Show and Tell

We are filled with joy... and... Welcome, Kris!

Today is Wednesday, December 7. It's a cloudy, misty, rainy day here. Which is actually my favorite weather. (I know, I'm weird... I think it's my Oregon roots... not the weirdness :)... the ability to tolerate and enjoy misty, rainy weather.)

I did go to work this morning and am now trying to get this post finished because my sister-in-law Kris will be arriving on a plane from California in a few hours. Yippee!

 

Here is a great verse from the Psalms... perfect for today.

Psalm 126:3

"Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!"

That's the New Living Translation. But I really like this verse in the NIV... "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." ... basically the same, just worded a little differently. In fact, I like this verse so much that we used it at school about five years ago when we dedicated our new playground... and we included it on the playground sign. (Let me just brag on God for a minute... we are part-day, church-operated preschool that, at the time, had maybe 200 students, and over the course of less than three years, over $80,000 was raised to replace our fences and playground equipment. For people who are at big schools or private schools, that may not sound like much, but to us it was huge. It truly was a work of the Lord!)

So, anyway, the Lord has done amazing things for us... not just at school, but in our personal lives. I tell people that if someone in our family had to get a brain tumor, I was the perfect one. I would not be a good caregiver. Ken is made for the job. He's so considerate and has always had a servant's heart. I'm sorry to say that serving is not really my gift. (I'm trying to remember to work on that!) Ken is also ultra organized and is good a keeping track of medication schedules, appointments, etc. Who knows what kind of mess we'd be in if flaky me had to administer medication to him! He also is the kind of person that gets right on something that needs to be done, so nothing around here goes undone while he sits around and thinks about what he needs to do (which is my usual mode of operation). Other things that tell me that I'm suited to my current life-style... I don't mind sitting around blogging, watching TV, surfing the internet, etc. :) I'm patient, so I can wait while things are in limbo and not be distressed. Which brings me to, I guess, my amazing ability to not worry about things I can't do anything about. Some people may call me clueless, but I just choose not to get stressed about stuff that I have no control over.

All that to try to express to you how the Lord has done great things for us. So far, I haven't had any pain or real sickness. So many people have expressed love to us in so many ways — meals, cards, gifts, acts of service... so many things. We are so blessed and thinking about it humbles us greatly, but it also fills us with joy. In the midst of our struggle, we are incredibly blessed. What has the Lord done for you that has filled you with joy?

 

Wow, I love to think about all of our blessings from the Lord. How could I be downcast with all the love He has shown to me... much of it through all of you?! One of my blessings has been that over the past month or so I have been able to spend time with my mom, my daughter, Ken's mom, and two of Ken's sisters. And, starting today, I'll have nearly a week with Ken's other sister as she travels to North Carolina from California to spend some time with us. And, for those of you who have been around the blog for awhile, you know that I always like to have a welcome card ready in the guest room... so here is the one for Kristine. 

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 Earlier this year I made a card for a design challenge — I think it was Susan Raihala's One Layer Wednesday — and I had a couple of tries that I had muffed... smears and what not. This was one of those cards. I resurrected it by cutting the smeared part off and making an odd-sized card... which was fine for this use because it will be sitting on the dresser in our guest room when Kris arrives for her visit.

The frames were already stamped. I just masked off the edges with post-it notes and stamped the stitched images. Since there was also a smudge in the upper left square, I popped up that image atop the blunder — and all is good. :) This is why I rarely throw away a card that I've messed up on. If nothing else, I can turn the cardstock over, stamp an image, and adhere it to a new card. I'm way too thrifty to throw away perfectly good cardstock! 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Borders and Corners Rectangles, Stitches & Swirls, A Wreath for All Seasons); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie, Peach Parfait) and Memento (Tuxedo Black); buttons are PTI (Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz).

I keep meaning to post this picture and keep forgetting, but I have a little time now so it's probably as good a time as any. :)

I have told you repeatedly how nice people have been to us... and how appreciative we are. And I don't do this to brag on us in anyway, because this is so not about us... it's about how people are to live and treat others. We've be the recipients of many thoughtful gifts and acts of service. Here is another...

 This basket of produce was given to us by one of Ken's golf buddies back in November... filled with things from his family farm in Pennsylvania. You can't believe how big those potatoes are. Huge! And extra tasty, too. (Thanks, Bob & Laura!).  And, the potted plant in the background? A gorgeous mum from Ken's sister Janis to grace our Thanksgiving table. Beautiful, isn't it?! Yes, we have been extraordinarily blessed.

 

Well, I think that will be it for today. I have a very long to-do list and Kris will be arriving soon, so I better get cracking! Thanks so much for stopping by today. I do plan to post again tomorrow, so we'll talk then. Lots of love to you! :)

You Are Here

Written by Janelle (!), Friday, August 5:

Good thing they write a daily calendar and who my nurses are on the wall of the hospital room, because I'm a little iffy on it all right now.

I did open my box of Papertrey Ink goodies a bit ago, though, and that was somewhat of a spirit-lifter. Now to get enough energy up to prep them so that tomorrow when I get home I can ink them up a bit. (And that probably made no sense at all to my non-stamping friends... but hang in there with me... hopefully I'll get to something that interests you!)

I know that Ken updated you on what the doctors found yesterday when they peered into my head. The little squiggles of brain or tumor or whatever it was that they took out are apparently not my friends. But, you know, God is in control and while it is stormy outside in Charlotte, North Carolina today, it is calm and dry inside this hospital room and I'm thankful to be here under the care of what seems to be an excellent group of surgeons, oncologists, and support staff who are taking very good care of us. They tell us we go home tomorrow.

And, although this is not pretty, it does show that it is really me...

I'll try not to subject you to too many more like that!

 

Now, I thought it might be fun to squeeze in a non-medical post. I mean... who wants to talk about depressing medical things all the time. I sure don't! 

These are the tags I made for the welcome bags we used for guests who made our selected hotel home for the wedding weekend.

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I'm going to go step-by-step with some pictures here. Hopefully pictures are truly worth a thousand words, because I'm a little tired and don't really feel like using lots of words. :)

I marked Raleigh with a stamped heart — gotta mark the special location, you know.

To make the sentiment I had to get a little creative. First I stamped the "here" from "I was here",

then the "are" from "Are we there yet?" — for both of those I was easily able to use the stamp pad. To get the word "you", though, from the "Wish you were here" stamp —

well, it was simpler to color the word with a marker, huff on it, and then stamp...

When that was all finished, I swappped out the tag's string for baker's twine. Still, the tags didn't seem quite finished so I added a couple more details... kind of secret ones...

folded-over circles all punched from a map of North Carolina and then circles punched from ledger paper that recorded the wedding date.

And since I really like secret little details, I made sure that some of those punched maps represented the hometowns of Kenneth & Britt...

And also where they'll be living together.

AND TELL: stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Road Trip, Heart Prints, Mini Scrapbook Series: Journaling Circle, Banner Builder, Postmarks, Background Basics: Retro); tags are by Avery (4-3/4" x 2-3/8" shipping tags); ink is Stampin' Up (Daffodil Delight, Perfect Plum, Going Grey, Tangerine Tango); baker's twine is Divine Twine (Lemon); also used a SU Tangerine Tango marker and 1-3/4" & 1-3/8" circle punches.

When we got to Raleigh for the wedding festivities, we filled the hospitality bags with regional goodies like...

Sundrop, Cheerwine, Lance Crackers, and Corky's Carmel Corn.

 
Of course, bottled water had to be included too because it is hot, hot, hot in North Carolina at the end of July. And Britt used her graphic design skills to make a little brochure of some spots of interest that were within walking distance of the hotel. Places like the State Capitol, a hot dog stand (with the tip to not ask for ketchup!), a handmade purse workshop, an extra large statue of Sir Walter Raleigh and much more. 

When the bags were filled and tissue papered, we set them aside for delivery. It was a fun little way to make our guests feel welcome and special.

And, now, I'm about spent. They tell me I should get up and take a shower so that's the next step, I think. Wish me luck... I'm not too steady on my feet. :) 

Thank you so much for stopping by for a bit of a visit today. Hope I wasn't too long winded for you. And, I hope to be back for a bit of a visit tomorrow. Maybe from home. Yippee! See you then! (Oh, and a I certainly don't want to forget to tell you just how much your words, prayers, and comments mean to me. I wish that I could answer them all, and I really hope to some day, but right now that's just not possible and I'm a little sad about that. Please know that everything you have sent me has been read and treasured!)

Welcome

If you've visited me here before, you may remember that I like to leave a little welcome card in our guest room when we have overnight company. A couple of weekends ago, we had guests in three rooms at our house — my mom, Britt, and her soon-to-be mother-in-law. Time was short (as it has been often lately), so I made these simple tags.

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But simple tags are no good by themselves. They need to be attached to something. And since, like I said, time was short, I punched holes in prepackaged snacks and attached them all together with a binder ring onto which I tied the tag with baker's twine. That way my guests had snacks at their fingertips in case I didn't remember to offer goodies (which happens a lot to me these days... the not remembering thing). That means I started out our bridal shower weekend by making sure we had snacks... that's just so me... :)

AND TELL: stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Wreath for All Seasons, Tag-its #3); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip); also used SU markers (Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie).

If I get a chance over the next few days I'll show you the tags that I made for the shower gifts I gave to Britt. And maybe some pictures from the showers, too. And then, before long, I should have some wedding pictures to show... it's only 5 days away now. (And, since yesterday I was gently chastised for saying "eek" after my countdown number, today I'll say, "YAY!" — just five more days! :) )

Thanks so much for stopping by... hope to see you again soon!

Welcoming Guests

If you've been visiting here for awhile, you may remember that I've fallen into the habit of welcoming our overnight guests with a handmade card and little tray of niceties. Yesterday I told you that we had company for the weekend. Here is the card that I made for them.

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I shabbied this one up a bit by inking and distressing the edges. Not my usual style, but fun to try once in awhile. 

Our guests were the parents of our "adopted daughter" — a young woman who happens to be the same age and have the same name (!) as our own daughter. We met her when she moved to Charlotte for a teaching job right after she graduated from college nearly five years ago now. When her parents come to visit, they often stay with us — which is fun as we have so much in common. The visits always involve lots of laughs. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Wreath for All Seasons); cardstock is PTI (Rustic White) and Stampin' Up (Sahara Sand); ink is SU (Sahara Sand, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose) and PTI (Tea Dye Duo, Vintage Cream); ribbon is from PTI (white silk); also used PTI's Double-Ended Banner and Mat Stack #1 dies and the Woodgrain impression plate.

Before my little blogging break I was sharing the recipes I made earlier in the month for the jewelry party that I hosted. So — here's another one for you... Ham (or turkey) Crescents.

Another easy-peasy thing to make that is tasty and even a little impressive looking — cuz it's spiraled. Spiraled foods are fancy and impressive. :) You can find the recipe here on the Family, Friends and Food blog.  

And I guess that's all for today. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit. Hope to see you again soon! 

A Rustic Welcome

Wow. Has it really been almost a week since I posted last?!? Yikes — where does the time go?

But before I really get started, I want to say thanks so much to all of you who left sweet comments here and on Facebook wishing us a happy anniversary. Y'all are just too nice!

Anyway, I thought I should show a couple more welcome cards that I made for our Thanksgiving guests. This first one was for our daughter's boyfriend. They drove down together from Raleigh on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. He had to work Friday, so on Thursday evening he drove back home. Then Saturday he came back to Charlotte, spent the night again, went to church and brunch with us, and then he and Britt drove back to Raleigh. It's nearly a three hour trip each way so that's a whole lot of driving. I guess he kinda likes her.

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Kenneth likes texture and dimension on his cards — so he got both. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Leaf Prints, Wreath for All Seasons); cardstock is Stampin' Up (Confetti Cream, Soft Sky) and PTI (Fine Linen); ink is SU (So Saffron) and PTI (Enchanted Evening, Tea Dye Duo); button & twine are PTI (Enchanted Evening; Rustic Jute); also used a PTI leaf die and a Cuttlebug embossing folder (Distressed Stripes).

The next card I made for our son who was planning to spend the night with us on Wednesday night, but ended up working late instead.

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I probably didn't need to make Ian a card, but didn't want him to feel left out, ya know? So, since he didn't take it home with him, I think I'll save it and recycle the front on another card for some other time. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Everyday Treats, 2009 Autumn Tags, Wreath for All Seasons); cardstock is PTI (Fine Linen, Melon Berry, Vintage Cream) and Stampin' Up (Cajun Craze); ink is SU (Cajun Craze, Early Espresso), Encore Ultimate Metallic (Copper), PTI (Summer Sunrise, Melon Berry, Tea Dye Duo); also used PTI's Mat Stack 4 die, SU's 1-3/4" Circle punch, and Cuttlebug's Houndstooth embossing folder. 

I was a bad photographer over the Thanksgiving holiday and didn't get any pictures of Britt's friend, Kenneth, at all. I did, however, get one of Britt & Ian after we had eaten brunch at the restaurant where Ian works (Bricktop's). He happened to be off on Sunday morning, so instead of serving us, he joined us. That was a treat. (Although, it's a treat to be served by him, too...)

 
When in the world did they get so grown up?

Thanks for stopping by today and spending a little time here. I hope to post more regularly this week, so come back soon! See you then...

Welcoming Guests

Today we're welcoming more guests to our house. Lynne & Mike (Ken's sister and brother-in-law) drove down from Indiana and then later we'll be picking up their son Zach at the airport. I don't think Zach has been here since we had the entire family here for Christmas in 1992. Wow. He was 9 then. Now he's 27.

The card for Lynne & Mike is based on this week's Clean and Simple Stamping sketch, FTL117.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I thought the woodgrain impression would be nice (even though it's blue...) since Mike works with wood. Last year he brought us a little table that he made — kind of his version of the casserole or pie that people traditionally carry with them to the family Thanksgiving dinner. But way better. And longer lasting. This year? Check this out.

 
I'm not sure that this will be its permanent location, but he perfectly matched our kitchen cabinets. Isn't that amazing? Completely from memory. I pulled Ken's favorite cookbooks out of the cabinet — ones that he'll need tomorrow while he's making his big Thanksgiving feast. Now we're set to go. :) 

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Leaf Prints, Wreath for All Seasons); cardstock is Stampin' Up (Barely Banana, Soft Sky, Whisper White); patterned cardstock is Heidi Swapp; ink is SU (More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie); also used and EK Success border punch and PTI's Leaf Prints die and Woodgrain impression plate.

Here is the card for Zach, based on FTL115 from Clean and Simple Stamping.

 

 

 

 

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Now — I know that Zach, at 27, probably does not care at all about having a welcome card. Or a little welcome tray of goodies. (Well, maybe he'll like the treats...) But, you can't really give everyone else a card and then leave someone out, now can you? So, like it or not — he's getting a card. As will our other overnight guests who will be coming in tonight, too.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Wreath for All Seasons, Simply Stationery, Tree Trimming Trio); cardstock is Stampin' Up (Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake); ink is SU (Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze); also use SU's 1" circle punch and scored lines were made with the Scor-Pal.

So — Zach's plane will land in about an hour and a half. There's a big pot of chili on the stove. Britt & Kenneth will arrive later tonight and I think Ian is coming over after he gets off work. Oh, it's going to be a fun weekend!

Hope you have lots of fun and family on your weekend agenda, too. Thanks for visiting here for a bit and we'll see you again soon!

The First Guest Arrives

Our first overnight guest (Ken's mom) flew in today. Ken picked her up at the airport and they arrived at the house shortly after I got home from work. Of course, I had to have a welcome card waiting for her. Inspiration for her card came from Clean and Simple Stamping's sketch FTL116.

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Since the card base was rather dark, decorating the inside a bit to provide a lighter place for writing seemed like the thing to do. I just echoed the shapes, colors, and motifs used on the card front. Pretty easy.

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Leaf Prints, Wreath for All Seasons); cardstock is Stampin' Up (Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss) and PTI (Kraft); patterned paper is from my stash; ink is SU (Rose Red, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke); also used PTI's Leaf Prints die and SU's Top Note die and Square Lattice embossing folder.

So, this afternoon was spent visiting with my mother-in-law while snacking on sweet breads and sipping hot apple cider. Then, while she took a little nap, I did a little more cleaning upstairs — gotta get my craft room ready for guests, too. What is it about me that seems to think every horizontal surface should be piled with stacks, projects, project remnants, etc.? Grrr. During one of my distracted moments while cleaning up, I was texting with our son and stumbled upon the magic words to get him to come to dinner — pork tenderloin. How is it that I didn't know that? We may have to put it on the menu at least once a week now to entice him to come visit us! haha. So after dinner, a little Wii, and some TV, it's now past midnight and I'm finding myself trying to get this blog post written — because tomorrow will really start getting fun (and busy) around here as more guests arrive. And, more company means more welcome cards. Hopefully I'll get a chance to post those tomorrow. So I'll plan on seeing you then. Thanks for spending a bit of time here with me today!    

Welcome

We are going to have lots of guests arriving over the next several days and, if you've been following here for awhile, you may remember that I like to have a little welcome tray of goodies along with a card beside the bed of our overnight company.

And since I've been away from my supplies for awhile, I decided to use a sketch to get me going. So — this is for Kazan's Sketch 66 on 2 Sketches 4 You.

 

 

 

 

 

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This card is actually a remake of a welcome card that I made last month when one of Ken's co-workers came to spend a weekend with us for the sole-purpose of golfing as much as they could cram in over 2-1/2 days. When Dean left to fly back to Minnesota, he left the card, too. (Huh?!?)

Here's a picture of the original card on the tray. It was so simple that I decided it wasn't really worth putting on the blog — but I'm glad that I took this picture so that you can see how something very simple can be remade into a card that has a lot more oomph.  

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Wreath for All Seasons); cardstock is PTI (Terra Cotta Tile, Vintage Cream) and a miscellaneous scrap of a similar cream color; patterned paper is Basic Gray; ink is Stampin' Up (Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Cajun Craze); ribbon is PTI (Vintage Cream Saddle Stitch); buttons and twine are PTI (Fine Linen; Rustic Jute); also used SU's Square Lattice embossing folder, Scor-Pal, and Martha Stewart ultra fine crystal glitter. 

That's it for today. Just had to get this posted so that I could link it up to the 2 Sketches 4 You blog before tonight's deadline. Now — back to preparing the house for guests.

Hope you're having a great weekend. Thanks so much for spending a bit of it here!

Practice Hospitality

Lately I've been leaving a handmade card atop the pile of dirty linens after a stay at someone's house. This is the card I left at my sister-in-law's California house the other morning.

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AND TELL:  stamps are from Verve (Romans 12:13); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); patterned paper is from Anna Griffin (Isabelle collection); ink is PTI (Spring Moss, True Black); ribbon is from Michael's; also used Stampin' Up's Square Lattice embossing folder and Scallop Trim border and corner punches. 

Want some more from Sister Weekend? Oh, I had such a hard time editing down the pictures from yesterday. There are still too many, but I think you're going to get them all anyway. Feel free to skip out... I know it's a lot.

First of all breakfast in Montecito, California — just a couple blocks from our hotel.

Wouldn't you just love to eat in a place with decor like this?

So would we. And, it wasn't just cute. The food was good and the menu totally to our liking. Especially to mine because it had my absolute favorite breakfast (well, not counting doughnuts and cinnamon rolls) —

oatmeal! And, the essential —

 
black coffee.

After breakfast we went on a little hike in the hills above Santa Barbara to get that great view of the town and the ocean.

A mile and a half, Kris said. Not far.

 
It’s just around the corner, she said. We’re almost there.

 
Then we met 80 year old hiker, Shel.

 
(He looks good, doesn’t he?)  He told us that it wasn’t really just around the corner. He also gave us a lesson on native plants. Bay Leaves (mmm, they smelled so good) and Maidenhair Ferns.

 
Did you know that if you place a face-up maidenhair fern on your clothes and slap it that the underside will leave a pretty design? Shel taught us that.

After our conversation with him, we decided that it might be wise to start back down, taking a different path. We did catch a few views.

 
Um – the ocean and shoreline are under all those clouds.  Oh, well.

Going back down was a good idea. But then Kris took a spill and came up a little gimpy. Fortunately, when we got to the bottom there was a cold stream in which she could soak her swollen ankle.

 
And, I rested my dirty feet with her while Janis & Lynne set out in different directions to find the car. (Yeah, that's the problem with a different path...)

 
The next adventure involved a quick car tour of Westmont College where our beautiful niece will be a freshman this year. Janis drove and Kris sent Lynne & I into an open dorm to check out the closet space.

 
We used our superb measuring skills.

And then it was definitely time for lunch in Santa Barbara

 
at Julia Child’s favorite taco stand.

 
The tortillas are handmade right there in the itty, bitty kitchen.

While we were waiting for our food, Lynne doctored Kris’ ankle with the best thing she could find at the local Spanish-speaking market.

 
The pin she had bought each of us to celebrate our sisterhood came in handy to hold the wrap together.

 
The food was yummy and authentic.

 
We drove to and did a quick walk around the Santa Barbara Mission (minus Kris, who waited in the car with her iPhone and elevated foot).

 
And then went to the beach for a bit.

 
Such a lovely day.

I spent an inordinate amount of time with my iPhone trying to get the perfect picture of this heart-shaped rock — along with my sandy tootsies and a little surf – to text to Ken.

 
Just a little “I love you” from the road, you know.

After a drive up into the mountains to catch the view we had missed in the morning,
we needed a little something.

Gelato and sorbet hit the spot. I had lavender-lemon sorbet. Oh-so-refreshing!

 
We drove back to Kris’ house, picking up dinner on the way.

 
I’d never had an In-and-Out Burger. It hit the spot, too. And sitting in Kris & Steve’s backyard was the perfect way to end the day.

Thanks so much for stopping by for a little visit – and, if you hung in there, for living through the second day of Sister Weekend (or Sister Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday, if you prefer) with me. I hope to be back tomorrow with my August Stamp club card along with more from the Sister Trip. See you then!

Notes of Welcome

We've had a great weekend. Busy, but great.

Our brother-in-law, Steve, came into town to sing at a local church. Saturday night he gave a concert of Broadway tunes specially selected for their redemptive and uplifting messages. This morning he performed a sacred music concert in their worship service.

 

We love listening to Steve sing! And we were honored that he stayed with us last night, too. So — you know that I had to make a little card for the guest room.

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Music theme for the musician. Corny, I know. I got the sentiment by inking up portions of three different stamps from Papertrey Ink's Vintage Picnic Sentiments set. That's a great thing about clear stamps. You can really see what you're doing when combining sections of stamps in different ways.  

The colors came from Kristina Werner's latest Color Inspiration. Can't say I found these colors easy to work with, but I don't suppose it would be a challenge if it were easy. Right?

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Background Basics: Retro, Vintage Picnic Sentiments); cardstock is Stampin' Up (Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, More Mustard, So Saffron) and PTI (white); ink is Stampin' Up (Cameo Coral, Blue Bayou); also used frame left from Stampin' Up's Top Note die, Stampin' Up's 1-3/4" circle punch, Marvy's yellow circle punch (2"?), and the Seasons of Joy Cricut cartridge for the musical notes. Parts of the card are popped up using Stampin' Dimensionals.

I'm hoping that I get the opportunity to say "hi" a few more times this week than I did last week. We'll see, won't we.

Hope you've had a great weekend and that your second week of 2010 is full of unexpected blessings!