What is your opinion??

For those of you who have been following my blog, you know that while sitting here at the Cleveland Clinic I've been making packs of Note Cards for all the nurses, assistants and even housekeeping personnel here in M50 -BMT Section. Well, the one gal (Shawn) has asked me if I would make her bridal shower & wedding invitations. The wedding isn't until next year so of course I said yes. I made up 2 samples (and offered more) for the wedding invitations but she said she didn't need to see any more samples ... she just LOVED the one I had already shown her. Can you pick which one she chose???

Here it is!!! Actually, it is the first idea that popped into my head when she asked me to make them. Her colors are ivory & rust ... so I've used Very Vanilla and Really Rust. She liked them both but liked the elegance of this one. I don't know why the photo looks like the card is white ...

The fact that she just informed me that she'll be needing 200 invitations ... I'm glad she picked this one!!!

We are working on the inside of the card now. She was getting the information together for me this weekend and I'm going to print it onto vellum. I have the perfect floral image for inside the card then overlay it with the vellum words.

After going to the Adventures in Stamping convention held in Akron this weekend ... (yes, I took a few hours away from DH to buy stamps ... what can I say, I'm addicted like all of you, LOL), I purchased a few images I needed for the bridal shower invitations. Here are the samples I will have to show her when she comes back to work this week.

Which sample do you think she'll pick??? I have another "bride" image to show her but I think she'll like this one because I can color in the bodice of the dress with her color for that extra special touch. I also thought she might like something with a "heart image" vs "bride" ... what do you think???

I will let you know her decision later in the week ... I'll give her a little time to decide. She only needs 50 shower invitations ... so any of these won't be too labor intensive.

Thanks for stopping by ... hope you are having a wonderful weekend. I'll have an update on DH on my next post. Things are starting to look UP!!!

Grand-daughter Morgan's Prom ...

I just had to share these photos with you! It was unfortunate that her grandfather & I could not see Morgan in person for this special night but we certainly plan on making sure we don't miss next year's (senior year) prom!!!

Morgan is such a pretty girl and SO MUCH FUN!! The young man who escorted her tonight is named Seth and he's a very good friend of her's from the race track. For those of you know are not aware ... Morgan races a Junior Dragster racecar as does her 11 year old brother. Their dad races a '67 Camero and their mom tries to keep up with all of them and make sure they are where they need to be when they need to be there. More about the racing will be in another post along with photos. As luck would have it, the first day of racing is tomorrow morning ... Morgan will be there but I'm not too sure how her response time will be with having next to no sleep tonight! Either way I hope she has a very memorable evening ... she certainly looks beautiful!

The last picture in the lineup shows the many sides of Morgan. All dressed up, hair and nails done talking on her cell phone next to her SUV. Her parent's country girl princess!

It was so nice to share some GOOD, JOYFUL news with you all tonight!

Thanks for stopping by!! Mark seemed to be in better spirits tonight before I left to come home. I'm taking a little time for myself in the morning and attending the "Adventures in Stamping" being held in Akron this weekend then I'll be heading back up to the hospital. I hope he's tremendously better upon my arrival ... at least that's what I'm praying for tonight!!

Sorry ...

... no cards to share with you today! Mark has had a really rough week at Cleveland Clinic and I've been staying longer hours to try and help him where I can. Which, leaves little time for sleep let alone stamping. It seems he's going to have a very "quiet" day (receiving extra blood & platlets which comes with premeds that pretty much knock him out) and I might head home early and get the grass cut. Maybe I'll have something to share with you later this evening.



In the meantime, I'd like to ask you to take a moment to visit my friend Joan Fricker at her blog. Joan's young cousin, a mother of 3 just gave birth a few days ago and is now fighting for her life because of a brain hemorrhage. Please take a moment to pray for this young woman! Perhaps the power of prayer can bring a miracle to this devasted family! Thank you!

How blessed am I ...

After staying at the hospital a little later than usual last evening (got home around 9:30), I got home to find a message from one of my neighbors so I returned the call and they asked if they could quickly stop over because they had something for me. Of course I said "sure, come on over" and this is what Tim & Sherry Miller had for me!! Isn't this awesome! The bread is homemade wheat bread that Sherry just made and the 1/2 loaf in behind on the left is homemade pepperoni/cheese roll ... YUMMY!! Also in the basket are cans of soup, packs of 90 second noodles, parfaits, strawberry jelly, computer games cd, a wonderful Serenity book and a lovely get well card for Mark. They said they knew I got home late and didn't feel like cooking and thought this would help me out! How sweet is this and what a great idea!!!

While we were sitting there talking Tim noticed there was someone else on the front porch and it was another neighbor Travis & Cristy Schamp who noticed my porch light on and took the opportunity to bring over the cookies Cristy had made for Mark. She knows how much he loves cookies. He can't eat them right now but in a couple of days he'll be thrilled to have them! As you can see through the plastic container she has tulips & butterfly cookies that are iced in various springy colors! Another sweet, sweet gesture! What was really cute and made Mark smile this morning is the card with BUG stickers all over it ... she knows what a "kid at heart" my husband is!!!

Again ... how blessed am I to have such wonderful neighbors ... ALL OF THEM!! Another neighbor, Phil Adkins, was sweet enough to cut my grass last week and he did a WONDERFUL job!! He knows how picky I am about my yard, (what can I say) and was concerned that it wouldn't meet my approval ... I cried and told him it was perfect ... and it was!!! He even cut the front yard at an angle just like I do. What a guy!!!

Other neighbors have offered to make food, clean the flower beds ... what ever they can to help us out right now! What a great neighborhood we have ... everyone is always ready to help each other!! A huge backyard party is going to be in order once Mark is home and feeling up to it!!

Thanks for letting me share my good fortune with all of you wonderful online friends! You too have been so encouraging and generous with your well wishes & prayers ... God Love Ya!!

Color Throwdown #39 & A Nice Surprise ...

Morning All!!


It's time for another fun-filled Color Throwdown Challenge. Today's color combo of Real Red, Basic Black and Barely Banana is brought to you by Cathy Indelicato/Crafty Thoughts. Please stoover and check out the cards these ladies have designed ... wonderful inspiration for us all!



Today's card is a simple design and I really like how it turned out. The base card is Basic Black with the next panel being of Barely Banana matted with the Real Red. By using two of the Nestabilities "Label 3" dies, I've created this framing for my butterfly. The background was created by stamping this Serendipity Stamp (Butterfly Kisses) repeatedly without going inside the butterfly framework. Before mounting, I've done a little distressing on the red & yellow panels to add a little extra texture.

The butterfly used here is actually a PSX Rub-On Transfer which I scanned ... printed & cut out. When I buy a full sheet of images like these transfers ... I scan them first so that I can print them later and use them as a cut out over and over again! (A real cost saver!!)

I've used dimensional tape to pop up the butterfly, added Offray sheer ribbon and an Embellish-It butterfly charm.

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The nice surprise came in the form of having my creation selected, giving me the honor of being the Featured Stamper for Color Throwdown #38. This pleasant surprise couldn't have come at a better time!!! It's been a really tough week here at Cleveland Clinic with DH and my spirits were beginning to feel a little down ... this was a wonderful uplift!! Thanks Color Throwdown Ladies!!! If you would like to see this posting, you can view it HERE.

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Thanks for stopping by!!!

Crafty Secrets Challenge #65

Today Pammyjo challenged us to use a new recipe for a PBJ over on the SCS Crafty Secrets forum challenge. To be more specific: P is for pleats ... B is for buckle and J is for jewels. What great ideas for the challenge. You could choose just one or all for your creation. I don't think I've ever used "pleats" on a card and rarely think to use a buckle ... SO, on my card today I used all three suggestions.

These "lovely ladies" are from the Crafty Secrets "Girlfriends" booklet and I've jazzed them up a little with mauve Stickles (click on close up view). The designer paper is also Crafty Secrets and comes from the "Radiant" pack. I chose to make accordian pleats with this 1-1/2" strip of dp by scoring every 1/2" on my Scor-Pal, and create a valance for my card. My buckle is made of chipboard and was purchased long ago at JoAnn's. The "special" sentiment comes from the Crafty Secrets "Mini Memories" set and "Girlfriend" sentiment is from the "Glamour Girls" set. The two-tone ribbon came from Michael's and the gems I used to "dot the I's" are by Making Memories.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and if you get the chance, why not come play along with this challenge. It's always great fun and don't forget to check out what the other ladies have created ... I know I gather great inspiration from these talented ladies. Have a great day!!

Update on Mark: Today is much the same as yesterday. He still has tremendous mouth pain as well as nausea, fever and exhaustion. Today is +5 and they tell me that Day +7 (Thursday) should be a turning point and as his blood numbers start to increase he'll start feeling much better. Since he is still spiking a fever, they took him for a chest x-ray this a.m. just to be sure there is no pneumonia. Thank you all for your wonderful comments & prayers!

Trying not to worry ...

... I decided to make a few cards last evening while I still had a little energy left. Upon arriving here at the Cleveland Clinic this morning I found that Mark had a very rough night. He spiked a fever and the mouth pain is just awful!! He's pretty much out of it today and they're keeping a close eye on him. They have him on a couple different antibiotics and gave him fluids and are doing what they can to help him stay comfortable until his number start to rise again. It's going to be a long couple of day!!! Just to give you some idea what the "numbers" are ... when he was admitted last week, his white count was over 4,000 ... today it is 20!! That is why he feels so poorly and why his mouth is so terribly sore. This is the way it's supposed to work but like I said before ... not an easy process!!! Please pray his numbers come back up quicker than normal ... this is so tough!!!



On to happier thoughts ... my creations!! The first card I made was a simple Black & White ... just trying to get my creative juices flowing. The base card is Whisper White and Panel #2 has been Cuttlebugged using the birds/swirls embossing folder then matted with Basic Black. Panel #3 was an image from the Inkadinkado (Flourishes) set which I stamped with Versafine Black and embossed with Detail Clear Embossing Powder. Distressed the edges a bit then matted with Basic Black. I've also done paper piercing around the edge of the black mat. The satin ribbon came from Michaels and the flowers are by The Paper Studio. Plain & simple yet has a touch of elegance. What do you think?




For my second card, I chose to use one of the Stampin' Up "Seaside Sketches" images. I stamped the image onto white cardstock, embossed with detail clear embossing powder then masked using the Eclipse Masking medium. I used chalks & a makeup applicator to color the background then added the bird which came from an Inkadinkado set called "Coastal". The sentiment & sun are also from that same set. I've used a round tip black marker from Creative Memories to edge both the image & it's matting. The image & the sun have been popped up with dimensional tape. The background panel was a scrap I had left over from making cards for the nurses here at the clinic and I've used my new Martha Stewart "Arch Trellis" border punch for the bottom. I also punched a scrap of Soft Sky cardstock and slid in behind the background panel and finally matted with Basic Black.



I recently purchased a stamp set called "Vintage Farmhouse" by Fiskars and couldn't wait to see what I could create with it. The large background image is perfect for my love of Vintage!! I inked it up using Versafine Sepia and stamped it only Ivory cardstock. The medallion is also an image from this set and it too was inked using the same ink onto the same cardstock. I then cut it out using my swivel craft knife and with a makeup applicator, inked around the edge using SU Pink Pirouette ink. The sentiment comes from an Impression Obsession set. My base card is Pink Pirouette and the ribbons are Chocolate Chip by SU and pink grosgrain by Offray. The medallion has been popped up with dimensional tape and the Prima flowers were centered with antique brass brads.



This last card was made this morning while I was waiting for the rain to slow down before heading out onto the interstate. The image is by Hero Arts and the background paper is by Sandylion. My base card is Ruby Red and the butterfly made using the Spellbinders Shapeabilities Butterfly diecut was also embellished with Liquid Pearls as were the spaces in between the faux stitching. The black organza ribbon is from Hobby Lobby. This is probably my LEAST favorite card of the four but that's what happens when you are trying to RUSH creativity!!



Don't forget you can click on any of the images for a larger view. Thanks so much for stopping by and I wish you all a wonderful Monday!!

Sorry, NO cards today ...

but wanted to share Mark's progress with you. He is having a really rough day today. It is Day +3 which means the 3rd day after the stem cell transplant and his blood numbers are dropping creating him excessive mouth soreness as well as exhaustion and nausea. This is all to be expected, however, still difficult for the patient to deal with. The staff is equipped to administer several helpful drugs to try and keep him comfortable until Day +7 when his numbers should start to come back up and he'll start to feel much better with each passing day. I hate to "wish my days away" but in this case, I hope it goes quickly for his sake.


Hopefully I'll feel like being a litte creative when I get home tonight ... I think it would do me a world of good. Till tomorrow then ... have a great remainder of your weekend.

A need for Vintage ...

Good Morning all!!

Let me begin by letting you all know that Mark is doing pretty good after having his stem cell transplant this past Thursday! His numbers are dropping (to be expected) and he is tired but he's doing what is expected and that's great!! Just thought you'd want to know!!

Now on to my card! While catching up with blogging comments yesterday, I noticed my friend Lyneen (I am ... Dreaming of Castles) offered a link to some wonderful, downloadable vintage backgrounds from Stampington. (Thanks Lyneen!) You can check it out here. I decided to use one of the prints for today's card.

The print itself is beautiful but I decided to overstamp it using the SU "French Script" background image with Versafine Sepia ink then matted it with basic black cardstock. My second panel was made from a strip of Basic Black card stock with a strip of Ruby Red cardstock which was border punched using the Martha Stewart "Arch Trellis" punch attached and embellished with Around the Block floral frame tape. My main image was sent to me by Kris Dickinson (Nostalgic Collage) also known as Parkerquilter on Splitcoaststampers. (Thanks Kris!) It comes from an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of images called "The Ladies Closet" and can be found on http://www.digitalcollagesheets.com/. Using my new Nestabilities "Label Four" diecuts, I cut the image as well as the double matting. My embellishments are a vintage fan button from JoAnn's and Dew Drops.

I hope you enjoyed my card for today. I've made SO MANY cards this past week for the nursing staff here at the Cleveland Clinic ... and they were pretty simple layouts ... I just needed to get my mojo sparked with a little something different. Have a great day ... and if you live in my neck of the woods ... get out there and enjoy that beautiful sunshine!!!

Stamp Simply #83

It's Friday and time for another Stamp Simply Challenge over on Sharon Johnson's No Time To Stamp Blog! Today Sharon has asked us to "Thread it Through" ... here it is in her words:

Thread it Through! Let’s thread something through this week! Fun!!! There are punches that punch holes specifically for the purpose of threading something through, or we can make our own holes with any punch we have. We can thread ribbon or twine through button holes, or we could actually thread a needle and sew. Let your imagination and creativity run wild — just start threading, and have fun!!!

My method of "threading" was to use a "ribbon punch" by McGill and thread through this lovely organza ribbon which I purchased at a local wholesale company. My base card is Whisper White and the designer paper is from the DCWV "Old World" pack. The sentiment panel is Whisper White which was border punch using the Martha Stewart doily lace punch. I've used one of the images from the Stampin' Up "Stem Silouettes" set for the background and used SU RiverRock ink. For a finishing embellishment, I've used a couple mossy green Dewdrops.

I think it needs a little something more down in the lower right corner but ran out of time before leaving for the hospital! I may have to alter it later and edit this post ... what do you think? Any suggestions???

Thanks for stopping by ... have a wonderful day!!

The BIG DAY ...

Yes, today was Transplant Day!

In fact, the transplant was done this morning around 10 a.m. and he has handled things beautifully so far! Praise the Lord!! A Stem Cell Transplant very much resembles a blood transfusion ... except they are infusing Mark's own stem cells back into his system. Throughout the next 7 days his numbers (White Blood Cells, Platlets, Hemoglobin) will drop and should bottom out by day 7 while his body adjusts/accepts the new cells. Then his numbers should start to rise as his body builds a new immune system and begins to get back to normal.

I knew they had collected 8.8 million stem cells from Mark the week before he was admitted and I was curious how many of those 8.8 he received back today. Nurse Kathy (who has been extremely helpful and attentive) checked into it and found they he received 6.4 million of his own stem cells today. AMAZING!!! Especially when you consider it only took 40 minutes for the transplant to take place!! Again ... AMAZING!!

Mark will remain here in Cleveland Clinic for at least another 2 weeks while his system adjusts and builds. I would ask that he remain in your prayers through this stengthening period as I'm sure there are still going to be some rough roads ahead before we reach that light at the end of the tunnel!! Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement. It means so much to me to be able to reach out to you all for comfort!

Besides having this wonderful laptop & internet access to stay in touch with all of you, I have been passing the hours by making packs of cards for the staff here at the M50 (Bone Marrow Transplant Section) of Cleveland Clinic. I have made at least 80 cards so far and have seen a few new faces so I'm not done yet!! They are simple packs of 6 that I can cut the papers & cards for at home in the evening then assemble & stamp while sitting here during the day. Here are a couple examples that I make a quick photo of before giving them away. I even have Mark keeping a few sets in his drawer for those girls who are helping him out on night shift that I don't get to see during the day. I cerainly don't want to leave anyone out ... they are all SO WONDERFUL!!!

Thanks again my friends ... God Bless You All!! Have a great day & if you live in my neck of the woods ... enjoy this beautiful sunny day that we are having!!!

SCS Sketch Challenge #224

Yeah ... time for another sketch challenge! Today's challenge over on Splitcoaststampers focuses on the use of those larger images. I decided to do something I never think to do and "flipped" the sketch.

As I mentioned in my last posting ... I'm working on replenishing cards to sell at my sister's beauty shoppe and thought I'd use this challenge to create another "masculine" card.

This card is A-6 in size (6 1/4 x 9 1/4 folded in half) and Whisper White. I've used Colorbok "water" designer paper and edged with a round tip Creative Memories marker to give the illusion of matting without the bulk! My main image is by Art Impressions and was stamped onto white cs using Versafine black ink. The coloring was done by using chalk and makeup applicators for the sky and SU watercolor pencils & blender pen for the water and boats. I also edged this image with the round tip black marker then actually matted it with royal blue cardstock. I've used dimensional tape to pop up this image for depth. I love this "nautical" ribbon I found at Michael's and think it worked perfectly for this card ... what do you think?? The other stamps I've used are the "birds" by Stampscapes and my sentiment by AMuse.

As always ... thanks so much for stopping by today!

UPDATE: Mark is all finished with his chemo. Today is basically "a day of rest" and fluids. Tomorrow is the transplant and after talking to the doctor there are going to be some "difficult" days to come until his numbers start to go back up to where they belong. So, as before ... we will just take it one day at a time! Thanks for your kind thoughts & prayers and ask that they continue on. Bless You All!!

Color Throwdown #38

Hello My Friends!!

It's Wednesday and time for another fun filled Color Throwdown Challenge. Today's hostess is Broni and her colors of choice for today are seen below:

My card is simply a Baja Blue based card with a Basic Gray panel matted with Ruby Red. I had a scrap of designer paper laying on my table that had these colors marbled through and thought that would work nicely for my main image panel. First I did the border with my new Martha Stewart "Arch Lattice" border punch then stamped the Stampscapes "Lakeside Cabin" image directly onto the designer paper. I think that worked out rather cool ... what are your thoughts on this technique???

For a little added dimension, I used a fine tip black Creative Memories marker to do the faux stitching and the SU photo corners were embellished wtih Colorbok metal dots. My sentiment is by AMuse and was stamped with Versafine black as was my main image.

Since I sold several cards at my sister's beauty shoppe ... I've decided to make my next several challenge cards geared at cards that she can sell. This will be a nice "masculine" birthday card I think. Thanks for stopping by today ... have a wonderful day!!

Footnote: A good friend of mine is always irritated by the lack of views of the INSIDE of the card so I made sure to complete this card and photograph the inside ... "here you go Linda ... just for you!!

Hair Do Day ...

Today I took the time away from DH & Cleveland Clinic to get my hair done at my sister's beauty shoppe. While there I snapped a few photos with my cell phone to share with you all!

Introducing my sister, Linda!! (Isn't she a cutie!!) This is my "wild & crazy" sister!! Hard to believe she's going to be the BIG 60 in June ... she doesn't LOOK or ACT that age!! In fact, she still wears a bikini when she goes to the N.C. beaches every summer!! Now that's a BRAVE woman in my opinion!!! These days I wouldn't even put a bathing suit on let alone a bikini! Of course the fact that I have about 50 pounds on her might have something to do with it ... LOL!!!

I have two sisters and they are BOTH hairdressers! LUCKY ME!! One is here in Ohio and the other one in PA. I used to split my time between the two of them ... having one do the coloring and one do the cutting ... but that got too difficult to coordinate over time so now I have Linda do it all! Unfortunately I didn't think to have her take a picture of ME so I could show you but it looks pretty much like my avatar ... I'm the boring one and have kept the same do for years!!

Sister Linda (as we refer to her) went on a shoe shopping spree yesterday and I just had to share with you this pair she wore to work today ... can you imagine standing all day doing hair in these shoes???? I've seen my other sister wear cowboy boots all day doing hair!!! I have to admit, I think these are really cute ... and check out the fancy pedicure!! What a "fashion plate!!"

Thanks for stopping by to meet my sister! But before I go, just wanted to let you all know that Mark is feeling a lot better today. They have finally figured out the best meds to controls his nausea and he has had the last of the chemo drugs. Tomorrow is a "day of rest" and the transplant is on Thursday. That will all be done right here in his room (amazing) and from what the nurse (Cathy) on staff today told me, it really doesn't take all that long ... same type process as a transfusion. Then it's a waiting game for his body to start creating a new immune system and healing. The wonders of modern day medicine!!! Please keep those happy thoughts & prayers coming ... this is still a work in progress. Thanks to all!!!

CSSC64 Crafty Secrets Challenge

Hello all!!

Today's Crafty Secrets Challenge is hosted by Lucy & Ethel (aka: LoriLynn Washburn & myself). If you have no clue what I'm talking about, then you have not been following the Crafty Secrets forum challenges over on Splitcoaststampers. This challenge is posted on Tuesday and "hints" are posted on the previous Monday. Lori & I had SO MUCH trouble figuring out the clues that it started to resemble the antics of Lucy & Ethel ... hence the reference today!

Today was actually MY day to host but with DH in the hospital it was a bit difficult to commit so Lori was sweet enough to fill-in and do the posting for me. Thanks girlfriend!!! As you will see when you read Lucy's challenge post ... Ethel was obviously NOT PAYING ATTENTION!! (Isn't that usually the other way around??? LOL) Here is the challenge in Lucy's words:

This week Ethel and I have put our heads together (I must say it was quite a site) and come up with an easy challenge! We challenge you to use two different types/colors of ribbon or trim on your project. See how easy is that! Be sure to add CSSC64 to your keywords so you are included in the gallery. Have fun!

As you can see by my card ... I only used ONE type and color of ribbon ... ooops!!

My base card is YoYo Yellow with Panel #2 being Glorious Green which was run through the Cuttlebug and matted in Basic Black. My main panel is a Crafty Secrets Cotton Scrap (Flowers) which was diecut and mounted using the Nestabilities Labels Four dies. I used a white Gelly Roll pen for the "Faith" dots and dimensional tape to pop it up so I could run my Hobby Lobby yellow gingham ribbon between the panel & mounting. The flower border was created using an image from the "Bird Lovers" set by Crafty Secrets stamped onto More Mustard cardstock with Versafine black ink.

Hope you enjoy today's creation and please, ... come join in on this fun challenge!! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

Mark & I would like to wish you all a wonderful, blessed Easter! Enjoy your family & friends and that yummy Easter dinner! Doesn't look like we'll be having any Easter Ham this year ... in fact, Mark isn't up to eating much of anything today. He had a rough night and not doing too great yet today but we'll get through it with all the prayers we've been receiving from all of you ! God's blessings to you all!!!

Easter Bunny comes to Cleveland Clinic ...

Okay ... I'm home for the evening and want to share the "little" surprise I have to give my dear husband, Mark, tomorrow. Today was NOT a very good day for him ... lots of nausea and exhaustion. He actually sent me home early ... said there was no sense in me sitting there watching him sleep any longer. So I hope to do a little stamping after this post so I'll have something to show you the beginning of the week!!

On to the "little" surprise! It's really not much but since he's not allowed to have any of the usual Easter goodies ... I just wanted to have SOMETHING to make him smile. What do you think?? I found this cute little guy at Michael's and added a few extra goodies inside. It has an Easter Pez dispenser, Mini Chicklets, Werther's and I added some jelly beans and a plastic decorated Easter egg Yo-Yo ... yep, a yo-yo ... if he doesn't play with it, I hope it at least makes him smile. I really think he'll "give it a try". He's a kid at heart and here at home there are all types of "toys" in the livingroom that are his!! Everything from a crawling army guy that shoots, a rubber dinosaur hand puppet that makes Godzilla sounds (scares all the little kids), to a stuffed "Mush-a-belly" monkey that makes noise when you squeeze his belly or press his hand.

I know ... I told you he was a kid at heart!!! Well, that's it for me tonight!! I would like to wish you all a wonderful, blessed Easter! God Bless You All!!!

Our Creative Corner Challenge

Before heading back to Cleveland Clinic to sit with DH ... I quickly checked out the OCC challenge for today and found that it was a sketch challenge. Yippee ... I should be able to make a quick card ... don't have to come up with the layout, LOL!!




So, now I am here at the Clinic ... card completed and ready to share with all of you!! Quick Update: Mark is handling the extensive chemo he is receiving quite well (thank God!) and we are one day closer to the transplant and good health. He is experiencing more nausea (to be expected) and the doctor was just in and has ordered something to help with that issue. I have a little surprise for him tomorrow since he has to spend Easter here and I will share it with you all a little later! Keep those good thoughts & Prayers coming ... they are certainly helping him get through this difficult time (me too!!).





Now, onto to my card. First I had to decide what I wanted to use for my "star" panel and chose Butterflies for my theme. By using my "Butterfly Kisses" stamp, I created my designer paper and sentiment panels. I chose to use Brocade Blue and Groovy Guava inks as well as a little sponging of Ranger Antique Linen around the edges. My actual butterfly designer paper is by PSX Paper Designs and was matted with Brocade Blue cs.





I used my circular Nestabilities to cut the Goovy Guava panel then ran it through the Cuttlebug using a Sizzix A2 embossing folder. The butterfly embellishment was stamped using Palette Noir Black ink onto Very Vanila cs then cut out using my swivel craft knife and colored using Gelly Roll Stardust Pens. The addition of dimensional tape helped to give my butterfly some added character. (click on close up for larger view)






Once finished with my design, I felt it was missing something and of course RIBBON was the answer. Can never go wrong with a touch of ribbon in your designs!!! LOL!!! And believe you me ... I have plenty to pick from!!



It felt good to work on a challenge card this morning even if it was a bit hurried! The sun is shining today and that certainly helps to lift one's spirits. I hope the sun is shining down on you where every you may be today!!! Have a wonderful day my friends!!!

A little time to PLAY ...

Here are a couple of cards I made last weekend and am finally getting around to posting them on my blog. Some of you may have already seem them since I did take the time to post them to my gallery over on Splitcoaststampers.

I recently purchased the new "Thoughts & Prayers" set and couldn't wait to get it inky!! What a great set although I must admit, I would have preferred they each had their own wooden block vs the new double sided way SU has come up with. Enough complaining ... it's still a wonderful set and I know I will be drawn to using it often. My base card is Not Quite Navy and the designer paper is a piece of scrap I had in my file (sorry, can't remember the mfg) but thought it would work perfectly with the tree from this set. I matted the dp with Basic Black then ran a strip of olive green grosgrain ribbon around the center. My main image was stamped onto Very Vanilla using Old Olive ink with the sentiment stamped over top with Versafine Black and embossed using detail clear ep. I've used Old Olive cardstock for my matting. A couple Prima flowers and a Making Memories brad and this card is complete.

This next card was very easy to do and I love how it turned out. My friend Anita was gracious enough to give me some of this new SU "Delicate Dots" dp and matching ribbon. (Thanks Nita {hugs}!)

I have stamped this awesome Inkadinkado image onto Very Vanilla cs using Versafine black and embossed with detail clear ep. My image was colored in using SU watercolor pencils and blender pen. I've used Nestabilities Label Two for my panel and Old Olive matting. I decided to use the SU photo corner punch to dress up the corners and a Gelly Roll White Pen for my "Faith" dots. My sentiment is from the SU Thoughts & Prayers set and I have stamped it directly onto the dp using Versafine black ink. A tiny little Prima flower was added to the SU grosgrain ribbon knot to mimic the flowers in my image.

Hope you enjoyed this post and find inspiration from my work. I know I certainly find inspiration from MANY of you!!! Happy Stamping!!

OCC Easter Challenge

The ladies over on the "Our Creative Corner" blog, specifically Silke Ledlow, has challenged us this week to create an Easter card. I created this card earlier this week and totally forgot to add it to my blog or to the OCC blog. Better late than never I guess!! LOL!!

There is no stamping on this card ... instead, I have used one of the 3D pop-out sheets from this website: http://www.ecstasycrafts.com/catalog.php?category=7. Fortunately, one of my favorite stamping stores is carrying these lovely 3D sheets.

I'm sorry this photo isn't better to really show you the dimension this card has. The main image and sentiment panel are both a part of this particular sheet ... in fact, there are two other images/sentiments on this sheet as well. I chose to use Eggplant cs as my base card and used YoYo Yellow for my matting on each panel. The designer paper is by Paper Pizazz and I've used the Martha Stewart floral border punch on the lower edge. The only other embellishment is the lavender satin ribbon which I purchased in a "bargain" pack from Hobby Lobby. That's it ... pretty easy peasy!! Hope you like it!

DH Update: for those of you who have been following Mark's Stem Cell Transplant Journey, here's the latest. He is now an In-Patient at the Cleveland Clinic ... Bone Marrow Transplant unit. He was admitted this past Tuesday and will be here at least until the end of the month. He has been receiving chemo every six hours since he was admitted ... this will continue through out the next 7 days (to totally wipe out his current immune system) ... he'll have a day of rest on Wednesday then the actual transplant will be done on Thursday, April 16th. So far he's handling things quite well and I'm praying that will continue throughout. Thanks to all of you for your kind thoughts & prayers ... we so appreciate it!!

Enjoy your day!

Color Throwdown Challege #37

Today's Color Throwdown Challenge is an interesting combination ... Pink Pirouette, Cameo Coral and Sage Shadow. Thanks LeAnne for another fun challenge!!

My base card is cameo coral and the designer panel is SU dp matted using sage shadow cardstock. My sentiment and floral swag are from the SU "Thoughts and Prayers" set. I've used a swivel craft knife to cut out the floral swag and I've popped up both the floral swag and the Martha Stewart butterfly using dimensional tape. (see closeup).

I can see that I'm going to have to invest in some of the newer SU color markers. Oh Dear ... have to make another stamping purchase ... "someone hold me back, LOL"

SCS Sketch Challenge #223

What fun to play along on today's Sketch Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers.

I recently purchased this Inkadinkado image from one of my favorite stamping stores in Zoar, Ohio called the 1870's Shoppe. Just by using black cs, lilac cs, old olive cs and DCWV designer paper, this image really stands on it's own. The addition of this lovely Paper Inspirations sentiment is all it needed. I did add dimensional tape behind the main image to give it a little more dimension.

I would love to hear what you think?? Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

CSSC63 Crafty Secrets Challenge

Hello my friends ... sorry I have been MIA. Mark & I enjoyed a 3 day weekend at home before admitting him to the Cleveland Clinic today. So, there wasn't much stamping done but I was able to get a card completed for today's Crafty Secrets Forum Challenge over on SCS. Carla (Stargirl on SCS) was our hostess this week and she has asked us to use Heartwarming Vintage Bling.

I have been hoarding this K&Co. designer paper for a long time and decided to use it for this challenge. I stamped my Crafty Secrets (Glamour Girls) image directly onto the designer paper, detail clear embossed it and colored it in using Gelly Roll Glitter Pens. My dp panel is matted with Eggplant cardstock and I've also used a scrap of the same cardstock for my Darice pink satin ribbon panel. My base card is Pink Pirouette as are the Martha Stewart Butterflies and SU photo corners. I've used Liquid Pearls on the butterflies and The Paper Studio pearl strips on the photo corners. I used a Creative Memories fine tipped black marker to do the faux stitching around the edge of my designer paper panel.

Thanks for stopping by!!

A New Award ...

Sweet Becky (A Diamond in the Rough) has honored me with this award today!!! Certainly helped to put a smile on my face today knowing that I can inspire other folks. THANKS BECKY!!

I will have to come back another time to pick 10 of the many other folks who have inspired me and send this honor on to them.

Stamp Simply #81

Hello from the Cleveland Clinic Waiting Room ...


While DH is back giving up more of his stem cells for the upcoming transplant, here I sit playing and waiting! Yesterday was a a long, rough day for him but at least they were able to harvest more than half of the stem cells required ... Amen!! Hopefully today will be just as successful and we'll have a long weekend at home before he is admitted on Tuesday for the ... "rest of the story"!!


Enough medical talk ... on to my card for today's Stamp Simply Challenge by Sharon Johnson. Here is the challenge requirements in Sharon's words:


The Incredible Edible Egg! Since Easter is fast approaching, I thought we would have some fun this week and take a look at the traditional Easter Egg. Let’s try to contain eggs in our creations this week– and you know me, I’m easy! Could be a beautifully decorated Easter egg, eggs in a birds nest, or in a frying pan, or a 3-D project containing jelly bean eggs or chocolate eggs. Let’s just get a bit *eggy* this week!!! No other rules - but to have FUN!!!


Please keep in mind that I made this card at 5:15 this morning before making breakfast for Mark and heading to the Clinic. I mean to tell you ... this is the FASTEST card I have ever made!!! Thank goodness the title of this challenge is STAMP SIMPLY ... because this card took me 5-6 minutes tops!! And, it is certainly stamped simply!! I used Pink Pierouette paper for my base card, DCWV designer paper which was punched using the Martha Stewart floral border punch . My main EGG image was stamped using Pink Pirouette ink and the Close To My Heart Easter Eggs stamps. (maybe I should have used a darker shade of pink??) I edged the panel with Old Olive to help make it stand out a bit. I stamped my sentiment (by Verses Rubber Stamps) with Pink Pirouette then over stamped it with Versafine black. The ribbon is pale pink dotted swiss from Michaels and THAT'S IT!! Quick and Easy!!



I made this card a while back and never uploaded it .... AND ... since there are EGGS in the nest I figured it fit the challenge also. The image is by Inkadinkado which I stamped using India Ink Black onto glossy white paper and colored using various SU inks and inking nibs. I then cut out the image with a swivel craft knife and mounted it onto tempting turquoise cs which has been cut into an oval using my Nestabilities oval diecuts. I did a little faux stitching around the matting to help set it off. My base card is Pink Pirouette overlayed with pink vellum which was run through the Cuttlebug (stylized flower ef) and border punched with the Martha Stewart doily lace punch. The ribbon is SU temping turquoise grosgrain.

Well, there you have it. A medical update and my challenge cards for today! Thanks so much for stopping by and again .... thank you so much for your kind comments and well wishes ... they are so appreciated!!!! Have a great day ... I know we're certainly hoping to!!!!!!

HUGE GIVEAWAY !!!

Are you familiar with Melissa Bove??? Well if not, you really must check out her blog (Creating from the Heart!) and now would be a great time to do that because she is offering an amazing giveaway!!! Let me just give you a hint of what she's offering: A Brand New, In The Box - CUTTLEBUG!! That's right ... and a swiss dot embossing folder too! So please, check it out ... it might just be your LUCKY day!!

And while you are there ... check out this creative ladies work ... she has some amazing cards/projects!!!

Brights are nice ...

Today's Color Throwdown Challenge is sponsored by Our Craft Lounge.

The colors for today are PINK, ORANGE and TURQUOISE. What fun are those colors!



I just happened to have this cuttlebugged "scrap" laying on my table and thought ... "Wow, I should do something with this since the one color was bright pink and this was done using the stylized flower embossing folder and pixie pink ink." I think it was a great starting point for my very "floral" creation. The panel was created by inking up the negative side of the embossing folder with the pink in before running my white cs through the cuttlebug. I've used turquoise cardstock for my matting as well as my sentiment panel. The sentiment panel was border punched using a Martha Stewart floral punch and attached using orange sugarcoated brads by Doodlebug. My main image is by Inkadinkado and I've used Gelly Roll Glaze pens to color the image then topped it with Crystal Effects for additional shine and dimension (see closeup). The main image panel and matting were created using Nestabilities classic oval & scallop oval die cuts. I've used a bright orange cardstock for my base card and the cute Butterfly Kisses sentiment is by Serendipity Stamps.



This card was fun to create and very easy. I enjoyed using the various floral elements here and really like the outcome. These are certainly NOT colors I would normally put together, that is what really draws me to this fun filled challenge. Makes me have to think "out of the box". What are your thoughts?? Why not give this challenge a try ... and they are giving away 2 fun-filled stamp sets this week too ... even more incentive to give it a whirl!! Please check it out!!




For those of you who are keeping up with my DH medical journey, here is an update for you. We are able to stay home today. Yesterday was a tough day for him with requiring additional fluids, blood & magnesium ... and still the numbers were too low to begin stem cell harvesting. He will be administering his own Neupogen shots today and we'll return to Cleveland Clinic bright and early tomorrow morning and hopefully stem cell harvesting can begin. The staff at the clinic have been wonderful. Very caring and informative ... and for that I'm additionally thankful!! We are praying that things start "moving" tomorrow because the longer it takes to get the stem cells, the longer the remainder of the process will be delayed. Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and prayers ... we are truly blessed by your friendship!!

Birthday fun ...

I copied this photo from my daughter's blog so I could share with you what fun our granddaughter, Morgan was having at her birthday celebration. "MY" MO turned 17 yesterday and with Mark being ill, sad to say we were not able to go visit for dinner, cake & ice cream. They did have wonderful family friends over and it appears they had a fun time.

It looks like Daddy Frank (holding her hands) had a part to play in the "icing on the nose" caper!! They have a very strong family bond and even though Mom & Dad can be strict and demanding at times, they also know how to have fun and share a good time!

Being the grandparents, we've tried to keep our nose out of their business yet still make sure they know that we are there for them anytime they need us. I am so proud of these kids ... they work very hard to make it on their own and have taught their children the value of a kind word and a giving heart! God has certainly blessed us ... thank you Lord!!

Crafty Secrets "Touch of Metal" Challenge

Morning all,

Today's challenge over on the Crafty Secrets forum of SCS is to use "metal" on you card/project. This is not something I use a lot of and LoriLynn certainly had some great ideas (other than actual metal) for you to incorporate into your card. You can read some of her awesome ideas HERE. Why not come play along ... we have great fun each and every week.

My base card here is a premade A-6 ivory card purchased at Michael's. I have used Crafty Secrets EARTHY designer paper matted with SU soft sky cardstock as my base. The image is from the Crafty Secrets "Birds & Botanical" images & journaling booklet. I have distressed my main image panels and sponged with Ranger Antique Linen ink. I have also spritzed my journalling panel with Iridescent Memories Mist and Tim Holtz walnut stain. My Touch of Metal are the metal flower brads used in the upper & lower corners which I purchased from Hobby Lobby and are by The Paper Studio. There are 6 in a pack and I have been hoarding them ... until today!!! I've also used a metal clasp and brushed brass brads by Making Memories. For a touch of sparkle, I've used gold Stickles for the flower centers on my main image.

Going to be a long day here at the Cleveland Clinic I'm afraid ... but that's okay .. we're one more day closer to Mark being healthy again! Thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

Cleveland Clinic Update

Here we sit at Cleveland Clinic once again. We've been here since a little after 7 a.m. and they have already indicated to Mark that he will need blood today so they have drawn a sample for type testing. Now we have to wait for that test to come back (about an hour) then they'll go from there. He will probably need fluids today as well. He is VERY tired today (imagine that)! I'm hoping his numbers are good enough to start the stem cell harvesting process. He was complaining about his bones hurting and that, they say, is an indication of the cells becoming ready. Let's keep our fingers crossed.


I will be back shortly with a card I have made for today's Crafty Secrets Challenge which by the clues Lori Lynn has offered, should be to use metal in your card or project. At least that's what I have done. See you then.

Happy Birthday Morgan!!

After talking with my granddaughter Morgan earlier this evening, I learned she received her birthday card today so it's now safe to share it with you all.

Morgan (Mo) will be 17 on Monday (oh where has the time gone???) and since her Pappy & I will be at the Cleveland Clinic instead of sharing your special day, I wanted to be sure to get something in the mail to her right away. She said she really liked the card and I'm sure she'll make good use of the gift card inside too ... can always use gas money at this age!!

I must share with you Morgan's only request for her birthday and that was to have her Pappy healthy again and to be there for her 18th birthday. Our sweet "little girl" has become such a warm, caring young woman ... we couldn't be prouder of her!!!

This sweet Sugar Nellie image so reminds me of Morgan when she was little that I just had to use it for her card. I used Stampscapes & Ala Art images to create the sky & grass for the background panel which was die cut using the Spellbinder Label One die. My card base is Eggplant with a turquoise Martha Stewart border punched mat panel. After stamping my image using Versafine Black I colored it with SU watercolor pencils and blender pen. I used my swivel craft knife to cut out the image and popped it up using dimensional tape. The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch which I added a little Stickles to for added sparkle. The final feature was a touch of gingham ribbon.

HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY MO!!