What Fall Means to Me!!

I realized this year that, even though I have about a thousand leaf stamps, I didn't have one that stamped leaves and then the veins.  So I went hunting for the perfect set (and it also had to have dies).  There are a number out there - but I went with My Favorite Thing's Thankful Leaves (I am so very thankful for fall.) There are three leaf shapes in the set - each is a perfect size as they can be tucked in behind as an accent or they can take center stage.

I did two very different looking cards with the set.  The first card uses the solid stamp image along with the veins and the die.  (I love the rich colors of fall.)



This card uses the sketch from Seize the Sketch.

The other reason that I wanted a set that had dies is to be able to cut leaves from patterned paper and then add the veins.  This is the same set as above. (The sentiment is not part of the set.)

This one is for CASology's Autumn challenge.

Did you notice the sequins on both cards?  They are a great mixed set from Neat & Tangled called Festive Fall.  If you like fall colors, this is a must-have!!  Something that I particularly like is the addition of a few clear and a few silver because it reminds me of the cool fall weather. (I love frosty fall mornings!!)
Fall has another meaning for me - one that sort of takes over our lives!!  It's marching band season!!  (I love marching band!)

Both of my sons are marching this year!  Do you see the two marchers in the back - a baritone and a trumpet (the tall guy and short guy side by side) - they are mine!!  (I love my boys - most of the time!)

I'm an old-time marching band geek.  And I have to admit that I don't always totally understand the new style!?  This is actually planned - hiding behind barrels, on the ground, it's fairly strange!!

But they always come back to the classic, solid-sound, lined up marching band that I love!

AND...they placed fourth in their class!!!  Last year, they didn't even make finals.  In fairness, there are smaller schools in a different class that actually got more points than they did so probably more like an 8th place finish.   But they were the most proud of the fact that of every school there, their music score was 3rd!!  They are feeling like they have a solid start on the marching season!
I love fall!!

CASology: ah-mazing Fireworks!!

I had to play along with CASology's Fireworks challenge - I so love the 4th of July.  We celebrate in a small mountain town in our Colorado Rockies called Frisco.  It is an all-day small-town celebration capped with a spectacular fireworks show.  In the morning, everybody walks to the pancake breakfast, then to the parade (the highlight of which is about 200 children who decorate their bikes for the 4th).  There is music and an arts festival all day. The fireworks are actually still scheduled (rare right now in bone-dry Colorado) because they shoot them off over a big mountain lake.  You can watch them from the marina - one year we did it from our sailboat but never again because fireworks debris falls on you!!  We wander over to the elementary school where people lay out their picnic blankets and you can hear kids' laughter from the play area until the fireworks starts.  It's simple and sweet and a very special part of my family's year!

I started my fireworks card with a different plan.  I figured that I could put a "thank you for your service" type sentiment and use it as an AnyHero card for Operation Write Home.  But glitter is absolutely banned for OWH as it can get on soldiers' clothing and be seen with night vision goggles.  I thought embossing tinsel would be OK but I'm still able to rub off flakes of glitter - so I switched it up to an "ah-mazing" card that I'll tuck away for some amazing moment in my kids' lives!

I'm also playing along with the Patriotic theme at Simon Says Stamp.

• Stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Exclamations, Stampin' Up July 4th
• Paper: white
• Ink: Versamark
• Accessories: misc red, sapphire and gold embossing tinsel

CASology: Yellow and a Floral Hi

I've been wanting to play along with CASology all week with the cue card of "yellow".  I had actually planned on a bright sunshine card, but I got a different idea in my head when I got some new dies.


I love the Happy Hellos die from My Favorite Things - six different die cut hellos - from plain and simple fonts to fun scripts.  The flowers are the Flower and Leaf Trio which was the perfect size for tucking behind the sentiment.  Just one problem - the three flowers come as one big piece of metal so you can't easily create a negative die cut like this.  I scrounged in my husband's tool box and came up with a tool that worked beautifully - a Wiss MetalMaster (I had to find a link for you just in case you ever need to cut dies apart!)  On the other hand, if I had thought for just a minute - I have a dozen other flower dies that came separately - I really didn't need to cut this one apart!

• Stamps: none
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Lemon Tart
• Ink: none
• Accessories: My Favorite Things dies: Happy Hellos and Flower/Leaf Trio, Stampin' Up striped embossing folder, Queen & Co. Twinkle Goosebumps

CASology: One Day I'll Be Queen

I was thrilled a few weeks ago when I was asked to be a guest designer at CASology.  But I learned a hard lesson - always ask the theme for your guest week before you say "yes".  CASology is full of wonderful challenges - recently the Cue Word has been "bloom", "hexagon" and "care".  This week, however, is out of my comfort zone.  The cue word is....

It really threw me for a loop.  I don't have a stash of princess or queen stamps.  I do have one frog prince but he looked a little dated.  I thought about going diva with a crown - I know I have seen dozens of funny diva stamps, but I searched all over online and couldn't find anything.   I'm sure there are "royal" flowers.  I even toyed with using royal blue or royal purple.  (So now I have made up for my whining by giving you lots of ideas!!!)

I ended up going for a "royal" butterfly.  There are "queen" butterflies and "monarch" butterflies and even "viceroy" butterflies - all very royal!  Ancient Greeks considered butterflies royal because they were the souls of those who passed away.  I didn't put my butterfly in a "royal" setting but beautiful butterflies can sit on a weed and be spectacular!!

I did start out thinking kings and queens, and my first attempt went in an entirely different direction than butterflies.  Even though I am not entirely satisfied with this card (it leaves me flat and I just can't figure out why), I thought I would show you anyway. I used pennants - thinking castle decorations.  I stumbled upon the top of my sentiment panel by accident.  I had a few scraps of the gold cardstock left that matches my diagonal stripe.  I measured, cut and border punched - but I used my border punch on the wrong side.  I didn't have any more CS left - so I just used it on the top.  It looks like castle turret - I think it works!!

I really am looking forward to seeing what other "royal" ideas you come up with!!

My heart and prayers are with all of us who have experienced

such loss and devastation in the last few days.  I pray especially for

those parents whose children are still missing this morning.
May our Lord provide miracles today, strength in the days to
come and healing for the future.

Royal Butterfly

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Papillon Potpourri, Verve Amazing Wishes
• Paper: white
• Ink: Memento black, Copics
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink cloud dies, Quickutz Goosebumpz (old 2x2 embossing folders - I don't think they are even sold anymore), Stampin' Up Butterfly Punch, misc sequins

Royal Princess

• Stamps: Lizzie Anne Once Upon A Time
• Paper: Stampin' Up Primrose Petals, American Crafts My Girl Paper Pad, Simple Stories Snap Color Vibe (the diagonal stripe)
• Ink: Memento Black
• Accessories: Cuttlebug Embossing, MFT Fishtail dies, My Mind's Eye Ginger Relax Twine, misc buton

CASology and colourQ: Bloom with Colors

This is my second post today.

This week's challenge at CASology is "bloom".  Besides a flower, I definitely wanted to include one of my myriad of sentiments that include the word "bloom".  I also am in love with the colors at colourq as I have always loved Ruby Red - it's such a wonderfully warm and inviting color.  I thought it might help with my dislike of Calypso and...what do you know?...I like them together!!

The graphic for the colourq challenge is wonderfully bold - I love the different directions that these colors can take.

• Stamps: Verve Hope Blooms
• Paper: Stampin' Up Ruby Red CS and old dsp, Calypso Coral dsp, Certainly Celery CS, Basic Black CS
• Ink: Memento Black
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Flower Medley, Memory Box Butterfly Delights (it's a border die of tiny butterflies) and Tender Leaves, Divine Twine Black Licorice

Thank You Ever So Much with Hexagons

Everybody knows that I love challenges.  Virtually every card that I make starts with a challenge  - I need a starting point.  By taking one decision out of the equation - the sketch, the colors, the technique, my brain is freed up to be creative on the rest of the card.  I usually play one challenge on a card; maybe two.  But today I was looking at my Chronicle app (see iPod/Ipad app tab) which is my storage place for each day's challenges - and three of them called my name!!!

This card is the sketch from Nacho Average Challenge, the colors from colourq, and the hexagon challenge from CASology.

It's also one my rare cards that has a specific destination.  I have an incredibly gracious friend who regularly invites a group of friends over to her beautiful home to chat, drink coffee, knit - just be relaxed and happy.  As soon as I hit publish on this post, I am going to put a coffee cake in the oven, take a shower and head over to Carol's with my thank you card in hand.   Happy day!!

FYI - be sure to check out my new blog look created by the great Jackie Rockwell and debuted yesterday!!

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Happy Hexagons, Simple Sentiments
• Paper: Stampin' Up Sage Shadow
• Ink: Stampin' Up Sage Shadow, So Saffron, Blush Blossom, Calypso Coral
• Accessories: Stampin' Up button, Calypso Coral twine, MFT Fishtail dies, Lifestyle Crafts hexagon die, misc pearls

Cheer UP with Casology

There is nothing new about this card - you've definitely seen it all before because I jumped on every trend out there.   Die cut letters on a shelf, baker's twine, scallops and even sequins!  The only thing that I didn't use, that I would have used had I owned what I thought I owned(!), is a wood veneer arrow for the up part.

I am playing along with this week's CASology Cue Card: Up.  I was a little worried about whether the sentiment was obvious, so I asked my fairly clueless husband and he didn't even hesitate before he said "cheer up...but it has too much bling" (that's his usual analysis of my cards - my clean, simple, basic cards!!)  I also added a little scallop to the "shelf" because I am always inspired by the challenges at Less Is More!



I really wasn't going to jump on the sequin trend.  I had myself totally talked out of it when I realized that the stores/brands carrying the really nice sequins had each color bagged separately.  I would have had to spend $60 and owned about 5,000 sequins to get a complete collection from any of these stores - because, you know, I have to have complete collections!  I do like some of the cards that I have been seeing, so I popped into Etsy and found some collections of iridescent, metallic and satin sequins at Endless Inkabilities - just enough in a bag so that I could play along with the trend!

iPad Users: The iPad/iPod tab at the top of my page has been updated.  Mostly just removing a lot of clutter - but it's MUCH easier to use!

An Amusing Google Reader Update:Just a reminder that I defined the situation here (no, you won't lose your followers) and I gave a tutorial on Feedly here (my choice for a Google Reader replacement).
Feedly is now saying they have 3,000,000 new users.  Wow!  And the other service being used by cardmakers is bloglovin' - you can't read card blogs without seeing the button popping up.
It really makes me wonder what Google was thinking when they canned the Reader.  And I'm not the only one who thinks that.  Last week, Google announced a new note-taking tool called "Keep".  Tech bloggers and news people are warning against it.  One headline said "Google Keep just went live, and watching the media warn people about it is remarkable".  Other techie people have said it might even be better than what's already out there, but they say "fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me" - they won't use it because they had been Google Reader users and no longer trust Google.
The big flaw that Google missed is that they not only annoyed a legion of crafts and cardmakers (!), they killed something that was used loyally by techies and journalists - the same people that they need to promote their products.  One techie blogger said, "It's a public relations nightmare that I'm sure is being discussed in a dimly lit office right now."
(This all has nothing to do with cardmaking and I'm sure none of you care - but I'm currently in a marketing class - and this whole move violates Marketing 101 - so I have been following in fascination!  Thanks for listening!)

• Stamps: none!
• Paper: Papertrey Hibiscus Burst CS, Simple Stories dsp
• Ink: none!
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Headline Alphabet and Get to the Point dies, Trendy Twine Tinkled Pink, Stampin' Up scallop border, sequins from Endless Inkabilities

Easter Blessings Bunnies

I am experiencing definite mojo problems.  The two simple, simple cards that you are going to see here took me about 24 hours to make.  Obviously, not in total!  But I had just gotten the sweetest bunny dies and the CASology challenge this week is bunnies - easy peasy!!  NOT so much.  There are three bunnies in the die so I started with a trio of bunnies.  I tried them in kraft, in white, in bright polka dots.  I tried them in windows, on stitched squares, with and without embossing, with flower and sun punches.

Then I had one of those lucky accidents.  I use Elfa mesh drawers for storage.  All of my stamps are unmounted in CD cases and they fit perfectly.  6x6 paper pads fit perfectly.  During the night, the heavy top drawer bent and dropped and then the whole thing pancaked.

After some frustration and perhaps some choice words - enough so that I didn't take a picture of the avalanche - I just spent the last two hours re-organizing.  Not a bad thing.  I got rid of a few things.  Then I took the time to put the things that I used the most in the easiest drawers to get to - I think I am going to like it.  Everybody should experience an avalanche!?

The really, really lucky thing was that when my Papertrey sets had spread all over the floor - the top set was one I had totally forgotten about - Bitty Background Basics.  The light bulb went on - brightly - I set it aside and after I had finished picking everything up - these cards were born in about 5 minutes.  (In fairness, the bunnies and leaves and grass were already cut and the sentiment had been selected!!)

There is one other charming bunny in the die set that didn't make the cut on these cards - I got them here but they are also at Impression Obsession and other stores.

• Stamps: Verve Egg-stra Special (sentiment), Papertrey Ink Bitty Background Basics
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Sweet Blush
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush
• Accessories: CC Designs Mistletoe Die, Martha Stewart grass border punch, Impression Obsession Bunny Set, Stampin' Up Pink ribbon, Papertrey Ink Kraft felt, misc white felt

Finally! I just did it!

I saw this week's challenge at CASology and knew right away what I was going to make!

So the obvious question is why did I make a "Just Do It" school card for the CASology word "new"?
Because as of this coming Monday, I am a full-time college student!!

I haven't been in college for ?? years!  I did graduate in 19?? and I did do the career thing for a long time.  Then one day, my husband was supposed to be flying to California to meet with investors in his company and I had 200 people who had traveled to Colorado to attend a training session that I was running - and the baby got sick.  We didn't have a back up plan.  It took a few more years, but eventually we realized we could make it on one income and that we wanted a second child - and I've been home ever since!
BTW - Today the baby in my story turns 17 years old!!!
But as I look at the rest of my life, I realize that I have a lot of years to fill.  So I am going back for an accounting degree.  (I was an actuary - do you know what an actuary is? - an accountant without a personality!! - so I guess I am moving up in the world!)  I believe accounting will offer me more flexibility.  I can do the career thing by promoting my years of experience as an actuary in health insurance OR I can pick up a small clients here and there and work part time.
In fairness, I am going for an online degree - so I can do it in my jammies.  But it is a full-time program with an accredited B.S. in Accounting.
I have no intention whatsoever of giving up card-making.  In fact, I think I will need that creativity even more!  I doubt I will be blogging EVERY day; but I will definitely be reading YOUR blogs every day!!
That's why the CASology word "new" worked so well for me right now!
I also was thrilled to see the colors at CAS-Colours and Sketches - check them out against the school logo!

And I based my card (somewhat loosely) on the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.

Wish me luck!!

• Stamps: Paper Smooches (pencil), Papertrey Ink Star Prints (sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink die and impression plate, Stampin' Up twine, misc gems

Near and Far, Follow His Star

{CAROL Y - yoyo - If you are reading this and have not yet received a card from me in the mail - STOP NOW!}

Now, I'm leaving lots of white space, so if Carol hasn't received her card, she won't see it.

The rest of you just need to scroll down a little!!

Recently I was visiting a dear friend (and cardmaking fanatic) when she commented on her all-time favorite card that I had made.  It was early in the life of my blog, but is still my most visited post - see it here.

Between coffee, conversation and a little bit of knitting, she also showed me some tags she was making for a swap and I told her about my all-time favorite tag die.  So, of course, for Christmas I had to pick up one of these dies as a surprise gift for her!!

So...these two things have come together to create her card...

You have to see the snow in close-up.  (Be sure to check out Kristina's video on how she flicks on the snow vs. spritzing.  You can also drool over the most amazing poinsettia that she has created!)I knew that I wanted the trees on her card, but I credit the star idea to this week's CASology challenge.I have to admit that this card would not have been simple had I not done it before.  But, having done the trees and the sponging on a previous card, and being able to use that blog post to remember all of the colors, this card was under 10 minutes!!

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If you haven't seen this yet, be sure to check out Amber's amazing Drawn Together program.  Amber is collecting craft supplies and cards for the surviving children in Newtown to be used as a creative coping mechanism.  Her initial plan was to create 50 kits, but not surprisingly, the cardmaking world has rallied together in love and generosity and the numbers have soared.  If you are feeling called to be part of this program, be sure to start with the most recent blog posts on her blog, Damask Love, and read the updates as to the needs.

I read a lot of blogs and so many people are joining Amber's effort.  And many others are passing along the details to their children's school classrooms and their Sunday School programs.  This is truly an amazing idea that will have a long-term impact. 

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• Stamps: Stampin' Up Lovely As A Tree, A Star-Studded Season
• Paper: Stampin' Up Old Olive, white
• Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Sky, Old Olive Daffodil Delight and markers in Old Olive, Always Artichoke and Crumb Cake, Versamark
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink's Tag Sale #3 Die, Sparkle 'n Sprinkle Chocolate Sparkle Embossing Powder, Mr. Huey's Calico White and Calico Shine mists, Stampin' Up embossing folder, Old Olive seam binding and silver cord.

Turn on the Twinkle!

I have had this odd combination of sentiments in my head for some time - but after a holiday experience last night that finally "turned on my twinkle" - it was time to make the card...


Do you remember how I mentioned a few weeks ago that I experienced my first Black Friday?  I had another first last night...the Julbord smorgasbord at IKEA.  We got our tickets month ago, then waited in line last night with 500 other people to experience a furniture store serving pickled herring and smoked salmon...really!!  I don't do herring and salmon and I definitely don't typically do things with 500 other people.  My deep, dark secret - I'm a bit of a grinch - but only until Christmas itself when the true meaning finally comes through.  (And I do enjoy peaceful Wednesday night Advent services throughout December.)
But last night was FUN!  The food wasn't half bad - although I focused on their Swedish meatballs and beet salad instead of the fishy stuff.  (And the spiced glogg was terrific!)  Most of the diners were in their Christmas Nordic Sweaters or their cute Swedish T-shirts.  The store had traditional dancers and a St. Lucia parade. For a giant store and a huge crowd - it was absolutely charming.
The evening was capped off with door prizes (remember 500 people in attendance).  I won a $25 gift card to IKEA!!!  Then...a few prizes later...my youngest won $25 of Swedish food in their market!  (This one was a mixed blessing - he picked frozen Swedish meatballs and then added in some powdered gravy - and he has decided he's making us Christmas dinner...hmmm??)  So, the other diners were already looking at our table a little askance when the grand prize was announced - a $100 gift certificate.  Guess who was holding that ticket?  My 4 year old niece!!!
We had SO much fun!!
And my twinkle continues today as my little town has a Country Carriage Parade (led by my son's marching band), then I am heading to a huge community church to see my girlfriend sing in their professional quality Christmas pageant with a 300 member choir.  TWINKLE ON!!And...it's supposed to snow tomorrow!!  I love snow...a brown Christmas just isn't the same.OK...back to what you really came for...cards...

I used CASOLOGY's challenge: Sparkle

And I used the layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Carry On, Printworks Turn on the Twinkle
• Paper: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Gumball Green, Silver CS
• Ink: Black, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Stuff Starry Night Embossing (on "Turn on the Twinkle"), Embossing Arts Stardust Embossing (on the bulbs), Quickutz die, Q&Co Christmas twine

Thanks for the Turkey!

Well, it happened...I missed last week's CASology challenge - it was the first one that I missed since it started.  I blame a dead furnace and cold Colorado weather. (It's still dead and will be dead for awhile because I have an old house and the furnace room isn't up to code so getting a new furnace also involves permits and construction!!!)  Wonderful mother that I am, I left all my boys (including the husband) down here to deal with the cold house (we do have a fireplace and they used winter weight sleeping bags - they were fine!) and I ran away to our little condo in the mountains!!  It had heat, but it didn't have any cardmaking supplies.

I got back last night and decided that the first thing that I would play along with is CASology with a little colourQ and technostamper mixed in.

Also, this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge is Thanksgiving/Thanks!

But now that I have this done, I don't think I will use it.  There is something a little bit wrong about using a cute turkey on a thank-you-for-Thanksgiving-dinner card!!??

• Stamps: Rosie's Roadshow Turkey, Stampin' Up Pretty Postage
• Paper: Stampin' Up Old Olive, Soft Suede and Tempting Turquoise CS, Cajun Craze dsp
• Ink: Memento brown and Copics
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Turquoise button (from an old collection), WPlus9 Chevron Impression plate, Spellbinders die, EK Success pennant punch

Got Merry??

This is my second post today.  If you are here

for TAWS BE Inspired, it's just a post away!

I put this together for this week's CASology challenge: sugar, using the current Fab Friday sketch challenge.

I do love sugary things.  Halloween is a favorite because my children get their candy, eat all of the chocolate and leave the sugary treats for me - Smarties, Starbursts and Skittles are the best!!  I also love all things baked - gingerbread cookies are high on the list.  I like chocolate but candy and cookies are my faves!!
Besides the gingerbread man, I also "sugared" the Gumball Green cardstock with a spritz of adhesive and a lot of glitter!

It's a busy weekend in my family - it's the state marching band competition.  I dropped my son at the high school in the pitch dark this morning.  They started with pancake breakfast, then they are rehearsing all morning before heading to the beautiful campus of the Air Force Academy for the preliminary competition.  They have a pretty darn good chance of making it to finals tomorrow - fingers crossed.  I'm pretty proud right now - so you have to suffer through a few pictures of their Halloween rehearsal!!  (It's a rehearsal so no uniforms.)

They have a patriotic show with serious moments then they rock out a little with Katy Perry's Firework!   (I always feel sorry for the homes next to the high school as they deal with the music...noise...of these rehearsals!)
Here's my guy - for about six notes of music he stands in front of the other 100 band members and plays a solo!!
After Halloween rehearsal, the parents set up a trunk-or-treat party for them (and siblings) - here's my guys!!  I understand Andrew's "musical" costume with the Lawrence Welk style accordion (although he had to ask me afterwards who this "Welk" guy is/was that all of the parents kept comparing him to.)  I cannot explain the tutu on Erik!

Have a great weekend - I may not be back again depending on today's results!!  If you think of it at 4 p.m. Mountain time - cross your fingers!!

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Got Treats
• Paper: Stampin' Up Real Red, Gumball Green
• Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Suede
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Apothecary Accents dies and dot embossing folder, Queen and Co Christmas twine, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter

It's WILD week at CASology!

This week's cue card at CASology is "WILD".  I knew that I had some wild gems that I had picked up Hobby Lobby and wanted to work a card around the gem...

You can see the gem details a little better here...it's wild!!!

• Stamps: Stampin' Up All Thru the Year (heart), My Favorite Things Little Loveosaurus (sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Gray
• Ink: Black, Tim Holtz Wild Honey
• Accessories: Stampin' Up embossing folder, Spellbinders label, The Paper Studio gemstones