ND Stamper Spot

2009-11-17T09:17:00.009-06:00

I realize it's been a long time since I've posted to my blog. Boy, how time does fly!
Our November weather has been incredible this year, though October was very wet. It's been nice to see the sun shine and get the leaves picked up off the yard.

My project for today is a sympathy card. We lost another good friend who lives in Wisconsin.
I made this card using a set from Our Daily Bread Designs called Light of the World. I've had this set for a while but haven't used much lately. I love this image and the verses that are in the set.
You may want to check out their newest Christmas sets that were just released, they look great to me.

I pulled out my Watercolor Pencils from Stampin' Up! to color the main image.
I felt that the paper used was great for this time of year.
I'm going to have to admit one mistake that I made and tried to cover up. When I was doing the paper piercing, I forgot to leave the card open and ended up piercing thru both layers of cardstock. That's why the inside of the card has the paper from the front carried onto the inside. I figured it would help to make the piercing look intentional rather than the mistake that it really was. My daughter said that she like the fact that the inside was decorated as well as the front.

The inside of the card uses stamps from 2 different stamp sets from Stampin' Up! and also a stamp from Stampabilities.

I hope you like the card. I know this man's wife will appreciate it since she is also a stamper and loves to receive hand made cards.

Have a great week!

Influenza Bugs and A Sad Event

2009-10-23T10:18:00.008-05:00

The influenza bug hit our household this week. Two of us came down with the bug and it hit pretty hard. We are finally feeling on the mend, but the cough just won't let go very easily. It's a good thing the guest bedroom was ready for use. This is the first time in years I've slept in a different bed, but needed to so as to keep the bug from my husband. So far so good, he hasn't come down with the symptoms yet.

Monday brought a lot of sadness to our household as well. As my husband was dealing with the fact that both of the "girls" in the house were sick, he was hit with another blow.
Tom takes Shadow, our dog, for a walk almost every morning. This gives the dog the much needed exercise that he needs. Shadow has had a bad habit of treating cars as if they are a toy - he likes to play chicken with them. He lost the game this time. Shadow was hit by an unsuspecting driver when he didn't make it around the front of the car in time. He was a handful of a dog - still mostly puppy, but we loved him and he will be missed greatly.

October Create and Recreate

2009-10-17T22:17:00.003-05:00

Here's the card for this month's Create and Recreate at church tomorrow afternoon.

After having spent a number of hours today mowing the leaves that have fallen (since most of our snow from this week has melted and who knows when the next storm will arrive),
I wanted a card that would use Autumn colors and images.
I chose Stampin' Up! Fantastic Foliage, a set I've had for a long time with images.

I stamped the oak leaves onto Whisper White card stock in Versa Mark ink, then embossed them with Stamp-n-Stuff Copper Embossing Tinsel. This stuff is great because it combines glitter and embossing powder in one easy step. I then took a sponge dauber and sponged 2 of the images with More Mustard ink and 1 image with Really Rust. I used the Scallop Oval punch to punch out the images.

The main image is framed with a Large Oval punch in a coordinating color and then on a Nestabilities Scallop Square.

More of the leaves and some acorns were stamped in Dusty Durango on paper from the Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up! (3 5/8 x 4 1/4) which has had the edges distressed and this layer was mounted on a layer of Old Olive (4x4 5/8) which has the edges distressed and rubbed in Dusty Durango. The card base is Crushed Curry.

The cord is a copper cord from Stampin' Up! wrapped around the card front and tied.

I hope you like my latest creation. (And, I hope those that make it tomorrow like it too.)

2 Challenges - 1 Great Card for 1 Great Daughter!

2009-10-14T11:59:00.004-05:00

I made this card for my daughter. There is a concert tomorrow night at school. It's called LHS Live and it is the 2nd year that this concert has been done. It features the jazz band, swing choir and other smaller groups. My daughter is a part of the swing choir and is also being very brave and singing a solo as well. I thought I needed to give her some encouragement and a thumbs up by making a special card just for her.

I purchased this stamp set about a year ago and haven't taken the time to use it yet. I'm sure glad I pulled it out for this card. It fits perfectly since our family LOVES music! The set is My Heart from Close to My Heart.

This card also fits into the Sketch Challenge and the Technique Challenge for this week on SplitCoastStampers.

The card is a regular 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" size, but is mounted so that it will stand up like an easel. I sure hope she likes it.

Recipe:
Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Night of Navy, Whisper White, SU DSP Tea Party
Ink: Night of Navy, Melon Mambo
Stamp set: CTMH My Heart
Other elements: Cuttlebug D'vine Swirls embossing folder, Melon Mambo ribbon, SU large oval punch and scallop punch
The images on the front as well as the sentiment inside the card are mounted with dimensionals to pull them off the page just a little bit.

Thanksgiving Easel Card

2009-10-12T16:06:00.004-05:00

I had to use the new stamp set Gifts of the Earth from Stampin' Up! again. I love the images.
Today's technique challenge was to make an easel card. It's pretty simple and the instructions can be found by following the link in the 1st post of the challenge. The fold that is made in the card base makes the card easy to stand up and displayed.

I also used the colors from last week's color challenge. That challenge was to use Mellow Moss, Whisper White, and Kraft.

I used Spellbinders Nestabilities - Scallop Squares to help with the layering on this card. I like how you can cut it out and add the embossed edge to the cardstock.

I also added a button from my stash of old buttons from my mother and grandmother, (it's fun to use some of these little treasures), and also some of my SU HodgePodge Hardware.

I hope you like my card.

Carstock: Kraft, Whisper White, SU Designer Series Paper (hostess pack)
Stamps: Gifts of the Earth, Teeny Tiny Wishes (both from Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Stazon Black, Mellow Moss, SU Markers
Ribbon is a scrap piece I had saved for the right project.

Gifts of the Earth

2009-10-07T08:38:00.002-05:00

Fall has definitely come here in North Dakota. Even my teenage daughter left for school this morning saying that it's winter coat time.

I made this card for today's sketch challenge on SCS. I used a new set that just arrived on Monday at my house called Gifts of the Earth from Stampin' Up! I love the images in the set.

The card base is Dusty Durango. The back panel is Crushed Curry embossed using the Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder and framed with Soft Suede. The image panel is framed with Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango and colored with SU markers and then the sky is sponged with Bashful Blue and Marigold Morning. The cross panel underneath the main panel is an image also from the Gifts of the Earth set.

I hope you like my creation. I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Fall Cards & a start on Christmas

2009-10-04T13:42:00.008-05:00

I have worked on a couple new card ideas in the past week or so and thought I would share them with you.

The 1st is a card idea I got from looking thru the resources pages of Splitcoaststampers. It's called an Accordian card. I made 2 of these and adjusted the size of the second one just a little bit, but both sizes work out beautifully.

The pumpkin that pops out is made from the SU Round Tab punch. I saw this idea somewhere else for a table decoration and thought it would be fun for a pop out inside a card. The more tabs you add, the more full your pumpkin looks, but be careful to make sure your card will still close.

I used SU's Autumn Harvest set for the stamped pumpkins and leaves on these cards.

Remember to attach your ribbon to the outside of your card before attaching the image layers! It will help to secure the ribbon.

The next cards were done after seeing last Monday's New Technique challenge on SCS. It was to use aluminum foil to make a shiny embossed panel on your card. You just fold the foil around a piece of cardstock and run it thru your Big Shot, Cuttlebug, or whatever machine you have in an embossing folder.

It makes for an easy WOW effect on your card that doesn't cost a lot of $$$$. I figured it wouldn't hurt to get a start on my Christmas cards this way and this new stamp set from SU and the ornament punch to go with it made is easy as well.

Colors used for these cards are SU Rich Razzleberry, black and SU Whisper White.

Bon Appetit

2009-09-22T21:46:00.003-05:00

I talked with my son today both by text and actually talked with him as well. It was good to hear his voice.

I decided to send him a care package with some homemade banana bread and some other treats as well as some vitamins. Four cases of H1N1 have been confirmed on campus. I'm hoping he's keeping himself healthy.

This card was made to add to the box. I hope he enjoys it. I used the colors from today's color challenge on SCS to decide what colors to use for this card.

The stamp set used is from Stampin' Up! and called Voila.
Cardstock and ink colors are Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, black, and Whisper White. I cut out the chef and the dome to the tray separately and attached them with dimensionals. I think it makes his foot look like he's going to walk right off the front of the card.

I hope he likes the card and more importantly the goodies in the box.

Stampin' Up!

2009-09-22T16:12:00.002-05:00

For those of you who know me well, I am a person that holds to my convictions.
I have agonized over a decision since the beginning of the month and have finally come to a decision. As of the end of this month, I will no longer be a demonstrator for Stampin' Up! Some changes have come about, and I don't feel that I can fulfill the obligations that the company has set before me.

I will be placing one last order before the end of the month. So, any of my customers who are in need of supplies, or would just like to place an order, please call me by Monday evening and I add your order to the others that are already coming in to me.

I still love the products that Stampin' Up! has to offer and I will still use the products and purchase the products, I just do not feel I can be a demonstrator anymore.

Thanks for listening.

Lord's Prayer

2009-09-21T15:22:00.004-05:00

I did another of the Create and Recreate at church on Sunday. However, due to everyone's busy schedules, there were only 2 of us there.

I made this card after getting home from that event.

Cardstock colors include:
Ivory
SU Bermuda Bay
SU Cameo Coral

Ink:
Cameo Coral
Bermuda Bay

Stamps:
SU Thoughts & Prayers
ODBD Lord's Prayer

Ribbon from SU and flowers from Prima

My card style tends to be clean and simple, so I hope you like what I've done here. The flowers are stamped twice for a shadow effect. The main image panel and the Cameo Coral layer are popped up with SU dimensionals for more interest. I used the SU Mat Pack for the piercing on the Bermuda Bay layer.

Update

2009-09-21T08:24:00.002-05:00

No, I haven't given up on my blog.

After my son moved to college, my daughter took over his bedroom in the basement. Well, you can imagine that it needed some freshening up. So, after painting the walls, shampooing the carpets and putting sealer paint on the floor underneath the carpet, we got her moved into her larger digs. She's loving it!

Now came the part of what to do to take care of the bedroom she moved out of upstairs. After realizing that I couldn't just wash down the walls and move stuff in there, the paint cans came out. Looking thru what was available already in the house gave me and idea and I ran with it. I only purchased 1 new can of paint and got a great result. The walls are now painted - the floor has been scrubbed - the guest bed has been moved up from the basement - a couple pictures have been hung on the walls - and the room already looks FULL but very nice for a guest bedroom.

With having knee surgery just 3 weeks ago, I think I did pretty well to get that much done.

I will try to post pictures soon.

Anyway, I had a couple of cards ready to post here too, but the scanner is not doing them justice and my daughter has borrowed my digital camera. I guess it will have to wait.

Double Pocket Card

2009-09-09T15:37:00.002-05:00

I started this card a while ago and just didn't know how I was going to finish the layers to go in the pockets.

Today it came to me and this is how the card looks completed.

This is a Double Pocket card and there is a wonderful tutorial here: http://jarfullofjoy.blogspot.com/2008/04/double-pocket-card-tutorial.html by Judy Rozema on how to make this great card starting with just one piece of double sided designer paper.

The stamp sets I used are from Stampin' Up! and are Kind & Caring Thoughts and God's Blessings. The papers are also from Stampin' Up!

Check out the tutorial and post a link to YOUR
creation in the comment section of this card.

Have a great rest of the week!

For those who know, my knee is feeling much better. It's kind of stiff and needs some strengthening, but it's much better than it's been in a long time. Thanks for thinking of me.

Our Daily Bread Designs

2009-09-02T17:34:00.003-05:00

I received this image a long while back. The image is from a set from Our Daily Bread Designs.

This card was put together using the idea from this week's sketch challenge on Splitcoaststamper.

This card was made for a sympathy card. We lost a good friend and member of our congregation this week. He left church on Sunday after having taken communion and went home to his Savior.
It's a loss for us, but a blessing for him.

Update!

2009-08-31T20:31:00.002-05:00

Sorry for seeming like I've been absent.

We moved our son to college, took a WEEKEND away from home (hard to do with a hubby that's a pastor), worked extra days at work last week, and had knee surgery today.

Surgery went well today, the doctor found things not as bad as anticipated. Now just to get the pain down and get back to moving again.

Hopefully, I'll be posting some new creations soon.

Shadow Stamping

2009-08-18T08:55:00.002-05:00

Here's my card for today. Taken with Teal is such a pretty color. I thought I'd use it to show the shades that it can create when you stamp it twice. The main image is attached with dimensionals to give it more of a framed look.

The card is a trifold. I cut the cardstock at 5 1/2" x 11" and scored it at 3" and at 7 1/4" to create the correct card size.

Recipe:
Cardstock: Taken with Teal, Very Vanilla, SU To the Nines Designer Paper, Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Round Tab punch, Ticket Corner punch.

I used the Mat Pack to create the paper piercing on the 2nd layer. The spray is also stamped in Close to Cocoa on the 2nd layer and then again in the stamped off Taken with Teal on Very Vanilla cardstock on the inside of the card.

Autumn and Bears - What a treat!

2009-08-15T17:33:00.003-05:00

I've been playing around with my stamps a bit in the past few days and came up with these cards.

The first one was done after seeing this card Extreme Snowboarding on Splitcoast Stampers. A link to the tutorial as to how to do the background is found in her blog. This is my try at that technique to do a fall type card with Lovely as a Tree and Autumn Days from Stampin' Up! as my stamp sets. I used a brayer for the sky and the grass and sponged the land and some of the fill-in for the colors.

The trees were stamped in in gray with the trees in the background having been stamped off 1st to make them look farther away. The pheasant was stamped 2 times - 1st in Dusty Durango - 2nd in Bermuda Bay without cleaning the stamp 1st so as to leave a little of the other color on the image. I then cut out the head and chest area and attached it to the original bird. The bird is attached to the card with a dimensional and the tail kind of curls outwards and looks more realistic this way.

My 2nd card today is from the new Beary Best Friends set that is coming to customers on Sept. 1st. I stamped a bunch of the bears and worked on different ways to color them. He is cut out and then attached with dimensionals. The Ballet Blue background layer is also attached with dimensionals to lift it off the page a little as well.

I hope you enjoy these cards. I'm looking forward to sharing them with others.

Wheat Harvest

2009-08-12T14:48:00.004-05:00

Here is my submission for today's Sketch Challenge on SCS. I used my new Autumn Days set and the Tapestry technique found here. My embossing powder is a deep etch clear powder, so it shows up very shiny on the paper.

I used Pumpkin Pie and Creamy Caramel Craft Ink from SU for the background and stamped the wheat in Whisper White before embossing the whole background piece. The wheat for the main image was stamped in Creamy Caramel and sponged with Creamy Caramel Craft Ink. The entire work is framed with Soft Suede and mounted on a Creamy Caramel card base.

Build A Bear Workshop coming to a stamping workshop near you!

2009-08-08T18:51:00.002-05:00

Yes, Build A Bear Workshop is partnering with Stampin' Up! to bring some fun images and craft ideas to you. Starting Sept. 1, customers will have a chance to purchase stamp sets and Sizzix items to create wonderful bear items.

Here is my first card made with the new Beary Best Friends stamp set.

I'm looking forward to sharing more with you in the near future.

Loads of Love Truck

2009-07-29T11:53:00.004-05:00

I had a workshop last night and this is one of the projects we made for it. This card has a flap that folds down and lays underneath the main image panel for a closure. The main image and its mats are attached to the card with dimensionals just at the bottom of the image to leave the top open to use for the closure.

When you open the card, there is a space for your sentiment and for writing. There is also a slot cut out to insert a gift card or cash.

Here is the wonderful tutorial that gave me the idea to do this for my workshop last night: Dawn's tutorial Thanks for the great tutorial!

Check it out and try one of these.

Recipe:
Cardbase: Certainly Celery
DSP: Bashful Blue
Main image and mats: Ballet Blue, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ribbon: Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain
Punches needed: Word Window Punch, Tag Corner Punch

Mt. Rushmore after dark

2009-07-25T12:56:00.003-05:00

I had to add another page that I scrapbooked today. We visited Mt. Rushmore in the afternoon, went out for dinner and then came back for the evening festivities. There is a presentation by one of the park rangers then a video and then the lights come on while everyone is singing the National Anthem. It is quite an impressive experience.

One presentation we heard was that the sculptor put in aspects that only show in certain light, certain times of the day or certain seasons. He had quite the eye for detail. Seeing the monument at night was much different than during the day.

I used the Big Shot Top Note Die to frame the pictures in 2 different ways. I also used the Top Note and cut it in half to use for the titles. The eagle is an inexpensive yard sale find that I thought would add a nice touch. It was a pin and I just cut the posts off. The buttons are from a big jar of buttons I inherited from my mom.

16th Birthday

2009-07-25T10:40:00.002-05:00

I decided to use one of the sketches in the 52 Sketches site to create this page for my daughter's 16th birthday.

We went to Hill City, SD near Mount Rushmore for dinner. We were told of this great place called the Alpine Inn that serves a great steak dinner and has a wonderful dessert menu. Don't go there for dinner unless you like bacon wrapped steak, that's all they serve for dinner. But, they have a huge dessert menu. Since it was her birthday, her dessert came free with a sparkler in it! We had a great time!

Have a Razzle Dazzle 16th Birthday!

2009-07-19T16:47:00.002-05:00

My daughter is turning 16 tomorrow!

I made this card for her to celebrate. I thought it looked like a great girl teenager type card.

The base of the card is Melon Mambo which has been embossed with the Texurz plate using the Big Shot.

The "cake" is made from Rich Razzleberry card stock stamped in Whisper White using the Razzle Dazzle stamp set from SU. I then sprinkled it with Dazzling Diamonds and heat set it. (Yes, there's glitter all over my dining room!) A piece of Melon Mambo polka dot ribbon is attached to brighten it up.

I then attached a small piece of Razzleberry Lemonade at the base and used the Round Tab punch to create the base.

The sentiment was stamped and punched with the Round Tab punch with layers of 2 add'l Round Tabs and a layer of a scalloped circle attached.

I love how this card turned out and I hope my daughter will too.

How quickly summer flies by!

2009-07-18T22:18:00.002-05:00

It's so hard to believe that it's already past the middle of July. Summer is just flying by and I'm afraid that it's going to fly even faster!

My daughter turns 16 on Monday. Hard to believe she's that old, but she is turning into a wonderful young lady.

My son moves off to college in just over 1 month. It's great to see him ready for the next step. Lots of new challenges await as he has to take care of more things himself.

Our Vacation Bible School is set for Aug. 10-11. We are doing an overnight camping event again this year. It was a huge hit last year and we are hoping this year will be the same. Keep me in your prayers and we work out the plans for this event.

Loads of Stamping

2009-07-16T20:12:00.002-05:00

I love this set from Stampin' Up. It's called Loads of Love and it has some great accessories to go with it. I stamped a number of the trucks one day and colored them with my Watercolor Crayons while watching some tv. What a great way to pass the time. I used the Autumn Harvest set as well. I thought it'd look fun to have a great big pumpkin in the back of the pickup. What a "HAPPY HARVEST" that would be!

Two of these cards also utilize the Movers and Shapers for the Big Shot. It cuts your card, scores it and will make a window in your card front as well.

I hope you enjoy my creations.

Have a great end of the week!

Faux Grid

2009-07-14T21:08:00.003-05:00

I had to give the technique from Splitcoaststampers weekly technique challenge a try this week. The challenge was to use the faux grid technique.

My daughter and I took an overnight trip to do some shopping, spend some time together, and take her to the orthodontist before her birthday next week. I took along my Razzle Dazzle set from Stampin' Up!, a piece of SU grid paper, a small ruler, my new In Color markers and my Basic Black marker as well. I created the main image at the motel that evening while we were relaxing before going to bed.
I started with a 4x5 piece of Whisper White cardstock and used my Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry markers to color the main image from the Razzle Dazzle set and then stamped a few of the smaller flowers as fillers.
I then took my rulers and made lines at 1 inch intervals across the paper in both directions. I chose contrasting colors of Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry to color in a few of the tiles to add some interest and focal points to the card.
When I got home today, I realized that cutting the image down just a touch would give some space for framing the image. I cut the image to 3x4 and framed it with Crushed Curry that is only 1/8" larger. The Bermuda Bay layer is 4x5 with a cardbase of Regal Rose.
I used my Modern Label punch and my Word Window punch to the sentiment.

We had a great couple of days together with fun conversation, great shopping (we found some great deals), and we were glad to get back home again.

Thanks for looking at my new creation. Why not try this technique yourself.

Shabby Chicks Nature Challenge

2009-07-08T14:52:00.005-05:00

I made this card for today's sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers and also for the Shabby Chicks Blog Challenge - Nature. Check out some of the other Shabby Chicks Blogs for more inspiration.

I love this set from Stampin' Up!, Lovely As A Tree. The images are very fun to work with and are very versatile.

The trees are stamped in Classic Brown then the grass and sky are sponged with (from bottom to top) Sage Shadow, Crushed Curry, Creamy Caramel, and Bordering Blue.

Cardstock colors include: More Mustard, Soft Suede, Sage Shadow and Whisper White.

I hope you like what I've done. Now, go create!

After having looked again at the 1st card, I realized it needed something more for a focus, so I added this image from Autumn Days.

Let me know what you think.

New Technique

2009-07-06T23:15:00.006-05:00

I tried the Technique Learning Challenge from SCS today. I came up with 2 cards. This technique makes it so that the card is self-standing! Check here for the challenge and links to more information: TLC288
I wanted to use a set for Fall. I know, summer is just in full swing, but I know Fall card making will be just around the corner.

The 1st card is made using the technique called masking. I thought it would look great for a number of pumpkins. The pumpkins and leaves also have Crystal Effects added to add dimension. The greeting is a rub-on from Stampin' Up! and the stamp set is Autumn Harvest.

The 2nd card was done because I'd seen a sketch challenge somewhere today that got my creativity going. I thought the 3 pumpkins would look great sponged and then cut out and added with dimensionals to pop the up a bit.

Ink colors used for both cards are:
Dusty Durango
Crushed Curry
Mellow Moss
Soft Suede
Pumpkin Pie
Certainly Celery

Paper used:
Mellow Moss
Shimmery White
Whisper White
Razzleberry Lemonade

Circles and Swirls Fireworks

2009-07-06T08:53:00.003-05:00

You know you're a stamping addict when you can watch the fireworks on the 4th of July and think about which stamps would recreate some of the beauty you're seeing in the night sky.

The swirl from the Wings of Friendship was the 1st stamp to come to mind. After that there were others, but the new Circle Circus is a great one for the fireworks idea as well.

I stamped the swirl from Wings of Friendship (a great new hostess set from Stampin' Up) in Melon Mambo on Shimmery White cardstock. the ribbon is attached just to the edge so that when tied a tiny bit of the polka dots would show thru. The tie was done so the tails would show the polka dots as well.

One of the scallop circles was done using the swirl as well. I stamped the swirl 3 times to form a circular pattern and then used the scallop circle punch to cut it out. Another stamp from the Circle Circus was used along with a dimensional to put over the top. The other 2 circles are also from the Circle Circus set from Stampin' Up as well.

The card base Rich Razzleberry, a new In Color from Stampin' Up for this year. It has a very rich deep tone to it that works great with the Melon Mambo, another new In Color.

This is a fairly simple card to put together. but very fun and can be used for many occasions just by adding a simple sentiment.

The fireworks were great and being in the company of my daughter was even better! We had a great time.

I hope this "sparks" your imagination and to get out your stamps and create some exciting new creations as well.

Roses, Roses, Roses

2009-06-30T19:48:00.012-05:00

Along with the perennials I purchased on Saturday, I also picked up 3 new rose bushes for just $5 each. I love roses, only I have to keep them outside, so bushes work very well for me.

I already have established a peach, a yellow, and a red rose bush. Now, I've added 3 new red ones - 2 different varieties. I like that they come from a local greenhouse since then they should be able to stand the winters here in North Dakota. At $5 each it's worth trying.

I made these cards using the Manhatten Flower embossing folder from Stampin' Up! for the Big Shot. The red roses are embossed on Whisper White cardstock and then brayered with Melon Mambo ink. Two of these are brayered on the debossed side and one on the embossed side. The yellow roses are done on So Saffron with So Saffron ink lightly brayered on the embossed side.

Flower Beds and Flower Pots

2009-06-30T09:32:00.006-05:00

I've been working on my flower beds. The local greenhouse had their annual "box" sale and I got carried away. Of course, I get carried away almost every year just like everyone else in the area!
I mostly purchased perennials so that they'd have a good chance of coming up again next year and the year after, etc......... At $8 a box for whatever you can fit without stacking, it's a good deal.

So, yesterday I spent quite a bit of the day working on cleaning and planting in my flower beds.

I spent some time in the evening working on flower pot cards for the local flower shop. I've had some there in the last month and ALL of them have sold and they want more. I'm doing this as one of the projects at my next workshop.

I cut my flower pot base for the card 3 1/2" x 8 1/2". This way I can get 3 flower pots out of one piece of cardstock. The cardstock is scored at 1 1/2" and 5" then folded.

The white insert is cut 2 3/8" x 4 1/2" so it fits in the flower pot and gives enough space on top to add the flowers.

This is a pull out card, so you write on the pull out. I like to put 1 flower on the pot itself to make the flower pot seem full.

Here is the spot I got my directions and ideas from: Stephanie Luman - Flower Pot card . I close up the flower pot with dimensionals on the edges rather than tie the ribbon to close the card. But, it's up to you as to how you want to make yours. I did try one using eyelets to close the pot, but this isn't the best because it doesn't give the card enough "wiggle" room.

I used SU's Petal Pizzaz stamp set and also the Simple Floser embosslit die for the flowers.

Inks: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Bermuda Bay, and Certainly Celery.
The cardstock for the flower pots is Dusty Durango
(You're gonnal love the new In Colors available July 1!)

Baptism card

2009-06-28T15:39:00.002-05:00

There was a baptism at church today so I made this card for the family. The cardbase is Soft Sky (from my stash) and the scallop circle background is Apricot Appeal.

The cross is from Stampabilities and is stamped in Versa Mark and embossed with gold embossing powder. The white background layer is punched with the eyelet border punch from Stampin' Up. I am really falling in love with that punch.

I hope you like it.

I Scream, You Scream, We ALL Scream for......ICE CREAM!

2009-06-24T08:29:00.007-05:00

The summer days are starting to heat up around here! The sun is hot, the air is humid. Who DOESN'T think about a nice refreshing ice cream cone every now and again to help cool off!

I made these cards after having seen a tutorial here: Scallop Punch Ice Cream

I think they turned out rather cute, myself. I used some scallop oval punched cardstock that I had around the craft room for the ice cream. It's nice because you can get 2 scoops out of one scallop!

I ran a marker over the edges of the ice cream to add a little more color. The cones were scored to create the waffle look.

Give it a try and link to your creations in the comment section!

Butterflies

2009-06-21T15:54:00.003-05:00

I love butterflies! What a great creation God made when he came up with butterflies. Such a delicate yet strong creature.

I made this card for the Featured Stamper Challenge this week on SCS. My inspiration was this card: Birthday Butterfly.

The butterfly was stamped in Versa Mark ink and then embossed with SU black embossing powder. I sponged Brilliant Blue around the image.

I couldn't help but add some bright color to this with the prima flowers. What are butterflies without flowers?

The paper is DSP from Stampin' Up in Brilliant Blue. These papers are so versatile.

Another New Set from Stampin' Up!

2009-06-15T08:19:00.007-05:00

Yes, I'm showcasing another new set that's coming out from Stampin' Up! This set is called Autumn Days. The images are perfect for masculine cards.

These cards also show off some more of the new In Colors that Stampin' Up! is coming out with in July: Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, and Dusty Durango.

You'll notice that there is a sympathy theme running in these cards. I'm using these to give to someone who has asked me to make some sympathy cards for her. I think these will work nicely for that purpose.

I used Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango for the wheat in this pheasant card. I stamped 2 or 3 times without reinking to add additional colors to the mix. It works quite nicely to make the image more full and look like a wheat field ready for harvest.

New Toys

2009-06-13T00:26:00.003-05:00

I couldn't help but break out my new "toys" that came the other day. In fact, I'm kinda surprised they didn't come out sooner. That's what I get for working!

Here's one of my 1st cards with the preview items I got from Stampin' Up. This set, Wings of Friendship, is a Level 2 hostess set and is going to be quite fun to use.

I love the new In Colors and I especially love that there are markers this year to go along with the ink pads.

Stamp set: Wings of Friendship
Paper: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay (1 1/4" x 4 1/4" times 2)
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry
Ribbon: Melon Mambo Polka Dot Ribbon

Wednesday Sketch Challenge

2009-06-10T11:54:00.007-05:00

I love to do the Wednesday Sketch Challenge on Splitcoaststamper. It always helps to stretch my creativity. Here's today's card:

This card uses the Music Expressions set from Stampin' Up paired with the Symphony jumbo wheel. The combination really makes for a beautiful card.

The background paper is from Stampin' Up as well and is called "To the Nines" and was used also the an extra layer behind the corners on the main image.

The main image was stamped with Stazon Jet Black and colored with Stampin' Up watercolor pencils and a blender pen. The edges were sponged with Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip inks. I then added Crystal Effects to the butterfly, bird and violin.

The background panel was also sponged with Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip ink.

I hope you like what I've created.

Accomplishment!

2009-06-08T15:42:00.002-05:00

I decided last week that I really need to pull together a stamp-a-stack in the month of June. So, yesterday I created 1 card for this event and today I created 4 more! Yep, a total of 5 new card designs all using Stampin' Up only products! Want to see them? You'll have to wait until after the event to see most of them, but one is in my post from yesterday.

Are you in my area and want to attend? Let me know and I'll send you more information.

2 New Cards

2009-06-07T18:32:00.009-05:00

Two new cards this afternoon. One is a just because kind of card and the other is a sympathy card.

Inspiration for the 1st card came from this card: CraftCrazy98 Thank You Card

I started with my Soft Subtles ink and went from there to create the background for this card. The background panels overlap the card base just a little bit, but I know my envelope is big enough to handle the little overlap.

The main image uses Cheep Talk. The birds are stamped in Bashful Blue on the cardstock and then stamped again on scrap pieces in Pacific Point. These were then cut out and attached over the original stamped images and helps to create a sort of shadow affect.

Stamping Supplies:
Stamp Sets: Petal Pizzazz and Cheep Talk
Pacific Point for card base and also 2 1/2x4" background for main image
Pale Plum - 3 strips - 1 3/8x 5 1/8"
Whisper White - 3 3/4 x 5 - stamped with Petal Pizzazz and Cheep Talk flowers and leaves then cut into 3 strips of 1 1/4" each
2 x 3 1/2" for main image
Buttton Bouquet
Inks: Pacific Point, Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Apricot Appeal, Almost Amethyst

A dear little 97 year old lady from one of my husband's churches passed away on Friday. This image from the Silent Night set is one of my favorites.

The church was stamped in Stazon Jet Black ink. I then took SU Markers and dotted the trees with Summer Sun and many different greens. Trees usually have many shades to there leaves.

The background was sponged using Bashful Blue, Pacific Point, Bordering Blue, and Night of Navy. The moon is created with a 1 1/4" punched piece from a sticky note. This was attached before any sponging was done to create the affect.

The church steeple is layered to add some depth and the evergreen trees are cut out and attached with dimensionals for added depth as well.

I hope you like what I've created today. I know that I'm pleased with them.

House Mouse - Jump Start

2009-06-02T10:27:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine and I have decided we'd start walking in the mornings, at least a couple days a week. We started this morning and when I got back, I put on the coffee pot. That cup of coffee sure sounded good after being in the fresh, cool morning air.

That's when this card idea hit me. I've had this House Mouse stamp for quite some time and it hasn't seen a lot of use. I pulled it out and made a couple of cards with it today. I hope you like them.

Supplies:
Stamp: Java Jumpers - House Mouse Designs - Stampabilities
Card stock: Whisper White, Sage Shadow, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip
Stamped with SU Basic Black ink
Colored with SU markers - Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Apricot Appeal, Mellow Moss, and a few Prisma Color markers for the mice.
Sage card has sponging around the edges of the image using Sage Shadow
Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder was used for the front of the Sage Shadow card base
Chocolate Chip Satin ribbon from SU was used on the 2nd card
SU Top Note Die Cut from Sizzix was used to cut out the images

Now that I've had my morning walk, my morning coffee, and my morning stamping fix, it's time for me to get going on some housework.

Thanks for looking. Leave a comment if you like what you see

Last Chance List

2009-06-01T09:50:00.004-05:00

As some of you know, I am a Stampin' Up demonstrator. With that title I get a preview of things to come and Stampin' Up is getting ready to launch a new catalog on July 1st. This brings lots of fun new sets, new colors in inks and papers, new accessories. But, it also brings a list of stamp sets that will no longer be offered as well.

Going, Going...........

I'm sad to see a few of these sets go, but I know there are always new sets on the way. So many stamp sets........so little time (and money). If there are any of these sets that are on your MUST HAVE list, now is the time to put in an order.

Also, the current In Colors will no longer be available as of July 1st. If there is cardstock or ink that you are looking to keep on hand, now is the time to order that as well.

Let me know if I can help.

Another Tri Shutter Card

2009-05-30T21:30:00.010-05:00

OK, I had a card base cut for this version of the Tri-Shutter Card and needed a bridal shower card. So, here's what came of it.

Looking at this card fully laid open makes it look very busy. But, open this card as a tri-shutter card and it much more exciting.

The front of the card uses Prima flowers from a "Got Flowers" jar that I received a long time ago. Lots of fun colors in these jars. I chose the pink and white flowers and used gold brads in the centers. The wagon is attached with dimensionals to make it look as if the wagon is full of the hearts. These are also attached with dimensionals at the top edges to pull them forward as well.

Some of the flowers in the center are attached to the top portion of the card and then attached to each other to make the trail down the card.

An additional area for signing is added to the back of the card so as not to take away from the main card.

To view the tutorial on how to create this card style, go to The Craftiblog tutorial for this sized card.

Tri Shutter Card

2009-05-26T21:11:00.006-05:00

I must have been on a "try a new tutorial" kick today.

I tried out the tutorial for the Tri Shutter card found here: The Crafty Blog Tri Shutter Card

They are actually really fun to do, but I'm not sure how often I'll be doing them.

Here are some photos of the finished product:

Stationery Box

2009-05-26T12:35:00.007-05:00

I found this GREAT tutorial for a stationery box on the Wonderfully Whimsy blog and had to try! This tutorial is super, it gives you all the dimensions and instructions you need to create this great project. The only thing I changed was to add 2 Velcro dots to the back of the box to hold it together better when it's closed. Here's my results:

I use the Stampin' Up set Petal Pizzazz with SU Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss ink. The main cardstock for the box is a textured cardstock from Best Occassions.

The inside of the box has openings to hold cards and envelopes, tags, small note cards, a note pad, and stamps. My box has 4 cards and envelopes, 4 small note cards and envelopes, 4 gift tags, one note pad, and 8 stamps.

Cowboy Sympathy

2009-05-24T12:26:00.010-05:00

A small town nearby suffered a huge loss this past week. A 13 year old young man lost his life due to an ATV accident. He was one of a set of triplets. This is a major loss to the family and to our area.

Trying to find sympathy cards that fit this situation is quite difficult. I thought that "Bareback" from Stampin' Up was a very fitting set to use.

This is a tri-fold card. The base of this card is made with Close to Cocoa. The Old Olive strip was run thru the Cuttlebug using the Textile embossing folder. The main image is stamped on vellum using Chocolate Chip ink. Underneath the vellum is a layer of Very Vanilla sponged with Old Olive and Bashful Blue. The Sympathy sentiment is stamped with Chocolate Chip on the vanilla layer to help to keep it subtle. The vellum layer is attached to the Vanilla layer with Stampin' Up Hodgepodge Hardware brads. Hemp twine was attached with more Hodgepodge Hardware at the bottom of the image to add texture.

When the card is opened, there is a bible verse and sentiment. Opening the card fully reveals one final sentiment which is stamped on vellum and attached with Stampin' Up Hodgepodge Hardware. I felt that the running horses at the bottom completed the panel.

My heart goes out to this family. We are praying for God to be with them thru this difficult loss.

Rhubarb Season

2009-05-24T11:26:00.003-05:00

Late May always brings a new season in North Dakota - RHUBARB SEASON! Yes, that's the time of year that you see all kinds of rhubarb dishes showing up at potluck dinners or other events. Time for rhubarb jam, rhubarb crisp, and all kinds of wonderful treats.

Here's one of our family's favorite rhubarb desserts - Rhubarb Cream Cake. This cake is easy to make and forms a delicious custardy layer on the bottom. It usually doesn't go to waste!

Rhubarb Cream Cake

1 (18 oz.) pkg white or yellow cake mix
+ ingredients to make the cake
3 cups (or so) cut up fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 cup sugar
sprinkling of cinnamon
12 oz. can evaporated milk

Prepare cake mix as package directs. Pour into gresed 9X13 pan. Arrange rhubarb over the top of the batter. Sprinkle with sugar and then a light sprinkling of cinnamon. Pour evaporated milk evenly over the entire mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until middle of cake is done. (A delicious custard forms at the bottom of the cake as it bakes and the rhubarb sinks thru to the bottom.) Serve warm or cold - with or without whipped topping. Store in refrigerator.

Graduation Card

2009-05-20T14:02:00.002-05:00

Here's one more graduation card for this year. I loved the sketch challenge for this week found on Splitcoaststampers. I decided to use it for a graduation card for a young man from our church who is graduating this next Sunday. The sketch worked perfectly for this card and also the colors in the "To The Nines" specialty papers from Stampin' Up.

The inks used were Sage Shadow and Close to Cocoa. The "G" in the middle of the medallion was cut out using a 1 1/4" punch and the outer ring used a 1 3/4" punch. Super easy, but a nice card.

Hope you like it.

He really made it!

2009-05-19T10:52:00.007-05:00

Well, Robert is now a graduate of LaMoure High School!

Graduation was held on Sunday and it turned out to be a wonderful day.
Lots of family and friends came to help us celebrate.

Everyone loved the table decorations that we put together.
We got them all done before the big day.
The slideshow scrapbook done on the TV was a hit as well.
I think Robert was pleased with everything. The senior slide show that he helped put together was excellent, the ceremony was great, he got a great scholarship from the local Dollars for Scholars Chapter, the decorations and food for the reception, the company......

Speaking of food, anyone want some leftover potato salad? heehee!

Graduation "scrapbook"

2009-05-12T07:13:00.008-05:00

Well, graduation is just a few days away and I've been working on a project that will make the "scrapbooks" more accessible to people that come for open house. This is what I've come up with (and my son really likes it!).

I've been scanning old photos and some scrapbook pages and putting together a digital scrapbook. This will be put onto the television in the church basement where we are doing our celebration so everyone can see it.

Then, with the pictures that have been found, I'm taking some of them and cropping them down and putting 2 pictures on each side of a skewer stick and putting them into containers to set out on the tables. I have 12 containers and figure about 5 sticks can go in each one. So, I figure that's a fairly good number of pictures for people to see.

The containers were found at Target in their $1 bin. The ribbon is a wired ribbon and was purchased back at Christmas time. It's attached with Glue Dots continuous line at the top edge of the basket. The wire in the ribbon helps it to naturally mold around the edges. I then covered the floral foam inside with the ribbon and attached it with pins. I made loops with the ribbon to "fill the basket" as well.

The pictures are attached to skewer sticks using Glue Dots attached to the sticks and dimensionals between the pictures for stability. I'll take these photos after graduation and put them into real scrapbooks so they won't get wasted. I promise!

Let me know what you think of them.

Gotta go. Lots to do before Sunday. Have a great week!

Karen

Mother's Day

2009-05-06T09:03:00.002-05:00

Mother's Day Cards

After having worked on 3 dozen graduation cards, I realized I also need to make some Mother's Day cards as well.

I saw the Sketch Challenge for today on Splitcoast Stampers and decided that this set (Brushstroke Hummingbird) would be a great set to use.

I wanted something with a floral theme and the hummingbird is just a great addition. The edgings for the background pieces were punched with Stampin' Up's Eyelet edge punch. I love how it adds the extra tiny punches to make for more detail and the background colors to show thru.

The stamping was done using Stampin' Up markers - Garden Green, Cameo Coral, and Ballet Blue. The floral image was then filled in with Blush Blossom and Certainly Celery. The hummingbird image was cut out and added to the card with dimensionals.

I love how these cards came out. I thought of adding some additional embellishments, but realized that would detract rather than add to this card.

Graduation cards - 2009

2009-05-04T14:24:00.003-05:00

Graduation is coming in under 2 weeks in our small town in North Dakota. I've had an idea for a week or so for graduation cards to give to my son's classmates. Here's how they came out!

I used Stampin' Up's GREAT GRAD and CONGRATS sets for the stamped images. The black panel is embossed using a Cuttlebug and the Script embossing folder. The silver paper is from Bazzill. The red layer is Stampin' Up Red Riding Hood. Inks used are Stampin' Up Basic Black and Basic Gray.

Dimensions:
Vertical layers: red layer 4 1/4 x 2 1/4, silver layer 4 1/4x2, black layer 4 1/4x1 3/4
Main image: grad image stamped and cut to 3 1/4x 1 1/2
black layer 3 1/2x 1 3/4, silver layer 3 3/4 x 2 1/4
"G" stamped in black and cut out with Stampin' Up Scallop Circle punch and and add'l silver scallop was punched and placed behind so that the scallops alternate.

Let me know what you think. It will take a while to assemble all of these cards. But, it's so much easier now that I know my design.

Graduation Question

2009-04-30T08:45:00.003-05:00

Here's a quick survey question:

What's your favorite food that's served at graduation open houses?
Leave your answers in the comment section of this post. I'll be interested to see the responses!

This question comes because in a little over 2 weeks we will have company here for our oldest "child's" (he's not really a child anymore) graduation.

My menu is planned, so don't think I'm that far behind. My house is in the process of being cleaned. Items needed for the open house have been purchased and so has the graduation gift (I hope he likes it). We are looking forward to celebrating with friends and family.

Have a great weekend!

2009-04-29T18:18:00.002-05:00

New blog candy spot to check out: Passion for Crafts

She's offering some amazing items. Check it out.

Jessica Lynn digital stamp

2009-04-28T13:56:00.003-05:00

A good friend of mine has just been given the title of Design Team Leader for Jessica Lynn designs! I'm so happy for her. You can check out her blog and see the talent that she has that earned her this position: Cow Pies

I found this image on the Jessica Lynn web page and it is a free digital stamp! Yes, you can download the image for free from her website and use it as long as you keep the copyright information with the image. Brentwood Owl - digital download

The color challenge today was to use Real Red, Old Olive, and Black. The challenge can be found here: Color Challenge 216 These colors worked
really well for the image and the theme.

I decided to use a music theme because my son and 25 other kids from the high school are headed to the State Class B Music Contest in Minot this weekend. He is singing in at least 4 different events, including a solo and a duet. I'm so proud of him! I also was asked to ride along on the bus and stay with the kids as an extra chaperone! How cool is that! AND, my daughter, who is a sophomore gets to come as well. It's going to be a great weekend of music and fun!

Sympathy Card

2009-04-22T12:19:00.002-05:00

A very good friend of mine lost her father yesterday. She is a music teacher and such a wonderful person. My heart goes out to her and the family. I created this card to send to her.

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." 1 Thessalonians 4:12-13 (NIV)

The card is done for using the sketch challenge on SCS found here: Sketch Challenge

I used the Stampin' Up set called Garden Collage for the main image and Thoughts and Prayers for the sentiment. The main image was stamped twice so as to be able to cut out the bird and attach it with dimensionals for added depth to the image. I colored the image with Stampin' Up markers - Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, Bashful Blue, and Gable Green. The image was cut out with a Nestabilities set of scallop squares and the Groovy Guava background was done with the same.

My heart goes out to the family. God bless you!

Cookies, Salad, and Soup

2009-04-21T15:16:00.006-05:00

Yep, I've been cooking again. This time it's for the wonderful ND National Guard, US Geo. Service, and all the others who are working in our area to keep an eye on our dikes and also to help with the eroding emergency spillway at Lake LaMoure.

Yesterday saw my kitchen put out a HUGE bowl of pasta salad (that's already gone today) and lots of cookies - Chocolate Chip and Snickerdoodles. I sent 12 dozen over to them and saved a few dozen for our family. Tonight, I'll start getting ready to put together a roaster full of Veg. Beef Soup to have there for the noon meal. I sure hope they like it!

I also baked an extra batch of sugar cookies and froze them to send with the High School kids who will be heading to Minot on May 1st for State Music Contest. Shhh! Don't tell Robert and Alisha that there are cookies in the freezer, or they'll eat them between now and then! I also boxed up a care package for one of my brothers in Minnesota, I sure hope he gets more than crumbs by the time they make it thru the mail.

Highway 13 is now open from the west. I used it on Saturday coming home from the Regional Small Group Music Contest in Edgeley. Boy, did that save some time. Here are a couple of pictures as I went thru that area:
By Sunday afternoon, the water that had been over the roadway was gone. Things are slowly improving in the area.

2009-04-21T14:29:00.003-05:00

Check out the wonderful blog candy at this blog:
Sugar Crystals

She's also got a lot of wonderful cards and creations as well.

More Flooding Pictures

2009-04-19T12:26:00.006-05:00

I thought I'd add a link to some pictures that were taken Thursday of the LaMoure area.

Flooding Pictures

1. LaMoure - looking north
5-17 - Emergency spillway at Lake LaMoure
34 & 36 St. Ansgar Church, south of Lake LaMoure
38-41 - Emergency spillway at Lake LaMoure
42-44 - Lake LaMoure
47 - LaMoure looking northeast
48 - Looking north over the lagoon, just west of LaMoure and just west of the James River
52-55 & 59- Eric Larson home - north of LaMoure on a turn of the James River just before town
56-58 LaMoure - looking south
60-61 - LaMoure
63 - John Deere dealership just east of the James River
64&65&67 - LaMoure school
66 - LaMoure - Trinity is on the left side of the picture

Flooding in the area

2009-04-15T23:12:00.013-05:00

Who could have ever imagined that the water could rise so high in the middle of North Dakota?

LaMoure and the county have been suffering the effects of the James River. Here are a few photos that we took today, Wednesday, to share with you.

This is a view of the river on the way out of town to the north.

Driving out of LaMoure to the north.
This area is supposed to be a field.

This is a view of the Hwy 46 bridge over the James River near Adrian.
The water should be only in the narrow area under the bridge.

Here's a view of the sandbagging done at the church and a view from just passed the house adjacent to the church:

We worked on Saturday to help fill sandbags for a couple of hours. Then, Easter Sunday afternoon the kids and I worked for 3 hours on sandbags again. Tuesday, all 4 of us went to Adrian to check on the church and also move some items and then eventually sandbag the church and 2 other homes in town. Wednesday brought more sandbag filling as well.

There are many new sites in town, new levies to keep out the rising water, closed roads and bridges, National Guard troops to help keep an eye on the levies for leaks, etc.

Keep the people of North Dakota in your prayers and others have it just as bad and worse than we do here in LaMoure County.

God bless all who are fighting water issues and those who are helping and fighting along with us.

Rising Water

2009-04-10T21:28:00.005-05:00

Yes, the title is correct. We are looking at the James River rising again here in LaMoure again this weekend and into next week with a crest sometime Wednesday. This time they are expecting a possible crest between 17 and 19 feet - possibly 2 feet higher than in March. The US Corps of Engineers will be coming in with contractors to add to the current dikes, add more dikes and the bridge to the west will be cut off at some point as well.

Please keep the people of North Dakota in your prayers. The flooding is not just in our area, but a great portion of the state. Some of those having the toughest time are those in the more rural areas that are having to sandbag their homes, etc. using their own families, friends and volunteers.

Maundy Thursday

2009-04-09T08:23:00.008-05:00

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day when our Lord celebrated the Passover with his disciples before he was betrayed and handover to be crucified.

It's good to remember what Jesus had to suffer for US on that Good Friday. Nothing about that day seems good, except what it earned for us
- forgiven of our sins
- the debt of our sins paid in full at no cost to us
- life eternal in heaven with Him!

These cards were made with images from Our Daily Bread Designs. You have to check out their website for a great selection of stamp sets!

I made these cards to be used for Confirmation's coming up in the very near future.

The challis is colored with Sparkling H2O's and has a sparkly, shiny look to it. The rest of the images are colored with blender pens and ink.

Have a blessed day!

Easter Egg

2009-04-04T15:04:00.003-05:00

Easter is only 1 week away. How time does fly!

Our Sunday School will be doing an Easter project tomorrow and we will be using the Easter Egg from this card. We are going to make cards and fill Easter Eggs to send to the residents of the Assisted Living facility across the street from the church.

I think the kids will enjoy coloring Easter eggs and also sharing their creations with these wonderful people.

The stamp is from Holly Berry House and is called The Egg's Egg. For this card, I stamped the image 3 times and cut out layers that are attached with 3M foam mounting squares to give it some depth.

The card is mounted on a Groovy Guava cardbase with Certainly Celery and some SU designer series paper as complimentary layers.

The Easter Wishes sentiment is from the Stampin' Up set called All Holidays.

Blessings to all as we prepare for this Holy Week and remember Jesus' gift that He purchased and won for us on the cross.

Walk by Faith

2009-04-02T08:39:00.006-05:00

This verse seems so appropriate for the past couple of weeks and the weeks we have to come.

The water in the river is starting to go down, but there is lots of snow to melt and more water coming from upstream. We are fine and God is good.

This card was done with a verse stamp that Tom picked up for me on a trip to Fargo. I love it's message.

The flowers are done with a Sizzlits die from Stampin' Up that was run thru my Cuttlebug machine. I also used a blender pen to add a little extra color to the inside layers of the pink flower to give it a bit of depth.

Have a great day!

April Fools

2009-04-01T00:31:00.007-05:00

I love the challenges on Splitcoast Stamper and one of them is a sketch challenge. The hostess gives a layout and you use that layout to create your own card. Well, this week, it lands on April Fool's Day and she gave an "April Fools" sketch to start out. Well, it got my creative juices running, and this is what I came up with. I hope you like it. I used some of my scrap pieces that are from other projects for the "quilt" and the stitching is done with a pen.

Free Snow - Shovel all you want!

2009-03-31T15:50:00.009-05:00

Free snow - Shovel all you want!

The kids got out and helped us work on getting this round of snow off the sidewalks. It starting snowing again even before we went inside.

The dog also got out and had a chance to romp in the snow too!

2009-03-31T15:45:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd add a picture of some of the water issues from last week.

The 3rd image says a lot. This road is usually high and dry between 2 fields. But, like a lot of the roads in our area, it's under water.

"I set My rainbow in the cloud and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth . . . the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh." Genesis 9:13-15

1st Blog Post

2009-03-31T15:37:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking of starting a blog for a while since I love to stamp and would love to share some of my creations. But, first, I thought I'd share a few pictures of what's been happening around here with the flooding and the late March storm.

After the James River hit a new record high last week, we were hit with around 15"+ of snow this week - the wet and heavy kind.

I look forward to posting more.