pic of the week -

I have been trying to keep my camera handy at all times and I want to do some scrapbooking and do a small book or a few pages about work. We have potluck parties all the time at the clinic where I work and I love the people I work with as well as (most of) the patients. This is my friend/coworker Christine with one of our patients and I just loved the picture they made!

Indoor creativity!

OK, I know I'm a little late, but here's my post from the weekend. OK, not really-we've been SOO busy on the weekends with this landsacaping stuff, but we finally have everything IN and we just need to make sure it all stays wet enough till it grows in a bit. So I just finally got into the studio a little Monday night and tonite again because I promised to make a few things. Here are a few pics of the graduation hat cards I invented last year. I got 2 requests for them this year! They have a pocket inside for a sentiment or a tag or a gift card. Then my friend asked me for a card for her neice's baptism and here is the card I made for that.

The hats are very easy, cut 3 5/8" down the long side of a piece of 8 1/2" by 11" paper then score every 3 5/8" (I use my Scor-Pal... LOVE IT!) Then scor diagonally in the center square and fold on the score lines. You can make it a little more 3-D or tape the diagonal down to create the pocket. To make it into the grad hat I poke a hole in the center and place a shank button in the hole. I secure it with the little doo-dads that hold the buttons on the cards sometimes. I have also used a small piece of wire. Then use pop dots to put you stamped piece inside because of the button shank

3 stamps used are very obscure companies (to me anyway)which I forgot to write down of course! I bought them at Hobby Lobby, I believe. I hope you like them.

no paper art, just garden "art"

Look at me being a good little Blogger and posting weekly! (It's about time!) I haven't had much time to try to get any paper art done this week, I really NEED to, too! I have a couple of occasions to make cards for and a friend at work asked me to make one of my graduation hat cards for her (I HAVE to get that DONE-darnit!) I never posted those last year-I'll have to do that. Or just the new one. A couple of people actually PAID me to make those last year! Anyway, the focus for the last week has been on landscaping and I haven't been in the studio until tonite when I got a new wireless printer that I can print my photos on. WhooHoo! I really want to start incorporating some of my own family vintage photos into some things and I can hardly wait! I HATE that it's already 11:28 on Sunday night and I have to get up and spend 10 hours at work tomorrow! I have so little left of the day to play :( Any way, I am posting pics of some of the yard. I promise? to try to get some NEW art on here next week! We are completely re-doing the front of the house. My daughter's boyfriend works in landscaping and he's helping us with it along with some of his friends to get some work on the side. They worked really hard to get 8 bushes pulled out. I cut them all down to stumps first-they were really overgrown! Then I'm also posting a pic of the spring garden coming to life and my favorite, the "pic-of-the-week", is one of my yellow tulips after it had rained all day.

Craft it Forward...

I found this on http://ckchai.blogspot.com/ and thought it was a really cool idea! Read on...
Craft it Forward
Chance upon this on Black River Designs' Blog and I find this interesting... Not sure if there will be people interested in my hand made stuff though...The first three people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!2- What I create will be just for you.3- It’ll be done this year.4- You have no clue what it’s going to be.5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 3 people who do the same on your blog. The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it! Craft it forward idea from Kiwi

Pensando en ti

Sorry- I do have one more post, then I think I'm pretty much caught up. Another friend, at my other job, lost her father this winter and as a daughter who still MISSES her daddy after almost 12 years, I really felt this card for her. I've noticed she still has it hanging in her workspace too, it makes me sympathetic again every time I see it (and a little bit proud). In case you can't tell, I was already working on the butterflies for Kayla, but this is definitely a different feeling! Retired SU! stamp, plus new one for words, painted with Twinkling H2O's and antiqued with walnut ink and chalk ink.

Baby gifts

OK last post for today (?) Catching up a little. One of my friends at work had a baby this spring and I could not limit my ideas for gifts to just one. They all know I'm the "crafty" one and make everyone's cards for occasions. So no one was very surprised I wanted to MAKE presents! She told me they were doing the baby girl's room in pink and purple with a butterfly theme and her name would be Kayla. I also managed to make a photocopy of a couple of the ultrasound pictures she had one day. I ended up with 3 gifts to give her. I hope you like them. The letter can be put on a bookshelf or hung on the wall. The white part at the top of the name frame is for her vital stats. And the trunk is for Mom to keep all those little things us moms want to keep!-Congrats cards, first booties, lock of hair, etc,etc. (Please tell me-I'm curious-what you guys kept from your kid's babyhood).

OOPS! I'll have to edit this post later-I just realized I never uploaded a pic of the trunk completely finished! For now, imagine that the trunk looks like the practice-board!

PIC-OF-THE-WEEK!

I'm going to try to make a posting EVERY WEEK! Any one who catches me NOT posting weekly can feel free to call me out on it -I need to stop being so lazy! One of my goals this spring/summer is to get started (and hopefully continue throughout the year) posting a "PIC-OF-THE-WEEK". It will make me remember to take my camera and take pictures of daily inspirations and life in general. I have a good one from last weekend to post today. We got donuts on Sunday and Pokey decided to reach right in and lick one before anyone else picked one. They are all so spoiled! Needless to say we had to give it to them and I had my camera handy, sooo...

Don't worry, she did not get to eat the whole thing! I love the perspective in this pic-the donut looks enormous and Pokey looks so focused! Next post: gifts for new baby!

RE-introducing me

I recntly asked to be added to an ATC group and the following is my "brief" introduction of myself. Writing this inspired me to re-introduce myself here, too! :
I am actaually newer to ATC's. I just heard of them last summer/fall. I started as a scrapbooker several years ago (about 10 or 11?) then discovered stamping and cardmaking about 7 or 8 years ago. I love the artsier cards and discovered about a year ago that there does seem to be a whole world of art that I have been away from for a long time!
I took several art classes in college, but got away from that side of myself for a career, marriage and child. Marriage is long-gone, child is almost-grown and career is stable. I've realized lately that I want to get back to doing some of the things I used to that were just for me. I actually enjoy being alone. (I hope that doesn't sound creepy! I love being with family and friends too!)
I love blogs! I started my own, but have had trouble keeping it up! I kind-of "went away" this winter and have not been very active in my crafts or blogging this winter. I recently moved and reorganized my "studio" (LONG STORY!) and have been getting back into photos and creating just in the past few weeks.
I love to learn new techniques and see people's ideas. It inspires me! My biggest problem with it all is that I tend to get caught up in ideas and looking and not spending enough time DOING. I bought a laptop this winter, in part, to be able to take my inspiration into the studio (before, these things were 2 floors away from each other) and that has really helped re-fuel my creative juices! Look for some new postings soon on my blog!
I also tend to be very wordy (in case you couldn't tell), so I'll shut up now!
Sara Larson