Go North

If you are new to my blog - you won't be aware - that a request or a need to make a wedding card makes me weak in the knees. And I don't mean weak as in swooning with lovey-dovey feelings! I mean sweaty palms, increased heart rate, oh-no-anything-but-a-wedding-card attack!

I will do anything to make my way around to a non-traditional non-mushy wedding card. In light of this I purchased the Tim Holtz Compass Blueprint stamp and die set. The minute I saw it I decided it would be my wedding go-to set! The reason I stumbled upon it was I was at Hobby Lobby INTENT on using my 40% off coupon!  So...no more sweaty palms...I now have my very own standard go-to non-traditional stamp set for weddings! And I got it on sale! Winner. Winner. Chicken Dinner! As the inside sentiment I use "you found your true north".

 

 

True North

~Base card
~Layer of Prima Engraved collection
~Tim Holtz Compass Blueprint
~Stampabilities Turquoise ink
~Stampin' Up Early Espresso
~Teal bling
~Stampin' Up Curly Cute sentiment using Versafine Onyx Black
Inspirations | Challenges
Just Us Girls - photo inspiration
Crafting with Friends - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by!

Here's to having a go-to stamp, not allowing wedding cards make me sweat, and  stumbling upon my NEXT must-have-go-to stamp!

Nancy in Iowa

Birds of a Feather

I ordered the Tim Holtz Bird Crazy set along with the dies. When they arrived I wondered what the heck I was going to do with them!

Then a colleague of mine was named to the 100 Great Iowa Nurses! Well Freddie is a one of a kind 'bird'! He marches to his own drummer. He never disappoints on holidays - dressing with flair to match the occasion! He is a wonderful nurse and I am proud to call him friend!

The bird stamps caaaww-caaaww'd at me to use them! This little guy is a perfect homage to Freddie! I've seen him in a clown costume, over-the-top Mardi Gras fashions, he has sported amethyst broaches, and the full set of Pac-Man lapel pins (all at the same time). So I colored this guy with Brushos in an appropriately flamboyant Freddie style and gave him a splatter paint wing!

So now I am thinking I'm going to find other bird related reasons to use the rest of the set of stamps...cuz this guy was fun to make!

One in a Million
~PaperTrey Ink Orange Zest card stock
~Glitter on a Roll from Michael's
~Sequins
~Google eyes
~Tim Holtz Crazy Birds and Framelits
~Pop-ups for bird and wing
~Layer of Cryogen White card stock
Challenges | Inspirations
Fusion - sketch
Jade's Sparkling Butterflies - anything plus dies
CRAFT Challenge - add some bling
Cute Card Thursday - die
Stampotique - all about the birds

Thanks for clicking by!

Here's to all my fellow nurses, birds of different feathers, and un-regretting my most recent stamp purchase!

Nancy in Iowa

The Bean Envelope

Last weekend I raked. This weekend...nearly had to shovel. It snowed off and on all day today. That is how we roll here in the Midwest!

Furnace on....Windows open....Close the windows...Turn on the furnace!

I'm so anxious to start buying bedding plants! Luckily the shops don't have any yet or I would have filled a cart with them! I guess the local green houses know best... The rule of Green Thumb around here is DON'T PLANT UNTIL MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND!

My Midwest sister and I both sent snowy photos from today to our Atlanta, GA sister. We shared a text stroll down memory lane of wearing wooly warm winter coats over our frilly, short-sleeved, Easter dresses to Easter Mass. And being too cold (and mad) in church to even be able to shed the coats to show off the fru-fru dresses!

Enough about the weather...on to the card. Went with a 'coin card'. I have GOT to use up some of my 500 hundred coin envelopes!

Java Talk
~Base card - yellow cardstock
~Stenciled background (Tim Holtz stencils)
~Stamped cup colored with Copics, highlighted with Smooch, topped with Liquid Applique, circle punched
~Sentiment by Taylored Expressions - punched with SU Window punch
~Coffee bean
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - color week - pink, purple, yellow
PolkaDoodles - spring colors
Southern Girls - nature (real coffee bean)

Thanks for clicking by!

Here's to spring, nope...snow....yup spring...nope...snow.... and a card that smells of coffee!

Nancy in Iowa

Aching from Raking

Spring is not only in the air - it is in the ground! My arms may be aching from raking...but it was worth it to find this wee, solitary gem!

Yes...there actually are spots where you have to rake around snow piles - but hey! That's what living in the Midwest is all about. You never know what treasures you may find!

 

 

9 Patch Flowers



~Base card PaperTrey Ink
~Layer of Prima design paper Printery
~Strip of dry wall mesh
~Three strands of twine
~Paper flowers with rhinestones
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - word week - flowers
Fusion - layout

Here's to the hidden treasures of spring, a glass of wine for my achy-rakey arms, and using up more of my bulk roll of dry wall mesh!

Thanks for clicking by!

Nancy in Iowa