PAPERLICIOUS

Dear Paperlicious: Mr. DP in the Dog House

Mike is a pretty quiet guy.  But his sister, Maggie, is a talker.  She's also one of my favorite people. I thought about her when I made this card, as both Mike and Maggie have bright red hair (well, Mike used to...).  So here's a card just for Maggie.

I noticed after I uploaded the card that the "yada" looks a tad crooked.  My son said to say I was trying to be avante garde.  So, consider this an artistic statement....  The image is from Elzybells and the "Yada" is from SU's Jumbo Outline Alphabet.  Paper, ribbon, and markers from Stampin Up. 

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And now, another transcript from my life with Mr. DP.

Thursday

Phone Rings

DP:  Hello
Mr. DP:  Hi, it's Mike. I'm at Metro Center [subway stop].  I left work early. I'm meeting a guy to return some CDs I borrowed.

DP:  You never leave work early. Where are you really?
Mr.  DP:  Come on, I'm at Metro Center.

DP:  You are telling me that you are meeting "some guy".  You didn't tell me you borrowed any CDs.  Where are you really?
Mr. DP:  I got to go. I'll be home in an hour.

DP to Mom:  That was Mike.  He's getting me a present.  Maybe flowers.
Mom:  Oh, that's nice.

An Hour Later ....

Mr. DP:  Hi, I'm home.
DP:  (jumping a bit)... Hi!!! 

Mr. DP:  When's dinner?
DP:  15 minutes. 

Pause
Where's my present?  You know that I know that you didn't meet "some guy" at Metro Center.  You must have bought me a little something.  You NEVER leave work early.

Mr. DP:  There's no present.  I met a guy to return some CDs.  That's it.
DP:  That's it?  There's really no present?

Mr. DP:  No
DP: This is a joke, right?

Mr. DP:  You are putting this on the blog, right?
DP:  Don't try distracting me with blog talk.

Mr. DP:  Well just tell everyone that I know I'm in the dog house.

Barking heard in the distance.

Holiday Cheer

This card was very much inspired by Sue Nelson. If you are not familiar with Sue's work, please check out her website Heart Prints.  Look around, as Sue has a LOT of templates and interesting projects and amazing talent.  Plus, she is a very nice person!

I had to give this little skater blue skates because I had blue skates as a child!  I love this card, and look at me -- it's July and I have quite a few Christmas cards done.  I'm a happy stamper.

Supplies: Papertrey Ink Stampers Select White cardstock; Elzybells Ice Skater Stamp; Cuttlebug Tags Die and Snowflake Embossing Folder; Nestabilities Large and Petite Oval Dies; Memories Black Ink; Stampin Up Markers, Gingham Ribbon, eyelet, Linen Thread, ink dauber and Grey ink; Scor-Pal; Amuse Arts Twinkle Dot; sentiment from Papertrey Ink Holiday Treats.  

If you would like to read more about my life, keep reading.  Otherwise, enjoy your day!

The weekend trip to Lititz, Pa, in the Amish country was a 100% smash success.  I almost cancelled the night before, but Mike encouraged me to go.  Whew baby, I could feel the world left behind as we cruised up to Pennsylvania.  My girlfriend is full of adventure, so we stopped several times along the way, ending up mid Saturday for lunch at the Cafe Chocolate in Lititz.  And I didn't even get chocolate! 

Lititz is full of little antique and what not shops, where you end up spending money on stuff that you would never buy at home.  Example:  Apple Butter Barbeque Sauce!  Well, that's what we'll be having on our chicken tonight. 

At one point, standing outside a little fabric shop, I was overwhelmed by sadness.  This was exactly the kind of little town my Mom and I used to visit when I was single.  We'd shop and eat and laugh and really enjoy good times.  Those were the best of our years together and suddenly I felt such grief for what used to be and is never going to return.  You just want to turn the clock back.  But, then there would be no Mike and no Andy so that clock will keep on ticking....

I got through it, and kept on having fun!!  We met up with 2 other women and the 4 of us ate dinner at an Amish family's home.  I am dying to describe the entire event, but out of respect for the privacy of that family, let's just say that I left with a new appreciation for the Amish lifestyle (except for the no air conditioning part!).

By the time I got back on Sunday night, I had only been gone for about 36 hours, but it was as if I'd been gone a week.  A huge thanks to my marvelous husband, without whom I would have no joy in life, and without whom I could not have had my little escape.  I love you Mikey!!

Connections Times Two

I love "thinking of you" cards.  They are perfect for keeping life's connections going.

This one features little Miss Elzybell chatting on the phone surrounded by some Wild Wasabi Prints Pack Designer Series Paper by Stampin Up!  What a mouthful for a set of 6x6 papers!  The ribbon is a perfect match IRL.  These papers are free with a $150 hostess order through Stampin Up.  Contact your demo!

After I made this card and photographed it, I realized that the sentiment and ribbon were fighting for attention with my Elzybell focal point.  Do I sound like an artiste or what??  (Actually, I took Julie Ebersole's Simply Great Card Design class at My Creative Classroom.)  So I restamped the main image and punched it out and placed it over the original one.  Then I added a little fake stitching around the image but still wasn't satisfied.  So I thought about the meaning of the card -- connections -- (again a Julie inspired thought) and extended the telephone cord to the sentiment.  And, here -- below -- is the second version.  You can also see what a difference it makes to photograph in the day time rather than at night. 

So, which do you prefer? 

By the way, if you are interested, Julie is running her online class a second time.  I did not have time to participate in the forum and gallery sharing, which was a shame because the little I caught looked like a lot of fun, but I highly recommend the class nevertheless.

I hope you are making time to relax and connect!

Happy Day

This card uses a base cardstock from Memory Box, stamps from Elzybells, and coloring by me!  (Using Copic and SU markers...).  Oh, and the dots (think snow) are from Stampin Up's Itty Bitty Backgrounds -- one of the many stamps I haven't used in a long time.      

I love the Elzybells' line of stamps.  I haven't seen anything else on the market to compete with the utter cuteness of these gals! 

Hope all of you are having a happy day.

Bethlehem

My last Christmas card for 2007!  If I had any brains I'd start on 2008 since all my Christmas stamps are still inky, but I'm officially tired of Christmas stamping. 

This card is a little Arturo note card in Butter, stamped with an Elzybells image and sentiment, and watercolored with Stampin Up watercolor crayons.  There is just a wee bit o' bling on this one -- a little yellow Amuse twinkle for the star. 

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My in laws should arrive in less than 3 hours.  My niece is going to be sleeping in my craft room.  Remember the pics of my craft room a week ago or so?  It's worse now!!  No time to clean -- just move the stuff out of the way!

   

Dreaming

I made 12 of these in one marathon of cutting, scoring, stamping, chalking.  Tried doing the Wizard/Nestabilities/Embossing thing with it but I ruined one card and went with the plain version. 

Yes, I know it would be cuter with some bling.  NO time for bling!   Bling is for DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS and folks who can wait in line at the post office. 

Do I sound stressed??????????

Elzybells stamps.  Stampin Up chalks.  It ain't no Belle Papier, but I think it's cute, and really isn't that all that matters???   [No, but that's next year's resolution -- again.]

Oh, the contest for December 26th?  Still on.  Really good prize.  Seriously.  As in if you don't like it, you can sell it on ebay and get real money for it prize...

Elzybells -- A Little Note

I love this line of stamps.  Somewhere, somehow, I have a vague memory of buying several of them -- one of my middle of the night amnesia purchases!  They came lightning fast (direct from Amuse Arts) and then sat around while I admired them.

The card base is from Memory Box and I colored in the girl with prismacolor pencils.  The lavender brad is from CTMH. 

By the way, do you get Papercrafts Magazine?  Mine came in the mail yesterday.  Wow! I "know" some of the stampers in there -- Julia Stainton and Debbie Olson and Lauren Meader's cards pop to mind.  I love this magazine.  The internet is full of an amazing array of ideas, but you can't look at it sitting in a waiting room, KWIM??