We Ain't Right!!

This is what being up since 6:20 on a very rainy Saturday looks like....plus, who can help but get a LITTLE BIT slap-happy after scrappin' for 12+ hours? We ain't right!!

First off, I look like a train wreck. I got up early with the dog, showered, stood in line for Tracy Lawrence tickets (woo hoo 10th row!), got a haircut and left it wacky curly. It was a blustery wet day so why bother with the straightening deal. Then, Mom and I headed to Connie's to scrapbook with her and Joan. The headband went on my head soon after arriving so then the big forehead is in plain sight! LOL

I was innocently creating cards and when I discovered the one scrap looked like glasses, the whole she-bang started. Connie also had a punch scrap so we both created gorgeous glasses for the occasion. It helped us choose cardstock colors better since our eyesight improved drastically. LOL It's possibly a "you had to be there" thing, but man were we crackin' up. When don't the four of us have fun? Never! So, this is what our National Scrapbooking Day looked like....a train wreck on crack! Oh, yeah...wait 'til I post my "Ralph Crack" card. You'll die laughing, too!

These gorgeous Barely Banana glasses even have a nose notch and some ear notches. Punches are fabulous for creating just the perfect style! LOL

I think these might fit Spongebob better than Connie, but she's got it goin' on!!

My mom was laughing so hard trying to take the picture that is was blurry. I told her to save it as it captures the type of fun we have together. I promise, no rubber stamps were harmed in the making of these horrid pictures. LOL Uh, yeah...and the only thing we were doped up on was the awesome food Connie made for us...uh, yeah and a LITTLE bit of chocolate. Ah, it's fun to have fun. *exhale* LOL

Connie dared me and I really posted these. Now, I'll go apply some concealer and fix this crazy hair....in the morning! It's now 1:49am! LOL

Stay tuned for more highlights of this great day....some stamped cards. I'll post them later this week.

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...