Happy Leap Day

Happy Leap Day to you!  I've almost missed it.  It's almost bedtime and I haven't wished anyone a happy day.  My hubby and I went in to town today to see a movie -- Acts of Valor -- it is a great movie and a must see. Well, we were talking about leap year, and since it is the 29th, now I can ask him to marry me.  So I asked him.  Of course, my hubby has a weird sense of humor, so he said he would have to think about it but he would drop me off at the next stoplight and maybe pick me up along the way back.  Ho ho.  He is a real jokester!  In the end, he didn't drop me off, and he said "yes," -- but he wants a ring!

I have been working on a mini scrapbook the past few days.  I'm making it for my son's birthday.  Since it isn't finished yet, today I will show you a card we made at my upline's Club meet last week (thanks, Buffy).  It was fun to make.  Great selection of colors, especially since I love purple.   And the doily die is a must have.  I love how she wove the ribbon. 

I hope I can get back to crafting again soon, so that I will have something to show.  And I want to do more challenges.  I really like the challenges.  Once I finish my mini scrapbook, I hope to have a picture or two of it.

Until next time...........

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Free as a Butterfly

My card today is in response to 2 challenges.  One is a color challenge at Color Throwdown.  The colors this week are Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pine, Barely Bannana, and Basic Gray.  I found those colors to work very well together.  The other challenge is at Sketch Friendly Friday.  The sketch was very interesting.  I hope my idea of their sketch is what they had in mind.  I hope you like my card today. 

I did a very simple inside..  Just a couple butterflies from Precious Butterflies set, and a sentiment -- done

I'm pretty new to challenges, but find they are quite fun.  I love to see how others interpret the same challenge.  And there are times the challenge gets my mojo going when I have been unable to get it in motion. 

Hope you are all having a great weekend and will have a good week.  Come back soon.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

It's time again for the Sunny Morning Chat Challenge.  We put our heads together and came up with a color challenge :  Rich Razzleberry, Pear Pizzaz, Marina Mist, Wisteria Wonder, and a neutral of your choice.  We must have been sleepy that day -- look at all those "zzzzzs" in the colors.  Ha!  When I layed those colors out on the floor (I sit on the floor in my craft room with my colors around me to choose -- it's carpeted, and I'm under a skylight), I thought that combination was really pretty and would be easy.  Well, they are pretty, but I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to make the colors blend in a way that made me happy.  Finally, I decided on the combination below and my card fell together.  Hope you like it.

Here is a closeup of the butterfly.  I love butterflies, and have to force myself to pass them by sometimes, or all my cards would have a butterfly.  I put a little Dazzling Details in a few places to give it a little pizzaz.

For the inside I decided to add a little more detail.  I love the flower design in the Fresh Vintage set (a freebie in the Sale-a-Bration mini), and often use portions of it to edge areas of my cards.  I will hate to see that set retire. 

That is my challenge card.  You can join our challenges by heading over to the Butternut Sage blogsite here, and don't forget the chats in the mornings.  Along with the fun we all have jabbering, we get and give each other good pointers about technique, where to find topic help, how to accomplish things.  You name it, we chat it.

Yesterday I spent the day with a crafting friend I hadn't seen in quite a while.  We talked, compared notes on what we had been doing, talked, created, talked, tried out each other's tools, talked..........well, you see what we did most of the day.  I went with the intention of making a small scrapbook for my son for his birthday (yup, I really thought I would finish), but I did 2 pages, and 1 card.  I'll have some pictures later.  But, we did accomplish the renewal of friendship and found out what is happening in our lives (hi Margie, had a great time).

That's it for today, hope you come back soon.

Crafty Hugs,

Sandy

Life's a Bowl of Cherries -- Sometimes

Need to do a really quick post today.  I made several things the other day but have been running so many which ways that I just haven't taken time to post.  No good excuse, I guess I could have done it at midnight, right?  So without much ado, here is one creation from the other day:

I haven't decided whether it will be a birthday card, or thank you, or something else.  Many of my cards are done without something specific so that when I select it I can quickly stamp whatever sentiment I need.  This may be a birthday card for my niece later this month.  I hope she doesn't read my blogsite in the next couple weeks -- oops!  Might have to make something else for her,.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps:   Cherish Friendship, Nature Walk
Paper:  Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Wisteria Wonder, Sweet Shop DSP
Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue
Accessories:  Wisteria Wonder Ruffled Ribbon, Perfect Pennants Bigz Die (one of the circles), Simply Scored (very hard to see, but scoring at top and bottom of card), Basic Pearls

That's my card for today.  Now I need to go back to the kitchen -- I promised my hubby I would make whatever he decided for dinner.  Should have known, when I say that he usually wants fried chicken.  So I'm off to fry the chicken, after I catch it, slaughter, defeather, skin --- ha ha, just kidding!  Mine is in the freezer just like everyone else's.   {smile}

Until next time.................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy
 

Friends at the Beach

What happens when a good friend goes on vacation, has great fun on a cruise, and lazes around on the beach -- and leaves her friends behind (that would be you, Donna --- tee hee)?  The friends all get together and decide, well, they don't like being left back in the cold and snow.  So what they did was GO TO THE BEACH TOO!!!

And when these friends decided to go to the beach, it is not possible for crafty friends to be decked out in anything less than the best "designer" flip flops.  So they decorated their flip flops with their favorite craft tools, shiny gems, dies, and bling -- notice all the hand made flip flops.......aren't they stylish!  Oh my!

So, Donna, welcome home, we missed you bunches!  We're glad you are back.  But don't go to the beach again without us.

For all my visitors to this blog.  I hope you got a chuckle from my little break from cardmaking today.  If you would like to join in the fun we have with other crafty friends -- and perhaps go to the beach with us next time -- come join our morning chats over here.  Hope to talk to you in the morning chat -- 10:00 a.m., Eastern, Mon - Thur.

Until next time................

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Back on Your Feet

I had a fun time today creating.  Weather was dreary, family was busy doing other things, hubby had some things he wanted to do, so that left me to do anything I wished.  I wished to stamp!  My card today is one of 4 I finished this afternoon.  Hopefully that means I'll be able to post each day for a while rather than be silent like I was the past few days.

This cute little turtle is such fun.  I love turtles.  We are visited each summer by several that cruise through our yard on their way to or from the river behind our house.  We have a couple that are rare, and we have some that are just plain ole turtles.  But here is my turtle card:

I have 3 friends right now who are either in the hospital for surgery, at home with back pain, or battling the monster flu bug.  This particular card is for one of my flat on her back friends.  I hope she gets a chuckle when she receives it, and perhaps it will make her feel just a little better.



This close up of the shell is to show how I used Crystal Effects for the little squares on the shell to give some depth and make the shell look a bit more real. Don't you feel sorry for that little guy. I can see those little legs kicking and his squirming, trying to get right side up, and on his way. I think I'll go turn him over and help him out! {smile}

  

  

This shows the inside of the card and also the envelope.   

Recipe:

Stamps:  Turtle & Co, Fresh Vintage, Curly Cute

Paper:  Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Naturals Ivory, Everyday Enchantment DSP

Ink:  VersaMark, Black, Old Olive, Pear Pizzaz, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip

Accessories:  Adorning Accents Edgelit and Embossing Folder, Crystal Effects, Lucky Limeade Everyday Enchangment Ribbon, rhinestones, googlie eyes

 Well, I hope you liked my card today.  Come back soon for another visit.

Crafty Hugs,

Sandy

  

Heart Card Kit

I have a quick post for you today.  I was gone all day and didn't get a chance to do any crafting.  It was time to take my car in for one of its regular services -- you know, they flush this, replace that, clean out something, rotate tires, change oil, and CHARGE LOTS OF $$$$.   Ugh!  I came away with an empty checking account, and maybe a nickel in my pocket!  But I guess my car is in good shape for another week or two -- ha ha.

Hopefully over the next few days I will get the opportunity to make something more, and I believe I have another couple kits yet to show. 

This card is very similar to a red one I did for Valentine's Day.  I've been talking about kits I made for a friend.  My friend -- hi Eileen -- bought a couple of the Designer Cuts Sets from the Occasions Mini.  She loves the cuts and asked if I could work with them for one of her kits.  So, this is a sample of what I put together.  I included a couple different colors of glimmer paper, trim, ribbon, and inks for her to use when putting her cards together.  There were blue, green, gold, silver and red.  This should be simple for her to do in rehab, and I know when she saw them she ooo'd and ahhhh'd, so I believe that means she liked these.

Tomorrow I'll show you another kit.  For tonight I need to run.  Hope you had a good weekend and have a better week ahead.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Spring is Coming

Our challenge for the Morning Chat Group over at Butternut Sage Designs here was to make a spring card design.  I have been so ready to start designing with flowers, trees -- with leaves -- and sunny, blue, skies.  Well this card is blue and it has flowers.  I hope it is a forerunner of spring.  I don't have anything to complain about, however, because so far this has been the mildest winter I can ever remember.   I grew up in Wisconsin, where we had snow on the ground usually from December through March.   And 2 years ago, here on my mountain in West Virginia, between Christmas and the 10th of January, we had 3 snows totalling 48 inches.   I have tons of pictures of that white stuff everywhere, and walkway tunnels to the garage, to the satellite dish, to the bird feeder, and to the wood pile.  We didn't get off the mountain for quite some time -- not until people from the outside could get in to plow.  It has been warm here for the past few months, but I am still ready for spring and all the pretty flowers.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my spring challenge card. 

This card opens by untying the bow and lifting the right side flap. 

I wanted to show you a little closeup of the focal image on the card.  I used the framelits dies, and I not only cut a framelit, but I embossed the next smaller size to give the image a frame.  Then I sponged the outer edge to set off the image.  I love these framelits, and I love their versatility.

This is the inside of my card.  You can see in this picture how the card opens.







I hope you like my spring challenge.  If you want to join us, we would love to see your creation.  Just make a spring card by no later than this Monday, place it on your blogsite, then link it to the Butter Nut Sage site.  You can do that by going to Donna's (hi Donna) blogsite -- here is her site.   Click on the "Morning Chat Challenge" on the top bar, and go to the link button within that site.  Once you click on the link you will be given instructions that are easy to follow.  Hope to see you there.

Until next time..........

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Explosion Box Techniques

I have an awesome creation for my post today.  With my good friend Liz's permission I am posting her explosion box (thanks, Liz, love it!).  I've been talking for a couple weeks about how I have been making some card kits as a gift for a good friend who is going into the hospital for knee surgery and then rehab.  Liz, who also is a friend, has made this terrific explosion box for her.  She had a great idea!  Each section of the box gives instructions for a different technique for our friend to work with.  Along with the box Liz included separate packages to make cards according to each of the techniques contained in the explosion box.  Liz included not only the paper cuts, but also white gel pens, little inkers, and tools our friend will need to work on the techniques.

 Isn't this box pretty.  In real life you can see the sparkly designer paper and the pretty little heart on top, nestled in a little envelope, and a nice paper flower too.  Nice touches. 

The panels inside the box portray techniques and give instructions our friend can follow to use her pencils, watercolor crayons, and markers.  You can see the Black Magic technique below, as an example.  In the center of the explosion box is a luminary with a little battery operated candle.  I guess Liz thinks our friend will have to work in the dark at the rehab center and will need a little light?  (tee hee!) (Just kidding, Liz.  It's very pretty!)

This is a great idea, and our friend loved it.  She said she feels so special to get such a nice gift for her hospital stay.  And thanks, Liz, for letting me show this creation.

Tomorrow I hope to show a couple of the kits I gave to our friend for her rehab stay.  Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Ready to Read

I love to read.  In fact, I come from a family full of readers.  My sister has a Master's Degree in Library Sciences and wanted to work for the Library of Congress.  But she hated Washington DC traffic and so the Library of Congress idea went by the wayside.  My mother always had a book close by, and my husband loves to read.  My son and his two kids all read bedtime stories and the kids are apt to pick up a book to kill time rather than a coloring book or TV.  We all love to put puzzles together, too.  But that's another topic -- I usually have a puzzle out on a table somewhere most any time.  I noticed yesterday that my husband was still using a Christmas bookmark that I stuck in the book I gave him for Christmas.  So, today I decided to make some new ones.

These bookmarks are  not holiday sensitive, so they should last a while.  I also did some Valentine bookmarks for my grandkids, but they are ready to mail and I didn't take pictures.  Besides, I said I was done with the Valentine topic here.  I used sponging and just a few stamps for these bookmarks.  Colors are Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush, Rose Red and Pear Pizzaz for the purplish one and So Saffron, Rose Red and Pear Pizzaz for the pinkish one.  The stamp sets are Nature's Pace and Nature Walk.  Hmmmmm, I just realized, I guess I am into nature today -- must be the deer and bear (see below). 

Did you watch the Super Bowl last night?  We went to a neighbor friend's house, and even though the choice of teams was mixed, we all had fun.  Would you believe venison chili and bearmeat sausage pizza?  Well, some of our neighbors are into self preservation and living off the land.  Not me, I love my grocery store, my car, and big screen TV -- with DVR.  Anyway, the chili and pizza actually were very good.  Usually I don't much care for venison and I had never eaten bear.  We have far too many deer, and since they like to eat our gardens and bushes and flowers, hunting them is ok with us.  And I've seen bear a few times, as we have a family of bears in the woods where we live.  Mostly they stay away, and mostly they run when they hear us coming.  And that's fine with me.  But the bearmeat was not from the family that lives in our woods.  Not sure I want any more bearmeat.

I hope you all had a great weekend and are having a terrific Monday.   I am happy you came to visit me, and hope you come back soon.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Thank You in Turquoise

Time sure does fly.  I thought I had just entered a post but it has already been 3 days.  I guess I've been busy.  Yesterday I spent most of the day at my grandson's Boy Scout Pinewood Derby.  He did fine, for a 9 year old, but he did not win any of he big prizes.  He came in 2nd in two of his races and 4th and 3rd in the other two.  Over all I don't know where he placed.  If you don't know how the derby works, basically he would have had to come in first in all four of his races and additionally have really fast race times to get in the top winners.  But he had lots of fun making the car and lots of fun running the race.  And I always have fun playing my part as grandma and cheering and clapping and congratulating.  And, of course, taking pictures.  I'll try to show a pic or two here once I transfer them from my camera. 

Ok, so back to basics.  Here is my card entry for today.  It is nearly a duplicate of a very pretty one I saw on Dawn Olchefske's blog (thank you Dawn).  I was looking for a thank you style that would be really quick so that I could make a bunch and/or be able to make one quickly when I wanted to send out a thank you.  I have to have some on hand or it takes me forever to get my thank yous out.  Shame on me, I just got my Christmas thank you cards out last week.  Boy, am I bad!

About the only difference between my card and Dawn's is that I didn't have any more Marina Mist cardstock so I used Tempting Turquoise.  Therefore my Marina Mist seam binding ribbon did not coordinate well, so I used some rick rack I had laying around.  But I love the color and the simplicity of this card.  The inside has a little more of the Fresh Vintage stamp showing.  And did you know Fresh Vintage is a FREE stamp set if you purchase $50 in catalog product?  Well it is, and I love this set the most of any other set in the SAB book.  Well, I really like Outlined Occasions too, but I love this one.

Next time I'll show you more of the kits I have been making.  I have really been creating the past few days, but still can't show until I deliver today and tomorrow.

Until next time..........

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy

Pink Elephants, Anyone?

I thought pink elephants were what you see when you imbibe just a little too much.  Here's another kind of pink elephant.  It's my last Valentine, I promise.  I've started working on spring, St. Patrick, even some birthday.  NO MORE VALENTINES!  This pink elephant -- yup, that is PINK -- is for our 1 yr old grandson.  He's a little guy, so he won't ask too many questions about why this elephant isn't gray.  Tee hee!  I watercolored a little gray into it for shadow, but for the most part he's PINK!

What do you think?  Cute?  Those are red glimmer paper heart balloons that were punched with the Heart to Heart punch.   And so, that is it for hearts, pink and Valentines.  Bye, bye.

I worked a good part of today on a make n take card, and did all the cuts and packaging.  I will show that card next week.  It is for our demo team meeting this weekend.  Since the gals who will be there read my blog, I can't show it just yet.  Same goes for the card kits I was working on today.  The customer I will give them to also reads my blog, and I don't want her to see them yet.  Next week.

We've had some gorgeous weather, so I tried to get outside a little, but it is such a tease.  Tomorrow it will get chilly again.  What a winter.  I have almost all my daffodils up about 4 inches out of the ground.  And the crocus are out too.  Oh my, what are we going to do in April when all the beauty really should be out.  I cleaned up a little of the junk around the stems, like leaves and sticks.  So at least they will come up nicely.  Oh well, I hope I get to see at least a little yellow before the snow comes.   

Ok, I am in the middle of making dinner, so I better get back to it.  I hope you all have a great Friday and I will be back soon.

Crafty Hugs,
Sandy