Love Blooms In Me

Icey and Cold

It looks so pretty outside. The sun has finally returned to Dallas, but there is a sheet of ice covering EVERYTHING! My car, the lawn, and even my newspaper had ice on it. Maybe I should say my newspaper was ice! Barry went to work early today in hopes of beating the crazy drivers out there. Not that they will get many people shopping at WalMart at this hour of the morning, but they want to be ready for any nuts that have to brave the ice!

I've created a few cards in the last few days, but my MOJO seems to have frozen right along with the weather.

 

This pretty is based almost on Mercy's sketch from last week. It started out to be, but then I got carried away! It's a pretty card in person with lots of glitter. SU stamps & paper. I gotta move the Bella Rose paper off the desk. I just love the colors in it.

 

Speaking of moving, I need to move the Birdie set off my desk as well. This must be at least the tenth card I've made using this set. I like the nice clean lines of the set and it's so darn cute! SU stamps & Basic Grey paper.

Have a great day and please help with giving a $ if you can. Friends help Friends!

 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

I recently read a story in the paper about a young man who needed alot of money for a very good cause and decided to ask each of his friends for a dollar. In no time at all he had truly realized what the word friendship means. As you know Barry and I are really going through a hard time, but there are so many others in our community who are too. Today I'm asking for your help. This money will help a Mom who cares for children during the week and has a husband who was laid off work. If you enjoy coming to this blog, I'd like to ask you to give just ONE DOLLAR to help! Help Hands is a small group of neighbors just trying to make a difference in our neighborhood. No, we don't have a tax number, and no we aren't asking for a million dollars....just one from each of our friends!

CHECK OUT THE DONATE BOX ON THE RIGHT SIDE...PLEASE HELP!

 

I have got to put this package of paper away. It's just sitting on my desk and it keeps calling me. This time I used a SU set of stamps that's several years old. The Making Memories paper has so many different pretties, I find it hard to chose! The Hello is from an Owl set from Cornish Heritage Farms. See the ribbon? I found it in my stash from an RAK from several years ago. The perfect card finally came along!

Have a great day!

Happy Hellos

 

Love it? Just using some more of the yummy new paper from Making Memories. The buttons are also from the same collection. I think I could make at least 20 cards using the same paper. It might get a little dull, but then again, I made at least 20 cards using Bella Rose and have lots more of that paper too! The stamps are from 2 SU sets.

Nothing new from our house. I did get my new SU catalog last night. My GF bought it over. What a sweet girl! She also bought my new SU Scallop punch too. I used it on several cards today already.

 

Can you see the scollop's?

Enjoy the cards and stay warm!

Proud To Be An American

Today was such a special day for Americans. We have had a change of power. Peaceful changes. No wars to overthrow our government. An important election with the change today. It was a beautiful thing to see! I was glued to the TV a good part of the day. Didn't want to miss anything. I'm from Washington DC and I was so proud of our city and our new first family.

I can't get enough of this new Making Memories paper. It is so bright, fresh and springy looking. I thought I had "mislaid" this GinaK stamp while moving my things from room-to-room, but it appeared again. I love the way it turned out!

 

We had a fun time babysitting Madelyn this weekend. She's such a joy at 5. Yesterday we went to the movies. The big treat was the candy from Dollar Tree. There were so many choices! Nothing new in the "real" job market for Barry. I can't believe it's this bad. Barry keeps asking if I'm ok. I want to really say NO, but I don't want him to feel any worse then he does. The few jobs that he's seen open are still unfilled. I had hoped in the new year we would be turning a new page, but it doesn't seem like it's happening yet.

Well, I gotta go and see about something to eat for dinner. It's a frozen pizza dinner night. I've got to see the balls!

Hugs to all!

Did You Miss Me?

I know I took a week off from blogging, just to get myself back in gear. Did it work? Who knows! I've been busy working on different projects that needed to get done. I'm finishing up some samples for Hanna Stamps to show at CHA and filling some orders for cards and of course trying to stay warm! Yesterday Madelyn came to visit and we are babysitting tomorrow and Monday as well. What a crafter she is! Her Daddy is very creative as well.

 

 

Just some of the cards I've made this week. The first is from a new line of papers from Making Memories that I got at M's with my 40% coupon. They have matching buttons and a whole line of other pretties! The stamps are Stampin Up. The second card is using an uninked Hanna Stamp. Riley is out for a drive!! The verse is AMuse.

Have a super day and check back soon!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

So, we are big babies down in the South! We don't deal with cold weather every day and it's always a shock when it happens! Yesterday it was in the 80's and today is just down right cold! I had to go out this morning and buy a new tire for my car and the wind just whipped right through me. Now I'm home in my nice warm house and going to do some stamping. Maybe I should clean up the kitchen first and do some wash, but hey that should take no time at all---that's my problem. I don't have time for any of those things!

I did a little stamping yesterday even if Barry home all day. Today he's out at a convention until late this afternoon and so I have some time to work today. I'm hung up on this Bella Rose paper from SU. It's controlling me!

 

Isn't she darling? Inky Antics stamp and Bella Rose paper---a good thing! I wanted some polka dots on my heart brad so I just added some with a white gel pen.

 

I know I wasn't going to show any more frogs for a while, but this just followed me home! Who in their right mind won't want to have this little guy come home to them for Valentine's Day? Folks often ask about the inside of a card, so I'm going to show this one 'cause I think it came out perfect!

 

That's all there is today. Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm!

Hugs!

Can The Day Get Worse?

Those were the very words Barry spoke yesterday! That was after we had a nice big water leak all over the laundry room, kitchen, and dinning room. It seems like the pipe was backing up all the water into the house! Well $250 later, it was fixed! You'd think that would be enough trouble for one day, but NO, Barry had to speak out! I told NO don't say that, but sure enough he did and then last night the other shoe dropped! Instead of hitting a car that was coming at me, I hit the curb and hit my tire! Now I need to replace the tire and the wheel! My car will be sitting in the drive way for while until we can afford the next hundred dollars for that repair! Barry only works up the street, so I can drive him if I want a car. I do have to say Barry asked me if I was ok and I did let him know I was mentally burned out. NOT that he could or would even know what to do about that, but at least he listen.

He's off for the next two days, but tomorrow is the Lion's Mid-Winter Convention so that will keep him from under my feet for the day. I need to finish up a few cards I'm working on. I think Valentine's Day cards are going to be selling well this year. Folks only need one or two of those unlike needing so many Christmas cards. At least that's my hope.

I know I keep making the Frog card over and over again with a few twists, so this is the next one in that series of cards!

 

I've tried to make each a little special and the same can be said for this one. Bella Rose paper was used again and my Hero Arts stamps got a work out again. My bow was giving me a hard time about sticking so I added the flower under it and the glue seemed to stick a lot better. Who Knew!!

Have a wonderful day. Keep the Bloom's in your thoughts and hope that keeps us safe from ourselves!

Hugs!

It's Hump Day or....

The day before Barry's payday! After having him home sick with a cold yesterday, I'm ready for him to go back to work this afternoon! He wasn't a bad patient since he sleep alot of the day away, it was just that I wanted to join him in that! It was a very lazy day at our house!

 

I did mange to finish this fun Moose card in the morning and got it sold before 5! I love when customers come back for more! I think once they hold one of these cards and see how they really look up close, they want to come back for more! I used some Bella Rose SU paper and Hanna Stamps.

Gotta go back to making more cards. Valentine's Day will be here before we know it and then it's on to Easter!!

Have a wonderful day!

Wet, Rainy, & Cold

That's our weather down in Dallas today! Sounds like a good day to go back to bed and stay there. Too bad that's not happening today! I have a bunch of packages to mail out today from things I sold over the weekend on ebay and I sometimes do secret shopper work and today is one of those as well. I forgot I'd signed up or I would have skipped it altogether.

 

Today's card is Sophie dancing the day away! I always call these Hanna stamps, my happy place. Who can feel down with these faces looking back at you! I'm so excited about this company. The owner Kristi Ferro of Hanna Stampsis always so friendly and the best to work with! I have made samples before for her and I'm now waiting for some new stamps to come in the mail for samples of new products to be shown at CHA later this month! If you don't know about CHA, it's the LARGEST trade show around. You get to see all the new products before they hit the stores. The winter show is in LA and this year the summer show is going to be in Orlando.

The verse on the card is from Verve stamps. They are another company that makes the BEST stamps with verses. I can never have enough of those and each month Julie, the owner, out does herself! Before you ask yourself, NO, I don't work for any of these companies. I just love to use their products!!

Have a great day and try and stay warm and dry!!

New Year, New Beginning

I don't know about everyone, but I always feel with the new year it brings new hopes, new ideas, and new friends. We all can be reborn into something new and exciting, or just maybe a better person. It brings hope of a new wonderful job for Barry. Something that may actually pay the bills. It brings new hope of maybe joining another design team. One that I just MUST be in love with their products, and finally I hope it brings us the continuing joy of our children and grandchildren. Those are my wishes for a New Year!

We spent New Year's Eve with Larry and his family. We ate dinner and spend a few hours at their home and then made the long journey (1 Block) back to our home to see in the New Year. We made it until 11 our time. We saw the ball come down and spoke with our very good friends Hank, Laura, and their daughter Ronnie, and then fell back to sleep! A perfect evening! I can't believe we've either spent the evening with Hank & Laura or spoken to them on the phone for 30 years! Our DH's met on the CB radio all those many years ago and we became instant friends. Funny how much we had in common those days. Crafts, crafts, and some more crafts! You know all the good things.

I spoke with most of my family and friends or left messages on their phones for them. I wanted them to know I loved them all.

 

I love my Riley Moose stamps and always dig them out then I need a lift. They are my "feel good" stamps. How can you be sad or down when you look into those faces? The saying is from Verve. This card is based on a layout from SCS I saw. With a layout you can get some use out of those scraps I can't part with.

We're off to Logan's for dinner. We have gift certificates to use and thought it would be nice not to cook. I hope you all started the year off well!

Hugs and blessings for the New Year!