Flowers for Grandma Fran

My DH's Grandma was admitted to the hospital a few days ago. She had two strokes, 1 mild and 1 not so mild. I just want to cry when I think of her in any kind of pain as she is just the sweetest lady ever! My kids refer to her as "Meatball Grandma"! Our first time going up there to meet her Breanna was 2 and, on that trip got to see my Mom, my DH's Mom and "Meatball Grandma". In the way that only a toddler can do it she figured out a way to tell them all apart! LOL! So, since she served us meatballs she became from that point forward, "Meatball Grandma"! My Mom became "Little Grandma" as she wasn't even 5 feet tall (I get my height from my Dad) and Brian's Mom, only in comparison being taller, was referred to as "Big Grandma"! Anyway, this Grandma loves flowers. She always has beautiful ones in her house, in her yard and was a member of the Flower Club in her little town of "Spooner Wisconsin". It made my choice of what to make her a card with well, rather easy! I used one of my favorite SU stamp sets to make this one;


I used watercolor paper for the image and the solid paper is SU and the DP is from a pad I found while unpacking "stuff" the past couple of days! The punch is from Fiskars and is called Treading Water. I heat embossed the bee with gold embossing powder and put gold dots on the violets to match! You can't see it so well in the picture but they're there!

Well, if you're so inclined, can you add "Meatball Grandma" to your list of prayers? We all appreciate it!

Well, until next time....

Temptation For Your Sweet Tooth

Oooh I know it's temptation for mine! A fellow USAF wife, also named Michelle, is giving away some awesome blog candy! Go check it out

http://n8tvtexan.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-candy-here.html

I'm off to read some more!!

Until next time....

A Mouse in the House......

No reason to scream though! LOL! Not that I wouldn't if I really saw one .....! LOL! Anyway I have a question for you, did you get all your Christmas cards made that you WANTED to make?! I mean for your friends and the other special people in your life?! I'll have to raise my hand right along with you! I was bad..very bad! I guess with the holidays, being sick for a week, going home to Wisconsin for a week AND a move into a new house all in like a 3 week period can really put you behind! So, today being ANOTHER snow day here in Ohio I decided, had time to think even, I should make a card for all my special friends! The ones who I didn't make one for at Christmas! You don't really need a special occasion to tell them how special they are after all right?!

Okay, so here's my first card!



I used the cutest stamp set, A Cup of Stuff, I got a while back from "Pink Poison" (now known as "The Greeting Farm") for the mice and the word "Friend" came from another set "Vintage Birds" I love birds so this set will be a favorite now that I can stamp more! YEAH! The paper was all random stuff that I pulled out of boxes while I was off and decided to make good use of! I actually, believe it or not, attempted water coloring on the mice! What do you think?! I had been stalking a few blogs whose owners ROCK in the coloring department! My goodness, when I grow up (if ever!) I want to color like them! I also got to use a couple of punches I don't get to use often, one is new actually! I used the treading water punch from Fiskars and my new Martha Stewart leaf punch! I had wanted one for a while so I broke down and got it. I, for some reason, have to have leaves with my flowers! No problem now! YEAH!!!

Well, I hope you like my card...and so does the recipient!

Until next time....

Supporting my Sistahs!

LOL! Say what?! Okay, fine, so I have no "real" sisters but I do have some very crafty "sistahs"! LOL! These are my friends in my blogging groups, my DT and just great people who I "meet" online! One of these seriously OH SO Talented ladies is giving away an awesome blog treat! Okay, hang on I know you're excited so let me give you her addy before you run off....

http://keepsakesbymelissa.blogspot.com/

Read her post carefully becuase she gives you an idea of how to get TWO entries for her goodies! I won once and would love to win again! Okay now you can go....

Until next time......

Snow, Snow and More Snow

Free to a good home....seriously! I'm freezing here and the snow kept coming! Tomorrow is going to be fun driving to work - not! We not only got snow but ice too in between snow storms so there's a nice layer under there that I hope is clear by tomorrow! Here's a few pictures to show you my hunka hunka burnin' love's work out for today!

Action Shot!


He's so handsome! Even all cold from the snow!!



As cold as he was he even went and helped our neighbor shovel hers! He's such a good man! I'm such a lucky girl!
Don't forget you can have all the snow you can haul away....I'll leave it outside for you to get! LOL!

P.S. I was inside keeping the house warm and watching the baby while he was shoveling...never mind my baby is 15! LOL!

Until next time....

Bbrrrrrrr

It's cold out there! Anyone want some snow?! I'm more then willing to be generous with what we got! OMG did get get a ton of snow! Get this, have you ever seen snow freeze?! Now I can say I did! After it snowed and then poured freezing rain all night I woke up and our driveway, sidewalks and yard had been literally frozen solid! You could have laced up your skates and had a field day! Needless to say nobody had to go anywhere today! Thank goodness! That means I had time to play! YEAH ME! Want to see some fun cards I made from that sneak peek I showed you a few weeks ago?!
I really like how this one turnd out too! The red and peach really go together well - whodathunk?! LOL! Not me but I do now! This card was created using Cosmo Cricket Paper called "Head over Heels". I just loved the swirling hearts on this paper! I also used a great stamp from The Rubber Cafe titled (obviously!) "Happy Valentine's Day". Take a look and see what you think;



I used twill tape on there that is a dream to tie! It makes the prettiest bows. If you want an easy way to make a bow check out my tutorial on bow tying. I hope you like it!

Until next time....

Valentine's Day Treat

I'm the type of person who likes to give everyone a "little something" for the different holidays. Valentine's day is no exception either! Luckily for me The Rubber Cafe" design team was sent some great stamps, accessories and, (OMG) the most amazing paper from Cosmo Cricket's line "Chemistry". I love this paper. Well, I wanted to create something different to give out this time. After Christmas and giving out so many gifts I knew I had to stay in a budget this holiday. So one day for lunch I chose to have a bowl of soup and, of course, the bowl was steaming hot! They don't make cuffs for soup bowls like they do coffee cups so I used a smaller bowl under it. When I was sitting there I started to look at that bowl and I heard it say, I swear it talked to me... "I can be a great treat bowl...just recover me..."! LOL! I did hear that I swear I did..! LOL! Anyway, I listened, a miracle in itself at times and created this;



I'm tickled over how cute it turned out! I got lucky and found out that Valentine's day Reese's Cups are the perfect color to match my "Forget Me Not" Cosmo Cricket Paper too! My DH tried hard to "chocolate-nap" some of the chocolate but he was unsucessful! LOL! FYI Hershey released a statement saying they don't buy their peanut butter from the company with the salmonella issues! Good thing as this is my families favorite candy! LOL!

Well I hope I inspired you!

Until next time....!

A Pink Challenge...

Well it started as a pink challenge anyway! My scrapping buddy Vanessa (Mom who Scraps) and I were talking about how much fun we have when we're "playing" together! It's hard to find a friend who is as passionate about things are you are and when you do well, you do what it takes to scrap/play together...even if that means scrapping via chat! LOL! This weekend we decided to challenge each other to an all pink layout...well that evolved to using one neutral and then....well to include one more color and I chose brown! These are actually the colors of Breanna's bedroom now too! Anywho back to the scrapping! I had printed out some fun pictures of Breanna and I from this past summer and chose to do them in Sepia tone! So I used these pictures in our challenge and I really like how they turned out! Take a look;



Here's what I used to create this - SU Pretty in Pink 12x12 paper, (retired) SU Chocolate paper, SU Pretty in Pink 8.5 x 11, I used old letters that I don't remember where they came from, gems are from Target $1 vortex Valentine's collection. I also used the SU scallop border punch and a great heart stamp from "The Rubber Cafe" with Versamark ink! Breanna actually likes this too! Now THAT'S a compliment! LOL! She can be my toughest critic and my biggest fan all rolled into one!

Go check out Vanessa's blog - let her know you want to see hers now!! LOL!

Until next time....

Red & White Challenge Entry

Hi - I'm here! I'm not only "here" but I have brought some crafting fun to share with you! The Design Team I am on for "The Rubber Cafe" not only sent us the yummiest goodies to share with you all but they recently issued us a "challenge"! If anything can bring me out, it's a challenge! The challenge was to make a white card with "minimal" red! Well, I don't know about you but, all white cards are tough for me! I had to think this one through so I could make the best use of the red I was allowed! We were also supposed to use our Scor-Pal too,if we have one. Well, I am lucky enough to have one and I put it up there - high on my list of "must have's"! LOL! So, after tossing a lot of ideas around in my head I came up with a great card that I got directions from Splitcoast Stampers. So I used some of the stamps from The Rubber Cafe "Valentine's Day" collection, I made this;

Here's the outside - I used my Scor-Pal and made my lines on the diagonal for a gridded effect! I also added Stickles to where the lines joined up for a little extra "uumph"!


The inside


What do you think?! I had fun making this one! Matter of fact....I made two! LOL!

Until next time....

The Rubber Cafe "Sneak Peak"

Christmas is over, the New Year has come and it's time to focus on some new fun projects! So how about a few "sneak peeks" of what I got in my DT package from The Rubber Cafe! Grab your tissues and get ready to drool 'cuz here's a picture of what's "hot" for Valentine's Day!



Find more out about the paper here - Cosmo Cricket "Chemistry" Paper
Gotta get these embellishments here - Dew Drops
Show your love with these awesome stamps - Valentine's Day
Need more "good stuff" then click on the link to see what yummy treats you can get for yourself....you know you deserve it!

Come back later to see what I've done with your "sneak peeks"!! In the meant time don't forget to go look at my fellow DT member's blogs to see what they're coming up with! These are some seriously talented ladies!!

New Header Photo

Just in case you were wondering.... the new header photo is of the church, now minor basilica, that my husband's family attends mass at! It's called "Holy Hill" and if you click on the name you can go and visit their website. My DH grew up with views of this church in the distance when you look out their front window. It's gorgeous to say the least and that's only the outside! A few years ago they did some repairs and renovations to the inside - hello more gorgeous! My DH's family grew up in service to this church from altar boy to doing all sorts of handy work as well. Below is a picture of "us" from Christmas;

Behind these people is the altar...


Here's their Nativity...I also have a funny story about that girl and the Nativity - let me know if you want to hear it! LOL!


Here's the inside. It was, of course, dark so I had to lighten this photo up a bit so sorry for the graininess!


So that's "Holy Hill", in Wisconsin!

Until next time....

Back In Action.....

Yep I'm back! No more looking for me on your milk cartons! LOL! I've been told it's been to long since I updated my blog! I'm so sorry! LOL! We had a FANTASTIC time in Wisconsin. I love going to my in-laws! They're just awesome people and spoiled us rotten! We had lots of good food, good times and so many memories to treasure for a long time! I have lots of pictures to share - later, for now I also have MORE good news!! We moved into our new house! YEAH! I'm totally surrounded by paper, and not the good kind but that's okay as we're trying to make our way through it as fast as possible! How about a picture of my craft room? It's probably the last time you'll ever see it THIS clean! LOL! I know you know what I mean too! LOL!

Before I moved in...


After I moved in...


Don't worry though, soon you'll never be able to tell the carpet is even there! LOL! Soon I'll have more (as my kids used to say), more funner stuff to share! LOL!

Until next time....