Gardening Hanglar

Hi all -- this will be quick, as I have been feeling like CRAP all week. It's been quite rainy & chilly here & it's doing a number on my sinuses. Thankfully I have the day off tomorrow & it's supposed to be 60 degrees & SUNNY!!! That should cure me :)



I'd been trying to get to this card all week, knowing I wanted to enter a couple of challenges. But I just couldn't get to it until tonight. This lovely Hanglar was sent to me by a friend -- in fact ALL my Hanglars were sent to me by friends, lol. I still haven't bought any from their site -- I'm so excited to be able to, but my checkbook is screaming "Nooooooooo".....

I colored her with Prismas & cut her out --- she's a bit crooked, maybe a bit too much time in the sun planting her goodies, lol. The papers are K&Company Julianne -- sentiment is from Michael's, one of their fabulous dollar stamps -- now THOSE my checkbook don't mind, lol.




This is for 2 challenge blogs ---

Just Magnolia -- a FAB sketch (ok after I posted this I realized I completely missed the boat -- but it's still a great sketch!!!! Maybe I'll be on time for the next one LOL)

Hanglar Only -- Use your favorite stamp. Well, um, ok.....they are ALL favorites!!


Off to pick up my son from his friend's house, then we'll be hunkering down to watch American Idol. I voted for James as many times as they would let me last night ---- he is amazing! He has not had one bad week & every song he performs, I am there on YouTube the next day watching it 10 more times! Love him!!

Thanks for visiting!! Big hugs & good thoughts to all those in the south & midwest affected by the tornadoes --- it may be raining here but I'm thankful it's a CALM rain!

My Easter so far..........

Happy Easter to all of my friends!!!!!!!

Just wanted to share a few pictures of my Easter Sunday thus far.....lots of photos .....I won't be hurt if you don't look at them all :)

Here are the gorgeous eggs my boys dyed -- we used vinegar this time & they sure turned out BRIGHT!!

My boys brought me some flowers yesterday. My MIL took them & my husband out to lunch. I couldn't go because I had so much to do. They must have felt sorry for me because they brought me these, & a cupcake. I would have taken a picture of the cupcake but....well I hadn't eaten lunch ....gone in a flash LOL

So I was trying to get a good shot of my flowers this morning......when my furry floral designer decided I was doing it wrong & offered to help...

My munchkins with their Easter baskets.....

We found this incredibly funny .....ok well I was actually the one to point it out so I guess I'm the sickest of the bunch....that's what happens when you live with all boys...

The Peep is pooping a jelly bean!! Bahahhahaaaaa.....

Elwood is wondering where HIS Easter basket is......guess he'll have to share Matthew's....

My husband decided to buy them some *authentic* (he made sure the boys knew that part) Brewers jerseys. Michael got Prince Fielder....

And Matthew got Casey McGehee. I actually got one too ....Ryan Braun....good thing he just signed that huge contract & will be around awhile :)

So today we are off to my mom's. Easter isn't the quite the same for us as other people. We do not do church. We don't do Lent or Passover or all that other stuff. For us, Easter means a lot of chocolate, jelly beans & ham!! I made the desserts, which I will try to get a picture of today. I've never made either dessert before so I'm taking a chance! Maybe I should stop at the bakery on the way, just in case.....

I hope you all have a splendid Easter, whatever you do today!! And I hope the Easter Bunny brought you lots & lots of goodies that are bad for you!!

Blast from the past

I was staring at my stamps sitting on my shelf the other day & noticed a case marked "Fluffles". Wow ---now there's a cutie who hadn't seen daylight in a while!




I love all the Fluffles stamps --- have they come out with any new ones in the last couple of years?? I love this one with all the itty bitty ladybugs. The layout ended up being quite simple --every time I tried adding something more it didn't look right so I left it. Fluffles doesn't need "stuff" -- he's a cool cat all on his own!

The image is colored with pencils & Goo Gone -- papers are Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety, both layers embossed using Cuttlebug folders (Swiss Dots & Swirls -- 2 folders I used to use all the time but neither of which have seen daylight in a while either!!). A few flowers ..... a few pearls .... a bit of lace ....




I colored the background a bit using Distress Inks .....something you all know I do not do too often OR too well (which is why I don't do it too often, lol)




I used Glossy Accents on the ladybugs. I don't know if ladybugs are really glossy, but it seems I have to gloss them every time I see them!



I added just a wee bit of bling to the flowers...and OH what's that peeking out from the inside? It looks like matching paper! Yes, I managed to finish the inside AT THE SAME TIME I did the front!





Here's something else I don't use often -- my cute little personalized stamp on the back. THAT'S because I dropped my inked up sponge on it. Happens every time I sponge edges --I drop my sponge usually on my already-colored image. I've become very creative in covering up errors. It happened on the back of the card this time & boy was I cursing -- until I remembered my whole collection of "handmade by" stamps. AND it has a ladybug on it!! Actually come to think of it, I also have a Fluffles "handmade by" stamp -- that would have made more sense!!

I hope you have a terrific weekend & a very fruitful Easter. We are going to my mom's ---it's all about the food for us!! Actually, ALL holidays are all about food for us! I am making dessert as I usually do (I *love* to bake! Cooking, not so much). And since I couldn't choose, I am making more than one. If they turn out well (I've never made either recipe before) I will share some photos & recipes :)

A spring card......& HAIL!

And I'm not talking about the Hail Mary kind of hail!! I'm talking about the "spring" in Wisconsin kind of hail!!

So I set out to make a spring card ....our lovely weather inspired me. I had a few Tildas lying around that hadn't seen ink yet & this one was perfect....



This is Tilda as Butterfly from the Chasing Butterflies Collection. This was my second attempt, my first is in the circular file. That one was colored with Copics, but they were not agreeing with me. So ....this one is colored with Prismas. Lots of glitter added to the wings & the flowers. The papers are Basic Grey Kioshi. Purple is not a color I use often, but I've been seeing some *gorgeous* cards lately using it & thought what the heck.....I hadn't used any papers from this pack so I broke it open!




I used Glamour Dust on her wings --- I like this better than Stickles for a "thin" layer of bling. And since I worked so hard coloring her wings, I wanted them to show :)






I am entering this into the following challenges:

7 Kids College Fund -- Easter & Spring Challenge #19

The Beary Scrap -- Wings & Feathers

Simon Says Stamp -- Card for a Child

All That Scraps -- Magnolia challenge



So on to the hail --- it was raining pretty much all day today. Typical April day in Wisconsin. Being the very thoughtful mom that I am, I drove to pick up my kids from the bus stop. You know, since it was raining. I was reading the paper, when I heard something that sounded like cracking. I thought "what the heck, did my window just break?". I looked up & it was hailing! I felt very unsafe in my car, lol



This is what our deck looked like when we got home. See that nice sheet of ice along with the hail? Makes for TERRIFIC driving conditions! Especially during rush hour.





My poor tulips. It happens every year. Every year I think they get a bit tougher. Pretty soon they'll start blooming in January, lol.

Thanks so much for visiting. Gotta go catch the last part of Dancing With the Stars! I know, I'm a sucker for those educational shows :)

April showers.....er.....SNOW!

This is what I woke up to this morning, this 18th day of April........







Thankfully right now, it looks like this......




Spring in Wisconsin....

Could be worse ....it could be May 10th & it could be BLIZZARDING. That's what happened back in 1990......I thought it was a joke, but trees were down, power was out....AND IT WAS MAY!!!! Crazy Mother Nature!

Old Buzzard

I knew I'd eventually be back to creating. The first one after a "break" is always a tough one but I did it. And I did use an older High Hopes stamp. It was hard to choose, but I kind of have a soft spot for this buzzard :)



This is Birthday Buzzard, the cutest buzzard around. The sentiment is also from High Hopes, it probably should have gone on the inside but I needed to fill that spot, lol. The image is colored in pencils --- I splurged & bought a few new ones from Dick Blick. I've always used Prismacolor but wanted to try some others, so I bought a few Caran D'Ache, Derwent Colorsoft, Faber Castell Polychromos, & Dick Blick's own brand. Not sure which I like best --may have to buy a few more to be sure :)

Anyway, the papers are K&Co Wild Raspberry & I used the layout from this week's Sketch Saturday blog. I added some Stickles here & there & used Liquid Glaze on the balloons.




Hopefully you can see the blinged up flowers & the shiny balloons :)





Thanks so much for stopping by & having faith that I would someday post a card again!

Easter blasts from the past

Hello & happy weekend, my faithful readers!!

Thank you so much for sticking with me during this "down" time --- for sending me messages of encouragement --& for being there with a virtual shoulder for me to cry on. It has been a tough 2 weeks. I am finally to the point that I am not crying every minute --- -but I am still very sad & feel like I will never get over losing Jake. But hearing your stories of pet loss has helped me immensely. I know I said I would never get another, but it's kind of up to Elwood. He's eating ok, but he keeps sniffing the places Jake used to hang out -- then he kind of looks around. It breaks my heart. When he starts walking around crying, that might be the time to consider a friend for him. But who knows --at 15 he may just enjoy being an "only child" with all the hugs & kisses just for him.

Anyway, I have not been feeling very creative at all. It took me quite a while to even come down to my craft table, because right here is where Jake spent his final weeks, curled up in his bed. Now I am here, but my mind is blank. I'm trying to get some cards listed on Etsy --but it's a struggle to even finish the insides. Sure wish I would just do that when I do the card, lol....but usually by that time I'm sick of looking at the papers so I just move on to the next card.

Since I didn't want another card-less post, I thought I would share a couple of Easter cards I made last year. Doesn't look like I'll get any done for this year!

This first one was a custom order on Etsy. Generally I don't do custom orders. But she was a regular customer so I obliged. Well guess what --she didn't like it!! I changed it a couple of times, hoping to make it just how she wanted it, but after my last message to her with the 3rd change, I never heard from her again. THAT IS WHY I HATE CUSTOM ORDERS!!!!!



By the time she decided she didn't like it & ignored my messages attempting to fix it so she WOULD like it, it was too late. So it sat here on my table for a year & I just listed it again a few weeks ago. Well one of my lovely regulars bought it (thank you Shannon!!!) so now it has a new home, thank goodness!! I was a wee sick of looking at it, lol

I do, however, have another Easter card using the same image in my Etsy shop right now. Click HERE to get to the listing.




Can you tell this High Hopes bunny is one of my favorites? In fact, in trying to get back into the creative groove, I have been going through all my High Hopes rubber. I was on the dt for a couple of years, so I have just about every Crissy stamp made!! I know, I'm very lucky! I love the new High Hopes stamps, but I will always treasure these older ones. They always put a smile on my face. So probably the next card I make ....if I can get to that point..... will be a fun HH card!!

Now to get on with the weekend! Not sure what the plan is, I'm so behind on *everything*. Laundry & cleaning ---bleah ---- catching up on the farm (did you know there's an English farm now too??? 2 FARMS!! Yeesh!) --- & just hanging out with my kids. Hope you have a fabulous weekend, & thanks again for hanging around!