Lindascozycraftcorner's photostream

Lindascozycraftcorner's photostream on Flickr.

Our yard is being transformed. After 7 years of living in hot, dry and sunny Arizona, we are getting a pool. We are in the midst of the process and having a lot of fun.

Only Ovals and Brads

This is just a quick post today as I need to do somethings and head over to my in-laws to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday today.  Happy Birthday Jeff!

This is not his card.  I don't think he would appreciate the sparkling blue brads I used and I can't see him appreciating the blond little girl holding flowers.  I did make this card with a friend in mind, and it answered the Created ByHand Challenge "Only Ovals and Brads" http://createdbyhandchallenge.wordpress.com/.

This coming week:  Pool update, Vegas style birthday card and a card for a Rutgers grad.  

Happy Belated Birthday and some muses

"Funny things about birthdays.  They come once year."  This year we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday.  My father-in-law's birthday was yesterday so I want to make sure I do a "shout out" to him also.  I had a lot of fun putting my mother-in-law's card together.  I told myself a long time ago not to buy paper unless I have a specific purpose because I was purchasing paper and not using it.  However, there is a store in my town Paper Vineyard that has the best selection of papers.  They carry paper from 7 Gypsies and Graphics 45 and that is just two of many.  Anyway, I purchased this paper knowing that at some point I would use it. 

My mother-in-law practically grew up at Coney Island.  On my Graphics 45 paper one of the cut outs had a picture of Coney Island so I used that as my inspiration for my mother-in-law's card. I wasn't sure at first how I was going to use this image but then I decided it would be fun to make a collage so I used the other cut outs from the same sheet.  Once I decided on the placement and attached them, I decided to try a coat of glazing over the collage.

I decided I wanted to add some fun dimensions.  I first added some bling from a package of stickers that I had from Stampin' Up to the card and then I went shopping for something, but I wasn't sure exactly what I would find.  I went to Hobby Lobby and found some really fun buttons.  There was a package of buttons that were sunglasses.  They are from Dress It Up buttons http://dressitup.com/.  I also found another package of shell buttons and I thought they would go perfectly with the card so I bought that package too. 

Finally, I added Distressed Stickles to frame my collage and I added Waterfall Stickles on top of the collage to give a sparkling water effect.

I decided to go antique with my father-in-law's card.  I first took paper that looked like newspaper ads (Stampin' Up) and stained the paper in distress ink, sprayed it with Color Wash Terra Cotta (Ranger Ink)  and  Perfect Pearls Mists heirloom gold.  I used several Tim Holtz® Idea-ology™ | Paperie alvage Stickers - Lost & Found.  In this pack there are license plates from most of the different states.  I chose to use 4 different plates from states that my father-in-law lived, and a July calendar and a theater ticket stub sticker.  I distressed the stickers with distress inks and heirloom gold Perfect Pearls Mists.  I punched out and distressed the label and simply used the stamp from Stampin' Up "Let's Celebrate!" stamp. 

So, Happy Belated Roberta and Leo!

Now with Emily off to Kindergarten, what is a mom suppose to do? That has been the number one question I have been asked this past year. I have many an unfinished project that needs to be done, and I am quite looking forward to completing these projects.

Yesterday  after I dropped off my children at school, I came home and put my breakfast together.  I have to say, it was very nice to be able to put my breakfast together and get to eat without 5 interruptions.  I decided to go back to eating fruit in the morning as I am on a quest to eat healthier and lose some (well I should be truthful - A LOT- of weight).

Then I set out to declutter our breakfast bar.  I guess I do miss the "mom" that has been frequently called out the past 11 years, because I decied to go check on Emily at lunch time.  Of course, I also had a reason for checking on her.  On Monday when I made sure the lunch boxes were all cleaned out, I realized that Emily never opened her drink.  I asked her why she didn't drink it, and she said that even though she raised her hand no one helped her.  I'm not sure if that is the case or not.  I am sure that the first day of school with Kindergartners can be pretty hectic so I decided I would make sure that she got some help with her drink and went to visit her at lunch.  Here she is and she got her drink opened by one of the lunch aids.  Hm, well maybe I guess I will go one more day just to make sure all is well with her drink today.  Am I being the over concerned parent?  Oh, I hope not.  Of course, perhaps, they would appreciate the extra set of hands.

Back to School

Yesterday was the first day of school.  My youngest started Kindergarten.  She is very excited about going to school with her brother and sister.  I had mixed emotions about dropping my youngest off.  We decided to try to curl her hair and that took a little longer than I originally thought so I guess it was a good thing.  I had just enough time to drop her off in her class room and take one picture before it was time for the parents to go and school to begin.  I am very excited about having my youngest going to school.  It was strange going back home without bringing a preschooler back with me.  My girlfriend and I decided to celebrate the first day by going to lunch and taking in a movie.  

Alicia is already for school to begin and excited to start a new year.  She likes her teacher a lot and told me that she likes to tell a lot of jokes.  Her older brother was a little jealous that she didn't have any homework.  He being the oldest already got a list of spelling words, some math work and a reading assignment.  Because I wanted the house quiet so he could read, I asked Alicia to read too while he was doing his homework. 

I try to tell Daniel that he is so handsome when he smiles, but he thinks I am just being ridiculous mom and prefers to just look at the camera.  He actually had a good day and I am so grateful as this is  his last year at elementary school, and I am hoping he will make the most of it.

Preview to tomorrow's post.

Ruby

Yesterday I had a couple of little girls over to play with my girls.  They decided to dress up my cat.  I cannot believe they got the dress on her, necklace, and hair bow in without Ruby scratching them.  I would like to think Ruby was a good sport about it, but by the look she is giving me here, I think she is less than amused by the girls playing dress up with her.  The dress was a little tight on her.  I think she and mommy need to go on a diet.  She was very happy when I took the dress off of her. 

Although, this morning I started working on my mother-in-laws birthday card, I wasn't able to complete it, and I usually wait to post the picture once I know the person has received the card.  I also realized I have a couple of friends birthdays this weekend and my father-in-law's birthday is coming up not to mention my brother-in-law's birthday is next week.  I can't way to work on my brother-in-law's card, I founded the coolest buttons at Hobby Lobby today for his card.  I am not sure how I am going to put buttons on the card but I just know I have to use them.

Yesterday I took my youngest to meet her teacher.  She already knows her teacher since her older sister had the same kindergarten teacher but she still needed to go and learn where everything is and meet her classmates.   I am really excited because there is a little girl from our church that is going to be in her class this year and a student from her ballet class last year. 

Tonight I will take my daughter, Alicia, to meet her teacher.  She already knows the teacher but this will give her a chance to meet the other students and see her room and where she is sitting.  I am hoping my husband and son make it in time to meet his teacher.  And then it is just about the end of our summer vacation.  Tomorrow we are meeting friends at Hamilton Pool and then before I know it, the weekend will be here and it will move along to Monday and it will be the First Day of School (look for annual "back to school pictures").

Glazed Tag

As I mentioned yesterday, my son is at a technical camp this week.  Yesterday he took apart a microwave and learned how to make a video game.  While he was busy doing that, I took the girls swimming.  When we came back the three of us all took some time to play with our own toys.  Mine was my stamps, markers, and paint. 

I decided to work with a stamp that I have not used yet and decided to use my stamp from Our Daily Bread.  It is a very pretty tag with my favorite flower designed on the stamp.  I first used Stormy Sky Distressed Ink to stain the paper.  I used various markers from Stampin' Up.  I also colored in the leaves with Crushed Olive Distressed Ink.  After I finished coloring the image, I took a drop of blue acrylic paint and glaze medium and took a paint brush and went over the image to give it a glossy look.  When it was dry, I took one of my new stickle bottles, Glam Pink and added that to the flower.

I hope you enjoy!

Nantucket Flower

A Craft and Summer Thoughts

I wanted to try something new.  So one morning a few weeks ago, I spent using my Cuddlbug and punchers and cut and cut and cut and then I assembled.  I used several of the flowers to make cards which I posted a couple of weeks ago.  I also wanted to try and make a paper bouquet of flowers.  I added navy beans.  I think the red beans go well my flowers. 

This is the last week of summer vacation.  My son is going to a technical camp this week.  They are going to learn to make a video game.  It is so amazing to me what we can teach children today.  He was looking forward to giving up his free time for this camp and is very excited about it.  We weren't sure exactly what he would be learning this week but new it had to do with electronics and that's all my son needed to hear to want to go.

His sisters and I will be finishing out our week swimming and heading to our last summer movie this Thursday.  And then next week will begin a very new chapter in my life or perhaps a new book.  After 11 years of having a hand to hold at the store and shopping with one eye looking for the item and the other eye on a child, I will find myself having both eyes to use to concentrate.  After 11 years of trying to clean out one room only to find another room turned into major chaos, I will be able to organize a room and find the rest of the house the way I left it (unless the dog and cat get into mischief). 

 

This year after 7 years of living in the desert, my husband and I have decided to add a pool to our back yard.  Above are the images that our designer printed out for us.  Ground hasn't been broken yet, but I will be posting pictures of our evolving back yard.  It should be interesting to be doing this in the middle of monsoon season and with temperatures going above 100 degrees.  I'm not sure how Dallas (our dog) or Ruby (our cat) is going to handle this transformation, but the rest of us are excited.

Created by Hand Challenge - two colors

This certainly was a challenge.  I didn't think it would be so bad but on my first try where I used a green and red stamp image on white background I realized that that was actually three colors.  And then I decided to stain a tag with Tattered Rose Distressed Ink.  I stamped the background image in Worn Lipstick Distressed Ink.  I also painted a little in Distressed Crackle Paint - Tattered Rose and covered the tag in Tattered Rose Distressed Stickles.

I stamped the fancy oval (Our Daily Bread Designs) and the bird (Stampin' Up) and the verse "All God's glory and beauty come from within and there He delights to dwell."  Thomas a Kempis (Our Daily Bread Designs) all in Worn Lipstick.  I dyed a satin ribbon in Warn Lipstick and also covered the ribbon in Tattered Rose Distressed Stickles.

I also used a bird punch (Stampin' Up) and dyed the bird in Worn Lipstick and covered it in the same shade of Distressed Stickles.  The feather was stained in Tattered Rose but covered in Warn Lipstick Distressed Ink.  I stained the stem in Tattered Rose and covered the stem in Tattered Rose Distressed Stickles.  

America The Beautiful

The Created By Hand challenge http://quietfire.ning.com/group/createdbyhandchallenge/forum/topics/fireworksmetallics-1 this week is fireworks/metallics which gave me the perfect excuse to pull out my alcohol inks which I haven't used in a while.  I also used some glossy paper which I haven't used in a very long time.  Glossy paper, alcohol inks, and metallic inks is an excellent combination for a shimmery background.  I didn't have any fireworks stamps or pictures so I used some of my Tim Holtz idea-ology Salvage Stickers - Seasonal collection.  I first used pool colored alcohol ink with Silver metallic ink (Ranger Inks) with my applicator and dabbed it all over my glossy paper.  I then added my stickers.  I first went over with Barn Door red and used perfect pearls blue sapphire.  I then painted liquid white pearls over the entire image.  I finished it off with True Blue Stickles and Icicle Stickles (Ranger Ink).

Nautical Summer Cards

I saw this great paper at Michael's called The Nantucket Stack.  Normally, I buy most of my paper through my friend who is a Stampin' Up consultant but this was very different and had the red, white, and blue that I usually dont' do much with so I though I would try it out.  I also had gotten this flower die cut collection (on clearance) for my Cuddlebug so I had fun putting the paper through my Cuddlebug.