2011 List-How did I do?

Last year I didn't do a birthday list, but I did a 2011 what I wanted o accomplish list. Here it is, let's see how I did.

1- Practice my French some more-YES

 

2-Make ice cream-YES

3-Get my studio clean and organized-YES=AND I LOVE THE RESULTS

4-Clean out under the cellar stairs and get the junk there organized-NO

5-Catch up on my reading-HOW DO YOU DEFINE CATCHING UP?

6-Knit a WHOLE sweater-NO

7-Go to the Isles of Shoals-NO

8- Visit the Victoria and Albert Museum in London-NO

9-Learn to use Encaustic Paints-NO

10-Go for 1 whole month without buying any art supplies-NO, THAT IS LIKE GIVING UP FOOD

11-See Death Valley-YES-AND I LOVED IT

12-Go to Canada'a Atlantic Provinces-NO

13-Go dancing with my honey-NO

14-Grow pumpkins in my garden-NO

15-Pick rhubard from my garden and make a strawberry rhubard pie-YES, BUT I MADE JAM NOT PIE

16-Watch the entire 2 seasons we have of True Blood in one day -and see Season 3-YES!

17- Go camping again-NO

18-Finish my summer vacation 2009 scrapbook-YES=EXCEPT FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO PHOTOS

19-Make more textile art-NO

20-Do a piece of embroidery-NO

21-Pay off those nagging little credit card balances-YES BUT NO

22-Get a new Apple computer-NO

23-Keep a visual journal more regulary-NO

24-Knit an Aran sweater -NO

25-Knit Norwegian style socks or mittens-NO-BUT DID A BUNCH OF FAIR ISLE HATS

26-Exercise more-SORT OF

27- Replant dill in my garden this year -YES

28-take a class about something I am totally unfamilar with-NO...but took a few classes

29-reread the other Jane Austin novels I haven't read in decades-NO

30-be more patient and forgiving with my mom-SOMEWHAT

31- find the box of vintage honeymoon emphemera my mom gave me and make a vintage travel book-NO

32-Take a roadtrip all by myself=HOW FAR DO YOU HAVE TO DRIVE FOR A ROADTRIP?

33-Eat a fried twinky or fried candy bar-NO

34-Go back to the very northern area of NH where I used to vacation as a kid with my family-NO

35-Go to Montreal-NO

36-Drive across the USA-NO

37-Visit my friends in North Carolina-YES, AT LEAST 1 OF THEM

38-See a hummingbird nest with the eggs in it-NO

39-Get more stamps in my National Park Passbook-YES!!!!

40-Be brave and become a paid artist-YES

41-Make cool jewelry using all the metal clay pendants I've made-YES

42-Walk to beach more-YES

43-Get into the sunshine more-YES

44-Take a few more hookey days from work-without the guilt-WELL...

45-Take one of those DNA tests that tell you where in the world your family roots are from-NO

46-Read a book on my new iPad-NO

47-Swear less-HA-HA-HA

47-Don't waste so much time playing around on the internet-NO

48-Eat more vegitarian-TRIED TO

49-Eat at at least 1 restaurant I've wanted to try but haven't yet-???THINK SO????

50-Be a tourist in my home area-YES-WHEN YOU LIVE IN TOURIST COUNTRY IT IS EASY TO DO

51- Watch a sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain,Maine-NO BUT WATCHED SUNSETS FROM THE OUTER BANKS

52-Kayak Merrymeeting Marsh-NO JUST MERRYMEETING LAKE

53-See the ghost at the Portsmouth Lighthouse when we go by in the boat-NO, BUT WILL WATCH FOR HIM THIS YEAR

54-Get a new carpet for my bedroom-NO, THIS YEAR DEFINATELY-IT IS MY SPRING AND SUMMER PROJECT

55-see life with my heart not my head-PRACTICING THAT MORE AND MORE

56-conquer 1 fear-HMMM...EVERYTIME I GO OUT AND GET A BIT ANXIOUS, BUT GO...I DID TRY A JETSKI FOR THE FIRST TIME, I DID TAKE ON MORE OF A LEADERSHIP NHS ROLE, LET MY CHILD GO TO COLLEGE

57-wish on a shooting star-WHENEVER I SEE ONE

58-add at least 1 new state to my get to all 50 states wish list-NOT IN 2011 ALTHOUGH I DID SEE SOME COOL NEW PLACES

59-do something "not me" just to try it (something I would say no to, just do it)-take advantage of one of those not so sure about opportunities

60-sit in the moonlight and listen to a beautiful song-NO SONG EXCEPT THE WAVES ON THE OUTER BANKS-BUT IT WAS GORGEOUS

61-Reread Great Expectations (its still sitting on my night stand)-WORKING ON IT-I DID START IT

62-Have a great veggie garden-YES I DID

63-keep the piles of books from building up on my coffee table-I THINK THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE

64-spend lots of time with friends and family- TRIED HARD TO

65-call my "old" college friends more frequently-NOPE, JUST SAW MY FRIEND JENNIE BUT MISSED MY OTHER FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY

66- visit my college UMO and get a new t shirt

-NEW SHIRT AT A HOCKEY GAME BUT NEVER MADE IT TO ORONO IN 2011

67-read a few books on my to read list-I STARTED GREAT EXPECTATIONS, I READ A BIG BILL BRYSON BOOK I WANTED TO

68-discover more photos to take in my home area-I DID WITH 5 STARS

69-eat chocolate and not feel guilty about it-HOW COULD I NOT

70-and exercise more since I'll be eating chocolate-YES UNTIL ABOUT NOVEMBER WHEM HIBERNATION MODE SET IN

So it was a pretty successful year, I think. I'll put up my new birthday list shortly.
This is a pre-posted entry-I am away on my vacation in the desert of the US southwest.
I'll be back next weekend with some trip photos and more art and lots to share!!!
Thanks for visiting!

Arrived

This is a pre-written post. I am assuming we have made it safe and sound (because there's no reason we shouldn't have) and here we are.

I wasn't going to post today but I found this on-line and I love this image.

I'm guessing today we get to see some of these big beauties...which is going to be a cool thing for geeky me.

Anyhow...

Have pre-posted a couple of other items and will be back once we return.

We're Off



We're off today on a jet plane to Arizona. Will be back next weekend! Pre-posted a couple of posts for next week and if I have a moment I may give you an update!

Have a great week!

10 Things Friday, Travel Edition

We're off tomorrow morning, so this week's ten things Friday all have to do about traveling.

1-Bags are packed.. (humming-I'me ready to go...)

2-Home with a nasty bug today. I hope I feel better tomorrow and Dave doesn't get this.

3-Got to run Harley to the doggie hotel/kennel today. That is one of the hardest parts of leaving.

4-Got the mail held at the PO. Took care of the bills that needed to be paid from this week's pay check, and did sign up for the new Online Card Class.

5- Got the travel supplies squared away- you know, the little toothpastes, shampoos.

6- Pack my camera, my chargers, my iPad,the Darwin book I have yet to finish, the travel guides...

7- Read the travel guides so I have a general idea what we want to do...(Hate to miss something just because I didn't know about it but don't want to be locked into the tight schedule). Love the surprises you discover once you get someplace and start doing things and discovering things...

8-Got the house squared away- bought the cat food so the kitties can get feed by Katie's boyfriend when we're gone, got the laundry caught up so we could pack those comfy clothes, bird feeders are filled, plants have been watered...

9- Dug out a bathingsuit, a pair of sandals, some capri pants and one pair of shorts...just in case.

10-Am printing out the boarding passes, Dave can think about the car, but I got the passports out and packed, tomorrow is suppose to be nice...hard to think snow when we've had all this mild weather lately.

Wow...getting ready for a week of relaxation is a lot of work.

And for my photo of the day

I took this photo last winter vacation when we took a little day drive from Vegas out to Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and down to the Colorado River. We ended up back in Vegas after several days in Death Valley, and truthfully, Vegas seemed like a crowd after spending 4 days in the wonderful space of Death Valley.

It was a great trip-hopefully this one will be as great!

Busy bee

Good morning! Writing this at work since my blogger at home doesn't seem to be working quite so well. Or at least it wasn't last night. It told me I needed Google Chrome which I downloaded and then it still told me I needed Google Chrome...well I will have more time tonight to play with it-had bookclub last night and plus needed to get 3 tests/quizzes ready for today- it's the right before vacation work blast, plus do a few other chores like pay bills, wash those clothes you need to pack....you know what I mean. Went to bed in running- check off the list mode- and woke up that way too...had to finish those tests first thing this morning...but now they are finished and I am taking a few minutes to clear my head!!!!!

So I can't wait to see something like this...

In 2 days we leave. Saturday should be nice but tomorrow they are saying SNOW in the morning ...it figures. I hope for at least a delay but I would take a snow day...

Not that I want to make it up in June but I would LOVE a snow day to do some mental and physical catching up before I leave.

I will let you know what happens in the weather front...

Thanks for visiting...

Less is More

It's been forever since I participated in this on-line challenge-not that I haven't want to, but betwen this and that it just hasn't happened. But this week's challenge is using a diecut and I made this card Sunday which fits the bill perfectly.

I think it does at least.

So here it is.



Although I might be a bit early with the rain theme- it isn't April showers yet, but I am wishing it was April so that was my inspiration to make this card. I chose  this great spring robin's egg blue cardstock (with the corners rounded) I attached this die cut frame (Sizzix). Then I stamped this fun Riley the Moose stamp. I also stamped Mr. Moose onto some white paper, colored him and then cut him out and attached him onto the card over the original stamped image. I wanted all those raindrops and splashes to show up and didn't quite know how to cut them out without getting a lot of white background paper. I suppose I could have just die cut the whole image to fill the circle in the frame, but I do like showing more the background color within the frame too. I added a few Viva paintpen dots to the umbrella . Finally, I stamped the saying (Stampotique). I'm not quite sure what the little spot on Mr. Moose's nose is-it is not on the original card at all.

That's my card!!!

Enjoy your day-

Thanks for dropping by and visiting.



No Holiday for Me

Here in the US it is President's Day holiday weekend, and lots of people have today off. Not me, but not complaining since in 5 days I am on VACATION!!!! Can't wait.

So my last vacation trip was this past summer to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I am wrapping up my scrap journal pages from that journey...been working on them off and on since the end of the summer.  Yesterday I made a couple of pages that I just loved the results, so I am going to share those with you today.

I had those photo of this egret...with a bit of egret shadow. I wanted to make it a nature kind of page...and I am very happy how this turned out. I started with white watercolor paper and attached an old book page to it. Then I added some 7Gypsies paper tape with the black horizontal stripes.  Then I added a die cut shell (Cuttlebug) and a small white die cut shell (Sizzix). I have these Hero Arts feather stamps, and I stamped them in black Staz-On on acetate. I trimmed them down and attached them, and I love the results.  Finally I added this little pin design from Darcie's.

Oh and I forgot, the stamped saying at the top from an older Tweety Jill stamp set.

Here's a close-up. Ignore the shadow lines- I took these photos on my window sill and there's a bit of a shadow...time to wash my windows (eeek!) I guess.

This page I made because I wanted a little pouch to hold my travel guide brochure. I used this cool textured craft colored paper that I recycled from some packaging that some supplies that arrived in at work.I tore off a piece and taped down the edges...then added this paper tape. On the left edge I added some Stickles blue dots. I also added this 7Gyspies tag with the edge riped off, some baker's twin and a couple of art stamps by ArtChix.

Here's a close up of these images too.

So if you're enjoying a three day weekend, I hope it is great. Even if you're not...have a fabulous day!

And thanks for visiting my blog.

More weird Karma

So here's a scrap journal page and the close up below it. I love this page...simple but to me, really speaks to a sunny summer day on the ferry. I think the leaving the background plain white works for me. I like the clean lines...which I guess really are my favorite, but then some photos just don't call for clean lines the same way. The photo colors are pretty crisp and I wanted to recreate those on the page. I started by attaching the photo on a diagonal, then put down some red Martha Stewart paper tape. It was in a set of Valentin'es tape I bought a year or 2 ago. I used some scrap paper for the blue wave-I used a Sizzix strip die to cut out a ric rac style curve and this was one of the left over edges. Then I used some Darcie's clear stamps and some Vermillion and some aqua Ranger ink. I cut out eh flags and attached them...the red rope and the saying stamps are also from Darcie's.

So yesterday was another weird day like Friday afternoon...even though I did a few chores and had a few productive studio hours my ambition wasn't very much and Dave and I were both in this indecisive mode...is there something going on in the atmosphere that's throwing off my mood?

Hmmm.

I appreciate you stopping by.

Movies, weird karma and spring like weather

Saturday is here!

Yesterday we were in the warmth just like spring- 50-ish degrees, road and driveway turned to mud soup. But it was still so nice out. I will say though that either I was being too sensitive or there was a weird karma in the air, but something just didn't feel quite right. The vibe was wrong I guess you could say. Kind of made it a weird afternoon and evening.

So since it is Saturday and a good day to go to the movies, here's a fun card. I want to see that movie about the Edward theKing of England and Wallis Simpson. Don't think I will go to the movies today though, but hoping for some play time of some sort. Not sure yet what I will be up to.But it is another gorgeous morning/day so maybe a beach walk will be in my future.

But am enjoying these Riley the Moose stamps I picked up. They're just fun. Here I started with blue cardstock and also Tim Holtz's movie stamp set.  I used the background stamp of movie times in red on the card, there was some overlapping of the image and I also distressed the card with some mango ink. Then I stamped the filmstrip in black on white paper and used some Distress stain to color it. I also stamped the popcorn and the movie ticket on white with the same red ink as the background- Ranger's Vermillion is the color and brand.  I did a bit of popcorn coloring with Copics and then I distressed both images with the mango ink. I stamped the moose on white paper and colored him with Copics. And lastly I die cut the round ring using 2 Sizzix circle framelet dies. I attached the images with a bit of layering and overlapping, and then the red ring needed something so everything would stand out a bit more - I did some scribbling with a fine tip black Sharpie on it.

Finally, I stamped the saying on a scrap of the blue cardstock. It is using a stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms.

Have a great Saturday, a great weekend and hope you have a bit of spring weather in your neck of the woods too.

Blogger's Challenge

This week's theme is one that is very close to my heart- the beach- the ocean-the seashore. I love the ocean.

I am not a big sit on the beach person, but walking the beach and just being near the salt air...

helps I live in the general seacoast area and work less than 2 miles from the water. Even though it is New Hampshire so we're not exactly in a  place with year round warmth and palm trees.

So I made this card with blue cardstock, some distressed plaid paper, some Cuttlebug shell die cuts (cut in white and colored and inked. The image is from Stampendous and colored with Copics and the saying is from MSE. Quite an easy card, I layered, outlined the plaid paper with black Sharpie.

Can't wait for beach season to arrive...although I love walking the beach anytime of year we get a nice day.

Thanks for visiting.



10 Things Friday

Another Friday has arrived-and it is time for

10 THINGS FRIDAY!

1- I survived parent's open house last night (me being the teacher, not the parent) and the best news is that they are done for this entire school year!!!!!

2-It is Friday, unfortunately not a pay day Friday, but still, the end of the work week. Tomorrow I can hang home or go out and sleep in or get up or whatever my mood decides.

3-One more week of school until we have our winter vacation. A week from tomorrow Dave and I are off on our little vacation to Arizona.

4-I have travel bug disease so badly right now. I can't wait to hop onto that plane and go away for a bit.

5-I think we have a Maine hockey game on tv tonight-I hope- since we may not get to see them play for the rest of this season (unless they make the semi-finals in hockey east). I'd love to see them play on tv tonight- what a good Friday night activity. I hope they WIN both nights this weekend too so they keep their ranking up and increase the chances they'll make it to the hockey east semi-finals where we will be on March 16th.

6-This weekend we have to have the BIG talk with our daughter who wants to move into an apartment at school next year- which is ok- but with her boyfriend-which we are not so sold on yet since she is only 20 and is an engineering major and she hopes (I believe) we pay her rent. Which we don't think is what we should do. (You know, if you're old enough to move in with the boyfriend you don't need your parents to support you). I don't want her to feel she has to work a lot to pay for rent, since she is in a hard major and this is the time she should concentrate on school and not working all the time.

I am dreading this conversation since she is going to get all mad at us, I know.

We do like her boyfriend by the way!

6-By 5:30 pm and by 6:30 am is not yet dark and getting light, respectively. I can drive both ways to and from work without my headlights on. I must say I loved that!

7-We've had some more days that feel like March and boy does that make me HAPPY! I am so ready for spring.
8-Katie's coming home this weekend. That always makes me happy (even though we have to do the big talk).
9-Quiet weekend ahead.  New Amazing Race starts Sunday night. Want to work in the studio. Trying to be money conservative so I have some extra cash on our trip. Got to get out my suitcase and pack a few things I don't want to forget. Relax.A good weekend in my book.
10-Everyone at school is getting sick-why is it these colds always go around right before break? Last year I left on vacation with a good old head cold. A few years back I had a massive case of bronchitis right before vacation. I want to stay HEALTHY. Taking my vitamins-especially my vitamin C and my zinc.

And photos for the week-
Still Photoshopping my Death Valley photos- that place has some awesome light and I have tons of photos I want to print for my scrap-journal.  These are from Feb. 2011-as Dave and I went there last February vacation. So here's a few of my Death Valley photos...

Have a great day!

Dreaded Day

Tonight is parent's open house at school, a night I always dread and will be glad when it is over. It is a long day...basically I'll be at work until 8 p.m. tonight, except for a couple of hours off after school. Good news is we go get dinner as a department which is great and at least it is on a Thursday night and tomorrow is Friday!!! Hurray!!!! But it is so stressful to be on for parents...you never know if you get a crabby one. Sometimes you just get blank faces and sometimes you get nice complements.

I will just have to wait and see.

So today a few more snippets of scrap journal pages from last summer. Not whole pages...just bits.

This page is made with some October Afternoon paper (a ripped 8x8 sheet), some 7Gypsies tape and tag, on the tag used some Postmodern Stamps to stamp in the word Duck-a great play on words for duck, to watch you head, and sicne the sign is in Duck, NC...what more can you say? I added an arrow from some paper line-perhaps Scenic Route, a page from an old book with some hearts punched out of it, and I recycled some blue rickrack trim with red Viva paint dots on it that I made for another project and didn't like. But it words here. Oh yeah, and some scraps of green graphie looking paper.

Here I used some red flowered paper-red to match the house roof. I added and outlined the photo. Then I stamped and embossed the deal design (Jennie Bowlin) but made it more into a sun for my purposes. I attached. I added some red tape (Martha Stewart0, some Viva red paintpen dots, some more dots I punched out, a postcard from Tweety Jill's seaside paper pack and my hand designed postage stamp on the postcard, and finally I stamped some starfish (Fred Mullett) and cut them out and attached.

Lastly, this photo which isn't such a great one but I loved the close up of the pelican. He is boxed in with a 7Gypsies stamp. I doodled the letters for the words in black and colored them in with a white pen. I drew the circles with black Sharpie and colored them with blue and green Copics. I added some Viva Paint pen dots and a paper  arrow (like in the top page), and then I lightly spritzed the edges with some Tattered Angels.

That is my art for today...a rainy (I hope and NOT snowy) Thursday when I have parents night and no studio time at all.

I hope I have a good day.

AND

Hope your day is fantastic!

I really mean that too!

Counting the Days

I am SOOOOO ready to go someplace. Yesterday was one of those days, when I drive to work, I could keep on driving. To someplace. The sun was coming up and it wasn't brutally cold and I just love a good roadtrip.  But it is only 11 days until we hit the skies and the road. Off on an adventure. I think I can handle that.

Here's some photos of my travel journal for the trip. I am trying a new format this time, using this mini 3 ring binder I found at Staples. Plus there's all kinds of pages you can buy for it. I have been setting up some of the book now, will put things into it when we're gone and I will finish it when we get home.

Above is my cover page. I found this cardboard book cover at my fav craft store and I punched the holes in it to fit the binder. The 2 empty holes are the ones it came with.  Then I stamped the cactus image (Animal Spirits) on white cardstock and colored it with Copics.

The little travel sticker is from October Afternoon.

The Arizona word is stamped with some Postmodern Design alphabet stamps. The February is an older Hero Arts stamp and the 2012 numbers  are from a 7Gypsies number set.

So one thing I put into this journal are some of these giant postcard tags I also found at my fav craft store. This is the backside. I stamped these fun little cacti (also Animal Spirits) and used colored pencils to color them and then I used the words from Stampers Anonymous.

On the left, another back of a postcard tag, this time stamped with a different Stampers Anonymous stamp and a couple of red Viva paintpen dots. On the left is a 7Gyspies book page. I stamped the southwestern design across the top (Animal Spirits) and added both the white trim and the circular word go.

So here's a thick cardboard bingo page I found at my fav craftstore which I repunched to fit the notebook. I added some 7Gypsies tape and an ancient metal travel plate which I had in my stash.

On the opposite page is stencile the image in red with a Crafter's Workshop template.

Here's one of those postcards on the front side. I stamped the parcel (Postmodern Stamp), the postmark and the return to sender. The star is a little diecut.

Here's another postcard. This time I used a cut out travel stamp and stamped a little postmark on and near it.

Another tag with some stamped lizards (Animal Spirits).

Here I diecut the Tim Holtz mobile (Sizzix) in grey and used some Viva silver rub on paint in metallic silver and some brown ink on it. I recut the car in blue to make the windows since on this trip there will be nothing (I hope) but blue sky. I added a clear travel tag (maybe Tattered Angels), a some pre-made trip paper that says Scenic Route and then I stamped another one of those cacti and added it.

The last sneak peek is a couple of 7Gyspies book pages, some pre-made star images and I stamped a little sayin on the top of the left page. Then I used this fun little Magenta lizard rubber stamp and had him crawling across the page.

I had a blast putting this together, and my little travel art suitcase is packed and ready to be put in my suitcases. When we get home I can show you the end result.

Thanks for visiting today.

Sending Love to You

The hairdresser next to the post office here in my town often has these fun  signs outside her door. I found this one yesterday- and it is just perfect for today.

I love reading signs.

After I left the postoffice (mailed my little girl a box with some snacks for her at college), I had an interesting trip home. I came across this flock of turkeys that didn't want to get out of the road.

Here they are again!!!

You just never know what you'll find-it's all an adventure isn't it?

I love adventures.

Always looking for one!

So today, we celebrate love. I love my husband and my daughter. I love my dog and my 2 cats. I love my mother and brother. I love my life. I love my friends. I love making art. I love to travel and read and take photos. I love my house and my gardens. I love myself. I love being happy, and I am a pretty happy person.

I can't say I am a huge Valentine's day person though. I mean I like it, but I don't need to be buttered up with flowers or candy or gifts.

Not that I dislike getting flowers or candy or gifts.

Au contraire.

Anyhow, enough talk about love.

How about some love-ly art.

I started with white cardstock that I ended up inking to make the backrgound. Actually, I messed up stamping the background and decided just to ink it and cover it over. I did that by cutting out some designed office style paper, rounding the corners and then spraying it with a couple of shades of Tattered Angels. After it dried I stamped the little XOXO image all over it in pink. (I believe from an older Martha Stewart clear stamp set). Then I added the pink eyelets in the corners and the black paper tape (SMASH book supplies). The big red heart which I just love is from Magenta. I won it as part of a small lot of stamps on eBay, and it wasn't one I would have bid on, but once I used it, I loved it. I stamped it with red on white paper and then cut it out and attched it to the background paper.

The  with another Martha Stewart stamp from the same old clear set I stamped the be mine in red. Finally I stamped the saying in black (Technique Tuesday Studio AE for Feb. 2012) and attacehd that in the corner. Romantic and grungy all together-my style all the way.

So I will leave you on this most romantic of days with a little stamped saying from my Valentine's journal I made

Stamp credit-Hero Arts.



Another Week Begins

Weekends fly by just way too fast, don't they? And this week will be a busy one.

But...only 10 more days of work until we leave for our trip to Arizona to be in some sun, some warmer (I hope) temperatures and new places to explore. I was checking out weather.com and it looks like the temperature most days in Tuscon has been in the high sixties-my kind of temperatures!

I am just a little bit excited!

Busy planning my July trip to the Rockie Mountains of Montana, Alberta and British Columbia too.

Oh the winter hibernation mode is going away and travel fever has hit me!

So I've been back to finishing up my travel scrap-journal from last summer when we went to North Carolina and the Outer Banks for a week. I had a lot done on it but then stopped and put it aside to work on my holiday journal and to make a bunch of cards...but now I am back trying to wrap it up before we head out on vacation.

This page kind of photographed weird...you can see shadows of the backside, but I used a bunch of Tattered Angels and Adirondack spray inks. Then I put on this fun sticker I bought on vacation and added some Viva sand paint which is very cool since it has sand in it and actually sticks on the page. I punched out a few crabs from an old book page (Martha Stewart punch) and also added a Darcies pin. Then I journaled all around the edge of the page.

Here's a close up.

Here's a tag I made. I used a black tag and some striped October Afternoon paper. I also used a few scraps to embossed textured cardstock. On top of all this I attached a ticket from when we went up to the top of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse.

Then I used an October Afternoon sticker tag and wrote in the words. Now time for a spray with some Tattered Angels. Then I added the ahoy there sticker (October Afternoon), the red Viva paintpen dots around the tag, some red string (Martha Stewart), a Darcie's metal pin with crabs and 3 little paper clips. Oh yes, and I used a white pen around the edges of the black tag.

And lastly for today...I BIG photo that I didn't cut and left on the paper I printed it on. I added this Technique Tuesday paper ring I had which I patially wrapped in 7Gyspies paper tape. I put some bronze Viva paint dots on the inside of the ring and then added a Darcie's pin.

Here's a close up.

I know, lots in today's post. Anything to make me mentally go someplace outside of the cold and colorless winter. You do kind of get sick of it by this time of February. That's why I do need to go somewhere on my February school break.

As Dave said yesterday, a long time still before we can go boating or jet-skiing.

I know that.

Well, happy Monday...have a good start to your week...and I'll see you one tomorrow.



Chilly

The weather has changed a bit and we're in the cold!!!! But it is Sunday and the fire is blazing in the woodstove and the house is toasty...I can sit home all day and play in the studio...plus do a few other mini- chores I want to get done.

And hurray-Maine won last night against UMassLowell- Lowell is #1 in Hockey East right now and it was a fast paced, nail biting kind of game. Love it. Dave and I went with his sister and brother-in law who we've been to qutie a few games with this year. Fun to have another couple to share the joy and pain with. Had a fun dinner before the game with lots of other Maine fans at the Beer Works ...had some delicious brew and a yummy meatloaf sandwhich...oh yes.

So today I want to celebrate spring and warmth and all those things it is NOT today in New Hampshire. I used green cardstock which I stamped in mango ink some Autumn Leaves postmarks, the word RUSH from a clear mail art stamp set (that I can't remember who made but the I think the company is no longer making stamps) and a great old fashion sign stamp from Oxford Impressions new Spring set.  Then I die cut the little frame (Sizzix) and stamped the words using Technique Tuesday's spring word set (now retired), I die cut the leafy braches (Sizzix) and stamped the chick on white paper (also from the new Oxford Impressions spring set). I colored him and cut him out and then attached him amongst the leaves. Then I took the mango ink and gave the card a few rubs just to give it a bit of depth and a bit more of a vintage feel. I used another older but goody rubber stamp- this time from Hero Arts. The mini butterfly comes from an old mini-butterfly set, and I stamped those in red and then used a Sakura gelly-roll pen to brighten them and give them some depth. Finally I rounded the corners and took I white pen and doodled in the white stitching- it goes around the whole card edge though in this photo you can't see it. 

In case you can't figure this one out, I used the far far away post mark because that's how spring feels right now and I used the rush word because that's what I want it to do.

So have a wonderful Sunday.

Thanks for visiting too.

Lots on the Docket

Busy day ahead, study abroad meeting for Katie, BIG hockey game in Lowell, MA tonight-keep your fingers crossed Maine wins because it's getting towards the end of the season and we want a home arena advantage for the Hockey East quarter finals. Hoping to hit Trader Joe's in the middle of those 2 events...I desperately need to stock up.

And it is getting COLD- we've become spoiled with this mild winter weather.

Tomorrow we shouldn't even hit 20 degrees and I am not going to leave the house. Luckily I don't have to since it is Sunday, the perfect day to lounge in fleece sweats and my grungy sweatshirt ALL DAY!

So anyhow, here's

a bit of "love"ly "he"art to share with you.

10 Things Friday-What I'd Love

This is my Valentine's edition of 10 Things Friday- just a few days early I know but I'm going with a theme this week-10 Things I'd love right now. And in hopes of being a bit out of the box for this season, not 10 things I love best, but 10 things I wish for....

1-I'd love for Maine Hockey to win NCAA national champions this year!

2-I'd love to get out and walk every day since I miss that so much at this time of year-hard to get out when you live on a dirt road that is icey, snowy or muddy and when you leave at 6:30 a.m. to go to work and it's hardly light yet.
3-I'd love for the temperatures to go up and spring to be here and stay here.

4-I'd love to have a big pot of tulips or daffodils blooming in my house.

5-I'd love to be a little less BUSY at work. You know, that perfect mix of busy enough not to be bored but not so busy you are going NUTS! Plus work 6 hours a day instead of 8, and get the same pay. (OK, a girl can wish, can't she?)
6-I'd love for today to be the day before we leave for our vacation because I can't wait to get away for a few days.
7-I'd love to come home some day and find my house cleaned and dinner cooking and all the banking, bills and errand running to be all completed. Yes, my husband helps out A LOT, but not that much.
8-I'd love to have a lot more studio time and the chance to design my own line of items. Wouldn't that be exciting?
9-I'd love for chocolate  to be zero calories and not fattening.
10-I'd love to find another pair of my favorite jeans since mine just wore out and ripped in an area where it would look silly to patch and I can't find any that are the same or even close...
It is fun to wish, but you know, I love my life a lot and even if nothing changed, I'll be happy-except maybe about the jeans....

*****

And here's my fun photo for the day! It's one of the photos from Death Valley that I have been photo-shopping this past week. On the road in the desert is what I wish I was doing right now.

Hearts

Thursday!!!!

I love this heart doiley stamp from Hero Arts. Here it is shown stamped with Versamark and then embossed with some red/gold mixed powder. I cut the heart out of the white paper I made it on and then attached it to my heart page which is sprayed with some Tattered Angels and stamped in Mango with a PostModern Design clock stamp. I added this sprig of white silk flowers and I added a Viav Paint Pen dot in red to the middle of each.

Here's the whole page...You can see I also added some pink heart paper tape (Martha Stewart) and added a stamped saying (Technique Tuesday/Allie Edwards).

So yesterday after work I took a trip to my fav craft store...had a $20 coupon I needed to spend by the end of the month and who can waste a $20 coupon? Next week I have 2 nights out with Open House at school and book club and then it's the week before we go away-and there's always so much to do then, so figured I better go and spend that coupon. Plus, on top of all that, this is New Hampshire and even though we've had a pretty snow free winter it is still February and you just never know if a BIG storm might come along. It would be a catastrophe if I missed out on a chance to spend a coupon.

Got myself some cool October Afternoon 8x8 paper from their Sasparilla line...hopefully can use it when I get home from Arizona in my scrapbooking post-trip fun. I love their paper. Also got a new Magenta stamp, some purple ink, a new Viva paint pen in red (use those so much my red is just about empty) and 2 white journaling pens. Was fun, but then shopping for supplies always is.

Been working on photo shopping photos from last winter's trip to Death Valley...so I can scrap them. I actually LOVED Death Valley and that trip-all  that wide open space and all fantastic views. I hope I love Southern Arizona as much.

So today my Dad would have been 88 years old.

Here he is when he was just a boy. I think about him a lot but right now I am missing him so much. I think it is looking at him closely in this old photo.

He and I were a lot alike in many ways and it was always great to talk with him.

That's what I miss. He always liked to hear my stories and look at my scrapbooks and photos.

Happy Birthday Dad. Hope you are celebrating in style up there in the great big fishing spot in heaven.

Anyhow...

Have a fantastic day and thanks for taking a bit of your time to visit my blog.

More Love for You

Here's some pages from my Valentine's journal style project. I used a book I got in one of the Frantic Stamper's grab boxes and put 2 pages together to make them thicker and able to hold lots of sprays, stenciling and and stamping.

Top page is first sprayed with Tattered Angels and then stencilled with ink and Crafter's Workshop stencil.

Page 2 is just colored with some pink ink brushed on.

Page 3 I used a stencil and some Ranger Adirondack spray ink, plus I used my Copic air sprayer for the first time- definately need some more practice there.

Top page is bordered with a drawn doodled scallop and then some Viva paintpen dots are added. Middle page is bordered with an Autumn Leaves stamp repeated around the edges several times-inked in pink. Bottom page is bordered with some fabric trim glued down.

Top page images-this fantastic colonial couple from Stamp Francisco I've had forever. Middle page is a romantic 1950's style couple from Acey Deucey stamps I have had forever too. Bottom page is stamped with this Cupid-maybe Stampington, kisses word, 2 black heart outline (Stampington) and the butterflies (ok, senile moment-but I think they are from the same Stampington clear set as the hearts).

Top page saying is from Cats Life Press and the XO are Tim Holtz/Stampington.

Middle page saying is from Hero Arts and the sweetheart word and the scroll are from Flourishes.

Not sure who made the clear stamp word kisses on the bottom. (The packaging is long gone).

So it has been a productive time in the studio as of late- finished this Valentine's book, started my bucket list journal, get my travel journal for Arizona all together and ready to use on the trip, and got back to my Outer Banks travel scrap journals from last summer. I am going to finish those up and got lots of other trip journals to work on.

Love that!!!!

Thanks for visiting and come back soon.