Cute As Pi Crafts

One Scoop Or Two?

2010-06-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of cards I recently made. The pink one is made from current Stampin' Up! products and colors. I made it for a swap. The purple one I made for a class and it uses some colors that are retiring. The stamp set is called Sweet Scoops and I love it! Speaking of classes, I am having a class on Monday, June 28. If you are interested in coming, let me know.

Have a great day!
Sheri

Two In A Row

2010-04-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I am posting 2 days in a row? Me either! It's going to be quick because I have a really busy day ahead of me. The first photo is a canvas I made for one of the teachers for her birthday. I am thinking of adding a large black and white striped bow to act as a hanger, but I am not sure. I am giving it to her today so I guess I'd better decide quickly!

The second photo is the birthday card I made for my nephew. I kind of like how it turned out.

Have an awesome day! (I told you it was going to be quick).

Sheri

Hello Again!

2010-04-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I have had some classes and done some crafting since the last time I shared. My computer that has all my photos has been down, and still is. I was able to convince my hubby that I should go back to what I know how to use! Here are a few cards from my latest class I had over the weekend. I have some classes coming up in May, if you are interested let me know.

The first card features a set called Sweet Scoops. It will be available in the new Summer Mini that begins May 1. There are some cute sets in the new mini. You can view them at my Stampin' Up! website. The sweet scoops card is a replica of one that Diana Gibbs made. She is my upline and my go to if I need some inspiration. The only thing I changed was the colors (slightly).

The butterfly card was cased from a gal named Ilina Crouse. I changed just a few things as well. There was no stamping. The butterflies are from the emblosslits die. It is so cool. It cuts and embosses all in one shot! All of those butterflies were from just one die. I used double sided designer paper and flipped some over.

This vintage card was my own creation. I wasn't sure at first because it is not my usual style, but I love the elegance of this one. It is hard to see in the photo but there is some glitter on the center of the flowers.

This guitar card uses a color combo I have never used before, but I like it! The card was inspired by Renee. I am going to have to get a link to her blog because she has some fantastic work!

Well, I have missed being able to share my creations with you all! I will have some more for you soon.

Have a fantastic day!

Sheri

A Few More Cards

2010-02-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

I tried to add about 10 cards for your viewing pleasure the other day, however, things didn't work the way I wanted. So now, I am trickling them in. I have a really full day, so without further ado...

Here are two more cards from a recent class I had. Does it make you want to sign up for my next class? I have one on February 20. I still have just a couple spots open if you are interested. If you are busy, I still have some spots for my March 12 class.

The first card is my own creation. The second card I borrowed the design and changed just a few things to make it my own. Molly was the creator behind the original. Her blog is http://mollyslazydogblog.blogspot.com/. In honor of the upcoming Hallmark holiday holiday that fills the air with love and gives me ample opportunity to create gifts and cards, I am showing you two pink cards.

Have a romantic, love filled weekend! (I didn't even use a sarcastic tone)
Sheri

Mommy and Me Valentine's Class

2010-02-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

Good Morning! The Mommy and Me Valentine's Class was a huge success. I had fun and I am pretty sure everyone else did too! Here are the projects we made. I think I may have even gotten a custom order for one of them for wedding favors! How fun!

As always, if you have questions let me know. I also wanted to tell you, I am getting ready to start another round of stampers club. I am looking to fill some spots. I have two options. Let me know if you are interested and I will explain how they work. It is a great opportunity to learn new techniques and get a few supplies in an affordable manner.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Sheri

Who's Been Missing?

2010-02-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

Get it? "Who's" been missing, or should I say "hoo's" been missing? OK, never mind!

Here are two cards from my recent class. The first one uses a ton of punches! I took the design from the recent regional event I attended. I just changed the stamp set and some of the colors. I am very happy with its outcome. The stamps are For All You Do and Well Scripted (occasions mini).

The second card uses Fox and Friends stamp set. I used the new clear mount stamps. It also uses the scallop trim border that you can earn for free during sale-a-bration. If you would like to know how let me know! The leaves are cut out with the little leaves die and big shot. I just cut off one branch and glued it under the white layer. My gel pen is one of my favorite embellishments. Look how much detail just a few highlights add.

I have added a class to my calendar for March. It is a 5-5-10 all occasions class. It is on March 12. You can choose from a 9am class or 6pm. Let me know which one you would like to attend. Thanks!

Have a fabulous week! Mine is full of fun craftiness!

Sheri

Mambo And Her Rich Twin

2010-01-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

I love making the same card in different colors. They look very different. Obviously I added brads to the pink one, otherwise they are twins. The pink is using melon mambo and the purple is rich razzleberry, thus the title is born! The rich razzleberry looks brown in the photo, but I assure you it is an amazing purple shade! These cards were very quick to put together, but took forever to cut! This was one of the cards we made at my last class. Hopefully, it will help entice you to sign up for my next class coming up.

I hope you have a great weekend! Mine will be wonderful and busy!

Sheri

The Love Workshop

2010-01-15T09:19:00.000-08:00

I had a workshop this week. We made 3 fun projects. The hostess made tons of yummy food! Food and crafting....I am certain life doesn't get much better! Bandit stole our hearts in the first project. If you look closely you can see the white gel pen we used on his heart and tail.

The next project was a little nugget purse. Both the Bandit tag and the purse used the Big Shot two tags die. The second photo shows the loot! My boys were arguing over who gets to eat the chocolate out of this one. Never mind that there are 120 more undecorated ones in a bag. I guess that proves my theory that goodies really do taste better when they are decorated first!

Side view.

This card makes me very happy. It is fairly simple, but still eye catching. Unfortunately, you can't see the sparkle in the photo. The designer paper is from the new mini and has glitter already on some of the flowers. Then we added more shimmer by spraying the images with shimmer paint mixed with rubbing alcohol. The edges of the love you much stamp were sponged with pretty in pink.

As always, if you have specific questions just ask.

On a side note, I still have some openings for my upcoming all occasions card class on January 29. Let me know if you are interested.

Have a fabulous weekend!
Sheri

Blogger Of The Year...

2010-01-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

OK, so maybe not this year, but I can set my sites high for next year, right? I kind of jumped ship the second half of 2009, but I am back!

I still have not mastered the new photo software change. In my opinion, it not very user friendly. I have to find the photo and put it on my desktop just to get it to my blog. I am sure there is an easier way, but I don't know what it is. My hubby is going to have to give me a tutorial or let me go back to my old ways! I guess if I used it a little more often and gave you all some eye candy, I would know how to use it by now.

Moving forward...I made this card in the midst of the craziness of the holidays. It is using the Dasher stamp and basic brown ink. I used white craft ink to ink the edges of the kraft paper. I used a glue pen to make random dots on the background and on the edges of the vellum and then sprinkled with dazzling diamonds glitter.

If you didn't get a Christmas card from me this year it is not because you didn't make the "list" it is because I didn't make the list! I could bore you with lots of excuses, but I won't!

Now for exciting stuff! Stampin' Up! is having my favorite promotion of the year. It is called sale-a-bration. It is the chance for you to earn free stamps. Who doesn't love free stuff? For every $50 you spend you get to choose a free set, paper, or punch from the sale-a-bration catalog. To see the fabulous catalog you can visit my website: www.sherismith.stampinup.net or you may simply ask me for a catalog. If you hostess a workshop and the total is at least $300 you also earn a free set. If you would like to join my team as a demonstrator you earn another free set. The starter kits are 15% off as well. This is the really abbreviated version, so if you have any questions please let me know!

Have a great day!

Sheri

Flying By To Say A Quick Hi...

2009-12-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a workshop. This is one of the projects we created. It was a lot fun! There were some new stampers and some young stampers. I can NOT get enough of this ornament punch. I feel obligated to let you know that it is only available until January 5. So please let me know if you "need" one. I say need because how could you not want one?

The stamp set is Delightful Decorations which is also only available until January 5. My to-do list is growing much quicker than it is shrinking. The good news is that in about a week everything that isn't done won't matter any more ;) I hope you all are enjoying this wonderful holiday season and keeping your stress levels to a minimum!

Have a grand day and let me know if you have any questions about my card or otherwise!
Sheri

Computers 101

2009-12-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

Sorry for my extended absence. I am a creature of habit maybe a little more than most (especially when it comes to computers). There is a little love hate relationship with them! I love them when I know what I am doing, and not so much when I don't! My hubby switched the pictures to a different computer than I was using before. It is a different program and works differently. It might be the equivalent of me rearranging the furniture and him getting up in the middle of the night and not really remembering and stubbing his toe. That would only happen until he got used to the new set up. Well, it's the same sort of thing for me. Once I figure things out I am golden until he changes something again. My point of is that I finally had him show me how to upload from the other computer. Remember when I was fussing about not being able to find the spell check but being able to cross out anything at the touch of a button? I figured it out...with a little help from my man.

This is another card from my last class. Man, I have managed to stretch those cards out much longer than I planned. It's a little strange looking at this springy number with Christmas right around the corner, but you have to remember it was like 90 when I created it.

Speaking of class, my next class is December 19. I had to change the date. I still have some openings so let me know if you are interested in taking it. It is a 10-10-20 thank you card class. Just in time for the holidays!

All products used are Stampin' Up!

Vintage Flakes

2009-11-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

I love the vintage look of this card. I had the perfect embellishment opportunity. I eyeballed the greeting. It was heading downhill. I was going to leave it but it was sloped a little too much for me to let it go. So, I cut out another piece of brown an restamped the greeting and edged it with white ink. You'd never have known I messed it up if I hadn't told you! The snowflakes are popped up with 3-D glue dots. I pierced around the kraft piece and roughed up the edges a bit. I used Winter Post stamp set for the snowflake and Home For Christmas for the greeting. Chocolate chip and kraft are the cardstock colors. Add white craft ink and satin ribbon and you have all the ingredients!

I guess I'd better get stamping because I only have 4 more samples from my 10-10-20 class to share! I will reward myself with crafting time as motivation to get my house cleaned. Nothing says I love you like clean sheets and homemade cards ;)

I will have family in town for Thanksgiving so my blog may be neglected next week.

Have a wonderful day!
Sheri

Simple, Yet Elegant

2009-11-17T20:57:00.000-08:00

This card is super simple, but so classy. This is a new background stamp named Medallion. Love it! This one is pretty straightforward. Some layering with a big brad in the center. When I mail it I will probably add a greeting in the white space, but I wanted to wait and see what occasion arises. The color of ink and paper is bordering blue.

I ~~forsee~~ ~~foresee~~ predict (darn missing spell check)lots of quick posts in the near future. I feel like I am on a magic carpet flying through life. I am hanging on tight and hoping I don't fall off. Do you ever feel that way?

So, I am tossing around the idea of adding a class to my calendar on Friday, December 4 in the evening. I think it will be a gift type class. One idea is gift tags. I actually have several other ideas but I wanted to put a feeler out there and see if there is any interest. Leave a comment or email me and let me know. Thanks.

Hope your day is filled with fun!
Sheri

Rolling Hills

2009-11-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

At first glance this card appears to be pretty basic, but let me just tell you...if you receive this baby you better frame it! I love how it turned out, but I slaved over designing it. It also takes a long time to reproduce. So that you can really appreciate it I am going to give details: the striped background is actually background paper. the polka dot paper was stamped as was the foreground flower paper. Each layer had to be hand cut to get the rolling hills. The tree stamps are two step stamping. For those of you that don't know me, I am an eyeballer (that sounds really weird). I actually broke down and used the Stamp-a-ma-jig for this one. The trunks had to be stamped then added the leaves. The middle tree is actually cut out. The rest of the card is pretty self explanatory, but I will always answer questions if you have any.

All products are Stampin' Up! The paper is old olive, really rust, whisper white, and certainly celery. The ink is soft suede, really rust, old olive, versamark, white craft, and crushed curry. The stamp set is Trendy Trees.

I have no complaints or funny stories today...just the facts!

Have an amazing Monday!
Sheri

Seeing Spots

2009-11-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

My card class was today and was lots of fun. I had some new stampers. I LOVE sharing my crafting passion with others so that made it a great day. I had a teenager that stamped for the first time and she did a fabulous job! The colors in this card make me very happy! The dimensions are 6"x3". The design on this card works well for someone with limited supplies. The only fancy thing I used was a circle punch. The image is from the hostess set called The More The Merrier. The colors of paper are tempting turquiose, melon mambo, lovely lilac, black, and whisper white.

So, if you see any misspellings ~~send me email telling me to get a dictionary~~ just mentally correct them and feel sorry that I am so computer illiterate! I did some sort of upgrade, and now I don't have to be a genius and know how to write code to get the ~~strikethrough~~ feature. I just have to click a button. However, I have to be a ~~genius~~ spelling bee champ because I don't know where spell check went. Once again, I ~~am too stubborn to ask my hubby~~ don't want to bother my husband with such trivial help. I like to save it for the big stuff, like flat tires. Now don't go fussing at me for sounding like a helpless female who can't change a tire. I could, but if my fingers are going to get black stuff on them, I want it to be ink or paint that's all. How was that for a random tangent?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks for looking!
Sheri

2 Down 8 To Go...

2009-11-12T22:34:00.000-08:00

Here is another card for Saturday's class. I think this skunk is so cute. The sentiment says "I stink you're sweet!" It could possibly mean different things. The way it is written it is supposed to mean I think you are sweet. If you add a comma you could use this as an apology card: I stink, you're sweet! The stamp set is called Pun Fun. I used real red, very vanilla, and black card stock. The skunk is stamped on watercolor paper with stazon and colored with a blender pen and watercolor pencils. I added a little gel pen to the flower petals. All products are Stampin' Up! If you have any questions, let me know.

Have a fun filled weekend!

Sheri

Another Class

2009-11-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been super busy between sick kids, holidays, preparing for my upcoming class, and life! I am not complaining, just telling ya like it is! Saturday is my 10-10-20 All Occasions class. Here is just one sample of what we will be making. The designer paper is so yummy that it makes it really easy to make fabulous cards! All the products are Stampin' Up! which makes it very easy for me to tell you where to get them *wink*. The stamp set is from a hostess set called The More The Merrier. The acorn is stamped three times: once in taken with teal ink, and twice in basic brown. I cut one brown one completely out and just the top part of the second one. Just a little added dimension. If you are coming to my class, be prepared to do some serious snipping! I am trying to keep it to a minimum but it is very hard because I love the look it gives. I used creamy caramel and basic brown to color the acorn. There's a little gel pen highlight. Pretty basic. OK, so maybe it's the basic plus package. I am going to dribble the rest of the cards out one day at a time. I don't want you to feel overwhelmed with so much eye candy at one time. After all, we are just getting off the Halloween real candy rush! Now I just need to keep my eyes open for some good blogging material!

Thanks for stopping by!
Sheri

Crimping My Style...

2009-11-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

This is the other project we will be making at my workshop. It is an enevlope that is crimped. It has a litte notecard in it (very obvious in the next photo). I wanted to do something other than just a card. These are a lot of fun to make. Last year for Valentine's day I made these (with a different design) for my boys' classes. Inside of them instead of a card, they held fun dip candy. That meant I made 70 of them. They weren't quite as much fun to make in that quantity!

There is a wonderful tutorial here. I used the stamp set Fresh Cuts. I used Regal Rose, Old Olive, and Black ink. I also used the tag punch and half back pearls from the Pretties kit. The ribbon is old olive striped grograin. All products are Stampin' Up! Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to cutting paper I go!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Sheri

Same Card Different Color...

2009-11-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

So have you ever bought a shirt or pair of shoes that you liked so much you had to buy one of every color? I haven't but I know many people that have. Instead, I buy cardstock in every color! I ran out of the garden green cardstock so I flipped the designer paper over and used old olive instead. I also stamped the greeting on the designer paper instead of the plain. That really wasn't on purpose, but I couldn't flip the paper over because I already did! It's funny how different the cards look with relatively small changes. Oh yeah, I changed the ribbon too.

My friend is hosting a workshop for me this weekend. Would you like a sneak peek of what we will be making? If you have already said you were coming you can't back out now or you will give me a complex! The photo doesn't give this card nearly enough credit. The Medallion stamp on the cardbase is so awesome! I can see myself using that stamp over and over again. I also used For All You Do for the flowers and the greeting is from Trendy Trees. We are actually doing another project, but I am going to wait until tomorrow or Monday to share it with you.

I have some card classes coming up. Consider this your personal invitation to join me! The November class is a 10-10-20 (ten cards, ten envelopes, $20). It is on Saturday, November 14 from 2-5, and it will be repeated on Tuesday, November 17 from 11-2. The cards will be all occasions. I have a thank you card class scheduled in December as well. Details can be found here.

If Only...

2009-10-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

I thougt in code rather than all things crafty I would have had this post to share a week ago! However, my post might look something like this: (cute) div center: (/) end (cuteness) add (color) + (ribbon) except the whole page would be written like that. It took me asking my ~~computer nerd~~ engineer husband to help me google and figure out why my pictures were being rotated once I uploaded them. If I were more of a bullet point type of person I would take pictures perfectly centered and straight instead of perfectly kattywhampus! Then I would also not have the problem of blogger trying to tell me the orientation of my pictures. Whew! OK I'm done now. Onto the cards you have been waiting so patiently to see. Now don't feel yourself full of regret for not signing up for my first card class. There will be more to come. AND... since I am feeling extra nice I will offer this card class again if there are at least 5 people interested in taking it. Please email me or leave me a comment and we can figure out a date and time.

If you have any questions about any specific card, let me know. I will try to post specifics at a later date. If you were one of the individuals that took my first class, thanks for taking a chance on me! I had fun teaching you what I love to do!

I hope you have a day filled with something you love to do too!

Sheri

ETA: I have two new classes and times added to my calendar here. One in November is an all occasions card class and the other in December is a thank you card class.

Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!

2009-10-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

Blog material can come from many different sources! One of the boys had soccer practice last night, and the others played on the equipment while we waited. I love people watching. That is exactly what I did while I was there. I am extremely thankful that I am not a teenager in this day and age. There were a handful of teens playing and hanging out at the park. These particular teens were apparently babysitting some siblings. There were two boys and two girls plus some little ones. They were playing football, or at least catch. I was watching one of the boys trying to run in his jeans. It looked like he was trying to run with wet jeans on and has a distant relative that might be part penguin. They were the kind that are super tight around the bottom two-thirds of the legs and the top part doesn't quite reach the waist. It almost looks like he can't pull them up because they are too tight around the calves. Of course, there are boxers hangin' out. Then the girl that missed the ball and was trying to pick it up was equally as curious to watch. You know the kind that has to keep a completely straight back, bent knees, and hand over top of jeans to block some of the "peep" show from the lowest of low cut jeans. Seriously, why would someone torture themselves like that!?! I know back in the day we had tight pants, but they were stretch pants! There wasn't a move that couldn't be performed in them and never a worry about showing skin, crack, or boxers! OK, I know you didn't come here to listen about my opinion on the latest fashions.I started this frame an embarrassingly long time ago! It is mostly finished. The ribbon isn't really attached because I want to make sure the recipient wants it that way. The frame has designer paper modge podged on it. I sanded the edges a bit to make the paper more fitted. The other night I finally painted the plane. I added the stars to it to make it a little more fancy. I am happy with how it turned out and I hope my nephew likes it as well.

I also painted these over the weekend. They are not put together yet because I can't decide what I want to do with them. I am thinking about attaching the bat with some wire to make him kind of springy. I may use him for a different project altogether. A couple side stories: I had the ghost painted and shaded but hadn't painted his face yet. My youngest couldn't wait, and while I was doing something he drew two eyes and a mouth. He must get his patience from me. Then I had just finished the bat and was up washing my brush. He couldn't help himself and stuck his fingers in the eyes and smeared the paint across the bat. UGGHH!!! Thankfully, I was able to wipe most of it off and repaint his face. Painting makes me very happy...even when I have extra help! Who am I trying to fool...crafting makes me very happy!

Some new card designs will be making their debut very soon! I updated my Stampin' Up! site with additional classes here. Let me know if you would like to attend any of them. Also, let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for listening to all my chatter today! Have a crafty day!
Sheri

One Down, Countless To Go!

2009-10-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

This frame was started some time ago. I recently had a friend mention that she needed to finish some projects before starting any more. She got me to thinking about all the projects I have sitting around here that I need to finish up. So, yesterday I worked on a few. This is one that I completed. As some of you know, my first love (in the crafting world) is painting. However, it lacks the instant gratification that paper crafting offers. What I mean by that is that it takes much longer to complete a painted project than a card.

This project combined two of my loves, painting and paper crafting. I painted the frame black and the ghost white (he is made of wood). I modge podged a patterned paper on the frame. After it dried I lightly sanded the edges. Several months later I added details to the ghost. The "boo" and stars are made from card stock. I used some fun wire to connect them to the ghost. Then I super glued the ghost onto the frame. I am very excited how this project turned out. I am thinking I will make some Christmas frames using the same method.

I have a few more projects that I are almost complete. That means I should have more than 2 posts next week!

Have a fun filled weekend!
Sheri

I Can See Clearly Now...

2009-10-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Acetate (clear) cards are all the rage these days. OK maybe not all the rage, but they are pretty cool and fun. I made these two last night. The Halloween one was just for fun. The snowflake and tree one is similar to one we will be making in my upcoming 5-5-10 Christmas card class. We will be making 5 cards with 5 envelopes for $10. If you would be interested in attending one of my classes, let me know. There will be one on October 23 from 6:30-8:30 pm. The same class will be repeated on October 26 from 9:00-11:00 am. I still have a few spots open, but need to know by the 18th if you want to join.

My Stampin' Up! website has been set up and it ready to take online orders. I am trying to keep it current with my upcoming classes and events so check back often. There are quite a few specials going on right now.

Onto card details. The Halloween one uses 2 retired sets: Bitty Boo's and Booglie Eyes. The other one uses the set Snow Swirled. I used stazon for stamping directly onto the window sheets. It dries quickly, but you have to be careful so it doesn't smear. The tree part was actually a leftover piece from my workshop. I demonstrated the technique (rubbing) alcohol inks. I couldn't let the piece go to waste.

Clear cards are hard to photograph well.

The kids are on fall break so I must devote some time to them and some time to house duties.

Have a great day and enjoy the weather!

Sheri

It's Almost Here!

2009-10-01T08:32:00.001-07:00

My first workshop as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I am very excited about it! My biggest problem is narrowing down what I'm going to share. I want to share it all! If you live in Arizona in the Chandler-ish area and want to save some money on product please email me qtpismith at yahoo dot com. I would love to help you out! My order will be closing on Sunday, October 4.

The first picture is the pen/pencil holder I made quickly yesterday. It uses one of my all time favorite stamp sets, Upsy Daisy. Not to break my arm patting my own back, but I have made some beautiful cards and projects with this set. Since there is no coloring the projects come together very quickly. Here and here and here are a few.

This is another project I quickly put together last night. I don't yet have any scrapbooks to share so I wanted to make something scrappy. My kids motivated me to keep going. They had lots of smiles and sharing about last year's Halloween after seeing this little project. I used a retired set because I don't YET have any current Halloween sets, but there are some current sets with similar images that people could use to make the same project. You can't see it in the photo, but I had to add some bling to the jack-o-lantern's facial features. As always, if you have any questions about my projects feel free to ask.

Well, I must be off to the three c's....cooking, cleaning, and crafting!

Have an awesome day!

Sheri

It's Not My Fault...

2009-09-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

I have been listening to my kids too much I think! Although, I may have found a cure for that or a similar phrase. I said, "someone please let the dog out." One of the boys instantly replied, "I'm not!" Any guesses as to who earned the privilege of letting him out? Yep, the one that said he wasn't.

I had great intentions of posting new material on Friday, but my internet was out all day Friday and most of the day Saturday. Plus, we were very busy on Saturday because my oldest became a teenager. We had a fun, full day. OK onto creative stuff!This one is just because I was in a silly mood and I probably won't actually send it to anyone. On the inside it says, "I blew it!" Get it? You may have to enlarge the photo to get the full effect (those are a can of beans over the fire). Anyway...

This is the card I gave my oldest. There really isn't a rhyme or reason to the card. He likes camping and of course, smores. There is lot of dimension. The set is from SU! and called Under the Stars. I used Flannel Plaid for the background.

Have a great day!

Sheri

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2009-09-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? I am not certain. I've not been able to catch up with myself! I have been a little creative but nothing I can share just yet. I am going to leave you with a recipe. Then I am going to go make my son's birthday card. So, I will have something to show you. Since he doesn't read my blog I can post it and it won't ruin the surprise.

I made this recipe up in college. I have had lots of compliments on it. I love that it is so fast too!

Sheri's Easy Fajitas

2 pounds chicken breasts cut into strips (even quicker to use precooked chicken strips)

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 green or red pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into 1/2" wedges
1 1/2 cups picante sauce
dash celery salt
1/4 cumin
1/8 chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Brown chicken and cook until done; set aside. Melt butter and olive oil in pan and saute onions and peppers. Stir in picante sauce (or salsa) and remaining spices. Add chicken and heat through. Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes and any other toppings you like!

Have a great day!
Sheri

Postin' On The Run!

2009-09-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Just when I think my week is going to be fairly calm, I remember all the house work that got neglected last week in the busyness. However, I couldn't possibly let you all down again. So I took just a little break to make this fun little card and three little friends to go with him. I pretty much copied one from the current SU! catalog. I changed a few elements, though. I used some new in colors: rich razzleberry, melon mambo, and crushed curry. I also used old olive and white craft ink. I used a fun sparkly ribbon I had on hand. I used a SU! punch to give the greeting some dimension. I might have also used it to cover up a crooked greeting.

I know I have mentioned it before, but I really like the shabby chic look. I was trying to make a shabby chic card in the gift set I posted last week, but I had to get creative. I had lost my "shabby chic'er" aka bone folder. I had the idea planted in my head that one of the short people around here may have borrowed it and forgot to return it. I don't like to be the one that accuses someone and then feels foolish when I find it some random place that I know I put it. I have a child that frequently, adamantly insists someone took a toy or loved item, and it almost always is exactly where he left it. What a fantastic learning opportunity. My kids teach me so much. My beloved bone folder made an appearance today, and I am so glad I didn't fuss at anyone over it because I am quite certain none of my children were in my rolling scrap bin.

The stamp set I used is called For All You Do. I got it in my Stampin' Up! starter kit. Speaking of which, I will have my first workshop/open house on October 2. I will be having a discount for orders placed that day and prior to that day. I will give you more details soon so get your wish lists gathered!

Have a crafty day!
Sheri

Boys Have That, Too?

2009-09-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

Since I have abandoned my faithful readers for so long I will make a confession. OK so it's more like a public humiliation type thing, but entertaining. My family was at the public pool about a month ago. We were standing in line waiting to get in. One of my sons, ever so innocently asked, "boys have that thing too?" I was like, "Huh? What are you talking about?" He pointed down at the man's feet. His heels were cracked. I am pretty certain I turned several shades of red. Don't worry, I didn't take a picture of my feet for you.

I did, however, take some pictures from the awesome weekend our family had. Here is just one.

Can you forgive me for not being crafty? I will have something creative on Monday for you.

Have a fabulous weekend!
Sheri

Laundry And A Gift...

2009-09-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

You'll never guess what I did today! I'll give you a hint, it's hidden somewhere in the title. Yes, I did laundry and made a gift. Keeping up on laundry has advantages and disadvantages (believe it or not). I choose to do wash every other day so that I don't get overloaded since I have a ginormous family and because who in their right mind wants to do laundry every day? The disadvantage of doing laundry every day is that I have a certain child or two that wears the same clothes every other day. People are going to start feeling sorry for him/them! This morning one of them asked me where his yellow shirt is. Oh, the one you wore the first day of school and every other day since then? OK so I didn't really respond that way, but I did ask him about the other 20 shirts in his drawer. I guess on the upside, if he doesn't wear them he won't wear them out. After all, they have to make it through one more child.

These are the five cards I made for one of the teachers for her birthday. I just used various Stampin' UP! stamps and some designer paper that a friend gave me. I love these colors. The card stock and ink I used is Not Quite Navy and Really Rust. If you have any questions about any specific card let me know. I got some of my kit, but am still waiting for some of it. I will keep you posted on when I am going to be ready to hold workshops and classes.

Have a fabulous holiday weekend!
Sheri

I'm So Excited!

2009-09-01T09:12:00.001-07:00

Here is a card I made for a wonderful friend. It's very basic, but makes it point. There is a cross stamped in versamark, and I painted it with the shimmery pearl-ex watercolors so it would stand out a little more. I pierced around the scalloped piece and then used a white gel pen to make little highlights. I used a Martha Stewart punch to make the scalloped edges. The main greeting image is from Stampin' Up!'s All Year Cheer II set.

Speaking of Stampin' Up! I decided to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I am very excited to get going, but there are few things that need to happen before I can go full swing. Things like, patiently wait for my kit to get here! I want to give you a heads up that I will be having a sale for the first order I put in. I need to work out all the details so I will give you the specifics very soon. However, if you have a wish list, now would be a good time to look it over and save a little money. If you don't have a catalog, you can look at one here. If you need a catalog, let me know. In the near future:

*I will be looking for people (in the greater Phoenix metro area) to hostess workshops.

*I will be having an open house.

*I will be offering classes.

*I will be looking for people to join stamp club.

*I will be start a Stampin' Up! website as well to give you more information.

I am very exited to start this new journey, and I hope you will join me in some capacity!

Have a great day and get ready to shop and craft!

Sheri

Birthday Cards And A Favor.

2009-08-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

Is a party favor a "thank you for coming to my party?" That's what I think it is. I wanted to make that point. The tag says, "thank you so much." The image is stamped on watercolor paper and colored with markers. Then I put a light layer of some glittery watercolor pigment over the top. I am quite certain there was not one kindergartner that noticed the shimmer (or the cupcake for that matter), but it was so nice to sit and craft for a few hours. The bags were run through the cuttlebug for an embossed look. They are filled with some candy. I believe in mostly clutter free gifts.

Here is the basket with all 28 favor bags I made.

This side view is supposed to show how I popped a couple of the gifts up for added dimension. There is also some of that shimmery watercolor paint. I think it is from Pearl-Ex, but I am not certain.

I made two cards. The one with the green base was for my five year old. The other one is for a girl in his class that is having a party. The colors are the only difference. My boys have a greater appreciation for homemade gifts and cards than most children their ages. I know it's because they are being raised by a crafter and know how much time and love is put into each one. They also love making cards and crafts themselves. When he opened his card he made a comment about how cute he thought it was. What a sweetheart!

Have a wonderful weekend! With any luck my hubby will help me give my blog a facelift...honey...if you're out there, this is a really big hint;)

Sheri

My Baby Is 5 Today!

2009-08-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, sweet boy. I love you so much. I beam with pride that you are getting older and I also ache because you are growing up so fast. OK enough sap! So yesterday we had a conversation that went something like this:

ME: (bursting with excitement) Hey, your birthday is tomorrow.

HIM: (much less enthusiastic than me) I know, does that mean I am going to lose a tooth tomorrow.

ME: No, honey, probably not tomorrow.

HIM: How about when I'm 20?

ME: Oooh, I hope not.

HIM: What about when I'm 80.

ME: Yes, you will probably lose some when you are 80.

HIM: How about when I'm 60 90?

ME: You will probably lose some when you are 6.

I was thinking he was going to be sooooo excited about being 5 and clearly losing teeth are much more exciting than having a birthday. This morning, however, he was excited and proud to be five. He thought he looked a little taller today.

Here is the cake I made for him. He loved it (we had a party last weekend and he ate it then). I will wait until tomorrow to share the card I made for him today to give to him today (the advantage of living at my house is that you might actually get a card on the day you are supposed to get it). It's not that he is an avid reader of my blog so I won't be ruining any surprises there. It's just that I need something creative to share tomorrow.

Have an amazing day!
Sheri

Things That Make You Go HMMMM.....

2009-08-24T11:16:00.001-07:00

So for the past couple months, several times a week I get an automated phone call that goes something like this, "this call is for Sally Spend-a-lot. If you are not Sally Spend-a-lot please hang up the phone. There is some personal information to follow for Sally Spend-a-lot. If you are Sally Spend-a-lot we are giving you three seconds to go into a different room for privacy. We are a debt collector. Again, you are acknowledging you are Sally Spend-a-lot by not hanging up." OK the first 26 times they called, I was very obedient and hung up because clearly my name is not Sally (I might have altered the name and gender slightly to protect the unknown). At this point, I am like OK this is an automated call and I can't really tell anyone to stop calling my house looking for someone that I don't know. So I decided to hear the message to see how I could help poor Sally Spend-a-lot and maybe a little for the sake of not getting this call any more. So I call the number and explained that I am not Sally Spend-a-lot, I don't know Sally Spend-a-lot, I've never heard of Sally Spend-a-lot, and this phone number has been mine for the past 9 years. Furthermore, I've never received any other calls for Sally Spend-a-lot. The person on the other end said, "Oh, you're a neighbor of Sally Spend-a-lot." I am not sure about that, I don't know Sally Spend-a-lot. "Well, Sally Spend-a-lot, lives next door." I explained the house next door is a rental and I am fairly certain Sally Spend-a-lot doesn't live there right now. After I got off the phone, I had to process the conversation. Really, for real? You are calling me, Sally Spend-a-lot's supposed neighbor? HMMMM....and am I supposed to go invite Sally Spend-a-lot over for some tea and dial the phone and hand it to her? Oh, Sally Spend-a-lot when you're done dealing with your debt collector I've made some fresh muffins to enjoy with me, your friendly neighbor. No hard feelings, we all have our problems. Don't worry, this can just be our little secret (along with the other 30 neighbors they have probably been calling). SERIOUSLY....why are they calling me? Were they hoping that Sally Spend-a-lot was just hangin' out and I could give her the phone and some privacy? Were they wanting me to go over and collect the debt? I know times are tough right now and people are trying to cut out the middle man, but that might be taking it a little too far!

Wow, so if you've made it this far you are a trooper! So now, I must treat you with some eye candy. I love all the elements of this card: the layout, the roughed up edges, the gems, the punch, etc. I even love the colors, but I don't love how muted they turned out in this photo. I used white craft ink to stamp the image. It is a Stampin' Up! image that my mom owns. Hey, why use your own stamps when you can use someone else's, right?

Well, I have jabbered long enough. If you have questions about the card or possibly about living with lots of males (none about debt collectors) feel free to ask away. Just remember...you get what you pay for ;) Have a _______(you fill in the blank today) day!

Sheri

Sorry To Leave You Hangin'

2009-08-24T08:24:00.001-07:00

It's OK to give a recipe without a picture, but not a picture without a recipe. I had several requests for the recipe for the Apple Streusal with Cranberry Muffins. So here it is:

BATTER:
5 1/4 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
6 teaspoons cinnamon
3 dashes salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 (8 oz.) jar applesauce
3 apples, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup oil
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

STREUSAL:
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray or line with liners. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl mix egg, sugar, applesauce, apples and oil. Add the dry ingredients mixture and stir just until moistened. Mix in cranberries. Fill tins 2/3 full of batter. For the streusal topping mix all the ingredients and sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

Cook's note: if you fill the tins too full with batter the streusal topping will run all over the tin and burn and make more clean up. Someone told me about that once ;)

I am starting to feel a little anxiety because I haven't been crafting and I am running out of past cards to share. Maybe I should feel motivated instead and get craftin'! These are two more cards I made this summer. I actually made three using this stamp and paper but I gave the third one away before I photographed it. I know it's crazy, I actually gave one away. Of course, I didn't have to address an envelope and take it to the mailbox. I just had to hand it over.

The stamp is from the dollar section at Michael's. The paper is from my stash and it comes from one of those big stacks from JoAnn's. I just used markers and an aqua painter to color the image. They are stamped on watercolor paper with Stazon black ink. I used a little grey shadow to ground the image.

Ah, group hug! Here they are posing together.

Have an awesome Monday! I am off to clean house since it is sooooo much more fun than crafting (hey, I am just trying to convince myself).

Sheri

How Can It Be Thursday Already?

2009-08-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

This morning I made five dozen apple streusal with cranberry muffins to bless some of the teachers at my boys' school. They are always surprised when they see me with my basket every two weeks, and they are always very thankful. I've included a photo of some of the muffins (the rest were baking) at the end of this post just for fun. I made these two cards this summer (still haven't got my creativity juices flowing). The pictures don't do them justice. The colors are amazing in real life, and there is lots of sparkly goodness!

There are two hats stamped and cut out for lots of dimension. I wish I had taken a side view.

Yummy!

Have a wonderful day and bless others with random acts of kindness!

Sheri

So Busted!

2009-08-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

My kindergartner came home from school the other day. As usual I went through his backpack and recycled items that I had looked over. A few hours later he asked me where his sun picture was. Oh, honey, I think it's in the recycle bin. He dug through the bin and proceeded to pull out 5 or so of his papers. He gave me the stink eye and said, "Mommy, would you like it if you worked really hard on something and I threw it away." "No, honey, I wouldn't," I said. "Well, then don't throw mine away!" I promptly got a folder for him to put his schoolwork in from here on out. Bad Mommy!

Side view. Sorry about the quality. It was late at night. I wanted you to be able to see the dimension, though.

The stamp set is from Stampin' UP! My mom owns it and I don't have a catalog right now so I can't tell you the name. The paper is from one of the stacks that one of us have. Although it's not Stampin' UP! it coordinates very well. We (my mom and I) added a little faux stitching because it needed just a little more something. We used watercolor crayons and an aqua painter to color the image.

I made this card back in July. I haven't done any crafting since then and I am starting to have withdrawals. I hope to fit some crafting in this week. I guess that means I better bust a move and get the house in order today!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great week!

Sheri

If You Find It, I Want It Back!

2009-08-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

My sense of humor, that is. Today it is on hiatus! I am grouchy, but will spare you the details! Instead, I will try a posting a therapeutic photo. And with any luck I might find a few minutes to indulge in some crafting (not looking too good as today is a busy one).

This card is actually kind of funny. In case you can't read the caption it says, "age is only a number.... mine is unlisted." This stamp was again from one of my mom's sets. There were several humorous stamps in it. I may have to pamper myself and get a set!

This beauty was made with a dear friend of mine. It is made with the Stampin' UP! set called Pick a Petal. I used an oval punch for the leaves and just bent them in half. I used white ink around the edges. There is a lot of dimension since every layer is popped up.

Have a fabulous day and don't sweat the small stuff (if I keep saying that I might actually believe it by the end of the day)!
Sheri

Better Late Than Never...

2009-08-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

This card is a simple design that relies heavily on the background paper (which is card stock). My mom and I made about 20 cards for her to sell to some of her friends. The next 20 cards or so are probably going to be them ;)

I love how this stamp set coordinates so well with the background paper. The stamp set is from Stampin' UP! but I don't know which one it is because my mom owns it and I gave my catalog to a friend. The background paper is from one of the stacks from JoAnn's.

This is one my favorite cards. It is a based on a card that I made in class with my Stampin' Up!
demonstrator http://www.dianagibbs.typepad.com/. She has a fun blog that has awesome creations and a dose of great humor! There again, my mom's stamps so I don't know the name.

Look at my little friend. He was so tiny! There was an abundance of toads in Colorado this summer. Every step I took in a field sent dozens of them scattering to get away. I had fun playing with them.

I thought I would be back by the end of July but I missed it by a few days. The boys started back to school without a glitch! It's a little strange having the house to myself for a few hours every week day while they are all at school. I was sad for about 5 minutes that my baby started Kindergarten. I got over it rather quickly. Don't send me hate mail for saying that out loud! I was actually quite sad at the end of the last school year and in anticipation of this event.

I did a little crafting this summer, but it never seems to be enough! So, I hope you enjoyed the few cards I shared with you. I hope to be consistently posting again with my new found freedom!

Have a great rest of your weekend!

Sheri

A Short Break...

2009-07-01T21:40:00.001-07:00

Hello my faithful readers. I am taking the next three weeks off. OK so I actually started early. As soon as my kids start back to school I will come back in full force. I will leave you with a little treat, a sort of bribery to check back the end of July.

Here is one of my families favorites snacks/breakfast treats. It may sound like a strange combination, but it is yummy. Try it and tell me what you think.

Banana Butterscotch Chip Muffins
2 eggs
3 banana, ripened and mashed
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 ¾ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½-1 cup butterscotch chips (I use ½ bag for doubled recipe…if you use too many chips they stick to the pans…ask me how I know)
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, blend eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil. Mix dry mixture into wet mixture. Add chips. Do NOT over blend or your muffins will be tough. Fill greased or lined muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If you use mini muffin tins, decrease time to 15 minutes. Makes 12-15 muffins.

Have a safe and wonderful summer!
Sheri

I Am Alive And Well!

2009-06-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

My boys are on summer vacation and that means less creative time for me. I don't mind though. They have such a short break from school because they are on the year round schedule. I feel like I need to spend as much time as possible with them, especially since my "baby" will be starting kindergarten. I didn't share my Father's Day cards with you or anyone else for that matter. I made these way in advance and they are still sitting with the rest of my cards that haven't been sent. I guess I will justify by saying I didn't even make Mother's Day cards so I wouldn't want the mom's in my life to feel slighted. That's my story and I'm stickin to it! I guess I am ultra prepared for next year. The beauty of it is that I am certain their memories are as good as mine and they won't remember seeing these and it will still be a surprise next year. LOL!

I love the look of using the kraft paper and using my white inkpad to "dirty" the edges. These cards were super simple, but it's kind of hard to use embellishments on manly cards. My brother is a bit of a wise guy...not sure where he gets it...anyway. I said something about stamping something for my dad. I told him it was going to be manly and his response was yeah, cuz stamps have manly written all over them.

Well, if I get the manly projected completed tomorrow, I will post it.

Enjoy your summer and stay cool!

Sheri

Somebody Stop Me!

2009-06-19T10:19:00.001-07:00

Actually, please don't stop me. I have been on a creative spree and I am hoping to get every idea created before they run out! Although I make/paint a lot things I don't usually keep them. I either give them away or sell them. This is my latest creation and I am very excited about how it turned out. I don't think the pictures do this creation justice, but I am a little biased. I can't wait for my hubby to get home and hang them. This is the whole collection that is supposed to act as one. I have taken individual pictures of them all. Some of them don't photograph well, but you can always click on them and make them bigger.

This one uses a stamped image from Stampin' Up!'s Dare to be Fabulous. I first painted the canvas green. Then I stamped it in white craft ink and embossed with white embossing powder. Last, I lightly dry brushed brown on it until I got the look I was going for. On all the ones that I embossed I wiped off the images with a damp paper towel. If you wait too long it won't come off.

I painted this red and then stamped it with Stampin' Up!'s Pick a Petal in craft white ink. After it dried I dry brushed brown on the edges. The ink did smear a little so I should have embossed this one as well. I shaped some silver crafting wire to outline the petals. Last, I added the giant button.

Here is a side view to give you a closer look. This one might be my favorite one.

I painted this yellow. Then I dry brushed brown on the top and bottom. Then I used Stampin' Up!'s Upsy Daisy set with basic brown ink. It is very hard to stamp on canvas and get a crisp image. I still like this one though.

This is actually the first one I made. I painted it brown. Then I clear embossed the Dare to be Fabulous flower. I dry brushed the yellow on top. I went back over some of the yellow with brown until I got the streaking the way I wanted it. This looks really cool in real life.

This one didn't photograph well at all! I painted it orange, clear embossed the Dare to be Fabulous flower, then dry brushed with brown.

I used the Stampin' Up! Sizzix leaves die to mask the canvas. I painted the canvas orange. Next, I used the two way glue pen to make a temporary adhesive on the leaves (let the glue dry from blue to clear to make it temporary). I dry brushed with brown. Then I added some random buttons.

This one is painted green then stamped with a leaf using basic brown ink. I used Stampin' Up!'s Best Blossoms set. Then I dry brushed brown around the edges and randomly in the middle. Last, I added the random buttons.

This one is painted green and dry brushed brown. I simply added these three wooden buttons. I tried to use elements that would tie it all together. For example, I used buttons on four of the canvases, I used the same flower on three of them, and clearly the color scheme pulls it all together.

This one is painted red then stamped using yellow paint. Then I came back with the brown dry brushing in a crosshatching kind of pattern. I think it is hard to be precise when using paint to stamp. I like the kind of worn look it has though.

I hope you enjoy my art. If you have any questions feel free to ask!

Sheri

I Simply Miss You!

2009-06-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Talk about your basic card. This one is a simple as they come, but I love it! I stamped the main flower image (from Michael's dollar spot) and the I miss you sentiment (Stampin' Up! All Year Cheer II) in basic brown ink (SU). Then I used white craft ink (SU) to mess up the edges. Next, I used my paper piercer and made holes around the frame. This was all done on kraft paper. Can you believe there are no layers?

I posted two pictures because I couldn't decide which one to use. One showcases the whole card better while the other one shows the piercing.

Have a marvelous day!
Sheri

So Quick!

2009-06-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

This card was so quick and easy, but I really like how it turned out. There was no stamping involved. I used some designer paper for the background. I used the Stampin' Up! scallop punch then ran it through the Swiss dots cuttlebug folder. The butterflies are punched with a Marvy punch. I used some pearl-ex on their bodies for a little shimmer to match the shimmery ribbon.

I hope you are having a great week. I am just trying to get my house back in order after several weeks of neglect.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sheri

I Survived!

2009-06-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

What an amazing week! I was much less stressed out than last year. I guess I really have learned from experience. I am showing you a few more shots of the decor and the last crafts.

Here is some dock walking into the church.

Here is that ~~Madagascar~~ welcome sign.

Here are the Bible points on the movie prop along with Jacques Le Croc. That handsome guy is my oldest son. This was his first year as I guide and I am so proud of him. He really stepped up and led the preschoolers well.

This is one of the crafts. The kids stuffed them. I should have retaken a picture of it actually stuffed because it is very cute. I just can't muster up the energy.

The baby food jar lanterns turned out really cute. I changed them a little from this picture. They don't have the dragonflies. Instead they have buttons. I would have taken a picture of my boys' but besides not having enough energy, they both dropped and broke them.

The clean up was quick. It's almost disgusting how much quicker it is to take down than it is to set up. There are three other churches that will use our decorations. What a blessing to be able to pass them along and not just have them used for one week. I hope their VBS week is as awesome as ours was. I am not bragging about anything I did, I just feel the kids had a great time learning about God. I love that they are able to use all their senses to make the connection and build their relationships.

Have a fabulous weekend and don't call me before 8 tomorrow!

Sheri

Day 4 Crafts

2009-06-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

The two older groups made these beaded alligators/crocodiles. They made them in green and light green. The beads had not arrived at my house yet when I made this sample so I used what I had. These take quite a bit of time to make. I had thought about picking a simpler design, but decided against it. They will try to finish them up tomorrow and do the new craft as well.

The two younger groups made some bugs like these. They all seemed to enjoy the crafts. It is a little tricky to find crafts that can be completed within the allotted time, are interesting to kids ranging from preschool thru sixth grade, are keepers (important to me), and are really inexpensive.

It has fun been a fun and exhausting week. It is so neat to see all the hard work come together, and see how much fun the kids have learning about God. I will admit that I am looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Sheri

Day 3 Craft

2009-06-10T14:08:00.001-07:00

These crafts were made from chipboard albums from Michael's. I think the turtle was supposed to be a monkey. The older kids made the turtles and the younger ones made the fish. They all seemed to have fun and the different designs they made were really cute!

Forgive my computer skills or lack of! In my photo album the turtle is facing the correct way. I reloaded it twice and decided y'all could either turn your computer or your heads! I would wait to ask my hubby, but why wait?

The shiny dots on the fish is a silver metallic paint. Not too bad for about a 25 cent craft.

Have a great day!
Sheri

Day 2 Craft

2009-06-09T14:51:00.001-07:00

We took the swamp grass down from the kneelers because we didn't think the little kids could see over it. We lined the walls with it instead. I love how the pylons look there instead.

Mr. Gator is still waiting for his lunch.

I tried to capture the whole room. There are worm cans hanging along with fish, lanterns and bobbers.

Another gator hangin' out. This one looks pretty friendly.

I promise no animals were harmed in this photo. I was just entertaining myself.

See the bird hanging? I love the dock going all the way up the aisle.

The shack has a door now.

Ah, here is the craft for day 2.

The cupboards are covered with blue paper and the grass and clouds were painted directly on it. The birds were painted on poster board. The pylons were drawn on brown paper sacks. The cattails are felt with painted stems. I think this is my favorite room. Maybe that is because it is the craft room.

Have a great day!

Sheri

Day 1 Craft

2009-06-08T14:35:00.001-07:00

This is the craft the kids made today for VBS. Aren't they cute? I love how they turned out. I have all the crafts prepared but I am not going to post them until after each day. I have some parents that visit my blog and I don't want to ruin the surprise for them.

Today went really well, but I didn't have time to take pictures. Hopefully, I will have some time tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Sheri

Crunch Time!

2009-06-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

Our VBS starts on Monday. I am so excited that this year we get to mostly decorate the church before Sunday. We've never been able to do that before. There will be other decorations we will add and change.

All these black and white pictures are the traced characters. We were going to mount them on colored paper but since we can only used blue tape on the walls we decided to leave them as is. I like how they turned out.

See the faint circle behind the birds? OOOPS! That was from a couple years ago attaching a porthole that was painted on canvas.

My friend made the gator look like it is getting ready to eat one of the Bayou birds. We actually have moved it to the other side, but he is still waiting for his lunch. On Monday he will be in front of the "grass" in the water.

Here is one side of the Sanctuary. We have added some pylons along the front and some greenery on the stump.

This is one of the worm cans hanging from the ceiling. There are several. They look pretty cool.

This is the breezeway that is lined with the pool noodle dragonflies and streamers. There are also windsocks hanging from the lights.

Here is one of our trees with individual strands of leaves. It looks so cool! It is very labor intensive and I have been told that many times over the last few months.

Another progressive picture.

If you click on any of the pictures you should be able to get a bigger picture. It mightr help to view this one. See the white thing in the aisle on the left? That is a ginormous crane with an eight foot wing span. It will be hanging where the big speaker is above the cross.

Here are the bobbers and some fish hanging in the craft room. Although my paper mache bobbers are less than perfect and round, they still look great in the bigger picture. The skateboard in the next room will be covered with tree branches or taken down. Plus, the door will be shut.

Here is another view of the room with the trees. There are two on this wall and three on the other.

Yes, the bait shop will be getting a door today.

The welcome is finally painted.

Sorry if you saw this before I added the words. I am plugging along as time allows.

Have fun!

Sheri

EEK! A Spider!

2009-06-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

This is part of the Madagascar display. I am showing it to you because it is going to have the "gator" tail that is in the next picture in front of it with some grasses and greenery.

This is going to eventually say "Welcome". It will not have the gator tail. You will not be able to read Madagascar. It will be hanging in front of our church.

Do you see the spider dangling? I can already hear some little girl screaming over this one.

Here is a picture of one of the shacks we set up yesterday. There are little bugs/critters all over it. We used some cheesecloth moss and a little real moss as well. The scouts had an event at our church last night and it drew quite a bit of attention from the boys. I am excited to start to see everything getting assembled.

The "Dock Sweet Dock" sign adds some nice color. There will be a wooded dock around this and some cattails. I didn't want to get too carried away knowing there would be a group at the church.

Have a productive day!

Sheri

Birthday Card

2009-06-01T07:49:00.001-07:00

My son had a birthday party to go to on Friday. So that morning I busted out this card. I ran the basketball and football through different cuttlebug folders to get some texture. It's simple, but I like how it turned out. I used to stamp set Good Sport from Stampin' Up! Have a great day!
Sheri

I Remembered...

2009-05-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

My camera and to take pictures. Amazing, I know! This croc is one I found during one of my dumpster diving sprees. He was tore in a few spots an was missing a sign, so we created one for him (thanks for the poster file, Crystal). We actually have a new one out of the box as well. There one of five panels of our backdrop behind him. I didn't stage any of the photos so ignore all the clutter.

What do you think of the "rocks" that are going to be around a fishing hole?

Have you ever seen a cypress stump this big? Well, maybe, but you I know you've never seen such a cutie standing in front of a cypress stump like this one! She is one my faithful volunteers, and I appreciate her and her mother and sister a lot!

Look Ma, I can see where I am going now! We finally gave our dragonflies eyes.

These are two massive structures that were donated from the local movie theatre with a little help from my friend that works there. They were Madagascar 2 displays, but we've moved them into the swamp. They are going to have posters and we will add candid kid shots daily. Something fun for them to look forward to checking out while they are waiting for it to begin.

What's this you ask? These are leaves that have been die cut and are being taped to fishing line one by one. Talk about a labor of love! They are going to be hung in one of the rooms from the ceiling. This is only a portion of them. Remember when I said I can't believe I still have friends after VBS? It's projects like this one that make me understand that I have true friends!

Look, Ma, no tails! We are going to do something with this display as well. I haven't quite figured out what yet, but I'd better get with it! Is the song stuck in your head yet? Here let me help...You got to move it move it.

And last, but not least, the paper mache bobbers for the fishing room. So fun! I am not sure I will have VBS pictures tomorrow, but I might share some more card pictures if I muster the energy.

Dreamin' of crocs, docks, and dragonflies!

Sheri

Can't Leave Ya Hangin'!

2009-05-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

So, I took my camera to the workday, I just happen to leave my brain behind. I am pretty certain it is functioning beyond current capacity. I am looking into an upgrade so it should catch with my all intentions soon. Huh?

Well, there are no VBS pictures, but here are a couple cards I made the other day. I am not going into detail because I only have a few minutes before I have to leave. If you have any questions let me know.

Have a fun day, I know I will!
Sheri

Getting There...

2009-05-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today I worked from home on the VBS decorations. I transformed six flamingos into these Bayou birds. My boys thought they looked really cool. Then, I dyed cheesecloth and gauze to make it into moss. I am pretty certain that if I have to dye any more it would be a wonderful project for one of my willing volunteers ;) Then I finished up my seven foot boat. I put together my final work list. Then, I delivered almost everything left at my house to the church. I also inked up 10 more pieces of cardboard for docks. I also managed to finish all my laundry, cook a meal, and maintain a clean house. I've learned some peace keeping strategies over the years! Ready or not, here it (VBS) comes! I should have some more fantastic photos tomorrow. Our backdrop was painted and delivered. I just need to get some pictures. Have a great week!
Sheri

New VBS Decoration Pictures...

2009-05-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

Without all the chatter! There are awesome lily pads that I asked a volunteer to make. I gave her free reign and was expecting much, much less (because I had asked for much less and I have been working on stuff for months and months and am out of energy and ideas). They are great! She is even painting ceramic frogs to sit on them and hold the flowers up. I love it when I ask someone to do something and they make it so much more than I could ever imagine.

There is one of the boats sitting by some cypress stumps.

Here is a Bait shop. The sign is being finished. Then we will need to actually adhere the roof and add moss and critters. The dock standing against the shack will be in front of it.

Yes, we added netting to the wings. They will eventually get really big google eyes as well.

This, my friends, is one of the best dumpster diving finds yet! Actually, it wasn't in the dumpster. I was at the local grocery store in January standing there staring at the Frito-Lay chip display. I think I was staring a little too long and made the vendor setting them up a little nervous. He asked if he could help me, next thing I know, the gentleman is helping me load two of these babies into my van. There was some corn and potatoes on them and we just added a little paint to cover them. They are going to be filled with baskets of fish, nets, worm cans, and maybe even some Cajun food. I will take pictures when they are completed. Next time you go to the grocery store see if you recognize the chip display disguised as a fish crate thingy.

Enjoy!

Sheri

The Proof Is In The Picture!

2009-05-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

So I went to upload some pictures from my camera a few days ago and there was like 78 pictures. I knew I had only taken about 10, and as far as I knew nobody else had touched my camera. I guess I need to tell my four year old if he is going to take pictures without asking he might not want to include self portraits. There were several pictures of himself and a picture of a picture of himself that I had in a frame on a table. There were many angles of my couch, TV, his toys and the entry way. I was cracking up the whole time I watched the slide show.

These other pictures are of my six year old on Mommy Make Over day. The Friday before Mother's day his class invited the mom's for makeovers. There were several stations that included make-up applied, fingernails painted, toenails painted, hair styled, presents presented, and snack time. It was fun, and didn't he make my hair fabulous? I can't wait to show him when he is a teenager.

I have a group of helpers for VBS. We have put in many hours this week and have made lots of progress. I keep forgetting my camera. I have it packed and ready for tomorrow, so look for some new pictures tomorrow night or Saturday morning.

Tell someone you love how much you love them today!
Sheri

Mom's Group Craft

2009-05-18T23:38:00.003-07:00

Today is the last Mom's group meeting before summer break. I was asked to lead a craft. This is what I came up with. Everyone will make one of the photo holders and two of each card. There are 10 of us. I cut all the paper and got everything ready to go. The ladies get to stamp and assemble everything. We have two hours together so between gabbing, eating, and crafting it will be a full schedule!

If you have any questions about the projects feel free to leave me a comment or email. I am too tired to post the details right now.

Have a crafty day!
Sheri

A Couple More Pictures For VBS

2009-05-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

The gator is done! I think he will look pretty good sitting on some green cellophane surrounded by cattails and lily pads. There will even be a blue heron (that was a pink flamingo in his previous life) sitting near by.

The dragonfly will be hanging outside accompanied by his other 19 or so headless friends. I tried to figure out how to add an inexpensive non-labor intensive head/eyes and decided I like him just fine they way he is. I tried tennis balls that I had leftover from "atoms" but I just couldn't get them to work without the time and expense. I only have a couple weeks and so much to do! I will be living at my church this week surrounded by friends willing to help transform our desert church into a swampland! I will try to remember to take pictures and post a couple times this week.

Have an amazing day!
Sheri

Very Busy Productive Day

2009-05-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

With not much proof! There were six of us that worked from 9am-3pm and made tons of progress for VBS. We made 30 or so worm cans, traced 10 or more characters, made 4 more grass panels, painted 3 shacks, painted 4 pylons, and painted 7 paper mache bobbers. I took a set of pictures of us working and then had to rush home to get the boys after school and didn't get any pictures of the finished products. One of my friends painted this Jacque Le Croc and welcome sign, plus another Crocodile Dock sign that she took home and I didn't yet get a picture. She is an amazing painter! The characters in black and white will be cut out and adhered to plastic table cloths. The are going to be in comic strip form. This is a project that can be done quickly and inexpensively and add a wow factor. In case you are wondering, I got the large sheets of white cardboard from Costco. They have them in between the toilet paper and paper towel stacks. They just throw them away. So every time I go there I get some. I needed 25 total. I can't believe I only have 3 more weeks before VBS is here. I am getting a little nervous! I have been procrastinating this year, way more so than most, and it has actually worked in my favor a few times. I had put off ordering some stuff and a parishioner came through and bought a lot of stuff for us. I had put off buying paint and another parishioner that works for a home builder came through with a lot of paint (you can see some of it in the outside picture). I only had to supplement with a few colors. I put off doing a lot of the work that the six of plowed through yesterday. I know it will all come together in the end...it always does, and hey with the adrenaline rush I have going because of the stress I might just lose some weight! Enjoy the pictures and have a great day!

Sheri

A Quick Update...

2009-05-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

The gator head is painted. I need to finish painting his eyes and glue them in.

Here is a small portion of dock that I have completed.

Here is a pylon painted. There are several steps left. I need to tape it, glue rope on it, and add a top.

Here is some grass that I will be using to line the kneelers. There will be cattails poked through it as well. There will be six all together.

I am off to work on some more decorations. Have a great day!

Sheri

Did You Know?

2009-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

That these are not really burned hot dogs? They are paper mache "cattails" that took my mom, my friend, and I several hours to make. They will look pretty cool when they are done, but I am not certain they are worth the time (just breeze over that sentence Mom and Meg). Did you also know that you can't spray paint yarn? Our church was given several of these monster spools of yarn. I inherited four of them to use for VBS. They are bright pink and purple. Although the color isn't realistic, I like it! My volunteers are making cattails with the yarn.

Did you know that spray paint will melt styrofoam? I actually *knew* that, but I hadn't tried it. (Now I understand why my son won't just take my word for it). I sprayed a small portion of my gator/croc and I like the texture the melted part gave his skin. So I decided to spray the whole thing. I will add more color very soon and show you pics of the finished product. If you click on the gator it will enlarge the picture for a close-up.

I have no more useless trivia for you for now. Have a fun-filled day!

Sheri

Thanks Again...

2009-05-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

And again seventy-two times over! This is what 72 thank you cards look like. My cousin is graduating on Sunday and I made these for him. Yes, they are very basic. I needed something I could mass produce without taking massive amounts of time. I like how they turned out. Although each of the cards showing appear to be the same, I actually altered some of them slightly. I put the greeting on the bottom portion. I was able to get all these done in about three hours. Now off to get them in the mail. I hope he likes them.

Have a great day!

Sheri

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

May all the mothers out there have the kind of the day that makes you feel a little extra special today. I don't yet have any pictures or creations to share, but I loved this writing that has circulated the internet. I hope you enjoy it too. Sheri

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England ... Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees. 'In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.' As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM!

Slow Forward Motion

2009-05-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took a sick day. I know I posted the muffin story, but that actually happened Tuesday, but I didn't want to post twice in one day when I barely have enough time to do one a day. Anyway, I must have kissed a pig or something because I was down for the count for the day. I am better today, but still a little weak and achy. I do have some pictures to share of some slight progress I have made. I may end up using " Monster Mud" on the croc. I am not sure. I will see how he looks just painted and go from there. Enjoy the pictures and I may post more today if I get very far. Have a fabulous day!

Sheri

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2009-05-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Squeeze the snot out of them and make Lemon Pound Cake Muffins! I have a muffin ministry in which I make muffins for the teachers of my boys' school every two weeks. I get up early and make them in the morning because it's just not quite the same if I make them the night before. We walk around and pass out a napkin and a muffin to all the teachers we see. The teachers really appreciate it, and I think it's kind of fun for them to try to figure out when I am coming. It is amazing to me how many teachers don't eat breakfast. Anyway, this morning I made 4 dozen Lemon Pound Cake Muffins. I was just getting ready to load everyone in the van, and the older boys went out to our separate single car garage to get a ball to take to school. They locked my van and house keys in the garage. This wouldn't really be a problem if some unnamed individual hadn't lost the extra sets about a month ago. There is no opener or any other way to get in short of breaking a window or waiting until my Prince Charming gets home from work. I rushed the boys out the door to catch the bus since I wouldn't be able to drive them. I stewed for a few minutes and decided to take the 4 year old for a 2 mile (round trip) wagon ride to the school to deliver muffins. I had LOTS of time to think about the situation.

On The Bright Side:
-I got some new blog material

-I only have 2 dozen muffins left (since I was late I didn't get to as many teachers. I usually don't have any left)

-I got enough exercise to last me a good month

-breakfast is made for the next month
-I will save money since I won't be running any errands today
-My kids are at school so I won't be able to stare at their necks long enough that they will start looking like lemons kind of like a mirage in the desert

-my Prince Charming will be making about four extra sets of keys today (he just doesn't know it yet)

-my house might get cleaned today

-I have an excuse to post another recipe

-I am too tired to complain too much (see 3rd bright side point)

On The Down Side:

-the therapeutic squeezing happened before the turmoil

-the paint I need to finish my boat is locked away for the day

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
1 ¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup sour cream
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and extracts; beat well. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups ¾ full. Bake at 400 degrees 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over muffins. Serve warm.

NOTE: If you have a gas oven decrease temperature to 375 and rotate pans halfway through cooking.

Enjoy your day and check back tomorrow for progress pictures!
Sheri

Fruit Salad, Yummy, Yummy!

2009-05-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever watched the Wiggles? OK I have no clue if they are still around because we don't watch TV at our house, just movies. Anyway, the title comes from the lyrics of one of the Wiggles songs. I'll bet you could go to youtube and watch a video if you really want to hear it. I would post a link, but time is very precious these days so it will have to wait for a quieter time. Oh, and if you do know the song, I apologize for torturing you with getting the song stuck in your head for the day.

So are you wondering what this post is really about? Here's a recipe for you try and let me know how it is. Just kidding, it's a tried and true divine morsel!

Apple Snickers Salad
4-6 apples, unpeeled and sliced
1 box instant vanilla pudding
2/3 cup milk
1 (8 oz) carton Cool Whip
4-6 snickers bars, cut into small pieces (it’s easier to cut if you freeze them a few minutes first)

Mix pudding and milk; fold in cool whip. Add apples and candy bars. Enjoy!

Have a yummy day!
Sheri

This Ain't No Hallmark!

2009-05-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

That's my Dad's motto on the back of the cards he makes. He computer generates cards for us. He always puts a picture of the kids in them along with other fun stuff. On the back he has the title of this post.

OK so I admit it, I am a card snob. I can't send store bought cards. DISCLAIMER: I love getting cards whether they are store bought or homemade. I just can't send one. It's a character flaw on my part. I would rather not send a card than send a store bought card. I know it doesn't make sense. Since there are lots of opportunities to send cards coming up I'd better get crackin'! I have used up most of my supply. Plus, it seems that I rarely have the "perfect" card suited for the person when I need one. It's all so complicated! I am not above browsing cards at the store for inspiration, however. I am actually the same way when it comes to buying home decor. If I see something I like, if I know I can make it, then I won't buy it. I usually never get around to making it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing...less clutter, money saved, etc. (hey, it's my story).

Can you see the embossed frame around this card? What about the glitter on the butterfly bodies? I used one stamp from the Stampin' Up set called Birthday Whimsy. I used a Marvy punch for the butterflies. Although this card didn't take a very long time to make, I still like how it turned out.

Have an awesome day!

Sheri

One Fish, Two Fish, Brown Fish, Bling Fish

2009-05-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I was able to make some forward progress despite a few set-backs. I copied the VBS clipart fish onto some brown paper I had (from Xpedx). I copied them with their mirror image, cut them out, stapled them partially, stuffed them with some the scraps, and stapled them closed. I had finished a couple fish, but gave one a way for someone else to have as a sample. I sprayed this fish with glitter spray. I like the shimmery look, but I am not certain all the fish will get the same blingy treatment that she got since it's pretty subtle.

I took this funky angle to try to show you the dimension. If you click on the pictures you should be able to pull up a larger view (not sure....computers aren't my thing). You might actually be able to see the shimmer too.

These fish are going to be hanging in nets in various rooms. A few will be hanging from a boat. A few will be in a fishing basket. On one of my scavenging trips to the grocery store I ~~begged~~ asked very nicely for the Frito-Lay vendor to donate a couple displays that look like wooden crates. They have potatoes and corn on them, but they will soon have fish, crabs, nets, and crayfish on them. I will take pictures when they are done.

What are all these turtles you ask? They are for one the crafts for VBS. I tell you I have some amazing volunteers. The woman that cut and sewed all 75 of these adorable turtles has grandkids that aren't even going to be able to go to VBS this year as they will be out of town. Talk about selfless!

Enough chatter for today, I have some props to go paint!

Sheri

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

2009-05-01T07:00:00.001-07:00

Have you seen Tortoise and the Hare? I am hoping slow and steady wins the race because I am way behind! Here are some pictures of the slow progress I am making on preparations for VBS. There will (hopefully) be four other turtle pictures to go with this one to make a filmstrip type progression. They will also be cut out. Of course, I had to have a reference point for size. My lost and found hound had to get some attention too.

The raccoons are incomplete, but I wanted to share them with you any way.

This is going to eventually be a pier post/pylon or whatever they are called. I was going to buy some cement forms but this is less expensive and I can flatten them out to store them. I used cardboard and scored it so it would make a circle. I have made some with the cement forms in the past and got some serious indigestion when they were thrown away (clearly, by someone who had no idea how much time it took to create them). I will show pictures of the completed projects soon.

Dollar Tree jackpots: dragonfly windsock, butterfly windsock, nylon dragonfly, tea light dragonfly, straw hat, tropical fish (although they are not exactly Bayou fish, I like the color), and bird feeder cattail.

Enjoy your weekend!

Sheri

Row, Row, Row Your Boat...

2009-04-29T10:43:00.001-07:00

Here are few pictures of the boat Hubby and I built for VBS. I will hopefully, get them painted by Monday. I will post pictures when it is finished. I put my kids in the pics so you can see the size. Of course, you can't be in a picture without props. I am not sure what they are holding, but they were very insistent that their toys were needed.

Do you see that leaf on the boat? That was already there. I got the cardboard from Michael's. It was used to cover their fake trees. One less feature I have to add;) Oh, did you also notice the perfect placement of the "prop"? OK, Mom, now we're ready!

In other news, about 3:30 yesterday my oldest informed me he had an orchestra concert that night, and he had to be there by 6:00. UMMM, Honey, did you just find out about this? Yeah, a couple days ago. And I thought I was a last minute person! Anyway...you can see that the 4 year old is less than thrilled to be there and be quiet.

I am not so sure the performer is all that thrilled either. He actually does enjoy playing and music. He inherited that from his dad. Although, I enjoy music, I was not gifted with singing or playing abilities. I am proud of him because he was selected for Honors Orchestra and All-State Orchestra this year. I have learned that only a couple pictures are needed at concerts because they all pretty much look the same...dark, hard to find the child (sometimes), etc.

Have great day!

Sheri

Life Is Like A Yo-Yo!

2009-04-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

There are so many ups and downs in life. I guess that is what keeps it interesting. Over the weekend our beloved dog ran away. It was dramatic and traumatic for the boys, especially. We finally tracked him down to a neighbors house 2 doors down. We were excited to get him back, but the family that found him were not excited to give him back. They, too, have four children and one of the boys cried when we took him home. We are going to make a thank you card and cookies to take to them. I wish I had it done so I could show you, but life is crazy busy with VBS. So I am going to show you some canvases I painted 2 years ago for VBS. These hung in the church like they were windows. Afterwards, we auctioned them off to help raise money for the next year. I think the igloo one is my favorite. What's yours? Have a great day!

Sheri

Beanie Wienies!

2009-04-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

The scrapbook is almost complete. I will be finishing it today. So instead of any pictures I will leave you with the recipe I will be taking to the celebration picnic. I so love easy recipes and I hope you like this one too.

Beanie Wienies
3 cans (two 28 oz., one 16 oz.) pork and beans
1 package (1 lb) hot dogs, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Enjoy!

Sheri

Cowgirl Up!

2009-04-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

The clerk at my church is retiring, and we are going to miss her dearly. I made this little gift card holder and envelope for her. There is a crafting blog that I frequent. I got on there yesterday and she had instructions for a gift card holder. Talk about perfect timing! For Valentine's day I made this type of envelope for the boys to put the candy for their classmates into. There is a tutorial here . If you want to see a picture of just the envelope for this project you can go to my SCS gallery . I only used one stamp on the whole project. It is a Stampin' Up! stamp. I am not going to be able to give proper credit to the paper maker because it is mostly scraps from my stash.

Some friends are coming over to paper mache some projects for VBS (vacation Bible school). I am always astounded that I still have the same friends after VBS as I do before VBS. I have fabulous friends that bail me out every year. If you stick around for a couple months you'll get to see pictures and understand what I mean when I say bail me out. Hey, Mom, do you miss Arizona? I would love to ~~put you to work~~ see you again. Have an amazing day!
Sheri

Catching Up...

2009-04-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

on pictures I promised to share. The first two are the backside of the purse I shared the other day. The top view isn't a great picture, but it lets you see the depth of the pocket for the note. The one oversight I had was, how in the world is she going to get the note out? That thought came to mind as I adhered the pocket. Well, I tied a ribbon on it so it could pull out, kind of like the ribbon used to get batteries out of toys, games, etc.

Today I am working on a scrapbook and gift card holder. I will share them over the next couple days. Oddly enough, I feel like I can predict the future. I envision lots of recipes coming your way over the next month and a half. Vacation Bible School is sneaking up on me and I play a large part in directing/planning and decorating for the week long event. It is a ton of work, but so worth it. I am about two months behind where I usually am so I need to light a flame. I have some awesome volunteers so I need to take advantage of them!

Now onto the Botanical Gardens. There was some really cool glass sculptures. I am not sure if that was a special event or if it is something they always have. I do know they were working on new ones. I am only going to post one picture of the sculptures because there are kiddos in the others and I don't have permission to post them. This blue sculpture is so cool. The kids said it looked like flames or birds. Check out that striped flower. I can see it turning into inspiration for a card! I have lots of pictures of different butterflies, but I am not going get too carried away. I love this Zebra Longwing picture. Are you impressed that I knew the name? Well, don't be, I have a butterfly identification guide. The cool thing about the last picture is that it is the food chain in motion. These two fish jumped out of the water to catch and eat that butterfly. I am such a boy mom. I thought it was cool while others weren't so impressed. We saw another science lesson when another butterfly got caught in a web. The rather large spider patiently drooled over it's lunch waiting for it to get completely stuck. Have a creative day!

Sheri

Nature Does It Best!

2009-04-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

We went to the Desert Botanical Gardens yesterday. It was a school fieldtrip. The best part was the butterfly pavillion. I am giving you two pictures to enjoy and I will be back this afternoon or this evening with more details and pictures. I have a crazy busy day today. Enjoy yours!
Sheri

A "Purse-o-nel" Project!

2009-04-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

This purse is made from chipboard. I found these fun purses that are supposed to be a scrapbook album. They come in a set of five and are hooked together with a key ring that opens up (can't think of the proper name). They were in the dollar section at Michael's (big surprise, I know). I have a few ideas for them so don't say I didn't warn ya when they keep on coming! This one took a little time to come together only because I wanted it to be just so for the person I am giving it to. I love the shabby chic look! I used embossing powder on the handle. I embossed it 3 times to get it thick and even enough for my liking. I am not quite finished, but close enough to share. On the back of this I am going to make it so that opens up. I will have a button on the front with an elastic piece that will hold the backside shut. I have made a list of 50 reasons my friend is important to me so that if she is ever having an off day or needs a smile she can read through them. I will post pictures of the backside when I am finished. I am like a kid at Christmas, I just can't wait to share!

I was going to make it a little differently on the backside, but when I showed my hubby this morning he asked if it were a card. I said "no, but do you like it?" He said, "I told you what I think would be cool." So typical I tell ya! Where was he last night when I was making it? It's like when I buy a new shirt (which rarely happens because clearly when I spend money it goes towards crafting) he won't say anything. When I put the shirt on to go somewhere he asks, "are you going to wear that?" No, honey, this is the pregame show. Afterwards, I thought I'd decorate the closet with new clothes. Where was your opinion when I bought it? Sheesh!

I get to chaperone a field trip today, so I should have some fun, but not crafty pictures tomorrow. Have a great Monday!
Sheri

Candy Bouquet

2009-04-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

My Mom and I put together a fun get well basket with a candy bouquet for my sister-in-law. It was fun to make, and it was the first time I had made something like it. It's funny because barely a month later I have a ton of ideas to "improve" it. I have to apologize for the photos. I was taking them as I was running out the door to deliver it. Therefore, they are not "staged". At least you get the general idea. The big flowers have a Ghiradelli chocolate in them and the smaller ones have the mini Hershey's. We wrapped the leftovers and included them in the gift set. The bouquet has wint-o-green mints in the jar. The picture with the two yellow flowers and leaves is a pack of gum. I am not experienced enough to figure out how to write directly under each photo. Sorry.

It's approaching teacher appreciation week and I generally make stuff to give the teachers. I may have to try one of these again. The challenging part this year is that one of my kiddos has a male teacher. Do I still give him the same gifts in a masculine paper/theme or do I change it altogether? He does have a wife and kids, but is it fair to make something that will mainly benefit his wife? He's throwing me off, I tell ya! I only have a couple weeks to figure it out. I was also thinking about putting together a recipe book or box. There again, would he really appreciate it and the countless hours that will go into it? Oh, the decisions I face are just unbearable (note sarcasm)!

Have a yummy day! I'm thinkin' I should clean house today or I just might get banned from the crafting world ;)

Sheri

Lists, Taxes, & Birthdays...Oh, My!

2009-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

What do they all have in common? Usually, not much, but today they are all on my mind. My to-do list is expanding with everything I cross off. How does that happen? I think during "down" times, projects and tasks accumulate so that they can sneak up on me all at once at a later date (that just happens to be now)! Does this happen to anyone else? For those of you who are bigger procrastinators than I am, taxes are due today. I am quite thankful that is one "to-do" that has been crossed off the list for a while. Happy Birthday to my dear sister-in-law, Jamie. She, too, is a list maker. Her lists actually shrink, though. I guess I am going to have get some advice from her on that!

...Oh, My Here is her birthday card (I am counting on her already opening it since she is one of my 5 loyal readers). I originally put the green polka dotted piece on straight, but off to one side. My oldest, who is a very gifted artist, suggested that I put it caddy-wham-pus. I love it! He went on to suggest that I make it glittery. I did add some shimmer with the Pearl-Ex. Unfortunately, the shimmer doesn't photograph well (at least for this amateur). You can see all the dimension in the side view. If you look closely you can see how I stitched around the green layer. I like the cheery feel of this card.

Stamps: Studio G

Paper: designer paper from JoAnn's pack (don't know which one)

Ink: Su! basic brown, markers, Pearl-Ex

Accessories: ribbon from Michael's, sewing machine, circle punch, dimensional foam

AWW, It's So Cute!

2009-04-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

What is it about things/people that are little that makes them so stinkin' cute? Well, actually, I know why God made little people cute. In case you're wondering, it's because when they think it's great fun to unroll an entire roll of toilet paper into the toilet, flush to see what happens and flood the bathroom... they will get to live to tell about it (names have been omitted to protect the ~~guilty~~ innocent).

This card is so cute! It is 3"x 3". A friend of mine gave me a gift, so this is her thank you. I like little cards like this, but I don't usually make them because I don't stock that size envelope.

There is Pearl-Ex on the doughnut to give it some nice shimmer. I don't think I will ever get sick of the stuff. It's hard to see but I added some faux stitching using my pattern tracer. The doughnut is popped up with foam tape. I wrapped the greeting around my finger to give it flagged look.

Have an awesome day!

Sheri

Stamps: studio G

Ink: markers, pearl-ex, SU! basic brown

Paper: unknown pack, chocolate chip

Accessories: ribbon and gem from Michael's (big surprise)

Thank You "Fairy" Much!

2009-04-13T07:33:00.001-07:00

Our neighbors are wonderful. There is a super sweet family that lives across the street. A few weeks ago, the little girl was learning how to bake so she and her mother brought over a plate of pumpkin bread and strawberries. It was so yummy! With any luck she'll keep practicing (wink). I made this thank you card for her. I used the Pearl-Ex to paint the image. It was back when I didn't realize it looks better if you apply other ink first. The designer paper was great for pulling lots of different colors out to paint the image. What little girl (or big girl for that matter) doesn't love shimmer?

What kind of week do you have? I have a very busy and slightly creative one. One of my friends is getting married and I am making some (300) stuff for her party favors. I will share photos next week.

Have a great day!
Sheri

Stamp: Studio G from Michael's clear dollar spot
Ink: Pearl-Ex, black Stazon
Paper: unknown designer paper and gifted card stock
Accessories: dew drop wanna be's, ribbon from Target, aqua painter

Easter Blessings!

2009-04-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a wild creative hair to paint this frame. I saw an awesome frame and tutorial here so I gave it a whirl. My version is a little different and my texture isn't as pronounced as hers, but I still like the results. I think it would be really cool to put a picture in sepia color in this frame. I didn't use any ink. I painted acrylic paint on my stamp. I also sanded the frame after it was mostly dry (I'm not patient enough to wait until it's completely dry). If you look closely you can see the swirl texture. I used the stamp set Upsy Daisy from Stampin' Up! I really like that set and use it often.

We are getting ready to dye our ~~fingers~~ eggs. Have a blessed Easter. I will be back on Monday with some creations and pictures.

Sheri

Out Of The Mouth Of Babes!

2009-04-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

My kids make me laugh on a regular basis, however, yesterday was a little extra funny. Of course, I can't always let them know that I am laughing at them. My four year old is so stinkin' funny. What makes him even funnier is that he so matter of fact. Let me give you a little background. He could be sitting there playing a game (electronic), and I would be fussing at one of the other boys. He would be very nonchalant and quietly say something like, "it sounds like (insert brother here) needs to go to his room." Thankfully, the fussee usually doesn't hear his brother or it would most definitely exacerbate the situation. He is always trying to start something with his dad too. It's quite humorous. Anyway, he answered the door and I didn't want him to because I had just gotten out of the shower and because I hadn't looked to see who it was yet. So after the company left I was explaining to him why he couldn't answer the door and asked him what would happen if someone he didn't know was there and tried to hurt him. He replied very confidently that he would kill him. Intrigued, I asked him how. Without hesitation he replied, "with my moves". The situation of course is serious, but the answer made me laugh (not in front of him).

There were two other funnies that happened that I want to share. We were working on writing his name and I asked him if he was excited to start kindergarten. He said, "yes, and now you can go shopping by yourself!" He doesn't miss a thing! Whenever people ask me what I'm going to do when all the kids are in school my generic response is grocery shop without kids. I better make sure I throw in how much I'm going to miss him since I know he is intently listening. Then I was making dinner and he is my big helper so he was on his chair "helping" and I was fussing at my oldest because although he had just washed his hands they didn't meet my standards with the gray hue and smell of dirt lingering. My four year old pipes in, "he's getting the business and I'm not!" It was so funny! I wish you all could hear his inflection and tone.

Then, right before bed look what else came out of the mouth of one of my babes. No, not the toy, the front tooth. He has been working on that one for quite a while. The one next to it will be gone soon as well.

I ~~will~~ should have something creative to share tomorrow. Have the kind of day that makes you smile!

Sheri

It's A Girl!

2009-04-08T08:09:00.001-07:00

Did I have you going for at least a second? OK probably not since the "g" word was mentioned. Oh, well, at least my friends have girls. This might just be my new favorite card. Since it's not a child it's OK to play favorites, right!?!

I wasn't sure if I was going to like the black stitching on a baby card, but I love it. The reason I used it in the first place is because I was being ~~lazy~~ resourceful. My machine was already loaded and ready to go. Just like that round stamp (the same style as the last 3 or so cards)...it was out and ready to go. I saved so much time I actually was able to work on a second project all within the same hour! Heck, I think it took longer deciding on which designer paper to use than it did to actually make the card.

Well, I have a huge to do list to finish up today so I had better get crackin' cause it's not getting any smaller!
Have a great day!
Sheri

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Riveting
Paper: patterned paper from a JoAnn's stack, cardstock from Michael's pack
Ink: Black Stazon
Accessories: sewing machine, dimensionals

Watercoloring With Markers

2009-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Just tried another new technique and loved how much fun it was. I used markers and water colored the image. I just put a little color down and used a small brush with a little bit of water to spread the ink. I dipped my brush in the water and dabbed it off on a paper towel before spreading the color. If you want the color to be darker you can add more color after the area dries. This technique apparently only works well on watercolor paper or so I'm told. I haven't actually tried it on any other paper. I wanted to add some sparkle, but ran out of time.

Designer paper is awesome for creating quick cards. This one actually came together rather quickly. Believe it or not most of my cards take around an hour or more to make. It's a good thing I don't get paid by the hour or my employer would be losing money ;)

Don't you love the stamp? Michael's recently had some new cupcake stamps in their dollar section so I "had" to get some. I am pretty certain they know me by name! Oh and don't worry, I am almost out of bottle caps so I can find a different embellishment to overuse.

Have a fantastic Tuesday! I have a friend coming over to stamp today. We don't have an agenda, but I should have something new to share tomorrow.

Stamps: Studio G dollar stamps from Michael's
Ink: Stazon black, markers (water based)
Paper: Stampin' Up! Baha Breeze, dp from a JoAnn's pad
Accessories: EK Success punch, bottle cap flattened with cuttlebug

Sheri

Happy 2nd Birthday Keyan!

2009-04-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

Today is my nephew's 2nd birthday. We were lucky enough to get to celebrate with him yesterday. He is so cute, and he cracks me up. For about the last year or so he has been carrying around a little blue car. He does everything with this car...eats, plays catch (using a ball), golfs, plays baseball, sleeps, the list goes on. The funny thing is that the car never leaves his hand and goes mostly unnoticed. We like to joke around about it being an extra appendage since he functions so well with it in his hand.

Since he so into cars I was going to make him a car card, but whenever he is at our house he becomes buddies with our dog. This card was fun to make. I put crystal effects on the dog's nose. There is glitter on the package and on his collar. There is lots of dimension as you can see on the side view piture. I love the look of using the bottle caps as an embellishment, but the question is always in the back of my mind "is that appropriate for a kid"? I am sure it's OK because they are unused and unlabeled bottle caps.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy birthday, Keyan. I hope all your wishes come true!
Sheri

I've Been Framed!

2009-04-03T13:39:00.001-07:00

OK so not really, but I couldn't think any other title. The picture makes this frame look so basic. It's pretty cute in real life though. It's for a boy so I hesitated on putting the ribbon across it. I never know where to draw the line on embellishments when a creation is supposed to be masculine. My hubby said it looked better with it on, so I'm going with the male opinion. I hope the recipient of this likes it as well.

I painted a frame from Michael's white. I then watered down some brown paint to antique it a bit. I picked out this fabulous paper from a pack I got from Costco. After I adhered the paper I sanded it down around the edges for a more weathered look, plus it covers imperfections in cutting nicely. I applied Mod Podge over the top, but I am not certain I will do it that way next time. I had read that it will make it more durable. I'll get back to you on that. Did you notice the brads on the bottom? I thought about putting a chipboard initial on the frame as well, but simplicity won out.

Have a fabulous weekend!
Sheri

Eye Candy 0 Real Candy 1

2009-04-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

I have no projects to share with you today so I thought I would share a recipe with you instead. Some people only make candy around Christmas time. They are missing out I tell ya! This stuff is so yummy and easy. Without further ado:

Almond Rocha
Saltine crackers
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 package (10-12 oz.) milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped almonds

Line a cookie sheet (with sides) with foil. cover with a single layer of crackers. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly, boil for 2 minutes. Pour evenly over crackers and bake at 350 F for 5 minutes. Sprinkle bag of milk chocolate chips over candy and bake for 1 more minute. Spread chocolate evenly and sprinkle with nuts. Chill. Break into pieces.
Enjoy!

Have a delicious day! Check back tomorrow and I will even the score.
Sheri

A&W...Go Get Ya Some!

2009-04-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Do you remember a few years back, like 30 or so, when the A&W colors were orange and brown? Well, the buildings and signs colors have stayed the same, but the uniform colors have changed many times throughout the years. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought orange and brown as a fashion would be back "in". Well, it is and I love it! One of my friends was wearing a super cute brown and orange outfit that was the inspiration for this card. I wish I had taken a picture of her so we could all see it! It's amazing how inspired I get every time I go to church (my friend was there). This time it just happened be a creative inspiration. I'm sure I got something out of the service as well. I digress...

There is lots of dimension on this one. All the flowers are hand cut (get it? Never mind, it's early). The little orange ones across the bottom are popped up as well as both of the big ones. The butterfly wings are bent upwards as well. I should have taken a side view picture.

Thanks for stopping in today. If you are ever in Worland, Wyoming stop in at the A&W, buy lots and lots of food, send all your friends, oh and tell my dad I said "hi!" Hey, Dad we can talk about that advertising kickback later.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Eastern Blooms, Michael's clear dollar stamp (sentiment)

Ink: Stampin' Up! Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip

Paper: Stampin' Up! Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: halved pearls, Michael's ribbon, Marvy butterfly punch

Poker Face

2009-03-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

Life has been getting in the way of my blogging the past few days. In reality, this is THE busiest time of year for me. It is much busier than the holiday season. I should have waited another 6 months before starting a blog. Maybe the hustle and bustle will just give me more to blog about!?! With the busyness comes lots of projects so stay tuned for some fun projects.

This card was made in honor of my cousin, Kirk's 30th birthday! His birthday was the day before yesterday, but I'm using the sick child excuse for not getting this posted in time. I hope your cards were lucky and your day was fabulous!

Stamps: Michael's clear dollar stamps

Ink: Stampin' Up! real red and basic black

Paper: Michael's cardstock packs

Thanks for stopping by! I should have a fun 3-D project done in the next couple days.
Sheri

Monkeying Around...

2009-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

With some new products and techniques. Remember yesterday I said I was trying some new products. Well, bear with me because these are examples of my first attempts. I will start with the monkey on the tire. I completely assembled the card. I thought it was pretty cute, but I wanted to add just one more element. Then I remembered that I had bought some flocking a while back and had never tried it. So I decided to add it to the monkey. First of all, I don't think I used the right kind of glue. Second, it's generally wise to try something new on a scratch piece of paper or at the very least on an unassembled card. I think with some practice and the right glue flocking has potential.

Now, the monkey amongst the leaves...I used the Pearl-Ex without first water coloring. It's kind of see through and not so fabulous. There again, trying something new. I figure as long as I am learning everything will work out. I am a little particular most of the time, but I am giving these ones away. They are going to little boys who are celebrating their birthdays this week. I'm about 98% certain that neither one of them are going to say "Mrs. Smith, I think you need to practice your flocking before making me a card." In fact, I'm pretty certain they won't even realize I made the cards. Although, they might think one of my boys colored them.

Stamps: Stampendous! Changito tire swing, Changito safari, clear rubber stamp from Michael's dollar spot for the greetings.

Paper: 70% recycled pad from JoAnn's that I just can't get enough of, kraft cardstock, chocolate chip,

Ink: Basic brown, watercolor pencils, pearl-ex

Accessories: brads, white gel pen, paper piercer, dimensionals, fun flock

Have a fabulous day and thanks for sharing it with me!
Sheri

With A Cherry On Top

2009-03-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Aunt Millie! I miss you and love you. This is the card I made you. I didn't want to offend anyone by actually sending it to YOU on time so feel free to pick any other card if you would prefer a different one! I will get better one day.

There are a few "titles" that I could call myself (ie. mom, crafter, baker, etc.), however, photographer is not one of them. My older brother (Hi, Greg) dabbled in photography and took some really cool photos, but sadly, I did not get that gene. My point is that you all will have to use your imaginations if you want my photos to look better. I am a point and click girl when it comes to picture taking. I don't want to have to think about lighting, focusing, or anything else. Maybe it's because just trying to get four short people to smile all at the same time is hard enough. That excuse works for me (don't tell anyone that the majority of my subjects aren't actually people).

OK on to card details. My hubby keeps telling me if I really want to make my cards special I need to decorate the inside as well. I tell him my words are what "decorates" the inside, but he ain't buying it! So, I took his advice and foo-foo'ed up the inside a little. I have been trying to try some new products and techniques. I have been using Pearl-Ex to color some images. On this card I used my ink pads and aqua painter then I added Pearl-Ex to give it a nice shimmery look. I posted 2 photos so you could get a glimpse of the inside and to show all the dimension. The side view does a fine job of showcasing my photography skills (said with lots of sarcasm).

Stamps: Hampton Art cupcake and sentiment inside (I'm not telling you what it says so there is at least a little surprise for my aunt)

Paper: Chocolate chip (Stampin' Up!), designer paper from one of my JoAnn's pads, Cherry pink I got in bulk from a local paper store.

Ink: all Stampin' Up! Certainly Celery, Basic Brown, Regal Rose, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive

Accessories: Crystal effects (on cherry), Pearl-Ex, Swiss dots cuttlebug folder, EK Success punch, circle punches, ribbon from Target

Thanks for stopping by!
Sheri

Sewing Some Sympathy

2009-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sympathy cards are hard to make for many reasons. I like to create ones that evoke happy feelings without seeming insensitive. I labored over this card trying to get the placement of everything just so. I did a lot of distressing and stitching and then more distressing. I got it all put together and it still seemed to be missing something. I added some stickles to the center of the flower and it gave it the "happy feeling" I was looking for. I think colors add to the mood because they are cheerful, yet subdued.

For the stitching I used my Janome Sew Mini machine. I want to love to sew, but I don't because I am not good at it. I like stitching on cards because you can purposely make the stitches all over the place and it's really cute. My stitches are all over the place even when I try to make them straight, so I gave up straight stitching for Lent (just kidding). I made this card a few weeks ago. So last night I was trying to sew on a new card, and I can't get my machine to work. It made a few stitches and stopped and had all kinds of bunched up thread on the bottom of the card. I re-threaded it. I took the bobbin out. I blew the lint out (although I doubt there was any lint since I just use paper and not material). I even ~~accused the boys of using my machine~~ asked the boys to see what projects they were sewing. As I adjusted the tension on the machine the tension in my being went through the roof. That would be another reason I don't love sewing. Oh, well. I ~~threw~~ gently packed it away and will try again on a day that I have more patience.

Tip Of The Day: Never pray for patience unless you're really up for the challenge!

Thanks for checking in, and feel free to send your friends over for a visit (on my blog that is)!

Sheri

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Sanded background, Close As A Memory, Botanical Blooms

Ink: Stampin' Up! Groovy Guava, River Rock, Cranberry Crisp

Paper: Stampin' Up! Groovy Guava, Cranberry Crisp, River Rock, and designer paper from Costco

Accessories: dew drop wanna be's from Michael's floral department, stickles,

Crochet Flowers

2009-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is the card I sent to my mom. See the crochet flower in the center? She taught me how to make these beauties while she was here. I used white crochet thread and used a reinker to add the color. I carefully added a small amount around the edges with the reinker. I then spritzed it with water and let the ink fade into the flower. I love how it turned out. Did you notice the designer paper says "mother"? I thought that it was appropriate for the occasion. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the scalloped edges. The main flower image and ink are Stampin'Up! Those darn pearls caused me some pain. I'm always up for a bargain. I bought whole pearls from Michael's and had the brilliant idea to split them in half because it's kind of pricey to get the ones that are already split. So I used wire cutters to split them. My hand kind of got in the way of first one. I'm not certain the bruise, swelling, and pain were worth the money saved. But I do like the classy look they give a card. My hubby is much handier with tools than I am so maybe I will sweet talk him into cutting the other 372 that are left to split!

Here is a side view to show the dimension.

ETA: Here is a link to the website that we found the crochet pattern: http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa030803.htm

Thanks for stopping by!
Sheri

Happy Birthday, Sweet Nathan!

2009-03-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today my second born son, Nathan, turns 9. Wow! Time flies. He is such a sweet and sensitive boy. He always thinks of others before himself, even if it means giving up something he really wants. Here are a few pictures of him. The first one is of all of our boys. I had a friend tell me when they stand in a line they look like the bars on the verizon phones. Too funny!

He was being a little silly, but I think he is a cutie anyway. Happy birthday, I love you!

Now onto the card I made for him. I don't think I will be able to get away with "cute" cards for him much longer. The picture is a little dark. I was in a hurry because Nathan was around and I didn't want to get busted taking the picture. There is lots of dimension. The only stamp I used was the birthday greeting. It is one of the clear stamps from Michael's dollar section. I used Stampin' Up! bayou blue ink. I used designer paper from JoAnn's. It is the 70% recycled paper. I am lovin' that paper! I may *need* to get some more.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Sheri

Thanks Dad!

2009-03-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Once a year I get a beautiful bouquet of flowers. It is on my birthday from my Dad. What a fabulous gift! Thanks, Dad. My birthday is towards the beginning of March so I'm not too late on this card...as long I get it mailed soon.

It's kind of funny, when I make cards I gradually develop new "favorites" until they leave the house. Sometimes it happens with each new card and other times a card stays number one for while. This card is now in the number one spot. It is a very simple and quick card, but I love how it turned out. This is the first time I used this stamp set as well. I really should make a stamp-a-ma-jig template for it because I can see using this one frequently. I just eyeballed placement this time. I like how the random sewing kind of looks like hills. The designer paper is from a 70% recycled pad from DCWV that I got at JoAnn's. I can't be any more specific than that because I split the pad with my mom and I gave her the cover. I used the Stampin' Up! inks Blue Bayou, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa, and Kiwi Kiss and stamp set called Trendy Trees.

Thanks for stopping by...hope you come back tomorrow.

Sheri

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2009-03-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's birthday. I would love to show you the card I made her, but...a-hem...she doesn't have it yet. Although I make cards all the time I have a problem getting them in the mail. My family and friends would probably think there was something seriously wrong if I actually got them their cards on time. Maybe next year, Mom! Have a great day anyway. Well, I still have something to show you. I made these 3 cards using the same designer paper. They all have very different looks to them. I personally like the one that is shabby chic with the little green/blue ribbon across the bottom. I paper pieced the flower pots. The designer paper lent itself very well to that. I just used markers and my aquapainter to color the images. The stamp set is from Stampin' Up! It is called Blooming With Love. It is one of those sets that I HAD to have and sadly, this is the first time it has seen ink. I have two crafting goals for this year. One is to schedule craft time more regularly. Starting this blog will help with that goal. The other one is to use the supplies I currently have rather than buying more. That goal will make my hubby very happy. Thanks for stopping by!

Sheri

Talk Is "Cheep"...

2009-03-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

Or free in my case. I have no problem giving advice or just chatting away. I visit with kiddos all day long, so I always welcome some adult company whether it be on the phone or in person. My mom just spent a week visiting us from Wyoming. It was nice to chat and laugh with her. I made this card for her to thank her for coming to see us, and for everything she did for us while she was here. She is very crafty, and we enjoy crafting together. We didn't have much crafting time since the boys were on spring break, but we still had lots of fun.

Stamp: Cheep Talk

Paper: designer paper pad from JoAnn's

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy, Really Rust

Hula Under The Stars...

2009-03-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

It is fun to see how creative people can be with stamps. I love to try to think outside the box. This bear from the Stampin' Up! set called Under the Stars is kind of growly. She (in this case) looks a little kinder and gentler in a skirt. Did you notice her belly button bling? I used a sewing tracing wheel to make the dots on the flag. Just make sure you put a notebook or something with some give under your cardstock to get a good impression. The wheels are not very sharp. I love how it adds a little extra something. I got that fabulous tip from one of my favorite artists, Anna .

This blog is obviously a new endeavor for me so please "bear" with me while I figure this blogging thing out. My husband tells me I know just enough about computers to be dangerous....so we'll see how truly dangerous I am! Thanks for letting me share my creations with you.

Sheri