The heat is on

My part of the country is in another heat wave this week, so I'll get more cards made. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are going to be in the 100's heat index and I'm just not up for that.

Quick update on Daisy. The meds worked and she isn't in pain anymore. She isn't suppose to jump on things but she is so fast I'm having a hard time keeping up with her to lift her onto things. I hope an inflammation was all it was and it's over with.

This card was made with one of my new paper pads called Autumn Flowers Scrapbook paper from Amazon. I just cut a piece into four parts and added a sentiment. I know these cards are simple but they are designs that I've never made before so I feel like I'm branching out.

I hate when the cashier feels the need to see if my money is real. If I could counterfeit money I wouldn't be at the Dollar Store!

Be kind to one another.

Just when I think

things are going back to normal, I find this is normal. I missed last week altogether when life happened. Sunday night last week found Daisy unable to jump on the furniture. She would try and yelp. Monday I took her to the vet and they think she has a nerve in her neck in her spinal cord that is inflamed. She is on pain meds and an anti-inflammatory. They said don't let her jump on things. Of course she feels better and wants to jump, so I've been following her around all week so she won't.  

That's what's going on around here.

This is a card I was so happy to make. I used pattern paper from a pack called Heart of Home by Jen Hadfield. Some papers have gold foil and are so beautiful. I was delighted to find the paper had Chloe Stems on it and I was able to cut a Memory Box Chloe stem die from gold mirror cardstock to embellish it with. The card was sent to a dear friend and the sentiment was given to me by another dear friend that I embossed with gold. I embossed the die cut, not the friend.  Friends are the most wonderful people life blesses us with.

I will post this card to 

since this is the second Monday of the month and I used a die.

"Yes, officer, I did see the speed limit sign. I just didn't see you".

Be kind to one another.

Hard to get

a good picture of this shiny paper. This bottom strip is using Paper Rose Crimson Rose-Gold paper. It is so beautiful and I'm trying to use my papers but it is so hard to cut into it. I die cut the leaves from black c/s as well as the Hello.

The heat dome has moved on but one of us just can't function in the heat and needs naps.

Living with a dog involves following each other around, watching each other go potty and wondering what the other one has in their mouth.

Be kind to one another.

Under the heat dome

We've gone from rainy, gray weather to unrelenting heat and humidity. I don't know what's worse but I can breathe when it's rainy and gray. It was a big basketball weekend in Indy but both our teams lost. I am so proud of our Pacers. They had a terrific season and I feel so bad for Haliburton and his injury. 

I'm sharing one of my new pattern papers today with lots more to come. This is from Unity and a simple thinking of you card for a wonderful fellow crafter who had an operation recently. I didn't want to cover up those beautiful flowers so this is very simple. I cut two strips of orange c/s and added them to each side of the paper and stamped the sentiment on another strip of the orange c/s.

I'm so glad I met all of you at this stage of my life.  There is no way my mom would have let me play with you guys growing up!

This is week four at I.D.E.A.S. and anything goes so I'm sending this card there.

Be kind to one another.

Time for Lilly of the Valley

I remember all along the east side of the house I grew up in was this wonderful smell from Lilly of the Valley flowers. I've never been able to grow them, so this is the next best thing. I needed a card for a fellow card maker and this is what came to mind. I used an Impression Obsession die and cardstock to cut the flowers. I added a pink bow and that was it. I can almost smell them!

I told my luggage there would be no vacation this year. Now I'm dealing with emotional baggage.

Be kind to one another.

Lots of paper

It's hard to believe but I ordered four new 6x6 paper pads! I have enough paper to cover the USA coast to coast north to south and east to west, but I liked it. It was not an impulse buy, I put it in my cart and waited several days thinking about it. So brace yourself, there will be a lot of pattern paper cards in my future. It helps me get started again and that is a bonus.

This card is made by alternating paper and dies and adding a sentiment.  Very easy but a different look for me to make. I've tried several different ways of making my cards and will get them posted as I finish them. I'm not sure I'll put sentiments on them until I know where they will go. I will add this card to 

It's a shame nothing is built in the USA anymore. I just bought a TV and it says "built in antenna". I don't even know where that is. 

Be kind to one another.

Gilding Flakes

I swore I'd never use gilding flakes again after I made a card with them a while ago and during the process I coughed and they went everywhere! I recently needed a masculine card and thought of putting gilding flakes on leaves. I am so pleased how the card came out. It's amazing how well the flakes adhere when you don't cough, sneeze or have a fan on when using them. 

I try to take one day at a time . . .  but lately several days have attacked me all at once.

Be kind to one another.

Happy Race Day

May is such an exciting time in Indiana and today is the 500 Mile Race. It dominates the news the entire month and the city is filled with so many people. Between the race, the Fever and the Pacers it has been a fantastic month here. 

   

My friend Sharon's  birthday was this month too and this is the card I made her. She just got a yellow cat and I thought this would be a fun card for her. The cat is a sticker and the rest are stamped. 

It turns out when someone asks who your favorite child is, you're suppose to pick one of your own.

Be kind to one another.

For my Grandddaughter

My grandson and granddaughter have birthdays three days apart in May. All our family birthdays are grouped together. I don't quite know how we did that but it's nice for get togethers.

She loves dogs and has two. She stopped her car in the middle of the road to rescue one of them that was running in the street. This is the card I made for her using a Unity dog image, pattern paper and a postage die. I know she'll like it.

My teacher told me not to worry about spelling. She said in the future there will be auto-correct. For that I am eternally grapefruit. 

Be kind to one another.

For my Grandson

How fast this year has gone already. Seems like I just put away the Christmas stuff and May is half over. 

This is a card for my grandson. Not fussy, just a masculine card I think he will like. I used a die cut Service Man from Gina Marie Designs and a Marine sticker from Timeless Moments. I'm just getting back into card making so I'm starting somewhat slow and simple. 

I have a mantra that I use a lot. I only spend money on food and stamps and if I keep that up, I will be on Food Stamps!

Be kind to one another.

I'm still on Easter!

I had a few health setbacks this month but am feeling better now. Plus, so much going on right now life wise and things to do. I'm behind but wanted to post a few cards I did for Easter.  The first one was made with a stamp and die set a wonderful friend gave me. I stamped and colored it with Zig Brush Markers and die cut a circle for it. The second card was made with sections of patterned Easter paper and a stamped bunny.  That was inspired by another crafting friend that sent me a card made like that. I've put everything away but if you want to know what was used, I'll be happy to find it for you.

I'm trying to get back in the crafty mood so I cleaned everything up so I could start with a blank slate and hopefully get going. 

There is not enough time in the day for all the things I'm not going to do!

Be kind to one another.

Embossing Paste

I'm sharing my card for Group of Seven Cardmakers for March. We are using Embossing Paste on our cards this month. I stamped a Great Impression basket on the back side of cardstock, then used a basket weave stencil from Sweet Stamps with gold paste on the other side. When it was dry I cut out the basket. Using Lawn Fawn and Poppy stamps dies I cut grass for the basket and added it in front and behind the basket. The peeps were cut from colored cardstock scraps with a Simon Says Stamp peep die. I added the eyes to them and glued them in the grass The white frame was from Pinkfresh. The sentiment is Newton's Nook.  

This was a fun card to make. I hope you'll "peep" in the Group of Seven to see everyone's cards this month.

I believe my "spirit animal" has rabies.

Be kind to one another.

First Birthday

It's hard to believe but my great grandson is turning one this week. The time is flying by and I can't keep up!

I got the inspiration for this card from  Pat who posted a card to the Group of Seven Cardmakers. She used letters on her card but it gave me the idea to use numbers for a birthday card. I cut the numbers from colored cardstock and arranged them around the frame with the one in the middle. Thank you, Pat. Since I used dies for the numbers I'm going to add this card to I.D.E.A.S.

Where do bad rainbows go? Prism. It's a light sentence and gives them time to reflect. 

Be kind to one another.

Happy Monday

I just read Darnell's post this morning inspiring me to get back to enjoying making cards. I have been in the worst slump since I started making cards back in the 90's. I can blame it on lots of things going on since summer starting with a hospital visit for five and a half days that left me so weak. In addition to my dog escaping and being in a strange place during 96+ heat for five days and found a breath away from death but I got her back. I didn't want or have energy to do anything. Then I had a huge setback in November that has lasted all this time. So, I'm joining in the IDEAS on her blog today. I hope it lasts and inspires me to keep making cards for the people I love so much and hope you can join in too if you've been slumpy.

I used a Simon Says stamp and die that I had left over from my GO7 card this month and colored the flowers with Copic ink. The circle was cut and embossed with a Spellbinders embossing folder and the flowers added. The sentiment is from Verve, no longer in business, and embossed in white embossing powder.

I broke an egg this morning. My insurance adjuster will be here tomorrow to assess the damage and write me a check.

Be kind to one another.

Floating Frames

Floating Frames is this month's Group of Seven Cardmakers theme. I hope you visit and see the fun frames all the ladies created. And, I hope you make some of your own and post them.

I used a flower die that I colored with Copics and cut many times. Using foam tape on the backs of the flowers and leaves I popped them up along the card panel to make the floating frame. The center is a sentiment stamped on white cardstock and glued directly on the card panel.

On the second card I cut eggs from yellow, green, blue and pink cardstock and stamped a sentiment on the front of a pink egg I die cut. The pink egg was glued to the card panel like the first card. When I designed the colored eggs around the frame it looked so bland. I went back to my supplies and this is where I went a bit off the chart. I had these colorful eggs and butterflies and they added so much color so I added foam tape to the back of them and used those for the floating frame. It is a card for my four year old granddaughter and I think she'll like it.

I know how it will end. One of my kids will unplug my life support system to charge their phone.

Be kind to one another.

I Cased

In a quest to get going again, I cased a card I made and loved a long time ago. I made variations of it and enjoyed it so much. I used an embossing folder with silver cardstock. I used leaves from two different companies and a milk can on one. I was so happy to be doing it.

I like the idea of keeping your mouth shut but it's not for me.

Be kind to one another.

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope you all have a wonderful day no matter what you do. The sun finally came out even though it is still cold but the sun makes everything better.

I'm sharing a card made a while ago since I haven't been in the card making mode for so long. I'm behind on everything so I'm starting with the next group of birthdays to make cards. Thanks for still being here and I hope to do better.

That awkward moment when you are wearing Nikes and you can't do it.

Be kind to one another.

Sympathy

I needed a sympathy card and that is one that cannot wait. This is the first card I've made since last month. It is so hard to get back into making them after you've been away. I hope this kick starts me. I wish I could send a sympathy card to every single person in the California fires. My heart hurts for all of them.

I used the Memory Box pinpoint leaf plate for the background and die cut the Poppystamps lorelai outline leaf from gold cardstock. The sentiment is Penny Black embossed in gold and cut with a Poppystamps die, then popped up with dimensionals. Now, it's getting it to the mailbox in this below zero windchill weather!

Golf - a game for those who don't get enough frustration during the week. 

Be kind to one another.