New Year's Resolutions

It is that time of year to be thinking again about New Year's Resolutions. Well, actually it is a little bit late to just begin thinking about it, hence the need for a change...

I like resolutions that are quick and easy and then I don't have to think about them again. One year I decided my NYR would be that I would drink more, as in alcohol. This seems strange, unless of course you have the detail that I don't drink, well rarely anyway. Every once in a while I will go on a binge. A binge for me being that I might have a single drink two nights in a row! So anyway, this particular year I decided I will drink more. I don't know if it was metaphoric for have more fun or get out more or what (clearly this is a theme for me as you will see in a minute), but as I told my partner at work (yes this was a long time ago) since I did not drink anything, all I had to do was have one beer and my NYR was complete! Quick, easy, painless. And so totally not in the spirit...

This year I have several thoughts. One idea is to find a hobby that gets me out of the house. You may be thinking, but what about SONE and Tuesday nights? I do leave the house for that. But I am thinking perhaps something with more of a social basis. Although I get to see some wonderful friends there, we are not supposed to talk during rehearsal. And as all my riser mates know, I never do ... Reading is another hobby that gets me out of the house, but alas, going to the library is not exactly social. Shopping for stamping supplies probably would not count either.

Resolution #2 may actually happen. Honor my commitments in a more timely manner. No more turning in swaps at the last minute, or answering emails several days late. I am going to keep my web projects (SONE Facebook and Members Only) updated within days of the request, rather than a week or so later. And this blog, lets see, shall I aim for posting cards within one day of their assembly? (Perhaps start thinking about NYRs before the new year?) You will know as well as I how well this Resolution is working...

My final thought of a NYR is to keep my mouth shut, even when asked for an opinion. ... Yeah, I don't think that one is going to happen either. I guess I will just have to keep getting into trouble. Besides some of my favorite people would be very upset if I went quiet; and since I see them every Tuesday and the others who would like to see my mouth closed much less often... Oh wait, I just remembered we are not supposed to talk on the risers...

Time to Play Catch up

Between moving, then internet connection problems,  and a dead laptop, I have gotten very far behind on my posting. I have some cards from early summer that never even got photographed. For Christmas, however, I received a beautiful new color printer/scanner. Today I hooked it up and scanned some of my cards from December swaps.

This one is from the Sisterhood of the Traveling cards and is from November really (oops, did I say these were December cards? Well I did make this one so late, it nearly was made in December...) The theme was "a Christmas memory" and we were unable to use red or green. My mind immediatly went to this stamp. I have had it forever and every once in a while think about passing it along, and can never bring myself to do so. Took me a while to find it, I had a moment of panic that I really did get rid of it and forgot!

I have no idea what company and I am all tucked up with my blanket and heating pad and am not about to get up to go find out (if it even has it printed on the wood) Eventually I will update this post, assuming the stamp even tells me. After coloring with Prismas, I punched the snowflake border in vellum and laid it over the top for a nostalgic look. Then I had to take a trip to my new LSS (did I mention I have moved and now have a LSS? No? Oh, I am sooo far behind) I picked three different varieties of ribbon, brought them home and tried them all against the card. This was the best fit. The snowflake came from my overflowing drawer of random embellishments. (Someday that drawer will be in a well organized stamp room. I have the stamp room now, thanks to the move, the well-organized part, not so much...)

First Post at New Address

I cannot believe it! I have a follower already! I only just finished typing the new address announcement on my old blog. In checking the post to be sure the link worked I discovered the awesome Viv has beaten me here! Whoo Hoo!

To the rest of my loyal followers - you have found me! Things look much the same ...so far. Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered I could transfer my entire blog without losing posts or comments to a new address!

Thank you all for coming and I hope you will continue on as followers here. I have some cards ready to post, photos of the new kittens, and of course Princess A, as soon as that router arrives...

Fairy Friends from Pink Cat Studio

Have you heard? Pink Cat studios is having a new release on August 6th called Fairy Friends. Follow their blog to see the sneak peeks beginning Tuesday, August 4th. They are sure to be SUPER CUTE!!

Quartet Competition

In an earlier post (wow, has it been so long already?!), I mentioned that one of the competing quartets asked me to make cards for them to give out to all the other quartets. After my initial hesitation (this is a HUGE undertaking) I started getting excited. Digging through my stamps took no time at all as I found this sentiment straight away and knew it was the one. Suddenly an image came to mind and all I had to do was choose colors.

Once the cards were completed I realized I had missed the opportunity for some finishing touches - sponged edges, that sort of thing... next time.

Card stock is all SU, as are the stamps. For that matter, so are the watercolor crayons and the ink for the sentiment. Only the ribbon is 'other'; a quick find at ACMoore.

Both of SONE's quartets did us proud and I was so happy and excited to be able to be there to cheer them on!



The day after quartet competition is chorus competition and I am proud to announce that the Region One Champion is my very own, Sound Of New England Chorus!!! Seattle, here we come!!

Parrots (and Bunnies) are Pets, too!

Most of the people, it seems to me anyway, on Lisa's Pet Lovers swap have requested to receive only cats or only dogs. Much as I love cats and dogs, the pets I most wish to fill my home are parrots. In fact, when looking at houses the other day, I pointed one out to Main Squeeze that had a porch that could easily be tiled and screened for Darwin to enjoy his summers; he just rolled his eyes. Another house had so many bedrooms, I mentioned Darwin having his own room, and Main Squeeze exclaimed, "You want to give the bird his own room?!" Well, yeah, why not?


One of the most beautiful birds, in my opinion (obviously as this IS my blog), is the cockatoo. Umbrella Cockatoo to be exact. It is in their honor that I made this card. His beak could be a bit darker, I know, but I only had the one shade of gray in my Prisma collection. This will be remedied as soon as possible.

The designer paper is from a stack by DCWV called Pocket Full of Posies. I bought it cuz it is not my usual style and, what can I say, it was on sale. Coordinates pretty well with the SU card stock don't you think? And I like the vine-y look to it. Makes the little guy feel more at home. I am not sure how he feels about the Magic Mesh, though.


Princess A joined in on the fun for this swap as well. For her entry, she chose bunnies. I am pretty sure it was to honor her most beloved stuffed friend, Mel. (You may remember him from an earlier post around her birthday.)

Great Impressions made this stamp as three blocks in a row, but because her swap was for 3 x 3's, she had to separate the bunnies. The card stock is SU and the dp was from a brand new package (thanks to one of my secret sisters), an 8 x8 slab from Provocraft. The bunnies are colored with SU markers and the card is finished off with some baubles I had received in a long ago swap.

Be sure to leave her some love!

Happy Birthday Kathleen

Yesterday was my friend Kathleen's birthday. I found out rather late, around 10AM, thanks to a reminder from Facebook. Having just a few hours til her quartet's dress rehearsal, I ran to my workshop. (Also known as the table and requisite supplies that have taken over the living room) (and perhaps I did not really run, but I did put it first on my 'things to do today' list)

Here is a card very similar to the one I whipped up. For after finishing Kathleen's, I decided to use the same design for Mary's Getting Ahead swap; and this morning finished a batch. This is Lily from Pink Cat Studios. (For Kathleen she had black hair, a teal outfit and a purple alien). Lily is stamped on GP, colored with Prismacolor markers and mounted on pop-dots on a newly discovered (by humans anyway) cuttlebugged planet. All cardstock besides Lily is SU.

I must give a shout out to Main Squeeze who listened to how I wanted the alien to look and made one for me to trace onto cardstock. Trust me, this was not as easy as it may sound.

On the inside I wrote, "Hope your birthday is Out of this World!"

(Mayhem, the quartet, during whose dress rehearsal a birthday celebration was planned, upon seeing this card, has requested that I make them 23 of design of my choice for them to give to the other competing quartets. Oy! ...Breathe...)