My beautiful Bella!

Just in case you thought I took the summer off . . .

I used a Stampin' Up set called "Window on the World" to create this card. It's supposed to be a window looking out on the world but I made the window looking in. Guess it works either way . . .I seem to have a large collection of "time" stamps, embellishments, stickers, papers, etc. and I'm forever looking for ways to put them to good use. Actually, they're not the ONLY thing I have a lot of. Who doesn't love Mickey??? I embossed the stars on the background by hand . . . you'd never know that it took me FOREVER to do that! Nature-themed stamps work for a variety of occasions! I love Asian themes, most likely because I love reds, blacks, golds and bold designs. I created this one after watching a how-to video on http://www.rangerinks.com/ . . . Tim Holtz designs are awesome. It took me forever to find the "right word" for this little girl's facial expression. This piece of ephemera is from the "Heartwarming Vintage" collection . . . http://www.craftysecrets.com/ . . . I love their stuff!! Just your standard "birthday greeting" from Stampin' Up. Some people prefer simple . . . Another old OLD stamp set from Stampin' Up. So old that I was disappointed to discover that they don't include it in the SplitCoastStampers.com photo gallery! Bummer.

Another vintage card with hopefully many more to come . . . I love vintage!!

I HAD to have this sailboat stamp . . . I don't have very many "man-themed" stamps so when I see one that I like, I have to add it to my collection. I glued little glass beads to the water to give it some dimension.

I love this shade of blue. It's called Stampin' Up "Night of Navy." I spritzed Pearl-Ex powder on the background to make it shimmer.

I stamped this piece back when stamps were $.037!!! It's been sitting in my collection for a few years waiting for me to make it into a card. I guess I could call myself the "master of parts." I have a stockpile of card parts filed, categorzied and waiting to be made into something. I spend a lot more time making parts than I do cards! Some of those parts are TEN years old!! It takes less time to make parts and that's what I have most of . . . LESS time and MORE parts.

This Geisha stamp is one of the first stamps I purchased way back in about 1998 and it's still one of my favorites. I spritzed the blue/green/purple background with Pearl-Ex powders mixed with water.

Same Geisha stamp, different color theme, obviously. . . The 'waffle' paper was embossed in my CuttleBug and then spritzed with pink Pearl-Ex powder.

The pink strip of paper below was created with alcohol inks. I've found that they're a bit messy to play with but the results sooooooo cool. I usually create one huge mess by designing multiple backgrounds at a time and then I put it all away and don't use them for a year or two.

The hearts are one of my attempts to use UTEE (ultra-thick embossing something or other--can never remember that last word). It's an embossing powder that you apply in layers and melt to create a clear, thick surface on the paper. This card took me forever to create because I didn't know where I was going with the (parts) design and I'm still not all that enthused about it. The UTEE was used on the hearts. The photo frame was created with Ranger's distress crackle paint.

Another card created with a Stampin' Up Set . . . I found a GREAT card-making book at Big Lots in Elmira and this is one of the card designs from that book. I love browsing in their book section . . . all their books are $3 and $5. Can't pass up a craft book or how-to book at a bargain price!

This hobby is DEADLY--My greatest fear is that I'll turn into a hoarder like those people you see on TV . . . My Not-So Secret Obsession!! Considering the amount of inks, papers, stamps, embellishments, ephemera, punches, powders, fibers, storage containers, etc etc etc, I've accumulated, it wouldn't take you long to figure out that I'm a diehard stampaholic . . . I'm very organized which helps . . . but it all gets a bit overwhelming at times.

This fuzzy little girl has been keeping me extremely occupied since I adopted her on April 10. She was born on February 13 and turned 3 months old a couple days ago.

Miss Bella is a pure bred Golden Retriever. She was the tiniest runt of a litter of 13 but at the rate she's growing, she won't be 'tiny' for long. A month ago I could snuggle her in the crook of my neck and now I can barely pick her up!

My stepsister who breeds Goldens asked me if I'd like to purchase her and how could I refuse? From the moment I first saw her, I fell in love!

Card-making has temporarily taken a back seat. I've been missing my creative time but I know life will settle down again as Bella grows. In the meantime, I'll squeeze in an hour or two here and there to keep myself from going through creative withdrawl symptoms!

Bella, what's that in your mouth??? Something you're not supposed to be chewing on, I would guess!

I discovered Amy Butler paper at Michael's a couple months ago, fell in love with it, had to have it. I had no idea what I'd do with it but like everything else I see, I wanted to take it home and add it to my stash. It was just a "little" pack of paper, no big deal. A few weeks later I discovered the Amy Butler embellishments pack and it was on sale just like the paper pack was! How could I resist!. Last Friday I found the alphabet pack to go along with it AND a pack of matching rubber stamps! This hobby is deadly!! I gathered up as many supplies as I could carry in one arm load along with my new treasures and headed to Brian's for the weekend. I laid everything out on his 8-foot dining room table and started piecing themes together. These are just a few cards that that I came up with. I have enough "parts" to complete many MANY more cards! These scans don't really do the papers or embellishments any justice but they'll have to suffice for now.

Some of my favorite quotes . . . Any day spent sewing (or creating anything, for that matter) is a good day!

A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having FUN.

Laughter is the closest thing to flying.

Love is less a feeling than an action--it's the sustained ability to put someone else's needs above yours day after day, year after year.

Be true to yourself. No apologies. No regrets.

We dance for laughter,
We dance for tears,
We dance for madness,
We dance for fears
We dance for hopes,
We dance for screams,
We are the dancers,
We create the dreams.

God gives every bird it's food but he does not throw it into it's nest.

Do not pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.

Grief is the ceremony of lost treasure. Grief is the homage you pay to the love you were once blessed to share. Grief is not the enemy.

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures.--Henry Ward Beecher

This hour, this minute, this breath . . . each is a wonderful gift.

Life is a classroom. We are both student and teacher. Each day is a test and each day we receive a passing or failing grade in one particular subject. GRACE. Grace is compassion, gratitude, faith, forgiveness, good manners, reverence, and the list goes on. It's something money can't buy and credentials rarely produce. Being the smartest, the prettiest, the most talented, the richest or even the poorest doesn't help. Being HUMBLE can help and it's a good place to start.

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer someone else up.--Mark Twain

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.--Eleanor Roosevelt

A woman's heart is like a campfire. If you don't tend to it regular, you'll soon lose it.