Whahoo its windy...

Who ever said Spring comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion or comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb didn't say exactly where the blustery wind comes from.  We are having quite a bit here.  The sun feels nice as long as the wind isn't trying to give you a new hairdo-or rip your planters off the porch!  So here is to warm thoughts of Spring and sunny days filled with happy little bunnies not the kind that eat your flowers or new little garden!

Went to InkBlots last week and made a darling Easter card.  Beth is so talented and takes great care in helping us recreate her masterpieces!  I am scheduled to teach in April and guess what I am doing?  No not a bunny...A frog.  I will be teaching a technique I saw done on working outside your nesti die.   Oh sure the instructions looked so simple-after I'd say about 30 tries following the instructions I decided it must just be me.  I did however figure out a way that worked.  It is very cool but harder than I think I would do for a card that I am going to give away.  InkBlots though is all about learning new techniques-so I am sure all the painful hours I spent trying to figure out the technique will pay off- I am sure that one of the really smart crafty ladies will have an easier way to make it then even I finally did!  I love this group.  A great bunch of very talented, creative ladies, I always look forward to getting together!

Hopping By to Say Hi

Every year I think I am going to make fun Easter cards-I love bunnies and have some great stamps and sayings and usually Easter comes and goes and all I did was gaze lovingly at them.  This year I figured I have until the end of April- one day last week I was enjoying the warmth of the sun and the blue sky and was inspired to get out my paper and fun embellishments and start creating! There is just something fun and reminiscent of childhood in the face of the Easter bunnies!  It always amazes me how different the same items look with different paper combination's.  Some things you think will look just fabulous together then you get them put together and the overall effect isn't quite what you wanted-that is the great thing about paper you can make all kinds arrangements fairly inexpensively!  There are punches of color that can be added and touches of ribbon and chalk or pen work that can add just that little touch to make things come together!  I am still working on that-I either have too much or too little.  Sometimes I just have to put the card away for a while until I can get it right-it usually does come together with a little time away from staring at the same image staring back!  I think that creating helps keep you calm-I know for a fact that when I am stressed out I can't create very well. So I figure if I create everyday I will be a happier more productive person...at least in theory right?   For me creating is like eating good chocolate-an event to savor and enjoy!

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!