Sunday, February 27, 2011
Kitchen Update...
Kitchen Update: We have now ordered our countertop. It's a quartz called "reflections". For you Copic users, it's C01 with tiny flecks of a mirror-like substance and recycled glass that's BG10, BG13, BG23. It also contains some C02 chips. When the sun hits this surface, it will shimmer and sparkle. We get very little sun in our kitchen. In the winter the sun doesn't shine in the single window and in the summer when the sun's arc is right, the River Birch blocks it. So, we pretty much have to rely on artificial lighting. We also selected a new sink and faucet (one of the new faucets with the sprayer actually part of the faucet instead of separate). Who would have thought the faucet would be more expensive than the sink which is double - 1 large, deep tub and one less deep and much smaller tub. The large tub has a nice arc on the side of it which will go beautifully with the arc on our cabinet doors. We stopped at the cabinet maker's and selected our hardware for the drawers and doors. It's a very simple, clean-lined handle in brushed nickel, small for the drawers and larger for the doors. Next stop will be flooring and I'm leaning toward a sand colored bamboo or ceramic tile to go with the ocean colored backsplash. Paint color will be BG10. I even found a picture I really like at Cracker Barrel of all places that has my BG and sand tones in it.
Kitchen Update and a card just for fun....
Kitchen Update: We have now ordered our countertop. It's a quartz called "reflections". For you Copic users, it's C01 with tiny flecks of a mirror-like substance and recycled glass that's BG10, BG13, BG23. It also contains some C02 chips. When the sun hits this surface, it will shimmer and sparkle. We get very little sun in our kitchen. In the winter the sun doesn't shine in the single window and in the summer when the sun's arc is right, the River Birch blocks it. So, we pretty much have to rely on artificial lighting. We also selected a new sink and faucet (one of the new faucets with the sprayer actually part of the faucet instead of separate). Who would have thought the faucet would be more expensive than the sink which is double - 1 large, deep tub and one less deep and much smaller tub. The large tub has a nice arc on the side of it which will go beautifully with the arc on our cabinet doors. We stopped at the cabinet maker's and selected our hardware for the drawers and doors. It's a very simple, clean-lined handle in brushed nickel, small for the drawers and larger for the doors. Next stop will be flooring and I'm leaning toward a sand colored bamboo or ceramic tile to go with the ocean colored backsplash. Paint color will be BG10. I even found a picture I really like at Cracker Barrel of all places that has my BG and sand tones in it.
OK, so on to the card. This stamp is from Lindy's Gang. I love the whimsical animals in this set which contains an armadillo, an iguana, a frog, and two tiny mice, as well as some phrases to go with them (my sentiment is from the set). This little guy is mounted on an Action Wobble and at the flick of a finger will spin back and forth. It will push flat to mail and pop back out because it's made of a medium weight plastic. Great fun for kid's cards. I used a snake-skin patterned paper and embossed my Spellbinder circle with a snake-like pattern. Very simple, but the Action Wobble steps it up a bit. You could use these on birthday cakes, animals, balloons, I can think of lots of things. Just a nice tool to keep in your kit until you need it.
Paper: DCWV Safari Chic, Bazzill; Stamp: Lindy's Stamp Gang's Desert Critters' Gang; Cuttlebug Animal Print Embossing Folder; Spellbinder Classic Circle Small; Action Wobble; Copics: G94, YG03, YG63, G99, YG91, YG95, YG93, R22; Spica Blossom for the hearts, Distress Ink for the sentiment.
OK, so on to the card. This stamp is from Lindy's Gang. I love the whimsical animals in this set which contains an armadillo, an iguana, a frog, and two tiny mice, as well as some phrases to go with them (my sentiment is from the set). This little guy is mounted on an Action Wobble and at the flick of a finger will spin back and forth. It will push flat to mail and pop back out because it's made of a medium weight plastic. Great fun for kid's cards. I used a snake-skin patterned paper and embossed my Spellbinder circle with a snake-like pattern. Very simple, but the Action Wobble steps it up a bit. You could use these on birthday cakes, animals, balloons, I can think of lots of things. Just a nice tool to keep in your kit until you need it.
Paper: DCWV Safari Chic, Bazzill; Stamp: Lindy's Stamp Gang's Desert Critters' Gang; Cuttlebug Animal Print Embossing Folder; Spellbinder Classic Circle Small; Action Wobble; Copics: G94, YG03, YG63, G99, YG91, YG95, YG93, R22; Spica Blossom for the hearts, Distress Ink for the sentiment.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Cabinet updating...
Kitchen Update: We met with the cabinet refacers last night and have decided to have our old cabinets refaced. The company will add the material of our choice on all parts of the cabinets that show along with new doors and hardware. They will also build the new cabinets that we picked out at a local home improvement store. The difference in price was negligible and all the cabinets will match when we're done. The refacing and installation will take place April 11, 12, and 13. Three days and we're done. They will also remove our old countertop and draw a template for the new one which will take ten days or so. By the end of April the cabinets, countertop, undermount sink and new faucet will be installed. Then, it's off to find our track lighting and flooring. Our contractor will be over on April 6th to move an electrical plug, add a new plug over where our new countertop will run, to move our telephone and to remove our trash masher. Before that date we'll have to move our bar cabinet and my spice cabinet. We're replacing the trash masher with two pull out spice racks. I can't wait to get those. We're off tomorrow to pick out our countertop, sink and faucet, we're looking at granite. We're lucky that our kitchen is so small we can upgrade our materials and still not spend a lot of money. More later....
Magnolia Stamp Lover's Pastel Challenge
Isn't this little girl sweet? All dressed up and waiting for the party. The new Belles 'n Whistles accessories are just the right size for the Magnolia stamps. I tried the dot technique around the images, not sure I like it or I did it right, but practice makes perfect so I'll keep at it. The corner was from an old Sizzlets die I had, I have no idea what the name of it is. You have lots of time to join this challenge, so head over to the Magnolia Stamp Lover's Blog and get your entry in.
Paper: DCWV The Luxury Stack; Stamps: Tilda with Small Gift, Belles 'n Whistles Table and Cupcake; BlueBirdFlats Sentiment; Cuttlebug Corner Embellishment; Ribbon: Stash; Copics: [Skin E000, E01, E11, E13, R20][Table Y000, Y00, Y02, Y08][Strawberries R24, R27][Cupcake RV000, Y02, Y17, RV00, RV02][Blueberries B63, YG05][Dress, Socks B00, B000, B01, B0000][Shoes E55, E53, E51][Package G00, G000][Hair E07, E19, E09]
Paper: DCWV The Luxury Stack; Stamps: Tilda with Small Gift, Belles 'n Whistles Table and Cupcake; BlueBirdFlats Sentiment; Cuttlebug Corner Embellishment; Ribbon: Stash; Copics: [Skin E000, E01, E11, E13, R20][Table Y000, Y00, Y02, Y08][Strawberries R24, R27][Cupcake RV000, Y02, Y17, RV00, RV02][Blueberries B63, YG05][Dress, Socks B00, B000, B01, B0000][Shoes E55, E53, E51][Package G00, G000][Hair E07, E19, E09]Kitchen Update: We met with the cabinet refacers last night and have decided to have our old cabinets refaced. The company will add the material of our choice on all parts of the cabinets that show along with new doors and hardware. They will also build the new cabinets that we picked out at a local home improvement store. The difference in price was negligible and all the cabinets will match when we're done. The refacing and installation will take place April 11, 12, and 13. Three days and we're done. They will also remove our old countertop and draw a template for the new one which will take ten days or so. By the end of April the cabinets, countertop, undermount sink and new faucet will be installed. Then, it's off to find our track lighting and flooring. Our contractor will be over on April 6th to move an electrical plug, add a new plug over where our new countertop will run, to move our telephone and to remove our trash masher. Before that date we'll have to move our bar cabinet and my spice cabinet. We're replacing the trash masher with two pull out spice racks. I can't wait to get those. We're off tomorrow to pick out our countertop, sink and faucet, we're looking at granite. We're lucky that our kitchen is so small we can upgrade our materials and still not spend a lot of money. More later....
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Cabinet style...
Also, thanks so much for all the kitchen remodel encouragement. Our latest update is I have picked the cabinets I like for the blank wall. The color is canvas, something between a white and a cream, the door design is one inset panel with an arch on top and the cabinets are by Kraft Maid. In the layout, we have two 9" base spice racks, two 30" base cabinets with roll out trays specifically made for heavy items like pots and pans, crockpots, blenders, electric skillets, etc. and two 30" top cabinets. Tonight we have an appointment with the 'refacers' for an estimate. If possible, we would like our old cabinets to match the new cabinets. I'm hoping the sample of the new cabinet finish will arrive today. The new cabinet color will brighten up my kitchen a 100%. We also bought samples of the backsplash I want. It consists of 1" square, 4.75" square and 2"x4" glass tiles in a watery blue color that amazingly is the exact color of our cat's eyes. Until we find out about the cabinets, the hunt for countertops, lights and flooring is postponed, We understand the new cabinets will take a month to order and must be installed before our old cabinets can be refaced. Refacing consists of removing the doors and hardware, sanding, applying a veneer with heat and adding new doors. We understand it saves a lot of money over new cabinets and since our cabinets are not in bad shape, we think it's the way to go. Will let you know how it works out.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
SSCC Pink Challenge
The new Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central challenge is "Pink". Little girls and pink go together like peanut butter and jelly. The yellow tulip is so 'spring' don't you think? Speaking of spring when I was walking out to get the paper, it so smelled like spring. I know we're still in for some nasty weather - this is the midwest, right, but a tiny bit of driving with the window down and Nota playing full blast on my car stereo is such great therapy.
As some of you know, I am creating some digital images for myself. I recently purchased CorelDRAW and I'm using it to play. Please feel free to check back often for new sentiments I have for download. FREE. And free is always good.
Paper: Bazzill, DCWV Nana's Kids; Stamps: Tilda w/Tulip, Whiff of Joy, BlueBirdFlats Sentiment; Stampin' Up Ticket Corner Punch; Stickles: Yellow; Cuttlebug Clockworks Embossing Folder; Spica: Orange, Sand, Blossom; Copics: [Skin E000, E01, E11, E13, R20][Hair E19, E09, E07][Fence E33, E31, E43, E57][Shirt E41, E42][Dress R81, R83, R85][Shoes T1, T3, T5][Grass YG11, YG13, YG17][Flowers Y17, Y38, Y04][Tag E40, E41, E43]
As some of you know, I am creating some digital images for myself. I recently purchased CorelDRAW and I'm using it to play. Please feel free to check back often for new sentiments I have for download. FREE. And free is always good.
Paper: Bazzill, DCWV Nana's Kids; Stamps: Tilda w/Tulip, Whiff of Joy, BlueBirdFlats Sentiment; Stampin' Up Ticket Corner Punch; Stickles: Yellow; Cuttlebug Clockworks Embossing Folder; Spica: Orange, Sand, Blossom; Copics: [Skin E000, E01, E11, E13, R20][Hair E19, E09, E07][Fence E33, E31, E43, E57][Shirt E41, E42][Dress R81, R83, R85][Shoes T1, T3, T5][Grass YG11, YG13, YG17][Flowers Y17, Y38, Y04][Tag E40, E41, E43]Thursday, February 17, 2011
A new remodel...
I promised to share the 'big project' with you. After seven years of living in our home, we've decided to redo the kitchen. Not a huge remodel by any means but some things to make it more functional and brighter. I love our house but from the day we moved in, I knew the kitchen had to change. First, it's tiny compared to all the other rooms. Just barely big enough for a bistro table and two chairs. We either have to move one chair to open the oven or the other chair to open the dishwasher. So, it's small. There has never been enough counter space and the counters are discolored and have had liquid seep into the joints. The ceiling light was put off center with the light behind me while I'm cooking or at the sink so we'll go with new track lighting. There is no exhaust fan so heat and cooking odors build up, there has never been a back splash, and someone put out cigarettes on the linoleum. We don't have enough storage space and there is no place to put my Crock Pot, Electric Skillet or large pots and pans. All in all, a project waiting to happen. So, we met with a contractor on Saturday and gave him my list. (There are two bald eagles flying outside my craft room window - mating flight, maybe?) Tomorrow I am off on my first design choice: I need to find the extra cabinets - upper and lower- to fill in one wall. I need spaces for my large cooking appliances and a cabinet for my spices. Once I find the new cabinets, we will make plans to have our current cabinets refinished to match the new ones. I will share photos, pain, and pleasure along the way. We already know we will not have use of our kitchen for a while. We will move the fridge, microwave and coffee pot to the dining room. We're assuming (according to HGTV) the remodel will take twice as long as we think and half again more money than we planned for, but I'm excited to take on the challenge.
More Digital Sentiments for Free
I promised to share the 'big project' with you. After seven years of living in our home, we've decided to redo the kitchen. Not a huge remodel by any means but some things to make it more functional and brighter. I love our house but from the day we moved in, I knew the kitchen had to change. First, it's tiny compared to all the other rooms. Just barely big enough for a bistro table and two chairs. We either have to move one chair to open the oven or the other chair to open the dishwasher. So, it's small. There has never been enough counter space and the counters are discolored and have had liquid seep into the joints. The ceiling light was put off center with the light behind me while I'm cooking or at the sink so we'll go with new track lighting. There is no exhaust fan so heat and cooking odors build up, there has never been a backsplash, and someone put out cigarettes on the linoleum. We don't have enough storage space and there is no place to put my Crock Pot, Electric Skillet or large pots and pans. All in all, a project waiting to happen. So, we met with a contractor on Saturday and gave him my list. (There are two bald eagles flying outside my craft room window - mating flight, maybe?) Tomorrow I am off on my first design choice: I need to find the extra cabinets - upper and lower- to fill in one wall. I need spaces for my large cooking appliances and a cabinet for my spices. Once I find the new cabinets, we will make plans to have our current cabinets refinished to match the new ones. I will share photos, pain, and pleasure along the way. We already know we will not have use of our kitchen for a while. We will move the fridge, microwave and coffee pot to the dining room. We're assuming (according to HGTV) the remodel will take twice as long as we think and half again more money than we planned for, but I'm excited to take on the challenge.
In the meantime, I still play with digital images, please help yourself. And, as always, if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
In the meantime, I still play with digital images, please help yourself. And, as always, if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day...
I have lots to share with you today, so get a cup of coffee and settle in.
Our big news here is my husband has elected to retire effective June 1. That's going to bring a big change to our lives. He's a travelin' dude, loves the wind in his hair, roads he's never traveled and far away places. I've been introduced to some really beautiful places since I met him, he's a joy to travel with. So, we'll be doing that a lot more and we'll be in places that don't have the internet (ah, the horror of it). I love this blog and cardmaking so I'm sure I'll find time to keep them both up, but maybe not as often as before. Let's see....make a card, go to Sanibel Island. Duh!
Another on the home front item: a sharp shinned hawk has been hanging around our house the last week. He/she probably noticed the influx of birds at our feeders due to the deep snow. I saw him/her attempt a strike on something in the crabapple tree earlier in the week but a hawk's kill success rate is a lot less than you'd think. They often go to bed hungry. Yesterday we left the house around 4:00pm for dinner in the city and a trip to Jeffrey Alans (for those of you with a JA store, did you know they quit selling crafts? I've got to get out more. They still have scrap booking but they sell couches now.) and Michaels where I paid $3.99/each for six 99 cent items. So, it took forever to get that straightened out. We got home after seven and this morning I looked out the front door to a complete absence of birds and something weird in the front yard. Got on my boots and found a pile of feathers on the ground, it might have been a female cardinal. Birds are gone. So, I moved the feeders from the north side of the house where I can see them to the south side where I can't. It was time to do that anyway, my bluebirds will be looking for nesting sites soon and their box is right next to where the feeder used to be. The north feeders are a winter thing. Instead of all the birds, I will now watch just for the bluebirds.
Product review: People who know me know that we have a long haired cat with social issues. She's not friendly, she tolerates us, but won't let anyone else touch her. She has a hairball problem due to all that long fur and products that are supposed to move the hair through her system just cause problems at the other end. After half a dozen baths (which we ALL hate), we've decided to live with the hairballs. The next problem we had was whether to buy cat food for the nutritional value or the staining properties. We went with nutritional. She's addicted to Fancy Feast grilled seafood (is she spoiled or what?) which leaves lots of scrubbing on the carpet when it comes up. So, I treated myself to a Bissell SpotBot. Wow! Keep in mind I've only had it about a week. But already it's cleaned stains that I tried to clean weeks ago with no results. We're planning on replacing our aqua living room carpet soon anyway, so the stains were not a huge deal. The only problem with the SpotBot is it gets the carpet it cleans so clean that the rest of the carpet looks really bad - lol. I'll let you know in six months if I still love it; with a husband who attracts dirt like a magnet and a cat that makes big messes, I'll be using it a lot. It's seriously easy to fill and empty, too. It has a hose and mini hand held scrubber for furniture and spots the Bot itself can't reach. Love it! I'm giving it 4 bluebirds.
Our big news here is my husband has elected to retire effective June 1. That's going to bring a big change to our lives. He's a travelin' dude, loves the wind in his hair, roads he's never traveled and far away places. I've been introduced to some really beautiful places since I met him, he's a joy to travel with. So, we'll be doing that a lot more and we'll be in places that don't have the internet (ah, the horror of it). I love this blog and cardmaking so I'm sure I'll find time to keep them both up, but maybe not as often as before. Let's see....make a card, go to Sanibel Island. Duh!
Another on the home front item: a sharp shinned hawk has been hanging around our house the last week. He/she probably noticed the influx of birds at our feeders due to the deep snow. I saw him/her attempt a strike on something in the crabapple tree earlier in the week but a hawk's kill success rate is a lot less than you'd think. They often go to bed hungry. Yesterday we left the house around 4:00pm for dinner in the city and a trip to Jeffrey Alans (for those of you with a JA store, did you know they quit selling crafts? I've got to get out more. They still have scrap booking but they sell couches now.) and Michaels where I paid $3.99/each for six 99 cent items. So, it took forever to get that straightened out. We got home after seven and this morning I looked out the front door to a complete absence of birds and something weird in the front yard. Got on my boots and found a pile of feathers on the ground, it might have been a female cardinal. Birds are gone. So, I moved the feeders from the north side of the house where I can see them to the south side where I can't. It was time to do that anyway, my bluebirds will be looking for nesting sites soon and their box is right next to where the feeder used to be. The north feeders are a winter thing. Instead of all the birds, I will now watch just for the bluebirds.
Product review: People who know me know that we have a long haired cat with social issues. She's not friendly, she tolerates us, but won't let anyone else touch her. She has a hairball problem due to all that long fur and products that are supposed to move the hair through her system just cause problems at the other end. After half a dozen baths (which we ALL hate), we've decided to live with the hairballs. The next problem we had was whether to buy cat food for the nutritional value or the staining properties. We went with nutritional. She's addicted to Fancy Feast grilled seafood (is she spoiled or what?) which leaves lots of scrubbing on the carpet when it comes up. So, I treated myself to a Bissell SpotBot. Wow! Keep in mind I've only had it about a week. But already it's cleaned stains that I tried to clean weeks ago with no results. We're planning on replacing our aqua living room carpet soon anyway, so the stains were not a huge deal. The only problem with the SpotBot is it gets the carpet it cleans so clean that the rest of the carpet looks really bad - lol. I'll let you know in six months if I still love it; with a husband who attracts dirt like a magnet and a cat that makes big messes, I'll be using it a lot. It's seriously easy to fill and empty, too. It has a hose and mini hand held scrubber for furniture and spots the Bot itself can't reach. Love it! I'm giving it 4 bluebirds.
Happy Valentine's Day
I have lots to share with you today, so get a cup of coffee and settle in. First, if you haven't checked out the new Gilli Blog challenges, the first one starts today. You can find it at: House of Gilli. Please say hello to my friend, the Duchess of Gilli while you are there; Anary is the creator of these cute little ladies.
Our big news here is my husband has elected to retire effective June 1. That's going to bring a big change to our lives. He's a travelin' dude, loves the wind in his hair, roads he's never traveled and far away places. I've been introduced to some really beautiful places since I met him, he's a joy to travel with. So, we'll be doing that a lot more and we'll be in places that don't have the internet (ah, the horror of it). I love this blog and cardmaking so I'm sure I'll find time to keep them both up, but maybe not as often as before. Let's see....make a card, go to Sanibel Island. Duh!
Another on the home front item: a sharp shinned hawk has been hanging around our house the last week. He/she probably noticed the influx of birds at our feeders due to the deep snow. I saw him/her attempt a strike on something in the crabapple tree earlier in the week but a hawk's kill success rate is a lot less than you'd think. They often go to bed hungry. Yesterday we left the house around 4:00pm for dinner in the city and a trip to Jeffrey Alans (for those of you with a JA store, did you know they quit selling crafts? I've got to get out more. They still have scrapbooking but they sell couches now.) and Michaels where I paid $3.99/each for six 99 cent items. So, it took forever to get that straightened out. We got home after seven and this morning I looked out the front door to a complete absence of birds and something weird in the front yard. Got on my boots and found a pile of feathers on the ground, it might have been a female cardinal. Birds are gone. So, I moved the feeders from the north side of the house where I can see them to the south side where I can't. It was time to do that anyway, my bluebirds will be looking for nesting sites soon and their box is right next to where the feeder used to be. The north feeders are a winter thing. Instead of all the birds, I will now watch just for the bluebirds.
Product review: People who know me know that we have a long haired cat with social issues. She's not friendly, she tolerates us, but won't let anyone else touch her. She has a hairball problem due to all that long fur and products that are supposed to move the hair through her system just cause problems at the other end. After half a dozen baths (which we ALL hate), we've decided to live with the hairballs. The next problem we had was whether to buy cat food for the nutritional value or the staining properties. We went with nutritional. She's addicted to Fancy Feast grilled seafood (is she spoiled or what?) which leaves lots of scrubbing on the carpet when it comes up. So, I treated myself to a Bissell SpotBot. Wow! Keep in mind I've only had it about a week. But already it's cleaned stains that I tried to clean weeks ago with no results. We're planning on replacing our aqua living room carpet soon anyway, so the stains were not a huge deal. The only problem with the SpotBot is it gets the carpet it cleans so clean that the rest of the carpet looks really bad - lol. I'll let you know in six months if I still love it; with a husband who attracts dirt like a magnet and a cat that makes big messes, I'll be using it a lot. It's seriously easy to fill and empty, too. It has a hose and mini hand held scrubber for furniture and spots the Bot itself can't reach. Love it! I'm giving it 4 bluebirds.
I should try to submit this card for publication somewhere, that's how proud I am of it, but I'm eager to let you see it. I've always crocheted so the pattern I discovered in the last issue of Magnolia magazine was easy for me. I will be making up my own as soon as I have some time, I will share those patterns with you. Also, my next post will include some more free digital images and another big project I will share with you which has nothing to do with paper crafting. I appreciate very much all the comments I receive, I wanted especially to thank those of you who left no address, your comments mean a lot to me. So, let me know what you think of this card. I'm counting the days until the new Sugar Nellie images come out March 1.
Paper: DCWV Cotton Bloom Stack; Stamp: Sugar Nellie; Crochet pattern by Monique from Magnolia Magazine; Magnolia Crystals, Prima Roses; Copics: [Skin R20, E11, E000, E13, E01][Hair Y000, Y02, Y08][Dress RV00, RV000, RV0000][Outline N0]
Our big news here is my husband has elected to retire effective June 1. That's going to bring a big change to our lives. He's a travelin' dude, loves the wind in his hair, roads he's never traveled and far away places. I've been introduced to some really beautiful places since I met him, he's a joy to travel with. So, we'll be doing that a lot more and we'll be in places that don't have the internet (ah, the horror of it). I love this blog and cardmaking so I'm sure I'll find time to keep them both up, but maybe not as often as before. Let's see....make a card, go to Sanibel Island. Duh!
Another on the home front item: a sharp shinned hawk has been hanging around our house the last week. He/she probably noticed the influx of birds at our feeders due to the deep snow. I saw him/her attempt a strike on something in the crabapple tree earlier in the week but a hawk's kill success rate is a lot less than you'd think. They often go to bed hungry. Yesterday we left the house around 4:00pm for dinner in the city and a trip to Jeffrey Alans (for those of you with a JA store, did you know they quit selling crafts? I've got to get out more. They still have scrapbooking but they sell couches now.) and Michaels where I paid $3.99/each for six 99 cent items. So, it took forever to get that straightened out. We got home after seven and this morning I looked out the front door to a complete absence of birds and something weird in the front yard. Got on my boots and found a pile of feathers on the ground, it might have been a female cardinal. Birds are gone. So, I moved the feeders from the north side of the house where I can see them to the south side where I can't. It was time to do that anyway, my bluebirds will be looking for nesting sites soon and their box is right next to where the feeder used to be. The north feeders are a winter thing. Instead of all the birds, I will now watch just for the bluebirds.
Product review: People who know me know that we have a long haired cat with social issues. She's not friendly, she tolerates us, but won't let anyone else touch her. She has a hairball problem due to all that long fur and products that are supposed to move the hair through her system just cause problems at the other end. After half a dozen baths (which we ALL hate), we've decided to live with the hairballs. The next problem we had was whether to buy cat food for the nutritional value or the staining properties. We went with nutritional. She's addicted to Fancy Feast grilled seafood (is she spoiled or what?) which leaves lots of scrubbing on the carpet when it comes up. So, I treated myself to a Bissell SpotBot. Wow! Keep in mind I've only had it about a week. But already it's cleaned stains that I tried to clean weeks ago with no results. We're planning on replacing our aqua living room carpet soon anyway, so the stains were not a huge deal. The only problem with the SpotBot is it gets the carpet it cleans so clean that the rest of the carpet looks really bad - lol. I'll let you know in six months if I still love it; with a husband who attracts dirt like a magnet and a cat that makes big messes, I'll be using it a lot. It's seriously easy to fill and empty, too. It has a hose and mini hand held scrubber for furniture and spots the Bot itself can't reach. Love it! I'm giving it 4 bluebirds.
I should try to submit this card for publication somewhere, that's how proud I am of it, but I'm eager to let you see it. I've always crocheted so the pattern I discovered in the last issue of Magnolia magazine was easy for me. I will be making up my own as soon as I have some time, I will share those patterns with you. Also, my next post will include some more free digital images and another big project I will share with you which has nothing to do with paper crafting. I appreciate very much all the comments I receive, I wanted especially to thank those of you who left no address, your comments mean a lot to me. So, let me know what you think of this card. I'm counting the days until the new Sugar Nellie images come out March 1.
Paper: DCWV Cotton Bloom Stack; Stamp: Sugar Nellie; Crochet pattern by Monique from Magnolia Magazine; Magnolia Crystals, Prima Roses; Copics: [Skin R20, E11, E000, E13, E01][Hair Y000, Y02, Y08][Dress RV00, RV000, RV0000][Outline N0]Sunday, February 13, 2011
Gilli Open House Blog Hop
Welcome to the GILLI OPEN HOUSE blog hop! The celebration starts right now with the Gilli Design Team and the Stamping Scrapping Design Team bringing a load of inspiration with all things Gilli!! Come and join us at the party to discover how versatile Gilli Stamps can be and see how you can make Gilli your own! Just check each project out…each Gilli seems to have its own personality!!! But wait there is more!!! You can be one of the 2 winners that will be randomly selected! How can you participate and be eligible? Follow these simple rules:
1. Keep in touch by becoming a follower on "House of Gilli Blog".
2. Post a comment on each participant blog.
3. Post a comment on the very first challenge post at "House of Gilli" which will start tomorrow February 14th. Comments will be open until February 14 at 11:50 pm EST. Let the fun begin!
If you came from Billie, you're in the right place. If not, you should start at the beginning with the House of Gilli Challenge Blog - http://houseofgilli.blogspot.com/.
I have the honor to present to you Gilli Rockability. All dressed up in her dance clothes and ready for a night on the town with Edwin. I think it's their first school dance and he didn't get her flowers. Bad Edwin.
Paper: DCWV Glitter Sweet; Stamps: Anary Gilli Rockability, Bluebirdflats Sentiments; Cricut MS Elegant Cake Art; Spellbinder Classic Circle Large; Creative Charms Vintage Brad; Copics: Edwin [Skin E000, E01, E11, E13, R20][Pants B97, B93, B95][Vest RV34, RV32][Tie C5, C3][Shirt C00, C0, C1][Hair E30, E31, E33][Shoes N5, N3, N1] Gilli: [Skin E000, E01, R20, E11, W8][Hair Y04, Y35, Y18][Dress C00, RV34, V04, RV32, V06, R81] Spica: Baby Blue, Clear, Blossom.
1. Keep in touch by becoming a follower on "House of Gilli Blog".
2. Post a comment on each participant blog.
3. Post a comment on the very first challenge post at "House of Gilli" which will start tomorrow February 14th. Comments will be open until February 14 at 11:50 pm EST. Let the fun begin!
If you came from Billie, you're in the right place. If not, you should start at the beginning with the House of Gilli Challenge Blog - http://houseofgilli.blogspot.com/.
I have the honor to present to you Gilli Rockability. All dressed up in her dance clothes and ready for a night on the town with Edwin. I think it's their first school dance and he didn't get her flowers. Bad Edwin.
Paper: DCWV Glitter Sweet; Stamps: Anary Gilli Rockability, Bluebirdflats Sentiments; Cricut MS Elegant Cake Art; Spellbinder Classic Circle Large; Creative Charms Vintage Brad; Copics: Edwin [Skin E000, E01, E11, E13, R20][Pants B97, B93, B95][Vest RV34, RV32][Tie C5, C3][Shirt C00, C0, C1][Hair E30, E31, E33][Shoes N5, N3, N1] Gilli: [Skin E000, E01, R20, E11, W8][Hair Y04, Y35, Y18][Dress C00, RV34, V04, RV32, V06, R81] Spica: Baby Blue, Clear, Blossom.
Now, it's on to Dionne: http://deezcreativedesigns.blogspot.com/ and don't forget:
Monday February 14
Monday February 14
House of Gilli blog
1st Gilli blog Challenge – Hosted by Suzanne J. Dean
And in case you've gotten really lost, here is the entire team and urls:
Marielle: http://rastahobby.blogspot.com/
Stephanie: http://mycardshack.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 7, 2011
Happy Retirement, Frieda
Saturday we attended a retirement lunch for a good friend. She's finally pulling the plug and electing to sleep late on weekdays. We wish her and her husband Ron the very best. I made her a card to commemorate the occasion. Using Sizzix Pro die Bag, Purse #2, I created this purse in the same colors as the card. I used Microsoft Word to type her name in a font I liked and printed it on a sheet of text weight paper. Then, I added repositionable tape to my tag. Using an old engineer's trick, I held the paper up to a bright light and taped the tag over the printed word. The tricky part is putting the paper back into the printer in the correct orientation. I suggest you try this in advance without your tag. Printers are front loading and back loading. You will need to learn how to put your paper back into the printer and have it print on top of your original words. After you've figured out how your paper needs to be reinserted, do that with the tag taped over your original word and hit print. Works like a charm. Of course, you can print your word on good cardstock and stamp your tag over it. But, your computer has access to a lot more fonts than your stamps do.
This purse is almost 5.5" high and 6.5" wide at the narrowest. You could add a whole set of cards or just one as I did.
This card is a normal 5.5 x 4.25 inch card. The only difference between this one and a normal easel card is an extra scoring to make room for the Post-It pad and adjusting the cover panel so it covers the whole card when the card is closed. I will do a tutorial on it soon.
I attached a Micro Sharpie on the inside with velcro and added a Wild Orchid rose with some black leaves punched with a Martha Stewart punch.
This is the card closed. I've tied a bow around the cover and added a Black Lace Rhinestone Charm. The sentiment is mine. The paper is DCWV Dots, Strips & Plaids. I used Spellbinder's Labels 4 for the tag and a Waltzing Mouse stamp. Frieda is a classy wench and I believe this set is sophisticated even for her. This would also be cute with a calendar in place of the Post-It pad.
This purse is almost 5.5" high and 6.5" wide at the narrowest. You could add a whole set of cards or just one as I did.
This card is a normal 5.5 x 4.25 inch card. The only difference between this one and a normal easel card is an extra scoring to make room for the Post-It pad and adjusting the cover panel so it covers the whole card when the card is closed. I will do a tutorial on it soon.
I attached a Micro Sharpie on the inside with velcro and added a Wild Orchid rose with some black leaves punched with a Martha Stewart punch.
This is the card closed. I've tied a bow around the cover and added a Black Lace Rhinestone Charm. The sentiment is mine. The paper is DCWV Dots, Strips & Plaids. I used Spellbinder's Labels 4 for the tag and a Waltzing Mouse stamp. Frieda is a classy wench and I believe this set is sophisticated even for her. This would also be cute with a calendar in place of the Post-It pad.Saturday, February 5, 2011
New Digital Sentiments
I finally broke down and bought the BIG book for CorelDraw. It's so big my husband had to carry it up the steps to my craft room. It's huge. And since I just can't sit down and read it cover to cover, I've been attempting to do things and looking up the instructions while I do it. And having fun. My husband hates new software. I can't wait to find out what new software will do. Which is why we work so well together. He shovels snow and I open his documents in e-mail.
The first sentiment was created to go with the nautical Magnolia Tilda and Edwin. If you're a Magnolia fan, you will know which stamps I mean. If you punch a hole in the top of the anchor, you can use a brad to attach the sentiment.
Download Hang In There
Download The Fragrance of Roses
Download If You've Got It
The first sentiment was created to go with the nautical Magnolia Tilda and Edwin. If you're a Magnolia fan, you will know which stamps I mean. If you punch a hole in the top of the anchor, you can use a brad to attach the sentiment.
Download Hang In There
Download The Fragrance of Roses
Download If You've Got It
Please let me know if you like these. If you have suggestions, please leave them in the comment section.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
I've been volunteered...
My BFF's hubby recently suggested to her that maybe I would like to donate something to the National Wild Turkey Federation Banquet Lady's Table. He thought it would be a good way to 'get my name out there' and since I love containers, I was only too eager to help. After long pondering, this is what I came up with. The die I used was the Sizzix Pro Pie Box, #656400. I cut nine of them from a wonderful linen texture red cardstock. They were stamped with Papertrey's 'Turning a New Leaf' stamp set using VersaMark and heat embossed with Zing's Glittered Gold embossing Powder. The silk Peony on top was purchased from Michael's a gazillion years ago. Each box will be filled with quarter-sized heart cookies, the whole cake assembled and wrapped in gold wire ribbon which will keep it together. I think it will make a splendid presentation on the Lady's Table and I'm very happy with it. But unless Ruthann takes pictures of it, I probably won't see it set up. If she does, I'll share them here.
Thanks for visiting. Always love it when people come to call.
Thanks for visiting. Always love it when people come to call.Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A nature drive...
First of all, as I type this (it's 6:50am on January 31) there is a red glow on the horizon that looks like fire. It's been a very long time since I've seen such a colorful sunrise. There is an old saying, "Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." Since we're going to be getting a HUGE winter storm in the next two days, the red sky seems appropriate.
Yesterday, my husband and two of our friends (Rich and Carolyn), went on an 'eagle hunt'. This time of year with the river frozen except for the channels and very cold temperatures north of us, the eagles are driven to small areas where they can fish. We have a route we take most years about this time. Just south of Bartonville, IL is a road to a boat launch called Mendenhall Road. It's not very long but it does lead to open water in the river. We saw 13 eagles on that tiny road. South through Banner, through Little America, on to Duck Creek Sand and Gravel where we were disappointed with only 1 eagle, past Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge and into Havana. Our total eagle count for the day was 66. If there were that many we could see, think how many more were out of sight. We also saw two flickers, four bluebirds, a small flock of song sparrows, a flock of Great Blue Heron (have you ever seen a flock of them? WE never have and there were at least 25), a herd of deer, more geese than we could possibly count, and twenty-five hawks (redtail, Coopers & Sharp Shinned). All in all, a very good day for wildlife in Central Illinois. If you live in our area, I highly recommend the drive (and the sky keeps getting more red - wowzer).
Yesterday, my husband and two of our friends (Rich and Carolyn), went on an 'eagle hunt'. This time of year with the river frozen except for the channels and very cold temperatures north of us, the eagles are driven to small areas where they can fish. We have a route we take most years about this time. Just south of Bartonville, IL is a road to a boat launch called Mendenhall Road. It's not very long but it does lead to open water in the river. We saw 13 eagles on that tiny road. South through Banner, through Little America, on to Duck Creek Sand and Gravel where we were disappointed with only 1 eagle, past Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge and into Havana. Our total eagle count for the day was 66. If there were that many we could see, think how many more were out of sight. We also saw two flickers, four bluebirds, a small flock of song sparrows, a flock of Great Blue Heron (have you ever seen a flock of them? WE never have and there were at least 25), a herd of deer, more geese than we could possibly count, and twenty-five hawks (redtail, Coopers & Sharp Shinned). All in all, a very good day for wildlife in Central Illinois. If you live in our area, I highly recommend the drive (and the sky keeps getting more red - wowzer).
Two challenges and a nature drive
First of all, as I type this (it's 6:50am on January 31) there is a red glow on the horizon that looks like fire. It's been a very long time since I've seen such a colorful sunrise. There is an old saying, "Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." Since we're going to be getting a HUGE winter storm in the next two days, the red sky seems appropriate.
Yesterday, my husband and two of our friends (Rich and Carolyn), went on an 'eagle hunt'. This time of year with the river frozen except for the channels and very cold temperatures north of us, the eagles are driven to small areas where they can fish. We have a route we take most years about this time. Just south of Bartonville, IL is a road to a boat launch called Mendenhall Road. It's not very long but it does lead to open water in the river. We saw 13 eagles on that tiny road. South through Banner, through Little America, on to Duck Creek Sand and Gravel where we were disappointed with only 1 eagle, past Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge and into Havana. Our total eagle count for the day was 66. If there were that many we could see, think how many more were out of sight. We also saw two flickers, four bluebirds, a small flock of song sparrows, a flock of Great Blue Heron (have you ever seen a flock of them? WE never have and there were at least 25), a herd of deer, more geese than we could possibly count, and twenty-five hawks (redtail, Coopers & Sharp Shinned). All in all, a very good day for wildlife in Central Illinois. If you live in our area, I highly recommend the drive (and the sky keeps getting more red - wowzer).
Now, about the card and the challenges. This card is for the Magnolia Stamp Lover's challenge - 'Glitter' and the Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central challenge 'Valentine'. My card was heat embossed with Zing Gold Glitter embossing powder. It's a very simple card but I think it has a lot of impact. I thought about using one of the glamorous Tildas but this image suits me, I'm a blue jeans kind of gal. I may trade this card for the one I originally made for me hubby. The edges of the layers were colored with my 18kt gold pen, I love the rich look of the gold with the red and it allowed me to layer the same cardstock. All in all, this card pleases me, but I wish I had colored her better. I've actually picked up some new techniques that I would have liked to use (with a wink to Zoe), but next card....
Paper: Stash; Stamps: Magnolia Tilda w/Summer Bow, Flourishes "I Love Roses"; Krylon 18kt Gold Leafing Pen; Spica Sand; Zing Glitter Finish Gold Embossing Powder; Copics: [skin R20, E00, E000, E01][Hair E30, E33, E31][Pants B91, B93, B96][Shirt/Hat E50, E53][Shoes E34, E35]
Yesterday, my husband and two of our friends (Rich and Carolyn), went on an 'eagle hunt'. This time of year with the river frozen except for the channels and very cold temperatures north of us, the eagles are driven to small areas where they can fish. We have a route we take most years about this time. Just south of Bartonville, IL is a road to a boat launch called Mendenhall Road. It's not very long but it does lead to open water in the river. We saw 13 eagles on that tiny road. South through Banner, through Little America, on to Duck Creek Sand and Gravel where we were disappointed with only 1 eagle, past Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge and into Havana. Our total eagle count for the day was 66. If there were that many we could see, think how many more were out of sight. We also saw two flickers, four bluebirds, a small flock of song sparrows, a flock of Great Blue Heron (have you ever seen a flock of them? WE never have and there were at least 25), a herd of deer, more geese than we could possibly count, and twenty-five hawks (redtail, Coopers & Sharp Shinned). All in all, a very good day for wildlife in Central Illinois. If you live in our area, I highly recommend the drive (and the sky keeps getting more red - wowzer).
Now, about the card and the challenges. This card is for the Magnolia Stamp Lover's challenge - 'Glitter' and the Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central challenge 'Valentine'. My card was heat embossed with Zing Gold Glitter embossing powder. It's a very simple card but I think it has a lot of impact. I thought about using one of the glamorous Tildas but this image suits me, I'm a blue jeans kind of gal. I may trade this card for the one I originally made for me hubby. The edges of the layers were colored with my 18kt gold pen, I love the rich look of the gold with the red and it allowed me to layer the same cardstock. All in all, this card pleases me, but I wish I had colored her better. I've actually picked up some new techniques that I would have liked to use (with a wink to Zoe), but next card....
Paper: Stash; Stamps: Magnolia Tilda w/Summer Bow, Flourishes "I Love Roses"; Krylon 18kt Gold Leafing Pen; Spica Sand; Zing Glitter Finish Gold Embossing Powder; Copics: [skin R20, E00, E000, E01][Hair E30, E33, E31][Pants B91, B93, B96][Shirt/Hat E50, E53][Shoes E34, E35]