A little time away

This is just a little note to let you all know that I will be away from my blogging for a while. I am headed to Pittsburgh to visit my mother for 2 weeks, then when I get back, I will have company. Since my father-in-law passed away in December, my MIL has been living with my SIL in El Paso. Now she will come live with us for 4 months. I hope to get some things posted or do a few challenges. Sorry to let you all down, but LIFE HAPPENS. Have a great day.

SS10 Valentine's Day Card

 Well, Valentine's Day has come and gone, but I have this card I made and thought I would just post it for this challenge at Stampin' Sisterhood at Rubbernecker Stamps. This is a digital image, of which I cannot recall where it came, so my apologize to the artist. I colored this with my watercolor pencils, which I sometimes use for a change of pace from my markers. Hope you all had a wonderful day with your loved ones!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by my little blog.

Joan

SS9

The Stampin' Sisterhood posted an inspirational photo for this weeks challenge for Sisterhood Sundays SS9. What a beautiful photo! I was so tempted to go with a tree on my card, but instead I chose flowers.

So, here is my card for SS9. I used several different flower images from my stamp stash for this  card. But, I  have used  FLORAL 497-09  of  Rubbernecker stamp for the main flower in the foreground. Again, I am using another saying from the Garden Phrase Set 508. I love this set of sentiments! I also have found that my markers work fantastic on the red rubber used by Rubbernecker Stamps.
Thanks for stopping by my little blog. Have a great day. 

Joan

SS8 Pansy's

I made a card today for the Stampin Sisterhood Challenge - Sisterhood Sundays. Wow, that was a mouthful, but this is a fun challenge place. This week is an inspiration picture / color challenge.

I pulled out an old set of stamps for my flowers, BUT, the sentiment is from my new Rubberneckers Set, Garden Phrase Set SKU:508 . 

 I used the Close To My Heart colors of Pansy Purple and Olive. I also used some Copics YG63, N3 and a violet for extra shading. I also did some sponging on the background. My background plaid paper is made using a stencil and sponge roller. Wow, I haven't used these in a long time.

Thanks for stopping by my little blog. Have a great day. 

Joan

The Play Date Cafe Challenge 116

Over at The Play Date Cafe, there is a new challenge for the week. It's a color challenge using these three colors.    Plum, Pear and Moldy Cheese. 





 Sounds like a wine and cheese party to me. Well, so here is my card using those three colors. I had so much fun being creative today. The image is digital, but the background stamping are real rubber stamps. 

  I made this card with my son in mind, who just started a new job. He doesn't ride a bicycle anymore, just a motorcycle, but this image was so cute, that I couldn't resist using it. Thanks for stopping by my little blog. Have a wonderful day.

Joan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SS6

A new challenge at Stampin' Sisterhood from Rubbernecker Stamps prompted me to use my NEW stamp that I won from a past challenge.
I used the FLORAL 497-09 for my card today. It is such delicate little floral stem. I used markers to color this image.
I thought that a birthday card would be perfect with this sketch.
So, here is my card. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Joan

Poo Happens

 Oh, I was in one of those moods today to make light of my brothers recent colonoscopy. I had this baby set (Inkadinkadoo- Little Tyke) that I have been wanting to use and I thought this would make a funny card. I just attached the tag with these cute clips so that he can take the just the tag to work and put on his desk. Or, he may just take the whole card. Who knows? I intentionally left the little string point to the bottom sentiment. I wanted the eye to wonder around the card.

Hope he gets a chuckle out of the inside, too. Below each of the phrased, I am going to write my own funny comments. Hope you liked my funny card today.

Have a beautiful day and keep warm.

Joan

Christmas Card Booklet

I just love reading all the blogs that I subscribe to. I don't always get a chance to leave comments, but I do read and make mental notes. There was one in particular that piqued my interest. What to do with all those Christmas cards and Christmas photo's that we can't bear to toss. Someone had suggested making a mini booklet, so I tackled that chore today!.

I measured my largest card and made my chipboard cover slightly larger. Punched a few holes for ring, decorated with leftover papers and stickers, punched holes in my cards and photo's AND I was done!

What a fast project. I also saved one particular pretty envelope from a sender to use as a pocket to store all the address labels that I removed from envelopes. (Why did I do this? Well, it reminds me of the most updated addresses for family and friends) .


Thanks for stopping by today. Hope I have inspired you to make this quick project.

Have a beautiful day.

Joan

Quick Thank you cards

 Tis the season for those many "Thank You" cards. I just made a few quick card.

This first one is just Black and White. I used the heart from a Stamp'nUp Valentine set then masked it to add the other floral spray. I made this thank you card to send to a company that sent us a beautiful tree in memory of my father-in-law.


My second card is the fern from Hero Arts. I just made this clean and simple. It is going to a company that sent us a Christmas gift. I wish I had some stamps with wine bottles and glasses. They sent us 6 bottles of wine and I would have loved to send them a card with those images.

Thanks for stopping by today.
Hugs and have a great day.

Joan

Time to think

2011 is now gone, so I gladly welcome 2012.
 I guess I am writing this as my way of grieving all recent losses.
Oct, Nov. and Dec have been a rough 3 months.
 
In 3 months, I lost 5 people that have been in my life.  First a classmate (Lois) who was a good friend in my younger years. 
Next, MaryJo, a wonderful woman who was a second mother to me, a grandmother to my children and my mother's best friend. I knew her for 40 yrs. 
Then, Doris, my friends mother and my mothers friend.
Then on Dec 23rd, my Father-in-law died from a heart attack. I couldn't be there at the hospital and there was just a brief prayer service. 
On that same day,  a wonderful woman, Anne, who was also my mother's friend passed away. Anne was 92, but she was well read and as sharp as a tack. Anne loved my cards and I would send her packets of cards to send to other elderly people. She always opened her home up and wanted to share a cup of coffee or tea after our Friday morning Mass.
Two in one day was soooooooo hard. 
But, my poor mother has lost three very dear lady friends. Every Sunday they would get together to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers. Can you imagine these 80-92 yr old women cheering on the Pitts Steelers??? I had made a card, from an image at Hambo Hoedown, of a girl football player and a bear. These women LOVED this card because I made it the Steelers colors and the shirt had the #7 on it, which is Rothlisbergers shirt number. Every Sunday, they displayed the card to cheer on their black and gold.

The GOOD....
On Oct. 1, 2011, my daughter got married in Hawaii. This was so lovely. Now I have a son-in-law.


So, for the past two day, I have been sorting things out in my head and my craft area. Last year , at this same time, I did an organizational challenge to clean up my craft area. I thought I did a good job and had my area workable. As I started making more cards to enter challenges, I realized that I didn't like that I didn't have things within reach. So, I think I finally made my craft area more likeable and things are now within arms length.
My goal is to get my scrapbooks done and make a few cards along the way.  Life is so short and I need to get our family history documented. I found that I am the one who remembers the most about our family life and what we did. I did keep all our yearly calendars and many other bits of information. 
So, my thinking time is done. Now to get working. Have a great 2012

Hugs,
Joan

Life is ever changing

Just a brief note to let you know that I will be taking a few more days away from my blog. My dear father-in-law passed away on Dec 23rd and we are all adjusting to the situation.

SS4 Sisterhood Sunday Challenge

Inspirational Photo for Sisterhood Sunday challenge #4 

 

 

This weeks challenge over at  Stampin' Sisterhood  is an inspirational photo. I love the colors in this photo.

 I came up with this simple card to send to a friend that has an upcoming birthday. The background is embossed and then inked with Star Spangled Blue (CTMH). The stamped pocket is a set I found, again, in the bottom of my stamp drawer. The silver button was done by using silver embossing ink, silver embossing powder for 3 times and then I stamped into the warm paper. There is a big bling in the center of that button. I also embossed the silver stitching on the jean pocket and added bling.So, if you haven't been over to the Stampin' Sisterhood blog site, go take a look at some of the great cards the design team has done to inspire you to join in on their fun. Thanks for stopping by and leaving comments. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Joan

SS3 Sisterhood Sundays Challenge

As the holidays are quickly approaching, I needed to finish a card for this challenge and to get it sent in the mail. Oh, what fun I had making this card. Glitter, glitter, everywhere, glitter, glitter, in my hair!!! The white glitter wasn't so bad, it is more course, but the colored glitters are so fine.

Yet, again, this is from something I had in the bottom of my stamp drawer. Thanks for looking.
Have a great day and  like my card sentiment. "May the bounty of Christmas be with you all year through"   Merry Christmas.
Joan

Pink Angel

Crunch time coming and I still have a few Christmas cards that I need to finish, write a few notes and get them mailed. Eeeeks, am I going to make it?? Don't know, but I am having fun making a few cards for challenges. I am trying to use many of my forgotten stamps, hidden in the bottom of the draw, to justify buying more. I made this card for two challenges.

The first is Stampendous Saturday Challengehttp://stampendousblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/december-challenge-colors/  The theme is pink, cream, gold and/or brown.

The second challenge is Stamps R Us and their theme is angels.
So, from those two requirements, I came up with this card.

 I had fun with this card. I used a large background stamp with angels names, some versaMark with clear embossing powder for the foam fleurish, an edge distresser and a gold marker pen for her wings and the star.
Thanks for stopping by to read my little blog.
Have a great day.

Joan

SS2 Angel in the Snow

This week at Sisterhood Sundays, challenge SS2 is underway and almost closing. I have been thinking all week what kind of card to make. So, I dug through my forgotten stamps and came up with this cute little guy. It's starting to get COLD OUTSIDE, and I thought this was very appropriate for the season.

So, here is how I made my card 

My rectangle is torn white paper to represent snow. Then I used some Darice Glitter called White Iris. I also used a Darice Swirl embossing folder to do the top of my card. My circular part of the card is the movement stamped image for the arms. I wanted to have fun with this card but still keep it masculine for a young boy. I used Copic E00,E21,E25,B21,B93,YG03,YG63. Thanks for stopping by today.

An Advent Calendar of My Scrapbook Nook Giveaways

Over at My Scrapbook Nook Blog, the group is hosting 25 days of blog goodies. Each day is hosted by a different design team member or friend. Just go take a look at some very talented women. You never know which one of these talented members may just inspire your inner creativity.

SS1 Santa

I've had a little bit of time to play in my craft area, so I scanned  the blogs for a few challenges. I found a few that I would love to enter my newest card. This card is based on a sketch from the Stampin' Sisterhood Challenge SS1. What a great sketch to work with. I did a lot of new techniques "new" to me. I did some sewing, used my new edge distresser, added string and even put wood on my card. Believe it or not, all this is above what I normally do. I usually shy away from string and just use ribbon, but this card has the woodsy, country look, and it needed some of these things. I really had fun coloring with my Copics and I did have to use a CTMH marker, since I don't have a wide variety of the Copics. (Hint, hint, on my wish list). I have this stack of DCWV paper from Christmas 2010 and I just love the patterns and colors. The Santa is from a new set from Recollections and the Sentiment is from Inkadinkado Holiday Silhouettes.
Thanks for looking. Have a great day.

Challenges I plan to submit this card to:
Crimbo Crackers
Craft Your Passion #86
Cooking It Up with Katie #86
Colour Create
Stampin' Sisterhood Challenge SS1

Updated 12-09-2011     Woo Hoo, I was chosen as Sunday Sister for this challenge. I am so honored. 

Mini Album for Destination Wedding

My daughter, Emily and son-in-law, Sean got married in Hawaii in October 2011. Since it was a destination wedding, I wanted to make something special for the occasion . I thought it would be fun to have something to journal, add memorabilia, or add a few snapshots to remember this wonderful wedding. So, I put together a mini album. Sean and Emily added a schedule of events for each of the days that they had something planned. So, here is what I put together. I made 11 of these for guests. I made pages for each event. Thurs was cocktail night, Friday was the rehearsal dinner cruise, Sat was wedding on the beach, then the Luau dinner, Sun was brunch, Monday was beach day. Then I left a few blank pages and at the back I made pockets for maps, directions and extra pieces of coordinating scrapbooking paper. Thanks for looking.

SS0 Waiting for Santa

Wow, it's been a while since I have posted a card. Life has been busy, but, here I am with a new card just for Stampin' Sisterhood Challenge SSO. The card is to use this picture as an inspiration.

When I looked at the picture, I thought of Christmas Eve, shiny lights and music. Well, I dug through my forgotten stamps and here is what I came up with for the challenge. First, I found this tree scene with the warm fire. It is Waiting for Santa from Close to My Heart, some years back. The sentiment is also a CTMH from the Christmas Wishes set.  I have this wonderful stack of The Christmas Combo from DCWV 2010 just beckoning me to use it on this project. I cut the circle from a Spellbinders die to go with the circle theme that I was inspired from the picture. I also used the Spellbinders Lacy Squares for my stamped image. Various markers (Copic, CTMH, and Stampin Up) were used along with watercolor pencils from Faber Castell. Thanks stopping by my little blog. Have a great day.

A Good Read "The Women of Troy Hill" by Clare Ansberry

While I was visiting Pittsburgh, Pa last week, I came across this book sitting on my mothers bookshelf. My mother is an avid reader, so there is never a shortage of a good read at her house. As I started to read this book, it reminded me of all the family traditions and neighborly activities of my grandmother, aunts and my mother. I hope there are still communities out there like Troy Hill. You may find this book in your library, but I know it is on Amazon. Have a great day.

The Women of Troy Hill: The Back-Fence Virtues of Faith and Friendship

by Clare Ansberry

3.70  ·  rating details  ·  23 ratings  ·  5 reviews

In a small neighborhood, perched atop a hill in Pittsburgh, thrives a world we think we have lost. The women of Troy Hill, now grand- and great-grandmothers, have lived here for the better part of the twentieth century. Most of the women were born here and married here; they raised their children here and buried their husbands (and some of their children) here; and their lives are a living testament to the old-fashioned values of service, friendship, faith, and sacrifice that younger, more restless and rushed generations have nearly forgotten. All over America, communities such as Troy Hill, made up largely of elderly women, are thriving. Clare Ansberry has discovered their secret to long and energetic lives. What Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie did for approaching death, Clare Ansberry's The Women of Troy Hill does for living full lives in the eighth and ninth decades.