Yer So Sweet

Here’s House Mouse Challenge #29. What a great sketch designed by one of the DT members, Emma, for the House Mouse and Friends Challenge this week. It’s not too late to join in the fun – all you need is a House Mouse, Gruffies, or Happy Hopper stamp incorporated into this design sketch. The Design Team does an awesome job with every challenge and this week is no exception.

Take a look.

My little “guy”, “Mudpie Holds Jellybeans” had never been inked up before so we had a lot of fun early this morning. Do you see him winking? However, in the morning light, I am not as happy with this card as I was at about 2a.m. My son the “night owl critic” always enjoys my struggle. He had seen earlier versions – and then when he saw the red rose, he says, “hmmm red – great contrast." So I guess that means he likes it. I enjoyed working with the sketch and will use it again. The red rose is to represent the bottom bar in the sketch to make all the elements there. The phrase was printed from my computer onto a label and circle punched. Other circles are Sizzix . I was happy to find the paper in my stash containing the circles with same color elements. Of course, I had to jazz it with pink center glitz. Thanks for looking.

Why I Blog

I am sure I would answer this question a different way every day I am asked. Today the answer is: rewards. The rewards of friendships. Here is a wonderful reward I received in the mail today from a dear far-away stamping friend who keeps track of me via my blog. If this beautiful card is not enough, enclosed inside was a delightful three page newsy letter. E-mails and everything cyber related might be nice – but nothing can surpass the excitement and joy to receive a handmade card and a "hard copy" letter. Thanks Anne V -- This is why I blogged today.

King for a Day

I have been missing the House Mouse Challenge and all the talented participants so I’ve finally mustered up some mojo to design a card for a man as requested for this week’s House Mouse Challenge. Please use this link to visit the House Mouse Challenge and take a look at the design team's beautiful, as always, cards. For this challenge, my first thought was “metal” and so I cut a panel of aluminum from a soda can, and ran it through an embossing folder. But that wasn’t good enough -- so I tapped on some ink, dusted it with embossing powder and heat set it. This created a very nice flat piece of “metal” which sat on my work table in the laundry room for several days while I was thinking.

Yesterday as I was playing Gin Rummy with my dh, the rest of the idea developed. I made a stair step card and recycled my dh’s playing cards, used the metal piece for the backdrop, and put house mouse characters frolicking about as you can see here. This design evolved through an inordinate amount of time (but I did get my laundry done in between) and this design can be replicated to make a very nice Father’s Day card, Happy Birthday, or just “have a great day” card for a man. Use Queens, hmmmm, for a “Queen for a Day” card perhaps? As for my use? I guess I’ll give it to my dh (along with a new deck of cards) as the winner of the Gin Rummy tournament at our house.
Here is what it looks like folded:

Today I Celebrate You

I seem to be in pet mode lately and my dog, Mr. Lucky, is indeed Lucky. We are becoming nap buddies and I am just about as lazy as he is. Well, that's not exactly true -- I am exhausted with a bathroom remodel which I hope to see finalized this week.

Here's a quick card I made in honor of all my pet loving friends. A very simple fun card with the brown cardstock layer corner punched and torn open in the center to allow Ziggy's dog, Fuzz, his chase for the prize bone. Not a very good scan of the inside -- there is a packet of bones (craft punch) tied with gold cord and the phrase, "Today I Celebrate You!" Both stamps are from Stampendous. As some of my blogging friends would say, "easy-peasy."

I am Inspired

Early in January of this year, I was thrilled to learn that Mary had put me on her list for this beautiful "from the heart" award created by permission from gratefulness.org. I've been a long time in acknowledging my own heartfelt thanks for being included on this award list as a blogging friend of Mary. Please go over and visit her. She has a beautiful selection of cards with great explanations and close up details of her work. There are no special rules for passing this on so my rule for this one is to say "ditto." I would like to refer you back to the original posting so that you can see the great blogging friends attached to this award. I am new to the blogging world but I am proud to say that I am a follower of some of the bloggers on Mary's list and I hope to visit more of them as time goes on. These are very talented people and I send this award back to them with my own heartfelt thanks and gratitude for their willingness to share their beautiful designs and ideas and to say "you inspire me."

Puppy Love

Who doesn't love a cute little puppy like this? This makes a great birthday card and is ever so easy with a Sizzix die (in case I haven't mentioned it, one of my favorite tools). Layered and assembled – a crystal lacquer nose, some freckles, a jeweled collar and this "puppy" is ready to go. Happy Birthday, Donna.

Hats have got my Tongue

I am so missing all my blogging friends and especially disappointed that I have recently been unable to participate in the House Mouse weekly challenge. The best reason I can offer at the moment is that I'm still crocheting hats
(and in the middle of a bathroom remodel). Here you can see one of my latest creations in hatting. As I've mentioned before, my darling granddaughter must have everything in pink. This little beret was a delight to crochet and even more delightful to see my granddaughter sporting it on her head. Cheers to all of you -- please don't give up on me?

Sharon's hat

This is what I've been busy doing lately instead of making cards. Since the beginning of this blog, I've always thought it was for card making -- but shouldn't a blog be a little bit about me too? There is a television commercial being aired lately where a woman is wearing a knit hat, sweater and is crazily knitting while talking to a friend. She says, "if I keep knitting, I don't want to eat." I guess you could say that about me because I've been dieting for a while now and find that if my hands are busy, I'm not trying to put things in my mouth. Sharon's hat is just one product of that concept. My husband is getting a little concerned though, as my current inventory of hats is over a dozen -- and I live where we don't know what winter is. Sharon's hat was my last project and was actually for Sharon and was commissioned by her sister for her 70th Birthday. Happy Birthday Sharon! (Happy dieting -- me).

I Feel So Special

I've received this awesome award. And, there are rules for acceptance: it must be passed on to five others, who shall give it to five others. You are to link to the one who gave you the award,-- in my case, thanks so very much to Carolyn who continues to encourage me by visiting my blog and leaving comments. Stop by and visit her, she is a great source of inspiration.

Another part of this award is that you need to link to the five you give the award to and let them know. Ahh, but there’s more... You have to write down five things you are addicted to...."

Only Five? O.K., here are five addictions that I'll admit to:

(1) Life

(2) Pursuit of Happiness

(3) The smell of fresh rubber

(4) Watching heating embossing powder melt to brilliance.

(5) Feeling the softness of lovely ribbons.

(5)a (just one more?) GLITTER!

I would like the following folks to take this award and for each of them to pass it on to five more!

1. Kendra

2. Dawn

2. Stacy

3. My Cardz

5. Kathy -- How could I mention glitter and not say hello to my Phoenix friend, Kathy, the Glitter Queen?

Happy Moo Year

Perhaps one of the things my son teases me the most about is that I love to make a play on words. He says that "I'm corny." But isn't that, in itself, somewhat of a play on words? Happy Moo Year was created with a funky little Holstein cow stamp posing as a coyote howling at the moon. You might ask how does a city dweller know it is a Holstein? -- I was raised on a dairy farm. This stamp was a door prize at my first stamp convention and I doubted that I would ever figure out how to use it. Ahh, but how can one not ink up a brand new stamp - especially a free one? The background started as tan cardstock and was sponged with various inks to create the desert scene. The outer border was hand stitched with a needle and black thread. The cut out cow attached with foam dots has flocked spots to give her a sporty look for the new year. I hope the New Year is bright for all who stop by here and special thanks to my friend, Donna S, for spurring me into stamping action in the new year. Until next time, "Happy Moo Year!"

Last of theTangent

Our younger daughter lives in Texas and has worked with and loved horses since she was old enough to walk. She won't be home for Christmas so this is the card I made for her. (My son's comment on this card? "Best one yet, Mom." -- I'm thinking he wants me to bake him a batch of cookies). Below is the inside of the card with a present (good wishes) under the tree from every family member.





The simple outside gives no indication of what she will find when she opens the card. Merry Christmas, Rikke! And, now I an on "elf" duty and must work on many other projects with the deadline of Christmas! I wish everyone and all their fur babies a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. Until next time, tah, tah.

The Ultimate Challenge

After posting "Fur Babies' Christmas" my friend, Donna, from afar sent me an e-mail:
"Martha, I was all set to leave my first comment on a blog and then I realized that I have to have an account, etc. and I gave up so here's my comment: Okay, Martha what about my house: cats, dogs, horse and parrots - to name a few. Adorable cards. You never cease to amaze me!" Well, you know how I like challenges so here is the card on its way to Donna's family. I also know that she has a desert tortoise that she didn't mention so that is why there is a turtle among the crowd around the Christmas tree. My son's comment? You can guess, "Wow, Mom, that's kind of busy." Any family with a group of animals such as this is surely busy too, don't you think?