Show and Tell

Out of Order

That's how I feel sometimes. A little out of order. After a great start last week, I now think I need to put an "out of order" sign on myself. I'm not sure how it all fell apart, but it did. Nothing really happened. I just went on the fritz, I guess.

But... that's not what the title of this post is really referring, too. I have a system for "making up" challenges that I enjoy doing but have missed. I do the current challenge and then I post a card for the most distant week that I skipped. So that means that since I am doing cards for One Layer Wednesday challenges that I should be doing this week's challenge (OLW 58, to use orange, yellow, and aqua) and a card for OLW 48. And I have a card finished for that week. In fact, I've finished cards for most of the weeks that I couldn't find time for when they were live. But today is Father's Day. So — it would make more sense to show the card for OLW 56, when the "prompt" was to create a Father's Day card. So, here I am breaking my rule for what to post when. And that makes me uncomfortable. Call me crazy. Call me a slave to routine. Call me what you will. But, I'm still squirming as I break my own rule.

So, first of all, here is the card for this week's challenge issued by Susan.

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I think this card is cute. And it's me. (Even though it features a bird... or, as much as I've been using birds lately, maybe I should say... because it features a bird!) For being such a simple design it really took me quite some time to get it to the point where I was pleased with it. I won't share all my trials with you, but my final two are in the photo below.

Which one do you like the best?

AND TELL: stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Tag-its #2, Tag-its #3, Banner Builder); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Stampin' Up (Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Cool Caribbean); also used a Corner Chomper.

And here is the card for the 56th One Layer Wednesday challenge. And this has become Ken's Father's Day card.

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He really is a first class male. :) He is always ready to do anything for me. I ask, he does. Better yet... most of the time I don't even have to ask. It's more like this... I mention, he does. Or... better YET... he notices, he does. Amazing, really. I don't know any other men like him. And... it's not just for me. He's like that with everyone. But especially with his children. He's one great dad! Happy Father's Day, Hon!

AND TELL: stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Postmarks, Star Prints); cardstock is PTI (Rustic White); ink is Stampin' Up (Riding Hood Red, Marina Mist, Sahara Sand), PTI (Tea Dye Duo), Memento (Tuxedo Black), and VersaMark.

I have nine posts started... just waiting to be finished and published. You'd think that would mean that I'd be back tomorrow. And I'd like to be... but I make no promises. There's a lot going on around here these days. :) 

Thanks so much for stopping by for a little visit. Hopefully we'll meet up again soon. Have a great Sunday! 

OLW 57 summer & OLW 48 sympathy

Well, I'm going to try to get back into the challenge mode this summer. And, for me, a good re-entry into challenges is Susan Rahaila's One Layer Wednesday. I do love making one layer cards. This week's challenge was issued by Jennnifer Styles — to make a card inspired by summer sun, sea, sand, beach, etc. You may know me well enough by now to know that summer sun would make me hot and that when I'm hot that I may just think that I need something to cool me off.

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And, of course, that could be a fan or air conditioning or — because it's me — ice cream! :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Sweet Scoops) and Papertrey Ink (Daily Designs); cardstock is PTI (Rustic White); ink is SU (Only Orange, Certainly Celery, Creamy Caramel, Tempting Turquoise) and PTI (Berry Sorbet).

Now, I really like the one layer challenges so much that I feel compelled to make up all the ones that I have missed. So, here is OLW48 — to make a sympathy card.

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After stamping, I ran the card front through my Cuttlebug with a Papertrey Ink impression plate. Then, it seemed to be too big and out of proportion so I chopped it down a bit. Much better. :)

AND TELL:  stamps are from Papertrey Ink (Think Big Favorites #3, Through the Trees); cardstock is PTI (Stampers Select White); ink is Memento (Tuxedo Black) and Stampin' Up (Marina Mist); also used PTI's Picnic Plaid impression plate.

 

That's it for now. I hope you've had a great day! See you again soon.

 

Farewell Tour #1

Remember all those stamp sets that I had removed from their drawer and stacked all over the floor of my stamp room? Well, I got tired (finally) of stepping around and over them. So — I put them back in the drawer. And — tried to weed out a few in the process. The unofficial goal was to fit them all in the drawer with no stacking (I stand them on their sides so I can read the label) and when I was finished I was like — yippee! I did it! And then I turned around and saw about 10 sets that I had somehow left out. haha. They were all "keepers" — so now I'm back to stacks. {sigh}

Well — out of all those sets that had been on the floor, only nine ended up in my "get rid of" pile. That's pretty pathetic, isn't it? But I can't seem to send them away without a party — so each set is getting it's own "Farewell Tour". At least, that's the current plan. :)

Here's the first set to go. Say good bye to "Suitable for Framing". I believe this was a Stampin' Up hostess reward set from five or six years ago.

Edited to add:  It dawned on me that these cards would work for the Card Style Clean and Graphic Challenge in the Moxie Fab World -- so I'll be linking there now.

SHOW

 

That was the first one. And it was fun. So — I decided to make another using the same layout with a different stamp.

And then another.

And, yes, another. You know how it seems that we (as people) are always wishing for what we don't have? It's been so hot here. And humid. So — now I'm kinda wishing for this:

But, in about 6 months when we're freezing our tails off I'll be wishing for this:

Yeah — never satisfied. That's me. :)

But, the stamps did make a cute little set, didn't they?

  

Yep, I sure did have fun with these stamps. I guess the danger of this little farewell tour is that I'll be tempted to change my mind — and I am tempted — but these are still on the way out. Bye-bye, "Suitable for Framing"!

AND TELL:  stamps are from Stampin' Up (Suitable for Framing, Sweet Little Sentiments, Happy Moments, Small Script); cardstock is Papertrey Ink (Stampers Select White); ink is SU (Kiwi Kiss, Cool Caribbean, Positively Pink, Bashful Blue) and PTI (True Black); markers from SU (Real Red, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Pink Passion, Yoyo Yellow, Only Orange, Basic Black); also used The Essential Glue Pad, Martha Stewart crystal glitter, Kaisercraft clear rhinestones, pink rhinestones from my stash, and a few shapes pre-punched from scraps using SU's Merry Details die and a Martha Stewart butterfly punch.

Yesterday, we also said farewell to something that's been a fixture in our driveway for many years.

 
When the mechanic said he was up to $1700 in needed repairs and that the little truck wasn't worth anywhere near that — well, what had to be done became obvious. So — good-bye old truck. We'll miss you with your dents, peeling paint, stained upholstery, and frequently-lit check engine light.

But — hello, big boy.

 
And, welcome to the neighborhood. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today — I'll see you again soon!   

Trees for Every Season

 
I made this set of cards for the October Papertrey Ink Guest Star Stamper contest in the Best Use of a Previous Set category. They didn't win, but I still think they're pretty cute.

Back in August I had done a similar card for the Papertrey Blog Hop (here) and just reworked and expanded on what I had done there.

The starting point was the trees stamp from Everyday Button Bits. Instead of buttons for the treetops, I used patterned paper or punched cardstock circles that had been stamped with images from Guidelines II. I adhered buttons on top of some of the paper circles. Others I left "as is" and some I embossed to represent snow-covered branches.

SHOW:  Spring Card

AND TELL:  all products are PTI unless noted; stamps: Eveyday Button Bits, Guidelines II, Mega Mixed Messages; cardstock: Lemon Tart, White, Kraft; patterned paper: Bitty Box Basics (Spring Rain), Bitty Dot Basics (Spring Moss, Raspberry Fizz, Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet); ink (Dark Chocolate, Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet, Fresh Snow) and Stampin' Up's Pink Passion; buttons: Raspberry Fizz, Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet; also used Divine Swirls Embossing Folder from Provo Craft, Fiskars Apron Edge Punch, Stampin' Up's Modern Label Punch and 3/4", 1", and 1-1/4" circle punches, pink rhinestones from my stash.

SHOW:  Summer Card   

AND TELL:  all products are PTI unless noted; stamps: Eveyday Button Bits, Guidelines II, Scattered Showers; cardstock: Pure Poppy, Lemon Tart, Spring Moss, New Leaf, Ripe Avocado, Kraft; patterned paper: Bitty Box Basics (Ripe Avocado), Bitty Dot Basics (Spring Rain); ink: Dark Chocolate, Spring Moss, New Leaf, Fresh Snow; buttons: Pure Poppy; also used Fiskars Apron Edge Punch, Stampin' Up's Modern Label Punch and 3/4", 1", and 1-1/4" circle punches, green rhinestones from my stash. 

SHOW:  Autumn Card

AND TELL:  all products are PTI unless noted; stamps: Eveyday Button Bits, Guidelines II, 2009 Autumn Tags; cardstock: Summer Sunrise, White, Kraft; patterned paper: Bitty Box Basics (Spring Rain), Bitty Dot Basics (Ripe Avocado); ink (Dark Chocolate, Summer Sunrise, Fresh Snow) and Stampin' Up's Tangerine Tango and Real Red; buttons: Dark Chocolate, Melon Berry, Pure Poppy; also used Divine Swirls Embossing Folder from Provo Craft, EKSuccess Embossed Scallop Border Punch, Stampin' Up's Modern Label Punch and 3/4", 1", and 1-1/4" circle punches, orange rhinestones purchased from PTI.

SHOW:  Winter Card

AND TELL:  all products are PTI unless noted; stamps: Eveyday Button Bits, Guidelines II, 2008 Holiday Tag Collection; cardstock: Enchanted Evening, Dark Chocolate, White, Kraft; patterned paper: Bitty Dot Basics (Spring Rain); ink (Dark Chocolate, Fresh Snow) and VersaMark; also used Swiss Dots Embossing Folder from Provo Craft, EKSuccess Embossed Scallop Border Punch, Stampin' Up's Modern Label Punch and 3/4", 1", and 1-1/4" circle punches, Stamp 'n Stuff white detail embossing powder, prisma glitter adhered to circle with Xyron, clear rhinestones purchased from PTI.

And, you know I have to show you more pictures from our trip to the State Fair. How about some livestock? It just wouldn't be a state fair without small children trying to get big animals to cooperate in the show ring.

 

Watching that boy with his cow reminded me of this boy with his cow.

 

August 1942. That's my dad with his cow, Beauty. The two of them won a blue ribbon at the 4-H fair.  Dad was 11 years old. I didn't know my dad as a cow-handler. I don't think I ever saw him with any animal larger than a dog. Well, we did ride horses a couple times, but by the time I came along, he had completely transformed himself from farm boy to professional educator. We were town folk.

And, I don't know about you, but I live in this relatively sanitary suburban world where we don't see (or smell) things like this.

 

Yet, I love the smell of the hay mingling with the scent of the animals and, well, you know what else. It just seems so natural and wholesome and clean, in an odd sort of way. I'm probably making no sense. I think I'm just feeling a little sentimental tonight. Probably a sure sign that I need to get some sleep! 

So that's where I'll head off to now. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. (And, if you read this far you probably deserve a reward! Give yourself a star and have a great night!!) Hope to talk to you again soon! And — maybe show you more State Fair pictures. :)
 
 

 

A Cheery Trio

I've been needing three cards to send as (much-belated) thank you notes to my cousins and my childhood penpal friend that made time to visit with us when we were in Indiana last month. Finally found the time to get them done. You can see that I used similar elements on all of them.

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This cherry image and sentiment were the main ones that sent me over the edge — "making" me sign up for the Unity Kit of the Month in June. The July kit looked equally as fabulous and is set to arrive any day now. Figured I oughta hurry up and use more of the ones from the June kit before that July kit is in my mailbox!

  

OK, this ice cream cone image and sentiment had a big part in my kit-buying decision also. (This card went under a facelift after I took the photo. When I went to put it in an envelope I realized that somehow it was 1/4" too wide. After trimming it down to size, the ribbon length needed to be adjusted. What a fiasco. Try doing that when everything is already permanently glued down and popped up. Not easy. So, Lisa, if you read this — here is the way the card was intended to look. Sorry about the stubby little ribbons you got!)

 

Well, I do love teapots and the little bird atop this one was just too cute. So, OK, this image also played a part — how can you say "no, thank you" when there are so many great stamps in a set??!! You can see the other cards I made with the June kit here, here, and here.

I paper pieced all three of these cards — using up more scraps. Plenty more where those came from. I definitely see more paper piecing in my future!

Thanks for looking today! Card details are below. (Check out those shiny cherries!) Have a great rest of your day!

AND TELL:  for all three cards the stamps are from Unity (June 2009 Kit of the Month); white cardstock is Papertrey Ink; printed paper is just random scraps; also used Fiskars' Apron Edge Punch on each. 

CHERRY CARD:  colored cardstock is Stampin' Up (Ballet Blue, Summer Sun); ribbon is from Michaels; also used a brown watercolor pencil and Crystal Effects (both Stampin' Up).

ICE CREAM CARD:  colored cardstock is Papertrey Ink (New Leaf) & Stampin' Up (Pink Passion, Summer Sun); ribbon is from Michaels; also used Crystal Effects and that brown watercolor pencil.

TEAPOT CARD:  colored cardstock is Stampin' Up (Real Red); ribbon is from Autumn Leaves.