Happy Friday Eve!

Yippie, today's almost Friday. I'm a little excited, tomorrow hubby is off and I'm going to Michael's!! I better leave the checkbook at home Ü

The weather's been weird here lately. It's supposed to be April "showers" not April snow. We had some snow fall this week. Hubby covered over my tulips out front, I did not want to lose them. One of my favorite flowers are tulips. This year in Danielle's floral class they sold bulbs for a fund raiser and I bought a bunch.... There are even some midnight ones that are supposed to be black, I can't wait for those to bloom. They were unusual so I had to buy some of those to!!

I am sorry that I've not been around much to post. I've been a little behind. It seems that things kinda piled up on me. But I'm getting caught up so I hope to be around more.

Remember the other day when I mentioned the "bad bunny" gift that I made. Well I made two, one for me and one for Mom. Do you wanna see the other thing I made?

I took a framed piece of cork board that I had and I painted it with brown paint. Once it was dry I took some DP from Paper Salon and cut it and glued it to the frame and used Mod Podge to seal it. I let it set over night to dry. And mostly to make sure that I did not get those nasty bubbles in it. I love to use Mod Podge, but you have to be so very careful not to use too much or you get those bubbles and you can not fix it.

I cut the letters with my Cricut Base Camp cartridge and glued them to the frame, and carefully put a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top to seal it. I added the length of ribbon and the buttons, even the butterfly is a button. I then thought that it looked a little plain so I stamped the scrolls with my Fancy Pants Pollen Dust stamps with Chocolate Chip ink. One of the stamps in that set says "create art" so I stamped that with Tempting Turquoise ink. I had hubby screw a binder clip into the frame and I was complete. I thought that it turned out kinda cute.

I want to show you another Easter card that I made. I thought I was done, but a paper crafter's work is never done Ü

For this card I used a few different stamps. I used Spring Parade and Bunny Kiss from Penny Black. I also used SU! Bunny Hugs for the sentiment.

The base card is Baja Breeze that I layered with Purely Pomegranate and some DP from Marcella K. The DP I used the SU! Scallop punch on the border and added a length of yellow ribbon to it before adhering it to the card.

The image panel was colored in with my pencils and gamsol and used some Purely Pomegranate ink around the edges before I adhered it to to a layer of Purely Pomegranate and Baja Breeze cs. I stamped the sentiment "Easter Wishes" in So Saffron and used my oval nestie to punch out that layer and sponged some Purely Pomegranate ink around it. I then punched out and embossed the Purely Pomegranate layer with my scallop oval nestie and used pop dots to adhere it to the card.

That's all I've got for today. But I hope to show you more tomorrow, and as always ~ thanks for stopping by!!

Have a great day!!
Hugs,

Joani

Good Morning Everyone!

I'm so sorry it's been a while since I've posted. But I've been busy. The first thing that I wanted to share was Betty, Mom and I went to the Creating Keepsakes convention last Friday. It was nice to get away and go to a show. I've not been to one in years, even though it was not really geared for the stamper ~ it was more of a scrap book show. Well I scrap too so I guess I still scored on some deals.

BUT --> the kicker!! When we went in to pay I noticed that Stacy Croninger was there!! OMGoodness! Paper crafting Royalty! So Betty went up and asked her if she would take a picture with us and she did. Of course the picture came out fuzzy, but we knew it was her ~ that's all that matters!

Now tell me, how cool was that!!

Then on the way out Betty asked this lady walking by if she would take a picture of us. Once again Mrs. Betty did it right! This lady was a professional photographer!! She had us standing this way and that. And she asked if she could do a funny picture and here is what we did Now out of all the people Betty could of asked, she asked a photographer! I asked the woman for her name and she said that's fine - she likes to do things like that. How cool!

So we get home and Mrs. Betty finds another gathering of sorts that we can go to! We are going to go to an SCS get together this coming Saturday! How cool is that!! And I hear that another lady who lives here in town is going.... I have made a lot of friendships that I cherish thru the internet. Most I have actually met in person. Now a chance to meet some more!!

Ok - are you ready for a creation? Here goes!

Not having many Easter stamps, well actually I do have a few - but they are all the same from years past. I guess I just have not purchased any new Easter stamps - so I went looking thru my drawer the other day and noticed that I have a stamp of Easter lillies. I thought well that should work!

The stamp is from The Stamp Pad Company and is one of my first stamps I had purchased. I also used the set Bunny Hugs. The base card is Barely Banana. I layered it with Pink Pirouette, Garden Green and Summer Sun. I stamped the image and colored it in with my watercolors.

I layered the image on to a piece of Summer Sun, then Garden Green that I tore the edge with. All that is layered on to a piece of Pink Pirouette that I hand stitched. I added the length of ribbon and attached it all to the card. I stamped the sentiment in Garden Green on Summer Sun cs and cut it out with my nestie. I added eyelets to that and attached it to a piece of Garden Green cs that I cut with my oval punch. I added some stickles to the flowers and I was complete.

So, you like?

Today is bill paying day and run around day ~ so I hope to get back to my craft room at a decent time this afternoon to make something for you to see tomorrow!

Have a great day!
Hugs,

Joani

How was your weekend?

Oh, it was just beautiful here! I so love spring!! My tulips are poking thru the ground, the trees are blooming, the birds are chirping ~ how much better can it get? I'm sorry for the people who have allergies, this time of year can be dreadful.

Thought that I'd show you a little something that I did this weekend. My craft room is actually a sun room that we use as a craft room. So I've got windows all around that show the wonderful outdoors. Hubby built a bird condo (it started out as a birdhouse and it just kept growing. It's a full 10 room condo!) and we've got the bird feeder and bird bath out back. Sometimes I find myself just sitting there staring out the window. You must think that I'm a "bird" brain.... he he he.... But I've always worked for years, and not been able to stay home and enjoy what every day has to bring ~ I'm very blessed.

Ok, now on to the show.....

I'm still in the middle of an Easter card making frenzy... And I've kinda got a writers block of sorts. I've not really purchased new Easter stamps for a long time, so I'm working with the same thing. I vow to purchase more Easter stamps!! I just picked one up at My Favorite Things, it's on sale too ~ that's a plus! It's their Hoppy Easter set it was $15.95 on sale for $8.95 so that's good. Anyway, I'm sorry that I keep showing the same thing, but I try to make everything so different.


This little bunny is from TAC. It is called their S.W.A.K. set. I just love the images in this set. They remind me so much of the images I used many years ago when I first started stamping.

I am sorry for the clarity of the picture, it seems fuzzy to me. The base card is Certainly Celery layered with So Saffron and Marcella K DP. I stamped the image and colored it with my pencils and gamsol. I sponged some So Saffron ink around it then layered it on to a piece of Certainly Celery and then a piece of So Saffron. The panel behind it I layered a piece of DP then the Certainly Celery and So Saffron. The card has a piece of the DP from the same pad with the Certainly Celery and So Saffron and I added the length of ribbon to the panel before adhering it to the card. It's hard to tell in the picture, but I added some stickles on the bunny for a little sparkle. The inside of the card has a piece of the DP and a layer of So Saffron added to it. The saying was stamped right on to the DP.


It is hard to tell, but I also had stamped another image and cut out the face of it. I added it to the image with a pop dot for some dimension.

This card I think turned out kinda cute. I printed off on of the bunnies from my Diamonds CD and colored him with my watercolors. I really don't do anything different when I print the images off - but I do zap them with my heat gun first. I don't know if it helps, but I've water colored images printed on my printer and if I heat them first I've not had any problems with the ink running.

The base card is Summer Sun. I used my CB border folder Just my Type to create the edge. I then took a piece of Certainly Celery paper and layered it with green plaid paper that I sponged with Summer Sun ink. I ran a piece of Certainly Celery thru my cuttlebug with my Labels Two nestie to cut out the square image. I added the bunny image that I layered on to a piece of Summer Sun on the top of the nestie square. Before adding the panel to the card I added a piece of "ribbon" to the card as a bow. I then stamped the sentiment "Easter Blessings" in the lower right corner in Garden Green from my Bunny Hugs set. The flowers and crystal brads I added to the lower left corner were just to add some pretty. If you look close you will see that 2 of the flowers are actually clear flowers from Making Memories. I just added them to the scrap paper I had from the card and attached them.

Well, I hope that you liked today's cards. Come back tomorrow to see what else I've been up to!

Have a Great Day!!!
Hugs,

Joani

Did you survive Green Eggs & Lephrachauns?

I hope that today finds you all well.

Hubby's still a little sick, but now I think that Mom's come down with it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't catch it. I'm the only one in the house without insurance! And no honey, just because I love you does not mean that we have to share EVERYTHING....

Let's see... I have something to show you. I'm still working on Easter cards. I love Easter, and the spring feeling that it brings. When Danielle was little I used to dress her up ~ hat, gloves and the whole ball of wax... I think that Easter is one of those holidays that Mom's secretly love because they can dress their little one's up in their finest and take pictures. I was lucky too. When Danielle was little she did not like dirt. Heck, we took her to the beach and she didn't like the sand. Same for the snow. She didn't like the things that 'felt' weird to her. When we went places she sat in my lap and did not get down to get dirty with the other kids. NOW, oh now I can't say that. Her idea of a great day would be to go muddin' or 4-wheelin' with her friends. Weird, weird, weird.... Good thing I've got all the pictures of when she was little....

While I'm on the subject of Easter, I thought that I'd show you a couple of pictures from the past since I'm reminiscing..... If you don't want to hear my family babble then scroll down for the cards....

This one was of Danielle and I at Easter in 1997. Back when she was not embarrassed of wearing the same thing as her Mom.

Then that same year-just after we went to have our pictures done. My Mom was President of the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW and I was the secretary. A job that I proudly held for 3 1/2 years. I was hood-winked into being the Easter bunny that year for the kids. I really loved it, but I'll tell you it was HOT in that costume! I was so glad to peel it off when I was done! And of course if I had to wear the costume, Mom had to wear the ears Ü

Ok, enough of the past. On to the present. Oh-where was I? Yes, that's right. Easter cards....

I thought what about some giant eggs for Easter? So I stamped the eggs from the Spring Fling set in Positively Pink, Only Orange, Gable Green, Tempting Turquoise and Lovely Lilac. The bunny I stamped in Chocolate Chip from the Bunny Hugs set and colored him in with my pencils and gamsol. The base card is Pacific Point and layered it with Tangerine Tango. The grass I hand cut from a piece of Garden Green. For the sentiment I took that and stamped it in Only Orange on to a piece of Certainly Celery and layered it on to a piece of Pink Pirouette with a flag cut out of Pixie Pink. I used my nesties to cut those layers out.
The Lovely Lilac egg was covered with glitter so it would stand out a little more. I used a pop dot to adhere it to the front of the card. The sentiment on the inside is from D.O.T.S. and it is stamped in Only Orange. The dots on the inside and outside of the card are made with my old pens "DottaRiffic" that I've had for years. They have 2 ends and they make perfect dots.

That's all I have for today, is that enough? I'm going to work on more to show you tomorrow. I've got an eye doctor appointment today. Gotta check the peepers - it's been 5 years!!

Have a great day, and I'll be back tomorrow!
Hugs,

Joani

Happy Happy Monday!

Happy Monday everybody! I hope that the weekend went well for you. This weekend started off busy busy for me. I took Danielle prom dress shopping! Ugh. I'm supposed to love shopping with my daughter. Isn't that something that Mother's look forward to? Well, not me. I can only hope that in the years to come I will learn to love it. Oh, don't get me wrong ~ my favorite past time is shopping. But with a 16 year old, um - no. She is so picky. We were not that picky were we? Really, were we?

We started out at this one store on Main Street. We were in there for 2 hours!! There was another lady who had her daughter in there too. She said this is the 2nd week of trying to find a prom dress and this was her last stop. Oh, someone who knew my pain.... Of course there was nothing in there and we went to another store. Ahhhh, yes!! We found it. Thank goodness, I was about to lose it! I will post a picture of Danielle when prom rolls around.

I do want to remind you all of the blog candy that I have going on. There is still 3 spaces left. You can read the full post here....

So, are you ready for something?
Remember last week when I showed you a picture of this?

Well, being in a pinch I needed a "pad" to be able to use my Nesties to emboss. So I was told about this rubber mat that Lowe's might have in the plumbing section. I searched the store and did not find anything, but I did find this. It's a rubberized shelf liner. I thought we'll what the heck. Worse case I can use it for it's intended purpose, on a shelf.

To use it I just cut my nestie image like you would normally. Working from the bottom up it's the "A" plate, "C" plate then "B" plate.


Once you've cut out your image you will remove the "C" plate. So the nestie image is cutting side up on the "A" plate.
You will then take your piece of "foam", which I cut at 5 1/2" by 12" and fold it in 1/2. So now you have (from the bottom up) your "A" plate, your nestie and paper (cutting side up), your foam piece and 3 sheets of cardstock as a shim.
I tried it with 2 pieces of cardstock and it did not impress as well, so yes, 3 sheets are needed. Then place your TWO "B" plates on top of that. If you notice I then take the entire sandwich and place it just under the lip of the machine and push. I push just a bit to where the handle moves just slightly.
I then roll it thru the machine, first forward
then backward. It does not hurt to roll it back towards you. And it gives it another press to help it make the impression.

Then once you are done here is the end result.

I'm always looking for ways to use one thing or another. And when you run it thru the machine to emboss the foam does not cut from the die being face up. I think that this roll will last me forever!!

Ok ~ now are you ready for a card?

I'm working on Easter cards right now. I've got a few to get together to take over to the Peddler's Mall. Here's one I made this weekend.

This image is from Great Impressions. I stamped the image and colored it with my pencils and gamsol. The base card is Purely Pomegranate layered with Soft Sky and DP from Reminisce. I sponged Purely Pomegranate ink around the image and layered that on to Soft Sky and Purely Pomegranate. Before I adhered the layered I made the bow for the left side of the card. Once the bow and image was in place I stamped the sentiment "happy easter" from my Bunny Hugs set in Purely Pomegranate ink and cut the oval and the scallop oval out with my nesties. I then added some black dots around the oval before I adhered it to the card with pop dots.

Sorry for the long post today. My fingers were just rambling on and on and on..... I've got more for you tomorrow!!!

Here's to wishing you a great day!
Hugs,

Joani

Happy Friday the 13th

OK, if you keep a positive outlook nothing can go wrong. I am a firm believer in the positive. If you walk around with a negative Nelly attitude then of course bad will attract to you like a magnet. In my "past" life - that is prior to 3 years ago, I was a negative person. Always preparing for the worst. But I was always unhappy. Now in my "new life" I am so happy it's hard to believe. I have no reason to think negative or unhappy, so therefor I'm always positive. Ok, now that Dr. Joani has spoke ~ keep happy thoughts today! I'm done, I'll step down from my soapbox Ü

Wanna see a card? Of course you do. But first I must tell you I made this with SCS sketch challenge 108. I've got quite a few cards to make and when your making a lot of cards sometimes you need a little inspiration. Trust me, I need the inspiration....

So here is what I came up with. The panels are just a tad bit off from the sketch, but I think it is still cute.
The base card is Blush Blossom. I layered that with a piece of pattern paper that I pulled from the scrap drawer. I stamped the images and colored them in with pencils, gamsol and markers. I layered them on to a piece of Certainly Celery and I was done. It was a quick card to make. The images are all from Bunny Hugs, Hello Spring and A Good Egg. If you look close enough you can see that I used some pink fun flock on the bunny's tail and ears. I also used colored stickles to give a little punch to the eggs in the basket.

This next card, well I had bigger ideas for it ~ it just did not work out like I planned. Sometimes I'll sit and think "ahhh, I'll do this" and then "that" comes out. Like I've said before, my brain and my hands don't communicate like they should. Sometimes my mouth is involved too Ü

Now if this isn't a BRIGHT and cheery card, huh? The base card is Pixie Pink. I layered that with a piece of So Saffron and the yellow swirls. I don't understand why not all paper companies don't put their names on their paper, sorry... The image is printed from my Diamonds Rubber Stamp CD and colored in with my watercolors. I've not had a problem with the colors "running" after I print them out with the printer. I give them a heat shot under my heat gun for a minute. I don't know if that really helps or not, but it's worked so I'll keep doing it.

I colored the image in with my watercolors and sponged some Old Olive ink around the edges. I added a piece of Certainly Celery with a piece of the green check paper to the center of the card. But before I adhered it I added a length of yellow rick rack and a yellow brad to each side. I then used my nesties Label Two set to cut the piece of Pixie Pink out. I then cut a piece of Certainly Celery and So Saffron with my large label nestie to add under the image. Notice the punched corners on my image panel. Well I don't have a ticket punch. I actually don't have room for any more punches ~ so this is what I did:

I took my 1/4" circle punch and stuck the image panel in the punch just like I show. I'm kinda good at eyeballing something, but I stuck it in til the point is just about center and punched it.

Once you punch it you have a little piece like this.

And it turns out it is almost identical to the nesties punched corner on the Large Labels set.

So anyway ~ choo choo-my train derailed and I got off track.... I added the image panel to the card with pop dots. In the bottom right corner I punched a piece of Pixie Pink with my Classic Scallop Oval nestie and the egg image with my Classic large ovals and pop dotted it to the corner. Then I was done.

Sorry this post today was kinda here and there.... But I hope that you enjoyed it!! And don't forget I'm giving away a different kind of blog candy, you can see it at this post. I've still got 3 spaces open....

Hope you all have a great weekend. I will try to get back to show you something or another. I'm not sure, but I may be going prom dress shopping (there goes the tax refund....) so I may not get back to you.

Have a great day!
Hugs,

Joani