Under the Sea

Can you guess who inspired me to create this very cute, but time consuming card? If you guessed Stampin with Markies Mom your right!!


I just thought this would be fun to try and recreate with my tools, and papers and embellishments, turned out cute, but there was some time involved. The card itself, I inked with 3 different colors to give it that leathered worn look. Used the cuttlebug embossing folders and my crimper to get the textures for the sea urchins. Used rafia for my bow and found a few beads to attach. Darn, I thought I had a tiny shell from last years adventure to Myrtle Beach, but couldn't put my fingers on it!

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. ~ Albert Einstein

Grateful

I'm grateful it's not snowing anymore!! I'm grateful there is blue sky and the sun is shinning and glistening off the white snow! I'm grateful today is a day everyone goes back on schedule (please note: I did not say back to normal.... who knows what normal is). Yay! I don't have to be at work until 3 pm... so I have a quiet house to myself... to catch up!

Oh, how cute... outside my window to the world, the birds are chirping and feasting at the birdfeeder outside my kitchen window, and too, a squirrel just peeked up at me... I'm sure he couldn't see me looking at him, but it's fun watching him nibble!


This card is quite basic, not completely simple, but I love the colors. As I've stated before... I just have fun checking out Splitcoaststampers, I see a card I fall in like with, and then find the materials I have to create something similar.

I don't like it when people on the street say "smile" or "cheer up." It's a real cheap line. I'm feeling good. I'm feeling real grateful for everything. It's a solid time in my life. When people say I look sad, they're wrong. ~ Nicolas Cage

End of Spring Break in the Midwest

Window to the world of a early spring winter storm....


We heard it was coming...

but didn't believe the hype.

Do we shovel, or let it melt, eventually?

It's about 6" of heavy wet stuff.

Back to school and work tomorrow, lovely spring break.

Proof we saw Sue

Okay, hate to say it, seen one museum, seen em all!!! See Ben Stiller at "Night at the Museum" ~ yup!! feels like you've seen it all before!! Here are the thrilled 'children' checking out and posing in front of the big dinos! The best thing... PF Chang's for lunch! I'll admit... I don't have to go back to the Field Museum (unless I'm taken there for FREE) for another 30 years or so!



Not to say we didn't have FUN bonding as a family during spring break... but honestly... all museums are alike, you just have to pay extra to see the special exhibits. In this case "Pirates". Oh, and I'm not panning Museums.... but every 10-15 years is a good time to visit.


Back to crafting... after I clean the house from everyone being home!! They call for snow tonight.... lovely!!!

Adventure

Sorry, creative greetings!! off to see the Field Museum today in Chicago!

More Zindorf Inspiration

So, after going to Michelle Zindorf's class, and practicing her current tutorials, I had to work on a few Zindorfian cards. This one below, is similar to the exclusive one we made in class, I had to try my brayer hand and see if I could duplicate what I learned.



The other two cards are from her tutorials in the past week. Sorry if this repeating of myself seems like the movie Ground Hog's day (with Bill Murray, a classic, filmed in Woodstock Illinois, less than 10 miles from here, by the way) I get up, walk the dog, go to work, come home, take the kids to their events, then play with cards, repeat.... next morning do the same thing, just smelling better because I had shower, repeat....


My next idea is to mix it up a bit, make the Zindorf's with a creative greeting twist... you'll have to stay tuned to see what I come up with. Now that I've said it out loud... it HAS to be done... wait for it!!!!

Maya Angelou

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

A Fairy Dusting

It seems as blogs and card websites, Fairy's are becoming popular again. (Just like little gnomes and elves) Fantasy world!! I can't keep up with all the new trends, rubber stamp companies and designers come up with. I would not be able to afford all the adorable new images out there! How do these women do it! Buy and sell. Some times I get attached to my stamps, I'd feel guilty selling them! Just to buy MORE new ones!


This image is not a complete copy cat, there was something about the 'other' fairies head I did not like, so I 're did' a few things. I found the color combo first for the card and background paper (looks so PREPPY), then went from there to color her in. There is glitter glue on her skirt fringe and the flower atop her head. I'm at a loss for words... no sentiment yet... but when the right occasion comes along, this card will be full of happiness and fun!

"Wish" I had more time...

...to follow the challenges on SCS, they seem to come up with cool ideas, and fun ways to recycle old ideas with a twist. I think one of the challenges recently was adding the triangle to the left adding a sentiment to the top and the image in a square below right.


So, here is my casing of the project. I do have some cool designer paper, I just have to organize and find it. I like these type of layouts when the paper truly coordinates. And I stayed along the lines of Markie's mom with the dots!


Thanks for looking!! Comments are always welcome, purchases are even better!!! Have a great day!

Peonie Poppers

Here's a card I made last week. I think the flowers are peonies... if not... who cares~ they look cute on the card, right? Inspired by Markie's Mom can't you tell by the dots? Flowers are mostly chick cards. Sad state of affairs, just like the economy, I'm giving more cards away than selling them, but like I say every time, "man, I'm having fun creating these things". I'm drawing, coloring, cutting, doodling, designing.... who wouldn't relax and feel good after doing that!!


So, do you need a weather report? That's all the fun I got to inform about around our house~ rainy first day of spring break, right now it's only 36 out... thank goodness it's not snowing, but compared to the mostly sunny weekend .... this is a pretty sad way to start a Monday!


“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.”
Francesca Reigle

Are you Ok?

I am!!!! Actually I'm very happy, for many reasons!

Gorgeous, beautiful weekend!!! It has been mostly sunny and near 60!!! I got so much done, but I'm so exhausted, happily! I raked the yard of leaves and debris and cleaned up and out some of the thorn bushes in our way back (hate those when I'm mowing back there) Also cleaned up 'crap' blown into our yard from other people's garbage... I know it's not ours!! Cleaned my car, washed the inside of the windows, they were all filmy! Went grocery shopping, did about 6 loads of laundry, deep cleaned the stove top, vacuumed and scrubbed the kitchen floor and entry, and did about 4 hours of burning digital images from the computer to a DVD!! Walked to dog on two long walks!! Went to the library to get books for the week! Whoosh!!! Last night we had cheese and onion enchiladas, tonight we're having chopped steak on the grill with mushroom and onion au jus, baked potatoes and asparagus!!! Bubba and I made homemade Cinnabon rolls! See, I'm a cook, cleaning lady, laundress, Gardener, baker and computer guru!!!! Actually, I am ok!!!


This was a cute image that I was inspired to draw. It was in my image bin, and I felt like creating a few cards last night to relax! Trying to figure out what it might say on the inside!! Mmmm.... it's back to work tomorrow! Spring break... we might go to the Field Museum (Chicago) at the end of the week. The kids will have to fend for themselves for a few days... first time in a long time I'm working during spring break, we're not going anywhere.... it's a bit odd!!! But I'm saving lots of money!!

A Happy Birthday post

Wouldn't it be funny if I came up with a blog post that I said I was soooo creative, I designed my own card? That would be funny!! Too much work. I so have fun being inspired by other card makers, working with their layout, using the materials I have on hand to create similar color combos and drawing or improvising with the image. Here is a fine example of that work, inspired, but truly my own! Does that make sense? Used $1 stamps to create the background swirly flower. Scrap paper... love this stamp from SU! but don't have it... so using a tiny flower stamp, I make my own birthday cake!! I love making the 'perfect' bow too!!!



So although there are blue skies outside this morning, it's a nice brisk 20 degrees. The high schools are out for the first day of spring break. I wonder what Bubba will do today???

More Zindorf Inspiration

Now understanding the brayer technique, after the class, I went back to some of Zindorf's tutorials, and tried my hand again, now knowing how to do 'it'. So fun, so cool! I do think they miss a word, a phrase, a saying... so I think I'm going to look through some of the word stamps I have and see what's appropriate.


I'm starting to go through the brads really quick on these cards. They look great, but of course I have to find some on sale!!!!


Thanks for stopping by! We artist are a weird breed!!! Happy Day!!
PS Go check out Highlowaha for some more fun!!

Thoughts of Spring-y-ness

Saw this 'lil buddy from Whipper Snapper Designs and think he makes a cute "thinking of Spring" type of card. Nothing special with the layout of the card or the matting, but I do love the color combo of red, teal and mustard (I think) its a good, strong color combo! Used a mix of water color pencils and markers to color in drawn image.


A laugh is the shortest distance between two people.
Victor Borge

Who gives a hoot?

Here's a fun little card with a smart looking owl! Card layout inspired by Markie's Mom.
What I did for this card was take my background paper and then colored the owl in accordance to the color on the paper. That's what seems to make this particular card more matchy/matchy! Like this idea alot, in fact!


I will slightly apologize for spelling errors throughout my recent posts. In most cases I do not do a spell check, when I'm on a blog roll, I just type what I'm thinking and I guess from reading back I have been transposing a lot of my letters. But you get that I'm an artist, not a writer!!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

The Big Cheese!

Before I got caught up in a whirlwind of new learning, I had created a few whimsy cards last week. Can't take credit for anything ~ except drawing the cute mousy ~ everything was CASEd perfectly... I'm going back to being inspired... although my card looks probably very close to some other GREAT card makers... I don't copy exact dimensions or products. How cool to use the hole punch to make swiss cheese? I don't have much yellwo ribbon, bu this seemed to work, dots and all already.


By using different mediums, markers and water color pencils, I am constantly working on my shading to give the cards more of a 2D feel. Now I just have to find the right saying to put inside the card, and then find the right receiver!! Got any ideas?

Arithmetic is being able to count up to twenty without taking off your shoes. - Mickey Mouse

Zindorf Groupies!

What a wonderfully fun day I had yesterday with Marilyn in Wheaton Illinois! We went to Michelle Zindorf's beginner brayer class!!! A brayer is like a small paint roller, except you roll ink on to your paper for background images when you stamp ( or sometimes draw) And here is the first card we created.

There is a bit of technique you need to practice to get a handle on how much ink goes where. I still have a line of blue that isn't quite feathered out.


Here is card #2. Love the color combo's. Michelle is inspired by looking at watercolors and often finds paintings that she prints a thumb nail from the computer, then uses it to inspire, creates, and then shows wonderful tutorials on her blog.


Card #3... my hands are still blue from the ink. I guess I really got into it. (Of course when I got home I had to play some more.) Michelle said it, once you learn how to use the brayer you really say OMG! this is so easy!! But there is room for improvement on my part, learning just how to bring the brayer down the page so you don't get the horizontal lines... she said you will always get the vertical lines, the feathered look.... practice, practice, practice! Can you tell I'm a novice, or would you like one of these cards???


Here we are, me (L), Michelle (C) and my friend Marilyn (R) (who is my SU! demo).


And finally, I won!!! I won a door prize of stamps! It was a great day to be off of work, taking a class that was fun, meeting up with other women who are awe inspired by Mrs. Zindorf's creativity, going out to lunch and driving through Illinois rush hour traffic on a Friday night! Fun, fun day!!!!

Caught a bug

Totally CASEd this card! Thought the image was adorable and really tried to copy the cork feel for the top of the bottle. Used scrap paper. Corner rounder, cuttlebugged the brown and actually stitched on the card. I was just so inspired to create this card (cutey patooty), they used glaze over the jar, didn't feel like doing that... too much work! hee hee Hopefully this will make someone feel better when they are sick! Or at least make them smile!!

Coopers not feeling well

We took our 'puppy' to the vet over the weekend. He has been feeling very sad lately and is not himeself. He's also had trouble getting up the stairs and other places of comfort that he rests on.


The vet took some blood, and the results of everything are normal, except his thyroid is somewhat low. She saw the difficulty in his back left hip... kind of like a hip joint pain.... we have come to the conclusion that although he gets a walk in one, two sometimes three times a day... so much winter in activity, that when he played with one of his friends, he over did himself! So, the vet recommended a Glucosamine chondroitin complex.... to help rebuild cartilage and lubricate joints. Here's a picture of him, we just gave him some TLC!! Today on the walk he was shivering... what do you expect,it was 13 degrees!!!

Matching Birthday Gift Pak

Here's a cute little project I worked on over the weekend. A 4 card gift set in a matching pak! All four of the cards are within the same color scheme and use all the same designer background paper to look like they match! Birthday, thinking of you, blank and Easter.


During stamp camp we learned to make this little holder. If anyone is interested in dimensions, just email me. It probabably could hold 6 cards w/envies comfortable. I like that everything matches and looks like a complete gift set.


I sang a little Orphan Annie yesterday... OHHHHHHHH....The sun will come out, tomorrow... and it did... sunny blue skies after a long weekend of rain. Off to the orthodontist today, and work later!!