Away From Studio for A Week

I'll be away from my studio for a week, but will have my laptop with me so I can keep up with all the great work you talented papercrafters are doing.

Check out my other blog Picture This, At Last for some of my latest photos, and for the exciting reason why I am going to Virginia!

Cricut Paper Doll Dress Up

Still in the theme of kids, I've been having a lot of fun with my Cricut and the Paper Doll Dress Up cartridge. With all the adorable costumes that can be mixed and matched for unlimited looks, it was more work to select an outfit and papers than to put these little darlings together. The costumes can even be cut out with tabs attached, making an entire wardrobe available for the dolls. I haven't played with paper dolls for a very long time, but with the Cricut I could certainly make a whole set!

These cards will be available at the Branson Craft Mall. Soon I will be opening on Etsy, also. Watch for that "Grand Opening" this fall. I'm excited about this new venture!

Thanks for stopping by. Your candid comments are most welcome!

Cards Under Construction

I have many cards in various states of assembly and will soon be revealing some new creations made with my new and sort-of-new toys, uh, tools.

Last week we were very busy (see Trucker Jerry at my other blog Picture This At Last) but now I am catching up on my laundry, photo editing, card making, and emails. Blogging, while a passion, has been limited to enjoying other Talented Papercrafters' blogs, which I always enjoy.

So, I hope to have something new on very soon!

For Little Kids

I've had so much fun using the DCWV card stock for kids. Since I haven't made many cards up to this point for kids the ideas keeps flowing with each print. No holding back on bright colors and the assorted chip board shapes. Plus they are simple and quick!

Sweet Sixteen and Sweet Friendship

Sweet 16

Girl friendships

In the DCWV Rockstar Stack was this terrific sheet of metallic lips. In my stash of flowers were these pink, black and silver leather flowers. With some silver paper from the DCWV glitter cardstock stack and scraps of Bazzill pink card stock, a short time later I had two finished cards that just squealed teenage girl. On the insides are trims of the glitter paper and a sweet sixteen sentiment in one card and a friendship sentiment in the other.

These were fun to make and, quite possibly, the fastest I have ever put together 2 cards.

Baby Girl Cards, Too!

During my card-making frenzy I made cards for baby girls, too --- of course! My favorite color is blue, but I love, love, love working with pink. It is so fresh and cheerful!

It's A Boy!

I've been so busy making cards that I haven't taken time to photograph them for the blog. So, allow me to make up for that today.

My focus has been on cards for babies and kids. Here are five cards to welcome new baby boys:

All the cards are made with DCWV Nana's Nursury cardstock, Bazzill Papers, and misc. embellishments.

And here is a special reason for why I have baby boys on my mind: Dylan Kane, my second grand-nephew, was born last week. I haven't seen him yet, but will in a couple of weeks. Isn't he a sweetie?

Color Box

Growing up I thought that the beginning of the year should be September and the end of the year should be August. I sort of stayed in that pattern until the past few years. Just as for most of us, for the better part of my life the years revolved around the school schedule. September marked the beginning of the year, first when I was in school, then when my son was in school.

Later, I became used to life revolving around the calendar year thanks to corporate reports and new vacation day buckets. The beginning of the school year now comes to my attention when Target and Wal-Mart convert the seasonal lawn and garden section to school supplies. I'm not in school and I don't have children in school, but it is still one of my favorite sections: new designs for notebooks, backpacks sporting the latest action/music heroes/heroines, packages of paper, pens and pencils.

Then there are the boxes of crayons! We made magical pictures with crayons and gave them to parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and anyone who would take them. Now there are so many colors in the boxes that some have had to be retired to make room for the new colors. My first box of crayons was the box of 8 that were as thick as broomsticks .... or so it seemed. As the years went by the lists of required supplies showed crayons in larger color varieties ... and thinner. We knew we had really made it when Mom was able to get us the box of 24 colors --- or more!

With a studio full of paper, inks, stamps, punches.... you name it, there isn't a box of crayons to be found. But I still love the smell of a fresh box --- I think that is the prevailing odor in the school supply section. Maybe I should have a box around for those times I need a creative whiff.

This card reminds me of the colors in that very first box of crayons: bright primary and secondary colors. Maybe I should rub in some crayon scent.

Just "Hello"

Sometimes a friend just needs a cheerful "Hello" to make their day brighter.

Sometimes card makers just need to make a cheerful "Hello" card to brighten their own day.

This card started as one layout, but took a turn along the way. There was something about the orange ribbon that just called to me... unusual because I don't normally like orange. But this is OK!

Celebrate ... Anything!

Who doesn't love to celebrate! Why should we need a special occasion to celebrate? Why not just make a really striking card, put the word "celebrate" on it and send it to someone ... just to celebrate him/her?

I like this card for the color combination. Actually, when I picked the red and white checked paper, I was looking for a sheet of red and white checks with ants on it. It would have made a fun picnic invitation. But, I must have used that paper already. In any case, whether it is a celebration or a picnic, it's time to have some fun!

Happy Birthday Everybody!

Our family is in the middle of a birthday frenzy! Starting on May 1 there is Alan, then Josh, Mom, Scott, Patty, Terry, Rick, Dave, Jerry, Jarrod, and Kelsie (today)! Tomorrow a new little boy will be born (name a secret till then), and coming up we have Austin, Chris, Alexis, and Leland. That takes us through August. I hope I didn't miss anyone!

For all the birthdays out there, have a very happy one, and many more!

Soft Music and Sweet Memories

The inspiration for this card came from The Eagles, oddly enough. Actually there is a song titled "I Love to Watch a Woman Dance" on their Long Road Out of Eden CD. It reminded me that I had this stamp that I had not yet played with. This is the type of dress I loved to wear dancing (when I was much younger and skinnier); it swished and swoshed, especially in the spins. Well, like I said, that was a long time ago. Interesting that The Eagles would have such a beautifully visual song on the same CD as the song "Long Road Out of Eden". Well, that's why I love 'em!

I hope the card brings you soft music and sweet memories.

I'm A Pear?

This was a fun little quiz Allison at Stampin' When I Can shared. Hmmm ...... Try it for yourself!

You Are a Pear

You are independent, intelligent, and a free thinker. You can accomplish great things, especially when you do them on your own. You are direct, honest, and sometimes even a bit brutal. There's not much that gets in the way of you and your ambition. While you are hard nosed, you do have a much sweeter side to you. It takes times for you to soften toward someone, but once you do, you'll be their friend for life.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

Cheery Cherries

When I saw this cheerful paper I knew just how I wanted to use it! The pattern reminded me of pretty cafe curtains found in our grandmothers' kitchens; add a little lace and a window sill for a sunny day memory. The only thing missing is the cherry pie cooling on the window ledge. Mmmmm! Yum!

Patriotic Card

This card is one that I made to celebrate the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and just about any event we want to celebrate our country. When my son moved to the Washington D.C. area a few years ago it gave us the opportunity to make several visits. Prior to that I had not been to the east coast except for a couple of business trips to New York.

I regret that I didn't see this beautiful area earlier in my life. The monuments are bigger than I expected and the stone they are made of whiter. The Viet Nam Memorial is so quiet, even though busy streets are nearby. The World War II Memorial is magnificent and the Smithsonian Museums create a city all their own.

But what was the most awesome wasn't what I saw, but what I felt. Stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and feel the passion of all who have spoken to the crowds lining the reflecting pool; look at the steps of the Capitol Building and feel the spirits of the hundreds of Representatives who have climbed those steps, not to mention the Presidents who have taken the oaths of office there; and walking around the corner at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave to see the White House, wondering if the President is just inside or imagining the prior Presidents and their families strolling in the rose gardens.

Whether we are in Washington, D.C., San Diego, Sioux City, or Branson, we celebrate freedom everyday!

Expect Miracles

This is another card that I did for the sketch challenge for Take Ten magazine. As it turned out, I didn't send this one to the magazine. I sent it to my Aunt Lorraine instead. Some of you who have been following my other blog Picture This, At Last might remember a post called Prayers Cause Miracles, a testimony to faith and the power of prayer. Aunt Lorraine has been battling many health problems, but when her kidneys began showing signs of failure, we were all very afraid. She took a miraculous turn for the good a few months ago and, though there are occasional bad days, she is a constant source of inspiration for the doctors, her family and her friends.

Tomorrow, Lorraine and my Uncle Earl will be celebrating their 67th Wedding Anniversary. That is not a typo --- 67 years! They still continue to expect miracles, because they know what causes them!

May you all experience many miracles in your lives.!

Crazy About Calico

The calico print used for these cards reminded me a lot of house dresses my grandmother used to wear. (Remember when dressing down for them was a cotton, knife-pleated skirt, shirt-waist dress? Oh, and always stockings, but sometimes rolled down to the ankle.) These prints are timeless and when I want something simple that feels good I turn to these, especially for heritage cards or layouts.

The cardstock is double-sided so the pretty peach was a natural choice for the ribbon and embellishments. The little butterfly on the second card was punched with what I call the "half image punch" so I could fold it open and reveal the butterfly in full calico dress.

I am happy to say that these cards were attractive to at least a couple of visitors to the Branson Craft Mall, because they have both been sold. Woo hoo!

Lots and Lots of Dots

I like to sketch a layout then put together several cards using different color schemes. This is another such series. It should look something like the July 8th post because it's the same layout. So many of the cards I have made border on the complicated, so I'm in a period of simplicity.

Polka dots can be so much fun, but oddly enough, I don't use them very often. Cindy over at This Is My Story uses dots in subtle backgrounds all the way to bold designs. She is an inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the links to see some very talented artists.

Have A Cup of Tea On Me

While shopping in the eclectic General Store at the Amana Colonies in Iowa I found a selection of very colorful teabags. Immediately attracted to anything with bright, cheerful colors I couldn't help but add one --- or 2, maybe 3 --- of each color to my shopping basket. Of course the colors were different for each flavor: yellow for lemon, blue for afternoon tea, orange for ginger peach, green for green tea. I had recently purchased a charming Dreamweaver brass stencil and a layout using the tea bags and the stencil on a new card immediately came to mind.

I made several cards with different prints to match the tea bags. It was also my first attempt with Dreamweaver embossing paste and, with practice, it will be a beautiful medium for added texture. This is one of my favorite designs and is appropriate for birthdays, friendship, and just about any thinking-of-you occasion. These cards are also available in my little shop at the Branson Craft Mall.

Grandma's House

One of the family's favorite keepsakes is the beautiful Victorian-style house that my mother grew up in. Actually, the family no longer owns the house, so you could say the memories and photos are the true keepsakes. The house is still standing and still has the beautiful woodwork, stained glass windows, and hearth as when Mom and Dad were married there in 1950. I had the opportunity to go into the house a few years ago. I had not been in it since I was very, very young, but the walls seemed to gently wrap around me as though Grandma and Grandpa were still in it.

Well, I could go on and on about the house, but I chose instead to celebrate it in a series of family heritage cards. This one shows the exterior of the house, probably the most common view of it. Other views actually make it look like a totally different building, that's how interesting the design is. Other cards in the series feature vintage photos of my grandmother and actually miniatures of her handwritten cook book recipes. I'll show those in future posts, so ya'll come back!