Running With Scissors...

Watch Out for that Cure!

Hello!  First of all, Wally and I would like to thank you for the sweet birthday wishes you offered him.  He had another good day on Tuesday, hiking and swimming, and we plan to take him for his first camping trip this week.  I’m sure there will be photos of that adventure coming soon, but first…

It’s been a busy week – all fun stuff – and I haven’t done much stamping.  I’m on vacation, actually.  It was supposed to be last week, but… long story short, our family time was cut into somewhat and we’re trying to make the most of it.  I did finish a project for a friend, just a little something, so I thought I’d share that, at least.

This is the story of Andrew – 8 year old Relay for Life Team Leader.  Yes, 8 years old.  When his mom became involved in Relay for Life, Andrew started asking questions, and he was dismayed with the answers.  How could there be such a cruel disease as cancer for which there is no cure?  What could be done about it and how could he help?  His concern and interest were so genuine, his mom agreed to let him become involved in the fight for a cure, and soon Andrew was heading up his own team.

 

He devised a few fund raising schemes, one of his most successful projects being the selling of kisses. How cute is that? He walked around with one of those cardboard sandwich signs advertising kisses for $1, and he made a bundle! His longest running and most popular endeavor, though, was his jungle-themed lemonade stand. He set it up at home shows, mall events, office lobbies – to name a few. When Mom wasn’t busy with her full time job and homeschooling her two boys, she was making jungle juice and other jungle goodies to stock the stand, not to mention negotiating the set up with local businesses, and, with Grandma’s help, hauling that stand all over town. Whew! Andrew was the salesman, though. He manned the booth, pitched the sales, and made the change – all under Mom or Grandma’s watchful eye. A real team effort!

Wish I had a better picture, but all I have is a photo of a photo.  Andrew’s mom asked if I would make a frame for this photo – two, in fact.  One for her and one for Grandma.  She provided the mats and frames and I did the alterations.

I had to make quick work of it in the time available or I may have taken a step back and seen where I would change or add something.  However, my friend, Andrew’s mom, was pretty thrilled with it, and that’s enough for me.   I watercolored and cut out the gorilla and jungle foliage image for each frame.  You can see more about the stamp image here, if desired.  The papers are all from the DCWV Animal Crackers Matstack.

Mostly, I wanted to tell you about Andrew because I think it’s a pretty special story about a pretty special boy.  I hope, someday, his efforts will help someone in need.  Thank you for listening.

Happy Birthday, Wally!

Our boy turned two years old yesterday.  They’ve been two of the best years we’ve had in, well… years.  Wally can turn a day around just by looking at you.  He can make a sad day happy, he can trivialize your worries.  He’s a sweet reminder of how little one really needs for a good time, a good life.

Remember this little guy?

He was brand new and dear to us then, and two years later he’s the center of our daily lives.  I guess that’s what happens when you don’t have grandchildren.

Well, of course, we celebrated.  The birthday boy had a pool party in the back yard, and then it was time to open his present.

His favorite toys are squeakies, and the best squeakies are the kind he can get his mouth around easily.  If he really likes it, he’ll sing (aka howl).  He puts his heart and soul into the singing.  He’s very good at it, but he only sings when he squeaks.

After a good run and a swim in the bay, he got to lick the potato chip bag and snooze away the afternoon on the couch.

Happy birthday, Wally!  Here’s to many more good years!  Thank you so much for stopping by!

Pretty in Purple

It’s Flourishes Friday and anything goes with the team today.  No focus or challenge, we’re just stamping what our hearts desire, and that’s my favorite kind of stamping.  I thought I’d bring out a set I haven’t used in a while – Seasonal Wreaths.

Might as well use one of those somewhat neglected colors, too.  As soon as I saw this wreath colored up in violet and green, I wondered why I don’t choose this combination more often.  Searching through designer papers, I found not many that worked with this and still gave the card the soft and feminine appearance I was hoping for, so I fell back on these gentle greens which do not compete or overpower.  I can always rely on green.

I colored with Copics on Flourishes Classic Ivory and trimmed with satin, lace, and velvet over a scalloped paper border.  I colored some additional roses and cut them from the wreath for a little accent arrangement.  The sentiment is included in the set.

Spellbinders dies used are Nested Lacey Pennants, Blossom Nestabilities, and Classic Circles Small.  A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe below.

You’re sure to enjoy what the rest of the team is sharing with their Flourishes stamps today.  Have a look:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Thank you so much for your time today.  My posts have been scant this week… just going with the flow.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Stamps:  Seasonal Wreaths  Paper:  Memory Box Bamboo cardstock, Flourishes Classic Ivory, Webster’s Pages Lullaby Lane & Life’s Portraits designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Chocolate Chip, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Velvet and satin ribbon, lace, pearls, Spellbinders Nested Lacey Pennants, Blossom Nestablities, and Classic Circles Small, Martha Stewart edge punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Rita’s Back!

Hello!  This weekend I decided to finish up another Rita card.  I do have several other Loralie stamp sets, but I wanted to be sure and give Rita a little more love before moving on.  Actually, I started this Rita back in April.  Sheesh!  More than two months ago and I’m just now finishing her?  For shame!

It’s certainly not clean and simple like the last card I shared, but Rita is not a CAS kind of gal.  She loves to get dressed up!  This is when card making gets really fun.  I put her on a 5 1/2” square card today.  I have envelopes to fit so I figured I might as well go for it.  Lots of room to work and in this case I could use the extra room.  Despite everything going on here, she fits comfortably in her envelope.

I watercolored Rita with Tombow markers on 140 lb hot press watercolor paper.  I like hot press paper because its finish is very smooth and the paper tends to feel more lightweight than cold press paper – good for cards.  90 lb is even better for cards, but hard to come by.  I purchased this paper at a local art supply store.  It comes in large sheets – jumbo poster size – at $6.95 per sheet.  Arches Aquarelle.  The folks at the store obligingly cut it down to 8 1/2 x 11 sheets (with some left over) so I can store it easily on my stamp room shelves.

The sentiment is from Hambo.  If you’re looking for humorous or fun sentiments, that’s the place to go.  I separated it to make two tags using Spellbinders Nested Pennants.  I trimmed with lace over white satin ribbon.  I have yards upon yards of lace from my sewing days and I vow to start using it more.  I’m inclined to think of lace in terms of vintage designs, but I’ve been wrong about that.  More lace to come.  It’s just plain pretty.

All other ingredients are listed in the recipe below.  Rita and I will say “goodbye” for now, and perhaps she’ll send one of her friends along to visit soon.  Take care!

Stamps:  Rita (Loralie), Fractured Funnies sentiment (Hambo)  Paper:  Bazzill textured blue, Pink Pirouette, 140 lb hot press watercolor, Flourishes Classic White, gold metallic cardstock, BasicGrey Annalee designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir, various Tombow Markers for watercoloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, lace, rhinestones, Spellbinders Labels Four and Seventeen, Spellbinders Flourish Accent Shapeabilities, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Clean & Simple Zinnias for Flourishes Friday

Hello, there!  How about something clean and simple to finish up the week?  One of my favorite ways to let a beautiful image shine is to keep the rest of the card very clean and uncluttered.  Can’t say I do that as often as I’d like to… you know I’ve got a real “thing” for designer papers, sigh…  My first inclination for this image, however, was to just let it be.

I’ve used my new Zinnias from Flourishes with a little Swiss Dot embossing for texture and a simple gingham ribbon tied with linen thread.  Coloring was done with Copics.

Let’s see what the rest of the Flourishes team is sharing today:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

 

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

There are two things I’d like to mention before I go:

• First, this month’s release from Flourishes was a pretty wonderful three sets of stamps, and today is your last chance to pick them up at a 10% discount when you purchase all three in the New Release Bundle.  Not included in the Bundle, but a great deal for the price are the two digital downloads – Fresh Recipes (recipe cards), and Fresh Labels (labels and tags).
• You may like to check out the amazing blog candy Christine has up for grabs.  Read the story behind it and see it’s for a very good cause.

Wishing you a lovely weekend and everything your heart desires.  See you again soon!

Stamps:  Zinnias  Paper:  Flourishes Classic White  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, linen thread, Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Jungle Babies

My next door neighbors are expecting their first baby in September, and the baby shower is this weekend.  The ultrasound says they’re having a girl and, after seeing the mountain of adorable baby girl outfits the family has gifted them already, I sure hope the ultrasound is correct.  Baby shopping is so much fun, it’s easy to get carried away.  Same with the cards.  I love making them and someone always needs a baby card.  Happy me!

Today I used a set called Circus Circus by Our Craft Lounge.  I purchased it at my local scrapbook store, but you can also find it here.  I masked the lion and stamped the giraffe behind it, then stamped the hippo separately, cut it out and popped it up in the foreground.  Coloring was done with Copic markers.

Papers are from the DCWV Animal Crackers Matstack.  Hope you enjoy!  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  OCL Circus Circus  Paper:  Flourishes Classic White, DCWV Animal Crackers designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa, Pixie Pink, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, silk flower, brad, 1/2” circle punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Relaxing with Butterfly Gardens

I stamped this weekend since it rained again on Sunday.  I can’t complain, though, because we had a beautiful Saturday and I accomplished a few things in the garden.  Stamping-wise, I have a more time-consuming project underway, but, for now, I’ll share a card I made with my newest JustRite set – Butterfly Gardens. 

I colored with Copic markers, coordinating the colors with these papers from Webster’s Pages Lullaby Lane & Life’s Portraits Combo Pack.  I cut out the center and popped it up, and finished with stitching, pearls, and a sheer chocolate bow.  All set for the next birthday on the list!

Thank you so much for dropping in.  Have a great week!

Stamps:  JustRite Butterfly Gardens  Paper:  Guava textured, blush, Classic White, Webster’s Pages Lullaby Lane & Life’s Portraits designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Sheer ribbon, copper pearls, Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities Large, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Catching My Breath

Whew!  This is me after release week:

Just wring me out and hang me up to dry!  Maybe I’ll have a little time now to catch my breath and see what the rest of you have been up to.  I’ll be stopping by as soon as possible.  Have yourself a beautiful weekend!

Word Scramble

Sorry this is late.  Darn computer/blog/me issues... but here you go:

Hi, all, and welcome to the grand finale of Flourishes Sneak Peeks!  When you visit the Flourishes store, you’ll see all of our offerings for June are ready for the taking (or shopping).  Before we put the wraps on this release week, we thought we’d give you another chance to WIN with one last noon time challenge.  If you hop through the link list, below, you’ll find each designer has a letter on their noon time blog post today.  Take all of the letters from this hop and see if you can unscramble the hidden word.

My letter is…

E

Now, be sure to grab the rest of the letters at these designers’ blogs:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

After you’ve unscrambled the word, all you need to do is email us at flourishes@bresnan.net and your name will go in the hat to win the entire June release.  So, put that thinking cap on and let’s test out your word skills.  Good luck!  Don’t forget to find out who won all of Flourishes challenges this week in The Winners Circle.  Flourishes will post all the lucky names over on the Newsletter tomorrow at noon CST.

Thanks for stopping by!

Flourishes Preview, Day 3: Garden Fresh

I’m excited!  I was wondering when Flourishes was going to do vegetables and now look what Marcella Hawley has drawn up for us this month – Garden Fresh – beets, carrots, and peas!  Love all these glorious colors.  They color up just as pretty as any of the fruits or flowers.  What can you do with a vegetable set?

How about a card with a pocket for a bookmark and a coordinating acrylic coaster?  It’s hard to see in the photo, but the pocket is made with Clear Cover Cardstock under the half circle frame.  As for the bookmark… well, that’s something new from Flourishes, too!  Bookmark, tag, labels, recipe cards – all available as digital downloads.  The recipe cards are in one file called Fresh Recipes ($1), and all the tags and labels are in another called Fresh Labels ($2).  Very fun!  I’ll refer you to the Newsletter for more information on that.

A close up of the coaster:

 

I wanted to make one with the carrots, too, but I ran out of time.  This is a 3 1/2” square acrylic block like you’d use for stamping.

• I made the designer paper frame with Spellbinders Classic Circle and Square Nestabilities and glued the edges to the back of the block with Mod Podge, being very careful to brush it on smoothly and work the air bubbles out to the edges of the block.
• I then fit the image behind it, glued with Mod Podge on the edges, in the same manner as the frame.
• Finally, there’s chipboard under that to finish off the backside.  In that case I brushed the entire surface with Mod Podge before gluing it on.  Then more designer paper on the backside, coated with Mod Podge, and sprayed with matte sealer.  This protects it if it comes in contact briefly with a wet surface.  It’s not submersible, but a little water won’t damage it.

This works perfectly well as a trivet (hot pad), too.  I placed a teapot full of boiling water on it until it cooled and no harm done.

More complete instructions for making this type of coaster can be found here.  Thank you, Rebecca Oehlers!

I stamped the envelope flap with all the set’s images.  There’s stamping inside the card, as well, and the back of the bookmark is covered with matching designer paper.

All my coloring was done with Copics.  I should mention that the beets were done with the Petunia Collection (RV09, RV19, RV99) with a little help from RV02 to lighten up their middles.

Now all I need is a cookbook to go with the bookmark, and a decorated gift bag to present it in, and I’ve got a nice little gift.

The girls have done some very cute things with the Garden Fresh set.  See them all here:

Barbara Anders

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Danielle Kennedy

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Sharon Doolittle

I think I’ve probably talked your ear off these last three days, so I’m going to leave it up to the Newsletter to fill you in on all the festivities you can take part in.  Please do check back with me a little later (noon CST) for a word scramble game.  It’s another chance to win all three sets in Flourishes June release.  Hope to see you then!  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Garden Fresh  Paper:  Flourishes Classic White, Clear Cover Cardstock, Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie, BasicGrey Oh, Baby Boy designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Fresh Labels digital download, acrylic block, ribbon, linen thread. hardware, buttons, Spellbinders large and small Classic Circle and Square Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Herringbone embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape