DE-CLUTTER DE HOUSE--Kitchen

Having your microwave struck by lightning isn't always a bad thing. It forced me to finally get this part of the kitchen under control. In fact, I like it much better this way:

First, there is now a "Coffee Station" where the old microwave used to be. The shelf above, which used to house all manner of clutter, is now perfect for boxes of the Tassimo discs used in the coffeemaker below. I also rearranged the shelves to the right so that they're no longer stuffed with "stuff" that was hard to get to.

Across the kitchen, on the counter next to the stove, the new microwave now sits. Not only will it be more convenient to use there, but the plug is now accessible (which it wasn't before.) When there are t-storms in the area, I can now unplug it before any damage is done. The mixer that was in that corner has been moved to the other end of the counter in place of the bread basket which is now on the table.

That was a lot of work, but that's not all. What you can't see is that I also de-cluttered all the outdated meds and vitamins, consolidated them into one drawer instead of two, and cleaned out some of the other cabinets. I plan to do more as time permits during the next few weeks.

What have YOU de-cluttered lately?

SEPTEMBER 19th--A Special Day

That's the day I was born, many years ago. I'll be spending the day relaxing, doing the Sunday Times crossword and maybe even catching a catnap. At my age, I keep the celebrating down to a dull roar...(lol). My DH is taking me out to dinner in a few hours with our son, DIL and 2 grandchildren. We'll have champagne and snacks here before we go--that's excitement enough for now!

Next week I'll drive to Long Island (2 hrs. from here) and celebrate with my sister and Dad who are taking me to dinner there. If my sister gets Friday off, we'll meet in NYC at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (my favorite museum in NYC) and then I'll drive us to her house from there after lunch.

Since this is not one of those dreaded "milestone" birthdays, a nice quiet celebration will be just fine--especially with no dishes to do!

SIMPLE SATURDAY #18 (on the 18th!)

De-Clutter De House--Paperwork

Okay, now that summer is over and school is back in session, it's time to get things back in order. Let's start with collecting all the paper piles, so grab a large garbage bag and start sorting.

You decide what categories will work for you, such as magazines, bills, tax receipts, to-do lists, catalogs, etc. Handling each piece only once, divide into separate piles, discarding unnecessary papers as you go. Place the bills into a container or drawer that you can keep within easy reach so they don't get mixed in with other things or forgotten.

Toss outdated catalogs or give away older magazines as the newer ones arrive. Storing like things with like in a specific place makes them much more manageable--a stylish bucket for catalogs or a sleek magazine holder, for instance, help define the allotted space.

We'll be getting a lot of Christmas catalogs soon, so I keep a large decorative basket specifically for those. When I'm ready to start ordering gifts, I just pull out the basket and start shopping. Once the buying season is over, I toss the catalogs and use the basket for decorative paper goods (fancy napkins, paper plates) for holiday entertaining. After the holidays, the basket goes back in the closet until next year.

Don't let those papers pile up--be creative with ways to deal with them and go for it.

Leave a comment and share ways you've found to tame the paper tiger in your house!

ONE LAYER WEDNESDAY--3 OF A KIND

It's definitely getting Fall-ish around here, so pumpkins are very appropriate. Since we couldn't add a layer, I used my wavy scissors at the bottom and sponged the brown ink onto the inside bottom of the card. It really is a challenge to keep to only one layer!

DE-CLUTTER DE HOUSE IS BACK!

Isn't that crisp Autumn air invigorating? Dontcha just wanna get your house back in order after all that hot and humid weather? It's de-cluttering time again!

I've been drawing inspiration from a new TV show on HGTV called "Get It Sold" which offers ideas even for people who aren't planning to sell or move. The only thing I want to move is the clutter. Here's a picture of my dining room after de-cluttering and rearranging some of the furniture to make it look more open and roomy.



I wish I had taken a "before" picture so you could see the difference. The left wall had two of the chairs up against it, one piled with "stuff". There was also a small cabinet, which I moved out to another room where it was actually needed. The wine rack (foreground left) was centered under the pictures, which made it feel crowded when people were sitting on the left side of the table.

According to "Get It Sold," there should be 3 feet of space between the table and other pieces for people to walk around it comfortably. This is not always possible, but you can give it that look by removing pieces that are "just there" taking up space. If my house were on the market, I'd remove the table and lamp in the back and replace the candle chandelier with an electric one. Then I'd also remove one of the table leaves to make it look even roomier.

Since our dining room is separate from an eat-in kitchen, there's no excuse for the table to become the usual catch-all spot. It never ceases to amaze me how much bigger a room can look once the clutter is gone and the floor is vacuumed!

(After taking this photo, I used some coupons to buy a new set of matching light brown cushions for the chairs.)

SIMPLE SATURDAY #17

ONE LAYER WEDNESDAY--B&W with one color

I just KNEW I'd find a use for that Marvelous Magenta marker someday! The cat images were stamped with a roller I pulled from my stash.

Thanks for the challenge, Susan. It truly is a challenge to use only one layer.

OLW--Trees

Susan Raihala (of Simplicity) has issued a One Layer Wednesday challenge using trees. Here's my take on it!

The verse from Isaiah seems to fit Autumn perfectly, just as it's also meant for each of us who will wither and fade in turn.

The tree stamp is from a set by Paper Trey Ink, and the verse is from a wonderful Scripture set by Our Daily Bread designs.

P.S. After taking the photo, I added some white gel pen on some of the branches and under the trees. What a difference!

World Card-making Day

Did you know that Sat., Oct. 2nd, is World Card-making Day? In honor of the event, I will be hosting a workshop where each stamper will make 8 of this design.

All stamps and supplies are from Stampin'Up, featuring one of the new Christmas sets in the Holiday catalog. The card base is Crumb Cake, the image will be stamped on Very Vanilla with Soft Suede dye ink and mounted on Soft Suede cardstock. The verse is mounted with SU dimensionals.

Torn edges add a little texture, although I plan to redo it with the torn side a bit more parallel with the curved image. The only embellishment is some gold glitter gel pen on the 3 halos.

I kept the design simple to reflect the simple Birth of our Saviour.

RETURN TO STAMPING!

Now that my daughter has flown safely back to Prague and I've caught up on restoring the Stamping Tower, I'll be stamping up a storm--especially since I have to stay indoors with the A/C during this latest heat wave. I must say, we had perfect weather during their visit, though. The last few days were in the 90's, but the humidity didn't start up until today; so it was still comfortable.

Joan and Jackie will be stopping in tomorrow to play with the two new stamp sets I got that haven't even been opened yet. Watch for some new posts coming SOON!

SPECIAL VISIT

Now that my daughter and her family will be here Friday for 10 glorious days, I'll be taking a break from my blogs until after they leave on the 31st. Unless, of course, I post a photo or two!

Check back for the latest news on our activities!

Basic Black

This card was sooooo easy to do!

First, I swiped across the white cardstock with 4 SU Craft spots from the Regals collection. Then I stamped the butterfly, embellished with Stickles, and put the card aside to dry.

Next, I ran the black cardstock through my Cuttlebug with a new embossing plate from Nestabilities. Then cut out the scalloped square with a Nestabilities die. After attaching it to the card with SU dimensionals, I added the embroidery floss, greeting and button filled with Stickles.

Easy to do and colorful too!

INTERACTIVE CARD

I just love to send cards that are interactive because they have such a nice surprise for the recipient.





Thanks to the video on Beate's blog HERE, Aug.9th post, this slider card was easy to do and will serve as a nice thankyou.


This is also my first card where I deliberately omitted any embellishments that would add to the postage. Check back next week for my new series on Postage-Saving Embellishments!

STATE FAIR SWEEP!

Rick and I just got back from the NJ State Fairgrounds where I looked to see if I got a ribbon for any of my three cards. What a surprise to see that all three took first class in each category!

Best of all, there was an additional "Special Award" ribbon for my Christmas Distress card in the Professional category--I could hardly believe it!





This was the first year I had to compete on the "professional" level (for teaching classes,) so I wasn't too sure how my cards would stack up against other professionals.

Several thanks are in order. First, to Susan Raihala of Simplicity for her advice on moving the greeting further down on the Christmas card for better balance. I'm sure that helped sway the judges!

Second, to Dawn Lusk for her birdseed shaker card that I CASEd HERE (Feb. 1 post,) which proves she's a winner too!

Finally, to Our Daily Bread Designs and Flourishes for making such beautiful stamps to use. Winners all!

MAKING FRIENDS

On our family trip to New England, we drove to Boston and stayed two nights there. We spent one whole afternoon at the Science Museum where I was able to make friends with this Lily the Bear look-alike. What a great museum for kids! (and grandparents, of course...)

For more photos of our trip to Boston and Mystic Seaport, check out my Fox Mtn. blog HERE.

(For more on Lily the bear, check this out.)

VBS Fun

The men in our church all seem to have a great sense of humor. One of our "greeters" in the parking lot adorns his hat with a different animal each day to start everyone off with a chuckle. With over 200 children in attendance (plus 65 teachers and helpers) we really are blessed to have so many men willing and able to help.










After the initial gathering inside the church, crafts are held one class at a time under the pavilion outside. The theme this year is "rain forest," reflected by the gecko clothes pin project we did yesterday.

Since thunder storms are forecast for tomorrow, the theme may become all the more relevant!

VBS STARTS TOMORROW!

In case you're wondering why I haven't posted in so long, it's because every available minute has been spent getting all the crafts ready for this week (except for a brief vacation.) We start tomorrow, and I'm so glad the heat wave broke this afternoon. With 200 kids coming, it would have been less fun in 90 degree heat. A line of showers came through today, pushing out the hot muggy air, reducing the temps by 10-15 degrees. Yay!!

Meanwhile, in spite of the oppressive heat and humidity in Boston last week, we had a great time sightseeing with our son and his family on our 4-day trip there. Hopefully, I can post some pictures one afternoon when I get home from VBS.

Hope you're getting some relief from the heat where you are too!

SILVER STAMPERS

There's a group of us called "Silver Stampers" because we are over 50 (silver) and stampaholics (stampers) from all over the country. Should any of you be interested in joining, you can contact our present leader at her email address below.

The dues are very low and entitle you to our latest mailing list, newsletter and email updates throughout the year. Whether a beginner or more advanced stamper, all card makers are welcome to join in the fun of exchanging birthday and/or holiday cards at your own pace. I joined in 2002 and have loved corresponding with other stampers, just like when we were kids writing to pen pals! (only better...)

If this sounds like fun, contact our president via email at silverstamperbiz@att.net and tell her I sent you!

I'M BACK!

This past week at my sister's with my grandkids was a blast! The temps were hovering near 100 under clear skies every day, which made her pool and household a/c very refreshing. The heat was so oppressive Tues. and Wed., we had to take an a/c break inside between 12 and 3 pm. We watched a movie, "Racing Stripes", and played Mexican Train dominoes until it was time to go back in the pool. My sister and I, when we weren't in the water playing volleyball with the kids, did NY Times Sunday crosswords together on the deck under her shady umbrellas.

Rick, meanwhile, spent most of his week in our a/c with the cats. Even they didn't want to stay out more than 15 minutes at a time in the heat!

We were all having such a good time in the pool and on the deck, I didn't even get stamping withdrawal!

FELINE SMILES

Sometimes I could swear my cat is smiling at me, just like this one!

Basic Grey's "Max and Whiskers" paper is just right for all my cat stamps. This pad has a wonderful selection of images and coordinating designs in beautiful colors--an outstanding collection! Some of the patterns (plaids, stripes, polka dots, solids, etc.) can be used for other themes, such as florals. So versatile, I may just pick up another pad before they're gone.

The cat stamp is from a foam stamp collection by All Night Media. The twine is actually heavy embroidery floss which I tried for the first time and like it enough to buy in a few more colors.

This card would be great for lifting someone's spirits, don't you think?

(This post is pre-scheduled to appear while I'm at my sister's on Long Island for a few days of pool fun with the grandkids in 95-degree heat! "See" you when I get back on the 16th!)

CAT DREAM

What do cats dream of? Catching mice, perhaps? Or would it be catnip pouches? or a sunny spot to nap in? or how wonderful their owners are?

The main image is just one of the cats from this Basic Grey designer paper mounted on black cardstock and popped out with a dimensional. The mouse was stamped on a cloud diecut which I stressed with my fingernail for some texture.

The metallic "dream" eyelet has been in my stash for years. I padded the top with a few layers of scrap papers to protect it from the pressure as I attached it to a piece of black cardstock with my Crop-a-dile. Then I trimmed off the black edges and mounted it to the card with double-stick tape.

Inside this card, I have a stamp that says "May all your stamp dreams come true"--just the thing for a stamper's birthday!

BIRTHDAY CARD

While I had my fern stamp out, I also made this clean and simple birthday card.

After stamping the fern on a white cardfront, I also stamped the SU Happy Birthday on off-white cs with the same Olive Green Colorbox chalk ink. Next, I used a Nestie scalloped square to cut and emboss the greeting and "rolled" it on the ink pad to give it a shadowed effect against the white. Then I attached it with a few dimensionals.

For embellishments, I used a Hero Arts flower overlapping the fern and greeting. Using a Hero Arts small flower stamp, I added a circle punched from a piece of olive green cs scrap and added the three gold beads for a little glimmer.

This actually sounds more complicated than it was to make!

FINAL SHINGLES UPDATE...

...I HOPE!

Although I still get very tired by the end of the day if I overdo, I'm feeling much better. No more pain or itching. There are still occasional twinges now and then, which I've been told is normal for a few months after the symptoms recede.

I never thought I'd be so happy to be able to do housework and errands again! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayer support.

NOTE: BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO MY LAST THREE CARDS NOW THAT I'VE BEEN BUSY STAMPING AGAIN!

DIORAMA CARD FOR THE FAIR

With Vacation Bible School coming up at the end of next month, I'll be busy getting the crafts ready for 130 children. Since I wanted to enter something in the State Fair again this year, I had to get ready way ahead of VBS preparations!

I came up with this Diorama card for my entry. The stamp set is "Swan Lake" from Flourishes and it's really a pretty set. It was a lot of work doing the cutting, especially around the leaves in the upper right corner. The leaves were colored with a green Spica pen to add some glimmer. I also used a sparkle Gelly Roll pen on the water and the feathers of the swan. I didn't want to overdo such a delicate image with anything too elaborate.

Whether or not it's a winner, I'm happy with the way it turned out.

COLOR CHALLENGE

Here's my take on the Color Challenge posted HERE.

Using yellow, gray and white, a summery color combo, I used my sunflower stamp from Inkadinkado (a gift from my friend, Linda) and some dsp in my stash. The petals are colored with a Barely Banana SU marker, and the center is enhanced with some fine white glitter.

Enjoy!

FIRST MARQUEE CARD

When Jackie came over to stamp in the Tower last week, one of the cards we worked on was a Marquee card from instructions in a book. If only we had Jan Tink's video (HERE) it would have been a snap instead of a 3-hour trial and error marathon. Somehow, we just couldn't figure out how to attach the "curtain" so that it would open and close properly. Once we finally got it, though, we realized it should have taken less than a half hour to do.

Here's the one I came up with. Using stamp pegs of leaves and blossoms, I decorated the inner circle. The punched-out circle came in handy as a mask, although the inks probably wouldn't have shown up on the black anyway. The dsp scrap came in handy as a cover over the white cardstock of the base card. Then the leftover pieces were used to decorate the corners of the inside.

When opened, the curtains part to reveal a Hero Arts flower that was stamped on a scrap of dsp and glued in position.

After all the work that went into the making of this card, it will indeed be a special card for a special person!

FINAL DESIGN

Thanks for all your votes and comments on the Christmas card post. After some minor changes of Card #2 suggested by Susan Raihala of Simplicity fame (in a private email) here's what we came up with.

First, by restamping the greeting on lighter dsp and mounting it over the green, it's much easier to read. Using the BOHO Flower punch, I added some red in the center of the flower to make it more Poinsettia-like and added some dark green ferns. I also chose deeper colors of embroidery floss for the bow.

Lowering the whole greeting line down to the bottom third of the card made it more visually pleasing. It's amazing how minor changes can make such a major impact!

Tour of Our Yard

For a look at all the colorful flowers in our yard, click HERE.

WATERFALL CARD

I finally got around to trying a waterfall card, and it was fun! The pictures show the card closed and pulled down to reveal the message underneath. Dawn's video tutorial made it super easy. Check it out HERE. Click on Dawn's video links and scroll down to Waterfall Card listed at 5-10-08.

For my card, I used two shades of green to match the colors in the dsp and two coordinating SU markers for the flowers.

(The flowers are from the Hero Arts clear stamp set, "Big and Small Flowers." The stamp used on top is from Endless Creations, Inc. The hidden birthday sentiment is from SU "Whimsical Words.")

CAST YOUR VOTE

Which of these three Christmas card designs do you like best?

#1 is stamped on lightweight white cardstock, distressed, sponged and mounted over hunter green cs. The ivory Hero Arts flower has a gold embellishment which I colored with a red marker to match the red embroidery floss on the side.

#2 is also stamped on lightweight white cardstock, distressed and sponged, mounted over SU poinsettia dsp. The flower is ivory and the two-tone embroidery floss matches the colors of the dsp underneath.

#3 is printed on vellum (using my printer), then mounted over dsp that was distressed and sponged on the edges with Tea Dye distress ink. For a brighter look, I used a white flower with a gold embellishment.

The inside stamp says, "Let the song of Christmas fill your heart." All stamps used are from the new Flourishes "Christmas Music" stamp set.

Please vote for your favorite and add any suggestions you may have for improvements! (Don't forget to click on each for a closer look at details.)

Make a Wish

This dandelion stamp takes me back to my childhood days when we made wishes as we blew dandelion seeds off their stalks and watched them float away, like blowing bubbles. Later on, when weed-free lawns became more important, bubbles eventually did replace the dandelions!

Somehow the colors don't show up well here. The card base is from a package of Hero Arts Yellow cards and envelopes, much brighter than it looks, like the dandelions that pop up every Spring!

KING OF THE CATNIP

During the rain delay at the Nascar race in Pocono (only an hour from here) Archie decided to mellow out on catnip and rest up for the restart. The storm is headed in our direction and should be here within minutes. He'll probably continue his catnap right through it. Notice how tightly closed his eyes are!

(Click to enlarge.)

Shingles Update

I'm happy to report that I seem to be improving slightly. Yesterday afternoon, I drove to the post office to pick up my mail (3 miles) without as much pain as even earlier in the day. Today I'm going to try grocery shopping (16 miles, round trip)--what a thrill! (I mean that literally!)

For any of you who haven't had a Shingles vaccine, I strongly recommend that you get one ASAP. You don't want this, and I don't want it again. As soon as I'm over it, I plan to get vaccinated before it has a chance to return.

Thanks for all your comments and prayers--I cherish them all.

Ready-for-anything Card/Scrap Drawer #9

This card was made entirely from scraps on my table!

Spinner Grad Card

This card has everything: spinner on the outside and pop-up on the inside!

Thanks to the tutorial on SCS, this spinner card was easy and fun to do.

And yes, it IS addictive!

Another Grad Card

These shaker card kits sure do make it easy! First I stamped the Bible verse, then used my peg stamps to create a square frame for the inside of the shaker. I then colored some clear beads pink, added some green chunky glitter and placed the mixture into the shaker before sealing it.

After securing the unit behind the white overlay, I stamped the Fifth Ave. Rose below and edged the square with braided embroidery floss. I then attached the finished unit to the dark berry cardstock with SU dimensionals--done!

This is a graduation card for a friend to give and will have an appropriate sentiment for the inside. The word must be out that I have TIME ON MY HANDS!

Note: To color beads, just scribble with a marker onto the lid of a small container, add beads and shake them until coated. After they dry, clean out the container with a tissue and save for the next time.

One Layer Challenge

Susan, from Simplicity, has issued a challenge using only one layer. At first, it sounds easy; that is, until you try it!

I finally came up with this one.

Thanks for the challenge, Susan. You took me out of my comfort zone--or should I say sweet spot!

TIME ON MY HANDS!

My friend, Jackie, coined this phrase which aptly describes my situation while recovering from Shingles. Keep checking in because I'll be posting tons of cards to pass the time!

This card draws inspiration from the background paper given to me as part of a gift from Linda of my Mothers Class. The fern was stamped and cut out, which uses up some time, then applied to the cardfront with a glue pen. The sun rays above the greeting were cut out from another piece of dsp from Linda, more time used up, and tucked beneath the Nestie Ribbon Tag.

Having Shingles brings new meaning to the term "Time to stamp!"

FABULOUS FRIEND

Here's a birthday card I made for a friend using scraps I had on hand. Even the butterflies were left over from a previous project.


The color combination is unusual, but I like it for this one.






The self-adhesive paper ribbon ( brand-name KARS) is from a package I picked up at the stamp show last month.

The layout I came up with just sort of "evolved" as I went along. Seems better than the usual rectangular layers. I found that the use of threes helps balance a card. Here are 3 colors of cardstock, three main images (rose, large butterfly, scalloped oval) and 3 embellishments (button, brown gems and small foil butterfly.) Even the inside includes three butterflies, with lots of blank space left to write a note--yet another "three" (butterflies, greeting and note.)

Try experimenting with colors and shapes on your next card and see what you come up with!

ACETATE SMASH

Just had to try this technique! (It's really called "Acrylic Smash" but I used metallics instead.) Using 3 metallic paint dabbers: silver, gold and pearl, I came up with these two cards.

For the Fifth Ave. Rose, I used just the gold and pearl colors, smushing them (that's a technical stamping term) between the acetate and white cs beneath. Once satisfied with the amount and blend of colors, I stamped the image with black Staz-On ink, mounted it behind the square window overlay and attached it to a Soft Suede card. After the leaves were punched from a piece of scrap dsp, I also cut a thin strip of it to place along the bottom third of the card. The butterflies were cut out with the Embosslits Beautiful Wings die. Finally, black mini-gems were added for the butterfly "bodies." (Click for further details, click again to magnify a smaller spot.)

The second card was even easier. After smushing all three colors of dabber between the acetate and white cs, I stamped the sunflower with Staz-On ink, mounted them behind the white scalloped circle overlay, added the greeting stamped with Chestnut Roan chalk ink and the Hero Arts flower with a gold brad, and mounted it on some metallic brown cs. Then I attached it to the front of the Kraft card with SU dimensionals. The inside greeting reads "A day filled with blessings."

Acetate Smashing is fun--try it! (Third entry for today, so scroll down for more.)
For a video tutorial, look HERE.

3-D Stamping

This card was inspired by Beate Johns' card HERE (May 16 post) and is very easy to do: Simply stamp an image in white ink and then re-stamp over it in the darker ink, positioning it slightly off to create the shadow effect. While some like to use a stamp positioner (such as Stampamajig) I find it just as easy to eyeball it. Although not necessary, I also used some clear embossing powder to "pop" the image.

For this monochromatic card, I used Soft Suede for the base. The white cardstock was distressed on the edges with a distress tool, then inked on the edges with Versamark Sahara Sand. The top image was "framed" with a metallic brown paper then mounted on the angled white cardstock with dimensionals after adding the sheer ribbon.

Enjoy!

Grad Card

When a friend asked me to make a card for her grandson's high school graduation, this is what I came up with. Since I had no graduation stamps per se, I had to be a little more creative with a wise owl and a tassel with the year hanging from it.

The inside is a quote from Jeremiah: "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

I hope he likes it!

Stamp: Hero Arts
Cardstock: white, red, metallic gray, black, silver
Alphabet: Making Memories, black and silver
Tools: Cuttlebug, SU Word Window punch
Accessories: Clear EP, embroidery floss

PRAGUE TRIP POSTPONED

UPDATE: We certainly made the right decision in postponing our trip. Although I have very few pox (so far) the pain is starting to increase. It's a good thing I have a "tower" full of stamping supplies!


Sadly, we've had to delay our trip because I suddenly came down with what my doctor thinks is Shingles--ugh! Today was spent canceling tickets and rearranging our travel schedule.

Although I'm disappointed, I rest in the knowledge that God knows what He's doing and has a reason for this happening now.

Meanwhile, I'll be dealing with increasing symptoms over the next few weeks. I'm just glad this is not a fatal or debilitating disease, and I have a good doctor who prescribed some medication to reduce the severity of the symptoms. Please keep me in your prayers.

I LOOKED IN MY CLOSET, AND WHAT DID I SEE?

...MISS JENNY ON MY PAPER RACK WAITING FOR ME!
(sound asleep)

FOR MY GRANDSON

Since my grandson is as disappointed as we are that our trip had to be postponed (see previous post) I came up with this card to send him. October is a long way off, but with the summer to enjoy in the meantime, it will go fast.

First, I stamped the image on white twice. After coloring the face and the scales on his back (how appropriate from someone with shingles!) for the bottom layer, I then cut out the second image and ran it through the Cuttlebug reversed in the Swiss Dots folder. I colored the image with SU markers, mounted it over the first image with SU dimensionals, and then bent back the scales to give it some more dimension (not to be confused with dementia!)

For added tactile interest, I used some black mini-gems for the eyes and a flower brad in the lower right corner. I also distressed the edges of the cloud with my fingernail and attached it with another dimensional.

The inside sentiment reads "Rawr means I love you." After writing a note, it will be on its way to Prague to cheer a disappointed little boy.

(Click once to enlarge, then click again to zero in on a special spot.)

HEADING FOR PRAGUE!

Classes have finished, and now it's time to see my daughter and her family--I can't wait! British Air is on strike, but they've assured us that we will be able to get to Prague as planned. Getting back might be another story, but it's worth the hassle.

News Flash: For my last class of this school year, I've been invited to Owen's preschool in Prague to show them how to stamp and make cards! It's scheduled for the day we arrive, which should be interesting since I will have had little (if any) sleep. His class is 13 six-year olds. Here's the card I came up with for them to color, punch and paste.

It's been seven months since our last visit, and I'm looking forward to seeing how much the boys have grown. Elliot is already 15 months and just started walking, so he'll be less of a baby and more of a toddler--a big change from when we were there in Oct.

Tomorrow we'll be shopping for all the items on Laura's list of things to bring, then trying to get everything packed in only one suitcase each. Just in case our luggage gets lost in transit, I'm packing as much of my clothing as possible in my carry-on bag. It's a good thing I'm used to traveling light!

Here's a tip: when I pack, everything gets rolled instead of folded. This takes up a lot less space and avoids wrinkles. Whatever I think I'll need for the first couple of days goes in the carry-on bag JUST IN CASE! I can always wash underwear and tee shirts there if necessary, especially since we'll have access to a washer and dryer at our daughter's flat. I wear my sweater, jacket and walking shoes (I can un-layer once on the plane, if it's too hot) and pack a pair of sandals which also double as slippers. (When we go for Christmas, I pack an extra suitcase with all the gifts, then nest the two suitcases for the return trip.)

Feminine and Masculine

Here are two cards made from the same "recipe" I found on a lovely blog, "Stamped By Hand," Wed. May 5th post, fourth card down, "Thanks for all that you do."

Isn't it amazing how two cards done with the same sketch can look so different?

Stop by Joanne's blog HERE and check out her other designs--she does beautiful work!

FATHERS DAY CARD

Magic Cards are a tough act to follow, but this Shadow Box Card turned out great! I know my dad will love it.

I ran into several challenges with this one. First, the image was not easy to color. Since most tools look alike (wooden or red handles, metal ends and similar shapes) it was hard to color them so that they didn't all look the same.

The next challenge was with the letters on the right side. First they had to be colored, and I succeeded in making them appear to be wood-grained. When I started to apply them to the card front, however, I realized that the self-stick edges over the opening would present a problem when the card was closed for mailing. After some consideration, the idea came to me: stick them onto acetate, trim them closely and then apply Scor-tape only to the parts that were on the card itself. Pretty smart, doncha think???

The final challenge was in photographing it without the image being darkened by a shadow. I could have used my flash, but it might have washed out the interior colors, already pale.

The rest was easy-- I glued the woodgrain dsp onto the cardstock before using the oval Nestie. I had the Phillips-head brads and twine in my stash for added effect. "Love you much" was just the right sentiment, too.

All that's left is to add a note on the back and send it off when it's time!