Snowmobilin'

I took a little break from making cards yesterday, just needed a day to clean the house (holy DUST!) and all that.  Jeremy has a snowmobile and the kids have been itching to ride it, so he let them both take a spin yesterday afternoon.  We have several feet of snow piled up around here, as you can see (actually, these pics don't really do it justice... the paths that are snow-blowed have about 3 feet of snow on each side of them!) - and Jeremy made a "track" around the backyard to drive the snowmobile around.  Here's Cassidy (she's almost 16):

(BTW, we're New Englanders - we don't need coats....HA!)

And here is Trevor (he's 17):

They would love to just get on and GO but we have to pretty much be in the middle of a blizzard for them to do that - maybe this weekend, at the rate we've been getting snow!  They are saying we will get more snow on Saturday and then the "possibility of a big storm next Thursday".  We have had big storms on Wednesday/Thursday for the past 4 weeks in a row!  They are starting to talk about how the schools are going to make up all the missed time - possibly extended days or canceling one of their vacations (April?)... but I don't see how they can do that when so very many people make plans for vacations.  Would a child be penalized for the absences if their parents already bought and paid for non-refundable plane tickets?  I guess we shall see!

Have a wonderful Friday, my friends.  I've got a bunch of card ideas I want to try out today - which was an unexpected benefit of taking the day off yesterday, I actually had time to think and plan what I wanted to create today.  :)  Peace.

Tiddly Inks and Stuff

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling absolutely awful.  Not sick - just miserable.  I couldn't really put my finger on why I felt so badly (PMS never helps, of course...), but I just kept wanting to cry.  I finally took a nice, hot shower (see, Christy, I should have done that earlier... hee hee) and while I was in there crying, I realized something.  A year ago today, I was the Bursar of a local private college - I was a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and involved in all kinds of things.  Then I quit my job for the big move to California that didn't end up happening, and I quit being a SU! demo because I was informed that I couldn't promote other stamp companies while representing SU!  We had already given up the home we rented, so we had to stay with Jeremy's 80-year-old grandmother for a few months - which was super nice of her to let us do, but definitely NOT fun and not easy with 2 teenagers and a cat.

During the Summer, I had been busy helping Jeremy's dad (he is the one who was in the horrible motorcycle accident last Spring and lost his wife), helping Jeremy's gram, and getting the kids enrolled in school.  During the Fall, I was busy getting our new apartment ready, figuring out how we were going to celebrate Christmas, and still helping Jeremy's dad out.  So what I realized is that now that we're settled, now that Jeremy's dad doesn't need as much help, I feel like I am not really a part of anything. It made me feel kind of lost, I guess.  So then I started throwing myself into doing challenges and basing my own self-worth on whether I "won" or not.  So silly, I know.  *sigh*  Geez, what our emotions can do to us, huh?

Anyway - I slapped myself upside the head and decided to get involved with stuff again, now that I have the time.  More stuff.  Stuff that makes me feel good because it makes other people feel good.  ChemoAngels and writing (I have had several things published in the past, I'm proud to say, but couldn't devote any time to writing once I started working full-time), for a start.  And stamping for FUN - cuz that's what it is really all about.  Creating for OTHERS. Someone had to remind me of that, and I greatly appreciate the gentle and sweet way she did.  :)  When I make cards, I consider it artwork but I also consider it my therapy.  I truly enjoy doing it, everything from choosing the image and the papers to the coloring and deciding on what embellishments to use, etc.  I truly love it.  And I love the fact that I've "met" so many wonderful and talented women who share my passion.

 So in that spirit, I created a card for a little contest that one of my favorite artists, Christy Croll, is having at Tiddly Inks.  You can read about it here.  

This is an image called "By Royal Decree" and I just adore her!  I used Stampin' Up! designer paper from the Kaleidoscope pack, orange gemstone brads on her crown, and paper-pieced her clothes and boots.  The fiber/ribbon and buttons are from my stash.


Hope you are all creating with love, and with a smile in your heart.  Peace.

Sweet Stop & SPCC

Today is SNOW DAY #7 in good old Worcester, Massachusetts.  We got about 6 or 7 inches of snow yesterday (on top of the several feel already piled up...) and we are expecting a few more inches today, along with an icy mixture that may make us loser power.  Oh the joys of winter.  

So because of this cold and wintery weather, I was especially happy to comply with the bright and sunny color combo for today's card, which I made for these 2 challenges:

The Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge #93

and

Scrapmaster's Paradise Color Combo Challenge #85 (Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist) 

I used this sweet digi image from By Lori Designs called Sunny Hannah, from her daughter Hannah's Bug & Roo line.  Isn't it cute?  :)  Hope you're all staying warm, especially my fellow East-coasters.  

Peace.

Tiddly Inks & Truly Scrumptious

I had soooo much fun making this card, I absolutely love the way it came out.  I made it with 2 challenges in mind:

Tiddly Inks - Quote Me

and 

Truly Scrumptious Color Challenge (pink, green & brown)

Both the princess image and sentiment are from Tiddly Inks - colors are SU!  Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Chocolate Chip. 

I watched a show about bullying yesterday and it brought back a lot of memories of when Trevor was young... heartbreaking memories.  So although I am not a fan of governmental intrusion into many parts of our lives, I was happy when Massachusetts passed a law mandating our schools to develop an anti-bullying plan.  Trevor is over 6 feet tall and weighs more than 200 pounds now - combined with the fact that he is graduating from high school this year, he doesn't need this law to help him.  Luckily, he had a great support system at home and a few very special individuals at school who were able to help him get through it.  But hopefully this law will help the many other kids who get picked on so mercilessly every day.  

Peace.

2 Sisters - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Happy 20th birthday to my awesome nephew, Eric.  I cannot believe you are 20 years old - this seems like just yesterday...

(my sister, me, and Eric - 1992)

The years have just FLOWN by, and I am so glad that we stayed close through them all.  LOVE YOU!

I have one card for you today:

2 Sisters Challenge Blog - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

I used Lollipop Abby from By Lori Designs.  Cardstock (Whisper White, So Saffron, Rose Red), DP (Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, So Saffron), ribbon (Certainly Celery & Bashful Blue) & gemstone brads by Stampin' Up!

Have a great week, my friends.  :)  Peace. 

Help for Katie, Club Anya MM & DYSU

When I read about the "Help for Katie" fundraiser going on at Jak Heath's blog, I had to help out. Then she decided to run a card competition... to simply to make a card with one of the images from the Help for Katie digi pack - so here is what I made, using one of Mo Manning's adorable digi images:

I used the designer paper "Pawsitively Prints" from SU! and colored in the girl with SU! markers and Prismacolor colored pencils blended with Gamsol.  Brads are from SU!

Next is a card I made for 2 challenges:

Club Anya Mystery Monday - CASEing Claudine

and

Do You Stack Up?  Challenge #4 - Patterned Papers

My friend Melissa had seen the devil card I made the other day with the dark hair, and she commented that she should be a blonde (of course, Melissa is blonde... LOL) - so this one is for Melissa.  :)
Cardstocks and papers are from SU! in Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, and Basic Black.  Ribbon & orange gemstone brad also from SU!  Her clothes are colored with SU! markers, her hair is colored with a PrismaColor marker (Deco Yellow) and her skin is colored with PrismaColor colored pencils and blended with Gamsol.

Peace.

Mojo Monday, MTF Wednesday & MMSC

I have been very busy - first up is a card I made for the:

Mojo Monday Challenge 175 - sketch

I used Kayle Lollipop from By Lori Designs - colors are SU! Pumpkin Pie, Not Quite Navy and Old Olive.  

Next  up is the card I made for the sketch challenge at the:

My Favorite Things Wednesday Challenge (MFTWSC4)

 

 I love the paper-pieced dress on this sweet digi image from Pure Innocence... colors are SU!  Real Red, Pretty in Pink, and Chocolate Chip.  :)

And lastly - this one is for the:

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #88

I used the adorable Macie's Rainbow digi from By Lori Designs, along with some REALLY old SU! background papers in Eggplant Envy & More Mustard.  Buttons are from my stash.

Peace.