Hello again...finally...

I'm sorry for the long blog break...no excuse, really...

just life...travel...work...Easter...Lost...American Idol...laundry.

Anyway....unfortunately, a few weeks ago, I needed a sympathy card. I liked this card I saw on Geny Cassidy's blog, and sat down to make one, using it as a basic pattern.

Some of the butterflies look like they are stamped in the same color, but in real life, the butterflies are 6 different ink colors. I found the crusty/rusty metal button in a stamp store in western NC in a tiny basket buried on a bottom shelf. The cashier asked "where did you find THIS, do you know how much it is?" Gotta love it! This card just reminds me of a weathered garden gate.

I haven't stamped in 11 days and I think I'm going through withdrawal!! (When I start to look at everyday objects, and think, I need to make a card with those colors, or, I wonder if I own a stamp shaped like that leaf, then it's been too long!) I did buy some (old) new dies for my Bigshot from Craig's list this weekend from a local gal, a great paper crafter, right in my own small town. She has a blog and some beautiful cards available in her Etsy shop. (If you haven't checked out Etsy, it's like an online shop of all things crafty, handmade and creative.) Check out Melissa's shop here. I'd like to open a shop on Etsy, but can't quite keep up with the stuff in my life now, so don't know if I should start something new. (You should see my HUGE stacks of ironing, Norma, where are you?)

It's definitely going to be a beautiful week here in NC, 70's predicted all week. Lots of beauty in bloom: tulips... wisteria... dogwood... wisteria... redbuds... wisteria... azaleas...wisteria...japanese plum...and did I mention my personal favorite...wisteria? I think it's the color I love, that periwinkle, blue-ish, lavender-ish soft, lovely color....too bad it lasts such a short time! I have a picture that our son Chris took and had put on canvas for me, so I can look at that all year long.

We went to a few garage sales yesterday. Neighborhood sales, where we can hit several without much driving are the best! Greg found some nice tools at a sale, and actually felt sorry for the man selling them. He thinks maybe their house has been foreclosed on, at least, he was having to downsize. The guy seemed sort of reluctant to part with his tools and was bringing them out a few at a time. I think we can all relate to not wanting to part with certain things, even though we know that we don't need them, and may not be using them. Anyway, try to remember to be thankful for what we have today, nobody knows what the future holds...I'm not just talking about "stuff" here....

We went to the lake yesterday and may be going today, if my hubby feels better. We've all had colds this week, but his seems to to be hanging on longer than mine did. We went to the lake last week for Easter dinner too; it was too hot, too fast, over 85 degrees, but we took a long afternoon boat ride and everyone got an Easter basket! Good bunny! The water temperature was only 69 degrees, so no tubing or swimming yet. Some other brave souls were in the water, brr!

That's all for today, I'll try to do better at this blog thing, I promise!

A fun challenge from Papertrey Ink

Over at Nichole Heady's blog I found this challenge:

"As an added treat today, I thought I would challenge all of YOU to use one of the spring color schemes the design team gals developed. Here they all are, broken down for you into swatches, the perfect eye candy to get you inspired to create!""Now, what are you waiting for! Now's your chance to go pull out a few of your favorite Papertrey colors and a spring-like stamp set of your choice and create something! "

So... I decided to play...I like the colors Lisa Johnson chose for her spring card. PTI sweet blush card stock is the perfect pink...pink is one of the colors I have struggled with on my cards... most of them are too bright... too peachy... or just yukky! Struggle no more, I love this pink!

This is my second challenge ever, and I really had fun making this card... here in NC, to us, spring means we start spending weekends at our little lake place a few miles from home... the bass start to bite again...we get to enjoy relaxing morning and evening boat rides on the little lake. I am NOT a fisherman, but my husband, father-in-law and sons are... so my mother-in-law and I spend a lot of time knitting and reading in the boat with a cup of tea while they fish....not such a bad way to spend a few hours...unless you count the times I've ended up with a baited hook in my book...or in my hair!

My card is simple...I kept trying to add more and different elements... but to me it just looked better the less I fooled with it...lake living is pretty simple after all!

Here she is...
I'll be looking at this card on display in my kitchen for a little while... until the weather cooperates and we can really be fishin'...see ya' at the lake...think spring!

Melanie


supplies:

paper: pti sweet blush, kraft, rustic cream
stamps: art impressions
ink: memento rich cocoa, ranger tea dye, ranger walnut stain
tools: martha stewart punch, wrmk corner chomper, su cutter kit distressing tool
button: pti dark chocolate
embroidery floss: dmc
brads: my stash
markers :copics: r81,e37,w3,e33, colorless blender

Lisa Johnson's Poppy Seed Challenge

I've never participated in a challenge before, and I'm pleased that my first one uses light yellow. I love soft, buttery yellow and use it in our home decor almost as a neutral; our dining room is painted warm, light yellow and accented with vintage blue and white china and other blue and white pieces.

Anyway, here's Lisa's challenge from her Poppy Paperie blog..
.http://poppypaperie.typepad.com/poppy_paperie/

Here is the official, first ever, Poppy Seed Challenge .

" For the first week I chose these three seeds... Crystals (which could be a Rhinestone too or even a gem brad!), a flower image and the use of light yellow. "

Here we go, here's my card for the challenge:



Gotta' love the Papertrey Ink lemon tart satin ribbon..and their deep blue enchanted evening card stock. Honestly, once you use their luscious 110# card stock, you won't want to use any other as a base for your cards!!!!!!

Thanks, Lisa for helping me jump into the world of challenges...looking forward to the next one!

Melanie

supplies:
paper: PTI enchanted evening, SU very vanilla, making memories patterned paper
ink: PTI enchanted evening, ranger vintage photo
punch: wrmk corner chomper
ribbon: PTI lemon tart satin
bling:my stash
stamps: I wish I knew who made these...I discarded the packaging long ago and have researched on the internet for over an hour, can't find these 2 sets anywhere. I'm sure I bought them at a chain store, either hobby lobby, michael's, joann, or ac moore.......wish the stamp companies would mark the plastic storage sheets....if you know who made them, please let me know...thank you!

sweet little bunny...

Oh....... the soft sweet blush PTI ribbon bow on this card, I sure like it! I think this card is cute for Easter, but it could be changed to a baby card too...I enjoyed my first blog hop last night, the inspiration from all the other blogs was amazing. I bookmarked a few sites so I can check them out later and get reinspired. Thanks to everyone that left a comment...so sweet of you to take the time. Can't wait for next month. I think I'll have to try a challenge next.....
Stay warm and take care! Spring IS coming!
Melanie

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop..!!

Hello stamping friends......welcome to my blog! I've only been posting for about a week, so I'm a little nervous and excited about participating in my very first blog hop.....what fun!
We were asked to choose a project from Papertrey Ink's design team gallery and recreate it with our own spin on it.
Trying to choose a favorite from all these gals isn't possible, but I love Betsy Veldman's warm, fresh & pretty, yet vintage style. I used two of her cards for my inspiration... from the vintage labels gallery (here) and say it with style gallery (here)...
On busy days, just looking at all of the gorgeous ideas and possibilities these artists provide is enough to hold me until the next time I can ink up a stamp. Thank you, ladies, for keeping me sane on those days...
Thanks for visiting!!
Melanie

SUPPLIES USED
paper: white and aqua mist PTI cardstock,
stamps: PTI polka dot basics II & vintage labels, stampin' up typed love, hampton arts sentiment
ink: PTI aqua mist, memento tuxedo black, ranger antique linen
spellbinders nestabilities: labels one
punch: marvy heart, wrmk corner chomper
embossing folder: cuttlebug
button & ribbon: my stash

Greg's Valentine

I made this card a few weeks ago for Greg for Valentine's day. The ribbon's a little frayed, I should have taken a picture before I gave it to him.... Anyway, the inside of the card has a list of 10 things I love about him..it was hard to stop at 10!
We haven't done much boating lately....but we did have a 65 degree day this past weekend.....there is hope. Actually winter seems to fly by here in the south. When we lived in western NY, we would hunker down and the winters seemed to go on FOREVER...snow sometimes still flying in late April!

Quilts...

I really love old quilts and Papertrey Ink's Quilter's Sampler Sentiments set is so heartwarming, I had to make a card using it. It's a dark, rainy day here and I don't have to go anywhere...so I'll be home watching the Olympics...under a quilt!

Thanks friend......

I recently had a birthday and need to send thank you notes to some very thoughtful people...


A few months ago, I asked my friend Kris in Oklahoma if she knew of "Pioneer Woman" Ree Drummond............and a few weeks later a birthday gift showed up in my mailbox....it was Ree's cookbook! What a sweet friend........





Supplies used include: papers-papertrey ink, stampin' up, k&company/inks-papertrey ink, ranger/stamp-mse/punches-marvy, ek success, we r memory keepers,/embossing folder-stampin' up/stickles-ranger/pearl-queen&co/ribbon-hobby lobby

I don't love this card...

but wanted to see how the photography shows up. I like the layout of the card and the great PTI cardstocks, the embossing folder dotted die cut, the nestie scallops, and especially my heart embellishment, but the owl is awful. I think I'll redo this one for a co-worker's baby shower. The baby's nursery is decorated in green with an owl theme. maybe tomorrow.....it's way past my bedtime......goodnight!

my second attempt today

Here's another posting of a card, hopefully I'll get better at the photography.

This isn't my best card or my best photography, but it is the FIRST picture on my blog and I did it all by myself (you'd appreciate it if you knew how much I don't understand these things!) And yes, that is white fluff from our Christmas village you see in the background. Because of traveling and me not wanting to climb the attic stairs to get the village boxes, it's still on display. Well, we did have snow this weekend, so it's not totally out of season...

anyway, I think this card looks much cuter in person..inside sentiment says "having a ruff day?"

that's all for now, maybe will play around more later!

Can it really be this easy? Did I actually just create my own blog?

Hey, that wasn't so bad!
I want to show a few of the hand stamped cards I am addicted to making, so this is my chosen forum, for now! Next, to figure out how to get decent pictures of my cards and post them. I'm a little nervous.....