Fight Like A Girl

I am SO HONORED to have been asked to make cards for a local Childhood Cancer organization called Find A Cure. And very lucky to be able to work with such a talented photographer. AND I get to look at these gorgeous little faces while I am playing with paper and ink ;0)
Look at this little beauty. Isn't she a doll?

Here she is again. Such a sweety!!!

And look at this handsome little guy.

Thanks Flourishes!

In additon to this new project I am SUPER EXCITED about another new project I am teaming up on. I can't give any details right now. But it is going to be GREAT!!!! Keep watchin.....

Sharing some Canvas!

I guess I never added this to the blog. This one is a bit old though. I call it Life on the Farm. It's my favorite!! Stamps on here are Oxford Impressions.

Heres a new one. No stamps, just old family photos. I call this one Minas Pearls.

Another new one. This one is called Minas Secrets.

So nice not to have to answer to SU!!

Its a good thing I am not an SU demo. I would hate to have to tell them to BUZZ OFF cause they are so SELFISH!!! I feel sorry for them that they are now going to lose so many talented demos, but they did it to themselves. They should go back to Kindergarden and learn how to share!!

Well anyway...... Here is the first card I made with my Fire Cracker Designs by Pamela Elephant set. Thanks for getting this set made Pam!!! I used the Grass CB folder for the background panel. This lovely card went off in the mail on a long journey to Maine;0)

Yay Hooray the first day of school TODAY!! Had to pull out my Oxford Impressions school set, and Dylan spied this school bus I had forgotten about from All Night Media. How fun!!

Another from Oxford Impressions!! Now that the kids are back in school I can spend a lot more time in the studio. YAY for ME!! Dylan starts in 2 weeks, until then it is me and my little man. Today we have a movie date, time to go!!

Well would you look at that!! Three COUNT EM 3 stamp companies in one post. How lovely to be me!!!!

So you want to be on a DT?

When I left FCD last fall I had planned to reapply this year, after all the current DT owes me one right. LOL!!! Well I am sure you have heard the old saying "if you want to hear God laugh, tell him what you have planned" So anyway, life doesn't always go as planned, and I just can't squeeze in the time to apply (unless Pam pushes it back a month, yeah right)
So for those of you who would like to apply here is the info and a few tips.

http://www.pamelasgallery.com/2009/submission-tips

Good Luck!!!

Finally some play time

Have you seen this issue? Did you know I have 3 cards in here? You should really check it out!

This is the set Suzanne sent me today as a reward for being published with her stamps. I have some fun stuff planned for these. But the glue is still drying right now. SO keep scrolling to see what I did today.

This ATC I actually made a few months ago, but don't think I ever shared it. The theme for this was favorite quotes, I chose one by Warren Harding which really seemed to fit America today.

Now I am actually ahead of the game since I got these done for July. They will go out in the mail with the ATCs below which were due for May and June. So sorry ladies! Julys theme is Metallics.

This is Junes ATC. The theme is Cuttlebug, or Grungeboard. I used the CB.

And Mays theme was Foreign Lands. Had these started several weeks ago, but never got them done until today, along with all the others. When I got all these done I was just getting going on my walking stick when Lyle suddenly realized he was suppose to go to work 4 hours early. He is going to be so tuckered when he gets home in the morning.

Far behind, and no art to share

There has just been too too much going on around here to get any art done lately. But I do want to share this great site for raised herb/vegetable gardens. I need to get one of these. Check them out http://www.by-leisure.com/c-8-gardens-backyard-botanical.aspx

Treasure Hunting at the Tracks

I just had to share this art doll made by Taylor, my 9 year old. Oh Em Geee!!!! (thats how she talks LOL)
We love to go for "treasure hunts" and we go down by the railroad tracks quite a bit. So when we had some unseasonably warm weather about 10 days ago we took my neice and nephew for their very first treasure hunt. We will need to go on a few more before they love them as much as Taylor and I do. But they (all of us) found some great stuff.
Yesterday was the first day of Spring Break and Taylor decided to pull out her bag of treasures and make something. She found an empty nail polish bottle in her room and put this doll together. Everything except the bottle is what she found at the tracks. The only thing I did for her was to color the bottle with Alcohol Inks (I am not willing to give her free reign with my precious inks yet) I think she did such a fabulous job!!

Those are some pretty awesome knee caps. hehehe

I don't know why she gave him a sad mouth, but he looks pretty cool. He even has a cool little hat.

In Zebs Words

I find Zeb inspiring already! But I really want to share her latest post. As artists it is an important post to read, and pass along. http://zeborahloray.blogspot.com/2009/02/wip.html

How about some Valentines

Well since our household size increased by 2 it has gotten a bit harder to find any art time, let alone blog time too. Most of you know that Lyle and I are adopting my neice and nephew. They have been here a week now. Time management has never been my strong point anyway, so we are all learning here.
My MIL is coming to visit, she will be here Sunday. Then the week after she leaves all the kids start swimming, gymnastics, or tea kwon do classes. And at the end of the month I get to go on my annual ( though I missed out last year) Stamp Away Weekend with the girls! Oh so looking forward to that!
So until I have some new art to share- here are some cards I did about a month ago for a SCS challenge. The challenge was to make a card front only, something the kids could use for Valentine cards in class. This one is a good one for the little guys. Dylan is SOOO in to rockets, thanks to Toy Story and Buzz Lightyear. Too Infinity and Beyond!

This one is just cute for any girl. Oh yes, another part of the challenge was we could only use neutral colors, with red or pink. So even though I had intended this card for Shelby, I could not make the bug purple.

Hey, I remembered I had a Fiskars Border Punch, got to pull it out for this one.

This card is BIG! The stamp was big so the card had to be big. It is a full sheet of cs folded in half. Also used SC211 for this one.

To Do List

How fun is this!!! I got this from Kristins blog http://krishubick.blogspot.com/ You are suppose to bold the things you have done. I have accomplished 43/100.

1. Start your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lighting storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grow your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when your not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a homerun.
32. Been on a cruise.
33.Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truely satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michealangelos David.
41. Sung Karoake.
42. Seen Old Geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a resturant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
51. Been scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive in movie.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Been to the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicoptor.
69. Saved a favorite toy from childhood.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76.Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Been to the Grand Canyon.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited The Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someones life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a bookclub.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Been to the Alamo.
96. Swam in The Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

$6000 Smile, and dreaming of Spring.

Yep $6000. and she won't even look at the camera hours before those braces come off.

Well they are gone, she is looking at me, but is that a smile? Can't even turn her head towards me. Geez! Is it a rule that turning 13 means, turning against mom? I wanted to take a picture of her in the chair getting them off, but she refused.

Well anyway, I think her smile (on the rare occasion I get to see it) is one of the most beautiful sites in the world.

I started playing with some spring cards last Sunday before the flu hit our house. My poor little man is STILL sick today, but doing much better. The rest of us are a lot better.

So I got to finish up the cards I started. Pamela I need a large size BG texture stamp please!!!!

I love these leaves all popped up in different spots. The petals are roughed and fluffed too.

I just love this tulip set. Love it!!!

Ok, my first ever card with my first ever set of Nestabilities. I was hopeing the layers would be closer in size. Guess I have to buy several sets then huh? Not sure I like them well enough for that. I do want a couple of different shapes, but not all of them, thats just crazy.

I found this pattern paper on the back of the shelf. Must be the first pack of pattern paper I ever bought.

Gosh I am so far behind on cards and ATCs. And I still need to finish the 6th book for my neighbors family. But my little man turned 3 yesterday and that is just more important! When I asked him about 6 weeks ago what he wanted for his birthday, I meant for a present. But his answer was a very excited "I want a Dinosaur Cake" So I just had to make one for him. My dad has a distant cousin who is an expert cake designer. I however do not have that talent. I found directions for this online, and did my best to frost it. Dylan didn't care what the frosting looked like.

He can hardly stand the excitement as I start across the kitchen towards him with his cake.

He starts blowing out the candles before I even have the cake set down.

What a happy guy! And a bit of a grumpy sister.

YAY! WAC A MOLE! He has been wanting this for so long. I found it on clearance at Target.com, it was only $7. something. If you get this for your children you must be someone who is not bothered by noisy toys. He played with this all night, and most of today already. Just pounding and pounding over and over. He really loves it!

Lincoln Tulips Birthday Muse

This was for SC209. The eyes actually stamped beautifully, but whenever I photographed them they got all wavy looking. ??? I used CC199 on this, and IMO it looks a bit Christmasy. But it got good response, so maybe it is just me.

This was CC200, and still SC209. I pm'd Emily and told her there was a great lack of Brilliant Blue in the challenges, so she gave us one last week. YAY!! She said she doesn't like BB, but I love it. I made this for Joys birthday.

This was for SC210. I got this new set from Amazing Arts cause I LOVE LINCOLN! SO I had to have it. Worked out great for the sketch. So what does one do with a Happy 200th Birthday card? This is what :

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A "Happy 200th Birthday" card is tough to find.But that's just what the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is looking for. The group is asking people to send cards to Lincoln for his 200th birthday, on Feb. 12.The 16th president even has an official address with the U.S. Postal Service: Abraham Lincoln, Old State Capitol, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, Illinois.Commission chairwoman Marilyn Kushak says she hopes birthday greetings pour in to Lincoln's hometown from around the world. She recommends that people make the cards by hand.The commission says the cards it receives may be used for displays or publicity.

Cold Enough For Ya?

Did ya miss me? Well I am not going to complain about the weather cause most of the country is suffering through it too. But it is because of how cold it is in my house that I have not been around. It is just too cold to be in the basement very long. So I will post a few things now and get back upstairs.
Here are a few things I got done last week. This first one was the sketch challenge over at SCS last week. It will be Shelbys birthday card next week. Yep my New Years Baby will now be a full fledged teenager. Though she has been acting like one for 3 years already, it will be official next Thursday. WAHHHH!!! She loves that Sassy Happy Bunny so I made her a Sassy Bunny shirt card. LOL!

OH this was the color challenge, well sort of. It was actually Orchid, Saffron, and Coral. But I do not have any Coral because I do not like it. SO I changed it to Real Red. Nope I do NOT like these colors together. But I had to make a card with that cute little Cardinal:)

A checkbook cover my sister has been begging me for. Hmmm, I did this for a challenge, but I can not remember what it was.

This was the hardest card I ever had to make. My oldest dearest friend Dawn lost her mother a couple of weeks ago. When her dad past away 1 1/2 years ago I made a card for her, and one for her mother. For some reason those cards were not as hard to make. I actually had to put off making this for a couple of days. It is a mother/daughter thing I guess. I was not able to attend the funeral which is also upsetting. It is just too hard to get so far away during the school year/winter. But my sister, and my mom went to show support to Dawn for me. I love you Dawn!! You are in my thoughts always!!

I am a Redneck!

I guess I'm a redneck after all :)


We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years. It's time to take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that values home, family, country and God. If I had to stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up. Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are made of. I hope I am one of those. If you feel the same, pass this on to your redneck friends.
Ya'll know who ya' are.

You might be a redneck if:
It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'
You might be a redneck if:
You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a redneck if:
You still say ' Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You might be a redneck if:
You bow your head when someone prays.
You might be a redneck if:
You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
You might be a redneck if:
You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.
You might be a redneck if:
You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.
You might be a redneck if:
You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You might be a redneck if:
You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same.
You might be a redneck if:
You'd give your last dollar to a friend.
I believe that you, like me, have just enoughRed Neck in you to have the same beliefs as those talked about in this email.
God Bless the USA !

Marys Lamb Got Suspended

Mary! had a little Lamb, His fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went, The Lamb was sure to go.
He followed her to school each day, T'wasn't even in the rule.
It made the children laugh and play, To have a Lamb at school.
And then the rules all changed one day, Illegal it became;
To bring the Lamb of God to school, Or even speak His Name!
Every day got worse and worse, And days turned into years.
Instead of hearing children laugh, We heard gun shots and tears.
What must we do to stop the crime, That's in our schools today?
Let's let the Lamb come back to school, And teach our kids to pray!

What is up with the DMV?

So today I had to go renew my drivers license. And I would just like to know- Is it a requirment to work at the DMV that you are Mean, Nasty, and Pushy?
I mean seriously is your job so bad that you can't say something nice to a person or look them in the eye?
Gee I wish tax payer dollars would pay me to sit on my fat ass all day long and talk to so many different people! I could certainly think of something nice to say to them, and give a bit of a smile, especially during the CHRISTMAS SEASON!!!
Now I am not exagerating, nor making light of one persons attitude. I had to deal with 4 people while I was there today and only the last person had a kind word or even a bit of a smile. I remember being treated the same way the last time I had to go there. They may have remodeled the look of the place, but they sure need to do a lot of work on customer service!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

YOU CAN'T STEAL MY **CHRISTMAS*Poem by Sharon SteegeI don't know who they areSaying I can't greet the crowdThe way that I want toCan't say **CHRISTMAS** out loud.I walk into a business placeSee things that I rather not seeBut dare I not say **CHRISTMAS**And ask for a 'holiday' tree.What happened to freedom of speechAnd living in the land of the freeHow can they take my **CHRISTMAS** moneyBut can't say **MERRY CHRISTMAS** to me.Men and women have given their livesSo we could still go freeI wonder how they would feelAt saying HOLIDAY TREE.Come on AMERICA let's wake upDon't let our freedom escapeIf they get by with doing thisWhat else will they take.This is starting to get out of hand,And I've begun to keep trackWell I've just about had enoughI'M TAKING CHRISTMAS BACK.*So MERRY CHRISTMAS AMERICA **I hope this gets all over the netIf we all stand united and take freedom back'Twill be our best CHRISTMAS YET!
Merrry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!

This weeks creations

I probably won't have time to do the SCS challenge tomorrow so just going to post what I have done the rest of the week. Then I can go work on another project. I started 3 or 4 canvas' several weeks ago that I need to get back to.
So this was for Mondays challenge. Remember the little vellum votive shades we were crazy for about 10 years ago. Well we were to make one of them. I had chosen this FCD snowperson set for my set of the week. I wasn't sure he would fit on here at first, but he just made it.

Of course why bother making a lamp shade at Christmas time, if it isn't Electric Sex Gleaming in the Window. LOL!!! It HAD to be done!!!

Tuesdays color challenge was Real Red, Tempting Turqoise, Sage Shadow and Whisper White. I had been thinking about this Christmas Rose card for a while and these colors were perfect for it.

And of course the color challenge with my stamp for the week. He seems to be very happy with these colors doesn't he?

Wednesdays sketch challenge. I didn't think it would work with this set, but I just made it a 5 X 7 instead of A2 size and it worked just fine.

Todays challenge was to use half of a stamp. I still had to use the snowperson, so I made a snow scene and buried that snowperson in a lot of snow.