Gratitude....The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

Challenges....

As if I don't have enough challenges going on right now, I've actually gone looking for more. Paper challenges - not "life" challenges. Here are cards I've created in the past few days to meet some challenges at some fun "paper play" sites I belong to.

One of the challenges at  Paper Craft Planet in the "Cuttlebug-ers" Group was to create a card using dies, border punches and stickers. We were required to use 2 dies, 2 border punches and 3 stickers. Here's my effort for this challenge:

Another challenge at PCP was to combine embossing folders with dies to create our cards, using any colors. This watch die from Spellbinder Paper Arts is one of my favorites. Maybe because it's very vintage and I love me some vintage.












I belong to a group at Facebook called "Craft Therapy". The very talented Robin Cozart created the group for us and she gave us a challenge for the weekend. And she didn't make it easy on us. Here's the challenge: Create a card using the colors pink, orange and white. Use 1 square, 2 circles, 2 buttons, sentiment, ribbon, assorted flowers and 2 embellishments. YOWZERS!! Well, this took a while and I almost lost sleep over it...almost. Here's my result:

I'm fairly happy with it. I'm not at all happy with the size of the buttons. If they were smaller, I would be much happier, but they were the only size I had in the color I wanted. I got by with using 2 sparkly brads in the center of the flowers as the 2 embellishments.


TODAY'S QUOTE: He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts.  ~Samuel Johnson

Trying My Hand At Layered Collage

I really like Gothic Arches. Not sure why. Just seems like a good palette for going wherever my muse leads me. Roni at Inkstains had some great tutorials on layered collage and I just had to try it. Not sure if I just made a mess or did something accidentally artsy. LOL

(I don't like the way the photos are layed out, but I can't seem to figure out how to do it the I want to.)

The "Building Their Nest" is my favorite one. If there's anyone "out there" taking a look, let me know which one you like best.

TODAY'S QUOTE: ‎"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming

 yourself" ~ Anna Quindlen

I "might" be back.......

I've been playing with the idea of blogging again.I spend too much time on the computer as it is. Do I really want to do this??

So, here I am ...playing with the idea. I tried to re-vamp the look and after spending a couple of hours of futile attempts, I gave up and now it's just a plain jane blog. But that's OK.

In the meantime while I ponder "if I is, or if I ain't", here are a few of the projects I've done for the past year and a half. :)
(I've spent aprox.  1 1/2 hours trying to get these photos where I want them. THAT'S why I may not start blogging again.:( )

Snowman Smiles Winner

OK, I promise you that the prize drawing was not rigged, but Robin (my daughter) won the prize. Which means, that I don't have to be in a hurry to get the prize out. I can wait until she is here Christmas. LOL NAH!! I won't do that to her.

I really appreciate all the comments and I love giving stuff away, so maybe I'll make it a monthly habit. The key word being "maybe". =)

TODAY'S QUOTE: People with many interests live, not only longest, but happiest. George Matthew Allen

Snowman Smiles

When I look at these guys, I can't help but smile.

They are really quick and easy to make. Can you guess what they are made from? Leave a comment and tell me what you think I used for the main piece. You have until Noon on Friday, Dec. 4th to leave a comment. I'll draw a name from the comments Friday afternoon. The winner gets some Snowmen Smiley Faces. =)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: I discovered I always have choices and sometimes it's only a choice of attitude. Judith M. Knowlton

Silver Spoon Re-Deux

It's a Christmas tree ornament! What do you think??

I really like this! I made the bowl side of the spoon a bit glitzy and the handle side a little more subdued. But it will look great from either side hanging from a tree branch, don't you think?

Now, I'm off to scourge the flea markets for more silver spoons. Oh, and you can use forks also. In fact, I'm working on one now. Having a little bit of trouble finding just the right elements for it. It will come together eventually. And I'll show it to you, when it does. =)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I hope that all of you have a very blessed Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy your family, be happy, count your blessings.

TODAY'S QUOTE: The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

The Pioneer Woman and Me

The only thing the Pioneer Woman and I have remotely in common is the fact that we were both in St. Louis the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 17.



I apologize for the quality of my photos.

By the way, if you are not familiar with who Pioneer Woman is, go here:
www.thepioneerwoman.com

I was at her book signing which was held at the Christ Church Cathedral. It was a lot of fun. I had a "nearly" front row seat. She did a question and answer session in which different members of the audience stood at the mic and asked a question.

Her yummy husband, Marlboro Man, and her two sons, Bryce and Todd, were there also. The boys were typical boys and were all over the place. At one point, when Ree realized the audience was laughing at something behind her, she called out, "Uh, Honeeeeyy!". The boys were behind her on the dias cutting up. Even Bryce, the oldest of the two boys, went through the line of us waiting to have our cookbooks autographed, and signed our books. Marlboro Man was more than willing to sign also. They are very nice, down to earth folks and were just so kind and fun and comfortable to be around.



This was my first book signing and I was prepared for a long ordeal of standing in line. But it was nothing like that. I was seated by a young mom with her two daughters. They were adorable and very well behaved.


In the photo at the right Todd is "assisting" his dad in handing out the free Pioneer Woman T-shirts that were given to everyone.



You will find much better photos of the different book signing events at Pioneer Woman's blog. She also has some clickable links to other bloggers who attended the event.

I am so glad that I didn't back out of this trip. It was worth every minute of the 180 miles drive (which dear hubby did!)and worth getting there 2 1/2 hours early to be sure I got a good seat.

Vintage Themed Button Fairy

As usual, I created this for a swap at Swap Bot. My partner that I was to send to enjoys collecting and "re-deuxing" vintage linens. And so do I, so I was inspired to create this button fairy using a vintage embroidered dresser scarf for the wings. I found the face for the fairy in a very old magazine. Some of the buttons are vintage, but not all of them. My partner has not received the fairy yet, but I think she will be pleased. I know it was hard to part with her.



For some inspiring card making "eye candy", check out this blog by my talented, sweet paper crafting buddy (and Stampin' Up rep) - http://rubberstampinzone.wordpress.com/

TODAY'S QUOTE: I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now? ~John Lennon

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON -

Maybe that's what I should have named my blog. =(

Here are some cards I recently created for a swap that required using Cuttlebug folders. I've not bought any new folders in ages, but I'm still very happy with the ones I have. Let me know what you think - if there's still anyone out there who is keeping an eye on this poor, pathetic excuse for a blog.













QUOTE FOR THE DAY: Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. ~William James

"Green" Christmas Cards

Green as in "recycled", that is. These were created for a swap at Swap Bot. We were to create handmade Christmas cards for our partner utilizing parts of old Christmas cards. Here's what I came up with.

This was very simple. I just trimmed the front of an old card with shaped scissors, did a little inking, added Stickles to some of the berries.

For this one I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the backgroud, then punched snowflakes from an old card and added them to the embossed backgroung along with some "bling".

Another Cuttlebug embossed background. The tree was cut from an old card. I added a very pretty TAC stamped image that says "Tis the Season", and the ribbon.

Basically a full card front that I trimmed around and added to another Cuttlebug embossed background. The background is the "script" background.

I trimmed the wreath from an oold card and used silver paper for the background. Non-traditional colors, but pretty in my opinion.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY: Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! ~Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

Split Purse -a - nality

2 Birthday Girls + 1 purse template = 2 delightful Birthday cards. I made the mauve, floral purse for my "30 something" daughter's birthday. It has a bit of a shabby chic look. The other purse I made for my great-niece's 7th Birthday. It was fun creating both of them.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Economy is too late when you are at the bottom of your purse. Senaca Native American quote

Here's the Skinny

A "Skinny Book", that is. In the paper craft/art world a "skinny" is a 3" x 5" piece of art work done on heavy cardstock - or just plain ol' scrap cardboard. A "skinny book" would be a few of these skinny pages compiled into a book and bound in any way which strikes the creator's fancy. This is skinny book that I created for a swap on Swap Bot. The theme was "purple". My swap partner left me a '5' rating with a heart. That's the best you can get. =) Creating the purple skinny book was challenging, but enjoyable. Hope you enjoy looking.

TODAY'S DEFINITION: skinny - confidential information about a topic or person; "he wanted the inside skinny on the new partner" - or a 3" x 5" piece of artwork created on heavy cardstock or scrap cardboard.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Thomas Haynes Bayly

Who's Got the Button Fairy??

What do you think?? Do you like her? Do you think it's a strange thing to make button fairies using clip art images of children and/or women and butterfly wings or in some case fairy wings? I think it's a little stange, but quirky, artsy, kind of cool strange. Some might rate them right up there with clowns...or "down" there with clowns. Clowns can be scary, you know.

I made this button fairy for a swap. She's winging her way on to someone else's house now..well she will be once she's out of the parcel bin at the Post Office. I hope my swap partner appreciates her. She's my very first Button Fairy. But she's not going to be my last. Now that I'm over my fear of Button Fairy creating failure, I'm sure I'll be creating more.

Would love to hear your honest take on Button Fairies. Really, I would. =)

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And dance upon the mountains like a flame."
~William Butler Yeats, "The Land of Heart's Desire," 1894