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Wednesday, October 31, 2018

My Last Cards from Card Kit Swap 2018


I'm in a Card Kit Swap Group on SCS along with eleven other women. Each month one of us is the recipient, which means all the other members send kits to that person. The recipient can give a wish list of sorts, if she chooses to do so. I was the recipient in August. 

This is what I requested:

August is a month that some people dread (students) and others look forward to (frazzled moms?) because it is when many schools begin again after taking the summer off. My daughter is a teacher (Special Ed in the Bush of Alaska, which means you can't drive to her village, you have to fly in). There are no stores there (other than one small local place to buy basic groceries). There are no restaurants. There are no movie theaters or other places to go for entertainment. But she loves her Eskimo students and village life! Since I can't see her often I try to send her lots of cards through the year. So... for my kits I would love it if you would send something that is "Brittney-friendly". What is Brittney-friendly, you ask? Good question. Brittney loves dogs! She. really. loves. dogs. She loves coffee! She also loves sushi, avocados, and cottage cheese (none of which she can get in her village.) She likes snow. She is a teacher (duh! I already said that, didn't I?) She loves God (so religious kits are okay, too). That's just a few things. If none of those fit your supplies, then just surprise me. I'm sure I can make a card with it to send to Brittney.

received eleven awesome kits. THANK YOU, LADIES!!!

I took the kits with me to the crafting retreat I attended not long ago and had so much fun creating a card with each one. I've already posted the first 8 cards here on my blog. You can find them HERE and HERE.



Carol's Kit
Image - Tim Holtz Crazy Dog






Darlene's Kit
Image - Hero Arts Be the Person






Linda's Kit
Image - Stampin' UP! You Dazzle Me





Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Personal Challenge 2018 - Week 44


This is the 44th week of my personal 50-week States of the Union Challenge. Each week I research one of the 50 United States (in the order they attained statehood). I share tidbits of information about the state here on my blog and I create a card that is inspired by something about that state.

This week's state (the 44th one to attain statehood) is...



Wyoming
Date of Statehood: July 10, 1890


Wyoming is the least populous state in the country, even though it’s the 10th largest by area.

The biggest city in Wyoming is smaller than the smallest city in California.

No state touches more other states than Wyoming.

Wyoming was originally going to be named West Dakota.

Wyoming is tied with New York and New Jersey for most y’s in its name.

You can still see wagon wheel ruts all over the state of Wyoming, dating back to the 19th century.


President Theodore Roosevelt declared Devils Tower the nation’s first National Monument as a part of the Antiquities Act of 1906.

All of the street signs in Wyoming are printed in both English and American Sign Language.

Wyoming may be landlocked, but it's still home to dozens of islands. There are 32 named islands within the state’s borders, most of which are located in Green River, Yellowstone Lake, and Jackson Lake.

The Red Dessert, in Wyoming, is a high altitude desert that is separated by the Continental Divide which also surrounds the desert on all sides. This creates a unique drainage basin that does not allow water to flow out of the desert naturally. Instead, the water must be absorbed or evaporated.


Within Yellowstone National Park a famous cone shaped geyser, named Old Faithful, it erupts about every 91 minutes.

The Wyoming territory became first in the nation to grant women over the age of 21 the right to vote in 1869. Historians believe that legislators passed the bill for several reasons, including a genuine conviction that women should have the same rights as men, a desire to attract new settlers to the territory by making it appear more modern, and because some legislators voted for it just to be able to say they did, believing (mistakenly) that the bill did not have enough traction to pass.

The country’s first female governor was also elected in Wyoming. After Nellie Tayloe Ross's husband, Governor William Bradford Ross, passed away, she was elected to finish his term. She served as the 14th governor of the state from 1925 to 1927, and was later appointed by FDR to serve as the director of the United States Mint.

Laramie County Library System is the oldest county library system in the United States. It was started in 1886.


Wyoming is home to the largest coal mine in the United States. It is called Black Thunder and is located near Wright, Wyoming.

Wyoming has more bronco-related festivals than any other state.


Residents of Wyoming are 14% more likely to have tried beef jerky than the average American.

The outlaw Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, a.k.a. The Sundance Kid, took his nickname from the town of Sundance, Wyoming, where he was jailed at the age of 15 for stealing a horse.

There are reportedly only two escalators in the entire state, and both are located in the town of Casper. Okay - now I have to admit I wonder about this one because it just seems too far-fetched to believe. Is it still true? I'd love for someone from Wyoming to either verify it or say no, there are now more escalators than that. 

James Cash Penney opened his first store on April 14, 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

The famous training scene from Rocky IV (which was supposed to be in the Soviet Union), was actually shot in Wyoming. The farm where Stallone trained was in Jackson Hole and some of the other outdoors shot were of the Grand Teton National Park.

On April 30, 2015, Laramie, Wyoming danced its way into the Guinness Book of World Records when 1184 swing dancers took to the floor of the University of Wyoming’s Fieldhouse at the same time.

This may very well be the strangest law-type of thing I've discovered about any state so far this year. Wyoming is the only state with the constitutional right to egg Colorado.

The Wyoming governor is legally obligated to pose with you for a picture if you ask politely.

All new buildings that cost over $100,000 to build must have 1% of funds spent on artwork for the building.

Any person who fails to close a fence is subject to a fine of up to seven hundred and fifty dollars.

It is illegal to wear a hat that obstructs people’s view in a public theater or place of amusement.

You may not take a picture of a rabbit from January to April without an official permit.

I decided to go with this bit of Wyoming information for my card's inspiration... In 2013, the tiny outpost of Buford, Wyoming—population one—was sold for $900,000 after its only resident decided to move away to be closer to his son. Pham Dinh Nguyen, a businessman from Vietnam, purchased the town in an online auction, and renamed it PhinDeli Town Buford, after the coffee brand he hoped to introduce to the area.






Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Stamp Set: North Coast Creations Warm My Heart stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Makrers

Papers: SU Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, and Natural 'ivory CS and Authentique Pioneer and Paper Studio Fall Leaves DP

Embellishments: Studio G Acrylic Leaves

Monday, October 29, 2018

Gallery Gazers Case #4


I opened a new blog group on SCS in July. There are five members (you can find the links to the members blogs in my left sidebar). The premise behind the Gallery Gazers blog group is we are card-makers with active blogs who also love to be inspired by the talents of others, specifically perusing the SCS gallery on a regular basis. We have a personal challenge to CASE a card we find in the gallery at some point during the month. 

Today's card is my 4th one as a Gallery Gazer CASE. To be honest, it is the first one that I've done that I've actually liked the card I made. Even though I loved the card I CASE'd, the other months I have been very disappointed my my card. (One out of four - eek! That's not very good odds, is it?)

Please go check out the card that I CASE'd this month. To see it in the SCS Gallery, go HERE. Her watermark says her name is Jeanne... so I assume it is. ;)

I did change my card up a bit... same "sketch/design" except I moved the embellishment and used three enamel dots instead of one larger embellishment like she did. My designer paper panel is larger than hers, too... because my image was so tall, I thought it needed to be. 


I love to travel!







Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Stamps: Stamping Bella Melinda Has a Map and SU Places You'll Go stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and 110# White CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Your Next Stamp Gum Drops

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Happy Hallo-Weenie!


In the past the SumMore Fun Challenges have been Mood Board Challenges and have lasted two weeks. Starting this week (the 26th, to be exact), the challenges will be theme-based and will last a month. You can find all the details on the SumMore Fun blog HERE.


The current theme is:
All Dressed Up


For my card I used the Raisin Boat (part of the Victorine Originals company) Canines in Costume stamp set. It is a clear stamp set and just way too cute!



Oh and something else... this is a 2-fer card, meaning it fits two purposes. The 28th is the day that the Challenge Your Stash group does our monthly challenge. This month Suzy is the hostess and she asked us to make any kind of Halloween card. This is mine.


Here's my card:







Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp Set: Victorine Originals/Raisin Boat Canines in Costume stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and 110# White and SU Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie CS and DP from the Paper Studio Trick or Treat Paper Pad

Embellishments: Hobby Lobby Washi Tape and Brads from an unknown vendor

Saturday, October 27, 2018

I Love Washi Tape


Washi tape is nearly the perfect product. It is easy to use. It's versatile (there are so many ways to use it)! It's colorful and fun! I even love the waxy feel of it!

Oh, and did I mention it's relatively inexpensive, so a person can own lots and lots of it without breaking the bank.

Yep. Washi Tape is nearly perfect... or to take words from Mary Poppins, it's "practically perfect in every way."

Have you figured out where the Washi Tape is on this card? (It's the red strips on the black and white striped designer paper.)

The Skinny Washi Tape actually fit perfectly on the white stripe, completely covering it... but I wanted a little bit of the white to show, so I offset it a little bit. I liked that look better.


Eyelet Outlet Products Used:

Even though I love Washi Tape, the inspiration for this card was actually the little Vacuum Sweeper brad. Isn't it funny how sometimes we start with one little thing and the idea just grows from there? (I hope it's not just me, anyway.) That's what happened with this card.

Now if I could just find as much enjoyment out of using the actual vacuum sitting in the closet. Oh well.


Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Eyelet Outlet ProductsSkinny Washi Tape and Vacuum and Broom Brads

Stamp Set: Sunny Studio That Sucks stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Papers: Recollections Black and White and SU Real Red CS and Paper Studio DP

Other Items: Baker's Twine, Ribbon, and Tag from unknown vendors

Friday, October 26, 2018

More Cards from Card Kit Swap 2018


I'm in a Card Kit Swap Group on SCS along with eleven other women. Each month one of us is the recipient, which means all the other members send kits to that person. The recipient can give a wish list of sorts, if she chooses to do so. I was the recipient in August. 

This is what I requested:

August is a month that some people dread (students) and others look forward to (frazzled moms?) because it is when many schools begin again after taking the summer off. My daughter is a teacher (Special Ed in the Bush of Alaska, which means you can't drive to her village, you have to fly in). There are no stores there (other than one small local place to buy basic groceries). There are no restaurants. There are no movie theaters or other places to go for entertainment. But she loves her Eskimo students and village life! Since I can't see her often I try to send her lots of cards through the year. So... for my kits I would love it if you would send something that is "Brittney-friendly". What is Brittney-friendly, you ask? Good question. Brittney loves dogs! She. really. loves. dogs. She loves coffee! She also loves sushi, avocados, and cottage cheese (none of which she can get in her village.) She likes snow. She is a teacher (duh! I already said that, didn't I?) She loves God (so religious kits are okay, too). That's just a few things. If none of those fit your supplies, then just surprise me. I'm sure I can make a card with it to send to Brittney.

received eleven awesome kits. THANK YOU, LADIES!!!

I took the kits with me to the crafting retreat I attended not long ago and had so much fun creating a card with each one. I've already posted the first 8 cards here on my blog. You can find them HERE.

Today I have four more cards to show you.


Terry A's Kit

Image - Sunny Studio Mug Hugs




Barb's Kit 

Image - Whipper Snapper Triple Dog Dare




Kelly's Kit
Image - CC Designs Latte Sue




Emily's Kit

Image - The Greeting Farm  Pumpkin Spice It Up Anya




Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Snow Is Fine with Me



I've been fighting allergies for over a week now and truthfully, I am so ready for it to be over. Don't get me wrong. I love - LOVE the fall colors and the loverly temperatures of this season - but I'm also ready for the farmer's harvest to be over so I can feel better. LOL! 

To take my mind off of it while I stayed inside my closed up home as much as possible, I decided to think of winter snows. 


Yep. A girl does what a girl has to do.

And The Project Bin helped... because they have a cute Cute CUTE winter/snowy stamp set! It's called North Pole

I'm pretty sure you're going to be seeing a lot of it in the next couple of months... come on winter!




Let It Snow!
I'll be inside making cards.




I stamped with Memento Paris Dusk Ink - which is a pretty blue, almost navy. But I wanted some sparkle so I used a bottle of Stickles Glitter Glue that I recently purchased - Twinkle. WOW! It's true to its name... it DOES twinkle. And it adds a nice blue cast to the snowflakes, too. Oh, and I also added some of the Stickles to the snowflake brad because it needed to sparkle, too.






Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Stamp Set: The Project Bin North Pole stamped with Memento Paris Dusk Ink

Papers: Recollections 110# White and SU Lovely Lilac and Night of Navy CS and DP and Vellum from my scrap file

Embellishments: Paper Studio Snowflake Brad and Stickles Twinkle Glitter Glue

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

First Cards from Card Kit Swap 2018


I'm in a Card Kit Swap Group on SCS along with eleven other women. Each month one of us is the recipient, which means all the other members send kits to that person. The recipient can give a wish list of sorts, if she chooses to do so. I was the recipient in August. 

This is what I requested:

August is a month that some people dread (students) and others look forward to (frazzled moms?) because it is when many schools begin again after taking the summer off. My daughter is a teacher (Special Ed in the Bush of Alaska, which means you can't drive to her village, you have to fly in). There are no stores there (other than one small local place to buy basic groceries). There are no restaurants. There are no movie theaters or other places to go for entertainment. But she loves her Eskimo students and village life! Since I can't see her often I try to send her lots of cards through the year. So... for my kits I would love it if you would send something that is "Brittney-friendly". What is Brittney-friendly, you ask? Good question. Brittney loves dogs! She. really. loves. dogs. She loves coffee! She also loves sushi, avocados, and cottage cheese (none of which she can get in her village.) She likes snow. She is a teacher (duh! I already said that, didn't I?) She loves God (so religious kits are okay, too). That's just a few things. If none of those fit your supplies, then just surprise me. I'm sure I can make a card with it to send to Brittney.

received eleven awesome kits. THANK YOU, LADIES!!!

I took the kits with me to the crafting retreat I attended not long ago and had so much fun creating a card with each one. Half of them are in this blog post and the other half will be on my blog later this month.




Terry L's Kit 
Image - Mama Elephant The Dog's Woof
Sentiment - Stampendous Dog Sayings






Terry S's Kit
Image - Penny Black Dressed Up






Sue's Kit
No Manufacturer Information






Tracie's Kit
Image - Newton's Nook Hedgehog Hollow








Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Praying for the Harvest


Each month, Julie, the hostess of the Bible Art Journaling group on SCS, gives us a theme for some Bible Journaling. This month's theme was a bit challenging for me. I'm not sure why. It's a great theme. I just couldn't seem to wrap my mind around it.

This is what Julie told us...

For October, the theme will be the Feasts/Offerings or Harvest.  

I know that most of the feasts/offerings are located in the OT but there are a few verses in the NT and of course, Harvest can mean several different things...I think of the actual harvest but also Matthew 9:37 "Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few;" (ESV)


So, I thought and thought... and thought some more. I searched Scripture, looked through stamps I own.... nothing!

Time was running out. So I went with it. I chose my most favorite Bible verses about harvest... When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." (Matthew 9:36-38) 

I love those verses!!!

Then I made a BIG mistake. I decided since I didn't really  have stamps and such that jumped out at me, I'd try my hand at more of the mixed media look. I know better than to do that. I love it when other people do it, but I do not like it when I try it. My attempts just look messy... because they ARE messy. UGH! Whatever possessed me to try this?

First I prepped my page with eggshell-colored acrylic paint and then I added splotches of red. After it dried, I added some black paint. I thought those colors (and the messiness) would represent the darkness of sin and lives needing Christ. The red was to represent the blood of Christ.

Yep, it didn't work for me. It just looks MESSY!


I added two little sheep without a shepherd and praying hands to represent that we are to pray for workers for the harvest.

I used letter stickers to add the word Harvest to the right side:




Those two little hexagons on the hands say "Seek God" 
which I thought was very fitting.



I actually thought about hiding this page and letting no one - NO ONE - not even Julie - see my poor attempt. But then I remembered, Bible Journaling is not about the finished project. It's about the process and how it leads us closer to God's Word. 



Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp Sets: Stampin' UP! Praying Hands and The Gift of Love stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Page Prep: Master's Touch Acrylic Paint

Accessories: Illustrated Faith Apple of My Eye Mini Hexies and Letter Stickers and Washi Tape from an unknown vendor

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Personal Challenge 2018 - Week 43


This is the 43rd week of my personal 50-week States of the Union Challenge. Each week I research one of the 50 United States (in the order they attained statehood). I share tidbits of information about the state here on my blog and I create a card that is inspired by something about that state.

This week's state (the 43rd one to attain statehood) is...


Idaho
Date of Statehood: July 3, 1890


Idaho's combined wilderness is over 4.7 million acres, which is greater than the US's three smallest states combined. A whopping 63 percent of the state is considered public land.

The total length of Idaho's rivers and waterways (over 107,000 miles) could stretch across the US thirty-eight times.

Idaho's State Capitol Building is the only one in the U.S. heated by geothermal energy. The heat comes from hot springs located 3,000 feet underground.

Boise Idaho is the state + capital spelling with the fewest number of letters possible.

Shortly after Idaho gained statehood in 1890, its governor decided it was time for a new state seal. The First Legislature for the State of Idaho held a national competition with a $100 prize that would be awarded to the best design. Artists from all over the country entered, but it was Emma Edwards, a recent Boise transplant and art teacher, whose painting of a male miner and a female goddess, signifying freedom and suffrage, won the competition to become the official State Seal in 1891. It is the only state seal in the U.S. designed by a woman. 

Idaho has a nearly perfect 1:1 ratio of men and women.

Idaho is home to the highest navigable river in the world. The river is called St Joe River, and it flows from an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet.

Most people think the Grand Canyon is the deepest canyon in the US. Wrong. Northern Idaho’s Hells Canyon is the deepest river-carved canyon on the continent — the Snake River that runs through it sits 8,000 feet below the east rim at its highest point. That makes it about 2,000 feet deeper than Arizona’s showpiece. Coming in a hot second is Idaho’s Salmon River Gorge, where the granite walls rise 7,000 feet above the valley floor.

Heaven’s Gate Lookout, in Idaho, is a location where you can see Washington, Montana, and even Oregon

The state grows nearly one/third of America’s potatoes. 

The word “potato” was first used in the state’s license plate back in 1928,and the state has not looked back since.

Idaho's most famous crop (the potato) isn't native to the area. The first potato in America was actually planted in New Hampshire, in 1719. A missionary named Henry Harmon Spalding brought the potato to Lapwai, Idaho, in 1836 to teach the Nez Perce tribe how to grow their own food. They were the first to cultivate and sell spuds in the area.

The Lake Coeur d’Alene boardwalk is 3,300 feet long and is known as the longest boardwalk in the world. This is definitely for all those who love to walk by the beach.

Idaho is home to the Niagara of the West. Yes, those who want to experience something like Niagara Falls could check out Shoshone Falls with its 212-foot drop.

Thirteen U.S. states are split into two time zones, and Idaho's one of them. The majority of the state's area and population fall under Mountain Time. The area above the Salmon River is part of the Pacific Time Zone.

The state horse, the Appaloosa, was brought over by the Spaniards in the 1700s and embraced by the Nez Perce tribe. Settlers called the spotted equines "Palouse horses" after the Palouse River, and the name stuck.

In 1936, a Swiss engineer brought the world’s first aerial chairlift to Sun Valley, Idaho, at the same time that a four-story ski lodge was built. And thus, the country’s first destination ski resort was born. While the original chairlift is no longer in operation, Sun Valley is still one of America’s premier ski mountains and a homebase for dozens of Olympic skiers and snowboarders. And, true to its name, it gets 250 days of sun per year.

Someone paid $600,000 for a bull from Idaho. This was the most expensive bull ever sold. The cost was high because the Hereford bull weighed 1,410, and its lineage was impeccable.

If you're dog tired and traveling through Cottonwood, Idaho, you can spend the night at Dog Bark Park Inn, a bed and breakfast shaped like a giant beagle.

Who needs the ball drop in Times Square when you have a giant potato falling from the sky in downtown Boise? The Idaho Potato Drop attracted nearly 80,000 people in 2014 with a bustling block party featuring local musicians, a beer garden, food trucks, and, well…a 17 foot potato for the countdown.

Idaho actually holds a strange little Guinness World Record for a maze. Yes, the state is known for the longest straw bale maze, which is in Rupert.

This state offers the longest gondola ride in the world, so strap in and enjoy nature from above. The gondola is in the Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg.

A mayor seemed to have a strange adoration for his small town in Idaho. He declared that Wallace, with a population of 800 people, was the Center of the Universe. A manhole cover was made to mark this declaration and the place he said was the center.

It might sound a little strange, but it is against Idaho law for a man to give his beloved a box of sweets that weighs more than 50 pounds.

People really love to smile in Pocatello, Idaho. This obsession with smiles went so far that it became a law. Yes, it is illegal not to smile in public in this little region of the state.

It is illegal for a person to fish while they are riding the back of a camel. 

A person cannot sweep dirt from his or her house into the street. This is a law in Eagle, Idaho where cleanliness is definitely valued by the people in the city.

I decided to go with this bit of Idaho information for my card's inspiration... The 485,000-acre Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area was set aside in 1993 to protect the habitat of the densest concentration of large nesting birds in North America. Every spring, over 800 pairs of raptors — including hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons — flock to the Snake River plateau to mate; the crags and crannies of the Snake River gorge provide the perfect place for raptors to guard their young.





Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Stamp: Woodware Patch Owl stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and cut with Scan N Cut

Papers: Recollections Black and 110# White and SU Ballet Blue CS and DP from AMuse Studio (I punched the leaves out with a SU punch)

Embellishment: Heart-shaped Brad from an unknown vendor