Fiber Bubble: December 2015

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Treasures and Mulligans

Today I put up the Christmas decorations. A couple of years ago I culled the herd to a manageable two totes (plus tree). It was time to put out the time honored treasures!

The tree skirt sissy Judy made in 1984. She made one for herself and one for me!
ALL THAT applique! YIKES!
No I haven't wrapped the gifts yet. That will come later.

It is usually delegated to my husband's to-do-list.

Here is HER skirt. I don't even like making
two identical cards because I get bored - can't
imagine making an entire quilted tree skirt twice! But I sure am glad she did!

My "seasonal table" made the switch from autumn to Christmas. I bought this table a couple years ago. It is my place for holiday/seasonal decorations. This way - all the decorations are located in one area - and I don't end up putting away stray holiday trinkets MONTHS later. Oh those orphaned ornaments and tchotchkes! No more finding a heart shaped ceramic in April. No more random snowmen sitting still grinning at me on a seldom dusted shelf in June! So the Seasonal Table is my answer to admitting I don't dust very often!

Autumnal look.

Ta-Da - TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!

Regarding the card...it was mulligan time! Ever notice how different cards look In-Real-Life vs. a photo? Sometimes IRL is SO much better than what the photo represents. Sometimes...as with this card...it wasn't until I looked at the card in the photo that I realized the IRL version was sadly lacking.

So last week's post (Ginny's card for her Wall, SD granny) gets a mulligan! I added some faux stitches. I'm not sure it is what it needed but now it doesn't look quite so "flat".

Original

Mulligan Dove

Now on to today's card...Christmas continues to be the theme. Serendipity played into this one. I was reaching for the embossing folder when a tin of colored paperclips fell onto the craft table. I noticed the teal one and decided the card NEEDED something clipped to it!

Merry Little Paperclip
~Base card Cryogenic White
~Layer of American Craft Foil embossed using Hero Arts Dots Embossing Folder
~Merry die cut using Foil teal
~Circle punch and snow flake punch
~Paperclip
Challenges | Inspirations
Southern Girls - use something you love (I love my Cuttlebug! It may not be high tech, the handle is broken, the plates are warped...but it is true love - warts and all!)
Fusion - color inspiration
Just Us Girls - word week - Merry
The Card Concept - let it snow
Gem of a Challenge - anything Christmas
Inkspirational - flake
Christmas Cards All Year Round - CAS

Thank you for clicking by.

Here's to serendipity, mulligans, and admitting to the finding better things to do than dust!

Nancy in Iowa

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Dove-A-Lopes

Just want to start off with this:

Yes! The University of Iowa Hawkeye football team not only managed to defeat their border state nemesis the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers they completed the season undefeated.

But best not to tread into sports teams or political waters here...but who can blame me I LIVE in Iowa, It is understandable to show a little state pride...right? PLUS...They BEAT the NEBRASKSA Cornhuskers!!!

I promise not to bring up the subject of the Iowa caucus. Or maybe I shouldn't promise. Who knows what blog worthy fodder there could be with Iowa's first in the nation claim with our local-yocal-ness of the caucus...

On to the neutrality of a card....what better icon of peace than a dove? This one is for a request by daughter Amy's friend Jennie. Jennie loves all things BLING. Naturally I went with metallic and glitter! When I bought these glitter ornaments at a post Christmas deep discount sale I was thinking of cards to make for the annual Jennie request. Last year the cards I made her were themed cards...Not my finest hours but she loved this Yoda, Captain Janeway, and Hobbit cards! This year - no theme request so going with her signature BLING IS THE THING!

She requested a Christmas card for her grandma who lives in Wall, South Dakota. Yes. People actually LIVE in Wall, SD. I bet you thought it was ONLY home to Wall Drug! Granted the "drug store" IS the principal industry and employs more than 1/3 of the population of Wall. More than a million people stop at Wall Drug annually! A MILLION plus every year!!!

Wall Drug - home of the Jack-A-Lope and international billboards!

Merry Christmas Grandma

~Base card PaperTrey Ink black

~Glitter dove Christmas ornament

~Stampin' Up die cut ornament using American Craft metallic cardstock - two layers - hot pink and silver

~Metallic and rhinestone brad

~Metallic cording

Challenges | Inspirations

Just Us Girls - photo inspiration

Crazy 4 Challenges - square card

Always Playing with Paper - nontraditional Christmas

Shopping Our Stash - no stamping

Thanks for clicking by,

Here's to Iowa pride, grandmas who live in Wall, SD, and always being on the lookout for bling!

Nancy in Iowa

Random Musings

Why must I always test my vacuum cleaner cord? I know full well it will NOT reach those final 3 inches! It shows ME who is boss by ALWAYS unplugging itself from the outlet.
"Look and see" is NOT a redundant phrase when said to my dear husband.
Dear Genome Project: What is up with the male gender dish washer loading abilities?
I parked next to a 'Smart' car today. I've seen shoes bigger than this!
My mother writes her initials in the corner of her 'hankies'. What?
The closest thing to scrapbooking I've done: rearranging the photos and magnets on the refrigerator.
Bucket Priority: plan a 3/5's holiday
Bucket list: get Copic Certified
A maternal mirroring moment: you realize you have become your mother when you notice you have like items rubber-banded together in your purse.
Remind me why I live in an area that has cattle warnings two out of four seasons.
If I were to be on a design team I would like to help determine the challenges. A "no repeat" challenge list...now that WOULD be challenging - but FUN!
Never listen to an Ellen Degeneres comedy routine while using Copic markers...you will surely color out of the lines!
Why is bra singular whereas panties are plural?
Ahhh light at the end of the tunnel...your name is Graduation!
"Don't worry about that. I'm very maternal and Albert is practically a breast. ~ Armand (The Bird Cage)
Did you know that Clorax Wipes are NOT "to be used as a diaper wipe or for personal cleansing?" REALLY????
Ugggghhhh....the angst of cutting into my hoarded, double-sided, lucious design paper! Which side to use... Why can't one side just be ugly?
Best restroom EVER? Jerome's Old School Diner, Townsend, GA. Totally camera-worthy!
I can't believe I take a camera with me to restrooms...
Can't believe I've been blogging since July 2009. Who knew I was so chatty?
What makes a series of dots on paper or fabric - Polka Dots?
"Tax the Stupid People" ~ Edina Monsoon (Absolutely Fabulous episode)
Always visit the restroom if you are dining at Speeds' in Shellman Bluff, GA. And take your camera with you!
Soul Searching Question of the Day: Why do I blog?
I can't believe that I, sometimes, actually sit and click "next blog...next blog...next blog". I need to get a LIFE!
"Guess what I wear for a hat...a lentil." Marcel the Shell (You Tube)
Dear Apple, I am now officially addicted to my iPad. I hope you are happy!
Elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, touch your pearls and blow a kiss.
NEVER give an insomniac an iPad to play with.
I need to learn to Copic color with my indoor voice instead of my OUTDOOR voice. I can't seem to get the hang of subtle coloring.
"What's another word for thesaurus?" - Steven Wright
"It's so FLUFFY, I'm gonna DIE!" Agnes - Despicable Me
Pine-Sol. Smells more like 'sol' than pine. I dislike it very much.
Dear Flip Flops, I'm going to miss you. See you next summer. That is all.
Dear Muse: Don't fail me now!
I have "Rock A Bye My Baby" with Judy Garland singing stuck in my head - not a bad song to be stuck with.
Is there a polite way to tell an over-achieving gardening friend, "No I don't want your home-grown zucchini! It's larger than a line-backer's thigh!"?
"SHELLMAN BLUFF (GA). Not a place for Fast lane folks. Ain't got no red lights. No 4-lanes. We move slow here. Try it—good for your health.", Speeds Menu
SUX...believe it or not is my hometown's official FAA airport designation.
Rolling the waist-band on your school uniform...ahhh high school memories.
Shepard's Pie? No thanks I'll pass.
I survived having Kleenex bobby-pinned to my head. (The nun's version of a make-shift 'chapel veil'.)
I really dislike blogs that have auto-play music.
Does Celestial Tea REALLY save all that much money by NOT including a STRING on their tea bags???? What is UP with that?!
Too bad stress doesn't burn calories - I'd be the size of a Polly Pocket.
I need to get more organized.
Just had a conversation about boiling as a method of preparing Hot Dogs for a meal.
"What's for supper?" "Corn on the Cob" "No I mean what's for supper"? "Corn on the cob." "Ok, I understand we are having corn on the cob with supper - but what is FOR supper?' CORN on the COB!!!
"Muses work all day long and then at night get together and dance." ~Edgar Degas
Never pass up a chance to eat at the Old School Diner, Townsend, GA.
If I were queen of the cosmos? Computers would start up just like a light bulb...
Does blogging get easier?

Buwahhahahah! College Student Quotes!

New Alum: When I get married I want to have 9 babies. Me: You want 9 children? Alum: Yes. All born in the same year. Me: So you are saying you want to father a litter. Alum: Litter? No. I want a baseball team. Me: Would you consider 9 babies over - say - the course of 3-4 years? Alum: (furrowed brow/hesitation) I suppose I could deal with that. Me: You do realize you don't even have a girlfriend yet. Alum: I've had girlfriends. The 9 babies clause seems to be a deal breaker for some reason. Me: How do you feel about tennis?
Biology Major: "I had my first day in the cadaver lab today." Me: "Oh? And what was it like?" Student: "The morgue must have had her on her stomach because her breasts were kinda squished on to her sides." Me: "Maybe you should retake physics." Student: "Why?" Me: "One word...gravity." Student.....(wait for it....wait for it...imagine a light bulb above his head....the light bulb turns on..."Oh. OH! Really?" Me: "How was theology class?"
"When they put the name above your first classroom door - you know you really have a 'big girl' job"
"We know when you close the blinds on your office door window that 'Sh!t just got real' and we shouldn't bother you."
"Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the main reason I have trust issues."
Me: "You have on one green sock and one pink sock." Student: "Life is too short to sort socks."
"I'm too young to be this broke!"
"I love college! Except for the reading. I really don't like to read. I hate it when we have quizes. Oh and I really don't like doing research. And I really don't like to write papers. Other than that I love college!"
"We going to start our Saturdays really early - we're getting up at 9 AM."
"I'm going to join the military so I don't have to write a re'sume'."
"What's on my bucket list? I want to sneak a really big wad of gum into a girl's long hair."
"When they put the name above your first classroom door - you know you really have a 'big girl' job"
"We know when you close the blinds on your office door window that 'Sh!t just got real' and we shouldn't bother you."