Ethan

Our two year old DGS is staying with us for the next two weeks. We are so looking forward to this time with him!!

This will be "grape" fun....

Day 86 challenge at 365 cards.... to use purple as the primary color, and incorporate at least 5 circles on your card.
Materials: DCWV cardstock, MM cardstock pad "Polo", yard sale flower, 7 Gypsies circle stamp, Inkadinkado dragonfly stamp, American Crafts ribbon, Hero Arts bling, Fiskars Threading Water punch, Spellinders Round & Round Scallop Nestabilities, Prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, Sakura Gelly Roll glitter pen

365 cards challenge

Here is my card based on Day 85 - Super Sunday Sketch at 365 Cards....
Materials: Basic Grey Two Scoops paper & brad, Prima, Hero Arts blossom, Target dollar spot butterfly stamp, Nesties ovals

Memorial Day

To all the men and women who have placed themselves in the line of fire on our behalf... I salute you.

The Star Spangled Banner
- Francis Scott Key

O! Say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

And the Rockets' red glare, the Bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our Flag was still there;
O! Say, does that star-spangled Banner yet wave,
O'er the Land of the free, and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected new shines in the stream,
'Tis the star spangled banner, O! Long may it wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, shall leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave,
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.

O! Thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd home, and the war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land,
Praise the Power that hath made and preserv'd us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto-"In God is our Trust;"
And the star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave,
O'er the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.

Congrats...

For a friend who finished his electrical apprenticeship schooling. Five years of going to school every other Saturday. Congrats Aaron! You did it!

Materials: MME Tres Jolie papers, DCWV CS, Rubber Stampede sentiment, EK Success binding edge punch, MM brads

Sympathy card

For the family of a woman at our church....
Materials:
Scrap Chocolate Brown Paper
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder
Nestabilities Large Deckled Rectangles
Michael's dollar stamp
MME pp
Ribbon Expressions ribbon

Camping

Camping is an activity that our family has enjoyed for many years! When our girls were small, we had tents and then we graduated to cabover campers. We now have a motorhome and most of the time DH and I feel like we're "cheating" when we go camping, but we sure love it!!

This past weekend DH and I went camping at Lake Selmac. We enjoy camping there in the spring so that DH can do some trout fishing. It was a gorgeous weekend to be there...

Lake Selmac at sunset.....
My favorite part of camping... the campfire!

Another favorite part of camping..... doing nothing except looking at the view!

This family of swans swam by our camp spot each morning for a tour around the lake. There are three babies...Lake Selmac has some great walking/biking trails. We rode our bikes around the lake one day and we walked another day.

I was playing the the macro on my camera and I love this photo that I got!

Friend

A very good friend is moving away for awhile, and it may turn out that she doesn't come back here permanently. M is cute, has a great sense of humor, is passionate about her family, loving and a great friend. She will be missed while she is gone and none of us try to think about her leaving permanently... serveral of us got together for a send off dinner tonight.... we had a wonderful time and we hope all of us get together again soon. Good-bye M! We will miss you and we love you! Have a great time and post lots of photos!!

I made this card with her in mind. She loves the color red, and she loves my cards (at least that's what she tells me). I will miss her.... come back soon....

Materials: My Mind's Eye 29th Street Market pp, Stampin Up "Embrace Life" flower, Amuse bling, American Crafts ribbon, Making Memories alphas, EK Success binding edge punch

Hi!

This fun card is on it's way to say "Hi!" to a special little man!! My youngest DD is going to visit her sister and will hand deliver this card for me!!

Materials: DCWV Mat Stack and cardstock, Spellbinders Nestabilities Large Deckled Rectangles (NEW!), Fancy Pants Kraft Kuts giraffe, K & Co alpha's, glossy accents on the giraffe eyes

Masculine cards....

I find making "masculine" cards a challenge. Do you? I have lots of "girly" embellies, not so many for guys.

Materials: Basic Grey Granola pp, colored twine, Embossing Arts image, Prismacolor pencils with odorless mineral spirits

Hello Birdie

Our hummingbirds are back in full force! They are so fun to watch! One has declared himself / herself monitor of the hummingbird feeder. This hummer will sit on the hook where the feeder hangs from and chase off hummers who attempt to feed. He / she is noisy and very aggressive!! Often one hummer will distract the self appointed keeper of the feeder and other hummers will fly in to feed!! I counted five on the feeder this am, I think the "keeper" must have slept in!! I'll try to get a photo up soon.

So I dug up some Basic Grey Phoebe paper and created another card!! Partially in honor of our hummingbirds and also I really wanted to use this stamp that DD had gotten me for my birthday! I think this bird is just adorable!! I paper pieced the bird with coordinating pp's.

Materials: Basic Grey Phoebe paper, American Crafts ribbon, Inkadinkado stamp, Prima's, K & Co. bling

A card...

Wow, I actually made a card! The mojo has been gone a while...but I'm glad it's back. At least I think it's back.

Materials: Basic Grey Phoebe pp's, Carolees Creations sticker letters, K & Co adhesive paper ribbon, glossy accents, M's dollar image