Spring is in the Air, Windows open, a Good Day to finish some Creations!

Today, Finally, it is SPRING!  well for a few days, I guess.  Yes, we still have snow on the ground, but the sunshine and temperatures in the 50's  let us have the heat off, the windows open and some outdoor time just to play.  Ella (dog) and Lovey (the cat) decided to hang out in the driveway, while Lily was roaming around the yard.

 While spending time in the house (windows open) enjoying the fresh air, I decided to finish up some cards that I had been working on the past few weeks.
-----and I finished up 13 cards today.    ----Not my usual style cards, for sure.  I usually like to make cards with stamped images of little people and creatures that I can color with copic markers.  With these cards, I wanted to use some of my very pretty papers,that already speak for themselves.  So I concentrated on cutting them to card size to enhance the designs on the papers  (flowers, butterflys, and Hearts).  I embellished when it seemed appropriate.

On this one and several others, the paper (which is actually a pretty yellow color) had embossed flowers on it.  I made some Tim Holtz die cut flowers from the same papers, and used liquid pearls to edge them.  The butterfly is a punched one, coated in glossy accents.

 I made several Mother day and Grandma cards using this method also.

On this card I used a butterfly water color looking paper for the background, then using a butterfly embossing folder to make a mat for the center of the card.  To embellish, I used ribbon, and bling.  I also faintly hit the top of the embossed piece with turquois chalk.

 This is one of my Grandma cards.  I rarely put and verbage on the inside of my cards, as I think personal notes are the best.  It allows the person to say exactly what they want, as opposed to a verse that may or may not say it like you would.  An--really---isn't the art of writing our own thoughts to others almost a lost art???
I always want to read what the person has wrote--not the verse Halmark puts on the inside of the card!

This card (right) almost didn't make it out of production.  I had the background on and the embossed white piece and the washi tape borders and then I couldn't decide what to do next.  One day I liked it and the next, I didn't!   Today, it just seemed to need something in the middle (even tho,I'm usually an "off side" sort of designer)   I finally decided on a layered die cut label (this one is a Taylored Expressions die). and a 3-D butterfly!  It turned out to be one of my favorites!   Yes to Washi Tapes!

 This one also  has a bit of Wahi Tape on it.  It's very simply, but love the papers.

This one is my "mixed media" card.  I wanted the heart on the paper to show, so I decided to add a tag to the lower part of the card.  It has a piece of paper covered in clear gesso, and a flower and butterfly made with stencils and modeling cream paste.  Then I touched them up with copics and added a bow.

 On this card, I just worked with the papers, adding a piece of glitter tape between.

Again, this paper is so pretty and I didn't want to cover up the butterflys, so I just added the die cut labels and a couple of blings and a punched butterfly.

TThis one is very similar.  The paper has a very water colored look to it.

This was another one that I wanted to preserve the heart and work around it.  I again used stencils and modeling paste to create the flowers.  I left it the natural color of the paste, added some bling, a tag and a wooden butterfly. 

,And this was another one I had some problems with.  The paper was so pretty with the butterflys on it,  I really didn't want to add anything over them.  So--I covered the 2 that have printing on them in glossy accents and added liquid pearls to the dots in all the butterfly wings.  And just for fun, I added a little washi tape.

I might add that all the cards do have little embellishmets, or pretty edge strips inside.  This one for instance has a punched edge and a piece of the same washi tape down the long side.  Most have a butterfly, or several tiny ones on the edges.   It has been a fun day finishing these cards, but am anxious to get back to my people and critter cards (I have 2 new Phyllis Harris Stamps to try out yet!)  

Tomorrow I will be the hostess for Memory Bounds Graduation Open House.  Can't Wait!!!  Open Houses are always so much fun--and a lot of work for everyone.  Here's hoping everyone is having a Great Easter weekend and you all get lots of Chocolate in your Easter Baskets!

Spring has NOT Sprung, but Life Rolls On!

As you can see, Spring has not Sprung in this neck of the woods--not one blade of green, not one tree bud, Nada, None --Not even close!  In some ways that is a good thing, I guess, as I get a lot more accomplished inside.  I must say, at times I really get the urge just to curl up in a chair and watch TV until it's warm enough to open the windows and get outdoors for real!  At the rate it's going, I'd have a pretty sore butt before that day comes!

 So what have I been up to the last couple of weeks.  Well, a couple of weeks ago, Cheryl Mezzetti from Splash of Color was in town and taught wonderful Mixed Media classes.  I took 2 of the 3.   We used so many different things, I can't even name them all.  My favorites (or one of them) was the twinkling H2O's.  I have had my own set and have used them before--they are so pretty!     Here is the first book (in parts) from the first class.  We used the H2Os and several other paint mediums on it.  In the lower right corner is the cover of the book I started in the second class.

These are some of my twinkling H2Os-you can't appreciate the prettiness of them in this picture

This is a close up of the cover (not yet done) of the altered  vintage book we started in the second class.  You can see we played with a lot of textures, gesso, paints, rubons, papers, modeling pastes, stencils--the sky was the limit!

This was a canvas pocket that we altered in the first class, the "Beautiful You Book".  A little paint, some "spritzing on lace", a clip and some sewing (already done for us, thank heavens)--and you have a pocket! 

This was a "folded" page within the book

I loved doing this page, it is a clear acrylic page, stenciled on with a ferro paste.  Loved the texture (and how easy it is to do!)

Inside the back cover.  The little book was really fun to make. Now to decide what pictures I want to put in it!

I continue to work on the cards for the ARL.  Here is a selection I completed this week from my Phyllis Harris Stamps!  and I received 3 more of her sets this week, so I can't wait to work with them!

One of my favorite ones, is the little girl on the trike with her dog.  These are from the Emma and Brandy series and I just never get tired of coloring them!

 Who can resist this dog with his little girl.

 On this one I used some of my newest Washi Tape.  Love the chevrons and the colors matched the heart background perectly!

and this one is just so precious!

Then this week I had a much too short lunch with my KC Grandkids and daughter-in-law, Megan.  On Tuesday, they were passing through on their way home from Minnesota where they had been visiting, so they stopped in Ankeny and we met up for lunch.  Little Jackson is growing up so fast --he's 2 and 1/2 and talks like a 5 year old!  and Jenna was just one day shy of turning 7!  Like any 7 year old, she loves making goofy faces for the camera--silly girl!~

 I also designed an album this week for a class I will be doing in May.  It's a class for Grandma's--or Moms can make it  and fill it with pictures for Grandma (and Grandpa).  It's a fun little S.E.I. album.  More on this later.

and last, we celebrated "Down Sydrome Awareness Day" yestereday by wearing our blue and yellow!   A truly great day for a great bunch of people.  

So with another week coming to an end, I look forward to next week when we have our Graduation Open House at Memory Bound.  I can't wait to try out my new Phyllis Harris Stamps,  I can't wait to see more "new" stuff coming to our shelves at Memory Bound (we've had a ton of shipments this week--so many fun surprises!),   I pray the temperatures rise into the 40's (and maybe 50-60's), and that Spring will have actually "Sprung".   and I hope you all have a very creative week.

 

 

This has been a Busy week (or sorry, Blizzard, you could not Really damper my spirits!)

           How in the world does 15 days go so fast--one would think I was back working a full time + overtime+ raising a bunch of kids +++ again.  I seem to not be able to find the time to stop and catch up on my blog!    This week (or I guess 2 weeks) have been very busy, a crop, several creative ventures forced by and plagued by a blizzard and snow days, and a day saddened by the loss of our beautiful Sadie.

It really didn't start with the blizzard, I guess, but most of the craziness did, so I will start there.  We were SUPPOSE to get a couple of inches, but the storm decided to whip around and around, going east to west and pounding us ----and State Center---where we live got one of the state's highest totals-----14.2 inches----with blowing, of course!

 and so we were once again snow bound!   ICK!  now the part that came before that last week, was I bought a new car--and you guessed it---I was to pick it up on Tuesday----not a chance!  I would have either demolished my present car which I was trading in OR the new one!   So that was postponed until Thursday, weather permitting.

The weather co-operated, but the slushy, muddy roads did not----it looked so pretty in the showroom--but believe me, not so much now.  Can't wait til springy, DRY road weather for it to look pretty again!

While I was snowbound,  I didn't just sit and watch the snow pile up AGAIN!  I hibernated in my room of creativity (or as I lovingly call it my STUDIO)!
 

 and of course, since my mind is always on "kids" crafts and projects that even an adult can make---I had found a cute version of these little toilet paper roll (yes, yet another use for tp rolls) bunnies, so I decided to make my own interpretation of the little critters and like all bunnies, they just kept reproducing!  I couldn't help myself.  What cute little favors (with a little bag of chocolates tucked in the tube)  these would make! 

This little guy (right) is a very colorful one.  They take a 6" by the height of the tube piece of paper to cover the body.  The feet and bottom of the tube is one piece that I just fussy cut out to make a template and the ears were off of the Create a Critter 2 Cricut Cart.---They were an accesory to a little chick (his bunny ear hat, I think).  Had to cut it at about a 5" size to be in proportion to the tube. (trial and error --on scrap paper first) Then it was just wiggle eyes, braided wired ribbon for the whiskers, a big padded brad for the nose (or you can use a button) and anything else you want to dress them up!

 

They are really bright and cute and a good way to recycle (the tp rolls) and use up scraps of your papers.

and I even made a Chocolate one!  So much fun!

The other thing I did was finish up the LO of my precious Grandson, Nicholas and his dog Boomer--out on a Squirrel hunting expedition.  I think, so far the sqirrels are pretty safe.  I used my newest Cricut Cartridge, Outdoor Man!  I think it is going to be a real favorite of mine with all the hunters and fishermen to SB for. I love the layered trees and the squirrels were absolutely perfect!

'Also attended a crop with all my besties on Friday.  Just happened to be my best friend, Janis' Birthday so we had a doubly fun day as we celebrated all day with her!

I managed to get a couple of things done between all the celebrating and chit-chatting (yes, there is a lot of that, for sure).  This LO was of my Grandson, Jackson's, first haircut!  He is two and a half years old and his hair was totally the cutest head of ringlets you've ever seen!  Kind of sad to see them go.   I also made a BD card for a granddaughter (that I can't show here--she might see it),  and finished up a couple of little projects.  It was not my most productive day, except in the having fun category!

I did of course do a little shopping.  Tons of new washi tapes are IN!   They are so pretty and of course I couldn't resist!   These are some of my new ones!  and the newest Doodlebug papers and embellishments are in!  That is one of their 6 x 6 pads in the background!  Such Yummy papers! and some of the washi tapes are theirs, too!  So much fun, so little time!

but this week was not without saddness in our family.  On Friday, our big farm dog, Sadie passed over the rainbow bridge to a better place.  It wasn't unexpected--she was 11-1/2--pretty good for a big 150# dog--and she had been in failing health since last fall, really.  She just kept on going until this past week.   She was for sure a gentle giant---would never have hurt anyone or anything.  She was a terrific watchdog and her size alone kept critters and salesmen away!  With calving season almost upon us we will miss that watchfullness of hers.  We will miss her slobbery, morning greetings and her scratching on the kitchen door every morning as soon as she heard us up for her morning treats.

Sadie was half Great Pyreneese (her mom) and half Newfoundland (her dad).  They are bred together because of the fantastic farm/watch dogs they make.   and Sadie was the absolute best as a farm dog.  You almost couldn't get her to come in unless it was well below 0 with the wind blowing.  and until this winter, she just wanted in the porch with a couple of blankets--no heated garage.  She spent most of her nights on the edge of our property, where she could watch for anything or anyone threatening to cross onto our property--wolves, fox, coons, stray cats that weren't ours.  I always felt safe with her on guard.  She was one in a million and our world has a really eerie quietness to it now.  (even though, you hardly knew she was around).  Ella, our yellow house lab, has grown up playing with Sadie (who was 4 when we brought Ella home as a little puppy).  Sadie had so much patience with the little rascal and all her antics and Ella always wanted to play with Sadie when she was outside.  Now, Ella has spent the past few days looking for Sadie in the garage.  You can tell she really misses her.   

Sadie, this post is for you---I know you are in a better place, having fun with your sister, Abby that you played with before Ella.  RIP Sadie--we loved you so much and you will be so missed.