Free Goodies

Lucky me!  I posted on Simon Says Stamp blog a card for a challenge to use patterned paper and was randomly chosen to receive a goodie bag.  Inside the box were the items shown here:  6" coordinating patterned paper with matching 8 1/2 x 11" cardstock, a set of clear stamps, black and white baker's twine, three buttons, a set of small black alpha stickers, a circular embellishment and a sheet of card designs.  There was also a little "green apple" lollypop.  What's not to like?  What I submitted was one of my Prima doll tags with the dress cut from two patterned papers.

More Glazing

I made another trip to Angelo's to glaze another bowl and was very pleased with the result.  The inside looks pretty much like the outside but next time I'm going to try something a little different.  Stay tuned.

No More Stamping For Me

Just kidding!  But Judy, Alison and I really enjoyed our time at Angelo's where we glazed a bowl.  It was a big surprise when we picked them up a week later because you don't know exactly what you'll get.  But we were all quite successful and very pleased.  Then we saw some glass pendants and, of course, we now have to give that a try.  With breakfast or lunch to add to the outing, it's a really fun time with friends.

Let's Party!

I just completed the invitations for our granddaughter's 10th birthday party.  It's a "cosmic bowling" party so neon colors were a must.  (Black lights create the neon colors as they bowl).  Fortunately I found a pack of small-sized cardstock at Michaels since my supply is packed.  I put a score sheet on the back (download from the internet) and cut the bowling pin and ball by hand.  The band around the pin is narrow washi tape.  The invitation folds at the top and the second photo shows the top of the inside.  The orange blast was cut by hand (I'm really missing my electronic cutter these days) and the letters were die cut.  I sprinkled sequins throughout the invitation.  The bottom inside contains the details about the party and was printed in black on my computer.  I put three bands of washi tape on the envelope from the label to the outside of the envelope.  I thought that set the mood pretty well and it should have been bright enough to grab the attention of the invited guests.  Let the fun begin!

At the bookstore I found:

A layout and a color scheme

Thanks to a GED preparation book I had a new layout and a color combination that I wouldn't ordinarily use.  I spent way more time on this layout that it deserved and I found that without the white text it was difficult to get a balance.  When it's time to use the card, I think I'll try adding some sort of white at the bottom of the green panel.  It may be in the form of a banner or maybe stamped and white embossed directly.  I'll go with what seems right at the time.  While it wasn't as successful an experiment as I hoped, it's still a good design and I stepped outside my box.

A Color Combination

At the bookstore I found:

A color combination

Thanks to "A Treasury For One Year Olds" I had a color combination.  Unfortunately my photo colors aren't very exact to the cardstock and I wasn't able to fix it.  The dark piece is much bluer than the photo shows.  The labels are die cut and the light blue one is folder embossed.  The butterfly was embossed in bold and cut by hand.

Layout From Book Cover

At the bookstore I discovered:

Layouts for cards

The photo is pretty lousy but I wasn't after great photography at the time.  I merely wanted to record ideas.  The first card (upper right) is a pretty literal translation of the design in color and layout except that I changed the orientation. And I spiced it up with some flowers. The second card (lower right) is pretty much the same layout but entirely different colors. With all the patterns in the paper, I didn't think it needed much embellishment.  I die cut the banner for the text to add a bit of dimension.  Black strips between the panels were added after the panels were in place and they covered a multitude of sins.

Painted Man

At the bookstore I found;

People

There's something known as "street photography" where you "shoot from the hip" as you walk amongst a crowd--you shoot without bringing the camera to eye level.  At least that's a simple definition.  That's not exactly what I did here but it sort of is.  This gentleman was a good subject.  I added some filters to him and then blended a couple of textures to the background.  I thought the end result looked like a painting which I thought was a good outcome.  If you see me coming, better step aside.

Color Everywhere

Another thing I found at the bookstore was color--lots of color.  Color everywhere but especially in the children's section although this collection wasn't in the children's section.  We are most fortunate that printers can handle so many colors and do it well.  Can you imagine books in just black and white?!  Even newspapers have color.

Book Inspired Label Card

 The photo on the left is the front of a book that inspired the card on the right.  It consists of two vertical panels for the background and a wider horizontal panel on top of that.  Two circles were adhered to the center. I added lace and narrow satin ribbon before adding the flower which was die cut and punched.  I had the thought that a die cut label in place of the focal point would be easier but I wanted to stay with a more exact translation of the book.

Dummies Everywhere

From all of the "Dummies" books I saw on the shelves at the bookstore I had the thought that we are a nation of dummies.  But that's not really true, of course.  The instructions are written in a simple, understandable manner to assist those who are self-taught.  I'd be the first to admit that I have purchased a Dummie book but it certainly was not to learn calculus.  My mind is too full of other stuff to have room for that.  I think it was probably a book on digital photography.  These books are in many sections of the store so if you want to learn something, go on a little search.

Book Inspired Hexagon

The photo on the left is a book of Classic American Short Stories that I saw at Barnes & Nobel.  I used it as inpiration to make the card shown on the right.  Initially I was going to use the same colors but I really didn't care for them so went with my current purple mode.  I wasn't crazy about the "bull's eye" look so the smaller hexagons were offset from the center. The background was folder embossed and the hearts were die cut.  I used both lace and narrow satin ribbon for the center division.  The white hexagon is popped up for some dimension.

Be Happy

While at the bookstore I found:

14,000 Things To Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer

I didn't even open it but I was glad she found so much to be happy about.  And I figured I should be able to find at least 10 things to be happy about so here goes:

sparkling fresh snow
dazzling, dripping icicles
a warm woolen coat
mittens
hot cocoa
homemade soup
good health
a new flower punch board (coming to stores in April)
sunshine
freedom to make my own choices

A Visit To The Bookstore

I made a trip to the bookstore.  We had to go somewhere because our house was being shown and Barnes & Nobel seemed a good choice.  We enjoyed a drink at the Starbucks portion of the store and while I consumed mine I lost three games of solitaire on my phone.
Then I went exploring and I'll be posting some of the things I found.

Since my reading is done almost 100 percent digitally, I wasn't really looking to buy a book but I still find "real" printed books to be interesting and I hope there is always a bookstore to be found.   I found one of my favorite authors, John Grisham.  I think I've read all of his books and I'm always surprised by the variety of his plots.  And some of them translated really well to movies, too.  I hope he keeps writing.

Slug Bug!

Yes, I am being literal here.  Our granddaughter's class is studying slugs and since it is a three-day weekend for them, the slug habitats had to go home so they could be cared for.  She is watching over two--Beethoven III and Rocky--and has to keep the habitat moist using a spray bottle.  She also has to make sure they have food such as lettuce, spinach and strawberries.  I'm not a big fan of slugs but I think it's good that the kids are learning an appreciation for them and getting to know more about them.  And here's an interesting side note--the boys at our granddaughter's table wouldn't pick them up because they were too slimy but she reached right in and handled one so they could get a close look.  And another nice aspect of the project, the kids gathered the slugs in their yards.  Now that's up close and personal.

Up To NewTricks

Our grandson has a new interest in cards--the showy stuff like shuffles more than tricks.  But he is learning some pretty amazing tricks, too.  He has watched tutorials online and picked it up from there and last evening he spent a couple of hours preparing tutorials to teach others.  It's nice to see him occupied with something that's not electronic.  And he is spending hours, literally, learning these new skills.

Close To Home

We travel for two days and found a touch of home had followed us.  Two Leaves And A Bud Tea comes from Aspen, CO,  about 100 miles from our house.  We found it at the wonderful La Provence Bakery where we visit every visit to OR.  I know of no better place to find authentic, delicious French pastries.  I haven't tried all of them yet, but I'm working on it--one at a time of course.

This Sums It Up

Although we got through three outdoor soccer games without getting too wet this weekend, it did sprinkle on us a bit.  I thought this photo pretty well summed up the current season and locale--beautiful, brightly colored leaves and a mud puddle.  There are both oak and maple which provides contrast to the color.  And, best of all--I don't have to rake any leaves while we are in OR.

Extremes

Most of our travel on the interstate highway system is posted for 75 miles an hour as the speed limit and that feels comfortable and "normal."  Something new in the northern UT area was a posted limit of 80!  We were quite surprised.  I wasn't driving through that section but my husband thought it felt a bit uncomfortable, though he seemed to adjust quite nicely.

Before too long we were back at the posted 75.  And then we hit OR and a posting of 65!  That seems like we are crawling at a snail's pace.  But it's the law and we slow down.  And we try to think about something besides how much longer it will take us to go the last 300 or so miles.  And we get here--safe and sound and none the worse for taking it easy.

Those Were The Days

Who remembers poodle skirts?!  This is just a small part of vintage things displayed on the walls of the Main Street Cafe in Grand Junction.  It's definitely a step back in time as soon as you first walk in the door and I found that memories came flooding back.  The food is good, too.