A Whole Month?

I can't believe it's been almost month since I last posted! It's been a busy time. One of the main things that's happened is that my husband was laid off from his job. Having him around full time is a big change. One good aspect is that it has allowed us to catch up on a lot of outside work. The garden is planted, shrubs moved and trimmed, and general cleanup is in process. The bad part is that now that we have all this time to do things, we have to watch our finances and can't afford to do them. Lol! You can't win some times.
The hard work I did on my flower beds last year has really paid off. They weren't nearly as hard to get back in shape this spring. I've begun my weekly photographing, as I did last year. What a difference a week makes!

Lilacs are starting to bloom. Ah, spring!

Easter Basket

Today's CCEE challenge is another supplies challenge...this time Easter themed stamps generously supplied by Helene at "Alota Rubber Stamps". I colored the image first, then looked for designer paper to match. I love this stripe from Basic Grey and thought the colors felt "springy" and matched well. The basket is colored with Prismacolor pencils and Turpenoid, and contents with SU markers.

Recipe: paper- apricot appeal (SU), white, Basic Grey (Isabelle from Oh Baby! Girl collection); Ink- black archival, SU markers; Stamps- Alota Rubber Stamps; Accessories- brads, flowers (SU pretties kit), turnenoid, Prismacolor pencils, eyelet border punch, Cuttlebug embossing folder.

On Getting Old

I leave you with this thought for the day.
"You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you can do while you're down there."
- George Burns

Snort.

Love Those Silhouettes

As soon as I saw this set, I had to have it. With three outdoorsmen in my family, and not many stamps a man would appreciate, this fit the bill beautifully. Plus, I love it myself. The deer and the tree scene are separate stamps, so that adds to it's versatility. There's also a wolf and the quote, which I think is beautiful.

I have found that my favorite way of using the silhouette stamps that are so popular right now, is on these wonderful distressed papers from Basic Grey. They add a dimension that needs little else...thus a very simple card, but not boring. Don't you agree?

Recipe: stamps- Nature Silhouettes (SU); paper- black, Basic Grey; Ink- black archival.

Address Labels...They're Not Just For Envelopes Any More

That was the challenge for last Monday's CCEE challenge. Use address labels in some way on a card. I chose to stamp and emboss a large background (Bamboo II) on a sheet of labels. Then when you peel and stick them onto your project, you space them apart a little to allow the background color to show, creating a grid effect. I have to admit I was a little doubtful about this technique, but am rather pleased with how it turned out.

Recipe: stamps- Bamboo II, Oriental Gardens (ginko leaf)...both SU, sentiment (PSX); Ink- black archival, VersaMark; paper- black, off-white; accessories- adhesive backed address labels, black embossing powder.

Skip Winter...Fast Forward To Spring

I couldn't stand the basket header any more. And since winter totally let me down (not enough snow for even one good picture), I dug out a favorite shot of my garden from last year to fill in the gap until I can get a good one from this new season.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Another grey day...another pidley forecast for snow "showers". I simply had a need for beauty, so I revisited some of the pictures I took last summer. It is coming.