FABULOUS FLORETS MEETS NATURE WALK

Happy Royal Wedding Day All!

Okay, I was up at 4:30 a.m. this morning (yes, I overslept a little), to see probably my last Royal Wedding.  It was well worth the early morning, who doesn't love a fairytale.  I was sad and happy at the same time.  Sad that Princess Diana was not there physically to be with her son when he get married, and happy for the new bride and groom, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  Every once in a while you would catch a glimpse of Princess Diana in Prince William, as when he gave the shy sideways glance with his eyes looking up.  Don't you just love fairytales!!  And didn't you just love the beautiful hats worn by the ladies.  I always seem to buy new hats when I am in a new store or traveling, but then end up only wearing them once.  But I love them, and think we should go back to wearing them all the time (I'm ashamed to admit that when I was much, much younger, this was the highlight of going to church; to wear a new hat and see what others would wear). 

Prince William just kissed his new bride, so I guess I need to get going to start my day.  Seems kind of stupid but I need to take a shower and then put on clean pajamas so I can go to a PJ party tonight.  Yep, even old folks have PJ parties if they are a RubberQueen.  Thank you Ronda for keeping us young, and including a stamping night at the same time.  Tonight we will be doing 5 new baggie books to showcase the new 2011 Stampin' Up Summer Mini Catalog.  Woohoo, can't wait.

Here is a new card featuring a sneak peek at one of the new stamps in the Simmer Mini catalog, the Fabulous Florets Stamp Set.  What an easy stamp set to use, with bold and line stamps all in one set.  I also used two stamps (the bird and butterfly) from the current Nature Walk Stamp Set, which you can still get until tomorrow.  I stamped the green foliage in Old Olive Classic Ink, and watercolored the rest of the images using Stampin' Ups Wonderful Water Color Crayons before cutting them out.  My main crayon colors for the flowers were Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Cajun Craze, and Daffodil Delight.  The bird was done in the Baja Breeze, Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray, Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, and Basic Black Watercolor Crayons.  And finally the butterfly was done in Baja Breeze and Pacific Point Watercolor Crayons.  The first picture is my completed card that was done first.  Then I went back and decided to see if I could fix a Whisper White panel I had started on my first try, but got smudges on the foliage from my hand and threw away (don't you just hate when you do that!!).  Later I pulled it out of the trash and decided to see if I could salvage.  So the second card is my "fixed" version of my "throwaway"  -- I think it was worth fixing up.  My inspiration for this card came from a very old "store-bought" card that I had kept because I loved the flowers and bird  -- how about you???



My first card.

 

This is my "fix-up" card -- do you think it is good enough to send???

Some unfinished business:  the answer to my previous post:  baby mice!!!  How sick, sick, sick!!  She had to buy them for my granddaughter's pet snake's food.  And Tamie Ackerson thinks she has problems with all her pets!!  I will never look at a snake again without thinking about those baby mice. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog; and for those of you that take time to leave a comment, you make my day by giving me feedback and letting me know who belongs to those "numbers."   Sometimes I get comments from people named "anonymous" and I feel bad because I cannot acknowledge your comment.  So if your comment has the your name posted as "anonymous," I would love it if you signed your name and (if you like/can), provide your e-mail address, and blog address.  I love to visit the blogs of people who comment.

Sandi
(I thought the following verse appropriate to remember based on my fetish for hats.  I'll try to do better Lord.)

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” -- 1 Peter 3:3-4

BIRTHDAYS AND FLOWERS

I know you won't believe this, but it has been so long since I have posted that I can't think of anything bright and intelligent to pass on and make it worthwhile for you stopping by my blog.  Normally I'm so intelligent with all this great information and exciting things that happen in my life that I could write a book.  My only excuse is that I have been in "birthday" mode for the last two weeks.  And probably will be until the first week in June.  However, I will promise (in writing) right now, that I will do something fantastic to share by this time next week.  I know I will be stamping a lot because I have many more cards to make and am working on finishing an album tonight. 

I did throw an awesome double birthday party for my two youngest daughters on Monday (it was suppose to be Sunday, but all of the family members took part in the 5K Race for Cure breast cancer fundraiser).  Absolutely too cold for me, plus I was cooking all day.  My girls put in their birthday dinner orders and this is what I made:

1. A pork roast and 2 beef roasts (they all wanted leftovers to take home).
2. Homemade egg noodles in gravy (just thinking about this makes me bloat up!!).
3. Homemade biscuits.
4. Mashed potatoes (about 5+ pounds).
5. Fresh steamed broccoli.
6. Fancy salad with stuff in it that I don't like (green onions and Feta cheese).
7. Light hors d'oeuvres of fresh pineapple and cantaloupe (which they devoured so they couldn't take any home).
8. Two homemade (that's from "scratch" folks) cakes (one for each birthday girl) -- this request is on all my kids/grandkids list this year.  You would think they never get homemade food, when I know for a fact both my daughters make everything from scratch and a lot healthier food than I make.
9. And of course ice cream (no it was not homemade, as grandpa wasn't in the mood to make it -- has to be hot outside he said).

They all stuffed themselves and gave me all kinds of kudos (they know they better by now or it won't happen again).  And after talking about all that food, I have to tell you what my daughter (Trisha of course) brought over for cake decorations.  She hands me this sack and said it was for the top of the cake.  So I open it up and inside is this baggie and I look at it closely, then screamed and threw it in her face.  It was so very disgusting -- you will never in a million years guess what was in the bag.  As a matter of fact, it is so disgusting I am going to let you guess.  Another one of those posts to check to see if you have read this far -- LOL.

Huh, for somebody that didn't have anything to say, I still managed to write a chapter in a book!!  I'm sorry I don't have a card to show you, but I can show you some birthday party pictures and a picture of "one" of my Big Shot flowers I made for table favors (another thing the girls have been bugging me to make for them).  I made four identical flowers that can serve as either a hair decoration or pin (I put a barette and pin on the backs).  I found four vintage buttons that belonged to my grandmother that matched perfectly. 



Here is my granddaughter, Holly, with her flower.  I made them in the same colors as one I did for Holly last month for a gift for a friend of hers and she had told me then that she wanted another one just like it for her.



Here is Holly's older sister, Emily, with her flower.  Must have been steamy in the room as my camera lens had moisture on it.

 

Here is a close-up of Holly.

 

My daughter Tricia, in the middle of her daughters.

 

My middle daughter, Deborah, with her youngest son/my grandson, Nicholas.  You probably can't tell in this picture but his cousin Holly got the same eye glasses as he did.

 

Birthday girls with their cakes -- the table looks so bare after removing all the food.  You will note that Deborah (on right) has tissue in her ears because Tricia gets so excited and loud on her birthday (wonder where she gets that from).

 

And of course, we have Holly again who takes right after her mother and great-grandmother (notice I skipped a generation).  She loves to take pictures of herself just like her mom.  I couldn't figure out why she was spending so much time in my bathroom.  Of course I found out the next day on Facebook when I saw all these pictures.

Okay, there you have it -- a day in my life with my family doing what I love to do the most -- celebrating!!  Don't forget to guess what was in the bag my daughter brought over to put on the cake.  I will give you one other hint (besides the fact that I screamed).  The contents were pink.

Until next time,
Sandi
"And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. . . ." -- Luke 22:44
"Jesus, lead me to pray passionately in the midst of anguish, knowing that in prayer I grasp the hand that pulls me up to You."  -- Carol Knapp

BIRTHDAY BAKERY

It's birthday time today folks!!  No, it is not my birthday.  However, it seems like Spring is a very popular time in my family for babies to be born.  All of my girls, most of my grandchildren, and the majority of my siblings were all born during March, April, May, and June.  So there are tons of parties going on that is for sure.  I remember when my youngest daughter was born, Tricia, and having to sit in the hallway with her after she was born because there were no rooms available.  One of the nurses told me that the month of April is always their busiest month for births.  So do the math and it becomes very obvious as to why.  Could it be because my husband and I always went on vacation in July (and back in those days, most family vacations were in July)?  Lots of free time and relaxation?  Hmmm, something to think about I guess.

Obviously, I have been doing a lot of birthday cards.  So today I'm sharing another birthday card with you.  Very simple, no frills card but very yummy!


Oh yah!!  Don't you just want to dig into all that chocolate!!  Stampin' Up product used:  "Birthday Bakery Stamp Set;" Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla Cardstock; "Sweet and Sour Speciality Designer Paper;" Markers; Decorative Label and Scallop Trim Border Punches; Matchbox Bigz XL Big Shot Die; Neutrals Brads; and discontinued Masterpiece Ribbon Originals.



Here is what the inside looks like (the designer paper on the right bottom does not belong there; I was just covering up my writing as I didn't take a picture before I wrote inside).  The birthday cake is from the "Bring On The Cake Stamp Set" (in the Occasions Mini Catalog).

So there you have it, and now I am off to make some party favors for my girls!!  Have a wonderful weekend everybody.

Sandi
"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. . . ." -- Psalm 139:14
"Lord, may I use my birthday to celebrate the person You created me to be." -- Carol Kuykendall

BUILD A BLOSSOM: WEEK #10 CHALLENGE

Hello stampers!

It's time to play Try Stampin' On Tuesday using Week #10's sketch.  I only had a couple of hours today to play so don't be too harsh on me.  I knew what I wanted to do with this sketch as soon as I received it from CherylAnn, but then at the last minute today, I decided to change the flower I was going to use.  This will probably be the last time I use the Build a Blossom Stamp Set for a while as we only have a couple more weeks to order from the Occasions Mini.  So if you want this fabulous stamp set with the punch and Big Shot Die, let me know or order directly from my link on the left.  I'm so hoping it will be carried over to the new catalog in July, but you just never know. 

So this is what I came up with for your inspiration this week:

This is a 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" square card, using all Stampin' Up product: 

Build A Blossom, Bring On The Cake, En Français, and Sanded Stamp Sets; Level 1 Hostess In-Color Designer Series Paper Patterns Pack; Poppy Parade, Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy, and So Saffron Classic Ink and Cardstock; White Craft Ink; White and Iridescent Ice Embossing Powders; Fun Flowers Bigz L Die; and 1" Circle Punch.

Here is CherylAnn's Try Stampin' On Tuesday Sketch #10

I have a busy weekend coming up celebrating and taking a few minutes to be sad.  Everybody will be over for Sunday dinner to celebrate two of my daughters' birthdays.  I will be taking a few minutes feeling sad (that's all I will allow myself), because my "baby" is turning 40 (actually yesterday was her birthday, but I am trying to add a couple of days to be in denial).  Very hard to believe because in my mind I remember every second of their births like it was yesterday.  Okay, that was one-minute out of my "few" so I am going to stop before I have to hunt up the Kleenix!  (If you ask me how old my first born is, I'm just going to say "I don't know" so don't bother!)

Don't forget to click on this link to enter into this week's challenge!!

Until Next Time,
Sandi
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." -- Romans 10:17
"Spirit of Truth, as I read the Bible, help me to find the Word within the words, and be open to the adventure of God's transforming power." -- Andrew Attaway

USING UP THROW-AWAYS!!

Hi Everybody!

This is going to be my quick Thursday night post so I'm not even going to tell you about the trash going on in my life right now (lucky you, huh!).  Like all trash though, I just toss it out and then have a good laugh.  You have no idea how hard it is for me not to tell you all about my adventures the last three days.  Something exciting happens to me every day.  (Note: Your definition of excitement might be different than mine however.)  For example, trying to run through my patio door when it is closed is exciting for me -- and this usually happens a couple times a month.  Man, that is hard on the nose and sometimes the stars I see in my eyes are the colors of Baha Breeze, Rose Red, and Almost Navy (my favs!).  The doctor has told me I will probably be on my blood pressure pills for the rest of my life unless I cut down on my excitement.  I told her that would only happen if I grew 6 inches (according to her chart, I am not tall enough for my weight).

Okay, moving right along, today I did a card using up an image that I had watercolored, with SU's Watercolor Wonder Crayons, about 3-4 weeks ago.  I didn't like it and was going to throw away (I smudged a little of the black  StazOn ink when stamping).  I came across it when I was cleaning my desk and thought maybe it didn't look as bad as I thought.  So I came up with a whole new layout using a fold that I have done many times but never with it opening in this direction.  I ended up really liking it, mostly because it was different and gave me the opportunity to try a completely different layout.  So here it is:


It doesn't look like it in this picture, but I believe this is called either a Z-Fold or Joy Fold card.



This is how it looks when sitting on table.



Side view showing the folds.

 

Picture of the inside of card.



Close up of the flower made out of nylon panties (LOL -- just for you Tamie), and cut with the new Fun Fold Bigz L Big Shot Die.  (The leaves are from the Bird Punch with a little free-hand lines drawn using Always Artichoke Marker).

I know it is a little boring looking at an image I had stamped previously, but I really loved how this card turned out and wanted to share (it is going to a very special person).  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Until next time,
Sandi
"For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness . . .." -- Joel 2:13

TRY STAMPIN' ON TUESDAY CHALLENGE #9: SILHOUETTE SENTIMENTS

Good Morning America!!
Did you miss me???  Well, I missed hearing from all of you.  I guess the moral of the story is if you don't "feed" your viewers with some art than you shouldn't expect to hear anything.  Yah, yah I know that is how it works but it would be nice for somebody to just drop in and say, "Hey girl, I'm missing you so get off your duff and post something new."  To be honest with you that is exactly what I have been doing -- nothing!!  Well almost nothing, I started the week off by finally doing my taxes.  Oh my gosh, I about fell out of my chair at what I had to pay.  Nobody told me I would get taxed on my Social Security!!  Dah, I should have known that the government takes their 3rd out of "everything."  Stupid me, I thought that was all taken care of when I was working.  So not only did I get a whopping amount due, but had to pay a penalty and have to start making quarterlies (pretty sad when I have never had to pay in my entire life, and then it is after I retire).  Oh well, what can you do but move on and feel blessed that I didn't have to take out a loan -- LOL.

I also updated my Automated Excel Workshop Forms with all the new 2011 Summer Mini Catalog items and posted it on Splitcoast.  So if you want an updated version, go to Splitcoast or leave me a comment requesting a copy.  And I spent a little time doing some organizing in my studio -- a never-ending job for all of us, but something I love to do, as I find all these treasures that I forgot I owned.  All in all, it was a great relaxing week.  I knew I would need it, because the rest of the month will be busy, busy, busy.  I have tons of birthdays to celebrate (my girls, grandchildren, family), so lots of cards to make, shopping, and dinners to make. 

And of course, I did my Try Stampin' On Tuesday inspiration card and a few birthday cards for family that I can't show you right now.  Here is what I came up with for inspiration using this week's sketch:

A little Braying and Sponging Technique with this one.  All Stampin' Up product used:  Silhouette Sentiments, Clearly For You, and Pocket Silhouettes Stamp Sets; Peach Parfait, Pear Pizazz, Baja Breeze, and Very Vanilla Cardstock; Sunny Garden Designer Series Paper; Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz, Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi, and Soft Suede Classic Inks; Neutrals Brads; 1" Circle and Designer Label Large Punches; Square Lattice Textured Impression Big Shot Folder; Signo White Gel Pen; Brayer; Markers; and Sponges.

Try Stampin' On Tuesday Challenge Sketch #9

Okay, you know the drill:  get your stamps out and get your fingers' inky for an entry into this week's challenge.  Here is the link for CherylAnn's Try Stampin' On Tuesday blog with the details on submitting your entry.  Good Luck!!

Until next time,
Sandi
"Let your light shine before men . . ." -- Mathew 5:16
"Shine your light, Father , on my slower pace today."  -- Elizabeth Sherrill