Easy

Sometimes, we need quick and easy. Using two-sided paper and two different punches this card came together in a matter of minutes. 

Hope you have an easy day!

My Friend

If you know me, you know I love my Goldens as well as every other dog in the universe. I am especially fond of images with a dog so when I saw "My Friend" by Maurie "Mo" Manning of Mo's Digital Pencil, I had to have the image.  There is no doubt in my mind that the puppy's tail is wagging a mile a minute and her bloomers have ruffles on the bottom. 

Cicada Killer Wasps

Why, in the card making world do we romanticize bugs and other critters? For two months each summer, my yard is plagued with cicada killer wasps.  They are not pretty, they look similar to yellow jackets but are much larger, nearly two inches in length, requiring their own runway strip.  Unlike our friends the gnomes, cicada killers are solitary so each female digs her own nest about six to ten inches deep leaving behind a big pile of dirt at her front door. The good news, if you can call it good, is that only the female can sting and they are usually very busy underground preparing cells in her burrow in which she will place one egg and one cicada insuring another generation of cicada killers for next year, oh goodie!  Of important note, the best way to get rid of these guys is with a baseball bat or a tennis racket. 

Mousier FatBoyArdee

Mousier FatBoyArdee is a distant, distant cousin of Julia Child and Fanny Craddock and a recent participant on Hell's Kitchen. Mousier FatBoyArdee received his chef's hat from none other then the creative imagination of Marlene (I'm a huge fan) for The Digi Shack. Unfortunately, Mousier FatBoyArdee cannot cook but has taken an interest in redesigning toques, the honored hat worn by chefs since the 16th century. Traditionally, toques which come in varying heights sometimes indicating their position in the kitchen, are said to have 100 folds symbolizing the different ways an egg can be cooked. Recently Mousier FatBoyArdee threw the milliner and cooking world into turmoil when his recipe, based on making an egg shaped as a goose, changed the number of different ways to make an egg to 101.  Some experts contend that inasmuch as he uses pickles for drumsticks, the recipe should be stricken.

I Can't Wait to Get My Arms Around You

Did you know that an octopus has three hearts? Eight arms and three hearts, that's a lot of loving!

Friends are Flowers in the Garden of Life

In September, my daughter and her husband are moving to Okinawa, Japan for three years -- sniff, sniff. She asked me to make cards for the people she worked with in appreciation of the friendships she had formed. The cards for the women are the same but in different colors and the mens' cards were all the same.

Pearlized Embossed Resist

I watched Jennifer McGuire, Ink's  video for pearlized embossed resist and attempted it with these butterflies. Definitely a fun technique. 

Nontraditional Christmas

Monica of Gardners Basket has challenged our blog group to think outside the box and make a Christmas card using nontraditional colors instead of red and green. I think pink and magenta are probably about as nontraditional as you can get.

To see other challenge entries visit Monica's blog.

King Tut at a Yard Sale

One of the activities I look forward to this time of year is going to yard sales with my good friend, Betsy.  When Betsy picks me up on Saturday mornings, she has already set our course and her GPA in search of unknown finds. We've learned not to shop for anything in particular, but to be surprised by what we find.  Probably my most treasured yard sale purchase is my Cuttlebug. This past Saturday I found a rubber stamp of King Tut that I needed like a hole in my head but for the price, I HAD to have it.  I have no clue what occasion a King Tut card would be needed, but I think the end result is dazzling. 

Happy Birthday

Today is my daughter, Alecia's birthday. She is the youngest of my crew and effective today is a very rip roaring 26 years old. In a few days, I will be able to give her a big birthday hug and kiss in person but in the meantime, I can share with you her birthday card. And to Alecia, I wish you a very happy birthday with many, many more filled with good health, love and laughter!

Skinny Chicken

The answer to two momentous questions has continued to elude mankind since the beginning of time: which came first the chicken or the egg and why did the chicken cross the road? Owing to this debate, chickens worldwide have become neurotic as is evident in this befuddled "skinny chicken" image from The Digi Shack. Because of the harm it is causing, I submit to you that we stop the debate and allow chickens to return to the simple life of relaxing on their nest while the rooster struts his stuff. If an attempt is made to wrangle you into such a conflict, simply reply: "It is of no consequence to me why the chicken crossed the road or if the chicken or egg came first. A far more significant issue needs resolved, is it appropriate to wear white shoes after Labor Day?"  

Purple Cow

I never saw a purple cow, 

I never hope to see one. 

But I can tell you anyhow, 

I'd rather see one than to be one.  

I recently purchased several fun images from The Digi Shack including this quirky cow and her friends.  I remember as a child questioning the wisdom of the purple cow poem, after all, what's wrong with a purple cow? To those people who condemn purple cows I say, shame on you. Obviously you don't know a purple cow but I will tell you that purple cows are great conversationists, spotless homemakers, and talented in the arts. Today, make it a point and get to know a purple cow. 

Embossing Challenge

Whimsie Doodles is having a challenge to create a project that includes embossing. I do a lot of embossing and I have several of their images so I thought, why not. Today's card is my entry and believe it or not, the fire extinguisher, flowers on madam's dress, the sentiment, the dots on the birthday cake and the flower embellishments are embossed and the rest is done with copics. 

Now I ask you, should one be proud, or embarrassed when a fire extinguisher is required when lighting the birthday candles?

Operation Write Home

A large number of the cards I make are sent to Operation Write Home where they are mixed with cards from others and then sent overseas to members of our nation's armed forces for their use. Today's card is earmarked for that purpose.

And then there's dramatic

 Is it the black that causes the impact?

Mosquitoes

According to the weatherman, the temperature will be teetering between 89 and 95 degrees until next Thursday. Perfect mosquito weather. That being said, I share with you Stella, from Bugaboo Stamps', sentiment about mosquitoes. I must also share with you my opinion of camping . . . I think it is best left for the bears who, by the way, are known to hang the Charmin in a tree. And while we are on the subject of Charmin, I went to their website and my funny bone kicked into gear. They make a very bold statement that says, "Soften your bottom line with superior absorbency of Charmin Ultra Soft or the outstanding durability of Charmin Ultra Strong."  Now I ask you, what do they think we're doing with their product that it needs to be 'durable', scouring the kitchen sink or perhaps, recycling it after its use ?

But I digress, sorry. So, if I must go camping, my ideal campsite would be nothing less then a five star hotel overlooking the ocean.

Dramatic

In my opinion, when you combine black, ivory and gold, the results will be dramatic. 

Lemonade

I grasp what the sentiment is conveying but what about those of us who tend to be bothered by acidic drinks?  Could I have a cold beer with lots of ice instead?

Thank You Rozie

My poor dear Rozie is still suffering from the loss of her pack but she is waiting patiently for Xena to realize she is a dog and play. Normally, Rozie is a silly golden but since she has taken on the role of top alpha she is more solemn. When we are outside she assumes the role of protector lest a rabbit or other wildlife should appear. Last evening she had one of those moments when protecting me was priority. She assumed a frozen position, head down and hind legs trembling. My first thought was that the tree toad was back from the other side of the fence where I put him the last time. I moved slowly so as not to disturb our visitor and when I saw what she was fixed on I laugh out loud. Rozie, all by her sweet self, had cornered a clump of grass! So thank you Rozie, you make me feel very safe and secure.

Need

I have noticed that when something is "needed" I can't find it, it's out of date, on back order, or worse, it has been discontinued. In my case, I need an idea and I sit and stare at a blank piece of paper waiting for something to appear. Recently, I have had the need for thank you cards and typical, I didn't have a clue so I decided to grab a stamp and see where it would take me. At worst, I could toss it, at best, I would share it with you. 

Xena and the Butterfly

Seven weeks ago today, Xena came to live with us and she has made a few baby steps. She will wag her tail when she sees me but run in the opposite direction which, translates to me that I have not gained her trust. Xena continues to be extremely fearful of being outdoors but did show her bravery the other day when she decided to chase a beautiful butterfly.  Thank goodness, she was not successful.

Red Pen

Can you tell I drew the red lines for the background?   The rest is done with red embossing powder. I wish I would have passed on the gold stickles on the bow. 

Japanese Origami Paper

Something different for today. To make this card, I mounted Japanese origami paper on card stock and cut it into strips then I adhered the strips onto a card. I used embroidery floss instead of ribbon. Easy and quick.

Need a Laugh

That "depends"!























Congratulations to Christy for winning Challenge #9. Great job Christy.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

It has been so oppressively hot that I recently ventured to Redland Beach and actually got in the water. The area is private and contains a thirty-two foot body of refreshing, crystal-clear water. In fact, the water is so clear that I saw the fish on today's card swim past. The best part of the day was being surrounded by four of my five children and their families, and the best tasting hot dog ever. Great day, great family!

Grace

One of the blogs I love to visit is Jennifer McGuire Ink. Aside from great tutorials, she has recently issued a call for cards for Grace, a young girl whose twin sister recently died of cancer.  Today's card is for Grace, a pretty dress for a pretty little girl with a sweet smile. Please click on the link for more information.

Tangled Up in Creativity Challenge #9 Results

Today begins the voting in Challenge #9 of our blog group, to alter designer paper used as a background. Voting closes on Wednesday, July 7.  Sorry, voting is open to members only but please, enjoy what these talented ladies have created.

APRIL

CHRISTY

DAWN

MARY-KATE

LYNN

Happy 4th of July

Happy Birthday America!

Bookmark

I've been making bookmakers lately.  I made this bookmark for myself. After I colored the image with pastels, I applied it to a folded piece of clear acrylic . Then I decided, to go ahead and incorporate it into a card embossed with yellow butterflies and a corner pocket to hold it in place. All in all, it was quick, easy and fun to make. 

Sweet Sound

I had a little surprise this morning. Xena let go of one little "woof" this morning. I was beginning to think her vocal cords were intentionally damaged by the owner of the puppy mill as is often the case. My goodness, she has a deep sound, nothing like the little voice I hear in my head. Maybe today's card prompted the "woof". 

Yesterday's Weather

Yesterday was a busy day for me. The temperature was only 76 degrees. I say "only" because the temperatures had been in the 90's for over a week.  Meanwhile, the laundry was stacking-up and I was getting nervous that I would need to borrow tidy-whities from my neighbors because heat from the dryer would have placed too great of a burden on the air conditioner. The weatherman promises today will be a carbon copy of yesterday so I plan to work in the yard. 

In the meantime, enjoy today's clean and simple card.