OCCSC 13, City Crafter Challenge

This looks a little bland, but much brighter in RL, honest.

Two challenges for this one.

OCC Sketch Blog is, of course a sketch requirement. You may have to click on my photo to see all the fulfilled requirements, darn it.

City Crafter Challenge is an easel card. This was my first attempt at one, and it wasn't difficult at all, and I think turned out just fine ! This is a new challenge blog, check it out, great prizes.

Figured this for an anniversary card, mine or someone else's... Maybe even a wedding card if you are attending a funky bohemian ceremony, lots of those here in Eugene Oregon for certain.

Have a great weekend !!! I am beginning to hate this camera...

365 Cards - 3 circles

365 Cards has decreed 3 different types of circles for us today.

This is my take...
1) Black polka dots on the paper
2) Yellow circles surrounding them
3) Polka dots on the ribbon
4) Yellow brads
5) Circles around the image (bubbles?)
6) A circle on the image
7) Polka dots on the dress on the image

I think I could have just made any old card and fulfilled 3 different kinds of circles - guess I use them a whole lot !

I was watching a tv commercial the other day, and told Dom
"I just love that commercial" and he said it reminded him of a card I might make. When I saw that same commercial this morning I thought, I am going to make a card inspired by that!

Can you guess which commercial it is ?
Hint #1 - same colors
Hint # 2 - stripes, not circles

I will send a very so - so, ordinary and blah prize out to the first one of you 4 constant readers who can guess which commercial it is. This dull and dreary contest ends whenever I think all the people who want to look at this card, already have ! (Saturday May 1st ???)

365 Cards - 3 glitter colors

3 Glitter Colors - that was the theme today at 365 Cards.

Well, I thought I would try some new (and not cheap) glitter I had - and it was just impossible to work with. I was ok with the white crown because I done that one previously, but ended up using some cheapo kiddy glitter glue on the gold and red crowns. Argh, it was a process.

However the rest of the card came together quite easily - my favorite things, a handsome prince and some glittery crowns, right ??? Lots of gold and a heart. Well, it made me laugh.

Up early today as Rufina was bringing by some fancy beads she had left over from a project. Her quick stop in the front door ended up at 40 minutes (lol) and we looked through some cards coming up with possible ideas for her daughter's wedding this year. Wouldn't that be fun to do - a whole wedding and even some shower invites !! But now, I believe a nap is in order....

Project Tuesday - Folded Paper Frame

Wow - this is so NOT ME. I am not even sure who was channeling me for this one !!

Project Tuesday has some fun projects a little outside the norm - check them out, you will be intrigued ! I did a diaper fold with them a couple weeks ago, and today is a folded paper frame. Very easy to do, but once again, some precision is required.

Rufina and I are doing tea today at Ruthie B's, a most quaint tea shop (and should probably be spelled "shoppe") and having their famous tomato bisque, egg salad with pumpkin seeds, lemon shortbread cookies and, of course, chai tea !!

Once when we were there our server said "I sure can tell you two have been friends for a long long time." And another time I told Dom I was going to pop over to Rufina's for a minute, and he said "hah, a minute, that will be the day...."

Good friends, what a blessing. I think I will hit my stash and find a perfect love you card for her today...

365 Cards - 8 Little Things

Yesterday a Joy Fold, today a Tri-Fold, thought I would try one again....

365 Cards is requiring pieces of 8! 8 different things, 3 times.

8 colors
8 letters in Birthday
8 shiny blings (is blings a word?)

Boy, was this one fun. I didn't think it would be, but it was actually a very freeing experience !

A blustery Pooh Day here, lots of rain and wind. Lost my keys, or maybe some little man-boy hid them, and finally had to use Dom's spares. Went to Michael's and their computers were down so cash only, something I am totally not familiar with any more, being a complete techno freak. And no, I don't write checks either.... Argh, what a day, didn't even get started til afternoon. A head under the covers day I do believe....

The Shabby Tea Room 7

My first attempt at a Joy Fold card, and I tried it at this angle as I loved Kristina's card this way. While these aren't crazy hard, they do demand a little care.

The Shabby Tea Room asked us this week for something about the comforts of home. So some explanation is order. I chose the background paper with the wood grain as my comfort. 90% of you have this wonderful Basic Gray paper, and you know which piece this is.

A lot of people just love the bright, light airy bedroom feel, but that doesn't make sense to me. I am only in bed to sleep at night, or in the day if I am sick. I never want sunshine in my room while I sleep, as it only disturbs me.

So I fauxed my bedroom walls to look like barn board, hung dark brown drapes, but kept my bed a sweet green with lighter than air covers. That is what I think is the comfort of home !!

AND I think that room looks toasty and soft all the time.

365 Cards Day 57

365 Cards had us inspired today with an ad, here, that could only make one think of babies ! Not much call here for baby cards any more, but I guess I should have ONE on hand.

I had to stick a turtle on it.

Spencer is one to make anything into a game, and if you aren't vigilant, you are in the midst of a new game without even knowing it. "Turtle" is one of those games. Sigh. It consists of him hiding, shouting "turtle turtle" and one must find him and hoist him up by the shirt.

He also watches the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, where one must holler out "Oh Tootles", only it becomes "Oh Turtles", and oops we are back into the Turtles game once again.

I asked him what he did last week, and he told me "Just hanged out at Mom and Dad's."

Always have Spencer stories on Mondays !!

Enuff ! The repairman is on his way to fix the furnace as we have been without heat, argh.

365 Cards - Sunday sketch day 56

Been a couple days since I posted - pollen has gotten the better of me. It is laying thick over the porch, the cars, the sidewalks, and it has really knocked me for a loop. So, before the day gets any further I need to get this up !

In keeping with the pollen theme, I chose flowers for 365 Cards super sketchy Sunday. Dom said this was beautiful, and not like my usual stuff (hmm, what do you suppose I should infer from THAT ?) But very very simple. I am doing my best to keep some of those white space challenges with me, and do something uncomplicated once in a while. Keep all the agonizing to a minimum. And, I didn't stare at this for an hour beforehand. Oh, and I might add, a little red touch since Pam required it on Tuesday, and I did that very reluctantly...

Spencer is on his way over - his parents are heading up the freeway for a practice round at The OGA Course at Tukwila. Brie's first "summer" golf tournament is coming next week, an invitational for those who won state titles or are their club champions. She won Oregon's Pub Links title in 2009, and is planning to add to her 7 state titles in 2010.

365 Cards - Day 53, Play Date Cafe # 26

First things first - my thanks out to the OCC Sketch Blog ladies !! I was featured designer this week with my goofy little
"cards" card. Had a lot of fun making that one, and I think a couple of designers at 365 Cards found me a wee bit of a rebel. Wonder who ?? lol

Today I have a double entry - I don't do those often, but this one just seemed to call for it in my mind.

365 Cards asked for an entire card today, front, back, both sides inside. That is the kind of card I used to make, before I had blogging experience ! (Though, I still use most of my cards, I have to "finish" the inside later ! Don't you ?)

Play Date Cafe has a color challenge, with gray, white, soft blue, and a copper/orange color. I bought some card stock for the copper color I thought was just right, but when I opened the package it was carrot ! Yuk - I do not do carrot.

I have used this layout before, I like it, and will probably use it again.

Thank you again OCC Sketch !! I am a happy little camper...

Jugs 29

This is so simple I thought at first I would not enter it at JUGS this week, but I did finish it, and I have been known to post total disasters, so here it is.

The challenge included Birthday, lavender, pink, green and optional yellow.

The Shabby Tea Room 6

The Shabby Tea Room is using a sketch this week.

If you haven't seen this challenge, have a peek.

Nothing much to say about this puppy except the photo isn't doing much for it. The colors are quite beautiful.

365 Cards - Tuesday trio Day 51

First - a Thank You to Pam and the ladies at 365 Cards who gave me their top award for the white space challenge from the blog hop last week ! I must admit, I was a little disappointed the day before when I saw the top three, and I wasn't there. (Tho' I looked at everyone's named card, and wow, they were all so amazing!!) So thank you thank you thank you !!!

Today at 365 Cards we had a triple - 1) a stamp 2) an alpha sticker 3) RED.

A stamp - I am not a stamper, and I know everyone wonders about that. Just don't have the skills, but I am practicing... So I put in a little swirl down in the right corner, and stamped light swirls all over the other paper.

Alpha sticker - didn't have any! So of course, I had to take a trip to Michael's, and found these lovely glittery ones that I kinda fell for. So my JOY is actually chip board stickers, with some glitter on them. (Thickers I think ?)

Red - I never use red, and I don't know why. Probably because it isn't soft enough, but a big ol' red is great for a Christmas card. And being kind of a Christmas freak I was happy to think along those lines.

Have a wonderful day ! It is damp and rainy here (surprise!), just my type of day, nice and cozy here in my little old house.... Time for a chai tea.

365 Cards - Digging Deep

365 Cards wanted us to dig deep into our stash and find particular things...

So here we go !

1) An item that is more than a year old
Not so very hard in some respects since my sis-in-law gave me some ancient paper last year that was given to her back in the 90's. Though, to look at it now, it looks kinda old lady 80's. The two background papers fit that bill. Either paper was really not scrap friendly back then, (difficult to cut without tearing) or it is just OLD. Attaching that top tag to this paper without it ripping was a challenge in itself. argh

2) Something that you were given that you have never used - this could be from a swap or a gift, but it has to have come from someone else. Well the horrific paper I mentioned, and the charm that is actually an earring also came from from my s/i/l .

3) Something you forgot you had. HA! I don't remember what I bought this morning.
The only thing I truly remembered I had was the lavender flower, and I wasn't even sure it was lavender. Every time I begin a card I am in uncharted waters - it is always an adventure looking through my "stuff". Gosh, where are my glasses ??

365 Cards - Sunday sketch 49

Wow - so this hardly resembles the sketch at 365 Cards AT ALL. What on earth does that say about great minds, except maybe mine isn't one of them !

So for all the rest of you who managed this sketch a little better than I did, great minds think alike must be dedicated to you....

Brie and Jason came to pick up Spencer after their round of golf at Shadow Hills CC - poor Brie shot an even par round, 72, but took an 8 on the final hole. Sad not to crush way down into the '60s for her.

On the other hand, Spencer spent his day with us all talk, some musical numbers (him on the recorder aka trumpet, Pop on the harmonica, me on the kazoo) and lots of laughter. If you haven't had the pleasure of being a grandparent yet, you are surely going to love this experience.

OCCSC 11

An entry for OCC Sketch - not nearly as straight laced as the sketch !

Dom dreamed up this romantic sentiment...

Gosh, where is everyone today, it is mighty quiet out here in card blog land.

365 Cards - White Space #6

Wow, just as I was pulling this up I thought that white space looks just like the shape of Oregon.

Anyhoo - today is the last of the white space challenges at 365 Cards. Probably my least favorite of them all, but still a good effort I think.

Color Dare 63

Ok, one last post for today. Color Dare's colors are lavender, turquoise, and "plum" which is actually a pinky color. So back to some color for me, and a wee bit more cluttered than I have been this week !

You can always use a card for a friend for absolutely no reason whatsoever - that is why I make so many of these. They fly out the door as fast as I can make them !!

I tried to make this more cohesive with some dots. AND I put a couple highlights on the paper squiggles with a gel glitter pen, that was fun !!

Play Date Cafe 25

Coming down to the end of my stint as a minimalist ! This is for Play Date Cafe, whose challenge this week is black, white and orange. I had done so many white challenges this week my brain couldn't think of anything but how this would look just this way. Have a wonderful weekend !

365 Cards - White Space #5

I swear, this one actually made itself. I knocked it over taking the photo cause I breathed on it. (insert Twilight Zone music here)

365 Cards has only one more white space challenge I think. I did a clear emboss on the border at the bottom, which is difficult to see here, but looks pretty nice.

Have a great day !

365 Cards - White Space #4

Another white space card for 365 Cards, super duper simple and clean.

The punch is MS - I was telling Kristina yesterday that those punches are far & away (I think) better than any others I have tried. Never a jam, always trimmed so neatly. Can you tell I have had some bad experiences with others ?

I am starting to wonder just how simple (yet elegant) I can actually make a card with these white space challenges. Tomorrow may be blank white stock. Ok, maybe I will include one word.

Anyhoo, periwinkle is not one of MY colors, but it is sorta close to purple, which is always my first choice of color, and then I have to pull back and say, ok, now do something completely different. And wasn't I just saying that to Annie too ??

Spent the morning with Brie and Spencer at the children's science museum - Spencer wanted me to try the simulated ride on a skateboard. Ummmm, grandmas don't do that for excellent reasons. He him self took a brief 3 second trip on it, and said "TROUBLE!!" We did have a fun time !!

Scrap That Poetry #13

Continuing on with the blog hop, included is Scrap That Poetry, a challenge that uses poetry as its inspiration.

John Greenleaf Whittier Poem

O dearest bloom the seasons know,
Flowers of the Resurrection blow,
Our hope and faith restore;
And through the bitterness of death
And loss and sorrow, breathe a breath
Of life forevermore!
The thought of Love Immortal blends
With fond remembrances of friends;
In you, O sacred flowers,
By human love made doubly sweet,
The heavenly and the earthly meet,
The heart of Christ and ours

I went with LOVE, a flower or two, and spring renewal colors. I included some music, as this reminds me of an old hymn.

365 Cards - White Space #3

Here is another in the 365 Cards white space series.

This is also a bitty card, the white space scared me a little less on a small scale. I also felt that the torn edges added some flavor to the white and embossed elements, making it feel less sterile and stark.

Thanks for stopping by.

Practical Scrappers sketch

Here is a little simple card from a sketch at Practical Scrappers.

My goal is to do all the cards on the blog hop this week, plus all my regular challenge stops, and maybe even throw in a not so regular challenge stop if it isn't too difficult.

Phew - off to do more . . .

365 Cards - White Space #2

I do love these white space challenges, 365 Cards will continue with them all week ! What is funny though is how tough the conception can be - I know I looked at my "stuff" (as Spencer says, Grandma has "stuff") for a couple hours, then put together the card in about 15 minutes. And that included trying out several ribbons.

I do not make enough Christmas cards - maybe that should be the theme for the rest of the white space challenge week for me, hmmmmm. It will save me time thinking of a theme for certain....

The Shabby Tea Room 5, and more

This is a little teeny card! Not too much to say about it I guess. The challenge at the Shabby Tea Room was "squares", based on a quilt, and it is pretty simple.

I used pink and gray, a combo I think is not a usual one. I remember one of my daughter's friends - when they were just bitty girls about 7 or 8 - told me breathlessly that pink & gray together was the most beautiful combination she could ever imagine.

As I am doing a week long blog hop, I am including this in some other challenges...
Pile it on - no images, just a sentiment
Practical Scrappers - bling/glitter
The Cuttlebug Spot - bling/glitter too !

365 Cards - White Space #1

Ah, Monday, a whole week to look forward to making cards. White space challenges all week at 365 Cards. I like these kinds of challenges, but find it impossible to just keep a plain ol' white without decorations of any type. So, embossed it is.

I would really love a new deck this summer. This may be the card to hint at that ?? Manly, yet "helpful" ... Create or else ?

Reminds me of Spencer who hands you a book and demands "READ IT" but he doesn't mean to him, he just wanders off and let's us enjoy those little Einstein books all by ourselves.

On another Monday note, my thanks goes out to the Shabby Tea Room who named me honorable mention last week. YIPPEE !!

And now, off to the bloghop at 365 cards, and see what other challenges lie ahead this week.

365 Cards - Sunday sketch triangle

Sundays are sketch days at 365 Cards, and didn't I just love this one. Pam kept it elegant and simple, and I made it kinda easy.

I have done a lot of beads on swirly wire for other projects, but I hadn't done that for a card yet. I couldn't find my good wire (alas, who knows where it migrated), so I used some green floral wire.

I did this instead of taking a nap ~ I don't know if I will miss that nap now, oh zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Project Tuesday - Diaper Fold

Project Tuesday has a diaper fold pouch challenge that is totally perfect for what I need. !!! Going to a housewarming tomorrow and thought this would work for a gift card. My card was made with lots and lots of love.

Stephanie is the daughter of my bff Rufina - and just moved into her first (owned) home ever. I remember how thrilling that was, don't you ? I think she and Sean are going to announce their engagement tomorrow too, but I didn't dare go with the lovey -dovey idea just in case !

Sean is the son of Chris Brathwaite, an Olympian who was killed by a sniper while he was training by the river next to the Oregon Ducks Autzen Stadium. I have a photo of Sean, with Stephanie (and Brie) from their third grade class, and here they are in their thirties, finally about to embark on their lives together.

Making a special card for special people is what I love so much about this craft !!

Glitzy flowers at 365 Cards

What, glitz ?? You don't have to ask me twice.

Today's 365 Cards challenge is some glitter on a flower. Easy !

I made the flower myself - it is my "usual" flower by now. I always seem to have a few of them as they can be made so easily in front of Lost or (my favorite) Judge Judy, sometimes even American Idol.

So, add a few MORE stickles to it, and it fits the challenge!

This card goes to Rufina, my bff, who picked up my mail and papers while we were on vacation. I bought her some of her favorite chocolate hazelnut spread from the Harry and David shop in Lincoln City - now I am thinking I wish I would have made a cute little bag too. Well, next time.

The Shabby Tea Room 4

The Shabby Tea Room this week is "embracing the white", and including cream, and a daub of another color. I picked brown, just cause.

The flower I made myself. There are some stickles here and there that aren't showing up as well as I would like, but they look great here in my craft room !!

I was thinking I would give this to daughter Brie for Mother's Day this year. Oddly, she and I don't give each other cards EVER, but I thought of her the whole time I was making this.

We stopped to visit her coming back into town yesterday, and I admire once again, what a great mom she has turned out to be. Her 2 year old son, our Spencer, invited us to "please come in" and "take a seat" as part of his duties as host. This will be a perfect card for her...

365 Cards - 5 of everything !

Just returned from vacation at the Oregon Coast, here is a view from one of our windows there.
Isn't it so pretty. The raging wind only rattled our door off the hinges 3 of the 4 nights! Also had a chance to stop in and visit a couple of very cute scrap shops and found some fun things !

365 Cards gave me a spot in their top three last week. How very exciting for me !! It was my first mention, so I was (and well, still AM) pretty stoked. Thank you !!

So here is my returning project, 5 of everything. 5 colors, 5 stamps, 5 different patterned papers, 5 buttons, and 5 flowers.

Pam really stumps us on these a lot, but pulls us into a spot where we aren't quite as comfortable as we might be otherwise. I love that !! While my results may not always be stellar, they are unique !

5 stamps - 4 of them are words, a flower, a happy face, so 6 total
5 buttons - a cuttlebug border, about 15 maybe ?
all the rest are pretty evident.

Have a great day !!!

365 Cards - color challenge

A wide ranging color challenge at 365 Cards today. Green, yellow, red and orange, and I guess some white too. Lucky me, I had paper with all the colors at once, so easy challenge !

Went a little simpler than usual today. Got one more challenge to complete today, and tomorrow we are off on vacation !!

Of course, vacation merely means haunting some OTHER craft or scrap store somewhere else. Don't deny that you do that too !

Met a woman in the paper dept at my local craft store who told me she spent $300 on product while she was on vacation. (You know that must be true...) There is something about an unfamiliar shop that just draws you in for a lengthy visit.

Have a great day, and a happy Easter !!

Play Date Cafe 23

Play Date Cafe loves blue this week. I must admit a wee bit of green slipped in, but what can you do when there are leaves ?

I must do a few more blue cards - just one color is sooo pretty I think.

Not much else to say about this one, everything is pretty straight forward, except for the heart which I made myself.

Now, what is for lunch ??

365 Cards - REAL recipe

A card to put a recipe in - that is the deal today at 365 Cards.

Now, everyone knows I am not a cook. I can only make three things - ribs, deviled eggs, chicken. Folks get mighty tired of that mighty quick !!

AND I think I only have one recipe - my Italian father-in-law gave it to me many years ago. It is for pizzelles, which are flat anise cookies, they look like a waffle, but thinner and prettier.

So my secret is Costco. It isn't really much of a secret, as anyone who tastes my cooking knows if it is good, I got it somewhere else. Sigh.

My father-in-law died almost 15 years ago. He was a fun guy. I remember he used to ask Brie when she was about 3 "where did your mom park her broom ?" And Brie always faithfully defended me. I miss him for sure. He couldn't say "aluminum." He loved Costco too ...