Ahhh....glorious spring!

I decided to share these beautiful blooms that I took pics of Sunday after church. Spring is such a happy time. I am delighted in the colors, the birds chirping and the warmer breeze. We expect a cold snap tonight so I hope it doesn't affect my flowers outside. This week I am really battling severe allergy symptoms(despite medication), so I feel a bit zapped. I haven't created any other cards since Sunday night. I'll try to upload more "crafty" photos later this week or after my scrappin' fun at Connie's this weekend. I just took some cough medicine and I feel like the screen is a bit sideways....gotta love the effects of codeine. LOL Hopefully, it will kick this cough so I can get some good rest tonight. Kevin is still battling his bronchitis so we're just balls of fire here this week...NOT! Anyway, here's the pics...hope everyone is having a good week!
More Johnny-jump-ups hiding behind the daffodils under our kitchen window. Those little boogers really do jump up everywhere! Love it!

I have tons of grape hyacinths in the flowerbed near the garage. I gasp at the thought that I used to think they were weeds or wild onions because of their little bulbs and yanked some out! LOL I am certainly not a plant guru! LOL

Kevin and my dad planted this pink dogwood six years ago when we bought our house. It's now taller than the wooden fence out back. Grow, baby, grow! Love the color of its blooms!

This dogwood was planted by the previous homeowners. It always reminds me of the dogwood in our yard in Kentucky where I grew up. That tree was big enough that I could climb it. Such great memories of when I was young! When I see the colors of spring I thank God for my eyesight and that I am alive and well enough to get out and enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!

On a side note: Kevin finishes school next Friday and will begin looking for a new job. Please keep us in your prayers as the next chapter of our life begins. It's been a very long two years from the time his company announced they were closing until the actual job loss, unemployment fiascos and schooling. I'm ready to exhale. I know God has it under control, and I'm ready for the next step.

You're Too Kind

I played with some of my new goodies last night. I created this card for my mother-in-law. She is a very generous and loving person. Just last week she showed up unannounced with a full-course meal....just because! I wanted to tell her yet again how much we appreciate her.

cardstock, inks, markers, punches, sponge dauber, dimensionals, flower stamps: Stampin' Up!
patterned papers: Darcie's
word stamp: Papertrey Ink
faux postage stamp: Just For Fun
stamp edge scissors: Fiskars
green glitter: Joann's

My New Goodies

What a fun day at the Adventures In Stamping convention yesterday! There were 62 different vendors, wonderful stamped samples, great products to buy, make-n-takes, demos and good food. I only spent $66, which is the lowest amount ever. It isn't because I didn't want lots more, but that I am on a very tight budget these days. I was able to save a lot of money by buying all unmounted stamps. I will trim them, put them on EZMount foam and use them with my acrylic blocks.

Here are my new goodies...under each photo I will list the company name and website if you want it, too! Later this week, I hope to share more happy things on my blog such as my fav samples from the convention displays as well as new creations. I took some pictures outside today of more spring blossoms. I am so inspired by the beauty of the season and want to challenge myself to make cards this week using that inspiration. Perhaps I can coordinate some of my new things in those creations, too!
Remember: ***click the pics for a closer look***
Mini calendars: http://www.vippies.com/
essential ovals clear stamps: http://www.thinkamuse.com/
unmounted rubber sundae stamp: http://www.rubbernecker.com/
copic cool grey marker: http://www.stampingsensations.com/
plastic irridescent flowers/leaves: http://www.creativeimpressions.com/
mini brush: http://www.powderkegembossingpowders.com/
mini mister: http://www.ranger.com/
tiny bead/powder tray(set of 3): http://www.stampimagestudio.com/

unmounted faux postage stamps and templates: http://www.jffstamps.com/

Happy Birthday unmounted stamp: http://www.sweetstamps.com/

unmounted stamps (words, frog, owls) http://www.starvingartistamps.com/

Ticket price: $5

Cost of new goodies: $66

Spending the day with two good friends: PRICELESS!

Thanks for stopping by!

Adventures in Stamping

Connie, Joan and I are heading to Akron tomorrow for the oh-so-fun Adventures in Stamping convention. I've gone every year in April for the last several years. I am really excited to see what new products or techniques the various vendors will have to share. I'll post some pics later this weekend of the goodies I find. I've got a tight budget, but I'm sure something will grab me. I just love being elbow to elbow with other excited stampers as we browse the many booths of stamping delights! I think I'll try to do more make-n-takes and really take more pics of samples, etc.
In the meantime, I'll leave you with this card. I had made it a while back and sent it to my dear friend Merrill. Take a minute and say a prayer for this dear person who lost her fiance Jamie to leukemia last June. It has been a long, tough road of heartbreak for her. I just love this stamp. It is from a retired SU! set. I paired it with the Marvy scalloped punches, a piece embossed in the Cuttlebug (love that thing!) and a few tiny yellow Primas my friend Joan shared. The striped paper has a little slot detail in the corners. It is actually a punch that creates slots for another piece to be layered or a photo to be added. I just left it as a decorative element.

Time sure flies the older I get. In ways it seems like yesterday I was in high school with Merrill. Now we live 5 hours apart. What is so wonderful about true friends is that no matter the time or distance that separates you, love keeps you bound together. I am so blessed to know Merrill and actually all my good friends. I have such a blessed life! Always take time to count your many blessings, tell your family and friends how much you care and be sure to praise God for each day He gives you. Thanks for stopping by!

April 20th Workshop Highlights

Whoa...I added SIX photos to this post, so I'll keep the chit chat to a minimum. This is the first card we made at the workshop yesterday. A cute, easy "filmstrip" card that uses only cardstock, ink and two punches! Cute as a bug, huh? I only like fake bugs, but the real ones are slowly finding their way into our home. Blechhh! I can't take credit for the filmstrip idea. I saw it online and just adapted it to the stamp set Bugs & Kisses. OH and yes, that pic was really taken outside in my fresh, green grass. Love it! Welcome spring! Woo hoo!

Well, the sun disappeared within minutes so these next two photos are a bit "overcast" like the sky was then. This card showcases craft ink, Coluzzle, Two-Step stampin' and coloring gingham ribbon. Simply use your sponge dauber to rub ink onto the gingham ribbon. I wanted to have a softer look than the carmel and white, so I changed it to Barely Banana and Creamy Caramel with a few rubs of ink on both sides. Easy!

Thanks to a cool card I saved in my favs online, I was able to remember/share this neat opening technique. The card base does not fold, so instead you place the sentiment inside the ovals. Just pull the ribbon to spin the top oval up and there's your sentiment! Tip: Use your heat tool to dry craft inks faster so you don't get smudges. Gotta love that heat tool! Mine is always right beside me at my craft table.

Here's the hostess gift. I had a neat little divided wooden box in my "alterable" stash. I had the best time decorating it with the Happy Me Simply Scrappin' Kit from the Fall/Winter 2007 catalog. It was a level 3 hostess item. I made it with my hostess in mind as she has adorable grandkids whose pics she can display inside. I decorated it front and back so it's cute no matter where she sets it and from any angle it is seen.

Thanks again, Joan for being a hostess! You'll be invited to my Hostess Appreciation Event in July. Remember, click any photo for a close-up peek! Thanks for stopping by...

Saturday Ramblings...

Ribbon Spooling...is awesome and quite fun actually. I originally saw the idea on Nichole Heady's blog HERE. Check out her studio...oh my! I got my clothespins at Dollar Tree. I plan to spool all my loose ribbon. I will divide them by color in my jars later. It's a relaxing task! Now, wipe the drool off your monitor screen as I know you have a ribbon fetish like I do....LOL!

This card uses all Stampin' Up! supplies. The main image is a level 1 hostess stamp From The Garden in the current Spring-Summer catalog. I stamped it with Basic Brown ink onto our watercolor paper, then used a blender pen and various classic ink pads to color. The sentiment is from the set Take Three. I only used a portion of the image by using my marker. Simply color the portion of a stamp you want by using the brush tip of the marker. Lightly "huff" on the image to remoisten the ink and stamp onto paper.

I think I will send this card to Mrs. Black. She is the widow of our dear former neighbor who died earlier this month.

Johnny Jump-ups have appeared! These precious little colorful flowers appear in the strangest places, only to make me thank God yet again for his glorious spring creations! These little beauties are right outside the back door in the crevice between the foundation of the garage and the sidewalk. Amazing how they can just "jump up" where they want! I had these kind in my planters out back last year so the seeds spread with the wind and are now appearing in the oddest places. I think they are called violas, but my friend Chris calls them Johnny Jump-ups....so now that's what I call them. It's a fun name!

Yesterday, Dad came over and helped me power wash the house, brick and concrete. I was outside all day and had a wonderful day! This place looks so bright now! My white house is truly white again! I did get sunburn on my toes, legs and neck. I used suncreen, but not on my legs or feet. You can see where my flip-flops were, but it's so worth it to be able to enjoy this weather. I think I could now identify every muscle in my body as they ALL ache. LOL I stayed in today, did laundry and stamped. I'll share some more projects later this week. I have a workshop tomorrow and don't want to spoil any surprises for the guests or hostess. Thanks for stopping by and letting me ramble on...

My name is...

Yep, it's another Macy layout! LOL She is just so cute I keep scrappin' about her. One day, hopefully God will bless us with a baby. For now, ya'll have to keep looking at my furbaby layouts. :) Like most pets, Macy has a dozen or more nicknames. I finally decided to document a handful of them. This layout cracks me up each time I look at it again. *click for a closer look*

Here's a close-up so I can explain some of the details. I layered this really cool paper over a piece of Brilliant Blue from Stampin' Up! I love how the darker color shows through the flowery scalloped edge of the pink paper. I added a little piece of white in each corner so that the black brads would "pop". I also add dots in the center of each flower and on the vinyl Thickers letters using my handy dandy white Sharpie pen. I thought the dotted letters looked more girly since Macy is such a girly pooch. Hope this makes you smile, too!

Tonight after work, Kevin and I mowed the yard for the first time this season. Ahhhh....the simple pleasure of smelling the fresh cut grass and taking in all the luscious springy colors around me was wonderful! I am so inspired to pull out my sheets of Garden Green cardstock and make a fun card. That is one color I rarely pull out of my stash to use. Tomorrow it's back outside to power wash the siding, do windows and put in the screens. I can't wait to have the windows wide open and let in the fresh spring breeze. I might even get some sun on my pasty white legs. LOL Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed day!

Priceless...

In January of this year, my parents, husband, cousin and I went to see my Great Aunt Irene on her 91st birthday. She is a remarkable woman. She still lives alone and has the best outlook on life. I can only hope to be as feisty when I am older. I just love her. I'm not good about getting over to see her as often as I should even though she only lives about 20 minutes away. Shame on me! I did this layout a few weekends ago and used a new Hambly page overlay that I had gotten at the LSS (which is closing...sniffle...). Fortunately for me, the one owner will be opening a new store across town so my addiction will be fed again. LOL I had to take this picture at an angle since the shiny overlay kept causing a glare. You can click on the pic for a closer look.

Here's a close-up of some of the detailing. I used Fancy Pants papers for the two base pieces, added the Hambly overlay(attached with brads), Bazzill bling cardstock, a Prima flower, a button and a My Mind's Eye 4x6 transparency(attached with those fabulous Glue Dots sheets for vellum!!). The letters "Priceless" were stamped with a retired Stampin' Up! Alphabits set and punched out with the 1/4" square punch. If you know this crazy scrapper in the middle photo, give her a shout out! Hey girl! She's one of the nicest gals I have ever known....and she's family to boot! We always have a blast together! :)

Here you can see how I layered the patterned paper under the overlay, then added all the other elements on top. One last added detail was the date by the owl using my handy dandy white Sharpie. I love that thing!

This week I'll be planning projects for a weekend workshop. I'll add those on the blog next week. Thanks for stopping by. Hope everyone has a blessed week!

Family Frame

I made this frame for my hostess Deb. I purchased this double-matted frame at the new Flower Factory store in Mansfield. I simply covered the mat with paper from the Stampin' Up! Berry Bliss paper pack, stamped the solid brown layer with the set Little Pieces, heat embossed the word "family" using the Big Deal Alphabet set and added some punched out pieces for detailing. I inked the edges of the paper and shapes for some dimension.

Here's a close-up of the left-hand side where I added some punched circles. All of the patterns/solids were from the same paper pack. I just love the versatility of double-sided papers! I added a non-SU! sticky bling flower to the center of the largest circle.

Thanks again, Deb for being a hostess! You'll be invited to my Hostess Appreciation Event this summer!

Kickstand

You might take one look at this layout and say to yourself....what the heck does kickstand mean? Well, take a closer look at Macy's back leg....it's all kicked out like she's got a kickstand. Kevin jokingly called it that and it just stuck. This dog sure makes us laugh. To know her is to love her all the more.

When I create pages, I don't often think to remember what company makes which item in case I post it on this blog. I'm sorry I don't remember that. At that time I am creating just to create. Here's what I do know: I used two different double-sided papers from one company. The opposite side of the red had several flowers. I cut out the large one and used my circle punches for the three smaller ones. I rounded the corners of the 12x12 for a softer edge. I matted the photo with Stampin' Up! cardstock Soft Sky. The scalloped edges under the red piece are actually some Paper Frills pieces from Doodlebug. I love those things! I have a pack of white which I can color with ink if needed to match something. I'd rather do that than have a whole pack of blue or yellow or....you know what I mean. Also, the letters are foam stickers called Thickers. I have to laugh because once I uploaded the photo I realized my letters weren't exactly straight. Oh well, they're off just like I am. LOL Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

Mr. Cactus

I created this layout about our plant "Mr. Cactus" last weekend. This layout may not be special to anyone else, but it means even more to me today than it did when I created it. I found out today that our former neighbor who gave us Mr. Cactus passed away Friday. The journaling says: When Rev. Black got remarried and moved out of the neighborhood we got to "adopt" this Christmas cactus. Since I have to name all of my plants he affectionately became Mr. Cactus. He usually blooms sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but in March of 2008 he certainly surprised us with five luscious HOT PINK blooms!

Periodically we'd run into Rev. Black or his wife and I would always tell them how the cactus was doing. What Rev. Black didn't know is that his act of kindness in sharing the plant and allowing us to see its beautiful blooms was a blessing beyond measure.

Goodbye old friend...

Happy Daffodils

Today was such a blessed day! My daffodils are finally blooming! When I let Macy out this morning about 7:20 they weren't opened. This afternoon after church they were bowing towards the warm spring sun and showing their gorgeous yellow hues. Daffodils are my favorite flower for a few reasons. They remind me of my dear friend Merrill. She likes daffodils, too. They are also a sign of a new season, a new beginning. They make their way past the dull-colored mulch and dead branches to smile at me. My heart just feels lighter once the daffodils come. It's as if God is whispering to me, "This is just for you, my child. Enjoy." I am so grateful for my eyesight and that I can see His many wonderous blessings in nature. Thank you Lord for the happy daffodils!

My beautiful "baby"...

This is a page I did on Sunday. After scrapbooking with mom and Tammy all day Saturday, I was on a roll. I have been psycho busy this week, so I am just now posting another page from last weekend. My taxes are done and the refund's on its way! Ya'll probably think I'm crazy since I scrapbook my dog, but for now in my life (since we have no kids) she is my "baby". I guess if I had a baby, I'd substitute his/her pic on this fancier layout or even a beautiful bride/wedding picture. However, my doggie is a very dainty girl and so I used her as my inspiration. The soft white fur, the soft pink inner ear and those gorgeous little puppy eyelashes! Yes, I love my dog. I often say....if it weren't for her, I'd be insane. At the most stressful time in my life, she has been my sanity. I thank God for her. He knew I needed a sweet little Macy in my life. *sniffle*

Anyway... about the layout. Notice how the largest portion of things are positioned to the right-hand side of the layout. It reminds me of the "align right" option you have when typing a document. I had seen a layout online the other day and it inspired me to shift my design to the right. With the direction Macy is looking, your eye flows that way anyway. I used whisper white, light grey textured and basic gray cardstocks. I wanted a hint of pink as an accent, so I chose vellum for that layer. I rounded the corners to soften the lines, added some felt hearts, clear bling brads, ribbons and a layered sentiment piece. The saying is a rub-on and I used the round tab, small oval and large oval punches. OH and who can forget that gorgeous lace cardstock!?! I got that at my LSS for a great price! I wanted to balance the darker grey color in the design, so I stamped the flower from the Stampin' Up! set called Together Forever under the vellum and ribbon. I love that set!

Thanks for letting me share my "baby" page! I hope you'll be inspired to create a fancy page about someone/something that makes you happy. And, don't be afraid to try the "align right" look.

Have a blessed weekend!