Masculine cards . . .

Hello my friends!

I hope you're having a fabulous week!

I have SO MUCH to do in my cave between my DT obligations and getting enough cards/goodies ready for yet another show coming up on the 21st but instead I've been having fun and enjoying a surprise visit from crafting friends who popped in from Illinois (more on that at the end of this post!).

Oh, and for those of you who have asked ... last weekend's craft show at our local high school was FABULOUS!  I sold LOTS of just about everything ... cards, tissue box covers, Hershey pouches, Nugget boxes, Emery Board covers ... yep it was AWESOME!!!

Now, even though I've been playing outside my cave,  I did take time to create some much needed MASCULINE cards for my stash the other day and thought I'd share a few with you today.  I always get such a great response from cards I've created using my Stampscapes Stamps and I think they are the perfect images for the guys.  At last week's show I actually had a compliment on the fabulous array of masculine Birthday cards I offer ... but was asked to make more masculine GET WELL cards too since they are so hard to find!

These cards really didn't take me any time at all!  That's just one of the things about Stampscapes that I LOVE!  You can create a scene so quickly ... looks so complex but it's really so easy! 

 I've had this big stack of 6x6 Stampin' Up papers that one of my SU suppliers was selling for $5 a pack a few years back and I had totally forgotten about them.  Several I thought would work great for today's cards and since they are double sided, I simply scored and folded the back side forward to create my coordinating decorative panel.

A few challenges to share in are:

Craft a Scene Challenge - Trees, Trees, Trees

Inspiration Destination Challenge #6 - Anything Goes

Little Red Wagon Challenge #262 - Home is Where Your Heart Is

The Male Room Challenge #22 - Wood

Paper Shelter Challenge #181 - For the Man in your Life

NOW ABOUT MY CRAFTING ABSENCE!!

Yep ... crafting friend Bette Henson [on the left] (one of the ladies I met at Joan's Gardens workshops out in Indiana several years ago) surprised me with making a trip to Ohio along with her good friend Sharri.  Their actual destination was Amish Country (southern Ohio) but 'since they were in my neck of the woods', took the time to come visit my home, meet the hubby and do dinner together.  

 That was on Monday and they were headed to Berlin, Ohio for the remainder of the week to take in the Amish sights.  THEN ... a text invitation on Tuesday led me down to link up with the ladies once again for a day of unique experiences and fun!  Here's a few peeks at our day:

 Yes, the Amish were out if large numbers for today's auction of Hay, Livestock, Fresh Produce as well as the Flea Market.

Here's Sharri and Bette waiting for the Livestock Auction to being.  Under advice from the guys sitting in the row behind us ... we moved out of the 'splash zone' to a higher (and safer) location before it began.

Bette had her registered number all ready JUST IN CASE she decided to bid on something!   I wasn't sure how she was going to get it all back to Illinois but I'm sure she had a plan!  LOL!

We were a bit disappointed since the Chicken Auction wasn't until 1:00 and there was only going to be standing room ... so we had to skip that one!

I wish I would have gotten a photo down at the HAY ROLLS auction ... that was really WELL ATTENDED!  Of course with winter coming on and everyone having horses & cows to feed ... I'm sure it was an important time!

If you follow me on my FB page, you already know about this adventure as I did take the time to post a little about it there too.

Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen was our lunchtime destination.  I simply enjoyed the salad bar (trying to be good ya know!) ... AND it left me room for that wonderful Amish Blackberry Pie!!  LOL!

On our way down to Walnut Creek Stores, we stopped by the Wendell August shop to check out their hand hammered items ... what beautiful works of art.  AND look at this ... claims to be the LARGEST AMISH BUGGY in the World!!  The wheels on this thing stand 5' high (and I'm only 5'2" ... yikes)

 Well had such a good time!  We laughed & laughed while driving through the different Amish towns as Bette wanted a photo of EVERYTHING and insisted she was going to tow one of these Amish buggies back home to Illinois behind her little Prius car!  LOL!

Along the road we spotted this Amish gentleman taking in the corn for the winter.  Of course with a horse drawn machine.  LOTS of work but he was doing a fabulous job!  And, God granted him another beautiful day to get it done!  Here's a larger view ... looks like he'd been at it all morning!

 Well as I said at the beginning of this long post, I have A LOT of crafting to get done so I'd better get busy!  Thanks so much for stopping by ... I can't tell you how much your support and comments mean to me!  Happy Day All!!

As always . . .

Recipe for cards:

Papers:  Very Vanilla cs, various SU design papers

Stamps:  Stampscapes Cabin - 140E, Cabin with Fence - 144F, Pin Row - 150E, Fence - 289D, Anita's birthday stamp

Accessories:  Spellbinder Classic and Scallop Circles and Ovals, Tim Holtz distress inks, sponge daubers, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Elizabeth Craft Get Well #790, Martha Stewart border punch