A Quilt, A Card, and A Very Merry Christmas

 First up today is a quilt I made for Christmas last year.  It was one of those deals where I looked at the pattern and figured there was no way I could do that but had to try..........I did it and it came out really pretty I think.  This is the best I could do for a picture.

Next up we have a card.......and it's the jolly old guy himself.  I've "re-discovered" Unity stamps and splurged a little during their sale and got a few things.  I love stamping with rubber even though I know it's easier to use the clear stamps so you can see where you're stamping.  I just always think the rubber stamps prettier.  Anyway...........here's the old guy from Unity Stamps……..

And last...........Merry Christmas.  If you celebrate the day I hope you have a good one.  No big plans here at all but I'm going to kinda disappear for a couple of weeks I think.  I have some things going on the first part of January and doubt I'll be crafting too much.  I'll check back with everyone when I get back.  Thanks to each one of you for being a part of my life - yes, you really are and I appreciate it.  

Thanks for stopping by........and keep smiling!

Lynn

Freezin' and Rambo

 Getting a little chilly around here now - and we still have January and February to go!  Time for me to just stay in the house and be warm.   Here's another 'freezin' card with yes, one of those cute little grumpling stamps from Taylor Expressions.  Gotta love these guys.....

The image was cut out and popped up on dimensionals.  I added a little pink and purple bottle tree from Tim Holtz stamps and the card was basically done.  A clean and simple "git 'er done" card.

Since I'm already here on the blog I thought I'd also add the latest picture of Rambo all decked out in his (almost too small) Christmas tee-shirt.  It says "no mistletoe needed".  We did the Santa pictures one year and it was pretty stressful on everyone involved....there was no biting (by either Rambo or Santa) but it was more of a "what the hell am I doing on this guy's lap" type deal.  

Thanks for stopping by........and keep smiling......

Lynn

'Tis the Season......

 What's not to love about this grumpy little cat from Taylored Expressions!  This is definitely me in colder weather.  That first cold front moves in around October or November around here and then I don't thaw out until April.  I'll take summer any day of the week - although it really does get a little toasty here - like HOT!  

Thanks for stopping by........and keep smiling!

Lynn

How About Another Bird

 I finally finished with all my cards for Christmas - Now to get them in the mail I guess.  It's always a relief to get them done but on the other hand, it's kind of a let-down too - knowing that you won't be needing anymore until next Christmas.  Since I have a couple of stamps I haven't used yet for Christmas, I think I'll try to keep making some all year.  (Of course I say that every year and then wait until the last minute in December to do them!  UGH)

Anyway, here's one of several I made using a Stampin' Up stamp.  I used some patterned paper from a  pad from Unity that I really hated to cut up because it was so pretty.  The image was colored with watercolor pencils.  

Thanks for stopping by.......and keep smiling!

Lynn

Couple of Cards

 Just a couple of easy cards for the holidays.  The wreath image was found in a stack of stuff that seldom sees the light of day.  Slapped it on a card and we have a merry and bright card!  

This second card has a story.  The stamp I used is from Stampin' Up and was one of the first stamps I ever bought there.  It's also the stamp I used on my first hand made Christmas card way back in (I think) 2009!  YIKES!  I have to laugh now, but the cards I sent out that year were all the same with this stamp being used and had so many layers on them they weighed a ton - plus this really textured ribbon from Stampin' Up.  Several weeks after Christmas I got one of the cards back in the mail - and then got another one, and another one.  All were fairly torn up from the post office machine because they were all so thick and bulky.  I'm not sure how many ever received their card but I doubt many actually made it to who it was going to.  Another reason why I keep my cards clean and simple now.  The embossing folder I used is older than dirt and is also one of the first I ever purchased.  

Thanks for stopping by........and keep smiling........

Lynn

The Crooked Bird

 It's a bird - and he's crooked.  I tried moving this stamp every which way I could think of and no matter what, he's still leaning to one side or the other - - or the branch is all whoppy-jawed or whatever.  So, like it or not, he's crooked.  Maybe he's just trying to hang onto that branch because the wind is so high.   Anyway.........

All I can say, is that he's a pretty cute little guy from Unity Stamps (and so is the paper - which, by the way, is green even though it looks a little off-color in the photo).  

One more Christmas card down and too many more to even think about.  They're getting VERY clean and simple now (as if they weren’t already) since we're coming down to the wire.  

Thanks for stopping by........and keep smiling!

Lynn

Two in One

 I just finished making about 30 gift tags and the entire time I was making them, I kept trying to think of some way to put a tag on a Christmas card, mail it, and then whoever it went to would also get a free tag along with the card.  I never did come up with anything I liked....... and then I saw the challenge at Inky Paws.  Well, hello.......this may work........So........

I used a stamp set from Newton's Nook for the image and also the sentiment.  The tag is possibly from Newton's Nook also.  Somehow all my tag dies got tossed into one envelope so I'm not sure on that.  The white borders were cut from a die that I didn't use and I just cut off the edges.  The snowflakes are from Lawn Fawn.  I colored the image in Copics and used blue distress ink on the background.  At the bottom of the tag I cut some glittery "snow" and then used a gel pen for the falling "snow". 

I'll enter this in the sketch challenge at Inky Paws.

Thanks for stopping by.........and keep smiling!

Lynn

WooHoo

 I actually started on my cards for Christmas and then discovered this stamp from Art Impressions I hadn't used in a while.  So......stopped what I was doing and switched gears from Christmas cards to whatever cards.  Just needed something to smile about today I guess...and this little gal really makes me smile.

As I said, the stamp is from Art Impressions and I've had it for several years. I did a little paper piecing on her skirt and then added some red gems (diamonds) for buttons on her blouse and of course some pearls on her earrings.  Ladies are not completely dressed without their pearls you know!  

I'll enter this in the challenge at Art Impressions Challenge Diamonds and Pearls #340

Thanks for stopping by.........and keep smiling!

Lynn

Still Practicing.........

Watercolors and I have this love/hate relationship - but I'm still trying.  They say that practice makes perfect but this may not be true in my case but I haven't given up on them yet!

This is one of the stamps from Art Impression and I'm going to ATTEMPT to make a set of different cards using their stamps and give as a Christmas present.  No idea if I'll get it done and REALLY no idea if the person will even want them  -- but of course if I do give them away and the person tosses them in the garbage I WILL come back and haunt them for the rest of their life!!  Not a problem with that at all!

Thanks for stopping by.........and keep smiling!

Lynn

Get Crackin'

 I kept telling myself I needed to get crackin' on making cards for Christmas........so here you go.  At least this is a start....

 What can I say other than it's been a rough year.

Thanks for stopping by......and keep smiling!

Lynn

A Little Gobble

 This may be the only card for Thanksgiving I make this year.  I keep thinking I've GOT to get busy on Christmas cards - or just skip Christmas all the way around on sending cards.  I really hate to think of doing that though as I'm afraid sending cards at Christmas is going by the wayside and that's sad to me.  Besides that, I have tons of Christmas stamps, etc.  I need to use!

The turkey image is from Pretty Cute Stamps - which I think is in an Etsy store now and they do have some pretty cute stamps!    Not sure where the "gobble gobble" came from as it was already cut in this circle and just hanging around in the "need to use" box.  I stamped and colored the turkey in Copics and then framed him out in a die from Poppy Stamps.  I embossed the panel behind him in a chicken wire embossing folder.  Used some distress inks on the frame and sentiment circle....added some twine...........mounted it all on Kraft ........and we have a done deal!  

I'll enter this in challenge 612 at Crafty Catz - Anything Goes with the option of Kraft.

Thanks for stopping by.......and keep smiling!

Lynn

Happy Halloween and Hallo-weenie Too

 Just flying by with a quick card for Halloween...............

Using a Tim Holtz die cut and a sentiment from one of my Halloween sets of stamps.  Clouds made with some distress inks.    

Now........for the Hallo-weenie...........Rambo all decked out in his glow in dark trick or treat t-shirt.  This one is getting a little tight so I need to start looking for another one now I guess.  Too many treats? 

Thanks for stopping by........

Lynn

A Fact

 Bottom line............It's a fact of life that as we get older we need more sympathy and get well cards.  

I always seem to have get well cards for the gals, but none for the guys.  So.......here you go!  I used a stamp set from Art Impressions and just some scraps of paper that were already on my desk.   Colored in Copics and added some twine.  Nothing fancy at all but then most guys don't really care for the fancy stuff --- and besides that.....if you know me then you know I'm just not a very fancy type person at all.

Of course it's nothing to laugh about with a nurse that looks like this standing over you with a huge needle but hopefully it'll put a smile on a guys face anyway.  Laughter really is the best medicine!

I'll enter this in the challenge at Art Impressions....."Let's Hear it for the Boys".  

Thanks for stopping by.......and keep smiling

Lynn

What - No Story?

 Nope, no story today. Pretty much of a shock I know.  Just a card using a Taylored Expressions set of stamps, a stencil, some paper, and twine.  

Thanks for stopping by........

Lynn

Happy Fall Y'all

 We're finally going to get some fall type weather around here.  We still have a few more days of summer/whatever since it's going to be in the 80's once again, but fall is right around the corner and should be here next week.  Yay!

Card:  Used an Art Impression image and watercolors (still practicing on that).  I think these are called Window images or something like that but I just made a very clean and simple card with the stamp.

The flowers:  Ah.....I love seeing all the different varieties of mums at the stores this time of year.  I KILL THEM!  I've decided that's probably one of the reasons for my existence.   Every year, I see the mums and they're so pretty - so I buy at least one pot, bring them home, and they promptly die.  I mean really quick too!   I leave them in their pots and they don't even hang around for a week and then they're dead .......SO, this year I'm going to do it different!  I bought some this morning (see below) and have set them on the counter.  By tomorrow morning they'll be in the ground outside!  Yep, going to try that and see if it's any better.  I'll try and keep you updated on their death.  (And by the way.....if you look really close you can see the toe of my blue sneaker on the left.  Smile)!!

Thanks for stopping by.............

Lynn

Getting Close to Halloween

 YAY!!!  It's getting close to Halloween!  If you've followed my blog for while you already know how much I dislike Halloween..........however.........Halloween means candy corn and yes, I DO LOVE candy corn.  I'm know it's not good for you but yes, I already bought some for the year  - and yes, I already ate it too!   Yum!  There's no candy corn on my clean and simple cards but they'll still be ok for Halloween.  On both cards I used the same simple design and Penny Black images.  

Thanks for stopping by.........and keep smiling.

Lynn

Shake Your.....Pom Pom

Football season is in full swing now and one of the granddaughters is on the sidelines shaking her whatever they all seem to shake these days.  There's a LOT of shakin' going on for sure too!  I just wish I had half the energy these kids have.  I used to be able to "shake it" too - but now different things on the body shake that aren't supposed to!  Anyway, this is a card for her and to also enter in the challenge at Inky Paws from Newton's Nook.

I used an older set of Newton's Nook stamps called Touchdown Tails.  The images were colored, cut out and popped up on a tag.  I used a star stencil on the tag with Nuvo Glimmer paste giving it some shine.  The stars and sentiment seemed to go together perfect. 

Thanks for stopping by........and keep smiling!

Lynn

One More

 This could be the last of the birthday cards I have to make for this year - maybe.  I think there are a couple more birthdays but I can always use some stashed away cards I made before for those.  We'll see.

On this one I used an All Dressed Up image and sentiment from The Alley Way Stamps (closed shop).  It's colored with Copics.  All those little dots you see..........ah.........when I printed out the image, all these black spots appeared so I just covered them with the Nuvo drops - in all different colors.  I guess I need to clean the printer.  

Thanks for stopping by..........and keep smiling.

Lynn

Keep On Truckin'

 I've had this stamp (from Stampendous) in my "I need to do" bucket for a while and finally decided to tackle it - with watercolors!  I've been trying to practice more using the watercolors and this was a good "victim".  On the package it came in it showed the truck being rusty looking and that's exactly what I decided to do too since it reminded me of an old truck my dad had so long ago. 

It was in that truck that I guess you could say I had my first driving experience .  I was either 7 or 8  years old and my cousin was the same age.  We hopped in the truck and decided to take it for a spin (with me as the driver).   Somehow I got it in gear and he crawled down on the floorboard and popped the clutch - and away we went......  We never even turned the key to start it but it promptly rolled down the driveway at a pretty good clip ----- and ran right into the house next door!   Now you want to talk about getting into trouble for something!!!  Whoa!  Plus, all the damages to the house we hit. Ah....memories.......

Thanks for stopping by..........and keep smiling.......

Lynn

It's Fall - Somewhere

 It's fall - but I don't think Texas got the memo.  We're still in the 90's but the weather people keep saying it'll cool down to the 80's (like 87 - which really isn't any kind of a cool-down if you ask me)!   I thought fall was supposed to be crisp air, leaves blowing in the breeze, pumpkins, and football.  About all we have is the football.  Oh well, winter will be here before we know it and then we'll be looking forward to spring and summer.  

I realize this is a complete shock.......but it's another birthday card!  It's already been received so I can post it now.  The images (from Sunny Studio) were given to me as a "just because" gift and I love them.  They're so cute and fun.   All were stamped, colored with Copics, cut out and placed on the card. 

So......a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to Carol today!  

Thanks for stopping by...........and keep smiling.........

Lynn

Another Birthday

 I'm really knocking out birthday cards lately.  I have so many to do before the end of the year and since I've been pretty well worthless I haven't done them like I should.  It really does make me wonder why I'm even bothering - other than the fact the card is homemade and I guess that means something.  I mean you can go to a dollar store and pick up a card for a dollar now.  I was also in the post office yesterday and they had some cute ones for something like $2.99.  Our homemade ones probably run about $85 each when you think of all the supplies we buy!  Yikes!

Anyway, this is the latest birthday card - for a friend.  I used a Taylored Expressions stamp and the rest of the card is pretty self explanatory. 

.......And.......as far as going gray......what can I say!  I used to color my hair.  Now, what you see is what you get!  

Thanks for stopping by.........and keep smiling!

Lynn

Spinning Around in CIrcles

 The story of my life at times is like this mouse - spinning around in circles - but this one is spinning around to celebrate!  Just a birthday card that I'm sure I'll be needing in the next month or so.

  The image is from Colorado Craft Company and the rest of the card came about from scraps from  my desk.  I'm really trying to use up some ribbon now since I have enough for an army.  Ribbon is something that's just so pretty you can't pass it up - and then it starts breeding in the craft room.

Moving right along.......... I thought I'd show you one of the quilts I'd done a while back.    It's a log cabin quilt and instead of quilting it on the sewing machine I hand tied it.  Just something different but  I think it made it fluffier.   Another one for Goodwill when I die I guess!

Thanks for stopping by..........and keep smiling.

Lynn

Wobbly Old Man and a Dog

 Popping in with a birthday card for my brother.  He's not chubby like this little guy, and he's not bald either.  He's maybe a little wobbly and definitely OLD though!  The guy and sentiment are from My Favorite Things and I used a scrap of patterned paper cut out with a rectangle die.  I mounted him on one of those wobbly things and so it looks like his belly is bouncing when you move the card! 

 I really think I'm going to have to go back to using my regular camera instead of the phone to take photos.  Everything is still fuzzy looking.  I'm a work in progress..........

  

Now on to more important things........like Rambo!  Yes, it's the 'dog' part of the title.  Rambo is doing just fine and getting older now (but aren't we all).  He'll turn 14 in January so he's getting up there in dog years.  He's getting a little more frosty in the face and feet and liking his sleep more.  Ever so often he'll get a burst of energy though and do zoomies.  They don't last long. 

Thanks for stopping by........and keep smiling!

Lynn

It's Been A While

 Wow!!!  It's been a while since I've been here.  I guess I'm kinda like a bad penny - I just keep coming back.  That really IS some kind of saying isn't it?  It doesn't make a lot of sense but then again so many things in life don't make sense!   With things the way they are these days and times though even a bad penny is a good penny!   Anyway.........Good or bad, here I am once again.   

This is EXACTLY how I looked trying to do this blog post!  It's just been so long since I've done one and I had a terrible time figuring out what to do - IF I've even figured it out right!  I guess I'll find out after I hit "publish" and see if the computer self destructs!  It took about four hours just to figure out how to add the watermark again and as you can see, I cut off a tad bit of that when I edited the card.  UGH!  Also, if the picture is a little fuzzy looking to you it's because it probably is.  That was another experience all together!     Ok........The image is from Stamping Bella and was colored with Copics - done deal for a "git 'er done" birthday card. 

I'll be back when I'm back.  In the meantime, thanks for stopping by...........and keep smiling!

Lynn