oh, boy...

does time fly!  These mittens from the December 21st Tuesday Trigger over on Moxie Fab World sure jostled my memories.  This Christmas season has had our youngest son up in the mountains snowboarding every chance he can get.  It was a trip down memory lane for me as I dug through our winter boxes to find 'cold clothes' for him.  Most of the ski bibs, pants, and gloves were outgrown, though there is a set of O'Neill in fluorescent pink and green I can't bear to upcycle.  We were blessed the boots and gloves still fit from last season!

So it was all the going through and remembering that inspired me to trace Andy's hand as the New Year began and find his handprint drawn when he was three years old.  A dozen years difference...time does fly. I could hardly believe my eyes when I laid the acetate layer over the paper striped hand of my 15 year old!

The papers are various Cosmo Cricket and Basic Grey in the colors of the mitten.  I used Invoke Arts' time flies sentiment and the flying pocket watch.  The letters to spell out Andy's name are  'A B Seas' set of alphas from Authentic Models.  The hand is mounted onto an 8x8 Cosmo Cricket and will go into a scrapbook.

Thanks for much for stopping by.  It's a new year, fresh beginnings...

Be blessed.

You're a real cracker jack

Morning all! It's the weekend once again, yippee. That means late nights playing in my house...I can hear silly giggles from college guys in one direction and other boys chasing balls in the virtual world in another. Today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS was to go to the Creative Wall Coverings website and find something that gets the creative juices flowing. Well, I can never resist the sports selections and this fit nicely with the 365 Card Blog to get Sporty using some sort of a ball on your card. I really like Artistic Outposts' Cracker Jack plate, especially with my star lefty! For this card, the Cosmo Cricket wood grain paper was perfect. I stamped the stadium collage in Tim Holtz scattered straw directly to the paper. The sentiment is also TH brushed corduroy. I added the Boston Red Sox player faintly inked in ChalkBox yellow citrus. The baseballs were stamped with ChalkBox burnt sienna and roughed up a bit with ColorBox alabaster. Speaking of baseballs, did you know a typical major league game used 8 dozen balls! The lefty player is from the little man Cosmo Cricket die cuts.

Thanks so very much for stopping by today. I hope your weekend is swell!

heavenly aprons

When Stef issued the Inspiration Challenge today and linked up the Heavenly Hostess site, I knew I would use this pic of my DH's grandmother, Josephine from the 40's. Something about the surroundings is very comforting. And while I never met her, I know her just the same. If you'd like the specifics of my card, please hop over to my gallery on SCS.

It always makes me happy to see this picture hanging in my kitchen for I am reminded of how much love IS stirred, chopped, whipped, and mashed into food that nourishes our bodies and souls. I think of my grandmother letting me lick the beaters when she made 7 minutes frosting, a tradition that my boys still enjoy today...only now with caramel frosting.

So to all the bakers and cooks out there, bring it on...reach out and teach a whole 'nother generation who needs to know what home cookin' really is!

Thanks for visiting me, I am honored you give me the gift of your time.

jump on in...

We sent our youngest son off to yet another camp yesterday. This makes his fourth of the summer. Oh, to go too! But instead, I'll just slip this in the mail today. With a 5'er for a last day mocha concoction.

This card fits this bill for the Limited Supplies on SCS to use a die-cut on your card, only stamping as a background and the 365 Card Blog, Tag You're it! I love the Snorkel paper from Cosmo Cricket...using the fish (School's Out) and the Jump On in sticker mounted on one of their buck naked buttons! The life buoys are also a sticker. The ocean waves from the K&Co Daydreams group were hand cut. I slipped &D's tag amongst the waves. The kickstand card is on GP white cs. The Stampin Up background cheesecloth was inked with Adirondack latte. I finished it off with a yellow ribbon that says fun in the sun!

Hope you've got plans to jump right in to whatever strikes YOUR fancy! I know I do.

it's a fish fry

I've got great news all. Michelle Giraud asked me a few weeks ago if I would consider a guest DT position over at American Art Stamps. She had commented on my style of art and thought I would be a good fit for Ken Browns' line of retro, funky images. I adore his sense of humor and just wait until you see the stamps! I've posted a card over on the American Art Stamps blog as well as here. Hop over there and see what everyone else has been up too. And I hope you'll be watching for more!

Have a safe and blessed Fourth of July!

The Four Seasons

What an interesting challenge today over on the 365 Card Blog. It is to make a card celebrating the four seasons. Now I had to stop and think a long while about this one. I spent time in my stamp image notebook (we all have a binder of our stamped images, right?) There were several possibilities, but in the end, I decided to go with various Cosmo Cricket papers to create my seasons.

The images are from Girl Friday, Early Bird, and Wonderland. The cherries remind me of Spring, that stylized leaf, ears of corn from Summer, the luscious pear, Autumn, and the snow covered pine cones, Winter! Using the square nestabilities from Spellbinder, I cut my squares and used the shadow squares for the widest frames. The word 'season' is stamped directly onto the grid paper (the reverse of Ribbon Sandwich). The letters were mixed up from different sets, though primarily Fancy Pants clear acrylic. I added the 1,2,3,4, from cutting one of those 'ribbons'.

So now, let me know what you think!

Dad Rocks

My favorite time of day or night is about 01:00. All my house is asleep, no one needs me and I can let the muse out, breathe deeply, and {B}! I do my best creating in these early hours...but since I am chasing the clock tonight, I am posting this Fathers Day card early.

It's been Cosmo Cricket week on the 365 Card Blog. For this card, I managed to use 7 different patterns of CC paper. And mostly older stuff, like Souvenir, Wanted, and Little Man. I adore CC's funky style...a bit like me! I have used the super sketchy Sunday challenge on 365 Card Blog. It is turned vertical so I could use my super mod man reading newspaper stamp. The chair, chair legs, pants, shirt, and paper are all paper pieced.

This Saturday was filled with cooking all the daddy-o's favorite foods, we kicked off dinner with Gulf Coast Jambalaya and olive bread...after our stomachs settled the apricot shortbread pie was cool enough to eat. Tomorrow we'll have asparagus quiche before church and then...well, I think I'll let DH pick...a restaurant!

Thanks so much for all your comments on my art this week, I love to know what you're thinking.

how do I love thee?

I'm a sucker for love stories.  Always have. Who remembers Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neal  in the classic 1970 movie?  Oh, I cried buckets seeing this while I was in high school.  And it still tugs at my heart watching the youTube posting!  There is nothing that will make you feel more alive then deep passionate love.  And I am heralding it today with my card for the 365 Card Blog challenge Day 112 Everlasting Love. 

 I have used Cosmo Crickets'  lovely paper from the Fleuriste group.  I wish I could have this in a wallpaper, I'd redo my master bedroom!  I stamped the Browning quote (Technique Tuesday) directly to paper.  The peacock mirror stamp is from Tin Can Mail.  It has been embossed in Platinum and I used twinkling H2O's to color the feathers.  The gorgeous lady is a photo art stamp I inked with VersaFine Olympic onto a Brazzill teal cs.  The mirror is cut and popped on foam mounting squares.  I did add a bit of fibers at the handle.  Along the right side I stamped a music score , embossing with clear on the brown base.  To emphasis the sentiment I added a vintage silk green button and a strip of acetate.  Near the top, I stamped the Hero Arts memories script stamp, inking it with VersaMagic Seabreeze.

I carried the Love Story in my heart for 16 years until I met my DH.  Oh, so romantic and loving.  I am blessed indeed.  We have two weddings to attend this summer, I can just see making another card like this with the brides picture in it!

Thanks for your insightful comments, they inspire the muse. Happy Saturday!

it's a hullaboo

continuing on with yesterday's lament...here's another card that is late, late, late!  And for my dearest friend, no less!  I enjoyed your sharing your traditions and comments about being on the ball, on time, and some even like me, always behind!!!

The 365 Card Blog challenge for Day 111 was Say it with Stripes.  Well since it is also Cosmo Cricket Week, I had to use this stripey circle paper from the Hello, Sunshine group.  I love the retro '50's patterns.  I added my sentiment (Amy Symthe~Inkadinkadoo) stamping on a glossy green oval cut and dry embossed with the Spellbinder large ovals. The 7 Gypsies red arrow points to the hullaboo.

Writing about hullaboo's reminds me of the teen dance club of the same name.  We wore white patent leather go-go boots and danced the summers away in the  innocence of the late '60's. From Otis Redding to the Herman's Hermits and that slow dance favorite, Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum.  It was a party then and in my heart, I am still that young girl who wants to raise up a hullaboo...

Thanks for having a look and let me know some of your summer favorites...I'd love that!

old Daddy

Here I go again, putting yet another card in the post that will arrive late!  It's funny to me because I am always punctual when it comes to arriving at meetings, dates, and work on time.  For the life of me, I can't figure why I am such a dismal failure in this area!  My Mom just keeps on celebrating until cards stop being delivered...but one very close relative feels if it doesn't arrive on the day, then it doesn't count!!!  I can understand the thinking.  This actually reminds me of one year when I was home from college for the summer and one of my brothers and I decided to order a fancy bakery cake for Mimi's birthday...we were go proud of ourselves and it was beautiful!  Only we discovered that evening we were 2 days early!!!  Now would you consider that reverse forgetting?????  Everyone had a great laugh over the early bird special and dug in.

This Father's Day card was created for the 365 Card Blog Day My Guy Challenge, the sketch is Laura's No. 28 from 2sketches4you.  The Ways to Use it Challenge on SCS was to incorporate texting in your work.  I used Cogsmo paper from Cosmo Cricket, the Cuddlebug Argyle embossing folder and a Dynamo label maker.  

So getting back to my title, dear old Daddy will be pulling this outta his post box Monday, IF I'm lucky that is!  And dear readers, I would love to hear how you keep on top of running behind challenge, how DO your loved ones get YOUR cards on time!

"Leaf" the everyday

Girls, do I need to leave the everyday today; however,  since there is not a chance to make Bali by nightfall, I'll have to go there in my mind!  Goodness this week is crazy!!!  I am a fussy artist, needing lots of time to let the muse dance.  Hope you like this super harried card...I'm off to support my MIL at another round of Doc's visits!  Think of me thinking of cool tropical breezes and sand under my toes.....

My card today slips in with the SCS sketch challenge and the 365 Card Blog color scheme.  Love those Mr Campy papers from Cosmo Cricket and all the leaves.  I will sending this off to my BFF who is my partner in travel...

Thanks so much for having a peep...and always, I love to read your take on 'stuff'!

boy, oh boy, oh boy...

gotta love those boys whose energy seems limitless, not stopping until they collapse in bed at who knows what time.  It's happening again at my house...and do I ever need a nap...or a holiday off to the shore....

My card today is for the 365 Card Blog's challenge to make a boy card.  It's also Cosmo Cricket week, so I had to bring out the Oh Happy Day collection of papers and sentiments.  I tore portions of the paper to make you think of waves, added Inkadinkadoo's cool surfboards, and Art Impressions sentiment and palm trees.  

I'd love to hear what you think...you did survive those days, right????   Anybody~!!!!

Girlfriend birthday

It's Cosmo Cricket week over on 365 Card Blog, so I decided to kick it off with a doubled up card for these two challenges~~~the Super Sketchy Sunday and So Girly .   I loved the unusual shape of the sketch and when I was looking through my images, this Lily Tomlin character reminded me of the oval in the sketch.  She was stamped on GP white, her dress paper pieced, nails and lipstick courtesy of Copics.  I added a big ruby 'gembrad' as an earring.  The headset is cut and left to be somewhat popped.I finished it off with both Girlfriend (Hampton Art Stamp) and happy birthday stamps (unknown), I added an iridescent blue green ribbon and a vintage red button which has real thread tied through.  The Cosmo Cricket background paper and dress piecing is from Hello Sunshine.

So let me know what you think, I know it's not the pinky girlie, girlie, but I thought it was more of the grown up confident gurly,gurly!  And by the way, this card is being delivered to a real girlie today!  We're gonna celebrate a big birthday!!!

the doll's choir

Tonight, I'm asking the Lord to forgive me for taking for granted the greatest blessing any of us could have, our health.  This was brought home to me today with a request of cards to dear Hannah, a young girl who is dying of a very rare cancer. I held my sons a bit closer, thankful for the every wonderful and annoying thing about them! And for their wisdom, Andy saying, 'Mom, she's going back home' in his mind, HEAVEN. If you would like to read about Hannah and her request. please check this out. I think those baby dolls are singing the way, though there is always hope for a miracle...I don't think she'll be lonely.

I am also thankful for feeling fully the emotions of righteous anger, sadness, and hope...dear Lord be a healing balm no matter what.