Running With Scissors…

Marvin had his very first bath recently.  He’s gotten old and doesn’t clean himself up much anymore.  This behavior isn’t necessarily inherent in an aging cat, but Marvin has become arthritic and all the contortions necessary for a good cleaning are painful for him.  We were prepared for a fight but, actually, I think he rather enjoyed the lavish spa treatment and all the love and sweet talk that went along with it.

The towel drying afterwards was his favorite part of the experience.  Whenever he comes in the house wet and bedraggled (doesn’t seem to bother him at all–he’s such a boy!) he gets the towel treatment.  We think he goes out and soaks up some rain just so he can get the towel.  He doesn’t look too upset in this photo, does he?  Can you see his smile?

Later, I remembered this Gary Patterson stamp I’ve had for a long time.  I’ve used it a few times for masculine cards and for thanks-for-taking-care-of-me-while-my-people-were-out-of-town cards.  This is pretty much what Marvin looked like the rest of the evening after his bath.  He seemed very content.  Making this card was fun for a change, switching gears from my usual style.  I wouldn’t want to get stuck in a rut.

I watercolored the image with Stampin’ Up! inks on 90# hot press watercolor paper.  The background is two pieces from my scrap drawer – a retired wheel called Bold Blooms.  Most of it is covered up but better here than in my scrap drawer.  The background cardstock edges are sponged with matching inks and the sentiment is embossed.  I did a Google search for Gary Patterson stamps and it seems there aren’t many in circulation anymore.  Too bad.  They were some of the cutest, most comical cat images.  I did find this particular stamp here, at Addicted to Rubber Stamps, which is where I got mine many years ago. 

Here’s Marvin in one of his favorite spots for napping:

Thanks for visiting with me and Marvin today!  I hope your week gets off to a good start and stays that way.  Take care!

• Stamps:  Cat Nap by Stamps Happen, Bold Blooms jumbo wheel, Riveting and Sheltering Tree (tiny flower in sentiment) – all retired Stampin’ Up!
• Paper:  More Mustard, Handsome Hunter, Mellow Moss, Whisper White, So Saffron, 90# hot press watercolor
• Ink:  Jet Black Stazon, More Mustard, Handsome Hunter, Versamark, Regal Rose, various for watercoloring
• Accessories:  Offray ribbon, flower brad, 1 1/4″ circle punch, 1/2″ circle punch, green embossing powder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

This is Alfie.  He lives with me now but I found him at Rubbernecker Stamp Co. among several other dogs in need of a home.  He was the sweetest, most lovable one of the bunch but, of course, we all connect with different types.  I guess Alfie is just my type.

I found the sentiment and the dog paraphernalia background there, too.  His doghouse is made of two 3 x 3 squares of designer paper.  I cut an arch in one square for his doorway and I cut the other square on the diagonal and mounted it on foam tape to make the roof.  Alfie is colored with chalks.  Affable fellow that he is, he sports his sentiment proudly at his door.  It’s been knocked askew with a little friendly roughhousing — you know how dogs can be.

Here are some more Alfie card details:

• Stamps:  Alfie - SKU 77-05, Best Friends Text - SKU 77-09, Doggie Square (background) - SKU 77-13
• Paper:  Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip textured, Very Vanilla, My Minds Eye designer paper
• Ink:  Jet Black Stazon, Chocolate Chip
• Accessories:  Offray ribbon, Primas, buttons, brad, soft chalks for coloring, spray matte sealer, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Now, if you’re feeling lucky, you might like to try your hand at the Rubbernecker Bucks on Candy’s blog and Shelly’s blog.  Be sure to check their blogs on Tuesday, the 29th.  You’ve got two chances at a $10 gift certificate from Rubbernecker!

If you’re feeling adventurous, Tuesday is Treasure Hunt time at Rubbernecker.  Details can be found here.

Good luck and happy hunting! 

Three things…

• If you have any Flourishes stamps — any at all — and you’d like a chance to win more, you might want to check out this fun contest Flourishes is hosting on Splitcoaststampers this week!
• Three new releases will debut at Flourishes on Wednesday, April 9 — think “pretty”!  Designers will wait until that day to post samples.
• We have a new guest designer and we’re all excited to see what she’s creating for Flourishes!  She’ll make her debut on Wednesday, also.  I know you’ll love her work!

I hope to see you around the doin’s!

I hope you’ll pardon a rare non-stamping moment.  The weather was so beautiful today (Sunday) – sixty degrees and sunny.  How could we not go to the beach?  We decided to take a four-wheel drive cruise out to see the Mystery Ship.  They’re calling it that for the tourist trade but, in fact, it’s a 1944 shipwreck that’s been completely buried under the sand for so many years it had been forgotten.  High tides and winter storms this year have altered the beaches to such an extent that all manner of mysteries are rising to the surface.

Isn’t it amazing to think that this was under a sand bank all those years – people walking, playing, driving over top of it with never a thought for its existence?  Doesn’t it make you wonder what might be under your feet right now?  I was a little in awe, to tell you the truth — not just because of the shipwreck.  Heaven knows, they don’t call our stretch of the Oregon Coast The Graveyard of Ships for nothing.  Just south of us in the Bandon area another wreck was unearthed about the same time, and as we stood alongside this wreckage we were also within sight of the remains of the New Carissa which ran aground in 1999.  No…it was, as always, the Big Picture that had me in awe — all the lives and events that have gone before me, the power of Nature, the trivialities I concern myself with.  I was humbled.

Here’s my humble self standing beside one of the old, worn out ship’s portholes.  I wanted to be sure to include this photo because it’s nice to see who’s doing the talking once in a while, isn’t it?

Well, I won’t keep you much longer on this topic…  The thing is, I spend so much time at work and when I’m not there I’m racing to do everything else, including stamping (and sharing my stamping here), I sometimes forget to really feel the world around me.  Today I took the time to do that and I thought it might be nice to include all of you (who are a huge part of my life) in the moment.  Thank you for coming along with me.  Enjoy your week!

Or so they say.  This is from the National Weather Service:

COOS BAY… NORTH BEND… REEDSPORT…
COQUILLE… BROOKINGS… HARBOR… GOLD BEACH 141 PM PST SAT DEC 1 2007 … HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SUNDAY TO 10 PM PST MONDAY…
A POWERFUL STORM IS DEVELOPING OFF THE OREGON COAST.  THIS STORM WILL APPROACH THE COAST SUNDAY MORNING…  A SECOND… MORE POWERFUL STORM WILL DEVELOP SUNDAY NIGHT, INCREASING SOUTH WINDS ALONG THE COAST EVEN FURTHER.

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. IN THE CASE OF THIS STORM SYSTEM… WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH LEVELS SELDOM SEEN. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF NEAR 65 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 85 MPH OR MORE CAN MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS AND LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE.

And this is what’s outside my back door:

More specifically, this is what towers over our living room.  It’s seen many a storm and I’m sure it’ll weather this one just fine, but I can’t help but wonder…  I took these photos on Friday, the day I learned of the ominous warning.  The scene looked innocent and peaceful enough at the time.  We were having freezing nights and clear days.  Today, however, the rain began, progressing to thunder showers and blustery conditions in the evening.  It has all the earmarks of an approaching storm.

I have stood at my back patio door during a storm and watched a tree topple in those woods.  We’ll have a yard full of debri and a few branches down, lots of thumping on the rooftop and the sides of the house — hopefully nothing more serious than that.  Others in the area won’t fare so well, as is always the case.  There will be mudslides and roads washed out, flooding, trees down.  The boats in the harbors will be thrashed by the wind and the churning waters.  We’ll most certainly lose power so I’ve filled the oil lamp and I have candles and flashlights at the ready.  We have wood heat so I’ll be toasty warm.  The house is clean and cozy.  I’ve battened down the hatches and I’m as prepared as I can be.

I may be stamping by candlelight for a while and with that in mind I was inspired to make this card.  I have all kinds of new Christmas stamps I’m anxious to use but I just felt like making this one today.  These are the candles from SU!’s Level 1 hostess set, All About Occasions.  It’s not a Christmas set but with some help from my Figgy Pudding paper these birthday candles became Christmas candles.  The “peace” is from Glad Tidings.

The card base is Bravo Burgundy.  I stamped Linen on the Always Artichoke panel.  Have you seen SU!’s retiring list yet?  Horror of horrors — Linen is retiring!  Am I wrong to love this background so much?  I don’t know why I should worry, though.  With all the designer papers and textured cardstocks there’s always something new and wonderful at our disposal.  I was just a little shocked when I saw it on the list…so sad…

Well, keep your fingers crossed for the folks on the Oregon coast…  If I get swept up in the tempest you may see me “flying by with a holiday hi!”  I’ll be back as soon as I can.  Take care!

Stamps:  All About Occasions, Glad Tidings

Paper:  Bravo Burgundy, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, BasicGrey Figgy Pudding designer paper

Ink:  Always Artichoke, Barely Banana, Mellow Moss, Basic Black, markers:  Ruby Red & Summer Sun

Accessories:  Ribbon, rhinestone brad, word window punch, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

I now know the source of the little stickers with the amazing prismatic sparkle that I used on the Christmas tree in my last post.  They were a gift from my friend, Linda Bullard, and she provided this information in her comment:

“As far as the identity of those fun little stickers, they are Class A’Peel Dot Sparkler Stickers (Silver), by Stampendous. I bought mine at Archiver’s, but they are supposed to be available at Michael’s too: http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=pc1151&channelid= Linda”

Thank you, Linda!  These stickers are well worth checking out!

Well, here we are back at Ruby Tuesday again already.  Gee, what happened to all the other days?  Oh, yes…I was in *Portland* with some of the most wonderful, lovable, sweet, kind, good hearted and fun folks I’ve ever had the pleasure of calling “friends”!  Some I’d met before and some I was meeting for the first time but it’s amazing to me how familiar everyone seemed.  We spent our days and evenings hurrying from one event to the next – just too much activity to tell about — but we topped off each day with a little “giggle time” in the designated party room — good times!

I came home, sleep deprived but happy, and after I got my second wind I figured I’d better get Ruby Tuesday done before I collapsed for the day.  On each of the tables in our rooms at the Marriott there sat these little “smoke free” notices with the most lovely botanical image in Bravo Burgundy on a white background.  I’d love to have that image in a stamp but this was as close as I could come to the feel of it — not the same at all, just inspired, and, of course, my card required Stella Ruby’s assistance.  This is two images from Stampin’ Up!’s Stem Silhouettes with some Blush Blossom swirls from both Priceless and Season of Joy.  I outlined the stems with the fine tip of my Blush Blossom marker and, even though it’s not very obvious, it added a more dimensional look to the image.  I imagine you can see my new favorite plaything, Stickles, sparkling its little heart out, too.  I debated whether I should add them…seriously, I’ll try not to overshare my new Stickles passion but they’re just so darn pretty.

I wheeled one of the Stella Ruby layers with So Swirly in Groovy Guava and added a touch of Soft Sky cardstock for a little more color.  That about sums it up.

Before I list the recipe I’ll share one photo of my friends in Portland.  Julie HRR is missing from this picture because she wasn’t at Regionals but she was very much a part of our group.  I’d like to include everyone and I’ll get more photos posted eventually, but I’m running out of time right now.  Many thanks to everyone for the happy birthday wishes you sent my way!  After such a great time with all these fabulous friends I wish all the more that I could meet each of you in person.  By the way, that’s me in the front row in the brown sweater, looking in the wrong direction and trying not to smile too big because I’ve still got those darn braces on my teeth.

Front row, left to right:  Bev (Texasgrammy), Sharon (Stampersharon), Me, Lisa (Onestampinmama), Leann (Elyoho), Joy (Joyofstamping), Emily (Waterpixie)

Back row, left to right:  Beate, Jami, Jess (Newtnewt), Lori (Stampmomma), Cambria, Jenn (Jbalcer)

What a line up!  Thanks for visiting!  Now for the card details…

Stamps:  Stem Silhouettes, Priceless, Season of Joy, So Swirly

Paper:  Bravo Burgundy, Soft Sky, Whisper White, BasicGrey Stella Ruby DP

Ink:  Bravo Burgundy, Blush Blossom, Groovy Guava

Accessories:  Crystal Stickles, ribbon, Scotch brand dimensional mounting tape

You may remember this tote and tutorial I did for Ruby Tuesday recently.  I’ve been so happy to see that several of you have made them as well.  You make my heart feel good!  Thank you, everyone, for sending me the links to your totes.  I’ve seen a wonderful variety of designs, colors, papers and I’d like to share these beauties with everyone.  These links will take you directly to the totes but while you’re there I’m sure you’ll be inspired to explore their sites and find some of the other treasures they’ve shared.

Stampin cuz I Luv to  –  This is Dee’s tote.  She says she used some of her least favorite paper because she was afraid she’d mess it up, but she did a beautiful job and I love the paper.

The Queen’s Scene  –  Lynn dared to be fabulous and, oh my, it’s fabulous!

Inkcicles  –  Nancy put a fun, creative spin on the straps.

Cherylquilts  –  Cheryl’s tote is displayed with its matching cards and, oh, it’s a lovely gift set.

Rohla –  See this tote and these two made with a fabulous flower by a fabulous stamper.  Amy’s really gone to town on these totes!  She also made this Season of Joy tote, these Holiday Mini totes, and these adorable Chipboard Sayings totes.  Her gallery is a real treat!

Inkerdoodles  –  Lisa made two wonderful totes with beautiful paper and Primas.

Bensarmom  –  Sue used Cutie Pie paper on her tote for a fresh and fun look.

Melyssa made three super cute totes and they can be viewed by clicking on her name.

One of my visitors, Sarah, emailed me a link to some beautiful totes she made.  The link took me to her online photo gallery and I wasn’t sure if I should link it since she emailed me rather than posting the link in her comment.  I emailed her for permission but didn’t hear back.  Thank you for sharing with me, Sarah!

Lenora commented that she made a tote using the Priceless swirls and filled it with matching one sheet wonder cards and it sounds wonder-ful!  She took her creation to work with her and wound up with six orders!

There may be others that I’ve missed but I hope you enjoy these samplings.  I’m so glad this tutorial was useful and brought stamping pleasure to so many.  Have a wonderful day and keep on stamping!

Well, this isn’t precisely my back yard but close.  It’s just a hop, skip and a jump away.  The Seafood Festival was happening in the Charleston (Oregon) Boat Basin Saturday and we thought we’d wander into the thick of it for a little weekend diversion.  I won’t keep you too long on this non-stamping subject, but I thought it might be fun to share just a little bit of where I live and what I do when I’m not at work, in the garden or in my stamp room.

We didn’t stay too long at the festival before we wandered off the beaten path.  We found this little beauty in a back road shipyard.  It had so much character I just had to photograph it.  It still sports a little bit of the yellow which gave it it’s name — you can faintly see the missing “C”.  Just click on the thumbnails below for a trip down the road less traveled.  The first photo is a strip of the Charleston harbor shoreline.   We did hike all the way down there so we could enjoy it up close and personal.  Enjoy your day at the beach!

Stamping will resume shortly…

Would you like a chance to win a stamp set of your choice and a roll of taffeta ribbon?  There’s an added bonus to this contest, too, in that it’s designed to lift a soldier’s morale.  You can do that.  With one card.  Click here for details.