The Four Seasons

I don't have a card to share today. I've been working on refurbishing some older cards (adding extra details on some; and doing a little something on the inside to make each a little more interesting.) I'm hoping to be able to sell them, with at least 50% of the proceeds going to an orphange that houses older boys. Our church provides milk for the boys each week and a number of our members volunteer there. Haven't finalized any details on this yet but keep me in your thoughts, that all will go well with this attempt to raise some money for the boys.

I've been listening to more of our record albums. The Four Seasons and  American Grafitti being a couple of my favorites. I found an old poster inside The Fours Seasons album cover -- I took a photo showing the front and back. The front is a picture of the group, very 60's looking and the back is a zodiac calendar -- be sure to check out the date!!

Still raining and windy here -- I despair that my fabulous weather will never return!!

Betty

4 Square

Just a quick post to share a card with you today. No challenges, just made this because I had the image left over from a similar card I posted a while back. It started out with six squares but one of them didn't stamp well so I cut off two of the squares, added vanilla and navy mat layers, embossed the bottom of the card and added a birthday sentiment with a ribbon tag trio die and a piece of sheer navy ribbon. The last step was adding the matted image to the card front. Oops, I forgot to say that I rounded off two opposite corners and the stamp is one I found in MIchael's $1 bin.

Happy Valentine's Day to all,

Betty

Altered Notebook #6

This is the last of the notebooks that I bought to alter for myself and friends. I have done all six of them with sketches from Card Positioning Systems' 5th Anniversary. This sketch is the final one, Day 15.

My notebook cover was made with papers from K & Company and the Paper Studio. Spellbinders dies were used and Stampin' Up inks and stamp. I followed the sketch closely, but I did change the length of the two bottom panels to work better with my design. Embossed a piece of colored vellum (love that look) and added some stickers and pearls.

What am I going to do now that they won't be posting a sketch challenge every day????? Guess I'll go to the archives on the sidebar on their blog!!

Betty

A Red, Black and White Birthday

I laid in bed for almost an hour tonight without being able to get to sleep so I decided to get up and make a card. If I can't sleep, I might as well be doing something enjoyable!!

This card was made with the inspiration from three wonderful challenge sites:

Repeat Impressions What If? Wednesday Sketch F812

I didn't deviate much from the sketch; kept it fairly simple and I really like how it turned out. I did add the banner with the birthday sentiment.

 

AnnaBelle Stamps Say It In....Red, Black and White

I followed this one to the letter; Nothing but red, white and black on this card!

Just Us Girls 123 Technique Challenge

We're to use or create an image with a button center. I hope that my flower qualifies. I have a red layer with white dots, then a sold red smaller layer; finally there is a solid red button in the center of the flower with homemade bakers twine threaded through the button holes and tied in a cute little bow!

The circle and banners were cut out with Spellbinders dies and white brads were added at the bottom corners of the three panels.


Hope you're all having (or will soon have) a restful night's sleep,
Betty

Red, Gold and Green

I have a Christmas card to share today, made from the color combo at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown and the sketch challenge at Card Positioning Systems 5th Anniversary Day 14. To the sides are the color challenge and sketch challenge photos:

My ornament image from Stubby Stampers was stamped with Versamark Ink and embossed with gold powder, then painted with reinkers. I managed to get outside the lines so I had to fussy cut the ornament and pop it up on the white panel which was sponged with Stampin' Up So Saffron. The metallic gold and red papers were  both embossed with Cuttlebug embossing folders -- both the white and gold panels were cut out with Nestability Long Scalloped Rectangle dies. A strip of ribbon and a bow tied with the same ribbon completes this card.

The anniversary festivities are nearing an end for Card Positioning Systems. I have discovered just how much I enjoy their sketches so will be using them to jump start my card making in the future! Deadline to enter your cards for the sketch challenges will be February 18 -- so you still have plenty of time to get your cards made and entered. Prizes for individual sketch winners and the grand prize winner (for someone who has entered all 15 challenges) will be announced on Feb. 24.

Still cold, rainy and windy -- please come back, 70 degree temperatures!!
Betty

Thank You Card

Today my card is made with a sketch from Papertrey Ink. This is Day 6 of their 5th Anniversary and Nichole has given us a choice of five sketches to choose from. I chose Sketch #5 and my sentiment from from PTI's set Think Big Favorites #6 -- (too bad it wasn't Think Big Favorites #5!!) The beautiful turquoise paper with white dots is from a Stampin' Up Designer Paper pack, Island Oasis. Satin ribbon came from The Dollar Tree; I found the buttons in my collection and tied them with my homemade baker's twine. The shiny turquoise stickers are from a Martha Stewart pack and I also used MS Branch punch.

On a more personal note, it's a coldish, rainy, windy day in Chapala. This kind of weather is so infrequent it surprised all of us this morning. So, we'll think about how nice it was yesterday. I've been wanting to show you both a sunrise and sunset from the same day and we managed to capture it yesterday. So, now, for your viewing pleasure........

Sunrise on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 from our front porch

Sunset from the back, viewed from the mirador (roof) of our house



If you can stand a little more trivia, I've been listening to record albumns today -- yes, vinyl -- 33 1/3 rpm -- LPs -- nostalgia, right????  The Best of Sam Cooke (1962, RCA), Neil Diamond's "Greatest Hits" (1968), Gary Puckett & The Union Gap's Greatest Hits (1970), Simon & Garfunkel Bookends (1968) -- includes Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate. We only brought about half of our record albums with us to Mexico -- but I'm glad we brought the ones we did!

Staying inside, taking a trip down Memory Lane,

Betty

Springtime Card

My card today was made with the sketch from Day 12 of Card Positioning Systems 5th Anniversary and the recipe from Joan's Gardens to make a springtime card in blue and white with some sort of lattice and perhaps, add a bird. Nothing says springtime to me like birds singing, hence the stamp from a set by Clear Art Stamps which was cut out with a Nestabilities die and sponged with blue. I used a Stampin' Up Bashful Blue card base, DP from a Stampin' Up kit, with the lattice work created by a die from Papertrey Ink, Cover Plate - Quatrefoil.

My heart sings as I look at this card and out the window at all the hummingbirds and orioles and even a mischevious squirrel! Hope yours is singing too!

Betty