Thank You Gifts

I'm finding the more I fiddle with my photo software and this computer, the easier it is becoming to upload pictures from home! Once again, I'm pulling a photo from my very own picture gallery of a project I did last year. I've had a wonderfully busy week ... getting our print brochure completed and out in the mail, plus made some fairly aggressive marketing decisions recently with our chocolate business...so, my intent to create sort of got put off for a week! But, all my ducks are in a row now! I did clean off my craft table...it's sparkling and I have 3 little "unfinished piles"....my Pattern of Friendship projects are my number one priority! But, for the meantime...I made these last year for the teachers gifts...I did it last minute, and swore this year...I would get a HUGE jump on it!!!! I adore my kidlets teachers this year ... and will be sorry to see my children move on from each one!

I really enjoyed making this card and the chocolate gifts that went with it! We not only gave a gift to each teacher, but the librarian, PE teacher, reading teachers, etc....I need to start thinking for this year....I'll bet that for some odd reason, I probably won't get started again until last minute! Teacher's Day is early May...FYI! I have some time.... :)

TTFN!

Trudi

Gift Certificates

In my previous post, I mentioned that for a few years now, I've donated 3 gift certificates which are auctioned off at our church preschool's annual pancake breakfast during a huge silent auction. (10 pound of cherries, 15 pounds of asparagus, and a box of peaches) Rather than just print a piece of paper, I feel I must insert my certificate into something crafty, and typically, I don't start and finish these certificates until the night before the auction! Funny thing, however, I manage to buy supplies for these 3 little cards ALL YEAR LONG (I have so much cherry stuff, it's unreal).....I was somewhat desperate by the time I got to the peach one, if I recall, I believe it was about 2 a.m. and we needed to have these at the breakfast by 8 a.m. I have a request to the stamp and designer paper artists out there....there is an over abundance of cherry things out there, (later I will post pictures of some absolutely wonderful designer paper I picked up this weekend for my cherry certificate....), and I have several "peachy" things....but I only have ONE image for my asparagus! It was one of the very first Stampin Up! sets I ever bought!!! (I can't recall the name, but it was on a Thanksgiving set.....) I NEED to start these soon...I won't be here for the auction this year, so I can't burn the midnight oil, as I have in the past!



I can go in many directions with my designs...these images are last years creations. It's funny how each recipient takes care of my card, and returns it to me, year after year! I could just "reuse"...but that would be too easy, and I wouldn't be able to justify my purchases!~

Off topic, for those who are stopping by...I'm still trying to figure out my layout of these posts! I seem to not be able to move my pictures and my layout is a little strange. I'm at my home office currently, and these images are not saved on my home computer, so, I don't want to fiddle too much, for fear of losing them....and if today is like yesterday, like the day before, like the day before, yada, yada, yada.....I will probably not have time to zip on and play with the layout of this!!! So, friends, bear with me...I occasionally see a typo, and I am not happy with my page layouts, but in time, I will improve!

Toodles!

Trudi

Almost Finished!

I wish I could say I'm almost finished with something crafty....I'm almost finished with my Spring brochure for my chocolate business. It's something I need to get out to the retailers ASAP and I've sort of had things pop up (which is normal) that delayed my intent to have this already printed and out in the mail! I left the factory tonight, knowing I only need to tweak the final page a eensy teensy bit tomorrow, press send to the printer and get ready for the mailing. Then, I'll give a huge sigh of relief and be able to burn the midnight oil again without worries! In the meantime, here is a picture I found while messing with my photo gallery last night. We have a cherry orchard and I never have taken pictures of the process before...I caught these few bins on the last day or so of picking before they were shipped out! I will be back tomorrow with a picture of something crafty....Every February I donate 10 pounds of cherries, 15 pounds of fresh asparagus and 1 box of peaches at our church preschool silent auction. I make 3 gift certificates ... and each is auctioned off for a fairly handsome price! It goes to a good cause and I gladly do this. I am not satisfied unless I handmake a special card with the certificate. Well, it's coming up soon...so, I think I better get in the mood for my certificates. I have about 1 month to complete each one...I started collecting ideas....(I'm still putting on hold showing you my finished card from my In Style set...I want the recipients to be the first to see them...oh wait...I need to see them finished first! hahahahaha!)

I was up early today, ran 3-1/2 miles...now, I am going to dream about cherry ice cream!

What a Sweet Thing!

My friend Mary sent me a very nice compliment and included me as a recipient of this thoughtful and sweet award! I accept it (blushing) and am going to follow the rules as best as I can! I am a bit computer challenged, but I'm learning, and even learned a little bit about my VISTA (which if you follow my blog ... from time to time...you will learn that VISTA drives me batty! Plus...as much as I luv my Kodak digital camera...the software that comes with it does not work well with VISTA...so, I tend to blame a LOT on VISTA....)



To accept this award, you will need to:1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.2. List who gave the award to you and use a link to her blog (or hyperlink).3. List 10 things that make you happy.4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know that you've honored them with this award.I hope you all have a great week!





In receiving this award, I am to list 10 things that make me happy:

1. My kidlets w/o a doubt...they are my world


2. My family: husband, parents, sisters....through thick and thin...it's family that holds me up when I am down, and have helped me become who I am today....


3. My Buddy-dog....Santa ended a very sad year (2007) by giving us our Buddy....he luvs us unconditionally, and gives me hugs and kisses daily...all 100 pounds of luvvable him!


4. Security....house over my head, clean air to breathe...we are truly blessed...and I promise will never take any of that for granted.


5. Health.....I work on it.....I feel so much healthier since I lost that babyweight....I am REALLY happy fitting in clothes from the past.....I know, sort of vain, but I lost a chunk of me...and that makes me happy...


6. My family's health....I constantly worry worry worry....


7. My family's happiness. My heart aches when I see my family sad or scared or upset....I'd rather be the one sad than to see any of my family sad.


8. My friends. I have been blessed with many friends. I only hope that I am as good as a friend to mine as they are to me. You all know who you are, and I thank you all for all the days, months and years of friendship.


9. WORK hard, PLAY hard.....includes my addiction to scrapbooking and cardmaking....I put that in the both categories ... work and play ... If you have ever burned the midnight oil to finish something for a deadline ... the work part is easy to relate too!


10. GUMMY BEARS, gummy worms, gummy centepedes, gummy fish, little gummy people, gummy strawberries, gummy frogs, gummy fruit, gummy cherries, gummy gummy gummy....oh and sugared cinnamon gummy hearts! (I'll someday upload a picture of some of the things my business does with gummy...currently we have about 400 pounds of gummy candy in our facility...so easy for me to eat!)

My friend Mary honored me with this award...THANK YOU Mary! Mary and I have been cyber craft friends for probably about 5 or 6 years now...we have swapped with each other for many years, I have enjoyed getting to cyber-know Mary! Even though we live on opposite sides of the country....I feel like Mary is in my circle of friends that I have truly been blessed with!~



http://mystampinhide-away.blogspot.com/





Now, I think I'm learning my linking and everything....I have a few blogs I visit often....here they are!



http://becreative.cornishheritagefarms.com/



http://paperhugs.typepad.com/paper_hugs/



http://heather-bittenbythebug2.blogspot.com/



http://bellepapier.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/



http://lifeasathreeleggeddog.blogspot.com/



I hope my linking worked...it seemed easier than I thought it would be! I may be a computer whiz someday! LOL



Trudi

My Elements and Inspiration!



I knew that I was not going to have much time pulling this together...a funny thing happened last night....I fell asleep rather than worked on my pending project! So, I did today, what I tend to do quite often when I get to this stage...I pulled a variety of POSSIBLE embellishments, which may or may NOT end up on my card. I forgot I had the courderoy buttons...I had no intention of using those until I saw how close they matched my designer paper, which I narrowed down to these 2 papers. I have 12 cards to make and each 12x12 paper cut 6 panels, each 4"x5-1/4" in size. Originally I thought I'd be using a white button...but, we'll see...I'm steering towards the fun colorful ones now. I'm glad I didn't work on my cards last night...the pattern was a last minute thought this morning...If nothing else, it will serve as some sort of inspiration, but it would be nice to cut off the scraps and somehow use it on my card! The pink ribbon hurts my eyes just to think about it...but one of the designer papers has pink accents, if you look closely, you'll see it...my images that I colored has absolutely NO PINK on it...but, I pulled this from my stash "just in case"....I KNOW I want to use my "pinking" shears...you know those fancy edged scissors that we all have and threaton to never use? I surprise myself now and then and find needs for these...I'm a craft hoarder I'm afraid, and have literally everything a crafter could need!

I'm finished for now, will complete my card over the weekend....I'm going to mail the results out to the indended recipients before posting it to my blog. (Probably Monday)....sometime next week...I'll show what I came up with!!!

I will come back, however with other posts! I'm trying to clean my craft table...finishing 2009 Christmas Cards, which now will be 2010....I have a bit of a crafter's block on one of my elements...I'm trying to turn a tin soldier into a Nutcracker. hmmmmmmmmmmm

Thanks for stopping by!

Trudi

Today is going to be one of those days....I already have more to do than human hours will allow! So, I'll be brief! After choosing my designer paper...I knew I wanted to color coordinate my stamped image. I could have done this several ways...I could have watercolored with my inks, crayons or pencils....I could have paper-pieced, I think these images may have worked....I chose my markers since I planned on coloring during my daughter's piano lessons and wanted something fairly portable and quick! My next step will be to pull this all together...this is basically as far as I am right now with this project...I hope to finish the next step tonight and show you tomorrow! I can't promise a finished card YET...but now I need to decide which paper and cardstock and layout to go with...I already have an idea! Oh, and by now...of these 3 designer papers...I KNOW which one I DON'T want...so, I need to choose between the other 2....or...use them both~!

This is what I KNOW. I know I'm going to use this set. I closed my eyes and randomnly grabbed this set from a pile of never or rarely used sets of mine!

I chose my designer paper in a fairly unique way. Looking at the set, I sort of had that "50"s feel. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recalled a memory....when my husband and I traveled the Caribbean on our honeymoon, 20 years ago....we visited a plantation where the tour guide made the comment that the kitchen of this mansion that we visited was decorated 50's style....the walls were painted in bright colors with polka dots! So....with this set....I went from:

50's ------------>a comment made on our tour during our honeymoon ---------->the plantation kitchen decor -------------->bright polka dots

(I don't think it hurt that one of the dresses has dots on it either...this may have been somthing subliminal in my thought process)....

I didn't second guess my color scheme. I have TONS of polka dot designer paper....BUT...decided to be impulsive with my color choice and not overthink!

Come by tomorrow to see what next I've done!

Trudi

Now that I'm an official blogger, I better have ideas to share! Fortunately, ideas are something that I have plenty of...time...well, not so much of! I've often wondered how other minds create...what the process is for each individual. I've heard that some create by inspiration...they look at an advertisement, fabric, pictures, etc., and an idea will spark. Some by sketches, there are many out there, I've designed using a sketch a couple of times...wish I would more, since I enjoyed that process. Others may take an already done image and make it their own, (the highest form of crafting flattery)....ME....I take the DO WHAT YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO DO AND GO FROM THERE APPROACH.....I could write a book on my process....it can get into detail, but to make it simple for my blog...I will leave it at that....SIMPLE....(that doesn't mean the result will be simple...)

A few months ago, I started a RAK for a group that I belong to....(sorry peeps, it's "in the works"...) I think I need to finish it...but, I thought I'd share my process just the same!

Each card I create "typically" has 3 elements: Designer Paper, Stamping, and Embellishments

Sometimes I stray, but starting out...this is what I KNOW I will probably settle on. I thought I'd have a little fun with this RAK...and literally CLOSE MY EYES and randomnly choose a Stamp Set that I had never really used before...and see if my process would work on any set...so...I knew I was going to choose a Stamp Set....

Pop in later to see what set I chose! After it was in my hot little hands...I almost wanted to change my rule and pick another...but, that would not be right now would it...I want to prove my theory works....I will post my first step of the process I KNOW I'M GOING TO USE THIS SET.........

I'm fiddling around with my pictures and trying to find something to upload onto my new blog! This is the first card I found .... I hope to publish more in the future! Thanks for stopping by!

I used primarily SU product on this card, and of course added a little button to the center of my flower!

I guess this is my first official post. I intend to write more soon!