Bring on the Fall

Wow I guess time has really gotten away from me! I have been studying like crazy for school and I just realized that we are really are starting into fall!  Wahoo.  I love the cooler weather.  I love that my red maple tree starts to change.  Have you ever noticed how even the air smells different?  The sky turns a darker blue and it just makes for a beautiful background of colors-mother nature at her best.  I have been harvesting tomatoes and making sauce. The smells of the fresh oregano simmering inspired me to create this card. Making this card  really inspired me to get cracking on some fall decorating-bring out the pumpkins and scarecrows.  I have big plans for the mantle!  I think that if I lived in one of those quaint little towns with cobblestone it would make the fall even more perfect. Ya know cobblestone and little towns?  I guess in my mind I have this vision of a little cottage filled with fabric and all my rubber stamps and fun embellishments settling down with a fire and enjoying creating with the crackling in the background.  Ok maybe no fire yet-it still is a little too warm. 

Cake anyone?

I like to cook, I am not saying by any stretch of the imagination that I am some savory chef or anything but I do enjoy trying new recipes and have great satisfaction from making something yummy that makes it into the permanent recipe file.  I am, I guess a little, OK maybe a lot obsessed in the recipe department.  I have them somewhat color coded and filed on 4 x 6 cards, yes, some of them are laminated.  My friends give me grief because I take the time to copy them.  I like to take out my recipes and have them right where I can see them-doing that with a recipe book, not so easy.   I did have an unfortunate cooking experience this past week, but luckily with good friends it didn't scar me forever.  I had everything planned done to the minute.  The chicken had been marinating the potatoes were cut and ready.  I was making a rustic chicken and potatoes, a little olive oil, kosher salt, fresh rosemary, garlic, pepper.  I love this dish it turns out great every time.  SO this dinner is for a friends birthday, so I get the cake out of the oven, turn off the buzzer, turn up the temperature, stick my baking stone filled with chicken and potatoes in the oven and get busy setting the table and getting all the other last minute details done- My friends show up 30 minutes early and we are just chatting as I make the green beans. and cut the strawberries for the pound cake.  The metal bowl and beaters are in the freezer awaiting the whipping cream to go on top.  I go to take the chicken out and am horrified to find them still fairly raw.  What has happened I think to myself and oh *$#^% what am I going to serve my hungry guests really fast?  I check the freezer and have some talapia fish sticks, corn tortillas, and lucky me (really lucky) cabbage and zesty ranch dressing in the fridge.  I whip out some fish tacos and dinner is saved!  Dessert is delicious the company was great and all is well in the crazy world I call life.  What happened you say?  When I turned the buzzer off on the cake I must have hit the oven timer setting-the whole time I thought the oven was cooking away the light was on, but the oven had turned off.  Yes, I could sort of smell the cooking because it was hot when I put the dish originally in.  For my birthday this year my sister gave me a cake recipe book, I love it and after this experience this week I saw this stamp and decided she was too cute not to make into a card and hopefully have happy memories of how good the cake was at least...

Festive Countdown to the Holidays Muffin Tin Advent Calendar

It is that time again, time to get busy making holiday gifts.  Yes, you read that correctly.  If you are anything like me you want to be done by the time the snow starts flying so I start early preparing, planning, creating! I love these calendars.  I have given many as gifts.  They are so easy to make with the right pieces and parts!  They are really fun to make with kids of all ages!  Pre-cut, industrial grade, self adhesive magnet cut into circles is the base, then I added my favorite cardstock, stickers, 3-D embellishments, ribbon and more!  Once I have finished decorating, I took my hand dandy big bite and made two holes about 2 inches apart in the top of my 12 count mini muffin tin.  I threaded red ribbon through the top, filled the holes with miniature gifts, notes, and goodies wrap it up and away it goes!  I got together with some of my young friends and let them make one of their own it was so fun to see the results- Once it is filled and hanging" kids" of all ages will enjoy checking everyday as it counts down the the big day!

Merry Birthday

I just love these itty bitty stamps.  I have been wanting to use them all together for quite some time so I finally sat down and made this one.  I love the cool colors and the pop of the brown embossed strips.  Gotta love those embossing folders!  Have you seen the new ones?  I just got the candy cane stripe and the countdown numbers and I can't wait to start playing with them-you know the holidays aren't very far away and if it takes you time like it takes me to decide what your going to do and how many things you have to paint, sew stuff, bake etc. I have to start now!  At least to plan.  July is a busy month in Birthdays for me so I guess I better get started on a few more to get in the mail.  Birthday's should always involve a card in the mail-something to say I love you and am thinking about you!  A card in the mail is a sweet reminder there is life outside bills and junk mail!


Long live snail mail...

Life's Simple Pleasures

It has been a busy last couple of weeks as I am sure it is for all of you as well!  Planting the garden, and filling the flower pots, my personal favorite part of the beginning of Summer.  Life seems to roll forward-I have been reorganizing and cataloging (of course) and I have found some of my favorite stamps that I haven't used in a while.  I have a lot of stamps and sometimes I don't have a problem giving them away (to a good home of course) but I will always have my favorites that I just can't part with!  I have collected quite a few of flowers and I love sayings.  It goes along with loving fonts-so needless to say I have many thank you, happy birthday, thinking of you, and more in lots of different little fonts.  I really like this 'just a note' it is small enough to fit in many places and a great sentiment for so many cards!  This butterfly card is one of my new patterns, and I have had so much fun with different fabrics!  Spring and Summer bring out beautiful fabric and every year there is new and exciting patterns and colors.  I used this cream card with a corduroy texture and a recessed front panel  which adds a great dimension to this card.  Too little time and so many fun cards to make!

Small in the world

Do you ever feel insulated and small?  I watch the news sometimes and feel like where have I been?  I have been watching the Olympics and thinking to myself, wow I have never been driven to compete like that in my entire life.  I wonder what that feels like.  I listen to the stories about the parents who gave up literally everything so that their child could go and live a dream.  Their home countries, jobs, sacrificing so much.  It has really caused me to reflect on desire and commitment.  Sometimes I wonder about the smallness of my life, the small circle that I travel in.  I have never had any desire to travel the world.  I have been in several other countries but I have never wanted to plant myself there.  I have always been glad to get back to the states and see the familiar countryside. I am settled and happy.  But sometimes I wonder about that drive...I like this quote that is next to my computer, I am all about quotes-Live with intention and every day matters.  Some days it feels like I work all day and there is nothing to show for it?  Then I think to myself, what am I looking for to "show for it"  Sometimes a made bed and some answered email just has to be it.  Designing takes a lot of time and Me the list maker needs to be patient with that process and accept that fact that some days it is just going to take me longer to get done what I think needs to be done!

It doesn't feel like Spring

I have been busy making bunnies and Spring time cards but the snow has been flying and it has been cold. I can't really complain because our winter has been so mild compared to the East. Talk about being blasted.  I have really enjoyed watching the Olympics.  All the athletes are so talented.  My friend has gotten addicted to curling?  Have you ever watched curling?  I guess it is on in the middle of the night and in the afternoons.  To each his own I say.  The next big card making opportunity-like we need an excuse, is St. Patrick's Day.  There is something about the wearing of the green that makes this a fun day to send cards especially to kids of all ages.  I finished this stitching card-after I learned this new technique at InkBlots.  It made a beautiful card and I can't just sit around watching TV I always like to keep my hands busy-usually on several projects at once.  I am knitting a scarf to match a hat I was given for Christmas, cutting and pasting bunnies as well crocheting.  Keeps me out of trouble to say the least.  But I really enjoyed this stitching, there are so many colors that can be used and they come together really fast, once you get the technique down!  So back to work I go!

Been busy stamping and glittering my way through a few fairy's courtesy of Our Craft Lounge.  I think that they turned out pretty cute!  It was fun putting the sparkly fluff and glitter on them as well coloring them with some fun colors of Copic.

Snow day

Snowing here always makes me want to settle onto the couch with a comfy blanket, some hot cocoa, and a good book.  It makes the outside quiet, frosty, and calm.  I enjoy watching the snowflakes landing softly. It is nicer then having a heavy Spring snow that smooshes all the tulips and daffodils!  We haven't had a lot of snow so it has been a treat to spend a little time just watching.  Then the reality of getting back to work- Spring on the brain!

I love the movie You've got mail.  Just the way she loves to check her email and the sweet communication that they share..  I wish that it were always that way for me!  Checking my email is always like @*(*$&*%&,  I have 300 messages-mostly junk email. So it always takes a lot longer time for me to weed through the stuff to reach what is really important.  Isn't that the way life is?  We all get up every day with choices-what to prioritize where.  Some days things go well and we get things done the way we plan and someday's it didn't matter what was written down on our to do list-except maybe big HA HA written on top! I wonder how these ladies stay on top of the super highway?  Do they do dishes? Or make dinner?  I don't have a household of children or a busy husband that I support-I have a getting older black cat who really could care less what I do as long as it isn't vacuum. One part of my day that I always look forward to is getting into my craft "studio" I like that official title.  Looking around at my stamp collection and all the fantastic embellishments that I have been organizing steadily into an easier way to use!  I love patterned paper and have decided that, of course, like most crafters I have too much of it, but I sure do love it!  I enjoy deciding on a project picking out the stamps, ink, paper, buttons, ribbon, diecuts.  I love having my big shot and QuicKutz at my fingertips.  I create in ciaos.

Stuff everywhere-I get it all out so that I can see what I have and what I need- of course being a creator like that takes a lot of work to get my space back into shape.  I wish I were as organized as some of these fantastic creative spaces I see!  I am not sure how they work, because I realize that when you see peoples creative working spaces they are always being photographed for magazines, so of course they are clean. My family says I create better under pressure-but really I like the peace of time.  I love that ideas pop into my head at all different times of the day, even in those to do things that we HAVE to do.  So even though the snow is flying my mind has wondered to fresh green buds and a sparkling blue sky, Spring.  Here are a few of my Springtime inspirations..

Condiments anyone?

Do you ever find yourself looking in your fridge for dinner, let's see lemon juice, salsa, a half jar of hot fudge sauce? Hmmm.  A new month and the get organized approach is still moving forward slowly but surely. Part of the goal is to get my meal planning done (in theory) a few months out. I should just had ha ha, after that statement.  My card making supplies are a lot like condiments-a pinch of glitter fluff, stamp pads, ribbon.  I have a well stocked craft pantry and it sure makes life a lot easier when I sit down to create. Now if I could just get my kitchen pantry to equal my crafting pantry I would be in good shape!

Spring?

I love these little bunnies and have made a bunch in many varieties, paper piecing, and cards of course. I had so much fun embellishing them with chalk and patterned paper, and fun little ribbon accents. Who could resist that face? Whimsical and fun-fun to create and even more fun to make and send. I love vellum envelopes, they really show off your handmade cards with style! I love to receive and send cards-they really brighten your day. I have a close friend who sent me a card that simple stated sometimes it is nice to get something in the mail besides bills and junk mail. That is so true! Hence the name of the blog. Email is nice and facebook and twitter are fast-I like that the communication is so quick. But there is nothing like a nice note popped in the mail waiting on the table when you get home!

Card making fool

It has been a busy week, I am part of a card making group called Inkblots (creative therapy) and this past week I learned a new technique to me called card embroidery. I have done some stitching on things before and this was kind of a combination of several different techniques and I love it! It takes a little time and effort but the finished product is gorgeous! I actually started to look on line for some other patterns-this is the finished card and I love all the design. We have such a talented group of ladies. It is so nice to be in a group that shares their ample talents. Friendship and creativity are great things. It is great to keep sharpening our skills in a paper crafting world that we love. It is cold today and I have cards in various states of done-ness. I am going to go make myself a nice cup of warm cocoa add some pumpkin spice flavor (love it!) and some left over snowmen marshmallows-then I think I will be ready to get them finished and posted! I tend to work in ciaos but that seems to work for me. Every year I work on getting more traditionally organized and this year is no different. I have been going through all my patterned paper and getting it better organized, holiday, color, type, style. Takes some time but wow is it nice-

All for the love of Hearts

I began making cards with fabric because it was a natural extension of loving fabric-all the patterns and colors that can so beautifully be layered together. Sometimes I will pick out fabric and it will look wonderful together as fat quarters but when I cut the fabric into shapes sometimes it doesn't go together as well as I would hope. It is kind of amazing that way-I love black and white fabric especially stripes and polka dots. So I designed a whole serious of cards with that theme.


This last summer though while fabric shopping with a friend of mine I came across some gorgeous paisley in a teal and green fabric, not normal fabric that I would love but this piece just jumped right out, so of course I had to find a few pieces to go along-I have designed other cards now besides hearts but I always make hearts year round. I like to collect fabrics and have been dabbling in now actually sewing projects and not just card making! It is always fun to design new shapes to do of course I love Snowmen and have also done apples and pumpkins.

Nature is great to recreate in fabric and there is nothing nicer than receiving a handmade card!

Time Flies

Time flies and I think sometimes it is at rocket speed. As someone just reminded me we are half way through January? What how did that happen? I have been having fun making Valentine cards maybe this year I will actually get them all sent! Who doesn't love a card in the mail? I certainly do!







I love my little glitter pen I use it to add just a
little sparkle to everything. I have had so much fun coloring with my

Copic markers and adding just a little touch of glitter-love it love it love it. I want every color of Copic markers-who wouldn't? They are so smooth to use, I love the blending ability and all the fabulous colors. Too much fun. I have so many now that I can actually separate them by color family...

here are a few of the Valentines I have made-
Took a bike ride on my pink cruiser on Saturday-What a beautiful day about 50 degrees, sunshine. Didn't really seem like January. I am so grateful for the beautiful seasons that I get to enjoy each one has its place and purpose.

I have to go make dinner now, it is a 3 cheese penne night. Great recipe I will have to post later!