I'm The Featured Blogger Today...

At Crafts Unleashed, which is the blog for Consumer Crafts. They contacted me recently asking if I would be interested in doing some guest blogging for them featuring scrapbook pages, layouts or altered items. How could I say no when I use their products all the time? Of course then came the panic of was it good enough *okie is so self critical* and evidently my first project was since it is featured today. To see the project just click -->HERE<--.

Sorry I haven't been posting much. I have been busy with work and trying to get ready for the cruise. I think I have all my clothes picked out, now just to wash some  last minute stuff and get to packing. I did have to buy a few things since most of my clothes from last year are too big, which is a good thing! Tonight I will be busy with doing laundry and ironing. I am going to try and get everything laid out so I can get it packed tomorrow night. I will have everything packed and sitting by the door Friday night so Wendi and I can just hop in the car and go Saturday morning. I so hate getting ready for a trip *okie sighs deeply*.

Blossom Sunflower - Card

I made this card almost by accident. I was playing around with my new Mixed Bunch stamp set and Blossom punch. I wanted to make a sunflower but it didn't look quite right to me. I posted a picture on Facebook and it was about a 50-50 vote about it looking like a sunflower. I decided I didn't care what it looked like since I thought it was still pretty. I forgot to take a picture of the inside of the card, the sentiment on the inside reads "it takes a long time to grow an old friend". I sent one of the cards to my friend Amy, aka Scraparazzi, and she loved it. She always comments about how she would keep a card if I ever sent her one so I guess we will see! LOL


Supplies Used:
Stampin Up Blossom Punch
Stampin Up Bird Punch
Stampin Up Mixed Bunch stamp set
Stampin Up Cardstock
7 Gypsies Pattern Paper
Colorbox Chalk Ink
Gingham Ribbon
Grosgrain Ribbon

I stamped one of the flowers on the yellow cardstock and then cut with scissors around and down the middle of the petals. I did a double layer of this and then I punched out a yellow flower for the base. I added mounting foam between the layers. I also cut the flower center out with scissors because I thought it looked better than just using a circle punch. I used the branch from the Bird punch for the leaves.

You're A Hoot! - Card

After finishing up my stamp catalog I wanted to make something but wasn't sure what I wanted to make, I just knew I didn't want to look at a stamp and I didn't feel like breaking out the Cricut. I looked over at my punches and decided on the owl punch and got to work.

Supplies Used:
Stampin Up Owl Punch
Stampin Up Bird Punch
Stampin Up Decorative Label Punch
Stampin Up Scallop Circle Punch
Stampin Up Circle Punches
Stampin Up Cutie Pie Paper
Stampin Up Cardstock
Woodgrain Cardstock
MS Word
Stampin Up Markers
Signo UM-153 Gel Pen
Colorbox Chalk Ink

I used the Decorative Label Punch for the cut out on the tree. Mounting foam was then applied to the tree and the owl for dimensional effect.

I had completed the card and it didn't look quite right. I kept thinking it needed something and I thought about the bird punch that has the branch on it and thought I could punch the leaves and add. When I did that I felt it was just what the card needed! I punched out two different colors of green 

The sentiment was done with Microsoft Word. I used circle punches and then the scallop circle punch to finish it off. I added white dots with the gel pen. 

I left the inside of the card blank so it can be used for any occasion.

25% OFF - CONSUMER CRAFTS!

Just thought I would give you guys a heads up on the 25% off the entire site at Consumer Crafts!! I love their products and their customer service is awesome! If you are wondering what I order from here, I get my Core'dinations from them and the picture frames I like to alter. If you have tried them you might want to go check them out.

Just used the code: FANDF12 when you check out. The only exclusions are Cricut Machines and Copic Markers, everything else is up for grabs!!

Stamp Catalog - COMPLETED!

Okay almost completed. My friend Wendi is going to bring me a few sheets of cling foam so I can finish my background stamps but other than that...it's all done! I have been posting about  my progress on Facebook since this has been quite an under taking and I thought I better post the complete process, along with pictures on my blog.

First off, I use the Stamp Storage cases from Stampin Up. I have scoured the internet for a cheaper source and while I did come across some there were none that were as easy and convenient to obtain. Manufactures in China want you to order thousands, and preferably each month. I have quite a few stamps but not that many. I did find a source in the UK but they never got back to me on shipping costs, etc so I am giving up and just sticking with Stampin Up.

I cut sheets of paper at 5" x 7" for the front and back of the cases. I would cut stacks at a time so I didn't have to stop and cut frequently. I had already had my stamps pretty well organized before I decided to catalog them all so it was fairly easy to just take them out and do them again. I was able to rearrange and use the space more efficiently by using this method and it did require slight adjustments in organization but works out much better.

I arranged the stamps  on the sheet of paper and it was much like putting jigsaw puzzles together to get maximum efficiency. While I did get frustrated a few times it was worth the extra effort and work.

Once I had the stamps in place I put my large stamp block on the stamps to keep them positioned. This sheet wasn't full. On the fuller sheets my stamp block wasn't quite big enough so I would also use my long rectangle block to pick up the stamps that didn't fit on the large square block. I loved being able to stamp multiple images at once and it saved a TON of time.

Here you can see the images stamped on the sheet of paper. I still have room to add more stamps at a later date if I need to do so. Since this sheet is Christmas I am sure the space will be used in the future at some time.

For the catalog I stamped on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper showing the stamps that are on either side of the stamp storage case. I would do the 5" x 7" first and then stamp on the catalog page immediately afterward. My friend Linda copied her sheets but I decided that Memento ink was a lot cheaper than printer ink and since I could stamp multiple images at once it wasn't that much of a bother and I didn't have to get up and walk over to the printer every time I made a new catalog sheet.



Here is the catalog page with both sides stamped off. It is easy to see where the stamp is in the case just from looking at the catalog sheet. Notice the area down the middle that is open, I will show you later what I did there.

As I got each catalog page done I placed them in sheet protectors and put them in a 3 ring binder. I just got a cheap one at Staples for $2. Once all that was done I knew I needed to figure out a way for easy indexing. I already had my spines on my stamp storage cases so I just printed them off again and placed them in the middle of the sheets.

For even more clear identification purposes I added a small round sticker to the bottom of each page. I used a method of "A1, A2, B1, B2" etc. The reason I went with this method was because my stamps were already arranged in alphabetically order according to category. It will be easy to add cases this way as well if my collection grows *okie wonders if anyone noticed her saying if instead of when*. So instead of having to change everything I can just add "B17, B18" to the B catergory or "A3, A4" etc.

 
 

Here is a close up shot of one of the pages. I took it so you can get  better idea of the letter number system and also point out how one side is blank. Since I use a thin mounting foam I can get stamps on both sides of most of my cases. If the stamps are already on mounting foam I arranged them so all the thick foam ones were on one side and thin foam or acrylic were on the opposite side. In some instances I was only able to use one side of the case, but that was rare.



 

Here is a picture of the case from the outside. I opened it so you can see both sides of the case. You might wonder why I chose to use brown ink instead of black and it was just a matter of preference, and I like the color brown *okie cracks up laughing*. One thing I do like about making my own covers is that all the stamps are equal to the eye now. Before I acrylic, rubber, mounted, etc being seen through the case and it was difficult to see the image clearly due to all the other images. This way the images are seen easily.
 

This is a picture of the stamps on the inside of the case. The stamps are aligned with the images on the front. This makes it easy to find the stamp and return it to the case when it is used.

And the final picture is off all my stamp cases indexed and put in order. You can see the small stickers at the bottom identifying them according to the small round stickers on the catalog page. 

I can fit 11 cases in each little cube but I find it hard to pull them out with 11 so instead I just put 10 in each one and it is a lot easier to slide them in and out this way.

The wood blocks in the bottom right hand corner are the background stamps that I need to unmount. I already have their cases and catalog sheets ready so once I get the foam from Wendi it won't take but a minute to get them in their cases and correct spots in the system. I will say this about unmounting background stamps...it is more difficult and not for the faint of heart. If you are concerned about messing up a big stamp then you might want to leave them on the blocks. I however am a crafting daredevil and decided to go for the gusto. I just used the same method as I do for my other stamps but did find placing them on the cling foam was a little more tricky due to the large area.

Now that this time consuming task is done I think I will treat myself to a vacation and go on a cruise! HA HA HA It's only 9 more days until I will be getting my butt on that big boat! Can't wait to spend a week on the high seas with some awesome people!

***UPDATE***
My friend Sharon from Australia commented on my Facebook page "Hey I discovered that the cuttlebug c plate makes an awesome stamping block when you need a larger surface =)". I never thought of that and it would have saved tons of time from using the two blocks since the C plate is larger than the 5 x 7 area I was stamping. Oh well at least I know for future reference! Thanks for the info Sharon!!

Working Frantically On...

I haven't posted anything in a few days since I have been working frantically on finishing my stamp catalog. I finally finished it last night! I now have all my stamps stamped off for their cases and then on a sheet of paper so I can easily find what I want to use.

Several crafter's I know have said they have used this method and love it. I kept thinking about it and then thought about what an undertaking it would be to stamp them ALL. After Linda did hers and talked about how easy she can look through her stamps and find stamp she wants to use I figured I better bite the bullet and do the deed *okie thinks that sounds so nasty and the remembers all the inky fingers she had and realizes it was a nasty deed*.

I still have to figure out how I want to label the pages and the cases for easier identification when I want to use them. I thought about numbers but since I have my stamps in alphabetical order and if I add to the certain themes it would throw off my numbering system I feel like I need to find a different method where I can expand without redoing half the system.

I will take some pictures tonight and try to get it all posted tomorrow so you can see my awesome stamp organization!

I worked hard on this as I wanted to get it done before my cruise. I am not sure why I felt I needed to, don't think not getting it done would have had me so stressed that I wouldn't enjoy the cruise...just weird that way I reckon *okie watches for someone to say something smart about that comment* Go ahead, say sumfin! I DARE YA! *okie rears her hand back in smack mode*.

Happy Birthday - Stamping On Pattern Paper

One thing I always forget about is stamping on patterned paper. I think it can give such a nice subtle classy look to a card. I found this layout on Pintrest a few weeks ago and went through my stamps to find something that would work.

Supplies Used:
Stampin Up - Front image/sentiment
Sugarloaf Stamp - Inside Sentiment
K & Co. Patterned Paper
Various Cardstock
Black Memento Ink
Colorbox Chalk Ink
Brads
3/8" Grosgrain Ribbon

The inside sentiment is one I came across when I was reorganizing my stamps, oh by the way I am working on cataloging my stamps now and will post later, and thought it would work for this card. I chose the colors because I thought it would work for a man as well, even with the ribbon and it was more classy looking than most of the cutsie cards I make.

I cut the layered the strips of paper similar to the one I saw on Pintrest and the multi-layers seem to work well together and while the birthday sentiment is small the layers focus the eye to it *okie thinks that sounded so professionally artisty like*. The stamp of the flowers went below the strip across so to avoid having the image show at the bottom of the strip I laid a piece of paper across the pattern cardstock where I didn't want the image to stamp.


 Okay that's all I have for you today. I gotta go get dressed and get ready to head up to my aunt's house in Seminole. My cousin Betty Lou is wanting to make a big dinner for everyone and I am sure we will have a house full. I called my sister yesterday morning and told her that she needed to go to Aunt Betty's so her and her husband will be out there as well. I also have to stop by Linda's and get some punches she ordered for me. Busy, busy day....but what a lovely way to spend a Sunday!!

Family Visits...Momma Would Be Proud

I went out of town yesterday to my Aunt Betty's house. My Uncle Richard, Aunt Janet and cousin Betty Lou were in from Ohio. My aunt and uncle are going down to Texas for their granddaughters graduation with her Master's Degree and were able to stop and visit at Aunt Betty's.

I had told my daughter earlier, like 3 weeks ago, that I would be going to Seminole on the 16th to visit. Yesterday she calls and wants to know what I am doing...*okie rolls her eyes*. When I told her were I was she remembered and then said she wanted to come up, it's about 35 miles from where I live. I told her she needed to work and not being able to do what you want when you want is part of adulthood. She asked how long I was staying and that she was going to have a friend bring her up, her car isn't able to make such a trip but that is a whole different story,  and wanted to ride back with me. I was actually going to head back home but being the dutiful mother, and also not wanting to face the wrath of my Aunt Betty, Aunt Janet and cousin Betty Lou I decided I better agree to stay so they could see her and visit for a little bit. I was a little perturbed at her lack of responsibility of taking off work and not thinking of the consequences of possibly the employer getting upset about the request and her losing her job. She later explained to me that she had worked out a deal with her boss to go in on her day off and make up the hours she would be taking off.

My mother and her sisters were always close and they passed it down to some of us kids. While Betty Lou is my mother's first cousin I have always felt she was more like one of my aunts and she has always been close to "Gertie's girls", Gertie being my grandmother. I stay in regular contact with some of my cousins even though we are spread over the United States. My mom passed away in 2001 and I know she would be proud that I always hightail it up to Aunt Betty's when the relatives are in. When she was alive she would always call me if someone was coming in and would stress "they are only stopping through so you will need to be here (on whatever day) because you know they will want to see you". Never once did I tell her I couldn't make it. I did whatever rescheduling I needed to do to make it up to visit. As I sit and think about this I have to actually be proud of my daughter for doing her rescheduling so she could see her great aunts and cousin.

My daughter was almost 10 when my mom passed away and she and my mom were close. Shiane started going on over night trips to my mom's when she was about 6 or 7, once the visits started Momma would call about once a month to ask if Shiane could come up and spend the weekend with her, this worked into my daughter going about 3 weekends out of the month the last year and a half of my mom's life. I sit here smiling now thinking of how my mom would be proud of her granddaughter for realizing how important family is, and how she might possibly chastise me for being upset with my daughter in the first place. I can hear Momma now, telling me "well now Shirley, you always felt family was important and you changed your schedule anytime family came in so Shiane is only doing what her mother did and what she should do" *okie wipes away a tear streaming down her cheek just imagining her mothers voice*. While thinking of this does bring a tear it isn't a sad tear, but one knowing that my Momma would be proud of her "little Shiane".

Oh and by the way,  my daughter informed me that we are going back to Seminole on Sunday after she finishes up her make up hours so she can visit again. I, of course, can do nothing but conform...*okie smiles feeling a little pride in her daughter for wanting to spend more time with her family*.

I am NOT OCD...

Truly I am not! I know a lot of people think due to my constant organization in my craft room that I am OCD. Believe me I would know if I was OCD, after all the great state of Oklahoma has deemed me qualified to give out such a diagnosis, and I am not clinically OCD. If you could see the rest of my house you would completely agree with the fact that there is no basis for me being deemed OCD.

Just this week my sweet friend Enfys, most of you guys are probably familiar with her from Going Buggy, informed me in one of her emails that she is concerned about me. Well here is part of her message, and I quote "this obsession of yours for organisation is worrying, have you thought about a 12 step programme?" *okie still gets tickled at how her Britty and Aussie friends spell words a little differently*. Now this might not be too concerning that a friend would express worry but considering that Enfys is in the UK, it does make me a little apprehensive that my obsession of crafty organization is now worrying people globally and does have me pondering if there is something wrong with me!

*okie sighs deeply* But as you can see by the picture the hard work as paid off. I now have ALL of my stamps organized. This includes my Stampin Up, Close To My Heart, and various other brands of stamps. The only ones I don't have in stamp cases are my background stamps, although I have given a little thought of unmounting them but can't decide at this time if I want to do so  *okie resists the urge to go over there right now and rip the stamps off the blocks and put them on cling foam and slap them in the 3 empty cases she has left*.

Linda *okie wonders if she ever even needs to explain who Linda is anymore since she is mentioned in posts so frequently* has just about convinced me to catalog my stamps as she has done so I can find my stamps much easier. She did hers last week and she said she loves it. If you would like to see Linda's stamp organization click --> HERE <--. And while Enfys did voice concern for my "obsession" as she so put it, she also has a method for organizaing her stamps. If you would like to see how Enfys organizes her stamps then please click --> HERE <--. Oh and just so you don't have to spend time counting there are a total of 66 labeled stamp cases. Please don't ask how many stamps I have because I am not so obsessed as to count *okie thinks it will be easier to count once she does the cataloging and can write down the number on each sheet in the bottom right hand corner so they can be easily tallied*.

Since I am not OCD but yet there does seem to be some issue that I suffer ailments from I will at this point in my life admit to suffering COA....otherwise, and here forth know as Craftroom Organization Addiction.

*okie stands behind a podium, clears her throat and starts to speak to the crowd*
Hi, my name is Okie. I am powerless over the need of organization in my craft room.
I admit that I cannot control my behaviors, desires, and thoughts of organization as it relates to my craftroom.
I admit I can not overcome this problem on my own
*okie stops for a minute, eyebrows knitting together as she goes into deep thought in how to finish this declaration*
Um...I am sorry folks I think I need to be more honest.  
*okie smiles broadly and finishes her little speech on the podium*
Who the hell am I kiddin folks? I absolutely know what I am doing with all this organization crap. I understand I love to organize. I love being able to go to any section of my craftroom and get what I need. If I suffer from some sort of affliction then I choice to live in denial!! *okie runs from the podium gleefully laughing heading off to color code and label something*

A Good Patio Day...

One of my favorite places to sit at my house is out on my patio. I spend many, many hours there when the weather is warm and during the cold weather I long for the times when I can get back out and enjoy the fresh air and watching the activities, animals and people in the neighborhood. When the weather first starts warming up after the winter months I relish standing at the edge of my patio with my eyes closed and my face turned to the sun, just soaking up the warmth that is thawing the chill of winter. I know when I see the buds on the trees and the redbud across the fence getting it's little violet blooms that spring is starting to set in and regular warm weather isn't far away. Some patio days are better than others of course. Some days the heat might be too much to bear or the bugs might be bombarding, then other days you can have the sweet smells of nature wafting through the patio as the wind gently makes the wind chimes tinkle out their tune. I guess it is all in how you interpret things if it is a good patio day or not....*okie thinks she looks for interpretation in way too many things in her life*.

Patio sitting probably isn't that exciting to most people but I do get a few folks walking down the alley to watch, the squirrels that are playing, the robins building their nests...and even one time the wild parakeet that I tried to catch without success. Come to think of it the only thing I succeed at catching was a stone bruise from running on the gravel of the alleyway. Of course watching Lucy chase the squirrels is one of my favorite things to watch and if anyone would see me out there then they would likely think me crazy as I am laughing at something that no one else can see unless they are in the backyard with me.

I was sitting on my patio the other day, well late afternoon actually, when I saw two people going down the alley on motorized wheel chairs. I live not far  from low income housing where a lot of people with disabilities live so seeing motorized wheelchairs in my neighborhood is a frequent sight. I wondered how they were going to fair when they got to the garage apartment across the alley as the dirt had been dug up recently and was likely soft. I watched the man go over the area, with his little dog following and the woman stop hesitantly.

I watched as she backed up and then would go forward, turning her chair a little to the right and then she would stop and do it over again. The man didn't get probably 10 feet from her when he stopped and turned his chair around. He hollered at the woman "are you okay sister?" and I couldn't hear her words back to him but whatever it was he sat and waited patiently. The little dog would run over to the woman as if to say "come on now, you can do it". I sat and watched her repeat this about 4 times. The little dog kept running back to the man and then back to the woman as if to say "hey, do something".

Each time the woman would move her chair backwards the man would ask her "do you need some help?" and I would hear her say something but never could quite figure out what was being said. I was about to go to the back of the yard to see if there was anything I could do when I heard the man say "hang on sister, I'm coming". He moved his chair out of the way of the evidently fairly clear path in the alleyway and then he slowly got out of his chair. I could tell by the way he winced as he got up that it must be painful for him. He took the approximately 5 steps very slowly and then stepped around behind his sister's wheelchair. I heard him speaking to her and her nodding. At that time he gave a push and was able to assist her getting through the softened soil of the alley. I watched him walk behind her until she hit the pavement of the street, the little dog jumping up and down next to them like he understood what was going on and was so excited for the woman to be at the safety of the road.

Noticing the man had to walk about 10 feet to his wheelchair and I wondered how much pain it must cause him. His sister was saying something to him, but with her being softer spoken I still was unable to make out what she was saying. I did see him turn to her and smile and say "It's okay sister, I'm okay" even though as he turned his back to her his face once again winced with pain. He did make it back to his chair and was able to make it next to her on the road without a problem. I saw them speaking and then the woman reached out and grabbed his hand, gently shaking it and smiled at him. I knew she must be telling her brother thank you for helping her. I am sure she understood the physical pain he must have felt but he was able to endure it to help his sister get past her obstacle. I saw him raise his hand, while smiling, and give her a little wave of "oh it's nothing" and down the road they went.

As I got up and went to the edge of the patio I leaned against one of the posts and took a long deep breath, as I held my face to the sun I smiled, exhaled slowly and thought to myself "what a good thing to not only feel the warmth of the sun, but to see the warmth of love and support between a brother and sister". That was a good patio do for sure!

Only 19 Days!

I only have 19 days until I will be aboard the Mariner of the Seas and heading toward the Western Carribbean! I can almost smell the ocean air...almost...

I finally did get my passport in and in the paperwork it said "The World Is Yours". I think since the world is mine I should be able to go anywhere I want for free and I should have minions *okie still so wants some minions who show faithfulness and delight in serving okie*. But alas, I don't anyone else will go for this. I thought about suing the passport folks for making such a false statement! But since I am now legal to go anywhere in the world my miniscule bank account will allow I guess I will just settle for knowing I can go *okie knows after all the money for the cruise she will barely afford to be able to go across town much less out of the country again for quite some time*.  My friend Wendi was getting a little nervous because she hadn't received hers yet. I had sent off for mine a few days after her and we figured she would get hers before me. She did let me know yesterday that it arrived. BFF Karen, being the worldly traveler she is, already had her passport so she was good to go.

I had made a Facebook group for this years cruisers to get to know each other and ask questions and while it has come in handy I think a few of the cruisers are way over thinking and stressing the whole situation. Although, I did do the same thing last year HA HA HA. The good thing about going with BFF Karen and Wendi is that none of us are "keep to the schedule" kind of people. If we get there we get there, if not then we find something to enjoy along the way. Of course we will make sure we keep to the schedule about being on the boat when it gets ready to leave the dock and visiting ports.

I think the one thing that is making me a little nervous this year is that I won't be able to talk to my daughter for a whole week. We have never gone a whole week, even during times we were arguing and she didn't want to speak to me ever again, without talking! I have looked online for calling cards but not sure how they work. I thought maybe I could at least check in with her while at Cozumel. I guess I will have to see what happens.

I talked with Karen and we agreed that we don't really want to do any shopping, we didn't do that much last year. I am not a tshirt kinda person so I don't have to have tshirts from every port but I do want to check on getting one or two more of those thin material beachy dresses. I don't know what they are really called. I got one last year and wore it all the time this summer and loved it. It was great for those terribly hot summer days we had last summer. Other than that there isn't much I want. My friend, aka fake fiancee, asked if I would pick him up some Ginger Beer, which evidently is a soft drink and not beer at all *okie believes that is false advertisement*, and I told him I would if I saw some.

We haven't signed up for any excursions and I doubt we will. I am a person who likes to just check things out on my own and prefer not to be lead down a primrose path by those wanting to overcharge tourists. Well that and to tell ya the truth I am just way to cheap to pay the money for such things. All I care about is going to the beach and seeing a few local sights so I can say "hey I have been there before". I think last year I was in the water more than anyone else on that ship we were on. I love the water and was delighted with the clear waters to swim and was amazed at seeing the fish in the water. Here in Oklahoma you go swim in a lake and you feel yourself getting nibbled on but ya never are able to see what exactly is biting at you and just always hope whatever it is ain't poisonous!

I scored a cool vintage Steamstress to take on the cruise with me. Linda and I went into Salvation Army a few weeks ago and came across the cool little appliance and she told me later "if you go in there again and they have it you should get it. It won't burn your clothes and would be great for the cruise. I have two and I love them". So when I went back in I did get it, paid a whopping $2 for it. I have tried it out and it works great. It is very light weight and will be wonderful to knock out some wrinkles if needed. It only takes a little water and a pinch of salt and you get awesome steam!

I do think I need to get my suitcases out and start making my list of things I am taking so I don't forget anything, oh who am I kidding...I always forget something!

Language of Friendship

When I had my online Stampin Up party a few months ago I had planned on ordering this stamp set but I didn't have to since it was in the Sale-A-Bration catalog and I was able to get it for free!

Supplies Used:
Stampin Up Language of Friendship
Stampin Up Bird Punch
Stampin Up Patterned Paper
Stanpin up Cardstock
Stampin Up Markers
EK Success Large Oval Punch
Colorbox Chalk Ink
3/8" Grosgrain Ribbon
Brads

The bird punch is one of the Stampin Up punches that have several cuts in one punch and while this makes it nice it can also make you waste paper. What I do is measure the particular item I am wanting to punch and then cut strips of paper to put through the punch so I don't waste precious paper *okie looks over at her Ikea unit and wonders if wasting a little would even matter*. I punched the branch/leaves out of green and then colored the branch with Chocolate Chip SU marker. I pop dotted the bird off the branch for dimension.

I didn't put a whole lot of thought into the card and it isn't one of my favorites. At the time I made it I was just wanting to try out the stamp set with the punch.

I Don't Even Know...

What to title this post of this card! I thought this was a really good idea for a pretty card but when I got done with it...well, it just looks like a basket of Easter eggs exploded! *okie is just glad the card doesn't smell like exploded Easter eggs*

Supplies Used:
Stampin Up Blossom Punch
Stampin Up Scallop Border Punch
Stampin Up Mixed Bunch Stamp Set
Stampin Up Pattern Paper
Stampin Up Cardstock
Stampin Up Rich Razzleberry Ink
Stampin Up Markers
EK Sucess Large Daisy Punch
Colorbox Chalk Ink
5/8" Satin Ribbon
5/8" Button
Twine






I stamped the image on the yellow cardstock and then punched out with the Blossom punch. I then stamped the image on some light blue cardstock and punched out with the EK Success Large Daisy punch to get the layered effect, using mounting foam in between the layers.

I do like how the image looked layered and I might try this again with different colors. I have a feeling this design color combo will sit in my card box a long long long time!

Baby Cards

My local bargain store, Walls, got a shipment of papercrafting items in a few months ago and I have posted about some of the great bargains I found when they first got the items in, but I still stop by there from time to time to browse and one time I found some really nice TPC baby stamps. I don't have a lot of baby stamps and I think it is because at my age my friends aren't having babies anymore and most of us are hoping that we will be able to put grandmahood off a few more years. Although my friend Lisa is a proud grandma and quite the sexy one too boot! The stamps are ones that can be found at Joann's and I believe the regular price is $9.99, I paid a whopping $2.40!

As you can see there are some duplicates in the set. I solved that problem very simply by giving the duplicates to Linda. She doesn't do a lot of baby cards either but she figured she could use some of the stamps for the cards she makes, and at her age she knows a lot of grandma's! *okie falls out her chair laughing*. I am going to stamp some of the onesies and scan those for Linda to use as well *okie figures she better put that on her to do list before she forgets*.



Supplies Used:
TPC Baby Boy stamp set
TPC Baby Girl stamp set
Little Yellow Bicycle Paper
Bo Bunny Paper
Stampin Up Cardstock
Stampin Up Markers
ProMarkers
Memento Ink
Colorbox Chalk Ink
Circle Punches



I used the same layout for the cards so it made it easy to get 6 of each done quickly. I believe I got the layout idea off of Pinterest but since it's been a few weeks since I made these I am not really sure. I remember liking the layout because of the sentiment being stamped on a circle then tucked behind the layers of paper. I also used that same idea on a coffee card I did a few months back.

 

The coloring was easy and fast on both of the onesies since the image was simple and not too big. The colors for the onesies were chosen based on the colors of the papers I was using.

 

Today is laundry day at my house and I am hoping to get some more scrapbook kits made to take on the cruise for Karen and I to work on during the nightly crops so it will be a busy day. I hate doing laundry, or housework.....or cooking.... I think it is safe to say I would love a life of just going to work and then coming home to craft but I think that is something most crafters would dream of!

Who Knew My Life Was...

So interesting to others!? *okie falls out her chair laughing*. I figured my post from yesterday would have been one that was by passed by my readers but instead I got quite a few comments about it and some on Facebook as well. My friend Amy even wants details and when I told her she was nosy she said "Hell yeah I'm nosy! Was he hot? Did he buy? Details Woman!!!! LMAO!!!" Oh I just love Amy and her honesty!! HA HA HA There were a few others that asked questions as well so I thought I better do a follow up post.


I met him for lunch yesterday at a new Chinese restaurant in town. He told me it was owned by the same people who own the one I love to go to so I was relieved and didn't feel like I was cheating on my beloved Chinese restaurant owner *okie is so glad there is spell check in blogland because she spells restaurant wrong every time*. I literally ran into the establishment because the temperature had dropped in the last few hours from the 60's to the 40's and the wind and rain were enough to chill a person to the bone. Not seeing him when I first went in didn't make me nervous as I knew he would show up and so he did just about a minute later. We were taken to a booth and then went to the buffet line. We chit chatted about the different dishes available and what we liked and didn't like.

Conversation flowed well during lunch and we learned a little more about each other. As for Amy's question of him being hot, well I don't know how to judge that very well. I honestly don't know what hot means anymore at my age. He is bald and has a beard. I know that might make some women cringe but I have always liked bald men, not sure why, just have. I found out that he is a country boy at heart and loves to go fishing and hunting. I think the fishing we already knew about since that was the text I got from him, I am not convinced he is a good one since he didn't catch anything *okie gives a hearty laugh about that one remembering she had texted him back with "guess it's a Big Mac for you tonight Buddy Boy"*. 

We discussed some about our similar experiences of country living, even though mine has been quite some time ago I still remember my days of growing up on "the farm" as we all call it. It wasn't really a farm since we only had 80 acres. It was more like a hobby of raising cattle for my Daddy and it sure made him happy. I know the last years of his life on "the farm" were some of his happiest years in his life. Daddy always dreamed of living back in the country and having enough land to raise a few cattle. It's never easy raising cattle, even if the herd is only about 20 head with one or two bulls and then the spring calves coming in. We had one cow that had to have a c-section and as soon as that vet sewed her up she ran off. The poor calf was left motherless and we had to bottle feed it. That was nothing new for us and I actually always enjoyed bottle feeding the calves. I even had to help pull a few calves while growing up and that was always a scary thing. Not doing the pulling but I just remember always being so scared for the cow and the calf and if they were both going to survive. To my recollection I don't think we ever lost one during a pulling. I do remember losing a few calves but I am just now realizing I am completely off track of the post subject *okie seriously wonders how she ever gets anything done with the way her mind wanders*. 

After we finished eating...oh and I totally impressed him with my use of chopsticks! *okie smiles proudly and nods her head up and down* Yep I can use chopsticks quite proficiently! I am going with that was an impressive feat rather than he is easily impressed...and don't ya'll burst my bubble on that one either! But back to after the meal, we sat and talked for a little longer. I had a few errands to run so I told him I needed to go and how much I enjoyed our lunch together. I grabbed for my wallet and he said took the ticket off the table and said "I got this" and I told him thank you. I picked up my coat and he took it from me and held it up for me to put on....now that was pretty impressive right there to me, but I am easily impressed! *okie bangs her head on the table laughing and now wonders if she has a concussion...rubs her forehead and thinks she is ok*. He walked me to my van and I left. So as you see it was an enjoyable lunch date! 

I know, you are wondering "WHAT? THAT'S IT?" Well no, that is not it, at least not exactly. Not long after leaving I got a text from him saying he really enjoyed lunch and would like to do it again or go out sometime if I would like to. I texted him back and said I also enjoyed myself and would like to go out. He texted some time later asking what I was doing later and I, being the ever so knowledgeable person about dating *okie wonders if anyone is gonna believe that* told him I had plans for the evening, helping a friend. It is never good for a woman to seem to eager or too available, remember folks the dating game is one thing I know since I have never been married in my life I have had a lot of dating experiences. He did text last night to tell me goodnight and hope I got a good nights rest. I didn't respond to the text as I didn't get it until much later, I don't always keep my cell phone by my side and am honestly bad about misplacing it and having to call it to find it. I will of course respond to his text later today. If he does contact me today to ask about tonight I will tell him I already have plans but that I am free tomorrow night. 

Meeting someone new and going out with them is usually like a dance, at least in my mind. There is always someone that has to lead, and that should be the man, but with a gentle sway the woman can have control as well all the while the man thinks they are leading. I am 46 years old, never been married, been engaged numerous times, dated nearly 30 years and believe me...THIS AIN'T MY FIRST TANGO! *okie rolls over laughing* And for now I think I wouldn't mind having this guy on my dance card again so I have to sway and follow just right to keep him interested.

Since someone commented as asked....As for the one I asked to marry me, well I told him the other night "even the strongest cactus needs a little water from time to time". He told me "you have such interesting ways in letting me know you are feeling neglected". I just smiled at him sweetly and said "I think I feel a little rain coming my way". He looked at me and said very seriously "I will do better". He is now thinking that I believe he is going to be more attentive, but what I was actually doing was giving him a gentle warning that there are other men interested in me that want to show me some attention. 

So that's the news for today and as you see I might not have much time this weekend to get any crafting done! Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope not! HA HA HA HA HA

Have I Told Ya'll Lately I Do Dumb Stuff?

Well, I am tellin ya today...I DO DUMB DUMB DUMB STUFF! I think I need to starting limiting myself to one dumb thing a month that way my life doesn't quite sound so bad. Okay, maybe not bad, I don't think I have a bad life, but I guess so I don't sound so dumb!

Yesterday I stopped by Naomi's to pick up her list so I could go to the store for her later. I was helping her find some paperwork and my phone went off. I got a text message stating "going fishin, hope u have a great day". I didn't recognize the number and I text back "Wrong number, but hope you catch a bunch". Of course I get a return text saying "This is (name), is this not (name)" and I text back "nope this is Shirley, don't know who (name) is but if ya catch enough I will take some fish". At some point I should have just said good-bye but I didn't, neither did the person at the end of the other phone. We ended up texting for...umm, uh....all afternoon and evening *okie watches the mouths drop open and feels the oxygen swoosh out of the room a the deep gasps....okie waits patiently for the exhales and feels her hair blow back from the force of air*. Okay well ya might want to sit down for this one *okie waits for everyone to find a place to sit* we ended up deciding that we would meet for lunch today *okie watches one of her readers pass out and whispers to the closest reader* do you think she will be okay?

I know, I know...how do I know he isn't a mass murderer or Jack the Ripper? Well during our conversation texting back and forth we actually found out we are acquainted, one of the benefits of living in a small town for sure. I guess that doesn't mean he couldn't be a Ted Bundy or such but at least I do know a little about him and know others that know him so that does make it a little more safe.

So my dumb thing for last month was a marriage proposal, for this month - texting a stranger for hours and getting a lunch date *okie suddenly wonders if she is obligated to tell her non-intentional fiancee about her lunch date and decides since the lunch date was non-intentional they cancel each other out and she is safe*. I am a little scared of what next month holds considering I will be out of the country with all kinds of strangers. Maybe BFF Karen better keep me on a tight leash, especially if alcohol is going to be involved since I did the other dumb things stone cold sober!

My Poor Apple Tree!

My apple tree has been in a few of my photos over the years, at least I think it has...well I know it was in the photos the time I posted about me chasing the PARAKEET down the alley trying to catch it, but anyway I got home today and went to let Lucy out and there laid my apple tree! At first I started to go and blame my neighbor because he was in the back yard yesterday and asked "do you care if I cut down this tree" and I told him "dont you cut down my apple tree!" but he meant a different one and I didn't care if he cut it down. My neighbor is one of those folks that has to be moving and doing something every waking moment. Being the person I am, who has been known to sit on the couch for two hours and just stare out the window without moving, his type fascinates me and tires me out just watching him.

I went out to look at the tree and soon realized I couldn't blame my neighbor since the tree snapped right above the roots. We have had some really strong winds today and I guess a good gust got a hold of it. Right now I am thinking I might need to put Lucy on a leash to take her out to potty and keep a hold of it in case she gets blown away! *okie starts laughing at the image in her head of Lucy flying in the wind like a kite*.

I am going to miss that tree. It provided a lot of entertainment for me in the summer. It is one of the trees the squirrels use to run up to get away from Lucy when she would chase them. Another thing I will miss is floating in the pool and watching the squirrels eat the apples. I think I provided entertainment for them as well, they probably were always trying to figure out what that huge floating island was in that little pool!

I never got many apples from the tree, they were the little green ones that were more for making cooked apples than just eating off the tree, but I always enjoyed the blooms in the spring time and watching the animals that were attracted to it.

I am gonna miss my little apple tree!

Got My First Blitsy Order!!

I joined the Blitsy bandwagon when it first started and I hadn't ordered anything until last week. I saw they had Liquid Pearls on sale and I thought I would make a little order and see how they were. OMG THEY ARE SUPER FAST!

I ordered cantaloupe, Petal Pink, Buttercup, White Opal, Ruby Red and Bisque. I now wish I had ordered one of the blue colors they had available, maybe they will have them again at a later date and I can get a blue color then. I love using Liquid Pearls even though you have to wait for them to dry. I often use them to add dots to lettering for a little extra sumfin sumfin.

I am not sure if the weather is getting to me or if I am just really lazy. I can't be lazy though since things are getting done around my house. I guess I just am too lazy to write blog posts lately!

My friend Lisa and I went to the Baseball dinner and Silent Auction on Saturday. We bid on a few things but didn't win anything. I did see that the double walled tumbler I had made was up to $14 when we left. Sadly the layout was only at $7, but we left before it was all over, actually before the live auction started. I was afraid if I stayed I would want to bid on things that I probably don't need.

Sunday was spent finishing up a project that will be featured on the Consumer Crafts blog, Crafts Unleashed. I kept trying to think of what to make that would be worthy of such an honor and I couldn't think of anything spectacular so I hope what I submitted will suffice to their requirements and expectations. I tell ya, I just don't seem to do well with crafting under pressure!

I also got out and mowed the yard yesterday. I think that was a HUGE mistake! There were about 5 other people in the neighborhood mowing and since we only have weeds growing right now it was not a good day for anyone with allergies, or even not having allergies, to be outside! My daughter had said she would mow for be but if I had let her do it she would be laid up right now with terrible allergy problems. I was able to take a Claratin and it finally cleared me up so I was able to finally get to sleep around 1am or so. I was glad I felt better this morning!!

Well I am off to the grocery store because I am out of frozen fruit and I want a smoothie! Just wish I would have stopped earlier today on my way home instead of going out at 7:30 at night! UGH...I hate going shopping for groceries!

Stamp Club Was Last Night

Last night was Stamp Club for Linda and I. She got to town and helped me sort some cardstock by color that I had gotten in a trade for stamps. I paid her for her hard labor with some awesome metallic and stardream cardstock. I think she thought it was worth it. She also brought me some mounting foam and now I can unmount a few more stamps that I need to get done. We went and ate at Applebee's, the 2 for $20, and Linda said we were in a rut because that is what we usually always order. I told her "well we are old enough that we have tried everything there is to try and now we can just enjoy what we like". We both thought that sounded good and ate our steaks with relish, well not relish, but relish like enjoyed *okie doesn't think steak would taste very good with relish*.

We got to the scrapbook store early since we didn't have any other running around to do and they were having a huge 50% off sale on a bunch of great papers. We went through and started grabbing papers. I had a whole huge stack of paper and also picked up the Olive Pastel reinker I need for one of my cat eye inks. I kept waiting to get checked out and after two other people were checked out before me I decided I didn't need the paper after all and put it all back! I was so proud of myself for only getting the one thing I did NEED. When I told  Linda she looked at me like I had lost my mind and couldn't believe I put it all back. I think she might have been jealous because I had some self control, I prefer to believe that instead of her thinking I am crazy.

I had a few people ask how to use the ProMarkers so I went and stamped off a bunny holding a carrot and showed them how easy it was to do the coloring with the ProMarkers. Since I had the bunny colored I thought it would make sense to go ahead and make at least one card, which is a lot more than I usually get done at Stamp Club!

The image was super simple to color and took me about two minutes to do. I didn't have any papers with me so I just used the scraps that the leader of Stamp Club brings and I think it turned out pretty good for no pre-planning. I stamped "Happy Easter" on the inside and called it done.

Today is the grand opening of our Goodwill store and I plan on being there to browse through the bargains. I go to our Salvation Army at least once a week, sometimes more depending on what time I get done in the afternoons with clients, and find some really good bargains there. I am thrilled to have another store to hunt for bargains!! Wish me luck!! Oh I will have to show you the shoe storage I got this week at Salvation Army but will do so later as I need to get dressed and go stand in line for Goodwill! HA HA HA

That Dang Ol' Linda....Stupid Leap Day!

That dang ol' Linda is always getting me in trouble one way or another. I know she often tries to tell folks that it's the other way around but let me tell you....IT'S NOT!

Yesterday was Leap Day, that wonderful extra day of the year where we just don't know quite how to celebrate but since it only happens once every four years we feel like we need to do something to mark the day. Linda and I were on the phone the other day and she tells me that old traditions included that Leap Day was the one day that a woman could propose to a man. If the man refused then he was fined. Well I looked up the tradition and sure enough there was a fine! The fine ranged from a kiss to a silk dress to leather gloves, and I think a few other things. Well *okie sighs a little* being desperate for clothes for the cruise I thought maybe I could score a new dress for formal night. Although I don't think I particularly look good in silk, I do like free!

Yesterday morning I thought about this tradition and really got to thinking about that new dress I could score by a man turning me down, even going as far as finding one I liked! I quickly grabbed my cell phone and called my friend, he didn't answer but I left him a message..."Hey, Happy Leap Day! Will you marry me? I will need the answer before midnight". I waited patiently *okie is never patient about anything but thinks it sound better than waiting anxiously* to hear from him and during this time thinking of places I might be able to go shopping and find a red silk dress, red because it's my favorite color and silk because we all know I am a true traditionalist *okie wonders if she should get a lightening rod*. The day dragged on into the afternoon and I never got a phone call. I knew it was time for him to go to work and I still hadn't heard from him so I just knew I wouldn't get an answer and I would take that as a refusal and get my silk dress and be looking smashing for formal night on the cruise!


 Lo and behold, I did end up talking to him during the evening. He didn't mention a thing about my voicemail and I thought "I got him now! He has to buy me a dress!". I casually said "oh by the way, did you get my voicemail from earlier today?". He looked at me and smiled and said "yes I did". I told him "well I need an answer! If you refuse then you have to buy me a new red silk dress!". He laughed and said "oh I got an answer for you" and then he walked off. Well that was completely cheating as far as I was concerned. By giving the notion that he had an answer was not fulfilling the obligation of giving an answer! Later when I spoke to him I said "I need an answer, a simple yes, no or maybe will suffice". He looked down at me and smiled and simply said "YES". I looked up at him and told him "you just don't want to buy me a new red silk dress!". I mean what the hell! I need a new dress and he is jacking with me by saying yes when he knows he has no intention of marrying me but just doesn't want to buy me a red silk dress!


Now why do I blame Linda? Because it seems like the thing to do and I need someone to blame for my dilemma...I won't have a new silk dress for formal night for the cruise and I am stuck with a fiancee who has no intentions of really marrying me. I tell ya, that dang ol Linda is always getting me in trouble!