News Year's Resolution

It's that time to make resolutions...that one tends to break, but I'm pledging to post once a week starting in 2008.

I just finished a card (5 more to go) for a SCS swap.

Happy New Year.

Pat

It's about time!

It's about time for Christmas and me getting into the creative mood to start making cards again. My classes are done for the semester and if the weather holds out, I'll celebrate Christmas with my family this weekend, so I'll be ready to think only about crafting.

Merry Christmas

Good Grief

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've blogged. Between taking classes, being a teachers, and flitting around for the last two weekends...I've been busy. Hope to post this weekend. I have a swap I NEED to get done.
Pat

I'm Alive!

Believe it or not I'm alive. Between school, graduate classes, bookkeeping responsibilities, being a farm wife, and grandmother...I don't seem to have any time for card making. Here's a little bag I made at a SU workshop in Sept. , when I went to Omaha.

Also, I want to thank all the stamping bloggers who are going PINK.
I'm a 4 year breast cancer survivor and I appreciate all the support. It's really hard to explain how terrible it is to experience cancer.

So all I can say is THANKS!!

Weekend Ramblings

I'm off to a five hour card (making) party tomorrow. I'm flying to my daughter's in order to attend. We'll create in the morning and shop in the afternoon. I leave before the sun rises, so I may need a nap to recuperate!

Hope to post some finished products at the first of the week.

Pat

Weekly Update

This weekend was devoted to family. Saturday I visited my mom in a nursing home (3 hour drive), then my son and his family (it was on the way home). Today the youngest grandson was baptized.

I'll be home next weekend so I do plan on stamping...please stop by. I enjoy checking other blog sites in the few free moments I have during the day but with teaching full time and taking 7 graduate hours, my days are busy.

Enjoy the week. It's suppose to be cooler here this week...yeh! I won't have to run the air conditioner at school as much.

Marvelous Monday

Thanks to a 3-day weekend I finished my latest swap. This was nice because the theme was 'anything goes'. It gave me a chance to use Lasting Impressions paper...I like the way the paper coordinates and the affect is soft and subtle. I've decided I like looking at bold , bright, and busy cards but I prefer to make simple and sweet cards.

Have a good week. Chat with you next weekend.

Update

Update:

• Been in school 2 weeks
• Sharing a cold (already) with a few students
• Taking 7 graduate hours
  

It looks like the only free time I have for blogging will be on weekends. I've been having blog withdrawal symptoms with school starting.

I miss making cards everyday, but look at the swap cards that came in the mail today.
Happy weekend.

Weekend Ramblings Part II

OK... am I the only one where after you've made 4-5 cards and finally...the last one is the best...PLEASE tell me it happens to others. Here's the last card I made. I ran out of lavender paper so I used some of the vase material. I like it sooooo much better. It's for a swap, so I'll let the swap sponsor deal with the situation.

I've ordered more paper from Lasting Impressions today. I've decided I like patterned backgrounds.

Enjoy what's left of the day and Sunday.

Weekend Ramblings

Here's a card I've been working on for a swap at SCS. I hope to have all 6 done by tomorrow. The stamp set, (Stampendous), was a gift from my daughter. THANKS She knows how I like to make cards with flowers. (I wonder how long this will happen? Maybe until another stamp set comes along that I just LOVE)

My weeks should only get busier since I'll begin on Monday with 7 hours of graduate work. By spring I'll have my masters in reading which should help my paycheck!

So think of me next week as I'm teaching and also being a student. It puts me into a whole new perspective with my own students.

Have a peaceful and wonderful weekend.
Pat

I'm Still Kicking!!

I'm still around. It seems like all I get done is checking my regular blog sites, teach, eat, and sleep. It's been hot here (I have a window air conditioner, but the halls are HOT), so school has been challenging. In two days we'll have been in school for one week. I'll try and take an updated picture of my room tomorrow.

I'm working on swap cards, so for sure I'll post this weekend.

Thursday's Thoughts

I thought I was done swapping...but I made the mistake of looking on the card swap at SCS!!! I'm working on a monochromatic card. There's some green, so I hope a small deviation is OK.

I have teachers' meetings tomorrow and kids on Friday. Enjoy the days...I'll be sort of thinking about blogging.

Good evening,
Pat

Whew!

I just finished my last card swap for the summer... and not one day too soon since I start school tomorrow. We have kids on Friday. My camera's battery was dead so I didn't take a picture but I sure do love those bella stamps.

I'll now become a weekend blogger, so if you do visit my site please 'bear' with me. :)

Pat

Marvelous Monday

Wonderful weekend touring three vineyards in Nebraska. I guess with grapes the roots are encouraged to grow as deep as 10 feet down so there's no worry about watering (except the first year). I came home with just 5 bottles of wine...all the grapes were grown in Nebraska and the wine produced at the various wineries. My favorite was James Arthur Vineyards just north of Nebraska's capitol, Lincoln.

Hopefully I get to work on my bella swap cards tomorrow.

Good evening.

Fabulous Friday

Here's my contribution to a bella swap. I didn't realize when I purchased the bella stamps that they weren't mounted. What do some of you use? I put double sticky tape on the back and then mounted them on an acrylic block. If there are any better suggestions...let me know.

Happy weekend. I'm going on a two-day wine tour in Nebraska. YES! Nebraska has a few vineyards. It should be fun. I'll give you my 'expert' ratings on Monday!

Happy Stamping

Wonderful Wednesday

WHEW! with school coming right up, I think I'll have to post just on weekends. I spent the morning at school learning how to use a new web-based school program. We'll be able to keep grades, lesson plans, etc. in one spot.

On the light side... here's a card I'm making for a Penny Black swap on SCS. Enjoy!

Super Sunday/Marvelous Monday

Here's a card I'm making for a PaperTrey swap through SCS. I wanted ribbon to match the pinkish-red but my small red ribbon was too red and my closest match was too wide...thus I settled on black. I have 11 days until school starts so I'm trying to get all my swap cards done. I'm waiting on some bella stamps. Anyone out there have an idea on how many days it takes for delivery?

No post tomorrow...grandson being delivered. I hope all goes well.
It will be a Marvelous Monday.
Pat

Fabulous Friday

The title for today might be stretching it. I'm getting ready for company this weekend so I've been organizing and cleaning. Since my dining room table is my craft table I've had to move all my supplies to organized piles on the fireplace. I doubt I get any stamping done this weekend. Have a super weekend.

Thoughts for Thursday

This is the card I made yesterday. I need some sort of sentiment/embellishment in the upper left hand corner...any suggestions?

• stamp-Penny Black
• paper-Lasting Impressions (plaid)/solid is Bazzill
• watercolor pencils Prismacolor (WOW- way better than the ones I have been using)

Happy Thoughts,
Pat
I'm getting ready for family this weekend, so I may not have time to stamp until they're gone.

Terrific Tuesday

These lovely and uncomplicated cards were created by Kim. Thanks...
The cards remind me of the following:

A simple way of living is what I strive to create.

Have a great day.

Marvelous Monday

Today is going to be devoted to yard work, redoing web pages for my class, and work at school. Here's a picture of my room at the beginning of the summer. This year I moved to a different building, although I'll still be teaching 4th grade. Pretty depressing...not a room any grade school teacher would want.

School starts the 17th of August for students. Not many days left. When I'm done I'll post another picture.

Abbraccio,
Pat

Weekend Ramblings Part II

Thank you Marie for your challenge #1. Nothing like candy to motivate one to make a card and then request to use your favorite stamp..mine is from SU, "Sassy Stems".

• Paper-Lasting Impressions
• Stamp-Sassy Stems
• Sentiment-Papertrey
• Ribbon-Walmart
• Watercolor pencils
  

Weekend Ramblings Part II

Another challenge from fresh and fun. I've taken artistic liberties this weekend. I know all the shapes are suppose to be square, but according to Webster a square is "a rectangle with four equal sides". Thus I used one rectangle. The shape with the saying is really a square...the rectangle is hiding its true shape :).

paper & flower stamp (sassy stems--I love this set) SU
sentiment-papertrey
ribbon-Walmart
flowers-Bazzill Wings- Bitty Blossoms

Weekend Ramblings

Swap # 2 (for me) is finished. The swap was from SCS and the theme was black and pink...although I think my cards would qualify under pink and black. All materials except ribbon and watercolors are from SU.

Enjoy the weekend.
Pat

Fabulous Friday

Here's a card I made yesterday that was inspired by Beate Johns at fresh & fun.

Today I'm working on a black and pink swap from SCS, making luminary bags for the Relay for Life walk in a week, and maybe working at school.

Enjoy the day.

School Already?

These are the bags I've made for my students. Included in the bags are a welcome poem, eraser, lifesavers, dry erase marker and assorted candies. The cello bags are the ones I use for cards, I used the lavender scalloped marvy punch, purple ric-rac, and assorted purple paper (our school's colors are silver and purple).

Countdown...21 days until school starts for students. :)

Wonderful Wednesday

Here's the collection of cards for my first swap. I love the bee stamp!

I'm off today to have lunch with a friend.

Terrific Tuesday

This is a little card I'm making in 'mass production' for a swap (my first)! I'm making each one just a little different and that's the reason it takes me so long to make cards.

Thanks Amy at Heartfelt Greetings for the suggestion of just cutting around the scalloped edges...I also can't afford , or do I want to own all those punches.

Happy Tuesday...I've been working on getting my classroom ready for the start of school-August 17th. No air conditioning yet...but I've been promised...we'll see. I'm making 'goodie' bags for my students. I'll try and get those done tomorrow and post a picture. I'll only have 10 students, so it's not a big task.

Marvelous Monday

Hello, and welcome to the week. I finished this card early this morning :) I think I should take a photo before finishing. After looking at the photo I would have changed the petals just a little.

• stamps from SU--Pick a Petal, Wonderful Words
• ribbon-uptown green from American Crafts
• ink-Color Box - chalk rouge
• paper-cardstock scraps

Weekend Ramblings Part II

My goal for today was to make a card from the Take Ten (summer '07) magazine I bought a couple of days ago. On page 4 I chose the 'Celebrate Birthday' card since I knew I had the stamps (SU). Here are two of the three cards I made. All the materials are from my scrap basket.
I'm amazed when a stamper can remember the company of the paper used in a project . I get my paper and then I sort by color, thus I forget the brand unless it's on a tab.

Weekend Ramblings

How nice to be challenged to make a card. I'm beginning to enjoy the task. Here's my submission to fresh & fun's weekend challenge.

• Paper from Lasting Impressions
• Cuttlebug embossing
• 3d embellishment from Archivers
• ribbon from WalMart
  

Terrific Tuesday

I'll be taking a few days off...

Marvelous Monday

I have 4 Mondays left of my summer vacation before school starts for me. I best get busy and make more cards. I tried working in my classroom today but it was HOT! There is to be air conditioning before the first day...we'll see!
Here's a card I've made some time ago. I really enjoy Lasting Impressions paper. If you haven't tried it, it might be worth your while. Enjoy what's left of the day.

Weekend Ramblings Part II

Thank you SU for the inspiration for this card (pg 104). The green paper was embossed with Fiskars embossing plates. Is there anyone out there who can tell me how to use Friskars' embossing plates with my Big Shot? Flower stamp from Shopko, 'thanks' from SU, and pearlescent chalk from Pebbles.

Weekend Ramblings

Here's my attempt at Fresh and Fun's #10 weekend challenge. Paper from Lasting Impressions/ribbon from WalMart/stamp from Shopko. Enjoy what's left of the weekend.

Fabulous Friday

Today I only managed to make 2 cards. I've had a grandson (5 years old) here for a week, so when grandma makes a card he works on a project. He embossed paper with my Big Shot today so he can take some home. I'll miss him...but it's a lot of work! I know why I didn't work full time when my children were small.

Thunderstruck Thursday

I totally blows my mind the way some stampers can produce a card-a-day. I'm presenting a card I made some time ago. I love stick-kids---since I'm someone who can't draw. I used watercolor pencils to color. The paper is from Lasting Impression ...I love their paper.

Terrific Tuesday

It looks like I still have flowers on the brain. Here's the details... SU's 'Definitely Decorative Daisy' stamps, 'uptown green' ribbon, and Bazzill cardstock. Have a good day...whatever is left of it for you.
Pat

Good Monday Morning

Cooler here today!!

This will be my last Sassy Stem cards (for awhile-any way). I became a little more daring with the background paper. Another card blogger suggested that, while making one card...make more. So I've taken that advice. Thanks! I'll be more vigilent from now on to whose blog I'm taking suggestions from and give them credit. ( I have about 15 card blogs I scan every day!! I need to get a life)

More Sassy Stems!

Sometimes I overdo making cards from just one stamp or paper. I guess I've been that way with sassy stamps from SU.

While I look at mine I see I haven't stepped over the conservative boundary yet. Maybe blogging will cause me to experiment more by mixing papers & colors.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Welcome! I've enjoyed reading so many blogs that I decided to start my own. I make cards to sell at a store I own with my husband.