Birthday Cards

Saturday was my birthday.  Jen, Mark, Syd and Matt came over for a driveway celebration.  As always, we had fun.  Of course, my family loves to tease.  I was trying to think of the words "power strip" and the words weren't coming to me quick enough.  So I said "electric strip" and they knew what I meant but had a heck of a time laughing!  I know it was one of those things that you had to be there for, but if this is how I am at 69, can you image in how I will be at 79?  The kids will have endless opportunities to laugh with me and at me.

Today I am sharing the pretty handmade cards I received from my very talented friends.  I treasure each and every one!  Thank you for your cards and happy wishes.  I am blessed to have such a wonderful family and wonderful friends.  I couldn't ask for any better!  Have a great day!

Patriotic Bird

Most of you know that I am a sucker for cute bird images.  So when I saw this patriotic bird image, I had to have it.  The Doodlebug Designs stamp set is cute and patriotic, so it will be put to good use.  When the set arrived, I had to make a quick 4th of July card.

Supplies:
Doodlebug Designs:  Land That I Love pattern paper and stamp set
Stampin' Up: red and white cardstock; Real Red and Blueberry Bushel ink
Copic Alcohol Markers

Have a great weekend!

So Many Hibiscus!

Over the weekend I spent some time coloring hibiscus flowers.  The image was stamped in various ink colors and then colored with alcohol markers and colored pencils in various color combinations.  Some were pretty; others not so!  I started labeling the images with the colors used.  I wish I would have done that from the beginning for future reference. 

Stampin' Up's In The Tropics dies arrived on Monday so I was able to choose and die cut flowers and leaves for today's card.  You will probably be seeing a few cards with hibiscus and plumeria flowers on them in the future!  Today's flowers were colored with colored pencils.

Supplies:
Stampin' Up:  Timeless Tropical stamp set; In The Tropics dies; Regal Rose and White cardstock; twine; Strawberry Slush and Wild Wasabi ink

Sizzix:  Embossing folder
Prisma Colored Pencils

One question I have is:  What is the plural of hibiscus?  Some say hibiscus and others say hibiscuses.  Have a great day!

Miss You That's All

Jen, Mark, Sydney and Matt came over yesterday for a Father's Day driveway visit.  We sat under a shade tree and as the shade moved, so did our lawn chairs!

Today's cards were easy to create.  The edges of the two top layers of cardstock on both cards were torn and then the torn edges were sponged using the same ink as the stamped image.  This is one of those cards you can work on while watching TV.  Just tear rectangles!

Supplies:
Stampin' Up:  Timeless Tropical and retired Gift of Love stamp sets; White, Pool Party and Crumb Cake cardstock and ink

Have a great day!

Yellow Hibiscus

A pretty tropical card is perfect on this warm day!  The leaves are water-colored paper which was then cut using a die.  The flowers were stamped, cut and colored with alcohol markers.  A little twine and a few sequins complete the card.

Supplies:
Sunny Studio Stamps:  Tropical Paradise stamp set; coordinating die
Just Rite Stamps: Sentiment
Stampin' Up:  Botanical Blooms dies
Copic Markers

Have a great weekend and enjoy celebrating all the Dads, Grandpas and Uncles!

Chalk Art

Jenny and Sydney visited on Sunday.  This week, Syd chalked a cute Nipper!  It is so cute, I wanted to share with you!  Have a great day!

Whiskey Business

Father's Day is almost here and my Stampin' Up order came just in time!  The images and sentiment on today's card are from a new stamp set in the new annual catalog.  I didn't purchase a lot of new things, but I did get a package of the new In-Colors.  I didn't think I would like them very much, but surprise!  I do!  The pink is nice and bright and my favorite new In-color.  The blue is not as dark as Night of Navy but the two colors together look very nice.  The Jade and Cider are pretty.  The only one I do not care for is the Bumble Bee Yellow.  It looks very much like Crushed Curry. That was not a favorite when it was introduced either.

Supplies:
Stampin' Up:  Whiskey Business stamp set; Basic Grey and White cardstock; retired Designer Series Paper
MFT Stamps:  Inside and Out Diagonal Stitched dies
Copic Markers

Have a great day!

Nighttime Visitor

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. This week's wildlife photo is not a bird.  Saturday night I am in my office and I hear the bird feeder swinging fast and I am thinking that it is not windy out.  So I went out to see, but it was too dark.  I opened the blinds and there was this big raccoon.  I got my camera and he could care less.  He continued to stand on his hind legs while he ate the bird seed out of the feeder.  He even took a water break while I watched as he got on his hind legs and drank from the bird bath!

My card for today is quite simple.  I purchased the lower Kelly Alphabet from Pink Fresh and made this card.  It is a very cute alphabet, but a little larger than I thought.

Supplies:  Stampin' Up's Whisper White cardstock; retired Coastal Cabana designer paper; SU's retired stamp set Short & Sweet

Have a great day!

Birthday Cake Card

Yesterday would have been my sister's 70th birthday.  She died 15 years
ago, but I think of her every day.  So I decided to make a birthday card in honor of her.  She was my very best friend.

When I sat down at my desk this morning, this was the little visitor I had outside my office window!  The little baby robin sat there for a while. Even while I reached for my camera, it sat on the sill watching me.  So cute.
Supplies:

Stampin' Up:  Happy Birthday To You retired stamp set; Night of Navy and Whisper White cardstock; White embossing powder
Other:  Various dies; Vellum; Versamark ink; sequins

Have a great day and weekend!

Lili of The Valley Stamps

On Monday, I ran across a card that had an image I just had to have.  It is a digi-stamp from Lili of The Valley Stamps.  The thing about digi-stamps is that you get them right after you order them.    No waiting for the order to be filled and shipped and no shipping costs.  Today's cards were created using the $3.30 digi-stamp.  I downloaded the image to my computer and printed it up in various sizes.  The slim line card was the first one.  I made four of them using different colors and sent them in the mail to special people.  One of the smaller images I used for the card size I usually make,
5-1/2" x 4-1/4".  The slim line image was colored using Copic markers.  For the usual size card, the image was colored with colored pencils.  In 24 hours I have more than made use of my $3.30 stamp investment.

Supplies:
Lili of The Valley:  Birds With Roses digi stamp
Stampin' Up: Friendly Phrases stamp set; Whisper White And Green Galore cardstock
Close To My Heart:  Just To Say stamp set
Trinity Stamps:  Scallop Card Panels & Banners dies
MFT Stamps:  Checked Paper

Have a great day!

Chalk Art

 Jen and Sydney came over on Sunday for a driveway visit.  While we were enjoying each other and the perfect weather, Sydney asked if we had chalk.  John found some and she started drawing on the driveway.  It was so cute.  Then Jen told us that while Syd was drawing on their driveway the day before, a neighbor walked by and started talking.  So they learned a little about the man and his wife.  The next day, the man came back with his wife and they were taking pictures of Syd's drawing~~the mermaid.  Syd is very talented.  Not only am I not able to draw, once I get down on the driveway to draw, I wouldn't get back up!  Have a great day!

Boatload of Friends

I bet you know who this Father's Day card is for without my telling you!  When I give it to Matt and he sees five dogs in the boat, I hope he doesn't get any ideas!  My friend, Dawn, gives me stamped images of some of her stamps.  She knows my taste in stamps, so the stamped images she gives me get used quickly. Thank you, Dawn!

Supplies:
Penny Black:  Friendship stamp set; Word Express stamp set
Stampin' Up:  Basic Gray; DSP retired paper

Have a great day!

Happy Hello

After all these years, I changed my blog a little!  It only took me all day to figure out how to change the header!  Today's card is simply a pretty card.  I used different pattern papers and pastel cardstock.

Supplies:
Stampin' Up:  Soft Sea Foam and Pink Pirouette cardstock; Sea Foam 6x6 Designer Series Paper
Queen & Company:  Flirty Floral pattern paper
Penny Black:  Nature's Wishes stamp set

Have a great weekend!

Tool Time

Father's Day is not too far off, so I decided I best make a few cards! Today's card was on Sunny Studio Stamps' blog and I just changed/added a few things.  I used my Misti to evenly space the hammers and saws.  The Misti worked really well until I stamped  the last hammer and it was too close to the edge.  I will have to practice that spacing thing. But that's okay because John probably won't even notice.  I also saw a couple of places that I went over the lines coloring.  Remember how I used to joke about my Mom or John's Mom not seeing the little "oops"?  Well guess what?  Now John and I are reaching that point where we don't see those things.  Luckily, when I look at the pictures of the cards on my computer,  I can see those little "oops"!

Supplies:
Sunny Studio Stamps:  Tpp; Time stamp set
Amuse Studios:  Essential Sentiments Too
Stampin' Up:  Blueberry Bushel cardstock; retired DSP

Have a great day!

Birthday Fishes

Our subdivision had a Graduation Parade on Saturday.  John and I sat in our lawn chairs on the driveway as we watched a parade of more than 200 cars decorated and with graduates and their families go past us.  It was a very enjoyable way to start a Saturday morning.



Since playing with slimline cards and envelopes, I decided to make some small slimline cards.  Years back I purchased card sets from Stampin' Up that included envelopes with card bases measuring 3.25" x 6.50".  So I pulled those out together with a couple of stamp sets to make today's cards.  The Hawaiian Shores card was first.  After stamping the image along the bottom of white cardstock, I stamped the image again, fussy cut it, laid it over the image on the white layer and sponged the sandy bottom and blue water top.  That was a lot of work.  So for the Blueberry  Bushel card, I stamped then colored the sand and water using Copic markers.  No need for masking the image!

Supplies:
Sunny Studio Stamps:  Oceans of Joy and Tropical Scenes stamp sets
Papertrey Ink:  Hawaiian Shores pattern paper and cardstock
Stampin' Up:  Whisper White heavy cardstock; Blueberry Bushel cardstock

Have a great day!