a little more traditional

a little more traditional - as leaves and postcards go.

and very simple to do which was what i needed yesterday when i made it. prismacolors and mineral spirits. the stamp is by StampinUp!- from a set (i'm sure has been discontinued - more's the pity) called Botanicals.

Tag, a new blog and postcard

Here's today's rather odd postcard - #51.
I am posting as I promised I'd post whatever I made to send to my son. This one --- well its sorta borders on strange and ugly. I mention this because Lauren talks about "permission to make something ugly" on her blog today - its definitely worth the read (and to look at her beauteous books). I've gotten much better about this in the past say 2 years - getting over my perfectionism and even sharing anything I make. Trust me when I say a few years back you never would have seen me posting this bit of strangeness anywhere. And I'm not totally sure I think its awful - but it gives me some thoughts on what i will do for more postcards this week. and that's a good thing (in my best Martha imitation)
I meant to work on postcards yesterday but shtuff got in the way - mostly running hither and yon. I had to run my daughter to a friend's house yesterday (study group - physics test in a few days dontcha know) and on my way home i stopped by AC Moore for 10 minutes of fun - i thought. You know I didnt see a thing I wanted? I guess I have it all LOL! which is my segue to this portion of our program for the day:
I've been tagged by June so here goes:
1. If you could have 100.00 worth of scrapbook paper or assorted embellishments, which would you choose? Paper (i hope cardstock counts... but paper over embellishments any day!)
2. If you had to choose between using only stamps or rubons, which would you choose? Now that's easy - stamps!
3. If you knew how to do both awesome cards and layouts but could only do one for a whole year...which would you do? As much as I love making cards, I really would have to say layouts (cos after the year was over i'd be sooooo caught up LOL!)
4. Would you rather own a scrapbooking store or have your own scrapping room at home...(can't have both he he he) I would never want to own a store (i've worked in one already) I'd pick my own room (which i have!)
5. What is your CURRENT cardmaking or scrapping style? Style Shmile. I'm just making stuff. However if anyone has an idea of what my style is... let me know - i have no stinkin clue.
New blog: Have you seen this one: Adventures in Diecutting The Official Quickutz Blog
ok.. i gotta get goin....

Last thing I posted was that we were thrilled with the rain. And of course we are. There are drought conditions in a lot of places in VA. So - yeah rain. However - we don't like power outages. Those I can live without. But that's what we got last night. All night. Starting at around 6:30 pm. Came back on at 6:45 this morning - i know this because I woke up and was afraid to go back to sleep as we had to pick up the daughter from her overnight cast party by 10am. I was sitting there in the dark and poof - the power came back on. We just got back from picking up the daughter and giving another friend a ride home. It was quite an excursion taking about 2-1/2 hours. However, the rain has stopped and we were treated to some beautiful fall foliage.

Oh here's my postcard for Friday - have a good Saturday

more halloween

here's today's postcard

i used a mesh stamp by StampinUp, a palette stamp (for the solid orange), stitching stamp by Hero Arts and the pumpkin is Memory Box. i used some prismas (no mineral spirits this time) to color in the candy, and the sentiment is Purple Onion Designs.

It's raining here and we're thrilled!

You've figured out by now - I LOVE Halloween!

Isn't that the coolest pumpkin thingy - look over to the right if you haven't already noticed it. You can get your own virtual pumpkin to carve just by clicking on mine. You'll be taken to the lovely site to carve and grab your code. Okay? I'll be looking to see your Jack-O-Lanterns! Here's today's postcard - a little more elaborate than most. A few friends may recognize the adorable cat - I used him on a card or two in the past. I clipped the original out of the Washington Post book section one Sunday (a few years back) - he's a black cat and cute as can be. Reminds me of my cat, Frankie.
I know it's a blurry photo but you can see how handsome Frankie is now can't you?
Anyway, I clipped the illustration of the cat out of the Post (i wish i could credit the artist because he is fabulous) and made copies at the Staples. I used a copy to create this transfer using a EF Design Colorless Blender Art Marker. The background Harlequin and Mesh stamps are both by StampinUp! and the flourish stamps are by Autumn Leaves. The wonderful "trick or treat" sentiment is by Purple Onion Designs.
I'm sure my son will enjoy this postcard as he and Frankie are best buds.
Oh and a reminder - you really should play that tic tac toe game I mentioned in yesterdays post. It's fun!

Postcard and a game

Here's the postcard for today using the Halloween set from

Purple Onion Designs

When i was stamping this i thought these little stamps are just perfect for postcards!

And since you've been so good I'm including a fun Halloween game for you to play - TicTacToe

Okay TicTacToe isn't really Halloweeny but play anyway. Just make sure your sound is turned down cos it's a little noisy when you win.

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postcard Halloween

i thought i'd start celebrating Halloween on postcards. here's today's entry.

A little birthday queen

shout out to Christa

hope you have a wonderful day!

a little bit of fun

Here's something fun if you're in a aristocratic kinda mood - get your own Title like I did! Sue at Wandering Star and Cindy at Yapping Cat Studio both were having fun on their blogs using these - you really should give it a try! Here's mine:

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Her Exalted Highness Duchess Tracy the Confused of Much Madness upon Avon
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Here's today's postcard. The scan seems to be a little crooked but no matter. I believe the stamp is by Magenta. I don't know about you , but by Friday -i'm pooped.

Have a good one

I'm too sexy for

this card... too sexy for this card

ok.... stop singing...

what do you think? is it funny -

give someone a good laugh?

I hope so. That's what I was a shootin for

And here's today's postcard -
strange little mix of different stamps

A trip to Halloween Past - circa 1989

I promised Dinosaur pics

I have the same problem here as in my scrapbooking - not being able to choose the pics - so you're getting them all! But of course he was (and is) so darned cute i didn't think anybody'd mind. And besides you need a few pics to see all those spines starting from the top of his head and going down to the bottom of that tail. Each piece lovingly stuffed with volumes of that white stuffing stuff (what do you call that stuff? the word escapes me at the moment). I had to have been nuts even back then! Oh and don't forget to notice the gloves - too cute. I wish i'd thought to take pictures of his feet because there were shoe covers - to complete the look (don't want any sneakers peaking out to spoil the look). Tim Gunn would be proud - it was a complete ensemble and I made it work. But check out that kid in the picture. What a face - He absolutely adored this costume. You wouldn't know he had strep and had a fever of 103 now would you? That Halloween he was sick so we couldn't let him go to daycare - but we decided to let him trick or treat a few houses. He wanted to wear the costume so badly and show our neighbors. he was already on medication by then so i was only slightly pushing it. He and my husband went to a few houses and then came home.

ok... enough memory lane (that's Suzy Scrapbooker's department). Here's yesterday's postcard

A StampinUp! acorn from the Fall Whimsy set (discontinued i believe) - a little prismacolor and mineral spirits.

And here's todays:

the colors on the scan of this one aren't true - the red looks a little too purple and in fact its more to the cranberry. I used some other stamps from that Fall Whimsy set and then used a dauber to apply the inks. That was sorta fun. It doesnt need to be all perfect (and it really can't be) and i enjoyed playing around seeing what i'd get! (boy am i getting over my perfectionism!!!) ok kids. Gotta run. Long list of ta-doooo's one of them being sending some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (i baked yesterday) to that boy in the dinosaur costume. They're his favorites. Have a good one...

you say it's your birthday

For musical accompaniment PLEASE open a new window and play this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JbKQq0dAqAw

(it will enhance your little book viewing experience)

here's the cover of a little spiral bound book I made for my friend Annie - whose birthday we are celebrating today!

(this image is a good buddy of the birthday queen)

Happy Birthday Annie!

Here's a few more pages from this little book

*no alcoholic beverages were consumed while making this book

a visit to the imported pumpkin patch

imported straight from my computer to you
here's today's postcard - a little pumpkin patch i thought my son would like.
i heard on the news over the weekend that the drought here is so bad that they are importing pumpkins from hither and yon (that means outside the berg LOL) to supply our pumpkin patches.
whodathunkit huh?
yes, Pumpkinville is bringing in pumpkins for the season. I usually get a pumpkin or two - we really like carving pumpkins round this house. I will have to dig out pics of some of our creations from past years - i know i've got photos of them all. (course i promised a pic of that dinosaur costume and haven't dug that out yet... i'll work on that).
Oh - the stamp for this is by Stampworks I believe. I used prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits with a tortillon.

it's that time of year

a little confession time
i think it's maybe in September they start putting out the Halloween stuff
it seems to get earlier every year I noticed they were actually putting Christmas stuff out in the grocery store the other day - hideous to rush the seasons in my opinion
regardless
so in September i spy my little addiction
it's orange and yellow and white
and its delicious
my mother shares this little addiction with me
good thing its not my husband, daughter and son too
then i'd have to share
my
candy corn
i know some people aren't crazy about it
and i'm a known choco-holic
but candy corn - is wonderful
of course it must be fresh
and of a certain quality
none of those cheapo brands
ya gotta have your Brachs
i went to Walmart a week ago to pick up some things and I detoured into the Halloween aisle
which of course isn't just one aisle anymore....
looking for a bag of candy corn.
a fix
and all they had was this 20 oz tub
(note the word tub)
and i thought why the hell not. I mean it's FAT FREE and has 0grams of Trans Fat (note the label). Believe it or not i abstained from breaking the seal until the other night (the longer i wait to break the seal the better). I've only had a few handfuls. Pretty good for me. I wish i could say that this tub would last me until October 31st but i cannot. I'm sure i'll need more (and as the season winds down its hard to find... really!) We like to decorate our Halloween cuppy-cakes with candy corn dontchaknow. Gives 'em that festive air about them. (chocolate cuppy-cakes with orange colored vanilla frosting. My mom always likes to flavor her frosting with orange but not me... i like my buttercream straight)
hoping your having a sweet Saturday

#39 and #40 and some thinking (award)

this house postcard is #40

i am surprised i've been able to keep it up this long
even though many have been less than stellar
i have enjoyed pulling out different supplies
and making them

my son was home last weekend and

he told me how much he appreciates them

(i got a back breaking hug to go along with the thank you)

even if he didn't like them so much i'd probably keep it up

it's been good to have a little project to keep me busy

the lunchbox postcard was yesterday's edition.

I have another award I need to pass along. This one is called the Thinking Blogger Award from Lisa R at The Tattered Tiara and Linda at In Pursuit of Paper. It's for blogs that make you think - I imagine they think i'm a little nuts (nah - they know i'm a little nuts... but i digress). What i know is they are both talented, lovely and thoughtful women that I'm happy to know. Thanks girls! Course now i need to nominate a few others whose blogs make me think (my nominations will give you a little insight into my head - and people that's a strange and crazy place)

So here are my 5 (in no particular order --- geee this is sorta startin to sound like "Dancing with the Stars") :

1. Will - Teensy and the boys - Will writes the most wonderful posts! Little gems of stories about his children and also childhood memories. Each one is filled with his wonderful brand of humor and i look forward to reading them.
2. Jean - Snap out of it Jean! There's beading to be done! - just read one post - you'll see why I make it a daily stop on my list of blogs. Jean's hilarious and tells the best stories always accompanied by pics
3. Lauren - All the good blog names were taken - could it be cos she's a Jersey Girl? Well that's just one of the reasons I enjoy reading Lauren's blog - she's funny, talented and she's always got something fun goin on!
4. Sue - Wandering Star - a creative girl who's always got something interesting goin on and posts the most fun photos - specially those wonderful "road signs" - makes me wanna wander too!
5. Monkee Maker - its a new read for me and i'm thinkin i love it. Makes me think about being silly, knitting and not taking life so seriously. This is wonderfully wacky and YES! there are monkeys! (and we all know how I love my monkeys!)

Okay. I started this post at 5:45 (and put it on hold), took the daughter to the bus stop, came home, napped got up showered and dressed, changed the battery in the smoke detector in the basement (its been chirping for days and driving us all a tad wack-a-d00) got breakfast for everyone (cats, mom, me), put a load of laundry, emptied the dishwasher, handed out all the medicine, finished this posting (just about) and now i'm off to finish making a little creation that needs to get in the mail. Have a wonderful Friday!

I'm runnin the gamut here folks

I've been trying to catch up on some things -
in this case blog business.
I've had another lovely award bestowed upon me -The Creative Blogger Award - by the talented and most creative Joan - whose blog Drawing on Nature is a daily treat for me. So I shall pass along this award to others whom I feel "bring unique and creative elements to their blog":

1. Barbara - Smith 411
2. Donna - Under The Red Roof
3. June - Simply Elegant Paper Crafts
4. Jean - Snap Out of it Jean! There's Beading to be done!
5. Lauren - http://llaurenb.blogspot.com/

Now ladies you should post your award to your blog and pass it on to 5 other Creative Bloggers!
To find out more about this award you can check out http://www.writersreviews.com/2007/07/writers-reviews-blogger-awards.html

Let's see what else - oh yeah!
A friend has started a blog - you should check out Amy at Pickled Paper Designs
(Hi Amy!)
And I have yesterday's postcard to post:

As i wrote to my son on the back of this one - there was a crooked house - well at least some crooked windows. I really need to sit down and make a batch when I'm not in such a hurry! Regardless - these are also Green Pepper Press stamps. I didn't do them justice here.I shall try again soon.

And now we come to postcard #38 - today's entry. The leaf stamp is from PSX . i used 5 different StampinUp! inks - i think it's definitely better in real life - the colors are really very pretty. I'm trying to get that fall feelin (despite the fact yesterday we hit over 90 degrees. today they're predicting around 80 degrees. And Thursday it should be just under 70 - i'm hoping the weather folks are right!)

The Crap Fairy and a trip to the art store(s)

My friend Annie is a character. I had been lamenting the state of my house to her (disaster and no progress there I'm afraid). Annie told me The Crap Fairy must have visited her house cos there was crap everywhere.

Got me thinkin

So I made her a card with The Crap Fairy.

I did it with a digi kit by Kathryn Balint from scrapbookbytes.com (i'm likin this digi stuff - it's fun!) The snaps are real by the way as is the mesh like paper background.

Anyway - this past weekend my daughter needed to go to 2 art stores for supplies. We have Michaels and AC Moore nearby but they didn't have what she needed. Her art teacher recommended these stores - ones he frequents for his own work. My daughter is taking a portfolio prep class this semester - preparing for the inevitable portfolio she will have to submit to get into art school.
These art stores are in the same county as her school - which means they are an hour away. She needed my husband or myself to drive her. If she needed supplies for an automobile, she'd ask her Dad - she needed art supplies so she asked me to drive her. I did not need my arm twisted. The only part of the excursion i was not looking forward to was the actual drive. Navigating Northern Virginia - and in particular Fairfax County - is a nightmare. However we did quite well - didn't even get lost (and I have been doing a lot of that lately so i presume God was feelin a bit sorry for me and got us there directly).
So we're getting out of the van and my daughter says to me - you know I could've asked Dad to take me here. But he doesn't know anything about art supplies like you do Mom. As we walked into the store she continues - he'd just sit back and wait for me as I shopped. Then she adds - of course the downside to taking you here is that we may never leave! She says this to me as my eyes glaze over as we head down the aisle with all the lovely pens and colored pencils and I made an audible squeak! She laughed and so did I.
We stayed about 45 minutes. Only spent about $40.00. She was thrilled they offered her a nice little discount card which they immediately applied to our purchase - gotta love a kid who likes to get a bargain right? We headed on over to the second store which was not nearly as fun as the first. Possibly we were just tired and overwhelmed (so many art supplies, so little time) but i think it was more the lack of customer service at the 2nd store.
We headed home, pleased with our purchases (like Babar).
Oh - i got a brown 005 micron pen i hadn't been able to find anywhere local as well as Rapido-eze cleaning solution for my rapidographs - insert happy face here.

it's monday already

that weekend seemed to go by fast

As it's Columbus Day I have a fuller house than usual - daughter has off (translation: i didn't have to get up at 5:30 - yeah!) and husband has a company picnic (his work is mostly with the government so i think they schedule stuff like this on government holidays) so he's home for the morning working out of the house.

for me - it's a day like any other.

I'm hoping to start working on some Halloween cards after i get some errands run.

Here's the card I made for my friend, June. I knew she loved these Daisy D papers. It's very fall and I love them too. It's a tri-fold card that sorta resembles an envelope. I used my Quickutz oval nameplate die for that center piece there. I was searching about in my ribbon stash and found these two ribbons used together looked rather nice (here they're squashed by the scanner but I think you get the idea).

And here is postcard #36 - i used some wonderful stamps by Michelle Ward

the set is called Rough Draft. I used 4 different inks and just kept stamping. I like this one!

the Birthday Queen says

Happy Birthday to my sweet and wonderful friend and sometime partner-in-crime, June

I am hoping June has discovered her present (by your front door miss.....) by now. But on the off chance she hasn't I shan't post it til tomorrow.

Otherwise, it's hot here in the berg. I am sooooo ready for fall I could just about scream. I love the fall and it's high time we had some is all I am sayin.

I do however enjoy wearing my flipflops still. And in fact I am most comfy wearin them seein as I am still nursing a blistered big toe. Can you believe I still have the remnants of a blister from 2 weeks ago still bothering me? Well it was a pretty ridiculous blister.

Well bein that it's Sunday, and all the pressing matters of the day have been accomplished already, I have decided to take a wee nap. It's been a long week. Hope you all are having a nice weekend.

Friday Greetings!

it's friday

thank goodness.

it's been a long week but the weekend should be nice.

here's postcard #35

frankly, i don't know how i forgot to use these stamps from Paper Candy. I've had them for a few years. I think they're even called Postcard Alpha stamps. Duh.

But that's what happens when you have too much stuff. You use it when you first get it (most of the time) and then it gets put away and forgotten.

At the moment, this room looks like i've never put anything away.

It's a mess. With a capital M

I've actually been making a few things. Realized i hadn't posted today's card so i stopped working on the current item I'm makin.

I'll post as soon as the recipients receive them.

Don't want to spoil any surprises you know.

The one thing i haven't made is an anniversary card for the husband.

It's tomorrow.

But that's the way things are running round here. I'll be makin that card in a flash tomorrow. The thing about the husband is I could spend hours makin some cool creation or minutes on a simple card - he'll say he loves it no matter what i make. Which is sweet of course. At the same time it seems crazy to go nuts on some project for hours when its all the same to him. He loves it all.

Translation - i don't have any spectacular ideas so it's gonna be simple :-)

I should quit while I'm ahead (but you know that ain't happenin)

I am really a paper, glue and scissors girl.
through and through.
i also like using my sewing machine - as you saw in the previous post.
And i adore using my stamps.
however for a long time now i've wanted to try doing some digital stuff.
just to see if i could do it for one thing. I have tried a little here and there and i just didn't get it. i'm happy i have figured out how to resize images to post them you kwim?
but i've seen so many great examples lately - for instance my friend Linda has been doing these digital ATC's - very cool. I thought hey - that might help me with my Postcard project. I want to draw some of my postcards soon but why not try a few digi postcards.
So here's Postcard 33 - my first attempt

now you see how basic i'm goin? i believe there are 4 layers LOL but it's a start. when i have a little time to fool with it some more i'll try another.
I did promise myself no matter what i do for these postcards I'm gonna post it. They're not sposed to be great art (although i might surprise myself one day and do something really nice LOL). They're more of a way for me to tell my son i love him and am thinking of him daily as well as getting to play with anything that is handy. keep my hands dirty so to speak (with ink, paper, pens and anything else that's not 3 dimensional... much to my dismay... i like 3D)
With that said - i give you postcard #34
It's a bit hideous.
I like to think i'm known for my straight stamping LOL.. I can stamp alphas straighter than if I had used some lovely stamping device made for that purpose. I've practiced long and hard at it over the maybe 12-15 years i've been stamping. But this morning I was in a bigfatrush. Serves me right. Maybe it was too many ink pads (yeah yeah that's it) or my peri-menopause (that's my new favorite catchall excuse you know) NOPE... i was in a bigfatrush to get done. Regardless it gave me an op to put some colors together to see how they'd look - yup they look fallish - in a bigfatrush kinda way. That's anothe of those StampinUp! scene stamps (that i've defaced with my poor mcpt technique this morning-- also bigfatrush). The word stamps come from Purple Onion Designs (ooo big surprise there huh?) And now i think I'll quit while i'm ahead....

Another Postcard and a Little Book for Barbara

First we'll talk about the Little Book.

Ordinarily I'd crop out all that black you're seeing but then I'd have to crop off the ribbon - and well we can't have that now can we? (gosh i just realized i have got to clean off my scanner - there is a lotta schmutz on it apparently... mentally edit for me cos there are no random little markings on these photos...ugh!)

I haven't made one of these little books in a while. I daresay it's been a long while. But I never got to make one for Barbara and I have been thinking about making one for her for a long long time. Her birthday was the perfect excuse!

I used some gorgeous vintage wallpaper from Donna - who has an amazing collection of wallpapers. Go check out Donna's blog and don't forget to visit her Etsy shop (the link is at her blog). I used my favorite scallop oval and oval punches on some white cardstock - the oval i colored with antique linen distress ink. And i wrote a little greeting on the white center and stitched around it with my sewing machine. Now things get fun when you open up the little book:

You're gonna have to click on the above pic of the inside to get a better look okay? I used some fun vintage photos i found online, along with some Foofala black and white paper, some random red gingham check paper and some more of that absolutely gorgeous vintage wallpapaer. The banner stamp (that i wrote the Happy Birthday Barbara on) is by Purple Onion Designs (natch!). I used some red seam binding on the left panel and some black&white check seam binding on the center panels to create the photo-like corners and then some skinny black ric-rac on the right panel; a little button and metallic embroidery floss too on her cute little hat!

The entire little book is created upon a piece of white cardstock I tea-stained and ironed dry (it gets such a nice feel to it after you do that!) Then you will note it's stitched here and there mostly to create the pockets in the two far panels and one large pocket (from the two center panels). What's inside those pockets? I'm so glad you asked! LOL

Just click on the photos above to get a better look at the little inserts. I used all the same papers as well as some of the tea-stained cardstock, buttons, my sewing machine and those K&Co little quotes.
I really love making these little books and especially for someone as dear as Barbara.
Postcard for the day:



one of my all-time favorites stamps by StampinUp! is this floral background stamp. Not exactly a guy thing but my son won't care a bit. Okay... I gotta run.

birthday wishes, Lawrence Welk and some house cleaning

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Barbara !!!

If you want a treat, go visit Barbara's blog - she is fabulously talented and one of the sweetest women I know.

Miss B - hope it's a very special day!

Today's postcard makes me wanna get out my accordion and play a little polka - an-na one an-na two-a(you gotta use that Lawrence-Welk-speak to get the full effect) I love a polka-dot!

I believe I used some stamps from StampinUp!Now on to the house cleaning.

Literally - i gotta do some. My house is slowly turning into a disaster zone. So that's on the agenda this week. (i don't dare think i'll get it all done today - it didn't get in this shape in one day - and it won't be returned to some semblance of order in one day either).
Also some blog house cleaning is in order. I've been the recipient of some awards I keep forgetting to post about. Those that have done the bestowing must think I am an ungrateful blogger. I am just one distracted woman these days.
My good friend June bestowed the Nice Matters Award upon me. Here are my nominees for this sweet award:

1. Barbara http://smith411.typepad.com/my_weblog/
2. Donna http://www.undertheredroof.typepad.com/
3. Jean http://prettykittydogmoonjewelry.blogspot.com/
4. Joan http://drawingonnature.blogspot.com/
5. Keri http://a-country-life.blogspot.com/
6. Lauren http://llaurenb.blogspot.com/
7. Linda http://redplaid3.blogspot.com/
8. Lisa Renea http://tatteredtiara.blogspot.com/
9. Sue http://ozzigirl.blogspot.com/
10. Tina http://shewhostamps.blogspot.com/
11. Nancy http://shewhostamps.blogspot.com/

I'm only sposed to nominate 5 but hey - i know a lotta Nice people :-) and i know as it is i'm forgetting somebody. forgive a scattered peri-menopausal woman k?

I've got more house cleaning to do but i'm gonna have to come back later to do it!