I'm stumped - I've encountered a variety on ToC

I managed to squeeze in time for one simple card tonight. I spent most of the evening at my mother’s house – working on crossword puzzles with her and my husband. I don’t particularly like crossword puzzles – probably because I’m not very good at them. But better a crossword puzzle than a jigsaw puzzle or God forbid – a LOGIC puzzle or Sudoku!!!

Found a challenge on SplitcoastStampers – a ‘Ways to Use It’ challenge that was right up my alley – to incorporate vintage elements into a card (or for some a craft item or scrapbook page). Don’t get me started on the subject of scrap-booking! I could be up all night disclosing my ‘nightmare experiences’ with three, wee little scrapbooks. I knew when I started the little devils I wasn’t going to like it – did THAT stop me? Oh NO – and not only did I NOT not make them – I made THREE (3) of these spawns of evil. Three count ‘em THREE – all the same theme! If I wanted to work in a factory I would have kept that job at the jeans manufacturer. (Ahhhh yes – another blog topic – my ONE day as a factory piece-meal worker. My friend who worked there for several years, encouragingly said, “That’s okay, at least you lasted a whole day. We’ve had people who started work in the morning, go on break and never come back. It’s really GOOD you put in a whole shift!”)

Anyway, where was I? Oh the challenge. And remember I’m double dipping. I'm seeking challenges that will pair up with my goal to get Mary Lee her 'Autumn, Thankful for her Employees' cards.

So just what is the Ways to Use It Challenge? It is simply an invitation to create a card using a particular product or tool.

This simple little ditty is:
~Base card – PaperTrey
~Layer of Studio paper – a light filigree design
~Strip of very substantial white lace (I’m not sure if the lace actually qualifies as ToC because I willingly took the lace without it being hidden as part of a mystery bag of pieces, shards, clips, snippets, remnants, of crap…I’ll have to give this some thought and get back to you.)
~Layer of brown cardstock under the lace for more contrast
~Sentiment is a rescued thank you from a store-bought thank you card (OMG – I think these are left-overs from one of the kid’s high school graduation packets! It is layered on cardstock, text from a vintage book, and more cardstock
~Swirl brad is the final touch

I have to get to bed – LONG day tomorrow. It involves college freshman, a hill, a ceremony, candles, and chapel. Besides, I think my Tylenol PM is starting to kick in. Gail – proofread this for me SOON!!!

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image. Thanks for popping by!
All good wishes,
Nancy

TOC, and YES I'm LATE for WORK

Yes, I should be in the car headed to the Cliff. Okay, I am going for the fashionably late arrival.
It just means one less blue bin to carry upstairs for a parent and student.
REALLY a U-Haul???? Have you SEEN the size of the dorm rooms? Do you REALIZE you have to share the room with another person who ALSO brought a U-Haul? When do you have time to use all these hair products? You want the desk moved out to make room for your SOUND SYSTEM and Guitar HERO? You brought a Lazy-Boy recliner??? That and a microwave will reduce the walking space in your room to 1.6573 cubic centimeters! Enjoy!

At least the weather is wonderful. Especially wonderful if you are helping the students move in to 4th floor Toller (no AC no elevator – need I say more?).

For those of you not familiar with TOC it is a symbiotic relationship between family and (only invited) friends. Simply put TOC is the Transfer of Crap. For more on TOC see previous posts. The card is for the Mary Lee Autumn Series. One of the members of the TOC (not sure which one - but THEY know who they are) sent a rather large HUNK of …. Something….what the heck is this anyway? It’s woven, it’s tweedy, it ravels, it’s heavy, does burlap come in purple? Regardless of what it is I used it on a card:

~Base card – PaperTrey
~Layer of Stampin Up Eggplant cardstock
~Layer of unknown fiber/fabric – edges raveled (intentionally)
~Sentiment is from Michaels – a Hero Arts stamp layered on three colors of cardstock
I really liked the threads that came loose when I raveled the edges of the unknown fiber so I kept them – bundled them and attached them using a metal brad.

Now, I REALLY DO need to leave for work!
You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Thank you for checking in.
All good wishes,
Nancy

Hello Bubble, I've Missed You

Finally. I got to spend a short time in my Bubble. No one to stealthily creep up behind me, no nebulizer treatment to prepare, no feeling like Cinderella (with no chance in hell of attending the ball). I’m not really complaining about spending time with my 92 year-old mother – helping out as she recuperates. I just miss my bubble time. And card making? NOT exactly portable. Since I don’t plan ahead – I would have to take the whole bloody room with me!

Mother – daughter relationships. They are as varied as quilts and cards. I’ll leave it at that. THE slippers are back – center stage – and on the feet of their rightful owner. Again, I’ll leave it at that.

I love challenges – and now I have a new one!!! Friend Mary Lee has ‘challenged’ me to Autumn/Thankful cards. I actually got started on that project while double dipping in the challenge pool. I have been secretly applying to different stamp companies to become a temporary ‘design team’ member. I’ve never made the cut – but I still keep trying. So, I decided to submit the cards I am making for Mary Lee to the different design companies. Let me clarify – Mary Lee will get the cards – the companies only get images of the cards. Did you think I was going to make two of each? One for ML and one to send in? Now THAT would be a fun sucker! I don’t have a chance at getting accepted but it is a good excuse to challenge myself.

Here is the first card that will head to Omaha for Mary Lee.
~Base aard PaperTrey
~Edges of card smudged with Ranger ink
~Layer of Archiver’s textured brown cardstock
~Pumpkin paper by Paper StudioStamp Sentiment: May the bountiful blessings of this special season fill you home, by Stampabilites from Michael’s
~Sentiment layered on orange then brown cardstock. Leaves colored with General’s Kimberly watercolor pencils, berries filled in using Copics
~Assorted ribbon threaded using paper punch (it is really hard to find RUST colored ribbon!) You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Now I'm off to work (yes it's Sunday). Move-in on campus DAY 2! Don't know who is more stunned at the price of textbooks - the students or the parents...

Thank you for checking in.
All good wishes,
Nancy

I Fear A Mystery is A-FOOT (AKA - I've never seen those slippers in my life!)

WOW. Finally I logged in some bubble time! I get a wee (?) bit crabby when I don't get some bubble time - my time to myself. Actually, there is a psychological/sociological reason for me to NEED my bubble time. According to Myers-Briggs – I am an introvert. And as some of you know, contrary to popular belief, introversion does not necessarily imply shyness. Introverts need their personal space and some alone time to recharge their batteries. THAT would be ME – Introvert. I could tell you the rest of my Myers-Briggs analysis (three more letters) but I think I’ll keep you guessing.

Me crabby??? Just ask sista G! In case you are curious or have never experienced the wrath of Nancy – here a few situations you may want to steer clear of:
~Nancy experiencing environmental heat
~Nancy experiencing internal heat (aka HOT flashes)
~Nancy being asked lots of rapid fire medical questions (“cuz’ yer a nurse…you’ll know…”) First off – I spent MOST of my ‘nurse days’ in a burn trauma unit – if it doesn’t involve skin, lungs, extreme high caloric intake, or ‘what does pseudomonas smell like’ DON’T ASK ME!!!! I don’t know nuttin’ bout’ birthin’ no babies, pediatrics, broken bones, or hip replacements!!!! (See? I DO get crabby…)
~Nancy trying to cook for holiday meals – she never learned the art of having everything ready at the same time. More than once an entire side dish was never served because it was left uncooked in the refrigerator or left VERY cooked in the oven.
There are more crabby provocations – but let’s just say - it’s time to move on.

Before I really get into my rants or the evening – please note that I did indeed fix the typos in my previous posts. Thank God for sisters willing to point to your flaws (lovingly of course) and say – ‘hey stupid – fix that typo’!!!!

Our mother is in the hospital right now with pneumonia. She seems to be on the mend even without the help of her favorite slippers. There is a story about a pair of slippers I would love to share with you; however, I’m not sure even Erma Bombeck or Walter Cronkite could do this tale justice. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Maybe I should just wait because I don’t think the Tale of the Straw Slippers has a conclusion yet. I’ll keep notes and write a complete short story once we know the solution to the Mystery of the Disappearing Slippers. Suffice it to say – that when you hear our mother say, “WELL, _______ “ (fill in name of appropriate daughter - ALL UPPER CASE) – you know you’re doomed!

Here is another blip about Facebook. With the help of neice-in-law Tamarah we set up a family (invite only) group to keep everyone up-to-date on the Mother/Charlotte/Memere 2/Memere Old health status. In the process Sissy G and I searched and located cousins and added them as ‘friends’, read the well wishes of invitees, and reconnected with one cousin in particular. I like feeling a little more connected with family – without the awkwardness of family reunions. Way to go Facebook! It was a little challenging explaining Facebook to our 92 year old mother – but I think she likes knowing we have a “group” dedicated to keeping up on her. Wait till she finds out I mentioned the slippers on the Facebook group account. I hear another, Well, NANCY!!!! in my future.

Okay, time for a card update. This card is a “Christmas in August” challenge from Our Creative Corner.
Here are the details:
~Vanilla base card
~BasicGrey design paper – Wassail Collection Pack
~The song I downloaded years ago – I have several Christmas Carols saved as jpgs if you want me to share them – just drop me an email – can’t remember or find the source
~The “tree” is actually not a tree at all – it is a stamp tab that I USED for a tree – it is from Autumn Leaves “Doodle Tabbed” by Tia Bennett

The dove tree topper is a Martha Stewart punch that I punched through a vanilla colored thank you card - including the scroll of the T in Thank You so it the swirl of the gold is part of the dove
You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.
I have GOBS of college students to face in the morning – so I’m done for the evening. I don’t even think I’ll take time to tend my crops on FarmTown tonight! Thanks for stopping by!

All good wishes,

Nancy

The BEST cardstock EVER

Yay!!! Miss Amy is home! Went to dinner at El Fredo Pizza with Memere Old, Amy, and John. Glad to see there was no apparent economic down-turn there! Man they were busy!!!! Yummy pizza, cold beer, BAD Coke-a-Cola (had a eucaliptus flavor to it) - What's THAT about????

Amy and John, Jenny and her dad all went to a movie. I RARELY go to the movies with them. I'm not a fan of going and they really don't like me to go... OKAY they don't WANT me to go with them. I fidget and I talk....during the movie... I can't seem to help myself. I ask - who is that - is that a good guy or a bad guy, is this a time travel thing, what did they say?

So, since it was movie time for them - it was card time for me. I ordered cardstock from PaperTrey Ink -WOW it is perfect in every way! It is the nicest cardstock EVER! (110#)

Base card is Berry Sorbet

Layer of black

Layer of Rapsberry Fizz Mix - I used two coordinating pieces from the set

The cupcake was colored in with Copics the frosting is puffed up applique liquid and glitter, the flower is popped up with a dimensional after coloring in with Stickles

An assortment of ribbons - as the final touch

If you want to get up close with the card click on the image.

Even I can use an apron

I'm hoping to get better at being a regular blogger. But until school gets started that is doubtful. I did manage to squeeze in one card or two this week. There was a wonderful challenge over at Splitcoaststampers. The challenge was to get inspired by one of the aprons at Heavenly Hostess. It is such a fun site I bookmarked it for future inspiration.

So...any of you have fond, or otherwise, memories of apron clad women? Like memere's (grandma's) bakin' sugar cookies or the church ladies servin' up church fundraiser meals, or the ladies who cooked 'hot lunch' at school (oh no - I feel another Blog subject coming on...Shepard's Pie) or Flo and Alice from Alice's Restaurant???

You'll may read about Shepard's Pie at a later date! It has something to do with attending Catholic grade school, nuns in full habit, and priests who thought it was a sin to waste food. Where did Fr. D GET that big spatula anyway? The scrape table, that brown robe, GIANT wood rosary, knotted cord, sandals (with socks)....OMG it's all coming back to me!!!!! Why didn't I just pack a lunch and buy milk for 3 cents a carton????

Deep breath....back to the cards.

I saw the white apron and immediately thought - wedding. So naturally I made a wedding card. The gloss white is embossed using a Cuttlebug folder. The 'bouquet' is stamped, embossed, then 'fussy cut' (as quilters would call it) and layered to create a bunch of flowers. The ribbon I almost DIDN'T buy at the Dollar Tree. I picked it up then rejected it because it was too wide. Then I picked it up again because it was so pretty and because...yes, let's hear it you Dollar Tree junkies..."it was ONLY A DOLLAR!" I gathered it a bit, added the silver white brads. The sentiment was from a dollar bin at Michael's.

The brown card is stamped with Versamark for a watermark image of the argyle stamp from Stampin Up. The flowers were 'fussy' cut from a scrap book border paper from Oriental which I've have for several years. Hurray - finally had the perfect reason to use it!

You can get up close with the cards by clicking on the image. Thanks for clicking in!

Cupcake for Breakfast

Cupcake for breakfast...reminds me of the Bill Cosby monologue about serving cake to his children for breakfast. What a hysterical schtick! If you've never heard Bill Cosby "Himself"...I highly recommend it. If laughter 'is the best medicine' then this should be administered to everyone - annually.

I am on my way out the door to work (will pray in the car on the way and hope that suffices for church time!!). It is MAJOR CRUNCH time at work and I rather foolishly spent yesterday participating in a Blog Hop rather than go to work! So here I am with my twisted priorities... I spent all day in the bubble rather than my office.

I'll fill you in on the Blog Hop later (mixed review on that endeavor). I have a student government constitution to edit, reformat, and get to the executive committee before this afternoon! (Did I mention I' m a Student Government advisor?) It's a collateral assignment - AKA 'duties as assigned'. I'm not complaining, I enjoy it. PLUS it's a whole other BLOG story! (Bet you can't wait!)

About the card of the day:
Lime green base card
Layer of white cardstock - thinly frames the design paper from DCWV - I added Stickles (glitter glue) to the flower centers
Scallop circle punch with smudging - using pink ink
Cupcake colored with watercolor pencils, frosting tutti fruitti Stickles, flame yellow stickles
Cupcake stamp from Michael's dollar bin - stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black then fussy cut
The happy birthday is a sticker from the Dollar Tree
Assorted ribbons
Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy!!! Another cupcake card for the series is in the bag! You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

I'm off to the Cliff...
Thanks for stopping by!

My First Blog Hop

Welcome to the first ever official Anni-VERVE-sary Blog Hop. Verve turns two today and we’re celebrating with a hop, hop, hop! The party kicked off over on the Verve blog, so if you’ve just happened along, be sure to hop on over there to start from the beginning! And to make this party a real shindig, there’s a mystery jackpot hidden at one of the stops along the hop. One lucky commenter on that blog will win Verve’s entire August release! But of course, it wouldn’t be a mystery if you knew which blog, would it? So if you’re feeling the love, give a little shout out to the bloggers in the hop and you just might have a reason to jump for joy!

Here is my submission to the Verve Stamps Blog Hop.
Verve Stamps: Pointsettia Christmas stamped directly on to BasicGrey's 'Wassail'. I used the solid color side of 'Noel' from the BG pack.
Inks: Ranger and Memento
I used the positive pointsettia to create Verve DP on the inside - by over stamping using different shades of pinks/reds.
Glitter Centers: Elmer's 3D Jumbo Pen
You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Thanks for stopping by! Now it’s time to hop on over to
Tanja's blog - http://lovepapernstamp.blogspot.com/ for a little more Verve-y goodness.

Anni-VERVE-sary challenges

I particpated in a month long Verve Stamps Challenge with a Twist. These are my July submissions.

Tree card - twist was to add fiber...I swirled DMC floss on the Verve Swirly Tree.

Ghandi quote card - twist was to use vellum (one of the doves is vellum)

Picasso quote card - twist was to use distressing

Black and White card - twist was to use scoring - so I scored the tic tac toe board

Blue/floral card - twist was to use Poppin Pastel technique.

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

International Cupcake

Well, I missed a day or two in blog-world. That's not good! What to ramble on about tonight...so many topics so little time! I could babble about Farm Town (a Facebook app), corn-on-the-cob, BLT's (really????....a RECIPE for BLT's...and I thought I couldn't cook!), endearing reasons why I like my job, crunch-time at work, dreams of being on a card design team, thoughts on being a college dorm floor 'parent', blog hops, continue the TOC (Transfer of Crap) saga, or explain the fundamental differences between genetic ToC and humanitarian ToF (Transfer of Fabric).

Let's see - I choose……..
Facebook and the Farm Town app. I first got started on Facebook because a trustee on the board of directors at my place of employment added me as a Facebook friend. At the time I was aware of Facebook - but the extent of my awareness was flimsy at best. How could I tell a trustee, "No, I don't want to be your 'friend'"? I was actually pleased she asked me, so naturally I 'Googled' my way into this massive online social network and set up my account. For about 6 months I had 1 (ONE) Facebook friend. I would occasionally log in to check up on my singular friend. That was the extent of my socializing via the www.

I frequently have students stopping by my office. My office seems to be a gathering place between classes, after classes, and sometimes long after the time I should even still be IN my office. They stop by for chats, for candy, for laughs, for all kinds of “college-kid” things. Frequently there is an entire 'gang' in my office - some on chairs, some sitting on the floor - and usually one of them logged in to the student computer.

One day they (freshmen) were discussing Facebook. I asked a question about Facebook. They looked at me in amazement, "Nancy – YOU’RE on Facebook????" (What do I look like...Grandma Moses, Maxine of Hallmark fame, the ‘little Mrs’. in Grant Wood's American Gothic????) I indignantly replied. “YES, I’m on Facebook! I even have a FRIEND on Facebook!” After the peals of laughter – I’m not sure what they thought was funnier – the fact that I had a Facebook account or that I had a Facebook friend or that I only had ONE Facebook friend! Well they answered my question and all logged into the computer to ‘add’ me as their friend. So…I now have several student Facebook friends! I could go on and on about this subject but I have to now get to the Farm Town portion of this monologue.

Miss Amy introduced me to Farm Town. I reluctantly added the application. [She had already forced me at dagger point (kidding) to join her Pirate crew – a PIRATE??? Me??? But, hey…. it was Miss Amy – so of course I did my best, “sure me matey – shiver me timbers, and all that rot!”] I occasionally and reluctantly performed my pirate duties to keep Miss Amy at bay – but Farm Town???? I LOVE Farm Town! I have whole-heartily traded ‘me peg-leg’ for seeds and a scythe! I could very possibly be addicted to Farm Town!

I have a secret desire to get to a higher farming level than my sister-in-law, one of my Farm Town ‘neighbors’, I NEEDED more ‘neighbors’ so I asked a couple of STUDENTS to be my ‘neighbors’ (they laughed at me – Farm Town is evidently NOT college cool! – but they did it anyway – and guess what - now they are HOOKED TOO!!), I even admit to reading Farm Town Q&A’s and tips!!! Is it this Midwestern blood coursing through my veins? Is it the gardening that I can do and not break a sweat? What is it about Farm Town????

NOW – there really IS a point to all this. Tonight I was ‘in’ the Farm Town marketplace. I randomly clicked on another ‘farmer’ to harvest some of my crops. Farmer Paula agreed to harvest for me. I ‘told’ her (in chat) that I didn’t know what to click or how to enable her to also ‘plow’ for me and she chatted back that she asked her daughter how to do it. I replied – “my daughter is who taught me how to ‘farm’”, we both had a virtual laugh and she informed me that her daughter informed HER that you have to have 10 ‘neighbors’ to use the plow function. I replied, “darn, I’m one neighbor short’. She ‘said’, “ add me as your friend” and before I could mentally process “oh my – now what do I do – this is weird!”, she inserted her email address!!!!!

I saw that the email address was a UK extension. So…. I replied – “COOL – you will be my first international Facebook friend!” Then SHE replied (probably after thinking – OMG what did I just do?), where ARE you?” I chatted, “IOWA, where some SERIOUS farming goes on”!

So guess what?? I now have an international Facebook friend! Not only that but during our chat – she ‘laughed’ that when she asked her daughter the plowing question, her daughter was actually sitting across from her in the same room and they were both on Facebook Farm Town. Now, not only is Paula my new best Facebook friend but so is her daughter! I think I’m looking forward to this new long-distance ‘friendship’.

Now I don’t want to hear from any of you asking how I could waste my time on Farm Town – cuz YOU just waste a HUGE chunk of time reading THIS!

I do have to mention ONE little item regarding ToC. Today I received an email from Sista G. Evidently now friend NILA is adding to the pile designated as the 'Sioux City Basket' (a.k.a. ToC).

And of course I have a card to share. Drum roll please……… Number three in the Cupcake Card Series! You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Oscar the Grouch and Cupcakes

I hit a cardstock wall tonight. Just couldn't decide what to do - so just decorated and cut out individual cupcakes. That, of course, would be CARDSTOCK cupcakes not REAL cupcakes.

You MAY be surprised to read that I actually WILL be making REAL cupcakes eventually.

I'm a 'dorm mom' on for one of the residence halls on the college campus where I work. I've been a '4th floor mom' to 50+ (mostly) freshman for several years! Some years the floor is co-ed, last year it was all girls (I should say young women). Every semester we have a 'naked cupcake night'. Let me explain... We (myself and the other 4th floor mom's) bake LOTS of cupcakes. We take the cupcakes, lots of frosting, and several choices of toppings (sprinkles, candies, colored sugar, etc) up to the 4th floor student lounge. All the 4th floor 'kids' come running - and spend an evening decorating cupcakes. They have a blast! It is so much fun watching them. Some of them decorate their own cupcake and eat it right there on the spot. Some of them just want to sit and decorate cupcake after cupcake. Some of them only eat the cupcakes. Girls and guys - they all have fun on 'naked cupcake night'.

The first time we had cupcake night - the floor moms made and decorated the cupcakes - then a couple of the students said something about loving to decorate cupcakes back at home with moms and grandmas. So we surrogate 'moms' thought - why not let the kids do the decorating.

It's a little taste of home for students far from home.

Now let's talk card!

Inspired by Oscar (the Grouch not de la Renta). The Res-Q-Challenge is just so cute!
The challenge was to be inspired by the Sesame Street Song, by Oscar the Grouch, ‘I Love Trash’. Here are the lyrics:

Oh, I love trash!Anything dirty or dingy or dustyAnything ragged or rotten or rusty
Yes, I love trash

I have here a sneaker that's tattered and worn
It's all full of holes and the laces are torn
A gift from my mother the day I was born
I love it because it's trash

Oh, I love trash!
Anything dirty or dingy or dusty
Anything ragged or rotten or rusty
Yes, I love trash

I have here some newspaper thirteen months old
I wrapped fish inside it; it's smelly and cold
But I wouldn't trade it for a big pot o' gold!
I love it because it's trash

Oh, I love trash!
Anything dirty or dingy or dusty
Anything ragged or rotten or rusty
Yes, I love trash

I've a clock that won't work
And an old telephone
A broken umbrella, a rusty trombone
And I am delighted to call them my own!
I love them because they're trash

Oh, I love trash!
Anything dirty or dingy or dusty
Anything ragged or rotten or rusty
Yes, I love, I love, I love trash!
What a FUN challenge!!!!!!
I used lots of ‘trash’ (AKA treasures) used on this one!
~Base card is a recycled file folder (outside color dark teal – inside olive green). Edges smudged with black.
~Next is a layer of BasicGrey-Recess – on this I embossed using VersaMark, Ranger Distress Embossing Powder-Black Soot and SU! It’s About Time.
~Image layers: torn black hand-made paper, torn rust color hand-made paper, torn layer of aqua mulberry paper, torn layer of beige color mulberry paper, torn piece of OLD book, torn image of rotary dial phone from mini gift card from Tri-Coastal Design – edges smudged with Tim Holtz Distress Ink ( Old Paper & Vintage Photo).
~Ribbon area: Layer of same base card (folder) twill ribbon – smudged with Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Fired Brick, Old Paper, Vintage Photo). Swirly brad has grosgrain brown and black ribbon, three colors of twisted wire, aqua colored sheet ribbon, and three different types of jute/cording.

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

Inspiration from a BHG magazine - Really???

The weekend challenge at SplitcoastStampers was to get inspired by looking at a few room layout in a recent Better Homes and Garden. I scrolled through the choices and rather than get inspired by a room design I keyed in on a pillow. I really like throw pillows and I really really like buttons. so this pillow was just aching to be made into a card.

The gals over at Stampin B Design Team also posted a challenge to creat a 'tall' card using no stamps. This qualifies! So BINGO - one card two challenges! Is that cheating? Well the card took TWO days to complete so....does that count?

I should probably mention - that while I really like fabrics - I ONLY sew straight lines, only make quilts. Garments, curtains, pillows??? No way in God's Green Earth! This is the closest I will come to making a 'pillow'.

I started with a circle punch from white cardstock 1 11/16. Then i punched and punched and punched very small dots from a pattern paper. The pattern paper - kind of a dark salmon color with mildly lime tiny dots is from the 'Wild Asparagus' stack from MME. I started in the center of the white cardstock then individually glued every salmon colored punch dot down in a circular pattern working toward the outside. I decided to use paper punches instead of buttons like on the pillow - as the card would cause a mail carrier hernia had I used all the buttons it would have required. The stems were hand cut and smudged with ink. The border is a coordinating salmon colored paper from the 'Wild Asparagus' collection.
School starts SOON. The days are getting busier and more hectic. Where did the summer go?
Miss B is coming to my office at 6:30 in the morning. Poppy has salon day with Memere Old. Miss B will sleep on the love seat in my office for a time - them Poppy will come pick her up. I'm lucky to have such flexibility at work.
You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Gotta' love those designers who create for both fabric & paper

Darn! Not much time for cards this weekend! Omaha yesterday - delivered the "I told you I can't cook soup" to sissy Gail. Went to a simly lovely wedding in Gretna. Helped Miss B make fleece blankets. (Get ready family members - she is bent on making everyone a 'menk' (fleece blankie) for Christmas!) Spent today at work! Squeezed in a little Facebook (and Farmtown) time. Ican't believe I spend time on Facebook - but alas, I do. It's even HARDER to believe I waste card time on Farmtown. I guess sometimes I just need a mind-numbing break - Farmtown qualifies. Even though I had very little time for cardmaking I did managed to get a few things done. I stamped and colored in SEVERAL cupcakes - gotta' get movin' on the cupcake card series! I also got started on an Inspiration Challenge from SplitcoastStampers.

Here is the card for today - it is stamp-less. Used design paper only. Amy Butler - for K&Co. She designs quilt fabric too! (My passions are merging.)

Two layers of buttons, some DMC floss (a product of ToC I might add), and a dimesional metallic chipboard butterfly from the Dollar Tree. That's all for today!

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

Not So Faded Glory

Just a card tonight. No rambling on and on. Wedding tomorrow in Gretna, NE. Now why didn't I make a wedding card? I saw a BEAUTIFUL one on Splitcoast this evening using the flower powder stuff (can you tell I don't have any cuz' I don't know the name of it) but it is too late to start a card now. Gonna have to put flower powder stuff on the wish list now! The card, by Katie R was AMAZING.

This Card Ingrediants:

~Base card is a light blue Bazzill texture

~Blue star layer is Miss Elizabeth from the $Tree

~Garment tag rescued from the trash! The tag ‘Faded Glory’ from Walmart. The cardstock is heavy and I like the weathered barn red and old gold crackle. I added a side piece of vanilla confetti cardstock smudged with pastels to make to word ‘glory’ pop a bit. I covered the word along the bottom right vertical side with a piece of navy cardstock , smudged it up a bit, and added three tan eyelets. On the pre-printed circle (top right) – I added three small silver brads, diagonally, to cover up the 1976 so that it read “genuine brand est. brad, brad, brad.”

~The ‘freedom’ medallion I purchased at the $Tree. I was reluctant to purchase it (yes even though it was only one dollar and came with three other 3D’s) because the white of the image was tooooo white. But today knew I wanted to finally put them into service. Before I could make myself use these I dulled up the white areas with tea staining and added water based varnish coats. The medallion is strategically place over some Faded Glory text advertising!

~The larger star was cut using a fiscars die cutter. I used a pattern paper for the star and since it was kinda flimsy I gave it a coat of Crackle Accents.

~I added three button stars threaded with twine

~Several types of jute and cord were used at the top

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

Sista G - get ready for 'the soup' I'm bringing it - broccoli and all - tomorrow!

It's Green...

I know…you are ALL waiting to hear about the soup. Hmmmm let’s see…do I make a complete confession or just say – it was ‘okay’? Well as ‘they’ say confession is good for the soul so here goes. However, as I contemplate, laying out the truth I am forced to remember that where I come from confession USED to be between one man (gnarled old priest) and one scared school aged kid. Hey! Have you ever noticed how similar the past tense of scar and scare are???? Coincidence? I think NOT. And rather than this confession be between me, Father What’s His Sandal, and the GUY upstairs…this confession is out there for the www to see. Oh well – everyone who really knows me knows I can’t cook and rarely follow directions!

Well, Mr. Man (AKA husband) transcribed the ingredient list from the magazine to his handy-dandy notebook (Blues Clues anyone?) An uneventful trip to the grocery store; items in the bag placed on the counter and I’m ready!

I follow the directions intently…this is serious business! I’m chopping, I’m browning, I’m sautéing, I’m COOKING!!!! I’m also VERY happy that about the instructions stating that the frozen spinach can be added while still frozen.

Finally – mission accomplished and soup is simmering.

As it was gently simmering I would return to the bubble and work on a card. I wasn’t paying much attention to what I was stirring – I was too swept up in the whole, “look at me! I’m cooking!!!!”

So… when I finally LOOKED at my brew… I had to take a double look, then a triple look, then a trip to the trash can. Yes!!!!! There in the trash is a frozen vegetable wrapper…it is green, it is chopped…it is BROCCOLI not the spinach the recipe called for….

Bottom line? I can’t even tell you how the soup is SUPPOSED to taste.

There you have it – my confession and the reason why I DON’T COOK!

Oh yes….Mr. Man? I had him check his ‘handy dandy list’. He said, “really? Well…it was green, it was chopped…it was close…”

Okay time for a card RECIPE. This was a sketch challenge from SplitcoastStampers. (SC238)
~Cherry is Hero Arts Cupcake clear stamp
~Red buttons
~Cherry ribbon from Michael’s dollar bin (Unlike my cooking debacle - these really are cherries NOT broccoli.)

Soup Update

I know you are ALL waiting to hear about the soup. Well there is a story to the soup but it is too late for me to get into it right now. If I understood the concept of brevity I would tell you in a few quick words. But this soup has a story to tell, a story in a true I Love Lucy fashion - there is a story to the soup. Unfortunately the story is too long to begin tonight. I can tell you this:

There are two components to the soup story. 1. I believe that IF I had followed directions.... 2. I should have listened to the little voice in my head telling me to go to the grocery store myself and NOT sent dear hubby I sent hubby to store – now usually this isn’t an issue – he normally sticks to purchasing what is on the list. Do NOT however expect him to think outside the list. If there is only one slice of bread and one cup of milk remaining – he will not purchase those items, even if he is cognizant of the meager quantities, if the items are not ON THE LIST. Why this phenomenon? I have several theories and I’ll just leave it at that for now. (Remind me sometime and I will explain my theory along with other syndromes – such as ‘look and see’, and ‘does doing the dishes REALLY include wiping counters'.

So I promise I will finish telling you the soup tale...tomorrow. In honor of the soup the card I am uploading is a drying rack of herbs.... Just a simple little card - no story worth blabbering on and on about...THANK goodness y'all are sayin' 'bout now.

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

I Scream for Cupcakes

Cupcake card number 2. I'm planning a mini-series of cupcake themed card. How many are in a series?
~Heathered Orange base card
~Olive green layer is BasicGrey
~Cupcake and ice cream treats attached to navy cardstock
~Small rectangle of strip is layered on navy - loop brad from Oriental Trading - has ribbons attached
~The green layer, strip and ice cream all from BasicGrey cupcake paper pad.
~Image from Hero Arts cupcake. Cupcake stamped with Memento colored with watercolor pencils. Dots of Stickles added to frosting, Blue flower on top colored in with watercolor pencils. The center of the flower is a red glitter dimensionals, I punched the image with a circular punch and blackened the edge. Circle attached to square of base layer of color and adhered with dimensional to rise it up a bit.
You can get up close with the card by clickin on the image.

Cookin' & Cupcakes

My long-distance family won’t believe this but I actually cooked today. Was I in touch with my cooking muse? Not a chance – she left me LONG ago. (Not even sure I ever had a cooking muse.)

I was inspired by the ToC. (For non-family members that acronym stands for an apparent familial genetic inheritance ‘discovered’ by my daughter. ‘Transfer of Crap’ is the barely tolerated, yet endured, tradition of Transferring ‘stuff’ (crap) within family members – and to their horror and amazement - some select outsiders. We (lovingly of course) are saying to each other, “Here I don’t want this crap in my house anymore – YOU take it”.

Tradition mandates that the receiver of crap graciously accepts the crap and then has permission to do whatever they see fit! The GIVER of the crap can live in a fantasy world, content with the fact that the crap is no longer taking up space and that the crap has gone to a happy home! The RECEIVER of the crap may actually put the ‘treasures’ to use or they are free to continue the cycle of ToC, or stop at the nearest dumpster and make a deposit.

The GIVER should NEVER interrogate the RECEIVER about the status of the ‘treasures’ (AKA crap), however, the RECEIVER is allowed to tell the GIVER of any items that have been put to use. One some occasions the RECEIVER MAY be deceptive and tell the GIVER – “oh THAT! LOVE it – use it every day!!!” (We put the lies in families?!?)

Now…where was I??? AHHHHHH yes….the reason for my surprising venture into the kitchen!

Last ToC from Sista G included Penzey’s recipe magazines (she ‘transferred these to me knowing FULL well – I DON’T cook. If you are wondering why I would accept RECIPES since I don't cook, please refer to clarification above. I thumbed through the mags and found a soup recipe that was compelling enough for me to attempt. (I know – soup???? In SUMMER????) Hey – when I’m moved to cook – I cook what moves me! The 10 minute prep time in addition to the ingredients is what caught my attention!

The recipe is for Tomato Basil Soup. It is simmering right now and smells delicious! I may be ‘transferring’ a sample back to Sissy G this weekend!

Wow all that and my real purpose of this post was to upload my most recent card! Sorry….I digressed….

This is the first in a planned series of cupcake cards.
Here is the cupcake ‘recipe’:
~The base card is an off-center fold pre-printed hot pink with matching envelope
~Layer of yellow cardstock
~Layer of candles design paper from Michael’s

~The strip behind the cupcake is decorative tape from Oriental
~Image is from Hero Arts
~I colored the cupcake ‘paper’ with watercolor pencils
~The top of the cupcake – I used Conte’ pastel and then used my finger to ‘smear’ the color
~The white highlights on the pink frosting is enhanced with appliqué pen and Stickles assorted colors

~The candle was cut separately and added with a dimensional. I colored it in with Conte’ pastels and yellow stickles for the flame
~The sentiment I stamped with black – then used Conte’ pastel – pink, yellow, lime, orange, and purple – then ‘smeared’ them together – also cut it with scallop edger scissors and attached it with a dimensional

I will report on the soup tomorrow!

P.S. I have received some totally awesome treasures as a result of the ToC!

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

Keep it Simple

The SplitcoastStamper’s Clean & Simple challenge was to make a ‘clean and simple’ card using the colors turquoise, yellow, and orange.
I like quotes. I suppose it is because I think other people are much more articulate than I am. "Muses work all day long and then at night get together and dance." ~Edgar Degas

The point of this quote? I made a card last night and then my muses must have been up all night because when I woke up this morning – I took the card apart and revised it. The basic design is the same I just decided the trio of panels needed to be ‘Cuddle-Bugged’ (dry embossed). ...

hmmmm.....wonder if a card revision still fits into the 'simple' category. Darn those night-time muses!

So …here is the card ‘recipe’.
~White base card
~Three panels of the challenge colors - dry embossed with Cuddlebug
~Image is from Stampin Up ‘The World Over’
~Image colored in with Crayola crayons then melted with iron (okay so I don’t iron clothes with it...)
~Final touches: ribbon, prima flowers, and flower brads

I just realized I RARELY make a card without design paper!

Get up close with the card by clicking on the image.

Star Challenge

This is an Our Creative Corner challenge to use stars on a project. The ‘challenger’ at OCC was Jennifer Meyer.
~Base card is SU! I collaged torn pages from an old book - light layer of fine glitter (because I got heavy handed with the glue).

~Layer of smudged (Distress Ink Faded Jeans) kraft paper. Then layer of Miss Elizabeth red white dot stripes
~Smaller rectangle is also Miss Elizabeth as is the top flag print
~Small ribbon and cut out star adhered with dimensional
~Star is smudged and embossed with navy
~Swirl brads in both outer corners - I had to add these because the dimensionals that attached the kraft paper layer wouldn't stick to the old book text and the glitter. Then I added stars on the inside to hide the brad prongs. Sometimes, I just REFUSE to give up on a card! You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.