Thinking of You

This was a very simple-to-make card using the Florentine papers (so beautiful!) from Close-to-My-Heart.  I love the rich colors and designs!  The seam binding was from my stash, the rose stamp is from the CTMH Card Word Puzzle. I keep coming back to that set - it is so sweet and useful that I just ordered a second set to take up to the Minnesota studio!  I water-colored it by picking up ink directly from the ink pad with the tip of a water brush.

It's Thursday night (already!) and it's been a busy week!  The packing is coming along nicely.  My wall-removal project starts next week (yikes!).  

Did I mention that my darling daughter is finally engaged to "her beloved"?  I put that in quotes because at my wedding in December she wanted him introduced that way rather than "her boyfriend" and the status of "her fiancee" wasn't quite true yet!  He made the proposal a dream-come-true for her - asking her on her birthday and on bended knee . . . how sweet.  I think the world of this young man and am delighted that he loves my precious daughter.  He will make a good son in law!  Once again, I am blessed! 

More Fuchsias

I learned while in Minnesota that I completely blew it on coloring these fuchsias!  I'll post the photo of Steve's flowers to prove it!  However, that doesn't mean that this card isn't lovely - does it???  Artistic license??

This week has been busy and time has just flown by!  I only have 8 days left to get the house ready for the remodeling project - YIKES!  Part of the reason this is taking me SO long to prepare is that I'm relocating things into the craft room and I keep getting "distracted"!  LOL 

What's new with you?!

Another graduation card

Hello!  I'm back from my fabulous vacation and am posting the other card I made for a graduation - this school's colors were . . . maroon and gold!  I had fun weaving the ruler paper (it was a design paper that I cut into strips).  I love how it turned out!  

My trip to visit Steve was just awesome!  The temperature ranged from mid-40's to 89 degrees and we had nearly 12 inches of rain while I was there!  Everyone kept apologizing for the weather - but honestly, it was a treat to see that delightful wet stuff that falls from the sky!  It's been ages since it's rained in the Phoenix area. 

This poppy is the size of a dinner plate!  It's just one of Steve's many flowers.  They bloomed early (everything is blooming early this year!).

This photo was snapped during a boat adventure to visit the Gull Lake chain of lakes.  We were approaching from the water a fun place called Zorba's (they make great pizza).  The sky was like a picture postcard with those puffy clouds!  So very pretty!

Well, I gotta get to bed!  Being back at work is, well, work!

Hugs!

Graduation cards

This card was for friend who graduated from college (the school colors were Red, White, and Blue!).  I like how it turned out!  I used a variety of CTMH paper - the plaid is an old one (retired) and the wide ribbon is from Corrine McGregor (I subscribe to her monthly ribbon club and have been delighted with the selection!).  I haven't used the metal embellishments (the white hanger) in AGES and I really like the look - why did we stop using them?

Graduation cards are so much fun!  I have another one that is very different but I always try to use the school colors.  I wonder if they notice?  I'm betting they do!

I'm flying into my sweetheart's arms tomorrow - it was one of our shorter separations yet I'm so completely ready to see him in person!  I miss his breath - his strong arms - the twinkle in his eyes.  These don't come through on Skype.  

Have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend!
Namaste.

Special birthday wishes for Steve

My Love grows beautiful flowers.  He has a special fondness for the fuchsia plant and when I saw this stamp set, I bought it immediately! It's from The Craft's Meow - you can find it here.  I tried to make the card more masculine by pairing the flowers with blues and golden yellow (not that he cares - he tells me he loves all of my art). No frilly bow - just a little pennant and a tag.  Inside the greeting is a simple Happy Birthday along with my personal message to him.  The card is a little over-sized as I planned it starting with the focal image and building the other elements around that in what I thought looked proportional.  

Steve celebrated his birthday in Minnesota this week (I'm still in Arizona - working).  Tonight his family gathered at a favorite pizza place and Steve brought along his laptop and they called me on Skype so I could join in the party.  It was really awesome to see everyone and watch Steve and his darling daughter, Melissa, who also celebrated a birthday this week, open their gifts.  Almost like being there!  My new family is so sweet - so loving!  I am very blessed!

Hugs!

Open Stamping Sunday - Technique Preview

This coming Sunday is Open Stamping at my house!  The technique I will teach uses the Close-to-My-Heart stamp set of the month called Friendship Bouquet which features beautiful sunflowers!  We will watercolor the largest image and make an easel card (that part is a review for some). 


Open Stamping is always a fun day - there is anywhere from 4 to 11 stampers all working, talking, nibbling and sharing for the afternoon.  The creativity is amazing and while I plan to teach something each month, I usually wind up learning more from my friends!  I love Open Stamping days!


Hugs!

Blue-Green

This card started out with some of the pretty CTMH "Dotty for You" papers that are the special this month.  You can barely see them under the focal image (oops!).  Then I added that giant bow . . .  but overall, the effect is wild and different and I kinda like it!

This past weekend was a notch slower than the pace I keep when Steve is home, and the change was good for me.  I feel rested and had some "down time".  I went with a dear friend to see "The Best Exotic Magnolia Hotel" and I highly recommend it.  It was billed as a comedy - and we did laugh out loud all the way through it - but there was a decent story-line and the actors were very good!  

I need to make a "to-do" list before the weeks get away from me and Steve has returned and I'm caught without getting my "assignments" completed!  For one thing, I promised to empty my china cabinet so he can move it.  We're tearing out the wall behind it to open up my living room and family room into one great room.  It's a change I've contemplated for several years and I was thrilled when he wanted to make the change also.  The open space will be so much better for entertaining (not to mention Open Stamping)!  I'll remember to take before photos so you'll get to see the project.

How was your Mother's Day?