Home.....

I don't usually show personal pictures, but I just had to show you this!  The dogwoods blooming in all their glory!  I took pictures yesterday and just had to show you how beautiful it is in East Tennessee this year!  Most all of our neighbors have dogwoods and fruit trees and they are all in full bloom.  The apple trees look like big white snowballs!

If you look through this picture to the flag pole, that window is my craftroom window.  This is what I'm looking out into this past week or so.  

The next picture is just a different angle of the front yard!  See all that white picket fence?  I spent last Spring down on my knees and sitting on a small stool painting that sucka!  Talk about a slow go but it did turn out well!

I don't have a card this morning, but I do have a new Easter Egg I did that I will be sharing on Monday.

I just had to stop in this morning and let you see this.  I will be cleaning house today, so no crafting going on here.  Naturally, when I'm in the mood to craft, that is when I look around and see all the dust bunnies peeping out at me.....I know it's Easter Season, but COME ON!!

Thanks for stopping by this morning!  I hope you have a wonderful Saturday and take a moment just for you and "Breathe"!

Where did this week go?

It almost seems like one day it was Monday and I had a whole week facing me with lots of Springtime chores and then suddenly I wake up and it's Friday and seems like nothing happened this week.  I promise I've been busy, but there has not been much to show for all my working.  Sometimes you do things that will not show up just yet, like feeding plants and clearing away dead growth on other plants and it won't really make a showing until later.  I've done a lot of those things these past two weeks, and now my roses are budded and ready to bloom and I have  Iris up and looking like they might bloom soon and my peony is beginning to sprout out of the ground too.  So some of my labors are beginning to show here and there.   The weather forcast for our area for the first week of April is for a major cool down.  I do hope we don't get a frost.  That could really hurt all these plants and trees that are blooming.  Our Apple trees look like huge white bouquets and our dogwood trees are blooming!

So this morning I decided to settle down for a little while and post this card I made for Heartfelt Creations. 

I just love birch trees and this image just makes me smile.  I think it made a really pretty card and it was so simple to do.  If you have an interest in the products used and the instructions for making this card, just go to the Heartfelt Creations blog .  While you are there take a little time and look around.  I have another project listed there as well as all the creations for the rest of the design team.  You will find lots of motivation and inspiration there. 

Well I've been sitting here long enough this morning.  I have some more chores to do today and then I can come back inside and play for awhile.  I do like my play time! 

Thanks for stopping by this morning and no matter what you get into today and no matter where you find yourself, take a moment just for you and Breathe!

Heartfelt Creations Wednesday.....

Good morning everyone!  Since it is Wednesday, it is time once again to share a creation I made for Heartfelt Creations.  This is a little different for me...it's my first altered cd.   I really love these colors together, the pinks and browns are becoming favorites!  For all the products I used on this and the instructions, go over to the Heartfelt Creations blog   Everything is listed there as well as everything that the other design team members did this week.  Take a moment and look around; there is so much beauty in one place and you will be so happy you did.  As always you can visit the design teams individual blogs by clicking on their names on the side of my blog.  Go visit them and leave a comment; we all love to hear from you.

Well that about does it for me this week.  There is a lot going on here today so I need to get moving.  Have a great day and a wonderful rest of the week!

WOYWW #147

What is WOYWW you ask?  What's on Your Work Desk Wednesday.  And here it is in all it's glory!  A little messy...right?  Not too bad actually.  I'm beginning work on some cards and I'm just forming ideas and playing with some different techniques to see how different papers react as well as different inks, etc.  You get the picture.  I've been pulling digital images off the computer and printing them and I've done some stamping and I have some ink pads pulled out as well.  Also my trusty cup of coffee.  In the background ,to the right, you see my Zutter Distrezz-It-All.  I love that thing!  Then off to the left is my push back pile, waiting to be put away.  It also contains some flower petals that have been cut and are waiting to be inked and shaped to make pretty flowers.  I have several projects in the planning stages and this is how I roll!  Sometimes, my brain just gets way ahead of my fingers and I start bouncing from one thing to the next....now don't worry.....it all comes together......eventually!  If not, I've had a whale of a time playing!

Now if you would like to play along, just go over to Julia's blog and you can get all the particulars on this madness there!  Take a picture of your desk and link it up to the blog and then you can visit all the other bloggers that have also linked their desks.  I spend most of the day on Wednesday's trying to get around to everyone.  I have never quite made it to all the desks, but I just love looking at other people's desks and seeing what they have going on. 

Well that's it for me this week.  I'm off to visit and look at everyone's mess.  Come join the fun....You show me yours...I've shown you mine!

Weekly Challenge at Joan's Gardens

Good morning everyone!  This is my second bookmark for the challenge at Joan's Gardens

Each week Joan has a challenge and she keeps us on our toes.  This week we were challenged to make a bookmark, using the corner of an old envelope.  For all the details, just go on over to Joan's Gardens and check it out! 

For my bookmark I used the corner of a used envelope and covered it front and back with some pretty paper.  I added a Spellbinders die cut and I made a little rose to go on the front.  Once I had the rose made, I smooched it down some because it was really standing too tall to be a good bookmark.  I like this much better and it will work inside a book much better.

OK this challenge ends on Thursday mornings, so you still have time to get one ready.  They are very easy to do and I'm sure you will become addicted, just like me!

That's it for me this morning.  Be sure to come back tomorrow for Heartfelt Creations Wednesday and also my WOYWW post!  On Wednesday, you get two for the price of one!

Have a good day and take a moment just for you and "Breathe"!



I'm still working on my Easter eggs for my husband.  I have only done two to date, but I'm determined to do several before it is time to give it to him.  This one is a paper mache egg I found at our local craft store and I painted it that pretty shade of blue.  I started with a pretty piece of trim and glued it all around the middle of the egg and then I took lots of flowers and leaves and some curled wire and just filled it full of these little things.  It's sort of pale, almost Victorian looking and I think I like it very much!  Everything has been sprayed and sprayed some more with shimmer sprays and then glued to the top of the egg. 

Do you have any Easter traditions?  When I was growing up we always had a new outfit for church; frilly dresses and little socks with lace around the top and patent leather shoes.  Mother could never quite bring herself to put us in hats or gloves.  We always attended the Easter Egg Hunt at the church and then home to take off our best clothes and then outside to play.  We hunted those eggs several times on Easter Sunday; until my poor Dad tired of hiding them! 

Well that is about it for me this morning.  I hope you are ready to face the new week and that you find some time to create.  As always, remember to "Breathe"!

Joan's Gardens Challenge

Good morning...I'm here to share a bookmark I made for the challenge over at Joan's Gardens.  Joan's designer Selma has a wonderful tutorial over on her blog so you can visit by clicking here:  selmasstampingcorner.blogspot.com  Just scroll down the page and you will come to her bookmark.  The requirements this week were:

Create a corner bookmark using the corner cut off an envelope. You can use an envelope from "junk" mail.

You need to cover the front and back

Be creative and let us see what you can come up with.

Tutorial will be Selma's blog for cutting measurements

I think I covered all the bases on this one.  I cut the corner of an envelope and covered with blue designer paper, front and back and then I used a Spellbinders Fancy Tags Three die to cut out a piece for the bottom of the bookmark.  I cut the tag to fit my bookmark and taped it down.  Next I used Spellbinders Grand Shapabilities "Wonderful Wings" and picked a butterfly that would fit my project and cut it out.  Then the fun started.  I sprayed, painted, dried, sprayed some more and just kept on playing until I got a look I liked.  You wouldn't think I could do so many things to one little butterfly, but it has several layers of spray and paint on it.  My sprays were homemade and the paints were from Lindy's Stamp Gang. 

This is such a quick and easy idea; I think I will be making several of these to give as little gifts. 

We are thundery here this morning with one storm right after another moving through the area.  I'm sitting here quietly getting my post ready and I can actually "hear" the grass growing.....just kidding!  Have a great day and a wonderful rest of the weekend!  And remember to "Breathe"!

Faith Is...

I made this card for Heartfelt Creations and I just love the sentiment.  I wanted something really washed out against the white on white background.  So I stamped my flower petals and used a light pink embossing powder then I used a pink color wash to go over the flower before I shaped the petals.  I cut out the leaves and did the same color wash on them so they would be as light as the flowers.  I sort of like the look....everything is pale and then you have the sentiment in black.  If you would like all the items I used and the instructions, just go to the Heartfelt Creations blog and you can get all the details.

Well it is Friday again and I'm not sure where the week went.  I've had additional chores this week with all the Spring clean up.  Everything is in bloom and it is beginning to be beautiful outdoors, if you can breathe for all the pollen.  Being an allergy sufferer I have to limit my time outdoors and wonder if I will ever get things back into place after the winter months.  And of course the grass is jumping ... we are mowing like crazy just trying to keep up.  Spring has definitely sprung around here but I'm not sure it will last.  All the old farmers in the area are saying to be prepared for a Spring freeze, that it is too warm for this time of the year.  After all, it is still only March!

Well thanks for stopping by this morning.  I hope you have a good day and a wonderful weekend; and that you have some time to be creative!

A Suprise Post....

Good morning out there!  My title can be a little deceiving so I want to clear that up right now!  I have gotten a little lax in posting, getting down to Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I must admit I've become quite lazy in my crafting.  The surprise is it is Thursday and I have a card to share with you.  This little darling comes to me from a special friend...stamped onto watercolor paper and ready to color just for you.  She is such a dear one to take the time to send these to me as she knows I love to practice my coloring with Ranger Distress re-inkers.  Sometimes, still when I color I have to just trash the piece and start over on something else.  This one turned out perfectly I think!  I think she is just so cute standing on the fence with the flowers all around her and that perfect hat just topping off the whole design.

As I was saying, I colored this with distress inks and then mounted on a piece of brown card stock to match the piece of design paper I found.  Next I needed some ribbon or some tiny yellow flowers, so I opted to take a piece of seam binding and color it with a Lemon Pro Marker and it does such a fine job of matching the piece. 

I wanted to keep this clean and simple as I am really proud of the way it worked up.  And by doing this I can mail with no problem.

Well thanks for stopping by to visit.  I always appreciate your visits and if you have time to leave a comment I love to read them!  And as always, no matter where you are or what you are doing, take a moment and breathe!

Another Heartfelt Creations Wednesday..

Good morning everyone!  It is once again Wednesday and time for me to share another Heartfelt Creations card with you.  I think this card would make a wonderful birthday card for that special man in your life.

The Heartfelt Creations Products used on this project are:
HCPC 3462 My Guy PreCut Set
HCPC 3456 Western Bronco PreCut Set
HCD 720 Western Broncos Dies

Other supplies:  Canson watercolor paper, brown card stock, design paper, shimmer sprays, True Hemp, dew drops, glue, Scor-Tape, zots, Tim Holtz distressing tool, Memento Ink, Ranger Distress Inks

My Card size is 5" X 7".  Make card base out of watercolor paper and cover completely with design paper and set aside.  The reason I use watercolor paper for the base is it adds stability and can stand up to almost anything you put on it without bending.  Next stamp image onto a piece of watercolor paper and spray with different shimmer sprays until you achieve the look you like.  Use whatever colors you like and just play with it!  I then used the distressing tool to distress the edges and I colored the edges with a dark distress ink to give the piece an aged look.  Stamp the horse and cut out using the die and spray with shimmer sprays.  This time I used a brown based spray.  I tied a bow using the hemp and mounted the horse using a Zot, being sure to hook his leg through the hemp.  Mount this whole piece onto a distressed piece of brown card stock and then mount to the card base.  To finish off, I glued three dew drops along the bottom of the card. 

I want to encourage you to use the products you have on hand.  When you get a new set of stamps, use the colors you have and make it your own.  Use your embossing powders and shimmer sprays and play...you might just be surprised at the outcome!  I had no idea where this was going when I started.  I started with the stamped image and started playing with it.  I did trash one piece and started over because I didn't like the dark spray I was using.  It was clouding the image too much; so don't be afraid...just jump in and get started!  So what if you trash a piece...you can always start again and the more you use your products, the more comfortable you will be in adding color to a project!

Well I hope I haven't bent your ear too much this morning!  I hope you like my card and that you are encouraged to play with what you have on hand.  This month's release of stamps from Heartfelt Creations is a perfect time to jump in and let your creativity take over!  Don't be afraid of your products....they are your friends!  Why don't you go on over to the Heartfelt Creations blog  and see what the other design team members have created this week.  There is a lot going on over there and I'm sure you will be inspired.  Have you voted for your favorite designers yet?  Take a little time while you are there and submit your vote...We all appreciate your thoughts and your support!

A Little Look Back.......

 

I have been cleaning old photos off my computer and look what I found!  This is a picture of the very first card I posted way back in Sept. 2009! I started this blog, not knowing if anyone would ever read it, but thinking I would do this thing even if it was just for me.  For months nobody visited except for my dear sister the "Enabler", but I ploughed forward each and every chance I got to post.  I can't remember much about this card but it sure looks like I was really into this Swiss dot folder!  Also my picture taking skills were seriously lacking.  Still are, although I now have a much better camera and set up to work with.  I had my desk set up in the laundry room and it looks like I propped the card on the washer and snapped the picture.  When I found this picture, I had to smile.  It is my beginning.....my starting point....we all have them and hopefully I have moved forward from this humble little owl sitting on all that Swiss dot embossing. 

Since I snapped this picture many things have happened in my life.  I now have a whole room to call mine...I'm retired and can play all day long if I want...I've been on a couple of design teams and have learned so very much from other design team members.  I have watched my grandchildren mature and become teenagers.  Life is good.

So what about you, do you remember your first card?  Do you remember your first commenter?  Slow down and have a little look back at your beginnings...  Now lets look forward.  I embrace each and every day.  I look forward to reading your comments and visiting my blogging buddies.  I have made so many new friends since I started and I love to visit.  If you are standing in the wings, thinking about starting a blog, I encourage you to jump in and get your feet wet!  It opens up a whole new world and I don't think you will ever regret it.  We all have to start somewhere.

Well this is it for me.  Just a little walk down memory lane before I turn and face this glorious day.

I hope your day is filled with sunshine and happiness!   

You Pick Me Up.....

Good morning everyone.  I hope your Friday is getting off to a good start.  I want to share with you another card I made for Heartfelt Creations.  You know me, I like the girly cards.....lots of flowers, ribbons or lace, so this new collection has had me in a tailspin.  I love all the stamp sets and I can think of many uses for them, but I kept trying to make it a girly thing.  I did finally manage to get my head on straight and am able to manly cards with these stamps now.  But I just had to show you this one!  Now we all know there are cowgirls in this world too...so this one is for those.

The Heartfelt Creations stamp set used on this card is:  HCPC 3458 Western Collage PreCut Set

For all the other supplies used and the instructions just go on over to the Heartfelt Creations blog and have a look around.  While you are there, be sure and leave a comment and you will be eligible to win the complete release collection of stamp sets.  Now I don't know anyone who wouldn't want a chance to win all that.  All you have to do is leave a comment.

Well that's it for me this morning.  I hope you have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

Heartfelt Creations Introduces My Guy Collection!!

If you are "manly challenged" as I am, this collection is for you!  I always thought I had to have ribbon or flowers to create a card until now.  Here is what Heartfelt Creations has to say about this wonderful new collection of stamps!

We are pleased to introduce the My Guy Collection. This is a set for your best buckaroo. This collection comes with a lively farmstead, frolicking horses, and sentimental sayings in fonts that have as much attitude as your special man does. With a western flare of attitude, this set also contains cowboy hats and boots, and a variety of landscape stamps to create that perfect scenic creation you have been dreaming of. There are 7 new PreCut Stamp Sets and one beautiful new exclusive Spellbinders die designed for Heartfelt Creations.
Leave a comment on the HC blog by March 20 to be eligible to win the entire release valued at $141.92. The winner will be announced on March 21 on the HC Blog.

If you would like the details of my card, just go on over to the Heartfelt Creations blog and everything is listed there as to the products I used and the instructions for actually making the card.  While you are there have a look around, you will be inspired.  Then just jump in with both feet and make that man in your life a card!  I can think of so many ways to use this collection...even for cowgirl cards! 

Then don't forget to leave a comment so you can be entered in the drawing for the complete  collection!  Now how easy is that? 

Well that is it for me this morning.  I'm off to see all the wonderful creations posted on the Heartfelt Creations blog.  Have a great day and enjoy the weather.  We are skipping Spring and jumping right into summer.  We are supposed to reach the upper 70's today and then right on into the 80's after that.  How wild is that for March?

WOYWW 145

Happy Wednesday everyone and welcome to WOYWW...What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday #145.  Each Wednesday some of us take a picture of our desk and link it to Julia's blog and then we visit each other and see what we have going on.  You get a quick look  at desks all over the world!  It's really a great idea and each and every Wednesday I try like crazy to make it around to all the desks but try as I might, I have only been able to do this once.  But I do love looking around!  You get all kinds of ideas and you get to see you are not the only dirty bird out there!

This week I have a little more clutter going on.  I'm in the middle of decorating eggs for Easter!  I'm even working on some real chicken eggs and they are so delicate to work with.  So I went digging in my stash for all kinds of goodies to go on top of these eggs!  Tiny flowers, ribbons, edgings then I got my glue gun out and went to work.  You can see one of the finished eggs in the back of the picture.  Every year I do an Easter basket for my husband and this year will he be suprised!  I'm hoping he will want to put these away and use them each year.  I would hate to think I have to do this again and again!

Well, that is all I have this morning.  Have a great day and no matter where you are or what you are doing, take a moment and "Breathe"!

Decorated Egg.....

It won't be long until Easter and I decided it is time to get busy and decorate some eggs.  This one is a real chicken egg that is blown and washed and dried.  I painted it with Acrylic paint and then once dry I added all the decorations.  Some pretty braid around the center then some soft flowers and leaves here and there.  I have several of these to do and I envision them in a pretty basket sitting on a table for the upcoming holiday. 

I hope this has inspired you to do one ,or several of your own.  Just a few flowers, some leaves and a hot glue gun and away you go.  The possibilities are endless so just pull out all those flowers you have had stashed away gathering dust and get busy.

We are beginning a brand new week so embrace the possibilities and as always, remember to "Breathe"!

Trash to Treasure

Good morning blogging friends.  Today I want to share with you an altered nut tin that I did for the challenge over at Joan's Gardens.  Each week she has a challenge and has a nice gift if you are the winner.  You can go on over to Joan's blog to check all the details.  She has a great shop for lots of wonderful items and everything arrives in pristine condition! 

The challenge this week called for: 

Recycle a box (round)
Color theme is whatever you like
Use some lace
Use some pearls and flowers

I think I covered all the bases.  I used a nut tin and covered it with pretty paper and added lace to the edge of the lid and the bottom of the box.  Then I took flowers and leaves and sprayed them with shimmer spray and glued them to the top.  Next came the sprinkling of pearls all over the empty spaces on the top of the box.  Not difficult at all.  Tuck a little gift inside and give it to a friend or sit it on a table for display.  I might just keep this one!

Why don't you join in the challenge!  It is always fun and you can enter more than once in Joan's challenges.  This would be the perfect opportunity to make something beautiful out of something you would normally discard.

I'm also entering this in the Sugar Creek Hollow challenge.

Well that is it for me this morning.  I hope you have a great day and a wonderful weekend.  And remember to breathe!

Happy Heartfelt Creations Wednesday.....

Good morning everyone.  Since it is once again Wednesday, I'm here to share another card I made for Heartfelt Creations.   If you have an interest in how I made this little beauty just head on over to the Heartfelt Creations blog and have a look around.  My card is there with all the supplies used and the instructions are listed as well.  Have a good look around, there is a would of talent on this team and you will be totally inspired!  If you would like to visit each team member's blog you can click on their names on my sidebar and go directly to their blogs.  Leave them a comment so they know you have been there.  We all love to hear from you!

Well that's about it for me this morning.  I hope you have a good day and that you can find time to be creative!

WOYWW 144

As we gather once again for our Wednesday snoop, I cordially invite you to play along with us!  Just head over to Julia's blog and get all the details.   Every Wednesday we take pictures of our desk and then post it to Julia's blog and then we go have a look around and see what we all are doing.  I find I get to see I'm not the only slob in the crafting world and it gives you a good sense of  belonging!  Some of us have large spaces, some extra small, but we are all part of the sisterhood! 

I have to admit that I fudged a little this week.  I took my picture a couple of days ago, as I have had to be running in and out and didn't know if I would remember to do this little chore.  I am in the middle of making a card and coloring some flowers to go on it.  You can see my packet of leaves and my little pots of color and some glue and a glue gun just sitting in wait.  All is right with the world.

Well now that I've showed you mine, show us yours!  Take your picture and then go link it to Julia's blog and then have a little look around.

That is it for me this morning.  I'm off to look around and try to get a little farther down the list this week.

Have a good day!

Coral and Blue.......

Good morning everyone!  I hope your Monday was a good one and that your week is getting off to a good start.  I found this piece of pattern paper in my paper area and I decided now was the time to use it.  My card is 6" X 6" and I framed a sentiment from Heartfelt Creations.  I pulled out some petals and a rose and colored them Coral and Blue and scrunched them a little and nestle them around some leaves and my card is ready to go.  I just love easy CAS cards and for me this is CAS.  I love flowers and pearls and ribbon and the more, the better, so this is not an easy thing for me.

I hope you have a good day planned.  We are expecting warmer temps here in the Valley and I'm praying the tornado victims also feel a warm up!   Have a great day and remember to breathe!

No Crafting Going on Here.......

I have been totally out of the loop the last few days, with all the things going on in my little corner of the world.  With the devastating storms racing through the Tennessee Valley on their way to cause so much destruction in our area as well as Kentucky and Indiana it just started me into  a tailspin as far as creativity goes.  I have lived here all my life and this was the first time I was actually uneasy with the weather.  I'm sure everyone has seen the news and read the newspaper headlines and I don't have to fill you in on what was going on all around us.  Our little community was spared the devastation and I realize we were right in it's path but for some reason the storms went on either side of us and we were spared. 

Since I lost my MoJo again I decided to work on my old computer that I received back from the repairman.  I was told the problem was absolutely too many pictures and that I should get rid of them.  So I unhooked the new computer and put up the old one and spent the day yesterday pulling off old pictures and loading them into an external drive.  Now I never said I was was a computer person but when I got to looking around, there were 3 and 4 copies of some of the photos and for the life of me I have no idea how this happened.  I must have been asleep as I offloaded from my camera or something.  So I worked diligently most of the day and this computer is working like a charm again.  I'm going to continue to run this old one and when it dies, I will have a brand new one just waiting for me to set up and go! 

So today I shall get back into playing a little.  I feel inspired again and am ready to get on with it.  As my computer sits quietly humming along, I feel like I have found an old friend.  But I will be more diligent about how many pictures I store here.  Say it three times:  I will back-up every week!  Say it three times and click your heals together!

I Remember.......

I just love this image, but I'm not sure I like what I did with it.  On one hand it seems a little plain and on the other hand it is just a busy card.  But the idea here is that my baby sister had a doll she played with that looked alot like this image.  I remember thinking, it would have been nice to have something this life like and pretty to play with when I actually played with dolls.  My dolls were usually the standard plain Jane, run of the mill dolls.  But by the time my sister came along, it was a whole other ball game.  My Mom sewed gorgeous dresses and night gowns and even underwear for these little dolls.  Which doll was your favorite?  Did you have clothes to fit her?

Well the weekend is almost here.  Do you have great plans?  We are under the gun for more sever storms in the area today and this evening.  I plan to just keep my head down and try and stay out of trouble!

Have a great weekend and remember, wherever you are and whatever you are doing....take a moment and "Breathe"!