the BEST is yet to be! {Beate's WSC #69}

One of my friends at work is retiring and she's having a retirement party on Friday so this card was made especially for her.

I started out with a photo of Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #69 as the inspiration for my layout. Then I looked through my basket of designer paper scraps {which I am desperately trying to use} and found this daisy print. It seemed to coordinate well with the Stampin Up close to cocoa cardstock, don't you think? I did sponge all the edges for a more distressed look and used the polka dot background stamp on the right side.

The "happy retirement" stamp is by Stampabilities. I've stamped it in Versafine Vintage Sepia and clear embossed it. The sentiment on the inside is "the BEST is yet to be" and it's from the Stampin Up "Best Yet" set.

I've used the scalloped edge punch on the front and the scalloped circle punch on the inside, along with the 1-3/8 & 1-1/2" circle punches too. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Happy Day!

Quote for Today ~

Retirement has been a discovery of beauty for me. I never had the time before to notice the beauty of my grandkids, my wife, the tree outside my very own front door. And, the beauty of time itself. ~Hartman Jule

Rainy Days & Mojo Mondays!

Believe me, I know it's Friday! TGIF!!! I wasn't so sure I was going to make it through my first full week back to work, but I survived. :) I had 42 hrs in so called it quits and came home at 12:30 today. It's tempting to take a nap, but I really wanted to finish this card...


I've had this started since Monday night, but simply didn't have the ambition and MOJO to finish it until now. This layout is from Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch #74. Isn't it terrific?



You've just gotta *love* these sketches for inspiration!

Have you seen this super cute Changito stamp set yet? My sweet DIL Jami found it at Archiver's a couple weeks ago. It's another "exclusive" Archiver's clear set by Stampendous called "Rainy Day Changito". I've colored it with my Stampin' Up markers.

I've sure enjoyed all your comments this week and appreciate you taking the time to post them. Your words of friendship and encouragement mean SO much!

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful weekend!
Smiles,





Quote for Today ~
Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. ~Pepper Giardino

If You're Feeling Blue...Try Painting Yourself a Different Color.

This is another terrific SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY by Jen Del Muro at I {heart} 2 Stamp!

Once again I've used the sweet Chloe's Closet designer paper by Making Memories. The coordinating embellishments are "flower gem stickers" from the same line. They look like brads, but they are flat with a dimensional sticker attached to the back.

The cute little sentiment is an INKADINKADOO stamp. I've stamped it in brocade blue (SU) and clear embossed.

That's all for tonight. Let me tell you it has been a major adjustment going back to work full-time this week. I was SO tired last night that I went to bed at 8 o'clock! My ankle is healing nicely, but still pretty swollen and tender to the touch.

Oh, I almost forgot... did you see that COLOR THROWDOWN selected ME as their featured stamper?!! What a special surprise! This was the first time I participated in the color throwdown challenge and it was such FUN. :)

Smiles 2 U All,

Quote for Today ~

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. ~Pablo Picasso

FS106 ~ Featured Stamper Card Creation

Splitcoaststampers is one of my favorite stamping websites when it comes to finding a plethora of inspiration! However, rarely do I find time to participate in all their fun challenges. One that I love, is their Featured Stamper challenge, in which we are to visit the gallery of the featured stamper and select a card to "case".

Today's Featured Stamper #106 on SCS is JulieMLacey. You will be amazed at her gallery! There is just one outstanding card after another. It was a challenge just deciding which one to use! The photo below is Julie's card I've used for inspirtation. Really, the layout is primarily what I've duplicated. I love the way she put the brads across the top, but decided they wouldn't look right on my designer paper.



One of my stamping friends has a birthday coming up next week, so this card is for her. I hope she likes it!

Thanks for stopping by today. I've enjoyed all your comments and want you to know that I appreciate hearing from you all!

Happy Sunday!
Smiles...




Quote for Today ~
A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad. ~Arnold H. Glasgow

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend Sketch Challenge!

Yeah! Beate is back with her wonderful Weekend
Sketch Challenge! I've really missed her challenges and couldn't wait to play along. Since I still needed to make MW (Mr. Wonderful) a Valentine, this sketch was my inspiration.


Not only was the sketch my source of inspiration, but so was the ribbon. I know, I've only used a tiny piece and you can barely see it tucked in along side the image, but that's where I started when selecting my cardstock, designer paper, etc. "Shuggy" at the Stamp Shack posted a fun little "ribbon challenge" and we were to select our ribbon and create a card with it. My intention was to tie the ribbon around the card, but it just didn't look quite right, especially since I wanted this to be a somewhat "manly" card. :)



The sentiment is a $1 Michaels stamp that I've stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and clear embossed. I colored the heart with the real red Stampin Up marker. The red polka dot paper was created using the Stampin Up polka dot background stamp. The "loves me, loves me not" designer paper by Carolee's Creations is something I've had in my stash for ages. I knew I would find a use for it someday! :) To cut my circles, I simply traced around a large spool of ribbon. Somewhere, I have a circle cutter, but I'm not exactly sure where it is now! Anyway, I stitched around the circles, attached the sentiment, brads with anchors, ribbon and WA-LA! Very quick and easy card! It helps so much when you've got the sketch in front of you!

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #68

We were supposed to get 5-9" of SNOW today and it never happened...Praise the Lord! It sounds like some areas of Nebraska were hit, but thankfully not us. With the warm weather we've had the past couple weeks, our snow was about gone and I sure didn't want to see more!

Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day? I'm planning a special candlelight dinner for MW. He's been waiting on me constantly since I broke my ankle and I may just show him I can still cook! :) I would *love* to hear what you do to celebrate Happy Heart Day!

Hugs & Smiles!





Quote for Today ~ Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. ~Robert Heinlein

It's almost Valentine's Day! May Passion Reign...

You've just gotta *love* this image, don't you? What a HOOT!

A dear friend (Hi Joanie!) from the Stamp Shack sent me several images last year when I saw and commented on a card that she made with this stamp. The funny thing is, I forgot that I had them and she had to remind me! By the way, this stamp is made by "Stamps Happen".

I'm not sure you can tell in my photo, but I've paper-pieced her darling hat, dress and the guy's boxers. The rest of the image was colored with prismacolor pencils, blended with gamsol. Also, you can't tell how large this is, but to give you an idea...the finished card was 3 x 7".

I was going to give it to MW (my Mr Wonderful), but decided to send it to my younger sister and her hubby. No doubt, they'll get a good chuckle out of it, especially when they read my comments on the inside of the card. hee hee :)

That's all for today. I'm happy you stopped by and hope you're all having a *love*ly Valentine's week!

Smiles,

Quote for Today ~ If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? ~Author Unknown

Changito Throws Down the Colors!

Oh my! Two posts in one day?! Yes, this working half days is the LIFE I wanna lead! :)

Have you all heard of the Color Throwdown? Apparently this is Week 29, but it's all fairly new to me. A couple of my favorite bloggers {Hi LeAnne & Tammy!} are on the "Color Throwdown Team" and I've seen some of the incredible cards they've created.

Today, when I saw the color combination it was destined that I participate! I adore this lovely trio of colors ~ kiwi kiss, regal rose and chocolate chip. As you can see, I even found a plaid designer paper in my stash that coordinated perfectly.

I thought of a couple more Valentine's that I needed to send, so I pulled out my Changito Valentine set by Stampendous and started stamping! I stamped the outside edge of the heart in regal rose and the monkey was stamped seperately with Versafine onyx black. I colored him with my Stampin' Up markers which was much faster than using the prismacolored pencils again. The "Happy Valentine's Day! sentiment on the front is a small little stamp by Dandelion Designs. This is the sentiment on the inside of the card and it's from the Changito Valentine set also...

This color challenge was FUN and hopefully I'll be able to participate again next week! That's all for today...thanks so much for blogging by!

Smiles,

Quote for Today ~

Love is the greatest refreshment in life. ~Pablo Picasso

Like No Udder ATC Swap!

I really enjoy cards swaps, but it has been a long time since I've participated in any ATC (Artist Trading Card) swaps. Just recently, I signed up for one at The Stamp Shack and the theme is "Barnyard Friends".

When I signed up, I actually had this stamp set in mind. It's "Very Punny" by Stampin Up! Besides this adorable little cow, there is also a tickled pink piggy that would have worked perfectly too.

These were super simple to make as there isn't much detail. I'll admit I had to play around with how to color the cow so it looked realistic. The coloring was done with my prismacolor pencils.

This swap isn't due until March 19th, but I would rather be early than late. When I get all the others back, I'll be sure to post them. I can only imagine there will be some cute and creative ones with these gals!

My second day back to work went well, but I feel like I need a nap! :)

I'm happy you stopped by and hope you're having a warm and wonderful day today!

Smiles,






Thought for Today ~
When a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose?

Going to Chloe's Closet for new SFYTT ~

Well, this morning I went back to work for the first time since I broke my ankle and it went very well, thanks to an awesome coworker who stepped up and did my job while I was out. I'm only working 1/2 days this week and have already figured out that this is the GOOD LIFE! Wouldn't it be wonderful to work in the morning and stamp in the afternoon? Only in my dreams...as I know it wouldn't support my stamping habit! :)

Do you recognize the sketch I've used to create this card? It's from SFYTT Sketch for You to Try at i{heart}2 Stamp. I *love* these sketches so much! {Thanks Jen!}

Isn't this yummy paper? It was a gift from my sweet DIL Jami and I'm lovin' it! It's the Chloe's Closet line from Making Memories and she found it at Michaels. The layered button & flower embellishments are also part of the line, as are rhinestone brads, ribbon and who knows what else!

After I got this all together, I was wishing that I had done some stitching on the layers, but I didn't want to unassemble it. Next time, ok?

This stamp is by Inkadinkadoo...another one of my favorites! :)

I'm so glad you stopped by today and I hope your week is off to a great start!

Smile and Be Happy!

Quote for Today ~

People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile. ~Lee Mildon

Valentine Making Marathon ~

I haven't made so many Valentine's since I was in grade school. And let's just say that was a "few" years ago! ;)

Last week, while recuperating and keeping my foot elevated, I sat and colored several of these darling little huggable Changito Valentine images. They are from an acrylic set by Stampendous that I bought at Archivers last month. It says "Archiver's Exclusive" on the package. Does that mean that's the only place you can get them? I didn't ask them, but I assume that's what it means. I stamped the images with Versafine Onyx Black and colored them with prismacolor pencils and blended with gamsol. Each one is just a little bit different coloring as I tried almost all of my pink, red and brown pencils! :)

The cards are all a little different too as I used whatever paper I had in my stash. This layout was "cased" from LeAnne at Wee Inklings. She sent me a *love*ly get well card with this layout and I had to try it! The base of the card is one layer of cardstock cut the standard 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 with the bottom corners rounded. The top layer should be approx 4 x 8" or so. If you scallop the edge, you'll have to allow for that too. If you have double sided paper, it works perfectly for the top layer as you just fold it and away you go! In my case, I did some piecing together of two different papers. Just cut an extra inch or so for the top layer and fold it over the bottom layer. Once it's glued down, you cant tell. ; )

Another really COOL feature of this card is the way LeAnne tied on the ribbon. Maybe you've all been doing it this way, but it was NEW to me! I'll try to explain it the best I can: There is a hole punched in my cardstock. I cut approx a 13" piece of ribbon and wrapped it around the front of the card to the back and put the ends up through the punched hole. Once they are through (one end on top, one end on bottom of ribbon that's across the front of the card), tighten the ribbon and tie your bow! Easy Peasy and it stays in place on it's own so you don't have to tape it down. Who was the genious that thought of this?! LeAnne, was it YOU?! I love it and will use this often now!

Ok, I would love to know which one of these is your favorite? Can you tell I had FUN with them? What a wonderful way to get back into stamping again!

Now, I better get them addressed and in the mail! Don't forget that Valentine's Day is this Saturday already!

This morning I had a dental appointment and a funeral to attend. It was my second venture driving on my own since my surgery. It went well, except that it's RAINING and windy today and you can't really hurry when you've got a walker! :) This afternoon I'm going to make "Barnyard ATC's" for a swap I've joined at the Stamp Shack. Then tomorrow morning, it's back to WORK for me! My life of leisure is nearly over...and just when I was beginning to feel like stamping all day!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a *LOVE*ly Valentine's week dear friends!

Hugs & Smiles,

Quote for Today ~

Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. ~Author Unknown

Check out my X-ray & new Stamp Room!

How's this for a random post? :)

When I had my cast removed on Tuesday, my daughter Katie asked me to take photos so she could see what my ankle looked like. I won't gross you out with photos of the incision, but here is closeup I took of the x-ray screen. You can clearly see the stainless steel plate and 7 screws. I wish I had a copy of the original x-ray, as you can tell how my ankle bone was moved back into place.


Now, onto a much more relevant topic... look at how my new Stamping Room is taking shape!!! I love it! Again, this wouldn't have happened if not for my sweet DIL Jami who moved EVERYTHING up from downstairs so I could stamp again! Well, hubby & son moved the desks and shelves, but Jami has made countless trips up and down the stairs moving all my STUFF!!! And I know she spent at least 2 hours just organizing the stamps on the shelves above my desk. The shelves are a little high, so I'll have to use a step stool to reach them, but for now I'm using a "grabber" that one of our friends gave me when we borrowed their walker. I may just have to get my own little "stamp grabber". LOL

Just so you can fully appreciate all the work Jami did...this is what the room looked like when she started....

Seriously!! Do you think I have a problem? :)

I'm not sure how many of you know about my extensive smiley face collection. It started years ago at work and I guess you could say it grew out of hand. (I know my kids think so!) But, I have SO many wonderful stories and memories that go along with it all. :) Anyway, it was taking up an entire bedroom on our main floor and Jami packed all of this up into boxes and totes. Well, I do still have a few things here in my new stamping room, but most of it is packed up. When I can get back downstairs again, I may convert my old stamp room into the new "Smiley Room". And then again, maybe I will try to donate some of it to a good cause. Time will tell!

Thanks so much for blogging by today! Your comments are always appreciated and brighten my day. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend filled with many reasons to SMILE!

Quote for Today ~ "It is almost impossible to SMILE on the outside without feeling better on the inside." - unknown

Now I know why they call it I.C.U. ~

Isn't this a perfect image and sentiment for a Get Well card? It makes me laugh. And yes, the gowns still look like this! :) When I was in the hospital for my ankle surgery, the physical therapist wanted me to walk down the hallway. Thankfully, they gave me another gown to wear backwards like a robe. :)

A sweet stamping friend sent these images to me a couple years ago and I colored them up the other day while sitting in bed with my foot elevated. My incident has reminded me how much it means to receive a card and know someone is thinking of you. You all know I *love* to stamp and make cards, but I'm not always so good at getting them sent out! Usually, my intentions are good and I think of doing it, but I don't always follow through. Well, my goal is to try and do better starting with this card today!

When hubby & I were in the cardiologist's office waiting for them to run some tests before my surgery, we ran into someone in the waiting room that we've known for years. He was planning to have heart surgery the next week and we've been thinking of him ever since. I really hope he's doing well and that my card makes him SMILE!

As for me, I'm doing better each day! It's still tender and swollen and I'm not to put any weight on it yet. I'm wearing the big heavy protective black boot and getting around with the help of a walker. I may even venture out on my own tomorrow for a hair appointment. We'll see how that goes! Next week, I'm planning to go back to work so I better get some stamping done this weekend.

THANK YOU again for all the cards and messages of encouragement. It's such a blessing to have friends like U! Happy Stamping! Smiles...

Quote for Today ~ "The greatest wealth is health." ~Virgil

Ingenious Punch Storage!

Check this out!

Thanks to my sweet DIL Jami's brilliant suggestion, we have converted a CD rack into my new punch storage rack! This was built by my son several years ago for all his CD's. Somehow I had acquired it and had been using it to display some of my smiley collection mugs, etc. When Jami was moving all my things around, she came up with this idea. MW cut a few more dividers and now my punches are all stored here. There are four sides and I have 3/4 of this full already. Thankfully, there will be room for a few more because I want to order the new Stampin Up 3-heart punch! :)
Jami organized all the shapes together, but I may still label the front of the punches or put a clear label next to them on the wood. Did I mention this spins around? Yes! Very COOL!

Now, I'm getting especially anxious to get my new stamping room organized. I sit here looking around and have a zillion ideas running through my head. Not being able to move around without the walker is limiting my options on what I can do, but I have sorted my paper scraps, colored some images and I'm working on sweet-talking MW into hanging my stamp shelves today. He has to play hard-to-get, you know? :)


That's all for today. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! Whether or not you're a football fan, you've got to admit it's fun to watch the commercials and enjoy the game snacks. May the best team win! :)

Smiles,

Word for Today ~ (from my nephew Jon)

chillaxin'
Combination of the words chillin' and relaxing, something you do on the weekend with friends. Synonyms: hanging out, relaxing

Quote for Today ~

"Weekends don't pay as well as weekdays but at least there's football." ~S.A. Sachs