A Little Saturday Something For You

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

Jeff has been home the last two days as we both came down with colds. Yuck! He is such a nice man as Friday night he brought home cold and cough meds and a nice warm dinner so I didn't have to cook. He is so sweet. Awe. XOXOXO

 I finally got myself into the studio this morning and made a pretty card to cheer me up. Did I ever mention I really love to stamp! I hope you do too!
Here it is. I love the bold statement that White and Pacific Point bring together on a card. What do you think?

 I found a few of these lattice Die Cut samples in my stash and thought they would work out great. The flower is made from the punched out parts of the Die that I kept around. I had no idea how cute they would come together to make the flowers.
Here is a look at the inside too.

That's it for today. I'm going back on the couch and watch a movie maybe Braveheart  sounds good You can never go wrong with Mel! I haven't watched that movie in ages. Next, I think I'll watch Gone With The Wind! I'll fire up the Fireplace and get wrapped up in a blanket and make us some hot tea. Sounds good hugh!One good thing about being sick is that we are a captive audience lolol.
Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch Frenzy Friday 3/30/12

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

Wow, March went fast! First off, I want to apologize to the SFF Design Team and my little band of followers for not posting last week. I completed my post and card on Wednesday  because I knew we would be gone for a week up north but I forgot to post it with all the preparations and travel arrangements that had to be remade. Geeze! Sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you all! So much for best laid plans.Smile!

We are back now and all is said and done with regard to my Brother Vince's funeral. It was sad and yet very beautiful. I had no idea his passing would hit me so hard. But life must go on and I think I am ready to enter the world of the living again. I know he would like that. Thanks for all your prayers and kind thoughts. You are all very dear to me.

Our sketch this week is from Tammy Fite and its a good one to get my back into the swing of things.

This is what I came up with

I felt like using the Scallop Circle and the 1 1/4 Circle Punches for the focal images instead of the square like the sketch. (The rebel in me came out lolol ) The Stamped flower is from the SAB brochure it is called Fresh Vintage. I just added some doodle marks around the edge to add some pizzazz to the flowers. I also used a strip of Daffodil Delight 1 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon for the diagonal piece adding two thin strips of black card stock to make the appearance of three stripes of yellow. I have included a photo of the inside of the card as well. I really hope you like my card and get so inspired that you will want to try the sketch out and upload it to our blog http://sketchfrenzyfriday.blogspot.com/
Your next stop on our mini blog hop is to visit Robbie Rubula you know she is always a crowd pleaser
http://inkedx2.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for stopping by,
Patrice

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

Look what my friend Regina over at Working Out The Inks sent me http://workinouttheinks.blogspot.com
This award couldn't have come at a more perfect moment. I was feeling a bit under the weather and this really made my day. It is a funny thing though because Regina so often inspires me. It is nice to know we inspire each other. Regina is so talented and a really neat lady too, do check out her blog! Thank you my friend this couldn't have come at a more perfect moment (BIG SMILE) to help lift my spirits.

To accept the award, the following had to be done:

~  Pass the award to five other people whose blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) inspire you;

~  Leave a comment on their blog so they know about their new award;

~  Link back to the person's blog who awarded my blog;

~  Post the award on my blog.

There are just too many wonderfully talented ladies around our crafting community so it was difficult to choose only five. With that said, here are five ladies who really do inspire me.

1. Glenda Calkin http://thestampcamp.com/blog/

2. Sheila http://shelia-shestamps.blogspot.com/

3. Jen Mitchell http://jen-icreate.blogspot.com

4. Lisa http://www.snowymoosecreations.com/

5. Sandi http://anotherchancetostamp.blogspot.com/

Besides being very creative they are funny, enjoy their family and friends and most of all inspire me to do better! 
Thank you ladies.
Patrice 

Sketch Frenzy Friday 3/23/12

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

I am posting early because we are leaving to travel up north for my brothers funeral services. Please continue to pray for His Family and I guess for me too. I have not been able to stay any length of time in my craft room to create, seems my Mojo has been zapped out of me?????

I hope to make myself settle down and JUST DO IT starting when we get back! But I did manage to make this card for our challenge this week. I hope you like it. I promise I will shake this sadness and become my normal self soon!
I had better make something I created the sketch lolo

This is what I came up with

Everything is from the Sale-A Bration Brochure. For every $50.00 you spend with SU you get a free item. I have the Brouchur on the side of my blog just in case you would like to see what is inside.

Have a great weekend and I hope you find some time to create!  Make a card form me if you need an incentive lolol then download it to our site http://sketchfrenzyfriday.blogspot.com/    we would love to see what you come up with.
Your next stop on our Mini Blog Hop is to visit Robbie Rubula I know you will not be disapointedhttp://inkedx2.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by!
Patrice

Sketch Frenzy Friday 3-16-12

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

It's SFF time and we have a great sketch for you this week that's for sure. Sharon Wheet created this sketch

isn't it wonderful! I can't wait to see what the rest of the ladies have in store for us!

This is what I came up with.

The basket was made by punching towards the top at the center of a rectangle piece of Early Espresso CS with the Large Oval. I ran the basket portion through the Big Shot only impressing the basket not the handle with the lattice impression folder. I cut around the handle freehand and rounded the edges of the basket. The eggs were punched with the very small oval.
Here is a look at the inside.

That's all it took.Hope you enjoyed the card and will join us this week.
Your next visit on the hop will be Robbie Rubulas pretty blog http://inkedx2.blogspot.com/
If you would like to delight us with your creativity please upload your card here http://sketchfrenzyfriday.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by.
I'm really trying to be cheery and fun but the death of my brother has hit us hard.  It just takes time I guess.
Patrice

Hello Friends I found my Mojo

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

This has been a very tough week! YUCK!!!

I started these cards before the death of my brother Vince and just couldn't get myself to complete them. I didn't even go into my studio for several days. It is kind of like my Joy had left me. But, I thought one week was enough of that sadness business and I better dust my self off and move forward once again!
Here are a couple CAS cards I was working on and now have finished them.

Let me know what you think. I didn't even do anything to the inside (smile)

I don't know if you can see the stripped embossing on the bottom of the first card. It made me think of a fence. The bird was punched out and embossed with purple embossing powder. It looks really pretty in person.

The second card I was going to use it as an Easter card but looks like I will now have to use it as a sympathy card for my family. I cut strips of heavy bronze/silver double sided foil and ran them through the Big Shot with the Lattice Impression Folder and attached them together with a large glue dot in the shape of a cross. I then cut very thin strips of silver foil and wrapped that around the bronze color. I think it turned out nicely and they will like it.

My sister in law said she received the picture I sent of the three of  kids a few weeks ago, but she said Vince was pretty out of it by that time and didn't really get what it was all about. At lease she has a picture of him as a little boy to keep. She is a wreck so Please, Please, Please keep her in your prayers.
Thanks for stopping by.
Patrice

Good Bye Brother

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

I just wanted to share with you all that my dear brother Vince passed away yesterday afternoon. He was resting peacefully at home with Charisse his wife of 42 years and a care giver. We found out that he had terminal cancer on December 22 and it has been an emotional ride for everyone since then. His wishes were to have Christmas with his family, a quiet New Years with Charisse, Super Bowl with a long time family friend and finally to watch this years NASCAR. I figure every day after that was a gift.

Forgive me for not posting for a few days. We are just waiting to see what and when the final arrangements will be.
Please continue to pray for his family I know they can use the prayers.
Affectionately, Patrice

 I love you Vince, tell GOD hi for me!

Stampin 411 #245and The Paper Players #85

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

Had a bit of time this weekend to join in on a couple sketch challenges. The first one if from the Paper Players. It is a Theme challenge for a Springtime card http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/. The second a Sketch challenge with Stamping 411http://stamping411.blogspot.com.

and here is the Sketch for Stamping 411;

Now for my card

I pulled out a retired SU Easter set called Easter Blossoms  and the Famous Chocolate Bunny from last year I just love this little stamp. I placed the eggs in some grass to make them ready for picking up on Easter morning. The eggs are also included in that set,  they emboss beautifully BTW! I used Wild Wasabi, Elegant Purple and Detail Gold Embossing Powders on the eggs. The bunny is embossed in clear and stamped on Early Espresso CS. Do you remember Cameo Coral CS from SU? I found a few bags of prepared cards I pre-cut for a class last year. I always prepare a couple extra when I do a class. I thought the DSP and the CS went well together for a springtime theme. Now here is a look at the inside.

Hope you like it.

I was also playing around with a CAS design I had floating around in my head. It took me quite a while to make this next card. These CAS cards (For Me) are difficult to make even thought they are clean and simple  you still have to make sure it Pops too! Let me know what you think about this one .

I have an old SU daisy punch that I thought would be good for the look I was trying to achieve. Here is a look at the inside, the daises carry the theme .      




That's it for this evening/am. I have to get some sleep.

I hope you all had a great weekend and found some time to create!
Thanks for stopping by.
Patrice

Freshly Made #24

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


 I am trying to get all my sketch challenges done for the rest of the day. I need to step away from the craft room lololol. I'm going to go have lunch and water the garden and breath in some fresh air.
 Freshly Made Sketches has a fun sketch this week. I think I'm getting better at CAS. But, I still have to get used to white backgrounds (smile). Not in this case though, so don't worry I haven't  gone totally over to the other side lololol.  

http://www.freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com .    Here is their sketch

and this is what I came up with;

I used More Mustard, Red Ridinghood Red and Very Vanilla to create this card. The colors are very warm and rich looking in person. I even colored the rhinestones with a More Mustard marker. I am going to try to coat them with clear nail polish to see if it holds the color better? Let's see where that experiment gets me lolol.
Here is a look at the inside;

 Just a little something to add to the card. That's all there is to it for this card.


I spent a good part of the last two weeks sorting all of my Card Stock and Scraps into color families. If the pieces were smaller than  8 1/2 x 11 those pieces went in to a separate gallon zip loc bag for each of the color families. Even my DSP scraps have their own home (smile). I then stored these bags in front of each color family on the bookshelf behind my desk.  I find I was wasting too much paper pulling out an entire sheet of CS to make a punch or cut a small square, is was a big waist of CS poor trees! That had to stop! Now I going to the bags first, being mindful of not wasting.

I am limited on space for paper close to my desk. I found that I had 3 piles of CS all around me. By doing  this major sorting project I have resolved the multiple paper pile issue into one central location . I also cleaned and sorted out my little bags of do hickeys and do dads  (punched and stamped images, brads, bows, embossed or pre- colored images left over pieces of this and that, that were stored in a grab bag sort of thing in a box on my desk. I'm really working on "Going Green" in my craft space these days. I do a lot of stamping each month and found I wasted a lot. But, I am really working on fixing that issue.
I created 40 = cards and projects last month and today my work space is still clean. I am ready for another productive month of creating and trying to get into the mindset of "If I used it I should put it back when I am done".

 Inaddition, I am additionally motivated, as I have been saving my pennies and am ready for a big recycling run.  I am about to make a large purchase of SU products, stamps, dies and paper that I have been missing from my stock for some time. I really tried to look at what items to purchase this time that would in the long run help me create new and different things that you all have not seen from me in the past. As well as projects that would have a more timeless look to them (what's the word for never going out of style? You know what I mean I hope.)

Thats it for this post. I need to get some housework done, water the garden and have lunch. OMGoodness it is 2:00pm. Where did this day go to?
Have a great weekend and I hope you find some time to create.
Thanks for stopping by.
Patrice

Sketch Frenzy Friday 03/02/12

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

Yes, it's that time again FRIDAY!!!!! What a week! There is so much going on over here I can barely breath! I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other! You ever have times like that?

Well thank goodness for our SFF Mini Blog Hop. I sure can use a distraction and stamping is a good way to do it.
This week our sketch was designed by me. I submitted several sketches to help fill in some holes so to speak and this was one of them. You will see several more in the coming months. We all share in the sketch pool so that not just one person has the entire responsibility.
Here is this weeks sketch and I have to be honest even though I made it, it was a bit of a challenge.

and here is my card

I was playing around with an idea on how to utilize the small space and for some reason the Elements of Style floral spray came into my mind. I created one with Very Vanilla CS  and one with a Whisper White CS and I thought the Vanilla panel blended into the beautiful background paper too much, so what you see is the white My attempt was to make it Pop. I also placed the horizontal strip behind the floral panel, I took my own creative liberty lololol. In addition, I  thought about making a Calypso Coral Bow but again didn't want to move the focal point away from the floral panel. There you have it. Ha I even challenged my self lololol.

Your next stop on our Mini Blog Hop is to visit Robbie's blog. Every week I can't wait to see what she come up with as it is always a delight.  http://inkedx2.blogspot.com

I hope you like the sketch and have a chance to give it a try. We would love to see what your creation looks like so please upload it on to our blog here  http://sketchfrenzyfriday.blogspot.com.

Have a great weekend and maybe this sketch will get you into your crafting space for some crafting fun. Thanks for stopping by.
Patrice

Red Hot Stampers and Sketch Queens #28

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

I had a few minutes to finish a couple cards I started this afternoon. Two really fun sketch challenges the Stampin' Queens Sketch Challenge #28 http://gettincrafty.typepad.com/stampin_queens_sketch_cha and the Red Hot Stampers #25. Here they are and I mean they were really fun!

This is the Sketch Queens sketch;

and here is my card.

I used several embossing folders to create this card and three shades of purple cards stock, Lovely Lilac, Elegant Eggplant and Perfect Plum. Hope you like it!

The next sketch is from the Red Hot Stampers http://www.redhotstampers.blogspot.com. An envelope, who would have thought!

Here is my take on it.

and here is the inside

I thought the flap would make a fun flip up for a sentiment. The paper and brads that I used on this card you are able to receive for free from the Sale-A-Bration promotion Stampin' Up is currently having. If you would like more information on how to receive free products please let me know I would love to show you how.

That's all for now. I have a few more cards to create in between house work and this evening.
I hope you can find some time to create something fun too!
Thanks for stopping by.
Patrice