Growing in Unity Day 5

All good things must come to an end.

I have had a great week GIU.  Thank you all for reading my rambling and leaving such wonderful comments. I am finishing off the week with a birthday card. I really this stamp.  I am a Speech Pathologist so I love play on words like this stamp is. This stamp is so much fun. When you give this card to people, they always giggle. Check it out, because it is on sale this week. 

Supplies

Stamp-Jack {ass} Unity Stamp Company

Paper- Sassafras by October afternoon (I love that I was able to use this paper I have been saving it forever.

wood dots and red dots- MME

twine- Studio Calico

markers- copic 

Don't forget to comment. You could win something.
That's right two lucky winners will be drawn at the end of the week for a chance to win a prize pack from Unity! Plus, because I do so LOVE coffee and I started out my week with a coffee themed Unity Girl Card I am giving you all a chance to win 
a Starbuck's coffee card from me.  Yes, I will be giving away two 10.00 gift cards from Starbucks.  Even if you have won the random 25 stamp grab bag from Unity in the past 6 months you still qualify for the coffee card give away.  My way of saying thank you for supporting me through the week. So come back and check out my work, leave a comment each day.  Because the more times you comment the more chances you have to win.

Thanks for looking!
Now go forth and drink coffee and enjoy the day.

Going in Unity Day 4

Simple does not always mean Fast

"Oh you make Cards", my friend does that, they are beautiful. Do you do all the coloring and have the die cutting thingy.  She has a group of ladies that she gets together with once a week, they are like works of art. She loves it. Is that what you do".

I usually reply, "No I just make simple cards". I could, for example, tell them about today's card.  Technically it I only really needed to cut 4 pieces of paper, emboss the sentiment, glue everything on and add embellishments. Really 30 minutes tops. This baby took me 5 hours, numerous cuss words, and a possible divorce.  It started out nothing like this. My idea was that you could add your own message with chalk one the black board arrow, than it went to putting a bike on there, from which I colored two bikes one with pencils, one with markers, neither faced the right direction, than I went back to the chalk board idea. I ask my husband and kids, who have NO INTEREST in any of my "Scrap Crap" as they call, about 100 times what they thought. Basically, they all are avoiding any possibility of eye contact with me.

I made one similar for a friend who was getting a divorce and I put #newlife.  It was cute. Anyway, simple does not mean fast...it just means simple. 

Supplies

Don't look back Stamp- bitty itty bitty stamp Unity Stamp company

6x6 paper- MME

Puffy Hearts- Fancy pants

chalk board arrow- Paper studio

embossing powder- zing American Crafts

Versa Mark ink

Embossed chevon paper- DCWV

Chalk Pen- Picket fences distress ink 

Don't forget to comment. You could win something.
That's right two lucky winners will be drawn at the end of the week for a chance to win a prize pack from Unity! Plus, because I do so LOVE coffee and I started out my week with a coffee themed Unity Girl Card I am giving you all a chance to win 
a Starbuck's coffee card from me.  Yes, I will be giving away two 10.00 gift cards from Starbucks.  Even if you have won the random 25 stamp grab bag from Unity in the past 6 months you still qualify for the coffee card give away.  My way of saying thank you for supporting me through the week. So come back and check out my work, leave a comment each day.  Because the more times you comment the more chances you have to win.

Thanks for looking!
Now go forth and drink coffee and enjoy the day.

Going in Unity Day 4

Simple does not always mean Fast

"Oh you make Cards", my friend does that, they are beautiful. Do you do all the coloring and have the die cutting thingy.  She has a group of ladies that she gets together with once a week, they are like works of art. She loves it. Is that what you do".

I usually reply, "No I just make simple cards". I could, for example, tell them about today's card.  Technically it I only really needed to cut 4 pieces of paper, emboss the sentiment, glue everything on and add embellishments. Really 30 minutes tops. This baby took me 5 hours, numerous cuss words, and a possible divorce.  It started out nothing like this. My idea was that you could add your own message with chalk one the black board arrow, than it went to putting a bike on there, from which I colored two bikes one with pencils, one with markers, neither faced the right direction, than I went back to the chalk board idea. I ask my husband and kids, who have NO INTEREST in any of my "Scrap Crap" as they call, about 100 times what they thought. Basically they all avoiding any possibility of eye contact with me.

I made one similar for a friend who was getting a divorce and I put #newlife.  It was cute. Anyway, simple does not mean fast...it just means simple. 

Supplies

Don't look back Stamp- bitty itty bitty stamp Unity Stamp company

6x6 paper- MME

Puffy Hearts- Fancy pants

chalk board arrow- Paper studio

embossing powder- zing American Crafts

Versa Mark ink

Embossed chevon paper- DCWV

Chalk Pen- Picket fences distress ink 

Don't forget to comment. You could win something.
That's right two lucky winners will be drawn at the end of the week for a chance to win a prize pack from Unity! Plus, because I do so LOVE coffee and I started out my week with a coffee themed Unity Girl Card I am giving you all a chance to win 
a Starbuck's coffee card from me.  Yes, I will be giving away two 10.00 gift cards from Starbucks.  Even if you have won the random 25 stamp grab bag from Unity in the past 6 months you still qualify for the coffee card give away.  My way of saying thank you for supporting me through the week. So come back and check out my work, leave a comment each day.  Because the more times you comment the more chances you have to win.

Thanks for looking!
Now go forth and drink coffee and enjoy the day.

Stamping, Coloring and Crying

GIU Day 3
 I hit the half century mark this year.  I know, I know I can not believe it either. If you were to see me in person, you would say by my hot muffin top belly that moved in for good after menopause and my sultry dark eyes that match the bags under them from my lack of sleep, I had barely left my twenty's. Ahh, the twenties, remember them? I want to go back and tell that hot mess of a twenty something girl, that body of hers was as good as it was going to get and I should have worn that damn bikini all the time. But hot mess twenty something year old body girl would never believe that 50  year old body girl. She never really listened to anyone back than. She would never dream that 50 year old body girl would be screaming through the mall, willing to pay 130.00 for the miracle slimming swimming suit dress the night before you go on that beach vacation, just to hold it all in and cover it up. Nope, twenty something body would be thinking I will forever just be able to run into Target grab a suit off the rack and jet off.  Don't even get me started on if you had told twenty something year old body girl about that minivan in her future. 

Oh my I really am off track here.  The point I started out trying to get to? Oh yes, now I remember.  As we get older another one of the things that starts to happen is there is more and more sympathy cards needed.  Our older relatives pass, maybe our parents, and many of our friends parents pass.  I am finding it harder and harder when I make these cards.  When I am making them, I start to think of all the times I spent with them and the memories.  What do I start to do... I cry.  My kids or husband have often come in and found me with my stamps out, coloring cards and crying.  It is therapeutic but let's face it after awhile you just need to stop.  I tell myself I need to make a bunch up in advance to avoid these episodes.  But truthfully if they are close friends I like to make a special card.  I grew up on the prairie and a farming life.  I like to make cards that have that feeling of familiarity of that life.  I was recently back and it was harvest.  You look out and see the golden fields with the grain stubble and nothing but blue sky in the background.  To me it symbolizes a time of rest.  All that hard work you have reaped what you have sown. That is what I want this card to convey.  What a better message, your loved one seeded, grew and the crops are harvested.  This is their time to rest and for you to continue on the journey around the sun.

Here is my card.  I am not sure what I think of using distress crayons but it did give me the cut grain look I wanted for the fields and the blue darkening sky. By the way 20 year old body girl would never believe that 50 year old body girl would have a been making cards.  I told you twenty year old body was a Hot Mess. Using those wacky crayons made me want to cry even before I started stamping. Mental note,  I really need to not try new things when I am doing GIU week. Plus check out the awesome windmill from Um Wow Studios. It just brings a feel of the past. I used Tim Holtz distress ink on it to give it a darker color.

Supplies:
Everything Stronger Stamp Set-Unity Stamp Company
Windmill Chipboard- Um Wow Studios
Burlap- DCWV
Metal Dots- MME
Wooden Dot- MME
Twine- studio calico kit
Distress Crayons and Distress ink- Tim Holtz

Don't forget to comment. You could win something.
That's right two lucky winners will be drawn at the end of the week for a chance to win a prize pack from Unity! Plus, because I do so LOVE coffee and I started out my week with a coffee themed Unity Girl Card I am giving you all a chance to win 
a Starbuck's coffee card from me.  Yes, I will be giving away two 10.00 gift cards from Starbucks.  Even if you have won the random 25 stamp grab bag from Unity in the past 6 months you still qualify for the coffee card give away.  My way of saying thank you for supporting me through the week. So come back and check out my work, leave a comment each day.  Because the more times you comment the more chances you have to win.

Thanks for looking!
Now go forth and drink coffee and enjoy the day.

Blame it all on my Roots, I showed up in Boots.

GIU Day 2

Anyone remember that Garth Brooks song, Friends in Low Places.  Well I did not show up in boots, I show up with pictures. While I do have friends in low places, I more importantly have friends in high places, like Unity Stamp Company.  I can not do one week of GIU without paying homage to my humble beginnings of scrapbooking.  I know there are not as many scrapbookers as there used to be and cards and altered art are the "thang", but I LOVE the Unity Kit of the Month and SMAK kits for scrapbooking.  One other thing I love for embellishment is BUTTERFLIES.  I used these sweet little flutter insects from two different kits and I am going to include a link to my all time favorite Unity Butterfly that I did not use on this layout but I do not even put away.

Here is my layout. Look at my sweet girls.  The picture on the left is of my middle child when she was 3 and than when she was 9 close to the same spot.  The funny thing about my love for butterflies is that my youngest is terrified of them. On a field trip we went to a butterfly house and she flipped.  It was like a nightmare for her and it seemed like every butterfly in the place was landing on her.  We got out safely, checked over twice by the butterfly police and cleared to leave without any extra creatures stowed away.  I finally got her calmed down on a bench outside the exhibit and like flipping zombie horror movie, a butterfly crawls out from her jacket. She promptly proceeded to stomp it to death.  Let me tell you the butterfly police did not like that.  When I showed her this page she said "I can not believe I ever wore a butterfly dress, but I was a little kid and didn't know butterflies were evil".  Here are some of those "evil butterflies".

Supplies:

In Love With Love KOTM
Be your own kind of beautiful KOTM
Bottom butterfly from Unity grab bag
Paper-Echo Park
Cute title and Ampersand- Freckled Fawn
epoxy letters- Studio Calico
Epoxy dots- MME
Tags- from stash
Pop dots

Don't forget to comment. You could win something.
That's right two lucky winners will be drawn at the end of the week for a chance to win a prize pack from Unity! Plus, because I do so LOVE coffee and I am starting out my week with a coffee themed Unity Girl Card I am giving you all a chance to win a Starbuck's 
coffee card from me.  Yes, I will be giving away two 10.00 gift cards from Starbucks.  Even if you have won the random 25 stamp grab bag from Unity in the past 6 months you still qualify for the coffee card give away.  My way of saying thank you for supporting me through the week. So come back and check out my work, leave a comment each day.  Because the more times you comment the more chances you have to win.

Thanks for looking!

Growing in Unity Day 1

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee...Give me coffee!

It is hard to believe it has been so long since I have wrote in my blog.  But since Unity Stamp Company has it that you now can participate in their weekly challenges by downloading your entry right on the Unity{show and tell} Facebook page I guess I quit blogging.  

I am super excited to participate again this year in the Growing in Unity week.  The best thing about it no matter if you love, hate or really feel nothing one way or the other about my work, all you have to do is leave a comment for a chance to win.  That's right two lucky winners will be drawn at the end of the week for a chance to win a prize pack from Unity! Plus, because I do so LOVE coffee and I am starting out my week with a coffee themed Unity Girl Card I am giving you all a chance to win a Starbuck's 
coffee card from me.  Yes, I will be giving away two 10.00 gift cards from Starbucks.  Even if you have won the random 25 stamp grab bag from Unity in the past 6 months you still qualify for the coffee card give away.  My way of saying thank you for supporting me through the week. So come back and check out my work, leave a comment each day.  Because the more times you comment the more chances you have to win.

So here you go, my first days work.

Supplies:
Kimmie Girl Stamp- Unity Stamp Company
Paper- American Crafts
Markers-Copic
Epoxy Hearts- Fancy Pants
Epoxy dots- MME
Coffee Sentiment Stamp-gift

Thanks for looking and remember to leave a comment for a chance to win!!!

Bonus Autumn days

Unity Brown Thursday Blog Hop:

Can you believe it is almost Thanksgiving?  Here in lovely MN we have no snow...just rain.  Can you believe it?  So I feel it is OK to still be sending out fall cards.  After all last weekend was like a perfect fall day but the leaves are all gone.  It gave everyone a chance to finish up the last of the yard work and winter prep.  Around here, this means the dreaded garage clean.  My husband is pretty chill but one thing he is all about is in the winter we must be able to  park both of the cars in the garage.  "If I have to scrap my window in the morning during winter because my garage is full of shi$, than it is time to shut 'er down,"he will annually state.  Twenty years living in this house together and it is like clock work.  A summer of "dumping" on his side of the garage has taken a toll and then "Dave"(the local weather man) mentions there will be accumulations of snow, and my husband goes into what I call, crazed mode.  Boxes, clothes, life jackets, sports equipment, and treasures behold line the sidewalk.  I frantically run out and grab items that I want to save from the Goodwill graveyard or trash.  "No, I need that", I will scream.  He will reply, "really LB, you needed it so much it was in the back of your van all spring and on the garage floor all summer, really?"  Or I say..."hey that is where that went, I was just looking for it".  Negotiations are tough, as he is a man with a plan this late in the game.  After a day out there, that line of treasures magically disappear to their proper place, or maybe to our little shed that he can pack like he is playing Tetris.  Mean while I am thinking how I need to find out what Goodwill he dropped it off at so I can go buy it back on Monday.

At the end of the day we usually go out to eat.  Where the kids and I must hear, "Can you believe I got that all done, it is forecast  to snow you know?", or "I was getting that done no matter what today...did you know that?"  Yes, we knew that, why...because...like I said, like clockwork.  Happy bonus fall days everyone.

Here is my Unity Brown Thursday blog hop entry.  

Supplies:
Unity Stamps-Love and joy for the Holidays KOM 10/14 sentiment
Unity grab bag-leaf(one of my most used stamps)
Paper: 6x6 Chickadee
glimmer mist- Ranger glimmer mist- marshmallow
Twine- American Crafts
ink-brown Momento , Marigold Distress ink

Now the best news.  There is a huge sale going on at Unity Stamp Company  You should head over there now.  

Happy Shopping and thanks for looking.

LBAB