THE WEDNESDAY EVENING POST FOR SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Hey All!

Hope this post finds you well and happy. . .

I have some EXCITING NEWS that I found out about on Sunday night.  I received an email from Splitcoast Stampers informing me that I had been chosen as their STAMPER OF THE WEEK!!!!  I couldn't believe what I was reading.  It started Sunday, and runs through the end of the week.  There are 55 cards in the gallery of cards people have made in honor of me using the cards in my gallery as their inspiration.  I even got that nifty badge over there on my sidebar as recognition for this.  I've been floating all week because of it.

Here are my cards/projects for this post:

When I saw this free digital image at Chi Chi Memories I had to snag it.  I usually don't go for images with "people" in them, but this one was too cute to pass up.  The background paper is from DCWV and I colored the image with my colored pencils and oms.  This is a 5 1/2" square card which is one of my favorite sizes.  And speaking of square cards. . .

I got my inspiration for this card from this CARD.  I stamped the ghosts and cut them out and popped them up with dimensionals.  I actually traced the envelope from one I had bought because I only had two of them.  So I traced one on the back of the printed paper and cut it out to assemble it back into an envelope again.  Added the distressed piece of paper in there with the greeting.  Put some Diamond Stickles around the ghosts for some sparkle and done.  The ghosts are by Recollections.

Here is my last project for this post:

I've loved this Treat Box Card for a long time and finally got around to making one. They are pretty easy to make and if you want to give it a try the tutorial can be found HERE.  I made the pumpkin from ovals I cut from dies then sponged them and put them together.  The vines and leaf are also punched.  The tag is a standard size with a popped up leaf I punched out and inked.  The attached box is filled with Reeses minis in Fall colored foil.

Pic of the Week

NEWEST MEMBER OF MY BACKYARD COMMUNITY

This picture of a female Cardinal was literally taken through the window in my craft room.  I have a small tree right outside of the window where this little girl was watching me while eating berries.  She still has some "baby fluff" on her.  If I would move the camera about a foot to the right of where she is sitting, you would see the nest where she was born.  I watched the mom build the nest, sit on the egg, and feed this little beauty virtually standing at my window.  It was awesome.  I feel like I'm her uncle!   LOL  I've named her "Little Red".

Well, that's it for another post.  I'll be on my way for a visit, so be sure everything is picked up, tidy and ready for company!  Hope you all have a good rest of the week and a great weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs,

Curt

"God, please help me be the person that my dogs think I am."

THE WEDNESDAY EVENING POST FOR SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Hey All!

I can't believe that it is Wednesday again!  And it is the last Wednesday of the Summer!  Is time flying or what?  I've even scheduled the pool's closing date for October 14th.  I've also purchased my first pumpkins for the season!!!  I'm just glad to see you here and I have to tell you, you all look amazing!  I've never seen you look better!  Whatever you are doing keep doing it because it is working!

Here are my cards for this post:

Look at their funny little faces!  Just as happy as they can be.  I'm entering this card into the HOUSE MOUSE MONDAY CHALLENGE.  I'm also entering it into the Pinspirational Challenge. This challenge's theme is "Autumn Leaves".  As always, I've colored the image with my colored pencils and oms.  The "sky" is sponged with distress ink.  That is one thing I really love about using colored pencils to color images. . .the wax in the pencils repels the sponged ink.  I stamped out the two large leaves ($1 stamps) and then embossed them.  I then used distress inks and water to paint them.  Fussy cut them then attached them to the card and added an oak leaf brad to finish it off as if they are pinned to the card.

Next. . .

The inside says "The Dangers of Hexing While Flying".  LOL  The image is by Northwoods Stamps and is colored with my colored pencils and oms.  I added the spell book to make it go more with the sentiment inside.  I found the clip art and cut the book out adding the "spells" by hand.  The background paper is from a DCWV stack.

Last card. . .

I've always wanted to try this shadow technique.  I stamped the first image in Distress Ink Walnut Stain and waited for it to dry.  I then stamped the same image on top of it slightly to the left of the original image in Versamark.  I then embossed the image with white ep.  I love the look and it was really simple to do.  Quick card for a quick need anytime.  The image is by Inque. 

Pic of the Week

BUG DRESSED FOR AUTUMN

Another post has come to an end.  It's been fun visiting with you!  You are welcome here anytime.  I'll try to have some apple cider and Krispy Kreme pumpkin spice donuts for the next time you visit.

Hope you are all well and safe!

Hugs,

Curt

"God, please help me be the person that my dogs think I am."

THE WEDNESDAY EVENING POST FOR SEPTEMBER 11, 2013

Hey All!

Before I say anything else in this post, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the special significance of today and remember all of those souls that were lost 12 years ago.  Some of the scenes from that day are forever burned into my memory and I'll never forget.

I hope this post finds you all well and safe.  Summer's end is fast approaching and I'm so getting into the Autumn mode.  It will be evident when you see this post's cards.  Here they are:

Acorns and fiery colored oak leaves are such ambassadors of Fall.  I had forgotten how nice a job Versamark does as a watermark.  The patterned background is done using only Versamark clear embossing ink. The stamp is by Hampton Arts and only has 3 rows of the diamond pattern so I had to use my Stampamajig to line it up all the way across.  The leaves are from a die (I believe Spellbinders) and the acorns stamp is by Inkadinkado.  I fussy cut them out and popped them up along with the leaves using dimensional tape.  I highlighted the acorn tops with a copper pen and the leaves with a Stardust glitter pen along their veins.  The little straps were made by punching out two word windows (StampinUp) and bending them around the card stock.  I then added copper brads to finish them off.  The sentiment stamp is by Hero Arts.

 These two were done with the same stamped image but in different ways.  All of the flower heads (Hero Arts) are dotted with Stickles for some sparkle.  I stamped them in various Fall colors using Distress Inks.  Sentiments are Hero Arts.  These were quick and easy to produce.

And what's Autumn without some Halloween????  I think Bonnie will even approve of this one.  When I found this clear set by Inkadinkado at Michael's, this card popped into my head.  I colored them with Bic markers then "painted" the beakers/test tube with Crystal Glaze to give them a glass look.  Added some glitter to each where appropriate and finished the card with my computer created pun sentiment.

 My last card was made with such a fun stamped image.  It is by Rubber Stamp Ave.  I've had it for quite some time and thought I could use it for Halloween and for birthday cards ("You can't hide from another birthday!" LOL)  Talk about a quick and easy card.  I created the sentiment in Word using a really spooky font.

Pic of the Week

FALL COLORED FLOWER

Well, another Wednesday another post.  Hope it was worth your while stopping by.  You know I always love to see that you've visited me.  I'm off now to take a look at everything you have been up to the previous week!  Always love visiting you guys too!

Hugs,

Curt

"God, please help me be the person that my dogs think I am."

THE WEDNESDAY EVENING POST FOR SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

Hey All! 

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Evening Post.  It's always so nice to see you and I so appreciate the time you take to come and take a peek.  Welcome also to September!  I hope all had a great Labor Day and we are now officially coming into the Fall season! YEA!!!!!!  My favorite time of year.

Here are the cards I'd like to share with you today. . .

This is a card I made for my sister who is overworked and under paid.  She worries way too much about her job and it is driving her crazy. This was my way of telling her to take it easy. The card went with a little gift box I put together which included 5 hour energy drinks, some candy, and some Starbucks coffee ice cream.  I'm also entering this into the House Mouse Monday Challenge HERE.  Their theme this time is "Transport". I would think that this would qualify as transport because the inner tube looks like it is taking the little bunny to his happy place!  LOL  This Happy Hopper image is colored as usual with my colored pencils and oms.  I sponged the sky with distress ink.  Added glitter to the waves and cut out sun for a little sparkle. 

Speaking of bunnies. . .

This was a joke card for a neighbor/friend of mine from the old neighborhood.  She is constantly complaining that the rabbits are running rampant in her yard and eating everything she plants.  So I made up this card and sent it to her for a laugh.

And speaking of the old neighborhood. . .

I had heard that one of the people I used to cat sit for had lost her father, so I made this sympathy card for her.  The different thing about this card is the ribbon underneath the sentiment.  When I placed the sentiment piece there, there still was too much of an open space underneath it so as a last thought, I cut a piece of ribbon and folded it placing it just under the sentiment strip.  Served the purpose of the blank space and I kind of liked how it looked.  Different than a bow or a big flower. . .

Pic of the Week

I'm sure most of you know what this is. . .Since it is September, we hear the cicadas non-stop August and September.  I thought this a perfect pic for the week.  This of course is the shell they emerge from in the spring.

That's it for this post.  Thanks so much for your wonderful comments.  They mean so much to me and are so appreciated.  Thanks again for all of your support.  You all mean the world to me!

Hugs,

Curt

"God, please help me be the person that my dogs think I am."

THE WEDNESDAY EVENING POST FOR AUGUST 29, 2013

Hey All!

Sorry that I'm late with this post. . .what is the saying. . ."A day late and a dollar short."?  I'm usually both.  But here I am and I do have cards to show.

I have to give a warning (Bonnie), this post does contain a Halloween card, the first of the season for me!  So let's start with that one shall we????

I got the idea for this card HERE.  The card that was the inspiration was done in Halloween colors and screamed to be done for Halloween.  The coffee cup is from Gina K. Designs which I fussy cut out with an exacto knife.  The saucer was paper pieced and the skull/cross bones was a small dollar stamp.  You can't see it in the photo well, but I added steam rising from the cup by embossing it with silver tinsel embossing powder for a nice sparkly steam.  If you click on the photo you'll see it much better.  The harlequin background paper is from My Mind's Eye (Mischievous) and I created the paper behind the cup with a Stampabilities script background stamp and then "dirtied" it up with some distress ink.  The cup is set up with dimensional tape.

Can you tell I'm gearing up for Fall???  This card in my version of Gina Ks video of a card she made.  I used to have a favorite show where these interior designers would show a decorated room like in a mansion that cost thousands of dollars and then recreate it on a budget of $1,000.  I LOVED that show.  Well this card reminds me of that.  I duplicated Gina's card from her video HERE using what stamps and paper I had on hand to come up with the same look.  How'd I do?

This card was totally inspired by the seahorse.  This was a stamp in the wooden set that also had the ship stamp that I showed you a couple of weeks ago.  The plant life are stamps from Inque, and the shell stamps are in that same set as the ship/seahorse.  I created the panel by blending different shades of blue distress inks then spritzing it with water.  After it dried I stamped the images to create the scene.  I fussy cut out the shells and placed them in a cluster and added turquoise glitter to them for some sparkle as well as to the main sea weed image.

Pic of the Week

Well, that's it for this post.  Hope this finds all of you well and happy.  I'm sorry that my week got away from me and I didn't get to all of your blogs as I had hoped, but I'll be there soon.  I always love the inspiration I get from all of you.

Hugs,

Curt

"God, please help me be the person that my dogs think I am."

THE WEDNESDAY EVENING POST FOR AUGUST 21, 2013

Hey All!

Really nice to see you!  Thanks so much for the warm welcome back you gave me on my last post.  And it is so nice to be back.  I went around to all of your blogs (those that left a comment on last post) and you all have been doing amazing stuff.  You are all truly inspiring!

On to the cards for this week:

For this card, I used the negative of a die cut.  I took a piece of scrap card stock and sponged various colors of distress ink to get a gradient effect.  Then slid it behind the negative cut out.  Stamped the word "dream" and done.  Very quick and easy to do yet it makes a great looking card.

I really like silhouette stamps and I love the set this one came in from Sweet & Sassy.  The set contains several different silhouette landscapes.  I sponged the morning sunrise color scheme with distress inks, then stamped the image on top of it.  Added the sentiments in Archival jet black ink.  I used to have trouble with these solid images not coming out right and looking splotchy.  But the trick is two fold: 1. Make sure your ink pad is freshly re-inked and 2. Using a sanding block, lightly sand your stamp before inking it for the first time.  Makes all the difference!

 This is a 50th anniversary card that I made for a neighbor in our old neighborhood.  The dies are from Memory box and I used them on gold glitter paper.  Put them on red card stock then matted that with the same gold glitter paper.  The 50 is a sticker.

Pic of the Week:

This is a flower which vines that is in our backyard.  It was planted by the previous owners and I have no idea what it is called.  I am thinking it is from the orchid family.

Well that's it for another post.  Again, thanks so much for all of your kind words.  Still having shoulder issues (but that is expected for a year and I'm only 4 months into it).  But I am learning to tolerate the pain and know what my limitations are as far as movement goes.

Hope all of you are well and doing great.  Can you believe Summer is almost history?  But you know what that means right?  HALLOWEEN is right around the corner!!!!  LOL

Hugs,

Curt

"God, please help me be the person that my dogs think I am."

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

Hey All!

I'm back!!!! Gosh I have so missed all of you.  Some of you may have gotten a surprise visit from me already as I'm trying to make my way back to all of your blogs to see how you've been and what you've been up to.  Thank you too for all of you who have sent me comments, emails, and get well cards.  You have been wonderful and I have felt very cared about!

Can you believe it has been exactly 12 weeks since I've been away????  It has been a combination of things, the pain in my shoulders, and a sever situation that happened with me and Shotsy.  I was playing with him in the pool with his tennis ball.  I reached down to pick it up at the same time he did.  As he clamped down on the ball, one of this teeth nearly went through my right index finger.  Long story short, emergency room, wrong antibiotics prescribed, trip to my own doctor, more antibiotics, two painful trips to the hand surgeon, and my predominant hand out of commission for almost 3 weeks.  That combined with my shoulder issues kept me from doing any crafting at all.  Then, you know how it is, when you've been away from it for so long, it is hell to get back into the swing of it again.

But this last week I've been busy at it again!  I've made enough cards for 5 weeks of posts! Ha!  So we can say that I'm officially back.  I'm back up to 80 words per minute typing again, so my hands and fingers are working. 

Here are my cards for this week:

 I love how this card turned out (the map especially).  I believe the map is a Hero Arts cling.  I stamped the map in Vintage Photo distress ink, cut it out, distressed and inked the sides, then crumpled it up several times before smoothing it out and matting it.  The map has such great texture (you'll see it if you click on the photo).  The ship stamp is from Michael's.  Paper is by Fancy Pants.  Added two copper brads and some heavy twine to complete the "nautical" look.

This card combines a digital image and a stamped image.  The planet surface is digital from Hambo, and the alien is a stamp from Recollections.  I colored the planet surface with colored pencils and the alien is colored with Bic markers.  I fussy cut him out and added googly eyes.  The sentiment is computer generated.  I also used a silver glitter pen and went around every one of those stars (Paper Studio) to give it some sparkle.

The last card to share is a House Mouse image colored with my colored pencils and oms.  I added some glitter to the base of the logs and a few little flecks in the flames as if the sparks were flying.  This is the first time I've ever used this image.  It was time consuming to color, but so worth the result.  I'm entering this into the House Mouse Monday Challenge over at House Mouse & Friends.  Their challenge this time is "Liquid Refreshment".  I think their little cups of hot cocoa qualifies.

Pic of the Week
 

TINY VISITOR

 Gosh it is is good to be posting again!  I hope you all still remember me!  Heck, I've almost forgotten how to do this posting.  Had to stop and think for awhile.  LOL  I'll be continuing now with my visits to all of you again.  Can't wait to see what you have all been up to these past weeks.

Hugs to all of you!!!

Curt

"God, please help me be the person that my dogs think I am."