New Member of Sketch Frenzy Friday

Hello to all my blogging friends. I hope this post finds you well and happy!

I have been so involved in packing and moving that I forgot to mention that it was my birthday Sunday!
I turned 39 again ... lololo At least that's what my friends were told (Smile)!!!!
I want to say thank you to everyone that sent me well wishes via Facebook. I had a great weekend and spent it with friends and family!

We will be moving this weekend and probably all through the following week with the plants and garden furniture/fixtures.
So I will not be posting my Sketch Frenzy Friday card this week. I do not know exactly when I will be up and running but I should have something for the following week of June 10th God Willing.

I want to share some great news with you...I want to personally welcome Maria Vanderform as our newest member of the Sketch Frenzy Friday Design  Team.
http://www.craftymariasstampingworld.blogspot.com/
You have got to check out her blog if you already haven't done so. Maria is uber creative and will be a huge asset to our design team!!! Maria will begin posting with us June 17th so stay tuned. WELCOME MARIA!

I have to get my honeys cloths and lunch ready for work tomorrow, so I am cutting this post short.
Do something for me please... Create something fun I miss my craft room and supplies, they are here in several boxes someplace lololol!

Sketch Frenzy Friday Blog Hop

Hello to all my blogging friends. I hope this post finds you all well and happy!

My goodness packing is such a pain! I have finished 90% of the house and I am currently working on the Stamping Studio. 2 days in here and it doesn't even look like I put a dent in it!!! I haven't even gotten to the paper, stamps and ink yet!!! My honey is really going to wonder what all the boxes marked Craft Room really contain lolol. Oops looks like the jig is up hahahah!!!

We will find out tomorrow when the exact move in date will be. It depends when the work is completed on the new place. Pray for the 10th of June but I doubt it! Jeff wants it to be next weekend, but really I could use more time !
I will keep you posted.

What do you say, lets get on with the Blog Hop!
Our sketch this week is from our very talented Tina Taves. I made two cards but I tore up the first one and started over completely. I am so out of practice. I think I have made 4 cards in the last 3 weeks YIKES!!!! I know all will be better by the 2nd week in June! If I can dig out all my crafting stuff that is.
Here is the Tina's sketch

and here is my second try!

I used the new Designer Series Paper and the stamp set from the Summer Mini called Nautical Expedition and The Open Sea stamp set. I also added a bit of Glitter to the ocean but you really can not see it from this photo.  In addition to the above I used Real Red 1/4 Gross Grain Ribbon, misc Brads, the Modern Label Punch and the Circle #2 Die. I highlighted the edges of the DSP with Night of Navy and Cherry Cobbler.
I just copied the ship on the inside.

That's it for me for this week. Please go on over to see what Robbie Rubala has in store for us http://inkedx2.blogspot.com/. I know it will be something amazing. Please do post any samples you have made from this sketch to our website. We really do enjoy viewing what you have created! http://www.sketchfrenzyfriday.blogspot.com/

Have a great weekend and make some time to create something fun!

It's Sketch Frenzy Friday

Hello to all my blogging friends. I hope this post finds you all well and happy!

It's the Sketch Frenzy Friday Mini Blog Hop. I am so excited that I finally got a chance to play in my craft room tonight. I haven't stamped anything in almost a week. I can't wait until we are settled again. This moving business is really getting in the way of me stamping lolololol!

Let's get this blog hop, hopping! Tammy Fite made the amazing sketch this week. I had fun trying to figure out what I could create with it. There are lot's and lot's of layers and great shapes in this sketch.

Here is what I came up with:

I really liked how the poppy stamp came out when embossed with the black powder on the solid colors. 

Here are the supplies that I used to make this card:
In Color CS-Peach Parfait, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade, Basic Black , Natural Ivory and Whisper White.
Ink- VersaMark, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black and Concord Crush.
Stamp Sets- Just Believe (inside), Fabulous Florets (cover).
Embellishments- 1 1/4 Stripped Grosgrain Ribbon and 1/4 Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon, Wild Wasabi and Black Embossing Powder, Large Oval and Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punches and Rhinestones.

This is the inside:

Not much just a little something. I hope you enjoyed it and will continue on with our hop.
Your next stop is will be to see what Robbie Rubala's has created for us on her blog http://inkedx2.blogspot.com/
I hope you are inspired and want to try the sketch for yourself. If you do create a card from this sketch please post it on our website so we all can enjoy it.  http://www.sketchfrenzyfriday.blogspot.com/

WHERE HAVE I BEEN!
Boy oh boy, have I missed you!!! Unpacking, packing and more packing! I never knew we had so much stuff! I have given a lot away to the Salvation Army, family and friends and there is still more! I trust in the principle that what ever I give away to Gods people, He will replenish it with some thing else.
I have continued to help my daughter fix up her apt as well. She has been working a lot lately (I wonder why..Rent!!!) so we are only able to do things once or twice a week. We sanded and painted 2 night stands, 1 tall boy dresser, 1 big mirror, 1 table top, some frames and a large rod iron stand all in black. Once all that is dry we will be able to put her bedroom in order. All we have to do in put in some wire shelving in the second closet then she will be set. She can hang and put away her own cloths, I mean really!
Down stairs, we got the drapes hung in the living room, she sorted her CD's and DVD's and books and we filled a big book shelf and a smaller CD holder. The couch and the refrigerator are coming this weekend, yippee! Then all we will have to do is get one of those Big Strong Guys to hang a big mirror over the fireplace. Then we can hang a few pictures and she should be set!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find some time to create something fun!

Sketch Frinzy Friday Oh My!

Hello to all my blogging friends. I hope this post finds you all well and happy and able to post!

Oh My is right! Wow, I thought what the heck has happened to blogger????  Secretly,  I was thinking : Oh great it had to be my sketch day and I'm late" Oh brother lololol!
I'm the California girl and that makes me 3 hours later then everyone else to boot!  Bu,t I think I feel even worse for our new Design Team Member Maria. (Sending you a very warm Welcome) I remember how excited I was at my first SFF posting. She must be freaking out even more. Well at least we will have this date to remember right Maria! It is a date we both won't forget, that's for sure.
If you find Blogger is still acting up and someone is still missing, please hop by again so you see everyone's wonderful creation. Thanks for stopping by BTW!!!

Now lets get Hopping!This is the sketch I made. I tried to make something different, so I added the triangle strip down the left had side of the card. I haven't seen many sketches with these shapes on them before. I hope you like it and please do have fun trying it out and posting your creation to our blog. http://www.sketchfrenzyfriday.blogspot.com

If you came to my Blog from our Newest Design Team member Maria Nguyen's blog, I hope you wished her a warm welcome.
Your next hop spot will be Robbie Rubalas blog http://inkedx2.blogspot.com/
  Robbie always aims to please with her creativity!

Here is what I came up with.

 and I did a touch of embellishing on the inside.

Supplies Used:
Afterthoughts Stamp set for the sentiment.
Beyond the Garden DSP
Flower Garden Textured Impression folder.
Not Quite Navy and Whisper White CS
Paper Daisies, Decorative Label Punch, Pearls, Antique Brad, Glue Dots, Not Quite Navy Marker and the Mr. Big Shot.

Hope you like them both. We would love to see what you made with the sketch!

Now it is your turn to go and make some thing fun!

Workshope Cards

Hello my blogging friends. I hope this post finds you all well and happy!

Jeff's on vacation again (Grateful to have a Killer Job) so we have just been packing and sorting stuff.
But, I did want to touch base, say hello and show you the last two remaining workshop thank you cards. I even did the insides of the cardsI will chat more later this week!

Hope your week is filled with fun and surprises. Now it is your turn to go and create something fun!

Happy Mothers Day

Hello, and Happy Mothers Day  to all my blogging Friends. I hope this post finds you all well and happy!

If you have some time read the beautiful story at the bottom of this post. I read it over at Susan's blog http://rainy.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com  and though it was amazing.

This is going to be a short post today (well sort of))??
It's noon and I just got out of bed (Yippee)! I woke up earlier a couple times and would read for a bit then fall back to sleep. I guess I needed that! Jeff's still sleeping! I guess he did too! He took his test yesterday for a Bio Medical Certification over at Cal State LA about 1 1/2 hours away. I was checking out the text and oh my goodness there is a formula on how to calculate voltage and watts? Yikes! It looked Greek to me. It was a 3 hour test and he felt he did well on it! We will know how he did with in the month! More Prayers Please.

Today we are going to go and buy a refrigerator for the new place so we can give J our old one. Jeff gave me a bouquet of beautiful flowers and I asked to be taken out for Mexican food today for an early dinner! No cooking if I can get away with it.

I love getting flowers and he does it a lot!

Here are pictures of a couple of the cards I made.

I made several thank you cards for the guests who purchased at the last class my Hostess Sandy held. I always leave them a little something in their bags to say thank you and perhaps inspire them to create something new with their products.

I read this story over at Susan  Blog

**The Invisible Mother **
(Author Unknown)

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, ‘Can’t you see I’m on the phone?’  Obviously not; no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner because no one can see me at all. I’m invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this?  Can you open this??  Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being.  I’m a clock to ask, ‘What time is it?’ I’m a satellite guide to answer, ‘What number is the Disney Channel?’ I’m a car to order, ‘Right around 5:30, please.’ Some days I’m a crystal ball: ‘Where’s my other sock? Where’s my phone?  What’s for dinner?’ I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature–but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She’s going, she’s going, she’s gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, ‘I brought you this.’ It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription: ‘With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.’
In the days ahead I would read – no, devour – the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: 1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals–we have no record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, ‘Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it.  And the workman replied, ‘Because God sees.’
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was  almost as if I heard God whispering to me, “I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.” No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, “My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.” That would mean I’d built a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, he’d say, “You’re gonna love it there…”
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.

Happy Mothers Day and my God Bless you and your invisible creations. I am inspired and in awe by you all!
 Patrice

Surfer Dude Sketch Frinzey Friday 050611

Hello my blogging friends. I hope this post finds you all well and happy!

It's The Sketch Frenzy Friday Weekly Blog Hop. Yippee! I love Fridays and this group! I am really enjoying getting to know each of these talented artists. However, it appears we are going to be making a few changes in the next week or so. Melinda has decided to step down and spend more time with her family I think that's an honorable reason for leaving us. She will really be missed!  We are sad to see her go and wish her the best of everything life has to offer. I have a special place in my heart for Melinda as she recruited me, for that I will always be grateful to her for asking me to become a member of this team. Melinda you will be missed!
We should also have a new crafter joining us in the next week or so to take Melinda's spot. I believe this is what is called Bitter Sweet.
With that said the good news is... I'm not the new kid on the block any more hehehe lololo! (Smile)

Enjoy the blog hop!!
Sharon Field made this Wonderful Sketch this week http://createdbyu.blogspot.com .

I don't know why but when I saw this sketch the the Extreme Surfer Stamp popped into my mind. I could just see a lei of hibiscus flowers, green leaves and waves making it's way onto this card.

The silhouette of the surfer in the sun was just perfect for this sketch! Sharon really did an amazing job on this sketch!

Supplies used;
Stamps- Extreme Surfer and Elements of Style for the sentiment.
Punches & Dies- Extra Lg Bird for the leaves, the Modern Label & the Lg Word Window for the sentiment. Then the Floral Fusion and Circle #2 Die for the flowers and the sun.
1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon in Pumpkin Pie.
DSP- Beyond the Garden.  Embellishments- Misc Brads and Old Olive marker, Stampin' Dimensionals , Black Embossing Powder & Heat Tool.
CS- Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Always Artichoke & Whisper White.
Ink- VersaMark, Soft Suede, Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie

That was one fun card to make. It brought me back to my teenage years growing up at Venice Beach in CA. I would ride my bike to the beach before and after school to watch the guys surf. Long before the worries of being an adult ever entered the picture (Smile). I sure hope you liked it as much as I did making it.

After you finish the blog hop go make yourself something fun and don't forget to post it to our website so we can see what you came up with! I believe all issues from last week with regard to uploading your creations have been resolved http://sketchfrenzyfriday.blogspot.com/.

Now you are off to see what our talented Robbie has made for us http://inkedx2.blogspot.com/.
Have a great week and stop by often!

There is still time to join VC-Rocks. You will not want to miss all the fun this summer!!!!!You have until May 31st http://vcrocks.blogspot.com

Hello All

Hello to all my blogging friends. I hope this post finds you all well and happy!

WHERE HAS TIME GONE !!!! To give you a brief over view of what has been going on the last few weeks is;
1. We are not moving in with his Mom in Mira Loma. (I'm bummed I was looking forward to that) I guess she got scared she is getting old and she didn't want to lose her stuff or her space???
2. We found another house and the day before we were giving the deposit the Owner changed his mind !!! He decided he does not want pets after all? (He just put in new grass) I'm kind of glad I didn't have a totally good feel to that place anyhow.
3. We finally found another place 4.5 miles from Jeffs work and it is wonderful! We will be very happy there and the like Big Dogs and cats!!!!

  I should be able to post more often at least for the next couple of weeks. The move is not scheduled until the end of the month!
I had a few minutes to catch up on my e-mails and ran across a post from Sharon Field over at Created by You http://createdbyu.blogspot.com/. She talked about what to do with Designer Series Parer and why it is not only for backgrounds! One of her techniques was to add color to the paper image with ink or markers. What an amazing idea don't you think! Revamping old or unusable DSP is just an amazing idea. I love creative minds!
I am so out of crafting ideas of my own lately (Moving / Packing/ Sorting) as so many other things are in my head.
Here is a card I made using one of her ideas/techniques.

I took a few liberties and added my own little twist with Crystal Effects (I think). I cut out a flower and painted the inside petals with a Not Quite Navy Marker and then added Crystal Effects to add some shine to the paper and the flower. I did this to a few of the DSP flowers too. I also put a piece of Not Quite Navy CS in the new Embossing folder (Flower Garden) and ran it through Mr Big Shot (as my BFF Carey calls it)  I then placed the flower over the embossed panel and adhered it with Stampin' dimensional's.
Oh!!! Looks like I did not tape the sentiment down lolol. There is a little "a note for you" sentiment that is supposed to go on the lower left hand corner of the card. (oops!)
I am going to leave it this way, as it is a Swap Club Card and I do not want to spoil the whole suprise. The inside is also decorated. If any of my swap gals are reading this you will just have to wait to get yours in the mail (SMILE).

Now it is your turn to go and create something fun!!!!