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.



Maybe today

To celebrate Valentine's Day I am going to show you a bunch of heart art in the next several days.

Here's a card I made using Hero Arts stamps...really really easy. First I stamped the bird twice, once on the white cardstock card itself and once on white paper. Then I colored the bird on the white paper and cut it out. To make that easier, I didn't cut out the heart tail or the legs or the hearts being sung. I colored those right on the image stamped on the card. Then I glued the bird down on top of the image and the heart to cut items come out perfect. Then I stamped the saying and the little hearts with tails and colored the hearts.

Super super quick and easy and it makes a great simple little card.

In the getting the colors spot on and getting rid of the wood grain lines on the card?????Where did they come from, I played around in Photoshop. My finished photo-shopped card doesn't even look like a real homemade card, but the bird is more the real color and it does look very finished....

So I have a bit of a cold and went home last night and put the pjs on at 4:30, even though it was a beautiful day well into the 40's with blue sky...Felt like March. I love that!!!!! But my nose was stuffy and I was tired and needed a nap. So I took a long one for 2 hours. Plus I wanted to read for awhile- you know how sometimes you just get the overwhelming reading mode? Or art mode? Or cooking mode? Travel? You get my drift. Yesterday at work most everyone was in such a BUMMER of a mood from the Superbowl...that was the talk of the day, though lots of people didn't want to talk about it-I think it was helpful to talk. We all moaned together...we all felt depressed together-one BIG therapy session, what can I say?

Thanks for visiting, I'd love if you said hi.

Yawn

Really disappointed how the game went last night; it was such a huge let down, but then you say to yourself, it is just a game. Someone has to lose, but it was just so painful to watch.

What a let down.

Am tired this morning, so today, just a few teaser photos of my Valentine's Projects. Be back tomorrow with more finished views.

Have a nice Monday!

Super Bowl Sunday

So it is Super Bowl Sunday here in the US and I guess around the world for those of you who stay up late to watch it. Pats versus Giants-

GO PATS!!!

Seeing I am an New Englander and they are my team!

It makes my New England heart proud to have such a great local team!

We're going over to some local friend's home for dinner and the game-should be fun. And hopefully the final score will be in New England's favor.

The only bad thing is it's going to be a LATE night since the game doesn't start until after 6 here in New Hampshire and that means it will be hard to get up and get going tomorrow, but tomorrow morning is only going to be bad if the Pats lose.  We're not even thinking about that around here.

********************************

So I finished my Inspector Gamanche book this morning (those are GREAT mysteries) and now I have a new reading book-so far, it's interesting and has my attention.

And now (as Monty Python would say) for something completely different.

Yesterday I spent LOTS of well needed studio time and finished my Valentine's journal book. A great mental recharge day for sure. No photos to show you of my journal yet but I will get them up. Here's a card I made a while back and never posted. I was using a bunch of scraps on my table and here's what I came up with.

I started with white cardstock for the background. Then I had this funky cut piece of heavy duty off white paper which I used Distress Stain on and then stamped these fun little flowers (Hero Arts) in orange. I used a darker orange Copic to add the darker strip on most of them. Then I had this die cut shape laying around so I added that, as I had the orange baker's twine too. The 3 small cardboard bingo dots came from an ancient bag of these dots I've had, made eons ago by Postmodern Design. I love having them for little additions to various projects. Finally I added the stamped saying (Impression Obsession) and some orange Viva paint pen dots around the funky circlular die cut.

So hope you have a very enjoyable and creative day!  If you are a Giants fan, I hope you aren't too disappointed tonight!!!!!!!!

Need this Down Day

 

I need this day off.  What a BUSY week this was-first full week of classes, contract issues, the NHS talent show, a vet appointment for Harley. I am writing this Friday night while we're watching UNH hockey on tv. They're my backup hockey watching when Maine isn't on...especially since Katie goes there and I've taken lots of grad classes there. When I got home yesterday after work, I was so tired I took a long nap in my bed-it was one of those tireds where the couch wouldn't even suffice...got home late Thursday night from work since we had our NHS talent show---- which was fantastic!!!! And those late nights just wipe me out.

I am just tired to the bone...think that even with a mellow winter like we're having it is still a mentally exhausting season...I need sunshine and some warmer temperatures-really warm, not these 40's which I am not complaining apart but I need spring.

Anyhow, enough chatter, onto the card. I had a bit of studio time early in the week but haven't been into my studio since Tuesday.  This card starts with this great bright green cardstock which I stamped in brown Hero Art's chevron stamp. I added a strip of 7Gyspies paper tape. I love these poppies-one of my favorite flower stamps-it's also by Hero Arts. I colored them with Copics and added some brown Spica glitter pen to the center. Then I cut them out and attached them. The love you stamp is by Technique Tuesday, the international postmark is an older Hero Arts stamp and the air mail and the forgein postmark are by Stampa Rosa. There is also a special delivery stamp on the postmark and that was from Hero Arts too.

Thanks for visiting and have a great Saturday :)!

10 Things Friday

Here's another edition of me babbling on about what's on my mind and what's going on in my life...right now...
1- All I can say is that I am TIRED of bad morning drives to work. I know, I know, still 2 more months when I can expect to have them too!

2-This has been trip planning week-for both my upcoming trip to Arizona in  a few weeks and this summer when we go on a longer more northern adventure.
3- And speaking of planning, 3 weeks left to work before break- when you get to this point you start planning your lessons to wrap up by break. At 3 weeks you can start to see the light on the horizon-you know, lets try to squeeze this in -3 weeks to cover it, be able to finish up and give a test before we go so we can start a fresh unit when the kids come back after break. Before we get to that 3 week point I just can't see it coming nor plan my lessons around it.
4-I want to moan some more, (sorry), but I hate coming home and having to shovel off the deck. The evening is already short enough as it is. The problem with snow is that it is an awful lot of extra work.
5- I got a big Costco sized bag of peanut M & M's for Christmas and I have been munching on them all week. Naughty, naughty me.
6- Superbowl is Sunday! Go Pats. Beat the Giants. We're going to some friends here in town for dinner and the game, but I think Katie is a bit miffed since she wanted to  watch the game with us at home. Well actually, she wasn't so sure-she said she might have stayed for the whole game but I bet she would have left  to drive back to school, so that's really not a reason for us to say no to our friends and stay home...but I feel bad like I let her down since we  got the call and agreed to go out after she told us she wanted to stay home and watch the game, but she can come to the friends with us which she will. I think she's starting to realize that since she left for school we have become more socially active, you know, you're parents are people and actually have a life without you.
7- Been enjoying looking at the crafter's blogs of their CHA experiences and the previews of all the new goodies coming out. Some cool dies, and I love the postal collection 7Gypsies has previewed. I would to have gone...maybe I need to open my own shop some day or start my own product line....the product line is kind of a dream of mine....or an interesting idea.
8- New classes are going fantastic so far and I am really enjoying my kids/classes right now.
9-  I am glad it is Friday. Not that this was a long week, but it was super busy and I am ready for some DOWN time. Plus Katie's coming home and I am excited about that.
10- So this week at work we voted on a contract extension which passed-it was a 1 year extension. BUT, it meant our pay became frozen once it passed, and since it did, my pay just froze. So for the next 2 school years no pay increase, which in this economy, is going to make it tough...already feel like us midle-classers are getting further and further behind...
hmmmm.

That's my 10 things right now list for this week.


And for photo Friday- in honor of Valentine's Day which is coming up in 11 more days. Took these while playing with my new lens.

Thanks for visiting.

Ground Hog Day!!!

Yes, and it we'll find out later if he sees his shadow. Not that I remember what happens if he does or doesn't see his shadow.

And since we never knew our puppy's birthday (as he was a stray we adopted from the Humane Society), but we know he was born around February because of his approximate age when we adopted him, we picked GroundHog Day as his day- and so today Harley turns 12.

Where did the years go to?

I know I posted this photo just the other day but here he is last weekend having a tail wagging romping run on the beach in York, Maine. He's such a good boy.

And tonight  we have our National Honor Society Talent show at 6...I'm hoping it will be a FANTASTIC success and we'll make hordes of cash to put towards scholarships and other NHS activities. Plus the week is wrapping up and it didn't go quite as slow as I suspected it would, which is good. Katie is coming home this weekend too!!!!

So today's creation is a card I made using Flourishes Italian Garden set. I really like this set. It comes with lots of fun stamps including the 5 I used to make this card. I started by die cutting 2 of the nested designs which make the centerpiece of the card. The top one is from some light green checkered paper. I first used some green ink to darked the edge of this diecut, and then I stamped the oil,garlic, tomato image. I colored with with various Copics...I think my coloring is improving. I also used a Sakura gelly roll pen to color the oil jars to look a bit more like glass. Then I distressed this panel with mango colored ink and stamped the 2 different word sayings.

Here's a close up of the middle image.

The bottom shaped die cut is on printed paper and I layered these 2 on the card. Then I took a black fine line Sharpie and scribbled it along the bottom die cut to give a a little definition to this piece. I also outlined both shapes. Then on white paper I stamped the basil plant, cut it out, colored it and went over it with more jelly roll pens before attaching. I distressed the background with more mango colored ink and stamped the saying on the card. Finally, I put some red Viva paint pen dots around the edge of the bottom die cut just to frame it in a bit.

That is my show and tell for today.

Ciao!

Wow-it is FEBRUARY!!!

I can't believe one month of 2012 is gone already. I will say, New Years feels like an eternity ago, but still, January flew right by with a blink of my eye.  And this year we get an extra day in February too, which means I get to be 51 years old a little longer than normal since my birthday (which is in early March) gets pushed back a day.

Got to love that!

(I know, everyone born after Feb. 29 gets that too...but when you're so close to the day...it makes it even better because you're still thinking about Leap Year-I guess.)

And what I like about February is that the days are getting definitively longer and at the end of the month I get a week off from work. YAHOO!

Got to love that too!

I like to go someplace less wintery during my February vacation and this year we are doing that too...just 25 days until we fly to Arizona and get to explore a part of the state I have never been to before.

Anyhow, that should be fun...but first to get through the next couple of BUSY weeks for me.

But enough about me.

Here's my daily dose of creativity-

I think this was one of the most fun cards I've made recently. All stamps are Paper Smooches, and I used a lot of different sets to make this. I started with red cardstock and a piece of scrap blue cardstock which I used a Sizzix Movers and Shakers square die to cut the squares, which I meant to be even, but just doesn't ever seem to happen for me. So I say make the best of the not so good and make it look like you meant it to be like it came out-one of the best lessons I've learned. I used a Sharpie to draw the outer lines on the blue and also to outline the squares.

The mugs are from Hot Concoctions, all done on saolid cardstock but embellished...doodled the flowers on Mr. Bowtie in the middle and added the red doodled rim on My. Mustachio. Mr. Bowties glasses come from Chubby Chums 2 and his bowtie is from Sunny Side Up.  I also got Ms Lips  bows  (the top cup) from the Sunny Side Up set. For her lips, I used Perky Plants, I used a watercolor marker to just color her smile and lips and not the rest of the plant. I think that worked out well. Then I added a few hearts since this is February and it is the month of romantic love. For the words, I used the you're from the My Guy set and the Hot Stuff from Vegtastic set.

I do wish another of Paper Smooches sets would come out with some outlined lips like in the Snow Duded set since I lost my stamp in that set, it slipped out of my fingers and I scoured the rug for it, but no luck. They are fairly tiny so I guess it is bound to happen, and most of the other lips in these sets are already solid.

Maybe in the future.

Maybe Kim Hughes if you ever read my blog you'll see this and include them again in some new design...

Oh keep dreaming gal.

Anyhow, thanks for visiting.