Thoughts from a sunny cynic

      On this anniversary of 9/11, I have been reflecting. I keep hearing "Remember" and "Never Forget". I don't think remembering is enough. That is like being thankful once a year on Thanksgiving. What are you doing? Whether the glass is half full or half empty is moot, if you never drink from it or share it with someone else who thirsts. Do you value your freedom? Do you love your neighbor? Do you pray for your President?

       In the last few days, I have vacillated between solemn remembrance and holding back my gag reflex. I try not to be so dang cynical. It has been a bit more difficult the last few days as this anniversary approached. The impetus for this came in the form of an article about broaching the subject of 9/11 with children. There was a tone that gave me the impression that the author felt a bit sorry for himself. Boofrickinhoo. This was a normal guy who watched it unfold on TV. This was a horrific tragedy for our nation. It affected us all in some way or another. It is okay to revisit those thoughts and feelings.  I think it is more important to remember that urge to hug your kid and call your mom that you felt that day. Remember how suddenly your neighbor wasn't so annoying. I also think it is imperative to remember that many, many children have always known about that terrible day. Her dad went to work that day and never came home. His mom was on a plane that was overtaken. His uncle left in cammies and combat boots and returned in a flag draped pine box.

      There were many emotions that day and the days that followed. My innocence was broken on April 19, 1995 when I walked into my third hour speech class to find out that the Alfred P Murrah building had been bombed, but my heart was broken on 9/11. What I choose to remember is the solidarity I felt on 9/12/2001. It wasn't about who got your vote. It wasn't about how much money you had. It was about Americans holding each other together. People waved their flags and held each others' hands in prayer.  They stood in line to give blood.  People 2000 miles from ground zero thanked their local first responders. We were numb with pain yet filled with kindness for one another. I hope as a nation we never ever have to feel that pain again. I pray that the kindness, the love, and gratitude that followed is never forgotten.

     I welcome your thoughts and recollections.  However, I will mercilessly delete inappropriate or offensive comments. Have a nice day!

Too much daydreaming

has caused an overgrowth of dandelions. They aren't cute and cheerful. They are enormous and you may need a machete to hack them down. Mercy! Sorry aboout being MIA. I decided to stop waiting until I made the most gorgeous card ever and just post something for crying out loud. I am a slacker. I'll offer an apology without excuses.

So here is a little something I made when I got my catalog preorder from Stampin' Up!. It uses the Cherished friendship set.



It is pretty simple. I used watercolor crayons on the image. I was trying to use all brights. I did not find that at all easy! Anyway, it is nothing spectacular. I figured I best post something though before the blog police came by to condemn this place. Thanks for stopping by. I hope to post again soon. Have a good one!

Beef stroganoff, spicy shrimp and papercraft vomit

Here are a few more of my Mingle creations. The first one was from my selection of Beef Stroganoff from the menu. When I received the challenge, it was to use at least 4 stripes. The designer series paper made that fairly easy. I love these colors.



My second menu selection today was Spicy Shrimp with Ginger-Garlic Long Beans. The challenge was to make a long card. That wasn't too hard. I used the Crumb Cake, black, and cherry cobbler again.


Then there is this last card. This is the Cobb salad inspired challenge. It was supposed to be a green base, red texture, choice of third color (yellow, white, black, or green), and the use of a product I shall not name. They made a very generous donation to the Mingle. I see people do fabulous things with this unnamed product. I, however, opened it and blurted out to my friend that I could not do anything with this challenge. I said and I quote, "This is going to look like papercraft vomit!" And the idea was born.



All but the unnamed product are SU! If you have specific product questions, leave a comment or shoot me an email. I'm happy to answer.

Chicken Noodle Soup with a Mojito

Here are a few more cards I made over the weekend for the foodie challenges. My menu selections were Chicken Noodle Soup and a mojito. Two of my favorites! Maybe not together...

For the mojito challenge, we were instructed to make a white card with a splash of green. This is what I came up with for that one.





Up next is my Chicken Noodle Soup card. The instructions were to use a cream or off white base in the vintage style. This card also gives you a sneak peek at Stampin' Up's stamp set that will go on sale in May to raise funds for breast cancer. Sorry, the pic is a bit lopsided.


That's all I've got for today. Tomorrow I'll have a few more for you. Maybe even a look at what happens when you just cannot make it work. Have a good one!

Stop the presses!

This past weekend something AMAZING happened. I got together with some local friends for the annual Michigan Mingle. The three ladies who plan this do a fantastic job, but that is not the astonishingly amazing part. Are you ready? They had these fun challenges and I actually stamped. I did more than flap my jaws and feed my face. I'll wait for the smelling salts to start working... I'll share a few of the cards over the next few days. All of the challenges were based on a menu that you picked beforehand. So creative!

This first card was a huge challenge for me. My menu item was 7 Layer dip so I had to make a card with at least 7 layers. Ack! That could have gone horribly wrong. It just seemed like SO many layers. I thought about friends who make cute bazillion layered cards and made it work. This uses the Celebration line again along with the cupcake punch.



Supplies: Celebrations DSP, Cupcake punch, Brads, real red CS, Old Olive CS, WW CS, Pacific Point CS, dimensionals, glue dots

Thing 2

These are flashbacks of my little guy. He has always kept me on my toes, but he brightens every day with his joyful soul and insures no day is boring. I used Stampin' Up's Celebrations line of products on these. These fun products made these pages go together lickity split. The pages are pretty basic; but I think they are fun, and I tried to keep the focus on the pictures.



In these he is enjoying an apple. He used to swipe them off of the counter and then stash the cores throughout the house. That was motivation to regularly clean under the couch! I added a few buttons, some ribbon, and letters from the Timeless Type Alphabet.

This second layout highlights a bit more of life with Luke. Look at his face in these pictures. I was searching for him in a mild panic. I thought maybe Caleb locked him outside, except I had been playing with Caleb and Luke was supposed to be napping. Maybe we were being a bit too loud. He found a quiet spot. The dryer!


The left page and his, "You're going to make me get out." face.



This is the right side. That is Luke right before he pulled, "These are not the droids you're looking for." on me. I want to get mad at him, but I just can't do it. Darn Jedi mind tricks.



Some of the circles are stickers, some are punched. I also cut some of the arrows from the Celebrations DSP.

I enjoyed this little trip down memory lane. Thanks for coming along! Later in the week, we'll flashback with Thing 1.

Shaking off the dust

Anyone need a Kleenex? I can't stop sneezing. This place is dusty! Thanks to a couple of lovely friends and a little bit of guilt, I am back. I have been a scrappin' and stampin' fool the last few days. I may even have something for you tomorrow. Yeah, don't bet the farm on it. :-)

So right now is my favorite part of the Stampin' Up! year. It is Sale-A-Bration! Hot deals galore! Who doesn't love FREE? There is so much to choose from this year. There are cute stamp sets, a scrappin kit, some adorable accessories; and then if that doesn't suit your tastes, there are dozens of sets from the main catalog you can choose from. Yippeeee!

This card uses one of the SAB sets. It's called Sweet summer.



This second project, I love. It makes me happy every time I look at it. I better stop before I have to buy all new hats. These pictures are special. This is my beloved grandmother and her family. I used the Nature Walk set and the matching paper along with some of my favorite embellishments. This set has so many possibilities. This project was hard to photograph, but I took a close up of the tag to give you a little feel for the texture. I finally broke out my Distressing kit and used the tea stain on this project. It was a great fit.







Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!

All products are Stampin' Up!
Sweet Summer
Stamps : Sweet Summer, Teeny tiny wishes
Paper : Poppy Parade, Pear Pizazz, So saffron, Marine Mist
Ink : Black Stazon, Poppy Parade
Accessories: Markers, oval punch, scallop oval punch, label punch, Poppy Parade stitched ribbon, square lattice die, tulip die

Grandma's Family
Stamps : Nature Walk
Ink : Early Espresso, tea stain, Old Olive
Paper: Crumb cake, So saffron, Early Espresso, cream, Botanical Gazette
Accessories : Markers, Distressing kit, crochet trim, antique brad, Crumb Cake seam binding

Just Believe

Just Believe is a gorgeous set from the new catalog. I love the images and the sentiments. It's just so versatile. I used it on this card. I also used some of the new colors. I really like Marina Mist.

Mmmm Cherry Cobbler and Vintage wallpaper

I recently got some new Stampin' Up! goodies. The new catalog is fantastic! The new colors are luscious. There is a great variety of new stamps; and the new accessories... Well, I want to just roll around in them. Seriously.

One of the new colors this year is Cherry Cobbler. I love, love, LOVE it. I'm a bit disappointed SU! didn't name it Sooner Sweetness, but I have slowly gotten over that. It is my favorite red ever! So my first card here uses this color. It's got some new goodies and an old favorite.



The bird is from the Always set. Nevermore! I can't see a black bird without going there. I like Poe. What can I say? Duh. Nevermore! hehe

I used that gorgeous texture folder, Chantilly crocheted ribbon, and the pearls on this card as well. I really love them both. Then I also used Morning Cup. It's a whole set dedicated to caffeine. What's not to love?!




So now that my GPS finally led me back to my blog, I hope to post more often. I think I can manage more than once every 3 months. LOL Thanks for looking. I hope you have a fantastic day!

Nevermore
Stamps - Always
Ink - Black Craft
Paper - Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake (formerly called Kraft), Basic Black
Accessories - scallop edge punch, Chantilly crochet thread, Neutrals button in Crumb cake, embossing powder, pearls, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder

Vintage tea time
Stamps - Morning Cup
Ink - Crumb Cake
Paper - Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla
Accessories - Pearls, Chantilly crocheted ribbon, circle punches, scalloped circle, edge punch, markers, sponge

Faith, Hope, Love, Life, and procrastination

Every once in a great while, I make something I really love. This was one of those projects. I love everything about it. I really can't take much credit for it, however. I won this gorgeous frame at Michigan Mingle. Debra and Emma donated the most gorgeous basket of Stampin' Up! goodies. It had a frame, Decor Elements, a mat, Bella Bleu paper, ribbon, and more. To make it even better it was all beautifully packaged. I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to win it. Well, then I did! Woohoo! So over the weekend when I was supposed to be preparing for a vendor fair and my son's first communion, I decided to make my frame. Inspiration always comes along when I should be doing something else. Probably because I'm never doing what I'm supposed to be doing! hehehe

So here is what I did with the frame. I am really happy with how it came together. I just love everything about it. I love the picture here too. It is just one of my favorites taken in Orange County. I hope you like it too!

All Supplies SU!

Decor elements, Bella Bleu DS, jumbo brad, ribbon originals, Pretties kit, Night of Navy CS, Choc Chip CS, top note die, scallop edge punch

Card purse kit

Yesterday was Stefan's aunt's birthday. Debbie is just one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Her dear husband Paul invited the family out to Olive Garden to celebrate with them. It is always good to see them and visit! I had a fabulous time with them.

Since it was Aunt Debbie's birthday, I wanted to bring her a little something. She likes birds so I thought I'd make her a card with a bird on it. Then I decided a set of note cards would be even better. Now there is a slight problem. I have OCD when it comes to nature images. They have to be accurate or cartoony. There is no in between for me. I hate blue roses, and cardinals are red! I don't like purple daffodils. Artistic expression? Whatever! (just so you know- "whatever" is code for "You're full of it!" or "Go away!") Taking realistic nature images and coloring them weird colors is just not for me.

So for this little set I freed myself and made no attempt at realism. It wasn't that hard because I know almost nothing about birds other than 101 ways to cook a chicken. I used the Extra Large Two-Step Bird, the perfect polka dots impression folder, and the scallop trim border punch. The color palette is chocolate chip, certainly celery, and soft sky. Soft sky is retired and no longer available. I'll wait while you dry your eyes. I know it is very sad. Sniff. Sniff.





Above is the inside of the card purse. Isn't this a clever idea? I didn't come up with it. These have been cropping up at several stamp gatherings over the last year, and I just thought they were adorable! I found the tutorial here on Julie's blog. Check it out. She does very nice work.



Finally this is the little card we put our birthday wishes in and tied to the handle. This set went together surprisingly quickly. I came up with the design and made ten cards and the tote in about an hour and a half. I take longer than that to choose a color palette some days! So to make something that I like that comes together quickly makes for a very good day. I hope you had a good weekend too.

I get by with a little help from my friends

I love the new Vintage Vogue set and matching wheel from Stampin' Up! Love them. So I have been reaching for it a lot. Here are two of the cards I've made recently.



This one is a little busy, but I'm fairly happy with how it came together. The satin ribbon fulfills a void in my crafty soul I never knew was there. I made this for a swap I was in last month. Pink and green are my favorite colors, and I have been indulging myself by using them together more often lately.




This card is a little bit more crisp and clean. The "F" has been cut out and is popped up with some dimensionals. I had no reason for making this card. These "no pressure" cards are my favorite. It's fun to just sit down and make something without obligation. I sent it to someone special. The sentiment on this one is much nicer than yesterday's. It simply states, "Life happens. Love helps." So true. So today when life happens to you, I hope love does help. And if all else fails, whack your love upside the head and say, "Help me, dadgummit!"

All products are Stampin' Up!
Stamps - Vintage Vogue, Very Vintage wheel
Ink - Choc chip, very vanilla, pretty in Pink, Mellow moss
paper - Same as ink
accessories - pretties kit, dimensionals, pink satin ribbon, scallop edge punch, clear EP

Yin and yang

I have a confession to make. There are two very distinct sides to my personality. The evidence is here in these two cards.

On the one hand, I recognize that every human being struggles with something. Sometimes people are going through very difficult times. I feel for them. I pray the good Lord will give them strength and courage to carry them through. So in these times, I may send them a nice, little card like this one.





I actually made this one for my Grandma. She broke her tibia and is struggling in rehab. And since I can never get her on the phone, I went the archaic route of snail mail. Crazy! I know.

Then there is the other half of my personality. It isn't as nice. It says, "What the heck are you belly aching about?" and "Would you like some cheese with all that whine?" I know. It's not pretty. It was this little devil inside of me who encouraged me to make this next card.



It looks pretty, right? Did you see the sentiment? Oh yes. It does say, "Suck it up, Buttercup!" This is for all the times I read FB and tire of my friends constantly complaining. Quite frankly, I don't care that you have the sniffles, it's cold outside, or that your dog farted and is stinking up your house. Okay, I probably do care unless 99% of your statuses are complaints. This is for the people who never say "fine" when you enquire about how they are doing. Instead, they give you a diatribe about ingrown toe nails and unfair bosses and global warming and their large hineys. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! You're a grown up. Sometimes life sucks. Deal. I told you it was not pretty.

So this is where I come back to my senses. I remind myself that God did not equip everyone with the same set of coping mechanisms. Some people can't just suck it up and roll with the punches. I cannot control how other people behave, but I can control my reaction to it. So I make a mean card that I will pull out and laugh at, but never send. I make 2 more like the one for my Grandma and I pray that the good Lord grants me restraint the next time someone annoys me. I will try to offer encouragement and not just a big old cup of "Suck it up!"

All products used are Stampin' Up!
Nice card
Stamps-Thoughts and Prayers
Ink - Whisper White, choc chip
Paper - Choc chip, Kraft
Accessories - Scallop edge punch, scallop corner punch, pretty in pink satin ribbon

Naughty card
Paper - So saffron, Choc chip, Very Vanilla
ink - So saffron sponged on flower's edges
Accessories - XL flower punch, big brad, double stitch ribbon, mover/shaker die, oval punch

Something to warm you up a little...

Here is this cute, little polar bear offering you a nice, warm beverage. Isn't he cute? This is the Cold and cuddly set from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini. I stamped him on Bordering Blue cardstock with Whisper White ink and then embossed him. I ended up sponging the edges after I took this first picture. He is also popped up on some dimensionals.







This second card is also made with a set from the Holiday mini. I love this set. The snowflakes are just exquisite and so elegant. I made my own shimmer mist with the Shimmer Paint and sprayed it on this one. Presto - my own sparkly navy cardstock. I'm really happy with the result and let me tell you, it isn't even difficult or time consuming. You may want to give it a try.




So now I must get back to making Christmas cards and finishing gifts. And I will not let the joy and anticipation of advent be overshadowed with stress. I have been blessed in a thousand ways, and that is where I'll put my focus. Things will not be perfect at our house, but our home will be filled with joy. I may not get the cookies made, but that's okay. The kids won't be scarred because we ran out of green sprinkles and used the ones left from Easter. We work ourselves into a tizzy this time of year. So I try to take a deep breath and refocus when I see the frantic shoppers and folks fighting over parking spots. No one was prepared when Christ arrived. The guest room wasn't even available. The food wasn't fancy. The Wise Men were late with the gifts, the shepherds were stinky, and the Holy Family was probably up to their ankles in manure. So as I feel like I can't take anymore crap this holiday, I think back to that teenage mother who delivered the son of God in a stable. I hope your season is filled with joy and wonder. God keep you and Merry Christmas!

You Were Always on My Mind...

Maybe I didn't love you quite as often as I could have. And maybe I didn't treat you quite as good as I should have. If I made you feel second best, well you are. But you were always on my mind! Okay maybe not always. My dear sweet blog, I'm sorry you've been cheated, been mistreated. Now, I'll show you some love.


Anybody still with me? It's been a crazy few months. I've been stamping, just not much. The PC issues continued. DH got a brand new laptop though thanks to Dell's super warranty! The kids were sick and then sick some more. Thing 1 made himself an indoor pool in our basement. My inlaws had some health issues. My dog has been trying to single handedly wipeout Detroit's squirrel population. God is great. Beer is good, and people are crazy. No more tears in my beer. I apologize for being away for so long. My life really is not a country song. I will try not to take you for granted, my blog. I will not neglect you and I will remember to hit publish when I write a post.





I made this card for my friend Emma to thank her for being such a kind and generous soul. You can be sure she'll make you laugh right out loud whenever you're together. I just love her. I used Season of Friendship and embossed the trunk and flowers. I then cut out the flowers. These colors make me happy! So before the new year, I resolve to be a better blogger. Heck, I can't get much worse! And with that, I hope you have an awesome day!


All products are Stampin' Up!
stamps - Season of Friendship
ink - Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip
paper - Shimmer White, Pretty in Pink
Accessories - flat back pearls, embossing powder, Choc chip taffeta ribbon, scallop edge punch

Dress forms

I have been using Chic Boutique like crazy. This is one I made as a little thank you for a friend. The Night and Day paper from the Stampin Up! holiday mini is amazingly versatile. I just love it. If you are on the fence about it, get off the darn fence and buy it! This card uses the houndstooth print. I also embossed the dress forms on this one. I used black craft ink and clear EP.

This is a really simple card. It went together in a snap. Like the other two cards the middle dress form is paper pieced and popped up with dimensionals.


This one is almost the same as the first card. I just tweaked it a bit. I love the houndstooth and pink. It's such a fun combination. I hope you enjoy!

Hello...hello...hello

Did you hear the echo? Helllloooo. We've been having PC issues. Dh's cousin is helping us out and we should be back to full running speed soon. You thought I was never going to post again didn't you. I wasn't kidnapped by pirates or affflicted with some horrible disease, and I didn't die of fatigue watching politicians go back and forth fighting like 2 year olds. I'm still here. And I've made a few cards even.

This one was one I made for a tiny, little get together with a few girlfriends. They are the best group of girls ever. I just love them. I love that little bird in the cage. This wasn't a set I thought I wanted at first, but the more I flipped through my catalog, the more I knew I wanted it. Badly! It came to live at our house a few weeks ago. My other stamp sets resent it because they are now being neglected. This is a color combo I saw on some fabric I think. I though it was fun and different. It may be a new favorite. I hope you like it. I'll post more cards I've made with this set later in the week, if the pirates don't come and get me.

Stamps - Chic Boutique
Ink- Choc CHip(craft and classic), Bermuda Bay, markers
Paper- Old Olive, Certainly celery, choc chip, Whisper White, Bermuda bay
Accessories - ribbon, felt flower, edge punch, sponges, embossing powder