Stood Up

Interesting day at work today...too many meetings...made good updates to our Briar Cliff University        Facebook page...did my half hour in the Alverno Fitness Room...encountered a student while I was walking back to my office...here was the conversation...

Student: "I borrowed your office chair."
Me: "Okay...why did you do that?"
Student: "I'm moving my stuff from my dorm room in Alverno across campus to my summer room in Noonan."
Me: "And your using my office chair?"
Student: "I needed something with wheels."
Me: "Okay" (I really don't need to SIT at my desk.)
Student: "I'll bring it back."
Me: "I know you will - thanks for letting me know."
Five minute later - me STANDING and working at my desk....phone rings...
Me: "Career Development this is Nancy"
Co-Worker in office across campus: "Are you missing your desk chair?"
Me: "Well...technically it was borrowed - not sure I would classify it as missing...why do you ask?"
Co-Worker: "I thought I recognized it! It is sitting outside my office." (It is a VERY OLD solid oak chair with a bright red seat patio style seat cushion.)
Side-note: her office is in the basement of the summer dorm housing - across campus - where there are NO residence rooms. What the heck was my chair doing down there?!
Three minutes later I walked down the hall to borrow someone ELSE's chair and there sits my chair...soaking wet from the pouring rain...KIDS!

Speaking of kids - here is a kid-card - or maybe an adult 'young at heart' card. All layers of the card are from the Paper Studio Oops-A-Daisy collection.

Bubbles and Dots
~Base card - PaperTrey Ink
~Layer of brown design paper
~Three strips of circular dots
~Green sheer ribbon
~Brown with pink polka dots ribbon
~Digital image by Sassy Cheryl - colored with Copics, pink Stickles on the hat flower, edges curved and smudged with pink
~Three layers of design paper
~Green glitter chipboard daisy with pink metal brad
Challenges
Sassy Cheryl's - sketch
Crafting for All Seasons - many layers
Wishcraft - use forgotten stuff (forgot I had the green glitter chipboard)

Thank you for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Bliss in the Bubble

One more card for the day. An entire day in the Bubble - ahhhh bliss! I watched this video over at Lily Pad and wanted to put it into action before my bedtime. Okay...so I didn't follow the directions exactly...but I really do like her tutorials.

Oh! And by the way I just found my name listed  over at Play Date Cafe for this card. FUN!

Happy
~Base card vanilla cardstock
~All the design papers and sentiment are from the Simple Stories Happy Day collection
~Labels Two (Spellbinders/Cuttlebug)
Challenges & Inspiration
Play Date Cafe - color inspiration
Robin's Card Fetish - birthday

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

No Rock - Just Paper/Scissors

Still lovin' my time in the Bubble! Can't claim much in the productive column today except for laundry and a wee bit of cleaning/straightening. Let's hear it for three day weekends!

I don't know what internet click led me to this image but I just had to color it up! Oh! Now I remember I "Googled" train for this card...ahh the wonders of the internet! I spent hours playing paper dolls when I was a youngster. Even then I loved playing with and cutting paper! I loved playing with Barbie dolls Colorforms too! Who needs Wii's, Kinects, and iPads? Kids don't know what their missing.

Paper Doll Days
~Base card - cream cardstock
~Layer of My Mind's Eye Wild Asparagus
~Layers of green and rose cardstocks topped with fussy cut design paper from Prima Madeline collection
~Oval die cut
~Digital paper doll cut out image - colored with Copics, smudged with ink - bustle embellished with green rhinestone
~Prima flowers with rhinestone centers
~Ribbons and vintage button (the yellow looking ribbon is actually green - not sure why it looks so yellow-green)
~Die cut scroll corner with gold metallic dot
Challenges
Joanna Sheen - remember when
House of Gilli - punches/die cuts
Shabby Tea Room - color inspiration

Thank you for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Riding a Day Off

I could get used to these three-day weekends! Sippin' tea and makin' cards!

Comin' Round the Tracks

~Base card - PaperTrey Ink Kraft

~Layer of rust colored design paper from BasicGrey Oliver Paper Pad - along bottom of card

~Layer of PaperTrey Ink Ocean Tides

~Layer of train paper from BasicGrey Oliver

~Diagonal rectrangle is a layer of burgundy cardstock with edges roughed up, another layer of PaperTrey Ink Ocean Tides and another slice of BasicGrey Oliver

~Twine and button

~Oval polka dots cut using Spellbinders die cut/Cuttlebug

~Free digital image from an online color book

Challenges
Moxie - masculine plus color inspiration
Little Red Wagon - oh daddy
Southern Girls - die cut or punch
Just Us Girls - photo inspiration

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Fresh Badminton

Happy Sunday.

I started my day by going up to the campus to use the treadmill. I love to be in the work-out room when there are no students. While they are supportive of my feeble attempts to 'get fit' my total 'regimen' lasts less than 30 minutes. They "kindly" say things like, "hey - if you don't pay attention you will break 30 minutes!" Even though they smile and nod...I can't help but think they are mentally filing me away as a "how NOT to get old and out of shape" role model. They are athletes and spend lots of time in the weight-room. They don't make too much fun of my awkwardness on the elliptical and the paltry speed I dial up on the treadmill because they like that I frequently bring home the towels they use for wiping down equipment, necks, and foreheads (and heaven knows what else...). So...here I am in my Bubble working on cards while those nasty/sweaty towels are swirling in the Tide and Clorox Bleach (extra Clorox). On the bright side - they will smell "Downy" fresh and I don't have to fold them. I just pile them into the 'clean towel' basket and return it tomorrow during my next "grueling" cardiovascular session - with not one student in sight. There are a few students on campus over the summer, and lucky for me, none of them get up at 7 AM!

Since I am working on achieving 'clean' towels I decided to go with a 'Clean and Simple' card. I actually woke up the other morning with this idea in my head and decided to give it a go. While I really like the daisy stamp...as I was layering them for a look of 'movement' it seem screamed 'shuttlecock in flight!'

Daisy in Flight
~Base card - Lemon Tart by PaperTrey Ink
~Daisy stamp (Petals from Scratch by Fiskars) colored with Copics
~Sentiment from Fishars' Petals from Scratch
~Ribbon
~'Buckle' from Stampin' Up Hodge Podge
Challenges
Crazy for Challenges - one layer
Sentimental Sundays - pocketful of posies
Great Impressions - anything goes
Challenge Up Your Life - one layer
Happy Scrapers - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Sharing with the Moths

Hardly any students on campus - let's hear it for ample parking! I will miss 'the little darlins' - but not for a few weeks!

With the fabulous choices in parking comes leaving work while it is still daylight, stopping at the bank while there are actual live tellers smiling in the window, and a reminder-to-self not to go to the grocery store right after work - when the rest of the normal population has the same idea. I actually got to water my container plants and perform dead-heading by daylight instead of sharing porch lights with the moths. This working 8 hours instead of 16 - it ROCKS!

In addition to stopping at the bank, grocery shopping, putting away the groceries, chatting with the neighbor, and fixing a yummy and HUGE salad for dinner I put in time in the Bubble...YEA me! Yea mid-May on a university campus!

Fenced in Posies
~Base card - PaperTrey Ink Ocean Tides
~Layer of Prima design paper from the Madeline collection
~Picket fence die cut from Taylored Expressions
~Hero Arts Cream Print Flower smudged with Blue Lagoon chalk, Prima leaves, fabric coiled flower
~Rubber Stampede Wild Rose background stamp colored with watercolor pencils and coated with clear varnish matted on brown and Ocean Tides cardstocks
Challenge
The Shabby Tea Room - photo inspiration plus dimensional flowers

Made a card...photo'd it...blogged....and it is STILL daylight! So this is how most people live...who knew?

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Stickin' to Stickers

When I go visit my sissy in Omaha we usually make a 'retail therapy' trip to the Dollar Tree. I scored big last time with some really fun dimensional stickers. I have too many stickers in my arsenal of card making items - but when you can say  "it's only a dollar..." whatcha' gonna do? We also, usually, make a trip to Archiver's which is not technically 'therapy' rather more of a 'necessity'.

Speaking of shopping - I asked dear husband to stop at the grocery store for a few items today. I was considerate and texted him the list as his 'shopping list memory' is maxed out at three items. Before texting the list I spoke with him on the phone telling him the list and telling him the call would be followed by a text. When I mentioned purchasing yogurt he proudly recalled without prompting, "berry flavors - no strawberry". I praised his recollection (regardless of the fact that he has been instructed that the only yogurt flavors I like are berry flavored except strawberry - for as long as dairy producers have been making the creamy culture-laden treat). As we were putting away the groceries he satisfyingly was naming the yogurts as he piled them in the refrigerator..."raspberry, blueberry, mixed berry, cherry, and peach." Extended dramatic pause.....His response to the profound silence was, "at least they're all in the fruit family." Next week we will work on colors and then move up to veggie identification.  :)

My friend Lisa just stopped over with a fresh baked rhubarb pie. By the way...rhubarb: NOT a berry....not even a fruit!

Vintage Hydrangea

~Base card - pink cardstock

~Layer of design paper by Prima - the Madeline collection with the right upper corner stenciled using the Mini Chicken Wire stencil by TCW and Tim Holtz Broken China Distress Stain

lace and pink/white twine

~Circle scallop of a page from a vintage book - also stenciled using the Mini Chicken Wire stencil

~'Set of keys' charm

~Dimensional sticker of hydrangeas and postage stamp - pink think edge of cardstock added to side of postage stamp to make it pop a bit

Challenge
Paper Sundaes - pretty in pink (and their final challenge)

Thanks for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Berry Easy in the Bubble

Easing my way back into the Bubble. Haven't picked up the Copics or Primas yet - but having fun with dimensional stickers with bling that I snatched up at the Dollar Tree. It was difficult to open the card with the doily on the edge so I added the ribbon as a 'handle' using green staples. I love my colored staples but I forget to use them!

Summer Berries
~Red round base card
~Doily
~Layer of green cardstock scalloped circle
~Layer of red cardstock scalloped circle with circles punched in scallops and dotted with green glitter
~Basket of dimensional strawberry blossoms with bling
~Butterfly dimensional sticker
~Strawberry dimensional sticker off edge on doily
~Ribbon attached using green staples
Challenges
Lady Bug - anything but square
Phindy's Place - summertime
Dilly Beans Designs - flowers
Corrosive - flowers, doilies, and bling
Dutch Dare - shaped card

Thank you for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa

Bee Seein' Ya'

At last! University graduation today! Bye bye class of 2012! Best of luck to you all. I will miss you...well...I will miss MOST of you.


Here is what I put together during my first day back in the Bubble after weeks and weeks of 18 hour days. Couldn't help thinking of the Bee Movie while I was making this. The whole  résumé  brochure bit is hilarious and so fitting with my job. Vanessa says, "Ken, Barry was looking at your résumé and he agreed with me that eating with chopsticks is not really a special skill." I believe I have made similar statements to some of 'my' students. I may have to watch the Bee Movie tonight!

Black and Yellow

~Base card PaperTrey Ink
~Layer of yellow cardstock
~Layer of Paper Studio design paper
~Three-D flower stickers with bling from the Dollar Tree
~Re-purposed black/white argyle tag from a scarf attached to card using foam dimensionals
~Black grosgrain ribbon
~Sentiment by Just Rite
Challenges
Play Date Cafe - color inspiration
Stamp, Scrap, Doodle -  flowers

Thank you for clicking by,
Nancy in Iowa