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

Blue Jelly

Merry Christmas to me! I received a Gelli plate for Christmas and ...nearly two months later...I finally cracked it open! And gave it a go!

I ended up with several backgrounds to put in my stockpile. I don't have the Gelli mastered but it sure was fun!

 

Teal Jelly

~White cardstock base

~Layer of navy card stock

~Layer of Cryogen White background created with Gelli Plate, teal, aqua, navy acrylic paint, navy blue embossing powder, clock stamp by 7 Gypsyies, flower stamps, honey comb stencil

~Paper Studio brad with plexi cover

~White chalk dots

~Notebook punch by Stampin' Up

~Washi tape

Challenges | Inspirations

Just Us Girls - color week - aqua, teal, navy

Shopping Our Stash - fantastic plastic

Sketch Saturday - sketch

 

Thanks for clicking by.

 

Here's to playing with new tools, creating a stockpile of backgrounds for future cards, and dreading Monday...

 

Nancy in Iowa



Climate Confessions

I live in a place where this happens FREQUENTLY:

This is a normal, wintery, occurrence here in the Midwest:

We all get jazzed about the SUNNY part though! And do we REALLY need to know that it "feels like 19 degrees BELOW zero"? Isn't -2 sufficient enough to get most of us to bundle up? Who knows what -19 feels like? Does it really feel any different than 10 below?

There comes a point where COLD is COLD! I don't need some inanimate object to suggest, through psychological mind games to get me to don my Cuddle Duds, grab some mittens, and cover my ears!

I would rather not know there are 'cattle warnings'. I live in the Midwest - it is February - you do the math (on the number of layers required to survive)! FYI: The Weather Channel calls it a "wind chill advisory". The radio locals advise this agri-economy of "cattle warnings". Just another reason I love living in the Midwest: "Farm Reports" on the radio!

Just as I was experiencing Wind-Chill-Advisory (AKA Cattle Warning) fatigue I walked into Lowe's and encountered this:

Summer at Lowe's! Good time to get the best selection...

Not that I can even GET to my patio right now!

That's enough on the climate let's talk card and confession.

Detail of the back of the holder and the tag.

 The confession part is I started with a cheater card!

I purchased these at Marshall's. A package of 10 for $3.99.
I just HAD to have them.
I am a sucker for Kraft paper! I blame it on the frigid weather!

Krafty Confessions
~Base card - from Marshalls
~Repurposed with design Kraft cardstock by The Paper Studio
~Green sheer ribbon
~Washi tape
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - trend week - tags
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Crafting with Friends - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by.

Here's to Cuddle Duds, cold climate, and confessions!

Nancy in Iowa

Holiday MashUp



 I TOLD you I had an over abundance of Coin Envelopes! I decided to make Valentine cards to fit these babies! 

 

In my defense this was probably the only quantity I could find on Amazon. 

  

But THEN when I started digging around my Valentine storage box. NOT to be confused with a Valentine box for holding all the kiddie Valentines we all use to spend hours decorating! Do kids still make Valentine boxes?

And I found this stack of 3 x 5 heart printed envelopes! There are two dozen of them. But as I admitted in my previous post - my list of "home made card worthy friends" isn't long enough to even need a list!

 

So...I put the Coin Envelope mission on HOLD! I will use these little cuties instead! Luckily I can still use the juicy stack of strips that are left-over from making square cards. So many missions! So little time!

 

In the spirit of a holiday mash-up I FINALLY broke out one of my Christmas gifts to use on one of the Valentine cards. I put to use the Tim Holtz Alphabetical die. I think I will be using this quite a bit! Fun font and oh how I enjoy my Cuttlebug!

 

 

Buckle Up

~Base card Bazzill pink cardstock

~Target tag with twine

~Valentine ribbon

~Chipboard buckle

~Red glitter chipboard heart

Inspiration | Challenges

Sketch Saturday - layout

One Stitch at a Time - love is in the air

The Ribbon Girl - anything plus ribbon

 

 

 

 Hearts-A-Plenty

~PaperTry Ink white cardstock

~Layer of The Paper Studio Basics design paper

~Red stripe tag with twine

~Chipboard buckle with heart print ribbon

~Glitter chipboard heart

 Inspiration | Challenges

Mojo Monday - sketch

Crafting When We Can - add hearts

 





 

Exes and Ohhhs

~Base card PaperTrey Ink Pure Poppy

~Letters die cut using Sizzix Tim Holtz Alphabetical

~Tic-Tac-Toe made using white cardstock, creased, smudged, and stamped with Paper Studio Alphabet, layered on cardstock matts

~Washi tape

Inspiration | Challenges

Corrosive Challenge - love

Crafting with Dragonflies - anything goes

Digi Designs - use lots of red

 

Thanks for clicking by!

 

Here's to staying focused, digging through storage boxes, and finally playing with Christmas presents!



Nancy in Iowa

Sisterly Eye Rolling

Two more Valentine cards! Four and counting. Luckily (?) - I only have friends that number in the single digits. Maybe I should be a little nicer!

Well, truth be told...there are Facebook "friends", there are friends, and then there are card-worthy friends... Not all friends are created equally - you know what I mean?

Actually, I don't usually send the cards I make. I make them and give them away for other people to send. For some unknown reason I just was in the mood for Valentine cards! This is very uncharacteristic of me as I am so NOT sentimental or mushy! Just ask my siblings! They would probably say - "You have FRIENDS?!" Of course they would say this while holding a glass of wine, lots of laughter, and don't forget some eye-rolling!

I found a set of 8 pre-made tags (twine included) at Target in my favorite aisle and picked these up for the bargain price of one dollar! They are just the right size for my goofy 'coin envelope cards'. Let me see...of the box of 500 (3 x 5 inch envelopes) I used approximately one dozen! WHOOOP!!! Anybody need any coin envelopes? Jeepers! What was I thinking!?

Tag You're Mine
~Base card PaperTrey Ink Sweet Blush
~Washi tape
~Tag with twine from Target
~Two glitter chipboard hearts
Inspirations | Challenges
Card Mania - add some red
Crafts and Me - use reds or Valentines

Valentine Referee
~Base card PaperTrey Ink
~Red/white stripe tag with twine from Target
~Glitter chipboard heart
~Katie & Co sentiment
~Die cut edge
Inspirations | Challenges
Gem of a Challenge - love is in the air
My Time to Craft - Love is all around

Thanks for clicking by!

Here's to time in my Bubble, scoring big at Target in the dollar aisle, and sibling ribbing!

Nancy in Iowa

Confetti Hearts

Only my second Valentine card for the day. Good thing I don't have very many friends! Had to run to Target (also known by my friends and I as the 100 dollar store - as it is difficult to get out of there without spending ....you guessed it...at least $100). I NEVER go to Target without perusing the "dollar" aisle! Speaking of the Dollar Aisle.... I found these vellum envelopes prefilled with confetti. I knew they would fit on my goofy "coin cards"!

Bought a set. Brought them home. Added more hearts - inside and out, switched out the twine with ribbon, and ink smudged the edge.

Hearts A-Plenty
~Base card - pink cardstock embossed with Cuttlebug Simple Flowers embossing folder, bottom edge torn
~Vellum envelope with hearts and dots confetti
~Three red glitter hearts
~Metal brad
Challenges | Inspirations
Gem of a Challenge - love is in the air
My Sheri Crafts - Valentine with pink/red.white
Creative Knockouts - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by!

Here's to trips to Target, finding awesome items for a 'buck', and being on a card making mission!

Nancy in Iowa

String of Coins

 I'm going to attempt to get some Valentine Day cards made...in time for Valentine Day...2016!!! I better get busy! Thought I would stick with my "coin card" format. Don't forget....I have hundreds of "coin envelopes"! I wanted a few and couldn't resist the BARGAIN price of ordering them in BULK!

Hence, I feel the need to make cards that will fit the envelopes. Luckily the strip that is left over from making a square card from 8.5 x 11 cardstock is perfect for my bounty of coin cards. Win. Win.

String of Hearts
~Base card PaperTrey Ink Raspberry Fizz
~Layer of white confetti cardstock
~Rescued red cord
~Three glitter hearts
~Strip of white glitter card stock die cut
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - work week - valentine
Fusion Card - sketch
Crafty Creations - hearts
Crafting by Designs - anything goes

Thanks for clicking by!

Here's to buying in bulk, rescuing bits and pieces, and having deadlines!

Nancy in Iowa

Big Sticky Inches

I previously blogged about snow. Snow in South Dakota. Snow on the East Coast. Well...it is our turn here in Iowa. Only 11.5 inches! But to add to the mix was the dreaded whipping winds! Zero visibility. Driving north on a prominent main thoroughfare (Jackson Street) I seriously could not see the cars parked in front of their homes. Yes. This is January in the Midwest!

I have to admit. I LOVE snow!

And don't put those shovels away just yet...more snow predicted for Friday. Yea!!!

BIG flakes!

Where is my sidewalk!?

 

Sticky flakes!

My poor University of Iowa Hawkeye scarf!

Inches of flakes!

Found my sidewalk!

 My sister Judy (who lives in balmy Georgia) sent these timely Jeff Foxworthy quotes. They are quite fitting!

• "If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Iowa.
• If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Iowa.
• If you know all four seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you may live in Iowa.
• If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Iowa.
• If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you may live in Iowa."

And for early in the season or as Jeff refers to it "almost winter"...

• "If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Iowa."

Enough about snow. It is an Iowa fact of life. All this snow....and no snow day for me....sure would have liked an entire day in my Bubble. Card making, hot tea, snacks...why oh why didn't I get to stay home!?

Snow Bird
~Base card PaperTrey Ink
~Layer of Prima Printery Collection
~Strip of Prima Printery Collection
~Strips of aqua die cuts
~Six pearls
~Die cut pennant
~Die cut bird using same collection, feet and beak paper pieced
~Washi bird cage tape
~Twine
~Clock stamp using Tahiti chalk ink
Challenges | Inspirations
Retro sketches - sketch #200
Shopping Our Stash - dreaming of something warm (I miss my spring and summer time birds)
Just Us Girls - wild card week

Thanks for clicking by.

Here's to snow blowers, snow plows, and warm mittens!

Nancy in Iowa

If You Build It

So much snow out East! Oh my goodness. I feel very blessed to be sitting in the midst of a mere foot of snow!

A local priest, from the Diocese I reside within, with a group of high school students headed to the March for Life in Washington, DC only to get "stranded" on the PA turnpike. So what do a bunch of kids on a bus with a priest do? Why, they hop out of the bus, create a snow alter, and the priest says Mass, of course! Mass, not only for the students but for hundreds of motorists who stopped by. Such an awesome experience for those in attendance!

No Roman Missal on hand? Have one in the bus but don't want it to get wet?

No worries! Pull up what you need on your iPhone!

"If you build it they will come."

 

So Much SNOW!

 

Speaking of travels. My card can relate. I finally used my Tim Holtz Compass Blueprint stamp and dies. Had so much fun with it! And THIS time I will remember to link up my card. TOTALLY forgot to do that last week so I missed out of some virtual atta girl from Just Us Girls and Shopping Our Stash. Note to self...compose...post...link!

 



Chevron Compass
~Base card - PaperTrey Ink Enchanted Evening
~Layer of gold color cardstock
~Layer of The Paper Studio The Garment District
~Sizzix stamps/dies by Tim Holtz
~Sentiment stamped using Not Quite Navy Stampin' Up ink
~Compass stamped on chevron layer and coordinating gold print from The Garment District
~Popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals
~Versamark and Stampendous Cobalt Blue
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - photo week
Southern Girls - anything goes
Crazy for Challenges - popped
Shopping Our Stash - 3, 2, 1 (3 Tim Holtz stamps, 2 Tim Holtz dies, 1 embossing powder)
Stamping Sensations - anything with die and stamp

Here's to church alters of snow, faith, and finding the right direction!

Nancy in Iowa

No Wind on a Flat Earth

So...I drove roundtrip to Brookings in one day! No unplanned hotel nights. No white knuckle driving! The last career fair I recruited at was also in South Dakota. A state which has an abnormal aversion to road salt. Not only that but when the snow gets a blowin' they CLOSE the interstate. CLOSED. BOOM. NO ROAD FOR YOU!!!

My previous trip up north in South Dakota ended up with an unplanned overnight and a 2 hour 45 minute trip home that should have taken me 35-40 minutes. I was NEVER so happy be back in the land of salt and clean/dry roads as I was that Saturday! So...surviving Brookings which is further north than Vermillion was indeed momentous!

While it didn't snow today...it was bleak! White sky. White earth. Made me understand the 'flat earth society'. The horizon was indistinguishable ...where did the land end and the sky take over? At least on this trip the ROAD wasn't white!

Yes. We have had plenty of snow. And yes it is COLD! But... not THAT COLD. We went to dinner with a long time friend and his long time friends on Friday. The three guests all currently reside in NYC. Of the five of us - four of us are originally from the Midwest. The one "odd man out" hailed from Texas. The subject of weather naturally came up as the HIGH that day of ZERO and the low in negative double digits. The Texan born commented on how frigidly cold it was amd I casually said, "at least it's not windy!" Mr. Texas exclaimed, "What is it with you people?! Anytime I mention how cold it is to a Midwesterner their immediate come-back is, "well at least it's not windy". It's COLD - what does the WIND have to do with it?"

SERIOULSY? Stick around dude! Wait for a sub-zero day WITH a blustery wind creating a wind-chill of minus 30! Then you can call my home-scape COLD!

Even with it being as cold as it was we still, like little kids, went outdoors "geocaching". Prancing around in the snow...searching for a tiny slip of paper. (More on Geo Caching later....)

Now for the card. With all this talk of cold, wind, no wind, salt, no salt...I decided for a touch of spring. Butterflies!

Butterfly Blues

~Base card light blue PaperTrey Ink

~Navy blue card stock frame

~Cryogen white cardstock

~Inkadinkado Butterflies stamped with Versamark, embossed with white embossing powder, colored with Copics

~Blue pearls

~Sentiment stamped with Navy embossing powder

~Tim Holtz die cut

Challenges  | Inspiration

Just Us Girls - color week: light blue, dark blue, white

Shopping Our Stash - monochromatic

 

Here's to plenty of salt - on roads and my food, minions, hints of spring, and 'no wind'. 

 

Thanks for clicking by,

Nancy in Iowa

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

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