Warming up

We have 40 degrees today - that's above not below freezing. We were able to have Christmas with our family after all. We weren't going to with wind chills of -37 and such strong winds but by Saturday night we could go out. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend too. I have to tell you things are much better. I washed a load of clothes yesterday that didn't include any vegetables so I am making progress. I missed posting on Christmas Day altogether. I got up and started cooking, got ready and loaded the car and headed to my son and daughter in laws for the day. I was pooped when I got home, took a nap, watched football and went to bed.

This is a card made using an old wood mounted stamp from Hero Arts. I embossed the tree and sentiment in gold and added a Lawn Fawn star in gold mirror cardstock. I made one in red and one in green.

I'm sorry I'm so cranky lately. I'm in my terrible 70's right now.

Be kind to one another.

Double stamping on vellum

This is a technique I've been wanting to try so I made into a Christmas card. I stamped green trees on the backside of vellum, then stamped and white embossed trees on the front. I love the look it gives and thought it would be a pretty scene outside the window. Now, why I added the trees on the inside of the house is truly beyond me. It was one of those "what was I thinking" moments. Not to mention they aren't evenly applied. Rest assured, I do not have trees growing inside my home in front of the window. I'm starting to think I may have Covid brain between this and the potato.

I often wonder if people in Australia call the rest of the world "up over".

Be kind to one another.

Still at it

I am not yet on top of my game and I found that out Friday. I stripped the bed and washed the sheets. However, I washed a potato along with them. I couldn't figure out what the lump was as I untwisted the sheets to put in the dryer. The potato didn't fare too badly but a chunk was out of the end and there were little pieces of peel all over the inside of the washer and floor. It was sitting on the edge of the sink and must have gotten swept into the washer along with the sheets. I will say I've never seen one so clean! I propped it up on my scissors so you could see.

I'm still making Christmas cards and, of course, they are going to be late arriving. But I wanted to send them and I will leave all things out and continue to make some into January. This is a good lesson to make them all year. This is an old wood mount stamp from Impression Obsession called Noel Doll. I got it at a craft fair and never inked it. Since I still need simple and quick I thought this would do the trick. Just stamped and colored it a bit for my great granddaughter.

I have a pen that can write underwater. It can write other words too.

Be kind to one another.

The weather has gone crazy

It's bad all across the country. Please, everyone stay safe .  Almost done with Covid meds and now battling a nasty cough. It wears me out.

Another quick card today made with a  Masterpiece. I just used a strip from a Penny Black die and added a peace die cut from Hero Arts.

I used to be a crastinator . . . then I went pro.

Be kind to one another.

Two years, nine months

I mostly stayed in, wore a mask and avoided crowded places. Last Tuesday I went to my regular pulmonologist appointment. The waiting room was standing room only and I picked up Covid. What a bummer. I lost this last week completely and I hate that because I am so far behind.

 I purchased quite a few of Penny Black Masterpieces to fill in some Christmas cards and turns out they might be all my cards. Yesterday I felt well enough to make a card and used one of them. Not fancy but it's done and I like it.

I just realized the paper towels by the gas pumps are for wiping away the tears after filling up the tank.

Be kind to one another.

Letterpress card

In our recent zoom we did a Letterpress technique that was new to me. I got a pretty good impression but I didn't add a die cut to it. I glued several snowflake die cuts (a beautiful die from a sweet friend) together and inked the bottom one. Then using a rubber mat, I ran it through the die cutting machine ink side down. I used the die cuts to make another card. Both are matted on some snowflake paper I had in my stash. 

This is bad - get ready. 

I found a recipe from Morocco for dinner rolls. It called for fresh thyme but mine was expired. I used it anyway.  As I reminisce, I realize I really like that old thyme Moroccan roll.

Be kind to one another.

So many people are sick

This is a replay of 2020 here. My sister in law and her husband have Covid. My son and granddaughter are both sick. She has the flu and is really sick and my son is going to MedCheck or Dr. today. My friend, Sharon is also coughing and going to Dr. to see what's going on. I am staying in after having my regular Dr. visit yesterday. I am coughing more lately which is what I always do with COPD but just more lately. I got a shot and a drug to help me thorough this. Stay well, everyone. There is so much going around.

I finally finished my second card with the metallic paint. I don't know why my pictures are so blurry but after the software challenge finding them, I'm just happy to have pictures.

Life is not a fairy tale. If you lose a shoe at midnight - you're probably drunk.

Be kind to one another.

Metallic paint on black

I hope you all had wonderful family time over the holiday. Ours was a whirlwind of a weekend but I did manage to get started and made a few Christmas cards. Hope to add a few more today.

I finally found out where the new software sent my pictures. I have to move them manually to where I want them even though I told the software where to put them. No one ever listens to me! In a recent zoom we did painting with metallics on black watercolor c/s. Everyone's cards look so beautiful and here is one of the ones I made.

I used a Simon Says stamp and embossed it in gold. Then I used a very old set of metallic watercolors by Yasutomo. This is the first time I've used those paints and I do the love results I got. It is an inexpensive set of 21 colors I think I got at a craft store long ago. I splattered in gold and white paint.

I'll post the second one when I get it made into a card.

Well, to be Frank, I'd have to change my name.

Be kind to one another.

Happy Thanksgiving

I wanted to pop in and tell you all to have a wonderful day whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not. I'm so grateful to all of you who come by and comment. My blog friends mean the world to me and sometimes keep me going.

Right now I'm not all that grateful for computer software. It will not load my pictures, so no cards today. I will have to call and get help but probably won't be until Monday. 

I'm going to my sons today and taking noodles, dressing and pink stuff. My daughter in law is making the rest of the meal and she is a good cook. I'm looking forward to seeing the grands, especially my grandson. He is leaving Sunday for Marine boot camp and I will miss him so much. It is a dream of his so I am happy for him but sad for me.

May all of you have a great day no matter how you spend it.

Be kind to one another.

It's so cold

I hope you are warm as this cold front has taken over a large part of the US. The huge snowfall in western New York is amazing and I feel bad for those who are experiencing it. That being said, I haven't been out of the house for many days. I can't do this cold.

Can you stand another card made with this Acorn embossing folder! I embossed it on black cardstock and rubbed metallic gold and copper on the leaves. The large leaf was punched and variegated  red and gold gilding flakes added. The sentiment is gold embossed and popped up. 

Anything unrelated to elephants is irrelephant.

Be kind to one another.

Again

I am using this embossing folder again to make another card. This is inked all over and the acorns are inked in brown. I am in love with these 3-D embossing folders. They make such an impact with the raised images. They can be inked from the inside, outside or not at all. It seems like making a card with them would be easy and sometimes it is, but I have issues occasionally while trying something new.

When my cell phone battery died I was so angry and needed to find an outlet.

Be kind to one another.

Some more leaves

While I'm finishing my fall cards it is snowing outside. We were supposed to get a dusting on roofs and a bit on the grass. We actually got 2.7 inches with a temp. of 32 degrees and a wind chill of 22 degrees! 

I used my Tim Holtz leaf fragments for this card.  They are cut from pattern paper and I also used pattern paper for the background. 

Procrastinators Unite: Tomorrow

Be kind to one another.

While I'm at it

I decided to make two cards with the same paper. I had cut off a piece to make Sunday's card so I decided to go ahead and make another card using the cut off piece. I never think to make two cards while I have stuff out, so this is unlike me! I turned the cardstock this time and added a leaf from my stash. It's not wood but more like heavy cardboard, so a bit delicate. Not much to do to make this one.

To me, drink responsibly means don't spill it.

Be kind to one another.

Fall made itself known

with great fan fare yesterday. The winds were horrendous all day long. I felt bad for the football players as the ball kept blowing off the tee when they were ready to kickoff!

Using a Gina K. leaf die cut from gold mirror cardstock I made this card. The sentiment is cut several times and glued together and the fall paper is from Ink 'n Splatter. Simple but it's so hard to get a good picture of mirror cardstock.

They said your high school senior year would fly by. They just didn't realize it would zoom.

Be kind to one another.

It can't be November!

But it is. I've moved on from Thankful cards and made a couple but need to get busy with Christmas cards so I'm doing that now. This is a card I made with a generic stamp set since it is out of it's package. I embossed the wreath and sentiment in gold and added a bit of color on the wreath with Copics. I added a strip of pattern paper at the top and ribbon at the bottom.

The pros and cons about making food:

Pros: Food

Cons: Making

Be kind to one another.

Happy Halloween

My time away has helped my neck and shoulder heal immensely. I can tell if I'm on the computer too much so I do limit my time online now. This card is a bit out of my comfort zone as it is sort of a scene. I had fun making it and hope to do more like this. The haunted house and bat is Stampin' Up and I used a Memory Box die over it. The crow is a Lil' B and sentiment is also SU. The background sky is sponged.

Ghosts like to ride in elevators. It lifts their spirits.

Be kind to one another.

So easy

I am having some issues with my left shoulder and across my neck so I'm limiting my time on the computer to see if that helps. I'll be by to visit as much as I can but comments are short right now.

This is an old red rubber stamp and I don't know it's name. I stamped it in black and embossed it in clear embossing powder. It looked so bare so I added the punched out eyes since I thought the grands would love that the eyes are reading the sentiment. So easy. 

I have a neighbor who speaks to his garden. Yes, Jack and the beans talk.

Be kind to one another.

Cloaked witch

This is a brand new die called Cloaked Witch by Memory Box. She is cut from mirror black cardstock and glued to a Spellbinders scalloped die. I edged the scallop with black ink to make it a bit more spooky. The sentiment is one I've had for a long time. Pattern paper from my stash.

I'm sending this card to mynbus.

If seagulls lived by the bay, would they be called bagels?

Be kind to one another.

Frankie

I'd like to you meet Frankie on my non-threatening Halloween card. I think he's kind of cute! Frankie was made using a Lasting Impressions brass stencil from many, many years ago.  I think you can only get them now on Etsy or E Bay but when I got mine they were really popular. I taped it to my cardstock and inked through it. So easy to do. The sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp. 

Six out of seven dwarfs aren't happy.

Be kind to one another.

A spooky story

While I was making this card I was looking for pictures of crows so I could color him. I didn't know if they were always all black. I looked out the window over my craft desk and there were six crows on the fence. I rarely see any and this was just freaky, like I conjured them  up! They sat there for a few minutes, then flew off. Very weird.  Anyway, this is the card 

Step aside coffee, this is a job for alcohol.

Be kind to one another.

Thank you

What a fantastic birthday it was and made special by so many of you. Thank you for the cards and well wishes for my day. I enjoyed the day so much and talked to so many people who called. It's wonderful to be this age and remembered by so many people that aren't family.

Today I'm sharing a Halloween card for my great granddaughter. It is a Stampendous pumpkin stamp and framed by a Die-namic die. The felt black cat was in my stash. I didn't want to make a scary card for her and she will recognize a pumpkin and a kitty. I don't know why it looks so crooked. I took several pictures and it doesn't look like that in person.

Plastic surgery anonymous meets tonight. I hope we don't see any new faces.

Be kind to one another.

Moving on

I'm moving on to the making of Halloween cards for the grands. The birthday cards for the family are finished. Seven birthdays in a one month period for us.

This is a My Favorite Things stamp colored with Copics.  I fussy cut the frog and added him next to her. The Boo was stamped on a Poppy Stamps die and popped up. Then the card was splattered with green and purple inks to match the mats. 

My prayers are with all the people who were touched by Ian. What a devastating storm. 

You say a boring four hour car ride. I say a four hour concert featuring me.

Be kind to one another.

For my granddaughter

This is her birthday card that I tried to color just like her dog. She has a gray body and white neck, the dog, not my granddaughter. She is so crazy about that dog so I know she will love this card. It is  Colorado Stamp Company stamps and some ink blending.

Dogs just enjoy the ride. Cats want to drive. 

Be kind to one another.