Cardmaker Quotes

I didn't get around to downloading pictures of the cards I made this weekend or photographing the ones we made last night, so I'm digging back through some other digital folders this morning and I stumbled on a screen capture from one of the old archived CardMaker magazines I've been going through.  I just love some of these quotes.  Especially the one about being grateful to people who make us happy.  That includes  my Gal  Pals for sure!

I really like collecting quotes.  They're great for prompting a card idea, or using as a focal for the card front, as well as being the sentiment for the inside of the card.  I'm so glad CardMaker has gone digital, aren't you?

Packing Day

It's our final packing day today - taking care of all the loose ends and "scraps" here at the apartment.  So I thought it was only fitting that I post a card I made awhile ago using pieces of paper scraps from another project.  I like the design.  If I remember correctly it was actually a sketch from one of the clean and simple challenge blogs I follow - just can't remember which one right now.

Not much time to "chat" today so I'll just leave you with a quote I captured awhile back from the TV show "Brothers & Sisters".  It touched my heart back then and seems so appropriate today. . . .

“. . . .You realize that what’s happening, as horrible as it is, 

is bringing you closer to the people you love and 

is reminding you of what is most true in your life. . . 

and that is a good thing.”

     ~(from the character Robert during an episode of “Brothers & Sisters” re: Kitty’s cancer)

Nostalgia

Hi Gal Pals,

Sorry for being M.I.A. for the last couple of days.  We went up to South Carolina last weekend to see Allan's brother and his family and after getting back I started my planning and list making for winding down our time here in Jacksonville.  Some of things on the list included time with Mom wrapping a few chores up at her house.  

While waiting for her to get dressed one morning I was poking through her office closet and found a box of pictures that I hadn't seen in awhile.  I took a timeout and did a little wandering down Memory Lane :-)

Found this silhouette cut of myself from way, way back.  Remember when these were popular?  Do you have one of yourself hidden somewhere?

Also found on the dining room table a paper-crafted birthday "wallet" I made for Mom back in 2009.  Not sure why she had that out but it tickled me to see it again.  Sorry the pictures aren't better but at least they captured a little of the essence of the gift. . .

I especially liked the quote at the end. . .sure does fit this time and place.

"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses."  

~Joyce Brothers

Great Quote - Not So Great Card

"Do your little bit of good where you are.  

It's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."

~ Desmond Tutu

I love that quote.  I used it on a card to the family one week last summer as I was telling them about the man who took it upon himself (at his own expense) to landscape a flower garden on one of the downtown corners.  Do you remember the story?  What a wonderful gift of a "little bit of good".

I can't remember where I CASE'd the card design from but this was one of those times when I was frustrated by my Essential Tremors.  I loved the stamp (it's from SU-Mixed Bunch), the colors and the use of the border.  But I didn't have a stem/leave stamp that was proportional so I attempted to draw it freehand.  Eeesh!  It looks like a 2nd grader did it.  Sure glad the family loves me and forgives my shortcomings when it comes to cardmaking.

Here's wishing you a Happy Friday with hopes of spring flowers right around the corner.

Heart Grows Fonder

"What would not I give to wander

Where my old companions dwell?

Absence makes the heart grow fonder:

Isle of Beauty, fare thee well!"

~Thomas Haynes Bayly

After a very LONG work week of Operation Freshmen Recovery (only time will tell how many we were able to recover), I selfishly declared Saturday "My Day" and visited the place where my "old companions dwell" . . . .my "Isle of Crafitng"!

What a wonderful day it was.  I made quite a few things as I was cleaning up all the scraps, tools, stamps and papers laying all over the counters.  I'll be posting pictures of those throughout the next week or so. 

But to get things started, here's a card I made for my Mom and Dad's anniversary last November.  It uses the Everyday Enchantment DSP and the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set.  I loved how it turned out.  I'm not sure Dad probably gave it a 2nd thought but the peach and coral colors are 2 of my Mom's favorites. Without a sentiment on the front this card could also easily be a nice Valentines or Thinking of You card.

Speaking of Mom. . . .She's back home now and the family has a good plan for the week as she trys to figure out what she can and can't do around the house.  Hopefully with time and continued PT she'll be back to good later this year.

Have a good Monday!  Looking forward to our Birthday Celebration at the Iron Horse tomorrow.  I saw Staci Thursday at the shop and told her we wouldn't be there.  Boy! Memory Lane was hopping with customers and activity - Yeah! for them.  Guess I didn't realize Tuesday card group is now so big that they've spilled over to Thursdays.  Can't wait until I retire so I can join the fun! 

CardMaker

I recently remembered that our subscription to CardMaker magazine now includes access to the digital version of the magazine and digital versions to all of the archives.  So I took a little enteretainment with me for the long plane ride to Jacksonville last week.  I downloaded 3 Nov/Dec issues from the early years.  I found several really cute card ideas - some quick and simple like this one and others that show off a specific technique I want to try.

The other thing that was kind of cool was looking through the 2 pages of quotes they have at end of each issue.  I found several that were really meaningful to me.  They will be going in my quote journal for safekeeping.  Here's one that really seemed to resonate for me right now.

Cricut Man's Photography

Every once in awhile we try to use some of Cricut Man's photos on our weekly family cards.  He has a bizillion! so it's usually easy to find something to work with. 

I was having a hard time coming up with a design one week so we started going through his photos and found the set from a hot air balloon ride he had taken while visiting the wine country of Tumecula outside San Diego.  We did some creative cropping and found a really cool quote and this is how it turned out. 

I have to tell you it's one of my favorite cards so far this year.  I particularly loved the quote. . . .

"Love is not something your heart falls into,

but something that picks it up and set it soaring"

Where is She?

I was sorting through some old folders from my old laptop and found this picture of a CD cover I scrapped for our old Gal Pal Faythe.  Gosh!  I wonder where she is and how she's doing?  Leave a comment here if you've heard from her.

This cover was a collage of some things from our time out in Santa Barbara.  We both attended the WACUBO Business Management Institute for 1 week each summer for 4 years.  It was a great school and a great place to spend some time.  We had Wednesday afternoons off from school each year so we would got to a little wine tasting or wandering in the shops of downtown Santa Barbara.  And one night we even caught a concert from one of my all-time favorite folk singer songwriters, Dave Wilcox.  Faythe was such a good sport as she had never heard any of his music.

I'll be forever grateful for that time with her as I am for my time with you.  Had a wonderful, energizing time at the shop last night.  We missed you Mona but hope you're feeling much better today.

P.S.  Don't you love the back of the CD case and some of those quotes?  (You may have to double-click on the picture to see them up close)  And better yet the homemade clip art from FinDW and the year-end ledgers.  Now those were some really good times, huh Val?!

Lovely As A Tree

Have had my Lovely As A Tree stamp set out for the last few weeks.  Made this card  for one of the weekly family cards.  Loved the gold embossing.  Used the Dazzle sticker lines to outline the tree and the sentiment.  Wish I would have done something a little different on the quote - different font? different alignment? ???  but I just ran out of time. 

Here's another version where I used a different patterned paper. 

Have been trying to go to my scrap folders first before cutting anything new.  That's actually been kind of fun and something I want to do more of in the New Year.

Last week's family card

Wanted to show you how the card I was making a couple of week's ago for the family newsletter turned out.  Remember I punched the little leaves in the wrong color and didn't have the sentiment block done.  I thought it turned out pretty nice.  Will be putting together the one for next week at the shop tonight.  I'll actually be in Florida this Sunday when we typically write the letter and send the card so Allan's agreed (i.e. got drafted!) to do it in my absence.  I'm sure the family will enjoy hearing the news from his point of view for a change.