Watering Birthday

Recipe:
Stamps...American Art Stamp , Watering & SU , Circle of Friendship
Paper....K & Company dp, always artichoke, mellow moss, white
ink... always artichoke, mellow moss, rose red
embellies...ribbon, baubles, stickles

I am so sorry that this photo is not as clear as it should be. i just couldn't get a good shot of it. It was a dreary day here in New York and the little bit of sunshine that filters into my dungeon was absent. ( I just can't wait to move out of the basement...but then I'll be up on the third floor of my house. this subject can be it's own post! lol!)
This is a card that i made for my niece, Christie who is now 22 years old. I missed her birthday when I was in California visiting my son. So today I wanted to take a little time and make her a card. I wanted to use one of my new images from the American Art Stamp co...and I actually had another image in mind but couldn't resist working with this one. I'm still not sure if I am as in love with this as I thought that i would be. I was totally attracted to this image, but it is so out of my comfort zone. I started with all different colors and then I came across this dp from K & Company that was so pretty (still new and unused) and decided to use that. That meant that i had to throw away the first stamped image that i had colored in. Hey, it's just paper, right? lol! So here it is...a totally different card than I had intended to make. I'm still not sure that i'm loving it...but since I'm so belated to begin with I had just better mail this out!
Thanks for the visit.
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Listen, honey...You can't scare me!

Yeah! I had a little time for myself today and stamped this card for my sister who lives in California.
My sister, Michele is a Special Ed teacher in a High School. She is absolutely terrific and everyone loves her. She is vivacious, compassionate, warm and caring. And she's one tough cookie.
Before I left for California I had ordered some stamps from the American Art Stamp Co. When I saw this stamp, I knew that I had to have it to make her a card. Little did I know then that this image would be so apropos! (I have no affiliation with this company, but check them out...they have some really neat images)
While we were having dinner one night she was telling us of a situation that arose in her class room. One of her students would not take off his sunglasses and she suspected that he was high on something so she asked him to remove his sunglasses. He refused and then started to curse at her. She removed him from the classroom and took him to the office where he created such a scene that the principle came out of his office and asked what the problem was. The student became belligerent and threatened her life! He was expelled from school and a threat assessment team was brought in! I know that this in not funny at all. it's actually quite serious. She just shrugs it off as if it's something that occurs everyday. Amazing!
So for all of the teachers out there, Thank you for all that you do!
I used some of the new paper that I purchased from SU. You really can't see it in the picture but I used the textured paper in Night of Navy. This paper is fab!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Recipe:
Stamps: SU Looks like Spring BG stamp, American Art Stamp co. - Teacher
Paper: White, night of navy, summer sun
Ink: bb, su markers
embellies: ribbon, prima flowers and brads

VAKA? LOL! I don't think so....

I'm back from Malibu! And let me tell you that i am totally exhausted! 8 days of cleaning, laundry and cooking! LOL! I arrived in Malibu on Monday, rented my car and had a lovely drive to the Pepperdine Campus. It was too early to check into my room so I went over to my sons condo to check it out and I needed to unpack the Corn Beefs and all the Girl Scout Cookies that I smuggled. As I walked into the kitchen my feet were sticking to the floor and the smell of pinesol brought me to my knees! Apparently that was the only cleaning product that the boys had in the house and they attempted to clean the entire condo with it! I am kind of a clean freak, even though I don't like to do it and have someone at home to do it for me I did not have anyone to help me in California. They had a mop that didn't work and a broken broom. I had yet to discover where they hid the vacuum that was purchased for them. Their refrigerator had nothing in it but 15 mayo jars, one item that was undistinguishable and dust balls. I spent the entire afternoon cleaning up the kitchen just so that i could cook the Corn Beef. I was not going to do any cooking in that kitchen while my feet stuck to the floor. It took me two days to clean the downstairs of their condo. I did not attempt to clean up their bedrooms! OMG! No Way!
There are no craft stores in Malibu! Nothing! And I didn't have the time for that anyway.
My sister called me while i was cleaning and she said why don't you just take a break, go back to your hotel and lounge by the pool and have a drink. I had to laugh. I was not at a resort. There was no pool with a lounge chair and there was no alcohol permitted on campus.
I shopped everyday at Ralphs, the local grocery store...made friends with the produce man and the checkout people got to know me I was there so often. They'd tease me and ask me how many I was cooking for that day. I never knew. I do know that the first night there had to be about 15 college students ready for a home cooked meal.
When I came home I told my husband that i was going to start a new business. It's going to be called the TLC College Boot Camp. Don't have time to visit your child in College? Do they need some home cooked meals and a push to help them get their work done? Hire me! I'll travel and while i'm feeding them some healthy food kick their butts into shape! Sounds like a plan to me! LOL!
I did enjoy spending time with my son and his friends. And especially enjoyed visiting with my sister and my nephew for Easter.
These are some pictures that I took while I was campus. I had a lovely view from my room.
I'll be trying to get into my stamp room to relax for a little while today. I still don't know which time zone I'm in!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

100 posts!

LOL! What could I have possibly had to share that i already have 100 posts. I guess that's why they call me Gabbie! When I go back and look at my earlier posts I just laugh. there are no comments and I Know for sure that no one else was visiting my blog except me! I even posted something on" to blog or not to blog.."

I did go into my dungeon studio and try to clean up a little so that i could sit down and work with some of my new stamps. The mess is just too much for me to handle.
As I was putting away my things Coco fell out of her folder and I decided to stamp her up! I think that the image is very sultry and I was trying to come up with a little story and a title for Coco ... like Coco meets client #10, or waiting for Eliot, but I didn't think that she wants to be associated with the mess that has taken place in NY.
The client #10 story would be something like this....
Client #10....Hello, is this Coco?
Coco... yes this is. I am available for $ 2400 an hour. How can i help you?
Client #10...well i heard all about you and thought i'd give you a call. Can you meet me at a Hotel in Washington?
Coco...are you a politician? I don't think i can handle any more clients in that field. too much press if you know what i mean. My last client left me in a pinch and I can't afford my apartment anymore...if i don't get another client soon, i'll have to move back with my mother. Maybe you could meet me in New Jersey?
Client #10...well maybe this isn't such a good idea.
Coco...Yeah maybe you're right.
So Coco still waits. Leaning on the fence waiting for client #10 who's got 80K to spare!
LOL!



(Can you believe what has happened!!!!! First of all I can't believe that his wife didn't miss 80K! Unbelievable! Imagine all the stamping supplies you could buy with that money! The comments that are being made in my house by my kids are comical. My older daughter says..."see, that's what happens when you're ugly...you have to pay for everything!"
My younger daughter asked about the lady standing next to him in all the news releases. I said that's his wife... My daughter said " I'd punch him in the head!" and I said, " i wouldn't be standing next to him! "
my son Stephen just keeps laughing....the whole thing is very sad!)

Back to Coco! I'm picturing her in Rome or Paris, somewhere very romantic waiting for her lover to arrive. He should be arriving soon! She's all dressed and ready to go. I know he's just going to love those fishnet seamed stockings!
I didn't really feel that she needed too many embellishments so I really kept everything simple. matted the image with black and gray paper and just added a swirly paper clip thingie with a little black sheer ribbon, the DP is by Basic Gray and is called Scarlet Letter.
Thanks for visiting!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Taking a little VaKa

I have just found out that I will be traveling again. I know that I have mentioned before that my oldest son John is in college in California. He attends one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, Pepperdine University...located in Malibu, California. It really is an amazing campus, with views of the Pacific Ocean. We haven't seen him since he was home for his Christmas break. And the other day when I was talking to him I could hear it in his voice that he was really home sick. (He is in his 2nd year there) and he really needs some love and probably some home cooked meals! LOL! So my dh and I decided that I should go out there and spend some time with him, cook for him and just hang out with him.
So on St Patty's day, I'll be flying across the country with Corned Beef in my luggage so that i can make him a St Patty's day dinner. I feel like the relatives from Italy...they come with cheeses and all sorts of things smuggled in! lol! I'll be staying through Easter and that will give me a chance to see my other sister who lives in Laguna Hills. I haven't seen her since the summer so it'll be a great visit.
If any of you know of any stamp sites and/or stores that I should visit, please let me know! lol!
my flight is booked, the car is reserved and I'm getting ready to go. I'm going to try to stamp some images and pack my prisma color pencils so that i can work on something while I'm away! I'll leave the gamasol at home!
I will take plenty of pictures while I'm there and share them when I get back.
Hopefully, I'll be able to post something new before I leave, but i really do have so much to do! The dreaded food shopping, preparing some meals so that the rest of my family will have something to eat while I'm gone. (8 days of Chinese take out and Pizza is a little too much, don't you think?)
If I want time to stamp something I better get moving.
Talk to you soon!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Happy Hoppers and Mice

This is the last of my HM and Happy Hoppers that i have already made. I'll be working with some other stamps for the rest of the week...don't know which ones yet.I still haven't put any ink to the new hm's that i received, but I will be doing that sometime soon. I usually stamp one sheet of each new stamp. When I work with Stazon, it's such a pain in the butt to clean the stamps that i just want to get it over with. And then I have at least 4 images that I can stash away to use when the mood hits me.
I have a box from SU that is still unopened and last night i was a very bad girl and ordered a whole bunch of stamps from a new company that i found over at SCS. I can't wait to share them with you. They are very different from anything i have seen and are so out of my comfort zone but i couldn't resist. More on these later.
Thanks for stopping by.
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Oldies but goodies

Before I start to work with my new stamps I wanted to share the House Mouse cards that I have already made. I hope that you like them. They are really fun to work with. Yes, there is lots of coloring involved and lots of shading, but I really don't think that you have to be that talented to achieve the outcome...I just think that it is persistence that makes these cards so beautiful. These images are in my SCS gallery. They need some more love!
Thanks for taking the time to visit with me. Leave a comment...it always makes me happy!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Happy Mail

I received this stunning card from one of my SBS sisters, Kerry, Never in a million years would I ever have thought to put these colors together! I'm color challenged. This is simply stunning and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this delightful card and the happy mail! I just love it!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Mice all over the house

thank God they were all in a box! Now I know these didn't arrive yesterday, they must have been delivered on Saturday and were left outside on my front porch! Where's the love? My mail man and i have a love hate relationship. If my dog is outside he won't deliver my mail...sometimes he'll just leave it in the street.and he's mean to her...she's as gentle as can be and he knows that!
I have a big beautiful mailbox and if it's raining he insists on leaving my mail on my front porch steps so that my mail gets soggy. and when the sun is shinning brightly he puts it in the mail box! LOL! One year I left his Christmas envelope taped to the top of my mail box. He never got his envelope cause he never approached the mailbox. All of the neighbors can't stand him and even passed around a petition to get him moved to another route. He says that he loves our neighborhood and just won't go!
I can't wait to ink these up. Aren't they all so cute.

This finished card is the first card i made using a house mouse stamp. I saw the image in a gallery on SCS and quickly became addicted.

Thanks for the visit and have a great day!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

A House Mouse

a day keeps the blues away! LOL! I am anxiously awaiting for a box to come with all my new House Mouse Stamps! OMG I can't wait to get this one! I have quite a collection of HM stamps and just keep adding to it.
they've come out with some new ones, I think that they are called gruffles, but not too sure about the name. I do know that they are bears and oh so adorable.
I love the thrill of coloring in something so detailed and then seeing it all put together. This one is called Special Delivery. Colored in with many prisma color pencils and finished off with gamasol. that stuff really is magic! You really can't see it in the picture unless you enlarge it, but all the rain drops have glitter on them. IRL this is a fabulous looking card.
If you haven't played with a hm stamp yet and would like to, please let me know. I would be more than happy to send you a stamped image to play with! You'll fall in love. I did!
Thanks for checking in!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Junior Prom

This is the first batch of guys to arrive. My son, Stephen is on the left!

Here are all the guys...we tried to fit them all in!

this is Stephen and his date, Deanna. She's such a pretty girl. I wish my son had buttoned his jacket! ugghhhh! what are you going to do!

Last night was my 16 year old sons Junior Prom. Everyone looked so handsome! I usually see all these boys in their jeans and t shirts. Seeing them all in suits was a real treat. They clean up well don't they?
I was suffering from a migraine yesterday afternoon when my son informed me at 4 o'clock in the afternoon that all his buddies were coming to our house to take photos before they went to the pre prom party! I could barely lift my head off the pillow to respond. At 5 o'clock there were at least a dozen boys here with their parents. I didn't even have a cracker to offer to anyone! LOL! I wanted to strangle my son!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Easter Goodies

I have banned soda from my house...my kids were drinking too much of it. Instead of soda we now drink crystal light drinks. I have all these empty containers that i have been saving with the thought in mind that I could alter them in some way. So this morning I decided to play around a little bit. I still had all my paper left on my desk from yesterday...what a mess...and just started playing.
I used the $1 stamps that i found at M's and came up with this. I'm going to fill it up with some Chocolate Easter Eggs, and I think that my nieces and nephews are going to love these. I just loved this bunny stamp and the carrot stamp. They are just adorable. It's amazing what you can do with a $1 stamp!
I cut the paper 8 1/2 X 6 3/8 to cover the plastic container and used my Marvy Mega and Jumbo Scallop Circle punches. I added some ribbon, a prima and a bauble.
Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment, I always appreciate your feedback!
Smiles :)
Lorraine

Three Little Chicks

finished, photoed, and uploaded and all in time to watch the results show of American Idol! "And that's all I have to say about that" LOL!

Smiles :)
Lorraine

Burnt Chicken

This is what 60 yards of May Arts Sheer Polka Dot Ribbon looks like. This is going out to Joan B who won my blog candy. Congrats again! You're going to love this bundle. It is probably one of my favorites! The sheerness of the ribbon allows you to use it with almost any project and I find that it coordinates with the SU card stock very well. I get so frustrated when I purchase ribbon from M's and then get it home and can't find anything to use it with!

I am working on another card, in fact I burnt our dinner tonight! I was downstairs working on the card. I had started dinner a little early today, knowing that i had a busy late afternoon ahead of me. I was very absorbed on my design and I completely forgot that i had the chicken cooking on top of the stove. My house keeper started yelling for me to come up cause the chicken needed more juice. I ran upstairs and sure enough all the juices had evaporated and the bottom of the pot was black. It's going to take me 3 days to scrub this pot clean! LOL!

I hope you're having a wonderful day!
I'm going back into the dungeon so I can finish this card!

Smiles :),
Lorraine

Sewing on your cards.

I found this wonderful blog with lots of information if you are interested on sewing on your cards. I have been sewing for many years...i think it goes all the way back to 4th or 5th grade. I received a sewing machine for my birthday and would spend many hours trying to make my own clothes! I still have that machine that my mother bought for me at the Singer Sewing Machine shop during the Presidents Day sale. They would have crazy sales back then, I do remember one machine on sale for only $1. We didn't get into the store in time for that one! LOL! However, i did receive a Riccar machine. Since then i have collected quite a few machines! I have my mother in laws, mothers machine as well as my mothers machine. I also have a Bernina, a Pfaff and a Pfaff 5 thread surger. I still love to quilt and I still do make an occasional window treatment. Sorry this is so long winded. I got away from what i wanted to share with you and that is this great tutorial on Julie Stantons' Blog.

Sketch Challenge SC166

This was a fun sketch to work with. I did make two different cards. I had it in mind to use these adorable chick images that i picked up from the $1 bin at M's. I discovered that I really don't have any cutesy dp to go along with it. I adore the Porcelain Prints paper from SU and wanted to try these images with the paper, but I don't think that it came together. so I pulled off the panel and decided to use another image from the $1 bin. I think the cross is a better match for this dp. What do you think?
Who would have thought that i have thread that matches River Rock! This is left over from my quilting days. You should see my thread and fabric stash. I still do quilt, just not as much...only for special occasions... and i have so many that are not finished...quilts take a long time to make...days, weeks, months rather than the hour you spend designing and implementing your design into a card...almost instant gratification, YKWIM?

Once again, thanks for checking in and visiting with me. I think I'm out of my funk...but tomorrow is another day! LOL! I've got to get back into my work room and start measuring and cutting ribbon for Joan B.

Smiles :)
Lorraine

Recipe:
card stock: River Rock, Blue Bayou, White, SU Porcelain Prints
Ink: bb, river rock, blue bayou (so saffron, apricot appeal, summer sun on chicks)
embellies: May Arts Ribbon, Sewing thread

Monday Blahs continued

Mondays Blahs are turning into a twisted Tuesday. I just have no mojo, no motivation, no nothing. It's raining out and i just feel like crawling back into bed. How's that for whining and complaining! lol

I finally went down into my dungeon and worked on a card. This image is a house mouse and it's called O Lucky Day. I must admit that this image did bring a smile to my face. I think Mudpie is just adorable playing with all the clover. And I won the special bingo over at HM Stamps and was able to pick out $50 worth of free stamps, so I have some fabulous new House Mouse stamps coming my way! Yippee. I can't wait for them to come. Coloring is very therapeutic.
Thanks for visiting and spending some time with me. I hope you all are having a wonderful day!
I still havent' heard from Joan b about her ribbon win, i'll give her another 24 hours, and if i don't hear by then i'll pick another winner!