Snow...

This is what I woke up to today in Hutchinson, MN. The trees are also beautiful!

My blog - my thoughts...

This is my blog and I am entitled to write about whatever I want...so if someone happens to stumble upon today's post and doesn't agree with it - so be it! I'm really ashamed at how many people are saying that every person who voted for Obama is stupid. We are Americans, and with that comes the right to vote for whoever we feel is the best person to become the next President. We all had the chance to listen to the debates on T.V. and to decide who to vote for. Just because some people thought one candidate was better than the other doesn't mean that they are stupid. Several blogs are saying that the people that voted for Obama only voted for him because he became a celebrity, that they didn't do research on him, etc....what??? Others are saying that they wish they could move to another Country. Come on people!!! I'm sure that if McCain would have won, there would be people saying the same things about the people who voted for him. But why? Why do people have to say anything about who you voted for? What makes one persons view better than the next persons? I for one am hopeful that the next 4 years will be good ones, I am NOT going to spend the next 4 years crying over who won the election and I for sure am not going to be telling people that they were stupid for voting for who they did. Get over it!!!

MSUM knit hat

I knit this hat for my son who attends Minnesota State University of Moorhead. He wanted a hat in the school's colors. It's knit from 100% wool.

I broke my crop-a-dile!

I haven't used my cropidle more than maybe 10 times. Last night I wanted to add some holes to a thin leather dog collar. I tried punching through it with the large hole first and snap!...it broke it into 2 pieces (shown in picture below)


Since it was broke, I thought I'd might as well try the smaller hole and crack...it broke, but not completly off. (Shown in picture below)



Now this makes me one unhappy person! It states right in their directions that it is ideal for paper, tin, fabric, LEATHER, chipwood, wood, plastic, acrylic, and poly!

* UPDATE: I contacted customer service and they said they would mail me a replacement crop-a-dile. Now that's awesome service!

What a difference...

In with the new....

Out with the old (and UGLY!).
What a difference new light fixtures can do to a room!

hat and scarf set

Here is a hat and scarf set that I made to go with my black dress coat. You can't really see in the photo but the hat has ribbing around the bottom edge. I can't wait to wear it!

Avery's 1st live retrieve

I just had to take a picture of Avery's first live retrieve....he was SO proud!

Christmas presents in October

I'm starting to think about Christmas Presents a bit earlier than normal. I've decided to knit hats for my Daycare children this year. This is the first of 8 that I need to make. This one will be what I'm making for the 3 little girls ages 6 months - 14 months. In the photo it looks as if my rows do not line up, in reality they do. I think it's because of the fact that the hat is down flat on the table so it puckered a bit, and because of the pattern of the yarn. I will be giving the children their hats along with some sort of handmade ornament that I will make for them. Enjoy your day!!!

Knit Beanie

Here is a picture of my very first knit beanie hat. My son wanted me to make one for him and I think it turned out really nice. He liked it and wore it back to college. I'm now in the process of knitting one for my oldest son.

pocket b-day card

My teenage Niece celebrated her b-day this week and this is the card that I made for her. Like most teens, she prefers MONEY so she can buy clothes so I wanted a card that would hold the money in a fun way.

I decided to use my sizzix pocket die. Then to make it look like it's the pocket on a pair of jeans, I thought a tag on the pocket would help. On the tag I printed her name. I couldn't find the right shade of blue cs so I took a light blue cs and streaked white chalk in onto it...I like how it turned out - kind of like the worn jeans look that's so popular right now. Added 2 brads to the pocket and it's done. Oh, the patterned paper also has glitter on it which looks pretty cool!

domino necklace

I made a bunch of domino necklaces a few years ago and was asked to show an example of them. This is the only one that I still have. Sorry the one picture is side-ways! Shellie

Big Sister card

I made this card to give to a 2 year old girl who just turned into a big sister! The stamps are by PTI.

Here is the close up of the charm made using shrink plastic.

No more lost stamps!

If you are anything like me, then you have probably misplaced a clear stamp somewhere amongst the mess on your work table. They can be hard to find because after all they are "clear". hee hee Well no more...I put some decorative paper into a picture frame and now as soon as I'm done using a stamp, it goes onto the glass of the frame until I'm ready to put them back in their cd cases. I can change out the background paper to match the seasons.

baby girl card

I needed to make some baby cards and wanted to use the set "out on a limb" by PTI. I went to the PTI website to look at the cards in their gallery and found one that I thought would work. So, here is my version of the card that I saw. I used a different saying, and printed it from my computer. I also didn't have the right color of ribbon so I made my ribbon by stamping a ribbon stamp in green ink onto green cs, then cutting it out to look like ribbon. I like how it turned out. Now to make one in blue.

baby onsie bouquet

Lauren Meader showed us on her blog http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/04/08/onesie-bouquet-for-a-boy/ how to make these cute little onsie bouquets. Mine didn't turn out as cute as hers but I had fun making it! I'll add a bow, etc once the baby is born and I know if it's a girl or a boy.
And here is a close up.

one of a kind with pearls added

Here is the flower card again...with pearls added to the middle of each flower.

gift box and card

Today I want to share with you a gift box and card that I made. I started with a nugget tin and filled it with paper flowers. I then added the band of cs around the tin to hold it shut. Embellished it with ric rac and added the scallop punched circle and flower.


Here is the matching card that I made to go with the gift. The pink and brown patterned paper is from the DCWV Spring collection. The thank you stamps are by PTI.
And here is the gift and card assembled. It was fun to make and I think it will make a cute gift!

One of a kind...

If you are anything like me, you have bottles and bottles of the "got flowers" or a similar brand. I just had to have ALL of them, but find that I seldom use them. So I thought I'd try to start putting a dent in the ones that I have. For this card I used 12 flowers! The inside reads "you're one of a kind". I used some vintage Rick Rack to tie the card shut.

flower cards...

I just love the colors brown and pink together! If I had it my way, my bedroom/bathroom would be done in this color combo - but my DH won't go for it. When I saw a card that my online friend Jody made, I knew I would have to case it. Here are 2 cards that I made. I used a faux ric rac stamp instead of ribbon, and I also used the "brides" flowers (which I colored pink) instead of stamping the flowers. Such a quick and cute card.

Lindy's card

My new online friend, Lindy from Gingerwood, sent me this nice card. She was nice enought to share with me some of her "Brides" flowers that she bought. Thanks Lindy!
Note: The pearl brad that Lindy used for the center of this flower is also from the new "brides" collection found at Michaels stores.

another b-day card...

My friend Kimber stamped this card for me. I LOVE this saying! The inside says "And on my b-day YOU must say that I look Marvelous!"

On this Day...

On this day, 39 years ago at 12:59 PM a little girl was born. She weighed 9# 5 oz and was 21.5 " long. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Birthday card from Tena...

I received this Birthday card from a new online friend - Tena from Minnesota. Isn't it darling? Thanks Tena!
p.s. The black is not part of the card, it was the backdrop for the picture.

Easter cards...

Someone had wanted ideas for Easter cards - so here are 2 that i made last year.

valentine cake

Here is my 20 year old son decorating the heart cake that he made for his girlfriend yesterday for Valentine's Day. He did a really nice job on it!

And here is the finished cake. What a guy!

valentine card...

I made 2 of these cards to give to my 2 boys. I didn't want anything frilly, etc since they are 18 and 20 years old. I got this idea from someone on the Gingerwood board and think it's perfect! The words are all PTI stamps. Not sure who makes the heart stamp. The scan looks a bit off....the cs is PTI's bright white, the black lines really are straight in real life, and the card is not bowed like it looks in the scan. If anyone has any tips for me as to how to take pictures of cards, please let me know. I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

valentine treat and pail

Here is the 3rd and last valentine treat that I made. I bought a ton of these little glass bottles for 2 cents a piece. All I did for this project was wrapped the ribbon around the cap.
And here are the 3 treats in the pail. I think the children will love these!

How Sweet...

My 20 year old son asked me last night if he could use my stamps and craft supplies to make a valentine's card for his girlfriend. I of course said yes. Here is the card that he made - I think it's pretty sweet and I hope she thinks so too. He is also baking her a heart cake and will be decorating it with homemade frosting. What a romantic.

I am awarded the Bitch Badge...

Bitch of the West awarded me a bitch badge and after the last couple of days that I've had, I truely believe that I earned this badge! I have been trying to remove an ugly trojan from my computer that was popping up all kinds of nasty stuff onto my computer. I am happy to report that I think I have it taken care of now. But it sure did make for an ugly couple of days! I really wish the people who are behind the trojans, worms, and virus's would do something more useful with their lives!

Easter Eggs...

I know it's a little early to be posting Easter projects but after seeing the egg box that Papertreyink is coming out with this month, I thought I would share these eggs I made a couple of years ago. I found some cute flower trim at Walmart, and I cut it so I had a bunch of single flowers. Then I just took glue dots and stuck them onto a white clean egg. Wouldn't these make a nice Easter gift paired with a decorated egg box?

with stems

Wow, what a difference 3 little stems can make! I'm so glad I added them as an after thought. The card just didn't look right to me until now.

Just because card

There was talk on the Gingerwood board about cuttlebugging just the top portion of a card. I couldn't figure out how that could possibly be done. One person said that she cuttlebugged on a seperate piece of white paper, cut it out, and taped it onto a white card base. Then someone else showed us just how to do it on the actual card front itself. So I had to try for myself and this is the card I came up with. All stamps are PTI.

reasons for reading my blog...

I am always curious as to what things make people want to come back to blogs. So I'm asking my readers what it is that keeps you coming back to my blog.

Is it:
#1. You know who I am and want to see what I'm up to?
#2. You came across my blog and like looking at my crafty things?
#3. You come here only in hopes that you will find that I'm giving blog candy away?
#4. You have no idea what makes you come back again and again.
#5. This is the first time you've visited my blog, but you like what you see and will visit again.
#6. This is the first time you've visited my blog, and you don't think you will be back.....(please tell me why?).

Also, If you have any suggestions for my blog, feel free to tell me about them.

Birthday card

Today I am sharing a card that I made this summer. It was made for my oldest son's 20th birthday. I ran the background through my CB and then sponged ink onto it. I like how it kind of looks like leather. The tag was made using a CB die and I printed the info onto it with my printer. The white part of the tag wasn't on the card, I just erased his birth date for this posting.

rice krispie treat...

Here is another very simple treat I will be giving my daycare children for Valentine's Day. The colors in the picture are a bit off - still trying to figure out the best setting on my camera.

Treat bags...

This is a really simple treat bag that I will be giving my daycare children, along with some other treats, for Valentine's Day. The hearts are from a studio G set and the words are PTI.

set of cards

These are some cards that I made awhile back. I found the colored tags at Target in the stationary section. I painted the flowers with R.P's - remember those little jars of rp's that we all just "HAD" to have? How many of you use them anymore? To be honest, I had forgotten that I even had them so I figured I'd use them for these cards.

What's in a name?

As I was checking out blogs, I came across this cool place that tells you what your name means. You can go here http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyournameshiddenmeaningquiz/ if you are curious as to what your hidden meaning is behind your name. I used my maiden name since that is what was given to me at birth. Here is what it had to say about me. For those of you that know me...do you think it's pretty much "right on"? Most of it rings pretty true.



You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily.You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind.A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable.You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out.Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia.Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip.People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

Retro lampshade...

Is this not a cool lampshade or what?! I just LOVE walking through second hand stores - you never know what you are going to find. Well, when I saw this lampshade I thought it would go perfect in my stamp room with my funky watercolored bird pictures. I was so excited to get home and put my new funky shade on my old lamp, only to be dissapointed because it doesn't work with my lamp :( I don't even think they make the lamps anymore that these shades are designed for. Well guess what? It's not going to stop me from using this in my stamp room. I'm going to make it into a candle chandeleir! Check back in a few days to see how it turns out!