SMT Spring Has Sprung

It's the tale end of the week for SMT(you know Sassy Cheryls personal challenge to show your work space for a chance to win a free image), but I'm bound and determined, I'm going to show you my world for this week. When I say Spring is Sprung, I mean just that. It's not even April 1st and the pecan trees are budding out and leafing. These are the latest trees around here to bloom and leaf, so when they start you can pretty much say Spring is over. You'll notice in the background in this shot the oak trees that are fully leafed out. My walking buddy and I were talking this morning, how spring this year has been like time lapse photography with the overnight budding and leafing.

Across the road from the pecan tree is an open area and the red clover is in full bloom. It's just so much prettier than the white clover, although my DH assures me that the deer prefer the white to the red.  What do they know?

This picture is just at the edge of the road and in the entrance to a neighbor's drive. The irises are peak today, and I didn't want to miss this shot. The knots sticking up in the ditch are cypress knees. Just seeing these bright yellow blooms raises the spirits, not to mention the mid-80 degree temps and the sunny skies.

I've also been working on wedding invitations for my neighbor's son and his bride to be. Here's a pic of my table top when I left last night. I have all of the vellum overlays on the backs.

Here's a final shot of the finished invitations. So for that stack you're looking at in the previous picture, I need to fold down the back flap over the vellum and weave the ribbon. I also need to get the return addresses on the envelopes.

Camp Taz starts today, so next week's SMT will be all about  camp.  I don't think there's going to be much crafting going  on.

It may be too late for you to get an entry in this week for SMT over on Sassy Cheryl's Blog, but a new one starts tomorrow. How can you pass up the chance at a free Sassy Cheryl image?

Think Spring

The challenge this week on the Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog is to Think Spring. Well for the last two weeks, all thoughts of  Spring have centered around Spring Cleaning my house, which meant cleaning windows, along with cleaning baseboards, moving furniture and vacuuming around it. I don't much care for the usual housecleaning chores, and the only thing I like about Spring Cleaning is having it done. Unfortunately the spiders will have the windows covered in webs in no time.

This cutie is from the Sassy Cheryls Store is called Sassy Sally Takes A Bath. Isn't she adorable? As far as I'm concerned, taking a bath is my idea of Spring Cleaning. She's colored with Copics.

The sketch is the sketch for this week on Mojo Monday. It's too late for me to enter, but the sketch worked for me. The papers are more papers from the digital kit called Spring Has Sprung from Funky Hand. It went on sale today, but there's a blog hop currently in progress, ending tomorrow night. If you go participate and make a comment on all the DT blogs, you have a chance to win the kit. If you want to participate, you need to start HERE.

I appreciate you stopping by and appreciate all comments.

Best Friends Forever

That's the challenge on the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog. Although there's a brand new digi of Wryn with her best friend forever, I had to pull my Tiddly Inks Rubber Image from Stamping Bella called Best Friends Forever. It's the first image that came to mind when I heard Best Friends Forever. Check out Wryn's sister Flynn, now being offered in rubber from Stamping Bella and all the other wonderful Tiddy Ink rubber stamps.

The papers are from a download just released today at Funky Hand called Spring Has Sprung. Isn't it wonderful? There's actually a blog hop that is going on and if you start HERE, and leave a comment on each of the DT blogs, you have a chance to actually win the kit. I didn't have the patience to wait.LOL

The sketch is this week's sketch over on Tuesday Morning Sketches.

The Wearing of the Green

Well, it's only two days since St. Patty's Day, so I don't guess I'm doing too badly with getting my Wearin' of the Green card made for the Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog. The worse issue is that I'm down to the wire with getting it made and posted.

This delightful image is hot off the presses over at the Sassy Cheryls Digi Store. She's called Sally Loves Birds. I'm thinking the perfect sentiment will be Sending your Bluebirds of Happiness, but I just didn't quite have time to get the sentiment made. I've colored her with Copics.

I'd love to tell you what digital kit the papers came from, but at the moment it's slipped my mind. If I search to find it on my computer, by the time I do, it will be too late to enter the challenge. I'm going searching, and I'll come back and add it if I find it.

The limb,  leaves and bird are all dies from Memory Box. Aren't they wonderful?

Off to enter the challenge and then I'm going to go lay down. I have a headache and my car not running right didn't help it any. I need some quiet time, and I'm off to find it.

Thanks for stopping by.

SMT #67

Well, look at me. Here it is only Sunday, and I'm posting my SMT. I hope you were all sitting down when you saw my post.

Last week I was in the midst of Spring Cleaning and I still am. However,  I had to stop and get the tax stuff sorted out and on a spreadsheet for our accountant who also happens to be my cousin's DH. Since, he's been up to his eyeballs in Corporate taxes, I didn't have to have it done before  March the 15th, but that was last Thursday. I had everything sorted by categories, but I always put it on a spreadsheet to make it easier for him, since he does this for us and won't let us pay him. So here's the bag I'll be dropping off at his office in the morning. See all those envelopes?

Now the really impressive thing is that I actually got on a roll today. I actually cleaned out old files from the filing cabinet and then got all the filing done(I had to go look for some stuff in the filing stack for the taxes). So here's my empty in basket for filing. Talk about making me feel good. Now if I would just file as I pay bills, but I won't be holding my breath on that one, and I don't always pay the bills. Sometimes DH does, and I can assure you, he's not going to be filing anything. I'm lucky if he puts it in the basket.

So that's what I've been up to. Now I guess I'll be getting back to the Spring Cleaning. I've got 3 rooms to do windows in, but  only two rooms that I'm going to clean. The third room is going to be tackled after my camp, and I'm going to strip the wallpaper in there and paint it at which time I'll give it a good cleaning.

Don't forget to get in the running for a free image from Sassy Cheryl. All you have to do is post a picture of what you've got going on in your life this week at Sassy Cheryls Blog.

Monochromatic Green

Up front just let me say that there are way too many shades of green, and they don't all look good together. The challenge this week at the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog was to create a project using monochromatic green. I am sure it was in honor of St. Patty's day, but by the time I got this finished, it was too late to be thinking of sending it as a St. Patrick's day card. I had a really hard time finding greens that I thought didn't just fight each other, but here's my creation.

The image part was of course the easy part, as I could see this little Miss called Patience colored in greens. She's one of Phindy's Summer Cuties collections and one of my favorites. I've seen this pose so many times with children.

The papers are some I found in my cabinet, so can't tell you where they came from. The sentiment is one of Pauline's at Create with TLC. The Sketch is this week's Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm so excited that I have finally made a card. This is the first one in a week, as I've been Spring Cleaning. Still have more to do, along with getting the tax stuff together, but sometimes a girl just has to have a break from the mundane.

Show Me Thursday #66

WOOHOOO!!!! I won the SMT last week as no. 13.  A free Sassy Cheryl image for just showing what you have going on in your life HERE, how could you not enter.

Well, it's almost too late to post a SMT for this week, so I'm rushing to get it in under the wire. It's all Cheryl's fault. She got to talking about Spring Cleaning(something I detest doing), and last Friday was my day to be housekeeper. I decided that since I was going to be cleaning anyway I might as well do the baseboards, and dust the blinds. Well one thing led to another, and so for the past 5 days I've been Spring Cleaning, and I'm still not through.

This is a picture of me working on the window of the breakfast room. DH didn't get a full body shot, so you could see my rubber boots. I have entirely too many windows in my house, and I no sooner get them cleaned than the spiders are back weaving their webs(probably why I hate Spring Cleaning so much). It also doesn't help that you end up cleaning two windows for every one because of the storm windows. One thing I do know, if I should ever have to build another house, every window in my house would be a solid piece of glass with no cross patterned panes. I could go a whole lot faster if it weren't for those dividers. I still have the den and two bedrooms to do, but I'm way more than halfway.

 I'm taking a break from the cleaning today and heading to Tazmania to have a little fun. I'm in crafting withdrawal, and it's not making me happy.

Stressed or Distressed?

Well here I am again with another Distressed card for the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog. I wasn't sure I was going to make it, but when I got to TM this afternoon, I couldn't resist. I have to say this one was easier than the first. After all who doesn't enjoy tearing paper and not worrying about whether you've cut it straight or not.

This adorable image from the Phindy's Place Store is called Love Cycle. I've colored her with copics.

The papers are a from a free kit from Summer Driggs Summer Time Designs called the Happy Mother's Day Kit. The tag that the image is mounted on is a part of the kit.  The ragged lace rose was from a some roses that were given to my by a friend. I free hand cut the leaves, crumpled them to make the look distressed.

The sentiment is from Create with TLC. I'm not sure it's still there or not, but there are new ones every day.

Let's Have Some Fun With Fabric

The challenge over on the Tiddly Inks Challenge Blog is to use some fabric in your creation. I have lots of fabric, but most of it is Batiste(like tissue paper) or gingham, and I wasn't feeling it. I thought I could pick up a fat quarter of small print fabrics at my Walmart, but it seems that only the one in the next town has those. I came back home and did some more searching in my fabric cabinet. I had a bag of mostly Christmas prints that I had already applied interfacing to. It was leftover from a Christmas skirt I'd made with appliqued presents using the fabric, and I saved it to use on a little girl's Christmas jumper one day. In the bag I found a piece of red and white striped fabric and a small piece of blue with white stars. The perfect prints for making a Operation Write Home Any Hero Card.

The image I used is one of the first Tiddly Inks digi girl images. Her name is Annie, and this image is called Annie's Card. I took the liberty of adding the My Hero to the title of the front of her card. I've colored her with Copics. Check out the newest character Wryn at the Tiddly Inks Store.

I've had the card made for several days, and I decided  to today was the day to get it blogged. I'll be writing a note to a serviceman and including it in my next box of cards I'm sending to OWH. These gals and guys are MY HEROES.

Time for a Little Show Me Thursday

of whatever day I get around to showing you. Last week, I waited too long. For some reason the Inlinks site shut the entry time down early. Shame on it, but I learned my lesson. I'm going to get it done today. Why you ask. Hey, if all I have to do is show you what's going on in my life for a chance for at a free Sassy Cheryl image and post it on her Sassy Cheryl Blog, I ask you WHY NOT?

At any rate over the weekend, I finally got out to TM for some card making. I'm seriously behind on my OWH cards, so first off, I took two card bases that I already had made up and added sentiments to them and they're good to go.

Now DH's truck is in the shop and we're down to one vehicle for a few days. I came home from yoga to find he's decided all the leaves have fallen off the trees, and it's time to rake(just in time as the oak trees are already leafing out). As you can see from this first picture, we have quite a few leaves. DH has raked them away from the house and the trees and in one long pile.

Now for the redneck way of raking leaves. Hook up the blade to the tractor and drag them off into the woods. It works great, but only if you live in a forest where grass won't grow, otherwise, you'd be taking the grass with the leaves. He still has the front yard to do, and it's far worse than the back.

That's it for me this week. Check back next week for more fun and excitement at the Swoope Homestead.

Stressing Over Distressing

I don't know what it is about the word distressing that stress me, but it does. Perhaps, because, I'm feeling myself distressing as the years are passing, and the body won't do what it used to do. I do know that some of the most gorgeous cards I've ever seen created were distressed. So what does all this talk of aging have to do with card making? This week's challenge on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog is to use distressing on your creation. So here's my first and hopefully not my last card for the challenge.

This beautiful is called Flower Top Fairy. She's just one of several fairies that can be found in the Phindy Place Store. I've colored her with Copics.

The background paper was some I printed, and because I printed it I was able to sand it to let the background color show through. The other designer papers are from my scrap box, and I cut everything out with my deckled blade to give it that worn and torn look and then inked the edges to give them an aged look.. 

I cut the the pansies on my Black Cat from a free file from Penny Duncan. She even has a wonderful tutorial on how to actually make the flowers. The file and the video can be found HERE. These are the most realistic pansies, and I can't wait to make more of them. They're just something about a pansy that makes me happy.

The sentiment is one from Paulette at Create with TLC, and it was perfect for the image. Finally I cut the center out of a Memory Box die called Valerian Flouish and scuffed with some ink.

Now I guess I better go unload the dishwasher, as it's not going to do it by itself. Thanks for stopping by.

I've Got Spots and Dots

Sassy Jackie set the theme for this week's challenge on the Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog, and it's Spots and Dots. Since I happen to love polka dots, this was a fun challenge for me. I'm sure you agree, as you see me posting a card on Friday, not Monday at 3. Thanks Jackie.

I've started working backwards on my cards. I'm choosing the sketch and papers before I choose the image. The papers are from my scrap box. I have to say if I'm going to make a dent in my scraps, I'm going to have to get a lot more productive. This is the sketch for this week at Unscripted Sketches.

The image is Marlene's Attitude. I love it, but I love everything that Sassy Cheryl draws. Please check out the Sassy Cheryl Store. There's an image that will suit everyone. It really doesn't need a sentiment. Her expression says it all. That said, I found this sentiment on a T-shirt and had to make it into Word Art.  Please feel free to grab it at the bottom of the post.

The flower were cut with Memory Box dies along with the flourish.

To grab this Word Art, just left click on it and then right click and save it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Get Well

We all need Get Well cards to have on hand, but it seems like they're our least favorite to make, or at least it is for me. Perhaps it's because you're not sure exactly what to say. This week's challenge theme on the Phindy's Place Challenge blog is to create a Get Well card.

I worked at this card from a totally different perspective from the norm. This time I went looking for the sentiment first. In this case, the sentiment is from Raindrop Echo. Once I found the sentiment, the next thing was to find a sketch to use. Sketch Saturday is one of my favorite challenge blogs for finding a sketch, but did you know that ALL the Sketches created for Sketch Saturday can be found at I Need a Sketch.

Then it was off to find papers and finally just the right image for the sentiment and my sketch. This time I needed a lot of vertical and not so much width, since I'm trying to keep my card size to 4.25" x 5.5, the recommended size for OWH cards. This gorgeous little girl is one of last year's Summer Cuties and is called Love Flutterby. Now don't you think she's sending a cheerful get well wish with that butterfly? You really need to check out the Phindy's Place Store. I promise you won't be disappointed. The image is of course colored with Copics.

I recently was enabled by a dear friend to purchase some Memory Box Dies. If you haven't seen them, go and check them. They are the most delicate of die cuts, yet the dies are not. Oh and did I mention they cut like butter. The butterfly border is called Butterfly Delights and the cut out butterflies were perfect for sending those cheery wishes. The border on the bottom of the yellow piece is what was left after cutting out the Valencia Border. The border itself is gorgeous, but then I haven't found anything that isn't. Let it be known that I just want to pass the enabling along.LOL

I would love to think I had time to get a second card made, but unfortunately it's not to be. I'm just glad for the opportunity to play along this week on the Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by, and I love hearing from you.