When it rains it pours...

Yesterday was a (not) so perfect start to a 4 day weekend for us. Hubby was off Friday and he's off Monday. The weather's not supposed to be nice - it's freezing cold and it's supposed to snow tonight, tomorrow and Monday.

Yesterday we got up a little late, and hubby made some breakfast. While we were cleaning up Mom called to me and asked me to help her sit down. She gets these spells where she gets dizzy and her eye's kinda get funny. So I helped her to the chair. After a few minutes she claimed she was ok, but I could tell something was still wrong. I told her to call her doctor because it was Friday and if something happened Saturday I'm sure that she would have a harder time getting a hold of her. She told her to go to ER. So we did.

I was a little nervous because Mom is all I have left. My Father passed away many years ago, and it's just us. I have cousins, they are kind of all scattered around the states ~ but it's just Mom and I. They did a lot of tests on her. It was not her heart, or what we might of feared a stroke. So we came home. She kinda took it easy the rest of the day. And yes, she's fine today.

Well I was planning on doing some grocery shopping Friday, but that plan did not work out - so off to Walmart we went this morning. Ok - now I'm about to tell you all something that IS very EMBARRASSING. As we enter the parking lot I see all the cars and start complaining about how crowded they are and how much I did not want to be there. There is two other stores in town but Walmart is by far the cheaper of the three. So here I am complaining - Danielle telling me she loves it there (all her friends like to hang out there) and I find a fairly close parking spot, all by luck ~ well not really.

I get out of the car and I felt something on my head. I look up, no - the tree was empty. But I feel the top of my head and yup, bird poop! Yes, it disgusted me. But all I could do was laugh. It was all kind of ironic. Me, complaining about being there and then that happens. I think - what next? Do I even want to ask? Well tomorrow we are cutting wood again for Ricky's sis so I can't wait to see what's in store for me then!

Of course after that happening Danielle wants to get her hair cut. So we left Walmart and on the way home I take her to get it cut. While she's in there I duck into Big Lots next door to see if they have any new stamping supplies. Oh yeah! I did score with a bunch of rub-on's for only $2.00. But poor Danielle. When she came in to meet us I wanted to cry! She had the most beautiful long hair and they cut it so short. She did not want it as short as they cut it. I never trust hairdressers. They always seem to cut my hair shorter than I want it too. I just looked at her, and I think she knew I was sad. I told her that when she turns 18 she can shave it off and dye her scalp blue if she wants - but til then she cant mess with it Ü We got home and she cried. She said they kept cutting it - she told them not too short. I do have to say that I feel so bad for her, but thank goodness that her hair really grows fast. Then again maybe it's karma for her laughing at my bird poop head, and then calling all her friends to tell them about it???

Ok - enough of that. I'm sorry for the long post, but I thought that I'd share a little bit of my life there.

Now, how about something creative?

One of my favorite sets for Valentines is SU! Happy Heart Day. I just love that little elephant! You really can do a lot with him. This card, I must say is a little busy. When I made it I thought that it was kinda cute ~ but now that I look at it, I'm not sure.

The base card is Real Red. I layered it with a piece of Pretty in Pink that I ran thru the CB with the swirls folder, Chocolate Chip and some Paper Salon DP's. I sponged some Real Red ink around the Pretty in Pink layer. The image I stamped on white cs and colored in with my markers - but I stamped it again on the DP and paper pieced it on to the white cs with some pop dots. I took the sentiment and stamped it with Real Red ink and added a couple of black eyelets next to it and added it to the card. The flowers have some stickles on them, it's just hard to tell in the picture.

Do ya like it? Be honest.

I suppose I better get going - and make dinner. I hope that you all have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

Hugs,
Joani

More of Happy Heart Day!

Howdy everyone! I thought I'd pop in for a bit. I've been busy with family life lately so I'm sorry for not being around much. There was just a few things that I had to take care of.

I've also been busy on the crafting front too. Do you want to see what I've been up to? Of course you do, or you would not be here.


First of all I have to apologize for the fuzzy picture. I'm not sure if I moved the camera or what, but it looks a little fuzzy to me. But at least you can still get it, right.

I used the Happy ♥ Day set for this card. The base card is Pink Pirouette layered with Baja Breeze ans DP from Heidi Grace. I stamped the image and colored it with my watercolors, and punched it out with my oval punch. I sponged some Pixie Pink ink around the layer and adhered it to a piece of Pixie Pink cs. I then cut carefully around the edge with my decorative edge scissors before I placed it on the card. You can not see it to well (once again, sorry) but I added a dot to each little scallop. I then took pieces of Baja Breeze and Pink Pirouette paper and scalloped the bottom edge. I layered them kinda catty-whompas (yes, I use this word often IRL) and added a piece of rick rack to it. When I placed it on the card I added some dots to the Baja Breeze layer. I thought it still needed something so I added some primas with crystal brads and stickles to the card and I was finished.

Generally when I stamp an image to color I stamp it twice, sometimes 4 times. I am used to making at least 2 or 4 cards of the same. Unless I am making a card for someone for their birthday or I'm thinking about them. Then it's just one ~ because it's special. I had stamped this image twice. The first one I punched out with my oval punch, and there was not enough room on the paper to punch the oval twice, so I cut it out in a rectangle. I did pretty well, because I used my rectangle colluzle to cut out the Pink Pirouette layer - then I added that to a piece of Basic Black.

The base card is Pink Pirouette layered with Cloud 9 DP and a piece of Basic Black that was run thru the CB. I added some lace and ribbon to the middle before laying down the image panel with pop dots. I made some photo corners and before I cut them I punched them with my Friskars corner punch. I kinda wanted the same effect as the lace. I added some stickles to the image and I was done!

And don't forget my blog candy! I've got a few people so far ~ but there has to be more that want a chance!! Go for it! Heck, it's free!

Have a great weekend!
Hugs,

Joani

Valentine A-Pal-ooza!!

First of all I want to say to everyone ~ Happy Valentines Day!! Just givin' out mush deserved kisses to you all who take a peek at my blog! I've had over 5000 hits. Already! I am planning on giving out some blog candy in the very near future too!!! Thanks everyone! Muh-wa~

Now on to some business. I've got some last Valentine images to show you ~ then no more for a while... I just love Valentines though. A time to show all those people you love just a little more affection.

Why do I wait til the last minute to make cards for family? After all we live in the same house. Just yesterday I thought "Oh no! I have not made my Mom a card yet?" Thus, this card was born! Of course it was another excuse to make a card with my new favorite set. I just love this set!! The base card is Real Red. I then layered a piece of Pixie Pink on the card and a piece of DP from Cloud 9. My LSS carries a lot of papers from Cloud 9 and they are all yummy!

I then stamped the image from Happy Heart Day and watercolored it with my Aqua painter and pencils. I layered that image on to Pixie Pink. I wanted something else because it looked a little empty ~ so I stamped the tag image from the same set and watercolored that also. I used a heart eyelet at the top of the tag and threaded some ribbon scrap thru it. I adhered that to the card with a pop dot and I was finished.

And yes, I needed still another card. I had one for my daughters BFF's family, but she wanted to give it to her BFF ~ so yes, Mom get's to make another card!!

Yes, the set was out so I used it!!!

The base card is Real Red. I layered some swirl paper on to that. Yes, the swirl paper that has no name, it was sent to me in a RAK. Then I matted the red polka dot paper from Paper Salon (smitten collection ~they are yummy!!) on to a piece of Basic Black. I took a length of black organdy ribbon and tied it around the layers before I stuck it on the card.

I stamped the image twice. Once on white paper, then once on the heart paper. That paper is from Making Memories. I cut that image out and placed it over the elephant. I also cut the word friend out and a heart from the paper to make the one on his trunk bigger. I colored the flowers with my SU! markers and added stickles to it. I layered that image on to a piece of the Making Memories paper then on to Basic Black. I attached that to the card with pop dots. I then made the tag from the set and matted that on the Basic Black paper too. I added a heart eyelet with the black ribbon scrap and also used a pop dot to adhere to the card. I know that the card looks like the one above, but when I'm in a pinch it seems that I go back to the same recipie!!

And yes ~ one more card to make. The crucial one. The one for Hubby!! Now, he supports my paper crafting addiction. He knows that I love to make cards and alter things. He knows this all to well. When I see something that I MUST have, no matter where we are I've got to get it. He just stands there and shakes his head. I'm sure that he does not care if the card is made or heaven forbid ~ store bought. But the fact remains, I need to make the card. I keep all the cards I give family for holidays. So, let's just say I needed to make it for "my collection"....

For his card I used a mish-mash of stamps. I thought that it should be a little more "romantic" that the Happy Heart Day set. So, here goes...

The base card is Pretty in Pink.

I first stamped the BG stamp from Art Impressions with my Encore gold pad, on to Pixie Pink and mounted that to a piece of Basic Black. I then stamped the flourish from Judikins in Real Red over the BG image. Then added a length of black velvet ribbon down the left side. There is just something romantic about black velvet ribbon ~ at least I think that...

I then stamped 2 hearts from Hero Arts with my gold pad and cut them out and placed them on the card somewhat crooked. I then took the vellum saying from my DCWV paper slab and mounted that over another piece from that slab that is red roses and mounted that piece to another piece of Basic Black. I attached them all with the red heart brads and taped it down to the card. I think that it turned out well, don't you?

Now on to the main course!!! I've been a part of a PIF RAK with a couple of people. If you can remember back I showed you what my dear friend Gabby sent to me in her PIF RAK. Well, this is what I sent out in mine! I made 2 post it note holders, a magnet, a pen, a tape dispenser, a notebook and gigantic paper clip. And I bought a few goodies too. These are so much fun to do!!

Later today make sure to stop back by ~ I will be opening my PIF RAK packages I've received and will take pic's to show you!!!

Is that a pink elephant I see?

Ok, so there is a story behind the pink elephant. I've got so many stories!!!

Many moons ago, just after the birth of my DD I was told that I needed to have my gall bladder taken out. I was 'ahem' a whole lot younger...

I had it removed and came home from the hospital and they game me a Rx for some pain pills. I am not one for taking any type of pills, but in this case I needed too. So I was laying on the couch a while after taking a pill and I asked my husband "do you see that? Is that a pink elephant?" The pills that the doctor gave me where a tad bit too strong or I was just not used to pills I guess. I was seeing pink elephants move around in our living room. Needless to say, that was the last pain pill I ever took!!

Which brings me to this card. The first pink elephant I've seen in almost 16 years!!

The base card is Chocolate Chip. I then added a layer of the pink polka dotted paper (from who I'm not sure) and a peice of DP from Paper Salon. The image is from the Happy Heart Day set. I stamped him and colored the flowers, then paper pieced him with the polka dot paper. I sponged around the image with Chocolate Chip ink and layered it on to a piece of Chocolate Chip paper. I then added the piece of Real Red behind that and used my deckle edge scissors on (which none of my scissors ever see the light of day).

I forgot to add the ribbon before I layered the paper to the image ~ so I carefully cut a slit on the Real Red right up against the Chocolate Chip and slid the ribbon thru. Then I tied it in a couple of knots. I added stickles to the "flowers" and I was done. I think that I am pretty much done with my Valentine cards, so you may see more of other things from now on. But then I love this set so much, you may not :)

I wanted to share this card with you because I think that it's one of my favorites this Valentines. I sometimes sit down and start to make a card, and never does it turn out the way I want. This time I sat down and just went with it ~ and something came out that I really liked!!!

The base card is Pixie Pink. I layered the polka dot paper from Paper Salon. I stamped the image from the Happy Heart Day set and colored he "flowers" in and paper pieced the elephant with some scrap paper I had. I first sponged Pink Passion ink around that panel, then used my Marvy corner punch on the corners. I layered that panel on to a piece of Chocolate Chip that I punched the corner with also ~ then layered that on to a piece of Real Red. Before I placed that on the card I added a length of Rick Rack that I purchased at Walmart and tied a scrap piece of pink ribbon to it.

I layered the image on the card with pop dots. The card looked "blah" with out a sentiment. So I stamped the sentiment from the set on to a piece of white cs and layered that on to a piece of Chocolate Chip. I stamped the heart flower image from the same set and placed it on to the top of the tag and held it together with a heart shaped eyelet. I placed that on to the card with pop dots also.

I then thought that the card needed some "sparkles" so I added some red stickles to all the hearts on the card. This card actually turned out to be my favorite for this year... Hope you like!

Just the other day I noticed on Gabby's blog that she used the same frog I did. I had to make another card for my cocktail swap that I'm in and I used this little guy. He's so cute!

The stamp is from Rubbernecker, and I got him and a few of his friends at a stamp show a while back. I stamped him and colored him in with pencils and gamsol. I sponged Old Olive around the image and then layered that on to a piece of Pink Passion paper. The martini glass BG paper is from Frances Meyer. I got that years ago (because like everyone else I hoard paper and never use it!!) at my LSS in California.

I layered that on to a Orchid Opulence piece of cs which is the base card. I used my slit punch at the top to create the flap for a closure. I then took a couple of pieces of scrap ribbon (another thing that I don't throw away ~ because you never know when you'll use it) and attached a green brad thru it. All done! It was quick and simple.






And of course I could not let a day go by without another Valentines card...

I somewhat used sketch 154 from SCS. I used my new stamp set Happy Heart Day. It is a great set!

The base card is Real Red. I layered Paper Salon's DP Tiny Dot and Polka Hearts on to a piece of Chocolate Chip paper. On the piece of Polka Heart paper I sanded the edges a bit, and on the piece of Tiny Dots I sponged a little bit of Real Red ink. I stamped the main image and colored him with pencils and gamsol. I also paper pieced his shirt with the Tiny Dot paper. I layered that on to Chocolate Chip and Real Red paper.

The saying was stamped with Real Red ink and also layered on to Chocolate Chip and Real Red. I used stickles on the hearts for a bit more color. If you notice the ribbon you'll see that it was a perfect match to the paper! How lucky was that? That ribbon is from American Crafts.

I hope that you all have a wonderful afternoon! More to come tomorrow!!