honor due

What happened to all the parades?  What happened to the honor and respect we showed as a nation to those who gave their all and some the ultimate sacrifice of dying for their country.  I'm longing for the 'good, old days' when it wasn't about stretching it into a three day weekend, I'm longing for little ones to be waiting on the curb when the bands come marching by playing John Phillip Sousa.  I want to never forget what we were as a nation and what we can be...again.

Thank you to all those who serve so proudly in my place. Thank you for the lonely nights and days and months you spend away from your loved ones.  Godspeed your return home.

My card today is in tribute for my family members who have worn a uniform of America.  I used Artistic Outpost's Hero set of unmounted stamps.

I saw the light

I adore this simple gospel song from Hank Williams (1948).  And through the years, I've heard it performed by many musicians...but non more moving to me than the David Crowder Band's version. Last year, my dear sons and I were right against the stage rockin' out. I hope you'll have a listen if you're not familiar or be blessed again..click here!

So you can imagine I was wild when I happened upon Artistic Outpost

which had a whole plate of unmounted rubber stamps based on this legendary song.  I love their vintage style and the quality of their rubber.

Music lightens my spirit and while I carry my tunes in a bucket, I always appreciate the gift of music!  How about you?

best part

I do love Friday's limited supplies challenge over on SCS!  It helps keep me focused on the balance of each element in my designs.  My art has to be pondered as each piece has meaning and is just a part of the whole story. This remembrance card illustrates this well, I think!  I wanted to remind a dear co-worker that I had not forgotten the homegoing of her DH two years ago. They were high school sweethearts and grew up together.  He adored her and their children and in time, grandchildren.  The love between them and through their family is greatly evident in the care and daily contact the grown children have with their mother and amongst themselves. A picture of love in action. I wanted my card to celebrate this.  

So I tucked the hearts around the sentiment, like a snuggle...the biggest heart for my friend and then 4 smaller hearts to represent the children. Each one different from the other.  I added faux stitching...sort of binding up those hearts together.  Of course over the years those children followed in their parents footsteps and married, blessing them with grandchildren...but then that's a whole 'nother story!

I am so fortunate to watch the love and care this family has for one another and it reminds me that truly our families, along with our health is, indeed, our greatest wealth. Love on yours today!

Thanks for spending some moments with me this Friday.

 

focus

Still having a son at home, I am often reminding him to focus on his task at hand. Seems it's a buzz word these days.  But I know focus is something I desperately need to apply to my own self!  I've actually taken to setting a kitchen timer...trying to use the minutes in my favor. And I get back to vision, what am I seeing?  How am I using my gifts, my imagination?  I love to sit back and think through the creation process...dreams taking flight, when there is tangible evidence~~~ART!

I want there to always be time to discover wonder 'round every corner, in a page of a book, or out the front door as my son just summoned me to have a look at one of our Japanese maples that is ruby red against the dark of night.  His focus is adjusted...how about yours?

My card for the Featured Stamper challenge this week 'focuses' on this very idea.

on wrinkles

I love wrinkles!  I know, I know you just might think I've lost it, but wait a minute...if we live long enough we will have an assortment of them. I remember both my grandmothers.  One, the wrinkles pulled down her face into a permanent frown and while there were many years yet to live, she seemed to always project a sadness I could never quite understand.  My other grandmother was blessed with a porcelain complexion and a softness to rival an infant, fresh from God.  She had a twinkle of mischievous all her days...I loved to stroke her face and smell what was probably Pond's cold cream! Which leads me to my mother.  My mother is a sun lover and it shows on her skin today.  But I adore her leathery look and thankfully no skin cancer. I read her face and remember and dream and photograph it in my mind's eye...for I never want to forget that roadmap of her life for I know my times coming.

Smile girls...you've just exercised 27 muscles to keep those wrinkles at bay...for a bit longer.

My card for the SCS ways to use it challenge was created to honor my mother...it's winging it's way East.  I love you, Mimi!

latte for us

I loved today's technique challenge on SCS.  Use fancy napkins as your background paper.  I've had this stash forever and was delighted to use the latte cups for a card to my friend in the American coffee capitol, SEATTLE.  It's definitely a culture and until I lived there I didn't quite understand how anyone could not like cold coffee that had sat in a mug for the better part of a day. Now it's only espresso for me...a small luxury that brings much joy in my coffee breaks.

I used Technique Tuesday's 'Friends' set for my YOU & ME and those groovy mod stars.  Love this set. This card is mounted on SU black cs and I chose a Fancy Pants grid double-sided paper to place the latte napkin on top.  I peeled the two white layers off and glued it to the Fancy Pants which had been cuttled with the Paisley ef. I cut another top mug, mounted it onto white cs and UTEE'ed finally mounting it on foam squares.  It gives it a nice dimension as well as the texture of the torn napkin.  

I love the way it turned out.  I'll stick a Starbuck's card inside and slip it into the mail this afternoon.  Isn't it wonderful to have traditions with our family and friends that tie us over time to memories?  Sometime those special places are lost...one that just popped into my mind was the Howard Johnsons in the early days of the interstate system...you could pop off the road and get an ice cream cone...seems like they were always in the middle of the road.  Better not get started with my favorite food related memories, but I would love to hear yours'...

guidebook

    I love the Featured Stamper challenge on Sundays at SCS.  It's a great opportunity to see how someone has developed as an artist over time.  I had such fun persuing todays' FS90, Speedystamper and in the end taught myself some new PhotoShop skills.  

I'd been wanting to use this picture of Sam from last summer in a card...

The card base is GP white. I printed my photo on vellum after the picture was altered to sepia in PS6. Perhaps I should have left it the gorgeous color it was...Sam's eyes are so blue and the stunning landscaped behind with the road snaking around...!!! The fun Inkadinkadoo kid's quote was stamped on top of the vellum in VersaColor Black and embossed with clear ep. I used bits from various papers to create the collage. The California license plate and the metal cars on road maps are from Tim Holtz. The green panel which is vintage post cards is the Passport group (Making Memories). I wanted the word CAR to show above the quote and tie the old cars together. UNDERneath the vellum photo, I stamped the word SON and in his hair right where the sonlight is hightlighting is a BIBLE, definitely THE guidebook in our family. I finished off with an epoxied circular pebble that proclaims adventure and I rolled a number wheel on the edges.  

And lastly, I couldn't forget x's and o's on his shoulder.

Please overlook this random assortment of fonts/bolds...I am still a blogging babe and it shows! Happy Sunday, all!