A couple Emerson Quillin

Already had these Emerson Quillin 's stamped. Grabbed some scraps and came up with these two cards.

The inside is blank for now. I like to put in a sentiment if one so moves me. Just bought those flowers this week. They really are very pretty. Good thing you can't really tell the color of the olives in the martini. I don't have an olive green pen. They almost look like a pickle stuffed with a pimento. LOL!

Found the sentiment used on the outside of this next card somewhere on SCS. Wish I could remember so I could give them credit. They had used it with the same image.

The inside reads, "Have a great day and stay out of trouble". I'm always afraid I'll get a flat tire or have a blow out on the freeway. Sure don't have the other problem to contend with anymore, thank you very much.

It's back to the work table. I've been working on paper piecing a bella stamp. I've got that down but didn't like what happened when I added my glitter glue to the flowers. Gotta re-do it or I just won't be happy with it. n Just glad to get these posted for now.

ABSOLUTE FRUSTRATION!

Note that's in CAPITALS! This last week was a busy one for me. It was the doctor, the dentist and the groomer (both Jordan and I got our nails done). When I have appointments in town, I always try to get some other errands done. Don't we all! I decided Friday I was going to be a slug and stay in my jammies all day. My books were due back at the library so I extended the due dates. My luck, the one book I hadn't finished reading had to be returned. Someone else was waiting for it. Fortunately, I finished it and returned it that afternoon.

That left the rest of the afternoon and evening for me to work on some cards. I've wanted to use the digi stamp "All About Cupcakes" from The Cutting Cafe. After selecting the cupcake, I transferred it to a word document and resized it. I immediately saved it since I've been having problems with Microsoft Word. Something to do with my HP printer. Too complicated for me to understand! I printed it on white cardstock and DP for the bottom. When I went to print it again for the top, it wouldn't print. The paper has a little sheen to it (so does the DP I had already printed). I don't know how many times I tried. When all else fails "shut down"! Now I can't find the word document. I've had my fill with computer problems lately.

I still haven't found the missing stamp I wanted to use several days ago. I'm going on a thorough search this afternoon. It's got to be around here somewhere, "things don't just get up and walk away". Eventually it will turn up, however, my patience is often short. It's certainly not like I can't use other stamps.

I'm still waiting for the MicroGlaze that I ordered so that I can color my digi stamps, maybe. The Le Plumme pens I have are water based so there might be a problem. Also ordered the chalk enhancer demonstrated by Gina K. Of course that could also make the ink bleed without using the MicroGlaze which might not work with the pens either.

My Cuttlebug arrived this week so maybe I need to play with that. Anything to get me out of the dumps! Here's hoping I have some cards to post this evening. Thanks for listening . . . .

Big Hugs!

Finally got these cards done last night for my twin grandchildren. Both of these images are from Pink Petticoat's "Big Hugs" collection. I love all of her images. Liz uses chalk to color her images for a soft color and adds glitter for sparkle.

It's a little messy, but you can't see that. I'll get it down or die trying! Lucked out on the button. Discovered I don't have very many white buttons in my collection. This one has glitter on it. Go figure!

The only place for glitter on this guy is his collar. Trust me, it's there. Used my new Martha Stewart border punch. Love it! Discovered she's partnered with EK Success for her line of scrapbooking supplies. She now has an entire aisle at Micheal's (they have been on sale for 25% for the past 2 weeks).

Now I need to get to the post office for stamps. Bought a couple up at the office for the last cards I recently mailed, but I have a box to send back to Joann's, so I have to go regardless.

Survived the storm on Thursday. They interrupted scheduled programming about 3:45 pm to worn of severe thunder and lighting approaching. When I didn't see any dark clouds I wondered what the big deal was. Sure found out in a hurry! What they failed to mention was the possibility of a TORNADO. What the H---! In Oregon? I was calling for Auntie Em when the winds started. We didn't reach winds that high, but it was a fast moving store. Sure made a BIG mess deadheading plants and trees.

Planning (hoping and a wishing) to spend some time scrapbooking today. Goal: 1 layout, 1 card.

For a change!

Since I seem to have all these road blocks in front of me, I'm at a standstill when it comes to making cards. It'll me another 2 weeks before the MicroGlaze I need arrives so that I can use the digital stamps I so desperately want to use. No one locally seemed to have the stuff on their shelves. One of the stores was willing to order it for me. I could have ordered it myself online but it would take just about as long plus I would have to pay for shipping.

Anyway, I haven't scrapbooked in over a year. I can't die until I have all my pictures in albums. Many (like these) are from OLD photo albums. They weren't being preserved properly so I set about re-doing the albums. I'm hoping that this will inspire me to get on with the task I've set for my self. I'd like to scrap a page and make a card daily. I don't thank that is too much to expect when I have nothing else to do with my time.

These are pages from my DD's album. She just celebrated her 45th birthday June 1 so you can see I've got a ways to go. Actually, I haven't scrapped photos in any order. It's been sort of a hit and miss selection for me. I scanned these layouts since they were not in the album yet. I don't like post bound albums since I don't scrap in chronological order. I need to take out layouts that might follow in order to insert the layout where it belongs. It's a real pain "you know where"!

Photos back in "the olden days" were definitely not the quality we have today. I have had to scan a lot of them and try to fix them. Unfortunately, I never really know what it is I'm supposed to fix. Auto fix doesn't work well for me so I just muddle through and hope for the best.

Now, let's see what I can do.

FRUSTRATED!!!

I've lost some of the digital stamps I downloaded. The file folders are empty. I had printed them out once to see how big/small they were. Now they are just gone! Gone! I have sent emails to Pink Petticoats and Two Scoops Rice to ask if they will send them again. I didn't lose all the files from Pink Petticoats which really seems weird. I also lost a set I really liked and, unfortunately, I don't know where I got them. Why just certain files?

Where's a Computer Geek when you need one? You always hear that it didn't go away completely. So where is "the black hole"? I don't back up the files on my computer. I've got Norton and it keeps reminding me. Even if I had a backup I wouldn't know how to retrieve them.

It has spoiled my entire day. I had trouble getting to sleep last night. Nothing out of the ordinary for me, but I didn't want to take an Ambien. I was thinking about a couple of the digital stamps that I wanted to play with today. Naturally, those are the ones that have mysteriously disappeared. I'm really bummed!

I've said it before, "If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all."

Second post today . . .

After I posted this morning, I decided I was going to use this stamp TODAY! If it hadn't been for a dear friend, I wouldn't have this stamp. She found it on the SALE table at a local stamp store. I never find anything when I look, so I just don't look. That's not true! I was picking up lots of Basic Grey dp on sale when she found this stamp. I had already discovered Emerson Quillin but had not ordered a stamp yet. It's so hard to decide on just one!

This stamp says it all, my friends! In the last two days I have closed out of Addicted to Stamps holding my debit card in my hand. They are having a BIG Memorial Day Sale. I ordered the Sizzix Big Shot on sale with free shipping from Amazon only to call the next morning to cancel my order.

Not doing to bad. . . . so far! Will I call JoAnn's tomorrow to cancel my order for a Cuttlebug? I got a great price along with FREE shipping. I also ordered an embossing file so that I can get embossed polka dots on my colored cardstock (note the white on this card, I bought the paper that way). I did read that you can use a rolling pin with the embossing files. How thrifty is that?

I hope my Cuttlebug will fit in my shopping cart along with all my stamps when I move to living on the streets.

Teddy Bear Wishes

I definitely need more colored pens. Softer colors! I ALMOST colored another image. Just couldn't bring myself to do it. This one took me long enough to color. I already knew what paper (more scraps) I was going to use, although you can't see much of the background. Might as well have used a solid color, but then I would have wanted to emboss it and that is another subject all together.

The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! "Lots of Thoughts". The bear is from Great Impressions. I bought both of them from the Webstore.com.. This is the first time I've used either stamp. I'm determined to use all the stamps I've bought because I HAD to have it (liar, probably could have lived without it) or it was cheap (nothing is cheap on a limited income). I need counseling!

When I decided I wanted to make cards as a means of using up the scraps I've accumulated from scrapbooking, I thought I needed to add stamping. I didn't think that thought through all the way (a long standing problem of mine). I have always learned the hard way because I usually just jump in without testing the water first. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sorry about anything I've jumped into (well, maybe just a little) after all, as my Mother used to say, "you've made your bed, now you've got to lie in it." Sure hope I remember that when I'm living on the streets with my shopping cart full of stamps.

Thank you, thank you very much!

Elvis has left the building so it's just me. I'm so excited to have completed these thank you cards. A very big thanks to Tami Mayberry for the free digital image. I'm just sorry I don't know how to link her Spriltcoast Stamp gallery here.

Keeping the original size of the downloaded image, I was able to copy four images on to one sheet of letter size cardstock. I scrounged through my scraps for four different colors of solid card stock. The simple lines of the image are enough I think.

Since I haven't gotten into a lot of embellishments on my
cards, I didn't have any trouble keeping it simple. I might have embossed the colored cardstock if I had a Big
Shot with an embossing file to use.

Actually, I ordered a Big Shot from Amazon last night. It was 40% of the suggested MSRP and included free shipping. I called to cancel the shipment this

morning. I DO NOT need another expensive toy. I've already got a Side Kick. Granted it doesn't do embossing, but I can buy cardstock already embossed for a lot less. If I was 20 years younger I would definitely have to have it.

Looks like I might be on a roll! I'll do laundry tomorrow, maybe. It's back to the table . . . . {{{hugs}}}

Wasted days and wasted nights!

Remember Freddie Fender? Strange little man, good music, if you like that sort of thing. I don't have a new card to post. I did print out a lot of my digi stamps yesterday. Pink Petticoat has some new images of their Lola Rosa. She's taking place of the Stamping Bellas I love. I like the digi stamps since they only take up space on the computer.

Liz (Pink Petticoat) colors her images with chalk. I'm not sure I know how she gets the chalk into the small spaces. I don't have a problem with the printer ink bleeding as long as it is good and dry, but I want to try using chalk. I have ordered some chalk pens (that was yesterday from JoAnn's with a 50% coupon) to try.

Speaking of the computer, I've got to get off this thing. I just stopped myself from spending more money. Sure I would have liked them, but I didn't need them. Addicted to Rubber Stamps is having a HUGE Memorial Day sale. I literally stopped before entering my debit card number. Sheesh!! That was a close one!

BEA FLUFFLES BIRTHDAY CARD

This is just the cutest cat. I'd love to have all the Fluffles stamps by Stampendous. My daughter's birthday is June 1. She loves cats, her favorite color is purple and her nickname is "Bee". I think I've got it all here. I, once again, had to color 3-4 to get it right. I have both Le Plumme and BIC Markit pens to use. The grey isn't as light as I would have liked, but my colors are limited. I need to find a store that sells Le Plumme individually.

I'm going to add some Glitter Glue to the flowers. I really like that stuff! Decided to cut the back off the brads I used instead of punching a hole. They don't lay flat enough otherwise. Thought I was rather clever with that idea!

Love the font "BitchCakes" downloaded from the Internet. The "I's" are dotted with a heart. The inside of the card says "A little bird reminded me you were a year older. . . so I ate it!" Perfect! If my daughter is getting older that means so am I.