CAS124 shoes & friends

My older brother was local visiting my Mom this past week and all four of us sibs got together near my sister's home as it's midway between my younger brother and Mom, who live within a couple miles of each other, and my home. Good suggestion! I'm pleased to report that my niece, who's recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident about a year ago, has started a new phase in her road to recovery by volunteering at the place she used to hostess at. It was nice to see all the regulars greeting her back!

After brunch with my sibs and Mom, it was time for Jac to get back on the road home to VA. Karen took me to her Zumba class, and afterward we stopped in at Scrap Tales, a local shop that's announced it's closing and I purchased this sentiment stamp (I knew I had multiple shoe stamps ... have others too, but the card was starting to get a bit crowded, LOL!). Then we headed next door to a consignment shop that's among the cluster of shops by Scrap Tales, where we both lucked out - Karen found 2 tops and I found one. There was a quilt shop there too, but that'll be another day trip! Nice day!

The new stamp's one of MSE's innie & outie line - the shorter phrase is intended for the outside of the card, and the longer portion for the inside of the card - but I liked using it all on the front of this card. The inside was just used for my note to my sister, and to return a few bookmarks she'd picked up at Scrap Tales that were in my bag and we forgot to sort our purchases before I headed for home. A long card was called for to return her stuff, you see, so today I stamped! And it's a bit of a stretch, but mainly one of my fav color combos - that of black, white, and a splash of color!

Thanks for dropping by!

stamps: A Muse Artstamps' golf shoe and slip-on, MSE's shoes & friends, SU's First in Fashion and Scene in a Garden; paper: Basic Grey's two scoops and s-e-i's Mimosa DP, Paper Reflections' black and Staples' white card stocks; inks: SU's Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake, Ranger's peeled paint distress stain and black soot distress ink

you are the best

Today's thank you card is for this week's Tuesday Trigger: Squares to Cherish challenge over on the Moxie Fab World blog, inspired by the colors in the pictured quilt, below. These were the first three colors of distress stain that I'd purchased, just within the last couple of weeks too. Strange coincidence, eh?! They come in bottles with dauber applicators, so I just daubed some of each color on the stamp, spritzed it with water, and inked the card stock, then mounted and popped up the matted piece. Easy peasy!

A quick post tonight as it's after 10 p.m. and I'm sleepy. Thanx for stopping in, and I'll catch you later!

stamps: Hero Arts' Antique Brocade, Technique Tuesday's AE Smooch; paper: American Crafts' textured white and Paper Reflections' black card stocks; inks: Ranger's Distress Stain in broken china, dusty concord, and peeled paint

CPsketch123 anniversary wishes

What?! Yet ANOTHER anniversary card?! Yep, my sister and I both wed in July and her wedding anniversary's about a week and a year before my own. She catches my blog's mirror posts on Facebook so I put off uploading her card here 'til it was safe to assume she'd received my card. I *love* PTI - especially their sets w matching dies (hey, that rhymes!) - and today's card uses my latest set, Garden Variety, based on Card Patterns' sketch 123. Yep, in case anyone asks you, I'm hooked on sketch challenges.

stamps: PTI's Garden Variety, MSE's Hand Written (inside sentiment); paper: Paper Reflections' black, Staples' bright white, and SU's Green Galore and Gable Green card stocks; ink: A1 watercolor and SU's Crushed Curry and Summer Sun markers, Ranger's pumice stone distress ink (my new fav grey); accessories: misc green ribbon lifted from my table favor at a recent wedding; tools: Cuttlebug w PTI Garden Variety, QuicKutz love dies

a literal take on CTD151

A literal take, here's my card for this week's color throw down challenge, CTD151. I simply expanded the color challenge snippet, found a small butterfly punch from my stash, punched out butterflies, and assembled the card. The stamp's a used one I picked up recently (thanx, Tiff) and has over 20 sentiments in a mix of print and script - I love that style! I pick up most of my stamps used, usually annually when SU updates their catty!


It's headed to my favorite youngest brother, who went w my Mom and I to the movies today. It was a special treat for me, as I'd thought it was going to be just me 'n Mom for a gals' day out outing. He called us en route to suggest he pick up the tickets as he was already at the mall - in the Sears at the south end of the mall, whereas the movie theater's at the north end. I told Mom to let him know that I'd treat to eats afterward. After the movie (ok, yes ... I saw HP7:Pt2 AGAIN), we ended up heading to a local Fuddruckers for yummy burgers, and then went our separate ways. I live an hour and a half north of them, so I was homeward bound, and Mark took Mom out grocery shopping before bringing her back home. He lives a couple miles from Mom and is an absolute Godsend as he's the first line of support for her ... pays her bills, does her taxes, shovels the driveway, mows the yard, takes her grocery shopping, etc. Have I told you lately how appreciated you are, Mark? Love you!

stamps: Waltzing Mouse's Sweethearts; paper: Staples' bright white card stock; ink: PC-generated and Ranger's black soot distress ink; tools: Punch Bunch butterfly punch

an SC342 anniversary wish

I made this to give to my DH while playing with a new-to-me PTI stamp set I'd recently acquired and SCS' SC342 sketch challenge. I love these colors together, but maybe it needs a bit more color?

stamps: PTI's Quilter's Sampler; paper: A1 Neenah Natural White, Paper Reflections' black, SU's Crumb Cake, Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive card stocks; ink: Ranger's black soot distress ink and broken china, dusty concord, and peeled paint distress stains, SU's Crumb Cake; accessories: SU's Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon; tools: Cuttlebug w one of SU's Backgrounds 1 texturz plates

if friends were flowers ...

... I'd pick you! Awwww ... cute, eh?! This is today's make-'n-take from the kind folkes at CAM (aka Capture-A-Memory, where I usually spend my midday Saturdays w my stampin' buddy Pat). It's sweet, and they usually have projects to showcase a particular technique or product. Today's featuring Martha's fringe scissors, which were used to make the grass in the card. Said product is usually offered at a discount on the days we use it for a make-'n-take. Today's sale also included the cute stamps used to make faces on the flowers and stamps used to make a 2nd card. The face stamps came in multiple styles and sizes - and were STINKIN' CUTE!

no deets today - as all products were provided by the shop.

Looky what I WON!

I love the Northridge Publishing mags (even more so now, LOL!), and usually get mine using other big-craft-stores' 40% off coupons while at CAM - the place you'll find me on Saturdays for crafty goodness. Well, here's the post I just read via Facebook:

CreaTV: Northridge Publishing

Our July "Things We Love" winner is: Susan L Blondin. She wrote: "camping and s'mores - the two go hand in hand, don't they?!" Congratulations Susan!

And wanna see what I won? Check this out:

movie day at the Blondins

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

My eldest and I took in a movie this morning. I was going to take the afternoon off for our haircut appointments, but decided to make a day of it and take in a movie. The final HP movie takes us from Dobby's burial to current day as Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their quest of discovering and destroying the Dark Lord's remaining Horcruxes. The majority of this last film covers a single day and includes the battle between Harry's and Voldemort's followers. As with the previous movies, there were things left out that or altered that I questioned ... this surprised me as I'd read so many reports of the directors SO closely following the book in this one ... but even with that, it was T'RIFFIC! We saw it in 3D and there was only one part that I thought was unnecessary (OK, maybe even a little cheesy, folkes) in the pensieve scene. I've gotta say, tho', if you loved the movie, yes, you should now read the book!

love. Love. LOVE the series, and I'm available should anyone locally want company to go see it again!

stamp camp fav

It took a while before I could post my fav from this month's stamp camp. I was forewarned by two friends that they were sending cards to folkes who would see them on my Facebook mirror post, you see! This one should be to its intended recipient by now, so I'm figuring it should be safe to post today!

love. Love. LOVE this card; don't you?! When I grow up, I'd like to stamp like Angie!

no deets - all SU product provided in workshop

home, sweet home

I'd ordered a few stamp sets this past week from Lizzie Anne Designs - so sad they're closing - and they sent me this cutie house, so I used it today. The inside sentiment's from Lizzie Anne too, and reads;

Every house where love abides
and friendship is a guest,
is surely home, and
home, sweet home
for there the heart can rest.

sweet, eh?!

stamps: Lizzie Anne's Wonderful World, unknown home stamp; paper: A1 Neenah Natural White, PTI's Ripe Avocado, SU's River Rock card stocks, Avalon's Fantasy DP; ink: Ranger's black soot, faded jeans, pumice stone distress inks; accessories: SU's Pear Pizzazz seam binding ribbon

like ZIG?

If you're like me, you probably have some of these folkes' fine markers or pens already ... but WHOA! Check out this collection that they're offering as blog candy to one lucky winner!

Care to win their 48 piece ZIG Doodles Galore Collection? It contains 48 ZIG pens including ZIG Millennium sketching pens, ZIG Writers, ZIG Photo Signature and new Wink of Stella pens! Click on the picture at left SOON as one lucky winner will be picked at random on the 25th July and they'll announce it on the blog. GOOD LUCK!

SSD83 plant a seed

Here's a CAS card using some daisies I'd picked up forever ago and never used ... and they're perfect for the SSD83 sketch challenge from the folkes at Skipping Stones Design, don't you agree?! I'm lovin' clean and simple lines lately. And don't you love daisies? Aren't they just the friendliest flowers (or have I watched You've Got Mail one too many times!)? Voila! Easy Peasy and a 2nd post for today, a rarity lately!

stamps: PTI's Garden Variety; paper: Paper Reflections black, SU's Old Olive, Staples' bright white card stocks; ink: Ranger's black soot distress ink; accessories: Martha Stewart's dimensional daisy stickers

FTL148 from my garden

My latest PTI stamps got inky this weekend, this one following the FTL148 sketch from the gals at clean & simple stamping. I'm making today's a quick post as I'm getting ready to put on a late quick supper, do some weeding, and then watch a movie w my DH over supper. I've still got to get my afternoon walk in too ... sigh ... too much to do and too little time, y'know?!

stamps: PTI's Garden Variety; paper: Paper Reflections' black, SU's So Saffron, Staples' bright white card stocks; ink: Ranger's black soot distress ink; accessories: Martha Stewart's dimensional daisy stickers, Mike's ribbon

belated greetings

are birthdays better with balloons? I sure hope Joanne thinks so! today's card is a belated one, headed to a buddy of mine from (way) back in my college days! I sent her an eCard in a timely manner but I wanted to get an inky one to her too! I'm off now, headed to my fav walking path before CAM for today's make-'n-take!

stamps: Hero Arts' Bicycles, Heidi Grace's Winnefred St (inside sentiment), Karen's unnamed balloon; paper: Staples' bright white card stock; inks: SU's Bermuda Bay, Cameo Coral, Rich Razzleberry, and Summer Sun, and Tri-C watercolor markers, and Ranger's black soot distress ink

Zoe, the needle felted pom pom hedgehog

Can you guess what critters my stamping buddy Kim likes by this picture?! Maybe hedgehogs? LOL! ... and Penny Black comes to my rescue with an adorable line of hedgehog stamps, some of which I've already given Kim as prior gifts.

I don't recall the name of the stamp set these images came from but had saved them for future "kim" cards. I cut apart one image from a card made earlier, used the rascal carrying the envelope for the "stamp" and the others on the front of another card. No deets today as all supplies were provided during a make-'n-take. Kim EXCELS at coloring with watercolor pencils and stubs.

Hope she enjoys her new pet!

happy Independence Day

On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress, calling for the American colonies to secede from Great Britain. Happy Independence Day to my American friends!

I'm challenged, in more ways than one, LOL! Today's card is a last-minute addition to celebrate an Independence Day challenge with the OCC gals and is based on this week's CPS225 sketch. For the OCC challenge, I chose to make a 4th of July-themed rather than a Christmas in July card but agree you can never start those Christmas cards too early. Another clean and simple masculine project using kraft, that's the subject of this week's CAS-ual Fridays CFC9 challenge. It's been a while since I participated in challenges of any kind tho'!

We have family coming in for a cookout later this afternoon, and it looks like the weather's going to be cooperating for us locally. I'm a big fireworks fan so this is a good thing! I'm up early and it's a mild 65 degrees F out so I'm enjoying having the slider door open so I can listen to the birds out back. I love quiet mornings before everyone gets up. Hope you and yours have a t'riffic 4th!

stamps: Saltbox Studio's SBS104, Stampendous' Hey There Cupcake (sparkler); paper: A1's Neenah Natural White, SU's Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Not Quite Navy; inks: SU's Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Soft Suede, and Summer Sun

if it's july ... tour de France

My DH and I caught a bit of the Tour de France on TV today, and as my older brother follows the action, I thought my latest Hero Arts bike stamp s/be inked to commemorate the occasion! Inspired by the Father's Day card on p122 of the latest SU catty, I first stamped the bike and then added the background after wiping some of the ink away from the bk's center where the bike would be the focus (inspired by JillyJoy from this post). It'll be heading out to my brother to let him know he's being thought of, while most of my local family will be enjoying Blondin burgers and brats at my house tomorrow. Hope you're having a t'riffic weekend as well! If you're stamping and make a clean and simple masculine project using kraft, that's the subject of this week's CAS-ual Fridays CFC9 challenge.

stamps: Hero Arts' Bicycles, Friend Definition, Magical BK, Technique Tuesday's Good Cheer; paper: A1 Neenah's Natural White, SU's Close to Cocoa, Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Summer Sun card stocks; ink: Ranger's black soot distress ink, SU's Crumb Cake, VersaMark

for the love birds

I had the pleasure of a first for me this weekend - attending a wedding at the Pine Knob Mansion in Clarkston MI - for a stamping buddy's daughter. Her colors were dark brown with the bright pink and green at left. I helped with the wedding invites in exchange for a couple pieces of the card stock to use for my card to them! I used my invite in a mini album I gave to the bride for one of her shower gifts (why didn't I take a picture of THAT also, you ask?!).

Anywho, condensed from the Pine Knob Mansion web site comes the following:

Colonel Sidney Dunn Waldon, of Packard Motor Co and Cadillac Motor Co fame, was born in London, England in 1873, and came to the United States in 1893. He purchased 840 acres of land in Clarkston, Michigan in 1927 and hired H. A. O'Dell to design a home for him. The result was a 19 room English Manor residence located atop the highest point in Southeastern Michigan (elevation 1221 feet).

One of the most impressive rooms of the Mansion is the "Great Hall" with it's gracefully arched ceilings, and acoustically perfect design. It's East and West walls are comprised of ceiling to the floor arched windows offering magnificent views of the sunrise and sunset. The Colonel's library, which is still the library today, is located just off the main entrance. He imported materials from all over the world and employed European craftsman to complete much of the work. For example, the oak screen, wood paneling and stone fireplaces took almost three years to carve. These artisans also crafted the stained glass windows and arched ceilings.

Colonel Waldon passed away on January 20, 1945 at the age of 72. Today the mansion is available for corporate or private events, and Sunday brunches. Sounds like a nice "gals day out" outing for my sister, Mom, and me! I'd love to take a tour of the place!

Some pics of the mansion and grounds follow:


Back to the card deets!
stamps: Hero Arts Woodgrain Pattern, SU's Congrats; paper: unknown bright pink and green, SU's Kraft Crumb Cake, Staples' white card stocks; ink: SU's Kraft Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Soft Suede; tools: Cuttlebug w QuicKutz's bird, love birds dies (used bird on card, love birds on envelope)

an SU wish list

hi folkes ... okay, here's my personal wish list from a first review of the latest SU catty ... just in case you were wondering, eh?! they're not all new ... and it's not in order of priority ... just in the order of where they appear in the latest Stampin' Up! catty! so, what's on YOUR list?







p35 - Sweet Season (sigh ... love that gingerbread sentiment)
p42 - Come to Bethlehem
p46 - I {heart} Hearts
p53 - Now You're Cookin'
p65 - Sweets for the Sweet *
p83 - Little Additions, Aviary
p102 - Season of Friendship
p103 - Best of Everything
p113 - Inspired by Nature
p123 - Every Moment
p145 - Texture
p148 - From the Kitchen of
p156 - Word Play, You're a Gem
p157 - Pursuit of Happiness
p166 - Many Merry Messages

* methinks my fav stamp set of the new catty is the Sweets for the Sweet set!

Cheryl's got blog candy

Hi folkes ... quick post here. Cheryl's got blog candy, so click on the picture and visit her blog by July 31st, and tell her SueB sent ya!