It's been a while...

Well, I see it's been a while again since my last post.  Busy, busy!  Since then, we've had a chorus retreat and I've been to ScrapFest at Mall of America with thousands of happy crafters, including a bunch of Hero Arts Flickr Group friends.  Get ready for a long post!

Can't believe it's been a week since ScrapFest but I didn't have a chance to share photos until now.  We had such a fabulous time!!  You can find group and other shots on Barb's and Virginia's blog posts. I let those with better cameras take most of the photos but I do have a few to share.  First up - photos from the always amazing Tim Holtz class:


Jumbotron for the class presentation

Working in the class with Barb and Judy to my left

Tim Holtz and me - don't I look official with a Ranger apron!

My completed class project

I love how everyone's project looked so customized; we had lots of fun playing with colors and all his embellishments.  Especially enjoyed distressing the metal accents with white acrylic paint.

The bunch of friends, new and old, gathered for many meals - here are some of those photos:


Virginia w/hubby Dr John, Janet and me, me with Ava.

Marcy and Barb checking the menu, Lin and hubby Denny, Kathy with Linda B. and me

Judy with daughter Kathy, me with Nancy K, Sheila with Ava and Janet.

I miss all these lovely people already and can't wait until we meet again!  That's what's so great about the crafting community - all the friendships we form with people from all over the globe!

And that's it from ScrapFest 2012.  Mark your calendar to come to the Mall of America in 2013 for next year's ScrapFest 9/20-9/22.

Goodies from Heather and a card!

Well, it's been a while again since my last post.  You can probably tell I like posting on Sundays when I have some spare time...  I was inspired by happy mail I received from my friend Heather this past week.  Thanks Heather!!  With a new stamp from Heather, I finally made a card for an upcoming anniversary.

But first, here's a shot of the goodies:

You can see the beautiful shell card she made me, the darling die cuts, some Penny Black backgrounds, flowers to colors, a birdie Inkadinkado set, a purple bag with ribbons and embellies, an elegant embossing folder, some stickers, yummy purple flowers and some book pages she used in a card class.  Funny thing - that book is one of my favorites by Nora Roberts, "Born in Ice" about sweet Brianna who runs a B&B in Ireland.  I see many similarities between Brianna and my dear Irish friend Heather!!

And now for the card.  I started with a card I made at my friend Sue's store, ScrapBooks Too!  She ran a 5 cards for $5 last week and I made all five.  Kind of a funny story about that, I arrived 90 minutes and, as usual, I started a crowd forming of other early birds.  Sweet Sue hadn't even arrived but when she did, I helped her set up and she let me and the other eager ladies get started an hour early!  The cards featured yummy papers but I don't know the company - sorry!  I usually bring the cards home and embellish them to fit my needs.

To this card I added the stamped stitching along the die cut border (sorry - don't know which brand that die is but I love it!).  Also added the label which is from a new Hero Arts exclusive for Archiver's set; the sentiment is by Penny Black from the Gratitude transparent set.  I stamped the Inkadinkado birdies from Heather and watercolored them using Tim Holtz Distress Markers (Weathered Wood, Tumbled Glass, Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick, Wild Honey, Frayed Burlap, some greens -forgot which...).  Some Hero Arts bling and I have a card ready for my brother and sister-in-law whose anniversary is next week.  Yay!  Hopefully I'll have time later today to do another anniversary card also needed for next week.

Hope you're having a crafty day - thanks for stopping!  And bunches of thanks to Heather for the happy mail and the inspiration!!

New contest at Hero Arts!

August 1st brought a new contest at Hero Arts. I love the sketches this month so got to work on Wednesday with a new stamp I bought after seeing Shari's fun Pom Pom Flower with button embellishment - here. Here's my card (a 6" square):

I stamped the flower on watercolor paper and colored with Distress Markers.  The highlights were achieved with the Picket Fence marker which is more opaque.  Decided the watercolor paper was too plain so I added the envelope liner pattern to frame the flower, then inked the edges.  When I photographed, the neon cast a shadow so it looks a bit greyish (not in real life).  Die cut into a big zig-zag circle and added a yellow mat.

I got to playing this morning with a new Hero Arts cling background I bought last week - BG Square Pattern.  I was stamping it in various colors on some HA eggshell layering paper and my neon pink one had some blobby spots.  Decided I could use the good parts so started out punching a square out of it.  Then I started cutting out smaller pieces and arraying them on the table - next thing you know, I had a snowflake going!  CAS is not my usual style but I decided to keep the background plain and feature the snowflake.

Hope you had a crafty weekend!  Thanks for stopping...

Sending Sunshine and Laughter

Hey there - I was home from work (doctor's orders, can you believe it?) today.  Nothing serious - just went to urgent care last night feeling rough; doctor decided effects of dehydration.  Really people, remember to drink plenty of water on these hot, humid days - guess I was forgetting....

Thankfully I felt well enough by this evening to crank out a card for someone at work who needs a lift.  I was inspired by this fun card by Jennifer McGuire to incorporate some clouds and a sun into my card.  I'm still playing with new Hero Arts goodies, especially my envelope liner background - so fun!!  Here's the card:

I just love those Fiskars cloud punches; I used Bazzill dotted swiss card stock for them. The envelope liner was stamped with Salty Ocean Distress Ink - really added some life to the bluish Basic Grey paper. Thanks for stopping - stay cool and drink plenty o' water, my friends!

Thanks to Hero Arts - New Goodies!!

Hi everyone - Happy Monday!  I just got back from visiting my hometown of La Crosse WI.  My aunt had surgery last week so I spent the weekend helping her around the house, fixing meals, cleaning up, etc.  Aunt Carol is doing very well, I'm happy to say!

Luckily, today was my day off so I unpacked & was catching up on some emails when the doorbell rang.  Yippee, it was the FedEx guy with a box from Hero Arts!!  I quickly opened my package and reveled in all the goodies I had ordered from winning a June contest prize.  Here's my haul:

I have lots of new stamps so only picked up one new one - the much desired Envelope Liner Background cling stamp - looooove it!  Couldn't resist the new Neon dye inks so picked all three colors.  Then I filled in the rest of the order with a set of kraft note cards, a Basic Grey Paper Cottage 6x6 paper pad, some pool flowers and some jeweled pastel flowers (I think I order a package of these about every other order, I love them so).  Thanks again, Hero Arts, for your generosity!!

Then I couldn't resist making a card with some of my new goodies.  Here's my card:

I stamped the new envelope liner using Neon Orange onto a mandarin card base (also from Hero Arts).  I stamped the Hero Arts/Studio Calico Chevron Background on white card stock using each of the Neon colors, overlapping a bit, then I filled in with some of the yellow daubbed on with a Q-tip.  Cut a strip of it and adhered to the card.  Stamped a sentiment from a fun new Hero Arts clear set called Thinking of You.  Took a scrap of white cs and covered it, Neon Pink direct to paper, then stamped it with the Hero Arts newsprint background in both yellow and orange (hard to see in the photo) and then stamped the Hero Arts/Sizzix butterfly and die cut it.  Buttons and gems - done.  Oh, the bakers twine in the button is inked with Neon pink too :)

Perfect for this month's Hero Arts July contest using the Neon colors - deadline Thursday, so get busy!

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!!

Card Drive for Maddy

Hi all - Happy Sunday!  I learned from my friend, Lin, about a card drive at Simon Says Stamp's Blog for a sweet girl Maddy battling leukemia - details here.  I was moved to get busy and make Maddy a card, then I embellished a couple of recent cards to send to her sister and parents.  Here's Maddy's card:

As many of you know, I'm crazy for stamping the large butterfly, part of a Hero Arts/Sizzix collaboration with stamps and Framelits, on various patterned papers - no brand is safe!  This time Little Yellow Bicycle called me to their "Hello Spring" papers - so many bright, cheery patterns!!  Once I had the butterfly, I pulled colors from the pp for the rest of the card - hope Maddy will like it.  I wanted to use some of the same elements (embossed cs background on a plain mat) as this next card:

I made the basic card at my friend Sue's store, Scrapbooks Too!.  On Mondays they have a fund raiser for a charity called VEAP - you pay $1 and make a card.  We stamped and embossed the pale pink panel and matted it - used one of those Spellbinders reversible  folders - not sure of the name.  On the inside it says "Sisters are different flowers from the same garden".  When I brought the card home this past Monday, I had thoughts of using it for my own sister but decided to embellish it for Maddy's brave sister, Melanie.  I added the butterfly (more "Hello Spring" paper) and gems to the card.  For the girls' parents, I'm using a card I made at last week's Hero Arts Flickr group Scramble:

I just revised the sentiment to add an "s" since it's for both Tim and Marizel - used the fine tip of a Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Marker - worked perfectly.  This card had a patterned butterfly already (I'm addicted!) - used Basic Grey Clippings paper for that one....

If you're thinking of doing some cards, you have until August 3rd.  Thanks for stopping!

July Card Chain Challenge

It's been awhile since I've done a Card Chain Challenge, or CCC as it's shortened.  Deborah is back to hosting it on her blog Society of Stampaholics and I planned to play along this month.  When I realized tomorrow's the deadline, I got busy this morning and made this card:

I tried to use all three criteria (color - Aqua/Mint/Aloe, sketch, and theme - friendship).  Turned the sketch to horizontal and had some fun with it.  If my "aqua" looks suspiciously like pool, it is!!  I used the darkest pool shade for my card base but it's reading more minty in the photo - sorry about that!  Used some fun pool designer papers from Hero Arts, an older HA clear set for the sentiment, the more recent woodblock Newspaper Background is stamped on the bird.  Bird and branch die is from Tim Holtz.  The little strip of pp on the right end is from one of Basic Grey's new lines - Clippings (6x6 pad).  Did some faux stitching with a black gel pen and added some gems for interest.

If you're considering the July CCC, better get hopping!  Thanks for stopping and hope you have a crafty weekend!!