The Brainerd Studio is Open!

When I got to Minnesota I learned that friends were getting married and we needed a card! So,  let me present the first card made in my new studio!!  I found the reverse image cling stamp (un-certain who?) in one of the first boxes I unpacked and had a vision of this card.  I mumbled "if only I have a script background" and to my complete delight I found a CTMH background stamp set that my dear friend Jone gave me as a studio warming gift (along with many other must-have-in-both-studios stamp sets). Thanks Jone!!  I stamped the wedding sentiment in olive, heat embossed it w/ clear, then used sponge daubers to ink in honey, blush, and hollyhock inks.  I put olive on the few stems and leaves but it looks more brownish.  Okay by me!  

We have had so much fun! If forced to pick a favorite activity it would be watching Steve's grandsons play baseball.  They have grown so much this last year!!  

Another chalkboard technique

I have had some fun with the chalkboard technique!  Recently I was cleaning up the craft room and spotted a little used (and long ago retired) stamp set and I immediately saw this curvy border. That's one of the things I LURVE about acrylic stamps - that you can curve them into different shapes!  The striped paper is another retired find - but the sentiment is a current Close-to-My-Heart.

I'm up in Brainerd visiting my Love for a couple of weeks.  Yesterday I set up my studio here! It is just starting but already workable! Opening the boxes of supplies that I'd mailed to myself up here was like the best Christmas ever!!  OMGSH!!

We've had fun with the family and relaxing and spiritual walks in the forest.  I'm going with Melissa to yoga in a few minutes and am just thrilled that she asked me to come!  

More later!  Namaste.

Friend Always

I stumbled across a "new to me" blog on my lunch hour the other day and was smitten with the card that Deb Currier made here.  It reminded me that I have a Close-to-My-Heart stamp set called "Hope" that had never seen any ink and I thought perhaps I could imitate Deb's card using that one.  So, here is my end result!  Same but different.  Different stamps, but definitely the same color schemes and card layout.  It was very fun to make!

The work week was short - but taxing none the less.  Today I awoke feeling sluggish and after a nice breakfast, decided to pile up in bed with my i-pad and cruise Pinterest for awhile!  My oh My!  That's a sure-fire way to waste some time, huh!  But I really enjoyed it and when I got out of bed the second time, I really felt refreshed!  

Hope your weekend is turning out good!  
Namaste.

Trucks!

 

A close up of the truck - I used the Close-to-My-Heart springy things to pop this up.  It's very "active" in real life!  Very fun!  What you can't see is the liquid glass on the windows and headlight, and the silver marker on the "metal trim" of the truck.  This came together fast with the great "boy" stamps and paper pack!  All Close-to-My-Heart products.

Hope you have awesome plans for the weekend!  I am finally going to get the honeymoon scrapbook concept planned and organize my box full of memorabilia.  Perhaps I can even get started on a few pages!  I'd like to get it to a point where I can drop into the studio now and then and complete a page on the fly!  I need to get this scrapbook completed before I forget all the fabulous things we did on our three week trip to Hawaii!  ;-)  But when I expressed that concern to Steve, he promised to help me remember.  What a sweetie!

Hugs!!

I love modifying "store bought" cards!

In this case, the cards weren't even "store bought" by me!  They were a gift - a nice little box of pretty Hallmark cards that are blank on the inside.  In Real Life, the swirls are sparkly.  I used chalk ink direct-to-paper to create the "rustic" looking yellow piece and then used Cocoa embossing powder to heat emboss the sentiment.  The ribbon was a dyed-to-match piece of the seam binding ribbon. 

This week has been crazy.  Up until yesterday I was barely staying afloat.  I think I had an abscessed tooth because something gave way yesterday and it was gross.  After some careful attention and a good nights sleep I have a lot more energy today!  Whew.  

Today is my Love's birthday!  I wish I was in the same place that he is - but we will get to Skype tonight and I've been invited to the birthday party on Sunday with the family (on Skype).  22 days until I fly to see him.  {deep sigh}  Here's hoping your weekend is wonderful!

Hugs!

Open Stamping Technique - Sneaky Peek!

I've been wanting to try the "chalkboard" technique and Close-to-My-Heart has come out with a whole bunch of stamps that would look fabulous done this way!  I decided that we would learn this one together for the Open Stamping on Sunday (5/19/13).  I used the Dream Pop papers, all CTMH products with the possible exception of the ribbon - I can never remember where I get ribbon (possibly because I'm buying it A.L.L.  T.H.E.  T.I.M.E!!)  I put a piece of White Daisy inside the card so it can be written in without requiring a white pen. 

My house is empty, except for Mr. Baggins.  He's been very cuddly, too!  I've cleaned and done yard work, had a nap today, came up with this card for next week and prepped for the group, and actually cooked two meals for myself!  I ran an errand to the post-office, and moved some of the tender plants into the house for the summer.  (here we do things backwards from what is the norm in Minnesota.)

I'm looking forward to worship in the morning with my church family.  I missed church last week and felt the absence all week.  It's strange, because I believe church is where-ever you want it to be and I have a hot-line to God that I use regularly.  But the traditions of the sacraments are very comforting and inspiring for me and I miss them when I can't get to a worship service.  Being at Epiphany tomorrow, and having recently spent time with my precious daughter as well as my beloved niece, will mean that this Mother's day I have everything I could wish for.  Steve may be in Minnesota, but he lives in my heart and I feel his love constantly.  

Happy Mother's Day to my friends who are, or who have Mother's.    

Steve's Favorite Flower

Last year I made Steve a birthday card with this same stamp set but I guess I'd never really looked at the fuschia plant in bloom - I colored the blossoms in rather pale colors!  This year I had a photograph to use for reference and it's amazing, but the flowers pretty much look like this - with stunning bright pink and deep rich purple on the inside.  I see why these are Steve's favorite flowers!  I'm pretty happy with how the card turned out.  

It's been busy here.  We've had a death in the family that wasn't totally unexpected, but still hard to accept now that it's actually here.  The rush of travel plans, arrangements, and all that must be done is exhausting!  I need my time in the craft room right now more than ever.  Steve left last Thursday to return up North (fishing opener is 5/11) so in theory I should be able to do more crafting "soon".  

Hug the ones you love.  
Even hugs the ones you don't love - but should.

Namaste