On the side please

Here are two cards from the past week that have color swatch on the side.  The focus is more on the tiny image, but get the color pop from the side panel.  I don't know if this is a true layout design.  These two weren't certainly done on purpose.  But hey.... they look good, right???

This card is actually one sent off to a Yellow Envelope Project recipient.  If you want to learn more about that, click here. 

 I had a great Mother's Day, how about you? I pretty much got to do my own stuff!  I read on my lovely front porch... from the library... the Sarah Palin book Going Rogue.  Was treated to yummy chips and salsa  (and a nice lunch) from Chili's.  I got a new GPS as my gift.  Yay, another electronic device I have to figure out.  But I must admit, I do love a good GPS that gets me to that new place and tells me how to get there!!!!  For dinner I was made Shrimp and Pasta, and they all pretty much cleaned up the messes.  Yay!! I got to pull weeds from my garden, that's always fun and I got to spend time with my lovely family.  What more can a mom ask for????

Today I'm off to a pre-school to volunteer painting a Noah's Ark on the wall above the 2 year old's classroom.  That's all I know.... more to come!

Garden Pictures - Visit two

Well, I thought another visit to my garden was due, since it has turned into a typical spring day here in the midwest.  A few days of dreary rain and now temps in the high 40's.  I was spoiled on Thursday when I took these pictures.  I love my bird bath.  Bearded Iris's, Lily's of the valley... and things only true gardeners know the names off .  I just planted whatever bulbs my mom's neighbor gave her!! This view is back to the house with the patio.

Another view looking toward the side of my yard with the bird bath in the forefront.  Look in the bottom left corner you will see my Goodwill find of a couple weeks ago. A heavy metal doodad... I think it was part of a couple of pieces to make a little gate of some sort.  But I like it!  My garden has rocks, gnomes and a tiny fountain too.  We'll visit those pictures another day.

There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling. ~Mirabel Osler

My Garden ~ visit one

The view out my kitchen window is a very beautiful one! I love my back yard. Of all the things right and wrong with this house in Illinois, my yard is one thing (right) I like very much. Every morning I wake up and bring the lap top to my kitchen table, to catch up on events, to visit with people, to write my blog and to look out my triple kitchen windows. My window to the world. This is what I saw in February. See the cute red barn, near to the big barn of a house???

And as of yesterday here is what I see....

Lots and lots of green..... still see the barn? Obviously I have more of my yard being shown in this picture, but I wanted you to experience what I see when I sit in my chair with my iced coffee latte and my little furry friend in my lap. Tip, tap, tip!!!Now that I see these pictures I have so many nooks and crannies in my garden that I need to share each special area. In the middle to the left you see a cute chair....

then go to a close up... although it's weathered a year on my front porch here is a perfect plant holder for these pansies. My mom is my chair finder. I actually have two chairs hidden on my porch to painted and 3 more in her attic. Yikes!!! Sunflowers now faded are on this chair. But for some reason.... I love scratched and tattered chairs placed carefully in a garden, and with pretty flowers!!!

It's been raining all night. We need it! So it's in the house I stay this spring day. The kids are home early from school. It's prom tonight.... Bubba's date got asked by someone else and she accepted the other offer :(... so he is going to Ironman with his guy friends. Sissy is going to a team bonding sleepover. And I get to figure out what's next for my secret garden!

A Note of Love

I was blurfing and saw this cute layout for a love you card and thought it would work perfect for an anniversary card.  I used stamping off as technique to give a light hint of the wording behind the bigger notables of the hearts and swirl design.  Now looking at it, the note of love should have been in a light grey or even red... it sort of looks like a mistake instead of in the background.  :0)

I liked the card so much, I did two versions.  Can't have enough anniversary cards.

It looks like it's going to be a good good day! Cool temps, blue skies and lots of sunshine!!  I got some hostas and other perinials replanted yesterday.  I'll try and do a little more weeding, it's amazing how weeds grow like weeds.  Poof! a new one pops up... poof, poof!!!! And I will take a cute picture of my backyard.  Oh, and work on my blog header.... and do some laundry, vacuum the upstairs, clean a toilet or two and wash dog smudges off the glass doors.

Zindorfs reviisited

Yay, I got someone who likes my Zindorfs.  I like my Zindorfs !! Often I am in awe of how the cards actually turn out.  My customer took a few cards and because I love them so much, I think I have to make more to replace the SOLD ones.  Slow and steady!  Birds are popular, like the butterfly and the birdcage and the flourishes.  These cool silhouettes are my own, easy to draw a bird and cut it out, especially with no distinct details.

This bayou one is an old classic... hee hee... I think I've done it before a few times because I just love the sun and the waters edge, with cattails.... feels like a hot HOT day, only on a card. 

I hear a morning dove outside my kitchen window.  Everything is sooooo green.  I just love,love,love this time of year.  However, today it's starting to rain and I was geared up to go outside and split some of my hostas to replant in another area of the yard. The weatherman said the day would clear up! Cross your fingers, Well, that's whats on the agenda.  Have a great day, y'all!!!

Yikes, I lost my headline!!!

I'm going to have to dream big and try to figure out how to solve this situation.  Maybe I'm going to have to pay money for someone to help me create a 'fancier' blog!  OMG!!  Maybe it's this lap top, it doesn't want me to succeed!!! It can't handle all of my creative-ness!!!  I put my PrintMaster program on here and the Kodak photo share.... so maybe it's on overload, shutting down on me each time I try to be creative.  Ugh!  One thing that doesn't quit on me... the ideas flowing. My hand cutting and coloring and flippin loops on a bow. 

 Here's a cute little musical card (part digi....clip art) and part stamping. I like the color combo.  This card was made for a friend who wanted to thank her music teacher.

I think I got a little sunburn yesterday on my forearms.  It was a beautiful day to plant flowers.  Perfect!  Wow, I just made the calender for May.  The kids get out of school June 1.  Yikes!!! I swear my birthday month of April always zips by!

Bon Voyage

Here's a card that I had a tough time completing. It seemed to plain at first... I 'll call it a digi image card. At first it was just the Eiffel tower and the flour de lis and the postage stamp. The cardstock seemed thin and flimsy too.... so I just started layering different things and came up with this. Now there is probably too much stuff on it with tags, and ribbons and floss and buttons and part of a doily.

However, I do like the inside! While watching Heidi Swapp one day I did notice how less was more when it came to stamping with the faux word stamps. Just edging a bit and having the words disappear off the side to give it that vintage look! I still feel I have a lot more to learn.

But with sunny weather and warmer days... it is so nice to be outside. I'm torn between my love of crafting and my love of gardening and sun worshipping!!! And watching tennis matches and volleyball games, walking the dogs and talking with neighbors. Life is good!