Hump Day

I don't know why but for some reason the work week seems much longer when the week is shorter. I had Monday off and now it seems like the week is moving very slow!
Can't wait for the weekend again.
The above layout was a Tuesday Challenge for my yahoo group.
Stamp Set: Garden Whimsy
Colors: Bashful Blue, Mellow Moss, Really Rust, Bordering Blue, and Very Vanilla
accessories: 1/4 hole punch, mini dot Cuttlebug folder, Mellow Moss, and Really Rust markers
pop dots, Crop-a-dile, and round snaps

The weather is just insane here. The temps got down to 42 last night, and barely made it into the 60's today. I think the calendar is wrong! Feels like Fall weather not close to summer weather.
I'm really longing for the temps to get higher. My stamp room is in the lower level of our split level house and even though this level isn't all the way underground it's easily 10 degrees colder than the rest of the house. So sometimes it's just to BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR to stay down and stamp very long. Not to mention play on the computer as it's also on this level.
I did get my vacation approved. I'm taking off the week of July 4th. So counting the weekends I'll have 9 days off. YAY can't wait. I plan on moving my daughter out of her room, and moving my son into it. Then I'll have his room to set up as a sewing room. I can't wait!!!!! I'm longing to sew again. I just don't have room for everything in the stamp room.

Till tomorrow
Stamping Trails!!!!!

Techno Challenge 19

Made this one today using MJ's

Lunchtime Challenges

Stamp set is from See-D's Majestic Flight #50469

I haven't had a chance to play with this one till today.

Love the bird!

Colors: Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava, Sage Shadow.

I also used Stamp'Up! Canvas Background and Small Script stamp set.

I stamped the canvas with Sage Shadow ink then ran that though the small

dot Cuttlebug folder.

Rounded the card out with the tab punch. I needed

a place to put the word.

Okay that is it for today. Back to work tomorrow. I did get to go see Indiana Jones this afternoon. Very fun movie. Fast paced, and just a bit different from the other ones. I could have done with out the gophers in the beginning of the movie.

Stamping Trails.

Uncle Glen

PVT GLEN E BOOTHE
5th Cavalry Regiment
1st Cavalry Division
Army
Hostile, Died (KIA)
Date Of Loss: September 22, 1950
Service Number: RA13330200
TAZEWELL COUNTY, VA
Year of Birth: 1930
Comments: Private Boothe was a member of the 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on September 22, 1950.

My mom was 18 years old when her brother was taken from her, and her family. He signed up to serve in the Army. He had only been in Korea for 2 weeks before his entire company was killed.

Mom talked about him often while I was growning up. I wish I could have met him.

Thanks for serving your country Uncle Glen.

First Bind It All Project

YAY my first Bind it All Project! It's not much but I just got my machine this week and I need to learn how to use it. This is simple coaster box. I started with 5 coasters. Covered them on both sides with designer paper. Used the Bind it All and punched holes on three sides of 4 coasters. One the 5 coaster I punched holes on all four sides. Next I used ribbon to lace the coasters together to form a box. For the notebook I used chipboard cut to 3 1/4 x 6. Inside pages are made using parchment stationary paper that I got at Hollo's. The cool thing about the Bind it All is that you can punch holes in different things and add them to a book. Here I used mini envelopes that I got at Pat Catans and put them in the note book as well. I can't wait to play some more with this cool toy!!!!!


I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday. Let's remember that Monday just doesn't mean a day off. It's for remembing fallen soliders, and anyone currently servicing in the arm forces. May God Bless them and keep them safe.

Playing with Retired Stamps

Everyone once in awhile I like to drag out stamps I still own but haven't played with since forever! I always liked this set, so decided to keep it instead of selling it off when it retired. Unfortunately I have lots of retired sets that I can't bear to part with. Sometimes I just look at all my stamping stuff and think to myself: Did I just temporally lose my mind since 2001? (that's when I found out about Stampin'Up!) There is no way I have time to stamp with all of them. And since there are so many more new stamps coming out everyday I'll always be overwhelmed! I mean really how many stamps, cardstock, ink, and tools does one person need anyway? If I were to stop buying anything new right now......I wouldn't run out of anything for at least 10 years. But hey......with the way the economy is right now I need to do my American duty and try to stimulate it. I'll do my part, and keep buying new stamping toys. It's the only right thing to do!

TGIF!!!!

I'm ready for the three day weekend! YAY. I'm also ready to go see the new Indiana Jones movie tomorrow. Can't wait!

Stamping Trails!

Bring your Art Inside

Happy Thursday! I never decorate the inside of my cards. Most of the times I just leave them blank inside, or just add a word stamp.

On this card I brought the theme of the card to the inside, and used some of the same elements that I used on the outside of the card. Colors used: Brocade Blue, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, and Very Vanilla. Water lines coming from the watering can were made with a white gel pen.

Just found out that my friend Lisa bought a house in TX. Her and hubby Geoff drove to TX to look at houses. Geoff will be retiring from the Navy soon, and they needed to find a house. Happy for you both!!!!

Now if I could just get my hubby to come around and think more about buying a house is TX to. Then I'll be around all my friends. A gal can hope!!!!

Stamping Trails.

Award!

I had a surprise at work today. At the quarterly meeting I received the above award.

Sprig is a branch from the Old Oak Tree that is on the MTD property. It's one of the oldest trees in Medina county. The owner of the company purchased the property just because of the tree. He said that if a tree could grow so big there so could the company. So....when we are awarded we are considered a sprig from the tree. Reason why I got the award is from the good job I have been doing training and managing the Seasonal Staff. I was shocked when they called my name! It was a nice surprise.

I also got my Bind it All today. Yay! I took it out of the box, but haven't played with it yet. I need to put in the CD and see how to operate it. Hoping to get some time over the long weekend to have fun with it.

Gotta run. I'm off to stamp some fun stuff to put on tomorrow's blog

Techno Challenge 18

I had fun with this! Thanks for the challenge MaryJo

The inside card is actually part of the front of the card when the card is closed.

The stamp set is from See-De's called Monkeying around.

Word set is from Stampin'Up!

I had some left over Chocolate Chip designer paper and decided to stop hoarding it and use it for something!

The ribbon I found at Pat Catan's. The chocolate one looks like the ribbon SU is has in the current catalog.

I've been working very long hours at work. With the extra money I'll have in my next paycheck I decided to treat myself to a Bind It All.

It's already shipped hoping to get it so I'll have it for the three day weekend coming up.

Monday Monday

Have you ever done any "resist" technique using acrylic paint?

This is the time I ever tried it.

The flower strip going down the side of this card uses resist technique.

First I cut a strip of Sage Shadow, then inked the wheel with VersaMark

and rolled it over the cardstock strip.

Next I embossed the strip.

Here comes the fun part....I used Pale Yellow acrylic paint and with a foam brush

I painted the entire cardstock strip.

Let it dry for little over a minute then

rubbed the paint away that was over the embossed image.

Pretty darn cool!!!

The flowers beneath the paint shows the Sage Shadow color.

I was impressed! I'' have to try this technique again. Real soon!

Stamp set used is Level 2 Hostess set from Stampin'Up!

Spring Solitude

Colors: Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla, Sage Shadow, and Pixie Pink

After visiting with my mom yesterday morning I stopped at Pat Catan's. Picked up some clearence items. Not showing them to you now......you'll just have to wait till I use them in my next card project later this week. I know I'm bad to tease!

Stamping Trails!!!!

Shopping Again

Why is it that retail therapy is so great? Just love to shop when I'm in the dumps. Me and hubby went out to dinner and shopping yesterday. I had to work all day, so this outing was just what I needed to change my mood!

Went to Max and Erma's for dinner, then went shopping at Michaels, Borders, Archivers, Sam's. One of my finds was new Cuttlebug folders. These 4 folders come with a matching die! How awesome is that? Hoping to get to play with these later today.

I also bought some new 1.00 clear stamps from Michaels. There are some fun ones to work with. Love the shapes from playing cards. The alphabet is vintage looking.


I also got to stamp last night. I know.....where did I fit that in? I worked 8:30 to 5:30. By the time we got home from dinner and shopping it was 9:30. But I still had time left to play. Course I didn't go to bed till 12:30, but that's okay. I slept in the morning till 8 and believe me for me 8 is sleeping in.

The base card is 5 1/2 square. Stamp set Garden Whimsy. This was cased from a current magazine. But I also made my own design using the same layout. Stamp set used Time Well Spent




Okay I have to run now. Need to get dressed grab some coffee and go visit my mom.

Stamping Trails!!!!!

It's Been A Long Time!

So I bet you have been wondering just where I've been. Right?
Life has been rough.
Lost the internet again last week
It reminded me of the South Park episode when the whole country
lost internet and Stan's family went to CA to search for some.
Funny episode!!!
Anway.....Hubby decided to reformat the computer and
everything crashed and was lost.
So it's been a long road to get it fixed
Still working out some bugs but at least I have
my basic programs back so I update my blog again!
Family issues have also been dragging me down. Mom seems to be getting worse.
My daughter Sarah came home on Mother's day and went with me
to visit mom. After we said good bye to her and left the room, half way
down the hallway Sarah stopped and went back to her room to
give her another hug. It's really sad
Since Sarah moved to MI she doesn't see grandma much so
I think she was a little shocked to see her condition.
I haven't been stamping much. Pretty much
just focusing on work. Don't know
what is really wrong with me.
I haven't got the desire to do much of anything
I go to work, come home and zone out.
Really need to shake myself out of this funk I've been in.

The wedding card was made for a co worker Scott. He's getting
married this weekend.
The large cake stamp I got at Pat Catan's for .50 cents. The
wedding couple on top is from Viola accessories.
Didn't really show well in the scan but I did use my new long
rectangle Nesstibilites. Those are fun to use!

I have to work all day tomorrow from 8:30 to 5. They
trusted me with the keys to the campus, and showed
me how to disarm the alarm.
I'm hoping not to set off the alarm tomorrow morning!
Wish me luck!
The extra money in overtime will be great but I really don't like to lose my Saturday.
I'm just thinking about the three day weekend coming up.
The campus is closed for Memorial Day. YAY!
I was going to go to our family reunion, but I think I won't
Gas prices here are at 3.89 and I'm sure by next weekend it will be over 4.00 a
gallon. The reunion is in VA about 8 hours from here. Even
though my car gets good gas mileage it's still going to be
expensive.
Okay I've rambled on long enough for one post.
Glad to be able to post again.
TGIF!!

RIBBON! Techno #16 Challenge

Can you believe I got all this cool ribbon for .50 cents?! It's true. See the ribbon still in the package, well all the ribbon in the pile came out of the bag. Just love walking into a great deal!!! Of course Pat Catan's only had two bags left. For that price I would have picked up more!

Time for another Monday Techno

Challenge. Thanks MaryJo for a very simple layout. After my busy weekend I can only think in very simple terms!

Set used: Pretty Amazing, Riot of Petals background.

Colors: Purely Pomegranate, Soft Sky, Basic Black.

I stamped the butterfly twice, cut out just the wings and layered them with a pop dot over the the stamped image on the flower. Just love these colors together. I had scraps left over from the splitcoast color challenge, and since the scraps were still on my desk I decided to use them.

Till tomorrow!

Stamping Trails!

Happy Monday

NOT!!! Why does the weekend go by at a blink of an eye? This one sure went by fast. Been busy both days, but I did have a great weekend. I gotta run to work but I wanted to share with you cards that I found in my house from Kat. She left me these great thank you cards when her and Lisa left last Monday. Thanks Kat!

Stamping Trails

Karen

Color Challenge

I took the splitcoast color challenge. You needed to use Purely Pomegranate, Soft Sky, and Black.

Stamp sets used: Pretty Amazing, French Flair, and French Script Background. The humming bird is attached the the card hidden inside front layer. The card is attached using only the brad. The Soft Sky/black layer is attached to the card front only at the top. The bottom part of the panel

free so the card underneath can slide out. You can view other cards using these color here

I have a funny story to share with you. Skip younger sister called us a few days ago and wanted us to meet her for dinner today. She wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary that we had last week. Anyway......we met her and Skip's mom at the Chinese Buffet. We had a nice dinner, then chatted to get caught up on all the family. Well......they both gave us gift bags with anniversary gifts, and really nice cards (I'll forgive them as they don't stamp, cards from Hallmark) Inside the cards were notes reading happy 25th. I'm just busted out laughing. Our 25th was last year this was the 26th. The gift bags were silver. I thought it was really sweet of them. We all got a good laugh. I wish I would have got a pic of Lisa's face when I told her is the the 26th. Priceless!!!! I'm going to make them both thank you cards. They made our day

Yesterday was a great day also! We took our nephews Corbet, and Neil, and our son John out to see Iron Man. OMG that was the best Marvel Comic movie made!!! Just loved it. They are making more. I wanted to stay and watch the movie again. After that we went to Quaker Steak and Lube for dinner. What a cool place that is! Great food and the inside has Corvettes hanging from the the ceiling, and on lifts just like the ones they use to raise up cars when they are being worked on. We sat under one. Pretty darn cool!!!

Till tomorrow

Stamping Trails

Karen

Spring Solitude

Still having fun making gate fold cards. I really like the belly bands!

Stamp set: Spring Solitude and matching wheel. Level 2 Hostess set from Stampin'Up!

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava, River Rock, Very Vanilla

Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Groovy Guava

Accessories: pop dots, white gel pen, scallop punch, 1 3/8 circle punch.

Happy to say it's the weekend!!! YAY been a long week. Tomorrow I'm going to take my son John, and my nephew Corbet to see Iron Man, then after I'm taking them to dinner. It's Corbet's birthday and that is what he wanted to do. I can't believe the boys who were born 3 months apart are 20 years old. John will be in July. Don't know where the time goes. Seems like it was just yesterday that I gave birth to him in Washington state.

Gate Fold

I had fun making this simple gate fold card. See how to make your own gate fold by visiting splitcoaststampers

Tea pot and cup stamp from See-D's other stamps: Circle of Friendship, Paisley and Sanded Background. Cardstock: River Rock, Purely Pomegranate, Very Vanilla, Bayou Blue, Black

First I stamped paisley on River Rock cs, then I overstamped that with Sanded using Blasic Black ink. Broke out the crafter's took kit and punched the holes around the stamped images and

background layers. The inside stamp Lisa found for me when she was visiting. It's one of the .50 stamps in the bins at Pat Catan.

I went to visit my mom this evening. She is doing well. She got a little teary eyed when I left. I think I'll stop by again tomorrow after work and check on her again. Nothing worse than your mom crying. The cleaning staff had moved her photos around, and mom gets upset when they do that. I had to put them back in order.

After that I needed to go to Fashion Bug and pick up a new pair of jeans. I managed to rip my favorite jeans last week, and there is no way to mend them this time. Don't you just hate losing your favorite pair of jeans? Every other Friday we are able to wear jeans to work, and I wasn't going to miss out on that. I really dislike dressing up for work everyday.

Till tomorrow

Stamping Trails!!!

Karen

Roses

I came home to a dozen red roses yesterday. Hubby got them for me for our anniversary.
He also surprised me with a little poem.
And I'll forgive him for giving me a Hallmark card:)

The card where made by friends. I didn't have time to stamp last night like I thought I would. I met Skip at a Ponderosa for dinner. He works second shift but we met there on his lunch break.

I happy that the week is going by quick. It's already Thursday. My training class for this week is also over. YAY. Payday is tomorrow and we get to dress down and wear jeans. That's always a treat. Don't like getting dressed up for work each day. Hoping to have a nice easy weekend. Not planning on doing any housework. I'm going to get some stamping done, and work on some submission cards.

Stamping trails.