stamped onto the back of the same paper
~Ribbons and such were tied to the rectangle - then the rectangle was attached to the design paper 'Wild Saffron'
~A corner hinge brad was added as well as a paper flower by Petaloo Gailey bought this goody for me too! The 'gemstone' was already attached to the flower. I placed the flower over one of the design paper flowers

You can get up close with the cards by clicking on the images.

All good wishes,
Nancy

Jerome & Evelyn

So many topics so little time…what to bore you with tonight??? Let’s see…I think I’ll just hit you with total randomness. I can hear you thinking, “and that will be different from any of your other blogs…how?”

I was so thrilled when I got a notice that I had a blog comment! It wasn’t the obligatory post response from my sissies!! Sweet Evelyn read my blog and posted a comment. I forwarded it to the 3/5’s club immediately. Partially because I wanted them to know someone, in addition to them, reads my blog. Mostly I forwarded it to them because Evelyn shared BIG NEWS about The Old School Diner. I will save my reflections on The Old School Diner for another blog – but suffice it to say – my mouth is already watering. And I’m sure Judy is anxious for her shoulder massage. Yes, Chef Jerome gave neck/shoulder massages. (I’m also anxious to see if the bathroom was renovated – I certainly hope not!!) Remind me later – I will share the ‘sissy Judy /public restroom’ story.

Back to Evelyn. She is a very nice and talented lady we met in Shellman Bluff, GA. I was in the bait shop/boat house/general store in downtown Shellman with sista’s Judy and Gail, and friend Nila. I have this ‘thing’ about business cards. I pick them up whenever I see them. It’s not really a ‘collection’, I don’t go out of my way to find them. And I don’t pick up ULGLY or BORING business cards. There are a few business cards sitting by the cash register on the gnarled wooden counter of the shop. There in the assortment of cards was a colorful, cheerful business card just crying out for me to pick it up. I did, read the card, it read ‘Beads by Evelyn’. Then I read further…the address was Shellman Bluff. After a double-take ‘Shellman Bluff’?!? No way!!! How could that be? We were standing in essentially the ONLY retail business in Shellman Bluff, and, certainly the only retail operation in ‘downtown’ Shellman Bluff!

We asked the friendly, weathered, gentleman behind the counter if he knew who Evelyn was. He is a very sweet man and probably wonders what the heck these women do every year here in Shellman. We go once a year – spend time sitting on the dock watching boats getting hauled out, getting put in, getting hauled out, getting put in…. ‘get’ the picture? We don’t boat, we don’t fish, we DO buy an annual t-shirt, occasional pork rinds, and beer from the shop. (Please note I am not the pork rind purchaser.) This kind man informed us that Evelyn was his daughter-in-law.
Next thing we knew – Evelyn was at Miss Teeny’s (the house we have the privilege of staying in every year) with baskets and baskets of fabulous jewelry. All of it made by her! Our very own home jewelry show! We had so much fun and Evelyn was such a good sport. She remade items, custom made items, just for us! What a fun afternoon. Lots of bling, lots of laughs, and a new friendship – all in Shellman Bluff. How cool is that? You can check out Evelyn’s handiwork here.

Here is the low-down on this card. I’m almost finished with my ‘Mary Lee is Thankful’ series. Heading to Omaha on Wednesday – so I better stay focused on card-making.

~Base card - PaperTrey ‘Vintage Cream’
~Layer of Basic Grey ‘Mellow’
~Scallop frame made using Cuttlebug
~Horizontal rectangles of gold card stock, Basic Grey ‘Mellow’ and two olive green brads
~Vase of flowers stamp is one of the Simple Florals by Stampin’ Up!
I colored in the vase, ‘water’, and flowers with Copics
I filled in the vase with Stampin’ Up!’s ‘Crystal Effect’ to make it look more like glass

You can get up close with the card by clickiing on the image.

All good wishes,
Nancy

On a Thankful Roll

Base card - PaperTrey ‘Vintage Cream’
~Daisy D’s ‘En Fleur’
~Tree stamp from Michael’s $ bin (Studio G) stamped onto a paint chip; the ‘leaves’ were paper punched and dotted with Stickles Waterfall, horizon drawn with Sakura black pen. I poked ‘stitch holes’ with a T-pin. Attached the paint chip to a layer of Daisy D’s teal-blue Halloween collection.
~Ribbon from a Michael’s $ bin

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Thanks again

More for the Thankful Series inventory:

Grateful

~Base card is a pre-made card - white with orange edges

~Layer of Bo-Bunny 'Shabby Princess' collection

~Strip of brown, then olive green card stock, then coordinated layer of Bo-Bunny 'Shabby Princess' collection

~Sentiment from Stampin' Up 'Small Script' set; Stampin' Up punch

~Felt flower from last fall's sale aisle at Hobby Lobby (a sale on a sale!)

Thanks

~Base card - PaperTrey

~Layer of Stampin Up brown cardstock

~Layer of KI Memories 'funky paper pad II'

~Sentiment - Studio G (dollar bin at Michael's)

~Several layers of cardstock rectangles

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Thankful to be on a Mission

Herb Rack
~Base Card is PaperTrey ‘Vintage Cream’
~The stamp is unknown brand – purchased in lot form from eBay by sista Gail
~I colored it in with Copics (I was a very naughty girl and spent a few dollars to boost my Copics inventory) They are so amazing!
~Herb stamped on vanilla cardstock then smudged with Ranger ‘Old Paper’ ink then layered on to cranberry cardstock, then metallic green cardstock, then a layer of a ‘rescued’ file folder.
~The teal-blue is from daisy d’s Halloween Collection.
~The way-cool ribbon (American Crafts) was a surprise gifty from sissy Gail

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

A Little More Thankful

Wreath
~Base card – Stampin Up
~Layer of orange cardstock
~Layer of Bo-Bunny Press ‘Shabby Princess’
~I was wishing for a fall wreath stamp – don’t have one – so created one – one stamp at a time. I made the ‘wreath’ by drawing a circle then stamping in a circle with various leaf stamps. Then I stamped using a ‘berry’ stamp from the Stampin Up Peaceful Wishes set. I applied Stickles gold glitter to the berries.
~The ribbon was a from a sale bin at Archivers

Thanks Tag

~I used a pre-made cardstock tag and then colored it in with 'ToC' acrylic paints from sista Gail

~Thanks stamp is by Stampabilities

~Assorted ribbon

~Purple layer is from dasiy d's Halloween collection

Simple - but I like it!

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

More cards will be posted today as I complete them.

B4 & After ...Thankful Series Day

It's Saturday! Jammies, cards, and my favorite coffee! I'm on a mission! I want to complete the Thankful Series because I am driving to Omaha on Wednesday.

I'm going to just post cards and will bore you with random thoughts that spill onto the keyboard later this evening.

This is a before and after posting. I thought this card was finished - I photod it - then I uploaded it. When I saw it on the blog I thought it looked oh so blah... So I tweaked it a little. I added a button to the center of the larger flower; glitter centers to the smaller flowers; and Stickles 'diamond' to the embossed tear-drops on the outside of the oval.

~Base Card – oval cut-out (die-cut pre-made)
~I smudged up the edges with bronze acrylic paint
~In the center of the die-cut area I placed design paper from Bo Bunny 'Shabby Princess' collection
~Around the edges of the oval – Prima leaves and a few tiny buttons

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Watch for more postings today as I work on Thankful Cards for friend Mary Lee.

Green Gables & Dogs

Another short note. I shouldn’t start out with that comment as I have no idea what I am going to write about. But, I will try to keep this brief. Can’t have the editor slicing and dicing my blog or setting a word limit on me!

Had lunch today with a friend from high school. He was here from Chicago, visiting his mother – pulling weeds, painting the porch (in other words – working like a DOG). I don’t know about you but MOST dogs I know – don’t really work. They play, they eat, they potty, and they sleep. Why do dogs get all the credit for working? My daddy had dogs – now THEY worked – they were huntin’ dogs. But for the most part – dogs – and work???? I’m not seein’ it.

Anyway, when Jim called me at work to see if I could get away and go to lunch the only ‘rule’ was the restaurant couldn’t be a chain restaurant. AND he promised me he would leave the ‘bubble’. Now don’t be confused he doesn’t have a fiber bubble (therapy room). This reference to a bubble is entirely different than MY bubble. Jim was raised in Morningside (otherwise, generally, known as God’s Country). MOST people never leave Morningside and those who don’t – won’t even drive across the viaduct to shop or eat in Sioux City.

Morningside is an area of Sioux City. I guess they didn’t like the name East Side so they went with an uppity version of East Side…Morningside. Through high school I thought Morningside was a different city than Sioux City. I thought their mail was addressed: Morningside, IA. I actually remember the day I found out their mail came addressed Sioux City. If I hadn’t become friends with two kids in Morningside – who knows I might still, to this day, think Morningside was a city.

Back to lunch – we ate at Green Gables. Not a normal haunt for a Morningsider – but he did manage to find the place nonetheless. Green Gables is a Sioux City landmark – being in business since the 1920’s. Jim had a hot beef sandwich and gobbled it up before I had the salad dressing on my Custer Special! We had a great visit and evidently Jim had a great meal. The trademarks of the restaurant are matzo ball soup, hot fudge sundaes, slow service, and waitresses that worked there when my sisters were in high school. Weekday afternoons there are usually a couple of tables, in the back, filled with white haired Jewish ladies playing mahjongg.

Jim was on a mission to find Templeton Rye Whiskey. (Evidently very top shelf stuff) It is only sold in Iowa and Illinois. The distillery is in Templeton, IA and has been around since before prohibition. He told me he discovered it during a “brown liqueur taste testing party”. (don't ask) I would bet anything he will be driving through Templeton on his way back to Chi-Town!

I’m still working on the Mary Lee Fall Series – here is another one.
Mulberry Trees
~Base card – vanilla PaperTrey
~Layers of Orange then Brown card stocks then a layer of design paper
~The tree trunks are a tree stamp from the dollar bin at Michael’s. I stamped the trees, using brown ink, three times, then covered the leaves area with assorted mulberry papers. After the mulberry paper was dry and attached, I stamped over the top with the tree stamp using Versamark for a shadow of leaves.
~I stamped a ‘horizon’ under the tree trunks and tore the base card stock. This is attached to the card with dimensional – raising it up off the card – slightly.
~Assorted ribbon added last.
You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.
All good wishes,
Nancy

Renaissance Gratitude

I was' told by my 'editor-in-chief that my previous post was a little lengthy. So tonight - just a quick post! (Geez - maybe if I paid her by the word she would APPRECIATE my verbosity...)

Made two thank you cards to send to BCU's new friends with the Siouxland Renaissance Association. They volunteered their time and talents to our Homecoming Renaissance Festival on campus. One is for the Renaissance group, the other is for Mirage a Trois the belly dancing troupe that also volunteered time, talent, and flames to our campus event. I don't think I mentioned the belly dancers in my Homecoming re-cap below. But since I am attempting brevity I will save that description for another day.

I tried for a Renaissance feel to the cards.

~Both cards: Once Upon A Time by DCWV & tulle

~Small card center medallion is a genuine article from ToC (it was a button cover - remember when they were popular? - I pried the medallion off of the button clip - thank you sissy G)

~Scalloped squares made with my Cuttlebug

~Large card crown is DCWV chipboard

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

All good wishes,

Nancy

Football, Fanfare, & Fall

It’s finally over! Homecoming 2009 is now just a fond college memory. My last year as homecoming advisor – hurray!!!

The planning started last spring – getting together a student committee and keeping them focused over the summer. We had to start last spring because homecoming was SO early this year. This was the school’s second autumn homecoming. Until last year homecomings were held in January (yes, in Iowa). "Why?", you might ask. Because until six years ago the school did not have a football team so the beckoning to alumni was during basketball season in the dead of winter.

First I have to vent. The first full week of classes is WAY too early for homecoming! Freshman have barely found their way to all their classes and returning students aren’t in an academic rhythm yet and are still morning the loss of summer and sleeping in. There was no school newspaper being published this early; we have a new no-posters ruling in response to global warming (SERIOUSLY???? a campus with no posters?????????? BRILLIANT!!!); and a student intranet that students HATE. So between homework-stunned students and no dynamic way to market the events …. I’m surprised we had any attendance at all.

My co-advisor and I spent every lunch time sitting near the cafeteria selling homecoming t-shirts and encouraging kids to vote for royalty…(yes, I’m behind on my ‘real’ work!!!!)

Without listing all the details of the week – here are a few of the highlights.
Sunday – decorated the commons – theme this year was Renaissance – “Chargers of the Cliff (the school sits on a hill – the athletic teams are ‘chargers’) Kickin’ It Old School”. We borrowed madrigal decorations from the music department. (This could be an entire blog on its own – working with one of the music department nuns… WOW… I SOOOOO need to find a confessional about now.)

Sunday evening – movie night – Robin Hood Men in Tights – shown in the commons.

Monday through Friday during the day – we have “Fan of the Day” with designated ‘dress as’ themes. Judges pick the best ‘dresser’ and that student is designated as “Fan of the Day”. Each ‘Fan of the Day’ wins an inflatable crown, a LOVELY certificate, and a $20 gift card to Wal-Mart. Monday was ‘Dress as Your Favorite Faculty’. Tuesday – Dress Renaissance; Wednesday- Dress opposite gender; Thursday- Dress as Your Undergraduate Major; Friday – Dress Blue & Gold (school colors).

Monday evening was Lord and Lady BCU (traditionally Mr. & Mrs. BCU) a lighthearted talent competition. Laughed til I cried at this one.

Tuesday evening we hosted a Renaissance festival. A twenty member Renaissance troupe from Sioux Falls was on hand to add to the mood – including ‘knighting ‘the men on the court and instructing the ladies of the court on proper curtseying. Large attendance at this one – people had a hoot!

Wednesday evening – Faces of BCU – calendar competition. This was sponsored by the Student Government Association – which I am also an advisor to.

Thursday evening – Search for the Holy BCU Grail (okay – it was a light up plastic pilsner glass decorated with genuine gems from the Dollar Tree). This scavenger type event was complete with inflatable bam-bam sticks (homage to the coconuts of Monty Python and the Holy Grail).

Friday evening was coronation. It included a darling skit – Chargers in Tights. If you have never seen the movie Robin Hood Men in Tights – you must at least watch this. The students were hysterically funny and amazingly good at a chorus line! A senior slide show followed. I put the show together using each of the senior’s freshman ID photos – then candid shots through the years. One of the junior students put music to it. The students loved it. The end of the evening was the actual coronation of king and queen. Last year’s king and queen were on hand to do the actual crowning. The slate of royalty was wonderful this year: all genuinely nice kids, all dean’s list students. The M.C.’s were male students dressed in homecoming t-shirt’s and child-size ‘armor’ from the Dollar Tree….they were VERY funny.

Saturday – the football game – announcing the homecoming royalty during half-time. No stress there - right? WRONG! The King and Queen were in Madison, SD at a cross country meet!!! I called the coach on Friday as soon as I realized he was going to have our extra special cargo in a van at a meet that started at 10 for the women and noon for the men…he promised to do his best to get them to the football field by half-time. I got mile by mile updates via text during their rapid transit home. Before the whistle ending 2nd quarter – I told the dance and cheer squads the line-up for half-time activities was officially changing to have the royalty be last on deck. After a dicey ‘conversation’ with the dance advisor and using the ‘my advisor role trumps your dance squad advisor role’ card…I am happy to say no one ended up in the pillory. The king and queen LITERALLY jumped out of the school van and had to RUN to the staging area - just in the nick of time! As the king and queen were RUNNING to the staging area - a junior (male) student stripped out of his black homecoming t-shirt and tossed it to the king who had left his homecoming t-shirt in the school van....The royalty made their entrance, wearing their black Chargers of the Cliff homecoming t-shirts and jeans, using this as their inspiration. The crowd LOVED it.

Saturday evening – the dance. Loud music, largest attendance BCU has ever had for a homecoming dance. Had SEVERAL students stop and say thanks or ‘best homecoming ever’. As tired as I am – it was all worth the worries, hassles, loss of sleep, frustrations, and last minute adjustments.

Sometime in this non-stop action packed week I found time for a card! Here is another 'thankful' card for the Mary Lee series.
~Base card is vanilla PaperTrey (did I mention - this cardstock is THE BEST?)
~Layer of design paper
~A couple layers of mulberry paper
~Stamps are from Stampin Up!
You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Now that homecoming is over I hope to get more bubble and blog time in.
Thanks for stopping by!
All good wishes,
Nancy

Tea Time - Making and Remembering College Memories

College homecoming is next week. How did I get to be co-advisor anyway? My office is FILLED with stuff that I can’t wait to be rid of …homecoming t-shirts, props, tickets, prizes, 3 laptops, decorations, and 12 swimming pool noodles… I practically have to climb over my desk to get to my computer. Swimming pool noodles you may ask… I’ll explain next week.

Ten candidates nominated by their peers today for Homecoming Court. I had the privilege of telling several of them – it made my day hearing/watching their reactions. Wonderful kids nominated – all of them – no ‘plastic people’, no phonies, no snooties – all good decent kids. Glad I don’t have to vote on just one of them next week!

Yesterday was Miss Amy’s birthday. She is on her way to Chicago for a U2 concert. She stopped in Iowa City on her way. I got a text message from her, it said, “so many memories”. Ahhhh…college days…. If I thought she wouldn’t get mad at me I’d tell you about a freshman experience of hers and her pals on ‘the drunk bus’. Trust me, it is chuckle-worthy!

Miss Bailey is spending the night with us this evening. She came up to Briar Cliff this afternoon after school. Once there she got invited by several of the college kids to go work on homecoming decorations. She of course went running off with them – completely delighted. They came back to my office saying they were going to the cafeteria for supper and were taking Bailey with them. She went with them – completely delighted. After dinner they went back to the lounge to continue creating decorations. Finally talked her into going home around 8! (and I thought she was coming over to see me…..)

Info on the card:I was in the mood for an old-fashion look. I had the image colored in and varnished from an earlier day in the bubble. I woke up early and assembled the card this morning before Miss Bailey awakens.
~Base card is vanilla

~The base design paper reminds me of old-time wallpaper

~Layer of cardstock and then layer of another design paper

~The image is Stampabilties ‘Tea Time’. I colored using Copics and watercolor pencils~I painted over the entire image area with a water-base varnish then adhered this to a slightly larger piece of black cardstock to ‘frame’ the image

~The ‘clump’ of buttons is from my vast button collection – I tried to use vintage-feel buttons in complementary colors – assorted ribbons (because I can’t seem to make a card without ribbons

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

All good wishes,

Nancy

MTV witch

This will be a quick post. I have to admit for once I’m not looking forward to going to work. Being gone from a one-person-department is nasty. When I left last evening I still had 600+ emails staring at me in my inbox.

Last night I ‘volunteered’ (?) to drive a 16 passenger van full of freshman to the president’s (of the college) home. Over the course of several weeks she hosts a catered dinner at her home. By the end of the month EVERY freshman will have had dinner at her home. They all seem to enjoy it – at least the ones I ferry across town. There is always lively discussion in the van to and from the event. Last night one of the students asked me if her house was ‘cool’ enough to be on MTV Cribs. I did not admit to the fact that not only have I never seen the show, I don’t even have cable television. Luckily I’m cool enough to know what they meant by ‘crib’, am vaguely aware of the type of programming MTV has to offer, and could make the leap that if the program is on MTV – it probably has to do with celebrities. They launched into a discussion about cribs they had seen on the show – so that got me off the dialogue hook and into the active listening mode – thank God.

I had a different group of students in the van for the return trip so I didn’t get to ask how the president’s ‘crib’ would fair on MTV. I’m sure her husband’s den AKA ‘the baseball museum’ would get high marks.

Another late night on campus this evening - 8 PM Homecoming Committee meeting... (8 PM???? ahhhh the life of a student...)

On to the card…

Base card: Stampin-Up Black cardstock
~Layer of orange cardstock
~Layer of DaisyD’s Design Paper
~Brads
~Teeny little brown paper sack – stamped with cob webs (dollar bin – Michael’s)
~Circle punch with SU witch – colored in with watercolor pencils – edge smudged with SU ink – crackle added over the top
~The inserted tag slides out, has assorted ribbons and is edged with Stampabllities orange ink, and is stamped with the sentiment

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

All good wishes,

Nancy

Thankful for Stars & Stripes

Popped in to check on the Our Creative Corner weekly challenge. The challenge is to create a card using stars and stripes. Since I’m still in a “Thankful Series” mode for friend Mary Lee I decided to not go with the first thing that comes to mind with ‘stars and stripes’ – USA patriotic. I went with striped background paper, a thank you stamp that happens to include a star, and a few punch stars.

This is the result:
~Base card – white PaperTrey cardstock
~Stripe design paper is from DaisyD
~Sentiment was stamped with Stazon Teal Blue on white mulberry paper
~The sentiment "Thanks a Million" by stampcraft (purchased at Wal-Mart)
~I cut the mulberry into a rough circle shape and did the mulberry paper thing - soaked the edges, waited a couple seconds and then frayed the circular edge
~The mulberry circle was then attached to layer of teal cardstock on a layer of dark brown cardstock. I roughed up the edges of the two layers of cardstock. Then – tried something different…I smeared the Versamark pad over the top of the three layers and added Tsukinek Turquoise embossing powder and heat embossed the entire sentiment rectangle. The mulberry paper looks rather filmy and shiny.
~Three Fiskar punched stars with edges colored with Copic markers.
You can get up close with the card by clicking on image.
All good wishes,
Nancy

Daughter, Dives, and Dozens of Cards

Labor Day Weekend Review: Well okay maybe not DOZENS of cards but I did spend some quality time in the bubble. Let's hear it for Fiber Therapy!

Miss Amy was here! We had a great time. We watched a couple old DVD movies. Friday night it was Sneakers (1992) starring Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, Mary McDonnell, and Ben Kinglsey. Nice evening - good flick, popcorn, mama and Amy time. Both of us attached to our laptops.

Saturday evening another movie – The Ice Pirates (1984). A cult classic no doubt – but not a do-over in my book. Even starring Robert Urich I can’t believe I sat through the WHOLE thing. Amy and I did have several giggling episodes regarding the campy-low-budget cinematography. What a HORRIBLE, goofy, insipid movie. But I got to watch it with ‘my girl’. A simple quiet night. Pizza from the Town House, mint chip ice cream for dessert! Both, again, attached to laptops: Amy checking US Open Tennis Scores, me checking in on facebook, work, and blog hopping.

Sunday morning. We took Memere Old to breakfast at Harvey’s Restaurant in Riverside. Harvey’s is a total dive. Good home cookin’. but wouldn’t make the radar of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives… Nothing fancy except the individually wrapped tooth picks at the checkout.

Mother seemed to enjoy getting out of the house for a few hours. Here are a few of the cards I managed to create this weekend. I vote for mandatory 3 day weekends!!! Let’s hear it!!!

Card details:
Vertical Sunflower Card~Base Card - gold Stampin Up cardstock
~Layer of olive green cardstock which frames the design paper
~The sunflower image is stamped on PaperTrey White. Image colored with watercolor pencils. Dots added to center to make the appearance of seeds Also dotted a little SU Crystal Effects. Once the image was colored in I lightly passed the 'old paper' ink pad over the top for a smudging effect. The sunflower images i layered on two colors of cardstock and attached with dimensionals.
~The sentiment 'thank you' is from Hero Arts.

Horizontal Card
~Base card is SU Cardstock
~Striped design paper on layer of orange cardstock
~Several off-set layers of design paper layered on coordinating cardstocks
~The sunflower is heavy felt - it was on a stem - I yanked out the wire stem and there you have it - a card embellishment! The flower was from a package of stemmed flowers - bought off season - deeply discounted - 80% off at Hobby Lobby
~Three tiny buttons along the lower edge complete the card

You can get up close with the cards by clicking on the images.
All good wishes,
Nancy

Movies, Titles and more on ToC

The good news is I'm heart healthy the bad news is 'now what'? Is it just a coincidence that I started experiencing chest pain about the same time I was denied my bubble time? hmmm... Is there a test for that? Does that make me a 'little bubble off plumb'?
Because, in my heart of healthy-heart, I believe there is at least some correlation so, I'm thinking I should re-name my blog from Fiber Bubble to Pulp Therapy. I can't really say the new prospective title is in reference to the movie Pulp Fiction as I've never seen the movie or read the book. I think I did mention in a previous post my 'thing' with attending movies... I'll check and if I didn't you will find out WHY my family REFUSES to watch movies with me.

Contemplating changing Fiber Bubble to Pulp Therapy has to do with my belief that while I joke about my card creating is my 'therapy' there may be more to it than I ever gave it credit.

As the title of this post promises - MORE on ToC. (Transfer of Crap) Daughter Amy came up with that term. She also determined this ToC is a genetic trait shared by some members of our family. While I believe in her unscientific pronouncement that this gene would somewhere be located in the official Genome Mapping Project – I now believe this characteristic is also viral. A gene/trait that can be spread??? That will put the scientific world in a sequencing spin!

ToC even has its very own special basket. The basket rarely sits empty. Sista Gail maintains the “Sioux City Basket” as it contains the ‘crap’ to be ‘transferred’ at every possible Omaha/Sioux City or Sioux City/Omaha rendezvous. It is a huge responsibility but she shoulders it with grace and tenacity. The ToC has recently accepted a new member into the Circle of Crap. Friend Mary Lee is now included in this exclusive Transfer of Crap ‘club’.

I hope Mary Lee reads the fine print on the ToC contract:
~All items submitted for transfer must never be scrutinized by the receiver while in the presence of the giver
~All items are given with the knowledge that some piece or part of a piece of crap may be returned to the giver in the form of a card embellishment
~Once items are given to the ToC recipient - the recipient has rights to do with the items (crap) as the recipient sees fit (use, store, pass along to some other unwitting sap)
There are other lines of legalese in the contract but the fine print is so fine you need to log in time with the Hubble Telescope to decipher it.

Official ‘members’ of the ToC: Sister Gail, Friends Nila and Mary Lee. I’m a member but always seem to be only on the receiving end… What’s up with that????

I’m also a member of another exclusive ‘club’. The 3/5’s Club…that is a topic for another blog.

Now it’s time for the card details.
These are a continuation in the Fall – Feeling Thankful series for Mary Lee’s work peeps.
Horizontal card:
~Base card is Stampin Up Eggplant cardstock
~Oak and maple leaves stamped with Versamark then embossed with copper
~Center leaves embossed with thick copper embossing powder
~Outer frame is most likely an item from the infamous transfer of crap: it was a card window frame for cross-stitch (like THAT would ever happen!) I used acrylic paints, purple, metallic copper, and olive, and sienna. I then smudged it onto the frame using a small sponge. (Yes, the paints are from Sista Gail transferrin o' the crap.)
~Random ribbons complete the card...
Vertical card:
~Base card is Stampin Up cocoa colored cardstock (don't remember the name)
~Coordinated design paper by Bo-Bunny
~Stamp is from the 'Around the Block' set by Stampin Up
~The edges of the stamped square - I 'roughed up', then tapped the edges with Versamark, then embossed with copper. I have never done this before - I think I like it - it is difficult to see the result in the photo. This is then layered on an orange layer of cardstock.
~The ovaloid rectangle was punched with a Stampin Up punch
~Three brads complete the card...
You can get up close with the cards by clicking on the images.
All good wishes,
Nancy