Bowl Full of Cherries

I love this time of year for only one reason. Okay, two. One is because here in California, the fresh fruit is overflowing. Peaches, plums, nectarines, strawberries... and cherries! I love cherries, probably because I think of my mom when I see or eat them. I remember how much she loved cherries. It's the simplest memories of my mom that I treasure the most.

So when I saw this Lockhart Stamp Co. bowl of cherries stamp I had to grab it! It goes perfectly with this DP by Cosmo Cricket (Hello Sunshine). I colored the image with my Copic markers. For the bowl, I used my Colorless Blender to remove some of the dark color (BG78). I'm learning all about Copics by reading Marianne Walker's blog. I'm so grateful that she is teaching on line.

The Hello Sunshine DP already has the decorative edge at the bottom of each sheet, so I incorporated it into my card.

Recipe:

Paper: SU Real Red Cardstock, Cosmo Cricket Hello Sunshine DP

Stamp: Lockhart Stamp Co., greeting is by Stampin Up!

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, SU Classic Black, Copic Markers R20, R29, YG95, BG78

Accessories: SU Stylized Silver HPH

Oh, and the second reason I like summer in California is because it's perfect beach weather. Not that I get to the beach as often as I'd like, but it is the best way to spend the day when the hot weather sets in.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You Cards Part Three

Hello there! That's what my father-in-law Jim Webb used to say every time he saw you or answered the phone. That, and "whatcha doing?" I sure miss Jim. He's been gone now for one year, and it still doesn't seem possible. I think about him a lot. He and I enjoyed a common love for 40's music, big band, and swing. He was also the most generous person in the whole world. He made Christmas and birthdays... every holiday, for that matter...super nice. My kids were so blessed to have him as a grandpa.

Anyway, in my quest to finish thank-you notes for the nice gifts I received for my graduation, I made these two. Once again, the photography leaves a lot to be desired. And you know what? I have a son in college studying graphic design. He rolls his eyes at me when I say I want him to teach me how to take better pictures and then properly edit them in Photoshop Elements. I think I deserve that considering the tuition cost, don't you? LOL





This first card uses another image from the new Q.T. Hooty stamp set at Pink Cat Studio. I really like how this turned out. I used SCS Sketch Challenge (SC) 181. The DP is Mellow by Basic Grey. Remember, I'm left-brained, so I generally choose colors for the images based on the paper. If you click on this very blurry picture, you will see that the colors I chose for the hats are all found in the DP. I have all my Copic markers shown on a chart, so I just pull that out and use it to select the markers that match the paper and go from there. The white background was a bit bright, so I sponged on some Antique Linen Distress Ink. I think the hemp twine gives it a woodsy look.

Recipe:

Paper: SU True Thyme cardstock, Basic Grey Mellow Designer Paper

Stamps: Q.T. Hooty by Pink Cat Studio

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copic Markers BG23, E08, YR14, E13, G40, E27, YG95, Antique Linen Distress Ink

Accessories: Hemp twine

For this card, I used Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday Sketch #12. I love the way the DP looks like pool tiles. One of my friends did treat me to a glorious day at a local day spa, so I had to use this stamp for her card. I LOVE spa treatments. I think I'm addicted. Well, maybe not, as I don't think I need a 12-step program just yet, but I do try to get in for a treatment every few months. I'd indulge more often if I could, but maybe that would make it blase? Nah.

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey Two Scoops, SU Blue Bayou and Soft Sky Cardstock

Stamp: DeNami Design

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copic Markers B97, E11, Y21, G21, C1, E50, B000

Accessories: SU Stylized Silver HPH, bit of Fun Fur yarn

Speaking of spas, that reminds me that while my sisters were here visiting, we did manage a spa day. It was wonderful spending time with my sisters. I hardly ever get to see them, and that makes me really sad. I will share more pictures later after I finish sorting them out, but here's one of my sister Linda with three of my four boys: Ian, Clay and Collin.

And here's one of my sister Kim and me.

I have more thank you cards to share, hopefully tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You Cards Part Two

Edited to add: I tried fixing this old picture because I've since learned how to fix bad pictures, something I didn't know at the time. Still not great, but better!

I truly apologize for the terrible photo of this cute card! If I hadn't already sent it, I'd try to retake the picture. I absolutely LOVE Pink Cat Studios stamps, and Q.T. Hooty is one of the latest releases. I decided I was never going to stamp an owl because an owl killed our little dog Cinnamon two years ago. But I'm sure that owl wasn't cute and didn't wear a hat and glasses!

The sketch is by Michelle Wooderson. She's definitely one of my heros when it comes to stamp art. Wow, is that girl talented! This was a quick card that allows the DP and image to take center stage with very little help from me.

Recipe:

Paper: Crate Paper Blue Hill DP, Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist card stock

Stamps: Pink Cat Studio Q.T. Hooty, greeting is Stem Sayings by Stampin Up!

Ink: Brilliance Graphite and StampinUp! Basic Black, Copic Markers

Accessories: Dew Drops

This post is short because I have to get to my craft room and prepare for Stamp Club on Wednesday night. I've been so preoccupied with my graduation and guests that I'm not ready, and it's less than 48 hours away. Yikes! Thank goodness for Splitcoaststampers and its wealth of ideas.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You Cards

I had such a wonderful week off from work, spending time with my sisters and niece, who flew out from Florida and Mississippi to attend my college graduation. First, let me say, it was hotter than hot out here in So Cal this week (and still is)... in the 100's! Yikes! We all about died of heat stroke at the graduation ceremonies, but we got through it. It was okay for me. Not as thrilling as I thought it might be... but, like I said before, I think it was a little anticlimatic. Also, let's face it, I am not 22 years old and I wasn't finishing college in the traditional way, celebrating the end of an era with my college friends, like the kids who graduated with me. But I am very proud to have met that long-time goal, and I am so grateful to my friends and family who celebrated this achievement with me. Not to mention, I got some awesome gifts! Which is why I've spent all my spare time these past couple of days making thank you cards!

Here are two to share with you. I inked up my Honey Bees set by Papertrey Ink, and used some of the Bitty Baby Blessings DP. I'm just sorry that my photos didn't turn out as well as I thought they would. I must keep experimenting until I find the right spot and right camera settings for photos of my cards because they honestly do look MUCH better in person. I'm definitely doing something wrong in the picture-taking department.

I used faux stitching on the card above to mimic the stitching in the ribbon. Both cards are based on one of Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday sketches.

Recipe:

Paper: Papertrey Ink Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise and Spring Moss cardstock, Bitty Blessings Designer Paper

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Honey Bees

Ink: Papertrey Ink Lemon Tart and Summer Sunrise; Stampin Up! Basic Brown and Basic Black

Accessories: Papertrey Ink ribbon

I've got more to show you tomorrow, so come on back!

Happy Birthday Jo!

Today is my mother-in-law's 80th birthday. Happy Birthday Jo aka Mom aka Nana! I truly lucked out in the in-law department. Paul's folks have always been good to us... and to me. Jo and I are very different, but she's used to me by now. LOL! She was just here for my graduation. She still lives in Arizona, but one day we will move her closer to us.

This card started out as an attempt at Taylor's Cupcake Challenge #20, but I ended up turning it on its side and centering my layers. In my quest to find a flower that resembled the one in the paper, I pulled out a set that I've never even touched in however many years I've owned it, Pollen Dust by Fancy Pants Designs. I think I'm going to embark on a quest to use every stamp that I've ever bought. Wouldn't that be something!

After stamping the flower image on the paper and cutting it out, something compelled me to run over it with my Lots of Dots jumbo wheel. That wheel is pretty cool. Then I added Dew Drops to the center. Not much else was needed with this Basic Grey Infuse paper.

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey Infuse Designer Paper, Stampin Up Chocolate Chip cardstock

Stamps: Fancy Pants Designs Pollen Dust, Stampin Up Lots of Dots jumbo wheel, greeting is by Papertrey Ink

Ink: Stampin Up Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Stampin Up Chocolate Chip twill ribbon, Dew Drops

I'm off for some fun in the sun. Hopefully, I'll have something to post this weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Father's Day Card

I'm baaaaack! It seems silly to say that I've been super busy so unable to post anything for several days. I suppose that goes without saying. Except it's better than the alternative; i.e., that I've been dealing with an emergency or something dire. Thank the Lord that isn't the case. It's all good. I've been busy getting ready for guests to arrive for my college graduation, etc.

All that is past now. I managed to get my house reasonably clean... which isn't easy when you live with five males, two dogs and two cats (I'm trying to face the fact that I'm simply outgunned). Then the big day came and I managed to have a bit of a party Sunday afternoon with a few close friends and... ta da... my sisters and niece, who arrived from Florida and Mississippi, and who I haven't seen in YEARS (it's terrible how infrequently we actually get to see each other living on opposite sides of the country). My brother was also here (he lives about an hour away) and my mother-in-law came from Arizona. My dad and his wife weren't able to come, but were definitely here in spirit. As were my mom and father-in-law, who are in heaven.

So, Sunday night I walked in the graduation ceremonies, feeling a little silly. After all, my eldest son is the same age as the other graduates! But it meant a lot to my family and friends... and, I suppose to me, too. I got a lot of wonderful presents, which means I must sit down and make some cards (oh darn! *smile*).

This is the card I made for my dad for Father's Day. I love how the Basic Grey Mellow Designer Paper goes so well with Papertrey Ink's Father Knows Best stamp set. The Dew Drops are meant to look like apples. I really like how it turned out. A card with trees is perfect for my dad. He is a big tree lover. Every where he's lived, he's had to have lots of trees around him.

Which reminds me of a story about my dad. When we all lived here in Riverside in the mid-70's, there was a lot of land around our house... a big field, in fact. So, what did my dad do? He planted several trees, of course. Well, then the gophers came and started killing his trees. He'd set traps for them, but it was hard to keep up. So he decided to put his kids to work. At first, he offered a reward for catching gophers. But I wasn't about to catch a gopher for any amount of money, and my younger sisters and brother got tired of it pretty quickly. So my dad resorted to mandating that each one of us catch a gopher a week! Again, I was NOT going to catch any gophers. I am ULTRA squeemish. So I had to resort to paying my sisters to catch my gopher for me! It wasn't too long before they started beating the system. (Close your eyes, Dad, so you don't read this part.) They would show my dad the same gopher four times! For shame! LOL I still can't believe Dad fell for it. Yuck!

Recipe:

Paper: Bazzil cardstock, Stampin Up! Barely Banana cardstock, Basic Grey Mellow Designer Paper

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Father Knows Best

Ink: Old Olive and Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Stampin Up! Chocolate Chip twill ribbon, Hodgepodge Hardware, Dew Drops

Thanks for stopping by. I will have another post tomorrow before we head off to a nearby resort for a few days of R&R. My sisters and I have a LOT to catch up on.

SC #179 - A Special Birthday Card

Hello there! This is a record... three days in a row. I'm on a roll!

Today is my "5th son" Brendan's 20th birthday. Brendan and my second son Collin have been best friends since they were knee high to a grasshopper. I still remember when they met. They were on a soccer team together. They were the smallest on the team, which is probably what attracted them to each other! Brendan with his mop of red hair, and Collin with his big ears and eyeglasses. What a pair! I'll have to find a picture of them and post it. Here it is 15 years later and they are still the ones who understand each other better than anyone else.

Of course, I wanted to make Brendan a special card. Since I had neither dragon stamps nor one of a manatee (his favorite animal), I chose a monkey because Brendan is definitely playful (that's code for "goofy"). I know it's a little juvenile for a 20-year-old, but it fits Brendan! LOL

I made this card using the SCS Sketch Challenge #179. The white circle seemed a bit bright, so I sponged with Papertrey Ink Spring Moss and Stampin Up Creamy Caramel. The monkey and branch were colored with my Copic markers. I bent the acrylic greeting stamp to make it curve around the bottom of the circle. I kept thinking that I needed to add something more to the card, but the paper is so busy, I couldn't come up with a thing. Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone.

Recipe:

Paper: Bazzil olive green cardstock, Basic Grey Mellow Designer Paper

Stamps: CC Designs Monkey Love, greeting is from a Papertrey Ink

Ink: Stampin Up Chocolate Chip, Copic Markers, Papertrey Ink Spring Moss, Stampin Up Creamy Caramel

Thanks for stopping by! I hope to have something else to share tomorrow, so be sure to check back.

King of the Road

I made this card for my dad and his dear wife. They love life on the road in their 5th-Wheel, so I couldn't resist this stamp set... even though this isn't technically a 5th-Wheel. With the price of gas these days, they might have to be content to camp in their yard!

I sent this card as a thank-you for a nice gift they sent to me in honor of my college graduation. Yep, that's right... 31 years after graduating from high school (early), I finally have my Bachelor Degree in Business Economics. It's a long story, but I essentially earned my degree in three stages: the late 70's into the early 80's, then in the mid-90's, and finally these past few years. I did pretty well in my career without my degree, but I don't recommend going about it this way. I always tell my kids and everyone else that it's much better to go to college and have that totally cool experience if at all possible... they'll never regret it. But at least I finally achieved this long-time goal. Yay! And I'm walking with all those young kids on Sunday in the graduation ceremony. My boys think I'm going to be embarrassed, but I'm not. I've gone to school with these young men and women for the past few years... they are used to seeing me around! To tell the truth, I'm not wild on the idea any more... I finished my last class in December, so now it seems like old news, but everyone is excited for me, and my sisters are flying out for the ceremony, and my mother-in-law is coming, so I guess I'll be walking on Sunday!

About the card, I sort of drew in the background around the image of the trailer after being inspired by a card I saw on Anna Wight's blog. (I just love Anna's blog. I live vicariously through her photos and descriptions of life on the farm, something I find absolutely facsinating. And if you knew how NOT an outdoor girl I am, you'd find that truly funny!) Anyway, I stamped the sun and the clouds, and then colored everything with my copic markers... which ended up looking like the coloring one sees in cartoons! The little signs were stamped, colored, cut out, and then coated in Crystal Effects to make them look more like signs.

Recipe:

Paper: Stampin Up Brocade Blue and Barely Banana cardstock; Marcella by K (Target) Jungle designer paper

Stamps: Inkadinkado Road Trip

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping by!

Finally!

Have you missed me? It was Another One of Those Weeks, and I didn't get to stamp much. Although I was a little late in sending them, I did manage to finish making a set of cards for my step-grandmother-in-law, who turned 98 on June 1st. Wow! I told her that I want a little of her blood transfused into mine because hers must be the fountain of youth. She still lives on her own, doesn't wear glasses or hearing aids, and has no chronic illnesses. She just has to use a walker, that's it! She is also the dearest person. And she makes the most incredible yeast rolls and bread. Happy Birthday again Grandma E!

Here are samples of the three designs of cards I made for her; 4 each of 3 designs, although each of the 4 has a different greeting to give her lots of variety.

You can click on the picture to see more detail. I managed to get pretty good pictures of two of the cards:

As with my other gift box trio, All of these cards were inspired by one that I saw on Michelle Wooderson's blog. I tell you, that girl is so talented. I love her style so much. I wish I had half of her creativity and eye for color. Remember, I'm a left-brained person, so I am soooo envious of right-brained people. Laurie Schmidlin is my other hero, no doubt about it. I want to be Laurie when I grow up! LOL

Unfortunately, I didn't get a good shot of the one with the butterflies... it was too washed out when I finally uploaded it, and I've already mailed them off to Grandma. Anyway, I encourage you to make sets of cards for gifts. It's really easy to do when you follow a theme, and they are truly special gifts that others love to receive.

Recipe:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Polka Dot Basics, Green Thumb, Butterfly Kisses, Garden of Life

Paper: Papertrey Ink Stampers Select White Card Set, Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet, Spring Moss

Ink: Papertrey Ink Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet, Spring Moss, Stampin Up Basic Black

Ribbon: Papertrey Ink Sweet Blush Luxe Satin Ribbon, Berry Sorbet Topnotch Twill, Spring Moss Swiss Dot Satin

I have more to share with you tomorrow, so be sure to check back. Thanks for stopping by!