In Loving Memory

The Johnson family is sorry to announce the suddern passing of Joanne Johnson on 12/12/08. She was the most wonderful person and we miss her terribly. We cannot put into words how she touched our lives. She was generous, loving, fun, gifted, and beautiful. She loved everyone deeply and touched everyone she met. We hope she knows how everyone loved her in return as deeply as she loved them. We know how you will miss her unique cards and artistic abilities as much as we will. She was always happiest when she was stamping and we're sure she's doing it now. We love you Joanne. Stamp On!!!

Joanne spread much joy through her card making. If you would like to do something in memory of her, we are sure she would like you to send a card to someone in need.

I love you and always will and I will never forget you - Rich.

A Little Break...

Just a quick post for now. I'm off to my day job. I needed to make something that wasn't about Christmas or snow! I'm starting to burn out already on the "holiday stuff"! lol! Sorry that I haven't been posting the last few days. I have received some last minute card orders and they have been taking up all my time. I'm not complaining though. I'm grateful for the extra cash! This stamp is from Hero Arts. Hope everyone is doing well...

SC205 Merry Christmas

Hi! Hope you had a good weekend. I did! The best weekend I've had for a few months (health wise)! I had very little pain and was able to go out shopping, address cards, and even cooked a nice dinner for Rich and I last night! It was a very productive few days... I made this card using last week's Sketch Challenge at SCS. This layout caught my eye right away. I also love being able to use some of my (many) Designer Papers for the backround. This stamp set was the very first one I bought from Stampin' Up! It's called Holiday Hellos and it retired a long, long time ago. Take care and thanks for dropping by! (hugs)

Merry & Bright

Happy Friday!!! I made another card this year that I'd like to share with you. I created this wreath using a fern leaf punch by McGill. Yeah, it's been done before but not by me! It's another fun and easy to impress card that I'm so glad I tried. I drew a circle (for a pattern) on my cardstock and then just starting adding leaves. I added red rhinestones for the berries (and a little bling). I touched some of the leaves with Stickles to make them sparkle. The sentiment that I stamped in the wreath is from Stampin' Up. Well, that's it for me today. I'm off to the "day job"... I'll be checking out all your blogs later to see what you've been up to! Thanks so much for stopping by... (hugs)

Wanna make my day? Just sign my guestbook! It's at the bottom of the page. I'd really appreciate it!

It's a Wrap!

It's Hump Day already! Where does time go?! I made another Christmas card using a stamp from Hanna Stamps.
There's no unusal technique to share on this one... I used the Snowflakes Cuttlebug EF with some Designer Paper from Stampin' Up. The scallop punch is by Fiskar's. I hope you're having a good day! I'm having some problems with the new meds that I am on. I've been getting some bad side effects so I called in sick today when I woke up feeling no better. My doctor says the drugs are strong and that I'm not eating enough carbs with them which is probably the reason. Today I tried to take everything with more food. It's hard though 'cause I just don't have much appetite right now. (Another symptom in auto immune diseases).Well. I've been trying to loose weight so this should make that journey easier, huh? lol(hugs)

A True Paper Craft!

Happy Glorious Monday!!! How's that for trying a positive attitude? lol! I wanted to share with you a card I made over the weekend. I was so inspired by an article (and project) that I saw in Card Creation's magazine last month. I had to try it. Now keep in mind that I need everything to be EZ PZ for me to follow along. For my easily distracted mind, I kinda got lost in the instructions and ended up making this tree instead of the medallion that they featured. I have to tell ya that I had a lot of fun creating it and I hope that a few of you might try this amazingly easy design. Thanks for dropping by! (hugs)

Here's how I did it:

First cut four squares: 1@ 1 1/4
2@ 2 1/2
1 @ 3 1/4

Now fold each square the same way:
First point to point


Then unfold and fold in half:


Now fold each side to the center:

(This is how the 3-D look is achieved)!

You are now ready to form your tree. It's just that easy!


(Start with the smallest square and end with the largest).
Next, Cut a piece of brown cardstock for the trunk.

*I attached mine with glue dots which is both quick and secure.

Star Santa & a Sob Story

Well, it's been a rough week for me. First, after all these weeks of severe pain and lots of tests, I was finally diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (an auto immune disease). My mom suffered the last half of her life with it and now I guess it's my turn... The Rhuematologist that I am seeing has encouraged me by explaining that there are several drug therapies that can keep it in remission for periods of time but all I visualize are my mom's deformed hands and how much she cried from the pain. I'm trying to look ahead with a positive attitude and plan on taking this a day at a time. So, I had my pity party all week for myself, and my future, and felt like I was in a pretty good place about it now. Ready to face whatever lies ahead. Now, today I had to go for some tests and x-rays. When they x-rayed my hands, I had to take off my wedding rings. Yep! You see where I'm going with this? I forgot to take my rings when I went to the next room for a different test!!! (gasp) I realize it as I'm laying on a table having a Bone Scan and start to panic! I get dressed and go straight back to the room where I left the rings but they had another patient in the room already. As soon as the guy walked out, I ran in and the they are GONE!!! I think that this next patient took them but I have no proof. So now I have no wedding rings. I guess I don't have to explain to you how I am feeling right now. I'm sure you understand... I believe that everything happens for a reason but I sure can't figure this one out! Maybe whoever stole them needs the money to feed their family... It's a hard call to make given how bad our economy is. I have to tell myself that something good will happen to someone because of these rings. It helps me feel better. Okay, I'm done venting. Thanks for "listening".

The good news is that I came home and made this card to get my mind off stuff! I used the(retired) Star Santa set from Stampin' Up. I hope your day is going better than mine. Thanks for stopping by! Take care... (hugs)

HM Challenge #15 Dots a Lota Dots!

This week's House Mouse & Friends Challenge was to make a project using dots. It sounded like fun to me so this is what I made! I just love these challenges and really look forward to them every Monday. I had a really busy week last week and didn't get to participate but I couldn't let that happen two weeks in a row. lol! All the card makers that do these HM challenges are amazingly creative. I am humbled every week with their amazing creations. I linked the site for you if you would like to see more. Thanks so much for stopping by! (hugs)

Thanks Pat!

My friend Pat has passed me this great Friendship Award! Thanks so much Pat. I'm so glad to be your blogging friend. You're a wonderful woman... Umm, it's in another language and honestly, I have no idea what it says but I'm told it's good! lol! Now I have to pass this along to six other blogging friends. Huh?!!! I love all of you and hate choosing six. I am going to pass it to people that I haven't passed an award to before, or for a long time. Happy Hump Day!

I Had to Make One!

The Dreaded Masculine Card! This was for a card order. She requested that it have a monogram with her uncle's inital. This is what I came up with. She was going to attach it to a gift so I was "allowed" to make it chunky, with no concern about mailing costs, etc... I used chipboard for the letter and buckle. No, it's not your imagination, this card is GIANT. lol! This customer always orders these huge cards that I make with a full sheet of card stock. I buy Greeting size envelopes at Office Max that fit them perfectly. I'm off to have dinner with my dad. Hope today's a good day for you... (hugs)

What's Cookin'?

I made this using some Cotton Scraps from Crafty Secrets. I wanted to make a few Thanksgiving cards and I don't have a turkey stamp! I found this sheet of Vintage Cotton Scraps and thought it would be perfect. This was so easy to make. Between cutting out the image, and using patterned paper, there wasn't much left to do but assemble it! The only stamping is on the inside and it just says "Happy Thanksgiving". Talk about easy! I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was good. It was productive. I filled a card order and I got all my shopping done for Thanksgiving dinner. I feel relieved when I do that. Then I don't have to worry about stores running out of stuff. It's my turn to cook for my family. I really don't mind though. For me, maybe because I have been doing it for so many years, it a pretty easy meal. Take care... Thanks for stopping by! (hugs)

Hey Cupcake!

Happy Weekend! With cupcakes being all the rage lately, I thought it would be fun to make some cupcake themed Christmas cards. I'm not really all that happy with how this turned out but sometimes it just turns out that way... The paper is from a one of those big paper stacks from Michael's. Of course I had to highlight the frosting with Stickles! ;-) I don't have many plans for the weekend. Money is tight right now with my husband's job being very slow so I think I'll stay home and out of trouble if ya know what I mean. lol! Every time I leave the house I seem to spend money! I hope to finish making my Christmas cards. That would be a great feeling to have that accomplished... Thanks for dropping by! (hugs)

Check Out the Blog Candy!

You wouldn't believe what Debbie is giving away! Check it out!

Snowman Candy Bar Wrappers

Happy Hump Day! I wanted to share another one of the projects we made in class Monday. I think this snowman is so cute! Now, this is not my original idea. I got this idea from Dawn. She made little wrappers for snack size bars but I wanted something bigger so I went with the 1.55 oz. (full size) Hershey bar. I changed a few other things about it too. I used a Sizzix Die for the holly leaf but you could anything there really. I love fun and easy projects and this one is perfect. I will make several of these to pass out at work next month. I listed what you need for this below. If you make one let me know. I'd love to see it! Thanks so much for stopping by! (hugs)

Here's what you'll need:

*White CS cut 6 1/2inches (wide) by 6 inches (long)
*1 inch circle punch
*Standard size hole punch
*Black CS
*Orange CS (scrap)
*Red CS (scrap)
*Green CS (scrap)
*Sizzix Holly & Berries Die (or cut something similiar)
*White Gel Pen

Old Fashioned Santa Card

I was reading a recent issue of Card Creations when I came across these adorable Santa cards. It really inspired me to try something similar. Something more "crafty" then just a stamp. I changed some things about the original card that was done. I added the cotton, for example, where the original used a crimper. Let me tell you, I had so much fun making this! In fact, this is one of the projects I taught at my stamp class last night. They seemed to really enjoy it too. I made the card 5 x 5 square simply because I had envelopes this size to accommodate it. I used Blush Blossom CS for the face. The moustache is a scallop punch cut in half and then put through the crimper. The nose is a 3/8 inch circle. You can make it any size you want using the same idea. Try one! I'm telling ya, it's really good therapy... lol! Hope your day is going okay... (hugs)

A Doodle Monday

I don't know about you but I just can't believe how quickly this weekend went by! Oh well, back to the daily routine... Here's another card I made using SU's Doodle This set. The DP is from My Mind's Eye and of course, what'a card without a Cuttlebug embossing folder? lol! I used the new Pacific Blue cs from SU also. I stamped the image three times and cut it out in order to achieve the dimension. There's a little bit of Stickles on the petals for a slight bit of sparkle. Thanks for stopping by my blog! (hugs)

I'm On a Roll...

I just received another Kreativ Blogger Award! This one is from my blogging buddy Pat. Thanks so much Pat. I am happy that you thought of me!

Happy Friday!

Well, the weekend is upon us, huh? I'm planning on spending most of it at home but will take a ride out on Sunday to see our beautiful grandchildren... I went out for dinner last night with a really good friend and had a great time. When I came home I made another card using this (retired) Polar Bears stamp set from Stampin' Up. I have really been doing well with getting my Christmas cards done this year! (I know, it's very shocking...) Have a nice day! (hugs)

House Mouse Challenge #13

Finally... I've been so busy I just finished my card for this week's House Mouse & Friends Challenge. This week the challenge is to "junk it up". We were to find something in one of our junk drawers (come on now, you know we all have at least one) and add it to our card. I opened a drawer and this ribbon was right on top and the drawer is so full that it was getting caught on other "stuff"! lol! So, I decided it was time to use some organdy ribbon again. I put Crystal Effects on the images and it looks so cool IRL, it gives them sort of a 3-D look, but I can't get a good photo of it because of the reflections. Sorry but this is the best I can do with it... Hope all is well with you. Thanks for stopping by. (hugs)

Wanna make my day? Just sign my guestbook! It's at the bottom of the page. I'd really appreciate it!

Hanna Gets Busy

No! Not like that! (snort)! Hanna is busy wrapping Christmas presents! See, she doesn't live in our world so there is no recession and unemployment. Gas is cheap, her job is secure and she has a pocketful of money! She eats whatever she wants and never gains an ounce. She has a perfect hair day, every day. Her biggest problem is gonna be how she gets the star on that tree from so far away! Guess the person that stamped this should have put her closer to the tree, huh? Umm, I guess that would be me! lol!
Serously, this is one of my favorite Hanna stamps. I've been waiting all year to use this baby! The presents under the tree are actually a stamp from MFT. Their stamp is a stack of three presents so I had to cut them. I glazed them with Crystal Effects and then Stardust Stickles. Almost everything glitters around my house at Christmas including my cards! lol! Well, Happy Hump Day! Just two more days to go before the weekend... Ahh... Thanks for dropping by... (hugs)

It's Ski Bear!

This sweet bear is one of the first stamps I purchased from Whipper Snapper Designs and I pull him back out every Winter. The only thing I like about winter are my stamps! As far as the cold and snow goes, thanks but no thanks. (Yeah, like I have a choice)! lol! Anyway, I picked up these felt snowflakes at Michael's and I've really been enjoying them. I added a little sparkle to it with some Stickles. The punch is from Martha Stewart. Thanks for stopping by! (hugs)

Wanna make my day? Please sign my guestbook at the very bottom of my page!

A Monday Smile...

Hi! I thought I'd start off the week on a lighter note, by sharing this card I made for a friend using American Art Stamps. I'm sure most of you have seen them before. I have actually had this one for a while and pull it out periodically just to send someone a little smile in this crazy world... I used my new Pacific Blue CS from SU along with Green Galore. I wanted it to be nice and bright. Ummm... it IS! lol! Hope you are having a nice day and thanks so much for stopping by!

SC201 Cardinal Wishes

Yeah! It's Saturday and I plan on stamping away the day... This is what I created for the Sketch Challenge this week at SCS. The cardinal is from Stampin' Up and so is the Certainly Celery CS. The Designer Paper is Going Grey. I used tiny little gems on the berries and then colored them with a Copic Marker. The base of the card is a creme color but I have no idea from where... Enjoy your day and as always I appreciate you stopping by! (hugs)

Wow! Another Blog Award!

I was so excited to wake up this morning and find that I was thought of for another blog award! This one is from my friend Karen over at 6 Wacky Women!

The rules for passing this award along are:
1) the winner may put this award on their blog.
2)Put a link to the person who sent this award to you.
3)Nominate 5 blogs.
4)Put links to their blogs.
5)Leave a message for your nominees. Choose only 5.

I have so many blogging friends I hate narrowing this down so I just chose people that I haven't chosen before (I think!)

Pat
Diane
Shirley
Chris
Catherine

House Mouse Monday Challenge #12

Hi! This is what I came up with for this week's House Mouse Challenge . Here were the requirements:

"Please include all the following items on your project":
ribbon
2 x Buttons
Felt
A scalloped edge

I really recommend that you check out the other stampers creations. They are all so talented it just blows me away! What a fun challenge this was! Hope you're having a good day... (hugs)

Wanna make my day? Just sign my guestbook at the bottom of this page!