A day in San Francisco

No cards to share today. Instead, I spent last night with family at the Russian River in Sonoma County, then got up this morning to drive to San Francisco for a day in the City.

 I plan to get back to cardmaking tomorrow because today I am super tired.

On the Golden Gate Bridge

At the Russian River in Sonoma County

Makeover Monday Challenge - Live, Laugh, Love

Here is my card for Paper Crafter's Library Makeover Challenge. I am always just barely getting in my challenge cards completed in time for submission, but I've never been great with deadlines. Deadlines remind me of work and cardmaking is for fun!

I'm still challenging myself to make a card a day and so far I've been on a roll. I have no idea what card to make for tomorrow. I usually start the night before but so far haven't done anything. Hmmm. Maybe another Easter card?

Well, here is my challenge card. I enjoyed making it. I pretty much followed the tutorial provided for getting a distressed look. I never thought of using my paper snips to run against the edge of my card stock to rough up the edges. And I sponged Crumb Cake ink all over the front of the Very Vanilla to get the distressed look before stamping the images in Early Espresso. Also, it may have helped that I dropped my card several times on the driveway as I was taking pictures of it before the sun went down. Live, laugh, love, right?

Materials used - all Stampin' Up (unless otherwise noted)
Stamp sets: Kindness Matters, Live, Laugh, Love (retired)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Pool Party, Very Vanilla
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake

Today I was in Santa Rosa for shopping and had a quick visit with my niece Yvonne who was driving up from southern California to vacation near the Sonoma coast. I plan on meeting her tomorrow night to plan a trip to San Francisco on Tuesday. It's supposed to be a rainy day, but I love San Francisco. I'm sure we can find some fun things to do even in the rain.

Mojo Monday 233 - Easter Card

For this week's Mojo Monday challenge, I used Mary Fish's beautiful Easter card for inspiration. My version ended up looking a bit country, but that's fine since I now live in a rural part of the world myself. No more city life for me! Now I have chickens and a rooster, but I'll share about them in a minute because it's not good news.

Materials used - all Stampin' Up (unless otherwise noted)
Stamp sets: Easter Dove, Triple Treat Flower
Paper: More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Pool Party
Ink: Soft Suede

Here's the inspiration from Monday Mojo Sketch Challenge 233

So, the awful news is that the rooster's days are numbered. I came home the other day and Kevin said the rooster attacked him for the last time. Kevin had been in the shed with our cat Buddy when the rooster came in and tried to attack the cat. Kevin put his foot out to stop the rooster and the rooster flung himself up on Kevin's foot and hooked his spur in him.

Our poor crazy rooster. I've tried to advocate for him in the past because he is really good at protecting the hens from predators. But this time he went too far with his aggressive behaviors.  I hope we can find a home for him rather than making him chicken soup! Just got to love country living.

Happy Birthday Yolanda!

It's fun designing a card with someone in mind. Last night I worked on a card for my friend and co-worker Yolanda. I felt her card needed to be bold, beautiful and sensual to fit her personality.  I'm glad she liked it when I gave it to her today. 

Materials used - all Stampin' Up (unless otherwise noted)
Stamp sets: Build a Blossom, En Francais, Tiny Tags
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Basic Black
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

I also shot a picture of my friend and co-worker Mary Pagan holding the card I gave her last month. She sits next to Yolanda and volunteered to have her picture taken. Love ya Mary!

When I came home today there was a flurry of red robins flying around in the trees and bushes next to our house. They were really being pigs gorging on gobs of berries.

I'm still challenging myself to make a card a day. Tonight I'm going to work on Easter cards!

It's Your Day!

Happy birthday Socorro! I made this card for my friend and co-worker Socorro having no idea her favorite color was orange. Yippy! What a great surprise.

Materials used - all Stampin' Up (unless otherwise noted)
Stamp sets: Happiest Birthday Wishes (Hostess)
Paper: Peach Parfait, DSP Stampin Up unknown
Ink: Peach Parfait

I cased this card from the Stampin' Up Idea Book and Catalog but used a different color scheme. It was my first time making pinwheels. I have to start making more pinwheels because they make such fun embellishments.

I'm going to try to make a card a day. Sounds like a crazy challenge because I'm a busy lady with full-time work and a home to manage.  But I've got to dig into my stash and keep up the momentum in order to grow in this craft. Call me driven! But I want to get really good at this process and that means practice, practice, practice!

Mojo Monday 232

I'm starting to feel better after being sick for a week. Praise God for helping me get better. It's not fun begin sick.

Here is my card for this week's Mojo Monday Challenge. I really like the sketches from Mojo Monday and the way everyone individualizes them. This sketch reminded me of a layered cake. But as I was deciding on the DSP, I kept thinking about a stain glassed window of a church. My card kind of combines the two images, at least in my mind. I guess the overall feel is about structure and balance.

I think I'm going to give this card to my co-worker Valerie who has a birthday at the end of the month. Val is my #1 Avon customer so I have to treat her well. Happy birthday Val!

Materials used - all Stampin' Up (unless otherwise noted)

Stamp set: Elementary Elegance (SAB)
Paper: Everyday Enchantment DSP (SAB) and Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla card stock

Ink: Lucky Limeade

Here's the sketch:

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Here is the Kindred Stampers way of saying "Happy St. Patrick's Day".  A new card of course. This time made with some friends at Lower Lake Coffee.

Here are some Kindred Stampers with their beautiful St. Patty's card! Say hello to Emma, Amy, Cynthia and Julia! They all did such a great job!  Next month we're doing Mother's Day cards. Anyone is welcome to come and it only costs $5 for materials. Contact me at angela@kindredstampers.com for more info.

Spring Vintage - Thinking of You

If this was a get well card, I'd probably send it to myself. I've been terribly sick with the flu this past week, but I'm slowly getting better.

For this card, I used the Sale-a-bration Spring Vintage stamp set and Everyday Enchantment DSP. I just love this set!  I've seen so many wonderful cards made by others using this combination. Here's what I came up with.

Materials used - all Stampin' Up (unless otherwise noted)
Stamp sets: Spring Vintage (SAB), Elementary Elegance (SAB), Curly Cute, Tiny Tags
Paper: Everyday Enchantment DSP (SAB) and Poppy Parade, Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip card stock
Ink: Poppy Parade, Soft Suede

Spring birds - so sweet

I've been looking for inspiration from nature for a springtime card and found it right in my backyard. Happy birds just doing their thing. Actually my cats tend to be more inspired by bird activity as I don't have patience for bird watching. We do get lots of birds here including mountain blue birds, robins, scrub jays, yellow finches, sparrows, etc. Kevin knows birds quite well and and can spot and identify them. I usually miss them when he says "there's a so and so bird", but I can hear them singing high up in the trees.

So here is my card. I enjoyed making it. It seemed only appropriate to take the picture in the big oak tree outside our house. Hope you like it.

Looking up at our big oak tree

70 finished, 80 to go

Good morning,

I've been working on a project for making 150 name tags for a Women's Retreat coming up in May. The theme is "Growing where you're planted". I finished 70 of them, and the other 80 are cut out, but need the ribbon secured and various parts put together. I'd like to finish soon amid all my other projects. Anyway, thought I would share what they look like with you.

Spring is in the air

I'm finally here again. Where does all the time go? The weather has been so nice lately that I've been trying to do some walking.  I've been so out of shape, it's time to get moving!

It's just so hard to balance my time between working full-time, doing household chores, selling Avon and doing stuff with Kevin and my cats. I need more time so I can do crafting! I'm able to complete bits and pieces here and there, but I got to sleep sometime!

So tonight's card is kind of a "cheater card". Think of it as making a Sandra Lee Semi-homemade recipe since I actually took apart a card I made at a workshop I attended and replaced some of the materials with stuff from my own stash. I wanted to be able to readily reproduce a project for a class I plan to offer next week. I have Lyn Shepherd to thank for the workshop. Here's my revised card:

 

I'm also working on a set of spring and Easter cards for a card swap. I can't wait to share those with you.

I'll post the card recipe later because I have to start winding down for bed. I'll leave you with a picture of Kevin peeking into my craft area. He's such a goof-ball.

Mojo Monday 230

I never made a round card before, so I had to think about this week's Mojo Monday challenge a bit. I pulled out my Personal Cricut which I don't use a lot to make the circle and scallop. Then I just played around a bit.

The designer paper I chose was kind of whimsical, so I wanted to keep an airy theme. You know, let the "creative spirit" out of the cage to soar and be free! That was at least the thought. And the "you" who inspires me are all you great card making die-hards that just keep on producing. I'm always so amazed by how many wonderful papercrafters are out there doing such great stuff. I love it!

So here's my card. Thanks for inspiring me!

Materials used - all Stampin' Up (unless otherwise noted)

Stamp sets: Aviary, Perfect Words (Hostess), Elementary Elegance (SAB)
Paper: Attic Boutique DSP and Blushing Bride, Poppy Parade, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla card stock

Ink: Soft Suede

Here's the sketch: