Happy Birthday Michelle!

The Birthday Queen needed to dust off her birthday wand this month - she's been a little lax keepin up with her birthday duties of late, dontchaknow.

A big Happy Birthday to Michelle!!!

Hope it's an extra special day and the beginning of a wonderful year miss!

thinking of you

I really am... thinking of you all.
I have been among the missing - well at least in blog-land.
And a bit at home -when I think about it.
I went back to work - full time. I haven't worked full time in a long time. I've worked part time for many years. Mostly during the day when my kids were at school.
Since the store closed a year and a half ago, I'd been looking for another job. I had a few detours along the way as most of you know. My mom had a set back a year ago which required that I set aside my search for a bit.
Regardless, I started my job mid July and its been crazy around here ever since. My son is back at college and my daughter begins her senior year in high school. I've had a few car issues over the last six weeks too. (it's as if the car knew i started this job i swear!). Just getting used to the new schedule hasn't been too hard (although come Tuesday, adding daughter's schedule in should be a trip) but making myself go to bed at a reasonable hour has taken some getting used to! You all know I tended to stay up too late LOL! No more of that anymore. And of course there are the weekends which are even shorter than before. Not enough hours in a day and certainly not in the weekends!
One weekend I was able to get in a little visit with my friend June - Hi June! We went to Angela's Happy Stamper - for a little girl time. I had no idea that they were having a special event that day - crazy luck! We received a goodie bag when we walked in the door - a nice little bag filled with this and that. We shopped for a bit - it was busy but not outrageous and we were able to find some things we needed (needed is operative word in this sentence since neither June nor I need anything LOL). I picked up the apples stamp you see in the card here. I wish it scanned up better - i was really pleased how the coloring came out - i used a mix of Prismacolor and Copic markers (dont get me started on those Copics - i swore i wouldn't get started with those and now I'm goin straight to hell is all I can say. I've picked up a few...... i reallllllly like them). I made the card for my nephew and his girlfriend who came to visit a few weekends ago. I also used a Purple Onion Designs sentiment - the "thinking of you" - I just love it.
I also made a cute little calendar for my desk at work using the Purple Onion Designs Vintage Calendar Stamps (individual months) - but i just realized I forgot to scan in any of the pages! I'm gonna bring it home one night this week and do that cos it came out cute, was easy to do, and I think you'd all like it. I was needing a calendar with the current month and next month on it. I was going to run over to Staples and pick one up and then thought - why? I can make a much prettier calendar - and exactly what I want - all by myself.
Anyway, I digress as usual. I want to thank those of you who emailed me -wondering if all was okay. We're all good here in the burg. Just a little tired and working on adjusting. I will close out this little blog entry with this. I rediscovered a few things over the past 6 weeks:

• I can actually go to bed before midnight!
• It's amazing how much you can get done in a lunch hour
• I can make it through the day without a nap (who knew!)
• Its really nice knowing you have friends who are thinkin boutcha. (i knew that before - i just got a nice reaffirmation)
• I need to make things - the few things I was able to make - well it just made me happy! I may not make as much stuff, but I'll keep makin things whenever I can fit it in. And I will be fitting it in.

A little beach

a quick post here to show some recent cards.
I stamped, with versamark, the shells (from a retired StampinUp! set) and clear embossed. I colored the shells with white Caran D'ache watercolor crayon and then used a water pen to make a wash out of that crayon. I like the effect of the white on the kraft colored stock. I cut out the sand dollar with a quickutz die. I'm not really crazy about how this card scanned up but trust me it does not curl up like that along the bottom of the mat for the sand dollar.

Here's a similar card - I'd stamped a whole sheet of that shell so I was going to use it! This time I used a seahorse brass embossing plate and ran it through my zipemate and was happy to discover that works! Then I stamped a little sentiment from Purple Onion Designs.

I had to take a photo of the seahorse card because that seahorse was just not scanning at all.
Okay - gotta run here.
Enjoy your day all!

sorry its been so long

things have been quite busy. all last week was crazy. partly due to the holiday, part because of events around here and partly because we'd be going away over the holiday weekend.

I'm tired.

We drove up to Massachusetts on Friday - took us around 10.5 hours (including a little detour in Connecticut to take a look at one of the places we used to live). Saturday we went to the wedding of our eldest niece. A really lovely wedding.

Then back on the road on Sunday at 8:45. We arrived home close to 12 hours later (including another side trip to see our other 2 former residences in Connecticut... 16 years changes things!)

I did a few loads of laundry last nite and watched a little television; did a little web surfing then to bed.

I think its going to take a few days to recover LOL. But this morning I had to make a thank you to our little neighbor who took care of our kitties. Nothing fancy - and believe me this looks sooo much better in person (it doesnt glow in person like it does here ... oy!). I need to drop this off at her house this morning and get a few errands out of the way.

Happy Birthday Lauren

The birthday queen wants to shout out to one of her favorite bloggers (and fellow Jersey-Carvel-and-Cake-Lovin-Girl) Lauren . I'm posting this in hopes the mailman was speedy (like Mr. Feely) and delivered this card today - i hate to ruin your surprise Lauren but just in case - you'll see it here first! I hand cut the cake out of some scrap cardstock I'd drawn on. (Lauren is fond of cutting and gluing - now arentcha Lauren?) I had some cute polka dot DCWV paper and I found a nice slice of Making Memories paper (the ruled pp at the top) that I stamped on - those alpha stamps are my favorite Purple Onion Designs Alpha (outside of Lizziebelle, of course ;-)) Garamouche.

Anyway, for those of you who haven't read Lauren's blog - do yourself a favor - and check it out. Not only does she make the most fabulous stuff - you will roll laughing every day. She's just TOO MUCH! And that's a good thing!

some shop cards

I was in the mood the other night to glue. I hauled out my quickutz binder and handtool and decided on this bee die and off to work I went. I made a bunch o'bees. I knew I had some of this yellow gingham Making Memories paper hanging around (from the day 1 at least) - its a good basic paper isn't it? i knew i'd use it one day - and that day had arrived. The sentiment is computer printed - i just didnt have a stamp sentiment large enough so there you are.

I had a little black gingham ribbon but knew I didn't have enough for the six cards I'd planned to make. Hauled out the 2 boxes of ribbon I've got and found some self-adhesive stitched black ribbon i think worked out quite nicely. i did a little piercing around one of the circles and decided I didn't want to do that on all of them - just didnt have the concentration that was required to make them nice and evely spaced that night.

these next ones are kinda simple - that's the way it seems to go. i make some elaborate cards (or, for me, they're elaborate) then i want to make something very plain. This one makes me think of Neopolitan Ice Cream (ya think?) Anyway the right most panel scanned up bluish when, in fact, its the same tan color as the center circle (and the tan stripe - whatsupwiththat?)

I have a bunch more cards to share but I'll save those for another day. I need to get going - it may be Sunday- but that seems, sometimes, like my busiest day of the week.

Birthday-ville

or birthday city or whatever you want to call it - that's what is goin on around here. My husband and my sons birthday - yesterday and today. So the week has been occupied with that. Yesterday our A/C decided to quit - just in the main part of the house (the upstairs and the rec room basement area was ok - the basement is always cool even without the A/C) - only put a slight damper on our birthday festivities. Good call made by the birthday boy yesterday to ask for Carvel Ice Cream Cake! Ice cream always tastes especially good in hot weather dontcha think? Anyway, I made the son this card.

I've been making a lot of cards the last few days - the coffee shop is in need of replenishment, right June? I'll be posting those in the next few days.

Fortunately I was able to get the A/C guy out here today and I am now sitting in Cools-ville. Which is ever such a nice place to be!

I need to make this quick here - I should be getting ready - we're going out for a little birthday celebration. It will be just my husband and myself. Son has his second job to go to and the daughter is off on her adventure. I have to admit its strange not having her around - and son not joining in on the birthday for his Dad (last nite sorta made up for it but still....). I guess we're entering that new phase huh? In some ways its disconcerting - and in other ways its kinda nice. It's not like its happened all at once of course. Your kids slowly move on to the next stages - little by little they are doing their own stuff. I guess why I'm thinking of it is because of the birthdays. Before my daughter left, she - who I never thought of as sentimental - mentioned she'd be missing the boys birthdays for the first time ever.

Oh well. Have a good one!

i like choices - don't you?

i bought this stamp a while ago - and natch - i haven't used it yet. (it was screaming to me - "use me" so i finally relented). I was in need of more cards for the coffee shop so I figured why not give this one a try. The card I came up with looks somewhat masculine - dontcha think? I may even make another for one of the boys (husband and son) birthdays this week.

The stamp in Inkadinkadoo. I used Ancient Page Ink to stamp the image on a piece of white cardstock I'd aged with Tim Holtz Distress Ink (yes, it was Antique Linen... my favorite). I used the Distress Ink again, here and there on the patterned paper and edges. And yes, that's more of that Basic Grey patterned paper (i really think they should bring back that line -Vagabond - great masculine lookin' paper), some brown grosgrain ribbon and one of those circle clips.

Lately, I seem to forget to mention movies and shows we've been renting or watching. But this weekend we rented the 2nd and 3rd DVD's of Weeds - Season 3. I absolutely love that program. It's not for everyone (and def not for the kids) but we are amused here. Ok... enough for tonite. I think I'll have a few more things to post over the next couple o'days. talk to you soon!

Big Adventure

well she's off on her big adventure. My daughter.

I'm getting a little peek at what it's going to be like when she leaves for college in the fall of '09 - and if this adventure is any indication -

she will be fine

- i'm gonna be a mess.

it's funny how each child is so alike yet so different. When my son went off to college I wasn't a bit worried - about him - or my reaction to his being off at college. Of course it took a little while for it to sink in just how much we missed him around here. And we did. and we do. But he's always had an air about him - well we knew he'd be ok.

My daughter - I guess for a million reasons - non that are really rational - we worry. She is smart and sensible and is the best kid on the planet. She's never given us a reason to worry about how she will behave or that she won't always do the right thing.

Perhaps cos she's our little girl or cos she's our baby? Yeah that's probably it. LOL

So what is she doing?

She's gone for a month at an institution of higher learning (translation: art college) doing a pre-college program to basically work on her portfolio. Exciting stuff huh? She intends to apply to a number of art schools and wants to have the uber portfolio for her applications. She applied, with her porfolio as it stands now, and was accepted into this pretty cool program. (proud mom here). So that's where she is right now. The fun stuff begins tomorrow (the actual classes) and I have to admit I'm a tad jealous :-) She got into the core class she wanted (illustration) and takes another workshop as well as art history classes they require. They'll do trips to large cities where they'll take in wonderful art exhibits (are you jealous too?). The whole thing is a great opportunity and let me tell you - this kid deserves it. Along with all this wonderful art shtuff there is also the taste of college life which is also most cool - but a lot more supervised (cool from a mom viewpoint LOL)

So anyway - we left her there and have, of course, been worried ... for no rational reason - other than we are her parents and she is our baby. She called tonite to say hi and give us the lowdown. (i wonder if she was able to hear my audible sigh of relief when I said "hi!")She sounded great and we now can rest easier. I'm already looking forward to another phone call .... a mother's worrying is never done.

in the meantime I must occupy my time to keep from said worrying. so I've been fooling with stamps. Specifically Purple Onion Designs stamps. Yesterday I stamped and colored - today I stamped, dry and heat embossed and generally fooled around.... and had a nice-mydaughterisawayfromhomeatprecollegeandi'mworiedfornorationalreason- distraction fest playing with stamps. I just wished I'd had more time to play. Perhaps tomorrow?

goodnight all

happy

i had some time (in between laundry lessons) to do a little stamping. i bought this clear Wordsworth stamp set (like a week ago) at AC Moore with my coupon - such a deal - this word plus a number of smaller words (like birthday, halloween etc) - for like $5.00. Anyway I wanted to give it a try today. I stamped it a few times on white and thought gee what would it look like if I masked it and did a background? I made a mask with postits and then stamped all over with a Purple Onion Doodle Flower set. Since I was in the mood to color I had a grand old time coloring everything in - with prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits. I'm going to send this to a friend I think might need a little "happy" right now. This afternoon we're sending our daughter off on her adventure. I'll let you know all about it.

Merci and many thanks

Posting some cards I already posted over at 2peas - they're having a stamping event there all week (ending tomorrow). I saw a few challenges on there I thought I'd participate in - I needed a little inspiration and a challenge always helps. These two cards didnt scan well - color-wise. Regardless - the Merci card used a stamp from Imanginisce - stamped w/versamark and embossed with white EP. A little stitching; my circle scallop Nestablilities; Quickutz nameplate; Purple Onion mini-sentiment and a button. Many thanks sentiment is from StampinUp! as is the circle and circle scallop punches and the eyelets; the bird is a punch from Martha Stewart and the paper is DCWV.

Today is the first day of the Great American Scrapbook convention and I'm not going this year. Waaaah. Oh I'll get over it - it is always fun to look around. Probaby just as well I'm not going - I'd find something I need and believe me - I don't need a thing! Today I'll be having Laundry Lessons with my daughter. Yes, lessons. She has never done her own laundry. And it's about the same timing as when my son began doing his own laundry. Besides - tomorrow she's off on her adventure and she'll need to know how to make those clothes clean. We've been doing things every day this week in preparation - shopping for supplies and a few new clothes. After our lessons today, we'll pack. Yeah yeah... i'll fill you in soon - but I really need to get going today!

Father's Day cards

So here's a few cards I made - the first 4 were for the coffee shop.

On these first 2 star cards I used:

Making Memories star charms and eyelets; StampinUp! Word Window punch (to quickly punch out those strap-like brown pieces at the top that are held on with the eyelets) and SU! Sentiment from some long retired set; and my Creative Memories corner rounder. The patterned paper is DCWV.

The next two cards I used: SU! Classic Backgrounds set (Using the argyle stamp and a stampamajig to create that piece as the argyle is only 3 diamonds wide) and that same sentiment and SU!'s Mat Pack to do the paper piercing. I believe I also used the Rectangle Nestabilities (gosh i made these over a week ago and I just can't remember!)

And finally - one card for my husband for Father's Day. I used all Purple Onion Designs stamps: the 2008 Vintage Calendar stamp - individual months, Damask stamp and the wonderful Fourscore Alpha - Small. I just wrote in the "for my husband on". I machine stitched here and there and I pop dotted that month to get a little dimension. I used Antique Linen Distress Ink to age the June calendar and I roughed up the edges with my finger nail. Oh yeah that stripe patterned paper is some Basic Grey I just love (i think that line is long since discontinued - too bad - it was a good one!) I have to mention here my husband spent a good long time examing this card. He wanted to know about how I made the cardstock look old. I guess I didn't think he or my daughter were really ever paying attention when I had been tea dying cardstock in the past. That's what they thought it was - I told them no - this time it was just ink. But I had a little smile going on inside. (Let's just say I figure a lot of the time I'm talking to myself when it comes to this stuff around here. Yes, sometimes I've got a big pan of tea on the kitchen island and paper is soaking in it, and other pieces are drying on paper towels and I've got the iron going and I'm standing there ironing cardstock and I think ... just sometimes... they think I've lost my marbles... or at least a couple... but whatDOyaknow... they were listening. Happy happy)

It was a nice quiet day. The father (my husband) in this house went golfing and had a lovely relaxing day. We had a few presents, a yummy dinner followed by a Carvel Ice Cream Cake which was scrumptious. The ice cream cake was my husband's request and we all just about licked our plates it was so good. (Carvel holds a most special place in my heart - I grew up with Carvel. It was theee place to get ice cream in the summer in NY & NJ back in the day. Sad there are no more Carvels to go to.... )

okay it's late - i need to get to bed. Hope you all had a lovely day

Graduation cards

I made a few graduation cards for the coffee shop. Kept them in (what I consider to be) classic graduation colors - black, white, red (which incidentally happens to be the school colors of one of the local high schools....... ). All the stamps are from the SU! Great Grads set. I used the Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dots, SU! ticket corner punch, and some eyelets on the first card as well as the Quickutz grad cap die on the second and third cards. I used my rectangle Nestabilities to cut and emboss the rectangles on the 2nd and 3rd cards as well.

The heat finally broke a bit here last night with a small storm. It was only about 88 here today and no humidity thank goodness. The braces are off my daughters teeth and she has a most dazzling smile - just in time for those senior pics she had taken yesterday. Tomorrow we're back to the orthodontist to get the retainer. Friday is my daughters last day of school topped off by a visit to the doctor to make sure she's up to date on her vaccinations. Where she's going this summer they require you to have all your shots.... that should keep you guessing (one hint: she's only leaving the state - not the country).

I'll be back with some father's day cards next okay?

Birthday Queen and a bunch of cards!

gives a shout out to Carolyn

on today, her birthday.

Yes I've been busy. I know I haven't posted in a while - a couple of weeks. We had the party for my f-i-l and I guess since then I've made an effort to do less online and more in life? I've actually made a few cards and am working on my Suzy ways (a post to come on there as well) among other things.

I've got a full house (meaning my son is home for the summer) at least for now. In a few weeks my daughter will be gone for a month to an exciting opportunity of her own. More on that to come. Before that, however, we've got a few things to do with her. Namely getting her braces off, taking senior pictures (why do they take them now? back in the day we took them when senior year was actually about to begin....) and finishing her junior year. It will be a busy week ahead. The school board in the county where she attends school decided to cut a few days off the end of the year as several snow days were never used so Friday is now her last day of school.

Okay - some cards to share

I made a birthday card for a friend - Let us eat Cake! (a motto I thoroughly endorse) - used another image from those that can be downloaded free on Stampington - see my previous post.

I needed to make a card for another friend. I came up with one I liked it but I wanted to try out a few more ideas I came up with during the process and ended up with 7 different versions.

I wish you could see the textured white cardstock for the main part of the card. It's pretty and really makes the whole thing. Regardless I used my Petite Circle Scalloped Nestabilities for the circle and the scallop behind it; some wide black ribbon from Walmart; SU stamps (Thinking of You is from retired All Year Cheer I and the flowery background is from a newish set called Together Forever). I decided I wanted to try making those little flowers into quasi embellishments so I stamped some and then painted them with Diamond Glaze after cutting them out.

So that's enough cards for today. I've got a bunch more to share. Some graduation and father'd day cards are up next.

Keep cool (the temps the last few days here have been in the 90's. yes, the AC is crankin)

The Birthday Queen is back

to wish Kris a Happy Birthday! We hope it's an extra special day!

Let's see what else have I been making?

Here's a card I sent to Jean whose post i just linked you up to had me so amused I needed to send her a card to thank her.

I now need to thank Barbara for her post that hooked me up with the image (from Stampington) that I used on the card.

I made another card using a different image from the set of images I'll post soon. I gotta wait til that card reaches its destination.

Okay - gotta run... its one of those days.

(edited to add: i'm getting a lot of annoying spam so you'll notice you're going to have to do a few extra steps to leave a message - sorry - that spam is just annoying!)

another baby card

okay so the other card i made for my sister's new baby? i decided I'd let my mother use it to send to my sister and I'd make another card for baby g. My niece has been baby g since before her birth and now it is the initial of her first name :-)

Supplies: DCWV and Bazzill cardstock; DCWV adhesive backed ribbon; Rubber Soul Giraffe stamp; Purple Onion Designs "welcome baby" from the mini sentiments set and "g" from Garamouche medium alpha; inner double circle stamp is Paper Salon. Cuttlebug swiss dot embossing folder and SU punches: circle and scalloped circle (phew thats a lot-o-shtuff for one card.....)

does anyone remember the original "baby g"... from ToysRUs? You know Geoffrey Giraffe and baby g... do you remember what baby g's mother was named? anyone? It's driving me crazy I cannot remember.

ah well. Memorial Day weekend here was kinda quiet. We broke out the grill. Barbecued chicken one day and steak another. Yum.

And we did another Video on Demand. This time around it was "Gone Baby Gone" with Casey Affleck, Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman. Wow. What a great movie. Not exactly happy subject matter (child abduction) but what a story.

I need to get moving for the day. Daughter is back to school today but I have my son home for the summer and my husband has taken off this week. It's hard getting anything done with these men about!

More cards

Here are 2 more roses cards

frankly I think I have had enough of those for the time being.

So I made a couple of other cards with some paper I had hanging around

(i think all the paper is Chatterbox, the roses stamp is Hero Arts and the Happy Anniversary is Purple Onion Designs mini sentiments; I printed off the Happy Birthday using a font called Black Jack; the ribbon adhesive backed and is from DCWV.)

I've been working on some more cards this morning that I'll probably post next week sometime. I hope you enjoy your holiday weekend!

So... am I an Uncle or an Aunt?

When ever someone's going to have a baby in the family - this is the question we ask - meaning is it a boy or a girl.
In our family, there is an abundance of boys.
Until Tuesday, I had 16 nephews and 4 nieces
(For the record, I am blessed to have a son and a daughter. When I had my second - my daughter - several people said something to me I had never heard before. Maybe you have? They said "now you have the perfect family" - meaning a boy and a girl)
On Tuesday my sister was scheduled to have her 3rd child by c-section. My mom and I were anxiously awaiting a call from Arizona all day Tuesday. We are worriers I guess. My sister is not exactly a kid and I can't help but worry - its major surgery right? And she is my baby sister. Of course I told my mother "don't worry - she'll be fine" but secretly I was a little on edge all day.
My sister has 2 adorable boys who I just adore. And while another boy would be welcome of course - deep down I think we all want a little girl. Someone who is like us. Do you think? I do.
So am I an Uncle or an Aunt?
Here's the card I made for my sister and brother-in-law (dontcha love the suspense?!)













When my sister called I was surprised to hear her voice. (I was expecting my brother-in-law) I asked her how she was - she sounded tired. Then I asked her the question and when she told me I yelled SHUT UP! and then I yelled it again. Then I started to cry. A lot. I know she called herself because she wanted to hear my reaction when she told me I am an Aunt.
So there you have it. I have a brandy new niece. My oldest nephew will be 32 this year and now I have this little niece. My oldest niece is getting married in 6 weeks from Saturday.
Isn't life something?
Have a great day!

More Birthday Roses

okay here's another card - same stuff except I used my quickutz photo corners die as well (don't even ask me how many time i had to cut those out before i got them with the stripes going in the right direction on each side - geez and now i look again and one is still crooked.... not... doing... it... again.... )

It's funny how you can have boxes full of ribbon and still don't have one the right color. I improvised. I had some really skinny pink and decided to add 3 pieces instead of having one tied around the image. I kinda like it.

Let's see... its sorta rainy again. A little drizzle falling - we must pay for the gorgeous day yesterday I spose.

Last night we did the Video on Demand and watched "Enchanted". Can I tell you thoroughly was? It was so cute and I thoroughly enjoyed it ... so there!

Off to flip some laundry - have a good Sunday

Happy Birthday with roses

I stamped a page full of this roses stamp yesterday afternoon. I don't know why, but sitting there and coloring them in was just very relaxing. I think I could do it all day.
(Hey Lisa R - you enabled me to buy this stamp months ago 'cos you made that beautful tag for me with it. I'm finally getting around to using the stamp I had to have!)
I cut apart the sheet and ended up with 8 useable ones for cards. Here's the first one I made. I had some SEI striped paper and used my cuttlebug embossing folder for the swiss dots. I got the scallop by using the StampinUp! punch all across. I pop dotted the whole piece - kinda looks like an awning huh? I repeated the scallop business at the bottom (but that portion isn't embossed).And thats also a portion of a Hero Arts sentiment (it says Happy Birthday to You but no room for the 2u on this one)
I really need to make something more simple for the coffee shop but you know how it is once you get started on something. I have a few other ones in the works which I'll definitely go more simple.
Ok - off to the races!