Stamper On The Edge

Happy Birthday, America!

2011-07-04T21:51:00.000-05:00

On this 4th of July, our nation celebrates its 235th birthday. I never miss a chance to fly Old Glory on my front porch and today was no exception. Hope you all had a safe and happy Independence Day. Long may Old Glory Wave.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Harley Kitten Shurkus

2011-04-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

One of the craftiest chicks I know, Jenn Shurkus, (well, I don’t actually “know” her because we've never actually met. But I wish I did. I’ve been following her blog for what seems like forever, and if I ever get to Cape Cod I want to go to one of her classes!)… Back to what I’m here for. Jenn recently posted on her blog that on April 12 her special baby kitty Mr. Harley Kitten Shurkus turns 3 years old! I’ve followed Jenn’s posts for a long time now and I’m always fascinated by Mr. Harley’s adventures. Plus, he’s a very handsome kitty. I secretly think that Kitty Scarlett has a big crush on him, even if she’s old enough to be his granny! Anyway, Kitty Scarlett told me that I had to send a b-day card to him from her and she had me make this special greeting for her. She’s sort of the “Maxine” of the cat world as far as her attitude goes, but she does like a good b-day celebration ever so often as long as nobody reminds her of her age. So here’s her card. Happy Birthday, Mr. Harley! Hope your birthday is the best ever!

If you're interested in seeing the object of Scarlett's affection, here he is. Isn't he a handsome boy?

Texas Tuesday - Wildflower Season

2011-03-15T01:07:00.003-05:00

Spring has sprung in the Hill Country. We didn't have the winter rains we needed to have a super wildflower crop like last year, but we should have some colorful scenery here and there. I decided to devote this week's Texas Tuesday to the flowers we see in this area. I got fired up and created 2 cards for you this week. No stories this week, just card descriptions…so here goes.

The first card is a bit whimsical because as we all know bluebonnets do not grow on trees. But I thought it was a cute idea for a card. I used the large tree and small bluebonnet stamps from Deadbeat Designs. The card base is a Bazzill color with a lil texture. The other cardstock is scraps from my stash. (I am a hoarder when it comes to paper. I honestly have to make myself throw away a paper scrap. They sometimes come in very handy.) The tree is inked with memento Rich Cocoa, the bluebonnets are done in Memento Danube Blue and Cottage Ivy. I put a few white highlights on the flowers with a Sharpie poster paint pen. The ground is Copic YG03 and I used a Zig Millennium microliner to draw in some grassy accents. I freehanded the yellow ribbon on a scrap of yellow cardstock and added some accents with Copic Y17. The clouds in the sky are courtesy of the Rosie’s Roadshow cloud template and some baby blue ink. I also used a corner rounder on all of the pieces.

The thought for the second card came to me while I was putting the first one together. Those little bluebonnets looked an awful lot like Mountain Laurel blooms when I looked at them upside down. So I planted a lil Mountain Laurel tree on the second card. The card base is a green polka dot paper by A Muse. The card mat is Bazzill purple dotted swiss, and the tree is on white cardstock scrap. The stamps are all by Deadbeat Designs (tree, bluebonnet, leaves). Inks used: Memento Tuxedo Brown, Cottage Ivy, and Pear Tart for the tree, and Versa Magic Purple Hydrangea chalk ink for the blossoms. Again, I used the Sharpie paint pen to highlight the blossoms. The ground beneath the tree is again Copic YG03 with the Zig pen for grassy accents. I even added some birdies in the sky – hopefully they are all flying back north and winter is officially over. I freehanded another yellow ribbon for the trunk, and added clouds with the Rosie template.

I know I said no story, but I have to say this – there’s an awful lot of tragedy in the world these days. It’s like Mother Nature is taking her frustrations out on us. That awful situation in Japan, floods in the Northeast due to snow melt, some areas still having lots of snow. And I can’t forget our troops who are still protecting our freedoms and giving their lives for us. So that’s why the yellow ribbons are on my trees. Here’s hoping everyone is reunited with loved ones who are near and far away. Thanks for stopping by my little blog. Hope you enjoy what I have. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else did this week.

Texas Independence Tuesday

2011-03-01T01:18:00.003-06:00

Another Texas Tuesday, and this is one just one day before Texas Independence Day.

Here are a few obscure and not-so-obscure facts about our great state. (If you’re not into this sort of thing, skip to the next paragraph.) Texas is known as the Lone Star State. The Alamo is considered the cradle of Texas liberty and it the state's most popular historic site. Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it: Spain, France, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, the Confederate States, and the United States. The land area of Texas is larger than all of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois combined. It extends 801 miles from north to south and 773 miles from east to west. The King Ranch in south Texas is bigger than Rhode Island. Texas has more counties (254) than any other state. Forty-one of those counties are also larger than Rhode Island. More wool comes from Texas than from any other state in the U.S. Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation. Texas was an independent nation from 1836 until 1845. A coastal live oak located near Fulton is the oldest tree in the state with an estimated age of over 1,500 years. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state. All of the others are man-made. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. The capitol building in Austin opened May 16, 1888. The dome of the building stands seven feet higher than the U. S. Capitol in Washington DC. The armadillo is the official state mammal. The first word spoken from the moon was "Houston". The name Texas comes from the Hasinai Indian word tejas memeaning friends or allies.

Well, my friends, I majored in history at UT, and sometimes get carried away with facts and lore. Forgive me, please. If y’all aren’t bored to tears by now I’ll tell you about my card. I used a burnt orange card base cut into an A2 card size. Added some striped paper from my stash that had some burnt orange accents, then added a thin white scalloped piece to cover the edge of the stripes. The focal point of the card is the super-duper “Texas Forever” Deadbeat Designs stamp. I used a wreath from a Sizzix die to frame the circle. Popped up the circle with a pop dot. The wreath is made from grunge board adhered to white cardstock. I used distress ink in Vintage Photo to darken the wreath a bit to give it definition.

Hope you all enjoyed this post. Have a great Texas Tuesday, and thanks for dropping in. And Happy Texas Independence Day tomorrow!

Happy Trails on Texas Tuesday

2011-02-15T01:45:00.002-06:00

First, let me wish all of you a belated Happy Valentine's Day. I've been concentrating on Valentine's cards lately because I am donating them to a fraternal organization that I belong to for a fund-raising project. It was a bit difficult to switch gears and think of Texas Tuesday, but here's my post for this week.

I wanted to come up with a card that would be suitable for a male or female coworker who is retiring or leaving work. I also wanted something simple and quick to make. I had some Texas map paper in my stash, so I used that for a mat on a craft cardstock base. I should have thought a bit more before I cut the mat because I wanted Austin in the picture, but alas all I got was that big old San Antonio. Actually, with our lack of freeways, Austin looks pretty puny on the map compared to San Antonio anyway so maybe this is a good thing after all. I used the same craft cardstock to stamp the horse and rider and then stamped "Happy Trails" beneath that. I trimmed it down, then I rounded the four corners and stuck it in the middle. I intended to give it some bling to the horse and rider and the sentiment with my black Spica pen, but I couldn't find it. That can always be added later if I ever find that darned pen. So there you have it - a quick and simple card with a Texas theme. Hope you like it. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Valentine's Texas Tuesday

2011-02-01T01:00:00.002-06:00

Greetings this Texas Tuesday! I know we're all anticipating the "deep freeze" that's coming our way. I'm certainly not looking forward to it. As far as I'm concerned, if it's gonna snow I hope it's enough to shut down the county! I hate driving in icy weather and I'd just as soon not use my lovely vacation leave for ice days! Anyway, if it happens, I'd rather be at home doing something crafty. I'll get off my soapbox now. On to the purpose of this post.

I know we were supposed to do Valentine-themed cards this time, but I just couldn't resist this departure from that theme. My DH recently had knee surgery after a mishap on the Sunday after Christmas. Our PCP referred us to the same orthopedic surgeon who repaired DH's ankle about 15 years ago. This man is a super doctor and a super person. He's devoted countless hours caring for some of our local high school athletes, and he's an avid UT fan. And to top that off, he always wears cowboy boots. Not just boots - no, they are georgeous ostrich leather boots. Even in the OR! I can't say whether they have those blue booties to fit over the cowboy boots or not because I didn't get to observe the surgery, but he sure had the boots on prior to that. The DH goes back this Friday for a follow up appointment and I thought it might be nice to do a thank you card for the doc. So that's my project this week.

I found some really cool tan-ish lizard looking paper at Joann's last week. It's almost the same color as the doctor's boots. I used the same Ellison boot die to cut this one that I used for a previous post. I mounted it on a burnt orange cards base. The "thanks" is also a die by Sizzix. The picture makes it look like I snuck in some Aggie maroon paper for the "thanks" but it's really a dark brown. It was a bit plain looking, so I cut a shadow piece out of white cardstock to mount behind it and used my trusty Signo white gel pen to do faux stitching to make it pop a bit more. Hope you enjoy seeing it. Stay warm and if it ices, stay safe!

In my next life...

2011-01-22T10:54:00.000-06:00

I’M GONNA BE A BEAR.

In this life I’m a woman. In my next life, I’d like to come back as a bear. When you’re a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.
Before you hibernate, you’re supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that too. When you’re a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you are sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definitely deal with that. If you’re the mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that. If you’re a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.
Yup, gonna be a bear!

I got this in an e-mail from a cousin in Dallas. Thought it was a perfect expression about how I'm feeling these days. I'd at least like to sleep until the cedar season is over!

Texas Tuesday - January 18, 2011

2011-01-18T01:30:00.003-06:00

How is everyone doing today? Hope everyone is hale and hearty despite the dreaded cedar fever! Here's my post for the latest Texas Tuesday Challenge. I don't have much of a story today, just a card. Yes, I'm one those cedar sufferers and I feel like somebody has been walking all over me, so I'm making this post short.

I started with a piece of beige Bazzill for the card base, then used a sort of burnt orange Bazzill to cut out the boots with my new Ellison AllStar die. I shadowed the boots using Memento Rich Cocoa ink. The side panels on the boots are also Bazzill and the star is plain old white cardstock. I added some stitching with my trusty Signo black gel pen to both the star and the toes of the boots. On the card base, I first put down a couple of strips of Tim Holtz tissue tape, then mounted the boots on top of that. The sentiment was printed on the printer and mounted with Sookwang tape to top it off. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for stopping by.

The First Texas Tuesday of the New Year!

2011-01-04T06:30:00.011-06:00

I cannot believe that 2010 has come and gone and it's 2011! 2010 seems to have flown by! There were so many things that I wanted to accomplish that went by the wayside, but there were also things that I am proud to say I did! One of those things I'm proud of is participating in these Texas Tuesday posts. Here it is January 2011 and we are getting ready to inaugurate our new/old governor for what seems like the umpteenth time. Whenever we have some sort of high muckety-muck state ceremony, for some reason I can't help thinking of our State Song, "Texas Our Texas". I remember learning the words in grade school and we proudly sang it (albeit off key) at assembly in the school auditorium. My junior high (no, we didn't call it "middle school" back then) and high school bands both played it proudly at football games. I think even UT has played it just a few times, although the probably play "The Eyes" or "Texas Fight" more often. But as state songs go, I think ours is pretty darned good. A bit of Texas trivia - it was adopted as the official state song of Texas by the Legislature in 1929 after being selected in a state-wide competition. It was composed by William J. Marsh of Fort Worth, TX composed the tune, and the lyrics were written by Mr. Marsh and Gladys Yoakum Wright.

And now about my card. I used a shiny dark purple piece for the card base, then a piece of lavender cardstock on top of that. For some reason woodgrain stuff intrigues me. I guess it reminds me of an old barn, and I love old barns. I used a huge Hero Arts woodgrain stamp on the lavender paper which I stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa ink. I used the same lavender paper to stamp the beautiful Deadbead Designs "Texas", again with the Memento ink. I had to handwrite "our" and I'm not too happy with that, but it was all I could think of at the time and I was too lazy to look for an alternative. I decided some layering was in order, so I fussy-cut around the Texas, and put that on a piece of the dark shiny purple, fussy-cut around that, and put it on white, and fussy-cut around that too. That's a lot of fussing but I think it's cool looking popped up above the woodgrain.

We Texans are proud of our state and we do like to brag a bit now and then. We are truely blessed to live here surrounded by such a rich heritage. On inauguration day, think of our state song and if you want, sing it out. And if you do, be sure to sing it loud and proud.

Here's to a great 2011. I wish health, wealth, and happiness to each and every one of you. Thanks for visiting my humble blog.

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

2010-12-15T08:55:00.000-06:00

Just because I found humor in this, I totally copied this from an e-mail that my cousin sent to me. It's not as if I'm going to follow this advice, although I do like the one about the gravy! No, I'm going to stick with my program as much as possible.

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnogoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards, dude!!

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Have a great holiday season!!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas !!!

Texas Tuesday December 7, 2010

2010-12-07T00:03:00.042-06:00

Hello everybody! It seems like forever since we've had a Texas Tuesday come around, but I guess it's because of the hustle and bustle of the holidays being upon us. I was glad to make it through Thanksgiving before starting to concentrate on Christmas. So much to do, so little time. But I love these posts - they keep my creative spirit alive and well and that makes me challenge myself to do more and better. Thank you all for being my compadres in this great tradition we've started.

I've been thinking that we Texans never get to see much fall color unless we take a drive to Lost Maples. Around here we have cedar, live oak, and Spanish oaks in the majority, with an occasional madrone or redbud. The cedars and oaks never seem to put on a show, but ever so often, the Spanish oaks will pull out all the stops and provide us with some decent fall colors to admire along the hills. They seem to hide all their glory until the last minute, then when you least expect it they pop out in beautiful gold and burnt orange and an occasional red. Luckily this is one of those times.

My card today is my own interpretation of our Texas fall colors. I selected a Bazzill card base in a sort of beige tone, then decorated it with a rosette of a orange patterned cardstock surrounded by leaves that resemble our fall foliage. Since Christmas is right around the proverbial corner, I selected "believe" as my sentiment, stamped in Memento Potter's Clay. Simple, easy, and a fun reminder of what Fall is like in the Hill Country.

I almost decided not to close this post on such a somber note, but I wanted to remind you that today is the 59th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I was lucky to have been able to visit the magnificent island of Oahu a few years ago and one of the must-sees on my list was the Arizona Memorial. The memorial has fascinated me since childhood. I was awestruck by the serene calm that exists there now as I thought about all of the souls that were lost on that long ago day. Evidence of the attack can still be seen and the great ship still weeps oil. Seeing floral tributes strewn on the water brought tears. Please take a moment today to remember our brave fighting forces of yesteryear and those who serve today.

Thanks for stopping by.

Texas Tuesday in Red, White and Blue

2010-11-16T00:30:00.002-06:00

Happy Texas Tuesday, Everybody! This time I've got something to celebrate! One of the young men in our family has just returned to his base in Italy from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He's in his second hitch in the U S Army and has been in both Iraq and Afghanistan during his tour of duty. We are so proud of his service and very, very grateful that he has returned safely. He will be back in Texas for a month's leave in mid-December which means he will be able to celebrate the Christmas holidays with his wife and child. That's a whole lot to be thankful for. He's a proud Texan and plans to return here after his military career ends. I decided to do a Red White and Blue Texas card to celebrate his homecoming. I used the Deadbeat stamp with all of the city names, and combined with the "if you're lucky enough" stamp. I cut the sentiment apart so I could use part of it on the inside of the card. The card base is from Lasting Impressions for Paper and it has a tone on tone checkerboard pattern outside with white on the inside. The other cardstock was recycled from my scrap paper stash. I just hate to throw away large scraps, and this time they came in handy. The stamping is done with Memento Danube Blue. The ribbon is AMuse. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by.

Another Texas Tuesday!

2010-11-02T00:01:00.004-05:00

Another Texas Tuesday! Hope everyone is enjoying this cooler Fall weather, although yesterday afternoon felt more like Summer had returned. This week my mojo was on vacation and I had a hard time getting what I wanted done. Something told me to do more to this card but I didn't want to gussy it up any more so I quit while I was ahead. I started out to make a tribute card to the Singing Cowboys in old western movies. I found this cowboy silhouette on the Silhouette website, thought it was cool, so I downloaded it. I also found a die cut of barbed wire and got that too. The more I looked at the cowboy, the more it reminded me of a modern-day singer from Texas. Can you guess who? How about George Strait. And he's a real Texas cowboy - he rides, he ropes, and he sings. So I guess this is my tribute to George Strait card. I used a kraft card base and grunged up the edges a bit with some Memento Rich Cocoa. I added a strip of Tim Holtz tissue tape for some musical whimsy and a bit of barbed wire in the upper right corner. Other than the tape, it's all cardstock from my stash. I couldn't find a sentiment that worked for me, so I left that off. (Sorry Mark. Reminder to me - get more Deadbeat sentiment stamps!)

I try to keep a good selection of pre-cut card bases on hand, so I grabbed one of those in the kraft color. I pulled out some black and cut out the cowboy, then some white for the barbed wire. I don't know about you, but I've never seen white barbed wire, so I figured I could color it a bit with Copics. I chose C3 (Cool Gray No. 3). Now that I think about it, I've never seen silver barbed wire either - most of what we have around here is just plain old rusty. But the gray seemed to go with the card. So there you have it. Thanks for dropping by for a peek. Everyone have a great Texas Tuesday.

October 19 Texas Tuesday Challenge

2010-10-19T00:01:00.003-05:00

Wow has this year flown by! Here is is mid-October. Halloween is right around the corner with Thanksgiving and Christmas not all that far behind. Today is October 19, which is my Dad's birthday. He would be 97 years young if he was still with me today. Sadly we lost him in 1995, and that's a part of how I came to make my home on Lake Travis. But that's a story for another time. Dad was a natural-born Texan, born in 1913 in the farmland southeast of Austin near Creedmoor. He had four siblings. The whole family picked cotton to make a living during the depression years. My Dad had a talent for painting and a great eye for colors. (Wish I had inherited more of that talent! LOL!) He put his talents to good use. During WWII he was in south Texas at a small airfield called Moore Field, where he painted all sorts of things on airplanes from the tail numbers to the scantily-clad ladies that were on many of the warbirds' noses. Being a Texan, he loved the Spring when the wildflowers bloomed and bluebonnets were one of his favorites. I created this card with him in mind. The stamps are all Deadbeat Designs, of course. I used the small two-piece bluebonnet stamps for a background on white cardstock. I fussy-cut three of the next larger size bluebonnets and popped them up on the edges of the larger stamp. I created a hand-written banner with the song title written in. (please don't giggle too loud at my poor attempt at something like calligraphy - handwriting is not one of my strong suits.) Although it doesn't show up too much in the photo, I distressed the edges of the stamped image with my brand new paper distressing tool and added a bit of Tangelo Memento Ink around the edges of the card base to give it some dimension. I also grunged up the banner with the same ink. Other inks used were Bamboo Leaves, Danube Blue, and Tuxedo Black, all by Memento. Hope you like the card and thanks for stopping by. And, Happy Birthday, Dad!

Texas Tuesday Challenge

2010-10-05T00:01:00.002-05:00

Happy Fall, Y'all! Are you enjoying this little spell of cooler weather? It was 57 degrees outside this morning here - sweater weather for me! It's Another Texas Tuesday! I can't believe it's that time again, but it is. I've been thinking about getting a headstart on my Christmas cards this year and what's better than a Texas-themed card? I took a look in ny stash of Deadbeat Design stamps and this lil snowman stood out. I added the lil Howdy flag to give him something to hold on to. Stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, colored with Copics, and to make him sparkle a bit some Stickles added on the edges and on the snowdrifts. The background paper is from a lil stash of AC Patterned Paper called "merriment". The card base is Neenah super-smooth white. Hope you enjoy looking at it and thanks you for stopping by.

Texas Tuesday Challenge - Better Late Than Never

2010-09-22T21:21:00.000-05:00

"Better late than never." I heard that saying a lot growing up. I'm not sure if it's an old Texas saying or not, but it fits here. I have been w/o internet access at home for the last week and a half thanks to a lousy wiring job from the box at my house to the pole at the top of the driveway. And thanks to the tropical storm that blew through here a week before last, plus probably all of the other rain we've had over the last year or so, the connections were shot. I missed the Texas Tuesday deadline yesterday, so I guess this is Texas Wednesday for me. I hope all of you are enjoying this "fall" weather. Personally, I'm looking forward to highs in the 70's. I had a great time with my friend Beth at the CKC convention in San Marcos last week. We attended some classes, got a boatload of great ideas, saw a ton of great scrapbooking stuff, a bunch of which came home to live with us. We finished up about 3PM on Saturday, and decided we should take advantage of being on the south side of San Marcos and take a drive further south to New Braunfels. I'd never been to the Scrapbook Haus, and it was a real treat! I picked up a few new Deadbeat stamps while I was there and this card is the result of one of them. I really like the Texas collage. It has all things Texan in it, including a teeny armadillo! The base card is Bazzill in a burnt orange, the mat is some scrap that came from a 6x6 paper pad. I stamped the design on Neenah Super Smooth white cardstock and colored it with Copics. It looked a little plain, so I distressed the edges with Tea Dye Distress Ink. Hope you like it. I'm going off to check the other Texas Tuesday bloggers to see what everyone else had done. Thanks for stopping by!

Texas Tuesday Challenge

2010-09-07T00:05:00.003-05:00

"Texas Our Texas", our State Song. I used Zing embossing powder to bring out the lovely details in this Deadbeat Designs stamp, then added Distress Inks in various colors to blend in the background. Added a bit of Signo Gell White ink to the star to make it stand out a bit. Hope y'all enjoy looking at my card.

Y'all get ready for some rainy weather the next few days. It will be a good time to stay indoors and do crafty things. Hermine is on her way, and we are hoping she moves through quickly and doesn't do too much damage, although the NWS says we will be under a flash flood watch beginning later tonight and to expect 3-5 inches of rain over the next couple of days. That should bring the lakes up and make all the creeks run. Take care out there if you have to get out in the weather.

Hope everyone had a nice Labor Day Weekend! Back to the grind tomorrow.

It's Texas, It's Summer, It's HOT!

2010-08-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

The weather has tempted us a few times in the last week. There was a touch of fall in the early morning air. Just a tiny hint of things to come. But now we seem to be back to our regular summer weather patterns with highs in the 90's. We have 93.5 on the thermometer right now. At least it's not 106 like we had a couple of weeks ago. Is anyone interested in what heat can do to canned sodas? A couple of Friday's ago, a friend of mine ran across a special on diet sodas at the local store and bought 4 12-packs. She took 3 of them in the house and left one in her car to bring to work the following Monday. It was one of those weekends where we had 100+ temperatures both days. Too hot to go anywhere, so the car sat in the driveway for 2 days in the hot sun. When she next went to her car to come to work she found that several of the cans in the 12-pack had ruptured. The ones that didn't had both ends puffed up from the pressure. Not a good thing to find diet Dr. Pepper all over the interior of the car when you need to leave for work. We estimated that the temperature inside the car probably got to around 180 degrees. It's no wonder we hear of tragedies every summer of chilcren and pets left in hot cars. If the heat can do this to a canned soda, imagine what it does to a living, breathing being. Evverybody be careful out there!

Texas Tuesday - 08/17/2010

2010-08-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome! This is my first post for the Texas Tuesday Challenge. I practiced several techniques before I actually chose a final design to share with you.

When I saw the Lady Bird Johnson quote stamp on the Deadbeat website, I knew I had to have it. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Johnson once and she was a true Texas lady. My DH has even more connection with her. He worked at a local grocery store when he was a teenager and met Mrs. Johnson when she shopped there. Well, they didn't exactly "shop". Mrs. Johnson and her beloved kitchen foreman at the LBJ Ranch would bring in their monthly list and store employees would fill the order while she waited for it and the foreman oversaw the preparation of their prime beef. Each time she was most gracious to each and every employee she encountered and became friends with quite a few including the DH. A few years back, the DH was playing in a Fredericksburg Polka Band and they were invited to play at the Christmas tree lighting at the Visitor's Center for the LBJ ranch. The Johnson family always turns out for this event. The DH was able to have a good visit with Mrs. Johnson. They talked about old-time Austin and how they both missed it.

Enough reminiscing for now...on to my card. The card base is from my stash of paper. I think it is an S-U color. I used Neenah classic white for the mat. Stamped the flowers with a Snow White Adirondack dabber, then grunged it up with several colors of Distress Ink using foam blending pads. Finally, stamped the quote in Jet Black Archival Ink. I almost gussied it up with some Glimmer Mist, but decided against that. I decided I wanted to stick with the muted tones.

Hope you like the card. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Summer!

2010-08-15T12:28:00.001-05:00

No picture to see today, but I did find this cool quote on a FB page:

Thought for the day:

The Wizard of Oz is now 71 years old. Today, if Dorothy were to encounter men with no brains, no hearts, and most of all no courage, she wouldn't be in Oz. She'd be in Congress.

AMuseAPalooza Pajama Party

2010-07-11T14:35:00.000-05:00

Last night was the Pajama Party on the AMuse Lounge. Such fun to stamp and chat. Our hostesses did a fab job of providing 4 great summer-themed challenges. The first one was to create a card inspired by the word "HOT"! I decided on a BBQ card. Here it is. That little BBQ pit is so stinkin' cute!

The second challenge was a beach party card! I decided to use the “BEACH” sign that was in last summer’s stamp release and changed it to “PARTY”. Added the little cabana and a sunny sky to complete the scene.

Challenge #3 was a water-themed card. I again chose a beach scene. The little BEACH sign points the way. I had to have some surfboards to and a fence to stand them against. The wood for the signpost and the fence were done with the Modern Wood Block stamp and I trimmed pieces to make the parts. The surfboards were done with black embossing power first, then colored with PearlEx paints to make them sparkly.

The 4th challenge was summer food. When I was a kid we had an A&W Rootbeer stand near our home. It was always a treat to go there on a hot summer evening and have a root beer float. Although those long ago floats came in frosty mugs, the Milkshake stamp was as close as I could get in my stash of stamps.

These online events are always so much fun. It's the fastest 2 hours to spend stamping and online chatting. As usual I spent more time watching the chatting than I did stamping so I had to do the cards later. I guess I'm not much of a multi-tasker.

Over on the Amuse blog, the sneak peeks of the newest release are on. The stamps are for Halloween and Christmas and as usual they are SOOOOO CUTE! Check them out if you have time.

Rock Star Sighting

2010-07-08T19:51:00.000-05:00

Music, Music, Music! From Rock 'n' roll to country, to John Phillup Sousa, he's tunin' up for the start of Aquapalooza.

Glenda's Challenge

2010-05-24T22:30:00.001-05:00

This week, Glenda's blog challenge (http://papersscissorsrocks.blogspot.com) is to create a card with a free-hand element. This sounded like fun, so I decided to play along. It's way too early for summer, but we hit 91 here today. The heat made me want a nice lemonade. I had a House Mouse stamp on hand with cute little Mudpie relaxing in a glass of lemonade, so that's what I used for the card front. Along with the H-M stamp, I chose an AMuse sentiment, and AMuse paper for the base card. The striped matte is from my scrap box. Inside the card is another AMuse sentiment - "sending you sunshine". I added a little AMuse sheer polka dot ribbon just because I could. The free-hand element is the faux stitching around the edge of the die cut done with a black Copic Multiliner. This was a nice challenge because it let me practice with my Copics. Thanks, Glenda, for another super challenge idea!

Armed Forces Day 2010

2010-05-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, May 15 2010, is Armed Forces Day. President Harry Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service to our country. Armed Forces Day was announced on August 31, 1949 by Louis Johnson, then Secretary of Defense. This replaced separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force Days. It also stemmed from the unification of all of the Armed Forces branches of service under one department - the Department of Defense. If you know a service member, or if you had members of your families who are currently serving or have served, please think of them tomorrow and if possible, thank them for their service and sacrifice to keep us safe. Without regard to current politics, our current armed forces are volunteers, and many have made the supreme sacrifice of their lives in service to our country. I believe they deserve our deepest gratitude and our prayers for a safe return, whenever that might be.

Challenge #3 - Fave Flower

2010-04-17T22:16:00.001-05:00

I'd have to say my fave AMuse flower is...the poppy. No, it's the chrysanthemum. Wait, no it's the poppy. Ok, it's a tie, so for this challenge I picked the poppy. Black and white Petite Gingham cardstock for the base, then I layered the poppy on red and black cardstock from scrap stash. Added a piece of striped twill, but not sure if it might be too much for this card. The poppy was colored with Copics. I didn't add a sentiment yet but I think this card would be good for birthday, thinking of you, or other cards.

A Muse Challenge #2 - Repeat It

2010-04-17T21:54:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling much better about this now and I think I like how this card turned out. It's a little iffy on the rules - I didn't exactly use an AMuse image, but I did use AMuse paper and an Amuse sentiment. The "repeat" is the 3 butterflies. Moss card base, stamped Hero Arts Long Stemmed Poppies with Memento Cottage Ivy ink. Used a large Martha Butterfly punch for 3 butterflies - one in yellow polka dot, one in Chiffon Pink, and one in Robins Egg Blue (all paper by AMuse). Added the Happy Spring sentiment and a bit of green bling to accent that. The butterflies were attached to the card using 1/8" sookwang tape. This one qualifies for a 5MQ stamp of approval. Easy, easy, easy to assemble!

Challenge #1 - Cupcake Party

2010-04-17T21:46:00.000-05:00

Here's my card for the 1st challenge. Not too pleased with it. I may do another one later and see if I can make it better. Anyway, used a popsicle pink notecard and mounted "cupcakes" on it as if you are viewing them from above. Used Robins Egg Blue, Chiffon Pink, and Moss notecards to make the cakes. Cut them out with a small Marvy scalloped circle punch and bent the scallops just a bit to give them some accents on the edges. Added Amuse stamps using a Versamark pad and white and yellow Zing embossing powder. I just had to add some bling to I decorated the green ones with some green rhinestones that I had in my stash. Not too inspiring, I know, but I wasn't in the right frame of mind when I started out tonight. Enjoy.

Happy Easter, Everyone!

2010-04-04T12:49:00.000-05:00

It's Easter Sunday. A time for reflections and for new beginnings. May each of you have a blessed day as we celebrate this time.

Lupinus Texensis - The Texas Bluebonnet, our State Flower. It's also spring here in the Hill Country and our roads are coming alive with color. It's bluebonnet season to start, then the other wildflowers will join in to make a colorful patchwork along our roadsides. It was such nice weather yesterday that the hubby took the Harley out for a ride while I went into town to run errands and visit the LSS. I couldn't resist snapping a couple of pix along the way.

I tried a new project!

2010-02-21T21:35:00.001-06:00

I tries something new this weekend. I used Glimmer Mist and Ranger Distress Ink to make a small album. I'd been wanting to try this for sometime now and decided this was the time to dive right in. I'd used Glimmer Mist before but not on anything more than flowers and an occasional card. I have to say this project was fun. I used a Nature packet of chip tiles by Tattered Angels for the basic book. I distressed each page using a sponge dauber (I couldn't find my fat brush! Guess that means I will have to go shopping! Again! LOL!) then spritzed away with Coffee Shop and Wheatfields Glimmer Mist. Added some Prisma flowers with large brads for the centers. I had white brads, but added color with my Copics to match the color scheme on the book. I think some nice sepia reprints of old family pictures will complete the project. Let me know what you think if my first attempt at this technique. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Unfortunately it's back to work tomorrow and playtime will come to an end for a few days.

A Muse Colorful Challenge

2010-02-07T14:31:00.000-06:00

After getting the Chrysanthemum stamp at yesterday’s A Muse class, I knew I would have to use it for this challenge. When I dove into my paper drawer, I discovered I was out of my Papaya note cards, but I did have the required Sky Blue and Orange Crush colors on hand. I substituted some S-U So Saffron paper for the Papaya, Also added a bit of the orange petite gingham paper for some texture and a strip of S-U ribbon for contrast. Chrysanthemum colored using Copics ( YG25, Y15, YR65, BG10). A Muse sentiment stamped with Memento Potter’s Clay ink.

After making the Chrysanthemum card, I found I liked the color combo so much I decided to make a second card. I used a Martha Steward punch for the flowers, with buttons by Li’l Davis Designs for the centers. The scalloped edge punch is S-U. Sentiment by A Muse, of course!

January PJ Party Challenge #4

2010-01-24T17:14:00.001-06:00

Challenge #4 - Make a card using Red, Black, and White. This one wasn't easy for me for some reason, although I like this color combo a lot. I think it was the last one I did and I was sleepy. But I did have fun at the party. It was a first for me to do crafty things and chat at the same time. I just wish the computer had been more cooperative because I'm just now getting this one posted to the blog and I have one more to do. All of the ladies in the Lounge are wonderful and I had a ball playing along with everyone.

Supplies used: AMuse and scrap paper, AMuse Seaweed, AMuse sentiment "smooches", Marvy heart punches, S-U slot punch, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Q-K Lips die cut.

January PJ Party Challenge #2

2010-01-24T16:06:00.000-06:00

This challenge was to make a card for your BFF. I picked the Treasure Chest and the Pirate Girl with the sentiment "You're a 24 carrot friend" - I put her on the beach with the treasure on a little dune. Supplies used: Paper by AMuse and a scrap of red for the sentiment. All images from AMuse. Platinum Stickles for the treasure to make it shiny. Colors by Copic. The sky was done with Rosie's Roadshow Cloud Template, sponge dauber, and Versamark Polar Blue pigment ink.

January PJ Party Challenge #1

2010-01-23T20:44:00.000-06:00

Celebrity crush? This will give you some idea how old I really am. I've loved this guy since The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was on way back when.

Supplies used:
Petite gingham paper from AMuse
Red scrap paper and printer paper for image
'Just Ducky' sentiment from AMuse
Lips and NCIS from Quickutz

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

It’s funny how life works out. Sometimes I think maybe I should have been a writer. I’ve found over the years that I love writing, but I’ve never been published. Can I call my blog entries “self-published”? Did you ever wonder whether you have something great inside that’s just waiting to come out? Something that you just can’t quite put your finger on? Maybe my great novel will be about my weight loss journey. That could fill several volumes because I’ve been fighting my weight for what seems like an eternity. But I am so grateful that I found this plan at just the right time! This plan has done wonders for my attitude. I’m losing weight steadily, the plan seems effortless, and the support is endless! I know I’m not alone in my journey.

When the black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may good luck be yours on Halloween! Hope you all have a wonderful, spooky weekend. And don’t forget to change your clocks tonight! Fall back! We get back that hour of sleep that we lost in the spring, so make the most of it. Take a walk, enjoy the beautiful fall weather. If you are near Austin TX a great way to spend the weekend is to attend the Texas Book Festival at the State Capitol. One of my favorite TV chefs, Lidia Bastianich, is here this year and I am hoping to make a trip into town and possibly see her in person.

Have a great week, everyone!

Ready for Rain, Ready for Fall

2009-08-23T19:23:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 63rd day of 100+ temperatures this summer. Believe it or not, it's not the record. Only good enough for 3rd place so far, but we may set a new record yet. There were 66 100+ days in 1923, and 69 days in 1925. We did set a record for high temp on this day - 105 degrees in the greater Austin area. As you can see by the pix, we weren't far behind here at home. This is from the indoor/outdoor thermometer in our garage.

An interesting weather fact - there are 32 million acres in Texas that are considered in "exceptional" drought right now. That's more land in Connecticut, New Jersey, Hawaii, Delaware, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont combined! Needless to say, we are ready for cooler temperatures and lots of rain.

Amuse Lounge Challenge #7

2009-08-09T18:08:00.000-05:00

The new "doctor girl" stamp is one of my faves from the new AMuse release, and she made a "house call" at my door at just the right time. The 11-year-old daughter of one of my coworkers was in an auto accident last weekend and shattered a cervical vertebra. With the medical miracles these days, she underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery but she has a long rehab period ahead of her. Our office staff is pitching in and getting some crafty goodies for her to play with while she heals. I did one card for the office to sign and this one to send her separately.

A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA PJ PARTY

2009-07-19T12:56:00.000-05:00

This has been a fun-filled week for me craft-wise. I went to 2 AMUSE-A-PALOOZA classes at Memory Depot making Christmas goodies and had a stampin' good time. Scored some of the new AMuse stamps and have had fun playing in my spare time this past week. Also attended the kick-off party for the new Epic die cut machine by Quickutz. Went to a stamp camp at my bud Tammy's house yesterday and had a blast as usual and after that went back to M-D for another class on an accordion book that fits in an Altoids mint tin. So Cute! The AMuse crew hosted a VSN last night on the AMuse Lounge, but I wasn't able to play until this morning. So glad to see that we have until later today to post entries because I do love my little AMuse stamps! I did make cards for all of the 4 challenges that were announced and I even surprised myself when I made all of these cards from start to finish in about 45 minutes. The challenges were: Favorite food, Favorite game, A card for your best friend, and Favorite movie.

1. Favorite Food - According to the men in my life, if you are a true Texan, that would most likely be Bar-B-Que! I used the BBQer, the Grill, and the new Sun stamps, AMuse notecard and gingham papers, Copics, and Spicas.

2. Favorite Game - I enjoy games! I like board games (Monopoly, etc.), card games (canasta, gin rummy, poker), and sports (just for watching - I haven't played anything strenuous in a LONG time). I also like computer games. For a good while I've been a Free Cell addict. I could while away the hours playing that little game on my PC. Lately, however, I've discovered Mahjong. It's easy and fun and the little tiles are so precious. So for this challenge, I made a Mahjong-themed card. I used the Kokeshi doll and Bamboo stamps for Mahjong tiles, AMuse sentiment, Copics, and Spicas, and an AMuse notecard. I put the Kokeshi doll on PopDots to give her tile a bit of a lift.

3. Card for Best Friend - All Amuse stuff here too, except for the punches. Daisy Bunch stamp, PLP green stripes, petite gingham and green paper. And a brad to attach the tag.

4. Favorite Movie - Since AMUSE-A-PALOOZA was all about Christmas in July, I had to pick "It's a Wonderful Life" as my fave for this challenge. I'm such a Jimmy Stewart fan so it seemed appropriate. After 10+ days of 100 degree heat, I was ready for some winter chill. I used the North Pole house because it reminds me of the Bailey home in the movie, and I added some Liquid Applique for snow on the roof and eaves.

All in all, it's been a fun week. We've also had a break in the heat today (so far it's only 90 degrees outside), so that makes life much more bearable around here. It should also help the electricity bill that's beginning to look like something out of the stimulus package! I hope everyone had a fun week and managed to get in some play time.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T13:41:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day! I was able to say that to my dad until I lost him in 1995. This is a great day to remember the fun we had while I was growing up. We would sit on the front porch and read the Sunday Comics - Dagwood was one of his favorites. He taught me to recognize the different makes of cars and by the time I was 4, I could tell a Chevy from a Ford or a Dodge! In '53 he and mom bought a lake lot and with the help of a lot of uncles and aunts built a cabin. We had such good times! I learned how to drive at age 7 - in a '54 Chevy PU with a clutch pedal that seemed to be a mile long. Dad made sure I could go up hill without stalling the engine and rolling back into the lake. We fished together - my husband is amazed that he married a woman who knows how to clean a fish! I'm proud to say that I live in that little corner of paradise today. Although we bought the lot next door and built a larger home, the little cabin still stands to this day. It has been designated a storage building now, but when I look it I can still hear the laughter and remember the good times we had there. Life does go on.

AMuse-A-Palooza Square Challenge #1

2009-06-15T21:09:00.000-05:00

AMuse-A-Palooza is upon us - a funfilled week of crafty goodness from AMuse Artstamps. Contests galore will abound. The first one is to make a card using a square for inspiration. I've always loved inchies, so what better way to use a square - one square inch to be exact. This card used the surfboard and "enjoy the ride" sentiment from the newest summer release. Colored with Copics, and placed on an AMuse square notecard.

Yard Visitors

2009-06-03T19:38:00.000-05:00

We had the cutest visitors in our yard this evening - two does and their new fawns. The deer come to graze in our yard just about every evening. I was lucky enough to get a picture of two of them before they moved on. The baby couldn't be more than a couple of days old. All spindly legs and a big appetite. I love spring in the hill country!

If you're lucky enough to live in Texas...

2009-05-21T21:46:00.000-05:00

...you're lucky enough! We Texans are proud of our State. Some of our most prized sights in the spring are the wildflowers along the roadsides, especially the bluebonnets. Lots of folks risk the fireants and take pictures of anyone and everyone in fields of bluebonnets. The bluebonnets have gone to seed for this year, so I decided to make a card to remind me of the lovely roadside shows they put on for us every year. This year's crop wasn't too spectacular because of a lack of rain, but we had enough little showers here and there to bring out a few. This cute stamp and sentiment come from Deadbeat Designs up in Salado TX. It was colored with Copics and white accents added using a white uni-ball gel pen. Paper is from scraps and cardstock I had on hand. Hope anyone viewing this enjoys the scenery.

Please remember our veterans and troops this Memorial Day weekend. America is the land of the free because of the brave! Give them the honor they deserve.

Glenda's Random AMusing Challenge #20

2009-04-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

Cheers to Glenda in celebration of her 20th Random AMusing Challenge. And to celebrate, she's got some super-duper blog candy waiting for a lucky stamper! Check it out at http://papersscissorsrocks.blogspot.com/

What could be easier - make a card in 20 minutes or less. This one took all of 6 minutes to put together. 2 stamps, a corner rounder and a slot punch...add a little ribbon and Voila!!! Done!!! I love the "rock 'n' roll" technique used to stamp the zinnia. Ink the stamp with 3 colors at one time. Light ink in the middle, then a bit darker, then darker still on the edges. Apply to paper and it's finished, unless of course you want to add a little bling or something. This one uses the new AMuse zinnia stamp, and an Impress sentiment. I used VersaMagic chalk ink for the flower.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

2009-03-17T20:26:00.000-05:00

An Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

To all who believe in leprechauns and lore and the wearin' o' the green, have a blessed St. Patrick's Day!

Sláinte!!!!!!

Happy Trails

2009-03-10T22:14:00.000-05:00

One of my DH's coworkers is leaving at the end of the month and DH asked me to make a going-away card for his department folks to sign. Although I am a confessed AMuse addict, I also love a little central Texas stamp company called Deadbeat Designs. They have so many cute Texas-themed stamps that can't be resisted. They just call your name and say "Buy Me!" when you see 'em on store shelves. I love my Copics, but I have been hard at work practicing with my Koh-I-Noor Woodless Colour Pencils. I have seen Gamsol recommended for blending the colors, but I couldn't find that exact product. Found something similar called Turpenoid at one of the local hobby stores. The salesperson assured me it would work as well as the recommended brand, so I've been using that until I can find the real thing and try it out. This is by far the largest project I've colored using the Koh-I-Noors. I will never profess to be an "artist" but I don't think I did too badly on this card since it was my first "big" project.

Supplies Used: Rider, sentiment, and barbed wire by Deadbeat Designs, basic red CS that I had on hand, white CS for the pix, and a scrap of an
AMuse French Roast notecard for the brown border around the pix, Koh-I-Noor pencils for the color, and Turpenoid to blend them.

Blogging - Day 2

2009-03-09T20:12:00.001-05:00

After a long and stressful day at work, I came home and found the nicest compliments waiting for me on my blog! Thanks to each and every one of you. Ladies, you made my day!

Spring Is In The Air

2009-03-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

This is a card that I made for AMuse Challenge #3 - Spring Is In The Air. I used AMuse an notecard, stamp and ribbon plus a flower made with a punch. The punched flower reminds me of a daffodil. It even has the tiny bee inside.

A New Beginning

2009-03-08T18:14:00.000-05:00

It’s March 8, 2009... a day that will live in infamy, at least in the blogging world, because I’ve started a blog. I've looked at so many blogs and there’s just so much creativity going on out there. Looking at all that creativity made me green with envy, but it took much courage to begin a blog of my own. I’ve never thought of my day-to-day happenings as being blog-worthy but I hope this can evolve into an entertaining place to visit. Welcome to my little blog.