To Put a Smile on Your Face

Ha-ha-ha!

This card makes me grin. I started by stamping the cattails (KIm Hughes for the former Cornish Heritage Farms) and then coloring them with Copics. I then die cut this paper and attached it to the card. The frog is a Sizzix die cut. The little lilly pad he sits on is from Flourishes Rubber Stamps. Saying is from Kim Hughes, Cornish Heritage Farms too.

I added little google eyes to the frog, which finishes the card right off.

Tuesday is here! I have a long day at work-I have a workshop after school but I am getting a new iPad at this workshop-fun!!!!

So I am off, thanks for stopping by.

Wedding Card

A little pre-posted post for you today since I am still in New Mexico. Missing the folks and the critters at home, but having a blast. Didn't bring my computer with me so you'll have to wait until I return to see some views from my trip.

Here's a card I made for a co-worker's wedding which is happening today down in Florida.  I couple of my lilac Viva paint-pen dots got a bit mushy, but overall I like this card. Traditional with a bit of unusual green.

All images are from Kim Hughes when she made stamps for Cornish Heritage Farm.

I started by embossing in a bright green the leafy branches on the background. Then I die cut the green circles (Life Style Crafts/Quickutz) and the white circle from Sizzix. I layered these and then I stamped and embossed the phrase. I stamped the couple in black on glossy card stock and trimmed them.

So hope you're having a great week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Trails Today

I'll stay on the Western theme and maybe even an Arizona theme. Here's a fun card I made. I used Cornish Heritage Farms (Kim Hughes) stamps. 

I also used this American Crafts lizard skin cardstock. Thought it would work for this, just like the natural brown twine.

I like my cards plain and simple but I am working hard on trying to make my backgrounds have more depth and interest. Been doing it a lot in my scrap-journal, since I don't just have that much studio time most days and to do a daily journal and a scrap-journal and make cards and do the other fun things I want to do.

Guess I just need to quit my job and do art all day everyday.

Wouldn't that be fun????

Think it must be spring because it gets me really in the gardening mood. The fix up my home mood. The try new yard thigns mood.

Plus I seem to feel more art creative.

Must be the rebirth of spring and me coming out of my winter hibernation slump.

Anyhow, am not planning on quitting my job, still need to be there. Still need the cash to feed my craft supply addiction!

Just can't win-time to create- no money for supplies-work for money-not enough time to create.

I suppose if I was really creative I wouldn't need to buy supplies, right?

Have a good day and thanks for visiting.

Pink Cards for Thursday

Some PINK cards today!!!

Nice and bright for an overcast day.

Not my usual color choice but here you go, I made 3 recently using a lot of that color.

Here's my card for this week's Blogger's Challenge. Very mom-ish. In fact, I will be giving it to my mom for Mother's Day.

First this pretty one using some images from Paper Smooches that are from one of April's new sets-Pretty Momma. The background is an Impression Obsession cover a card stamp and the frame from is a Sizzix die cut. 

I stamped the cameo directly onto the card but the roses (I love these roses) are embossed and colored and then cut out and added. I also used a bit of light brown mango colored ink to lightly distress the inner frame area because I wanted t make the face area pop out a bit-and not fade into the rest of background quite so much.

And sticking with the color pink, here's a baby card I made for a shower my daughter was going to. I used pink and white card stock. The white I punched this doily border and then lightly rubbed some blue ink. I drew in the clothesline and clothespins. The baby wear is also by Kim Hughes, back before Paper Smooches when she designed for Cornish Heritage Farms. And the saying from Paper Smooches.

And finally, how about this white card with lots of pink on it. The center is pink paper with the word happy stamped on it in pink. The heart is Unity stamp. Then I used a Sizzix die, one of my favorite flowers, to make the pink flowers. I used a velvety brad for the center and some velvet leaves. And some pearl white Viva Paint Pen dots.

Beautiful Day ahead

It's a gorgeous sunny day here in New Hampshire...suppose to be mostly blue skies and in the 70's-LOVE IT! Me and Harl went for a great morning walk-let him into the woods along the way and he ran like a crazy dog, leaping over downed trees and all those happy dog things dogs do. I was just checking into this online class  Jennifer MacGuire is teaching in at Inspiration Showcase that I subscribed too...can't wait to learn some fun new techniques. Class starts Monday and I can't wait! This class was taught at my favorite craft store, Aboslutely Everything in Topsfield, MA last spring but due to an email change I never knew about it until it was too late. Everyone has been raving about it, so I am SO excited I get the chance to take it.

So here's a card for the day... I made this for Katie last weekend. Most of the stamps are by Kim Hughes, but when she designed for Cornish Heritage Farms. I wanted to say moose you, something that was in my head when I was making the moose...so I wrote them in on the clouds, just for fun.  When finished I still thought the card needed some kind of design element, so I added the dotted circle which is from Fontwerks, I believe another extinct stamp company from the past. I use this design set a lot...and I got it in a set of used items from eBay and not even the stamp I bought I set for. Funny how that happens, you get something for 1 item and end up using something else from the bunch more.

And here's my latest read. I enjoyed the last Louise Penney book so much that I picked up this, the first Inspector Gamanche novel.

So last evening Katie surprised me by coming home for dinner...she was here when I arrived after school, so we went shopping and had a nice supper...then she left. I was a bit miffed at the hubby, well more than a bit miffed, and still am, since we wanted hockey game tickets for when UNH plays UMO at Fenway Park in January, and he kind of dumped it in my lap, and when I managed to get lucky and get some tickets, he didn't even thank me....and he knows since I just got paid yesterday (after no pay all summer) I had a lot of bills to pay out this check. A "that's great" or a "thanks" or a "good job" would have been NICE!  I am just wanting to go off to my fav. craft store today and leave him all day...

MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyhow, it is TOO nice of a day to waste complaining (but I feel SO much better getting ti off my chest)!!!

Thanks to those of you who stop by to visit!

Back to School

It's the official start of the work year for me!

Summer has been great, went at a nice pace, was a lot of fun, and now it is ALREADY time for routine, schedules and productivity.

I don't mind working but don't want to give up my laid back mental mode.

But in another way, the schedule will feel good.

Tough to give up the can do it today or tomorrow mind frame.

Tough to give up the morning walks and the hours in the studio playing.

Not that I can't do either AFTER work.

I do hate the having to get up and be on a time schedule.

But I've done this for so long I can do it some more.

I am writing this Sunday evening and so I am assuming we have work and the storm hasn't changed anything. Since our power is back and we didn't get the storm as bad as they originally said-Irene moved a bit west of here-but we did get TONS of rain and some wind...my yard is covered in leaves- but not the issue some people had so I will count my blessings.

So my card for today is more because of my mental health rather than physical health. I started with a long pink cardstcok card and I stamped red crosses over it, using Kim Hughes' feel better set from Cornish Heritage Farm set. Then on white I stamped the little buggies from that same set and colored them with some nice bright Copics.  I also added the stethescope. Then I attached it, added the sayings, and that was it. VERY SIMPLE but a fun little card to cheer up anyone, even me in my back to work mode.

Have a great day yourself...and if you're a bit down in dumps yourself

feel better soon!

Its Almost the Weekend

I am writing this Thursday night, and its about 8 p.m. and its not pitch dark!!!! I love it. I love long days. Its a bit chilly out there, but the sun came out later in the day and the rain stopped.

Now its Friday morning-or will be when this posts. Katie's coming home today...she's got about a week left to school...at least actual school time since they have reading days before exams. Then she's home for the summer. I know she wants to get home, but I think she's a bit bummed out lately. Exam stress... roomate been's bugging her...needing more than her usual part time sumemr job. She really does need to RELAX...but I can't make her relax- and as a mom you worry about them, but she's also at this point where you can't say anything to her, she doesn't listen or want to hear you, and then she interupts you when you do speak. She's kind of a direct and rigid person. Has to have everything laid out and planned out...I worry she might be ready to implode over some little diddlely thing...but its probably just me being a mom and worrying. Probably for no real reason either. That and I worry how its going to be this summer-it might be a tricky summer, but I'll be glad for her to be home.She is my little girl.

So here's my card for FRIDAY-(yahoo-Friday...almost the weekend...I love the weekend). This card is perky and a bit playful. I wonder how it would look if I hadn't stamped the tree trunks onto the white card itself and moved them higher onto the die cut circle...and then did the heart border...I am going to have to try that and see what I get.

I used white cardstock and die cut a graph paper circle. All stamps except the words are Kim Hughes/Cornish Heritage Farms. I stamped the trees, colored them. The butterfly, colored and added some small Viva Dimensional Pearl dots. I stampd the hearts, colored them and then drew in a dotted line to connect them. Then I stamped the bird, colored in the beak and legs and added the eye. The words are an old tiny stamp from Wordsworth...are they even still a stamp company? Does anyone know...they had great sayings. Its hard to find good sayings laterly-there's lots of good card type phrases, but quotes and sayings are a lot harder to find than they were back a few years. Guess things come and go. I stamped the words 3 times as though it was the butterfly trail.

Have a happy Friday!

A Cherry Hello

OK, a pretty bad pun on a cheery hello, but on this dark and very wet morning, let me show you the cherry blossoms on Al. They are quite cheery for a dreary moment here in New Hampshire.

Al is a weeping cherry tree in my backyard. Now I don't usually go around naming trees, but this was a gift from my co-workers when my dad passed away 6 1/2 years ago, and it was appropriate because my dad loved to work in the yard and he loved trees and shrubs, he wasn't really a gardener per say. So we named this tree after him, a memory of him, and right now he is blooming beautifully.

I suppose I should take a photo  to show you all of Al, but he's a big white bloom right now.

Got to love spring colors!

And now onto my card for the day...which has also got a tree covered in blooms-just like Al.

I used Kim Hughes/CHF stamps for this card. I started by stamping a row of the flowers across the card in a place I might add ribbon or tape. I colored them with Copics. Then I die-cut the diamon and stamped the tree on it, which I colored and also the little bee. I attached the diamond shape on and then used some fun little butterflies. Finally I stamped the saying on white paper, which is not from Kim Hughes or CHF. I actually don't know who made the stamp but it was part of a big set of stamps I won last winter on eBay and its got many encouraging saying on it. So I cut this one out of the paper and then attached it. Finally I added some lilac dots (Viva) onto the corners of the diamond.

So, on another grey morning here in New Hampshire...let me wish you a cheery (or cherry) hello.

Less is More-Thank You

This week at the Less is More Challenge is a Lucky Dip-cards for thank you or congratulations.

Check it out at http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/.

Here's my entry; I'm going with a pretty Thank You card on white cardstock. Unfortunately from the photo you can't get the feel for the flowers which are purple from Dimensional Pearls, but what I did was dab 4 But I'm ahead of myself. I started with the leaves in a bright green Staz On ink and then stamped the blossoms in black. Both of these stamps are from the now out of business Cornish Heritage Farms and designed by Kim Hughes. The Thank You is from Inkadinkado. Then, as I previously mentioned, I added some purple Pearls to make the flowers pop.

I think the photo would be brighter had we had sunshine outside, but since its rainy and grey, the affect is a bit muted, but still...I'm happy with this card. This is one of those projects where I do think Less is More.

Thanks for stopping by.

Some Rain and Clouds

The sun is gone for a few days they say...but maybe I'll be more into work...not that I don't work at work, and not that I feel miserable there...but with leaves coming out and grass getting green and daffoldils blooming- who wants to be inside teaching and grading and all that jazz?

Not me...but I will make the sacrifice. (LOL)

So yesterday I came home and made date nut bars (my latest obsession) from dried sour cherries I bought at Costco instead of dates. Those cherries are SO yummy, soft but chewy, sweet but sour. That and coffee flavored frappes...man, think I could live on those 2 items right now.

Some pretty daffoldils blooming right now in my garden. I never used to think much of daffodils, but I have become such a big fan. They just get thicker and more blooms every spring.

And here below is one of the hyacinths blooming also.

So here's a card from the other day I made when I was playing with all my CHF, KIm Hughes stamps. Along with those I also used some from the Kids set at Technique Tuesday that I bought last Friday at the Creating Keepsake Convention vendor show. I like the saying "go out and play" and I don't think it needs to be used just with kids.

 It could be used with me to go out and garden too. Or go to the beach...or take a roadtrip (though right now gas it just about hitting $4.00 a gallon AGAIN...man-o-man. That really hurts at the pump.)

Anyhow...back to this card.

So first I tried out some Tattered Angels spray that I also got at the convention. I've never used it before, and it is fun, gives a little sparkle, though I don't think I've got it all quite down yet. Then I die cut some of this circles with a Nestibilities die I also picked up. I used 7Gypsies graph paper to cut them from...I thought the theme of summer and the beach and going out to play meant putting away all that school/work related graph paper. I stamped the waves (CHF/Kim Hughes) and outlined them with some darker Copic. Then I stamped the bathing suit, sandels and beach supplies-then colored those with Copics. Lastly I used the Technique Tuesday saying stamp and colored the word out. I attached them all on the car, trimmed the saying circle since it was hanging off the sides, and Voila-my card. Not exactly beach weather here today, but a good reason to show you this card.

Since we all are entitled to dream.

So go have your own dream today and make it a good one.

Back to Work

Vacation is really over now- its Monday and its back to work. They say the best weather of the week today and then it gets wet...glad I'm not off and the rain will make the workweek easier. BUT...when I got up...there's some light on the horizon...jusr starting to brighten up...that's a huge change from before vacation...and I love when we get light compared to winter when its always dark-or so it seems.

So here's my card for the day...one I made yesterday using my CHF Kim Hughes stamps. Its playful and fun, and quite simple. Everything is stamped directly on white cardstock, colored with Copics to have some bright colors. I did add some Viva blue dots on the shark bubbles and I did add some Viva green on the tall seaweeds on the bottom, but its just plain FUN!

Happy Monday...hopefully I can wake up and get moving better than I feel right now. Hope you can too.