Just the Cards Ma'am, Just the Cards

Challenge

2010-10-25T18:23:00.003-04:00

It seems like forever since we've had a challenge in Inkstainers so I grabbed the bull by the horns and posted one. A a seasonal card is what to make; Halloween, autumn, spring if you're down under . . . any color will do but you must use a die cut. Here is my offering. The cat is from TAC 'Happy Haunting' and I used Curvy Rectangles Nesties.

2010-10-16T15:51:00.000-04:00

Hmmm . . . I was away from this blog for a while (very busy summer) and then couldn't get on. SO here I am again. Cards to follow.

more cards

2010-05-22T13:19:00.001-04:00

A 'just because' card from Holly, and a birthday card from her.

Birthday cards

2010-05-22T13:11:00.003-04:00

Oh my - here it is, almost the end of May, and I haven't posted my MARCH birthday cards! So . . . Top - hand drawn from Gwen. Next, from my dear friend Hettie, then, our own Sandie, Marilyn, and Sharon.

Sandie's challenge

2010-02-26T08:11:00.003-04:00

Sandie challenged us to finish a card. We all have stamped images that need coloring or partially constructed cards, don't we? This tulip has been around forever. It was actually made into a card but I had taken it apart and this is the new result.

Another challenge

2010-02-26T08:06:00.003-04:00

I posted another challenge on Inkstainers. This one was to leave your comfort zone. Fear white space (red, in this case)? I usually drag the edge of a card over a stamp pad for a finished look but didn't this time.

Just More Cards

2010-02-15T14:06:00.000-04:00

Challenge

2010-02-13T06:58:00.003-04:00

My turn this time! And I have confession to make. I am a hoarder. Who isn't? I recently reorganized my PP because the case it was in had a broken zipper. My solution was a tote with hanging files. Seems to work well. Anyhoo . . . I realized I had SOOOOO much paper that wasn't being used and it was time. So I posted the challenge on Inkstainers to use something - anything you've been hoarding.

The top card (I apologize for the fuzzy pic) uses some of the origami paper I have been hoarding and put me in the mood for more iris folding.

The middle card used some of the gorgeous paper I found in an art supply store. It's a CASE of one Marilyn sent.

The bottom card is a CASE of one of Sandie's cards. It used some SU paper I bought on sale.

The best part is that I still have tons of hoarded goodies!

Brother's Birthday

2010-01-30T12:33:00.002-04:00

For my brother, the mighty hunter. The Lab is cut out and popped up.

Valentines

2010-01-30T12:29:00.003-04:00

Top: What the middle cards look like open. Those are for the grands; pink for the girls and red for my grandson. The bottom is for my daughter and son-in-law. I was having fun with the Nesties in the Cuttlebug.
LOL!

Sandie's challenge

2010-01-24T11:03:00.003-04:00

Sandie said "It will be here before you know it. "Make your first card for Valentines this week." This was two weeks ago. I'm doing things backasswards here. LOL. The sentiment inside says "Nothing makes me happier than loving you"
Puffer fish and sentiment also from I Brake for Stamps.

Theme and Variations

2010-01-24T11:00:00.003-04:00

Just playing with some of my new rubber from I Brake For Stamps.

Flea's Challenge

2010-01-24T10:57:00.002-04:00

Flea challenged us to make a card
"White with blue &/or yellow
Layering
Knotted Ribbon"

So here it is.

More Christmas Cards

2010-01-17T13:16:00.003-04:00

I was waiting for better light. LOL. We have wonderful sunshine today - perfect for taking pictures.

The top card was sent to my son but I included it because it's nice to known there is another generation interested in the craft. The little snowman is popped up.

The pretty blue on is from Marilyn, made with shimmer paper and mirror paper.

The gorgeous non traditional pink one is from Holly, who claims to have CASEd one of mine. I don't know what she's talking about.

The sweet stocking is from Sandie.

The bottom card is from my friend Wanda, who has been my inspiration from day one.

Cards received

2009-12-11T15:43:00.000-04:00

Top: from Sharon. The red bird is all sparkly with Stickles.
Middle: from Gwen (not an Inkstainer, alas) who hand draws her cards.
Bottom: from Deborah, also not an ISer. The ornaments are popped up.

This year I am displaying all our cards on the arch (does it count as an arch if it isn't curved?) between the dining room and the living room. I had to hold the camera at an odd angle, which is why the cards look as if they are bulging.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-06T17:17:00.002-04:00

TADA! This year's cards. As usual, I had and awesome idea but when I tried to put it on paper . . . well, let's just say . . . NO. So I was looking through my box of cards that people have sent and saw a gorgeous card Holly had sent as part of an exchange. Resist technique. Ah, I said to myself, I can do this. And thus were the cards created. I used the Cuttlebug on some for a simple textured card with stamping only inside. But they are done and in the envelopes, ready to be mailed.

Birthday Card

2009-10-02T14:52:00.004-04:00

This one is for my son (my baby will be 27 on October 8 - he and I are the same age this year, LOL).

My muse is still far away and she better get her ass back to my craft table!

Weekly Challenge

2009-09-02T14:17:00.000-04:00

Sandie posted a good one this week. Layers, and no adhesive!

Wedding Card

2009-08-29T12:55:00.001-04:00

A friend of my son is being married today. Here is the card I made. The inside sentiment says "Wishing you bouquets of happiness.

50th Wedding Anniversary

2009-08-15T13:18:00.000-04:00

RAKs

2009-05-22T14:54:00.003-04:00

Sharon sent the beautiful card on top. The flower looks like it was spritzed. Thanks for the thank you, Sharon.

The middle card is from Lori and the bottom one is from Heather. Thanks to you two - I laughed out loud!

Catching up

2009-05-22T14:49:00.003-04:00

Bad, bad blogger, I am.

I am in a creative blackout and haven't had ideas or inclination. I think I may be coming out of it though: This is a combination of two challenges. Heather's son Liam challenged us to make a card using complimentary colors. I chose red and green and made this gift card holder, which was Lori's challenge.

More Cards

2009-04-26T19:54:00.002-04:00

All righty. The purpose of the top card should be obvious. I embossed the wreath by first stamping it in Versa Mark, the SU Creamy Caramel and using clear powder.

The birdbath card is one of my soot stamping experiments. I lightly sponged a few areas of the card (took FOREVER to dry) . Used some gold swirlies and sponging on the base paper.

Weekly Challenge

2009-04-26T19:51:00.003-04:00

Sandie challenged us to try paper pieRcing. The image is watercolored.

Funny Crows

2009-04-17T14:58:00.002-04:00

I buy bread that's past it's freshness date at an outlet down the road from where we live (1.00 for a tray of ten or twelve bags of bread). It's for a family of crows that has been hanging around for several years. They have lookouts to the east and west of the house so they always know when I throw out bread. One of their outposts is halfway between our house and Mom and Dad's place. They can see both houses and there are always goodies one place or the other. It's kind of funny because the two houses are out of sight of each other.

Yesterday morning I threw out some old burger buns and the next thing I knew there were four deer chowing down. One black bird was not impressed but you can see he/she triumphed in the end and made off with a mouthful of bun.

Weekly Challenge

2009-04-17T14:55:00.001-04:00

The challenge this week was sketchy ;)

The bunny is an acrylic sent to me by Ms. Flower. SU paper and ink but the dark green paper looks grey in the picture.

Telephone Swap

2009-04-17T14:46:00.004-04:00

Heather organized another telephone swap over at Inkstainers. They are so much fun! It's like the game we used to play when we were kids, sitting cross legged in a circle. One person whispers a phrase into the ear of the person next to him/her and it goes around the circle. It rarely ended up sounding like the original! LOL. The card making version is simple: Heather made a card and sent it to the next person on the list, who had to copy it as closely as possible WITH MATERIALS ON HAND. No running out to buy special. Holly sent to me. My card is on top. Can't wait to play again!

More Birthday

2009-04-17T14:42:00.002-04:00

A couple more birthday cards, which arrived late NOT because they weren't mailed in time. Snail mail is sometimes just that. Thank you Holly (top) anad Sandie.

Birthday Cards

2009-03-30T09:13:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow (31st) is my birthday. OMG! My son and I are the same age this year. 27.

From the top:

Wanda

Sharon

Marilyn

Gwen

Aren't they wonderful? LOL. The friends and the card, that is.

Just Because

2009-03-24T12:04:00.003-04:00

I was experimenting with alcohol inks and shimmer paper. Clear embossed the seashell randomly.

Weekly Challenge

2009-03-24T12:01:00.002-04:00

Flea's turn this week: "Lets use the "KISS" principal Keep it Simple (with Scraps) -- now we all have scraps of cardstock and paper so grab card stock to make three cards -- one scrap of pp that well do them all and a basic saying and put them together quickly. "

RAK from Kim

2009-03-22T14:13:00.002-04:00

This gorgeous card arrived in the mail a couple days ago. The picture doesn't show the true beauty of this card. It's shiny and sparkly! Thanks Kim!

Weekly Challenge

2009-03-22T14:11:00.002-04:00

Lori challenged us to make a Christmas card in non traditional colors - no red or green. I'm feeling kind of springy today so chose the SU Plummy colors.

Two challenges

2009-03-12T07:58:00.003-04:00

I forgot to post last week. *GASP* Probably because we had a houseful of company.

The top one is from two weeks ago when Heather challenged us to draw inspiration from a tissue bok.

The second one is from Lori. Make a card in blue and yellow and use a punch or a die cut.

RAK

2009-02-24T06:40:00.005-04:00

Here is a card for a friend of a friend. He smashed himself up quite badly and she asked if we (Inkstainers) would send him cards.

RAK

2009-02-24T06:40:00.001-04:00

Happy Spring

2009-02-24T06:37:00.003-04:00

Playing with alcohol inks. I need more colors. LOL. It's always something, isn't it?

Sketch Challenge

2009-02-23T15:08:00.002-04:00

Sharon challenged us with a sketch and we mingled, always fun. I was the lucky recipient of Sharon's clever card. Beneath it is the one I made.

Weekly Challenge

2009-02-13T21:35:00.002-04:00

Fiona challenged us to create a spotlight card. I probably could have made better use of the white space (it horrifies our Sandie) but I like the crisp look of the card. SU CS (in colors) and I used watercolor pencils in the spot.

Weekly Challenge

2009-02-04T20:18:00.000-04:00

Miss Sandie challenged us to make a Valentine with NO PINK, RED, OR WHITE! The pink and red didn't seem too bad, but no white? Sandie! So here it is, using a stamp I have used before but it always makes me smile (and sometimes laugh out loud!)

Snow Angel Birthday

2009-02-02T14:39:00.000-04:00

This card is for my son's girlfriend. She was born in Arizona and has live many warm places in the world so snow is a huge treat for her. When they were home for Christmas she was making snow angels. The Hambo stamp is perfect for her! I even colored the hair the same shade as hers. The second picture shows the Dazzling Diamonds effect. I am seriously considering using the stamp for this year's Christmas cards (with more seasonal colors, of course). All CS is SU (Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White) and I think the snowflakes are Hambo also.

UMs

2009-01-27T16:14:00.000-04:00

Not, um, er, ah . . . but I finally reorganized my unmounted stamps (UMs). I had been storinng them in CD cases but they were 'out of sight, out of mind'. It's pretty hard to ignore the binder now! I bought these, and a D-ring binder, some page protectors and tabs and here is the finished effort. It took about a week all together, simply because I didn't do it all at once.

While I was at it I counted them and I have 290, give or take. Some of those are single word stamps.

I have lots more sheets so . . . but I'll probably need another binder if I use them all.

Two Cards

2009-01-27T07:28:00.002-04:00

Just a couple of cards here. One is a birthday card for my brother. Thank you Hambo! The other is going in the mail to a friend - a "just a note" card.

2009-01-25T14:47:00.002-04:00

My turn to post the challenge on inkstainers this week and I thought soot stamping would be fun. I have tried it in the past and wasn't pleased with the results but I can live with these. The tutorials on you tube are good, though I had better luck with a taper than a tealight. Maybe my tealight was too low?

This is the Happiness Is a Journey set from SU, CS is SU and PP is from my stash.

Awesome Day!

2009-01-22T16:41:00.004-04:00

Sharon and I drove east, Marilyn drove west, and we met in the middle! LOL! We met at a delightful cafe for lunch, then went to the local scrapbook store, a fairly recent addition to the area. They warned me that I would be overawed and spend lots of money. I didn't go crazy spending but was certainly in awe of her stock! It's a bright, clean and cheery spot with just about everything you could imagine that's near and dear to a paper crafter's heart ( even a blackhearted person like me!). My modus operandi , when I check out a new store, is to look at everything then go back and buy what calls the loudest to me. The first thing I spotted was the Tim Holtz ruler at the unbelievable price of 7.99! I have looked for it online and have never seen it at such a low price ANYWHERE! Well, there was one on ebay one time for four bucks but the shipping was listed as 30.00 or something ridiculous like that. Then I checked out the CB embossing borders and chose two (five in each!) and some paper piercing templates. Had a good look through the CS and PP on sale and was good to go. Can't wait to go back!

Marilyn and Sharon both gifted me (and each other) with the cutest things. Sharon made a double pocket purse and filled it with goodies and Marilyn made a sweet box with four magnets in it. Are they the greatest or what?

LAST week's challenge

2009-01-19T18:35:00.002-04:00

LOL! So much for my resolution to keep the blog up to date. Anyhoo, last week was Lori's turn to post a challenge and it was simple: make a card. Any theme, any technique, any color. So I had a goofy moment and came up with this. I purchsed her here.

New Year - New Challenge

2009-01-10T16:02:00.003-04:00

Our very own "Howdy from Texas" gal issued the challenge to stamp on fabric. I haven't been doing much sewing lately so was hard put to find suitable fabric. I tried burlap - too coarse. The eyelet fabric was to hole-y. Then a light bulb appeared over my head. Fabric with maple leaves AND my cheapo stamp from Mike's - never used! The first photo is a close up to better show the maple leaf stamped on the fabric. What do you think, EH?

Christmas Cards - Theme and Variation

2008-12-11T22:21:00.004-04:00

Cards are all made and mailed except for these. The snowperson cards are for the grands (I also made a red one) and the others are for my bowling buddies (two teams, eight cards). I forgot to take pictures of the others. Egg nog brain.

Weekly Challenge

2008-11-04T17:05:00.003-04:00

Sharon challenged us to make a ROUND card and included a link to the tutorial so it's totally round. It's really quite simple. I used part of the half sheet of glossy I had used to make the resist card from last week's challenge. The embellishment is the center of a brad that I ripped apart. It doesn't show up well in the picture but the scallop is on silver mirror paper.

TAGGED

2008-11-04T17:01:00.003-04:00

Karie has tagged me! Oh my. I am to go to my fourth photo folder and upload the fourth photo. I wonder what's in store?

TOO FUNNY! It's my "cards" file! That's what happens when everything is in alphabetical order.

Who do I tag? Anybody who dares read this blog. Ahahahaha!

Resist Challenge

2008-10-31T13:05:00.003-04:00

Lori challenged us to make a card using a resist technique. This one is quite simple (the design and the method). The snowflakes were stamped on glossy white CS with VersaMark, then heated. I used three shades of SU blues and sponged them on in a swirling motion, starting with the lightest color first. The darker inks make the images pop better. Then I stamped the dark snowflakes in Not Quite Navy. It takes them a while to dry. Add a sentiment and it's done.

Catching UP

2008-10-22T06:16:00.003-04:00

My muse seems to have scarpered and I have not been making cards. I know she is lurking somewhere nearby.

I am catching up on my challenges at Inkstainers, slowly and not too surely. Heather's challenge was to use buttons and, as you can see, I have gone the simple route with this one. Don't you hate it when you don't feel inspired to create? The stamp is Gerbera Daisy from TAC.

The "Happy Haunting" is also made with TAC stamps. It was my own turn to post a challenge and I said CASE a card. Any card. This was from TAC catty but the original had four images instead of three. I tried it with the four but like this better. It is also a better size.

Sandie had challenged us to get out our stylus and dry emboss OR make a card with an unused CB folder. I just happened to have this spider web CB sitting in the drawer, crying out to be used. The spider is, once again, from TAC.

Autumn RAK from Sandie

2008-10-06T17:37:00.003-04:00

Now isn't this just sweet! Sandie sent this RAk all the way from Texas. Thank you, Ma'am! Part of what she wrote inside is "When the frost is on the pumpkin . . ." and the paper is finely frosted. The pumpkin die cut is fabu, too!

Identity Crisis

2008-10-03T08:08:00.001-04:00

My cat thinks she is the Zindorf. She is obsessed with sponges and hides them all over the house.

One Stamp, Two Cards

2008-09-28T19:32:00.002-04:00

This is "GERBERA DAISY" from TAC. It cries to be watercolored. Both cards are for friend's birthdays.

Flea's Challenge

2008-09-24T05:32:00.002-04:00

Flea's (I must ask how she earned the nickname - her real name is Fiona, which is a beautiful name) turn to challenge us this week. She made us dig out a stamped image that had been traded, swapped, or just sent as a RAK. I admired this pear image when visiting Sharon one day. Not long after, a card with several pears arrived in the mailbox. Fortunately, the pears did not get squished en route.

I used Prismacolors on this image. The grey pencil makes a big difference in the finished image, You'd almost think I knew what I was doing! The PP is SU and the rest is from my stash. Background cloth is a Frenchy's find for .25; it's a scarf (something I NEVER wear) but I use it on the dining room table.

A Good Cause AND Blog Candy

2008-09-21T13:42:00.002-04:00

http://myblogbycammie.blogspot.com/2008/09/heart-to-heart-blog-candy.html

Click on the above link for details.

My Dad's mom had Altzeimer's when she died. Funny story (because if you don't laugh you'll start crying and never stop). She disappeared from the special care home one day. Nowhere could they find her, inside or out. The family was called, along with state troopers. They scoured the grounds - people everywhere. She was eventually spotted hiding in some bushes (did I mention she was ninety-four when this happened and it was the middle of November?) and returned to her room. She just gave them all a smug little smile and said, "I saved everybody. I got them all out. There was a bomb about to go off." God bless her! She also thought there was a cathouse on the third floor. Like I said, you gotta laugh. Lax security? Nope. She was crafty and knew where the cameras were. When they looked back over the tapes they saw a little shadow (she was as big as a minute) slipping out the kitchen service entrance!

So here is my card and I am going to send it to a local home for special care with a wing devoted to Altzeimer's patients.

My goodness! Wouldn't it be wonderful to win? I would be sending stuff to all my stamping friends. But even if I don't (and chances are slim) I have done a good thing. Right?

I expect everybody who reads this to do the same. I'm watching you! LOL!

Weekly Challenge

2008-09-17T20:07:00.003-04:00

Ahaha! Christmas is early this year. It's Kathleen's week to post the challenge on Inkstainers and she put us to work stamping on napkins. Stamp, crumple, peel away a layer and flatten. Spread glue all over your CS and there you have it! It was QUITE a challenge for me because I didn't remember having these napkins. They're WAAAAAAAAY up on the 'poison shelf' in the kitchen with bad stuff, booze, and seasonal things. In last week's cleaning frenzy I had discarded the white glue because I never use it anymore (famous last words) and it was almost empty anyway. Had to go digging.

A RAK from Sharon

2008-09-16T19:22:00.003-04:00

Sharon and I had lunch today (after I bowled - my OTHER addiction). She surprised me with this autumn RAK. Sharon's work is always so . . . well . . . perfect. She is amazing. Inside the card with the cheery note was a little baggie full of seasonal die cuts. Thanks, Sharon!

My Favorite Flasher

2008-09-10T14:56:00.002-04:00

Here is the HAMBO flasher again. This time I paper pieced his coat to look like a bathrobe.

Baby Card

2008-09-10T14:52:00.002-04:00

After three misses, my friend and her DH have just had a beautiful baby boy! I am SO happy for them! The teddy paper is vellum and I cut one teddy out using the Nestabilities in the CB. The three teddy embellishments are brads with the backs snapped off. SU paper and ink.

More Horses

2008-09-09T06:33:00.001-04:00

More horses.

Miracle and Wonder

2008-09-07T16:30:00.003-04:00

This is a total CASE of a card Marilyn sent me. Of course, I didn't have all the stuff I needed to copy it exactly (a la Zindorff) so I made do. The Butterfly is from Starving Artist , the sentiment is CTMH and the swirly is SU. Paper and inks from SU.

Just Horsing Around

2008-09-07T16:26:00.003-04:00

I've been horsing around *groan* with this stamp I bought on ebay. The sentiment is CTMH, purchased because I am 'still crazy after all these years' about Paul Simon's music.

Weekly Challenge

2008-09-07T16:22:00.003-04:00

Sharon's turn to post the challenge this week: use labels and an autumn theme - Halloween, Thanksgiving or fall. I'm kind of sponge crazy lately - can you tell? LOL. Ever since the Zindorff challenge I've been using a sponge on almost every card. The black background is the insert from my latest Cuttlebug folder. Talk about recycling!

Counting Challenge

2008-09-05T13:45:00.004-04:00

Karie's challenge for us was a counting challenge:

1 Image

2 Flowers

3 Brads or eyelets

4 Colors of card stock

My first attempt didn't work because I confused 1 image with 1 stamp and the stamp I used had several images on it. Scrapped that. I tried placement with Prima flowers and couldn't come up with anything I liked. Then a light bulb appeared over my head! Flowers = Nestabilities scalloped circles. Yay! And this was the end result. The stamp is from High Hopes, as is the sentiment (I hope that doesn't count as a second image), the CS is all SU.

Sympathy Card

2008-09-04T05:53:00.003-04:00

I seem to be making a lot of sympathy cards lately. Colors used: So Saffron, Barely Banana CS and So Saffron, Creamy Caramel, Always Avocado (just a little bit in the tree) inks, StaZon Timber Brown. Vellum from my stash.

The Inspector

2008-08-31T16:06:00.000-04:00

Just Some Cards

2008-08-31T16:00:00.002-04:00

Two birthday cards and a stash card. The color in the first one is off - it's SU pink and chocolate chip. I used Dazzling Diamonds AND Glossy Accents for the bubbles in the second one. It looks like someting is resting on the butterfly in the circle in the third card, probably due to Miss Daisy Mae checking out my work area. She is so helpful.

Stamp Cat

2008-08-26T10:22:00.002-04:00

It's official, I am a crazy cat lady.

Weekly challenge

2008-08-26T10:19:00.003-04:00

Cheryl's turn this week. She challenged us to make a card that would fit in a business envelope and the base had to be white. So here it is. The ink is SU Not Quite Navy.

Cindy's Challenge

2008-08-18T19:53:00.003-04:00

Cindy challenged us to be a Zindorf for a week. Well, all right. I've never done this before and don't have a brayer. Cindy pointed out that many of the cards are done with sponges, which I do have. Oddly enough, I bought an enormous sponge the other day with the intent to cut it up as needed. That's what sponges are meant for, right? So here are my attempts. I need to work on it. The flower card shading is too abrupt for my liking. The second one I llike a little better; the original tutorial used a white gel pen for stars but of course I don't have one. So I used Diamond Dust, or whatever the SU fine glitter is called. The 'grass' at the bottom is the top part of the pine stamp from SU 'Fantastic Foliage'. You gotta make do with what you gots, eh?

Holly RAK

2008-08-16T11:05:00.003-04:00

A sweet card from Holly. The neatest part is the tag closure. It's a magnet! How clever is that?

Stash Cards

2008-08-16T10:59:00.003-04:00

Just a few cards I made lately. The 'ewe's so sweet' is a CASE of one Karie sent. I like the fold and it's the same size sheet of paper as the usual size most of us make. The Bella . . . ah, the Bella. I'm really not into the Bellas - I have a couple I bought for challenges and thought I should dig them out the other day. Please understand, they are sweet - just not me.

Lori's Challenge

2008-08-16T10:56:00.002-04:00

Lori's turn this week to post a challenge. Her challenge? Anything but a card. I was going to stamp a pillar candle but couldn't find one in the few stores I was in lately (I hate shopping). I did, however, find these naked gift bags!

Back to Normal

2008-08-11T05:54:00.002-04:00

Well, sort of. The bookcase and books are back in place. The top of the wall is "Floral Tapestry", a dusty rose color. The new baby is posing on the couch in the second picture. The couch has to go or be slipcovered (because it's ugly and old). The carpet is the next big project. Out it goes, to be replaced with hardwood.

2008-08-11T05:47:00.002-04:00

Here is a birthday card I made for a friend on Inkstainers. Isn't it strange how we can be friends with people we've never actually met? The stamp is from Third Coast. I bought it with Twinkling H20s in mind for coloring but I made a mess of the coloring so did it with watercolor pencils instead.

Sandie's Challenge

2008-08-05T20:13:00.002-04:00

Inspiration from a Macy's ad. I made the card for our grandson's sixth birthday, which is Thursday, the 7th. Hard to believe he's as old as that and already has one year of school under his belt.

The explorer boy stamp was a freebie in my order from High Hopes, and the bird's nest was a freebie from Third Coast. Gotta love the freebies!. The paper is all SU and the coloring was done with markers from SU and Zig, except for the skin. I REALLY need to find a watercolor pencil in Caucasian tones.

S & T Challenge

2008-07-27T10:25:00.002-04:00

My turn to post a challenge this week and, as president of the Sick and Twisted Club, I thought it was time to live up to my office. No more sweetness and light!

The first card is made with a stamp I bought on ebay. Dogs and toilets . . . well, you know. It happens.

The second card is a sort of CASE of one of Holly's cards from a while back. I used the computer and printer for the sentiment.

#3 is also a CASE of sorts. I saw a similar card somewhere (can't remember where) with owls and the sentiment (sentiment a computer print out).

The last card is the famous flasher from Hambo. The sentiment is a Michael's dollar stamp.

I hope I haven't infringed on any copyrights here. It certainly was not my intention to do so.

So let's get sick and twisted! *evil laugh* My examples aren't too extreme but you can go as far as you want. Bring on the sick, the twisted, the outre, the mildly obscene and the way out there obscene. Anything goes!

Sympathy Cards

2008-07-20T16:36:00.002-04:00

Had to make two. My neighbor's sister died last week after a long and very brave battle with cancer. My son-in-law's grandfather died recently at the grand old age of ninety-two. He was a woodsman all his life so the leaves seemed appropriate.

Tool Belt Card

2008-07-20T16:30:00.003-04:00

This is a simpler version of a card I've seen a lot lately. It's also been made into a gift box, but not here. My son-in-law is a carpenter/contractor so it's perfect for him. I distressed the metal by running a nail file over it and smashing it with my eyelet setting hammer. The background PP is chipboard that I smudged up with distress ink. The tools were a RAK from my stamping friend Marilyn (she of the red hat). Thanks, Marilyn!

The Chaos

2008-07-19T08:08:00.002-04:00

Just in case anybody thought I was exaggerating.

Got cheese?

2008-07-19T07:45:00.002-04:00

ARGH! First I had a house full of comapany (*note to self* spare bed in craft room is maybe not the best idea). Now there is a VenMar (air exchange) system being installed. A retro fit is never fun for anybody and the guys are doing a great job BUT . . . we had to take out one of the built in bookcases in the den to run ductwork. I had to empty the contents of the hall closest (my catch-all closet) for more ductwork. SO . . . all the books from that bookcase are piled in the den and everything from the closet is also piled in the den. Not so bad, you say? Wait, it gets better. Our dining room, living room and downstairs hall have pine boards on the walls so the holes being drilled are going through wood (= sawdust) AND sheetrock (= fine white dust). Everything in my craft room hs been moved to access the space in the ceiling. Whine, whine, whine. Anybody got cheese?

Weekly challenge

2008-07-08T19:40:00.003-04:00

Our friend Fiona posted the challenge this week on Inkstainers. Her challenge? BLEACH! I love bleach. This unmounted tiger face just arrived today from a seller on ebay, 2nd Nature Arts. Not only did she ship (super fast) the three I ordered, but also a freebie. Gotta love the freebies! Anyhoo . . . I stamped the background with bleach, then StaZon Timber Brown and a bit of Versa Mark. The face was bleached, then overstamped with the StaZon. All on SU Really Rust CS. You stampers with ALL the colors of all kinds of stamp pads won't believe this but Timber Brown is the only StaZon I own. I love it! I keep meaning to buy more but can't decide which colors would be best. Any suggestions?

Not just the cards, Ma'am

2008-07-05T20:49:00.002-04:00

When I started this blog it was going to be ALL CARDS. Well right, that didn't happen, did it? LOL. The first two pictures are taken from the Green Hill Lookoff, one of the most popular locations in Nova Scotia to take photos (and just up the road from where I live). I never, ever, ever tire of this view. The third picture is still in the same park (it's a provincial park) and just reminded me of a Monet painting. The old timers tell stories about that pond; they used to cut blocks of ice from it in the winter AND the depth has never been determined. It's VERY deep. Some fool released goldfish into it a few years ago and while it's fascinating that they survive the winter and are beautiful to watch, it's illegal and threatens the native populatioin. The last picture is a barn swallow on a nest in my parent's garage, silly thing. Dad has to wait until dark to close the doors and the first thing he does in the morning is open them. I was going to climb a ladder and get up close and personal (we know there are babies because the tiny eggshells were on the floor) but Momma had a mean glint in her eye and I didn't care to be dive-bombed. I used to laugh when she did it to the cat as she innocently crossed the lawn but I probably wouldn't appreciate the birdie flying at my head.

Nothing

2008-07-05T14:55:00.002-04:00

No offerings lately. I wasn't in the mood and have learned from experience it is a bad idea to do any kind of crafting if not in the mood. Now I am wanting to make cards but life keeps getting in the way. LOL! Summertime, and the living is easy? NOT! There is a huge lawn and a huge garden to be dealt with. Even with a ride on mower the lawn takes a lot of time and the weeds in the garden are unbelievable this year. I think it's because the last two years were bad garden years (I had some bad plantar fasciitis and was quite useless ) and the weeds got the upper hand (lower root?).
New stuff soon I hope . . . though most of the family will be here next week: daughter, son-in-law, their three kiddies; son and girlfriend; brother, sister-in-law, niece. Thank goodness most of them sleep at Mom and Dad's! DS and GF will stay here. Now that we have more, and better, bedding we might have to put up extras. What were we thinking?

Just Playing Around

2008-06-28T16:19:00.002-04:00

I was looking over I Brake for Stamps the other day and could not resist this stamp with the three cockatoos.. It doesn't show well but the leaves in the lower right hand corner are layered and popped, as is the bird on the left.

The second card is made with stamps I bought when the LSS had a huge 'yard sale', as the new owner is trying to get rid of some old stock. I love the look on the woman's face! So haughty. The background paper was purchased at the same time - she had a huge selection of paper on sale at ten cents per sheet.

Both cards are RAKs and one is already in the envelope and addressed. I'm trying to decide who gets the other. Hehehe.

Secrets!

2008-06-25T10:46:00.003-04:00

These are a well kept family secret. We don't want people knowing about them because some idiot would pick them.

Tagged!

2008-06-22T18:29:00.002-04:00

That Karie went and tagged me. I'll get you for this, girl!

The rules of the game: Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player then tag 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.

Ten years ago.... had a nineteen year old daughter and a fifteen year old son. Need I say more?

Five things on today's "to do list": Eat a light breakfast. Take Dad and Mom to brunch at Pictou Lodge to celebrate his 80th birthday (which is tomorrow). Make a card for Dad. Address the RAKs that are sitting here looking at me. Start one of the four books I bought Friday.

Snacks: That would be almost everything. One of my favorites is chocolate covered pretzels - salty and sweet all at once!

Things I would do if I was a millionaire: First off, an enormous enclosed swimming pool. Help some folks financially. Buy more stamps!

I am tagging

Sharon

Kim

Monica

Norma

Weekly challenge

2008-06-22T13:12:00.002-04:00

Lori challenged us to stamp a background. I had so much fun with the first one, I decided to do another. The first one is here. The ladybug is a Magenta art stamp, everything else is SU.

I'm Back, I think

2008-06-22T13:00:00.003-04:00

I haven't been making as many cards latey - it's more of a winter pastime for me. But Dad's 80th birthday is tomorrow (the 23rd) so I made him a card.

The rest of the sentiment says "Reach for the starts! But turn off the ceiling fan first." If memory serves me correctly (and that's a big if) it came from here, but is now retired.

This sentiment, while also being absolutely hilarious, is perfect. Dad has always been one of my most ardent supporters, while helping me stay grounded. He's the guy who used to take me on trips to the dump, taught me to handle a rifle and shoot, taught me to change a tire and the oil in the car . . . There are no pink or blue tasks. He could have been the originator of the phrase "If you can dream it, you can do it." I guess he is a bit of a feminist.

Weekly Challenge

2008-04-16T05:28:00.003-04:00

This week it's Lori's turn to post the challenge on Inkstainers. "This weeks challenge is theme based. And our theme is Friendship. Anything goes, and if enough participate, and want, we can mingle! Have fun!!!!"

I bought a package of the SU 12x12 textured paper and it's perfect for these pocket cards. The cat paper was from my stash and I'm looking for a cat stamp to match but by the time I find one the paper will be all used. LOL. I hope lots of people participate so we can enjoy the mingle!

The Men in My Life

2008-04-15T04:42:00.003-04:00

Kim challenged us to post a picture of the men in our lives. So here they are. The top photo is the first man in my life, my dad. The bottom is (L to R) my grandson, my son, and my husband. Where would I be without them?

Weekly Challenge

2008-04-13T07:55:00.003-04:00

Fiona's turn to challenge us on Inkstainers. She titled it "Hitting the Grog" LOL. Alcohol inks were the order of the day. I have a limited number of alcohol inks, all purchased (you'll laugh, I know, but go right ahead) to match a tablecloth. Anyhoo . . here is my alcoholic butterfly. The background grid is a stamp, not a masking technique. The grid and the butterfly are from Starving Art Stamps and the flowers are SU.

Weekly Challenge

2008-03-28T06:00:00.002-04:00

Heather's turn this week.
Well, I am hoping Spring is in the air and I want to make it look like it is at least. Your challenge is to make a card with at least 2 flowers on it, and some metal. (That is the power part! )

So think eyelets, mettalic cardstock, ep, etc, to add to those posey images.

Birthday Cards

2008-03-28T05:47:00.002-04:00

More birthday cards! The top one is from my friend Gwen. She isn't a stamper but DRAWS the images herself! Oh, to have even a quarter of her talent.
The middle one is from Marilyn and had birthday confetti inside. Fun!
The bottom one is from Sharon and she says she almost trashed it because she used a new kind of tape and thought it made the card lumpy. Don't listen to her.

Weekly Challenge

2008-03-19T23:40:00.000-04:00

Cheryl's turn to post. She challenged us to try a new technique AND, in honor of St Patrick's Day yesterday, include some green. I WROTE IT DOWN. And completely forgot the green. LOL. This is the masking tape emboss, done incorrectly. I tore bits of tape and adhered them to cardstock, sprinkled with EP and heated. I'm OK with the way the background turned out but will try it again tonight . . .the right way!

http://www.stamptalkers.com/tips/maskingtape.htm

I have printed out the instructions and written GREEN in huge letters on the paper. Let's see if I can get it right.

Caught at a Bad Time

2008-03-14T08:20:00.003-04:00

I love love love Hambo stamps! I think part of the reason I love them so much is they're cute without being gag me with a spoon cute. I am totally NOT into cutesie, as my grandmother used to call it. Quirky is good. The peeking pig was part of an order I received last week. He/she is stamped on watercolor paper with StaZon Timber Brown and colored with Prismacolors. SU paper.

Weekly challenge

2008-03-14T07:35:00.004-04:00

Sharon's turn to post the Inkstainers challenge this week.

"Good morning everyone. I've been seeing circles everywhere in card magazines so this is the week's challenge. I used a coffee can as the circle template which measures 4". A powdered hot chocolate container is also the same size. The circle is mounted it on 5 x 5" square (c/s is cut 10" long, by 5" wide and folded in half) There are no restrictions on this other than using the circle on a 5 x 5" square."

I couldn't get at it until yesterday because the guest room was full. Guest gone = Birdy can play!

The butterfly is from Starving Art Stamps, butterfly vellum from my stash, corrugated gold paper from (yes!) the Dollarama, PP from my stash, SU CS, and StaZon Timber Brown ink.

Click here to see Sharon's card (awesome, as always!)

Early Birthday

2008-03-14T07:32:00.002-04:00

This was in the mail yesterday from Sandie in Texas. Sweeeeeeeeet! I love the ribbon. The inside has a comment about having a grape birthday. Love it!