Bold Bright Birthday

It's a bit dreary out today, but extremely warm for the last day of February. I'm looking forward to Spring. Warm days, jogging in the woods without shivering, photography, and painting. There are a couple oil paintings I'm going to do outside this year. Should be great fun. But in the meantime...

We have several family birthdays in March. So, I'm getting a head start on the cards. This bright card is not only shaking off the winter, it's cheerful on this cloudy morning. The primary image is one of my favorites from Unity Stamp Company. I also used another set to make the bright patterns on the background card. Those images really inspired me. So, you'll probably see them again, except on napkins and aprons...which is going to be my project later today!



Enjoy your Saturday!

Blog Make-Over

Well, this is the last weekend I will be using this fabulous pink, black, and "LOVE"ly background for my blog.

I'm headed for Sunshine and a Springtime look!

Get Well...Be Well...Live Well

The card below is being sent to someone who is beginning to succumb to cancer (as well as issues resulting from a compromised immune system). It would be so nice to be able to give a little health away to someone who really needs it. Instead, I only hope this card helps her smile.



Both stamps are from Unity Stamp Company. The primary image, the tree, is from a new set, "Little Sprout". Everything else is Stampin Up!

Making this card helped me reflect on my own life and what I did well or could have done better.

There are so many people and things in my life that bring me joy and help me live well. Here are only a few:

(1) Candace. She is such a wonderful young woman. She really LIVES the life she wants to see in the world (most of the time...lol). I look at her sometimes and become thankful of the hard times we lived through when she was wee.

(2) Dave. Very few folks get to see how comedic he can be. His expressions, disposition and (sometimes juvenile) antics. When we aren't stressed out by all the daily grind, we have so much fun, mostly because he brings laughter and smiles into my otherwise serious, pensive nature. I am happy to share my life with him.

(3) Laughter. Heartfelt laughter. I don't think I can laugh enough. It brings the most joy. I have a very good friend that I no longer work with (project cancelled) and he brought fun back to work because of his deep hearty laugh. HIS laugh alone brightens a room.

(4) Friends. My best memories are of the time I've spent with my friends.

(5) Kinky, Coma, Yello, and Clyde (my fury family). They are worth every fur ball rambling along the floor.

Award from a Friend

Jessica, a friend of mine from Splitcoaststampers, nominated me for an award. What a great surprise! This is my first blog award.

So, following the "rules" for the award:

1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to their blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

What fun. I get to pass the smiles along! I'm nominating the following bloggers. Each of them offer so much daily and weekly inspiration.

1. Lindsey
2. Brooke, DTM from Unity Stamp Company
3. The English Muse
4. Ghetto Fabulous
5. Sleepy in Seattle

Birthday Present

Okay, here is what was inside. It's a necklace/pendant that I made, using Swarovski crystal pearls, a raspberry colored Swarovski bi-cone crystal, and a small yellow ochre flower bead. The leaf and bead cap are Vintaj elements that I use alot in some of the vintage-styled jewelry pieces I make. It sorta reminds me of a pineapple.

I'm glad she liked it!

Vino with Choo Luncho?

My traveling donkey having a very lively afternoon. Wonder what was accomplished in that meeting?

Shhhh! It's a Birthday Surprise

Shhh. I have a surprise for a friend of mine that is having a birthday soon. So, I created a little treat. Inside is a little bit of heaven that I can't disclose until I confirm she's received it (because she visits here occasionally).

Here's the card that accompanied it:



Any day now! When she does, I'll let you see what was inside.

Weekend Workshop

Last week was another busy crafting week. I spent most of Friday night and Saturday getting ready for a workshop I held today. We had a great time, crafting, chatting, and eating a nice spread of sugary treats.

We did two projects. One was a card and the other a 3D pillow box.


Three happy faces

And here's a closeup of their completed project:



Here's the other one we did:


It was a fun afternoon. Who wants to go back to work?

Celtic Charm

Inspired by Beer, my favorite Irish lad, and Celtic music.

Quote of the Day

Visitor

Last night ended eventfully. Right before I was shutting down (a little after midnight), I heard my cat growling at the back sliding glass door.

We have a fox in our neighborhood and I thought she was growling at him as he made his way through our back yard. When I turned the light on and looked outside, I was greeted by a young-ish rather LARGE German Shepard. He seemed like a teenager dog to me anyway. Very bright eyes, trusting, and friendly.



And...He really wanted in my house. I thought he was my neighbor's dog (they have two Germans) and thought he was a little lost thinking my house was his house....So, silly me, I let him in. The cats scattered...quickly I should add, because I don't think they have ever seen a dog bigger than them (Remember - Clyde is 4.5 lbs - smaller than any of my three cats!). Clyde of course became quickly concerned, because, well...he's an appetizer to a dog that size.

This dog was really curious. So, he's following Clyde and running around the first floor...and I'm trying to figure what to do with him. I didn't want to just let him back outside, because I was afraid, if he was lost, he would start to get more anxious, not pay attention to what he's doing, and end up getting hit by a card (if he made his way out of my neighborhood.) I got Clyde's leash and put it on him. I'm really glad dogs that large are usually very friendly. It always amazes me how strong they are. He took ME where he wanted to go! I was finally able to calm him down a bit and then checked his collar.

Yay, he had tags with a phone number. I called and the owner was thankful I had found him. He said he'd be right over and pick him up. We (the dog and I) went outside to wait. Amazingly, BEFORE the car turned onto my street, I could tell the dog KNEW his owner was coming, because he became very alert. And just after his ears perked and he quieted, a turned onto the street.

The owner was very nice. Said that he ran off when he saw some deer running through the neighborhood. And he was not able to catch him. We laughed about the whole thing and I went inside to clean up the mud that was trampled in the house

And made my way to bed.

Late night adventures with animals...FUN.

Sleepy Honey

I giggled so much when taking this picture. He was really tired. Wanted to play around a little, but just couldn't get past 9 pm. I'm surprised he wasn't snoring with his head back and his mouth open.

And if you notice closely...in the background you'll see XMAS decor. Yes, It's STILL up and YES, it's almost March.

I guess some things get done in their own time.

Meow

FEED ME NOW

My Noisy Friend

Lately I have been wondering what happened to my noisy friend. He must have known I was thinking about him, because he greeted me this morning as I left for work. He was wet, but there he was, up on his favorite post.

This hawk has been visiting our neighborhood and hanging out in that tree (in that SPOT) for over a year now. This fall, he was making some really strange noises while perched in the tree. Almost every night, almost like clockwork, he would start. I enjoyed it, but wondered what he was saying and who he was talking to, and whether it was a pleasant conversation or not.

I bet he knows that bunny season is just around the corner!

It was good to see him.

Valentines Day

Dave and I had a really nice Valentine's Day this year. Since it was on a Saturday, that meant that we were able to take it easy all day, without scurrying around. I worked a little in the basement and then came upstairs to make his card.

Then later, we went to have dinner at this little jazz restaurant in town, The Wedge. The food is great and the atmosphere is so nice and romantic. The two pictures below were taken after we finished dinner. The first, I took. And then this fella from another table came over and took a second (and third, fourth, and fifth!). Poor Dave, is so incredibly uncomfortable in front of a camera!



The above is the one I took. I'm wearing the necklace and earrings he gave me!



The above is the best one that the fella took. In most of the other ones, either I had my eyes closed or Dave looked frightened!

Here is the card I gave Dave. I made it 3D encased in some recycled packaging. Dave's favorite color is green, so besides making it look "fresh", I also wanted to include his favorite color. And I really like deep rich pinks. He liked it. And I meant it.


Front of the Card


Back of the Card

I really love him. Looking into his eyes still makes my heart patter.

Toxic Love

Have you ever been infactuated with someone that was bad for you? I think almost any woman that has been through her teenage years and has finally matured (really matured) can look back and proclaim a resounding "Yes". Well, I take that back, maybe those who were lucky enough to find their true high school sweetheart can't say that OR...I guess maybe the "bad" girls...HA.

I wonder what really drew me to them. And why I fell in that trap into believing I only deserved something less than respectful, upstanding, and awesome. Beyond simple rebellion, there must have been something else going on.

I'm not into drawing any real life changing conclusions from any silly pop-culture inspired book or movie, but maybe there is something we should pay attention to with men who fill your/my space with "He's Just Not That Into You" feelings.

I wonder what they are doing today? I tried to find a couple of them on facebook, but I'm pretty darn sure they, well a couple of them anyway, are still TOO COOL for that.

Ah, well, anyway, enough pontification.

The above card was inspired by the bad boys from my past. This card was included in a set of cards I sent into the Cards for Kids organization. I'm sure there is some starry eyed female out there with the same dreamy thoughts about some guy....

Photo-Chic

Get a load of my pink toy! If you saw me jogging a few days ago, you would have seen me carrying this Sweet camera along. I took a roll of pictures that day.

One thing cool about this camera is that the lens comes off to double as a pin hole camera - which is one of my favorite ways to shoot.

Yesterday, I grabbed it and took it out to marshy area near my office and took a few shots using the pinhole. I'll be excited to see how they turn out.

Anyway, here I am, corporate IT BP Architect, toting Prada and THIS.

Anyway, I'm smiling. Those of you who know me can confirm my obsession with this color. And, HA! you don't even really have to know me well. All my life...come to think of it...I'll have to pull out a picture of my bedroom when I was 12 to show you what it looked like! It's hysterically Barbie.

This isn't February ... No Way

These are a couple pictures of my pal, Clyde. He's my 4.5 pound, 16 year old Pomeranian. This is a picture that I took after we were finished with a canoeing adventure on the Brandywine. He went canoeing with Candace, Dave, and I last summer (late June).



He looks so happy in this shot.



He looks so funny in this shot because his backside is still wet, while his mane area had finished drying. He's also a little upset with me, because I put him on a big boulder (about 2 feet off the ground) to keep him out of the way until the canoes were on the truck and he was out of danger. I know, 2 feet up? But yes, that's enough to keep him put. He is no longer able to jump down from "high" places. And yes, 2 feet is now high for him - because of some arthritis in his limbs.

He is the cutest little guy. And so loveable. And such a wimp. But I love him all the same.

Today it's supposed to be a record high -- nearly 70 F. So, this picture of Clyde, and some of the other fun pictures from that day, reminds me that this chill will soon be over with and I'll be able to go outside, in the woods, streams, mountains without freezing.

Roses

Roses, even when they have dried and lost their fragrance are still beautiful, aren't they?

I've had a busy time since last post. My weekend was crazy. I was teaching a workshop and had so much to finish to prepare for that. Now that it's over, I still need to finish putting my supplies away and complete the expenses. Sigh.

So, the picture above is for focus - to instill calm and peace. Hope it adds a little calm to your spirit too!

Peppered

BEHOLD THE F-----(Bleep). (that's a line from a comedy one act I saw a few years ago. For some reason, when I want to say "TADA" I also want to say that line!)

I just finished my latest painting last night. I started this one in October 2008. It's another large painting(24 x 36). Just need to let it dry a bit, varnish it, frame it (and then figure out where to put it).

I have tentatively named it Peppered. But I'm thinking about having a contest to name it, so if you think of something nice...let me know. If I accept your name, I'll send you a small token of appreciation!

Other Birthday Card

After I received so many nice compliments on my first card, I'm almost afraid to show you the second card for Katie's swap....I'm afraid I won't measure up!

TA--DA. Hope you like this one too. I made it cheerful using bright colors...because when isn't a birthday exciting?

Bright Bold Birthday

Above is the birthday card that I made for Katie-Did's Swap. This was really fun to design and put together, because it used a new die and a new stamp set that I recently received from SU and a couple other techniques. I made a couple extra, because I have several birthday's in February, so for once, I wanted to be ahead of the game.

Also, I made a tiny gift for a friend. Here's the gift box. I can't really say what's inside, because she sometimes reads my blog and I want it to be a surprise!