good neighbors hybrid

Jack and Mary just moved into new digs near Mary's work place so I thought this new set was timely ... and it's SO new - I just got it yesterday! I've lusted over this set but kept trying to resist temptation. Well, temptation finally won out during last month's stamp camp (thanx, Angie!).

The plane, banner, house, and a couple clouds are popped up using pop dots. The plane's from the Oh Boy! Elements Pack by Creativity by Crystal and Carina Gardner. These planes, cars, and trucks come as stickers, rub-ons, and epoxies and coordinate with the Oh Boy! Paper Collection (oooh, I'd missed that!), available from JessicaSprague.com, and I've used one of the five plane epoxies here (click on the picture to see the plane close-up to get the kewl 3-D effect). When I spotted them in this past Monday's e-newsletter, they immediately made me think of my brother.

stamps: Creativity by Crystal and Carina Gardner's Oh Boy! Elements Pack, SU's Good Neighbors, Seasonal Whimsey; paper: Memory Box's sprout DP, A1's Natural White, The Paper Co's Kraft, and SU's bashful blue card stocks; ink: StazOn's Timber Brown, Ranger's black soot Distress Ink, SU's Old Olive, Really Rust, and Ruby Red markers

added to blog candy 03-29

OK, here's a few more items that I've added to my blog candy offering - see this post for details: Cuttlebug's Paisley 2-pc dies, Inkadinkado's Love Letters stamp set, studio g's Welcome single stamp, and unknown brand's assorted opalescent letters

a hybrid Easter

The chocolate eggs are from left-overs I found in one of my boys' Easter baskets this a.m. The rest is PC- generated and uses the CPS159 sketch. One of my favorite tools for card-making is my PC. How 'bout you? Let Clare know by Sunday midnight EST to be entered in her drawing!

I've recently started downloading DP and scanning some patterns I like. This DP's from a sampling of some Piggy Tales' 2-sided card stock from my blog candy post. I scanned it and used Photoshop's eye dropper tool to select a couple colors from within the pattern - the blue and green - to generate some solid card stock. The flower's from Hero Arts' digi collections.

stamps: Hero Arts' Seasonal Flower; paper: Piggy Tales' 5 Little Ducks collection, unknown white card stocks; ink: PC-generated (like the font? it's BlackJack); tools: Fiskar's cutter and scissors to cut out that digi flower

S&CT spring issue is out!

When it rains, it pours ... a multi-post day! Just a quick "heads up" to alert you that the kind folkes at Scrapbook & Cards Today have released their spring edition. You can download the digi version by clicking on the picture at left! Catch ya later - I'm off to head to one of my LSS make-'n-takes and then meet up w my gals for a gals' day out with movie 'n eats!

RAK from my stampin' bud Pat

Isn't this card gorgeous?! It's from my stampin' buddy Pat ... and the inside's just as gorgeous! sigh ... when I grow up I wanna stamp like her! My birthday was this past week AND my blogoversary!

Blog candy to follow ...

enabler alert

Hi folkes! It's Sunday, and while I SHOULD be preparing my own blog candy post - taking pics of booty and such - I've been blog trolling and found that Judy of Paper Rose Petals blog fame has blog candy thru March 25th. Now, I think she should just package it up and send it to me for my birthday (this week - whoo hoo!), but in case SHE doesn't see it that way, stop by this post and say hi, and tell her SueB sent ya!

at the movies

My eldest son and I saw the latest Alice in Wonderland movie last Saturday, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to write a review! If there was ever a movie that SCREAMED to be made in 3D, this is one ... AND a Tim Burton movie version to boot ... AND who better to play the Mad Hatter?! Sigh ... yep, I DO believe that Lewis Carroll would have approved of Johnny Depp - perfect casting! I felt Depp was perfectly cast as the dandy Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates movies too, and am disappointed that he never won an Oscar for those roles.

This was a pleasure; I highly recommend it and give it a 5/5 stars. We saw it in Disney 3-D (there's a 2-D release as well) as my son has issues sitting anywhere but in the 1st row in theaters and I couldn't imagine being that close up in the local IMAX theater (tho' I prefer their 3D glasses to those provided at the Disney showings). Check it out if you haven't already!

enabler alert

Jacque of Jacque's Joie de Vivre blog fame has blog candy thru March 22nd. Visit, and tell her SueB sent ya!

Speaking of blog candy, my blogoversary's fast approaching ... I've gotta get a pic taken of all the booty I've collected of late ... more to follow!

white out!

No, not "wipe out" ... white out! Wear white and participate!

Flash Mob* Support Google Internet to Genesee County!

This event is planned to start at 11:40 a.m. on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at WNEM-TV5's Wade Trim Building, located at 555 S Saginaw St, Flint MI.

Mayor Walling will be on WNEM-TV5 Thursday afternoon. Stand outside of the station's Wade Trim Building and show your support for connecting Genesee County with a Google fiber Internet!

For more information on the Google Fiber Project, visit www.flintareabroadband.net

* note: a flash mob (or flashmob) is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and/or pointless act for a brief time, then quickly disperse.

Emerald BLESSINGS

Hi folkes! Today's card is a digi blend - the "Emerald BLESSINGS" sentiment from Claire's free digital St Patrick's Day stamp set offering (thanx, Claire!), and shamrock picture from an Internet search. I only made a couple St Pat's cards this year, the slacker that I am lately. I'll make up for it - honest!

stamps: Waltzing Mouse Stamps' Irish Blessings (inside sentiment and shamrocks); paper: SU's Garden Green, Whisper White and The Paper Co's Kraft card stocks; ink: black soot Ranger Distress Ink, Color Box Frost White pigment ink; tools: Martha Stewart's arch lattice edge border and Marvy Uchida corner rounder punches

happy St Pat's

happy St Pat's

My sis and Mom are heading up tomorrow for dinner and a movie and/or quilt show outing. It being St Patrick's Day, I thought it appropriate to make a couple boutonnieres for them! HP delivers a crafty e-mail on methinks a monthly basis and this was one of their crafts this month.

My sister's planning on making a knock off of Fazoli's cranberry and walnut chicken salad - I LOVE them! So, what're YOUR plans for St Pat's day?

a couple of mini digis

Sad news: I've lost my local source of free large (5-1/2 x 7-1/4") envelopes (tip I've shared in the past - most square cards can be mailed in these using a regular first class stamp) so decided to try a new (to me) 4-1/4" square size cards. This smaller size card will fit into my regular card envelopes that I purchase in quantity at JoAnn's or Mike's on a regular basis. The university's bookstore where I work (insert shameless plug here for Kettering University) had previously been a Hallmark outlet, and offered customers extra envelopes on request. I'd offered once to purchase a box, but the kind folkes working there said not to bother; to just pick up a few every once in a while. Well, my supply was dwindling so I stopped in the other day only to learn that they'd switched card suppliers. Sigh ...

... but I digress ... so, today's cards were inspired by my latest tee from Threadless - cute dandy lions, eh?! I thought they were a remembrance of spring, so decided to make a Welcome Spring card (inside sentiment: Bidding winter a fond farewell ... in like a lion ... and out like a lamb!). And then I happened upon a nice inspirational quote that made me think of a friend whose DH is ill - "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." - Mary Anne Radmacher, so I made another. The matted picture is popped up using dimensionals. Today's post is a rare two-fer.

stamps: n/a - a digi card; paper: SU's soft suede, very vanilla card stocks; ink: PC-generated sentiments

no cards this Saturday

... b'cuz I was volunteering at the university where I work - insert shameless plug for Kettering University here - as our spring open house was Saturday, offering a chance to meet faculty members and students, while touring facilities like the Crash Safety Center. The event, called Discover Kettering, is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Prospective students and their families have a chance to meet current faculty and students, tour campus facilities and attend an Academic Expo from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and a University Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students meet with admissions, co-op and financial aid representatives. A panel of current Kettering students share insights about their class and job experiences. A special session is offered for transfer students.

Although Discover Kettering is an open house, registration for the program is preferred by calling (800) 955-4464, ext. 7865, or visit: http://admissions.kettering.edu/visit/. If you're interested in attending and missed this Saturday's open house, we hold another in August. Stop by and say hi - I'm usually w my buddy Lynn, "personing" the visitor station at the start of the tour of the academic building at the northwest corner of University and Chevrolet!

happy Easter

Here's my 2nd show-'n-tell from this month's stamp camp w Angie. I ordered this chocolate bunny single stamp last month from the Occasions Mini catty, and doesn't it look good enough to eat?! This'll be my last sneak peek from the stamp camp ... I don't want to spoil the surprise for those attending any of the four stamp camps to be held still later this month. If you're in the Flint MI area and are interested in attending, check out the SU-Angie link in my side bar!

(all SU product) stamps: Chocolate Bunny, Well Scripted; paper: unknown DP, Close to Cocoa?, Old Olive card stock; ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive; accessories: Button Latte designer buttons, Chocolate Chip satin ribbon; stems from the Two-Step Bird punch

with heartfelt sympathy

I learned today that I'll need a sympathy card for Dawn, a gal in our office whose mother passed away today, and Angie came to my rescue at this evening's stamp camp. Originally intended as an Easter card, she made other sentiments available to us, so it was transformed into a sympathy card. Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?! Thanx, Angie!

(all product SU) stamps: Close As a Memory, Of the Earth; paper: Cottage Wall DP, Old Olive and Whisper White card stocks; ink: Rich Razzleberry; accessories: Button Latte designer buttons (I've GOTTA get some of these!)

movie night at the Blondin's

My Mom and Sis' came to visit Wednesday and Karen brought up a rental movie this trip - Up In The Air, with George Clooney (hold on a second here ... sigh ... ok, back to reality). It's pizza night in the Blondin household on Wednesdays, and both Karen and my DH picked up different ice creams for dessert.

Now, I dunno about the entertainment value of a movie about the life of a corporate downsizer traveling the country to relieve folkes of their jobs ... who thinks of plots for movies these days?! ... but hey, the commercials had some sweet and funny moments, so we gave it a try. Well, it DID have plenty of sweet moments throughout, though it was pretty much predictable, and I think I'd give it a 3* out of 5 rating. What about you; have you seen it yet? And, more importantly, is George getting better looking as he ages? He and Sean Connery, eh?

enabler alert

Crafty Al, aka Alicia Ekermans of Sheetload fame, is having a 'Follower Drive' and has multiple ways you can be entered to win a prize package containing BasicGrey Origins goodies, studio g dollar stamps, ShortCuts' Clear and Frosted card stock, and more ...

To enter, visit her blog post by March 14th! If I don't win, I hope one of my readers does! Tell Crafty Al I said hi!

to market, to market ...

... to make a cute card, then home again, home again, in my sick car!

My car's "service vehicle soon," "trac-off," and another dealing with the brakes warning lights lit today, when I was pulling out of the Bob Evans parking lot and on my way to head to Karen's to make this SWEET card today! It looks like we'll be staying close to the house and my DH will be stopping by the car service shop on Monday ... sigh ...

My buddy Pat's boss adores pigs, so she'll be ready for his upcoming birthday. My buddy Kimmi was kind enough to cut out my pig so I could pop him up using dimensionals. She used 'em on her card and I loved it. Cute, eh?! And I love the color combos we used in the making of the piggy card, don't you?!

congrats to Jenny and Justin

Jenny & Justin just had a sweet baby boy, and this card matches the baby scrapbook I made for them. I'd already matted the white on green card stocks when I first stamped the "congrats" sentiment ... crooked! Sigh ... Don't you hate when you have the confidence to assemble first, and then have to take the thing apart 'cuz you've stamped something crooked? That happened to me, so I redid that portion of the card this evening. I'm just waiting for the arrival of a "I'm the big brother" tee I'd ordered online for baby Mason's big brother Nick, and we're ready!

stamps: SU's Congrats; paper: K&Co's sweet pea green gingham DP, unknown white and green card stocks; ink: Ranger black soot distress ink

reduce, reuse, recycle

I dunno about you, but I often make an "oh, how pretty" or some such comment when I receive my Coldwater Creek catty ... and often THINK about using the cover picture. Well, that's just what I did this afternoon. Here's the card, welcoming spring (two weeks of winter left, remember! whoo hoo!), and the catty, below. I got to play with another new toy too - the border punch is a new one for me that I picked up using another 40% off coupon at Mike's this past weekend.



stamps: n/a; paper: Paper Reflections' black, unknown white card stocks; ink: n/a; tools: ek's dotted scallop border punch

my first St Pat's card

This is my first card utilizing a covered brad made using the i-Top tool. I showed my Mom and sister how to use it today when they stopped by for a mid-week afternoon visit. I took off a few hours from work and we had a crafty get-together followed by supper and some yummy black raspberry chocolate ice cream - Breyers' - try it, you'll like it!

I'd punched out some assorted sizes of flowers in a couple different green card stocks yesterday, then crumpled and straightened them back out. Tonight I used the matching clover DP for the covered brad. Voila! Easy peasy!

stamps: SU's Go Green; paper: Stemma's Four Leaf Clovers DP, unknown Michigan-made green, unknown white card stocks; ink: Cat's Eye chalk inks in Olive Pastel; accessories: Mike's dollar ribbons

mama's got a brand new toy

My DH got me an iPod for Christmas, and TRIED to find an i-Top tool at our local stamping stores, but eventually gave up. He asked me to keep my eye open to see when it showed up locally. Well, this weekend the pink version was on the shelves at Mike's and I JUST happened to have a 50% off coupon in my purse ... and so the rest, as they say, was history! I got the i-Top small size brad daddies and the small punch, both using 40% off coupons. It's always nice to get a new toy ... it makes it even sweeter when it's a deal!

happy b'day Jack!

I made this card for my brother to celebrate his recent birthday ... not sent in time for his birthday, mind you ... but it's the thought that counts, right?! I picked up this owl on branch stamp at Mike's dollar bin, and already had the rest of the supplies on hand. Now we'll see how long it takes me to actually box it up and send it TO him ... sigh ...

stamps: Inkadinkado's Chelsea Sentiments, Mike's unknown owl; paper: The Paper Loft's Pedigree DP, A1 Natural, Prism unknown brown and teal card stocks; ink: Ranger's distress ink's black soot, Tri-C watercolor markers