What's Buried in your Garden?

You can bury a lot of troubles while digging in the dirt ~ unknown
No two gardens are the same, no two days are the same in one garden ~ Hugh Johnson
It pleases me to take amateur photographs of my garden, and it pleases my garden to make my photographs look professional ~ Robert Brault

'Tis my faith that every flower, Enjoys the air it breathes! ~ William Wordsworth

Ah, sunshine... time for me and some of my flowers to get our fix. It is so true, how lucky I am to be taking 365 days of photos and have the opportunity to watch my flowers grow, day by day, from rain to sun.... and then snap their image like that on a digital camera, transfer it to my computer and then share it with you. Like painting nature without the mess!

Got my OLD job back!

Ta-Ta

You need to have them, but they can be annoying.... happy birthday!

Too cute not to CASe.... ba ha ha.......

Guess what? It rained again today... I think our water gauge has been filled with 4" from the sky in the last 5 days.... weather.... I always have a topic!

I may have work news.... soon.... stay tuned!

Tweedle-le deedle dee

- Drop
- Ripped

We are building our Ark here in northern Illinois.... yup.... April showers.... canceled.... muddy.... depressing...can't plant... I need sunshine... ugh!!!! These are just a few phrases and words I've been hearing lately....

In other reports.... background paper.... I ripped it from a book.... it's so hard to rip a real book apart. The poor book didn't do anything but sit there on the shelf... but everywhere card making and paper crafting are using text for backgrounds, flowers, frames.... torn, cut, painted, stained, ruffles, pockets..... a book page can be any thing!!! Added some half circle birdies, a few doodles of hearts and leaves... and then an embossed folder for the background of the layout Thank you!

What should I call todays post??

- Bzzzz
- Smiles?

I love patterned paper. I really want to take all the fun paper I have and make it even FUN-er.... but I haven't found exactly what I should do. Sometimes I take scraps and glue them together and then stitch them... like above....so it makes it quilt like.... monochromatic with the same colors, but different patterns. Then I search through my stash of images....and then I find a layout and then all the bits and pieces come together for a unique and whimsical cre8tive greeting!!!

Are these smiles? or growls?

Yippee Hippee!

- Different Direction
- Purple Power

I love these Ketto girls from Stampin Bella. (Just in case you forget or are new to my blog.... welcome, welcome.... I doodle the image... it's not stamped... but I copy.... so that cancels out originality) I tried to follow a challenge layout for the card above, but the addition of color strips just seemed too busy. Instead, I found in my image stash this dainty dancing gal and thought her colors matched the flowers and it fit perfectly in the circle. Although, I think it's missing something... a sentiment, or buttons.... I'll work on it some more before it finds a home in some FuN MaiL.

<----- check out my pr-eview 365 photo blog.... but as a pre-view... the above picture is today's blog post. Pretty purple flowers bloomin on Easter Sunday. Oh what a joy!!!

Monkey Mini

- Little scrapbook

Saw this cute sock monkey paper and was going to make cards... but the print was too big for the designs I had in mind. Turned the paper into a mini scrapbook.... there are tags to pull out.... and places to journal and put pictures of those cute kids!! Bubba used to be 'monkey boy'.... he started to walk around 10 months and climbed out of his crib.... and then when he was about 1 he jumped off his bed... and at 2 he climbed trees.....remember that cute song...

10 little monkeys jumping on the bed, one jumped up and bumped his head, mom called the doctor and the doctor said... no more monkeys jumping on the bed. The green is like a punched lace.... and tags can be tucked behind there, added cute red, blue, green & yellow buttons.... how fun and cute!

Ohh, had a peak of the sun today... it was quite beautiful. In negotiations at work.. trying to figure out what the next step is.. should I stay or should I go.....

Funky Lady

- Bead Beautiful


Here's an original thank you card for my friend KL.... who is a terrific bead gal. She is very talented... I love her work.... we 'used' to barter (when we lived in the same state and city)... I made her special whimsical cards, helped her with marketing. and manned a booth or two at a craft fair... and in return.... I have loads of fun jewelry.... that I love and wear every day! She sent me a fun necklace for my birthday... a total surprise!!! It made me feel so special. I am so glad she is back to creating and making again. After taking some time off... I think she missed it, and it was time to get back into designing. Makes me so happy! I can't imagine a day without cre8ting!!! Maybe some day she will create enough and let me blog her stuff!!!

Happy Blog Day

Wish I was Here

- The Beach

Okay, what's a spring dreary rainy day in April in the mid-west like? Icky!!! Sad!!! Depressing!!! And that's all we talk about! What's wrong with that statement... it's so typical.... but look at the clear water off a pure oasis sandy beach in the Bahama's... those are Sissy's toes at Christmas time. Ah, memories. Wish I was there!

Thanks for Stopping By

- Busy Simple thank you note. A flower used as the top of a tree, an asterisk punch used as a blossom on a tree, doodle a stick.... frame with in a frame.... and voila~ a nice and simple thank you card. I'm so glad you stop by my blog! Visit some of my friends to the right -----> the internet is an amazing thing. Working on Back to BASICS ... trying to B-balance working and taking care of the home... A-acceptance, of those different than me... and waves of sadness knowing Bubba will probably be away at school on my next birthday... S-simplify, making dinners from scratch, tonight it was baked chicken with some delish new Ginger & Lime coleslaw.....and so much more....stay tuned! Enjoy your day!

Micro Mini Beads

- Special girl Yikes.... need to move on from that last post. (So, it would actually be the next post if you were blurfing through) That couch is just a holding spot for left over papers, projects and things I don't put away. What an eyesore... so I need to move on to something pretty, cute and fun! I believe this is one of the Ketto girls from Stamping Bella. This to me ... looks like a full card....whimsical image, frame, background paper, punched scallops, stitching, flowers, leaves and flower centers.... plus a sentiment. This is truly a full card...for someone special!

Got a notice in our mailbox last week that something was attempted delivery to our house, but it needed .44c postage due...now I'd have to go to the post office to pay and pick it up. Rainy day when I went and visited the local P.O., traffic was busy, and then I had to wait in line. I had the post card, but didn't bring in my i.d..... argh... but the postal guy let me slide... asked me my name when he brought the pretty blue envelope out. Wow! Someone sent me a birthday card... but I had to pick it up and pay for it! I joked with him.... but my smile and laughter wasn't big enough.. or he didn't get my joke. Paid my .44c and took my special envelope (without return address) out in the rain and opened it in the car. It was a solicitation from a neighbor I don't know, looking for money to donate to a national cause. Whew!! A lot of work to pick up that mail. It sure wasn't FuN MaiL. Mail should be something more than a lot of work to get. Maybe it's a sign.... I need to send out MORE FuN MaiL!!!!

Dare I?

-Ugh I have the hide-a-way bed... couch in my cre8tive lab.... I want it out!!!! And you can see why? I think it is stiffling my mojo..... April 16.... the rain just turned into snow. Poor little buds!!!

Just a Cardboard Box

- My Minds Eye - On Golden Pond A few pictures of cards and the Blossom Box that I made last weekend at the class I took with SG... at Archivers. I thought it would be more of a class class... you know with instruction.. but we got a really nice little magazine booklet that had all the details in it. The instructor was there to assist our reading .... I guess. Anyway... I love going to class. I love to learn... I love to listen... I love to cre8te! Most the time, a class reminds me of things I need to do... special touches to add to the craft that maybe I forget. My Minds Eye is the paper company that 'sponsors' the class.. or creates the designs for Archivers. The paper is gorgeous and fun that it matches. And then we made this cool box ... ripping off the top layer of corrugated cardboard... and then attaching it with ribbons... it's one of those things you go... this is too, too, TOO cute!!!!!!

Look at the paper flowers.... too, too cute!!!! Fun tulle ribbons on the corners.

I'm very lucky... every day on my 5 mile trip to work... I pass by a couple of lakes. One is right off the right side of the road... the others are behind houses, harder to see.... but I love seeing the changes on the lake right off the road. When I first started working 5 weeks ago... it was still frozen solid! Little by little... the thaw. There was an ice shanty on it for a few days. Then there was floating ice.... then the sun started to peek over the roofs of houses lining the lake. One day there were geese swimming and the ripples and circles surrounding them went on forever... it was like glass glistening in the sunshine!!! Another day it was pure serenity. The next day, 2 guys were standing in their boat... fishing off the side. I am so lucky to see this site, every day. Beautiful

My Birthday Shoes

- Animal Prints I like shoes. I like purses. I like bracelets. I like it when someone washes my hair. I like it when I get my toes painted. I like it when someone cooks for me. I like a bubble bath every now and then. I like to see my puppies play with each other. I like to feel the sun on my face. I like a good song that makes my toes tap and a brings a boogie through my soul. I like to stop and smell the flowers. I like it when I get something FREE. I like FuN MaiL. There's more I like... some of these things I even LOVE. Thank you for sharing my likes on my 47th Birthday!

Warning!! Warning!!

- Pretty Paper

Slow............. creating blog post... although I had a few hours of class up at Archivers this past Sunday.... just can't take pictures, upload them... cre8te... then post...play.... OMG! It saddens me... I can't do it ALL... no secret there... i love to make cards....

I'm not gaining that much from my job itself.... lots of boring data entry...but it sure is teaching me many things outside the work place.... self worth and pride.... oh the other thing.... so I was having a conversation in my head, I was even answering myself... then I went next door to talk to my cube mate... and I think I started talking to her in mid sentence... she looked at my quizical... I explained my comment... then she answered... later on, I realized I really didn't have the initial conversation with her... no wonder she didn't understand me... I've lost my funny mojo.... stay tuned.... I'll get my funny back... someday!

B-earth Day

- Power the Planet - A funny thing Earth Day is April 22.... I found this cute little woodchuck when I was blurfing. Today's post is a big and small version of this cutie pu-tootie. You look at him and he just seems to be happy! He puts a smile on my face. I had a request once... asking if my cards were re-cycled.... they are not... but I use some recycled products on my cards.... or I should say... I re-purpose some things.... like ribbons that have been attached to other gifts, I reuse plastic bags that cards and products come in... I've even made some paper.... one day I'll have an entire line of recycled cards...someday.... here's some great FuN MaiL.... birthday wishes.

With the wonderful life I have, I am thankful for all the gifts I've been given. I want to look for the good in things....I really do.... in all things. However, how exciting would my blog be if I wrote about ALL wonderful things... I don't think it would be funny...it would sound too perfect. We feel better about ourselves when we can laugh... at the mistakes we make.... and we laugh at what we see other people do. Just like any stupid reality show (really real??) who would want to see the clean house and the adorably perfect children? who wants clean jokes ... all the time.... who wants to see a positive news report (well, we do.... but times have changed) We want to see the train wrecks! Just need to laugh at silly things... it feels good!

What's the Best kind of Gift?

- Better than cash Gift card holders with a gift card in them... are better than cash? What do you think? These little card holders seem like gold (I've made and sold 13 in the past week) .... there are all kinds of designs, styles and layouts on all the blogs etc.... this is just a 4-1/4" x 10" card stock with matching patterned paper at each fold... and then what ever you imagine to embellish... ribbon and bows to buttons.... lollie flowers and rosettes. For only $1.... it's a very cute way to enhance that special gift... card....

Amazingly weird day with temperatures in the upper 80s! Very strange for the 2nd weekend in April. But we'll take it..... right????... and complain about it?????... need the happy medium!

Walkin' on Sunshine

- Coopy wishes

My fun doodled pup is shouting out 'happy birthday'.... party hat with pom pom and all... a gift with polka dots... bright yellow and blue.... yellow bowed knot.... FuN MaiL to send out... just for you!

Beautiful day to play outside and in. Our first true day of spring, sunshine and in the 60s. Love my puppy!

Running on Empty

I got nothing new!

It's so sad.

I admit it.

I can't do it all...

work, be a mom, wife, daughter, cook, maid, dog walker, designer.

There is a price to pay.... hopefully... soon... I can say Fill-er Up!