Marvelous Possibilities

I have been leading up to this, and we are very excited about doing this craft sale, next weekend.  Here is the information, sure hope to see you there.  Gethsemane UMC Spring Craft Fair Saturday, May 5, 2012 9:00 to 4:00 7330 Lake Drive, Lino Lakes, MN There will be over 20 local vendors exhibiting at this sale, including STAMPIN' FRIENDS - Debby and Mary I will have to show you some of the things we have made for the sale.   

CRAFT SALE FRIDAY, APRIL 26  12:00 TO 6:00 101 WILLOW POND TRAIL, LINO LAKES  Debby called me today and said they are planning an impromptu Craft Sale at Willow Ponds in the Community room on Friday, April 27 from noon to 6:00.  This is the same location we hold our Card Buffets.  They decided to do the sale because there is a big garage sale going on at the St. Joseph's Church, which is next door, and they were hoping to pick up a little foot traffic.  I figure that since we are preparing for a craft sale next weekend, we could step it up, and do one on Friday.  YIKES!!  That's 2 days from now.  I have some stuff ready, but you know me......I do my best work under pressure, and at the last minute.  Wish me luck! I just want to remind you that you can still sign up for our Card Buffet to be held, Saturday, April 27 from 3:00 to 6:00.  More information is posted on the blog from April 15, 2012.  Hope to see some new faces.  For now, I have nothing new to post, beca

I could not resist stamping more fish last night with the Just Beachy stamp set.  Just had to try a few more techniques, too.  This time I took out the colored pencils and used a bunch of bright paper scraps I had to make this bright, whimsical card.  I had set out to make some kind of a Fathers Day card, but when I finished I decided that it looked more festive, so I decided it was a birthday card.  I gave the Fathers Day theme another shot, and changed it up using a little more masculine tones, and not so many bright colors.  I love how this one turned out, too.  Did you notice that I also used my old crimper?  I remember when that used to be my one and only fancy tool, back in the day.  I have probably had it for 15 years or more.   I know it's time to put this set away, but I don't think I can until I stamp some flipflops, and popsicles.  Think I have a new theme for tomorrow! Thanks for stopping by, and hope you've got some sunshine tomorrow.  Hope we do too!

The weather here in Minnesota has been warm, sunny and perfect for 2 days.  The windows are open, the breeze is perfect, and I just keep thinking that I want to head to our little Get-Away (our trailer) in Wisconsin.  My husband was already up there twice, and they turned the water back on at the campgrounds.  It will be a couple weeks before I get a chance to go up there. Our weekend at Kay's cabin had to be canceled, so we went to play at Kay's house for Friday, and Saturday. It even included going out for dinner at a local bar, just like we had planned to do at the cabin. Debby, Kay, and I all had a great time chatting and stamping, and Laura joined us on Saturday.   I worked all weekend to create my cards for the May demonstrator's swap. (I won't share those with you until after I share them with the group.) The cards I made included stamping a reflection, and chalking, something old and something new!  I have been preparing for our upcoming Card Making Buff

Okay, that sounds a little strange, but today was a religious experiment, not experience!  Debby and I had talked about the need to make some cards for religious occasions for the craft sale.  The sale is May 5, and that means we should have some cards for baptism, confirmation, first communion, weddings, and sympathy cards, too.  I do not give alot of thought to these occasions any more, as my children and nieces and nephews are all grown up and married, and the little ones have not reached the sacrament stage yet.  But, in looking at my stamp sets, I fall short when it comes to anything that is particularly religious in nature.  So, last week I headed off to the craft store, coupon in hand, and looked for a stamp set that I would use.  I found one that I thought was very nice, for the craft store variety.  I have not had alot of luck with the clear stamps, but I was willing to give it another shot.  I actually went online to the stamp maker's website to look for project ideas,

I have challenged myself to take out a different stamp set each day this week and make new cards.  I have several new sets I have not used yet, but I decided to go retro.  I think getting the list from Stampin' Up! telling us what stamp sets would be retired from the line on May 31 made me realize how many sets I have that I have not used or seldom used.  I have to say thanks to the contributors at Splitcoast Stampers for providing some inspiration.  I came up with the idea of searching under certain stamp sets on the Stampin' Up! gallery, to determine whether I would find enough inspiration to make the decision to buy a certain stamp set or not.  I had a particular set in mind, and after looking at the cards that were posted, I determined that it did not have as much versatility or appeal for me to buy it.  That's where I also got the idea to search my old stamp sets for card ideas.  I found lots of inspiration for the stamp sets I have, and was truly inspired to create. 

It took me several days to get into the crafty mode, but once I got in the craft room and sat down, I really got to work.  Not alot of creativity, but lots of work.  I had to get my card buffet flyer made, and mailed.  First, I had to narrow down the number of cards I wanted to make from 10 to 5, and I settled at 6!  LOL!  Always the overachiever.   had one card that I had whipped up in a few minutes a few weeks ago, just to show my friend, Debby, my idea for a card for the buffet. Today, I ripped it apart, and remade it to my liking. I think it would make a nice card for Mother's Day or a spring birthday. I kept the salutation flexible for either. I went to the garden center and picked up some flower packets to add to the card. I figure if the cards don't get sold, I can plant a flower garden.  I got the idea for this card at the Milwaukee Regional Conference for Stampin' Up!  It was not a card that I received in the card swap, but one of the other ladies I travele

Mary's New cards for April APRIL MAKE-A-CARD BUFFET Saturday, April 28 3:00 to 6:00 101 Willow Pond Trail, Lino Lakes Are you ready for another card buffet?  I sure hope so, because I have been working really hard to find some terrific cards for you to make, and so has my friend, Debby.  I have had a hard time narrowing down all the options, but I think I have found something for everyone.  We have Mother's Day, Baptism, Baby, First Communion and Confirmation, Graduation, and oh, we did not forget, Birthdays!  I think we have some very special cards that we chose for you, but if there is something missing, let us know.  We will help you make a card for any occasion, and can customize the cards we have, like graduation cards in school colors.  Just let us know in advance, and we can have the supplies for you. Debby's new cards for April We also will have some of the same cards from last month's buffet, in case you did not attend, or get to make all th

Somebody liked my graduation card!!  I opened my email today and saw a letter from somebody I did not know, but the subject was Your awesome graduation card !, so I opened it.  Susan Vater wrote that she saw my card on Kay Kalthoff's blog, and she googled my name, and found my blog!  I am so excited that somebody that does not already know me found my blog.  Makes me want to post every day, well, someday it will happen:) Susan said she loved the graduation card that I posted on April 5, and wanted to know how to make the graduation cap. So, since I had just cut pieces for my friends to do this card at my upcoming card buffet class, I ran to get pieces and take a picture. But, I grabbed some scrap paper, my cutter & punch and took a photo of how easy it was to do.  I used a 1" strip of black paper, and cut a piece about 1" long at a 45 degree angle. I taped a piece of scrap paper to my cutter to mark the angle, and then just cut a bunch.  Then, take the same 1&

Hope that you had a wonderful Easter. I certainly did.  There was so much preparation to get ready to entertain my family, and I am such a procrastinator.  With the help of my family, I pulled it off, I mean we pulled it off.  My daughter and her husband stopped by early to visit before going to dinner with Tom's family. She helped me in the kitchen, put out tablecloths, helped with last minute chores, and then she had to leave, just as it was time for guests to arrive.  I was so very thankful for her help, because I was actually dressed, make up on, and house tidy when my guest arrived.  They usually catch me running into the bedroom to change my clothes as they arrive. Does anybody else do that, accept maybe my sister? The very best part of the day was the visit from the Easter bunny.  I got a photo of the little bunny, my 3 month old, Olivia.  She was all dolled up in a pretty dress and I added the ears.  I just wish she would have been able to stick around to see her cousins

Friday is my day off, guaranteed.  I do not do daycare for Olivia, and I do not work as the sample lady at Target, which I sometimes do on Saturdays and Sundays.  This Friday is definitely a work day.  I have to clean the house, call the relatives and firm up dinner plans, get some groceries, and do a little decorating for Easter.  The big question is to do, or not to do Easter baskets for my grown kids.  Kids!  They can buy their own candy, and now that I am retired (hah!), I really should not be spending money on such things.  I think the grandkids are my real focus now. The babies are too young, so I am knitting them spring hats.  Emily is 7, so she definitely gets a basket.  I should really make her a cute something for her basket.  Hmmmm! Wait!  I have to clean.....not craft!  But, yesterday I spent a little time working out the ideas for the craft sale, and craft weekends coming up in the next few weeks.  I have an idea for making a post-it pad cover.  I want one for the dashb

Getting ready to entertain for the holidays is never my favorite thing to do.  I like entertaining, the food is good, and the company is great!  It's the cleaning before and after I don't like.  I used to belong to a group that rotated meetings at each member's house.  I would always sign up to host the meeting the week before a major holiday.  Some people used to shy away from those dates, because it was too close to the holiday, but not me.  It was my excuse to get my house cleaned really good the week before the holiday.  My house always has to be cleaned "really good".  I am a real clutter bug.  Creative people usually are, because we have craft activities all over the place.  No matter where you go, to sit or to work in my house, there is always a project in progress.  In the kitchen it may be a pile of cookbooks, or ingredients left out, in the bedroom it is laundry to be washed or put away, in the family room, it is the sewing projects by the sewing machine

I am so glad I got that demo meeting out of the way earlier this week.  It was a really busy weekend, and I put things off, and boy, was that a big mistake.  Who would know that I would have a very cranky baby on my hands on Monday.  Olivia is always such and easy going baby, so when she started to scream and cry for long periods of time, I was really concerned.  I was checking her out from top to bottom, and could find no reason for the screaming.  So, I held her, and shushed her, and sang to her, but when I got up and started to march and sing McNamara's Band, she quieted down.  My sister said that was because that was when she realized that there was something wrong with the old woman, and that she better assess the situation and try to find out why the old woman was marching and singing loudly.  She figured out if she was quiet and smiled at the old woman she would sit down and be quiet again. LOL!  She showed me! At the end of the day, I sent the baby home with her mother, an