Swim and Shampoo

It is an extremely warm day here in PA, and we are all doing different things.  My pooch, Jessie was begging for her pool to come out so she could battle the hose monster.

  

After a good long swim, it was time for a frothy shampoo with Boysenberry Black Pearl, a towel dry and a good combing to get out the winter clumps. She smells so yummy! What a good girl.  I am not going to tell you how cold that well water was.  Brrrrrrrr!  Just have to remember to do walkies every 20 minutes until she gets rid of all the pool water she drank!

Thanks for letting me share!  Enjoy what is left of this holiday.

Kym's Rose Challenge

Sorry I have been AWOL for a bit.  The wedding planning is starting to get crazy, and with doing two weddings, even crazier!  Yesterday was our Eastern PA Stampers get-together and many could not attend due to the holiday weekend, but we had a blast.  If I get sent a photo, I will share.  I did get to meet Wendy from Wee Bee Stampin 4 Fun, and got to give her a hug.  What a sweetie!  Wendy and her family moved from PA to Joplin, with the hopes of moving back to PA by the end of 2011.  Thank goodness they were here in PA when the tornados hit.  Their house was spared, but if you check out her blog, she has posted photos of places she visits daily and they are gone.  She is very nervous about going back next week.  Praying for everyone in Joplin.

Okay, on to Kym's challenge for the Roses group this month.  We were asked to create a Get Well, Tissue Box Card.  I was not sure about this one, but once I got into it, I want to make more!  Maybe for the desks of the girls in my DD's office.  A couple for visiting folks in the hospital?  Cute, cute!

The little tissue packs just fit right on in there!

My base is a cranberry card stock, and my focal image is created using Marvy Markers on watercolor paper.  This is my first time trying this technique and I need a little practice, but I am pleased.  The stamps used for the flowers are all from Stamps by Judith. I also added designer papers from the Basic Grey paper collection called Green At Heart. The get well sentiment is from one of Theresa Mombers, GKD sets.  The sentiment on the front panel is from Rubber Cottage, and I was so glad I got to use it!  As accents, I used organza ribbon, pearls, and some MS border punches. There is a video of this project that can be found here.

Please take a minute and visit the other talented ladies in the Roses group, to see what they have designed!  They are...... Olga, Patti Sue, Kerrie, Kym, Sue, Betty, and Connie.

Thanks for stopping by!

In The Garden.....

     While visiting a friends blog, I came across a challenge that looked interesting.  It is for Cupcake Craft Challenge # 142 and it is called "In The Garden".  How cool is it that I was randomly creating a card with a garden scene?

     This is one of those cards that just sort of evolves.  I recently purchased an older stamp set from Gina K. Designs, called Lawn and Garden by Rupa Shevde.  It has the best stamps for my lifestyle, because it seems we are always doing some kind of yard work. I used a base of Fresh Asparagas, Pure Luxury card stock.  My designer papers are from K&Co, as is the decorative border.  I punched small butterflies from MS and gave them pearl bodies.  Coloring was done with Copics and sponging was added with Memento ink.

     Hubby is still mowing, so I will have more time to play. We also added an heirloom tomato and a bush cucumber to the garden.  I have teeny tiny cherry tomatoes starting, and I am looking forward to popping them in my mouth.  We are still trying to hunt down a yellow squash plant.  They are so good on the grill, brushed with olive oil and a bit of garlic!

Rock On!

The sun has finally made an appearance in Eastern PA!  What a soggy week.  It will take quite some time for everything to dry enough to mow and weed.  They even think we might hit 90 by the end on next week!

Today I would like to share a card I made for a special friend. He is more than special, he was our Best Man! Johnny is such a crazy guy, that I struggle each year to come up with an idea for his cards. 

The other day, I downloaded an image from Angie W., that they were giving away at Free Digital Stamps.  I decided to pair this guy with a stamp set I have from Gina K. Designs, called Live Life Loud.  It has all the grungy rocker elements.  Then I used another set called Stars to add the pop-ups.  Both sets were designed by Tami Mayberry.  Coloring was done with Copic markers and sponging with Memento ink.  I added Stickles and a few black pearls as accents.  Card stock is Pure Luxury.

Well, that's it for now, but I am feeling a little stamping energy, so you never know!  I may return.

Sharing A Duo.....

Morning, my dear friends!  I have had a couple of cards sitting on my desk, and since it is so dreary here in PA, I figured I would post instead of create!

My first card has been hanging out for quite awhile.  It has a Kraft base and a layer stamped with a new background stamp from Stamp Camp.  The background was stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa and then the leaves were chalked in assorted colors.  I spritzed the background with Sheer Shimmer Spritz from Tsukineko called Sparkle.  I added a punched MS strip, and then placed flowers from the Heartfelt Creation, Posy Patch Dies.  The flowers were accented with Copic Marker, Stickles, and Crystal Effects.  Two skeleton leaves were tucked behind for texture.

I would like to enter this in:
Stamp Something-  Anything Goes

The second card, I just made a few days ago.  I won 2 sets of Amuse clear stamps on Ebay. They are called Trees One and Trees Two.  I used a white card base and three different patterns of Basic Grey, Granola papers.  I stamped my images and sentiment in Memento, Rich Cocoa and back stamped the trees with Spanish Olive from VersaMagic.  The olive was also used for sponging.  The little bird is a stamp from Theresa Momber's, The Giving Tree.  I used Spellbinders, Labels Fourteen, to cut out everything and then popped them up.  My only accent is a twine bow with a gem center.

My entry is for:

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge- Anything Goes

That is it for now, folks!  Have a good day!

What A Fun Morning!

My DH has another vacation day today, and since we knew it was going to be rainy, he had a shopping list for Home Depot that we needed to get.  Today's project is to install a new Ultra Violet System on our water lines and a new filtration system also.  Well, as we pulled into the parking lot, I saw a cart of new plants being pushed inside.  I went chasing the guy because something caught my eye.

Let me first say, that on Christmas 2009, My dear friend Sue, bought me an Orchid.  I thought she was nutso because me and house plants just don't jive.  Here we are 2 seasons later and I have successfully had my Orchid re-bloom!  Woo Hoo!  The blooms last for months so I just love it!  It is very happy on my dining room table.

Well, remember the guy I chased this morning?  He had blue Orchids on that cart.  Yes I said blue!  DH saw the sparkle in my eye and insisted I have one.  I am so excited, and my goodness, it is full of buds and sooooooo tall!

Here is a close up of the blooms.  They are so blue that I know that it can not be natural, and I am sure that when this plant blooms again, blue may not be seen.  Look at the months of gorgeous flowers I will have until then!!!

Thanks for letting me share.  If this one goes well, I will keep adding to my collection!  Love them!  Have a super dooper day!

OTWC #53 and My Garden

Here is a card that I created for challenge #53, over at Off The Wall Craftiness.  I have not gotten to do Kim's challenge for quite some time, but the colors in her inspiration pic just moved me this week!  I have been a bit stuck on these colors lately.

Here is her inspiration photo.

I would also like to include her color swatches for you, just in case you have time to play along.  You can find the details here.

My card is a base of Soft Sand, Pure Luxury cs from Gina K. Designs.  The designer papers are from Diecuts With A View.  I have these stitched paper pieces that are from Prima.  They were a gift.  I layered a turquoise Prima in the center, and added a K&Co Grand Adhesion to the center.  My sentiment is from Theresa Momber's latest stamp set called Follow Your Dreams.  I stamped it on an label punch from SU!.  Buttons in soft blue and green were used as my embellishments.  I thought this made a pretty Graduation card.

Next, I would like to share with you a photo of my veggie garden.  As you can see, we are loaded with leafy lettuce right now.  As long as it stays cool, we can keep cutting and it will keep coming.  Get too hot and it will go to seed.  We do have a few flowers on the tomatoes, but everything else is still small.  Remember, May 15 is the first safe date for planting delicate plants here in  PA, so we actually cheated a wee bit by planting on Mother's Day

Have a wonderful Sunday, and happy stamping!

A Couple to Share

My first card is for the Moxie Fab Chevron Chic Challenge which asks us to use a chevron pattern on our card.

I pulled the components from all corners of my stamp room, including my computer!  My base is Wild Dandelion Pure Luxury from Gina K. Designs.  My chevron paper is from my stash.  I had to find a vintage four leaf clover image to couple with my sentiment.  The open work border is an MS punch called Bangle Chain Trim.  My clover was topped off with a faceted gem for sparkle.

Card #2 is a sympathy card that I created using my new Heartfelt Creations, Decorative Window Scene Die.  I coupled it with two Gina K. Designs stamps sets called Garden Silhouettes, and Stenciled Spring.  My card base is Pumpkin Spice PL and my designer paper is from KaiserCraft, Secret Bird Society.  My focal image was created by coloring the stamp with Marvy Brush Markers.  My sentiment was cut out with a Fancy Tag Die from Spellbinders, and an MS butterfly was punched and added to my bouquet.  Sponging was done with VersaMagic chalk ink and cocoa pearls and bow were added as accents.  I will be entering this card over at Crafty Creations for their Anything Goes Challenge.

Thanks for spending a little bit of your day with me.  Have a great weekend!

Be Like A Duck.......

Good Morning!   It is another glorious day here in PA, and I am loving every minute of it!  They are promising 5 days of rain starting on the weekend, and if I remember from last year, that is what rotted out my zucchini plants in the garden.  I think I will buy a couple extras just in case I have to replant.

I would like to share a card I  have been working on for a few days.  I purchased this sentiment a couple months ago at a local stamp show.  I thought it fit so many of life's little situations.  When I came home, I could not believe I did not have one duck to use with it.  Not a digi, not a stamp to be found in this whole stamp room.  Then I remembered my stash of Stampscape Stamps!  Ah ha!

My card base is Soft Sand cs from GKD, with a layer of DCWV designer paper from their Doodlin' Around stack.  The sentiment stamp is from the Rubber Cottage.  My scene is made from 3 different Stampscape Stamps.  My coloring is done with Copics and inking was done with Versamagic Ink. 

I needed something for the side and decided to create a cattail to match the scene.  I cut out the leaves with Spellbinders dies from the Donna Salazar, Carnation Creations die set.  The head of the plant was cut out by hand and run through the Cuttlebug using  the Diamonds EF from Sizzix.  I then rubbed the embossing with copper metallic paste.  Accents are Stickles to make the water shimmer, Dewdrops, and a couple of MS branch punches.

I have a dear neighbor who has been battling illness since last fall, and I think this will be perfect for him. 

I will be entering this in a couple of challenges:

Catch The Bug - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - quote/sentiment

Update:  Baby Flynn came home from the hospital last Thursday, and is growing like a weed.  He is eating like crazy and gaining a couple ounces a day.  He still has a monitor due to Apnea before he came home, but his mommy says it is just a precaution.  He is ready to burst out of his preemie clothing!  God is good!  My niece is feeling better, also.  Her bp is finally under control.  Now they can enjoy being a family.

Catching My Breath

Happy Monday morning, friends!  I sure hope you had a great weekend, and for all of the lovely mothers out there, I hope you're children blessed you with some kind of contact.  I was fortunate to have both of my children with me this weekend, and they made it a fantastic Mother's Day.  Saturday, we walked 4 huge garden markets and purchased plants for my beds and veggie garden.  Sunday they hooked up with my DH and made short work of all the weeding and planting for the season.  Everyone  ended up exhausted.  I miss helping since I have gotten so allergic to bees and wasps. Oh well. They gave me a Mother's Day that made me happy beyond belief!

My card today is just a note.  It was stamped during our stamp outing to L&L Rubber Stamps.  For the life of me I can not remember the designer, but if I had to guess, I would say PSX.  My card base is Creme De Menthe Pure Luxury, from Gina K. Designs.  The funny story behind this simple card is that my DD started coloring it and just hated it.  I retrieved it from her trash pile and finished it with Copics. Then I took my copy that I had stamped and cut and colored extra leaves so I could pop them up. Anyway, it has been sitting on my desk for ages, and I thought it needed posting.  It deserved more than a dive into the trash bin!

If you have a minute, please pop over to Joan's Gardens and give me a vote for my tag entry. There are only 6 entries this week and they are all lovely!  I believe you have until tonight.  Thanks, and I am so glad you popped by!

Tag Challenge at Joan's Gardens JGT0503

Just a quick post to get my tag entered in this weeks tag challenge over at Joan's Gardens.  There is always such a great bunch of talented artists entering their creations! 

I used one of my newer stamp sets from Gina K. Designs, called Stenciled Spring. They are great solid stamps and I got to playing with Marvy brush markers to add colors.  The papers are K&Co..  My ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  A Prima with button and purple pearls are my accents. 

I learned with my last tag, I entered, that if you add a bamboo skewer to the back, and cover with a layer of matching paper, you can make a great plant poke for a gift.  Maybe something for Mother's Day?

Thanks for taking a look see!  Enjoy the rest of your day!

New Stamps!

I am so happy I got some extra time to sit and play with my new Gina K. Design stamps.  The set I am using is called Follow Your Dreams, by Theresa Momber.  Since I live on a lake, I am lucky enough to  have a Great Blue Heron that visits every day to catch his dinner.  I created this card using scraps of papers from my stash, layered on a white card base.  Coloring was done with Copics.  The numbers I used were: C1, C3, C7, W1, B0000, B21, E25, Y19, YG93.  I added some grey, ribbed velvet ribbon and taupe leaves from Prima.  I topped it off with an antique pearl button threaded with floss.

My second card is using stamps from the same set, but this time I used the dragonflies and sentiment.  I framed out my sentiment with my new Decorative Oval Window die from Heartfelt Creations, and added Prima's with olive pearl centers.  Stickles were added to the dragonflies for sparkle, and a small Tag To Go, from K&Co was tucked into the flowers.

Hard to believe that is is almost hump day already.  Time is zooming.  Have a beautiful Spring day!

You Just Have To Laugh!

Good morning, friends!  It is a chilly morning here in PA.  Very refreshing!  This weather is like a yo-yo.  Nope, I am not complaining.  We have so much to be thankful for after the terrible storms last week.  Last evening I was on Skype with the ladies from the Paper Roses group and I was telling them that my DH was on a delayed flight from Miami.  They told the passengers that they had to return to the terminal for a refuel, after making them sit in the plane for hours.  Hummm, funny how they fib to keep everyone calm.  When they landed in Atlantic City, his buddy turned his phone back on and had a message from a good friend in Miami who is an air traffic controller that said there were mechanical difficulties with the plane.  Might have been good to know that one ahead of time, huh?  Anyway, he is home safe, and I am glad to have him back!  I though this card was perfect for the occasion!

One of the very first brand of stamps that I purchased, back in the 90's were Art Impressions.  I just love them, and they seem to have a character to fit any purpose.  This jittery lady is named Sylvia!  Isn't she a hoot?  My layers are Pure Luxury, Ocean Mist and the new Accents card stock called Key Lime.  I colored with Copics and sponged with Memento.  Making Memories flowers were added with Jolee's gem centers.  A few MS branch punches were tucked under the blooms.  My sentiment was computer generated.  I saw it somewhere, ages ago and just loved it.

I was just having fun, and I really appreciate you taking a peek.  Have a glorious day!