Cherry Blossom Beauties

I made two cards using the same stamp: Wasabi Ketto (Stamping Bella). The first one is for BCC73 on SCS. Hope's challenge was to use red, with the optional twist of using an edge distresser. Well, the edge distresser didn't work well with this paper, so I decided to skip the twist this week. Instead, I played with some more of the glitter that Hope sent me! Speaking of glitter, I still had some burning questions about glitter as I sat down to make this card. Now I have the answers: 1) How much glue should be used? Answer: not this much! I still glue like an 8-year-old. 2) How much glitter should you put on top of the glue? Answer: not this much! Apparently, I glitter like an 8-year-old. 3) How long does does it take for the glue/glitter mound to dry? Answer: WAY longer than I gave it! Seems that I have the patience of an 8-year-old, too.  LOL

Paper: Cherry Blossoms by My Mind's Eye

Accessories: Copics, Copic Spicas, Nestabilities, Blingz in Mello Yello and Pixie Dust, Stampendous Jewel Glitter in Red, CTMH Buttons, SU Ribbon

Here's a just-for-fun card using the same stamp. 

Paper: SU Haiku

Accessories: Copics, Copic Spicas, Nestabilities, Misc. Ribbon, Bella's Dots in Glitter Coal

TFL!

Little Miss Emma

Here's the lovely Miss Emma, 2 years old. Now tell me~how could I possibly not adore this precious little angel? I am telling you~being a grandma ROCKS!

Emma loves her two uncles! Here, she is playing with Uncle Brennan. She begs him to chase her around the kitchen island. Boy, you should hear her squeal! In fact, you can~click on the video.

This is the "silly face" she's been making since she was about 9 months old. 

Here's to another delightful day with little Miss Emma! I can't describe the joy that she brings to our lives. We are very blessed, indeed.

Everything's Coming Up Tulips

The Boton Public Garden was the first public garden in the United States. It's one of the many fascinating historical sites in Boston. The garden is absolutely stunning in the Spring when the tulips are in full bloom. They are just now sprouting, but here is a photo I took last Spring.

Last fall, I talked my sweet husband into planting a ton of tulip bulbs in our yard. They are just beginning to sprout as well. I can't wait to see them!

Naturally, I fell in love with this stamp. Now I can have tulips year round. Of course, the first ones had to be colored purple!

Stamps: Tilda with Tulips and Basket by Magnolia; sentiment by AMuse Artstamps

Paper: SU Paper Garden, Barely Banana, and Elegant Eggplant

Accessories: Copics, Copic Spicas, Bella's Ribbon

Now if only the real tulips would start blooming. I am so ready for Spring!

Purple Haze

I couldn't wait to play with more glitter! (See post below.) This time, I went straight for the lavender. I discovered that with glitter, less is more. Picture the old Pillsbury Cresent Rolls commercial: the one where the woman flecks flour onto her face so that she looks like she was baking. Now imagine that the flour was actually lavender glitter, and you'll get a good mental picture of how I looked after I failed to coax the excess glitter back into its teeny, tiny little bottle. LOL 

I am not sure about the handwritten sentiment. I have horrible penmanship. Still, I am pleased with the outcome!

Stamp: Phoebe Ketto by Stamping Bella

Paper: SU Paper Flowers, Lavender Lace, and Elegant Eggplant

Accessories: Copics, Copic Spicas, Bella's Bazzill Tulle in white, Nestabilities, Stampendous Crystalescent Glitter in Lavender, SU Ribbon Slot Punch, Pearlescent Chalk

TFL!

Conquering My Glittery Fears

My dear friend, Hope, and I are both former 3rd grade teachers. We have jokingly reminisced about the fascination that 8-year-olds have with glitter. We've also not-so-fondly reminisced about the amazing properties of glitter~how it needs glue to stick to paper but can somehow cling to everything else within a five-mile radius; how it actually becomes one with the carpet fibers, refusing to separate even after ten rounds of vacuuming; and how it manages to stick in your eyes, hair, eyebrows, nostrils, etc, even after you have showered for days. LOL Our students LOVED glitter. Mine begged to use it every time we made any type of art project. It was a huge mess, but of course I always said yes.

I have been on the glitter wagon since I quit teaching 6 years ago. Since I began making cards a year ago, I have been using Stickles simply because they aren't messy. I have looked at glitter several times because I always like what other stampers do with it. To be honest, I have been chicken to try it myself. I have very limited use of my right (dominant) hand, and I usually make a mess doing the simplest things. Adding glitter to the equation just didn't seem like a good idea. I like my dining room (aka craft room) the way it is. Technicolor sparkles clinging to my walls and floor just aren't the artistic nuances I have in mind for that room.

Well, Hope knows how much I love to add bling to my cards, and she knows that purple is my favorite color. She told me that when she saw a bottle of purple glitter, it was a "no brainer" to get it for me. Bless her heart~she surprised me with a lovely rainbow of glitter! Now, I couldn't let my dear friend see me be a glitter chicken. So I stepped up to the plate and made my first attempt to use glitter on a card. I started with the purple, of course! It looked so pretty that I decided to add some gold.

The flower is also from Hope. I've got to find out where she got it. It's so cool! I used a Build-A-Brad (from SU) to make the flower center from the DP. 

So there you have it~my first glitter card! Surprisingly, my dining room is glitter-free. I must admit that I finally discovered why 8-year-olds like it so much: it's pretty and glittah is wicked fun to use (that's how I am supposed to say it here in Boston)! It made feel like I was 8 years old. Anything that makes this old grandma feel young again is a good thing, so expect to see glitter on many cards to come. Thank you again, Hope! 

And They Call It Puppy Love...

I have two male Shih Tzus, Wylie on the left and Indy (Indiana Bones) on the right. 

When I saw a card that Sparkle made with this stamp, I knew I had to have her!  My "boys" are are like my kids. I let them sleep on my bed. I give them birthday presents. I fill their stockings at Christmas. Yup, I am one of THOSE dog people!

Stamp: Tilda with Puppy and Bow by Magnolia, sentiment by A Muse Artstamps

Paper: Pretty Pink Petals and Polka Dots by Papertrey Ink, SU Groovy Guava and Sage Shadow

Accessories: Copics, Copic Spicas, white pen

TFL!

Cracked Up

Aren't the Tiddly Inks stamps just the sweetest? This one makes me giggle! This card is for BSC72 on SCS. I painted Liquid Pearls onto the eggshells to give them an opal sheen. Thanks for another great sketch, Jamie!

Stamps: You Crack Me Up and sentiment by Tiddly Inks for Stamping Bella

Paper: SU Sweet Always and Regal Rose

Accessories: Copics, Copic Spicas, SU Ticket Corner Punch, SU Flower Brad, SU Dimensionals, Bella's Dots in Glitter Pumpkin, Taylored Expressions Ribbon, Stickles in yellow, Liquid Pearls

Boy, does this card make me yearn for Spring. I assume it will arrive eventually here in MA!

Give Me a H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y!

I just love this little stamp! She is so cheery (which is good since she's a cheerleader) and fun to color! She is for BCC72 on SCS. This week, Hope challenged us to use the colors of our favorite team. That was easy: red and blue for my Boston Red Sox! 

Stamps: Turtle Tots~3 Cheers for Your Birthday and sentiment by Elena's Easel for Stamping Bella

Paper: SU Cutie Pie, CTMH Moonstruck

Accessories: Copics, Copic Spicas, misc. ribbon

Hope your favorite team has a great season. Thanks, Hope, for another fun challenge!

GO SOX!!!

A Special Cyber Friend and Not-So-Cyber Dolls

Okay, so people (and by "people" I mean my kids) are quite amused that I have "cyber" friends as they call them: friends all over the world that I have never met. In my defense, I have met some of the sweetest, kindest, friendliest women through Splitcoastsampers. And yes, I have become good friends with a few of them. And yes, they are real people. And yes, we have real relationships. And yes, the fact that they haven't actually met me may be working in my favor. And no, I don't hear cyber voices. LOL

One of these friends~Christy~lives on Okinawa, one of the Japanese islands. Her pot-of-gold husband is in the USAF. My dad served in the USAF (though it wasn't called that yet) during WWII and the Korean War. Whenever he was on leave, he would visit Tokyo or Osaka. When I realized where Christy lives and about her ties to the USAF, I was immediately drawn to her. So began our friendship. 

I quickly became addicted to Christy's blog. (You can see her blog here.) She always posts the most beautiful pictures of her adventures on Okinawa. One of her passions is collecting kokeshi dolls. Well, I fell totally heads-over-heels in love with them when I saw her photos! They are just so sweet and charming and make me think of my dad. When Christy posted a card or two that she had made with kokeshi doll stamps, I was totally hooked! So imagine my delight (complete with little girl squeals and jumps and clapping hands) when I opened this box from her! (Yes, she knows how much I love to ice skate~isn't the card she made for me just perfect?)

Not only did Christy stamp some images for me, but she sent me TWO kokeshi dolls! I am still squealing! Aren't they just the prettiest things you've ever seen? I'm talkin' the cat's pajamas!

My new dolls are in a treasured place in my office, right next to my baseballs autographed by David Otrtiz and Luis Tiant (Red Sox players). If you know how much I love the Red Sox, you'll understand what a place of honor this is!

Once the dolls were situated, I wasted no time making a card with some of the stamped images. The sentiment says, "Forever Friends." (The Paper is SU's Haiku.) 

So, yes~my "cyber" friends are real, and they are awesome. Thank you, Christy~you REALLY made my heart smile! I truly enjoy and treasure your friendship. And I think you've started a new addiction for me. LOL

Hmm...now the author in me is thinking that I could turn these dolls into a children's book...

It's My Baby's Birthday!

Happy birthday, Keaton! Yes, today is my baby's 19th birthday! Where has the time gone? Here, he was just four days old. How has he grown from this into a 6'2" man?

He is actually in CA enjoying his Spring break, so we celebrated last weekend. We went out for dinner and ordered some "Mile High Chocolate Cake." Seven layers of oh-my-word chocolate decadence with toasted marshmallows on top! Yum! Since we weren't doing a cake at home, I made him pose for the obligatory birthday-cake-photo.

Here's one of my favorite photos of the kids when they were little. Keaton was 9 months old, Brennan was 2 1/2, and Brittany was 6.

Here are my two handsome boys now.

And here is Keaton with Brittany and Emma.

Emma was so pleased with the "Finding Nemo" card she chose for Uncle Keaton!

Here's the birthday boy with his parents. Kind of a weird shot with my hand stuck on Rick's shoulder, I know~but it doesn't bend at the wrist and I had no where to hide it. Oops!

Happy birthday, Keaton! I hope you have an awesome day!

I love you...forever and for always...Mom

My Famous Sister-in-Law

My SIL, Mary Burns Loomas, is a gourmet chocolatier. She owns Saratoga Chocolates, a gourmet chocolate store in Saratoga, CA. Her chocolates are unlike any others. She uses fresh ingredients and has created the most delicious and unusual recipes. My favorites are her pumpkin truffles, Earl Grey truffles, Chai Tea truffles, and salted caramels. Mary has been in the press before, but today she was on TV! Click here to see her TV segment. Click here to go to her website.

Now I am craving some chocolate! 

Bellariffic Friday Challenge

Every Monday, Emily (Stamping Bella) posts a challenge for that week's Bellariffic Friday. This week, she posted this photo to be used as the inspiration for a card.

My Bella order arrived today, so I just couldn't resist using one of my new stamps! This stamp is from Stamping Bella's new line called Ketto. Although the photo isn't great, here's my interpretation for the challenge:

Stamp: Suzette Ketto by Stamping Bella

Paper: SU Haiku, More Mustard, Garden Green, and Tangerine Tango

Accessories: Copics, Copic Spicas, Bella's Dots in Glitter Sage, Taylored Expressions Ribbon, SU Ticket Corner Punch

TFL!

The Luck o' the Irish

This is for two SCS challenges: BCC69 and BSC70. I thought they worked so well together for this card!

The "dots" in the corners didn't photograph well. They are a very pretty, glittery green.

Stamp: Goodluckabella by Stamping Bella

Paper: CTMH Honey and New England Ivy; misc. DP

Accessories: Bella's Dots in Glitter Spruce, SU Stampin' Dimensionals, SU Ticket Corner Punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, misc. ribbon

Showers of Blessings for Nicole!

This is for my sweet SIL, Nicole. She is having her first baby in May! I really wish I could attend the baby shower today (it's in CA and I'm in MA). She knows that she is having a girl, and her room is decorated in pink and brown. My favorite parts of the card are the popped up belly (I used a 3-D dot) and the rattle charm hanging from the ribbon. The "dots" in the corners didn't photograph well. They are actually a very pretty, glittery brown.

Stamp: Teddybella by Stamping Bella

Paper: SU Berry Bliss, Close to Cocoa, and Pretty in Pink

Accesories: Bella's Polka Dot Ribbon in Cotton Candy with Chocolate Chips, Bella's Dots in Glitter Dark Cocoa, Bella's Charm Rattle, SU Stampin' Dimensionals, SU Ticket Corner Punch, SU Ribbon Slot Punch

To a Wonderful Pair

I usually don't combine challenges into one card, but sometimes the challenges are a perfect match for what I need. Such is the case with this card. The sketch challenge (BSC71 on SCS) was perfect for the stamp and occasion (the anniversary of some dear friends who love dogs like I do), and the purple color challenge (BCC71 on SCS) is my friend's favorite color. Thanks for great challenges, Jamie and Hope! Also, thanks for the shadowing info, Jamie. I like how it turned out! Oh, and thank you again, Sparkle, for the pretty flowers!

Stamps: Butch and Mimi by Tiddly Inks for Stamping Bella; sentiment by Stamping Bella

Accessories: Satin flowers, Bella's Dots in Glitter Coal, Nestabilities

Happy anniversary Vic and Mo!

I Love You Even More...

Emma tells me she loves me "so so much!" What she doesn't know is that I love her even more.

Nothing in Between

I wrote these lyrics a few years ago. In light of the events I described in the post below, they seem even more relevant to me now.

Nothing in Between

Vicki Burns

The streets were his religion

Violence was his only mission

His life hung in the balance day to day

With a gun pressed to a head

He remembered words his brother said

About the One who died to bear his sin and shame

And he found Jesus in that alley

Hate no longer his reality

He saw the truth that hate had not let him see:

It's light or darkness--there is nothing in between

Drugs became her secret passion

Once taboo but now the fashion

A masquerade for what was hidden deep within

With a tube forced down her throat

She remembered words her daddy spoke

About the One Who paid the price for all her sin

And she met Jesus on that gurney

Fear no longer was her journey

She saw the truth that fear had not let her see:

It's light or darkness--there is nothing in between

We start out in the darkness

From the moment we begin

We've got to choose to let Light pierce us

We've got to choose to let Light in

We've got to choose to let Him in

My son's last breath upon my face

A nightmare time could not erase

A broken heart and an empty soul took hold of me

Cryin' at that tiny grave

I remembered words the preacher prayed

About the One Who holds my son and grieves with me

And I met Jesus in that graveyard

Pain no longer lord of my heart

I saw the truth that pain had not let me see:

It's light or darkness--there is nothing in between

It's light or darkness--there is nothing in between

Copyright © 2004-2009 by Bibleshareware.org, Inc. 

All rights reserved. www.Bibleshareware.org

Thanks a Latte

This is for the Bellarific Friday Challenge over on Stamping Bella. The challenge was twofold: use any colors from this photo as inspiration, and use buttons somewhere on the card.

Here's my interpretation. I used this stamp because I spotted a Starbucks cup/straw hiding in the back left corner of the inspiration photo. If you know me, you know how much I love Starbucks!

Stamps: Lattebella by Stamping Bella; sentiment by Memory Box

Paper: CTMH Sarsparilla

Accessories: Melissa Frances silver buttons, SU Taffeta Ribbon in Bashful Blue, SU Word Window Punch, SU Ticket Corner Punch, SU Hodgepodge Hardware

Have a Sunshiney Day

This is for BBCC68 on SCS. In addition to the color challenge, Hope encouraged us to use a flower somewhere on the card. Inside, the sentiment reads, "Have a sunshiney day." I made this as a get well card. Christy, thanks for the mini tutorial on sponging. Hope, thanks for another great challenge!

Stamps: Daisy Bittybloom by Chichiboulie for Stamping Bella; sentiment by Stamping Bella

Paper: CTMH Paper Garden

Accessories: Copics, Copic Spicas, SU Stampin' Dimensionals, CTMH Paper Piercer, Nestabilities, SU Lavender Lace ink pad, makeup sponge, purple thread, sewing machine, paper daisies