Planting for Thanksgiving

When I read that this month's theme (and by this month I mean March/April) for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards is "What's Cooking?", my first though was my little Inky Antics chefs. They have been staying with Linda for a while, but she said she could send them back home again. I was not, however, positive that that was the direction I wanted to go, so I went sketch challenge blurfing for inspiration. 

I browsed at least five different challenge blogs, but it was not until I saw Freshly Made Sketches(#76) that I was inspired. To the stamp room I went and started opening drawers. Suddenly I remembered I had a fruits and vegetables drawer! On top was this lovely set from The Angel Company (now out of business) and I knew right away what I was going to do. 

Embossed lines on the brown card stock evoke planting rows (or that was the plan anyway). My first thought for the designer paper panel was to find something kitchen wallpaperish but the ones I found were too busy; I opted for the muted print instead. The sketch calls for a sentiment, but I did not know what to say. First I tried "Happy Thanksgiving" cuz these are all (intentionally) Thanksgiving veggies, but, no wait, they are seed packets and should have planted long before the holiday. Next I looked at "Thinking of You" cuz I am thinking of you as I plant the veggies for our Thanksgiving dinner, but that seemed too much of a stretch. Truth is I am not a fan of sentiments - what if the sender wanted to say something different with this card? It took a while, but I finally decided upon a plain knotted ribbon instead.

Originally I was planning to make a tomato seed packet, but then I suspected that Jeanette does not like tomatoes, so I went with corn. At least it gave me a little color contrast against the carrot and pumpkin. When the card was all put together, I felt it needed a little something, so the "O" in corn got a little jewel. Livens things up a bit don't you think?

Card Details:

Image: The Angel Company

Sentiment: N/A

Cardstock: SU, GP

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa

Tools: Cuttlebug, embossing folder

Coloring: Prismacolor markers

Embellies: Basic Grey ribbon, unknown bling

What This Woman Wants

I have missed stamping and swapping and all the friendships I have made online along the way. As soon as I finished my 'Seasons of the Forest' cards, I went looking for another swap. Barb (another favorite SCS'er) had a new swap, "What Women Want". I read the description and headed into The Refuge. There on my desk was my one and only Pure Innocence stamp from MFT. I had not yet gotten around to putting her away after she had arrived several weeks before, mostly due to the fact that my desk, floor, shelves, etc had been completely buried for many months. Fortunately, last weekend I thoroughly, though admittedly not completely, cleaned the Refuge. Serendipity; It was as though she was waiting for this moment.Too hokey? OK, well, there she was on the desk anyway.

Next I went to Tuesday Morning Sketches(#188) for my plan, as I have long been a fan. (I'm a poet and I did not know it) (I guess I am more tired than I realized, sorry)

This woman loves to watch and listen to Princess A make music. She has played the violin since she was seven and it is a joy to see her on stage, rare though those occasions may be. On Friday and Saturday, March 8th and 9th she was due to participate in the Eastern Regional Middle School Music Festival, invitation by audition only I have to brag, but it has been postponed for a week due to our excessive snow fall on the 8th. Therefore on March 16th, I will be there in the audience excitedly waiting to see her and the rest of the orchestra.

What a woman wants is to see and hear her talented, hard-working and beautiful Princess perform on the violin






Card Details:
Image: MFT
Sentiment: N/A
Cardstock: SU, GP
Ink: Memento
Tools: Marvy Corner Rounder punch
Coloring: Prismacolor markers
Embellies: Martha Stewart ribbon, SU button



This post is also being linked to Loves Rubberstamps Challenge Blog (Week 42) - Anything Goes!

Autumn Leaves in Winter

It has been a long time since I have done a card swap, but I promised myself that I would not sign up until the cards were actually finished. This week I discovered that one of my favorite hostesses had opened a new Forest swap, due in July. Plenty of time, but my goal was to be the first to arrive.

This theme is 'Seasons in the Forest'. I looked through my nature stamps and found the perfect one. I then CASE'd a card from a long ago class at my LSS (What can I say, I was rusty)

Princess A came in as I was finishing to tell me, "You do realize it is not Autumn, right?" Newly minted fourteen-year-olds are ever so helpful

Without further ado, here is my Seasons of the Forest card:

I sent it to the Post Office with Main Squeeze and got confirmation from that it was on its way before I sent a PM to Jeanette to tell her my cards were in the mail, so I needed to sign up for a spot.


Card Details:
Image:Memory Box
Sentiment: N/A
Cardstock: GP, SU
Ink: Memento
Tools: SU Scallop Edge punch
Coloring: Prismacolor markers
Embellies: Ranger Glossy Accents, SU button, SU Baker's Twine, unknown ribbon

Android Blogging

This morning as I was catching up on my swap threads, I came across instructions from April on posting via cell phone. And here I am. I won't say it is the easiest thing to do, but I am sure I will get the hang of it. Thanks April :-*

On New Years Eve, Main Squeeze and I went snowshoeing for the first time. I had given them to him for Christmas 2011, but there was never enough snow. As we were traversing the snow covered field, I told him how I had been thinking of listing '13 Things To Do in 2013' and now I could not use 'try something new' for snowshoeing. He suggested it could be grandfathered in. I am more of a stickler.

Blogging through my phone, however, can officially count as 'learn something new'. Now to decide if that is synonymous with 'try something new' ;-)

Happy New Year!!

Bird Watching

Darlene was the hostess for this round of Mystery Image swap (I know this is the first my loyal readers have heard of it; I admit, I have not been so regular with the posting), and gifted us all with a very pretty, but detailed image from D. Morgan (Stamps Happen). I took one look and thought, "Oh my! Where do I begin?!" Then I put it away for many weeks...

...And listened to what others said. There were so many comments about 'messing up' the frame, I knew I no longer wanted to attempt my original plan; instead I eliminated the frame completely and fashioned one of my own. 

I layered the image at a slight angle and used my brand spanking new, even though it had been  discontinued (shout out to my LSS for managing to get some in stock this past December!!), Tim Holtz Texture Hammer on the brads for an added bit of interest(?). Well, I like the effect, anyway.

Since I never know exactly how to color kitties so they look like real, I just left them alone. Some kitties are white after all; like my own sweet Iisis. 

In the midst of typing this post, I turned and discovered, that two of my babies were posing, hoping to be famous in blogland!

To the left is Osiris and Miss Miri is on the right. Someday they will figure out that the bird watching is much better in the back of the house, where the bird feeder is.

Card Details:

Image: D. Morgan for Stamps Happen

Sentiment: N/A

Cardstock: unknown for image, SU, unknown dp

Ink: unknown

Tools: Tim Holtz texture hammer

Coloring: Prismacolor markers

Embellies: Recollections brads

Winter Fun with Riley

I was perusing my friend Kelly's blog the other day and discovered she is the host over at Riley & Co for this week's challenge, Winter Fun! I LOVE Riley stamps; In fact, I asked for a whole slew of them for Christmas/Birthday. (Out of the eight requested, Princess A gifted me six. S'alright, Valentine's Day is coming... and I am sure my list will be longer by then anyway )

It has been a long time since I participated in a challenge for a blog post. Much too long since I have gotten to sit at my stamping desk, truth be told. I needed some Sketch Challenge inspiration (SCS Sketch Challenge #367 to be exact)

Without further ado, here is my Winter Fun with Riley card:

 

Card Details:

Image: Riley & Co.

Sentiment: N/A

Cardstock: GP, SU, 3 Bugs in a Rug

Ink: Memento

Tools: EK Sucess Paper Shapers snowflake punch

Coloring: Prismacolor markers

Embellies: SU buttons, Liquid Applique, glitter, embroidery floss

My Million Dollar Check is Gone in the Wind

Just about an hour ago, a large black pickup truck took out our mailbox. (I do not know why I mention it was large and black; Perhaps you know him?) I heard a thump and looked out to see the box flying. The truck did not even slow down. Took another glance and realized the pole is now not even a stump.

Princess A said today was probably the day we got that letter stating we had won $1 million. (Did I mention it is terribly windy outside?).

I told her, "Now you know why I insist you wait for the bus halfway down the driveway rather than at the end." "Oh"

But as with many things there is good news:

I got a new mailbox about 6 months ago and have been waiting for Main Squeeze to install it. That is double-sided good news - good that he had not done it yet, good that it will now get done

Good that it was not Roxy out for her afternoon constitutional that got hit. (Gemini is never off leash in the front cuz she is too foolish)

Good that I was not out collecting the mail from the box at the time

Good that I am not hosting a swap right now, as the mailbox was full. I hope I collected everything, but with this wind, who knows? There certainly was not our winning Million Dollar check, so I have no idea what else was lost

RIP Dear Departed Mailbox. You were a hard worker and a good friend.

I have a line from this song stuck in my head; "I guess nothing can last forever"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFjjO_lhf9c&ob=av3n