groovy owls

Happy Wednesday!

 Now that I'm off for the summer, Wednesdays don't hold that same hope for me.  You know that knowledge that the week is almost over?  Now it means, the week is almost over and your vacation is running out! 

We were gone all last week.  You didn't even know did ya?  I'm sneaky that way.

We took 17 to her college orientation and then went to my dad's.  But we'll talk more about all that another day when I have all the pics sorted. 

Today, I wanted to show you The Hub's Father's Day card. 

Woodgrain background and Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Crumb cake, tempting turquoise, melon mambo, perfect plum, bashful blue, whisper white, wild wasabi, basic black, rich razzleberry and pumpkin pie cardstock.  Black Stazon.  Owl punch, small oval punch (retired), various markers, 1 3/8" circle punch.

You should have seen Grace and I getting this card together!  We were like the 2 stooges hurrying to get it done.  We left on Father's Day for the orientation but The Hubs wanted to go play a round of disc golf before we left.  The kids had given him a few new discs and he couldn't wait to try them out.  So inbetween getting everything ready to go we decided to whip up this little card. 

Because of course I didn't have one made already ;)

Now you may be thinking that this is not your typical Father's Day card.  You'd be right.  But here is why we made it this way..........

These are my pj bottoms.  He hates them......thinks they are so ugly!  I happen to think they are cute.  So of course we had the idea to make the owls look the same.  HA HA!  Love you honey! 

Alrighty then.  We got back home on Monday and I'm still trying to get everything I have to do done so I can start doing the things I want to do.  You know how that is.

Thanks so much for stopping by and keeping me company.

Blessings, b.

cajun butterfly the 2nd

Hidey Ho!  How is everyone today?  Did you have a good weekend?  We've been busy busy busy.  Did you happen to see the new movie Brave?  Yeah, me neither.  But I want to.  I've always wanted red hair like that.  Grace doesn't like going to the movies so I'll have to wait until it comes to the Redbox.  Weird child, I know.

Anyhow, I was thinking of the title for this card today and it seemed like I had already used this title.  So I went and checked and.........I did. 

Instead of wracking my brain coming up with something else, I just made it "the 2nd". 

Here we go:

Flourishes background (retired), A Word for You.  Crumb cake, baja breeze, early espresso cardstock.  Whisper white craft and black Stazon inks.  Big shot, beautiful butterflies die, labels framelits, comfort cafe DSP, dotted ribbon punch, sticky pearls, linen thread, paper piecer, dimensionals and glue dots. 

So you may be wondering where I got that shape for the blue part, (which looks like bashful blue but its not).  Well, I took one of the label framelits and cut off the sides and top.  Sorry no pic to show you, but you're smart, you can figure this out. 

Otherwise a pretty simple card. 

Then I used the same design and made these:

The only difference is I used the old Thank You Kindly set and used Newsprint DSP for the butterfly.

I may use these for 17's graduation thank yous.  Not sure yet.  I don't have her seal of approval. 

Alrighty then, this has been a reaaallllllllly long day so I'm going to bed.  I hope you sleep good.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Blessings, b.

Fabulous friend

Have you seen the new catalog?  My wish list was pretty long but not out of control.  I was trying to be good. 

But then Stampin' Up! sent us the new Holiday Catalog.  Now my wish list is way out of control.  Just wait until you see it!  Make sure you're sitting down first.  It will be available on Aug. 1st.  It is just beautiful. 

Thanks goodness I have time to calm down before then. 

So anyway, I wanted to show you a cute little tag I made using something I have, because I don't have the new thing that I want.  Understand?

Fabulous Phrases set.  Cajun craze, early espresso, Summer Starfruit (In color) and very vanilla cardstock.  Early espresso ink.  Comfort cafe DSP, vanilla seam binding, large paper doily die, big shot, polka dot embossing folder, scallop border punch, 1/8" hole punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, 2" circle punch. 


I just cut down a regular sized lunch bag to 7 1/2" tall, scalloped the edge, folded it down and used a regular clothespin to hold it shut and to hold the tag. Easy to do and roomy enough to hold a good sized gift. 

Now:


I have the Large Paper Doily die.  I love it!  



I want the new Delicate Doilies Sizzlits on page 191 in the new catalog.





So until I get the new die, I made do with what I have. 

I took the Large Paper Doily and cut it down.  You can get several different sizes out of it. 

The pattern on this new Comfort Cafe DSP uses Soft Suede, Summer Starfruit and Cajun Craze.  So those were the colors I used.  I just freehanded the words. 

This would make a quick and easy gift package for those last minute days.  I have those alot. 

Alrighty then, time to go already.  My family has recently discovered Disc Golf.  They installed a course at the park by my house and we are kinda addicted. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and hanging out.

Blessings, b.

Happy Mother's Day?

Well no, its not Mother's Day.  Although every day should be treated like Mother's Day........in my opinion.  Which I know doesn't mean much.........................anyway........

I wanted to show you a card I made around the time of Mother's Day.  But I didn't use it for that.  I must have made something else but honestly I don't remember what. 

Elements of Style and Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Crumb cake and very vanilla cardstock.  Soft suede and early espresso inks.  Baja breeze seam binding, big shot, Newprint DSP, designer frames embossing folder, neutrals buttons, sticky pearls, hemp, corner rounder and dimensionals. 

Isn't it pretty?  I had the idea of putting the pearls on the button to hide the hemp and afterward I decided they looked like eggs in a nest.  What do you think?  I might make this again using the bird from the Nature Walk set.

I used a sponge to darken up the raised dots on the frame. 

I gotta say again that I LOVE the new ink pads.  It was effortless to ink up that flower stamp and it showed all the detail.  Beautiful.

Here is something I think is funny, when I stamp I usually have on a movie.  Usually a movie I've seen a million times so I don't pay too much attention to it.  Or, one of the kids will have something on the tv back here that I know I won't watch too much. 

Whats funny is that even though I stamped this card a month ago I still remember what I was watching, The Princess and the Frog. I'd never seen it before and Grace had it on.  I watched it.  I liked it.  I taped it. 

So I can watch it again.

Do you guys remember what you were listening to/watching when you see a card you made a while ago? 

Okay, I checked an item off my summer to-do list.  I took pictures of all my retired stamp sets that I'd like to find new homes for.  Go check it out here.  On the blog its on the top left hand side.  I have some other things I'll be adding in a week or so.  Let me know if you'd like something.

Okie dokie, thats it for now.  Thanks so much for stopping by and keeping me company.

Blessings, b.

School's out for summer!

Yep, I'm done with work for a few weeks.  YAY! 

My to-do list is a mile long though.  They say slow and steady wins the race right?  Well, thats the plan anyway in order to get through it. 

So I thought I would start my summer by showing you a quickie Father's Day card.  It would have helped had I remembered to mail the darn thing.  I'll be late again............

Lovely as a Tree and Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Midnight muse, very vanilla and soft suede cardstock.  Soft suede and early espresso inks.  Comfort Cafe DSP, striped embossing folder, big shot, antique brads and dimensionals.


The picture doesn't do it justice.  It is a really nice clean yet masculine card.  I love the new Comfort Cafe DSP.  It has both masculine, feminine and neutral patterns.  Can't ask for more than that can ya? 

And the blue there?  That is a new 2012-2014 In Color, Midnight Muse.  Its inbetween Night of Navy and Not Quite Navy.  Its really nice.  I'll see if I can get a comparison up here showing all the new colors. 

Speaking of new colors, I made a little hostess gifty the other day. 

Fabulous Phrases set.  Black Stazon and crumb cake ink.  Whisper white and crumb cake cardstock.  Big shot, labels framelits, scallop punch, brights button, comfort cafe dsp, white bakers twine and rose red seam binding. 


I gave her a sheet of each of the new In Colors.  This color on top is Raspberry Ripple.  It goes with the Rose Red seam binding very well. 

I made the flower by punching out a bunch of shapes from our packing paper.  It made a cute and quick tag. 


Alrighty then, I've had a full day and I'm pooped.  I'll be back with more.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Blessings, b.

these are AWESOME!

Hidey Ho!  I hope everyone is having a great day. 

So, do you want to know what I think is AWESOME? 

The new and improved ink pads.  They are awesome!  There really is no other word that describes them.  Check them out;

This is a new Early Espresso pad compared to an old Early Espresso pad.  See how smooth the surface is?  That is the new Firm Foam.  Our old pads were made from felt and you can see how the top material would fray. 

On the belly of each pad there are stickers.  Peel off the language of your choice.  I already peeled off the English one.

Stick it on the end of your pad and WA-LA!  You always know what color you're picking.  That alone makes these pads pretty nifty. 

But wait until you stamp with them!  Can you see the difference?  Of course you can.  The lighter butterfly is with the old pad, which I had reinked a few weeks ago.  The darker one is with the new pad.  They are so juicy! 

Instead of the old smash smash smash and sometimes twist, you just tap tap tap.  I'm really just so impressed. 

All of the current reinkers will work with the new pads with the exception of Marina Mist, Basic Black, Basic Gray, Tempting Turquoise and Perfect Plum.  Those colors had to be reformulated.  They are the same color, they just made them user friendly for the new foam pad.  So don't use your current reinkers in those colors on the new pads.  I'm not sure what will happen but they say not to, so I won't.  You can use any other color of your current reinkers on the new pads. 

Is that clear as mud?  Let me know if you have any questions. 


Alrighty then.  Thats it for today.  I need to get busy pricing my retired stamps for sale.  I'll be sure and let you know when I get that done.    Thanks so much for stopping by.

Blessings, b.

no longer MIA

Hey there!  So so so sorry about the absence.  I didn't mean it to happen.  Things just got away from me.  Story of my life.

So, lots has happened since we last chatted. 

Among other things, we celebrated Mother's Day.  We had a DARE shindig at the mini golf joint.  We had a special Honor Band concert.  Celebrated the fact that The Boy finished his first year of college.  5th grade night at the middle school.  We had 3 different award ceremonies and then we had................................................. GRADUATION! 

Not just 1 but 2.  Oy!

So proud of my girl!  She has been going nonstop ever since graduation.  Party party party.  I've seen her for about 30 min in the last 72 hours. 

Her graduation has hit me harder than The Boy's did.  I think its because she is leaving to go to college.  My heart cries just thinking about her leaving.

Then this one is all done with elementary school.  Geez!  I can hardly believe it.  They really get to whoop it up in 5th grade.  This years grad party was "Glowing into 6th grade".  Everything was neon.  They don't do a ceremony, just a party.......you know, the important part. 


Its been a time of reflection for me.  It was the last time I'll be at that high school.  The last time at the elementary school.  Last time in the car loop.  Last time walking her to her line.  Last time I'll be in these bleachers.  Last time I'll be on this campus.  I've shed alot of tears this last week remembering.  Trying to soak it all in so I don't forget it.  Another reason to really love doing Project Life.  I will have a record of some things. 

Alrighty then.  Things here are slowing down......I think.  I still have 2 more weeks of work before my summer starts.  And then we'll be off and running again. 

I have some goodies to show you.  I'll be popping back on here in a day or so.  Thanks so much for stopping by and hanging out. 

Blessings, b.