A CASE Today

I was visiting blogs this morning and ran across this lovely card by Patti J. I was really drawn to the color and that beautiful negative die cut and the clean lines of her card which I'm showing you here.....

I had to stop and CASE her card immediately! I don't have that wonderful flower die cut that she used so I improvised with the flower nestability that I have. I also don't have Washi tape, so I used two different ribbons on my card. Another thing that I changed was the placement of the button -- because I don't have any "ocean misty" ink, I used turquoise for the sentiment which was a little bit off -- so the placement of the button on the ribbons seemed to make the ink color right for the card. Lastly, I used the smaller nestability dies to created a center for the flower. Here's my creation, thanks to the inspiration provided by Patti!

You can click on Patti's name and go to her blog, Cherish Each Precious Day to read all the details about her card.

Betty

Boys' Birthdays

This card is for a young man named Devin. Because he is going to be four years old, I decided to give him a little something special on the inside of his card!

The sentiment is computer generated on a piece of white card stock, using an outlined font, which I colored with my Sharpies. Then I stamped the cars and adhered the card stock to the fun foam and cut with a Sizzix die.

My second card is made with the same stamp set -- unfortunately I didn't write down the name of it but I got it on sale at Michael's quite a while ago for about $1.50. This is the first time I've inked it up!!

I love the bright red, white and blue of this one. It is for Adam's 1st birthday, so I don't know that he will pay any attention to his card, but hopefully his mother will take notice!!

Take care all,
Betty

A Little Garland

Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink this week is all about making garland for your cards from dies. I don't have any PTI dies but I did use their wonderful white card stock as my card base. I pulled out the crimper and dusted it off to add a little texture to the upper panel. This was quite a fun technique and I have another card in Spanish (Thinking of You) to take to the gift shop.

I would like to enter this card into the challenge at Paper and Such. The challenge is Wings and Things. I'm hoping you can see the little 3-D wing on my birdie!!

I think I told you that we had a pretty bad thunder/wind storm come through on Saturday night. Thought I'd show you a picture of a couple of trees it took down at the entrance to our subdivision. Luckily there were no houses near these trees.

We went to one of our favorite restaurants for supper last night and noticed that their sign was gone. We asked the owner if it was damaged in the storm and he said that the sign was found about 18 blocks away in downtown Chapala!

We have some gray clouds this morning but it looks like it is going to clear up. We've plans to have a late lunch with friends at a good restaurant in a nearby village called Viva Mexico. Our friends just returned from a week in Puerto Vallarta and we're eager to hear about all of their adventures!

Betty

What If? Wednesday Sketch A2212

Thank you, Theresa Pollack, for reminding me about the terrific sketch at The House That Stamps  Built. I really liked the sketch when I first saw it -- it appealed to me because I haven't done a card with inchies in quite a while. The inchie stamps are from Inkadinkado, Flourishes. The sentiment is from a Stampin' Up sentiments set in Spanish. Butterfly punch is from Martha Stewart.

Here's the sketch......

That's all for now -- short and sweet!
Betty

Christmas Star

The August Embellishment challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown is to use chipboard on your card. I created my own chipboard by using the stiff backing sheet from a pack of 12x12 paper and adhering a gold mulberry paper onto the "homemade chipboard". Then I ran it through my Big Shot with a Sizzix Bigz die, Star, Nested Hanging.  I did not use the largest star since it was bigger than my standard A2 card.

I also cut a piece of the "chipboard" with a Spellbinders Fancy Tags 3 tag. I wanted to stamp onto the mulberry paper with the navy ink but it would not accept the ink. So I had to trace an oval onto white card stock from the die, cut it out, and then stamp the sentiment from a Stampin' Up set, Star Studded Season. I wanted to put rhinestones at the tip of each start point but that made it a little too busy -- so I settled for four of them on the fancy tag!

The inside of the card uses a stamp from Flourishes set, The First Noel. A Martha Stewart corner punch was used on the white card stock that I adhered to the navy card base.

On a different note ~~~ 

For your amazement and enjoyment~~~~~~~~

A friend sent me this video to me via email and I just had to share it with all of you. You won't believe how cool this is!!

How to separate an egg

Disregard the language barrier, just watch the self explanatory video.

How to separate an egg white from yolk. Watch.http://bbs.wenxuecity.com/cooking/1160651.html

Bye for now,
Betty

Roses Challenge -- NOT!

Today being the last Sunday of the month, I'm supposed to have a card for the Roses' Challenge. Sweet Sue from Australia gave us an inspiration photo to create from.

Well, I've just gotta say, I'm so literal minded that I couldn't see a card in this photo -- not at all! About the only way I even deviate from a sketch is to turn it 90 degrees!! So, sorry Sue, this Rose wasn't up to the challenge. I failed, I failed!!!!

Oh well, not to worry, I have a card or two to share with you that wasn't inspired by the above photo!! I have two more birthday cards:

This digital image is from Sue at McMahon Five Designs. I just love how it turned out after being colored with my $5.72 set of colored pencils from Wal-Mart!

My next card was made with another image of Sue's. The sentiment is from Gina K. Designs, Inside and Out. The dew drops on the rose are given texture with Crystal Effects. Since I normally put the person's name on each of the cards I make for my friend, I realized when I had finished that her sister-in-law's name was not on the card. So I stamped her name on the little butterfly and perched it on the corner of the focal image -- disaster averted!!

We had a very strong thunderstorm come through last night and we lost power. It was back on when we got home from church so that it why this post is a little late! Hope you enjoyed my cards even though they weren't appropriate for the challenge -- I'll try to do better next month!!

Betty

Birthday Cards

Over the next few days I'll be sharing some cards with you that I made for a friend from church. This first card was made for a young man who is now a Senior in college and guess what he loves to do? If you said "fishing" you are correct!! This card was made with a Scrapbook Kit called The Great Outdoors. The sentiment stamp is from Gina K. Designs, Inside and Out.

This card is for a young lady who is studying to become a teacher. The large image is Wild at Heart from Gina K. Designs. It was stamped on white card stock in Stampin' Up Purely Pomegranate ink; the card base is the same color card stock and the ribbon is Purely Pomegranate too (a former In Color). The sentiment is computer generated and cut out with Spellbinders Ribbon Tags Trio. I did stamp the image twice and cut out the flowers to be popped up on the card. Maybe you can see that a little better with this next picture.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Betty

Sweet Surprises

Just wanted to let you all know about a change I've made in the selling of my cards. I have stopped going to the Monday Market each week. Well, actually I still go to a Monday market, but it is the local street market held in Chapala each week. I've missed being able to buy my fruits and vegetables here each week because I had to be present at the other market to sell cards. This past week I began selling my cards at a local gift shop, Diane Pearl. Check out the link to see some of the beautiful things she sells at her shop. I count myself fortunate that she wants to offer my cards in her shop -- please pray that the cards will be good sellers and I will end up making even more money for the Hope House boys home! Her shop has a wonderful location in the village of Ajijic which is a popular weekend getaway for folks who live in Guadalajara. So, I'm trying to beef up my supply of cards with Spanish sentiments in order to appeal to the Spanish speaking tourists.

Thanks for your encouragement in the past -- my donations, combined with those of many others, have provided much needed dental care for many young boys; some who have never even seen the inside of a dental clinic!

Betty

Merry Monday 29

My friend LeAnne inspired me with the card she made for the Merry Monday Sketch #29 challenge. I had to stop and made a card straight away -- with the new Fancy Tags 3 that my DH brought back for me on his quickie trip to Texas last week.

My card base is Vintage Cream from Papertrey Ink, Stampin' Up Real Red, and patterned paper from an old SU paper pack. Stamps and ribbon are also from Stampin' Up.

Here's the sketch from Merry Monday....

Click on the link to go over to Lesley's blog and see all the fabulous cards the design team came  up with this week. If you haven't started your Christmas cards yet, I bet you'll be inspired by the sketch and their examples!!

Had a new experience this past week. While DH was in Texas a friend and I went out to eat at a restaurant owned by a French gentlemen. My friend is German and when she saw that "tongue" was on the menu, she was so excited. She has told me in the past what a delicacy tongue is considered to be in Europe and she laughs because most North Americans made an awful face when she mentions it! Well, I have to admit, the thought of eating tongue has never appealed to me very much either, but adventurous soul that I am, she talked me into having a bite. It actually was not bad at all -- no wild or grainy taste -- after the first bite, I even took the second!

So long for now,
Betty

Triple Stamping

Saw a thread on Splitcoast Stampers today and had to give the triple stamping technique a try -- love the results!

Click on the link above to see lots more beautiful examples!

Betty

CASEing Cards

I found lots of pretty cards that had been pinned on Gerry Brow's Pinterest page. I had to CASE this card and this one. I don't know you, Gerry, but I sure do thank you for the inspiration! Here are my cards.......

The "lattice" die is from Papertrey Ink and the background paper was made with shaving cream and reinkers. This card is for my daughter and grandkids.

This unusual layout caught my eye -- I put one large rhinestone on the front of this Christmas card and I had to show you the inside where I added several smaller ones, in the stars above and below the sentiment.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Ours started out with the soccer game that I posted about earlier, then we played Mexican Train with five other couples Saturday afternoon. Lots of laughs and good food. Then, this morning, we had a wonderful morning at church and a delicious grilled hamburger lunch at the American Legion with two other couples from church. Something happened that was so cute -- there was a sweet dog there who was enjoying her 15th birthday party -- her mom had brought a cake and was sharing a slice with everyone there! After burgers, cake dessert, and enjoyable conversation with our friends, we spent the rest of the afternoon playing Hand and Foot (cards) with another couple. Just call me a Social Butterfly!!

Adios, Betty

Mexico Football Gold Medal

We're all excited here in our part of the world today. This morning we watched Mexico win the gold medal in football (soccer) against Brazil. Final score 2-1. This was actually the first soccer game that I've watched and what a game it was! Mexico scored a goal in the opening minutes of the game which gave them a wonderful momentum for the remainder of the game. We met with friends and many others (Mexicans, Americans, and Canadians) at a local restaurant to watch the game and had a wonderful time. I've never been much of a sports enthusiast but it was an honor to be able to take part in our adopted country's victory -- Viva Mexico!

Turquoise Birthday

I'll be entering this card in two different challenges: The Designer Choice Color Challenge by Patti J. Gilliam at the Repeat Impressions Stamps blog, "The House That Stamps Built" and Helen Dooley's For Fun Challenge which is to make a birthday card.

For some reason I have never been able to master the Bow Easy. This time, even though my bow isn't exactly perfect, I made it with the Bow Easy and it looked good enough to use on a card!! And I love this sparkly, sheer turquoise ribbon.

Patti's color challenge was to use black, white and one other color. The layout is from a download from Paper Crafts magazine's online site; there were many different ideas for birthday cards and this one just yelled out for me to use it.

Hope you all had a great day today and have a fabulous Friday tomorrow!
Betty

For You

I made this card for the WHAT IF? Wednesday Sketch Challenge A812 at The House that Stamps Built (Repeat Impressions Stamps). Here is the sketch:

The papers I used are from an older Basic Grey paper pad titled june bug. The stamp is also one that I've had around for a long time; it came from the dollar bin at Michael's. Image cut out with a Nestability die and a light green pearl was added to the flower center. I was pleased with the papers and colors -- at first, I thought they might be a little too busy, but decided that they're "just right"!

By the way, the title of my post made me think of an old song by Ricky Nelson. Does anyone else remember it? I think it was one of the first 45's that I owned as a young girl -- listened to it over and over and over again. If I've made anyone want to take a walk down Memory Lane, click here for the link to You Tube.

Betty

This and That

Several things to share with you today.....I realized that it's been a while since I shared a sunrise or a sunset picture with you. Here's one from yesterday -- it's a sunrise as viewed from my front porch.

If you're wondering what the little "hanging thingies" are underneath the electric lines, I really don't know what they're made of but the purpose is to keep the lines from hitting together when it's windy. Our development is called Brisas de Chapala (translated Breezes of Chapla) and it is aptly named -- we get very strong breezes here!

I decided to try the technique that Dawn McVey demonstrated at Make it Monday this week. The technique is using ink from stamp pads to watercolor stamped images. I used a Momento Tuxedo Black pad to stamp the images and they did not bleed at all when the watered down ink was applied.  I thoroughly enjoyed this technique and will have to share it with our first Saturday cardmaking group in the near future.

Finally, did you see the tutorial at Beccy's Place this week? She has a really neat tutorial on drawing and coloring pieces of round candy. I don't have copics and didn't have a white ink pen, but I tried the technique using colored pencils. My candy is certainly not as vibrant and "shiny" as hers, but I was pleased with the result anyway! Click on the link to go to the tutorial.

Beccy's Candy                                                                                       My Candy

Christmas Cards

I have two Christmas cards to share today and they were both inspired by the gals at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. My first card is for their current sketch challenge:

You have until Friday, August 10 to enter this challenge -- why not join in????

My second card was inspired by an example from Patty, a member of the design team, for a previous challenge. Here is her card.........

And here's mine......

Thanks to my friend, Alice, who allowed me to use her embossing folder (and her Big Kick) at our card making group yesterday.  My Big Shot jammed up this past week and the handle wouldn't turn. My husband took it apart, straightened out a bent piece, and put it back together again -- you've probably seen where there were leftover parts at the end of the process -- that happened to us, but the thing is still embossing and cutting dies!!!! I can't take it to our stamping group any more because it has to be handled just right, but thank the good Lord, it's still working! I use that thing on almost every card that I make and it's going to be awfully hard to replace since I can't just run down to Michael's with a coupon and replace it -- no Michael's here in Mexico!!

Bye for now,
Betty