More Spring.....

Good morning to all of you. I hope you are all set for your Monday and this is the first day of a brand new month. Spring can only be just around the corner and I'm really looking forward to warmer temps and soft winds and green! This is another Spring card I made. I used a download from Two Peas in a Bucket for the butterfly, colored with Copic markers and Ranger Distress Ink (Tattered Rose) I covered the butterfly with Crystal Lacquer and some glitter. The base card is 4 X 4 with Gina K Design Cardstock. I used Spellbinders dies and a Cuttlebug folder for the dotted swiss and a few Dew Drops colored with Copic markers. Of course a little pink bow made with Bow Maker.

I hope you enjoy the card and keep looking forward to Spring! Hope you have a wonderful day, and if you are working, Go Get Em!

Spring is Just Around the Corner!

Here is my latest card...It is a 4 x 4 base with Spellbinders die that were sponged with SU Pacific Point Ink and Broken China Ranger Distress Ink then I stamped the image from SU 2005 Limited Edition Garden Collage and colored the image with copic Markers, B000, B21 and E04. I used a Martha Stewart Edge Punch and a little piece of white Ribbon and of course the Bow Maker. I hope you enjoy the card. Have a wonderful day and try to stay warm!

Look What I Found.....

Like I said, I have been cleaning and arranging my craft supplies and look what I found in the bottom of a bin. I must have been crazy to have put this away....actually I was getting ready for a craft room to be built, however, that didn't happen soooooooo I'm taking it back! This is another piece of parchment craft that I did several years ago and I don't remember for the life of me who did the design. Sorry about that. I'm thinking this deserves a space near my crafting area so I can be inspired. Anyway, that is my crafting for the day. I have been shuffling and dusting and re-shuffling all day and I'm pretty tired. I think I will
hit the shower and Maybe tomorrow will be better.....or Maybe Sunday. LOL...

NO PICTURES TODAY....

I spent the day yesterday, running around and doing errands. I also worked on a couple of quilt blocks and then it was bed time. I have to clean some today, but hopefully there will be some pictures of something I did creative. I try each and every day to be a little crafty. I don't want to get rusty! Anyway, it is Friday and might I just say "I don't have to go to work today!!"

POSTING TWICE IN ONE DAY!!!

I just wanted to share another clean and simple card I did using the Pergamano (Parchment Craft) technique. More white work but I do love the look. I used Nestabilities Dies and plain white ribbon and a few white pearls. I Love the look
of the Pergamano and will be doing more in the days to come. I'm addicted once again, just like that! Didn't take much just looking through the patterns. Wow I'm easy......

February is almost gone!

I looked at the calendar this morning and low and behold February is almost gone I'm not sure where the time went....March is on it's way and I am looking forward to the change into Spring. I'm looking forward to being outside some. I'm hoping to finish painting our picket fence this spring. It was started last year by My husbands daughter and she had a bad shoulder and had to stop. I'm hoping to finish this year. It is not all that large a yard but the pickets can stretch on forever.

I don't have any pictures to share this morning. Yesterday, I spent the day straightening the house and ironing and I pieced a few quilt blocks and crocheted some and rummaged through some more stored craft items. Years ago, I told my sister "I just like to buy products....I don't seem to use them, I just purchase them". Now it's kinda nice to find all these treasures that have been stored away and get them out and get more ideas as I go. I have enough supplies to last a good long time and now I have some time to play. I'm loving that.

Have a wonderful day and for those of you have to go to work, Go get em! As for me, I'm just going to lay around and eat Bon Bons! LOL

Forgotten ability.....

As I was going through some of my packed away supplies, looking for my light tracer, I came across some Pergamano (parchment craft) supplies and I decided to dust them off and try it again. I always loved this craft and the results are so beautiful. This is an ancient craft that is being revived and I just love the finished product. There is something soothing about this craft. I really like the white work best but I'm considering using some color on some. You can use any number of things to add color but I'm considering my Copic markers. Anything you put on the back side is muted and beautiful.

Well it is raining here this morning. Rainy Mondays .....Well it has to rain sometime and this winter it has been most of the time. Have a wonderful day even if it is raining.

New Card.....

Here is my card using the Coffee Filter Flowers technique from Sherry Cheever...I hope you enjoy it. I really loved making it and it will go into my stash.
The supply list is as follows:

Gina K Designs Card Stock
Bird Stamp from Pink Poison
Gold embossing powder from Ranger
Pebble Inc.Chalk
Ranger Distress Ink - Tea Dye
Ranger Rock Candy Distress crackle paint
Coffee Filter flower - Colored with distress ink and Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist
Martha Stewart Border Punch
Silk Ribbon and Bow Easy
and a few Pearls.

I like to keep the sentiment to go on the inside of the card and that way I can use them for any occasion.

Today is Friday....No big plans for the day. A little housework and I do mean a little, and then I plan to craft for awhile. Enjoy your weekend and remember to live each day like it is your last and take time to BREATHE!

JUST HANGING OUT.......

This is a picture of Abby. When you hear me speak about "My Girls", it is Abby and Maggie or MagPie. They are little Yorkies and Abby is a rescue dog. My sister found her wandering in the highway and almost hit her. My sister stopped and opened her car door and Abby came running. She called the animal shelter in that area and told them she had found Abby and after 2 weeks when no one claimed her she became mine. Someone had cut her hair down to less than 1 inch and she was so flea bitten she had to go to the vet to get rid of them. I took her home and loved her and she has made a beautiful baby! We also have Niki, A black Pug (The Queen of Sheba). She is my husband's dog and she totally loves her Daddy!

This past week, since I have been home, I have become the keeper of the DOOR! All three spend their time trying to get me to let them out. I have a feeder close to the porch and since it is soooooo cold here, the birds have been burning up the feeder. Well my girls love to chase the birds. They don't want to catch them just chase them. I have seen Abby come to a screaching halt just to keep from running into a bird that was trying to take flight. It is really funny to watch. It is all about the chase. Maggie runs down the porch and Abby runs down the sidewalk and they meet in the middle. Niki just stands on the steps and barks....well you know the Queen of Sheba would never run...unless she has been outside too long and needs to come into the warmth. Well I could think of worse things to be, Keeper of the Door, is not so bad when you come to think of it. I no longer have a tight schedule to adhere to, I can go to sleep when I want, get up when I want and do anything I want in between. Well almost anything....somebody has to keep the door!

Well I am off to get another cup of coffee and make the bed, I have errands to run today so I will spend some time away from the house. That will be good for a change.
Have a blessed Day!

Sherry's Coffee Filter Flowers Technique

Here they are....the little Coffee Filter Flowers that Sherry Cheever showed us how to make..I think they are adorable. The box is just a paper mache box that I use to store my inchies in. These flowers use coffee filters and Ranger Distress ink to color and I used some glimmer mist on mine. Also I used a spellbinders scallop circle die just like Sherry did. I can't wait to see what she will come up with next!
These would be really nice on so many things.

My layoff due to lack of work has left a bad taste in my mouth. As the days pass and I adjust I'm looking forward to new options and opportunities. I am a firm believer that when one door closes, another opens and I will find that open door. Just keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we try to move foreward. I'm going to draw unemployment and look around at several options and hopefully I'll know it when I see it.

SHERRY CHEEVER!!!!!!

I cannot tell you how excited I am right now. This little Tennessee Ridgerunner just received an email from Sherry Cheever...Now what are the chances of that happening? I truly think Sherry is a class act and I have been following her blog for quite awhile and I love her artwork. She is so into distress and I just love her ideas. I guess I have sort of become a "groupie". For her to take the time to
say hello to me just blows my mind. If you will notice her blog is at the top of my list for favorite places to visit. I check each and every morning to see what she is into. I am babbling at this point and there is no one home but me so I can't even tell anyone. I cannot wait to tell my husband. Sherry, if you are out there....Thanks for acknowledging that I am here!

Quilting??....

Yes it is true. I have been having a little trouble being productive with my cards, so I decided to dust off my quilting. I had started a quilt top many months ago and decided now was the time to work on it again. It will be a star pattern and each and every stitch will be done by hand. Let me just say this is a lot of work ...My mother was an avid quilter and she made so many beautiful quilts in her day. I have a couple of them here and her quilting stitches are so tiny and uniform ...Oh how I strive for that! So far my stitches are not pretty at all. Uneven and going up and down but I'm hoping with a little practice this will improve. Already I can see a tiny difference and there may be hope for me yet. LOL Since I am not working, I have the time to engage in this wonderful art form and I must say I am quite excited about it. Any way, think of me as I poke my fingers, a thimble seems impossible for me so far. I keep trying, but it really seems to constrict my motion with my finger. I know this is a learned thing and I keep trying and it too seems to be getting better. I will really need a thimble when I start to actually quilt the top.

Well it is getting later and later when I post as I become more used to being at home and I seem to be sleeping better now that all decisions are made and we are once again moving forward.

Have a great day and be careful out there. It is 18 degrees and snowing here this morning and I feel the roads will be slippery!

Monday Morning And All is Well....

Good morning to all...I hope you are up and ready to go...and just so you know, I am not. This is beginning to be a very good thing...my being here. I am well rested and not dreading the day as I was for so long when I was working. We have exploring all avenues open to me and a couple are coming to the front...Did you know I totally forgot that I know how to Detail a Car? I couldn't believe that. I have a perfect place to work out of the weather and all the equipment I need and the money is really good. You get your fingers dirty, but you can afford a manicure. LOL! The work is not hard when you have the right equipment. I have 20 months until retirement age and I still feel good so I will do something till then and then some after then. I can still draw SS and work a little until I am 65. Maybe enough to purchase insurance. NO MORE STRESS for this OLD BROAD !!! Life can still be good!

I hope you all had a Happy Valentine's Day...We did, we went to dinner Saturday night and watched old movies yesterday. Not too shabby!

I don't have any pictures to share this morning but I am working on some flowers made out of coffee filters and distress inks and they are too cute. I hope to have pictures later. This idea came from Sherry Cheever at http--sherrycheever.blogs.splitcoaststampers (Walking on the Bad Side) I have a link for her on the right side of my blog. Check it out. She is a very talented lady and I really admire her spunk!

Well I have made this a very long post and I didn't mean to so I will get another cup of coffee and move on to other things.

Have a Blessed Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Good morning to all...and Happy Valentine's Day. We are all well and still right here! We have been exploring our options and looking to the future...Many new adventures await us. I have been looking at some things I can do since I have been laid off from work and we have a couple of ideas and I'm getting really excited...More on this later as we explore the options. Now about my card. This is the card I created for my husband for Valentines Day. I always struggle with cards for men but I really love how this one turned out. I used stamps from Tim Holtz and Ranger distress inks, card stock from Gina K. Designs, and Shakespear Romeo & Juilet paper from Scrapperdashery. I love these papers and they are very hard to come by here in the States. They are double sided and beautiful muted colors and excellent for use with Ranger Distress Inks. Whenever I find a vendor who carries these I try and purchase some.

We are under the gun again with our weather. I don't think we have much snow to worry about, but it is cold, cold, cold and a winter weather advisory until Tuesday morning. Looks like we will be sitting in front of the fire today. Not too shabby!

Have a wonderful day!

MY LAST CALENDAR.......

Here is my final calendar....I have really enjoyed doing these...The set makes a really nice gift. I have finished my Valentine's Day cards and will take pictures and then we will move on. Next comes My Grandson's birthday and then we move right along to Easter. That is just around the corner. There are so many projects that I want to do and I have many, many photo's I need to scrapbook so I have plenty to keep me occupied.

Yes I am still rising in the middle of the night. Old habits are hard to break so I will probably still be posting very early in the morning. Not to worry all is well, I just don't need as much sleep as I used to. It's like your body knows you are on the downhill slide and it doesn't want to miss a thing. LOL! Well ladies, have a wonderful day and think of me as I don't have to get out in the cold and go to work.

WEDNESDAY.....

First off here is my calendar for November....We are getting down to the nitty gritty of my "A Year of Flowers" stamp set from Flourishes. I have really enjoyed doing these and I'm hoping my very good friend is enjoying them as I have given the Calendars to her as a birthday gift.

Well it is indeed Wednesday here and its is 16 degrees outside with the wind whipping. Snow showers all around....Most of the storm is headed up the East coast and dumping more snow on those poor people. We have dodged the bullet again. Whew...I am now getting a little tired of brown and mud and looking forward to some spring flowers and green grass. I had wanted snow but we didn't seem to get much here as usual so now we will just wait for Spring. Suddenly finding myself at home is going to be ok. I have worked since I was 26 and now I'm slowing down by leaps and bounds. I may do something on a part time basis or just look for another way to make money.

OCTOBER CALENDAR

As you can see I'm not very good at using copics to color the Mums. I kept fiddling with the image and adding stuff over it to mask my incompetence and suddenly I really liked the way the image looked. It reminds me of something weathered and very old like it belonged to my Grandmother...I first colored with copic then added distress ink from Ranger to age the patina then after all that I covered it in Crystal Lacquer, it sort of reminds me of an old brooch. As you can see I have become quite taken with butterflies. I love all things with nature, flowers, birds, bees and now butterflies and dragonflies. Sometimes i just flit from one thing to another and then I focus in onto something and become quite obsessed with it. Anyway I hope you enjoy.

Weather flash. They are calling for another winter storm to come through here tonight and into tomorrow. I am seeing Robins in the yard.....come on Spring!!!!

MY LIFE IS CHANGING.......

Today I will be taking a layoff from work. This is sending me and my household into a new world. I am a firm believer that when the Lord closes one door, another one opens. There was no word of being called back so I'm guessing that won't happen. We have some ideas and will pursue them and we will have some time to regroup. We are looking at several possibilities and the right one will present itself when the time is right. For the time being, I'm planning on doing what I want for awhile...Not to shabby! Looking forward to that part. There are several projects I've wanted to do here at home and never seemed to have the time so now I will.
Now here is my next calendar for you to see. I hope you like it. Keep us in your prayers as we enter this journey....

AUGUST CALENDAR.....

Here is the August Calendar for you to check out. More Spellbinders dies and Flourishes stamps "A Year of Flowers" etc. etc. At this point you know the drill I used basically the same tools on all of my calendars and each and everyone looks totally different. I hope you enjoy this one. I like the colors of the copic markers and also the crystal lacquer to give the flower a little dimension.

It is Sunday and I plan on putting up my feet and maybe cross stitching a little today. I have been working on a valentine's day card for my sweet husband. I will have pictures later.

Have a blessed day.

JULY CALENDAR

Over the weekend, I finished the set of Calendars...Here is the one for July...Tiger Lily is a new one for me. But I'm quite happy with how it turned out. I wasn't sure about the colors to use to make it look like what they look like in nature, but I think I came pretty close. This is more of the "Year of Flowers" from Flourishes, with little embellishments and dies from Spellbinders. Copic Markers and a little butterfly with crystal lacquer to make it dimensional.

Today is hump day, middle of the week and I'm hoping it is all down hill from here!
Have a wonderful day!!!!

Well ladies, it is raining here this morning. We have totally run the gamut from rain, freezing rain snow, freezing rain more snow and now it is raining again. The temp is at 31 degrees so I am hoping it doesn't become freezing rain. I guess winter has come to East Tennessee. I love the cold temps and know that we have to go through this to get to spring. I was looking out my kitchen window over the weekend and I swear I saw a Robin on the deck. Just a glimpse out of the corner of my eye, but they do come back here in February so maybe it was an early arrival. That is a sure sign Spring is just around the corner.

Well I must get to moving, this is Tuesday and my day must begin, like it or not, Work beckons and I must go....

BRETT.......

I just thought you might like another picture of Brett...He is really a camera hound and so curious. We just love his disposition and Gypsie is totally enjoying his friendship. They get along so well. Have I said before we are so pleased to have found him!

Feb 1, 2010

Is anybody there? Sometimes I get to thinking there is nobody there at all. But when I started this blog it was on a whim and I promised I would just tell you what is on my mind and show some pictures. I have done that and I must say I really enjoy doing it. Sooooooo ..... it really doesn't matter if anyone see's it or not. This adventure is for me and my family. I'm not much for facebook or twitter, however I find that I write on this blog almost daily. I feel like it is a way for my family to see what I'm doing and know that I am ok if I write everyday. So I guess this means that I will continue to type all this stuff in and send it out into oblivion each day or so just so you know I am still here!

Where did January go? It just seemed to fly by. I must be getting old....Well we made it through the snowstorm with only a couple of inches of snow accumulation. Mother Nature gave us a mixed bag of ingredients to deal with and depending on where you live in our county determined the amount of these ingredients you received. This morning the temps are 16 degrees here and I'm hoping it will be warming up just a tad. I have to work 1/2 day today and then I can come home and put on my jammies and play if I want. Mostly I want, because I love doing valentine cards. It is that time of year. I also have a friend that has a birthday this month and I am working on a gift for her.

Well it is time for me to run through the shower and see of I can face the day. I'm hoping to have pictures for tomorrow!