20th Anniversary....

Joe and I celebrated our 20th anniversary last Wednesday....and like the entire 20 years of marriage we were almost too busy to plan something!  We had incredible busy-ness lately with our son and his swim season...actually, my husband was in Brazil and then flew home on a Friday to be at a Saturday Sectional meet and the after party that we hosted.  Then back on the plane to Paris Sunday morning only to be home Thursday for a Friday State meet.....so it has been busy....and that speed is what we have been traveling at for the last 20 years in one way or another.  Then, I had some health issues that needed my attention and I tend to not deal with those things when I should.  Don't we all put off taking care of ourselves or at the very least, taking care of ourselves last!  So, before I was ready, my anniversary was here.  I had ordered a special stamp, the Tom and Tilly stamp from Penny Black sometime ago as I thought it was such a special little image.  I ordered it specifically for our anniversary.  And I made it up ahead of time and was happy with the result but did feel like there was something missing....some "intimacy" was missing from the card......and then I saw Kathy Racoosin's blog entry for February 20th....and my jaw dropped to the floor!  Her post that day used the Tom and Tilly stamp and was specifically about creating a moon with copic markers....and that was the missing piece from my card.  That big ole' pie in the sky romantic moon!  And so, a dilemma....what to do - what to do?  My anniversary was a the 22nd and I was running out of time due to other obligations before the actual day.  And, I needed to contact Kathy and ask her about using her design as I was pretty much planning to copy the whole thing!  So, I emailed Kathy and really, she couldn't have been nicer!  And, then I got to work.  I am soooo happy with how this turned out and will do this over again for other people for their anniversaries....that is why I like this image so much!  Just a sweet image of where I would like to be in 30 years.  I also included the beginning of Robert Browning's  famous poem.....can you guess which one it is based upon this image?  It is the perfect sentiment for the elderly couple!  Here is my card!

After coloring the moon and sky I added some sparkly chalk to them....it is hard to see in the picture but in real life it looks just wonderful!  I also added some small touches of green, yellow and red stickles to the bouquet.  So, like I said, I can def see room to improve on this card (Kathy added wonderful texture and pattern to her couple's clothing for example) but I do like this alot, and Joe did too.  Which is what really counts! Please, please stop by Kathy's blog here!  She does such a wonderful tutorial job on how to make this card! Thanks Kathy for letting me use your design!  I love it! Thanks for the stop by and the look see!

Be Well,

Sheila

Birthday cards....

....are seriously becoming  favie cards for me to make lately!  They are so FUN!  I never really got into them before.....but now am loving the coloring that I am practicing with my copics and the images I have just seem to spring to LIFE with all the  bright colors that I am into lately.  This is another Whipper Snapper Design image that I have..... actually, I have quite a few of them as they are a Wisconsin based company ;-D  and the background text stamp is a Hero Arts cling that worked perfectly with the mood and "bounce" of this card!  Kind of a goofy color scheme with the red, gold and purple but they were all scraps that I had and they really appealed to me as sort of a funky, happy combo!  When I took my photo the sun wasn't out so I hit the "enhance" button on the computer...I feel like it made the orange look a little INSANE....but, really, it's just plain, old non-neon orange in real life!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Be well,

Sheila

Baby card...

and what a super cute image!  I will confess, I have made next to zero baby cards in my life.  I might just be getting to the point where more of these type of cards will be needed and I had fun making this one.  Kind of a different direction from what I normally do but it was nice to get all "cutesy" in a card!  This is another WhipperSnapper Design image and I love that it could be colored for either a boy or a girl baby.  This particular card will be going to my niece who recently had a little girl.  My daughter and I went shopping and found the cutest little outfits to send along as well.  Wow!  I forgot how adorable all that little bitty clothing is!  Anyways, here is my card....

I also wanted to say that I have been super busy the past few weeks as we have been winding down in my son's swim season.  What that means is that usually two nights a week and all day Saturday there are meets that are pretty important that lead into the end of the season.  Saturday meets are usually all day and generally out of town.  I tell you this as my time to craft has been less than zero and my time to comment has been less than that.  But, the State swimming competition was this last weekend and my son made it in three events.  We were so excited and spent the weekend out of town watching him compete.  He did very well and now, well now the season is over!  And, I will have some extra time to get back to my crafting.  It's funny how something so simple as cardmaking can be so missed when life gets a bit more hectic than usual!  I always wonder how the ladies who post daily are able to find the time to create, upload (and seriously, uploading makes me insane at times!) and then post!  They are my crafting heroes!  So for now, one card, a few random thoughts and a "Thank You" for stopping by ;-)

Be well,

Sheila

Ribbit....

....or perhaps, Pucker Up?  Either way, this is an awfully fun image to color.  On the inside of the card I have stamped and embossed the sentiment "Crazy for You"  and I do think this little frog looks a little bit crazy in love!  Anyways, another Whipper Snapper Design image.  I believe I have Whipper Snapper on the brain lately!  I am taking an online copic coloring class and am finding that these images work well for practicing on.  Today it is a super sunny, almost spring - like day here so my picture quality is less than stellar.  But, you get the drift right?  Here is my card -

I am going to leave you with another photo today.....my son who is high school junior made it to State for his swimming this year.  He made it in the 50 free which is an individual event as well as being a member of two relays.  Here is an underwater photo of the boys as they prepare to leave for the state competition.  My son is on the far left giving the "thumbs up" motion. It's just a cool photo I think!

Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope the rest of your day/evening is wonderful ;-)

Be well,

Sheila

Being nice....

....to mice.  Or, specifically, one mouse in particular.  This little guy is another Whipper Snapper Design and the inside of the card reads "The best gifts are tied with Heartstrings."  I love that little sentiment.  And although this particular image is called "Valentine Mouse" I do believe that it can be used a lot more!  And, his heart balloon can be changed out for another type of balloon....anyways, I will def use this stamp for occasions other than Valentine's Day.  I am pretty pleased with this card but need to become better at coloring "pinks".  I would have liked his ears and tummy to have been less "hot" looking.  Does anyone have a favorite combo of copic pinks that they use to achieve this?  Anyways, I know that lately I have been using  several Whipper Snapper Design images.  For those of you who haven't heard of this company you might want to give them a look - see.  They are a Wisconsin based company that makes an excellent stamp and have lots and lots of images and sentiments to choose from.  When I travel to a town about an hour + from my house to purchase my son's racing swim suit I plan a stop around this store that is an official carrier of WSD stamps.  Now they also have an online store....yikes!  But if you are ever interested in them here is the link WSD....or if you are ever in Wisconsin give me a call and I will take you there myself :-D

So, here is my card...

...and thank you so much  for stopping by!

Be well,

Sheila

Bright....

...colors are what I seem to need lately!  I mean, seriously, I gravitate to them like they are chocolate.  Probably because  it is cold, snowy and really, quite gray here in Wisconsin.   I needed to make a get well card for a friend (actually, I need to make 4 of them....yikes!) and also a cute little valentine card for my lunch buddy.  So, I turned to some fabby, patterned paper and went to town.  I used Whipper Snapper Design Stamps again today and really enjoyed the fun of coloring them.  The first card I will also enter into the Mojo Monday Challenge # 228 

I adore this little WSD duck....and have popped up the umbrella onto dots.  You can't tell from the photo but his beak and feet are glossy-ed up and look adorable in person.  

Such a (hopefully) cheery little get well card!  For my second card I also went WSD with a cute image that I thought was perfect for my little kindergartner lunch pal!  The flowers and heart are also glittered with pen as she LOVES sparkles!  And, finally, the eyes are glossy-ed up and really POP in real life!

Thank you for stopping by....it has been sorta crazy here lately...I hope to be able to post a bit about what is happening around my house either later today or tomorrow...but I really apologize for not getting to more of my favorite blogs ;-(

Take care and

Be well,

Sheila

New Stamp =

....New Post!  I have a card today using a really fun, new (well, new for me at least!) Whipper Snapper Design Stamp.  I had more fun than I should admit to in coloring this image.  And, I know I can make  lots of different birthday card designs with this stamp.  It will be a great one to play with!  It is called Birthday Tree AW175 and I also used a Tim Holtz Die.  I colored the  "background" of the image with some different shades of green, blue and purple chalks.  Then, I popped up the leafy part of the tree on pop dots.  Punched out a few butterflies, added some ribbon, stickles, glossy accents and, ya-hey, it's good to go!  My room is super sunny today and no matter how I photographed this card it has come out with HUGE black shadows.  So, please ignore the huge black shadows.  I do not have super - duper heavy black marker outlining around my sentiment, ribbon tree etc.....Since I am not entering this into anything and since my camera battery is alarmingly low and since I am somewhat lazy I have decided not to retake a pic of this card ;-D

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I always, ALWAYS appreciate your visits!

Be well,
Sheila

Love....

....this stamp!  I got it in the clearance section of the closest Michael's Store (which now, unfortunately, has closed. bummer.) .  I really like the message...I know it is probably considered a Christmas sentiment but really, isn't that what we all wish for in "love"?  Heheh!  Anyways, thank you for the really nice comments that you all left both here and on my flickr acct.  It is sure nice to know that others feel as I do....mainly that life is a constant drive to find "balance" and that most of us moms, regardless of our age, our children's age or where we fall in the "mom life cycle" find it hard to carve out moments of "me" time.  I am really going to work on that personally.  I'm happier and actually more productive in all areas of my life when I get that time to myself and so am certainly going to keep that in my mind as I go thru 2012.  I want to waste less this year and that includes time.  Time wasted doing "non-essential", unimportant tasks and instead create more moments of time well spent in activities that give me joy.  Ya-ya-ya - enough self examination...time to show a card!  As I said this sentiment was from a stamp found after Christmas in in the clearance aisle .  It is a Hampton Art for Cosmo Cricket.  I just love the font on it!  I used ribbon, bows, glitter-y stickles, flowers, gems and pretty paper.....YEPPERS!  It has now become a Valentine card!  I am entering this into the JUGS (Just Us Girls) Challenge which happens to be a sketch challege for this week.  I have never entered over there before but always take a peek at their challenges...some fun ones lately!  Anyways...I followed the sketch but after finishing the card took a little poetic license and added the roses to the corner...it (to my eye) just needed a little somethin'somethin"....so, here is the sketch...

and here is my card.....

Another thing about this card is that it marks the first time EVER that I used a stamp positioner.  I saw one being used and discussed in the recent online CAS class and have never bothered with them myself before.  Well, now I will bother.  And really, it is actually no bother but instead a fabulously easy way to get a stamp lined up right the first time!  Love it!  And am kicking myself for all those crooked images that (hopefully) are now in my past!  Need to work with it more but def-def a very worthwhile purchase!

Oh, and by the way....my coffee turned out exceptionally de-lish this morning!  I am totally loving every drop of this mug!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Be well,
Sheila

Warning! Long introspective

post coming up!   I have been absent and for that I must apologize. Actually the person I most need to apologize to is myself because not being on my blog also means that I haven't been able to craft.  Not a bit. So, my last post was January 31 and it was a card that I had made previously but was just posting.  That means an entire week in my life passed and  I was unable to find the time to sit down and do something for myself.  Now, don't get me wrong....the week or so between the the end of January and today have been filled with lots of fun stuff....dinners out, visits with friends, swim meets, movies...both at home and at the theater.  I mean, really, fun times.  But, I know, my family knows, that crafting gives me a ton of joy, comfort, enjoyment and, really, a sense of contentment.  I feel recharged....much the way some of my non - crafty  friends say they feel after a run.  So, if crafting gives me all of the above wonderful benefits....if it makes me feel good (and may I add it doesn't have ANY CALORIES!) why don't I drop some of my non - essential "busy-ness" and get to my table?  It is an odd thing....I almost sabotage myself some days by blog hopping until there is no time left for me to craft.  Do any of you have this issue?  There are days I actually feel "guilty" about putting aside this time for myself.....and no one else puts this guilt on me mind you!  It's all me!  I feel guilty because it is sunny and nice out, the house is dirty, I need to get that book read for book club and the list goes on and on....and the end result is -  nothing actually gets done.  I am hoping this is a phase that passes in my life and that it is a "mother" thing.  I mean, as moms we are constantly putting off doing stuff for ourselves - like saving "our time" until it is more opportune.  I think, moms, especially moms like myself that have finally gotten to a place in our life where we have more time, need to "re-learn" how to carve out quality time for ourselves.  Some of us may work out because it is good for us, read that book because it is for club, get together with friends because it is fun but ultimately, we kinda forget about that solitary self inside us that needs to be quiet and create, to color, to play.  I always think back on one of my daughters who, each year at the end of the school term, would retreat to our house, the hammock, the fav chair, the porch, deck etc and read.  She would read for days, for most of the summer.  Other kids would be out swimming etc and she would read because that is what "fed" her after a busy year of school work, socializing, sports etc....I think I need to take some "me time" lessons from my kids. ;-D

Anyways, yesterday I was stressing about all the stuff I had to get done.  And I did get some of it done and alot of it went "undone".  But, I did make two cards.  So, from my perspective, the day was good.
The first card....the big layered heart one I am entering into the Lily Pad Patterned Paper Challenge.

Both sentiments are Hero Arts and the large image is Northwoods Rubber Stamp Co.  Thanks for stopping by and and if you got to this sentence, well then, THANK YOU for slogging thru an exceptionally long post!

Be well,

Sheila