Predicting the Future ... with Greeting Cards!

Well, not exactly. But this is the very last card project I created before coming down with pneumonia. So, I mailed it to myself! And guess what? I feel better!

Ipso facto: a handmade, stamped greeting card will definitely make you feel better. And will give you fresh breath and strong, shiny hair, too!

And the iron lung reference (see post below), was a joke. I am, and have been, breathing just fine all by my lonesome. Anyway, I'm terribly sorry for the misunderstanding ... I DO have a strange sense of humor, huh?!?

This cute little card was created using an ancient (1996) matchbox stamp from Crafty One/Limited Edition, and a slide drawer-type match box:

I stamped my image on Funky Vintage designer papers from Making Memories, then cut everything out, gluing the "comforter" on to the match box. I colored my Teddy bear with Koh-I-Noor pencils, blending with Gamsol and a paper stump.

I stamped my sentiment on Bazzill card stock, cut some mats using rectangle and heart-shaped Nestie dies in the Cuttlebug, and tied some funky fiber around the fold.

Here's a peak at the goodies tucked inside the drawer:

The tiny teddy and the little book are part of the stamp but you could certainly add more fun little things to make your little sickie smile. Like penicillin ...

Now that I'm startin' to feel like my middle-aged old self again, I expect to get back into the swing of things soon: participating in my sweet friend Allison's weekly challenges, lots of e-ing with my pal, Annapurna, return-comment blurfing, admiring everything Jewels creates, stalking SCS, and visiting your blog.

THAT should keep me outta trouble for a while!

Thanks for spending part of your busy day with me; you rock!

~Hugs,


Card Stock: Bazzill, DCWV; Designer Paper: Making Memories, Funky Vintage "Lizzie Collection"; Stamps: Matchbox Marvels by Limited Edition/Sentiment: Papertrey Ink; Dye Ink: Distress Ink "Black Soot" by Ranger Industries; Color Medium: Koh-i-Noor Woodless Pencils; Fiber: Unknown; Die Cut Machine by Provo Craft; Dies by Spellbinder's; Gamsol by Gamblin; Paper Stump: Creative Mark; Adhesive: ATG 714 and "The Ultimate" by Api

Reports of My Death Have Been

Somewhat Exaggerated ...

So, hello there boys and girls! Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

My keepers have decided to free me from my P.I.L (Portable Iron Lung) for a bit .. monthly maintenance and what not, so I thought I'd post a quick note here to say hello there!

When last we met here, I was happily (and healthily, lol), enjoying a visit with the darlin' DG-K's. Here's a pix for you to 'oooooohhh,' and 'ahhhhhhhhhhhhh,' and 'aren't they cute?' over:



Anyway, next thing I knew, I was confined to bed (as if I could have stayed awake even if I wanted to), spiking fevers, and coughing my brains out. Literally: what a mess!

So, at the moment, even with all this fancy doctorin' stuff, no one can tell me what's wrong. The best explanation (or my favorite anyway), is this: It's a hybrid bronchial pneumonia. Hybrid, that sounds kewl, right?!?

I'm not sure when I'll post again but I'm so grateful for all the well-wishes and 'hey, there's' I've received from you. And lots o' special thanks to Anne and Jewels ... they know why.

And I'm totally jonesin' for my studio so I expect to be creatin' stuff again soon!!!

Oh. And the "Portable" Iron Lung Machine? Not so portable ...

~Hugs,

15 Minute Project ... A Card for Dear Old Dad

Hi boys and girls, and welcome to the show!

Today's "15 Minute Project" was created in a flash using a pre-made, three dimensional tag.

Creating masculine cards are usually challenging for most card makers ... myself included. I achieved a "manly" theme by adding some screwdriver head brads, a ball chain and connector, and removed the buttons that were standard-issue.

I punched a scrap of copper sheet metal to create the diamond shape and adhered them using more screwdriver brads. And I purposely left the twist in the ball chain to add some interest to this simple card layout.

I stamped my sentiment on Kraft card stock using Versamark and black distress ink, then clear embossed. I created a circle tag by using my Tag Maker and mounted the whole business on Bazzill textured card stock using dimensionals.

Easy-peasy and ready to serve in just 15 Minutes!

My DS, DiL, and the G-kids have big plans for me tomorrow so I prolly won't get to post ... but I promise to take some photos to share with you. And it's inescapable: y'all will be seeing pix of my beeeee-you-teeeee-full GK's!

Thanks so much for sharing part of your busy day with me ... and for all your comments and support! You guys rock ... and I {heart} y'all bunches!

~Hugs,



All Card Stock by Bazzill; Pre-Made Tag: "Fresh Tags" by Rebecca Sower for EK Success; Inks: Versamark and "Black Soot" by Ranger Industries; Clear Embossing Powder: Unknown (I just dump all my clear embossing powder in a tub-thingie); Stamp: Limited Edition; Tag Maker by Making Memories; Ball Chain (Available in my eBay store); Brads: Unknown (Found in Mt. Brad); Diamond-Shaped Paper Punch: EK Success; Copper Sheet Metal: Unknown; Dimensionals: Obtained in a Share; Adhesive: ATG 714

WARNING ... I Stumbled Upon a Spoiler with NO Alert!!

Well, I'm completely bummed!!! Here's why: a member of the stamping/card making/paper crafting community has posted the ending of the new Sex and the City movie ... in their SIG line!

I've been eagerly anticipating seeing SATC, and this 'news' really spoils the movie for me. Unfortunately, it hasn't arrived yet in my Cinema 1-147 ... or trust me, I'd have already seen it and I prolly wouldn't have had this (over)reaction, LOL.

But, I can't help but wonder (as Carrie would say), why someone would elect to do this NOW?!? I mean, the movie has only been released in the U.S. for a WEEK ... well, 9 days to be exact.

I can see throwing the movie spoiler on your sig (well, not really ... I totally don't get that ... but, whatever), say, four or five months after the movie opened. Not nine freaky-deaky days after it opens!

So, because I unintenionally had the movie ruined for me, I'm tryin' to save you from the same fate ... call it a Public Service Announcement. If you don't want to inadvertently discover the ending of SATC, you might want to say away from online forums, groups, and chat rooms till you get a chance to see the flick yourself.

And, if knowing the ending to the most highly anticipated movie since SATC went off the air doesn't bother you, well, then ... never mind ... and peace out.

Hey, I'll recover! I hope you're enjoying a nice Sunday with your beloved stamps family and thanks so much for visiting!

~Hugs,

Tally Me Bananas? Umm, About $20 Each ...

Due to popular demand ... okay, three people: a photograph of the Banana-Tree-That-Wouldn't-Bear-Fruit-Bearing-Fruit!

If you've been following along, I mentioned in an earlier post that our barren 8 year old banana tree had finally set fruit. After lakes full of water, a landfill's worth of compost, and enough banana tree fertilizer to feed a small country of banana trees, we finally have ... let's see ... looks like ten bananas!

I'm hoping that we get more, but using the current count, the bananas on this tree will have cost us approximately $200.00 ... or, $20.00 each. These better be some fine bananas!

Now, here's a photo of my banana tree's Momma:

WoWZa! Look at that big o'le bunch of bananas!

This tree was grown in Boynton Beach in about 3 square feet of soil ... well, sand ... and no compost, or fertilizer, had ever been added to this giant's diet.

We go strictly by the book on this banana-farming thang and I get 10 lousy bananas?!?

Well, no matter what surprises the fates have in store for me, I'm guessin' that banana tree farming isn't goin' be one of 'em!

Hope you're having a great weekend and thanks for stopping by to laff and point at my banana tree.

~Hugs,


EDITED TO ADD: That bush in the background with the red and orange flowers? That's hummingbird bait. Yah, I'm gettin' a lot of them, too ...

OH, No She Didn't ... OH, Yes She Did!

Happy Friday boys and girls, and welcome to your weekend!

I think you know (you know) how much all of you mean to me ... and how much I rely on you for honest advice, friendship, and moral support. We're all just one big happy stampin' family, right? Well, one of you had better come down here right now and slap me or something ... 'cuz I can't stop using the Walnut Ink Resist technique!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who love this technique ... although I'm prolly the only stamper you know who can't stop using it. I think it has to do with the almost magical process of clear embossing ... and the added wonder of how the ink will react to it. I can't wait to get to my studio the next morning to see how the ink dried. Perhaps I need more than a slap, yes?!? LOL!

This time I used the technique with this kewl old stamp from Just for Fun. I love the primitive look of the stamped image and it goes so well with the grungy/grubby/shabby look created by this technique. If you don't know how already, or if just like reading my blog entries, you can check out my instructions, HERE, for the Walnut Ink Resist technique.

And I just discovered that this card qualifies for Sharon's "Stamp Simply" challenge! This week, Sharon's challenge called for creating a project using a bold, or silhouette, stamp. Well, lookie, here; finally, a challenge entry I created and posted in a reasonable time frame. Which was totally by accident as I made this card yesterday ... w-a-y before I saw Sharon's blog post!

To create the little tie around the bunch of herbs ... or ferns, I punched a small hole on either side of the "bunch" and tied some white waxed linen through and into a knot. I added a smidgen of fluid chalk ink to the ends of the thread so they looked grubby too ... it's important to make everything on a grubby/grungy piece grubby/grungy too. I think ...

The only other things worth mentioning are: I used a scrap of the walnut-inked card stock to punch a round file tab ... I stamped my sentiment with Versamark, embossed with white powder, and pierced some itty-bitty holes around the edge. Oh. And I dotted the holes with a Sharpie Paint Pen.

Tomorrow, I'll post up a photo of my newly fruited banana tree! See how the excitement just never ends?!?!? I don't know how I stand it ...

Thanks so much for sharing part of your busy Friday with me ~ have a great weekend!

~Hugs,

Card Stock: Xerox 110#, Bazzill; Stamps: Herb Swag (I just made that up; I don't know it's name) by Just For Fun, Sentiment Stamp by Papertrey Ink; Ink: Versamark; Fluid Chalk Ink: Clearsnap; Walnut Ink: 7gypsies; Embossing Powder: Powder Keg; Sharpie Paint Pen; Fiber: Waxed Linen Thread by 7gypsies; Die Cut Machine by Provocraft; Dies by Spellbinder's; Punch by Stampin' Up!; Piercing Tool by Making Memories; My New-and-I'm-In-Love-Black-Hexagon Dimensionals: Unknown, Obtained in a Sticky Share; Adhesive: ATG 714

Burn Baby, Burn ... A Blog Challenge Entry

Today's card project was created for Allison's "Suggestive Sunday" blog challenge ... yup, late again! This week, Allison challenged us to "burn" part of our project ... yippee, we're playin' with matches! Or, as in my case, wood-burning tools.

I heated up my very old (and lonely) friend, Walnut Hollow's Creative Versa-Tool, and burned my sentiment into adhesive-backed cork using Walnut Hollow's "Hot Stamps" alphabet set. I bought this alphabet set on clearance at Joann Fabric in Royal Palm Beach for $2.97!! 'Cept this was some time last year, so don't y'all go rushin' out to Joann's clearance rack. I also grabbed the "Hot Numbers & Punctuation" set for the same price; which is a huge mark-down from their normal price of $26.00 ... each!

I stamped my focal image on Bazzill Kraft card stock using Staz-On ink, and die cut a little cork frame to fit around the image. I colored the image using Koh-I-Noor woodless color pencils, blending with a stump and Gamsol (OMS).

I distressed a card stock mat, attached three copper brads, glued down a little lasso, and I was off to the rodeo!

Jess so's ya know: things are gonna be a little crazier than normal around here for awhile as I have a houseful of company ... all of whom want to do the Florida-Tourist thing. So far, we're planning on Lion Country Safari (a must-see ... the giraffes alone are worth the price of admission), several beach days (to my favorite super-secret-almost-private-pristine beach), all manner of fishing (Lake Okeechobee, the IntraCoastal and the Gulf Stream), a day with the Loggerhead turtles, another day in Coconut Creek to see what's the haps at Butterfly World, a possible trip to Universal up north in Orlando (just received an amazin' resident package deal ... this one's gonna be hard to resist), a swampy (with all the attendant swamp-like critters), day in the Everglades, and Lord knows what all else! Please pass the All-SPF 120.

And, on top of all of the aforementioned festivities, we're happily celebrating the fact that our 8 year old, heretofore non-fertile banana tree FINALLY set fruit! EIGHT YEARS! We thought we were headed straight for Guinness and the new world record, but the not-so-little lady outfoxed us at the last minute. I swear, we've done everything short of romantic weekends in the Bahama's to get this baby to bear fruit! If anyone's interested, I could post a photo. Lemme know ...

Thanks for a fun challenge Allison; I see a whole new direction for me using wood-burning-tools and hot stamps!! And thank YOU for spending part of your busy day with me!

~Hugs,


Card Stock: Sorbet by CutCard Stock, Kraft by Bazzill; Stamp: Comotion Rubber Stamps; Ink: "Timber Brown" Staz-On; Color Medium: Koh-I-Noor Woodless Colour Pencils; Gamsol by Gamblin; Stumps by Creative Mark; Brads: Unknown; Designer Paper: "Wanted" Collection, Cosmo Cricket; Cork: Karen Foster; Fiber: 7gypsies; Walnut Hollow Creative Versa-Tool; Walnut Hollow Hot Stamps; Electricity: Florida Power & Light :-); Die Cutting Machine by Provo Craft; Die by Provo Craft; Distress Tool: Heidi Swapp; Adhesive: ATG 714; Dimensionals: Black Hexagons (Obtained in a Sticky Swap)